๐๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ:โฃ
https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjmโฃ
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๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐น๐บ ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฒ:๐ณ-๐ญ๐ฑ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฎ:๐ฏ๐ณ-๐ฐ๐ฎโฃ
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๐๐ค๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฑ๐ช๐ณ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ท๐ฆ๐ฅ.โฃ
โSt. Seraphim of Sarovโฃ
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As countless carols, films, and family customs fill the season, it is easy to pass through these weeks bathed in a warm, nostalgic glow. As we sing each year, โAll is calm, all is bright.โ And while we can joyfully celebrate this season as one of โheavenly peace,โ we shouldnโt too quickly associate this peace with undisturbed tranquility. In truth, the Incarnation of Christ was anything but calm, with earthly powers immediately disturbed and outraged by the birth of this newborn king (Mt. 2).โฃ
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Peace is not the absence of conflict but is the presence of God in the midst of chaos. The psalmist reminds us of this, saying, โThough an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confidentโ (Ps. 27:3). They knew in their bones something we are daily prone to forget: peace is not circumstantial but is given freely by God as a gift. It is therefore possible to live in deeply painful and disorienting seasons and yet remain a person of profound peace.โฃ
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There is a persistent temptation to tie inner peace to outer calm. And while some chapters of life are simpler or less stressful than others, we can never guarantee a life free from all conflict or distress. As Jesus himself reminds us, โIn the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the worldโ (Jn. 16:33)! It does us no good to anxiously worry about the challenges we face in life. Instead, we are invited daily to live free from all fear, not as a form of blind optimism, but instead deeply rooted in the victory of God won in Jesus.โฃ
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๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธโฃ
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.โฃ
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๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒโฃ
Often, anxiety manifests itself through a life of constant hurry. We are free from hurry when we learn to rest in the peace of God. So today, choose to fast from hurry. If you share a meal with others, make it a point to be the last to finish. Or, if making a purchase in a store, intentionally choose the longest line and learn to resist the urge to rush to the next thing!
