Όποιος βοηθάει τον αδικούμενο έχει σύμμαχο τον Θεό ( Αββάς Ισαάκ ο Σύρος )

Αυτός που δεν θυμάται και δεν σκέφτεται τον Θεό, κρατάει μίσος κατά του πλησίον. Αντίθετα όποιος θυμάται τον Θεό, δεν μνησικακεί και αγαπάει κάθε άνθρωπο. Όποιος βοηθάει τον αδικούμενο έχει σύμμαχο τον Θεό.
Όποιος βοηθάει τον πλησίον, τον βοηθάει ο Θεός. Όποιος κατηγορεί τον αδελφό του, τον αποστρέφεται ο Θεός. Εκείνος που ελεεί τον αδελφό του κρυφά, δείχνει φανερά στον θεό τη δύναμη της αγάπης του.
Αυτός που κάνει παρατηρήσεις στον αδελφό του μπροστά στους άλλους, πραγματικά τον εξουθενώνει και τον εμπαίζει. Όποιος ενδιαφέρεται για την ψυχική υγεία του άλλου, φροντίζει πάντοτε να γίνει αυτό με αγάπη.
Το ίδιο κάνει και ο Θεός. Δοκιμάζει τον άνθρωπο πάντε με αγάπη, προκειμένου να θεραπευθεί η έμψυχη εικόνα Του. Γιατί δεν παιδεύει τον άνθρωπο για να τον εκδικηθεί για τις αμαρτίες του, αλλά για να τον γιατρέψει.


Αββάς Ισαάκ ο Σύρος

Ιερά Μονοπάτια. Μονή Κορνοφωλιάς.

Μονή Κορνοφωλιάς. Ιερά Μονοπάτια. Sacred Footpaths A view to the Byzantine art through the Orthodox monasticism. Hymns and art make us understand the greatness of Byzantine culture. Ένα ταξίδι στον Ορθόδοξο Μοναχισμό, μία περιπλάνηση σε κάθε μορφή της Βυζαντινής τέχνης, την παλαιολόγειο ζωγραφική, την αρχιτεκτονική, τα μοναδικά ψηφιδωτά. Τα "Ιερά Μονοπάτια", υπό τους ήχους της Βυζαντινής μουσικής, τα διακονήματα των μοναχών, τα ησυχαστήρια, τα ασκηταριά, τα σήμαντρα, τα τάλαντα, συνθέτουν τον καμβά της αναζήτησης του Χριστού στους προαιώνιους δρόμους. Αψευδείς μάρτυρες σ'αυτή την αναζήτηση τα στοιχεία της παράδοσης, που διασώζονται στη σύγχρονη νεοελληνική πολιτισμική κληρονομιά.

Advice on Dealing with Stray Thoughts in Church

One of the problems we all face is the tendency for our minds to take over while we are in church where we are supposed to be in prayer. This happens to all of us as it i the nature of our mind to be always active unless we command through our soul to stop. This part of our mind is part of the body and needs to be controlled by the higher part of our being.

Here is some advice from Saint Theophan the Recluse:
First we are to pray as follows:

Pray with sincere warmth, with an outpouring before God, with feelings of contrition, humility and reverential fear and with diligent petitions for your spiritual needs.

When we even approach prayer in church with this attitude we will still be faced with stray thoughts. Here is how how recommends to deal with them

As soon as you notice your thoughts have left church, turn them back and do not ever allow yourself consciously to daydream or to stray in thought... When the thoughts stray unbeknownst to you, this is also a small sin; but when you begin wandering off in thought purposely while you are in church , this is as sin...It is like a man who has gone to the king in order to ask him for something who then begins to make faces and fidget in the king's presence, without paying any attention to him... With respect to thoughts there are these two rules: 1) As soon as you notice this straying, turn the thoughts back, and 2) do not consciously allow the thoughts to wander.

A remedy against straying thoughts is mental attention, attention to the fact that the Lord is before us and we are before Him.... The attention is attached to the Lord by fear of God and by the desire to please God. From these come warmth of the heart, which draws the attention to the One Lord... Without labor and mental effort you will not attain anything spiritual...

Reference: The Spiritual Life, pp 151-152

Ανθρωποι καταθλιπτικοί, νευρικοί, στενόχωροι δεν δέχονται να τους θίξεις - Γ. Πορφύριος

 

Λοιπόν, αυτό είναι το μυστικό. Πως θα μπορέσει κανείς να γυρίσει; Εκεί που τον έχει καταλάβει κάτι κακό, να σκεφτεί κάτι άλλο.

Είναι λίγο δύσκολο, αλλά όταν προετοιμαστεί... Προετοιμασία είναι η ταπείνωση, ε! αυτό είναι.

Τέτοιοι άνθρωποι καταθλιπτικοί, νευρικοί, στενόχωροι δεν δέχονται, δεν δέχονται να τους θίξεις, να τους πεις, αυτό θα το κάνεις έτσι.

Μα δεν μπορώ, το λέει η επιστήμη. Βρε, του λέω, κάντο καημένε και ας το λέει η επιστήμη.

Πες: Εγώ θα κάνω υπακοή στο Γέροντα.

Αχρηστοι είναι οι πλούσιοι, ναι, άχρηστοι, εκτός κι αν είναι ελεήμονες και φιλάνθρωποι ( Αγιος Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος )

  

Αχρηστοι είναι οι πλούσιοι, ναι, άχρηστοι, εκτός κι αν είναι ελεήμονες και φιλάνθρωποι. Μα, δυ­στυχώς, λίγοι πλούσιοι, πολύ λίγοι ξεχωρίζουν για τη φιλανθρωπία τους.

Οι περισσότεροι είναι βουτηγμέ­νοι στη φιλαυτία, την ασπλαχνία, την αμαρτία. Γι' αυτό μην τους ζηλεύεις. Εσύ να σκέφτεσαι τον Πέ­τρο και τον Παύλο, να σκέφτεσαι τον Ιωάννη και τον Ηλία, να σκέφτεσαι τον ίδιο το Χριστό, ο οποίος δεν είχε που να γείρει το κεφάλι Του. Μιμήσου τη φτώχεια Εκείνου και των αγίων Του, που ήταν στερημένοι από τα υλικά αγαθά, είχαν όμως αμύθητα πνευματικά πλούτη.

Να θυμάσαι πάντα και τη διακήρυξη του Κυ­ρίου, που βεβαίωσε πως είναι πολύ δύσκολο να σωθεί πλούσιος: «Όσοι έχουν χρήματα, πολύ δύσκολα θα μπουν στη βασιλεία του Θεού. Πιο εύκολο είναι να περάσει καμήλα μέσ' από βελονότρυπα, παρά να μπει πλούσιος στη βασιλεία του Θεού» (Λουκ. 18:24-25).

Δίπλα σ' αυτή τη θεϊκή διακήρυξη βάλε, αν θέλεις, όλο το χρυσάφι της γης, και θα δεις ότι δεν αντισταθ­μίζει τη ζημιά, που θα σου προξενήσει η κατοχή του.

Ακόμα, δηλαδή, κι αν είχες δικές σου την ξηρά και τη θάλασσα, τις χώρες και τις πολιτείες της οικουμένης, αν δούλευε για σένα η ανθρωπότητα, αν έδιναν για χάρη σου οι πηγές χρυσάφι αντί για νερό, και τότε θα έλεγα πως δεν αξίζεις ούτε τρεις δεκάρες, αφού θα έχανες τη βασιλεία των ουρανών.




