Detail of Greeting Bread and Salt for the Archbishop – May 2019
Just as a little leaven, according to the Apostle’s words, is mixed with all the dough, so the body that was raised by God to immortality, once it is introduced into our body, wholly changes it and transforms it into his own substance. ~ St. Gregory of Nyssa
Patience adorns the soul with diamonds which are not of the earth, but belong to the Jerusalem that is above. Patience is a sweet word. Patience is a sweet breath. Patience is an invincible weapon. Patience is a priceless adornment of man. Patience is a blessing of God. Patience is love and obedience. Patience increases when a person takes God into account. ~ St. Raphael of Lesvos
There is no greater love than that a man lays down his life for his neighbour. When you hear someone complaining and you struggle with yourself and do not answer them back with complaints; when you are hurt and bear it patiently, not looking for revenge; then you are laying down your life for your neighbour. ~ Abba Poemen
May the kindling of Divine Grace blaze brightly in all our hearts!
The grace of the Holy Spirit which is given mystically to every Christian when he is baptised acts and is manifested in proportion to our obedience to the commandments of the Lord. That is, if a Christian obeys the commandments of the Lord more, grace acts with him more, while if he obeys them less, grace acts within him less. Just as a spark, when covered in the ashes of fire becomes increasingly manifest as one removes the ashes, and the more fire wood you put the more the fire burns, so the grace that has been given to every Christian through Holy Baptism is hidden in the heart and covered up by the passions and sins, and the more a man acts in accordance with the commandments of Christ, the more he is cleansed of the passions and the more the fire of Divine grace lights in his heart, illumines and deifies him. ~ St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain
Beautiful Icon of St. Xenia – Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery Jordanville, New York, by Raymond Bucko via Wikimedia Commons.
February 6/January 24
Happy Feast Day!
Today is St. Xenia’s (Ksenia’s) special day.
Congratulations to my dear goddaughter, Xenia – on your Name’s day. May God grant you many years!
Wondrous is God in His Saints! To this very day, St. Xenia continues to be an intercessor for those needing a home, or employment, or who have a physical or mental illness, or for people in search of a spouse. Through God’s mercy, our family can testify to her great support and help!
Here is a beautiful Orthodox folk hymn about the Life of St. Xenia, by Katina.
(Katina’s music can also be heard on Spotify. Although I’ve enjoyed her music over the years, I hadn’t realized she reposed in 2018. Memory Eternal Katina!)
In celebrating St. Xenia’s Day, and remembering certain miracles of her clairvoyance, some like to make blini pancakes.
Blini Crepes can be made for any occasion, and are a time-honoured treat to share. In olden times, this light-fare was served to celebrate a birth or to mark a passing. It’s customary to enjoy Blini Crepes throughout Cheesefare Week (the week before Great Lent begins), up to and including Forgiveness Sunday… the day before Great Lent. This uses up any remaining dairy products, before embarking on the 40 day Vegan Fast of Great Lent.
In closing, I’d like to share what a dear friend recently said…
May St. Xenia help us all remain peaceful, calm, and open to God’s love for mankind.
Amen!
