Orthodox Sacred Lessons - J U L y 2011

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the So n, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, to gether with all the Saints. And let us commit o urselves and one another and our w hole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
St Kosmas & St Damianos Holy Unmercenaries of Rome
1 July 2011
Also the Feast of St Constantine the New Martyr St Julius & St Aaron, Protomartyrs of Caerleon, Wales St Nikodemos of Mount Athos St John of Rila, Translation of Relics - St Potitos of Naples St Peter of Constantinople St Angelina of Serbia St Nikodemos of Sviatogorsk St Leontios of Raduti, Moldavia
Apolytikion Of St Kosmas & St Damianos Tone (8) Plagal 4
Agii
Anargiri ke Thavmatourgi, episkepsasthe tas asthenias imon. Dorean elavete dorean dote imin
Holy
Unmercenaries and Workers of Miracles, visit upon all our ailments and weaknesses, a Gift have you received, a Gift do give to us.
Kontakion Of The Ever Blessed Theotokos
Prostasia ton Hristianon akateskhinte, mesitia pros ton O Protection of the Christians unashamable, Mediation
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton timonton se. to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and press on Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
Kontakion Of St Kosmas & St Damianos - Tone 2
tin Harin lavontes ton iamaton, efaploute tin rosin tis en anagkes, Iatri Thavmatorgi endoxi. Alla ti imin episkepsi, ke ton polemion ta thrasi katavalete, ton kosmon iomeni en tis thavmasi.
Having
obtained the Grace of healing, grantest thou health to those in need! O Cosmas and Damianos, Physicians and Most Glorious Wonderworkers, Visit us, putting down the insolence of our enemies, And by thy Miracles, bring healing to the universe!
The First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians 12 : 27 13 : 8

The Divine Gift of Love is the Most Superior of all Gifts
Brethren: You are the Body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the Church: first Apostles, second Prophets, third Teachers, after that Miracles, then Gifts of Healings, Helps, Administrations, varieties of Tongues. Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Teachers? Are all Workers of Miracles? Do all have Gifts of Healings? Do all speak with Tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best Gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent Way: Although I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, but have not Love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And although I have the Gift of Prophecy, and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge, and although I have all Faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not Love, I am nothing! And although I bestow all my goods to fee the poor, and although I give my body to be burnt, but have not Love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; Love does not envy; Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the Truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are tongues they will cease; whether there is Knowledge it will vanish away... There was a hierarchy of Honour in the Church of the For as Spiritual Beginners practise this Fear of God, THEY GROW IN GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF DIVINE New Covenant as there is in the Holy Church today.
THE APOSTOLIC WORK THAT OF THE BISHOP SETS THE PACE FOR ALL THE REST. WHEN THE OVERSIGHT IS IN ORDER, THE REST OF THE HOLY CHURCH IS FREE TO FUNCTION AT ITS OPTIMAL LEVEL. WISDOM AND DIVINE VIRTUES.
But even with all the Divine Gifts in place and operative, there is something more excellent THE LOVE OF St
GOD AGAPE THE TRUE SIGN OF THE VERY PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! Basil the Great taught us that THERE ARE THREE REASONS ALL BIBLICAL AND ALL GOD-GIVEN FOR FOLLOWING OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
1. FEAR P r o v e r b s 1 : 7 : The Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom. And there is Good Understanding in all who practise it. And Godliness towards God is the beginning of perception, but the ungodly despise Wisdom and Instruction.
WISDOM BEGETS THE FEAR OF GOD IN SIMPLE PEOPLE THOSE WHO ARE BEGINNERS ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH TOWARDS ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. This Holy Fear is THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM, GODLINESS TOWARDS GOD AND THE BEGINNING OF PERCEPTION.
On the contrary, the ungodly are those who despise Divine Wisdom and Gods Instructions, for they claim to believe in God but they neither know Gods Wisdom nor do they live a virtuous Life in Christ a Life of genuine Humility and Obedience. Consequently, they do not truly believe in the Lord our God. 2. OBEDIENCE A RECOGNITION THAT BECAUSE HE IS
OMNIPRESENT FOLLOW HIM. AND ALMIGHTY GOD WE MUST
A c t s 5 : 2 9 : ... Peter and the other Apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men. While God commands our Obedience to governing authorities, OBEDIENCE TO GOD COMES FIRST before anything else in this earthly life!
WHEN THE TWO ARE IN CONFLICT FAITHFUL AND TRUE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST MUST FOLLOW GOD AND BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE (TEMPORARY BUT OFTEN
(DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED)
St Kosmas & St Damianos, the Holy Unmercenaries of Rome
1 July 2011
1.
DEVASTATING) CONSEQUENCES
such as Martyrdom.
(REFER ALSO LUKE 20:25 & ROMANS 13 : 1 7)
3. LOVE 1 J o h n 4 : 1 9 We Love God for He first Loved us! GOD HAS ALWAYS LOVED US UNCONDITIONALLY even though we are habitual sinners! So even before He began His magnificent Creation, we human beings who are intellectual beings together with His Heavenly Angels were provided for.
NOT ONLY WERE WE PUT IN CHARGE OF THIS WORLD AND ALL ITS CREATURES TO PROTECT AND TO TAKE CARE OF IT BUT AFTER OUR EXPULSION FROM PARADISE - GOD ALSO GRANTED US THE UNDERSTANDING, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE AND MEANS WHEREBY WE ARE ABLE TO REGAIN OUR LOST LIKENESS TO GOD that we lost after
our deepest respect and Love of God through an eager and willing Obedience to all His Teachings and Commandments, according to which we will all eventually be Judged on the Final Day. Above everything else above all the other Divine Gifts St Paul emphasised THE SUPERIORITY OF DIVINE
LOVE - AGAPE - THAT HAS THE BEST RESULTS OF ALL OTHER DIVINE GIFTS outshining even Prophecy and
Faith, and which is far greater value than even the miraculous ability to remove mountains! Our Lord Jesus Christ urged us to give to the poor and even to lay down or offer our own lives for the sake of others yet even such SELFLESS ACTS, IF
DONE WITHOUT TRUE LOVE AGAPE WOULD BE OF NO BENEFIT WHATSOEVER ARE EMPTY GESTURES WITH NO SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS AT ALL!
having fallen from Divine Grace through Spiritual Rebellion and Disobedience.
EVERY IMMORTAL SOUL IS BELOVED BY GOD WHO WANTS ONLY THE BEST OF EVERYTHING FOR US His Great
St Paul clearly explains the actual meaning of Divine Love ending with the fact that the ONE THING THAT
LOVE CANNOT DO, IS TO FAIL!
Mercy and Eternal Life in His Everlasting Kingdom of Love, Joy and Peace.
GOD NEVER STOPS LOVING US AND HE NEVER ABANDONS US.
Otherwise, LOVE MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR GOD

IS INDEED DIVINE LOVE ITSELF!! THE WONDERFUL GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE ONLY TEMPORARY AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PREPARATORY PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AGAPE, WHICH WE CARRY THROUGH TO ETERNITY . Consequently, AGAPE IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL VIRTUE OF ALL to possess for it enables us to obtain Eternal
Instead, whenever we wilfully sin, we distance ourselves from God and all His Goodness.
ONLY WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT OUR ERRORS DO WE RETURN TO GODS PRESENCE to His warm and
protective embrace.
GOD HAS GRANTED US FREE WILL TO CHOOSE
whether we want to live in His Divine Light and Love - or to surrender to the enslavement and ultimate devastation of the evil one who due to his obsessive hatred of all mankind - relentlessly tempts or lures us away from God and all good things.
Life in Gods Heavenly Kingdom. Thus: THOSE WHO HAVE NO LOVE, HAVE NOTHING AT ALL for they shall not be Blessed with the Bliss and Peace of Eternal Life but rather be condemned to exile in Outer Darkness the Deep Abyss total alienation from God and all His Goodness according to their very own choices throughout their life!
WHILE WE MUST ALWAYS AIM TO DO ALL THINGS OUT OF OUR LOVE OF GOD, WE ALSO MUST NEVER CEASE FEARING GOD AND OBEYING HIM i.e. we must always show
The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 10 : 1, 5 8

Christ our Saviour Chose & Instructed His Twelve Apostles
When our Lord Jesus had Called His Twelve Disciples to Him, He gave them Power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of disease. These Twelve Jesus sent out, having commanded them: Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But rather go to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel. And, as you go, preach, saying: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received freely give. OUR LORD PREPARED THEM TO BE SINGLE-MINDED IN THEIR The terms Disciples and Apostles are often SACRED MISSION of preaching and healing by interchangeable concerning the Twelve Holy Apostles reminding them that HIS DIVINE POWER WAS FREELY of Christ. GRANTED TO THEM AS A GIFT OF GOD and furthermore, Disciple means one who learns and is disciplined or they were not to carry any money with them so that guided by another more experienced person. they could not be accused of greed and especially so Apostle means ONE WHO IS SENT OUT TO TEACH DIVINE that they learnt to DEPEND ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE WISDOM AND TRUTH TO OTHERS BY THE GRACE AND OF ALMIGHTY GOD and THEY OFTEN DID MANUAL LABOUR INSPIRATION OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT thus others have FOR OTHERS TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES SO AS NOT TO BE A been entitled Equal to the Apostles.
OUR LORD JESUS GRANTS HIS FAITHFUL APOSTLES AND DEVOUT DISCIPLES SOME OF HIS DIVINE POWER TO PERFORM MIRACLES AND TO FULFIL THEIR HOLY CALLING. AS THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR, ALL HIS DIVINE WONDERS ARE BY HIS OWN DIVINE POWER, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF HIS HEAVENLY FATHER, AND THROUGH THE LIFE-GIVING ACTIVATION OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE APOSTLES HOLY MISSION WAS SIMILAR TO OUR LORD JESUS DIVINE MISSION: TO PREACH AND TO HEAL THE HEBREW NATION, so that after Christs Resurrection, His
BURDEN TO ANYONE ELSE.
8 Christ said: Freely you have received freely

give! which was the Holy Rule whereby all Holy Unmercenaries have served God. We, too, should KEEP THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DIVINE INSTRUCTION IN MIND AT ALL TIMES so that we may share everything we have with others especially those who are far less Blessed than we.
UPON THIS IMPORTANT SACRED LESSON WILL WE ALL BE JUDGED!
enemies could not blame any of them for going to uncircumcised men. (Acts 11:3)
St Kosmas & St Damianos, Wonderworkers & Unmercenary Physicians of Rome

Brought up in Piety, the two brothers led strict and chaste lives, having been granted by God the Gift of Healing. By their exceptional generosity and kindness to all, they converted many to Christ, saying: "It is not by our own power that we treat you, but by the Power of Christ, the True God. Believe in Him and be healed." Since they refused any payment for their treatment of the infirm, the brothers were called "the Unmercenary Physicians." Their active service and spiritual influence led many into the Holy Church, which soon drew the attention of the Roman authorities. So the people convinced them to hide, but when others were arrested, they surrendered to the soldiers, beseeching them to release those who had been arrested and imprisoned because of them. The Saints were tried before the Roman Emperor and the judge and openly professed their unwavering Faith - resolutely refusing to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods: "We have done evil to no one. We are not involved with the magic or sorcery of which you accuse us. We treat the infirm by the Power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and we take no payment for rendering aid to the sick, because our Lord commanded His Disciples, "Freely have you received - freely give!" They were later murdered by a jealous herbalist sorcerer while collecting natural herbs and plants for healing.
2.
St Kosmas & St Damianos, the Holy Unmercenaries of Rome
1 July 2011
All Glory, Hono ur and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the H oly Spiri t, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mari a, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, toge the r with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and o ur w hole Life to C hrist o ur Go d. Ame n.
3rd Sunday After Pentecost
Tone 2
3 July 2011
3rd Sunday of St Matthew: All New Martyrs The Light of the World Also the Feast of All Holy Martyrs of Zakynthos St Anatolios of Constatinople St Theodotis St Gerasimos the New Martyr of Carpenision Synaxis of All Saints of Pskov St Hyacinthos of Caesarea, Cappadocia St Philip the Wonderworker of Moscow & All Russia St Anatolios the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves Monastery St Basil of Ryazan St Basil of Yaroslavl St Constantine of Yaroslavl St John & St Longinos the Wonderworkers of Yarenga, Solovki - St John the Fool for Christ of Moscow St Nicodemos the Abbot of Kozhe Lake Monastery - St Diomedes, St Hyacinthos, St Evlampios, St Asclepiodotos & St Golinduc of Rome - St Mokios & St Mark St Alexander, Founder of the Unsleeping Ones Monastery St George the God-Bearer of the Black Mountains near Antioch - the Holy Icon of our Blessed Lady Theotokos, the Milk-giver of Hilandar Monastery, Mount Athos (later known as the Typikonissa)
Apolytikion of the Resurrection Tone 2
Ote
katilthes pros ton thanaton, i Zoi i Athanatos, tote ton adin enekrosas ti astrapi tis Theotitos. Ote de ke tous tethneotas ek ton katahthonion anestisas, pase e Dinamis ton Epouranion ekravgazon. Zoodota Hriste, O Theos imon, Doxa Si!
When
Thou condescended to Death, O Life Immortal, Thou slayed Hades with the lightning flash of Thy Divinity. When also Thou raised up the dead from the subterranean abodes, all the Powers of Heaven cried aloud: O Life-giver, Christ our God, Glory to Thee!
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton timonton se. to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
Prokeimenon
The Lord is my Strength and my Glory! The Lord has punished me severely, but he has not delivered me to Death!
The Epistle of St Paul to the Romans 5 : 1 10
Righteousness as a Living Reality
Brethren: Having been Justified by Faith, we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace in which we stand and rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God. And not only that, but we also Glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, Hope. Now Hope does not disappoint because the Love of God has been poured out in our heart by the Holy Spirit Who was given to us. For when we were still without Strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a Righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own Love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been purified by His Blood, we shall be Saved from Wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were Reconciled to God through the Death of His Son, much more having been Reconciled, we shall be Saved by His Life. 8 FAITH IN CHRIST JUSTIFIES US, which is AN ONGOING Sacrificial Offering that was necessary ONLY STATE OF HOLY COMMUNION WITH HIM A ONCE FOR ALL the souls of humanity throughout CONTINUOUS, LIFE-LONG PROCESS OF BOTH the ages, which SETS US ETERNALLY FREE FROM SIN PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE AND EFFORT. AND DEATH and by the Grace of God UNITES US WITH Being Justified refers to an ongoing state of TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST! Righteousness and not merely to a one-time Event H e b r e w s 1 0 : 1 4 : ... by one Offering (Christ) in our life - LIVING EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY IN has Perfected forever those who are BEING CHRIST. Sanctified. This SPIRITUAL JUSTIFICATION REQUIRES REDEMPTION a Christs Sacrifice for sin is complete Sanctification is Sacrificial Offering that is capable of SETTING US Perfect! FREE FROM SIN AND DEATH and which UNITES US 8 WE SPEND OUR INDIVIDUALLY UNIQUE LIFESPAN THIS
ETERNALLY WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LIFE.
According to the Old Covenant, such a Sacrificial Offering was prefigured by the blood sacrifices of animals the slaughter of physically perfect animals for the temporal remission of sins.
(REFER HEBREWS 9)
TEMPORARY PREPARATORY PERIOD BEFORE ETERNITY - SANCTIFYING OUR BODIES AND SOULS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THEOSIS SPIRITUAL PERFECTION. (THUS: ANY WILFUL, VIOLENT DESTRUCTION OF OUR
BODY THE HOLY TEMPLE OF GOD IS A DENUNCIATION OF ALL OUR SPIRITUAL STRUGGLES AND A TERRIBLE INSULT TO GODS GREAT LOVE AND DIVINE MERCY!)
According to our New Covenant with God, our Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate, most Perfect
8 The
term Faith faithfulness."
(Pistis)
also
means
FAITH IS FAR MORE THAN A SIMPLE PERSONAL CONVICTION THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE.
8 To a greater or lesser degree, we are all

ungodly sinners! because we are habitual
EVERY TIME WE FALL INTO A STATE OF SPIRITUAL DEATH THROUGH OUR UNREPENTED SINS, WE ALIENATE OURSELVES FROM GOD WE ARE UNGODLY! WE ARE UTTERLY INCAPABLE OF BECOMING RIGHTEOUS ON OUR OWN. However, DUE TO GODS INFINITE LOVE FOR US, Christ
J a m e s 2 : 1 9 : You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! TRUE FAITH THAT SAVES IS A COMPLETE FAITH not just the mind and the tongue, but our whole being
TRUSTING IMPLICITLY AND KNOWING OUR ALMIGHTY AND OMNIPRESENT TRIUNE GOD. LIVING
This means that our Faith and our Relations with God our Justification - is dynamic and alive!
TRUE FAITH GROWS, FLOURISHES AND AFFECTS EVERY ACTION OR IT DIES. FAITH ALONE A STATIC FAITH DOES NOT SAVE US AT ALL,
became our final and Supreme Sacrificial Offering for our sins, which was so Unique and Powerful, that it never had to be done again HE BROUGHT US
GODS ETERNAL GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
so we must nurture our Faith in God, as well as our Love for Him, through our daily words, thoughts and deeds. Jeremiah 7:3 & St Maximos The Confessor: Do not say you are the Temple of the Lord; nor should you say that faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ can Save you for this is impossible unless you acquire Love for Him through your works. As for faith by itself: ... the devils also believe and tremble!
GENUINE FAITHFULNESS IS CONTINUOUS LOYALTY AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD for such Faithfulness justifies us
Those who ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE GODS DIVINE LOVE are Reconciled to Him, having been RESTORED TO
HIS PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH HIM. GOD NEVER CEASES TO LOVE US UNCHANGEABLE!
FOR
HE
IS
We change from good to bad so WE NEED TO

CONSTANTLY CORRECT OUR SPIRITUAL FALLS THROUGH REPENTANCE-CONFESSION, GAINING STRENGTH AND COURAGE THROUGH GODS DIVINE GRACE.
So we
- as Faithful Disciples of Christ - relentlessly
STRIVE AND STRUGGLE TO REMAIN IN - OR TO RETURN TO - A STATE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE IN CHRIST, always
through the Grace of God. Hope does not disappoint because the Love of God (Agape) has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit... means that not only do we experience His Divine Love, but we can also pass it on to others by our own GOOD EXAMPLE, through our own SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, and by TEACHING OTHERS
CORRECTLY BY THE GRACE AND INSPIRATION OF GOD.
hoping and praying that when our time comes to depart this life, we are in that Blessed State, rather than being exiled through our wilful and unrepented sins! Consequently, AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO DRIFT AWAY OR FALL INTO THAT REBELLIOUS STATE as enemies of God, OUR LORD CEASELESSLY WORKS IN HIS DIVINE LOVE TO RESTORE US TO that Spiritual State in which He created us HIS PERFECT IMAGE AND
LIKENESS.
The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 6: 22 - 33

Trusting God With Our Entire Being Body and Soul
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: ... The lamp of the body is the eye. If, therefore, your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But is your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hat the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon! Therefore, I say to you: do not worry about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to your stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow: their neither toil nor spin and yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little Faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying: What shall we eat? or: What shall we drink? or: What shall we wear for after all these things the Gentiles seek. And your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you... THE MIND NOUS IS THE SPIRITUAL EYE OF THE SOUL. It which we egotistically ascribe to our own efforts Illuminates our inner being and governs our (free) will. alone! Christ explains to us that KEEPING OUR MIND AND THUS OUR Only when we find ourselves bereft of Spiritual SOUL HEALTHY AND PURE, IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR Nourishment or Strength, do we suddenly CHRISTIAN LIFE OUR TRUE LIFE IN CHRIST. remember the Lord our God and rush to light Just like slaves we try to serve two masters, which is an votive candles or beg His Great Mercy in our time impossible and useless waste of our precious time and of need, distress or pain. efforts! Our Lord Jesus tried to teach His Disciples to STOP IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN AN ATTACHMENT AND
DEDICATION TO BOTH TEMPORARY EARTHLY THINGS PHYSICAL DESIRES AND DEMANDS AND ETERNAL HEAVENLY THINGS SPIRITUAL VIRTUES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING THEOSIS AND ETERNAL LIFE. ALL OUR ALLEGIANCE IS OWED TO ALMIGHTY GOD yet WORRYING ABOUT MUNDANE ISSUES SUCH AS FOOD, SHELTER AND CLOTHING so that they would CONCENTRATE ON THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE WITH CHRIST AND ACCEPT WITH COMPLETE FAITH THE ASSURANCE AND SECURITY OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. However, OUR LORD WARNS US AGAINST UNNECESSARY ANXIETY ABOUT SUCH MATTERS NOT AGAINST THOUGHTFUL PLANNING.
mammon earthly possessions and social status as well as the desires of the flesh demands our mindless attention and even obsession! Although our Lord Jesus Christ referred to mammon (meaning riches) as a master, it was not because material wealth and possessions are evil by nature, but because of the control it has over us and our obsession with such things. We become so involved with getting rich and enjoying ourselves we are led astray WE ARE LED AWAY FROM
GOD AND HAVE NO TIME AND MAKE NO EFFORT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO HIM FOR HIS GREAT BLESSINGS
Our physical welfare is directly dependent on Almighty God and only indirectly on our other direct needs. Therefore, OUR NEEDLESS APPREHENSION CONCERNING
EARTHLY MATTERS DEMONSTRATES OUR LACK OF FAITH IN GODS LOVING CARE HIS GREAT MERCY.
Gentiles, the ungodly or the pagans, are consumed by their dependence on earthly possessions and status their man-made gods or idols - but THOSE WHO ARE
TRUE AND FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST ARE FREED FROM SUCH SLAVISH DEPENDENCE, RESTING ASSURED IN
4.
3rd Sunday After Pentecost - 3rd of St Matthew All New Martyrs 3 July 2011
DIVINE AGAPE GODS INDISCRIMINATE LOVE FOR ALL CREATION ESPECIALLY HIS BELOVED MANKIND.
Instead, OUR LORD JESUS LEADS US TOWARDS HIS ETERNAL

HEAVENLY KINGDOM OF LOVE, JOY AND PEACE, SECURE IN UTTER FAITH THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE US WITH His abundant earthly EVERYTHING NECESSARY -
The Eternal Kingdom of God is the central theme of our Lords Teaching, and His Righteousness is the main topic of His Sermon on the Mount.
CHRIST CALLS US TO FOLLOW HIM AND LIVE EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE ACCORDING TO HIS DIVINE TEACHINGS, which are
always for our Spiritual Welfare and Development the means of SLOWLY REGAINING OUR LOST DIVINE LIKENESS. By choosing to follow our Saviour, WE ARE SET FREE FROM UNNECESSARY STRESS AND FIXATION concerning temporary (spiritually useless) earthly things.
Blessings, while enduring this short preparatory time before Eternity. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, means exactly that: we must MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PROCEED STEADILY TOWARDS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST even while going through this earthly existence for that is our only Sacred Purpose and Goal for being here!
Seek First the Kingdom of God

A visitor asked our Holy Father: Geronda1 Abba Makarios says our God gives us the Heavenly Gifts, and this we believe. Should we believe He will also give us earthly gifts, which are not so important? Elder Paisios asked: What earthly gifts? The visitor replied: Whatever we need. Elder Paisios answered: Yes, you put it well. GOD
LOVES HIS CREATION, HIS IMAGE, AND PROVIDES THE THINGS WHICH MAN NEEDS.
- Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

Thus, I decided to stop the work in order to be undistracted and to pray more. And it wasnt as if I was expecting help from somewhere. The Bedouins did not even have enough to eat for themselves. The Monastery was far away. And in the opposite direction it was all desert. But on the same day when I cut back on the work to devote more time to Prayer, someone came and found me at my cell and told me, Here, take these one hundred liras to help the Bedouins without interrupting your program of Prayer! I could not bear this. I left my visitor alone and went into my cell for about fifteen minutes. THE PROVIDENCE AND
THE LOVE OF GOD HAD CREATED SUCH A SPIRITUAL STATE IN ME THAT I COULD NOT HOLD BACK MY TEARS. Do you see how GOD PROVIDES WHEN THERE IS GOOD WILL?
The visitor asked: Must everyone believe this and not worry? Father Paisios explained: IF WE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS AND
STRUGGLE BY OURSELF TO ACQUIRE THESE EARTHLY GIFTS, WE WILL SUFFER.
But even if God does not provide some of these earthly, material things, those who are leading a Spiritual Life will not worry about it.
IF WE SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD - AND THIS IS OUR ONLY CONCERN - ALL THE OTHER THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO US, AS WELL.
Would God abandon His Creation? The Manna, which God provided for the Israelites in the desert, would spoil if they kept it for the next day.
(EXODUS 16:19-20.)
God arranged things this way so that the people would have confidence in His Divine Providence. We have not yet understood the words of our Lord Jesus Seek first the Kingdom of God. (MATTHEW 6:33). EITHER WE BELIEVE OR WE DONT. When I went to stay at Mount Sinai, I had nothing. But I didnt think at all what would become of me in the desert among strangers - what I would eat, how I would live. The ascetic cell of Saint Episteme, where I was to stay, had been abandoned and uninhabitable for years. As I didnt want to burden the Monastery of Saint Catherine, I didnt ask for anything. They brought me a little bread from the Monastery, but I returned it. Why should I be worried, when Christ said, Seek first the Kingdom of God! There was also very little water. I had no trade to work and earn my living. The only tool I had was a pair of scissors. I separated it in two, sharpened the two pieces on a stone, took a piece of wood and began making little carved wooden Icons. I worked and said the Jesus Prayer. Quickly I became experienced. I kept making the same design, and the work that would have taken me five days, I could now do in eleven hours - and not only did I help myself, but I also was able to help the little Bedouin children. For a long time I worked on this task for many hours each day. Later I had reached a point where I did not want to continue with handicraft, but then I could see the need of the Bedouin children. If you gave them a cup and a pair of sandals, it was a great Blessing for them. So the thought came to me, Did I come here to help the Bedouins or to pray for the whole world?
How much could I have possibly given them? I could give to one child and another would come to remind me, You didnt give me anything, Father. Then, yet another would come to say the same thing, Father, you havent given me anything! The visitor asked: Geronda, while many times we have felt the Omnipotence of God, why is it that we do not also see His Divine Providence for us? Father Paisios explained: This is a trap of the devil. THE
DEVIL THROWS ASHES IN OUR EYES SO WE WONT SEE GODS PROVIDENCE. For WHEN WE SEE THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, OUR GRANITE HEART WILL SOFTEN, BECOME SENSITIVE AND BURST OUT IN PRAISE OF GOD, and this is not what the devil wants.
LET US ENTRUST OURSELVES TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE!

