“As soon as takes place year after year, we certainly have to get better, more worthy. We could give up on our dreams, but we understood clearly that we are on the case. If our physical strength leaves us morally multiplied. And most of our sorrow is useless for us? No!” The book “day by Day” written by an unknown Orthodox priest in the form of edifying reading for every day of the year and first published in 1908. The author, using examples from the Scriptures finds the answer to many complex questions that arise every Christian in the difficult and full of sorrow life’s journey. These questions still remain relevant.
Photo: spbda.ru
- “The Patriarch wrote that the Liturgy need to pray to the Lord to defeat the Russian at the feet of the Turks”
- Metropolitan Anthony (bloom): The shortest prayer
- “You tell me, I’m” – how people try to make God some kind of “abacus”
- We paved his soul and put it over the barbed wire
1 Nov
I may know Him and the power of His Resurrection.
(Phil. 3, 10)
Christ died on the cross. How hard it was to the apostles, His friends, all His disciples through this. Until the last minute, they hoped, was waiting for a miracle, which was to avert this misfortune. But no, the inexorable death shattered all their hopes and drew in the dust all their dreams.
Not ever some of us experience something similar? Not met and our way of life unexplained events, heart-breaking trials, a mysterious anomaly, an unsolved problem, in which we imagined that the sun was darkened and the moon will not give its light? The same thing I felt and then the early Christians, looking at the coffin, stole them, Who was them all the more something is repeated to us.
The hardest blows of fate fall upon us suddenly; in the midst of life is death, robs us of the most precious and we would be petrified with grief. The hardest part for the disciples was that they are at their meager understanding could see this death would wreck their expectations. From His words, they realized that He was the Life and the Truth that by believing in Him, they will not see death, that the Father dwells in Him, how could they explain His death?
O brethren, do you really want to understand the ways and intentions of God? Are you looking for the cause and explanation of every event, instead of trusting the Lord? Where is your faith? Full credibility is only when we neither feel nor see anything in front of him can’t. How often our rebirth takes place in the grief, storms, disappointment, shattered dreams. The mortification of our flesh, the brokenness, the destruction of our pride achieved unquestioning obedience to the law of love.
The resurrection of Christ appeared as suddenly as an earthquake. Expected it the less it seemed impossible. However, the “power of His Resurrection” will liberate you. Stay solid in the darkness, and light, strength and love will Shine upon you. Do not give up hope. It seems to be dead, but He live forever and have loved you with an everlasting love. Your victory will be a victory for the other. The Lord will manifest His strength in you. People will see your faith, your obedience to the test, your patience, your spiritual joy in the grief, your imperturbable peace among life’s storms, and they will say: “Here’s the fetus that’s the power of His resurrection”.
This power of Christ working in your weakness, you will be given to fulfill and even impossible to achieve the unachievable.
2 Nov
The Lord will strengthen him on his sickbed. Thou makest all his bed in his sickness.
(PS. 40, 4)
You may be exhausted from weakness and disease, but the Lord promises to “strengthen” you. Let us turn to Him. Instead of complaining to people on your destiny, pray that He multiplied you patience and “changed” the box is yours. In the disease especially keep looking to the Lord, Who alone can heal you. He alone can give you strength to bravely endure the greatest suffering and to stand firm among the most terrible trials.
Whether you are languishing under the yoke of your physical infirmities? Think of all the blessings which you have received from the Lord. The Savior with you. He doesn’t send trials beyond your strength. If people have left you and nobody understands you He will never leave. Remove yourself from any doubt and speak to Him. Keep in your heart His words: “the Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness”. “In the day when I cried, You listened to me, gave my soul courage” (PS. 137, 3).
Stay firm in the faith, and the Lord will strengthen your heart in the hour of despondency. Don’t be afraid when the dark waves surround you, step into them, resting on Jesus. Everyday sea waves around you and threatens to engulf you, do not be afraid, you’re the One Who said, “Hold your right arm telling you: do not fear; I will help thee” (ISA. 41, 13). Whatever he had to move, whatever rested upon you, “God is the rock of your heart” and support you in your powerlessness. The weaker you feel, the more, the hitherto unprecedented power gets ahold of you, because the Lord Almighty be with you. You do not even know the fullness of His power until comprehend the whole of your weakness, for His strength is made perfect in weakness.
3 Nov
As we have opportunity, let us do good to all.
(Gal. 6, 10)
We imitate Christ only when seeking to benefit, to help others, to lighten their fate, to support the weak, to bring a ray of light in the gloomy life. Every deed of love and of self-forgetfulness brings us closer to God. It is easy to find those who need us, they meet us at every step, and hardly a day goes by that the Lord has not sent us a case to provide some help to our neighbor.
But in order to always be ready to take advantage of this opportunity, it is not necessary to be absorbed himself. Who busy themselves, their worries, their feelings, their desires, have so narrowed the concept, so limited-minded that he cannot see anything beyond himself and passes by someone else’s grief, not noticing him.
On the contrary, the deeper the wound in our heart, so it should become more sensitive, more responsive to the suffering of others. All this grief for us may not be any mountain close to us, every suffering we have compassion and “carry one another’s burdens”, forgetting about their burden.
4 Nov
Tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, experience hope.
