Cheese fare week

 

 

 

 

Divine Liturgy each Sunday at 10 AM in St. John Chapel in the rectory at 325 Willow Creek In Palmer

Phone 972 268 6306



Joel 2:12 - 26 
Joel 3:12 - 21

ISASaint Isidore of Pelusium lived during the fourth-fifth centuries. He was a native of Alexandria, and was raised among pious Christians.He was the son of eminent parents and a kinsman of the Patriarchs of Alexandria Theophilus and Cyril. He was a native of Alexae world and withdrew to Egypt to Mount Pelusium, which became the site of his monastic efforts. Completing his secular studies, he renounced his riches and worldly standing and gave himself wholly to the spiritual life for the love of Christ.
He was a great and ardent interpreter and defender of the Orthodox faith. St Isidore's spiritual wisdom and strict asceticism, combined with his broad learning and innate knowledge of the human soul, enabled him to win the respect and love of his fellow monks in a short time. They chose him as their head and had him ordained a priest (The earliest sources for his life, however, say nothing of him being an igumen).
The historian Nicephorus states that St Isidore wrote more than 10,000 letters to various people, in which he reprimanded one, advised another, consoled a third, instructed a fourth. `It is more important to be proficient in good works than in golden-tongued preaching', he writes in one letter. In another, he says: `If a man wishes his virtues to appear great, let him regard them as small and then they will be truly shown to be great.'    The first and fundamental rule for Isidore was: first do and then teach, after the example of the Lord Jesus. He was a teacher and a willingly provided counsel for anyone who turned to him for spiritual encouragement, whether it was a simple man, a dignitary, a bishop, the Patriarch of Alexandria, or even the emperor. He left behind about 10,000 letters, of which 2,090 have survived. A large portion of these letters reveal profound theological thought and contain morally edifying interpretations of Holy Scripture. St Photius (February 6) calls Isidore a model of priestly and ascetical life, and also a master of style. At a time when St John Chrysostom was undergoing persecution and the whole world was divided into two camps, one for and one against this great pillar of Orthodoxy, St Isidore stood on the side of Chrysostom. He wrote to Patriarch Theophilus, saying what a great light Chrysostom was in the Church and begging that the hatred of him should cease. He lived long and laboured greatly, glorifying Christ the Lord in his life and his writings, and entered into the Kingdom of Christ in about 450.

 

 

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holy doors

Ikonostcis at Christ of the Hills Monastery

 

etna

Return to the Father

Our Lord came into this world in the flesh to salvage His treasured creation. That which He loved was strayed and was in danger of being lost to the evil one. He came and taught, telling all who listened what they must do to have eternal live in happiness in heaven with Him. Thus He gave us a means by which we could return to the Father. As we enter a period in which we can return to the Father; a repentence and turn back to Our Lord from which we have wandered during the year that we can appear before Him on the glorious day of His ressurrection. As we saw in the parable of the Progul Son, even though we have turned away from Him, He and all of Heaven are joyful over our return. You have only to seek and He will forgive all the evil we have done. 

     February 22, 2012  Wednesday
tabernacle

 

 

Allah?

In the Gospel story of  when Our Lord entered the a city as the dead only son of a widowed woman was being carried out His compassion was so great that He did not even demand that they sin no more or ask if they were sorry for their sins. He spent His time with us in the flesh demonstrating what He expects of us and always encompasses great compassion.
We in America are the most gullible and perhaps the dumbest of all creatures. While He did say we should love our enemies He did not say sleep with them. Yet Americans seem to do that well. They knew that the Japs were sending a great armada to attack and had been hunting for that armada throughout the Pacific. Still we were trying to have a chat with the emperor and pulled our whole fleet into harbor and gave the U.S. defense leave. It cost about 3000 American lives. Again at 911 we having invited Satans workers to make a home in our lush lands, and even though they said “we have to kill you” we welcomed them, (and stupidly still do) to enjoy our world. Thus another strike killing about 3000 of us. Compassion goes just so far. He did not in any version of the Gospel invite Satan to join Him in Paradise. There can be no question that the moslems are Satan worshippers. They say that there is one and only god and that is Allah, not Allah al abi, al wal’ibni, al Warruhil Qudus (Father, Son. Holy Spirit). Rather a god who orders his followers to kill all who do not agree with him. Who else can that god be but Satan and "Mohamed is his prophet!". Not a god of compassion and love for His creation.
Still Our Lord says we must love our enemy. Our Lord also says to His apostles " . . . but with God all things  are possible." Thus in loving our enemy we must show compassion. We are not empowered to touch their briar and raise them from the dead, but we can pray that they will see their error and seek forgiveness, if only in the eleventh hour. Don't sleep with them; pray for them!
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!c