Homily on the Meeting of the Lord - St. Theophan the Recluse of Vysha

 

 

Homily on the
Meeting of the Lord

Saint Theophan the Recluse, + 1894 A.D.

 

https://cdn.website-editor.net/fdfcd95a68534fddbbfe4d363ec0ace5/files/uploaded/0221.pdf

 

WHAT a tender scene the Meeting of the Lord shows us! The venerable elder Simeon, holding the infant God in his hands, on either side of him are the righteous Joseph and the Most Holy Mother of God. Not far away is the Prophetess Anna, an eighty year-old ascetic and woman of prayer. Their eyes are all directed toward the Saviour. Their attention is absorbed by Him and they drink in spiritual sweetness from Him, which feeds their souls. You can judge for yourself how blessed was the state of these souls!

But, brethren, we are called not only to think about this blessedness, but also to taste it in reality, for all are called to have and carry the Lord in themselves, and to disappear in Him with all the powers of their spirit. When we have reached that state, then our blessedness will be no lower than that of those who participated in the Meeting of the Lord. They were blessed who saw it; we shall be blessed who have not seen, but believed. Pay attention. I will show you briefly how to achieve this. Here is what you should do.

1. First of all, repent. Remember that nothing must be done in spiritual life without repentance. No matter what anyone endeavours to seek, let the beginning of it be repentance. Just as a house cannot be built without a foundation, nor a field be sown or planted without first being cleared, so also without repentance we cannot begin our spiritual search; anything begun without repentance was begun in vain. Thus, first of all, repent - that is, weep over everything bad that you have done, and resolve to do only what is pleasing to God. This will be like turning your gaze and your whole body towards the path of meeting the Lord, and taking the initial step upon that path.

2. Next, keep this state of repentance constant; establish for yourself a manner of life and conduct that would make every step or movement something directing your attention to our Lord and Saviour. Such an order of life will establish itself naturally, if: a) you do everything that you do for the glory of the Lord and Saviour, for Christ's sake. Here we mean not only great deeds, but all deeds. For, seeing and hearing, silence and speaking, food and drink, sitting and walking, work and rest can all be dedicated to the Lord and sanctified by His All-Holy Name. There isn't a minute when we are not doing something; so, by thus dedicating your activity, you will be meeting the Lord minute by minute, directing all of your activities to His glory. You can even more conveniently do this and reap fruits from it if you also: b) insert into the order of your daily activities the practice of prayer - both in church and at home; and in general make it your rule to be a strict fulfiller of all the rules and order of the Holy Church to the last iota, without vain elaboration and distorted commentary, and with simplicity of heart. As the content of all prayer is the Lord and our turning to Him, by doing it and participating in it you will be meeting the Lord through your heart's sympathy and delight. If after this: c) you fill all your interim time with reading the Scriptures about the Lord, listening to talks about Him, or with your own contemplation of Him and the great work of salvation that He wrought on earth, then you will see for yourself that nothing will remain within us or outside of us that does not bring remembrance of the Lord, bring Him to your attention, or carry your spirit to meet Him.

3. Just the same, you should not forget that all of these labours and occupations are only preparation. You should not stop at them, but rather strive onward. Just as food taken in rough form later imbues refined elements needed for life, so must these occupations performed visibly and tangibly turn into a spirit of a very refined inclination or striving toward the Lord. Namely, the labour of consecrating all our activities to the Lord should have the quality of reaching with our whole soul's desire only for the Lord; when we do all our prayers or attend the Divine services, a feeling should form in our hearts of accord only with the Lord and what is His. Underlying our reading and hearing the Holy Scripture about the Lord should only be the eager directing of our mind's attention toward the Lord alone. These labours are that very working of the field, and these strivings are the growth of what has been sown. The first are the stem and branches, the latter are the flower and fruit. When these inclinations come up in us, it will mean that our spirit has gone out with all its consciousness and disposition to meet the Lord. Since the Lord is everywhere, and He Himself seeks to meet with our spirit, their mutual meeting will then come about by itself. From that moment on, our spirit will begin to taste the blessedness of Righteous Simeon; that is, it will begin to bear in the embrace of its powers a striving for the Lord, Who is its complete satiety and satisfaction. This is what is called tasting the Lord, rest in Him, mentally standing before the Lord, walking in the presence of the Lord, and ceaseless prayer – the object of all God's saints' labour, desire, and seeking.

