Orthodox Wisdom

Have you wanted to learn more about The Jesus Prayer? Have you wondered, “How do you use a prayer rope?” This short text explains the basics of the what the prayer rope is and the meaning it has in the Holy Tradition of the Church. When it comes to details of praying the Jesus Prayer, please speak with your spiritual father as he can guide you on the specific rule you will have. With Great Lent approaching, may this spur you on to speak with your spiritual father about prayer and say more often and more deeply, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”   “The prayer rope is not intended to be used only by monks, but it can also be used by laymen and, generally, by anyone who wants to pray to God. The prayer rope is not some kind of amulet with magic or exorcising powers, like those given to simple-minded people by magicians or mediums, worn on the wrist or round the neck. On the contrary, it is a purely Orthodox holy object used only for praying and nothing else. We use the prayer rope in order to pray secretly.”   “The prayer rope is one of the items given to an Orthodox Christian monk at the time of tonsure: it is given to him as his spiritual sword with which he, as a soldier of Christ, must make war against our spiritual enemy, the devil. This sword is wielded by calling on the name of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ in a plea for mercy on me a sinner. This prayer can be said in a shorter form, such as: ‘Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me’; or in a longer form, as: ‘By the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me’.”   Text: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/combos...  Photo is of Mount Athos   This text is read by our brother Sergius, a co-laborer in the work of Orthodox Wisdom.   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Archbishop Averky speaks to our times in the context of a frequently neglected saying of Christ. His peace is not the peace of the world, His truth both unites and divides. As he said to His disciples after his tough sayings led many to leave Him: “Do you also want to go away?” Let us respond like the Apostle Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Archbishop Averky: “All of these frequent, unnaturally flowery speeches, and until now, hysterical cries about peace for the world are for the most part from people who are either far from true Christianity or openly hostile towards the Church. These speeches come from people who themselves do not live in peace with God and their consciences. Their relations with their neighbors are filled with malice. Can we believe the sincerity of the words pronounced by people who reject faith in God and love for their neighbor, and do not recognize the voice of conscience? Can we believe that those who audaciously and arrogantly blaspheme, declaring war on God Himself and His Holy Church, are truly striving for peace? These are the same people who not long ago did not conceal the fact that their plan was "to kindle a worldwide fire" [Communism], and who openly preached "class hatred" as the basis for their ideology. They are not at all troubled over shedding rivers of blood and exterminating millions of people simply on the suspicion that they may not be in agreement with their ideology. Can we truly believe the sincerity of peace lovers who speak sweetly of "Christian love" and "universal forgiveness," yet at the same time sow conflict and dissension, spreading lies and slander which incite enmity and division, setting people against one another.” “Surely one understands that when our Lord Jesus Christ said, Resist not evil (Matt. 5:39) he was only replacing the previous Old Testament law of personal revenge, forbidding us to take revenge on those Who personally offend us. There is no way that one should understand this saying to refer to no resistance to evil in general, as Leo Tolstoy and his followers understood it. On the contrary, our Lord taught very clearly that His true followers must be completely uncompromising towards evil, even in those most difficult circumstances which involve our conscience, in those circumstances where evil becomes incarnate in people close and dear to us. Let us recall for example the following words of our Savior which so disturb those who view Christian love as something sweet, sentimental, nice: If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26).” This text is from “The Modern World in the Light of the Word of God, vol. I, 1951-1960,” pp. 404-409.   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

“In the face of what has thus been said one might rightfully wonder why the holy Second Ecumenical Council in its seventh Canon, but still more so why the Sixth Ecumenical in its ninety-fifth Canon, failed to disapprove the baptism of all heretics, in accordance with the Apostolical Canons and St. Cyprian's Synod and all the other great God-bearing Fathers aforcmentioned whose writings were confirmed and ratified, as we have said, by the Sixth Ecumenical Council itself in its second Canon, whereas, on the contrary, it accepted the baptism of some heretics, but not that of others. In order lo have an easily understandable solution of this perplexity there is need that one should know beforehand that two kinds of government and correction arc in vogue in the Church of Christ, One kind is called Akrevia: the other kind is called Economia and Moderatism; with which the economists of the Spirit promote the salvation of souls at times with the one, and at times with the other kind….” “Let not the systems of the heretics fool you, my dear listener: for they have a baptism, but no illumination; accordingly, they are baptized, it is true, with respect to the body, but as respects the soul they are not illuminated.” –St. John Chrysostom in his sermon on John 1:1 "He who does anything as a matter of economia, does it, not as simply something good, but as something needed for the time being." –Blessed Theophylact (commentary on Gal 5:11) Akrevia = exactitude, precision (sometimes problematically called “rigorism”)  Economia = management of the house, blessed adjustment from the rule, (sometimes problematically called “concession”)    The matters of ecclesiology, sacramental theology, and reception of converts are not for those still only able to drink milk, but for those able to eat meat. Whatever your stance on these matters, seek the truth with humility, patience, and fear of God, the ascetic life, and obedience to your spiritual father in all things except sin and heresy. May God help us.    Text of “The Rudder,” also called “The Pedallion”: https://s3.amazonaws.com/orthodox/The...  Learn more about St. Nikodemos here: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2016... Books by St. Nikodemos available here: www.uncutmountainpress.com  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! NOTE: Due to platform limitations, the YouTube video description contains more quotes from the Fathers on this issue. If you want to read them, please go here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSjVX7DX0Os&ab_channel=OrthodoxWisdom

