God leaves keys to our salvation everywhere, a day at a time. He yearns for us to keep praying, to find the keys He lovingly leaves for us.
- Father Raphael
Requesting prayers for my grandmother; she is leaving us to be with my grandfather. Being Orthodox Catholic, I do not view her death as so much a tragedy, but a blessing for her moving on to be with God after a life of achieving so much here on Earth. I would like to ask for prayers for her passing, and for my father, if you could help spread the word to the Orthodox family. She was very active in the church, being married to my grandfather, who was an Archbishop here in the U.S. Thank you.
(submitted by snailnotes)
Christ’s friends are not loved by all, but they sincerely love all. The friends of this world are not loved by all, but neither do they love all. Christ’s friends persevere in their love right to the end. The friends of this world persevere only so long as they don’t find themselves in disagreement over worldly matters. A faithful friend is an effective protector. When things are going well, he gives you good advice and shows you his sympathy in practical ways. When things are going badly, he defends you unselfishly and he is a deeply committed ally. Many people have said many things about love. But if you are looking for it, you will only find it in the followers of Christ. Only they have true love as their teacher is love.
- Saint Maximus the Confessor
Love for Christ overflows into love for one’s neighbor, love for truth, love for holiness, for the world, for purity, for everything divine, for everything deathless and eternal… All these forms of love are natural manifestations of love for Christ. Christ is the God-man, and love for Him always means love for God and for man. When we love Christ God, we also love all that is divine, immortal and Christ-like in people. We can’t truly love people if we do not love them for the sake of these causes. Any other love is pseudo-love, which is easily changed into lovelessness and hatredness toward people. True love for man comes from love for God, and love for God grows in accordance with the keeping of His commandments.
- St. Justin Popovich, Explanation of the I John, 4:20
A certain monk had a struggle against defiled lusts. He got up and night and went to the elder and confessed to him the thoughts that were drawing him to defilement. The elder calmed him and the brother, have benefited, returned to his cell. But the struggle rose up against him again, and again he went to the elder. He did this a few times. The elder did not grieve him, but said, “Don’t give up, but it is better that you come to me whenever the demon disturbs you, and repel him by exposing your thoughts. By such a repulsion he will pass you by. For nothing so burns the demon of defilement as the revelation of his deeds (in confession before a spiritual father). And nothing makes him so happy as the hiding of thoughts.” Thus the brother came to the elder eleven times, repelling his thoughts, and the brother’s temptation ceased.
- From the Ancient Patericon
Christ is Risen!
Tomorrow, as many of you propably know, here in Greece are the elections. People say: “I’ll vote him, he’ll save us”, or “he’s the one that will lead us out of the crisis”.
There are no “saviours” except from our Lord, Jesus Christ. That’s why we are in this crisis (not only economical but also moral), because we abandoned Jesus, and the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, the Holy Orthodox Church. We can’t make it alone, can you see? Without Christ we are nothing!
May the Risen Christ protect my beautiful motherland and the Greek Orthodox people, now and forever.
Christ is Risen dear Nick!
This phrase is a Paschal greeting. It is a custom among Orthodox Christians, consisting of a greeting and response. We start to say it with the feast of Pascha and it lasts until Ascension. In some countries, such as in Russia and Serbia, it is also customary to exchange a triple kiss on the alternating cheeks after the greeting.
In this way Orthodox Christians spread our joy for Jesus Resurrection and we keep spreading the joyful message! Remember, Saint Seraphim of Sarov was always greeting his guests with a prostration, a kiss, and exclaiming “Christ is risen, my Joy!”, no matter if it was Easter or not.
So all of us should follow his example and greet everyone, throughout the year with “Christ is Risen!” and we will feel a small piece of Paradise in our souls.
CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN!
Whom have we, Lord, like you? - The Great One who became small, the Wakeful who slept, The Pure One who was baptized, the Living One who died, The King who abased himself to ensure honor for all. Blessed is your honor!
