Orthodox Wisdom

Hear how St. Joseph faced the most fearsome spiritual battle of his life, an eight year battle against lust and fornication, and how by the powerful name of Christ and his indomitable spirit he became victorious. 0:27 St. Daniel the Hesychast calls Francis (St. Joseph the Hesychast) and Fr. Arsenios to be obedient to an Elder 2:32 Their Elders: Elder Joseph and Elder Ephraim the Barrel-Maker4:15 The perfect obedience of St. Joseph 6:43 The call to war 8:29 The battle against the demon of fornication begins 9:42 St. Joseph’s courage and dedication to be victorious 10:38 The intensity of the struggle 12:32 St. Joseph begins to despair and God grants a vision to console him 13:29 The vision 17:01 St. Joseph telling of the vision to his disciples 18:31 The warfare intensifies but St. Joseph did not give in 19:56 Physical manifestation of the demons battling against St. Joseph 22:55 Final victory Buy "My Elder Joseph the Hesychast" written by his disciple, Elder Ephraim of Arizona, here: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/my-elder-joseph-the-hesychast NOTE: Francis was the name of St. Joseph before his monastic tonsure. ______________________________ From “My Elder Joseph the Hesychast”, p. 91-105: St. Joseph was called to this battle not because in his youth we was promiscuous and rebellious; no, “he had never had any past experience with carnal sins and was completely chaste…” "Francis struggled intensely because he was completely aware of what was happening. Besides, it was in his character never to give in to anything improper. He fasted strictly and kept vigil all night. He only partook of dry bread and water. When he would reach the limits of exhaustion, grace would strengthen him, and thus he would continue his fearsome struggle. The more time passed, the tougher the demons' warfare became—it was nearly incessant. But he, too, was full of rage against them. He was so courageous that he said to the demons,' 'Either I’ll devour you or you'll devour me.' This is why he never lost a single battle against the demons. With such dedication to fight till death, how could the grace of God not help him and raise him to lofty spiritual states?" “For it is a law of God: whatever causes sensual pleasure is cured by pain.” -St. Joseph It is very likely that contemporary monastics and struggling laymen will wonder why this young ascetic beat himself so mercilessly. Even though it sounds horrible, it is not a sign of mental instability, nor is it the only such instance in ascetical literature.** God has revealed through various miracles that He accepted this form of ascesis as a martyrdom. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and The Ladder are full of similar ascetical struggles in which the body is not being punished but rather being subdued to the ruling nous. The aim of Orthodox asceticism is to kill the passions, not the body. Through his indomitable determination, Father Joseph attained this lofty state, even though he had not yet reached the age of thirty-two. From his own experience, he was able to teach his spiritual children: “When a person struggles to keep his body pure and his nous chaste from filthy thoughts, his life and his prayer ascend like fragrant incense to the heavens. I have seen in practice what I am telling you. There is no sacrifice to God more fragrant than chastity of the body which is obtained with a bloody and dreadful struggle...." **For example, see the lives of Saints Leontius, Epiphanius, Nephon, Martinius, and Benedict. Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Fr. Seraphim Rose writes to a woman who was baptized as a child, left the faith, and returned to the Church as an adult. Fr. Seraphim rejoices in her return, shares how he too was far from Christ, and some basic tenants of living the Orthodox life.   Fr. Seraphim writes:   “Coming from a Protestant background, I rejected it completely and became an agnostic and atheist, and then started searching for some meaning to life in various philosophies and Eastern religions, until I finally came to the point where I thought there was no meaning to life at all, and I wondered why I should keep on living. And then I went for the first time to a Russian Orthodox Church, and something in my soul responded to this, and I began a gradual but sure recovery from my spiritual disease of despair and lack of faith. Many people today say that God has turned away from us and does not listen to us. But I have found that just the opposite is true: it is we who have turned away from God and followed vain philosophies and our own selfish desires. But God remains always the same and is always ready to receive us with great love.”  “True faith comes from a small seed which is planted in our hearts by God Himself, and which is nourished and gradually grows through God’s grace and through our own actions which are in accordance with His commandments and the tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church, which has been given by the Holy Spirit and handed down to us through our Holy Fathers.”   The three practical suggestions Fr. Seraphim gives:   1) Daily Prayers, morning and evening  2) Read every day at least a chapter or even a few verses from the Four Gospels  3) Read a little each day of the book “Unseen Warfare”   “Do not read any books on “spirituality” by Catholics, Protestants, psychologists, or anyone who is not Orthodox, because they will only mix you up. There may be wisdom or insights in some of these, but only in our Orthodox Faith is there to be found the whole path of salvation, the infallible way of coming to God. Many people spend a lifetime trying to find what is only to be found in the Orthodox Church; but God has granted you the good fortune of being born in His Holy Church, and you only need to return to what is yours already. Even I, from a Protestant background, felt that I had “come home” when I found Holy Orthodoxy; how much more you will feel the same way when faith begins truly to grow within you.”  -Letter dated Jan. 23/Feb. 5, 1971   https://thoughtsintrusive.wordpress.com/letters-of-fr-seraphim-rose-1961-1982/  Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Take advantage of a 20% discount, March 10-12, on all books. Type in discount code LENT20 when checking out at http://uncutmountainpress.com  St. Gregory Palamas wrote two treatises on the procession of the Holy Spirit presenting the Orthodox dogmatic teaching and refutes the Latin heresies, especially that of the “filioque.” Not only do these texts show forth the glory of true theology, of which St. Gregory acquired by God’s revelation to his heart, but they destroy any notion that St. Gregory thought of those in Roman Catholicism as “separated brethren” or still in any way part of the true Church of Christ. Furthermore, he explicitly states that not only do the Orthodox and Roman Catholics use different terminology, they indeed also have different theology. Let the listener be inspired by this brief excerpt from St. Gregory’s Apodicitic Treatises on the Procession of the Holy Spirit, now available for the first time in English from Uncut Mountain Press.   This recording was originally posted on the @OrthodoxEthos channel: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nHPzoOwi2x4&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE  St. Gregory writes:   Once again the subtle serpent and source of vice rears his own head against us, whispering things opposite to the truth. Or rather, since he has been crushed in his head by the Cross of Christ, he makes those who obey his destructive counsels in every generation each take the place of his own head, and similar to a hydra he has sprouted many heads instead of the one, relentlessly speaking utter unrighteousness through them. Thus he attached to his coiled body the Arians, thus the Apollinarians, thus the Eunomians and Macedonians, thus the host of many others who ran to him, spewing his venom through their speech against the sacred Church. In lieu of fangs, he has used their words and sunk them into the source of piety, as into the root of a plant that had youthfully grown virtue, burdened with the best of fruit; yet he was not able to utterly lay waste to it. For, his fangs were in turn shattered by those who had been bitten by him, meaning, by those who have truly made Christ their own Head.   Accordingly, this serpent, which is noetic and, because of this, all the more accursed, the first, middle, and final evil, the wicked one, always feeding off of serpentine and earthly wickedness, the vigilant stalker, tirelessly looking out for the heel,  that is to say, deception, the sophist, most resourceful and incomparably ingenious in every opinion obnoxious to God, not having at all forgotten his own evil art, introduces, through the Latins which were obedient to him, innovative expressions concerning God. While these innovations seem to make but a small change, they actually create the occasion for many evils and bring in many things that are subtle, foreign to piety, and logically absurd. In doing this he clearly displayed to all that even the smallest thing is not small in matters concerning God. For if, with each of our arguments, when one fallacious thing has initially been premised many absurdities ensue, how can it not be that, when one uncustomary premise has been made in relation to the common principle of all and to the indemonstrable first principles, from this more absurdities will not irreverently ensue?

