"How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside of themselves … Happiness is found within ourselves, and blessed is the man who has understood this. Happiness is a pure heart, for such a heart becomes the throne of God. Thus says Christ of those who have pure hearts: 'I will visit them and will walk in them, and I will be a God to them, and they will be my people.' (2 Cor. 6:16) What can be lacking to them? Nothing, nothing at all! For they have the greatest good in their hearts: God Himself!"
☦️ St. Nektarios of Aegina (Nov 9/ Nov 22), “Path to Happiness”
☦️ St. Nektarios of Aegina (Nov 9/ Nov 22), “Path to Happiness”
Even after being subject to intense torture, St Clement (Nov 25) did not relent in preaching and writing in the Slavonic language.
St Clement of Ohrid, Equal to the Apostles and Bishop of Greater Macedonia was brought to trial under the authority of Roman Pope Stephen VI for defending Orthodoxy and the use of Slavonic in church.
Hymned as “planter of faith and pruner of heresies”, Clement continued the translation work begun by Sts Cyril and Methodius and left behind his own works, the first samples of Slavonic spiritual literature. For these activities, St Clement gained the noscript Enlightener of the Bulgarians.
St Clement of Ohrid, Equal to the Apostles and Bishop of Greater Macedonia was brought to trial under the authority of Roman Pope Stephen VI for defending Orthodoxy and the use of Slavonic in church.
Hymned as “planter of faith and pruner of heresies”, Clement continued the translation work begun by Sts Cyril and Methodius and left behind his own works, the first samples of Slavonic spiritual literature. For these activities, St Clement gained the noscript Enlightener of the Bulgarians.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, St. Andrew the Apostle Orthodox church is the world’s only church built on such a tiny island.
The "island" is a monolithic rock protruding from the waters of the Vuoksa, Russia, about 2 hours from St. Petersburg. The rock provides the foundation for the church -- accessible only by boat.
Photos: allrus.me/guinness-record-church-in-russia/ and Michael Vorobyev
The "island" is a monolithic rock protruding from the waters of the Vuoksa, Russia, about 2 hours from St. Petersburg. The rock provides the foundation for the church -- accessible only by boat.
Photos: allrus.me/guinness-record-church-in-russia/ and Michael Vorobyev
O Saviour, grant Your heavenly blessing to our children. Fill them with Your Holy Spirit, that they may always love You and strive to fulfill Your holy will as devout members of Your Church.
Grant them so to please You in this age that they may finally inherit Your glorious Kingdom in the age to come. For Yours it is to save us, and to You we ascribe glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Photo: Saint Archangel Michael Orthodox Church, Koliganek, Alaska
Grant them so to please You in this age that they may finally inherit Your glorious Kingdom in the age to come. For Yours it is to save us, and to You we ascribe glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Photo: Saint Archangel Michael Orthodox Church, Koliganek, Alaska
The holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostle Andrew the First-Called (Nov 30/Dec 13) called to his brother, the holy apostle Peter, to join him in following the Lord. The First-called apostle now cries out to us: "Come, for we have found the One whom the world desires!"
The holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostle Andrew the First-Called met his martyrdom in the year 62, at Peloponnese, in the city of Patras. The new converts present wanted to remove him from his cross, but the saint would not allow them. Instead, he comforted them from the cross and as he prayed an extraordinary light encompassed him for about a half-hour. When it left, he gave up his soul.
"Let us praise Andrew, the herald of God,
the namesake of courage,
the first-called of the Savior's disciples
and the brother of Peter.
As he once called to his brother, he now cries out to us:
'Come, for we have found the One whom the world desires!'"
Kontakion (Tone 2)
The holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostle Andrew the First-Called met his martyrdom in the year 62, at Peloponnese, in the city of Patras. The new converts present wanted to remove him from his cross, but the saint would not allow them. Instead, he comforted them from the cross and as he prayed an extraordinary light encompassed him for about a half-hour. When it left, he gave up his soul.
