Everyday martyrdom

We can be a martyr even without the bloodshed. Whenever we set aside our unhealthy desires and avoid the traps of iniquity, we are a martyr - witness to the power of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Birds are fooled, and the animals of the forest, by the very charms that bring their destruction. Caves as well as food deceive them. They do not know how to avoid evil, and they are not restrained by the law.

Law is given to humanity, and we choose a doctrine of life, from which we remember that it is possible to live carefully, and recall our own place, and get rid of things that cause death. 

Whoever abandons rule condemns himself severely: he will be bound with iron, or lose his position, or be executed - he loses what he ought to be enjoying.

We have been warned by example. Do not commit serious iniquities. We have been transformed in baptism; have charity, and run away from the bait of the mousetrap, where there is death.

Many martyrdoms are made without shedding blood, Not to covet the property of other people; to wish for the benefit of martyrdom; to control our tongue; to make ourselves humble; never to use force willingly or fight back when force is used against us - these things will give us a patient mind. And then, know that we are a martyr!

-Commodianus, Instructions, 48

Owning a Slave is no Measure of Worth

Riches ought to be used in a reasonable way, and it is necessary to overcome avarice and share them generously with others.

The love of beautiful objects must not become purely selfish.  If it does, we shall end up not knowing what the true beauty is like.  It would be sad indeed if people were to say to us: ‘Their land, their slaves and their capital assets are worth fifteen million, but they themselves are only worth three pennies.’

If you separate owners and slaves, you will see that the owners are not different from slaves.  In fact they are very like them.  If there is any difference, it is that the owners are weaker and more prone to illness than their slaves.

We must continually repeat those amazing words of the Lord: ‘Sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, where there are neither robbers nor rust.’ [cf. Matt. 19:21; 6:20]

The truly rich are not those who keep their riches to themselves but those who give to others.  Happiness comes not from possessing wealth but from giving it away.  Whatever is generously given away becomes a fruit of the soul.  It therefore becomes the soul’s wealth.

 

                                                                                                                     Clement of Alexandria
                                                                                                                    The Teacher, 3, 6 (PG8, 604)

For in [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

To be filled, something must first be empty, as anyone knows who has started to fill a water glass at table, gotten distracted by conversation, and gone on "filling" the glass when there was no empty space left for the water.  Saint Paul wrote elsewhere about the self-emptying of Christ.  What he calls to our attention here is the need for our own. We cannot share in the fullness of the deity that fills us as the Body of Christ unless we make room by emptying ourselves of anything that offers no space for God.  The words of Saint Paul call to mind the holy of holies, the room at the heart of the Jerusalem temple kept all but empty to receive God.  We sometimes build other rooms in our inmost self and furnish them for other gods.  The prophet Ezekiel described an "idol room" in the much desecrated Jerusalem temple of his day.  Do we have an idol room, where we keep all the false gods whom we honour with our obedience and our sacrifices?  Their name is legion: public opinion, unnecessary financial gain, self-satisfaction, pleasure, comforts of all sorts.  They are all demanding of our time, our attention, our energy.  We recognize them best when they decree that we have no time to pray, no time for Divine Liturgy, no time to do a kindness, no time to listen to the stories of our children or the aging laments of our parents, because we must be at the beck and call of a TV program, an exercise class, a golf game, overtime work to pay for things we do not need... we all know them.  There is room for only one God in the inner temple of the Christian self - the one "who is the head of every principality and power."  With his help, let us drive out that other crowd, with all its demands, so that our inner emptiness may be filled not with their clutter but with the fullness of God in which we share through Christ.

                                                      - Sister Genevieve Glen, O.S.B.

 

Remember that God, not Satan, is in control

     Some say that the demons control affairs on earth.  Not so, says St. John Chrysostom.  you're lucky God doesne't really let the deomons take over.

     The sun is not more obvious than the providence of God.  Nevertheless, some people dare to say that demons control our affairs.
     What can I say? You have a loving Master.  He chooses to be blasphemed by these words, rather than to hand your affairs over to the demons, and show you by real experience how demons govern.  Then you would really know how wicked they are by experiencing it yourself.
     But I can show you by a little example.  Certain men who were possessed by demons came out from the tombs to mee Christ, and the demons kept begging him to be allowed to enter the herd of swind.  And he allowed them, and they went away, and immediately drove them off a cliff (Mathew 8:28-34)
     Tha's how demons govern! And yet the swine weere of no real importance to them.  But with you there is always war without truce, and an implacable fight, and undying hatred.  And if they would not even allow creatures with whom they had nothing in common a brief breathing saping in time, what wouldn't they have done if they had got us into their power - us, their enemies, who are always stinging them? What incurable evil would they have accomplishedf?
     This is why God let them fall on that herd of swine: so that you could learn their wickedness from what they did to the bodies of irrational animals.  It's obvious to everyone that they would have done to the possessed what they did to the swine, irf the demoniacs in their very amdenes had not experienxcd the providence of God.  So now when you see a manb provoked by a demon, worship the Master.

