"There is nothing impossible unto those who believe; lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the twinkling of an eye. Besides, even without our sincere and firm faith, miracles are accomplished, such as the miracles of the sacraments; for God's Mystery is always accomplished, even though we were incredulous or unbelieving at the time of its celebration. "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Rom. 3:3). Our wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and mercy of God; our dullness shall not overpower God's wisdom, nor our infirmity God's omnipotence."
+ "My Life in Christ," St John Kronstadt
+ "My Life in Christ," St John Kronstadt
On Bright Tuesday, we read the story of the road to Emmaus from the Gospel of St. Luke, where two disciples on the road to Emmaus do not recognize Jesus. Likewise, we realize Jesus sometimes, perhaps often, appears to us unrecognized, even as He journeys with us. The disciples finally recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. In the Communion of the Holy Mysteries, we see and receive the Resurrected Christ, who promised “behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)”
In Saint George the Great Martyr and Triumphant (April 23/May 6), courage bears witness to Jesus Christ. At his martyrdom, he addressed the Emperor: “I am saved only by calling upon Christ and His Power. Whoever believes in Him has no regard for tortures and is able to do the things that Christ did.” (John 14:12)
His own torturers were among those converted on witnessing the saint’s courage while being tormented for his faith.
His own torturers were among those converted on witnessing the saint’s courage while being tormented for his faith.
No vice or passion appears under its real name. Fornication goes by the name of love, covetousness calls itself prosperity, gambling by fun, drunkenness and partying, by friendship, envy by justice and equality. In fact, often behind the rebellion against injustice and inequality is ordinary envy!
☦️ Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
☦️ Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
Inasmuch as everything was meant to be beautiful in Eden, then sinful souls will be treated as gardeners treat withered trees—that is, they’ll be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Therefore, brethren, it’s absolutely necessary to be renewed beforehand and, drinking the water of life and being warmed by the sun of grace, to begin to bear fruits of grace—we must resurrect here so as not to die an eternal death there!
☦️St. Innocent of Kherson
Therefore, brethren, it’s absolutely necessary to be renewed beforehand and, drinking the water of life and being warmed by the sun of grace, to begin to bear fruits of grace—we must resurrect here so as not to die an eternal death there!
☦️St. Innocent of Kherson
Here in this world, we celebrate Holy Pascha for a very short time. Joy passes and again tribulations, sorrows, temptations and many other evils come. But in heaven, in the other world, Pascha will last forever, and there will be no end. It will be the Pascha of eternity, and there will be no end to it. - Elder Ephraim of Arizona
“You feel that you won’t be saved – and that’s an important thought to have! It’s bad ‘not’ to have it, for without it you can fall into self-esteem and false pride, and so perish in spite of your good deeds.
On the other hand, it’s also bad to indulge in this thought too much, because you can fall into despair. Pray. Pray. Pray. That’s all I can tell you in this regard, and the Lord will make you understand.
Fight your laziness at least. Don’t give in to it…Your whole struggle consists in fighting your passions. Fight!
☦️St Innocent of Alaska, in a letter to his daughter Paraskovia, 1854
On the other hand, it’s also bad to indulge in this thought too much, because you can fall into despair. Pray. Pray. Pray. That’s all I can tell you in this regard, and the Lord will make you understand.
Fight your laziness at least. Don’t give in to it…Your whole struggle consists in fighting your passions. Fight!
☦️St Innocent of Alaska, in a letter to his daughter Paraskovia, 1854
Slaying serpents (or dragons) isn't just a man's work. One day after the commemoration of St George who famously put a serpent in its place, we honour St Elizabeth the Wonderworker of Constantinople (Apr 24/ May 7), who famously put a serpent in its place. St Elizabeth, who was Abbess of the Saints Cosmas and Damian Monastery, lived centuries after St George. St Elizabeth did it not slay the creature with the aid of a sword, but simply by her prayer.
St Elizabeth, who practiced an ascetic life from her youth, also healed a woman with an issue of blood who had been ill for many years and cast out unclean spirits. At her tomb, many were healed of various illnesses, and the blind received their sight.
Portions of St Elizabeth’s relics can be found at the Monastery of Saint Anna in Lygaria, Crete and the Monastery of Ntaou Penteli in Athens, Greece.
St Elizabeth, who practiced an ascetic life from her youth, also healed a woman with an issue of blood who had been ill for many years and cast out unclean spirits. At her tomb, many were healed of various illnesses, and the blind received their sight.
