He then carefully examined the weeping image up close, front and back. Being on the Iconostasis, it’s a simple thing to look around the back, since it is a free-standing, thin panel. News reporters, researchers, and others have also examined it up close. On the first night, it was visibly flowing in front of hundreds, even thousands of witnesses, right in the middle of the Liturgy. No tubes, no plumbing, no reason for condensation to be on that one and no others. Besides the tears were coming directly out of her eyes. You could see them welling up deep within her pupils. Since then, the tears have regularly refreshed and moisten themselves.
I like what Bishop Basil said when he first came to examine the icon. He said to the crowds, ‘Do not believe in Christ because of this. Do not return to the Church because of this.’ Our faith must not be based on any little sign or wonder. Our faith is based on a far greater miracle, no other miracle matters. It is the miracle we celebrate at Christmas and Easter.
It is the miracle that, since we are unable to find God on our own, He came to us. He became one of us, we call that the Incarnation, to show us the way to Himself. He allowed Himself to be killed on Good Friday, so that he could defeat death forever on Easter Sunday. The greatest miracle of all is also the greatest historical fact--the empty tomb. The body of Jesus has never and can never be found, because it’s not here anymore. ‘He is not here. He is risen!’“
— from “A Personal Encounter with The Miraculous Lady of Cicero, Illinois”, by Fr. Douglas Wyper
I like what Bishop Basil said when he first came to examine the icon. He said to the crowds, ‘Do not believe in Christ because of this. Do not return to the Church because of this.’ Our faith must not be based on any little sign or wonder. Our faith is based on a far greater miracle, no other miracle matters. It is the miracle we celebrate at Christmas and Easter.
It is the miracle that, since we are unable to find God on our own, He came to us. He became one of us, we call that the Incarnation, to show us the way to Himself. He allowed Himself to be killed on Good Friday, so that he could defeat death forever on Easter Sunday. The greatest miracle of all is also the greatest historical fact--the empty tomb. The body of Jesus has never and can never be found, because it’s not here anymore. ‘He is not here. He is risen!’“
— from “A Personal Encounter with The Miraculous Lady of Cicero, Illinois”, by Fr. Douglas Wyper
If you wish, the Lives of the Saints are a sort of Orthodox Encyclopedia. In them can be found everything which is necessary for the soul which hungers and thirsts for eternal righteousness and eternal truth in this life, and which hungers and thirsts for Divine immortality, and eternal life. If faith is what you need, there you will find it in abundance: and you will feed your soul with food which will never make it hungry. If you need love, truth, righteousness, hope, meekness, humility, repentance, prayer, or whatever virtue or podvig (spiritual struggle), in them, the Lives of the Saints, you will find a countless number of holy teachers for every podvig and will obtain grace-filled help for every virtue.
✝️ St Justin Popovich
✝️ St Justin Popovich
"Praise ye the name of the Lord; O ye servants, praise the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good..." + from Psalm 134 (Ps. 135 - Hebrew Numbering), Fri. Matins (Kathisma 19,20)
https://churchmotherofgod.org/text-of-prayers-of-the-church/daily-readings-from-the-psalter/1042-kathisma-15.html
https://churchmotherofgod.org/text-of-prayers-of-the-church/daily-readings-from-the-psalter/1042-kathisma-15.html
Before his baptism, the holy and right-believing Vladimir, Baptizer of Kievan Rus' (July 15/ July 28) was a great pagan conqueror who had many wives and erected many pagan statues in the lands over which he ruled.
Upon finding out that other faiths existed beyond his own paganism, he sent his envoys out into the world to find out who possessed true faith.
His envoys met with Muslims, but felt that they lacked joy, and that their faith was very mechanical. The envoys also met with Jews and Catholics, but were still unimpressed. But when the envoys arrived in Constantinople and attended Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, they declared: “We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth."
Taking the word of his envoys, St. Vladimir had himself and his nation baptized into the Orthodox Church. St. Vladimir changed completely after his baptism. He destroyed all the pagan statues and replaced them with churches.
Upon finding out that other faiths existed beyond his own paganism, he sent his envoys out into the world to find out who possessed true faith.
His envoys met with Muslims, but felt that they lacked joy, and that their faith was very mechanical. The envoys also met with Jews and Catholics, but were still unimpressed. But when the envoys arrived in Constantinople and attended Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, they declared: “We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth."
Taking the word of his envoys, St. Vladimir had himself and his nation baptized into the Orthodox Church. St. Vladimir changed completely after his baptism. He destroyed all the pagan statues and replaced them with churches.
He also attempted to live in peace as much as possible with his neighbors and had only one wife. He is described as a wolf who became a lamb.
How shall I who am negligent stand before Thy terrible throne? How shall I who am impatient and useless enter into the community of those who have here brought forth the fruits of righteousness? By what traits will they acknowledge me when the saints and the righteous upon their heavenly beds recognize each other according to their deeds?
✝️ St Ephraim the Syrian
✝️ St Ephraim the Syrian
On his feast day (July 15/July 28), monastery bells ring across Russia, Ukraine, Slavic lands and throughout the Russian Diaspora in honour of Russia's baptizer and enlightener, Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir.
On renouncing idolatry, St Vladimir devoted all his labour to serving Christ and His Church. He decreed that churches be built throughout the land where the idols had been pulled down-- including the temple at Kiev, dedicated to the most holy Mother of God. It was built at the spot where St Theodore and his son John suffered martyrdom for Christ.
On renouncing idolatry, St Vladimir devoted all his labour to serving Christ and His Church. He decreed that churches be built throughout the land where the idols had been pulled down-- including the temple at Kiev, dedicated to the most holy Mother of God. It was built at the spot where St Theodore and his son John suffered martyrdom for Christ.
Many people are under the impression that the Saints are far from us. They are indeed far from those who have, of their own will, withdrawn themselves, but they are very near to those who keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit. In the heavens, all live and all are sustained by the Holy Spirit; but the Spirit is the same also upon the earth. The Holy Spirit unites all men and that is why the Saints are near to us. When we pray to them, by the Holy Spirit they hear our prayers and our souls feel that they are praying for us.
✝️ Saint Silouan of Mount Athos
✝️ Saint Silouan of Mount Athos
Since there are Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils, why do we commemorate only the first six on the Sunday closest to July 16? The Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 occurred after the yearly commemoration of the first six had begun. It is commemorated in October.
"You are most glorious, O Christ our God, You have established the Fathers as lights upon the earth, and through them, You have guided all of us to the true Faith! O greatly compassionate one, glory to You."
"You are most glorious, O Christ our God, You have established the Fathers as lights upon the earth, and through them, You have guided all of us to the true Faith! O greatly compassionate one, glory to You."
“Any encounter with another person: in the family, at work, Monday at work or at school, at shopping centres... It has to be such an encounter so that after my departure, the other person will have an extra dose of joy and spiritual peace. And I can only say that, in fact, anyone who tries to live like this will always have great joy and other people will want like bees to get closer to this flower... This is the great mystery of the saints.” —Fr. Paisios Jung, Abbot of St. Maria Schutz Monastery
Full transcript: https://otelders.org/family-life-fl/lets-be-inspiring-to-those-around-us-fr-paisios-jung/
Full transcript: https://otelders.org/family-life-fl/lets-be-inspiring-to-those-around-us-fr-paisios-jung/
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.
☦️St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, A prayer
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.
☦️St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, A prayer
“The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother," Macrina. Wonderworking St Macrina (July 6/ July 19) was born into wealth, yet renounced earthly luxuries and took monastic vows. She slept on boards and had no possessions.
Macrina was the sister of the holy hierarchs Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. Her own monastic community of nuns inspired Basil to start his own monastic community. Well-immersed in Holy Scripture, Macrina taught her brothers. St Gregory, in his Life of Macrina, records his last visit with her, and her farewell speech and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
“In thee, O mother, that which was created according to the image of God was manifestly saved.”
Macrina was the sister of the holy hierarchs Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. Her own monastic community of nuns inspired Basil to start his own monastic community. Well-immersed in Holy Scripture, Macrina taught her brothers. St Gregory, in his Life of Macrina, records his last visit with her, and her farewell speech and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
“In thee, O mother, that which was created according to the image of God was manifestly saved.”