Metropolitan Philaret's letter to Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, written in 1969 in response to ecumenical prayer gatherings and statements expressing heretical ecclesiology from both the Archbishop and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. Notice the royal path exhibited here by the great hierarch: when addressing the Archbishop and Patriarch he is very respectful, consistently using the given honorifics and hierarchical titles, yet stands firmly on the truth set down by the Apostles and Holy Fathers.   Purchase "Metropolitan Philaret of New York: Zealous Confessor for the Faith" edited by Subdeacon Nektarios Harrison, M.A. here:  https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/metropolitan-philaret-of-new-york-zealous-confessor-for-the-faith/  For more on the topic of this video, buy "On Common Prayer with the Heterodox According to the Canons of the Church" by Protopresbyter Anastasios Gotsopoulos: https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/on-common-prayer-with-the-heterodox/  This recording was originally posted on the @OrthodoxEthos channel: https://youtu.be/GGfjVcCEmoY  More recordings from Orthodox Wisdom on Met. Philaret:  The Life of Metropolitan Philaret of New York: https://youtu.be/4rR4jJ_23RY Patriotism & War: https://youtu.be/Za6rSKXyulM On the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ: https://youtu.be/LN3doqcUa1E  Met. Philaret writes:   "Our silence might be construed as consent, bringing consequent confusion to our own flock as well as misunderstanding to the heterodox expecting our actions, especially in matters of public worship to be performed by all of us in conformance with our doctrines and canons. Therefore, an incorrect action made by one Bishop may be taken for something permitted by the whole Church, and those who are 'without' may form a misconception in regard to Orthodox doctrine. In a time such as this, when so much mutual interest is shown by various confessions, we may be found offering them a stone instead of a loaf of bread." "The Holy Fathers however always regarded common public prayer as the culmination of the conversion of erring persons to the true Church — the achievement of it; not the means to it. Common Church prayer is a manifestation of an already existing unity of faith and spirit."   "In a speech during his visit to Rome in 1967, His Holiness Patriarch Athenagoras publicly declared in the Basilica of St. Peter that the Church should 'return to the solid ground on which the undivided Church was founded' as if since 1054 the Church has lost this foundation and as if before that time there existed no schisms. If, as Your Eminence and His Holiness declare, you are proceeding toward the restoration of this 'Undivided Church,' then this means that for you the Church is at present non-existent. We are also inescapably brought to the conclusion that Your Eminence and the Patriarch accept the 'branch' theory."   "You are uniting with the heterodox not in truth but in indifference to it." Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Sophrony is one of the greatest saints of the 20th century, a teacher of prayer of the heart and one graced with the experience of the Uncreated Light. He was glorified as a Saint in 2019 and is beloved by the entire Church worldwide.   This excerpt comes from Letter 11, Dec 3/16, 1932 found in "Striving for Knowledge of God: Correspondence with David Balfour" available for sale here: https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/striving-for-knowledge-of-god/  St. Sophrony writes:   "...I would like to say a little about the fact that at the present time a significant part of the Christian world tends to accept one of the most dangerous heresies. What is consists of is people saying that in our days there is not one Church which has kept fully the true teaching of Christ; or which possesses complete knowledge of the mystery of the holy, grace-filled Christian life on the ethical and ascetic level. Supposedly, many of the Churches which are nominally Christian have equal grace, and because of that we should proceed towards the union of the Churches on the basis of some common program."   "Some people think that no single one of the existing Churches can receive the fulness of knowledge and grace, because each one of them in one or another degree has deviated from the truth. They think that only now ‘at the end of the ages’ they (these sages) have fully grasped the spirit of the teaching of Christ, and that the entire Christian world has been led astray for many centuries until now. That now the time has come when we must unite all the separated parts into one universal and apostle Church, which will have the fulness of truth in all its aspects, even though this union will only embrace what is common to all the Churches. What is even worse, some of them are pondering in their hearts a certain high, supra-ecclesial, mystical, understanding of Christian religion, which… I won’t say more about this."  "I digressed into discussing this for one reason only: to tell you that I very much want you (and I pray to God for this) not to be deceived by all that, but to be convinced firmly in your heart and mind that on this earth there is one unique and true Church which Christ founded; that this Church maintains unspoiled the teaching of Christ, that she in her totality (and not in her individual members) possesses the fulness of knowledge and grace and infallibility."   "The definitive form of expression of the Church’s teaching at the Ecumenical Councils cannot be subjected to any change. All future academic work must obligatorily concur with what was given in divine revelation and in the teaching of the Ecumenical Councils of the Church. The same is true in connection with grace: only the one and unique Church can have the fulness of grace. All the other Churches, however, do have grace because of their faith in Christ, but not in its fulness. We can, furthermore, believe that in our days there are still people who, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, are equal to the great Saints of the Church of ancient times. (I am saying this in connection with what I heard about several people in Russia.) [This is] because Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8). All this is the truth. Whoever departs from this faith will not stand."   Read the text here: https://classicalchristianity.com/2016/10/17/elder-sophrony-on-orthodoxy-and-ecumenism/ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Blessed Lent brothers and sisters! St. Theodore the Studite (+826) reminds us of the stance of the righteous in the face of "small" matters such as eating or not eating meat during Great Lent. Yet, for "these men it was permissible to partake of any meat under necessity, as St Basil says. But since the order from the Scythians was aimed at the rejection of the faith, they refused..." Are not the demons the Sythians of our day? Those thoughts that say fasting is not necessary, that what we eat doesn't matter, than only loving others is the true fast...are they not inspired by the demons? Let us both fast from meat (and the other foods) during Lent and love others more deeply.    St. Theodore says:   In Bulgaria, as those who were accurately informed have reported, an evil decree went out from the ruler there that the Christians in captivity and our brothers were to eat meat during the period of the holy Forty Days; those who obeyed would live, those who disobeyed would be killed. The word of the godless was exceedingly strong and the people assembled and there was weeping and groans and much lamentation with women and children, on the one side of those clinging to the Christian law, on the other of those quailing before the death of the flesh. Finally—ah, the pitiable announcement—they were defeated and submitted to the godless order. Fourteen of them though broke away and stood apart saying it was not possible either to obey or to eat meat in violation of the Christian law. At this, appeals and exhortations by the people were made: 'Let them yield to constraint, not die foolishly, and through repentance they can be restored again.' But nothing could persuade them or weaken them from keeping their gaze fixed on God and on the blessedness that was laid up in his promises. The Scythian then, when he saw the implacable determination of the men, thought to subdue the rest by means of one, and having slain him he at once distributed his children and his wife among the Scythians as slaves, so that the others weakened by this would be brought over. But they rather remained unbowed and shouted out, 'We are Christians, and our lot is that of our dead brother'. At this confession they were crucified on planks and died in the Lord. They were obedient then to the commands of the Gospel, they obeyed the authority of the Lord and were wreathed with the crown of martyrdom, imitating the holy Maccabees and doubling their number, for the Maccabees were seven, but they were fourteen; the former so as not to taste swine's meat in violation of the law, the latter so as not to partake of any meat in violation of the Christian rule; this latter seems stricter, because for the Maccabees partaking of pork was utterly forbidden, but for these men it was permissible to partake of any meat under necessity, as St Basil says. But since the order from the Scythians was aimed at the rejection of the faith, they refused; but they considered all things as secondary for the love of Christ. O blessed men! O blessed action! They were obedient then to the commands of the Gospel, they obeyed the authority of the Lord and were wreathed with the crown of martyrdom, imitating the holy Maccabees and doubling their number, for the Maccabees were seven, but they were fourteen; the former so as not to taste swine's meat in violation of the law, the latter so as not to partake of any meat in violation of the Christian rule; this latter seems stricter, because for the Maccabees partaking of pork was utterly forbidden, but for these men it was permissible to partake of any meat under necessity, as St Basil says. But since the order from the Scythians was aimed at the rejection of the faith, they refused; but they considered all things as secondary for the love of Christ. O blessed men! O blessed action!   Text: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/03/catechesis-63-historical-concerning.html