Αγιος Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος

How to Soften our Heart ( St. Theophan the Recluse )

A hard heart is one that does not fully recognize our true condition and the danger we are in. The best way to begin change this condition is to remember our eventual fate. Saint Theophan give the following advice:

Say to yourself 'Alas, so will come death.' Another man you know dies; any time it could be your hour. Do not estrange yourself from this hour of death. Convince yourself that the angel of death has already been sent; he is coming, and draws near. Or imagine yourself to be a person who stands with a sword drown over his head , ready to cut it off. Then imagine clearly what will happen at the time of death or after words.

James tells us: The judge standeth before the door (James 5:9) At this moment yo will be faced alone with all your sins. There is a choice you are making. It is one between eternal life in paradise or hell. One promises blessedness and the other torment. Will you know God and be accepted or not know Him and be rejected? Theophan says, "Feel all this vividly and force yourself to remain in it until you are filled with fear ind trembling."

Next, he suggest that you turn to God and place yourself before Him. Imagine you sinful nature standing before God and wonder if your presence will be offensive. Will you be able to face Him or will you turn your back on Him?

Next, he suggest that you ascend in thought to Golgotha and crucify yourself. Think about all you have been given as a Christian: redeemed by His blood, cleansed by the Baptismal water, you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, you have taken the Blood and Body of Christ at His table,. Imagine being on Golgatha. Will you be one who crucifies Him. Will you repent like the thief? Saint Theophan says. "Choose one or the other: either crucify Him, then perish eternally––or crucify yourself, and inherit eternal life with Him."

Next, he asks you to consider the sin that you hang on to and abhor it and reject it. realize that it is your sinfulness that separates you from God. Saint Theophan says, "It separates you from God, wreaks havoc on your soul and body, torments your conscience, brings upon you God's punishment in life and at death; and after death it sends you to hell, closing paradise to you forever."

Finally, he asks you to look at sin from the devil's point of view. Do you realize that when yo sin you are working for the devil who has done nothing for you? He befriends you through sin and entices you by promising sweetness and then he torments and tortures. Like eve in the Garden of Eden he will try to convince you that your sins are nothing. He is filled with glee when anyone falls in his traps of sin.

"When you will thus press into your heart one after another contrition-producing and softening feelings––little by little your heart will warm up and begin to move, and after it your enfeebled will will begin to strain itself and spring into action. As volts of electricity communicate certain tension and stimulation to the body, or as the cool, clean morning air communicates freshness and energy, so does this feeling that fills the soul awaken slumbering energy and renew the call and willingness to escape your dangerous condition. these will be the beginnings of your active care for you own salvation..."

Ref: Path to Salvation pp 137-139

Living in Unity with God

With faith, zeal, experience of God's grace, and a realization of our sinfulness we now move toward the goal of all Orthodox Christians ––"A Living Unity with God."

Saint Theophan makes his point with several Scripture references.
"Seek ye the Lord and be strengthened; seek ye His face at all times. (Ps 104:4)

Paul reminds us,
For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “ I will dwell in them... (2 Cor 6:16)
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16)

Jesus says,
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (Jn 14:23)
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev 3:20)
I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (Jn 14:20)

Saint Theophan says this living unity with God is enlivening and God's goal for us.,

God's indwelling is not merely mental... but is a living, enlivening thing, to which contemplation should only be considered a means. Mental and heartfelt longing for God, that has come by God's good will, prepares a person to truly receive God. It is a kind of unity in which, without eradicating human strrength and personality, God manifests Himself as one that worketh in him both to will and to do (Phil 2:23); and the person, according to the Apostle, does not live but Christ lives in him (cf. Gal 2:20). This is not only the person's goal, but also the goal of God Himself.

The Orthodox Way of life is about attaining this living unity with God. It is something we must continually work at. Its much more than a conversion experience. Such experiences are only the beginning of an Orthodox Christian life. This is when the real work begins. Knowing this indwelling God is a process of purifying our heart, purging our actions of all sinfulness. All this prepares us to receive His grace to align our will with His. This is our aim. This is the path to a truly virtuous life.

