THE DREAM OF THE ROOD

The Dream of the Rood, traced to the 8th century, was the earliest of the English “dream-vision” poems. It describes in allegory the redemption of the world through the Cross. This version is from Project Gutenberg.
Lo! choicest of dreams I will relate,
What dream I dreamt in middle of night
When mortal men reposed in rest.
Methought [...]

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Hymn to Christ on Easter Day – St. Gregory Nazianzen

HYMN TO CHRIST ON EASTER DAY
(AFTER LONG SILENCE),
Cristi anax, se prvton, epei logon heri dvka,
dhnaion katecwn, fqegxom apo stomatwn,
(Dactylic hexameter, and pentameter.)
O Christ the King! since breath pent up so long
I have outpoured, Thou first shalt be my song;
May this my word, the current of my mind,
If lawful thus to speak, acceptance find,
And unto Thee [...]

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Holy Saturday -

Joseph begged Thy Holy Body from Pilate; /
He anointed it with sweet-smelling spices; /
He wrapped in in clean linen and laid it in his own new tomb; //
And early in the morning, the myrrhbearing women cried out /
|| “As Thou hast foretold O Christ, show us Thy Resurrection! ||
The choirs of angels are filled with [...]

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[Excerpt] Leo the Great of Rome, Homily 59: On the Holy Passion of Christ

. . . From Sermon LIX, given in Wednesday of Holy Week.
St Leo the Great (pope of Rome from 440-461, reposed in the Lord AD 461) was bishop in one of the more controversy-ridden periods of Church history. He was engaged in the Christological controversy that consumed the fifth century, and his great Tome was [...]

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A Blank Page -

What is it about a blank page that makes my mind go blank? I think of so many things to publish here when I’m NOT sitting here trying to get my blog entry done on time!!
Yes, I keep a folder full of “ideas,” and I have some sites bookmarked for memes and things, but none [...]

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A Pilgrimage at Home?

One of the many endearing stories of St. Seraphim of Sarov was a small act of devotion he engaged in during his years as a hermit. The area around his hermitage was designated by him with Biblical place-names. Thus one place was Jerusalem, another Bethlehem, etc. Thus did the great saint transform the trees and [...]

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A Hymn at Night, After Failure to Keep Vow – St. Gregory Nazianzen

A HYMN AT NIGHT, AFTER FAILURE TO KEEP VOW.
eyeusamhn se thn alhqeian, loge,
(Iambic trimeter.)
O Thou, the Word of truth divine!
All light I have not been,
Nor kept the day as wholly Thine;
For Thou dark spots hast seen.
The day is down: night hath prevailed:
My Lord I have belied;
I vowed, and thought to do, but failed;
My steps did [...]

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Admonitory Address to a Virgin – Gregory Nazianzen

Gregory Nazianzen.
ADMONITORY ADDRESS TO A VIRGIN.
Parqene, numfe Cristou,
(The Greek is of varied metre, arranged in lines of generally seven
syllables each.)
O bride of Christ on high,
Thy Bridegroom glorify!
Always thyself keep pure,
In word and wisdom sure,
That bright with Him all-bright
Thou e’er mayst dwell in light.
Far better spouse is He
Than earthly spouse could be:
Thy union happier far
Than mortal [...]

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Psalms of St. Ephraim the Syrian

What follows is a selection of Psalms by St. Ephraim the Syrian. They can be found in the book A Spiritual Psalter, published by St. John of Kronstadt Press. This little book is very edifying and uplifting, and is highly recommended.
How to Relieve the Conscience of Inner Anxiety
O Lord and Master! O God of heaven [...]

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Hymn to His Own Soul – St. Gregory Nazianzen

TO HIS OWN SOUL.
ti soi qeleiV genesqai;
(Iambic dimeter catalectic.)
1.
O soul of mine, repining,
What wouldst have done for thee?
Speak, great or small defining:
Granted thy wish shall be.
2.
Of all bright things, prized highest,
Beneath the rolling sun,
Tell that for which thou sighest;
For thee it shall be done.
3.
Wouldst thou assume the measure
Of Gyges, Lydia’s king,
To hide or show at [...]

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Hymn to God – by St. Gregory Nazianzen

Gregory Nazianzen
HYMN TO GOD.
‘W pantwn epekeina . ti gar qemiV allo se melpein;
(Dactylic hexameter.)

1.
O Thou, the One Supreme o’er all! [22]
For by what other name
May we upon Thy greatness call,
Or celebrate Thy fame?

2
Ineffable! to [...]

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My Eucharistic Theology is Orthodox!

As tomorrow (Tuesday) will be a long and harrowing day, I’m posting a day early. Thursday we’ll get back on track!
= = = = =
Thanks to Steve for the reference to this lovely quiz!!

Eucharistic theology
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as OrthodoxYou are Orthodox, worshiping the mystery of the Holy Trinity in the great liturgy whereby [...]

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Hymn to Christ – St. Clement of Alexandria (c. 220)

HYMN TO CHRIST.
basileu agiwn, loge pandamatwr
(Anapaestic dimeter.)
O Thou, the King of saints, all-conquering Word,
Son of the Highest, wisdom’s Fount and Lord,
The prop that doth uphold through toil and pain;
The joy of ages through immortal reign;
Yet born of mortal flesh for life’s brief span,
O Saviour Jesus, Shepherd, Husbandman;
Helm Thou to guide, and bridle to restrain,
Wing of [...]

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From a Friend –

“Christ told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me [...]

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Marriage: The Great Sacrament (warning: long)

The Orthodox Christian Information Center says, “Many Orthodox Christians with whom I have spoken, including several clergy and nuns, consider this to be the best statement on marriage they’ve ever read.”
http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/marriage.aspx
A Sermon delivered in the Church of St. Nicholas, Trikala, Greece, 17 January, 1971
By Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra, Mount Athos

Nobody would dispute that the most [...]

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An Evening Hymn – Gregory Nazianzen

AN EVENING HYMN.
Se kai nun eulogoumen,
(Semi-iambic.)
1.
And now again at night,
O Christ, the living Word,
Thou Light of the Eternal Light,
Be Thou by us adored.
2.
Thou dost the Spirit give,
Third Light, in glory one;
His grace, by whom alone we live,
Thou dost refuse to none.
3.
Thou didst the darkness scatter,
Thou mad’st the light to shine,
That now through all primeval matter
Might [...]

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A Hymn to Christ – St. Gregory Nazianzen –

Gregory Nazianzen.
I. HYMN TO CHRIST.
Se ton afqiton monarchn
(Dimeter ionicus.)
1.
O Thou, the One Supreme,
O thou, the deathless King,
Be Thou my only theme:
Grant me Thyself to sing.
To Thee the hymn, to Thee the praise,
Celestial choirs for ever raise.
2.
For Thee the ages run
In order as was given;
For Thee shines forth the sun,
The day-born eye of heaven:
For Thee the [...]

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