The Spiritual Life Is Something That Someone Else Gives To Us
 

A basic condition for the spiritual life is that we should understand that, on our own, we can do absolutely nothing. No matter how hard we try, the spiritual life is something that someone else gives to us.

And the “someone else” is the Spirit of God, the Comforter, the “treasury of good things and the giver of life”, the treasury from which all the riches of spirituality come forth, the source from which the spiritual life emerges and overflows.

Of course, sometimes we get confused, and think that to be spiritual means to be a “good person”: not to steal, not to kill, not to go to bad places or with bad friends, to go to Church on Sunday, to read spiritual books, and so on. But no, this is not the spiritual life.

A spiritual person, a true Christian, is someone whose entire life is sworn to God.

- Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra

Orthodox Prostration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFBH1Ws2VmY

“The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul.”

- St. Anthony the Great

Extraordinary life of a confessor who speaks the language of Jesus from Nazareth
 

http://www.georgianjournal.ge/pictur...385870d4d1.jpg

36-year-old deacon Father Seraphime is Assyrian by ethnicity and his native language is Aramaic. The deacon lived an ordinary life until 24 years of age, trained in Eastern wrestling and was head of security of a government member in Ukraine. But certain events that had occurred in his life made him take up the mantle of a priest. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II learned of his fate and presented him to Assyrians living in Georgia as a "€œconfessor of all Assyrians"€. It was Ilia II'€™s idea of Father Seraphime learning Aramaic and then perform public worship in the presence of Assyrians in this language. Currently Father Seraphime lives in the village of Kanda, where we visited him for an interview:

- As we know, you lived an earthly life until you were 24: you did martial arts and worked as a bodyguard. What made you turn your life towards divine worship?

-€“ I didn'€™t really believe in God back then. I would enter a church, light a candle or two and think myself a believer. I read the Bible when I was eleven years old, but took it as a fairy tale. Then when I actually realized God existed, I went and became a monk. That'€™s pretty much it.

-€“ Was there any significant event in your life that pushed you towards this decision?

-€“ I spent a large part of my childhood and youth in hospital beds. I experienced a most devastating trauma when I fell into a concrete mixer. Not a single man in history returned alive from such an incident -€“ except me. For two years I wasn'€™t even able to walk. First I was chained to a bed, then to a wheelchair, then to crutches.

- What other injuries did you receive in the past?

- Once I got hit by a car. Then there was this bottle of hydrogen peroxide; I took it for a bottle of water and drank it. I survived a lot of things by a hair'€™s breadth, such as falling from several meters'€™ height. Long story short, a lot of occurrences pushed me towards taking up a monk'€™s life. Once I had quite an experience: someone very close to me, a relative, was in mortal danger. I went to the grave of the last Georgian saint, Father Gabriel, and said "€œGod will, I shall become a monk, just leave him with his life"€ And when we thought all hope was lost, a miracle happened and this man survived.
For some time after this, I lived in Kiev. As I told you, I was into martial arts back then, namely wrestling. I even won a Trans-Caucasian Championship. Soon I became chief of security for a government official. Then something happened that I do not wish to speak of. It was a miracle; you can call it enlightenment or a dream. I was reminded that I was chosen and that it was time to keep the promise I made to God about becoming a priest. This miracle reminded me of my words daily for two months, so eventually, at Holy Trinity'€™s Jonah Monastery, I died, figuratively speaking, and was reborn as a monk.

- What can you tell us about your people, the Assyrians?

- My people, Assyrians are probably the only ethnic group in the world who still pay with their lives for their worship of Christ. In Eastern countries such as Iraq, Iran, Syria and other war zones, Assyrians get attacked in their churches and beheaded if they refuse to convert to Islam. They are being destroyed en masse. The apocryphal story regarding Assyrians being the first Christians comes from the story when Christ'€™s face appeared on a canvas. The canvas was presented to the last king of Assyrians, Abgarus the Fifth.
As for Assyrians in Georgia, there are about 4000 of them. The Assyrian language is basically Neo-Aramaic. Many historians write about Christ speaking the Chaldean language, which almost exactly the same as Aramaic. Just like in Georgia there exist Gurians, Imeretians and Megrelians, so were Assyrians and Chaldeans: the same people but from different corners, so to say. Neo-Aramaic language is about 2500 years old. The wonderful thing is that this language allows us insight into what people living centuries ago sounded like. Out of 4000 Assyrians living in Georgia, 2000 of them live in my village of Kanda and comprise 95% of its population. Almost 90% of these people speak Neo-Aramaic.

-€“ Upon becoming fluent in Aramaic, you are now able to perform divine service in it. How difficult is it for you and in general, what is the process like?

