January 2012
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There is no place for steel in paradise
You say that So-and-so is an evil-doer and may he burn in hell fire. But I ask you — supposing God were to give you a fair place in paradise, and you saw burning in the fire the man on whom you had wished the tortures of hell, even then would you really not feel pity for him, whoever he might be, an enemy of the Church even? Or is it that you have a heart of steel? But there is no place for...
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Spiritual joy
…Joy comes from one’s relationship and union with God. Mankind has been created to be joyful, not sad. When you enjoy the wrong things, you will inevitably pay back for all this pleasure you have had. But God’s joy demands no repayment. For instance I, who own nothing in this world, cannot pay for the happiness I have. I am not the only one proclaiming this truth. My brother monks, who also have...
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As a treasure that is exposed tarnishes
Just as a treasure that is exposed tarnishes and loses its value, so a virtue which is known vanishes; just as wax melts when it is near fire, so the soul is destroyed by praise and loses all the results of its labor.
-Amma Syncletica
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When you are ill
When you are ill, say “Blessed are those who discover the purpose set by God in the things that God brings upon us for our advantage. God is bringing this sickness for the sake of the soul’s good health.”
-The Wisdom of St Isaac of Syria
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When you are being tested by trials and...
When you are being tested by trials and temptations, you cannot avoid feeling dejected. But those who till the earth of hardship and tribulation in their hearts are afterwards filled with great joy, tears of consolation and holy thoughts.
-St. John of Karpathos
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extractinglifefromliving asked: praying for you, for the historic Orthodox faith, for your family, for our brothers & sisters in Christ throughout Greece and for your priest, bishop & Church which is one of many upholding the fullness of the Truth of Christ & His Gospel - may His peace, which surpasses all understanding, occupy your hearts, leading you to repentance.
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If we can’t help the poor
“If we can’t help the poor in this vineyard in which God has placed us, we’re not really the Church anyway.”
-Mr. Charles Ajalat, Chairman of the FOCUS North America Board
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The Rich Exist...
The rich exist for the sake of the poor, but the poor exist for the salvation of the rich.
-St. John Chrysostom
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If you wish to see many miracles
So if you wish to see many miracles – you should become a missionary or a martyr. They say that if you wish to anoint someone with myrrh you should pour it into your hand and smell it yourself, and only then anoint another person. It is the same thing here: if you wish to tell another about the power of God, you should first feel the power of God yourself.
-Fr. Daniel Sysoyev, an...
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Grant me the heart of Jesus
Grant me the heart of Jesus, around which darkness waited in vain to enter, but never could.
-St. Nikolai Velimirovich
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A true monk
A true monk is one who has achieved watchfulness; and he who is truly watchful is a monk in his heart.
-St. Hesychios the Priest
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Any more Orthodox Christian links?
As you may know, apart from separate pages for AskOrthodox blog and the “Orthodox Christians on tumblr” list, I have in my blog a link that includes several Orthodox Christian links for anyone interested in Orthodoxy.
Firstly check out the list with the links. Do you know any other sites or blogs that you think it is a must for everyone interested in Orthodox Christianity?
Please...
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Bodily rest chases away the fear of God
As smoke chases away bees and makes it possible to remove from them the sweetness of their labor, so also bodily rest chases away the fear of God from the soul and destroys all her good work.
-Saint Sarah of Scete
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Prayer After Meals
We thank You, O Christ our God, for You have satisfied us with Your earthly blessings and gifts. Do not deprive us also of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came into the midst of Your disciples and gave them peace, so come to us and save us, O Savior!
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
God is with us through His grace and love for us, always now and ever and unto ages of...
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The Feast of the Three Hierarchs, an important day...
By St. Nikolai Velimirovich Each of these saints have their own feast day. St. Basil the Great, January 1; St. Gregory the Theologian, January 25; and St. John Chrysostom, January 27. This combined feast day, January 30, was instituted in the eleventh century during the reign of Emperor Alexius Comnenus. At one time a debate arose among the people concerning who of the three is the greatest?...