Portions of St Elizabeth’s relics can be found at the Monastery of Saint Anna in Lygaria, Crete and the Monastery of Ntaou Penteli in Athens, Greece.
In the Resurrection Chapel the notorious Dachau concentration camp at is a large icon depicting angels opening the camp’s gates, and Christ Himself leading the prisoners to freedom in the final days of WWII in 1945.
On April 29, a week before Pascha, “the electric power is turned off, the gates open and the American GIs make their entrance. As they stare wide-eyed at our lot, half-starved and suffering from typhus and dysentery, they appear more like fifteen-year-old boys than battle-weary soldiers...
Among the prisoners there were Orthodox priests, deacons and monks from Mount Athos. But there were no vestments, no books, no icons, no candles, no prosphoras, no wine. Efforts to acquire all these items from the Russian parish in Munich failed, as the Americans could not locate anyone from that parish in the devastated city… [1/2]
On April 29, a week before Pascha, “the electric power is turned off, the gates open and the American GIs make their entrance. As they stare wide-eyed at our lot, half-starved and suffering from typhus and dysentery, they appear more like fifteen-year-old boys than battle-weary soldiers...
Among the prisoners there were Orthodox priests, deacons and monks from Mount Athos. But there were no vestments, no books, no icons, no candles, no prosphoras, no wine. Efforts to acquire all these items from the Russian parish in Munich failed, as the Americans could not locate anyone from that parish in the devastated city… [1/2]
[2/2] New linen towels were taken from the hospital of our former SS-guards. When sewn together lengthwise, two towels formed an epitrachilion and when sewn together at the ends they became an orarion. Red crosses, originally intended to be worn by the medical personnel of the SS-guards, were put on the towel-vestments.
On Easter Sunday, May 6, Serbs, Greeks and Russians gathered at the Catholic priests' barrack. Although Russians comprised about 40 percent of the Dachau inmates, only a few managed to attend the service. By then ‘repatriation officers’ of the special ‘Smersh’ units had arrived in Dachau by American military planes, and began the process of erecting new lines of barbed wire for the purpose of isolating Soviet citizens from the rest of the prisoners – the first step in preparing them for their eventual forced repatriation.
In the entire history of the Orthodox Church there has probably never been an Easter service like the one at Dachau in 1945. Greek and Serbian priests together with a Serbian deacon wore the make-shift vestments over their blue and gray-striped prisoners uniforms. Then they began to chant, changing from Greek to Slavonic, then back to Greek. The Easter Canon, the Easter Sticheras – everything was recited from memory. The Gospel – ‘In the beginning was the Word’ —also from memory. The Homily of St. John Chrysostom also from memory. A young Greek monk from the Holy Mountain stood up in front of us and recited it with such infectious enthusiasm that we shall never forget him as long as we live. St. John Chrysostomos himself seemed to speak through him to us and to the rest of the world as well!
Eighteen Orthodox priests and a deacon, most of them Serbs, participated in this unforgettable service. Like the sick man who had been lowered through the roof of a house and placed in front of the feet of Christ the Savior, the Greek Archimandrite Meletios was carried on a stretcher into the chapel, where he remained prostrate throughout the service.
The priests who participated in the 1945 Dachau Easter service are commemorated at every Divine Service held in the Dachau Russian Orthodox Memorial Chapel, along with all Orthodox Christians who lost their lives ‘at this place, or at another place of torture.’
— from “In Communion”, Pascha/ Spring 2011 (Issue 60)
On Easter Sunday, May 6, Serbs, Greeks and Russians gathered at the Catholic priests' barrack. Although Russians comprised about 40 percent of the Dachau inmates, only a few managed to attend the service. By then ‘repatriation officers’ of the special ‘Smersh’ units had arrived in Dachau by American military planes, and began the process of erecting new lines of barbed wire for the purpose of isolating Soviet citizens from the rest of the prisoners – the first step in preparing them for their eventual forced repatriation.
In the entire history of the Orthodox Church there has probably never been an Easter service like the one at Dachau in 1945. Greek and Serbian priests together with a Serbian deacon wore the make-shift vestments over their blue and gray-striped prisoners uniforms. Then they began to chant, changing from Greek to Slavonic, then back to Greek. The Easter Canon, the Easter Sticheras – everything was recited from memory. The Gospel – ‘In the beginning was the Word’ —also from memory. The Homily of St. John Chrysostom also from memory. A young Greek monk from the Holy Mountain stood up in front of us and recited it with such infectious enthusiasm that we shall never forget him as long as we live. St. John Chrysostomos himself seemed to speak through him to us and to the rest of the world as well!
