Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Sharing a meditation from Fr. Seraphim Holland as found on the Pravoslavie RU website (http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/67424.htm)

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen! Christ is Born!

The place of the manger, Bethlehem    

On a day like today, there are many episcopal letters—very good ones, that I would like to read to you’ but not right now. And the reason is because on a day like today, a pastor wants to share something of his heart with his flock. That is why those letters are written: because the archpastor wants to share something of his heart. Well, in every church celebrating the Nativity today, pastors want to share from their hearts, and this is what I want to do with you right now. This Gospel is not expressly about the Nativity of Christ, is it? It not a narrative; it isn’t about a baby in a manger. It is about what happened after the Nativity of Christ. We are not quite sure exactly how long after, but not on the day of the Nativity; probably not even during the week of the Nativity. It is about the wise men, the astrologers from Persia, who came to worship Christ. They enquired of Herod where the Christ Child would be born. They did this is because by God’s dispensation the star, which was actually an angel guiding them, moving in a way that a star does not move—from north to south, and not according to the way a star would move in that area—disappeared when the wise men came to Jerusalem. They didn’t know where to go, so they enquired, and then Herod knew of their intentions. He said, “When you worship the Child, then tell me, so that I can also worship Him” (cf. Mt. 2:1–8). But of course, we know that he wanted not to worship, but to kill. And shortly after the wise men had left, he did kill ten thousand holy innocents, trying to make sure that he killed the Christ Child. But by then our Lord was either on His way to Egypt or there already.

Here is what I want to share with you from my heart. When the wise men had finished worshipping the Lord Jesus, Being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way (Mt. 2:12). This is very significant. Every time I read this, I am filled with great joy. There is another way, brothers and sisters. Not the way of the world, not the way of death, not the way of mundane life; there is another way. And we are celebrating, that the God-man came down, became incarnate—He actually became the God-man, so that we could have this other way. These wise men went another way to avoid Herod; but mystically this means there is now another way to live: because Christ is born. There is another way to be. There is another way to become. Human life is filled with sorrow, it is filled with sin, uncertainty, incompleteness, sickness, death. But there is another way. That way is life, that way is perfection, that way is completeness, peace, and righteousness. And that way is obtainable because of Jesus Christ. So we must apply the Nativity to our souls. We must learn to live in another way.

Now, sometimes when I look at my own life, and I happen to know the lives of many other people (they are very similar to mine), I see how mundanely we live, how easily we become angry or confused, how easy it is for us to be lazy about holy things and diligent about things that don’t matter. It seems that we are always living in the way of the world. But that wasn’t what we were born for. We were born for perfection. We were born for eternal life. And that eternal life is to be in God, and with God; to be united with Him, to not have anything in us that is corruptible. We see corruption every day in our lives, but we weren’t born for that. We were born for another way. We were born to know Jesus Christ personally, intimately, by becoming like Him. And that is what the incarnation of the God-man provides—for us to become like Him. Now, there is much that must transpire for us to become like Him. He gives us the ability, but He does not give us the will. He strengthens our will, but He does not give it to us. We must desire to follow this other way. And if we do, then we will indeed become perfect. We will become what we were born for.

Just recently I was having a conversation, and as often happens in conversations, the significance didn’t hit until later. This person said that it really hit her that Christ was born to die… When we look at Him in the manger, we see someone Whose whole purpose in life as a human being was to die. From the beginning, His purpose was to die—so that we could live. But we are not born to die. Now, we do die, and we live with that stench of death around us when we sin. Because anything that is sin is death: when our thoughts, emotions, or priorities are not holy and righteous—that is death. But we weren’t born to die. We were born to live. We were born to be fully alive. Do you know that in our ascetical theology, we do not consider human beings without Christ to be truly human? You are not truly human until you are a Christ-man, and Christ is totally filling you—because man was created to have Christ within him. If Christ is not within the man, then he is not fully a man. We are becoming fully men, fully humans because of Christ. That is the other way, not the way of the world.

I also want to say something about why this particular passage was selected—not about the Nativity narrative, not about the babe in the manger, but what happened afterwards; just as on Pascha we do not read about the Resurrection. We read from the first chapter of St. John about the nature of God, Jesus Christ Who is eternally the Son, becoming man so that we could be one with Him. Why do we do this? Why do we look ahead? Well, first of all, in our services we have already read the Nativity narrative many times previous to today. In the same way, throughout the year, every Sunday we read the Resurrection narratives. But knowing the history is not what you need. What you need is to become what the purpose is of our Lord’s incarnation, death, and Resurrection. So, we read on the Nativity about the wise men, and how they went back another way—because the Nativity is so that you can live another way, a different way, not the way of human flesh without Christ, but the way of being a Christ-man, a deified creature. That is why we read it. It’s the same on Pascha, and the same thing also after Theophany. On the Sunday after the Theophany we read of Christ going into the wilderness, being tempted by the devil, because after baptism comes temptation. After baptism comes life, the living of your life with the power that God has given you, so that you can live differently from the rest of the world, differently from your own motivations; so that you can be changed, become a deified Christ-human creature.

That is the purpose of the incarnation. St. Paul says it in clear language—for those who have ears to hear—in one of my favorites of all the epistles, where he speaks of the fullness of time, when God sent His Son, the Incarnation, and then he says to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His son into your hearts crying Abba, Father; wherefore ye are no more a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Gal.4:5-7). Do you know what this means? This is possible because through the Incarnation, and then Baptism, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, we can become something that we are not. We can become, as the Scripture says, gods. It is not blasphemous to say that. The Psalm says ye are gods, and the Church understands that to mean that we will become God-like, full of righteousness, truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God—something that we do not have by nature. Jesus Christ is the Son of God by nature, eternally. But we are not sons of God by nature—we are adopted into sonship; and with this adoption we are treated entirely as sons. But this necessitates a change in the way we think, the way we live, the priorities we have, and how we spend our time. It means we must live a different way, another way.

This is what my heart wants to tell you today, on this day of the Nativity, when the Lord has made it possible for us to be adopted, to be of His family, to become united with Him, and perfected in Him. We must remember this in everything we do, and not live the way of the world, but rather live the other way, the holy way—the way that makes no sense to the world, the way that is foolishness to the world. We must remember this in everything we do. We were born to be alive, even though there is evidence of death in us every day—from our sins, from aging, from the mistakes we make, from our uncertainties. If a Christian has the God-given ability in his heart, he can feel that death. But that death is not natural, that death is not the purpose of our life. The purpose of our life is to be alive in Christ. And with God becoming man, it is now possible. Remember this. Live a different way from the rest of the world. And if there are things in you that are living like the world, beg God to help you with them. Do something about it. You were born for perfection. Don’t wallow in mediocrity. None of us should be mediocre. All of us should know God, and feel God in everything we do; with every breath we take, we should feel the Holy Spirit. If we do not feel this, then we must change the way we live. This is the purpose of life—to live a different way from just being a human—to live as a Christ-human. The Greeks have a word, Theanthropos, or God-man. We are also to become God-men. We call Jesus Christ the God-man, but we are to become God-men. We are to become like God and to be united with God, and to do godly things, to have the knowledge of God, to be united to Him in holiness, wisdom, and purpose. This is that other way that is possible today.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Transcription of the original audio recording

Fr. Seraphim Holland

09 / 01 / 2014

It's freezing in Kosovo--the warmth of Christian love is desperately needed

A message from Fr. Nektarios Serfes

President of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund USA
Boise, Idaho
USA

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Dear Friends In Christ Our Lord,

May the great peace and love of our Lord God always be with you! Now that we’re approaching Christmas, the weather in Kosovo and Metohija is becoming severe, especially at night, and many people are already freezing. Thousands of Christian brethren who are cold are in need of our assistance and warm Christian love. It will get even colder as the days proceed into January and February.

We here in America simply turn up our thermostats or light our woodstoves to keep warm. But there are no heaters or woodstoves for thousands of families in much of Kosovo and Metohija at this hour! It is estimated that at least 12,500 families are now in need of firewood and food!

A particular concern at this point in time is the availability of needed food.  The current situation is that the electric bills must be paid first before food can be obtained. Even so, electricity is shut down often enough that some families lose their food. There is no good reason for this situation, except that it is used to oppress the Christian populace.  We, here in America, to date, have been spared such a fate—let us not abandon our brethren who are truly suffering great deprivation, mostly because of their Christian heritage and confession. 

Current shortages are forcing parents to go hungry in order to provide meals for their children.  This should be a concern to anyone who is reading this--many people are eating only once a day and, some, even less often. Can you imagine living like this in cold conditions?  What if you became ill and were malnourished and unreasonably cold?  How would you survive?  In truth, some people don’t survive.  For many elderly, pensions have been cut and they no longer can afford what supplies of food and heating fuel are available.  Some people are barely surviving, by the mercy of God.

The Decani Monastery (Kosovo) ministers to extreme needs by helping as many as possible obtain firewood and food.  Will you share this ministry by giving provision through the Decani Monastery Relief Fund?

The monks of the Decani Monastery rush to assist those in need of firewood, no matter what the conditions might be or what the hour. They routinely put their own lives and safety on the line to relieve others' desperation. This in itself is true Christianity-- to care enough to do whatever it takes to assist those in need of simple life sustaining staples such as firewood or food!

Please, loving Christian brethren, let us together help the suffering and struggling souls in Kosovo and Metohija by providing needed food and firewood! Let us just momentarily pause in the pursuit of fulfilling our own needs and desires and consider how truly blessed we are by our Lord God. Let us then hasten to share these blessings with those in desperate need at this time.

Believe me when I say prayers will be answered because of our love! Through our giving, we will help sustain souls with hope, both materially and spiritually.  People will be reminded of God’s care and mercy, even if deplorable conditions still exist.  Thanksgiving will be offered to God because we gave to bring relief to afflicted brethren--Christians who hold to their confession and faith in Christ!

Let us who are so richly endowed with material blessings seize this opportunity to bring the light of Christ to the displaced and desperate in Kosovo and Metohija. Then we may be ever joyful knowing no one of our brothers and sisters has perished, but, instead, all will have again known the warmth and peace of true Christian love.

The Decani Monastery Relief Fund offers a Paypal option for donations.  Please click this link to reach the Paypal button:  http://www.thedecanifund.org/#!/cjg9

If you prefer to send a check, kindly send to this address: 

Decani Monastery Relief Fund
C/O Very Reverend Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes

2618 West Bannock Street

Boise, Idaho 83702

Peace to your soul! May God love and bless you!

On behalf of the Board of Directors we humbly and with great Christian love pray for you and offer our heartfelt thanks!

+Very Reverend Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes

President, Decani Monastery Relief Fund

Who humbly prays for you and begs your loving prayers

How to overcome evil in the world

Why is there so much evil in the world today?  Because people have thrown away their most reliable weapon, the all-victorious weapon with which every evil, every sin, and every demon are assuredly vanquished on all battlefields.  And this weapon is prayer—prayer and fasting.  It is the most reliable weaponry, because it is God’s weaponry; the most reliable, all-victorious weaponry because it is Christ’s weaponry—the weaponry of the only true God in all realms. 

 

A great mystery

A great mystery has been performed through Mary, a mystery that exceeds all understanding and knowledge.  The Mother of God has received tremendous powers, in virtue of which she is greater than all the saints we honor. 



On regaining spiritual comfort

 

Just as the sun’s rays are sometimes hidden from the earth by a thick cloud, so for a while a person may be deprived of spiritual comfort and of grace’s brightness; this is caused by the cloud of the passions.  Then, all of a sudden, without that person being aware, it is all given back.  Just as the surface of the earth rejoices at the rays of the sun when they break through the clouds, so the words of prayer are able to break through to drive the thick cloud of the passions away from the soul. 

On forgiveness

Let us not render evil for evil, and we shall not receive our due for our sins.  For we find the forgiveness of our trespasses in the forgiving of our brothers; and the mercy of God is hidden in mercifulness to our neighbor. Therefore the Lord said, “Forgive and you shall be forgiven,” (2 Peter 2:22).  And, “With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.”  See how the Lord bestowed on us the method of salvation and has given us eternal power to become sons of God.  So, finally then, our salvation is in our will’s grasp. 

 

 

Examine yourself

Examine yourself daily in the sight of God, and discover which of the passions is in your heart.  Cast it out, and so escape His judgment. 

On the greatness of gentleness

 

Do you see what a great thing gentleness is?  More than any vehemence, it pricks our hearts, inflicts a keener wound.  For in the case of bodies which have become callous, the man that strikes upon them does not affect the sense so powerfully, but if he first mollify them and make them tender, then he pierces them effectually.  But that which softens is not wrath, not vehement accusation, not personal abuse; it is gentleness. 

 



Prayer when dejected and weary

When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected and you are wearied and oppressed, remember then, as always, that God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that is the Trinity, looks upon you with bright eyes, brighter than the sun; and so do all the angels, including your own guardian, and all the saints of God.  Truly they do, for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. 

 

On blame and the need for humility

Oh, Brethren, what is the result of pride? Oh, see what humility can do? What was the need for all these sufferings? For, if from the beginning Man had humbled himself, obeyed God, and kept the commandment he would not have fallen.

Again, after his fall, God gave him an occasion to repent and to receive mercy but he kept his stiff-neck held high. He came to him and said “Adam, Where are you?” instead of saying “What glory you have left and what dishonor you have arrived at?” After that, He asked him “Why did you sin? Why did you transgress the commandment?” By asking these questions, He wanted to give him the opportunity to say, “Forgive me.” However, he did not ask for forgiveness. There was no humility, there was no repentance, but indeed the opposite.

He answered, “The woman whom You gave to be with me” (Gen 3:9-12), he did not say, “the woman deceived me,” but “The woman whom You gave to me,” as if he wanted to say: “This catastrophe has come upon me because of You.” So it is, brethren, since Man is not accustomed to blame himself. He does not hesitate to consider even God as the cause of evil.

Then God came to the woman and said to her, “Why did you not keep the commandment?” as if He wanted to say, “At least you, say forgive me, so as to humble your soul and to receive mercy.” Again, there was no request for forgiveness. She also answered, “The serpent deceived me,” (Gen 3:13) as if she wanted to say, “If the serpent sinned, where is my mistake?”

Why did you act in this way, you pitiable ones? Make a bow of repentance, recognize your fault, be sorry for your nakedness. Neither one of them could blame himself, neither of them had the least bit of humility. 

 

The wonder of the Holy Eucharist

 

What the Lord did not endure on the Cross (the breaking of His legs), He submits to now in His sacrifice for His love for you. He permits Himself to be broken into pieces that all may be filled. What is in the chalice is the same as that which flowed from Christ’s side. What is the Bread? Christ’s Body. Not only ought we to see the Lord, we ought to take Him and unite ourselves with Him in the closest union. 

On astrology

The belief in stars is a foolish disbelief against God’s omnipotence and creativity, for God is subjected to the star’s power. 

On voluntary poverty

Let no man then accuse poverty as being the cause of innumerable evils, nor let him contradict Christ, who declared it to be the perfection of virtue, saying, ‘If you will be perfect.’ [Matthew 19:21] For this He both uttered in His words, and showed by His acts, and taught by His disciples. Let us therefore follow after poverty, it is the greatest good to the sober-minded.

Perhaps some of those who hear me, avoid it as a thing of ill omen. I do not doubt it. For this disease is great among most men, and such is the tyranny of wealth, that they cannot even as far as words endure the renunciation of it, but avoid it as of ill omen. Far be this from the Christian’s soul: for nothing is richer than he who chooses poverty of his own accord, and with a ready mind. 

 

God knows

 

If we want to do something but cannot, then before God, Who knows our hearts, it is as if we have done it.  This is true whether the intended action is good or bad. 

Accept the troubles...

St. Nicholas of Myra--December 6

I like to put this out a few days before the feast--feel free to share it with others:

The Real Santa Claus

St. Nicholas Day will soon be here (December 6). I would like to share a resource with you that a friend and I put together a few years ago for an educational purpose. It is an Orthodox presentation on the life of St. Nicholas of Myra, parked on a closed YouTube channel.

The video was produced by myself and a brother in Christ from New Zealand, Frank McDonald, while my family was yet serving the Church in Alaska. As many of you know, our family is now serving the Church in New Hampshire.  I apologize that parts of the presentation are "frozen in time" and credits unfinished.  That said, please enjoy the presentation (just under 10 minutes long). May you find it edifying.

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh74DcbSqfk

Because this is a "closed" YouTube channel, you won't find this presentation by searching on YouTube unless you have the link above.   

Please keep in mind it the presentation is only for the sake of edification and education—it gives a historical profile of the “real” Santa Claus. The presentation itself is not for replication and/or sale nor should any profit be made by sharing it with others.  

Wondrous is God in His Saints!

Pres. Candace Schefe



St. John Chrysostom on thanksgiving

Wouldest thou learn words of thanksgiving? Hearken unto the Three Children, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have transgressed. Thou art righteous, O Lord, in all that thou hast done unto us, because thou hast brought all things upon us by a true judgment’ (Prayer of Azariah; Book of Daniel LXX). For to confess one’s own sins, this is to give thanks with confessions unto God: a kind of thing which implies one to be guilty of numberless offenses, yet not to have the due penalty exacted. This man most of all is the giver of thanks. 

Give thanks in everything

We must learn how to live a heavenly life.  And that is not easy, because up until now we have led a life of resistance and opposition.  Take, for example, a family man who has a home and a family and who knows how to do his job well but is doing this job against his will.  That is how inner resistance builds up.  If we do not learn to rid ourselves of this inner resistance, we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and dwell among the angels and the saints.  For we have acquired the habit of always opposing one thing or another, as there is always something that is against our will.  We have not learned to be obedient to the will of God, but always want our will to be done.  Well, in that case, there will be no place for us in heaven. 

Therefore, let us be thankful to God for everything.  He knows why He has put us in the position where we find ourselves, and we will get the most out of it when we learn to be humble. 

 

We should always remember that whatever task we perform here in this life is for Him.  He gives it to us; whether we are believers or not, whether we are pious or not, we must carry out God’s plan. 

Road to Emmaus Journal

Beloved Readers,

Have you ever heard of Road to Emmaus journal?  It is an edifying Orthodox periodical comprised of some of the most interesting interviews on topics pertaining to the Orthodox Faith.  Every issue features somewhat amazing information gleaned from Orthodox Christians around the world.  In truth, Road to Emmaus is a one of a kind publication. 

Some of you may be familiar with Road to Emmaus journal’s American editor, Richard Betts and international editor, Mother Nectaria McLees.  Mother Nectaria is the author of the book, Evlogeite: A Pilgrim's Guide to Greece.  The same kind of attention to detail and highlights of interest found in A Pilgrim’s Guide are in every issue of Road to Emmaus journal.  That makes it a routinely great read!

