Roses and beeswax candles beside icon of St. Gregory Palamas – from Second Sunday of Great Lent.
We know that prayer in and of itself cannot save us, but carrying it out before God can. For when the Lord’s eyes are upon us He sanctifies us, as the sun warms everything upon which it shines. ~ St. Gregory Palamas
May your Lenten Journey be peaceful and fruitful.
It’s the new growth… that bears the blooms!
The Lily of the Valley Shrub, also known as Pieris Japonica, is a lovely evergreen shrub and early bloomer, belonging to the Heath family. It’s a joy to see and smell these pendulous, sweet, fragrant bells, especially during Lent.
From of old…. the teardrop shape flowers of both the Lily of the Valley bulb plant, and the Pieris Japonica shrub, are said to poignantly symbolize the tears that Eve shed upon leaving the Garden of Eden, and the Virgin Mary’s tears shed at the cross of Christ.
She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. ~ St. Augustine
Sometimes, a glimpse of Paradise is right outside our back door!
Happy Lenten Spring!
Image by congerdesign Pixabay
Greetings on Clean Friday!
The word alms in Old English was aelmysse. In Latin – eleemosyna.
Alms in Greek is eleemosune – meaning compassion; while eleemon and eleos, also used for alms – imply mercy.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. ~ Matthew 5:7
A poor man when he reaches out to you does not beg, but offers you the Kingdom of God. ~ St. Arsenie Papacioc
He who gives alms in imitation of God does not discriminate between the wicked and the virtuous, the just and the unjust, when providing for men’s bodily needs. ~ St. Maximos the Confessor
Sins are purged by alms and acts of faith. ~ St. Clement of Alexandria
May your Lenten Journey be peaceful and fruitful.
A view over/above the Royal Doors to the altar’s rear wall, at St. Nicholas Orphanos Church, Thessaloniki – 2017 visit. The ancient interior frescoes are dated from 1310 – 1320 AD.
Greetings on Clean Thursday!
Understand two thoughts, and fear them. One says, “You are a saint,” the other, “You won’t be saved.” Both of these thoughts are from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but the Lord is merciful. He loves people very much, and He will forgive my sins. ~ St. Silouan the Athonite
May your Lenten Journey be peaceful and fruitful.
Greetings on Clean Wednesday.
These profound silence quotes are by the 7th century St. Isaac of Syria
If you love truth, be a lover of silence. In the beginning we have to force ourselves to be silent. But then, something is born that draws us to silence. May God give you the experience of this something that is born in silence.
Silence is the mystery of the world to come.
Humility collects the soul into a single point by the power of silence. A truly humble man has no desire to be known or admired by others, but wishes to plunge from himself into himself, to become nothing, as if he had never been born. When he is completely hidden to himself in himself, he is completely with God.
Above anything, welcome silence, for it brings fruits that no tongue can speak of, neither can it be explained.
Silence is a mystery of the age to come, but words are instruments of this world.
Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble man is quiet.
May your Lenten Journey be peaceful and fruitful.
Image by Couleur Pixabay
The blooming crocus is also known as the penitent flower.
Happy Clean Monday!
The Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete is read during the first four nights of Great Lent, and the last part – the Life of St. Mary of Egypt is read Thursday evening on the 5th week of Great Lent.
Greetings on Forgiveness Sunday!
Great Lent begins Tomorrow.
There is nothing on earth higher, greater or more holy than the Divine Liturgy; nothing more solemn, nothing more life-giving. ~ St. John of Kronstadt
The Church is your hope, the Church is your salvation, the Church is your refuge. ~ St. John Chrysostom
May your Lenten Journey be a peaceful, fruitful preparation for the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha (Easter) – Sunday, April 24th, 2022.
Vibrant Spring Crocus by Melania – © Divine Florals
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing… ~ Isaiah 35:1-2
At winter’s end, the crocus – also known as the penitent flower, appears before the spiritual spring of Great Lent… a season of forgiveness, repentance, efforts, hope, and renewal.