Eighteen Orthodox priests and a deacon, most of them Serbs, participated in this unforgettable service. Like the sick man who had been lowered through the roof of a house and placed in front of the feet of Christ the Savior, the Greek Archimandrite Meletios was carried on a stretcher into the chapel, where he remained prostrate throughout the service.
The priests who participated in the 1945 Dachau Easter service are commemorated at every Divine Service held in the Dachau Russian Orthodox Memorial Chapel, along with all Orthodox Christians who lost their lives ‘at this place, or at another place of torture.’
— from “In Communion”, Pascha/ Spring 2011 (Issue 60)
St Simeon, the Kinsman of the Lord (April 27/ May 10), one of the Apostles of the 70 and second Bishop of Jerusalem, is hymned as one who guided his flock "to the heavenly sheepfold" and for the sake of Christ, "crucified, imitating His passion."
The Apostle and Hieromartyr Simeon (Symeon) was a first cousin of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the son of Clopas (or Cleopas, also called Alphaeus), the brother of Joseph the Betrothed. At 100 years of age, he was seized by pagans and, after prolonged torture, crucified.
The Apostle and Hieromartyr Simeon (Symeon) was a first cousin of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the son of Clopas (or Cleopas, also called Alphaeus), the brother of Joseph the Betrothed. At 100 years of age, he was seized by pagans and, after prolonged torture, crucified.
Antipascha: St Thomas Sunday
Then [Christ] said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” + John 20:27-28
The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas did not want to be found guilty of careless belief. He did not want to believe an apparition, and our Lord understood this. When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts.
Icons named “The Doubting Thomas” are incorrectly titled. The correct inscription is “The Touching of Thomas” or “The Belief of Thomas.”
By the intercessions of Thine Holy Apostle Thomas, O Christ our Lord and our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Then [Christ] said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” + John 20:27-28
The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas did not want to be found guilty of careless belief. He did not want to believe an apparition, and our Lord understood this. When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts.
Icons named “The Doubting Thomas” are incorrectly titled. The correct inscription is “The Touching of Thomas” or “The Belief of Thomas.”
By the intercessions of Thine Holy Apostle Thomas, O Christ our Lord and our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
He is sold, and very cheap, for it is only for thirty pieces of silver; but He redeems the world, and that at a great price, for the price was His own blood. As a sheep He is led to the slaughter, but He is the shepherd of Israel, and now of the whole world also. As a lamb He is silent, yet He is the is bruised and wounded, but He heals every discase and every infirmity. He is lifted up and nailed to the tree, but by the tree of ife He restores us; indeed, He saves even the robber crucified with Him, indeed He wrapped the visible world in darkness. He is given vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Who? He who turned water into wine, who is the destroyer of the bitter Word, and is proclaimed by the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He is bruised and wounded, but He heals every disease and every infirmity. [1/2]
[2/2] He is lifted up and nailed to the tree, but by the tree of ife He restores us; indeed, He saves even the robber crucified with Him, indeed He wrapped the visible world in darkness. He is given vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Who? He who turned water into wine, who is the destroyer of the bitter Word, and is proclaimed by the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He is bruised and wounded, but He heals every disease and every infirmity. He is lifted up and nailed to the tree, but by the tree of life He restores us; indeed, He saves even the robber crucified with Him, indeed He wrapped the visible world in darkness. He is given vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Who? He who turned water into wine, who is the destroyer of the bitter taste, Who is sweetness and altogether desired. He lays down His life, but He has power to take it again ...He dies, but He gives life, and by His death destroys death. He is buried but He rises again; He goes down into hell, but He brings up the souls.
☦️ St. Gregory of Nazianzus. Third Theological Oration, 20. B#7.
☦️ St. Gregory of Nazianzus. Third Theological Oration, 20. B#7.
"Armed with the power of the Spirit" the Holy Apostle James (April 30/May 13) brother of St John the Theologian, "preached Christ to all" (from the Troparion). James, the brother St John the Theologian, was the first of the Apostles to receive the crown of martyrdom. His beheading at Jerusalem in the year 44 was based on the false witness of his accusers.
With the Apostle Peter and John, his brother, the Apostle James witnessed the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus, the Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Most praised James, ask remission of sins and great mercy for those who sing hymns to you.
With the Apostle Peter and John, his brother, the Apostle James witnessed the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus, the Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Most praised James, ask remission of sins and great mercy for those who sing hymns to you.