“When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.” ✝️ St Basil the Great (330-379)
The glorious beheading of the forerunner
was part of God's dispensation,
that he might proclaim to those in hades the coming of the Savior.
Let Herodias, who demanded the iniquitous murder, therefore lament;
for she loved not the law of God nor the age of life,
but rather this false and transitory one.
Kontakion, in Tone 5, Commemoration of the Beheading of St John the Forerunner and Baptist (Aug 29/ Sept 11)
was part of God's dispensation,
that he might proclaim to those in hades the coming of the Savior.
Let Herodias, who demanded the iniquitous murder, therefore lament;
for she loved not the law of God nor the age of life,
but rather this false and transitory one.
Kontakion, in Tone 5, Commemoration of the Beheading of St John the Forerunner and Baptist (Aug 29/ Sept 11)
O Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
The “Vladimir” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was painted by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Saviour ate together with His All-Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph.
The icon was brought from the city of Vladimir to Moscow as Khan Tamerlane was preparing an invasion of Russia. Along the way, on both sides of the road, countless people prayed kneeling: “O Mother of God, save the land of Russia!” At that same hour, Khan Tamerlane had a dream of a Radiant Lady commanding him to leave the domains of Russia. His experts explained that the Radiant Lady was the Mother of God, the great Protectress of Christians. Tamerlane then gave the order for his troops to retreat.
The “Vladimir” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was painted by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Saviour ate together with His All-Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph.
The icon was brought from the city of Vladimir to Moscow as Khan Tamerlane was preparing an invasion of Russia. Along the way, on both sides of the road, countless people prayed kneeling: “O Mother of God, save the land of Russia!” At that same hour, Khan Tamerlane had a dream of a Radiant Lady commanding him to leave the domains of Russia. His experts explained that the Radiant Lady was the Mother of God, the great Protectress of Christians. Tamerlane then gave the order for his troops to retreat.
During the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912), the Empress Zoe, his wife, was afflicted with an unclean spirit. She had a vision that she would be healed if the Cincture (Sash) of the Most Holy Theotokos was placed upon her. The Sash had been placed in a sealed casket in the Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, Constantinople at the time of the Emperor Arcadius (395-408). (The event is commemorated on Aug 31/ Sept 13.)
Emperor Leo asked the Patriarch to open the casket in which the relic was kept. When the Patriarch removed the seal and opened the casket the Holy Cincture of the Mother of God appeared completely whole and undamaged. The Patriarch placed the Cincture on the empress, and immediately she was healed.
The Holy Sash has been the source of countless miracles throughout the centuries. Parts of the holy Sash are in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos and in Trier monastery in Gruzia, Georgia.
Emperor Leo asked the Patriarch to open the casket in which the relic was kept. When the Patriarch removed the seal and opened the casket the Holy Cincture of the Mother of God appeared completely whole and undamaged. The Patriarch placed the Cincture on the empress, and immediately she was healed.
The Holy Sash has been the source of countless miracles throughout the centuries. Parts of the holy Sash are in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos and in Trier monastery in Gruzia, Georgia.
An icon of Dormition of the Theotokos depicts the Mother of God's Metastasis (Translocation) from earth to heaven and shows her bequeathing her sash (ζώνη) to the Apostle Thomas.
A blessed 7532! By the Byzantine Calendar, it has been 7532 years since the creation of universe. May this new liturgical year (Sept 1/ Sept 14), be holy and acceptable to the Lord!
This is also the date, and how appropriate, that, according to Holy Tradition, Christ entered the synagogue with a proclamation from Isaiah 61:1-2: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord...” (Luke 4:16-22)
This is also the date, and how appropriate, that, according to Holy Tradition, Christ entered the synagogue with a proclamation from Isaiah 61:1-2: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord...” (Luke 4:16-22)
The Orthodox Church is the Church established by Jesus Christ.
https://youtube.com/shorts/7ghvjFJcDbA?si=HXrVvpNzn7q2HULd
https://youtube.com/shorts/7ghvjFJcDbA?si=HXrVvpNzn7q2HULd
There was once a monk who happened to slip and sin by himself continually, yet he would always arise at once and do his prayer rule. The demon that kept throwing him into sin lost his patience seeing the courage and hopefulness of this brother. So he visibly appeared to him, and said to him with vexation:
“Don’t you fear God, you defiled wretch? You have just sinned, so with what face can you now stand before God? Aren’t you afraid that God will burn you?”
