#St. Gregory of Nazianzus

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (January 3)

St. Gregory was a Doctor of the Church, born at Arianzus in Asia Minor, probably in 325, and died in 389.

He was the son of Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus (329-374.)

After his baptism at age 30, Gregory joined his friend Basil in a newly founded monastery.

At 41, Gregory was chosen suffragan bishop of Caesarea.

Like his good friend, St. Basil, he had a hard time fighting against Aryanism and opposing the then-Arian emperor, Valens.

It was in Constantinople where he tried to bring back Christians from Aryanism that he began giving the great sermons on the Trinity for which he is famous.

He was acclaimed simply as “The Theologian.”

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

The author ponders why Theosis seems so natural to the Greek mind, but so foreign to the Latin one. I don't know that he reaches any earthshattering conclusions, but I do know that the idea of Theosis really comes across as mysterious to most Western Christians I speak to. Especially some Pastors - particularly ones invested in some form of Penal Substitution soteriology.

[tonyburgessblog]

Quote Of The Day

We are not made for ourselves alone, we are made for the good of our fellow creatures. – St. Gregory Nazianzus

[orthodoxadventure]

“Today let us do honour to Christ’s baptism and celebrate this feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of Him who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more, the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received – though not in its fullness – a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen”

St Gregory of Nazianzus

[teary-prayer]

“Do not often go out of the doors of the house, to places of public revelry and indecent gatherings. There shame is stolen even from those who are otherwise ashamed, and there looks mingle with looks - this loss of shame is the beginning of all sinful passions.”

St. Gregory of Nazianzus

[hieromonkcharbel]

Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become gods because of Him, since He for us became man. He took upon Himself a low degree that He might give us a higher one. He became poor, so through His poverty we might become rich (II Cor. 8:9). He took upon Himself the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7) so we might be delivered from slavery (Rom. 8:21). He came down so we might rise up. He was tempted, so we might learn to overcome. He was despised so we might be given honor. He died so He might save us from death. He ascended to heaven so we who lie prone in sin may be lifted up to Him.

~St Gregory Nazianzus

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate our Venerable Father Gregory of Nazianzus, the Theologian. Saint Gregory received the best education available, at the University of Athens, where St Basil, his lifelong friend, and Julian, the future emperor, were fellow-students. In 359 AD he left Athens and became a monk, living a solitary life with St Basil at Pontus. After two years, St Gregory returned home to help his aging father manage his diocese. Against his wishes he was ordained a priest and then fled to St Basil for 10 weeks. He returned to his new duties and wrote an apologia, titled “Defence of the Flight to Pontos”, saying that no one can undertake to shepherd the spiritual flock without becoming a temple of the living God, “a habitation of Christ in the Spirit”. He also said, “It is necessary first to be purified, then to purify; to be made wise, then to make wise; to become light, then to enlighten; to approach God, then to bring others to Him; to be sanctified, then to sanctify”. This treatise became a classic on the nature and duties of the priesthood. After St Basil became Archbishop of Caesarea, he had St Gregory consecrated Bishop of Sasima, but St Gregory continued to help his father with his duties. Following the death of his father in 374 AD, St Gregory lived a solitary life in Seleucia until about 380 AD. After the death of the persecuting emperor Valens, peace returned to the Church, but Constantinople was dominated by Arians. Neighbouring Bishops sent for St Gregory to restore Constantinople’s Christian community. Protesting, he moved to Constantinople, where he preached his famous sermons on the Trinity. His reputation spread and his audience increased, but the Arians attacked him by slander, insults, and violence. He persisted in preaching the faith and doctrine of Nicea. In 381 AD, the Council of Constantinople proclaimed the conclusions of Nicea as authentic Christian doctrine. During the council, St Gregory was appointed Bishop of Constantinople and installed in the basilica of St Sophia. Opposition to him, however, continued. He resigned for the sake of peace after restoring Orthodoxy in the capital. (Continued) (at Cappadocia, Turkey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn0GviEBJKR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[troybeecham]

Today, the Church remembers St. Basil the Great.

Ora pro nobis.

Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (c. 329 AD – January 1 or 2, 379 AD), was the bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies in the early Christian Church, through voluminous writing, teaching, and preaching against the errors of both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea. His ability to balance his theological convictions with his political connections made Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene position.

In addition to his work as a theologian and bishop, Basil was known for his care of the poor and underprivileged, especially after a great famine arose during which he sold all that he had, distributed it to the poor, built a hospital, and personally cared for the plague victims. The hospital, called the Basileiad, was a house for the care of friendless strangers, the medical treatment of the sick poor, and the industrial training of the unskilled. Built in the suburbs, it attained such importance as to become practically the centre of a new city. It was the motherhouse of like institutions erected in other dioceses and stood as a constant reminder to the rich of their privilege of spending wealth in a truly Christian way. He lived and preached the social obligations of the wealthy so plainly and forcibly. St. Basil was a practical lover of Christian poverty, and even in his exalted position preserved that simplicity in food and clothing and that austerity of life for which he had been remarked at his first renunciation of the world.

Basil established guidelines for monastic life which focus on community life, liturgical prayer, and manual labor. Together with Pachomius, he is remembered as a father of communal monasticism in Eastern Christianity, and his writings were referenced by St. Benedict, the father of Western communal monasticism, in his monastic Rule.

Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa are collectively referred to as the Cappadocian Fathers. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches have given him, together with Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, the title of Great Hierarch. He is recognised as a Doctor of the Church in the Roman Catholic Church. He is sometimes referred to by the epithet Ouranophantor (Greek: Οὐρανοφάντωρ), "revealer of heavenly mysteries".

St. Basil died before the struggles to define catholic, orthodox Christianity were settled, due largely to the strictness of his ascetical manner of life, his tireless work in preaching, teaching, and writing, and from his ceaseless care for the poor.

Almighty God, you have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like your bishop Basil of Caesarea, we may continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, One God; for you live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Wednesday, August 14, 2024

august 1_august 14

Beginning of the Dormition Fast.

Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord (1164) (First of the three "Feasts of the Saviour" in August_ blessing of honey and poppy seeds).

THE SEVEN HOLY MACCABEAN MARTYRS: HABIM, ANTONIN, GURIAH, ELEAZAR, EUSEBON, HADIM (HALIM) AND MARCELLUS, THEIR MOTHER SOLOMONIA AND THEIR TEACHER ELEAZAR (166 BC)

The seven holy Maccabee martyrs Abim, Antonius, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonus, Alimus and Marcellus, their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar suffered in the year 166 before Christ under the impious Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This foolish ruler loved pagan and Hellenistic customs, and held Jewish customs in contempt. He did everything possible to turn people from the Law of Moses and from their covenant with God. He desecrated the Temple of the Lord, placed a statue of the pagan god Zeus there, and forced the Jews to worship it. Many people abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but there were also those who continued to believe that the Savior would come.

A ninety-year-old elder, the scribe and teacher Eleazar, was brought to trial for his faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. He suffered tortures and died at Jerusalem.

The disciples of Saint Eleazar, the seven Maccabee brothers and their mother Solomonia, also displayed great courage. They were brought to trial in Antioch by King Antiochus Epiphanes. They fearlessly acknowledged themselves as followers of the True God, and refused to eat pig’s flesh, which was forbidden by the Law.

The eldest brother acted as spokesman for the rest, saying that they preferred to die rather than break the Law. He was subjected to fierce tortures in sight of his brothers and their mother. His tongue was cut out, he was scalped, and his hands and feet were cut off. Then a cauldron and a large frying pan were heated, and the first brother was thrown into the frying pan, and he died.

The next five brothers were tortured one after the other. The seventh and youngest brother was the last one left alive. Antiochus suggested to Saint Solomonia to persuade the boy to obey him, so that her last son at least would be spared. Instead, the brave mother told him to imitate the courage of his brothers.

The child upbraided the king and was tortured even more cruelly than his brothers had been. After all her seven children had died, Saint Solomonia, stood over their bodies, raised up her hands in prayer to God and died.

The martyric death of the Maccabee brothers inspired Judas Maccabeus, and he led a revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes. With God’s help, he gained the victory, and then purified the Temple at Jerusalem. He also threw down the altars which the pagans had set up in the streets. All these events are related in the Second Book of Maccabees (Ch. 8-10).

Various Fathers of the Church preached sermons on the seven Maccabees, including Saint Cyprian of Carthage, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Saint Gregory Nazianzus and Saint John Chrysostom.