                         -St. John Chrysostom, Homily 1 on the Power of demons, 6

IN GOD'S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
     Do I remember to thank God for his providence, even when I can't immediatelly see it in action?

CLOSING PRAYER
     fATHER, CRUSH sATAN, AND LET ALL YOUR ENEMIES BE SCATTERED, AND THOSE WHO HATE YOUR NAME BE PUT TO FLIGHT.

   

Starve Stan

Do you take the Lord's name in vain when things go badly?  Satan brings you troubles just to hear you blaspheme, says St John Chrystostom.  But He.s like a begging dog: if you do't throw hi any treats, he'll stop hanging around..

      There are some who, if they meet with any reverse, or are slandered by anyone, or if they fall into any bodily malady, a;ny pain in the foot or head, or any other diseae, immediately blaspheme.  In this way they endure the affliction, but are deprived of the beneift.

     What do you think you're doing, blaspheming against your benefactor and yourself into an abyss of utter destruction?  Nor do you make your suffereing lighter by balasphemingt but you increase it, and make your pain more severe.

     This is why the tempter brings so many misfortunes against you: so that he may lead you into that abyss.  And if he see you blaspheming, how easily does he increase the anguish and make it greater, so that, being afflicted, you may rebel sufferi9ng, the more giving thanks to God,he gives up at once,  sincere for the future he would attack you fruitlesly and in vain.

     Thus the tempter is like a dog waiting at the table.  If he see the man who is eating continually throwing to him some morsel or other from the sihes on the table, he waits patiently.  But if, having waited once or twice, he shold go away without anyting, he gives up for the future, because he has waited fruitlessly and in vain.  ou starve him, so to speak, and quickly drive him away and make him flee.

                                                   -St. John Chrysostom, Four Discourses, 3:7

IN GOD'S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

Have I fallen into habits of using bad language when things go wrong?

Have I made any sincere effort to change those habits?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, may your holy, precious, glorious name be blessed in all things and by all people.

 

Endure Temptation - it's God's training for you!

The devil makes use of temptation - the word means "testing" - to lure us to hell.  But God test us, says Dionysius, to train us for heaven.

     In general it seems true that it's not possible for anyone to keep from experiencing evil completely.  As someone says, "the whole world is in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19), and again, "their span is but toil aned tgrouble" (Psalm 90:10).

     But, you might ask, what's the difference between being tempted and falling or entering into temptation?

     Well, if ou're overcome by evil - and you will be overcome unless you struggle against it yourself, and unless God protects you with his shield - then you have entered into temptation.  You're in it; you're under its power like a prison.   But if you hold up and endure, then you certainly are tempted, but you haven't entered into temptation, or fallen into it.

     Thus Jesus was led by the Spirit, certainly not to enter into tempation, but to be tempted by the devil.  And again, Abraham did not enter into temptation, nor did God lead him into temptation, but he did tempt (that is, test) him; yet he did not drive him into temptation.  Moreover, the Lord himself tempted - that is, tested - the disciples.

     This the evil one, when he tempts us, pulls us into the temptations, because he deals himself with the temptations of evil,  But God, when he tests us, brings temptations or trials as one who is not tempted by evil.  For God, as it says, "cannot be tempted with evil" (James 1:13).  So the devil drives us on by force, pulling us toward destruction; but God leads us by the hand, training us for our salvation.

                                       -St. Dionysius of Alexandria, Gospel According to Luke 22:45-46

IN GOD'S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

What temptations will I probably face in the rest of the day?

How can I use those opportunities to get in shape for heaven?

CLOSING PRAYER

God who made the universe and everything in it, have mercy on me and wash away my sins, and save me in the time of trial.

Twelve Wise Sayings from the Book of Proverbs

1. Don't take advantage of the poor just bcos you can.



2. Don't make frenz with people who have hot, violent tempers.


3. Don't promise to be responsible for someone else's debt.


4. Never move an old boundary mark that your ancestors established.


5. Be wise enough not to wear yourself out trying to be rich.


6. Don't try to talk sense to a fool, he can't appreciate it.


7. Pay attention to your teacher and learn all you can.


8. Don't hesitate to discipline children, a good spanking won't kill them.


9. Don't be envious of sinful people, let reverence for the Lord be the concern of your life.


10. Don't be glad when your enemies meet disaster, nd don't rejoice when they stumble.


11. Listen to your father; without him you would not exist, when your mother is old, show her your appreciation.


12. Wise saying are too deep for stupid people to understand.


Always have faith in God and sing with me saying .................


The storm is over, the storm is over now...........