-€“ When His Holiness talked with me, he confided with me this idea: since I am Assyrian, why not perform divine service for my people in my own language? He conferred a lot of responsibility on me. Ilia II treated Assyrian issues with great attention, responsibility and love. I love him a lot as well. There was a time when I said to myself "€œI probably love him the most of all"€ But after I was appointed as shepherd over my people, the Assyrians, I realized that they where who I loved the most. We are very grateful to His Holiness for giving us the right to praise God in our own language while living in Georgia.

-€“ The video that depicts you, together with the church choir, chanting in Aramaic, is quite popular on the internet. What is chanting in Aramaic like, what quirks does it have? How is it different from chanting in another language, Georgian for example?

-€“ Chanting, be it in Aramaic or Georgian, is a unique thing. The main difference is, of course, in the language itself, and another in the tune and cadence. Chanting in Aramaic is completely different culture-wise. It is Eastern, after all, and we replicated it exactly as it sounded in ancient times. Well, almost exactly.

-€“ You have probably seen Mel Gibson'€™s movie "€œThe Passion of the Christ"€, where Aramaic is spoken. Can you understand it? Is it identical to the language you speak?

€- There are three languages used in the movie: Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew. And yes, I can freely understand Aramaic that is spoken in "€œThe Passion of the Christ" -€“ it is the same language that I wield.

Author: Eka Abashidze - for Georgian Journal http://www.georgianjournal.ge/societ...88381481237582

"When I was driven from the city, I felt no anxiety, but said to myself: if the empress wishes to banish me, let her do so; the earth is the Lord's. If she wants to have me sawn in sunder, I have Isaiah for an example. If she wants me to be drowned in the ocean, I think of Jonah. If I am to be thrown into the fire, the three men in the furnace suffered the same. If cast before wild beasts, I remember Daniel in the lion's den. If she wants me to be stoned, I have before me Stephen, the first martyr. If she demands my head, let her do so; John the Baptist shines before me. Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked shall I leave this world. Paul reminds me, 'If I still pleased men, I would not be the servant of Christ'."
St. John Chrysostom
"On Pleasing God Not Men"

Psalm 50
 

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart –– these, O God, You will not despise,
Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

The Orthodox Way of Knowing God
 

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Orthodox author Frederica Mathewes-Green was interviewed by National Review Online recently about the Orthodox faith, particularly why she became an Orthodox Christian.

Question: How does life in Christ differ from life without him?

Answer: In the book, I say that the Eastern Orthodox have not had a lot of practice explaining their faith to other Christians, and so aren'€™t familiar with many of the historic theological controversies of the West. But they did have lots of experience with non-Christians (Persians, Mongols, Muslims, Communists), and they "€œknew well how life in Christ differs from life without him."€

Now that you ask, I don'€™t really know how to express it! Christ is life. It'€™s having the Creator of the Universe with you. It'€™s having the source of all love with you. It'€™s indescribable. And it'€™s real, palpably real. I had a miraculous conversion experience, 41 years ago. I was hitchhiking around Europe (at that time, calling myself a Hindu), and went into a church to look around. I was looking at a statue of Jesus, and then I had an overwhelming sense of his presence, with me, within me. I "€œheard"€ him speak to me (not with my ears, but inside). It was kind of scary, and also really wonderful, and it turned my world upside down.

Ever since, all I have wanted is to be closer to him -€” to stay in his presence. When I became Orthodox some 22 years ago, I was amazed to find that that'€™s what it'€™s all about. It'€™s a "€œway",€ a program, a science, of union with God -€” 2,000 years of wisdom on how to safely, sanely, increase in the presence of Christ. That'€™s why I'€™m excited about Orthodoxy; it'€™s what I always wanted, and I didn'€™t even know it existed.

Full interview : http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...x-nr-interview

Do not claim to have acquired virtue unless you have suffered affliction, for without affliction virtue has not been tested.

+ St. Mark the Ascetic

Exploring the Many Facets of Orthodox Liturgical Singing
 

http://images.ancientfaith.com/200/SingToTheLord.jpg

Host Vladimir Morosan answers some very basic, fundamental questions regarding Orthodox music: Why do we sing in orthodox worship? What is the essence of that singing? And how does singing relate to our very core as human beings?

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts...othelord-intro

Prayer for Intercession Against One’s Inner Darkness
 

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My most holy Lady Theotokos, by thy holy and all-effective prayers drive from me thine unworthy servant all despondency, indecision, folly, carelessness, and all impure, evil and blasphemous thoughts, from my wretched heart and my darkened mind. And quench the flame of my passions, for I am poor and wretched, and deliver me from many cruel memories and deeds, and free me from all their bad effects; for blessed art thou by all generations, and glorified is thy most honorable name unto the ages. Amen.

Everything towards God
 

Knowledge, sensation, understanding, contemplation, insight and every movement of the intellect, everything in all things, should be directed towards God.

- Elder Joseph the Hesychast

https://traditiaortodoxa.files.wordp...pg?w=187&h=193

Today's Scripture readings - September 14
 

Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross

John 19.6-20, 25-28, 30-35

When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.”

When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness – his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth – that you also may believe.

1 Cor 1.18-24

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

While being virtuous is hard, and more challenging on one's own, it is particularly so when the one practicing it experiences a dearth of good men. I mean, just as travel involves hardship, and much more so when the traveler is alone and has no one with whom to share the journey, so too in this case. In other words, fellowship and fraternal encouragement are no small thing.

- St John Chrysostom

Observe yourself meticulously, so that if someone distresses you over something, you remain silent.
Keep your mouth shut, pray continually until you calm down, and then help the brother who grieves you.

- Abba Ammonas

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...17&oe=5662BC65

«Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.»

(Jesus Christ - «Matthew 11:28», KJV)

«Veniți la Mine toți cei osteniți și împovărați și Eu vă voi odihni pe voi.»

Traduceri in engleza pentru Matei 18:3
 

King James Version: ,,Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven"

New King James Version: ,,Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will be no means enter the kingdom of heaven"

English Standard Version: ,,Truly I say to you unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"

and the Orthodox translation from the original Greek- Matthew 18:3
 

Orthodox NT: "Verily I say to you, unless ye be turned about and become as the little children, in no wise shall ye enter into the kingdom of the heavens"

,,in no wise" ? Interesant, forma arhaica, foarte rar folosita.

the poor goldsmith and the patrician
 

Just as a candle is lighted from another candle, so also a good work is born from a good work. A patrician wanted to donate a gold cross to a church. He summoned a young but experienced goldsmith, gave him a great deal of gold that he weighed out, and told him to fashion whatever sort of cross he desired. The poor goldsmith, seeing what a large donation this patrician was making for the sake of his soul, became inflamed with love for God in his own heart, and decided that he would add his own ten pieces of gold to the amount of the patrician's gold. When the cross was completed, the patrician weighed it, and discovered that it was heavier than the gold that he had given to the young man. He immediately began to scold the young man as a thief, suspecting that he had taken some of the gold and replaced it with some other heavy metal. When the young man saw the patrician so angry, he confessed his deed. He said: ``I added from my gold, as the widow gave two mites, in order to receive Christ's reward with you.'' Hearing this, the patrician's heart was touched, and he said to the honorable young man: ``From this day, I take you as my son, and the heir of all my goods.''

Saint Nikolai Velimirovici - "Prologue from Ochrid"

Patriarch Pavle of Serbia - Interview 1996 (with English subtitles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T14p...ature=youtu.be

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...05&oe=569AEB71

Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first, it is ridiculed. In the second, it is opposed. In the third, it is regarded as self evident.

- Handy Jean

PS: this is a friend of mine from SF, California. Living as an Expat in Middle East. Christian Catholic. :)

If you want to forget something or someone, never hate it, or never hate him/her. Everything and everyone that you hate is engraved upon your heart; if you want to let go of something, if you want to forget, you cannot hate.

- same as above

Maria Laura Dumbrava
(Age 14, Romania)
“Mircea cel Batran” National College of Constanta

”"Who am I?" That is the question that every day I try to find an answer to. What shapes me as a human being are my thoughts and my actions while I interact with the others: children, adults, animals and nature. I have always felt a bond between us all and I found my strength and inspiration in God, family, friends and teachers. I think we are who we choose to be and that is why it is important to know all the alternatives when we take decisions.

The first page of my diary is an open-ended collection of promises I have made to myself: never to compromise my honesty, always listen before judging, be positive and find solutions, never be afraid of making mistakes as we can learn constructive lessons from them, set goals and take steps to reach them, appreciate and respect the others, defend the truth and speak up for those who are absent, love and help my family, my friends and my peers, not just take but also offer. So far, I may say that this is how I relate to the world and I strive to turn my beliefs into deeds.

The first time I reacted was when a boy from my class, Todirica, came to school with a bad haircut and some of boys started picking on him, throwing his cap to the ground. I went over to them and suggested we all played "paper planes". We started negotiating the teams and that was the moment when I realized I had the power to change things. I made the boys see Todirica as a partner, as our colleague. Another thing that I have become aware of is that play unites us and it is a good way of overcoming conflicts.

Three years ago I got involved in recycling paper and collecting used oil in my neighborhood. It was my way of dealing with pollution. In addition to this, I and my friends have fun spending our time outdoors in a constructive way: we go to the beach at weekends and play, run, laugh while collecting the garbage we come across during our walk along the shore. What I love most is that, when we start picking up empty bottles and plastic bags, there are people on the beach who come to help us.

