Saturday, November 1, 2014
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt
Excerpts from St John of Kronstadt’s book “My Life in Christ”. A most beneficial book for Orthodox Christians of our times. Many spiritual fathers recommend this book as daily reading for their spiritual children.
He who is accustomed to give account of his life at confession here will not fear to give an answer at the terrible judgement-seat of Christ. It is for this purpose that the mild tribunal of penitence was here instituted, in order that we, being cleansed and amended through penitence here below, may give an answer without shame at the terrible judgement-seat of Christ. This is the first motive for sincere confession.The longer we remain without confessing, the worse it is for us, the more entangled we become in the bonds of sin, and therefore the more difficult it is to give an account. The second motive is tranquility: The more sincere has been our confession, the more tranquil will the soul be afterwards. Sins are - secret serpents, gnawing at the heart of a man and all his being; they do not let him rest, they continually suck his heart; sins are - prickly thorns, constantly goring the soul; sins are - spiritual darkness…Those who repent must bring forth the fruits of repentance.
In what does the true wealth of a man consist? In his image and likeness to God, and not in lands, nor money; neither in various earthly sciences and arts, nor in property of various kinds, nor in many servants, nor in many clothes, not, in general, in a multitude of earthly blessings, for all these are corruptible and temporal; whilst the soul - the image of God - is eternal, and its riches are - virtue, holiness, humility, gentleness, temperance in all things, faith, hope, and love.
St John of Kronstadt, 19th-early 20th century
Available from St John of Kronstadt Press
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
On vulgarity
We live in a sea of vulgarity. Vulgarity is threatening to become a way of life. This explosion of vulgarity destroys the sanctity of life; it negates all that is holy, all that is beautiful, and all that is true.
We are experiencing an aesthetic and spiritual tragedy, wherein it appears that everything is yielding to the allure of vulgarity and immorality.
…by vulgar we mean a lack of nobility and discretion, a lack of decorum and modesty…. By vulgar we mean what is crude, offensive, coarse, indecent, and vile….
Our responsibility before God and history is enormous, since we, —the “earthen vessels”—have been called upon to preserve, by the Grace of God, human dignity.
Fight against the kingdom of vulgarity!
Read the rest of the sermon on avoiding vulgarity, by Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle
Monday, October 27, 2014
Towards a spiritual understanding of civil war, strife, political unrest, and political opinions. Part 3
Life on earth will never be free from temptation.
41. We should not demand that all brothers in Christ who in one way or other, upset our peace of soul with their words, be silenced.
It is for individual Christians to resist individual temptation. It is the duty of each believer to resist temptation and reject evil. No other person can perform this spiritual struggle on behalf of the Christian. The believer should take advice from his spiritual father on how to struggle. However, no spiritual father can live the spiritual life “on behalf of” his spiritual child.
42. The duty of a Bishop and other clergy is to teach according to the Gospel, to teach Christians the path to God, and how to resist temptation. However, they do not have power to remove all temptation from the Church on earth (the Church Militant). Indeed, if they did – how could we be saved? How could we prove our love for God? If there was no one to forgive, how could we fulfill the commandment to forgive? If there were no difficulties to bear, how could we fulfill the commandment to be patient?
43. Only the Church Triumphant (that is, the Church in Heaven, consisting of all the Saints of all times who have reposed, and all the sinners who have obtained forgiveness) is free of temptation.
All members of the Church Militant on earth, including the clergy, aim to enter the Church Triumphant – but not one of them can be assured that they will be part of the Church Triumphant until he dies and receives God’s judgment for his soul…
44. Let the Christian be glorified for his virtues of love, prayer, peace, forgiveness, and fidelity to God rather than to man.
…we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure
2 Thessalonians 1:4
Spiritual separation is impermissible
45. In extreme cases, the Church may also command us to separate from a brother who continues to sin heavily, disregarding admonition of the Bishop:
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
46. The only sinners the Church with a definite, authoritative voice commands us to separate from, are heretics. The local and Ecumenical Councils, anathemas and writings of the Holy Fathers define what opinions are heresy. The Bishops of the Church teach what is heresy. Other opinions are not heresy, but rather, private opinion, which is tolerated in the Church. Opinions are tolerated, even when they are tainted by some element of sin, because the Church wishes to save all sinners.
47. Therefore, those who separate themselves from the Church on account of mere opinion, sin by judging the Church. They pridefully say: “The Church does not agree with me, hence I reject obedience to Her! I will go my own way, and God will be with me.”
This incorrect principle is promoted in western society – where every wife has a “right” to divorce her husband. There is no guarantee that God will “be with” the separatist…more likely, He will be with the Church, because:
…the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18
48. The Church requires obedience – submission to a lawful Orthodox hierarch who is correct in his dogmatic beliefs.
Nevertheless, even such a Bishop may have some opinions that are passionate, and he may sin at times. These imperfections do not give the Christian a right to separate from the Bishop. Only if a hierarch teaches heresy, or is in communion with heretics, do the faithful have a right (or indeed, an obligation) to leave him.
49. The Church is based on grace, not on unity of opinions or uniformity of life. The Holy Spirit unites and permeates the Body of the Church, and to the degree we partake of the Holy Spirit, we also are united with the Body of Christ, and live in Christ.
