For God to answer our request and for him to give us what we ask for, we must first have humility, but we don’t. All of us, young and old, are very full of ourselves and won’t accept advice or chastisement. We know everything, we’re all so wise. Saint Païsios the Athonite
Even though it’s been answered a thousand times, the question is often posed as to why Saint Paul is so ‘provocative’ in his letter to the Ephesians, which is read at the marriage service. He says: ‘and let the wife fear her husband’ and that she should regard him as her ‘head’. Is it really possible, in this day and age, that relations between a married couple should be understood in terms of fear and subservience? The answer, of course, is simple and is one which we believe no well-intentioned person would doubt, especially when the same epistle reading promotes the relationship between the couple as being equal and reciprocal. In the first place, ‘fear’, which is what we’re talking about, ...
Death is a camera lens, and, depending on the state in which it’ll immortalize you, you’ll have the concomitant fate after death. If death finds you in repentance, you’ll be saved; if not, you’ll be punished. This is why we must always be repentant and prepared, because we don’t know when the last day of our life will be. Dimitrios Panagopoulos
Within us there’s part of the soul that’s called ‘moralist’. When this moralist part of us sees someone going astray, it bridles, even though we ourselves have often done precisely the same. We don’t have an issue with ourselves, though, only with others. And God doesn’t want that. Saint Porfyrios Kavsokalyvitis
If only everyone were humble, there wouldn’t be any evil in the world: no lies, no cunning, no condemnation, no slander, no envy, no murder, no outrageous actions, no injustice, no wars, earthquakes, floods, disasters and so on. All the ploys, methods, snares and machinations of the unscrupulous devil would be in vain. Saint Iakovos (Tsalikis)
The Elevation of the Precious Cross belongs to the feasts of the Lord. It centers on the person of Christ, because the Cross became ‘the sign of the Son of Man’. Once Christ had determined that the means of his voluntary Passion would be death on the cross, the tree of dishonor, which until then had been held in disdain, was transformed into the most glorious trophy and his honored symbol. At the Second Coming, when Christ will come again, ‘on the clouds of heaven and in great power and glory’, his Cross will be the first thing that shows in the sky (Matth, 24, 30). And even afterwards, it will accompany him, inseparable, in endless eternity. From the time of his ...
At the sacrament of the bloodless sacrifice, we interact with the Cross of the Savior, since the Cross is the glory of Christ and the glory of the Church. But the Lord says that those who wish to follow him must first deny themselves and take up their Cross; then they can follow him. Denial of ourselves In order to follow Christ, we have to recognize that our human nature is in thrall to death and corruption and is also confounded by a variety of passions. Let’s just look at this horrible reality which is the bane of our life; the reality of the passions, which, unfortunately we mostly ignore. What are the passions? ‘Passion’ is derived from a word meaning ‘suffering’ ...
The most effective means of illumining the mind and the best generator of prayer is to keep vigil. The numbing effect of sleepiness immediately lowers the clarity of the mind. It reduces the intellectual capacity of rational nature to compare, distinguish, select and apply what legitimate ascetic practice demands. As a vehicle for the industry so beloved by the Fathers, keeping vigil always preceded their ascetic labors. The vast efforts of the Fathers regarding the vigil is well known. They insisted on the many and varied benefits of this virtue, since it contributed most excellently to the working of the nous, on which everything depends. Elder Iosif Vatopaidinos
Don’t be afraid to be alone. People are alone if they don’t know God, even if they have dealings with a large number of other people. Even in a densely-populated society, people like this would say- and, in fact, some actually do say- ‘I’m bored. I don’t know what to do with myself, everything’s a burden’. Those are souls empty of God, husks without a pit, ash without charcoal. But you’re not alone, because you’re close to the Lord and the Lord’s close to you. Saint Paul was apostle to the whole world. Listen to what he says when, at one time he’d been abandoned by everybody: ‘At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. ...
As we prepare to celebrate the great feast of the Universal Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, which, according to the liturgical tradition of the Church is comparable to Holy and Great Friday- hence its status as a strict fast- the Gospel reading of the day reminds us of another strange elevation which happened centuries before, in the wilderness, during the exodus of the Israelite people from their enslavement in Egypt. What happened then? Since the Jews were unable to pass through the kingdom of Edom, they were forced to make a detour through a region which was arid and inhospitable. In their usual way, they once again began to complain and moan about Moses and, indirectly, about God. They ...
Those who are striving fight against the passions, the demons and negative thoughts. Naturally, it’s not permissible to oppose their neighbor or other people; they war only against wickedness. In this way, the bravery of the faithful is made manifest- when they ‘give blood and receive the Spirit’- but it also leaves them exhausted. Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos
Christ is the savior of our soul and body. Those who follow in his footsteps (1 Peter, 2, 21) are liberated from evil. Those who love Jesus are set free from wickedness. And those who follow him will see true knowledge. Saint Thalassios the Libyan
When people are humbled, even if against their wishes, then God’s grace necessarily comes upon them. Elder Gavriil Tsafos
Having faith in God doesn’t mean only that we believe in him as our Creator. It also means that we recognize his unfailing providence and concern for our good, even in the most insignificant facets of our life. Of course, this is virtually impossible for our mind to grasp, because it’s engulfed by the darkness of the passions. Saint Makarij, Optina
The most fortunate parents in the history of the world are those of the Mother of God, Joachim and Ann. The Church hymns them as the happiest of all progenitors. “Fortunate couple! you have surpassed all other parents in that you begot her who was superior to all creation” (Doxastikon, Vespers, 9 September). Joachim and Ann are the most fortunate of parents because they begot the most beautiful and holy child in the world. They begot her, the Mother of God, who is superior to all creation. Let’s put the whole of creation, all the stars, all the people, all the saints onto one side of a pair of scales and the Mother of God on the other, and she’ll outweigh ...
Joachim and Anna, the forefather and foremother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, occupy an important place of honor in the hagiology of the Church. At almost every service, there’s a separate reference to these venerable persons, with the celebrating clergy invoking their prayers to God. They’re the parents of the Mother of God, who were deemed worthy to give birth to her, in order to implement the plan for the salvation of the human race. Information concerning them comes exclusively from holy Tradition, since nothing is mentioned in the New Testament. But for us Orthodox, Tradition is just as valid and trustworthy as Holy Scripture, because the mind of the Church respectfully preserved things which were not recorded by the authors ...
Our Church is celebrating the feast of the Birth of the Mother of God, who bore the Son and Word of God, who is the beginning of the salvation of the human race: ‘rejoice, Virgin all-holy, the beginning of the human race’. Today’s feast of the Mother of God is a cause of universal rejoicing, thanks to the all-pure and blessed person of Our Lady. The feast is a harbinger of joy, because from the Virgin rose the Sun of Righteousness, Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the World. The parents of the Mother of God were Joachim and Ann. Both of them belonged to the root and lineage of David and were devout and righteous people. They’d grown old, however, ...
The paradise of the kingdom of heaven is the culmination of the perfection of freedom. In this life, the faithful have a foretaste of the grace of this peace-bearing freedom and ease, which has been the earthly experience of all the saints. Elder Moïsis the Athonite
The Birth of the Mother of God, Russian Icon, 17th Century But once He had granted the usufruct and overlordship of all things in Paradise, He had to train the people he had entrusted with such great authority. He gave them a law, which was neither difficult to observe, nor extremely easy to keep in its totality. Through this they would gain either their reward or their condemnation. So He set aside one plant among all those which were flourishing there and issued the commandment that it was forbidden to eat of this one alone. But an evil beast and the principal of wickedness, using as his tool a serpent and directing towards the woman seductive and attractive words and casting ...
Through fasting, we overcome and bind one of the giants of perversion- gluttony- a staunch ally of nature and the devil. The latter takes most of his victims prisoner through it. Our Lord demonstrated just how necessary the practice is when he undertook to remake us through his presence, after his divine baptism in the River Jordan. Who now can doubt that this is the foundation of repentance, of refashioning, of resurrection and of salvation? If the Lord, who was without sin or the passions, fasted- and, indeed, extensively- who can feign incapacity or denial? Not to mention the practice of withstanding thirst, which those who are experienced in self-restraint promote as being the greatest feat in the struggle against ...
