#she's righteous she's repentant she's a martyr

[bloodskinandteeth]

𝔒𝔩𝔶𝔪𝔭𝔦𝔞 — ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴛʏʀ

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading; Sunday, July 7, 2024

june 24_july 7

THE NATIVITY OF THE HOLY FORERUNNER AND BAPTIST OF THE LORD, JOHN

The Nativity of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John: The Gospel (Luke. 1: 5) relates that the righteous parents of Saint John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth (September 5), lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, Saint Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that Saint Zachariah would father a son, who would announce the Savior, the Messiah, awaited by the Old Testament Church. Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. He had doubts that in old age it was possible to have a son, and he asked for a sign. It was given to him, and it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. Zachariah was struck speechless until the time of the fulfillment of the archangel’s words.

Saint Elizabeth came to be with child, and fearing derision at being pregnant so late in life, she kept it secret for five months. Then her relative, the Virgin Mary, came to share with her Her own joy. Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” was the first to greet the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. Saint John leaped in his mother’s womb at the visit of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Son of God incarnate within Her.

Soon Saint Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and all the relatives and acquaintances rejoiced together with her. On the eighth day, in accordance with the Law of Moses, he was circumcised and was called John. Everyone was amazed, since no one in the family had this name. When they asked Saint Zachariah about this, he motioned for a tablet and wrote on it: “His name is John.” Immediately his tongue was loosed, and Saint Zachariah glorified God. He also prophesied about the Coming into the world of the Messiah, and of his own son John, the Forerunner of the Lord (Luke. 1: 68-79).

After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and the Magi, wicked king Herod gave orders to kill all male infants. Hearing about this, Saint Elizabeth fled into the wilderness and hid in a cave. Saint Zachariah was at Jerusalem and was doing his priestly service in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to him to find out the abode of the infant John and his mother. Zachariah answered that their whereabouts were unknown to him, and he was killed right there in the Temple. Righteous Elizabeth continued to live in the wilderness with her son and she died there. The child John, protected by an angel, dwelt in the wilderness until the time when he came preaching repentance, and was accounted worthy to baptize the Lord.

THE HOLY MARTYRS MANUEL, SABEL AND ISMAEL OF PERSIA (362)

The Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ismael, brothers by birth, were descended from an illustrious Persian family. Their father was a pagan, but their mother was a Christian, who baptized the children and raised them with a firm faith in Christ the Savior.

When they reached adulthood, the brothers entered military service. Representing the Persian King Alamundar, they were his emissaries in concluding a peace treaty with Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). Julian received them with due honor and showed them his favor. However, when the brothers refused to take part in a pagan sacrifice, Julian became angry. He annulled the treaty and incarcerated the ambassadors of a foreign country like common criminals.

At the interrogation he told them that if they scorned the "gods" he worshipped, it would be impossible to reach any peace or accord between the two sides. The holy brothers answered that they were sent as emissaries of their King on matters of state, and not to argue about “gods.” Seeing their firmness of faith, the Emperor ordered the brothers to be tortured.

The hands and feet of the Holy Martyrs were nailed to trees. Later, they drove iron spikes into their heads, and wedged sharp splinters under their fingernails and toenails. During their torments, the Saints glorified God and prayed as though they did not feel the tortures.

Finally, the Holy Martyrs were beheaded, and Julian ordered their bodies to be burned. Suddenly, there was an earthquake. The ground opened up and the bodies of the Saints disappeared into the abyss. After Christians prayed fervently for two days, the earth gave up the bodies of the holy brothers, from which a sweet fragrance issued forth. Many of the pagans who had witnessed the miracle, came to believe in Christ and were baptized. This was in the year 362.

Christians reverently buried the bodies of the Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ismael. Since that time the relics of the Holy Passion-Bearers have been glorified with miracles.

The following year, when he heard about the murder of his emissaries, and that Julian was marching against him with a vast army, the Persian King Alamundar mustered his army and started for the border of his domain. The Persians vanquished the Greeks in a great battle.

At this time, Saint Basil the Great (January 1) was praying before an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, upon which Saint Merkourios (November 24)1 was depicted as a soldier holding a spear. He asked God not to allow Emperor Julian to return from his war against the Persians, and resume his oppression of Christians. Suddenly, the image of the Holy Great Martyr Merkourios on the icon, next to the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, became invisible. Later, the image of Saint Merkourios reappeared with a bloodied spear.

As it happened, Julian was wounded by the spear of an unknown soldier, who disappeared. As he lay dying, the mortally wounded Julian cried out, “Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!”

The solemn commemoration of these saints is very ancient. In 395, thirty-three years after their death, Emperor Theodosios the Great built a church in honor of the Holy Martyrs at Constantinople, and Hieromonk Germanos (May 12), who later became the Patriarch of Constantinople, composed a Canon in honor of the holy brothers.

HEBREWS 11:33-12:2

33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented- 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

MATTHEW 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-3032

Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

[emblematicemblazer]

Worldbuilding and theories of Engage

Personal skills.

In Lythos the personal skills of each character relates to their official duty.

Lumera and Alear

Divinely Inspiring - Adjacent Allies deal +3 damage and take 1 less damage.

I imagine that Alear inherited the personal skill when Lumera poured her lifesource them. 

The skill relates to The Divine Dragon's ability to inspire people to want to fight by their side. The 'less damage' part is a reference to their role as protector and bringer of peace.

The image of the skill looks like two wings cupping two people. 

The wings of God are a place of refuge. “Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (Psalm 57:1). “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust” (Psalm 91:4).

The wings are the Divine Dragon offering refuge and love to the People of Elyso. 

Vander

Alabaster duty - If unit is adjacent to the Divine Dragon, grants Crit+5 during combat to both of them.

Firstly the personal skill references Vander's role as a steward by only granting power when he is near The Divine Dragon. The 'Crit+5' references how The Divine Dragon inspires Vander and how Vander helps The Divine Dragon focus on important tasks.

Alabaster  is a smooth white stone used for statues and ornamentation. The buildings of Lythos are made of white stone from the surrounding cliffs and mountains. This skill references his connection to the island.

Alabaster is an important symbol in the bible. It is a symbol of the relationship between Mary of Bethany and Jesus. Similarly it served as a symbol of the relationship between Vander and the two Divine Dragons. Mary of Bethany gave her everything to Jesus and anointed him with expensive perfume in an alabaster box. Mary built up a relationship with Jesus by sitting at his feet and listening to his teachings. When her brother Lazarus died, it was Jesus who offered her comfort. The meaning of the alabaster box is that it represents Vander's and Mary's lives. They gave up everything and gave their hearts, devotion and trust to their Saviour because nothing can compare to them. 

The personal skill symbol of Vander, Framme and Clanne except the colour is different. 

Tibetan Buddhists believe that during lunar and solar eclipses, the effects of one's good or bad deeds are multiplied severalfold. The good deeds of Vander, Framme and Clanne are rewarded with benefits in battle. 

Clanne

Verdant faith - If unit is adjacent to the Divine Dragon, grants Hit+10 during combat to both of them.

Just like Vander's personal skill, the effects of Clanne's 'verdant faith' are only triggered by being near the Divine Dragon. once again it is a reference to his role as a steward.

Verdant means green. In the bible green is used to symbolise how a righteous man will devote himself to God and grow and flourish under His divine light.  If Clanne devotes himself fully then he will grow and flourish.

'The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green,' (Psalm 92:12-15)

Framme 

Crimson/ Scarlet cheer - If unit is adjacent to the Divine Dragon, grants Avo+10 during combat to both of them.

In Japanese the personal skill is called 'scarlet cheer'. 

The colour scarlet symbolises the blood of Christ and Christian martyrs. When Isaiah says that the Lord can change our sins from scarlet or crimson to snow or wool, he is saying that the Lord can do something that is impossible for us to do on our own. A cloth dyed red stays red. But regardless of the stain of our sins, the Atonement of Jesus Christ can make us pure again if we repent. If Framme devotes herself to the Divine Dragon and repents her sins then she will be able to achieve anything. 

[chesterleprince]

Song Of The Siren

//

Bordering odd phenomena,

Sordid, I'm lost in gravitas.

Absorbing my cause, I've gone aloft.

Surely, I cost a lot of gods.

Horrid, I don my concubine.

Morally fault, my jolly ride.

Lawfully trust in fathers eyes.

Colloquially, bust my farmer hide.

The farmer hides, Allah will rise.

The evil sides will never see the sequel die.

Believe in minds,

believe in cries.

Repeat my mantras,

These genies lauder.

Repent my lost years,

Eject at crosshairs,

Was born her,

Divided crossroads.

Born righteous, saw simon,

Born Cyrus, storm iris,

Tall might men, that lords eying.

