Orthodox Wisdom

Upon meeting the Holy Virgin Mary, St. Dionysius the Areopagite wrote to the Apostle Paul about his experience with her. This letter is found in the Great Collection of the Lives of Saints of the Orthodox Church on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, August 15th. https://panagiaquicktohear.com/2016/09/05/the-theotokos-and-st-dionysius-the-aeropagite/ 📖 "The Life of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite", including a critical defense of the authenticity of the writings often said to be written by Pseudo-Dionysius: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Saint-Dionysius-Areopagite/dp/B0CTG6KLJP 📖 "The Divine Names and The Mystical Theology" by St. Dionysius https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/the-divine-names-and-the-mystical-theology?srsltid=AfmBOoqEkGkDVLzCo8vbQYJ-ulMpHbVVRhaxNFp7-Z-1dVnw8dZPBii7 ⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. Dionysius writes to St. Paul the Apostle: I tell you as if I were standing in front of God, for me, our great leader, it was beyond any doubt, that aside from the Most High God, there could be nothing, which is so filled with heavenly power and marvelous grace [as Mary], and still it is impossible for a human mind to perceive what I saw with my own eyes. It was not with the eyes of my soul only but with my bodily eyes—I, with my own eyes, saw the most beautiful, the most holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ who exceeds all the heavenly hosts in her holiness. This gift was granted to me by the grace of God, as an honor by the company of the apostles, and also as an unspeakable kindness and compassion of the merciful Virgin herself. And again I testify in front of the omnipotence of God, in front of the grace of the Savior, and in front of the great glory of the Virgin, His Mother. When I, with John—the first among the evangelists and the prophets, who, while living in the flesh, shines like the sun in the sky—was led inside to the beautiful and the most pure Virgin, then a great heavenly radiance that enlightened my soul, poured over me, at the same time I sensed such wonderful fragrance that my spirit and body were hardly able to bear this manifestation of glory and foretaste of eternal bliss. My heart and my spirit were enervated from Her heavenly grace. Let God, who abode in the most pure womb, be my witness, that I would have recognized her for the true God and venerated Her with worship appropriate only to God if the newly illumined soul of mine would not have preserved inside you heavenly instructions and laws. No honor and glory of men who were glorified by God can be compared with the bliss that I, the unworthy one experienced and was honored with at the time. This time was a time of the greatest bliss for me. I thank my most high and most blessed God, the heavenly Virgin, John, who is great among the Apostles, and you as well who is the adornment of the church and the invincible leader, who all so mercifully showed me such a great favor. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, one of the most beloved Russian saints of the past few centuries, describes how fitting it is for man to love God and the signs that such love is true and genuine. "Truly is it said by all, 'How can we not love God?'" Text is from "Journey to Heaven: Counsels on the Particular Duties of Every Christian" by St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, p. 1-8 ⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. Tikhon writes: "Whom shall we love, if not God?" God is the supreme good, uncreated, without beginning, without end, existent, and without change. As the sun always shines, as fire always warms, so God is by nature good; He is and always does good, since there is none good, but One, that is God (Matt. 19:17). O the most beloved and beautiful of God's creation, man, the image of God! He bears it in himself as a royal seal. As the king is hon-ored, so is his portrait. As to God the Heavenly King is due all honor, so to His image, man. God poured forth this goodness on us in our creation, O Christian. How then can we not love God? As we all call Him, God is the Lover of Mankind; then man must be a lover of God. For nothing can be given in return for love but love and gratitude. Truly is it said by all, "How can we not love God?" Love, like every other virtue, must also reside in our heart. For if love does not reside in the heart, then it does not exist. God does not say, "Love, be humble, be compassionate, pray, beseech, call unto Me," and so on, to our lips, but to our heart. Then love, humility, compassion, prayer, and the rest, must reside in the heart. And if it abides in the heart, then it will inevitably appear outwardly like a belch from stomach. A hidden fire gives itself away by its heat, and a fragrant balm by its smell. The true lover of God disdains the world and all that is in the world, and strives toward God, his most beloved. He counts honor, glory, riches, and all the comforts of this world which the sons of this age seek, as nothing. For him only God, the uncreated and most beloved good, suffices. The true lover of God keeps God ever in mind, and His love toward us and His benefactions. We see this even in human love, for we often remember the one we love. So whoever loves God remembers Him, thinks of Him, and finds consolation in Him, and is enrapt in Him. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The Pope wanted Elders Paisios and Porphyrios to visit him at the Vatican…how did they respond? 0:00 Beginning 0:21 The Invitation from the Pope and the Elders’ Response —Commentary by Elder Savvas Hagiorite on the meaning of the Elders' Response— 1:00 The Pope is a heretic 1:56 Not dialogue, but prayer is helpful 2:58 The Pope believes the Orthodox do not possess the truth 3:44 St. Porphyrios: “The attitude of the Pope has always been to subject the Orthodox Church…” A reading from “Healing the Soul: St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia as a Model for Our Lives" by Hieromonk Savvas of the Holy Mountain, p. 97-101. 🎧 A reading of "The Orthodox Spirit is the True One - St. Porphyrios": https://youtu.be/3JgzCGJtfDc 🎧 Ecumenism is "Downright Scum, Spiritual Filth" - St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia https://youtu.be/QxFFmBHbFqM 🎧 Original recording of Saint Porphyrios saying the Jesus Prayer: https://youtu.be/w7XSW7wpCfY?si=w3yUXGV94QMWg4FH 📖 "Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios": https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios?srsltid=AfmBOoorE21YcZGUDow6RQlSnMJLerM851JSD-JP01Rl_2lvrmd0tO7n 📖 "Healing the Soul: St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia as a Model for Our Lives" here: https://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/old-style-icons ⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ "A certain American woman, a professor, passed along a message from the Pope to an Orthodox clergyman stating that Elder Paisios and Elder Porphyrios were invited to go to the Vatican. The answer from both was the following: No, we cannot go, because the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope are not ready for us yet. They have way too much pride. Not only do they wish to subjugate us, but they also believe that we do not possess the truth. There is no need for us to go. We will better aid the cause through our prayers.” —Lisikatos Sotirios, ΧΑΡΙΤΩΜΕΝΕΣ ΔΙΔΑΧΕΣ ΤΟΥ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΟΣ ΠΑΪΣΙΟΥ [Graced Teachings of Elder Paisios] (Thessaloniki: Palimpsiston Publications, 2004), and http://pigizois.gr/afieromata/paisios/xaritomenes_didaxes.htm _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Three accounts of St. Porphyrios' teachings regarding ecumenism and ecumenical meetings. —"Did he say nothing? Was he never asked by anyone about Ecumenism?" asked Prof. Tselengidis. —"But," replied the Saint's spiritual child, "he certainly was, Professor! Of course! He told us so... We used to ask him... And he said: 'Downright scum, spiritual filth.'" 0:00 Introduction 0:22 "Those Uniates, this Trojan horse..." 0:50 Ecumenism is "Downright scum, spiritual filth" 2:37 On Ecumenical Meetings, the Pope and Patriarch These teachings are found in the sources listed below and in the book "Love in Christ or Meta-Patristic Agapology?" by Archimandrite Savvas Hagiorite, published by the Holy Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Edessa, Greece (2023) with the blessing of Metropolitan Joel of Edessa. 🎧 A reading of "The Orthodox Spirit is the True One - St. Porphyrios": https://youtu.be/3JgzCGJtfDc 🎧 Original recording of Saint Porphyrios saying the Jesus Prayer: https://youtu.be/w7XSW7wpCfY?si=w3yUXGV94QMWg4FH 📖 "Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios": https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios?srsltid=AfmBOoorE21YcZGUDow6RQlSnMJLerM851JSD-JP01Rl_2lvrmd0tO7n 📖 "Healing the Soul: Saint Porphyrios as a Model for Our Lives". The St. John Chrysostom Monastery in Wisconsin publishes this book. Email them to ask how to obtain a copy: https://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/ ⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ "Don't fear, the Pope has always longed to subdue the Orthodox Church and there will be a day when the dialogue will be cancelled. Nothing will come out of it. Anyway those Uniates, this Trojan horse, more than obviously want nothing else than the Orthodox to recognize the Pope as their head." —St. Porpyrios, “Anthology of Advice”, p. 290. From the “Orthodoxos Typos” of 3/26/1993, testimony of Archimandrite Pavlos Nikitaras. http://www.impantokratoros.gr/420E74B9.el.aspx -Prof. Tselengidis: "Did he say nothing? Was he never asked by anyone about Ecumenism?" -Spiritual Child: "But he certainly was, Professor! Of course! He told us so... We used to ask him... And he said: 'Downright scum, spiritual filth.' Now you will say: Yes, but this is not written. So what? Is the truth only what is written? What, then, is the Holy Tradition of our Church? Is absolutely everything written in the Holy Scripture? Are we Protestants or something? And in any case, all this is being verified by the facts