Establish my heart, weak for everything good, upon the immovable rock of Thy commandments O Christ. Without Thee I myself am nothing. Without Thee I can do no good. Without Thee evil in its various forms is alone within me. Without Thee I am the son of perdition. O unspeakably Good One, fill my heart with Thy goodness! But above all, I pray Thee, grant that I may love Thee with all my heart and my neighbour as myself. Grant that I may be neither malicious, proud, presumptuous, nor disobedient, but grant that I may be gentle, humble, tenderly respectful, and obedient. Amen.
The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (Sept 14/ Sept 27) celebrates both the finding of the True Cross of our Lord by Empress Helen (mother of St Constantine the Great) on Golgotha in 326, and its recovery from the Persians, who captured the True Cross as a prize of war when they sacked Jerusalem in 614.
The Catholicon (main church) of the Holy Monastery of Xeropotamou on Mount Athos houses thirteen reliquaries containing pieces of the True Cross. One of them includes the world's largest piece of the True Cross, a source of countless miracles. It exudes a faint fragrance, unlike any perfume or anything in the natural world.
The Catholicon (main church) of the Holy Monastery of Xeropotamou on Mount Athos houses thirteen reliquaries containing pieces of the True Cross. One of them includes the world's largest piece of the True Cross, a source of countless miracles. It exudes a faint fragrance, unlike any perfume or anything in the natural world.
"Let us venerate the Cross of the Lord, offering our tender affection as the cypress, the sweet fragrance of our faith as the cedar, and our sincere love as the pine.; and let us glorify our Deliverer who was nailed upon it. Let us venerate the Cross of the Lord, offering our tender affection as the cypress, the sweet fragrance of our faith as the cedar, and our sincere love as the pine; and let us glorify our Deliverer who was nailed upon it."
The above Lenten Triodion refers to the three kinds of wood from which the Cross was made (Isa. 60:13).
The above Lenten Triodion refers to the three kinds of wood from which the Cross was made (Isa. 60:13).
May the Lord give us the spiritual strength to transform ourselves. We know that time is running out, and the evil spirits know this, too. They do not want a single person to be free from evil thoughts. With that aim, they teach even small children to oppose their parents so that, when these children grow up, they will be easy prey for them…
But it can all take a turn for the good if each one of us begins with himself, if the transformation starts with us. We should try to have good thoughts which will radiate from us. A meek and humble person is always very pleasant to be with, for he emanates peace and warmth. That person may not say a single word, yet we rejoice to be in his presence. So, if we all begin with ourselves, transformation will take place. Goodness will be renewed and established all around us, in our country, and further abroad.
☦️ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, from the book, "Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives – The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica"
But it can all take a turn for the good if each one of us begins with himself, if the transformation starts with us. We should try to have good thoughts which will radiate from us. A meek and humble person is always very pleasant to be with, for he emanates peace and warmth. That person may not say a single word, yet we rejoice to be in his presence. So, if we all begin with ourselves, transformation will take place. Goodness will be renewed and established all around us, in our country, and further abroad.
☦️ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, from the book, "Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives – The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica"
Pay no attention to whatever the enemy says to you. As soon as he is about to whisper something in your ear, immediately say, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” or “Save me,” rapidly and without stopping, and soon you will see that the thought or rather the pressure to accept the thought has weakened, and you will not remember what exactly he was trying to say.
☦️Elder Ephraim of Arizona
☦️Elder Ephraim of Arizona