This Is How Far We've "Progressed" in Sixty-seven Years

My Popadia and I were dining at an inn in east central Ohio this afternoon (24Jul20).  On the wall was a signed copy of what you'll see at the bottom of this post.  It is a prayer offered on 20Jan1953 that was offered by President Eisenhower - a prayer given preceding his first Inaugural Address.  It was a prayer for unity.  That's right - UNITY!  The text may be a little hard to read in the post, so we'All transcribe it here.

Almighty God,

As we stand here at this moment, my future associates in the executive branch of the government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng and their fellow citizens everywhere.  Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong and allow all our works and actions to be governed thereby and by the laws of the land.  Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people, regardless of station, race or calling.  May co-operation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concept of our Constitution, hold to differing political beliefs, so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and for Thy glory.  Amen.

Can you picture any politician today, now sixty-seven years later, that is two plus generations later, offering these same words?  

And if you answer, "No!", then we must ask, "Why not?"  Is it because we have "progressed"?  If you answer, "Yes!", then we must ask, "Please define progress!"  For today, while God's Name may be invoked by people in positions of authority, when have you last heard it invoked in "prayer", in thanksgiving or supplication to Him?  Has any politician "prayed" for deliverance from Corona?  No?  Why not?  Has anyone in authority prayed for an end to violence in the streets?  Has any official given thanks for the benefits we've enjoyed in this country for so very long?

When will it be time for Christians and all God-fearing people to stand up once again and declare boldly that this country, founded on Judaeo-Christian values, chooses to return to that foundation?  Will we, CAN we, place ourselves in the position of the people of Nineveh, who after hearing of their impending destruction from the Prophet Jonah, from the king to the lowest servant repent and ask God for forgiveness?  Can God remain and watch us move ever further from His divine love and not stand aside in His divine protection of us so that more evils will befall us?

It's time for prayers like this to resurface, and not in a spirit of timidity, but with boldness, from "the king" to the least of "we, the people"!

May our God have mercy on us, and may He bless our country with repentance, love for both neighbor and enemy, and peace!

This Was From Me

[Ed:  The following is a writing from St. Seraphim of Viritsa, a gift to one of his spiritual children, speaking to the faithful as with the voice of God.  St. Seraphim lived in Russia from before the revolution until his repose in 1949.  He was given the gifts of healing, of prophecy, and of clairvoyance.  Let his words move your heart! - FrB]

Have you ever thought that everything that touches you touches Me as well? For that which touches you touches the apple of My eye.

You are dear in my eyes, precious, and I have loved you; therefore it is a particular pleasure for Me to educate you.

When temptations arise against you, and the enemy comes like a river, I want you to know—This was from Me.

Your weakness needs My strength, and your safety comes from giving Me the opportunity to fight for you. If you find yourself in difficult circumstances, among people who do not understand you, who do not take what you like into consideration, who alienate you—This was from Me.

I am God, Who arranges circumstances. It was no accident that you find yourself in the place where you are; this is the place I have appointed for you. Did you not ask that I teach you humility? Well, then, look: I have placed you in precisely that place, in that school, where this lesson is learned. Your surroundings and those who live with you are only fulfilling My will. If you find yourself in financial difficulty, if you find it hard to make ends meet—This was from Me.

For I have your material means at my disposal. I want you to call unto me, for you to be dependent upon Me. My reserves are inexhaustible. I want you to be confirmed in fidelity to Me and to My promises. May it not be said to you in your need: “You did not believe in the Lord your God.”

Are you in a night of suffering? Are you separated from your loved ones and those close to your heart? This was from Me.

I am the Man of suffering, Who has tasted affliction. I have allowed this so that you would turn to Me, so that in Me you would find eternal comfort. If you have been let down by your friend, to someone to whom you opened your heart—This was from Me.

I allowed this disappointment to touch you so that you would know that your best friend is the Lord. I want you to bring everything to Me and to speak to Me.

Has someone slandered you? Give this to me, and bring your soul closer to Me, your Refuge, to hide from the “contradiction of the nations.” I shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. If your plans have been destroyed, if you are downtrodden in soul and tired—This was from Me.

