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For Those Who Despair

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D o not lose heart, O soul, do not grieve.  P ronounce not over yourself a final judgement for the multitude of your sins.  D o not commit yourself to fire.  D o not say the Lord has cast me from His face.  S uch words are not pleasing to God.  C an it be that one who is fallen cannot get up?  C an it be that he who is turned away cannot turn back again?  D o you not hear how kind the father is to a prodigal?  D o not be ashamed to turn back and say boldly, “I will arise and go to my father.”  A rise, and go!   H e will accept you and not reproach you but rather rejoice at your return.  H e awaits you, just do not be ashamed and do not hide from the face of God as Adam did. I t was for your sake that Christ was crucified.  S o, will he cast you aside?  H e knows who oppresses us.  H e knows that we have no other help but him alone.  C hrist knows that man is miserable.  D o not give yourself up in despair and apathy assuming that you have been prepared for the fire.  C hrist derives no
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All the dead will rise at the sound of the trumpet

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A ll the dead will rise at the sound of the trumpet and praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Resurrector of their bodies. O Father who formed Adam out of the dust. O Son who by Your cross saved the race of Adam from destruction, resurrect me and appoint me to be at Your right hand, so that I may praise Your name. I worship You, O Christ our Saviour. Y ou are the resurrector and saviour of all the deceased who were baptized in Your name and confessed Your cross and death. B lessed be Christ who has promised life and resurrection to the offspring of Adam in the day of His coming. W e also will rise and praise Him with all the saints who have been pleasing to Him. Glory to You. B y Your resurrection You granted the human race the hope of life and resurrection. W e offer You praise, because You are the resurrector of all flesh. Y ou mortals, glorify and praise Him who through His death did away with the authority of death and promised the mortal race life and resurrection.
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O Sun of righteousness

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  O Sun of righteousness by which the righteous have beheld their own selves and become a mirror for their generations, open up within me the gate to awareness of You; grant me a joyful mind, one which sails above the rocks of error, until I may reach that serene abode, as did our Fathers of old who pleased You with their discerning lives.  S anctify me by Your Mysteries, illumine my mind with knowledge of You, make Your hope to shine out in my heart, hold me worthy to supplicate for it, O God my Father and Lord of my life; illumine Your lamp within me, place in me what belongs to You so that I may forget what belongs to myself.  C ast upon me the constraint of wonder at You, so that the constraint of nature may be overpowered by it.   S tir up within me the vision of Your Mysteries so that I may become aware of what was placed in me at holy baptism.  Y ou have placed within me a Guide: may He show me Your glory at all times.  Y ou made me to be light and salt for the world: may I not
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O sinner, at long last, take heed to your salvation.

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  O sinner, at long last, take heed to your salvation. I solate yourself, and gather your thoughts and tell yourself, "How much time have you wasted nourishing the passions of your flesh and imagination, and what gain has it afforded you? W hat have you achieved by this? W oe to me, my soul, what a state we have attained, what chaos. S ee everyone near me is ornamented with virtues and sincerely fears God, but I only walk in the dark. I n the early morning I repent of my actions, yet shortly thereafter I do even worse misdeeds. T he Lord has granted me strength and good health and woe I take this for granted and bring upon me the wrath of my Maker. O my soul, why are you so apathetic? W hy are you so reckless? F or you cannot remain here forever. W hen the end comes, the Lord will dispatch His angels to retrieve you and you will have to leave this world whether you want to or not. S o then, O man, in the end confess your great distress, and cease contradictin
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A prayer of our holy father St. Isaac the Syrian

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A prayer of our holy father St. Isaac the Syrian L ord Jesus Christ, my God: Thou didst weep for Lazarus and shed tears of sorrow and compassion for him. Accept my bitter tears also. H eal my passions through the suffering of Thine holy Passion. Heal the wounds of my soul through the wounds which Thou didst suffer. C leanse my blood with Thine holy blood and unite my body with the fragrance of Thy life-giving body. May the gall which Thou wast given to drink by Thine enemies sweeten my soul from the bitterness that the devil has given me to taste. M ay Thy most-holy body that was stretched upon the Cross elevate my mind, which has been lowered unto the earth by the demons. M ay Thy most-holy head, which Thou didst bow upon the Cross raise my head, which has been humiliated by the opposing demonic powers. M ay Thy most-holy hands which were nailed to the Cross by the transgressors raise me to Thee from the depth of destruction, just as Thy most-holy mouth hast promised. M ay Thy face w
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A prayer of our holy father St. Ephraim the Syrian

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O how uncaring I am.  H ow rude, how worldly my soul has become.  O corrupt heart, O lips full of gall, O throat which is an open sepulcher.  O soul, why do you forget that your end inescapably draws near?  W hy do you not ready yourself for this voyage?  W hy do you, with no pity for yourself, go after destruction?  W hy do you bring everlasting torment on yourself?  O soul, what are you doing, that you live as a senseless creature?  W oe to me, who have chosen darkness rather than light.  H ow I would rather have that pleasure today, but which tomorrow vanishes, rather than everlasting and unspeakable bliss.  W oe to me who consents to be robed in a dark and dismal cloak instead of a garment radiant as the sun.  H ow I would rather the wretched abodes of Hell instead of the kingdom of heaven.  W oe to me, a sinner. I willingly and knowingly throw myself into complete destruction.  O my soul, at last come to a sound mind.  B e afraid of God and courageously travel on the road of H
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Prayers of St. John Chrysostom

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  Before and After Reading Spiritual Texts Before reading: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen. Illumine my heart, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open Thou the eyes of my mind to the understanding of Thy Gospel teachings. Implant also in me a love for Thy blessed commandments. Grant me the grace to overcome all my carnal desires, so that I may enter more completely into a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well pleasing to Thee; For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, together with Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit; now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the wonder
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