Last year in spring I went to a meeting with kids of our age who got into trouble and faced the consequences. They used ethnobotanics and were expelled from school. We gathered to talk about our future and focused on the steps each of us had to take to choose the best alternative from that point on. The purpose was to communicate, learn from the shared experiences and take responsibility for our actions.

This is the second year in a row when I tried to do more for our planet. I worked hard and studied a lot and success followed. I created two space settlements where communities were based on respect for life, justice and liberty, and did their best to both sustain themselves out there and help the Earth. My projects were SpaceBurg (2014) and Twins (2015) and were awarded the 1st prize at NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest. I consider that going to space could be a way of putting an end to the wars started for territories and resources. It could boost governments to work together, share new goals and achieve progress and prosperity for the entire mankind.

Little by little, as the words I write engulf the pages of my diary, I get to see the reflection of myself. This is how I build peace in my heart and mind: by doing what I consider to be the right thing which always seems to find echoes in the hearts of the others and form inspirational ripples in the mind of our community and beyond.

I will conclude this essay with Dalai Lama's words: "an atmosphere of peace must first be created within ourselves, then gradually expand to include our families, our communities, and ultimately the whole planet", and, I will add, the whole universe. All it takes is determination, hard work and love.”


http://www.goipeace.or.jp/english/ac...inner_3C5.html

saint of the day
 

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e6&oe=56E5A5D4

Today - Monday, November 23rd, 2015 - we are celebrating a great saint from Romania : Saint Anthony from Iezerul Vâlcea. For this celebration, today FISH IS ALLOWED (during Nativity fast).
The place where he lived his life - back in time during the reign of Matei Basarab and Constantin Brâncoveanu, in Wallachia, was Iezerul Vâlcii, close to my birth city Craiova, in Oltenia.
I strongly believe that we should always ask for help and protection of the saints patrons of the day - nn. saints celebrated in one particular day - because as Patrons for that Day, to them has given God the guardianship and guidance of the faithful orthodox, in other words, they are in charge in that day. And what could be better that have a direct relationship with them, and ask for their protection, to survive the day graciously, and with benefit.
Saint Anthony from Iezerul Vâlcii already gave me his help. THANK YOU, SAINT ANTHONY !! :6: :53::53:

This is SO true !!
 

1 Corinthians 13 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

1. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...2f&oe=56AC6484

"The Wise Thief’s whole life had been one of theft and crime. But evidently his conscience had not died—and in the depths of his heart something good remained. Tradition even hold that he was that very thief who—during Christ’s flight into Egypt—took pity on the beautiful Baby and forbade his accomplices to kill Him when they attacked the holy family. Did he perhaps recall the face of that Child—when he looked upon the face of the One hanging next to him on the Cross?"

†Saint John the Wonderworker†
"Why the Wise Thief Was Pardoned,
Man of God: Saint John of Shanghai & San Francisco"b

daily scripture readings
 

Readings for December 6, 2015

[New calendar / Russian Typikon]

27th Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 17.12-19
And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Ephesians 6.10-17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

St Nicholas the Wonderworker, archbishop of Myra in Lycia (c345)

Luke 6.17-23
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

Hebrews 13.17-21
Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

daily scripture readings
 

Readings for December 16, 2015

[New calendar / Russian Typikon]

Wednesday of the 29th Week after Pentecost

Mark 8.30-34

And he charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.” And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Hebrews 5.11-6.8

About this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you again the first principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food; for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.

For Friday, January 8th, 2016
 

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Excerpt from :

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daily scripture readings
 

Readings for January 19, 2016

[New Calendar]

Saints of the Day : Venerable Makarios the Great of Egypt (c390-391); Holy Hierarch Mark, archbishop of Ephesus (c1444); Righteous Theodore, Fool-for-Christ of Novgorod (1392); Translation of the Relics of St Gregory the Theologian; Virgin-martyr Euphrasia of Nicomedia (303); Venerable Makarios of Alexandria (394-395); St Arsenios, archbishop of Kerkyra (8th); Venerable Makarios the Deacon of the Kiev Caves (13th-14th); St Anthony the Stylite of Martkobsa, Georgia (6th)

Tuesday of the 34th week after Pentecost

Luke 21.12-19

But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Hebrews 4.1-13

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ’They shall never enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this place he said, “They shall never enter my rest.” Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later of another day. So then, there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God; for whoever enters God’s rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, that no one fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Venerable Makarios the Great of Egypt (c390-391)

Matthew 11.27-30

All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy 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.”

Galateans 5.22-6.2

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

“Antichrist is coming into Georgia”

Archimandrite Lazar (Abashidze)

Sursa:
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/92430.htm