As I eye, the lord want Osiris sword.

Saw siren song for trifling source.

My lawns ivory cross.

Adored, but I lost the lie.

Support or evolve, demise.

Assaulted my bomb will bind.

Corroded, I saw her sky.

I want her mind,

I lost at life,

I lost her light,

My gone disguise.

She is my canopy,

Bleed my insanity.

Seek her, enamoured,

She's leaving me, banished me.

The Song of the Siren,

my heart is of iron.

Her psalms are inviting.

The Song of the Siren.

Hold calm, for the lycan,

embalmed in the lying.

The strong and the silent.

The Song of the Siren.

The martyr is simon.

The fallen are rising,

Stand tall, like Orion.

The Song of the Siren.

Let go of the hybrids,

appalling the lion.

The gorgons stay fighting.

The Song of the Siren.

Lose Mark to the diamond,

the marks have been siphoned.

Cheat off of the sidemen.

The Song of the Siren.

League war is the icing,

see, god is off timing.

Choose laws that are guidance.

The Song of the Siren.

The Song of the Siren,

Levant for the tyrant,

a lord against titans.

The Song of the Siren.

He's sure, he sees psychics,

Sneak talk, Phoebe's trying.

Leap of genies Prizes.

Remorph, seeking iris.

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

Ya know what tbqh I'm having a lot more fun interacting with SJM since deciding to hash tag stan tamlin but also what grinds my gears!?!? What butters my fucking croissants!?!?!

Tamlin has HOBBIES.

No no. Seriously. I have a point. Listen:

We know the following pieces of information about the Spring Court/Tamlin in ACOTAR: Most of the government falls squarely on Tamlin's shoulders because most of the old guard and the former sentries are dead, because they left the Spring Court to search for a "cure." He and Lucien actively patrol their borders and hunt for monsters that threaten humans and faeries alike. Taxes are collected once a year via the Tithe, but Tamlim absolishes the Tithe during Amarantha's rule. There are no cities. There is almost no distinction in the Court between High Fae and "lesser fae." He was a victim of abuse via his father and two much older brothers. Human slaves used to be common, but Tamlin finds his family history abhorrent and considers himself a protector type. He personally took Lucien to another Court for healing after Amarantha damaged his eye in a way that Tamlin himself could not fix. A faerie dies in his living room and Tamlin personally buries him. Tamlin takes refugees from other courts. The most important holiday is Calanmai, wherein Tamlin sacrifices his bodily autonomy and gets possessed by a god (?) in order to generate magic during the changing of seasons. He can be grouchy but he has a sense of humor; he writes silly poems for fun and plays music well enough that Feyre thinks he could make an actual career of it.

A lot of this gets re-conned, re-framed as "conservative" and sometimes actively ignored in order to attribute more positive qualities to Rhys - who in ACOTAR, is shown to be a manipulative liar who commits murder for fun and drugs/assaults Feyre. Tamlin clearly suffers from PTSD in ACOMAF but his symptoms are not "noble" or cute like Feyre. The narrative postulates that while Feyre needs to learn that she's worthy of love and freedom and that her dark past doesnt define her, Tamlin needs to be "redeemed" because his trauma is not as important or as valid as hers, and he can't be worthy of help until he repents for his "crime" of acting in ways that are - from his perspective- completely logical, and based in genuinely good/loving intentions.

In ACOWAR, Feyre states that she begins implanting/altering the memories of Tamlin in other people's heads to make them abandon him. She also steals a gift (presumably, a gift from Rhys to Tamlin) because she doesn't feel he deserves it, and contemplates burning down the rose garden which is pretty much all Tamlin has left of his mother.

This... does not make me hate Tamlin in the slightest. I read these books and actively struggle to hate him the way the narrative wants because everything about him is legitimately just tragic and pitiable.

While all this goes on the narrative goes on to reposition Rhysand - the guy who caused a lot of the main heroine trauma - as the best guy who ever lived. He's cruel to be kind, deeply misunderstood and hurting in silence. A martyr whose pain is just like the heroine's, who is an immortal ancient warrior king more powerful than any other person in the world but still somehow the narrative equal of a barely literate 20 year old woman. That sure is a choice and ya know what fine, whatever, I accept that this is the story I'm reading. But back to my earlier point:

What hobby does Rhysand have other than sex and fighting?

Answer me. Quickly.

The retcons with Tamlins character are annoying on their own because SJM clearly thinks her audience is too stupid to remember book one of her own series. But it's especially annoying for me given that Rhysand is a boring mouthpiece for the author to moralize her faerie books. As a character he's incredibly bland. There's nothing about him that's compelling because everything "bad" that he does is justified and righteous, and he can't be challenged or hurt because that would make Feyre (the other author mouthpiece) very sad. :(

Anyway remember to stan tamlin, send tweet.

[indifferentamir]

Lessons of Karbala, and how Muharram is more than just blood and mourning!

1. Be righteous, even if you are alone. Standing up for what is right is important, even if you have to face death with certainty. It is important for the greater good. This is the only way to defeat injustice. (Labaik Ya Hussain RA/AS)

2. Be just. Don't be selective when speaking up against tyranny. It does not matter if the oppressed person is not related to you. Similarly, it doesn't matter if the oppressor is related to you. You have to stand up for what is right. Alone Hussain (R.A) looked to the heavens on Ashura and said:

"Ya Allah! what makes it easier for me is the fact that you're watching."

3. Be kind, even to your enemies. Hur was the General of the enemy army. He and his group of soldiers had run out of water while on their way to intercept Hussain (RA). Hussain (AS) served them with water despite his limited stock.

4. Be patient. The overall goal is more important than your personal feelings. Abbas (RA), the brave son of Ali (RA) and the younger brother of Hussain (RA), was a famous warrior of his time. He drove fear into the very souls of his enemies. Yet, he kept quiet in the face of many provocations as commanded by his elder brother, Hussain (AS).

5. Be brave even when you have lost everything. Zainab (RA), the brave daughter of Ali (AS) and the sister of Hussain (AS), was taken as prisoner after seeing her family being massacred - her loving brothers, her nephews, and her own two sons. All were killed in one day, yet, she didn't lose focus of the goal of her brother. Tied up in ropes, she fearlessly spoke against the tyrant ruler right in his durbar/courtyard.

6. Hussain(RA) is for all. Message of Karbala is vivid and clear that it was not meant to grab a patch of land, rather it was intended to secure and uphold core human values. It was a battle between good and evil, right and wrong and justice and oppression.

7. It’s never too late to repent. One of the heroes of Karbala that met his martyrdom is known as Hurr (which means free). He was one of the commanders of the opposing army. It was only in the final few hours before the battle that he switched sides to the army of Hussain and to certain worldly doom, asking the repentance of Hussain for his actions. He was one of the first people to be martyred by the army of Yazid. The story of Hurr is proof that it is never too late to repent, and no sin is too heavy to come back from. Hussain (RA) said to Hurr after he repented: “surely you are free as your mother had named you.”

8. Live the Life of a Freeman. Imam Hussain (RA) believed that living under a tyranny was nothing but living in hell. In Karbala, when Imam Hussain (AS) was placed in a dilemma by the oppressors to be humiliated by swearing allegiance to Yazid or to fight and die with glory, he said he would not accept humiliation and obedience to mean people. Hussain (RA) invites the whole world to reject submission to oppression; to practice freedom.

9. Loyalty. We see, on the day of Ashura, after Abbas (RA)’s right hand was cut off by the army of Yazid –when he had gone to get some water for the children and women- he bravely recited these epic verses: “By Allah, if you cut my right hand, I will never stand back, and I will protect my religion, and I will support the Imam who stands firm in his belief and is the grandson of the pure and truthful Prophet.

