Lenten discussion thread for Christians and Inquirers
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Seraffa
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This past Sunday's theme and focus in my Church: http://lent.goarch.org/sunday_of_the_cross/learn/
We bow down, before Thy Cross O Lord, and Thy holy Resurrection, we glorify. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And Thy Resurrection, we glorify.
We bow down, before Thy Cross O Lord, and Thy Resurrection, we glorify
Faithful cross, above all other,
one and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
none in fruit thy peer may be.
We're halfway through the Lenten journey.......!!!!
............................... this way thru the desert, to Holy Week >>>>>>>>>>>
We bow down, before Thy Cross O Lord, and Thy holy Resurrection, we glorify. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And Thy Resurrection, we glorify.
We bow down, before Thy Cross O Lord, and Thy Resurrection, we glorify
Faithful cross, above all other,
one and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
none in fruit thy peer may be.
Venantius Honorius Fortunatus,
6th century
6th century
We're halfway through the Lenten journey.......!!!!
............................... this way thru the desert, to Holy Week >>>>>>>>>>>
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Seraffa
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....and this last Sunday, St. John of the Ladder ("Climacus") :http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/ladder.aspx
and at "Gladsome Light Dialogues - An Orthoodox Blog" :http://dialogues.stjohndfw.info/
...so many, many things happening all around after reaching the mid-point, with the Cross raised high......
clash and catastrophe....struggle and obedience...willfulness, evil, sin, repentace, faith, "starting to feel the weight of the Cross of the approaching Holy Week"......its splinters on the shoulders, even, pehaps, but not the full weight that only He Himself could bear. The one true weight that no-one who came before Him could ever carry, nor sacrifice for.....
so I'm obliged to post this today, out of a very gut-level sense of honesty and desire:
Readings for today:
Isaiah 45:11-17
Genesis 22:1-18
Proverbs 17:17-18:5
The reading is from Isaiah 45:11-17
Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Will you
question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my
hands? I made the earth, and created man upon it; it was my hands that
stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. I have aroused
him in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways; he shall
build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says
the LORD of hosts.
Thus says the LORD: "The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of
Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be
yours, they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow
down to you. They will make supplication to you, saying: 'God is with
you only, and there is no other, no god besides him.'" Truly, thou
art a God who hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. All of
them are put to shame and confounded, the makers of idols go in
confusion together. But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting
salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.
The reading is from Genesis 22:1-18
After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him,
"Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son
Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there
as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell
you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took
two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood
for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God
had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw
the place afar off. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here
with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again
to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid
it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife.
So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father
Abraham, "My father! "And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold,
the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my
son." So they went both of them together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built
an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son,
and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his
hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said,
"Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything
to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not
withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his
eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket
by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up
as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name
of that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On
the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." And the angel of the
LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself
I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have
not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I
will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand
which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate
of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of
the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."
The reading is from Proverbs 17:17-18:5
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
A man without sense gives a pledge, and becomes surety in the
presence of his neighbor. He who loves transgression loves strife; he who
makes his door high seeks destruction. A man of crooked mind does not
prosper, and one with a perverse tongue falls into calamity. A stupid son
is a grief to a father; and the father of a fool has no joy. A
cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the
bones. A wicked man accepts a bribe from the bosom to pervert the ways
of justice. A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but
the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a
grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. To impose a
fine on a righteous man is not good; to flog noble men is wrong. He
who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit
is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is
considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. He who
is estranged seeks pretexts to break out against all sound judgment.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing
his opinion. When wickedness comes, contempt comes also; and with
dishonor comes disgrace. The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the
fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream. It is not good to be partial to a
wicked man, or to deprive a righteous man of justice
and at "Gladsome Light Dialogues - An Orthoodox Blog" :http://dialogues.stjohndfw.info/
...so many, many things happening all around after reaching the mid-point, with the Cross raised high......
