Christianity

"The exact significance of verse 14 is not completely clear, and it has been the subject of much scholarly speculation. 'Yahweh' is evidently related to the verb 'to be', and the King James Version of the Bible renders it as . The best translation is probably either '; that is who I am' (New English Bible) or 'I am the one who is' (New Jerusalem Bible)."

"After the destruction of the Second Temple there remained no trace of knowledge as to the pronunciation of the Name (see Jehovah). The commentators, however, agree as to its interpretation, that it denotes the eternal and everlasting existence of God, and that it is a composition of (meaning "a Being of the Past, the Present, and the Future"). The name Ehyeh () denotes His potency in the immediate future, and is part of Yhwh. The phrase "ehyeh-asher-ehyeh" (Ex. iii. 14) is interpreted by some authorities as "I will be because I will be," using the second part as a gloss and referring to God's promise, "Certainly I will be [ehyeh] with thee" (Ex. iii. 12)."

"Moses has the Being of beings say, "I am he who is." ... "I am, therefore something exists," seems to us a more primal and simple basis for experimental philosophy. Ego sum qui sum: that is God's first revelation in man and of man in the world, and it is also the first axiom of occult philosophy. . Being is being. Thus the principle behind this philosophy is what is, and there is nothing hypothetical or uncertain about it."

"When HaShem commanded him to go down to Egypt and liberate the Jewish people from bondage, he asked HaShem, "When I come to the children of Israel and I say to them, 'The God of your forefathers sent me to you,' they will ask me, 'What is His name,' What [] should I say to them?" ... Now examine the final letters and discover the singular name HaShem- as follows:}}... It therefore is evident from the simple meaning of the verse itself, as well as from its letters and its numerical value, that Moshe, peace be upon him, was asking the Holy One, blessed is He, about the secret of His singular and preexistent name, Hashem-."

"I can say this with some authority, as I know what I am speaking about from experience. I am an apostate from another “true religion” myself. As a child, I was a devout Catholic, even considering a life in the priesthood. Like most friends and acquaintances, I outgrew the faith of my youth, and have gone through all the phases of doubt and compromise. Finally I had to face the certainty that Christianity was fundamentally mistaken and unnecessary, eventhough its morality, arts and everyday worldview had a lot that remains worth preserving. So, I am not asking anything from the Muslims that I haven’t been through myself. I know from experience that there is life after apostasy."

"The stones they raise, Life’s hope decays,— With insults greeted And woes repeated, Affection gone, Woe stands alone; Who suffers this? O, tell! ’Tis He who loves so well. Lights darkened all, The stone-showers fall, The wild winds blowing, His long hair flowing, His eyes are wet, Thorns wound his feet. Who suffers this? O, tell! ’Tis He who loves so well. Perplexed the road, His breast a load; His heart is torn: The world in scorn,— The flowers are faded, The sun is shaded. Who suffers this? O, tell! ’Tis He who loves so well. What weary sighs, And weeping eyes, And plaints forbid, And glories hid, And absence drear From friends sincere. Who suffers this? O, tell! ’Tis He who loves so well. A clouded star, A journey far, A fearful doom, A day of gloom; The path mistaken,— By all forsaken. Who suffers this? O, tell! ’Tis He who loves so well."

"Weeping stood his mother, sighing By the cross where Jesus, dying, Hung aloft on Calvary; Through her soul, in sorrow moaning, Bowed in grief, in spirit groaning, Pierced the sword in misery. Filled with grief beyond all others, Mother—blessed among mothers— Of the God-begotten Son! How she sorroweth and grieveth, Trembling as she thus perceiveth Dying her unspotted one! Who could there refrain from weeping, Seeing Christ’s dear mother keeping In her grief, so bitterly? Who could fail to share her anguish, Seeing thus the mother languish, Lost in woe so utterly? For the trespass of his nation She beheld his laceration, By their scourges suffering. She beheld her dearest taken, Crucified and God-forsaken, Dying by their torturing. Mother, fountain of affection, Let me share thy deep dejection, Let me share thy tenderness; Let my heart, thy sorrow feeling, Love of Christ, the Lord, revealing, Be like thine in holiness! All his stripes, O, let me feel them, On my heart forever seal them, Printed there enduringly. All his woes, beyond comparing, For my sake in anguish bearing, Let me share them willingly. By thy side let me be weeping, True condolence with him keeping, Weeping all my life with thee; Near the cross with thee abiding, Freely all thy woes dividing, In thy sorrow joined with thee. Virgin, of all virgins fairest, Let me feel the love thou bearest, Sharing all thy suffering; Let me feel the death they gave him, Crucified in shame to save them, Dying without murmuring. Let me feel their blows so crushing, Let me drink the current gushing From his wounds when crucified. By a heavenly zeal excited, When the judgment fires are lighted Then may I be justified. On the Cross of Christ relying, Through his death redeemed from dying, By his favor fortified; When my mortal frame is perished, Let my spirit then be cherished, And in heaven be glorified."

"Bound upon the accurséd tree, Faint and bleeding, who is he? By the eyes so pale and dim, Streaming blood, and writhing limb; By the flesh, with scourges torn; By the crown of twisted thorn; By the side so deeply pierced; By the baffled, burning thirst; By the drooping death-dewed brow: Son of Man, ’tis thou!’t is thou! Bound upon the accurséd tree, Dread and awful, who is he? By the sun at noonday pale, Shivering rocks, and rending veil: By earth, that trembles at his doom; By yonder saints who burst their tomb; By Eden promised, ere he died, To the felon at his side; Lord, our suppliant knees we bow: Son of God, ’tis thou! ’tis thou! Bound upon the accurséd tree, Sad and dying, who is he? By the last and bitter cry; The ghost given up in agony; By the lifeless body laid In the chamber of the dead; By the mourners come to weep Where the bones of Jesus sleep; Crucified! we know thee now: Son of Man, ’tis thou! ’tis thou! Bound upon the accurséd tree, Dread and awful, who is he? By the prayer for them that slew,— “Lord, they know not what they do!” By the spoiled and empty grave; By the souls he died to save; By the conquest he hath won; By the saints before his throne: By the rainbow round his brow; Son of God, ’tis thou! ’tis thou!"

"Hail Calvary, thou mountain hoar, Wet with our Redeemer’s gore!"

"Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, Or memorise another Golgotha, I cannot tell."

"See where the Author of all life is dying: O fearful day! he dead, what hope of living? See where the hopes of all our lives are buying. O cheerful day! they bought, what fear of grieving? Love, love for hate, and death for life is giving: Lo, how his arms are stretched abroad to grace thee, And, as they open stand, call to embrace thee: Why stay’st thou then, my soul! O, fly, fly, thither haste thee. His radious head with shameful thorns they tear, His tender back with bloody whips they rent, His side and heart they furrow with a spear, His hands and feet with riving nails they tent, And, as to disentrail his soul they meant, They jolly at his grief, and make their game, His naked body to expose to shame, That all might come to see, and all might see that came. Whereat the Heaven put out his guilty eye That durst behold so execrable sight, And sabled all in black the shady sky, And the pale stars, struck with unwonted fright, Quenched their everlasting lamps in night: And at his birth, as all the stars Heaven had Were not enow, but a new star was made; So now, both new, and old, and all away did fade."

"O Sacred Head! now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, thy only crown; O sacred Head! what glory, What bliss, till now was thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine. O noblest brow, and dearest! In other days the world All feared when thou appearedst: What shame on thee is hurled! How art thou pale with anguish, With sore abuse and scorn; How does that visage languish, Which once was bright as morn! The blushes late residing Upon that holy cheek, The roses once abiding Upon those lips so meek, Alas! they have departed; Wan Death has rifled all! For, weak and broken-hearted, I see thy body fall. What thou, my Lord, hast suffered, Was all for sinners’ gain: Mine, mine, was the transgression, But thine the deadly pain. Lo! here I fall, my Saviour: ’Tis I deserve thy place; Look on me with thy favor, Vouchsafe to me thy grace. Receive me, my Redeemer: My Shepherd, make me thine; Of every good the fountain, Thou art the spring of mine. Thy lips with love distilling, And milk of truth sincere, With heaven’s bliss are filling The soul that trembles here. Beside thee, Lord, I ’ve taken My place,—forbid me not! Hence will I ne’er be shaken, Though thou to death be brought. If pain’s last paleness hold thee, In agony opprest, Then, then, will I enfold thee Within this arm and breast! The joy can ne’er be spoken, Above all joys beside, When in thy body broken I thus with safety hide. My Lord of life, desiring Thy glory now to see, Beside the cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to thee. What language shall I borrow To thank thee, dearest Friend, For this, thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end! O, make me thine forever; And should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never Outlive my love to thee. And when I am departing, O, part not thou from me! When mortal pangs are darting, Come, Lord, and set me free! And when my heart must languish Amidst the final throe, Release me from mine anguish By thine own pain and woe! Be near me when I’m dying, O, show thy cross to me; And for my succor flying, Come, Lord, and set me free! These eyes new faith receiving From Jesus shall not move; For he, who dies believing, Dies safely through thy love."

"’Twas the day when God’s Anointed Died for us the death appointed, Bleeding on the guilty cross. Day of darkness! day of terror! Deadly fruit of ancient error, Nature’s fall and Eden’s loss. Haste! prepare the bitter chalice! Mortal hate and mortal malice Lift the royal victim high! Like the serpent wonder-gifted, Which the prophet once uplifted, For a sinful world to die. Cruel hands with thorns have crowned him, Cruel tongues are raving round him, Jew and Gentile fiercely lower. Friends are false and foes are many: “Eli, lama sabachthani,— Father, save me from this hour.” Conscious of the deed unholy, Nature’s pulses beat more slowly, And the sun his face doth hide. Darkness wrapped the sacred city, And the earth with fear and pity Trembled when the Just One died. “It is finished!” Man of sorrows! From thy cross our frailty borrows Strength to bear and conquer thus. While, extended there, we view thee, Mighty sufferer! draw us to thee, Sufferer victorious! Not in vain for us uplifted, Man of sorrows wonder-gifted, May that sacred symbol be; High and hoar amid the ages, Guide of heroes and of sages, May it guide us still to thee! Still to thee, whose love unbounded Sorrow’s depth for us hath sounded, Perfected by conflicts sore. Honored be thy cross forever! Star that points our high endeavor Whither thou hast gone before!"

"'On the day when I act, says Yahweh Sabaoth, they will be my most prized possession, and I shall spare them in the way a man spares the son who serves him."

"Bring the tithes in full to the treasury, so that there is food in my house; put me to the test now like this, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and see if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you and pour out an abundant blessing for you."

"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his sings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth a curse."

"Will a man rob God?"

"Have we not all one father, hath not one GOD created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?"

"I am coming to put you on trial and I shall be a ready witness against sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, and against those who oppress the wage-earner, the widow and the orphan, and who rob the foreigner of his rights and do not respect me, says Yahweh Sabaoth."

"People from the Negeb will occupy the Mount of Esau, people from the lowlands the country of the Philistines; they will occupy Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will occupy Gilead."

"Just as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so will all the nations drink continually, they will drink, will drink greedily, but they will be as though they had never been!"

"The days are coming- declares Yahweh- when the ploughman will tread on the heels of the reaper, and the trader of grapes on the heels of the sower of seed, and the mountains will run with new wine and the hills all flow with it. I shall restore the fortunes of my people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, they will lay out gardens and eat their produce. And I shall plant them in their own soil and they will never be uprooted again from the country which I have given them, declares Yahweh, your God."

"The days are coming- declares the Lord Yahweh- when I shall send a famine on the country, not hunger for food, not thirst for water, but famine for hearing Yahweh's word. People will stagger from sea to sea, will wander from the north to the east, searching for Yahweh's word, but will not find it."

"If thieves were to come to you (or robbers during the night) surely they would steal only as much as they wanted? If grape-pickers were to come to you, surely they would leave a few gleanings? But how you have been pillaged!"

"This is what he showed me: the Lord standing by a wall, with a plumb-line in his hand. 'What do you see, Amos?' Yahweh asked me. 'A plumb-line,' I said. Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am going to put a plumb-line in among my people Israel; never again will I overlook their offences."

"I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

"The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.""

"Your allies all pursued you right to the frontier, your confederates kept you in suspense, then got the better of you, your own guests laid a trap for you, 'He has quite lost his wits.'"

"לָכֵ֕ן כֹּ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לְּךָ֖ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עֵקֶב כִּי־זֹ֣את אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֔ךְ הִכּ֥וֹן לִקְרַאת־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל"

"For look, he it is who forges the mountains, creates the wind, who reveals his mind to humankind, changes the dawn into darkness and strides on the heights of the world: Yahweh, God Sabaoth, is his name."

"For the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you and you will be annihilated for ever."

"Seek good and not evil so that you may survive, and Yahweh, God Sabaoth, be with you as you claim he is. Hate evil, love good, let justice reign at the city gate: it may be that Yahweh."

"Will not the Day of Yahweh be darkness, not light, totally dark, without a ray of light?"

"I hate, I scorn your festivals, I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies. When you bring me burnt offerings . . . your oblations, I do not accept them and I do not look at your communion sacrifices of fat cattle. Spare me the din of your chanting, let me hear none of your strumming on lyres, but let justice flow like water, and uprightness like a never-failing stream!"

"הֲיֵֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם יַחְדָּ֑ו בִּלְתִּ֖י אִם־נוֹעָֽדוּ"

"אַרְיֵ֥ה שָׁאָ֖ג מִ֣י לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א אֲדֹנָ֚י יֱהֹוִה֙ דִּבֶּ֔ר מִ֖י לֹ֥א יִנָּבֵֽא"

"וְלֹֽא־יָֽדְע֥וּ עֲשֽׂוֹת־נְכֹחָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה הָאֽוֹצְרִ֛ים חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד בְּאַרְמְנֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם"

"With the status of an imperial lavra, Hilandar – independent and wealthy – was Serbia’s best diplomatic ‘envoy’ in Byzantium. Moreover, without the mediating agency of Hilandar, medieval Serbia would not have embraced Byzantine culture and civilization and adopted its ancient heritage so comprehensively. Everything that was best in Serbia, its ecclesiastical, political, and cultural elite, all passed through Hilandar, whose radiance cast its light and marked out the country – economically, politically, and culturally – as one of the great powers of medieval Europe."

"The start of stillness [hesychia] is the rejection of all noisiness as something that will trouble the depths of the soul. The final point is when one has no longer a fear of noisy disturbance, when one is immune to it. He who when he goes out does not go out in his intellect is gentle and wholly a house of love, rarely moyed to speech and never to anger. The opposite to all this is manifest."

"Stillness of the body is the accurate knowledge and management of one's feelings and perceptions. Stillness of soul is the accurate knowledge of one's thoughts and is an unassailable mind."

"Similarly, stillness [hesychia] is initiated by attentive waiting upon God,"

"With the help of prayer ignore all images, whether sensory or conceptual, that rise up from the heart."

"Stillness is worshipping God unceasingly and waiting on Him."

"In fact, one must not try to discover where it [the One] comes from. For there is not any ‘where’; it neither comes from nor goes anywhere, it both appears and does not appear. For this reason, it is necessary not to pursue it, but to remain in stillness [hesychia], until it should appear, preparing oneself to be a contemplator, just like the eye awaits the rising sun. The sun rising over the horizon – the poets say ‘from Ocean’ – gives itself to be seen with the eyes."

"A brother asked an elder, “What is hēsychia and what good does it do?”"

"Stillness is an undisturbed state of the intellect,"

"It is only by means of this Prayer that the creature can be really united with his Creator, the goal of the Prayer of Jesus is consequently the supreme spiritual state, in which man is detached from everything pertaining to the creature and being directly united with the Divinity, is illuminated by the Divine Light. This supreme state is "Holy Silence" (hēsychia), symbolized by the black color of the Virgin in certain icons and images."

"Stillness does not come and go. It is we who come and go. Stillness abides, like a vast evenness, limpid and pure. It is a transcendent realm of infinite clarity."

"Another consequence of laws designed principally to secure the wealth of the wealthy is, of course, the frequent reduction of labor to a commodity, and of laborers to a condition that it is not unfair to describe as “wage slavery.” This is especially true in industrialized nations whose laws make it excessively easy for large employers to increase their profit margins at the expense of their employees, by withholding benefits, by failing to provide a living wage, by managing workers’ hours in ways that deny them the true privileges of full employment, and above all by making cheap labor into a kind of natural resource to be exploited, particularly in labor markets where basic workers’ protections do not exist. Often enough, business practices of this sort are permitted under the shelter of free trade accords, even though the connection of such practices to the larger economics of international free trade is tenuous at best."