10. Significance of Salah. In the midst of the battle of Karbala, Imam Hussain RA never forgot the importance of Salah. When it was time for Zuhr, Imam Hussain along with his companions stopped to pray even with Yazid’s army constantly shooting arrows towards them. The importance that Imam Hussain gave to Salah is a prompt for us to always prioritise Salah wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the Hieromartyr Cyprian and the Virginmartyr Justina. For many years, Cyprian studied the dark art of magic, becoming one of the most renowned sorcerers in all of Nicomedia. Having come face to face with the devil himself, Cyprian entrusted his soul to the evil one in exchange for supernatural powers. One day, a man fell in love with the pious Justina and sought her hand in marriage. Wishing to remain a virgin, Justina refused him and this enraged the young man. He went to Cyprian for help, who offered him his best spells and incantations to make the young virgin fall for him. In vain did Cyprian try, because all his attempts failed miserably. At every temptation, the holy Justina made the sign of the Cross or prayed in the name of Jesus Christ and any demon wishing to assail her was conquered. Being enraged himself, Cyprian turned to the devil who appeared to him and reproached him saying, "if you tremble and vanish at the mere sight of the Cross and the sound of the name of Jesus Christ, what power do you even have?" The evil one attacked Cyprian by the throat, who in turn made the sign of the cross and prayed the name of the Lord. At once, the devil was rendered useless and thus Cyprian was victorious. Seeking forgiveness from the virgin Justina, Cyprian repented of his evil deeds, burnt his demonic books, and was baptised. He soon became a priest and then bishop. The righteous Justina entered a convent of which she became the abbess. They were both eventually tortured and martyred for their faith. May the two holy ones of God intercede for us always + #saint #cyprian #justina #justine #saints #magic #magician #sorcerer #spell #repent #repentance #evil #righteous #holy #pure #virginmartyr #hieromartyr #martyr #martyrdom #prayer #pray #jesus #christ #jesuschrist #cross #orthodox #saintoftheday (at İzmit, Turkiye) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjLse1srxIi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

12th May >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Wednesday, Sixth Week of Eastertide

   or 

Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs

   or 

Saint Pancras, Martyr.

Wednesday, Sixth Week of Eastertide

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 17:15, 22-18:1

What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens, they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

   Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.”

   When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We should like to hear you on this some other time.” And so Paul left them. But some did join him, and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

   After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R/ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. or R/ Alleluia.

Praise the LORD from the heavens;    praise him in the heights. Praise him, all you his angels;    praise him, all you his hosts.

R/ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. or R/ Alleluia.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,    the princes and all the judges of the earth, Young men too, and maidens,    old men and boys.

R/ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. or R/ Alleluia.

Praise the name of the LORD,    for his name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven.

R/ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. or R/ Alleluia.

He has lifted up the horn of his people; Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,    from the children of Israel, the people close to him.    Alleluia.

R/ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. or R/ Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation

John 14:16

Alleluia, alleluia. I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 16:12-15

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs

(Liturgical Colour: Red)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Wednesday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Revelation 7:9-17

These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress.

I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,    and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed:

“Amen.  Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,    honor, power, and might    be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.

   “For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The One who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7-8

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Had not the LORD been with us–    when men rose up against us,    then would they have swallowed us alive, When their fury was inflamed against us.

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us; The torrent would have swept over us;    over us then would have swept the raging waters.

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Broken was the snare,    and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the LORD,    who made heaven and earth.

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 5:10

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 10:17-22

You will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saint Pancras, Martyr

(Liturgical Colour: Red)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Wednesday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Revelation 19:1, 5-9a

Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

I, John, heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:

   “Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God.”

Then a voice coming from a heavenly throne said:

“Praise our God, all you his servants,    and you who revere him, small and great.”

Then I heard something like the sound of a great multitude or the sound of rushing water or mighty peals of thunder, as they said:

   “Alleluia! The Lord has established his reign,    our God, the almighty. Let us rejoice and be glad    and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come,    his bride has made herself ready. She was allowed to wear    a bright, clean linen garment.”

(The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.)    Then an angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 13-14, 17-18

R/ O, bless the Lord, my soul!

Bless the LORD, O my soul;    and all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul;    and forget not all his benefits.

R/ O, bless the Lord, my soul!

He pardons all your iniquities,    he heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction,    he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R/ O, bless the Lord, my soul!

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,    slow to anger and abounding in kindness. He will not always chide,    nor does he keep his wrath forever.

R/ O, bless the Lord, my soul!

As a father has compassion on his children,    so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him, For he knows how we are formed;    he remembers that we are dust.

R/ O, bless the Lord, my soul!

But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity    to eternity toward those who fear him, And his justice toward his children’s children    among those who keep his covenant.

R/ O, bless the Lord, my soul!

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-30

Although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike.

At that time Jesus responded: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

   “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[silvysartfulness]

Hmmm, let's go for some other characters than Rion, Rannon, Relonia and Lazuli for this one. Aljana: 20, 21 When: 38, 18 Maqaxha: 6, 45

Oooh, interesting! Thank you!

Aljana: 20 - in what ways does your charactercompare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake ofself-validation, or self-criticism?

In many ways, Aljana can be read as a parallell toRannon – younger sibling overshadowed by the golden firstborn heir.While she was raised with love and appreciation, I do think sheconstantly measures herself, consciously or not, against Relonia.

But rather than try to emulate her, shestrives to distance her identity from her sister as much as possible,possibly to escape the constant comparison from others. So whereRelonia is extremely extroverted, assertive and down to earth, Aljanachose a spiritual way of serious introspection and higher purpose.

She shares the same innate arroganceand assertive nature Relonia has, but paired with her black-and-whitedogmatic view of the world, she can often slide into self-righteouspride, teetering that Frollo line of ”pure enlightened me vs thecommon, vulgar, weak crowd that needs to be told what todo/think/be”. So insofar as she compares herself to others, shefeels that she knows better, and acts more righteous than most. Ifshe is self-critical, that would be between her and her goddess,striving for higher enlightenment.

She is dedicated to her dutiesand her people, worshiping truth and justice as absolute, but shewalks a very fine line between justness and tyranny.

Aljana: 21 - If something tragic or negativehappens to your character, do they believe they may have caused ordeserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

That's a tricky one! And really nailingthe hypocrisy at her core. On the one hand, as a high priestess ofChima, goddess of judgment, she is all about justice. Act andconsequence, weighing the scales of right and wrong and reaping whatyou sow. To the point she doesn't believe in the concept of mercy,since it upsets the equation of absolute justice.

On the other, she most often fails tosee any of her own flaws – she is dedicated and enlightened, howcould she possibly misstep? So yes, definitely more likely toblame others, or unfair circumstances.

That is not to say she shiesaway from responsibility, or fixing things that are wrong – that ispart of her calling. But there's still that personal disconnect –her work is more that of a martyred leader, shouldering the burdensof others, than the repentant sinner owning and making up for theirown mistakes.

When: 38 - Is your character more likely toremove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Well, I mean, if the threat is anassassin with a raised dagger, then running very fast is the wisecourse of action. Other than that, removing threats is pretty muchher job description. As the highest administrative instance ofMachra-la, she is very good at analyzing the ebb and flow of thecity-state - what people are up to, where trouble may be brewing,what political trends are rippling through the populace and wherevents are needed.

So removing people or movements thatmay grow into threats before they gain traction is a large part ofher job, whilst being smooth enough about it that the interventionitself won't trigger any uprisings or protests.

She has people to carry out the dirtyjobs, though, it's far beneath her paygrade to handle the messy bitsherself, unless absolutely necessary.

When: 18 Is your character more likely toadmire wisdom, or ambition in others?

I mean, she is Machralese, soambition comes with the territory. That aside, however, shedefinitely values wisdom higher. Any ambitious idiot with charisma anda nice smile can take the throne of Machra-la – and have,traditionally, done so – but the ones who actually have the skillsto run the place are few and far between.

So she does grudgingly respect Lazuli,who manages both. There's a sharp and dangerous intellect behind thatparticular nice smile. Even though it is a bit annoying tohave a ruler who actually butts in on her work and doesn't just sitpretty and throw parties.

Maqaxha: 6 - Does your character have recurringthemes in their dreams?

That depends on the timeline, ofcourse. Once he was blinded and exiled, he often dreamed of home.Colours and light became synonymous with Ku'Ombos and the life heonce had. After being freed and living in Kayalana, he often hasnightmares of his life in the Machralese slums.

The most recurring nightmare, however,is killing Crow. Crouching by the water, his hand fisted in silkyhair with bubbles against his skin. Wanting to raise his arm, stopit, make it undone, but unable to. A meaningless death in the end, ofa man he would never have thought he would ever grieve.

But he wakesup crying all the same.

Maqaxha: 45 - What does your character believewill happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

In the Ku'Ombian religion, the best wayto die is sinless, in the sun. Then your spirit will become one withFather Sun, the creator, and be part of the light for eternity. (Thisis why many offer themselves up as voluntary sacrifices during thegreat festivals in the sun's honour – if you die that way, you areabsolved of all sin and guaranteed nirvana.) If you die in the dark,your spirit is doomed to wander lost in the shadows of the afterlife,a purgatory or shedding your sins until you find your way back to thelight.

But if you are an irredeemable sinner,you will end up in the dark underworld, forever denied the light.There creatures of the dark and decay - serpents and crawling things,rot and mold - will feast upon your suffering soul for eternity.

Let's just say that Maqaxha knows verywell where he's headed, and it does terrify him.

