Christ is Risen!
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. ~ Jeremiah 17:14
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. ~ Psalm 6:2
Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. ~ Psalm 30:2
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ~ 1 Peter 2:24
Truly He is Risen!
Icon of the Holy Apostle Thomas probing Christ’s wounds
Christ is Risen!
The Apostle Thomas believed, because he was invited by the Risen Christ, to touch Him.
When we seek God, we touch Him, and we are touched by Him.
He passes through the closed doors of our hearts and minds, and directs us towards the light of faith and understanding.
Jesus saith … blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. – St. John 20:29
Happy Mothers’ Day!
With greetings to all mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, and matushki! Whether our own mothers are still with us, or have already passed on… there is the joyous consolation that of our Holy Lady Theotokos is always close by!
God loves us more than father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves. ~ St. John Chrysostom
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. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitnovica
Truly He is Risen!
Spring bloom of Chilean Potato Vine shrub
Thou, O Christ our Saviour, hast become for me the path of life which leads to the Father. There is but one path, and it is my joy, and at the end of it is the heavenly kingdom. ~ St. Ephraim the Syrian
Hawaiian Beach Sunrise over Lava Rocks, 2014
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ~Genesis 1:3
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. ~ Genesis 1:4
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised. ~ Psalm 113:3
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. ~ Psalm 119:105
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. ~ St. John 8:12
It seems that we do not understand one thing: it is not good when we return the love of those who love us, yet hate those who hate us. We are not on the right path if we do this. We are the sons of light and love, the sons of God, his children. As such we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and kindness towards all. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
Thy bridal chamber I see adorned, O my Savior, and I have no wedding garment that I may enter. O Giver of Light, enlighten the vesture of my soul, and save me. ~Exapostilarion of Bridegroom Matins
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. ~St. Matthew 5:5
Complete trust in God – that’s what holy humility is. Complete obedience to God, without protest, without reaction, even when some things seem difficult and unreasonable. Abandonment to the hands of God. ~ Elder Porphyrios
…your job is to work upon yourself: for this you are chosen; the rest is in the hands of God. He who humbles himself shall be exalted. ~St. Theophan the Recluse
The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who fills the whole universe, passes through all believing, meek, humble, good, and simple human souls, dwelling in them, vivifying and strengthening them. He becomes one spirit with them and everything to them – light, strength, peace, joy, success in their undertakings, especially in a pious life, and everything good … “We have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13). All pious people are filled with the Spirit of God similarly as a sponge is filled with water. ~ St. John of Kronstadt
In the mercy of God, the little thing done with humility will enable us to be found in the same place as the saints who have laboured much and been true servants of God. ~St. Dorotheos of Gaza
When pride retreats from a man, humility begins to dwell in him, and the more pride is diminished, so much more does humility grow. The one gives way to the other as to its opposite. Darkness departs and light appears. Pride is darkness, but humility is light. ~ St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Such is friendship, that through it we love places and seasons; for as bright bodies emit rays to a distance, and as flowers drop their sweet leaves on the ground around them, so friends impart favour even to places where they dwell. With friends even poverty is pleasant. Words cannot express the joy which a friend imparts; only they can know who have experienced. A friend is dearer than the light of heaven, for it would be better for us that the sun were exhausted than that we should be without friends. ~ St. John Chrysostom
Our Self-Sown Wild-Garden’s Seating Area -2012
Happy Clean Monday – the first day of Great Lent!
The springtime of the Fast has dawned, the flower of repentance has begun to open. O brethren, let us cleanse ourselves from all impurity. And sing to the Giver of Light: Glory be to Thee, who alone lovest mankind. ~ Aposticha Vespers Cheesefare Week
What does Lent have to do with flowers?
The word ‘Lent’ comes from the Old English word ‘lechten’, which means ‘spring season’… and Lent is a Spiritual Spring; a time of hope, regeneration and new beginnings.
Through internal quietude, contemplation, and reviewing our heart’s desires, Lent helps us let God in again, to make our life lighter and brighter. It helps recharge our spiritual batteries.
May we cultivate buds of virtue – through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving… wending our way through the green pastures of the Holy Spirit.