Referred to by loyal readers as "an armchair pilgrimage"  and the "National Geographic of the Orthodox Christian World," I’m guessing you’ll want to take a few moments to check out this worthwhile publication:  http://www.roadtoemmaus.net/  Take a peek at some previous articles now on-line:  http://www.roadtoemmaus.net/back_articles.html.  Learn more about the journal’s creation and history through an interview with the overseas editor: http://www.roadtoemmaus.net/about_us_interview.html

And, now RTE Journal is offering a special for the upcoming Christmas holiday season.  Buy three subscriptions as gifts for your family and friends and receive a fourth for free—a great value!  Click here:  http://www.roadtoemmaus.net/subscriptions.html

If you’re looking to gift someone (or ones) with a meaningful present this Christmas, consider Road to Emmaus Journal.  It’s also a perfect gift for special occasions throughout the year (Name Days, birthdays, etc.)  The Journal is edifying and can be revisited or shared with others.  It might be just the gift you’re looking for!

Pres. Candace

A home's adornment

For what is a disgrace to a house? I pray thee. It hath no couch of ivory, nor silver vessels, but all of earthenware and wood. Nay, this is the greatest glory and distinction to a house. For to be indifferent about worldly things, often occasions all a man’s leisure to be spent in the care of his soul.

When therefore thou seest great care about outward things, then be ashamed at the great unseemliness. For the houses of them that are rich most of all want seemliness. For when thou seest tables covered with hangings, and couches inlaid with silver, much as in the theatre, much as in the display of the stage, what can be equal to this unseemliness? For what kind of house is most like the stage, and the things on the stage? The rich man’s or the poor man’s? Is it not quite plain that it is the rich man’s? This therefore is full of unseemliness.

What kind of house is most like Paul’s, or Abraham’s? It is quite evident that it is the poor man’s. This therefore is most adorned, and to be approved. And that thou mayest learn that this is, above all, a house’s adorning, enter into the house of Zacchaeus, and learn, when Christ was on the point of entering therein, how Zacchaeus adorned it. For he did not run to his neighbors begging curtains, and seats, and chairs made of ivory, neither did he bring forth from his closets Laconian hangings; but he adorned it with an adorning suitable to Christ. What was this? “The half of my goods I will give,” he saith, “to the poor; and whomsoever I have robbed, I will restore fourfold” (Luke xix. 8).

On this wise let us too adorn our houses, that Christ may enter in unto us also. These are the fair curtains, these are wrought in Heaven, they are woven there. Where these are, there is also the King of Heaven. But if thou adorn it in another way, thou art inviting the devil and his company.

He came also into the house of the publican Matthew. What then did this man also do? He first adorned himself by his readiness, and by his leaving all, and following Christ.

So also Cornelius adorned his house with prayers and alms; wherefore even unto this day it shines above the very palace. For the vile state of a house is not in vessels lying in disorder, nor in an untidy bed, nor in walls covered with smoke, but in the wickedness of them that dwell therein. And Christ showeth it, for into such a house, if the inhabitant be virtuous, He is not ashamed to enter; but into that other, though it have a golden roof, He will never enter. So that while this one is more gorgeous than the palace, receiving the Lord of all, that with its golden roof and columns is like filthy drains and sewers, for it contains the vessels of the devil.  

On misuse of wealth

I am often reproached for continually attacking the rich.  Yes, because the rich are continually attacking the poor.  But those I attack are not the rich as such, only those who misuse their wealth.  I point out constantly that those I accuse are not the rich but the rapacious. Wealth is one thing, covetousness another.  Learn to distinguish. 

How much does God love us?

 

God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves. 

 



On the naming of children

 

So let the name of the saints enter our homes through the naming of our children, to train not only the child but the father, when he reflects that he is the father of John or Elijah or James; for, if the name be given with forethought to pay honor to those that have departed, and we grasp at our kinship with the righteous rather than with our forebears, this too will greatly help us and our children. Do not because it is a small thing regard it as small; its purpose is to succour us. 

 

When correct faith does not benefit

Correct faith does not benefit in anything when life is corrupted. 

The wiles of the adversary

 

The enemy, understanding how the justice of the spiritual law is applied, seeks only the assent of our mind.  Having secured this, he will either oblige us to undergo the labors of repentance or, if we do not repent, will torment us with misfortunes beyond our control.  Sometimes he encourages us to resist these misfortunes so as to increase our torment, and then, at our death, he will point to this impatient resistance as proof of our lack of faith. 

