Arabic Orthodox Chant - العربية الأرثوذكسية شانت

The Conversion of a French Man to Orthodoxy- Miracle of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg

St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, the Fool-for-Christ and Wonderworker

We follow with an account by a resident of France, who was benefited by the Saint in our days.

A French dentist with a private clinic in Paris was injured in a car accident and had to stay in hospital for a few days.

Roman Catholic by creed, but indifferent to the faith, he watched as the patient next to him, a Russian émigré, would pray in the evenings in the ward, and would laugh behind his back.

Since the Russian’s lengthy prayers were repeated for as many days as he remained there, the dentist saw fit to make fun of the praying man, and he joked around with those from the other rooms.

After that first evening of making fun with the others, it was impossible for him to fall sleep.

Suddenly, the door to the ward opened and a woman appeared, wearing men’s clothing and holding a cane in her hand.



St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, wearing the army jacket of her departed husband
She was heading towards his bed. He was startled. Unknown facial features. A sweet, strange face.

“What do you want, lady? I don’t have any change. Who let you in here?”

“I came to tell you,” she said to him, as she lifted her cane, “to stop ridiculing Yuri, who is praying, because you will remain here a long time yet, and will seek his prayers....”

And indeed. Over the following days, he was diagnosed with serious cardiac insufficiency and remained three months in the hospital.

Yuri visited him at one point, and when the Frenchman revealed his vision to him, he began to tell him about St. Xenia and Orthodoxy.

Today, the Frenchman is an active member of the French Orthodox community and Baptized his newborn baby girl with the name Xenia last December, in honor of the Saint and in memory of his miraculous conversion.

Two spiritual giants of the 20th century - Paisios and Porphyrios

Icons of Elders Paisios the Athonite and Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia: two spiritual giants of the 20th century (though not yet officially canonized)

A spiritual meeting between Elders Paisios and Porphyrios

Elder Porphyrios relates: Once on the Holy Mountain, I was traveling by tractor with Fr. Paisios. The two of us were saying the [Jesus] prayer mystically. Our souls were united. At a certain point, he got off and we continued. Oh, then you should have seen it! As he was leaving, he rushed towards me and embraced me noetically. You should have seen this unification of souls. You can love others spiritually, and embrace them and feel them, though they are still far away.

Γεροντας Πορφύριος- (Ανθρωποι καταθλιπτικοί, νευρικοί, στενόχωροι δεν δέχονται να τους θίξεις)

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.


 Γεροντας Πορφύριος

Χρήματα και φτώχεια ( Αγιος Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος )

Ξόδεψε, λοιπόν, τα χρήματά σου, για να έχεις τα πάντα δικά σου. Όπως εκείνος που ελέγχεται από τη συνείδησή του για τη διάπραξη παρανομιών, είναι ταλαίπωρος, έτσι κι εκείνος που έχει καθαρή τη συ­νείδησή του, ακόμα κι αν φοράει κουρέλια ή παλεύει με την πείνα, είναι πιο εύθυμος απ' αυτούς που ξεφα­ντώνουν.

Τα χρήματα τα έχεις για ν' ανακουφίζεις από τη φτώχεια, όχι για να διαπραγματεύεσαι με τη φτώχεια. Εσύ, όμως, δανείζοντας χρήματα με τόκο στον φτωχό συνάνθρωπό σου, του ετοιμάζεις μεγαλύτερη συμφο­ρά.

Κάνε αυτή τη συναλλαγή, δεν σε εμποδίζω, αλλά για τη βασιλεία των ουρανών. Ως αντάλλαγμα της βοήθειας, που προσφέρεις, μην πάρεις τόκο, αλλά την αιώνια ζωή. Γιατί γίνεσαι μικρολόγος και χάνεις κά­τι τόσο μεγάλο για λίγα χρήματα, που χάνονται; Για­τί αφήνεις το Θεό και επιδιώκεις το κέρδος;

Γιατί παραβλέπεις τον πλούσιο Κύριο και κυνηγάς τον φτωχό άνθρωπο; Ο Κύριος θα σου ανταποδώσει κάθε ευερ­γεσία που κάνεις, ενώ ο άνθρωπος στενοχωριέται, όταν επιστρέφει ό,τι του δάνεισες.

Αυτός δύσκολα σου δίνει και το ένα εκατοστό από τα δανεικά, ενώ Εκείνος εκατονταπλάσια σου ανταποδίδει και την αθανασία σου χαρίζει. Αυτός σου δίνει τα δανεικά με βαρυγγώμια και βρισιές, ενώ Εκείνος σου ανταποδί­δει τις αγαθοεργίες με επαίνους και εγκώμια.

Αυτός νιώθει για σένα μίσος, ενώ Εκείνος σου ετοιμάζει με αγάπη στεφάνια δόξας. Αυτός απρόθυμα σου δίνει σ' αυτή τη ζωή ό,τι σου χρωστάει, ενώ Εκείνος πρόθυμα σου δίνει και σ' αυτή τη ζωή και στην άλλη όσα δεν σου χρωστάει.


Αγιος Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος

ORTHODOX PHILOSOPHY OF TRUTH - St Justin Popovich

On the path from nonbeing to All-being, man travels through God’s miraculous mysteries adorned in wondrous forms of created matter and spirit. The further he is from nonbeing and the closer to All-being, the hungrier he becomes for deathlessness and sinlessness, the thirstier for changelessness and eternity. But sin oppressively pulls him toward nonbeing and, through death, greedily robs the soul. Life’s entire wisdom is to defeat nonbeing within and without, and to submerse oneself fully in All-being. This wisdom is taught by the philosophy of the Holy Spirit; it is wisdom and knowledge—indeed, it is the grace-filled wisdom and grace-filled knowledge concerning the nature of being, the focus of which is knowledge of things divine and human, of things visible and invisible. The philosophy of the Holy Spirit is at the same time the moral creative force which, through man’s becoming like God by way of ascetic, grace-filled advancement, multiplies his divine understanding of God, the world and humanity. This ethical character of Orthodox philosophy is emphasized by St. John Damascene when he says, “Philosophy is the making of one’s self like God (όμοιοΰσθαι θεώ),” and as a result, “it is the art of arts and the science of sciences (τέχνη τεχνών και επιστήμη επιστημών).”2 As the life-creating philosophy of the Holy Spirit, it is the only art capable of fashioning a God-like and Christ-like person out of the diverse and complex human being; and as the science of the Holy Spirit, it is the only science capable of teaching the self-absorbed and mortalized creature called man how to defeat death and obtain immortality. That is why Orthodox philosophy is the art of arts and science of sciences.

The philosophy of the Holy Spirit is made of eternal truths about God, the world, and man, which in the evangelical language of the Church are called dogmas. Therefore, Dogmatics is the philosophy and science of God’s eternal truths, which have been revealed to man so that they may become incarnated in people’s lives and fulfill the eternal meaning of people’s existence—their arduous voyage from nonbeing to All-being. But it is obvious that contemporary man’s sense of immortality and eternity is paralyzed, and that his knowledge of the eternity and divine-humanity of everything human is darkened. Having been lulled to sleep and taken captive by metaphysical and ethical relativism, contemporary man usually ends in an all-encompassing nihilism. When one awakens from the nightmarish sleep of relativism . but merely detects the miraculous reality of the eternal and death-one always finds within oneself power to take wing and soar to-rd the eternal truth concerning the world and man. The instant me eternal problem arises in mans soul, he immediately experiences terrible and unquenchable yearning for eternal truth. Then the mer-less feelings of hunger and thirst for knowledge hound him through ae desert of life toward the oasis where eternal truths grow, and where prings of living water murmur smoothly into eternal life. In this new disposition, man transforms himself into a yearning arrow traveling toward that which is deathless and eternal, divine and holy. He is heading from things human to things divine-human. And if divine life flows into his soul by way of God’s truths, within him thrives life—deathless and eternal—because life and truth, eternal life and eternal truth, are one and the same in their divine-human reality. I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), proclaimed the wondrous Lord Jesus, because only in Him are these three one and of one essence; while outside of Him there is neither a way to the eternal, nor truth about the eternal, nor life in the eternal. That is what makes His Divine-human Person unique and irreplaceable. In everything belonging to Christ, this indivisible trinity reigns: the way, the truth, and the life. In every dogma of the Lord Christ these three are always one and indivisible, because each dogma is a path leading through eternal truth into eternal life. That is why in dogmas everything is infinity, immortality, and eternity, and nothing is transient, mortal, or fictitious.

Eternity and God-manhood are the one and only category of New Testament life and thought; hence dogmas as everlasting truths are al-ways eternal and divine-human. Energizing his thinking by a grace-filled, evangelical life, man steadily ascends from one eternal truth to the second, from the second to the third, and so forth, through countless others, toward the peak of all peaks, finally fulfilling r,-:- Ki»inei me pleroma of his existence, knowledge and

‘-~rU—tnat \s the password to evangelical, divine-human, anu v^.. eternal truths of Christ, the Orthodox man graauiuv knowledge, his will, his sentiments, and his life from everything corrupt, ephemeral, relative, and mortal. Immersing himself in everything holy, everlasting, absolute, and eternal, he revives himself. Through a grace-filled ascetic struggle he thoroughly conquers the sin-loving, self-absorbed and anthropocentric old man within, in the name of the God-man Who is always sinless, alive in God, centered in God. In his joyous striving towards the God-man, the Christ-yearning man grows in thought and life, descends to all depths, and expands into all expanses—so thoroughly does he grow with God toward divine-human heights (which are beyond reach of the relativist-nihilistic understanding), where the wonder-working Lord Jesus is all in all for our thought, soul, feeling, and life.

