The Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 4

 

        Well, we’ve made the first three rungs and we’re climbing towards the top of the ladder, but we have twenty seven more steps to go. So onto rung number four we go. We all know what obedience is. We obey the laws of our country, the rules of our parents, our school and other people placed in authority over us. But what about the Christian response to obedience? How are we supposed to act towards the people around us and especially towards our spiritual father? I can assure you I love my spiritual father and am always blessed by his presence. I have been trying to talk to him more and more every day, although there are days when I just can’t for whatever reason. St. John of the Ladder says about this, “Show God in spirit your faith in your spiritual father and your sincere love for him. And God in unknown ways will suggest to him that he may be attached to you and kindly disposed towards you, just as you are well disposed towards him.” I am also convicted of the times I have failed my own spiritual father, and St. John was the one who did it. He writes, “If anyone receives voluntarily some task from his father, and in doing it suffers a stumble, he should not ascribe the blame to the giver but to the receiver of the weapon. For he took the weapon for battle against the enemy, but has turned it against his own heart. But if he forced himself for the Lord’s sake to accept the task, though he previously explained his weakness to him who gave it, let him take courage; for though he has fallen, he is not dead.” Thus, we have reached the point of this article. Obedience to those around us, and obedience to God. Let us not falter in our way lest we stumble and fall back down the ladder.

 We have been called from being just mere Christians to heart of the battle. We have been called to become warriors for Christ. One of the priests that I have shared this blog with called it spiritual warfare and I believe that I am in some way participating on the front lines of the battlefield though maybe not in the role the clergy and monks do. St. John says, “Our treatise now appropriately touches upon warriors1 and athletes of Christ. As the flower precedes the fruit, so exiles either of body or will always precedes obedience. For with the help of these two virtues, the holy soul steadily ascends to heaven as upon golden wings. And perhaps it was about this that he who had received the Holy Spirit sang: Who will give me wings like a dove? And I will fly by activity, and be at rest by contemplation and humility.”  He continues by saying, “Obedience is absolute renunciation of our own life, clearly expressed in our bodily actions. Or, conversely, obedience is the mortification of the limbs while the mind remains alive. Obedience is unquestioning movement, voluntary death, simple life, carefree danger, spontaneous defence by God, fearlessness of death, a safe voyage, a sleeper’s progress. Obedience is the tomb of the will and the resurrection of humility. A corpse does not argue or reason as to what is good or what seems to be bad. For he who has devoutly put the soul of the novice to death will answer for everything. Obedience is an abandonment of discernment in a wealth of discernment.” Obedience therefore is once again an exile, a detachment from the world, a renunciation of the world. Through all of this we see that obedience is the heart of the Christian. Without it we are nothing than mere heretics and hypocrites. We live in a society today where the world wants us to fulfill our own desires our own hearts. We live where people can marry the person of the same gender, where men can dress as women and women as men, we even live in a world that celebrates violence like it did at the Oscars recently with Will Smith and Chris Rock. People are no longer submitting themselves to authority whether it be to someone else or the self-control that we must practice restraining ourselves from sin. We are told by St. John that, “He who submits himself, passes sentence on himself. If his obedience for the Lord’s sake is perfect, even if it does not seem perfect, he will escape judgment. But if he does his own will in some things, then although he considers himself obedient, he lays the burden on his own shoulders. It is good if the superior does not give up reproving him; but if he is silent, then I do not know what to say. Those who submit themselves in the Lord in simplicity run the good race without provoking the bile of the demons against themselves by their inquisitiveness.” In the same vein he says, “The beginning of the mortification both of the soul’s desire and of the bodily members involves much hard work. The middle sometimes means much hard work and is sometimes painless. But the end is insensibility and insusceptibility to toil and pain. Only when he sees himself doing his own will does this blessed living corpse feel sorry and sick at heart; and he fears the responsibility of using his own judgment. The Christian life is not easy. It is work. Only those who persevere to the end can make it. That is the heart of the Ladder. The Ladder teaches us how to persevere in the Christian life.

If we are truly to be Christian we must be surrounded by God and his saints. In our thoughts, in our actions, in our hearts and in our desires. Everything we do we must do out of Love for one another and for the glory of God. Without it, we once again fall into heresy and blaspheme the name of God, whom we serve. In doing so St. John says, “To admire the labours of the saints is good; to emulate them wins salvation; but to wish suddenly to imitate their life in every point is unreasonable and impossible.” We have been given the witness of the saints, not because they are some magical being that has achieved great success, nor do they take the place of God in our lives. The saints however give us the Christian witness in which we can serve God fully and obey his every command. I was once reminded by a relative that the saints were mere sinners. Of course, they were! They had their own faults and failures just as everyone else does. The difference between us and them is that they perfected their faith through obedience and service to God and we have still yet to achieve that. St. John reminds us of this because he knows the men around him are all striving to attain the salvation of God. He writes, “Blessed is he who, though maligned and disparaged every day, masters himself for the Lord’s sake. He will join the chorus of martyrs and boldly converse with the angels. Blessed is the monk who regards himself as hourly deserving every dishonour and disparagement. Blessed is he who mortifies his will to the end, and leaves the care of himself to his director in the Lord; for he will be placed at the right hand of the Crucified. He who will not accept a reproof, just or unjust, renounces his own salvation. But he who accepts it with an effort, or even without an effort, will soon receive the remission of his sin.”

Of course it would not be a struggle to climb the ladder if we did not have the enemy trying to oust us from the rungs of divine ascent. St. John says, “The devil battles with those in obedience, sometimes to defile them with bodily pollutions and make them hard-hearted, and sometimes to provoke more than usual restlessness. At other times he makes them dry and barren, sluggish in prayer, drowsy and confused by spiritual darkness, in order to tear them away from their struggle by making them think they have gained nothing by their obedience but are only backsliding. For he does not allow them time to reflect that often the providential withdrawal of our imagined goods or blessings leads us to the deepest humility.” St. John gives us courage though saying, “You will not labour many years, son, in search of blessed inner peace, if in the beginning you surrender yourself with all your soul to indignities.” There will come times in our life when we will suffer I have repeated that many times in many blogs. But remember dear brothers and sisters that it is not in vain. We with the power of Jesus Christ will overcome. St. John once again says, “From obedience comes humility, and from humility comes dispassion; for the Lord remembered us in our humility and redeemed us from our enemies.2 Therefore nothing prevents us from saying that from obedience comes dispassion, through which the goal of humility is attained. For humility is the beginning of dispassion, as Moses is the beginning of the Law; and the daughter perfects the mother, as Mary perfects the Synagogue. St. John also says, “Let us keep guard over ourselves with all care. For when a harbour is full of ships it is easy for them to get crushed by each other, especially if they are secretly riddled with bad temper as by some worm.”

There is much more I could say about obedience, but I refrain from doing so because it would take some time to discuss. Therefore I will end this here. But I do suggest you read this chapter in full. A lot of good information is presented and God will help those who fully understand it. St. John asks us here to keep running for we are athletes for Christ. We are running the good race, and fighting the good fight. We must keep going, we must keep climbing. We have many rungs to go. Let us pray that God will bless our struggle and keep going.

Amen.

An Intro into the Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 1

 

Denying ourselves and inflicting our bodies through fasting is a very ascetical practice that the church practices for most of the year. In fact, the church fasts more than it feasts if you were to look at a calendar. We have reached the midway point of Great Lent this year, coming up on the Sunday of the Ladder and the Ladder is great place to start to determine where we are in our struggle for God. We must always be ascending because we look down, we go from ascending towards God to descending away from God. St. John of the Ladder knew this. That is why his magnus opus the Ladder of Divine Ascent is so crucial during this time. I would like to focus on a few of the rungs today. There are thirty rungs after all, and to give them all their proper detail I will need time. That is to say there is not enough space within one blog to contain all the information I wish to convey.

