Make the most of beautiful moments. Beautiful moments predispose the soul to prayer; they make it refined, noble and poetic. Wake up in the morning and see the sun rising from out at sea as a king robed in regal purple. When a beautiful landscape, a picturesque chapel, or something beautiful inspires you, don’t leave things at that, but go beyond this to give glory for all beautiful things so that you experience Him who alone is ‘Comely in beauty.’ All things are holy… Take delight in them all. All things enrich us, all lead us to the great Love, all lead us to Christ. ~ St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
Tomorrow belongs to God, as did yesterday. Let’s strive to live today, and every precious moment of our lives with humble, grateful awareness of His Beautiful, Glorious Presence.
Hornby Island Field of Miniature Wildflowers – Yarrow, Larkspur, Mouse-Ear Chickweed
Take delight in all things that surround us. All things teach us and lead us to God. All things around us are droplets of the love of God – both things animate and inanimate, the plants and the animals, the birds and the mountains, the sea and the sunset and the starry sky. They are little loves through which we attain to the great Love that is Christ. Flowers, for example, have their own grace: they teach us with their fragrance and with their magnificence. They speak to us of the love of God. They scatter their fragrance and their beauty on sinners and on the righteous. ~ St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
Nature is a Secret Gospel – and its healing, spiritual balm, blasts away any clutter or cobwebs in the mind. A restoring walk by the ocean, a river, the hills, the mountains, or in the breezy, spicy forests of birdsong, remind us of God’s Love.
It’s everywhere! It fills everything!
Even the tiniest of wildflowers exude the salvific, spiritual fragrance of God’s Ineffable Greatness…
And our soul’s heartfelt gratitude, draws us ever closer to Creation’s Planter!
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
The rose does not speak, but puts forth a strong fragrance. We too, should put forth fragrance – pour forth spiritual fragrance, the fragrance of Christ. The fragrance of our deeds should be heard from far around: good, pure and righteous deeds, full of love. Only thus can the Kingdom of God appear within our hearts, appearing not through words, but with power. ~ St. Luke of Simferopol
At long last, the patio roseshave begun to bloom. Their nourishing perfumed mantles celebrate the deep sacredness and beauty of God’s Creation. May we, too, throughout each and every season of our lives, blossom droplets of love – to become a Sweet Savour of Christ, Amen!
As the candle is pure (pure beeswax), so also should our hearts be pure. As the pure candle is supple, so also should our souls be supple until we make it straight and firm in the Gospel. As the pure candle is derived from the pollen of a flower and has a sweet scent, so also should our souls have the sweet aroma of Divine Grace. As the candle, when it burns, mixes with and feeds the flame, so also we must struggle to achieve theosis. As the burning candle illuminates the darkness, so must the Light of Christ within us shine before all, that God’s name be glorified. As the candle gives its own light to illuminate one in the darkness, so also must the light of the virtues, the light of love and peace, characterize a Christian. The wax that melts symbolizes the flame of our love for our fellow men. ~ St Symeon of Thessaloniki (c. 1381–1429)
May we let the Sweet Lights of Love and Hope in Christ illumine us all!
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.
After completing all your tasks, turn off the phone and pray for half an hour, not longer. In this way you will be planting a “sapling”, which, after some time, will bear fruits… ~ St. Ephraim of Katounakia
Just as a cellphone needs to be recharged, so the soul is recharged in Church. ~ Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko
Try to fill your soul with Christ so that it’s not empty. ~ St. Porphyrios
Troparionin Tone 1: In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity, and in thy falling asleep thou hast not forsaken the world, O Theotokos. Thou hast been translated unto life, for thou art the Mother of Life, and by thy supplications, thou dost deliver our souls from death.
Kontakionin Tone 2 : The tomb, nor mortality could not hold the Theotokos, who istireless her prayers and supplications. For, as the Mother of Life, she was translated unto life, by Him Who dwelt within her Ever-Virgin womb.
…and after the third day, they opened the sarcophagus to venerate the precious tabernacle of her who deserves all praise, but found only her grave garments; for she had been taken away by Christ, the God who became flesh from her, to the place of her eternal, living inheritance. And our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who bestowed glory on his Immaculate Mother Mary Theotokos, will also bestow glory on those who glorify her. Those who call upon her, celebrating her memorial every year, He will save from every danger, and He will fill their households with good things, like the house Onesiphorus (cf. 2 Timothy 1:16;4:19). And they will receive the forgiveness of their sins, both here and in the age to come. For He has shown her to be His cherubic throne on earth, an earthly heaven, the hope and refuge and confidence of our race, so that if we celebrate, with sacred mysteries, the festival of her holy Dormition, we might find mercy and grace in the present age and in the age to come, by the grace and kindliness of our Lord Jesus Christ: to Whom be glory and power, with His unbegotten Father and with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for the ages of ages. Amen. ~ St. John of Thessalonica (8th century) – On the Dormition of Mary Early Patristic Homilies, page 67
The next feast after the Dormition, is the Feast of the Holy Mandylion (The Icon of Christ Not-Made-by-Hands) Aug. 29/16. Sometimes this feast is transferred to the closest Sunday after this date. For the many churches named St. Sophia, (after the Holy Wisdom of God – Our Lord Jesus Christ) today is their Name day, and is also ancient the Feast of Mid-Pentecost.
Troparion in Tone 2: We bow down before Thy pure Image O Good One, asking forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ, God; for Thou wast well pleased to ascend the Cross in the Flesh, of Thine own will, that Thou mightest save what Thou hadst created from slavery to the enemy. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee in thanksgiving: Thou hast filled all things with joy, O our Saviour, Who hast come to save the world.
Kontakion in Tone 2: O uncircumscribable Word of the Father, knowing the victorious image, uninscribed and divinely wrought, of Thine ineffable and divine dispensation towards man, of Thy true Incarnation, we honour it with veneration.
Below is a beautiful version of the Magnificat Hymn by the Virgin Mary, from St. Luke 1:46-55. The refrain to this hymn: More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify thee! ~ Axion Esti was revealed by the Archangel Gabrielhimself, posing as a monk while visiting a monastery on Mt. Athos during the 10th century!
The Magnificat is sung at most vigil services.
…no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9
God is greater! Greater than your illness whatever it may be. Greater than your than your deepest disappointment. Greater than your greatest worry. Greater than your worst enemy. Greater than your most difficult problem. Greater than life. Greater than death. God is greater! Believe it! Live by it! Affirm it! Claim it by faith and use it as a pillow to rest your weary soul. God is greater! If your God is not greater, then the God you believe in is too small. He is not the God the Church believes in. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian
Many people that I know are facing extra challenges these days (myself included), so I particularly love the part of St. Isaac’s encouraging quote which reminds us to use faith “as a pillow to rest your weary soul. God is greater!”
I’ll be re-fluffing my sleep-pillow of faith (as needed), tonight… by affirming in my heart He Always Hears Us!… And by rejoicing upon my bed that God is With Us!
When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. ~ Psalm 63:6-8
Thank you dear Lord for all your blessings, and for always hearing our prayers. Please give us patience and acceptance to await Your Help that will come when it’s best for us. Amen.
An early morning detente. Honey bee and tiny Hoverfly(a flower-fly that mimic bees in appearance but has no stinger) kindly share the same lavender blossom.
The bee is more honoured than other animals, not because she labours, but because she labours for others. ~ St. John Chrysostom
Like a bee that secretly fashions its comb in the hive, so also grace forms in hearts it own love. It changes to sweetness what is bitter, what is rough into that which is smooth. ~ Anonymous 4th century Egyptian monk
Sweeting Those who resemble the sweet honey bee, Seek to find goodness in all that they see! ~ a rhyme inspired/borrowed from St. Paisios’ honey bee verses fly quote below…
Some people resemble the honey bee and some resemble the fly. Those who resemble the fly seek to find evil in every circumstance and are preoccupied with it; they see no good anywhere. But those who resemble the honey bee only see the good in everything they see. ~ St. Paisios
If only we could more resemble the honey bee, and bee ye kinde one to another…
If we could try to see Christ Himself more often in others… we could, but only with Love of our neighbour… help change some of this world’s bitterness into sweetness!
Greetings on the Apodosis (the leave taking of the afterfeast) of the Ascension!
Prosphora is a leavened bread baked solely for use in the Divine Liturgy and further prepared with prayers during proskomedia, for the Holy Eucharist.
The Bread of Life gives Himself in His Love to all who ask… ~ St. Maximus the Confessor
…Give us this day our daily bread… ~ Lord’s Prayer
Jesus answered, It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ~ Matthew 4:4
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. ~ John 6:35
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. ~ John 6:47-51
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ~ 1 Corinthians 5:8
And you shall set the bread of Presence on the table before me regularly. ~ Exodus 25:30
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. ~ Psalm 104:14-15
