![]() I must say that I am not a part of the clergy, so I hope to primarily put forth quotations from the Gospel, Saints and Holy Fathers, and not my own opinions. " Excerpt from the Synodikon of the Sunday of Orthodoxy ( ) By the Grace of God, here are presented a few true stories of the Saints, sayings of the Holy Fathers, sacred icons, and many other things so that, maybe in a small way, we may remind ourselves that (though we might not be ready to accept it) Jesus Christ is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, and that the Holy Orthodox Church is full of Christ's GRACE and TRUTH, and is no less than the Kingdom of God on earth. T his is the faith of the Apostles this is the faith of the Fathers this is the faith of the Orthodox this faith makes fast the inhabited world. "A s the Prophets saw, as the Apostles taught, as the Church has received, as the Teachers express in dogma, as the inhabited world understands together with them, as grace illumines, as the truth makes clear, as error has been banished, as wisdom makes bold to declare, as Christ has assured, so we think, so we speak, so we preach, honouring Christ our true God, and his Saints, in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in icons, worshipping and revering the One as God and Lord, and honouring them because of their common Lord as those who are close to him and serve him, and making to them relative veneration. It might take a few days, and for some of us a few weeks, to get to that still point, but when you do you may just hear the whisper of the Spirit.Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages! Amen! Don’t worry about mental intrusions, acknowledge them and let them go, let the stillness of the winter’s day, enter into your life for just a moment. If you only take 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to sit and stare out the window at the white wonderland, over a cup of steaming coffee or tea, letting the days troubles take care of themselves for a few moments, you will find you are more centered within and able to cope. Yes being still is a problem, especially when you have an active family, or a job that provides our families with the things we use to survive. Such moments in our lives are sources of frustration and are filled with “have to’s” and need to’s.” I have been, we have been, given the opportunity to slow down and listen, for that quiet word of the Spirit being whispered to us every day, but too busy to listen for, rather than the lists in our heads. In the last 4 days I have sat and quieted my mind and stilled my heart but suddenly I am remembering something I have to do, only I can’t because I can’t get to where I need to be. The only way to become proficient at any Spiritual Practice is to “practice” that’s why it’s called a practice. Two of the most frequently asked questions about spiritual practices are “how do I quiet my mind and how do I stop fidgeting? These two questions are as old as meditation itself and all spiritual practices, and the only answer I’ve ever heard for either of them is to “there is no right way to do this except practice, keep doing them until you discover for yourself that which draws you into your deepest being.” My problem with this answer is it’s so vague, it could mean anything, but I also know that it is true and right. Amma Syncletica would tell me this is an opportunity to sit and listen for a word from God and I’m sure she would say quit wasting your opportunities! Here I am “stuck” in the house and brooding about when this stuff will melt. This week with all the snow and my inability to get out and about has reminded me of Amma Syncletica’s story. Earle The Desert Mothers, Spiritual Practices from the Women of the Wilderness, Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, NY, 2007, pg 22) There are moments when real boredom sets in and the temptation to leave the eggs and do something more interesting arises. ![]() ![]() For all we know, the mother bird has moments when it seems like nothing is happening. The life of faith looks like a mother bird brooding her eggs and waiting expectantly for them to hatch.
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