He believed he acted in accordance withthe wishes of the divine when he aimed to take the throne and leadhis nation into a bright era of his God's glory, but... well. Hismanifest destiny was very different from what he had expected. Heknows he is disgraced and doomed. In many ways, it's that fear thatmakes him do everything he does just to stay alive. Machra-la may behell on earth, but hell in actual Hell is so much worse and heis in no rush to go there.

In the end, he does die in sunlight,sacrificed himself to save those he cared about. Whether that isenough for absolution, who can say?

Thank you so much for the asks! It really means a lot to me! ♥

[ummuthmaanx]

٤

The Sahaaba and the Qur’aan

~ Ustaadh Yahya Raaby حفظه الله

                                              بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

                                                        ***

Allah revealed the Qur’aan to us; so that we take lessons from it, implement it in our lives, reflect upon it and live our lives by it.

Allah says in Surah Sad, ayah 29

كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.

The sahaabah were these people - people of understanding. Their hearts and minds رضي الله عن��م أجمعين were connected to the book of Allah. 

‘Abdallah as Sulami narrates that the sahaabah of the messenger ﷺ would not go past 10 verses of the book of Allah, except that they would learn, memorise, understand and implement these verses.

They were people who were attached to the Qur’aan, and Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى praised them in many places in His book:

Surah Fath, ayah 18

لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

Certainly was Allah pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you, [O Muhammad], under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest

And in ayah 29…

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ۚ

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration.

And there are many sahaabah that Allah praised individually in the Qur’aan:

Abu Bakr as Siddique رضي الله عنه

He gave his wealth for the sake of Islaam, he aided the Da’wah with his wealth and Allah mentioned him in the Qur’aan:

Surah Layl, ayah 17-21

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ

“But the righteous one will avoid it -

[He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself.

And not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favour to be rewarded.

But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High.

And he is going to be satisfied.”

Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was honoured to accompany the messenger of Allah ﷺ in his migration. Before the migration, the Prophet ﷺ went to Abu Bakr, and he informed him that Allah  سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى had granted him permission to perform hijrah, so Abu Bakr asked the messenger if he could accompany him. The Messenger ﷺ allowed him to, and he cried out of joy.

In this migration, he aided the Prophet.

Madinah is the north of Makkah, however the prophet and Abu Bakr went to the south first so that  Quraysh wouldn’t follow them. They hid in a cave and whilst they were sitting, the messenger ﷺ fell asleep on the lap of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.

Whilst the prophet was sleeping, Abu bakr stuck his feet and hands in the holes of the cave so that nothing comes out to harm the messenger whilst he’s sleeping.

As Abu bakr was sitting there with the Messenger of Allah asleep on his lap, he was bitten by a scorpion and was in agony. However he didn’t move or do anything to wake the prophet but the tear that dropped from his eye fell on to the messenger and woke him up ﷺ.

The prophet ﷺ said to him: “Why did you not wake me?” He replied, “O messenger of Allah I did not want to wake you”

Look at the great mercy he had towards the Messenger of Allah…

Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas رضي الله عنه  

Verses were revealed because of him.

When he accepted Islaam رضي الله عنه , his mother tried to force him to leave the religion, and he loves his mother dearly. She said to him, “i will not eat, I will not drink, and I will not seek shade in Makkah (which was extremely hot), until you leave the religion of Muhammad “

So sa’ad refused, and his mother stopped eating and drinking until she became very weak; when he saw his mother he would say to her:

“O mother, I will not leave the religion of Muhammad ﷺ  for anything, verily Allah and His messenger are more beloved to me than anything. O mother, if you had a thousand lives and each life went out one after the other, I will never leave my religion”

When his mother saw how firm he was, she began to eat, drink and seek shade once again. And because of this situation, Allah revealed the ayah…

Surah Luqmaan, ayah 14-15

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.

Ibn Rajab al Hanbali رحمه الله mentions that this is the highest form of being dutiful to your parents; that you are grateful and you show gratitude to Allah on behalf of your parents. I.e you do righteous deeds on their behalf, even while they are alive. You seek forgiveness for them and make du’a for them - this is the highest form of being dutiful to your parents.

وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

But if they endeavour to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.

Thaabit ibn Qays رضي الله عنه  

He heard the verse

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.

Then he locked himself in his house and began to cry; the prophet ﷺ heard about this and went to him - he asked him why are you doing this and Thaabit responded: 

“O Messenger of Allah, I heard the verse that Allah does not love every boastful and proud individual, and I am someone who loves beautiful clothes and shoes and I like to look good; i am afraid that I am from these people”. 

The Messenger ﷺ laughed and said: “You are not from these people. You will live honourable, and you will die honourable and you will enter Jannah”

On another occasion, Thaabit Ibn Qays heard the verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ

O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.

Thaabit ibn Qays was a person who had a loud voice, and so when he heard this ayah he did the same this - locked himself in his home and began to cry. And when the prophet ﷺ found out about this he went to him and asked him why are you doing this. He replied, 

“O Messenger of Allah, I heard the ayah where Allah  سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى said don’t raise your voices over the voice of the messenger of Allah, and I am a person with a loud voice, I have spoken loudly in your presence many times o messenger of Allah. I am afraid that my deeds have become void and destroyed because of this” 

The Messenger of Allah then said to him: “This is not regarding you. Rather, you will live honourable, die as a martyr and you will enter Jannah” and Thaabit رضي الله عنه  rejoiced because of these glad tidings the prophet ﷺ gave him, ad he never raised his voice ever again.

This is how the sahaabah were when they heard the speech of Allah ﷻ, they acted and responded straight away - and this is why they were the best of people after the prophets and the messengers; because of how they were with the Qur’aan, and this is what raised them.

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Prophet ﷺ said,

"Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Qur'an and abases others.”

{Sahih Muslim}

And Allah raised them with the Qur’aan, and he honoured them.

Follow the example of the Sahaabah and be a person of the Qur’aan.

Allah describes two matters as ‘Thaqiil - heavy’ in the Qur’aan:

The Qur’aan

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا

Indeed, we have revealed to you heavy speech.

The Day of Ressurection

وَيَذَرُونَ وَرَاءَهُمْ يَوْمًا ثَقِيلًا

And they leave behind [abandon] a heavy day

“Whoever wants to be saved on the heavy day, he must hold on to the heavy book”

                                                         ***

                                                   تمت بحمد الله

[wisdomrays]

In Order Not to Feel Remorse When It Is Too Late

QUESTION: It is stated in the Qur’an that wrongdoers will feel remorse on the Day of Judgment: “On that Day, the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, saying (with remorse), ‘Oh, would that I had taken a way in the company of the Messenger. Oh, woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so for a friend!’” (al-Furqan 25:27–28). What kind of mistakes is this remorse related to? What are the points to be careful about in this world, in order not to feel remorse in the next one?

ANSWER: The verse begins by referring to “that day,” a dreadful one, and then describes how a wrongdoer will bite at his hands in remorse on such a day of grimace and grief. “Biting at one’s fingers” is an idiom in Arabic and it describes a state of remorse in deep feelings of woe, grief, and yearning.

Then the wrongdoer will express his deep regret for not having followed the way of the Prophet: “Oh, would that I had taken a way in the company of the Messenger.” His regret, however, is not limited with that; he will further express his remorse by saying, “Oh, woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so for a friend!” That is, “I wish I had not fallen in with such and such wrongdoers and unbelievers and sided with them. I wish I had not followed in the footsteps of evildoers and transgressors and thus taken the wrong way!” However, saying “I wish” in the next world will not help at all. On the contrary, it will double the remorse. In other words, as it will only mean wasting one’s breath, it will only add to the suffering. Just as those words can be uttered in the Hereafter, they might be uttered when the dying person’s soul comes up to the throat as he is about to leave this world for the intermediate life of the grave, the first step toward the eternal afterlife. No matter when they are uttered it is definite, however, that these words express deep remorse by somebody who blatantly wasted the great chances that they had.

The greatest kind of regret

Even though there are many sins and wrongs that will burn people within and make them say “How I wish” with a deep sorrow, the foremost of them is unbelief, because the entire universe proclaims God—letter by letter, word by word, phrase by phrase… When somebody leaves aside all biases, gives a fair ear to creation, and tries to read this universe like a book of wisdom, they will discover that everything in the universe points to the Almighty Creator. Owing to this evident truth, the great scholar Imam Maturidi stated that even the peoples who did not have a Messenger from God to guide them are responsible for knowing Him. Nevertheless, even if such people cannot know God Almighty in detail with His Attributes and Names within the framework of a Divine teaching, they can come to the conclusion that this splendid universe has a Creator. Umar ibn al-Khattab’s uncle Zayd voiced this thought before the advent of Islam: “I know that there is a Creator, but I do not know what am I supposed to do. If only I knew what He wishes me to do, so that I could exert myself to carry it out.” In short, the greatest “I wish…” to make one seized with remorse is to give one’s last breath as being devoid of faith.

