Lauren 10/26/18 Lauren 10/26/18

Saint Demetrios-October 26

Saint Demetrius suffered in Thessaloniki, Greece during the reign of Galerius Maximian (c. 306). He belonged to one of the most distinguished families of the province of Macedonia and was widely admired not only because of his noble ancestry and grace of bearing but also for virtue, wisdom, and goodness of heart surpassing that of his elders.

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.

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THE 26TH OF OCTOBER, OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH CELEBRATES THE MEMORY OF THE HOLY, GLORIOUS AND GREAT MARTYR DEMETRIOS OF THESSALONIKI, THE MYROVLYTE OUTPOURER OF MYRON

The military expertise of Saint Demetrios led Galerius, as Caesar of the Eastern Empire, to appoint him commander of the Roman forces in Thessaly and Proconsul for Hellas (Greece). But for all this, Demetrios remained ever aware of the underlying realities of life. Since faith in Christ had touched his heart, all the glory of this world meant nothing to him, and there was nothing he preferred to teaching and preaching the word of God.

Despite the persecution directed against Christians by the Emperor, Saint Demetrios brought a large number of pagans to the faith. His words convinced them because they saw in the righteousness, peace and brotherly love that marked his life an illustration of the Truth of which he spoke.

The pagan Emperor Maximian had just won a series of brilliant victories over the Scythians and was on his way back to Rome when he halted at Thessaloniki to receive the acclamations of the populace and to offer sacrifices in thanksgiving to the pagan idols. A number of pagans, envious of the success of the Saint, took advantage of the Emperor's presence in the city to denounce Demetrios as a Christian. Maximian's astonishment gave way to violent indignation when he gathered that Demetrios' fellowship with the Disciples of Christ extended to making use of his official position to spread the faith. Demetrios was summoned and confined in an insalubrious cell, located in the basement of nearby baths.

When Demetrios entered the cell a scorpion approached his foot, poised to give a fatal sting. The Saint simply made the sign of the Cross and it vanished. Then he was left alone in the humid, foul-smelling atmosphere, but he took no account of it since he was full of joy at the thought of soon sharing completely in the Life-giving Passion of the Lord. He was only sorry at having to wait for the end of the celebration of the Emperor's triumph before he could fulfill his martyrdom.

As was usual on those occasions, Maximian arranged for games and gladiatorial combats to take place in the amphitheater of the city. He had brought with him a man of gigantic stature and Herculean strength and skill in single combat that no one could withstand him. There was in the city a young Christian called Nestor, who observing the empty pride of the Emperor in the victories of his champion, made up his mind to show him that real power belongs to Christ alone. He ran to the baths where Demetrios was imprisoned and asked for the protection of his prayer in going to confront the giant. The Martyr made the sign of the Cross on the brow and heart of the boy and sent him like David before Goliath. He reached the amphitheater just as the heralds were crying out on all sides for any who would stand against Lyaios. Advancing towards the Emperor, Nestor threw his tunic to the ground and shouted, 'God of Demetrios, help me!' In the first encounter, at the very moment the giant rushed upon him, Nestor slipped aside and stabbed him to the heart with his dagger. There were uproar and amazement at the marvel, and people asked themselves how a mere child, relying neither on strength nor weapons, could so suddenly have brought down the hitherto invincible barbarian. The fact is that Nestor placed his entire hope in the Lord, 'the Master of the contest'. He who delivers their enemies into the hands of the faithful.

Rather than yield to this sign of the sovereign power of God, the Emperor flew into a rage and ordered the immediate arrest of Nestor and his beheading outside the city. He had heard Nestor calling upon the God of Demetrios and, supposing the Saint had used some kind of witchcraft. Maximian ordered his soldiers to go and thrust Demetrios through with their lances, without trial, in the depths of his prison cell. There were some Christians, including Saint Demetrios' servant Lupus, present at his martyrdom, and when the soldiers had gone, they reverently buried the Saint's holy body. Lupus kept the blood-stained tunic of the holy Martyr and, taking the royal ring from his finger, placed it on his own. By means of these two trophies, Lupus wrought many miracles and healings; but when Maximian got to hear of them, he immediately sent soldiers to behead the faithful servant.

It was God's will that the grace with which He filled Saint Demetrios should remain active even after his death. This is why He caused to flow from his body a myron with a delightful scent, which had the property of healing all who took it as an unction (efchelaion), with faith in the intercession of the Saint. Time and again, for sixteen hundred years, Saint Demetrios has given proof of his benevolent care for the city of Thessaloniki and its inhabitants. He had defended them from the attacks of barbarians, fighting for them on the ramparts; he has preserved them from plague and famine, healed the sick and comforted the afflicted. So many are his miracles that attempting to number them all would be as senseless as trying to count the grains of sand on the sea's shore.

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DIVINE SERVICES: OCTOBER 25TH - 26TH

Great Vespers followed by the service of Artoklasia (Blessing and Breaking of the Five Loaves) this evening at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Andrew.

Friday, October 26th: (at Saint Andrew)
Orthros (Matins) at 9:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.

Father Demetrios Harper will be conducting the divine services.

May Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the holy intercessions of Saint Demetrios bless and protect him and his beloved family. Chronia Polla!

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With sincere agape in Christ,

+Father George

Lauren 10/26/18 Lauren 10/26/18

Imitation of Christ

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endures the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

St. Tabitha the Widow, raised from the dead by the Apostle Peter

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IMITATION OF CHRIST
By His Grace Bishop Alexander (Mileant)

Christ - the Ideal of Perfection. In the best moments of our life, when we are inspired to live a good life, to love everyone and everything, and to do good deeds, we cannot find a more appropriate example to follow than that of our Lord Jesus Christ. The righteous men of every age - Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Ascetics, and other champions of the faith - all shine with the beauty of their faith to the extent that they imitate Christ. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27; see also v. 4:19). As raindrops show different colors by reflecting the rays of sunlight, so every faithful Christian should reflect the spiritual beauty of Christ.

Each of us can imitate Christ in the following ways:

By desiring that all our thoughts, feelings, words and deeds be directed to the glory of God, and with clear and complete love for Him arising from the bottom of our hearts, desiring to be with Him.
By trying to do everything God approves of and commands, in complete obedience to Him; rejecting all He forbids, even if we must sacrifice ourselves to be faithful to Him.
By living in humility, honesty, and chastity, in moral purity and blamelessness; and by working to increase our spirituality with good deeds.
By compassion toward all people and their struggles, accepting their failure as our own failure, their happiness as our own happiness, and being ready to help those who are in need, even at our own expense.
By cultivating love for all people - not only the ones we love and those who are good to us, but also our personal enemies - and with humility, accepting insults and injustices against us and forgiving them, as the Lord Jesus Christ forgives us.
By fervent prayer: "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (St. Luke 22:44).

For a person who retains strong ties to the world and lacks spiritual understanding, these virtues appear to be beyond one's strength. If we penetrate deeper, we can see that the essence of the difficulty lies not in the deeds, but rather in our own nature, spoiled by ancestral sin. Indeed, the Angels of Heaven live virtuously and carry out all the Commandments of God naturally, without struggle and with great gladness. If we were sinless and pure, as God created man in the beginning, it would be easy and pleasing to us to live like this. But sin has destroyed the harmony between the body and the soul, the physical and the spiritual. Our body is ruled by disorderly desires, corrupted and subordinated to the tyrannical governance of our sinful nature over the soul. It is necessary to end the illegitimate rule of our body and to put it into obedience to the soul. This is easier said than done, since mankind has become enslaved by sin and the devil. Only through the Son of God, Who accepted our physical nature in order to rescue us, can we be freed from sin and restored within to the likeness of God.

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Lauren 10/25/18 Lauren 10/25/18

Jesus Christ, Par Excellence Example of True Obedience

Icon of the Mother of God “the Joy of All Who Sorrow”

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JESUS CHRIST, PAR EXCELLENCE EXAMPLE OF TRUE OBEDIENCE

"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8).

