God’s Garden – Blisswood

As to Creation’s Planter…

A beautiful Taiga Clematis rambles along our patio fence… Happy to bloom where planted!

Happy All Saints’ Day! Blessed Feast!

Since the 4th century, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the ancient feast of All Saints’ Day is celebrated and continues to be celebrated on the first Sunday after the Great Feast of Pentecost.

On All Saints’ Day we commemorate saints from every where and from every time. We honour both the known saints and the unknown saints, for these shining clouds of witnesses have lived to the fruition of Holiness. As all are alive in Christ, the saints are our friends and alive in Heaven. They are venerated, but not worshipped.

During the 8th century in the Western Church, Sunday of All Saints was transferred to the first Sunday in November, and then again in the 9th century to November 1st. This was to encourage a joyful Christian Fruits of the Holy Spirit celebration… rather than the Celtic harvest festival of Samhain – celebrated in trepidation with the pagan Feast of the Pumpkin.

As to Creation’s Planter all the world doth offer unto Thee- as nature’s first fruits the God-bearing Martyrs O Lord, for they bore witness unto Thee. Thus preserve Thou Thy Church by their entreaties, O Saviour, in the profoundest peace, through the pure Theotokos, O Thou Who art greatly merciful.
~ Kontakion of All Saints, Tone 8

In God and in His Church there is no division between the living and the departed, but all are one in the love of the Father. Whether we are alive or whether we are dead, as members of the Church we still belong to the same family, and still have a duty to bear one another’s burdens. Therefore just as Orthodox Christians here on earth pray for one another and ask for one another’s prayers, so they pray for the faithful departed and ask the faithful departed to pray for them. Death cannot sever the bond of mutual love which links the members of the Church together. ~ Metropolitan Kallistos Ware

All the Saints are like fragrant flowers in God’s Heavenly Garden.

As to Creation’s Planter… May we bloom where planted, regardless of debris from life’s storms… and blossom forth unto Him a fruition of Spiritual Fragrance!

Happy Eve of the Holy Apostles Sts. Peter & Paul Fast!

In Pure Simplicity

Garden Calla Lily, shared by Irena

Christ is Risen!

Thy Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour, the Angels in Heaven sing. Enable us on earth, to glorify Thee in purity of heart. ~ Paschal Stichera

When going to the Holy Mysteries, go with simplicity of heart, and with the proper reverence toward this, in full faith that you will receive the Lord within yourself. ~ St. Theophan the Recluse

The core of our faith is actually extremely simple‚ that there is a God that created us and He became like us so we can become like Him. In order to do that He died‚ resurrected and ascended to heavens‚ taking up our human nature upon the heavenly throne. All we have to do is follow Him‚ take up our crosses and get going. ~ Fr. Vasile Tudora

May we, with verdant Simplicity of Heart, brightly bloom as pure lilies in God’s Eternal Garden of Pascha, and rejoice in His Divine Beauty of of Simplicity.

Truly He is Risen!

Possess Ye Your Souls!

Photo detail shared by Melania

The Little Snowdrop Flowers above, patiently persevere in a church garden. They struggle and successfully push up through the soil and debris, to bloom and thrive from the Feast of Christ’s Nativity to Candlemas! May we do the same on our journey!

You may have heard of Ukrainian Christmas or Orthodox Christmas, that’s celebrated on the civil calendar date of January 7th, and wonder what this means? 🤔 The history of the church calendar is complicated. During the past 100 years or so, for fixed feast days, some Orthodox jurisdictions and parishes follow the New (civil) Style Gregorian Calendar and some continue to use the Old Style Julian Calendar (which falls 13 days behind today’s civil date), appearing like it’s landing on January 7th New Style calendar… but its actually December 25th on the Old Calendar! All Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25th, and one calendar date is not “more Orthodox” than the other. There are simply two different calendars which tell us when December 25th happens! 🎄If you have family and friends who celebrate Christmas on a different calendar, be joyful with them! Celebrate and glorify Him, regardless! For, Christ is Born!

On December 25th according to the New Style Calendar (December 12 Old Style), St. Herman of Alaska and St. Spyridon of Tremithus are happily celebrated. While my husband and I are Old Calendar, and some of my family are New Calendar… we simply commingle this special date together.

I’ll always remember and treasure my husband’s and my very first visit to an Orthodox Christian Church Service. We arrived on what we thought was Christmas, but ended up learning about Saints Herman and Spyridon, and the TWO Church calendars. In the golden glow of candlelight, smokey tendrils of incense swirled like living halos about the holy icons of the saints adorning the walls… saints who lived holy lives and had a lesson for each one of us. As the incense wafted upwards like prayers to heaven, sunbeams pierced through a little window and lit the gold tessera on a mosaic, like fiery embers. And we knew we had “come home.”

In your patience possess ye your souls. ~ St. Luke 21:19

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. ~ St. John 12:24

No matter how little you are, no matter how tired, you mustn’t give up. For, I repeat, no misfortune means anything. Nothing is lost as long as faith is established, the soul doesn’t surrender, and you must raise your head again!
~ Elder Arsenie

…For life is a continuous death. It is just a matter of our approach to it, for we must know how to die and to arise everyday. ~ Eternity in the Moment; The Life and Wisdom of Elder Arsenie Papacioc [page 257]

Highly recommend this book!

Eternity in the Moment

by Sorin Alpeti
(Published by the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood)

To order in Canada:
From Monastere Vierge Marie La Consolatrice, Quebec

We have passed the winter equinox. Days are becoming longer, and there’s always Sonshine above those clouds!

With love in Christ.

Mary, the Mystical Rose

This morning a dear friend sent me pictorial proof of Paradise… right from her very back door! It struck an inspiring chord, reminding me how roses celebrate the deep sacredness and beauty of God’s Creation, and also how in Orthodox traditions the Virgin Mary – our Lady Theotokos is sometimes referred to as the Mystical Lily or Rose. For, like a Mystical Flower with petals folded close beneath her heart, she blossomed forth our Lord Jesus Christ – the Sweet, Salvific Fruit of our Faith. We venerate her unique relationship with God. Even in her icons, the Virgin Mary directs us to glorify Christ. Today is a good day to stop and smell some garden roses, and to celebrate my many blessings! Thank you for visiting Blisswood!

The rose does not speak, but puts forth a strong fragrance. We too, should put forth fragrance, pour forth spiritual fragrance, the fragrance of Christ. The fragrance of our deeds should be heard from far around: good, pure and righteous deeds, full of love. Only thus can the Kingdom of God appear within our hearts, appearing not through words, but with power. ~ St. Luke of Simferopol

I have been amazed that some are utterly in doubt as to whether or not the Holy Virgin is able to be called the Mother of God. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how should the Holy Virgin who bore him not be the Mother of God? ~ St. Cyril of Alexandria (375 -444 AD)

The Most Holy Mother of God prays for us ceaselessly. She is always visiting us. Whenever we turn to her in our heart, she is there. After the Lord, she is the greatest protection of mankind… She is constantly, by our side, and all too often we forget her. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitnovica

The Beauty of the Wilderness

Celebrating the beauteous gift of simplicity!

Detail of Heath and Fir on Moss feature photo by Juliana, and shared along with a lovely verse from the Psalter.

The beauty of the wilderness shall grow lush… ~ 9th Kathisma, Psalter

Heavenly Snowdrops

…but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. ~ Proverbs 11:28

Yesterday’s walk was exhilarating!

Cheerful Snowdrops are springing up everywhere!

Old English names for Snowdrop flowers are Christ’s Flowers, Purification Flowers, Candlemas Bells, and Fair Maids of February. They are named as such, in honour of the ancient (upcoming) feast day of The Meeting of the Lord in the Temple! (February 15/2)

God’s Gift of Nature physically and spiritually nourishes us.

We rejoice in the sun’s warmth on our face and refreshing gentle breezes that sweep away cluttered, wintry thoughts.

Through a single flower, we remember all is God’s Handiwork, and that Nature is a Secret Gospel.

Spiritual Fragrance abounds! And… regardless of debris from recent storms, we notice it’s the new and verdant growth that bears the precious blooms in God’s Garden!

Sometimes – a glimpse of Paradise is right outside our back door!

Happy Saint’s Day Maximos, God grant you many years!

Withinnan

Our garden’s Johnny Jump Ups (Winter Pansies) thrive and flourish in brilliant autumnal Sonshine.

Withinnan is an Old English word (before 1000 A.D.) referring to a motion “from within”.

