Saturday before Theophany. [I Tim. 3:14–4:5; Matt. 3:1–11]

The house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (I Tim. 3:15). Consequently there is no need for us to look here and there to search out where the truth is. It is near. Be in the Church, contain all that it contains, and you will be in the truth. You will possess the truth and live by it and in it, and you will overflow with true life. The truth does not exist outside of the Orthodox Church. It is the only faithful guardian of all that was commanded by the Lord through the holy Apostles, and therefore is the true Apostolic Church. Some have lost the Apostolic Church; but since their Christian conscience tells them that only an Apostolic Church can truly preserve and show the truth, they decided to make such a church, and they made it, and called it by that name. They could call it the Apostolic Church, but they could not impart the essence to it. For the Apostolic Church was created according to the good will of the Father by the Lord and Saviour, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. Such a church cannot be created by people. Those who think they can create such a church are like children playing with dolls. If there is no true Apostolic Church on the earth, there is no need to waste the effort on the creation of it. But thanks be to the Lord, He has not allowed the gates of hell to prevail against the holy Apostolic Church. It exists and will remain, according to His promise, unto the end of the world. This church is our Orthodox Church. Glory be to God!