Praise Him All Ye His Angels, Praise Him Ye Stars and Light | Cosmic Orthodox Cross | Divine Council | Orthodox Christian Blank Journal

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. Praise Him, all ye His angels; praise Him, all ye His hosts. Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars and light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and thou water that art above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord; for He spake, and they came to be; He commanded, and they were created. He established them for ever, yea, for ever and ever; He hath set an ordinance, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye abysses, Fire, hail, snow, ice, blast of tempest, which perform His word, The mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees, and all cedars, The beasts and all the cattle, creeping things and winged birds, Kings of the earth, and all peoples, princes and all the judges of the earth, Young men and virgins, elders with the younger; let them praise the name of the Lord, for exalted is the name of Him alone. His praise is above the earth and heaven, and He shall exalt the horn of His people. This is the hymn for all His saints, for the sons of Israel, and for the people that draw nigh unto Him.

- Psalm 148 (read during Matins at the Praises/Lauds)

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Everything in man is old, like a disease, like an old garment hung out on a thorn—such are all human victories and defeats; and when people think, when they speak, when they labor, they just bring their junk out into the bazaar; young men think like old men, old men think like the dead, the dead smell no worse than those living on earth. Everything is old, like the defeat of ones defeated long ago—defeated from the beginning, since even the beginning of history itself is a defeat. Thou art the only Novelty, my Conqueror; after the first man Thou art the only New Man.

+ St Nikolai Velimirovich, Akathist to Jesus, Conqueror of Death

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For God to help, one must have a desire to struggle. And when we say a desire to struggle, we mean that one must be willing to make some effort to overcome his particular weakness. If God sees even a little true will, He provides abundant help for man, He sends His Grace in great abundance.

+ St Paisios the Athonite