“Christianity is either fire, or it is nothing.”
Mother Maria Skobtsova of Paris

_________________
«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

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

Анна Ахматова

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books.
What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.
Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information.
Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.
Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us.
Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.
Orwell feared we would become a captive culture.
Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture. In 1984, Huxley added, "people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure.
In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us.
Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us". Neil Postman

(Book: Amusing Ourselves to Death)

_________________
«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

Luke 24:36-53

At that time, Jesus, having risen from the dead, stood in the midst of his disciples and said to them, "Peace to you." But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high."

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 12:6-14

Prokeimenon. Mode Plagal 1.
Psalm 11.7,1
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 12:6-14

Brethren, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Matthew 9:1-8

At that time, getting into a boat Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

_________________
«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

I think I'm beginning to see an ideological and theological flaw in this notion that we Orthodox aren't quite sure how to minister to "gay" families, or "gay" persons.
This is not true.
First, the Church has always known how to minister to everyone because the Church is timeless and She alone possesses the "medicine of immortality." The Church has always had the path of repentance for all people who are willing to struggle with their passions.
Second, there is no such thing as a "gay" person. Nor is there such thing as a "straight" person. There are only people and the Church has always invited persons to our common lifestyle of repentance.
Third, the modern notion that the Church has insufficient ways or "language" to minister to people who struggle with same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria, or any other of the myriad "new tribes" invented by a so-called "modern" ideology, is a capitulation to that ideology. And in capitulating to this narcissistic addiction of modern ideology the Church actually abandoned the very effective message to help every person regardless of their struggles.
It seems that when we worry that there is somehow a "new" situation that the Church needs to address in a "new" way, we are dangerously close to actually missing the timeless wisdom of the Church to treat everyone as free, unique, and unrepeatable persons created in God's image to be made into His likeness through repentance and participation in the life of the Church.
Perhaps it's time to stop agreeing with an ideology ontologically opposed to the timeless wisdom of the Church and to actively embrace the wisdom of the Church that says to all people "neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more."
It's time to stop apologizing for the Church because She is old, and start proclaiming the Church as the eschatological reality of eternity. We aren't "old-fashioned. We are timeless. The only difference is this age wants to indulge the passions and the Church demands to struggle to tame the passions.

Barnabas Powell

_________________
«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 Romans 15:1-7

Matthew 9:27-35

Seventh Orthros Gospel
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.

St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 15:1-7

Prokeimenon. Mode Plagal 2.
Psalm 27.9,1
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 15:1-7

Brethren, we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him. For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on me." For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

7th Sunday of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew 9:27-35

At that time, as Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it." But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.

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

Анна Ахматова

What Jesus said about hypocrites?
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces.
You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to"



Bible verses about hypocrites
Hypocrites don’t practice what they preach. They say one thing, but do another. There are many people who claim all Christians are hypocrites without knowing the definition of the word and without knowing what being a Christian means.

Hypocrite Definition – a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs.
Are there religious hypocrites out there who try to appear holy and smarter than everyone else, but are filled with hypocrisy and wickedness? Of course, but there are also people who seek to do God’s will above everything else. Sometimes people are just immature believers.

Sometimes people have backslidden, but if someone is truly a child of God they will not continue to live in carnality. God will work in the lives of His children to conform them into the image of Christ. We must pray that God removes the spirit of hypocrisy from our lives. This post will cover everything about hypocrisy.

https://biblereasons.com/hypocrites/

Matthew 7:1-5 “Don’t judge others, or you will be judged. You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you. “Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye? Look at yourself! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye.

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022
Memory eternal! Fr. Duane Pederson
Subdn. Peter Samore

Letter of condolence from His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph

​“I was in prison, and you came to me.” Matthew 25:36

Rt. Rev. Duane Pederson, 83, the beloved founder of the Archdiocese’s prison ministry, reposed in the Lord on July 20, 2022. He was known as a gentle, compassionate man who brought Jesus Christ to many prisoners and homeless people, and taught Orthodox Christians to understand that ministry to them was ministry to our Lord.

“He was the friend of all, and he never had any agenda,” His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph told the ongoing Clergy Symposium about Fr. Duane. “If you didn’t know Fr. Duane, you wouldn’t know the meaning of the priesthood. He may not have known most of the services, but he became like the prisoners he served. He served them and loved them to the best of his ability.

“Fr. Duane never complained about their behavior. He would say that these are good souls who want to be better people and to be saved. He prayed for them and cried for them. He adopted many of them as his spiritual children.

“Fr. Duane loved the prisoners. If you as priests don’t love your people, then you will not do well in your parishes. Fr. Duane spent countless years to minister to them to heal them.”

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

Анна Ахматова

It’s August 1st, so we begin the 15 day commemoration of the falling asleep of the Theotokos ever-Virgin Mary. The church remembers this event with fasting and divine services.

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

Анна Ахматова

She Who is More Spacious Than the Heavens!

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

Анна Ахматова