On his feast day (July 15/July 28), monastery bells ring across Russia, Ukraine, Slavic lands and throughout the Russian Diaspora in honour of Russia's baptizer and enlightener, Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir.
On renouncing idolatry, St Vladimir devoted all his labour to serving Christ and His Church. He decreed that churches be built throughout the land where the idols had been pulled down-- including the temple at Kiev, dedicated to the most holy Mother of God. It was built at the spot where St Theodore and his son John suffered martyrdom for Christ.
On renouncing idolatry, St Vladimir devoted all his labour to serving Christ and His Church. He decreed that churches be built throughout the land where the idols had been pulled down-- including the temple at Kiev, dedicated to the most holy Mother of God. It was built at the spot where St Theodore and his son John suffered martyrdom for Christ.
Many people are under the impression that the Saints are far from us. They are indeed far from those who have, of their own will, withdrawn themselves, but they are very near to those who keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit. In the heavens, all live and all are sustained by the Holy Spirit; but the Spirit is the same also upon the earth. The Holy Spirit unites all men and that is why the Saints are near to us. When we pray to them, by the Holy Spirit they hear our prayers and our souls feel that they are praying for us.
✝️ Saint Silouan of Mount Athos
✝️ Saint Silouan of Mount Athos
Since there are Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils, why do we commemorate only the first six on the Sunday closest to July 16? The Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 occurred after the yearly commemoration of the first six had begun. It is commemorated in October.
"You are most glorious, O Christ our God, You have established the Fathers as lights upon the earth, and through them, You have guided all of us to the true Faith! O greatly compassionate one, glory to You."
"You are most glorious, O Christ our God, You have established the Fathers as lights upon the earth, and through them, You have guided all of us to the true Faith! O greatly compassionate one, glory to You."
“Any encounter with another person: in the family, at work, Monday at work or at school, at shopping centres... It has to be such an encounter so that after my departure, the other person will have an extra dose of joy and spiritual peace. And I can only say that, in fact, anyone who tries to live like this will always have great joy and other people will want like bees to get closer to this flower... This is the great mystery of the saints.” —Fr. Paisios Jung, Abbot of St. Maria Schutz Monastery
Full transcript: https://otelders.org/family-life-fl/lets-be-inspiring-to-those-around-us-fr-paisios-jung/
Full transcript: https://otelders.org/family-life-fl/lets-be-inspiring-to-those-around-us-fr-paisios-jung/
O Lord, I know not what to ask of You. You alone know what are my true needs. You love me more than I myself know how to love.
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either a cross or a consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for Your great mercy's sake.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I put all my trust in You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Pray Yourself in me. Amen.
☦️St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, A prayer
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either a cross or a consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for Your great mercy's sake.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I put all my trust in You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Pray Yourself in me. Amen.
☦️St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, A prayer
“The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother," Macrina. Wonderworking St Macrina (July 6/ July 19) was born into wealth, yet renounced earthly luxuries and took monastic vows. She slept on boards and had no possessions.
Macrina was the sister of the holy hierarchs Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. Her own monastic community of nuns inspired Basil to start his own monastic community. Well-immersed in Holy Scripture, Macrina taught her brothers. St Gregory, in his Life of Macrina, records his last visit with her, and her farewell speech and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
“In thee, O mother, that which was created according to the image of God was manifestly saved.”
Macrina was the sister of the holy hierarchs Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. Her own monastic community of nuns inspired Basil to start his own monastic community. Well-immersed in Holy Scripture, Macrina taught her brothers. St Gregory, in his Life of Macrina, records his last visit with her, and her farewell speech and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
“In thee, O mother, that which was created according to the image of God was manifestly saved.”
“Truly now the revision of our lives is necessary as never before ... And for us it becomes the only way out—staying focused on Him. Now we need to concern ourselves with building our souls’ 'house of virtues' as the wise Abba Dorotheos once wrote. Because the rest will obviously not stand the test of this age of changes and collapse. But this 'house' will withstand all the trials." - Igumen Nektary (Morozov)
The Holy, Glorious Prophet (July 20/ Aug 2) was taken up in a whirlwind into heaven. Seeing the spectacle, Elisha cried, “‘Father! Father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he saw him no more.” (2 Kings 2:12)
In iconography the Prophet Elijah (Elias) is depicted ascending to Heaven in a fiery chariot, surrounded with flames, and harnessed to four winged horses. The Holy Prophet did not experience physical death but was instead taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot.
At the time of the Transfiguration, the Prophet Elijah conversed with the Saviour upon Mount Tabor (Mt. 17: 3; Mark 9: 4; Luke. 9: 30
According to the Tradition of Church, St Elijah will be the Forerunner of the Dread Second Coming of Christ. He will proclaim the truth of Christ, urge all to repentance, and will be slain by the Antichrist. This will be a sign of the end of the world.
In iconography the Prophet Elijah (Elias) is depicted ascending to Heaven in a fiery chariot, surrounded with flames, and harnessed to four winged horses. The Holy Prophet did not experience physical death but was instead taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot.
At the time of the Transfiguration, the Prophet Elijah conversed with the Saviour upon Mount Tabor (Mt. 17: 3; Mark 9: 4; Luke. 9: 30
According to the Tradition of Church, St Elijah will be the Forerunner of the Dread Second Coming of Christ. He will proclaim the truth of Christ, urge all to repentance, and will be slain by the Antichrist. This will be a sign of the end of the world.
The seraphim seen by the Prophet Ezekiel (July 21/Aug 3) “is an image of faithful souls, who strive to attain perfection. He had six wings full of eyes; He also had four faces looking at four sides: one face like the face of a man, the other the face of the calf, the third the face of a lion, the fourth the face of an eagle. [Ezek. 1: 4-9]
The first face of Seraphim, which is a human face, means the faithful, who live in the world, fulfill the commandments on them. If one of them goes into monasticism, then he becomes like the face of a calf, because he bears hard work performed by the monastic rules and performs more physical feats. Who, having accomplished the dormitory order, goes into solitude and enters the fight against invisible demons, he is likened to the face of a lion, the king of wild animals. When he conquers invisible enemies and will prevail over the passions and subordinate them to himself, then the mountain will be enraptured with the Holy Spirit and will see the Divine visions; here he will become like the face of an eagle: his mind will then see everything that can happen to him from six sides, following those six wings full of eyes. So he will become a fully spiritual Seraphim and will inherit eternal bliss. ”
✝️ St Anthony the Great
✝️ St Anthony the Great