| Vol. V, No. 4 | Young Orthodox Mail | November 2004 |
Food for the Soul: Glory to God for ALL ThingsThis Akathist, also called the Akathist of Thanksgiving, was composed by Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov in a Soviet prison camp shortly before his death in 1940. The title is taken from the words of St. John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile after beling forcefully and unjustly removed as Patriarch of Constantinople. Fr. Gregory's work is a comprehensive celebration of God's glory as found throughout a broad examination of life, in the smallest of things, and most basic circumstances. It is a celebration as understood by someone from whom all beauty was seemingly denied, but who was given the gift to see the beauty of God's work in all things. It is a song of praise and gratitude from amidst the most terrible sufferings. Fr. Gregory could have reflected on how evil the Communists were who caused his exile and imprisonment. Instead, he rejoiced in Christ, Who was within him and would never leave him. He could have reflected on his misery, on how the rulers had deprived him of his priestly duties and the ability to ministration to his flock, and on the pain that his captors inflicted upon him daily. Yet, the text speaks from someone with the knowledge that everything that happens to those who love God is for their benefit. It is a song of joy eminating from the heart of a man whose physical eyes could not not see the beautiful things which are described so vividly, but through Our Lord, was given a superior vision. Kontakion 1 Everlasting King, Your will for our salvation is full of power.
Your right arm controls the whole course of human life. We give
You thanks for all Your mercies, seen and unseen. For eternal
life, for the heavenly joys of the Kingdom which is to be. Grant
mercy to us who sing Your praise, both now and in the time to
come. Ikos 1 I was born a weak, defenseless child, but Your angel spread
his wings over my cradle to defend me. From birth until now
Your love has illumined my path, and has wondrously guided me
towards the light of eternity; from birth until now the generous
gifts of Your providence have been marvelously showered upon
me. I give You thanks, with all who have come to know You, who
call upon Your name. Kontakion 2 O Lord, how lovely it is to be Your guest. Breeze full of scents; mountains reaching to the skies; waters like boundless mirrors, reflecting the sun's golden rays and the scudding clouds. All nature murmurs mysteriously, breathing the depth of tenderness. Birds and beasts of the forest bear the imprint of Your love. Blessed are you, mother earth, in Your fleeting loveliness, which wakens our yearning for happiness that will last forever, in the land where, amid beauty that grows not old, the cry rings out: Alleluia! Ikos 2 You have brought me into life as into an enchanted paradise.
We have seen the sky like a chalice of deepest blue, where in
the azure heights the birds are singing. We have listened to
the soothing murmur of the forest and the melodious music of
the streams. We have tasted fruit of fine flavor and the sweet-scented
honey. We can live very well on Your earth. It is a pleasure
to be Your guest. Kontakion 3 It is the Holy Spirit who makes us find joy in each flower, the exquisite scent, the delicate color, the beauty of the Most High in the tiniest of things. Glory and honour to the Spirit, the Giver of Life, who covers the fields with their carpet of flowers, crowns the harvest with gold, and gives to us the joy of gazing at it with our eyes. O be joyful and sing to Him: Alleluia! Ikos 3 How glorious are You in the springtime, when every creature
awakes to new life and joyfully sings Your praises with a thousand
tongues. You are the Source of Life, the Destroyer of Death.
By the light of the moon nightingales sing, and the valleys
and hills lie like wedding garments, white as snow. All the
earth is Your promised bride awaiting her spotless husband.
If the grass of the field is like this, how gloriously shall
we be transfigured in the Second Coming after the Resurrection!
