Basil the Ok ☦︎

The servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle… Sinner. Texan. Religious but not spiritual.

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

This is my political ideology.

Go to church,
Say your prayers,
Love your neighbor,

Lord help me.

[Thaddeus Patrick ☦️ @thaddeusthought]

+ The Theophany When Elder Porphyrios Went to a Brothel +

In years past, on the feast of Theophany, we had the custom of blessing homes. One year I too went out to do the blessing. I would knock on the doors of the apartments; they would open to me, and I would enter chanting, “When You were baptized in the Jordan, O Lord…”
As I was walking along Maizonos Street, I noticed an iron door. I opened it and went into the courtyard, which was full of tangerine, orange, and lemon trees, and then made my way toward the staircase. It was an exterior staircase leading upward, with a basement below. I went up the stairs, knocked on the door, and a woman appeared. When she opened the door, I began, as was my custom, “When You were baptized in the Jordan, O Lord…” She stopped me abruptly. Meanwhile, she had been heard, and from the corridor to the right and left, girls began coming out of the rooms.
“I understood—I had ended up in a brothel,” I said to myself.
The woman stepped in front of me to block my way.
“Leave,” she said to me. “It isn’t proper for these girls to kiss the Cross. Let me kiss the Cross, and then please leave.”
I then took on a serious, reproachful tone and said to her:
“I cannot leave. I am a priest—I cannot leave. I came here to bless.”
“Yes, but it isn’t proper for them to kiss the Cross.”
“But we do not know whether it is proper for them or for you to kiss the Cross. Because if God were to ask me and require me to say who is worthy to kiss the Cross—the girls or you—I might say: ‘The girls are worthy to kiss it, and not you. Their souls are better than yours.’”
At that moment she blushed slightly. Then I said to her: “Let the girls kiss the Cross.”
I motioned for them to come closer. I chanted “When You were baptized in the Jordan, O Lord…” more melodiously than before, because I felt a joy within me—that God had arranged things so that I might come to these souls as well.
They all kissed the Cross. They were well groomed, wearing colorful skirts, and so on.
And I said to them: “My children, many years to you. God loves us all. He is very good and ‘makes His rain fall on the just and the unjust.’ We all have Him as our Father, and God cares for every one of us. We only need to take care to come to know Him, to love Him, and to become good. Love Him, and you will see how happy you will be.”
They looked at me with wonder. Something touched their weary little souls.
At the end I said to them, “I am glad that God counted me worthy to come today and bless you. Many years to you.”
“Many years,” they replied, and I left.

"Elder Porphyrios, Life and Words"
(Holy Monastery of Chrysopigi, Chania)

[Samuel Sey @SlowToWrite]

Comedian Druski just released a skit calling out black prosperity gospel teachers like Michael Todd. 😂😂

(Brief explicit language at the end)

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@Gallo_Woodworks @LibertarianMama Excuse me ma’am are you panicking or are you trying to kill me?

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@AppyOrtho @DavidJohnButler I’m offended that you called me an agnostic secular atheist type…

I hated the ending of Lost.
Maybe I’ll have to watch it again.

I’ve never seen Battle Star Galactica.

[Qagggy! @Qagggy]

We should redesign cities for autonomous kids, not autonomous cars.

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@AppyOrtho How’d you get a picture of Granny Jo’s house?

[Theophan @uncreated_light]

Fr. Thomas Hopko on what Theosis is.

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@vmpops @kurri_jari Wait what Mexican restaurant are y’all going to that chips and salsa aren’t free?

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@AppyOrtho check this out

Psalm 102 (103) - Appalachian Orthodox Chant https://t.co/70pAkObn61 via @YouTube

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@vmpops They’re great!

They’ve got…

Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium
Vitamins C & B
And a bit of sodium from the salt

I’ve heard it’s a good hangover remedy

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@deadseascrollls Merry Christmas!!

Christ is born!!

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@vmpops I was only in 5th grade when I found In Living Color. My parents hated it and I got in so much trouble when they’d catch me.

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

My favorite song growing up!

[Melodies & Masterpieces @SVG__Collection]

“My Girl” by The Temptations was released as a single on this day in 1964.

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@UnseenPathways Hey!

Thank God!!

Welcome home brother!

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@vmpops Thanks brother!

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@Kierkegaarddd Unfollow

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@Gallo_Woodworks The rare occasion when I want to go to Taco Bell again.

[Basil the Ok ☦︎ @LannyRayJr]

@JohannJaegerson The Lord gives the toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.

You can do it!