Η ΝΟΕΡΑ ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ - JESUS PRAYER

Ορθοδοξια - Γεροντας Εφραιμ

Why Do We Feel Empty At Times - Constantine Zalalas

Τόν ταπεινό «ὑψώνει» καί δοξάζει ὁ Θεός

Ποιος έχει δει άνθρωπο πού να λάμπει με τίς αρετές του, αλλά να φαίνεται ευκαταφρόνητος στους ανθρώπους; Πού ή ζωή του να είναι φωτεινή και να είναι σοφός στη γνώση, αλλά να έχει ταπεινό φρόνημα; Μακάριος είναι όποιος κατά Θεόν ταπεινώνει τον εαυτό του σε όλες τίς περιστάσεις και μπροστά σε όλους τους ανθρώπους, γιατί αυτός θα δοξαστεί γιατί ένας τέτοιος άνθρωπος, πού ταπεινώνει τον εαυτό του και τον μικραίνει, από το Θεό δοξάζεται. Και αν κανείς υπομένει και πείνα και δίψα για την αγάπη του Θεού, όπως οί Απόστολοι και οί Μάρτυρες, θα τον μεθύσει ό Θεός με τα επουράνια αγαθά του.
Και όποιος δεν έχει να ντυθεί για την αγάπη του Θεού, τον ντύνει ό Θεός με τη στολή της αφθαρσίας και της δόξας.

Και όποιος ζει στη φτώχεια για την αγάπη του Θεού, ό Θεός τον παρηγορεί με τον αληθινό του πλούτο. Ταπείνωσε τον εαυτό σου για την αγάπη του Θεού, όπως ό Κύριος και οί Άγιοι, και χωρίς να το καταλάβεις θα δοξαστείς πολύ σε όλη σου τη ζωή. Να θεωρείς τον εαυτό σου αμαρτωλό, για να είναι δίκαιη όλη ή ζωή σου. Μη φανερώνεις τη σοφία σου, για να μην υψηλοφρονήσεις, και μη κάνεις το σοφό, ενώ είσαι αμαθής. Και εάν τον αφελή και τον αμαθή η ταπείνωσή του τον υψώνει, πόσης άραγε τιμής θα γίνει πρόξενος (η ταπείνωση) για τους μεγάλους και σπουδαίους ανθρώπους;

Να φεύγεις μακριά από την κενοδοξία, και θα δοξαστείς. Να φοβάσαι την υπερηφάνεια, και θα θεωρείσαι σπουδαίος. Ή κενοδοξία δε δόθηκε στους ανθρώπους από το Θεό, ούτε η υψηλοφροσύνη στις γυναίκες. Αν με τη θέλησή σου απαρνήθηκες, μοναχέ, όλα τα κοσμικά πράγματα, για τιποτένιο πράγμα σε καμιά περίπτωση να μη φιλονικήσεις. Αν σιχάθηκες την κενοδοξία, φεύγε μακριά άπ’ αυτούς πού την κυνηγούν. Να αποφεύγεις αυτούς πού αγαπούν τίς περιουσίες και να μη ζητάς αλλά αποκτήματα.

Να συναναστρέφεσαι με αυτούς πού έχουν ταπείνωση, και θα μάθεις και συ τους τρόπους τους. Γιατί αν το να βλέπεις τους ταπεινούς είναι ωφέλιμο, πόσο μάλλον ή διδασκαλία τους.

Να τιμάς τον πλησίον σου Πίεσε τον εαυτό σου, όταν συναντήσεις ένα άλλον άνθρωπο, να τον τιμήσεις πάνω από την αξία του. Φίλησε του τα χέρια και τα πόδια, και κράτησε τα χέρια του με πολλή τιμή και βάλε τα στα μάτια σου, και παίνεψε τον και γι’ αυτά πού δεν έχει. Και όταν αποχωρισθεί από σένα, πες γι’ αυτόν ότι καλό και σπουδαίο γιατί με αυτό τον τρόπο, ή με παρόμοιους τρόπους, τον προσελκύεις στο καλό, και τον αναγκάζεις να ντρέπεται για τα καλά λόγια πού του απηύθυνες. Και σπέρνεις μέσα του σπέρματα αρετής. Κι όσο για σένα, από μια τέτοια συνήθεια πού αποκτάς με τον καιρό, τυπώνεται μέσα σου αγαθός χαρακτήρας, και αποκτάς πολλή ταπείνωση, και χωρίς κόπο κατορθώνεις μεγάλες αρετές. Κι όχι μόνο αυτό, αλλά κι αν έχει αυτός κάποια ελαττώματα, καθώς εσύ τον τιμάς, με ευχαρίστηση δέχεται εκ μέρους σου τη θεραπεία από συστολή για την τιμή πού του απέδωσες.

