Wednesday Dec 26 2024 / Jan 8 2025 ns † Synaxis of the Theotokos; St. Evthýmios the Confessor, Bishop of Sárdis ~ No Fasting ~ On the Remembrance of Death by Saint Ignaty Brianchaninov ~ NEVER SEE DEATH by Hermitess Photini ~ ITS A CHRISTIAN THING?

ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE NATIVITY, the Christian Church gives glory and thanksgiving to the Most-holy Theotokos, who gave birth to our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. This feast is called "the Synaxis'' because on this day all of the faithful gather to glorify her, the Most-holy Theotokos, and to solemnly and universally celebrate a feast in her honor. In Ohrid, it has been the tradition from ancient times that, on the eve of the second day of Nativity, Vespers has been celebrated only in the Church of the Most-holy Theotokos called the Chieftain [Èelnica]. All the clergy with the people gather together to glorify the Most-pure Mother of God.

St. Evthýmios the Confessor, Bishop of Sárdis

When you are about to pray to our Lady the Holy Virgin, be firmly assured, before praying, that you will not depart from her without having received mercy. To think thus and to have confidence in her is meet and right. She is, the All-Merciful Mother of the All-Merciful God, the Word, and her mercies, incalculably great and innumerable, have been declared from all ages by all Christian Churches; she is, indeed, an abyss of mercies and bounties, as is said of her... + St. John of Kronstadt

Hebrews 2:11-18 KJV

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Saint Matthew 2:13-23 KJV

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Saint Luke 12:20 
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

On the Remembrance of Death

or

[Forgetful of physical death, we die a spiritual death]

by Saint Ignaty Brianchaninov 

One should remember every day, and several times a day, that he is faced with inevitable death, and eventually he should even attain to the unceasing remembrance of death. Our mind is so darkened by the fall that unless we force ourselves to remember death we can completely forget about it. When we forget about death, then we begin to live on earth as if we were immortal, and we sacrifice all our activity to the world without concerning ourselves in the least either about the fearful transition to eternity or about our fate in eternity. Then we boldly and peremptorily override the commandments of Christ; then we commit all the vilest sins; then we abandon not only unceasing prayer but even the prayers appointed for definite times—we begin to scorn this essential and indispensable occupation as if it were an activity of little importance and little need.

Forgetful of physical death, we die a spiritual death. On the other hand, he who often remembers the death of the body rises from the dead in soul. He lives on earth like a stranger in an inn or like a prisoner in jail, constantly expecting to be called out for trial or execution. Before his eyes the gates into eternity are always open. He continually looks in that direction with spiritual anxiety, with deep sorrow and reflection. He is constantly occupied with wondering what will justify him at Christ’s terrible judgment and what his sentence will be. This sentence decides a person’s fate for the whole of eternity. No earthly beauty, no earthly pleasure draws his attention or his love. He condemns no one, for he remembers that at the judgment of God such judgment will be passed on him as he passed here on his neighbors. He forgives everyone and everything, that he may himself obtain forgiveness and inherit salvation. He is indulgent with all, he is merciful in everything, that indulgence and mercy may be shown to him. He welcomes and embraces with joy every trouble or trial that comes to him as a toll for his sins in time, which frees him from paying a toll in eternity. If the thought comes to him to be proud of his virtue, at once the remembrance of death rushes against this thought, puts it to shame, exposes the nonsense and drives it away.

NEVER SEE DEATH

or

DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

by Hermitess Photini

Yes, posted again!

Read it already? Once more won't hurt..

THE SOUL OF MAN, CAME FROM GOD.

SINCE GOD IS IMMORTAL, THE HUMAN SOUL IS ALSO IMMORTAL,

SINCE THIS WORLD IS TEMPORAL, THE HUMAN SOUL FINDS NO REST HERE.

A person may acquire wealth, glory, power, and other things, but times will come when he will be troubled and worried, because the soul, which is a foreigner in this world, is the main part of man. The closer the hour of departure approaches, the more a person is troubled and grieved, because his soul yearns for something that it did not find in this life. What it yearns for is the Ultimate Good, Immortality, which is God. When man reaches the Ultimate Good – not physically but spiritually – then he finds rest, is satisfied, and rejoices, because he attained what he longed for: God.”

“How can man, who is clothed with flesh and lives in the material world, find God, Who is a Spirit? For Christ said, "God is a Spirit.” [St. Jn. 4:24]

By working at attaining the virtues, man attains the likeness of God and becomes a god, not by nature but by grace. In other words, he becomes like God and feels God within himself, as the Savior says, "We will come and make our abode in him." [cf. St. Jn. 14:23] By working at what is good man can achieve immortality, even though he lives in this world and bears a mortal body. As the Savior says, "If a man keep my words, he shall never see death." [St. Jn. 8:51] By keeping the words of God, one receives the confirmation and assurance that he has eternal life.

“The soul of man is immaterial, immortal, immutable, and eternal. When it receives sanctifying grace from God and when it is connected with God through prayer and virtuous works, it becomes holy.  And this is why we call virtuous people saints, because they rose above earthly things. So a saint could also be called immortal because he has overcome mortality and received the grace of sanctification from God. God gave great worth to man; but it is up to him to realize his own worth and descent, and it is his duty to work at the virtues to make himself worthy of God’s grace for which he is destined…”

ITS A CHRISTIAN THING

Christians live in imitation of their Creator Christ and His Cross that saved them

So, when an ambulance is heard or goes by . . .