WHOEVER OBSERVES GODS BENEVOLENCE LEARNS TO RELY UPON DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
We then feel like an infant in a crib, crying when left alone for a little while by its mother until she returns to its side.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT YOURSELF TO GOD. MATTER TO ENTRUST
When I first went to the Monastery of Stomion, there was no place for me to stay; the Monastery was completely full of rubble. I found a comer near the wall, made a temporary cover and spent the nights there in a sitting position, because there was no room to lie down. One day a Priest-Monk I knew came to me and said, How can you stay here? Why not? I said, Did people in the world have any more than what we have? When Konstantios Kanaris23 asked for a loan, they told him, You have no country. And he replied, We will acquire a country soon. Now, if a man in the world had such Faith, should we not have Trust in God? Since Panaghia (the Holy Mother of God) granted that I come to this Monastery, will She not also provide for Her Monastery when the time comes? And indeed, little by little, Panaghia provided.
2
3
ST. MAKARIOS OF EGYPT - SPIRITUAL HOMILIES (HERO OF THE GREEK REVOLUTION OF 1821, LEGENDARY FIRE-SHIP CAPTAIN FROM THE HEROIC ISLAND OF PSARA. HE SERVED AS PRIME MINISTER OF GREECE (18641865 AND 1877)
ELDER IN GREEK - A SPIRITUAL FATHER, TEACHER AND GUIDE
I remember when they were pouring the cement to make the floors for the cells they had built, the prepared cement was not enough; they still had to work on one of the floors. The builders came and told me: The cement is running out; well have to thin it out to make it last for the entire floor. No, I said to them, continue to pour it normally. It wasnt possible to bring any more cement at the time, because the animals were away in the valley and the workers would have had to walk for two hours to Konitsa, two more hours to the valley and the fields to find the animals. They couldnt have gone and returned in time. Also the men had other work; they couldnt come back another day. I noticed they had poured two-thirds of the flooring. I went into the Chapel and said, Panagia, what is (going) to happen now? Please help us. Then I went out The visitor asked: What happened, Geronda? Father Paisios replied: The flooring was completed and there was extra cement left over. The visitor enquired: Did the workers realize it? Father Paisios said: How could they not realize it? Sometimes the Help of God and Panagia is very great indeed! GODS BENEFACTIONS BREAK THE HEART The visitor asked: Geronda, what is it that God wants from us? Elder Paisios answered: God wants from us our good intentions, our good will, which will be expressed by even our limited but full of Philotimo Spiritual Struggle, and the awareness of our sinfulness. Everything else is given by Him. We do not need muscles in the Spiritual Life. We must STRUGGLE HUMBLY, we must ASK FOR GODS MERCY and we must BE GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR EVERYTHING.
THOSE WHO SURRENDER THEMSELVES INTO THE HANDS OF GOD, WITHOUT ANY PLANS OF THEIR OWN, WILL PASS INTO GODS PLAN.
IF THEY DONT STOP LOVING MONEY AND PLACING THEIR HOPE IN IT, THEY WONT BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THEIR HOPE IN GOD.
Im not saying that people shouldnt put some money aside for a time of need; Im saying that THEY
SHOULDNT SET THEIR HOPES ON MONEY AND SET THEIR HEART ON IT, BECAUSE THIS WAY THEY FORGET GOD. WHOEVER MAKES HIS OWN PLANS, WITHOUT PUTTING HIS TRUST IN GOD, AND THEN SAYS THAT THIS IS HOW GOD WANTS IT, IS ACTUALLY CURSING HIS OWN WORK IN A DEMONIC WAY AND IS CONSTANTLY TORMENTED. WE HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD THE POWER AND GOODNESS OF GOD. WE DO NOT ALLOW HIM AS LORD TO GOVERN US, and this is
why we are tormented.

ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: EXCERPT FROM GODS PROVIDENCE FOR MAN - SPIRITUAL AWAKENING BY ELDER PAISIOS) http://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/elder-paisios-of-mt-athos%e2%80%9cseek-first-the-kingdom-of-god%e2%80%9d-cf-mt-633/
Life in the Spirit or Life in the Flesh? Part 1 Life in the Spirit
Those who die in Christ are those who live. This is the focal point of the Christian Message. Scripture declares that the extent to which one has died to sin and to the passions (which are the root of sin) is the extent to which one is raised up to a New Life in Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to be "raised up in Christ?" Is the Resurrection we share with the Son of God something that can only be attained at the end of time when Christ returns in order to be "all in all?"
(EPHESIANS. 1:23)
As long as we are hooked onto ourselves, we remain behind; WE DO NOT PROGRESS SPIRITUALLY BECAUSE WE
OBSTRUCTS GODS MERCY. IN ORDER TO GROW SPIRITUALLY WE MUST PLACE GREAT TRUST IN GOD.
At all times God caresses the hearts of all people with His Love, but we are not aware of it because
OUR HEARTS HAVE DEVELOPED A HARD CRUST. WHEN WE HAVE CLEANSED OUR HEART, WE ARE DEEPLY MOVED and madly excited, BECAUSE WE CAN THEN SEE THE BENEFACTIONS - the Blessings of God, Who Loves
all people in the same way. For those who are suffering, God is pained; FOR
THOSE WHO ARE LIVING A SPIRITUAL LIFE, HE REJOICES.
When a Philotimo-filled soul thinks of Gods Blessings, it is enough to send it exploding towards Heaven, even more so if the soul also meditates on its many sins and Gods Abundant Mercy and Compassion.
WHEN WE BECOME AWARE OF GODS PROVIDENTIAL CARE AND THE EYES OF OUR SOUL HAVE BEEN PURIFIED, WE CAN EXPERIENCE AND LIVE THE FULLNESS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE WITH OUR CLEANSED HEART, WHICH IS THEN OVERWHELMED BY A PROFOUND SENSE OF GRATITUDE AND SPIRITUAL MADNESS, in the good sense of the term. For GODS BLESSINGS - when we are aware of them -CREATE A CRACK IN OUR HEART WHICH BREAKS IT OPEN. Then, as
the Hand of God caresses his Philotimo-filled heart and touches the opened crack, WE EXPERIENCE AN
INNER EXPLOSION THAT INCREASES OUR GRATITUDE TOWARD GOD. ALL THOSE WHO STRUGGLE AND ARE AWARE OF THEIR SINFULNESS AND GODS BLESSINGS, ENTRUSTING THEMSELVES TO HIS ABUNDANT MERCY, ELEVATE THEIR SOUL TO PARADISE WITH GREAT CERTAINTY AND LESS BODILY EFFORT.
GRATITUDE TO GOD - FOR LITTLE AND FOR MUCH Some people say, I believe God will help me, and at the same time they try to make lots of money so that they wont be deprived of anything. THESE
PEOPLE MOCK GOD, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT ENTRUST THEMSELVES TO GOD, BUT TO MONEY.
Or is there something else to the Mystery of our Lord Jesus' New Life that can be known and experienced by us as human beings during this age as well? A proper reading of Holy Scripture reveals that Eternal Life is given to those who believe in Christ while yet living in this world. The Kingdom of Heaven, which has yet to come, has dawned in the hearts of Believers - as a Foretaste of future Blessings. "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him, God has revealed to us through the Spirit" (1 CORINTHIANS 2:910). God's Kingdom is manifest on earth by those who follow His Will: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done ... " In His Sermon on the Mount, Christ declared that the "poor in spirit" are already granted the Kingdom of Heaven. Orthodoxy thus professes a paradox regarding the Kingdom of God announced by the Messiah, that it is both "not yet" and "already." Furthermore, this is why we receive the Holy Mysteries as members of the Body of Christ. Through the Mysteries we partake of the Heavenly Manna that infuses us with our Lord Jesus' own Life. "For truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). Through the Mysteries of the Church, we are Deified by the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the Perfection of having been fashioned according to the Image and Likeness of God. As our Lord Jesus Himself quoted from the Psalms: "I say: You are gods - sons of the Most High - all of you." (PSALM 182:6) God has thus Called us to participate wholly and directly in His own Life. Our Restoration to this Life, which is the only True Life there is, is itself the content of our Salvation: "And in Him was life, and His life was the light of men" (JOHN 1:4).
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: LIFE IN THE SPIRIT... BY FATHER PAUL JANNAKOS ST MARY MAGDALENE ORTHODOX CHURCH, FENTEON MINNESOTA, USA
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles7/JannakosLife.php
6.
3rd Sunday After Pentecost - 3rd of St Matthew All New Martyrs 3 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho ly Spirit, now and forever, and unto th e Ages o f ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, toge the r with all the Sai nts. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our w hole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
5 July 2011 St Athanasios of Mount Athos: Founder of the Great Lavra and Coenobitic Monasticism Also the Feast of the Five Monk-Disciples killed with St Athanasios at the Great Lavra Monastery, Mount Athos - St Sergios of Radonezh, Uncovering of his venerable Holy Relics St Anna of Rome St Cyrilla the Righteous Widow of Cyrene, Libya St Lampados , Hieromartyr of Hirenopolis St Cyprianos, Hieromartyr of Mount Athos St Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Moscow & St Barbara, Nun-Martyr Holy Icon of our Lady Theotokos, the Economissa (Stewardess)
Apolytkion of St Athanasios of Mount Athos Tone 3
Tin
en sarki Zoin sou kateplagisan, Angelon tagmata, pos meta somatos, pros aoratou simplokas, ehorisas aidime, ke katetravmatisas, ton demonon tas falangas. Othen Ahtanasie, O Hristos Se imipsato dorees plousies. Dio Pater Presveve, sothine tas psihas imon.
The
Order of Angels were astounded at Thy life in the flesh, and how bodily, into Unseen Warfare Thou ventured, O Ever Blessed, and wounded most severely the hordes of demons. Whence, O Athanasios, Christ rewarded Thee with Abundant Blessings. Therefore, O Father, Intercede so that our souls may be Saved!
St Pauls Epistle to the Galatians 5 : 22 6 : 2

Eradicating The Passions And Doing Good To All Creation Especially Our Fellow Sinners Brethren: The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christs have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited provoking one another or envying one another. Brethren: if someone is overtaken in any trespass, you who are Spiritual must restore such a person in a spirit of Gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear each others burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself! St Paul listed THE SPIRITUAL FRUITS (SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES, A N E T E R N A L H O L Y C O V E N A N T it is RESULTS, REWARDS OR VIRTUES) THAT ARE GRANTED TO US BY THE infinite. The New Covenant with God is HOLY SPIRIT WHO BY THE WILL OF GOD THE FATHER absolutely Perfect and It takes us into Eternity. AND THROUGH OUR SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, ENABLES A B L O O D L E S S C O V E N A N T Christ offered US TO ATTAIN GREAT THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR Himself as the final, ultimate Blood Sacrifice that OWN PUNY HUMAN POWER OR ABILITIES. fulfilled all requirements and is everlasting. 8 The wonderful FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE There is no need to make any further Blood VIRTUES OR THE INDISPENSABLE QUALITIES Sacrifices (which were only temporary anyway!) ESSENTIAL TO OUR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND for the forgiveness of our sins because now we WELFARE - FOR THE CONTINUATION OF GOOD, have been granted THE HOLY MYSTERY OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND OUR
FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. THE HOLY SPIRIT GRANTS US THESE VIRTUES FOR OUR LIFE OF SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE while we endure this difficult EUCHARIST THE MYSTICAL SUPPER OF CHRIST WHICH GRANTS US FORGIVENESS OF SINS A N D ETERNAL LIFE! A S P I R I T U A L C O V E N A N T God Incarnate God Himself has revealed and taught us THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THIS LIFE. This earthly existence is A SHORT PREPARATORY PERIOD DURING WHICH WE HAVE TO DEVELOP OUR SPIRITUAL STRENGTHS AND QUALITIES SO THAT WE MAY RETURN TO GOD FROM WHOM WE ORIGINATED. OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRUGGLES strengthen our souls, which ARE ENABLED, ASSISTED, GUIDED AND INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT and this is how we ...walk in the Spirit... We must STRENGTHEN AND TRAIN OUR SOUL TO CONTROL THE DESIRES OF OUR FLESH that is how we must ...
preparatory period before Eternity .
THE ONLY VIRTUE WE NEED DURING AND AFTER THIS LIFE IS THAT OF DIVINE LOVE AGAPE WITHOUT WHICH WE CANNOT EXPECT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ETERNAL LIFE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD A PERPETUAL SPIRITUAL STATE OF PERFECT, DIVINE LOVE/AGAPE.
As Baptised Christians we are the adopted Children of God and rightful Heirs to His Eternal Kingdom. Therefore, we are Christs HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES
WHO CONSTANTLY LEARN FROM HIM AND FOLLOW HIS PERFECT EXAMPLE, having ...crucified (our) flesh
with its passions and desires... at our Baptism when we were Renewed and Regenerated, having committed ourselves to the New Covenant with God. THE NEW COVENANT IS:
live in the (Holy) Spirit... In other words, we must DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN OUR
SPIRITUAL PROFICIENCY THROUGH CONSTANT SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE, WHICH IS GUIDED AND ASSISTED
St Athanasios of Mount Athos
5 July 2011
7.
BY GOD, IN ORDER TO CONTROL OUR PERSONAL PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES THE DEMANDS OF THE FLESH - THAT THREATEN TO DOMINATE AND RULE US.
THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL PROCESS WHEREBY WE STRIVE TO REGAIN OUR LOST LIKENESS TO GOD so that
we may return to His Eternal Kingdom of Love from whence our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, were banished due to their Disobedience to God. Furthermore, AS WE GAIN SPIRITUAL MATURITY, WE MUST
WITH DEEP HUMILITY AND LOVE FOR OUR FELLOW SINNERS - BESEECH GOD FOR HIS DIVINE GRACE AND WISDOM so that we can properly and successfully
DIVINE GRACE AND CAUSING OUR OWN SPIRITUAL DEATH. WE ARE ALL JOURNEYING THROUGH THIS TEMPORARY, PREPARATORY LIFE TOGETHER AND WE ARE ALL SINNERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TOWARDS THE SAME ULTIMATE DESTINATION ETERNITY WHETHER WE ARE BELIEVERS OR NOT!
Every human being has the same Sacred Task of helping, encouraging and supporting our fellow travellers.
AS BRETHREN IN CHRIST AND DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WE MUST ...bear each others burdens... BECAUSE, SOONER OR LATER, WE ALL BECOME A LITTLE FATIGUED OR WEAK OR DISCOURAGED BY THE OBSTACLES AND PROBLEMS THAT WE MUST ENDURE. SO THOSE WHO ARE STRONGER MUST NOT HESITATE TO HELP THE WEAK AND AILING FOR THIS IS ... fulfilling the Law of Christ ... WHICH IS THE ONLY SACRED PATH WHEREBY WE CAN BENEFICIALLY ACCOMPLISH OUR LIFES JOURNEY AND W H E R E B Y WE WILL BE JUDGED!
advise, encourage, support and assist those who are Spiritually Weak and Lost, as well as those who have fallen into a dangerous state of Spiritual Death.
THE CRUCIAL VIRTUES BY DIVINE GRACE OF HUMILITY AND LOVE, PREVENT US FROM BEING JUDGEMENTAL, ARROGANT, DISPARAGING OR INSENSITIVE towards our suffering and ailing
Brethren. Consequently, SUCH TACTLESS AND CONCEITED ATTITUDES

ARE SPIRITUAL PRIDE RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF
The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 11 : 27 30

Rest in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: ... All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and the one to whom the Son Will to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labour and who are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take My Yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am Gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My Yoke is easy and My Burden is light. The Holy Yoke of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is My Sight. I gave the earth to Nebuchadnezzar the our willing and eager submission and obedience to His King of Babylon to serve him; and I gave the wild Divine and Everlasting Kingdom of Love, Peace and beasts of the field to him to work for him. But the Joy. Nation and Kingdom - whoever will not put their neck Although the reference to a yoke might be seen as a sign under the yoke of the King of Babylon - I will visit of difficulties or hardship, burdens and them with the sword and the famine, says the Lord, responsibilities, our Life in Christ i.e. His Divine Yoke until they come to an end by his hand. So do not is easy and unburdensom for the Power of God give heed to your false prophets, diviners, works in each Faithful soul. dreamers, soothsayers, or sorcerers, who say: Furthermore, the Eternal Reward is infinitely greater than You shall not work for the King of Babylon. For any effort anyone else on earth can offer. they prophesy lies to you to remove you far 3 K i n g s 1 2 : 1 1 1 : King Rehoboam travelled to from your land. But the Nation that brings its neck Schehem, for all Israel were coming to proclaim him under the yoke of the King of Babylon to work for as King. The people of Israel spoke to Rehoboam, him, I shall leave it on its own land; and he shall work saying: Thy Father made our yoke a heavy it for him and dwell in it. burden; but if you now lighten the harsh W i s d o m O f S i r a c h 4 0 : 1 Hard work was created for servitude and the burdensome yoke under which every man and a heavy yoke for the sons of thy father placed us, then we will serve thee. Adam, from the day they come forth from their And he said to them: Go away for three days; then mothers womb, until the day they return to the come back to me. Thus they departed. Then King mother of all. Rehoboam consulted the Elders who stood before his Meekness is an attitude of being content with both honour father, Solomon, while he still lived, and said: How and dishonour. It is the ultimate imitation of Christ, do you advise me to answer these people? They Who said: Learn from Me, for I Am gentle (meek) spoke to him, saying: If you will be a servant to and lowly in heart (humble). these people today, and serve them, and speak Those who are meek are God-controlled and have mastery good words to them, then they will be your over their passions, especially anger. servants all the days. But he rejected the advice of Meekness is not passive weakness, but Strength that is the Elders, and consulted the young men who had directed and under control. grown up with him, and stood in his presence. He The earth that the meek will eventually inherit is neither said to them: What advice do you offer? How should power nor possession in this world, but the New Earth, I answer these people who spoke to me... Then which is Eternal. (REVELATION 21:1) these same young men said to him: Here is how you St Athanasios must speak to these people ... Being from the loins of Behold my Brothers, how much a Fast can do, and in what my father, my meanness will be more burdensome. manner the Law commands us to Fast. Now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on It is required that not only with the body should we Fast, you, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father but with the soul. chastised you with whips, I will discipline you with Now the soul is humbled when it does not follow wicked scorpions! opinions, but feeds on becoming Virtues. For Virtues J e r e m i a h 3 4 : 1 1 1 Thus says the Lord: Make bonds and vices are the food of the soul and it can eat either and wooden yokes and put them on your neck, of these two meats, and incline to either of the two, and you shall send them to the King of Edom, the according to its own will. King of Moab, the King of the sons of Ammon, the If it is bent toward Virtue, it will be Nourished by Virtues, King of Tyre, and the King of Sidon by the hand of the by Righteousness, by Temperance, by Meekness and same messengers who met them in Jerusalem with by Fortitude. Zedekiah, King of Judah. You shall instruct them with Such was the case with our Lord, Who said: 'My Food is regard to their masters to speak thus: Thus says the to do the Will of My Father Who is in Heaven' Lord God of Israel to your masters: I made the earth But if it is not thus with the soul, and it inclines by My great Strength and with My High Arm, and downwards, it is then nourished by nothing but sin. I will give it to whomsoever it may seem good in
8.
St Athanasios of Mount Athos
5 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and unto the Ages of ages. Remembering also our Virgin, to gether with all our God. Ame n. Worship to the Father, and to the So n, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and Ame n. Most Holy, Mo st Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, ye t Ever the Saints. And let us commi t ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ
St Kyriake the Great Martyr of Nicomedia

(ALSO KNOWN AS ST DOMINICA)
7 July 2011
Also the Feast of St Thomas the Confessor of Mount Maleon St Akakios of Mount Sinai St Eudokia/St Euphrosyne, Grand Duchess of Moscow St Peregrinos, St Lucian, St Pompeious, St Hesychios, St Papios, St Saturninos & St Germanos of Dyrrachium, Macedonia the Holy Icon of our Lady of Blachernae, translation from Jerusalem to Russia St Evangelos St Willibald of Eichstatt
Apolytikion Of Female Martyrs Tone 4
amnas Sou Iisou, krazi megali ti foni. Se Nimfie mou potho, ke Se zitousa athlo, ke sistavroume, ke sinthptome to Vaptismo Sou. Ke pasho dia Se, os Vasilefso sin Si, ke thnisko iper sou, ina ke ziso en Si. All os thisian amomomn, prosdehou tin meta pothou tithisan Si. Aftis presvies, os eleimon, Soson tas psihas imon.
O my Lord Jesus, Thine Ewe-Lamb, with a loud voice

calls out: Thou, my Groom, do I long for, and suffer all in search for Thee, and I am crucified and buried with Thee in Baptism; and I suffer for Thy Sake, inorder to reign with Thee, and give my life to Thee so that I may live with Thee; but accept as pure Sacrifice, the one who desired to give her life for Thee. Through her Intercessions, O Most Compassionate, Save our souls!
Prostasia ton Hristianon akateskhinte, mesitia pros ton O Protector of the Christians unashamable, Mediator to
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton timonton se. the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the aid of all who in Faith cry out to Thee: hasten Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
St Pauls Epistle to the Romans 11 : 13 24

God Saves Gentiles & Restores Israel
Brethren - I speak to you, Gentiles: inasmuch as I am an Apostle to the Gentiles - I magnify my Ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and Save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but Life from the dead? For if the First-fruit is Holy, the Lump is also Holy; and if the Root is Holy, so are the Branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you - being a wild olive tree - were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the Root and fatness of the Olive Tree - do not boast against the Branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the Root, but that the Root supports you. You will say then: Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by Faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For, if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore, consider the Goodness and Severity of God - on those who fell, Severity but towards you, Goodness - if you continue in His Goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they as well - if they do not continue in unbelief - will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated Olive Tree, how much more will these who are natural branches, be grafted into their own Olive Tree?
ALTHOUGH ISRAEL STUMBLED BY HER REFUSAL TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY INEVITABLE THAT SHE SHOULD FALL PERMANENTLY. THE JEALOUSY THAT ISRAEL FELT TOWARDS THE GENTILES HAD THE FAITH. POTENTIAL TO LEAD ISRAEL TO REPENTANCE AND FAITH FURTHERMORE, ISRAELS FALL LED TO THE CONVERSION OF GENTILES, THUS RENEWING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HER OWN SALVATION. ST PAUL ADDRESSED THE GENTILE CHRISTIANS AND CAUTIONED THEM NOT TO BECOME PUFFED UP WITH PRIDE AGAINST THE HEBREWS BECAUSE: 1. ISRAELS SACRED HERITAGE IS HOLY. 2. GENTILES HAVE BEEN GRAFTED IN TO AN EXISTING OLIVE TREE FAITH SO THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO THE HEBREWS 3. GENTILES ARE JUST AS MUCH AT RISK OF FALLING AWAY FROM THROUGH DIVINE GRACE THROUGH UNBELIEF AND DISOBEDIENCE AS THE HEBREWS! IN FACT, TODAY, MANY CONVERTS TO ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY FALL BY THE WAYSIDE AND EVEN COMMIT APOSTASY CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY - BY REVERTING TO THEIR FORMER WAYS DESPITE HAVING MADE THE MOST SERIOUS AND IMPORTANT OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO CHRIST AT THEIR HOLY BAPTISM NOT MERELY ONCE BUT SEVERAL TIMES! UNLESS THEY CORRECT THEIR ERRORS THROUGH SINCERE REPENTANCEREPENTANCECONFESSION, THEY WILL REMAIN IN A STATE OF SPIRITUAL DEATH A STATE OF UNREPENTED SIN AGAINST GOD WHICH WILL CAUSE THEM TO SUFFER THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF ETERNAL CONDEMNATION AND ALIENATION FROM GOD. FOR THAT REASON, NO CONVERSION TO ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN UNLESS THIS HAS BEEN CLEARLY TAUGHT AND UNDERSTOOD BY THE CANDIDATE WHO SHOULD BE DEEPLY COMMITTED AND READY FOR A COMPLETE LIFE IN CHRIST OUR LORD SAVIOUR. AND SAVIOUR. THE TREE THAT IS WILD BY NATURE, REFERS TO THE PAGAN AND UNGODLY WAYS OF GENTILES BEFORE THEIR ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST AND THEIR CONVERSION TO OUR TRIUNE GOD. THE CULTIVATED OLIVE TREE REFERS TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL, WHICH HAD BEEN PREPARED FOR CHRIST THROUGH THE GOD-GIVEN LAW AND HIS HOLY PROPHETS, AND THE REMNANT OF HEBREWS WHO BELIEVED IN CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR.
The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 11 : 27 - 30

Resting in our Lord Jesus Christ At that time, our Lord Jesus Christ said: ... All things have been delivered to Me by My Father and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labour and who are heavily laden, and I will grant you rest. Take my Yoke upon you and learn from me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My Yoke is easy and My Burden is light.
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St Kyriake the Great Holy Martyr
7 July 2011
9.
St Kyriake the Great Holy Martyr of Nicomedia