themselves." —Tselengidis Dimitrios, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, "Dogma and Life, An Indivisible Co-Existence", transcribed extract from the Professor's homily in the Cultural Centre of Kalambaka Municipality, on 11/26/2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEwns3MvuD8 “You cannot say," St. Porphyrios said, "to the Papists that they have Grace and Mysteries. The Patriarch should not have journeyed to Rome, because it is only to their own benefit, without them being corrected, and Orthodoxy loses. Papism is sheer pride. Orthodoxy is sheer humility. I saw with my discernment the Cathedral of Saint Peter, and the Vatican making every effort to impress with the ceremony. The Patriarch stood stern and thoughtful." "However," Hieromonk Damascene said, "in the same way as some distort the conversation between Christ and the Samaritan woman, or distort even the Holy Fathers, they also distort Saint Porphyrios and present him as allegedly approving inter-religious dialogue, to support their fallacies." —Hieromonk Damascene (Holy Community of Philadelphou, Mount Athos), Ο Άγιος Πορφύριος, ο Παπισμός και το Άγιον Όρος [Saint Porphyrios, Papism and Mount Athos] https://orthodoxostypos.gr/ο-άγιος-πορφύριος-ο-παπισμός-και-το-άγι/ _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Porphyrios, our God-bearing Elder abounding in love and divine gifts, is not known for addressing contemporary issues of dogma and how Orthodoxy compares to other religions. However, the Elder did address these topics and in these two recorded conversations we hear his views plainly expressed: he embraces Orthodoxy as the only true religion, the only faith inspired by the Spirit of God, and rejects ecumenism and its evil philosophies. 0:00 Beginning 0:10 Introduction from the Publisher 2:33 First Conversation 27:26 Second Conversation 30:49 Quote from First Conversation "The Orthodox Spirit is the True One" is published in greek by the Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, Melesi, Greece. The Elder entrusted all his material to this convent, which he helped establish, before his repose in 1991. 📖 Full text of "The Orthodox Spirit is the True One" https://www.oodegr.com/english/oikoumenismos/porphyrios_orthodox_spirit.htm 🎧 Original recording of the conversations included in this podcast: https://youtu.be/QkhE7Vs-zQw?si=WRrr4o81EOY5T-kO 🎧 Original recording of Saint Porphyrios saying the Jesus Prayer: https://youtu.be/w7XSW7wpCfY?si=w3yUXGV94QMWg4FH 📖 Buy "Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios": https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios?srsltid=AfmBOoorE21YcZGUDow6RQlSnMJLerM851JSD-JP01Rl_2lvrmd0tO7n 📖"Healing the Soul: Saint Porphyrios as a Model for Our Lives". The St. John Chrysostom Monastery in Wisconsin publishes this book. Email them to ask how to obtain a copy: https://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/ ⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. Porphyrios teaches: VISITOR: But don’t all religions teach love, Elder? ELDER: Bah! What kind of love do they teach? Don’t be so gullible! Hush now! True love is only Christ’s love. Don’t imagine that it’s like parents who love their children. Can you imagine, if there were rumors that I have a “free spirit” and that I acknowledge all religions? Well, I don’t. Regardless who tells me – even if an angel comes and tells me – that “the way so-and-so believes is the right way”, I will say “No, you are lying. You are not a benevolent spirit. You are an evil spirit for saying so.” That’s what I will say to the angel… I won’t believe it… (…) Of course I don’t want you propagandizing here and there, saying that “all religions are one, there aren’t any differences between them, all of them are God’s, you can go to any one of them, and you can worship any God you want…” I don’t want such things – I can’t tolerate them. That’s how my spirit is. Look, there are Masons, there are all sorts of things and people believe them all, and they go along with Satan and they have all sorts of satanic events and mysterious things, because they exist, and Satan exists, and mysterious things exist… evil things. ELDER: I’m telling you, that... I personally love you very much…. And that my love has not diminished on account of these things. I may of course complain a little, worrying why such good youngsters are involved in such fallacies and aren’t Orthodox Christians… I feel truly sorry… but I do pray that God will enlighten you so that you realize our faith – Orthodoxy – has nothing to do with other religions. But nowadays, everyone has all sorts of mentalities… different people, even older ones, who don’t even believe that God exists… they are of the opinion that there shouldn’t be many religions because they cause divisions among people and generate hostility among them. So, everyone – young and old and nations and entire … are striving to ensure the creation of one religion. And it will be accomplished in such a way – by claiming that “all religions are the same”; that “we shall form a new religion”… This is being done by something they call Zionism.

