Rating: 10|Votes: 1
“In former times, God, being without form or body, could in no way be represented. But today, since God has appeared in the flesh and lived among men, I can represent what is visible in God. I do not worship matter, but I worship the creator of matter who became matter for my sake … and who, through matter accomplished my salvation. Never will I cease to honor the matter which brought about my salvation.”
On the day of the Meeting of the Lord, an encounter occurred between the Old and New Testaments. Old Testament humanity in the person of the Elder Simeon and the Prophetess Anna saw with it's own eyes, in the Person of the Child Jesus, the realization of all its expectations and the meaning of its own existence. Old Testament humanity, although it was not deprived of Divine Revelation concerning the meaning of life and even had communion with God to a limited extent, all the same, became increasingly more conscious of the limited degree of this communion.
She was justly called the "Abbess of all Russia." It can be said without exaggeration that Mother Barbara personified a whole epoch in the existence of Russian women's monasticism, and monasticism in general. She labored in monasticism for fifty years, forty-three of which she served as the abbess of Piukhtitsa Monastery in Estonia. Under Matushka Barbara, Piukhtitsa became a unique "smithy of monastic personnel," a capital city of women's monasticism. But mainly, here one could feel true Christian love, kindness, hospitality, and spiritual nobility, combined with deep monastic work.
Archpriest Andrew Phillips
This Sunday is known as Forgiveness Sunday, and also Cheesfare Sunday for it is the last day on which we may eat dairy produce. On it we remember the Fall of Adam and Eve and how they lost Paradise by eating 'the forbidden fruit', which is why we fast, eating only 'the permitted fruit'. How exactly did that Fall happen?
Rating: 2|Votes: 1
At the onset of Great Lent and a period of intense fasting, this Sunday reminds us of our need for God’s forgiveness and guides our hearts, minds, and spiritual efforts on returning to Him in repentance.
