Orthodox Wisdom

Are the Jews, even in light of Christ's death and resurrection, still in some way the chosen people of God? If so, how should we understand them and their role in God's providence? Who are the true Jews and what role do Jews and Judaism have in the prophesied rise of Antichrist? Note from Metropolitan Vitaly (+,2006) Chief Hierarch of ROCOR, 1986-2001:"The author of the following article lives in Russia. We received it some years back. The whole tone of the article in composes, discrete, and sober. Its ideas are profound, clear, and in complete agreement with the teaching of the Orthodox Church and the Holy Fathers." This article is found in Orthodox Life, Vol. 41, No. 4, Jul-Aug 1991. Orthodox Life is the journal of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary in Jordanville, NY, USA. -READ the article here: https://orthodoxlifemagazines.blogspot.com/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Quotes from this article: If the Old Testament is understood as a foreshadowing, then one sees that the true Jews of the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of Christians, since all true Jews of the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of Christians, since all true Jews of the Old Testament lived spiritually in expectation of Christ the Savior, the Messiah. On the other hand, their enemies in the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of contemporary Judaism, that is, those who either consciously or unconsciously confess the Jewish religion, the very foundation of this religion being a rejection of Christ [Once one accepts the Christian Gospel, traditional Judaism loses its validity]. The Jewish religion which accepts Christ is the Christian religion. The first decree, the covenant with the Jewish people made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is never revoked, and therefore, in remaining a “special, different” people, since they do not accept Christianity, they repudiated their being the chosen people of God.… Even those Jews who do not accept Christianity, being infected by the bacillus of anti-Christianity, manage to preserve their identity supported by the Old Testament covenant. For this reason the hope of the Jews for universal supremacy is not in vain. This people will be preserved through all times; they will not be exterminated nor will they disintegrate. This Jewish materialistic approach openly and more subtly, under the appearance of various social theories and philosophical systems, encroaches upon the consciousness of Christians, breaking down Christian nations. In particular the penetration into the Christian consciousness of this Judaistic idea explains many heresies, the rise of Islam, the substitution of Christianity with humanism, altruism, Marxism, and separatist nationalism. What common denominator do some people seek in order to equalize black and white, Christianity and Judaism? — Judaism being a deified materialistic philosophy of earthly justice, worldly good, earthly freedom, and worldly well-being. Just as the deification of one’s aspiration for all that which is worldly comes from Judaism, for the Christian that which is worldly is used only in so much as it is necessary in one’s striving for the spiritual. It therefore follows that those who strive to equalize Judaism and Christianity, black and white, using the worldly as a basis, allow the spirit of Judaism to conquer them. In other words, having exchanged Christian spiritual goals for worldly ones, those that call themselves Christians lose that which distinguishes them from Jews and thus seek a union with Judaism, [perhaps unconsciously] rejecting Christ. They become co-workers in preparing for the kingdom of Antichrist.

Fr. George Calciu (+2006) was one of the great confessors of Christianity in the twentieth century. Having survived the diabolic prison experiments of Communist Romania, Fr. George went on to become an apostle to spiritual seekers in Romania and, eventually, throughout the world. He was able to speak authoritatively of God's love and forgiveness because of his own experience of God's mercy. As a priest in America, Fr. George maintained a strict ascetic life of fasting and prayer, while at the same time pastoring his flock as a joyful and loving father. This reading comes from “Father George Calciu: Interview, Homilies, and Talks” by St. Herman Press. We begin with the introduction written by Fr. Seraphim Rose followed by the first two homilies of seven that Fr. George gave in Romania in 1978 to students who had been raised and education in Communist Romania. Fr. George gave these homilies when many fellow clergy were silent about the persecution facing the Church and the restriction of freedom to teach and preach Christ to the people. 