Yesterday, Joshua and I spent some time with our dear friends Avinash and Ananya. We have so enjoyed getting to know their family, including baby Antera and the grandparents. We are sad that they will be moving this week!
Last night Joshua noticed a booklet with the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred and famous hindu prayer in India. The booklet contained the prayer handwritten, over and over, page after page. Here's the translation:
Repeated over and over, day after day, so many are searching for truth, for sin-destroying Light! What joy there is in Christ, the Giver of Life, the remover of eternal pain and sorrow, our True Happiness, Creator of the universe! The Father has given us His supreme Sin-Destroying Light in Christ and by His Spirit he guides our hearts and minds towards Himself.
This prayer reminded me alot of Phos Hilaron, an ancient Christian hymn written in the late 3rd, early 4th century AD and was the first to be considered an actual hymn in the modern sense. "It is found in a collection of songs to be sung in the morning, in the evening, before meals, and at candle lighting. Phos Hilaron is to be sung at the lighting of lamps in the evening and so is sometimes known as the 'Lamp-lighting Hymn'. At that time in Jerusalem a lamp was kept perpetually burning in the empty tomb of Christ, its glow a symbol of the living light of Jesus. As Christians gathered to worship the hymn was sung and, in a tradition known as the lighting of the lamps, a candle lit from the lamp was brought forth from the tomb, its bright, solitary flame calling the church to celebrate the Risen Lord."
Praying that the Lord will use us to shine forth His light amongst our precious Indian neighbors and friends. Our prayer is that He will grow His church here to celebrate the Risen Lord!
Hail, gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies--Jesus Christ our Lord!
Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest;
The lights of evening round us shine;
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!
Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own. Amen.
Last night Joshua noticed a booklet with the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred and famous hindu prayer in India. The booklet contained the prayer handwritten, over and over, page after page. Here's the translation:
“Oh God! You are the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive your supreme
sin-destroying light,
May you guide our intellect in the right direction.”Repeated over and over, day after day, so many are searching for truth, for sin-destroying Light! What joy there is in Christ, the Giver of Life, the remover of eternal pain and sorrow, our True Happiness, Creator of the universe! The Father has given us His supreme Sin-Destroying Light in Christ and by His Spirit he guides our hearts and minds towards Himself.
This prayer reminded me alot of Phos Hilaron, an ancient Christian hymn written in the late 3rd, early 4th century AD and was the first to be considered an actual hymn in the modern sense. "It is found in a collection of songs to be sung in the morning, in the evening, before meals, and at candle lighting. Phos Hilaron is to be sung at the lighting of lamps in the evening and so is sometimes known as the 'Lamp-lighting Hymn'. At that time in Jerusalem a lamp was kept perpetually burning in the empty tomb of Christ, its glow a symbol of the living light of Jesus. As Christians gathered to worship the hymn was sung and, in a tradition known as the lighting of the lamps, a candle lit from the lamp was brought forth from the tomb, its bright, solitary flame calling the church to celebrate the Risen Lord."
Praying that the Lord will use us to shine forth His light amongst our precious Indian neighbors and friends. Our prayer is that He will grow His church here to celebrate the Risen Lord!
Hail, gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies--Jesus Christ our Lord!
Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest;
The lights of evening round us shine;
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!
Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own. Amen.
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