50. To the degree we sin, we separate ourselves from the Holy Spirit and lose Grace. Next, we are deprived of the spiritual gifts of love and hope. This leads to the sins of hatred and despondency. Oftentimes in history, hatred and lack of hope have served as pretexts for schism in the Church. Fear this path!
God’s providence has appointed this time for us sinners.
51. God will not allow the Church, or Her members to be tempted above what we weak ones can bear:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
52. If everything that God allows us to go through is for the good of our soul, then the struggle that the Church presently is going through, is also for our salvation. We should rejoice that God wishes to save us. God is powerful to save every sincere believer through this temptation. Indeed, without temptation, we cannot be saved!
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations
James 1:2
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
James 1:12
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2 Peter 2:9
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Revelation 3:10
God has appointed us to live in this evil time, with its temptations, because it is necessary for the salvation of our sinful souls… By going through this, and every temptation in our life, with the mind of Christ, repentance, hope in God and love for our brothers, we will be saved. Our salvation depends on how we handle temptation – with humility, or with pride and bitterness? This is our Cross, which we must not reject. There is no other path to Heaven than the Cross!
A trial of the latter times?
53. Finally, let us understand that soon enough, Christ will judge us all, and Satan will be finally defeated. He has only been loosed for a very short time to tempt the world, so that the true Christians can prove their love for God. The thousand years of his binding are the time of the Church, when people can save themselves in relative peace (though not without temptation!). In these figurative thousand years, the devil and his servants disturb the world only peripherally, and the Church reigns spiritually over Her children, and through them and their exalted spiritual life, over the whole world.
54. Towards the end of time, Satan will conduct great warfare, particularly against the elect - the Christians.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations…
Apocalypse 20:7-8
…to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Mark 13:22
Many eagerly observe our times for signs of the end. These signs of war, hatred, upheavals and division have often been present - but in our times, they are ever-present. In addition our times display an even more sure sign: Universal unbelief.
55. All revolutions and civil wars are extreme forms of evil where brother kills brother. With all social and political upheavals, the Evil One aims to distract and disturb us from our own personal war with him and his temptations.
Both political and all other forms of social disturbance will be the inevitable result of people’s apostasy from God, Christ and religion, from good and truth
A. Belyaev (1898) “Godlessness and Antichrist
Brothers! It is necessary for us to be very sober.
56. When we by our words or writing produce disturbance and destruction of love in others, we participate in evil.
Those who write and speak will have to answer to God for every word!
And those who read with interest, disseminate, and discuss, will also have to answer to God for every word, every minute they spend in passionate interest, rather than in love for God and their brothers.
57. St Ignaty Brianchaninov advises us:
Let us guard our bodily feelings, not allowing any sin into our spiritual cell. Let us restrain the curious eye and curious ear; let us lay a severe bridle on the small member of our body which produces such great disturbances – our tongue; let us humble our irrational impulses with restraint, vigil, work, frequent remembrance of death, with attentive and constant prayer…
I look at the world, and I see that the nets of the devil have increased, in comparison with the early times of the Church of Christ, they have increased innumerably; The number of books that impart false knowledge have increased, the number of minds that contain and proclaim false knowledge to others have increased; The number of followers of Holy Truth have decreased, decreased to an extreme degree; the respect for natural virtue has been strengthened, the virtue which is open to Jews and pagans; respect for directly pagan virtues has appeared, which are contrary to nature itself, which nature itself sees as evil; I cannot even express how the understanding of Christian virtue has decreased, and active doing of virtue has been nearly completely destroyed; physical life has been strengthened, spiritual life is disappearing, fleshly pleasures and cares devour all time, there is no time to even remember God. And all this is turning into an obligation, to a law. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12), and also the love of those who would otherwise have remained in love for God, if evil was not so every-present, if the nets of the devil had not increased to such an infinity.
The sorrow of St Anthony (when the devil showed him his nets, which were spread out to catch people) was justified. Even more justifiable is the sorrow of a Christian in our times, when he sees the nets of the devil; well-founded is the sorrowful question: “Lord! Who, of all the people, will be able to escape these nets and find salvation?
This question of the venerable desert-dweller was followed by an answer from the Lord: “Humility of wisdom (смиренномудрие) will escape all these nets, and this they cannot even touch”.
Amen
St Ignaty Brianchaninov, 19th century
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Towards a spiritual understanding of civil war, strife, political unrest, and political opinions. Part 2
Spiritual activity in times of strife and discord
24. As Christians, we need to cleanse ourselves through deep repentance, a change of life, and guard ourselves with prayer, fasting, and self-denial, make amends by good works, and nourish our souls with the teachings of the Holy Fathers.
25. A believer can reach the Heavenly Kingdom only through a sober, Christian life, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers. A very central part of Christian life is repentance. Without repentance, no one can be saved… Thank God that the Church accepts sinners!
26. God forgives those who repent sincerely. We must also forgive our brothers who may sin at one time or another through the deception of the devil – whether on a personal level or a societal, political level.