So let us start with the first rung. The first rung of the Ladder is called On renunciation of the world. On the outside that appears to be a very easy and non-strenuous first rung. However, it is not easy, nor is it simple. In detailing the steps of the first rung, St. John reminds us that we must forsake every bit of this world and focus solely on the eternal life that is to come. He says in the Ladder of Divine Ascent, “The man who has withdrawn from the world in order to shake off his own burden of sins, should imitate those who sit outside the city amongst the tombs, and should not discontinue his hot and fiery streams of tears and voiceless heartfelt groanings until he, too, sees that Jesus has come to him and rolled away the stone of hardness1 from his heart, and loosed Lazarus, that is to say, our mind, from the bands of sin, and ordered His attendant angels: Loose him from passions, and let him go to blessed dispassion.3 Otherwise he will have gained nothing.”  One must remove himself from the burden of sins, and see that Jesus has already rolled away the hardened stone of his heart and called him to repentance. We forget in this world that Jesus offers repentance freely, we only but need to ask. People who have hardened their hearts and refused repentance do not wish to seek it and fall into the pleasures of this life, whether they be sexual, food related, or monetary pleasures. They want to accumulate respect and honor upon earth so that their name might live forever. One who rejects the world does not seek any of these things and only seeks out Jesus because of his own humility and respect for what Jesus accomplished through his Holy Resurrection. We fast and renounce the world because as St. John again says in the first chapter, “Those who aim at ascending with the body to heaven, need violence indeed and constant suffering especially in the early stages of their renunciation, until our pleasure-loving dispositions and unfeeling hearts attain to love of God and chastity by visible sorrow.”  Suffering in and of itself does not necessarily mean that God is punishing you, rather it might mean that God is purifying you for the purpose that he has called you to. As I sit myself and recover from medical illness, I am reminded that God is using this time for me to focus on him more. I rely on God more when I suffer than when I am fat and healthy. St. John again calls upon all Christians, not just the monks and clergy to participate in the spiritual battles that rage all around us. He gives us instruction on how to combat it saying, “Those who enter this contest must renounce all things, despise all things, deride all things, and shake off all things, that they may lay a firm foundation. A good foundation of three layers and three pillars is innocence, fasting and temperance. Let all babes in Christ begin with these virtues, taking as their model the natural babes. For you never find in them anything sly or deceitful. They have no insatiate appetite, no insatiable stomach, no body on fire; but perhaps as they grow, in proportion as they take more food, their natural passions also increase.” We know from scripture that Jesus did not seek an earthly kingdom, neither did the saints. St. Savas one of the founders of Serbia, renounced his title as Prince as went to live on Mount Athos. He was followed into monasticism by his own father, St. Simeon the Myrrh-streaming. We also know that some will renounce the world out of sin and for their own glory. St. John of the Ladder warns against this and says, “The man who renounces the world from fear is like burning incense, that begins with fragrance but ends in smoke. He who leaves the world through hope of reward is like a millstone, that always moves in the same way.3 But he who withdraws from the world out of love for God has obtained fire at the very outset; and, like fire set to fuel, it soon kindles a larger fire”  We must kindle our hearts with the fire from God, because without the divine fire in our hearts we can do nothing. The Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire because God himself is the living fire. The Holy Spirit is the fire that kindles our love for God and lights our path towards God. Without which we will descend in the opposite direction of the Ladder.

In the same way, we also know that we should love. Love is what Christ gave to us on the cross, at his resurrection and his ascension. So to if we are to take the first step on the ladder we must love. St. John of the Ladder says, “Let us eagerly run our course as men called by our God and King, lest, since our time is short, we be found in the day of our death without fruit and perish of hunger. Let us please the Lord as soldiers please their king; because we are required to give an exact account of our service after the campaign. Let us fear the Lord not less than we fear beasts. For I have seen men who were going to steal and were not afraid of God, but, hearing the barking of dogs, they at once turned back; and what the fear of God could not achieve was done by the fear of animals. Let us love God at least as much as we respect our friends.” God is the epitome to which we must love. Our friends and family might betray us. Our friends and family might forsake us. Our friends and family might even go so far as to hurt an harm us. God does none of those things. That is why forsaking the world and renouncing all of it is important. We might live in the world, but we do not have to be of the world. We do things with others because God does not save us alone. He does not become just a personal savior, but a savior of all men. The way we live, the way we work all is for his glory.

            St. John also discusses the struggles of renouncing the world. For those of us who live in it, we will certainly find it difficult, but with practice and love we will achieve our goal. He says in the first rung, “In the very beginning of our renunciation, it is certainly with labour and grief that we practise the virtues. But when we have made progress in them, we no longer feel sorrow, or we feel little sorrow. But as soon as our mortal mind is consumed, and mastered by our alacrity, we practise them with all joy and eagerness, with love and with divine fire.”  We will have struggles we will have sorrow but with God we will overcome all.  He also gives advice to those of us who live in the world. He says, “. Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate anyone; be sure you go to church; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness; and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven.” He also gives us a rallying cry saying, “Let us charge into the good fight with joy and love without being afraid of our enemies. Though unseen themselves, they can look at the face of our soul, and if they see it altered by fear, they take up arms against us all the more fiercely. For the cunning creatures have observed that we are scared. So let us take up arms against them courageously. No one will fight with a resolute fighter.” Finally he says this to those of who live in the world and to those discerning whether monastic life is right for them saying, “Those who have really determined to serve Christ, with the help of spiritual fathers and their own self-knowledge will strive before all else to choose a place, and a way of life, and a habitation, and exercises suitable for them. For community life is not for all, on account of greed; and not for all are places of solitude, on account of anger. But each will consider what is most suited to his needs.” We must do what is right for our souls and not think about the consequences of what we are doing. Money and power will fade away, but our souls are eternal.

            I leave you with the words that end the first rung of the Ladder of Divine Ascent. Words that will resonate with many and will also discourage many. He says, “This is the first step. Let him who has set foot on it not turn back.” Turning back is not an option for those of us who love Christ. We have been set on the same path towards salvation as all who have came before. It is up to us as to whether or not we will continue on the ladder or fall with the demons. I pray that God will lead all of us higher and higher up the Ladder as we struggle daily in our lives. May God have mercy on us all.

            Amen.

My thoughts on the Jesus Prayer

 

I am amazed at the presence of Jesus Christ almost daily. As someone who has been dealing with medical issues, my life has been turned completely on its head the past few weeks as I struggle to overcome my own illness and weakness. I am not a monk, nor a member of the clergy, but I find solace in the Lord through prayer more as I practice. One of the prayers that I currently have been practicing is the Jesus Prayer. Now you can find many articles on the Jesus Prayer on the internet and you can also find books entirely dedicated to it, like The Way of the Pilgrim. Today I would like to share my thoughts and my experiences with the Jesus Prayer and hope to give you some comfort in this time as well.

The Jesus Prayer is simple. It is simply the words, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” These words contain the entirety of the gospel within a single phrase. The arrow prayer as it is. Monks on Mount Athos have been known to repeat this phrase 10,000 times a day while working or performing the services and contemplate the meaning of the words. The monks as the highest source of religious service to the Lord are connected in such a way that through the Jesus prayer they are able to grow stronger and deeper in their faith. They also are able to recall the words of scripture in this prayer, through the words of the publican In Luke 18:10-14 where he stood a far off from the altar as he prayed to the Lord. It also calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who as Acts 4:12 says there is no other name in heaven or earth upon which a man can be saved. Not Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna, not even Vishnu.  In the Old Testament, God would not give anyone his name, because having a person’s name gave power of that person over to another. Through Jesus Christ we have the power of God living inside of us and we can call upon God to rescue us from our sin through prayer and confession. In regards to my research I came across St. Ignatius Brianchaninov who writes, “By the power of the name of Jesus the mind is freed from doubt, indecision and hesitation, the will is strengthened and correctness is given to zeal and other properties of the soul.” 

But reciting the prayer is not enough. Oh no. Many people view God today as a magic sky wizard who grants to them whatever their heart desires through their prayer. We see this in the prosperity gospel, where God wants us to be healthy, happy and having everything we want to live our best life. But that is not the case and has never been the case. We must do the will of God in accordance with the prayer we must live in total surrender to God and his wishes without thinking about ourselves and the desires of our heart. We are called to act as the stewards of the faith, the stewards of the earth. Repenting of our sins and focusing on God. The prayer states “have mercy on me.” Without sin there is no mercy. There are some in this world today that say that humans are not sinful, that everything we do is natural and that we cannot change human nature. God on the other hand clearly defines sin in both the scriptures and the natural world and even in the lives of the saints. He clearly defines the laws in which we should act.

The Jesus prayer therefore acts as a way in which we can contemplate the life in which we live, and meditate on the world. It is a practice of hesychasm, which many would consider pagan and foreign. I have been told many times, “Seraphim, why do you recite the words of the prayer over and over again?” It is not the repetition of the words that makes the prayer meaningful, it is the heart of the person. Over time the prayer breaks down the barriers between you and God and allows you to enter into his grace fully with a clean heart. St. Basil the Great writes, “But if someone claims that it is written: “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”, and that therefore a Christian need only invoke the name of God to be saved, let him read what the Apostle has said: “How can they call upon him if they do not believe in him?” And besides this there are the words of the Lord himself: “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Moreover, if someone is doing the will of the Lord and does not do it exactly in the way ordained or does not do it out of the proper motive of love for God, then all the effort he puts into the action is useless. And Jesus Christ himself has said in His gospel: “Hypocrites do these things as to be seen by men: I tell you truthfully, they have already received their reward” (Matt. 6:16). We wee then that we must either accept the words of the prayer without questioning God or render ourselves as hypocrites. I have witnessed in many protestant churches that people will pray with long winded expressions and yet they are really never saying anything. That is not to say that many people within those churches do not have wonderful prayer lives, I’m assured they do. Misguided though they are, they try their best. But only Orthodoxy can be the full aspect of prayer and the Jesus Prayer as well.

            Though none of us reading might be monks, it is always good to think of your home as a little monastery in the world. Where you can go and be away from the cares of this life and focus solely on God. To that end, I would like to leave you with a quote that I read by St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople. He says, “A monk when he eats, drinks, sits, officiates, travels or does an other thing must continually cry: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me!” so that the name of the Lord Jesus, descending into the depths of the heart, should subdue the serpent ruling over the inner pastures and bring life and salvation to the soul. He should always live with the name of the Lord Jesus, so that the heart absorbs the Lord and the Lord the heart, and the two become one.” Our only goal in life is to become one with God that he might use us to further his glory. We pray and we fast and we do all things that we are asked of, but if we do not have the heart, then we will spin our wheels without really ever doing anything.

            May God have mercy on us all.

Amen.

St. Panteleimon the Great Martyr and Healer: His Life and Miracles

 

“O Champion and Martyr of God,

imitating the Merciful and bearing from Him the grace of healing,

cure our spiritual ills by your prayers,

and set free from the temptation of the eternal enemy,

those who ceaselessly cry out, "Save us, O Lord."

 

I was scrolling through YouTube as I have been the past few days I recover from medical issues and came across a few miracles by St. Panteleimon.  I have heard of St. Panteleimon but was unsure of who he really was. Instead of just recounting his life, I will be both doing that and a recounting a few miracles associated with him. This wonderful saint of which so many have witnessed his love for Christ is true example to us all.

            The first thing I want to say is that he was born to a pagan family though his mother is St. Eubula, his father was a pagan. Raised a pagan he eventually was Christianized and took the name by which we associate with him today. He was an exceptionally good doctor, healing people all across the city. Mostly Christians, these people would come to him for help, and he would not accept payment, doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Because of the many healings he performed through the power of Jesus Christ, the rest of city began to turn away from the pagan practitioners of medicine and sought him exclusively. When this occurred the many pagans turned against him and sought his life. Eventually St. Panteleimon was brought before the Emperor Maximian and confessed to being a Christian. A wonderful example of his testimony is recorded about his life in the following statement, "[He] suggested that a sick person, for whom the doctors held out no hope, should be brought before the emperor. Then the doctors could invoke their gods, and Panteleimon would pray to his God to heal the man. A man paralyzed for many years was brought in, and pagan priests who knew the art of medicine invoked their gods without success. Then, before the very eyes of the emperor, the saint healed the paralytic by calling on the name of Jesus Christ. The ferocious Maximian executed the healed man, and gave St. Panteleimon over to fierce torture." These tortures were beyond the control of any mere man, but through the gift of grace from God Panteleimon withstood them. His three brothers in Christ Hermolaus, Hermippus, and Hermocrates who had survived the killing 20,000 Christians earlier in their lives were brought before the Emperor and beheaded, but Panteleimon remained unafraid and unharmed. Because of his witness, the Emperor was enraged and ordered that he too was to be beheaded. According to the sources surrounding his life, it is said that Panteleimon was taken to an olive tree by the Roman soldiers and was sentenced to death. There he was tied to the tree and the sword swung to take his head. When the sword reached the tree, it melted as if it were wax because he was praying. Panteleimon finished his prayer and heard a voice from heaven calling him home and that he was to be a passion-bearer. He instructed the soldiers who were afraid of him to rise to their feet and to complete the execution. They did so and Panteleimon surrendered his soul into the care of God. 

            The first miracle that is associated with Panteleimon occurred shortly after his death. The pagans in their pure hatred for the saint took his body to the fire to burn the remains as they did not want anyone to venerate his relics. When the relics were placed on the fire, they did not burn. The local Christians of the area took his body down from the fire and buried him on the Island of Andros at the Panachrantos Monastery.  Another miracle occurred while the saint was still living. He had seen a young boy on the street who had been killed by a venomous snake. He prayed to God that he might revive the boy and destroy the snake. When God did, he immediately went and became a Christian. His father, the pagan I discussed, witnessed his son healing a blind man. The man was healed by invoking the name of Jesus Christ and both the blind man and St. Panteleimon’s own father and the blind man who’s sight was restored were both baptized into the Christian faith because of this miracle. The tortures that I described are another miracle of St. Panteleimon through God. They scraped him with iron hooks, threw him into a cauldron of boiling tar, burned him with fire, and stretched him on a rack. All of these as I stated left St. Panteleimon unharmed. Prince Izyaslav a prince in the Russian part of the church had an icon of the saint on his helmet and survived a particularly vicious battle in the year 1151. On the feast day of the saint, the Russians have won two important naval battles against the Swedish forces, one in 1714, and the other in 1720.  I also read about a miraculous healing a woman without a heartbeat at a hospital in Athens that was very recent. People seek pilgrimages to Andros to pray at the relics of St. Panteleimon and some of his relics were transferred to Romania where they remain.

            From the life of St. Panteleimon, we can understand what it is like to be a Christian. We understand that St. Panteleimon was a great healer. He is invoked in the rights of healing of the Orthodox Church and he is also sometimes considered the patron saint of soldiers. St. Panteleimon is a witness for us all when we see the tortures of this world surrounding us. Instead of fleeing, Panteleimon accepted his torture willingly even commanding the soldiers to conduct the beheading though he would repose in the Lord. As a passion bearer we know that there will be times that come in our future where our own lives will be asked of us. If we are strong in our faith as St. Panteleimon, we can withstand any tortures the enemy throws at us. May St. Panteleimon guide us and protect us through his intercession to Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

            Amen.