The mystery of the Truth is neither in things, nor in ideas, nor in symbols, but in the Person, namely the Divine-human Person of the Lord Christ—I am the Truth. The all-perfect Truth: never diminished, never changing, always one and the same in perfect fullness, always one and the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). The Truth: always eternal, even within time; always infinite, even within the finite; always immortal, even within the mortal. All other truths originate from this Truth as rays from the sun; that is why they are also eterna! and immortal. In fact, all dogmas constitute one and only one Truth the God-man Lord Christ. They all lead to Him because they original from Him; they all lead to Him just as every ray of sunshine leads » the sun. If man would only begin to follow to its source the tru about the good, then he would inevitably come to the Lord Christ, Creator and Origin. If he follows the truth of righteousness, again h< inevitably led to the Lord Christ as its Source and its Creator. If h searching for the truths of life, of the world, of eternity, of love, off fection, of charity, of grace, of joy, of humility, of hope, of prayer, c faith—he always comes to the Lord Christ as the only Source and ator. He who is led by Orthodox philosophy feels and compreh



with all his being that there is nothing relative either on this side of the grave or the other; with his entire soul and throughout his life’s strug-gles, trials, and experiences, he flows into infinity and eternity—Christ’s infinity and eternity.

Eternal dogmatic truths are neither abstract concepts, nor syllogistic conclusions, nor logical hypotheses. Rather, they are events and ex-periences with historic immediacy and reality, because they have been proclaimed, revealed, seen, heard, and have occurred in space and time among people. For example, the dogma of the Holy Trinity is an eternal truth, proclaimed to the world through many Old Testament and New Testament prophecies, events, and experiences; the dogma of the God-man Christ is founded on the historic existence of the God-man Jesus of Nazareth; the dogma of the Resurrection is the historic fact of the Resurrection of Christ. What applies to these dogmas, applies to all other dogmas, since all of them, from the first to the last, are established on historic reality—testified by eye-witnesses without any doubt. If a person considers without bias the content and the meaning of the dogmas of the New Testament, he will have to realize that all of them represent, and also are, divine and divine-human facts occurring within the limits of time and space. People may not be able to comprehend them, but they cannot dispute them. It is a reality that the stubborn opponents of God deny the facts themselves, even when they see them with their own eyes. The Pharisees are classic examples of this and are the prototype of all Pharisees of all times. They dispute and negate facts simply because they are facts, because they do not want facts to be facts, and they try with all their might to transform facts into hypotheses, into illusions, into fictions.

Dogmatics is a mosaic of its own kind. It sorts and classifies eternal dogmatic truths according to their attributes and according to the light that they emit, so that, within the mosaic of these eternal truths, the image of Christ is obtained, which is actually the full image of the Rev-elations of both the Old and New Testaments. Dogmatic truths are in all their aspects divine, limitless, boundless, and eternal, since they originate from the limitless, boundless, and eternal God. By their nature they cannot have their provenance from man, and they cannot be according to man. Here the human being does not create, because hu-mans do not have in themselves the powers and forces to create eternal and limitless truths, but rather they receive them from God in their finished form. Human creativity in this respect consists in accepting the eternal dogmatic truths in faith and transforming them into one’s own life, thinking, and feeling through grace-filled evangelical struggles, thus achieving holiness and perfection. In this respect the Holy Fathers are the living incarnation of eternal dogmatic truths. They are the possessors of the holy dogmatic truth, and as such they are its preachers and confessors. An Orthodox dogmatician must go to the saints for all dogmatic truths and learn from them, not forgetting that communication with them is only achieved by means of prayer, fasting, and vigil. It follows that the work of the Orthodox dogmatician is ascetical and diverse. It is an ascetic struggle primarily because the Orthodox man learns from the saints by means of holy struggles in prayerful reverence and awe before the bearers of God’s eternal truths. In the introduction to his dogmatic discourse An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, St. John Damascene established, once and for all, the guiding principle for Orthodox dogmaticians: “I shall say nothing of my own, but I shall set down summarily things which have been said in various places by wise and godly men.” In quoting these words of the great and holy theologian, I remain in my unworthiness and lowliness, and I hardly dare say that I used the same principle in my work. I also add with fervent sincerity that in respect to him, St. John Damascene, and to all the Fathers of the Church—the philosophers of the Holy Spirit—I remain deaf and dumb. I only stammer out (oh, if I could only recite clearly!) God’s eternal truths taken from the great Fathers, great in holiness and wisdom, and primarily from the wonderful musician of holy truths, St. John Damascene. If anything in this work of mine is good, evangelical, and Orthodox, it belongs to him and them, and everything that is contrary belongs to me and only me. I



have also learned much from the more recent great dogmaticians: Met-ropolitan Macarius, Bishop Sylvester, and Metropolitan Anthony. In my work I have also considered the works of other Orthodox dogmaticians of recent times: Archbishop Philaret, Archimandrite Anthony, Protopresbyter Malinovsky, Zikos Rosis, Androutsos, Dyovouniotis, and Protopresbyter Stevan Veselinovich.

I have to make special mention that I was sometimes forced in my humble efforts to create new dogmatic terminology which we lacked,3 or which, if it existed, had not been completely worked out.

The first volume of Dogmatics includes everything up to Christol-ogy. The rest—from Christology to eschatology—I will publish, if God allows, soon.

The Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, The Year of Our Lord 1932 Hieromonk Justin.


St Justin Popovich

" I called but you didn't answer "

I was looking at you when you woke up this morning. I was expecting you to tell me one or two things, thanking me for everything that was happening to you, asking for my assistance for whatever you were about to do today.
I realized that you were very busy trying to find what to wear for work. I was hoping that you would find a few moments to tell me ‘good morning’!
But you were very busy. To help you see that I was near you, I had created the colorful sky and the songs of the birds. What a pity! You didn’t even notice my presence, not even then.
I was looking at you being in a hurry for work and was again waiting for you. I suspected that because you were busy you didn’t have time to say a few words to Me, even then.
When you returned from work, I saw how tired you were and how stressed and sent you some rain to relieve you from the day’s stress. I thought that by making this favor to you, you would remember Me.
Instead, being tired, you swore at Me. I so much wished that you would have wanted to talk to Me.
Still the day was not over yet. You switched on the TV and watched your favorite program. I was waiting. Then you had dinner with your loved ones and once again you didn’t remember Me.
Seeing you so exhausted, I understood your need for silence and turned off the sky’s brilliance so you could get some rest, but I didn’t turn the sky into a dark pitch. I turned on innumerable stars for you. They were so beautiful… it’s a pity you didn’t see them… never mind!
Do you really realize that I am here for you; I have more patience that you can ever imagine. I want to demonstrate this, so that you tell those around you.I love you so much that I am putting up with you.
Any moment now, you will wake up again. All I can do is to love you and hope that today at least you will give me some of your time…
Your loving Father
The Lord of Infinite Love.

Reading in Communion

“Seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear…” (Matt. 13:13)

This is Jesus’ description of those who encountered Him but did not understand. Just because we see something doesn’t mean we see it. Just because we hear something doesn’t mean we’ve heard it. This is particularly true of Holy Scripture. Just because we read it doesn’t mean we’ve read it.

Why do we read the Scriptures?

I assume that anyone who is “reading the Scriptures” is, in fact, a believing Christian, otherwise they would just be reading a collection of ancient writings held in esteem by Christians. For the books of the Bible to be “Scripture” is to say that they are considered somehow inspired and somehow authoritative. But to read them as Scripture also asks the question: “Whose Scripture?” The answer is, “The Christian Community’s – the Church’s.”

Some point famously to Paul’s admonition to Timothy:


All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

However, this is the admonition of an Apostle to a Bishop. “Doctrine” (“teaching”) is not the task of every Christian. Instead we are told that not many of us should be teachers (James 3:1). St. Paul urges believers at various times to give heed to the “doctrine” that they have received (Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 1:3; 1 Timothy 4:6; etc.).

In our modern culture, many Christians act as though they have a major task in life to learn doctrine, meaning to once again study the Scriptures and come to their own conclusions about everything under the sun. It is as though Martin Luther was reincarnated multiple times in every generation.

Doctrine, sound teaching, is the “pattern” of teaching which has been delivered (traditioned) to us. We find witnesses to this teaching in the Fathers from the first century forward. The reading of Scripture is not the means whereby we arrive at sound doctrine – sound doctrine is the means whereby we rightly read the Scriptures. The Christian reading of Holy Scripture is a “doctrinally-ruled” reading. We do not come to the Scriptures to decide whether the Nicene Council “got it right.” Without a knowledge of doctrine, much of Scripture will remain closed to the reader.

But there are ways of reading Scripture that are appropriate and generally essential to the Christian life. “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of me,” Christ says (John 5:39).

The most appropriate and life-giving manner of reading the Scriptures is to read them as a means of communion (koinonia) with God. Communion with God, sharing in His Life even as He shares in ours, is the means and the goal of salvation. Everything in the Christian life – indeed, the whole purpose of human life – is communion with God. Sin is the breaking of this communion, while salvation is its restoration. All of the sacraments have the one purpose of communion with God, whether manifest as Eucharist, Healing, Ordination, Baptism, etc. The only purpose of prayer is communion with God, for we do not speak to God to inform Him of what He already knows nor to convince of what He is already going to do. We are taught to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), because communion “without ceasing” is the very definition of the Christian life.

So how do we read for the purpose of communion? St. Isaac of Syria says this:


The course of your reading should be parallel to the aim of your way of life…. Most books that contain instructions in doctrine are not useful for purification. The reading of many diverse books brings distraction of mind down on you. Know, then, that not every book that teaches about religion is useful for the purification of the consciousness and the concentration of the thoughts.

In our democratic culture, we find it offensive that anyone should be forbidden to read anything. I would only point to the spiritual abuse found on any number of “Orthodox” websites in which serious matters, originally written for monastics or for the guidance of clergy are tossed about for even the non-Orthodox to read. As if the canons of the Church were meant for mass consumption!

Parents who care about the health of their children usually follow some regimen in the course of their young lives when it comes to feeding them. “Milk and not stong meat” is the Scriptural admonition for those who are young in the faith. St. James offers this warning:


Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness(3:1).

And St. Peter’s Second Epistle offers this:


So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures (3:15-16).

It’s not that Scripture or Canons or books of doctrine are to be avoided or forbidden – rather, that we should learn to read with wisdom in an effort to grow spiritually and not in an effort simply to gain knowledge of a questionable sort.

St. Isaac’s observation is that we give attention first to “purification of the consciousness and concentration of thoughts.” By such phrases he refers primarily to the daily regimen of what we read and how we pray (as well as fasting and repentance) towards the goal of overcoming the passions. Only someone who is not himself ruled by the passions is ready to safely guide someone else beyond those same rocks. Anger and condemnation, pride and superiority are marks of the passions. The passions cannot read the Scriptures and the Traditions rightly, nor offer them to others without doing harm. The same can be said about most argumentation. Reading for the sake of feeding our opinions is actuallyspiritually harmful.

