How Can Saints Help Us

There is no question that only Christ is able to save us from sin. So, how can saints aid us? When we honor saints and ask them to pray for us we are not putting them in the place of Christ. They are close to God, so when they pray for us they seek our salvation from Christ.

Elder Cleopa puts it this way,

When the saints pray for us, it is precisely our salvation that they seek from Christ. They interceded with Him for our salvation. From Christ they entreat our salvation. This is what we mean when we say they intercede for us. By their prayers the saints petition for our salvation -- not, however, as if they themselves have the power to save, for the only one who saves is Christ. Thus we do not venerate saints and angels as we do God. (That which we render the saints and angels is solely a veneration of honor and reverence, while God we adore and worship with perfect adoration which is thus properly called worship)
 

 

The apostle Paul reminds us that the saints are our fellow citizens who can help us. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God" (Eph 2:19).

How is we know that the saints have the ability to pray to God on our behalf? We know this from Scripture. "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having everyone of them harps, and golden vials full of orders, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev 5:8)

Some are concerned that the veneration of saints eclipse the glory and honor that belongs to God alone. But God himself glorified His saints. "And the glory which thou gravest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one" (Jn 17:22).

 

Elder Cleopa says,

No eclipse or depreciation of the glory of God results from the reverence and veneration of His angels. This is so, first of all, because the veneration that we offer God is one thing and the veneration we render to the angels and saints is another. The same Holy Spirit exhorts us to glorify God with His saints saying, "Praise ye God in His saints." Thus we glorify God likewise when we seek in prayer the help and mediation of the angels and saints, since the saints in their succession convey our supplications and requests together with their own prayers to God.

The saints are given special powers by God to work miracles. It says in Scripture, "In the saints that are in His earth hath the Lord been wondrous; He hath wrought all His desires in them" (Ps 15:3). Elder Cleopa lists many examples from the Old Testament of people who were given such powers and then points out the powers of the Holy Apostles, including the seventy, who are able to render all sorts of things.

He writes,
God himself glorified His saints and robed them with His glory: "And the glory which thou gravest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one" (Jn 17:22). Elsewhere He says, "He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him who sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in th ename of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward" (Mat 11:40-41). These statements prove sufficiently enough the delusion of those who repudiate the honor shown toward the saints and angels, -- those beloved servants of God -- not realizing that in practice they turn their back on God himself, the Creator and Fashioner of saints.

Reference: The Truth of Our Faith, 67-77

Σ΄ ευχαριστώ και σε δοξολογώ Θεέ μου

 

  

Θεέ μου και Κύριε του κόσμου, Συ ο αγαθότατος πατέρας των ανθρώπων, Σύ που είσαι άναρχος και αιώνιος και αναλλοίωτος και αμετάβλητος, Σύ που η ουσία σου και το μέγεθός σου και η αγαθότητά σου η άπειρη, δεν χωρεί στον μικρό και περιορισμένο νου μας, Σύ που είσαι η πλουσιώτατη πηγή και η απερίγραπτη άβυσσος της δύναμης και της σοφίας, σ΄ευχαριστώ και σε δοξάζω που είδες με συμπάθεια και αγάπη κι εμένα το μικρό και αδύνατο και αμαρτωλό.

Σ΄ευχαριστώ που με λύτρωσες από σκέψεις και πράξεις κακές, μοχθηρές και μάταιες και με έσωσες από τις πολλές και διάφορες παγίδες του διαβόλου, που είναι ο άρχοντας του σκότους και της πλάνης.

 

 

Σ΄ευχαριστώ, Κύριε, και σε δοξολογώ γιατί έδειξες με θαυμαστό τρόπο την αγάπη σου σε μένα και έγινες ο φιλανθρωπότατος τροφοδότης μου σε όλες τις περιπτώσεις, καί κυβερνήτης, καί φύλακας, καί προστάτης, καί καταφύγιο, καί σωτήρας, καί κηδεμόνας της ψυχής και του σώματός μου.

Σ΄ευχαριστώ, πού, παρ΄όλη την απροσεξία και την αμέλειά μου, με αρπάζεις και με γλιτώνεις από το κακό, όπως η μητέρα το μικρό της παιδί. Σ΄ευχαριστώ και σε δοξολογώ που βάζεις μέσα μου θέληση μετανοίας για τις αμαρτίες μου και μου χαρίζεις μύριες ευκαιρίες για να επιστρέφω σε Σένα.

 

 

 

Σ΄ευχαριστώ και σε δοξολογώ που με δυναμώνεις στις ώρες της αδυναμίας και δεν μ΄αφήνεις να πέσω, αλλά απλώνεις το παντοδύναμο χέρι Σου και με σηκώνεις και με φέρνεις κοντά Σου.

 

 

 

Τί να ανταποδώσω, Πανάγαθε Θεέ μου, για όλες τις ευεργεσίες που μου έκανες και εξακολουθείς να μου κάνεις; Ποιες ευχαριστίες να σου πώ; Γι΄αυτό σαν το γλυκόλαλο αηδόνι θα σε υμνώ και θα σε δοξολογώ.

 

 

Και όλες τις ημέρες της ζωής μου θα ευλογώ το Άγιο Όνομα Σου, Δημιουργέ και Ευεργέτη και Προστάτη μου άγρυπνε, μολονότι δεν είμαι άξιος να μιλώ μαζί Σου στις προσευχές. Η δική σου όμως αγάπη για μένα και η μακροθυμία Σου, μου δίνει το θάρρος να σου μιλώ, να σ΄ευχαριστώ και να σε δοξολογώ. Και θα το κάνω πάντοτε, γιατί μου κάνει πολύ καλό.      

 

                                                                                                                        (Μ.Βασίλειος)
Αγιοπατερικό Προσευχητάριο

On the Jesus Prayer ( St. John Chrysostom )

The remembrance of the name of Jesus rouses the enemy to battle. For a soul that forces itself to pray the Prayer of Jesus can find anything by this prayer, both good and evil. First it can see evil in the recesses of its own heart, and afterwards good. This prayer can stir the snake to action, and this prayer can lay it low. This prayer can expose the sin that is living in us, and this prayer can eradicate it.







This prayer can stir up in the heart all the power of the enemy, and this prayer can conquer it and gradually root it out. The name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it descends into the depths of the heart, will subdue the snake which controls its ranges, and will save and quicken the soul. Continue constantly in the name of the Lord Jesus that the heart may swallow the Lord and the Lord the heart, and that these two may be one. However, this is not accomplished in a single day, nor in two days, but requires many years and much time. Much time and labor are needed in order to expel the enemy and instate Christ.


- St. John Chrysostom, Letter to Monks (PG 60, p. 753).

When you are praying

 

When you are praying along, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that God the Trinity looks upon you with eyes brighter than the sun; also all the angels, your own Guardian Angel, and all the saints of God. Truly they do; for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. Where the sun is, thither also are directed all its rays. Try to understand what this means.


 Always pray with a fervent heart; and to attain to this, never eat and drink excessively. Remember with Whom you are conversing. Men very often forget with Whom they are conversing during prayer, Who are the witnesses of their prayer. They forget that they are conversing with the Vigilant and the All-seeing God; that all Heavenly Powers and the saints of God are listening to their converse.


 


 - St. John of Kronstadt

We must study our souls ....

 

God helps us in what is good, while the enemy incites us to evil, but this depends also on our own wills; we must constrain ourselves to what is good, but with moderation and knowing the measure of our strength. We must study our souls to know what is salutary for us; it may be more profitable to one man to pray, for another to read or write. It is a good thing to read but it is better to pray without distraction, and better still to weep; to each as it is given to him by the Lord. To be sure, when we rise from sleep we must render thanks to God, then repent and pray our fill. Next, we should read to rest the mind, and after that pray again, and work. Grace proceeds from everything that is good, but above all from brotherly love.

 - St. Silouan the Athonite

On the Last Judgement

 

The end of the world’ signifies not the annihilation of the world, but its transformation. Everything will be transformed suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye…. And the Lord will appear in glory on the clouds. Trumpets will sound, and loud, with power! They will sound in the soul and conscience! All will become clear to the human conscience. The Prophet Daniel, speaking of the Last Judgment, relates how the Ancient of Days, the Judge, sits on His throne, and before Him is a fiery stream (Dan. 7:9-10).


 Fire is a purifying element; it burns sins. Woe to a man if sin has become a part of his nature: then the fire will burn the man himself. This fire will be kindled within a man; seeing the Cross, some will rejoice, but others will fall into confusion, terror, and despair. Thus will men be divided instantly. The very state of a man’s soul casts him to one side or the other, to right or to left.




- Saint John Maximovitch

Πέστε το στην Παναγία ( Αγιος Πορφύριος )

 

«Αυτά πού θέλετε να πείτε στα παιδιά σας, να τα λέτε με την προσευχή σας. Τα παιδιά δεν ακούν με τα αυτιά• μόνο όταν έρχεται η Θεία Χάρις πού τα φωτίζει, τότε ακούνε αυτά πού θέλουμε να τους πούμε. Όταν θέλετε να πείτε κάτι στα παιδιά σας, πέστε το στην Παναγία κι αυτή θα ενεργήσει. Η προσευχή σας αυτή θα γίνει ζωογόνος πνοή, πνευματικό χάδι, πού χαϊδεύει, αγκαλιάζει, έλκει τα παιδιά»...

Ο π. Πορφύριος πίστευε στην αξία πού έχει η προσευχή για την πνευματική ζωή του ανθρώπου και συμβούλευε τα πνευματικά του παιδιά πώς να προσεύχονται:

«Να εύχεσαι έτσι απλά, απλά και ταπεινά, με πίστη απλή, χωρίς να περιμένεις να σου απαντήσει ο Θεός. Χωρίς να δεις το χέρι Του ή το πρόσωπό Του ή το φωτισμό Του. Τίποτα! Να πιστεύεις! Εφ’ όσον μιλάς με το Θεό, μιλάς πραγματικά με το Θεό».

Αγιος Πορφύριος

Επιδιωκετε την αγαπη ( Αγιος Νεκταριος )

 

Επιδιώκετε την αγάπη. Ζητάτε καθημερινά από το Θεό την αγάπη. Μαζί με την αγάπη έρχεται και όλο το πλήθος των αγαθών και των αρετών. Αγαπάτε, για ν' αγαπιέστε κι εσείς από τους άλλους. Δώστε στο Θεό όλη σας την καρδιά, ώστε να μένετε στην αγάπη. «Όποιος ζει μέσα στην αγάπη, ζει μέσα στο Θεό, κι ο Θεός μέσα σ' αυτόν» (Α' Ιω. 4, 16).

Οφείλετε να έχετε πολλή προσοχή στις μεταξύ σας σχέσεις και να σέβεστε ο ένας τον άλλον ως πρόσωπα ιερά, ως εικόνες του Θεού. Να μην αποβλέπετε ποτέ στο σώμα ή στην ομορφιά του, αλλά στην ψυχή. Προσέχετε το αίσθημα της αγάπης, γιατί, όταν η καρδιά δεν θερμαίνεται από την καθαρή προσευχή, η αγάπη κινδυνεύει να γίνει σαρκική και αφύσικη, κινδυνεύει να σκοτίσει το νου και να κατακάψει την καρδιά.

Πρέπει να εξετάζουμε καθημερινά, μήπως η αγάπη μας δεν απορρέει από το σύνδεσμο της κοινής μας αγάπης προς το Χριστό, μήπως δεν πηγάζει από το πλήρωμα της αγάπης μας προς τον Κύριο. Αυτός που αγρυπνεί να διατηρήσει αγνή την αγάπη, θα φυλαχθεί από τις παγίδες του πονηρού, που προσπαθεί σιγά- σιγά να μετατρέψει την χριστιανική αγάπη σε αγάπη κοινή και συναισθηματική.



Άγιος Νεκτάριος Πενταπόλεως

The invincible armor of faith

 

When a man walks in the fear of God he knows no fear, even if he were to be surrounded by wicked men. He has the fear of God within him and wears the invincible armor of faith. This makes him strong and able to take on anything, even things which seem difficult or impossible to most people. Such a man is like a giant surrounded by monkeys, or a roaring lion among dogs and foxes. He goes forward trusting in the Lord and the constancy of his will to strike and paralyze his foes. He wields the blazing club of the Word in wisdom.


- Saint Symeon the New Theologian, “The Practical and Theological Chapters”

Όταν ένωθεί ό άνθρωπος μέ τόν Θεό, δέν έχει πιά πειρασμούς.( Γεροντας Παισιος )

Θυμηθήτε τόν Γερο-Φιλάρετο πού έλεγε:
Τέκνον, έγκατάλειψις Θεού, ούδένα πειρασμόν σήμερα.
Ήθελε νά παλεύη κάθε μέρα με τους πειρασμούς, γιά νά στεφανώνεται άπό τόν Χριστό.
Ένας δυνατός, όπως ό Γερο-Φιλάρετος, δέν αποφεύγει τους πειρασμούς, άλλα λέει στον
Χριστό:
Στείλε μου, Χριστέ μου, πειρασμούς καί δώσε μου κουράγιο νά παλέψω.
Ένας αδύνατος όμως θά πή: Μήν έπιτρέπης, Χριστέ μου, νά πειρασθώ. ­
Μη είσενέγκης ημάς εις πειρασμόν....
Εμείς όμως πολλές φορές, όταν έχουμε έναν πειρασμό, λέμε: ε, μά είμαι άνθρωπος κι εγώ δέν αντέχω άλλο!, ενώ θά έπρεπε νά πούμε: Δέν είμαι άνθρωπος είμαι παλιάνθρωπος.
Θεέ μου, βοήθησε με νά γίνω άνθρωπος.



Δέν λέω νά επιδιώκουμε εμείς τους πειρασμούς, άλλα, όταν έρχωνται, νά τους αντιμετωπίζουμε με καρτερία καί προσευχή.
Σέ κάθε πνευματική χειμωνιά νά περιμένουμε με υπομονή καί ελπίδα τήν πνευματική άνοιξη.
Οι μεγαλύτεροι πειρασμοί είναι συνήθως στιγμιαίοι καί, εάν εκείνη τήν στιγμή τους ξεφύγουμε, περνάει καί φεύγει ή φάλαγγα τών δαιμόνων καί γλυτώνουμε.
Όταν ένωθή ό άνθρωπος μέ τόν Θεό, δέν έχει πιά πειρασμούς.
Μπορεί ό διάβολος νά κάνη κακό στον Άγγελο; Όχι, καίγεται.



Ή πνευματική ζωή είναι πολύ απλή καί εύκολη εμείς τήν κάνουμε δύσκολη, γιατί δεν αγωνιζόμαστε σωστά. Με λίγη προσπάθεια και πολλή ταπείνωση και εμπιστοσύνη στον
Θεό, μπορεί κανείς να προχώρηση πολύ. Γιατί, όπου υπάρχει ταπείνωση, δεν έχει θέση ό
διάβολος καί, όπου δεν υπάρχει διάβολος, επόμενο είναι να μην υπάρχουν καί πειρασμοί.
- Γέροντα, ή πτώση σε μιά αμαρτία μπορεί να γίνη κατά παραχώρηση του Θεού;
- Όχι, είναι βαρύ νά πούμε ότι παραχωρεί ό Θεός νά αμαρτήσουμε. Ό Θεός ποτέ δεν παραχωρεί νά αμαρτήσουμε.




Εμείς κάνουμε παραχωρήσεις καί έρχεται ό διάβολος καί μας πειράζει. Όταν λ.χ. ύπερηφανεύωμαι, διώχνω τήν θεία Χάρη, φεύγει ό Φύλακας Άγγελος μου,
έρχεται ό άλλος ...άγγελος, ό διάβολος, καί σπάζω τά μούτρα μου. Αυτή είναι δική μου
παραχώρηση, καί όχι τού Θεού.


ΓΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ ΠΑΙΣΙΟΣ

Say it softly....

 

It’s not necessary to particularly focus to say the prayer. You don’t need to put effort into it when you have divine love. Wherever you are, on a stool, on a chair, in a car, anywhere, in the street, at school, in the office, at work you can say the prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me”, softly, without pressure, without strain.


- Elder Porphyrios

The True Christian is a Warrior

 

Sin, to one who loves God, is nothing other than an arrow from the enemy in battle. The true Christian is a warrior fighting his way through the regiments of the unseen enemy to his heavenly homeland. According to the word of the Apostle, our homeland is in heaven; and about the warrior he says: we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph.6: 12)].


- St. Herman of Alaska

The True Christian

 

The true Christian tests himself every day. Daily testing to see whether we have become better or worse, is so essential for us that without it we cannot be called Christians. Constantly and persistently we must take ourselves in hand. Do this: from the morning establish thoughts about the Lord firmly in your mind and then during the whole day resist any deviation from these thoughts.


Whatever you are doing, with whomever you are speaking, whether you are going somewhere or sitting, let your mind be with the Lord. You will forget yourself, and stray from this path; but again turn to the Lord and rebuke yourself with sorrow. This is the podvig of spiritual attentiveness.


- Saint Theophan the Recluse

Turn to God

 

Why do you fall into the destruction of the devil through him and with him? Preserve the sublime nature with which you were born. Persevere just as you were made by God. Establish your soul with the state of your face and body. That you may be able to know God, know yourself first. Abandon the idols which human error invented. Turn to God, and if you implore Him, He comes to your aid. Believe in Christ whom the Father sent to quicken and restore us.

- St. Cyprian of Carthage

'' As I find you, so will I judge you "

St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom commented on the following saying of our Lord, “As I find you, so will I judge you,” (Ezekiel 33:20) saying that forgetting to practice the smallest of the Commandments of our Lord is all that is sufficient to send one to Gehenna and exclude us from the kingdom of heaven.

Think about this for a moment. How many of us are ignoring the reality of our sinfulness? How many blame others for our shortcomings? How much time to spend complaining about what others do? Do we spend the same amount of time thinking about our own actions?

Saint Basil of Poiana Marului says the following,

Yes, we sin every day, at times unconsciously or out of forgetfulness, without intending to or involuntarily, or because of weakness we sin every day willingly and unwillingly. Because of our human nature and weakness we sin every day willingly and unwillingly. Is this not what the apostle Paul refers to when he says, “I do what I do not want and what I do not want is what I do” (Romans 7:15)? All of us commit excusable sins without asking to be excused.

 

 

Or rather, we fall into sins that can be forgiven and yet we feel no contrition and thus become guilty of God's judgment and bring God's wrath upon ourselves. In the words of an ancient saying, “we have made a habit of sitting with her own free will”–– that is, we are consciously aware of committing sins and have developed the habit of sitting with our own free will.
 

 

The recognition of the reality of our sinfulness, the fact that we do sin many times each and every day, is the starting point for our salvation. It is important for us to recognize that we must continually ask the Lord for forgiveness as well as those whom we transgress. Saaint Basil tells us that “we should ask forgiveness of our fellow man face-to-face and beg forgiveness of God with the intellect and secret.”

We all have particular passions that we have grown up with, that have given us great pleasures, that we have continued to nurture and develop habitually. This passion will be different for each individual. For one person it may be an insatiable appetite for food, for another love of money, anger, self-esteem, arrogance or others. All of these increase over time through habit. St. Hesychios reminds us what the great lawgiver Moses teaches when he says, “Pay attention to yourself so that you have no secret thoughts in your heart” (Deuteronomy 15:9).

 

 

Needless to say, it is imperative that we learn to closely examine ourselves each and every day. It is a matter of recognizing that we have weaknesses and that we need to pray to God continually with a broken heart and the contrite spirit. We must avoid accusing others but instead forgive others as this is what is pleasing to God. With our forgiveness of others and our recognition of our own weaknesses God will forgive us through his great mercy.

Our challenge in the spiritual life is to live the Commandments that Christ has given to us; all of them all of the time. We need to work at this with the best of our ability, recognizing that we are not fully capable of doing this. Because of this imperfect condition, we need to always be repentant and seeking forgiveness from others and our Lord.

This is an issue of obedience. We must learn to become obedient to God's commandments not to our own self-gratification. Saint Basil points out that in these times there is a widespread practice of being obedient for human reasons. This is where we use our obedience to get a promotion or earn a favor of any kind. This is how we learn to survive in the modern workplace. We become obedient to the organizations rules and norms and learn to do what we are asked for the benefit of those who are paying us. We know about obedience and have the ability for it. Our challenge is to transfer this skill we have learned to use for our own benefit, to follow God's commandments in the same way.

Saint Basil points out,

“one who forces himself in obedience for Christ alone and submits themselves to his precepts will find relief from his passions. The one who forces himself for the things of the world hoping to obtain prestige and riches along with physical pleasures is unaware of his burden. This is why the fathers rightly say that there is obedience for God's sake and obedience for the devil's sake.... As for us, let us force ourselves to demonstrate the power of obedience for the sake of God."

He also shows us that the most powerful way to deal with this weakness is the practice of what we know as the Jesus Prayer. He says, if we turn to God saying with our mind,

"'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,' beyond all doubt this will obtain forgiveness of sins for him, and with this prayer also he will fulfill his entire rule, following the example of that widow of the Gospel who used to cry out to the judge day and night claiming her do (Luke 18:1–8 ).

The Jesus Prayer had its beginnings in the days of the apostles. It has been practiced by the Saints since that time. Many of them have written much about this practice. It is a common practice within the Orthodox Tradition.

The practice of the Jesus prayer, does not come without effort. We have to commit ourselves to a daily prayer rule were we repeat this prayer over and over and over each and every day. By doing this this, prayer becomes ingrained, etched, programed in our physical brain, so that when it's needed, it is instantly available to us. Living a life with this prayer at the tip of our tongue is the easiest way to constantly be reconciled to our God.

The first step that we must make is to recognize of our nature. We must acknowledge that we are continually, both willfully and unknowably, using our free will to act against the Commandments of our Lord. We also must recognize that our Lord is most merciful and wants to give us help. The only way that we will receive this help is through a life of continual repentance. He has given to us the Jesus Prayer as a powerful way for us to learn to practice obedience to his commands.

Christ and the End of Satan’s Dominion ( St. Nikolai Velimirovic )

  

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

 

"O thou enemy, thy destructions are come to a perpetual end, even as the cities which thou hast destroyed; thy memorial is perished with a roar" (Psalm 9:6).

 

 

 

The enemy of the human race, the murderer of men from the very beginning, has used every weapon and intrigue against man. He thinks up new weapons and new intrigues day and night, in order to destroy someone as a roaring lion, "seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). He hides like a poisonous snake and awaits his prey; he stretches his webs everywhere, like a spider, with the sole purpose of ensnaring some human soul and entrapping it in his foul kingdom.

 

 

 

Pagan peoples were his cities. Until the coming of Christ, he ruled untroubled and absolutely in them. When they served idols, they served him; the practices of soothsaying and fortune-telling served him; he protected, directed and enhanced men’s unbridled licentiousness; human sacrifice, fiery passions, discord, war, evildoings of all descriptions – this was all pleasure for him. But in the end, no weapons remained in him; his "cities" were destroyed and his memorial is perished with a roar.

This "end" of which the prophet speaks is the coming of Jesus Christ the Lord into the world. The Lord manifested His power over the devil when He overcame his temptations on the mountain. He manifested His authority in driving demons out of men, commanding them to go this way or that; He manifested His invincible lordship over sin and death by His suffering and Resurrection. And, what is perhaps most important, He harrowed hell and scattered the demonic power. He did not desire to utterly destroy the demons, but to disperse them and smash their weapons; He smashed them and scattered them as He later did the Jews, but more terribly than He did the Jews. He freed the people from their domination; and even more importantly, He gave men authority over the demons, such that they can drive the demons out by the power of His name.

 

 

 

 Do you see how the Lord linked His victory over the demons with His mercy toward men? He so weakened and broke them, He so confused and dispersed them, that He placed them under the authority of men. Even so, the Lord did not grant authority over demons to all men, but only to those who believe in Him and who follow His commandments. He gave them authority, and He also gave them a weapon. That weapon is the Cross.

O Lord our God, our Savior from the dominion of the devil, help us also to do that "least part" that Thou hast left us to do. To Thee be glory and praise forever.  Amen.

How often our church life is just a matter of habit! ( Fr. Seraphim Rose )

Every Orthodox Christian is placed between two worlds: this fallen world where we try to work out our salvation, and the other world, heaven, the homeland towards which we are striving and which, if we are leading a true Christian life, gives us the inspiration to live from day to day in Christian virtue and love.



But the world is too much with us. We often, and in fact nowadays we usually forget the heavenly world. The pressure of worldliness is so strong today that we often lose track of what our life as a Christian is all about.