0:00 Title 0:16 Introduction by Fr. Seraphim Rose 4:32 Homily One: "The Call" 10:41 Homily Two: "Let Us Build Churches" Buy “Father George Calciu: Interview, Homilies, and Talks” here: https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Father-George-Cacliu-p/fgc.htm --Read the seven homilies here: https://deathtotheworld.com/articles/seven-homilies-to-the-youth-part-i/ --Article about Fr. George: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/46636.html --The relics of Fr. George found incorrupt 7 years after his repose: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/12/the-relic-of-fr-george-calciu-confessor.html Note: A section of Fr. George's homily titled "Let Us Build Churches" was quoted by Fr. Seraphim Rose at the end of arguably his most famous talk, "Living the Orthodox World-view": https://youtu.be/UguEoHSXuCg?si=NELDWcDLLi_T_EoX _______ Fr. George teaches: The time has come, young man, for you to hear a voice which has been calling you. It is a voice you have never heard before, or perhaps, one you have heard but which you have never understood or obeyed. It is the voice of Jesus! Don’t be shocked; don’t be amazed, and don’t smile incredulously, my young friend! The voice which calls you is not that of a dead man, but of One Who has risen from the dead. He does not shout after you from history, but from out of the depths of your own inner being. Come to the Church of Christ! Only here will you find consolation for your ravished soul. Only in the Church will you find certainty, because only in the Church will you hear the voice of Jesus saying meekly to you: “Son, all your sins are forgiven. You have suffered much. Behold, I have made you whole; go and sin no more.” You are in Christ’s Church whenever you uplift some­one bent down in sorrow, or when you give alms to the poor and visit the sick. You are in Christ’s Church when you cry out: “Lord, help me”. You are in Christ’s Church when you are good and patient, when you refuse to get angry at your brother, even if he has wounded your feelings. You are in Christ’s Church when you pray: “Lord, forgive him”. When you work honestly at your job, returning home weary in the evenings but with a smile upon your lips, when you repay evil with love —you are in Christ’s Church. Do you not see, therefore, young friend, how close the Church of Christ is? You are Peter and God is building His Church upon you. You are the rock of His Church against which nothing can prevail. You are a liberated rock, a soul that is fulfilled within His Church, and not one condemned to stagnation. Let us build churches with our faith. Churches which no human power can pull down. A church whose foundation is Christ. Let us build churches in our enlightened hearts where there shines the bright Sun of Righteousness, Who is Christ Himself, He Who has told us that by faith we are free from sin.

Our father among the saints, Porphyrios, is a most beloved elder of our day. The Lord poured out incredible love to the world through him. His heart was on fire with love of Christ and by God's grace we have been left with his life and witness as inspiration for us unworthy ones of these last days. This excerpt from "Wounded by Love" exhibits his insatiable love for Christ, his wounded yet healed heart. This reading is from "Wounded by Love: The Life and the Witness of Saint Porphyrios", pp. 107-109 & 96-99 -BUY Wounded by Love here: https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. Porphyrios writes: Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet. That's what it is! You must suffer. You must love and suffer—suffer for the one you love. Love makes effort for the loved one. She runs all through the night; she stays awake; she stains her feet with blood in order to meet her beloved. She makes sacrifices and disregards all impediments, threats and difficulties for the sake of the loved one. Love towards Christ is something even higher, infinitely higher. When you love Christ you exert yourself, but in blessed exertions. You suffer, but with joy. You make prostrations and pray because these are things you crave for with divine craving. They are at once pain and longing, passion and yearning and exaltation and joy and love. Prostrations and vigils and fasting are exertions which are made for the Beloved, exertions in order to experience Christ. But this exertion is not made under duress; you don't protest and rebel. Whatever you do under compulsion is very harmful both to you and to the work you are doing. The pressure and coercion provoke opposition. Exertion for Christ, true desire for Christ, is love, sacrifice and dissolution of self. This is also how David felt: My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My soul longs with craving and melts away out of love for God (Psalm 83:2). Christ is joy, the true light, happiness. Christ is our hope. Our relation to Christ is love, eros, passion, enthusiasm, longing for the divine. Christ is everything. He is our love. He is the object of our desire. This passionate longing for Christ is a love that cannot be taken away. This is where joy flows from. Qur task is to attempt to find a way to enter into the light of Christ. Christ is life, the source of life, the source of joy, the source of the true light, everything. Whoever loves Christ and other people truly lives life. Life without Christ is death; it is hell, not life. That is what hell is—the absence of love. Life is Christ. Love is the life of Christ. Either you will be in life or in death. It's up to you to decide. The Christian feels for everyone, he wants all to be saved, all to taste the Kingdom of God. That is Christianity: through love for our brother to arrive at love for God. That is what preoccupies me. I try to find ways to love Christ. This love is never sated. However much you love Christ, you always think that you don't love Him and you long all the more to love him. And without being aware of it, you go higher and higher! _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

