Quotes from
Saint John Climacos
“It is impossible, someone says, impossible to spend the present day devoutly unless we regard it as the last of our whole life. And it is truly astonishing how even the pagans have said something of the sort, since they define philosophy as meditation on death.
[If you are with Christ when you pray, can you think of a better place to be? Paradise is Now - JESUS CHRIST IS PARADISE] “Do not say, after spending a long time in prayer, that nothing has been gained; for you have already gained something. And what higher good is there than to cling to the Lord and persevere in unceasing union with Him?”
[Arise My servant, and I rise with you!]
“Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly the angel who guards you will honor your patience. While a wound is still fresh and warm it is easy to heal, but old, neglected and festering ones are hard to cure, and require for their care much treatment, cutting, plastering and cauterization. Many from long neglect become incurable. But with God all things are possible [St. Matthew 19:26].” O Gracious Lover Christ, help me up.
*Anecdote on Meekness/Humility/Lowliness
A young seeker asked: Where do I find Christ?
The reply: Look, He is there! Because He is meek and lowly, (have no doubt, the nature of God is meekness and lowliness) He is at the feet of the apostles, washing them. Yes, God Himself at the feet of sinful people! He Who created clay, formed it into human beings and all things - breathed Life into it - is at Creation's feet! Don't try to imagine it, just KNOW it.
If you are not meek, then you are prideful. Since He resists the proud, as long as you resist humility, you will never find Him and will never inherit the earth.
If you are not meek, then you are prideful. Since He resists the proud, as long as you resist humility, you will never find Him and will never inherit the earth.
The Holy Martyr Lucian, Presbyter of Antioch;
St. Evthymios the New, of Mount Peristerás
St. Evthymios the New, of Mount Peristerás
Holy Martyr Lucian, Presbyter of Antioch
was born of noble parents in the Syrian city of Samosata. In his youth, he acquired a very broad education, both secular and spiritual. He was a man distinguished in learning, as well as in the austerity of his ascetic life. Having distributed his goods to the poor, Lúcian supported himself by compiling instructive works, and thus fed himself by the work of his hands. He performed a great service to the Church in that he corrected many Hebrew texts in Holy Scripture (that heretics, in accordance with their own false teaching, had distorted). Because of his learning and spirituality, he was ordained a presbyter in Antioch. During Maximian's persecution, when St. Ánthimos of Nicomedia and St. Peter of Alexandria were tortured, St. Lúcian was on the list of those the emperor wanted to kill. Lúcian fled the city and hid, but an envious heretical priest, Pancratios, reported him. The persecution was horrible and not even young children were spared. Two boys who did not want to eat food sacrificed to idols were thrown into a boiling bath, where in torments they gave up their holy souls to God. A disciple of Lúcian named Pelagía (October 8) preserved her virginal purity from dissolute attackers by praying to God on her roof-top: she gave up her soul to Him, and her body fell from the roof.
Lúcian was brought to Nicomedia before the emperor. Along the way, his counsels converted forty soldiers to the Christian Faith, and all died a martyr's death. Following interrogation and flogging, St. Lúcian was cast into prison where he suffered starvation. St. John Chrysostomos writes of St. Lúcian: "He scorned hunger: let us also scorn luxury and destroy the power of the stomach that we may, when the time that requires such courage comes for us, be prepared in advance by the help of a lesser ascesis, to show ourselves glorious at the time of battle.'' He received Holy Communion in prison on the Feast of Theophany, and on the following day rendered his soul to God. St. Lúcian suffered on January 7, 311.
THE HOLY EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL TO THE
Philippians 3:8-19
KJV
K8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
SAINT LUKE 9:12-18
KJV
SAINT LUKE 9:12-18
KJV
13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
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