{"id":10592,"date":"2021-12-27T18:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T23:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=10592"},"modified":"2021-12-27T18:32:00","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T23:32:00","slug":"st-peter-news-december-28-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-news-december-28-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter News December 28, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!<\/h2>\n

The Sunday Before Theophany<\/h2>\n

AftSylvester, pope of Rome; Cosmas the wonderworker, archbishop of Constantinople; Repose of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov<\/h4>\n
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\n\"The<\/p>\n

The Baptism of Christ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Theophany (or Epiphany) means shining forth or manifestation. The feast is often called, as it is in the Orthodox service books, Theophany, which means the shining forth and manifestation of God. The emphasis in the present day celebration is on the appearance of Jesus as the human Messiah of Israel and the divine Son of God, One of the Holy Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

Thus, in the baptism by John in the Jordan, Jesus identifies himself with sinners as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29), the “Beloved” of the Father whose messianic task it is to redeem men from their sins (Lk 3:21, Mk 1:35). And he is revealed as well as One of the Divine Trinity, testified to by the voice of the Father, and by the Spirit in the form of a dove. This is the central epiphany glorified in the main hymns of the feast:<\/p>\n

When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan the worship of the Trinity was made manifest! For the voice of the Father bare witness to Thee, calling Thee his Beloved Son. And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the truthfulness of his Word. O Christ our God, who hast revealed Thyself and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee (Troparion).<\/p>\n

Read the entire article on the Orthodox Church of America website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Who Was St. Seraphim of Sarov?<\/h2>\n
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\n\"t.<\/p>\n

t. Seraphim of Sarov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Father Seraphim spent his time in ascetical struggles. His cell rule of prayer was based on the rule of Saint Pachomius for the ancient desert monasteries. He always carried the Holy Gospels with him, reading the entire New Testament in the course of a week. He also read the holy Fathers and the service books. The saint learned many of the Church hymns by heart, and sang them while working in the forest. Around his cell he cultivated a garden and set up a beehive. He kept a very strict fast, eating only once during the entire day, and on Wednesdays and Fridays he completely abstained from food. From the first Sunday of the Great Fast he did not partake of food at all until the following Saturday, when he received the Holy Mysteries.<\/p>\n

The holy Elder was sometimes so absorbed by the unceasing prayer of the heart that he remained without stirring, neither hearing nor seeing anything around him. The schemamonk Mark the Silent and the hierodeacon Alexander, also wilderness-dwellers, would visit him every now and then. Finding the saint immersed in prayer, they would leave quietly, so they would not disturb his contemplation.<\/p>\n

In the heat of summer the righteous one gathered moss from a swamp as fertilizer for his garden. Gnats and mosquitoes bit him relentlessly, but he endured this saying, “The passions are destroyed by suffering and by afflictions.”<\/p>\n

His solitude was often disturbed by visits from monks and laymen, who sought his advice and blessing. With the blessing of the igumen, Father Seraphim prohibited women from visiting him, then receiving a sign that the Lord approved of his desire for complete silence, he banned all visitors. Through the prayers of the saint, the pathway to his wilderness cell was blocked by huge branches blown down from ancient pine trees. Now only the birds and the wild beasts visited him, and he dwelt with them as Adam did in Paradise. They came at midnight and waited for him to complete his Rule of prayer. Then he would feed bears, lynxes, foxes, rabbits, and even wolves with bread from his hand. Saint Seraphim also had a bear which would obey him and run errands for him.<\/p>\n

Read St. Seraphim’s entire biography on the Orthodox Church in America<\/strong><\/a> website.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Services This Week<\/h2>\n