

Orthodox Wisdom
Readings from Saints of Holy Orthodoxy
Readings of the Writings and Lives of Orthodox Christian Saints.
These recordings are free to download and share. All I ask is that you do so respectfully and reference this channel.
You can also contact me, Timothy Honeycutt, at: orthodoxwisdom1@gmail.com
Glory to Jesus Christ!
These recordings are free to download and share. All I ask is that you do so respectfully and reference this channel.
You can also contact me, Timothy Honeycutt, at: orthodoxwisdom1@gmail.com
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 14, 2022 • 17min
The Incarnation and Humilty - St. Hilarion Troitsky
“Denial of the incarnation, denial of the Lord Jesus Christ’s divine dignity is unthinkable to a member of the Church, and any denier of it has of course already thereby apostatized from the Church. Who is the liar if not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son (cf. 1 Jn. 2:22).”“Listening to the modern religious pulse beat, you involuntarily notice that in this sense, antichrist reigns in religious consciousness. Lately large waves of scientific ideas have rushed upon the rock that lies in the foundation of the Church. In the area of New Testament studies, especially many new—or renewed—ideas are appearing lately from comparative study of religion. New, monumental discoveries are broadening our knowledge of the ancient East, and people have started to discuss the Gospels in the light of this knowledge. Once, the magi came from the East to worship the Infant God-Man, and brought their treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh. From the same countries that produced the magi, now different wise men are coming to Europe. Entire scientific expeditions, supplied by governments and private individuals, are carrying away their loot in huge treasure boxes. There are no gold, frankincense, or myrrh in these treasure boxes, but rather entire blocks of stone, or broken pieces of stone with mysterious inscriptions. Scholars in Europe will read these mysterious inscriptions and will not worship the newborn Infant. The star of the East leads science away from Bethlehem. Comparative studies of eastern religions end in nothing other than the very denial of the incarnation of the Son of God.”“Christianity requires a humble awareness. My forefather, Adam, was perfect, but I, mankind, introduced only sin and corruption. The Church calls us to humility when it calls Adam our ancestor. But evolution? Descent from the ape? No matter how modestly we rate ourselves, it is impossible not to think with a certain pride: “After all, I am not an ape; after all, progress is manifest in me.” Thus, by calling the ape our ancestor, evolution feeds human pride.”“The worldview that is not of the Church—descent from the ape, progress, having no need of and denying the incarnation—is pride. Accepting the incarnation is inseparably bound with humility. Pride wars with the incarnation, as with something unneeded.Taking part in the triumphant Church celebration of the Nativity of Christ, we should shout aloud: Be humble, proud man, and believe in the incarnation of the Only Begotten Son of God!”New Martyr St. Hilarion Troitsky, Archbishop of Verey reposed in 1929 from sickness after suffering in the Solovki prison camp for resisting the Soviet antichrists. He is a shining star in the firmament of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. Read his Life here: http://www.orthodox.net/russiannm/hil...Service text to St. Hilarion: https://orthochristian.com/53416.htmlListen to my recording of his excellent treatise “Holy Scripture and the Church,” which is ideal for Protestants inquiring into Orthodoxy: https://youtu.be/vcpkGHs96A4Holy Hieromartyr Hilarion, pray to God for us!This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Jan 12, 2022 • 39min
Homily on Revelation 1:1-3 - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios
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. This homily is recorded with the blessing of Constantine Zalalas, translator of “Revelation: The Seven Golden Lampstands” by Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios.Purchase this volume, as well as volume II to V here: https://www.zoepress.us---------------------------------------------------------NEW LECTURE SERIES at ORTHODOX ETHOS: The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle & Evangelist John the Theologian (Series 1)This lecture series will be presented under the tutelage of the teachings of Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios, walking line by line through the book of RevelationVia Youtube: https://youtu.be/hPhoLrcBh1QLesson 1: January 11th: Introduction: An Ecclesiastical BookWHEN: The Course begins on Tuesday, January 11th at 8 PM EST (5 PM PST); lectures will be held every other Tuesday, with question and answer sessions held every Thursday at 8 PM EST through The Orthodox Ethos Patreon page (patreon.com/frpeterheers)WHERE: Lectures will be live-streamed simultaneously through: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/orthodoxethosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/frpeterheers Twitter: https://twitter.com/orthodoxethos Crowdcast: https://www.crowdcast.io/theorthodoxe...WHO: The Course will be presented by Archpriest Peter Heers, Lecturer, Holy Trinity Orthodox SeminaryHOW: To attend the course* and the question answer sessions visit the Orthodox Ethos Patreon page - www.patreon.com/frpeterheers.Lecture Times and Dates [Series One]: Meets: Tuesday evenings, 8 PM EST, 5 PM PST, 12 AM (Wed.) (AEDT).January 11, 25; February 8, 22; March 15, 29; April 12, 26; May 10, 24; June 7, 21*Tuesday evening lectures will be available to all.Lecture Topics: Lesson 1: January 11th: Introduction: An Ecclesiastical BookLesson 2: January 25th: Rev. 1:1: Definition of TermsLesson 3: February 8th: Rev. 1: 1-4: Keepers of the Divine WordLesson 4: February 22nd: Rev. 1: 4-6: The One Who Is and WasLesson 5: March 15th: Rev. 1: 4-7: Christ: Prophet, Priest and KingLesson 6: March 29th: Rev. 1: 7-9: Christ: The Alpha and the OmegaLesson 7: April 12th: Rev. 1: 9-11: On Suffering, the Kingdom and PatienceLesson 8: April 26th: Rev. 1: 11-19: The Vision of the Seven LampstandsLesson 9: May 10th: Rev. 1: 20-22: The Seven StarsLesson 10: May 24th: Rev. 2: 4-7: The First Love & the Fight Against NicolaitanismLesson 11: June 7th: Rev. 2: 7-9: The Epistles to the Angels of Ephesus & SmyrnaLesson 12: June 21st: Rev. 2: 9-12: The Synagogue of SatanWe all need to become well-informed as to the message and meaning of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, not only because we live in apocalyptic times - although we do - and not only because there are many signs alerting us to spirit of our end times - although there are - but mainly because The Revelation is a book for the Church, about the Church, from the First to the Second Coming. You are invited to join us as we - under the close tutelage of the Holy Fathers and the great Elder and Teacher, Archimandrite Athanasius Mitilinaios - walk line by line through the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega of history, and are blessed, according to the book itself: “Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:1-3).---------------------------------------------------------Intro – 00:00Lesson 2 on Revelation 1:1-3 – 02:04“Let’s not think that while we are leafing through the pages of this book, while analyzing it, we will be able to understand anything in it in the absence of divine illumination.”“Revelation is not

Jan 11, 2022 • 13min
The Life and Final Homily of Fr. Daniel Sysoev
Fr. Daniel Sysoev (+2009) was a priest, husband, confessor, and martyr. His great love for God and man led him to write many texts and convert many to the Orthodox Faith, including personally baptizing over 80 Muslims. Because of this great missionary effectiveness, he was murdered in his own mission church. Fr. Daniel is not yet canonized as a Saint but his witness, both before and after his repose, has given the faithful confidence in his holy prayers and witness. “Fr. Daniel loved the Divine services of the Church and the beauty and logic of their structure. He did not countenance liturgical liberalism. There are those within the Church who believe that for the sake of missionary work the Church needs to accommodate itself to the world. Fr. Daniel, on the contrary, took a maximalist stance, with regard to both the Church services and to the work of evangelization. This he believed to be the true missionary approach.” From Fr. Daniel’s final homily: “Truly, right now the devil wants to divide Christians and then to destroy everything that the Christians depend on. It is because of Christians that God maintains the world. Because of Christians, the Lord gives peace to nations. Why are there wars? It happens when Christians forget about their unity, when they relate themselves to this world...” Homily begins at 7:55 Test of his Life: https://orthochristian.com/117356.html Text of his final homily: https://orthochristian.com/33371.html This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Jan 8, 2022 • 30min
Does the Russian Orthodox Church Need to Participate in the Ecumenical Movement? (Part II/II)
St. Seraphim (Sobolev) of Sofia (+1950) gives an exemplary defense of the ecclesiology of the Church and on this basis, why the Russian Orthodox Church (and all local Orthodox Churches) should not participate in the Ecumenical Movement. Delivered euring the proceedings of the Congress of the Orthodox Churches at the celebration of the Quincentennial of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow, Russia, July 13, 1948, on the eve of the Amsterdam Conference of the World Council of Churches. Consider how much has changed since this address as given, and how the words of the Saint have been followed by some, and rejected by others.St. Seraphim is known as defender of the truth of the Church and as a wonderworker. He was glorified as a Saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2016. A beautiful and well-known saying of his reads, “Adapt your life to your Faith, not the other way around.” The book of