June: Day 10: Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prousis

June: Day 10:
Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prousis
 
(The Blessing of God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, commemorated today, was Bishop of Prousis (in Bithynia), where he actively spread Christianity; for this he was persecuted and, after torture in prison, beheaded with the sword in the year 362.

One incident from the life of Bishop Timothy serves as evidence that even in church things used in the name of God, “the grace of the Lord is at work.” One day, Timothy was carrying “blessed bread” to a noble woman named Vasilisa, as an offering from the brethren. On the way between Prousis and Thermae (warm waters), he saw a terrible serpent; then, placing the consecrated bread in the hem of his garment and removing the cover from them, he covered the serpent with it. Returning from Vasilisa, to whom he had given the holy bread, Timothy found the serpent dead.

"Lord and Master of My Life": The Prayer That Seals Our Lenten Journey

By Protopresbyter George Dorbarakis

Lord and Master of my life,
give me not a spirit of idleness,
curiosity, lust for power, and idle talking.
 
Bestow on Your servant instead
a spirit of temperance,
humility, patience, and love.
 
Yes, Lord King, grant me to see my own offenses,
and not to condemn my brethren,
for You are blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.

This short prayer of the great Father and ascetic Teacher, Saint Ephraim the Syrian, is the most well-known prayer of Great Lent and seals its entire course. For it very succinctly places the faithful Christian before the Lord Jesus Christ in order to beg Him, on the one hand, not to allow his heart to take the direction and inclination towards the sinful mindset expressed in the passions of idleness, curiosity, lust for power and idle talk, but on the contrary to turn towards Him, something that will be manifested charismatically with the concrete fruits of temperance, humility, patience and love. The basis of this positive path towards the Lord is, the Saint’s prayer emphasizes, the gift from Him again of self-knowledge as the fixation of the eyes of the soul on the reality of ourselves: the sin and the faults we commit daily, a fact that frees us from the impassioned fixation on the sins of our neighbor and therefore their condemnation.

Clean Tuesday Outlines a Christian's Journey

Protopresbyter George Dorbarakis

"Severely wounded by the sword of pleasures, O Compassionate One, with your compassionate inclination, bandage and heal me, Word, so that I may gratefully glorify you for eternity." (Clean Tuesday, 8th Ode)

Among the many spiritual devotional delicacies of the day, the holy hymnographer offers us the above hymn, which in summary defines the entire framework of the Christian’s journey. The grateful glorification of God, he emphasizes, is the constant aspiration of the Christian: we were created by Christ, we hold on to Him and move forward, we strive towards Him. “By Him and through Him and for Him all things were created” (Saint Paul). Glorifying God therefore means always looking to the Lord (“my eyes are always towards the Lord”) and to Him to cast all the strength of my soul and heart – an unceasing movement of love, according to His central commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength.” Is this not the purpose for which the Lord created us also fulfilled? From the "in the image" to the "according to the likeness."

A Prayer of Saint Paisios the Athonite

 

 

This prayer of Saint Paisios the Athonite was given to a convent which had asked the Elder for a prayer rule that could be used by the nuns in their evening vigils. This directive was given to the nuns during the final years of his life.

My God, forsake not Your servants who live far away from the Church. May Your love influence them and bring them all near You.

Remember Lord Your servants who are suffering from cancer.

Remember Lord Your servants who suffer either from small or serious ailments.

Remember Lord Your servants who suffer from infirmities of the body.

Remember Lord Your servants who suffer from infirmities of the soul.

Remember Lord our leaders (presidents, prime ministers, etc.) and inspire them to govern in a Christian manner.

Prayer of Saint Bessarion of Agathonos to Saint Mary of Egypt

 By Saint Bessarion of Agathonos
 

Mary of Christ, Egyptian
Protector of sinners
of repentance and salvation
you are a true example.

Accept the prayer made to You
by one more sinner
full of passions and vices
obscenities and selfishness.

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: Introduction (1)

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Idleness (2) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Despondency (3) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Lust for Power (4) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Idle Talk (5) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Chastity (6) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Humility (7) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Patience (8) 

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: On Love (9)

 

An Interpretation of the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: Conclusion (10)