At the Divine Liturgy, we go on a journey. The journey is to the Kingdom of God. The Liturgy is sometimes seen as steps or broken down into parts. This is wrong. The Liturgy is a progression towards the Kingdom of God that reaches its pinnacle when the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The same can be said about baptism. The new birth through water allows us to further receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. These two gifts are ultimately fulfilled when we receive the sacrament of the altar, the Eucharist, The Eucharist is the most visible and mystical way to participate in the Risen Life of Jesus Christ. When we are baptized, we become God's children and members of His church. We can now eat and drink of "God;s special banquet," the Eucharist, or Holy Communion.
Victory is the stuff I am made of The truth is that we start from a position of success. No matter what happens, no matter what the appearance, we are always successful. The truth is that we have lessons to learn through our experiences. What appears as a failure is simply a steppingstone to realizing success. The truth is that we can do anything we focus our mind to do. What looks like failure teaches us what not to do, what does not work. It sends us back to the drawing board. It forces us to refocus, and redo. All circumstances in the physical world are subject to change. The truth, however, is consistent. It never changes. The truth is that, as long as we are breathing, we are one with God. God never fails. Our job is to act like we know. You must act as if it is impossible to fail.