Η Άνοιξη της Ψυχής

"What the power of spring customarily does to the earth's nature, this grace also does to the soul through purity. The power of springtime causes even the delicate roots that grow in the valleys to sprout, warming the earth as a fire does a cauldron, so that it sends forth the treasures of verdure that God has planted in the earth's nature to gladden creation and for His own glory. In like manner grace causes the manifest blossoming of all the splendor that God has concealed in the soul's nature, and it shows this to her and causes her to rejoice in its beauty." -St. Isaac the Syrian

Μετάνοια

"To repent is to look, not downward at my own shortcomings, but upward at God's love; not backward with self-reproach, but forward with trustfulness. It is to see, not what I have failed to be, but what by the grace of Christ I can yet become." -Kallistos Ware (The Inner Kingdom)

Warfare

If you take up arms against some passion, take humility as an ally, for she will tread upon the asp and basilisk, that is, sin and despair, and will trample upon the lion and dragon, that is, the devil and the dragon of the body. -St. John Climacus

Sanctified Life

*"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." How are to seek first the kingdom of God? In the following manner: let us suppose that you wish to walk, or drive, or else go in a boat somewhere on any wordly, temporal business; before doing so, first pray to the Lord that He may correct the ways of your heart, and then also your present bodily way, or that He may direct the way of your life in accordance with His commandments; desire this with all your heart, and often renew your prayer concerning this. The Lord, seeing your sincere desire and endevour to walk in accordance with His commands, will, by degrees, correct all your ways. Further, for instance, if you wish to get pure air into your room, or if you go for a walk in the fresh air, think of the pure and of the unclean heart. Many of us like to have pure air in the rooms (and this is an excellent habit), or are fond of walking in the fresh air, but they do not even think of the necessity of the purity of the spirit or heart (of, so to say, spiritual air, the breath of life); and , living in the fresh air, they allow themselves to indulge in impure thoughts, impure movements of the heart, and even impurity of language, and most impure carnal actions. Again, when seeking material light, remember the spiritual light which is indespensible for the soul, and without which it remains in the darkness of the passions, in the darkness of spiritual death. "I am come a light into the world," says the Lord, "that whosoever believeth on Me, should not abide in darkness." If you see the fury and hear the howling of the tempest, or read of shipwrecks, think of the storm of human passions causing daily groans and disturbance in the hearts of human society; and pray fervently to the Lord the He may subdue the tempest of sins, as He once subdued the tempest at sea by His word, and that He may root out our passions from our hearts, and re-establish in them unceasing tranquillity. If you experience a feeling of hunger or thirst, and wish to eat and drink, think of the hunger or thirst of the soul (it thrists after righteousness, for justification, Christ,  for sanctification), which, if you do not satisfy, your soul may die from hunger, crushed by the passions, weakened and exhausted; and in satisfying your bodily hunger, do not forget to appease, above all and before all, your spiritual hunger, by conversing with God, by heart-felt repentance for your sins, by reading the story and precepts of the Gospel, and especially by the communion of the Divine Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. If you are fond of dressing elegantly, or when you put on your clothes, think of the incorruptible garment of righteousness, in which our souls should be arrayed, or of Jesus Christ Who is our spiritual raiment, as it is said: "For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ." A passion for dress often entirely thrusts out from the heart the very thought of the incorruptible raiment of the soul, and turns the whole life into vain care about elegance in dress. If you are a scholar, a student in any educational establishment, or an offical in some ministry, or officer in any of the branches of the military service, or a technologist, a painter, a sculpter, a manufacturer, a mechanic--remember that the first science for each one of you is to be a true Christian, to believe sincerly in the Holy Trinity, to converse daily with God in prayer, to take part in the Divine service, 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 Jesus, for He is our light, our strength, our holiness, and our help.* -St. John of Kronstadt

Mystery of Love

*God, deem me worthy of insight into the mystery of your love which is depicted in your dispensation for the perceptible world, in the works of your creation, and in the mystery of the Slaughter of your beloved Son.* -St. Isaac the Syrian

Υπεραγία Θεοτόκε, σώσον ημάς

In a grave they laid Thee; yet, O Christ, Thou art life. And they now have laid the Mother of Life as well: both to angels and to men a sight most strange!

We exalt thee greatly, Theotokos most pure, and now we glorify thy holy Dormition, as we bow before thine honoured and precious tomb.

In thy womb thou heldest Him who cannot be contained; thou art life to all the faithful: how canst thou die, and thy body be contained within a tomb?

Thou didst bring forth, Pure Maiden, God the heavenly King, and today in manner royal art carried forth to the Kingdom of the Heavens as a Queen.

                Holy Mother of God, thou hast passed from this world, yet in departing thou hast not forsaken those left on earth, but dost deliver this world from every ill.

All the earth sings in glory at Thy grave side, O Christ, with due reverence; and, O Master, we also praise the entombment of thy Mother, ever Pure.

                Overcome with wonder are the Angels, in awe in beholding thee, Pure Maiden, laid out as one dead; for from thee hast Light shone forth into all the world.

                O Maiden Pure and Spotless, our Heavenly Queen, once more hath God sent Gabriel down to earth with the joyful news, now that thou shouldst leave this life.

                Now the Bridegroom calls thee to rejoice in a manner both divine and most beautiful, O Bride of God, in the Bridal Chamber, holy and divine.

                Thou, O Virgin, comest today to the throne and seat of God, where the awesome and unapproachable Light shineth forth from the Trinity, illumining the place where thou dost repose.

                Departing from the earth, thou hast appeared before God. Thou wert not, O Mother of God, removed from Him, nor hath God been parted from His mother’s heart.

                Thy most honoured Body, O Mother of God, remained uncorrupted by decay as thou layest entombed; but it passed with thee from earth to heaven.

                Thine all-holy face shineth, Purest Maiden, in death; and thy countenance appeareth now as Paradise, breathing forth to all believers grace and life.

                We thy children offer lamentations and love unto thee who art our Mother: accept our gift which we offer from the depths of our souls.

                Look upon thy children who are gathered together today: may thine honoured eyes be open, that thou beholdest those who glorify with honour thy sacred repose.

                Grant us thy blessing in the opening of thy lips, O Most Holy Mother of God, departing now at the end of thy time upon the earth.

Abandon us not as orphans when thou leavest us on earth; for, O Mother, thou art taken now to heaven, to abide there with thy Son and thy God.

                Gathered at your bedside, we cry out to thee, our all-holy Virgin Mother, with fervent voice: “Save the faithful and have mercy upon us!”

                Mother Anna, join us: come and stand in our midst! Come and lead the celebration of this glad feast of thy holy daughter, the Mother of our God!

                Come, let us lift up praise and glory to God who hath summoned to the Holy of Holies today one who is yet greater than the holiest of Saints.

                Filled with gladness, Heaven receiveth her Queen; for the Mother of creation cometh in glory and appeareth in glory, reigning with her God.

                Now the God of Glory takes His mother to Him and the Son who hath received thee, O Purest One, hath prepared for thee a seat at His right Hand.

Glory to the Father and the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

                Unto the Father and the Holy Spirit we with gladness sound forth hymns today, O Word and God of all, and we glorify Thy divine countenance.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

                Every generation calls thee blessed, and thy holy, pure Dormition we glorify, O Mother of God, ever-Virgin, Sovereign Queen!

                 In a grave they laid Thee; yet, O Christ, Thou art life. And they now have laid the Mother of Life as well: both to angels and to men a sight most strange!

-First Stasis of the Lamentations for the Dormition of the Theotokos

All in All

*I am father, Christ says, I am brother, I am bridegroom, I am dwelling place, I am food, I am clothing, I am root, I am foundation: all whatsoever you desire, I am. Be in need of nothing. I will be even a servant, for I came to minister, not to be ministered to; I am friend, and member, and head, and brother, and sister, and mother; I am all, only cling closely to Me. I was poor for you, and a wanderer for you, on the cross for you, in the tomb for you; above, I intercede for you; on earth, I am come for your sake an ambassador from My father. You are all things to Me: brother, and joint heir, and friend, and member.

What more do you want?*

-St John Chrysostom, from his 76th Homily on the Gospel of St. Matthew

Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν

Experience is acquired through the fire of the demons, which the soldier of Christ comes under during the spiritual battle. Before the enemy begins the battle, it starts the bombardment with thoughts. The Jesus Prayer is the heaviest weapon against the thoughts of the enemy. -Elder Paisios (Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters)

~Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me a Sinner~

Ascent

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When someone is aflame with love for God, he can no longer bear to see those things visible to our sensible eyes. For now that he has received other eyes, the eyes of faith, at all times he intellectually perceives the things of heaven, and it is upon them that he fixes his intellect. While he walks on earth, it is as if he lives in heaven... Whoever is concerned to pursue the path of virtue and wants to ascend from earth to heaven abandons all that is materially visible, and with all his powers devotes himself to the struggle that his path involves. Until he manages to ascend to the very height of heaven, he neither pauses nor is he seduced by anything he sees [on his way]. -St. John Chrysostom (On Genesis)

