April 4/17 ns 2026
• St. George of Mt. Maleón;
• St. Pláton the Studite;
• St. Zosimas;
• St. Theonás, Metropolitan of Thessalonica
No Fasting
Please note:
The link to the weblog PARADISE NOW has been removed and may return if repairs are successful.
The Feast of the Life-giving Spring which is kept on the Friday of Bright Week has its origins in the 5th century. It is the feast that commemorates the consecration of the Church of the Life-giving Spring outside of Constantinople.
The very large and beautiful church named in honor of the Theotokos of the Life-giving Spring was built about the middle of the fifth century by the Emperor Leo the Great (457-474 AD), outside of Constantinople. Emperor Leo was a pious man (he is commemorated on January 20th) and before he became Emperor, he had encountered a blind man, who being tormented with thirst asked him to help him find water. Leo felt compassion for him and went in search of a source of water, but found none. As he was about to cease his search, he heard a voice telling him there was water nearby. He looked again, and found none. Then he heard the voice again, this time calling him "Emperor" and telling him that he would find muddy water in the densely wooded place nearby; he was to take some water and anoint the blind man's eyes with it. When he had done this, the blind man received his sight.
After Leo became Emperor, as the Most Holy Theotokos had prophesied, he raised up a church temple over the spring, whose waters worked many healings, as well as resurrections from the dead, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. From this, it came to be called the "Life-giving Spring."
Justinian the Great (527-565 AD) was also cured by the waters of “The Life-giving Spring” and in gratitude built a new church temple, larger than the first. It was destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt by grateful emperors.
After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, this Church temple was razed to the ground and the materials from it were used for building the mosque of Sultan Beyazıt. Nothing remained of that Church’s ancient beauty, except for a small chapel, almost completely buried in the ruins. This chapel had twenty-five steps going down into it, and a transom window on the roof, from which it received a little light. Toward the western side of the chapel was the holy Spring, fenced about with a railing.
In 1821 even that little remnant was destroyed. The sacred Spring was buried with it and disappeared altogether. But in the days of Sultan Mahmud, when those subject to him were rejoicing in their freedom to practice their religion, permission was sought by the Orthodox Christian community to rebuild at least the chapel. Permission was granted to build a Church temple and it was consecrated on Bright Friday in 1835. But on the night of September 6-7, 1955, it along with 73 other Orthodox churches in Istanbul, was desecrated and burned to the ground by the Turks. The church has been restored yet once again, but not anywhere its former magnificence.
Saint George of Mt. Maleón
Our holy father George lived in the 9th century and from a young age loved the Lord with all his soul. Although he desired to live a monastic life, his parents sought to arrange a marriage for him against his will. He therefore departed from his household and entered a monastery on Mount Maleón in Peloponnesos. There he gave himself over to every form of asceticism, namely fasting, hard work, prayers and the study of the Holy Scripture, among other things.
Many people came to Saint George seeking his guidance in spiritual matters and they left enlightened and in a spirit of repentance. Such a crowd of people came to see him that Saint George would leave the monastery and climb Mount Maleón to find the quiet necessary for prayer. Even there however many monks came to visit him and he guided them in asceticism and prayer. He progressed to such a state of virtue, that he became known to many people in high places as well, even emperors, to whom he would send many letters addressing various subjects of concern to them.
Three years prior to the end of his earthly life, he foretold his death to his disciples. Thus when the time approached, he gathered his disciples to give them final words of advice and he departed to the Lord.
Followers of Christ must always remember that our Lord is always with us in all we do. As a result, we need never feel alone regardless of the degree of trials, troubles or afflictions.
A colloquialism from an Orthodox Christian village below reminds us that we have help from the Lord when we need to get back up from any kind of fall, physical or spiritual! Keep it close to your heart.
“The aim of all those who live in God is to please our Lord Jesus Christ and become reconciled with God the Father through receiving the Holy Spirit, thus securing their salvation, for in this consists the salvation of every soul. If this aim and this activity is lacking, all other labour is useless and all other striving is in vain. Every path of life which does not lead to this is without profit.”
“If you know that all visible things are a shadow and all pass away, are you not ashamed of playing with shadows and hoarding transitory things? Like a child you draw water with a bucket full of holes; do you not realize it and take it into account, my dear friend? As though there were nothing more serious than appearance and illusion, as though reality has been taken from them?”
When a revelation comes for us to say 'I love you' to someone. did it need to take form in its arrival?
If you feel you love Christ with ALL YOUR HEART, 'not MOST of your heart', which you must admit is EXACTLY what He wants, does He need to take form when He comes to confirm for you that you indeed genuinely do love Him?
The very large and beautiful church named in honor of the Theotokos of the Life-giving Spring was built about the middle of the fifth century by the Emperor Leo the Great (457-474 AD), outside of Constantinople. Emperor Leo was a pious man (he is commemorated on January 20th) and before he became Emperor, he had encountered a blind man, who being tormented with thirst asked him to help him find water. Leo felt compassion for him and went in search of a source of water, but found none. As he was about to cease his search, he heard a voice telling him there was water nearby. He looked again, and found none. Then he heard the voice again, this time calling him "Emperor" and telling him that he would find muddy water in the densely wooded place nearby; he was to take some water and anoint the blind man's eyes with it. When he had done this, the blind man received his sight.
After Leo became Emperor, as the Most Holy Theotokos had prophesied, he raised up a church temple over the spring, whose waters worked many healings, as well as resurrections from the dead, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. From this, it came to be called the "Life-giving Spring."
Justinian the Great (527-565 AD) was also cured by the waters of “The Life-giving Spring” and in gratitude built a new church temple, larger than the first. It was destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt by grateful emperors.
After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, this Church temple was razed to the ground and the materials from it were used for building the mosque of Sultan Beyazıt. Nothing remained of that Church’s ancient beauty, except for a small chapel, almost completely buried in the ruins. This chapel had twenty-five steps going down into it, and a transom window on the roof, from which it received a little light. Toward the western side of the chapel was the holy Spring, fenced about with a railing.
In 1821 even that little remnant was destroyed. The sacred Spring was buried with it and disappeared altogether. But in the days of Sultan Mahmud, when those subject to him were rejoicing in their freedom to practice their religion, permission was sought by the Orthodox Christian community to rebuild at least the chapel. Permission was granted to build a Church temple and it was consecrated on Bright Friday in 1835. But on the night of September 6-7, 1955, it along with 73 other Orthodox churches in Istanbul, was desecrated and burned to the ground by the Turks. The church has been restored yet once again, but not anywhere its former magnificence.
Many people came to Saint George seeking his guidance in spiritual matters and they left enlightened and in a spirit of repentance. Such a crowd of people came to see him that Saint George would leave the monastery and climb Mount Maleón to find the quiet necessary for prayer. Even there however many monks came to visit him and he guided them in asceticism and prayer. He progressed to such a state of virtue, that he became known to many people in high places as well, even emperors, to whom he would send many letters addressing various subjects of concern to them.
Three years prior to the end of his earthly life, he foretold his death to his disciples. Thus when the time approached, he gathered his disciples to give them final words of advice and he departed to the Lord.
A colloquialism from an Orthodox Christian village below reminds us that we have help from the Lord when we need to get back up from any kind of fall, physical or spiritual! Keep it close to your heart.
"Arise my servant and I rise with you. "
Acts 3:1-8 KJV
3 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Saint John 2:12-22 KJV
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Saint John 2:12-22 KJV
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
From Saint Ambrose of Milan
The Unity of God is necessarily implied in the order of Nature, in the Faith, and in Baptism. The gifts of the Magi declare (1) the Unity of the Godhead; (2) Christ's Godhead and Manhood.
The truth of the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity is shown in the Angel walking in the midst of the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. All nature testifies to the Unity of God, inasmuch as the universe is one. The Faith declares that there is one God, seeing that there is one belief in both the Old and the New Testament. That there is one Spirit, all holy, grace witnesses, because there is one Baptism, in the Name of the Trinity. The prophets proclaim, the apostles hear, the voice of one God. In one God did the Magi believe, and they brought, in adoration, gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Christ's cradle, confessing, by the gift of gold, His Royalty, and with the incense worshipping Him as God. For gold is the sign of kingdom, incense of God, myrrh of burial.
The truth of the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity is shown in the Angel walking in the midst of the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. All nature testifies to the Unity of God, inasmuch as the universe is one. The Faith declares that there is one God, seeing that there is one belief in both the Old and the New Testament. That there is one Spirit, all holy, grace witnesses, because there is one Baptism, in the Name of the Trinity. The prophets proclaim, the apostles hear, the voice of one God. In one God did the Magi believe, and they brought, in adoration, gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Christ's cradle, confessing, by the gift of gold, His Royalty, and with the incense worshipping Him as God. For gold is the sign of kingdom, incense of God, myrrh of burial.
Full of Holes
From Saint Symeon
the New Theologian
“The aim of all those who live in God is to please our Lord Jesus Christ and become reconciled with God the Father through receiving the Holy Spirit, thus securing their salvation, for in this consists the salvation of every soul. If this aim and this activity is lacking, all other labour is useless and all other striving is in vain. Every path of life which does not lead to this is without profit.”
“If you know that all visible things are a shadow and all pass away, are you not ashamed of playing with shadows and hoarding transitory things? Like a child you draw water with a bucket full of holes; do you not realize it and take it into account, my dear friend? As though there were nothing more serious than appearance and illusion, as though reality has been taken from them?”
ANECDOTE
FORMLESS
When a revelation comes for us to say 'I love you' to someone. did it need to take form in its arrival?
If you feel you love Christ with ALL YOUR HEART, 'not MOST of your heart', which you must admit is EXACTLY what He wants, does He need to take form when He comes to confirm for you that you indeed genuinely do love Him?
