Trusting in God's Providence, by Archimandrite Ephraim of Arizona

Archimandrite Ephraim of St Anthony's, Florence AZ



"You say that your brother was hungry, thirsty, and so on when he was sick, and he blasphemed. You also said that your brother was committing a mortal sin.

God, though, Who is very compassionate, wanted to bring him to a realization of his guilt so that he would repent, so He gave him this illness out of paternal love as a spiritual medication to cure his soul of its illness. 

If you had looked after your brother and offered him every bodily comfort, what pains would he have suffered for God to see and have pity on him? You should realize that the more he was tormented, the more his penalty was lightened!

God gave him the illness and allowed the brethren to neglect their duty towards him so that his conscience would make him feel remorse and repent. He is like a patient who is given medicine by a doctor, but lacks the necessary patience. Thus, he curses and grumbles at the doctor, which only leads to his own demise."

Elder Ephraim of Arizona

Source

The Tree of Jesse - Readings for Advent

Root of Jesse - 16th c. Michael Damaskinos

Icon from Uncut Mountain Supply

A great activity for the whole family during Advent is called the Tree of Jesse. It includes the whole family both adults and children.

A passage from the scriptures is read every day and an ornament is placed on a tree (a real Christmas tree or an artificial one placed in the living room; or a tapestry on the wall) for each one of the stories read. The Tree of Jesse symbolizes all the ancestors of Christ and the events that culminated with the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is wonderful to sit with the family in front of the fireplace, early in the evening and read each one of the stories. The children get really excited about hanging the ornaments
which can be home made or purchased in Amazon.com and other websites. Below is the list of readings for each day of Advent which are linked to the readings themselves. Between parentheses you will see the name of the ornament for that day.

Below the list I embedded a video that explains the activity. The readings in the list posted here are from the Antiochian Archdiocese's website, 

Tree of Jesse with Readings for each day of Advent
 and the Twelve Days of Christmas
From the Antioch Archdiocese Website

Nov 15 Day 1: The Creation of the World (sun)                
                Genesis 1-2:4

Nov 16 Day 2: Creation of Man (2 people)
                 Genesis 2:4-25

Nov 17 Day 3: Expulsion from Paradise (fruit)
                 Genesis 3:1-24

Nov 18 Day 4: Noah (rainbow)
                 Genesis 6:9-22
                 Genesis chapters 7 and 8

Nov 19 Day 5: Abraham (constellation of stars)
                 Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-6; 17:1-9

Nov 20 Day 6: Sacrifice of Isaac (altar)
                 Genesis 22:1-18

Nov 21 Day 7: Jacob’s Ladder (ladder)
                 Genesis 28:10-17

Nov 22 Day 8: Joseph and his Brothers (Coat of many colors)
                 Genesis 37:3-35

Nov 23 Day 9: Joseph’s Elevation (cow)
                Genesis 41,42,43,45:1-16

Nov 24 Day 10: Israel’s Blessing for Judah (lion)
               Genesis 49:1-2, 8-12

Nov 25 Day 11: Infant Moses (Basket)
              Exodus 1:8-22; 2:1-10

Nov 26 Day 12: Moses and the Burning Bush (Burning bush)
              Exodus 3:1-20

Nov 27 Day 13: Plagues (frog)
              Exodus 6:29- 7:16; 7:14-8:15; 11:1; 12:1-13, 28-32

Nov 28 Day 14: Israel passes through the Red Sea (parted sea)
              Exodus 13:20-22; 14:1-31; 15:1-19

Nov 29 Day 15: Water in the Wilderness (staff)
                Exodus 15:20-16:1;17:1-7

Nov 30 Day 16: Commandments (stone tablets)
               Exodus 24:12-18

Dec 1    Day 17: Ruth (Shock of Wheat)
               Ruth chapters 1-4

Dec 2    Day 18: Birth of Samuel (Horn)
              1 Samuel 1:1-2:10

Dec 3   Day 19: Samuel & Eli (Lamp)
              1 Samuel 3:1-20

Dec 4  Day 20: David the Anointed King (sheep)
              1 Samuel 16:1-13

Dec 5  Day 21: David & Goliath (slingshot)
             1 Samuel 17:1-11; 17:32-54

Dec 6  Day 22: David the Psalmist (footstool)
              Psalm 110

Dec 7  Day 23: King Solomon (crown)
              1 Kings 1:32-40; 2:1-4,10,12; 3:5-14

Dec 8  Day 24: Elias the Prophet (burning Rock)
              1 Kings 18;19;2 Kings 2:1-14

Dec 9  Day 25: Jonah the Prophet (whale)
               Jonah 1-4:11

Dec 10 Day 26: Tobias (fish)
              Tobit 5-9:6; 11:2-19; 12:6; 12:11-22

Dec 11 Day 27: Emmanuel (scroll)
              Isaiah 7:10-16; 8:1-4,8-10

Dec 12 Day 28: Rejoicing Foretold (Throne)
              Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-10                 

Dec 13 Day 29: Visits of Kings Foretold (Kings with camels)
              Isaiah 60:1-7