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ became flesh (incarnate) for us and for our salvation out of obedience to the Father. "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross", and therefore His name is exalted above every name, and He has become the Author of our salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9): "so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). Whereas the first Adam introduced sin and death into the world through disobedience, the Second Adam, Christ our God, grants life to the world through His perfect obedience. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not obedient to the Father out of any sense of slavery, but out of His unconditional love for the Father, and for mankind, who He laid down His life to save us.

It is clear, therefore, why obedience is so important and necessary in Orthodox Christian spirituality and eternal life. Saint Paul states: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). Our Lord's obedience restores the possibility of the communion with Him that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden, but we still have our free will -- God will not force us to accept the fruits of His obedience. And this is why obedience is so necessary for an authentic Christian spiritual life -- because humble obedience likens us unto Christ and grants participation in His obedience. The Holy Fathers of the Church tell us that the root of Adam's disobedience was self-love, but obedience is rooted not in slavery, but in love for God and others.

From our youth we are taught by our parents, our Church, our teachers and other civic authorities to be obedient. However, by definition, an Orthodox Christian is one who strives always to be obedient to the Divine Commandments of God, and, at the same time, obediently tries to fulfill the requirements at divine services, frequent reception of the Mysteries (Sacraments), observance of the seasonal fasts, the giving of alms (charity), etc. This holy obedience is, however, only the beginning for anyone who wishes to call himself Christian; these are the first steps in spiritual life, in keeping with what the Lord has taught us: "If ye love Me, ye will keep My Commandments. He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me. He that loveth Me Not, keepeth not My words" (St. John 14:15, 21, 24). Saint Paisios Velichkovsky has written: "The keeping of God's Commandments and His words is nothing else than perfect obedience toward Christ the Lord." From this the Orthodox Christian believer quickly learns how utterly lacking he is in the spirit of obedience and love.

It is fundamental and very essential to be obedient and it must never be passed over lightly. "Obedience is good, but (only) if it is done for God's sake." In the Orthodox ascetic tradition, obedience is considered "the first of virtues." For monastics, in particular, perfect obedience, understood as "the mortification of the will" (cf. Phil. 2:8) is integral to all ascetic endeavor. The virtue of obedience occurs within the context of loving trust and personal relationship between two people in Christ, which in itself reveals the presence of Christ (cf. St. Matthew 18:20). Without this special relationship, one gains nothing from authority but pride, and nothing from obedience but guilt.

Now we see why obedience is so important for the Orthodox spiritual life. Disobedience leads to sin and death, but the obedience of Christ leads us to righteousness and eternal life. Obedience is a constant theme in the holy writings of the holy Apostle Paul. He writes that it is a centrality in the life in Christ. Children must be obedient to their parents (cf. Ephesians 6:1, 3; Col. 3:20). Wives to their husbands: Ephesians 5:22-24; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:5. Servants to their masters (1 Timothy 6:1; cf. Ephesians 6:5, Titus 2:9). Citizens to the government (Romans 13:1; cf. Romans 13:2-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 3:1). Christians to the Church and the Gospel: This is one obvious! We are to humbly obey the teachings of Christ's Church and He authorities. (See 1 Cor. 11:1, 11:23, 15:3, 16:16; Galatians 5:7; 2 Thess. 1:8, 2:15; Hebrews 13:7, 13:17). And Christians to our Lord Jesus Christ: Christ is our Creator and Savior Who desires only the good things of salvation for us. To adhere to His Divine Will is to know His unconditional love and to be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:19). Also, 1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Corinthians 10:5-6; Hebrews 2:8.

"Obedience born out of love, is the key to becoming like Christ." (References: Fr. Alexey [now Hieromonk Ambrose] Young, Jesse Dominick, Rev. John Chryssavgis)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Lauren 10/23/18 Lauren 10/23/18

An Admonishing Epistle on Our Neighbor and on the Meaning of Sorrows (Part II)

The spiritual condition of a person and the grace he possesses is demonstrated by the patience he has. The proof of the existence of this virtue is the tolerance, longsuffering, patience. These are the jewels of every struggling Christian.

