Quotation

He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that we cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. - Aeschylus

Monday, February 13, 2017

Praying with Icons: Holy Rachel the Matriarch

O Holy Matriarch Rachel, daughter of Laban,
so lovely that Jacob worked for Laban seven
years to have your hand in marriage, serving
your father dutifully, his flocks ever tending.

You bore sons after long waiting, the Lord's
gift of children bestowed on you, thy God's
will be done in His own time, conqueror of
the idols upon which you sat, a gentle dove.

O sweet Ewe of the House of Israel, pray to
the Lord that we might be fruitful, and unto
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob offer
a sacrifice of praise, emptying out our coffer.

O Mother of Joseph, pray for us sinners, we
who are the Lord's servants, that we may be
made worthy of the promises of the Messiah
who descended from thy son, humble Joseph.

Holy Rachel, please pray for us, that we may
be united to the Lord, who shows us the way
to the heights of Heaven by the Lamb who is
slain for our sins, the God of ages unto ages.




Note: The above is a picture I took of an icon of Holy Rachel the Matriarch which I purchased from bostonmonks.com, along with several other icons.

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