Take up his cross

April 8, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Third Sunday of Lent. [Heb. 4:14–5:6; Mark 8:34–9:1] Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Mark 8:34). It is impossible to fol‐low the Lord as a crossbearer with‐out a cross, and everyone who fol‐lows Him, unfailingly goes with a cross. What is this cross? It is all sorts of inconveniences, burdens and sorrows — weighing heavily both internally and externally — a‐long the path of conscientious fulfil‐ment of the commandments of the Lord, in a life according to the spirit of His instructions and demands. Such a cross is so much a part of a Christian that wherever there is a Christian, there is this cross, and where there is no such cross, there is no Christian. Abundant privileges and a life of pleasure do not suit a true Christian. His task is to cleanse and reform himself. He is like a sick person, who needs cauterization, or amputation; how can this be with‐out pain? He wants to tear himself away from the captivity of a strong enemy; but how can this be without struggle and wounds? He must walk counter to all practices surrounding him; but how can he sustain this without inconvenience and con‐straint? Rejoice as you feel the cross upon yourself, for it is a sign that you are following the Lord on the path of salvation which leads to heaven. Endure a bit. The end is just around the corner, as well as the crowns!

Saint Theophan the Recluse

My Spirit Shall Not Strive With Man

March 29, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Friday. My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh (Gen. 6:3).[1] Man has two op‐posing forces inside, but one con‐sciousness — the human being. The characteristics of this being are de‐termined by his inclinations. If he sides with the Spirit, he is spiritual; if he sides with the flesh, he is flesh‐ly. The spirit does not disappear al‐together even from the fleshly, but it is enslaved, and has no voice. It becomes yoked, and serves the flesh like a slave serves its mistress, in‐venting all sorts of pleasures for it. Similarly, the flesh does not disap‐pear from the spiritual, but it sub‐mits to the spirit and serves it. It los‐es its natural rights for food through fasting, its rights for sleep through vigil, for rest through continuous la‐bour and weariness, for pleasing the feelings through seclusion and silence. Where the flesh reigns, God does not abide; for His organ of communication with man is the spirit, which is not given its due pri‐ority in the flesh. God’s approach is felt for the first time when the spirit begins to claim its own through the operation of the fear of God and one’s conscience. When conscious‐ness and freedom also come to help, then God communicates with man and begins to dwell in him. From that moment on begins the inspira‐tion of the soul, the flesh and of the entire inner and outer man, while God becomes all in all in him. By be‐coming spiritual, man is made di‐vine. What a marvellous benefit, and how little it is remembered, val‐ued and sought after!

[1]The Slavonic for Gen. 6:3 reads: My Spirit shall not eternally be scorned by men, because they are flesh.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Eye of the Mind

March 28, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Thursday. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler (Prov. 6:4–5). Everyone who in his heart has set out now, before the face of the Lord, to live according to His commandments, should take this rule as his guide. He must not give sleep to his eyes — not these outer eyes, but the inner eyes of his mind — so that they will gaze into his heart, and faithfully observe all that occurs there, and thus enable those who are zealous to find the enemy’s snares and avoid danger from them. The heart now becomes an arena for struggle with the enemy. There the enemy unceasingly sows his own [seed], which is in turn reflect‐ed in one’s thoughts. Such thoughts, however, are not always outra‐geously bad, but are for the most part disguised by false kindness and correctness. The chain of all thoughts is like a net of artful de‐sign! He who sets out after them heedlessly will not escape entangle‐ment, and, consequently the danger of a fall. This is why, brother, you must keep the eye of your mind sharp-sighted by means of strict at‐tention toward everything that oc‐curs in you and around you. Notice what your relentless “advisor” pro‐poses to you on the left side, and sift out the reason it was proposed to you and where it will lead, and you will never fall into his nets. Only, do not forget that attentiveness alone is not effective — it must be joined with abstinence, vigilance, and un‐ceasing prayer to the Lord. Combine all these, and it will be hard to catch you.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Letting Go of Resentments

March 25, 2013 | Uncategorized, Wisdom

by Fr. John Jillions
James 3:11-4:6
Mark 11:23-26

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:25-26)

St Nikolai Velimirovich
Saint Nikolai Velimirovich (1881-1956) was bishop of Ohrid and of Zhicha in Serbia. He suffered under the Nazis (including imprisonment and torture in Dachau) and after WWII moved to the United States, spending his final years at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery and Seminary, where he was Rector. When I served Holy Trinity Church in Rahway, NJ (1987-94), the late Father Dragoliub Sokic, a retired Serbian priest who had been Bishop Nikolai’s last secretary often came to the Liturgy with his wife Olga. He spoke warmly of this deep man who actively practiced love of enemies and letting go of offenses.

Saint Nikolai was an influential and prolific theological writer and preacher and was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church in 2003. In addition to his Prologue from Ohrid, a collection of saints’ lives and meditations, he wrote scores of prayers and poems, including this one.
Forgiveness

(Saint Nikolai Velimirovich)

That God may forgive us, let us forgive men.
We are all on this earth as temporary guests.
Prolonged fasting and prayer is in vain
Without forgiveness and true mercy.
God is the true Physician; sins are leprosy.
Whomever God cleanses, God also glorifies.
Every merciful act of men, God rewards with mercy.
He who returns sin with sin perishes without mercy.
Pus is not cleansed by pus from infected wounds,
Neither is the darkness of the dungeon dispelled by darkness,
But pure balm heals the festering wound,
And light disperses the darkness of the dungeon.
To the seriously wounded, mercy is like a balm;
As if seeing a torch dispersing the darkness, everyone rejoices in mercy.
The madman says, “I have no need of mercy!”
But when he is overcome by misery, he cries out for mercy!
Men bathe in the mercy of God,
And that mercy of God wakens us to life!
That God may forgive us, let us forgive men,
We are all on this earth as temporary guests.

