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Do you believe reading the writings of the saints
can serve to expedite the acquisition of the Holy Spirit?
Do you believe Christ quickens the saints with revelations about this life, the LIFE to come and about His Nature?
Does Christ quicken you?
Have you acquired the Holy Spirit and no longer thirst?
If not, be eager to not only read - but emulate!
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
St. Luke 13:28 KJV
posted oct 8 2025
WHY AFFLICTIONS
~ St. Silouan of Athos
The Lord loves mankind but He
sends affliction that we may perceive
our weakness and humble ourselves
and for this humility, we receive the
Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit all
things are good, all things are joyful,
all things are well.
MADE OF THE SAME STUFF
~ St. Nikolai Velimirovich ~
Be humble, for the worst thing inthe world is of the same stuff as
you; be confident, for the stars are
of the same stuff as you.
INTELLIGENCE
~ Saint Anthony the Great ~
“Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in the sayings and books of the wise men of old, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. They avoid what is sinful and harms the soul; and with deep gratitude to God they resolutely adhere by dint of practice to what is good and benefits the soul. These men alone should truly be called intelligent.”
“The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul.”
NO NEED TO PROSELYTIZE
~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica ~
He who has the Kingdom of God within himself
will imperceptibly pass it on to others.
The atmosphere of Heaven will radiate from us
even when we keep silence or talk about
ordinary things.
GOD IS EVERYWHERE
~ St. John Chrysostomos ~
God is everywhere
you decide whether you
are close to Him or not.
How to Relate to the Sins of Others
from the
Holy Fathers
The following is the Cross Christ offers
those who freely follow Him.
Love sinners, but hate their deeds, and do not disdain sinners for their failings, so that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they abide...
Do not be angry at anyone and do not hate anyone, neither for their faith, nor for their shameful deeds...
Do not foster hatred for the sinner, for we are all guilty... Hate his sins, and pray for him, so that you may be made like unto Christ, who had no dislike for sinners, but prayed for them.
(St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 57,90)
Find evil in yourself and not in other people or things, were with you have not learned how to relate properly. This is how a child relates with fire or a knife: he burns himself, he cuts himself.
(St. Sebastian of Karaganda)
A brother asked an elder: If I see my brother fall into sin, is good to hide him? The Elder answered: When, out of love, we hide the sin of our brother, then God also hides our sins; but when we show our brother's sin before others, then God also makes our sins known to people.
(Ancient Patericon, 9.9)
Do not lose your temper with those who sin. Do not have a passion for noticing every sin in your neighbor and judging it, as we usually do. Everyone will give an answer for himself before God. Especially, do not look with evil intention on the sins of those older than you, with whom you have no business. But correct your own sins, your own heart.
(St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, I.6)
If you see your neighbor in sin, don't look only at this, but also think about what he has done or does that is good, and infrequently trying this in general, while not partially judging, you will find that he is better than you.
(St. Basil the Great, Conversations, 20).
If you see a man who has sinned and you do not pity him, the grace of God will leave you. Whoever curses bad people, and does not pray for them, will never come to know the grace of God.
(St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, VII.4, VIII.6)
One who strictly prosecutes the misdemeanors of others will find no condescension towards his own.
(St. John Chrysostomos, On the Statutes, 3.6)
Posted July 8
Flee from What God Hates
by Saint Clement of Rome
Seeing, therefore, that we are the portion of the Holy One, let us do all those things which pertain to holiness, avoiding all evil-speaking, all abominable and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, seeking after change, all abominable lusts, detestable adultery, and execrable pride. "For God," says [the Scripture], "resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."[49] Let us cleave, then, to those to whom grace has been given by God. Let us clothe ourselves with concord and humility, ever exercising self-control, standing far off from all whispering and evil-speaking, being justified by our works, and not our words. For [the Scripture] says, "He that speaks much, shall also hear much in answer. And does he that is ready in speech deem himself righteous? Blessed is he that is born of woman, who lives but a short time: be not given to much speaking."[50] Let our praise be in God, and not of ourselves; for God hates those who commend themselves. Let testimony to our good deeds be borne by others, as it was in the case of our righteous forefathers. Boldness, and arrogance, and audacity belong to those that are accursed of God; but moderation, humility, and meekness to such as are blessed by Him.
P R I D E
The Veil We Wear
Saint Silouan the Athonite
Each of us can discuss God inasmuch as he has known the grace of the Holy Spirit; for how can we think of or discuss what we haven't seen, or haven't heard of, or don't know? The saints say that they have seen God, but there are people who say that there is no God. Clearly, they say this because they haven't known God, but this does not at all mean that He is not. The saints speak of that which they have truly seen and know.
Pride does not allow the soul to set out on the path of faith.
Here is my advice to the unbeliever: let him say, "Lord, if you exist, then illumine me, and I will serve you with all my heart and soul." And for this humble thought and readiness to serve God, the Lord will immediately illumine him... And then your soul will sense the Lord; she will sense that the Lord has forgiven her, and loves her, and you will know this from experience, and the grace of the Holy Spirit will be a witness in your soul of your salvation, and you will want to cry out to the whole world: "The Lord loves us so much!"
Complete Sanctification
by Saint John the Wonderworker
Posted July 1, 2025
For a man’s complete sanctification, the body of the servant of the Lord must be united with the Body of Christ, and this is accomplished in the Mystery of Holy Communion. The true Body and the true Blood of Christ which we receive become part of the great Body of Christ.
Of course, for union with Christ, the mere conjoining of our body with the Body of Christ does not suffice. The consumption of the Body of Christ becomes beneficial when in spirit we strive towards Him and unite ourselves with Him. Receiving the Body of Christ, while turning away from Him in spirit, is like the contact with Christ which they had who struck Him and mocked and crucified Him.
Their contact with Him served not for their salvation and healing, but for their condemnation.
But those who partake with piety, love and readiness to serve Him, closely unite themselves with Him and become instruments of His Divine will.
The Pencil and the Eraser
Metropolitan Cyprian II of Oropos and Phyle
June 15, 2025 (O.S.)
Posted July 1, 2025
The eraser asked the pencil:
— How are you, my friend?
The pencil answered angrily:
— I am not your friend, I hate you!
The eraser, surprised and saddened, replied:
— Why?
The pencil answered:
— Because you erase what I write.
And the eraser replied:
— I only erase mistakes.
— And why do you do that? …asked the pencil.
— I am protective, and that is my job.
— That’s not a job… responded the pencil.
The eraser answered:
— My job is just as useful as yours.
The pencil, in a harsh tone, said:
— You’re wrong and arrogant, because the one who writes is better than the one who erases.
The eraser replied:
— Removing the mistake is equal to writing what is right.
The pencil remained silent for a moment, then, with a veil of sorrow, said:
— But I see you getting smaller every day.
The eraser replied:
— Because I sacrifice a little of myself every time I erase a mistake.
The pencil, in a very sorrowful voice, said:
— I feel shorter than before.
The eraser comforted him, saying:
— We cannot do good to others if we are not ready to sacrifice something of ourselves.
Then she looked at the pencil with affection and said:
— Do you still hate me?
The pencil smiled and replied:
— How can I hate you when you sacrifice so much?
Every day you wake up, and you have one less day.
If you cannot be a pencil to write the happiness of others, be a good eraser to erase their sorrows and sow hope and optimism in their soul, reminding them that the future is brighter.
Greek source: https://www.imoph.org/pdfs/2025/06/28/20250628aMolivi-goma.pdf
IF I AM NOT JOYOUS
THEN I AM NOTHING
Elder Aimilianos of
Simonopetra Monastery,
Mt. Athos
"The lack of joy is a pathological state of man, a willing closure within one's self. And whatever he wishes to do he will not be successful.
First, one must clean his field, to find out what is going on and why he is not joyous. Then, he must pursue joy within himself, and then the peace of God will take the place of joy. Thus, man should keep his relationship with God and with his Elder [or Spiritual Father], and should seek a true life.
Am I good, faithful, perfect, holy?
