Humility of Heart

Greetings on the Afterfeast of The Ascension!

Christ Has Ascended! In Glory… From Earth to Heaven!

The heart gives life to the body, and humility gives life to the soul. ~ Elder Porphyrios

All my happiness and unhappiness are contained in the thoughts and inclinations of my heart. ~ St. John of Kronstadt

If you are a Christian, then you do not believe that your life is an accident, a meaningless, purposeless, random peak of a cosmic probability wave. You know that your purpose is to become the Body of Christ. You know that your life is a sacrament, not unlike the Eucharist.  Grains of wheat grow from the earth, shaped and fashioned through much labour to be offered to God and to become His Body. Likewise a human life: taken from the earth, shaped and fashioned through much labour to become an offering to God and His Body. And just as there are differences between different liturgical traditions, different people found different ways to live their lives as a sacred offering to God. Perhaps it is less important whether you sing psalms in the shower or not, recite the Lord’s Prayer three times a day or five – what is important is that you live your life as a sacrament, as an icon, and not as a caricature. ~ Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov

Admiring the bleeding hearts in our garden patio, and accompanied with joyful birdsong, an old and precious Childhood “Thank You” Prayer came to mind… attributed to Edith Rutter-Leatham from the late 1800’s. May God rest her soul! So many toddlers (myself included) have been inspired to learn how to pray simply, and with gratitude.

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.
Amen.

Thank YOU for visiting Blisswood!

Soon, we arrive at the wondrous Great Feast of Holy Pentecost!

With love in Christ.

Be of Good Courage

Image by Вячеслав Саксин from Pixabay

The word courage comes from the Middle English and Old French words corage, and from the Latin word cor… All of which mean heart, and what is in one’s mind or true thoughts. Courage is an action within an action.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. ~ Psalm 31:24

Let us hymn the Virgin Mary, the glory of the whole world, who sprang forth from men and gave birth unto the Master, the portal of heaven, and the subject of the hymnody of the incorporeal hosts; for she hath been shown to be heaven and the temple of the Godhead. Having destroyed the middle-wall of enmity, she hath brought forth peace and opened wide the kingdom. Therefore, having her as the confirmation of our faith, we have as champion the Lord born of her. Be of good courage! Yea, be ye of good cheer, O people of God, for He vanquisheth the foe, in that He is almighty! ~ Dogmatic Theotokion

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. ~ Psalm 38:9

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ~ Romans 8:26

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

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