Orthodox Christian: Embrace Faith and Tradition with spiritual guidance, prayer, and fellowship. Experience the fullness and richness of the Orthodox Faith / Knowledge and Tradition, in Spirit. “Holy Scripture is like a very deep well wherein is comprised the infinite wisdom of God. If someone thirsty dives into this well to drink of all its water, he will be drowned within. If, however, he will fetch the water with a bucket and from there will drink with a cup, then there is no fear of being engulfed. What man is so crazed as to wish to plunge into such an abyss of water without knowing how to swim?...” [EC] Sanctify him (the reader) ; and enable him (her), with all wisdom and understanding, to exercise the study and reading of Thy divine words, pre-serving him (her) in blamelessness of life. It is the mystery of our salvation that is revealed to us by the Church, and not the secrets of the universe in general which, quite possibly, does not stand in need of salvation; this is the reason why the cosmology of revelation is necessarily geocentric. [VL] THE EASTER HOMILY of St. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM : ‘If any be pious and a lover of God, let him partake of this fair and radiant festival. ‘If any be a faithful servant, let him come in rejoicing in the joy of his Lord. ‘If any have wearied himself with fasting, let him now enjoy his reward. ‘If any have laboured from the first hour, let him today receive his rightful due. If any have come at the third, let him feast with thankfulness. If any have arrived at the sixth, let him in no wise be in doubt, for in nothing shall he suffer loss. If any be as late as the ninth, let him draw near, let him in no wise hesitate. If any arrive only at the eleventh, let him not be fearful on account of his slowness. For the Master is bountiful and receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him of the eleventh hour even as to him who has laboured from the first. He is merciful to the last, and provides for the first. To one He gives, and to another He shows kindness. He receives the works, and welcomes the intention. He honours the act, and commends the purpose. ‘Enter ye all, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and let both the first and those who come after partake of the reward. Rich and poor, dance one with another. Ye who fast and ye who fast not, rejoice today. The table is full-laden: do ye all fare sumptuously. The calf is ample: let none go forth hungry. ‘Let all partake of the banquet of faith. Let all partake of the riches of goodness. ‘Let none lament his poverty; for the Kingdom is manifested for all. ‘Let none bewail his transgressions; for pardon has dawned from the tomb. ‘Let none fear death; for the death of the Saviour has set us free. ‘He has quenched death, who was subdued by it. ‘He has despoiled Hades, who descended into Hades. ‘Hades was embittered when it tasted of His flesh, and Isaiah, anticipating this, cried out saying: Hades was embittered when it met Thee face to face below. It was embittered, for it was rendered void. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was despoiled. It was embittered, for it was fettered. ‘It received a body, and it encountered God. It received earth, and came face to face with Heaven. It received that which it saw, and fell whence it saw not. ‘O Death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? ‘Christ is risen and thou art cast down. ‘Christ is risen and the demons have fallen. ‘Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. ‘Christ is risen and life is made free. ‘Christ is risen and there is none dead in the tomb. For Christ is raised from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. To Him be glory and dominion from all ages to all ages. Amen.’ THREE STEPS for the Orthodox readers of the Bible when approaching the Word of God personally: 1. to reflect on Scripture as sacred history – seeing the Scripture as a whole and not forgetting that Christianity is a historical faith; 2. to observe the particularity of the sacred history – paying attention to the specific ways in which God has dealt with individual persons in concrete circumstances, not letting the universal swallow the particular; 3. to apply Scripture directly to oneself – including oneself, as it were, in the sacred history. [KW] Превод от англ. Благодаря Ти, Боже, за най-чудния тоз невероятен Благодаря Ти, Боже, за най-чудния тоз невероятен ден: за скачащите зеленикави дървесни духове и синя истинска мечта небесна; и за всичко което е естествено, което е безкрайно, което е ‘да‘ (аз, който съм умрял, съм жив отново днес, и това е рожденият ден на слънцето, това е рожденият ден на живота и любовта и крилата: и на веселата велико случваща се безгранична земя) как е да вкусиш докоснеш чуеш видиш вдишаш всяко-повдигнато от ‘не‘-то от всичко що е нищо-човешко просто съществуващо (вечно) съмняващо се невъобразимо ‘Ти’? (сега ушите на ушите ми се будят и сега очите на очите ми се отварят) 2013, August 7 Edward Estlin Cummings – i thank You God for most this amazing day
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