The journey of the local Orthodox faithful here in Gubat, Sorsogon is not easy. There is no so called “fastrack” or short cut to the necessary challenges and tests that must be faced.
Pictures testify on how the parishioners are sacrificing in going to different houses, just to participate in the Divine Liturgy every Sunday for one year (although scenes that can’t be captured or caught by a camera are more).
Instead of faith waning or get discouraged, the more they are enthusiastic. Why? Because their background, of coming out from former affiliation - a heterodox sect, have made them realized that they should much more be devoted and dedicated now that they are already in the embrace of the Holy Mother Orthodox Church.
These people have gotten out of their former sect due to several major reasons. Let me just sight a few: apostolic succession, canon, doctrine, worship and system. For they are tired of experimenting - of just mixing elements, thoughts, practices and trends from so called Christian bodies or groups which have passed their taste and creative humanistic ideas, under the guise of “as the spirit leads”.
This heterodox sect is boasting that they are mixing Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox rites in crafting their worship format, with more blends (“padampot-dampot”) from protestant and even fundamentalist sects. This cocadox sect is also saying that they are making the east meet west. Even proclaiming big words (utopia) like, that God will use them in restoring the east and west (Orthodox Church and Roman Church). But it is just a matter of wishful hyper faith unknown to the True Church of God here on earth which is the Orthodox Church.
There is no more need to reinvent, recreate, and make the Divine Liturgy superfluous, for the early Church fathers have left the True Church with only four varieties. These are the St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, St. James and St. Mark varieties of Divine Liturgy. No need to add! Why? Is there anyone better than the apostles?
The very first reason why this thriving community of faithful have decided to become Orthodox is because of an ardent quest for truth. For the Orthodox Church is consistent, unaltered, and unchanged. Everything is in accordance with what were decided upon from the first to the eventh ecumenical council.
Surely no one can match those fathers, doctors and hierarchs who handed these great gifts to the True Church. “For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”- (1Cor.3: 11). “For each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work”- (1 Cor. 3: 13).
The Orthodox Church remains firm under severe tests, unaltered and unchanged in the midst of modernity. She is not a mere fad neither a bandwagon, she is not a one generation religious group, she is not new for she is very ancient, however not antiquated. Old, yes very, however, not obsolete. Why? This is because the Orthodox Church is still open to embrace many more souls who are willing and decisive to repent from heresy and heterodoxy.