You made plans, and brought them to Me, so that I would bless them. But I want you to leave Me in charge of the circumstances of your life, and then responsibility for everything will be Mine, for this is too difficult for you; by yourself you can not manage them, for you are only an instrument, and not the actor. If unanticipated problems of life have visited you, and if despondency has seized your heart, then know—This was from Me.

For I want your heart and your soul to be always aflame before My eyes; to conquer faint-heartedness of the soul in My name. If you do not hear from your dear ones and friends for a long time, and in your faint-heartedness fall into despondency and grumbling, know—This was from Me.

By this anguish in your spirit, I test the strength of your faith in the surety of My promise and the strength of your boldness in prayer for these dear ones of yours. Was it not you who entrusted them to the Protection of My All-Pure Mother? Was it not you who once entrusted their care to My providential love? If serious illness, either temporary or incurable, has visited you, and has confined to your bed, then know—This was from Me.

For I want you to know Me even more deeply in you bodily infirmities, so that you would not grumble over this trial sent to you, that you would not try to penetrate My plans through different means for the salvation of people’s souls, but that you would uncomplainingly and submissively bow you neck under My goodness towards you. If you have dreamed of performing some special deed for Me, and instead haven fallen onto a bed of sickness and weakness—This was from Me.

Then you would have been immersed in your activities, and I would not have been able to attract your thoughts to Me, for I want to teach you My deepest thoughts and lessons, so that you would be in My service. I want to teach you to recognize that you are nothing. Some of My best co-workers are those who have been cut off from vital activity, that they would learn to wield the weapon of unceasing prayer.

Have you unexpectedly been called to occupy a difficult and responsible position? Go, place it on Me. I entrust these difficulties to you so that the Lord God would bless you for this in all your deeds, on all your paths, in everything that will done by your hands. On this day I put into your hands a vessel of holy oil. Use it generously, My children! Every difficulty that arises, every word that insults you, every obstacle to your work that could elicit in you a feeling of annoyance, every revelation of your weakness and inability, shall be anointed with this oil.

Remember that every obstacle is a Divine instruction. Every sting will be dulled when you learn to see Me in everything that touches you. Therefore place the word I have declared to you today in your heart: This was from Me. For this is not an empty matter for you—this is your life.

A Prayer For Deliverance From the Virus

Lord Jesus Christ our God, You traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At Your command, the sick were made well.

Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of this virus, that we may experience Your healing love. Heal those O Lord who are suffering with this pandemic's illness. May they regain their strength and health through medical care as Your instrument of healing.

Heal us from our fears, which prevent nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another. Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders. Lord Jesus Christ, Healer of all and Physician of our souls and bodies, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.

Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with You in Your eternal peace. Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know Your peace.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know Your protection and peace.

Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people You have blessed them to serve. Give them the wisdom to choose long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know Your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.

Whether we are at home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Lord Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us Your peace.

For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and to You we offer glory, thanksgiving and worship, together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

What Are We SUPPOSED To Do?

Most of us are appalled at what we are witnessing in our society.  I suppose there is at least some morsel of truth in assigning 'blame' on the pandemic.  But Christians are not a people who dwell on blame, except as a tool to purge from our own beings that which separates us from God - specifically, our OWN sins, and the 'blame' we ascribe to ourselves in attempting to purge from ourselves that which we know separates us from God.

Without moving towards being judgmental, but rather using discernment, we search for where we might find our Lord's hand in the things we see happening in the world around us.  All too often, we exhaust that search without finding anything edifying.  Riots in the streets.  Continued slaughter of innocents in abortion.  Murders rampant in our cities.  And instead of rational dialog on how to fix societal problems, we are confronted with a never-ending set of litanies by opposing political sides who only seem to vehemently blame the other.  All the while, we hold out hope for reconciliation, for justice, for peace, and for righteousness to prevail.

Saint Anthony the Great lived in the deserts of Egypt in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries.  He is known as "the father of monasticism", and he taught many to live the monastic life, developing a monastic rule by which many continue to this day to live such lives.  Within the writings of St. Anthony is one pearl that points to days such as these, and we should guard it with all the integrity that we can muster.  He said, "A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, 'You are mad; you are not like us.'"

