“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐬!”
”𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝."

Saint Athanasius (January 18/ January 31) didn't "go with the flow". Fighting against the Arian heresy, St Athanasius defied 4 emperors and lived with the constant threat of death. More than 20 of his 50 years as bishop were spent in exile.

𝐒𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬!

A join feast day for Saints Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria (January 18/ January 31) helps these two often-persecuted stalwarts of Orthodoxy to remain in the hearts of Orthodox faithful. Their memory is upheld as preeminent defenders of the Orthodox Faith, God-inspired interpreters of Holy Scripture, and fearless guardians of Christ's Church against the delusions of the heretics.

"Have love; for what salt is to food, love is to every virtue."
+ St Euthymius the Great (Jan 20/ Feb 2)

"A tree frequently transplanted does not bear fruit. Whoever desires to do good, can do it from the place where he is."

The 5th-century desert-dwelling, miracle-working ascetic St Euthymius the Great (Jan 20/ Feb 2), drew around him many glorious saints as his disciples. Among them: Cyriac the Hermit, St. Sabas the Sanctified, and Theotictus.

His words call all of us to "at all times ready for combat and prepared for the departure of the soul from the body, lest, seduced by love of pleasure, we be unbearably tormented at the time of departure…"

Psalm 65 (Psalm 66 - Hebrew Numbering). For the End: A Psalmic Ode of Resurrection. (from Kathisma 7, Tuesday Vespers)

Shout with jubilation unto the Lord all the earth; chant ye unto His name, give glory in praise of Him.
Say unto God: How awesome are Thy works!
In the multitude of Thy power shall Thine enemies be proved false unto Thee.
Let all the earth worship Thee and chant unto Thee; let them chant unto Thy name, O Most High.
Come and see the works of the Lord, how awesome He is in His counsels, more than the sons of men.
He turneth the sea into dry land; in the river shall they pass through on foot.
There shall we rejoice in Him, in Him that is ruler in His sovereignty for ever.
His eyes look upon the nations; let not them that embitter Him be exalted in themselves.
O bless our God, ye nations, and make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who hath established my soul in life, and permitteth not my feet to be shaken.
[to be continued]

[Psalm 65 continued] For Thou hast proved us, O God, and by fire hast Thou tried us even as silver is tried by fire.
Thou hast brought us into the snare, Thou hast laid afflictions upon our back, Thou madest men to mount upon our heads.
We went through fire and water, and Thou didst bring us out into refreshment.
I will go into Thy house with a whole-burnt offering; to Thee will I pay my vows which my lips pronounced and which my mouth had spoken in mine affliction.
Whole-burnt offerings full of marrow will I offer unto Thee, with incense and rams; oxen and goats will I offer unto Thee.
Come and hear, and I will declare unto you, all ye that fear God, what things He hath done for my soul.
Unto Him with my mouth have I cried, and I exalted Him with my tongue.
If in my heart I regarded unrighteousness, let the Lord not hear me.
Wherefore God hath hearkened unto me, He hath been attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Blessed is God Who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy away from me.

Pray for persecuted Christians in Africa. Even while African Christianity is also the fastest growing in the world, Christians in Africa are attacked and killed on practically a daily basis. Christians in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia. Kenya, Algeria, especially face severe persecution.

Europe External Programme with Africa (EEPA), reports that 750 people were recently killed in an attack on the Ethiopian Tewahedo Church’s Maryma Tsiyon Church (Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion), in in Aksum, where the Ethiopian church claims to house the Ark of the Covenant.

In Russia, Met. Hilarion has stressed that Christian Churches and groups need to cooperate to help persecuted Christians “in coordination with local church communities.” He calls on Orthodox Christians to "create conditions" for the their voices to be heard." mewe.com/join/orthodoxfaith

St Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea (Jan 14/Jan 1) had three short words in response the harshest threats against him.

When the state threatened him with despoliation, exile, martyrdom, and death for his Orthodox faith, St Basil's response was, "Is that all?"

St John Chrysostom says that Christ "opened for us today Paradise, which had remained closed for some 5000 years." + Homily "On the Cross and the Thief"

Like all the fathers of the church, from the earliest times, St John accepted without question the common understanding of the Church that the world was created "more or less" in 5,500 BC. The creation of the world was neither a matter of dogma nor a cosmological problem but a divine act whose reality was not in question.

"The Holy Fathers (probably unanimously) certainly have no doubt that the chronology of the Old Testament, from Adam onwards, is to be accepted 'literally.' They did not have the fundamentalist's over-concern for chronological precision, but even the most mystical Fathers (St Isaac the Syrian, St Gregory Palamas, etc.) were quite certain that Adam lived literally some 900 years, that there were some 5,500 years ('more or less') between the creation and the Birth of Christ." - Fr Seraphim Rose, Genesis, Creation and Early Man

"The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire; it hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt." + St John Chrysostom

The Lord will guard your soul.

"I have lifted up mine eyes to the mountains, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, Who hath made heaven and the earth.
Give not thy foot unto moving, and may He not slumber that keepeth thee.
Behold, He shall not slumber nor shall He sleep, He that keepeth Israel.
The Lord shall keep thee; the Lord is thy shelter at thy right hand.
The sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall keep thee from all evil, the Lord shall guard thy soul.
The Lord shall keep thy coming in and thy going out, from henceforth and for evermore."

-Psalm 120 (Psalm 121 - Hebrew Numbering). An Ode of Ascents. -from Kathisma 18, Friday Vespers

When I enter a room in which there are no icons, I seem like a blind person, faceless, without having a window to the sky.

+ St Justin Popovich

Weekly Cycle of Prayer for Saturday

Troparion for all the Saints (Tone 2)

Apostles, martyrs, and prophets, Holy hierarchs, saints, and righteous ones, having fought the good fight and kept the faith, You have boldness towards the Saviour. Intercede for us with Him, for He is good. We pray that He may save our souls.

Kontakion for the Martyrs (Tone 8)

The universe offers you the God-bearing martyrs as the first fruits of creation, O Lord and Creator, Through the Theotokos and their prayers establish Your Church in peace.

Troparion for the Departed (Tone 8)

O only Creator, Who with profound wisdom mercifully order all things, And give unto all that which is useful, give rest, O Lord, to the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep, for they have placed their trust in You, your Maker and Fashioner and our God.

Kontakion for the Departed (Tone 8)

With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Your servants, where sickness and sorrow are no more, neither sighing but life everlasting.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body."

Ephesians 5:25-30

“God can create beauty from complete desolation.” + Blessed Mother Olga of Alaska +1979

Weekly Cycle of Prayer for Sunday

Deliver me from passion, enemies, need and danger, O Lover of mankind, for with trembling, love and humility I draw near to Your immortal and divine Mysteries, singing to You: Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
What shall I render to the Lord for all His bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. +Psalm 115 (Psalm 116 - Hebrew Numbering), verses 12-13

Troparion (Tone 1)

When the stone had been sealed by the Jews, while the soliders were guarding your most pure Body, You arose on the third day, O Saviour, granting life to the world. The powers of heaven therefore cried to you O giver of Life: Glory to your resurrection, O Christ! Glory to your kingdom! Glory to your dispensation, O Lover of mankind!

[continued] Weekly Cycle of Prayer for Sunday Konatakion (Tone 1)

As God you did rise from the tomb in glory, raising the world with Yourself. Human nature praises you as God for death has vanished. Adam exults, O Master! Eve rejoices for she is freed from bondage and cries to You: You are the giver of resurrection to all, O Christ!

[continued] Weekly Cycle of Prayer for Sunday Troparion (Tone 2)

When you descended to death, O life Immortal, you did slay hell with the splendor of your Godhead. And when from the depths you did raise the dead, all the powers of heaven cried out: O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to you!

Kontakion (Tone 2)

On this day you did rise from the tomb, O merciful One, leading us from the gates of death. On this day Adam exults and Eve rejoices; with the prophets and patriarchs they unceasingly praise the divine majesty of your power!

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.