Not just until the end of the age

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He is not just everywhere, but also above all, not just in every age and time, but before them all. And, according to the promise, the Holy Spirit will not just be with us until the end of the age, but rather will stay with those who are worthy in the age to come, making them immortal and filling their bodies as well with eternal glory, as the Lord indicated by telling His disciples, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16)…

Who are these heavenly people? Continue reading →

The Sven Caves Icon of the Mother of God

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The Sven Caves Icon of the Mother of God was painted by Saint Alypius. On the icon the Mother of God is depicted sitting upon a throne, and with the Divine Infant on Her knees. Saint Theodosius is on the right side of the throne, and Saint Anthony of the Caves on the left. Until the year 1288 it was in the Kiev Caves monastery, where it was glorified by miracles. In 1288 it was transferred to the Briansk-Svensk monastery, which is dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Prince Roman of Chernigov, then at Briansk, became blind. Hearing about the miracles worked by the icon of Saint Alypius, the prince sent a courier to the monastery requesting that the icon be sent to him at Briansk. They sent a priest with the icon along the River Desna. After the voyage the boat landed on the right bank of the River Svena. After lodging for the night they went to the boat to pray before the icon, but they did not find it there. Continue reading →

On the remembrance of God and on good thoughts

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It is not so easy for the demons to harm a person who keeps the constant remembrance of God in his soul. They can tempt him, but it is difficult for them to harm him. This is because he does not permit them to trip him up, for he is armed with the weapon of the constant remembrance of God. Whoever has his soul’s eyes open and sees God is not easily harmed by the enemies.

The very spiritual men of old did not need spiritual books. They did not have such a great need to read many patristic books, because they constantly reflected upon things about God. Whatever they saw immediately gave them an opportunity to reflect upon something, to discover something unknown. All of creation was a university for them. Wherever they turned their eyes, they saw something to reflect upon—sometimes the providence of God, other times His wisdom; sometimes His judgment, other times His teachings, and so on. With the eyes of their soul they saw invisible things. Reflecting upon them filled their hearts with spiritual knowledge.

We, people of today—since we do not have the eyes of our soul open—do not have the ability to remain in the spiritual reflection. Continue reading →

Daily Prayer

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O Lord! I do not know what to ask of You. You alone know what I need. You love me more than I know how to love myself. O Father! Grant Your servant what I myself do not know how to ask. I do not dare to ask of You a cross, nor consolation; I only stand before You with my heart open; You see the needs that I myself do not know. Look, and work in me according to Your mercy. Smite and heal me, cast me down and raise me up! I am reverent and silent before Your Holy Will and ways that are unfathomable to me. I offer myself as a sacrifice to You. Teach me to pray. You Yourself pray in me. Amen.

 St. Philaret of Moscow

What is most important on the holy day of Pascha

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What is most important on the holy day of Pascha is our Communion with the Risen Christ, which is principally manifest in the reception of the Holy Mysteries at the holy service, and for which we repeatedly pray in the services of Great Lent.

Leaving the Paschal service before the end of Liturgy is a sin — or the result of a lack of understanding of the Church service.

If one is compelled to do so by unavoidable necessity, then an egg, which is merely a symbol of resurrection, cannot take the place of actually partaking of the Resurrection in the Divine Liturgy, and the distribution of eggs before the Liturgy would be an act of disdain for the Divine Mystery and a deception of the faithful. Continue reading →

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

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This event has more than historical significance; it also has a spiritual meaning, and therefore also a moral meaning for every modern-day Christian. According to the spiritual meaning, Jerusalem signifies the human soul, and the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem signifies the entrance of God into the soul.

The multitudes of people, crowded and pushing one against another, joyfully awaiting and greeting Christ, symbolize the noble sentiments and exalted thoughts of a person who joyfully greets God, his Savior and Deliverer. The leaders of the crowd of people, who hate Christ and want to kill Him, personify the lower desires and earthbound thoughts, which take the upper hand over man’s noble nature and oppress it. Now this lower human nature rebels against God’s entry into the soul, for when God is enthroned there, the lower nature will inevitably be destroyed. Continue reading →

Annunciation

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Blagovesti


“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

No one ever, since the creation of the world and even until its end, has been born nor will be born in a way that is similar to that of the God-man Jesus Christ. No one has ever been born without a man. No one was ever born or will be born by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has never dwelt in anyone with such comprehensive thoroughness as He did with His indwelling of the All Holy Virgin Mary. The power of the Highest has never encompassed anyone, and no woman has ever been sanctified with such completeness and power as the Most Holy Virgin Mary.

St. Luke, Archbishop of Crimea