his life and works: https://churchsupplies.jordanville.or...A brief account of his life here: https://blog.obitel-minsk.com/2021/02...Text of recording: http://www.dep.church/downloads/StSer...From “Does the Russian Orthodox Church Need to Participate in the Ecumenical Movement?”:“Let us remember its essence and its aim, and let us wholly reject the ecumenical movement. It constitutes a falling-away from the Orthodox Faith, a betrayal of and treason against Christ, which are things that we must avoid in every way so as not to fulfill the words of Saint Seraphim: ‘Woe to him who even in one iota falls away from the Holy Ecumenical Synods.’” “From this, it is obvious who really stands behind the ecumenical movement: Freemasons, longtime foes of the Orthodox Church. It is also clear to what end the ecumenical movement, at all of its gatherings since its inception, has striven: not a dogmatic union of all so-called “Christian churches” with the Orthodox Church, but a commixture of both, achieved by means of the falling away of the Orthodox from their Faith through an ecumenical familiarity with heretics, especially with Protestants. This commixture is equivalent to the destruction of Orthodoxy.”“The Orthodox Church should never join with those of other confessions. Such a union is unfeasible, utopian, and extremely harmful and even disastrous for the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Christians should, rather, join with each other, and so fulfill the commandment of Christ: “Neither pray I for these alone [i.e., the Apostles], but for them also which shall believe on Me through their world; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us.” In this context, the word “all” means “believers,” and the word “believers,” here, does not signify Orthodox together with ecumenists and heterodox Christians; one can only understand the word to mean “true believers,” i.e., Orthodox Christians. As God declared, “I am...the truth,” He could not have meant, here, heretical Christians, but rather only right-believing ones.”“For not joining the ecumenical movement as the Orthodox ecumenists have, we are accused of an essential lack of love for non-Orthodox Christians. However, through their involvement in the ecumenical movement, Orthodox ecumenists break the Holy Canons; violate Orthodox ecclesiological dogma; establish friendships with Protestants and Freemasons at ecumenical gatherings, which makes them lenient toward Protestants propagandizing in Orthodox countries; and assist the enemies of the Orthodox Church in their work for Her elimination. The Orthodox ecumenists’ behavior in their relationship to ecumenism is a complete outrage; it is egregiously unseemly behavior, in which, according to the teaching of Saint Paul, there is no love: “Love,” he says, “doth not behave itself unseemly.” It is obvious, however, that any lack of love is not to be found with us, but with the Orthodox ecumenists, since they do not express love, but rather behave unseemly. Let them ask their conscience—it will answer

Jan 6, 2022 • 26min
Does the Russian Orthodox Church Need to Participate in the Ecumenical Movement? (Part I/II)
St. Seraphim (Sobolev) of Sofia (+1950) gives an exemplary defense of the ecclesiology of the Church and on this basis, why the Russian Orthodox Church (and all local Orthodox Churches) should not participate in the Ecumenical Movement. Delivered during the proceedings of the Congress of the Orthodox Churches at the celebration of the Quincentennial of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow, Russia, July 13, 1948, on the eve of the Amsterdam Conference of the World Council of Churches. Consider how much has changed since this address as given, and how the words of the Saint have been followed by some, and rejected by others.St. Seraphim is known as defender of the truth of the Church and as a wonderworker. He was glorified as a Saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2016. A beautiful and well-known saying of his reads, “Adapt your life to your Faith, not the other way around.” The book of his life and works: https://churchsupplies.jordanville.or...A brief account of his life here: https://blog.obitel-minsk.com/2021/02...Full text: http://www.dep.church/downloads/StSer...From “Does the Russian Orthodox Church Need to Participate in the Ecumenical Movement?”:“The Russian Orthodox Church has been invited to participate in this ecumenical conference as one of many ecclesiastical organizations, each of which understands itself to be the Church. But we Orthodox Christians confess that, strictly speaking, only one community of true, faithful Christians can be called “the Church,” as established by God Himself for our salvation. To call every heretical community “the Church” is to have an incorrect understanding of the word and to trample upon the dogma of the Church as it is taught in our Faith, as laid down by the ninth article of the Symbol of the Faith.”“The Orthodox viewpoint always defines the One Church as consisting only of right-believing Orthodox Christians. Our Church has never considered heretics to be included in Her ranks, as members of the Body of Christ.”