 Even if we may be attending church services frequently and consider ourselves “active” church members, how often our churchliness is only something external, bound up with beautiful services and the whole richness of our Orthodox tradition of worship, but lacking in real inner conviction that Orthodoxy is the faith that can save our soul for eternity, lacking in real love for and commitment to Christ, the incarnate God and Founder of our faith.


 How often our church life is just a matter of habit, something we go through outwardly but which does not change us inwardly, does not make us grow spiritually and lead us to eternal life in God.

- Fr. Seraphim Rose

Θεραπεία της μοναξιάς (ΑΝ ΕΙΣΑΙ ΜΟΝΟΣ...)

 

 

 

- Ἂν εἶσαι μόνος…

Ἂν εἶσαι μόνος ἀδελφέ, ἅρπαξε τὴν εὐκαιρία. Ἀνάπεμπε ὕμνους στὸν Τρισάγιο Θεό μας. Δόξαζέ Τον πολλὲς φορὲς στὴν διάρκεια τῆς ἡμέρας, διότι κάποιοι ἄλλοι Τὸν ὑβρίζουν καὶ Τὸν βλασφημοῦν (καθημερινῶς). Ὕμνει τὴν Παναγία μας, λέγε τοὺς Χαιρετισμούς της. Εἶναι ἔργο ἀγγελικό. Τώρα δὲν ἔχεις πλέον ἄλλες μέριμνες καὶ φροντίδες οἰκογενειακές. Ἴσως εἶσαι καὶ συνταξιοῦχος. Ἐκμεταλλεύσου τὴν περίστασι. Ἁγίαζε τὸν χρόνο σου.

Εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ «ταμεῖον» σου [σε ένα ήσυχο σημείο ή "στην καρδιά σου"] καὶ προσεύχου, ἀδελφέ μου, μὴν ἀμελεῖς αὐτὸ τὸ καθῆκον. Ἔχομε εὐθύνη γιὰ τὴν κατάστασι ποὺ ἐπικρατεῖ γύρω μας.

Προσεύχου γιὰ ὅλο τὸν κόσμο, γιὰ τὴν ταλαίπωρη πατρίδα μας ποὺ τὴν συκοφάντησαν, ν᾿ ἀναστηθῇ καὶ πάλι. Γιὰ τὴν μετάνοια καὶ συντριβὴ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ἑλλήνων.

Γι᾿ αὐτοὺς ποὺ ἀγωνίζονται στὴν πρώτη γραμμὴ —γιὰ νὰ κρατήσουν τὴν ὀρθόδοξη πίστι ἀλώβητη ἀπὸ τοὺς ποικιλώνυμους ἐχθρούς της καὶ ἰδιαιτέρως ἀπὸ τὴν παναίρεσι τοῦ οἰκουμενισμοῦ— καὶ πολεμοῦνται λυσσωδῶς.

Ν᾿ ἀναδειχθοῦν κι ἄλλοι ὁμολογηταὶ τῆς ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως καὶ Ἱεράρχες ἄξιοι «ἑπόμενοι τοῖς ἁγίοις πατράσι».

Κλεῖσε τὴν τηλεόρασι· δὲν σοῦ προσφέρει τίποτε.

Καὶ προσεύχου, ἀδελφέ μου, κάνεις πολὺ σπουδαῖο ἔργο:

Γιὰ τὴν ἑλληνορθόδοξη οἰκογένεια, νὰ μὴ χάσῃ τὴν δομή της· νὰ μὴν σαλευθοῦν τὰ θεμέλιά της.

Γιὰ τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς, γιὰ τοὺς γέροντες καὶ τοὺς διακονητές τους, γιὰ δύναμι καὶ ὑπομονή..

Γιὰ τοὺς νοσηλευομένους στὶς ἐντατικὲς κλινικές, γιὰ ὑπομονή.

Γιὰ τοὺς γιατροὺς καὶ νοσηλευτάς, νὰ τοὺς φωτίζῃ ὁ Θεὸς νὰ δίνουν τὶς κατάλληλες διαγνώσεις, νὰ κάνουν σωστὲς ἐνέργειες.

