Per Gloriam Nominis Tui
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By Ensemble Organum, from "Chant Mozarabe Cathédrale de Tolède (XVe
siècle)." This piece was sung in the Mozarabic liturgy during solemn
feastdays, as the...
WHY STUDY THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES?
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*Signs of the Times*
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*By Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose*
THE SUBJECT of this talk is watching for the signs of the times. First of
all, we have to kn...
An answer to a Metropolitan's strange sermon
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A pious and humble Metropolitan of one of the jurisdictions of the True
Orthodox Church of Greece, who will remain nameless, wrote a very disturbing
essay ...
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Luke 7:31-35
And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.
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HOLY MARTYRS EULAMPIUS AND HIS SISTER EULAMPIA
ST PATRICIAN, HIERARCH
Troparion of the Martyrs Tone 1
United by natural bonds/ you were of one soul and steadfast in contest,/ as divine kinsmen, Eulampius and Eulampia./ Since you have received crowns of honour save us by your prayers.
Troparion of St Patrician Tone 1
Driven from the See in Strathclyde by the Saxon hordes,/ thou wast sheltered by the Manx people/ to whom thou didst preach the life-giving Gospel of Christ,/ O Hierarch Patrician./ In thy patience and love for all, remember those who now cry to thee/ and beseech Christ our God that He will save our souls.
Kontakion of the Martyrs Tone 3
We honour the noble martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia,/ brother and sister according to the flesh./ They have put to shame the wiles of the enemy/ through the power of Christ the Crucified.
But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
Luke 6:46-7:1
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
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ST PELAGIA THE PENITENT
ST KEYNE, VIRGIN
Troparion of St Pelagia Tone 4
Like a fragrant rose growing from thorns/ thou wast shown to the Church through thy virtuous deeds/ and wast a source of joy for the faithful./ Thou didst offer thy life in sweet-smelling fragrance to Him Who made thee wonderful./ Entreat Him to save us from every passion, O righteous Pelagia.
Troparion of St Keyne Tone 8
Having turned serpents to stone, thou didst give thy name to Keynsham, O holy Keyne,/ and after thy life, resplendent with miracles,/ our Father Cadoc ministered to thee at thy repose./ By thy prayers, O Virgin, may we be granted great mercy.
Kontakion of St Pelagia Tone 2
Thou didst wear out thy body with fasts, vigils and prayers/ and pray thy Creator for total forgiveness./ This thou didst obtain/ and dost show us the way to repentance,/ O holy Mother Pelagia.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
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HOLY AND GLORIOUS APOSTLE THOMAS
ST LALLUWY, VIRGIN
Troparion of St Thomas Tone 2
Thou wast a disciple of Christ and one of the Twelve,/ and by thy unbelief didst proclaim Christ's Resurrection./ By touch thou wast assured of His holy Passion,/ O glorious Apostle Thomas./ Pray to Him to grant us peace and mercy.
Troparion of St Lalluwy Tone 8
To this day Menheniot's sacred well witnesses to thy virtue, O Pius Lalluwy./ As thou didst call forth a stream of living water from the earth,/ we pray thee, entreat Christ our God to pour forth for us/ the saving waters of eternal life.
Kontakion of St Thomas Tone 4
The grace-filled Apostle and true servant of Christ/ cried out in repentance:/ Thou art my Lord and my God.
Luke 6:24-30
But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.