(ROM. 5, 3-4)
As soon as passes year after year, we certainly have to get better, more worthy. We could give up on our dreams, but we understood clearly that we are on the case. If cold any our youthful fervour, he replaced with harder endurance; if we lost excess sensitivity, but gained over the years, more durable quality: willpower activity, an indulgence to his neighbor. If our physical strength leaves us morally multiplied. And most of our sorrow is useless for us? No! We more gained than lost, if during the tribulation the Spirit of God dwell in us!
“Tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, experience hope” — the hope of the one Who has brought us safe until now and, of course, will lead us next. Who in the past have experienced and taught us and prepared our hearts to perceive new challenges but also new joys. Already not those that might involve us in the young years, but other, more deep, more bright, the meaning of which every year becomes comprehensible to us.
5 Nov
And David said, while the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, who knows, have mercy on me Lord, and the child will remain alive? but now it is dead, why should I fast? Can I return it? I will go to him, but he shall not return to me.
(2 Sam. 12, 22-23)
In this touching event in the life of David, his grief manifested for the grace of God sanctifying it. When sorrow can be called Holy? When we see the love of God, and believe in the good intention of His about us. A lot of grief in the world who has not experienced? But one sorrow kills the soul, the other is making in her life, cheerfulness and peace. And in the us the tribulation will act different, it all depends on how we attain or do not attain all the Holiness of God’s love and good intention with which He has sent us this sorrow.
For us it is not enough to grieve. Pray that the Lord will sanctify our grief. Unhallowed, it will be for us a curse instead of a blessing; and the grief of the Holy closer to God, unites people, inspires the heart, leads to a blameless life and casts new light on the future, illuminating his vision of glory.
The grief of David, humbling and softening his heart, brought him to the Lord. He could not flee from God, and hurried to Him as to a single hope, a single refuge. It seems to us sometimes that there was never sorrow like ours, and that we are abandoned by God and men. But we, like David, must, in this tribulation to find God Himself. He comes to us in her will sanctify her, sheltering us under the shadow of His wings we’re safe.
The story of David draws us first, a picture of complete despair, when he locked himself in his grief and couldn’t see anyone. But from this test, he emerges renewed, with a heart for their neighbors. His grief made him understand someone else’s grief. And our sorrow should not remove us from our brothers, but to reconcile with them. We can serve through it.
Whole life changed for David. King of sorrow got a new meaning and has opened up his bliss in the future, of which he was unaware.
“I will go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
In these words is heard the joyful hope, solid hope, replacing the bitterness of regret for the past.
Bring his burden and himself to the God of David, and He will save you and support you! As the Lord forgave repentant David. He can bless us and our grief. He is “the God of all comfort”, you can count on It! Pray that He sanctify your sorrow, pray with humility, with love and hope, and He will tell you: “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5, 4).
6 Nov
Jesus took Peter, James and John… and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them.
(Matt. 17, 1)
Man must lift up your thoughts to everything divine and Holy, to delve into the deep truth of God’s word and be before him as if the heavens opened. Then, within the consciousness of the greatness of God, he will be burning with love for his Savior.
But when we do not feel the burning flame of this love, then we have to heat his mercy, hastening to bring our assistance to others even when we think that we make our work only superficially, with a cold heart. The Lord looks at our intentions, come down to our efforts and after business send us and warm feelings.
The apostles had to leave mount Tabor, to do their work. The way we are. Every deed of love and of self-sacrifice, a glass of water, filed in the name of Christ, the renunciation of his will, the victory over him are all the delights of all the enthusiasm of a contemplative life. Good fruit, which is known a good tree, the essence is flowing out of our faith.
7 Nov
Father! whom You have given Me want to be there where I am, and they were with Me.
(Jn. 17, 24)
The Lord no one and nothing is lost. Our family, passed to Him, He’s perfectly safe, saved, unharmed. Features your favorite faces, indelibly imprinted in the depths of our hearts, for years rise up before us as a living image of who kidnapped death. When we make such them before we open all the secrets of eternal life, the Lord will take us to him and unite us forever with those whom we mourned on earth. Then in endless bliss we forget about all the sorrows of the earth.
Be of good cheer, I still stumble under the burden of your heavy burden. Continue safely on your path will soon come for you the hour of deliverance. Trust only someone Who knows better than you when it’s time to tell you: “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25, 21). See through the eyes of faith to your loved ones who rest from their labors and await you in heaven your Homeland, where God had prepared a place and get to where He is, and we would be with Him.
A few more days of labor and sorrow, and you will be connected forever with those who mourn. You will be connected with them where there will be no fear, no tears, no sin, no separation, where Christ will be “all for all” on the never-ending forever and where you will be forever comforted by the solace steadfast and true.
8 Nov
I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
(Jn. 11, 25)
Can be called death the liberation from bodily ties, the source of sin and of sorrow, of evil and suffering? No, that is living within us, the power of faith and the grace of God will never die. We do not die when our faith turns to sight, our hope into reality when our thirst is assuaged and our aspirations reach the desired goal. We do not die when that light, the glimpses which we catch here in a way that suddenly illuminates us with its life-giving rays.
We don’t die when we get the resolution of our doubts, are saturated with truth, which searched in vain for on earth, when we finally find that peace that surpasses the mind, which craved our soul among earthly troubles and suffering.
We do not die when we see face to face our Savior, Whom we love, here love is imperfect. We do not die when we pass into eternal life: “whoever lives and believes in Me shall not die for ever” (Jn. 11, 26).