I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now…
–Jewel the Unicorn, The Last Battle
My Gateway To Narnia
Tag Archives: Christian
The Robin
Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
*
The robin hopped out of the hedgerow
To say “hello”.
He displayed his blood red breast
Head tilted and inquisitive.
He looked with meekness at
The giant that stood before him.
This little bird was bold in his quest for food.
Unafraid, he made his holy dance in the snow.
The prints of his path traced a pattern of expectant joy.
This little creature paused to look at me,
Utter reliant on what God supplies.
Were you there at Calvary, Robin?
Did you stop to gaze on Him who made you?
God knows.
This little icon of apostolic zeal brings warmth
To those who on Christmas day smile at his cheery coat.
Would that we too too could be such a disciple,
Living on God’s Providence.
*
To the Glory of God
*
“Love the One, so that even wild beasts will love you.”
Elder Amphilochios
*
By Father Jonathan Hemmings
*
To my little friend who so encouraged me on the Theotokos Nativity Forefeast!
Share this:
Descent to Hell
“Keep your Mind in Hell and Despair Not” St. Silouan the Athonite
Share this:
The Pearl
O Lord, Almighty, aid me! Grains of sand
Their way inside me ceaselessly find
Afflictions provoke my widow heart
Harass me, vex me, pester and grind.
*
May your beautiful veil over
My soul drape, Thy Love wrap.
Forgive, hapless soul,
Pardon, evade the trap.
*
O, may resentment and anguish desert,
O, may my wounds be moulded to pearls.
Thy Grace, Redeemer, my soul of thorn
Heal, pray, aid me, suffer Thy nails.
*
Like Your Glory Resplendent on Cross,
Assist me, Redeemer, to die with Thee.
O, bless, sweet Jesus, restrain, impede
Prevent me an oyster barren to be!
*
THE PEARL: SEVEN HYMNS ON THE FAITH
By St. Ephraim of Syria — Translated by J.B. Morris
http://www.voskrese.info/spl/pearl.html
” …Shadowed forth in thy beauty is the beauty of the Son,
Who clothed Himself with suffering when the nails passed through Him.
The awl passed in thee since they handled thee roughly,
As they did His hands;
And because He suffered He reigned,
As by they sufferings thy beauty increased … “
Share this:
Dawn
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:16-21)
A Prayer at the Dawn of the Liturgical Year (2)
Today
*
Today, my Lord, You stood in my soul,
Stood in my soul, so much amiss.
A fresh opportunity to offer,
A hand to raise me from the abyss.
*
Who can be poorer than me, my Master?
Broken? Captive? More wounded, or blind?
O, whose footsteps stray faster?
In egoism and in sin?
*
Many a time have I heard Thy promise,
Many a time Your grace missed.
And, all the time, You stood there,
My offence in the midst.
*
Today, my Lord, You stood in my soul,
You stood there, in front of me,
Ransom to offer to your Bride,
Too Costly a price to pay Thee.
*
May I acquiesce long-suffering Jesus,
In Consecration my pledge renew.
Might my ears mystically hear,
“This scripture today to you came true”
*
Insp. from The Year of Grace of the Lord, by A Monk of the Eastern Church (Lev Gillet)
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE 