Within us there is a part of the soul called the „moralist„. This „moralist„, when it sees someone going astray, is roused to indignation, even though very often the person who judges has strayed in the same way. He does not, however, take this as an occasion to condemn himself, but the other person. This is not what God wants. Christ says in the Gospel: You, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [4] It may be that we do not steal, but we commit murder; we reproach the other person and not ourselves. We say, for example: „You should have done that and you didn„t do it. So see now what’s happened to you!„ When we think of evil, then it can actually happen. In a mysterious and hidden manner we diminish the power of the other person to move towards what is good, and we do him harm. We can become the occasion for him to fall ill, to lose his job or his property. In this way we do harm, not only to our neighbour, but also to ourselves, because we distance ourselves from the grace of God. And then we pray and our prayers are not heard. We „ask and do not receive„. Why? Have we ever thought of this? „Because we ask wrongly.„ We need to find a way to heal the tendency within us to feel and think evil about others.
 
It’s possible for someone to say, „The way that person is behaving, he will be punished by God,„ and to believe that he is saying this without evil intent. It is a simple matter, however, to discern whether he has or does not have evil intent. It does not appear clearly. What is hidden in our soul and how that can exercise influence on people and things is a very secret matter.
 
The same is not true if we say with a sense of awe that another person is not living well and that we should pray for God to help him and grant him repentance; that is, neither do we say, nor deep down do we desire that God will punish him for what he does. In this case not only do we not do harm to our neighbour, but we do him good. When someone prays for his neighbour, a good force proceeds from him and heals, strengthens and revives him. It is a mystery how this force leaves us. But, in truth, the person who has good within him radiates this good power to others, mystically and gently. He sends light to his neighbour and this creates a shield around him and protects him from evil. When we possess a good disposition towards others and pray, then we heal our fellows and we help them progress towards God.
 
There is an invisible life, the life of the soul. This is very powerful and can have effect on the other, even if we are miles apart. This also happens with the curse, which is a power that works evil. But if, conversely, we pray with love for someone, whatever the distance that separates us, the good is transmitted. So distances do not affect the power of good and evil. We can transmit these across boundless distances. Solomon the Wise says this very thing: „The noise of murmurings shall not be hidden.„ The noise of our soul is transmitted mysteriously and affects the other, even if we don„t say a word. Even without speaking we can transmit good or evil, irrespective of the distance which separates us from our neighbour. What is not expressed generally has greater power than words.
 
Bron: orthodoxinfo.com

This is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; He is whatever is good and beautiful. He is everything. Yet, He is still a friend and He shouts it out, “You’re my friends, don’t you understand that? We’re brothers. I’m not…I don’t hold hell in my hands. I am not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me.”
 
Christ is Everything. He is joy, He is life, He is light. He is the true light who makes man joyful, makes him soar with happiness; makes him see everything, everybody; makes him feel for everyone, to want everyone with him, everyone with Christ.
 
Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. Christ is Everything. He is the source of life, the ultimate desire. He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ.
 
Bron: balamandmonastery.org.lb

Volgens het Da Vinci-complot zagen de mensen Jezus eerst als een gewone sterveling, totdat de heidense keizer Constantijn in het jaar 325 de goddelijke natuur van de Messias voor altijd vastlegde, tijdens het concilie van Nicea.
 
De Boer en Graas zeggen haast in koor dat Jezus zelfs in de alleroudste geschriften al goddelijkheid werd toegeschreven, en dat er eigenlijk alleen onenigheid bestond over de wijze waarop zijn goddelijke en menselijke natuur zich tot elkaar verhielden. Dáárover werden tijdens „Nicea„ knopen door gehakt.
 
„Maar ja, tamelijk ridicuul hoe dat er in die film uitziet, met schreeuwende bisschoppen die elkaar aanvliegen“, zegt Graas.
 
„Dat vond ik juist wel realistisch“, zegt De Boer. „Uit de conciliegeschriften blijkt dat het er bepaald niet zachtzinnig aan toeging hoor.“
 
Bron: trouw.nl/deverdieping

De geloofsbelijdenis van Nicea
 
Ik geloof in één God, de almachtige Vader,
Schepper van hemel en aarde,
van alle zichtbare en onzichtbare dingen.
In één Heer Jezus Christus, de eengeboren Zoon van God,
Die uit de Vader geboren is voor alle eeuwen.
Licht uit Licht, waarachtige God uit een waarachtige God.
Geboren, niet geschapen,
één in wezen met de Vader, door Wie alles gemaakt is.
Die om ons mensen en om onze verlossing uit de hemel is nedergedaald
en vlees heeft aangenomen door de Heilige Geest en de maagd Maria
en mens geworden is.
Die voor ons onder Pontius Pilatus geleden, gekruisigd en begraven is,
Die de derde dag verrezen is volgens de Schriften,
Die opgevaren is ten Hemel, gezeten aan de rechterhand van de Vader
en zal wederkomen om te oordelen de levenden en de doden,
aan Wiens Rijk geen einde zal zijn.
en in de Heilige Geest, de Heer, de Levendmakende,
Die uitgaat van de Vader,
Die aanbeden en verheerlijkt wordt tezamen met de Vader en de Zoon,
Die door de profeten gesproken heeft in één heilige, katholieke en apostolische Kerk.
Ik belijd een doop tot vergeving der zonden,
Ik verwacht de opstanding van de doden
en het leven der toekomstige eeuwigheid.
Amen.