Respect for and Protection of the Human Person
Angelos Alekopoulos People have their being and are regarded always as a whole and as a person. They aren’t a conglomeration of disparate substances and elements (such as soul and body) but each is a unique persona, involving the soul and body. In the human person, the body and...
The Saints Reveal the Truly Free Person
Archimandrite Theofilos Lemontzis, D. Th. An important place in Biblical and Patristic thought is accorded to the battle against the fear of death and Satan and to the achievement of freedom, in Christ, from all forms of self-interest and necessity. ‘I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid...
Avarice, the Grave Sickness of the Soul
Fotis Kondoglou ‘Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near’ (Lk. 12, 33) ‘Avarice is the root of all evils’ (I Tim. 6, 10) Of all the sicknesses that befall the human soul, the most...
The Passions of Avarice, Anger, Sorrow and Sloth – Part IΙΙ
Saint Nil of Sorskij During the period of relentless warfare, we must arm ourselves against the spirit of ingratitude and blasphemy, because it’s with those weapons that the enemy attacks us at that moment. Satan defeats people with doubt and fear and directs wicked thoughts at them like arrows:...
The Passions of Avarice, Anger, Sorrow and Sloth – Part IΙ
Saint Nil of Sorskij Sorrow We have a great struggle to wage against the evil spirit of sorrow, which brings the soul into despair and perdition. If the sorrow is occasioned by other people, we have to suffer it with joy, and pray for those who have saddened us,...
The Passions of Avarice, Anger, Sorrow and Sloth – Part I
Saint Nil of Sorskij Avarice The passion for the acquisition of wealth, said the Fathers, is not part of human nature and is due to a lack of faith and people’s sick way of thinking. This is why it requires no small effort to combat this passion, if, with...
Christian Unity and Individualism in the Modern Society
We went from being a communal society to becoming an individualistic society. The art of listening and the art of conversation are soon becoming obsolete with the invention of newer technologies which divide rather than unite. Gradually we are becoming isolated from one another. Who are we, what have become,...
Why Were Human Beings Created?
Why were human beings created? Q: I have asked many persons this question, but I have as yet not received a satisfactory answer. Maybe there is no answer. The question is, “Why was humanity created by God?” I know the “how” and the “circumstances,” but not the “why.” – D.A.C.,...
Death is the Last Enemy of Humankind
Death is the last enemy of humankind. Everyone who is born into this world is guaranteed one death. Death is inevitable. And in the Orthodox Christian tradition, the fear of death is considered to be one of, if not the most, significant causes of sin and destruction in the world....
Open Window
By Elder Moses the Athonite We’ve said before that God is not wrathful, bent on punishment and revenge. If He were, He would be bad. But there’s no trace of badness in the divinity. Every trial is an education from God and is a form of the spiritual struggle we...
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