The week preceding Great Lent is called Cheesefare (Maslenitsa), and in 2022, Cheesefare begins Monday, February 28th. Meat is now excluded until Pascha (Easter). Dairy and seafood are (thoroughly) enjoyed this week, and it’s traditional to include blini crepes or pancakes to use up remaining dairy – before the more strict plant-based fare of Great Lent.
This year Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7th.
May we all cultivate fragrant buds of virtue, and Blossom Forth!
Beautiful Icon of St. Xenia – Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery Jordanville, New York, by Raymond Bucko via Wikimedia Commons.
February 6/January 24
Happy Feast Day!
Today is St. Xenia’s (Ksenia’s) special day.
Congratulations to my dear goddaughter, Xenia – on your Name’s day. May God grant you many years!
Wondrous is God in His Saints! To this very day, St. Xenia continues to be an intercessor for those needing a home, or employment, or who have a physical or mental illness, or for people in search of a spouse. Through God’s mercy, our family can testify to her great support and help!
Here is a beautiful Orthodox folk hymn about the Life of St. Xenia, by Katina.
(Katina’s music can also be heard on Spotify. Although I’ve enjoyed her music over the years, I hadn’t realized she reposed in 2018. Memory Eternal Katina!)
In celebrating St. Xenia’s Day, and remembering certain miracles of her clairvoyance, some like to make blini pancakes.
Blini Crepes can be made for any occasion, and are a time-honoured treat to share. In olden times, this light-fare was served to celebrate a birth or to mark a passing. It’s customary to enjoy Blini Crepes throughout Cheesefare Week (the week before Great Lent begins), up to and including Forgiveness Sunday… the day before Great Lent. This uses up any remaining dairy products, before embarking on the 40 day Vegan Fast of Great Lent.
In closing, I’d like to share what a dear friend recently said…
May St. Xenia help us all remain peaceful, calm, and open to God’s love for mankind.
Amen!
Heading Out the Front Door and Looking to the Cross
Happy St. Nicholas Day! (December 19/6)
As with all great Journeys, we make the path by travelling it… and mindful, active preparation is paramount!
Today is the halfway point of the 40 day Nativity Fast!
Faithfully fixing our eyes on the Joyous, Inspiring Destination ahead, we trim our wicks as it were, and proceed with continued efforts (that, speaking personally… may feel huge, but in reality are mostly quite small) to greet the Shining Feast of The Nativity of Christ.
Beginning with this month’s earlier Feast Day of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple, the Katavasia Christ is Born is sung encouragingly at all vigil services… combining aspects of both the Journey and the upcoming Festal Destination. The hymns brim with Old Testament prophecies and exude mysterious prefigurements of His coming.
The Heavenly Babe calls each one of us to come to Him, with childlike faith… and fasting is a spiritual aid to do this. While there are also many celebratory fast-free periods throughout the church calendar year, half the church year is literally spent in fasting together.
Besides the Church’s usual weekly Wednesdays and Friday fast days, there are other Lenten times during the church calendar year. The most lengthy and strictest fast is the Great Lent before Pascha. Depending on the individual of course, practical health considerations (such as age, pregnancy, diabetes, etc.) may exclude full physical fasting… but there are countless other ways to spiritually fast.
Fasting of the body is food for the soul… Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance. ~ St. John Chrysostom
Because we did not fast, we were chased out of Paradise; let us fast now, so that some day we return there. ~ St. Basil the Great
Of course, it would be easier to get to paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft feather-bed, but what is required is to carry one’s cross along the way, for the kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many! ~ St. Anthony of Optina
Christ comes from heaven, meet ye Him! And so, like little children… let our souls fly and cling to the Heavenly Babe, and praise Him, for He is a God is Love. Let us spiritually reap the rays of His Light that illumines the world’s darkness… For He is the Sun of Righteousness, which knows no rising or setting, and He Shines ceaselessly!