This is a commandment of God, which each Christian is obligated to fulfill. If we do not forgive our brothers’ sins, we sin gravely.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:13-15
We are not obliged to agree or accept every one of our brothers’ opinions, but we are required to live in love.
27. In today’s difficult situation, we must pray sincerely for one another, and treat each other with great love, in order to save our souls through love. Separating from our brothers on account of any opinions, apart from heresy is not an option for a true Christian. Christ died for these brothers.
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1 Timothy 1:5
28. And so, what should we do? We should be humble, and obediently submit to the Church. The Church is our first and most dear homeland. Only after this spiritual homeland are we citizens of specific countries, and members of specific nations.
And when you hear “give unto Ceasar what is Ceasars” (Mt 22.21), then understand by that only what in no way harms piety; for everything that harms piety is no longer a tax to Ceasar, but rather, tax and a payment to the devil
St John Chrysostom (4th century)
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:34)
29. You who love Russia, and believe She has a special, God-given place in the history of mankind! Perhaps you sense Her time of great significance has come? The unbelieving, apostate west does not understand, and appears to be attacking Her! Russia is, after all, the portion of the Mother of God on earth.
Brothers, stop and calm your souls. Yes, your view is pious and patriotic, informed by many prophesies. Many fathers of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad have also loved Russia fervently, and believed She has a unique mission in the world…
However, there is a possibility you still could be experiencing an attack from the Evil One.
Remember, these prophesies are conditional. Russia will not have the spiritual strength to take a special part in the history of mankind if Her people do not repent and return to God.
30. You who believe communist, God-fighting atheism is still at work in Russia, and that the nation today is far from Holy Russia! Perhaps you think the people of the Ukrainian region are genuinely seeking freedom from the God-fighting ideology…You seem to see the God-fighters advancing and attacking, and you think all should support the fight for freedom, together with whoever comes to their aid (even unbelievers and heretics from western lands)…
Brothers, stop and calm your souls. Yes, your view grows from love for Holy Russia, which you perhaps believe only exists in a spiritual sense today…You are following the opinion of many fathers of the Russian Church Abroad. Yet there is a possibility you still could be experiencing deception.
If you do not repent and live a conscious spiritual life, the fact that you have been nourished by the Russian Church Abroad will not help you. Encouraging people to fight against the God-fighters is worth nothing if you yourselves are shown to be God-fighters, within your own souls, in your families, parishes and communities.
31. You who feel you understand how the Mystery of Iniquity is evolving before our very eyes, and see how people are deceived in every possible way! You wonder at how Christians can fall prey to the various snares set up by the contemporary antichrists…
Brothers, stop and calm your souls. Yes, you understand that we have no one but God to deliver us. However, remember that you could nevertheless be under deception regarding other aspects of your beliefs. You also must live as true Christian, according to the rules of the Holy Church. You must repent , pray, learn about the Church and all Her soul-saving practices, and not remain engrossed in the study of the manifestations of evil. Study good instead of evil, and most especially, perform good, acquire the practical virtues.
32. Brothers! Your beliefs are not all incorrect.
However, we must all realize that our first priority is our personal spiritual work, repentance, partaking of the Holy Mysteries, acquiring Grace.
Understanding the world and our times, and knowing what influences our society and surroundings is – secondary. This secondary knowledge sometimes inspires beginners in the faith to turn to God.
It is important to understand that even if such knowledge perhaps formed our first steps toward God, this knowledge should not be the end of our path. We must grow. The end of our path is holiness, God-likeness, in eternity.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 6:22
33. Brothers, let us ask ourselves some necessary questions:
Do you personally repent deeply? Do you personally live up to the Law of God? Is your heart always at peace and full of love? Are you constantly in communion with God? Do you love those who think differently? Can you exist in the one Church with them, tolerating their thoughts? Can you exist together with your brothers, without condemning their enthusiasm for the one or the other party? Or would you rather cleanse the Church from such ignorant ones?
These are all forms of pride, which never leads a person closer to God. We should know where pride may lead…
Our view cannot be perfect – it is partial.
34. Let us not be deceived in our opinions. They are at best a partial understanding of Truth, but at worst, and unknowingly to us, demonically inspired. Let us rather follow the commandments of Christ, the first of which is love for God, and the second, love for our brothers:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Cor. 13:1-13
35. Love is not passionate and emotional. True love is self-sacrifice. Let us with patience bear one another’s weaknesses, and preserve brotherly love.
Remove yourself from temptation and the passionate world
36. The Christian may not yet be able to keep total peace in his soul in the heat of the current discussion. In this case, he should be very careful not to speak (or write) against his brothers.
37. The believer can and should remove himself from temptations that he senses are too great for him to endure. However, this is merely a physical separation, and never a spiritual break. A Christian should not separate spiritually from the souls of those brothers that cause temptation to his weak soul– he should never consider leaving the Church. She is the Mother of us all, and the only Vessel of Salvation. How will we reach the Kingdom of God if we abandon the Church, which is the only Ship that can bring us there?
38. In modern times, removing oneself from temptation includes not reading opinions of brothers in Christ, including on the internet, if the believer knows that these opinions upset the peace of the soul, hinder prayer, shake his fidelity to Christ, and his hope in God’s Providence. When we do not know beforehand, but start to read or watch something, and then feel in our heart and soul that this is causing us temptation, we should stop, pray, and resolve to not expose ourselves to this temptation.
