Friday, September 06, 2013

Further Encouragement



"In His mercy, ‘the Lord supports all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down’ (Ps. 144:15, Psalter 70). Christ in His justice rewards the living, the dead, and every single action."
~Saint Thalassios
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This quotation was blogged with in a day or so of hearing 
the deeply encouraging homily that
Mr. Husband and I heard on the 25th of August.
First it was on the Gospel where 
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About how St. Peter trusts Christ and walks to Him on the water
but then flounders as he notices the wind, the high waves
and begins to sink...
and cries out to Christ
and Christ reaches out, pulls St. Peter up and into the boat.
Christ, when called upon, will save us.
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The Epistle was this one:
According to the grace of God which was given to me, 
as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, 
and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 
each one's work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, 
because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 
If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 
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And then we heard how if we build out lives on Christ
and particularly our spiritual life,
our personal relationship with God,
we will be saved.
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Sometimes it seems we strive so hard
and, if you are like myself, 
we can feel like we are going no where fast 
when it comes to seeking to build our
life in Christ.
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Yet there is this encouragement;
build on the foundation of Christ 
and you will be saved.
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Words like this and
ones like the words by the Abbess 
are so encouraging.
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I hope they are for you as well. 

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