Thursday, September 18, 2014

Refashioned into that Ancient Beauty of Your Likeness

I recently discovered this beautiful canticle from the Funeral Service of the Greek Orthodox Church.  It contains so very many beautiful, poetic, and truth-filled phrases.

A chanting of the Memorial can be found on Youtube HERE

Memorial for the Dead
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

The Choir of the Saints has found the Fountain of Life, and the Door of Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance: the sheep that was lost am I; call me up to You, O Savior,and save me.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

You Who of old did fashion me out of nothingness, and with Your Image divine did honor me; but because of transgression of Your commandments did return me again to the earth where I was taken; lead me back to 
be refashioned into that ancient beauty of Your Likeness.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

Image am I of Your unutterable glory, though I bear the scars of my stumblings. Have compassion on me, the work of Your hands, O Sovereign Lord, and cleanse me through Your loving-kindness; and the homeland of my heart's desire bestow on me by making me a citizen of Paradise.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

Give rest, O God, unto Your servant, and appoint for him (her) a place in Paradise; where the choirs of the Saints, O Lord, and the just will shine forth like stars; to Your servant that is sleeping now do You give rest, overlooking all his (her) offenses.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
The Trinal Radiance of One Godhead with reverent song acclaiming let us cry; Holy are You, O Eternal Father, and Son also Eternal, and Spirit Divine; shine with Your light on us who with faith adore You; and from the fire eternal rescue us.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Hail, O Gracious Lady, that in the flesh bears God for salvation of all; and through whom the human race has found salvation: through You may we find Paradise, Theotokos, our Lady pure and blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia; Glory to You, O God.

With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of servant where there is not pain, nor any sorrow, nor any sighing, but Life everlasting.
Composed by St. John of Damascus

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Justice does not belong to the Christian way of life!


Sit amid lepers rather than amid the proud.
Be persecuted, but persecute not.
Be crucified, but crucify not.
Be wronged, but wrong not.
Be slandered, but slander not.
Have clemency, not zeal, with respect to evil.
Lay hold of goodness, not justice.
Justice does not belong to the Christian way of life, and there is no mention of it in Christ’s teaching. Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep; for this is the sign of limpid purity. Suffer with the sick, and mourn with sinners; with those who repent, rejoice.

~From Homily 51 of St. Isaac the Syrian
This a puzzling quote.  "Lay hold of goodness, not justice. Justice does not belong to the Christian way of life, and there is no mention of it in Christ’s teaching."  I am familiar with "mercy triumphs over judgment."How does this square up with all the justice talk that has saturated the Church.  Perhaps we are entirely misguided in using justice talk.   I know this, that if I have to face the justice of the Judge, I am lost.  I can only plead "Mercy."  What if we were to have "Goodness Camps" instead of Justice Camps.  What would that look like?  Or a 'Mercy Camp?'

O Lord, send Thy grace to my help, that I may glorify Thy holy name… O Lord my God, even though I have done nothing good in Thy sight, yet grant me by Thy grace to make a good beginning. O Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Thy grace. O Lord of Heaven and Earth, remember me Thy sinful servant, shameful and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen

St. John Chrysostom, from evening prayers
Both quotes are from the blog Nothing but Orthodoxy

Lord have Mercy,  Brian+