39. St Theophan the Recluse instructs us on the necessity of leaving the world, its temptations and passionate interests, one of which is politics. He explains why our seemingly innocent quest for information is connected with spiritual falls:
Whoever seeks the Lord must remove himself from the world. By “world” is meant everything passionate, vain or sinful that enters into personal, family and social life, and which becomes the custom and rule. (…) Citizenship and family life are blessed by God, therefore we should not turn away from them or have contempt for them, nor for anything belonging to their essential good order. By everything lustful or passionate that has come into them like a malignant tumour that tempts them should be held in contempt and renounced. (…) The vain, passion-soaked world is inevitably transmitted to our souls, and arouses or infuses passions.
St Theophan the Recluse: The Path to Salvation (19th century)
40. In order to preserve our spiritual life, we should follow St Theophan’s advice. If we do not preserve ourselves from sin, all our knowledge of evil in the world will be useless.
It may seem risky or foolhardy for a soul to leave behind its customary diligent investigations of the world. “If I do not find out what is happening, I will not know how to act, I will not know how to make decisions in life!”, says the worldly man…
We should nevertheless consider leaving these habits for the sake of conducting a more thorough investigation of our own souls, and God will give us all that we need, as He is the God above everything.
Let us guard our mind with humility, not allowing it to rush indiscriminately towards the acquiring of knowledge, however much their novelty and importance are attracting our curiosity….At first, the narrow path of obedience to the Church is sorrowful; but it will lead us to the expanse and freedom of the spiritual mind, in which will disappear all the supposed incongruity, which the fleshly and emotional mind finds in exact obedience to the Church.
St Ignaty Brianchaninov (19th century)
Part 2 of 3. To be continued
From the October edition of “The Shepherd”
Just as there is a bad zeal of bitterness, which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal, which separates from vices and leads to God and life eternal
St Bede the Venerable (6th century)
Let us not be overcome by unbelief and give ourselves up to all kinds of cares, anxieties, imaginations, day-dreaming, subterfuges and maneuvering to guard ourselves from our enemies and to work against their ill-will or evil intentions. This is forbidden by the Lord, Who says: Do not resist injury. When oppressed by difficult and painful circumstances, let us have recourse to God in prayer; for in His complete power are we and our enemies and our circumstances and the circumstances of all men. He can by His absolute power and supremacy dispose of and annihilate all the greatest difficulties. Let us pray for our enemies with great care, and by this prayer obliterate their malice from their hearts and replace it with love.
St Ignaty Brianchaninov (19th century)
For more see the October edition of the Church magazine The Shepherd, from the St Edward Orthodox Brotherhood.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Towards a spiritual understanding of civil war, strife, political unrest, and political opinions. Part 1
How does the current civil war in the area of the world known as Ukraine relate to Russian patriotism and anti-communism? How does it relate to the battle between good and evil, between God and Satan? This question is troubling many in the Russian Church Abroad.
The answer is not simple, and many have attempted to state it. Ultimately, the answer must be spiritual, not tainted by sin or earthly passion.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet
Matthew 24:6
The battle between good and evil
1.There exists a struggle between good and evil. That is, between God and the evil one. This struggle began before the creation of man, with the fall of Lucifer. It continued by implicating man – first of all, Eve, Adam, and later, every one of their descendants.
2.All current and past political conflicts are very much part of this battle.
3.The devil is a bodiless being that has not died (although as a spirit, he is not by nature immortal). His nature is such that he has gained immense experience in how to deceive humans.
Due to demonic influence, our human reasoning is usually tainted by evil to some degree. This applies to all forms of conflict, and most especially, to war.
4. Most people are implicated in evil unconsciously. However, some people choose to serve evil consciously. Such are magicians, sorcerers, fortune-tellers, Satanists, masons, members of other secret societies that serve evil. It is important to understand that such secret societies with truly evil agendas have great power in the modern world (as they have had for hundreds of years). This power may be hidden to many simple people. Both spirits and men who serve evil usually strive to hide this service, so that their victims – those who wish to serve good (Christians) – would be deceived into serving evil.
5.Christians must always strive to be in God, with God, and for God – for good. But how do we know what is good?
6.The world is not simple. Spiritual reality is very much a part of the “real world”, to such an extent that evil spiritual deception clouds our understanding in most, if not all areas of life.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luke 22:31
7. The Gospel and the Tradition of the Church can tell us what is good. For man, it is good to prepare his soul for Heaven, through good works (as defined in the Gospels) and repentance for evil deeds, thoughts, and feelings.
8. Alas, the individual Christian is subject to deception even in how he reads and understands Scripture! Evil never stops influencing us, never abandons its aim of separating us from God, and separating us from our brothers. As the saying goes: “The devil does not sleep”. This is how we know what side we are on:
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
1 John 3:10
Earthly government
9. Earthly movements (such as political movements) are never fully good – they are of this world, and this world lies in evil (1 John 5:19) This world is becoming more and more evil, as we near the end of time.
