HOLY SILENCE

The happiness we perceive in this life is never permanent. It fleets and it fools. It is most often dependent on the actions of others. And it always seems to rely on various levels of pleasure and prosperity. The only real and lasting happiness is in the Lord. Seek Him and you will find a deeper contentment. As the great saint says: "Do not gravitate to the earth. All is corruptible; only the happiness beyond the grave is eternal, unchanging, true, and this happiness depends

"Do not fritter away the time given you for repentance. Do not rivet your eyes to the earth on which you are a momentary actor, on which you are an exile, on which by the mercy of God you are given a chance to change your mind and offer repentance for the avoidance of hell's eternal prisons and the eternal torment in them. Use the short spell of your pilgrimage on earth to acquire a haven of peace, a blessed refuge in eternity. Plead for the eternal possession by renouncing e

"Our mind is so darkened by the fall that unless we force ourselves to remember death we can completely forget about it. When we forget about death, then we begin to live on earth as if we were immortal, and we sacrifice all our activity to the world without concerning ourselves in the least either about the fearful transition to eternity or about our fate in eternity. Then we boldly and peremptorily override the commandments of Christ; then we commit all the vilest sins; the

"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). To be born from above means we must let down our barriers and allow the Father to continue the creating that He began in us long before our parents knew each other. To be born from above means we must let go our of our sins and allow the Son to continue the redeeming and recapitulating in us tha

"The body at work but the thought with God - such should be the state of a true Christian. "We should set in order our inner state as soon as we open our eyes each morning. In this same state of inner order we should keep ourselves all day, and in the evening warm and strengthen it and so fall asleep. It is a good thing to set limits to our personal affections, avoiding particular friendships, and making all our relationships with others of the same nature. When inner prayer

"May the Lord help you to be fully alive and to preserve sobriety. But do not forget the chief thing, to unite the attention and mind with your heart, and remain there unceasingly, before the Lord. Every effort that you make in prayer must be directed towards this. Pray to the Lord, that He may give you this blessing: it is the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl beyond price." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Hidden Treasure." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timoth

"Be concentrated within yourself and try not to leave the heart, for the Lord is there. Seek this state and work for it. When you have attained it you will realize how precious it is." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Concentrated within yourself." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 194. #StTheophantheRecluse #Lord #God #Concentration #within #luminousdarkness #MeditativePrayer #meditation #secretmeditation #prayer

The Transfiguration of Jesus can be found in Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36, John 1:14, and 2 Peter 1:16–18. In these accounts, Jesus and three of his apostles, Peter, James, and John, go to Mt. Tabor. There Jesus radiates light, revealing His divinity, while Moses (the lawgiver) and Elijah (the prophet) appear on either side of Him. Then, "... a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice tha

Forgive me, O Lord, for wanting to hear you. Forgive me, O Lord, for desiring to see you. Forgive me, O Lord, for yearning to feel you. Though I know 'I am not worthy to untie your sandal' (cf. John 1:27), how can I stop? My ears give heed to Your whisper. My eyes squint for Your glimmer. My heart casts about for Your warmth. #StJohntheEvangelist #Lord #luminousdarkness #MeditativePrayer #secretmeditation #Forgiveness #Sin #Love #Loneliness

Our modern culture seems to have an obsession with the macabre, but a serious aversion to understanding the dynamic link between life and death, especially the deeper interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit in the context of salvation. Thus, it comes as little surprise that many people avoid discussions about, let alone enjoin themselves in prayers involving their own death. Below is a vocal prayer that can aid you in talking with God about wanting to follow His will in