A sermon given in 1971 by Elder Aimilianos of Siminopetra, Mount Athos on Holy Matrimony and the life of husband and wife in Christ.   “Christ says, "wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them" (Mt 18.20). And whenever two people are married in the name of Christ, they become the sign which contains and expresses Christ himself. When you see a couple who are conscious of this, it is as if you are seeing Christ. Together they are a theophany.”  “Above all, pay attention to the person's faith. Does he or she have faith? Has the person whom you're thinking of making the companion of your life have ideals? If Christ means nothing to him, how are you going to be able to enter his heart? If he has not been able to value Christ, do you think he will value you? Holy Scripture says to the husband that the wife should be "of your testament" (Mal 2.14), that is, of your faith, your religion, so that she can join you to God. It is only then that you can have, as the Church Fathers say, a marriage "with the consent of the bishop," that is, with the approval of the Church, and not simply a formal license.”   “Bring him into touch with your spiritual father. If you don't have one, the two of you should choose a spiritual father together, who will be your Elder, your father, the one who will remind you of, and show you God.”   “Oh, my dear friends, who can say that his life has not been marked by difficult moments? But it is no small thing to know that, in your difficult moments, in your worries, in your temptations, you will be holding in your hand the hand of your beloved.”   “Remember: from the moment you marry, he says, you will have much pain, you will suffer, and your life will be a cross, but a cross blossoming with flowers. Your marriage will have its joys, its smiles, and its beautiful things. But during the days of sunshine, remember that all the lovely flowers conceal a cross, which can emerge into your sunshine at any moment.”   Read the text here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/marria...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ.

“Let us correct our lives in order to avoid eternal Hell and instead acquire (through God’s mercy and compassion) the Kingdom of Heaven. We must take a long, hard look at our salvation and realize that it is not a game; it is not something we can ignore; it is not a joke.”   “May our good God enlighten each one of us and give us the strength to settle and arrange any outstanding debts. Let us exert ourselves; let us not be negligent. The present life is not a time for negligence and procrastination.”    This homily is found in the Epilogue of “The Departure of the Soul” published by St. Anthony’s Monastery in Florence, AZ. Purchase this book here: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/produ...  Holy Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona, pray to God for us!  Read the text of the this homily here: https://www.eighthdayinstitute.org/de...  This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The Venerable Bede sheds patristic light on this passage which not a few have stumbled over. He clearly presents a harmony of faith and works, of the Apostles James and Paul, of how seemingly contradictory teachings in the Scriptures find their balance while retaining their intended weight. All will do well to head his words, especially Protestants so convinced their teaching matches what was “once delivered to the saints.” On James 2:15-17: “It is evident that just as words of concern alone do not help a naked or hungry person if food or clothing is not provided, so faith observed in name only does not save, for it is dead in itself if it is not made alive by works of charity, by which it may be made to come to life. Nor is that contrary to this statement which the Lord uttered, He who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16) for it must be understood there that only he truly believes who carries out in deed what he believes.”   On James 2:20-21: “Since the apostle Paul, preaching that man is made righteous by faith without works, was not well understood by those who took this saying to mean that when they had once believed in Christ, even though they might commit evils and live wickedly and basely, they could be saved by faith, [James] explains how the passage of the apostle of Paul ought to be understood to have the same meaning as this letter. And all the more therefore he uses the example of Abraham about faith being useless if it does not issue in good works, because the apostle Paul also used the example of Abraham to demonstrate that man is made righteous without deeds.”   This text can be found in “The Venerable Bede: Commentary on the Seven Catholic Epistles,” published by Cistercian Publications.   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ.