Forsaking faith after having found guidance is another grave sin to make one grimly say “I wish…” in the next world. There is a thin veil between belief and unbelief and there is always the risk of finding oneself on the other side with the slightest move. For this reason, we believers ask from God for guidance to the Straight Path forty times in total through the five Prayers we offer every day. And then by stating “to the path of those whom You have favored,” we wish to be on the path of the rightly guided ones. As stated in another verse (an-Nisa 4:69), those whom God has favored are the Prophets, truthful (siddiq) ones, martyrs, and righteous (salih) ones. This is the wish we repeat forty times a day. Right after that, we seek refuge in His greatness and mercy and ask for being saved from deviating "to the path of those who have incurred His wrath and of those who are astray." It is nothing but a delusion to be confident for having found right guidance and to see oneself immune to a possible fall or deception by Satan. Nobody has a guarantee to keep on the righteous path until they give their last breath. People who feel confident at this issue put their own faith in danger. A man who does not worry about his end is a man to be worried about his end. For this reason, one must shake with the fear of straying to unbelief after having found guidance and be constantly vigilant about it. A believer should constantly implore God not to leave him or her alone with his or her carnal soul and seek refuge in Him against whisperings and goading of devils. Faith is an invaluable treasure that makes one eligible for Paradise, gains the good pleasure of God, and lets one witness Divine Beauty. There are jinn and human devils lying in wait to steal it. What befalls believers is to treasure their faith, protect it against attacks, and being constantly alert in this respect.

The weaknesses that can make one sink into the ground

As love of status or fame is such a virus, fear is no less powerful. The same goes for greed, racism, egotism, laziness, and love of comfort. Given that each one has the potential to bring a believer down, having all of these does not make one just fall, but rather makes one sink deep into the ground. Even a person within the circle of faith is under the constant risk of being overtaken by them. For instance, love of fame can easily mar the essence of the good deeds a person does in the name of serving faith. Another person can present distinguished works and secretly wish to become famous, which eventually makes him sink deep into the ground. In addition, giving in to such negative feelings invites other types of negativities as well. For example, if love of fame seizes a person, you cannot know what further sins it will cause that person to commit. All of these are possible dangers within a circle of faith, and they will cause grim remorse in the next world. One who lays personal claim on the success granted by God, as a result of failing to adopt the principles of sincerity as guidelines, will say, “I wish I had not fouled up all of those good deeds for the sake of worldly appreciation and applause; I wish I had not set sail to the void for the sake of nothing! I wish I had not be taken by deadly currents…” They will agonize in useless woes and laments of perpetual remorse. Grimly, their wail will be to no avail; on the contrary, it will only double the suffering of their misfortune.

Shields to protect from feelings of remorse in vain

For this reason, believers should act sensibly in this world. On the one hand, they should count being saved from unbelief as the greatest favor of God; on the other hand, they should shun from the alleys that may cost them their faith. The Messenger of God stated that every sin leaves a dark spot on the heart, which can cover the entire heart in time (unless removed through repentance). Every dark spot forming on the heart is an invitation to another one. In the Qur’an, God Almighty refers to the hearts contaminated and darkened with evil: “…By no means! But what they themselves have earned has rusted upon their hearts (and prevents them from perceiving the truth)” (al-Mutaffifin 83:14). If people do not remove sins darkening the heart through repentance and asking forgiveness, God Almighty will seal up their hearts: “God has set a seal upon their hearts…” (al-Baqarah 2:7) and “…a seal has been set upon their hearts” (at-Tawbah 9:87). These hearts become unable to receive anything from the pure message descended from heavens, and they end up continually saying “How I wish…” in the next world. In order not to fall into the grip of useless remorse, what needs to be done here is trying to carry out the responsibilities of servanthood to God without any flaws, in a balance of fear and hope. Realizing this depends on a heart in awe of God. The Messenger of God referred to a certain man and stated that if his heart had been in awe of God, so would have been his body parts. Awe of God in a believer’s heart will be reflected in the behaviors of that person; in time, even the body parts of that believer begin to shake with the awe of God—so much so that this shaking can be perceived by some in the iris of their eyes. On the one hand, a believer doubles up on feeling the greatness of God; on the other hand, if he or she trusts the immensity of His mercy and leads a life of such sensitivity and balance, this will be a means of deliverance from woes and regrets in the next world.

If we make mention of Him everywhere we go and make our gatherings blessed with His name, and make our time gain a depth uncontainable by dimensions, then we put a stop to so many negativities that might make us feel regret in the other world.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Thursday, March 14, 2024

march 2_march 14

THE HOLY MARTYRESS ANTONINA of NICAEA in BYTHINIA (284-305)

The Holy Martyr Antonina suffered at Nicea during the persecution under the emperor Maximian (284-305). After fierce tortures, Saint Antonina was thrown into prison, but Maximian could not force the saint to renounce Christ and offer sacrifice to idols.

Angels of God appeared to the holy martyr, and the executioners took fright. Even when they placed her on a red-hot metal bed, Saint Antonina remained unharmed by the power of God. Finally, after prolonged torture, they sewed the saint into a sack and sank it in a lake.

THE HOLY MONASTIC MARTYR EUDOCIA OF HELIOPOLIS (152)

Holy Monastic Martyr Eudokia was a Samaritan, a native of Heliopolis in Phoenicia (modern Baalbek), who lived during Trajan's reign (98-117). Her pagan impiety took her off the good path, and for a long time, she led a sinful life. Her soul was deadened, and her heart hardened.

Eudokia awoke one night at midnight and heard singing from the house of a Christian woman next to hers. A monk was reading from a book which described the Last Judgment, the punishment of sinners, and the reward of the righteous. The grace of God touched Eudokia’s heart, and she grieved because of her great wealth and for her sinful life.

In the morning Eudokia hastened to call on the man whose rule of prayer she heard the previous night. This was a monk named Germanus, returning from pilgrimage to the holy places to his own monastery. Eudokia listened for a long time to the guidance of the Elder, and her soul was filled with joy and love for Christ. She asked Germanus to stay in her home for a week, during which she secluded herself in her room, and spent her time in fasting and prayer.

The Elder Germanus told her to give away her wealth and to forget her previous life. Eudokia received holy Baptism from Bishop Theodotus of Heliopolis. She entered a monastery and took upon herself stringent acts of penitence. The Lord forgave the penitent sinner and endowed her with spiritual gifts.

After she had become the head of the monastery, the young pagan Philostrates (one of her former lovers) heard of her conversion to Christ and longed to see her again. Aflame with impious passion, he came into the monastery in the guise of a monk and began to urge Eudokia to return to Heliopolis, and resume her former life. “May God rebuke you and not allow you to leave these premises,” Eudokia cried. Then the impostor fell down dead. Fearing that she had served as an accomplice to murder, the sisters intensified their prayer and besought the Lord to reveal to them His will.

The Lord appeared to Saint Eudokia in a vision and said: “Arise, Eudokia, and pray for the resurrection of the dead man.” Through Eudokia’s prayers, Philostrates was revived. Having been restored to life, the pagan begged the nun to forgive him. After he was baptized, he went back to Heliopolis. From that time, he never forgot the mercy God showed him, and he started on the way of repentance.

Some time passed, and another situation occurred. Inhabitants of Heliopolis reported to the governor Aurelian, that Eudokia had taken gold and silver out of the city and concealed it at the monastery. Aurelian sent a detachment of soldiers to confiscate these supposed treasures. For three days the soldiers tried in vain to approach the walls of the monastery, but an invisible power of God guarded it.

Aurelian again sent soldiers to the monastery, this time under the command of his own son. But on the very first day of the journey, Aurelian’s son injured his leg and soon died. Then Philostrates counseled Aurelian to write to Mother Eudokia, imploring her to revive the youth. And the Lord, in His infinite mercy, and through the prayers of Saint Eudokia, restored the youth to life. Having witnessed this great miracle, Aurelian and his close associates believed in Christ and were baptized.

When persecutions against Christians intensified, they arrested Eudokia and brought her to the Governor, Diogenes, to be tortured. While torturing the saint, the military commander Diodorus received news of the sudden death of his wife Firmina. In despair, he rushed to Saint Eudokia with a plea to pray for his departed wife. The monastic martyr, filled with great faith, prayed to God and besought Him to return Firmina to life. As eyewitnesses of the power and grace of the Lord, Diodorus and Diogenes believed in Christ and were baptized with their families. Saint Eudokia lived for awhile at the house of Diodorus and enlightened the newly-illumined Christians.

Once, the only son of a certain widow, who was working in the garden, was bitten by a snake and died. The mother wept bitterly for her dead son and asked Diodorus to resurrect him. Learning of her grief, Saint Eudokia told Diodorus, “The time is at hand for you to show faith in the Almighty God, Who hears the prayers of penitent sinners and in His mercy grants them forgiveness.”

Diodorus was distressed, not considering himself worthy of such boldness before the Lord, but he obeyed Saint Eudokia. He prayed, and in the name of Christ, he commanded the dead one to rise, and before the eyes of everyone present, the youth revived.

Saint Eudokia returned to her monastery, where she lived in asceticism for fifty-six years.

After Diogenes died, the new governor was Vicentius, a fierce persecutor of Christians. Having learned of the accomplishments of the saint, he gave orders to execute her. The holy martyr was beheaded on March 1, 107.

Source: Orthodox Church in America _OCA

JUDE 1:11-25

11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

LUKE 23:1-34

1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." 3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." 4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man." 5 But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place." 6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other. 13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. 16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him 17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast). 18 And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"- 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. 20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" 22 Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go." 23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. 25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will. 26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. 27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' 30 Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' 31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry? 32

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33

And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: Exemplary Ethics of The Prophet: Compassionate: Part 2

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SHEEP

Abu Zura who is one of his friends serving him during some of his trips, narrates:

“In a trip, he had made me got on his camel, too. Sometimes, the whip that he was using in order to move the camel was touching my leg and hurting me. A little while later, he became aware of the situation and asked:

O Abu Zura, is my whip also touching you? I embarrassedly answered:

“Yes, O the Apostle of Allah!”

He did not say anything. A while later, we arrived at a place where the booties of war belonged to him were available. He separated one hundred and twenty sheep from there and gave them to me as a gift and said:

“O Abu Zura, these sheep are in return for my hurting you without being aware of it on the way.” 

THE BELOVED OF THE LOVER

His adopted child Zayd was martyrized in the battle of Mute. On the day of the bad news arrived to Medina, the house of the martyr and his children were visited by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Along with the fresh sorrow of her father, the little daughter of Zayd embraced his garment and started to cry. The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was hugging little orphans while crying. A friend near him could not help asking.

“O the Apostle of Allah! What is this?”

“This is longing for the beloved one” 

THE CONQUEST OF MAKKAH

He was at the peak of the part of his struggle that was limited to his own life. Now Makkah, his hometown, where he had not been allowed to convey the message of his religion to people, was being conquered by an army consisting of fully armed ten thousand Muslim soldiers, which was a super army in terms of the conditions of Arabia at that time.

The army had surrounded Makkah. It was nighttime. Makkah mountains were glittering due to the camp fires. Every soldier was ordered to make a fire and Makkah, which was dark, was surrounded by lights at night. Abu Sufyan, who was the archenemy of the Prophet, left the city and went to the Prophet with his little son; he knew the weak point of his fellow citizen.

He said, “I swear by Allah that if you do not forgive me, I will kill this child and myself.”

Abu Sufyan, who had been his archenemy for years, wanted forgiveness by using his life and the life of his son. He was forgiven.

The next day, the army started to move. Makkans were astonished and shocked by the view. Next to Hazrat Abbas, the uncle of Hazrat Muhammad, Abu Sufyan, who was the administrator of Makkah, was watching the Muslim army, which was entering Makkah. He asked Hazrat Abbas about each division and their tribe as they passed before them and he was astonished and fascinated by each answer that he received. After a while, he asked impatiently,

“Has Hazrat Muhammad not passed yet?” In the end, Hazrat Muhammad was seen on his camel, Quswa, in his armor. He bowed his head to show that one can enter a city that Allah declared to be sacred in modesty. He was in a position to praise Allah.

Meanwhile, Sa’d b. Ubada, one of the commanders of Madinah, turned to Abu Sufyan and shouted:

Today is the doomsday. Today is the day of revenge for Uhud. Today is the day of ridiculing the honor of the Quraysh tribe. Today is the day of destruction.”

Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) silenced Sa’d through a sign by his hand and said,

“Today is the day of mercy and compassion. Today is the day of elevating the honor of Quraysh. Today is the day when respect to the Kaaba and Makkah will be at its peak.”

Then the Prophet gave an order and expulsed Sa’d. He appointed his son as the new commander.

Very little blood was shed and Makkah surrendered. It was noon and very hot. His friends asked him,

“Where do you want to rest, O Messenger of Allah?”

A painful smile was seen on his face. He remembered his house. However, that house had been pulled down by Aqil, his cousin, in order to make him sad and depressed. He said,

“Did Aqil leave us any place to rest?”

However, nobody thought of even touching Aqil. Aqil was given a guarantee just like the other people of Makkah. He had immunity.

However, the people of Makkah still could not believe that all kinds of oppression, cruelty, torture and enmity that they inflicted upon Muslims for years would be unreturned. In order to make sure that they would not be touched and punished, they stood before Muhammad, who had just removed the idols in the Kaaba, in front of the door of the Kaaba. They were shy and timid. Hazrat Muhammad understood very well what they meant by bowing down and keeping silent.  

He said to them,

“Today, my situation is like the one between Hazrat Yusuf and his brothers. He had said to his brothers, ‘This day let no reproach be (cast) on you: Allah will forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.’ Today, I am saying the same thing to you. You are free.”

All Makkans became Muslims when it was the evening time. The next day, the military forces were withdrawn from the city because they were no longer needed in the city.

However, when it became clear that Makkah was going to be conquered, some people left the city and went away. They were “severe criminals”, who did not know Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and who believed that no power of compassion and pardoning could forgive them.

One of them was Wahshi, the murderer of the uncle of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). He sent for Wahshi and asked him to become a Muslim. Whashi was timid. He wrote the following in his letter:

“O Muhammad! You said, ‘The torture of a person who kills somebody or attributes partners with Allah is increased on the Day of Judgment; he remains in torture in a despicable state.’ I did all of them. Can there still be a way of salvation for me?”

Upon this answer, the 71st verse of the chapter of al-Furqan was sent. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) got the verse written and sent it to Wahshi.

“Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion.”

Wahshi did not regard it sufficient.

He said, “O Muhammad! Repentance, belief and righteous deeds are heavy conditions. I might not be able to do them.”

The 48th verse of the chapter an-Nisa answered Wahshi:

“Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with him; but He forgiveth anything, else to whom He pleaseth.”

Wahshi had not been convinced yet. He wrote another letter:

“O Muhammad! It means ‘Allah will do so if he wishes’. I do not know whether Allah will wish something like that for me.”

Thereupon, the 53rd verse of the chapter az-Zumar was sent down:

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Wahshi said,

“Now, it is all right.” Then, he went to Makkah and became a Muslim.

People asked,

“O Messenger of Allah! Are those glad tidings for Wahshi only or for all of us?”

He answered:

“For all of you!”

Safwan b. Umayya, who was one of the notables of Quraysh and who had sent assassins to Madinah to kill Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) in order to take revenge of his relatives killed in Badr, had also left Makkah. Wahb b. Umayr, whom he had sent as an assassin to Madinah was sent to Safwan. Wahb had the turban of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) as a proof of the promise of immunity. Safwan was convinced and returned to Makkah. However, he was not ready to become a Muslim. He stood in the presence of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and said,

“Give me two months. I will think about whether to accept your religion or not.”

Hazrat  Muhammad (pbuh) answered,

“I will give you four months instead of two!”

Safwan became a Muslim on his own before four months passed.

The third one of those who had left Makkah was Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl, who had been the archenemy of Islam and Hazrat Muhammad until he was killed in Badr, was described as “the Pharaoh of this ummah” by the Prophet. Ikrima did many things against Islam, too. Once, Hazrat Muhammad said about him, “I did not suffer from Abu Jahl as much as I suffered from his son.”

Ikrima’s wife undertook the task of bringing Ikrima back. She found him on the coast of Yemen aboard a ship to go to Africa. She took him back to Makkah. When Hazrat Muhammad was told that Ikrima was about to enter his presence, Hazrat Muhammad warned his friends near him.

“Do not offend him by speaking against his father.”

When Ikrima arrived, the Prophet welcomed him by hugging him and saying,

“O cavalier mujahid, welcome.” He let Ikrima sit beside him. Ikrima, who was shocked by what he saw, heard and experience, made a promise.

“O Messenger of Allah! Be a witness that I will spend at least twice as much effort and money to serve your religion as I spent to prevent it.”

Ikrima kept his promise. He was one of the three mujahids that were martyred during the Battle of Yarmuk, which caused the Middle East to embrace Islam, without being able to drink a drop of water. They counted seventy sword wounds in his body.

