August 2012
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Carrying your cross
Everyone has a cross to carry. Why? Since the leader of our faith endured the cross, we will also endure it. On one hand, the cross is sweet and light, but, on the other, it can also be bitter and heavy. It depends on our will. If you bear Christ’s cross with love then it will be very light; like a sponge or a cork. But if you have a negative attitude, it becomes heavy; too heavy to lift.
-...
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Where there is God...
Where there is God, there is no evil. Everything coming from God is peaceful, healthy and leads a person to the judgment of his own imperfections and humility.
- St. Seraphim of Sarov
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How to Prove You Love the Truth
A man is no such great lover of the truth, only for holding to it when there is none to lead him astray for it: to hold fast to the truth when many are drawing him away, this makes a proved man.
- St. John Chrysostom, On the Acts
Anonymous asked: Hi I was the one who asked about this: simplyorthodox. tumblr. com/ post/ 30262334554. I just wanted to thank you for responding! You helped me understand my options a lot better than I already did so thank you thank you thank you!
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Turn to Him...
Turn to Him, all ye peoples of the earth, and lift up your prayers to God; and the prayers of the whole earth shall rise to heaven like a soft and lovely cloud lit by the sun, and all the heavens will rejoice, and sing praises to the Lord for His sufferings whereby He saved us.
- St. Silouan the Athonite
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God's mercy and forgiveness
God gives us his mercy and forgiveness whether we want it or not, whether we repent or not. But if we repent and we want it, then that mercy is just glory and happiness and a blessed life. But if we resist it… it’s Hell! In fact, the fire of Hell is not God punishing people. The fire of Hell is the presence of God’s love, His mercy and His compassion on people who don’t want it, don’t accept it,...
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Love little things
Love little things, and strive for that which is modest and simple. The Lord watches over us, and He is pleased that you long for His peace. Until the soul is ready, He will only sometimes allow us to see that He is present everywhere and fills all things. At these moments the soul feels such joy!… But then the Lord conceals Himself from us again, in order that we might long for Him and seek Him...
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Anonymous asked: My heart is being drawn towards Orthodoxy, but I was raised Protestant and know relatively little about it. Where do you suggest I start?
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History, Blasphemy, and Russia
A great article by Frederica Mathewes-Green on the “Pussy Riot” protesters. I usually don’t post this type of articles in my blog, but this one is worth reading.
When the “Pussy Riot” protesters were sentenced last week for their performance in Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, a friend asked me why Orthodox Christians were so upset about what they’d done. For him, this...
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Anonymous asked: what if i was christened catholic, but for the man i love i want to be christened russian orthodox? is that impossible?
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A Prayer to Your Patron Saint
Saint (Name), Holy Mother of God and all the saints, who have pleased God in Your lives; pray to Christ my Lord that I might live this day in peace love and humility. Pray unto God for me, O Holy Saint (Name), well-pleasing to God: for I turn to you, who are a speedy helper and intercessor for my soul.
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There is no other virtue so great
The man who endures accusations against himself with humility has arrived at perfection. He is marveled at by the holy angels, for there is no other virtue so great and so hard to achieve.
- St. Isaac the Syrian
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The Perfect Person’s Rule of Life
The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward.
The perfect person does good through love.
His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all...
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My duty as a Christian...
If a man insults me, kills my father, my mother, my brother, and then gouges out my eye, as a Christian it is my duty to forgive him. We who are pious Christians ought to love our enemies and forgive them. We ought to offer them food and drink, and entreat God for their souls. And then we should say: “My God, I beseech Thee to forgive me, as I have forgiven my enemies.
- Saint Kosmas the...
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Τhe Gospel is like the sun
Our heart is like the darkened earth; the Gospel is like the sun, enlightening and giving life to our hearts. May the true sun of Thy righteousness shine in our hearts, O Lord!
- St. John of Kronstadt
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How can He remain?
The Holy Spirit often visits us; but if He does not find rest how can He remain? He departs. Joy is in the hearts of those who are cleansed and who are able to maintain within themselves the grace of the Holy Spirit of the All-holy Trinity. There is no greater joy and happiness for man. I am not able to describe to you how one feels then.
-Elder Ieronymos of Aegina
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It was the will of God...
He who lives according to God’s will has no worries. When he needs something, he simply prays for it. If he does not receive that which he asked for, he is joyful as though he had received it. A soul that has given itself over to God has no fear of anything, not even robbers, sickness, or death. Whatever happens, such a soul always cries, ‘It was the will of God’.
- Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
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Nothing is stronger...
Nothing is stronger than prayer in it’s action, nothing more effective in winning God’s favor…
-St. Mark the Ascetic
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When are we living in Christ?
When are we living in Christ? When we live according to His Gospel and His Church. For He Himself, and not only His Gospel, is in the Church with all of His perfections and virtues. The Church is the eternally living Body of the God-man Christ. In her we find the medium of the holy mysteries. In her we find the means of holy good deeds. Our Lord Jesus Christ abides inseparable from the Church in...
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The Church is holy
The Church is holy, although there are sinners within her. Those who sin, but who cleanse themselves with true repentance, do not keep the Church from being holy. But unrepentant sinners are cut off, whether visibly by Church authority, or invisible by the judgement of God, from the body of the Church. And so in this regard the Church remains holy.
- St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
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Anonymous asked: Hi, I don't speak english, I translate these words. I am a Italian-Serbian Ortodosso. We are brothers in Jesus Christ. I can't speak the language but we have our Orthodoxy in common, we are brothers. IC XC NI KA
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True silence
A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is, he says nothing that is not profitable.
- St. Poemen the Great
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On forgiveness of Offenses
For an offence, whatever kind may have been given, one must not only not avenge oneself, but on the contrary must all the more forgive from the heart, even though it may resist this, and must incline the heart by conviction of the word of God: If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:15); and again, Pray for them which despitefully use you...
Anonymous asked: Hello! I'm an Orthodox teenager who lives with my parents. I have a tumblr, but I haven't told them about it. It's not because I know they wouldn't let me, more just because I haven't felt the need. I sometimes worry if this is somehow a sin, even though they wouldn't mind and I don't share any personal information. Any advice?
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On Trials & Temptations
God allows temptations so that they might rouse us to remember Him. When we call upon Him, He acts as though He does not hear us so that we multiply our supplications and cry out His holy name, in fear of the various passions. Then, through pain of the entreaties, our heart is sanctified, and through experience we learn the weakness of our lame nature. And thus we realize in practice that...
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What people think of us
It is essential in these days to be able to protect ourselves from the influence of those with whom we come in contact. Otherwise we risk losing both faith and prayer. Let the whole world dismiss us as unworthy of attention, trust or respect – it will not matter provided that the Lord accepts us. And vice versa: it will profit us nothing if the whole world thinks well of us and sings our...
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On Sinful Passions
Some passions are bodily, other spiritual. Bodily passions have their sources in the body, while spiritual ones come from external things. But love and temperance cut out both the one and the other: Love cuts out spiritual passions, and temperance bodily ones.
- St. Maximus the Confessor
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When God wants to have mercy on someone...
When God wants to have mercy on someone, He inspires someone else to pray for him, and He helps in this prayer.
- St. Silouan the Athonite
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The Eternal Joy of Christians
Christians, always rejoice, for evil, death, sin, the devil and hell have been conquered by Christ. But when all of this is conquered, is there anyone in the world who can bring our joy to naught? You are the lord of this eternal rejoicing as long as you do not give in to sin. Joy burns in our hearts from His truth, love, resurrection, and from the Church and His saints. Joy burns in our hearts...
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A short prayer to our Guardian Angel
O holy Angel of God, guardian & protector of my body & soul, protect me during the present day & guard me from every temptation of the enemy.
- A short prayer to our Guardian Angel
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Anonymous asked: Hi, I was baptised orthodox as a baby, but got married in the catholic church because of my husband. Is there any way that I can become orthodox again? I know that my marriage doesn't count in the orthodox church, but is there some way to change that? Just wondering... thanks.
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Prayers for Deliverance from Hurricanes
O LORD JESUS CHRIST HAVE MERCY ON US SINNERS!
As you saved your apostles from perishing in a storm by calming wind and waves on you command, so now keep us safe and sound in this hurricane season. Grant us favorable and benign weather. Protect us from the unpredictable elements of nature. Steer us from storm, flood, fire, illness, injury, disaster and sudden death. Preserve us from all evil...
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Anonymous asked: I plan to convert to Orthodoxy. Do you know if there are any Orthodox churches in Spain? (I am Spanish)
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On Repentance
Repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility. Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions.
- St....
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Moment by Moment…
Every encounter with God is a little judgment, a critical moment, a crisis; in every moment we are either saved or condemned.
- Met. Anthony Bloom, “Beginning to Pray”
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Teach us to love our Enemies
Lord, teach us through Your Holy Spirit to love our enemies and to pray for them with tears… Lord, as you prayed for your enemies, so teach us also, through the Holy Spirit, to love our enemies.
- Saint Silouan the Athonite
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Anonymous asked: I'm 14 and going to confession tomorrow.I've been before, but this time I remembered As a child I had some thoughts about lustful or bad things. The ones I had as a child trouble me because at the time I didn't know they were bad, they were simply things I saw on tv & thought were ok. Now when things come I am usually able to catch myself & stop them, but I don't know...
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The Definitions of Rich and Poor
No one in creation is rich but he that fears God; no one is truly poor but he that lacks the truth.
- St. Ephrem the Syrian
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Please pray for the Orthodox Church in Russia and...
Please pray for the pious Russian Orthodox Christians, the Russian Orthodox Church and consequently the universal Orthodox Church that is slandered and hated by so many people…
Also, please take a minute to pray for the persecuted Christians worldwide, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants that die every single day simply because they confess their faith to...
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Anonymous asked: Please LIKE this if you are an EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN (not other denominations please) :) I want to check out your blogs! Dear Simply Orthodox, thanks in advance for posting my message! <3
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