From the Publisher's Overview: On the Dogma of the Church: An Historical Overview of the Sources of Ecclesiology, the Holy Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) explores patristic resources from the early centuries of Christianity. He brings seminal works at the periphery of the consciousness of every Christian to the forefront as living witnesses to the unbroken tradition of the Church. St. Hilarion's staggeringly extensive familiarity with sources both patristic and modern, coupled with his own lucid thinking and profoundly Orthodox outlook, superbly equip him for his extensive analysis of the subject. BUY the book: https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/overview-of-the-dogma-concerning-the-church/ This recording was originally posted on the  @OrthodoxEthos  channel: https://youtu.be/3wTQKWCbJPI WATCH more on St. Hilarion's book: --OE EXTENDED PODCAST: NEW BOOK: On The DOGMA of the CHURCH by St. Hilarion Troitsky (UMP) https://www.youtube.com/live/kQ2EDb9b2mQ?feature=share --On the Dogma of the Church (BOOK TRAILER) - by Saint Hilarion Troitsky https://youtu.be/J_2NIJFfE-w LISTEN to more from St. Hilarion: --Christianity or the Church? - St. Hilarion Troitsky (Pt. I/III) https://youtu.be/zh2OwJhlxG4 --The History of the Baptism/Chrismation Controversy according to St. Hilarion Troitsky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyU7oVMQViU&ab_channel=GregoryDecapolite --Christianity and Socialism - St. Hilarion, New Martyr of Russia https://youtu.be/OIIUuFXMjQM --Holy Scripture and The Church - St. Hilarion Troitsky (Pt. I/III) https://youtu.be/vcpkGHs96A4 --The Incarnation and Humility - St. Hilarion Troitsky https://youtu.be/C1_eYN9b4iQ _______ St. Hilarion writes in the Preface: The dogma concerning the Church may be termed the self-identification of the Church. It is this dogma that determines what the Church is and what distinguishes it from all that is not the Church. The Church is not a phenomenon of the natural earthly order: the mysterious depths of church life, in accordance with the unfailing promise of Christ the Savior, are always and invariably enveloped by the grace-filled power of the Holy Spirit. The full depth of this mystical life of the Church is not of course subject to logical definitions and scholarly research: it is given directly to him who participates in it, as Hilary of Poitiers expressed in the words: "This is the peculiar property of the Church, that when she makes herself known, then she is understood.” (On the Trinity 7.4). For this reason we may say that the self-identification of the Church is experienced specifically by one who dwells in the Church and is a living member of her living body. One cannot help but notice how in our time questions arise and are discussed that have long been quite sufficiently resolved by the writers of the ancient Church. Who is not aware that the question of the Church is the chief, principle question in modern polemics with sectarianism in various forms? And of course, in conducting these polemics one must always bear in mind the dogmatic conclusions reached by the theological thought of the ancient Church. This is why a study on the history of the dogma concerning the Church is able to meet the modern needs of church life. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Fr. Seraphim Rose offers us the foundational, patristic approach to the modern phenomena of UFOs, aliens, and "intelligent beings" from above. Be not deceived...hold fast to Christ and the faith of the God-bearing Holy Fathers. 0:00 Title 0:08 Introduction, excerpt from “Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works”, Ch. 77 3:24 Excerpt from "Explanation of the UFO Phenomena", Ch. 6, Section 4 from "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" (ORF) 13:20 "The Meaning of UFOs", Section 5 (ORF) 26:22 Excerpt from "Living the Orthodox World-view" 28:26 Excerpt from Conclusion of ORF -BUY Fr. Seraphim's book "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" here ($10): https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/orf.htm -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ -Painting of Fr. Seraphim in thumbnail is by Shayne Swenson: https://shayneswenson.com/ _______ Fr. Seraphim writes: The most puzzling aspect of UFO phenomena to most researchers—namely, the strange mingling of physical and psychic characteristics in them—is no puzzle at all to readers of Orthodox spiritual books, especially the Lives of Saints. Demons also have "physical bodies," although the "matter” in them is of such subtlety that it cannot be perceived by men unless their spiritual "doors of perception" are opened, whether with God's will (as in the case of holy men) or against it (as in the case of sorcerers and mediums). A true evaluation of the UFO experience may be made only on the basis of Christian revelation and experience, and is accessible only to the humble Christian believer who trusts these sources. To be sure, it is not given to man entirely to "explain" the