I wish that all of you who celebrate the Meeting of the Lord be vouchsafed this blessing. If anyone complains that he would like the fruit but the labour it takes to get it is too hard, the answer is: Good. There is an easier method, a method simpler than the one laid out. Here it is! Repent; then, with zeal for keeping all of God's commandments, walk unfailingly in the Lord's presence, striving for Him with all your mind's attention, all your heart's feelings, and all your will's desires. If you thus dispose yourself, you will soon meet the Lord. He will come down to you and abide in you, as in the embrace of Righteous Simeon. There is no other way to lighten the labour needed to seek a meeting with the Lord. The Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, is powerful and strong to help in this work. Again, however, not by itself; but under the condition that all the strength of our spirit be directed toward the Lord! Be sober, be vigilant (1 Ptr. 5:8). Seek those things which are above … and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:1, 3). Then, having become one in spirit with the Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 6:17), you will behold and embrace the Lord, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you (Jn 16:22), neither in this age, nor in the age to come. Amen.

 

Repentance. Покаяние. Купелът гори. Проповеди на Негово Високопреосвещенство митрополит Димитър

 

 ПРЕВОД ОТ АНГЛ.

Repentance. A Sermon by His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrius

https://youtu.be/ie7YEOru-N4

Покаяние. Проповед на Негово Високопреосвещенство митрополит Димитър

Произнесено от митрополит Димитър в православния манастир „Свети Йоан Сан Франциски“ в неделята преди кръщението на нашия Господ и Спасител Иисус Христос, 4/17 януари 2021 г.

 

В името на Отца и Сина и Светия Дух. Амин!

 

Днес чухме началото на евангелието на свети Марк и светият евангелист започва своето евангелие със светия Кръстител. ... - пише в гръцкия текст. „Ангелон“, както знаете, означава ангел, но тук е преведено на английски 'пратеник', така че чуваме „ето, аз изпращам пред вас моя пратеник“ - този, който проповядва радостната вест, този, който проповядва добрата новина, ангела. И този Кръстител е наречен „ангелът на пустинята“ за православните.

 

Няма по-голям от Йоан Кръстител, роден от жена, казва самият наш Спасител, освен разбира се самият наш Господ, Който е станал човек и неговата свята Майка, която се е превърнала в жилище на благодатта. И винаги, когато имаме големи празници, ние винаги празнуваме видните хора, които са участвали в празника. Денят след празника, който празнуваме - например празника Рождество Христово: на следващия ден празнуваме събора на Богородица, а на раждането на св. Богородица на следващия ден празнуваме събора на свети Йоаким и Анна, нейните родители, а ден след празника на Богоявледние празнуваме събора на светия Кръстител - това е много специален човек в ... той има много специално място в Църквата - Иоан Кръстител. Именно затова във всяка църква, във всяка православна църква откриваме на иконостаса иконата на светия Кръстител. Той има голяма смелост и в кондака му четем, и често пъти казваме "дори когато ти си проповядвал покаяние тогава, тъй ни проповядваш и сега", така че гласът му все така кънти през вековете и във всички православни църкви – покайте се.

TRIZNA - T H Shevchenko (excerpt), PARADISE APPLES - V S Vysotzky

 

TRIZNA Yagotin (11 ноября 1843) to commemorate Nov. 9 TARAS SHEVCHENKO

... ... ... ... ... ... ... Who could he shelter In the light of his heart and mind, And hide like a defenseless dove From the sorrows of life; And to young Persians, languishing, [His] Tired head to snuggle; And [feeling] numbed and sobbing, In life's bosom, in paradise's bosom To take – but – a minute to rest. In her eyes, in her languor Your mind and soul to drown, To melt a heart in heart, And drown in self forgetting.   But there was none to love; There was none to copulate with; And the heart cried, aching, And freezing in the void. Reavealed was something in His yearning dream, to come, While at limitless heights The holy heavens smiled. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19.1.2021

24 prayers by St. John Chrysostom

 

   780)

Until flesh is showing its own importance, there is nothing wrong; but when we allow it everything and when – crossing its own borders – it [flesh] confronts the soul, then it loses and ruins everything, not because of its own nature, but due to intemperance and the disorder ensuing [from the latter]. 

