The Prayer of St. Jonah

I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,
And He answered me.
Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own mercy.
But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.

Pray for Egypt

Please keep Egypt and its peoples, especially our popes and the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Church of Alexandria in Egypt, in your prayers! When I listened to President Mubarak's speech earlier I was sure I was witnessing his resignation and the beginning of a new era, but he did not resign and now I fear that I did indeed witness the beginning of a new era - one fraught with the potential for great suffering and violence.

"Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, for He has defended us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to Him, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour. Let us also ask Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life." Amen.

Sunday of St. Joseph

Joyous feast! St. Joseph is one of the great saints of the Church in the East and the West. More on his life can be found here.

I prayed to St. Joseph for a long time for work and for help with another matter and for most of that time thought my prayers wasted. Then four months ago I found work in Oregon, two months ago my other request was granted, and then a month ago my other request received a second answer that I had not even dared to hope for, so I no longer think the time with him misspent :-).

May St. Joseph's blessings and prayers continue to be with us all! I hope this finds you well with the feast!

Quote of the Day: From the First Hour of the Agpeya

You are the honored mother of the Light; from the rising of the sun to its setting praises are offered to you, O Theotokos, the second heaven...