St Athanasius saw in the season of Pentecost an icon of eternity. For the Pascha of 332 he wrote: "Let us celebrate also the days of holy Pentecost, demonstrating through them the world to come."
Pentecost and Holy Spirit Day (Monday after Pentecost) are celebrated in green vestments of all shades and green branches adorn churches.
Pentecost and Holy Spirit Day (Monday after Pentecost) are celebrated in green vestments of all shades and green branches adorn churches.
For many consecutive years, a miracle has occurred at Pentecost at the Church of the Krasnogorsky (“of red hill”) Monastery in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.
The lilies are kept inside the icon case of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” icon of Holy Theotokos. Although withered prior to Pentecost, they blossom when Pentecost again arrives, filling the temple with their fragrance.
The lilies are kept inside the icon case of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” icon of Holy Theotokos. Although withered prior to Pentecost, they blossom when Pentecost again arrives, filling the temple with their fragrance.
With one voice, we glorify the All-holy Spirit!
The Monday following the Sunday of Pentecost is the Day of the Holy Spirit., honouring the all-Holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, Who descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost. He remains within the Church throughout the ages, guiding her into all truth” (+ John 16:13).
Icon: The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles and the Holy Trinity, 18th century, Petrovskoe (Rybinsk uyezd).
The Monday following the Sunday of Pentecost is the Day of the Holy Spirit., honouring the all-Holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, Who descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost. He remains within the Church throughout the ages, guiding her into all truth” (+ John 16:13).
Icon: The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles and the Holy Trinity, 18th century, Petrovskoe (Rybinsk uyezd).
When the Iconoclast heretic Leo the Armenian began to expel Orthodox hierarchs from their cathedrae-seats at the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicea, Saint Michael the Confessor, Bishop of Synnada (May 24), fearlessly defended the Orthodox Faith.
When Leo brought Saint Michael to trial, he declared: "I venerate the holy icons of my Saviour Jesus Christ and the All-Pure Virgin, His Mother, and all the saints, and it is to them I bow down. Thine decrees about the removal of icons from churches I shall not fulfill".
Leo the Armenian then banished Saint Michael to imprisonment in the city of Eudokiada, where the confessor died in about the year 821. The saint’s head is preserved in the Lavra of Saint Athanasias on Mt. Athos. Another portion part of his relics are at the Iversk monastery.
Holy Hierarch Michael, pray for our salvation!
When Leo brought Saint Michael to trial, he declared: "I venerate the holy icons of my Saviour Jesus Christ and the All-Pure Virgin, His Mother, and all the saints, and it is to them I bow down. Thine decrees about the removal of icons from churches I shall not fulfill".
Leo the Armenian then banished Saint Michael to imprisonment in the city of Eudokiada, where the confessor died in about the year 821. The saint’s head is preserved in the Lavra of Saint Athanasias on Mt. Athos. Another portion part of his relics are at the Iversk monastery.
Holy Hierarch Michael, pray for our salvation!
The 7th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews reveals that centuries before the Law was given to Moses or Christ became incarnate, the Righteous Melchisedec the Priest-King (May 22), a “priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14:18-20) appeared. As a type of Christ, he blessed our Forefather Abraham and "brought forth bread and wine," prefiguring the Holy Eucharist.
When you get angry, you're not possessed by the Spirit of God, but are enslaved by the spirit of revenge, pride, and vainglory, which urges you not to repent, not to forgive, and not to humble yourself. Let us flee from anger and revenge, and let us follow our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Elder Paisius of Sihla Skate, Sihastria Monastery (Romania)
Photo: Sihastria Monastery Entrance Arch
Elder Paisius Olaru of Sihla (L) and Elder Cleopa (R)
- Elder Paisius of Sihla Skate, Sihastria Monastery (Romania)
Photo: Sihastria Monastery Entrance Arch
Elder Paisius Olaru of Sihla (L) and Elder Cleopa (R)
Forwarded from OrthoChristian
Prayers for those in Kherson flood zone before wonderworking icon of Mother of God (+VIDEO)
https://orthochristian.com/154108.html
The local hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church carried a wonderworking icon of the Mother of God to the banks of the Dnieper River in Kherson yesterday to pray for all those who are in danger of flooding after an explosion at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station.
https://orthochristian.com/154108.html
The local hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church carried a wonderworking icon of the Mother of God to the banks of the Dnieper River in Kherson yesterday to pray for all those who are in danger of flooding after an explosion at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station.
