_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Today's Readings

John 20:1-10

St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6

Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Gospel According to John 20:1-10

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6

BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."

Sunday of the Holy Cross
The Gospel According to Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

The Atheist Delusion ☦️

The Atheist Delusion is the notion that if there were only “proof” or if only they could witness a miracle, they would believe. The sad truth is that there is no amount of proof or spectacular miracles that would ever be enough for the atheist to believe BECAUSE “light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
I was reminded of this when reading the miraculous account of Christ’s healing of the two demon-possessed men in the country of the Gergesenes. And what was the response of the people upon seeing such a miracle? “They begged Him to depart from their region” (Matthew 8:34)!
Signs and wonders will never be enough to convert the darkened heart, but will actually be used by Satan to lead many to follow the Anti-Christ in the religion of the future (Revelation 19:20). As our Lord Jesus Christ so aptly says it, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead (Luke16:31).
Matthew Hoefler

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

St. Elizabeth’s Monastery In Minsk Has An Online Shop Filled With Handcrafted Beauty

Items for every budget and every taste

St. Elizabeth’s Monastery in Minsk, Belarus. Perhaps you have seen this name lately on our website, due to our showcasing the surpassingly marvelous and beautiful choral singing performed there. But what you may not know is that they also maintain and foster the work of artisanal craftsmen from across the region, often practicing crafts that are in danger of becoming extinct altogether.

https://gorthodox.com/en/news-item/st-elizabeth-s-monastery-in-minsk-has-an-online-shop-filled-with-handcrafted-beauty?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=russian_christian_news_syndicate

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Amen

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

You are right about yourself, Zhopadia. You don't want to repent and learn at all.

What makes a good marriage?

That's the question I popped at a small dinner gathering not long ago. Looking around the room – two couples were newly engaged, two others had passed the 30-year mark, and the rest were somewhere in between – I wondered what people would say.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/whats-secret-happy-marriage-one-simple-word

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

One of the greatest dangers for Christians, is to become forgetful in living the way of the cross, and instead, creating a comfortable
type of Christianity that wants the cross as an ornament, and often prefers to crucify others
than to be crucified himself.

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

“Our lives are destined to become like the life of Jesus.
The whole purpose of Jesus’ ministry is to bring us to the house of his Father. Not only did Jesus come to free us from the bonds of sin and death; he also came to lead us into the intimacy of his divine life.

“It is difficult for us to imagine what this means. We tend to emphasize the distance between Jesus and ourselves. We see Jesus as the all-knowing and all-powerful Son of God who is unreachable for us sinful, broken human beings. But in thinking this way, we forget that Jesus came to give us his own life. He came to lift us up into loving community with the Father.

“Only when we recognize the radical purpose of Jesus’ ministry will we be able to understand the meaning of the spiritual life. Everything that belongs to Jesus is given for us to receive. All that Jesus does we may also do.”
Henri Nouwen

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

A Typical Russian Provincial Parish Builds a Church (Short Film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrVQ5G7Ve1E

This short film interviews the principal people involved in building a Church in a small Russian village. They discuss the difficulties of the project over time, and express hope for the beauty of the project at its completion. They are people willing to invest years of their life into a project to glorify God that they themselves might not live to see completed, like the great cathedral builders of old.

The pace of the film feels like sitting down for a cup of tea with old friends. Let’s join them for a second while they share the ups and downs of their calling.

English subtitles can be activated with the auto translate feature.

From the video description:
Church builders are people who make an effort or personal effort to create and beautify an Orthodox church. This film is about the construction of a church in honor of the Holy Martyr Avraamiy Bolgar in MKR. Power engineer of the city of Vladimir. About how one day, having believed in the dream of creating an Orthodox church, people over the years are gradually approaching its realization.

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

A Typical Russian Provincial Parish Builds a Church (Short Film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrVQ5G7Ve1E

This short film interviews the principal people involved in building a Church in a small Russian village. They discuss the difficulties of the project over time, and express hope for the beauty of the project at its completion. They are people willing to invest years of their life into a project to glorify God that they themselves might not live to see completed, like the great cathedral builders of old.

The pace of the film feels like sitting down for a cup of tea with old friends. Let’s join them for a second while they share the ups and downs of their calling.

English subtitles can be activated with the auto translate feature.

From the video description:
Church builders are people who make an effort or personal effort to create and beautify an Orthodox church. This film is about the construction of a church in honor of the Holy Martyr Avraamiy Bolgar in MKR. Power engineer of the city of Vladimir. About how one day, having believed in the dream of creating an Orthodox church, people over the years are gradually approaching its realization.

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова