Thou didst ascend the cross O Jesus
Thou Who didst descend from heaven
Thou camest unto death O Life Immortal
Thou camest unto those in darkness
Thou Who are the True Light
Thou camest unto the fallen O Resurrection of us all
Our Light and Savior Glory to Thee
PRAYER TO THE THEOTOKOS
FOR THE WORLD
FOR THE WORLD
IN HOPE FOR
CEASE FIRE
Saint Pelagía, Saint Taisía
➜ Fast day
✣ Pelagía was a repentant sinner. She was born to pagan parents in Antioch, and was endowed by God with great physical beauty. Pelagía used her beauty to the destruction of her own soul and those of others. She became very wealthy as a result of her prostitution.
Once, while walking past the Church of the Holy Martyr Julian, in which Bishop Nonnus was preaching, she stopped in and heard a sermon on the Dread Judgment and the punishment of sinners. Those words so shook her and changed her that she immediately felt revulsion for herself, acquired true fear of God, repented of all her sins and fell down before St. Nonnus with the plea that he baptize her: "Have mercy on me, a sinner, holy Father. Baptize me and teach me repentance-I am a sea of iniquity, an abyss of destruction, a net and weapon of the devil.'' Thus this penitent begged the hierarch of Christ with tears, and he baptized her.
At her baptism, Blessed Romana, the deaconess of the church, was her godmother. Romana, as her spiritual mother, grounded her well in the Christian Faith. But Pelagía was not satisfied with baptism alone. She was keenly aware of the multitude of her sins and, pricked by her conscience, decided on a great ascetic labor. She left her enormous, sinfully gained wealth to the poor, and secretly went to Jerusalem as the monk Pelagius. There, she shut herself up in a cell on the Mount of Olives, and began the difficult ascesis of fasting, prayer and all-night vigils.
After three years, St. Nonnus's deacon, James, visited her and found her still alive, but when he visited her again several days later, he found that she had reposed, and he honorably buried her body. St. Pelagía entered into rest in about the year 461. Thus, this formerly terrible sinner pleased God by her repentance and labor, was forgiven of her sins, and became sanctified. And her purified and enlightened soul was deemed worthy of the Kingdom of God.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 KJV
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
Saint Luke 5:27-32 kjv
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Quotes from
Saint John Climacos
“It is impossible, someone says, impossible to spend the present day devoutly unless we regard it as the last day 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?”
“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.
No comments:
Post a Comment