The Christian family is in crisis: the solution is to resist sin

“Be the defenders of purity and the sanctity of family life. Teach your children to understand and keep in purity what God has ordained, namely that youth be a period of purity... They receive God’s blessing through the Sacrament of Marriage give birth to blessed children, and God will always protect them because God will never be indebted.”

-- His Eminence Metropolitan Laurențiu, Metropolitan of Transylvania

On Wednesday, the monks of the canonical UOC defied the government deadline to vacate Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the largest Orthodox monastery in Ukraine.

Thousands of faithful gathered at the monastery on Wednesday to protect it and the monks.

“Zosimas, you have struggled valiantly, as far as this is in the power of man. However, there is no one who is righteous (Rom 3:10). So that you may know how many other ways lead to salvation, leave your native land, like Abraham from the house of his father (Gen 12:1), and go to the monastery by the Jordan.” Thus spoke an angel to the Venerable Zosimas, a message he faithfully heeded.

St Zosimas (Apr 4) would later meet St Mary of Egypt in the desert and preserve her story. When God wished to give St Mary rest, He sent the holy ascetic Zosimas to hear her confession and to give her holy communion. He then received her holy soul into paradise. St Zosimas himself would repose in peace at the age of 100, in the early 6th century.

St Mary of Egypt (5th Sun. of Lent) embarked upon the journey of repentance in a few short moments of sincere repentance, which inaugurated seventeen years of sanctity… Could we possibly find the smallest desire to repent—even in these last hours of Great Lent…”?

“Have we profitably spent the days of Great Lent attending the divine services, in prayer, in reading spiritual material which profits the soul, and in watchfulness? If not, let us not despair. The Master is merciful accepting the last as the first, as we will hear on the Paschal night. He sees the intent, and He honours any effort. From the depths of vile sin, St Mary made such an effort. Could we possibly find the smallest desire to repent—even in these last hours of Great Lent prior to Holy Week—as we turn our spiritual gaze inwardly? Lord, save me, I am perishing! Could we find the slightest ounce of Faith to utter these words from the depths of our heart? It is better to make a beginning now than make no beginning at all.”

—Fr Ioannis Fortomas

“My soul, O my soul, rise up! Why art thou sleeping? The end draws near, and soon thou shalt be troubled. Watch, then, that Christ our God may spare thee, for He is everywhere present and fills all things.” Kontakion, from the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

The Akathist to the Mother of God commemorated on the 5th Saturday of Lent is believed to originate from the 6th and 7th centuries, when Intercessions to the Holy Theotokos on three occasions drove back would-be invaders from Constantinople.

The icon-before which the Akathist was sung shows the Mother of God seated on a throne, and surrounded by Prophets with scrolls. The icon was given to the Dionysiou Monastery on Mt. Athos by Emperor Alexius Comnenos. There, it began to flow with myrrh. There were at least three wonderworking copies of this icon in Russia before the Revolution.

“Lazarus, come forth”! +John 11:43
"Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me. Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!'" +John 11:41-43 #LazarusSaturday

“I am defending my faith and my church! … My soul is crying!”

—Dasha, an 11-year-old Ukrainian girl, defender of the Orthodox faith at the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra

Thousands in Ukraine are entering Holy Week by guarding churches, monasteries, and other holy places with prayer and hymnody. As the do so, they receive abuse and provocations from nationalist radicals and their schismatics allies.

Pray for the Orthodox persecuted in Ukraine!

"Fear evil like fire. Don’t let it touch your heart, even if it seems just or righteous. No matter what the circumstances, don’t let it come into you. Evil is always evil." ☦️ St John of Kronstadt

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy Passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, O Christ God!

“Lazarus Saturday is a paschal celebration. It is the only time in the entire Church Year that the Resurrectional service of Sunday is celebrated on another day. At the liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the Church glorifies Christ as ‘the Resurrection and the Life’ who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before His own suffering and death.” — Fr Thomas Hopko, Orthodox Worship

For Orthodox Christians, April 9 is not yet Easter (Pascha), but a commemoration of The Entry of Our Lord Into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday

Let us spread the thoughts and desires of our hearts under his feet like garments. + St Andrew of Crete

The royal treatment of our Lord on Palm Sunday is a stark contrast to His earthly life, which began with "no room at the inn." He preached a kingdom “not of this world” for which He was despised, rejected, betrayed, crucified between two thieves and buried in someone else's tomb.

Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. —Genesis 49:11 “Hosanna in the Highest!“
Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)
Troparion — Tone 4 When we were buried with You in Baptism, O Christ God, We were made worthy of eternal life by Your Resurrection! Now we praise You and sing: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!