Orthodox Church

️ In Blagoveshchensk, Russia , law enforcement agencies detained a supporter of sectarian movements who was planning to set fire to a Christian cemetery.
Detectives established that the local resident was involved in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses sect. The detainee himself explained that the voices of "gods" were heard in his head, which prompted him to burn down the Voznesenskoye cemetery.
To implement his criminal intent, the detainee collected a backpack with flammable mixtures, firecrackers and flares, which was found on him.

Christ, the Saviour of the world, opens the door of paradise to everyone who follows Him, and the Church, by revealing to us the beauty of the Kingdom, makes our life a pilgrimage toward our heavenly fatherland.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“The Church, through the temple and Divine service, acts upon the entire man, educates him wholly; acts upon his sight, hearing, smelling, feeling, taste, imagination, mind, and will, by the splendour of the icons and of the whole temple, by the ringing of bells, by the singing of the choir, by the fragrance of the incense, the kissing of the Gospel, of the cross and the holy icons, by the prosphoras, the singing, and sweet sound of the readings of the Scriptures.”+ St. John of Kronstadt

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord / Saint-Petersburg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orthodox Christians have profound love and veneration for the Most Holy Mother of God, and greatly love the feast of her Dormition. In Rus’, this is also expressed by the great, historical lavras and monasteries dedicated to this feast of the Theotokos. The love of the Orthodox can be seen in every year in these monasteries, when the faithful flock to them in force to celebrate the feast.Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .️ One of the best known icon types, the Hodegieria. This ancient copy is being presented to a certain newly built cathedral in Russia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ON INWARD PEACE"There is nothing better than peace in Christ, for it brings victory over all the evil spirits on earth and in the air. When peace dwells in a man's heart it enables him to contemplate the grace of the Holy Spirit from within. He who dwells in peace collects spiritual gifts as it were with a scoop, and he sheds the light of knowledge on others. All our thoughts, all our desires, all our efforts, and all our actions should make us say constantly with the Church: "O Lord, give us peace!" When a man lives in peace, God reveals mysteries to him.."♰ St. Seraphim of Sarov ♰. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .️ Therefore, my brothers, let us strive, knowing that the age is in struggle, and that many come to vanity, even to exploits, but not all are crowned, but only those who have labored much and gloriously strived. Let us do exploits in such a way that all will be crowned. Let us take the right path, the imperishable feat, and together we will go and do the feat so that we will be crowned. And if all cannot be crowned, at least let us be close to the crown.
Holy Hieromartyr Clement the pope of Rome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BEING ORTHODOX "To be Orthodox means to have the God-man Christ constantly in your soul, to live in Him, think in Him, feel in Him, act in Him. In other words, to be Orthodox means to be a Christ-bearer and a Spirit-bearer."♰ St Justin Popovich ♰. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spiritual growth is a hard work life-long process needing careful regard and attention. The minute you decide you are done and good is the start of your falling.
"It is one thing to be delivered from bad thoughts, and another to be freed from the passions. Often people are delivered from thoughts, when they do not have before their eyes those things which produce passion. But the passions for them remain hidden in the Soul, and when the things appear again the passions are revealed. Therefore it is necessary to guard the mind when these things appear, and to know toward which things you have a passion.”Saint Maximus the Confessor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that "the eyes of the Lord are looking on the good and the evil in every
place." But we should believe this especially without any doubt when we are assisting at the Work of God. To that end let us be
mindful always of the Prophet's words, "Serve the Lord in fear" and again, "Sing praises wisely" and "In the sight of the Angels I
will sing praise to Thee." Let us therefore consider how we ought to conduct ourselves in the sight of the Godhead and of His
Angels, and let us take part in the psalmody in such a way that our mind may be in harmony with our voice. ♰ St. Benedict ♰. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.♰ St. Basil ♰

