Orthodox Wisdom

An excerpt from Lesson 7 on the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle & Evangelist John the Theologian by Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios. Elder Athanasios looks at two keys in the spiritual life and guards us against the common deceptions of our day.    You can read the full excerpt at Orthodox Ethos: https://orthodoxethos.com/post/the-in...  ____________________________   If you benefitted from this, please join us for the Course on Revelation taught by Fr. Peter Heers. Tonight (4/12/22) will be Lesson 7 from which this excerpt comes from. Watch here: https://youtu.be/XwR-6n3L8es  Also, consider becoming a patron of Orthodox Ethos. Sign up for any amount you wish and get:   -Access to exclusive weekly Q&A sessions  -Access to all previous lectures, including the following which are not available any other way:       -Orthodox Survival Course 2020       -The Truth of Our Faith       -Fr. Seraphim Rose's "Orthodox Survival Course"       -On the Divine Liturgy  -Access to all previous weekly Q&A sessions  -PDF downloads of Lecture slides   -Connect with other Orthodox Christians, possibly in your area  -Exclusive access to our Discourse forum  -The blessing of supporting the many labors of The Orthodox Ethos and Uncut Mountain Press  -And more!   SIGN UP HERE: https://www.patreon.com/frpeterheers ____________________________  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Maximos the Confessor answers the following question:   What is the meaning of: “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast in the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him”? And how are we to understand the words: “and does not doubt”?   An excerpt from his answer: “Since the human person is composed of soul and body, he wavers between two laws, by which I mean the law of the flesh and that of the spirit. On the one hand, the law of the flesh operates by virtue of the senses, but that of the spirit by virtue of the intellect [i.e. nous]. Now the law of the flesh, operating by means of the senses, is of a nature to bind one closely to matter, but the law of the spirit, operating by means of the intellect, brings about an unmediated union with God. Thus it is only reasonable that “he who does not doubt in his heart,” that is, who does not distinguish in his intellect—which is to say, who does not sever the unmediated union with God, which has come about through faith, inasmuch as he is dispassionate, or rather because he has already become God through union with Him by faith—is able to “say to this mountain, move, and it will be moved,” indicating, through the demonstrative pronoun “this mountain,” the mind and law of the flesh, which truly is heavy and difficult to move, and as far as our natural powers are concerned, is absolutely immovable and unshakeable.”    Read the full text here: https://www.scribd.com/document/40331...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Justin Popovic writes, “Our Church's mission is to infuse these God-human virtues and ascetic exertions into the people's way of living; to have their life and soul knit firm with the Christ-like God-human virtues. For therein lies salvation from the world and from all those soul-destroying, death-dealing, and Godless organizations of the world. In response to the "erudite" atheism and refined cannibalism of contemporary civilization we must give place to those Christ-bearing personalities, who with the meekness of sheep will put down the roused lust of wolves, and with the harmlessness of doves will save the soul of the people from cultural and political putrefaction. We must execute ascetic effort in Christ's name in response to the cultural exercising which is performed in the name of the decayed and disfigured European being, in the name of atheism, civilization, or the Antichrist. Which is why the major task of our Church is the creation of such Christ-bearing ascetics. The watchword which should be heard within our Church today is: Let us return to the Christ-bearing ascetics and to the Holy Fathers! To resume the virtues of Saint Anthony, Saint Athanasios, Saint Basil, and Saint Gregory, of Saints Sergios and Seraphim of the Russians, of Saints Savva, Prochios, and Gabriel of the Serbs, and others like them because it was these God-human virtues which brought about Saint Anthony, Saint Gregory and Saint Savva. And today only Orthodox ascetic efforts and virtues can bring about sanctity in every soul, in the soul of all our people—seeing that the God-human objective of the Church is unalterable and its means are likewise so, since Christ is the same yesterday, today and unto all ages (Heb. 13:8). Herein lies the difference between the world of men and the one in Christ: the human world is transient and time-bound, whilst that of Christ is ever whole, for evermore. Orthodoxy, as the single vessel and guardian of the perfect and radiant Person of God-human Christ, is brought about exclusively by this extension of virtues by grace, through entirely God-human Orthodox means, not through borrowings from Roman Catholicism or Protestantism, because the latter are forms of Christianity after the pattern of the proud European being, and not of the humble God-human being. This mission of the Church is facilitated by God Himself because among our people there exists an ascetic spirit as created by Orthodoxy through the centuries. The Orthodox soul of our people leans towards the Holy Fathers and the Orthodox ascetics. Ascetic exertion, at the personal, family, and parish level, particularly of prayer and fasting, is the characteristic of Orthodoxy. Our people is a people of Christ, an Orthodox people, because—as Christ did—it sums up the Gospel in these two virtues: prayer and fasting. And it is a people convinced that all defilement, all foul thoughts, can be driven out of man by these alone (Matt. 17:21). In its heart of hearts our people know Christ and Orthodoxy, they know just what it is that makes an Orthodox person Orthodox. Orthodoxy will always generate ascetic rebirth. She recognizes no other." To see the rest of the description, please go to our YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/watch?v=q8v3qlhQ-T8&ab_channel=OrthodoxWisdom Excerpt from “The Inward Mission of Our Church” by St. Justin Popovic: https://youtu.be/_TqHRv7WEtI Read the entire text here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/inwar... This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Fr. Seraphim Rose writes, "Yet we must go to the Holy Fathers not merely to "learn about them"; if we do no more than this we are in no better state than the idle disputants of The dead academies of this perishing modern civilization, even when these academies are "Orthodox" and the learned theologians in them neatly define and explain all about "sanctity" and "spirituality" and "theosis," but have not the experience needed to speak straight to the heart of thirsting souls and wound them into desiring the path of spiritual struggle, nor the knowledge to detect the fatal error of the academic "theologians" who speak of God with cigarette or wineglass in hand, nor the courage to accuse the apostate "canonical" hierarchs of their betrayal of Christ. We must go to the Holy Fathers, rather, in order to become their disciples, to receive the teaching of true life, the soul's salvation, even while knowing that by doing this we shall lose the favor of this world and become outcasts from it. If we do this we shall find the way out of the confused swamp of modern thought, which is based precisely upon abandonment of the sacred teaching of the Fathers. We shall find that the Holy Fathers are most "contemporary" in that they speak directly to the struggle of the Orthodox Christian today, giving answers to the crucial questions of life and death which mere academic scholarship is usually afraid even to ask—and when it does ask them, gives a harmless answer which "explains" these questions to those who are merely curious about them, but are not thirsting for answers. We shall find true guidance from the Fathers, learning humility and distrust of our own vain worldly wisdom, which we have sucked in with the air of these pestilential times, by means of trusting those who have pleased God and not the world. We shall find in them true fathers, so lacking in our own day when the love of many has grown cold (Matt. 24:12)—fathers whose only aim is to lead us their children to God and His Heavenly Kingdom, where we shall walk and converse with these angelic men in unutterable joy forever. There is no problem of our own confused times which cannot find its solution by a careful and reverent reading of the Holy Fathers: whether the problem of the sects and heresies that abound today, or the schisms and "jurisdictions"; whether the pretense of spiritual life put forth by the "charismatic revival," or the subtle temptations of modern comfort and convenience; whether complex philosophical questions such as "evolution," or the straightforward moral questions of abortion, euthanasia, and "birth control"; whether the refined apostasy of "Sergianism," which offers a church organization in place of the Body of Christ, or the crudeness of "renovationism," which begins by "revising the calendar" and ends in "Eastern-rite Protestantism." In all these questions the Holy Fathers, and our living Fathers who follow them, are our only sure guide." A recording of the complete article by Fr. Seraphim can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEDGp...  Complete Text: http://orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/rose...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Let us sit at the feet of the great Confessor as he teaches on patriotism and war: “Christian patriotism is, of course, alien to those extremes and errors into which "super-patriots" fall. A Christian patriot, while loving his nation, does not close his eyes to its inadequacies, but soberly looks at its properties and characteristics. He will never agree with those "patriots" who are inclined to elevate and justify everything native (even national vices and inadequacies). Such "patriots" do not realize that this is not patriotism at all, but puffed up national pride - that very sin against which Christianity struggles so strongly. No, a true patriot does not close his eyes to the sins and ills of his people; he sees them, grieves over them, struggles with them and repents before God and other peoples for himself and his nation. In addition, Christian patriotism is completely alien to hatred of other peoples. If I love my own people, then surely I must also love the Chinese, the Turks or any other people. Not to love them would be non-Christian. No, God grant them well-being and every success, for we are all people, children of one God.” War in itself is absolutely evil, an extremely sad phenomenon and deeply contrary to the very essence of Christianity. Words cannot express how joyous it would be if people ceased to war with one another and peace reigned on earth. Sad reality speaks quite otherwise, however. Only some dreamers far removed from reality and some narrowly one-sided sectarians can pretend that war can be omitted from real life.”   “It is quite correct to point out that war is a violation of the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex. 20:15). No one will argue against that. Still, we see from the Holy Scriptures that in that very same Old Testament time when this commandment was given, the Israelite people fought on command from God, and defeated its enemies with God's help. Consequently, the meaning of the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” does not refer unconditionally to every act of removing a person's life. This commandment forbids killing for revenge, in anger, by personal decision or act of will. When our Saviour explained the deep meaning of this commandment, He pointed out that it forbids not only actual killing, but also unchristian, vain anger.” “In a conversation with Mohammedans, about war, St. Cyril, the Enlightener of the Slavs, said, "We meekly endure personal offenses; but as a society, we defend each other, laying down our lives for our neighbors, so that you having taken them captive, do not force them to deny their faith or perform acts against God." Finally, what Russian does not know the example of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who blessed Prince Dimitry Donskoy to go to war, prayed for the success of the Russian army, and commemorated those soldiers who died on the field of battle?” “One can, of course, sin and sin greatly while participating in war. This happens when one participates in war with a feeling of personal hatred, vengeance, or vainglory and with proud personal aims. On the contrary, the less he thinks about himself, and the more he is ready to lay down his life for others, the closer the Christian soldier approaches the martyr's crown.”

Consider Archbishop Averky’s words in the context of the previous two years, and even to this day. Does fear of sickness and avoidance of the holy things have any place in this “earthly heaven,” as St. John of Krondstadt calls the holy temple? Do face masks (as well as immodest attire) conform to the mind of Archbishop Averky when he says, “All those who come into church - this “earthly heaven,” - must, even in their outward appearance, imitate the celestial ones, with whom they are entering into converse there, and they should not by any means cause them, or the other people praying there, any visual offence”? Is not the grace of God attracted to the man of faith and resistant to the rationalistic and proud? As the Apostle says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). Our beloved Fr. Seraphim Rose says, “Orthodox Christians! Hold fast to the grace which you have; never let it become a matter of habit; never measure it by merely human standards or expect it to be logical or comprehensible to those who understand nothing higher than what is human or who think to obtain the grace of the Holy Spirit in some other way than that which the one Church of Christ has handed down to us. True Orthodoxy by its very nature must seem totally out of place in these demonic times.” Let us simply and humbly heed the words of our Saints, begging their help in all things, that we may not fall prey to the noetic wolf and with a nous cleansed of the passions glorify our Father in Heaven, now in this “earthly heaven,” the temple of the living God. For if we are not faithful in this earthly heaven, will we be prepared for the heaven above?   Excerpt from “Standing in the Temple of Thy Glory, We Think Ourselves to Stand in Heaven, O Theotokos.”  Full text here: https://orthodoxethos.com/post/standi...  Read more from Archbishop Averky: https://www.holytrinitypublications.c...  https://archbishopaverky.blogspot.com/  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Maximos the Confessor answers the following question:   If, according to Saint John, “he who is born of God does not sin, because God’s seed is in him, and he cannot sin,” and if he who is “born of water and Spirit” is himself born of God, then how are we who are born of God through baptism still able to sin?   An excerpt from his answer: “So even if we should possess the Spirit of adoption—which is a life-giving seed that bestows the likeness of the Sower upon those who are born of it—but do not offer Him a disposition of the will pure of any propensity or inclination toward something else, we will, as a result, willingly sin even after “being born through water and the Spirit.” But if, to the contrary, we were to prepare the disposition of our will to receive cognitively the operations of the water and the Spirit, then, through our ascetic practice, the mystical water would cleanse our conscience, and the life-creating Spirit would actualize in us the unchanging perfection of the good through knowledge acquired in experience. What is lacking, therefore, in each of us who is still able to sin, is the unequivocal desire to surrender our whole selves, in the disposition of our will, to the Spirit.   Read the full text here: https://www.scribd.com/document/40331...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Excerpt from "Holy Scripture and the Church" by St. Hilarion Troitsky   St. Hilarion offers much clarity and foundational argumentation to help both Protestants and Orthodox come to a truly Christian approach to these central matters.    This except is from part II. Listen to all three parts here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz...  Read the full text here: https://www.newmartyr.info/files/Sain...  "“Two sources of doctrine are usually spoken of: Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. Both of these sources are necessary, although preference is often given to Holy Scripture. In disputes with sectarians and Protestants, much effort is made to prove that Holy Scripture alone is insufficient, that besides Scripture Holy Tradition is also needed. But if Holy Scripture is a source of doctrine, how do we extract the doctrine contained within this source? It is enough to remember Arianism and the First Ecumenical Council in order to realize that every heresy is based on Scripture. e question clearly arises: “How are we to understand Scripture so as to obtain from it true doctrine?” “It has to be understood in accordance with Tradition,” they respond to us. “Wonderful! And what sort of tradition should we accept?” “ at which does not contradict Scripture.” What do we end up with? Scripture must be interpreted in accordance with Tradition, and Tradition must be veri ed by Scripture. We end up with circular logic, idem per idem, or, translated somewhat loosely into Russian, the story of the white calf.                       Church doctrine has but one Source: the Holy Spirit, Who lives within the Church, Whom Christ promised would guide (ὁδηγήσει) the Church into all truth (John 16:13). Thus, the Church possesses true doctrine not because she draws it from Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, but only because she is in fact the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth (1Tim 3:15), guided by the Holy Spirit. It is necessary to speak only about the Church. Both Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition stand or fall together with the Church.”   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Metropolitan Philaret of New York, third First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and towering figure in the great cloud of 20th century witnesses. An ardent defender of the Truth, both the Person of Christ and the dogma and ethos of His Body, the Orthodox Church, Vladyka Philaret’s ascetic and prayer-filled heart guided ROCOR from 1964 until his repose in 1985. He is well known for his three “Sorrowful Epistles” written to the Hierarchy of the world in defense of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church against ecumenism and modernist corruptions of the life of the Church. Thirteen years after his repose on Nov 8/21, 1985, his relics were translated to the crypt under the altar at Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary in Jordanville, NY and were found to be incorrupt. In God’s time, we may see this righteous Hierarch officially number with the Saints.   Fr. Seraphim Rose wrote of Met. Philaret in 1976: “Among the Primates of the Orthodox Churches today, there is only one from whom is always expected—and not only by members of his own Church, but by very many in a number of other Orthodox Churches as well—the clear voice of Orthodox righteousness and truth and conscience, untainted by political considerations or calculations of any kind.  The voice of Metropolitan Philaret of New York, Chief Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, is the only fully Orthodox voice among all the Orthodox primates.  In this he is like to the Holy Fathers of ancient times, who placed purity of Orthodoxy above all else, and he stands in the midst of today's confused religious world as a solitary champion of Orthodoxy in the spirit of the Ecumenical Councils.”    Learn more about Met. Philaret at the ROCOR Eastern Diocese website: https://www.eadiocese.org/metropolita...  And also at this blog (run by an Old Calendarist, for your information): http://blessedphilaret.blogspot.com  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

This homily was given on February 23, 1903 at the Cathedral Church of San Francisco, California when St. Tikhon was Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska.   “This Sunday, brethren, begins the week of Orthodoxy, or the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, because it is today that the Holy Orthodox Church solemnly recalls its victory over the Iconoclast heresy and other heresies and gratefully remembers all who fought for the Orthodox faith in word, writing, teaching, suffering, or godly living.”   “If you do not preserve the Orthodox faith and the commandments of God, the least you can do is not to humiliate your hearts by inventing false excuses for your sins! If you do not honor our customs, the least you can do is not to laugh at things you do not know or understand. If you do not accept the motherly care of the Holy Orthodox Church, the least you can do is to confess you act wrongly, that you are sinning against the Church and behave like children! If you do, the Orthodox Church may forgive you, like a loving mother, your coldness and slights, and will receive you back into her embrace, as if you were erring Children.”  “At the beginning, not only pastors alone suffered for the faith of Christ, but lay people also, men, women and even children. Heresies were fought against by lay people as well. Likewise, the spread of Christ’s faith ought to be near and precious to the heart of every Christian. In this work every member of the Church ought to take a lively and heart-felt interest. This interest may show itself in personal preaching of the Gospel of Christ.”   Text: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2016...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!