Orthodox Thought for the Day

ORTHODOX THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Any part of the Scripture you like to choose is inspired by God.  The Holy Spirit composed the Scriptures so that in them, as in a pharmacy open to all souls, we might each of us be able to find the medicine suited to our own particular illness.

Thus, the teaching of the Prophets is one thing, and that of the historical books is another.  And, again, the Law has one meaning, and the advice we read in the Book of Proverbs has a different one.

But the Book of Psalms contains everything useful that the others have.  It predicts the future, it recalls the past, it gives directions for living, it suggests the right behavior to adopt.  It is, in short, a jewel case in which have been collected all the valid teachings in such a way that individuals find remedies just right for their cases.

It heals the old wounds of the soul and gives relief to recent ones.  It cures the illnesses and preserves the health of the soul.

Every Psalm brings peace, soothes the internal conflicts, calms the rough waves of evil thoughts, dissolves anger, corrects and moderates profligacy.

Every Psalm preserves friendship and reconciles those who are separated.  Who could actually regard as an enemy the person beside whom they have raised a song to the one God?

Every Psalm anticipates the anguish of the night and gives rest after the efforts of the day.  It is safety for babes, beauty for the young, comfort for the aged, adornment for women.

Every Psalm is the voice of the Church.



Thursday, September 15, 2016

Wisdom for this Day--Fr. Atanas Arolsky

Be inspired, dear readers, by this beautiful video filled with wisdom from the aged Bulgarian Orthodox priest, Fr. Atanas Arolsky.  There are English subtitles, go to the bottom of the YouTube screen and click on the subtitle button:


Pres. Candace

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Memory Eternal! Orthodox victims of 9/11

May God rest each soul, grant peace to families and memory eternal for those who suffered sudden death during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on US soil.  These are the 69 recognized names of Orthodox Christians who perished that day:

Joanna Marie Ahladiotis (27)
Anastasios (Ernest) Alikakos (43)
Arlene T. Babakitis (47)
Tatiana Bakalinskaya
Katerina Bantis (48)
Yelena Belilovsky
Nicholas Bogdan
Alan Bondarenko
Gennady Boyarsky
Alexander Braginsky
Panagiotis (Lt. Peter) Brennan (30)
Thomas A. Damaskinos (33)
Anthony Demas (61)
Konstantinos (Gus) Ekonomos (41)
Michael J. Elferis (27)
Alexander Filipov
Ana Fosteris (58)
Jimmy Grekiotis
Kenneth G. Grouzalis (56)
Barbara Habib
Peter Hansen
Steven M. Hagis (31)
Vasilios Bill G. Haramis (56)

Stephen Huczko
Daniel Ilkanayev
Nicholas John (42)
Anthony Jovic
John Katsimatidis (31)
Evgeny Knyazev
Irina Kolpakova
Suzanne Kondratenko
Bojan Kostic
Danielle Kousoulis (29)
Lyudmilla Ksido
Thomas Kuveikis (48)
John Lezowsky
Alexandru Liviu Stan
Corina Liviu Stan
James Maounis (42)
Edward Joseph Mardovich
Philip William Mastrandrea, Jr (42)
Yelena Melnichenko
George Merkouris (35)
Stilianos Mousouroulis
Iuriy Mouchinsky
Peter Constantine Moutos (44)
Nikos Papadopoulos/Papas (29)

James Nicholas Papageorge (29)
George Paris (33)
Theodore Pigis (60)
Daphne Pouletsos (47)
Richard N. Poulos (55)
Stephen E. Poulos (45)
Tatiana Ryjova
Anthony (Tony) Savas (72)
Alena Sesinova
Gregory Sikorsky
Muriel Fay Siskopoulos (60)
Timothy Patrick Soulas (35)
Andrew Stergiopoulos (23)
Derek Statkevicus
Michael Tarrou (38)
Michael Theodoridis (32)
Vladimir Tomasevic
Vassilis P. Tselepis (33)
Jennifer Tzemis (26)
Aleksandr Valeryevich Ivantsov
Prokopios Paul Zois (46)
 

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Our spiritual food

What we eat, what we drink, the Holy Spirit expresses to you saying, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him,” Psalm 34:8.  Christ is in that sacrament, because the body is Christ’s.  So, the food is not corporeal, but spiritual. 

Friday, September 2, 2016

On God's Providence

“The world is governed by God’s Providence alone, and in this is salvation for one who believes; in this is the strength to endure earthly sorrows.”

“My dears, the world is governed by God’s Providence and not by us mortals.”

“I will tell you from experience that the sooner we accept what God has given us, the easier it will be to bear God’s good yoke, His easy yoke. It becomes heavy from our inner resistance.”

“Such a time has come when only faith that God’s Providence orders life can overcome all the hardships of life.”

+Fr. John Krestiankin of blessed memory