Holy Apostle James (Iakovos), the Lord’s Brother

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AN ADMONISHING EPISTLE ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR NEIGHBOR AND ON THE MEANING OF SORROWS (Part II)
By Monk Markellos Karkallinos

For this, my dear soul, during periods you struggle and get burnt by the fire of sin, do not fall asleep, do not neglect to struggle and hope on the on-combative power of God with which you will put out the fire of sin, overcoming thus the devil. Sing with joy and contentment together with the melodic St. Theodore the Studite: "With Your right hand Oh Logos/Word protect me, that the fire of sin not burn me" (5th antiphone, 1st tone).

You should know that the devil is useful to all of us, if we use him appropriately. He owes us a lot and we succeed from him not with small profit, as happened with the just Job. If you do not become negligent and if you do not betray yourself, neither could the devil harm you. The weak becomes harmed everywhere while the strong benefits everywhere. For the spiritual inclination is always very important and man's intention succeeds.

Let us therefore not blame the responsibilities of our sins on the devil nor on others. What is appropriate for us to do? To do just this. To introspect ourselves and our wounds for then we shall b able to apply the medicine for our healing, for he who ignores his disease will not tend to his healing.

Saint John Chrysostom prompts us to bless those that disturb us and to consider them benefactors and not curse them as enemies. "This we should always consider that the one who blesses his enemies blesses himself and he who curses the enemy curses himself and the one who prays for the enemy prays for himself and not him." Elianos praised the tax collectors of Sparta because they did not revenge the Klazomenes who dishonored them. They had gone to Sparta and painted the thrones of the tax collectors where they sat while in judgment. The inspectors when they learned this, they did not become angry nor did they delve evil for evil. They ordered however the speaker to declare the following famous words: "It is allowed for the Klazomenes to act ugly". These tax collectors we should imitate, us Christians. And if they curse us or do us evil or swear at us, we should not revenge but let us hear what St. John Chrysostom advises us in his sermon on repentance: "He who does not treat himself unjustly, no one else can make him suffer loss...and if you do everything you can do, the help of God will surely follow...however if one suffers loss and is wronged, it certainly derives from himself, not from the others, even if they were innumerable all those that wronged and harmed him. For if he did not suffer this by himself, all those living on the whole earth, even if they hit him, they could not in the least harm him who walks and is attentive in the Lord...."

The sorrows and the diverse temptations always are spiritually beneficial. Holy Adelphotheos ('brother of the Lord') Jacob considers the sorrows as a cause for spiritual joy, and for this he observes: "Count it all joy my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the test of your faith works patience" (St. James 1:2-3). You will rejoice in your sorrows and temptations knowing that the test of your faith through the sorrows will certainly result in a safe and completely steady patience. This patience then being unshakeable will produce the fruit of your perfection, that you may be perfect and complete, that you will thus lack nothing.

Apart from the temptations that God permits, there are temptations that are produced by our sinful passions (πάθοι). No man who suffers from sin, say that God is the reason he is tempted and pushed into sin. Everyone becomes disturbed and pushed into sin by his own bad intentions, which bring him down and with the bait of pleasure draws him in.

Most happy is the man that maintains himself with patience and looks forward to the test of sorrows. And he is most blessed for when through this test he becomes unshakeable, tested and fit, he will receive the bright and glorious crown of eternal life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him. (Source: Pantokratoras)

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ON OCTOBER 23RD OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST DAY OF THE HOLY APOSTLE JAMES (IAKOVOS), THE LORD'S BROTHER AND FIRST BISHOP OF JERUSALEM

He is called 'the Lord's brother because he was the son of righteous Joseph, the betrothed of the Most Holy Mother of God. When Joseph was dying, he shared out his goods among his sons and wanted to leave a share to the Lord Jesus, the son of the Most Holy Ever Virgin Mary, but his sons opposed this, not reckoning Jesus to be a brother of theirs. James (Iakovos), though, loved Jesus greatly and announced that he would include Him in his share, counting himself to be indeed brother to the Lord. James was, from the first, devoted to the Lord Jesus. According to Tradition, he went to Egypt with the Most Holy Virgin and Joseph when Herod tried to kill the new-born King. As soon as he heard Christ's teaching, he began to live by it. It is said that, during the whole of his life, he ate neither fat nor oil, but lived only on bread and water, and he was chaste to the end of his days. He often kept a vigil of prayer at night. The Lord included him among his Seventy Apostles, appearing to him after His glorious Resurrection, as the holy Apostle Paul testifies (1 Corinthians 15:7). He was Bishop in Jerusalem for 30 years, and governed the Church of God with zeal. On the Lord's instruction, he composed the first Liturgy, which was far too long for later Christians and was shortened by Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom. He brought many Jews and Greeks to the Christian faith, and even unbelieving Jews marveled at his justice, nicknaming him James the Just.