From "A Little Corner of Paradise: The Life and Teachings of Elder Paisius of Sihla"
A sorrowful Christian asked the elder for a word of comfort. and he said: "Listen, brother. Without temptations and sorrows we cannot be saved. But we shouldn't be disturbed or grow weak in faith, because now the devil attacks more cruelly than at other times, for he sees that he has very little time. Let us pray, let us endure, and let us remember the words of the Lord that promise us that He will be with us until the end of the ages (cf. Matt. 28:20). We should not despair at the time of ages our trials, for God has not abandoned us.
A sorrowful Christian asked the elder for a word of comfort. and he said: "Listen, brother. Without temptations and sorrows we cannot be saved. But we shouldn't be disturbed or grow weak in faith, because now the devil attacks more cruelly than at other times, for he sees that he has very little time. Let us pray, let us endure, and let us remember the words of the Lord that promise us that He will be with us until the end of the ages (cf. Matt. 28:20). We should not despair at the time of ages our trials, for God has not abandoned us.
As in the time of the Holy Prophet Elias the Tishbite, when God still had seven thousand of His elect who had not bent the knee to Baal, so also in our days, the Lord still has many elect Christians who are strong in faith and haven't bent their souls in slavery to the passions. God has His righteous ones in the villages and in the cities, who glorify Him day and night, who live in virginity and temperarnce, showing mercy to the poor and widows. But God alone knows their names and their number."
"Our aim should not be to have spiritual experiences or to feel 'peaceful,' for that aim is only anther egotistic ambition and another way of escaping from ourselves. Nor should our aim be to be enlightened by profound insights. Watchfulness is not a means of getting what we want; it is a means of knowing what is right. It is not in order to feel better; it is in order to be better.“
—Hieromonk Damascene, “Christ the Eternal Tau”
—Hieromonk Damascene, “Christ the Eternal Tau”
Christ the Pantocrator is one of the most widespread icons of Christ.
The word “Pantocrator” is translated from Greek as “the one who governs everything, the one who can do everything.”
Let us praise Him thus: “The very elements of nature obey You. Nothing happens by chance. What happens to us does not happen at random. Not a single hair from our heads falls to the ground without Your powerful will. We are in Your hands. What we are, whatever good we have in us, comes from You, the source of every goodness.”
—Father Emmanuel Hatzidakis
The word “Pantocrator” is translated from Greek as “the one who governs everything, the one who can do everything.”
Let us praise Him thus: “The very elements of nature obey You. Nothing happens by chance. What happens to us does not happen at random. Not a single hair from our heads falls to the ground without Your powerful will. We are in Your hands. What we are, whatever good we have in us, comes from You, the source of every goodness.”
—Father Emmanuel Hatzidakis
The Holy Confessor John the Russian (May 27/ June 8) steadfastly refused attempts by his Muslim master to convert him. "Neither by threats, nor with promises of riches and delights wilt thou be able to turn me away from my holy faith. I was born a Christian, and a Christian I shalt die". Eventually, the brutal heart of the master was tempered.
Confined to a cot in the corner of a horse-stable, he prayed compassionately for his fellow suffering Christians, even those who mocked him for his resolve in the midst of adversity. After his repose, Christian believers from various places came to Prokopia in Asia Minor to venerate his incorrupt and miracle-working holy relics. Saint John came to be venerated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Armenians, and even Turks, petitioning him with “Servant of God, disregard us not in thine mercy".
Confined to a cot in the corner of a horse-stable, he prayed compassionately for his fellow suffering Christians, even those who mocked him for his resolve in the midst of adversity. After his repose, Christian believers from various places came to Prokopia in Asia Minor to venerate his incorrupt and miracle-working holy relics. Saint John came to be venerated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Armenians, and even Turks, petitioning him with “Servant of God, disregard us not in thine mercy".
"But the souls of the righteous are in God's hand, and death cannot lay hold of them." (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1) On the second Sunday after Pentecost, each local Orthodox Church commemorates all saints, known and unknown, in its jurisdiction.
All Saints of ____, you have shone for as the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem fallen humanity. Pray for us!
All Saints of ____, you have shone for as the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem fallen humanity. Pray for us!