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

 

*Disclaimer: I will speak the truth in this blog. Some might find my words harsh to describe some groups and enemies of the Church. If I offend you, I implore you to seek forgiveness and return to the Orthodox Faith. I do not do this harm you or hate you, for I love all of you dearly. I only do so that you might see the truth and live

Today’s Saint is Saint Paisios. Though today is not his feast day, I have studied St. Paisios since before I was chrismated into the church. St. Paisios has spoken at length along with so many others regarding the masons, Marxists and other enemies of the church. Even those who the world would assume as the people of God, the Jews are fully against God and His Church. Do not have anything to do with those who seek to destroy it. I have been reading once again the remarkable prophecies of St. Paisios and have recorded some in previous articles so that you might find strength and repentance when the time comes. Today we will look at the remarkable life of the saint, and also detail his words of encouragement for the Church. Though he reposed in 1994, two years after I was born I have felt a strong connection to this saint and was one of the names I mulled over in my mind before I took St. Seraphim’s name. I will hopefully do a blog, Lord willing, on St. Seraphim in a few days’ time that looks more in depth at him. St. Paisios though is one of the pinnacles of the recent church and his life can give us hope and encouragement. Let us pray that he will do so through this article.

               He was born Arsenios Eznepidis in Cappadocia, Turkey where many of our most beloved saints have hailed from. From an early age Arsenios was well versed in the theology of the church and the Holy Scriptures, his family was uprooted from their home in Turkey to Epirus in Greece as part of an exchange between the two countries. Though Arsenios would be called to military action during the Greek Civil War, he did not wish to do time as a combatant and served instead as a radio operator. He was noted for his bravery and his concern for others despite not caring for his own safety. He wished to enter the monastic life in 1950, but was also concerned for his sisters, who unmarried were his responsibility as well. Thus, having taken care of his sisters Arsenios finally sought the monastic life. Having entered the monastery as a novice, he was taught the ways of monasticism and prayer and was finally tonsured as a monk in 1954, receiving the new name Averkios. He went to Philotheou Monastery where his uncle resided and was placed under the care of Elder Symeon. There he dwelt in extreme self-denial, focusing purely on his own sins and judging himself very harshly. He was given the small schema in 1956, with the name he would carry the rest of his life…Paisios. From there many visitors would come to seek his counsel, but he would pretend to be a fool so as to preserve his silence and meditation on the holy things of God. In 1958, after groups of protestant heretics began speaking out against the Orthodox Faith, he went home to his village and spoke out against them, encouraging the faithful and returning many back to the apostolic faith. In 1962, he left for Sinai, where he had wished to go for a long time, seeking the desert but also the spiritual desert where he could grow in faith and stature. The Bedouin people of the region became well endowed to St. Paisios and loved him with great love. He would buy the people food from the woodcarving he would do, as he was a trained carpenter. In 1964, after failing health, he returned to Mount Athos, a place where he would rarely leave again. He had part of his lungs removed in 1966. He was finally granted the highest rank of monasticism, the Great Schema, and resided in the hermitage of Elder Tikhon. In 1979 he finally left for his last home on the Holy Mountain that of Panagouda. Because of his extreme asceticism, he was only afforded 2-3 hours of sleep a night. St. Paisios at this time began to receive visitors for hours on end, at a women’s monastery where he could relax and be their spiritual father. He had no choice but to leave the mountain, a few times due to illness and returned without complaining, noting that all was for God’s glory and he did not expect anything in return. Finally due to cancer, St. Paisios left Mount Athos for the final time. In 1993, he was diagnosed with Cancer and sent to Thessaloniki for treatment. He was eventually transferred to a local monastery where despite his suffering and pain he continued to receive visitors and listened intently at their sorrows. On July 11^th, 1994, he received communion for the final time, surrendering his soul to the care of God on July 12^th. Officially declared a saint by the Holy Synod of Constantinople in 2015, he is widely regarded as a living saint while here on earth. The Church only proclaimed what God had already established.

               Now a little regarding his prophecies. I said I would speak to the nature of them and will do so now. St. Paisios was always concerned for the wellbeing of the people and for his Greek nation. He often noted the lukewarm nature of many priests and the spiritual deception that was taking place in the world. He also noted that time was coming when Turkey would no longer exist, and that Greece would once again be triumphant. He predicted the beginning of WW3 and what it would entail for the people that participated in that horrific conflict. He has also been proven right in regard to the reestablishment of the Hagia Sophia as a mosque and the call to extend the borders of the Greek nation. All of which precedes the beginning of the end for Turkey and the number of enemies the Church has gathered. He had incredible foresight into the nature of the world and predicted the coming of a great illness (possibly Covid-19).  He spoke out against protestants, against the communists, and against the New World Order. He knew that all of those things would be greatly influential in the coming years though noting that Christ would be victorious. He asked us to guard our hearts from any flight of the devil and to remain steadfast and true. In a world today that seeks to say that truth is unknowable he boldly preached the truth of the Church.

               We know that all of us are not called to the monastic life. Some of us will be married, raise children, and participate in the life of the parish, which it too is for the glory of God. I have not been called to such a position and remain happily married and enjoy life within my own parish in Memphis. While we certainly can learn from the extreme humility and patience that St. Paisios exhibited can be a great comfort and example for us all. May God through his intercession bring us all to repentance that we may live.

               Amen.

Relics: The Power of God Revealed

 

Recently I have been doing a lot of articles on miracles and prophecies and the like. I started with the Theotokos and have been increasingly reading about miracles and their power in our everyday world on YouTube and the internet. Today I would like to offer up another kind of miracle, one that is more easily understood by both Orthodox and non-Orthodox a like. I’m often reminded of the phrase KISS (Keep it simple stupid) and today I think I’ll try to stick to that philosophy and keep it simple. We will be discussing relics and their place within the Orthodox world and how we the faithful react to them. I truly believe in the power of relics and ask humbly that God will keep my faith strong in Him.

Relics to put it bluntly is an item associated with a saint. This is usually a piece of the body of the saint, or an object associated with them, for example the hat of St. Mark the Gravedigger. Most often though we associate the body of the saint as their relics. We as Americans are humbled to have the relics of a few saints on the shores of our country and someday I hope I can visit a few of them. St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco for example is still incorrupt nearly sixty something years after his death. St. Spyridon in Greece is known to also be incorrupt nearly 1600 years after his death. His shoes that are located on his body must be changed every month because he is known as the walking saint, still walking about the island though his earthly body has reposed in the Lord. One of the relics I have recently read about is that of St. John the Russian, who’s coffin remains closed and unopenable until it is time to change the vestments on the saint. He will appear to a person of great faith who he will send to the priest in charge of his relics and will tell this person to go and have his vestments changed. St. Seraphim of Sarov my patron saint, had his relics lost during the soviet period of Russian history and they were rediscovered in recent years in 1991, a year before I was born. Pieces of the true cross, the nails that were used to nail Christ to his cross, and his holy tomb are all relics in the sense that they were associated with Christ at the point of his death and resurrection. We read about the aprons and handkerchiefs that St. Paul sent to heal people of disease and illness in the Holy Scriptures. We also know of the miracles such as Holy Fire that are sent into the Tomb every year that they are used by God to show his power and authority on earth.  These examples of relics are a few of the mysterious and wonderful gifts of divine grace that God has granted to us. St. Ephraim also has relics that have been placed inside of a cross that one can wear and recently a young man with liver problems was miraculously healed by wearing this cross and he intends to build a church in the saint’s honor. Relics form an important part of our faith, not because we worship them as this would be considered idolatry but because they do show the very nature of God. God knows us to be weak of heart and strength and because of failings allows gifts like this to occur so that we might have our faith strengthened and to proclaim the gospel more boldly.

We know that God created both body and soul. And that they share the same holiness in regard to the nature that God gave it at the creation of the world.  Relics are a source of God’s power not of man’s and all relics point back to God as the supreme source of holiness. Those who have been open to God’s grace and plan for their lives more fully have been endowed with the Holy Spirit in such a way that their relics, and the items associated with them are granted the power of holiness to help perform miracles and healings to draw people closer to God. They are not meant to be worshipped but may be given veneration, which is a different concept entirely and worship and veneration are clearly set and defined by Orthodox Theology. Worship is for God, whereas veneration can be given to the created being, and is kept free of idolatry because we are not associating the power of the creature with God. We understand that without God the created being could do nothing miraculous.

