LizaSymonenko
Христос Воскрес!!! Christ is Risen!!!
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« on: August 28, 2010, 08:12:58 PM » |
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Dear Fathers, brothers and sisters! I would like to send up a HUGE prayer of THANKS to God for being so loving and taking such good care of us!
This morning we had Divine Liturgy for the Feast Day of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Towards the end of the service a couple of strange men walked in and stood in the narthex. They were dressed like young punks with the kinky hair and baggy pants, etc. When I first noticed them I was almost happy to see that some of the folks from the local neighborhood showed an interest in coming to our church. However, when one of our parish men came up and greeted them, they said they were there for a family reunion. When he told them there was no such event here today, they turned and left....jumped the property fence and left. The doors got immediately locked.
Everyone left, but, for a handful of folks.
I took my mom to the church hall and went outside to pull the car around to the back kitchen door to unload the groceries I had purchased. The plan was to make some borshch to serve after Liturgy on Sunday. As I drove up I saw this nicely dressed elderly woman wondering about. It seems she arrived too late for the Liturgy, but, wished to speak with the priest. I told her I would let her in the kitchen and she could make her way to the church instead of going around outside. As I unlocked the door and turned to usher her in, I spotted one of the men hunched down behind the wall of the stairwell leading to outside Altar door. My antenna went up and I immediately slammed the door back shut, locked it and threw away the keys. The other one jumped out from behind the priest's car and jumped us. They grabbed the lady's purse and as I tried to help her I got kicked and punched.
The elderly lady was quite upset. The priest ran out of the Altar to help us...and only when I saw his face did I realize I was gushing blood. He immediately phoned 911. In the end they got away. The police came and took a report. The canine unit tracked them for about a mile until they hit the busy intersection and the dog lost their scent.
I ended up in the ER for hours and walked out with a headache and 9 stitches to my chin....not to mention a really stiff jaw.
The two men had iPhones and both were on them. Therefore, I am guessing they had planned to ambush the priest on his way out of the Altar - take his car, his stuff, or maybe even break in as he was exiting the church and grab all the shiny "stuff" they had spotted when they were back in the Narthex.
Either way, I am soooooo glad it was me and this woman who walked in to their ambush. I think that even though I got punched, etc, it may have been worse for the priest had they gotten him....not to mention all our holy items getting stolen.
Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Christ, the Holy Virgin (to Whom we had just prayed) and all the Saints for their intervention. This could have been so much worse! Those two men were set on doing harm, and yet in the end the harm they caused was minimal thanks to God!
I am truly grateful!
Glory be to God for ALL things!
Thank You Lord!
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Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.
—St. Isaac of Syria
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Heorhij
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« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2010, 08:32:22 PM » |
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Glory to God! Pani Lizo, I am so glad and thankful to God that you are safe.
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Love never fails.
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ICXCNIKA
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« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2010, 08:56:34 PM » |
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Glory to God. I am sorry that you were attacked but glad you are alright.
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Salpy
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« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2010, 09:09:05 PM » |
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Glory to God that you are OK.
May God bring to repentance the two men who attacked you and the other lady.
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St. Hripsimeh pray for us!
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Rosehip
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« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2010, 09:13:40 PM » |
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Glory to God, dear Liza! How very, very frightening! I'm so sorry you had to go through this trauma, getting injured in the process...You were so smart, and quick-witted, though! I'm so thankful it wasn't worse, but still, very scary!  |
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+ Our dear sister Martha (Rosehip) passed away on Dec 20, 2010. May her memory be eternal! +
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Gebre Menfes Kidus
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« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2010, 10:37:48 PM » |
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Liza, I am so sorry this happened to you! I am glad that you survived this assualt, and I applaud your Christian courage and sacrificial spirit. May Our Lord have mercy on these lost souls! It angers me that a kind and generous person like you should suffer such a violent attack. But this is evidence that you are a true Christian, causing agony to the devil and allowing God to bless you with the opportunity to draw nearer to Him through unearned suffering. I hope you recover quickly, both physically and emotionally.
"Lord have mercy."
Selam
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"Salvation is free, but not easy. It is completely dependent upon the grace of God, and yet we must work it out with fear and trembling. It is given to all, but only a few find it. We are saved only by His Cross, and yet not without taking up our own." +GMK+
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Irish Hermit
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« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2010, 10:44:47 PM » |
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Terrible, just terrible! Of course these things have always gone on but these days it seems a lot more frequent. Look at Saint Seraphim and how he was attacked and left crippled for life.
Liza, you are a brave woman. I am sorry that you suffered and were injured. God bless you, and the old lady. And I hope He will bring those boys to repentance one day.
Fr Ambrose
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IXOYE
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« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2010, 11:28:04 PM » |
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Prayers for all involved.
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Michał Kalina
proud Podlachian Belarusian parajournalistic engineer in spe
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OC.net's trickster
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« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2010, 05:10:23 AM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
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formerly known as mikeDespite being a Polish citizen I am not a Pole.  Long live Belarus! "It's my constitutional right!" |
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stashko
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« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2010, 06:20:02 AM » |
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Lord Have Mercy .....Amen
Thanks Be to The All Mighty ,that no one was critically
injured.......
Molitve/Prayer .....for everyone victim and victimizers.....Amen Amen
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 ГОСПОДЕ ГОСПОДЕ ,ПОГЛЕДАЈ СА НЕБА ,ДОЂИ И ПОСЕТИ ТВОЈ ВИНОГРАД ТВОЈА ДЕСНИЦА ПОСАДИЛА АМИН АМИН. |
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SolEX01
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« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2010, 11:01:11 AM » |
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Lord have Mercy.
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Quinault
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« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2010, 03:35:36 PM » |
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You are very brave! I am glad that you can rejoice in what was avoided rather then be scared of what happened. I hope they catch them or that the experience scared them enough that they won't ever try it again.
Glory to God that you are all safe and that you helped to protect the altar!
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PeterTheAleut
The Right Blowhard Peter the Furtive of Yetts O'Muckhart
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EXTERMINATE!
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« Reply #12 on: August 31, 2010, 02:46:12 PM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
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EofK
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« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2010, 09:22:35 AM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
Glory to God for your and everyone else's protection!
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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -- Douglas Adams
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