Remembering in times of trouble

Mr. Husband and I talk often
about the state of the world
and the many troubling things.



I am more and more convinced that we need
to be praying daily
even if it is only small prayers
for mercy from God for our world,
our countries, our towns, our homes, our families. 

 

I read this from the Prologue of Ochrid
the other day and it was so appropriate that I had to share it here:

HOMILY

About revenge and the Avenger

"Say not, I will repay evil! Trust in the Lord and He will help you" (Proverbs 20:22).

Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil. The evil from your neighbor is sufficient. If you return evil for evil to him, you will double the evil in the world. If you do not return evil for evil to him, he can still burn out his evil through repentance. Thus, you will reduce evil in the world through patience and forgiveness.

Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil. "But wait on the Lord," He sees and remembers and, in your time, even you and your evil doer will know that God sees and remembers. You ask yourself: What have I done in that I have not returned evil for evil? You have done the wisest deed that you could do in the given situation, i.e.; you have relinquished your struggle to the One Stronger than yourself and the Stronger will victoriously fight for you. If you enter into battle with the evil doer you might be defeated. But God cannot be defeated. Therefore, relinquish your struggle to the Victorious and Undefeated One and patiently wait.

Learn from a small child. If someone attacks a child in the presence of his parents, the child does not return the attack by attacking but rather looks at his parents and cries. The child knows that his parents will protect him. How is it that you do not know what a little child knows? Your heavenly Parent is constantly beside you. That is why, do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil rather look at your Parent and cry. Only in this way will you guarantee victory for yourself in conflict with evil men.

O Almighty Lord Who said: "Vengeance is Mine" (Romans 12:19 Hebrews 10:30), protect us from the unrighteous ones by Your almighty hand and restrain us from vengeance. Counsel us by Your Holy Spirit that the greater heroism is to endure rather than to avenge.

Beautiful Blanket Squares

I am working on squares for the
September School Blanket.

It has come time that I am now knitting some
smaller ones to fit it all together.

 

I have ordered more yarn and am
excited to knit a few more
red and green squares
once it comes!
(Ravelry here)
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Every night I read the readings
of the day from the
Prologue of Ochrid.
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This expert has stuck with me:

Fear in suffering and fear of not suffering -this is one and the same fear and it signifies the fear of a spiritual man as to whether or not God has distanced Himself from him. When St. Catherine suffered many and difficult tortures, our Lord appeared to her and she asked Him: 'Where were You until now, 0 Lord, to comfort me in so many sufferings?" The Lord answered her: ' I was here in your heart.' But as great a fear can come upon a spiritual man when, sufferings do not come his way for a long time. A monk once entered a church in Alexandria and saw a woman kneeling before the icon of the Savior and weeping tears cried out to the Lord: 'You have abandoned me O Lord, O Merciful One, have mercy on me!" Following the prayer the monk asked her: Who has wronged you that you so bitterly complain to God?" The woman replied: "Up to now, no one has wronged me, that is why I am weeping because God has abandoned me and for three years did not visit me with any sufferings. During this time, I was neither sick, nor my son, nor has any of my household livestock perished."

(from June 8).
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What are you creating and reading?
Yarn along with us!
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Night Watches, 1 week at home...

It's been a week strait
other than Sunday evening for a dinner
at a neighbour's
after the house blessing
since I've been out of the house.
*
I don't even go downstairs to get the mail.
The whole temptation to lift things
but frankly it's the
meds I'm one for one more day
making me needing to sit or lay down all day
that keep me up late at night.
Somehow does not seem like a good combination
with mono.
*
However,
if anything this can be a personal lesson on
not getting what I want.
That will of mine,
it likes to take me places and instead
Christ in His mercy wants
me to be led.
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May it be so.
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St. John the Baptist prayed
let me decrease and Christ increase.
In today's culture
this seems like one of the most
revolutionary things to do:
let Christ envelope you.


I am praying
as I can
on the couch, in bed,
in the night watches
for those I love,
worry for
and feel their struggle;
know their struggle.
May the Lord help them quickly;
May the Mother of God protect them
and bring her loving presence to
the sufferings and struggles of their lives.

