Christ is Risen!
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes… More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ~ Psalm 19:7,8,10
Truly He is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. ~ Isaiah 60:1
Truly He is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. ~ Jeremiah 17:14
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. ~ Psalm 6:2
Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. ~ Psalm 30:2
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ~ 1 Peter 2:24
Truly He is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
From the rising to the setting of the sun, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore. ~ Psalm 113:2-3
Truly He is Risen!
Hawaiian stream flowing to ocean – 2014
Christ is Risen!
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? ~ Psalm 42:2
Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:3
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. ~ St. John 4:13-14
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ~ St. John 7:37
Truly He is Risen!
Fragrant Montana Clematis – 2021
Christ is Risen
Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. ~ 1 Peter 3:4
Truly He is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
Those that go down to the sea in ships that do work in many waters, these have seen the works of the LORD and his wonders in the deep. For he commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves. They mount up to the heavens; they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and all of their knowledge is of no avail. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivers them out of their afflictions. He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are at rest; so he brings them into the haven of his will. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his mercy and for his wonderful works unto the sons of Adam! ~ Psalm 107:23-31
Truly He is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
There are saints who are very anxious, who had nervous tics, and also who were very brusque. Others were exceptionally slow. Some saints had physical defects. What makes a saint is not outward perfection, it’s that the old man is conquered on the inside. The saints are not yet totally transfigured, and the old man continues to be visible on the outside. These appearances can trick us and hide their inner reality from us. ~ Elder Sergei of Vanves
Take care to distinguish between your thoughts, as the Fathers teach. Stop and look, decide which ones are good and which ones are bad. Then, disassociate from any that you find to be bad, believe nothing they tell you, do not believe for an instant that they are part of who you are. This is of the utmost importance, because if we accept bad thoughts, then they will stay with us and make us believe that they are actually a part of us. ~ Elder Sergei of Vanves
Truly He is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
O Lord, grant that I may meet all that this coming day brings to me with spiritual tranquility. Grant that I may fully surrender myself to Thy holy Will. At every hour of this day, direct and support me in all things. Whatsoever news may reach me in the course of the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and the firm conviction that all is subject to Thy Holy Will. Direct my thoughts and feelings in all my words and actions. In all unexpected occurrences, do not let me forget that all is sent down from Thee. Grant that I may deal straightforwardly and wisely with every member of my family, neither embarrassing nor saddening anyone. O Lord, grant me the strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events that take place during it. Direct my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to be patient, to forgive, and to love. Amen.
The Optina Elders are the Righteous Fathers of the Optina Monastery in Russia, who struggled valiantly in the monastic life of prayer, humility, obedience, and love. God granted them the gifts of discernment, prophecy, clairvoyance, and the grace to guide souls along the path of salvation.
They are Leo (who reposed in 1841), Macarius (1860), Moses (1862), Anthony (1865), Hilarion (1873), Ambrose (1891), Anatolius (1894), Isaacius (1894), Joseph (1911), Barsanuphius (1913), Anatolius (1922), Nectarius (1928), Nicon (1931), and Isaacius (1936).
Their beautiful prayer encompasses everyone’s potential daily encounters and experiences.
Truly He is Risen!
Thank you for sharing your Path of Peace photo, Irena.
Christ is Risen!
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. ~ Proverbs 3: 13 – 18
Truly He is Risen!