So, to follow St. Isaac’s guidance, we are reading rightly when our reading is an integral part of a life whose single goal is communion with God. Obviously, “single goal” is the end of the game. On a daily basis we build towards that goal.

Reading with communion as a goal does not mean we avoid information (when we read), but that gathering information is not our primary purpose. Before the Divine Liturgy, as I enter the altar, I recite the portion of Psalm 5 appointed for priests:


I will enter Thy house, I will worship toward Thy holy temple in the fear of Thee. Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of my enemies; make my way straight before Thee. For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is destruction, their throat is an open sepulcher, they flatter with their tongue. Judge them, O God, let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against Thee. But let all who take refuge in Thee rejoice, let them always sing for joy; and do Thou dwell in them, that those who love Thy name my exult in Thee. For Thou blessest the righteous, O Lord, Thou coverest us with good will as with a shield.

How can I read this as communion? About whom am I speaking? This is roughly how I read this in my heart:


I will enter my heart [that place where God dwells], I will acknowledge that it is You who dwell in me. Lead me rightly, O Lord, because of the wicked thoughts within me [my enemies]….My thoughts [logismoi] have no truth in them – they think only of destruction. They are like an open grave….Let me sing with joy in my heart – where You dwell. Let me exult in Your name. For those who rejoice in the Name of Jesus will exult and be blessed. You protect them with Your good will.

And I follow these thoughts into my heart. There I find communion with God – distractions flee away. There have been other times in my priesthood when I recited this Psalm as though it were a meditation of God protecting me from other people – particularly those about whom I felt anxious, or whom, in my neurosis, I imagined to be enemies. Such a reading (close to a literal reading) was not only useless, but left me deeper in darkness than I had been before I began my day.

Devotional reading tends to be slow, and often of short duration. For many books that I read – I can only take in a few pages a day.

Contrary to our popular self-conception, we are not a culture that values learning. We are a culture that values opinion, and opinion as entertainment (God save us from the pundits!). Dilettantism plagues us. If we want to be Christians, we must start with the small things and the practices that make for proper discipleship and “let not many of us become teachers.” Let many of us become those who pray, who fast, who repent, who forgive even their enemies and through the grace of God come to know the stillness within which God may be known.

Η προσευχή σε ξεχωρίζει από τα άλογα ζώα,σε κάνει σύντροφο των Αγγέλων

Η προσευχή της Εκκλησίας έχει τόσο μεγάλη δύναμη, ώστε και αν ακόμη είμαστε πιο άφωνοι και από τις πέτρες, θα μπορούσε να κάνει τη γλώσσα μας πιο ελαφρά από το φτερό. Διότι, όπως ο ζέφυρος όταν φυσάει στα πανιά του πλοίου το κάνει να τρέχει πιο γρήγορα από το βέλος, έτσι και η προσευχή της Εκκλησίας όταν πέσει στη γλώσσα αυτού που την λέει, κινεί τον λόγο δυνατότερο από τον ζέφυρο.

Πόση τιμή δε έχει το πράγμα, να είναι κάποιος άνθρωπος και να συνομιλεί με το Θεό, όλοι το γνωρίζουν, αλλά να δείξουν με λόγια το μέγεθός της δεν μπορούν οι πολλοί, διότι αυτή η τιμή ξεπερνά και των Αγγέλων τη μεγαλοπρέπεια. Αυτό το γνωρίζουν οι ίδιοι οι Άγγελοι, αφού φαίνονται πως έφερναν τις δεήσεις των Προφητών στο Θεό, τους ύμνους και τις λατρείες στο Δεσπότη με φόβο πολύ, έχοντας και τα πόδια σκεπασμένα από την μεγάλη ευλάβεια.



Αλλά αν εκείνοι που πετούν και δεν ησυχάζουν καθόλου δείχνουν το φόβο που έχουν, τούτο μου φαίνεται ότι το κάνουν για να εκπαιδεύουν εμάς στον καιρό της προσευχής να λησμονούμε την ανθρώπινη φύση· και με την προθυμία και τον φόβο που έχουμε, να μη βλέπουμε, ούτε να φανταζόμαστε κανένα πράγμα τούτου του κόσμου, αλλά να μας φαίνεται πως είμαστε μεταξύ των Αγγέλων και προσφέρουμε τη λατρεία που προσφέρουν κι εκείνοι. Διότι όλα τα άλλα, τα δικά μας, είναι πολύ χωρισμένα από τα δικά τους· και η φύση και ο τρόπος ζωής και η σοφία και η φροντίδα και ό,τι άλλο· η προσευχή όμως είναι κοινό έργο των Αγγέλων και των ανθρώπων.

Αυτή η προσευχή σε ξεχωρίζει από τα άλογα ζώα, αυτή η προσευχή σε κάνει σύντροφο των Αγγέλων αυτή μπορεί γρήγορα να σε ανεβάσει στη δική τους πολιτεία, στη ζωή, στη δίαιτα, και την τιμή και την συγγένεια, και τη σύνεση και τη σοφία, και να σε κάνει να φροντίζεις όλη σου τη ζωή να βρίσκεσαι σε προσευχές και στη λατρεία του Θεού.


 http://iliaxtida.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/%CE%AE-%CE%AF-%CF%8C-%CE%ACal-2/

ΕΤΣΙ ΚΑΤΑΦΕΡΑ ΝΑ ΚΑΝΩ ΠΑΙΔΙ... TO ΘΑΥΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΑΣ!

Φαινομενικα ειμαι μια γυναικα που εχει πολλα τατουαζ, piercing και το ντυσιμο μου αλλα και η μουσικη που ακουω ειναι λιγο extreme για μια μανα με δυο παιδια. Κανεις οταν με βλεπει δε μπορει να φανταστει οτι εχω πιστη, οτι προσευχομαι, οτι ελπιζω σε ενα θαυμα.Απο μικρη πιστευα γιατι αυτο με βοηθουσε. Ομως παντα μα παντα ζητουσα βοηθεια απο την Παναγια.

Πριν απο 10 χρονια ημουν εγκυος. Λογω δουλειας ημουν στην Σαντορινη. Ο γιατρος που με παρακολουθουσε διαπιστωσε παλινδρομη κύηση. Κρυος ιδρωτας με ελουσε και πανικος. Ηθελε να μου παρει το εμβρυο στο ιατρειο του χωρις καν να ξερουμε αν θα μπορουσαμε να βρουμε αιμα αν χρειαζοταν ή και σε περιπτωση επιπλοκης θα επρεπε να μεταφερθω στην Κρητη με ελικοπτερο.

Το σκεφτηκα, το συζητησα με τον αντρα μου και ειπα πως θα κανω κουραγιο να παω Θεσσαλονικη. Σε αεροπλανο φοβομουνα να μπω (δεν ειχα ταξιδεψει ποτε εως τοτε και η κατασταση μού μεγαλωνε τον φοβο). Ετσι η μονη λυση ηταν το καραβι. 2 μερες πριν ταξιδεψω για Θεσσαλονικη (19 ωρες ταξιδι) μονη μου, γιατι ο αντρας μου δε μπορουσε να φυγει απο την δουλεια του, ειδα το πρωτο αιμα. Σταματησαν οι αναγουλες, σταματησε η υπνηλια. Καταλαβα οτι αποβαλω.

Στον γιατρο δεν ξαναπηγα, ρισκαρα κανονικα τη ζωη μου. Ερχεται η μερα του ταξιδιου και προσευχομαι στην Παναγια και της ζηταω να ταξιδεψω ασφαλης προς την Θεσσαλονικη. Το αιμα ελαχιστο αλλα σταθερο. Φτανει το καραβι στην Τηνο. Προσευχομαι και ταζω το πρωτο παιδι που θα κανω καποια στιγμη στην χαρη της, αρκει να φτασω καλα.

Μετα απο 2 ωρες παω τουαλετα. Αιμα πουθενα. Ειχε σταματησει η αιμοραγια.

Φτανω Θεσσαλονικη την επομενη. Αιμα πουθενα. Με πηγαινουν οι δικοι μου στο νοσοκομειο. Πραματικα ειχα μπει σε διαδικασια αποβολης αλλα ο οργανισμος μου ηταν σαν να μη περνουσα κατι τετοιο. Στον υπερηχο φαινοταν ο σακος αλλα κανενα ιχνος καρδουλας εννοειται. Με βαζουν χειρουργειο και με καθαριζουν.

Την πρωτη μου κορη την ονομασα Δεσποινα, οπως της ειχα ταξει. 


http://www.agioritikovima.gr/thavmata/25569-eti-katafera-n

Romanian Orthodox Byzantine Chant - Ortodoxe românești Cântarea bizantină

Serbian Orthodox Chant - Српска православна Цхант

Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery , Kendalia , Texas

θαύμα να δει ένας άπιστος, η υπερηφάνεια δεν τον αφήνει να πιστέψει...

Αθεΐα! Τίτλος μεγάλος και καύχημα για τον σημερινόν άνθρωπο. Όποιος τον αποχτήσει(και για να τον αποχτήσει, φτάνει να χειροτονηθεί μοναχός του άπιστος),γίνεται παρευθύς στα μάτια των άλλων σοφός, κι' ας είναι αμόρφωτος, σοβαρός, κι' ας είναι γελοίος, επίσημος κι' ας είναι αλογάριαστος, υπεράξιος κι' ας είναι ανάξιος, επιστήμονας κι' ας είναι κουφιοκέφαλος.

Δεν μιλώ για τον άνθρωπο που έχει πόθο να πιστέψει, μα δεν μπορεί, με όλο που κατά βάθος πάντα η αιτία της απιστίας είναι η περηφάνεια, αυτή η οχιά, που κρύβεται τόσο επιτήδεια μέσα στον άνθρωπο, που δεν μπορεί να την καταλάβει. Όπως και νάναι, οι άνθρωποι που αγωνίζουνται και πολεμάνε με τον άπιστο εαυτό τους, έχουνε όλη τη συμπόνεσή μας.