 



On guidance

In the Book of Proverbs we read, Where there is no guidance, a people falls like leaves, but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety.  Prov. 11:14 

You see the force of this saying, brothers and sisters.  You see what the sacred Scripture is teaching us.  It is ensuring that we do not trust in our own strength, that we do not consider ourselves experts, that we do not imagine that we can manage our own affairs. 

In fact, we need help; we need guidance and the aid of God.  There is nothing more miserable, nothing more risky than people having no one to guide them on the road to God.  What does the Scripture say?  Where there is no guidance, a people falls like leaves. 

The leaf at its beginning is always green, fresh and delightful.  Then by degrees it dries up and falls, and after that it is disregarded and trampled on.  Anyone without a guide is like that.  At first he is always enthusiastic for fasts and vigils, for tranquility of mind and for obeying his conscience in everything.  Then by degrees that enthusiasm wanes, and because he has no director to feed and rekindle that flame, he dries up without anyone noticing, he falls down and from then on becomes prey to his enemies who do what they like with him. 

It is different, however, with those who share their thoughts with others and only act after taking the advice, In an abundance of counsellors there is safety.  It does not mean by ‘an abundance of counsellors,’ that one should consult everyone, but that one should always seek advice from those whom one trusts most, and not keep silent about some things while speaking of others. 

Woe to those who say one thing and do another!  One should bring everything out into the open and consult, as I said, about everything.  There is safety then, meaning salvation, precisely in the abundance of counsellors. 

 

 

St. Nektarios on anthropology

 

Visit this link to read about St. Nektarios’ view of anthropology: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTvYz94kA78

 



A prayer for Friday

Lord Jesus Christ, sweet Savior of my soul, on this day of Your crucifixion, when You suffered on the cross and accepted death for our sins, I confess before You that I myself have crucified You with my many sins.  But I beseech Your indescribable goodness:  Grant me Your grace, O Lord, so that I may endure suffering for the sake of the faith, hope and love that I have for You, just as You, in Your longsuffering, endured the passion in order to save me.  Strengthen me, O Lord, that from this day forth I may bear Your cross with joy and repentance, and that I may thus hate my wicked thoughts and desires.   

Instill sadness in my heart at Your death, allowing me to grieve just as Your beloved Mother, Your disciples and the myrrh-bearing women did as they stood near Your cross.  Illumine the senses of my soul so that they may awaken and comprehend Your death, just as you brought comprehension to the lifeless creation at the time of Your crucifixion, and it trembled; just as the faithful thief understood, repented, and confessed You, and with that confession, You led him into paradise.  May Your grace, which You then granted to him, now forgive my sins, for the sake of You holy passion; and as I truly turn and repent, may that same grace place me together with the thief in paradise, for You are my God and Creator. 

 

 

I bow down before Your cross, O Christ, and because of Your love for us, I cry out to it:  Rejoice, honored cross of Christ, upon which He was lifted and affixed with nails for the salvation of the world; Rejoice, blessed tree, for you held the Fruit of life Who has saved us from the death of sin; Rejoice strong bar which has shattered the gates of hell; Rejoice, royal key, which has opened the door of paradise. 

 

 

O my crucified Christ, how You suffered for us!  How many wounds, spitting, mockery and insults You endured because of our sins, giving us an example of true patience in times of suffering and troubles which we must endure in this life.  Since God sends these to us because of our sins, that we may correct ourselves and draw near to Him, He thus chastises us for our own good during this life.  Therefore, I pray to You, O Master:  during times of troubles, temptations and pain that come upon me, grant that I may increase in patience, strength and gratitude.  For I confess that I am helpless if You do not strengthen me; blind, if You do not illumine me; bound if You do not set me free; fearful, if You do not make me brave; lost, if You do not seek me; a slave, if You do not redeem me with Your abundant and divine power and with the grace of Your holy cross, which I venerated and glorify, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.