God Has Promised: March 2012

28 March 2012

On Repentance

‎"Repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility. Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort. Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care. Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. A penitent is an undisgraced convict. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions. A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments. Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness."

~ St. John Climacus of the Ladder

The Ladder of Divine Ascent, 5th Rung

Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray that I would acquire the spirit of true repentance.

Relevant Reading

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

On the Icon of the Ladder

St John Climacus

22 March 2012

There, but for the Grace of God, Go I...

Hallelujah! He has set me free!

I need to remember that. He has set me free from so many things, situations, people, issues, annoyances, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. He simply sliced them away from me, breaking my chains and letting me fly like a bird from a snare. I must remember that He is my portion in the land of the living and as long as I remain with God, I have no one and nothing to fear.
Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

Relevant Reading
Psalm 142
Psalm 124:6-8

18 March 2012

On Unanswered Prayer...A Russian Tale (with Subtitles)

Thank you for sharing this with me, SM!

Lord forgive me, the sinner, for doubting your mercifulness. I repent. Help me to repent...

17 March 2012

The Confession of St Patrick

For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.

From The Confession of St Patrick

I arise today

through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,

through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial,

through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,

through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today

through the strength of the love of Cherubim,

in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,

in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,

in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,

in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

~ The Breastplate of St Patrick

Holy St Patrick, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Relevant Reading

The Breastplate of St Patrick

The Relics of St Patrick

Patrick of Ireland

16 March 2012

I am Annoyed

Why do people assume that because a woman cannot be a priest, she is somehow being held back from serving the Orthodox Church? In spite of hundreds if not thousands of examples to the contrary.

Handmaidens of the Lord

St Mary Magdalene

Does the example of Christ Himself, Who though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8) mean nothing?

St Photini, the Samaritan Woman at the Well

St Thekla, Protomartyr

I have not been able to comprehend this attitude since coming into the Orthodox Church. I mean, seriously, does the ability to convey the gospel ONLY come from standing at the altar and being able to spoon the Body and Blood into people's mouths? Or does it come from obedience to the command of Christ? Shall we perhaps consider the Holy Myrrhbearers; those women called Equal-to-the-Apostles; St. Mary Magdalen called the Apostle to the Apostles; or the Theotokos herself? None of them seemed to have any problem with not being priests and they all preached the gospel--some before Emperors, others before large groups of men and women. So why do people take such issue with this?

And before you toss St Paul at me, he did not have an issue with women preaching the gospel either. He traveled with and preached with women, for pete's sake! He commended many women by name in his epistles, and (in that one epistle people like to toss around so very out of context) he exhorted St Timothy to remember the teaching of his mother Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, who gave their faith to Timothy whose father was not a Christian.

I definitely do not feel slighted in the least and have no clue how anyone really could.