Sentences by St. John Chrysostom

 

24 Prayers of St. JOHN Chrysostom

24 prayers of John Chrysostom according to the number of hours of day and night – for each hour its own prayer .

1  1.                 O Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly good things. 

2  2.                 O Lord, deliver me from the eternal torments. 

3  3.                 O Lord, if I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me. 

4  4.                 O Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, forgetfulness, faintheartedness, and stony insensibility. 

5  5.                 O Lord, deliver me from every temptation. 

6  6.                 O Lord, enlighten my heart which evil desire hath darkened. 

7  7.                 O Lord, as a man I have sinned, but do Thou, as the com­passionate God, have mercy on me, seeing the infirmity of my soul. 

    8.                 O Lord, send Thy grace to my help, that I may glorify Thy holy name. 

9  9.                 O Lord, Jesus Christ, write me Thy servant in the Book of Life, and grant me a good end. 

110.                 O Lord my God, even though I have done nothing good in Thy sight, yet grant me Thy grace to make a good beginning. 

111.                 O Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Thy grace. 

112.                 O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me Thy sinful servant, shameful and unclean, in Thy kingdom.  Amen.

 

1  1.                 O Lord, accept my penitence. 

2  2.                 O Lord, forsake me not. 

3  3.                 O Lord, lead me not into temptation. 

4  4.                 O Lord, grant me good thoughts. 

5  5.                 O Lord, grant me tears, and remembrance of death, and compunction. 

6  6.                 O Lord, grant me the thought of confessing my sins. 

7  7.                 O Lord, grant me humility, chastity, and obedience. 

    8.                 O Lord, grant me patience, courage, and meekness. 

9  9.                 O Lord, implant in me the root of good, Thy fear in my heart. 

110.                 O Lord, vouchsafe me to love Thee with all my soul and thoughts, and in all things to do Thy will. 

111.                 O Lord, protect me from evil men, and demons, and passions, and from every other unseemly thing. 

112.                 O Lord, Thou knowest that Thou doest as Thou wilt: Thy will be done also in me a sinner; for blessed art Thou unto the ages.  Amen.

 

Saint Theophan the Recluse attached great importance to these prayers and recommended them to many of his spiritual children as the basis of the prayer rule, as a school of unceasing contemplation of God.  Here are some excerpts from his letters:

“How to read the prayers of St. Chrysostom (24 in evening prayers for sleep)?  Read them before prayer, so that the attention is gathered together ... But at any time, mentally repeat.  This is the best way to accustom yourself to remembering God, and this remembering is the basis of spiritual life.  Bows should be made, and sometimes down to the earth”.

“You can use the prayers of St. Chrysostom instead of your home rule in the morning.  Memorize them and think them over.  In them all spiritual life is remembered.  How many times to remember each - define it so that you stand at prayer as much as you usually stand at the rule.  You can attach your prayers to them - choose from the psalms: write down which rhyme is to your heart ... Using these prayers onto the rule with attention, you will soon get used to standing on prayer undistractedly.  Insert the Jesus Prayer into their midst.  For example, having said ten times: "Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly goods," apply: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

“The purpose of short prayers is to facilitate the collection of thoughts and sobriety. Strength is not in words, but in a feeling for God. It will soon be formed among the working people over prayer. This is smart prayer. The mind, standing in the heart, beholds God and intelligently confesses to Him by invoking Him ... Feeling for God is unceasing prayer without words. "

 

The Spasov Mound, a short story by Elin Peiln

 

The Spasov Mound [the Savior's Day*]

Elin Pelin

 

Grandpa Zachary walked slowly and held little Monka [Simeon] on his back. He had wrapped his dry arms around his neck and had relaxed helplessly. Streaks of sweat ran down the old man's burnt face and wetted his overstrained neck. Monka's little hands suffocated and tormented him so that bloody mists passed before his eyes, but he walked slowly on and carefully upheld his load.