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Seeking Light

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We love everything brilliant on earth: gold, silver, precious stones, crystal, bright clothing--why then do we not love the future glory to which the Lord calls us? Why do we not aspire to shine like the sun? "Then shalll the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." It is because we have perverted the nature of our soul by sin, and have attached ourselves to earth instead of to heaven, to corruptible things instead of to incorruptible ones; because we love earthly, transitory, perishable, and seductive splendour. But why is there such a love for everything bright in us? Because our soul was created for heavenly light, and was originally all light, all radiance; thus light is inborn in it, the feeling and desire for light are inborn in it. Direct this aspiration to seeking for heavenly light! -St. John of Kronstadt

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Our Mother

"Know and remember, that the matter of your salvation is always near to the heart of Our Lady, the Mother of God, for it was for this that the Son of God, by the favour of the Father, and the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, chose Her out of all generations and was incarnate of Her in order to save the human race from sin, the curse and eternal death, or everlasting torments. As the matter of our salvation is near to the Saviour, so likewise it is near to Her. Turn to Her with full faith, trust, and love." -St. John of Kronstadt

Responsibility

"God did not spare for our sakes even His Only Begotten Son. How, then, after this can we grudge anything to our neighbor: either food, drink, clothing, or money for his various needs? The Lord gives much to some and little to others in order that we may provide for each other. The Lord has so ordered that if we willingly share the bountiful gifts of His mercy with others, then they serve to benefit our souls and bodies, by opening our hearts to the love of our neighbor, whilst our moderation in using them serves to benefit our body, which does not become satiated and overloaded by them. But if we use these gifts selfishly, avariciously, and greedily, for ourselves only, and grudge them to others, then they become injurious to our soul and body--injurious to the soul, because greediness and avarice close the heart to the love of God and our neighbor, and make us repulsive, self-lovers, increasing all our passions; and injurious to the body, because greediness produces satiety in us, and prematurely impairs our health." -St. John of Kronstadt

The Power of the Cross

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The Lord was crucified for us on the cross. This is the reason why it, as well as the sign of the cross, has such power. This is why it is life-giving. This is why even in the Old Testament its symbol had such great power. The pole upon which the serpent was set cured those who were bitten by serpents; the cross, traced by Moses's rod, separated the waters; Moses's hands uplifted in prayer, and forming the cross, conquered Amalek, and so on.  -St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ pg.  220



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The Cross is the symbol of the Kingdom

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Before Christ was crucified, ‘a cross signified a death sentence, but now it has become an object of honour. Previously it was the symbol condemnation, but now it is the foundation of our salvation.’ Through the Cross, we have found the way that leads to the kingdom: ‘On account of the Cross, we no longer wander in the wilderness because we have come to know the true way. We no longer remain outside the palace of the King, because we have found the door.’ The Kingdom of God has been bestowed on us through the Cross. The Cross ‘has opened Paradise which was closed… For Christ said [to the thief], Today you will be with me in Paradise [Luke 23:43].’

The Cross of Christ is not only the road leading to Paradise and the door by which we can enter; it is also ‘the beautiful paradise of the Church’. It is the tree of new and incorruptible life which nourishes the faithful:

The Wood in former times brought bitterness into Eden, but the wood of the Cross has blossomed with sweet life. For Adam ate, and fell into corruption;

but we delight in the flesh of Christ

and live and are mystically deified,

receiving the eternal Kingdom of God.

Christ is King of the Kingdom that has come and is coming. It came through the Cross, and it is coming with the Cross. For when the end comes, then will appear the sign of the Son of man (Matt. 24:30), that is, the Cross. When the light of this world is extinguished once and for all, the sign of the cross will shine like a new sun. And just as ‘before a king enters a city, the soldiers will take up banners and lift them upon their shoulders to herald his entry’, so it will be at the Second Coming: 'When the Lord descends from heaven, He will be preceded by hosts of angels and archangels bearing the Cross upon their shoulders, and they will announce to us His royal entry.’

The Cross of Christ is the road, the door and the herald of the Kingdom of God.

 -The Divine Litugy: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers by Hiermonk Gregorios pg. 108-109

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Kali Sarakosti!

O Lord save Your people and bless Your inheritance, grant victory to the Faithful against the adversaries of the Faith, and protect Your people by the power of Your Cross.

Hello blog-world! As I continue my Lenten journey I decided it might be a good idea to post and ponder some highlights from my spiritual readings. I would love to share this experience with others and if you are reading my blog and would like to add your thoughts or meditations about any quotes, passages, hymns, etc. that I've posted please feel free to comment!

It seems that a recurring theme for me this Great Lent is the Cross and all that it entails. Because of this, I thought it appropriate to begin my blog with the Troparion for the Elevation of the Holy Cross and in this way ask for Christ's special protection and blessing for my blog through the power of His Precious Cross. At least for now, and maybe even through the rest of Great Lent, I will try to stick to this theme of the Cross as often as I come across it during this period of prayer and repentance.