Γι' αυτούς παρακαλούμε, όσοι πιστεύουμε, να τους βοηθήσει ο Θεός να πιστέψουνε, όπως έκανε σε κείνον τον πατέρα που είχε άρρωστο το παιδί του, και παρεκάλεσε τον Χριστό να το γιατρέψει. Και Κείνος του είπε: «Αν μπορείς να πιστέψεις, όλα είναι δυνατά σε κείνον που πιστεύει». Και τότε ο πατέρας του παιδιού έκραξε με δάκρυα: «Πιστεύω, Κύριε. Βοήθει μου τη απιστία», δηλαδή «έχω πόθο να πιστέψω, κι' εσύ, Κύριε, δυνάμωσέ τον».



Οι άπιστοι, για τους οποίους μιλούμε, δεν είναι τέτοιοι. Όχι μονάχα δεν κλάψανε ποτέ, για να ανοίξουνε με τον πόνο και με τη συντριβή την κλεισμένη πόρτα, την πόρτα της μετανοίας, όπως έκανε εκείνος ο δυστυχισμένος πατέρας που γράφει το Ευαγγέλιο, αλλά μήτε συγκινηθήκανε ποτέ τους, μήτε αισθανθήκανε καμμιά πίκρα για την απιστία τους, μήτε νοιώσανε πως έχουνε γι' αυτό καμμιά ευθύνη, κανένα φταίξιμο.

Όλο το φταίξιμο είναι του Θεού, που δεν φανερώνεται μπροστά τους να τους πει: «Ελάτε, ψηλαφήσετέ με, πιάστε με, μιλείστε μαζί μου όπως μιλάτε μεταξύ σας, αναλύσετέ με μέ τη χημεία σας, κομματιάστε με μέ το μαχαίρι της ανατομίας σας, ζυγίστε με, μετρείστε με, ικανοποιήσετε τις άπιστες αισθήσεις σας, χορτάσετε τ' αχόρταγο λογικό σας!».

Αυτοί οι αυτοτιτλοφορούμενοι άπιστοι, σε καιρό που επιδείχνουνε την εξυπνάδα τους, φουσκωμένοι από τον κούφιον αγέρα της περηφάνειας κι' από την πονηρή ευστροφία του μυαλού τους, δεν είναι σε θέση οι δύστυχοι, να νοιώσουνε πόσο ανόητοι και στενόψυχοι φαίνουνται σε κείνους που πιστεύουνε. Γιατί, για να πιστέψουνε, ζητάνε κάποιες αποδείξεις που κάνουνε τον πιστό να τους ελεεινολογεί για την περιορισμένη αντίληψη που έχουνε για το πνεύμα και για τα πνευματικά ζητήματα.

Ο πιστός ξέρει πολύ καλά ως που μπορούνε να φτάξουνε οι διαλογισμοί του άπιστου, γιατί, κι' αυτός, σαν άνθρωπος, τους έχει εκείνους τους λογισμούς, τους λογισμούς της σάρκας, τους λογισμούς τούτου του κόσμου. Ενώ ο άπιστος είναι ανύποπτος για όσα έχει μέσα του ο πιστός, και για ό,τι βρίσκεται παραπέρα από την πρακτική γνώση του, δηλαδή για τα μυστήρια που είναι κρυμμένα από τα μάτια του, και που γι' αυτό θαρρεί πως δεν υπάρχουνε.

Κι' από την ανοησία του κορδώνεται, και μιλά με καταφρόνεση για κείνους που είναι σε θέση να νοιώσουνε τη βαθύτερη σύσταση του κόσμου, ενώ αυτός ο δυστυχής είναι τυφλός και κουφός, και θαρρεί πως τα' ακούει όλα και πως τα βλέπει όλα.



Ο πιστός έχει πνευματικά μάτια και πνευματικά αυτιά, καθώς και κάποια «υπέρ αίσθησιν». Ο άπιστος πώς να πάρει είδηση από κείνον τον μυστικόν κόσμο μόνο με τα χονδροειδή μέσα που έχει, δηλαδή με τις σωματικές αισθήσεις; Πώς να πιάσει τα λεπτά κι' αλλόκοτα μηνύματα εκείνου του κόσμου, αφού ο δυστυχής δεν έχει τις κεραίες που χρειάζουνται για να τα πιάσει;
Ο Απόστολος Παύλος γράφει στην Α' προς Κορινθίους επιστολή του, με τον τρόπο που γνωρίζει μονάχα αυτός, για το τι είναι σε θέση να νοιώσει ο πιστός, και τι μπορεί να νοιώσει ο άπιστος: Λαλούμε, λέγει, τη σοφία του Θεού που είναι μέσα σε μυστήριο, και που είναι κρυμμένη, τη σοφία που την προόρισε ο Θεός, πριν από τους αιώνες, για δόξα δική μας, και που δεν τη γνώρισε κανένας από τους άρχοντες τούτου του κόσμου (δηλ. τους σοφούς της κοσμικής σοφίας), και που ξεσκεπάζει αυτά που, κατά τη Γραφή, δεν τα είδε μάτι, και που δεν τ' άκουσε αυτί, και που δεν ανεβήκανε στην καρδιά κανενός ανθρώπου, εκείνα που ετοίμασε ο Θεός για κείνους που τον αγαπούνε. Αλλά σε μας τα φανέρωσε ο Θεός με το Πνεύμα του το άγιο. Επειδή, το άγιο Πνεύμα όλα τα ερευνά, και τα βάθη του Θεού.


Γιατί, ποιος άνθρωπος γνωρίζει το μέσα του ανθρώπου, παρά μονάχα το πνεύμα του ανθρώπου που είναι μέσα στον άνθρωπο; Έτσι και τα μυστήρια του Θεού δεν τα γνωρίζει κανένας παρά μονάχα το Πνεύμα του Θεού.


Κι' εμείς δεν επήραμε το πνεύμα του κόσμου ( δηλ. τη φιλοσοφία και την κοσμική γνώση), αλλά το Πνεύμα του Θεού, για να γνωρίσουμε όσα χάρισε σε μας ο Θεός. Κι' αυτά (τα χαρίσματα) δεν τα εκφράζουμε με τα λόγια που διδάσκεται η ανθρώπινη σοφία, αλλά με λόγια που διδάσκει το άγιο Πνεύμα, μιλώντας σε πνευματικούς ανθρώπους με πνευματικόν τρόπο. Πλην, ο άνθρωπος που έχει την σαρκική γνώση (τον ορθολογισμό), δεν παραδέχεται όσα διδάσκει το Πνεύμα του Θεού, γιατί τα νομίζει για ανοησίες, και δεν είναι σε θέση να καταλάβει πως ανακρίνεται πνευματικά.Ο πνευματικός όμως άνθρωπος, ανακρίνει κάθε άνθρωπο, ενώ αυτός από κανέναν δεν ανακρίνεται».


Η απιστία υπήρχε πάντα. Μα σήμερα, με την αποτρόπαια ματαιοδοξία που μας τρώγει, την επιδείχνουμε σαν να μας δίνει τη μεγαλύτερη αξία. Όποιος έχει πίστη στον Θεό και στην αλήθεια που φανέρωσε, είναι καταφρονεμένος, σαν στενόμυαλος κι' ανόητος, και τραβά πάνω του όλα τα περιγελάσματα.


Λογαριάζεται για ¨βλαμμένος» από τον πολύν κόσμο, μάλιστα από τον κόσμο που ξέρει να τα καταφέρνει στη ζωή, να «πετυχαίνει», να βγάζει λεφτά, να καλοπερνά, να μη δίνει πεντάρα για τίποτα, κατά το ρητό που λέγει: «Φάγωμεν και πίωμεν, αύριον γαρ αποθνήσκομεν». Για τούτο, χρειάζεται να έχει θάρρος και να περιφρονά την εκτίμηση του κόσμου και το υλικό συμφέρον του, όποιος λέγει πως έχει πίστη στον Θεό.





Ενώ εκείνον που καυχιέται πως δεν πιστεύει σε τίποτα, α') Τον έχει ο κόσμος σε μεγάλη υπόληψη και σεβασμό, μάλιστα όσο περισσότερο άπιστος λέγει πως είναι, τόσο περισσότερη είναι η εκτίμηση και ο σεβασμός που φανερώνει ο έξυπνος και σοβαρός κόσμος στο πρόσωπό του.


Ο τέτοιος άνθρωπος είναι συνοφρυωμένος, με λίγα και βαρειά λόγια, αράθυμος κι' απότομος, « θετικός άνθρωπος», « γερό μυαλό». β') Όλα του έρχουνται βολικά, και δεν σκοτίζεται, δεν στενοχωριέται για τίποτα. Δεν έχει ευθύνες και ζαλούρες: Εδώ κάτω, λέγει, είναι η Κόλαση κι' ο Παράδεισος. Η ζωή είναι για να την απολαβαίνουνε οι έξυπνοι. Οι κοιμισμένοι κι' οι αφιονισμένοι ας πεθάνουνε».


Εξ άλλου, δεν υπάρχει πιο εύκολο πράγμα από το να κάνεις τον άπιστο! Πατάς ένα μονάχα κουμπί, κι' όλα σου έρχονται βολικά. Ο διάβολος είπε στον Χριστό: Πέσε, προσκύνησέ με, και θα γίνουνε οι πέτρες ψωμιά, «οι λίθοι άρτοι».


Λέγει λοιπόν ο έξυπνος : « Να κάθεσαι, άνθρωπος με τετρακόσα μυαλά, να χάνεις τον καιρό σου με χαζομάρες, σαν τις γρηές, με θεούς, με κόλαση και με παράδεισο, με καντήλια, με θυμιατά, με δισκοπότηρα, με παπάδες και με καλόγρηες! Και σε ποια εποχή; Στην εποχή μας, που η επιστήμη στέλνει ανθρώπους στους πλανήτες! Ακούς, φίλε μου, βλακεία που έχει αυτός ο κόσμος;».

Αυτά λένε για τους πιστούς οι έξυπνοι και οι τιμημένοι τούτου του κόσμου, και τους χειροκροτούνε οι πολλοί, που τους έχουνε για φρόνιμους σε όλα, επειδή δεν κυνηγάνε ίσκιους, αλλά έχουνε μυαλό γερό, και επιτυχαίνουνε σε ότι καταπιαστούνε.