The practice of hesychasm is a faithful response to Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "go into your closet to pray." Hesychasm calls us to move beyond our senses and withdraw inwards to pray. Hesychasm often includes repeating the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".An ardent defender of the hesychastic life was St Gregory Palamas, commemorated the
2nd Sunday of Great Lent.
Before hesychasm would gain wide acceptance, St Gregory paid for his defense of it with a "life on the run," and jail time. Yet he who suffered much would come to perform many miracles of healing later in life. On the eve of St Gregory's repose, St John Chrysostom appeared to him in a vision with the words “To the heights! To the heights!”"O wonder-working Gregory, glory of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, always intercede before the Lord that our souls may be saved.". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A Prayer in AfflictionO God Almighty, Lord of heaven and earth, and of all creation visible and invisible, in Thine ineffable goodness, my helper and defender in this day of affliction. Thou knowest my weakness. Thou hearest my cry in repentance and contrition of heart. O Lord who lovest mankind deliver me from pain, sorrow and impending threats, that I may continue to serve Thee in peace and glorify Thy most honorable and majestic name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."The Son of God has become the Son of Man in order to make us, men, sons of God.“ St Symeon the New Theologian (Mar 12)The Church, recognizing St. Symeon’s remarkable life of prayer and holiness, as well as the heights of his spiritual understanding, calls him "the New Theologian." Only two others have received the title: John the Evangelist and Gregory, Patriarch of Constantinople.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.” St Basil the Great (330-379). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“A fish that is alive swims against the flow of water. One that is dead floats down with the water. A true Christian goes against the current of sinful age. A false one is swept away by its swiftness.” St. Philaret of Moscow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Aristobulus (Mar 15), brother of the Apostle Barnabas and numbered among the Seventy Apostles, was made the first bishop of Britain by the Apostle Paul. There he endured the torments and malice of the pagans who smote him, dragged him through the streets, mocked him and jeered at him. Aristobulus remained steadfast in the Gospel and helped convert many.Such was the Apostle Aristobulus' influence amongst the Brythonic Celts that a region was named after him: Arwystli. This region later became a small medieval British kingdom, and continues to this day as a district (known as a cantref) in the county of Powys, Wales.Pray unto God for us, O holy Saint Aristobulus, well-pleasing to God: for we turn unto you who are the speedy helper and intercessor for our souls. Amen.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Fasting gradually disperses and drives away spiritual darkness and the veil of sin that lies on the soul, just as the sun dispels the mist. Fasting enables us spiritually to see that spiritual air in which Christ, the Sun who knows no setting, does not rise, but shines without ceasing. Fasting, aided by vigil, penetrates and softens hardness of heart. Where once were the vapors of drunkenness it causes fountains of compunction to spring forth. St. Symeon the New Theologian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oh Lord, do not snatch me up while I am in the middle of my days and do not take me while my lamp is extinguished, but have patience with me so that I may light my lamp with the oil of my own repentance.St. Anthony the Great