Προσεύχου γιὰ τοὺς ἐκπαιδευτικούς μας, νὰ μεταφέρουν τὰ ἑλληνοχριστιανικὰ ἰδεώδη, τὰ ἰδανικὰ τῆς φυλῆς, στὰ παιδιά μας. Νὰ μείνουν ὄρθιοι στὶς ἐπάλξεις, στὸ καθῆκον, στὴν ἀποστολή τους.

Γιὰ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους, γιὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀνέργους, γιὰ τοὺς ἀπογοητευμένους, νὰ μὴ χάσουν τὴν ἐλπίδα τους στὸ Θεὸ καὶ ἔλθουν σὲ ἀπόγνωσι.

Γιὰ τοὺς φυλακισμένους, μάλιστα δὲ διὰ τοὺς ἀδίκως φυλακισμένους, γι᾿ αὐτοὺς ποὺ τοὺς συμπαραστέκονται.

Γιὰ τὰ ἐγκαταλελειμμένα, γιὰ τὰ παραβατικὰ παιδιά. Γιὰ τοὺς νέους μας, γιὰ τοὺς ναρκομανεῖς, γιὰ τοὺς πλανεμένους, νὰ βροῦν τὴν ὁδὸ τῆς σωτηρίας.

Γιὰ τοὺς πολυτέκνους, γιὰ τοὺς χρεωμένους.

Προσεύχου γιὰ τὴν ἀφύπνισι καὶ ἑνότητα τοῦ ὀρθοδόξου ἑλληνικοῦ λαοῦ!

Γιὰ τὸ μικρὸ ποίμνιο [δηλ. τους λίγους και απομονωμένους πιστούς].

Γιὰ τὴν προστασία πάντων ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα δεινά!

Γιὰ τοὺς μοναχικοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅπου κι ἂν βρίσκωνται, στὴν Ἑλλάδα ἢ στὸ ἐξωτερικό.

Γιὰ τὸν Ἱερὸ κλῆρο· γιὰ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Κάνεις πολὺ σπουδαῖο ἔργο.

Προσεύχου ἰδιαιτέρως γιὰ τοὺς κεκοιμημένους ἀδελφούς μας, γιὰ τὴν ἀνάπαυσί τους· τὸ περιμένουν. Εἶναι ἡ καλύτερη ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ ἱεραποστολή.

—Μελέτα τὸν λόγο τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν ἁγία Γραφή! Ἰδιαιτέρως τὴν Καινὴ Διαθήκη. Ἐμβάθυνε σ᾿ αὐτήν. Θὰ γλυκαίνεται «ὁ λάρυγξ» σου, θὰ φωτίζεται ὁ νοῦς σου, θὰ ἠρεμῇ ἡ ψυχή σου. Καθὼς καὶ τὸ Ψαλτήριο.

Ἂν εἶσαι μόνος, ἀδελφέ, ἂν ἔχῃς αὐλὴ ἢ μπαλκόνι, ρίξε λίγα ψίχουλα σ᾿ ἕνα σκεῦος, γιὰ νά ᾽ρθουν περιστέρια ἢ ἄλλα πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· θὰ ἔχῃς πολὺ καλὴ συντροφιὰ καὶ θὰ χαίρεσαι. Μίλα μαζί τους.

Φύτεψε καὶ λίγα λουλούδια ἢ δένδρα, ἂν ἔχῃς χῶρο, καὶ δόξαζε τὸν Θεό.

Ἡ ἀγαθή Του Πρόνοια στὴν δυσκολία ἢ ἀρρώστια σου δὲν θὰ σ᾿ ἀφήσῃ. Θὰ προνοήσῃ γιὰ σένα. Πῶς εἶναι δυνατὸν νὰ σ᾿ ἐγκαταλείψῃ; Ἀφοῦ φροντίζει γιὰ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· γιὰ σένα τὸ πλάσμα τῶν χειρῶν του, τὸν λογικὸ ἄνθρωπο, γιὰ τὸν ὁποῖο ἔχυσε τὸ αἷμα του πάνω στὸν σταυρό, θ᾿ ἀδιαφορήσῃ;

Ἐσύ, μόνο, ἔλπιζε εἰς Αὐτόν.

Ἂν εἶσαι μόνος, ἀδελφέ, ἔχεις πολλὰ νὰ κάνῃς.