Laundry

Yesterday at COCA, Abouna Anthony gave a talk on our need to OVERCOME whatever it is that stands in the way between us and God. He used the analogy of preparing for a wedding, since heaven is appropriately described as the wedding, the union of us, the bride, and the True Bridegroom, Christ. Because God loved us so much, he humbled Himself to the point of HUMANITY, because the bride's debts, the wages of sin, were too great. Christ overcame everything for us, becoming human, suffering the death of the Cross, and descending into Hades to conquer death by death. For people not familiar with Christian thought, these ideas will not make any sense at all, and this blog is not meant to explain Christian theology. And so because, the Bridegroom has done everything to prepare for the Wedding, or as we say in the Coptic tradition, the "ekleel" or "crowning", the bride also must be putting forth preparation. Abouna asked if we were preparing for our heavenly wedding? And furthermore, because a bride and her groom must match, do we match God's holiness? Are we a fit couple? And that's what I would like to meditate on here...

Christ is so good to us. Christ commanded us, "Be Holy as I am holy." There are two ways to be holy: (1) to NEVER sin or (2) to be cleansed of our sins frequently. Practically, #1 is not an option for "all have sinned and fallen short of glory." We have a weak human nature--"the spirit is willing but the flesh is so weak." But by God's grace, Christ cleanses us of our sins. If it weren't for the blood of the Lamb, Christ, we would all be condemned to hell, that place of permanent separation from Christ. But because God in His overflowing love for us, He offers up His own sacred Blood, He is the pure and perfect sacrifice, for our sins. And it is ONLY the blood of Christ which as we say on Good Friday, that God is pleased of the "aroma of this sacrifice" and accepts it. And so, it is my responsibility to live a life of repentance and continual washing of my dirty, sinful body, mind and heart in the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. May God have mercy on us all.