On love and the Cross of Christ

It is not possible to represent and to think of the Cross without love.  Where the Cross is, there is love.  In church you see crosses everywhere and on everything, in order that everything should remind you that you are in the temple of the God of love, the Temple of love crucified for us.   

Holy Cross Orthodox Church

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Glory, O Lord, to the power of Thy Cross

Glory, O Lord, to the power of Thy Cross, which never fails!  When the enemy oppresses me with a sinful thought or feeling, and I, lacking freedom in my heart, make the sign of the Cross several times with faith, suddenly my sins falls away from me, the compulsion vanishes, and I find myself free…   For the faithful the Cross is a mighty power which delivers from all evils, from the malice of the invisible foe. 

On the peace that passes all understanding

Live as members of one body, as children of God, in love, harmony, tranquility and above all in peace, esteeming one another, being indulgent to one another, as the Lord is indulgent to us.  Do not be proud, do not envy, do not bear ill will, do not be slothful in prayer, begin and end the day with fervent prayer to God, to the Virgin Mary and the Saints and pray for all as yourself, wish well to all as yourself, and the peace that passeth all understanding will live in your heart. 

The foundation of man

 

Love every man in spite of his falling into sin.  Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same—the image of God. 

On gratitude

 

People say that God is merciful, that He will have mercy upon us.  God is infinitely merciful and bountiful to us, why do we voluntarily offend Him by our iniquities?  The more He loads us with benefits, the more we ought to love Him, to be grateful to Him, and obedient to His holy commandments and requests.  But where is this love?  This gratitude?  This obedience?



Don't miss the opportunity

Do not let pass any opportunity to pray for anyone, either at his request or at the request of his relatives, friends, of those who esteem him, or of his acquaintances. The Lord looks favorably upon the prayer of our love, and upon our boldness before him. Besides this, prayer for others is very beneficial to the one himself who prays for others; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and enkindles our love for God and our neighbor. When praying, say thus: ‘Lord, it is possible for Thee to do this or that to this servant of Thine; do this for him, for Thy name is the Merciful Love of Men and the Almighty.’ 

Weaknesses of my neighbor & myself

My neighbor is a being with equal rights as myself, a man, like me, also made after the image of God, and as he is the same as I am I must love him as I love myself.  Therefore, I must watch over him as over my own flesh and blood, behave lovingly, gently, and kindly to him, forgiving his thoughts as I should willingly forgive myself my own, as I long for forgiveness or indulgence from others toward my own weaknesses—that is, that other people should not even notice them, as though they did not exist, or that they should notice them gently, kindly, pleasantly and benevolently.  St. John of Kronstadt

 

 

Laborers together with God

You see very clearly that it is extremely difficult, and without God’s grace and your own fervent prayer and abstinence, impossible, for you to change for the better.  You feel within yourself the action of a multitude of passions: of pride, malice, envy, greediness, the love of money, despondency, slothfulness, fornication, impatience, and disobedience; and yet you remain in them, are often bound by them, whilst the long-suffering Lord bears with you, awaiting your return and amendment; and still bestows upon you all the gifts of His mercy. 

Be then indulgent, patient, and loving to those who live with you, and who also suffer from many passions; conquer every evil by good, and, above all, pray to God for them, that He may correct them—that He may turn their hearts to Himself, the source of holiness.  Do not help the Devil to spread his kingdom. Hallow the name of your Heavenly Father by your actions; help Him to spread His Kingdom on earth. ‘For we are laborers together with God.’ 

Be zealous of the fulfillment of His will on earth, as it is in heaven. Forgive them that trespass against you with joy, as a good son rejoices when he has a chance of fulfilling the will of his beloved father.  

 

Prayer when dejected and weary

When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected and you are wearied and oppressed, remember then, as always, that God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that is the Trinity, looks upon you with bright eyes, brighter than the sun; and so do all the angels, including your own guardian, and all the saints of God.  Truly they do, for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. 

 

Hasten to help me, O Lord

 

 

You cannot conquer any passion, any sin, without gracious help; therefore, always ask the help of Christ, your Savior.  It was for this that He came into the world, for this that He suffered, died and rose from the dead, in order to help us in everything, to save us from sin, and from the violence of the passions, to cleanse us from our sins, to bestow upon us power in the Holy Spirit to do good works, to enlighten us, to strengthen us and to give us peace.  You ask how you can save yourself when sin stands at every step, and you sin at every moment?  There is a simple answer to this:  at every step, at every moment, call upon the Savior, remember the Savior always, and with the practice of self-control, you will save yourself and others. 

