Our Venerable Fathers Joseph the Hymnographer (886) and George of Maleum
Isaiah 48:17-49:4; Genesis 27:1-41; Proverbs 19:16-25
Great Fast Day 36. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Read Proverbs 19:16-25
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
There are many thoughts in the heart of a man,
But the counsel of the Lord abides forever.
Have you ever just stopped? I mean, have you ever just stopped and listened? Not to the music on the radio or your phone. Not to the sounds of creation? Have you ever just stopped and listened to the cacophony inside you, to the thoughts that continuously are spoken within the mind and heart? There are so many. Some of those thoughts are about mundane things—shopping lists, what type of printer do I need to print out my homework, the colour of the paint of the bathroom you are updating, etc. Some of those thoughts are quite profound—I should pray more – what does that mean? What should I do with my life? What does the Lord want me to do with my life? Is he the one that I should marry? Should I get married?
Perhaps we are asking the question, no matter how old we find ourselves, what does the Lord want me to do with my life? One thing is for sure – we ought actually to ask the Lord! Many of us spend time recognizing this question but forget to ask Him. When we do ask Him, He will tell us, perhaps in a way that is unexpected, but certainly He will tell us. Those who have hears to hear… It is with humility that we must ask, a willingness to accept His answer even before He tells us. It is very much like Mary’s fiat when the Archangel Gabriel came to make his announcement. The designs of God are mysterious, but they bring about the greatest good.
St Augustine puts it this way: “What lies hidden in the designs of God I confess I do not know—I am only a man—but this I know with full certainty, that, whatever it is, it is more just, more wise, and more solidly based on incomparable perfection than all the judgments of people” (Letter, 104).