This material is a declaration of love.
I am inspired by how beautiful our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, is.
I love to express myself through prayer. My art consists in a series of 21 volumes of workbooks for translating the Divine Liturgy from Slavonic into English. The workbooks may be of use to any English-speaking person interested in understanding the Slavonic text of the Divine Liturgy. Attend the Divine Liturgy and invite the priest after the service to talk with you over tea and to help you with some of the workbook pages at a time. By talking to a priest you learn more about the meaning of theological concepts than if you study the Divine Liturgy alone. The Divine Liturgy is the most beautiful prayer!
Orthodox Christian prayer is so beautiful. Of course that it fills my heart with love! This is what Christians read every morning:
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. Pray You Yourself in me.
Most Holy God, I pray and beseech you, give me a pure heart, a way of speaking that befits the faith I profess. Grant me uprightness of purpose, powers of reasoning unhindered by passions, conduct that becomes those who fear you, and perfect knowledge of your commandments. May I enjoy health in body and in spirit.
Grant me a life of peace, genuine faith and living hope, sincere charity and bountiful generosity, patience that knows no bounds and the light of Your truth to proclaim Your goodness to me, that for ever and in all things placing my trust only in You, I may abound in every good work, and that in Christ Your gifts may increase in every soul.
For to You belong all glory, honour and majesty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
With love in Christ,
A parishioner of the Russian Orthodox Christian Church.
