30
Apr 2020
APRIL 30 Holy Apostle James, brother of St. John the Theologian CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! A devout elder lay on his death bed. His friends gathered around him and mourned him. At this, the elder laughed three times. The monks asked him: “What are you laughing at?” The elder replied: “I laughed the first time because all of you are afraid of death, the second time because none of you are prepared for death, and the third time because I am going from labor to rest.” Behold, how a......
Read More
29
Apr 2020
APRIL 29 Nine Holy Martyrs at Cyzius CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! Nothing can be kept secret from the Omniscient God. At every moment, He knows all that is being done in the world, both in the external world and in the internal, spiritual world. Not one intention, not one desire, not one thought can a man conceal from God. How can you hide from God that which you cannot hide from men, from holy men? One day, Tsar Ivan the Terrible came to church to pray to God. In......
Read More
28
Apr 2020
APRIL 28 DAY OF REJOICING CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! The mystery of our salvation is concluded with the appearance of God among men in a human body. St. Meliton of Sardis writes: “The works of Christ following His baptism manifested and proved to the world that His divinity was hidden in His body. Being God, He was also perfect man. He revealed to us His two natures: His divinity, by His miracles performed throughout the three years following His baptism; and His humanity, throughout those years when the weakness......
Read More
27
Apr 2020
APRIL 27 Hieromartyr Simeon, kinsman of the Lord CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! The true Faith must be persecuted in this world. The Savior Himself said this clearly and openly to His apostles. St. Apollinarius of Hierapolis, in writing against the Montanist heretics, says: “Let them tell us before God: who, out of all their prophets, beginning with Montanus and his wives, was persecuted by the Jews and killed by the ungodly? No one. Who from among them was taken away for the name of Christ and was crucified on......
Read More
25
Apr 2020
APRIL 25 BRIGHT SATURDAY CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! The devil quickly finds work for idle hands, but an angel quickly finds work for diligent ones. In this world of constant movement and constant change, a man must always be busy, whether he wants to or not, either with good works or with evil ones. The idle man is actually not lazy. He is a diligent worker for the devil. An idle body and an idle soul are the most suitable field for the devil’s plowing and sowing. St. Anthony......
Read More
24
Apr 2020
APRIL 24 BRIGHT FRIDAY CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! In exhorting Christians to attend church for prayer, St. John Chrysostom says: “If someone delivers to subjugated citizens a royal decree, the citizens do not question the life of the messenger, as to whether he is rich or poor or righteous or sinful, but all listen attentively to that which he is reading. If someone has not heard, he asks one who has heard. When you have such great awe of earthly rulers, how much more should you heed us (priests)......
Read More
22
Apr 2020
APRIL 22 BRIGHT WEDNESDAY CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! At the time of the First Ecumenical Council , the quarreling clerics wrote accusations one against the other and presented them to the emperor. Emperor Constantine received all of these accusations and, not opening them, burned them over a lit candle. To the amazement of those around him, the emperor said: “If I saw with my own eyes a bishop, a priest or a monk in a sinful act, I would cover him with my cloak, so that no......
Read More
22
Apr 2020
APRIL 21 BRIGHT TUESDAY CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! “Guard your heart!” These words were spoken in the past by experienced ascetics. Father John of Kronstadt says the same thing in our days: “The heart is refined, spiritual and heavenly by nature. Guard it. Do not overburden it; do not make it earthly; be temperate to the utmost in food and drink, and in bodily pleasures in general. The heart is the temple of God. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy (1 Corinthians 3:17).”......
Read More
20
Apr 2020
APRIL 20, BRIGHT MONDAY CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! St. Anastasius of Sinai teaches: “Every Christian is given an angel from God to guard him all his life (unless, through evil deeds, he drives him away). But as smoke drives away bees and an evil smell drives away doves, so is the guardian angel of our life driven away by our sins: drunkenness, adultery, anger and so forth. The angel of every faithful man leads him to every good deed, while the demons labor to scandalize the faithful ones and......
Read More
19
Apr 2020
APRIL 19, GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! On the Resurrection XXVIII. It is now needful for us to sum up our discourse as follows: We were created that we might be made happy. We were made happy when we were created. We were entrusted with Paradise that we might enjoy life. We received a Commandment that we might obtain a good repute by keeping it; not that God did not know what would take place, but because He had laid down the law of Free Will.......
Read More