We Must Remember to Give God Thanks Frequently
“We thank thee, O Christ our God, that thou hast satisfied us with thy earthly gifts, deprive us not of thy Heavenly Kingdom; but as thou entered into the midst of thy disciples, O Saviour, and gave them peace, enter also among us and save us. Amen.”
This prayer is one of my personal favorites, for it recognizes in concise words my need to remember to give thanks to God for all He has given me. It connects me to the ancient Church, for it allows me to recount the Lord’s coming in the midst of His disciples, and granting them the peace I so desire. It keeps me focused on the goal, and remembering, throughout my day, that the Lord is to be my focus.
This is the prayer many Orthodox Christians pray at the end of meals, yet also a prayer that can be offered whenever we are feeling a certain gratefulness of heart, or desiring God’s loving mercy.
Prayers like this are easily memorized, allowing us to express our gratitude to God without being wordy. The Lord knows our needs, and there is no need to “spell it out” for God. What is necessary is that we remember to give thanks to God, and let the Lord hear from us throughout the day. These short little prayers are perfect for keeping ourselves spiritually focused, as they express our desire to make communion with God the central part of our day.
This is a wonderful prayer to say with children, just before tucking them in for the night, ending their waking hours by calling down God’s peace into their hearts. It is a wonderful prayer to offer, as we’ve arrived safely to our destination, following the morning commute.
Our prayers need not be long, but they should be frequent. Just as an old couple who’ve shared a long life together don’t need to say a lot of words in order to demonstrate their love for one another, so too, our prayers don’t need to be long and formal, in order to let God know we love Him, but they do need to be frequent.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Sunday December 3, 2023 / November 20, 2023
26th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone one.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fish Allowed
Forefeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.
Venerable Gregory Decapolites (816).
St. Proclus, archbishop of Constantinople (447).
New Hieromartyrs Macarius bishop of Ecaterinoslav, Alexis, Alexander, Vladimir, John, Alexis, Basil, Nicholas, John, Emilian, Nocolos priests and Hieromartyrs Arsenius, Eutihius and Hillarion, Woman Hieromartyr Ioanicus hegumen (1937).
New Woman Hieromartyr Tatiana (after 1937).
Venerable Diodorus of George Hill (Solovki) (1633).
Martyr Dasius of Dorostolum (Romania) (303).
Martyrs Eustace, Thespesius, and Anatolius of Nicaea (312).
Hieromartyrs Nerses and Joseph; and John, Saverius, Isaac, and Hypatius, bishops of Persia; Martyrs Azades, Sasonius, Thecla, and Anna (343).
Martyrs Bautha and Denachis, who suffered with Hieromartyr Nerses of Persia (343). oSt. Isaac, bishop of Armenia (440). oVenerable Theoctistus the Confessor (855). oSt. Edmund, king of England and martyr (869) (Celtic & British).
St. Sozomen of Cyprus (12th c.).
The Scripture Readings
Luke 24:1-12
He Is Risen
24 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”
8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Ephesians 5:8-19
Walk in Light
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Walk in Wisdom
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Luke 12:16-21
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”