Icon of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ
Your job is to work upon yourself: the rest is in the Hands of God. ~ St. Theophan the Recluse
Tag: Lord have Mercy
To Thy Tranquil Haven
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
We’re now halfway through our Advent Journey to Nativity, and on the home-stretch!
Wishing everyone a most Happy and Blessed St. Nicholas Feast Day tomorrow! (With or without a St. Nicholas Day Pie!)
To this very day, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker continues to help and protect us from misfortunes. He’s very close and attentive to the poor and destitute. St. Nicholas is only a prayer away.
More Modern Miracles of St. Nicholas.
Sheet Music our Youth Choir loves to sing- Hymn to St. Nicholas (unknown source)
With love in Christ.
And He Will Nourish Thee!
Icon of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ from ambo of our Church
Cast thy care care upon the Lord and he will nourish thee. ~ Psalm 55:22
Continue your path with courage, with much courage. Let your heart rejoice in the Lord, and He will grant it all nourishment and all energy that is needed so that it does not seem to collapse. Nothing should seem difficult to you. ~ St. Luke of Simferopol
You know how sometimes you may hear a familiar Scripture verse read aloud at church, and it suddenly jolts your soul awake? Like you’re hearing it for the very first time?!
Yesterday, while the Psalms were read aloud before Liturgy, the phrase: Cast thy care upon the Lord and He will nourish thee... kind of blew me away. It’s a reminder that not only does He amazingly care for me, – but He will also and lovingly NOURISH me!
Care suggests a broader action of attending someone/something, but NOURISH kicks it up a notch, zeroing in on a specific kind of care needed, focused on enriching/establishing one’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being! Oh, what a Promise, oh, what a Joy!
O Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart… ~ St. John Chrysostom
Help me, my God, to conquer the world within myself. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovich
Wishing you a blessed Nativity Fast, precious RE-revelations of nourishing Scripture, and Courage, Comfort, and Joy in Christ’s Love.
With Eyes Brighter Than the Sun
A Glimpse of His Gladsome Light Spied from a Church Parking Lot
When praying alone, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that God the Trinity looks upon you with Eyes brighter than the sun; also all the angels, your own Guardian Angel, and all the Saints of God. Truly they do; for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. Where the sun is, thither also are directed all its rays. Try to understand what this means. ~ Elder Herman of Mt. Athos
We are promised that in the Kingdom of Heaven we shall see God face to face. We will look upon his countenance. “In Thy light shall we see light.” …we shall forever gaze into His eyes. That’s all the definition of bliss we need. ~ Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky
The autumnal sun
hidden behind dull gray clouds
shines, notwithstanding.
Like zillions of others, the light, or lack of seasonal light can influence many. As we begin “autumn’s fall” in rainy northern hemispheres, I’m already well aware the coming dark and dreary months of gray days affect myself and others. Lord have mercy! Granted, at the beginning of fall, there’s some consolation in observing allegro duets of brilliant, crimson deciduous leaves and occasional glimpses of golden, gleaming sunshine. But, later, sometimes it’s hard to remember that above those dark and dismal clouds, there’s always Sonshine! Recalling that this is just for now, and persevering with hope and faith; we, as children of Light, perceive our pianissimo results are worth the effort. For our Triune God, is Everywhere Present and Fills all things. He Knows our small efforts and struggles, and He holds out His Arms to embrace the whole world. For, He IS the Fountain of light, and in His Light, we shall see Light!
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Bright Spring Morning, with Travel Icon Overlooking Strait of Juan de Fuca
Christ is Risen!
Greetings on the Blessed Feast of Mid-Pentecost!
O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Thy law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom… On Thee do I set my hope, O my God, that Thou shalt enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Thy knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them… For Thou art the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from Thee cometh every good deed and every gift. Amen. ~ St. John Chrysostom
Through the intercessions of Thine All-immaculate Mother and of all Thy Saints, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Truly He is Risen!
Personification of Perfect Love
What a blessing! A dear, Orthodox friend (an iconographer), recently gifted me an amazing icon of a saint whom I deeply revere, St. Gabriela (also known as Mother Gavrilia).
This Shining New Saint (whose feast day is March 28, civil calendar) saw Christ in everyone, and was imbued with sincere, simple, Christian love, and genuine humility.
Her life was and still is a verdant, precious, inspiring model to us all!
