Pulled up by the Wrist

 A Paschal Reflection by Mother Cecilia

My favorite part of the icon of the Descent into Hades is the way Jesus is pulling up Adam and Eve by their wrists. This depiction communicates that He is the one doing the action, not the first-created couple by their own ability to grasp hold of Him with their hands. This gives me so much hope. He comes to me in my Hades, my sin, my despair. He comes into my hopeless situations, and then there is hope, because He is our hope. 

But, it is also a challenge. If I want Jesus to come and pull me up by the wrist, I have to let myself be needy. I have to acknowledge that He is God and not me. I have to stop trying to control everything. I have to stop acting like I can pull myself up. I have to cry out, "Help!," and then wait for Him to help, in the way He chooses to help. His idea of help, with my eternal salvation and the salvation of my brothers and sisters in mind, isn't always my idea of help. I'd like immediate solutions, according to my preference. I don't want to wait, and I don't want to remain in my weaknesses. Faith, which is given to us as a gift, tells me that He is helping me. Some days it is easier to believe than others. He knows. It's ok. 

As we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and praise Him for pulling us up from Hades, you may not feel a lot of joy. Maybe there are very difficult situations happening in your life right now. You don't have to manufacture Paschal joy in order to be a good Christian. Joy, like faith, is also a gift. The Lord is not sitting there judging how much joy we have. However, He is inviting us to let Him give us joy. His joy, like His help, comes as He chooses. It is often a surprise. And His joy is deep and steady, welling up like a spring from within us where He resides. 

Please be assured that even nuns struggle to let Jesus pull them up by the wrists and give them His joy. You are certainly not alone! Let's sing together in faith these words from ode 8 of the Paschal Canon:

Come, on this glorious day of resurrection, and partake of the fruit of the new vine, the divine joy of Christ's kingdom, ever praising Him, our God! 

The Coming of the Bridegroom

It's the week of the Bridegroom (Great & Holy Week). Bishop Robert and a chapel full of guests joined us this morning for Bridegroom Matins, our patronal commemoration.

Enjoy this reflection written by Mother Gabriella for the Hope's Garden blog: 

The Coming of the Bridegroom in the Byzantine Tradition

Two unique Lenten prayer opportunities with the nuns

The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

We will lead a special Lenten service, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, on Thursday, April 3, at St. Mary Magdalene Byzantine Catholic Church in Fairview Park, Ohio. This powerful service of repentance includes beautiful melodies, plentiful Scriptural and spiritual nourishment, hundreds of prostrations, and the moving life story of the penitent St. Mary of Egypt. The evening will also be a great opportunity for the Mystery of Holy Repentance (Confession) and to venerate a relic of St. Mary of Egypt. Please bring a fasting-friendly potluck dish to share (no meat, dairy, eggs or fish) if you join us for dinner at 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the hall. The Canon will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at about 9:00 p.m. All are invited to come for part or all of the Canon, even if you are not physically able to participate in the prostrations.

Bridegroom Matins (our Patronal Commemoration) with Bishop Robert

Join us and Bishop Robert for Bridegroom Matins, the monastery's patronal commemoration, on Great & Holy Wednesday, April 16, at 10:00 a.m. in the monastery chapel (17485 Mumford Rd., Burton, Ohio). The readings and hymns of this service help us embrace a spirit of watchfulness and vigilance as we enter into the commemoration of Christ's passion, death and resurrection in the following days. All are welcome to spend time praying in the chapel afterwards. 

A message for the Great Fast from our hegumena, Mother Cecilia

“In this short time You have arranged to heal the great wounds of our soul.”

I typically dread the start of the Great Fast; this ascetical season is so incredibly difficult, beyond my strength—the fasting, the long services, the spiritual combat. Last week, I was already struggling so much with all my responsibilities, and I couldn’t imagine how I could possibly add to the struggle by taking on the disciplines of the Great Fast. I had a little breakdown. And on the other side of my breakdown I realized that I was trying too hard!—trying too hard to be virtuous, to be a good leader, to pray well, etc. That’s why it was too hard for me: the Lord wasn’t asking me to try so hard. 

I’m not sure what the Great Fast is going to look like for me, as I try to not try so hard in a time of year that is seen as a time to try harder! But what I do know is that I was deeply moved by this line from the Ambon Prayer (a prayer near the end of the Divine Liturgy) on Cheesefare Sunday (the day before the start of the Great Fast): “In this short time You have arranged to heal the great wounds of our soul.” It is God’s work, and He has planned out our healing! Yes, I need to cooperate, but all too often my efforts are a result of thinking it’s all up to me.

During these forty days, I invite you to join me in looking at the Lord and how He is loving us, rather than focusing on our ascetical efforts and whether or not we are doing them well. Join me in ignoring those condemning voices that tell us we are failing, that we are not good enough—those voices of the enemy that cause us to look only at ourselves (or at our neighbor, comparing ourselves and judging them). Let’s bring our wounds to the Divine Physician so that our ascetical practices (or, our inability to do them) will be healing medicine in His hands.

I also invite you to pray the Ambon Prayer, below, in its entirety. May God be with you on your Lenten journey!

“We thank you, O Lord Jesus Christ, that You have brought us to this opportune time of fasting towards salvation, for in this short time You have arranged to heal the great wounds of our soul, and to bring about the rejection of our many sins. Good Master, we pray You, remove from us any pharisaical hypocrisy in fasting, and banish all false sorrow. Drive from us all pride in our self-denial and moderation in deeds, words or thoughts. Fill us with light and the truth which You have taught. Strengthen us in the struggle against passions and in the war against sin. By alienation from passions prepare us to follow You by our fasting. Show us victory over the devil, that we may partake of Your death and resurrection, and rejoice in the joy which You have prepared for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. For You are the God of mercy, and glory is Yours, together with the Father and the Son and Your all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.”

Join Mother Natalia and Mother Gabriella on pilgrimage

There is still space available on this pilgrimage led by Fr. Michael O'Loughlin and Mother Natalia (with Mother Gabriella also attending)! Here is a link to a video with Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia explaining what the pilgrimage will entail.

You're invited to a talk by Mother Cecilia in Aliquippa, PA

All are invited to this pre-Lenten morning of reflection with a talk by Mother Cecilia:

Prepare to enter the Great Fast by renewing your relationship with the One who loves you deeply and wants to pour Himself into you! Contemplative prayer may sound like a complicated undertaking that’s just for monks and nuns, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that it is “the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer” (2713). In this talk, Mother Cecilia will help us to start from the beginning: “What is God’s purpose for us?” From this foundation, she will explain what contemplative prayer actually is and will then give tips for stirring up the flame of the Holy Spirit that is within us.