Friday, October 22, 2010

Words too true

The following testimony by brother Pandelis Toumbelekis is so wonderful, that I cannot help quoting it here. To read his entire post, link to "Lay aside all earthly care…" I am sure you will be blessed as much as I was by reading his words too true.

The title of this post comes from a line in the Cherubic Hymn chanted in every Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox after the proclamation of the Holy Gospel. It is a line that comforts me immensely, like the words of Christ the Logos in His Gospel ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28), it gives me great strength to carry on the struggle, because ‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:13), it focuses me on the timeless event that is happening before my own eyes: the Mystery of the Eucharist. And through the psalmody of the Church at this moment my nous is transfigured, taken into another world, a world in which there is no yesterday, today and tomorrow. It is just me and God, because the Timeless One always has time for me, even if no-one else does.

Indeed, this is very much so a mystery.

This is something central in the Orthodox phronema (manner of thinking/state of mind); that behind everything there is a mystery, not the least the humble human being, but also more deeply the heart of a human being. The Logos tells us in the so-called ‘Old Testament’ (although there is nothing ‘old’ about it) ‘My Son, give me your heart’ (Proverbs 23:26).

Please, continue reading…

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