A devout, aging Christian couple, St Dorotheos and St Eusebia, who lived in Anatolia, had no children. Yet, after many years, their Fervent Prayers for a child were answered and as their beloved daughter was born on a Sunday, (Kyriake, in Greek), she was named Kyriake. One day a wealthy Magistrate wished to Betroth St Kyriake to his son because not only was she young and beautiful, but her parents were wealthy, and the greedy Magistrate wished to control that wealth as well. So he went to the devout and loving parents to request her hand in marriage for his son, but St Kyriake informed him that she wished to remain a virgin, for she had dedicated herself to Christ our Lord and Saviour. Frustrated in his plans and insulted by her words, the wicked Magistrate denounced the entire family as wicked Christians who mocked the pagan idols and stubbornly refused to offer any kind of sacrifices to them at all. The co-ruler of the Roman Empire was Diocletian, who was obsessed with a terrible hatred for all Christians, and he craved their total destruction, so, obviously, when hearing about a wealthy Christian family in Nicomedia, he immediately sent soldiers to arrest them and present them before him for trial. For the benefit of the audience, Diocletian asked St Kyriake and her entire family to explain to all those present why they so adamantly refused to honour the gods to whom he himself always paid homage. So they told him that they were false, man-made gods, and that our Lord Jesus Christ was the one and only True, Living God. Their amazing courage and honesty gave Diocletian the excuse to subject the faithful family to the most merciless torture as a punishment to them and as a warning to others who might have been tempted to convert to such a powerful God. St Dorotheos was beaten until the soldiers grew tired and were unable to continue. Since neither flattery nor torment had any effect, Diocletian ordered St Dorotheos and St Eusebia into exile in Melitene on the eastern border between Cappadocia and Armenia, where they soon died while being martyred for their Faith in Christ, and he sent the beautiful St Kyriake to be interrogated by his sadistic son-in-law and co-ruler, Maximian, at Nicomedia. When Maximian first saw St Kyriake how young and lovely she was he tried to persuade her not to throw her life away, promising her great wealth and an honourable marriage to one of their own imperial relatives if only she would renounce Christ and worship their pagan gods. However, St Kyriake quietly but firmly explained that she could never renounce Christ Who is the True and Living Almighty God and to Who she had already committed herself - body and soul. Nor did she have the slightest desire for worldly riches since she sought only the Eternal and priceless Riches of the Heavenly Kingdom of God. Enraged by her unexpected calmness and unwavering Faith, Maximian ordered his torturers to flog her to death but those who administered the punishment quickly tired and had to be replaced by others three times. Shamed by his failure to overcome a young woman, Maximian sent St Kyriake to Hilarion, the Eparch of Bithynia, at Chalcedon. He told Hilarion to either Those who cannot endure for Christ's sake a physical death should at least be willing to endure death spiritually. Then we would be Martyrs in that we do not submit to the demons that assail us, or to their purposes, but conquer them, as did the Holy convert St Kyriake to paganism, or send her back to him. Having made the same promises and threats that Diocletian and Maximian had made before, Hilarion was no more successful than they were. St Kyriake challenged him to do his worst, because Christ would help her to triumph over them all. The young Holy Martyr was suspended by her hair for several hours, while soldiers burnt her body with torches. Not only did she endure all this, she also seemed to become more courageous under torture. Finally, she was taken down and thrown into a prison cell. That night our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to her and healed her wounds. When Hilarion saw her the next day, he declared to the astonished witnesses that she had been healed by the gods because they pitied her. Then he urged her to immediately go to the temple to give thanks to the gods but St Kyriake loudly and clearly declared that she had been healed by Christ. However, she agreed to go to their godless temple and Eparch gloated, erroneously thinking that he had finally defeated her and converted her to paganism. At the temple, St Kyriake fervently prayed that Almighty God would destroy the soulless, man-made idols. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake that toppled all the idols, shattering them into small pieces and dust. Everyone fled the temple in fear, leaving Hilarion behind. Instead of recognizing the Power of Christ, the Eparch loudly blasphemed the True God as the Destroyer of his pagan gods and while doing so, was struck by a bolt of lightning, and died on the spot. St Kyriake was returned to the torturers and subjected to the cruellest punishment once again by order of Apollonios the successor to Hilarion as Eparch. At her mockery of a trial, St Kyriake told Apollonios: There is no way that you can turn me from my faith. Throw me into the fire I have the example of the Three Holy Children. Throw me to the wild beasts I have the example of Daniel. Throw me into the sea I have the example of Jonah the Prophet. Put me to the sword I will remember the honoured Forerunner. For me, to die is Life in Christ! And so it was - by the Grace of God, when she was cast into a fire, the flames were extinguished and when she was thrown to wild beasts, they became gentle, lay down before her and softly licked her feet. Consequently Apollonios sentenced her to death by the sword determined to put an end to St Kyriake and her steadfast Faith in such a powerful God Who performed such astonishing, incredible Miracles, which converted so many others to Christ as well. She was permitted time to pray, so she asked God to receive her soul, and to remember all those who honoured her Holy Martyrdom for the Love of Christ. As St Kyriake ended her Prayers, Holy Angels of God received her soul even before the executioner could behead her. Pious and Faithful Christians reverently took St Kyriakes Holy Relics and buried them in a place of honour. St Kyriake is also known as St Dominica or St Nedelja, the Latin and Slavonic words for Sunday. May her memory be Eternal.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: ST KYRIAKE, GREAT HOLY MARTYR OF NICOMEDIA
http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=101963 and http://www.abbamoses.com/months/july.html
St Peter of Damaskos
Martyrs and the Holy Fathers. The first were bodily Martyrs, the latter Spiritual Martyrs. By forcing ourselves slightly, we defeat the enemy whereas through slight negligence we are filled with darkness and destroyed.
FABER PG. 161):
(THE PHILOKALIA VOL. 3; FABER AND
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St Kyriake the Great Holy Martyr
7 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the So n, and to the Hol y Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, toge the r with all the Saints. And le t us commit o urselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
4th Sunday After Pentecost
Tone 3
10
July 2011
4th Sunday of St Matthew: The Faith of the Centurion Also the Feast of the 45 Holy Martyrs of Nicopolis, including St Leontios, St Mauricios, Sst Daniel, St Anthony, St Sisinios, St Meneus and St Belerad - St Gregory of Assos St Anthony of Kiev Caves, Founder of Monasticism in Russia 10,000 Holy Martyrs of Egypt St Apollonios the Deposition of the Precious Robe of our Lord Jesus Christ in Moscow
Evfrenestho ta Ourania, Agaliastho ta epigia, oti epiise Let the Heavens Rejoice and let the earth be glad, for
Kratos en Vrahioni Aftou O Kyrios. Epatise to Thanato ton Thanaton. Prototokos ton nekron egeneto. Ek kilias Adou errisato imas ke pareshe to kosmo to Mega Eleos.
Kontakion of the Ever Blessed Theotokos
the Lord has shown Strength with His Arm; He has trampled down Death by Death; He has become the First-born of the dead; from the womb of Hades He has delivered us, and to the world He has granted Great Mercy.
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton Pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is Presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton Timonton Se. to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and preseent Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
Resurrection Gospel 4 : Luke 24 : 1 12

The Holy Myrrhbearers find the Tomb Empty
Prokeimenon
Sing praises to our God! Sing praises to our King! Clap your hands, all you Nations!
St Pauls Epistle to the Romans 6 : 18 23
Holy Baptism is our Freedom from Sin under Divine Grace
Brethren: Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of Righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness so now present your members as slaves of Righteousness for Holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to Righteousness. What Fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God you have your Fruit to Holiness, and the end, Everlasting Life. For the wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Although we choose our Master freely, we are always a Our Lord Jesus Christ is one Person of the Holy Trinity, slave to someone or something. (There is always with two Natures human and Divine. His Divine something or someone that controls or even Nature is from All Eternity and is revealed in that He is dominates us a kind of slavery.) both Gods son and the Lord. His human nature is Only Obedience to God leads us to Righteousness, making revealed in His being born of the seed of David, us Heirs of Salvation rather than slaves of sin. according to the flesh, for He was Conceived and Born The Holy Mystery of Baptism frees us from being such of the Virgin Mary, while never ceasing to be God. entrapped, defenceless and futile slaves of sin if we In addition, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ did continue to be obedient to God, by following as best not make Him the Son of God but rather declared Him as we can in the Divine Footsteps imitating the to be so and the absolute Truth of His Eternal Divinity, Perfect Example of God Incarnate our Lord Jesus which had been veiled from the world, was revealed Christ. fully in His Passion and His Glorious Resurrection. St Paul regarded himself as a bondservant or slave to Consequently, our Obedience to the Faith can mean either our Lord Jesus for he lived in complete Obedience to our acceptance of the Holy Gospel of Christ itself, or God Who Called him to Holy Service being compelled the Virtue of Obedience, which is practised by those by his devotion to God and his eager willingness to who truly believe in Him and His Divine Name. share the Divine Truth and Teachings with everyone New Believers are Called by God and His Holy Church to a else. Life of Faith a Life in Christ. St Paul wanted more than anything else to share the It is not up to us to create the Holy Church, for the Church Holy Gospel of Christ, which fulfils everything God has of Christ existed very long before us. Promised according to the Old Covenant and which is Instead, we are Called to enter the Living, historic Holy realised in the Incarnation of the Word and Son of God Church of our Lord Jesus Christ as She exists today. our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as St Paul was never ashamed of the Holy Gospel of Furthermore, the Holy Gospel the Good News of Christ -having thereby set a good example for us Salvation for all mankind also reveals the Holy Trinity neither should we ever be ashamed of it nor deny its Divine Truth and Reality for the Righteousness of for it is from God the Father, concerning God His Son, and according to the Holy Spirit:
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4th Sunday After Pentecost -
4 t h o f S t M a t t h e w T h e C e n t u r i o n - 1 0 J u l y 2 0 1 1 11.
God is to be in a continuous state of Holy Communion with Him. This Holy State means being in a right and good Relationship with God, which originate with god and which is accepted by all True Disciples of Christ in profound Faith. We first receive our Lord Jesus Christ by Faith and then continue to Live in Him by that same True Faith. St Paul used human terms i.e. the imagery of slavery in order to express our fallen human condition, because God does not want us as powerless, futile slaves, but rather as His Beloved Adopted Children (through our Holy Baptism) co-heirs to His Eternal Kingdom together with Christ, His Eternal Son. As St Paul points out: if we served sin so well, certainly now, as willing Disciples of Christ, we are empowered by Divine Grace to serve Righteousness even more effectively. While we are enslaved by sin, we do not know enough to be ashamed of it. However, we have now received Christs Holy Gospel and the more we learn, the more we realise how shameful
and unproductive and Eternally devastating a life of sin is, for we know its consequences Eternal Death and alienation from God and all His Goodness! Our willing Spiritual Slavery to God, which is initiated by our Holy Baptism, is our True physical and Spiritual Freedom, which bears the sweetest Harvest or Fruit of Holiness and Eternal Life in Gods Heavenly Kingdom. Wages are earned so death is earned by us as a consequence of our unrepented sins. On the contrary: Eternal Life is never earned by us for it is a Free Gift of God. No human word, thought or deed no matter how good or noble they might be can earn us Eternal Life for it is granted to us exclusively through the Divine Grace and Love of God. All we are expected to do is to humbly hear and obey the Divine Truth of Almighty God as taught and preached to us by God Incarnate our Lord Jesus Christ and by His Holy Apostles through the Holy Priesthood, which is correctly Guided and Inspired by God the Holy Spirit.

The Faith of the Centurion
At that time, when our Lord Jesus had entered Capernaum, a Centurion went to Him, pleading with Him, saying; Lord, my servant is lying at home, paralysed and dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said to him: I will go and heal him. The Centurion answered: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou should come under my roof. So only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I, too, am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And when I say to one: Go! he goes; and to another: Come! he comes; and to my servant: Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard his words, he marvelled, and said to those who followed: Truly, I say to you: I have not found such great faith not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from East and West, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the sons of the Kingdom will be cast out into Outer Darkness! There will be wailing and gnashing of the teeth! And Jesus said to the Centurion: Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you. And the Centurions servant was healed that same hour. A Roman Centurion (usually a Gentile or pagan) By saying : ... many will come from East and West... commanded 100 men in a Roman Legion. our Lord Jesus nullified any ideas of ethnic Our Lord Jesus is the Divine Saviour of all humanity superiority. and to Him there are no ethnic distinctions or The rejected sons of the Kingdom include the boundaries. Hebrews and others who deny Christ and those Our Lords response to the concerned Centurion is who have been raised in His Holy Church but who regarded by many scholars as having been a question do not Life in Faith those who do not Live in rather than a statement: Shall I go? but whatever it Christ. was, the significant fact is that our Saviour is always Christ reveals the reality and Truth of Eternal Death ready and willing to help everyone, even this the horrific consequences of wilful Spiritual Rebellion Roman Centurion a pagan or Gentile whose house against the Lord our God by describing the Eternal He was prepared to enter although the Hebrews would State of the Unrighteous Dead in Sheol (Hades) never have even considered doing so! according to the Hebrew Tradition the Outer The Centurion expressed his unusual Faith in Christ by Darkness and the weeping and gnashing of addressing Him as Lord, and his confession: I am teeth, which were common expressions used in the not worthy that Thou should come under my Holy Gospels of St Matthew and St Luke. roof, is frequently quoted in our Orthodox Christian E n o c h 1 0 3 : 8 And into Outer Darkness and Chains Liturgical texts as an ideal expression of Humility. and a burning Flame where there is grievous Twice in all the Holy Gospels is has been noted that our Judgement shall your spirits enter; And the Lord marvelled at something: He had marvelled at Great Judgement shall be for all the generations the unbelief in His hometown of Nazareth and of the world. Woe to you, for you shall have no now, in this instance, He marvelled at the peace. Centurions complete Faith in Him and His Divine Powers.
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost - The Faith of the Roman Centurion

The Christian Faith is not a conditioned, intrigued attitude. The Centurion had submitted his relationship to those who served him to God: Lord... when I say to one: Go! he goes; and to another: Come! he comes; and to my servant: Do this, and he does it. Even more he entrusted that when our Lord commanded the (evil) spirit to free his paralyzed servant, the spirit would free him, or if Christ would say: Do not enter this man again! the spirit will never again enter him. The Centurion had great faith before any Miracle was fulfilled. Quite often we are guided by facts. We hear, for instance, that an Icon of our Lady Theotokos appeared somewhere in the sky. We immediately go there to see it, and maybe well believe. Yet we do not know what our Faith is about. I was in Chicago some years ago to see a Weeping Icon of the Holy Mother of God. It was in 1987. I was one of three Romanian Priests who served the Divine Liturgy for the Romanian Faithful. During the Divine Liturgy, our Holy Lady Theotokos shed tears from her Icon three times. Her garment was soaked with tears. I saw people who came there to see the Weeping Icon. And we also saw it. Then we forgot. For faith that depends only on Miracles, is weak. If God strikes you now, for certain youll cry out, Lord! If an earthquake or a war occurred now, youll cry: God, save me! But afterwards youll forget God again. Apart from this is True Faith that is based on a close Spiritual Relationship with Christ: WHEN
YOU KNOW THAT YOURE NOTHING WITHOUT HIM AND THAT
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4th Sun day A ft er P en t ec o s t -
4th
of St Matthew The Centurion - 10 July 2011
that only He can lay you down or lift you up that only He can heal you or let you perish only He can free you from tragedy or let you be pounded by it. The Sacred Lesson is this: DO NOT ESTABLISH OR BASE
EVERYTHING RESTS IN HIS HANDS YOUR FAITH ON WONDERS (MIRACLES)!
Many times, our Saviour merely by His Word healed the sick. The Centurion did not need our Lord to first perform a Miracle in order to believe. Indeed, he only needed Christ to confirm that his paralyzed servant would be healed for HE HAD GONE TO CHRIST KNOWING WITH ALL
CERTAINTY, THE HE WOULD CURE HIS SERVANT.
it happen! Give thanks to the Lord for His Great Mercy! CHRIST ELEVATED THEM INTO HIS DIVINE LIGHT: which sometimes others could see as a strange Light or Halo around their heads, (like Father Benedict Ghius who was a wise Elder of the Cernica Monastery) or they would be mysteriously translated from one place to another- often a great distance away - within minutes!
THIS MYSTERIOUS TRANSLATION FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER OCCURRED TO THE HOLY APOSTLES WHO WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE KNOWN WORLD. WHEN OUR EVER BLESSED LADY THEOTOKOS SUMMONED THEM BEFORE HER DORMITION IN JERUSALEM, THEY WERE SWEPT UP IN A CLOUD AND CARRIED TO HER SO THAT ALL GATHERED TOGETHER WITH HER - EXCEPT ST THOMAS WHO WOULD ARRIVE THREE DAYS AFTER HER DEATH TO WITNESS TO HER EMPTY TOMB AFTER HER BODY HAD BEEN TRANSLATED BY GODS ANGELS. SEVERAL OTHER HOLY MEN ARE recorded IN HOLY SCRIPTURE AS BEING MYSTERIOUSLY TRANSLATED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
Even though he was a Roman Gentile, the Centurion went to Christ Whom he truly believed in. When someone especially a non-believer - really needs a Miracle, they might pray: Lord, if Thou exist, perform this Miracle! And God may or may not respond. However, WITH TRUE FAITH A GENUINE BELIEF IN GOD MANY MIRACLES CERTAIN OCCUR!
SUCH WONDERS WERE PERFORMED BY CHRIST THROUGH THEM AND FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY HAD A MOST INTIMATE SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WHEN WE OFFER OUR SOUL TO CHRIST COMPLETELY, HE SENDS US THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WORKS FROM WITHIN US TO FULFIL OUR LIFE IN CHRIST IN COMPLETE HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
Nevertheless, WE MUST NEVER EXPECT DIVINE MIRACLES FOR

OUR DEEPEST AND MOST SINCERE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS SPIRITUAL. BY PRAYING TO THE LORD AND WHILE DOING SO, BEING IN HIS VERY PRESENCE, HE ABIDES IN US! MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS WITH HIS UNSEEN WONDERS, through the strength of our spirit,
This most wonderful Divine Gift is far beyond any earthly reward and ONCE EXPERIENCED, OUR LIVES ARE CHANGED
BEYOND MEASURE!
As our Spiritual Relationship with Christ develops and we grow closer to God, WE WILL BE VERY AWARE OF HIS
DIVINE PRESENCE WITHIN OUR HEART AND SOUL.
thereby rousing a greater understanding of His Wisdom and Knowledge. GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS - not as we tend to historically and rationally understand - but IN A DEEPER, SPIRITUAL
SENSE, WHEN WE BEHOLD THE EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS US. HAND OF GOD IN
WHEN BESEECHING GOD FOR ANYTHING, WE MUST ALWAYS BEGIN OUR PERSONAL PRAYER WITH IF IT BE THY WILL, O LORD.... AND THEN WE MUST LEAVE IT ENTIRELY UP TO HIM AND NOT CONCERN OURSELVES FURTHER. WE MUST HUMBLY AND OBEDIENTLY ACCEPT THE DIVINE WILL OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULT IS CONFIDENT IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ONLY GOD KNOWS PRECISELY WHAT IS BEST FOR US FOR SOMETIMES WHAT WE THINK WE NEED MIGHT NOT NECESSARY NOR BENEFICIAL TO OURSELVES OR OTHERS.
We become gentler, more forgiving and more tolerant and patient with others and AS LONG AS THE HOLY TRINITY
DWELLS WITHIN US, WE WILL BE LIKE A BEACON OF LIGHT TO THOSE LOST IN THE DARKNESS OF UNREPENTED SIN. Nevertheless, WE MUST CAREFULLY AND DILIGENTLY PRESERVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND MAINTAIN A SPIRIT OF HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE THROUGH CONSTANT PRAYER AND CORRECT WORSHIP, thus ensuring that no
temptation can threaten or overwhelm us.

WE MUST NEVER PUT OUR LORD GOD TO THE TEST but WE MUST CEASELESSLY EXAMINE OUR INNER BEING AND QUICKLY CORRECT OUR ERRORS rooting out all sprouting seeds of wickedness EVER BESEECHING OUR SAVIOUR LIKE THE FAITHFUL CENTURION: O Lord, speak only a
There are many great Holy Fathers who have lived a highly elevated Spiritual Life whom God rewarded with His Divine Gifts. By the Grace of God they performed many Wonders, but when anyone would try to thank them they answered, without exception: It is not me, but Christ Who made
word and my heart will be healed! Amen.

ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: SUFFERING FATHER GEORGE CALCIU TO SERVE CHRIST MEANS
Life in the Spirit or Life in the Flesh? Part 2 Life in the Flesh
For many people, unfortunately, LIFE IN THIS WORLD
MEANS NOTHING ELSE BUT LIFE "IN THE FLESH."
St. Paul warned us: "For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the Cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things" (PHILIPPIANS 3:18-19). From this vantage point, unbelief and carnality meet at a single point, in that THE LOSS OF ONE'S SOUL
RESULTS IN A WAY OF LIFE THAT IS FIXATED ON THE FLESH. In the fallen world, HUMAN EXISTENCE HAS REGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVED SOLELY BY THE CARNAL PASSIONS. The passions are what "animate" them. THEY GIVE THE ILLUSION OF LIFE, BUT THEY ARE FILLED WITH DEATH.
Furthermore, the fact that ATHEISM IS alive and well (and growing in popularity) should be a surprise to no one. At the root of this DENIAL OF GOD is the DENIAL
OF THE HUMAN SOUL.
Many Scientists, Physicists, Anthropologists, Sociologists deduce that there can be no such thing as the human soul, or the "inner man." SCIENCE
CANNOT "EMPIRICALLY" IMMORTAL SOUL EXISTS! DEMONSTRATE THAT THE
As St. James wrote in his Epistle: "They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Be'or, who loved gain from wrongdoing." (2 PETER 2:14,15).
THE MODERN WORLD HAS, INDEED, BECOME A PLACE INHABITED BY EMPTY, LIFELESS SOULS - who follow
Hence, the entire range of human phenomena: our feelings, emotions, wills, thoughts, and behaviours are to be understood as the result of neurochemical reactions that take place within the brain. From a clinical standpoint, the human being has been reduced to a "thinking animal " - a "naked ape." But let us ask this question: do those blind fish at the bottom of the deep abyss have any memory or knowledge of the fact that they once had eyes with which to see the world around them? Have they any awareness of the ocean's beauty that lies above them -- where the suns rays bathe the waters with such great splendour? No, they do not. These cavernous creatures are FOREVER IMPRISONED IN A
WORLD OF DARKNESS. ANOTHER KIND OF DARKNESS HAS FALLEN UPON THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS AGE - THE DARKNESS OF UNBELIEF.
"Balaam's way." Just like the rare, cold-blooded fish that live in the watery abyss, and that no longer have eyes because there is no light in the dark depths, so too has our human race devolved to a point where the soul which was created originally to be the "lamp of the body" - has become NEGATED BY THE DARKNESS OF SIN. (MATTHEW 6:22)
Could this be the reason for Christ warning us: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Hell?" (MATTHEW 10:28). A timely warning indeed.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: LIFE IN THE SPIRIT O R LIFE IN TH E FLESH? BY FATHER PAUL JANNAKOS - ST. MARY MAGDALENE ORTHODOX CHURCH FENTON, MINNESOTA, USA
4th Sunday After Pentecost -
4 t h o f S t M a t t h e w T h e C e n t u r i o n - 1 0 J u l y 2 0 1 1 13.
In the Grasp of Wonder

Concepts create idols; only wonder St. Gregory of Nyssas marvelous dictum is among a handful of things that describe what is required for the Christian Life. So much of Christian history has been marked with a bifurcation a split between those who study the Faith and those who live it. It is not a necessary split only a common one. Of course there is the larger number of Christians who do neither. But WONDER IS AN ESSENTIAL ATTITUDE OF HEART
WITHOUT IT WE WILL SEE NOTHING AS IT TRULY IS.
grasps anything.
ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA
HAS COME TO ME THAT I DID NOT KNOW TO CHOOSE (AND IT CAME UNBIDDEN). THERE ARE MANY DELUSIONS IN LIFE MANY OF THEM ARE ABOUT OURSELVES, OTHER PEOPLE AND THE NATURE OF THINGS. WONDER sets a guard about the heart that along with other things PROVIDES A HEDGE AGAINST DELUSION.
Wonder may recognize what we do know, but always brackets such knowledge with THE REALIZATION OF
WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW.
The Scriptures tell us that WE ARE fearfully and wonderfully made which also means that OTHER
HUMAN BEINGS SHOULD BE APPROACHED WITH AWE AND WONDER. WE WILL NOT SEE THEM NOR LOVE THEM AS WE OUGHT IF OUR HEART IS DWELLING IN SOME OTHER MODE. St Silouan of Mount Athos taught us that AROUND HUMILITY THE WHOLE OF THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE WAGES. WONDER IS A NECESSARY PART OF HUMILITY. For HUMILITY IS FOUND - not so much in thinking little of ourselves as - IN THINKING MORE OF EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE ELSE.
I am occasionally upbraided by some of my nonOrthodox friends for becoming a part of a Church that thinks it has all the answers. This is a mistaken view of Orthodoxy.
THE CERTAINTY ESTABLISHED BY THE DOGMAS OF THE FAITH AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE CANONS ARE NOT MEANT TO CREATE IN THE ORTHODOX MIND THE HARDNESS OF FLINT. THEY DESCRIBE THE BOUNDARIES GIVEN US BY CHRIST AND SET BEFORE US THE MARKERS OF A PILGRIMS JOURNEY. But THE LIFE OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH IS one that is rightly LIVED IN WONDER. TO CONFESS GOD AS FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT IS not to say that I have now comprehended, but TO CONFESS HIM WHO IS BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION AND WHO, WONDER OF WONDERS, CONDESCENDED TO MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN IN THE INCARNATION OF THE SON OF GOD.
Humility will flourish in a heart of wonder. I tend to SEE WONDER IN TWO PARTICULAR PLACES IN CHILDREN AND IN THE ELDERLY. My own children have always been a revelation of the world about me a chance to see the world as though for the first time.
TO WATCH THE WONDER OF A CHILD BESET WITH THE JADED CYNICISM OF OUR CULTURE IS SURELY TO SEE ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL BATTLES OF OUR AGE. CYNICISM is generally always correct for it LACKS THE WONDER THAT ALONE WOULD REVEAL ITS ERROR.
One of my favourite quotation is from a statement Ive heard often from Father Thomas Hopko, the Dean Emeritus of St Vladimirs Seminary: You cant know God. But you have to know Him to know that. It is a wonderful thing to say and expresses so much of
THE ORTHODOX WAY OF LIFE.
The wonder of older years has been something of a new revelation for me if only because I barely qualify for older years. I will turn 56 later this year. But I have been around long enough to see my last child through high school and now preparing to enter college. I have been blessed with nearly 34 years of marriage. With those years comes an increasing sense of wonder at how things have worked together to be what they are. I am less impressed with my choices and the power to choose. Rather I AM OVERWHELMED AT THE GOOD THAT
In a conversation with him last autumn, I told him that the more I write, the less I know. His response was to the point: Keep writing. Someday youll know nothing. Then youll be Holy. Wouldnt that be a Wonder!
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS IN THE GRASP OF WONDER BY FATHER STEPHEN. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SUBSCRIBING TO THIS MOST INSPIRING BLOG!
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com
A Reflection on Natural Disasters Repent!

In Orthodox circles, following the Holy Fathers, we make a distinction between Gods permissive Will and His intentional Will. As Lord of all, God permits or allows such disasters to happen. Yet He remains a God of Love, Who would never, for any reason, inflict wanton destruction on entire populations. He may allow pain and suffering to visit particular individuals, including you and me. But He does so always for a Purpose, often beyond our comprehension. There is no doubt that at times He does so for our good, as a burdensome yet effective pedagogical Tool to correct us and lead us to Repentance. Where apparently meaningless suffering afflicts the truly innocent, we can only surrender, in Faith and Hope, before the impenetrable Divine Mystery that allows no rational analysis, no figuring out of the whys or wherefores. God, then, is involved in suffering, as He is in every other aspect of created existence. FATHER JOHN BRECK: CAN GOD SUFFER?
Father George Calciu On the Holy Priesthood

What does the Holy Priesthood mean? It means to be an enduring witness to human suffering and to take it upon your own shoulders - to be the one who warms the leper at his own breast; the one who gives Life to the miserable through the breath from his own mouth; to be a strong comfort to every unfortunate soul, even when you yourself are overwhelmed with weakness. The Holy Priesthood means to be a Ray of Shining Light to unhappy hearts when your own eyes long ago ceased to see any Light - to carry mountains of others sufferings on your shoulders, while your own being screams out with the weight of its own
SADNESS PURIFIES US.
suffering. Your flesh will rebel and say, This heroism is absurd, impossible! Where is such a man, where is the Priest you describe so that I may put my own suffering on his shoulders? Yes, nevertheless, he does exist! From time to time there awakens within us the Priest of Christ who, like the Good Samaritan, will kneel down by the side of the man fallen among thieves and, putting him upon his own donkey, will bring him to the Church of Christ for Healing. And he will forget himself and comfort you, O man of suffering!
Father Epiphanios Theodoropoulos

We are is truly human beings in sadness. In joy we are changed we become something else.
IN SADNESS WE BECOME THAT WHICH WE TRULY ARE HUMBLE SOULS. And this is the way, par excellence, that WE ARE ABLE TO APPROACH GOD IN HUMILITY AND WEAKNESS. COMPLETELY POWERLESS AND DEPENDENT ON DIVINE MERCY SO WE QUICKLY SEEK THE HELP AND COMPANIONSHIP OF GOD.
Those of us who have passed through pains, either psychical or physical, know that WE NEVER PRAYED AS
HARD AND WITH SUCH QUALITY AND LENGTH, AS WE DID WHEN WE WERE IN THE BED OF PAIN OR WHEN SOME HEAVY PSYCHICAL SADNESS TESTED US. Meanwhile - WHEN WE HAVE EVERYTHING - WE FORGET PRAYER AND FASTING, GRATITUDE TO AND WORSHIP OF GOD - AND MANY OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS!
Many times, when we are in a state of glory and joy, we think that we are the eye of the earth or the centre of the universe it is all about ego ourselves - and nothing else!
IN PAIN AND SADNESS WE FEEL AS INSIGNIFICANT AS A TINY ANT in the universe WE REALISE THAT WE ARE
It is for this reason that God allows pain.

ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: http://orthodoxword.wordpress.com
14.
4th Sun day A ft er P en t ec o s t -
4th
of St Matthew The Centurion - 10 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the So n, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, M ost Pure, Most Blessed and Glorio us Lady, Maria, T heotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Sai nts. And let us commi t ourselves and o ne another and o ur w hole Life to Christ our God. Ame n.
11 July 2011 The Great Miracle of St Euphemia the All Praised During the 4th Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon Also the Feast of St Nektarios of Vrioulon St Helen (Olga), Princess of Russia & Equal to the Apostles - St Kindeos, Presbyter of Pamphylia St Nicodemos of Albania St Barbara, Transfer of Holy Relics to Kiev - St Arcadios of Novotorsk the Holy Icon of our Lady Theotokos of Rzhevsk Monastery, Poltava
Apolytkion of the Saint or Feast Tone
Lian
efranas, tous Orthodoxous, ke katiskhinas, tous kakodoxous, Effimia Hristou kalliparthene. This gar Tetartis Sinodou ekirosas, I Pateres kalos edogmatisan. Martis Endoxe, Hriston ton Theon iketeve, dorisasthe imin to Mega Eleos.
All
the Orthodox, Thou greatly cheered, and Thou put to shame the false believers, O fair Virgin of Christ, Euphemia. For Thou confirmed what the Fathers well Dogmatise, at the 4th Ecumenical Council. O Martyr Glorious, entreat Christ our God to grant to us His Great Mercy!
Matins Gospel According to St Mark 5 : 24 34

The Healing of St Veronica the Woman who bled for 12 years
At that time, there was a certain woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many Physicians. She had spent all that she had and was not better, but rather, grew worse. When she heard that about Jesus, she went behind Him in the crowd and touched His garments. For she had thought: If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well. And immediately the source of her bleeding dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus instantly knowing in Himself that Power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and asked: Who touched My clothes? and His Disciples said to Him: Thou see the multitude thronging Thee, and Thou ask: Who touched Me? And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling knowing what had happened to her, went and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her: Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in Peace, and be healed of your affliction.
The Second Epistle of St Paul the Corinthians 6 : 1 10

The Marks of Apostleship
Brethren: we, then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the Grace of God in vain. For He says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the Day of Salvation I have helped you. Behold! Now is the accepted time! Behold! Now is the Day of Salvation! We give no offence in anything, that our Ministry many not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as Ministers of God: in much Patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, in Fastings, by Purity, by Knowledge, by Longsuffering, by Kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere Love, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God, by the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
The Holy Gospel According to St Luke 7 : 36 50

The Forgiveness of a Sinful Woman
At that time, one of the Pharisees asked our Lord Jesus to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisees house, and sat down to eat. And behold! A woman in the city, who was a sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisees house, took an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His Feet, behind Him, weeping; and she began to wash His Feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His Feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying: This Man if He were a Prophet would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner! And Jesus answered and said to him: Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said: Teacher, say it. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other, fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more? and Simon answered and said: I suppose the one whom he forgave more. And Jesus said to him: You have rightly judged. Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon: Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My Feet, but she has washed My Feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My Feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My Feet with fragrant oil. Therefore, I say
The Miracle of St Euphemia at the 4th Ecumenical Council
11 July 2011
15.
to you: her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.
The Miracle of St Euphemia the Great & Holy Martyr at the 4th Ecumenical Council
St Euphemia was Martyred for her devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ in the city of Chalcedon in 304, during the time of the persecution against Christians by the merciless Roman Emperor Diocletian (284-305). One and a half centuries later, at a time when the Christian Church had become Victorious within the Roman Empire, God deigned that St Euphemia the AllPraised should again be a Holy Witness and Confessor of the Purity and Divine Truth of Orthodox Teaching. In 451 at Chalcedon - in the same Holy Church where the Glorified Relics of the Great Martyr St Euphemia rested - the sessions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council took place. The Ecumenical Council was convened for determining the precise dogmatic formulae of the Orthodox Church concerning the Nature of the God-Man our Lord Jesus Christ. This was necessary because of the widespread heresy of the Monophysites ["mono-physis" meaning "one nature"], who opposed the Orthodox Teaching of the two Natures in Jesus Christ - the Divine and the human Natures in the one Divine Person of the Holy Trinity. The Monophysites falsely believed that Christ had only one Divine Nature meaning that our Lord Jesus is only Divine the Son of God - and not God Incarnate i.e. He had no human Nature with all our human limitations and weaknesses. Obviously this caused such great conflict and disharmony within the Holy Church that an Ecumenical Council had to be convened in order to establish Peace and Truth according to Divine Will. The Fourth Ecumenical Council consisted of 630 Holy Fathers from throughout the Orthodox world. Those who supported Orthodox Teaching were, amongst others, St Anatolios, Patriarch of Constantinople, St Juvenal, Patriarch of Jerusalem and various erudite delegates of St Leo, Pope of Rome, while the Monophysites were represented by large numbers, led by Dioscoros, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and Eutychios, the Constantinople Archimandrite. After prolonged and difficult discussions the two sides could not come to a decisive agreement. St Anatolios of Constantinople proposed that the Council submit their different viewpoints to the Holy Spirit for Guidance and Inspiration, through His undoubted Holy Bearer St Euphemia the All-Praised, whose Wonderworking Relics had been uncovered during the Fourth Ecumenical Council's discussions. The Orthodox Hierarchs and their opponents wrote down their Confessions of Faith on two separate scrolls and sealed them before opening the tomb of St Euphemia and placing both scrolls upon her bosom. Then, in the presence of Emperor Marcian (450-457), the tomb was carefully and thoroughly sealed, with the Imperial Seal. Imperial Guards watched over the tomb for the next three day while the opposing sides entered a time of strict Fasting and intense Prayer. After three days St Anatolios, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and Emperor Marcian - in the presence of the entire Fourth Ecumenical Council broke the seals and opened the tomb with its Sacred Relics. What they all witnessed shocked and amazed them all: the scroll with the Orthodox Confession was held by St Euphemia in her right hand, and the scroll of the heretics lay at her feet! St Euphemia - as though alive - then raised her hand and gave the Orthodox scroll to the Patriarch! After this amazing Miracle many of the hesitant souls accepted the Orthodox Confession wholeheartedly, while those remaining obstinate in their heretical beliefs were consigned to the Fourth Ecumanical Council's Condemnation and Excommunication. After an invasion by the Persians during the seventh century, the Holy Relics of St Euphemia were transferred from Chalcedon to Constantinople - into a newly built church dedicated to her. Many years later, during the period of the Iconoclastic heresy, the reliquary with the Holy Relics of St Euphemia was cast into the sea by order of the Iconoclastic Emperor, Leo the Isaurian (716-741). However, the reliquary was retrieved from the sea by the ship-owning brothers Sergios and Sergonos, who presented it to the local Bishop, who then ordered the Holy Relics to be preserved in secret, beneath a crypt, while the Iconoclast Controversy and upheaval continued to rage throughout the Empire. A small church was built over the Holy Relics, and a board with an inscription stating whose relics they were was placed over the reliquary, before it was hidden from sight. When the Iconoclast Controversy was finally ended with its condemnation at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (in 787), during the reign of St Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople (784-806) and Emperor Constantine VI (780-797) and his mother St Irene (797-802), the Miracle Working Holy Relics of St Euphemia the Great Martyr were once again solemnly transferred to Constantinople. May her memory be Eternal!
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: THE MIRACLE OF ST EUPHEMIA
http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife
The Divinely Inspired Wisdom of our Holy Church Fathers Part St John of Kronstadt - My Life in Christ: Part II
"If you are a scholar, a student in any educational establishment, or an official in some ministry, an officer in any of the branches of the military service, or a technologist, a painter, a sculptor, a manufacturer, a mechanic - remember that the first science for each one of you is to BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN, to BELIEVE SINCERELY IN THE HOLY TRINITY, to CONVERSE DAILY WITH
GOD IN PRAYER, to PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE SERVICES, to OBSERVE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE CHURCH, and to BEAR IN YOUR HEART, BEFORE YOUR WORK, DURING YOUR WORK, AND AFTER YOUR WORK, THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS, for HE IS OUR LIGHT, OUR STRENGTH, OUR HOLINESS, AND OUR HELP."
St
Gregory Palamas -The Homilies

When this present Age reaches its end, the Righteous shall also have their bodies with them, as Heirs of the Light and sons of the True Day. That Day continues forever without evening and neither has, nor ever did have, a morning, since it has no beginning. ST. TIKHON'S SEMINARY PRESS
Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, is without beginning and pre-Eternal. (MALACHI 4:2) He is both Immutable and Unchangeable, as with Him there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning (JAMES
1:17).
He is without end, never-setting, beaming out the True and Heavenly Light of Day without evening, in which the spirits of the Righteous live with the good Angels.
St. Maximos the Confessor Those who through Virtue and Spiritual Knowledge have brought their body into harmony with their soul have become a Harp, a Flute and a Temple of God. They become a Harp by preserving the Harmony of the Virtues; a Flute by receiving the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit through Divine Contemplation; and a Temple by becoming a Dwelling Place of the Logos through the Purity of their intellect.
16.
The Miracle of St Euphemia at the 4th Ecumenical Council
11 July 2011
All Glory, Ho nour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theo tokos, yet Ever Virgi n, to gether with all the Saints. And le t us commit ourselves and one another and our w hole Life to C hrist our God. Amen.
5th Sunday
After Pentecost
Tone 4 17 July 2011 5th Sunday of St Matthew: Light of the World Also the Feast of St Marina/Margarita the Great & Holy Martyr of Antioch - the Holy Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council St Irenarchos of Solovi Monastery St Lazaros the Wonder Worker of Mount Galerios, (near Ephesos, translation of Relics St Leonis of Ustenedumsk the Holy Icon of our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos of Sviatogorsky Monastery
To
fedron tis Anastaseos Kirigma ek tou Angelou Mathouse e tou Kyriou Mathitrie ke tin Progonikin apofasin aporipsase, tis Apostolis kafhomene elegon: Eskilefte O Thanatos, igerthi Hristos O Theos, doroumenos to kosmo to Mega Eleos!
When
the Women Disciples of the Lord had learnt from the Angels the Glad Tidings of the Resurrection, and had cast away the Condemnation of their Forefather, they spoke exultingly to the Apostles: Death is no more: Christ-God is Risen, granting to the world Great Mercy!
Apolytkion of the Saint or Feast Tone1
Tou
Patros Sou ek vrefous apestrafis ta idola, ke tou Olivriou tirannou tin oftin katepatisas, othen efhes sou ton ofin edesmefsas, ke tin kefalin tou drakontos epirmenin katethlasas, Megalomartis Marina; Presveve Hristo to Theo sothine tas psihas imon.
While still an infant thou rejected Thy fathers idols,

and trampled down the pride of the cruel tyrant Olyvrios; thus through thy Prayers thou put the serpent in bondage, and the dragons proud head thou completely crushed, O Great Martyr Marina; intercede with Christ our God, that our souls may be saved.
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is Presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton Timonton Se. to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and press on Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
Resurrection Gospel 5 Luke 24 : 12 35

Our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ Appears Along the Road to Emmaus
Prokeimenon
O Lord, how manifold art Thy Works! Thou hast created them all in Wisdom! Bless the Lord, O my soul!
St Pauls Epistle to St Titos 3 : 8 15
To Titos: a True Son in our common Faith: This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God, should be careful to maintain Good Works. These things are good and profitable to men. But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the Law, for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. When I send Artemas to you, or Tychikos, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Send Zenas the Lawyer and Apollos on their Journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. And let our people also learn to maintain Good Works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who Love us in the Faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. THESE HOLY MYSTERIES GRANT US THE RITE OF PASSAGE St Paul was painfully aware that WE ARE ALL AWAITING TOWARDS A PROGRESSIVE LIFE OF RENEWAL IN CHRIST. THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE TO COME and he 2 C o r i n t h i a n s 3 : 1 6 1 8 : ... when one turns to the knew that WE ALREADY PARTICIPATE IN THE Lord, the Veil is taken away. Now the Lord is ESCHATOLOGICAL4 COMMUNITY. Spirit; and where the Spirit of our Lord is, there 8 HOLY BAPTISM AND CHRISMATION ARE THE BEGINNING is True Liberty. But we all - with unveiled face, OF OUR TRUE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY towards Eternal beholding as in a mirror, the Glory of our Lord Life in Gods Eternal Kingdom of Love, Peace are being Transformed into the same Image and Joy. from glory to Glory just as the Spirit of our Lord.
4
8
CONCERNING OUR IMMORTAL SOULS IN THEIR RELATION TO DEATH, JUDGEMENT, ETERNAL LIFE AND ETERNAL CONDEMNATION AND HELL.
THE
REFERENCE TO THE LORD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, USUALLY REFERS TO OUR LORD JESUS
5th Sunday AP 5th of St Matthew Light of the World 17 July 2011
17.
CHRIST
the Word and Son of God the Father, Who is also referred to as the Lord. (MATTHEW
11:25; 22:44 LUKE 1:32; 4:12 &18, 10:21 ACTS 3:22; 4:26 REVELATION 11:15; 21:22)
The Holy Spirit is also referred to as Lord both in this instance and in our Creed of Faith the Nicene Creed: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life... Since THE TERM LORD APPLIES TO ALL THREE PERSONS OF THE HOLY TRINITY, there might be a difference of opinion as to which of the three Divine Persons of the Holy Trinity the word Lord refers in this instance. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are in no way confused here for St Paul had in mind one Person or Another. The Son, for example, cannot be the Holy Spirit. 8 THE SPIRIT IS SPECIFICALLY THE HOLY SPIRIT not an impersonal Force although ELSEWHERE IN
THE NEW TESTAMENT THE TERM SPIRIT OCCASIONALLY REFERS TO THE SOUL, A REALM OR A MANNER OF EXISTENCE. this instance, St Paul described how ALMIGHTY GOD REIGNS IN OUR WORLD. It does not describe the
IN PERFECT HARMONY AND UNITY OF THE HOLY TRINITY: BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER, THROUGH THE TEACHINGS AND REVELATIONS OF THE SON AND BY THE LIFE-GIVING ENABLING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT GRANTS US TRUE LIBERTY TRUE SPIRITUAL FREEDOM freeing us
from the constraints and shackles of Spiritual Darkness and sin so that WE ARE ABLE TO
BEHOLD GOD, HAVE OPEN ACCESS TO HIM AT ALL TIMES, AND GROW EVER CLOSER TO HIM, THEREBY SLOWLY REGAINING OUR LOST SPIRITUAL (GODLY) LIKENESS. Having been created in Gods Image (and Likeness) WE ARE ABLE TO SEE HIS UNCREATED IMAGE God
Incarnate our Lord Jesus Christ in two ways:

THROUGH THE SONS DEIFIED HUMANITY
(1 CORINTHIANS 13:12 & JAMES 1:23-35)
In
Eternal Relationship of the three separate and distinct Persons of the Holy Trinity: the Holy Spirit, for example, Proceeds from God the Father ALONE and not from God the Son.
PAUL TRANSFORMED THE OLD COVENANT UNDERSTANDING OF ONE GOD THE LORD GOD INTO THE NEW COVENANT TEACHING OF CHRISTS DIVINE REVELATION OF THE HOLY TRINITY IN ONE DIVINE GODHEAD THREE PERSONS EACH OF WHOM IS LORD DIVINE. Consequently, WHEN WE TURN TO THE LORD, WE TURN TO THE FATHER, THROUGH THE SON AND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND EVEN WHEN WE PRAY ALTHOUGH WE MAY ADDRESS ONE OF THE TRINITY IN PERSON, IT ALWAYS INCLUDES THE OTHER TWO PERSONS OF THE HOLY TRINITY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS
ST
IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. As we grow closer to God and are able to truly behold Him, we become what we were created by God to be i.e. WE REGAIN OUR LOST HOLY LIKENESS. GOD IS INFINITE there are no limitations to Almighty God, SO THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO GROWING IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS and the more we are Transformed into His Likeness, the more clearly we shall see God! A divisive person is one who picks and chooses from the whole - complete and Perfect Truth of God. A sect is a group of people who follow their own ideas and choices rather than being Obedient and Humble before God. They are isolated and independent of Gods Holy Tradition and such INCOMPLETE OR ERRONEOUS BELIEFS RESULT IN IMMORAL BEHAVIOUR AND A SELFIMPOSED SPIRITUAL DEATH AND ALIENATION FROM ALMIGHTY GOD Who never forces Himself on anyone
waiting ever so patiently for their return to His Divine Light through sincere Repentance.
The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew
5: 14 19
Disciples of Christ are the Light of the World At that time, our Lord Jesus said: You are the Light of the world. A city that is set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it give light to all who are in the house. let your Light so shine before mankind, so that they may see your Good Works and Glorify your Father in Heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. For Truly, I say to you: until Heaven and earth pass away, not one jot nor one tittle will pass from the Law until it is fulfilled. Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these Commandments, and teachers other so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. ALMIGHTY GOD IS THE TRUE AND UNCREATED that Light. That was the True Light, which LIGHT. gives Light to everyone coming into the In the Old Testament LIGHT WAS SYMBOLIC OF ALMIGHTY world... GOD, HIS DIVINE LAW AND ISRAEL in contrast to all 8 ONLY GOD HAS LIFE IN HIMSELF, THUS OUR other Nations. LORD JESUS CHRIST, BEING GOD, IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE, TOGETHER WITH THE I s a i a h 6 0 : 1 3 Shine, shine, O Jerusalem, for FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. your Light has come, and the Glory of the The Life was the Light of mankind... St John now Lord has risen upon you. Behold: darkness introduces mankind as Sanctified Receivers of and gloom shall cover the earth upon the the Divine Light of God, who, by living in Nations, but the Lord will shine on you and Christ, become Children of the Light of God. His Glory shall be seen upon you. Kings shall (JOHN 12:36 EPHESIANS 5:8 1 THESSALONIANS 5:5) come to your Light, and the Gentiles to your St Moses, our ancient Patriarch, saw the Divine Brightness... Light in the mysterious Burning Bush and This is the Hymn that we sing during Holy Pascha in the whole Nation of Israel witnessed It at the Liturgical Services for, as St John of the parting of the Red Sea. (EXODUS 3: 2 & 13 Damascus expressed it: ... the whole :21) St Isaiah beheld the Divine Light of God in his Creation rejoices and exults, for Christ is Heavenly Vision. (ISAIAH 6: 1 5) Risen and Hades despoiled. The three Apostles of Christ witnessed the P s a l m 1 1 8 : 1 0 5 - Thy Word is a Lamp to my feet Divine Light of God at our Lords and a Light to my paths. Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. (MATTHEW In the New Testament, THE SON OF GOD IS LIGHT
HE IS UNCREATED LIGHT OF UNCREATED LIGHT TRUE GOD OF TRUE GOD!
17 : 1 5)
J o h n 1 : 4 9 ... In Him is Life, and the Life is the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend It. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a Witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of
Darkness refers to SPIRITUAL DARKNESS OR BLINDNESS DUE TO UNREPENTED SIN. It is both Spiritual Ignorance and Satanic opposition to the Divine Light and Truth of Almighty God. THOSE WHO HATE
TRUTH, PREFER IGNORANCE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEY STRIVE TO KEEP OTHERS IGNORANT AS WELL.
Comprehend means both understand and overcome. Thus SPIRITUAL DARKNESS CAN NEVER
OVERPOWER THE DIVINE LIGHT AND TRUTH OF OUR
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LORD JESUS CHRIST, NOR CAN IT UNDERSTAND THE WAY OF DIVINE LOVE. (AGAPE) John is a reference to ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND FORERUNNER TO CHRIST THE LAST AND GREATEST OF ALL THE OLD COVENANT HOLY PROPHETS OF GOD, who
not only prepared the Hebrews on earth for the advent of Christ the True Messiah, but after his Holy Martyrdom, HE ALSO PREPARED THOSE WHO WERE IMPRISONED IN HADES. (AFTER CHRISTS DEATH AND HIS OWN
DESCENT INTO HADES, OUR LORD JESUS SET THE RIGHTEOUS SOULS FREE TO REPOSE IN PARADISE UNTIL THE FINAL JUDGEMENT. THIS IS KNOWN AS THE HARROWING OF HADES.)
At Holy Pascha the Divine Liturgy begins with the Priest exiting the Holy Sanctuary and presenting a lit candle into the darkened church - inviting the congregation to Come and receive the Light that is never overtaken by night! whereupon, one by one, our candles are lit and the entire church is quickly illuminated by the soft, golden light a wonderful way of REMINDING US HOW G O D S
DIVINE LIGHT OF TRUTH AND LOVE SPREAD AND ENLIGHTENED THE ENTIRE WORLD FOREVER! CHRISTIAN VIRTUES HAVE BOTH A PERSONAL AND PUBLIC FUNCTION, for it can bring others to Glorify God and
Although OUR MOST MERCIFUL GOD HAS OFFERED HIS DIVINE LIGHT TO EVERY HUMAN BEING, the fallen world and even many of His chosen people refuse to receive Him. Thus they can neither know nor recognise Him. THOSE WHO ACCEPT CHRIST OUR
SAVIOUR, ARE GRANTED HIS DIVINE LIGHT.
to live in Christ forever.
After having heard the reading of the Holy Gospel and having received the Holy Eucharist in Divine Liturgy, we sing: We have seen the True Light! We have received the Heavenly Spirit! John 8: 12 Our Lord Jesus said: I Am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of Life. Our Lord used these words in the context of the great lamps that were lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Outer Court of the Temple in Jerusalem. Consequently, CHRIST DECLARES HIMSELF AS THE
FULFILMENT AND THE CELEBRATIONS OF LIGHT. DIVINE OBJECT OF ALL
OUR LORD JESUS FULFILLED THE LAW IN HIMSELF - IN HIS WORDS AND IN HIS ACTIONS BY PERFORMING GODS WILL IN ALL ITS FULLNESS, BY TRANSGRESSING NONE OF THE PRECEPTS OF THE LAW, BY DECLARING THE PERFECT FULFILMENT OF THE LAW, WHICH HE WAS ABOUT TO DELIVER TO THEM AND BY GRANTING RIGHTEOUSNESS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE LAW TO US. HE ALSO FULFILLED THE PROPHECIES OF ALL THE HOLY PROPHETS OF GOD , by being and carrying
In Holy Scripture, God the Father is Light a Divine Attribute that He bestows upon His Faithful Flock.
(JOHN 1:4-9 & 1 JOHN 1:5 MATTHEW 5:14 - PHILIPPIANS 2:15)
Furthermore, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST CONFIRMS HIS

CLAIM BY PERFORMING THE GREAT MIRACLE OF CREATING EYES FOR THE MAN WHO WAS BORN WITHOUT ANY EYES AT ALL. (JOHN 9 : 1-7 ESPECIALLY 9:5)
1 John 1 : 5 ... This is the message that we have heard from Him and declare to you: that God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. For St John the Divine and Beloved Theologian and Apostle of Christ Light is DIVINE ENERGY , which manifested (revealed) Divine Truth i.e. TRUE TEACHING Virtue and Holiness i.e. TRUE BEHAVIOUR AND LIFESTYLE and Holy Communion with God in His Holy Church i.e.
out everything they had foretold centuries before. Our Lord Jesus often used the term Truly or Assuredly which means confirmed, or so be it Amen as a solemn affirmation or form of Oath. His use of this expression at the beginning of certain Divine Proclamations (rather than at the end) is unique and authoritative: He declares His Words affirmed before they are even spoken! A jot iota is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet while a tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters. 8 Thus, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE ENTIRE LAW OF GOD IS
AFFIRMED AS THE SACRED FOUNDATION CHRISTS NEW COVENANT TEACHING. OF
All is fulfilled is a reference to the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour.
RIGHTEOUSNESS ACCORDING TO THE LAW IS A UNIFIED WHOLE.
TRUE SPIRITUALITY. THE STRONGEST OF ALL WEAPONS AGAINST SPIRITUAL DARKNESS AND SIN IS OUR LOVE FOR GOD, which is A STRONG, VIBRANT AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
Light is necessary for clear vision and for life itself. FAITH RELIES ON DIVINE LIGHT and Faithful Believers become sons of Light, who shine in a darkened and perverse world.
(JOHN 12:36 - 1 THESSALONIANS 5:5 PHILIPPIANS 2 : 15)
The observance of all the least Commandments of God is to observe or keep or obey the whole Divine Law of God, while the violation of the least Commandment is considered by God to be the violation of the entire Divine Law of God! It could not be made more definitive or clear to us than this!!
The Consequence of a Full Faith Father Stephen