Ναι! Επιτυχαίνουνε, γιατί, μ' έναν λόγο, η απιστία είναι « η πλατεία πύλη και ευρύχωρος οδός», που δεν πιστεύουνε πως είναι «η απάγουσα εις την απώλειαν», όπως είπε ο Χριστός, αλλά « εις την επί γης ευδαιμονίαν».


Ενώ η πίστη είναι «η στενή πύλη και τεθλιμμένη οδός», που δεν πιστεύουνε πως είναι « η απάγουσα εις την ζωήν», αλλά « εις την επί γης δυστυχίαν και περιφρόνησιν». « Πολλοί εισιν οι εισερχόμενοι διά της πλατείας πύλης» κατά τον λόγο του Κυρίου, « και ολίγοι εισιν οι ευρίσκοντες την στενήν πύλην».


Όλοι οι άπιστοι λένε πως αν βλέπανε ένα θαύμα, θα πιστεύανε. Μα η πίστη δεν έρχεται με τη βία, αλλά με τη συγκατάθεση της ψυχής. Γι' αυτό σε όσους ζητάνε θαύμα για να πιστέψουνε, δεν δίνεται, κατά τον λόγο που είπε ο Χριστός στους Φαρισαίους: « Γενεά πονηρά και μοιχαλίς σημείον επιζητεί και σημείον ου δοθήσεται αυτή».


Αλλά και θαύμα να δει ένας άπιστος, η υπερηφάνεια δεν τον αφήνει να πιστέψει, για να μη φανεί ευκολόπιστος και καταφρονεθεί.


Πριν καιρό έγραψα με συντομία πέντε- έξη άρθρα για τα θαύματα που γίνουνται σ' ένα χωριό της Μυτιλήνης, με τον τίτλο « Φρικτά μυστήρια». Πολλοί αναγνώστες συγκινηθήκανε στο έπακρο, ιδίως οι ταπεινοί κι' αγράμματοι άνθρωποι, «τα μωρά του κόσμου και τα εξου





θενημένα». Οι έξυπνοι όμως κι' οι τετραπέρατοι δεν δώσανε σημασία, και κάποιοι απ' αυτούς με περιγελάσανε και μου γράψανε πως λέγω ανοησίες.


Αλλά, «Θεός ου μυκτηρίζεται». Από τότε ως τα σήμερα τα θαύματα δεν πάψανε, κι ολοένα γίνουνται πυκνότερα και τρομαχτικώτερα. Οι άνθρωποι που τα βλέπουνε μου τα γράφουνε με όλα τα καθέκαστα, κι απ' αυτά κάνω ένα βιβλίο που θα είναι σαν πυρωμένο σίδερο για τις άπιστες γλώσσες (Πρόκειται για το βιβλίο «Σημείον μέγα» που εξέδωσε ο « Αστήρ»).


Αυτόν τον καιρόν γίνουνται ανασκαφές, για να βρεθεί η αρχαία εκκλησία με τα λείψανα εκείνων που φανερώνονται ολοζώντανοι μπροστά στους απλούς ανθρώπους, στον ύπνο και στον ξύπνο τους, καθώς κι εικόνες και τα' άλλα κειμήλια. Θα είχανε βρεθεί όλα, και θα ξεσκεπαζότανε γρήγορα ολότελα αυτός ο φοβερός κρατήρας, που θα σάρωνε τους άπιστους με την αγιασμένη λάβα του, αν υπήρχανε περισσότερα μέσα στα χέρια των φτωχών ανθρώπων που σκάβουνε με μια πίστη που είναι σαν φωτιά.


Μα, όπως και να είναι, με τη χάρη του Θεού « την τ' ασθενή θεραπεύουσαν και τα ελλείποντα αναπληρούσαν», θα βγάλουνε σε καλό τέλος το βλογημένο αυτό έργο, και θα θριαμβέψει η ακατάλυτη πίστη μας, και θα ακουστεί ως τα πέρατα του άπιστου κόσμου η βροντερή φωνή: « Τις Θεός μέγας ως ο Θεός ημών; Συ ει ο Θεός ο ποιών θαυμάσια μόνος!».

Εκ του περιοδικού "Ορθόδοξος Φιλόθεος Μαρτυρία"
Εκδόσεις "Ορθόδοξος Κυψέλη




φώτης κόντογλου

Πρεπει να κανουμε προσευχη πριν να φαμε.....

(Ο Γέροντας θυμάται τα παιδικά του χρόνια).
Στο τραπέζι καθόμασταν όλοι μαζί. Κάναμε πρώτα προσευχή και υστέρα αρχίζαμε να τρώμε. Αν άρχιζε κανείς να τρώει, πριν ευλογηθεί το τραπέζι, λέγαμε: «αυτός πόρνευσε».

Την έλλειψη εγκράτειας την θεωρούσαμε πορνεία.

Είναι διάλυση της οικογενείας να έρχεται ο καθένας στο σπίτι, οποία ώρα θέλει, και να τρώει μόνος του χωρίς να υπάρχει λόγος.

Υ.Γ

Εσείς γέροντα την έλλειψη της εγκράτειας στο φαγητό τη θεωρούσατε πορνεία

Όσοι από εμάς θεωρούμε την πορνεία αρετή, άλλά και τα κουσούρια τα ονομάσαμε υπέρβαση και απελευθέρωση σε τι σειρά αρετής κατατασσόμαστε;


Αν αυτό που τότε λέγατε εσείς ήταν το αποκορύφωμα της εγκράτειας, αυτό που τώρα κάποιοι λένε από εμάς είναι προφανως το αποκορύφωμα... της διαφθοράς!

Γεροντας Παϊσιος,

Saint Herman of Alaska On Love For God

Once the Elder was invited on board a frigate that had come from St. Petersburg. The captain of the frigate was a man quite learned, highly educated; he had been sent to America by Imperial command to inspect all the colonies. With the captain were some 25 officers, likewise educated men. In this company there sat a desert-dwelling monk of small stature, in an old garment, who by his wise conversation brought all his listeners to such a state that they did not know how to answer him. The captain himself related: "We were speechless fools before him!"


Father Herman gave them all one common question: "What do you, gentlemen, love above all, and what would each of you wish for his happiness?" Diverse answers followed. One desired wealth, one glory, one a beautiful wife, one a fine ship which he should command, and so on in this fashion. "Is it not true," said Father Herman at this, "that all your various desires can be reduced to one - that each of you desires that which, in his understanding, he considers best and most worthy of love?" "Yes, it is so," they all replied. "Well, then, tell me," he continued, "can there be anything better, higher above everything, more surpassing everything and in general more worthy of love, than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who created us, perfectly adorned us, gave life to all, supports all, nourishes and loves all, who Himself is love and more excellent than all men? Should not a person then love God high above all and desire and seek Him more than all else?" All began to say: "Well, yes! That is understood! That speaks for itself!"


"And do you love God?" the Elder then asked. All replied: "Of course, we love God. How can one not love God?" "And I, sinful one, for more than forty years have been striving to love God, and cannot say that I perfectly love Him," answered Father Herman; then he began to show how a person should love God. "If we love someone," he said, "we always think of him, strive to please him, day and night our heart is occupied with this subject. Is it thus that you, gentlemen, love God? Do you often turn to Him, do you always think of Him, do you always pray to Him, and fulfill His holy commandments?" It had to be acknowledged that they did not! "For our good, for our happiness," concluded the Elder, "at least let us make a promise to ourselves, that from this day, from this hour, from this very moment we shall strive to love God above all, and fulfill His holy will!"


Behold what an intelligent, superb conversation Father Herman conducted in society; without doubt this conversation must have imprinted itself on the hearts of his listeners for their whole life!


 http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/05/saint-herman-of-alaska-on-love-for-god.html

How deluded people are about Repentance

What does it mean to say "we are all in prelest"?
You write, "When I was reading the writings of Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov, the following questions came to mind: On page 230 it is written that we are all in prelest; why then, when someone speaks of 'a man in prelest', is this attributed a special meaning? and how should one treat such a person?
In order to understand the expression "we are all in prelest," it is necessary to consider the following. The ancient ascetics regarded "repentance or lamentation of one's sins" as their primary ascetic labor. Many of their sayings concerning this have come down to us. I will cite a few of these in confirmation of [Bishop Ignatius'] writings.
"A brother said to Abba Sisoes: I perceive that the remembrance of God (mental prayer) ever abides in me. The elder said: It is not so extraordinary that your mind is constantly turned toward God; what is extraordinary is when a person considers himself the worst of all creatures" (Ignatius Brianchaninov, Patericon, 4).
"When Abba Arsenius the Great passed away, and St. Poemen heard of his repose, he shed abundant tears and said: Blessed are you, Abba Arsenius, because you wept over yourself during this life! One cannot help but weep, either here according to his own will, or against his will in the torments of hell" (Patericon, 29).
The more advanced a man is in holiness, the deeper is his awareness of his own sinfulness. Conversely, the less refined a man is, the weaker is his awareness of his own sinfulness. In the majority of people Such an awareness is altogether absent. This is why they do not understand the ascetic labor of repentance and do not feel any need for it. Because they do not understand this labor and feel no need to repent, one may say that all such people are in prelest. And inasmuch as we have but a limited awareness of our sinfulness, one may say that we are all in prelest !
Sophia 11/23/1927