How splendid our bodies, how spotless our souls! Kontakion 4 How filled with sweetness are those whose thoughts dwell on You; how life-giving Your holy Word. To speak with You is more soothing than anointing with oil; sweeter than the honeycomb. To pray to You lifts the spirit, refreshes the soul. Where You are not, there is only emptiness; hearts are smitten with sadness; nature, and life itself, become sorrowful; where You are, the soul is filled with abundance, and its song resounds like a torrent of life: Alleluia! Ikos 4 When the sun is setting, when quietness falls like the peace
of eternal sleep, and the silence of the spent day reigns, then
in the splendour of its declining rays, filtering through the
clouds, I see Your dwelling-place: fiery and purple, gold and
blue, they speak prophet-like of the ineffable beauty of Your
presence, and call to us in their majesty. We turn to the Father. Kontakion 5 The dark storm clouds of life bring no terror to those in whose hearts Your fire is burning brightly. Outside is the darkness of the whirlwind, the terror and howling of the storm, but in the heart, in the presence of Christ, there is light and peace, silence: Alleluia! Ikos 5 I see Your heavens resplendent with stars. How glorious are
You radiant with light! Eternity watches me by the rays of the
distant stars. I am small, insignificant, but the Lord is at
my side. Your right arm guides me wherever I go. Kontakion 6 How great and how close are You in the powerful track of the storm! How mighty is Your right arm in the blinding flash of the lightning! How awesome Your majesty! The voice of the Lord fills the fields, it speaks in the rustling of the trees. The voice of the Lord is in the thunder and the downpour. The voice of the Lord is heard above the waters. Praise be to You in the roar of mountains ablaze. You shake the earth like a garment; You pile up to the sky the waves of the sea. Praise be to You, bringing low the pride of man. You bring from his heart a cry of penitence: Alleluia! Ikos 6 When the lightning flash has lit up the camp dining hall, how
feeble seems the light from the lamp. Thus do You, like the
lightning, unexpectedly light up my heart with flashes of intense
joy. After Your blinding light, how drab, how colourless, how
illusory all else seems. My souls clings to You. Kontakion 7 In the wondrous blending of sounds it is Your call we hear; in the harmony of many voices, in the sublime beauty of music, in the glory of the works of great composers: You lead us to the threshold of paradise to come, and to the choirs of angels. All true beauty has the power to draw the soul towards You, and to make it sing in ecstasy: Alleluia! Ikos 7 The breath of Your Holy Spirit inspires artists, poets and
scientists. The power of Your supreme knowledge makes them prophets
and interpreters of Your laws, who reveal the depths of Your
creative wisdom. Their works speak unwittingly of You. How great
are You in Your creation! How great are You in man! Kontakion 8 How near You are in the day of sickness. You, Yourself, visit the sick; You Yourself bend over the sufferer's bed. His heart speaks to You. In the throes of sorrow and suffering You bring peace and unexpected consolation. You are the comforter. You are the love which watches over and heals us. To You we sing the song: Alleluia! Ikos 8 When in childhood I called upon You consciously for the first
time, You heard my prayer, and You filled my heart with the
blessing of peace. At that moment I knew Your goodness and knew
how blessed are those who turn to You. I started to call upon
You night and day; and now, even now, I call upon Your name. Kontakion 9 Why is it that on a Feast Day the whole of nature mysteriously smiles? Why is it that then a heavenly gladness fills our hearts, a gladness far beyond that of earth; and the very air in church and in the altar becomes luminous? It is the breath of Your gracious love. It is the reflection of the glory of Mount Tabor. Then do heaven and earth sing Your praise: Alleluia! Ikos 9 When You called me to serve my brothers and filled my soul
with humility, one of Your deep, piercing rays shone into my
heart; it became luminous, full of light like iron glowing in
the furnace. I have seen Your face, face of mystery and of unapproachable
glory. Kontakion 10 No one can put together what has crumbled into dust, but You can restore a conscience turned to ashes. You can restore to its former beauty a soul lost and without hope. With You, there is nothing that cannot be redeemed. You are love; You are Creator and Redeemer. We praise You, singing: Alleluia! Ikos 10 Remember, my God, the fall of Lucifer full of pride, keep me
safe with the power of Your Grace; save me from falling away
from You. Save me from doubt. Incline my heart to hear Your
mysterious voice every moment of my life. Incline my heart to
call upon You, present in everything. Kontakion 11 Across the cold chains of the centuries, I feel the warmth of Your breath, I feel Your blood pulsing in my veins. Part of time has already gone, but now You are the present. I stand by Your Cross; I was the cause of it. I cast myself down in the dust before it. Here is the triumph of love, the victory of salvation. Here the centuries themselves cannot remain silent, singing Your praises: Alleluia! Ikos 11 Blessed are they that will share in the King's Banquet: but
already on earth You give me a foretaste of this blessedness.