The Lenten Spring has come! Flowers of repentance are opening!
Let us begin our Great Lenten journey together in spirit, singing praises to the Giver of Light!
Today’s 28 Layer Blini Crepe Cake contained… almost zero calories?
Tomorrow’s appeasement-chickpeas are placidly soaking.
Bon Voyage! Wishing you a blessed and fruitful Great Lent!
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 Sunday Night Forgiveness Vespers
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. ~ Romans 13: 11-14
You know it’s coming… yet, in seeming stealth mode, Meatfare Sunday still swoops in catching some of us off-guard (This year, March 7th). Not only is this the second Sunday before the start of Great Lent, but it’s also the very last day meat is eaten until Pascha (Easter).
More importantly, Meatfare Sunday is also called the Sunday of the Last Judgement, reminding us of the inevitable day when everyone will stand before God to give account of their life. This is hard to think about.
At Christ’s Second Coming, He appears in all His Glory as the righteous Judge, “Who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Romans 2:6). Today’s intense Gospel reading from St. Matthew 25:31-46 recalls how we shall be gathered before Him, and how He will separate one from another, like a shepherd dividing a flock of sheep from the goats. The sheep will be kept by His right hand, but the goats will be set on His left.
As we draw closer to great Great Lent, we must pass next through Cheesefare Week. It begins the day after Meatfare Sunday, and during Cheesefare we can still eat fish, dairy, and eggs (hence traditional pancakes), continuing a gradual preparation for the more strict fasting of Great Lent (This year, March 15th). Cheesefare Week ends on Cheesefare Sunday (March 14th), which is also called Forgiveness Sunday.
Forgiveness Sunday, more significantly, recalls the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, and the theme is forgiveness. We can’t begin a spiritual spring cleaning before the Great Lenten journey without first forgiving our offenders, and also asking forgiveness of those whom we have hurt or insulted. We forgive each other, for offenses known or unknown.
Person #1: “Forgive me.”
Person #2: “God forgives. Forgive me.”
Person #1: “God forgives.”
Then we move along to the next person, and so on. Beautiful. Simple. Cleansing. Renewing. Joyful.
Our family has a prized aphorism for the Meatfare Sunday Meal. This stems from a country drive years ago, passing a little hole-in-the-wall eatery called the Last Chance Cafe. Its name reminded us of our mad-dash-meat-menu scrambles on a Meatfare Sunday evening… the night before Cheesefare Week began.
Since then, on Meatfare Sunday, the remaining, yet dwindling familial carnivores… amongst the growing crowd of second and third generation pescatarian/vegans; try to gather for a Last Chance Cafe Meal of some sort, before galloping off into the gooey gouda glow of Cheesefare Week.
However, Meatfare Sunday is more than just grabbing that last beef burger with quivering anticipation. Much more. There are other kinds of “meaty” fare.
In John 4:32 -34, Christ said to his disciples: But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
The general reason for fasting and praying is to awaken a yearning to return to Eden, to a more spiritual way of life. Our Lenten Voyage helps enlighten our minds by showing us our own shortcomings. Lent inspires the desire to cleanse our souls through repentance, which prepares us to reach the joyful destination… The Feast of Feasts, and to greet the Risen Lord, at Pascha!
Our Meat, our Fare, is to do His will.
In a small way, this is what we’re trying to do… and in His Light, shall we see Light!
The Bleeding Heart is a lovely old-fashioned flower which symbolizes unconditional love, and compassion for everything in creation.
May God grant you fullness of Joy today!
Man seeks joy and happiness in heaven. He seeks what is eternal far from everyone and everything. He seeks to find joy in God. God is a mystery. He is silence. He is infinite. He is everything. Everyone possesses this inclination of the soul for heaven. All people seek something heavenly. All beings turn towards Him, albeit unconsciously. Turn your mind towards Him continually. Learn to love prayer, familiar converse with the Lord. What counts above all is love, passionate love for the Lord, for Christ the Bridegroom. Become worthy of Christ’s love. In order not to live in darkness, turn on the switch of prayer so that divine light may flood your soul. Christ will appear in the depths of your being. There, in the deepest and most inward part, is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). ~ Elder Porphyrios
