Photo of the Week

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, 

and the turmoil of the nations.

 

- Psalm 65:5-7

Quote of the Week

"In the cross of Christ, as in a splendid theater, the incomparable goodness of God is set before the whole world. The glory of God shines, indeed, in all creatures, but never more brightly than in the cross, in which there was a wonderful change of things... In short, the whole world was renewed and all things restored to order."

- John Calvin, 16th-century Protestant Reformer

Saturday Synaxis

O God, immortal, eternal, invisible, 
I remember with gladness and thanksgiving 
All that Thou has been to this world of men: 
Companion of the brave: 
Upholder of the loyal: 
Light of the wanderer: 
Joy of the pilgrim: 
Guide of the pioneer: 
Helper of laboring men: 
Refuge of the broken-hearted: 
Deliverer of the oppressed: 
Succour of the tempted: 
Strength of the victorious: 
Ruler of rulers: 
Friend of the poor: 
Rescuer of the perishing: 
Hope of the dying.
 Give me faith now to believe
That Thou can be all in all to me, 
According to my need, 
If only I renounce all proud self-dependence 
And put my trust in Thee. 
Amen.

- John Baillie

Hymn of the Week: Behold Our End (St Augustine's Hymn)

This week's song is a simple one. It's not really my creation; I only served as the matchmaker to introduce a marvelous poem to a lovely tune. I've long loved an old poetic saying by Saint Augustine, in which he reflected on the nature of heaven:

All shall be Amen and Alleluia.
We shall rest and we shall see;
We shall see and we shall know;
We shall know and we shall love;
We shall love and we shall praise:
Behold our end which is no end! 

I've often admired the simple power of African-American spirituals, and it occurred to me that the old tune of the familiar "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" was a nearly perfect match for Augustine's old poem. So with just a little bit of rearranging, here's a crossover mashup of Saint Augustine and the emancipated slaves.

Behold Our End (St Augustine's Hymn) 

All shall be the great Amen, alleluia!
Behold our end, which is no end, alleluia!

We shall rest and we shall see, alleluia! (x2)

We shall see and we shall know, alleluia! (x2)

We shall know and we shall love, alleluia! (x2)

We shall love and we shall praise, alleluia! (x2)

All shall be the great Amen, alleluia!
Behold our end, which is no end, alleluia! 
 

Photo of the Week

Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an evening gone;

Short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.

- Verse 2 of the hymn "O God, Our Help in Ages Past"

Quote of the Week

"The beginning of divine wisdom is the serenity acquired from generosity of soul and forbearance with human infirmities."

- Isaac of Nineveh, 7th-century Christian writer

Saturday Synaxis

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of God,

Have mercy on me,

A sinner.

- the "Jesus Prayer," held for centuries by eastern Christianity as the standard prayer for daily devotional use