It is right that man should acknowledge your divinity, It is right for heavenly beings to worship your humanity. The heavenly beings were amazed to see how small you became, And earthly ones to see how exalted.
- St. Ephrem the Syrian
An Orthodox icon of Greatmartyr, Victory-bearer and Wonderworker George.
I wish you from my heart to have a blessed St. George’s Day!
Death was terrible to the human race before Christ’s death, but after Christ’s resurrection, man became terrible to death, for One of us has conquered death; He did not remain in the tomb, and did not see corruption. Passover was the freeing of Israel from Egypt. Our Pascha frees us from the slavery of death and corruption. Christ is risen! I now know that my salvation is truly wrought. I know that God truly appeared on earth. There have been great people, conquerors of the elements, conquerors of nature; but death cut them all down and revealed our common nothingness. Who has passed through the doors of death? It can only be God. This means that God was truly incarnate on earth, truly brought the healing cure against the corruption that corrodes and torments me. Incarnation and resurrection are united into one. The incarnation gave meaning to the resurrection, and the resurrection irrefutably convinces us of its truth and reality as something that is not a phantom or a dream.
- New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey
I have met here on tumblr so many gentle souls, that make me to realize how big a sinner I am and how much pride, egoism and hypocrisy there is inside me.
Please, don’t think that my faith is stronger than yours because I have a blog dedicated to Jesus. My faith is much weaker than you can imagine. We all struggle with our passions.
Thank you beautiful, kind souls for everything! May Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.
Please say a little prayer for me.
Hello, Christ is Risen!
I am aware of his existance. Orthodoxbrit made some post recently about this issue (see here and here).
I respect very much the freedom of religion. Anyone can believe whatever he/she wants. But when it comes to the use of the word “Orthodox” (not to mention “Apostolic” -this “church” is without apostolic succession) and from other groups, I don’t like it -actually I become offended- because true Orthodox Christians maybe will be confused.
So, Orthodox and Catholic friends, be careful! This “Apostolic Ecumenical Orthodox Church” has NOTHING to do with Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
So, my advice for the Orthodox Christians on this is: stay close to the Orthodox Church, study our Churches teachings, and find a spiritual father that he will guide you. Watch out: there are millions of heresies!!!!
Greetings in Christ,
-Simply Orthodox
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orthodoxbrit said: it seems that us Orthodox and Catholics finally have something to agree upom. This guy is dangerous, Satan is working on here…
adamthenorman said: I’m very wary of anyone claiming that their church is a restoration of “the original pre-Orthodox and pre-Catholic Churches”
The prayer to the Holy Spirit, “O Heavenly King”, said in almost every Orthodox prayer service is not said from Paschal Matins until the Vespers service for Pentecost. Anywhere this prayer occurs it is omitted, and until Ascension Thursday, is substituted with the Paschal troparion (Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life), sung three times. We are like the Apostles during this period, “waiting” for the Holy Spirit to come, and the absence of this prayer makes a strong statement of our profound need and expectation of the Holy Spirit’s coming.
- On the absense of the prayer “O Heavenly King” and it’s meaning
These are photos from an Orthodox monk (Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi) and a young Orthodox nun.
I feel very offended when I see posts that make fun of monks (including Catholic monks and nuns- that I respect them very much). They deserve respect.
Look at their faces. What’s so funny?
Χριστός Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη!
Христос Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе!
Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat!
Si Cristo ay nabuhay! Siya nga ay nabuhay!
Cristo è risorto! È veramente risorto!
ქრისტე აღსდგა! ჭეშმარიტად აღსდგა!
Tá Críost éirithe! Go deimhin, tá sé éirithe!
Cristo ha resucitado! Verdaderamente, ha resucitado!
Χристос Воскрес! Воістину Воскрес!
Christus Surrexit! Surrexit vere!
Христос Воскресе! Ваистину Воскресе!
Al-Masih-Qam! Hakkan Qam!
ハリストス復活！実に復活！
Hristós diril-Dí! Hakíkatén diril-Dí!
Le Christ est ressuscité! Vraiment Il est ressuscité!
Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!
