Wisdom…
Category: Orthodoxy
Wisdom…
Were I worthy of such a favor from my God, I would ask that He would grant to me this one miracle, that by grace He would make of me a good man.
Anskar, 9th century missionary to northern Europe
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Wisdom from St. Cyprian…
Patience is a precept for salvation given us by our Lord our teacher: Whoever endures to the end will be saved. And again: If you persevere in my word, you will truly be my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Dear brethren, we must endure and persevere if we are to attain the truth and freedom we have been allowed to hope for; faith and hope are the very meaning of our being Christians, but if faith and hope are to bear their fruit, patience is necessary.
We do not seek glory now, in the present, but we look for future glory, as Saint Paul instructs us when he says: By hope we were saved. Now hope which is seen is not hope; how can a man hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience. Patient waiting is necessary if we are to be perfected in what we have begun to be, and if we are to receive from God what we hope for and believe.
In another place the same Apostle instructs and teaches the just, and those active in good works, and those who store up for themselves treasures in heaven through the reward God gives them. They are to be patient also, for he says: Therefore while we have time, let us do good to all, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith. But let us not grow weary in doing good, for we shall reap our reward in due season.
Paul warns us not to grow weary in good works through impatience, not to be distracted or overcome by temptations and so give up in the midst of our pilgrimage of praise and glory, and allow our past good deeds to count for nothing because what was begun falls short of completion.
Finally the Apostle, speaking of charity, unites it with endurance and patience. Charity, he says, is always patient and kind; it is not jealous, is not boastful, is not given to anger, does not think evil, loves all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. He shows that charity can be steadfast and persevering because it has learned how to endure all things. And in another place he says: Bear with one another lovingly, striving to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He shows that neither unity nor peace can be maintained unless the brethren cherish each other with mutual forbearance and preserve the bond of harmony by means of patience.
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Prayers by the Lake…
You pour Your holy oil into the stars, O Holy Spirit, and out of senseless conflagrations You make vigil lamps before the Glory of Heaven. Pour Yourself into my soul also, and out of a passionate conflagration make a vigil lamp before the heavens.
You stroll through fields of flowers without being heard, and You sprinkle the flowers with Your grace, so that the blood of the earth may not look through, but the beauty of God. Sprinkle the field of my soul with Your grace also, so that it may not be said that the field of my soul sprouted from the blood of the earth, but that it is adorned with the beauty of God.
You mingle with every heap of ashes and pour in life. Pour life into the ashes of my body also, so that I may live and glorify Your works.
You tame the fire and wind, and out of demons of fury You make servants of the Most High. Tame my pride and make me a servant of the Most High.
You are kind to the animals in the woods. Show kindness to me also, who am animalized by ignorance.
You fertilize every seed of life. You hover in every womb. You sit in the egg of a bird’s nest and masterfully form a new miracle of life. Fertilize, I beseech You, the invisible seed of goodness within me also, and keep watch over it until it reaches maturity.
O Awesome and Almighty Spirit, by Your presence You turn a den of thieves into a haven of Heaven, and a terrifying universe into a temple of God. Descend into me also, I beseech You, and turn a handful of ashes into what You know how to do and can.
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Worth Visiting…
Orthodox quotes…
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From St. John of Kronstadt…
” 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.”
—St. John of Kronstadt
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Wisdom…
“Everybody wants to change the world, but nobody thinks about changing himself.”
—Dostoevsky
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Interesting…
“Philanthropy in Byzantium was not practiced as a result of coercion on the part of State machinery or the Emperor as is sometimes the case by socialist societies today. It was a voluntary manifestation of love and human consideration. The Byzantine Empire was not a socialist state. Its welfare program did not destroy self-reliance, self-respect, or initiative. Byzantine phlanthropy did not make the poor servile and dependent, weak in charcter, resigned or parasitic….the Byzantines believed that ‘if anyone will not work, let him not eat,,” – Byzantine Philanthropy And Social Welfare; Demtrios J. Constanelos; page 203.
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The Festival…
is over. The tents and tables and chairs are moved. Things that can wait will be taken apart as time provides. The dumpsters have been taken away.
Festivals are places where people plan together, work together. and serve together. They can raise vital funds and put a public face on the parish. My parish and its Middle Eastern Dancers made the largest paper in Minnesota. People working together build bonds with each other, their guests, and put their best foot forward.
Festivals are also a ton of work, months in the making, and often just pure sweat. A handful of people are driven to exhaustion one weekend a year because people want, no need, help to pay for their parish. Tempers build. Relationships are strained. Towards the end there are a lot of tired eyes and faces. Sigh,
I haven’t figured it out yet. I like all the good things and dislike all the bad stuff. Where does that leave me? Pretty much where I was before save for one important thing. Every festival we have reminds me of the fact there are people who truly cherish their church home and are willing to sacrifice and give of themselves in extraordinary ways to see that it survives. There’s a raw pool of energy there that hooked to the right things could change the world and in time by grace it will.
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The Truth Is…
I’ve gotten tired of all the shuffling and moving and behind the scenes stuff that seems to characterize the Orthodox headlines these days. It just seems like it’s all about keeping the Church in stasis through continued organizational crises. It’s a perfect plan. Keep the Church immobilized with questions of titles and politics while the rest of the world slides off the deep end without any help.
Imagine how different things would be if we were arguing about how best to serve the poor and needy. What if our debates were about strategies for the conversion of America? What if our mighty struggles were about how best to deepen our knowledge and practice of the Faith? How would it be if we just prayed a minute for each minute spent on Facebook or blogs arguing the minute details of who gets what?
I think there’s only one viable solution. All of us removed from the trappings of power simply need to do and be what we except our leaders to do and be and let the holiness and sense of purpose in us flow until its sweet water washes over our parishes and the greater culture.
Don’t wait to be led to pray, pray now. Serve the poor. Witness to the Gospel. Grow in your faith. Do good. Give alms. Worship with passion. Seek holiness in your own life and in doing so it will create a climate of holiness that will trickle up, through, and around the Church.
In time if the people will lead the leaders will follow.
The Beautiful Path 