Chanted in English from the Holy Transfiguration Monastery Prayer Book   Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!   This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

This is the first 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 “In the Church we have the hands of Christ, His mouth, and His eyes, and also His Divine heart. His hands are the sacred rites; the language of Christ’s mouth is His holy Gospel; His eyes are the holy mysteries, through which He gazes into our souls; His heart is the Divine Liturgy.” “My dear ones, my God-given flock, love the Divine Liturgy; guard the fragrant rose of Christ, enlighten your souls with the light of the Divine sun. When you fail to attend the Divine Liturgy, count it as if you lost a day of your life.”  This was recently translated into English be 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 inklesspen.blog. Text of the sermon: https://inklesspen.blog/2021/06/12/the-temple-of-the-living-god/ This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

“It’s Time to Prepare…” is an archived letter (dated 1929) written by St. Damascene to his flock, two years after the Declaration by Met. Sergius. St. Damascene writes, “How dangerous it is to deceive ourselves and lull the vigilance commanded by Christ by the possibility of accepting compromises with the enemies of Christ's faith and the Church. All such compromises will only cause greater division among the believers, belittle the dignity of the Church yet more, and finally they will suppress the authority of Her representatives. This has now become apparent to all of us.”“It is especially timely for our priests to reflect on this matter. In time, as they continue in their podvig, they will die in prisons and exile, they will boldly speak out with a word of reproof and admonition before the atheists and the God fighters, striving even to blood for the glory of the Name of Christ. Others, for the sake of preserving and nurturing the flock of Christ, must prepare their own exodus to the "catacombs." Wisdom and zeal for the salvation of our souls should tell us the forms in which this “exodus” should take place. As for the civil order, let it choose whichever road for itself, let it proclaim any principles of life, let it in its insane pride declare war on the Creator of the universe, - we will go our way "with Christ and to Christ." We will use from the "outside" only those few things that are necessary for a modest life and which are not contrary to our Christian conscience and spirit. Let us be patient, displaying brotherly love, towards the perishing, let us obey their civil laws which are not contrary to the spirit of Christ; - but we will not sacrifice before the "outside", before the power of man, a single one of the church regulations, not one iota of the dogmas of the Christian faith; we will not allow the godless to shamefully prevent our participation in the Holy Sacraments, we will not allow their corrupting influence in the area of ​​our spiritual relations, in the world of our mutual love for Christ, our faith, the Sacraments, or in our Church - the Holy of Holies of our soul and life.”Read the text here: https://catacombhistory.blogspot.com/...Read the Life of St. Damascene from “Russia’s Catacomb Saints” here: http://russiascatacombsaints.blogspot...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

See NOTE below. Very important!"Once again I write these things to give you courage so that you do not fear illnesses, even if they make you suffer for life. Since God is continuously present, why do you worry? For in Him we live and move. We are carried in His arms.""Since our sweet Jesus is so good, compassionate, and kind, why should you despair? We seek one small thing from Him, and He gives us so much. We ask for one beam of light, and He gives us Himself as all Light, Trust, and Love. So humble yourself and rest all your hope in Him."This letter, including his subsequent letters, shows us the heights of Orthodox spirituality as it relates to illness, fear, and death. Imagine what St. Joseph would say to us today when the sins of fear and rationalism abound and are justified, sins of justifying evil that good may come, even by the leaders of the Church. Let us follow the Saints, begging God for their faith, for they and those who follow them are the only true guides God has established for us. NOTE: In Letter 30 we read “Believe me, for I tell the truth: Ever since I became a monk, every time I got sick, I absolutely never took care of myself; nor did I let anyone care for my physical health, but I placed all my hope in the unmercenary Physician.” A footnote here reads, “The Elder later modified his opinion of health care, as is evident in his 49th Letter. In Letter 49 we read, “Three times they stayed up all night thinking that I would die. They called everyone to come to my side. I bid them farewell for the last time. They cried by my side day and night. Finally, I recovered once again. They sent me a special medicine, and it, after God, healed me. I hadn’t eaten for forty days. When I took the medicine, I ate, slept, and got better. Glory to Thee, O God! I began to move somewhat and to write again…. Courage! It’s not just you. There are many others. Many people have come to me, and with prayer and fasting they were healed. But now, the Lord doesn’t hear me, so that I learn about medicine and the doctors and be lenient with others. I also read the letters of St. Nectarios, and I saw how much he, such a great saint, paid attention to the doctors and medicines! I am just a poor ascetic who has grown old in the wilderness, and I wanted to heal only through faith. But now I, too, am learning that both medicines and grace are necessary. So now I shall say like the saint, “See to it that you get well.” Fix your nerves in any way you can, and you will find your prayer and peace again.” How instructive! We see a great saint adjusting his stance according to God’s will. He, like St. Basil the Great so beautifully taught (see recording on this channel), “both medicines and grace are necessary.” Have faith in God above all, and do not spurn those things the He Himself have provided for us. Not all medicine is given to us by God. Nothing produced based on the murder of babies or other such evils will produce the eternal good that medicine exists for (see Romans 3:8). Trust God above all, endure suffering, neither rush to nor reject medicine, and do not be anxious, for “we are carried in His arms.”St. Joseph the Hesycast is one of the greatest ascetics of the 20th Century and spiritual father of St. Ephraim of Katounakia and Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona. Learn more about St. Joseph here: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/pages...This reading is Letter 30 from “Monastic Wisdom: The Letter of Elder Joseph the Hesychast”. Purchase the book here: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/produ...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!