Interesting reflection

Judge them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels (v.10). Notice here, too, the mildness of her prayer. She did not say, note, "Punish," but Judge them, and make them put a stop to their wickedness; render their scheming fruitless, which we may pray for on their behalf so that the working of evil should progress no further in them. In response to the multitude of their impieties cast them out, because they provoked you, Lord - that is, what happened to me is of no concern to me: I grieve only for things done to you. This, you see, is the mark of a well-disposed spirit, not to avenge one's own injuries but to take drastic action against insults directed to God. Many people do the opposite to this, ignoring things done to God but taking redress with extreme severity for their own fate. The saints, however, do not behave like this; instead, they are extremely punitive of things done to God but heedless of their own fate.

From Commentary on Psalm 5
From St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Psalms, Trans. Robert Charles Hill, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, ETC


I wonder what fruitful synthesis could be drawn out between this and Anselm's idea of rectitude.

The world would be a happier place if (#3):

If we thought more about death.

"In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin." Ecclesiasticus 7:40

Some of my favorite church texts are found in our funeral services. I wish that I could hear them at my own funeral. Since I cannot, and I do not attend very many funerals, I meditate upon them now, and encourage others to do the same...


Tone 1. What earthly sweetness remaineth unmixed with grief? What glory standeth immutable on earth? All things are but shadows most feeble, but most deluding dreams: yet one moment only, and Death shall supplant them all. But in the light of thy countenance, O Christ, and in the sweetness of thy beauty, give rest unto him (her) whom thou hast chosen: forasmuch as thou lovest mankind.

Tone II. Woe is me! What manner of ordeal doth the soul endure when from the body it is parted! Woe is me! how many then are its tears; and there is none to show compassion! It turneth its eyes to the Angels; all unavailing is its prayer. It stretcheth out its hands to men; and findeth none to succour. Wherefore, my brethren beloved, meditating on the brevity of our life, let us beseech of Christ rest for him (her) who hath departed hence: and for our souls great mercy.

Tone III. All mortal things are vanity and exist not after death. Riches endure not, neither doth glory accompany on the way: for when death cometh, all these things vanish utterly. For which cause let us cry unto Christ the immortal: Give rest, in the abode of those who are glad, to the dead translated from among us.

Tone IV. Where is earthly predilection? Where is the pomp of the ephemeral creatures of a day? Where are the gold and the silver? Where is the multitude of household servants and their clamour? All dust, all ashes, all shadows. But come, let us cry aloud unto the deathless King: O Lord, of thine eternal good things vouchsafe thou unto him (her) who hath been translated from among us, giving unto him (her) rest in thy blessedness which waxeth not old.

Tone V. I called to mind the Prophet, how he cried: I am earth and ashes; and I looked again into the graves, and beheld the bones laid bare; and I said: Who then is the king or the warrior, the rich man or the needy, the upright or the sinner? Yet give rest with thy Saints unto thy servant, O Lord.

Tone VI. Thy creating command was my origin and my foundation: for thy pleasure it was out of nature visible and invisible to fashion me, a living creature. From the earth thou didst shape my body, and didst give me a soul by thy divine and quickening breath. Wherefore, O Christ, give rest to thy servant in the land of the living, in the habitations of the Just.

Tone VII. When, in the beginning, thou hadst created man after thine own image and likeness, thou didst set him in Paradise to reign over thy creatures. But when, beguiled by the malice of the Devil, he tasted of the food, he became a transgressor of thy commandments. For which cause, O Lord, thou didst condemn him to return again unto the earth whence he was taken, and to entreat repose.

Tone VIII. I weep and I wail when I think upon death, and behold our beauty, fashioned after the image of God, lying in the tomb disfigured, dishonoured, bereft of form. O marvel! What is this mystery which doth befall us? Why have we been given over unto corruption, and why have we been wedded unto death? Of a truth, as it is written, by the command of God, who giveth the departed rest.

--(From I. F. Hapgood, Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church, 5th ed. , 1975, etc.)

So...whatcha up to?

If there was reasonable evidence that told you that your multi-trillion dollar father was forwarding you a stack of cash, wouldn't you investigate the matter in some detail?

The thing is, today's people don't. They dismiss the evidence as a fairy tail, doubting that he is really their biological father, or something, and decide that they want to make their own fortunes, even though they do not hold the business and economics degrees that their father does. They go about hoarding something other than what their father possesses. So they dig in the earth and bag as much dirt as they can. Now, aren't they clever?