Deacon Pavel Serzhantov
Look at how dynamic the Gospel of Mark is, just like our life now. One event in it is replaced by another, one after another, and all of this without any pause, without delay; but there is no hustle and bustle in sight. At the same time, there is a tangible, high degree of dynamism in all the descriptions. Therefore, a strong bond is maintained between the rapidly advancing Gospel events. Separate stories are quickly lined up in a sequence of events as Christ’s chosen path, and not scattered in a flash before the reader as incoherent episodes from the life of ancient eastern cities.
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Archpriest Alexander Shargunov
Perhaps it is because the Second Coming of Christ is near that the Lord today is sweeping aside with such clarity and distinctness all appearance of Christianity, and wants each of us to be placed before a terrible choice: to be without Christ to the end, or to be to the end with Christ.
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“I looked at the Tithes Icon of the Theotokos that was there on the analoy in the center of the church, and suddenly I began to feel chills in my legs and a crisp coldness. And before the icon, with her back to us, facing the altar, stood the figure of the Mother of God with uplifted hands, as in the Theotokos-Orans image. She was not gaseous or transparent, but quite material, just like a normal person. The feeling arose in me as if I was slightly raised off the ground, and my hair was standing on end. I could neither speak nor move. The woman standing near me, turned to me: ‘Do you see the Theotokos?’ I could barely answer, ‘Yes.’ We saw her for a few seconds, and then she disappeared.”
The Holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer, was a native of Cappadocia (a district in Asia Minor), and he grew up in a deeply believing Christian family.
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Rev George Glinsky
The apostle Paul has some words that are to some extent discouraging. He considers that he is a wretched person, and explains why: “I want to do good, but I do evil. I intend to live according to God’s commandments, but I am unable”. But if we contemplate the words of the apostle, and, of course, we see ourselves in them in certain situations, we should then in fact experience great joy.