invisible world of angels and demons; but enough Christian knowledge has been given us to know how these beings act in our world and how we should respond to their actions, particularly in escaping the nets of the demons. UFO researchers have come to the conclusion that the phenomena they have studied are essentially identical with phenomena that used to be called "demonic; but only the Christian—the Orthodox Christian, who is enlightened by the Patristic understanding of Scripture and the 2,000-year experience of Saints encounters with invisible beings—is able to know the full meaning of this conclusion. In the Christian apocalyptic view, we can see that the power which until now has restrained the final and most terrible manifestation of demonic activity on earth has been taken away (II Thess. 2:7), Orthodox Christian government and public order (whose chief representative on earth was the Orthodox emperor) and the Orthodox Christian worldview no longer exist as a whole, and satan has been "loosed out of his prison," where he was kept by the grace of the Church of Christ, in order to "deceive the nations" (Apoc. 20:7-8) and prepare them to worship antichrist at the end of the age. Perhaps never since the beginning of the Christian era have demons appeared so openly and extensively as today. The "visitors from outer space" theory is but one of the many pretexts they are using to gain acceptance for the idea that "higher beings" are now to take charge of the destiny of mankind. Science fiction has given the images, ‘evolution’ has produced the philosophy, and the technology of the ‘space age’ has supplied the plausibility for such encounters. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

A sobering call to our souls. Death awaits, wake up! This word from our holy Father Paisius calls us to chastise ourselves, repent, and endure every suffering for Him Who loves us and gave Himself for us. 0:00 Intro 0:18 A Brief Exposition of Thoughts Which Dispose To Repentance 7:57 The Battle Against Despondency, Slothfulness, and Weakness 10:13 An Instruction Moving To Contrition Which Cuts Off All Self-Exaltation and Human Pride, and Converts the Soul to Fountains of Tears This reading is from "Little Russian Philokalia, Vol. 4: St. Paisius Velichkovsky", pp.63-71 -DOWNLOAD this long out-of-print book here: https://www.thephronemainitiative.org/downloads/little-russian-philokalia4 -READ about the Life of St. Paisius here: https://stpaisiusmonastery.org/about-the-monastery/life-of-st-paisius/the-life-and-mission-of-st-paisius-velichkovsky-1722-1794/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ “For Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky. This is so not merely because of his holy life; not merely because, like another Saint Gregory Palamas, he defended the hesychast practice of the mental Prayer of Jesus; not only because he, through his many disciples, inspired the great monastic revival of the 19th century which flowered most notably in the holy Elders of Optina Monastery; but most of all because he redirected the attention of Orthodox Christians to the sources of Holy Orthodoxy, which are the only foundation of true Orthodox life and thought whether of the past or of the present, whether of monks or of laymen.” -Fr. Seraphim Rose, Introduction to “Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky” _______ St. Paisius writes: Now, my beloved soul, is the time of patience; now is the time to endure sorrow; now is the time to keep the commandments and fulfill the virtues; now is the time of sweet lamentation and tearful mourning. If you truly wish to be saved, my soul, be in love with sorrow and groaning, as previously you loved repose. Remember the future endless life and the Kingdom of Heaven, the repose and unutterable joy. Stand firm, do not leave off the Prayer of Jesus. If you will recall and reflect on all this, then despondency, slothfulness and weakness will disappear, and your soul will come to life as from the dead, by the grace of Christ. O man! Labor, strive, struggle. Before your death a herald will not come! The reward of the Saints is at hand; crowns are being prepared for the righteous; for those who labor and endure sorrows, the Kingdom of Heaven is opened; endless repose is at hand, and unutterable joy is being prepared. Oh, oh! Woe, woe! Truly, in vain does everyone born of earth trouble himself. We all change, we all will die: kings and princes, judges and powerful ones, rich and poor, and every human being. Today he rejoices with us, takes enjoyment and adorns himself, and in the morning we weep over him and lament and mourn. Oh, man! Come to the tomb. Behold there a dead man lying. He is not glorious, not good of appearance, not beautiful. How he is swollen up and gives off a foul odor! The flesh rots and is corrupted and is devoured by worms: the bones are laid bare and the whole body crumbles to dust. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Hear many examples of how St. Paisios expressed his God-loving heart in daily life. These are expressions of true piety from a great saint of our times. A reading of pp. 414-421 from "Saint Paisios of Mount Athos" by Hieromonk Isaac -BUY "Saint Paisios of Mount Athos" by Hieromonk Isaac here: https://saintnektariosmonastery.com/Elder-Paisios-of-Mount-Athos -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ From "Saint Paisios of Mount Athos": The Elder had an innate reverence, but he also cultivated it a great deal. He placed such emphasis on it that he once said that "reverence is the greatest virtue, because it attracts the Grace of God." To the Elder, reverence was the fear of God and spiritual sensitivity. Reverent people behave carefully and modestly, because they intensely feel the presence of God. "If someone neglects the little things," he taught, "the danger is that he will start neglecting greater, holier things. And then, without realizing it, rationalizing it all to himself—'This is nothing, that does not matter’—he can end up, God forbid, totally neglecting the things of God and becoming irreverent, arrogant, and atheistic." He paid attention to details, but in a way that was not it-Malistic or fastidiously formal. This was his own attitude toward God, which was not laid out in advance by any typicon of the Church: it was his personal disposition. He felt that his whole hermitage, not just his chapel, was sacred space. He arranged his cell, where he prayed, just like a little church. There was an iconostasis with many icons and a lamp that burned continuously, and he would cense and light many candles there. He had constructed his bed so that it was like a coffin, and he would say, "This is the altar of my cell." Icons and holy books never touched his bed, with the exception of an icon at its head. He did not think it was right to refer to the Holy Fathers of the Church simply by their first names; for example, as "Vasileios" or "Gregorios." "We talk about Father So-and-so' and say Father' to monks and clergy," he commented, "and is this how we are going to talk about the Holy Fathers?" _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Daniel of Katounakia (+1929) cuts to the heart of who is a true theologian, and how one might walk the path towards that experience. His letter to a student of theology is especially applicable today when many are more drawn to follow academic theologians, Latin scholasticism and rationalism, and a devotion to an abstract reading of saints centuries ago without living connection to the saints of our day. Text of the letter: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2022/09/a-letter-of-saint-daniel-of-katounakia.html St. Daniel was born in 1846, lived in Smyrna and became interested in the life of Christ from a young age. He visited Saint Arsenios of Paros, as he wanted to receive his blessing in order to go to Mount Athos. There he became a monk, living in the monasteries of Saint Panteleimon and Vatopaidi. He was also friends with St. Nektarios of Aegina and had influence on a young St. Joseph the Hesychast. He lived with nephritis (a kidney disease) for almost ten years, before being healed by the Holy Belt of the Theotokos at Vatopaidi on the Belt’s feast day. A few years later he moved to Katounakia and lived alone for three years. More monks came to live there and that is how the Danielaioi brotherhood was founded. Saint Daniel had many God given gifts and abilities, which led to his recognition around the world. He fell asleep in peace in 1929. Saint Daniel’s feast day is celebrated on September 7. _______ ST. DANIEL'S SUMMARY: "To put it simply, he who has preferred the study of Theology, is bound by duty to practice the path of virtue, which in the future he will teach, and to practice without deviation his high profession, without aiming either for the attainment of hollow insignificant glory, or some speculative means, nor in the satiety and gratification of the passions; and then he will see the ageless fruits of his preaching abound." _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

A reading of St. Theophan the Recluse's (+1894) homily examining the teachings of St. John the Theologian 0:21 St. John is above all an example and teacher of love 1:03 How contemporary "wise men" abuse St. John's teaching 2:01 The true teaching of St. John and the false teaching of “Indifferentism” 2:50 St. John binds together his teaching on love with God 5:03 On love and faith, and how St. John “categorically rejects those who say, ‘Believe as you want.’” 6:43 Test the spirits…is that compatible with “Believe as you want”? 7:28 The whole essence of Christianity 8:28 These excerpts should be enough, but the “Indifferentists” speak as though they have never read St. John the Theologian 9:14 We must enter into the right state to act properly 10:20 We enter into this state through baptism which gives us power to live a holy life 11:29 Make your life depend on Christ like you do an injection for your health 12:24 St. Theophan’s summary of St. John’s message 12:43 Some may not object to Christian teaching, but are repulsed by Christian institutions, which are “faith in reality and in action.” 