What is feminism? What are the consequences of the movement? What is the role of women in the Church and the world? And what women and the priesthood? Abbess Theologia gives succinct and clear answers to these questions. 0:00 Intro The Feminist Movement 0:14 Causes for the Movement 1:51 The Movement’s Success 3:00 Problems with the Movement Orthodoxy and the Feminist Movement 5:16 Women and the Priesthood 11:36 Feminism and the Holy Mountain 📖 "The Perfection of Women in Christ" by Abbess Theologia https://newromepress.com/perfection-of-women-in-christ/ 📖 "The Disappearing Deaconess: Why the Church Once Had Deaconesses and Then Stopped Having Them" by Dcn. Brian Patrick Mitchell: https://www.amazon.com/Disappearing-Deaconess-Hierarchical-Ordering-Diaconate/dp/099101698X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 📖 "Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women's Liberation" by Rachel Wilson: https://www.amazon.com/Occult-Feminism-Secret-History-Liberation/dp/B09NGXZKHB 🎥 "The Mother of God Destroys Secularism and Feminism" by Fr. Josiah Trenham: https://youtu.be/J7X1TwsaIN8?si=IOxssrzaT_ZaNGkW 🎧Fr. Josiah's lectures on Contemporary Women Saints https://app.patristicnectar.org/discover/theological-lectures/contemporary-women-saints 🎥 "The Orthodox Deaconess: Partial Acceptance, Complete Abandonment" with Dcn. Brian Patrick Mitchell and Fr. Peter Heers: https://www.youtube.com/live/7nCkRHCXcb4?si=EcatFPOsa7Npr8Rt This is a reading from "The Perfection of Women in Christ" by Abbess Theologia, p. 33-43. Abbess Theologia is the abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God at Mikrokastro, Greece The image on the left side of the thumbnail is of recently ordained Deacon Angelic and her bishop, Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe. It's important to note that she was ordained a deacon, she is not a deaconess as the early Church had, but a Deacon. The Deaconate is part of the priest, and as Abbess Theologia says, echoing Holy Tradition, the priesthood is only for men. Read more: https://ocl.org/bishop-ordains-orthodox-christian-woman-as-deaconess-in-response-to-local-needs-in-africa/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Abbess Theologia writes: The problem with the feminist movement was that it went too far. It was not satisfied with the new equity of things. It began to espouse materialistic theories of life. It imagined that the past history of the debasement of women was attributable to the Christian faith, and thus rushed to discard religious life [as an oppressor]. She fought against the indissolubility of marriage, without giving proper consideration to the fact that the legal obligation of a man to care for his family is an important restraining force against divorce. She accepted the idea of cohabitation, without realizing that by doing so she took part in reestablishing the harems of old. And the very worst part of this transformation was the crippling of her own nature. God endowed woman with a hidden river of affection, issuing from deep within her very nature, which is able to reshape the world: to tame it, reconcile and sweeten it, to give and receive love, and elevate it out of its banality. Instead of this, women became ensnared in a relentless vocationalism, competing with men, and steadfastly uncompromising in regard to his unique qualities. She abandoned her duty as nurturer, educator, and guardian, thus allowing herself to become a sterile fountain. Women are not barred from the Priesthood because they are somehow less worthy than men. Indeed, many times unworthy priests transmit the sanctified grace of the Mysteries to holy women! Rather, it is because the woman has a different vocation than the man. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Fellow soldiers in Christ’s army: our weapons are fully sufficient to defeat our spiritual enemies. In this brief passage, St. Paisios re-awakens us to the power of Christ and His Cross. Reading from “Spiritual Counsels, Vol. 1: With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man”, p. 58-61 -BUY “Spiritual Counsels, Vol. I”: https://www.holycross.org/products/with-pain-and-love-for-contemporary-man-elder-paisios?srsltid=AfmBOooG0oxZfwjniLoIMF1LXDQHdMBKr8W6eXoQxM2xf-AEqHLNx31u -BUY the Life of the saint: "Saint Paisios of Mount Athos": https://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/saint-paisios-of-mount-athos -LISTEN to my playlist "St. Paisios - Teachings and Prophecies" https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYiSgEA_N0bQIIeUFas-lw_P -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ ______ —Geronda, my thoughts tell me that now more than ever the devil has great power. —The devil has malice and hatred but he does not have