ST. NICHOLAS (KASSATKIN), ENLIGHTENER OF JAPAN (1912)

Saint Nicholas (Kasatkin) Equal of the Apostles, Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. Missionary, Founder of the Orthodox Church in Japan, honorary member of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. (Name Day: May 9).

Saint Nicholas (in the world John Kasatkin) was born on August 1,1836 in the village of Berezovsky Pogost, Belsky District, Smolensk Province into the family of a deacon. He graduated from the Belsk Theological School and the Smolensk Theological Seminary (1857). Among the best students he was recommended for the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, where he studied until 1860, when, at the personal request of Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg, he was given the post of rector of the church at the Russian consulate in the city of Hakodate (Japan), and was also awarded a Ph.D in Theology without having to submit an appropriate qualifying essay.

On June 23, 1860, he was tonsured by the rector of the Academy, Bishop Nektarios (Nadezhdin), and named for Saint Nicholas of Myra. On June 30 he was ordained a Hieromonk.

He arrived at Hakodate on July 2, 1861. During the first years of his stay in Japan, on his own he studied the Japanese language, culture and way of life.

The first Japanese person to convert to Orthodoxy, despite the fact that conversion to Christianity was forbidden by law, was the adopted son of a Shinto cleric, Takuma Sawabe, a former samurai who was baptized with two other Japanese in the spring of 1868.

During his half-century of service in Japan, Father Nicholas left only twice: in 1869-1870 and in 1879-1880. In 1870, through his intercession, a Russian ecclesiastical mission was opened in Japan with its center in Tokyo. On March 17, 1880, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was assigned as vicar of Reval, then vicar of the Diocese of Riga. He was consecrated as a Bishop on March 30, 1880, in Holy Trinity Cathedral at Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

In the course of his missionary work, Father Nicholas translated the Holy Scriptures and other liturgical books into Japanese; he established a theological seminary, six theological schools for girls and boys, a library, a shelter and other institutions. He published the Orthodox journal Church Herald in Japanese. According to his report to the Holy Synod, by the end of 1890 the Orthodox Church in Japan numbered 216 communities with 18,625 Christians in them.

On March 8, 1891, the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Tokyo, called Nikorai-do (ニコライ堂) by the Japanese, was consecrated. During the Russo-Japanese War, he remained with his flock in Japan, but did not take part in any public services. because according to the rite of worship (and the blessing of Japanese Christians to pray for their country's victory over Russia. Bishop Nicholas said: "Today, according to custom, I serve in the cathedral, but from now on I will no longer take part in the public services of our church... Hitherto I have prayed for the prosperity and peace of the Empire of Japan. Now, since war has been declared between Japan and my country, I, as a Russian subject, cannot pray for Japan's victory over my own homeland. I also have obligations to my country, and that is why I will be happy to see that you fulfill your duty in relation to your country."

When Russian prisoners of war began to arrive in Japan (their total number reached 73,000 people), Bishop Nicholas, with the consent of the Japanese government, formed the Society for the Spiritual Consolation of Prisoners of War. For their spiritual guidance, he selected five priests who spoke Russian. The prisoners were provided with icons and books. Vladyka repeatedly addressed them in writing (he himself was not allowed to see the prisoners).

On March 24, 1906, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Tokyo and All Japan. In the same year, the Kyoto Vicariate was founded. In 1911, when half a century of Saint Nicholas' s missionary work was completed, there were already 266 communities of the Japanese Orthodox Church, which included 33,017 Orthodox laymen.

Archbishop Nicholas, the Enlightener of Japan, fell asleep in the Lord on February 3, 1912 at the age of 76, After the Hierarch's repose, the Japanese Emperor Meiji personally gave permission for him to be buried within the city, at the Yanaka cemetery. In Japan, Saint Nicholas is revered as a great righteous man and a special intercessor before the Lord.

He was canonized on April 10, 1970, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate. A Service was composed for him by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod, and published in 1978.

Saint Nicholas is also commemorated on the Sunday before July 28 (Synaxis of the Smolensk Saints).

Source all text: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-2

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 Fo it is written: 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

JOHN 5:1-4

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4

For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

[silvestromedia]

Saint of the day August 05

ST. OSWALD St Oswald was martyred in England, at Maserfield, later named Oswestry in his memory. He was king of Northumbria and famous as a skilled warrior – but even more as a lover of peace. He worked strenuously to spread the faith, and was killed out of hatred for Christ while fighting against the pagans. Aug 5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_of_Northumbria

St. Abel, 751 A.D. Archbishop and Benedictine abbot. Abel was probably born in Ireland, and was a noted churchman, accompanying St. Boniface on his missions to the European Continent. He was chosen as archbishop of Reims by Pope St. Zachary, a nomination ratified by the Council of Soissons in 744. However, a usurper named Milo occupied the see and would not relinquish it. Abel retired to a monastery at Lobbes, and was installed as abbot. He died there in the "odor of sanctity." https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1072

St. Gormcal, 1016 A.D. An Irish abbot of Ardoilen Abbey, in Galway, Ireland. He participated in the monastic renaissance of that era.

St. Nouna, Roman Catholic wife of St. Gregory of Nazianzus. A Christian, she was responsible for converting Gregory to the Christian faith. He was originally a member of the Hypsistorians, a pagan group. All of their children became saints: Gregory Nazianzus the Younger, Caesarius of Nazianzus, and Gorgonius. Feastday Aug. 5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonna_of_Nazianzus#:~:text=Saint%20Nonna%20of%20Nazianzus%20was,in%20present%2Dday%20central%20Turkey.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINTS BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN Bishops Who Have Holy Friendship Goals Feast Day: January 2

The patriarch of the Eastern Monks, Basil the Great, was born in Caesarea, Cappadocia, Byzantine Empire (now present-day Turkey) in the year 330 AD.

Basil's studies in Athens were gladdened by his friendship with Gregory Nazianzen. According to tradition, they knew only the roads leading to the church and to the school, and their greatest honor was to bear the name of Christians. After some years of teaching, Basil withdrew into the desert, and was soon followed by a great number of disciples. In 370 AD, he was appointed bishop of Caesarea, where he fought against Arianism and the abuses of the clergy. In the time of famine, he could be seen wearing an apron and serving food to the hungry. He was called 'the Great' on account of his brilliant writings and homilies.

To the rich he said: 'Look at that ring shining on your finger. How many debtors could be released from prison with one of those rings? How many poor people could be clothed from only one of your robes?'

The Bishop of Constantinople, Gregory Nazianzen, was born in 329 AD in Arianzum, Cappadocia. His father, Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder, was for 45 years as bishop of Nazianzus.

Following the example of his best friend Basil, Gregory abandoned a promising teaching career to embrace the monastic and priestly life. In 375 AD, he was elected bishop of Constantinople, a city dominated for more than forty years (four decades) by the Arians. When he made his entrance into the city, Gregory was badly received by the people, because he was poorly dressed and bald. Later however, his brilliant sermons aroused their greatest admiration, and won for him the title of Theologian.

Worn by their austerities and hard work, Basil died in 379 AD at the age of 48, while Gregory died in 390 AD at the age of 60.

Many of St. Basil's writings and sermons, specifically on the topics on money and possessions, continue to challenge Christians today. Both Basil and Gregory, are both Doctors of the Church, Basil however, is the patron saint of monks, hospital administrators, poets and Russia.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (January 2)

St. Basil, one of the most distinguished Doctors of the Church and Bishop of Caesarea, was likely born in 329 and died on 1 January 379.

He ranks after Athanasius as a defender of the Oriental Church against the heresies of the fourth century, especially Arianism, which denied the divine nature of Jesus Christ. 

He was a strong supporter of the Nicene Creed.

With his friend, Gregory of Nazianzus and his brother, Gregory of Nyssa, he is part of the trio known as "The Three Cappadocians," of which he was the most important in practical genius and theological writings.

Basil resisted the pressure from Emperor Valens, an Arian himself, who wanted to keep him in silence and admit the heretics to communion. 

No wonder, when the great St. Athanasius died, the responsibility of being the defender of the faith against Aryanism fell upon Basil.

Seventy-two years after his death, the Council of Chalcedon described him as “the great Basil, minister of grace who has expounded the truth to the whole earth.”

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. - Ephesians 6:12 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: - Colossians 1:6 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.… - Hebrews 12:1-2 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” - Matthew 8:31

I find it odd that a professed Christian is willing to accept the "Magic Man in the Sky" concept while mocking the "principalities and powers of this world" as naïve. If you accept the one, the other must at least be plausible.