[pastorg7]

Jesus Christ- Our First Responder

G sermon time I want you to imagine yourself at a dinner party. You've just finished the main course and are quaffing down the last few drops of that delicious Rioja you apportioned to yourself early on. You are full to brimming, but still looking forward to that chocolate desert you spotted in the fridge. You feel happy, bathed in the bonhomie of good company and the gentle hum of conversation. Suddenly you start to feel lightheaded, there's a tightness in your chest, you struggle to breathe, you try to get up but your legs just buckle from beneath you.

You wake up. You are conscious at least, but you can't speak or even move. it's probably a stroke; and the concerned voices you hear assure you that help is coming. You listen to the conversation-

Someone ask's "What should we do?" Suggestions abound "Maybe we should give mouth to mouth". "I'll get some paracetamol"; "Let's check the symptoms on the internet" As you lay dying on the floor, unable to speak or even move that voice inside your head is screaming "CALL THE F***ING AMBULANCE" More redundant suggestions fall like acid, corroding the last vestiges of hope, as the darkness begins to swirl more quickly around you and their voices fade into an all encompassing web of shadows which seems to swallow up everything, even hope.

O.K Pastor G where are you going with this. Why didn't they call the ambulance? Maybe they don't believe in ambulances???? Perhaps they question the existence of phones?????? Ah now Pastor G that's just stupid. So easy to prove that both exist, is it not?

I agree; and I would like to extend the same logic to God ( don't worry i will get back to the story in a moment). I have spoken many times about proofs for God's existence and won't be rehashing them here. If you see a book, you assume an author. Why? Because those characters that comprise language are intelligible to you and every book has an author. What about you? What's the most complex language in the universe? The language of DNA that is written in every cell of your body . It's so complicated that we only acquired the ability to discern it a few decades ago (hat tip to Watson and Crick). The arrangement of your DNA into YOU was deliberate and EVIDENCE of a designer.. If you cannot accept that then logically you would have to accept that simpler things such as jumbo jets could result from a hurricane in a scrap yard. One of the greatest arguments for God's existence is the Fine tuning /cosmological constant argument- we're talking about fine tuning of a unimaginable magnitude -10 to the 120 DECIMAL PLACES.( I've included a short video explaining this).

Ambulances exist, Telephones exist + GOD EXISTS.

i have written extensively on why I believe in The God of the Bible. You are welcome to peruse my posts on this point.

So God exists and Jesus Christ is his only begotten Son. What has that got to do with telephones and ambulances???

When Jesus went about His ministry on this earth, He did some incredible things; he healed the sick He gave sight to the blind He walked on water HE RAISED THE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And yet what did His disciples ask Him to teach them? "LORD,TEACH US TO PRAY" Matthew 6:5, Luke 11: 1-4. God, Our Creator, Our Heavenly Father is on the Line and it's a collect call. All we have to do is pick up that phone and dial the right number. Jesus Himself made the promise

" And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” "IF you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7 We all face troubles and often "they come not single spies, but in battalions". Bereavement, marriage breakdown, redundancy......... You can try to face them alone. But why not MAKE THAT CALL; REACH OUT FOR THE FIRST RESPONDER. THE AMBULANCE WILL COME...........

Photo

The Cosmological Constant - absolute proof that God created the universe for a purpose - YouTubeIn cosmology, the cosmological constant (usually denoted by the Greek capital letter lambda: Λ) is the value of the energy density of the vacuum of space. It...www.youtube.com

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Gerry Johnson

6 days ago

Luke 15 : 7 "In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!

Some of the most amazing Christian stories are the ones where God reached down and caused a 180 degree change in that person. Two of my favourite saints are exemplars of that phenomenon ; namely St. Paul and St Dismas. You're all familiar with Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus- Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light saying "Saul why are you persecuting me?". Saint Paul became the greatest evangelist in history and died a martyr's death. Saint Dismas anyone???? He was the good thief crucified beside Jesus. He accepted his wrongdoing and asked Jesus to forgive him. With the last ounce of strength as wave after wave of pain engulfed His Dying body, The Saviour fixed him with a look of pure love assuring him that "Today, you will be with me in Paradise"

I could add myself to that list, but I am not yet a saint!!!! Anyone who has known me for the last half century may testify to the Magnitude of my conversion.

There is someone whom I believe has entered the Pantheon of Saints, in February 2017- Norma Mc Corvey. I sense blank looks in the audience. Jane Roe ring any bells. Yip, the Jane Doe in the infamous Roe VS Wade stain on American jurisprudence

Just think of that; You didn't even know her real name. She was used by a far left lawyer to push for Abortion, given that her home state (Texas) banned the murderous procedure. She was an unwitting pawn in a game that didn't give a whit about her.

Fact number 2 that I bet you didn't know about Norma- SHE NEVER HAD AN ABORTION. In fact the child she wanted to abort was given up for adoption and has her own beautiful family.

Norma McCorvey had it tough. The following is an excerpt from an article I've linked to -

"She was the ninth child of poor rural parents who could not afford her and soon divorced. She was raped repeatedly by her mother’s cousin as a child, and by her own account she would deliberately get caught stealing from local stores so that she would be sent to reform school, which she preferred to her family home. “I beat the fuck out of her,” her mother Mary told Vanity Fair in 2013.

McCorvey was married at 16 to a man who left her when she became pregnant, and when the child was born her mother tricked her into relinquishing custody, claiming that the forms she signed were for “insurance.” She became homeless, and struggled with alcohol, drugs, and suicidal depression. "

She became a pro-choice advocate (working for the next 20 years at a Planned Parenthood death camp). She decided to identify as lesbian and lived with her female partner for 35 years.

Remember Paul- who was busy persecuting and killing the early Christians; and yet was chosen by Christ to bring the Word of God to the Gentiles.

Jesus entered Norma's life in 1995, through the great Pastor Benham. She broke through the sinful "chrysalis" that was keeping her in a slug like state of (dis)grace and became a spiritual "butterfly" who soared toward The Father.

Real Christianity runs on the twin tracks of transformation and love. It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society

“Finding yourself" is not really how it works. You aren't a ten-dollar bill in last winter's coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people's opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. "Finding yourself" is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.” ― Emily McDowell

https://newrepublic.com/article/140793/culture-wars-norma-mccorvey

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The Conversion of Norma McCorvey - YouTubeThe Diocese of Fresno Family Life Ministry and KNXT TV are featuring a Randall Terry documentary film on the life story of Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Ro...www.youtube.com

[seekfirst-community]

"HE MUST INCREASE BUT I MUST DECREASE." (ST JOHN THE BAPTIST).

"Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

"Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.

"She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias’ own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.

"The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,“I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” (Mark 6: 17.....29).

Monday 29th August 2022 of the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of the Martyrdom of St John the Baptist.

Who is St John the Baptist?

John is the son of Zachary and Elizabeth. When Mary visited Elizabeth, John leapt in her mother's womb in recognition of Jesus. When he came of age, he retired to the desert to prepare for his exacting ministry. In the fullness of time, he came to the River Jordan and began preaching and baptizing people for repentance in preparation for the ministry of Jesus Christ. It was here that he condemned the adulterous life of King Herod. Herodias, the concubine of Herod took revenge on the Baptist and demanded his death when a good opportunity presented itself.

John's martyrdom is a cause of joy and hope for Christians. John died about the age of 32. Was his life in vain? Of course not. You think of the hundreds of martyrs that the Church honors every year. We honor them to remind everyone that Heaven is real for the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Hell is also real for those who reject Jesus completely.

If someone asks you:

How do you know that Heaven is real? Your answer could be among others: Look at the martyrs. Intelligent and beautiful men and women! Could they have thrown away the only life they had for nothing? Think of all the Apostles and Saints: Cecilia, Agatha, Thomas More, Lawrence, Edmond Campion, Paul Miki, Miguel Pro, Maximilian Kolbe and others.

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10: 28)

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

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Lenten Season: The Rejection And Betrayal - Mark 14

Rejection and betrayal are probably some of the biggest fears of every person. The great majority, if not all, strive to prove their importance, to earn recognition and fame. Moreover, in some cases, people willing to lose their humanity in exchange for prestige and influence. And all these are the result of fallen human nature that dictates the way people live. Furthermore, pride is the greatest sin of all. Pride is an engine, and it carries behind a whole line of other sins.

Because pride is the reason for fleshly desires (Gen. 3:6-7), that is why rejection and betrayal hurt. That is to say, the wrong perspectives built upon the foundation that has nothing but perishable things will eventually fall, and great that fall will be (Mat. 7:27). Consequently, rejection and betrayal could bring a person to the point of devastation and complete void. And indeed, Christ Jesus is the only one who can fill this emptiness and restore the brokenness.

