THE SANCTUARY OF YOUR TEMPLE IS WITHIN ME

From the inspiration of Ezekiel (8)

When I behold what Your people did, I get terrified.
They presumed that You do not see them, care for them, nor for the whole land.
So they resorted to worshiping creeping creatures and unclean beasts.
How lowly are our thoughts!

How great is our denial!

The elders have forsaken You and worshiped animals.
The women wept for the image of the god Tammuz inside Your temple,
Instead of weeping for themselves!

The priests gave you the back instead of the face.
They became worshipers of the sun;
disregarding that You are its Creator!
Instead of praying for the people, they became the cause of curse!

My soul is embittered!

Who are the elders, but my mind and my depths….
I became utterly corrupted!
Who are the women, but the emotions of my body, and its feelings that became defiled!
Who are the priests, but the spirit of leadership that deviated within me!

Sanctify Your sanctuary, O the Holy One!
Sanctify my mind, my thoughts, my emotions, and my feelings!
Sanctify the gifts You granted me, O my Savior!
Sanctify my whole being; I am your temple!


Fr. Tadros Malaty
From the Inspiration of The Book of Ezekiel

In Him we live and move and have our being

You were walking in your own ways, a vagabond; straying in the rough places, wooded places, tearing your limbs. You were looking for a home some rest for your spirit, somewhere where you could say, 'I am all right here,' and safely say it, free from anxiety and trials - in other words, be altogether free - but you did not find it.

What then? Did someone come and show you how to get there? The way itself came to you and you were set on it through no merit of your own. You had clearly lost the path.  Tell me then, has He who showed you the path deserted you, must you now find your own way home?

Beloved, the end of all our paths is Christ: in Him we are made perfect, for our perfection is to come home to Him. Don't seek for anything else. He is your end, to Him you are journeying, and when you have arrived there you will not seek further, for you can desire nothing better than to come home to Him.

He has led us on, He himself being our way, and He brings us to Himself as to our home.  We come through Christ to Christ, through the Word made flesh to the Word which in the beginning was God with God, for He says to us: I am the way and to Me you come.  


    DAILY READING WITH
St Augustine --- The Heart at Rest

Guardian Angel

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park. Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad. Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by.

She never tried to speak, she never said a word. Many people passed but no one would stop. The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there. Yes, she was there, right in the very spot as she was yesterday, and still with the sad look in her eyes.

Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone. As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl’s dress was obscenely shaped. I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to help.

Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different. As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare. As I approached her, I could see the obscene shape of her back more clearly. She was grotesquely shaped in a humped-over form. I smiled to let her know it was OK, I was there to help, to talk. I sat down beside her and said with a simple Hello.

The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a “hi,” after a long stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly smiled back. We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me and with a sad face said, “Because I’m different.”

I immediately said, “That you are!” and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder and said, “I know.”

“Little girl,” I said, “you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent. She looked at me and smiled. Slowly she got to her feet and said, “Really?”

“Yes, you’re like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all those people walking by.”

She nodded her head yes, and smiled. With that she spread her wings and said, “I am. I’m your Guardian Angel,” with a twinkle in her eye. I was speechless, sure I was seeing things. She said, “For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done.

” I got to my feet and said, “Wait. So why did no one stop to help an angel?” She looked at me and smiled, “You’re the only one that could see me,” and then she was gone. And with that, my life was changed dramatically.

So, when you think you’re all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you.

Criticizing Priests - By St. John Chrysostom

On one occasion David had Saul within his grasp within a double wall and was in a position to kill him, but he spared his life and this despite the fact those present were urging him to use his sword.  But neither the ease of the opportunity, nor the prompting of the others, nor his suffering many injustices, nor the likelihood of suffering worse ones allowed him to draw his sword, even though guilt for this murder would not be likely to be betrayed to the army; it was a cave, you see, and there was no one besides himself present. 

He did not say, as someone committing adultery said, "Darkness and walls surround me: what should I worry about?" Instead, he had the unsleeping eye before him, and he knew that the eyes of the Lord are infinitely brighter than the sun. Hence he did and said everything just as if he were present and making a judgement on his words; so he said, "I shall not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed."" I do not see his wickedness: I see his position instead.  Let no one tell me that he is a man of violence and blood: I am afraid of the Lord's verdict, even if he seems undeserving; his seeming unworthy of his office is not a charge for me to make.

Let all those listen who despise priests, let them learn the degree of respect he showed for a king.  The priest, in fact, deserves far greater honour and regard than a king to the extent of the greater responsibility to which he is called.

Let them learn not to judge him or call him to account, but be subject and give place to him.  After all, you do not know the life of the priest, be he lowly and insignificant, whereas this man had a precise knowledge of all that Saul had done; yet even in this way he respected the responsibility given by God.

