The Sweeting

An early morning detente. Honey bee and tiny Hoverfly (a flower-fly that mimic bees in appearance but has no stinger) kindly share the same lavender blossom.

The bee is more honoured than other animals, not because she labours, but because she labours for others. ~ St. John Chrysostom

Like a bee that secretly fashions its comb in the hive, so also grace forms in hearts it own love. It changes to sweetness what is bitter, what is rough into that which is smooth. ~ Anonymous 4th century Egyptian monk

Sweeting
Those who resemble
the sweet honey bee,
Seek to find goodness
in all that they see!
~ a rhyme inspired/borrowed from St. Paisios’ honey bee verses fly quote below…

Some people resemble the honey bee and some resemble the fly. Those who resemble the fly seek to find evil in every circumstance and are preoccupied with it; they see no good anywhere. But those who resemble the honey bee only see the good in everything they see. ~ St. Paisios

If only we could more resemble the honey bee, and bee ye kinde one to another

If we could try to see Christ Himself more often in others… we could, but only with Love of our neighbour… help change some of this world’s bitterness into sweetness!

Even just a little bit.

Floribunda

A Floribunda Rose with fragrant, dense clusters of beauteous blossoms

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:11

The fruits of the earth are not brought to perfection immediately, but by time, rain and care; similarly, the fruits of men ripen through ascetic practice, study, time, perseverance, self-control and patience. ~ St. Antony the Great

I have run to the fragrance of your myrrh, O Christ God, for I have been wounded by your love; do not depart from me, O heavenly Bridegroom. ~ St. Porphyrios

May we buzz like bees to the Fragrance of Christ and become permeated with His Divine Perfume!

Then, with faith and patience, let us perennially blossom forth… wherever God’s Loving Hands have planted us!

Be the Bee

…if you ask a fly, “Are there any flowers in this area?” it will say, “I don’t know about flowers, but over there in that heap of rubbish you can find all the filth you want.” And it will go on to list all the unclean things it has been to. Now, if you ask a honeybee, “Have you seen any unclean things in this area?” it will reply, “Unclean things? No, I have not seen any; the place here is full of the most fragrant flowers.” And it will go on to name all the flowers of the garden or the meadow. You see, the fly only knows where the unclean things are, while the honeybee knows where the beautiful iris or hyacinth is. As I have come to understand, some people resemble the honeybee and some resemble the fly. Those who resemble the fly seek to find evil in every circumstance and are preoccupied with it; they see no good anywhere. But those who resemble the honeybee only see the good in everything they see. The stupid person thinks stupidly and takes everything in the wrong way, whereas the person who has good thoughts, no matter what he sees, no matter what you tell him, maintains a positive and good thought. ~ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

The bee is more honoured than other animals, not because she labours, but because she labours for others. ~ St. John Chrysostom

The bee is small among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of sweet things. ~ Wisdom of Sirach 11:3

Blessing of Bees and Beehives Prayers

Father Innocent, the Beekeeper

Bee Ye Kinde

And bee ye kinde one to another, tender hearted, forgiuing one another, euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you. ~ Ephesians 4:32; from the 1611 Original King James Version with archaic English spelling.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32; the Authorized King James Version, the Cambridge edition with updated English Spelling from 1769.

It is beautiful.

The most accurate translations available [of the Bible] in English are the King James (or Authorized) Version (KJV or AV), the New King James Version (NKJV), and The English Standard Version (ESV)… The King James is in fact generally so accurate that one could reconstruct the original text with a high degree of accuracy by translating the text back into Hebrew and Greek, though unlike many [other] translations that are so woodenly literal they actually distort the meaning of the text… ~ Fr. John Whiteford

Sweeter than Honey

Wild Bee Busy in Spring Heath

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting 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. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ~ Psalm 19: 7-10

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. ~ Psalm 16:4

…the fly only knows where the unclean things are, while the honeybee knows where the beautiful iris or hyacinth is. As I have come to understand, some people resemble the honeybee and some resemble the fly. Those who resemble the fly seek to find evil in every circumstance and are preoccupied with it; they see no good anywhere. But those who resemble the honeybee only see the good in everything they see. The stupid person thinks stupidly and takes everything in the wrong way, whereas the person who has good thoughts, no matter what he sees, no matter what you tell him, maintains a positive and good thought. ~ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

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