The Lenten Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian (prayed also Wednesday and Friday of Cheesefare Week)Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of laziness, despair, lust of power and idle talk. (prostration)But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant. (prostration)Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. (prostration)O God, cleanse me a sinner! (bow 12 times)O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of laziness, despair, lust of power and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant.Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.(prostration). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .On the second Sunday of Lent we commemorate our father amongst the saints Gregory Palamas Archbishop of Thessaloniki! The saint lived 1296 - 1359. He was born in Constantinople, the son of a courtier of the Byzantine Emperor. When his father died St Gregory was raised with the help and support of Andronikos II Palaiologos. Although he was destined for imperial service he decided to live on Agion Oros / Mount Athos after recieving a university level education in Constantinople. He lived from 1316 on Mount Athos first in Vatopedi then at The Great Lavra. In 1326 he moved to Thessaloniki to avoid the Turkish invasion of Mount Athos and became a priest remaining some time in a cave hermitage in Veria. He was Abbot of Esfigmenou but resigned in 1335
In 1344 Patriarch John XIV imprisoned him for four years for defending hesychasm. However, in 1347 when Patriarch Isidore came to the Ecumenical Throne he was released and made Archbishop of Thessaloniki. Due to continuing issues he was only able to be enthroned in his see in 1350. He was captured and held for a year by Ottoman pirates in 1354 and afterwards returned to Thessaloniki for the last years of his life dying in 1357 or 1359. He was canonised in 1368 through the work of his disciple Philotheos Patriarch of Constantinople. His holy relics reside in the Metropolitan Church of Thessaloniki dedicated to him.
He defended hesychasm as a true Orthodox belief in the Church despite attacks and persecution for his belief. Hesychasm most basically says all Christians are able to experience through prayer and fasting the uncreated light of Mount Tabor in the world as Christ's disciples experienced during His Transfiguration.
May we have his prayers!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Be ashamed when you sin, don't be ashamed when you repent." Saint John Chrysostom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Be joyful, brothers and sisters, keep the holy faith and do your little good works""Always rejoice and be in the faith. Do the same little deeds that I did: you yourselves saw them and heard of them. I am following the path which our fathers walked before us."+Our father among the saints, David of Wales (Mar 1/ Mar 14)The glory of St. David as a wonderworker spread throughout Britain and Ireland both during his life and after his repose. On hearing his zealous preaching, many rulers and princes gave away their riches to the poor and in some instances abdicated their thrones and took up monastic life.The relics of St. David have survived and are located at St. David's Cathedral (12th-14th centuries), on the site of the original monastery established by David. His shrine was ravaged and desecrated during the Reformation but his holy relics survived and continue to be venerated.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .King Henry VIII’s dying prayer to St Chad, Evangelizer of Mercia, Bishop of Lichfield (Mar 2)On his deathbed King Henry VIII, during the Litany of the Saints prayed by a Jesuit priest, added, “St. Chad, pray for me.”[2/3] A tragedy of the reign of Henry VIII British Isles was the desecration and destruction monasteries and holy relics. Subjected to this destruction, on King Henry’s orders, were the holy relics of St. Chad, Evangelizer of Mercia, Bishop of Lichfield, faithful disciple of St. Aidan.As a priest, and later bishop, St. Chad was known for his humility, prayerfulness and gentleness. In Mercia, there was fighting between neighbouring kingdoms. There was also division between the Romans and Celts in the Church. St. Chad, belonging to the Celtic group, took up the task of mediation of these conflicts.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."The Fast has come, the mother of chastity" What was the time before this day? A time of fornication. The soul has fornicated with all that struck its eye as pleasant—both with people and with things and, more fully, with sinful passions. Everyone has his own passion which he pleases in every way. It is time to put an end to this. May each of you comprehend your Delilah, who binds you and hands you over to evil enemies, and abandon her. Then you will be given more than Samson was given: Not only shall your hair grow but so also shall good thoughts; and not only shall your strength return but so also your strength of will. Your eyes shall also open, your mind shall have sight, and it shall see the Lord, yourself, and everything around you in the proper light. Behold, now is the favorable time! Behold, now is the day of salvation!St. Theophan the Recluse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Forsake me not, O Lord my God, depart not from me. Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my salvation. Psalm 37: 21-22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Uncovering of the Venerable Cross and Nails by the Holy Empress Helen at Jerusalem (6/19 March, 326)Tropar of the Holy CrossO Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries and by virtue of Your Cross preserve Your habitation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The first Sunday of Lent is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. In many parishes, the faithful bring icons from home and carry them in a procession around the church.On the veneration of icons:"I worship the God who has saved me, who became material for my sake. And I do not cease to venerate the matter through which I have been saved and which is filled with divine grace".St. John Damascene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I heard a beautiful story last week. True story. A parish priest had a man come to him, wanting to join the parish. He had been a criminal and spent time in prison, but was repentant and determined to redeem the remainder of his life.But he had a hard time keeping a prayer rule. The priest kept reducing it: “Can you say fifty Jesus Prayers?" (the ancient prayer that goes "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.") "Well, can you at least say Twenty-five? How about ten?”Then the man came down with cancer, and the priest visited him in the hospital in his closing days. He asked him, “Well, were you able to say those ten Jesus Prayers?”The man looked sad and said, “No, Father, I didn’t.”
“Did you say five?”
“No, not even five.”
“Well, did you at least say one?”
“No, Father.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t get past ‘Jesus.’”The man said that, when he began with “Lord,” he was overwhelmed with the majesty and glory of God, how he created all the universe, from the largest star to the smallest detail. Then, when he said “Jesus,” he was again seized with wonder, to think that this Lord of Creation became a human being, a man with the name “Jesus.”And those two words were enough to ponder for a lifetime. He just couldn’t get any further.—Presvetera Frederica Mathewes-Green