Prayer for Sunday (All Saints)

Today is All Saints day in the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions.

Wake at dawn with a winged heart
and give thanks for another day of loving.
~ Kahil Gibran

We bless Thee, O most high God and Lord of mercy, Who art ever doing numberless great and inscrutable things with us, glorious and wonderful; Who grantest to us sleep for rest from our infirmities, and repose from the burdens of our much toiling flesh. We thank Thee that Thou hast not destroyed us with our sins, but hast loved us as ever, and though we are sunk in despair, Thou hast raised us up to glorify Thy power. Therefore we implore Thy incomparable goodness, enlighten the eyes of our understanding and raise up our mind from the heavy sleep of indolence; open our mouth and fill it with Thy praise, that we may be able undistracted to sing and confess Thee, Who art God glorified in all and by all, the eternal Father, with Thy only-begotten Son, and Thy all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

(St. Basil the Great, Source: Myriobiblos – e-Library of the Church of Greece)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I can accomplish anything I set my mind on.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

Prayer for Thursday (Ascension Day – Orthodox)

Today is Ascension Day in the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions.

Truly, it is in the darkness that one finds the light,
so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us.
~ Meister Eckhart

Christ our eternal King and God, You have destroyed death and the devil by Your Cross and have restored man to life by Your Resurrection; give rest, Lord, to the soul of Your servant who has fallen asleep, in Your Kingdom, where there is no pain, sorrow or suffering. In Your goodness and love for all men, pardon all the sins he (she) has committed in thought word or deed, for there is no man or woman who lives and sins not, You only are without sin.
For You are the Resurrection, the Life, and Repose of Your servant, departed this life, O Christ our God; and to You do we send up glory with Your Eternal Father and Your All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit; both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen

(Eastern Orthodox Prayer for the Dead)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I trust in the process of life.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

Prayer for Sunday (Pascha)

Today is Pascha, or Easter Sunday, in the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions.

Beauty is the gift of God.
~ Aristotle (384-322 BC)

O Thou, the true light, that enlightens every man that comes into the world, Thou hast come into the world through Thy love for mankind. All creation has rejoiced for Thy coming. Thou hast saved our forefather Adam from the beguiling and delivered our foremother Eve from the pangs of death. Thou hast given us the spirit of adoption, we praise Thee, we bless Thee Saying:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

When the morning watch dawned upon us, O Christ our God, the True light, let the enlightened senses and thoughts shine within us and let not the darkness of pains overcome us. That we may praise Thee reasonably with David, saying: “My eyes have awaken before the morning watch, that I may meditate on Thy sayings.” Hear our cries according to Thy great mercy and save us, O Lord our God through Thy loving kindness.

Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

(from the liturgy for Prime in The Coptic Orthodox Book Of Hours)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“My life is filled with awesome beauty and awesome joy.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)