(I prefer to use the term Fullness when describing the Orthodox Faith because it is far more explanatory than simply saying that we are the True
Church, etc. Fullness, of course does not deny this, but it moves us onto more fruitful ground. I want to take a short look at some of the consequences of giving ones life to the Fullness of the Faith.)
The consequence of a Full Faith is to accept the corporate nature of our Salvation. The model of what it means to be a Christian is to be found in the Life of the Holy Trinity. Thus we live no longer for ourselves but for everything and everyone. It is to embrace the Christian Faith without onesidedness (TO QUOTE FR. SERGE VERHOVSKOY OF BLESSED MEMORY). Thus we do not reduce Christianity to a tension between Grace and Law, or to an expression merely of the Sovereignty of God or any such other reductionist models that have come to be in the past half-millennium. It is to embrace the Incarnate God, Jesus Christ, as the full and complete Revelation to us of God. His Words, His Life, His Actions, are the complete Salvation of all mankind. As He said on the Cross: It is complete. It is to accept that the Faith is larger than we are and that we cannot reduce it to anything less than its fullness and be faithful.
The consequence of this last point is that we attend Church always with an attitude of Humility for we are standing within the larger Life, which is itself revealing God to us. We renounce ourselves as autonomous individuals and recognize instead that we are children of the One God Who directs our lives in His Commandments and He alone is the Definition and Meaning of our Life. We accept that the Holy Mysteries of the Church (such as Baptism, Chrismation, Penance and Eucharist, Unction, Marriage, and Ordination) are sure means by which God gives His very Life to us, although He may give His Life to us in many other ways as well. Thus we view this Life of Mystery as our True Life and not simply an organizational expression of the Church. We accept that we are only the current representatives of this Faith on the earth, but that we are joined by a great Cloud of Witnesses, the Saints, by whose Prayers we are
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aided and by whose Holy Relics we are encouraged to run the Race faithfully to its end. Thus we honour them as Holy Friends, and our companions on the road of Salvation. Among the Saints we recognize the unique place of the Mother of God, whose Obedience to the Word of God undid the disobedience of Eve, and through whose Cooperation with the Working of God, Salvation became Incarnate in the God-Man, Christ Jesus. We recognize and accept that our Salvation is nothing other than True and Living Communion with God the Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit. This Salvation is a whole Life and not a single decision. It is lived in a Community (the Church, the Body of Christ) and lacks nothing for God has provided it with all that is necessary for our Salvation. We recognize the Authority of the Scriptures within the Life of the Church and accept - with the Apostles that all of Scripture is understood only as it reveals Christ, for these are they which testify of Me. We recognize as
well that Scripture is a Gift to the Church and read them in and through the Living Tradition of the Church as expressed in the Fathers, the Worship Life of the Church, and the decisions of the Holy Councils of the Faith. We see in the world an icon of the world to come the Scriptures as icon the Saints as icons the Church as icon - and we live for the age when all things will be made known. We believe that the Fullness of the Faith can only be known through the Revelation of God as we follow the Way of the Cross, tracing the Steps of Christs Humility, taking upon ourselves, as He took upon Himself, the sins of the world, and from within that Humility praying for all to the Gracious God Who alone can Save.
I could, of course, continue writing until my last breath for no lifetime can exhaust or express completely the Fullness. This modest list, however, seems a reasonable place to begin. In particular they are points which have been written about in some detail in the posts I have placed on this blogsite. God, forgive me, for I fail so completely in all of them.
Adapted & edited by MP:
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com
St
Marina (Margaret) Great Martyr of Antioch in Pisidia (270)

sake - grant me also to go through the Water of Holy Baptism." Hearing her mention "water, the Governor gave orders to drown the Saint in a large cauldron. The Holy Martyr thanked our Lord that this should become for her Holy Baptism and as they plunged her into the water, suddenly a bright Light shone, and a snow-white dove came down from Heaven, bearing in its beak a golden Crown. The fetters that tied St Marina came apart by themselves and she stood up in the Font of her Holy Baptism, glorifying the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. St Marina emerged from the cauldron completely healed - without the slightest trace of burns and all the other tortures she had suffered. Amazed at this Divine Miracle, the people who had gathered to witness her public humiliation and execution glorified the True God, and many converted to Christianity, which enraged the frustrated Governor even more. So he issued strict orders to execute anyone who confessed or praised the Name of Christ. Eventually 15,000 Christians perished there, and the Holy Martyr, St Marina was finally beheaded by sword. The terrible martyrdom St Marina was recorded by an eyewitness named Theotimos. Up until the sacking of Constantinople by Western Crusaders in 1204, the Holy Relics of St Marina were kept in the Panteponteia Monastery. According to other sources, they were located in Antioch until the year 908 and from there transferred to Italy. At present they are kept in Athens, in a church dedicated to the Holy Virgin Martyr. Her venerable hand was transferred to Mount Athos, to the Vatopedi Monastery. May her memory be Eternal!
St Marina (also known as St Margaret) was born in Asia Minor, in the city of Antioch of Pisidia (southern Asia Minor), into the family of a pagan priest. In infancy she lost her mother, and her father employed a nursemaid to care for her. Unbeknown to the pagan father, the nursemaid was a devout Christian who subsequently raised the young St Marina in the Orthodox Faith. However, when the pagan priest was informed that his daughter had become a Christian, he angrily disowned her. During the time of the persecution against Christians by order of the Roman Emperor, Diocletian (284-305), at the tender age of fifteen years, St Marina was arrested and imprisoned, but with her unshakable faith in the Divine Will and Help of Almighty God, she calmly and courageously prepared herself for her impending fate. The Governor, Olymbrios, charmed by the beautiful young girl, tried to persuade her to renounce the Christian Faith and become his wife. But the Saint, adamantly refused all his conniving offers. Consequently the frustrated and extremely vexed Governor handed her over to the torturers who inflicted the most indescribable pain and suffering on the Holy Martyr by first beating her almost to the point of death, before nailing her to a board and then ripping her skin with sharpened tridents. The Governor was unable to watch the horror visited upon such a beautiful young girl and he hid his face in his hands. However St Marina remained unyielding and refused to denounce Christ so she was thrown into a dark, stinking dungeon until the next day. That night by the Grace of Almighty God, she was granted Heavenly Aid - comforted and healed of her frightful wounds. The next morning she was stripped naked and tied to a tree before being burnt with flaming torches. Barely alive, St Marina prayed aloud: "O Lord, Thou hast granted me to go through fire for Thy Names
St Seraphim Of Sarov In spite of our sinfulness, in spite of the darkness It is this Acquisition of the Holy Spirit of which I have surrounding our souls, the Grace of the Holy been speaking. Spirit, conferred by Baptism in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, still St Maximos The Confessor shines in our hearts with the inextinguishable "Just as the thought of fire does not warm the body, Light of Christ ... so Faith without Love does not actualize the Light And when the sinner turns to the Way of Repentance of Spiritual Knowledge in the soul." the Light smoothes away every trace of the sins committed, clothing the former sinner in the Garments of Incorruption, spun of the Grace of the Holy Spirit.
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All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, ye t Ever Virgin, to gether wi th all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one ano ther and o ur w hole Life to C hrist our God. Ame n.
20 July 2011 St Elias/Elijah the Tishbite & Holy Prophet of God Also the Feast of St Abramios of Galich, a disciple of St Sergios of Radonezh St Athanasios, Abbot of Brest-litovsk Monastery, St Ilia Chavchavadze of uncovering and transfer of Holy Relics Georgia - St Maria Skobtsova, Holy Martyr - St Salome the Georgian Martyr - St Demetrios Klepinine, Hieromartyr - St Alexei Medvedkov, Hieromartyr - the Holy Icon of the Ever Blessed Theotokos of the Chukhloma Monastery of Galich
Apolytikion Of St Elias The Tishbite & Holy Prophet Of God Tone 4
efsarkos Angelos, ton Profiton I Kripis, O defteros Prodromos tis Parousias Hristou, Ilias O Endoxos, anothen katapempsas, Elisseo tin Harin, nosous apodioki, ke leprous katharizi; dio ke tis timosin afton vrii iamata.
Angelic of body, Pillar of the Prophets and their Corner Stone, the Forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ, the Venerable and Glorious Elijah Thou sent Grace from on High to Elisha to dispel sicknesses and to purify lepers. Wherefore, he ever overflows with healing to those who honour him.
Kontakion Of St Elias The Tishbite & Holy Prophet Of God Tone 2
Profita
ke Proopta ton Megalourgion tou Theou, Ilia Megalinime, O to fthegmati sou stisas ta idatorrita nefi, presveve iper imon, pros ton Monon Filanthropon
O Prophet and Foreseer of the Great Works of God, O

Greatly Renowned Elias (Elijah), who by your word held back the clouds of rain, Intercede for us to the Only Loving One. Protector of the Christians unashamable, Mediator to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the aid of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: hasten Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all who honour Thee!
Prostasia ton Hristianon akateskhinte, mesitia pros ton O

Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton Timonton Se.
The Epistle of St James 5: 10 - 20

Encouragement To The Oppressed & Healing The Work Of Faith
My Brethren, take, as an example of suffering and patience the Prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord. Indeed, we count them Blessed who endure. You have heard of the Endurance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very Compassionate and Merciful. However, above all, my Brethren, do not swear either by Heaven or by earth, or with any other oath - and let your yes be yes, and your no be no, in case you fall into Judgement. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sin Psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with Oil in the Name of our Lord. And the Prayer of Faith will Save the sick, and our Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The effective, Fervent Prayer of a Righteous person avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rail on the land for three years and six month. And he prayed again, and the Heave gave forth rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the Truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will Save a soul from Death and cover a multitude of sins. THE FAITHFUL HOLY PROPHETS WHO ARE CERTAINLY earth, for it is His Footstool; nor by Jerusalem, TRUE SAINTS OF GOD ARE OUR BEST MODELS OR for it is the City of the Great King. EXAMPLES OF SUFFERING AND PATIENCE WHOM WE Nor shall you swear by your head, because you SHOULD STRIVE TO IMITATE. cannot make one hair white or black. Consequently, ALL FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS OF THE NEW But let your yes be yes, and your No be no, COVENANT HONOUR OR VENERATE THESE HOLY for whatever is more than these is from the evil PROPHETS AS WELL AS ALL THE HOLY SAINTS AND one. MARTYRS, THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGING THEM AS BEING With these words, Christ our Saviour taught us how to MOST BLESSED WITH THE DIVINE GRACE OF GOD. HONOUR OUR DIVINE ADOPTION AS HEIRS TO GODS A polemic (A STRONG ARGUMENT) against A BAD CUSTOM OR ETERNAL KINGDOM AND AS HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES. HABIT STEMMING FROM BAD FAITH IS the common TRUTH CANNOT BE SECURED BY SWEARING AN OATH BY practice of SWEARING BY GOD OR SOMETHING THAT THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN OUR POSSESSION anyway, SIGNIFIES GOD AS THOUGH SWEARING PROVED but only by simple integrity! TRUTHFULNESS! Furthermore, in this Spiritually Dark and fallen world We may swear an oath when absolutely necessary but of the last days, PEOPLE SWEAR WITHOUT ANY THE SOLUTION TO THE LACK OF TRUST IS GENUINE
GOOD FAITH PROOF OF OUR PERSONAL INTEGRITY AND TRUTHFULNESS BETWEEN US AND GOD. M A T T H E W 5 : 3 3 3 7 : . . . you have heard that it THOUGHT OR REGARD FOR THE TRUTH.
All too often, THEY COMMIT TWO SERIOUS SINS BY

BLASPHEMING THE LORD OUR GODS HOLY NAME ATTACHED TO A BLATANT LIE! KNOWN HABITUAL LIARS OATHS ARE USELESS AND FUTILE AND EACH TIME THEY SWEAR AN OATH, THEY CONDEMN THEMSELVES MORE AND MORE. > TRUST AND TRUTH ARE INSEPARABLE VIRTUES.
was said to those of old: You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your Oaths to the Lord. But I say to you: do not swear at all: neither by Heaven , for it is Gods Throne; nor by the
(SPONSORED BY DIMITRI PAIZIS)
St Elias/St Elijah The Thishbite & Holy Prophet Of God 20 July 2011
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Only through our constant preservation and practice of Trust and Truth will others be able to take us at our word. THE INSTANT THAT SACRED TRUST IS BROKEN, WE
LOOSE OUR INTEGRITY, OUR AUTHENTICITY AND OUR LEGITIMACY. THOSE WHO HABITUALLY LIE ARE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT ALSO HABITUAL THIEVES due to the fact that THEY LACK HONESTY AND ETHICS, AND THEY ALWAYS HAVE A READY EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY THEMSELVES! LYING AND THIEVING ARE THE NOXIOUS VICES OF SATAN AND MUST BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY AND MOST DETERMINEDLY through personal
And EVERY YEAR ON HOLY WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

(BEFORE HOLY PASCHA), ALL FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS RECEIVE HOLY UNCTION - HAVING PREPARED THEMSELVES CORRECTLY WITH PRAYERS, SPIRITUAL SELF-EXAMINATION AND REPENTANCE-CONFESSION AS WELL AS (OF COURSE) HAVING KEPT THE GREAT LENTEN FAST.
Although some people allege that confessing our sins to God before a Priest is not Biblical, THE ANCIENT
CHRISTIAN CUSTOM WAS TO CONFESS THEIR SINS TRESPASSES - TO ONE ANOTHER.
discipline and True Repentance and Confession.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LYING OR STEALING, WHICH REVEALS A SPIRITUAL DARKNESS AND DEATH FROM WITHIN AND MAKE US MURDERERS OF GODS DIVINE TRUTH AND SLAVES OF THE EVIL ONE. Thus we must BE EVER WATCHFUL OVER THE STATE OF OUR WORDS, THOUGHTS AND DEEDS, ENSURING THAT WE QUICKLY CORRECT OUR ERRORS AND EMERGENT HABITS. St James instructed us to SEEK THE FERVENT PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH ELDERS (OR PRIESTS) FOR OUR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALING. > SALVATION DEALS WITH BOTH BODY AND SOUL our visible and invisible being. Thus HOLY UNCTION serves a double purpose HEALING AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
The sins of the early Christians were confessed before the entire Congregation as an act of humble Repentance. But as the Holy Church grew, non-Christian i.e. the uninitiated or untaught - visitors who were unfamiliar with the Sanctity and Trust of public Confession often attended the Holy Services. Consequently, IT BECAME MORE PRACTICAL AND
EFFICIENT FOR REPENTANT SINNERS TO CONFESS THEIR SINS IN PRIVATE BEFORE A PRIEST - WHO REPRESENTS OUR FELLOW HUMANITY AGAINST WHOM WE CONSTANTLY TRESPASS - AND GOD. WHAT IS CERTAINLY NOT TAUGHT IN HOLY SCRIPTURE IS A PRIVATE CONFESSION ONLY TO GOD, WHICH REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE SIN TO THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY our fellow sinners. 1 J O H N 1 : 8 1 0 : If we say we have no sin, we
>
Priests are granted certain Divine Gifts for the Holy Ministry at their Ordination at the Laying On Of Hands. 1 T I M O T H Y 4 : 1 4 ...Do not neglect the Gift that is in you, which was given to you by Prophecy with the Laying On of the Hands of the Eldership. This referred to St Timothys ORDINATION INTO THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST, which was conferred upon him by the Holy Apostles of Christ, exactly as it is still done today by the Bishops. > PRAYERS ARE COMBINED WITH OLIVE OIL, WHICH
WAS NOT ONLY THE PRIMARY MEDICINE OF ANCIENT TIMES, BUT ALSO SYMBOLISED THE PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. So it is that THE SINGLE HOLY MYSTERY OF UNCTION EFFECTS A HEALING FOR OUR COMPLETE BEING PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL WELFARE AND HEALING THROUGH THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS THAT ENSLAVE AND SICKEN US.
deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. If we Confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us! >
OUR FAITH IS REVEALED AND PROVED BY OUR ACTIONS our words, our thoughts and our
deeds which must produce Purity i.e. we must practise and live Truth, which validates our Relationship with God living every moment in Holiness and Righteousness. >
OUR FAITH COMPELS US TO SEEK FORGIVENESS AND SPIRITUAL CLEANSING FOR ALL OUR SINS great
and small. Sin is our fallen, human condition but GOD HAS
PROVIDED US WITH A MEANS TO IMPROVE AND CORRECT OURSELVES THROUGH CONSTANT WATCHFULNESS AND REPENTANCE-CONFESSION, WHICH IS THE ESTABLISHED BASIS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH TOWARDS RIGHTEOUSNESS. So, THROUGH OUR LIFE IN CHRIST WE STRUGGLE DAILY TO FOLLOW HIM FAITHFULLY LEARNING TO RECOGNISE AND RESIST THE ONSLAUGHT OF TEMPTATIONS - even though we will continue to sin
The essential Elements of Holy Unction include a Priest, the Prayers of the Faith that Saves us, connected to the Work of Christ Himself, for our Lord will raise us all up, and the Holy Spirit manifested in the Blessed, Sanctified Olive Oil, as well as the RepentanceConfession of personal sins prior to the Anointing with Oil the Mystery of Holy Unction which explains why St James wrote: ... if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. In the Orthodox Church HOLY UNCTION IS GRANTED TO
ANYONE WHO IS SICK, WHETHER IN DANGER OF DYING OR NOT.
in varying degrees until we draw our last breath. >

SALVATION IN CHRIST IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS and AS LONG AS WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO FULFIL THE WILL OF GOD, WE NEED NOT FEAR OUR FINAL JUDGEMENT as much as those who rebel and
disobey God at every opportunity
The Holy Gospel According to St Luke 4 : 22 - 30

TH E UN BELIE F O F N A ZARETH
At that time, all bore witness to our Lord Jesus Christ, and marvelled at the Gracious Words that proceeded out of His Mouth. And they said: Is this not Josephs Son? He said to them: You will surely say this Proverb to Me: Physician, heal Thyself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Thy country. Then He said: Assuredly, I say to you: no Prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the Heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the Prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. So all those in the Synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, so that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then, passing through the midst of them, He went His way. S t H e r m a n O f A l a s k a : A True Christian is made by Faith and Love toward Christ. Our sins do not in the least hinder our Christianity, according to the Word of the Saviour Himself. He deigned to say: Not the Righteous have I come to Call, but sinners to Salvation; there is more Joy in Heaven over one who Repents than over ninety Righteous ones. Likewise concerning the sinful woman who touched His Feet, He deigned to say to the Pharisee Simon: To one who has Love, a great Debt is forgiven, but from one who has no Love, even a small Debt will be demanded. From these Judgments a Christian should bring himself to Hope and Joy, and not in the least accept an inflicted despair. Here one needs the Shield of Faith. 22
St Elias/St Elijah the Tishbite & Holy Prophet of God 20 July 2011
All Glory, Hono ur and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Sai nts. And let us commi t ourselves and one another and our w hole Life to Chris t our God. Ame n.
22 July 2011 St Mary of Magdala Holy Myrrhbearer & Equal to the Apostles Also the Feast St Phocas, Hieromartyr of Sinope Translation of Holy Relics St Cornelios of Perevaslavl - St Markella, Virgin-Martyr of Chios
Apolytikion Of St Mary Of Magdala Tone 1
Hristo
to di imas, ek Parthenou tehthenti, semni Magdalini, ikolouthis Maria, aftou ta dikeomata, ke tou nomou filattousa. Othen simeron, tin Panagian Sou mnimin, eortazontes, anevfimoumen Se Pisti ke potho gereromen.
Of St Mary Of Magdala Tone 4
The
Christ Who for us was born of a Virgin, Noble Mary Magdalene Thou so faithfully followed, by keeping His Rules of Life, and the Laws that He set for all; thus we today, who Thy Sacred Remembrance duly celebrate, do receive the Remission of our sins through Thy Prayers.
Kontakion
Iperousios
Theos en to kosmo, meta sarkos epifiton Mirofore, Se Alithi Mathitrian prosikato, olin Sou tin efesin, pros afton kektimenin. Othen ke iamata, apetelesas plista. Ke metastasa nin en Ouranis, iper tou kosmou Presvevis ekastote.
When
God, the Mighty, the Transcendent in Essence, came in the flesh into the world, He received Thee, O Mary, as His True Disciple as was meet. For Thou had set Thy whole desire and Thy Love upon Him; wherefore, Thou brought to pass many cures for the ailing; and now translated to the Heavens' Heights, Thou ever fervently prays for all the world.

Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton timonton se.
Protection of the Christians unashamable, Mediation to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and press on Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
The First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians 4 : 5 9

Wisdom in Spiritual Fatherhood
Brethren: ... judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, Who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each ones Praise will come from God. Now these things, Brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sake, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now, if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received? You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as Kings without us and indeed, i could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! For I think that God has displayed us the Apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world both to Angels and to mankind. 8 THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SACRED LESSON IN HUMILITY AND which is only possible if we CLOSELY FOLLOW AND OBEY
OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
St Paul used the expression beyond what is written meaning - at the time - the Holy Scripture of the Old Covenant and now, concerning us, THE NEW
TESTAMENT OF OUR NEW COVENANT WITH GOD.
THE OLD TESTAMENT OF THE OLD COVENANT TEACHES US ABOUT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH - THE SON OF GOD INCARNATE WHO WAS BORN OF A VIRGIN. WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THE REALITY OF THE HOLY TRINITY THROUGHOUT OUR HUMAN HISTORY AND HOW OUR SAVIOUR FULFILLED EVERY ASPECT OF THE OLD COVENANT WITH GOD. HOWEVER, BY LIVING IN CHRIST, WE FOLLOW ALL THE TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST AS RECORDED BY HIS HOLY EVANGELISTS AND APOSTLES IN THE HOLY GOSPEL AND EPISTLES. THE ONLY BOOK WE NEVER READ IN CHURCH IS THE REVELATION OF CHRIST, WHICH WE ARE SERIOUSLY WARNED NOT TO MISINTERPRET OR EVEN TRY TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT WILL LEAD US ASTRAY DUE TO OUR IGNORANT OR ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATIONS!
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR WHO HAS TAUGHT US AND PROVIDED US WITH EVERYTHING WE NEED to fulfil our preparatory
time on earth correctly and efficiently. We should only concern ourselves with the things that we can change - especially for the benefit of our immortal souls and Eternal Life. Everything else is in the Hands of our most Providential and Loving God according to His Divine Will. We are in danger of becoming puffed up with our smug arrogance when WE FORGET THAT EVERYTHING WE
POSSESS WHETHER SPIRITUAL TREASURES, KNOWLEDGE OR EVEN EARTHLY POSSESSIONS AND ABILITIES ARE GRANTED TO US EXCLUSIVELY BY ALMIGHTY GOD! WITHOUT GOD WE ARE LESS THAN NOTHING!
This was a serious warning to us to NEVER BECOME

CONTENTIOUS (CONTROVERSIAL) OR PROUD (SMUG AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS) NEVER THINK THAT WE ARE TOO CLEVER OR KNOWLEDGEABLE TO LEARN! Furthermore, BY INTERPRETING GODS TRUTH TO SUIT OUR OWN LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OR SINISTER, WICKED INTENTIONS, WE EASILY FALL INTO THE SIN OF HERESY AND EVEN BLASPHEMY! WASTING OUR TIME AND ENERGIES WITH WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, IS FORBIDDEN to all serious and committed Disciples of Christ for we must EXPEND ALL OUR EFFORTS AND ENERGY ON CORRECTING OUR OWN ERRORS AND STRIVING TO REGAIN OUR LOST LIKENESS TO GOD,
Constant awareness of our Great Debt to God should compel us to ceaseless appreciation and thanksgiving. Our gratitude to and Love of God should also compel us to share our Blessed Abundance with everyone else and especially with those who are less Blessed than we are! Furthermore, IN TIMES OF EASE AND COMFORT, WE SHOULD
ESPECIALLY GIVE THANKS, GLORY AND WORSHIP TO GOD WITH THE REALISATION THAT WHATEVER WE ENJOY TODAY MIGHT SUDDENLY BE TAKEN FROM US TOMORROW!! Paul further cautions us against FLATTERY AND PRAISE, which LEADS TO ARROGANCE AND DESTRUCTIVE PRIDE.
St
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God, alone, is our True and Righteous Judge for He knows every soul better than we know ourselves, so THE ONLY PRAISE WE SHOULD HOPE FOR IS THAT OF ALMIGHTY GOD not our fellow sinners!
NOTHING JUSTIFIES OUR THINKING OURSELVES AS BEING BETTER THAN OR ABOVE ANYONE ELSE! ONLY GOD - WHO IS LOVE - ALWAYS GRANTS US HIS DIVINE TRUTH THE ABSOLUTE AND PERFECT TRUTH while we
vastly different to one another and even more so to the Divine Truth of God.
ONLY THROUGH HIS GREAT MERCY AND LOVE, ARE WE GRANTED UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF DIVINE TRUTH BY THE POWER OF THE LIFE-GIVING ALL HOLY SPIRIT. Thus the twin Virtues of HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE ARE IRREPLACEABLE AND THE MOST DESIRED OF ALL VIRTUES BECAUSE FROM THESE TWO HOLY VIRTUES, ALL THE OTHERS ARE SLOWLY GAINED.
only have a vague idea of what is true and the concept of truth according to each human being is
The Holy Gospel According to St Luke 8 : 1 3

Women who were Faithful Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ
At that time, it came to pass, that Jesus went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the Glad Tidings of the Kingdom of God. And the Twelve Apostles were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities such as Mary called Magdalene out of whom had gone seven demons, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was Herods steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for Him from their substance. These Holy Women were three of our Lord Jesus Christs become the bearer (mother) of the long-awaited most faithful Disciples. Messiah, so he possessed her body with seven demons They were also close companions of His Ever Blessed the cause of the seven grievous sins. Mother, our Lady Theotokos and were three of the However, she had never been a wretched prostitute as group of eight women who are known as the Holy many have erroneously been led to believe. Nor was Myrrhbearers, being honoured as the first to receive she anything more than a most grateful and humble the joyful Angelic Announcement: Christ is Risen! (restored) servant of God, who later became entitled by In ancient times - and often in our Holy Scriptures - the the Holy Church of Christ as Equal to the Apostles. number seven often symbolises totality and It appears that she might have been either the same age completeness. or perhaps a little older than our Most Holy Lady Therefore the fact that our Lord had exorcised seven Theotokos. demons from St Mary of Magdala, meant that she had St Joanna retrieved the venerable head of St John the Baptist, which had been thrown into a cesspool by been in utter Spiritual Darkness and Death before her Divine Healing. Herodias, the depraved and illegal wife of Herod. According to some, because St Mary Magdalene had been a most devout servant of God, Satan assumed her to
Song of Songs (LXX) (Solomon) 3:1-4

"In the night in my chamber I sought Him Whom my soul Loves: I sought Him, but did not find Him. I will rise now, and go about the city in the marketplaces and the streets. I will seek Him Whom my soul Loves: I sought Him, but did not find Him. I called Him but He did not hear me. The Watchmen who do their rounds in the City found me and I asked them: Have you seen Him Whom my soul Loves? Scarcely had I departed from them when I found Him Whom my soul Loves: I held Him, and would not let Him go, until I had brought Him into my Mother's House, and into the Chamber of Her who conceived me..."
St Ambrose of Milan - On "Isaac, of the Soul" "...because we see the Heavenly Mysteries represented allegorically on earth through the Gospel, let us come to St Mary Magdalene and to the other St Mary5. Let us meditate upon how they sought Christ at night in the Chamber of His Body, in which He lay dead, when the Angel said to them, You seek Jesus, Who was crucified. He is not here, for He has Risen. Why then do you seek in the Tomb Him Who is now in Heaven? Why do you seek in the bonds of the Tomb Him Who frees all men of their bonds? The Tomb is not His Dwelling, but Heaven is. And so one of them says, 'I sought Him and I did not find Him'." St Cyril of Alexandria - On "The Song of Songs"
"'In my chamber by night I sought Him..." refers to the Women who went to the Tomb of our Lord Jesus and did not find Him. He was either in the Chamber, therefore, or away from the Chamber. Or perhaps they called their Chamber the Lord's Tomb because we are buried together with Him. But when they did not find Him, they heard at once: 'He is not here, for He has been Raised.' And they discovered Guardian Angels, whom they asked: 'Where have you laid the Lord?' Then, when they had left the Angels whom they were questioning, the Lord met them and said, 'Rejoice!' For this reason, it says, Scarcely had I departed from them when I found Him Whom my soul Loves.' She grasped his feet and heard, 'Don't hold me.' Finally, he6 called the gathering of the Apostles the House of the Mother to whom he announced the Resurrection of Christ.
found by night. In the night in my chamber I sought Him ... but did not find Him
Dialogos St Gregory Dialogos - "Forty Gospel Homilies 25"

"We seek the One we Love in our Chamber when we sigh with longing for our Redeemer during our short period of rest during the present life. We seek Him during the night, because even though our hearts are already watchful for Him, our eyes are still darkened. But it remains for those who do not find the One they Love to rise and go about the city, that is, they must travel about the Holy Church of the Elect with enquiring heart. They must seek Her through its streets and squares, making their way, that is, through narrow and broad places, on the watch to make enquiries if any traces of Her can be found in them, because there are some - even of those leading worldly lives - who have something worth imitating of Virtue in their actions. The Watchmen who guard the City find us as we search, because the Holy Fathers who guard the Church's Orthodoxy come to meet our Good Efforts, to teach us, by the words of their writings. Scarcely have we passed them by when we find Him Whom we Love. Although in His Humility our Redeemer was a human Being in the midst of human beings, in His Divinity He was above human beings. Therefore once the Watchmen have been passed by, the Beloved is found." "HAPPY IS THE PERSON IN WHOSE HEART OUR LORD JESUS SETS HIS FEET EVERY DAY! IF ONLY HE WOULD SET HIS FEET IN MY HEART! IF ONLY HIS FOOTSTEPS WOULD CLING TO MY HEART FOREVER! IF ONLY I MAY SAY : 'I TOOK HOLD OF HIM AND WOULD NOT LET HIM GO.'" ST. JEROME
St Ambrose of Milan - On "Virginity"

"Let us follow Him by day, the present Day of the Church, which Abraham saw and was glad. This is why we follow Christ during the Day; for He will not be
5 6
THE OTHER MARY IS AN OBLIQUE REFERENCE TO OUR LADY THEOTOKOS. THIS IS A REFERENCE TO THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK SONG OF SONGS
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All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Ho ly Spiri t, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Vi rgin, toge the r wi th all the Sai nts. And let us commit ourselves and one anothe r and o ur w hole Life to Christ our God. Ame n.
24 July 2011 6th Sunday After Pentecost Tone (5) Plagal 1 6th Sunday of St Matthew: The Faith of the Paralytic & Friends Also the Feast of St Christina the Virgin Martyr of Tyre St Athenogoros the Apologist St Athanasios St Romanos (Boris) & St David (Gleb), Holy Martyrs & Passion Bearers, sons of St Vladimir - St Polycarp the Archimandrite of Kiev Far Caves Monastery St Hilarion of Tvali
Apolytikion of the Resurrection Tone (5)Plagal 1
Ton
sinanarhon Logon Patri ke Pnevmati, ton ek Parthenou tehthenta is Sotirian imon, animnisomen, Pisti, ke proskinisomen. Oti ivdokise Sarki anelthin en to Stavro ke Thanaton ipomine ke egire tous tethneotas en ti Evdoxo Anastasi Aftou.
The
Word, Who with the Father and the Spirit has no beginning, and Who, for our Salvation, was born of a Virgin, let us Faithful Believers hymn and adore. For it was His Good Pleasure to ascend the Cross in the Flesh, and to Suffer Death, and through His own Glorious Resurrection to raise the dead.
Apolytikion Of Female Martyrs Tone 4
amnas Sou Iisou, krazi megali ti foni. Se Nimfie mou potho, ke Se zitousa athlo, ke sistavroume, ke sinthptome to Vaptismo Sou. Ke pasho dia Se, os Vasilefso sin Si, ke thnisko iper sou, ina ke ziso en Si. All os thisian amomomn, prosdehou tin meta pothou tithisan Si. Aftis presvies, os eleimon, Soson tas psihas imon.
my Lord Jesus, Thine Ewe-Lamb, with a loud voice calls out: I yearn for Thee, O my Groom, and suffer all in search of Thee, and I am crucified and buried with Thee in Baptism; and I suffer for Thy Sake, so as to reign with Thee, and give my life to Thee so that I may live with Thee; but accept as pure Sacrifice, the one who desired to give her life for Thee. Through her Intercessions, O Most Compassionate, Save our souls! Protection of the Christians unashamable, Mediation to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!

Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton Pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is Presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton Timonton Se.
Resurrection Gospel 6 :
Luke 24 : 36 53
Our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ Appears to His Holy Apostles & Disciples before Ascending to Heaven
Prokeimenon
O Lord, protect us and preserve us - both now and forever! Save us, O Lord, for there is not one Godly man left!
Our Life of Unity and Mercy in Christs Holy Church
Brethren: having Gifts differing according to the Grace that is granted to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our Faith; or Ministry, let us use it in our ministering; those who teach, in their teaching, those who exhort, in exhortations; those who give, with liberality; those who lead, with diligence; those who show Mercy, with cheerfulness. Let Love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with Brotherly Love, in honour, giving preference to one another serving the Lord; rejoicing in Hope, Patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in Prayer; distributing to the needs of the Saints, given to Hospitality. Bless those who persecute you Bless and do not curse. We live out our Faithful Relationship with God in His exhaustive. Instead Gods Gifts of Divine Grace as Holy Church, which is the Sacred Body of Christ, mentioned above, represent all the infinite Divine with Humility, sober thoughts, and proper use of Gifts of Grace that God has granted to His Faithful Spiritual Gifts, which are granted to us by the Divine Flock. Grace of God the Holy Spirit. While a Faithful Believer is Justified by Faith, this Faith Faithful and True Christian Ministry requires us to is intimately united to Good Works, which are function together in all our diversity combining all genuine and sincere expressions of our True Faith our Holy Gifts that have been granted to us by God. in and Love of God. The Seven Holy Gifts of Divine Grace that St Paul Faith and Good Deeds or Works cannot be separated mentioned should not be understood as being we cannot have one without the other!!
The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew
9 : 1 8
The Faith of the Paralytic & His Friends
At that time, our Lord Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and went to His own city. Then, behold, they brought to Him a Paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the Paralytic: Son, be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you. And at once some of the Scribes said within themselves: This Man blasphemes! And Jesus knowing their thoughts said: Why do you think evil in your heart? For which is easier: to say: Your sins are forgiven you, or to say: Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has Power
6th Sunday AP 6th of St Matthew The Paralytic & Friends 24 July 2011
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on earth to forgive sins... then He said to the Paralytic: Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitude saw this, they marvelled and glorified God Who had given such Power to men. Capernaum was our Lord Jesus Christs own city, having close to our Lord due to the multitude who filled the set up His home base from there. house and the courtyard, the friends carried the pallet with the Paralytic to the roof of the house, made a As shown by the Healing of the Paralytic, FAITH IS AN INDISPENSABLE AND ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF SALVATION great hole in the sun baked roof - having established BECAUSE TRUE FAITH IS COLLECTIVE AS WELL AS exactly where our Lord stood - and then lowered the PERSONAL and consequently the faith of the Paralytics bed safely down to the ground right in front of our friends also helped in his healing. Saviour. St Mark and St Luke also mentioned this particular In this account, THREE SIGNS OF OUR LORDS DIVINITY ARE Miraculous Healing and through their Gospel accounts, EVIDENT: HE KNEW THE SECRET THOUGHTS OF THE we learn how determined the Paralytic and his friends HYPOCRITICAL SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HE FORGIVES SINS A DIVINE POWER THAT BELONGS TO GOD ALONE AND HE were. HEALS MERELY BY THE DIVINE POWER OF HIS WORD! In order to be presented to Christ Whom they just knew would heal his paralysis and being unable to get
The Faith of the Paralytic & his Friends

According to today's Holy Gospel, four friends brought a Paralytic to Jesus Christ for healing. When they saw the packed house they didn't give up in despair. Instead, they went up on the roof, removed the panels and lowered the Paralytic down. Can you imagine the amazement of the crowd in the house seeing the man coming down from the roof? Can you imagine the amazement of Jesus Christ seeing the man coming down from the roof and four heads peaking through the roof? The result of this experience was the healing of the Paralytic of his physical and spiritual infirmities. First, we see here a graphic example of Faith. We see how Faith will literally raise the roof to be in the Presence of God in Jesus Christ. The men were not discouraged by the jammed doorway. Why? Because of Faith. Faith never gives up. Faith perseveres. Faith is inventive. Faith is fertile. Faith is full of ideas. Faith laughs at barriers. If the road is closed one way, Faith seeks another way. Second, what we see is that these men made it clear that Christianity is not just a stab in the dark. Christianity is not just trying to be a nice person. True Christianity is a determined and directed effort to establish contact with a Divine Person our Lord Jesus Christ. When people say that they are not in Church but their heart is with you at Church they are fooling themselves because if their heart was truly there, their body would also be there! True Faith always finds a way to be with Christ no matter what obstacles seem to be in the way! Are we willing to raise the roof to be with Christ? Most people would raise the roof to get a good business deal, for tickets to a basketball game, the opera, a movie, a big party, an exotic trip or a new job. How many of us are willing to raise the roof to be in Christ's Presence? Not many of us. That's why we live a life of superficial faith - faith that is neither alive nor vibrant. Yes, we may be very religious. We may live a life of outward formalities, rather than our faith being a deep movement and motivation of the heart. Real Faith cannot be prevented from finding a way to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. Why is this so? What is the problem? I suggest that the problem centres upon what we believe and Who we think Christ is. Our Lord Jesus asked His Disciples - and the same question applies to us: "Who do you say that I Am?" Who do we say - and who do we believe - Christ is? According to our Orthodox Theology, we believe that Jesus is God Incarnate, the Almighty Creator of everything visible and invisible, the Saviour of the world, and the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End of all things! Holy Scripture and our Holy Church teach us that our Lord Jesus Christ is Omnipresent, Eternal, Pre-Eminent, Lord, Kyrios, Almighty and Supreme Authority. He must truly be all these to us, sincerely and personally! Our Orthodox Theology is meant to be a Theology of Experience! A Theology that is confined or restricted to books is useless! In reality, what we think about Christ is essential it is even more important than the way we act. If someone walked in here now and said: "I am Christ, I am God, we would have three options: we can think that he is crazy, we can think that he lying, or in fact, we can believe that he is who he says he is.
WHAT WE B E L I E V E ABOUT CHRIST AFFECTS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY WE SPEND IN GETTING INTO HIS PRESENCE.
Look at the friends of the Paralytic. First of all they were people of Faith - their faith led to a Divine Miracle. Four men went to Christ, but they did not go alone. They carried their paralytic friend. Most of us worry about how to enter the Divine Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is a good thing to do. However, we also have the Blessed Privilege of bringing others into His Loving Presence as well. The greatest Gift we can give to another person is to bring them to Christ. Not a day goes by that we do not come in contact with people who do not know Christ, and who are not Christians. This is the whole Purpose of His Holy Church the Sacred Mission of Priests, Sunday School Teachers, Choir members, Youth Workers, and other ordinary people to bring people to Christ. So often we bring people into the presence of baklava, souvlakia, dolmathes, but we forget the importance and significance of our True Faith we forget Christ our Lord and Saviour! Our Holy Desert Fathers have told us that a Monk once picked up a rock and said: "If this rock could heal people, would you put it in your pocket or attempt to touch as many people as possible?" The answer was obvious. The Holy Father explained that the rock symbolizes Christ and that WE SHOULD TOUCH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
WITH HIS DIVINE LOVE.
If we have Faith, circumstances will never stop us. With genuine Faith in Christ, we will bring others into His Presence because is no greater Gift than our Lord Jesus Christ Who brings to everyone the absolute Fullness of Life here and now and He also grants us Eternal Life. It is entirely up to us to choose for ourselves - and to enter His Holy Presence no matter what seems to stand in our way!
The Holy Icon of the Paralytic & Friends:

WE SEE THE FAITH OF THE PARALYTIC'S FRIENDS AS THEY LOWER HIM TO OUR LORD JESUS. IT IS ALSO NOTICEABLE THAT THE CROWD IS NOT REPRESENTED AND THAT THE ROOF APPEARS TO BE UNDAMAGED. HOWEVER, SUCH SMALL DETAILS WOULD DETRACT FROM THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE HOLY ICONS, WHICH IS PARALYTIC AND HIS FRIENDS AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC BY REV. JOHN KALOUDIS ST NECTARIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH http://www.stnectariosgoc.org/wdk_sn/wcm/content/church/curch_icons_and_relics/arches_descriptions/05_healing_of_the_paralytic.jsp
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To Convert or not to Convert?

NO PRIESTLY ACT IS OF MORE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCE THAN A CONVERSION TO ORTHODOXY.
It crucially determines for all time the Converts personal status - marital rights and restrictions as well as religious allegiance not to mention Eternity!
IF A PLEDGE OF UNQUALIFIED LOYALTY TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IS SUBSEQUENTLY BETRAYED, THE RESULT IS DISASTROUS, NOT LEAST FOR THE PRIEST INVOLVED,
argument: why should so much more be expected of a Convert than most Orthodox are prepared to do for their Orthodoxy? Why should Converts be more punctilious in their religious observance than are the majority of Orthodox? To begin with, we have no special interest in swelling our number by Conversions. As Orthodox Christians
WE HAVE A SPIRITUAL TASK AND DUTY TO PERFORM SO NUMBERS ARE RELATIVELY IMMATERIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR MISSION ON EARTH.
should he have been guilty of an error of judgement in authorising the Conversion on insufficient evidence of sincerity. In that event, he is bound to feel some PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR EVERY VIOLATION OF CANON LAW THE CONVERT MAY COMMIT.
For by the Priests acceptance of a non-Orthodox into the Orthodox Church and that persons subsequent nonparticipation of Holy Mysteries and Services or nonobservance of the required Fasts or Holy Commandments, the Canon Law is gravely breached. Therefore, CONSCIENTIOUS PRIESTS, UNDER THE WEIGHT OF
THIS CRUSHING RESPONSIBILITY, REGARD CONVERSIONS WITH EXTREME RELUCTANCE AND MAY EVEN REFUSE TO ALLOW IT.
True Proselytes are welcome, but Converts of questionable loyalty attenuate rather than consolidate our Strength. Throughout the Christian Era the Orthodox Church has been exposed to constant oppression and frequent massacres. Yet no Orthodox Christian ever worried about the survival of the Orthodox Church. Therefore THE SURVIVAL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH DOES
NOT DEPEND ON NUMBERS, BUT SOLELY INTENSITY OF OUR ORTHODOX COMMITMENT. ON THE
Moreover, a Conversion is a Spiritual Naturalisation. Even for a civil naturalisation although effecting infinitely less significantly THE INNERMOST BELIEF, THE
WHOLE PERSONALITY AND THE DAILY ROUTINE OF THE LIFE OF THE APPLICANT certain rigid requirements
The conditions for becoming an Orthodox Christian are simple enough in definition.
A PROPERLY QUALIFIED CATECHIST, AFTER INSTRUCTING THE CANDIDATE, MUST BE SATISFIED THAT THE CANDIDATE IS GENUINELY WILLING AND ABLE TO ACCEPT THE PROPER DISCIPLINE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH WITHOUT RESERVATION, whereupon the formal act of
Conversion is carried out, either by Baptism if the Candidate has not been previously Baptised in the Name of the Holy Trinity, or by the Holy Mystery of Chrismation, and the signing of a letter of Declaration whereby the Candidate renounces the former Faith and vows allegiance to Christ and the Orthodox Faith.
CONVERSION UNDER THESE CONDITIONS IS OPEN TO ANY PERSON, IRRESPECTIVE OF RACE, COLOUR OR PREVIOUS CREED.
are universally accepted. For the grant of citizenship, countries usually required a period of at least two years, fluency in the vernacular, and certainly ready submission to all the laws of the land. Any alien declaring his readiness to observe all the countrys laws except one would be refused his naturalisation, and it would not help him to argue that there are many native citizens who also sometimes transgress one regulation or another. In these matters it is all or nothing.
YET WHEN WOULD-BE CONVERTS ARE TOLD THAT IT MAY TAKE TWO YEARS OR MORE TO GAIN THE REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE (WHICH EVEN THOSE
ORTHODOX WHO WERE BAPTISED AT BIRTH MUST CULTIVATE THROUGH YEARS OF SPIRITUAL EDUCATION, PLUS LIVING IN AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENT FROM BIRTH), THAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE SOME
A person so converted then has all the rights and obligations of any Orthodox Christian. Strictly speaking, the actual Conversion from any Faith (or none) to Orthodoxy is of course carried out by the Proselyte himself.
THE GENUINE DESIRE TO BECOME AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN OCCURS THROUGH A RADICAL INNER CHANGE OF HEART AND SOUL which determine all loyalties, thinking,
FAMILIARITY WITH THE GREEK LANGUAGE, AND THAT THEY MUST UNDERTAKE TO OBSERVE THE CANON LAW OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH, THEY ARGUE, OFTEN AMID A CHORUS OF POPULAR GREEK APPLAUSE, WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO MEET REQUIREMENTS, WHICH SO MANY GREEKS FALL SHORT OF?
emotions and actions - the entire personality. A Spiritual Conversion is the most intimate and personal commitment of our life - the entire responsibility of which depends on the Candidate alone, thereby proving whether we are adequately prepared to take on such a profound responsibility that will affect the consequences of our Eternity. Some may complete the requisite preparation in intensive study and environmental experience in a matter of months; OTHERS LACKING IN DETERMINATION
OR OPPORTUNITY, MAY NEVER BE READY EVEN AFTER YEARS OF FRUITLESS EFFORT. HOW LONG THIS PROCESS TAKES IS DETERMINED BY THE CANDIDATE NOT THE PRIEST.
The ultimate test is the Candidates sincere commitment to fulfil all Spiritual Requirements of the Orthodox Life in Christ, which is revealed by Church attendance and the eagerness to learn and to apply all aspects to personal daily life. It is certainly not dependent on the Candidates love for an Orthodox Christian whom they hope to marry or for any other ulterior motive, for these are definitely not the right reasons for such a serious commitment to God and His Holy Church.
THE CRITERION IS THE PROFOUND LOVE OF ORTHODOXY I.E. A DEVOUT DEDICATION TO LIVE ACCORDING TO CHRISTS TRUE TEACHINGS BY MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO DO SO, WITHOUT ANY EXCUSES OR EXCEPTIONS.
Although parents must accept their natural children whether healthy or crippled, upright or delinquent, when adopting a child, they are free to choose, entitled to take all reasonable precautions to make sure that the child will be a source of pride and joy to them. So similar safeguards in admitting others into the Universal Orthodox Family are no less compelling or convincing. Within these general principles, there is of course a degree of variation. Since the assessment of a Candidates sincerity and the inadequacy of his Preparation is subject to a human estimation, there is bound to be a subjective factor in any such judgment. One Priest may be more credulous, another more suspicious in accepting a Declaration of Submission to Orthodoxy. Diverse local conditions, too, may have an important bearing on the decision to admit proselytes. In Greece, for instance, where all Converts will certainly live in an Orthodox environment, learn Greek, send their children to Greek schools where the Faith is taught, and observe the Orthodox Calendar at least in great measure and where there is hardly any opportunity of becoming integrated into nonOrthodox society, it is obviously far easier to accept Converts than in the Diaspora where these conditions do not exist.
NATURALLY, THE CIRCUMSTANCES PROMPTING AN APPLICATION WILL INVARIABLY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
Only when this Love and Belief in Orthodoxy transcends any other love or loyalty - in theory and practice are the conditions for Conversion truly fulfilled. But why are these conditions so rigid and demanding? Almost every Candidate (and many Greek Orthodox) question their justice with the seemingly plausible
A woman who wants to become an Orthodox Christian because she has fallen in love with a Greek, seeking to change her practice of Faith almost like one changes a passport on being married, will find far less sympathy than parents who wish to convert an
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adopted non-Orthodox child because they could find no Orthodox child. Extreme compassion will also be shown in cases of nonOrthodox children from mixed marriages. But these are clearly exceptions.
AS A RULE, IT WILL BE FOUND THAT ANYONE PREPARED TO CHANGE HIS RELIGION NEITHER HAD A DEEP RELIGIOUS ALLEGIANCE BEFORE THE CHANGE NOR WILL HAVE ONE AFTER THE CHANGE.
your people will be my people UNITING WITH

COMPLETE ACCEPTANCE THOSE TO WHOM SHE PLEDGED HERSELF; and your God will be my God - A FAITHFUL AND LOYAL WITNESS TO ALL RELIGIOUS COMMITMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS, WITHOUT EXCUSE OR EXCEPTION
where you die, I will die, and there shall I be buried - COMMITTING UNCONDITIONALLY FOR THE
REST OF HER LIFE TO THEIR BELIEFS AND PRACTICES EVEN INTO THE GRAVE AND BEYOND. (Ruth 1:16-17) THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED TO FOLLOW ST RUTHS EXAMPLE OF TOTAL LOYALTY AND ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR EXCUSE - WILL BE ACCEPTED AND WARMLY WELCOMED INTO THE ORTHODOX FAITH WITH OPEN ARMS.
Those who can be, and are, admitted to the Orthodox Church may indeed turn out to be rather exceptional Faithful Disciples of Christ but that all too rarely occurs!
TRUE PROSELYTES LIVE UP TO THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF TRUE FAITH which were so
concisely expressed by the most famous of them all St Ruth the Moabite of the Old Testament, who sincerely pledged her allegiance: Where you go, I will go; and where you lodge for the night, I will lodge - SHARING ALL ASPECTS
AND CONDITIONS OF THE LIFE TO WHICH SHE HAD CONVERTED;
But in the absence of such Candidates, we should occupy ourselves with the challenge to convert should-be Greek Orthodox, rather than would-be Greek-Orthodox, to Orthodoxy.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: http://www.pravmir.com/to-convert-or-not-to-convert/
Saints Among Us
The first few Sundays following the Feast of Pentecost are set aside for the Remembrance of the Saints. The first Sunday is All Saints, much like the West observes on 1 November. The second and third Sundays mark Saints of national and other particular interests. In the Orthodox Church in America, we commemorate, All Saints, All Saints of America and All Saints of Russia, and lastly, All Saints of the British Isles and Ireland (noting the large number of American Orthodox who have British or Irish backgrounds). The Scriptures tell us that the Saints stand about us as a great Cloud of Witnesses, as though we were living our lives in an arena. They cheer us on and urge us forward, always surrounding us with their Prayers. Life is Communion never a self-contained biology we exist by virtue of the fact that we are in Communion with others. Even in death, our bodies continue in Communion with the earth around it and the many life forms that increasingly inhabit our remains. Only in our imaginations do we exist apart from the life of others. Prayer is the most common expression of this Communion, particularly with the Saints. They pray for us whether we ask them or not, whether we want them to or not. Prayer is the voice of Love. There are Saints who are well-known, or at least, identified, in the Life of the Church. However, most Saints remain unknown to us, regardless of their roles in our lives. It should be remembered that Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared had only 10 Righteous men be found. As it was, the Prayers of the Righteous Patriarch, Abraham, were not without effect. His kinsman, Lot, and family were delivered from the destruction of the cities at the hands of Angels. It may be that none of us who read this are among the Saints whom I describe. But we can and must join our Prayers with theirs (and with the Hosts of Heaven) as a Veil of Protection in a world that often seeks its own destruction. May God make us fervent in Prayer on behalf of all and for all. I pray this meditation will be useful.
ADAPTED BY MP: SAINTS AMONG US FATHER STEPHENS BLOG: GLORY TO GOD
FOR ALL THINGS!
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/
The Eternal Wisdom of our Holy Fathers Elder Epiphanios Our free will is not passionate. If it were passionate, then "My heart only has entrances. It doesnt have exits. Abba Zosimas
by the Grace of God everything would appear simple for our free will. As I have frequently told you, a small inclination of our desire is able to attract God for our assistance. Whoever enters remains there. Whatever he may do, I Love him the same as I Loved him when he first entered into my heart. I pray for him and seek his Salvation."
Elder Sophrony of Essex

Everything you do, all your work, can contribute towards your Salvation. It depends on you, on the way you do it. History is replete with Monks who became great Saints while working in the kitchen or washing sheets. The Way of Salvation consists of working without passion, in Prayer. May God give you the Strength to keep your spirit, your mind, and your heart in the Spirit of Christ. Then everything that happens to you can very quickly be radically transformed. What was tiresome and discouraging will disappear, transfigured by your desire to be there where Christ your God is.
St Kosmas Aitolos
If you wish to be Saved, seek no other thing here in this world as much as Love.
The Paradise of the Fathers

If you would talk to others concerning Eternal Life, be ready to show you are willing to suffer for the Word, speak humbly with Repentance, weeping for your own sins, and choosing carefully with whom you speak: a person who is willing not just to listen but to do the Word. If you do not do these things, then it is better not to speak at all, lest you die and depart without profit from the words with which you hoped to vivify others. Remember, God is going to ask any sinners who quote Him, Who are you to speak the Words of My Covenant, which are written in the Scriptures?
Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

It is good to have the intellectual powers that take man to the moon costing billions of dollars in fuel expenses and so on, but it is better to have the Spiritual Powers that raise man to God, his ultimate Destination, with only a bit of fuel, a mere dried piece of bread
28.
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theo tokos, ye t Ever Virgin, toge ther wi th all the Saints. And let us commit o urselves and o ne another and o ur whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
25 Dormition of St Anna, the Righteous Mother of our Lady Theotokos
July 2011
Also the Feast of St Olympia, Deaconess of Constantinople St Eupraxia of Tabenna St Makarios, Abbot of Zheltovod & Unzha Monasteries the 165 Holy Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council at Constantinople (553)
Apolytikion Of The Dormition Of St Anna The Righteous Tone 4
Zoin
tin kiisasan, ekioforisas, Aganin theomitora, theofron Anna; dio pros lixin Ouranion, entha efrenomenon, katikia en doxi, herousa nin metestis, tis timosi se patho, ptesmaton etoumeni ilasmon, aimakariste.
Thou
carried the very one who carried Life in Her Womb: the Pure Mother of God, O God minded Anna; thus to a Heavenly Finish, where those who rejoice have their Dwelling in Glory, with Joy Thou has been Translated, seeking Forgiveness of errors, for those who eagerly honour Thee, O Ever Blessed One.
Kontakion
of the Holy Ancestors -
Progonon Hristou, tin mnimin eortasomen, tin touton

Pistos, etoumeni voithian, tou risthine apantas, apo psis thlipseos tous krazontas: O Theos genou meth imon, O toutous doxasas os indokisas.
The memory of Christs Forefathers let us celebrate,

by asking in Faith, for their assistance and their help, to deliver from every distress, all those who cry out: O God be with us Who Glorified them as it pleased Thee
St Pauls Epistle to the Galatians 4 : 22 27