power. It is God's love that is all-powerful. The devil tries to appear powerful but he can't make it. He appears strong but in reality he is powerless. Many of his destructive schemes fail even before they start. Would a good father ever allow a few young hoodlums to bully his children? —Geronda, the demons scare me. —What are you afraid of? The devil has no power. Christ is All-powerful. The tempter is rotten. Don't you wear a cross? The devil's weapons are weak. Christ has armed us with His Cross. Only when we abandon our spiritual armour is the enemy strong. An Orthodox priest had only to show a small cross to a sorcerer and the demon he had invoked started trembling. —Why is the devil so afraid of the Cross? —Because when Christ received the spitting, the blows and the beatings, the kingdom and the power of the devil were crushed. How wonderful is the way in which Christ defeated the devil! The devil's dominion was crushed with a reed," used to say a Saint. When Christ was given the last blow with a reed, at that very moment, the devil's power was destroyed. In other words, patience is our spiritual defence and humility our greatest weapon against the devil. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Speaking to Russians in exile who saw firsthand the Bolshevik revolution, Archbishop Averky contrasts the true freedom in Christ from the tyrannical slavery of sin, indulgence, and worldly ambition that many falsely call “freedom.” As St. Paul wrote, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal 5:1). Reading from "The Just Shine Like The Stars: A Photographic Biography on the Life of Archbishop Averky of Jordanville Including Some of His Selected Sermons", pp. 59-61 -BUY Archbishop Averky’s most popular book “The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society”: https://www.holytrinitypublications.com/the-struggle-for-virtue -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ ______ And so now, having lived through all the bloody horrors and the merciless destruction of everything created by our forefathers over the centuries, those of us who still have a conscience can easily give an answer to the author's question: "Do you want a freedom which offers no restrictions and has no bounds?" No! You easily understand that this is not true freedom, not the freedom for which each human soul yearns. True freedom cannot carry with it hatred, sorrow and distress. This is not freedom; this is arbitrariness, a most crude and most cruel arbitrariness. Our reason, our heart and conscience, tell us that true freedom cannot be found in self-will, that self-will and arbitrariness are the enemies of freedom. Golden words! Do we not see, both in our Homeland and in the so-called "free world," this soul-terrifying randomness, under the wicked guise of "freedom"? This self-will reigns everywhere, in all aspects of our lives: personal, social, governmental and religious. People no longer think about the justice, fairness and humanity encompassed in the true sense of this word. Contemporary powers strive towards one goal: to make their own will become law for others, and are prepared to dole out harsh punishment to anyone who stands up in the name of the true Law — the Law of God — and who follows the principles of church and state which conform with this law. Where is this true Christian freedom, to which alone we should all strive? The Apostle Paul gives us the answer: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (II Corinthians 3:17). And this same holy Apostle commands us to preserve this true freedom unceasingly, admonishing us: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." In our times it is especially important to parry all the deceitful propaganda of the many false teachers, who are so energetically preparing throughout the world a foundation for the reign of the Antichrist. We must unmask this propaganda whenever possible, and we must act against it using all the means available to us, or we, too, might find ourselves in the camp of these self-proclaimed "teachers." And more than anything else, we must cherish our spiritual freedom, reminding ourselves as often as possible of the words of the Apostles: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1). "He that hath ears, let him hear." (St. Luke 8:8). _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