What constitutes "prelest proper"?
..St. Isaac the Syrian wrote about this kind of prelest: "The effect of the cross is twofold; the duality of its nature divides it into two parts, One consists in enduring sorrows of the flesh which are brought about by the action of the excitable part of the soul, and this part is called activity. The other part lies in the finer workings of the mind and in divine meditation, as well as in attending to prayer, etc.; it is accomplished by means of the desiring part of the soul and is called contemplation. The part of the soul by dint of its zeal, while the second part is the activity of soulful love, in other words, natural desire, which enlightens the rational part of the soul. Every man who, before perfectly mastering the first part, switches to the second, attracted out of weakness--to say nothing of laziness, is overtaken by God's wrath because he did not first mortify his members which are upon the earth (Col. 3:5). In other words, he did not cure his thoughts of infirmities by patiently bearing the cross, but rather dared in his mind to envision the glory of the cross" (Word 55).
It is evident from these words of Isaac the Syrian that what we call prelest proper exists when a man starts trying to live above his capabilities. Without having cleansed himself of passions, he strives for a life of contemplation and dreams of the delights of spiritual grace. Thus the wrath of God befalls a man; because he thinks too highly of himself, God's grace is withdrawn from him and he falls under the influence of the evil one who actively begins to tickle his vainglory with lofty contemplation and [spiritual] delights...
Briefly, the difference between "general prelest" and prelest in the particular sense of the word can, on the basis of the above. be expressed thus. General prelest is forgetting and not noticing one's sinfulness. That which we call prelest proper is attributing to oneself righteousness when it does not actually exist. If a man thinks he is righteous, then his righteousness is not divine, but diabolical, foreign to the grace of God and to humility. One should recall the famous saying of Abba Poemen the Great: "I prefer a man who sins and repents to one who does not sin and does not repent. The first has good thoughts, for he admits that he is sinful. But the second has false, soul-destroying thoughts, for he imagines himself to be righteous" (Bp. Ignatius, Patericon, 75).
Sophia, 11/24/1927
(Archbishop Theophan's letters translated from the Russian by Antonina Janda)


Archbishop Theophan of Poltava

Θα πρέπει να έχουμε τον πνευματικό μας πατέρα πάντα κοντά μας.....Γεροντας Παϊσιος

Όπως κανείς φροντίζει ο οικογενειακός γιατρός να βρίσκεται, όσο το δυνατόν, κοντά του, έτσι πρέπει να φροντίση και ο πνευματικός να βρίσκεται κοντά του. Ένας γιατρός, όταν είναι κοντά στον άρρωστο, μπορεί να τον βοηθήση καλύτερα από καθηγητές πανεπιστημίου – έστω και αν δεν έχη τόση πείρα -, γιατί μπορεί να τον παρακολουθή συστηματικά και, αν χρειασθή, θα τον στείλη στον ειδικό γιατρό. Μου έκανε εντύπωση το εξής, όταν ήμουν στο Σανατόριο : Πολλοί πλούσιοι που είχαν φυματίωση έμεναν στο σπίτι τους και πήγαιναν εκεί καθηγητές πανεπιστημίου, για να τους κάνουν θεραπεία. Αποδείχθηκε όμως ότι η θεραπεία δεν είχε κανένα αποτέλεσμα, γιατί δεν μπορούσαν να τους παρακολουθούν συστηματικά. Γι’ αυτό αναγκάσθηκαν να δημιουργήσουν στο Σανατόριο ξεχωριστά τμήματα, για να νοσηλεύωνται εκεί, ώστε να παρακολουθούνται συστηματικά.

Θέλω να πω ότι, όπως ο γιατρός από κοντά παρακολουθεί τον άρρωστο, όταν του δίνη κάποια θεραπεία, βλέπει αν τα φάρμακα που του έδωσε τον βοηθούν ή έχουν παρενέργειες κ.λπ., και ανάλογα αυξάνει ή ελαττώνει την δόση και, αν χρειασθή, μπορεί ακόμη και να αλλάξη την θεραπεία, έτσι και ο πνευματικός πρέπει από κοντά να παρακολουθή την ψυχή, γιατί κατά καιρούς παρουσιάζει διάφορες αλλαγές και αντιδράσεις, τις οποίες από μακριά δεν μπορεί να παρακολουθήση, για να τον βοηθήση αποτελεσματικά. Μια φορά είχα πει σε μια ψυχή που είχε έναν πειρασμό: «Θα κάνης αυτό και θα δης ότι θα το ξεπεράσης». Πράγματι μ’ άκουσε και το ξεπέρασε. Μετά από λίγο καιρό είχε έναν τελείως αντίθετο πειρασμό, τον αντιμετώπισε με τον ίδιο τρόπο και ταλαιπωρήθηκε! Μπορούσε η ευλογημένη να στείλη έναν άνθρωπο ή να γράψη ένα γράμμα, για να με ρωτήση τι έπρεπε να κάνη, αφού αντιμετώπιζε άλλη δυσκολία. Θα της έδινα άλλο φάρμακο, δηλαδή άλλη συμβουλή. Δυσκολεύτηκε να με ρωτήση, επειδή ήμουν μακριά. Γι’ αυτό εγώ από μακριά δεν συνηθίζω να δίνω συμβουλές, αν δεν γνωρίζω καλά τον άνθρωπο και δεν έχω στενή επικοινωνία μαζί του.



Γεροντας Παϊσιος

Γιατί είναι σήμερα ότι οι άνθρωποι δεν πιστεύουν

Εκείνοι, που πίστευσαν με τα θαύματα, αποτελούσαν την πιο χαμηλή βαθμίδα πιστών. Και γι’ αυτό, όταν μετά τους παρουσίαζαν την πνευματική υψίστη και αγιωτάτη διδασκαλία της Εκκλησίας, τότε πολλοί από αυτούς την ερμήνευαν, όπως τους άρεσε ο καθένας! Δεν ήθελαν να αναζητήσουν την σωστή ερμηνεία του. Εκριτίκαραν τον λόγο του Θεού, που είναι «πνεύμα και ζωή». Και έτσι, με την επιπολαιότητά τους έχαναν και την πίστη• δηλ. ακόμη και τον αρραβώνα που είχαν λάβει. Και συνέβη αυτό το τραγικό: πολλοί από τους μαθητές του Χριστού, παρ’ ότι είχαν ιδεί πολλά θαύματα και σημεία, απήλθον εις τα οπίσω (= έκαναν πίσω) «και ουκ έτι μετ’ αυτού περιεπάτουν», δηλ. δεν ξαναπήγαν κοντά Του!

Όμως ούτε το κήρυγμα ούτε τα θαύματα του Κυρίου είχαν την πρέπουσα επίδραση στους εβραίους αρχιερείς, γραμματείς, φαρισαίους και σαδδουκαίους• παρ’ ότι – με εξαίρεση ίσως τους σαδδουκαίους – όλοι οι άλλοι ήξεραν πολύ καλά τον νόμο του Θεού. Δεν ήσαν ξένοι στον Θεό, εχθροί του Θεού, μόνο εξ αιτίας της ροπής στην αμαρτία, όπως όλοι οι άνθρωποι. Αυτοί έγινα ηθελημένα εχθροί του Θεού. Και έμειναν σ’ αυτό ασάλευτα σταθεροί. Επήραν την σφραγίδα του εχθρού του Θεού. Με την δική τους αυτεξούσια θέληση. Με την δική τους γνώμη. Επειδή ήθελαν να κάνουν εκείνη την ζωή (και μάλιστα να προκόψουν σ’ εκείνη την ζωή!), που το άγιο Ευαγγέλιο την θεωρεί ψυχώλεθρη! Με τέτοιο φρόνημα δεν ήταν δυνατό να δώσουν σημασία στα λόγια του Υιού του Θεού. Και δεν εισάκουσαν, όπως ώφειλαν, τον λόγο Του. Δεν του έδωκαν σημασία. Προσπαθούσαν μόνο να Τον ψαρεύουν! Να του πιάνουν λόγια, που τα εύρισκαν να επιδέχωνται παρερμηνείες, και τα χρησιμοποιούσαν για να Τον κατηγορούν. Έτσι γίνεται συνήθως. Όποιος έχει μίσος εναντίον κάποιου άλλου, εποικοδομεί επάνω στα λόγια εκείνου που μισεί! «Διατί ο λόγος ο εμός ου χωρεί εν υμίν», ερώτησε του εχθρούς Του ο Σωτήρας μας, όταν τους είδε να αποκρούουν με πείσμα τη σωτηρία, που τους επρότεινε. Γιατί δεν τα καταλαβαίνετε τα λόγια μου; Γιατί δεν δέχεσθε το λόγο μου που δίνει ίαση; Επειδή δεν μπορείτε ούτε να τον ακούσετε! Επειδή σας είναι ανυπόφορος! Επειδή είσθε «ψεύδους έκγονα». Και δουλεύετε μόνο με το ψέμα. Για αυτό δεν πιστεύετε σε μένα, «επειδή εγώ την αλήθειαν λέγω υμίν». «Ο ων εκ του Θεού τα ρήματα του Θεού ακούει». Για αυτό εσείς δεν τα ακούετε, επειδή δεν είσθε «εκ του Θεού». Και συνέχισε ο Κύριος: «Αν αυτά που κάνω δεν είναι έργα του Πατρός μου, μη με πιστεύετε. Αν όμως κάνω τα έργα του Πατέρα μου, και αν ακόμη δεν πιστεύετε εμένα, τουλάχιστον πιστεύσατε στα έργα μου. Και τότε θα το καταλάβετε και θα το πιστεύσετε, ότι ο Πατήρ εν εμοί, καγώ εν Αυτώ». Λόγια σταράτα. Και, σαν λόγια, έκλειναν μέσα τους την απόλυτη αλήθεια. Το ίδιο και τα θαύματα. Και αυτά έκλειναν μέσα τους την απόλυτη αλήθεια. Και ήσαν τόσο σαφή και πασιφανή, ώστε οι εχθροί του Κυρίου, παρ’ όλες τους τις προσπάθειες να τα συγκαλύψουν, δεν είχαν παρά να το ομολογούν ότι ήσαν αληθινά! Εκείνο που ασκούσε μεγάλη επίδραση στο λαό (που δεν ήξερε το νόμο του Θεού ή τον ήξερε πολύ λίγο, και έστρεφε την προσοχή του, την ενασχόλησή του, στις μέριμνες του κόσμου τούτου, χωρίς αυτό να σημαίνη ότι απέρριπτε και το νόμο του Θεού με το έτσι θέλω), αυτό δεν είχε καμμιά απολύτως επίδραση σε εκείνους που ήξεραν καλά τον νόμο του Θεού, μα τον απέρριπταν με τη ζωή τους ηθελημένα . Ό,τι έγινε για τη σωτηρία των ανθρώπων αυτών, έγινε από την άπειρη ευσπλαγχνία του Κυρίου. Αν δεν είχα έλθει και δεν τους το είχα ειπεί – ξεκαθάρισε τα πράγματα ο Σωτήρας μας – δεν θα είχαν σημασία. Αν δεν είχα κάμει αυτά τα έργα, που έκανα μπροστά τους και ανάμεσά τους, που ποτέ δεν έκαμε άνθρωπος άλλος, δεν θα είχαν αμαρτία. Να όμως, που και τα είδαν και παρά ταύτα εμίσησαν όχι μόνο εμένα, αλλά και τον Πατέρα μου. Ο Χριστιανισμός παρεδόθη στον κόσμο με τέτοια αποδεικτικά στοιχεία, ώστε να μη μπορή να έχη κανένας πια δικαιολογία, αν τον αγνοεί. Αιτία της άγνοιας αυτής είναι μία: το «έτσι θέλω».