Orthodox Christians have venerated relics since the beginning of the Faith. Those who the Church considers to be Christians before the time of Christ such as Moses and the Prophet Elisha have both been at the center of relics before Christ appeared on earth in the incarnation. Moses made the bronze serpent, which healed the Israelites if they merely looked at it.  Elisha’s body was thrown into a common tomb with another man, and the bones of the man were revived in full and he stood up. These miracles were not because of any special power that either one had, they weren’t magicians or sorcerers, but because God granted these miracles to occur for the benefit and salvation of all mankind. Lastly, I would also like to point out that the Ark of the Covenant which was carried by the Israelites and resided in the first temple, is a relic as well. This reliquary housed the ten commandments, the staff of Aaron, and the manna of the wilderness.  We know of miracles associated with it, such as when one touched it, or when it caused the Philistine gods to be broken into pieces upon its capture. Throughout the life of the servants of God, there have been great objects and miracles that have been associated with items that otherwise without the express grace that was granted it, would be considered ordinary.

Finally, there is the concern that many of the relics are fake. People love to question the faith and to discredit it means that the pagans and non-believers can have a small victory over those of us who remain true to the Apostolic faith. While the problem with fake relics is more common in the west among the Roman Catholic Church, there still is the concern that some relics are faith. The Orthodox Church counters this by understanding the history of the relic, the miracles it has been granted and so on. From a scientific point of view, there is no way we can actually assume that the relic is real. The authenticity of the relic therefore is based solely on faith alone. This faith is granted to us through God because he wants all to be called to repentance and live. Times are harder now than they have been in the past. People are searching for the truth. The Orthodox Church confirms the truth through these relics, and through the power of God. We do not claim to be some sort of mystical cult that can decipher the scriptures to the nth degree and everything is clear for us. Rather we know that God is a mystery and that he works in mysterious ways. Our job is not to question and to argue with others, rather it is to believe with such fervor that nothing else matters in our lives. God alone is our center, our focus. He brings about these miracles with the relics, not for the glory, but for our salvation that we might live. May God grant to us, the salvation that we so desperately need.

Amen.

The Invisible Elders: A Short Summary of the Invisible Elders of Mount Athos

 

            When the Holy Spirit wants you to write something, you better listen. The Holy Spirit is important as He will guide you and work in your life to bring about salvation in your heart and desire for God. I as I normally do I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos and been heavily involved in Orthodox Miracles and Prophecies. In one of the videos, he discussed the twelve invisible monks of Mount Athos.  According to tradition they will perform the last divine liturgy on Mount Athos. These naked hermits live with no clothes and pray for the entire world at the top of the Mountain. These are men who have completely rejected all earthly glory, their names forgotten, their faces not well known, they go to the peak of Mount Athos are rarely even seen unless they want to be. These men are the epitome of what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. Though their earthly bodies will die, and they will be replaced, the monks at the end will not taste death and will usher in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at what information we have on these twelve monks of Mount Athos and what we can glean from their holy wisdom.

            From what we understand of these monks, they are the twelve invisible, naked monks, secret elders gather at the top of Mount Athos. There is a sacred area that is set off from the rest of Mount Athos. It is called the Desert of Athos. These monks do not wear material garments and appear to whoever they wish. Sometimes they appear to monks, other times with pilgrims, but always to those who have lived a pure Christian life. Those who know the names of these monks, will always keep it a secret. They consider themselves to be the unimportant and feeble among themselves. They have mastered fasting and are fed through the Lord Jesus Christ. They are give special grace through the Theotokos.  Hieromonk Athanasios has met with St. Paisios and had many conversations with the beloved saint. Of course, the topic of these monks was brought up at some point during their extensive conversations. When one dies, they know that their numbers must remain the same, so they call from below to an elder and he ascends to the peak and becomes one of their number. They pray without ceasing and do not sleep for they pray for the whole world as I said day and night.  One the most amazing things about these monks, is that living at the top of Mount Athos under the snow they require no shelter. These men do not sleep in huts, or houses, but they are so full of the grace from God they sleep in the open. These are anchorites that have become living saints. Devoid of all earthly passions they seek only to glorify God at the peak of Mount Athos.  Here is a quote I found from a Father Ephraim it says, ““That the invisible elders exist is a fact. A few years ago, a revered elder, Fr. Gerasim of Little St. Anne’s Skete, reposed on Mt. Athos. He told us that some people would come into his cell at midnight, and then leave. One of these men would approach the elder to take Communion, and silently leave” He also said this in regard to the monks of Mount Athos, but I believe it can be applied here to the invisible elders of the Holy Mountain. He says, “There is no greater blessing in this world, than to experientially live and experience grace,” Abbot Ephraim said. “We have known virtuous people on Athos who lived by grace, because they loved Christ. We often saw them in the Uncreated Light, and we were often witnesses to how they saw the future,” he added. The Uncreated Light is the Light of Mount Tabor, or the Tabor Light, we associate this as Orthodox Christians with the transfiguration of our Lord on Mount Tabor on August 6^th. It is not uncommon for those who have become living saints, such as the elders of Mount Athos to experience this Divine Light and joy in their lifetime. So beyond the normal monks, one might meet on Mount Athos, these invisible monks are like the special forces of monks, they have had more extensive training and more in tune with central command as it is aka God and are able to complete the work of God more fully than those who live within the confines of a skete or monastery. They radiate joy and love, and as I have said do not seek earthly glory. Why then are they so important?

            I believe they are important because of a few things. One, is that they show that God is always watching over us. He never leaves us without a witness to follow and examples to give us of how our lives should be. Secondly, these monks praying for the whole world, are living saints, examples of men who have gone to Mount Athos seeking nothing but their own salvation and have come away with the light of God flowing through them with the special divine grace given to them. Thirdly these men are intercessors for the world and are granted the grace to intercede at the footstool of God for the salvation of the world. Holding back the demons by their prayers, keeping the devil at bay for just a while longer, allowing the plan of salvation to come to completion. As I said they will perform the last divine liturgy ever on Mount Athos and then the trumpets will sound and Jesus will come. The world will be renewed. It is this renewal that we see in them. They have already experienced what those of us living in the world have not yet seen, the transformation of our souls and bodies into the incorruptible and transfigured bodies of heaven. They are given to us as a sign of what is to come, of what will be. We may not see them, they may not reveal themselves to us, but they are there. They are watching over the world and protecting it until their final breath. I pray that I may be prayed for by these holy ascetic monks on the peak of Mount Athos and I pray that God will continue to use them for a little while longer, though I do not know the hour of the Second Coming. May God have mercy on us through their prayers. Amen.

A World of Wonder: Orthodox Miracles and Prophecies

 

First before we start, I would like to congratulate newly elected Bishop Alexis of Alaska. His election marks the beginning of a new era in Alaska, one that I pray will be full of blessings and renewal of the Orthodox Faith in the land of Alaska. With that said today we are going to look at something that has been on my mind the past few days. Miracles, Miracles, and more miracles. Oh, and some prophecy too.  We know that God works everything for our good and does not that will harm us or hurt us in any way. Those that blame God for their problems and troubles in life are nothing more than denying their own reality in the fact that they have rejected God and fled far from him. We also know that God only does things that will benefit our salvation. In a time when people are searching for signs and revelations from God in an increasingly bizarre and worsening world, people look to signs to give them comfort, confirmation, or belief. Unfortunately, most of the people searching for these signs are also trying their best to disprove the existence of God.