Excerpt from homilies on Revelation, Lesson 89 (Rev. 21:8) by Elder Athanasios   The Lord said to the Apostle John: "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death." -Revelation 21:8   Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios, a dynamic and beloved preacher, abbot of the Monastery of Komnineiou and Saint John the Theologian in Stomion, Larisa, Greece, gave 104 consecutive lessons of Revelation to thousands of faithful. This beloved elder, venerated by many in Greece and around the world, reposed in the Lord in the year 2006.    The edifying lecture series by Fr. Peter Heers on the Revelation of Jesus Christ can be viewed here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCFiE3qfVkDhKNfZnuLfsyW-xwVicvogB  Elder Athanasios says:   “The very first category includes the cowardly, which may be surprising to some. Did you ever dream that cowardice would be such a heavy sin? I believe with a little analysis you will come to agree with the mind of Scripture regarding this vice. Initially we must mention that many faithful Orthodox Christians suffer from cowardice. I do not know about you personally, but I feel that I must constantly remind myself about this danger. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, and I do not know how I will stand under persecution. No one should be totally confident about his ability to remain unscathed by future temptations and difficulties. He who is overconfident and self-assured of his bravery lacks understanding.”   “We do not know, beloved, how we will react if and when that time comes. Those who we may label as weak may turn into lions at the moment of challenge, and those who appear and act like lions now may prove to be most cowardly, and turn their back on their faith. Generally speaking, however, cowardice seems to be like a dark cloud that covers all of us faithful Christians today, and it is quite obvious in our daily lives. The coward is in direct opposition to the one who struggles and to the one who strives for victory. Christ promised His inheritance to the one who thirsts, the one who undertakes the Christian struggle, the victor. The cowardly do not wish to enter the spiritual arena, because they find the struggle burdensome, difficult, and unachievable. They are terribly afraid of the God-opposing powers of the world and everything that opposes their faith. They are afraid to face the opposite paradigm, and they finally betray the tenets of the their faith due to their cowardice. This can be especially true during a time of widespread persecution. Let us not forget that the gospel was never free of persecution, ever during its golden epochs. This is the nature of the genuine gospel, and it needs to be so, because otherwise the Word of God would be speaking falsehoods.”   “As we were saying, there has been no one who wished to live a godly life, a life of piety, who did not face persecution (cf. 1 Tim 3:12). The gospel and its followers are in a permanent state of persecution, not excluding the snide remarks, sarcasm, and opposition from those of our own family. And the enemies of a man will be the members of his own household (Matthew 10:36).”   Purchase Volume V of the homilies on Revelation, as well as Volume I to IV here: https://www.zoepress.us   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. Basil's Lament for Sin   Find the text here: https://www.orthodox.net/confess/lament.html  St. Basil prays:   In profound humility I weep for all my sins, voluntary and involuntary, conscious and unconscious, covert and overt, great and little, committed by word and deed, in thought and intention, day and night, at every hour and minute of my life.   How often, through selfishness, pride or false modesty, have I refused help and attention to those in need, been uncharitable, miserly, unsympathetic, mercenary and grasped at attention!   How often have I entered the House of God without fear and trembling, stood there in prayer, frivolous and absent-minded, and left it in the same spirit and disposition! And in prayer at home I have been just as cold and indifferent, praying little, lazily, and indolently, inattentively and impiously, and even completely omitting the appointed prayers!   My God, my God! Why hast Thou forsaken me? Be it unto me according to Thy will, 0 Lord! If Thou wouldst grant me light, be Thou blessed; if Thou wouldst grant me darkness, be Thou equally blessed. If Thou wouldst destroy me together with my lawlessness, glory to Thy righteous judgment; and if Thou wouldst not destroy me together with my lawlessness, glory to Thy boundless mercy!    Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

