‘Bridges to God’

 

In the Law and the Prophets,

In the Holy Gospels,

In creatures of all kinds,

The Logos manifests Himself.

 

Now after the Holy Ascending

Of the Savior and the coming

Of the Comforter, the Holy Ghost –

Mysterious Procession of the Father –

The Son of God reveals Himself

In a new wise, in His Saints.

 

Through forgetfulness of themselves,

And unceasing remembrance of

And fiery love for God and their neighbor,

They attract the Grace of the Holy Ghost.

Being united with Him, their souls and bodies

Purified, cleansed of dead carnal dross,

The flesh spiritualized, and clarified,

They have become noble vessels,

Precious jewels of many hues

In whom the Logos comes to dwell,

Filling the world with the brightness

And beauty of His Uncreated Glory,

Which shines upon all men and all things,

Most wondrously reflected and refracted

Through the resplendent facets of His friends.

 

Being beacons in the earth,

Incarnating Christ again among men,

They draw the weary eyes of all to God –

Destroying dark atheism,

Strengthening the faith of believers;

Overturning false teaching;

Upholding and living true dogma.

 

They are bridges by which we can safely

Cross the deep chasm of sin and death

To reach the Kingdom of Heaven,

Portals through which we enter the Church,

In which we participate

In the Great Banquet of our King,

Receiving the gifts of His Most Pure Body

And His Most Precious Blood, uniting us

To Himself and to one another

And to all His Saints, now and forever

And to the ages of ages.  Amen.

***

For more on the Saints and their relationship with us:

http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/place_lives.aspx

--

Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!