Something I Haven't Really Thought About

Sunday I had to miss Church service because of pain. Hubby got me a flyer for the day and on the back of it is something absolutely wonderful to read, so I thought I would share it with you all.

The Power of the Written Word
Do you realize that Jesus Christ did not put even ONE of His divine thoughts into writing? Fortunately, men like the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John did, enabling us to learn the wonderful and meaningful teachings that our Lord gave to the world.

Throughout the course of Church History, the written word has had great significance and importance. The works of suck illustrious Church Fathers as Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom have been preserved and handed down to us. Their sound explanations of the Scriptures as well as their commentaries on daily living have been of great value to the Christians of later generations.

When Holy Orthodoxy reached the shores of America at the beginning of the 20th century, there was a scarcity of books and publications available about our precious faith in English. Consequently, the Church found herself in a time of crisis: if we could not LEARN about Orthodoxy, how could we be expected to LIVE it? Through the grace of God, however, the potential gravity of this situation was recognized by the hierarchs of all jurisdictions. Catechetical materials for faithful of all ages now exist. Every diocese has their own newspaper and other publications for the edification of their own flock. The printed word not only provides permanence and has regularity but also offers participation to the layman. Many brilliant Orthodox Christians have left us their thoughts. Yes, we can be rightly proud of the use of the written word in today's Church. May it continue to be a "light" to enlighten a darkened society!