How many times with Your own hand have You held out to me Your
Body and Your Blood, and I, Though a miserable sinner, have
received this Mystery, and have tasted Your love, so ineffable,
so heavenly. Kontakion 12 How often have I seen the reflection of Your glory in the faces of the dead. How resplendent they were, with beauty and heavenly joy. How ethereal, how translucent their faces. How triumphant over suffering and death, their felicity and peace. Even in the silence they were calling upon You. In the hour of my death, enlighten my soul, too, that it may cry out to You: Alleluia! Ikos 12 What sort of praise can I give You? I have never heard the
song of the Cherubim, a joy reserved for the spirits above.
But I know the praises that nature sings to You. In winter,
I have beheld how silently in the moonlight the whole earth
offers You prayer, clad in its white mantle of snow, sparkling
like diamonds. I have seen how the rising sun rejoices in You,
how the song of the birds is a chorus of praise to You. I have
heard the mysterious mutterings of the forests about You, and
the winds singing Your praise as they stir the waters. I have
understood how the choirs of stars proclaim Your glory as they
move forever in the depths of infinite space. What is my poor
worship! All nature obeys You, I do not. Yet while I live, I
see Your love, I long to thank You, and call upon Your name. Kontakion 13 Life-giving and merciful Trinity, receive my thanksgiving for
all Your goodness. Make us worthy of Your blessings, so that,
when we have brought to fruit the talents You hast entrusted
to us, we may enter into the joy of our Lord, forever exulting
in the shout of victory: Alleluia! Ikos 1 I was born a weak, defenceless child, but Your angel spread
his wings over my cradle to defend me. From birth until now
Your love has illumined my path, and has wondrously guided me
towards the light of eternity; from birth until now the generous
gifts of Your providence have been marvelously showered upon
me. I give You thanks, with all who have come to know You, who
call upon Your name. Kontakion 1 What sort of praise can I give You? I have never heard the song of the Cherubim, a joy reserved for the spirits above. But I know the praises that nature sings to You. In winter, I have beheld how silently in the moonlight the whole earth offers You prayer, clad in its white mantle of snow, sparkling like diamonds. I have seen how the rising sun rejoices in You, how the song of the birds is a chorus of praise to You. I have heard the mysterious mutterings of the forests about You, and the winds singing Your praise as they stir the waters. I have understood how the choirs of stars proclaim Your glory as they move forever in the depths of infinite space. What is my poor worship! All nature obeys You, I do not. Yet while I live, I see Your love, I long to thank You, and call upon Your name. Everlasting King, Your will for our salvation is full of power.
Your right arm controls the whole course of human life. We give
You thanks for all Your mercies, seen and unseen. For eternal
life, for the heavenly Joys of the Kingdom which is to be. Grant
mercy to us who sing Your praise, both now and in the time to
come. Glory to You, O God, from age to age.
Readers Write: IlluminationDear editors of Yo-Mail, I would like to share one of my poems. It is based on real experience: a Bible study that our parsih of Christ the Savior Orthodox Church held on August 21, 2004. Generally, studying Bible alone and in a group with fellow Orthodox Christians has been a very important and inspiring experience for me. It has been a usedul and inspiring addition to participating in Communion. Sincerely,
Illumination(Remembrance of Bible Meditation held on August 21, 2004) Since Pentecostal joy, Meditative prayer One verse When the meeting is over, Here is your chance! We know you have great stories to tell, and honest opinions to share. We know amazing things have happened to you and you were just wondering, "Now, HOW can I share this with others?" Well, the section IS entitled "Readers Write," so what better venue than right here? You're a reader, so…. You know
the next step. Send us something you've written and would like
to see in a future issue of YO-Mail. Commentary on YO-Mail is
welcome, as is anything that is pertinent to our lives as Christians.
Send it in to yomail@oca.org
and we will put it here. |
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