10. The closest an earthly government can be to fulfilling God’s will, is the case of an Orthodox Kingdom, with a pious Tsar or King crowned by the Church by the will of God. This is the teaching of the Orthodox Church. However, we have not had this organisation of government for a long time… The Byzantine and Russian Empires are well-known examples of Orthodox Kingdoms.
11. From history, we know that not even all crowned Tsars were “good”. The crowned Tsars are attacked very much by the evil one, and many of them succumbed to evil to some degree. The devil always conducts intense warfare against those in high places and in power
12. The Holy Church commanded Her children to pray for the Tsar, not only in the ektenias, but also in many troparions and canons, most notably the tropar to the Holy Cross:
Save, O Lord, They people, and bless Thine inheritance. Grant victory unto our pious Ruler, _____(name), over all adversaries. And by the power of Thy Cross, preserve Thou Thy commonwealth
Troparion to the Holy Cross
Unfortunately, after the February revolution of 1917, the Holy Synod agreed to change these texts, replacing the “Pious Ruler” with “Orthodox Christians. St John of Shanghai and San Francisco opposed this innovation, because the texts acquire a subtle difference in meaning, which again leads to people thinking differently regarding authority, about good and evil.
What inspires our political ideas?
13. Today, many Orthodox Christians are being deceived by the evil one into thinking that one or the other world power, or government, is ultimately on “the side of good” against evil. This stance is unfortunate for Christians. If Orthodox Tsars fell, then how much more vulnerable are modern atheist politicians to succumb to evil?
14. Many consider it important to write about their opinions. The enemy persuades people that they understand what is happening, that they have the “correct information” from the most “reputable sources”. Alas! The Christian does not realize that the evil one is playing with him, working him up over things of this world.
The nets for my mind are set out in various books calling themselves light, but containing teachings of darkness, written under the open or hidden influence of dark and evil world ruler…as the Apostle expresses it: “vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind” (Col 2:18)….
St Ignaty Brianchaninov, Vol1 1, Nets of the world ruler
15. Some Christians, of various convictions, would even force their political opinion on the Church. They demand statements from the Church in favour of one or the other side of conflict, of a government or ruler. In this case, the Christian has unconsciously made his political view an idol, which he wishes the Church would also serve.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
1 John 5:21
16. Political and worldly opinions are not forbidden for a Christian – however, he is obligated to understand that the Law of God, love for every brother (regardless of this brother’s opinions), and obedience to the Church come before any political opinions.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:19
17. The Evil One has always been at work to deceive the people of God. Even more so in the last times. Christians have always been of the opinion that it is the last times, and that a great struggle is occurring between God and Satan.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1 John 2:18
18. The Church teaches that the world most definitely will end – when, we know not and cannot know. However, the closer we come to the end of the world, the more evil the world will become, and the less will worldly movements have fellowship with God.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Revelation 20:7-8
In the end times, Satan controls all nations – he is the one who guides all sides of any conflict. Taking sides becomes senseless.
The Christian’s struggle against political temptation
19. The Christian’s aim is to abide with God forever. Our exit from the world may be through death, or through the end of the world – in either case, we will have to personally answer for our deeds, as judged by the Gospel.
(Christ) gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Galatians 1:4
20. Christ commands us to pray:
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Matthew 6:13
The Holy Church commands us to repeat this prayer numerous times every day. The Holy Church teaches this because She knows that temptation and the devil are very real forces influencing every person, every group of people, every parish, every city, nation, and country.
21. Therefore, every Christian must understand that he is subject to temptation. If a Christian believes his political view of the world is without sin, and that only others are deceived in their political views, this very fact is proof of his own deception.
Spiritual deception is a multifaceted and more complex than the simple form of misinformation, or dishonesty of biased journalists.
Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luke 22:40
22. If we fall prey to the evil one’s schemes, be it on the fleshly, psychological, social, or political level, we are in the process of falling away from God, even if we at first accepted Him and were baptised. Those who fall away from God, if they do not repent, will be condemned…Let us not be as these ones, who do not see temptation, and when they happen to fall into it, pridefully refuse to repent!
…..“And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Mark 4:17
23. Only at the Great Judgment will it be clear who remained faithful to God, and who did not. It is not for us, blind and deceived sinners, to define which ones of our brothers is a sinner and deceived.
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just
Matthew 13:49
Part 1 of 3. To be continued
Saturday, October 11, 2014
What does it mean to carry one another’s burdens?
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:2
Igumen Methodius gives a sermon on persistence in faith - persistence in prayer, patience, love, forgiveness, and in fulfilling all the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Metropolitan Agafangel expounds further about the necessity of Christians having patience with one another’s weaknesses and passions. The earthly Church is held together by oneness of faith and the common goal and ideal of reaching heaven and eternal life with God. Everything else is of secondary importance, and in such matters, every person has freedom.
The Church is not an organisation. It is not a formal institution, such as the Old Testament Church was at the time of the pharisees and sadducees. They did not recognise their Messiah, because they themselves had no spiritual communion with God!
The Church is the mystical Body of Christ!
Sin separates a person from Christ, and His Body, the Church…
Any one of us could be found outside of the mystical unity of the Church…without even realising this ourselves! This can happen if we continue to sin, without repentance, and grace does not find space in our heart… A high rank does not guarantee a place in the Mystical Church, neither does respect from clergy, parishioners or friends…
Each one of us has to ask ourselves:
Are we humble? Do we carry one another’s burdens? Do we forgive others? Do we ask forgiveness from our whole heart? Do we repent? Are we fit for the Kingdom of God?
See also Fr Seraphim Rose’s comments on the nature of the Church as understood in our times, some questions that may arise in the contemporary world.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Secret sin, secret repentance, open slander, glory from God
This summarises the life of St Theodora of Alexandria.
Young Theodora was happily married, which upset the enemy of all good, the devil. He tempted a young man to fall in love with her. The young man was so desperate that he resorted to magic to seduce Theodora. The simple Theodora was tempted by the thought that if she sins during the night, God will not see the sin!
So, Theodora fell into adultery with the young man. Her conscience witnessed it all, and her heart felt no peace.
St Theodora fell into a second simple-hearted error: She thought God would never forgive her! Running to a wise Abbess she knew, she asked for advice. However, she did not confess her sin clearly, nor receive spiritual medicine from this wise doctor. Instead, she convinced herself that no forgiveness was available, that no healing could ever occur.
Theodora decided she must give up the world entirely and become a monastic in order to repent. So that her husband would not find her in one of the women’s convents, she cut her hair and changed into men’s clothing. She presented herself at the gate of a men’s monastery as “Theodore”, asking to be accepted. Her distressed husband searched, fearing that his beloved wife had left with another man…after several years, God answered his prayers and showed him his wife - but he did not recognise her.
Theodore went through many trials in the ascetic life. The brothers, incited by the enemy of God, quickly started to envy the young “brother”. Because of this they exposed her to unecessary dangers, sending her on errands where wild animals would be sure to attack her. Theodora remained safe, as she never doubted God. She also never exposed which brothers had caused her trouble, keeping her mind set on God and her body set on serving the brethren. Miracles even started to occur, which made her spiritual life evident to all.
…[someone] offended you; do not hate him but rather hate the offense and the demon who contrived the offense. If you hate the offender, you hate a person and transgress the commandment, and what he did in word you do in deed. But if you keep the the commandment, give proof of your love, and if you can in any way, help him so that he can be delivered from wickedness.
Christ does not want you to have hate for anyone, or grief, or anger, or resentment in any way at all or for any temporal reason whatsoever,. And this is thoroughly proclaimed in the four Gospels.
St Maximos the Confessor, 7th century
Finally, on an errand to the city, the devil constructed a sure trap. Monk Theodore did not make it home, and was forced to spend the night outside with his camels and goods. A girl, tempted by the devil, tried to seduce the “monk”, but he was not the least interested. She finally found another man among the travellers, and became pregnant.
Soon, the girl’s outraged relatives came to the monastery, accusing the “monk” Theodore of raping her! Theodore was evicted from the monastery. When the baby was born, the relatives threw him into the monastery for upbringing, by the “adulterer himself”. Theodore accepted this new obedience just as he had previously accepted all other obediences, for the sake of God and his repentance. Seven years passed. Theodora’s skin was black from the rough conditions. She fed the baby with the work of her own hands. Everyone despised her as a great sinner.
There is no hardship more oppressive to the soul than slander, whether one is slandered in his faith or in his conduct. And no one can disdain it except the one who like Susanna looks to God who alone can rescue in need, as he rescued her, and to reassure men, as he did in her case, and to encourage the soul with hope.
To the extent that you pray from your soul, for the one who spread scandal about you, God will reveal the truth to those who were told the scandal.
St Maximos the Confessor, 7th century
Theodora could have proved her innocence easily - simply by showing herself as a woman. But she did not - she chose to endure hardship, to prove her secret repentance before God for an old sin. Theodora knew well that it is the devil that tempts us - not our circumstances or the people around us:
There was a monk who, because of the great number of temptations said, “I will go away from here.” As he was putting on his sandals, he saw another man who was also putting on his sandals and the other monk said to him, “Is it on my account that you are going away? Because I go before you wherever you are going.”
Venerable Mother Theodora of Alexandria, 5th century
Theodora was by now very experienced in the spiritual life, having endured many kinds of temptation. She instructed her “son”:
Seek my child, the nobility of the soul, for it is truth; that of the body is false. Do not seek honour from men, for this injures one; but rather, seek heavenly glory…Thou art to be sympathetic with all the brethren and help them as much as possible; also thou are to minister unto them that are incapacitated or weak. Do not desire to live by another’s labour. Guard thy mind never to condemn something, whether it is good or bad. When thou art spoken to, lower thy face to the earth and then answer. Never ridicule anyone, especially when they are in misfortune. When thou wilt hear that a certain brother is disorderly, supplicate God to correct his life. Visit and help the sick, and serve the brethren as their servant…
Venerable Mother Theodora of Alexandria, 5th century
Then, “father Theodore” died. The child wailed inconsolably, and attracted the brothers to investigate what was happening. The abbot, in the meantime had a vision of the glory awaiting Theodora in heaven - which also revealed who she really was. An angel commanded him to bring the husband to the funeral. All the brothers shed tears, amazed at the spiritual strength of the Saint, and full of remorse for their previous judgements and false accusations.
