Is it not strange that we send our children to learn skills and to school, and make a lot of effort for this purpose, but we do not bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)?
We are actually the first to reap the fruits of this.
Saint John Chrysostom
“If artists who make statues and paint portraits of kings are held in high esteem, will not God bless ten thousand times more those who reveal and beautify His royal image? For man is in the image of God. When we teach our children to be good, to be gentle and to be forgiving — all attributes of God: to be generous, to love their neighbor, to regard this present age as nothing, we instill virtue in their souls and reveal the image of God within them.”
“He [Father Maximos] went on to summarize the key themes of Eastern Orthodox spirituality: that God is love and that human beings made in the image of God are also love in their very depth. Therefore, to be truly healthy means to think, feel, and act in conformity with our innermost nature.”
Beholding beauty, the Staretz would look at the clouds, the sea, mountains and forests, meadows and a lone tree.
He used to remark that the glory the Creator shone with splendor even in this visible world, but to behold the glory of the Lord Himself in the Holy Spirit was vision infinitely transcending any human conception.
You cannot experience pleasure without experiencing pain first. You cannot enjoy food until you are hungry. You cannot enjoy water without thirst. You cannot experience joy without first going through suffering…
“And that is the meaning of the cross,” Fr. Maximos added. “It prepares the way for the Resurrection, for true joy. It means that I go through life carrying my cross with joy.”
Kyriacos C. Markides,
If people kept Christ’s commandment, there would be paradise on earth, and with little labour man would suffice his needs, and the Divine Spirit would live in the souls of man, for He Himself seeks us and would dwell in us…
Saint Silouan the Athonite
This is the paradise of the Lord: All will live in love, and their Christ like humility will make every man happy to see others in greater glory. The humility of Christ lives in the lowly ones – they are glad to be the least of men.
When we love someone, we like to think about that person, talk about him, be with him. Now the soul loves the Lord as her Father, and Creator and stands before Him in awe and in love. In awe because He is the Lord, in love because the soul knows Him for her Father.
This Massaged Kale Salad is one of my favorites, especially when there are fresh strawberries in season at the market. Fresh picked strawberries are a sweet addition to the earthy kale and the citrus dressing. Kale is a superfood that deserves room on every plate. Most recipes for massaged kale salads call for green apples or other fruit, but I think the strawberries are the best. Massaging the kale in an olive oil, lemon and salt dressing has the effect of cooking the kale. The lemon also makes the iron content in the kale far more bioavailable (that means you absorb more!).
I hope you enjoy this kale salad!
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Gather your ingredients.
Stem and chop the kale. Place in large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
Massage kale gently with your hands for five to ten minutes.
Toss with the strawberries, onion and other optional ingredients (if using).
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Enjoy!
The things of this earth we may learn with our minds, but knowledge of God and of all heavenly matters comes only through the Holy Spirit, and can not be learned merely with the mind.
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