The Difference between Slavery and Sonship
Brethren: It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman - the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through Promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two Covenants: the one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her children but the Jerusalem Above is free, which is the Mother of us all. For it is written: Rejoice, O Barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labour! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband. By saying that Abrahams two sons and that the related the womb was dead both through age and due to events were symbolic, St Paul did not imply that infertility. they were not historical facts. Nevertheless, THE WORD OF GOD FASHIONED HIM Rather he asserted that OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD so therefore HE WAS
ANNOUNCED SOMETHING FAR GREATER THAN ITSELF.
Hagar and Mount Sinai symbolised the earthly Jerusalem and the Hebrews who lived under the Mosaic Law. Sarah, being the freewoman, symbolised the Heavenly, Eternal Jerusalem - that is, the Holy Church of Christ our Saviour. The desolate are those in His Holy Church especially the converted Gentiles. She who has a husband is a reference to Israel. Furthermore, St Sarah was a type of St Mary the All Pure, Ever Blessed Theotokos for HER SON, ISAAC,
TOO, WAS BORN THROUGH DIVINE PROMISE AS A RESULT OF A DIRECT PROMISE AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
NOT ACCORDING TO THE FLESH AT ALL AND CONSEQUENTLY WAS MORE HONOURABLE THAN HE WHO WAS BORN AFTER THE FLESH (i.e. Ishmael the son of
Hagar the slave woman) Addressing all Christians Faithful Disciples of Christ St John Chrysostom taught us: Therefore, let it not disturb you that you were not born after the flesh for, from the very reason that you are not so born, are you most of all Abrahams Kindred. In other words, AS FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS WHO ARE
ADOPTED BY GOD AT OUR HOLY BAPTISM AND SEALED WITH THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT OUR CHRISMATION, WE ARE THE NEW ISRAEL AND RIGHTFUL HEIRS TO GODS HEAVENLY KINGDOM.
St Isaac was the issue of bodies that were dead, and of a womb that was dead his Conception was not by the flesh, nor his birth by the seed, for
We Must Take Care Of How We Hear Gods Divine & Perfect Truth
The Holy Gospel According to St Luke 8 : 16 - 21
At that time, our Lord Jesus Christ said: No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore, take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him. Then His Mother and Brothers went to Him, but could not approach Him because of the crowd. And He was told by some who said: Thy Mother and Thy Brothers are standing outside, wanting to see Thee. And He answered and said to them: My Mother and My Brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it. This is another Teaching of our Lord and Saviour Who Our Lord warns us most seriously that ALL THOSE WHO TEACH AND PREACH HIS DIVINE TRUTH ARE SEEN AND addressed these words to His Faithful Disciples, HEARD BY EVERYONE SO THEY MUST BE GENUINE, urging them to FOLLOW A STRICT WAY OF LIFE and SHINING ROLE MODELS. teaching them to BE SERIOUS STRUGGLERS IN VIRTUE Furthermore, when Teachers and devout Disciples are BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE CLOSELY OBSERVED AND examined by others some who genuinely seek IMITATED BY SO MANY OTHERS. Gods Truth but some who seek a reason for
Dormition of St Anna, Righteous Mother of our Lady Theotokos
25 July 2011
29.
persecution of Christs Faithful nothing will be hidden because GODS TRUTH DOES NOT NEED TO BE
HIDDEN IN DARKNESS FOR IT SHINES FORTH LIKE HIS DIVINE LIGHT. 8 GOD IS TRULY THE LIGHT OF THE SPIRITUALLY DARKNED WORLD AND HIS TRUTH EXPOSES THE LIARS, THE FRAUDSTERS AND THE DECEIVERS. WE HONOUR GOD AND BRING HIM GLORY AND WORSHIP WHEN HIS TRUTH IS HELD UP FOR ALL TO SEE AND HEAR. Therefore, as Faithful Disciples of Christ, IF WE HAVE DILIGENCE AND ZEAL, WE WILL RECEIVE MUCH DIVINE GRACE FROM GOD.
discuss personal matters with Him, OUR LORD POINTED OUT THAT HIS FAMILY WAS NOT RESTRICTED TO THE FEW WHO WERE INDEED RELATED TO HIM ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. This should under no circumstances be taken as being insulting to either His Beloved Mother or to His Relatives. Instead our Lord emphasised that fact that HE HAD COME
TO SERVE ALL MANKIND AND TO MAKE EVERYONE MEMBERS OF HIS DIVINE FAMILY.
But those who have neither diligence nor zeal, by their own negligence, they will extinguish and lose even that Divine Grace that they appeared to have received from God. When the Ever Blessed Theotokos and the cousins of Christ the sons of St Joseph the Betrothed and his wife, Salome (the sister of St Anna) went to see our Lord, it was apparent from Christs Words that He was not in the company of His Relatives according to the flesh. For He had left them in order to devote Himself to His Spiritual Teaching. Nevertheless, His Family had gone to Him and in this example, we are taught that ANYONE WHO IS
ENTRUSTED WITH SERVING ALMIGHTY GOD MUST ALWAYS PUT GODS SERVICE BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE INCLUDING OUR BELOVED FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
This is accomplished by our personal Adoption as Children of God and Co-heirs with Christ at our Holy Baptism. Another important point that our Lord made was that BY
MERELY LISTENING TO THE WORDS OF GOD WILL NOT SAVE ANYONE - and could actually become a Condemnation of us because only THOSE WHO HEARD THE DIVINE WORDS AND OBEYED THEM BY PUTTING THEM INTO PRACTISE IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, WOULD ATTAIN HIS DIVINE SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE. READING ALL THE HOLY SCRIPTURES THE TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND ALL THE DIVINELYINSPIRED WRITINGS AND TEACHINGS OF OUR HOLY CHURCH FATHERS - AND EVEN ENDLESSLY STUDYING THEOLOGY - WILL DO US ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD WHATSOEVER UNLESS WE OBEY GOD BY PUTTING INTO PRACTISE ALL HIS TEACHINGS WHETHER DIRECTLY TAUGHT BY CHRIST HIMSELF OR BY HIS HOLY CHURCH FATHERS AND MOTHERS!
When someone told Christ that His Family had arrived either wanting to listen to His Teaching or to
St Anna the Righteous Mother of our Ever Blessed Lady, Theotokos

St Anna was the daughter of St Matthan the Priest, of the Tribe of Levi - as was St Aaron the High Priest. St Matthan and his wife had three daughters: St Mary (Miriam), St Zoia, and St Anna (Hannah). St Mary was married in Bethlehem and bore a daughter, St Salome, who married St Joseph (later known as the Betrothed- the elderly Guardian of the Ever Blessed Virgin & Theotokos); Zoia was also married in Bethlehem and bore St Elizabeth,(the mother of St John the Baptist & Forerunner;) and St Anna was married in Nazareth to St Joachim, and in her old age gave birth to St Mary our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos. St Joachim was of the tribe of Judah, and a descendant of King David. St Joachim and St Anna had been married for fifty years, but, sadly St Anna remained barren. They lived devoutly and quietly, using only a third of their income for themselves and giving a third to the poor and a third to the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. St Joachim had done this since he was 15-years-old, and God always multiplied his flocks, so the couple was well provided for. They longed for a child but remained childless into their old age, and one day, while they were in Jerusalem to offer sacrifice to God, the High Priest, Issachar, most unkindly upbraided St Joachim by loudly telling him: "You are not worthy to offer sacrifice with those childless hands!" Others who had been Blessed with children jostled St Joachim, thrusting him back thereby expressing their contempt for being unworthy! In despair, he consulted the genealogical records of the Tribes of Israel and discovered every Righteous man in the Nation had been Blessed with children, except him. This caused the aged Saintly spouses even greater grief and they departed from the Temple and Jerusalem with deeply bereaved hearts. They devoted themselves entirely to Fasting and Prayer - beseeching God to work in them the Miracle that He had worked in St Abraham and St Sarah so many centuries before, and to grant them if it were according to His Divine Will - one child to comfort them in their old age. St Joachim drove his flocks to a high mountain, refusing to return home in such shame and unworthiness, while St Anna prayed ceaselessly in her garden. Eventually, God sent His Archangel, St Gabriel, to each of them, with Glad Tidings of the forthcoming birth of "...a daughter Most Blessed, by whom all the 30.
Nations of the earth will be Blessed, and through whom will come the Salvation of the world." Both St Joachim and St Anna sincerely promised to dedicate and raise their beloved child in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, as a Holy Vessel of God. St Gabriel the Holy Archangel of God told St Joachim to immediately return home, where he would find his faithful wife waiting for him at the city gate, which he had already instructed St Anna to do. When they saw one another, they were overwhelmed by great joy and relief, and they tearfully embraced each other closely, which is depicted on the Traditional Icon of the Feast of the Conception of our Lady Theotokos. St Anna soon conceived, and in the ninth month, to their great Joy and deepest Gratitude to God, she gave birth to the Ever Blessed, All Pure and Holy Virgin Mary, which was celebrated by all their family and friends. The Conception of the Most Holy Mother of God is celebrated by the Holy Church on 9 December and her Nativity is celebrated on 8 September. St Joachim and St Anna presented their beloved child at the tender age of three (having just been weaned) to the Temple to be Dedicated to the Service of the Lord. They presented her to the High Priest, St Zechariah and having offered her as their greatest sacrifice according to the Hebrew custom of the time they left her there in the company of other young maidens, who were all nurtured and educated at the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, living in the allocated apartments until they reached puberty. The Presentation of our Lady Theotokos is commemorated on 21 November. During the next seven years, the Righteous St Anna and St Joachim visited their beloved daughter as often as possible at the Temple until they died, leaving her an orphan at the age of ten years. St Joachim lived for 80 years and St Anna for 79 years, and having lived their entire life in humble and devout Service to Almighty God, they both entered His Eternal Kingdom of Everlasting Life and Love. The Dormition Feast Day of St Anna is celebrated on 25 July. May her memory be Eternal!
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Anna ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Anna
Dormition of St Anna, Righteous Mother of our Lady Theotokos 25 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the H oly Spiri t, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgi n, together with all the Saints. And le t us commit ourselves and one ano ther and our whole Life to C hrist o ur Go d. Amen.
26 July 2011 St Paraskevi the Great & Holy Martyr of Rome Also the Feast of St Hermolaus, St Mermippos & St Hermocrates of Nicomedia St Gerontios of St Anna Skete, Mount Athos St Savva III of Serbia Holy Icon of our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos of Embolon, Constantinople
Apolytikion of St Paraskevi of Rome Tone 1
Tin
spoudin Sou ti klisi katallilon, ergasameni feronime, tin omonimon sou pistin, is katikian keklirose, Paraskevi Athlifore; othen proheis iamata, ke Presvevis iper ton psihon imon.
Having worked with readiness befitting the Call, O One

Named After Readiness, Thou inherited as Dwelling, the Faith which is Thy namesake, Paraskevi the Great Victor; Wherefore Thou flow forth Healings and Intercede for the souls of all of us. Protection of the Christians unashamable, Mediation to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the aid of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: hasten Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always Protects all those who honour Thee!

Koinonikon:
Is mnimosinon eonion este Dikeos.
Allilouia!
Sonship by Faith & Holy Baptism
The Epistle of St Paul to the Galatians 3: 23 4 : 5

Brethren: Before Faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law kept for the Faith, which would afterwards be revealed. Therefore the Law was our Tutor, bringing us to Christ, so that we might be Justified by Faith. But after Faith has come, we are no longer under a Tutor. For you are all sons of God through Faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were Baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all One in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christs then you are Abrahams seed, and Heirs according to the Promise.
The Holy Gospel According to St Mark 5: 24 34

The Haemorrhaging Woman
At that time, as our Lord Jesus went with Jairus, a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. Now a certain woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered many things from many Physicians, had spent all she possessed yet was no better but rather grew worse. So when she heard about Jesus, she went behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment, for she thought: If only I may touch His garment, I will be made well. And immediately the source of her bleeding dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. And Jesus immediately knowing in Himself that Power had gone out of Him turned around in the crowd and asked: Who touched My garment? And His Disciples said to Him: Thou see the multitude that throngs Thee, yet Thou ask Who touched Me? And He looked around to seek who had done so, and the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, went and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her: Daughter, your Faith has made you well. Go in Peace, and be Healed of your affliction.
St Paraskevi the Great and Holy Martyr of Rome

When the Archangel Gabriel healed Tobit of his blindness, he exclaimed, "It is good to hide the secret of a King, but it is Glorious to reveal and preach the Works of God" (TOBIT 12:7). Indeed it is a perilous and terrible risk not to keep the secret of a King, but to remain silent about the Works of God is a great loss for the soul. St. Nicodemos, the biographer of St. Paraskevi, continued: ...And I am afraid to hide by silence the Holy Account that has reached me." Thus, the Life and Miracles of St Paraskevi have been recorded and transmitted to us. The Blessed Holy Martyr Saint Paraskevi was born in Rome (circa 130) during the reign of the pagan Emperor Adrian. Her parents, St Agathon and St Politia, were devout Christians even though belief in Christ was a crime against the state, which was punishable by death. St Agathon and St Politia, who were of the nobility, likewise ignored the disdain of their peers by championing the cause of the down- trodden. In spite of their devotion to Christ and His Teachings, St Agathon and St Politia secretly and painfully bore the Cross of a childless Marriage. Trusting in the Great Mercy and Love of God, this Christian couple did not despair, nor did they cease praying for a child, which they vowed to rear in a God-fearing manner. Behold the Miracle! Late in life St Agathon and St Politia were Blessed with a daughter and because she was born on Friday (Paraskevi in Greek), they named her Paraskevi. Keeping their Sacred Promise to God, St Agathon and St Politia were vigilant in exposing St Paraskevi to the Fullness of Christianity. The Sacred Task was made considerably easier because the young girl had a natural penchant for learning.
St Paraskevi, the Great Virgin Martyr of Rome
26 July 2011
31.
With the help of private Tutors, St Paraskevi became an ardent student of both Holy Scripture and secular learning. However, the greatest influence in her life, according to her own Testimony, was the Christ-like example of her Righteous parents. Young St Paraskevi developed into a cultured, sensitive and beautiful woman - and before long certain noblemen began to notice her, and to seek her hand in marriage. St Paraskevi always managed, however, to find some excuse to politely refuse their offers due to an inner, personal conviction that she was destined for a more sublime Mission in life. St Paraskevi was orphaned of both parents when she was twenty years old. At this point in her life, that inner conviction of a Higher Calling had crystallized into a devout Love and Zeal for Christ and her greatest desire was to become an Apostle of Christ. To achieve her goal, St Paraskevi distributed all her worldly inheritance among the poor of Rome, entered a Monastery for women and was tonsured a Nun. St Paraskevi distinguished herself in the Holy Virtues of Humility, Love and Spiritual Fortitude. When she finally became proficient in Prayer and Sacrifice, the Abbess granted her leave so that she could fulfil her lifes ambition - to preach the Love of God to all people. This was a most precarious Mission, because the pagan Roman Empire was extremely hostile towards Christianity and even the most courageous of Christians were reluctant to publicly confess their Faith but St Paraskevi remained undaunted by any threats and she fearlessly began her public Mission in the streets of Rome. The profound fervour of her Kerygma her Preaching and her example of utter commitment to God were so inspirational that great multitudes were converted - almost from the moment of their very first meeting with the Holy Saint. In spite of her increasing fame and Spiritual Legacy, by the Grace of God, St Paraskevi managed to elude the persecuting Roman authorities and being encouraged by this - she decided to extend her Holy Ministry to Turkey. There St Paraskevi experienced her first frightening confrontation with Roman persecution and the irrational hatred of Christians while preaching in the village of Therapia when the soldiers of Emperor Antonius Pius arrested her. She was charged with false accusations of treason against the Roman Empire being blamed for causing social disruption and the moral degeneration of citizens who refused to worship the pagan gods! At her trial, the Emperor, who was amazed and infatuated by such a beautiful and wise young lady, tried to persuade St Paraskevi to renounce Christ and worship the Roman gods by making her various ineffective offers and promises of immense wealth, royal favours and social status by offering her marriage to him as well as half his share of the Roman Empire! However, once again, St Paraskevis reply was quick and resolute: I have made my choice; no amount of wealth or deprivation can separate me from my Love for Christ!" Humility springs forth out of Love, because if you Love others you dont upbraid them so that they are disgusted with themselves. You dont get angry with them so that they suffer, because if you get people angry, they are unable to eat, pray, or sleep. Therefore, make sure that in no way do you anger anyone. But its impossible to never anger anyone!
Rebuffed, humiliated and infuriated, Emperor Antonius Pius ordered the immediate imprisonment and mercilessly beating to death of St Paraskevi. The sadistic torturers were astounded by seeing that no matter what terrible punishment St Paraskevi was subjected to each day, by the following morning she would be as rejuvenated and tranquil as if nothing had happened to her at all! Even though they feared the terrible the wrath of the vengeful Emperor, they reported this strange phenomenon to him. After screaming castigations of their ineptness at his torturers, Antonius Pius ordered them to take St Paraskevi to the place where she had been arrested and to prepare a huge cauldron of boiling water, tar and oil, so that he could have the pleasure of personally supervising the scalding to death of ...that blasphemous Paraskevi! Once the cauldron was bubbling hot, St Paraskevi was thrown into it, but it seemed as though the scalding hot mixture was merely pleasantly lukewarm! In utter disbelief at what he witnessed, Emperor Antonius ranted and screamed at his unsuccessful executioners until he looked at St Paraskevi, who calmly reassured him that his servants had indeed fulfilled his orders correctly. She also informed him and all those who had been gathered to witness her Holy Martyrdom: "My Lord and Master wills that I continue His Work!" In his frustrated rage -and totally oblivious of her words Antonius yelled at her: "Sprinkle me with the oil and tar. I dont believe what I see!" And obligingly, St Paraskevi scooped some of the boiling mixture in her hands, and splashed it on the Emperors face. He screamed in excruciating agony: "Im blind! I cant see!" and then, instinctively, he implored St Paraskevi to have pity on him, begging her: "Restore my eyesight, and I shall believe! and he even loudly and clearly confessed: Your God is surely the True God!" Accepting his latter statement as a Confession of Faith, St Paraskevi climbed out of the bubbling cauldron, hurried to a nearby spring and scooped up fresh cool water with her hands, which she then poured onto Emperor Antonius face, while invoking the Divine Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She then Sealed his eyes with the Sign of the Precious and Life-saving Cross. And behold the Great Miracle! The Emperors eyesight was instantly restored! That life-changing Divine Miracle had such a profound effect on Emperor Antonius that he not only pardoned St Paraskevi and decreed that all persecutions against Christians be stopped, but he himself accepted Holy Baptism in the Divine Name of the Holy Trinity. Thus, by the Grace of God and according to His Divine Will, St Paraskevi resumed her Holy Apostolic Mission with an even greater Zeal and Faith. Tragically, the peaceful state came to an abrupt end when Marcus Aurelius succeeded Antonius Pius as the Roman Emperor, and reinstated the deadly persecutions against the Christian Church. Consequently, St Paraskevi was eventually beheaded in Rome on the 26 July, 180. May her memory be Eternal.
Elder Paisios of Romania On Humility

Perhaps without realizing it, youve said something troubling - so, when you meet those youve angered, immediately make a bow to them and say: Forgive me, my dear, for angering you. And when youve said, Forgive me, all the anger goes away at once. Its completely broken, nothing at all remains. And when the devil looks there, he sees that he was fooled - theres nothing written there anymore!
32.
St Paraskevi, the Great Virgin Martyr of Rome
26 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spiri t, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Vi rgin, toge ther wi th all the Saints. And let us commit o urselves and o ne anothe r and our w hole Life to Christ o ur God. Ame n.
27 July 2011 St Panteleimon the Holy Unmercenary & Great Martyr Also the Feast of St Nichlas Kochanov, Fool for Christ of Novgorod St Anthousa, Abbess & 90 Venerable Holy Sisters of Mantinea, Asia Minor - St Clement of Ochrid, Equal to the Apostles & Bishop of Greater Macedonia, together with St Naum, St Savva, St Gorazd and St Angelar
Apolytkion of St Panteleimon Tone 4
Atholofore
Agie ke iamatike Panteleimon, presveve to eleimoni Theo, ina ptesmaton afesin, paraskhi tes psihes imon.
Holy Champion and Healer, Panteleimon, intercede with our Merciful God, that He may grant to our souls, remission of our faults.
Kontakion of the Transfiguration 27 July 13 August
Epi
tou Orous Metemorfothis, ke os ehoroun i Mathite Sou, tin Doxan Sou Hriste O Theos etheasanto. Ina otan Se idosi Stavoumenon, to me Pathos noisosin ekousion to de kosmo kirixosin oti Si iparhis alithos, tou Patros to Apavgasma!
Upon
the Mount Thou were Transfigured, and Thy Disciples beheld Thy Glory, as far as they were able to do, O Christ our God; so that when they would see Thee Crucified, they would know that Thou Suffered willingly; and thus proclaim to all the world: Thou art truly the One Who is the Fathers Radiance!
Koinonikon:
Is Mnimosinon Eonion este Dikeos.
Allilouia!
Matins Gospel According to St Luke 21: 12 19

The Martyrdom & Persecution of Christs Faithful Apostles & Disciples
At that time our Lord Jesus said: ... before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the Synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before Kings and Rulers for My Names sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for Testimony. Therefore settle it in your heart not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and Wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brethren, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My Names sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your Patience possess your soul! The Second Epistle of St Paul to St Timothy 2 : 1 10
Thanksgiving & The Power of God
Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the Will of God, according to the Promise of Life, which is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, a beloved Son: Grace, Mercy and Peace from God the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord. I thank God Whom I serve with t pure conscience, as my Forefathers did, as without ceasing, I remember you in my Prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with Joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine Faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your Grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the Gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of Power and of Love, and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the Gospel according to the Power of God, Who has Saved us and Called us with a Holy Calling, not according to our works, but according to His own Purpose and Grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the Appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who has abolished Death, and brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel. The Holy Gospel According to St John 15 : 17 16 : 2
Union & Communion with our Lord Jesus Christ
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: ... these things I command you, that you Love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet - because you are not of the world for I chose you out of the world the world hates you. Remember what I taught you: A servant is not greater than his Master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also. But all these thing they will do to you for My Names sake, because they do not know Him Who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me also hates My Father. If I had not done the Works among them - which no one else did they would have no sin: but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. Yet this happened so that the word might be fulfilled, which is written in their Law: They hated Me without a cause. But when the Helper comes Whom I shall sent to you from the Father the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father He will testify of Me. And you, too, will bear witness because you have been with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the Synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
St Panteleimon - Holy Unmercenary & Great Martyr
27 July 2011
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St Panteleimon, Holy Unmercenary & Great Martyr

St Panteleimon was born in Nicomedia to an illustrious pagan, Eustorgios, and his Christian wife, St Euboula, who named him Pantoleon. Although St Euboula wanted to raise her son in the Christian Faith, she died while he was still young. So Eustorgios sent him to a pagan school, after which he studied medicine at Nicomedia under the renowned Physician, Euphrosynos. Pantoleon drew the attention of Emperor Maximian (284305), who appointed him as Royal Physician. The Hieromartyrs St Hermolaos, St Hermippos and St Hermocrates - survivors of the massacre of 20,000 Christians on 28 December 303 - lived secretly in Nicomedia at that time. Whenever Panteleon went to the house where they were hidden, St Hermolaos would see him and eventually he took the risk of speaking to him and even began to teach the young Physician about Christianity, One day St Panteleimon saw a dead child lying on the road, who had been bitten by a large snake, which was still beside the body. His sorrow at the sight compelled him to pray to our Lord Jesus Christ to revive the little child and to destroy the venomous reptile. He firmly resolved that if his Prayer was fulfilled, he would become a faithful Disciple of Christ and even accept Holy Baptism. Suddenly the small child woke up fully restored to life while the snake curled up and died! After this Divine Miracle, Pantoleon was Baptized by St Hermolaos with the name Panteleimon, (meaning "All-Merciful"). Then St Panteleimon slowly began to prepare his pagan father to accept Christianity. St Panteleimon had restored the sight of a certain blind man by calling on the Divine Name thereby also Enlightening the Spiritual Sight of the mans soul with the Knowledge of Truth. Later, when questioned by whom and in what manner his sight had been restored, he courageously confessed both Who the True Physician was and the miraculous manner of his Healing, for which he willingly accepted Holy Martyrdom. Eustorgios had witnessed his son healing the blind man and he believed - and was Baptised by St Hermolaos together with the formerly blind man. After the repose of his father, St Panteleimon dedicated his life to the suffering, the sick, the unfortunate and the needy, healing everyone in the Name of Jesus Christ and refusing any form of payment. He visited and healed all those who were imprisoned and tortured, who were more often than not, fellow Christians. Reports of the Unmercenary Physician spread throughout the city causing the inhabitants to flock to St Panteleimon, whereupon envious Physicians reported him to the Emperor and the Roman authorities accusing him of treason for healing Christians, even though St Panteleimon never discriminated against anyone at all. Consequently, Emperor Maximian urged his favourite Physician to refute the charges by making public offerings to the idols, but St Panteleimon refused to do so and confessed his unwavering Christianity. He even suggested that a sick person, for whom the other Physicians held out no hope, should be brought to the court to prove whether the pagan gods or the One True, Living Almighty God could heal him or her. A terminal paralytic was presented before them and the pagan priests invoked their gods without success. Then, to the utter shock and amazement of the Emperor and all the witnesses, St Panteleimon called upon the Divine Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the paralytic was completely healed! However the vicious Emperor ordered the immediate execution of the former paralytic and the merciless punishment and execution of St Panteleimon, whose perceived Powers he feared. Our Lord Jesus appeared to St Panteleimon and strengthened him before his sufferings, which consisted of being suspended from a tree and being scraped raw with iron hooks, being burnt severely and then stretched upon the rack until all his joints were dislocated. He was then hurled into a cauldron of boiling tar, after which he was thrown into the sea with a heavy stone tied around his neck. Despite all these unspeakable horrors, St Panteleimon remain unharmed and serene but he denounced the Emperor for his brutality and stubborn ignorance. The Priests, St Hermolaos, St Hermippos and St Hermocrates were arrested and tried for their unwavering Faith. On 26 July they were Perfected in Holy Martyrdom and beheaded by sword. St Panteleimon was taken to the circus to be devoured by wild beasts - yet they all meekly went to him and licked his feet. The astonished spectators began to shout: "Great is the God of the Christians!" So Emperor Maximian ordered the soldiers to stab to death with the sword anyone who dared to glorify Christ, and to cut off the head of St Panteleimon. They led the Saint to the place of execution and tied him to an olive tree. While he prayed, one of the soldiers struck him with a sword, but the sword became as soft as wax and inflicted no wound. He completed his Prayers, and a Voice was heard from Heaven, calling the Passion-bearer by his new name and summoning him to the Heavenly Kingdom: A witness said: "As the soldier raised his sword to behead the Saint, the sword melted as if it were made of wax. The soldiers fell to their knees and confessed their belief in Christ. The Saint prayed for them and forgave them for their sins. A Voice came from Heaven, saying to Pantoleonta that all he had asked for had been granted and that from this time on he would he known not as Pantoleonta, but as Panteleimon. (ALL-MERCIFUL)." Another witness related how, upon hearing the Heavenly Voice, the soldiers had fallen to their knees before St Panteleimon and begged his forgiveness, refusing to execute him, so He told them to fulfil the Emperor's command, otherwise they would have no share with him in the Future Life. The soldiers tearfully took their leave of the Holy Martyr with a kiss. When St Panteleimon was beheaded, the olive tree to which he had been tied became laden with fruit and most of the gathered witnesses believed in Christ. The beheaded body was thrown into a fire, but remained unharmed, and was soon honourably buried by Christian . St Panteleimon's faithful servants, St Laurence, St Bassos and St Probos, witnessed his execution and heard the Voice from Heaven and they carefully recorded the life, the sufferings and death of the great Unmercenary Saint and Holy Martyr. Portions of his Holy Relics were distributed throughout the Christian world while his venerable head rests at the Russian Monastery of St Panteleimon on Mount Athos. Another Holy Relic is in Panachrantos Monastery on Andros. St Panteleimon is venerated in the Orthodox Church as a Great Saint, and the Holy Protector of soldiers. This aspect of his veneration is derived from his first name Pantoleon, which means "a lion in everything." His second, Baptismal name, Panteleimon, means "AllMerciful", which befits his status as a Holy Healer. Consequently, soldiers who are at constant risk and often wounded on duty, as well as all faithful Christians who are ceaselessly engaged in Spiritual Warfare, are always in need of a Holy Physician-Healer to restore their health after life-threatening physical and Spiritual Wounds. St Panteleimon is invoked during the Holy Mystery of Anointing the Sick (Holy Unction), at the Blessing of the Water, and in Prayers for the Sick. He was especially dear to many of our Holy Saints, and continues to work Divine Miracles, and still grants many Blessings throughout the world. May his memory be Eternal! http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com
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St Panteleimon - Holy Unmercenary & Great Martyr
27 July 2011
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the H oly Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mari a, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, to gether with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
7th Sunday After Pentecost
Tone (6) Plagal 2
31 July 2011
7th Sunday of St Matthew: Two Blind Men & a Demoniac
Forefeast of the Procession of the Holy Cross
Also the Feast of St Joseph of Arimathea St Eudokimos the Just of Cappadocia St Julitta of Caesarea - St Germanos of Auxerre - St Benjamin, Hieromartyr of Petrograd & Gdovsk St Sergios the Archimandrite & St John the Layman of Petrograd - St Arsenios of Ninotsminda
Apolytikion of the Resurrection Tone (6) Plagal 2
Angelike
Dinamis epi to Mnima Sou ke i filassontes apenekrothisan. Ke istato Maria en to tafo, zitousa to ahranton Sou Soma. Eskilefsas ton Adin, mi pirasthis ip aftou. Ipintisas ti Partheno, Doroumenos tin Zoin. O Anastas ek to nekron, Kyrie, Doxa Si.
The
Angelic Powers were in Thy Sepulchre, and the guards became as dead men, and Mary stood by the Tomb seeking Thy Most Pure Body. Thou led Hades captive, yet were not tempted thereby: Thou Who art the Bestower of Life came to meet the Woman. Glory to Thee, O Lord, Who Rose again from the dead! Master Who Called Thee to Eternal Mansions on High, preserves incorrupt Thy body even after death, O Holy Evdokimos; for Thou led a life of selfrestraint and decorum, never staining Thy flesh; and therefore truly, Thou art Blessed. With confidence, Intercede with Christ to Save our souls.
Apolytkion of St Eudokimos Tone 4
Ek
gis O Kalesas Se, pros eonious monas, tiri ke meta Thanaton adialoviton, to soma Sou, Agie. Sig gar en sofrosii, ke simni politia, maker epolitevso, mi molinas tin sarks. Dio en parrisia Hristo, presveve sothine imas.
The

Protection of the Christians unashamable, Mediation to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Help of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and press on Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!
Matins Resurrection Gospel 7 John 20 : 1 10

St Peter & St John Witness The Empty Tomb Of Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ
Prokeimenon
Save Thy People, O Lord, and Bless Thine Inheritance. I will appeal to Thee, O Lord our God.
Christian Unity for the Glory of God
Brethren: we who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please our neighbours for their good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written: The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell on Me. For whatever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope. Now may the God of Patience and Comfort grant you to be like-minded towards one another, according the Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, receive one another just as Christ also received us to the Glory of God! "The word bear does not mean to put up with, but This is essential for all faithful Disciples of Christ so that those who are strong in Faith lovingly and joyfully rather to CARRY TOGETHER. identify themselves with those who are weaker. G a l a t i a n s 6 : 2 Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfil BY REMEMBERING OUR OWN SPIRITUAL STRUGGLES AND the Law of Christ.
NOT ONLY MUST WE TOLERATE OR SHARE EACH OTHERS BURDENS BUT WE MUST ALSO CARRY OUR OWN BURDENS BECAUSE BOTH OF THESE ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS. Furthermore, as Disciples of Christ, WE ARE CALLED BY GOD TO INITIATE CARE-GIVING AND ACTS OF LOVE in His Holy
WEAKNESSES, WE ARE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE, GUIDE, TEACH AND SUPPORT OTHERS who lag behind us or who go
astray on this Journey towards Eternity.