When Ananias became High Priest, he decided, along with other of the Jewish elders, to kill James as a preacher of Christ. One day, at Pascha, when many people were gathered in Jerusalem, the elders told him to climb up on onto a roof and speak against Christ. Saint James climbed up there, and began to speak to the people about Christ as the Son of God and the True Messiah, and of His Resurrection and Eternal glory in Heaven. The infuriated rabbis and elders cast him down from the roof, and he was badly injured though still alive. A man then ran up and gave him such a vicious blow on the head that his brains spilled out. Thus this glorious Apostle of Christ died a martyr's death and entered into the Kingdom of his Lord. Saint James was 63 years old when he suffered for Christ. (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Lauren 10/22/18 Lauren 10/22/18

An Admonishing Epistle on our Relationship With our Neighbor and on the Meaning of Sorrows

Nothing makes the way for the approach of God easier as does the mercy that is offered from the depth of the soul for those who are in need. The Lord said: "Inasmuch you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to Me" (St. Matthew 25:40).

7 Holy Youths “Seven Sleepers” of Ephesus

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AN ADMONISHING EPISTLE ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR NEIGHBOR AND ON THE MEANING OF SORROWS
By monk Markellos Karakallinos [Publication Orthodox Kypseli]

The one who heals the needs of the others like God, imitates God, through philanthropy and demonstrates that he bears within himself in analogy with God, the power of providence for the salvation of his brother.

Who therefore is so indifferent that does not wish to be like God, in other words, wishing to approach that which is in His likeness while the manner of doing good and of sympathy towards his neighbor is so easy? Without compassion and love towards the neighbor, no virtue can remain undefiled.

Let us learn the habit of observing and examining only ourselves, and never bother ourselves with the actions of the others. We should recognize only one judge, wise and just, the Holy God, Who judges with wisdom and justice, everything that happened and even for the reason they happened.

Let us limit ourselves by severing every connection to the external and now allow our eye to see, nor our ear to hear, not even the tongue to talk about the things of others. Let us use more sympathy than empathy towards others.

Let us listen to the divine preacher Paul who advises us: "I beg you to behave with all humility and meekness, and longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). "If therefore different and varied gifts and not the same were given to others, there should be absolutely no reason that this distribution should be the cause of enmity between you. For this distribution was not done by chance but was done by Christ Himself. But for every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Ephesians 4:7).

"Put away the old man of your earlier way of life who is corrupted by the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man who is created according to God in the holiness of truth" (Ephesians 4:22-24). For if we endeavor this with ourselves then we shall succeed "that we walk worthy of God who calls us to His Kingdom and glory" (1 Thess. 2:12). Holy God grants us His grace, but we have to recognize that whatever good we may do it is not done by us but by God. We must sympathize with the one who lacks and do not believe that he is a sinner, such as lazy, evil, chatterer, thief, liar. If we acquire this awareness, we shall never criticize anyone even when we see him sinning mortally. We shall think thus: "He does not have Your grace my Christ that is why he sins. If you leave me, I too will do the same and even worse. You help me and I can stand on my feet. The brother sees that much and he does that much."

You ask from your brother what God has not given him. If you'll understand well what I tell you, everybody will not be responsible but only you. If you therefore wish your neighbor to be always good as it pleases you, remove his offences with the grace (gifts) you have..."

