“The Lord sometimes allows people who are devoted to Him to fall into such dreadful vices; and this is in order to prevent them from falling into a still greater sin-- pride.
Your temptation will pass and you will spend the remaining days of your life in humility. Only do not forget your sin.” + St Seraphim of Sarov
Your temptation will pass and you will spend the remaining days of your life in humility. Only do not forget your sin.” + St Seraphim of Sarov
"When you feel an aversion for people, or anger, or irritation against them, you have to pray for them, regardless of whether they are guilty or not. Pray in the simplicity of your heart, as the holy fathers counsel:
“Save O Lord and have mercy on Thy servant (name), and help me, a sinner, through his/her holy prayers! The heart will become peaceful from this prayer, although not always right away.”
☦Saint Nikon of Optina
“Save O Lord and have mercy on Thy servant (name), and help me, a sinner, through his/her holy prayers! The heart will become peaceful from this prayer, although not always right away.”
☦Saint Nikon of Optina
The Feast of the Theophany (or Epiphany) of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Jan 6/ Jan 19) is, after Pascha and Pentecost, the greatest Feast of the Orthodox Church, predating even the Nativity of Christ in importance. Here Our Lord Jesus Christ is baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan, this being the first public manifestation of God the Word Incarnate to the world.
"The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing."
Isaiah 35:1-2a (Great Blessing of Waters, Theophany)
Isaiah 35:1-2a (Great Blessing of Waters, Theophany)
In the village of Sasca Mare, Romania. and other localities nearby, the feast of the Theophany is marked by the tradition of creating ice crosses.
"Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord, and the light of Your countenance has been marked on us. Knowing You, we sing Your praises. You have come and revealed Yourself, O unapproachable Light." +Kontakion for Theophany
Annual Theophany Miracle at the River Jordan
The annual Theophany miracle is a re-creation of Psalm 113/114 when the "sea beheld and fled, Jordan turned back" (verse 3), as well as the parting of the Jordan for Elisha (2 Kings 13-14). This is depicted in icons which display the swirling waters at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.
At Theophany, when Theophilus III, Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem throws the cross into the waters of the Jordan at the completion of the blessing of the waters, the Jordan swirls and turns back.
Fr Milovan Katanic describes the event as he witnessed it in 2006: "During the ceremony which was led by Theophilus III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (who was standing on the same bank with us, that is on Israel’s side), and by one of Jordan’s Orthodox priests (whom we were able to see on the other bank of the river, on the Jordanian side) the waters continue to flow as usual toward the right. However, as soon as the Patriarch and the Jordanian priest dropped the Cross into the river, chanting “En Iorthani Vaptizomenou Sou Kyrie” (that means “During your Baptism in Jordan, Lord”), the waters started mysteriously to bubble in places.
The bubbling then spread, and the river developed two currents, one running to the right and another running to the left, with the two currents finally merging into each other! Eventually, after a few minutes, the miracle was completed! The new current was steadily flowing!"
To non-believers, this miracle, like others will appear somehow be a deception to believers, based in something fraudulent or has some scientific explanation which has yet to be discovered.
St Paisios of the Holy Mountain reminds us, "From the outside, all things pertaining to the spiritual life seem upside down. Indeed, the mysteries of God will be impossible to know and will appear strange and contrary to nature as long as we don't overturn our secular mindset and see everything with spiritual eyes. Those who believe that they can come to know God's mysteries through mere scientific theory, without a spiritual life, resemble a fool who thinks he can look through a telescope and see Paradise."
The annual Theophany miracle is a re-creation of Psalm 113/114 when the "sea beheld and fled, Jordan turned back" (verse 3), as well as the parting of the Jordan for Elisha (2 Kings 13-14). This is depicted in icons which display the swirling waters at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.
At Theophany, when Theophilus III, Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem throws the cross into the waters of the Jordan at the completion of the blessing of the waters, the Jordan swirls and turns back.
Fr Milovan Katanic describes the event as he witnessed it in 2006: "During the ceremony which was led by Theophilus III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (who was standing on the same bank with us, that is on Israel’s side), and by one of Jordan’s Orthodox priests (whom we were able to see on the other bank of the river, on the Jordanian side) the waters continue to flow as usual toward the right. However, as soon as the Patriarch and the Jordanian priest dropped the Cross into the river, chanting “En Iorthani Vaptizomenou Sou Kyrie” (that means “During your Baptism in Jordan, Lord”), the waters started mysteriously to bubble in places.
The bubbling then spread, and the river developed two currents, one running to the right and another running to the left, with the two currents finally merging into each other! Eventually, after a few minutes, the miracle was completed! The new current was steadily flowing!"
To non-believers, this miracle, like others will appear somehow be a deception to believers, based in something fraudulent or has some scientific explanation which has yet to be discovered.
St Paisios of the Holy Mountain reminds us, "From the outside, all things pertaining to the spiritual life seem upside down. Indeed, the mysteries of God will be impossible to know and will appear strange and contrary to nature as long as we don't overturn our secular mindset and see everything with spiritual eyes. Those who believe that they can come to know God's mysteries through mere scientific theory, without a spiritual life, resemble a fool who thinks he can look through a telescope and see Paradise."
"The Son of God Himself, seeing us sinking down into a meaningless life, a selfish life, a painful lack of unity between us … came and showed us the way we can get out of this … His love was not only manifested by this humbleness of becoming human and showing us the example of a human, but it was manifested in His sacrifice for us, accepting death on the Cross, for only the one who is willing to die for others is the one who loves fully."
—Father Dumitru Stăniloae (1903-1993)
—Father Dumitru Stăniloae (1903-1993)