"Let us praise Andrew, the herald of God,
the namesake of courage,
the first-called of the Savior's disciples
and the brother of Peter.
As he once called to his brother, he now cries out to us:
'Come, for we have found the One whom the world desires!'"
Kontakion (Tone 2)
Fasting is a school of abstinence. In fasting, we learn to restrain the desires of our bowels. In fasting, we learn to rebuke the evil desires of our flesh, always seeking to dominate the spirit, always seeking to destroy all our spiritual desires, to subdue our will to the desires of the flesh.
And the flesh does not lead us to good, our flesh is the source of most sins and temptations. Pleasing the flesh is the essence of most sins.
And if, therefore, we force our flesh to be hardened by fasting, if we deprive of its delicious and plentiful dishes, and force ourselves to be satisfied with the least, then by doing so we gain victory over the flesh. This is how we remove the obstacle that prevents us from living a spiritual life.
☦️Saint Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky)
And the flesh does not lead us to good, our flesh is the source of most sins and temptations. Pleasing the flesh is the essence of most sins.
And if, therefore, we force our flesh to be hardened by fasting, if we deprive of its delicious and plentiful dishes, and force ourselves to be satisfied with the least, then by doing so we gain victory over the flesh. This is how we remove the obstacle that prevents us from living a spiritual life.
☦️Saint Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky)
O Lord, I know not what to ask of You. You alone know what are my true needs. You love me more than I myself know how to love.
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either a cross or a consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for Your great mercy's sake.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I put all my trust in You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Pray Yourself in me. Amen.
☦️ A Prayer of St Philaret of Moscow
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either a cross or a consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for Your great mercy's sake.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I put all my trust in You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Pray Yourself in me. Amen.
☦️ A Prayer of St Philaret of Moscow
St Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra (Dec 6) was cast into prison during times of persecutions of but even there continued to be a shepherd to God’s flock. He was considered a saint even in his lifetime and continues to bless the faithful with countless miracles.
St Nicholas was present at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, and, in his zeal, struck Arius with his hand. For this act, he was removed from the Council and from his episcopal duties, until several hierarchs had the same vision: our Lord Christ and His most holy Mother showing empathy with Nicholas.
“Santa Manna," a watery liquid with a rose scent, began exuding from the tomb of the Basilica of Myra immediately after the repose of St Nicholas and has continued without interruption since the translation of his relics to Bari, Italy.
The “santa manna” kept in large bottles designed by local artists depicting episodes from the life, miracles and protection of St Nicholas.
Holy Nicholas, protect those who call upon you!
St Nicholas was present at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, and, in his zeal, struck Arius with his hand. For this act, he was removed from the Council and from his episcopal duties, until several hierarchs had the same vision: our Lord Christ and His most holy Mother showing empathy with Nicholas.
“Santa Manna," a watery liquid with a rose scent, began exuding from the tomb of the Basilica of Myra immediately after the repose of St Nicholas and has continued without interruption since the translation of his relics to Bari, Italy.
The “santa manna” kept in large bottles designed by local artists depicting episodes from the life, miracles and protection of St Nicholas.
Holy Nicholas, protect those who call upon you!
Myrrh began streaming from the miracle-working icon of the Holy and Righteous Anna, Mother of the Theotokos (Conception Dec 9 /Dec 22), at the Church of Our Lady (Joy of All Who Sorrow) in Philadelphia in 2004. The icon, later brought to St Tikhon's Seminary by Fr Athanasy Mastalski, continues to exude a sweet fragrance. It has brought many healings.
"Today the universe rejoices, for Anna has conceived the Theotokos through God's dispensation, for she has brought forth the one who is to bear the ineffable Word!”
"Today the universe rejoices, for Anna has conceived the Theotokos through God's dispensation, for she has brought forth the one who is to bear the ineffable Word!”