Reflections – Page 43

Truth and Light

Meteora, Greece 2008

God is truth and light… On the day of Great Judgment all will be exposed before this penetrating light of truth. The “books” will be opened. What are these “books”? They are our hearts. Our hearts will be opened by the penetrating light of God, and what is in these hearts will be revealed… from the love or hate which reigns in our heart… ~St. Symeon the New Theologian

If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice. ~ St. John Chrysostom

Be yourself and live in the honesty of your being. ~ St. Sisoes the Great

How Beautiful is the Mystery

How Beautiful is the “Mystery“, the “Sacrament” of Tomorrow! ~ Gerontissa Gavrielia

If God does not leave a blade of grass, a flower, or a small leaf of a tree without His good providence, will He leave us? ~ St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

Rejoice in the Lord

A local paddle-boarder, rejoicing … October 2020

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

This passage remains in my heart, thanks to Verne Margaret Scott.

I met her as a young teen, during my old Baptist church days. She was an amazing youth leader… and made the deepest impression.

Verne lived in God’s Light joyfully, and particularly loved the book of Philippians. She encouraged us in scriptural memorization, to keep God’s Word close in our hearts.

I have often thought of Verne (with gratitude), over the years, and noticed her recent obituary. She passed away on July 1, 2021 in her 96th year.

May God rest her soul!

At the Lord’s Feet

Part of the Creation Mosaic, St. Sophia Orthodox Church – Canada

Keep your mouth shut in the hour of crisis, when a problem is acute. Do not say anything, because you may regret it a thousand times. Instead, tell it to the Angels so that they may place it at the Lord’s Feet, and pray the Lord for an Angel of Peace to calm your soul. ~ Gerontissa Gavrielia

As for Me and My House…

Robin’s Nest in peach tree nestled beside a home ~ Photo by Juliana Tellier

… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ~Joshua 24:15

The summer before entering grade one, I found a beautiful blue robin’s egg on the grass – whole and intact. There were several tall trees nearby, and to my distress, I couldn’t find or return it to its appropriate home. Determined to help, I gently wrapped the egg in Kleenex and brought it home. For days, I carried it bundled in my pockets, and at nights, I slept with it under my pillow. Alas, of course, it never hatched. Burying it in the backyard garden, I realized (with tears) that because the egg had fallen outside its protective nest and grown cold, it couldn’t become what it was meant to be. In my child’s heart, I understood that God already knew all about this poor little baby robin’s egg, and I received an unexpected blessing of comfort… with my own sadness taking flight.

Let us rejoice and be thankful for the opportunity and great blessing of taking our children to church. The House of God is a Loving Nest for us and our little ones. It’s a place of rest, a place of tender care… a place to nestle our souls within the Holy Sacraments. Therefore, let us rise, take wing, and soar to the Holy Communion of our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. ~ Psalm 84:3

Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. ~ Psalm 104:12

…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.~ Isaiah 40:31

Behold the fowls of the air: for they do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ~ St. Matthew 6:26

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. ~ St. Matthew 10:29

Garment of the Soul

Altar mosaic, St. Sophia Orthodox Church Canada – from 6th century church detail; St. Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.

Early Christianity frescoes and mosaics show the peacock… a bird of Paradise… a symbol of immortality. Sometimes it stands beside the Tree of Life. The eyes on the peacock’s tail feathers symbolise our all-seeing God. A peacock drinking from a vase signifies a Christian drinking the waters of eternal life. The peacock also represents the cosmos with its tail of many eyes as the vault of heaven, dotted by the sun, moon, and stars. Joyfully associated with the Resurrection of Christ, the peacock sheds its old feathers and grows newer and brighter ones each year.

