God always was, and always is, and always will be. Or rather, God always Is. For Was and Will are fragments of our time, and of changeable nature, but He is Eternal Being. And this is the Name that He gives to Himself when giving the Oracle to Moses in the Mount. For in Himself He sums up and contains all Being, having neither beginning in the past nor end in the future; like some great Sea of Being, limitless and unbounded, transcending all conception of time and nature, only adumbrated [alluded] by the mind, and that very dimly and scantily. ~ St. Gregory the Theologian
Tag: Sunrise
Arise, Shine
Christ is Risen!
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. ~ Isaiah 60:1
Truly He is Risen!
The Sun of Righteousness
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!
And For Evermore
Christ is Risen!
From the rising to the setting of the sun, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore. ~ Psalm 113:2-3
Truly He is Risen!
Fountain of Life
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
Laudation
Hawaiian Daybreak, 2012
We should be spectators every day of the wonders of God. ~Mother Gavrilia
All true beauty has the power to draw the soul towards thee, and to make it sing in ecstasy: Alleluia! ~ Kontakion 7, Akathist of Thanksgiving Glory to God for All Things
Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth, and forevermore! ~ Psalm 113:2
Happy Sunday!
Each Dawn, a Blessing
Hawaii 2017
What a wonderful day the Lord has provided!
Yesterday’s gone.
Today is fresh and new.
Each dawn’s a blessing… a herald of this day’s golden opportunities.
The Present, and what we are, is God’s Gift to us… but what we do with ourselves today, is our gift to God.
I remember and sing a sweet and simple folk-hymn from my youth: Thank You for giving me this morning, thank You for everyday that’s new, thank You that I can know my worries can be cast on You!
Let us joyfully gift-wrap ourselves in one of (hopefully many) today’s gifts back to God… at least beginning with thankfulness – for His many blessings!
The day is young. Plain and humble wrapping paper is probably best.
Pass the tape please!
Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly the angel who guards you will honour your patience… Nothing equals or excels God’s mercies~ St. John Climacus
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! ~ 1 Chronicles 16:11
Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! ~ Psalm 57:8
But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. ~ Psalm 88:13
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24
I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. ~ Psalm 119: 147
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God… And when I wake up, you are still with me! ~ Psalm 139:17-18
Happy Feast Day!
Today is the ancient and joyful Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple!
St. Gregory Palamas shares a beautiful contemplation:
When the Mother of God entered into the Holy of Holies, the time of preparation and testing of the old Covenant came to an end, and today we keep the feast of the betrothal of God to human nature. When the Church rejoices and exhorts all the friends of God for their part to enter into the temple of their heart, there to make ready for the coming of the Lord by silence and prayer, withdrawing from the pleasures and cares of this world.
Wishing you a most blessed day…
Today is the Prelude of God’s Good Will!
Who Walketh Upon the Wings of the Wind
When very young, I’d climb a mountainous chair and peer out the front room window to watch the sun rise. Dawn was breathtaking, and I used to think when the sun “woke up” it sleepily “yawned” out all those dazzling colours into the sky. When accompanied with birdsong, the combined beauty of it all made my little heart nearly burst with joy.
With a foretaste of paradise… years later… At the break of day, I stood on a tropical beach with warm, fragrant trade winds blowing, and these beautiful verses from Psalm 104 came to mind…
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire…
Until the day break, and the shadows flee… ~ Song of Solomon 2:17
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