tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84391256186589881172024-02-06T21:33:34.447-05:00Redeeming the TimeSt. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Dallas TX journal. Usually several entries a week, with homilies, commentary on daily scripture readings, miscellaneous spiritual reflections, and also the monthly posting of our parish newsletter: "Redeeming the Time".Nicholas Parkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16533649277848883827noreply@blogger.comBlogger225125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-90078857183428291532011-12-04T16:40:00.002-06:002011-12-04T16:40:10.403-06:00Св. Иоаким и Анна - Родители Богородицы<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ru-RU">Сегодня мы отмечаем праздник введения во Храм Пресвятой Владычицы Нашей Богородицы и Приснодевы Марии. В этот день св. Богоотцы Иоаким и Анна принесли свою трехлетную дочь в Храм, чтобы она там жила. Это был Еврейский обычай, связанный с посвяшением ребенка Богу.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ru-RU">Я хотел бы поразмышлять сегодня о действиях Св. Иоакима и Анны. Мы поминаем их как «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>святых и праведним Богоотец»</i></span><span lang="ru-RU"> в отпусте каждого Богослужения, и их роль в сегодняшнем празднике может помочь нам понять это почитание.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ru-RU">Вера родителей имеет большое влияние на детей. Рождество Марии было плодом их молитвы. Они действительно были святыми, праведными, и глубоко веруюшими людьми. Они посвятили себя Закону Божию, и научили дочь этотому образу жизни. Они с надеждой ожидали обещаного Спасителя, и научили дочь этой надежде. Они посвятили дочь Богу, и хотели, чтобы ее воспытивали в Храме Божием. </span></span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ru-RU">И что произошло? Архангел Гавриил явился Марии когда ей были 14 лет, сказал, «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>зачнешь во чреве, и родишь Сына, и наречешь Ему имя: Иисус</i></span><span lang="ru-RU">». Она ответила, «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>се, Раба Господня; да будет Мне по слову твоему</i></span><span lang="ru-RU">». И после этого, она имела младенца во чреве. Таким образом, наше спасение было достигнуто и действием Божиим, и послушанием Пресвятой Девы, и верой ее родителей.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ru-RU">Родители! Мы имеем великое влияние на детей. Вводим ли мы их ближе к Богу, как сделали святые Иоаким и Анна? Или выводим мы их от Него через наше неверие, через нашу греховную жизнь? Посвящаем ли мы их Богу? Обучаем ли мы их закону Божию? Или исключительно преподаём или поощряем светские науки и предметы? Читаем ли мы с ними Св. Писания, или только светские книги? Объясняем ли мы ими значение греха и добродетели?</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Св. Апостол Павел говорит: «воспитывайте их в учении и наставлении Господнем». Давайте будем посвящать и себя и детей своих Господу Богу. Давайте и мы, как призывает нас диакон в ектениях, «<i>сами себе и друг друга и весь живот наш Хрису Богу предадим</i>».</span></span></span></div><hr /><script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Возлюбленные братья и сестры,</span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">В прошлые</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">два</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">воскресенья мы слышали о пути</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">веры, и сегодня мы слышим слова Самого Господа об этом пути. Ибо если бы мы действительно верили во Христа, то мы поспешили бы последовать за ним. И Он сказал народам – «Кто хочет идти за Мною, отвергнись себя, и возьми крест свой, и следуй за Мною» (Мк 8:34). </span></span></span></span> </div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">И Так, возлюбленные, путь веры</span> – <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">это</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">путь Креста. Как мы слышали в день Торжества Православия, праведники, всецело доверяя Богу, добровольно приняли всевозможные</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">лишения чтобы последовать его словам.</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Это трудный прызыв, братья и сестры! Неужели это доступно нам? Да, это доступно, именно во Христе. Ибо Апостол Павел нам говорит</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">что «мы имеем не такого первосвященника, который не может сострадать нам в немощах наших, но Который, подобно [нам], искушен во всем, кроме греха» (Ев. 4:15). </span></span></span></span> </div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Вся</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">земная</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">жизнь</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Спаса Нашего был Крест. Когда Он родился, Ирод пытался</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">его убить.</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Когда</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Он учил и исцелял тысячи людей, правительсва его поругали и преследовали. В течение</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">3-х лет, когда</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Он проповедывал и учил Апостолов, он жил как странник, переходя от одного места к другому.</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Он был голодным, жаждущим. Он мало спал – и все это не из ненавести ко плоти, а потому чтокак он сам сказал, «у Меня есть пища, которой вы не знаете... Моя пища есть творить волю Пославшего Меня и совершить дело Его» (Ин 4:32,34) – то есть, чтобы не потерять время, чтобы трудиться для нашего спасения.</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span lang="ru-RU">И в конце его земной жизни, он умер страшным умеранием нас ради и нашего ради спасение. Мы видим посреди нас его Крест. Мы видим посреди нас его Крест. И так, давайте трудиться с Ним. Давайте отвергнем себя, и возьмём кресты</span></span><span lang="ru-RU"> </span><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span lang="ru-RU">свои, и последуем за Ним. «Ибо,» как говорит</span></span><span lang="ru-RU"> </span><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span lang="ru-RU">Господь, «кто хочет душу свою сберечь, тот потеряет ее, а кто потеряет душу свою ради Меня и Евангелия, тот сбережет ее» (Мк 8:35). </span></span></span></span></span> </div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Что это значит? Создатель наш Бог дал нам</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">великий и бесценный дарь:</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Свой</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Образ. Человек – уникальное сушество. Мы можем рассуждать, молиться, любить. Мы можем быть похожими на</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">нашего</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Творца. Но мы можем также злоупотреблять этими</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">дарами, для удовлетворения нашей похоти и страстей. Это то, что нам надо потерять ради Христа и Евангелия, чтобы сберечь</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">предназначенные</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">нам Богоподобие</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">и спасение.</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">«Итак», как говорит</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">нам Апостол, «имея Первосвященника великого, прошедшего небеса, Иисуса Сына Божия, будем твердо держаться исповедания [нашего]» (Ев. 4:14), и будем следовать</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">за</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Ним по пути</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">Креста, воссылая Ему</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">всякую</span> <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;">славу, честь и поклонение, со Отцем и Св. Духом, во веки веков. Аминь.</span></span></span></span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Сегодняшые чтения продолжают тему прошлой воскресенье. В Апостольском чтений мы еще раз слышим о важности жить верой -- то есть всецело посвяшать жизнь свою Богу, полностью доверяя его слова. Апостол скажет нам:</span></span></span><br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Мы должны быть особенно внимательны к слышанному, чтобы не отпасть. Ибо ... как мы избежим, вознерадев о толиком спасении, которое, быв сначала проповедано Господом, в нас утвердилось слышавшими от Него" (Евр. 2:1-3).</span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Сегодняшние чтения рисует нам как бы картина этого Господа, который сначала проповедывало этого спасение.</span></span></span><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Он Сынь Божий, Корорый "в начале основал землю и небеса," и Который еще пребываешь, когда все материальные вещи погибнет. </span></span> </div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Он Первосвященник, который <span lang="ru-RU">освобождает</span> нас от греха, "принеся <i>в</i> <i>жертву</i> Себя Самого", и который "воссел одесную престола величия на небесах..."</span></span></div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Он "пастырь добрый", который "полагает жизнь свою за овец" -- то есть, за нас. </span></span> </div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Он дверь, <span lang="ru-RU">входяшиеся которым спасутся.</span></span></span></div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Он Бог, корорый может и видеть помышления сердца книжников, и прощать грех</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span lang="ru-RU">и</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> расслабленнаго, и дать ему возможность "возьмить свою постель и ходить."</span></span></div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">А какого спасение было проповедано им и слышавшими от него апостолами и учителями церкви? Своим воплошением, крестным смерти и воскресением он возобновлял нашу человеческую природу по образу своему. И он дает нам возможность, с усилием с нашей стороны и с его Благодатной Помощи, достигать его подобию в тесным обшением с ним.</span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Сегодня Св. Церковь возпоминает Ст. Григорий Палама, который своим учением против ереси Варлаама утвердил возможност этого обшения, возможность действително знать Богу через молитвы.</span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span lang="ru-RU">Братья и сестры, вера наша может спасти нас, если мы «</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ru-RU">покажешь веру нашу из дел наших,» как зделали други расслабленного, когда они с большим трудом принесли его к Господу, ожидая его изцеление.</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Это то, что нам надо и делать: принести – иногда с большим тридом – и самого себя и наших друзях ко Господу для исцеления – главным образом в молитве. Он спасает нас, а не мы себя. Но нам надо прибегать к нему через молитву. И через нашу молитву он преобразует нас, и покажет нам путь, по которым надо поидти.</span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Братья и сестры, давайте «сами себе и друг друга и весь животь наш Христу Богу предадим!»</span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Аминь.</span></span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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<div style="margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in; page-break-before: always;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ru-RU">Во имя Отца, и Сына, и Свят</span><span lang="ru-RU"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">аго</span></span></span><span lang="ru-RU"> Духа. </span></span></span></span> </div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Возлюбленние братья и сестры, Сегодня Св. Церковь отмечает праздник Торжества Православия, победы Православной Веры над всеми ересями, и сегодняшние чтения обясняет нам что за сушность Православия, обясняет нам отличие между Православием и ересью.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ru-RU">Ап. Павел пишет о том, как веткозаветные праведники «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>верою побеждали царства, творили правду, получали обетования, заграждали уста львов, угашали силу огня, избегали острия меча, укреплялись от немощи, были крепки на войне, и прогоняли полки чужих</i></span><span lang="ru-RU">» (Евр. 11:33-34). А как они это достигли? Как они жили? Моисей добровольно принял «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>поношение Христово» </i></span><span lang="ru-RU">(Евр. 11:26), и другие «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>испытали поругания и побои, а также узы и темницу, были побиваемы камнями, перепиливаемы, подвергаемы пытке, умирали от меча, скитались в милотях и козьих кожах, терпя недостатки, скорби, озлобления...»</i></span><span lang="ru-RU"> (Евр. 11:36-37) - то есть, они возлагали все доверие, все упование на Бога, и поэтому поспешили последовать за Ним, даже если это означало большие лишения при земной жизни. Апостол также наставляет нас, «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>имея вокруг себя такое облако свидетелей, свергнем с себя всякое бремя и запинающий нас грех и с терпением будем проходить предлежащее нам поприще,</i></span> <span lang="ru-RU"><i>взирая на начальника и совершителя веры Иисуса» </i></span>(<span lang="ru-RU">Евр 12:1-2).</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ru-RU">Братья и сестры, это путь веры. Святые верили в Бога, и веровали Ему когда Он сказал через</span> <span lang="ru-RU">пророка Исаию: «</span><span lang="ru-RU"><i>Если захотите и послушаетесь, то будете вкушать блага земли»</i></span><span lang="ru-RU"> (Иса. 1:19). И это то, что отличает Православие от других религий. Нашим</span> <span lang="ru-RU">моральным</span> <span lang="ru-RU">идиалом</span> <span lang="ru-RU">является Богоподобие – совершенство в жертвенной</span> <span lang="ru-RU">любви</span> <span lang="ru-RU">к Богу и ближнему. А мы можем к этому стремиться, потому что мы действуем не нашими</span> <span lang="ru-RU">силами, а силой</span> <span lang="ru-RU">Живого Бога, действующего в нас. С нашей стороны нужны добровольное хотение стать тем, что Бог предопределил нам быть, и смиренное послушанние Ему.</span></span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ru-RU">Понимая это, мы слышим и евнгелский призыв: "прииди и виждь"</span> <span lang="ru-RU">(Ин. 1:46). Филипп сказал Нафанаилу: Приди и увидь на Того, Кто спасет мир от греха, Того, Кто дал обет спасения Мойсею и спас его через веру. А Церковь сегодня скажет нам: придите и видите Того, кто спасет вас, придите и видите Того, на Которого вы можете возложить все упование ваше.</span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">На афише одной мега-церкви в Далласе написано: «Придите и видите — не на нашу Церковь, а на нашего Христа». Как часто бывает в инославии, в этом тексте есть и правда и ложь. Ибо мы, и христиане с древнейших времен, веруем не только во Христа, но и в Его Единую, Святую, Соборную и Аполстолскую Церков, которая является его Телом. В крещении мы с вами переродились и стали частями этого Его Тела. В тайнсве миропомазания мы приняли печать дара Святаго Духа, корорый сохраняет нас до последнего дихания. Через Святую Евхаристию мы живем во Христе, и Он в нас. Его пресвятое Тело соединяется с нашим телом, и его пречестная Кровь течет в наших жилах.</span></span></span></div><div lang="ru-RU" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <br />
</div><div lang="ru-RU" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.04in; margin-right: 0.04in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Таким образом, мы не только можем спастись сами, но можем сказать и другим – и словом, и делом, и самой нашей жизьню – «придите и видите» Того Бога, который силен не только прощать грехи, но и преобразить человека. Богу нашему да будет слава, честь и поклонение - Отцу, и Сыну, и Св.Духу, во веки веков. Аминь.</span></span></span></div><br />
дНП<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Возлюбленные братья и сестры, какова цель Великого Поста? </span><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="RU"></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Цель Великого Поста - та же самая, что и цель всей нашей жизни – приобретение Богоподобия. В прошлое воскресенье мы слышали, как в день второго пришествия Христова мы все будем судимы по мере наших дел милосердия, по мере нашего подобия Богу, Богу Любви. </span><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="RU"></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"</i><i>Ночь прошла, а день приблизился</i>," - пишет Апостол<i>, "итак отвергнем дела тьмы и облечемся в оружия света</i>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="RU"></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ночь – это жизнь грешного мира, жизнь плоти, жизнь вне Христа. А день – это жизнь во Христе, жизнь в Церкви, просвешение Светом Христовым. Великый Пост дан нам для того, чтобы приобрести эту жизнь во Христе, стяжать Бодоподобие. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="RU"></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">А какое "оружие света" даёт нам пост? Как нам поступать, чтобы являться чадами света? Во-первых, надо помнить, что "<i>Бладатью мы спасены, чрез веру, а не от себя" –</i> и Св. Церковь также насталвляет нас смириться и прибегать к Богу за помощью. И во время Поста, мы должны с б<b>о</b>льшим усердием прибегать к источникам Божественной Благодати: Святым Таинствам Покаяния и Причащения.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="RU"></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Но это ещё не всё. Есть и такие источники Благодати Божией, которые требуют применения усилия с нашей стороны – и это важно, потому-что невозможно спастись без активного участия нашей собственной воли. Эти усилия – молитва, пост, чтение Св. Писания и раздача милостыни. Дай Бог, чтобы все мы пользовались этими орудиями стяжания Благодати Божией!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="RU"></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8439125618658988117" name="12e8b62a5d3ebf2f_12e7f241b59d0160_6-181"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8439125618658988117" name="12e8b62a5d3ebf2f_12e7f241b59d0160_6-201"></a>Но Св. Церков предупреждает нас: используя эти орудия – молитву, пост, милостыню – взирайте только на Бога и на свою душу. Видят ли другие ваши добрыя дела – не важно. Наоборот, нам будет безопаснее, если всё будет делаться втайне. "<i>Когда постишься, помажь голову твою и умой лице твое, чтобы явиться постящимся не пред людьми, но пред Отцом твоим, Который втайне. Не собирайте себе сокровищ на земле, где моль и ржа истребляют и где воры подкапывают и крадут, но собирайте себе сокровища на небе, где ни моль, ни ржа не истребляют и где воры не подкапывают и не крадут."</i></span><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8439125618658988117" name="12e8b62a5d3ebf2f_12e7f241b59d0160_6-151"></a>Делают ли другие добро или зло — не наше дело. "<i>Кто ты, осуждающий чужого раба? Перед своим Господом стоит он, или падает. И будет восставлен, ибо силен Бог восставить его."</i> И если ближний ваш обидет вас, то простите его. "<i>Ибо если вы будете прощать людям согрешения их, то простит и вам Отец ваш Небесный, а если не будете прощать людям согрешения их, то и Отец ваш не простит вам согрешений ваших."</i></span><br />
</div></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Да поможет нам Господь успешно провести время Великого Поста, чтобы достойно встретить светлый день Пасхи Христовой, чтобы досойно встретить день кончини нашей земной жизни, и чтобы достойно встретить второга Пришествия Христова.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8439125618658988117&postID=1929457079579284655" name="#english"><span style="font-size: small;">English version:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Beloved brothers and sisters, what is the purpose of Great Lent?<br />
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The purpose of the Great Fast is the same as that of our entire life: the attainment of God's likeness. Last Sunday we heard about the Last Judgment, when at the 2nd coming of our Lord we will all be judged on the basis of our works of mercy -- on the extent to which we have become like our merciful and loving God.<br />
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"The night is past, the day is at hand," says the Apostle Paul, "therefore, put aside the works of darkness and clothe yourselves in the armor of light."</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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The night is the life of this sinful world, life according to the flesh, life without Christ. The day is life in Christ, life in the Church, illumined by the Light of Christ. Great Lent is given us in order that we might obtain that life in Christ, that we might acquire the divine likeness.<br />
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And what "armor of light" does the fast give to us? What must we do to become children of light? First, we must remember that "by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves" -- and the Holy Church thus instructs us to humble ourselves and run to God for help. And during Lent, we should fervently run to the sources of Divine Grace given us in the Church: the Holy Mysteries of Repentance and Communion.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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And this is not all. The Church also provides us with sources of Divine Grace which involve an effort on our part -- and this is important, because salvation is impossible without the active participation of our own will. These are prayer, fasting, reading the Holy Scriptures and almsgiving. May the Lord grant that all of us would make proper use of this armor, of these means of acquiring the grace of God!</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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But the Holy Church also warns us: when using this armor - fasting, prayer, almsgiving -- keep your eyes on God and on your own soul. Whether other people see your good works is not important. On the contrary, it is safer for you if all these works are done in secret, for our Lord says, "</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><i>when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.</i>" <br />
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Are others doing good? This is not our business. "</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><i>Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand</i>." And if your brother offends you, then forgive him. For our Lord says, <i>"if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.</i>"<br />
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May the Lord help us all to successfully struggle during this time of Great Lent, so that we might worthily meet the bright and glorious day of Christ's Pascha, so that we might worthily meet the end of our own lives, and so that we might worthily, by God's grace, meet Christ as His second coming.</span> </div></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 130%; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-align: left; word-wrap: break-word;"></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 130%; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-align: left; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><script type="text/javascript">
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Мефодий (<a href="http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/russian/sermons_ierom_methodij.htm#_Toc28864921">source</a>) </span></b></div><div align="JUSTIFY">"<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">На реках Вавилонских, сидели мы и плакали, когда вспоминали о Сионе.</span></i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">" В первый раз в этом богослужебном году услышали мы, братие, псалом сокрушения, воскрешающий пред нами скорбные для еврейского народа времени Вавилонского плена.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Израиль в плену... Умолкла торжественная Сионская песнь, осталась только память о Сионе... Напрасно настаивают враги: <i>"воспойте нам от песней Сионских."</i></span></div><div align="JUSTIFY">"<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Как нам петь песнь Господню на земле чужой? - Если забуду тебя, Иерусалим, пусть будет забыта моя десница, пусть язык мой прилипнет к гортани моей</span></i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">" - трепещет в груди правоверного иудея.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Такова история 136 псалма ...</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Но не только как историческое воспоминание предлагает его нам Святая Церковь. Не только, как свидетельство Божественной кары и грозного Божьего гнева, поучителен он.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Здесь нечто большее... Здесь извечная тоска человеческого духа по Нем, по Святом и Животворящем, Дивном во Святых Своих, но далеком от оскверненных и грешных.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">На Вавилонских берегах пребывает человеческий дух с того момента, когда первый Адам причастился "неразумные снеди," когда изгнаны прародители из райского Сада, когда пламенное оружие Херувима стало преградой между Богом и человеком.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Грех вошел в мир... И с грехом - горечь духовного вавилонского плена, горечь отдаления от Бога, Его любви и Его Святыни.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">И только Христос - Сын Мира и Отец его сынов, разбив оковы этого плачевного плена, в тайне подвига Своего смертью умертвил грех и положил конец владычеству окаянной и злосчастной Дочери Вавилона - матери греха.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">И к Нему Единому, истинному источнику Радости и Жизни, в предшествующие великому покаянному подвигу дни, обращает взоры наши св. Церковь. Она призывает нас с Вавилонских берегов обратиться к Царству Его крепости и Его непоколебимой твердыни, у Него испросить средства и пути к исцелению. И как пример этого обращения, предлагает Она нам образ блудного сына, обратившегося и взыскавшего отвергную им любовь Небесного Отца.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Из тропаря воскресного дня, посвященного воспоминанию о блудном сыне, Святая Церковь раскрываешь нам всю глубину переживаний кающегося грешника.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">"Объятия Отча отверсти ми потщися, блудно мое иждих житие, на богатство неиждиваемое взираяй щедрот Твоих, Спасе, ныне обнищавшее мое да не презриши сердце, Тебе бо, Господи, умилением зову: согреших на небо и пред Тобою."</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Отец! Открой Свои объятия отеческой любви!</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Отец! Не возгнушайся Твоего согрешившего, но от всего сердца возвращающегося к Тебе сына.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Не отврати Своего лица от его духовной скудости, от его обнищавшего сердца ... прими покаянный вопль его: "Отец! я согрешил пред небом и пред Тобою!"</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Какова бездна падения, такова и сила покаяния исторгающего из этой бездны.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Таковы любовь и попечение о нас матери нашей Церкви, призывающей нас на грядущий подвиг покаяния.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Откроем же наши сердца... Представим себя в смрадной одежде своих беззаконий пред огненными очами Того, Кто Один может дать нам исцеление.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">С вавилонских берегов обратимся к Нему и вместе с блудным сыном воскликнем:</span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><i><div align="JUSTIFY">"Отче, я согрешил против неба и пред Тобою, и уже недостоин называться сыном твоим; прими меня в число наемников твоих."</div></i></span><script type="text/javascript">
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</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">И невольно переходишь к Евангелию прошлой недели. Там говорилось тоже о мытаре, Закхее. Мы видели, как Господь перевернул всю его душу. Мы видели, как, после всей его греховной жизни, он покаялся, как он был готов пол-именья своего отдать нищим, и всякому, кого обидел, воздать четверицею. Так несомненно он и поступил. И невольно мытарь Закхей и мытарь сегодняшнего Евангелия сливаются в один образ, в одного человека. Ведь оба они были мытарями, были людьми грешными, и оба покаялись. И если мы так примем, что сегодняшнее Евангелие есть продолжение Евангелия прошлого Воскресенья, что сегодняшний мытарь, ударяющий себя в грудь, и есть, хотя бы психологически, Закхей - то нам откроется великая наука, великий урок в жизни кающегося. А ведь кающимися и должны быть мы все. Ведь всю неправду, которую делал Закхей, он делал для наживы, чтобы быть господином. И вот, когда это господство пришло, и когда он себя уже почувствовал властителем, - в этот самый момент пришла и <b>Правда Божия</b>. А правда Божия говорит нам о том, что если человек в утробе матери находится девять месяцев, то в утробе земли он пребывает от силы восемьдесят лет, а после этого начинаются страдания и болезнь. И наконец, через смерть человек переходит в утробу вечной жизни уже навсегда. И Закхей это теперь все видел: он понял все свое безумие, неправильный путь жизни... И тогда он стал искать выхода. И вот в таком состоянии он увидал идущего Христа. Для него это был равви. Подойти к Нему он так просто не мог и не хотел</span>.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Сначала он хотел обследовать, что это за равви. Тут мы видим смоковницу, тут мы видим его на смоковнице, этого в сущности "пэра" еврейского народа... и тут толпа. Представляете себе, что мог пережить этот гордый человек? Но Христос подошел и сказал: "Днесь с тобою будем, у тебя буду." И когда Христос был у него, то тут раскрыл ему ту силу, которая сразу преисполнила его сердце. И вот тут Закхей сказал: "Все раздам, и тому, кого обидел, воздам четверицею." И так все сделал.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">В чем же теперь дело? Теперь он стоит и бьет себя в грудь, и говорит: "Боже, милостив буди мне, грешному!"</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">А тут же рядом с ним стоит другой, может быть его общества человек, фарисей... Стоит и наоборот, в полном удовлетворении, говорит: "Я все сделал, я сделал и то, и то, я...я" А почему же мытарь не сказал: "А я тоже сделал. Я пол-имения раздал. Я тому-то четверицею воздал." Почему же он не говорит этого? А наоборот говорит: "Боже милостивый, буди милостив ко мне, грешному!"?</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Дело в том, что Господь его одарил. Сделал широким его сердце. Но как началось делание, то получилась трагедия: <b>навык, навык</b>... Ведь его внутренний человек был порабощен навыком. А навык это страшная сила. Тут невольно являлись мысли о корысти, и жажды еще большей наживы... И взгляды уже были в прелести, которая шла через мысль... И то сердце, которое было освобождено Христом, вдруг стало опять грязным... И он чувствовал все это... "Господи Боже, буди милостив ко мне грешному!" Что же делать?</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">И вот тут св. Церковь приводит нам в сегодняшний день всю силу этого психологического момента, всю силу этого вопроса: что нам делать? И с такой же силой дает нам через мысли Святых Отцов ответ на этот вопрос. Ведь наши Святые Отцы с точностью показывают нам, что происходило в душе Мытаря: благодаря тому, что совесть его была</span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">теперь свободна, освобождена Христом, его сердце было широко, мир был в сердце. И воля его тоже была свободна: свобода была в Боге. А расстояние между сердцем и Богом - грех. И вот у мытаря и получилось так, что тени начали появляться в сердце, и он стал кричать ко Господу о помощи. А как же получаются эти тени? А получаются они так, как Владыка Феофан Затворник раскрывает в одном из своих писем: "Мысль, - она приходит, и если только она не захватывает чувства сердца, то это еще не грех. Она прошла, и как сегодняшний снег завтра растает, так и ее не будет, и сердце остается чистым. Если же мысль захватит сердце, попадет в сердце, - и это еще не беда, есть еще момент в который можно воскликнуть: "Господи помилуй!" и сердце будет чисто. Но когда уже попала в сердце мысль, и когда уже воля твоя сказала "хочу," - вот тогда получается тень. А раз тень только попала, то тут уже сочувствие получилось, и дело. Тогда получается, как Владыка говорит, "падение." Грех стал действием, и совершилось падение. А как только духовно пал, грех в сердце попал, дело совершил, от Бога ушел, и начинается страдание, так, как у человека, который упал физически. И мы знаем, какую трагедию представляют собой духовные страдания. Человека гложет гордость, сребролюбие, честолюбие, всякая похоть.., и он мучается. Сердце такого человека каменеет. Вот, что произошло, как мы видим по чтению Евангелия, после того, как Закхей-мытарь сознал свой грех и покаялся. Христос разрешил его грех. Совесть стала свободной. Но теперь ему надо действовать. А</span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">когда он начинает действовать, то тут и получаются мысли, а за мыслями идут чувства... Как же быть? Вот он и кричит: "Боже, милостив буди ко мне грешному, не допусти..." И Господь дает Благодать недопускающую, и спасает грешника. Что же нам нужно делать, чтобы получить эту Благодать? Нужно активное волеизволение. А как его приобрести, об этом будет учить нас св. Церковь в следующее Воскресенье.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">--Еп. Андрей. <a href="http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/russian/sermons_archbishop_andrey.htm#_Toc37422429">Source</a>.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br />