What is dying? It is as if putting off a garment. For the body is about the soul as a garment; and after laying this aside for a short time by means of death, we shall resume it again with more splendour. ~ St. John Chrysostom

We see the water of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing away, and all that floats on its surface, rubbish or beams of trees, all pass by. Christian! So does our life. I was an infant, and that time has gone. I was an adolescent, and that too has passed. I was a young man, and that too is far behind me. The strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white, I succumb to age, but that too passes; I approach the end and will go the way of all flesh. I was born in order to die. I die that I may live. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom! ~ St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

The agony of dying is the effort made by the soul to free herself and run towards the Lord. ~ Gerontissa Gavrielia

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect. ~ Wisdom of Solomon 3: 1-9

All Good is in Me

Our Lord Jesus is on a cross adorned with twelve doves, symbolizing the apostles. There is an inscription (not seen in our photo) at the bottom of the mosaic saying, “We liken the Church of Christ to this vine that the law causes to wither and the Cross causes to bloom.”

Apse mosaic, Basilica of St. Clemente, Rome – 2006; the present 11th century basilica was built over the original 1st century church.

St. Clement was baptized by the holy Apostle Peter and became his fervent disciple and constant companion. Shortly before his own sufferings and death, St. Peter consecrated St. Clement as Bishop of Rome. After the death of the Apostle Peter, St. Linus [(67-79) 2 Timothy 4:21] was the next Bishop of Rome, succeeded by St. Anacletus [(Cletus)(79-91)], and then St. Clement (92-101).

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ St. Matthew 11:28-30

By St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Christ calls us to Himself, promising sweet rest for our souls. He would say to us:

Do you desire good for yourself? All Good is in Me.

Do you desire blessings? All Blessings are in Me.

Do you desire beauty? What is lovelier that I?

Do you desire noble birth? What birth is more noble than that of the Son of God and the Virgin?

Do you desire rank? Who is of higher rank than the King of heaven?

Do you desire glory? Who is more glorious than I?

Riches? All riches are in Me.

Wisdom? I am the Wisdom of God.

Friendship? Who is a greater friend than I – I who laid down my life for all?

Help? Who can help but I?

Happiness? Who can be happy without Me?

Do you seek consolation in distress? Who will console you but I?

Do you seek peace? I am the Peace of the soul.

Do you seek life? In Me is the fount of life.

Do you seek light? I am the Light of the world.

Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!

Let Him Write

Interior archway with ancient frescoes St. Demetrios Church Thessaloniki, Greece – 2006

Let God intervene between you and your purpose, instead of letting your purpose intervene between God and you… Every morning, open a new page, and put your signature on the blank. Whatever God wills, let Him write. ~ Gerontissa Gavrielia

We are God’s Handiwork

The Passion Flower is sometimes used to illustrate the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The circular inner centre of the passion flower represents the crown of thorns. The five yellow prongs symbolize the five wounds Christ suffered on the cross. The purple “Y” represents the three spikes used to nail Christ to the cross. The outer circle of darker markings in the center of the flower represents the halo around Christ’s head.

Let us grow and thrive where planted!

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:10

When you walk in a forest, garden, or meadow, and see the young shoots of the plants, the fruits on the trees, and the variety of the flowers of the field, learn a lesson from God’s plants – namely, the lesson that every tree each summer unfailingly puts forth at least one shoot of considerable size, and unfailingly grows in height and dimensions. It seems as though every tree endeavours each year to advance by the strength that God has given it; therefore, say to yourself, I, too, must each day, each year, absolutely grow higher and higher morally, better and better, more and more perfect; must advance on the road to the Kingdom of Heaven, or to the Father which is in Heaven, through the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Spirit dwelling and working within me. As the field is adorned by a multitude of flowers, so should the field of my own soul be adorned by all the flowers of virtue; as the trees bring forth flowers and afterwards fruit, so must my soul bring forth the fruits of faith and good works. ~ St. John of Kronstadt; My Life in Christ

To the Pure

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; both their minds and their consciences are defiled. ~ Titus 1:15

He who busies himself with the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet even begun to repent or to examine himself so as to discover his own sins ~ St Maximus the Confessor

Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement. ~ St. John of Kronstadt

Thoughts are like airplanes flying in the air. If you ignore them, there is no problem. If you pay attention to them, you create an airport inside your mind and permit them to land! ~ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos