View allAll Photos Tagged Humility
The global theme for April 2015 was “Humility” and our speaker at Portland/CreativeMornings was Charlie Brown, CEO and Founder of Context Partners. We were hosted by PNCA and sponsored by Create Legal and 52 Limited, and Razorfish. With thanks to Pro Photo Supply for the photo & video gear.
Photo by Scott Larsen. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Andrea di Bartolo
Active in Siena, 1389-1428
About 1400
Tempera on wood
56.2 x 38.4 cm
Purchase, John W. Tempest Fund
Inventory 1954.1099
Representations of the Madonna of Humility seated in a flowery context became quite popular in Europe in the fourteenth century as a private, meditational counter-image to the formal representations of the Enthroned Madonna, expressing one of her own attributes and alluding to the enclosed garden of her virginity. Few biographical details are known about this Sienese Master from whom we identify thirteen autograph panels of this Madonna of Humility. The Child clutches a goldfinch, an allusion to His Passion (goldfinches eat thorns). The rooster on the virginal robe suggests the Resurrection. These poignant references to His Death change the tenor of the painting from one of familial intimacy to that of pietistic reverence and reflection. The work maintains the lyrical and tender depiction of human relationships characteristic of the Sienese school, and the figure of the Virgin appears as an elegant silhouette, its treatment of surfaces more decorative than in Florentine painting.
I borrowed Ivy's trophy for Last Week's Envy picture, so it's very humble of me to give it back. (But not very humble to say that I'm being humble..)
Humility for 365 Days' Seven Heavenly Virtues Week.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
South transept window.
Depicting: Endurance, Humility, Innocence, Love, Principle, Sympathy, Fortitude, Charity, and Justice, as mostly portrayed by scenes from Jesus' life.
The badge of the Vale of Catmose lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows is at the bottom.
In memory of Charles Knowleton Morris d.1905, erected by his widow Judith Emily.
Glass by J. Dudley Forsyth. 1906.
Dudley Forsyth worked as a painter for James Powell & Sons and then for Henry Holiday before establishing his own practice in London by about 1900.
A cinematic, emotionally grounded video set in a narrow urban alley at dawn. An elderly bearded man in worn clothing kneels beside a brick wall, gently pouring dry food from a white plate onto the pavement as several stray cats gather around him. The cats move naturally—sniffing, eating, brushing against his legs, tails flicking. Soft morning light filters between old buildings, dust motes floating in the air. Subtle camera push-in from medium-wide to intimate close-up, shallow depth of field, natural handheld realism. Ambient city silence with distant footsteps and soft cat sounds. Mood of compassion, humility, and quiet humanity.
Day 18: Humility
I really don't know what to say, most of the time. And that really sums up my life right now.
♪♬♩•*¨*•.¸¸Syukur Alhamdullillah. I've reach home safely....Humility is really important because it keeps you fresh and new.¸¸.•*¨*•♩♬♪
➺ Home Sweet Home ➳ My Humble Crib ➺ Champ20Ns Way.
ⓘⓩ.•.¸¸.•´¯`•.✿⊱✿⊱╮✿⊱╮❤M¡J❤ ✿⊱✿⊱╮✿⊱╮.•´¯`•.¸¸.•. ⓩⓨ™ ➳ Listening to The Book Of Souls by Iron Maiden
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.
about anything you've done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do. "
David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard.
So happy 50th birthday to me, today. And to about 200,000 other people on this planet of almost 7 billion. I hope you all feel as happy, healthy, engaged and loved as I do today!
The concept of this portrait, brings us to the realization that we should always stay humble no matter how great (we think) we are.
Showing or revealing just a little of your great personality/attributes is good enough.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
The global theme for April 2015 was “Humility” and our speaker at Portland/CreativeMornings was Charlie Brown, CEO and Founder of Context Partners. We were hosted by PNCA and sponsored by Create Legal and 52 Limited, and Razorfish. With thanks to Pro Photo Supply for the photo & video gear.
Photo by Scott Larsen. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The front yard of my grandmother's home. The adobe structure is an outside bathroom.
