Bless My Enemies, O Lord

Prayer LXXV, Prayers by the Lake, St. Nikolai of Zica

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Enemies have driven me into Your embrace more than friends have. Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.

Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world. Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul. Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

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Russians Defend Christianity

"And when you hear that we look for a kingdom, you suppose, without making any inquiry, that we speak of a human kingdom; whereas we speak of that which is with God, as appears also from the confession of their faith made by those who are charged with being Christians, though they know that death is the punishment awarded to him who so confesses. For if we looked for a human kingdom, we should also deny our Christ, that we might not be slain; and we should strive to escape detection, that we might obtain what we expect. But since our thoughts are not fixed on the present, we are not concerned when men cut us off; since also death is a debt which must at all events be paid." - St. Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 11

A Forerunner of the Jesus Prayer

Abba Isaac in his second conference on prayer sets forth a formula for ceaseless prayer:

"O God, incline unto my aid; O Lord, make haste to help me." - Psalm 69(70):1 

He goes on to teach that ceaseless and pure prayer is learned similarly to how a child learns to write by tracing letters daily over a long period of time (The Conferences: 10.10.1).  Therefore, a simple prayer, also called an arrow prayer by St. John Chrysostom, should be constantly repeated to control the distracted and wandering mind.  St. Chrysostom prescribes a different formula for ceaseless prayer in his hourly prayers for the twenty-four hours of the day, yet the end goal is the same--to obtain a pure heart that constantly abides in Christ.

Paschal Message of Patriarch Kirill

Beloved in the Lord Your Graces the archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!

In spiritually rejoicing on this great and glorious feast of the Resurrection from the dead of the Saviour of the world, in contemplating in my thoughts his emergence from the tomb, I address to you all the life-affirming exclamation which is replete with inner strength, unvanquished truth and joy:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

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Pascha Chants

Christ is risen!

Χριστός ἀνέστη!

Христос воскрес!

Christus resurrexit!

Christ ist Erstanden! 

English:

Earthly Riches and Salvation

"A person can be broken more easily by prosperity than by adversity." - Abba Theodore (The Conferences: 6.9.4)

Why do earthly riches hinder our life in Christ?  Christ commands us to forsake this world for Him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:21).  And again, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).  Our hearts must turn from earthly riches to heavenly riches, which demands constant labor and struggle in our life in Christ. A rich man must disdain his wealth to gain eternal life, yet how many rich men disdain their wealth?  Thus, the camel seldom, if ever, passes through the needle's eye.  Nevertheless, "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).  

Fr. Alexander Schmemann on Lazurus Saturday

"'Having fulfilled Forty Days... we ask to see the Holy Week of Thy Passion.' With these words sung at Vespers of Friday, Lent comes to its end and we enter into the annual commemoration of Christ's suffering, death and Resurrection. It begins on the Saturday of Lazarus. The double feast of Lazarus' resurrection and the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is described in liturgical texts as the 'beginning of the Cross' and is to be understood therefore, within the context of the Holy Week. The common Troparion of these days explicitly affirms that by raising Lazarus from the dead Christ confirmed the truth of general resurrection. It is highly significant that we are led into the darkness of the Cross by one of the twelve major feasts of the Church. Light and joy shine not only at the end of Holy Week but also at its beginning; they illumine darkness itself, reveal its ultimate meaning."

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Church History Timeline

 

A nice summary of how all branches of Christianity have historical ties to Orthodoxy.

 

See full size image here.