Athonite Audio

Published by: Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, CA - 2008. Original narrations: https://t.me/athoniteaudio Listener Support: buymeacoffee.com/athoniteaudio Episode contents: HYPOTHESIS 21: That we must confess our thoughts to those among the fathers who are discerning and not trust them to just anyone; how we are to confess and what we should ask our confessors; what faith we should place in the answers of the fathers; and how, through this faith, we should work together with our confessors for the achievement of good.HYPOTHESIS 22: Concerning the fact that he wishes to be saved, must avoid meetings with careless men and must avoid disturbances, and that estrangement from worldly affairs is necessary for him.HYPOTHESIS 23: Concerning the fact that we must keep away from those who harm us, even if they are friends or are otherwise quite indispensable.HYPOTHESIS 24: Concerning the fact that one who has renounced the world should not be entangled at all with earthly affairs, even if they seem justified, but should submit to Divine Providence in these matters also.HYPOTHESIS 25 of 50: Concerning the fact that evil is easy, and that there are many who choose this, especially in our day; that virtue is demanding, and that there are a few who pursue it; and that we must emulate the latter and pay no heed to the majority.HYPOTHESIS 26: Those coming to monastic life are received with much testing; those admitted after scrutiny are for the most part reliable; what tasks are entrusted to them.HYPOTHESIS 27: Rejections of the world based on different circumstances should not be wholly turned aside; we should not immediately dismiss someone who comes to the the monastic community and fervently seeks to remain with the brethren, before we have examined him in detail.HYPOTHESIS 28: From what point we should begin a life of asceticism; all who start need patience and need to put pressure on themselves, since virtual appears difficult at the beginning, on account of one’s passions and prejudices; but later on it proves to be much easier to acquire; a strong foundation at the beginning is very beneficial; it is impossible to follow Christ or gain any virtue at all if one does not prepare himself as though his death were imminent.HYPOTHESIS 29: The demons wage a furious war against him who struggles with all his strength, whereas they are uninterested in the negligent, since they have them at their beck and call; those who want the good find God to be their ally, Who permits wars for our spiritual profit.HYPOTHESIS 30: We should not regard the demons as causes of all the sins we commit, but rather ourselves; for the demons are unable to harm those who are attentive, since the help that comes from God is great; and that God allows struggles in proportion to the strength of men.

Published by: Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, CA - 2008⁠Original Narrations:⁠ https://t.me/athoniteaudio buymeacoffee.com/athoniteaudio HYPOTHESIS 11: How, after death, souls are assigned to the same place as those souls which lived in a similar way on earth.HYPOTHESIS 12: God-loving parents should rejoice and be thankful for the trials and temptations that their children endure for the sake of the Lord. As well, parents who love God should exhort their children to struggle and to risk all for the sake of virtue.HYPOTHESIS 13: How one renouncing the world should go to a remote place; what constitutes a remote place and what benefit derives from it; and what places are most appropriate for living out the ascetic life.HYPOTHESIS 14: From whence the fear and love of God are first engendered in man and to what extent he is obliged to fear and love God.HYPOTHESIS 15: It is essential for those who have abandoned the world not to communicate with their relatives according to the flesh or to nurture the slightest interest in them.HYPOTHESIS 16: We must love our relatives in the flesh equally with our other brothers, as long as our relatives lead a similar kind of life; if, however they conduct themselves in a way discordant with that of our brothers, we must avoid them as harmful.HYPOTHESIS 17: How we who becomes a monk must bare himself of all things, and how he must dispose of everything which belongs to him. That the existence of personal property for a monk in a coenobitic monastery is clearly disastrous.HYPOTHESIS 18: It is necessary for one who wishes to be saved to seek the company of virtuous people and, as a thing much beneficial, to question them with exceeding desire and flaming zeal, so as to learn from all those things which are essential for the salvation of the soul.HYPOTHESIS 19: Regarding the necessity of obedience: what benefits arise from it and how a man accomplishes it.HYPOTHESIS 20: That one should not trust in himself in anything, but should heed the advice of the Fathers in all things and should clearly confess the secrets of his heart without hiding anything.

THE EVERGETINOS: A Complete Text - Book 1Published by: Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, CA - 2008⁠https://t.me/athoniteaudio/6830⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/athoniteaudio Episode contents: HYPOTHESIS 1: No one should despair ever, even if he has committed many sins, but should have hope that, through repentance, he shall be saved.HYPOTHESIS 2: As long as we are in the present life, we must do good here and not delay until the future. For after death we cannot set things aright.HYPOTHESIS 3: Concerning how we should repent.HYPOTHESIS 4: That the afflicted should be guided slowly in the works of repentance.HYPOTHESIS 5: That we must always call to mind death and the future judgement; for he who does not continually expect death and the future judgement is easily overcome by passions.HYPOTHESIS 6: The Joy of Heaven is inexpressible, as is the glory which awaits the Saints; therefore, we must remember with our whole souls the joy of Heaven and the glory of the Saints. In all that we accomplish, nothing is equal to that joy and glory.HYPOTHESIS 7: Many times the souls of virtuous people are made cheerful at the time of death by some Divine overshadowing, and thus they depart from the body.HYPOTHESIS 8: Regarding those who die and come to life again, and how this happens by Divine Providence. And how many times sinners while still alive, beholding the torments of Hell and the demons, shudder with fear; and in this state of fear, their souls depart from the body.HYPOTHESIS 9: Proof of where the souls of the dying go and how they exist after their separation from the body.HYPOTHESIS 10: The soul, after its departure from the body, undergoes testing in the air by evil spirits which encounter it and attempt to impede its ascent.

THE EVERGETINOS: A Complete Text - Book 1 Published by: Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, CA - 2008 https://t.me/athoniteaudio/6830 buymeacoffee.com/athoniteaudio

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/athoniteaudio Saint Porphyrios the Prophet - Witnesses - Volume 2    Many of the miraculous events with regard to Saint Porphyrios remain, to this day -possibly forever- unknown, the same as his great struggles, which he diligently kept secret. This book is just one more piece added to a mystical mosaic that will be revealed to us long after.    Saint Porphyrios is a unique presence in the history of our Church, not only due to his exceptional charismata -gifts of grace- his hidden ascesis and his vast agape but also due to the orifinality of his teachings. He demonstrated that Christ is our friend, our brother, dispersing the fear of punishment ad hell, He advises us to eschew passions, to pay no attention to our bad side and, instead, give ourselves with wholehearted zeal to the love of Christ. In this manner, he guides us towards unbloody sanctification, by demonstrating a way of ascesis born out of love and gratitude to God.    We tend to enjoy the fruits and forget about the care and the effort that goes into growing the tree. We enjoy the Saint's grace, with no appreciation for the labor and the sacrifices necessary to reach such heights, and most of all, to remain for seventy years a steadfast, luminous, warm sun. A sun that shone down from Athos and illumined the horizon. It is truly impossible to shed light on the entirety of the Saint's spiritual toil; the task feels as if you lit a candle and hoped to illuminate a planet. This book is such a candle... (From the prologue of the book)

