Orthodox Wisdom

An examination of an important part of the holy personality of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, his great love and zeal for Christ and His Church. Archbishop Averky was a righteous shepherd of the 20th century who served as Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. He was spiritual son of the great 20th century theologian and holy hierarch, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava, Russia, and therefore a living link in America to the Faith of Pre-Revolutionary Russia. Archbishop Averky was so esteemed that before his repose, St. John Maximovitch told Fr. Seraphim Rose that if he had any theological questions to ask Archbishop Averky. The honorable Archbishop reposed in 1976 and his relics lie in a small chapel for veneration at Holy Trinity Monastery. This short text comes from "Holy Zeal" by Archbishop Averky -LISTEN to the entire article here: https://youtu.be/0DOZQ3WZWTI -READ to the entire article here: https://deathtotheworld.com/articles/holy-zeal/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Archbishop Averky writes: By citing such a picturesque example, we do not in the least wish to say that every one of us can or should follow this example literally: for this one must be himself just as great a holy hierarch as St. Nicholas. But this should absolutely convince us that we do not dare to remain indifferent or be unconcerned about the manifestations of evil in the world, especially when the matter is one of God’s glory, of our Holy Faith and Church. Here we must show ourselves to be completely uncompromising, and we do not dare enter into any sort of cunning compromises or any reconciliation, even purely outward, or into any kind whatever of agreement with evil. To our personal enemies, according to Christ’s commandment, we must forgive everything, but with the enemies of God we cannot have peace! Friendship with the enemies of God makes us ourselves the enemies of God: this is a betrayal and treason towards God, under whatever well-seeming pretexts it might be done, and here no kind of cunning or skillful self-justification can help us! Only holy zeal for God, for Christ, without any admixture of any kind of slyness or ambiguous cunning politics, must guide us in all deeds and actions. Be zealous, therefore, and repent! (Apoc. 3:19). _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

"Don't be negligent, boys, lest you fall into the hands of thieves," counseled St. Joseph to his brotherhood. This short text is an ever-timely word from a God-bearing elder of our days. The text featured in this recording is from "The Elder Joseph the Hesychast (1897-1959): Struggles - Experiences - Teachings" by Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, p. 195-198. As of December 2023, it seems this book is out of print and very difficult to find. If this changes, please email me: orthodoxwisdom1@gmail.com -BUY other books by and about St. Joseph here: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/collections/all-books -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ When we asked about the chief cause of man's failure in his spiritual purpose, [St. Joseph] would reply that it was negligence. On one occasion I asked him how it was that the Fathers give self-esteem as the reason, and he replied, "Yes, that conspires against us too; but not all of us, only those it deceives. And again it affects only a few, because self-esteem corrupts treasures that have been amassed, while negligence does not even let you collect them. Negligence is like a drought in which nothing grows. Self-esteem damages those who have fruit, who have made some progress; whereas negligence harms everyone, because it impedes those who want to make a start, it stops those who have advanced, it does not allow the ignorant to learn, it prevents those who have gone astray from returning, it does not permit the fallen to get up - in general, negligence spells destruction for all those it holds captive. Using the pretext of physical needs and weariness from the struggle, this deceiver makes itself credible; and like a conductive material, listlessness transmits us and hands us over to self-love, the more general enemy. Only a courageous soul grounded in faith and hope in God can overthrow this conspiracy. Otherwise, it is difficult for someone inexperienced to escape from these nets. As a cure for negligence, the Elder recommended eschatological meditation in ascending and descending form: reward and punishment, the Kingdom of heaven and hell; and also calling to mind the honorable memory of those who have taken part in the struggle. The means of grace against negligence are