Truly, He is risen, and upon those in the tombs He is bestowing life!

Paschal Hymn, by St. Ephrem the Syrian

I fall in adoration at your feet, Lord! 

I thank you, God of goodness;
God of holiness, I invoke you,
on my knees, in your sight.

For me, an unworthy sinner,
you have willed to undergo the death of the cross,
setting me free from the bonds of evil.

What shall I offer in return for your generosity?

Glory to you, friend of men!
Glory to you, most merciful!
Glory to you, most patient!
Glory to you who forgive sin!
Glory to you who have come to save us!
Glory to you who have been made man in the womb of a Virgin!
Glory to you who have been bound!
Glory to you who have been scourged!
Glory to you who have been derided!
Glory to you who have been nailed to the cross!
Glory to you, laid in a sepulchre, but risen again!
Glory to you who have preached the Gospel to men and have been believed!
Glory to you who have ascended to heaven!
Glory to you, seated at the right hand of the Father and who will return with him, in majesty, among the angels, to judge those who have disregarded your passion!

The powers of heaven will be shaken;
all the angels and archangels, the cherubim and seraphim
will appear in fear and trembling before Your glory;

the foundations of the earth will quake
and all that has life will cry out before Your majesty.

In that hour let your hand draw me beneath Your wings,
and save me from the terrible fire, from the gnashing of teeth,
from the outer darkness and from despair without end.
That I may sing to Your glory:

Glory to Him who through His merciful goodness has designed to redeem this sinner.

Source: Monachos.net

Christ is risen!

 

Christ Is Risen!

Holy Myrrhbearers

This icon of the Holy Myrrhbearers depicts the biblical story of the women arriving at the tomb to anoint the body of Christ. The angel is seated upon the stone that covered the tomb, and he is pointing to the empty garments showing that Christ has risen from the dead.

When You did cry, Rejoice, unto the Myrrh-bearers, You did make the lamentation of Eve the first mother to cease by Your Resurrection, O Christ God. And You did bid Your Apostles to preach: The Savior is risen from the grave.

“It is the day of the Resurrection! Let us adorn ourselves with the splendor of the festival and embrace one another! And let us say, O brethren, even unto those who hate us: ‘Let us forgive all things at the Resurrection, and thus let us cry out: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

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Jesus enters Jerusalem; the children exult

“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  

“Tell the daughter of Zion,‘ Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?” (St. Matthew 21:1-16)

The Orthodox Christian Gospel reading for Palm Sunday stops at verse 11. But it is extended here for consideration of this:

Just as the poor widow, in giving her two mites, (which are roughly equivalent to pennies) gave more than all those who simply gave out of their abundance, (their “overflow,” so to speak) the praises of those who are the more simple among us, whether children or not, who are not eloquent, intelligent, prominent, or influential – as well as those whose voices would not make them candidates for a choir- are treasured by our Lord in a way that conventional human reckonings do not fathom. The Lord sees the heart.  

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Katya Tishchenko, A ОСОБЕННЫЙ Among Us

Katya Tishchenko

 from https://orthochristian.com/

Katya Tishchenko, A ОСОБЕННЫЙ (Special One) Among Us

An interview with Katya Tishchenko, a volunteer with Miloserdie (Mercy) Service. She has cerebral palsy. 

Miloserdie (Orthodox Help Service)

Orthodox Church – For All Those Who Need Help:

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