GOD, NOT MOTHER NATURE

GOD, NOT MOTHER NATURE

“Let the glory of the Lord endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in His works.

 Who looks upon the earth and makes it quake; who touches the mountains, and they smoke” (Psalm 103:31-32).

     In the days of Emperor Leo the Isaurian in the year 740, a long-lasting and most terrible earthquake occurred in the queen city Constantinople.  The clergy and people understood this as being God’s chastisement for their sins.  They then prayed to the Theotokos and the Great Champion and Martyr Demetrios, repenting of their sins until God showed His mercy and the earthquake ended

THE TRISAGION PRAYER

      We Orthodox very frequently  sing the Trisagion Prayer:

“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy  Immortal, have mercy upon us.”  

 And here is its source!                
Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at Constantinople (447) and the Miracle of the Trisagion 

     During the reign of the Emperor Theophilus, the city of Constantinople was visited by frequent earthquakes for almost four months. The Emperor, the Patriarch Prochlus disciple of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated on November 20th, and the people joined in a barefoot procession offering prayer to God seeking their security. While  gathered, the tremors increased dramatically, and a young boy was taken up into the heavens before all the people, who in fear cried out Kyrie eleison! Lord have mercy! 

     When the boy came down from the heavens, he said that he had been among choirs of Angels who sang:  “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!”  and that a voice had commanded him to tell the Patriarch that the people should make supplication to God in this manner. The Patriarch instructed the people to sing  this hymn, and immediately  the ground stopped shaking and the child fell asleep in the Lord.. The Empress Pulcheria (September 10) asked the Patriarch to order that this hymn be song from then on in the Divine Liturgy, just as it is still sung today before the Epistle reading.: “ Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!”  Our Holy Tradition establishes that this glorification, over 1200 years old,  is always to be read or sung  not less than three times.