cry – Blisswood

Lo, How the Rose!

Happy St. Andrew’s Day! Blessed Feast!

I was thrilled to spy our own Christmas Rose (above) popping up in a patio planter during a very gray day last week. This hardy little white blossomed evergreen Hellebore is called a Lenten Rose (also known as Christmas Rose), and, in some areas of the world, blooms exuberantly during the Nativity Fast.

While not literally a rose in the true sense, it belongs to the Ranunculi family, and sports a beautiful profusion of long lasting snow white blossoms during Advent – the Nativity Fast. Also, and fittingly, there’s a pinky-purple version which flower during Springtime’s Great Lent season as we journey to the Great Feast of Pascha (Easter)!

There’s a sweet mediaeval Christmas Rose legend, stemming from when a little shepherdess who witnessed the multitude of angels singing to the shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks on the night of Christ’s Birth. She ran with wonder along with the others to the cave, and seeing Him laid in a manger, wept bitterly – for she had nothing to give to the Holy Heavenly Child. An angel saw her heartfelt love, and changed her fallen tears of woe into Christmas Roses. Overjoyed, the little shepherdess quickly stooped and gathered up the brilliant snow white blossoms and presented them to Baby Jesus’ Family.

What shall we give Him?

Lo, how the Rose,
Becometh thorn,
For, for which cause,
the Prince of Peace was born!
~ From 4th Verse of Little Pine Tree

I would like to share the ancient, historical Orthodox Tradition of the Glastonbury Rose, which St. Joseph of Arimathea himself planted on British soil (scroll further down the link) and which exists and flowers to this very day, blooming on the Old Calendar’s Christmas date.

To me, our little patio Christmas Rose symbolizes bright hope and purity, and thrives… no matter what stormy weather blows its way! Such an inspiration for any season!

Let us, looking upwards, offer our own small gifts of faith and hope as we prepare to present them to Him with pure love, whilst plodding the pilgrimage path towards the Feast of His Birth.

Wishing you a most Blessed Nativity Fast.

May it be Peaceful and Fruitful.

With love in Christ.

We Need Two Wings to Fly!

Parish Mosaic in Progress: The Dormition of the Theotokos

Prayer is one wing, faith the other, that lifts us heavenward. With only one wing no one can fly: prayer without faith is as meaningless as faith without prayer. But if your faith is very weak, you can profitably cry: Lord, give me faith! Such a prayer seldom goes unheard. The grain of mustard seed, says the Lord, grows into a great tree. ~ Tito Colliander (Way of the Ascetics)

Holy Consolation

Recent Visit of the Ancient (1259 AD), Miraculous Kursk Root Icon

Detail of Icon Without Cover

The Icon depicts the Theotokos of the Sign with the Christ Child before her. Her arms are outstretched. Above her is the Lord of Hosts and on either side and below are 9 prophets who wrote about the birth of Christ (clockwise, starting in the top right): King Solomon, Prophets Daniel, Jeremiah, Elijah, Habakkuk, Judge Gideon, Prophets Isaiah, Moses, and King David. The wooden Icon is covered with an intricately worked [protective] cover of blue and gold. ~ OrthodoxWiki

Even if you just lean your head on an Icon, you will find consolation. ~ St. Paisios the Athonite

Shared by a dear friend: “I came to venerate this Holy Icon with certain petitions already in mind for both physical and spiritual healing. But when I approached the Icon, overwhelming thoughts of the heartbreaking Russian war in Ukraine (and resulting divisions in the Orthodox world) engulfed me instead. All I could pray was one single word ‘Help.’ I laid my head on the Icon, much as a grieving child would upon their own mother’s bosom… and although it seemed I was there for quite some time (in reality – only several seconds), a Warm Wave of Consolation washed over me… a Spiritual Embrace. The next one-word prayer I offered was ‘Thank you’… And I know that She’s sad too.”

Epilogue: I was also told a few days later, that a long-standing family issue my friend was going to especially pray for in front of the Icon (she had also been praying separately for), has miraculously been resolved!

Help and Thank You are two very simple, powerful, prayer words.

Our Most Holy Theotokos knows what we need even when words won’t suffice. When we turn to her with hope and faith, she always hears the wordless groaning of hearts.

O Most Holy Theotokos, thank you for your blessings – both known and unknown!

Sparks Among the Stubble

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 3:1-9

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:38-39

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. ~Revelation 21:4

With heartfelt prayers to those suffering loss. May God comfort and ease your pain through His Great Love and Mercy.

His Wonders in the Deep

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!