As an Adventist, I would expect an even greater sympathy for the unseen given that there's an elaborate "investigative judgement" as part of our soteriology to prove the righteousness of God to the universe/cosmos.

I think there are several threads of thought here that I'm trying to untangle.

The first is an overly materialist view of the Universe, an Atheistic Therapeutic Deism view of life. I have no idea what the person who wrote this article thinks heaven might be like, if he even believes in a heaven or if that idea slips into his category of superstitious fantasy. What about a bodily resurrection - realistic, or fantastic? What exactly does he think Christianity is if not acknowledging and engaging with the powers of light and darkness that surround us? Is all "demon possession" merely an imbalance of the humors, or perhaps, just "an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato"?

It's hard to say. He seems to be intellectually conflicted, and completely unsure as to what he believes.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. - James 1:8

Depending upon a man's disdain for the spiritual, this line of thinking could lead to a very narcissistic Theology. One that emphasizes embracing and enjoying modern materiality culture such as lust, ambition, and avarice over the spiritual fruits of the Spirit.

The second thread of thought here, after embracing materiality over spirituality, is the idea that the Bible can't be trusted.

Now, I've made it clear that I'm not necessarily a Sola Scriptura kind of guy, but that doesn't mean that I replace it with modern notions of critical scholarship that throws out what I don't like, and interprets the rest to conform to my biases, proclivities, and passions.

Big No.

I look to those who think and write in the oldest Christian traditions I can find. Some of them may actually be modern, but all have been immersed in the waters of an ancient Christian Orthodoxy that predates Luther and even Pope Leo IX.

Thinkers who write in a tradition that predates all the Christian Schisms in the West. St. Isaac the Syrian, St Athanasius the Great, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Anthony the Great - many of the desert fathers to be sure - St. Gregory of Nazianzus, St. Irenaeus, St. John Chrysostom, St. Symeon the New Theologian, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, among many, many others.

The truth is, if you believe in God, and in his angels, then you must also recognize that Satan and demons exist too. They are two sides of the same coin. To think otherwise is to assert that we live in the best of all possible worlds - because only God and his angels exist.

I contend that we do not, in fact, live in the best of all possible worlds.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy upon me, A Sinner.

[cpmbumba2020]

January 2 | Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Saints of the day quotes:

"Every evil is a sickness of soul, but virtue offers the cause of its health." - St. Basil the Great

“It is more important that we should remember God than that we should breathe: indeed, if one may say so, we should do nothing else besides.” - St. Gregory of Nazianzus

Photo and Caption by: Simon Tanjutco

[orthodoxadventure]

In the fourth century, a great Orthodox theologian, St. Gregory of Nazianzus (also called 'the Theologian') described our religion as 'suffering Orthodoxy' - and so it has been from the beginning, throughout the whole history of the Church. The followers of the crucified God have suffered persecution and tortures. Almost all the apostles died as martyrs, Peter being crucified upside down, and Andrew being crucified on an x-shaped cross. During the first three centuries of Christianity, believers fled to the catacombs and endured tremendous sufferings. It was in the catacombs that the Church's Divine services -- which we celebrate today in a form little changed since that time -- were worked out in an atmosphere of constant expectation of death. After the age of the catacombs there was the struggle to remain the purity of the Faith, when many teachers tried to substitute personal opinions for the Divinely revealed teachings given by our Lord Jesus Christ. In later centuries, there were the invasions of Orthodox countries by Arabs, Turks, other non-Christian people, and finally -- in our own days -- by Communists. Communism, which has persecuted religion as it has never been persecuted before, has attacked first of all precisely the Orthodox lands of Eastern Europe. As can be seen, therefore, our Faith actually is a suffering Faith; and in this suffering, something goes on which helps the heart to receive God's revelation.

-- God's Revelation to the Human Heart by Father Seraphim Rose

[friarmusings]

Unquenchable Desire

Today is the memorial for St. John Chrysostom, a bishop and doctor of the Church. He lived in the late 4th and early 5th centuries and is counted as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs of the Byzantine Church along with Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus. John garnered the moniker Chrysostom (“golden tongue”) because of his oratory skills. John also became quite popular because of his…