Tuesday October 18 / November 1 ns 2022 • Holy Prophet Joel, Holy Martyr Várus, St. John of Rila, St. John of Kronstadt ~ Evidence that the Kingdom of God has Come by Saint John of Kronstadt ~ PSALTER FROM ST EPHRAEM

 

Evidence that the
Kingdom of God has Come

by Saint John of Kronstadt

When God is present in ALL of man's thoughts, desires, intentions, works, and words, then it means that the Kingdom of God has come to him; then he sees God in everything---in the world of thought, in the world of action, and in the material world; then the omnipresence of God is most clearly revealed to him, and a genuine fear of God dwells in his heart, he seeks every moment to please God, and fears every moment lest he may sin against God, present at his right hand.

{Once you recognize the obstacles, what stops you from seeing God in everything? 'P'}

Among the saints none is naked,

for they have put on glory;

nor is any clad in those leaves

or standing in shame,

for they have found, through our Lord,

the robe that belongs to Adam and Eve

+ Saint Ephraem the Syrian

WE COMMEMORATE

The Holy Prophet Joel,

Holy Martyr Várus,

St. John of Rila,

St. John of Kronstadt

✜ Joel is second in the line of the minor prophets. St. Joel was the son of Phanuel, from the tribe of Reuben. He lived eight hundred years before Christ. Joel prophesied the misfortunes of the people of Israel, and the Babylonian Captivity because of the sins they had committed in the sight of God. He called the people to fasting and the priests to tearful penitential prayer, that God would have mercy on them: Sanctify ye a fast … and cry unto the Lord (Joel 1:14); Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar (Joel 2:17). Joel also foretold the Descent of the Spirit of God upon the apostles and the pouring out of the grace of the Spirit of God upon all Christians: Then afterward I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28). He prophesied and described the Dread Judgment of God, and also prophesied the glory of God's Holy Church.

The Acts of the Holy Apostles

 2:14-21

KJV

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The Holy Gospel According to
Saint Luke
9:23-27
KJV

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.