“Members of the Orthodox Church who are sinners, no matter how great their sins may be, are always able through the Mystery of Repentance and with the help of active and saving Grace to become Saints; they can attain to a true and perfect Grace-filled sanctity. But for the heterodox, whether as individuals or as a group, it is not possible to become Saints, because the Grace of the Mystery of Chrismation and the Grace of the Mystery of Repentance are not active among them. Heterodox are only able to become Saints if they repent, renounce all of their heresies, and unite themselves with the Orthodox Church; only then can one include other Christians in the Holy Church of Christ.”“But what sort of Grace is this, which, according to ecumenists, allows Christians of other creeds to become Saints? According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, the Grace of the Holy Spirit is manifest in two forms: firstly, as an external, providential Grace, which acts in and throughout the lives of everybody, enabling anyone to accept the True Faith; and, secondly, as an internal, salvific Grace, which revivifies, redeems, and functions solely in the Orthodox Church. Undoubtedly, in the previously cited quote by the Orthodox ecumenist, external Grace was not what he had in mind, since when it acts in the lives of Christians of other creeds, and even in the lives of non-Christians, it does not make them Saints. It follows, then, that what he had in mind was the internal, revivifying Grace. But this Grace is either wholly absent in Christians of other creeds or is present but inactive, unable to save or to make them Saints. So neither the one nor the other type of Grace can make heterodox Christians into Saints. Subsequently, it is inappropriate for Orthodox ecumenists to speak at all about either Grace or sanctity in connection with Christians of other creeds.”This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Ch

Jan 2, 2022 • 1min
The Saints of Each Generation Form a Kind of Golden Chain - St. Symeon the New Theologian
"The Saints — those who appear from generation to generation, from time to time, following the Saints who preceded them — become linked with their predecessors through obedience to the divine commandments, and endowed with divine grace, become filled with the same light. In such a sequence all of them together form a kind of golden chain, each Saint being a separate link in this chain, joined to the first by faith, right actions and love; a chain which has its strength in God and can hardly be broken. A man who does not express a desire to link himself to the latest ofthe saints (in time) in all love and humility owing to a certain distrust in himself, will never be linked to the preceding saintsand will not be admitted to their succession, even though he thinks he possesses all possible faith and love for God and for all His saints. He will be cast out of their midst, as one who refused to take humbly the place allotted to him by God before all time, and to link himself to that latest saint (in time) as God had disposed." -St. Symeon the New TheologianFrom "Practical and Theological Precepts", 157-158. Writings From the Philokalia: On the Prayerof the Heart.“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” -2 Timothy 2:2This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dec 31, 2021 • 22min
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ - Homily by St. Gregory Palamas
Christ is born! Glorify Him! Merry Christmas to you all!“This is the festival of the virgin birth! Our address must be exulted therefore in accordance with the greatness of the feast, and enter into the mystery, as far as this is accessible and permissible, and time allows, that something of its inner power might be revealed even to us. Please strive, brethren, to lift up your minds as well, that they may better perceive the light of divine knowledge, as though brightly illumined by a holy star. For today I see equality of honor between heaven and earth, and a way up for all those below to things above, matching the condescension of those on high.”“Brethren, let us preserve this peace in ourselves as far as we can, for we have received it as an inheritance from our Savior who has now been born, who gives us the Spirit of adoption, through which we have become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (cf. Romans 8:15, 17). Let us be at peace with God, and doing those things which are well pleasing to Him, living chastely, telling the truth, behaving righteously, "continuing in prayer and supplication" (cf. Acts 1:14), "signing and making peace with ourselves, by subjecting our flesh to our spirit, choosing to conduct ourselves according to our conscience, and having the inner world of our thoughts motivated by good order and purity.”“May we all attain to this, at the future glorious advent and epiphany of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs glory unto the ages. Amen.”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!

Dec 22, 2021 • 26min
On Our Times - St Paisios the Athonite
A memorable word by one of the greatest men of the 20th century: St. Paisios the Athonite (+1994). Here he exhibits his pain of heart for his fellow man, his boldness in speaking the truth in love, his spiritual illumination on things to come. “We have to witness our faith with boldness, because if we continue to be silent we’ll have to answer in the end. In these difficult days each must do what’s in their power. Leave what’s out of their power to the will of God. In this way our conscience will be clear.It’s unseemly to become angry in one’s own defense. Resisting evildoers is another matter, however, when it’s in defense of serious spiritual matters, when our holy faith, Orthodoxy, is concerned. Then it’s your duty. To think of others, to counter the blasphemers in order to defend one’s neighbor—this is pure, because it is carried out in love.If you want to help the Church, then try to mend your own ways, rather than others’. In straightening yourself out you straighten out a particle of the Church. If everyone were to do that then the Church would be in perfect order. But today’s people attend to everything under the sun, only not to themselves, because it’s easy to teach others, while mending one’s own ways requires effort.A Christian must not be a fanatic but have love in his heart for all. He who throws words around carelessly, even true words, does evil.And if someone receives the mark unknowingly?It’d be better to say “uncaringly.” How can one be unknowing, when everything is crystal clear? And if a person doesn’t know, then he should become interested and find out. By accepting the mark, even unknowingly, a person loses Divine Grace and gives himself up to demonic influence.Behind the “perfected credit card system,” behind “computerized security," lurks worldwide dictatorship and the yoke of the Antichrist: And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Our time is like a bubbling and steaming cauldron. One needs temperament, audacity, courage. Take care not to be caught unprepared, if something is to happen. Start getting ready now so that you’ll be able to resist difficulties.There is no spiritual life without sacrifice.Look after your health, but not to the degree where you begin to bow down before your peace and well-being. I’m not asking anyone to throw themselves headlong into dangerous adventures, but you have to have at least a bit of heroism, my brother!”The icons from the thumbnail are from Dionysiou Monastery on Mount Athos: https://athosweblog.com/2010/09/20/11...https://athosweblog.com/2010/10/17/11...Read the text here: http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/...Christ says to church of Smyrna, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dec 20, 2021 • 31min
Holy Scripture and The Church - Part III
Written in 1914, this treatise by St. Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop in Russia martyred by the Soviet Communists, is especially helpful in our days when there is so much misunderstanding regarding the place of Holy Scripture in Christian life and the nature of the Church that wrote, taught, and preserved these Scriptures. St. Hilarion shows in various ways the approach that non-Orthodox, especially Protestants, take towards Scripture is misguided and leads to tragic results for their souls. Divorcing the Bible from the Church (i.e. Sola Scriptura and versions of it) and assuming one can interpret it properly apart from the Body of Christ, which is guided by the Holy Spirit, is the height of arrogance and one can clearly see the divisive results today.This treatise also demonstrates the fallacies of modern “higher criticism,” sometimes even employed by the Orthodox, and how one can rightly orient themselves toward Christ and His revelation. Scripture can only serve its purpose inside the Church; the Church wrote Scripture, determined its canon, and interprets it faithfully, and no one outside the Church has rights to it. Often critics of the Orthodox Church say we disparage and ignore Scripture. This is absolutely false: we value Scripture so highly that we preserved it for centuries, have in-depth commentaries on it, and most importantly, the very words of Scripture comprise the majority of our worship services. It is difficult, if not impossible, to find more Scripture-saturated worship than that of the Orthodox Church. Anyone with ears to hear will come away with new questions and a new way of understanding life as a Christian, or a deeper understanding of what they already live in their daily lives. “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” –Apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:15)If you have benefitted from this recording, please share it with others who might be open to hearing this essential message.