What is the firmament? What does scripture mean by “waters above the heavens”? St. John expounds upon the Scriptural testimony and raises our minds and hearts both to God’s creation and God Himself. 0:00 Introduction 1:26 Scripture: Genesis 1:6-8 and Psalm 148:4-6 2:33 Commentary on Psalm 148:4 3:00 Commentary on Genesis 1 (Homily 4) 18:16 Commentary on Genesis 1 (Homily 6) 22:00 On the Statues to the People of Antioch (Homily 9) 22:59 On the Statues to the People of Antioch (Homily 12) 25:04 Commentary on Matthew 26:6-7 (Homily 80) 25:22 Commentary on Hebrews 8:1-2 (Homily 14) 26:52 Commentary on Hebrews 9:2 (Homily 15) 27:14 Commentary on Ephesians 5:15-17 (Homily 19) 31:36 Scripture: Psalm 148:4-6 To my knowledge, what follows are all of St. John Chrysostom’s teachings on day two of creation, the firmament and the waters above that are available in English. I did not focus on his commentary on the sun, moon, and stars when placed into the firmament on day four. The golden-mouthed Archbishop poured over the scriptures and his homilies on Scripture continues to stand out as exceedingly faithful to the truth and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Regardless of what modern scientists and astronomers tell us, the Patristic axiom remains immovable: we must follow the Holy Fathers. So much of modern science is saturated with philosophy and pseudo-science. The modern heliocentric model has turned the plain reading of many scriptures on their head. In addition to the many scientific and observational reasons to question the heliocentric dogma so often assumed today, the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Fathers, especially St. John Chrysostom, beckon us to revisit modern assumptions and reconsider the truth about the realm in which we God has placed us to work out our salvation. -READ St. John’s commentary on Genesis 1-17: https://archive.org/details/saint-john-chrysostom-homilies-on-genesis-1-17/page/59/mode/1up -READ St. John’s homilies on Matthew, Ephesians, Hebrews, and more: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ -READ St. John’s commentary on Psalm 148: https://www.amazon.com/St-John-Chrysostom-Commentary-Paperback/dp/B010TSV5E2 -READ St. John’s homilies On the Statues to the People of Antioch: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf109.xix.xi.html#fna_xix.xi-p40.1 -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. John teaches: ‘The water above the heavens.’ You hear Moses also saying that he left some of the waters below, and caused some to float on the surfaces of the heavens, fixing the firmament in the middle of the abyss, and let the waters remain on the surfaces. -Commentary on Psalm 148:4 And what is more pleasing or more beautiful than the firmament of Heaven. -Homily 80 on the Gospel of Matthew The text goes on: "God made the firmament, and God divided the water which was below the firmament from the water which was above the firmament." That is to say, once the firmament existed, he ordered some of the water to go below the firmament, and some to be on top of the firmament. Now, what would you say this means, the firmament? Water that has congealed, or some air that has been compressed, or some other substance? No sensible person would be rash enough to make a decision on it. Instead, it is better to be quite grateful and ready to accept what is told us and not reach beyond the limits of our own nature by meddling in matters beyond us, but rather to know only the simple fact and keep it within us—namely, that by the Lord's command the firmament was produced, causing division of the waters, keeping some below and being able to carry the rest elevated on top of it. -Homily 4 on Genesis _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

A reading of Chapter Four from "Noetic Prayer as the Basis of Mission and the Struggle Against Heresy" by Archimandrite Ephraim Triandaphillopoulos In six short chapters Fr. Ephraim, like a spiritual doctor and specialist in spiritual diseases, dissects the disease of heresy and its cause, offering both as method of cure and cure itself the medicine of noetic prayer. This book is required reading for every Orthodox missionary, or, rather, every Orthodox Christian, for there is no Christian who does not seek to be made whole and bring wholeness and spiritual health to his neighbor. -BUY the book here: https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/noetic-prayer-as-the-basis-of-mission-and-the-struggle-against-heresy/ Archimandrite Ephraim Triandaphillopoulos, an inspirational and influential preacher, is the Protosyngellos (Chancellor) of the Diocese of Siatista in north western Greece. He is the author of many books, including: The New Age: Challenge or Invitation?, Magic and Its Various Manifestations, The Old Testament and the New Idol Worshipers.” You can read more about Fr. Ephraim and his work at: http://www.patirefraim.com/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ This recording was originally posted on the @OrthodoxEthos channel in December 2022: https://youtu.be/gqBfkiQbyKA?si=3nOrC-XDg3ar_RL8 _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!