Brotherhood of St Dionysios the Areopagite

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Sunday of the Prodigal Son provides us with 3 models of behaviour:

1. We are all "Prodigals". We have all lost our inheritance. We are all fallen away from our true selves. We have all wasted our energy on things that don't pay off in the end. But, the hope of "Return to the Father's House" is always open. We are encouraged to repent -- and God WILL receive us back!

2. Every day we have opportunities to be magnanimous, "great of soul" -- to emulate God -- to be like "the loving Father" who never rails against those who have fallen, but loves them so much that he is ANXIOUS to see their return to goodness. Let us emulate the Father's goodness and be generous of soul to all!

3. Let us emulate the older brother's "constancy in the Father's service", but BEWARE NEVER to emulate his disgruntled attitude towards his younger, fallen brother. We cannot be so heartless! We cannot ever afford to judge our neighbour.

We must, instead, be like God and his angels and saints - we must always HOPE FOR and AWAIT, and WORK TOWARDS, not only our own repentance and correction of life, but also the repentance of those around us, never losing hope for ourselves, or for our neighbour, and never being "small of soul".

We must be generous and giving. We must be a source of unconditional love.
We must always offer a truly eager embrace -- we must always be like God!

Wishing all a Good Forty-day Fast,
Archimandrite Maximos
Brotherhood of the Holy Cross

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Prayer of Manessah...King of Judah

The Prayer of Manessah

O LORD Almighty, Thou God of our fathers,

of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and of their righteous seed,

who hast made heaven and earth, with all the firmament thereof;

who hast bound the sea with the word of Thy commandment;

who hast shut up the deep and sealed it with Thy terrible and glorious Name:

All creatures fear Thee, yea, they do tremble before the presence of Thy power;

for the majesty of Thy glory cannot be borne,

and not to be resisted is the anger of Thy threatening toward sinners;

but Thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable.

For Thou art the Lord most High,

of tender compassion, long-suffering, rich in mercy,

and grievest over the evils of men.

Thou, O Lord, according to the multitude of Thy loving-kindness,

hast promised repentance and forgiveness to those who have sinned against Thee,

and in the plenitude of Thy compassions hast appointed repentance unto sinners,

that they may be saved.

Thou, therefore, the Lord God of Hosts,

hast not appointed repentance to the just,

to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob,

who have not sinned against Thee;

but Thou hast appointed repentance to me a sinner:

for my sins are more in number than the sands of the sea.

My transgressions are multiplied,

O Lord, my transgressions are multiplied,

and I am not worthy to behold

and see the height of heaven

because of the multitude of mine iniquities.

I am bowed down with many iron bands,

so that I cannot lift up my head by reason of my sins,

neither have I any respite:

for I have prolonged Thy wrath,

and have done that which is evil in Thy sight:

I have not done Thy will, neither have I kept Thy commandments.

Now, therefore, I bow the knees of my heart,

supplicating grace of Thee.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,

and I acknowledge mine iniquities:

but I humbly beseech Thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me,

and destroy me not together with mine iniquities,

neither preserve Thou Thy divine wrath against my evil deeds for ever;

neither condemn me to the lower parts of the earth.

For Thou, O God, art the God of those who are penitent;

and in me wilt Thou manifest all Thy goodness;

for Thou wilt save me, unworthy though I be,

because of Thy great mercy,

and I will praise Thee henceforth, all the days of my life.

For all the host of heaven doth sing Thy praise,

and Thine is the glory, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Prayer of Saint Ephraim

O Lord and Master of my life,
Grant not unto me a spirit of idleness,
of discouragement, of lust for power,
and of vain speaking.

But bestow upon me, Thy servant,
the spirit of chastity, of meekness,
of patience, and of love.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant that I may perceive
my own transgressions, and judge not my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.

St Seraphim of Sarov --On care of the soul

Icon of the Last Judgement

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On Care of the Soul
We should have every concern for our soul, and should strengthen our body for this reason only, that it may assist in the strengthening of the soul.

Voluntarily to exhaust our body to the point that the spirit is exhausted is an unreasonable mortification, even if it is done to acquire virtue.

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St Seraphim of Sarov