An excerpt from "Introduction to the Lives of the Saints" by St. Justin Popovic.   Listen here: https://youtu.be/q1SQB8O2Aek Read here: here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjustin_intro.aspx  The Prologue of Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovich is great for daily reading. It includes a brief life of one or two saints, a hymn of praise, reflection, and homily. Buy the Prologue from various Orthodox Bookstores online.    Listen free to the lives of the saints every day of the year at Patristic Nectar: https://patristicnectar.org/synaxarion  St. Justin writes:   “The Lives of the Saints are holy testimonies of the miraculous power of our Lord Jesus Christ. In reality they are the testimonies of the Acts of the Apostles, only continued throughout the ages.”   “And who are the Christians? Christians are those through whom the holy Divine-human life of Christ is continued from generation to generation until the end of the world and of time, and they all make up one body, the Body of Christ-the Church: they are sharers of the Body of Christ and members of one another. The stream of immortal divine life began to flow and still flows unceasingly from the Lord Christ, and through him Christians flow into eternal life. Christians are the Gospel of Christ continued throughout all the ages of the race of men.”   “What are the Lives of the Saints? Behold, we are in Paradise, in which everything which is Divine, holy, immortal, eternal, righteous, true, and evangelical grows and increases. For by the Cross in every one of the saints the tree of eternal, Divine, immortal life blossomed and brought forth much fruit.”   “Saints are people who live on earth by holy, eternal Divine truths. That is why the Lives of the Saints are actually applied dogmatics, for in them all the holy eternal dogmatic truths are experienced in all their life-creating and creative energies. In The Lives of the Saints it is most evidently shown that dogmas are not only ontological truths in themselves and for themselves, but that each one of them is a wellspring of eternal life and a source of holy spirituality.”    Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

A reading of “Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images” (First Apology) by St. John of Damascus (+749). In response to the iconoclast heresy of the 8th century St. John wrote three treatises in defense of the apostolic tradition. His defense centers on the incarnation of Christ, how the invisible God became visible, and how from the witness of Holy Scripture we are commanded by God to make and venerate holy icons. St. John’s message is ever relevant as sectarians and heretical-minded people continually find new ways to reject the veneration of icons which are a divine safeguard for truth and a means of God’s economy of salvation. 0:10 Introduction - When the Church is being attacked “I deem it unreasonable to keep silence" 1:40 St. John knows the teaching of the Church and exclaims we must not forsake Her ancient tradition 2:55 St. John’s prayer and stance in setting forth the Orthodox teaching on icons 4:08 St. John begins his defense of icons; there is one God Whose Son became flesh, the invisible became visible 7:15 Passages from Scripture that command no graven images lest idolatry ensue 8:47 More passages from Scripture showing that nothing is to be adored in the way God is to be adored 10:16 The newness of life in Christ, the fulfillment of the law in Christ, no longer means images are such a stumbling block to worship of God alone.  13:58 God has ordained that the intangible is made known through that which we can see 17:11 The images are of two kinds: words written down or material images. Either reject the authority of God Who willed them to be made or esteem them as is fitting. 18:10 The degrees of worship: 1) adoration which we offer to God alone 2) the honor we offer the friends of God, for the sake of God 3) the respect as we see with Abraham and the sons of Nahor. 19:30 God commands cherubim and other images to overshadow the mercy seat, calling us to worship Him through created matter 21:43 “I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake..." 23:28 “Either do away with the honor and veneration these things deserve, or accept the tradition of the Church and the veneration of images.” 24:05 Exodus 31:1-6 and Exodus 35:4-10 26:44 The images worthy of God “sanctify the noblest of the senses, which is that of sight.” 28:08 If God ordered twelve stones to be taken from the Jordan after Israel passed through, shall we not make images of Christ and His saving passion? 29:06 It is utter foolishness to make images of Christ and not of His saints, for he says, “I will glorify those who glorify Me” (1 Sam 2:30). 31:30 On the images God commanded David and Soloman to make in the temple, and how depicting the saints is far greater 33:04 “Shall we strip [the saints] of the glory given them by the Church? What audacity! What effrontery of mind, to fight with God, refusing to follow His commands!” 38:08 Christians have seen God in human form. Peter’s shadow and Paul’s handkerchief healed and put demons to flight. Therefore, we glorify the saints in material images. 39:12 St. Basil the Great teaches that the tradition of the Church is passed down both orally and in writing and “both sources have equal power to lead us to righteousness.” 41:03 “Pagans make images of demons which they address as gods, but we make images of God incarnate, and of his servants and friends, and with them we drive away the demonic hosts.” 41:45 St. John: the words against icons from St. Epiphanius are “fictitious and inauthentic.” Furthermore, “one exception cannot be a law for the Church…” 43:23 “The former holy things, the tent, and everything therein were made by hands, and no one can deny that they were venerated.”