Orthodox Wisdom

“The statements of Metropolitan Joseph, it is true, are extremely outspoken, absolutely uncompromising in principle, and unsparing of persons. But those who find ‘pride’ in such words are perhaps simply unaware of the critical urgency of the issues involved. When the Church is being betrayed and the faithful led astray, it is no time for compliments and polite ‘dialogues,’ not for placing ‘sympathy’ above truth.” The bold confessor and shepherd of the Russian land, St. Joseph of Petrograd, is a witness for all who wish to live Godly in the face of persecution and secularism. His voice gave strength to many Russian Orthodox Christians who could not abide by the Soviet demands, and who opposed Metropolitan Sergius, his lamentable ‘Declaration’ in 1927, and his submission to the Soviet yoke. Metropolitan Joseph, along with a great number of Russian martyrs, was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1981.Memorable words from the end of this text: “The prophecy of the holy and clairvoyant Elder Ignaty of Harbin, made some 30 years ago, no longer seems remote: ‘What began in Russia, will end in America.’ But if such terrible days be truly upon us, even Orthodox America – so weak, so inexperienced, so naïve – has all that is necessary to face these days in the example of Metropolitan Joseph and the True Orthodox Christians of the first land to experience the fearful yoke of satanic atheism. Holy New Hieromartyr Joseph and all the new martyrs of the Communist Yoke, pray to God for us!”This recording comes from chapter 7 in “Russia’s Catacomb Saints” by I. M. Andreyev, published by St. Herman of Alaska Press in 1982. Fr. Seraphim Rose labored to bring this book to his fellow Americans. Download the pdf of this invaluable and out of print book here: http://russiascatacombsaints.blogspot...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

I. M. Andreyev (+1976) was an “outstanding churchman and statesman, doctor of psychiatry, pedagogue, lecturer, publicist and author of a series of theological textbooks” as was stated in the Memoriam in the publication “Orthodox Life.” As a member of the Catacomb Church he suffered five years at the Solovki Monastery, which in the 1920s operated a concentration camp, before being released and coming to America. His personal experiences shape a sizable portion of the famous book “Russia’s Catacomb Saints,” published by St. Herman of Alaska Press and co-authored by Fr. Seraphim Rose.This short recording highlights an important concept that helps guard us against snares of the enemy, and orients us toward a faithful stance as members of the Holy Orthodox Church.“Today there is not and there cannot be any separation between ecclesiastical affairs and politics. Politics pretends to universality, i.e., it wishes to take into its hands the resolution of questions concerning spiritual life also. This means that political actions cannot be indifferent for the Church as well. Furthermore, when Antichrist shall have power on the earth, he will naturally be a political figure. This means that the Church also will have to oppose his political persecution. And so as, even now, to weaken this opposition, his forerunners, taking advantage of the idea that the Church should be above politics, conceal their warfare against God under a political cloak: the martyrs are 'political criminals.' To be sure, the Church should not intrigue, but as soon as politics touches on questions of spiritual life, the Church cannot close her eyes to this.This is why the question of the battle against Communism is a question of the spirit, and not of politics. This is why the question of our jurisdictional divisions is not a question of 'quarrels of bishops over portfolios.' No, it is a question of cooperation (or tacit agreement) with the forerunners of Antichrist, or else uncompromising battle against them. This alone separates us from those who have broken away from the Truth; but it does not separate us from the Russian people, for there the soul, even if it is invisible, even if it has retreated within itself, is still alive, is not spiritually enslaved; it is drawn to the light of Truth. And a testimony of this is the existence, in the frightful conditions of the Soviet Union, where there are many Judases out of fear and others out of conscience, of a Catacomb Church that has not fallen.”Text: http://russiascatacombsaints.blogspot...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

One prayer from a collection of prayers by St. Silouan and St. Soprony the Athonites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80krK...Our Lord prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” –John 17:21-23St. Sophrony's Prayer for Unity:LORD JESUS CHRIST, Thou, Lamb of God, who didst take upon Thyself the sin of the world, Who by Thine ascent to Golgotha didst redeem us from the curse of the Law and didst restore Thy fallen image; Who didst stretch Thy most pure hands on the Cross, gathering together in one the scattered children of God, and by the descent of the most Holy Spirit didst call all men to unity; THOU, THAT ART the brightness of the Father, before going forth to this great and sacred work for the salvation of the world, didst pray to Thy Father that all may be one, even as Thou art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost:Do Thou grant even unto us the grace and wisdom each day to fulfill this commandment, and strengthen us to strive for that love, which Thou didst command of us, saying: “LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.”By Thy Holy Spirit give us the power to humble ourselves, one before the other, mindful that he who loveth the more doth humble himself the more. Teach us to pray for one another, in patience to bear one another’s burdens, and unite us with the unbreakable bond of love in thy holy Name. Grant us to behold in our every brother and sister the image of Thine ineffable glory, and never to forget that our brother is our life.Yea, O Lord, Who hast gathered us together of Thy good providence, make us truly into one family, living with one heart, one will, a single love, as one man, according to Thy pre-eternal counsel for Adam the first-born. Fill our house with the spirit of Thy holy fear, and let the prayers of Thy Most Holy Mother, of Thy Forerunner John, and our hallowed Fathers Silouan and Seraphim overshadow it always, blessing and defending each one of them that dwell therein (Names), preserving us from pernicious thoughts, from unseemly words or impulses of the heart that might destroy peace and concord; that this house may be builded on the rock of Thy Gospel commandments as a place of prayer, of sanctification and salvation, for ourselves and for all who visit us, our labouring and burdened brothers and sisters, that we may all find rest in Thee, our meek and lowly King, now and for ever; world without end. Amen.This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

“Do you think that Christ our God, the ocean of compassion and mercy, is incapable of lifting the weight of one sinful soul? What is a handful of sand when thrown in the ocean? It is nothing; it disappears. Does even a single grain remain visible on the surface of the water? Not at all. This is precisely what happens with all the sins of humanity. They are nothing in comparison to the abyss of God’s compassion. This is even more true with the sins of only one soul!” -Elder EphraimIn this beautiful homily given toward the end of Lent before Holy Week (it appears), Elder Ephraim of Arizona encourages us to trust in the great mercy of the divine Bridegroom and shed tears of repentance that we might receive His forgiveness. May we all, by the prayers of Elder Ephraim, have a blessed Holy Week and a bright Pascha.The homily can be found in the book “The Art of Salvation” by Elder Ephraim, available to purchase at St. Anthony’s Monastery: https://shop.stanthonysmonastery.org/...Learn more about this great Athonite Elder and Saint of America here: https://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/a...Text: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2020...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Gathered by eyewitnesses, principally his own brother and sister, we see here the beginnings of a young man who would become a Saint of universal significance: St. John Maximovitch, Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco. As a boy, Michael Maximovitch was kind, obedient to his parents, and especially loved reading the lives of the Saints. It’s not difficult to see how his consumption of the lives of the Saints as a boy sparked in him a love for God, and in response God granted him many of the same gifts and virtues as the Saints he came to know as a boy. St. John resposed on July 2nd, 1966 in Seattle, WA while praying before the Kursk Root icon of the Mother of God.This text comes from Issue #55 of The Orthodox Word: https://archive.org/details/100101V17...Holy Hierarch John, pray to God for us!This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

“I am deeply troubled,” a woman wrote Fr. Seraphim, “as to how Orthodoxy views what the world would call Western Christians, i.e., Protestants and Roman Catholics. I have read many articles by many Orthodox writers, and a few use words like ‘Papists,’ etc., which I find deeply disturbing and quite offensive. I find them offensive because as a person of a race (the woman writing is black) which has been subjected to much name-calling I despise and do not wish to adopt the habit of name-calling myself. Even ‘heretic’ disturbs me....Where do I stand with my friends and relatives? They do not know about Orthodoxy or they do not understand it. Yet they believe in and worship Christ.... Am I to treat my friends and relatives as if they have no God, no Christ?... Or can I call them Christians, but just ones who do not know the true Church?”Fr. Seraphim Rose gives a pastoral response to a very real issue, still relevant of our day. In his response, Fr. Seraphim holds together in harmony things that are often in tension, showing us the royal path. If we can treat people the God would have us, more would come to Orthodoxy and find the joy we have find in Christ in His Church. This text comes from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene, published by St. Herman Press in Platina, California (pgs 812-815).This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Taken as an obedience, Fr. Seraphim Rose was asked to write on “Convert Pitfalls” and how to avoid them. Being a convert himself, and having overcome so many spiritual obstacles, he was well-suited for this task. While his work on this specific text did not progress to completion, these notes of his give us simple and direct guidance to keep us on the narrow path.Fr. Seraphim’s notes, starting at 01:25 :A) Trusting oneself, samost [in Russian].Remedy: sober distrust of oneself, taking counsel of others wiser, guidance from Holy Fathers.B) Academic approach — overly intellectual, uninvolved, uncommitted, abstract, unreal. Bound up with A. also.C) Not keeping the secret of the Kingdom, gossip, publicity. Overemphasis on outward side of mission, success. Danger of creating empty shell, form of mission without substance.Remedy: concentrate on spiritual life, keep out of limelight, stay uninvolved from passionate disputes.D) “Spiritual Experiences.”Symptoms: feverish excitement, always something “tremendous” happening — the blood is boiling. Inflated vocabulary, indicates puffed up instead of humble. Sources in Protestantism, and in one’s own opinions “picked up” in the air.Remedy: sober distrust of oneself, constant grounding in Holy Fathers and Lives of Saints, counsel.E) Discouragement, giving up — “Quenched” syndrome.Cause: overemphasis on outward side, public opinion, etc.Remedy: emphasis on inward, spiritual struggle, lack of concern for outward success, mindfulness of Whom we are followers of (Christ crucified but triumphant).F) A double axe: broadness on one hand, narrowness on the other.This text comes from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene, published by St. Herman Press in Platina, California (pgs 847-848).This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

“It is through more than his literary inheritance that Fr. Seraphim is leading these converts. As the accounts related in this chapter indicate, Fr. Seraphim, being still alive in Christ, is even now personally drawing people into the fullness of the ancient Christian Faith.” –Hieromonk DamasceneI humbly ask all listeners to ask for Fr. Seraphim’s intercession and pray to God that one day soon he may be officially glorified as a Saint of the Holy Orthodox Church. Next year is the 40th anniversary of his repose. If you desire to see him glorifed as a Saint, there are things you can do to help make this happen. Pray for God's guidance. One simple and direct way is to write Bishop Maxim of the Serbian Western Diocese, or even other Serbian or ROCOR Bishops. Their addresses should be on the diocesan websites. Pray above all.These accounts of Fr. Seraphim’s miraculous intercessions, which are merely a few of the many, affirm that truly we can say, “Holy Father Seraphim, pray to God for us!”(NOTE: The timestamps in this description link to the video on YouTube.)00:06 Intro02:07 Healing of Matushka’s Susan’s cancer, which even her doctors admit is a miracle04:23 Help bringing a searching community into the Church, and providing them with a new property08:16 Fr. Seraphim comes in a dream to a despairing young man, who visited Fr. Seraphim in Platina many times, to comfort him and help him find his path in life13:07 A Roman Catholic priest reads Fr. Seraphim’s life and works and converts to Holy Orthodoxy. He commissions one of the most well-known icons of Fr. Seraphim, and two copies of this icon in Russia stream myrrh16:01 Healing of a young woman’s back pain after praying at Fr. Seraphim’s grave21:27 Fr. Seraphim appears in a dream to Protestant man, and through his guidance and the prayers of St. Herman, the man and his family become Orthodox and now he serves as a priest31:21 ConclusionExcerpts from “Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works” by Hieromonk Damascene (St. Herman of Alaska Press). Once the book is available for purchase again, please buy a copy. Until then, here is the PDF: https://www.scribd.com/document/44059...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

This reading contains excerpts from St. Ignatius’ essay “On Miracles and Signs.” The reason for this recording is to raise the awareness and discernment of Orthodox Christians regarding the degree of deception manifested first in the spirit of Antichrist, which is increasingly obvious in the world, and secondly in the Antichrist himself, who will be the fulfillment of “the spiritual direction of man.”Quotes from this essay:“The antichrist will be a logical, equitable, natural result of the common moral and spiritual direction of man.”“The antichrist will show himself to be meek, merciful, filled with love, filled with all virtue. Those who will acclaim him as such, and will submit to him as the highest good, are they who accept the truth of fallen mankind and will not deny it for the truth of the Gospel.”“The antichrist will offer to mankind the most exalted earthly organisation of well being and prosperity. He will offer honour, riches, luxury, enjoyment, physical comfort, and delight.”“Only with the special help of Divine Grace and under its guidance, will the elect of God be able to stand against the enemy of God, to confess the Lord Jesus before him and before men.St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (1807–1867) served as Bishop in the Caucuses near the Black Sea and is best known as a prolific author of Orthodox Christian ascetical works. Published toward the end of his life, his writings continued to grow in popularity long after his death. Along with his contemporary, St. Theophan the Recluse, St. Ignatius is now considered a foremost authority on Orthodox spirituality. He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. His writings have previously appeared in English as The Arena and On the Prayer of Jesus, among other works.Read a brief account of his Life: https://orthochristian.com/103425.htmlRead “On Miracles and Signs” by St. Ignatius: http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/st-...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Silouan teaches, “The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies.Without the grace of God we cannot love our enemies.If you will pray for your enemies, peace will come to you; but when you can love your enemies – know that a great measure of the grace of God dwells in you, though I do not say perfect grace as yet, but sufficient for salvation.”“O Merciful Lord, give Thy graceto all the peoples of the earth,that they may come to know Thee,for without the Holy Spiritman cannot know Thee, and conceive of Thy love.”St. Silouan the Athonite (+1938) has reached the hearts of many around the world, first through his prayer in his cell, and now through his writings and his heavenly intercession. A towering figure full of love, a great ascetic who by God’s grace mastered the passions, his witness is essential for the Orthodox Christian today. He is the spiritual father of St. Sophrony the Athonite.Read more about St. Silouan here: https://pemptousia.com/2018/09/saint-...From “St. Silouan the Athonite” by Archimandrite Sophrony,” St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, pages 376-379, 364. Purchase the book here: https://svspress.com/saint-silouan-th...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!