"Bearing Your Cross as a rod of power..."

The Holy Twelve Apostles (source)

  
Bearing Your Cross as a rod of power, Your witnesses [the Holy Apostles], O Word, divided the sea of life, and as horses they trampled upon the waves of polytheism.

You shone forth, O radiant [Apostles], as all-joyous stars, that dispersed all of the clouds of error through your light-bearing lamps, shining with the radiance of the knowledge of God.

As the Friends of Christ, you ever receive your rest, and unfading crowns, and increasing divine theoria, therefore ever entreat Him that the Church be saved.
-from the Matins Canon to the Holy Apostles
  
(source)
  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Elder Symeon Kragiopoulos on Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles

Sts. Peter and Paul the Holy Apostles (source)

  

5th Sunday of June (June 29th, 2014)

Some main points in the life of the leaders of the Apostles.

   “For when I am weak, then I am strong” :  Behold the great, indomitable, and mysterious power of the Apostle Paul. The spirit of our age is entirely opposite. People think that money, rank, titles, wisdom, and worldly science, are power. The example of the Apostle persuades us that human works are finite, fleeting, sinful and vain, whereas those which are accomplished by divine power are true and everlasting. Divine power resides in people who are insignificant by the world’s standards. But it always works miracles so that the Christian who possesses this power, even while he is poor, he makes rich many others, and even though he has nothing, he possesses all things.

    Let us recall the answer of the Apostle Peter, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You” , when the Lord asked him for the third time: “Peter, do you love me?” Peter was saddened, but his answer is amazing: “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”  And he answers without hesitation, while he should have started to doubt. To say, “For the Lord to ask me again and again, maybe…” Peter, however, doesn’t waver. Peter is true.

    Now let’s you and I stand before God and imitate in some way Peter’s love in our relationship with God. Let’s have this same certainty within ourselves: knowing that the true God, who is entirely loving and compassionate, wants to save each one of us. And let’s approach Him without even the slightest doubt or reservation as to His holiness, goodness, and love for mankind, in which we can have complete trust.

    But maybe the temptation comes that God doesn’t love us. We don’t say it, but deep down our soul lives like this and there we find complaints, reservations, whining. We don’t understand how many things we ruin with God when we adopt such a stance. God wants us to completely believe in His goodness, to completely believe that He doesn’t hold any prejudices; He doesn’t ever show discrimination. This is a fact. And so we too, then, can say: “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”  And we can have the trust that the Apostle Peter had, to whom the Lord finally said: “Feed My lambs, Feed my sheep.” 

Transcribed talks by Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos

 From: Holy Hesychasterion “The Nativity of Theotokos” Publications.

Translated by fr. Matthew Penney

(source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Elder Nikon on Missionary Work

Here is another wonderful talk (in Greek but with English subtitles) by Elder Nikon of New Skete, on the subject of "Missionary Work" and the Orthodox way (source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"The great Forerunner shines forth today..."

The Nativity of St. John the Forerunner (source)

  
The great Forerunner shines forth today, from fruitless loins, coming forth from Elizabeth, he who is the Prophet greater than all the Prophets. There is none like him, nor will there come another after, for after the light of the lamp that is the Forerunner follows the surpassingly radiant voice of the Logos, and the Bridegroom of the Bride, the Lord Who prepares a people for Himself, and cleanses them beforehand by the Spirit through the water. [John is] the root of Zacharias, and the beautiful fruit of the desert, the preacher of repentance, the cleansing of offenses, he who preaches to those in Hades of the Resurrection from the dead, and who intercedes on behalf of our souls.
-Idiomelon of the Stichera for the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner, by St. Andrew of Crete
  
(source)
  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Elder Ephraim of Katounakia: "The Jesus prayer gives you so much sweetness..."

Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior of the world (source)

  
The Jesus prayer gives you so much sweetness, so much joy. It’s short, but it’s got so much power. So much, that you say: ‘Even if I go to hell, I’m not afraid. I’ll just say the prayer there, as well’.
-Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
  
(source)
  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. Gabriel of Georgia: The Human Conscience is a little God

St. Gabriel of Georgia (source)

  
Once, some Priests had visited St. Gabriel of Georgia and mentioned how they were loosing hope regarding the state of the world and they began to complain:
"The world has changed a lot, people have no interest in the faith and we don't know how to preach to them."

He replied to them: "On the ethical decline of Georgia***! Speak to them about this. The conscience is a little God."
  
(from the book by Nana Merkvilatze: "St. Gabriel the Fool-for-Christ and Confessor, source)
  
***Note: Of course the ethical decline that the Saint is speaking of can apply to any society in moral decline.
  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"O greatly-suffering New Martyrs, you stand before the Protomartyr Christ God..."

The all precious Choir of the Holy Neomartyrs since the Fall of Constantinople, celebrated the third Sunday after Pentecost (source)

 
O greatly-suffering New Martyrs, you stand before the Protomartyr Christ God, together with the Martyrs of the former times in the heavens, arrayed with the white robe of blessed glory, holding in your right hands the Cross, and in your left the palm branch as a symbol of victory for having endured tyranny. And upon your heads, you wear the royal and unfading crown. O gods and kings by grace as He is God and King by nature, you became united with Him unto the ages, and you ceaselessly intercede on behalf of us, who with fervor celebrate your memory.
-Matins Idiomelon for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy New Martyrs since the Fall of Constantinople
 
(source)
 

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!