My laundry is on the line, I had to hand wash my clothes.
Creative Mornings - Humility - w/ Michael Phair
Hosted by: Latitude 53
Food from: District Coffee Co.
Sponsored by: Homestead Coworking
Photographer: Jody Bailey
If there is any advice Col. Kirk Gibbs can give to his successor, it is this: Lead with honor and humility.
As Gibbs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District’s 61st commander, prepares to relinquish command of the LA District July 19 to Col. Aaron Barta, he offered up some advice and reflected on the past three years as the leader of one of the largest Corps districts in the country.
There are many things Gibbs said he is proud of when it comes to the LA District, but three things stand out: the District being recognized two years in a row as a "Best Place to Work" in the Corps; completing Weed Army Hospital at Fort Irwin, California – the Department of Defense’s only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Platinum, carbon-neutral, net-zero certifiable hospital – on time and within budget; and the one-on-one time he was able to spend with employees in the District.
It is the people Gibbs said he will miss the most – the employees and the District’s close partners across the four-state area.
“I have never focused on relationships like I have here in this District, and I sincerely believe it is part of the District's culture,” he said. “When projects are tough, the close relationships get us through those challenges and ultimately deliver the program.”
During his time with the LA District, Gibbs has overseen a multimillion-dollar program that provides engineering, construction, planning, contracting, real estate, emergency operations, environmental and regulatory services to military, federal, state and local governments across a 226,000-square-mile area of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. That also includes leading about 750 military and civilian personnel with a wide array of expertise.
But leading people is nothing new to Gibbs, who has served for more than 24 years as an active-duty Soldier, leading both military and civilian personnel.
“Each person is different, and I have learned that good leaders get to know each person individually and then lead them in a way that brings out the best in that employee,” he said.
Providing priorities and a solid intent on the District’s missions, particularly disaster response operations, helps employees stay focused on what’s really important, he said.
Gibbs will now serve as the chief of staff at the Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he said, he hopes to be an advocate for all of the Corps’ districts nationwide.
“I feel that this District and the great people are responsible for giving me the incredible opportunity of being the Corps’ chief of staff,” he said. “The people have taught me so much, and I will take that with me to make a positive impact on the Corps’ enterprise and help our Districts deliver our programs in civil works, military, Interagency and International Services, real estate and regulatory.”
Gibbs knows how the importance of mentors and having a good support system have played in shaping his career, and he credits his parents with instilling in him respect for others; his wife, Kim, who taught him to endure all challenges, no matter how great, with grace and dignity; and his former chief of staff – Col. Steve Hill – for giving him tough jobs to prepare him for success.
“(Hill) gave me tough jobs that I thought he could have done at the time, but as I look back, the toughest assignments he gave me in that civilian organization at the Corps headquarters prepared me for District command and enabled me to achieve the goal of commanding at the battalion, brigade and District levels,” he said. “I also remember he told me I would be a chief of staff for the Corps one day. He was preparing me for that. I didn't believe him, but that is my next job.”
And, as for additional advice he can share with Barta, Gibbs provided these words of wisdom:
- Be prepared to change leadership style when leading a District of professional civilians. Don't lead them in the same way as Soldiers;
- Engage with people and get around to see them across the District's entire area of operation. Don't sit behind a desk;
- Study hard initially and learn the policies, processes and programs. “You will never be the expert, but you must prepare yourself to make effective decisions as quickly as possible”;
- Always provide a commander's intent and an end state. The civilian workforce appreciates that; and, lastly,
- Lead with honor and humility. “It isn't about you. It is about the District's people and our vital mission.”
As for the future of the LA District, Gibbs said he hopes future leaders continue to change the culture to an organization that is more risk tolerant in streamlining processes and moving projects forward; deliver the Department of Veterans Affairs and Customs and Border Protection programs phenomenally – on time, within budget and to the highest quality; and to remain a "Best Place to Work" in order to retain and recruit talent to the high-cost living area of Southern California.
“I want the District to do what it always does and ‘knock those programs out of the park,’” he said.