Am I a teacher?
If I am not joyous, then I am nothing.
It is important when they tell me: "Physician, heal thyself, and then, offer him to God." God cannot enter into a heart that is not joyful, He cannot find a place of contact, because He is peace, He is the fulfillment of joy.
Only like things can unite, and because of this, God can only unite with a joyous soul. For the person who is not joyous, the Elder can do nothing at all, his hands are totally tied.
Whoever thinks that he is approaching to reach "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ", but is not joyous, can understand that he is totally deluded. Joy is the criterion, the thermometer.
Joy is something external, but it is also something internal.
Ultimately, it is a necessary presupposition, because the lack of joy makes man study things differently and to become changed. For example, if one puts even one drop of nitric oxide into pure water, immediately he changes its essence. Thus, exactly, one drop of bitterness, depression, sadness transforms the whole atmosphere of a person, and extinguishes God.
But joy must also exist in a brotherhood [or a family], because it is an element both of one's personal life and of the brotherhood.
I cannot be joyous if all those around me do not have the tendency and the atmosphere of joy, neither, however, can I have any benefit if I do not take on this joy from the brotherhood.
Only when I take it on can I say that I have a relationship with the Elder, and then I can take in God, because God is the life that exists within man, and the life which is transmitted through man."
Posted June 29 ns 2025
THE FALL OF ADAM
AND
THE DECREES OF GOD
by Saint Symeon
the
New Theologian
EACH OF US MUST RECOGNIZE THAT HE IS ADAM IN ORDER TO BE OF CHRIST
If any of us does not recognize that he is Adam, the one who sinned before God in paradise, how can you recognize and think that the coming down of the Son of the Word of God was for him?
A law was established after the Fall, that just as each of us is Adam, that is, a corruptible and mortal man, not by reason of our own sin, but by reason of the disobedience of our first ancestor Adam, from whose seed we come; so each of us is of Christ come immortal and incorrupt, not for the sake of our own virtues, but for the sake of the obedience of the second Adam, Who is Christ Our Lord Who came down from Heaven; we become bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. And just as corruption and death come down from generation to generation from the old Adam, so also incorruption and immortality come down to Christians from the new Adam. Just as the fact that we are participants in the nature of our ancestor Adam, who fell, is recognized by the sign that we also sin and transgress the commandments of God, so also the fact that we are participants of the Divine grace of the second Founder of our race Christ the Lord, we recognize by this sign: that we no longer sin as soon as we receive this Divine grace we draw from the fullness of Christ, just as from some kind of source of fire a myriad of lights might be lit. And the more of them are lit, the more the source abounds in fire and gushes it forth from itself: for Christ, being God, is superabundant in every good.
TREASURES ON EARTH
By Saint Spyridon
"We don't have here on earth a permanent and lasting home and city, with deep longing we desire the future, the celestial Jerusalem. Vain are all earthly goods. In your heart always have one desire, to acquire the heavens, the eternal good things. All the earthly goods are provisional and deceptive. Today is ours, tomorrow will be owned by someone else."
Sayings from
Saint Anthony the Great
When the holy Father (Abba) Anthony was living in the desert he was afflicted with lethargy, and attacked by many imaginations. He said to God, “Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts will not leave me alone. What shall I do in my afflictions? How can I be saved? A little later, when he went outside, Anthony saw a man like himself sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down and braiding a rope, then getting up again to pray. It was an angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard the angel saying to him, “Do this and you will be saved.” At these words, Anthony was filled with joy and courage. He did this, and he was saved.
When Saint Anthony meditated on the depth of the judgment of God, he asked, “Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age? And why are some poor and others rich? Why do wicked people prosper and why are the just in need? He heard a voice answering him, “Anthony, keep your attention on yourself; these things are according to the judgment of God, and it is not to your benefit to know anything about them.
He Who Sees Me
Sees the Father
St. Dionysios of
Zakynthos
A certain stranger murdered the saint's brother Constantine, an illustrious nobleman. Fearing his victim's relatives, the stranger, by chance or by God's will, sought refuge in the monastery where St Dionysius was the abbot. When the saint asked the fugitive why he was so frightened, he confessed his sin and revealed the name of the man he had murdered, asking to be protected from the family's vengeance. St Dionysius wept for his only brother, as was natural. Then he comforted the murderer and hid him, showing him great compassion and love.
Soon the saint's relatives came to the monastery with a group of armed men and told him what had happened. He pretended to know nothing about it. After weeping with them and trying to console them, he sent them off in the wrong direction. Then he told the murderer that he was the brother of the man he had killed. He admonished him as a father, and brought him to repentance. After forgiving him, St Dionysius brought him down to the shore and helped him to escape to another place in order to save his life. Because of the saint's Christ-like virtue, he was granted the gift of working miracles.
When our Soul is Sanctified
It Shines With Goodness
Saint Porphyrios
Man has such powers, that he can transmit good or evil to his environment. These are very delicate matters. They require great care.
We must see everything in a good manner. We should not think anything evil about others. And even a glance and a sigh can effect our fellow man. And the slightest indignation brings evil. Let us have goodness and love within out soul, let us transmit these.
Let us pray that we not be indignant towards men who hurt us. Only let us pray for them with love. Whatever our fellow man does, let us not think evil of him. Always let us pray lovingly. Always let us think of the good.
We must never think regarding the other that God will give them some evil or punish them for their sin. This thought brings a very great evil, without us perceiving it.
Many times we are indignant, and we say to the other: "Do you not fear the righteousness of God, do you not fear that He will punish you?"
Other times we further say: "God cannot even punish you for that which you have done", or, "My God, do not do evil to that man for that which he did to me", or, "May he not suffer the same lot".
In all of these cases, we have deep within us the desire that the other be punished. Instead, however, of confessing our anger at their offense, we use another way of showing our indignation, appearing to entreat God for him. Thus, however, in reality we are cursing our brother.
And if, instead of praying, we say: "may you find it from God, that God might repay you for the evil you have done", then again we are praying for God to punish him.
Furthermore, when we say: "regardless, God sees everything", the state of our soul works in a mysterious way to bother the soul of our fellow man and he suffers evil. Do you understand, therefore, how our evil thoughts, our evil disposition bothers others? Because of these, we must find the way to purify the depth of ourselves from every evil. When our soul is sanctified, it shines with goodness. We silently sent out our love without saying words.
As Morally Free Beings,
Humans Bear Responsibility
Humans Bear Responsibility
Saint Nektarios of Aegina
Humans, as conscious beings, are responsible for their actions because they can perceive the moral value of an act, and can then perform or refuse to perform it.
Indeed their inner moral powers make humans responsible for their actions, because having the ability to act on their own free will, they gain the power to freely do good or evil. Because humans possess this moral freedom, God requires that they take responsibility for their actions. Humans are judged by God for the quality of their actions and are either rewarded or punished.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa says the following about this responsibility: the soul of the human being reveals its imperial and exalted origin, as it is far from a subject's subservience, through its autonomy and freedom, ruling itself imperially through its own will. Whose privilege is this if not expressive of a king? Let us therefore love the blessing and flee the curse. So it remains in our power to either choose or reject each according to its worth and to pursue it.
In truth, it remains for us to opt for what we want or for what we do not want. Those who are morally autonomous can either insist on keeping the divine law written on their heart, or to break that divine law admit that their free will, which always wants the good, (over) the passions and desires. Subsequently, they will become either morally free or morally enslaved. Those who study mortality identify the meanings of the words moral autonomy and moral freedom defining moral freedom, as the ability to choose between good and evil, an ability that is clearly an attribute of autonomy.
Prayers at Night
by Saint Isaac the Syrian
Prayer offered up at night possesses a great power, more so than the prayer of the daytime. Therefore all the righteous prayed during the night, while combating the heaviness of the body and the sweetness of sleep and repelling corporeal nature.
There is nothing which even Satan fears so much as prayer that is offered during vigilance at night. And even if it is offered with distraction, it does not return empty, unless perhaps that which is asked for is unsuitable.
For unless those who travel on the road go forward day by day, shortening their journey -- and, on the contrary, should they stand in one place -- the road before them will never diminish and they will never arrive at their destination.
So it is with us also.
So it is with us also.
Repentance
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
Repentance is admission of the way of sin. Repentance opens up a new way. The penitent's eyes are open to two ways: to the way which he is going, and to the way he should be going.
There are more who feel repentant than there are who turn their wheels onto a new way. I tell you: the penitent must have two types of courage--he must have the courage to weep over his old way, and he must have the courage to prepare himself for a new way.
What good is it for you to feel repentant and still tread the old way? How do you describe a person who is drowning and shouts for help, but when help arrives will not grab hold of the life line? I liken such a person to you.
Repent of your yearning for this world and all that is in this world. For this world is the graveyard of your ancestors, which is gaping and waiting for you. Just a little longer and you will be ancestors and will yearn to hear the word "repentance," but you will not hear it.
Just as the wind begins blowing and carries off the mist before the sun, so will death carry you off before the face of God.
Repentance rejuvenates the heart and lengthens one's lifetime. The tears of a penitent wash darkness from his eyes, and give his eyes a childlike radiance. The eye of my lake is like the eye of a deer, always moist and radiant as a diamond. In truth, the moisture in the eyes drains the anger in the heart.
The penitent clears the weeds from the field of his soul, and the seed of goodness begins to grow.
Truly, the penitent is not one who laments over the evil deed he has committed, but one who laments over all the evil deeds that he is capable of committing. A wise landowner not only cuts the thornbush that has pricked him, but every thornbush on the field that is waiting to prick him.
O my Lord, make haste to show a new way to every penitent, after he scorns his old way.
O heavenly Mother, Bride of the All-Holy Spirit, bow down toward our heart, when we repent. Open the fountain of tears within us, that we may wash away the heavy clay, that saddens our eyes.
O All-Holy Spirit, blow and disperse the unclean stench from the soul of the penitent that has been choking him and lead him to repentance.
We bow down and beseech You, O Life-giving and Mighty Spirit!
About the Remembrance
of the Imminent Putting off
of the Body
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
"Yes, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle (body), to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ had showed me" (2 St. Peter 1: 13-14).
Here is a good reminder to lovers of the body who, because of their bodies, forget their souls.
The body must be cast off from us.
No matter how dear we hold it to be, no matter how precious adornments we hang upon it, no matter how much we caress and pamper it, we must cast it off one day.
Oh, how powerful and truthful are the words "cast it off!" When the soul is separated from the body, the soul casts the body off as something no longer necessary.
When shipwrecked men reach the shore on a board (plank), they step onto the shore and cast away the board. When spring blossoms, the serpent sheds its skin and casts it off. When a butterfly wings its way out of the cocoon, the cocoon is cast off. In the same manner, the body is cast off when the soul departs from it..
No longer of use and without benefit, and even harmful to other men, it is cast out of the house, cast out of the city, cast from the sight of the sun, and is buried deep into the ground. Think about this, you who live in luxury and adorn your bodies; you who are haughty and gluttonous!
As long as the soul is in the body, it should utilize the body for its salvation, submitting to the Law of God and performing the works of God. Do you see how the apostolic soul is a lover of labor? As long as I am in this tabernacle (body) to stir you up. That task was given to him by God. He wants to conscientiously complete it to the end before he must put off his body.
Brethren, let us labor--first to embrace the apostolic warning; and second, to remind others, all others whom we wish well.
We are rapidly approaching the shore of the other world; and the hour swiftly approaches when we must cast off our bodies and, with a naked soul, appear before the Judgment of God. What will we say at the Dread Judgment Seat of God? For what goals will we have used that thing of the earth, the body?
O Lord Jesus, Righteous Judge, direct our minds to think of death and judgment.
To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
HOW TO BE A VICTOR
St Isaac the Syrian
Let yourself be persecuted, but do not persecute others.
Be crucified, but do not crucify others.
Be slandered, but do not slander others.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep: such is the sign of purity.
Suffer with the sick.
Be afflicted with sinners.
Exult with those who repent.
Be the friend of all, but in your spirit remain alone.
Rebuke no one, revile no one, not even those who live very wickedly.
Spread your cloak over those who fall into sin, each and every one, and shield them.
And if you cannot take the fault on yourself and accept punishment in their place, do not destroy their character.
What is a merciful heart? It is a heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, for demons, and for all that exists.
By the recollection of them the eyes of a merciful person pour forth tears in abundance.
By the strong and vehement mercy that grips such a person’s heart, and by such great compassion, the heart is humbled and one cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in any in creation. For this reason, such a person offers up tearful prayers continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm her or him, that they be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner such a person prays for the family of all because of the great compassion that burns without measure in a heart that is in the likeness of God.
The person who is genuinely charitable not only gives charity out of his own possessions, but gladly tolerates injustice from others and forgives them. Whoever lays down his soul for his brother acts generously, rather than the person who demonstrates his generosity by his gifts.
Paradise is the love of God, wherein is the enjoyment of all blessedness.
The person who lives in love reaps the fruit of life from God, and while yet in this world, even now breathes the air of the Resurrection.
In love did God bring the world into existence; in love is God going to bring it to that wondrous transformed state, and in love will the world be swallowed up in the great mystery of the One who has performed all these things; in love will the whole course of the governance of creation be finally comprised.
Question: When is a person sure of having arrived at purity?
Answer: When that person considers all human beings are good, and no created thing appears impure or defiled. Then a person is truly pure in heart.
Love is sweeter than life.
Sweeter still, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb is the awareness of God whence love is born.
Love is not loath to accept the hardest of deaths for those it loves.
Love is the child of knowledge.
Lord, fill my heart with eternal life.
As for me I say that those who are tormented in hell are tormented by the invasion of love. What is there more bitter and violent than the pains of love? Those who feel they have sinned against love bear in themselves a damnation much heavier than the most dreaded punishments. The suffering with which sinning against love afflicts the heart is more keenly felt than any other torment. It is absurd to assume that the sinners in hell are deprived of God’s love. Love is offered impartially. But by its very power it acts in two ways. It torments sinners, as happens here on earth when we are tormented by the presence of a friend to whom we have been unfaithful. And it gives joy to those who have been faithful.That is what the torment of hell is in my opinion: remorse. But love inebriates the souls of the sons and daughters of heaven by its delectability.
If zeal had been appropriate for putting humanity right, why did God the Word clothe himself in the body, using gentleness and humility in order to bring the world back to his Father?
Sin is the fruit of free will. There was a time when sin did not exist, and there will be a time when it will not exist.
God’s recompense to sinners is that, instead of a just recompense, God rewards them with resurrection.
O wonder! The Creator clothed in a human being enters the house of tax collectors and prostitutes. Thus the entire universe, through the beauty of the sight of him, was drawn by his love to the single confession of God, the Lord of all.
“Will God, if I ask, forgive me these things by which I am pained and by whose memory I am tormented, things by which, though I abhor them, I go on backsliding? Yet after they have taken place the pain they give me is even greater than that of a scorpion’s sting. Though I abhor them, I am still in the middle of them, and when I repent of them with suffering I wretchedly return to them again.”
This is how many God-fearing people think, people who foster virtue and are pricked with the suffering of compunction, who mourn over their sin; They live between sin and repentance all the time. Let us not be in doubt, O fellow humanity, concerning the hope of our salvation, seeing that the One who bore sufferings for our sakes is very concerned about our salvation; God’s mercifulness is far more extensive than we can conceive, God’s grace is greater than what we ask for.
When we find love, we partake of heavenly bread and are made strong without labor and toil. The heavenly bread is Christ, who came down from heaven and gave life to the world. This is the nourishment of angels. The person who has found love, eats and drinks Christ every day and every hour and is thereby made immortal. …When we hear Jesus say, “Ye shall eat and drink at the table of my kingdom,” what do we suppose we shall eat, if not love? Love, rather than food and drink, is sufficient to nourish a person. This is the wine “which maketh glad the heart.” Blessed is the one who partakes of this wine! Licentious people have drunk this wine and become chaste; sinners have drunk it and have forgotten the pathways of stumbling; drunkards have drunk this wine and become fasters; the rich have drunk it and desired poverty, the poor have drunk it and been enriched with hope; the sick have drunk it and become strong; the unlearned have taken it and become wise.
Repentance is given us as grace after grace, for repentance is a second regeneration by God. That of which we have received an earnest by baptism, we receive as a gift by means of repentance. Repentance is the door of mercy, opened to those who seek it. By this door we enter into the mercy of God, and apart from this entrance we shall not find mercy.
Blessed is God who uses corporeal objects continually to draw us close in a symbolic way to a knowledge of God’s invisible nature.
O Name of Jesus, key to all gifts, open up for me the great door to your treasure-house, that I may enter and praise you with the praise that comes from the heart.
O my Hope, pour into my heart the inebriation that consists in the hope of you.
O Jesus Christ, the resurrection and light of all worlds, place upon my soul’s head the crown of knowledge of you; open before me all of a sudden the door of mercies, cause the rays of your grace to shine out in my heart.
O Christ, who are covered with light as though with a garment, who for my sake stood naked in front of Pilate, clothe me with that might which you caused to overshadow the saints, whereby they conquered this world of struggle.
May your Divinity, Lord, take pleasure in me, and lead me above the world to be with you.
I give praise to your holy Nature, Lord, for you have made my nature a sanctuary for your hiddenness and a tabernacle for your holy mysteries, a place where you can dwell, and a holy temple for your Divinity.
{Ed.}Can the greatest athlete that ever lived give you his athleticism?
Can the greatest composer that ever lived give you his dream?
Can the greatest scientist that ever lived give you his mind?
Can the greatest artist that ever lived give you his vision?
Can the Creator give you the Earth, can He give you power over life and death?
Have you been given the freedom to choose?
Saint Mark the Ascetic
ON THE SPIRITUAL LAW
THE PHILOKALIA
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
St. Matthew 11:15 KJV
- A self-indulgent heart becomes a prison and chain for the soul when it leaves this life; whereas an assiduous heart is an open door.
- At the times when you remember God, increase your prayers, so that when you forget Him, the Lord may remind you.
- At the times when you remember God, increase your prayers, so that when you forget Him, the Lord may remind you.
- God and our conscience know our secrets. Let them correct us.
WHY THE PARAGON?
because identification (a wedding garment)
is required and available to all.
Many are called but few are chosen.
St. Matt. 22:12-14 KJV
{So often we hear in this present age}
"He or she is in heaven now".
It is true but there is more, read carefully from St. Matthew.
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
St. Matt. 22:12-14 KJV
The Holy Orthodox fathers and mothers consider it essential that preparation be made to create a spiritual climate for the mind and the heart before initiating daily prayer. This may be accomplished by reading the Holy Scripture and the lives and writings of the saints.
Again ... before the commencement of prayer.
The Paragon was created simply to facilitate access. This is especially helpful when one must arrive early at work and desires to begin the day with the blessing of the Holy Trinity, the Most Holy Immaculate Virgin, and the saints throughout the day.
And there’s more. All the writings, whether epistles, gospels, homilies or simple quotes, all navigate and expedite, with love, (what better motivator?) the aspirant in various ways to the same source - Eternal Life - Paradise which is IN Christ. If that is your objective, then a firm commitment will expedite your journey and exponentially increase rewards (the essential wedding garment and more) along the way.
Glory to God!
ASCETICAL HOMILIES
by Saint Isaac the Syrian
Prayer offered up at night possesses a great power, more so than the prayer of the daytime. Therefore all the righteous prayed during the night, while combating the heaviness of the body and the sweetness of sleep and repelling corporeal nature.
There is nothing which even Satan fears so much as prayer that is offered during vigilance at night. And even if it is offered with distraction, it does not return empty, unless perhaps that which is asked for is unsuitable.
For unless those who travel on the road go forward day by day, shortening their journey -- and, on the contrary, should they stand in one place -- the road before them will never diminish and they will never arrive at their destination.
So it is with us also.
If we do not constrain ourselves little by little, we shall never have the strength to abstain from bodily things so as to gaze toward God.
A MUTUAL EXCHANG\E
by Saint Isaac the Syrian
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.
St. John 17:3 KJV
At the time of prayer, when a person's mind is collected and all the senses are brought into harmony, an encounter between God and the person praying takes place. This explains why all spiritual gifts and all mystical visions have been given to the saints at the time of prayer, It was during prayer that an angel appeared to Zacharias and announced the conception of John the Baptist; it was during prayer of the sixth hour that Peter beheld the divine vision; it was while Cornelius the Centurion prayed that an angel appeared to him.
Once a year, when the High Priest, during the dread time of prayer, entered the Holy of Holies and cast himself down upon his face . . . he heard the oracles of God through an awesome and ineffable revelation. O how awesome was the mystery which was ministered in this ceremony! So also at the time of prayer were all the visions and revelations made manifest to the saints. For what other time is so holy, and by its sanctity so apt for the reception of gifts, as the time of prayer, wherein a man converses with God? At this time, when we make our petitions and our supplications to God, and we speak with Him, a human being forcefully gathers together all the movements and deliberations of his soul and converses with God alone, and his heart is abundantly filled with God.
PRAYERS BY THE LAKE
A SOUL THAT LOVES GOD
by St. Nicolai Velimirovitch
You are the only event of my life, O lamp of my soul. When a child scurries to the arms of his mother, events do not exist for him. When a bride races to meet her bridegroom, she does not see the flowers in the meadow, nor does she hear the rumbling of the storm, nor does she smell the fragrance of the cypresses or sense the mood of the wild animals--she sees only the face of her bridegroom; she hears only the music from his lips; she smells only his soul.
When love goes to meet love, no events overtake it. Time and space make way for love. Aimless wanderers and loveless people have events and have history. Love has no history, and history has no love.
ARE YOU EAGER FOR CHRIST OR LUKEWARM?
{Ed.}
As the period of increased Prayer and Fasting brought us to the Resurrection, have we resurrected a little so we can gaze upon Christ, or are we back to the "same old, same old" carnal, temporary pursuits?
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:16 KJV
Are you are eager to have this or that, to go here and there, veracious for just about anything in Creation and yet minimally attentive (lukewarm) that the Creator of all things wants you to enjoy them with restraint but yet, at the same time, forsake this life entirely because He wants ALL OF YOUR YOUR BEING, ALL OF YOUR HEART? You can indeed gain much from this mortal, temporary life but for how long and at what cost? Are you willing to lose Jesus Christ, Who is Himself, Paradise without end?
There WILL be those who will hear from Christ:
"I never knew you!"
In fact, they never knew Him.
If our love for Christ, is confirmed in us by Him, then we need not fear.
"I never knew you!"
In fact, they never knew Him.
If our love for Christ, is confirmed in us by Him, then we need not fear.
Ask yourself: Do you believe Him when He says that all of the hairs of your head are numbered? Do you believe He knew every thought you would have before He made you? And, the same for all the people and all of Creation, who are and have gone before and will come after us?
Be honest, can any transient mind, a mind still inclined to hate, war, ambition, even begin to grasp such a God exists?
Furthermore, ask yourself, did He make this life a desert, void of joy etc.? No! Like a mother who pacifies and indulges her child while pushing it to walk on its own, our most merciful and loving God gives us innumerable delights in this brief life but is He not clear about what He expects from us in return?
Well, are you eager for Him? Or are you like those who live in a fantasy, a dream with little to no thought about your judgement date; the time of which you have no say.
Is this life anything more than an ultra real tangible dream, confirmed when we wake from it after death? Yes, but only one thing needful!!
It is an opportunity to PLEASE CHRIST GOD! An opportunity to avoid suffering the consequences from DISPLEASING CHRIST GOD!
And lets ask ourselves: How hard was it for God to incarnate? How hard to resurrect from the dead? Was it something He "needed" to do? Did He not call all things into being without even breathing or a thought? Did He need help to do so and from where would it come?
As the Great Andrew of Crete calls: Arise my soul! Why are you sleeping? The Holy Trinity has NO needs. Nevertheless, we know with certainty that He did so in order for us to believe that we, WE, who are temporarily carnal, can live, die to this life, resurrect and our immortal souls ascend with Him into PARADISE/LIFE ETERNAL
If we are not eager for Him with all our heart then what value a life of death? Many individuals, even "religions", fast just as strictly and some even more frequently for who? for what? for peace? for health? for a god who is not God? -Christ is the Prince of Peace, there is no peace without Him. He IS Truth, the Life and the Resurrection.
Who does the following describe?
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
St Matthew 15:8
SAINT PAUL INSPIRING AND GUIDING
SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOMOS
St. John Chrysostomos completely devoted his mind to the understanding of the divine Scriptures, and especially loved the epistles of the holy Apostle Paul, whose icon he kept in his cell.
Once, while writing an exegesis on one of the epistles of Paul, Saint John thought to himself, “Who knows whether what I am writing is pleasing to God or not? Have I understood the power of this portion of the sacred Scriptures?” He began to pray God to reveal to him the truth of the matter, and soon the Lord hearkened unto His servant, granting him the following sign. One night, John was alone in his cell, writing a commentary on the Scriptures by candlelight, Proclus, his attendant, came to the door to tell the saint the request of someone in need, but before knocking, he looked through the keyhole to see whether the Patriarch was occupied. He saw that Saint John was sitting and writing and that an elder of most venerable appearance with bald-headed stood behind him, bent down toward the ear of the Patriarch and speaking softly to him. The man entirely resembled Saint Paul as he was depicted upon the icon which stood against the wall.
Proclus was amazed, for he did not know who was speaking with the Patriarch, nor could he understand how the elder had entered the cell, since the door was locked. He waited for the man to depart, and as soon as the hour for Matins drew near, the elder disappeared. Proclus saw this for three nights in succession, and finally dared to ask the Patriarch, “Master, who is it that speaks into your ear at night?”
“No one has been with me,” answered John. Then Proclus told him how he had seen through the keyhole an old man of venerable appearance, whispering into his ear as he wrote. Proclus also described the man’s face and clothing, and John marveled greatly. Then Proclus glanced at the image of Saint Paul and exclaimed, “The man whom I saw resembled in every way the saint depicted upon this icon!”
John then understood that it was the holy Apostle Paul whom Proclus had seen and that his work was pleasing to the Lord. Falling to the ground, he gave thanks to God, praying with tears in his eyes for a long time. After this he devoted himself to the writing of sacred books with still greater zeal. These works he left to the Church of Christ as a precious treasure.
Holy Apostle and Evangelist John
Ye are of God little children.....
He who is within is greater tha
he who is in the world" 1 St. John 4:4
You look in a mirror and you say it is you; others see you and say the same and call you by name. But it isn't you, you are within, the soul is you.
Can you deny that what you see in a mirror and what others see and name, is but a reflection, like what we see when we bend and look into a pond, especially knowing exactly how, beyond a doubt, how temporary it is?
What we see is an image that carries with it a termination date; and most gravely it carries with it a responsibility and an accountability. For its actions determine what the soul experiences for eternity since unlike the transient image, the soul is eternal.
EXPLANATION BY ST THEOPHYLACT OF OHRID
(ca. 1050/60-ca. 1108)
The Lord taught not only in the cities but also in the villages that we might learn not to despise the small nor always to seek out the big cities but to show the word even in the humble villages. He sends them out in pairs to embolden them. For if he sent them out singly, one of them might become faint hearted. He commanded them to take nothing with them neither satchel, nor money, nor bread, teaching them by this means not to love positions and so that those who saw these apostles who owned nothing, would be moved, and would learn from them non possessiveness. He instructs them to stay in one house, lest they appear to be unstable, going from one house to the next and gormandizing.
He tells them to shake off the dust as a testimony to those who do not receive them. By this the apostles would show them that they had journeyed a long way on behalf of those ungrateful ones, who nonetheless received no benefit thereby. Or it would show that the apostles had received nothing from them, not even the dust on their feet but even this they shook off so that it would be a testimony and reproof to them. "Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for those who do not receive you". from St. Matthew 10:15 KJV
RELATIONSHIP WITH A SAINT
Saint Paisios the Athonite
To have special reverence towards some Saint, the Saint must have spoken within him in one way or another. Each, after some event which occurred through the help of a Saint, has a special love for that Saint. This event can be serious, or it can be simple. For example, because when I was young and I went to the Chapel of St. Barbara in Konitsa, I had great reverence towards St. Barbara. The Saint helped me in the army, when they took me to the radio operators, though I was illiterate, she helped me. And later she also helped me when I was in the hospital after surgery on my lungs. Then the doctors told me that, as soon as they cleaned the lungs, they would take away the chest tubes and the machines. And though they should have been removed in five days, twenty-five days had passed, and they were still there, and I suffered greatly.
Saturday December 3rd I was waiting for the doctors to free me from this martyrdom, but unfortunately, they did not appear. Sunday morning, which was the feast of St. Barbara, I said: "If the Saint were to help me, she would have helped me. The doctors left. Today, Sunday, they wouldn't come. Now, who would remove these?" I then said a few words of complaint: "I went to light the vigil lamps many times at the Chapel of the Saint, with oil I brought,. She couldn't remove these two tubes?" After a short time though, I said: "It appears that I saddened St. Barbara, and for this, she did not arrange that they be removed."
Immediately I heard a commotion. I said: "What's going on? Did something happen?" They said: "The doctors are coming". I don't know what convinced the director to tell his doctors early in the morning: "Go take out the tubes from the monk!" They entered the room and told me: "We have an order to take out the tubes."
Immediately I heard a commotion. I said: "What's going on? Did something happen?" They said: "The doctors are coming". I don't know what convinced the director to tell his doctors early in the morning: "Go take out the tubes from the monk!" They entered the room and told me: "We have an order to take out the tubes."
It appears that I guilted St. Barbara, because I said a few complaints! You must grumble a bit! But it is better to not grumble, to have nobility and not grumble.
Do you see how a Saint sometimes immediately gives what we seek, and sometimes gives it later? Sometimes they hearken to him who prays because he is in a good spiritual state, and other times, because he cries and grumbles like a small child.
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
HOMILY OF THE TROPHY-BEARER AND GREAT MARTYR GEORGE BY SAINT ANDREW OF CRETE DIVINE PROVIDENCE  |
And let not one think that it is by chance that the memory of George is between these two great feasts of the Master. No, but I say that this was accomplished according to divine providence, and through the revelation of the divine closeness (οικειότητα) of things, in other words, to reveal to us George, who was martyred for Christ, and the extreme love which this George had towards Him Whom he was martyred for, and how George not only become one with the passion of Christ through his martyrdom, but also shared the same season and days during which the Lord suffered.
For, as the passion and the Resurrection of the Lord exceeds all the other feasts of the Master, thus, through the feast of spring, in a similar manner the feast of the martyr George exceeds the other feasts of martyrs throughout the year.
For this feast is only celebrated after the holy Resurrection, and is celebrated during the time of most radiant spring. And because those from the one side and the other are so joy-bestowing from the festival of the martyr, it is worthy also to present the beauty and radiance to one another. The festival is beautiful, the message is saving, and the works and actions are godly…”
GRUDGES
and how to overcome them
by Saint Maximos the Confessor
If you bear a grudge against anyone, pray for him and you will stop the passion in its tracks. By prayer you separate the hurt from the memory of the evil which he did you and in becoming loving and kind you completely obliterate passion from the soul.
On the other hand, if someone else bears you a grudge, be generous and humble with him, treat him fairly, and you will deliver him from the passion.
Akathistos to the Holy Great Martyr
and Trophy-Bearer George
{commemorated April 6/23 ns}
I tremble as I approach Thee in prayer. Wash me thoroughly with love and humility that I may dare to call Thee Father, fall down and worship Thee.