clash and catastrophe....struggle and obedience...willfulness, evil, sin, repentace, faith, "starting to feel the weight of the Cross of the approaching Holy Week"......its splinters on the shoulders, even, pehaps, but not the full weight that only He Himself could bear. The one true weight that no-one who came before Him could ever carry, nor sacrifice for.....
so I'm obliged to post this today, out of a very gut-level sense of honesty and desire:
Readings for today:
Isaiah 45:11-17
Genesis 22:1-18
Proverbs 17:17-18:5
The reading is from Isaiah 45:11-17
Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Will you
question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my
hands? I made the earth, and created man upon it; it was my hands that
stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. I have aroused
him in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways; he shall
build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says
the LORD of hosts.
Thus says the LORD: "The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of
Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be
yours, they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow
down to you. They will make supplication to you, saying: 'God is with
you only, and there is no other, no god besides him.'" Truly, thou
art a God who hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. All of
them are put to shame and confounded, the makers of idols go in
confusion together. But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting
salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.
The reading is from Genesis 22:1-18
After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him,
"Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son
Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there
as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell
you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took
two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood
for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God
had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw
the place afar off. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here
with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again
to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid
it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife.
So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father
Abraham, "My father! "And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold,
the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my
son." So they went both of them together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built
an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son,
and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his
hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said,
"Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything
to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not
withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his
eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket
by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up
as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name
of that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On
the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." And the angel of the
LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself
I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have
not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I
will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand
which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate
of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of
the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."
The reading is from Proverbs 17:17-18:5
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
A man without sense gives a pledge, and becomes surety in the
presence of his neighbor. He who loves transgression loves strife; he who
makes his door high seeks destruction. A man of crooked mind does not
prosper, and one with a perverse tongue falls into calamity. A stupid son
is a grief to a father; and the father of a fool has no joy. A
cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the
bones. A wicked man accepts a bribe from the bosom to pervert the ways
of justice. A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but
the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a
grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. To impose a
fine on a righteous man is not good; to flog noble men is wrong. He
who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit
is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is
considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. He who
is estranged seeks pretexts to break out against all sound judgment.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing
his opinion. When wickedness comes, contempt comes also; and with
dishonor comes disgrace. The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the
fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream. It is not good to be partial to a
wicked man, or to deprive a righteous man of justice
Seraffa
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This past Sunday's dedication: The sanctified St. Mary of Egypt; repentant career prostitute of 17 years, and self-confessed sexual addict ........... *Holy mother Mary, intercede for us* her life is a beautiful story of perseverance and the divine ability to overcome.......the recognition of self-evil, the taking full responsibility for all actions, and committedness to cleansing and re-unification with the Creator......
Here I just want to insert here some beautiful Coptic hymns from Egypt; very similar to the hymns Mary would have been familiar with ; they are lovely; I am very glad to have visited Egypt myself and seen this land, a true part of the Holy Land; it was after my visit to Egypt that I myself went deeply in search of Christ in my life, and was never the same once I had touched its soil
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iv0c8js3gI&feature=related"]YouTube - Coptic Hymn - Ou nem nai (Egyptian language)[/ame]
Here I just want to insert here some beautiful Coptic hymns from Egypt; very similar to the hymns Mary would have been familiar with ; they are lovely; I am very glad to have visited Egypt myself and seen this land, a true part of the Holy Land; it was after my visit to Egypt that I myself went deeply in search of Christ in my life, and was never the same once I had touched its soil
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iv0c8js3gI&feature=related"]YouTube - Coptic Hymn - Ou nem nai (Egyptian language)[/ame]
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[FONT="]“As the salvation of our souls is not gained solely by fasting, let us fill up what is wanting in our fasting with almsgiving to the poor. Let us give to virtue what we take from pleasure. Let the abstinence of the man who fasts be the dinner of the poor man.”[/FONT][FONT="]
—Saint Leo of Rome[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]Seems appropriate to put this here.
[/FONT]
—Saint Leo of Rome[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]Seems appropriate to put this here.
[/FONT]