13:54 “Only those who have never tasted the Truth can waver in it.” Read the text here in "Orthodox Life", 1996, # 6: https://orthodoxlifemagazines.blogspot.com/ Learn more about St. Theophan here: https://orthochristian.com/113979.html _______ In the subject of love St. John is especially well known, and no matter who would begin to muse, about love he would immediately bring to mind St. John as the model of love and turn to him as to a teacher of love. Now let us examine how contemporary wise men have made use of this teaching. They possess a special kind of vain wisdom called "Indifferentism" by which they reason say: "believe as you like, it makes no difference—just love everyone like brothers, be charitable to them, and have a good influence on them." What does the will of God consist of? In faith and love: thus the commandment says: "That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another" (1 John 3:23). It does not only command us to love but to believe in the Lord, and in such a way that faith is the source of love. If one were to gather into one all the places where St. John the Evangelist speaks only of love, one could still not confirm his teaching by the false reasoning: only love and believe as you want. Then there follows the warning: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Herein know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist" (1 John 4:1-3). He who says, "Believe as you want" does not confess Jesus Christ, for if he did confess Christ he would not speak thus. Therefore he cannot be from God. Where then is he from?—truly from the antichrist. If only they had a clear understanding of how it is indeed possible for man to act in a fruitful way, they would never remain fixed on their teaching. The essence of the matter is—that we are not in the proper state. Therefore we cannot act in the right way. In order for us to act in the correct way we must enter into the right state. By our own powers we are not capable of doing this.... We obtain this state through Holy Baptism, for those who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ. From the time of Baptism we become one with the Lord and begin to live His life and act by His power. Only those who have never tasted the Truth can waver in it. Let us fulfill with humility and in the spirit of truth all that our holy Faith demands. Then we will have, and carry within, a witness which will bring to naught all false arguments from without. May the Lord illumine us by His Truth. Amen.

Excerpts from Vol. 1 & 2 from the 12 Volume Booklet Series by Fr. Daniel Sysoev titled "How to Inherit Eternal Life". These booklets are great to give out to inquirers and catechumens, to sell at parish bookstores, and more. This recording covers two excerpts from each of the first two booklets. BUY the entire 12 volume, 560 total page booklet set here ($45): https://mission-shop.com/product/how-to-inherit-eternal-life-whole-series-of-12-books/ 0:00 Intro Booklet 1: God's Love and God's Will 0:20 The Path to Divine Love 4:27 How Are We to Will Where Holy Scripture is Silent? Booklet 2: The Divine Names 8:10 The Meaning and Significance of Names 10:08 The Names of God Who Gives Life TITLES of the 12 booklets: --God’s Love and God’s Will --The Divine Names --How Does God Rule the World? --On Fear of God and Good Works --On Meekness and Freedom from Anger --On Internal and External Prayer --Spirit, Soul, and Body --On Gluttony and Avarice --On Envy and Despondency --How We Should View the Government --Orthodox Upbringing of Children --The Resurrection of the Dead LEARN more about Fr. Daniel: https://mission-shop.com/daniel/ DONATE to the Benevolent Fund to support Matushkas (priest wives) who have lost their husbands and need support for themselves and their children: https://mission-shop.com/pozhertvovanie-na-fond/ WATCH an interview with the wife, daughter, and spiritual son of Fr. Daniel Sysoev: --Who Was New-Martyr Daniel Sysoev? with Yulia Sysoeva: https://www.youtube.com/live/cXFNiKcoi9I?feature=share _______ Fr. Daniel teaches: "The apostle Peter says that we have already been given all the gifts that are necessary for salvation. They are given at the time of the sacraments of baptism and chrismation. These gifts are achievable through knowledge of God. The Lord, however, bestows not only gifts, but also the promise that we will be participants in the Divine nature, that through divine grace we will become participants in the nature of the Creator Himself." -from "God’s Love and God’s Will" "If there is no obvious answer to our question in Holy Scripture, how are we then to learn God’s will? For this we have the holy Church of God. We must go to the Church and ask the advice of the priest. This advice must be given grounded in Holy Scripture and the holy fathers. This is necessary not because we do not trust the priest, but so that we might learn, and the next time the choice will be simpler for us.... There are cases, however, where it is not possible to go to a priest or an elder for advice, and the situation must be resolved without delay. In this case there are several means of learning God’s will..." -from "God’s Love and God’s Will" "Ordinarily names are given by those in authority. For example, parents give their children names, exercising their authority over them.... Thus, on the one hand the name signifies personal contact, and on the other—a subordinate status. Hence, strictly speaking, our God is a nameless God. If we ask what God’s sole, absolute name is, the answer is that there is none! For there is no one greater than He." -from "The Divine Names" _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!