But since this brother had a valiant soul, he said to the demon: “This cell is a forge: you hit and get hit. As God is my witness, Who came to save the world, I will not stop fighting you, falling and getting up, beating and being beaten, until my final breath—and let’s see who will win: you or Christ!”
When the demon heard this unexpected reply, he said: “I won’t fight you anymore, because if I do, I’ll make you win crowns.”
Thenceforth, this brother was delivered from the warfare, and he sat in his cell weeping for his sins.
—Elder Ephraim of Arizona
“Don’t you fear God, you defiled wretch? You have just sinned, so with what face can you now stand before God? Aren’t you afraid that God will burn you?”
But since this brother had a valiant soul, he said to the demon: “This cell is a forge: you hit and get hit. As God is my witness, Who came to save the world, I will not stop fighting you, falling and getting up, beating and being beaten, until my final breath—and let’s see who will win: you or Christ!”
When the demon heard this unexpected reply, he said: “I won’t fight you anymore, because if I do, I’ll make you win crowns.”
Thenceforth, this brother was delivered from the warfare, and he sat in his cell weeping for his sins.
—Elder Ephraim of Arizona
The Unburnt Bush is the Bush which the Holy Prophet and Godseer Moses (Sept 4/ Sept 17) saw on Mount Horeb. It burned, yet was not consumed (Exodus 3:2).
The Unburnt Bush Icon of the Mother of God is also commemorated on the Feast Day the Prophet Moses. The Unburnt Bush signifies the Holy Virgin's sinless conception of Christ when the Holy Spirit came upon her and she was overshadowed by the power of the Most High (Luke 1:35), revealing the Holy Trinity by naming the Holy Spirit, the Power which is the Son, and the Most High which is the Father" (Saint Theophylact).
"As the Bush burned and was not consumed, so the Virgin gave birth to Thee yet remained a Virgin" (Octoechos, Dogmatikon Tone 2, "The shadow of the Law").
The Unburnt Bush Icon of the Mother of God is also commemorated on the Feast Day the Prophet Moses. The Unburnt Bush signifies the Holy Virgin's sinless conception of Christ when the Holy Spirit came upon her and she was overshadowed by the power of the Most High (Luke 1:35), revealing the Holy Trinity by naming the Holy Spirit, the Power which is the Son, and the Most High which is the Father" (Saint Theophylact).
"As the Bush burned and was not consumed, so the Virgin gave birth to Thee yet remained a Virgin" (Octoechos, Dogmatikon Tone 2, "The shadow of the Law").
"Geronda, I worry because I have many health problems… I do not sense Heaven within me now.”
“You do not sense Heaven because you do not glorify God. When one moves within the realm of doxology, he rejoices about everything. There are lay people in the world who will judge us monastics. You should see how the Bedouins suffer, and yet are thankful to God and happy. Instead of cleaning the wheat entirely to remove every little stone, they grind it into flour as it is, with the little stones - and their bread is rock-hard! And, apparently, their food does not contain the necessary nutrients, such as calcium, and so their teeth are entirely destroyed. And, yet, one sees Bedouins with one single tooth, who rejoice as if that single tooth was made of pearl. And here, if one has one tooth missing, he feels deficient. With all that you hear, you should constantly be moving within the realm of praise and doxology; praise God for His benefactions day and night."
✝️ St Paisios the Athonite, Spiritual counsels, V
“You do not sense Heaven because you do not glorify God. When one moves within the realm of doxology, he rejoices about everything. There are lay people in the world who will judge us monastics. You should see how the Bedouins suffer, and yet are thankful to God and happy. Instead of cleaning the wheat entirely to remove every little stone, they grind it into flour as it is, with the little stones - and their bread is rock-hard! And, apparently, their food does not contain the necessary nutrients, such as calcium, and so their teeth are entirely destroyed. And, yet, one sees Bedouins with one single tooth, who rejoice as if that single tooth was made of pearl. And here, if one has one tooth missing, he feels deficient. With all that you hear, you should constantly be moving within the realm of praise and doxology; praise God for His benefactions day and night."
✝️ St Paisios the Athonite, Spiritual counsels, V