http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2010/07/24/walking-on-the-water-a-parable-of-our-own-lives/ McKinney TX Homilies, scripture commentary, spiritual reflections Tue, 21 May 2013 19:41:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2010/07/24/walking-on-the-water-a-parable-of-our-own-lives/comment-page-1/#comment-4063 Natalia Arzhantseva Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:50:08 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=2360#comment-4063 Your blessing, Father! Thank you so much for this homily. This is the perfect moment I should have received something like this. Properly timed! I praise God for that. Another manifestation of His presence & His watchfulness - which we either do not feel, or do not appreciate. Really, if we are not at times deprived of the feeling of His love & presence, it'd be hardly possible we learn to appreciate & be grateful - at least to some extent, "feasible" for us according to our spiritual measure.  I also thought how important for us, when we are so weak in our faith & total devotion to God's will, to have a fellow, a friend, someone near us with whom we together could reinforce our eagerness to serve God, to support in the times of "spiritual recession". This may be a spiritual father, or a true friend...This is a problem of our times, as Holy Fathers of XIX century used to say. St Ignatius Brianchaninov said we first of all should consider the Holy Scripture as our main teacher & guide. This is so, no doubts! But we should also, I think, pray for kindred spirits...It is easier to pass over life difficulties, shoulder by shoulder, sharing joys & sorrows, pray, get rid of sins, grow in virtues...Everything is better when together! Nowadays our unity - around each other in Christ - is so actual! Then our walking on the waters of this secular world towards Christ the Saviour will be less fearful... Your blessing, Father!
Thank you so much for this homily. This is the perfect moment I should have received something like this. Properly timed! I praise God for that. Another manifestation of His presence & His watchfulness – which we either do not feel, or do not appreciate. Really, if we are not at times deprived of the feeling of His love & presence, it'd be hardly possible we learn to appreciate & be grateful – at least to some extent, "feasible" for us according to our spiritual measure. 
I also thought how important for us, when we are so weak in our faith & total devotion to God's will, to have a fellow, a friend, someone near us with whom we together could reinforce our eagerness to serve God, to support in the times of "spiritual recession". This may be a spiritual father, or a true friend…This is a problem of our times, as Holy Fathers of XIX century used to say. St Ignatius Brianchaninov said we first of all should consider the Holy Scripture as our main teacher & guide. This is so, no doubts! But we should also, I think, pray for kindred spirits…It is easier to pass over life difficulties, shoulder by shoulder, sharing joys & sorrows, pray, get rid of sins, grow in virtues…Everything is better when together!
Nowadays our unity – around each other in Christ – is so actual!
Then our walking on the waters of this secular world towards Christ the Saviour will be less fearful…

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