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by Fr. Dmitri, New Zealand
Saturday 17 July 2010 (10 Epip; 10 Abib)
Holy Royal Martyrs Czar Nicholas II and Family (O.S.)
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me.
(Psa. 139:1)
Be established in your understanding and let your
word be consistent.
(Sirach 5:10)
This is a great work of a man: always to take the blame
for his own sins before God and to expect temptation
to his last breath.
(St. Anthony)
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God:
incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
(Psa. 17:6)
Above anything, welcome silence for it brings you fruits
no tongue can speak of, neither can it be explained.
(Isaac the Syrian)
St. Athanasius about St. Antony:
"He is the physician that God gave to Egypt as a gift."
(Athanasius)
Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine,
and we shall be saved!
(Psa. 80:7)
All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God.
(Psa. 64:9)
As the Priest passes with the incense, every member of
the congregation must say this small prayer, 'I beseech
you, my Lord Jesus Christ to forgive me my sins, those
I know and those I do not know.'
(Divine Liturgy)
God, the judge, is not a human but the Trinity. He is the
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but He is also your God.
You ask Him for a reward and He gives you Himself as
a gift. What else can you ask for?
(St. Augustine)
Our true worth does not consist in what human beings think
of us. What we really are consists in what God knows us to be.
All-knowing God, let us strive always to see ourselves, as
You see us rather than as others do. Grant that, with Your help,
we may grow into the persons that You want us to be for eternity.
(John Berchmans)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God. (Matt.5:9)
Peace is Christ's gift to mankind - 'Pax Vobis' - the peace that the world cannot give.
The 'Peacemakers' are those who: possess Christ's peace in themselves and pass it on to others. They make Christ's peace in themselves by yielding up their all to Christ.
A Kingdom divided against itself is not at peace: man's nature, when passions are up in arms, is a divided kingdom; those who subject passion to reason, and reason to Truth Incarnate, make peace and order within themselves and the Rule of God.
Then possessing Christ's peace, they are able to spread it around them. When we are in their presence our passions of anger seem childish. They infect us with calmness, reasonableness and goodwill; they make peace without speaking a word.
The maxim of the world is 'Divide & Rule' - keep everybody unfriendly with one another. Unity is Christ's ideal. His peacemakers create an atmosphere of Unity, both in private life and in public.
Because in making peace around them they share in the task of the Son of God.
Thomas Aquinas (who thinks that the rewards in the Beatitudes go up in an ascending scale) says that to be the 'Children of God' is more than to 'see God'; at a kings banquet all the guests would see him from afar, but his Children would sit at the top table and be able to talk with him.
The Banquet of our King is enacted every time we Celebrate the Holy Eucharist (Communion). We ought to Wash one another's Feet as Christ did those of the Disciples at the Last Supper. To Thee be all glory and praise; now and ever, unto Ages of Ages.
AMEN!
Evening: Psalm 89:19-21; Matt.10:34-42.
Morning: Psalm 132:9-10, 17-18; Luke 6:17-23.
Liturgy: Heb.7:18-8:13; 3 John 1:1-14; Acts 15:36-16:5;
Psalm 99:6-7; Gospel John 16:20-33.
Copyright DR
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