+About Monastic Holy Orders: a basic
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+Orthodox Order of Friars Minor (OOFM)
+Servants (In Service) to Christ (SC)
Thoughts and Reflection for the week of Saturday 25 December (16 Kiahk)
From Rev. Father Dimitri Ross
St.Herman Wonderworker of Alaska Righteous Gideon the
Judge.
Mary gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger.
(Luke 2:7)
CONSIDER THIS:
Let my heart be blamesless regarding Your statutes, that I may not be ashamed. (Psa.119:80)
Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Lord I hope for Your Salvation, and I do Your commandments. My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. (Psa.119:165-167)
A person who wears Christ once said: the silence of the quiet is a prayer, for his thoughts are Godly beacons. The beacon of a pure mind contains silent talks by which those people sing in an unseen way to the unseen God. (Isaac the Syrian)
Someone who tals too much will earn dislike, and someone who usurps authority will earn hatred. (Sirach 20:8)
GIVE TO A PERSON THAT WHICH IS HIS PROPERTY AND DO NOT
WITHHOLD IT, YOU WILL BE CURSED OTHERWISE.
(Anon)
REFLECTION:
The One who is seated on the Throne of Heaven is laid in a stable. A God who is
beyond access is touched by the hands of Human Beings. Heavenly Father, let us
welcome Your Son as our Redeemer now. Then help us to go to meet Him with
confidence when He comes to be our Judge at the last trump.
(St.John Chrysostom)
HOMILY:
PRIESTHOOD.
'Thou art a priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek.'
(Psa.109:4; Heb.7:17)
Oh, how many, many hidden and faithful servants does the Lord
have, serving Him day and night! Oh, howmany shining comets are seen by men to
pass across the starry sky, then turn pale and vanish in the vastness of the
universe, leaving that moment's sighting behind them! Righteous Abraham, with
his descendants, is like the familiar starry sky above our heads, but
Melchizedek is like a shining comet which appeared of a sudden, was bowed down
to the starry sky, and was hidden again in the unknown.
Who is this Melchizedek? 'Kingof Salem......preist of the most high
God!'(Gen.14:18). He brought bread and wine to Abraham; he blessed Abraham and
Abraham gave him a tenth of all that was his. Abraham is greatly blessed by God,
how much more blessed is he that blesses Abraham! Oh, the unfathomable depths of
God's prescience!
A man's thought may stretch from today to tomorrow, but God penetrates to the
very end of time. According to the word of holy Apostle Paul (Heb.7),
Melchizedek prefigured our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Abraham was a wonderful
and Godly peasant, but Melchizedek was both priest and king, as is Our Lord
Himself.Melchizedek offered Abraham bread and wine, and the Lord offers the
whole of the human race His Body and Blood.
Abraham bowed dow to Melchizedek and gave him willing tribute (Tithe). Abraham's
true descendants, the Christians, bow down to the Lord and offer Him willing
sacrifice in gratitude for His gift, the gift of His body and blood upon the
cross. For who shall declare His generation--and this refers to Christ as much
as to Melchizedek:'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My Day; and he saw it,
and was glad.'(Jn.8:56).
Thus spake the Lord to the Jews. How did he see it? In his
spirit. God disclosed it to him, and he saw the prefiguration of Christ, the
glorious Melchizedek, king and priest and servant of the Most High God.
O Lord Jesus, bless Thou us as Thou didst bless Thy faithful servants
Melchizedek
and Abraham. To Thee be glory and praise, now and ever, unto Ages of Ages.AMEN!
(Copyright DR)
TO PONDER:
Let us ponder on Noah's blessing of two of his children and his cursing of the
other. (Gen.9) How Ham disclosed his father's nakedness but Shem and Japeth
covered it. How Noah pronounced a blessing upon Shem and Japeth, but a curse
upon the descendants of Ham.
Todays Readings:
Psalms 46:1-7; 146:1-5; 78:5; 135:5.
Acts 15:13-21; Gal.1:1-19; James 1:1-12.
Mark 1:16-22; Matt.4:18-22; Mark 10:35-45.
+About Monastic Holy Orders: a basic
+Society of St. Jude Thaddeus (SSJt.)
+Orthodox Order of Friars Minor (OOFM)
+Servants (In Service) to Christ (SC)
Twenty First Century Desert Fathers
Lines of Apostolic Succession of His Eminence
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