Now, for proof that, even if you have a precise knowledge, you have no reason or excuse for despising those set over you or giving no heed to what they say, listen to how Christ also removed from us this pretext by what he says in the Gospels: " The scribes and the pharisees sit on the seat of Moses; so do everything they tell you to do, but as to their deeds, do not do them. "Do you see how he did not scorn the advice of those whose life was so corrupt as to be deserving of criticism by their disciples, nor did he reject their teaching?

Now, I say this, not out of a wish to criticize the priests - perish the thought: you are witnesses of their life and utter piety; rather, my wish is that we give them great respect and honour in abundance. After all, the benefit we bring is not so much for them as for ourselves: "The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, then, will receive the reward of a prophet." I mean, if we are commanded not to pass judgement on the lives of one another, much more on the lives of the fathers.

Glory to God for all things! 

St. John Chrysostom

Verses and Fathers Sayings

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other
name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.
Acts 4: 12

Let my heart and my tongue praise Thee, and let all
my bones say, “Lord, who is like unto Thee?” Let them
so say, and answer Thou me, and “say unto my soul,
I am Thy salvation.”

St. Augustine

Calm yourself and reflect

Calm yourself and reflect

You have heard, 'Be subject to God. and pray to him'.  How do you know whether you are? If you obey his commandments. You will say that you have not been rewarded for obeying him.  Work in the vineyard, and at the end of the day ask for your wages: he who sent you there will keep his word.

'All very well', you say, 'I obey God and I pray, but what is your answer to this: I have a neighbour who is an evil-doer yet lives in great prosperity.  I know him to be dishonest, immoral, and grasping; he is so proud and conceited that he does not even deign to acknowledge my existence. How long am I expected to put up with that situation?'

Here is the remedy for your sickness: 'Do not envy the man who prospers in his way.'  Oh yes, he prospers, but in his own way, you labour but in God's path.  He journeys gaily, but where will he arrive?

If Christ had promised you this world's goods, by all means be angry at an unbeliever doing well for himself.  What did he promise you?  Eternal happiness when the dead rise again, and in this life his own lot.  I repeat, the road he took; and do you, a servant, a disciple, despise what your master underwent?  You have heard that a servant is not greater than his Lord.  For you he suffered what he, the righteous one, did not deserve.  What do you, a sinner, deserve?  

DAILY READING WITH

St Augustine --- The Heart at Rest

Yes, May The Times End!

Yes, May The Times End!

 

From the inspiration of Daniel (12) 

For our sake, You created time so we many glorify You.

And for our sake, time will end so we may be glorified eternally with You.

Yes, may times end and may You come to us, our Beloved Lord, or may Your Holy Spirit carry us to You.

We want to meet You very quickly!

May You lift our hearts so we may see You coming to our inner depths.

And may we see ourselves crossing to you to enjoy Your Company!

Fr. Tadros Malaty
From the Inspiration of the Book of Daniel   

 

Verses and Fathers Sayings

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22


Fathers Sayings 

Christ is Risen! 
"…..Enter then, all of you into the Joy of our Lord. First and last, receive alike your reward. Rich and poor, dance together, You who have fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice today. The table is fully laden: let all enjoy it.  The calf is fatted: let none go away hungry.  Let none lament his poverty; for the universal kingdom is revealed. Let none bewail his transgressions; for the light of forgiveness has risen from the tomb. Let none fear death; for the death of the Savior has set us free.

He has destroyed death by undergoing death.  He has despoiled hell by descending into hell.  Hell was filed with bitterness when it met thee face to face below: Filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown; filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains.  It received a body, and encountered God.  It received earth, and confronted heaven. 

From a homily of St. John Chrysostom

Traditionally read at the Easter All-night Vigil in the Orthodox Church 

 

Verses and Fathers Saying

Verses 

3 He is despised and rejected by men, 
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; 
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs 
And carried our sorrows; 
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, 
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, 
He was bruised for our iniquities; 
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 
And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; 
We have turned, every one, to his own way; 
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, 
Yet He opened not His mouth; 
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, 
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, 
So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, 
And who will declare His generation? 
For He was cut off from the land of the living; 
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked— 
But with the rich at His death, 
Because He had done no violence, 
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; 
He has put Him to grief. 
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, 
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. 
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, 
For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, 
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, 
Because He poured out His soul unto death, 
And He was numbered with the transgressors, 
And He bore the sin of many, 
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:3-12 


Fathers Sayings 

"For this, the Only-begotten Son of God took on the form of our weakness; for this, the Invisible not only appeared visible, but even despised; for this, He bore mockeries and insults, derisions and disgrace, suffering and torments, namely, that the humble God could teach man not to be proud.

Therefore, how great a virtue is humility, when Christ, Who was great beyond measure, was made small, even unto suffering in order to teach this virtue truly?"

St. Gregory the Great