prayer, tears and faith. Again, the Elder would recount many examples from the lives of earlier spiritual warriors who happened to be led astray by negligence and lost the record of spiritual progress which they had gained through great fervour and ascetic labour. To wake us up in the morning he would always shout to us, 'Don't be negligent, boys, lest you fall into the hands of thieves.' He even regarded a pointless occupation as negligence, because he believed that this too could lead to the same bondage. As David says, 'Let not thy foot be moved, and He who keeps thee will not slumber' (Ps. 121:3, LXX); and again, 'If Thy law had not been my meditation, I should have perished in my humiliation' (Ps. 119:92, LXX). _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Elder Ephraim writes, "Immediately say the [Jesus] prayer with pain of soul and at once you will be delivered from the warfare." This recording includes the following two excerpts: 1) My Elder Joseph the Hesychast by Elder Ephraim of Arizona, p. 339-343 -BUY HERE: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/my-elder-joseph-the-hesychast 2) Counsels from the Holy Mountain: Selected from the Letters and Homilies of Geronda Ephraim of Arizona, p. 165-169 -BUY HERE: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/counsels-from-the-holy-mountain 0:00 Intro From “My Elder Joseph the Hesychast” by Elder Ephraim 0:26 Advice on Carnal Warfare 3:57 Chastity 6:10 Facing Carnal Warfare From “Counsels from the Holy Mountain” by Elder Ephraim 10:04 Be patient--with the grace of God everything will pass 11:02 God knows how to deliver us from fornication 11:21 Carnal warfare stems from pride…so humble yourself 12:48 Be very careful with filthy fantasies 13:07 Do not lose heart, have courage 14:13 A letter from Athos, June 30, 1958 18:16 The weapons of demons and the weapons of Christ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ NOTE: A word regarding St. Joseph’s practice of fighting carnal warfare with a cane: A general principle of Orthodox life is that we imitate the saints. We look at the way they lived and seek to learn how to better love God and man by imitating their example. However, if we try to imitate each specific detail of the lives of one or more saints, then we are very prone to falling into prelest (spiritual deception), or worse. Our imitation must apply to our current spiritual state and be spiritually therapeutic for us now. The cancer patient and the man with a broken leg need very different treatment. When we see St. Joseph inflicting pain on himself with his cane, and even advising another monk suffering from carnal warfare to do the same, it would be exceedingly ignorant to quickly assume we should do the same. Certainly, both St. Joseph and the rest of us must apply the Lord’s command, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you” (Matt 5:30) but we must do so in the way that is best for us, according to our abilities. This is not done alone; it is done under the guidance of an experienced spiritual father. If you desire to imitate St. Joseph in the details of his life, first speak with an experienced spiritual father and humbly submit to his guidance. _______ ---From "My Elder Joseph the Hesychast"--- Elder Joseph: “My child, carnal warfare is not set aflame so much by excessive eating, drinking, wine, and sleep, as it is by judging others.” Elder Ephraim: “Why, Geronda?” “So that we learn that we all have the same nature, the same devil fights us, and that we are all liable of being judged. Would you like to hear something even more amazing? “What, Geronda?” “A person who does not judge his neighbor gives evidence that he is saved. Whoever does not judge will not be judged, as the Word of God verifies: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’” That is why he told us: “Has a judgmental thought about someone come to you? Don’t just sit there, debating with yourself whether that person is to blame or not. Justify everyone and take all the blame yourself. As soon as you start having negative thoughts about someone else, there is a danger that you will judge him. Just interrupt the thoughts and say to yourself: ‘What he is saying and doing is right. My ego is making me think evil about my brother, and so there’s no point trying to analyze it.’ If you don’t face the assaults of judgmental thoughts in this manner, whether you express them outwardly or cultivate them within you, you will have carnal warfare. And if you still don’t come to your senses then, then grace will abandon you, and you will fall. And if you do not repent after your fall and continue to judge others, your falls will have very serious consequences.”

