Man seeks joy and happiness in heaven. He seeks what is eternal far from everyone and everything. He seeks to find joy in God. God is a mystery. He is silence. He is infinite. He is everything. Everyone possesses this inclination of the soul for heaven. All people seek something heavenly. All beings turn toward Him, albeit unconsciously. Turn your mind towards Him continually. Learn to love prayer, familiar converse with the Lord… Become worthy of Christ’s love… Turn on the switch of prayer so that divine love may flood your soul. Christ will appear in the depths of your being. There, in the deepest and most inward part, is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you (St. Luke 17:21). ~St. Porphyrios “Wounded by Love”
Tag: garden
Arise and Shine
Spring bloom of Chilean Potato Vine shrub
Thou, O Christ our Saviour, hast become for me the path of life which leads to the Father. There is but one path, and it is my joy, and at the end of it is the heavenly kingdom. ~ St. Ephraim the Syrian
Green Branch
Noni Tree, Hawaii – 2014
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. ~ Genesis 2:8-10
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. ~ Genesis 2:15
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. ~Numbers 24:6
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees… ~ Ecclesiastes 2:4-6
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. ~ Isaiah 61:11
Beauty of Holiness
The highest form of prayer is to stand silently in awe before God. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian
The pansy is called the Trinity Flower because of its three-petal shape.
Pansy colours of white, yellow, and purple flowers also remind us of the Virgin Mary’s life… recounting her purity, joy, and mourning, respectively.
Today’s modern Pansy flower originated from its ancient cousin – the wild, European viola, also known as heartsease. In Victorian floriography, the pansy represented thoughts and remembrance, and its name came from the French word pensée.
Pansies and wild violets have medicinal properties and were beloved by herbalists for centuries. They were used for skin complaints, respiratory problems, chest infections, and making dyes.
Besides enjoying their simple beauty in a fragrant bouquet, organic pansies and violas are also edible. They can be candied, used in salads as garnish, decoration for cake tops, and cookies.
Nobody can keep on being angry if she looks into the heart of a pansy for a little while. ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery, Canadian author – Anne of Green Gables
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
Bending the Knees of Our Heart
To fast in the soul means keeping silent more and praying more frequently by oneself saying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” At first this prayer will be only in our minds, then, because of the mind’s prayerful effort, suddenly, we know not how, this prayer passes into our hearts. It is possible that at this moment we may even weep and in this way we are baptized anew in the unseen font of our tears. There are all kinds of tears: tears of exaltation, tears of joy, tears of sadness, but the most precious are tears of compunction and repentance. ~ Metropolitan Vitaly (Archbishop of Montreal and Canada)
Living Water
Osios Loukas Monastery – Greece 2017
Nothing is more thirst-quenching than drinking at the Spring of Living Water!
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:3
The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. ~ Isaiah 58:11
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. ~ John 4:14
In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ~ John 7:37
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ~Revelation 21:6
Of Eagles & Olive Bread
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31
With the gift of free time, I’ve dusted the cobwebs off simple activities tossed aside – and begun doing.
There was time to garden yesterday and bake olive bread!
One hears amazing stories from friends and family reconnecting by playing games, sharing or renewing skills, and just being with each other. What a blessing!
While treading the delicate path of social distancing, we can still remain close, and reach out to each other using many forms of social media.
Meanwhile, for me, one of the hardest things with social distancing is the inability to safely hug or touch each other, if we’re not already living together. Touch is a powerful bond.
However, even from a distance, it’s humbling to see what we are accomplishing together as we focus on goals and not just the task.
Cyber-bumping your elbow, I take my leave.
I’m feeling energized. Today’s a brand new day, and there’s much to be done in the garden.