“Christ did not write anything. It seems that if one reflects enough on this fact, one can somewhat understand the very essence of the work of Christ.” –St. Hilarion“Today we ever more frequently run up against this kind of reasoning: ‘We read such and such in Holy Scripture. The Church teaches differently. So the Church is wrong.’ All kinds of sectarians monotonously chant in this manner ad nauseam. There are even those who echo these ideas while calling themselves Christians, that is, they have adopted incomprehensible arrogance in their attitude toward the Church, placing themselves far above her…. Scripture belongs to the Church, but heretics are not Christians and have no right to Christian Scripture. The Church can ask the heretics: ‘Who are you? You are not of my own; what are you doing here? It is my property. I have long possessed it. I trace my foundation from the authors themselves, to whom the Scripture belongs. I am the heir of the Apostles. As for you, they have, it is certain, always held you as disinherited, and rejected you as strangers, as enemies.’ The truth we have sought to substantiate is not new, but it should be reiterated in the twentieth century, because although it has been repeatedly verified by history, it is now quite often forgotten.” –St. HilarionHoly Hieromartyr Hilarion, pray for God for us!This text can be found here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/saint...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dec 16, 2021 • 37min
Holy Scripture and The Church - Part II
Written in 1914, this treatise by St. Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop in Russia martyred by the Soviet Communists, is especially helpful in our days when there is so much misunderstanding regarding the place of Holy Scripture in Christian life and the nature of the Church that wrote, taught, and preserved these Scriptures. St. Hilarion shows in various ways the approach that non-Orthodox, especially Protestants, take towards Scripture is misguided and leads to tragic results for their souls. Divorcing the Bible from the Church (i.e. Sola Scriptura and versions of it) and assuming one can interpret it properly apart from the Body of Christ, which is guided by the Holy Spirit, is the height of arrogance and one can clearly see the divisive results today.This treatise also demonstrates the fallacies of modern “higher criticism,” sometimes even employed by the Orthodox, and how one can rightly orient themselves toward Christ and His revelation. Scripture can only serve its purpose inside the Church; the Church wrote Scripture, determined its canon, and interprets it faithfully, and no one outside the Church has rights to it. Often critics of the Orthodox Church say we disparage and ignore Scripture. This is absolutely false: we value Scripture so highly that we preserved it for centuries, have in-depth commentaries on it, and most importantly, the very words of Scripture comprise the majority of our worship services. It is difficult, if not impossible, to find more Scripture-saturated worship than that of the Orthodox Church. Anyone with ears to hear will come away with new questions and a new way of understanding life as a Christian, or a deeper understanding of what they already live in their daily lives. “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” –Apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:15)If you have benefitted from this recording, please share it with others who might be open to hearing this essential message.“Christ did not write anything. It seems that if one reflects enough on this fact, one can somewhat understand the very essence of the work of Christ.” –St. Hilarion“Today we ever more frequently run up against this kind of reasoning: ‘We read such and such in Holy Scripture. The Church teaches differently. So the Church is wrong.’ All kinds of sectarians monotonously chant in this manner ad nauseam. There are even those who echo these ideas while calling themselves Christians, that is, they have adopted incomprehensible arrogance in their attitude toward the Church, placing themselves far above her…. Scripture belongs to the Church, but heretics are not Christians and have no right to Christian Scripture. The Church can ask the heretics: ‘Who are you? You are not of my own; what are you doing here? It is my property. I have long possessed it. I trace my foundation from the authors themselves, to whom the Scripture belongs. I am the heir of the Apostles. As for you, they have, it is certain, always held you as disinherited, and rejected you as strangers, as enemies.’ The truth we have sought to substantiate is not new, but it should be reiterated in the twentieth century, because although it has been repeatedly verified by history, it is now quite often forgotten.” –St. HilarionHoly Hieromartyr Hilarion, pray for God for us!This text can be found here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/saint...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