The husband remained at the monastery and became an exemplary monk. The child later became a wise Superior of the same community.
And Saint Theodora from Heaven assists all those who struggle with the temptation of slander and false accusations, encouraging them to endure with God, for the salvation of their souls.
Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.
Mt.5:12
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Prayers for God’s blessing upon us at the Church New Year
Today, the Holy Church today celebrates the new year. It does this with prayer.
Who does not desire health, prosperity, peace, and a good life? All these things come from God, so He is the one we must ask for them:
O unoriginate Word and Son, Who is united with the Holy Spirit, Creator and Fashioner of all things visible and invisible: bless Thou the crown of the year, preserving the multitude of the Orthodox in peace, through the prayers of the Theotokos and of all Thy saints.
Stikhira at “Lord I have cried”.
God is, indeed, the one who gives everything to all, regardless of whether men appreciate this fact or not:
God belongs to all free beings. He is the life of all, the salvation of all - faithful and unfaithful, just and unjust, pious and impious, passionate and dispassionate, monks and seculars, wise and simple, healthy and sick, young and old — just as the diffusion of light, the sight of the sun, and the changes of the weather are for all alike; ‘for there is no respect of persons with God’.
St John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent
All men live and are warmed by rays of the spiritual Sun - God. They all enjoy various blessings, which some thank God for. Others again appear to think blessings are their “human right”. The Church teaches us that God is the source of blessings, and that He can withdraw these from us at anytime - whether due to our ingratitude, or to test us, or even to glorify us.
If all things have been made by God and for His sake, then God is better than what has been made by Him. The one who forsakes the greater and is engrossed in inferior things shows that he prefers the things made by God to God Himself.
St Maximos the Confessor: 400 Chapters on Love I:6
Therefore, the Christian must remember that spiritual blessings - faith and virtue - are higher than all earthly things. Only spiritual goods will help us unite us with the Creator, and only these blessings can last us all the way to eternal life. We reach eternal life with God by the path of Christian life in the body on earth. The Church prays that we make a new-years’ resolution to set out on the spiritual path:
O Master, God of all things, lead through this year which beginneth those who adorn themselves with divinely beautiful spiritual works, and who hymn Thee with faith.
Canon, ode 3.
O ye Orthodox people who now begin the year, let us set a beginning to our hymns to Christ Who reigneth over the everlasting Kingdom; and let us piously chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Canon, ode 7.
Nevertheless, the Church, our Mother, knows that Her children often go astray. She calls out to the Mother of God to help us sinners:
To the path of repentance guide us who are ever inclined toward evil and trackless places, and who anger our all-good Lord, O blessed Mary who knewest not wedlock, thou refuge of despairing men and habitation of God.
Sedalen
Through the prayers of the Most-Holy Mother of God, of St Symeon the Stylite and his mother, Martha, of the 40 women martyrs and all the Saints, may the coming year be blessed with spiritual goods for us all!
Read also the edifying spiritual periodical in English from the Convent of the Holy Angels, Greece.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Letter to a Troubled Parishioner
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20
Grace unities. The enemy divides. Active prayer, spiritual life both at home and in church, and the Church Sacraments unite us to God.
However, without us realising, the devil fools us through our passions. We start to dislike one another, become divided, run away from each other…and separate ourselves from God…
The following is a letter written [many years ago]to a person who had difficulties with his parish priest and stopped attending services. Then he contacted another priest in a different city. The letter attempts to provide a deeper insight to this common occurrence, hopefully providing an “understanding” that will teach us to endure a little more.
To be able to see beyond our neighbour’s petty faults, and deeper into our own souls, which the Church is trying to purify, is something to which we must all strive.
Fr Andrew Kencis
Dear *****
May God bless you and your family!
I must explain to you my delay in replying. First off, just after Nativity my back “gave out” and I spent an entire week literally in bed! Then I came down with that incredible flu and spent another week in bed. But these were just the side issues. The main reason for the delay was something of much more importance.
Your letter upset me greatly; saddened is more the appropriate word. And I had intended to write several times but could not bring myself to put the words to paper, for fear of not being able to word my letter properly in a way that would be entreating and spiritually beneficial to you (this is the only concern that a priest must have: the spiritual benefit of those whom God has sent to a priest to minister to.)
But the time has come to write….
You wrote that you have great respect for our Metropolitan and you credit your still being “an Orthodox believer” to him, although you do not attend your “local Church.” I have to remind you of some quotes from our Church Fathers:
“where there is the Bishop there is the Church”
and
“He who does not have the Church for its Mother does not have God for his Father.”
And from Saint Paul,
“Do not turn away from the gathering of the brethren”.
You have to realize this fact that not attending your local church is separating you from the Church. The church is the only place where we can receive the Sacraments of Christ that were giving to us by Him to heal, to strengthen, to comfort. In the prayers that we are supposed to say before coming to Holy Communion we read:
“… I approach Thee, O Christ God, … as one trusting in Thine ineffable goodness, and that I may not by much abstaining from Thy communion become the prey of the spiritual wolf…”
And in another place
“…that Thou mayest remain, as Thou hast said, with me, a thrice-wretched one, lest the deceiver finding me without Thy grace, craftily seize me, and having beguiled me, draw me away from Thy deifying words….”