</span> </div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Translation (<a href="http://holytrinitymission.org/books/english/sermons_archbishop_andrei.htm#_Toc45953429">source</a>):</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">"The publican, standing afar off, would not lift so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!" (Lk. 18:13).</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">And involuntarily one turns to last week’s Gospel. There it also told about a publican — Zacchaeus. We saw how the Lord overturned his whole soul. We saw how, after all his sinful life, he repented; and how he was ready to give half his possessions to the poor, and everyone he had defrauded, he would repay fourfold. And undoubtedly he did this. Involuntarily, Zacchaeus the Publican and the publican in today’s Gospel blend into one image, into one person. After all, both of them were publicans, sinful men, and both repented. If we accept that today’s Gospel is the continuation of last Sunday’s Gospel, that today’s publican, beating himself on the breast, is really Zacchaeus, at least psychologically, then a great science will be revealed to us, a great lesson in the life of one who repents. You see we must all repent.</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">All the injustice which Zacchaeus did, he did for gain, to be dominant. And here, when this dominance came and he considered himself to be a man of power — at this very moment came the Truth of God. The Truth of God tells us that if a person is in his mother’s womb for nine months, then he abides in the womb of the earth if strong eighty years, and after this begin suffering and sickness <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Psalm 89:10 (90:10 King James Version).</span> And finally, through death man passes into the womb of eternal life for ever.</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">Zacchaeus saw all this now: he understood all his foolishness, his wrong way of life. And then he began to search for a way out. He was in such a state of mind when he saw Christ walking by. For him this was a rabbi. He couldn’t just go up to Him, and he didn’t want to. First he wanted to find out what kind of rabbi He was. Here we see the fig tree, then we see him in the fig tree, this man who was virtually a dignitary of the Jewish people. And then the crowd. Imagine what this proud man was going through. But Christ approached and said: Today we will be together, I will be in your home. And when Christ was in his home, then He revealed to him that power which immediately filled his heart. Here Zacchaeus said: I will give away everything, and whomever I have cheated I will repay fourfold (Lk. 19:1-10). And so he did all this.</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">But what is the matter now? Now he is standing and beating himself on the breast, saying: "God be merciful to me a sinner!" And here, right next to him stands someone else, maybe his peer in society — a Pharisee. He stands there and, on the contrary, in complete satisfaction says: I have done everything, I did this and this, I.. .1. Why didn’t the publican say: I also did this. I gave away half of my possessions. To that one I paid back fourfold. Why didn’t he say this? But on the contrary, he said: "Merciful God, be merciful to me a sinner!"</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">The point is that the Lord endowed him with a gift — He expanded his heart. But as active life resumed, then a tragedy resulted: habit...habit. His inner man was the slave of habit; and this habit was a terrible force. Involuntarily, there appeared thoughts of avarice and the thirst for more and more gain. His looks were already in temptation which came through thought. The heart which had been liberated by Christ suddenly became dirty again. And he felt all this. "Lord God, be merciful to me a sinner!" What to do?</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">Today the Holy Church brings us the full strength of this psychological moment, the full strength of this question: what are we to do? And with similar force, she gives us the answer to this question through the teachings of the Holy Fathers. In fact our Holy Fathers show us precisely what was going on in the soul of the publican. Because his conscience was now free, liberated by Christ, his heart was expansive, there was peace in his heart. His will was also free, and the freedom was in God. But the distance between the heart and God is sin. And here it happened to the publican that shadows started to appear in his heart, and he began to cry to the Lord for help.</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">How do these shadows come about? As Bishop Theophan the Recluse explains in one of his letters, they come about like this. Thought — it comes, and only if it does not captivate the feeling of the heart, then this is still not sin. It comes and, as today’s snow melts tomorrow, so it will not exist, and the heart remains clean. Even if the thought captures the heart, enters the heart — even this is not yet a misfortune; there is still a moment in which it is possible to cry, "Lord have mercy!" and the heart will be clean. But when the thought has already entered the heart, and when you have already said, "I desire," this is when shadow appears. The mere fact that a shadow has entered, then here sympathy has already taken place, an action. Then, as the Bishop says, a fall has resulted. Sin has become action, and a fall has occurred. And as soon as one has fallen spiritually, sin has entered the heart, a deed has been accomplished, the person has departed from God and has begun to suffer, just as with a man who has fallen physically. We know what a tragedy spiritual sufferings represent. Pride, greed, ambition, all kinds of lust gnaw at a man, and he is tormented. The heart of such a man becomes like stone.</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">As we see from the Gospel reading, this is what happened after Zacchaeus the Publican recognized his sin and repented. Christ absolved him of his sin. His conscience became free. But now he had to act; and when he started to act, then thoughts arose, and from thoughts came feelings. What to do? Here he cried: "God be merciful to me a sinner; don’t let this happen." And the Lord gives the Grace to prevent it from happening and saves the sinner. What must we do in order to receive this Grace? An active exertion of the will is needed. And next Sunday the Holy Church will teach us how this is acquired.</div><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8439125618658988117&postID=4665303766461711362" name="_Toc45953430"></a></span></b><br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Евангельским чтением о Закхее предваряются подготовительные недели к Великому Посту. Ободряя нас, грешников, говорит Господь: "Сын Человеческий пришел призвать и спасти погибших."</span></div><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Направляясь в г. Иерусалим, Иисус Христос задержался на отдых в г. Иерихоне. Двумя наиболее выдающимися классами в населении г. Иерихона были священники и мытари. Это был по преимуществу священнический город, в котором одним из начальников мытарей был Закхей. Как начальник сборщиков податей в пользу римлян, Закхей был ненавидим народом. И естественно было ожидать, что Мессия - Сын Давидов - будет принят в доме одного из священников, потомков Аарона, но случилось не так: место отдыха Иисуса Христа определило нежданное жителями города событие.</span><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Грешник Закхей имел глубокое желание увидеть своими глазами, что за личность был Иисус Христос, слава о Котором гремела среди народа. Будучи мал ростом, он не мог, из-за тесной толпы, даже взглян<span style="text-decoration: overline;">ут</span>ь на Христа. Поэтому, когда Иисус проходил через город, Закхей забежал вперед и взобрался на разв<span style="text-decoration: overline;">е</span>систые ветви смоковницы, стоявшей у дороги. Под этим деревом должен был пройти Иисус Христос, и Закхею предоставлялась полная возможность видеть Его, видеть Того, Который не только не питал обычной для всех ненависти к мытарям, но и одного из них возвысил в звание апостола.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Когда Иисус Христос приблизился, Закхей действительно увидел Его и радовался этому. Но, представьте себе, какой радостью забилось его сердце, когда признанный Мессия Своего народа остановился под деревом, взглянул вверх и, называя его по имени, велел ему скорее сойти вниз, потому что намеревался быть у него в доме. Ему, грешнику, презренному сборщику податей, дается возможность не только видеть Иисуса</span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Христа - Света мира, Мессию, но и принять Его в своем доме, ужинать с Ним и предложить Ему ночлег у себя! С радостью поспешил Закхей слезть с дерева и повел Великого Гост</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="text-decoration: overline;">я</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> к себе в дом.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Но народ единодушно и громко возроптал. Народу казалось непристойным и унизительным, чтобы Мессия, в самой восторженной среде Своих последователей, остановился в доме презр<span style="text-decoration: overline;">е</span>нного грешника-мытаря, одно занятие которого было символом национального унижения народа. Но милостивое слово Иисуса для Закхея значило больше, чем ропот и оскорбления толпы. Слово Господне, с которым Иисус Христос обратился к мытарю, переродило грешника и с силой животворной воскресило в Закхее те добрые качества его души, которые были задавлены в нем жаждой наживы, своекорыстием и окружающим к нему презрением. В восторге от оказанных ему внимания и чести, Закхей, встав из-за стола, торжественно заявил: "Господи! половину имения моего отдам я нищим, и если кого чем-либо обидел, воздам вчетверо."</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Это благородное самоотвержение презренного мытаря, который с таким прямодушием низвергал кумир своей жизни, оправдало ему, Христом оказанную, честь и Спаситель благостно воскликнул: "ныне пришло спасение дому сему, потому что и он сын Авраама," сын отца верующих. Этими словами изобличил Господь тех, кто осуждал Его за то, что вошел Он в дом грешника, изобличил тех, кто и ныне не духовно, а физически воспринимает "сыновство Аврааму."</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">И мы с вами "сыны Авраама," если храним веру в Бога Истинного, если сохраняем верность Тому, Кто для всего человечества является Светом Разума и Солнцем Правды - верность Господу Иисусу Христу. Слово Божие - слово вечное, Оно и ныне возрождает души грешников и всех, кто приуготовил сердце свое для встречи с Господом. Аминь.</span></div><br />
-<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="ru-RU">Еп. Митрофан. </span></span><a href="http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/russian/sermons_episkop_mitrophan.htm#_Toc35993108">Source</a>.<br />
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My translation, with apologies for the poor quality:<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The Gospel reading about Zacchaeus precedes the four weeks of preparation for Great Lent. Encouraging us sinners, the Lord says: “The Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost.”</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">While traveling toward Jerusalem, Jesus Christ stopped to rest in Jericho. The two most prevalent classes in Jericho were the priests and the tax collectors (publicans). It was by and large a city of priests, in which one of the chief publicans was a man named Zacchaeus. As a chief among those who collected taxes on behalf of the Romans, Zacchaeus was hated by his people. It was natural to expect that the Messiah, the Son of David, would be received in the home of one of the priests, the descendents of Aaron. This, however, did not occur; the place where our Lord chose to rest was determined by an event quite unexpected by the residents of the city.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The sinner Zacchaeus had a deeply-felt desire to see with his own eyes this Jesus whose praises were being sung by all the people. Being small of stature, he was unable on account of the tightly-packed crowd to even set eyes on Christ. Therefore, when Jesus passed through the city, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed onto the broad branch of a fig tree that stood by the road. Jesus Christ had to pass under this tree and Zacchaeus was thus fully able to see Him, to see Him Who not only did not nurture the usual hatred of publicans but Who even elevated one of them to be an Apostle.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">When Jesus Christ came near Zacchaeus indeed saw him and rejoiced in this. But imagine to yourself the joy in his heart when the one Who was generally recognized as the Messiah of His people stopped under the tree, looked up, called Zacchaeus by name, and directed him to quickly come down because he intended to visit his house. He, a sinner, a despised collector of tribute money, was able not only to see Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, the Messiah, but also to receive Him in his own home, to dine with him and to give Him hospitality for the night! Zacchaeus joyfully descended from the tree and lead his Great Guest to his home.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">But the people complained loudly and with one voice. It seemed inappropriate and degrading to them that the Messiah in the midst of his followers should stop in the house of a despised sinner and publican, the very occupation of whom was a symbol of the subjugation of the nation. But the merciful words of Jesus meant more to Zacchaeus than the shouts and insults of the crowd. The word of the Lord with which Jesus Christ turned to the publican gave rebirth to the sinner and with life-giving strength awakened in Zacchaeus those good qualities of his soul which had been repressed by the desire for gain, by self-interest and by the general disdain of others toward him. Delighted by the attention and honor shown him, Zacchaeus rose from the table and triumphantly announced: “Lord! The half of my good I give to the poor, and if I have wronged anyone in anything, I will restore it to him fourfold.”</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This noble self-denial on the part of the despised publican, who with such a direct assault threw down the idol of his life, justified the honor which Christ had shown him, and the Savior kindly proclaimed: “salvation is come now unto this house, for he also is a son of Abraham” - a son of the father of the faithful. With these words, the Lord denounced those who condemned him for entering into the home of a sinner, and with these words he denounced also those who even now understand “sonship of Abraham” in a physical rather than a spiritual sense.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">We are also “sons of Abraham,” if we preserve faith in the True God, if we remain faithful to Him Who is the Light of Reason and the Sun of Righteousness for all mankind, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God is the eternal word, and it even today gives new birth to the souls of sinners and to all those who have prepared their hearts to meet the Lord. Amen.</span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>Nicholas Parkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16533649277848883827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-19595474084663981492011-01-30T16:36:00.000-06:002011-01-30T16:36:45.093-06:00Во Христе воссиял над миром вечный истинный свет...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><hr /><div align="JUSTIFY"> <b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"><a href="" name="12dcd79857e9b050__Toc35993212">Неделя 31-я по Пятидесятнице.</a></span></b></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">(Лук. 18:35-43).</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Еп. Митрофан</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Когда Господь Иисус Христос приблизился к городу Иерихону, у его ворот совершилось одно из последних чудес на благо страждущего человечества.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> У ворот сидели нищие, которые просили милостыню. Среди них был слепец Вартимей. Надеясь на хороший сбор милостыни, он не предполагал, какое ожидало его счастье. Заслышав необычайный шум проходящего народа, он узнал, что тут проходит Иисус Назарянин, слава о чудесах Которого гремела по всей стране. Это возбудило в слепце радостную надежду, и он забыв об ожидаемый милостыни, стал кричать: "Иисусе, Сыне Давидов, помилуй мя!" Народ хотел заставить его замолчать, считая этот громкий крик непристойным в присутствии Того, Который вот-вот должен был войти в Иерусалим, как Мессия Своего народа. Но Христос услышал его вопль и Его сострадательное сердце тронулось им. Он остановился и велел подозвать слепца к Себе. Тогда толпа меняет свой тон и говорит слепцу: "не бойся, вставай, зовет тебя." В порыве радости, он, как свидетельствует Евангелист Марк, поспешно сбросил свой плащ, вскочил и подошел ко Христу. "Чего ты хочешь от Меня?" - спросил его Спаситель. "Раввуни," отвечал слепец, "чтобы мне прозреть!" "Прозри, - сказал Христос - вера твоя спасла тебя." Он прикоснулся к глазам слепого и тотчас прозрели глаза его. И недавний слепец пошел за Христом, прославляя Бога.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Слепец прозрел не только физически, его сердца коснулся тот Свет, о котором ап. Иоанн говорит: <i>"Свет во тьме светит, и тьма не объяла его" </i>(Иоан. 1:5). Посему и пошел Вартимей за Христом, как на землю сошедшим "Светом разума и Солнцем правды." Пошел он за Христом, прославляя Бога, стал благовестником Бога Истинного, Который чрез Иисуса Христа возвестил нам о том, что всем людям дана "власть быть чадами Божиими" (Иоан. 1:12), что все мы, даже самые слабые и грешные из нас, являемся детьми Божиими, имеющими нашим общим Отцом Царя Небесного, и что, как Его</span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">дети, все люди равны в своем достоинстве, а посему в отношении их не имеет силы различие между эллином и иудеем, рабом и свободным, так как все мы одинаково дети Божии.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Во Христе воссиял над миром вечный истинный свет, и этот свет неугасим и непобедим, хотя и окружен он непроницаемой толщей тьмы, окружен упорно от света прячущейся злой волей сынов противления. "В Тебе источник жизни... и в свете Твоем узрим свет," - восклицал некогда пророк и псалмопевец Давид (Пс. 36:10). "Бог темные бездны отверзает и выводит тьму к свету," - говорит праведный Иов Многострадальный (Иов. 1:22).</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Дорогие мои во Христе братья и сестры! Христа Свет Истинный, просвещающий всякого человека грядущего в мир, прославляли мы с вами в дни праздников Рождества и Богоявления, ныне же зовет нас Промыслитель Господь последовать примеру бывшего слепца Вартимея, для которого Христос стал не предметом веры, а содержанием жизни, Наставником и Водителем, жизненной силой недавнего слепца. Аминь.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">source: http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/russian/sermons_episkop_mitrophan.htm</span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Апостол Павел в послании к Ефесянам (гл.4:7-13) говорит: "Каждому из нас дана благодать по мере дара Христова... И Он послал одних Апостолами, других пророками, иных Евангелистами, иных пастырями и учителями, к совершению святых, на дело служения, для созидания Тела Христова, доколе все придем в единство веры и познания Сына Божия, в мужа совершенного, в меру полного возраста Христова..." А Евангелие сегодняшнего Воскресения (Матф. 4:12-17) кончается такими словами: <i>"С того времени Иисус начал проповедовать и говорить: покайтесь, ибо приблизилось Царство Небесное."</i></span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> В Рождество Христово мы получили дар усыновления, в День Обрезанья Господня мы получили начало Нового Года, в День Крещенья нам была указана цель всей нашей жизни и дана Благодать, помогающая нам идти к этой цели: "И се, глас с небес глаголющий: Сей есть Сын Мой Возлюбленный, в Котором Мое благоволение." И это все суммирует Апостол: "Каждому из нас дана благодать по мере дара Христова... для созидания Тела Христова, доколе все придем в единство веры и познания Сына Божия, в мужа совершенного, в меру полного возраста Христова." Апостол также указывает нам, где мы должны искать поддержки и укрепления: в Церкви Христовой: "И Он послал одних Апостолами, других пророками... иных Пастырями и Учителями." "Истину сию, говорит Владыка Феофан, знают самоотверженно идущие путем Господним, и без жаления себя ведущие брань со врагами спасения. Они в пастырях своих всегда встречают помощь и вразумление, когда со стороны смотря ее и ожидать бы нельзя было, ибо не к человекам приходят, а ко Господу, всегда готовому руководить и вразумлять через пастырей всякого искренно с верою ищущего у Него себе помощи. Светлая цель последняя есть "мера возраста исполнения Христова." Вот видите сколько нам дано. А что же от нас ожидается? Только одно усилие нашей воли: "Покайтесь!" Но и в этом нам будет помогать св. Церковь, начиная с</span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">подготовительных недель к Великому Посту. Будем же внимательны и приложим свою волю.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://holytrinitymission.org/books/russian/sermons_archbishop_andrey.htm#_Toc37422480">Source</a>.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">English Translation</span></b></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY">The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians says: "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:7, 11-13). And the Gospel reading for this Sunday ends with these words: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Mt. 4:17).</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">At Christmas we received the gift of adoption; on the Day of the Lord’s Circumcision we received the beginning of a new year; on the Day of the Lord’s Baptism we were shown the goal of our whole life and were given Grace, helping us to proceed toward this goal: "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Mt. 3:17). And the Apostle summarizes all this: "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ... for the edifying of the Body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ The Apostle also shows us where we should search for support and strengthening — in the Church of Christ. "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets... and some, pastors and teachers."</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">"This truth," says Bishop Theophan the Recluse, "is known by those who selflessly go the way of the Lord and, without pitying themselves, fight the enemies of salvation. In their pastors they will always find help and good advice, while looking from the outside you wouldn’t even expect it; because they do not come to men, but to the Lord, Who through these men is always ready to guide and advise all those who sincerely and with faith are seeking from Him help for themselves. The final radiant goal ‘is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’"</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY">Look here how much we are given. And what is expected from us? Only one effort of our will — Repent! But even in this the Holy Church will help us, starting with the preparatory weeks for Great Lent. Let us be attentive and apply our will.</div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://holytrinitymission.org/books/english/sermons_archbishop_andrei.htm#_Toc45953483">Source</a>.</span></div><br />
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</script>Nicholas Parkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16533649277848883827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-78368199750884793792010-06-14T21:39:00.000-05:002010-06-14T21:39:33.243-05:001st Vigil in the New Temple, Part 1<object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/dEj8oM0G26o/hqdefault.jpg");" height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dEj8oM0G26o&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dEj8oM0G26o&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below --><p></p><hr /><p><script type="text/javascript">var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript">var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();</script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-41963343331916050132008-07-28T14:11:00.000-05:002008-07-28T14:13:16.638-05:00The High Priestly prayer of Jesus Christ.<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-13_2008-07-27+holy-fathers-of-the-first-six-ecumenical-councils.m3u">LISTEN NOW</a><br /><br />Holy Fathers Of The First Six Ecumenical Councils (celebrated on the Sunday on or after July 13)<br /><br />The High priestly prayer of Jesus Christ contains not only sublime dogmas about Jesus Christ, but also a two-fold definition of salvation, and an example of how to attain it: we must care for others as Jesus Christ did.<br /><br /><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>John 17:1-13</b>These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.<br /></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser:<br /><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-13_2008-07-27+holy-fathers-of-the-first-six-ecumenical-councils.m3u">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-13_2008-07-27+holy-fathers-of-the-first-six-ecumenical-councils.m3u</a><br /></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If this file does not work for you, try the direct link to the actual mp3 file:<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-13_2008-07-27+holy-fathers-of-the-first-six-ecumenical-councils.mp3">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-13_2008-07-27+holy-fathers-of-the-first-six-ecumenical-councils.mp3</a><br /></span></p><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img alt="RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies" src="http://www.orthodox.net/feed-icon-14x14.png" align="left" />RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies:http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons"><span style="font-size:85%;">Archive of Audio and text homilies:http://www.orthodox.net/sermons</span></a></p><br /><br /><br /><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below --><br /><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?<br /></span><br /><u>The following are notes about a portion of this Gospel.<br /></u><br />The parables about the Kingdom variously describe the power of the Gospel to save, the great worth of the Gospel, and the way of living that those who will attain the Kingdom must have. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><blockquote>"And the former indeed, of the leaven and of the mustard seed, was spoken with a view to the power of the gospel, and to its surely prevailing over the world; but these declare its value, and great price." <span style="font-size:78%;">(St John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of St Matthew, Homily XLVII,<br /><a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XLVII.html">http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XLVII.html</a>)</span></blockquote><div align="justify"><br />Each parable gives us a different piece of information. We must believe in the ability of God to save us, must value the way of the Kingdom above all else, and must live in a certain way.<br /><br />One must be careful to not over analyze any parable, otherwise, according to St John: "the parables must not be explained throughout word for word, since many absurdities will follow." <span style="font-size:78%;">(Ibid)<br /></span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The parable of the field is a good example. In the parable, the field is the world. Remembering the proscription against worldliness, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?", <span style="font-size:78%;">(Mat 16:26)</span> one wonders, why would the Lord urge us to buy the world?<br /><br />It is because, as St John teaches, the Gospel is hidden within the world. The treasure is this Gospel. The way of life that leads to eternal life is hidden within the world; those who do not believe do not usually even see it, and when they do, it is "foolishness" to them. We fulfill the resurrection within us, by living the way of life in the world. We need the world in order to be saved. If it were not for the temptations and difficulties of the world, we would not value the treasure that is hidden within it. This is our nature; we forget easily, and become inured to Holy things, unless we continually struggle, and have temptations, and do everything possible to attain the treasure in the world.<br /><br />The parable of the pearl says the same thing as the parable of the field, with an important addition: there is only one truth.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><blockquote>"One seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one of great price, sold all and bought it. For the truth is one, and not in many divisions."<span style="font-size:78%;"> (Ibid)</span></blockquote></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The size of the pearl is also of great importance. The Gospel treasure is very small (it is hidden in our heart), so those in the world cannot see it, and see that we are truly rich. </div><blockquote><br />"And much as he that hath the pearl knows indeed himself that he is rich, but others know not, many times, that he is holding it in his hand (for there is no corporeal bulk); just so also with the gospel, they that have hold of it know that they are rich, but the unbelievers, not knowing of this treasure, are in ignorance also of our wealth." <span style="font-size:78%;">(Ibid)</span><br /><br /></blockquote><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-33956456140974073482008-07-23T23:12:00.000-05:002008-07-23T23:15:03.484-05:00Temptation / искушение<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">St. Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts on every day of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(1 Cor <st1:time minute="18" hour="15">3:18</st1:time>-23; Mt <st1:time minute="36" hour="13">13:36</st1:time>-43) “And they shall cast them (those who offend of do iniquity) into a furnace of fire: <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: black;">there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth; then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” In this manner, evil and good, light and darkness will be divided. Now, during this life, they are commingled, as it was pleasing to the Lord to order things such that his creation would grow and become stronger in good through the struggle against evil. Evil is allowed to freely exist within us and to influence us from without, but it does not determine our actions. Rather, it tempts us. When tempted, we must not fall but fight. Gaining the victory, we are freed from one temptation, and move onward and upward to meet a new temptation, and thus it is until the end of our life. O, when will we understand the meaning of the evil which tempts us, so as to order our life in accordance with this understanding! Those who struggle are crowned, and in the end, pass on to another life, where there is no sorrow or sickness externally, and where internally, like God’s angels, they will be pure, without the defilement of tempting movements and thoughts. Thus we may be prepared for the festival of light and good, which will be revealed in all its glory in the last day of the world.</span></p> <h2>Святитель Феофан Затворник. Мысли на каждый день года.</h2> <p>(<a href="http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Bible/C18008.htm" target="_blank" title="Библия"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 Кор. З, 18-23</span></a>; <a href="http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Bible/C18009.htm" target="_blank" title="Библия"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Мф. 13, 36-43</span></a>). "И ввергнут их" (творящих соблазны и беззакония) "в печь огненную; там будет плач и скрежет зубов; тогда праведники воссияют, как солнце, в Царстве Отца их". Так совершится разделение добра и зла, света и тьмы. Теперь течет период смешения их. Господу угодно было так устроить, чтобы тварная свобода возрастала и крепла в добре через борьбу со злом; зло допущено и в сопредельности с свободою внутри, и в соприкосновении с человеком во вне. Оно не определяет, а искушает. Чувствующему искушение необходимо не падать, а вступать в борьбу. Побеждающий освобожается от одного искушения, и подвигается вперед и вверх, чтобы там вступить в новое искушение. Так до самого конца жизни. О, когда бы уразуметь нам это значение искушающего нас зла, чтобы по этому уразумению устроить и жизнь свою! Борцы увенчиваются, наконец, переходя в другую жизнь, где нет ни печалей и болезней во вне, и где они извнутри, как ангелы Божии, становятся чистыми без приражения искусительных движений и мыслей. Так заготовляется торжество света и добра, которое во всей славе своей откроется в последний день мира.</p> <!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below -->Nicholas Parkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16533649277848883827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-76785670783074428212008-07-21T16:14:00.000-05:002008-07-21T16:15:14.348-05:00Why speakest Thou in parables?<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.</i> (Matthew 13:10-23)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">St. Theophan the Recluse writes that we "seeing see not, and hearing hear not, neither understand" the word of God because we our hearts are so strongly tethered to worldly concerns. Our hearts are waxed gross, our ears are dull of hearing, and we have closed our eyes... This is why it is so difficult to read the scriptures, to listen to the church services, and to say our prayers. We are, by our own free choice, entirely enslaved to earthly cares. But in the end, all these cares will pass away, and only heaven will remain. And we, being strangers to heaven, will be left out in the darkness…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But Our Lord gives us hope, saying, "therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." In other words, as Archbishop Averky of <st1:city><st1:place>Syracuse</st1:place></st1:City> explains, the parables make divine truths accessible to our earthly minds. If we attend to the Lord’s parables and attempt to live according to their teaching, then we will come nearer to the Lord and be enlightened by His grace. Gradually, then, we will grow closer to heaven, and will be able to understand the more sublime teachings of the Lord, and will find ourselves amid the guests at the heavenly banquet. Glory to our God!</p> <!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below -->Nicholas Parkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16533649277848883827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-73633306762535550402008-07-21T12:58:00.000-05:002008-07-21T13:00:34.733-05:00St Nicholas is building a new temple!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8eqFFlkIwrgqK7XeQt42RL_TEkGwK9BTVS_Faele_uSTYabkB8RDvHWnmNasmMiAIIWKwchpwbQqxb5TWIWFgtDjSx309zq4y9svYOTg6DhZI3GZJumg0OCDe_qnPtGx5AN3wlvPOlrR/s1600-h/prosphorachurch2b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8eqFFlkIwrgqK7XeQt42RL_TEkGwK9BTVS_Faele_uSTYabkB8RDvHWnmNasmMiAIIWKwchpwbQqxb5TWIWFgtDjSx309zq4y9svYOTg6DhZI3GZJumg0OCDe_qnPtGx5AN3wlvPOlrR/s320/prosphorachurch2b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225526730646336242" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below -->Brothers and sisters:<br /><br />I know many of you personally, and some only by email or the phone. Many of you know me, and I am always amazed and gratified when I travel to encounter people who thank me for our web ministry. <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/">http://www.orthodox.net</a> is over 10 years old, and has reached literally over several million people (we have over 100,000 viewers a month). Our <a href="http://stnicholasdallas.blogspot.com/">blog </a>is slowly becoming more popular too.<br /><br />I treasure the good will and friendships that my web presence has garnered. I have been privileged to hear some amazing stories and help missions from afar with our materials. I am also quite sure that our web presence has been a significant part of the conversion to the true faith of more than a few, and helped direct many to Orthodox churches all over the world.<br /><br />I am writing you today to attempt to trade a little bit on this good will. We are a small and growing parish, at a critical time. We are about to build a new church on a beautiful piece of ground. We are a little bit short of the projected cost. At this point, we think we need to raise $20,000 dollars before we finish building in the Fall.<br /><br />I am appealing to you, if your heart so leads, to help us in any way you think is right. Of course, we could use donations, but low or no interest loans, or being put in contact with a potential benefactor is helpful too.<br /><br />The last part of this appeal is the content our building fund page - "<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/aboutus/building-fund.html">http://www.orthodox.net/aboutus/building-fund.html</a>.<br /><br /><br />May God bless you and help you in all things.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">------------<br /></div><h1>St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church Building Fund</h1><!-- END:Row1Col3Text --><!-- BEGIN:Row2Col3Text --><script type="text/javascript">/>function validateAmount(amount){<br /> if(amount.value.match( /^[0-9]+(\.([0-9]+))?$/)){<br /> return true;<br /> }else{<br /> alert('You must enter a valid donation.');<br /> amount.focus();<br /> return false;<br /> }<br />}<br /></script><br /><p><b>"The ... founders, benefactors, and the brotherhood of this holy temple ... may the Lord God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages."</b><br />From the Divine Liturgy<br /><br /></p>Would you like to be the benefactor of an Orthodox temple?<br /><p>Every additional $130 in our <a href="http://www.blogger.com/aboutus/building-fund.html"><b><i>building fund</i></b></a> pays for a sq. ft. of our 1700 sq. ft. temple & hall which we plan to worship in by late Fall, 2008.<br /><br /></p><form action="https://checkout.google.com/cws/v2/Donations/921589303767013/checkoutForm" id="BB_BuyButtonForm" method="post" name="BB_BuyButtonForm" onsubmit="return validateAmount(this.item_price_1)"><br /><input name="item_name_1" value="St Nicholas Building Fund" type="hidden"><br /><input name="item_description_1" value="We are building a church in McKinney, TX, this summer. " type="hidden"><br /><input name="item_quantity_1" value="1" type="hidden"><br /><input name="item_currency_1" value="USD" type="hidden"><br /><table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="1%"><br /> <tbody><tr><br /> <td align="right" width="1%" nowrap="nowrap">$ <input id="item_price_1" name="item_price_1" onfocus="this.style.color='black'; this.value='';" size="11" style="color: grey;" value="Enter Amount" type="text"><br /> </td><br /> <td align="left" width="1%"><br /> <input alt="Donate" src="https://checkout.google.com/buttons/donateNow.gif?merchant_id=921589303767013&w=115&h=50&style=white&variant=text&loc=en_US" type="image"><br /> </td><br /> </tr><br /><br /></tbody></table><br /></form>You may also send funds to <b>"St Nicholas Orthodox Church', with memo "Building Fund" to St Nicholas Orthodox Church Treasurer, Reader Nicholas Park, 316 Corporate Dr. Lewisville, TX 75067</b><br /><br /><p>We are an active Russian Orthodox Christian community. Our Sunday services are in English with many hymns repeated in Slavonic. We have outreaches to the community in the form of prison ministry, nursing home visitations, and a very full liturgical and teaching schedule. We are the only church in the Metroplex which follows the same calendar used in Russia and regularly includes Slavonic and English in our services and homilies. We have purchased land in McKinney Texas, and are building a 1700 sq. ft. chapel with small hall, to be completed in late Fall, 2008.</p><p>We have a two phase building plan.<br /></p><p><br />We plan to build our chapel, with a small hall affixed, for services in the Fall, 2008. The chapel will look like a "real church", with two cupolas, and it will be our worshipping home as we grow and get ready for phase two, which is to build our permanent temple on the same grounds; the chapel will be converted to a church hall with offices. The chapel will cost about $221,000 to build (about $130 per sq. ft., with a 120,000 loan at 7%, paid off in ten years). We are seeking benefactors to "donate a sq. ft.", or a part thereof.<br /></p><p><br />We have set up an account to receive tax-free donations. We will be happy to send you a receipt, and to pray for you and your family as benefactors if you desire. You may also send checks, made out to "St Nicholas Orthodox Church Building Fund", to our treasurer, Reader Nicholas Park, 1.316 Corporate Dr. Lewisville, TX 75067. Email Fr Seraphim, with a list of your immediate family members, so we can begin commemorating you in the Divine Liturgy.<br /></p><p><br />McKinney Texas is the fastest growing city in Texas, with a current population of over 100,000. City projections are a population of over 300,000 by 2020. We will be the only Orthodox Church in McKinney; the closest sister church, in Plano, will be about 20 minutes away by car (on a good day!).<br /><!-- END:Row2Col3Text --><br /><br /></p><hr /><br /><br /><br /><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-23730663626813607092008-07-20T21:04:00.000-05:002008-07-20T21:07:30.479-05:005th Sun after Pentecost 2008, Every occurence in our life is a meeting with Christ.<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-05_2008-07-20.m3u">LISTEN NOW</a><br /><br />The Healing of the Gergesenes demoniacs<br /><p><br />Every occurence in our life is a meeting with Christ.<br /><br /></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Matthew 8:28-9:1</b> And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. 1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.<br /></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser:<br /><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-05_2008-07-20.m3u">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-05_2008-07-20.m3u</a><br /></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If this file does not work for you, try the direct link to the actual mp3 file:<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-05_2008-07-20.mp3">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-05_2008-07-20.mp3</a><br /></span></p><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img alt="RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies" src="http://www.orthodox.net/feed-icon-14x14.png" align="left" />RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies:http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons"><span style="font-size:85%;">Archive of Audio and text homilies:http://www.orthodox.net/sermons</span></a></p><br /><br /><br /><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below --><br /><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-20460890823144858532008-07-17T15:41:00.000-05:002008-07-17T15:43:39.468-05:00Holy Royal Martyrs Of Russia 07/04/08 How were the martyrs "called according to his purpose"? How are we?<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-04_2008-07-17+holy-royal-martyrs-of-russia.m3u">LISTEN NOW</a><br /><br />The reading from Romans describes in perfect detail the attributes of the martyrs. They and we are all "called according to His purpose", and whether we be martyrs or not, it is the same exact purpose, which the Apostle describes clearly.<br /><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Rom 8:28-39 </b>And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.<br /></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser:<br /><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-04_2008-07-17+holy-royal-martyrs-of-russia.m3u">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-04_2008-07-17+holy-royal-martyrs-of-russia.m3u</a><br /></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If this file does not work for you, try the direct link to the actual mp3 file:<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-04_2008-07-17+holy-royal-martyrs-of-russia.mp3">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-saints-07-04_2008-07-17+holy-royal-martyrs-of-russia.mp3</a><br /></span></p><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img alt="RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies" src="http://www.orthodox.net/feed-icon-14x14.png" align="left" />RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies:http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons"><span style="font-size:85%;">Archive of Audio and text homilies:http://www.orthodox.net/sermons</span></a></p><br /><br /><br /><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below --><br /><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-52629324564527130782008-07-16T11:08:00.001-05:002008-07-16T11:14:13.165-05:00St Nicholas Building Project Status and appeal<p id="tgli" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right" lang="ru-RU"> <span id="tgli0" style=";font-family:Imprint MT Shadow,fantasy;font-size:100%;" ><span id="tgli1" style="font-size:16;"><b id="tgli2">S<img id="tgli3" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dzgvjb6_88htvjszhj_b" name="graphics1" align="left" border="0" width="63" height="99" hspace="13" />aint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church</b></span></span></p> <p id="tgli4" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b id="tgli5"><span id="tgli6"><span id="tgli7" lang="ru-RU">Русская </span>Православная Церковь Святителя Николая</span></b></span></p> <p id="tgli8" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b id="tgli9"><span id="tgli10">708 South Chestnut, McKinney, Texas</span></b></span></p> <p id="tgli11" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"><span id="tgli12" style="font-size:85%;"><b id="tgli13">Mailing Address: PO 37, McKinney, TX 75070</b></span></p> <p id="tgli14" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"><span id="tgli15" style="font-size:85%;"><b id="tgli16">Priest Seraphim Holland, 972-529-2754</b></span></p> <p id="tgli17" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a id="tgli18" href="http://www.orthodox.net/"><b id="tgli19"><span id="tgli20">http://www.orthodox.net</span></b></a></span></p><p id="oc2c" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"> </p><p id="oc2c1" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="right"><a id="oc2c2" href="http://www.orthodox.net/"><b id="oc2c3"><span id="oc2c4" style="font-size:85%;"> </span></b></a> </p> <p id="tgli21" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;" lang=""><img style="width: 584px; height: 7px;" id="tgli22" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dzgvjb6_89gvmhm6cd_b" align="left" hspace="13" /> </p> <p id="tgli24" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">July 3/16, 2008 </p> <p id="x355"><img style="margin: 1em 1em 0pt 0pt; float: left;" id="qdxq" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dzgvjb6_90cxv32fhq_b" width="142" height="190" />Dear brothers and sisters, </p><div id="w-34" style="text-align: justify;">Independent Bank in McKinney has finished processing our loan application, and the news is good, but challenging. Simply put, <b id="zsn2">they will give us a loan and we will be able to build our temple, but we have to do a little extra work to make it possible.