When enmity and malice strike

Pray, my brethren, to the Mother of God when the storm of enmity and malice bursts forth in your house.  She, Who is all-merciful and all-powerful, can easily pacify the hearts of men.  Peace and love proceed from the one God, as from their Source, and Our Lady--in God, as the Mother of Christ the Peace, is zealous, and prays for the peace of the whole world, and above all--of all Christians.  St. John of Kronstadt

A worthy meditation

If it is to be first you desire, be last.  If to rule, be the servant.  If  to be heard, be silent.  You desire to have, then give.  If you desire to buy, then save.  If it is a well mannered child you desire, nourish him.  If a learned child, teach him.  If the love of the child, love him first.  If respect, respect them first.  If honor, love those around you.  If you desire they love you, suffer long, be amiable, do not get angry, nor exaggerate, nor boast.  Love your neighbors and you, too, will be loved.  If you desire to be God’s, do good for life, respect your older brother and you will have the respect of the younger one.

If it is the grace of the Holy Spirit you desire, think with God, live with God, piously.  Paul came from Saul.  All that you desire is attained through effort.  Without effort no great song can be sung; without effort no saber can be forged!  Expect not only the “good” to come your way.   In your home you must establish the “good,”then watch over it with great care.  You are on sand and it is marshland beneath your feet.  In a moment you fall and become filthy.  In a moment you lose all you have attained.

A moment and all you have gathered is spilled.  In a  moment love turns to hatred, and your face a murky glow.  All your knowledge turns to ignorance and stupidity.  Your reputation, to ridicule and respect to scorn.  The stirring of passions will alter that which was  patient, peaceful and kind to anger-filled, quarrelsome and gossiping….

O Lord of the hosts, be the Commander of my life!  You alone give to those undeserving and love where there is no love and heal where faith has been lost, and are merciful to those filled with hate and heal those who ridicule Your Name.  Your love is inexhaustible, it rejoices the heart and gives hope.  Without you, O Creator, there truly is no meaning and life turns to the darkest of nights.  With You is fullness, without You only an empty nothing.  Be, then, our power, help and strength.  That I always praise and love You (and never forget You) above all the earthly riches and smoke.

If it is to have that you desire, then fill your hearts and minds with the Lord.  All will be yours.  He is the “All and Everything” and beyond all things and in all things, Whom we desire and to Whom we hasten.  It is Him that my soul thirsts for.  To Him be glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

Priest Simon J. Turkic, Serbian Diocese of Central Europe

translated by Fr. Milovan Katanic, from his blog "Again & Again" http://frmilovan.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/if-you-desire/

On blaming

It is most necessary and helpful for the soul to endure with fortitude every tribulation, whether inflicted by men or by demons.  We should recognize that our sufferings are no more than we deserve, and we should never blame anyone but ourselves.  For whoever blames others for his own tribulations has lost the power of judging correctly what is to his own advantage.  St. John of Karpathos (The Philokalia, Vol 1)

Fear only to grieve the Lord

From Abbot Nikon in Letters to Spiritual Children:

You seem to be disappointed that years pass and you are still unsettled. All this comes from worldliness and the prince of this world.  He is trying to frighten you.  He confuses your thoughts, suggests various fears, and lies, endless lies, thereby giving himself away on all fronts.

What is the essence of Christianity?  This--that the All-mighty, All-knowing Creator of the Universe has such love and compassion for man, such care for him and his salvation, that He gave up His Only-Begotten Son to shame, the Cross and death.  He cares not only for mankind as a whole, but for every person individually; each and every minute He holds him in His hand, protecting him from visible and invisible foes, granting him wisdom through other people, books, and life's circumstances.  If it is necessary to chastise a person in order to instruct him or to prevent him from falling into a worse mishap, He does so with mercy, and if a person is able to accept this in the right spirit, He rewards him greatly, as though He feels sorry for having issued the punishment.  Those whose inner vision has begun to clear can see God's amazing Providence over man in things both great and small. And so it is.  If for man's sake God sacrificed that which He loved most--His Son--then how can He begrudge anything: even the whole universe is nothing compared to such a sacrifice.  The Lord does not hold back anything, especially from those who yearn for Him, who try to keep His word, who feel compunction after every committed sin, seeing this as a breach of His will, as inattentiveness towards Him, as ingratitude and lack of love towards Him.

Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out, (John 6:37).  The Lord rejoices over every person who longs for Him immeasurably more than a mother rejoices over displays of love from her own child.  For this reason, do not fear the future.  “God is with us,” today, tomorrow and always.  Fear only to grieve Him through some form of sin.  If in our weakness we fall into some wrong, let us repent and the Lord will forgive us as long as we do not consciously choose evil, attempt to justify ourselves or murmur against God.  Fear nothing.  Be bold to bring to the Lord all your troubles, confusion, fears, hurts from the demons and people.  He both desires and knows how to relieve you of these and to free you from them when this will be most beneficial for you.

Do not trust in yourself and in people.  Trust in God's word, the Gospel.  Study the Gospel through your own life experience.  Life in Christ will give you such fullness, such an understanding of everything, such spiritual joy, steadfastness--that the life of worldly people will seem (as indeed it is) of little value, uninteresting, impoverished, pitiable, frivolous, full of insignificant squabbles, unhappiness and often great misfortunes.  You are fortunate.  Treasure this.  Thank God for this, and He will multiply His goodness towards you many times over for your gratitude, as much as you are able to contain.  Indeed, I hope this shall come to be!  May the Lord keep you and bless you.

This beautiful meditation comes from the book Letters to Spiritual Children published by Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society in New York in 1997.

On self-restraint and purity

Bodily fasting alone is not enough to bring about perfect self-restraint and true purity; it must be accompanied by contrition of heart, intense prayer to God, frequent meditation on the Scripture, toil and manual labor.  These are able to check the restless impulses of the soul and to recall it from its shameful fantasies.  Humility of soul helps more than everything else, however, and without it no one can overcome unchastity or any other sin.  St. John Cassian

Serve the sick and speed their recovery

If your heart has been softened either by repentance before God or by learning the boundless love of God towards you, do not be proud with those whose hearts are still hard. Remember how long your heart was hard and incorrigible.   

Seven brothers were ill in one hospital. One recovered from his illness and got up and rushed to serve his other brothers with brotherly love, to speed their recovery. Be like this brother. Consider all men to be your brothers, and sick brothers at that. And if you come to feel that God has given you better health than others, know that it is given through mercy, so in health you may serve your frailer brothers.

St. Nikolai Velimirovic

When darkness prevails

At the time of darkness, more than anything else, kneeling is helpful.  St. Isaac the Syrian