St. Symeon the New Theologian Orthodox Church

On Holy Water

"On the Feast of Theophany, that is the Day of the Lord's Baptism, every year a great miracle is performed. The Holy Spirit, coming down upon the water, changes its natural properties. It becomes incorrupt, that is, it does not spoil, remains transparent and fresh for many years, receives the grace to heal illnesses, to drive away demons and every evil power, to preserve people and their dwellings from every danger, to sanctify various objects whether for church or home use. Therefore, Orthodox Christians with reverence drink Holy Water - a great Agiasma (holy thing), as the Greeks call it.
One should have at home enough Theophany water so that it will last the whole year, and make use of it at every need: in cases of illness, leaving on a journey, whenever one is upset, students, when going to examinations. They do well who daily, before eating any kind of food, drink a little Holy Water. It strengthens the powers of the soul - if it is done, of course, with prayer and reverence, and one does not merely expect from it a mechanical result. "

- St. John Maximovitch - Orthodox America, January 1984

An Account by Abbess Tamara (+1979), Superior of the Russian Convent on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem

Nearly twenty years ago a Bedouin was leaving Transjordan with a child in his arms; the child was very ill and the father was afraid, seeing him dying. He approached the holy river Jordan, went in and decided to christen the child himself, hoping to save him.
Three times he plunged the child into the holy waters of the river Jordan, each time saying with all his heart in prayer and faith: "My God, I don't know the words, but what the Orthodox priest says." Three times he plunged in the child, each time repeating the same words. The child opened his eyes and was better, and the father brought him home alive, happy in himself. Later, when the child was quite recovered, he again crossed the river Jordan and came to Jerusalem to the Greek priest to ask him to christen the child.
Everything was prepared for the child's baptism, and the ceremony began. But-when the clergyman had to plunge the child into the water, he could not do so because, to his astonishment and fright, the water changed and became like a hard mirror. A moment later it was again simply water. But when the priest again and again tried to put the child in the water - each time there was a hard mirror-like surface instead of water.
The priest believed that this was a Divine sign that God had stopped the water from accepting the child and he was very frightened.
He asked the father, "What's wrong with your child?" The father replied, "Nothing."
The priest then asked, "Is he ill?"
"No," said the father, "only he was dying and I put him into the Jordan and said three times: 'Like the Orthodox priest says.'" The priest felt much relieved and told the father, "God accepted your prayer; your child has been baptized already; he does not need to be baptized again."
Amen!

The Icon of the Savior

"You gaze upon the Icon of the Savior and see that He looks at you from it with brightest eyes; this look is the image of how He actually looks upon you with His eyes that are brighter than the sun, and sees all your thoughts, hears all your heartfelt distress and sighs. The image is an Icon, and represents in lines and signs that which cannot be delineated, cannot be given in signs, and can be comprehended by faith alone. Believe, then, that the Savior always protects you and sees each one of you - with all your thoughts, sorrows and sighing, in all your circumstances, as upon the palm of the hand. 'Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me,' says the Lord God (Isaiah 49:16). How much consolation and life are contained in these gracious words of the Almighty and Provident God! Therefore pray before the icon of the Savior as before Himself. The Lover of men is present in it by His grace, and with the eyes depicted in it really looks at you: 'The eyes of the Lord are in every place,' (Proverbs 15:3) while with His ears as represented on the icon, He hears you. But remember that His eyes are the eyes of God, and His ears are the ears of the omnipresent God. "

- St John of Kronstadt

Our Definition of Jesus

"We do not confine our definition of Jesus to the human domain. For He is not simply a man, nor would He be transcendent if He were only a man. Out of His very great love of humanity, He became quite truly human, both superhuman and among humans; and, though Himself beyond being, He took upon Himself the being of humans. Yet He is not less overflowing with transcendence. He is the ever-transcendent, and superabundantly so. He takes on being, and is Himself a being beyond being. Superior Himself to the human condition, He does the work of a man. A proof of this is that a virgin supernaturally bore Him (cf. Mt. 1:18-25) and that flowing water, bearing the weight of His corporeal feet, did not yield, but, rather, held Him up with supernatural power (cf. Jn. 6:16-21). "