Is this not the argument we might offer about the world around us today?  As Christians, we are accused of hating, of unrighteous exertion of "privilege", of being judgmental, of being hypocritical, of being all things anti-society.  Why are we so accused?

Is it not because we call sinful that which is sinful?  Is it not because we call the sick to enter the spiritual hospital (the Church) to be healed? 

The world refuses to use the word "sin".  In our spiritual and social relativism, anything goes, nothing is banned or called wrong or in error.  Saying that someone has fallen into sin is now officially defined as hate-speech in some places (just search the net for clergy jailed for hate-speech). 

The fact that we are seen by the world as being mad and not like them is a condition that we must use to engage this world.  We don't need to go any further than our Lord's own words as we consider the implications.  Jesus said, "If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you."  But what is the reason for this condition?  Jesus explains that, too.  "If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.....because they do not know Him Who sent Me." (John 15:18-21)

So back to the title - What are we supposed to do given these circumstances, that the world sees us as not belonging to it, and as a threat to its authority? 

We do what our Lord did.  We follow His divine example.  We love first.  We feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned.  We carry His love to the least of His brethren.  Matthew Chapter 25 is our call to action!

You will say, "But father, the people who are at odds with us aren't naked or homeless.  How does this apply?"

Let us reply to such thoughts with this.  Those whose stomachs are overflowing with food are still hungry for the truth.  Those who bathe in hour long showers and drink gallons of liquids daily are still thirsty for wisdom and understanding.  Those who have closets filled with fine apparel are still naked in understanding God's love for them, a love that could clothe them with His righteousness - if only they were open to it.  Those who live in houses from the most modest to the most ornate are still needing to find that eternal home in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Those who have the best body mass indexes, heart rates, and blood pressures are still infirm in spirit.  And those who are free to go anywhere and do anything are still imprisoned by beliefs that are designed to hide God's truth from their views - His love for them all equally, His free gift of salvation if only they choose to repent and embrace that gift.

This is why we are here, at this point in time.  Again, the Lord said, "the gates of Hades" shall not prevail against His Church until the time of His return (Mat 16:18).  Why us?  Why now?  God knows!  All I can tell you is that for His own reasons (and for our own salvation) He has placed us here in this place at this time, and has given to us the same charge to defend His Church that He has given to His disciples throughout the history of the Church.

If we are faithful to follow where He has already led, we will be found to be worthy of the calling of disciples.  But beware.  The Lord also issued a warning to us.  "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)

So be steadfast in faith.  Do not conform with the world around us.  We are not of this world, nor are we called to be anything except servants of our homeland (Heaven) while we sojourn within this world.  If we are found to be such, we retain hope that we might hear His voice at that last day saying to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant;  ....  Enter into the joy of your Lord." (Mat 25:23)

Prayer of the Optina Elders

Grant unto me, O Lord, that with peace of mind I may face all that this new day is to bring.
Grant unto me to dedicate myself completely to Your Holy Will.
For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in all things.
Whatsoever tidings I may receive during the day, teach me to accept tranquilly, in the firm conviction that all eventualities fulfill Your Holy Will.
Govern my thoughts and feelings in all I do and say.
When things unforeseen occur , let me not forget that all comes down from You.
Teach me to behave sincerely and rationally toward every member of my family, that I may bring confusion and sorrow to none.
Bestow upon me, my Lord, strength to endure the fatigue of the day, and to bear my part in all its passing events.
Guide my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to suffer, to forgive, and to love.
Amen

Morning Prayer of Metropolitan Philaret

[Ed:  Continuing in the path of offering prayers that might be edifying to our people, here's one from Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow.  Metropolitan Philaret was Metropolitan of Moscow from 1821 to 1867, and was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1995.  His feast day is celebrated on 19Nov.]

O Lord, grant that I may meet the coming day in peace.

Help me in all things to rely upon Your Holy Will.

In every hour of the day, reveal Your will to me.

Bless my dealings with all who surround me.

Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul,

and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all.

In all my deeds and words, guid my thoughts and feelings.

In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You.

Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarassing others.

Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day will all that it shall bring.

Direct my will.

Teach me to pray.

Pray Yourself in me.

Amen.