For the sisters

 

We nuns chose a life which is called: angelic.

   The angels are found in the Heavens; praising in hymns and serving the All-holy will of God.

   Therefore our life also is this:

   To praise in hymns and to serve the will of God.

   But how?

Nativity in modern time

                                            (From the weekly series "Dots on Letters")

   … The water is drifting the ship, with an enormous vigor, into the abyss of a deep waterfall, descending into the depth of the earth of perdition, and people on board are fighting, quarrelling and slaughtering one another!. They say it is “a fight for survival” which is nothing but foolishness! Absolute blindness!... What survival?! You have all departed or are departing! “Vanities of vanities, all is vanity. What advantage does a man have in all his labor, in which he toils under the sun?” (Ecc 1: 2-3)!... “Woe to us, because we sinned!” (Lam 5: 16), because we walked recklessly, in blindness… willingly. “Water flowed over my head” (Lam 3: 50)!. Who will deliver us from this body of death?! (Rm 7: 24)… All is falling into the deep!. There is nothing firm to hold on to!. The seas are hurling!. Will this night get to an end?!. A fall in the fall in the fall! Certainly!. He said: there is the one and only that is everlasting: “Love! .” “Love never fails” (1Co 13: 8)!. So there is hope for us!. This is the core, the essence!. This is the beginning and the end!. Love said: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end!.”

The Prayer of Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia

   
     This video is prepared by Saint John the Baptist Monastery for children to be acquainted with stories from the lives of Saints and Elders in the church of Christ. The stories are all in free translation form for educational purposes, with the preservation of the main message behind them. It is not to be used for commercial purposes in any form.

Question and Answer

   How can we live fully as Christians in this age and in these days?... (Iman, Najah, Gabriella and her children).

   The Lord said: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”(Mt 13: 44).

   Christianity is that Kingdom of Heaven which the Lord shows to us today hidden in a field, and the field is us, humans!!. The treasure is in us, children of God, or rather His servants by humility, love and our standing before Him asking for healing from our sins, and our fall from the proximity of the Lord, King of Heaven and Earth’s throne!!.

The Others

Metropolitan Georges Khodr

An-Nahar Newspaper Αrticle

Saturday 15 November 2014

Translated at Saint John the Baptist Monastery, Douma, El Batroun, Lebanon

   

   I was asked to write an article entitled “The Others”… and I said: Who are the others? What difference is there between myself and others if I love them?!...  I do not seek anything but love. Love gives me understanding. You could remain hundreds of years arguing, because the intellect always separates people. When you love, you will recognize that you are one with the others, and that you do not need human reasoning to love. Love springs from the heart and hearts become connected. Walk towards the others and tell them: “Here I am!”, and they will accept you, because you moved towards them and they recognized you as a neighbor. If you abolish distances you will become one with them...

Spot-light on Organ Donation

                                            (From the weekly series "Dots on Letters")

   Believers have varied opinions with respect to organ donation. Perspectives differ and the subject is controversial. Every one tries to support his view through the Holy Scriptures. Some are enthusiastic about it, others are positive, others have reservations, whilst others totally reject the principle. Diversity of opinions, for the time being, may be enriching, though we cannot foresee an end to the debate in the near future as the issue is ambiguous.

La Croix, notre vie.

En ce jour, advient le jugement de ce monde!!...

En ce jour, la main du Dieu le Père Créateur s’abaisse pour former une croix de la poussière de la terre et la présenter en cadeau pour Son Créateur le Dieu Fils consubstantiel au Père dès le début des temps!!.

En ce jour, Jésus le fils du Dieu Père crie son bien-aimé qui lui est égal dans l’assise: Tu es mon Père qui est plus grand que Moi, qui M’a oint pour que Je m’incarne crucifié du ventre de la femme, Marie la seule vierge, ainsi Il Me portera un amour sacrifié, sans l’aspect divin et rien pour plaire aux passants, crucifié après avoir été battu, et craché dessus, méprisé et percé d’une lance, blessé et saignant ses plaies, pour abreuver tout assoiffé qui Le trouvera hors de la cité de Jérusalem. Le Christ a visité cette cité, et l’a trouvée livrant tout son être pour les brigands, les riches, les chefs et les magistrats de ce monde, qui sont tous des menteurs qui ont livré à la mort, par envie, leur Seigneur et leur Dieu!!!...

