BEYOND THE TRANSIENT
A sacrifice unto God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God will not put to shame.
Having been renewed by your comfort and embrace Holy Mother, I weep for those who do not know thee.
❤️ Rejoice, unwedded Bride.
FROM ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOMOS
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† The Three New Great Hierarchs:
Saint Photios the Great
Saint Gregory Palamas Saint Mark of Ephesus
Saint Paul the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople
It is right to honor the three Fathers together,
For they set up a trophy of Orthodoxy.
It behoveth us to sing a Divinely-inspired song to all three Hierarchs.
Of these three blessed Fathers, the great and most holy Photios flourished in the ninth century, being Archbishop of Constantinople and achieving a reputation as one mighty in wisdom, oratory, and the dogmas of the true Faith. St. Gregory Palamas, who was Archbishop of Thessalonica, flourished in the fourteenth century, being distinguished for his virtuous life and his illumination by Divine light and renowned for his discourses and struggles for the truth. The Holy Mark Evgenikos, who flourished in the fifteenth century, was Metropolitan of Ephesus and proved to be an invincible champion of Orthodoxy at the false Council of Florence.
These thrice-great Hierarchs, having taken up the panoply of the Holy Spirit, “at sundry times and in divers manners” struggled for the sake of the blameless and Orthodox Faith, and having by their doctrines and struggles refuted and put to shame the false teachings of the Latin Church and the overweening and blasphemous claims of her chief Hierarch, the Pope of Rome, they both proclaimed and demonstrated to all the exactitude of the dogmas of the Eastern Church and the genuineness of her good confession. For this reason, they are worthily honored and acclaimed by us as our preceptors and teachers, and as champions and impregnable bulwarks of the Holy Church of Christ. GLORY TO GOD!
By their intercessions, O Christ God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
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Saint Mark 16:1-8 KJV
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
Ephesians 2:14-22 KJV
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Saint Luke 8:41-56 KJV
42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?
(St. Matthew 26:14–15)
These words seem to be clear and not to hint at anything more, but if you carefully examine each word, you will find deep meaning and a great deal to contemplate.
First, the time. The Evangelist does not indicate it without cause. He does not simply say, “One of the twelve went,” but adds, Then one of the twelve … went. "Then?" tell me, when? And why does he indicate the time? What does he want to teach me? He does not say for no reason: speaking by the Spirit, he does not say anything at random or to no end. Therefore, what does this “then” mean?
Before that time, before that hour, a harlot came with an alabaster box of ointment and poured the oil onto the head of the Lord. She displayed great service; she displayed great faith, great obedience, and great piety. She was turned from her former life and became better and wiser. And when the harlot had repented, when she had been drawn to the Master (note: on her own by her humility), then the disciple betrayed his Teacher. Thus the Evangelist said then, so that you not accuse the Teacher of weakness when you see the disciple betraying Him. For the power of the Teacher was such that He drew even harlots to proper obedience.Why then, you say, was He Who won over harlots not able to win over His disciple? He had the power to win over His disciple, but He did not wish to make him good by force or to forcibly draw him to Himself. Then [he] went. In this “went” there is not a little matter for contemplation: for he was not summoned by the chief priests, he was not constrained or forced. Rather, of himself and of his own accord, he gave birth to his intention and brought forth his treachery, without any counselor in his wickedness.
CREATED BY GOD BUT ....
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