Monday

Rom. 2:28-3:18; Matt. 6:31-34; 7:9-11

Take no thought (Matt. 6:31). Then how is one to live? We have to eat, drink, and wear clothes. But the Savior does not say, "Do nothing," but rather, Take no thought. Do not weary yourself with cares that consume you both day and night and give you not a moment of peace. Such care is a sinful disease. It shows that a man is relying upon himself and has forgotten God, that he has lost hope in God's Providence, that he wants to arrange everything for himself sole by his own efforts and to procure all that is necessary and preserve what he has procured by his own means. He has become chained in his heart to his property, and thinks to rest upon it as though it were a solid foundation. Love of possessions has bound him, and he thinks only of how to get more into his hands. This mammon has replaced God for him. By all means, work-but do not weary yourself with evil cares. Expect every success from God and commit your lot into His hands. Accept all that you obtain as a gift from the Lord's hand, and wait with the firm hope that He will continue His generous giving. Know that if God so desires, a rich man can lose all he has in one minute. All is decay and dust. Is it worthwhile wearying yourself for this? So, take no thought!

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Many things in this life are temporary. But God reminds us that He is everlasting and He fulfills us always. 

Written by Jackie Loupakos

Monday
Eph. 5:9-19; Matt. 18:10-20

Comforting His disciples, the Lord said that it would be better for them if He ascended to heaven for, having ascended, in place of Himself He would send the Comforter-the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has descended and abides in the Church, accomplishing in each believer the work of Christ. Each Christian is a communicant of the Spirit. This is something so necessary, that in fact whoever does not have the Spirit is not of Christ. Look closely at yourself-is the Spirit of grace within you? For He does not remain in everyone; He can depart. Here are the sign of His presence: first, He finds a spirit of repentance and teaches a Christian to turn to God and correct his life; the spirit of repentance, accomplishing its work, passes the Christian on to a spirit of holiness and purity. This is succeeded, at  last, by a spirit of sonship. The characteristic of the first is work-loving zeal; the characteristic of the second is warmth and a sweet burning of the heart; the characteristic of the third is the feeling of sonship whereby the heart sighs to God: Abba, Father! (Mk. 14:36). Examine which of these levels you are on. If you are not on any of them, take care for yourself.

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Monday

Acts 21:8-14; John 14:27-15:7

The Lord Jesus Christ is the vine, a grape tree; Christians are branches and shoots. We cleave to Him through faith and bear fruit through a life according to faith. The Heavenly Father is the husbandman who watches over this tree. Any branch which does not bring forth fruit-that is, those who not only believe, but are also zeal to live according to faith. These the Lord helps in every way to become rich in good works, which are the fruits of faith. Let each person arrange his life according to this law of God's action upon us, firmly remembering that without the Lord one can do nothing. Run to Him with every need. May His sweetest and most holy name to be ever impressed upon your mind, heart, and tongue. 

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Jesus Christ is the center of our lives. However, some may become discouraged with negativity and are beaten down by the struggles the world has brought to them. We must be reminded to live by our faith each and every day. God gives us strength and understanding in these times. As our faith in Christ becomes strengthened and purified, so does our relationship with Him. 

Written by Jackie Loupakos

Monday

Acts 17:1-15; John 11:47-57

What do we? for this man doeth many miracles (John 11:47). Jewish erudition found the Savior to be guilty. And in our days, German erudition finds what is supernatural to be out of place in the Gospels of Christ : everything is good, only this (the miraculous) just won't work. These two ways of thinking meet in the final analysis. Jewish erudition decided: It is expedient that one man should die (John 11:50), and that the rest might not perish, while German erudition states: We will eliminate the supernatural to preserve all the other Gospel truths. And what came of this? The Jews destroyed their own nation, while the Germans have lost all Christian truths, and are now left with almost nothing. The Lord is the Cornerstone of the house of salvation; similarly, faith in the supernatural is the cornerstone of the entire building of God-inspired truth. The Savior Himself, in His Person, is the crown of the supernatural, and in the Church He is its inexhaustible Source. He who touches this point is touching the apple of God's eye. 

-From St. Theophan the Recluse