Preparatory prayers

Prayers at home are an introduction, a preparation for prayers in church.  Thus he who is not accustomed to pray at home can seldom pray diligently in church.  Experience bears witness to this:  anyone can observe it for himself.  



On keeping the Lenten fast



We are told:  It is no big deal to eat non-Lenten food during Lent.  It is no big deal if you wear expensive, beautiful outfits, go to the theatre, to parties, to masquerade balls, use beautiful expensive china, furniture, expensive carriages and dashing steeds, amass and hoard things, etc.  Yet what is it that turns our heart away from God, away from the Fountain of Life?  Because of what do we lose eternal life?  Is it not because of gluttony, of expensive clothing like that of the rich man of the Gospel story, is it not because of theaters and masquerades?   

What turns us hard-hearted toward the poor and even toward our relatives?  Is it not our passion for sweets, for satisfying the belly in general, for clothing, for expensive dishes, furniture, carriages, money and other things?  Is it possible to serve God and mammon, to be a friend to the world and a friend to God, to serve Christ and Belial?  That is impossible.  Why did Adam and Eve lose paradise, why did they fall into sin and death?  Was it not because of one evil?   

Let us attentively consider why we do not care about the salvation of our soul, which cost the Son of God so dearly.  Why do we compound sin upon sin, fall endlessly into opposing to God, into a life of vanity? Is it not because of a passion for earthly pleasures?  What makes our hearts become crude?  Why do we become flesh and not spirit, perverting our moral nature? 

Is it not because of a passion for food, drink, and other earthly comforts?  How after this can one say that it does not matter whether you eat non-Lenten food during Lent?  The fact that we talk this way is in fact pride, idle thought, disobedience, refusal to submit to God, and separation from Him. 

On sickness of the body

 

When you see your body wasted away through sickness, do not murmur against God, but say, The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord, Job 1:21.  You are accustomed to look upon your body as upon your own inalienable property, but that is quite wrong, because your body is God's edifice. 

 

 





What our nature requires

The carnal man considers the Christian's freedom as slavery; for instance, attending Divine service, fasting, preparation for the sacrament, confession, communion, all the Sacraments, and does not know that all this is a requirement of his nature, a necessity for his spirit. 

On the temper

Irritability of temper proceeds from lack of self-knowledge, from pride, and also from the fact that we do not consider the great corruption of our nature, and know but little the meek and humble Jesus.

Feast Day of the All Holy Spirit

The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Who fills the whole universe, passes through all believing, meek, humble, good and simple human souls, dwelling in them, vivifying and strengthening them.  He becomes one spirit with them and everything to them—light, strength, peace, joy, success in their undertakings, especially to a pious life, and everything good. 

On the grandeur of man

 

What a grand creature is man; what a wonderful creation of God, created after His own image!  If even in a fallen state he is capable of accomplishing the many wonderful works which he has produced, and still produces, as we constantly see both in history and in the present time, then of what might he not be capable in a state of holiness and perfection!  But that which in him is above all deserving of attention, wonder, reverence and the most heartfelt gratitude is that he may be likened to his Creator, God; that he is predestined to immortality, to eternal bliss in God, and with God; that he will someday shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of his heavenly Father. 

Respect others and God's working through them

Remember that the Lord is in every Christian.  When your neighbor comes to you, always have great respect for him, because the Lord is in him, and often expresses His will through him.  It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure, Phil 2:13.  Therefore, do not grudge anything to your brother, but do unto him as unto the Lord; especially as you do not know in whom the Lord will come and visit you; be impartial to all, be kind to all, sincere and hospitable.  Remember that sometimes God speaks even through unbelievers, or disposes their hearts towards us, as it happened in Egypt when the Lord gave Joseph favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison (Gen 39:21). 

 

A wrathful man is a sick man

A man who is wrathful with us is a sick man; we must apply a plaster to his heart - love; we must treat him kindly, speak to him, gently, lovingly.  And if there is not deeply-rooted malice against us within him, but only a temporary fit of anger, you will see how his heart, or his malice, will melt away through your kindness and love - how good will conquer evil.  A Christian must always be kind, gracious and wise in order to conquer evil by good.

Bear with one another and pardon

Besides loving each other, we must bear with each other and pardon, ‘forgive them that trespass against us,’ in order that our Heavenly Father may ‘forgive us our trespasses,’ (Matthew 6:14).  Thus, with all your soul honor and love in every man the image of God, not regarding his sins, for God alone is Holy and without sin; and see how He loves us, how much He has created and still creates for us, punishing us mercifully and forgiving us bounteously and graciously.  Honor the man also, in spite of his sins, for he can always amend.