It's Christmas season again! This 1989 article is as timely as ever. Something here for everyone to learn, to go deeper in our knowledge of Christ and ourselves. Thumbnail (see full version on youtube) includes a variety of toys, some great, some terrible, some in between. -On the left: “Snuggly Saint” of St. George from Draw Near Designs: https://www.drawneardesigns.com/play -Life of St. Porphyrios for kids from Potomatis Publishing on the right: https://potamitis.us/collections/english/products/58-paterikon-for-kids-saint-porphyrios-1 -READ the article here from Orthodox Life, Nov-Dec 1989 (#6): https://orthodoxlifemagazines.blogspot.com/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ 0:00 Title 0:18 Introduction 1:51 The broader questions related to toys, children, and parents, quote by St. Theophan the Recluse 3:53 St. Diadochos on grace before and after baptism, parents need to nurture the grace in children 5:19 Marketing, television, and the root cause of the current attack on children 7:24 The nexus between toys and television, the often immoral and satanic influence from toy commercial and marketing 8:47 How some toys inhibit the development of a child’s imagination 10:17 Parents must strictly forbid certain toys, impure images inflicting the inner life of the child 11:10 Why are so many toys and cartoons based on occult symbolism? 12:01 A word on films, including E.T., Star Wars, Snow White, and Wizard of Oz 14:50 How we crush sin in our children and nourish the grace of God in them 17:37 The best of western Christian culture can act as a stepping stone in elevating the soul towards the higher, spiritual culture of the Church 18:31 Children must play, advice on the best toys and activities 21:00 Conclusion _______ In many cases there is no problem with the toy itself, the danger lies in the occult and the often violent images connected with it, which are conveyed to the child via television cartoons, and now also movies. The child "knows" how to play with the toy because he knows its abilities and characteristics, as seen on television. He no longer has to use his imagination to bring the toy to life.... At a simply practical level, this spoon-feeding of images inhibits the development of a child's imagination, because under normal circumstances a child would project his own imagination into a toy. One might be inclined to say that even Snow White and The Wizard of Oz have some frightening elements, but the difference between these and more recent films does not necessarily lie in the content, but rather in the way the story is told. " Disney" films presented a world in which there was a moral order. There was a sweetness in the way the stories were told several levels removed from the vivid realism of Indiana Jones, for instance. In pursuit of ever-larger audiences, film makers have escalated the amount of violence, brutality, arid sensuality, and aimed it at ever younger and younger audiences. It is also evident that a great influence for good is exercised on children by frequently taking them—from the earliest age—to church, by having them kiss the holy Cross, the Gospel, the icons, and by covering them with veils. Likewise, at home frequently placing the child under the icons, frequently signing him with the sign of the Cross, sprinkling him with holy water, burning incense, making the sign of the Cross over his food, his cradle, and everything connected with him. The blessing of the priest, the bringing into the house of icons from the church, the service of molebens, and in general everything from the Church, in a wondrous way warms and nourishes the life of grace in the child and protects him from attacks by invisible, dark powers ever ready to infect the developing soul. Likewise, the spirit of faith and piety in the parents should be regarded as the most powerful means for the preservation, upbringing, and strengthening of the life of grace in children.

Are the Jews, even in light of Christ's death and resurrection, still in some way the chosen people of God? If so, how should we understand them and their role in God's providence? Who are the true Jews and what role do Jews and Judaism have in the prophesied rise of Antichrist? Note from Metropolitan Vitaly (+,2006) Chief Hierarch of ROCOR, 1986-2001:"The author of the following article lives in Russia. We received it some years back. The whole tone of the article in composes, discrete, and sober. Its ideas are profound, clear, and in complete agreement with the teaching of the Orthodox Church and the Holy Fathers." This article is found in Orthodox Life, Vol. 41, No. 4, Jul-Aug 1991. Orthodox Life is the journal of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary in Jordanville, NY, USA. -READ the article here: https://orthodoxlifemagazines.blogspot.com/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Quotes from this article: If the Old Testament is understood as a foreshadowing, then one sees that the true Jews of the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of Christians, since all true Jews of the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of Christians, since all true Jews of the Old Testament lived spiritually in expectation of Christ the Savior, the Messiah. On the other hand, their enemies in the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of contemporary Judaism, that is, those who either consciously or unconsciously confess the Jewish religion, the very foundation of this religion being a rejection of Christ [Once one accepts the Christian Gospel, traditional Judaism loses its validity]. The Jewish religion which accepts Christ is the Christian religion. The first decree, the covenant with the Jewish people made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is never revoked, and therefore, in remaining a “special, different” people, since they do not accept Christianity, they repudiated their being the chosen people of God.