Weekly Insight Bible Reading

So, in this weekly insight, we will look at the following questions:

Rejection and Betrayal by religious leaders

Treacherous and faithful types of Christians

Rejection and Betrayal as a result of sinful life

This time, I do not want to go through the whole history of events in Mark 14. Therefore, I would encourage you to read Mark 14 beforehand. Please, take your time to study these chapters by yourself, with your family or study group.

Also, you might be interested in what was the last week. Please, check our previous weekly insight – God’s Guidance And Providence For His Chosen People.

Rejection and Betrayal by religious leaders

At the beginning of Mark 14 author tells us how religious leaders were preparing a plan of rejection and betrayal of Jesus Christ. Thus, the ones whom God separated to serve Him and appointed to be holy unto Him now seek to kill the Son of God. Moreover, they wanted to trick the Lord Jesus, so He will give them a reason to accuse Him and put Christ Jesus to death. But because of the fame of the Messiah, which quickly spread and far beyond Jerusalem, they feared that instead, the people might revolt against them (Mark 14:1-2).

The stone which the builders rejected

The rejection and betrayal by religious leaders were not something new in the history of the Holy Land. The march of the prophets started from Obadiah in 850 BC and ended with Malachi in 424 BC. The Lord God has sent many prophets to the wicked kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Thus, their mission was to warn and to reprove leaders from their evil ways. So, out of twenty kings of Judah, only eight of them have listened to the prophets. But the nineteen kings of Israel have rejected all the prophets. Sadly, after rejection and betrayal, most of the prophets got martyred.

The parable of the Lord of the Vineyard in Mark 12:1-12 (also Matthew 21:33-46 and Luke 20:9-19) summed up these 426 years of the march of the prophets. Furthermore, during another 400 so-called silent years, the Lord God turned from the children of Israel. However, rejection and betrayal by the religious leader brought God's quietness and obliteration over the kingdoms. And as Mark 12:12 says, the chief priests, scribes, and elders knew that Jesus Christ spoke about them in that parable.

Rejection and betrayal are not a choice

Just like in the times of prophets, when pride and self-righteousness of leaders tranquillized their humbleness and fear of the Lord God, the religious life of the priests times of Jesus was rotten and self-centred. Thus, their rejection and betrayal are not necessarily a choice but a result of the continuous life in sin and rebellion against God. The pious life that they practiced was rather mechanical than holy. And such a routine, godless religious life made their hearts callus. The hearts that are incapable of receiving the Word of God and the promised Messiah.

I have touched on this topic in the Bible Study about Fasting According To Jesus – Matthew 6:16-18. Maybe you will find some time to study this one too.

Question to ponder:

Do you see any of the similitudes between the religious leader times of prophets or times of Jesus and the religious people nowadays? Do you see the presence of rejection and betrayal in the modern church? How about your pious life?

Treacherous and faithful types of Christians

There are many Christians who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They have prayed the prayer, got baptized. Further, they go to church every Sunday and even attend Wednesday prayer meetings. Moreover, they do partake in Lord's Supper and other important religious activities and celebrations. From first sight, they are but typical new-born Christians who fully devoted their lives to serve the Lord Jesus. However, the examples from Mark 14 that we are about to study will reveal to us the true nature of those who are treacherous and who are faithful ones.

Mary of Bethany - faithfulness and devotion

Mark 14:3 tells us the story of Mary who lived in Bethany. She came to the house of Simon the leper when the Lord Jesus had dinner with His disciples. Mary brought with her an expensive alabaster box full of aromatic oil from India. She poured the contents over Jesus' head, as an anointing for His burial.

Some disciples responded with indignation that the perfume had been wasted, for its value was over three hundred pence - a worker's pay for an entire year. And the most vocal among the twelve was Judas Iscariot. He insisted that such an expensive oil should have been sold and the money given to the poor, as a generous act during Passover.

But the real intention of Judas was a selfish one. He was concerned only for his bag of money (John 12:4-6). Moreover, he and other disciples were scolding the woman. Therefore, Jesus said to leave Mary alone. His point was that they always have the poor around them to minister unto them, but He would not be with them always.

Mary of Bethany may not know the whole idea behind the ministry of Jesus as the Christ but she knew for sure that the Lord is about to die. And wherever this gospel shall be preached, her gracious act will be known to the whole world for a memorial of her (Mark 14:9).

Judas Iscariot - rejection and betrayal

Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest to betray Jesus unto them. Further, he was waiting for a good moment for rejection and betrayal of the Lord (Mark 14:10-11).

Of course, Jesus Christ knew that one of the twelve will betray Him. Moreover, Jesus made an announcement about it while they were having Lord's Supper in Mark's personal room in the house of his mother (Mark 14:15, Acts 12:12). And such an announcement shocked His disciples that they started questioning the Lord, so He will tell who is that betrayer. However, Jesus did not reveal the identity of the one who made rejection and betrayer. Otherwise, they would not let him leave the room (John 13:27-30).

So, Jesus' final words were that it would be better for that man if he had never been born (Mark 14:21). Of course, that speech Jesus addressed to Judas. Thus, the Lord announced his "rewards", to suffer the terrible consequences of his rejection and betrayal of the Messiah.

Rewards from men are immediate, from God - imminent

I am going to stop at this point to summarise the sections above. And now it came much more clear to me the meaning of the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:4,6,18. Particularly, this sentence (with a big emphasis on the last word): thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thy openly. And that is one of the reasons why I read KJV ;)

The moral here is the following. Nobody knew the real intent of Mary of Bethany when she "wasted" such an expensive oil for Jesus' anointing. Moreover, they reprimanded her for that. That is now we know that her motives were gracious, however, immediate rewards from the fellow-Christians were murmuring. And on the other hand, Judas Iscariot whos idea was to sell the oil and give the money to the poor instead. I am sure that his idea was approved by the majority. But secretly from his Master and brother, Judas was nurturing rejection and betrayal of the Savior of the world.

However, the Lord Himself dot the I's and cross the T's. He is the One who sees the hidden parts of every man. Only Jesus knows the secrets that we store in our hearts. Thus, the rewards are imminent and He is the One who is to sound a trumpet (Matt. 6:2). For the faithful Mary of Bethany that is a memorial of her along with the preaching of the Gospel. But for Judas Iscariot the Betrayer - condemnation, eternal death and separation from the Glory of God.

Question to ponder:

Would you like to receive a reward from the Highest? Or your chasing after rewards from the men? Apart from attending church services and reading the Bible, how do you work out your salvation (Philippians 2:12)? What do you think your reward will be?

Rejection and Betrayal as a result of sinful life

As I have mentioned in the first section of today's weekly insight, rejection and betrayal are not a choice but a result of sinful life. That is to say that a person will not come to the point of rejection and betrayal of someone if he/she would be righteous. But as we know, there is no one righteous, not even one (Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Romans 3:10-12). Judas Iscariot was not better than that who never truly repented of his sins but followed Jesus because of His name and glory for the sake of his personal gains.

And yes, we are not better than Judas Iscariot in some or another way. Do you remember that passage from Genesis 18:22-33? The passage when Abraham was interceding before the Lord God to save Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of righteous people. And there was none, except Lot and his family of two unmarried sons, two unmarried daughters, two married daughters and their husbands. But God would never destroy the righteous with the wicked. Thus, he saved Lot's family.

But this time, all the way around. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the perfect and righteous man, came to save "Sodom and Gomorrah" and took the punishment in our stead. There is no one righteous, not even one but God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Question to ponder:

What sin made Judas Iscariot come to the point of rejection and betrayal of our Lord Jesus? Search your heart. Is there any secret part that you hiding from God, an area of your life that has to be repented of?

Insights

No matter how religious you are, no matter how spiritual you are, you are sinful by nature. There is no one righteous, not even one. And your piousness does not make you more or less sinful in the PERFECT eyes of God.

Many religious people of all times are blinded by their pride and self-righteousness. They cannot accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Thus, rejection and betrayal are the only results of their wicked life.

If you seek the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, like Mary of Bethany, God's reward is a memorial of you forever on earth and in heaven. But if you still serve your sins, your reward is eternal damnation.

God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)

If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, why not now!? Please, do not wait until it is too late! Embrace God’s Grace, Mercy and Love now – Accept Jesus Now!

Related Posts

Merciful deeds

Giving of Alms – Matthew 6:1-4

Behold the Beauty of the Lord

Brood of Vipers

Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13

Study Materials:

The Henry Morris Study Bible – KJV

The Matthew Henry Study Bible – KJV

The MacArthur Study Bible – ESV

ESV Study Bible

Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible KJV

The Complete Bible Commentary – George Williams

The Moody Bible Commentary – a one-volume commentary

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

NASB Zondervan Study Bible

Chronological Life Application Study Bible – NLT

Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines

The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary