Orthodox Wisdom

The inspiring account of St. Victoria’s trial and martyrdom for assembling to celebrate the Eucharist in secret against the law of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Along with 48 others, she was arrested and put on trial for celebrating this secret Divine Liturgy. She is unwavering, holding fast to the Faith and the centrality of the worship of the true God. May this be an ongoing source of inspiration as we continue to see increased persecution of the Church in America and around the world, whether Coronavirus related or otherwise, whether from outside the Church or within.    This recording was inspired by Fr. Josiah Trenham, who in his reflection titled “Dangerous and Illegal Worship?” he recounted the words of St. Victoria “We cannot do without the Eucharist” and tells us about the centrality of Holy Communion for each Orthodox Christian. Listen to his reflection on youtube at PatristicNectarFilms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKE67...  0:19 Background on St. Victoria and those with her  4:35 The account of her trial  17:55 St. Victoria responds “We cannot do without the Eucharist.”   It was difficult to find good sources from known Orthodox websites. Therefore I have used information as best I could find. The account of the trial is the same account Fr. Josiah read from in his reflection linked above.   The Life/Background: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint... The Trial (pages 86-103): https://archive.org/details/dailylife...  St. Victoria reposed in 304 and is celebrated on February 11th.    Holy Martyr Victoria, pray to God for us!  This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

This is bitter medicine that heals deep, often unseen, wounds. St. Dorotheos of Gaza (+565), disciple of Sts. Barsanuphius and John, plainly teaches us the necessity to cease from judging our neighbor, for we may only know the actions, but not the inner heart. He uses many examples, including the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, by saying, “Because of this he was not condemned, as I said, not even because he said, 'I am not like other men', but [he was condemned] because he said, 'I am not like this tax-collector'. It was then that he made a judgment. He condemned a person and the dispositions of his soul—to put it shortly, his whole life. Therefore, the tax-collector rather than the Pharisee went away justified. Nothing is more serious, nothing more difficult to deal with, as I say repeatedly, than judging and despising our neighbor.”   O Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of St. Dorotheos, forgive us and lead us on the path to love and holy discernment.   The text can be found here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/doroth...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

How did catechumens live in the ancient Church? How do they live today? Metropolitan Augoustinos (Kantiotis) of Florina (+2010) gives us the answers and instructs us in how the faithful can better assist the catechumens in their preparation to enter the Body of Christ and how catechumens can recognize what the catechumenate truly is and why the ancient Church has much to teach them today.  We all are called to follow the Holy Fathers and be faithful to Christ Who manifests Himself in His Saints.  00:09 Homily One: The Catechumens  03:00 The Ancient Church focused on the quality of Christians, not quantity  04:04 On how the Catechumens are to depart from the Liturgy at their appointed time  06:45 Homily Two: For the Catechumens  07:17 Again, quality not quantity  08:33 What do the faithful pray for when they pray for the catechumens?  12:55 Homily Three: Infant Baptism?  13:33 Becoming a catechumen in the ancient Church  15:26 Catechumens are to be given Christian names  16:18 Preparing for baptism at Pascha and the bishop’s last words before baptism  18:03 The ancient Church catechesis compared to today; infant baptism; “We seek a free and vibrant Church.”  These homilies are found in “On the Divine Liturgy” vol. 1 and can be purchased here: http://ibmgs.org/chatechetic.html Learn more about Met. Augoustinos here: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Augustinos_(... \ “The ancient Church held catechism to be of great importance. She was interested more in quality than in quantity. A few faithful, dedicated to Christ, were worth much more than hundreds and thousands of people called Christians who did not lead a Christian life. Just as it is impossible to keep an army in fighting condition with soldiers who were never properly trained, so too the living and free Church the Militant, which is conquering and triumphing, cannot exist if all those who want to be Christians are not first instructed in the sacred weapons of the Faith. Untrained Christians are worthless, and nothing noble and important can ever be expected from them. Because the ancient Church used to instruct Her members systematically before baptism, many heroes of the Faith, confessors and martyrs, came out of these ranks of catechumens.”   “The catechumens were permitted to attend Church, to stand in a designated place, and attend a part of the Divine Liturgy, but not all of it. They stayed in Church, prayed with others, listened to the readings and preaching; and after the deacon said the Ektenes and other special petitions for the catechumens, he called them to leave the church. Only when they had all left would the Divine Liturgy continue. And because only the faithful attended it, it was called the Liturgy of the Faithful.” This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Spradznikom! Joyous Feast!   SIGN THE PETITION FOR CANONIZATION of Vladyka Philaret! We are asking the ROCOR Hierarchs to officially glorify Vladyka Philaret and confirm on earth what has been shown forth from heaven. Learn more and sign the petition here: https://www.saint-philaret.com/  “So, beloved brethren, as we have said above, the descent of the Holy Spirit is unbreakably linked to the glorification of Christ the Saviour. And this glorification - the glorification of His Theanthropic nature - is most exaltedly and fully revealed precisely in His Ascension and His sitting on the right hand of God the Father. This is why the Church celebrates the radiant festival of the Ascension  so festively and joyously. This festival is the feast of the final solemnity and crowning as victor of the Originator of our salvation…” -Metropolitan Philaret   This homily was preached by Saint Philaret when he was still an Archimandrite, and was first published in “The Heavenly Bread” in 1939, and then again in “Orthodox Russia” in 1994.   Read the text here: http://blessedphilaret.blogspot.com/2...  Orthodox Wisdom is now on your favorite podcast platform!  Go to the “About” tab at the top of the this channel to find links to:   -Apple Podcasts  -Spotify  -Stitcher  -and more…   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Prayer for all of America, for peace, justice, and unity, with one end in mind: the salvation of our souls and eternal joy in the Holy Trinity. #Orthodox  This prayer can be used for any nation, not just the United States, just substitute the name of the country. Come Lord Jesus!   I encourage you all to join your prayer with action, whatever God directs you to do to help others who are suffering in one way or another. Ask your priest, your mentor, your friend for help and mutual support.  You can find this prayer in the new St. Tikhon's prayer book "Orthodox Christian Prayer": https://www.stspress.com/shop/books/p...  Photo is of Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York.   This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

It is fitting not only to read about God's saints but also to sing to them and lift our hearts to God. This beautiful akathist hymn to St. Cuthbert is chanted with this is mind. Let us seek to emulate God's chosen saints in chanting to Him and His holy ones.   For the Akathist text: http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/oe4...  To listen to the Audiobook of the life of St. Cuthbert: https://youtu.be/Ct_d7PTABJY  To read his Life and download the Audiobook: www.orthodox-wisdom.blogspot.com   Icon of St. Cuthbert: www.leeharveyicons.com   This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The fourth of twenty-two sermons specifically on the subject of the Divine Liturgy, preached by New Martyr St. Seraphim (Zvezdinski). Learn more about yet another inspiring martyr under the Soviet antichrists here: https://orthochristian.com/7426.html  “At this time in Antioch, it happened that persecutors seized the priest Lucian together with his flock. He was condemned (and while in prison) his flock said with sorrow to St. Lucian, “Our dear Father, how will we partake of the Holy Mysteries?” Lucian lay motionless on a hard board, his legs were shackled so that he could not stand up. “Do you have bread and wine?” He asked. “Yes, some kind people have brought some,” they answered. “Only, how will you serve the Liturgy, for we have no altar?” “Bring here the bread and wine and place them on my chest, let it be a living altar for the Most-Pure Mysteries of the Lord,” proclaimed the imprisoned priest. And so they brought the bread and wine and St. Lucian served the Divine Liturgy on his own chest. He together with all the assembled Christians partook of the Holy Mysteries.”   “The Liturgy is the diamond, that priceless gift from Christ. The Liturgy is the river, strengthening and refreshing, flowing from the side of Christ. The Liturgy is the golden bridge on which only it is possible to come to eternal life.”   This was recently translated into English by Fr. Zechariah Lynch, rector of Archangel Michael Orthodox Church (OCA) in Pueblo, CO. If you have not already done so, follow Fr. Zechariah’s excellent blog at https://inklesspen.blog  Text: https://inklesspen.blog/2021/09/19/th...  