Rejoice, for thou didst make thyself a precious follower of the saints of Cappadocia!
Rejoice, sweetest food, who fillest the souls that are starved of right teaching!
Rejoice, Blessed Father Paisius, enlightener of the latter times!
On July 12 we commemorate our Venerable and God-bearing Father Paisios of Mount Athos.
Rejoice, sweetest food, who fillest the souls that are starved of right teaching!
Rejoice, Blessed Father Paisius, enlightener of the latter times!
On July 12 we commemorate our Venerable and God-bearing Father Paisios of Mount Athos.
The holy clairvoyant elder and hieroconfessor Fr. Arsenie Boca (reposed Nov 28, 1989) is now officially a Saint.
The feared dictator Nicolae Ceausescu reportedly once came to Fr. Arsenie (presumably in mockery) and asked him to foretell his future. Fr. Arsenie, so the story goes, told the dictator that he would be shot on a great feast day. Not long after Fr. Arsenie’s repose, Ceausescu and his wife were executed by firing squad, Christmas Day, 1989.
Along with Fr. Arsenie, 15 other modern day Romanian saints were recently canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The feared dictator Nicolae Ceausescu reportedly once came to Fr. Arsenie (presumably in mockery) and asked him to foretell his future. Fr. Arsenie, so the story goes, told the dictator that he would be shot on a great feast day. Not long after Fr. Arsenie’s repose, Ceausescu and his wife were executed by firing squad, Christmas Day, 1989.
Along with Fr. Arsenie, 15 other modern day Romanian saints were recently canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
"O Lord, show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart. I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers, wounded and left for dead. O Good Samaritan, come to my aid. I am like the sheep that went astray. O Good Shepherd, seek me out and bring me home in accord with Your will. Let me dwell in Your house all the days of my life and praise You for ever and ever with those who are there. Amen."
✝️ St Jerome
✝️ St Jerome
"The battle against Tsar Nicholas II (July 17) was clearly bound up with the battle against God and faith . . . He became a Martyr, having remained faithful to the Ruler of those who rule, and accepted death in the same way as the martyrs accepted it." +Saint John Maximovitch
Royalty and martyrdom were joined together, O blessed ones,
In your death for righteousness and right belief, O wise Sovereigns,
Nicholas and Alexandra, with your five children.
Hence, Christ our God counted you worthy of thrones in Heaven;
And with twofold crowns of glory,
You reign forever, adorned with grace divine.
Royalty and martyrdom were joined together, O blessed ones,
In your death for righteousness and right belief, O wise Sovereigns,
Nicholas and Alexandra, with your five children.
Hence, Christ our God counted you worthy of thrones in Heaven;
And with twofold crowns of glory,
You reign forever, adorned with grace divine.
“If you tell others that your life is gloomy, and believe it yourself, it will become true.
So, when you wake up in the morning and somebody asks you, “How’s life? Any news?”, do not say, “No news.. It’s the same old story - nothing but a nightmare..” Do not say that.
Why? Because your whole body, every single cell of it, hears that. If 365 days a year you say that you are cursed, that your life is hard, that there’s nothing you can do, then eventually your whole body will absorb this attitude..
Instead, say “God be praised! Everything will be fine! God always gives me gifts.”
—Archimandrite Andrey Konanos
So, when you wake up in the morning and somebody asks you, “How’s life? Any news?”, do not say, “No news.. It’s the same old story - nothing but a nightmare..” Do not say that.
Why? Because your whole body, every single cell of it, hears that. If 365 days a year you say that you are cursed, that your life is hard, that there’s nothing you can do, then eventually your whole body will absorb this attitude..
Instead, say “God be praised! Everything will be fine! God always gives me gifts.”
—Archimandrite Andrey Konanos
"The battle against Tsar Nicholas II (July 4 / July 17) was clearly bound up with the battle against God and faith . . . He became a Martyr, having remained faithful to the Ruler of those who rule, and accepted death in the same way as the martyrs accepted it." ☦️Saint John Maximovitch
Royalty and martyrdom were joined together, O blessed ones,
In your death for righteousness and right belief, O wise Sovereigns,
Nicholas and Alexandra, with your five children.
Hence, Christ our God counted you worthy of thrones in Heaven;
And with twofold crowns of glory,
You reign forever, adorned with grace divine.
Royalty and martyrdom were joined together, O blessed ones,
In your death for righteousness and right belief, O wise Sovereigns,
Nicholas and Alexandra, with your five children.
Hence, Christ our God counted you worthy of thrones in Heaven;
And with twofold crowns of glory,
You reign forever, adorned with grace divine.
If you left the Church to get away from hypocritical people, you should also quit your job, drop out of school, disconnect yourself from all your friends and family, and lock yourself in your room.
Or, you can see the Church for what she is: a hospital for wounded people, like you. There you are a patient as well as a practitioner. There are flaws wherever there are humans. Go for healing, but be a healer of messed up people who are sometimes rude, obnoxious and conniving in the throes of their diseases. Just like you.
