My life’s been hard and difficult, but I’ve never prayed to God to make it easy. Because ‘the gate is narrow and the road that leads to life is grievous, and there are few who find it’ (Matth. 7, 14).
It’s egotism that prevents people from loving God and their neighbour. Christians strive to root out egotism from within themselves, to root out the passions that darken their mind and make a prisoner of their heart. They strive to please God. They know God’s commandments and want to observe them assiduously in their lives.
Your complete union with God will be achieved if you cultivate uninterrupted communion with Him through prayer. Forget everything earthly and vain and turn all your desire and enthusiasm towards Him. Seek His mercy constantly, keep His memory always in your mind and lose yourself in the depths of His love.
"Restoration of Byzantium in the Balkans in 1018" It is our great pleasure to inform you that the City of NiS in cooperation with the University of NiS and the Ortodox NiS Eparchy, organizes the 171b. International Symposium of Byzantologists "NIS AND BYZANTIUM", which will be held from 3rd lo 51th June 2017 within the framework of marking the city Festivities of St.Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen. The Symposium shall gather renowned researchers of our past on the Day of Saints Czar Constantine and Czarina Helena, with the purpose of informing the European scholarly public about the significance of NIS for the entire Christian world. The intention of the Symposium organizers is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the Early-Christian, ...
Do not feed your passions by yielding to them, so that you do not suffer pain and affliction later! Labor now, as much as you can, because otherwise, if the passions are not tended to, in time they become second nature, and then try and deal with them! Whereas now, if you fight against them lawfully, as we advise you, you will be freed and will have happiness by the grace of God.
What does ‘May Your name be hallowed’ mean? As if we’re praying that He should be hallowed Who said: ‘You shall be holy, for I your Lord and God am holy’ (Lev. 19, 2). As if our own words have the power to increase His holiness. No, it’s not like that. We ask that God be hallowed ‘ in us’, within us. That His sanctifying labours should include us.
1. As we’re now going to speak of the stomach, we’ve decided again- as with all our themes- to turn our philosophy against ourselves. Because I wonder if anyone has ever been free of it before residing in the grave. 2. Gluttony is hypocrisy of the stomach. When it’s filled, it complains about lack; when it’s stuffed to bursting it bemoans being hungry. Gluttony creates seasonings, and is the source of sweets. You cut it off in one place and it pops up in another. Stop that and a new one will open. Gluttony’s deceptive: it eats moderately but at the same time would happily devour everything. 3. A full belly is the father of fornication, but a stomach grieving for food ...
Don’t be too attached to earthly things. Look above, to Paradise and to Him Who’s waiting for you. And you should know that we won’t achieve anything by ourselves. The Grace of God will help us.
As we begin the blessed period of Holy and Great Lent, our Metropolis offers the faithful, and those interested in learning about Orthodoxy, another unique spiritual initiative. Last year, with the blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios, our Metropolis developed and published a weekly “40 Day Challenge” (Down Complete eBook) article highlighting different virtues for every week during Great Lent, to promote Christian living and spirituality among the faithful. We are building on this success and this year will be publishing a weekly article specific to the Great Lent Sunday Bible Readings. The Bible is the Book of Life. It is as relevant today, as it was when it was written. It is our rock, foundation, and guide in a turbulent world. ...
Who is as strong as a lion, but, for the sake of his stomach falls into a trap and the whole of his strength is brought low? When the fathers in Skete ate bread and salt, they used to say: ‘Let’s not be beholden to bread and salt’. In this way they were strong enough to do the Lord’s work. Abba Ioannis Kolovos There are three things I can’t do without: food, clothing and sleep. But I can cut down on them. Abba Ioannis Kolovos So when you fast and eat with restraint, don’t keep anything left for the next day, but, as the Lord says, we’re poor and he makes us rich. So if you go hungry by choice, you can feed those who are ...
On the sea of life sometimes there’ll be storms and sometimes calm. God’s Grace doesn’t abandon us. If it didn’t keep us going, we’d have sunk.
16 March 1997 In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. We are keeping today, as every year at the end of the first week of Lent, the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. And every year we must give thought to what is meant, not only as a historical event, but also in our personal lives. First of all we must remember that the Triumph of Orthodoxy is not the Triumph of the Orthodox over other people. It is the Triumph of the Truth Divine in the hearts of those who belong to the Orthodox Church and who proclaim the Truth revealed by God in its integrity and directness. Today we must thank God with all our hearts ...
Let us observe an acceptable fast, pleasing to the Lord. A true fast: estrangement from evil, restraint of the tongue, control of anger, abstention from desires, slander, falsehood and perjury. If there is a paucity of these, then our fast is true and acceptable. Apostikho, Vespers, Monday in 1st week We practice the virtues in secret, anticipating spiritual rewards. We do not trumpet them in the open places but rather benefit from them in our hearts. And He who sees all things which occur in secret will grant us reward for our restraint. Let us keep the fast not with frowning faces, but praying in the depths of our souls Stikhero, Vespers, Wednesday, 4th week Let us fast in the body, brethren, and fast ...
A monk is suspended between two indescribable conditions: of ineffable bliss when his souls is plunged into the Spirit of God; and of great sorrow over the salvation of the world. These conditions succeed one another. A monk loves God and with God’s love loves the world.
The soul is a wave. Either we’ll become like Saint Peter and walk on it, in the air, or we’ll sink, as did the Prophet Jonah.
How can devout Christians preserve their faith when they’re being attacked and tested on a daily basis in these harsh times? Faith in our Triune God is what will sustain us in all the difficulties we encounter in our lives. No matter how uncertain and pointless what we’re going through may seem. He knows our needs and is ready to guide us slowly, with firm steps, as long as we ask Him through prayer, lean on Him and allow Him to lead us along the true paths of spiritual joy. In these dark times of uncertainty in which we live, all of us need our soul to be soothed and redeemed. He alone can comfort us, can stretch out His holy hand to us. What ...
Don’t despair when your soul’s engulfed in the clouds of hell, each one of which is darker than the other. When sheer badness, envy, doubt, stubbornness and the other passions rise up against you, you can be sure that these clouds will gather in your soul. But they won’t stay therelong.