Άγιος Ιγνάτιος Μπριαντσιανίνωφ

WE MUST ENDURE LIFE'S DIFFICULTIES WITH JOY (PART 2)—from the book The Salvation of Sinners—

It is truly foolish for us to flee from sorrow—
because the more we try to avoid sorrow and suffering, the more they overpower us. Conversely, when we greet difficulties and sorrows with joy,
they become frail and collapse before us, just as when Christ voluntarily proceeded to meet His enemies:“When Jesus went forth and said unto them, ‘Whom seek ye?’ they answered, ‘Jesus of
Nazareth.’ Jesus then said unto them, ‘I am He.’
As soon as He said ‘I am He,’ they went backward and fell to the ground” (Jn. 18:4-6).
 


We can actually experience the joy of Paradise when we find ourselves nailed to the cross of sorrows, if we thank God in times of difficulty and confess that we deserve to suffer, just as the good thief did while hanging on the cross.
 

He acknowledged Christ as the Lord and rebuked the other thief, “Dost not thou fear God? We indeed suffer justly, for we receive the due reward of our
deeds” (Lk. 23:40-41).
Do you see the gratitude of this thief? People who love the Lord behave in the same manner. They realize that they are worthy of condemnation; however, as they hang from their cross they do not lose hope but rather professChrist
to be the Almighty God, and they beseech Him to be deemed worthy of entering His Heavenly Kingdom.
 


The more we patiently endure our cross, the lighter it becomes for us. If we carry our cross eagerly and joyfully, it will become a source of great delight, an
inseparable memory of our Savior, and a certain
hope of eternal life with in Paradise, as took place with the good thief, who heard these blessed words from the Lord: “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43)
.
An exceptional degree of perfection exists, indeed, when a person remains patiently affixed to the cross with determination for the love of God, and without
complaining to God or others that his cross is unbearable.
Blessed is the man who not only thanks the Lord in times of poverty, sickness, loss of his family members, and various other misfortunes, but also blesses and glorifies the Lord always—even when death itself approaches—, and joyfully embraces every cross for the love of God. Such a person resembles the holy martyrs who glorified the Lord as they were tortured on the cross and thanked Him for allowing them to die on account of His holy name.
 

O my beloved Christians: we find and acquire glory upon the Cross—not within pleasure and enjoyment!

Friends forever ....God's will....

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,

I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.

His name was Kyle.

It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, ‘Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?

He must really be a nerd.’

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on…





As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.

They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.

His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him…

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes .

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, ‘Those guys are jerks.’

They really should get lives.

‘ He looked at me and said, ‘Hey thanks!’

There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

He said he had gone to private school before now.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends .

He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.

I stopped him and said, ‘Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!

‘ He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors we began to think about college.

Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class.

I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation.

I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak .

Graduation day, I saw Kyle.

He looked great.

He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.

He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.

He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.

Boy, sometimes I was jealous!

Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.

So, I smacked him on the back and said, ‘Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!’

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled…

‘ Thanks,’ he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began …

‘Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.

Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.

I am going to tell you a story.’

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

‘Thankfully, I was saved.

My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.’

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions.

With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.

For better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for God in others.

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.’

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift.

John the Hesychast of Romania

There have been people throughout history and across the world who have sustained themselves by God alone, having lived for years with neither food, shelter, nor clothing. We are far from the experience of such ascetics; however, stories of them reach us from time to time. The following account is a true story about an ascetic who lived alone in the forests of Romania until the 1950’s.

In the summer of 1945, I took my staff and went over the Mountain to Sihastria Monastery. I wanted to confess to Father Cleopas. When I crossed the ridge of the Mountain and had arrives at Sihastria Valley, at the edge of the clearing called ‘Trapeza’ there appeared before me the calm and holy face of an unknown hesychast. He was rather short of stature, with his head uncovered, dressed in a kind of long ryassa of wool, barefoot,.. and belted with a rope of hemp. He has neither a staff nor a bag, and in his hands he carried a prayer rope made by him from the hips of wild roses. He seemed to be waiting for me. When he saw me, he blessed me with both hands and said to me by name: “Father Theodulus, you’re going to Sihastria, to Father Cleopas? How many times have I also gone to Sihastria Monastery and stood in Church during the service, but no one saw me! I know that your holiness wishes to leave Agapia and go to Sihastria, but you shouldn’t go. Stay at Agapia Monastery and do your obedience there, since God did not send you to Agapia in vain. There is the salvation of your holiness!”

When I saw that he spoke to me by name and also knew my thoughts, a kind of fear and astonishment at first overwhelmed me, so that I was unable even to speak, especially because I didn’t know then who he was. But his words entered into my heart and filled me with great spiritual joy, such as I had never felt before. Then, taking courage, I asked him: “What is your name, Reverend Father, and how long have you lived in asceticism in these parts?”

“I am called John,” he answered me, “and I am from the Tighina region. I was Vicar Bishop in my youth. But, loving silence and prayer more, I left this high office, and hearing of the hermitages of Oltenia, in 1915 I came as a novice brother to Crasna Skete in Gorj County. The Abbot had me take care of the cattle of the skete. After some years he said to me: “Brother John, prepare yourself, because tonight we will make you a monk!” He wasn’t acquainted with my past life. Then I left everything and departed that night for the desert in the depths of the forest. Then hearing about the hesycasts in Maldavia, in 1920 I withdrew for good to the Sihla Mountains.”

After a short silence, the holy hesychast John added: “Father Theodulus, please bring me a packet of writing paper and a kilogram of ink.” “But what would you do with them, your holiness?” The good ascetic, however, pointing his hand to the branches of the fir trees said to me: “I only need nibs, for look how many pens God has given me!” “Where, exactly, and when should I bring you paper?” I asked him. “Don’t worry about that,” he answered, “the Lord takes care of everything!” “Your holiness, do you wish me to bring you also some dried bread or some other food?” “I don’t need anything, since, by the mercy of God, I have everything I need!” Then, kissing his hand, I said to him: “Bless me your holiness!” “May the Lord bless you, and forgive me!”

Therefore, when he had blessed me with both hands, I descended to the valley towards Sihastria, and he stood a moment leaning against a fir tree.. Then he disappeared like a dear into the depths of the forest and I say him no longer. An unspeakable joy rested in my soul. How many things would I not have liked to ask this great hesychast, but he didn’t want to disclose to me anything about his spiritual asceticism in the Sihla Mountains, nor even the place where he had his cave or earthen hut.”

After a month I took the knapsack on my back, and a staff, and went over the mountain towards Sihastria. I had business with Father Cleopas. On the road I prayed to meet the holy hesychast John so that I could give him the paper and ink. I also brought with me some dried bread for food. Who knows what he had to write! Perhaps some secret spiritual teachings; perhaps counsels about the Jesus Prayer, which he had acquired in his youth; perhaps some divine revelations; or perhaps about his own life.

When I reached Trapeza clearing, the holy hesychast John immediately appeared before me without my observing from which direction he had come. His face was white, luminous, and radiated a heavenly joy alien to ordinary men; and his heart overflowed with great peace and spiritual quiet. His body was covered by the same coarse clothing of wool, knit by his own hands. In his left hand he held a prayer rope of rose hips, and he always held his right hand on his chest as for prayer.

After I had kissed his hand and made a prostration to him, the holy John blessed me with both hands and kissed me on the forehead, and said to me: “Father Theodulus are you going to Sihastria? It is better for you to return to Agapia, since Father Cleopas, the abbot of Sihastria, is absent today. He was called to Neamt Monastery.” “Your holiness,” I said to him with emotion, “I brought you paper and ink. Here are also some nibs!” “Thank you Father Theodulus. I knew you would find them!” The he placed then in the knapsack which he had on his back. “I also brought you some food: bread, fruit, and a little wine.” “May God reward your love, Father Theodulus, but I don’t need anything, God takes care of me.”

I insisted in vain that he take something. He wouldn’t even look in the basket to see what I had brought him. But so as not to sadden me, the good soldier of Christ gave me this spiritual word:

“Father Theodulus, fasting is great profit for a monk. You should know that there are seven kinds of food for men, that is to say, seven degrees of fasting”

“A: Carnivores, who always eat meat. These are in the lowest degree of fasting, even if they sometimes restrain themselves from food. They are never able to advance in prayer.

“B: Lacto-vegetarians, who never eat meat, but only milk, cheese, eggs and all kinds of boiled vegetables. These are in the second degree of fasting, which is kept by Monks in coenobitic Monasteries and, very rarely, by laymen.

“C: Vegetarians, who eat only vegetables and boiled or raw legumes. This arrangement forms the third degree of fasting, and the most zealous monks of the common life keep it.

“D: Fruit-Eaters, who eat bread and uncooked fruits once a day, without otherwise ever tasting food. He who attains this degree of fasting is able to master his body and thoughts without difficulty and can advance rapidly on the path of prayer.

“E: Cereal-Eaters, comprise the fifth degree of fasting. To this degree belong monks – especially hesycasts and desert-dwellers – who eat once a day only black bread, cereals, and soaked grains of wheat, corn, millet, lentils, beans, peas, etc.

“F: Dry Food, is the sixth degree of monastic fasting, which is usually attainted only by the most zealous desert dwellers. Those who live in the this harsh asceticism eat only dried bread soaked in water, with salt or a little vinegar, once a day and by measure. This is how the hesycasts of the Nile valley lived.

“G: Divine Food or manna, is the last and highest degree of monastic fasting, which is attained by very few ascetics after prolonged asceticism, being strengthened by the grace of the Holy Spirit. These are satisfied with the Most Pure Mysteries alone, that is, with the Body and Blood of Christ, which they receive only once or twice a week, without tasting anything else but water only. After difficult temptations and asceticism, and by the Grace of God, I have come to be satisfied with the Most Pure Mysteries alone, and no longer feel hunger, or have need of bread or vegetables…’

“Behold, Fathers, to what measure of spiritual asceticism holy John had arrived. Then I asked him: ‘Your holiness, there in the forest where you live, aren’t you cold in winter?’ ‘Father Theodulus I am a citizen of the Carpathian Mountains, and the Lord takes care of me; for wherever he has found me, I have never lacked anything. I feel neither the cold of winter, nor the intense heat of the sun, nor hunger, nor thirst, nor any other earthly need!’ ‘Your holiness, I greatly wish to withdraw to Sihastria Monastery to be near monks! I would have more quiet there and time for prayer.’ He answered me, ‘If you were ordered by the metropolia to go to Agapia, be obedient since you were sent there by the will and command of God!’

“Observing then that the great hesychast didn’t want to talk long so as to interrupt the Jesus Prayer which he had in his mind and his heart, I thanked him from my heart for the counsels and profitable words he had given me. I made a prostration to him, kissed his hand, and asked his blessing to leave. And the holy Bishop John blessed me with the sign of the holy cross and said to me: ‘May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and forgive me!’

“Another year passed with troubles and trials enough. I didn’t hear any more about Bishop John. In the spring of 1946, my thoughts urged me to go for a few days for a retreat to Sihastria Monastery. I made the usual prayers for traveling, took my staff, and crossed the mountain with the thought that I would once more see the holy hesychast John. When I reached Trapeza clearing, the miracle happened for a third and last time. At the edge of the clearing his holiness John was waiting for me. The same luminous face, the same limpid and cheerful eyes, the same joy and spiritual peace in his soul, the same rough clothing of wool on his thin and elderly body. I made him the customary prostration and kissed his hand, and he kissed my forehead, and we both sat on the trunk of a fir tree blown down by the wind. Nothing earthly interested him. After some moments of silence his holiness said to me: ‘I would like to go back to my native village, to die there. We also have forests enough…’ ‘How can you go now, the nations still haven’t quieted down?’ ‘ I believe in God, that He will always cover me with His hand!’

“Then the Elder, seeing my sadness, strengthened me in hope and conselled me to have great care for the souls that had been entrusted to me at Agapia Monastery, that here will be my salvation. At the end, be blessed me with both hands and kissed me in the Lord. I made a prostration to him, and thus we parted, I with tears in my eyes. He withdrew to his greatly-desired desert, towards the Sihla Mountains, and I descended towards Sihastria. This was my last meeting with him.”

“Since 1946 I haven’t met him again. No one said any more about him. I thought he had departed to the eternal realms, from somewhere in the Sihla Mountains. After five years, however, I heard that a brother of Sihastria who kept the monastery’s sheep met him in the forests towards Chitele Mountain. Going to the pasture with the Sheep, he suddenly noticed that all the sheep had massed together and the dogs stood as if in astonishment. When he looked around, he saw an old monk with a white beard in their midst. It was the holy John! ‘Indeed, in what have I sinned today before God that I am revealed to men!’ the desert-dweller said to himself. Then he said to the brother who kept the sheep: ‘Brother Stephan, come here and don’t be afraid! I know that you confess to Father Elder Joel. But please don’t tell anyone that you me today!”

“Brother Stephan received the Mysteries one week and didn’t tell it to anyone. But his thoughts still urged him to tell it at confession to Father Joel. And the Elder, when he heard about this, immediately took some dried bread and food in a bag and walked through the forests around the monastery for a week with Father Bessarion, the abbot of Sihla Skete, hoping to meet with the holy John. But they didn’t meet him. Then, after a month or two, Brother Stephan was walking with the sheep through the forest, and all of the sudden he met John the Desert-Dweller. He was barefoot and with his head uncovered. He beckoned to him with his hand and said to him: ‘Brother Stephan, I asked one thing of you and you didn’t do it! Know that you will go into the army and will not return again to the monastery!’ And thus it was. The brother went into the army and remained in the world. From that time I have heard no more about holy John the Hesychast.”



By FR. LUKE

Jesus Christ's CV.........( CURRICULUM VITAE )

CURRICULUM VITAE

JESUS CHRIST


Hello! My name is Jesus- the Christ. I have sent you my CV because I am seeking to apply for the top executive position in your heart. Please examine my credentials as cited below.

QUALIFICATONS
I have created the earth and the Heavens ( Proverbs 3, 19)
I have created man from earth ( Genesis 2, 7)
I have given him the breath of life (Genesis 2, 7)
I have redeemed him from the curse of the law ( Galatians 3, 13)

POSITIONS HELD

I have had only one employer,(Luke 2, 49)
I have received only the greatest of recommendations ( Matthew 3, 15-17)

SKILLS AND WORK EXPERIENCE

Some of my skills and work experience include: assisting the poor, healing the ailing, restoring sight to the blind
I am an excellent Counsel ( Isaiah 9,06)
But the most important is that I have the authority, the ability and the power to cleanse you from your sins. ( John 1, 7-9)

STUDIES

They cover the breadth and length of all knowledge, wisdom and cognition ( Proverbs 2, 6)
I can even reveal all the secrets buried in your heart ( Psalms 44, 21)


SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

I was actively involved in the mightiest Conference of all Times (Genesis 1, 29) REFERENCES
All my followers and faithful throughout the world will attest to the healings, the divine intervention, the miracles as well as to their deliverance, their transformation and the supernatural guidance they have received from me.
Now that you have come to the end of my CV, I am certain that I am the only candidate possessing the necessary credentials to fill the position in your heart. When can I begin? Now is the proper time (Hebrews 3, 15).

Elder Macarius on Weakness

Doing God's will is not an easy task for most of us. We are so bound up in the drives of our physical existence and the issues of this world that we too often forget God. When we forget God our actions are made from our own will. But, even when are are of the right mind and seeking guidance from God, we often feel that our ability to do what God is asking of us is difficult and even impossible. We may feel weak even when being guided by God. How do we deal with this weakness we seem to have?


Here is the advice from Elder Macarius about this question:

Let this weakness be a source of humility, Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak! (Ps 6:2). Resolutely steer the right course and hope for the best. Search the most hidden meanders of the dark labyrinths that surround the luminoous core of your heart. And uproot pride wherever you find the weed.Do you see how he turns this problem into an opportunity. To admit our weakness and seek God's help requires our humility. This leads us to a realization of our need for His help. In reality we cannot carry out God's will with out this kind of surrender and with His grace.


The Elder says,

Alone, you were weak indeed, but with God's help you are mighty and strong. Steeling your own will to do His, humbly throw yourself on His mercy. If you do so, my prayers will be of the greatest help to you.

Reference: Russian Letters of Spiritual Direction, p 66



Elder Macarius

Υπερηφάνεια

Ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια τοῦ νοῦ εἶναι ἡ σατανικὴ ὑπερηφάνεια, ἡ ὁποία ἀρνεῖται τὸ Θεὸ καὶ βλασφημεῖ τὸ Ἅγιο Πνεῦμα, γί’ αὐτὸ καὶ πολὺ δύσκολα θεραπεύεται. Εἶναι ἕνα βαθὺ σκοτάδι, τὸ ὁποῖο ἐμποδίζει τὰ μάτια τῆς ψυχῆς νὰ δοῦν τὸ φῶς ποὺ ὑπάρχει μέσα της καὶ ποὺ ὁδηγεῖ στὸ Θεό, στὴν ταπείνωση, στὴν ἐπιθυμία τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ.

Ἀντίθετα, ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια τῆς καρδιᾶς δὲν εἶναι γέννημα τῆς σατανικῆς ὑπερηφάνειας, ἀλλὰ δημιουργεῖται ἀπὸ διάφορες καταστάσεις καὶ γεγονότα: πλοῦτο, δόξα, τιμές, πνευματικὰ ἢ σωματικὰ χαρίσματα (εὐφυΐα, ὀμορφιά, δύναμη, δεξιοτεχνία κλπ). Ὅλα αὐτὰ σηκώνουν ψηλὰ τὰ μυαλὰ τῶν ἀνόητων ἀνθρώπων, ποὺ γίνονται ἔτσι ματαιόφρονες, χωρὶς ὅμως νὰ εἶναι καὶ ἄθεοι... Αὐτοὶ πολλὲς φορὲς ἐλεοῦνται ἀπὸ τὸ Θεό, παιδαγωγοῦνται καὶ σωφρονίζονται. Ἡ καρδιά τους συντρίβεται, παύει νὰ ἐπιζητεῖ δόξες καὶ ματαιότητες, κι ἔτσι θεραπεύονται.

Ἡ πνευματική σας ἐργασία νὰ εἶναι ἡ ἐξέταση τῆς καρδιᾶς σας. Μήπως φωλιάζει σ’ αὐτὴν σὰν φαρμακερὸ φίδι ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια, τὸ πάθος ποὺ γεννάει πολλὰ κακά, ποὺ ἀπονεκρώνει κάθε ἀρετή, ποὺ δηλητηριάζει τὰ πάντα; Σ’ αὐτὴ τὴν ἑωσφορικὴ κακία πρέπει νὰ στραφεῖ ὅλη σας ἡ φροντίδα. Μέρα καὶ νύχτα νὰ σᾶς γίνει ἔργο ἀδιάλειπτο ἡ ἔρευνά της.

Θὰ εἶναι ἀλήθεια, νομίζω, ἂν πῶ ὅτι ὅλη ἡ πνευματική μας φροντίδα συνίσταται στὴν ἀναζήτηση καὶ ἐξόντωση τῆς ὑπερηφάνειας καὶ τῶν παιδιῶν της. Ἂν ἀπαλλαγοῦμε ἀπ’ αὐτὴν καὶ θρονιάσουμε στὴν καρδιά μας τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνη, τότε ἔχουμε τὸ πᾶν. Γιατί ὅπου βρίσκεται ἡ ἀληθινὴ κατὰ Χριστὸν ταπείνωση, ἐκεῖ βρίσκονται μαζεμένες καὶ ὅλες οἱ ἄλλες ἀρετές, ποὺ μᾶς ὑψώνουν ὡς τὸ Θεό.



Άγιος Νεκτάριος ο Πενταπόλεως