Orthodox Wisdom is now on your favorite podcast platform! Go to the “About” tab at the top of the this channel to find links to:  -Apple Podcasts  -Spotify  -Stitcher  -and more…   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The account of St. Cuthbert's life by his contemporary, the Venerable Bede, translated in the 19th century by J. A. Giles, and adapted in 2019 by Timothy Honeycutt. St. Cuthbert is a man of universal importance and the most venerated saint of Lindisfarne and Northern England. Through his many miracles and faithful witness, he has inspired, and continues to inspire, countless people to live for Christ. Pilgrims can still venerate his relics, travel to his islands, and find consolation by his prayers. Go to orthodox-wisdom.blogspot.com to DOWNLOAD: -Adapted Text of The Life of St. Cuthbert (PDF) -Audiobook of The Life of St. Cuthbert (mp3) This is the audiobook of the adapted text by Timothy Honeycutt. The intended goal of this adaptation is to maintain the integrity of the original text, both in substance and in style, while adding clarity in two different ways: first, by substituting select antiquated words with more modern, yet reverent, language; secondly, with a desire to help Eastern Christians learn more about this blessed saint of the West, since during St. Cuthbert’s time the Faith in the East and in the West was one and the same, certain religious terminology more common in the East has been used. Both the text and the audiobook are in the public domain. Commercial profit is forbidden. Icon of St. Cuthbert by Lee Harvey: www.leeharveyicons.com “Northumbria is exceeding glad, cherishing the sacred relics of the holy Cuthbert in its bosom; and England exulteth in his intercessions; but all the Orthodox throughout the world trust in his heavenly mediation.”  –From the Service to St. Cuthbert This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The account of St. Cuthbert's life by his contemporary, the Venerable Bede, translated in the 19th century by J. A. Giles, and adapted in 2019 by Timothy Honeycutt.   St. Cuthbert is a man of universal importance and the most venerated saint of Lindisfarne and Northern England. Through his many miracles and faithful witness, he has inspired, and continues to inspire, countless people to live for Christ. Pilgrims can still venerate his relics, travel to his islands, and find consolation by his prayers.   Go to orthodox-wisdom.blogspot.com to DOWNLOAD:   -Adapted Text of The Life of St. Cuthbert (PDF)  -Audiobook of The Life of St. Cuthbert (mp3)    This is the audiobook of the adapted text by Timothy Honeycutt. The intended goal of this adaptation is to maintain the integrity of the original text, both in substance and in style, while adding clarity in two different ways: first, by substituting select antiquated words with more modern, yet reverent, language; secondly, with a desire to help Eastern Christians learn more about this blessed saint of the West, since during St. Cuthbert’s time the Faith in the East and in the West was one and the same, certain religious terminology more common in the East has been used.   Both the text and the audiobook are in the public domain. Commercial profit is forbidden.   Icon of St. Cuthbert by Lee Harvey: www.leeharveyicons.com    “Northumbria is exceeding glad, cherishing the sacred relics of the holy Cuthbert in its bosom; and England exulteth in his intercessions; but all the Orthodox throughout the world trust in his heavenly mediation.”  –From the Service to St. Cuthbert   This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The account of St. Cuthbert's life by his contemporary, the Venerable Bede, translated in the 19th century by J. A. Giles, and adapted in 2019 by Timothy Honeycutt.   St. Cuthbert is a man of universal importance and the most venerated saint of Lindisfarne and Northern England. Through his many miracles and faithful witness, he has inspired, and continues to inspire, countless people to live for Christ. Pilgrims can still venerate his relics, travel to his islands, and find consolation by his prayers.   Go to orthodox-wisdom.blogspot.com to DOWNLOAD:   -Adapted Text of The Life of St. Cuthbert (PDF)  -Audiobook of The Life of St. Cuthbert (mp3)    This is the audiobook of the adapted text by Timothy Honeycutt. The intended goal of this adaptation is to maintain the integrity of the original text, both in substance and in style, while adding clarity in two different ways: first, by substituting select antiquated words with more modern, yet reverent, language; secondly, with a desire to help Eastern Christians learn more about this blessed saint of the West, since during St. Cuthbert’s time the Faith in the East and in the West was one and the same, certain religious terminology more common in the East has been used.   Both the text and the audiobook are in the public domain. Commercial profit is forbidden.   Icon of St. Cuthbert by Lee Harvey: www.leeharveyicons.com    “Northumbria is exceeding glad, cherishing the sacred relics of the holy Cuthbert in its bosom; and England exulteth in his intercessions; but all the Orthodox throughout the world trust in his heavenly mediation.”  –From the Service to St. Cuthbert   This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!