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The word "I"
Lucifer fell irreparably; his grandiose fall happened due to one word only: “I”. Having fallen, he became an adversary for eternity, an abomination of desolation. Let no one be deceived, thinking that without true purification in the only water of humility he can enter into the Kingdom from which the angels fell!
-Elder Arsenie of Romania
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Tomorrow is a big day for Orthodox teachers and...
…Because the Christian Orthodox Church commemorates the Synaxis of the Three Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom! They are the Patron Saints of Letters and learning.
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What should we do?
Question: What should we do when the devil transforms himself into an angel of light (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14) and tries to seduce us? Answer: You need great discrimination in order to distinguish between good and evil. So do not readily or lightly put your trust in appearances, but weigh things well, and after testing everything carefully cleave to what is good and reject what is evil (cf. 1 Thess....
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The true aim of the Christian life
Prayer, fasting, vigils, and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, certainly do not constitute the aim of our Christian life: they are but the indispensable means of attaining that aim. For the true aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, vigils, prayer and almsgiving, and other good works done in the name of Christ,...
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In the beginning there is struggle...
In the beginning there is struggle and a lot of work for those who come near to God. But after that there is indescribable joy. It is just like building a fire: at first it is smoky and your eyes water, but later you get the desired result. Thus we ought to light the divine fire in ourselves with tears and effort.
-St. Syncletika the Righteous of Alexandria
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The thief of the Gospel
The holy Fathers relate that when the thief of the Gospel, too, came to the gates of the Kingdom, the Archangel with the flaming sword wanted to chase him away, but he showed him the Cross. Immediately the fire-bearing Archangel himself withdrew and permitted the thief to enter. Understand here not the wooden cross. But which? The Cross in which the chief Apostle Paul boasts and concerning which...
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At the Last Judgment
At the Last Judgment the righteous will be recognized only by their humility and their considering themselves worthless, and not by good deeds, even if they have done them. This is the true attitude.”
-St. Peter of Damascus
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If the Son of God is within you
If the Son of God is within you, then His Kingdom is also within you. Thus, the Kingdom of God is within you, a sinner. Enter into yourself, search diligently and without toil you shall find it. Outside of you is death, and the door to it is sin. Enter into yourself, dwell within your heart, for God is there.
-St. Ephraim the Syrian
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Full armor
Let your baptism be your shield, your faith a helmet, your charity a spear, your patience, like full armor.
-Saint Ignatius the Godbearer and Bishop of Antioch
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Whoever becomes a sponge
It is not the clever, the noble, the polished speakers, or the rich who win, but whoever is insulted and forbears, whoever is wronged and forgives, whoever is slandered and endures, whoever becomes a sponge and mops up whatever they might say to him. Such a person is cleansed and polished even more. He reaches great heights. He delights in the theoria of mysteries. And finally, it is he who is...
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A truly humble person
A truly humble person never behaves like a teacher; he will listen, and, whenever his opinion is requested, he responds humbly. In other words, he replies like a student. He who believes that he is capable of correcting others is filled with egotism.
-Elder Paisios of Mount Athos
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Christ is Everything...
Christ is Everything. He is joy, He is life, He is light. He is the true light who makes man joyful, makes him soar with happiness; makes him see everything, everybody; makes him feel for everyone, to want everyone with him, everyone with Christ.
-Elder Porphyrios
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Christ has placed us on His sleigh
Christ has placed us on His sleigh, and He will take us where He wills.
-Saint Matrona the Blind of Moscow
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The knowledge of God
Just as the light of the sun attracts a healthy eye, so through love knowledge of God naturally draws to itself a pure intellect.
-St. Maximos the Confessor
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The last words of Archbishop Christodoulos of...
You know that I gave you all my love. My soul thirsted for your salvation. My deep faith that I pray to the Lord for you, was the only source from which I drew my strength. I wanted with whatever strength my poor soul had, to sweeten your pain, to boost your morale, to convince you that only if your heartbeat is in rhythm with God’s holy will, only then will a smile of genuine joy never...
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Two great Saints are commemorated today!
Saint Ephraim the Syrian, a teacher of repentance, was born at the beginning of the fourth century in the city of Nisibis (Mesopotamia). From ancient times the Church has valued the works of St Ephraim. St Ephraim wrote in Syriac, but his works were very early translated into Greek and Armenian. Translations into Latin and Slavonic were made from the Greek text.
Saint Isaac the Syrian, Bishop...
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4 years without Archibishop of Greece...
Today many Churches here in Greece have a memorial service for Archibishop Christodoulos of Greece. He died 4 years ago. I remember how sad was everyone this day.
Archbishop Christodoulos, was the charismatic leader of the Greek Orthodox Church. He loved kids ands told jokes, I remember it clearly. The youth had very much respect for him. He was a true leader of the Church, and faithful people...
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On natural passions
Asceticism means, in the spirit of Eastern thought, the restraint and discipline of the biological, not a battle for its extermination. On the contrary, asceticism means the sublimation of this element of bodily affectivity, not its abolition… Natural passions can assume a spiritual character and give an increased accent to our love for God…
-Fr. Dimitru Staniloae
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Visit & ask :)
This post is just a reminder about the AskOrthodox blog!
We are an Orthodox Christian team ready to answer your questions about Orthodox Christianity. We can answer your questions about everything relative to our faith (Dogmatics, Liturgics, Morals, Spirituality, Inter-Christian relationships etc etc etc) in 6 languages (English, Russian, Romanian, Greek, Ukrainian and Arabic). Anonymous...
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Perfection
Do not seek perfection (of the Law) in human virtues, because there is no perfection in them: its perfection is secreted in Christ’s cross.
-Saint Mark the Ascetic
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Let us be glad
“…And so let us be glad and bear with patience everything the world throws at us, secure in the knowledge that it is then that we are most in the mind of God.”
-St. Basil the Great - “Gateway to Paradise”
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When pride retreats from a man
When pride retreats from a man, humility begins to dwell in him, and the more pride is diminished, so much more does humility grow. The one gives way to the other as to its opposite. Darkness departs and light appears. Pride is darkness, but humility is light.”
-St. Tikhon of Zadonsk - “Journey to Heaven”
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The animals enjoy being with man
The animals enjoy being with man and look at him as their king. In Paradise, Adam called the animals one by one and gave them each a name according to its kind. Animals recognized man’s superiority and were happy in his presence. After the fall, however, this relationship was destroyed. Man looked at the beasts with the intention of killing them, and the animals became wild....
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How to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity?
One of the simplest ways of explaining the mystery of the Trinity is that reportedly given by St Spyridon of Trimithund at the Council of Nicaea (AD 325). According to tradition, when asked how it is that Three can simultaneously be One, St Spyridon responded by taking up a brick and squeezing it. From the soft clay in his hands a flame showed up while simultaneously water flowed downwards. ‘As...
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St. Macarius on the Heart
The heart itself is but a small vessel, yet dragons are there, and there are also lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. But there too is God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasuries of grace—all things are there.
-St. Macarius
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Clearly, not all of you agree with me, and I truly...
But, please understand, that I will not make any compromises in my faith.
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
So many Orthodox people became martyrs because they didn’t want to betray their faith. I don’t know if I will ever have their strong faith. But I will try.
Look at His...
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The fear of God makes a person wise
The fear of God makes a person wise. What is the fear of God? Not that one should be afraid of God, but to be afraid to sadden someone, to harm someone, to do them no wrong, and to not make accusations. This is wisdom. After all this, God will illumine you as to what to do in your life.
-Saint Sophia, the Ascetic of Panagia
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Your hearts must be truly ablaze
I ask you to put this order into practice: as much as you can, try to cultivate your love toward Christ’s own person. You must reach the point that whenever you mention His name, tears run from your eyes. Your hearts must be truly ablaze. Then He will be your Teacher, your Guide, your Brother, your Father, your Elder….
-Elder Amphilochios Makris
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Tomorrow, the Orthodox Christian Church...
Saint John Chrysostom This great ecumenical teacher and hierarch died in the city of Comana in the year 407 on his way to a place of exile. The celebration of the transfer of the relics of St John Chrysostom was established in the ninth century.
