Preparing for Holy Communion: an Orthodox perspective on self examination and financial responsibility

"The Mystical Supper demands the humility to acknowledge responsibility whether religion's improper role in making sacred an economic or political system; the family or individual's decision to use short-term borrowing on non-essentials that causes needless, ongoing debt; Christians within an industry that create marketing incentives for consumers to max out credit cards, set collection policies, fix high interest rates; or Christian members of Congress with power to better regulate the credit card, credit bureau, and collection agency industries.

The Eucharist is a sacrament. All sacraments, especially the Eucharist, occur through Holy Sophia [Wisdom]. The Eucharist is the starting point, the journey, the full, unbreakable spiritual circle of Christ. The Last Supper invites us to unite with the will of the Almighty. Two wills united as one 'so that together with God we can do good and creative things.' [quote is from The Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Christian Theology] This includes reaffirming the 'royal dignity' of man and woman created in the image of the Creator." Bishop Paul Peter Jesep