Two Prayers from Pauline Epistle to Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15-21 Prayer of Revelation 

For this reason after hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love which [you have] for all the saints, I do not cease giving thanks on your behalf, making mention [of you] in my prayers. So that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in His true knowledge. Having enlightened the eyes of your hearts that you would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints. And what is the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe according to the working of His power and might. Which He worked in Christ raising Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies. High above every ruler and authority and power and worldly ruler and being named over every name, not only in this age, but also in the age to come.

Ephesians 3: 14-21 Prayer for Deification 

On which account I bow my knees before the Father. From Whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named. That He may give to you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, to settle Christ through faith in your hearts, being firmly rooted and established in love, so that you may be strong enough to grasp with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, to know also the-surpassing-knowledge-love of Christ, so that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.  And to the one who is able beyond all things to do quite beyond all measure of that which we ask or think according to the power which is active in us. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen!

A Model for Men's Fellowship and Brotherhood

 I recently came across  this posting from St. Mary Orthodox Church in Palos Heights on  Brotherhood of St. Paisios | St. Mary Orthodox Church for men. 

Mission Statement: "The Brotherhood of St. Paisios  is committed to building godly men to serve Christ in their home, church, career, and community. We understand the important leadership role God has given men in their families, and through a variety of initiatives, workshops and programs, we hope to enable men to fulfill this responsibility."

We want to ensure that the men of our community – the God-appointed leaders of their families – use their Orthodox Christian Faith with its rich Traditions, as the source and driving force behind every decision they make.

The Brotherhood Pledge

Maintain a daily rule of prayer

Daily reading of scripture and the lives of the saints

Daily reading of a spiritual book (books by modern saints recommended)

Regularly attend Saturday Vespers, Sunday Liturgy, and at least one weekly service

Regular Confession and attendance of services/reception of Communion

Participate in all the fasts of the Church

Reduce and limit screen time

What does God expect of men?

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”  1 Cor 16: 13-14

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity.”  Titus 2:7

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Tim 5:8

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Tim 4:12

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8

“Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead.”   St. John Chrysostom

“Do what you can, and then pray that God will give you the power to do what you cannot.” St. Augustine

“A wise son is the glory of his father.” St. Patrick of Ireland

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God crowned Man with Free Will as His greatest Gift. God granted Man Authority over Everything. God offered Man complete Freedom so as to Accept God as his Beloved, to ignore Him, or even to resist Him. 

 Homily: on Christ’s dwelling in the hearts of the faithfulby Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

  … that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye [may be] rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17).

With faith, Christ comes into the heart, and with Christ comes love. Thus man is rooted and grounded in love. First then, there is faith; then with faith comes Christ’s presence in the heart; then with Christ’s presence, the presence of love; and with love, all ineffable goodness. In a few words, the Apostle delineates the whole ladder of perfection.

The beginning is faith and the end is love; and faith and love are joined in a living, undivided unity by the Living Lord Jesus Christ’s presence in the heart. By strengthening faith, we further abolish the distance between ourselves and the Lord Jesus Christ. The stronger one’s faith, the closer one is to Christ.

Ultimately, one’s heart is filled with Christ and cannot be separated from Christ, just as one’s lung cannot be separated from the air. Then a man may, with tears of joy, communicate with Christ by the prayer of the heart-“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner”-and the heart is imperceptibly filled with light and ardent love. In this way, love is united with faith and hope; and when they are united, the boundaries between them are lost, so that man cannot even think of determining of how far faith goes, and where hope and love begin. When the living Christ dwells in a man, then he no longer perceives faith, hope or love in himself, nor does he name them. Instead, he sees only Christ and names only Him. This is just like a fruit-grower in autumn who considers the ripe fruit on the tree, and speaks no more of blossoms and leaves but of fruit, ripe fruit.

O Lord Jesus Christ, supreme height of all our endeavors and the destination of all our travels, draw near to us and save us.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

- Prologue