 

The sun was already setting. Around the fragrant meadows, the green fields, the bushes and the dark groves, which stretched out far away, the night lurked mysteriously and with a restrained breath.

 

And people, so many people! On all sides, on all paths, people were coming one through each other, they caught up, passed on, all of them on their way to that high, steep and pointed mound, the Spasov mound. One could see the branchy old oak on top and the small white chapel next to it. A world of people had slid up along the bare green slope – a crowd like an anthill. Grandpa Zachary looked and wondered. Where had this many people come from, a great crowd! By car, by horse, on foot, from near and afar, people came from everywhere and hurried on. And what not between them, all sorts! Poor men, ragged, with naked flesh. Rich men, in Sunday clothes. They each carried one ailment and one hope of healing. Some with bent down waists crawled like snakes, others on stilts, still others – with dirty wounds on their bodies. Blind, crippled people...

 

"Grandpa, where are all these people going?" sick Monka asked. "Everybody goes there, child." "Are they all sick, Grandpa?" "The whole world is sick, son. Some of this, some of that. There is no healthy person in the world. You look, the body is of iron and the soul is rotten."

 

The church voice of the wooden clapper rose softly from the top and spread like a blessing all over the green surroundings.

 

Grandpa Zachary sat wearily by the roadside and sighed. "Make the cross sign on yourself, child!" Monka unhooked his hands from around his grandfather's neck, and they both made the cross sign for a long time, sitting in the green weed by the road.

 

St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bp. of Tremithus

 

Troparion — Tone 1

You were revealed as a champion of the First Council /
and a wonderworker, our God-bearing father Spyridon. /
You spoke to one dead in the grave /
and transformed a serpent into gold. /
While chanting your holy prayers /
you had angels serving with you! /
Glory to Him Who gave you strength! /
Glory to Him Who granted you a crown! /
Glory to Him Who through you grants healing to all!

 

Kontakion — Tone 2

Wounded by the love of Christ, /
all-holy one, your mind was given
wings through the light of the Spirit, /
you found work in active contemplation,
God-pleasing Spyridon, /
becoming a divine sacrifice, /
and imploring divine illumination for all.

Troparion & Kontakion — Slavonic Tilted

Troparion — Tone 1

You were revealed as a champion of the First Council / 
and a wonderworker, father of ours, God-bearing Spyridon. / 
Thus you spoke (out loud) to one dead in the grave / 
and transformed a serpent into gold. / 
And anytime chanting your holy prayers / 
you had angels concelebrating with you, O Most Holy! / 
Glory to Him Who gave you strength! / 
Glory to Him Who crowned you! /
Glory to Him Who acting through you heals all (brings healing to all)!

 

Kontakion — Tone 2

Wounded by the love of Christ, O Most Holy, / 
all-holy one, your mind was focused on the
brilliant glow of the Spirit, through tour works 
you were vouchsafed pro-active contemplation, 
O God-pleasing Spyridon, being an alter for
divine sacrifice, and imploring divine illumination for all.

Dec. 19th, 2020 [svidetel, attestor]

 

                                                                                    Translated from Russian

Dec. 19th, 2020

 

Another level of salvific sadness, not despondency, but love expressed this way – a higher one which is that you begin to cry not for yourself, not for your forlorn life, not for yourself, or even for your sins, which is already salvific in the stead of pity for yourself (this is very difficult to overcome and it is difficult to move on to a higher, more purely spiritual [level], to overcome your human mental anguish, and move on to spiritual experience), not even for your relatives and friends [kin], – but to cry for the human race, starting at least [and this is important] from your country.

Unhappy and pitiful, such are the good, even cute, in essence, and calm as if sleeping – you are all [fully] open before the Lord, your whole life before Him, – what do you hope for, not seeing the terrible danger that threatens you, and which now in your condition you cannot escape? Where are you going, not realizing that you are passing by the most important thing that could [possibly] save you? Not taking a thought, light-headedly, taking comfort for yourself with some kind of consolation, fleeting consolations, and self-deception? What is valuable in your life? – a moment shall pass, and you will forget what you were chasing, what you ruined your priceless life for. Virtually as if the winds are blowing and you take up away with them.