</b> We will start building as soon as we get the loan, and will be in our new temple before the end of the year. All of the financial details are available for anybody who asks, but the gist is as follows: 1. We had asked for a loan of $150,000. The bank is willing give us a loan of <b id="i2_q">$120,000. </b>We need to make up at least part of this shortfall. We think we can make everything work if we raise $20,000. Our current cash must pay off the land, and pay for all building costs above the loan amount. We are probably about 10,000 short of having enough cash at this moment. We can scrape by with only 10,000 more, but I feel that $20,000 is a reasonable goal (see point #2), if we all work together to reach it. </div><p id="w-340"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u id="tk2r0"><i id="tk2r1"><b id="tk2r2"> <span id="wt6s">Therefore, we need more money, in the short term.</span></b></i></u></span> </p><p id="tk9g0"> </p><ul id="tk9g2"><li id="tk9g3">Do you have any money laid away that you'd planned to give or loan when it was truly needed? <b id="tk9g4">Now is the time! </b> </li><li id="tk9g6">Do you know anybody who might be willing to help us out with a gift or a loan towards this amount? <b id="tk9g7">Now is the time!</b></li><li id="jlat">Is there a family member or former parishioner with whom you are still in contact, or someone you know who likes our parish? <b id="jlat0">Now is the time </b>to contact them! </li></ul><div id="rhfa" style="text-align: justify;"><div id="kk97" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img id="l9r0" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dzgvjb6_93hhnsw2f6_b" width="338" height="214" /></div><div id="ldos" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">View of our new temple and hall, from the North</span><br /><br /></div> 2. If everybody pays all of their pledges and we see a reasonable amount of growth over the next few years, this is all we need; we will be able to meet our obligations to the bank. I hope this will happen, but things happen in our lives sometimes, and it is possible that all of our pledges will not be paid 100%. If only 90% of pledges are paid, we will absolutely need to raise $20,000 to meet our obligations over the next four years. </div><p id="f_2h0"> </p><p style="text-align: center;" id="wxw23"><span id="wt6s0" style="font-size:130%;"><b id="wxw24">This illustrates both the importance of the pledges </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" id="et9b0"><span id="wt6s1" style="font-size:130%;"><b id="et9b1">and the need to seek additional help wherever we can find it.</b></span> </p><p id="zxw.0"> </p><div id="c8qj" style="text-align: justify;">3. Our income has increased significantly since the start of 2008, and our projections based on the pledge drive show a further increase. These figures are quite encouraging, and will enable us to meet our financial obligations and complete the building project. Because a lot of this is based on projections rather than on prior year income records, the bank requires guarantors until we can give them an end-of-year report showing that we are meeting our projections. This will mean that we will likely need guarantors only until the end of 2009. </div><p id="u0my2"> </p><p id="u0my6">The bank officer explains this requirement as follows:</p> <p id="x3550"> </p> <div id="x3551"><div id="c8qj0" style="text-align: justify;">"Due to the high reliance on projected cash flow, we need to have few guarantors for the loan. A guarantor is not on the actual note and the bank does not report to their credit or send correspondence to them unless there is a situation of default. If this is the case, the bank sends notice that the church is unable to pay and that the guarantors will need to step up and bring the loan/keep the loan current.<br /><br /></div> <blockquote id="tjda"><div id="soc09"><i id="o3a50">"We can have anywhere from 1 to 4 guarantors with financial capacity to support the debt payments. (has accumulated assets, has outside income, etc.)<br /><br /></i></div><i id="krwj"> <div id="soc010"> </div> <div id="soc011">"Payments monthly after the interest only period will be ~$1,078 and a group of guarantors would need to be comfortable with this number and having a total debt of $120,000 contingent on the church’s well being.</div> <div id="soc012"> </div> <div id="soc013">"Being a local bank, we like to have local guarantors as well and would highly prefer members of the church to be considered first. Anyone with a vested interest to make sure the church succeeds is a good candidate.</div> <div id="soc014"> </div> <div id="soc015"><br />"The guarantors will be temporary, until the church can show that it can service it’s debt on a historic basis at a rate that is standard in the industry, say: 30% of revenue is used for debt payments. It currently (in 2007) shows that it would use 43% of the church’s revenue for future principal & interest payments."</div></i></blockquote> <div id="c8qj1" style="text-align: justify;">Here is what all this "bank speak" boils down to. Since Independent Bank is local, they are willing to work with us. Our income in 2007 was not too good, and their figures are based on that year. They are willing to loan to us, but because our historical income was not as good as it is now, they need "guarantors" to be willing to pay off the loan if we default. <br /><br />Of course, we have always met ALL our obligations, and with our income rising, and great results in our pledge drive, and prospects for growth in our new area, the future is very bright. We also will actually have LOWER operation costs once we get our new temple built, because it is very energy efficient, and the total mortgage will be LESS than the amount we are paying now for our land and current location. <br /><br />The bank knows all this, but they have rules they need to follow. Our very conservative forecasts show that they will not require guarantors past 2009. This means that a guarantor will only be obligated until the end of 2009 - about one and a half years. They much prefer local guarantors.<br /><br /></div> My family believes in this project, and will apply to be a guarantor. Who will join me? <br /><br />In Christ, <br /><br />Priest Seraphim.<br />Rector, St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, <span style="font-weight: bold;">MCKINNEY, TX</span> </div>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-17372364290580400282008-07-15T13:46:00.000-05:002008-07-15T13:51:57.950-05:005th Sunday after Pentecost, 2002“ This is eternal life”<!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below -->Next Sunday, July 7/20, 2008, we will read about the Gergesenes demoniacs. This homily touches on that reading, as well as the text of the Lord's High Priestly prayer, which was read that year on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost.<br /><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center" lang="">5<sup>th</sup> Sunday after Pentecost, 2002</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center" lang="">“This is eternal life”</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">What is eternal life? We should know this very well. The Lord came to the earth as a man in order to allow us to have eternal life, in order to make us capable of eternal life. Many people do not understand what eternal life is, what it is that the Lord wants us to be able to have. The Lord defines it in His high priestly prayer just before He was arrested to be crucified: <i><b>“And this is eternal life: that they may know Thee, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou didst send.”</b></i> To have eternal life is to know Christ. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">But what is it to know Christ? </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">He says also in His high priestly prayer that “they have received the word.” The word that He received from His Father He faithfully transmitted to His apostles and disciples, and they received the word. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">What is it to receive the word? </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">It means to do what He says! It means to live as He lived! It means to love the commandments as He loved them! It means to struggle for virtue! Receiving is not just believing. The devil believes! The devil knows more about Christ than we do. He knows the Scripture better than we know it. His intellect is far superior to ours. But he has not received the word because he does not want to follow it. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Many people, within the Church and outside of the Church, have not received the word. Yes, indeed, those in the Church too! Those tares, those weeds that grow up and at the end of the age will be gathered and made separate and burned, those people have not received the word. Receiving it is to obey. Receiving it is to know, and know intimately, our Lord Jesus Christ.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">I’ve just been teaching about the Creed in the past few Saturdays, and this passage, more than any other in the Scriptures, shows the utter equality of Jesus Christ with His Father. He says, <i><b>“the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son might also glorify Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.”</b></i> And then He goes on a little later and makes it very clear that He and the Father are One. He once said it in this way: <i><b>“I and the Father are One.”</b></i> He says, <i><b>“Glorify Thou Me with Thine Own Self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.”</b></i> </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">This should call to mind the beginning of the Symbol of Faith: “begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, True God of True God; begotten, not made.” Our Lord was not made; our Lord proceeds from the Father eternally, and is Light of Light just as He is God and God the Father is God. And yet, with His glory which He had before the world, with all of His prerogatives and His magnificence, He obeyed His Father to come down, to be made a little lower than the angels, and to teach us – and most of the people that He taught did not want to hear; we hear this in another reading, with the Gergesene demoniac – and to die for us, and to make us capable of living.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">In order to appropriate this eternal life, we must live as He has taught us, because otherwise we won’t know Him. People make great mistake when they define Christianity by things that they should do or not do, or membership, or the traditions they hold. Christianity is to be one as the Father and the Son are One. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Near the end of His prayer, He says, <i><b>“Father, keep through Thine Own Name those whom Thou hast give Me, that they may be one, even as We are.” </b></i> I was talking yesterday about how all dogma is moral. All of that which we believe about God has moral significance, it is not just facts that we should be able to recite. The Holy Trinity is the quintessential perfect example of love, and of unity, and of cooperation, and of humility, and of all of the virtues. And our Lord Jesus Christ came down to earth in order to make us capable of being one, even as He is One with His Father. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Can we imagine the immensity of this statement? We can <strong><b>only</b></strong> become one as His is One with His Father if we live with virtue, with purity. Only the pure in heart shall see God. The Lord has made us capable! Eternal life is not just that you are going to go to heaven or that you are not going to go to hell; eternal life is to be one with God! We’re just flesh, how can this be? No, we can never be in the Essence of God, but we will be sharing in all that He wishes to give. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">And eternal life is joy, because the Lord says, <i><b>“And now come I to Thee,”</b></i> talking to His Father, <i><b>“and these things I speak in the world, that they might have Me joy fulfilled in themselves.”</b></i> Eternal life is joy, because it is perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect humility, perfect happiness. We’re so far from perfection. So much that goes on every day is so temporal, and will go away. But the Lord came so that we could have permanence. The only way to achieve this permanence is to enter into the life of virtue, to struggle to follow the Lord’s commandments. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">This idea of unity – to be one with God – is the reason why we do such things as, as a Church, we fast <strong><b>together</b></strong>, we pray <strong><b>together</b></strong>, with the same kind of prayers all over the world. We have dogmas which it is imperative to believe -- else we are not Christians -- that are defined in our Symbol of Faith. And there are many other dogmas as well, that we must believe if we are to be one with God. For example, if we don’t forgive our brother, we will not be forgiven. That is a dogma as well. There are many, many dogmas, and all of them have moral significance. If we believe in the Trinity and if we dare to call God our Father, then we had best be His sons and daughters in how we live! </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Our Lord Jesus Christ could dare to call God His Father, because He is perfect, and He has said, be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. He has commanded us to become perfect. Nothing that the Lord said was false. Nothing was hyperbole. Perfection is possible for us. If He said and commanded it, then certainly it is possible. He will provide us with the ability. We must struggle in the path of virtue, and then we’ll know Him. Eternal life is to know God. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">I remember one time a person was talking to me who had fallen into serious sin, of fornication, and she was saying, “Well, I know it’s wrong, but he just doesn’t understand and we’re going to be married in a year or two, and then God will forgive us.” And then, in another conversation on the same day, we were talking about the end times – I think some book by Hal Lindsey had just come out; and she said: “Well, I’m not worried about becoming deluded or anything, because it says that if anyone says ‘He is there,’ or ‘He is there,’ it’s not the Christ. The Lord is going to come like a lightning flash, it’s going to be instantaneous, and so if anybody is reporting that ‘Here is Christ, there is Christ,’ as the days go by, that obviously can’t be Christ. I won’t be deluded.” And I remember thinking, “How foolish you are. Perhaps the Lord will allow you to be preserved, but delusion can come upon all of us if we don’t live a life of virtue.” </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Eternal life is not just being able to know the dogmas. Eternal life is following the dogmas, so that we can have intimate knowledge of and participation with God, and His Grace. Eternal life is to know God intimately. You likely won’t gain eternal life on your deathbed by saying you’re sorry! It is possible for that to happen, but it is rare, very rare. And the reason it is rare is because at the time of death, a person who has not lived virtuously and struggled will be so taken up with the stuff of dying and the terror of it all that they won’t be able to turn to God! It isn’t that God would not receive them; it’s that they can’t turn to Him! </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">We read today, <i><b>“The sheep follow Me because they know My voice.”</b></i> The sheep know the voice of the shepherd because they are around the shepherd, and they listen to the shepherd, and when the shepherd speaks to them, they know that the shepherd is leading them to better pasture, to clear water, to good grass. They know by experience that every time the shepherd speaks, it is for their benefit – so they know his voice very well. But that’s from following the shepherd. If they don’t follow him, then they could get confused, they could hear another voice, and think it’s the shepherd, because they haven’t heard his voice in such a long time. They could be confused. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">So this girl who thought that she could be able to discern things in the end was sadly mistaken. May the Lord preserve her and give her salvation, but she was in danger, because we can become deluded if we don’t follow the Lord in virtue every day. The idea that the Lord will forgive me for this sin later – later may not come for you! Salvation is the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of God in those who have become pure is joy, but those who have not purified themselves – or shall I say (I always want to be careful to be clear here, so people do not misunderstand), those who attempt, those who desire, those who struggle to purify themselves – they, when they see God, will be glad. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">I didn’t say those who have become pure. The Lord will make you pure, in His time, according to His will. For the most part, the reason why we who desire to no longer sin keep falling into sin is so that we don’t fall into the greatest of sins, pride and vainglory, which will cast us down to the abyss as surely as Satan was cast down by his pride. That’s why we often just continue in our sins: because of our pride.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Eternal life is the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God can only be gained by following the example Jesus Christ gave to us, and the example of all the saints who followed after Him. And then eternal life is unity, unity with God. What an amazing thing! Flesh, which would burn in the Fire of Divinity, will instead by glad and be full of joy. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Follow the Lord, brothers and sisters, in everything you do. Listen carefully for His voice. You’ll hear it in everything that happens! There is nothing that occurs in your life that the Lord does not either allow or cause. Everything is in His Providence, and everything according to His will is for your benefit. But you must learn to see His will, and His will is found by listening to His voice, and His voice is understood by following Him. To some, this might seem to be a circular argument, but not to a Christian. You follow the voice of the Lord, and He will with His Grace enlighten you and illuminate you, so that you cannot be deluded, so that you’ll know Him in all things. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Don’t be like those people of the Gergesenes. We like to think that we’re not like those people. We’re not swine-herders; we wouldn’t disobey the Lord’s Law that terribly, right? Keeping swine was against the Law of Moses. Eating swine, keeping them, touching them was against the Law of Moses. And these were Jews that were keeping swine. Well, just as it is today, people flock to anything that is sinful. So they loved their swine. And when the Lord delivered one of their members from a terrible affliction which had been visited upon this man because of their sins, they lost their source of income because the swine went and were drowned. So what do they do? They go to the Lord and they ask Him to leave. They didn’t hear His voice, they didn’t see Him as the shepherd, they saw Him as a frightening person who has incredible power and was ruining their business! </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Don’t think you’re not like these swine-herders, because when we judge our brother, this is much worse than keeping swine. When we allow ourselves lustful thoughts, when we are angry, this is much worse than keeping swine. And many times, when we ask the Lord to depart from us – yes, we ask Him to depart from us – this is much worse than what these people did, because should live within us as Christians. How do we ask Him to depart from us? By not receiving His word, by not wanting to follow to the letter what He has told us to do. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Let’s not be like these Gergesene swine-herders. Let’s instead be like the saints. Let’s be like the sheep, the rational sheep. Let’s follow the Lord’s voice. Let’s equate what we believe with what we should do. St. James says, you show me a man’s faith, and I’ll show you his works. Faith without works is dead. Let our faith be alive, living, so that we will have joy, so that we will know the Lord intimately.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">May God bless you and help you.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">Priest Seraphim Holland</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="sdendnote-western" align="center" lang=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="en-US"><b>This, and other Orthodox materials are available from:</b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></span> </p> <p class="sdendnote-western" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p> <center> <table style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" border="1" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="530"> <col width="198"> <col width="302"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top" width="514"> <p class="sdendnote-western" align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas</b></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="198"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Mailing Address</b></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="302"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>2102 Summit, McKinney TX 75070</b></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="198"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Rectory Phone</b></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="302"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>972/529-2754</b></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="198"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Email </b></span></span></span> </p> </td> <td width="302"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>seraphim@orthodox.net</b></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="198"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Web Page</b></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="302"> <p class="sdendnote-western"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>http://www.orthodox.net</b></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </center> <p class="sdendnote-western" style="text-indent: 0.5in;" align="center"><br /></p> <p class="sdendnote-western" style="text-indent: 0.5in;" align="center" lang=""> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="en-US"><b>This and other sermons may be found at: <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons</a></b></span></span></span></p><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-49671240659824223692008-07-14T13:58:00.001-05:002008-07-14T14:03:24.217-05:00Visit of sisters of Mercy from Minsk, Belarus to St Nicholas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB82v8yAJpuytDRHYxfbh6xhpNUXPiuGK9JoymDrMDfzZHryxvWcpMl62mFS9oR_NtxIru10gXTT84tW5clFq4NOAp6zk-cLzqXXutc5D0hglAfKI6zSXGNbkWtI0_EZZzjAcHQX9PcgiF/s1600-h/minsksisters1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB82v8yAJpuytDRHYxfbh6xhpNUXPiuGK9JoymDrMDfzZHryxvWcpMl62mFS9oR_NtxIru10gXTT84tW5clFq4NOAp6zk-cLzqXXutc5D0hglAfKI6zSXGNbkWtI0_EZZzjAcHQX9PcgiF/s320/minsksisters1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222944428874595090" border="0" /></a><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below -->Our parish hosted the sisters from St Elizabeth Convent, Minsk, Belarus, Friday July 11 - Sunday July 13. The following is a video we took after the Liturgy on Sunday.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tkPMMK-K-dk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tkPMMK-K-dk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><p><br /></p><br /><center><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkPMMK-K-dk<br /></center><br /><br /><hr /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KhgUntRXxjdCX6aO4yTcFp4jlDUSajShyyiEDZ3rGmnVN5i3TnNN0oBExISaKzhXi_fpvhN_zS1XojjkjC3gOf5QpatCpQF809Qlj3VNGgRh3mCoZ8N7iCVAiGQBQD6Ksnv6v8iC42lb/s1600-h/minsksisters4a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 706px; height: 530px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KhgUntRXxjdCX6aO4yTcFp4jlDUSajShyyiEDZ3rGmnVN5i3TnNN0oBExISaKzhXi_fpvhN_zS1XojjkjC3gOf5QpatCpQF809Qlj3VNGgRh3mCoZ8N7iCVAiGQBQD6Ksnv6v8iC42lb/s320/minsksisters4a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222946587537404002" border="0" /></a><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script></p><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below --><br /><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-31472256231754459912008-07-14T08:55:00.000-05:002008-07-14T09:04:36.345-05:004th Sunday after Pentecost 2008, How we think matters, Romans 6:18-23<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2008-07-14.m3u">LISTEN NOW</a><br /><br />All Homilies on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost<br /><br /><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.html">4th Sunday after Pentecost (HTML format)</a><br /><br />Freedom and Slavery<br />Romans 6:18-23, Matthew 8:5-13<br />2002<br />Also in Format: <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.pdf">Adobe PDF</a> or <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.rtf">RTF</a> or <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.doc">Word DOC</a><br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2003.doc">4th Sunday after Pentecost (Word DOC format)</a><br /><br />2003<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2004.mp3">4th Sunday after Pentecost (mp3 format)</a><br /><br />2004<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2008-07-14.mp3">4th Sunday after Pentecost (mp3 format)</a><br />How we think matters<br />Romans 6:18-23<br />2008<br /><br /></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Romans 6:18-23</b>Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.<br /><br /></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser:<br /><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2008-07-14.m3u">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2008-07-14.m3u</a><br /></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If this file does not work for you, try the direct link to the actual mp3 file:<a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2008-07-14.mp3">http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2008-07-14.mp3</a><br /></span></p><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><hr align="center" width="50%"></span><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img alt="RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies" src="http://www.orthodox.net/feed-icon-14x14.png" align="left" />RSS feed of Sunday and some weekday homilies:http://feeds.feedburner.com/OrthodoxChristianSermonsOnTheGospelsEpistlesAndOtherTopics</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons"><span style="font-size:85%;">Archive of Audio and text homilies:http://www.orthodox.net/sermons</span></a></p><br /><br /><!-- start above the horizontal line when in Compose mode. You may delete the line and blank lines, but all writing must be before the Javascript, below --><br /><p><br /></p><hr /><br /><p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-9675715363779392442008-07-10T21:41:00.000-05:002008-07-10T21:43:13.556-05:00My yoke is easy / иго Мое благо"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Mt. 11:30)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">St. Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts for every day of the year</span></span><br />(Translation from the Russian below)<br /><br />"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." O how divine, how loving, how sweet is Thy voice! Let us all follow in the footsteps of the Lord who calls us! But first, we must come to realize that which is very difficult to realize - namely, that we have many sins, and that those sins are very great. This feeling gives birth to the need to find relief for one's self. Our faith then shows us that our only refuge is the Lord and Savior, and our steps direct themsleves toward Him. The soul which desires to be freed from sin knows to say to the Lord, "take from me this heavy burden of sin, and I will take up your easy yoke." And thus it happens: the Lord forgives sins, and the soul begins to walk in His commandments. The commandments are a yoke, but sins are also a burden. But as it turns out, the soul learns that the yoke of the commandments is as light as a feather, while the burden of sins is as heavy as a mountain. Let us not fear, therefore, to willingly take on the Lord's easy yoke and His light burden! In this way - and in this way only - we may find rest for our souls.<br /><br />"Придите ко Мне все труждающиеся и обремененные, и Я успокою вас; возьмите иго Мое на себя и научитесь от Меня, ибо Я кроток и смирен сердцем, и найдете покой душам вашим; ибо иго Мое благо, и бремя Мое легко." (Мф 11,30)<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Святитель Феофан Затворник. Мысли на каждый день года</span></span><br />(days.pravoslavie.ru)<br /><br />(Рим. 11, 13-24; Мф. 11, 27-30). "Придите ко Мне, все труждающиеся и обремененные, и Я успокою вас". О, божественного, о любезного, о сладчайшего Твоего гласа! Пойдемте же все вслед зовущего нас Господа! Но наперед надо восчувствовать, что нам трудно и тяжело восчувствовать, то есть, что у нас грехов много, и грехи эти тяжки. От этого чувства родится потребность искать себе облегчения. Вера укажет тогда нам единственное прибежище в Господе Спасителе, и шаги наши сами собою направятся к Нему. Душа, возжелавшая избавиться от грехов, знает, что сказать Господу: "возьми бремя от меня тяжкое, греховное, а я возьму иго Твое благое". И бывает так: Господь прощает грехи, а душа начинает ходить в заповедях Его. И заповеди - иго, и грехи - бремя. Но сличив то и другое, душа находит, что иго заповедей легко, как перо, а бремя грехов тяжело, как гора. Не убоимся же охотно принять иго Господне благое и бремя Его легкое! Так только, а не иначе, можем обрести покой душам нашим.Nicholas Parkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16533649277848883827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-79466588258559795322008-07-09T11:57:00.002-05:002008-07-09T22:33:05.829-05:00Nuns from Belarus to speak at St Nicholas this Sunday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHHHY-kgfk27r4r6uFM0HafynkxCfTvaYFM_Z5x7LajoS__D-q8VnBB7qgcBeEa__nDk14vm8OdVbqbZgf-u43KuuEaUtSAXgH-AEs3dZAVIJpC_N1F6ncrBqtkbak8YQfhuLzxNUerii/s1600-h/5_st_pavl_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHHHY-kgfk27r4r6uFM0HafynkxCfTvaYFM_Z5x7LajoS__D-q8VnBB7qgcBeEa__nDk14vm8OdVbqbZgf-u43KuuEaUtSAXgH-AEs3dZAVIJpC_N1F6ncrBqtkbak8YQfhuLzxNUerii/s320/5_st_pavl_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221059857160694978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Sisters Olga and Natalia, two nuns from the Orthodox Monastery of St. Elizabeth in Minsk, Belarus, will speak at St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday July 29 , after Divine Liturgy (about 11 AM). </span></span><span style="font-size:6;"><div align="center"><div align="justify"><p><span style="font-size:100%;">The monastery is situated on the premises of a state-supported psychiatric hospital that treats about 12,000 patients a year. The sisters offer spiritual help to the mentally disabled adults and children, alcoholics, drug addicts and other disadvantaged people. The monastery has also acquired a parcel of land where about 60 people -- previously homeless, alcoholics, drug addicts, or prisoners -- live and work. The sisters try to help them start a new life. Work has begun on the organization of an orphanage.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">On the premises of the monastery are a variety of workshops producing religious items such as hand-painted and printed icons, ceramics, embroidery, beeswax candles, vestments, woodwork, and CDs. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">The sisters will speak and show a film about their life and service and accept donations for their charitable work and for the further construction of the monastery.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">The sisters should be arriving Friday, and celebrate the services for the Apostles Peter and Paul with us (Friday 6:30 PM, Sat liturgy 9:00 AM) and possibly vigil on Saturday.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">Call 972 529-2754 for more information.