Miracles have existed since time began. Miracles occurred throughout scripture, beginning with the creation of the world, the exit of Adam and Eve out of the Garden, the mark placed on Cain after he killed Abel, the flood and so on. Miracles were then sent by God to either pronounce judgement or blessing on the people of Israel throughout both the judges period and the kingship period. After this we reach the New Testament where Christ begins his earthly ministry with the changing of water into wine, the healing of blind men, the healing of leprosy and many others that I do not have the time to recount here. The biggest miracle scripturally is the focal point of all Christianity, the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third on Holy Pascha. We also witness the apostles in the book of Acts performing signs and miracles bringing the pagans and Jews out of idolatry and into everlasting life with Jesus Christ. Paul himself uses handkerchiefs and aprons that would heal the sick from illnesses and disease. (by the way noting this it is one of the many examples you can find within scripture in regards to relics being venerated a vital part of Orthodox Christianity) We see that miracles have been performed by the saints of old, and the early church in drawing people to Christ through these wonders and yet people today dismiss them as being only performed in the bible, that miracles today do not happen. I believe this is because people’s faith is not what it once was. People have forsaken the truth found in Holy Orthodoxy and the scriptures for science and the faith of man. They reject anything that they cannot tangibly hold in their hands or explain with reason.

               I would like then to offer another point of view here. The Orthodox Church has never believed that miracles have ceased to exist. In fact if you look closely you will find miracles all around us. I have been delving into a few that I found interesting that have happened in recent years. Many of these are easily accessible on the internet, and in fact there is a whole YouTube channel dedicated to them that I find very interesting. One such miracle I heard about recently being performed was that of witnessing the Passion of the Christ (not the movie the actual passion) at the site of Golgotha. The person who witnessed this miracle recorded the whole experience and when one watches the video, you can hear the breathing of Christ, the whipping of Christ, the dragging of the cross across the surface of the rock and his heartbeat. I was given chills when I watched the video. I also recently watched a video in which the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, was transformed into the flesh of Christ by the spirit in the form of a dove, and if it was not the same video a very similar video in which the Eucharist was transformed into the broken and disfigured face of Christ. All these miracles have occurred for our benefit, allowing us to see the power of God within the world and to not be scared or frightened of the future no matter what the New World Order and rulers of this world say. Continuing with the miracles that I have recently seen on video, I recently saw a photograph taken by a layman who was swimming in the ocean when a large group of fish began congregating near the bottom of the sea. The person took a photo of the location and when he went to look, there at the bottom of the ocean resting on the sea floor was an elder monk, prayer rope in hand praying for the whole world. Which elder this is I cannot say, some have said St. Kosmas, others St. Paisios. 

Perhaps the most famous Orthodox miracle that I can point to and there are several videos on it, is the Holy Fire of Jerusalem, that occurs on Pascha every year celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Holy Fire only appears on Holy Saturday and has appeared for centuries. The Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the tomb, but only after a non-orthodox Christian checks the entire church for signs that no oil or flames have been left burning so that the Patriarch cannot be accused of lighting it himself. Once the Patriarch has been given the go ahead, he prays special prayers inside the tomb and the Holy Fire descends from Heaven. This fire is described as blue, then regular flame, and it can neither burn nor hurt you. People have put it up to their faces without the faintest hint of a singe. The Holy Fire of Jerusalem is a miracle I personally want to witness myself in person one day. If I could ever get to Jerusalem. Before we talk about prophecies to end this article today, I would like to mention that the first miracle I heard about when inquiring about Orthodoxy was that of the Snakes of Kefalonia. These snakes appear on August 6^TH the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, and stay until the 15^TH of August at the Dormition of the Theotokos. They are not seen again until the following year. While I could continue on there are too many miracles to count and I would be here all day. So let’s discuss prophecy

I want to discuss prophecies that have been fulfilled in recent years. Especially those of St. Paisios. St. Paisios was a beloved man and elder of our Church who died a few years after I was born. He was gifted with the ability of foresight and knew what was to come. Now we understand that only God knows when the time is that prophecy will be fulfilled and some due to repentance or failure to repent may not come at all. St. Paisios, however of note has two prophecies that I would like to expand on here. The first is that of the Hagia Sophia. As many of this blog will note, the Hagia Sophia was the largest church in the world before its capture by the Muslims in 1453 and transformation into a mosque. At the fall of the Ottoman Empire it was transformed again into a museum so that neither Christians, nor Muslims could claim it as their own. However in 2020, in the midst of Covid-19 it was rededicated as a mosque for use in Islamic worship. St. Paisios predicted this would come to pass and that it was sign that Turkey was going to be brought to its knees. The second prophecy also regarding Turkey is that of the Six-Mile. In recent years there has been talk of extending the Six-Mile to 12 miles and thus the water borders of Greece would be extended further. St. Paisios discussed this at length and said that the time you hear of this, it would not be long before then that the war would begin. In this he also discusses Turkey being separated into three parts, one part killed, one part Christianized, and one part fleeing to the very depths of Turkey never to be a nation again. In this same prophecy he talks about the city of Constantinople being given back to the Greeks and the restoration of the Hagia Sophia. All of this has yet to take place at the time of writing so I could be decades and years away, though personally I think we are closer than anyone knows. I say this because if you look this up, my facts are easily fact checkable. So if you want please do.

There are many signs and wonders in the world today, many of which people leave unnoticed because of the hustle and bustle of the world. I believe if we just would slow down and look at the world we would see a world full of wonder, a world full of beauty, and a world filled with God.

Amen.

Angels in the Corner: A detailed look at the Angels of God.

 

Today’s blog is something I believe is extremely cool and interesting. One that doesn’t get so much attention in the protestant west, and though there are many references to Angels in scripture we don’t really get the full picture of angels. We know they exist; we know that God created them, we know that some fell into sin and rejection, but what about their presence? What about why they are designed the way they are? We know that God must have a purpose for their presence. We know that God doesn’t do anything without an intention. Therefore, it is safe to say that angels are important. Even in religions outside of Christianity we see the acceptance of these beings. Angels even get a lot of attention though in the media and television in general. We have had shows like Angels in the Outfield, Touched by an Angel and Highway to Heaven to name a few. But I dare say people cannot name the ranks of angels, the titles of various angels, and even the meaning the word angel. Today we look at what the Orthodox Church says about angels and why they are important to the salvation of the world.

Angels themselves are messengers. In fact, the meaning of the word is just that, messenger. In doing so, we understand that this means that angels were there from the very beginning and were sent to be the helpers to mankind. They are there to provide us with a guide to God. They are not to be worshipped, or given sacrifice to, and you certainly would not want to mess with them if you are an enemy of God. The first known scriptural reference to angels comes from the Garden of Eden, when God places a cherubim with a flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden after Adam and Eve’s fall (Genesis 3:24). From there Abraham has an encounter with an Angel in Genesis 24 when he sends his servant out to retrieve Rebekah for Isaac. Jacob the son of Isaac saw angels both when he was asleep and awake. He fought an Angel of the Lord and was only defeated when the angel took his hip out of socket. The Psalms, Job, and other books of the Bible reference angels in such a way that they form the Council of God, the council which helps God govern the world. In 1 Kings 22:19-23, we see that God takes the advisement of the angels under consideration on how to deal with Ahab, though God knew everything that was to take place. Daniel sees the thrones of these angels placed before God as they decided the fate of the empires. All of this is to show that angels have a place in helping God shape the fate of mankind and are his servants to do his bidding. They as a sign of God’s abundant love are allowed to share in God’s rule over the universe, though God as the Most High does not need them.  They then share in the glory of announcing the births of St. John the Forerunner, and Jesus Christ himself. Eventually in the book of revelation they are used to pass judgement on the world for the sins committed by the people. All in all, the angels have been there since the beginning and are God’s servants. They are his messengers both of good tidings and judgement.

               As I stated they have been there since the beginning. In the Nicene Creed, the Symbol of Faith, we say, I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth, and of all things both seen and unseen. It’s not every day one sees an angel. Though I have referenced scripture as to when mankind has been granted a vision of an angel, for most people they will never see the unseen world. St. Ambrose, St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, and other great early church fathers all say that Angels were created long before the creation of the world and already stood before the throne when the universe was created.  They were also given the ability to be incorporeal, meaning they do not have fleshly bodies, and are not confined by time and space as us humans are. Though they do not have the ability to be in two places at once, they can travel great distances an a single moment. St. Peter says they have power and strength that surpasses all earthly authority. They are not bound to this world like we are. They are there for a single purpose, to guide mankind and to serve God with all their heart. They do this freely and openly and to reject God brings about their downfall like the third of the angels who fell with Satan. They are not all knowing, and the best example of this is when St. Gabriel the Archangel appears to Mary and announces that she will conceive the Son of God. St. Gabriel for the first time was hearing the salvation of the world, just like Mary was. That is why he was so amazed at the love of God in the Gospel of Luke. And lastly, we get to the heart of this article, the ranks of angels. We know that heaven is a kingdom and within a kingdom there is a hierarchy. This is mirrored in the church, with the ranks of patriarchs, archbishops, metropolitans, bishops, priests, deacons, subdeacons, and readers. So too the ranks of angels are divided into a hierarchy and are grouped according to the purpose that they serve within the divine plan of God.

               The first set of angels, the first hierarchy of angels is simple enough. These are the closest to God and the throne of God. The Seraphim, of whom St. Seraphim of Sarov, the saint I was named after was granted this name. They are the closest to God and the closest to the throne. They are said to be flames of fire, because of their closeness to God.  The are kindled by their love of God and they also kindle the flame of love for God in others. That is their purpose-to light the world on fire for God and bring the love of God into the hearts of all men. The Cherubim are the second highest in the order of angels and stand continuously before the throne of God. They kindle the wisdom and understanding of God to the people, and are constantly filled with understanding and knowledge from God himself. They enlighten the eyes of the soul and show the truth of God to others.  The thrones, the third of this first hierarchy are the ones who mystically bear God on his throne. They are given the grace and office of bearing God upon his throne, and in doing so, have a special connection to God through this office. They pour out his power, his justice to the world. God is a just God and in doing so he must dispense justice upon the world to maintain the world.

               The second hierarchy of angels are the powers, dominions, and principalities. The powers are so named because they have authority and power over the evil ones. They are called to help those who are tempted by the evil one to resist that power and to dwell in the light of God. The powers are called to strengthen those who live an ascetical life, like the monks who pray without ceasing. The dominions are those who having abandoned fear and restraint are able to have dominion over the other angels and serve God with joy. They control the passions of mankind, and help people to understand their place within God’s kingdom. They give wise management to the rulers of the world, though many rulers reject this counsel. They help to teach us how to subdue our thoughts and desires and replace them with God’s thoughts and desires for our lives. The principalities, also called authorities are those who direct and guide the lower ranks of angels into completing and conforming to the divine will of God. They do not seek honor or glory for themselves, but rather want to spread the glory of God in all the lands and principalities of the world. They help teach us to submit to the authority of the church, and of the government and are charged with maintaining all the lands of earth.

               The third hierarchy is that of the virtues, archangels, and angels. The virtues are those who fulfill the full power of God with strength and vigor. They help heal the sick, send divine grace down to the saints to perform miracles, and at the request of God, they too perform their own miracles. They help maintain the obedience that is placed on people to their superiors and help carry the burdens placed on them. Thus they give courage to those who would otherwise faint without the help of God through them.  The archangels are those who spread the good news to the people of the world. There are seven which I shall detail in the next paragraph. These are the messengers of the gospel of God.  They reveal the prophecies and knowledge of God. They give their messages to the lower rank of angels and through them to men. The angels are the lowest class of the ranks of angels.  They are the bodiless powers of heaven and the messengers of God. They relay the messages God wants for his people to all mankind.  Thus being the lowest of the ranks they are the closest to mankind.

               I said I would discuss the archangels a little more before I ended this blog. And I shall. There are seven archangels of which we have a name and those are the ones that we will focus on. St. Michael and St. Gabriel are the two most well-known of the archangels. St. Michael is known through Holy Tradition to have been instrumental in several key old testament events, including: appearing to Joshua at Jericho, helping Gabriel defeat the Persians, being the pillar of smoke and fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt, smiting 185,000 Assyrians, protecting the three Holy Youths in the fiery furnace, transporting Habakkuk to the lions den to feed Daniel, and contesting with the devil over the body of Moses. He also saved a young man cast to sea by robbers on Mount Athos. He saved the church of Colossae by carrying a cross and diverting two rivers that were meant to destroy the church underwater and protecting the Christians there in that city. Gabriel is the leader of the heavenly hosts, and though Michael is the general of God’s army, Gabriel is the leader of the host. He was sent to give Moses the ability to write Genesis, he foretold the birth of Mary to Joachim and Anna, he announced the birth of Christ to Mary and to St. Joseph. Gabriel announced the resurrection to the myrrh-bearing women on the third day. He taught Joseph in Egypt the seventy languages with which to be the second in command to Pharoah, though it is not recorded in scripture. The name of Raphael is completely contained within the Book of Tobit, probably a book unfamiliar to my protestant readers. There is too much to relay here, but he guided Tobit in his life and helped him with many miracles as Tobit completed his journey to God. It is also said that at the pool of Bethesda that Raphael was the one who would stir the waters so that one might be healed. Uriel is another of the four great archangels. While not much is known about Uriel, it is said that along with other three archangels he surrounds the throne of God. His missions are not detailed in any writing that I can find, nor in scripture, but his existence is confirmed by the number of orthodox writers who have detailed his name and status as an archangel. The other archangels are Salathiel, Jehudial, and Barachiel. This we get from the history and writings of the church.

               The angels are an important part of the world around us. We may not see them, we may not be able to understand that they are there, but we must accept their presence in our lives. May we pray that God will show us the unseen world for the benefit of our salvation, and for the love of mankind. I pray that all the angels will intercede for us on our behalf before the throne of God and that the love they have for God will enter us.

 

               Amen.  

              

The Most Uneducated, Educational Blog on the Internet: A look At Orthodox Review Youtube Channel

 

The most uneducated, educational program on the internet today. If you haven’t heard Raphael Fiedler speak, then you honestly don’t know what you’re missing.  I converted to Holy Orthodoxy five years ago this November and for much of that time I have listened and learned from one of the most knowledgeable people I know. Raphael takes in-depth looks at a variety of orthodox resources that allows people to learn and grow in the faith. There have been several books that I have picked up right after he recommended them. Today we’re going to look at Orthodox Review and I am going to highlight this man’s great work.

First let me say, that without Raphael there may not be a Tsar’s Corner blog. His ability to promote the Orthodox faith and do so in a way that is both relatable and educational is the foundation for this blog as well. I am no means better than Raphael, in fact I feel inferior to his knowledge and love of books and reading, but I learnt a great deal by watching his videos over the course of the past few years. I first came across Raphael and Orthodox Review two years ago when he was first reviewing the Jordanville Prayer Book, a book that I really want and hope to someday acquire a copy of. His ability to highlight the features of the prayer book and detail the history of the publication allowed me to get an understanding of why and how books like this have shaped the faith both here in America where Jordanville is and abroad. From there Raphael branched out to psalters, New Testament translations, bibles, and other prayer books. Each one of them having a history and a background what was both good and bad about them.  Not only that but Raphael has provided people with the tools to help perform the services at home in the role of a reader, especially during the trying times of Covid when many people have not ventured out to church in two plus years. He also has reviewed the use of prayer ropes and lestovkas which led to me purchasing a lestovka about two years ago now, though that one got used so much it has worn itself out. From his suggestions I have acquired the Monastic Diurnal, the Hapgood Service Book (which is still my all-time favorite book by the way), and more recently a copy of the Small Book of Needs. Something also that I find very interesting is his love of both western rite books and old rite books, something that was very foreign to me when I first converted to Orthodoxy. Not only the reviews of the books, but his talk about the divine liturgy is a thing of beauty! The way he is able to articulate the parts of the divine liturgy and why the Orthodox do the things we do, makes me cherish the faith even further. I have always been one to learn history and you certainly will learn history and a have a fun time with Raphael over on his YouTube channel. So please I implore you to seek out Raphael and Orthodox Review on YouTube and give his channel a subscribe. It is a blessing for me, and I believe it will be a blessing for you.