What's the point in this? There is no point!

Like little children, you – adults who consider themselves super-smart, what are you doing? Well, indeed this is nothing ...

Miserable and blind - you cause only pain with your emptiness and meaningless unwillingness for the Truth. Your condition causes [the] endless sorrow of hell, exactly the same as all sinful souls see [it] there: a hopeless, heartbreaking, never-saturable melancholy of which there is no limit or end, [virtually] as if all these endless "no-nesses" associated with what you consider to be life were united together ... The desert, the icy wilderness as the gloomy kingdom of Tartar, and the scorched land of the spiritual desert from where there is no return.

How to leave you, and what is to be with you? – this is only an excruciating pain. How to live in this desert where there is no place for anything truly living, fruit-bearing? Why is this so, O Lord? How to pray to you if you do not hear a word or a sound of the prayer, and not a single heart of yours would rise, would will heaven? How to ask for you if you have already died and it is impossible to resurrect you?

Lord, what is this endless pain for when it comes? - and it comes [quite] often. Where is the end to this, and will that be in something?...

Proverb 9 of Solomon - KJV Bible+

 

Proverb 9

King James Bible

The Way of Wisdom
(Ezra 4:6-16; Esther 1:1-9; Proverbs 1:1-7)

1Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

2She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

3She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

4Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

5Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

7He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

11For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

12(Son!) If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. (He who clings to lies grazes the winds, rushes after the flying birds: for he has left the way to his vineyard and wanders on the paths of his fields; he passes through a waterless desert and a land doomed to thirst, with his hands he gathers barrenness.)

 

WISDOM OF JESUS, son of Sirach (KJV)

Sirach

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
6. 6
7. 7
8. 8
9. 9
10. 10
11. 11
12. 12
13. 13
14. 14
15. 15
16. 16
17. 17
18. 18
19. 19
20. 20
21. 21
22. 22
23. 23
24. 24
25. 25
26. 26
27. 27
28. 28
29. 29
30. 30
31. 31
32. 32
33. 33
34. 34
35. 35
36. 36
37. 37
38. 38
39. 39
40. 40
41. 41
42. 42
43. 43
44. 44
45. 45
46. 46
47. 47
48. 48
49. 49
50. 50
51. 51

* This book is translated from Greek.

 

FOREWORD

 

Many great things have been handed down to me through the Law, the Prophets, and other scriptures that followed. Because of the knowledge and wisdom in them, we must praise Israel. Those who will be able to read them should not remain educated only for themselves. Being curious, they should be useful in word and writing to those who are abroad. My grandfather Jesus devoted himself too much to reading the Law, the Prophets, and other paternal books. After gaining enough experience through them, he decided to write something about education and wisdom himself, so that the scholars, who had mastered these things, could progress more and more in life according to the law. Please read them favorably and carefully, and also be condescending if somewhere it would seem that we could not cope with the translation of expressions diligently composed by others. Because what is said in Hebrew does not have exactly the same force when it is translated into another language. And not only this book, but also the Law itself, the Prophets and the other holy books have quite a difference in their reading in the original form. In the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Ptolemy Everget, I arrived in Egypt and stayed there for a long time. I found a big difference in education. I thought it very necessary to add some diligence and diligence to translate the above-mentioned book. I applied great vigilance and skill for a long time to complete the publication of the book for those migrants who wish to be scholarly and to prepare their manners so as to live in accordance with the law. *

 

* This preface is to the Greek translation of the 70's. It is also contained in the Slavic Bible.

THE full BOOK OF PROPHET DANIEL - KJV + Greek text

 

 

◄ Daniel 1 ►

THE BOOK OF PROPHET DANIEL
King James Bible + GREEK TEXT

Daniel Removed to Babylon
(Genesis 11:1-9)

1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

3And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; 4Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

Daniel's Faithfulness

8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 11Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. 16Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

Daniel's Wisdom