Orthodox Christian – Page 73

Happy Holy Spirit Day

Hospitality of Abraham Icon St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Canada

Over the years I’ve noticed that on Pentecost and the following day (Holy Spirit Day), it seems breezier than usual. The trees, flowers and grasses sway and dance in the gentle winds. The Breath of the Holy Spirit encircles all. Today the sun shines brighter. More golden. Today the birds sing sweeter. Today a wordless song of gratitude bubbles up within me – a fountain of joy… Thanking God, for everything. (Even my sore foot!)

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ~ Psalm 100:2

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. ~ Isaiah 55:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance… ~Galatians 5:22-23

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, … but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord… ~ Ephesians 5: 9, 18, 19

The closer we approach God, the closer we approach each other, just as the closer rays of light are to each other, the closer they are to the Sun. In the coming Kingdom of God there will be unity, mutual love and concord. The Holy Trinity remains eternally unchanging, all-perfect, united in essence and indivisible. ~ St. John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco

The One, Indivisible Trinity ever remains the Trinity. The Father always remains the Father, the Son remains the Son, the Holy Spirit remains the Holy Spirit. Besides Their personal Properties, They all share all in common and in unity. That is why the Holy Trinity is One God. ~ St. John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco

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 – “going through all understanding, pure and most subtle spirits” … filled with the Spirit of God similarly as a sponge is filled with water. ~ St. John of Kronstadt.

Greetings on Pentecost

O Heavenly King,Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of Life: Come and take up Thy abode in us and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness… ~ Galations 5:22

Excerpts from the Beautiful Kneeling Prayers at Pentecost Vespers

The Holy Spirit is life and life, the noetic Source of life – the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, good upright, noetic, possessing dominion, cleansing transgressions: God and deifying, Fire and transcending fire, speaking, acting, distributing gifts, by Whom all the prophets and divine apostles and martyrs have been crowned. Strange is the report, strange is the sight – fire distributed in the bestowal of gifts.

The Holy Spirit has always been, is now and ever shall be, having neither beginning nor end, but one with the Father and the Son: life and life giving; goodness itself and source of goodness, through Whom the Father is made known and the Son is glorified, and is known by all: one power, one unity, one worship, of the Holy Trinity.

Come, all peoples, let us worship the Godhead in three persons: the Son in the Father, with the Holy Spirit. For the Father begat the Son before all ages, co-eternal and equal in majesty, and the Holy Spirit was in the Father, glorified with the Son: a single power, a single essence, one Godhead, which we all worship saying, “Holy is God, Who created all things with the Son, with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit. Holy and mighty, through Whom we have known the Father and the Holy Spirit came into the world. Holy immortal, the Paraclete Spirit, which proceeds from the Father and abides in the Son: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.”

Greetings on the Feast, with great and resplendent joy!

Rock-Solid

When we establish ourselves in God’s love, wisdom and salvation, it is through the Church that we acquire a rock-solid foundation.

St. John Chrysostom (4th century) reminds us: The Church is an enclosure, if you are within, the wolf cannot enter, but if you stray outside the wild beasts will get you… Do not wander from the Church; there is nothing more impregnable than the Church. She is your hope and your salvation. She is higher than the heavens, firmer than rock, wider than the world; she never grows old, but is forever renewing her youth.

The Church is holy. It is not of this world, but is in this world for its salvation. It is not divided by time or space. The Church is Alive with those who live right now with God, from all the ages – Past and Present… The Angels, Saints, and the Righteous.

Enfolded within the Church, we are what we were created to be, by growing – in Communion with God.

Beautiful Rock and Stone Scriptures

There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. ~ 1 Samuel 2:2

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. ~ Psalm 40:2

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? ~ Matthew 21:42

…like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. ~ Luke 6:48

The Name of the Lord is to Be Praised

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. ~Psalm 84:11

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised. ~Psalm 113:3

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.~ Psalm 118:24

Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. ~ Psalm 148:3-5

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. ~ Revelation 22:5

From Earth to Heaven!

Christ has Ascended! From earth to heaven with glory! Happy Ascension Day!

Thou wast taken up on a cloud of light and saved the world… ~ Troparia Ode 7, Ascension

…And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. ~ Acts 1:10-11

Dazzling rainbow-coloured clouds appeared in the sunny sky today- keeping with the situation. There were pinks, golds, and greens. One of the clouds seemed to resemble the Greek letter “Omega.”

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. ~ Revelation 1:8

Thank you Irena for sharing the pictures.

Troparion:
Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God,
and gladdened Thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit;
and they were assured by the blessing that Thou art the Son of God and Redeemer of the world.

Kontakion:
When Thou hadst fulfilled Thy dispensation for our sakes, uniting things on earth with the Heavens,
Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God,
departing not hence but remaining inseparable from us, and crying until them that love Thee:
I am with you and no one can be against you.

How Beautiful are the Feet

Ruins of St. Nicholas Church, Mystras Greece – 2017

My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. ~ Psalm 17:5

He maketh my feet like a deer, and setteth me upon my high places. ~ Psalm 18:33

My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord. ~ Psalm 26:12

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. ~ Psalm 40:2

For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? ~ Psalm 56:13

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. ~ Psalm 119:105

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. ~ Proverbs 4:26

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! ~ Isaiah 52:7

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ~ Romans 10:15

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ~ Ephesians 6:15

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. ~ Hebrews 12:13

Living Water

Osios Loukas Monastery – Greece 2017

Nothing is more thirst-quenching than drinking at the Spring of Living Water!

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:3

The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. ~ Isaiah 58:11

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. ~ John 4:14

In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ~ John 7:37

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ~Revelation 21:6

Keep on Going

Keep looking up!

Rejoice in Hope

Hope, patience and prayer go hand in hand. It’s almost impossible to have one without the others.

Fractured Routines

While experiencing a broken leg it’s odd to think of such a thing as a blessing, but it is. Really.

Thankfully, I’m healing well, and the pain has mostly subsided. I shouldn’t whine, as the worst part now is just having to wear an aircast boot for a few more weeks… And not being independent.

With my physical limitations it’s bizarre… because I now WANT to do laundry or other household chores! If my leg was fine, there would be mental weeping and gnashing of teeth. Daily patience and acceptance levels also vary, according to either how sunny or rainy it is outside, or the quality of sleep from previous night.

Along with the upset to my other “pre-fractured” routines, I’ve observed that by not planning ahead, I’m rushing through morning prayers, trying to fit them in. If by plain forgetfulness they are overlooked, the resulting day acquires an unpleasant flavour… and the out-of-sorts attitude can always be traced back to this.

We are creatures of habit. Restructuring new and temporary morning routines is hard. A quote from my late godmother comes to mind. “But why shouldn’t the most worthwhile things be the most difficult?”

Of course, my present situation is a short-term inconvenience, while so many others have to contend with real struggles of a more permanent nature. I’m very grateful to be surrounded by the care of loved ones.

What a joy and relief we can reach out to God anytime and rise (for awhile) above the frailties of our nature – whether physical and spiritual… girding us with His strength from on high.

Right here. Right now. Regardless.