Saviour – Blisswood

Swathed in Light

Kayaking Into Diamonds ~ Strait of Juan de Fuca

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

Wishing you a most Blessed First Week of the Fast!

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.

May your Lenten Journey be Peaceful and Fruitful!

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!

Sailing the Sea of Life

(And Jesus said) …Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. ~ St. Matthew 28:20

Holy Unmercenaries & Physicians

A late-blooming November Passion Flower rests on an Icon depicting (some of) the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonder-Workers.

It’s a blessing how everyone has access to the saints – which, of course include the Holy Unmercenaries! Over the ages, and through their heavenly intercessions, countless people have been healed by God.

We are also very blessed to have the earthly aid of medical professionals! What a special calling it is to do what they do! On both sides of my family there have been doctors and nurses, and as they tended to the needs of others, I’ve seen how much they loved their work.

During recent personal observation of other dedicated specialists and doctors, I’ve had a renewed, and deeper appreciation of how God guides the medical profession.

It’s a joy to see these amazing people who especially shine their brightest during exhausting, trying times of overwork and short staffing… to save and make such positive differences in people’s lives. May God reward all their efforts!

The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible person will not hesitate to use them. Didn’t a tree once make bitter water fit to drink, so that the Lord’s power might be known? He gave medical knowledge to human beings, so that we would praise him for the miracles he performs. The druggist mixes these medicines, and the doctor will use them to cure diseases and ease pain. There is no end to the activities of the Lord, who gives health to the people of the world. ~ Wisdom of Sirach 38:4-8

Having placed all their hope in the heavens, the saints laid up for themselves a treasure which cannot be stolen away; they freely received, and freely give healing to the infirm. Following the Gospel, they acquired neither silver nor gold, but bestowed benefactions upon both men and beasts, that, obedient to Christ, they might pray with boldness in behalf of our souls… – Boundless is the grace of the saints, which they have received from Christ. Wherefore, their relics continually work miracles by the power of God, and their names, when invoked with faith, heal incurable illnesses. Through them, O Lord, free us also from the passions of soul and body, in that Thou lovest mankind... – Ever having Christ working within you, O holy unmercenaries, ye work wonders in the world and heal the sick. For your healing is an inexhaustible wellspring: drawn from, it floweth in abundance; and poured out, it gusheth forth, flowing every day in great quantity, granting healing to all, yet remaineth undrained. And those who draw forth from it are filled with healing, yet it remaineth full… Curers of incurable sufferings who heal all and have received this gift from Christ the Saviour, Who granteth great mercy unto us. ~ From the Services to Holy Physicians

Prayer for Help and Healing (shared by a friend – from their priest):

O Lord, Thou lovest (name) more than I do,
And Thou canst help (name) better than I,
And Thou knowest better than I what is profitable for (him)(her).
So do for (name) what is best- only save (him)(her).

Another Prayer for the Sick.

Mid-Pentecost

Christ is Risen!

Today is the 25th day after Pascha, and we are midpoint in our journey to the upcoming Great Feast of Pentecost.

The Mid-Pentecost Icon above, illustrates the Gospel account of our Lord, Who at the age of twelve, taught and spoke with the Elders in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Today’s Troparion hymn, alludes to another Gospel encounter of Jesus Christ with the Samaritan Woman at the Well.

At MidFeast, give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of piety; for Thou, O Saviour, didst cry out to all: Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Well-spring of Life, Christ our God, glory to Thee. ~ Troparion of Mid-Pentecost

Our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the Well-spring of our life.

He invites all thirsty souls to come to Him and drink from the waters of immortality; never to thirst again. (St. John 7:37).

Truly He is Risen!

Great and Holy Pascha

Thy Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour, the angels in heaven sing, enable us on earth, to glorify Thee, in purity of heart!

For our Orthodox Pascha is not just a festival, but the Festival of all festivals, an event for exceeding all the events of this world. Pascha shakes the whole cosmos: the sun, by our faith, dances and becomes iridescent with every colour of the rainbow, and all of creation rejoices. Some observe a magnificent silence, lacking the strength to express the inexpressible feeling of Paschal joy which fills their souls. Others hasten to share their feeling of the Paschal triumph. All people and all things begin to move, the tedious vanities of this world are cast aside, and all are transfigured. Pascha is, first of all, in us ourselves, in our hearts. God’s gift of the feeling of love penetrates our whole being, and we love each person and all things. This relates not just to the animal kingdom, but to the whole of creation, extending to the smallest blade of grass and the smallest flower. Nothing escapes our loving attention. May the Lord help us all to keep ourselves like this, for as such did the Lord create us… ~Paschal Epistle excerpt of Metropolitan Vitaly – May, 2000; The Two Thousandth Pascha of Christ.

The Pascha of the Lord is here!

Voices of Faith Hope and Love: St. Sophia Orthodox Church Virtual Youth Choir sing *Son Rise* in 2021. This song is a Paschal Poem, written by an 8 year old youth choir student, many years ago.

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Parish Youth Choir Sing Paschal Tropar

Paschal Sermon ~ St. John Chrysostom (347 – 407 AD)

Greeting you all with love and joy… Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Have a Radiant and Blessed Bright Week!

To the Mother of God

This Icon is a variant of the Hodegetria (Directress) style icon. Here we see the Most Holy Theotokos and her Son, Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ Who stands beside her… His Hand poised, ready to bless us.

Four Beautiful Prayers to the Mother of God

O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, O Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast born the Saviour of our souls. Amen.

It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos. Ever-Blessed, and Most Pure and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify Thee. Amen.

Beneath thy tender mercy we take refuge, O Theotokos. Reject not our prayer in our distress but deliver us from harm, O Only Pure and Blessed Lady. Amen

Most Glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ our God, receive our prayer and present it to thy Son and our God, that, for thy sake, He may save our souls. Amen.