My goddaughter introduced me to The Ascetic of Love, a wonderful book, compiled from St. Gabriela’s letters, notes, and conversations over the years, including those closest to her later on, in the monastery. It’s one of my absolute go-to-favourite books, and I highly recommend everyone to read it if possible… but (warning), it’s hard to put down!
As I gaze into St. Gabriela’s holy icon, I’m prayerfully drawn into the spiritual depths of her kind eyes… seemingly full of great expectations from me. It’s like she’s lovingly, encouragingly, yet gently reprovingly, reminding me (who’s so quick to judge others and not myself), “The ball’s in your court, Barbara. Always in your court.”
Our soul is a Divine Breath. Our body is His Creation. In the whole of us we are the icon of God… When you have thought of criticism -judging others, ask God to take hold of you at that hour so that you can love that person as He loves. Then God will help you see your condition. If Christ were visible, could you criticize?… Three things are needful. First Love, Second Love, Third Love. ~ Quotes by St. Gabriela
Sharing a loving gift with you!
Icon of St. Gabriela (printable) .pdf
God bless you, Vera!
Through the holy intercessions of our Bright, Venerable and God-bearing Mother Gabriela the New Ascetic of Love, O Christ our God, have mercy on us, and save us! Amen!
For This Land
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) held flypasts across Canadian communities to commemorate Remembrance Day today. The sight of these planes flying overhead is special and chokes me up a bit, as I reflect on how proud and happy I am to be Canadian… the country I chose to embrace for my earthly sojourn – becoming a citizen in my mid-teens. Blessed with dual-citizenship (Heaven and Canada)… with God’s help, may I prove worthy of both! God Bless us everyone, and God Bless Canada!
…For this land, its authorities and armed forces, let us pray to the Lord. 🎵 Lord have mercy! 🎵 ~ Augmented Litany
… God keep our land, glorious and free! Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee! ~ Excerpt from National Anthem
Lord have mercy on the nations of the world. Keep them in Thy embrace and envelope them with Thy holy protection. Keep them safe from every evil and war. Keep our beloved homelands in Thy protective embrace day and night. Embrace her with Thy holy protection defending her from all evil and war. ~ St. Paisios
Today also marks the occasion of my 700th post! Thank you for visiting Blisswood!
Peace of His Presence
Starry Cross in Sky, in dome of 5th century church Galla Placidia; Ravenna, Italy. Photo taken in 2006.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ~ Jesus Christ (John 14:27)
Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!
Even (and especially) during these troubled times we live in… the Holy Spirit pours Love and Light into our hearts, divinely nourishing us with Joy, and His Peace from Above. Effused with gratitude, let us remember to lift up our noetic eyes, to whence comes our Help, Who made heaven and the earth. May the fragrance of our prayers and praises arise to the heavens as holy incense, and touch the stars.
Happy Saint’s Day Anastasia!
With gratitude on Remembrance Day to all who’ve served and continue to serve – protecting Canada and our freedom. Thank you for your courage service and sacrifice.
Rejoice!
Thank you Juliana T. for sharing your beautiful, inspiring Scripture Photo Art!
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. ~ Psalm 96:11-13
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12
I like to start and end each day with thanking God for at least three blessings… even including sorrow, for it’s truly a blessing to remember He hears all our prayers! By relinquishing heartache back over to Him, helps one to let it go… For everything is in His Hands!
The Juices of Gratitude flow abundantly this morning!
With love, peace, and joy in Christ.
Saving Attitude of Gratitude
Spider web bejewelled with morning dewdrops
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7
There’s always something to be grateful for, even in the midst of trials and tribulations… And an attitude of gratitude with thanksgiving, dispels fear and carries hope – filling the heart with joy!
We’re not meant to trudge through life’s storms alone, but are encouraged to entrust our worries, heartaches, and requests, daily and directly into God’s Hands.
What a Friend and Saviour we have in Jesus Christ!
Although He always knows what’s going on in our lives, He patiently waits for us to choose to reach out and talk with Him… to transfer any crushing load off ourselves, and freely give Him the control to direct our efforts.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ St. Matthew 11:29
As simply and as trustingly as a child reaches out to someone they dearly love, we’re also taught to earnestly entreat God. This draws us closer to our Heavenly Father.
By casting cares and anxiety aside… by sharing our needs through prayer, we bring He Who Is our Daily Bread… into ourselves, and under the roof of our soul…
And Lo! He promises and lovingly responds in kind; embracing our hearts and minds with a Holy, Gentle, Peace from Above – a Gift which transcends all understanding.
Glory to God for all things!