Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in His commandments!
His descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Glory and wealth are in His house,
and His righteousness endures forever.
Light rises in the darkness for the upright;
the Lord is…
I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will make all Thy wonders known
In the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord!
They are studied by all who have pleasure in them!
His work is glory and beauty,
and His righteousness endures forever. —Psalm…
The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”…
Out of the womb before the morning star have I have begotten thee.
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek. —Psalm 110: 1, 3-4 (LXX)
This difficult Psalm is read on Holy Friday at the Third Hour, in the context of Judas betraying Jesus, Peter and the disciples abandoning Him, crowds and religious leaders mocking and accusing Him, soldiers torturing and crucifying Him. He is abandoned and alone, surrounded by enemies.
My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Thy glory be over all the earth! —Psalm 108:1,5 (LXX)
Psalm 108 combines parts of two earlier psalms into one. Verses 1-5 are Psalm 57:7-11, and verses 6-13 are Psalm 60:5-12. They were put together and slightly…
I don’t normally write for the Chancellor’s Diary on Mondays, but Arvo Pärt’s presence at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary this past Saturday, and the concert of his music at Carnegie Hall that night left a deep impression. I can’t simply fold it into a listing of other events. And if…
Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity,
we have done wickedly.
(Psalm 106:6)
We have sinned, transgressed, done wrong before You.
We have not watched or done as You have commanded us,
but do not give us up utterly, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me,…
Then he led forth Israel with silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
(Psalm 105:37-38)
Psalm 105 (like Psalm 78) is a hymn recalling God’s deeds and saving miracles among the people of Israel. The center of…
O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all…
Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, Thou art very great!
(Psalm 104: 24,1)
“O Lord how manifold are Thy works”“O Lord how manifold are Thy works”“O Lord how manifold are Thy works”
Saint Gregory of Nyssa said, “Concepts create idols; only wonder grasps…
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,
Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the Pit,
Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that…
Psalm 102: Affliction, Resurrection and Eternal Remembrance
Thou shalt rise up and have pity upon Zion, for it is time to have compassion on her, yea, the time has come.
The Lord from heaven has looked down upon the earth, to hear the groaning of them that are in chains, to loose the sons of the slain.
Psalm 102: 13, 19, 20 (LXX; Alleluia for…
O Lord, I will sing to Your of mercy and judgment.
Psalm 101(100):1 (LXX)
Saint Dorotheos of Gaza
One of the biggest tensions in Christian life is between mercy and judgment. In the ascetic tradition it’s understood that mercy should always be the default position, and if there is to be any judging we should start with ourselves. Take…
Extol the Lord our God; worship at His footstool, for it is holy! The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
(Psalm 99:5, 1: Prokeimenon, Elevation of the Cross and Sunday of the Cross)
Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also was among those who called on His name. They cried to the Lord, and He answered them.
(Psalm 99:6:…
O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!
(Psalm 98:1)
We as Orthodox are committed to upholding, defending and passing on the Tradition. Indeed, the words “new” and “innovation” are often used as warning labels. So it’s striking to me how often the scriptures speak of God doing something new.
Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness!
(Psalm 96:11-12)
Christ is risen!
Most English versions of Psalm 97 don’t have a title, because there is no title in the Hebrew manuscripts…
Saint Alexis Toth: Confessor and Defender of Orthodoxy in North America
St Alexis Toth
I was at the canonization of Saint Alexis during Memorial Day weekend in 1994 at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. Along with scores of priests taking turns, I had the privilege of helping to carry his heavy casket in procession, and I remember thinking that this was…
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice
(Psalm 96:11)
”...and let the earth rejoice”: Spring at the Chancery
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice
Let the whole world, visible and invisible keep the feast.
For Christ is risen, our eternal joy!
(Paschal canon, Ode 1)
This is my last “Chancellor’s Diary” entry until after Bright Week. But what a fitting psalm for today and these special days!
1. O, come let us worship and fall down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker (Psalm 95:6).
This is the normal entrance hymn for the Divine Liturgy, where we add the words “…fall down before…