Amen.

Our Identity in Christ

 

Identity. There’s a lot of discussion in the media today about identity and what people identify as. Where that be pansexual, nonbinary, transgender, or some of the one hundred and twelve different genders I found doing my research. However, we as Orthodox Christians know that there are only two genders for in Genesis it says in 1:27, “He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.” While man might have twisted and corrupted the divine plan for mankind, God has never abandoned us. He loves us beyond our wildest understanding. There is always hope for even the worst of sinners. As a lay person, I am the last one who should be talking about the scriptures and interpreting them, but I want to present here that our identity has already been defined for us, and that whether we are male or female, we are united in Christ.

Having been blessed to enter the Orthodox Church in recent years, I have come to have an understanding of Christ and his identity in a unique way that is not present in many places in the world. Christ himself did not come to just save us from the fires of hell, like the fire and brimstone preachers would tell us. No, Christ came to bring man into the fullness of light and life with his incarnation. His incarnation gave to us the uniting of both the divine and mortal and brought us into a place in which St. Athanasius says, “God became man that man might become God.” In that we have the ability to overcome the world just as Christ did. We can create and mold and shape the world as the sub-creators of the world. We are given the Holy Spirit upon our acceptance into the Church, and we use the Holy Spirit to guide our lives and become more like Christ with every passing moment. We can also deny this gift and become more like the demons who rejected God. Our identity is defined first and foremost by how we react and how we have interpreted the incarnation of God. Are we willing to sacrifice our own wills and thoughts for God? The great saints of our time willingly surrendered their lives at the hands of the Soviet persecutors and St. Nektarios when accused of immoral behavior did not try to resist his tormentors but rather accepted it as God’s will and sacrificed his own desire as a bishop to love God more fully.

Secondly our identity is not of this world. If we identify with the spirits of this world, we become more in tune with the world and what they want. In my opening paragraph I discussed the world and how they want to reject the nature of gender and sex in this current age. I see women laying with women, and men with men, and people are okay with it. They claim that their identity cannot be defined by the labels that man has given it, rather they want to be free to do as they please. They want to throw off the yoke of God, which Christ says is “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” They want the heavy yoke of sin around their neck not knowing that they are plunging themselves deeper and deeper into torment and sin. Our identity is a heavenly one.  We are called to be citizens of paradise, as one of my favorite hymns says. The people of this world, especially those in the west, have lost their faith because they do not practice it. It is better to hide their light under a basket than to stand for something they believe in. The reason we have allowed practices today to begin to warp the minds and hearts not just of the older generation, but the children is because we do not practice the faith. We do not pray, we do not attend services, we simply want to be able to be left alone and do what we want. We cannot be saved alone; we need others to hold us accountable and in doing so we need orthodoxy to bring about a change in our hearts through Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, our identity is defined in how we react to persecution. If we have accepted the first two points, then we understand that Christ is the savior of the world, and that we have a higher calling, a purpose to be of heaven not of earth. Our reaction to persecution is also a defining factor of our identity. I know that I have spoken before on this topic but let me go in detail as to what I mean in relationship identity. Christians since time immemorial have suffered at the hands of those who wish to see the seal of Christ stamped out from the world. Reading through the lives of apostles other night I saw how much the pagans took their anger and their unbelief out on the holy men of God. Trying to eradicate the Church before it could really be established, these pagans would crucify, burn, and torture those who stood for the faith. Today, with the gender identity craze is becoming more and more of threat to traditional and orthodox Christian belief, we have seen the weakest of Christians fall to the wayside and accept this perverse and disgusting teaching as if it came from the mouth of God himself. Instead of holding firm to the apostolic tradition, these so called Christians have rejected even the scriptures themselves. Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans, and many other faith traditions have placed themselves up as God and have allowed both women priests and homosexual priests within their ranks. They have torn asunder the scriptures and done evil in the sight of God. This is persecution and when the test came to decide whether they were true or false, the fire tested these people as false. While I no doubt there are many who hold firm to Christ in these traditions, the leaders of their respective traditions have turned many astray. Those who hold firm to their identity in Christ will accept persecution with open arms, knowing that Christ himself was subject to persecution and his response was to accept the cross willingly without complaint or argument. Are we so holy that we are better than even Christ himself? The apostles saw and were blessed, blessed more so are those of us who have not seen and yet believed.

While this article took a turn in a different direction that I assume many of you thought it would, it is still good to understand that our identity in Christ is what is most important. I am sure that I will return to this topic many times and expand on my thoughts further in future articles. For now though with the celebration of the Holy Cross tomorrow I am reminded that I must sacrifice myself daily and take up the cross and follow Christ. Wherever that leads me I am willing. For it is not I that lives, but Christ who lives through me.

Amen.

Holy Places of God: A look at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary

 

I think I’m going to start a new series on the blog, along with the teachings and things I find interesting about the faith. This series is going to detail different locations and places within the Orthodox community that have had a particular interest to me or an impact on my life. As I detailed in a previous article, I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of Orthodox Africa and what they are doing to achieve great things on the continent. Another organization and location I am particularly fond of is St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, a place that I hope to one day visit and express my love for. I hope to detail the history and the meaning behind this seminary and why it is important not just for the Orthodox of America, but for the whole world.

               The beginnings of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary begin earnestly in 1794 when eight monks would travel from Russia to sow the seeds of Orthodoxy on Alaskan soil. Though it would become American soil later, this place was firmly rooted in Russian culture up until the sale of Alaska to America. These monks established a school on Kodiak Island, where they taught and grew the local population in the faith. Eventually His Grace, Archimandrite Innocent of Alaska established a seminary in Sitka. Though this place had a growing number of Orthodox Christians and populations, the community was still predominantly an immigrant one, with the priests and bishops being sent from the mother church in Russia. St. Tikhon of whom I have written about before on this blog, knew there was a great need for American born and bred priests and other clergy if the church was to survive in this part of the world. He established a seminary in Minneapolis in 1905, and eventually moved it to Tenafly, New Jersey where it was renamed St. Platon’s.  From there, it eventually closed and 1938, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary was officially established.

               After the second world war, things began to grow for St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary with the arrival of several renown Orthodox scholars from across Europe. The sixties were shaped by Father Alexander Schmemann who helped even more to formulate the seminary into what it is today. Father Alexander believed as many Orthodox do, that the liturgy should be the focal point of our lives and we should spend our time in prayer and repentance. Father also searched for a permanent campus home for the seminary and did so by 1962. A new chapel was dedicated by the Patriarch of Antioch and a new administrative building was dedicated by the Primate of the OCA Metropolitan Theodosius.  The Summer Institute was established as well as the Octet. The SVS Press from where I get many of my books was established and the bookstore as well. The eighties saw the growth of the library and the growth of married student program and housing was also an integral part of the seminary during this time. Perhaps the most important period of the history of the seminary was during the time of Father Thomas Hopko. Father Hopko was the first American born dean of the seminary and was appointed in September 1992, a month after I was born.  During this time the financial growth of the seminary and the building of new areas of the seminary were conducted. While Father Hopko retired in 2002, his lasting impression on the seminary makes him one of the most widely read and respected priests of the 21^st century. John Erickson became the first layman and convert to the Faith to be appointed to the position of dean. While as dean he was eventually ordained to the Holy Priesthood. Though governance of the seminary has changed after the retirement of Father John in 2006, the seminary remains strong, and the teaching of the seminary has been far reaching.

               The seminary continues to produce many good priests and holy men. The seminary is growing under the leadership of Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie, a professor from Romania. I hope that in the future the seminary continues to grow the faith in America and abroad, leading all to the Kingdom of God and proclaiming orthodoxy to the whole world. While I have covered many of the important details of the ministry of the seminary here in this short article, I pray that you will do your own research and will learn about this amazing institution. May God use these men and teachers to create a place of divine grace and spread that grace through the world.

Amen.