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">The icon was </span><span style="font-size:100%;">painted at St. Elizabeth's of Soviet-era martyr Pavlin, Bishop of Mogilev (1879-1937) </span></p></div></div></span><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br />document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3444962-1");<br />pageTracker._initData();<br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /></script>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439125618658988117.post-19689695664318203932008-07-08T13:28:00.000-05:002008-07-08T13:39:32.988-05:004th Sun after Pentecost, Freedom and Slavery, Romans 6:18-23, Matthew 8:5-13<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; text-autospace:none; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Garamond; mso-no-proof:yes;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.8in .8in .8in .8in; mso-header-margin:.4in; mso-footer-margin:.4in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="">4<sup>th</sup> Sunday after Pentecost, 2002<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="">Freedom and Slavery<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=""><o:p>NOTE:</o:p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=""><o:p>This coming Sunday, June 30/July 13th, 2008) is the 4th Sunday after Pentecost</o:p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=""><o:p>See the bottom of this post for links to other homilies for this day</o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=""><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang="">In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><u><b>Freedom.</b></u> The epistle today mentions freedom. Freedom is a favorite word in our society. So few know what freedom is. The Apostle says, “Being then made <strong><b>free</b></strong> from sin, ye became <strong><b>servants</b></strong> of righteousness.” Then he says, “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.” He is speaking of an exalted topic that only can be understood with spiritual knowledge, and the only way to obtain this knowledge is by spiritual struggle. Our weak will, desiring to do works of righteousness, being joined to the Powerful Will, to the Everlasting Will of God to make us capable of doing those things which are righteous. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">He’s going to give us a way of thinking, sort-of a mnemonic device that you should take to heart and use because it is a very useful device. He says, “as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and iniquity unto iniquity, even so <strong><b>now </b></strong>yield your members servants unto righteousness, unto holiness.” In other words, just as before you were enslaved to various sins, now consider yourself a <strong><b>slave </b></strong>to righteousness. Just as before – or even, God forgive us, even now perhaps – you have been a slave to a particular way of thinking or doing something, think of yourself now as being <strong><b>required</b></strong> to do works of righteousness, just as if you had a taskmaster behind you ordering you to do your work. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Now, he is speaking in the manner of men because of our infirmity. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Actually, the only way to understand how the heart is compelled to do righteousness is to compel yourself. Then you will understand how sweet the Lord is, how beautiful His doctrines are, and how there is nothing more perfect, and more holy, and more fulfilling than to follow God’s law. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">So he says, “for when ye were servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.” In other words, you didn’t do righteousness, you did sin, and you couldn’t stop yourself. But what Jesus Christ offers us is the power to become holy! Now He offers us that we would become, willingly, His servants. Now, at the end of the age, those who have been good servants He will call friends, no longer servants. But we, in the here and now with all of our sins and all of our forgetfulness and our intransigence, should consider ourselves to be servants – servants of a Benevolent Master, not having a choice whether we should do righteousness or not. Our Lord commands it so we do it. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">“What fruit did we have in these things,” the Apostle asks, “wherein ye are now ashamed?” The things that were unrighteous only gave us pleasure for a season, and then we were unhappy. The end of these things <strong><b>is</b></strong> death. He is giving us another idea here, something we should call to mind often. He is saying, “The end of these things is death.” </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">In order to be able to think such a thought, we must be able to look towards the future. We must be able to see our actions not in the moment, but after the moment, perhaps even far after the moment. If we think of how unhappy we will be if we commit a sin, we will not commit many sins. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Think of your unhappiness after you have fallen into something that shames you. Think about your unhappiness about such a thing <strong><b>before</b></strong> you sin, and then you <strong><b>won’t</b></strong> sin. The end of such things is death. We know this! </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">We must learn to live for the future, not to live in the here and now, because after all, aren’t we supposed to be setting our eyes upon the heavenly Jerusalem? Isn’t that supposed to be our goal, our purpose: to become righteous so that we can be in the presence of God and not only not be ashamed, but be happy; to be completely free? </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Imagine being completely free. Not freedom as the world defines it, to do what one chooses, choosing things that actually cause enslavement, but to be completely able to be righteous, to not be touched by any sin, to not have any wavering in our heart towards evil. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">The Church thinks this is very important because in every service we say, “deliver us from tribulation, wrath, and necessity.” That necessity is enslavement to unrighteousness. People make excuses for their enslavements all the time. “Well, I smoke because it’s a bad habit I picked up and I haven’t been able to break it.” “I’m always so tired, so I oversleep.“ “You know, with all of the impure things all about, I just have so much trouble having pure thoughts.” These are all excuses. When you say such things, or even think such things, then you are saying, “I’m a slave to unrighteousness. My master is the evil one.” </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">How can we say such things? We are slaves to righteousness. Our Master is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lived the life that He requires us to live. And He made us capable of living such a life. So we must consider ourselves slaves to Him. So when it comes time that there is a temptation for you, you have to say, “I can’t do that, I’m a slave. I don’t deserve to do that. I don’t have any right to do that. My Lord has told me to do the other thing. I’m a slave. I don’t have a right. I only have a right to do righteousness.” If you think in such terms, you will be saved from many, many sins. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Let freedom be that which is in your heart, brothers and sisters, which allows you to always choose correctly, and not to be forced to do that which is unrighteous. That’s the freedom God offers. It’s not the freedom that society offers. Their definition of freedom is that you can indulge in pleasures as you wish. But pleasures have a price. Indeed, even good pleasures have a price. Even the happiness that we will have with God has its price—our Lord paid that price. We’ve been bought with a price. So since we’ve been bought with a price, we’re no longer our own. We’re not owned by the devil, nor do we own ourselves – our Lord is our Master, so we must do as <strong><b>He</b></strong> tells us to do. And it just so happens that <strong><b>everything</b></strong> He tells us to do – every single thing – is for our welfare, so that we would become completely free. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">All of us have things in our life that we wish we could change. Don’t you hate those things? Don’t just despise that you fall into something again and again? You don’t want to, and yet you do? Well, start thinking of yourself as a slave to righteousness, and then act as a slave would act when considering doing something. You have no right to commit that sin. You have no right to become angry at someone, because your Lord said that you cannot do that. You have no right to have a lustful thought, because your Lord said, “He who looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery in his heart.” And adultery is forbidden. You have no right! </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">You do have a right to do works of righteousness, and your Lord has given you a blanket blessing to do righteousness in whatever you do. You need not ask Him for permission to do righteousness. But He will check with you; He will require of you works of righteousness. But He allows you to choose, so that you can learn what true freedom really is. Freedom is always to make choices for righteousness – that is what freedom is. Freedom is to have no regrets, no unhappiness, to be complete, whole, lacking nothing. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">What a wonderful thing freedom is! And what a terrible thing that this word has been hijacked in our society, to mean something it isn’t, to mean slavery and not freedom. You’ve been made free from sin by your baptism. The Lord has bought you with a price, now we’d best act like we’ve been bought with a price. And he says, “being made free from sin” – that is, being made <i>capable of being free</i> from sin. We’re capable of it. Don’t let anyone tell you differently, including the evil one in your ear. You’re capable of being free from sin because the Lord made you such. The Lord bought you with a price. And our Lord is a good trader; He doesn’t make foolish purchases. You’ve been bought with a price, so you’re capable of being free from sin. But you must give your will to the Lord, and give your struggles to the Lord, in order to realize this perfect freedom. Being made free from sin and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end – everlasting life!</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">So the Apostle teaches us, as it were, two ways of thinking, two mnemonic devices. One is that when you are presented with the possibility of sin or of righteousness, you say “I am a slave to righteousness. I have no right to commit that sin. I’ve been bought with a price. I’ve been made free as regarding sin. There is nothing compelling me to sin as long as I beg the Lord to help me.” And the other is that when you are presented with the possibility of sin, you think that the end of such things is death. “And if I endure but for a little while, I will have fruit unto holiness, and eternal life. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Every sin, every decision in your life, every fork in the road, you should be thinking these things. You have no right to sin. The Lord has told you. You don’t have a right to do it. He has told you that you must do righteousness. You must follow Him. You must <strong><b>desire</b></strong> to be righteous. And He will help you. But you are not a slave any more – not of unrighteousness. So don’t think of yourself as such. And if you fall into unrighteousness, then beg the Lord to forgive you, beg Him to strengthen your will, beg Him to bring to your mind your sadness in this moment so that in the next moment you will recall it and you won’t fall into sin. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">This can only be understood by experience. Experience is the great teacher of the soul. The Lord, bit by bit, as we are capable, gives us enlightenment. But He only enlightens those who are struggling, only those who are trying, only those who know their position. And that is that they are slaves of Him. Now, He is a benevolent Master, and He doesn’t require of us anything, but we had best think that we are required! As soon as we turn towards righteousness even a little, He is there to help us. Let us turn to Him all the time, so that He will help us.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">We have an example of experience in the Gospel. When I was thinking about the Epistle and the Gospel today, I thought I wanted to talk about both of them. Well, I can’t do that exactly, but I want to say something about Cornelius. A Centurion, he was a Roman. He was officially of a pagan religion. He couldn’t go into the synagogue. He couldn’t say that he was a Jew. But he had Jewish sacred writings, and he read them, and he loved the Jewish nation, and although he was an occupying soldier, the Jews loved him because he loved them. So when Jesus comes into Capernaum, Cornelius meets Him and says, “my servant lies at home sick of the palsy, paralyzed.” And Jesus says, “I’ll come and I’ll heal him.” </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">But Cornelius is a man with experience. Cornelius is a man who knows something about righteousness. He knows something about authority. He says, “I’m not worthy that you come under my roof,” partially because he is a pagan, and a Jew is not to go into a pagan’s household – it defiles him. “Only speak the word, and my servant shall be healed, for I am a man under authority, and I have soldiers under me. And I say to this soldier, ‘go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘do this,’ and he does it.” And the inference is, “I know how to do what I’m told, too.” </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">He was a righteous man – so righteous that the Lord said that He had not found so great faith, not in all of Israel. Now that must have made the Pharisees quite angry, don’t you think? Pointing to an occupying soldier, the hated enemy, of the army that they hoped the Messiah would annihilate, and have their blood flow in the streets, and say, “This man is more righteous than all of you put together.” Why was he righteous? Why did he have such faith? Because he knew about <strong><b>obedience</b></strong>. He expected those under him to be obedient because he was obedient to those over him. So let us know something about obedience, brothers and sisters; let us know something about authority. Let us realize that we are under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">Priest Seraphim Holland </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang="">St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, McKinney Texas.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><u><b>Scripture for the 4</b></u><sup><u><b>th</b></u></sup><u><b> Sunday after Pentecost</b></u></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,GEORGIA,serif;"><u><b>Romans 6:18-23</b></u></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,GEORGIA,serif;"> </span></span>Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,GEORGIA,serif;"><u><b>Matthew 8:5-13</b></u></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,GEORGIA,serif;"> </span></span>And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify" lang=""><br /></p> <!-- END:Row2Col3Text --> <hr /> <script type="text/javascript" src="file:///c:/www/orthodox.net/footer.js"></script><br /><br />Homilies on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost<br /><br /><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.html">4th Sunday after Pentecost (HTML format)</a><br /><br />Freedom and Slavery<br />Romans 6:18-23, Matthew 8:5-13<br />2002<br />Also in Format: <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.pdf">Adobe PDF</a> or <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.rtf">RTF</a> or <a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2002.doc">Word DOC</a><br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2003.doc">4th Sunday after Pentecost (Word DOC format)</a><br /><br />2003<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-04_2004.mp3">4th Sunday after Pentecost (mp3 format)</a><br /><br />2004<br /><br /></p>Pr Seraphimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847980666221070165noreply@blogger.com0