The Holy Trinity Church Restoration

Life Eternal

                                            (From the weekly series "Dots on Letters")

     The subject of eternal life presupposes hard questions! What is the meaning of eternal life? What does it mean to have eternal life? Why is eternal life the greatest gift? Is it because death cuts off life on earth, that eternal life acquires meaning? Is eternity a matter of time? If death is life cut off, and death comes, often, after trials, so of what value is life extended, if, practically, it means trials continued?! For to him who suffers, physically or psychologically, death appears as mercy! In man’s experience, life is desirable if it is full of delights, but when it is soaked with bitterness, he would rather desire death. So if eternal life is a matter of time, it has, in itself, no value, whatsoever!

Question and Answer for Sunday 16 November 2014

   Dear Mother Mariam: Is it correct to say: “my Gosh” instead of “my God”. I thought this is what the atheist want us to do, which is not to mention the name of God. Yet I was told by the priest that we should say: “Gosh” instead. This point confuses me. Thank you... (Maria).

   Oh Lord God of all creation!!! How can we not cry out Your Name, when we are troubled in our souls, or have fallen down from our belief in error, if we are perplexed or tired?!.

   Oh God Lord… Oh Jesus Christ… Oh Heavenly King… Listen to my supplications!!... This is and was the cry of all prophets, saints and real believers!!.

Excerpts from the Books of Saint Silouan and Father Sophrony

Excerpts from the Book of Saint Silouan the Athonite: On Love.

       The Lord so loved His creature that He gave man the Holy Spirit and man knew his Creator and loves his Lord. The Holy Spirit is love and sweetness to the soul, the mind and the body. No Man of himself can know what God’s love is unless he be taught of the Holy Spirit; but God’s Love is known in our Church through the Holy Spirit, and so we speak of this love.

       The Lord’s love is such that He would have all men to be saved and abide eternally with Him in heaven and behold His glory.

   If you would know the Lord, humble yourself to the utmost, be obedient and sober in all things, love truth, and the Lord of a surety will give you to know Him through the Holy Spirit, and then you will know, by experience, just what love towards God is, and what is love towards man.

   Blessed is the soul that loves her brother, for our brother is our life. Blessed is the soul that loves her brother: the Spirit of the Lord lives manifest within her, affording peace and gladness, and she weeps for the whole world.

       The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies… the Lord taught me to love my enemies. Without the grace of God we cannot love our enemies. Only the Holy Spirit teaches love, and then even devils arouse our pity because they have fallen from good, and lost humility in God.

The story of Father Jacob Tsalikis and Saint Paraskevi

   
     This video is prepared by Saint John the Baptist Monastery for children to be acquainted with stories from the lives of Saints and Elders in the church of Christ. The stories are all in free translation form for educational purposes, with the preservation of the main message behind them. It is not to be used for commercial purposes in any form.

Holy Trinity Family

        

         The Holy Trinity Family in Douma, a village in the district of Batroun - Lebanon, is a monastic community founded with the blessing of Metropolitan Georges Khodr of the Antiochian Roum Orthodox Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon, and under the auspices of Father Sophrony Sakharov (+1993), of blessed memory, and the late Father Elias Morkos (Higoumene of Saint Georges Monastery – Deir el Harf +2011).

The Community with His Eminence Metropolitan Georges Khodr.

         The community follows the coenobitic rule of monastic life, and is formed of two monasteries: Saint John the Baptist monastery for nuns and Saint Silouan the Athonite monastery for monks. The family has one economos, Archimandrite Touma (Bitar), who is also the abbot of Saint Silouan monastery. Saint John the Baptist monastery is under the spiritual guidance of Higoumene (Abbess) Mother Mariam (Zakka). Both Father Touma and Mother Mariam were tonsured into the monastic order by Father Sophrony at the monastery he established in Essex, England. While Mother Mariam knew Father Sophrony as of the year 1986, after visiting the monastery at Essex to take permission to translate his book "His Life is mine". She started translating all his books to Arabic and became his spiritual daughter.

Father Thomas and Mother Mariam with Father Sophrony in Essex.

         It is on October 30th 1990 that the first members of this community set foot in the monastery. So it is in commemoration of this blessed day, that the Holy Trinity Family is launching this blog.

The Overflow of Love