Kontakion 1
To thee, O Champion leader and trophy-bearer, Saint George,
do we offer a hymn of praise, as our intercessor
and speedy helper; do thou, O holy Great Martyr,
as one who hath boldness before the Lord,
deliver us from dangers of all kinds, that we may cry to thee:
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Ikos 1
The Creator of angels and Maker of all creation,
having revealed thee to His Church as a champion of the faith
and an unvanquished passion-bearer for the faith,
inspire us to lift up praises to thee for
the ascetic labors of thy sufferings, Saint George, in this manner:
Rejoice, thou who didst love to the end Jesus, the Son of God!
Rejoice, thou who didst lay down thy life with love for His Name!
Rejoice, confessor called forth by God!
Rejoice, spiritual athlete glorified by the Grace of God!
Rejoice, thou who dwellest with the angels!
Rejoice, thou who art the equal of the prophets!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Beholding the wicked persecuting the Christians,
thou didst not fear their wiles and tortures,
O divinely wise one, but as a good soldier of Christ,
thou didst distribute all thy possessions to the poor,
and didst voluntarily run to that ungodly assembly,
singing unto Christ, thy Commander and God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Mentally comprehending the one God,
divinely worshiped in three Persons,
with a firm mind thou didst confess Him
before the assembly of the ungodly,
and thus thou didst expose the foolish king’s
foolish worship of creation.
Therefore, for thy lofty love of wisdom, accept from us,
Saint George, these fervent praises:
Rejoice, preacher of the One True God!
Rejoice, faithful advocate of the All-Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the great mystery of
Orthodoxy to the non-believers!
Rejoice, thou who didst expose the deception of idolatry!
Rejoice, rhetorician divine!
Rejoice, orator filled with wisdom!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 3
The power of God, which enlighteneth every man
that cometh into the world, didst visit thee also,
whilst thou wast suffering in prison, O George wise in humility;
for thou hadst despised all the corruptible things of this life as chaff,
and didst cling unto Christ alone, that after fighting the good fight
for His Name, thou mightest be granted eternally
to chant with the angels:
Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Possessing a mind and heart enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
by His inspiration thou wast fervent to struggle
for the Name of Christ, even unto blood;
for standing courageously in the faith,
thou didst expose the puffed-up pride
of the ungodly congregation. Therefore, we praise thee,
O most wise George, thus:
Rejoice, shield lifted for preservation of piety!
Rejoice, sword raised for the beheading of evil!
Rejoice, pillar of faith!
Rejoice, wall and confirmation of the Christian Church!
Rejoice, encouragement of the faithful!
Rejoice, fear and disgrace of the unbelievers!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 4
The mad persecutor, breathing murder against thee,
O passion-bearer George, longed for thy blood
like a thirsty dog,
ordering thy body stretched out on a wheel
and giving thee over to the most evil torments;
but thou, taking strength in the Lord, with hope in God didst cry aloud:
Alleluia!
Ikos 4
When Diocletian and the priest of the idols
heard words of wisdom from thee,
they were enraged with hatred for thee,
and even more so when thou didst say: O tormentor king!
Wherefore dost thou torture me in vain? For me to live is Christ
and to die is gain; but it is painful for thee
to kick against the goads.
Therefore, we cry to thee,
O George of great fame, in this way:
Rejoice, thou who didst shed thy blood on the wheel for thy courageous confession of the faith!
Rejoice, thou who didst magnify the triumph of the faith by thy blood!
Rejoice, zealot together with the Apostles!
Rejoice, imitator of the voluntary Passion of Christ!
Rejoice, unshakable champion of the faith!
Rejoice, passion-bearer harder than adamant!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Thou wast as a star sent by God, O GM George,
for by thy miraculous healing and release from the wheel
by an angel before the eyes of all,
thou didst teach the unbelievers to believe
in the Trinity in One Essence, and to
sing to Him together with thee:
Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The people beheld the miracles of the power of God
so clearly taking place upon thee, and meekly accepted
the teaching of Christ from thee,
and they all cried aloud, saying:
Truly great is the God of the Christians!
Therefore, we also, singing praises to thee,
O George worthy of glory, cry out thus:
Rejoice, thou who didst disperse the darknessof unbelief by the radiant word of salvation!
Rejoice, thou who didst convert unbelievers to Christby thy martyr’s confession of faith!
Rejoice, thou who didst lead legions
of earthly soldiers to the heavenly army!
Rejoice, thou who does dwell with the
heavenly hosts as a soldier of Christ!
Rejoice, glory of soldiers!
Rejoice, beauty of the all-radiant choir of martyrs!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 6
Being zealous like unto those Spirit-bearing preachers of the faith, the Apostles, thou wast crucified unto the world, O passion-bearer; for as Jonah in the belly of the sea monster, so wast thou hurled headlong into the furnace of the lime pit, that for thy sake might be manifested the glory of the Lord Who is wondrous in His saints, to Whom thou, in the lime pit as in a temple of glory, didst noetically cry out:
Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Having shone forth in His resurrection from the tomb on the third day, Jesus, the Almighty Conqueror of Hades and death, didst save thee from the corruption of Hades, O passion-bearer George; for after three days thou wast found alive in the lime pit, with thy hands lifted and singing unto God; therefore, the ungodly were sore afraid and stricken with terror. But we, rejoicing, compose a hymn of victory to thee:
Rejoice, thou who didst cast down the puffed-up pride of the devil by thy being cast down in disgrace into the lime pit!
Rejoice, thou who didst overcome the persecutor’s bestiality by thy miraculous salvation from God!
Rejoice, for as one without guile, thou didst pray as for benefactors for those who worked evil against thee!
Rejoice, for thou wast zealous for their conversion as Paul was for the Jews!
Rejoice, man of spiritual desires!
Rejoice, chosen vessel!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 7
Desiring by any means to ensnare thy heart for the deception of the idols, the wicked persecutor contrived to deceive thee by magical spells; but thou, chosen of God, didst cry out with David: In God is my salvation and my glory, and didst faithfully chant unto Him:
Alleluia!
Ikos 7
That evil servant of Satan Diocletian revealed a new villany, when, in his insane zeal for the idols, he ordered thee given poison, O Saint George; but thou wast filled with faith and hope, and even though thou didst drink the deadly poison, yet thou didst remain unharmed, O praised-one of God. Therefore we also cry unto thee:
Rejoice, for thou wast not disgraced by hoping in the living God!
Rejoice, for thou didst count thy tormentor as nothing!
Rejoice, expeller of demons!
Rejoice, destroyer of the wiles of magicians!
Rejoice, for through thee God is shown to be wondrous in His saints!
Rejoice, for through thee the name of Christ is piously glorified!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 8
There came to the wicked king a strange and terrible counsel from a certain wizard, that he command thee, as proof of the truth of the Christian faith, by thy word to resurrect a dead man; but thou, O Saint George, having no doubt whatsoever, didst sing unto Him Who is not God of the dead but God of the living:
Alleluia!
Ikos 8
The All-Desirable and Sweetest Jesus, Whom thou didst love with all thy soul and heart, O most blessed George, attending to the fervent prayer of thy faith, speedily commanded the resurrection of the dead man at thy word, for the glorification of His Name and the confirmation of the faithful, that the unbelievers and blind might be astounded and come to the knowledge of God. For this reason, we dutifully cry unto thee:
Rejoice, for the Lord of Hosts manifested wonders through thee!
Rejoice, for through thee He resurrected a dead man from the tomb!
Rejoice, thou who didst grant the mental vision of faith to the blinded wizard!
Rejoice, thou who didst show the way to the Holy of Holies to many who suffered for Christ!
Rejoice, astonishment of Rome!
Rejoice, exaltation of the Christian race!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 9
All the angels rendered praise unto God, Who granted thee such courage, O Saint George, that even when locked up in prison thou didst not cease to keep vigil in prayer. Therefore, as a great communicant of the mystery of Divine Grace, thou wast vouchsafed to behold the Lord in a vision, as He crowned thy head with the crown of incorruption, that we might cry out with thee:
Alleluia!