"It is just to pray for God to remove his offences so that he may see and act correctly. If however you will ask differently to receive your justice, you will appear unjust and would be necessary therefore for the gift (grace) to keep going back and forth until it finds comfort in your soul. For that much grace one is entitled to have as he agreeably endures the offense. As much weight your neighbor patiently bears (Elder Joseph the Spilliote). Another faster way does not exist for one to persist in the offences that visit us whatever they may be. (Source: Pantokratoras)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Lauren 10/22/18 Lauren 10/22/18

Spiritual Blindness: Inability to Discern Good From Evil, Truth From Lies

What is spiritual blindness? It is people's inability to see into the essence of what is happening around them. It is the inability to see good and evil, to discern truth from lies.

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS: INABILITY TO DISCERN GOOD FROM EVIL, TRUTH FROM LIES
By Patriarch Kyrill of Russia

What is spiritual blindness? It is people's inability to see into the essence of what is happening around them. It is the inability to see good and evil, to discern truth from lies.

The spiritually blind person is like a vessel in the ocean without a navigator. If the captain has no idea where the vessel is located, where it is going, where the reefs are and where the calm waters are, where it is shallow and where it is sufficiently deep, then such a vessel will most likely shipwreck. It is the same in our lives--if a person has no spiritual vision he is taking a great risk. He can choose the wrong way of life, the wrong path in life. He can join his fate with a person in whom he did not see, did not discern evil from good or good from evil.

It Happened Because There was no Spiritual Sight.

And how often this happens! How many human tragedies happen only because a young man and woman who have fallen in love and want to unite their fates were not able to recognize each others' true inner state! Beyond the outward amicability and affectionate treatment may hide a very dangerous person, and we know that many marriages break up for this very reason. We often have to hear, "How could I not have seen it? Why did this happen?" It happened because there was no spiritual sight.

Communist Evil Fooled Many Christians

But this does not only happen in our personal life--it also happens in the life of society, a nation. This year we remember the 100th anniversary of the bloody revolution. In those days we were unable to make sense of it; many then also had no spiritual sight. People called themselves Christians, but they could not discern pretty words from the real essence of what was being offered, and what was being offered was violence--a change in the life of the country through death and suffering, under the pretext that life would be better.

What is there to say about the past! Don't we make mistakes now? Aren't we also now fascinated with pretty words and various promises? This happens in politics, and in the media, when people are drawn in by certain false ideas. They create for themselves idols, they are ready to obey them and do as the idols teach them. The result is human tragedy, conflicts, and disappointment--not to mention such terrible consequences as total life catastrophes, when people don't have the strength to live, and not having faith within their hearts, they even take their own lives.

Who can give us this sight? No one but God.

The Lack of Spiritual Sight Is a Catastrophe

The lack of spiritual sight is a catastrophe; it is danger on an enormous scale for the person, for society, for the nation. Who can give us this sight? No one but God. Very often when you go for confession to an elder, a person of holy life, you sense that he can feel and understand your inner life. It would seem that you didn't tell him anything in particular, but just looking at you he sees, understands, and feels. This cannot be simply called intuition, because such a person's sight is strictly connected with his manner of life, his faith, his closeness to God.

When we grow in faith, when we obtain the habit of prayer, when we know how to talk with God, when we entrust our innermost thoughts and feelings to Him, when we repent before Him like we can't repent even before our father-confessor, when we do not feel a dividing wall between ourselves and God, then the Lord opens our inner spiritual vision, each according to the measure of his faith and closeness to God.

Even an ordinary person with no claims whatsoever to sanctity is capable of coming closer to God.

It is hard to fathom the spiritual sight that holy people possess. But even an ordinary person with no claims whatsoever to sanctity is capable of coming closer to God through his personal spiritual experience, so that his inner spiritual eyes are opened. So that he would suddenly see very much from another point of view. So that he would develop a stable, critical relationship to the huge amount of information that is crashing down on people today; to those words that sometimes draw us in, but lead not to the Light, not to Truth, not to a happy life, but to spiritual destruction.

Spiritual sight is the trusty navigator for living a full life without falling into extremes, and without placing your life in danger.

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Excerpts from a homily on the day of the Apodosis of the Tranfiguration of the Lord in the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Jurgan, August 26, 2017 by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia--Translation by Nun Cornelia (Rees) - Pravoslavie.ru -

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George