Sell your clothes and buy a sword

Sell your clothes and buy a sword! Where is your sword, Christian? – Maybe you wear with a dagger or at least the knife? What did you say? You unarmed? And you call yourself a Christian? How so? Is not every Christian should act like Christ? Then why do not aspire to and say about you as Christ, "counted among the thieves"? (Luke XXII, 37).

   Have you forgotten the words of the Lord? "Sell your clothes and buy a sword…" (Luke XXII, 36). And therefore justified by the lack of a sword that can only Christian who does not even wear. The entire rest also remember that Jesus came to earth to bring "not peace but a sword" (Matthew X, 34). So no one can deny that Jesus brought!

   In the Middle Ages the glorious sword invariably accompanied Christian life. In particular, the Divine Liturgy. Thus, when reading the Gospel knights to half brought out their swords, showing by his willingness to fight for the faith.

   They are remembered for the words of Pope St. Nicholas I (852-867), when he was asked about the legality of the use of weapons in "Responsa ad consulta Bulgarorum", wrote: "The man who does not prepare itself arms to protect themselves and his country, offend God…" Once this understanding fit in the shower Christians from childhood.

   How could forget the fine tradition, performed in the temple night before initiation knighted in prayer awake to arms, laid on the altar! The blame for this indifference is not only spiritual fathers of Christian church – the priests, but also on fathers around us – the parents, the heads of the family because the inextricable link Cross and the Sword in the first place has to support his father. And before you go on a Sunday Mass (liturgy) in the church, the father has sharpen and clean all their weapons to eyes of his son.

   That's what brought the Knight of faith, brought the Warrior Spirit. On the eve of the First Communion as a father give his son a sword. First Communion should be smack steel. Christian without a sword – not a Christian because Sword – a cross.

Author – Kostiantyn Novikov