+ TODAY:
👉 Fasting: No meat, fish, dairy, oil, wine
👉 6:00 PM - Vespers / No Bible Study
+ TOMORROW: Thursday
👉 Fasting Free
👉 No Church Activities
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🛐 Your Daily Theoria (Contemplation)
📖 Your Daily Scripture
❤️ Your Daily Psalter Reading (Septuagint - LXX)
🙇🏽 Your Daily Orthodox Saints & Prayers
🙏 Your Daily Orthodox Prayer Rule (Prayer List)
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🛐 YOUR DAILY THEORIA
WEDNESDAY - St. Theophan the Recluse
❤️ STRUGGLING WITH THE PASSIONS
I Cor. 10:12-22; Matt. 16:20-24
When the Holy Apostles confessed the Savior to be the Son of God, He said that “He must ... suffer ... and be killed” (Matt.
16:21).
The work had ripened, and it remained only to complete it through His death on the Cross. The same thing occurs in the course of a Christian's moral progress.
While he is struggling against his passions, the enemy still hopes somehow to tempt him. But when the passions have calmed down and the enemy no longer has enough power to awaken them, he presents external temptations of all sorts, such as slanders, and, moreover, of the most sensitive kind. He aims to give rise to the thought, "So what did you work and struggle for? No good will come of it for you.”
But when the enemy thus prepares a war from without, the Lord sends down the spirit of patience to His struggler, thereby preparing a lively readiness in his heart for all sorts of suffering and hostility, before the enemy has time to stir up trouble.
Just as the Lord said about Himself that He must suffer, so spiritual strugglers also feel a sort of thirst for sorrows. And when suffering and hostility come, they meet them with joy, and drink them in like a thirsty man drinks cooling water.
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📖 YOUR DAILY SCRIPTURE- “Let us attend!!”
1 Corinthians 10:12-22
DIVINE GRACE FOR TEMPTATION & THE PASSIONS
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?
20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.
22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
Matthew 16:20-24
TAKING UP THE CROSS & CONFRONTING THE PASSIONS
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
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❤️ YOUR DAILY PSALTER (Septuagint - LXX)
PSALM 50 (7-10)
REPENTANCE OF SIN & CLEANSING OF THE PASSIONS
7 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
8 Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.
9 Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.
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🙇🏽 TODAY’S SAINTS - VENERATION & PRAYER
(Click link in Facebook comments to read about each Saint)
+ To Your Own Patron Saint in the Heavenly Realms (to intercede for you).
~ Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel.
~ Venerable Stephen of St. Sabbas' Monastery (794).
~ St. Julian, bishop of Cenomanis (Le Mans) in Gaul (1st c.).
~ Martyr Serapion, under Severus (193).
~ Martyr Marcian of Iconium (258).
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🙏 MORNING ORTHODOX PRAYERS
(Pray aloud standing before home Icon Corner)
Having risen from sleep, before any other action, stand reverently, considering thyself to be in the presence of the All-seeing God, and, having made the sign of the Cross, say:
In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then pause a moment, until all thy senses are calmed and thy thoughts forsake all things earthly; and then make three bows, saying: the Prayer of the Publican:
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
The Beginning Prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Thrice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.
O Lord, be gracious unto our sins.
O Master, pardon our iniquities.
O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. 3X
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Troparia to the Holy Trinity:
Having risen from sleep, we fall down before Thee, O Good One, and the angelic hymn we cry aloud to Thee, O Mighty One: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou. O God; through the Theotokos, have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
From bed and sleep hast Thou raised me up, O Lord: enlighten my mind and heart and open my lips that I may hymn Thee, O Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos, have mercy on us.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Suddenly the judge shall come, and the deeds of each shall be laid bare; but with fear do we cry at midnight: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy. 12X
Prayer of Saint Basil the Great to the Most Holy Trinity:
As I rise from sleep, I thank Thee, O Holy Trinity, for through Thy great goodness and patience Thou wast not angry with me, an idler and sinner, nor hast Thou destroyed me with mine iniquities, but hast shown Thy usual love for mankind; and when I was prostrate in despair, Thou hast raised me up to keep the morning watch and glorify Thy power. And now enlighten my mind’s eye, and open my mouth that I may meditate on Thy words, and understand Thy commandments, and do Thy will, and hymn Thee in heartfelt confession, and sing praises to Thine all-holy name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come let us worship God our King.
O come let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and God.
O come let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.
Psalm 50:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness.
O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.
A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise.
Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
The Symbol of the Orthodox Faith:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Chris, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages.
Light of Light; true God of true God, begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father by Whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried; And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father.
And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life; Who proceedeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord have mercy. 3X
O Lord, bless.
The Dismissal:
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother, the God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
(Click link for additional sections of prayers.)
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YOUR DAILY PERSONAL PRAYERS
~ Applying Today’s Scriptures
~ Repentance / Humility
~ Prepare for Confession
~ Your Family Members
~ Parish Family Members
~ Parish Fathers, Priests, & Families
> Fr. John and Popidia Juliana
> Fr. Michael and Deaconesa Rebecca
> Fr. Stevan and Matushka Margaret
~ Catechumen / New Seekers
~ Newly Illumined
~ Parish Leaders / Staff / Board
~ Others …
