Brothers – Blisswood

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

Love

Sunrise on Golden Sand – Hawaii 2008

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ~ John 13:34-35

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ~ Romans 5:5

God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves. ~ St. John Chrysostom

What is perfection in love? Love your enemies in such a way that you would desire to make them your brothers … For so did He love, Who hanging on the Cross, said ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ ~ St. Augustine of Hippo

If you find that there is no love in you, but you want to have it, then do deeds of love, even though you do them without love in the beginning. The Lord will see you desire and striving and will put love in your heart. ~ St. Ambrose of Optina

“Love covers a multitude of sins,” (I Pet. 4:8). That is, for love towards one’s neighbour, God forgives the sins of the one who loves. ~St. Theophan the Recluse

Do not ask for love from your neighbor, for if you ask and he does not respond, you will be troubled. Instead show your love for your neighbour and you will be at rest, and so will bring your neighbour to love. ~ St. Dorotheos of Gaza

You don’t become holy by fighting evil. Let evil be. Look towards Christ and that will save you. What makes a person saintly is love. ~ St. Porphyrios

Remember-izing Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121 is also known as one of the Hymns of Ascents. In times of old, when pilgrims walked all the way to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Places of Christ, this was one of the many Psalms and hymns sung along the way! So, this is a good Psalm to keep in our hearts as we journey to Pascha. This Psalm reminds us our help comes from the Lord, and that prayer can be done any time. Whether we pray aloud, or silently within our hearts, prayer helps us grow closer to God. We can talk to God by using our own words, or a prayer book, or by saying a Psalm. Sometimes, depending on what’s happening in our lives, we might feel sad or anxious, and may not even feel like praying for help. But, when we persevere with courage and pray regardless… these are the sweetest prayers of all to God.

Memorizing a Psalm is great thing to do on one’s own, or together as a family!

While snowbound for a week during a blizzard, my grandma Faith (Memory Eternal) challenged my kid brother and me to some memory work.

She picked her favourite Psalm (121), and my brother and I raced to see who could learn it the fastest.

Alas, it was a mercenary contest of sibling rivalry, and a great number of pennies were involved in betting against each other.

Upon this untimely discovery by my grandmother, the illegal (in her eyes) gambling operation was quickly nipped in the bud and the forbidden “winnings” never collected.

Consequently, the contest escalated to the next level. Evidently, remembering Bible verses for a short while was too easy, so my grandma (tough cookie that she was) gave pop quizzes days later.

Meanwhile, my brother shrewdly – um, wisely… discovered how to wield a Bible Concordance, and learned other scripture passages to his advantage. For instance, at the next kerfuffle, he’d simply narrow both eyes at me and bring things to a grinding halt – just saying the reference: “Leviticus 19:17.” Or, with furrowed brow, sniff disdainfully: “Psalm 31:18.”

He learned before I ever did, that distractions are sibling-safe ways out of predicaments!

Decades later, these Psalms that we learned together by heart, remain in our hearts.

And to my brother (who still owes me 81 pennies): “Philemon 1:7 ~ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”

What a blessing.