https://t.me/athoniteaudio/6643The world we live has been called a 'vale of tears', a 'place of weeping' - perhaps with good reason. Wherever you turn you see pain, sorrow, undeserved suffering, death, and sin. The 'ruler of this world' (Jn 12:31), the 'world ruler' (Eph. 6:12) is the devil. He is constantly to be seen. God, who is named 'He who is', meaning the One from whom everything comes into being, is nowhere to be seen. 'No one has seen God at any time' (John 1:18). That is why his very existence is a matter of dispute. He has, however, 'revealed himself' (John 21:1), and he promises to manifest himself to whomsoever keeps his commandmentsand loves him: 'I will manifest myself to him' (John 14:21). This book records simple events and conversations, all the while grappling with difficult questions. We see the human struggle to discover the person of God when he is veiled by the logic of this world, our limited understanding, and the arrogant pretentions of human littleness. The book engages intensely with complex and difficult issues...but which leave us confused and at times scandalised. What it does not do is give any direct answers, or try to persuade the reader through logic or impressive arguments. Its aim is to convey the sense of the discreet yet persuasive presence of the true God precisely in situations where He is not visible: in pain, in disability, in the tragedies of life, in inexorable death, as this comes across in true events and is reflected in the lives of real people.

Published by: Holy Monastery "Evangelist John the Theologian" - Souroti, Thessaloniki, Greece PART ONE: THE WAR OF THOUGHTS Chapter One: Good and Evil Thoughts Chapter Two: Blasphemous Thoughts Chapter Three: On Trusting Our Thoughts Chapter Four: The Struggle Against Thoughts PART TWO: RIGHTEOUSNESS AND INJUSTICE Chapter One: Acceptance of injustice Chapter Two: Excuses Turn Away God's Grace Chapter Three: Divine Righteousness and Human Righteousness PART THREE: SIN AND REPENTANCE Chapter One: Sin Tortures Man Chapter Two: Nurturing the Conscience Chapter Three: Observing and Knowing Our Self Chapter Four: Awareness of Our Sinfulness Moves God Chapter Five: The Immense Power of Repentance PART FOUR: THE EVIL FORCES OF DARKNESS Chapter One: Witchcraft and Sorcery Chapter Two: On the Possessed Chapter Three: The Terrible Deception Chapter Four: "The Deceivers and the Deceived" PART FIVE: THE POWER OF CONFESSION Chapter One: The Need for a Spiritual Guide Chapter Two: For an Effective Confession Chapter Three: The Spiritual Physician of the Soul Chapter Four: The Work of the Spiritual Father Upon Souls

https://t.me/athoniteaudio/6576 From: "Hesychia and Theology: The Context for Man's Healing in the Orthodox Church" - Chapter 9: From the Morning Watch until the Night (pages 231-256) - Published by: Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, Levadia, Greece. www.pelagia.org 1. The Meaning of the Verse from the Psalms 2. Elder Sophrony 3. Elder Sophrony's 'Prayer at Daybreak' a) Personal Relationship with God b) Profound Self-Accusation c) Seeking a Blessing on the Whole Day d) Healing of the Will e) Eschatological Prayer 4. Living Examples 5. The Text of the Prayer at Daybreak

Theology as Charisma and Experience, continued a) St John the Theologian and Evangelist b) St Gregory the Theologian c) St Symeon the New Theologian d) St Gregory Palamas Discussion after the Talk Q1 Progress in Prayer Q2 The Worldwide Influence of Russian Theologians Q3 Curing Human Beings Q4 Noetic Prayer and Evagrius of Pontus Q5 The Method of Hypnotism and Orthodox Psychotherapy Q6 Obedience to the Spiritual Father Q7 Monasticism and Marriage in Relation to Deification Q8 Holy Communion and Confession Q9 Holy Communion and Holy Relics Q10 The Possibility of Baptism in the Mother’s Womb Q11 Birth Control Q12 The Relationship between the Divine Liturgy and the Jesus Prayer Q13 Theology and Philosophy Q14 Discerning between Thoughts Q15 Sorrow and Depression Part 3 - Romania 1. The Hesychastic Life according to St Basil the Great 1. Correspondence with St Gregory the Theologian 2. Sacred Hesychia and God’s Temple a) Wandering b) Leaving the World c) Life in the Wilderness d) Prayer and Reading e) Hesychia f ) Nous and Theoria g) Temple of the All-Holy Spirit h) Transformation of the Whole of Life 3. Hesychast and Celebrant Epilogue Discussion after the Talk Q1 The Link between Hesychastic Experience and the Divine Eucharist Q2 Theoria of the Divine Light Statement on the Television Station of the Patriarchate of Romania The International Conference on St Basil the Great 2. Bringing Up Children Today 1. Children are God’s Gift 2. Bringing up Children in the Church 3. Children as Equal Members of the Church 4. Difficulties connected with the Development and Upbringing of Children Today Discussion after the Talk Q1 The Hour of Death Q2 Sickness of the Nous Q3 Noetic Prayer Q4 Holy Communion and Confession Q5 Homeopathy Q6 Children in the Church Q7 Choosing Someone to Care for Children Q8 Dialogues between the Orthodox and non-Orthodox Q9 Children Facing Death Q10 Children and Church Attendance Q11 Religious Education in School Q12 Demonic Attacks on Children Q13 Psychological Disturbance Q14 Unloved Children 3. Interview - The Theology of St Gregory Palamas and the Scholasticism of Barlaam Q1 The Historical Context of the Life of St Gregory Palamas Q2 Influence of the Holy Mountain on his Life Q3 Effect of his Conflict with Barlaam Q4 Popular Interest in Theological Issues Q5 Summary of St Gregory Palamas’s Teaching Q6 Knowledge of God Q7 Patristic Teaching as the Basis of St Gregory Palamas’s Teaching Q8 Consequences of the Church’s Victory through St Gregory Palamas Q9 The Message of St Gregory Palamas for our Era 4. Interview - Therapy and Truth Part 4 - Georgia 1. About Orthodox Psychotherapy 1. Why the Book was written 2. The Book’s Title and Subtitle 3. Discussions about the Subject Matter of the Book 4. Orthodox Psychotherapy from the Psychological Point of View 5. Basic Elements of Orthodox Therapeutic Treatment Discussion after the Talk Part 5 - St Paissy Velichkovsky St Paissy Velichkovsky – A Great Hesychast Father 1. His Path to Monasticism 2. Searching for and Translating the Writings of Hesychast Fathers 3. Spiritual Guide to Hundreds and Thousands of Monks 4. Experiencing Hesychastic Monasticism 5. His Saintly Decease 6. The ‘Philokalic’ Movement in the Orthodox World Conclusion

The book The Orthodox Church in the World contains theological talks given by the author in Cyprus, Russia, Romania and Georgia at a variety of conferences. The Orthodox Church in the World includes subjects as: Personalism and Person, Theology as Science and as Charisma, The Hesychastic Life according to St Basil the Great, Bringing Up Children Today, Dogma and Ethics and Orthodox Psychotherapy. There are interviews on Therapy and Truth and The Theology of St Gregory Palamas and the Scholasticism of Barlaam, and the final chapter is devoted to St Paissy Velichkovsky – A Great Hesychast Father who “unites the Holy Mountain with the Balkans and Russia.” An unusual feature of The Orthodox Church in the World is the record of the wide-ranging discussions that took place between the author the audience after each talk. Answers are given on issues of the spiritual life, which will help the clergy, monks and laypeople, parents and young people. True theology can transform society. The author points out to his audience the great importance and value of the Church’s hesychastic tradition, which gives meaning to life. His Eminence the Metropolitan Hierotheos stresses that Orthodoxy possesses a spiritual therapeutic method for curing human beings so that, once cured, they can meet God as light and Paradise, and not as fire. Curing the human soul is not an individual act, but a method followed within the Church through the Sacraments and asceticism, by which man acquires unity with God. Discerning the depths of his listeners’ hearts and their concerns, the author answers them from his heart, revealing aspects of his own personal life. At the end of book, prompted by the publication of the book St Paissy Velichkovsky, by Professor Antonios-Emilios Tachiaos of the Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki, the author identifies basic points from this impressive and surprising biography of St Paissy, who loved hesychia and the neptic tradition of the Church from his youth.