Our Garden – 2004
When the garden of your soul is full of thistles (passions), do not try to uproot them, for as long as you concern yourself with them you will always end up being injured and infected by germs. Concentrate all your energy on the flowers of your soul, water them and then the thistles will wither themselves. And the best flower of all is your love for Christ. If you water this and it grows, all the thistles will die off. ~ St. Porphyrios
Ancient Mosaic from Museum – Turkey, 2004
Just as the blessings of God are unutterably great, so their acquisition requires much hardship and toil undertaken with hope and faith. ~ St. Macarius the Great
If God is slow in answering your request, or if you ask but do not promptly receive anything, do not be upset, for you are not wiser than God. ~ St. Isaac of Syria
Angel Wall Mosaic Before Completion – St. Sophia Orthodox Church in Canada, 2012
“Let us go forth on peace” is the last commandment of the Liturgy. What does it mean? It means, surely, that the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy is not an end but a beginning. Those words, “Let us go forth in peace,” are not merely a comforting epilogue. They are a call to serve and bear witness. In effect, those words, “Let us go forth in peace,” mean the Liturgy is over, the liturgy after the Liturgy is about to begin. This, then, is the aim of the Liturgy: that we should return to the world with the doors of our perceptions cleansed. We should return to the world after the Liturgy, seeing Christ in every human person, especially in those who suffer. In the words of Father Alexander Schememann, the Christian is the one who wherever he or she looks, sees Christ everywhere, and rejoices in him. We are to go out, then, from the Liturgy and see Christ everywhere. ~ Bishop Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. ~ St. Matthew 18:20
Set our hearts on fire with love for You, O Christ our God, so that in its flame we may love You with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul and with all our strength, and our neighbours as ourselves, so that by keeping Your commandments we may glorify You, the giver of all good gifts. ~ A Prayer For Lighting a Candle
Ancient pathway Mystras, Greece – 2017
The path of God is a daily cross. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian
Make your one aim in life the doing of the will of Jesus in every circumstance, however important or trifling it may seem. ~ St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
Continue your path with courage, with much courage. Let your heart rejoice in the Lord, and He will grant it all nourishment and all energy that is needed so that it does not seem to collapse. Nothing should seem difficult to you. ~St. Luke of Simferopol
We travel many paths in life. With God’s help we make our way along the right one. Sometimes distracting side trails appear, but if we aim to do God’s Will, we discern that most navigational “shortcuts” may trip us up. Meanwhile, God protects us, and our guardian angel is always present.
Speaking of paths, don’t forget to have a trip blessing before starting a new adventure… It’s the best travel insurance! I particularly remember a certain vacation of hiking with my family in the wilds (of B.C.). As I plodded along, my husband and children cavorted far ahead, chatting and laughing. Pretty soon they rounded a bend in the trail, and vanished from sight and sound.
I thirstily drank in the beauty and wonder of God’s nature amid tall fragrant forest firs and birdsong. Beside the path, leaf mould and damp mosses covered ancient nursing stumps sprouting new life… And I realized it was high time to catch up with my family, so I broke into a jog.
About 100 feet into my run, I “was stopped”.
I simply couldn’t move, and literally stood still. Frozen.
Within two seconds of wondering what was going on(?!?), a sudden great crack resounded, and a giant limb of a tree, fell directly across the path, about 10 feet in front of me! It was massive, and fell exactly where I would have been jogging, had my Guardian Angel not stopped me.
Able to move freely again, I was shaken with amazement and gratitude for a few minutes. Crossing myself, I thanked God and my Guardian Angel profusely. (I also remember waving an additional thumbs-up, air greeting of hello – to my Guardian Angel.)
Raucous ravens shook my reverie and I sighed, “Okay, okay, I get it, I’m going!” Adrenaline fuelled an easy straddle of the downed limb as I tore off to catch up to my family.
Grace and Protection abounded on that path… with God’s help ever before me, and my Guardian Angel always beside me. Amen!
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ~ St. Matthew 10:30
Do not say, “this happened by chance, while this came to be of itself.” In all that exists there is nothing disorderly, nothing indefinite, nothing without purpose, nothing by chance … How many hairs are on your head? God will not forget one of them. Do you see how nothing, even the smallest thing, escapes the gaze of God? ~ St. Basil the Great
Spring, flowers, and sunshine… Brighter days ahead!
No sooner do I conceive of the one than I am illumined by the splendour of the three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the one. When I think of any one of the three I think of him as the whole, and my eyes are filled, and the greater part of what I am thinking escapes me. I cannot grasp the greatness of that one so as to attribute a greater greatness to the rest. When I contemplate the three together, I see but one torch, and cannot divide or measure out the undivided light. ~ St. Gregory the Theologian
How Glorious is God
How great our Lord on high in Zion,
Our mortal tongue cannot convey;
Beneath His throne the stardust flying,
Is one with windswept grasses’ sway.
Throughout the Universe His glory
By day and night is bright and holy.
O Lord, Thy Lamb of golden haloes
Reflects Thy face for our eyes;
With psalter-sounds we send our prayers,
Like smoke from censers, to the skies.
Accept, Lord God, from Thy creation
Incense and songs of adoration.
Thy radiance to us revealing,
Thy love transcends a father’s care;
While feeding us, our ailments healing,
Thou showest us Thy Kingdom fair.
Sweet mercy Thou to sinners sendest –
Their hunger with Thy substance endest.
By M.M Kheraskov (1733-1807); English Translation by Alexander F. Beck
