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Growth in the Christian life happens as we become increasingly aware, in faith, of Christ’s presence.  For someone who is baptised, the core of their being is drenched with Christ, with His Blood, with His Love, with His Holy Spirit.  We must be careful not to equate our Christian practices with our Christian life.  I do not cease to be a Christian when I stop praying, or when I watch a movie, when I eat, or when I do something foolish or even when I sin.  Life in Christ is not determined by good morals or being on one’s best behavior or setting the example for others or being pleased with ourselves.  Grace certainly plays an active role in our continued conversion and sanctification – and this transformation requires our cooperation – but grace is primarily about making us more deeply and increasingly aware of the presence of God. read more

Pelagius:

The resurrection of the body is the whole point of our gospel message. Without it, all the works of prayer and fasting which we do are meaningless.

Origen:

Evidently Matthias was chosen to replace Judas before Jesus ceased appearing to the disciples after his resurrection.

Clement of Alexandria:

The vine produces wine as the Word produces blood, and both are drunk for the health of men and women—wine for the body, blood for the spirit.

Cyril of Alexandria:

For it is his Holy Spirit who has united us with the Savior Christ since connection with the vine produces a choice of those things that belong to it. And our connection with the vine holds us fast. From a firm resolve in goodness we proceed onward by faith and we become his people, obtaining from him the dignity of sonship.… He says that he is a vine, the mother and nourisher, as it were, of its branches. For we are begotten of him and in him, in the Spirit, to produce the fruits of life. read more