Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Paschal Epistle from canonical ROCA Vladyka Bishop John

Sharing: 1) Thomas Sunday: 2018 Paschal Epistle from canonical ROCA Vladyka Bishop John of Melbourne, Australia-AND 2) links to Vladyka Metropolitan Agafangel's sermons, etc, (in Russian)

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sun, Apr 15, 2018 at 4:26 PM

xb
Христос 
Воскресе! 
xb

Christ Is Risen!
 

Second Sunday of Pascha, Thomas Sunday, April 15, 2018-

Paschal Epistle

     Let us awake in the deep dawn and instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Master; and we shall see Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, Who causeth life to dawn for all. (Ode 5, Irmos)
     The myrrh-bearing maidens anticipated the dawn, seeking as it were day, the Sun Who was before the sun and Who had set in the tomb, and they cried out to one another: O friends come let us anoint with sweet-smelling spices the life-bringing and buried Body, even that Flesh which raiseth fallen Adam who lieth in the grave. Let us go hence, let us make haste like the Wise Men, and let us adore and offer before Him myrrh as it were a gift to Him, Who is no longer wrapped in swaddling bands, but in a winding sheet. And let us make lamentation and cry aloud in exclamation: Arise O Master, Thou who dost grant resurrection to the fallen. (Ikos)

Dear brothers and sisters,
Christ is Risen!

Our Lord Jesus Christ has opened the door to Eternal Life for us mortal men. The True Sun of Righteousness has enlightened the world with True Light, in the midst of this sinful and fallen existence. This Light is the knowledge of the True God, and the Path of Righteousness - by which we can enter the Eternal Life.

Let us, my dear friends, be vigilant! Let us set out hastily like the myrrh-bearing women, and offer myrrh to God! Let us not allow ourselves to be weak-hearted and afraid, making all sorts of excuses in avoiding Church attendance and prayer. Let us use our God-given time, freedom and energy for attaining eternal life for our eternal souls!

Let us remember the five foolish virgins who were unable to enter the Wedding Feast because they had not sufficient oil in their vessels. They were called, but they did not respond to the call, thinking their calling was sufficient for salvation. They had not used well the time allotted to them.

Do we have sufficient Grace to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and live eternally with God? Are we not excessively distracted by mundane things of this earthly existence, by which one day we are completely engrossed with, and which by the next day we have forgotten about? If we spend most of our time, thoughts and effort for physical things of this world, then we become like spiritual corpses lying in our graves! If we do not adore (pray to) God, and offer myrrh (good deeds, as defined in Gods Law; and living a church-centred life) as it were a gift to God, we will remain as fallen Adams imprisoned in our self-imposed graves. We decompose further in our sins, and become more and more unbearable by the smell of sins, both for ourselves and to all that come near us.

To rise up, pray at home and in the Church, and to do good deeds beyond what is ‘natural’ and a ‘duty’, are actions which are possible and open to us all. There is nothing great or difficult in this – but our fallen nature and the evil one make virtue appear “too hard”, grim and unbearable, so as to dissuade us from seeking God, Who is our actual source of joy, life, strength, and peace…! The earthly pleasures with which we attempt to replace His gifts leave us feeling empty, sad and exhausted.

Dear brothers and sisters, before the door is shut unexpectedly and our physical death confronts us, let us make that effort against our lazy and self-loving will to arise from our sleep of self-righteousness and inaction, and seek God! We must get out of our “comfort zone” and make an effort…. and God WILL reward.

When God sees us rising up to seek Him with effort, He will reward us with His Grace - joy, life, strength, and peace of heart.

Christ is Risen !
Bishop John of Melbourne

Friday, April 13, 2018

Paschal Greeting from Australia

Paschal Greeting from Metropolitan Agafangel

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AND, link to hear and  view a number of various  other presentations, in Russian, of our canonical ROCA's head, Vladyka Metropolitan Agafangel (Pashkovsky).

But a warning: YouTube often intermingles and mixes up our Vl. Agafangel's [Pashkovsky] messages and our ROCA  church videos with an MP -'Met. Agafangel' who is also  resident & their metropolitan in Odessa, Ukraine  and also with other MP clerical video messages and news, and their MP church events.  It is dangerous to put too much trust in YouTube.  YouTube is not really on our side, nor can they distinguish between our various Russian Orthodox factions.  We all come under one heading, in their bewildered uninformed ignorant view.  Profits/$-dollars, is all that they care about...not accurate reporting.

Perhaps they get pay-off monies from V. Putin and his captive MP, to deliberately try and turn people away from any and all anti-MP Russians? and also away from all conservative/traditionalist/anti-ecumenist   Orthodox people and churches? It really seems so. "Money talks!"

Tonsured but now retired, Reader Daniel in Oregon

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwfzPGxe07XRWZUOaNi49w

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