Bearing this in mind, you can see how important is not only our attending services but our direct participation in them, in other words, actively praying and receiving communion. This must be our only purpose for attending services: to receive the benefits that God has giving to us for working out our salvation.
Our common enemy the devil (who people frequently forget) loves to “hide” behind people using personal weaknesses and prejudices (even the Priest’s) to stir things up! He continually provokes and pushes us to division. Examples of this are so numerous from the lives of Saints and from our own experience! Yes, there will be troubles; how can there not be! Saint Cyril of Alexandria writes
” you say that you are a sinner, then do not be amazed that you sin! How can one being sick not show signs of his illness!”
I would add, how can your brother in Christ who is also “sick” not show signs of his illness? This is where the Church tells us to
“bear one another’s burdens for the sake of Christ”; “correct such a one in the spirit of meekness considering yourself lest you also be tempted!”
and many other admonitions. It tells us this in order that we would not be perplexed at
“the fiery trial that comes upon us,” (from the Epistle of Saint Peter).
You had problems with Father ***** and stopped attending your spiritual home. Then because you are a believer and truly grieve over this separation, you contacted me for another lifeline (so to speak) to your home, because you felt that you could trust me, and have a certain positive opinion about me. But I can give you the names and phone numbers of people in **** who trust and have a high opinion of Fr. ***** and despise me! Let me try to explain the reason for this…
When we stand in the church we stand before God. We all know this. But what some of us forget is that we stand immersed in His Divine Presence. This “Grace” illumines us, purifies us, comforts us; also it gently encourages us to leave off certain things, in the depths of our hearts, which, although we do not even realize or want to give up, are contrary to pious living. This starts an “unseen” pressure in a person. Saint Paul writes in one of his epistles
“I see a war in my members”.
This occurs on a very subtle level, but the results are not subtle! What happens is that we start to feel uncomfortable with certain sermons or phrases (they even “burn” us!) and then the evil one seeing our reluctance starts to encourage us to blame someone else for this discomfort, when actually it is from inside of ourselves. Then we are ready for any excuse to lash out at the one we believe is causing the pain, when in fact it is from within ourselves.
Please hear me! My parish has suffered immensely because some people would not acknowledge this! I have been called so many names and had so many lies said about me that even my relationships with the other clergy have suffered, (but not the Metropolitan because he understands this trick of the evil one). Granted, I made a lot of my own problems because of my personality. But if you look at my parish now you will see that it is filled with those who saw beyond my faults and know that they come to Church not because of me or anyone in the parish. They come only for the healing, life-giving benefits that can only be given in the Church. I urge you to come back for this reason only and no other.
I just found out “sideways” that Bishop *** is coming for the Unction Service, the “healing service”, sometime during March. In Unction our sins known and unknown are forgiven, if we only approach with even a little remorse in our hearts. We as parents are ready to do this for our children; how much more is God! Try to talk with the Bishop.
Next, I have to address your request for prosphora. I did cut you one each Sunday since I received your letter, but could not bring myself to mail it. Again because of the reasons mentioned above.
You must understand a prosphora is blessed on the altar of God; only baptized Orthodox Christians may eat of it. Also, those who pull away from the church have no right to eat of them. Also, you wrote, “Do you still have access to them?” I am a priest! How could I not! A priest controls who gets them and who does not, as they are something sacramental and only he has the right to distribute them initially.
Enclosed you will find a Prosphora.
Also, please find enclosed a book that I sincerely hope you will read. Also pray before you read it, to let its words soften your heart.
I wrote this letter very boldly; but I had no other choice, you cannot survive outside of your spiritual home. The question of attending the other “so-called” jurisdictions for a member of the Russian Church Abroad is totally out of the question. The reasons are of a matter of the faith, not “politics” or any other such nonsense. When these reasons are explained then it is plain to all that it is not out of pride, but out of fear of turning away from our God!
I ask for your forgiveness in my delay in writing you. I will continue to help in anyway I can, if you want me to. Please realize my only concern is your and your family’s salvation and peace of heart.
With Love in Christ,
Priest Andrew Kencis
Here is a quote from my latest schedule of services:
Up till now you have not learned to love your neighbour. You answer men’s dislike towards you by dislike on your part. But do the contrary; answer other’s dislike by heartfelt goodwill and love; the more dislike you see towards you, the more you should love. Dislike is a malady, and a sick person should be more pitied, should be shown greater care and greater love, exactly because he is ill. Do you know that the bodiless enemy uses his craftiness against all, infects all with the poison of his hatred? And you too, are not exempt from his craftiness. Do not serve him, then with the spirit of enmity, but serve the God of love with the utmost zeal. Remember that God the Word died for your brethren.
Taken from: “My Life in Christ” the diary of Saint John of Kronstadt.
Article used by permission of the author.
St. Vladimir’s Russian Orthodox Church in Edmonton, Alberta
