PRAYER TO THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS – St Nikolai of Ohrid and Zhicha

Waves of passion disturb my spirit, great sadness and anguish have overwhelmed my soul. Embalm my soul with Thy Son's peace, O Most Holy One, and by His Grace drive away every doubt and despair. Calm the storm of my sins that, like a fiery worm, burn me, and quench its flame. Fill my heart with joy, O Most Pure One, and disperse the fog of my iniquities before me, for it confuses me. Illumine me with the light of Thy Son. Helpless is my soul, and everything is cumbersome, even prayer. Here I am, cold as a stone, my lips whispering prayers, while my heart remains immovable, for it is smothered in anguish. Melt the ice which envelops my soul and warm my heart with Thy love.

I rely not on human protection, but fall down before Thee, O Most Pure Sovereign Mother of God; reject me not, but hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant. Sadness has overcome me; I can endure the demonic attack no more. I
have no protection; there is no shelter for this poor man, and in this battle I am ever being wounded. I have no consolation, but in Thee, O Holy Sovereign. O Hope and Protection of all who believe, reject not my prayer. Amen.

O Most Holy Mother of Christ, Most Pure, Most Blessed Theotokos, Satan is pounding at me like the waves of the sea against a ship, pursuing me by day and tormenting me at night. I have no peace; turbulent is my soul, my spirit
trembles. Hearken, O Most Holy One and help me. Intercede before the dear Lord that He may have mercy on me and forgive the sins I have committed. O Most Holy Mother of Jesus, Thy grace is great, and the mightiest opponent to the powers of hades. Thou art able to save even the greatest of sinners who, having been cast into the depths of hell by unclean powers, should call upon Thee. So too, save me, for lo, Satan will have me stumble and will destroy my faith, but I trust in the Lord. I magnify Thee, Who art more holy than the Cherubim and the Seraphim.

Love and Comfort

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack,

he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent..

He reached out his hand.

The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.

All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward,

the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital -

the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients..

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.

The dying man said nothing,

only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died.

The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding

and went to tell the nurse.

While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy,

but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled,

"He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied.

"I never saw him before in my life.."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake,

But I also knew he needed his son,

and his Son just wasn't here.

When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son,

Knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.

His Son was killed in Iraq today,

and I was sent to inform him.

What was this gentleman's name?

The nurse with tears in

her eyes answered,

"Mr. William Grey" ........

The next time someone needs you ........

Just be there.

STAY!

**************

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS

GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS

GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

St. John Chrysostom: The Greatest Interpreter of the Apostle Paul

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

No mortal has interpreted the Epistles of the Apostle Paul with greater love and depth than St. John Chrysostom. Had St. Paul himself interpreted them, he could not have interpreted them better. Behold, history tells us that it was Paul himself who interpreted them through the mind and the pen of Chrysostom.

When St. Proclus was a novice under Chrysostom, during the time that he was patriarch, it was his duty to announce visitors. A certain nobleman was slandered before Emperor Arcadius and the emperor had expelled him from the court. This nobleman came to implore Chrysostom to intercede with the emperor on his behalf.

Proclus went to announce him to the patriarch but, looking through the partly opened door, saw a man bent over the patriarch, whispering something in his ear while the patriarch wrote. This continued until dawn. Meanwhile, Proclus told the nobleman to come back the next evening, while he himself remained in amazement, wondering who the man with the patriarch was, and how he managed to enter the patriarch's chamber unannounced. The second night the same thing happened again, and Proclus was in still greater amazement. The third night the same thing happened again, and Proclus was in the greatest amazement.

When Chrysostom asked him if the nobleman had come by, he replied that he had already been waiting for three nights, but that he couldn't announce him because of the elderly, balding stranger who had been whispering in the patriarch's ear for three nights. The astonished Chrysostom said that he did not remember anyone entering to see him during the previous three nights. He asked his novice what the stranger looked like, and Proclus pointed to the icon of the Holy Apostle Paul, saying that the man was like him.

Therefore, it was the Apostle Paul himself who was directing the mind and pen of his greatest interpreter.

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/11/st-john-chrysostom-greatest-interpreter.html

Church of Protection of The Holy Virgin in Le Bons Bay

In 2007, with the blessings of Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, foundations were consecrated for a church, to be dedicated to the Protection of the Holy Virgin. A Church, built in 1599 and now housed in the Outdoor Museum of Wooden Architecture in Novgorod, Russia, was used as a prototype.

Saint Peter the Aleut Books

Travel to far away frozen Alaska, and to it's beautiful Aleutian Islands. Look back two hundred years ago. Here you will meet a boy. Cungacknaq is his name. He is an Aleut.
Witness the Aleuts struggling for survival in the harsh Arctic Circle. See the hand of God in Cungacknaq's life, and the mighty plan, the Lord has to call Saint Peter the Aleut, as the First and Neo Martyr of Orthodoxy on the American Continent.
The book is fully illustrated, glossy soft cover and is 63 pages, in brilliant color. It is printed in A4 size which makes it slightly larger than 8.5 x 11.
For a limited time each book will be autographed by the authors, Avra Economakos Hopkins and Al Hopkins.

To order using a check or money order, address your payment to:

Athena Art Studios

P.O. BOX 96

Elwood, IN 46036

Cost: $20 which will include free shipping to anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.
For over seas shipment please contact us at : contact@saintpeterthealeut.com