Ikos 9
The learned orators are unable with their rhetorical tongues to render worthy praises to thee, O Saint George, for thy labors and sufferings which thou didst assume voluntarily for Christ and the Church! Therefore, we also, while at a loss as to how properly to praise thee, chant this hymn:
Rejoice, for by thy voluntary suffering for Christ and the Church thou didst crucify the old Adam in thyself!
Rejoice, for through thy courageous suffering thou didst receive a crown of righteousness from the Lord!
Rejoice, rule of pious zeal!
Rejoice, model of spiritual poverty!
Rejoice, for thou didst well please not thyself, but Christ alone!
Rejoice, for thou wast prepared for any form of death for the sake of Christ!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 10
Desiring to save the souls perishing in idolatry, O George, lover of God, thou wast zealous with zeal for God like Elijah; for entering into the temple of the idols, by the power of God thou didst drive out the demons, shattering the idols and putting the priests to shame, and as conqueror, not with men but with angels, thou didst chant unto God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 10
More unfeeling than a wall, thy hard-hearted tormentor, O Saint George, did not see God, Who so clearly worked miracles through thee, but to the end remained as an asp, stopping his ears. Therefore, he commanded thee to be executed as a criminal by beheading; but thou, through grieving over the loss of his soul, joyfully accepted thine end, for which we praise thee thus with love:
Rejoice, thou who didst keep faith, hope, and love to the end!
Rejoice, thou who didst work many great miracles at thy beheading!
Rejoice, thou who wast crowned by the instrument of God’s good will on the earth!
Rejoice, thou who was adorned with glory and majesty in Heaven!
Rejoice, man of God!
Rejoice, good soldier of Christ!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 11
Thou didst render a hymn to the Most Holy Trinity exceeding others, holy Great Martyr George, not in word and mind only, but by the living sacrifice of thy whole self; for imitating Him Who wast crucified for us, Christ, the Lamb without blemish, thou didst voluntarily lay down thy life for thy friends. Even though we are incapable of praising such courage as thine, for no man hath greater love than this, being grateful we sing unto Him Who is wondrous in the saints:
Alleluia!
Ikos 11
A light-receiving lamp of the true Light art thou to those on earth, O George chosen of God, for thou dost enlighten the hearts of the faithful and dost guide them all to divine understanding, instructing us also to joyfully cry aloud:
Rejoice, for thou dost dwell in the all-radiant angelic mansions!
Rejoice, for thou dost commune of the unwaning Light of the Trinity not in a mirror, but face to face!
Rejoice, provider for the needy and defender of the wronged!
Rejoice, healer of the infirm and champion of kings!
Rejoice, champion of Orthodox soldiers in battle!
Rejoice, fervent intercessor for the salvation of sinners!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 12
Knowing the Grace granted by God, we celebrate thy memory, O Great Martyr George, and running with fervent prayer to thy miraculous icon, we are protected by thine all-powerful help in the Lord as by an invincible wall. Therefore, praising thee, we fervently cry unto God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Hymning thy glorious end, by which thou wast magnified as a good soldier of Christ, we pray thee, O passion-bearer George: be a helper in all good for us and hear us, as we fervently cry unto thee:
Rejoice, for by thee the Church of the faithful is enlightened!
Rejoice, for thy name is praised even among the infidels!
Rejoice, wondrous glory of the confessors!
Rejoice, lofty praise of the martyrs!
Rejoice, healer of our bodies!
Rejoice, intercessor for our souls!
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 13
O most blessed and holy Great Martyr George, accept this our hymn of praise and deliver us from every evil by thy fervent intercession with God, that we may sing with thee:
Alleluia! {3x}
Ikos 1
The Creator of angels and Maker of all creation, having revealed thee to His Church as a champion of the faith and an unvanquished passion-bearer for the faith, inspireth us to lift up praises to thee for the ascetic labors of thy sufferings, Saint George, in this manner:
Rejoice, thou who didst love to the end Jesus, the Son of God!
Rejoice, thou who didst lay down thy life with love for His Name!
Rejoice, confessor called forth by God!
Rejoice, spiritual athlete glorified by the Grace of God!
Rejoice, thou who dwellest with the angels!
Rejoice, thou who art the equal of the prophets.
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
Kontakion 1
To thee, O Champion leader and trophy-bearer, O Saint George, do we offer a hymn of praise, as to our intercessor and speedy helper; and do thou, O holy Great Martyr, as one who hath boldness before the Lord deliver us from dangers of all kinds, that we may cry to thee:
Rejoice, Great Martyr
And trophy-bearer
Saint George
A Prayer to the Holy Great Martyr George
O most praised and holy Great Martyr and Wonderworker, Saint George! Look down upon us with thy speedy help and implore the man-loving God that He not condemn us sinners according to our offenses, but that He treat us according to His great mercy. Despise not our prayer, but beseech for us of Christ our God a quiet life pleasing to God, health of body and soul, fertility of the earth and abundance in all, and that we not turn to evil purposes the good things granted by thee from the All Merciful God, but that they may be for the glory of His Holy Name, for the glorification of thy mighty intercession. May He grant God-loving soldiers victory over the enemy, and may He secure our land with unchanging peace and prosperity. Especially may He defend us by His holy angels at our departure from this life from the snares of the evil one and his grievous toll-houses of the air, that we may stand uncondemned before the throne of the Lord of Glory. Hear us, O passion-bearer of Christ, Saint George, and pray for us without ceasing unto the Master of All, God in three Persons, that by His Grace and love for mankind, and by thy help and intercession, we may find mercy and may stand with the angels and archangels before the All-glorious Judge, unceasingly praising Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
DISCOURSES
OF
SAINT DOROTHEOS OF GAZA
H U M I L I T Y
There are some types of trees which never produce any fruit as long as their branches are upright, but if stones are hung on the branches they bend down and begin to produce fruit. It is the same with the soul. When it is humbled it starts to produce fruit, and the more fruit it produces the lower it becomes. So too with the saints. The closer they get to God, the more they reckon themselves to be sinners.
I recall once we were conversing about humility and one of the great lights of Gaza, hearing us declare, "The closer a man is to God, the more he reckoned himself to be a sinner," was awestruck, and said, "how can this be?" He did not know, and desired to hear the answer. I said to him, "Lord of the First Rank, tell me, how do you consider yourself with regard to the other laymen here?" And he told me, "I consider myself as great, and the first among the men of this city." I said then, "If you should travel to Caesarea, how would you consider yourself then?" "I would think somewhat less of my greatness." Then I said, "If you were to travel to Antioch, what then?" And he answered, "I would consider myself as a member of the common folk." I said, "And if you went from Caesarea to stand before the Emperor, what would consider yourself then?" He answered, "I should consider myself as just one of the poor people." Then I told him, in the same manner, the saints, the closer they draw near to God, the more they regard themselves as sinners."
Abraham, when he beheld God, referred to himself as "dust and ashes." And Isaiah declared, "Woe to me, for my lips are polluted." Just the same when Daniel was in the den of the lion, and Habakkuk came to him with a meal and said to him, "Receive the food, which the Lord has sent to you." And Daniel answered, "For the Lord has remembered me." He had a very humble heart when he was in the lion's cave for they did not consume him once and for all, not even after that, and so with wonder he cried, "the Lord has remembered me."
THE FAITH OF THE
CHOSEN PEOPLE
by Saint Nicolai Velimirovitch
"I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods besides Me."
This was the first testimony of God concerning Himself, the first revelation to men on earth concerning God from God, and the first commandment of God. "You shall have no other gods besides Me," commands God; for if you will have other gods, you will bring two disasters upon yourself.
First: you will be believing in false, non-existent, imaginary, illusory gods. Second: you will be sharing reverent fear and love, which entirely belongs to Me, the One, Living, and True God, with these false gods. In this way you will darken your faith in Me, and weaken your reverent fear and love for Me. And I shall withdraw far from you, offended and insulted.