State of Hesychia

                                                 

 

 

 

 

When we discuss Orthodox prayer we are often led to a discussion of hesychia. This is a very advanced form of Orthodox spirituality. It makes up one of the last chapters in Saint Theophan's book, Path to Salvation. What is it?

Hesychia is a state when there is a an inner stillness and one abides alone in spirit with God.
Saint John Climacus says,

"A hesychast is one who strives to confine his incorporeal being within his bodily house."

Saint Theophan says the hesychast is one who is,

entirely occupied with being with the one Lord, with Whom he converses face to face, like as a favorite emperor speaks into his ear. This activity of the heart is surrounded and guarded by preserving stillness of thought.

This level of spiritual effort is very advanced and cannot be attained without first conquering our passions This is an absolute prerequisite. Hesychia only develops in those who have tasted the "sweetness of God," says Saint Theophan. He warns us,

"neither earnest prayer nor inviolable activity of the heart can ever be achieved if the heart is not first completely disengaged from affairs."

Note that he says, "completely disengaged." Its perfection usually requires a period of isolation from worldly affairs in a monastic cell where we can be "completely disengaged." He continues highlighting the path and our need to remember that on the path the first steps must be directed to the taming of our passions.,

The path to this requires purifying from the passions by means of all the ascetic labors that strengthen goodness and exhaust evil in us.... Its essence is a completely undisturbed prayerful standing before God in the mind and the heart, by which fire is added to fire.

Saint John Climacus clearly warns us of taking any shortcuts. He says,

"He who is sick in soul from some passion and attempts stillness is like a man who has jumped from a ship into the sea and thinks that he will reach the shore safely on a lank."

Many of us pick up the Philokalia, which contains primarily advice to monks who are in a very advanced place along the spiritual path, and seek advice from these writers before we have mastered our passions. In other words we attempt to take a shortcut along this path. Saint Theophan is trying to warn us against this temptation. This is why a good spiritual guide is so important before entering into the practices of the hesychasts. They will only be beneficial to us if we are properly prepared.

When we do develop the capability of Hesychia we become what is termed dispassionate. Nothing will arouse our passions. It is only one who is dispassionate can say, not I , but Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20), I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the [Orthodox] faith. (2 Tim 4:7)

Those who are able to perfect themselves like the hesychasts are those who are worthy of sincere communion with God. These are the people who we call saints. Once achieving this state, they do not normally remain in an isolated state, but are sent by God to serve others who are seeking salvation. They become guides and work miracles.

The last sentence in the last chapter on the ascent in the Path to Salvation reads as follows:
We know nothing higher or earth than this Apostolic state. Here we conclude our overview of the order of a God-pleasing life. The next level of text of instruction would be the Philokalia and the Ladder of Divine Ascent.

May you all become a saint!

Now back to the work most of us need to do, so we can advance to this advanced state. It is a narrow path demanding heroic struggles. May God support you in your journey.

Η μητέρα να προσεύχεται σιωπηλά & με τα χέρια ψηλά προς το Χριστό,ν' αγκαλιάζει μυστικά το παιδί της ( Ἅγιος Πορφύριος )

Κάθε φορά, που ο Γέροντας μιλούσε για την προσευχή, αντιλαμβανόμουν ότι δεν εννοούσε μια προσπάθεια επιδερμική και αποσπασματική , αλλά βαθιά και διαρκή.

Κάποτε αντιμετωπίζοντας το πρόβλημα του παιδιού μίας γνωστής στο Γέροντα και σε μένα μητέρας, η οποία μου ζήτησε να τον ρωτήσω σχετικά, μου είπε: « Το παιδί έχει ένα εσωτερικό πρόβλημα και γι' αυτό συμπεριφέρεται έτσι.

Το παιδί είναι καλό , δεν το θέλει αυτό που κάνει , αλλά αναγκάζεται , είναι δεμένο από κάτι. Δε διορθώνεται με τη λογική , δε μπορείς να το πείσεις με συμβουλές, ούτε να το αναγκάσεις με απειλές. Αυτό θα κάνει τα αντίθετα.

Μπορεί να γίνει χειρότερα, μπορεί να μείνει έτσι, μπορεί και να απαλλαγεί από αυτό. Για να απαλλαγεί, πρέπει να εξαγιασθεί η μητέρα του. Για να ελευθερωθεί, θέλει κοντά του έναν άγιο άνθρωπο , με πολλή αγάπη, που δε θα του κάνει διδασκαλία, ούτε θα το φοβερίζει , αλλά θα ζει με αγιότητα, και το παιδί, που θα τον βλέπει , θα ζηλέψει και θα τον μιμηθεί.

Προ πάντων το παιδί θέλει κοντά του έναν άνθρωπο πολλής και θερμής προσευχής. Η προσευχή κάνει θαύματα. Δεν πρέπει η μητέρα να αρκείται στο αισθητό χάδι στο παιδί της, αλλά να ασκείται στο πνευματικό χάδι της προσευχής.

Όταν πάει να το χαϊδέψει χωρίς προσευχή, το παιδί κάνει έτσι ( απλώνει βίαια τα χέρια και απωθεί τη μητέρα). Όταν όμως χωρίς να το χαϊδέψει , κάνει μυστικά για το παιδί της θερμή προσευχή, τότε αυτό αισθάνεται στην ψυχή του ένα ανεξήγητο , για κείνο, πνευματικό χάδι, που το ελκύει προς τη μητέρα του.

Η μητέρα στην προσευχή της για το παιδί πρέπει να λιώνει σαν τη λαμπάδα. Να προσεύχεται σιωπηλά και με τα χέρια ψηλά προς το Χριστό , ν' αγκαλιάζει μυστικά το παιδί της.


Ἅγιος Πορφύριος

Πως πρέπει να γίνεται η ελεημοσύνη; Τί ωφελεί να συμπάσχουμε;

Εάν θέλεις να δώσεις κάτι σε αυτόν που έχει ανάγκη, δώσε το με όμορφο πρόσωπο, και με λόγια καλά να παρηγορείς την θλίψη του· και αν πράξεις έτσι, νικάει η ομορφιά του προσώπου σου, αυτό που δίνεις, στην καρδία του, περισσότερο την ανάγκη του σώματος του· την ημέρα που θα ανοίξεις το στόμα σου να κατηγορήσεις κάποιον, θεώρησε τον εαυτό σου νεκρό εκείνη την ημέρα, και όλα σου τα έργα μάταια, και αν ακόμη σου φαίνεται, ότι ειλικρινά και προς οικοδομή σε παρακίνησε ο λογισμός σου να μιλήσεις· γιατί ποια η ανάγκη να καταστρέψει κάποιος το σπίτι του, και να διορθώσει το σπίτι του φίλου του;

Την ημέρα που θα λυπηθείς για κάποιον άνθρωπο, ο οποίος ασθενεί ψυχικά ή σωματικά, εκείνη την ημέρα θεώρησε τον εαυτό σου μάρτυρα, και ότι έπαθες για τον Χριστό, και αξιώθηκες την ομολογία Του.

Καθότι και ο Χριστός για τους αμαρτωλούς πέθανε και όχι για τους δίκαιους. Σκέψου πόσο μεγάλη είναι αυτή αρετή· στ' αλήθεια μεγάλη αρετή είναι να λυπάται κάποιος για τους κακούς, και να ευεργετεί τους αμαρτωλούς περισσότερο παρά τους δίκαιους· αυτό ο απόστολος Παύλος το αναφέρει ως άξιο θαυμασμού· εάν σε όλα σου τα έργα μπορέσεις να έχεις την συνείδησή σου καθαρή, μην φροντίσεις να εκτελέσεις άλλη αρετή.

