It turns round and round about
Saint Nilos the Ascetic If you’re bound, you can’t run. Nor is a mind that works like a slave for some passion or other capable of real prayer. Because it’s dragged here and there by its impassioned thoughts and can’t be still. You’ll never manage to pray purely if...
The proper intention – Feast day of St Agatha
Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi The Lord always seeks to find the proper intention in man for it is said that ‘Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians, 9, 7). He also urges:...
Avoid them
Saint Iakovos Tsalikis If we’re not spiritually strong and another person’s behaviour bothers us, let’s not condemn them. Better to avoid them and to have no truck or dealings with them. And if they’re heretics, then we should avoid them entirely and have nothing to do with them. Because...
Animosity
Monk Arsenios of the Skete of Koutloumousiou, the Holy Mountain According to Saint John of the Ladder, pride means: ‘Denial of God, an invention of the demons’. To put it more simply, pride was discovered and invented by the devil. Lucifer refused to render veneration and worship to his...
Is this possible?
Elder Sophrony of Essex The path of the Christian is like this, in general terms. Initially, we’re attracted to God with the gift of grace, and once we’ve been thus attracted, then there begins a long period of trial. Our freedom is tested, as is our trust in God,...
He doesn’t have the right
Elder Cleopa Ilie Satan has neither the power nor permission to lord it over us, to deceive us and bend our will towards sin. He simply brings us into temptation through a variety of ploys, fantasies and recollections, with our feelings, the weaknesses of our nature, with pleasures and...
Divine and Human Love in the Song of Songs
† Elder Placide Deseille, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in France Reading the Song in the light of Church tradition and the experience of the holy Fathers we can tell ourselves: ‘It’s absolutely clear that our Lord Jesus loves us who are members of...
The Song of Songs as Divine Revelation (2)
† Elder Placide Deseille, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in France Christ’s love for each of us is absolutely unshakeable and unblemished. Our familiarity with Him can’t be lost unless we knowingly cease to take account of His will and no longer communicate with...
The Song of Songs and Divine Love
† Elder Placide Deseille, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in France In memory of Papa-Efraim Katounakiotis The Song of Songs is the jewel of the Old Testament and, together with the Gospel of Saint John the Theologian, constitutes the centre of divine Revelation. It...
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Meditation on the Epiphany [2]
Fr. Lev Gillet The day after Christmas is consecrated to the ‘synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary: all believers are invited to assemble in honour of her who made the Incarnation humanly possible. In the same way, the day after Epiphany (January 7) is consecrated to the ‘synaxis’ of...