Dec 14 Day 30: Daniel (stone smashing a statue)
              Daniel 2:31-36,44-45

Dec 15 Day 31: 3 Holy Youths (flames)
              Daniel 3:1-88

Dec 16 Day 32: God’s Dwelling (Ark of the Temple)
              Exodus 40; 1 Kings 8

Dec 17 Day 33: Prayer of Avvacum the Prophet (Mountain w/ a large cave- the stable) 
             Habakkuk 3:2-19
                              

Dec 18 Day 34: Wisdom, Word and Power of God (open book)
             Baruch 3:36-38; 4:1-4

Dec 19 Day 35: Birth & Star Foretold (Star of David)
              Micah 5:1-4

Dec 20 Day 36: Zachariah (Censer )
              Luke 1: 5-25

Dec 21 Day 37: Announcement (Angel)
              Luke 1:26-38

Dec 22 Day 38: Visitation (Mary)
              Luke 1:39-56

Dec 23 Day 39: Joseph the Betrothed (Joseph)
              Matthew 1

Dec 24 Day 40: Journey to Bethlehem (Manger)
              Luke 2:1-5

Twelve Days of Christmas

Dec 25 Day 1: Nativity (Infant Jesus)
              Luke 2:6-7

Dec 26 Day 2: Light of the World (Radiant Light)
              John 1:1-5,10-14

Dec 27 Day 3: Announcement (Angel w/ Trumpet)
             Luke 2:8-14

Dec 28 Day 4: Shepherds Prepare (Standing Shepherd)
              Luke 2:15

Dec 29 Day 5: Shepherds Visit (Kneeling Shepherd)
             Luke 2:16-20

Dec 30 Day 6: Star of Bethlehem (Star)
             Matthew 2:1-2

Dec 31 Day 7: Wise Men Visit Herod
             Matthew 2:3-7

Jan 1  Day 8: Naming of Jesus (Jesus Banner)
             Luke 2:20-21; Genesis 17:1-14

Jan 2  Day 9: Visit of the Wise Men
            Matthew 2:9-12

Jan 3  Day 10: Flight to Egypt (Sword)
            Matthew 2:13-23

Jan 4  Day 11: Song of Zachariah (dove)
           Luke 1:57-64; 1:67-80

Jan 5  Day 12: Baptist John (Sandal)
           Luke 3:1-22

Finished Tree of Jesse

Tree of Jesse Source

Knowing God, According to St Silouan the Athonite

St Silouan the Athonite

"We may study as much as we will but we shall still not come to know the Lord unless we live according to His commandments, for the Lord is not made known through learning, but by the Holy Spirit. Many philosophers and scholars have arrived at a belief in the existence of God, but they have not come to know God. To believe in God is one thing, to know God another." St Silouan the Athonite p.354

How does this happen?
"The soul suddenly sees the Lord and knows that it is He.

Who shall describe this joy, this gladbess?
The Lord is made known in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit pervades the entire man - soul, mind and body.

After this wise is God known in heaven and on earth.

The Lord in His boundless mercy accorded this grace to me, a sinner, that others might come to know God and turn to Him." p.353

"I went into church, to Vespers, and looking at the icon of the Saviour, I cried: 'Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me, a sinner. ' And as I uttered these words, I saw the living Lord in the place where the icon was, and the grace of the Holy Spirit flooded my soul and my whole body. And so it was I came to know through the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is God; and I was filled with a sweet longing to endure sufferings for His sake." p. 458

"Pride is the root of unbelief. ...the Lord reveals Himself only to the lowly in heart....If we take pains to explore the human heart, this is what we shall see: the Kingdom of Heaven in the heart of the saint, but in the soul of the sinner darkness and torment. And it is good to know this because we shall dwell eternally either in the Kingdom or in torment." p.355

"Many martyrs came to know the Lord...
The grace of God teaches them to love their enemies, since the man who has no love for his enemies cannot come to know the Lord, Who died on the cross for His enemies, and gave us an example in Himself with the commandment to love our enemies (The Gospel of St John 13:15)"

"The man to whom the Lord is known through the Holy Spirit  (the man to whom the Lord has appeared alive and visible as stated above- emphasis mine) becomes like unto the Lord, as St John the Divine said, 'We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is' 1 John 3:2, and we shall behold His glory." p.356

"But the man who cries out against evil men but does not pray for them will never know the grace of God." p.357

"O ye peoples of the earth, fashioned by God, know your Creator and His love for us!
...Turn to Him, all ye peoples of the earth, and lift up your prayers to God...
Know, all ye peoples, that we are created for the glory of God in the heavens. Cleave not to the earth, for God is our Father and He loves us like dear children." p.358-359

Selections from the book, St Silouan the Athonite by Archimandrite Sophrony, translated by Rosemary Edmonds, St Vladimir Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York 10707. ISBN 0-88141-195-7

The End of Western Civilization

Consider this, in 2011, 1.06 million abortions took place in the U. S. alone.
There will be a price to pay.

The Significance of Humility by Elder Moses the Athonite