And you will be an atheist, no matter how much you imagine you are rich in piety on account of your belief in many gods. For in the final analysis a polytheist and an atheist are the same thing. Both the one and the other are without one God, without the One, Living, and True God.
Belief in one God, the One, Living, and True God, is the faith of the humble and the wise. This is not the faith of the proud, whom pride makes unwise. For they either deify themselves or some creature of the Creator, but not the Creator. The more humble a man is, the wiser he is; the more arrogant he is, the more foolish he is. God gives understanding to the humble, so that they may know and understand, but He opposes the proud. The more the humble are at peace with the Lord, the more the Lord endows them with understanding. And understanding is light that leads to the One, Living, and True God.
Blessed are they who have understanding, to see the transitoriness of this world and the nothingness of man.
Blessed are they who feel small and insignificant, for God will elevate them to the highest knowledge, to the knowledge of the existence and majesty of the Most High God.
This is your faith, Christ-bearers, and the faith of your most humble and most wise forefathers. Let this also be the faith of your children, from generation to generation, until the end of time. This is the salvation-bearing Orthodox Faith, which has never been put to shame. By this faith your fathers were saved. Truly, this is the faith of the chosen people, of those who bear the image of God in themselves. At the Fearful Judgment they shall not be put to shame before the faces of the angels and the righteous. Instead they shall receive glory, and shall be called blessed.
Read and understand why Christ Himself
warns us, now in this life!
 |
| Saint John of Damascus |
"All images reveal and make perceptible those things which are hidden. For example, a man does not have immediate knowledge of invisible things, since the soul is veiled by the body. Nor can man have immediate knowledge of things which are distant from each other or separated by place, because he himself is limited by place and time. Therefore the icon was devised that he might advance in knowledge, and that secret things might be revealed and made perceptible. Therefore, icons are a source of profit, help, and salvation for all, since they make things so obviously manifest, enabling us to perceive hidden things. Thus, we are encouraged to desire and imitate what is good and to shun and hate what is evil."
The Precious Pearl
"The enjoyment of this present life, though it seems to give delight and sweetness, is well thrust from us. At the very moment of its being it ceases to be, and for our joy repays us with sorrow sevenfold. Its happiness and its sorrow more frail than a shadow, and, like the traces of a ship passing over the sea, or a bird flying through the air, quickly disappear. But the hope of the life to come which the Christians preach is certain and quite sure; howbeit in this world it has tribulation, whereas our pleasures now are short-lived, and in the beyond they only win us correction and everlasting punishment without release. For the pleasures of life are temporary, but its pain eternal; while the Christians labors are temporary but their pleasure and gain immortal. Therefore, right it is to exchange the corruptible for the incorruptible."
A S C E T I C A L H O M I L I E S
by Saint Isaac the Syrian
Prayer offered up at night possesses a great power, more so than the prayer of the daytime. Therefore all the righteous prayed during the night, while combating the heaviness of the body and the sweetness of sleep and repelling corporeal nature.
There is nothing which even Satan fears so much as prayer that is offered during vigilance at night. And even if it is offered with distraction, it does not return empty, unless perhaps that which is asked for is unsuitable.
For unless those who travel on the road go forward day by day, shortening their journey -- and, on the contrary, should they stand in one place -- the road before them will never diminish and they will never arrive at their destination.
So it is with us also.
If we do not constrain ourselves little by little, we shall never have the strength to abstain from bodily things so as to gaze toward God.A M U T U A L E X C H A N G E
by Saint Isaac the Syrian
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.
St. John 17:3 KJV
the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.
St. John 17:3 KJV
At the time of prayer, when a person's mind is collected and all the senses are brought into harmony, an encounter between God and the person praying takes place. This explains why all spiritual gifts and all mystical visions have been given to the saints at the time of prayer, It was during prayer that an angel appeared to Zacharias and announced the conception of John the Baptist; it was during prayer of the sixth hour that Peter beheld the divine vision; it was while Cornelius the Centurion prayed that an angel appeared to him.
Once a year, when the High Priest, during the dread time of prayer, entered the Holy of Holies and cast himself down upon his face . . . he heard the oracles of God through an awesome and ineffable revelation. O how awesome was the mystery which was ministered in this ceremony! So also at the time of prayer were all the visions and revelations made manifest to the saints. For what other time is so holy, and by its sanctity so apt for the reception of gifts, as the time of prayer, wherein a man converses with God? At this time, when we make our petitions and our supplications to God, and we speak with Him, a human being forcefully gathers together all the movements and deliberations of his soul and converses with God alone, and his heart is abundantly filled with God.
PRAYERS BY THE LAKE
A SOUL THAT LOVES GOD
by St. Nicolai Velimirovitch
You are the only event of my life, O lamp of my soul. When a child scurries to the arms of his mother, events do not exist for him. When a bride races to meet her bridegroom, she does not see the flowers in the meadow, nor does she hear the rumbling of the storm, nor does she smell the fragrance of the cypresses or sense the mood of the wild animals--she sees only the face of her bridegroom; she hears only the music from his lips; she smells only his soul.
When love goes to meet love, no events overtake it. Time and space make way for love. Aimless wanderers and loveless people have events and have history. Love has no history, and history has no love.
ARE YOU EAGER FOR CHRIST OR ARE YOU LUKEWARM?
{Ed.}
As the period of increased Prayer and Fasting brought us to the Resurrection, have we resurrected a little so we can gaze upon Christ, or are we back to the
"same old, same old" carnal, temporary pursuits?
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16 KJV
Are you are eager to have this or that, to go here and there, veracious for just about anything in Creation and yet minimally attentive (lukewarm) that the Creator of all things wants you to enjoy them with restraint but yet, at the same time, forsake this life entirely because He wants ALL OF YOUR YOUR BEING, ALL OF YOUR HEART? You can indeed gain much from this mortal, temporary life but for how long and at what cost? Are you willing to lose Jesus Christ, Who is Himself, Paradise without end?
There WILL be those who will hear from Christ:
"I never knew you!"
In fact, they never knew Him.
If our love for Christ, is confirmed in us by Him, then we need not fear.
*
Ask yourself: Do you believe Him when He says that all of the hairs of your head are numbered? Do you believe He knew every thought you would have before He made you? And, the same for all the people and all of Creation, who are and have gone before and will come after us?
Be honest, can any transient mind, a mind still inclined to hate, to war, to ambition, even begin to grasp that such a God exists?
Furthermore, ask yourself, did He make this life, although cursed and transient due to sin, desolate, void of joy etc.? No! Like a mother who pacifies and indulges her child while pushing it to walk on its own, our most merciful and loving God gives us innumerable delights in this brief and undeserved life but is He not clear about what He expects from us in return?
Well, are you eager for Him? Or are you like those who live in a fantasy, a dream with little to no thought about your judgement date; the time of which you have no say.
Is this life anything more than a tangible dream, but nonetheless a dream, confirmed when we wake from it after death?
Although a dream, it offers an opportunity to PLEASE CHRIST GOD! An opportunity to avoid suffering the consequences from DISPLEASING CHRIST GOD!
And lets ask ourselves: How hard was it for God to incarnate? How hard to resurrect from the dead? Was it something He "needed" to do? Did He not call all things into being without even a breath or a thought? Did He need help to do so and from where would it come?
As the Great Andrew of Crete calls: Arise my soul! Why are you sleeping? The Holy Trinity has NO needs. Nevertheless, we know with certainty that He came as one of us that we might believe that we, WE, who are temporarily carnal, can live and die to this life, resurrect, and our souls ascend with Him into PARADISE/LIFE ETERNAL !
If we are not eager for Him with all our heart then is the grave the end? Many individuals, even "religions", fast just as strictly, and some even more frequently for who? for what? for peace? for health? for a god who is not God? -Christ is the Prince of Peace, there is no peace without Him. He IS Truth, the Life and the Resurrection.
Who does the following describe?
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
St Matthew 15:8 KJV
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