Σε όλα σου τα έργα ας προηγηθεί η σωφροσύνη του σώματος σου και η καθαρότητα της συνείδησής σου· διότι χωρίς αυτά τα δύο κάθε άλλη αρετή θεωρείται μάταια για τον Θεό.

Να γνωρίζεις ότι κάθε έργο που κάνεις χωρίς σκέψη και εξέταση υπάρχει μάταιο· καθώς ο Θεός υπολογίζει την αρετή με την διάκριση και όχι με την αδιάκριτη ενέργεια.

ΑΓ. ΙΣΑΑΚ ΣΥΡΟΥ

What is freedom?

 

 

 

"The goal of human freedom is not in freedom itself, nor is it in man, but in God. By giving man freedom God has yielded to man a piece of His divine authority, but with the intention that man himself would voluntarily bring it as a sacrifice to God, as a most perfect offering."

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Often we find ourselves thinking that freedom is about political freedom or personal freedom to do our own thing. Political freedom is good but only if it encouratges us to seek God. Individual ego based freedom is neveer good.We must alswy seek to show our love for others and to carry out the commandments of God, but as freely chosen. When we do surrender to God and become partcipating member of His Church, we find real freedom when we allow ourseves to act according to God's will. Then nothing can oppress us.

Jesus said,

"If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" And those who heard Him said, "We are Abraham’s seed, and we were never in bondage to any man, how sayest thou, you shall be made free?" And He answered, Verily I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (1 John 8:31-34)

St. Paul in the Epistle to the Romans says,

"For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. But what fruit had you then from those things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now set free from sin and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and as your end, life everlasting." (6:20-22)

Archbishop Dmitri wrote,

The deepest and most fundamental of the Church’s understandings of freedom is simply the freedom from sin and its wage or consequences. The understanding that Christ has given to men a freedom that cannot be taken away, no matter what the external circumstances of life may be, has provided the strength, the dynamism, the very life of the Church in the different periods of her bondage, her restrictions. There was the long three century persecution of the Church by the Roman Empire, and the very martyrs were witnesses and advocates of their freedom in Christ. The Moslem conquest and domination of much of the world that had been Christian, and the reduction of Christians to second-class citizenship, the restrictions against their proclaiming the Gospel, brought no despair to those who knew Christ and His truth. This lasted well into the nineteenth century in certain places. And in our own twentieth century, restrictions and persecutions, perhaps heavier and more severe than in any other time, in Communist lands failed to extinguish the light of Christian truth, and finally the most essential Christian freedom.

It is in Christ, as perfect Man, that man comes to the full realization of what it means to be in the image and likeness of God. For man’s freedom is an Icon, an image of the Divine Freedom itself.

 

Our challenge is to take our free will that God has blessed us with and commit it to abandon sin and to instead please God.

Are You In Love?

What is it like when you are in love? Nothing disturbs you. You only think about your lover and all else blurs into the background. This is true also with when we fall in love with Christ.

Elder Porphyrios says,

If you are in love, you can live amid the hustle and bustle of the city center and not be aware you are in the city center... Imagine the person you love is Christ, Christ is in your mind, Christ is in your heart, Christ is in your whole being, Christ is everywhere.

This is our challenge. To love Christ is is to lift us above all our earthly concerns, to experience continual joy no matter how difficult a situation we face, no matter what turmoil is taking place around us. This is the way life was meant to be lived.

Elder Porphyrios says,

Whoever loves Christ and other people truly lives life. Life without Christ is death; it is hell, not life. Life is Christ. Love is the life of Christ. Either you will be in life or in death. It's up to you to decide.

Isn't this the only answer to all the anxiety of our present world situation? When I live with Christ as my true lover, there is no room for anxiety. But when others take His position then I find myself filled with anxiety. Oh, how I yearn for the wisdom to live in this world with this other worldly love.
Lord have Mercy!

Quotes from Wounded By Love, p 97