Behold! The bridegroom approaches in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching; but unworthy he whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul. Be not overcome with sleep, lest thou be given over to death and shut outside the kingdom. But arise and cry: Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O God! Through the Theotokos have mercy on us!
Fr. John Whiteford
Before Christ went into the garden over the brook Cedron where he would be arrested by the band of men and officers sent by the chief priests and Pharisees, He prayed to the Father for His disciples: I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. Fr. John discusses the meaning of this verse.
St. Cyril of Alexandria
So must we too, who have accepted the salvation that is in Christ, be willing no longer to abide in our former faults, nor continue in our evil ways, but manfully cross over the sea, as it were, of the vain trouble of this world, and the tempest of affairs that is therein. We pass over therefore from the love of the flesh to temperance; from our former ignorance to the true knowledge of God
Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Egorievsk
Rating: 10|Votes: 2
May God grant that no matter what our circumstances, no matter how badly we sin, we might always like the apostle Peter remember the one truth given to us by our only true teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ. May we remember that we can always return from our unrighteousness to Him, and that the Lord will always forgive us no matter what we did, if only in our heart would live not hatred but love for Him; not despair but sincere repentance.
Dmitry Lapa
Rating: 1|Votes: 1
When Paternus grew up he decided to follow in the steps of his father and, obtaining his mother’s permission and blessing, he set out to Wales together with a group of other young ascetics seeking the solitary life.