Monday, March 25, 2013

Monday: grey yet looking forward to Spring Sunshine


This was in my reading that I do in the late evening...
I remembered it again this morning and thought,
I must find this and blog it.
*
No one, not even the Lord Himself, can easily instruct the proud. No one wants to give instructions to him who cries out that he knows everything. "For great is the power of God; by the humble, He is glorified" says the wise Sirach. (The Book of Ecclesiasticus - Sirach 3:19), David also speaks about God saying, "He guides the humble to justice, He teaches the humble His way" (Psalm 25:9). The proud person is he who wants to teach everyone and himself does not want to be taught anything by anyone. The humble is he who does not wish to teach anyone but continually desires to be taught regardless by whom. An empty spike [ear] of grain raises its head above the entire field and the full spike [ear] of grain hangs down with bowed head. O proud man, if only your Guardian Angel would somehow remove the veil from your eyes and show you the endless open sea of all that you do not know, you would kneel before every man before whom you have exhibited pride and kneel before every man whom you have belittled. You would cry out lamenting, "Forgive me, forgive me! I do not know anything!" Often times, to the humble and pious the time when they are about to die is revealed, but the death of the proud comes unexpectedly and without warning. St. Gregory Dialogues speaks of a bishop, Carpus, who daily celebrated the Divine Liturgy and how suddenly someone appeared from the other world and said, "Continue to do what you are doing in serving me and may your legs never grow tired or your hands weakened. On the feast day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, you will come to Me and I will give you your reward in My Heavenly Kingdom, together with all of those for whom you have prayed at the Divine Services." After a year, on the feast of the Dormition, Bishop Carpus celebrated the Divine Liturgy of God, sought forgiveness from his priests, and gave up his soul to God. His face shone like the sun.
*
(the above is from here with a few editorial changes)

The tulips are over now.
They were very beautiful
but all things fade in time...
*
I am glad that I made it to our far-away church.
I can tell I am still recovering ~ was very exhausted
by the time we left
but it was a blessing to be there.
*
Today I got a special encouragement package
in the mail from a good friend,
who I owe a happy email to.
And a card from my Grandma,
reminded me of God's goodness and to keep
my eyes on Christ.
*
Lent, as I believe I blogged about already,
is as I heard in a recent sermon,
is to help us towards seeing Christ,
to seeing Christ's face.

I am really grateful that my Ukrainian family
is remembering to put my Panakhyda book out
for the Panakhyda in Ottawa.
*
I loved the presanctified liturgies at my church in Ottawa.
I found myself thinking of my church there
through out the presanctified liturgy that
Mr. Husband and I went to last
Friday.
But yet it was still special
and I felt comforted by this.
*
I am trying to get things done around the house ~
cleaning, dishes, paperwork.
Not to mention knitting and reading.
*
I am really hoping to get into a better routine for my
week days.
What do you do to try to keep on top of things?
What does this Monday find you looking at or towards?

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