31 March 2020

On Grace and Free Will

Thus, it is necessary for a man that he should be not only justified
when unrighteous by the grace of God—that is, be changed from
unholiness to righteousness—when he is requited with good for
his evil; but that, even after he has become justified by faith, grace
should accompany him on his way, and he should lean upon it, lest
he fall.

                                                                                               St. Augustine

30 March 2020

28 March 2020

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and
my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you
from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He
will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find
refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear
the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the
pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes
at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your
right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with
your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have
made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my
refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near
your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard
you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you
strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the
adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect
him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer
him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

26 March 2020

Enter the Shrine Within You

Strive to enter the shrine within you and you will see the shrine of heaven
for the one is the same as the other and a single entrance permits you to
see both. The ladder leading to that Kingdom is hidden within you, that is,
within your soul: cleanse yourself from sin and there you will find the steps
by which to ascend.

                                                                                              Saint Isaac the Syrian

25 March 2020

On the Kingdom of God

For just as “the ‘kingdom of God is within you,’ so ‘a man's foes are they
of his own household.’ For no one is more my enemy than my own heart,
which is truly the one of my household closest to me. Where those of our
own household are not opposed to us, there also the kingdom of God is
secured in peace of heart.

                                                                                             The Desert Fathers

24 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 14

Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

23 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 13

Jesus Dies on the Cross

22 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 12

Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple

Stations of the Cross 11

Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief

20 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 10

Jesus is Crucified

19 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 9

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

18 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 8

Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross

17 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 7

Jesus Bears the Cross

16 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 6

Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns

15 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 5

Jesus is Judged by Pilate

 14 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 4

Jesus is Denied by Peter

13 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 3

Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin

 12 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 2

Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested

11 March 2020

Stations of the Cross 1

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

10 March 2020

Life in Christ

In order not to be in daily bondage to the passions and the devil, you must
set yourself an object to aim at, have this object constantly in view, and
endeavor to attain it, conquering all obstacles by the name of the Lord. What
is this object? The Kingdom of God, the Divine palace of glory, prepared for
believers from the creation of the world. But as this object can only be
attained by certain means, it also is necessary to have such means at one's
disposal. And what are these means? Faith, hope, and love, especially the last.
Believe, hope, and love, especially love, disregarding all obstacles; love God
above everything and your neighbor as yourself. If you have not sufficient
strength to preserve in your heart these inestimable treasures, fall down more
often at the feet of the God of Love. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye
shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you," for He Who has promised
is true. Walking, sitting, lying down, conversing, or working, at every time,
pray with your whole heart that faith and love may be given to you. You have
not yet asked for them as you should ask - fervently and instantly - with the
firm purpose of obtaining them. Say now, "I will begin to do so henceforth.

                                                                  St. John of Kronstadt - My Life in Christ

9 March 2020

True Hope

If a man has no worries about himself at all for the sake of love toward God
and the working of good deeds, knowing that God is taking care of him, this
is a true and wise hope. But if a man takes care of his own business and turns
to God in prayer only when misfortunes come upon him which are beyond
his power, and then he begins to hope in God, such a hope is vain and false.
A true hope seeks only the Kingdom of God... the heart can have no peace
until it obtains such a hope. This hope pacifies the heart and produces joy
within it.

                                                                                            Saint Seraphim of Sarov

8 March 2020

The Joy of Love

Nothing is more frigid than a Christian who is indifferent to the salvation
of others. Indeed, I wonder if such a person can be a true Christian. To
become a disciple of Christ is to obey his law of love; and obedience to the
law brings joy beyond measure and description. Love means to want the
best for others, sharing with them the joy of love.

                                   Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

3 March 2020

Mercy and Fasting

Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth. However much you may cultivate
your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you
do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit. When
you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what
you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn. Therefore, do not lose by
saving, but gather in by scattering. Give to the poor, and you give to yourself.
You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.

                                    Saint Peter Chrysologus, Archbishop of Ravenna

1 March 2020

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem