Feature Image background photo shared by Melania (Divine Florals Cards), who today (along with a daring river otter), braved high winds and darted across the road to escape the dramatic waves! ~ Storm Season, Victoria BC, Canada
Behold the sea of life, surging high with the tempest of temptations, I have fled to Thy tranquil haven and cry aloud unto Thee: Lead Thou my life forth from corruption, O most Merciful One. ~ Resurrectional Ode 6, Tone 6
When we are coming to church, what are we looking for? Fish in the desert? No, we are looking for that hidden “inward meditation” of the heart which unites us to Christ… The same thing happens in the church where you are mystically and sacramentally united with Christ. In and through your inner meditation on these things they will become a reality… In order to find Him strive to enter into that hidden, inner meditation and you’ll see that He’ll come of His own accord. You’ll see the heavy stone roll away from your heart and He Himself will rise! ~ Elder Aimilianos (The Way of the Spirit)
…it is also important for us to establish why we go to church. To listen to the sermon? But these days you can get that from a radio presenter (or social media). To pray? But you can pray everywhere and at any time… To put up a candle? But you can put up a candle in front of your icons at home. And so, why do we go to church? …Some people say that if they want to go and pray, they go off to a wood, or to a stream or the seaside, and there in a “Church Erected by God” it is easier for them to be aware of the Creator and to send up glory to Him. Why, they say, do we leave the boundless temple [of creation] to place ourselves under the narrow vaults of a church that is man-made? …That which we offer God, we can offer Him in any place. All that is in the world can thus be laid before Him. But there is that small portion of existence in which God is well pleased to reign, not in Himself but in another. That is my soul. This is that chamber within the limitless edifice of the universe, wherein the Builder thereof will not enter without an invitation. And it depends upon us at whose disposal we lay that freedom of ours, which was given us by God. Will we serve God, or will we serve ourselves…? The only way we can augment the limitless power of the Lord is if we offer Him our own free will… …It is not so important why we seek God. It is more important why He seeks us. …Christ grants us something further which the mind cannot comprehend. “Abide in Me, and I in you…. Receive ye this, this is My Blood, which is shed for you….” Christ entrusts His whole Being to the people; both His Divinity and His manhood. …And so, we come to church, so that we might receive something therein. The church – it’s just walls; but walls built around the Mysterion [Sacrament] of Communion The Mysterion consists in this: that to the people a Hand is extended with the Gifts. Therefore to visit church is not an onerous obligation, but a wondrous privilege. To us there is granted the right to stand as participants in the Mystical Supper. To us there is given the possibility of becoming “partakers of the divine nature.” To us there is granted to possibility of contacting an Energy, such that not one of of the power stations of the world could produce. God sought us. And has found us. We simply need to go to that place, where closer than anywhere else God approaches the people, to that place where in an unprecedented way, through the Gifts themselves, He is distributed to the people. If Christ presents us with the Cup with Communion through the Royal Gates, does it behoove us to turn up our noses and affirm that “I have God in my heart”? ~ Deacon Andrei Kuraev“In Answer to the Question, Why Go to Church If I Have God in My Heart?” – (Orthodox Christian Information Center)
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ~ St. Matthew 11: 28-30
Holy Cross surrounded by Hellebore Lenten Rose, Pieris Japonica, Chrysanthemums and Basil
I praise the Godhead, Unity in three Persons: for the Father is Light, the Son is Light, and the Spirit is Light, but the Light remains undivided, shining forth in oneness of Nature, yet in the three rays of the Persons… Let all the trees of the forest dance and sing, as they beheld their fellow-tree, the Cross, today receive veneration: for Christ, as Holy David prophesied, has exalted it on high… Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. I worship Thee, O holy God, as Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one Power and Kingdom, sovereign over all. Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. ~ From the Sunday of the Cross, Matins Service
Be unto me the might, the strength, and the power…the deliverer and foremost defender against my enemies… the shield and protector… my victory and establishment… ever preserving and sheltering me. ~ St. Gregory of Sinai
He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ~St. Matthew 10:38
For in the Cross of Christ Crucified lies both “the power of God and the wisdom of God” for those being saved. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:24
Yesterday was the Third Sunday of Great Lent, and we’re at the half-way point! The Cross is brought out as a consolation for our efforts, and as we venerate the Cross, we remember that our Lord Jesus Christ’s Precious and Life-Giving Cross is Everything.
It stands Mighty. Strong. Redemptive. Invincible. Glorious. Victorious.
The Cross is an Eternal Symbol of Hope and Love.
As we struggle with a myriad ofpersonal crosses, may we steadfastly persevere on our Lenten Journey, with eyes brightly fixed forward towards Golgotha, where we may venerate His Cross, and cast all our burdens down at His Holy Feet. For soon, we too, shall gaze upon the Shining, Holy Resurrection of Christ.
O come all ye faithful!
Our Risen Lord holds out His Arms to embrace the whole world!