Allow God's grace to transform you day by day, and to treat those who are yet being transformed with care, love and kindness.
Or, you can see the Church for what she is: a hospital for wounded people, like you. There you are a patient as well as a practitioner. There are flaws wherever there are humans. Go for healing, but be a healer of messed up people who are sometimes rude, obnoxious and conniving in the throes of their diseases. Just like you.
Allow God's grace to transform you day by day, and to treat those who are yet being transformed with care, love and kindness.
"The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother," Macrina. Saint Macrina (July 19) was the sister of the holy hierarchs Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. Like her brothers, she was well educated, especially in the Scriptures.
Macrina convinced her mother, St Emilia, once her children had grown up, to leave the world, to set their slaves free, and take up a monastic life. Some of their servants chose to join them in a life of communal prayer and work, possessing everything in common.
St Macrina was granted the gift of wonderworking. There was an instance she healed a girl of an eye-affliction. Through her prayers there was no shortage of wheat at her monastery in times of famine."
Macrina convinced her mother, St Emilia, once her children had grown up, to leave the world, to set their slaves free, and take up a monastic life. Some of their servants chose to join them in a life of communal prayer and work, possessing everything in common.
St Macrina was granted the gift of wonderworking. There was an instance she healed a girl of an eye-affliction. Through her prayers there was no shortage of wheat at her monastery in times of famine."
In 1991, Saint Seraphim of Sarov’s relics were rediscovered after being hidden in a Soviet anti-religious museum for seventy years. Widely revered in his lifetime, the wonderworking St Seraphim is undoubtedly one of the most beloved saints of the Orthodox Church. Miracles were recorded even at the commemoration of the Uncovering of his Holy Relics on July 19, 1903, which was also his birthday (1754).
“You loved Christ from your youth, O blessed one, and longing to work for Him alone you struggled in the wilderness in constant prayer and labour. With penitent heart and great love for Christ you were favored by the Mother of God. Therefore we cry to you: ‘Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father.’ (Troparion)
“You loved Christ from your youth, O blessed one, and longing to work for Him alone you struggled in the wilderness in constant prayer and labour. With penitent heart and great love for Christ you were favored by the Mother of God. Therefore we cry to you: ‘Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father.’ (Troparion)
She stayed when the others fled.
At the the Lord’s Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene (July 22) stayed at the cross with the Mother of God and the Apostle John. She was a witness to Christ's burial and first to see the risen Lord (Mark 16:1-10)
"Holy Myrrhbearer and Apostle to the Apostles, now that you have passed into heaven, never cease to intercede for the world!"
At the the Lord’s Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene (July 22) stayed at the cross with the Mother of God and the Apostle John. She was a witness to Christ's burial and first to see the risen Lord (Mark 16:1-10)
"Holy Myrrhbearer and Apostle to the Apostles, now that you have passed into heaven, never cease to intercede for the world!"
Having furnished thy mind with wings of divine knowledge, O ever-glorious Olga, pray for thy spiritual descendants in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, that Christ our God grant them lasting peace from above!
The first female ruler of Rus was Equal-to-the-Apostles, St. Olga (July 11/ July 24), in baptism, Helen, is known also as “Viking-Russian Princess," “Missionary to Ukraine,” and “Scourge of the Drevlians.”
The first female ruler of Rus was Equal-to-the-Apostles, St. Olga (July 11/ July 24), in baptism, Helen, is known also as “Viking-Russian Princess," “Missionary to Ukraine,” and “Scourge of the Drevlians.”
When the Drevlians brutally murdered her husband Igor, Olga unleashed vengeful terror on them, taking their land to further expand the principality of Kiev.
A visit to Constantinople became for both the pagan Olga and her land, a road to redemption. She was moved by the Christians she met at Constantinople and soon received Holy Baptism. In what is now Ukraine and Russia, she exerted her royal influence to begin missionary efforts. She invited Orthodox clergy to come from Byzantium, she set up hospitals, and provided welfare for the poor. Even after her pagan son had ascended to the throne, St Olga’s efforts to heal the violence in her realm and spread Christianity were unmatched.
A generation after Olga’s death, her grandson, St. Vladimir would continue the task of bringing Orthodox Christianity to what is now Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
A visit to Constantinople became for both the pagan Olga and her land, a road to redemption. She was moved by the Christians she met at Constantinople and soon received Holy Baptism. In what is now Ukraine and Russia, she exerted her royal influence to begin missionary efforts. She invited Orthodox clergy to come from Byzantium, she set up hospitals, and provided welfare for the poor. Even after her pagan son had ascended to the throne, St Olga’s efforts to heal the violence in her realm and spread Christianity were unmatched.
A generation after Olga’s death, her grandson, St. Vladimir would continue the task of bringing Orthodox Christianity to what is now Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.