The Cause of all things, through the beauty, goodness and profusion of His intense Love for everything, goes out of Himself in His Providential care for the whole creation… He relinquishes His utter transcendence in order to dwell in all things while yet remaining within Himself… ~ St. Maximos the Confessor (The Philokalia)

Nature is the Secret Gospel!

The Mystery of Creation is all around us!

By opening our noetic eyes, we see God – withinnan the Beauty of His Holiness.

Sweet Essence of Eden

Fragrant, plumeria blossom falls to rest on neighbouring Heliconia Rostrata leaf (Hanging Lobster Claw Flower) ~ Kauai 2023

Every flower is fragrant through the power of the Holy Spirit, in a delicate flow of aroma and tenderness of colour; the beauty of the Great contained in what is small. ~Akathist Glory to God for All Things, Kontakion 3

Without winter there would be no spring, and without spring there would be no summer. So it is also in the spiritual life: a little consolation, and then a little grief-and thus little by little we work out our salvation. Let us accept everything from the hand of God. ~St. Joseph the Hesychast

Everything that God has created is beautiful!

Even the flowers are full of grace!

Like so many places all over the world that are special to each one of us – to me, Hawaii is the Living Epitome of Heavenly Fragrance. It still contains the Sweet Essence of Eden with: Aromatic maile (MY-lee) leaves from the rainforest… Divinely fragrant, mangoes that hang as luscious, topaz jewels… Delightfully perfumed blooms of pikake, jasmine, lilies, and plumeria…

All of these and more, help awaken the numinous senses with Awe in Nature’s Mysterious Beauty of the Great.

When we perceive God’s Gift of Nature, how can we not admire it?

How can we not be grateful for consoling glimpses and reminders that Paradisiacal Eden – once our Original Home – is never very far away from us?

May we take time today to observe, touch and smell one flower!

May we listen to the still, small, voice of flowers that continue to magnify our Creator!

May we actively allow our day to be filled with the Sweet Essence of Eden and the Divine Fragrance of Christ!

May the Memory of Trees…

Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees in Lihu’e-Koloa’a Forest Reserve ~ Kauai 2023

Happy Saint’s Day matushka Nataliya! Congratulations, and may God grant you many years!

Casually, one day, she told us that every morning she was having a “little chat with her young tree”. Another time she said that if we got tired walking, we could stop near a tree and touch its trunk: “It will gladly give you some of the strength God gives it”… ~ Gerontissa Gavrilia

After many years I returned to Kauai, and stood once again in a wondrous, tropical Blisswood grove!

Stunning eucalyptus trees thrive in the Lihu’e Koloa’a Forest Reserve… and here, one may curiously discover how refreshing it is to touch those resplendent rainbow trunks.

As my gaze travelled skyward to the tree’s crowning branches, they seemed as graceful arms raised aloft in praise to Creation’s Planter.

Antiphonal Birdsong echoed throughout the forest arboretum. Delicate leaves attached to the trees’ twiggy fingers whispered to each other in the warm trade winds.

Some leaves were loosened, and as if seeming to accept that this was their time, fluttered down trustingly to the ground. A breeze quickly stirred them up again, and with apparent joyful abandon they tumbled away, end-over-end, deeper into the forest… a dance of affirmation and benediction.

I hope to carry this beautiful memory of God’s Creation in my soul, for a long, long, time.

These trees gladdened my heart. They gifted me anew with a peaceful, vibrant jewel of strength, to which I must carefully string yet one more gem of gratitude to the growing strand of a personal, noetic necklace which I sometimes forget to wear… or appreciate.

May we live in more awareness of the Divine Moment and Nature’s Numinous Wisdom – proving His Glorious Presence.

Let all the trees of the forest dance and sing, let all the trees clap their hands. ~ Sunday of the Cross

With Love in Christ.

Holy Wisdom’s Water of Love

Exotic Heliconia Rostrata, the Hanging Lobster Claw Flower ~ Kauai 2023

Greetings on the Holy Mandylion Feast Day!

If you do not shatter and empty your Ego, how will you make room for God?… God’s gifts to us blossom only if watered with the water of Love… Those who love can do only beautiful things. ~ Gerontissa Gavrilia

Let us unfurl our thirsty roots and drink deeply from Holy Wisdom’s salvific Springs of Living Water.

May our hearts Blossom Forth choosing happy, beautiful, Songs of Joy and gladness today!