Thy grace has shown forth, O Lord, it has shone forth and given light to our souls. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the season of repentance. Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, that having sailed across the great sea of the Fast, we may reach the third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of our souls. ~Aposticha Sticheron, Forgiveness Sunday Evening Vespers
On a past holiday we watched a kayaker glide across a sea of glass, seemingly unaware of having passed through a brilliant, sparkling corridor of sunbeams. Suddenly, they came to a contemplative, standstill. In a flash, they reversed course and paddled forward – directly into the Golden Avenue of dazzling diamonds dancing on the water… and became swathed in Light.
I have consciousness of my sinfulness, but I live with hope. It is bad to despair, because someone who despairs becomes embittered and loses his willingness and strength. Someone who has hope, on the contrary, advances forward. ~ St. Porphyrios
…The world of nature is coming alive round us during the Lenten season. And this should be a symbol of what is to happen in our own hearts. The dawning of springtime… We shouldn’t just have a negative idea of repentance, as feeling sorry, gloomy and somber about our failings. but repentance, rather, is a new hope. An opening flower. How our lives can, by God’s grace, be changed. ~ Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
When diamonds dance upon the shining waters of the Great Sea of the Fast we glimpse the Gladsome.
Wishing you an Old-Style Calendar* Blessed Feast of St. Spyridon & St. Herman of Alaska Day! To my New-Style Calendar* Friends,Christ is Born!
Before my fiancé I were baptised, we visited our first Orthodox Church Service on Western Christmas Day. It was a beautiful little chapel, steeped in holiness, and we walked in fully expecting Christmas. Surprised and perplexed by the apparent 13 day calendar* difference, we soon delighted in the golden glow of candlelight, and the smokey tendrils of incense that swirled like giant halos about the holy icons of saints. The tiny choir sang peacefully, matching the priest’s warm intonations. We stood, suspended within timeless Eternity. This was Heaven on Earth… for here, one acutely felt the Presence of Jesus Christ at the Eucharist. The priest’s concluding sermon reminded us that as we approach Christ’s Holy Nativity, that today we also celebrate two bright and special saints. One from of old, and one fairly new… St. Spyridon and St. Herman. Thus began our joyous journey home to the Orthodox Church.
On the church date December 12th, is the Feast of the Holy Wonderworker, St. Spyridon of Tremithus. (270 – 348 AD) St. Spyridon was born in Cyprus, and initially worked as a shepherd and known for his great piety. He married and had one daughter, Irene. Upon the death of his wife, Spyridon entered a monastery, and their daughter entered a convent. St. Spyridon eventually became Bishop of Tremithus and took part in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea(325), where he was instrumental in countering the erroneous theological arguments of Arius and his followers. There’s an account of his speech at this event, regarding the Holy Trinity… At one point, St. Spyridon grasped a brick and squeezed it so hard that miraculously, a flame flew up, while at the same time water trickled downwards, leaving only a small amount of crushed clay within his hand. He exclaimed:“There are these three elements, but one brick; likewise, in the Holy Trinity, there are three Persons, but One God”.
Today we also remember and celebrate the Holy Wonderworker St. Herman of Alaska. St. Herman was a monk, missionary and miracle worker who brought the Orthodox Faith from Russia to the native peoples of Alaska in the late 18th century. He taught the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ and defended these people from exploitation by the Russian traders. Here’s a recent miracleof St. Herman of Alaska on Mt. Denali, and a YouTube Visit to Spruce Island: The holy Relics of St. Herman the Wonderworker.
For our good, for our happiness, let us make a vow that from this day forth, from this hour, from this minute, let us strive to love God above all else and seek to do His Holy Will. ~ St. Herman of Alaska
A Sermon by +Archpriest John Adams of Eternal Memory, on St. Herman of Alaska
Drawing closer to the Feast of the Nativity we read the gospel (Luke 14:16-24) about those who were invited to a great supper, and those who wouldn’t come, so others take their place. Many are called, but the chosen seem to be those who simply didn’t make an excuse. They came. No matter what their state was when they were called. It wasn’t more important than the feast.
What if there was someone to whom being chosen was more important than anything, more important than pleasure or comfort? To travel thousands of miles in difficult conditions, to live in the cold and dark alone, but always remembering the feast that would come. What would this person be like? Maybe they would be someone who wouldn’t lie, even though it meant death. Maybe when they chanted alone it would sound like a whole choir of angels singing. Maybe if you were alone they would take you in; if you were sick, he would pray for you and you would get well. Maybe if there was going to be disaster, like a tidal wave, maybe he would take the icon the Mother of God to the shore and the water wouldn’t come above it, and you were saved.
They might be like one candle burning in a whole dark continent, but one candle after another is lit from it, and hundreds of years later, they are still burning.
What if you saw the feast, and you saw them enter in to join the others and it was all joy and light, but you were standing on the outside looking in – for when you had been invited over and over, you always had an excuse?
*Until 1924, the Eastern Orthodox Church universally used the ancient Julian calendar, whereas the Roman Catholic Church, under Pope Gregory XIII, conducted a calendar reform resulting in the Gregorian (new, civil) calendar in 1582. The difference between the two calendars is 13 days between the years 1900 and 2100. Some branches of the Orthodox Church still keep liturgical dates according to the Julian calendar, while some others have adopted using the “new” calendar. However, Orthodox Christians who use both calendars, always strictly adhere and calculate the Great Feast of Pascha, only according to the Julian Calendar.
Palm Sunday Pussy Willows await blessing at last evening’s Vigil Service.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. ~ Zechariah 9:9
God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us; make ye a feast, and with gladness, come, let us magnify Christ with palms and branches, with hymns crying aloud: blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord our Saviour. ~ Ode 9 of the Feast
We celebrate Palm Sunday today with festive joy. Yesterday’s Lazarus Saturday and today’s Palm (and Flowers) Sunday are a bridge we cross over from Great Lent, into Holy Week.
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel! ~ St. John 12:13
Hosanna in the highest! Means: O be favourably inclined – in the highest heaven! O Lord, save! While Hosanna in the Highest initially seems like an enthusiastic cheer of welcome and joy, it’s also a deep invocation for protection and salvation from tribulations.
Tomorrow, we begin to wend our way throughout Holy Week’spoignant thoroughfares, until we reach the bright and shining shores of Holy Pascha. The Greatest Feast of all. Pascha… thedawn of the new and unending day… the Holy Resurrection of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
…the Lord is always sitting at the gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem waiting for us to allow Him to enter. He is patiently standing at the door of our heart… waiting for us to open it. ~ Unknown
May your Holy Week be Blessed, Glorious, Peaceful and Fruitful!
Practical Tip: Treat your blessed palm branches and pussy willows respectfully, because they have been blessed. Keep them carefully in your icon corner. If you currently have any old palms or willows that are deteriorating, either compost, bury or burn them, but never put them in the garbage.
Holy Gospel Book, brass covered, depicts an Icon of the Resurrection of Christ. The Gospel (in Greek “ευαγγέλιο” means “good news”) and is the timeless record of Christ’s life and teaching as written by the four Evangelists, Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, also seen in each of the cover’s four corners.
The Christian journey is not just a journey to theosis [a transformative process whose aim is likeness to or union with God, and the purpose of human life], but also a journey to a greater awareness of the theosis already given us in baptism and chrismation… So, in the light of your baptism, praying for a spirit of repentance will fairly soon show you an absolute infinity within you, and it’s a little terrifying. But one step at a time. ~ Nicholas Kotar
Tomorrow we begin our spiritual pilgrimage into the Advent season… to contemplate the upcoming Great Feast of Christ’s Incarnation.
Just like Great Lent is before Easter/Pascha, the ancient Nativity Fast is a reflective, joyful time for spiritual preparation – nourished with prayer, love of one’s neighbour, and generous almsgiving.
Each fast is fresh, new, and a collective reminder to shift focus away from oneself, and onto the needs of others, instead.
Together we’ll begin the late autumnal journey with sweeping the dried leaves and debris away from body and soul.
We fast before we feast, and the feasting aspect is saved to start on the actual Nativity Feast Day itself, including the following bright “12 days of Christmastide”.
Traditional Stone Village in Askas, Cyprus by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
In all things let us travel the road laid down for us by the tradition of our elders and by the goodness of their lives. ~ St. John Cassian
Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey – in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life. ~ Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive… One road leads home and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness. ~ C.S. Lewis
…Silence fosters stillness; it is indispensable for stillness. Inner stillness, however, goes beyond silence insofar as its aim is to purify the heart and issue in pure prayer. That purification involves the body in its entirety, because body and soul, like mind and heart, are ultimately inseparable. In the words of St. Mark the Ascetic, “The intellect cannot be still unless the body is still also; and the wall between them cannot be demolished without stillness and prayer.”Silence is the prerequisite for inner stillness, and only inner stillness enables us truly to listen to God, to hear His voice, and to commune with Him in the depths of our being. Yet silence and stillness are, like prayer itself, gifts that God can and wants to bestow upon us. The greatest truth about us is that God has created us with a profound longing, a burning thirst for communion with Himself. We can easily pervert that longing into an idolatrous quest for something other than God. Yet God remains faithful even in our times of apostasy. Like the father of the Prodigal Son, He always awaits our return. Once we begin that journey homeward, through repentance and an ongoing struggle against our most destructive passions, God reaches out to embrace, to forgive and to heal all that is broken, wounded and wasted. He reaches into the very fabric of our life, to restore within us the sublime image in which we were made… ~ Fr. John Breck
It’s coming to that amazing time again of recharging our spiritual batteries together. With purpose, we prepare our own humble journeys home to the GreatestChristian Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha (Easter), the Resurrection of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Travelling the quiet routes of the Great Lentenroads ahead, we choose to make bright efforts in good faith, and to the best of our abilities. Our dear Lord desires us to come to Him and fill us with good things… now and forever!
