Category: Reflections

IC XC NIKA

IC XC ~ Jesus Christ (Abbreviated Greek for Jesus Christ. The lines above the letters indicate the words are abbreviated)

NIKA ~ Conquers

IC XC and NIKA (Greek) refer to Jesus Christ’s conquest of Hades and His victory over death and sin by His glorious Resurrection. IC XC and NIKA is stamped on Prosphora.

It’s a pious custom to keep holy bread and holy water in one’s icon corner. These are consumed upon breaking the previous night’s fast, along with morning prayers.

O Lord my God, may Thy holy gift and Thy Holy Water be unto forgiveness of my sins, unto enlightenment of my mind, unto strengthening of my spiritual and bodily powers, unto health of my soul and body, unto vanquishing of my passions and weaknesses, by Thy boundless merciful kindness, through the prayers of Thy Most-pure Mother and all Thy Saints. Amen. ~ Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist 

Consider the Lilies

Fawn Lilies flourish in a local woodland.

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ~ St. Matthew 6:28-29

Soul Food

Prayer is food for the soul. Do not starve the soul, it is better to let the body go hungry… ~ St. Joseph of Optina

You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body. ~C. S. Lewis

Through greed we underwent the first stripping, overcome by the bitter tasting of the fruit, and we became exiles from God. But let us turn back to repentance and, fasting from the food that gives us pleasure, let us cleanse our senses on which the enemy makes war. Let us strengthen our hearts with the hope of grace, and not with foods which brought no benefit to those who trusted in them. Our food shall be the Lamb of God, on the holy and radiant night of His Awakening: the Victim offered for us, given in communion to the disciples on the evening of the Mystery, who disperses the darkness of ignorance by the Light of His Resurrection. ~ Aposticha, Vespers – evening of Sunday of the Last Judgement

Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you. Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold: For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life: But they that sin are enemies to their own life. ~ Archangel Raphael, Tobit 12:7-10

 One should not think about the doings of God when one’s stomach is full; on a full stomach there can be no vision of the Divine mysteries. ~St. Seraphim of Sarov

It is necessary for a Christian to fast, in order to clear his mind, to rouse and develop his feelings, and to stimulate his will to useful activity. These three human capabilities we darken and stifle above all by ‘surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life’ (Lk. 21:34). ~ St. John of Kronstadt

Many human activities, good in themselves, are not good because of the motive for which they are done. For example, fasting and vigils, prayer and psalmody, acts of charity and hospitality are by nature good, but when performed for the sake of self-esteem they are not good. ~ St. Maximos the Confessor

Devils take great delight in fullness, and drunkenness and bodily comfort. Fasting possesses great power and it works glorious things. To fast is to banquet with angels. ~ St. Athanasius the Great

Let the mouth also fast from disgraceful speeches and railings. For what does it profit if we abstain from fish and fowl and yet bite and devour our brothers and sisters? The evil speaker eats the flesh of his brother and bites the body of his neighbour. ~St. John Chrysostom

Protection Against Sadness

2004 – Rear of St. Demetrius Church, Thessaloniki, Greece

Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness. ~ St. John Chrysostom

Thrice Holy

Entrance with Trisagion Prayer in Ancient Greek

Trisagion from Greek, means thrice [tris] and holy [agios]. This Thrice Holy Prayer to the Holy Trinity is used during private prayer, and throughout the Church’s daily worship cycle.

Trisagion in English: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Trisagion in Greek Pronounced: Agios O Theos, Agios Eeskhiros, Agios Athanatos, eleison imas)

History and Miracle of the Trisagion Hymn

Above, the hosts of angels sing praise; below, men form choirs in the churches and imitate them by singing the same doxology. Above the Seraphim cry out the Trisagion Hymn; below, the human throng sends up the same cry. The inhabitants of heaven and earth are brought together in a common assembly; there is one thanksgiving, one shout of delight, one joyful chorus. ~ St. John Chrysostom

The unceasing and sanctifying doxology by the holy angels in the Trisagion signifies, in general, the equality in the way of life and conduct and the harmony in the divine praising which will take place in the age to come by both heavenly and earthly powers, when the human body now rendered immortal by the resurrection will no longer weigh down the soul by corruption and will not itself be weighed down but will take on, by the change into incorruption, potency and aptitude to receive God’s coming. In particular it signifies, for the faithful, the theological rivalry with the angels in faith; for the active ones, it symbolizes the splendor of life equal to the angels, so far as this is possible for men, and the persistence in the theological hymnology; for those who have knowledge, endless thoughts, hymns, and movements concerning the Godhead which are equal to the angels, so far as humanly possible. ~ St. Maximus the Confessor

And Most of All

Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life. ~ Proverbs 4:23

… A Christian renews within himself the grace-filled springs which were opened to him through Holy Baptism, and which were later so many times obstructed by carelessness and falls, and so many times cleansed by repentance… Let us continue fasting and not give liberty to our feelings, not cease fervent prayers and tears, and not forget works of love; let us seek to hear the word of God and most of all, seek to converse with the Lord, Who is within us. Through this conversation we shall uphold the fear of God and zeal to please Him within ourselves, for in this lies the source of our spiritual life. ~ St. Theophan the Recluse

All Over the World

Altar Mosaic at St. Sophia Church, Canada

The Lord greatly loves the repenting sinner and mercifully presses him to His bosom: “Where were you, My child? I was waiting a long time for you.” The Lord calls all to Himself with the voice of the Gospel, and His voice is heard all over the world. “Come to me My sheep. I created you, and I love you. My love for you brought me to earth, and I suffered all things for the sake of your salvation, and I want you all to know My love, and to say, like the apostles on Mt. Tabor: Lord it is good for us to be with You.” ~ St. Silouan the Athonite

The True Aim

2004 – Dome from the Ancient Chora Church, in Turkey

Sadly, this church was converted to a mosque in 2020.

Prayer, fasting, and vigils, and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, certainly do not constitute the aim of our Christian life: they are but the indispensable means of acquiring that aim. For the true aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, vigils, prayer and almsgiving, and other good works done in the name of Christ, they are only the means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. Note well that it is only good works done in the name of Christ that bring us the fruits of the Spirit. ~ St. Seraphim of Sarov

Intentions and Ladybugs

Busy Ladybug on Allium Flower

Why are Ladybugs called Ladybug?

A European tradition from the Middle Ages relates how during one particular year, farmers’ crops everywhere were abnormally attacked by great plagues of small insects. Threatened with potential starvation, the people prayed fervently for the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Prayers were quickly answered with huge clouds of tiny orangy-red insects spotted with black dots, which arrived and ate the offending pestilence. In gratitude, these little bugs were bestowed with the honorary title of Our Lady’s Beetle. Over time, this was shortened to lady beetle, ladybird, and ladybug.

In all our actions, God considers the intention: whether we act for Him or for some other motive. ~ St. Maximus the Confessor

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

error: Content is protected !!