Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
If you can help a person, do so. If you are unable to help, then pray for them. If you do not know how to pray, then wish them well. It will help them, because positive thinking is a weapon also. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovic
Image by RÜŞTÜ BOZKUŞ from Pixabay
Love all creation, the whole of it and every grain of sand within it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things.~ Starets Zosima (Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov)
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. ~ Psalm 121:1-2
Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay
One should not seek among others the truth that can be easily gotten from the Church. For in her, as in a rich treasury, the apostles have placed all that pertains to truth, so that everyone can drink this beverage of life. She is the door of life. ~ St. Irenaeus of Lyon
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. ~ Psalm 100:5
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ~ St. John 1:14
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. ~ St. John 4:24
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ~ St. John 8:32
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth…~ Ephesians 5:9
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ~ 1 John 3:18
Scripture Art by Juliana
Happy Sunday of All Saints!
Warm wishes and a very Happy Father’s Day to those who are so blessed!
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labour. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.~ 1 Cor. 3:7-9
The Lord grant thee according to thy heart, and all thy purposes fulfill. ~ 2nd Antiphon, Stichos 3, Sunday of Pentecost
Faithfulness in little things is a big thing. ~ St. John Chrysostom
… A five minute prayer with all your body aching is more precious than a prayer lasting the whole night in bodily comfort. ~ Elder Sophrony (Sakharov) [of Essex, England]
Read Psalm 91!
(Also known as Psalm 90 in some translations)
He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven. He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge. He is my God, and I will hope in him. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters and from every troubling word. With his shoulders shall he overshadow thee, and under his wings shalt thou have hope. With a shield will his truth encompass thee; thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the thing that walketh in darkness, nor for the mishap and demon of noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but unto thee shall it not come nigh. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and thou shalt see the rewards of sinners. For Thou, O Lord, art my hope. Thou madest the Most High thy refuge; No evils shall come nigh unto thee, and no scourge shall draw nigh unto thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. On their hands shall they bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Upon the asp and basilisk shalt thou tread, and thou shalt trample upon the lion and dragon. For he hath set his hope on me, and I will deliver him; I will shelter him because he hath known my name. He shall cry unto me, and I will hearken unto him. I am with him in affliction, and I will rescue him and glorify him. With length of days will I satisfy him, and I will show him my salvation.
Thanks for reminding us of this wonderful Psalm, Vera!
Crypt of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari, Italy – 2017
There is no need to make long prayers, but extend your hands and say, ‘Lord, as you will and as you desire, lead me.’ If the conflict us urgent within you, say, ‘Lord help.’ He knows what is good for us, and He acts with mercy toward us. ~ St. Macarius the Great
We must not despair when we struggle and continuously see nothing but the slightest progress. We all do nearly nothing – some a little more, some a little less. When Christ sees our little effort, He gives us an analogous (corresponding) token; and so our “nearly nothing” becomes valuable, and we can see a little progress. For this reason we must not despair, but hope in God. ~ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos
God does not interfere in our lives, but waits for us to ask Him to help us, for He respects our freedom. ~ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos
A gardener cuts off branches so that the tree would grow faster and bear more fruit. If he cuts off too many branches, the tree will dry up. Be assured that God watches every man more carefully and mercifully than any gardener. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovic
Local Glorious Sunrise with quote – Shared by Sophie
Greetings on today’s feast of St. Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Congratulations to my dear friend Anna on your Name’s Day! May God grant you many years.
Akathist Hymn to Sts. Joachim and Anna
The words ‘hallowed be Your name’ could well be understood in the sense that God is hallowed by our perfection. In other words, when we say ‘hallowed be Your name’ to Him what we are really saying is ‘Father, make us such as to deserve knowledge and understanding of how holy You are, or at least let Your holiness shine forth in the spiritual lives we lead. And this surely happens as men ‘see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven ‘ (St. Matthew 6:16). ~ St. John Cassian
‘May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ (St. Matthew 6:10). No greater prayer can be offered than that the things of earth should be put on a level with the things of heaven… What else is this if not a declaration that men should be like angels, that just as the will of God is fulfilled by the angels in heaven so all men on earth should do, not their will, but His. The only man capable of offering up this prayer sincerely will be the one who believes that God arranges everything – the seeming good and the seeming bad – for our benefit, that the salvation and the well-being of His own people is more of a care and a concern to Him than to ourselves. ~ St. John Cassian
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one… Temptation is a test that is either sent to us from God or comes from the devil but is allowed by God. Every temptation is for us a kind of test of fortitude; sometimes we pass the test and sometimes we do not. In asking God, “…lead us not into temptation,” we are as it were saying to Him, “Do not send us trials beyond our strength; send us such trials as we can cope with, so that the trials and sorrows that Thou dost send, not crush us, not kill the faith within us…” …Therefore, when we ask God to …”deliver us from the evil one,” we ask He help us to always find the strength to refrain from what could enable the evil one to influence our life. If we learn this, neither the devil or any evil forces … can have any influence on us.” ~ Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
Photo with Dormition quote by Juliana
The humble soul is blessed. The Lord loves her. The Mother of God is higher than all in humility, and therefore all races bless her on earth, while the heavenly powers serve her. And the Lord has given us this blessed Mother of His as a defender and helper. ~ St. Silouan the Athonite