THE BOUNTY OF OUR HUMAN HOPE IS TO BE FOUND IN HOLY SCRIPTURE. THROUGH THE WITNESS OF THESE DIVINELY INSPIRED SACRED WRITINGS THAT WE LEARN OF THE PATIENCE not only of Israel and the Holy Church of Christ, but OF GOD. Similarly, it is THROUGH THE SACRED PROMISES, SPIRITUAL VICTORIES AND STRUGGLES that are recorded in Holy Scripture that WE FIND TRUE COMFORT, WHICH ENCOURAGES AND INSPIRES US TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY AND TO TOLERATE ALL DIFFICULTIES WITH HOPE AND THE ASSURANCE OF GODS INFINITE LOVE AND PROVIDENCE THAT MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE FOR US.
Church and especially in the darkened, sad world as well as ENSURING THAT WE ARE NEVER NEEDLESS BURDENS TO OTHERS.
UNSELFISH, INDISCRIMINATE ACTS OF AGAPE HOLY LOVE ARE EXPRESSIONS OF OUR INNER BEING AND REVEAL A SMALL RETRIEVAL AND RESTORATION OF OUR LOST BLESSED LIKENESS TO GOD.
This is in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ Who bore all our human weaknesses.
7 t h Sunday After Pentecost 7 t h of St Matthew Two Blind Men & a Demoniac 31 July 2011 35.

Our Lord Jesus Heals Two Blind Men and a Demoniac
At that time, two blind men followed our Lord Jesus, crying out and saying: Son of David: have Mercy on us! And when He had gone into the house, the blind men went to Him. And Jesus asked them: Do you believe that I Am able to do this? They said to Him: Yes, Lord. And He touched their eyes, saying: According to your Faith, let it be to you. And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying: See that no one knows it. But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. As they went out, behold! They brought Him a man who was mute and demon-possessed. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marvelled, saying: It was never seen like this in Israel! And the Pharisees said: He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons! And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their Synagogues preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. According to St Isaiah, THE MESSIANIC AGE IS SIGNIFIED THEIR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS AND DEVIOUSNESS because it is impossible to do so since Satan is obsessed with the when ... the eyes of the blind shall be opened, consolidation of his evil powers rather than the ad the ears of the deaf shall hear. (ISAIAH 35:5) THESE MIRACULOUS HEALINGS ARE EXTRAORDINARY SIGNS destruction of it.
THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY THE LONG AWAITED MESSIAH. Furthermore, the fact that THE TWO BLIND MEN ADDRESSED OUR SAVIOUR AS SON OF DAVID ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR FAITH IN THIS TRUTH THEY INSTINCTIVELY KNEW WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, THAT HE IS TRULY THE MESSIAH THE SAVIOUR OF OUR FALLEN WORLD. THE RIDICULOUS AND FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF THE SELFRIGHTEOUS PHARISEES that our Lord cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, EXPOSES THE DEPTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST CLEANSED LEPERS, RAISED THE DEAD AND REMITTED SINS BY THE DIVINE AND GOOD POWER OF THE HOLY TRINITY BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER, THROUGH THE SON AND ACTIVATED BY THE LIFE-GIVING HOLY SPIRIT!
The evil one and his demons are entirely incapable of doing anything that is so genuinely good, merciful, compassionate or kind.
THOSE WHO SEEK DIVINE TRUTH GODS TRUTH - NOT MERELY OUR DISTORTED IDEAS OF TRUTH SHOULD OBTAIN A COPY OF THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE, WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE WITH BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. THIS PUBLICATION CONSISTS OF THE COMPLETE SEPTUAGINT (I.E. IT INCLUDES ALL THE ORIGINAL HOLY BOOKS OF THE OLD COVENANT FROM WHICH OUR LORD OFTEN QUOTED AND WHICH PROPHESIED THE COMING OF CHRIST OUR LORD AND EVERYTHING THAT HE LATER FULFILLED) AS WELL AS EXCELLENT EXPLANATORY NOTES AND VARIOUS OTHER RELEVANT ARTICLES AND SUBJECTS. IT IS THE COMPLETE HOLY BIBLE THAT RELATES OUR SPIRITUAL HISTORY FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN FAMILY AND EVERY FAITHFUL, STRUGGLING DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost & of St Matthew : Healing the Blind and Dumb. The first Sunday Readings after Pentecost showed us a state of mind preoccupied with selfish, the Commandments of God according to which all worldly, insignificant thoughts and never a the Saints of the One, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Prayer to be addressed to God in gratitude, Church lived. supplication or praise. THESE COMMANDMENTS ARE LIKE STEPS INTO THE KINGDOM This is Spiritual Muteness as well as Spiritual Blindness, OF HEAVEN THAT OUR MERCIFUL GOD HAS PREPARED which only our Lord Jesus Christ can Heal. FOR ALL MANKIND. I would like to relate one example - one experience This means that these Steps are leading us there from my personal life, which was inscribed on my THESE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD ARE ESSENTIAL FOR heart. EVERY ONE OF US - with such a Purpose the Holy It was during a very difficult period of my life. It seemed Church has presented them to us. there was no way out. My church in the town of But now FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS OUR HOLY CHURCH Romni was closed, I was exiled from Romni and my HAS BEGUN TO SHOW US not what we should cultivate family was left to the Mercy of God. in ourselves, but THINGS WHICH WE SHOULD AVOID To be registered in any church in Kiev was impossible. I AGAINST WHICH WE SHOULD FIGHT. had to live from day to day, hiding out with friends, These Sacred Lessons teach us about the power of evil knowing that by doing this I could harm them. - about being possessed by it, about grievous At Church Services I could only be present secretly, passions, unrepented sins, slavery to sin, even hiding somewhere in a corner of the Holy Sanctuary sometimes bodily paralysis, as well as Spiritual - and not every church would welcome an Paralysis, which is inevitably the result of sin. unregistered Priest. In the same way, todays Holy Gospel tells us about the Before me there seemed to be impenetrable darkness. Healing of two blind men and a man who could not I was losing heart. I felt both blind and dumb, in a speak because he was possessed by a demon. spiritual sense. And we not only hear of the physical blindness of the Then a bright thought came to me: I should go to Lavra two men, but also the Spiritual Blindness of the - to the cave Church of St Anthony - to the early self-righteous Pharisees. Divine Liturgy. Spiritual Blindness is caused by unbelief or a stoniness I wanted to believe that maybe there in the presence of heart a stubborn refusal to reject false pride, of the Holy Relics of the Saints - the veil would fall deflate bloated egos and to become humble and from my eyes and I would be able to see the obedient. Providence of God for me. Spiritual Blindness may be a temporary state just like a I stopped for the night in Lavra and stayed with a close dark, threatening storm cloud that hovers over us friend of mine. At three in the morning the gong but which - with Gods help - eventually goes away. was struck. We dressed quickly and went out. It was This is a terrible feeling of being forsaken by God, a absolutely dark. But from all sides stretched lines of horrible Spiritual Loneliness (WHICH IS ACTUALLY CAUSED BY OUR OWN VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE FROM HIS DIVINE PRESENCE THROUGH little lights - these were Monks with lanterns going SIN..) to the Service in the caves. And there are many other Spiritually Blinding Everything was quiet, reverent and mysterious as the conditions: two of us went along. Then we started to go down when we can talk about anything and into the cave. And as we descended I grew more everything, but never about Spiritual or and more depressed. Godly Things. The Liturgy started. I saw how everyone was praying. when we see, know or hear that someone is But I could not pray! suffering, in need or experiencing terrible Something terrible was happening to me; the ceiling of grief, yet we do not offer even one little the cave pressed down on me. I was suffocating. word of comfort, act of kindness or And not so much physically, as spiritually. compassion.
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7 th Sunday After Pentecost 7 t h of St Matthew Two Blind Men & a Demoniac 31 July 2011
Anguish was simply tearing my chest apart. If I could have run away, I would have. But with an unbelievable effort of will I forced myself - at least outwardly - to remain at the Service, which came only automatically to me. I was both blind and dumb. Minutes seemed like hours. I felt as though I was perishing, and as though I was dumb incapable of words. I cried out in my heart: "Lord have mercy!" without even understanding the meaning of these words. If the Divine Liturgy had lasted for one more minute, I could not have remained there. But finally it ended and I rushed outside. And then a Miracle happened to me: the sun had already risen, the grass, the leaves, the trees were all covered with morning dew and seemed to be strewn with bright, sparkling diamonds. In the distance I could see the blue of the Dnieper River, which was broken up by the bright golden reflection of the rising sun a wonderful gold that fell from Heaven; and beyond the Dnieper River I could see the fields and the forests the beautiful world of God! I breathed deeply. Before me was Hope! God had removed the stone from my heart!
I had been blind, but suddenly I recovered my sight: all this earthly beauty was now symbolic for me symbolising the unearthly Beauty of Eternal Life. I wanted to live for Eternity, and I wanted to share this Joy with all those around me. The dumbness had gone and I began talking to people again who were all now near and so dear to me. See how GOD HEALS OUR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS AND
DUMBNESS!
So let us walk in His Way. Let us endure. Let us imitate the blind men. After all, they did not see Christ, yet they knew Who He was! And what is more, they had never seen the image of a human being; but they knew that Christ was there, nearby, and believed that He could heal them. This is the classic image of Prayer.
THE ORTHODOX FAITH NEVER FORMS ANY IMAGES, BUT ONLY KNOWS THAT CHRIST IS - and He is near and can do
anything. But let us always be attentive, because He will ask us too: "Do you believe that I Am able to do this?" And let our answer to Him be: "Yes, Lord! We believe!"
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: THE ONE THING NEEDFUL - SEVENTH SUNDAY: HEALING THE BLIND AND DUMB - BY ARCHBISHOP ANDREI RYMARENKO (1893 1978) http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/sermons_archbishop_andre i.htm#_Toc45953461
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware On the Spiritual Guide Part 2 Flight and Return: The Preparation of the Spiritual Guide
ALTHOUGH SPIRITUAL GUIDES ARE NOT ORDAINED OR APPOINTED FOR THEIR TASK, IT IS CERTAINLY NECESSARY THAT THEY SHOULD BE PREPARED. AND RECEIVING ALL WHO CAME TO HIM, WHETHER MONKS OR LAY PEOPLE. HE DID NOTHING TO ADVERTISE HIMSELF OR TO CALL OTHERS TO HIM; it was the others who took the
There is a classic pattern for this Preparation, a movement of Flight and Return such as may be clearly discerned in the Lives of St Antony the Great and St Seraphim of Sarov, to take but two examples separated from each other by fifteen centuries. > ST ANTONYS LIFE falls sharply into two halves, with his fifty-fifth year as the watershed.
THE YEARS FROM EARLY MANHOOD TO THE AGE OF FIFTYFIVE WERE HIS TIME OF PREPARATION, SPENT IN AN EVER-INCREASING SECLUSION FROM THE WORLD as he
withdrew further and further into the desert. According to his biographer, he eventually passed twenty years in an abandoned fort, meeting no one whatsoever. When he had reached the age of fifty-five, his friends could contain their curiosity no longer, and broke down the entrance. St Antony came out and, for the remaining half century of his long life, without abandoning the life of a Hermit he made himself freely available to others, acting as a Physician given by God to Egypt, to use the phrase of his biographer, St Athanasios. He was beloved by all and all desired to have him as their Father. Observe that THE TRANSITION FROM ENCLOSED ANCHORITE
TO SPIRITUAL FATHER CAME ABOUT, NOT THROUGH ANY INITIATIVE ON ST ANTONYS PART, BUT THROUGH THE ACTION OF OTHERS.
initiative in approaching him, but when they came sometimes hundreds or even thousands in a single day HE DID NOT SEND THEM EMPTY AWAY. Without this intense Ascetic Preparation, without this radical flight into Solitude, would St Antony or St Seraphim have been able to Guide and Inspire their contemporaries to the same degree? Not that they withdrew with the specific and conscious purpose of becoming the Teachers and Guides of others.
THEY FLED, NOT IN ORDER TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR ANY SUCH TASK, BUT SIMPLY OUT OF A CONSUMING DESIRE TO BE ALONE WITH GOD. GOD ACCEPTED THEIR LOVE, BUT THEN HE SENT THEM BACK AS INSTRUMENTS OF HEALING in the world from which
they had withdrawn. Even had He never sent them back, their flight would still have been supremely creative and valuable to society; for NUNS AND MONKS
HELP THE WORLD NOT PRIMARILY BY ANYTHING THAT THEY DO AND SAY BUT BY WHAT THEY ARE, BY THE STATE OF UNCEASING PRAYER which for some at any rate
among them has become identical with their innermost being.

HAD ST ANTONY AND ST SERAPHIM DONE NOTHING BUT PRAY IN SOLITUDE THEY WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN SERVING OTHERS TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE. As things turned out, HOWEVER, GOD ORDAINED THAT THEY SHOULD ALSO SERVE THEM IN A MORE DIRECT FASHION.
It should also be noted that St Antony was a lay Monk, never Ordained to the Priesthood. ST SERAPHIM OF SAROV followed a comparable Path.
AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS SPENT IN THE ORDINARY LIFE OF THE MONASTIC COMMUNITY, AS NOVICE, PROFESSED MONK, DEACON, AND PRIEST, HE WITHDREW FOR TWENTY YEARS OF SOLITUDE, FIRST AS A HERMIT IN THE FOREST AND THEN FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, AFTER BEING ORDERED BY THE ABBOT TO RETURN TO THE MONASTERY, AS A RECLUSE ENCLOSED IN HIS CELL. During part of these twenty years HE MET OCCASIONAL VISITORS, BUT AT OTHER TIMES HIS ISOLATION WAS ALMOST TOTAL: at the start of his time in the forest
Yet this direct and visible Service was not their original aim: it was a side-effect that they had not themselves intended or initially envisioned, AN
OUTWARD CONSEQUENCE OF THE INNER AND INVISIBLE SERVICE, WHICH THEY WERE ALREADY RENDERING THROUGH THEIR PRAYER.
St Seraphim said: Acquire a peaceful spirit and then thousands of others around you will be Saved. Such is the pattern of Spiritual Fatherhood or Motherhood.
ESTABLISH YOURSELF IN GOD; THEN YOU CAN BRING OTHERS TO HIS PRESENCE. Each must LEARN TO BE ALONE, and so in the Stillness of their own heart they will begin to HEAR THE WORDLESS SPEECH OF THE SPIRIT, thus DISCOVERING THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES AND ABOUT GOD. Then their word to others will be A WORD OF POWER, because it is A WORD OUT OF SILENCE.
he spent a thousand days on the stump of a tree and the thousand nights of those days on a rock, devoting himself to Unceasing Prayer; for the last three years in his forest hut he spoke to no one; and during his three years of enclosure in the Monastery he did not go to Church even to receive Holy Communion, but the Holy Mystery was brought to him at the door of his cell. Then in 1813, at the age of fifty-three, he ended his seclusion, DEVOTING THE LAST TWO DECADES OF HIS
LIFE TO THE MINISTRY OF STARCHESTVO (ELDERSHIP)
Shaped in this way by the Encounter with God in Solitude, the Starets is able to Heal by his very presence.
7 t h Sunday After Pentecost 7 t h of St Matthew Two Blind Men & a Demoniac 31 July 2011 37.
He guides and forms others, not primarily by words of advice but by his companionship, by the living and specific example which he sets.
HE TEACHES AS MUCH BY HIS STILLNESS AS BY HIS SPEECH, BY HIS VERY PRESENCE AS MUCH AS BY ANY WORD OF COUNSEL THAT HE UTTERS.
Slowly WE RECOGNIZE OUR POWERLESSNESS TO HEAL THE

WOUNDS OF HUMANITY SOLELY THROUGH PHILANTHROPIC PROGRAMS, COMMON SENSE AND PSYCHOANALYSIS. OUR SELF-DEPENDENCE IS BROKEN DOWN, WE APPRECIATE OUR OWN INADEQUACY, AND SO WE START TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CHRIST MEANT by the One Thing
That is why Abba Pambo saw no reason to say anything to Archbishop Theophilos of Alexandria: If he isnt edified by my silence, then he wont be edified by my words. A story with the same moral is told of St Antony: It was the custom of three Fathers to visit the Blessed Antony once each year, and two of them used to ask him questions about their thoughts (logismoi) and the Salvation of their soul; but the third remained completely silent, without putting any questions. After a long while, Abba Antony said to him, See, you have been in the habit of coming to me all this time, and yet you do not ask me any questions. And the other replied, Father, it is enough for me just to look at you.
THE REAL JOURNEY OF THE STARETS, HOWEVER, IS NOT SPATIALLY INTO THE DESERT, BUT SPIRITUALLY INTO THE HEART.
that is necessary (LUKE 10:42). That is the moment when a person may - BY THE DIVINE MERCY - START TO ADVANCE ALONG THE PATH of the Starets. Through our Pastoral Experience - through our anguish over the pain of others - WE ARE BROUGHT TO
UNDERTAKE THE JOURNEY INWARDS AND TO SEEK THE HIDDEN TREASURE-HOUSE OF THE KINGDOM, where
alone a genuine solution to the worlds problems can be found. No doubt few - if any - among us would venture to think of ourselves as a Starets in the full sense, but provided we SEEK WITH HUMBLE SINCERITY TO ENTER INTO THE SECRET CHAMBER OF OUR HEART, we can all SHARE TO SOME DEGREE IN THE GRACE OF
SPIRITUAL FATHERHOOD OR MOTHERHOOD.
External Solitude, however valuable, is not indispensable, and a person may LEARN TO STAND
ALONE BEFORE GOD WHILE YET CONTINUING TO PURSUE A LIFE OF ACTIVE SERVICE IN THE MIDST OF SOCIETY.
The story of the Alexandrian Doctor who was the equal of St Antony, and who all day long sang the ThriceHoly Hymn with the Angels, shows us that THE
Perhaps we shall never outwardly lead the Life of a Monastic Recluse or a Hermit that often rests with circumstances outside our own control but what is supremely important is that EACH SHOULD SEE THE NEED TO BE A HERMIT OF THE HEART. (TO BE CONTINUED.)
ADAPTED & EDITED B Y MP: THE SPIRITUAL GUIDE IN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY BY METROPOLITAN KALLISTOS WARE JUNE 2009 LECTURE PUBLISHED ON PAVMIR.COM http://www.pravmir.com/
MYSTICAL AND ANGELIC LIFE IS POSSIBLE IN THE CITY AS WELL AS THE DESERT. UNCEASING PRAYER OF THE HEART IS no monopoly of
the Eremitic Solitary; for people such as the Alexandrian Doctor have accomplished THE INNER JOURNEY WITHOUT SEVERING their OUTWARD
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
The Value of Silence

The Elders of earlier centuries knew THE BENEFICIAL
EFFECTS THAT THE PRACTICE OF SILENCE HAS ON US AS WE STRIVE FOR SALVATION while trying to stay
This pattern of Flight and Return, then, is not to be understood in too literal and clear-cut a way. The two stages need not necessarily be expressed in external and spatial terms; and by the same token the Flight and Return are not always sharply distinguished in temporal sequence. Take, for example, the case of St Seraphims younger contemporary, ST IGNATY BRIANCHANINOV. Trained originally as an Army Officer, he then withdrew to a Monastery; but after only four years in Monasticism he was appointed at the early age of twenty-six to take charge of a busy and influential Community close to the heart of St Petersburg. After twenty-four years as Abbot, he was Consecrated Bishop. Four years later he resigned, to spend the remaining six years of his life as a Hermit. Thus in St Ignatys case a long period of active Pastoral Work and Spiritual Fatherhood preceded the period of his Eremitic Seclusion. When he was originally made Abbot, he must surely have felt ill-prepared.
HIS SECRET WITHDRAWAL INTO THE HEART WAS UNDERTAKEN CONTINUOUSLY DURING THE MANY YEARS IN WHICH HE ADMINISTERED A MONASTERY AND A DIOCESE; BUT IT DID NOT RECEIVE AN EXTERIOR EXPRESSION UNTIL THE VERY END OF HIS LIFE.
focused on our Lord Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. St James taught us that EVERY TIME WE OPEN OUR
MOUTHS AND SPEAK, WE RUN THE RISK OF SINNING IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
Thus, Silence is important and necessary to our Life in Christ: I will watch how I behave and not let my tongue lead me into sin, (PSALM 39:1) Sometimes, even good, Holy, edifying words can be problematic: A flood of words is never without its faults. (PROVERBS 10:19)
SPEAKING IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS AND EASILY LEADS US AWAY FROM THE RIGHT PATH. St Benedict cautioned that SPEAKING DRAWS US INTO THE AFFAIRS OF THIS WORLD, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE INVOLVED WITHOUT BECOMING ENTANGLED IN AND POLLUTED BY THE WORLD.
Consider how often - after a conversation, a discussion, a social gathering, or a business meeting we are left with a bad taste in our mouth. How seldom have long discussions proved to be good and fruitful? WOULD NOT MANY IF NOT MOST OF THE
WORDS WE USE BE BETTER LEFT UNSPOKEN? HOW OFTEN CAN WE REALLY CHANGE WORLD EVENTS FOR THE BETTER? DO OUR WORDS DO OTHERS OR US ANY GOOD?
The Life of ST THEOPHAN THE RECLUSE followed the same pattern: first an active Pastorate, then the Hermits Cell. 7 St Ignatys career may serve as a paradigm to many of us at the present time, even though we are conscious of falling far short of his level of Spiritual Achievement. Under the pressure of outward circumstances and probably without clearly realizing what is happening to us, we assume the responsibilities of Teaching, Preaching and Pastoral Counseling, while lacking any deep Knowledge of the desert and its Creative Silence. 8 But THROUGH INSTRUCTING OTHERS WE OURSELVES PERHAPS BEGIN TO LEARN.
7
ST TIKHON OF ZADONSK IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF ONE WHO, AFTER MANY YEARS OF ACTIVE PASTORATE, ONLY BECAME A RECLUSE AT THE END OF HIS LIFE
We speak about our ideas and feelings as if everyone were interested in them, but how often DO WE
REALLY FEEL UNDERSTOOD?
We speak a great deal about God and our Faith, but how often DOES IT BRING US OR OTHERS REAL
INSIGHT? WORDS OFTEN LEAVE US WITH A SENSE OF INNER DEFEAT.
Often they leave us in a slight depression, or in a fog that clouds the window of our mind. Words can give us the feeling of having been MOTIVATED
MORE BY CURIOSITY THAN BY SERVICE.
Silence is Golden. BY LIMITING OUR SPEECH TO THE

MOST ESSENTIAL WORDS, WE KEEP OURSELVES FROM UNDUE MISTAKES AND MISCOMMUNICATIONS WITH OTHERS.
For the complete article: http://www.pravmir.com/the-value-of-silence/
The Dormition Fast begins tomorrow, with alternate Great & Small Paraklesis being offered each evening until 15 August, the Feast of the Dormition of our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos.
38.
7 th Sunday After Pentecost 7 t h of St Matthew Two Blind Men & a Demoniac 31 July 2011

Orthodox Sacred Lessons - J U L y 2011

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Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa Archdiocese of Good Hope

St Kosmas & St Damianos Holy Unmercenaries of Rome

Apolytikion Of St Kosmas & St Damianos Tone (8) Plagal 4

Kontakion Of The Ever Blessed Theotokos

Kontakion Of St Kosmas & St Damianos - Tone 2

The First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians 12 : 27 13 : 8

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St Kosmas & St Damianos, the Holy Unmercenaries of Rome

(REFER ALSO LUKE 20:25 & ROMANS 13 : 1 7)

Otherwise, LOVE MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR GOD

The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 10 : 1, 5 8

BURDEN TO ANYONE ELSE.

8 Christ said: Freely you have received freely

St Kosmas & St Damianos, Wonderworkers & Unmercenary Physicians of Rome

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St Kosmas & St Damianos, the Holy Unmercenaries of Rome

3rd Sunday After Pentecost

Kontakion Of The Ever Blessed Theotokos

term Faith faithfulness."

8 To a greater or lesser degree, we are all

We change from good to bad so WE NEED TO

- as Faithful Disciples of Christ - relentlessly

The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 6: 22 - 33

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Instead, OUR LORD JESUS LEADS US TOWARDS HIS ETERNAL

Seek First the Kingdom of God

- Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

LET US ENTRUST OURSELVES TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE!

ELDER IN GREEK - A SPIRITUAL FATHER, TEACHER AND GUIDE

why we are tormented.

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Kontakion Of The Ever Blessed Theotokos

St Pauls Epistle to the Galatians 5 : 22 6 : 2

preparatory period before Eternity .

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St Athanasios of Mount Athos

Brethren. Consequently, SUCH TACTLESS AND CONCEITED ATTITUDES

The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 11 : 27 30

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St Athanasios of Mount Athos

St Kyriake the Great Martyr of Nicomedia

O my Lord Jesus, Thine Ewe-Lamb, with a loud voice

Kontakion Of The Ever Blessed Theotokos

St Pauls Epistle to the Romans 11 : 13 24

The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 11 : 27 - 30

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St Kyriake the Great Holy Martyr

St Kyriake the Great Holy Martyr of Nicomedia

http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=101963 and http://www.abbamoses.com/months/july.html

(THE PHILOKALIA VOL. 3; FABER AND

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St Kyriake the Great Holy Martyr

4th Sunday After Pentecost

Resurrection Gospel 4 : Luke 24 : 1 12

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4th Sunday After Pentecost -

The Holy Gospel According to St Matthew 8 : 5 13

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost - The Faith of the Roman Centurion

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4th Sun day A ft er P en t ec o s t -

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Nevertheless, WE MUST NEVER EXPECT DIVINE MIRACLES FOR

temptation can threaten or overwhelm us.