… Even those Jews who do not accept Christianity, being infected by the bacillus of anti-Christianity, manage to preserve their identity supported by the Old Testament covenant. For this reason the hope of the Jews for universal supremacy is not in vain. This people will be preserved through all times; they will not be exterminated nor will they disintegrate. This Jewish materialistic approach openly and more subtly, under the appearance of various social theories and philosophical systems, encroaches upon the consciousness of Christians, breaking down Christian nations. In particular the penetration into the Christian consciousness of this Judaistic idea explains many heresies, the rise of Islam, the substitution of Christianity with humanism, altruism, Marxism, and separatist nationalism. What common denominator do some people seek in order to equalize black and white, Christianity and Judaism? — Judaism being a deified materialistic philosophy of earthly justice, worldly good, earthly freedom, and worldly well-being. Just as the deification of one’s aspiration for all that which is worldly comes from Judaism, for the Christian that which is worldly is used only in so much as it is necessary in one’s striving for the spiritual. It therefore follows that those who strive to equalize Judaism and Christianity, black and white, using the worldly as a basis, allow the spirit of Judaism to conquer them. In other words, having exchanged Christian spiritual goals for worldly ones, those that call themselves Christians lose that which distinguishes them from Jews and thus seek a union with Judaism, [perhaps unconsciously] rejecting Christ. They become co-workers in preparing for the kingdom of Antichrist.

Fr. George Calciu (+2006) was one of the great confessors of Christianity in the twentieth century. Having survived the diabolic prison experiments of Communist Romania, Fr. George went on to become an apostle to spiritual seekers in Romania and, eventually, throughout the world. He was able to speak authoritatively of God's love and forgiveness because of his own experience of God's mercy. As a priest in America, Fr. George maintained a strict ascetic life of fasting and prayer, while at the same time pastoring his flock as a joyful and loving father. This reading comes from “Father George Calciu: Interview, Homilies, and Talks” by St. Herman Press. We begin with the introduction written by Fr. Seraphim Rose followed by the first two homilies of seven that Fr. George gave in Romania in 1978 to students who had been raised and education in Communist Romania. Fr. George gave these homilies when many fellow clergy were silent about the persecution facing the Church and the restriction of freedom to teach and preach Christ to the people. 0:00 Title 0:16 Introduction by Fr. Seraphim Rose 4:32 Homily One: "The Call" 10:41 Homily Two: "Let Us Build Churches" Buy “Father George Calciu: Interview, Homilies, and Talks” here: https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Father-George-Cacliu-p/fgc.htm --Read the seven homilies here: https://deathtotheworld.com/articles/seven-homilies-to-the-youth-part-i/ --Article about Fr. George: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/46636.html --The relics of Fr. George found incorrupt 7 years after his repose: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/12/the-relic-of-fr-george-calciu-confessor.html Note: A section of Fr. George's homily titled "Let Us Build Churches" was quoted by Fr. Seraphim Rose at the end of arguably his most famous talk, "Living the Orthodox World-view": https://youtu.be/UguEoHSXuCg?si=NELDWcDLLi_T_EoX _______ Fr. George teaches: The time has come, young man, for you to hear a voice which has been calling you. It is a voice you have never heard before, or perhaps, one you have heard but which you have never understood or obeyed. It is the voice of Jesus! Don’t be shocked; don’t be amazed, and don’t smile incredulously, my young friend! The voice which calls you is not that of a dead man, but of One Who has risen from the dead. He does not shout after you from history, but from out of the depths of your own inner being. Come to the Church of Christ! Only here will you find consolation for your ravished soul. Only in the Church will you find certainty, because only in the Church will you hear the voice of Jesus saying meekly to you: “Son, all your sins are forgiven. You have suffered much. Behold, I have made you whole; go and sin no more.” You are in Christ’s Church whenever you uplift some­one bent down in sorrow, or when you give alms to the poor and visit the sick. You are in Christ’s Church when you cry out: “Lord, help me”. You are in Christ’s Church when you are good and patient, when you refuse to get angry at your brother, even if he has wounded your feelings. You are in Christ’s Church when you pray: “Lord, forgive him”. When you work honestly at your job, returning home weary in the evenings but with a smile upon your lips, when you repay evil with love —you are in Christ’s Church. Do you not see, therefore, young friend, how close the Church of Christ is? You are Peter and God is building His Church upon you. You are the rock of His Church against which nothing can prevail. You are a liberated rock, a soul that is fulfilled within His Church, and not one condemned to stagnation. Let us build churches with our faith. Churches which no human power can pull down. A church whose foundation is Christ. Let us build churches in our enlightened hearts where there shines the bright Sun of Righteousness, Who is Christ Himself, He Who has told us that by faith we are free from sin.

Our father among the saints, Porphyrios, is a most beloved elder of our day. The Lord poured out incredible love to the world through him. His heart was on fire with love of Christ and by God's grace we have been left with his life and witness as inspiration for us unworthy ones of these last days. This excerpt from "Wounded by Love" exhibits his insatiable love for Christ, his wounded yet healed heart. This reading is from "Wounded by Love: The Life and the Witness of Saint Porphyrios", pp. 107-109 & 96-99 -BUY Wounded by Love here: https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. Porphyrios writes: Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet. That's what it is! You must suffer. You must love and suffer—suffer for the one you love. Love makes effort for the loved one. She runs all through the night; she stays awake; she stains her feet with blood in order to meet her beloved. She makes sacrifices and disregards all impediments, threats and difficulties for the sake of the loved one. Love towards Christ is something even higher, infinitely higher. When you love Christ you exert yourself, but in blessed exertions. You suffer, but with joy. You make prostrations and pray because these are things you crave for with divine craving. They are at once pain and longing, passion and yearning and exaltation and joy and love. Prostrations and vigils and fasting are exertions which are made for the Beloved, exertions in order to experience Christ. But this exertion is not made under duress; you don't protest and rebel. Whatever you do under compulsion is very harmful both to you and to the work you are doing. The pressure and coercion provoke opposition. Exertion for Christ, true desire for Christ, is love, sacrifice and dissolution of self. This is also how David felt: My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My soul longs with craving and melts away out of love for God (Psalm 83:2). Christ is joy, the true light, happiness. Christ is our hope. Our relation to Christ is love, eros, passion, enthusiasm, longing for the divine. Christ is everything. He is our love. He is the object of our desire. This passionate longing for Christ is a love that cannot be taken away. This is where joy flows from. Qur task is to attempt to find a way to enter into the light of Christ. Christ is life, the source of life, the source of joy, the source of the true light, everything. Whoever loves Christ and other people truly lives life. Life without Christ is death; it is hell, not life. That is what hell is—the absence of love. Life is Christ. Love is the life of Christ. Either you will be in life or in death. It's up to you to decide. The Christian feels for everyone, he wants all to be saved, all to taste the Kingdom of God. That is Christianity: through love for our brother to arrive at love for God. That is what preoccupies me. I try to find ways to love Christ. This love is never sated. However much you love Christ, you always think that you don't love Him and you long all the more to love him. And without being aware of it, you go higher and higher! _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

From the Publisher's Overview: On the Dogma of the Church: An Historical Overview of the Sources of Ecclesiology, the Holy Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) explores patristic resources from the early centuries of Christianity. He brings seminal works at the periphery of the consciousness of every Christian to the forefront as living witnesses to the unbroken tradition of the Church. St. Hilarion's staggeringly extensive familiarity with sources both patristic and modern, coupled with his own lucid thinking and profoundly Orthodox outlook, superbly equip him for his extensive analysis of the subject. BUY the book: https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/overview-of-the-dogma-concerning-the-church/ This recording was originally posted on the  @OrthodoxEthos  channel: https://youtu.be/3wTQKWCbJPI WATCH more on St. Hilarion's book: --OE EXTENDED PODCAST: NEW BOOK: On The DOGMA of the CHURCH by St. Hilarion Troitsky (UMP) https://www.youtube.com/live/kQ2EDb9b2mQ?feature=share --On the Dogma of the Church (BOOK TRAILER) - by Saint Hilarion Troitsky https://youtu.be/J_2NIJFfE-w LISTEN to more from St. Hilarion: --Christianity or the Church? - St. Hilarion Troitsky (Pt. I/III) https://youtu.be/zh2OwJhlxG4 --The History of the Baptism/Chrismation Controversy according to St. Hilarion Troitsky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyU7oVMQViU&ab_channel=GregoryDecapolite --Christianity and Socialism - St. Hilarion, New Martyr of Russia https://youtu.be/OIIUuFXMjQM --Holy Scripture and The Church - St. Hilarion Troitsky (Pt. I/III) https://youtu.be/vcpkGHs96A4 --The Incarnation and Humility - St. Hilarion Troitsky https://youtu.be/C1_eYN9b4iQ _______ St. Hilarion writes in the Preface: The dogma concerning the Church may be termed the self-identification of the Church. It is this dogma that determines what the Church is and what distinguishes it from all that is not the Church. The Church is not a phenomenon of the natural earthly order: the mysterious depths of church life, in accordance with the unfailing promise of Christ the Savior, are always and invariably enveloped by the grace-filled power of the Holy Spirit. The full depth of this mystical life of the Church is not of course subject to logical definitions and scholarly research: it is given directly to him who participates in it, as Hilary of Poitiers expressed in the words: "This is the peculiar property of the Church, that when she makes herself known, then she is understood.” (On the Trinity 7.4). For this reason we may say that the self-identification of the Church is experienced specifically by one who dwells in the Church and is a living member of her living body. One cannot help but notice how in our time questions arise and are discussed that have long been quite sufficiently resolved by the writers of the ancient Church. Who is not aware that the question of the Church is the chief, principle question in modern polemics with sectarianism in various forms? And of course, in conducting these polemics one must always bear in mind the dogmatic conclusions reached by the theological thought of the ancient Church. This is why a study on the history of the dogma concerning the Church is able to meet the modern needs of church life. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Fr. Seraphim Rose offers us the foundational, patristic approach to the modern phenomena of UFOs, aliens, and "intelligent beings" from above. Be not deceived...hold fast to Christ and the faith of the God-bearing Holy Fathers. 0:00 Title 0:08 Introduction, excerpt from “Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works”, Ch. 77 3:24 Excerpt from "Explanation of the UFO Phenomena", Ch. 6, Section 4 from "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" (ORF) 13:20 "The Meaning of UFOs", Section 5 (ORF) 26:22 Excerpt from "Living the Orthodox World-view" 28:26 Excerpt from Conclusion of ORF -BUY Fr. Seraphim's book "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" here ($10): https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/orf.htm -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ -Painting of Fr. Seraphim in thumbnail is by Shayne Swenson: https://shayneswenson.com/ _______ Fr. Seraphim writes: The most puzzling aspect of UFO phenomena to most researchers—namely, the strange mingling of physical and psychic characteristics in them—is no puzzle at all to readers of Orthodox spiritual books, especially the Lives of Saints. Demons also have "physical bodies," although the "matter” in them is of such subtlety that it cannot be perceived by men unless their spiritual "doors of perception" are opened, whether with God's will (as in the case of holy men) or against it (as in the case of sorcerers and mediums). A true evaluation of the UFO experience may be made only on the basis of Christian revelation and experience, and is accessible only to the humble Christian believer who trusts these sources. To be sure, it is not given to man entirely to "explain" the invisible world of angels and demons; but enough Christian knowledge has been given us to know how these beings act in our world and how we should respond to their actions, particularly in escaping the nets of the demons. UFO researchers have come to the conclusion that the phenomena they have studied are essentially identical with phenomena that used to be called "demonic; but only the Christian—the Orthodox Christian, who is enlightened by the Patristic understanding of Scripture and the 2,000-year experience of Saints encounters with invisible beings—is able to know the full meaning of this conclusion. In the Christian apocalyptic view, we can see that the power which until now has restrained the final and most terrible manifestation of demonic activity on earth has been taken away (II Thess. 2:7), Orthodox Christian government and public order (whose chief representative on earth was the Orthodox emperor) and the Orthodox Christian worldview no longer exist as a whole, and satan has been "loosed out of his prison," where he was kept by the grace of the Church of Christ, in order to "deceive the nations" (Apoc. 20:7-8) and prepare them to worship antichrist at the end of the age. Perhaps never since the beginning of the Christian era have demons appeared so openly and extensively as today. The "visitors from outer space" theory is but one of the many pretexts they are using to gain acceptance for the idea that "higher beings" are now to take charge of the destiny of mankind. Science fiction has given the images, ‘evolution’ has produced the philosophy, and the technology of the ‘space age’ has supplied the plausibility for such encounters. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

A sobering call to our souls. Death awaits, wake up! This word from our holy Father Paisius calls us to chastise ourselves, repent, and endure every suffering for Him Who loves us and gave Himself for us. 0:00 Intro 0:18 A Brief Exposition of Thoughts Which Dispose To Repentance 7:57 The Battle Against Despondency, Slothfulness, and Weakness 10:13 An Instruction Moving To Contrition Which Cuts Off All Self-Exaltation and Human Pride, and Converts the Soul to Fountains of Tears This reading is from "Little Russian Philokalia, Vol. 4: St. Paisius Velichkovsky", pp.63-71 -DOWNLOAD this long out-of-print book here: https://www.thephronemainitiative.org/downloads/little-russian-philokalia4 -READ about the Life of St. Paisius here: https://stpaisiusmonastery.org/about-the-monastery/life-of-st-paisius/the-life-and-mission-of-st-paisius-velichkovsky-1722-1794/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ “For Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky. This is so not merely because of his holy life; not merely because, like another Saint Gregory Palamas, he defended the hesychast practice of the mental Prayer of Jesus; not only because he, through his many disciples, inspired the great monastic revival of the 19th century which flowered most notably in the holy Elders of Optina Monastery; but most of all because he redirected the attention of Orthodox Christians to the sources of Holy Orthodoxy, which are the only foundation of true Orthodox life and thought whether of the past or of the present, whether of monks or of laymen.” -Fr. Seraphim Rose, Introduction to “Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky” _______ St. Paisius writes: Now, my beloved soul, is the time of patience; now is the time to endure sorrow; now is the time to keep the commandments and fulfill the virtues; now is the time of sweet lamentation and tearful mourning. If you truly wish to be saved, my soul, be in love with sorrow and groaning, as previously you loved repose. Remember the future endless life and the Kingdom of Heaven, the repose and unutterable joy. Stand firm, do not leave off the Prayer of Jesus. If you will recall and reflect on all this, then despondency, slothfulness and weakness will disappear, and your soul will come to life as from the dead, by the grace of Christ. O man! Labor, strive, struggle. Before your death a herald will not come! The reward of the Saints is at hand; crowns are being prepared for the righteous; for those who labor and endure sorrows, the Kingdom of Heaven is opened; endless repose is at hand, and unutterable joy is being prepared. Oh, oh! Woe, woe! Truly, in vain does everyone born of earth trouble himself. We all change, we all will die: kings and princes, judges and powerful ones, rich and poor, and every human being. Today he rejoices with us, takes enjoyment and adorns himself, and in the morning we weep over him and lament and mourn. Oh, man! Come to the tomb. Behold there a dead man lying. He is not glorious, not good of appearance, not beautiful. How he is swollen up and gives off a foul odor! The flesh rots and is corrupted and is devoured by worms: the bones are laid bare and the whole body crumbles to dust. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!