Larry Devich
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Devich, Devic
The other day I received an email from someone on the east coast, another Devich. I don't know if there is any connection between her family and that of my father's but it's always interesting to learn more about that family I never knew.
I was intrigued to hear that her family lived in Dubrovnik for a time! Maybe there is some connection there.
I was prompted by that email to look on the web again at the Devic monastery in Kosovo. Now, I don't know that there is any connection between that place and my family, but having nothing but the name to go on I sort of adopted it a while back. Now I see that under the benevolent rule of the American Empire, through their NATO puppets, the monastery was destroyed by the thugs who have overrun Kosovo. It really saddens me to see my country, America, sponsoring and defending murderous thugs and terrorists. This photo shows what is left of it after the area was Americanized. You can go here to see what it used to look like.
A few minutes later and after looking around the web a bit more I see that it looks like it has now been rebuilt, in part at least, so perhaps I mispoke just now. I really do need to work on my 4th commandment and 8th commandment stuff I think. I really have a very hard time respecting any authorities, especially when they are imperial, then I put the worst possible spin on all they say and do as well. Time to repent, again. Of course repentance is a daily thing for any Christian, every day we make the sign of the Holy Cross in remembrance of our baptism so that we can recall that we have died and been raised again with Christ!
That link has some interesting history too.
St. Janik (Joanikije) of Devic. He was a Serb from Zeta. As a young man, overcome with love for Christ, he left his home and went off to the region of the Ibar, to the mouth of he Black River, to a narrow cave in which, according to tradition, St Peter of Korisa had lived in asceticism before him. But when his fame began to spread among the people, he fled to Drnica and hid himself in the thick forest of Devic. St Janik spent years there in solitude, silence and prayer. According to tradition, the Serbian Prince George Brankovic brought his mad daughter to him, and the saint healed her. In gratitude, George built a monastery in that place known today by the name of Devic. Here are kept Janik's holy and wonderworking relics. In this monastery there lived almost to the present day a famous and godly nun, Euphemia, better-known in the Kosovo region as Blessed Stojna. She entered into rest in the Lord in 1895. ¶ 9/07/2006 03:04:00 PM 0 Comments
The other day I received an email from someone on the east coast, another Devich. I don't know if there is any connection between her family and that of my father's but it's always interesting to learn more about that family I never knew.
I was intrigued to hear that her family lived in Dubrovnik for a time! Maybe there is some connection there.
I was prompted by that email to look on the web again at the Devic monastery in Kosovo. Now, I don't know that there is any connection between that place and my family, but having nothing but the name to go on I sort of adopted it a while back. Now I see that under the benevolent rule of the American Empire, through their NATO puppets, the monastery was destroyed by the thugs who have overrun Kosovo. It really saddens me to see my country, America, sponsoring and defending murderous thugs and terrorists. This photo shows what is left of it after the area was Americanized. You can go here to see what it used to look like.
A few minutes later and after looking around the web a bit more I see that it looks like it has now been rebuilt, in part at least, so perhaps I mispoke just now. I really do need to work on my 4th commandment and 8th commandment stuff I think. I really have a very hard time respecting any authorities, especially when they are imperial, then I put the worst possible spin on all they say and do as well. Time to repent, again. Of course repentance is a daily thing for any Christian, every day we make the sign of the Holy Cross in remembrance of our baptism so that we can recall that we have died and been raised again with Christ!
That link has some interesting history too.
St. Janik (Joanikije) of Devic. He was a Serb from Zeta. As a young man, overcome with love for Christ, he left his home and went off to the region of the Ibar, to the mouth of he Black River, to a narrow cave in which, according to tradition, St Peter of Korisa had lived in asceticism before him. But when his fame began to spread among the people, he fled to Drnica and hid himself in the thick forest of Devic. St Janik spent years there in solitude, silence and prayer. According to tradition, the Serbian Prince George Brankovic brought his mad daughter to him, and the saint healed her. In gratitude, George built a monastery in that place known today by the name of Devic. Here are kept Janik's holy and wonderworking relics. In this monastery there lived almost to the present day a famous and godly nun, Euphemia, better-known in the Kosovo region as Blessed Stojna. She entered into rest in the Lord in 1895. ¶ 9/07/2006 03:04:00 PM 0 Comments
Devotions, comments, and stuff like that...
I've been enjoying the opportunity to post up daily readings and devotions on my blog here. Even if I'm the only one who reads it I get a lot out of doing it. For one thing it keeps me thinking on the Lord, and this is a good thing, right?
Then there is the issue of having time to read God's word and meditate on it. Sometimes I'm not quite awake at 4:30 am as I get ready for work and it's a good thing for me to go ahead and post the readings and devotions anyway, even if I don't actually read them at that very moment. Usually, on work days like that, I end up reading them later on in the day, and having them all laid out in the blog is helpful to me, both in reminding me to do it and in having it all there ready to use.
Some days I don't have a devotional to post, and some days I don't have anything to say on my own, but it is my intention and my goal to post at the very least the bible readings for the day. ¶ 9/07/2006 09:02:00 AM 0 Comments
Then there is the issue of having time to read God's word and meditate on it. Sometimes I'm not quite awake at 4:30 am as I get ready for work and it's a good thing for me to go ahead and post the readings and devotions anyway, even if I don't actually read them at that very moment. Usually, on work days like that, I end up reading them later on in the day, and having them all laid out in the blog is helpful to me, both in reminding me to do it and in having it all there ready to use.
Some days I don't have a devotional to post, and some days I don't have anything to say on my own, but it is my intention and my goal to post at the very least the bible readings for the day. ¶ 9/07/2006 09:02:00 AM 0 Comments
Thursday in Week 13 of Pentecost
Lectionary
Judges 14:1-19
Acts 6:15-7:16
John 4:27-42
Psalter
Morning 38 Evening 39-41
For the second day in a row I did not find a Higher Things reflection posted on their web site.
I do have a couple of comments on today's readings.
Psalm 38 is a confessional psalm, the consequences of sin are vividly described in great detail here.
One thing that I have noticed is that there is in the bible an acknowledgement of the interconnectedness of our body and spirit. What impacts the body also can impact the spirit and what is in the spirit can influence what is in the body. Sins of the body, over eating, drinking to much, not getting exercise, these sorts of things can make it harder to pray or to meditate on God's word. Try praying or reading the word after a big meal and you'll see what I mean. So too can other sins that might at first glance seem less "physical" come around to impact us in our bodies in ways we can't always even see or understand.
Thank God we have the salvation offered in the blood of Christ! Our bodies and our souls will be reunited in perfection at the last day!
In my morning prayers I use a little book called Lutheran Book of Prayer that has several sets of morning and evening prayers for each day of the week. The one that I happened to use this morning is one that fits in well with the theme from this morning's Psalm.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, O Holy Trinity worthy of praise, to You I offer myself with body and soul from this moment on, even unto eternity. I give You praise and thanks that you have not permitted the enemy to come and harm me in the night, but rather, through the protection of Your dear angels, I have been preserved. With what could I possibly repay You? How might I praise You for this? I will give You a shattered heart full of fear, a heart full of blood-red sins, with penitence and contrition. I do so, that You might hide it away in His holy, sinless wounds and thus return to me the gracious forgiveness of all my sins. Help me today and every day that I may remain in Christian readiness, for I cannot know when and how You shall come and call me away from this life, so that I may be led to eternal joy. Such things grant to me, O gracious God and Father, on account of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶ 9/07/2006 07:22:00 AM 0 Comments
Judges 14:1-19
Acts 6:15-7:16
John 4:27-42
Psalter
Morning 38 Evening 39-41
For the second day in a row I did not find a Higher Things reflection posted on their web site.
I do have a couple of comments on today's readings.
Psalm 38 is a confessional psalm, the consequences of sin are vividly described in great detail here.
3There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
4For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5My wounds stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
7For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8I am feeble and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
And after the confession of the sins and the heartfelt repentance there is this:
21Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
22Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
One thing that I have noticed is that there is in the bible an acknowledgement of the interconnectedness of our body and spirit. What impacts the body also can impact the spirit and what is in the spirit can influence what is in the body. Sins of the body, over eating, drinking to much, not getting exercise, these sorts of things can make it harder to pray or to meditate on God's word. Try praying or reading the word after a big meal and you'll see what I mean. So too can other sins that might at first glance seem less "physical" come around to impact us in our bodies in ways we can't always even see or understand.
Thank God we have the salvation offered in the blood of Christ! Our bodies and our souls will be reunited in perfection at the last day!
In my morning prayers I use a little book called Lutheran Book of Prayer that has several sets of morning and evening prayers for each day of the week. The one that I happened to use this morning is one that fits in well with the theme from this morning's Psalm.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, O Holy Trinity worthy of praise, to You I offer myself with body and soul from this moment on, even unto eternity. I give You praise and thanks that you have not permitted the enemy to come and harm me in the night, but rather, through the protection of Your dear angels, I have been preserved. With what could I possibly repay You? How might I praise You for this? I will give You a shattered heart full of fear, a heart full of blood-red sins, with penitence and contrition. I do so, that You might hide it away in His holy, sinless wounds and thus return to me the gracious forgiveness of all my sins. Help me today and every day that I may remain in Christian readiness, for I cannot know when and how You shall come and call me away from this life, so that I may be led to eternal joy. Such things grant to me, O gracious God and Father, on account of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶ 9/07/2006 07:22:00 AM 0 Comments