ΆΓΙΟΥ ΙΣΑΑΚ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΡΟΥ

Value of Holy Water

During this time many Orthodox Christian will take from the Church bottles of Holy water to be used throughout the year.  It is common for the priest to come to the home during this period to bless the home with Water that has been consecrated on the day of Theophany.  Here are some thoughts on the value of Holy Water by Saint John of San Francisco.

On Theophany, the Day of the Lord's Baptism, every year a great miracle is performed. The Holy Spirit, coming down upon the water, changes its natural properties. It becomes incorrupt, not spoiling, remaining transparent and fresh for many years. This Holy Water receives the grace to heal illnesses, to drive away demons and every evil power, to preserve people and their dwellings from every danger, to sanctify various objects whether for church or home use. Therefore, Orthodox Christians with reverence drink Holy Water — a great Agiasma (holy thing), as the Greeks call it.

One should always have at home enough Theophany water to last the whole year, and make use of it at every need: in cases of illness, leaving on a journey, whenever one is upset, students prior to examinations, etc. People who drink a little Holy Water daily, before eating any kind of food, do well. It strengthens the powers of our soul—if it is done with prayer and reverence, and one does not merely expect a mechanical result from it.

Blessing of Homes

Why we bless our homes

We, as Christians, are engaged in a struggle to reclaim fallen nature for the Kingdom of God. We often talk about this in terms of our own salvation, but the Church, addressing all of creation in a wholistic manner, also reaches out and reclaims a bit here and a bit there of creation in general. We do this in order that we might restore the usefulness of creation for working out our own salvation. Hence we bless anything that might help us in our salvation - and by blessing it we reclaim it for the Kingdom of God.
There are few things more vital to our lives than our homes. In our homes we pray, we work, we talk to others, we order our lives, we work out our marriages, etc. What more important place to reclaim for the Kingdom of God - or is it better to continue living in a place which is occupied by the enemy. For the most effective working out of our salvation, we must drive the enemy out of our homes, and keep him at bay by our prayers, our righteous life, and the annual sprinkling by Holy Water at Theophany. Source: http://www.orthodox.net/articles/whybless.html

OrthodoxWiki on Blessing the Home

Sanctification of the home
The sanctification of the home takes place with prayer and the sprinkling of holy water. The priest, at this annual visit, asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill if with every blessing. Everyone of the house, prays together for the living and the dead of the family, and all who live and have lived in the house. They all sing the hymn of salvation and process from room to room while the priest blesses the house.

Preparation
Traditions of the ceremony differ according to local custom, but these general guidelines should are observed:
A candle with an icon and some holy water should be placed in a suitable place, such as kitchen or dining room table, or a home altar.
Also, a list of first names for whom prayers are to be offered, including members of the family and all those living in the house. The list should have a clear distinction between the living an the dead.
If it is the practice to give the priest a gift, it should not be placed with the holy objects on the table. It can be prepared in advanced, but given at the conclusion of the service.

The ceremony
When the priest comes, all who are present in the house should gather around the icon with the candle. They should, if they are able to join in, say theTrisagion Prayers and sing of the Troparion of the Feast of Epiphany. Then a family member leads the priest through the house with the candle. As he goes, he sprinkles holy water, and prays for a blessing upon each room and the activity that goes on there. When they have gone through the entire house, the family gathers again around the table and the priest blesses each person present.

Prayer for Blessing of Homes Priest: Blessed is our God always, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Reader:
Amen. Trisagion Prayer. All Holy Trinity ... Our Father. (see page 32).

Priest:
For Yours is the Kingdom. . . Amen. Troparion, Tone I
When You in Jordan for Your baptism were come, O Lord, then was revealed unto us to worship the Trinity, for lo, the Father's voice spoke to bear witness of You, by Name, declaring You His well-beloved Son; and the Spirit in form like a dove appeared to confirm the sure truth of the spoken Word; O Lord made manifest and light of the world, we give glory to You, O Christ our God.
Priest:
Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
O God our Savior, the True Light, Who was baptized *in the Jordan by the Prophet John, and Who did deign to enter under the roof-tree of Zacchaeus, bringing salvation unto him and unto his house: do You, the same Lord, keep safe also from harm those who dwell herein; grant to them Your blessing, purification and bodily health, and all their petitions that are unto salvation and Life everlasting; for blessed are You, as also Your Father Who is from everlasting, and Your All; Holy, Good and Life; creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
And the Priest shall bless the whole house with Holy Water, saying:
When You in Jordan ...
Apolysis
May He Who condescended to be baptized in the river Jordan by the Forerunner and Prophet John, for our salvation, through the intercessions of His immaculate Mother, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is our good and loving Lord.
The Priest proclaims:
Grant, O Lord, a prosperous and peaceful life, health and salvation, and the furtherance of all good things to all Your servants (Names)who dwell herein, and preserve them for many years.
Reader: Many years! (3)

Source: http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/liturgical_texts/home_bless.asp

Homily on Marriage pt 1- Mystery of Marriage- Constantine Zalalas