May St. Katherine's serenity
and Cross protect and be with us.
*
May Christ's light
seen shining in the darkness
give us the way unto we walk.
May we not fear the darkness
because God is still with us
right beside us
in it,
refusing to leave us,
promising never to abandon us.

 

From the Prologue of Ochrid for today New Calendar
on St. Seraphim and being at peace:

REFLECTION

For every man, peace of soul is precious. With those who have attained peace of soul, the body can be in constant motion; in work, in pain, but their souls, affixed to God, always remain in unwavering peace. St. Seraphim of Sarov teaches: "It is necessary to concern oneself with all means in order to preserve peace of soul and not to be disturbed by the insults of others. That is why it is necessary, at all costs, to restrain yourself from anger with the help of vigilance over one's self, preserving the mind and heart from indecent movements. For preserving peace of soul, it is also necessary to avoid judging others. By not judging and by silence, peace of the soul is preserved. When a man is in such a state of mind, he receives divine revelations. In order for man to be preserved from judging others, he must be vigilant over himself; he must not receive from anyone non-spiritual thoughts and he should be dead toward everything worldly. We must tirelessly guard the heart from indecent thoughts and influences. `With closest custody, guard your heart for in it are the sources of life.'

(Proverbs 4:23). From perpetual vigilance over the heart, purity is born, in which the Lord is seen according to the words of eternal truth: `Blessed are the pure in heart:for they shall see God' "(St. Matthew 5:8).

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It is easy to forget that

peace is to be found like this.

But truly what 

I just quoted above is the way.

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I loved also the following from the same date

on Christ's care and labour for us,

like a deeply loving Father,

like He is as our Saviour:

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CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus as a Traveler:

1. How He is wearied by traveling, perspiring, hungry and thirsty for my salvation, for your salvation and for the salvation of all men;

2. How even at night, He labors for my salvation, for your salvation and for the salvation of all men;

3. How on every journey, He thinks, He worries and He desires salvation for me, for you and for all men.

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More found here.

I am seeking to read this wonderful book

nightly before bed.

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Mr. Husband happens to have a beautiful

book set of it.

It's one of our greatest treasures. 

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I am also on the first bit of re-reading

the revised edition of 

the blessed surgeon

 and it so good to read...

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A blessing, 

knit, read, laugh at Cleo's antics,

rest again...

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Now if only I could sleep this night...

And so the fast begins

I was reading
about Saints for the day
and realized I had forgotten to put up my
St. Gregory of Palmas icon for his day.
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I am enjoying reading
the prologue
and more about St. Gregory today.

 

Today was a pretty good day,
overall.
As often happens after a bit of travel,
I am not feeling fully well on the physical level.
Did not even want to eat my last
meat dish meal before the fast!
Mr. Husband valiantly ate my portion
while I dined on oatmeal with honey and raisins.
Which I quite enjoyed actually. :)
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So the fast is here now.
I am re-reading Fr. Thomas Hopko's
Winter Pascha
and trying to keep up on my
Prologue of Ochrid
reading as well...
*
Mr. Husband and I got our
wedding video this week
and I am enjoying it in snatches.
I totally cried at the beginning
hearing the song
vesture of gold
and remembering how I waited so long
for the day that I would appear
as the Bride
with her father waiting for her groom.
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Of course I miss my Ottawa parish
a lot but am excited
DV to visit in the new year...
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I am also making
at long last
our photobooks from the wedding pictures.
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And I put up our wedding crowns above the bed!
A picture of the crowns in their new
locale DV awaits!
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And I put up Christmas lights!
Around here they seem to call them
twinkle lights.
You don't want to know Mr. Husband's newly
minted rendition of
twinkle twinkle little star...
let's just say we laugh a lot around these parts...
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I hope to take pictures tomorrow of
the Christmas icons
and decorations
that I am slowly putting up.
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I am DV really excited to have
my first Christmas with Mr. Husband...