Humility and the Jesus Prayer

March 23, 2013 | Uncategorized, Wisdom

The power of the Jesus Prayer lies in its expression of humility and need. “Have mercy” is the cry of the humbled heart for the salvation that only God can give. We cannot save ourselves but we know someone who can, and this knowing causes us to cry out with all our hearts “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” The Desert Fathers and Mothers consistently taught the need for humility:

Theodora said that neither asceticism, nor vigils, nor any kind of suffering are able to save. Only true humility can do that. There was a hermit who was able to banish the demons. And he asked them: “What makes you go away? Is it fasting?” They replied: “We do not eat or drink.” “Is it vigils?” They said: “We do not sleep.” “Then what power sends you away?” They replied: “Nothing can overcome us except humility alone.” Amma Theodora said: “Do you see how humility is victorious over the demons.”

Source

Confession Of Sins

March 22, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Friday. The Lord scorneth the scorn‐ers: but He giveth grace unto the lowly (Prov. 3:34). Particularly re‐member these words when you go to confession. Nothing like pride binds your tongue to keep it from saying, “I am a sinner.” Humble yourself before the Lord, do not spare yourself, do not fear the face of man. Reveal your shame for it to be washed; show your wounds for them to be healed; tell of all your unrighteousness that you be justi‐fied. The more merciless you will be with yourself, the more compassion the Lord will show towards you, and you will leave with a sweet feel‐ing of forgiveness. This is that grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, given from Him to those who humble them‐selves through sincere confession of their sins.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

The Holy 42 Martyrs of Ammoreia: Constantine, Aetios, Theophilos, Theodore, Melissenos, Kallistos, Basoes and the others with them

March 19, 2013 | Saints & Martyrs, Uncategorized

Commemorated on March 6

The Holy 42 Martyrs of Ammoreia: Constantine, Aetios, Theophilos, Theodore, Melissenos, Kallistos, Basoes and the others with them: During the time of a war between the Graeco-Byzantine emperor Theophilos (829-842) and the Saracens, the Saracens managed to besiege the city of Ammoreia (in Galicia in Asia Minor). As a result of treason on the part of the military commander Baditses, Ammoreia fell, and forty‑two of its military defenders were taken captive and sent off to Syria. Over the course of seven years of exhaustive imprisonment they tried in vain to persuade the captives to renounce the Christian faith and accept Mussulmanism. The captives stubbornly resisted all the seductive offers and bravely held out against the terrible threats. After many torments that failed to break the spirit of the Christian soldiers, they condemned them to death, in the hope of shaking the steadfastness of the saints before the actual execution. They said to the Soldier Theodore: “We know that thou, having forsaken the priestly dignity, didst become a soldier and shed blood. Thou canst not hope upon Christ, ‑- so accept Mahomet”. But the martyr with conviction replied: “I wilt not renounce Christ, and moreover, in that I left the priestly duty, the bloodshed was necessary”. The condemned calmly and without fear walked up to the executioners. They beheaded them, and threw their bodies into the River Euphrates. In the service to them, these holy passion-bearers are glorified as: the “All-Blest” Theodore, the “Unconquered” Kallistos, the “Valliant” Constantine, the “Wondrous” Theophilos and Basroes the “Most‑Strong”. And indeed the betrayer Baditses did not escape his shameful lot: the enemy knew, that it is impossible to trust a traitor, and they killed him.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.

Forgive And You Will Be Forgiven

March 18, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

[Rom. 13:11–14:4; Matt. 6:14–21] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, nei‐ther will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:14–15). What a simple and handy means of salva‐tion! Your trespasses are forgiven under the condition that you forgive the trespasses of your neighbour a‐gainst you. This means that you are in your own hands. Force yourself to pass from agitated feelings to‐ward your brother to truly peaceful feelings — and that is all. Forgive‐ness day — what a great heavenly day of God this is! If all of us used it as we ought, this day would make Christian societies into heavenly so‐cieties, and the earth would merge with heaven.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Ye Shall Be A Blessing

March 15, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Friday. So will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing, promises the Lord through the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 8:7–23). But under what con‐dition? Under the condition that ev‐ery man will speak the truth to his neighbour, that men will righteous‐ly sort out their affairs amongst themselves, that men will not re‐member wrongs in their hearts a‐gainst their neighbour, that they will love no false oath, and will love truth and peace. If these conditions are met, says the Lord, they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness (Zech. 8:8), and His blessing shall spread among them. Then all strangers shall hear and say, “Let us go speedily to them to pray before the Lord, for we have heard that the Lord is with them (cf. Zech. 8:21–3). Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts (Zech. 8:22). Thus did the high moral purity of the first Christians attract people and na‐tions to the Lord. Those who live al‐ways according to the spirit of Christ are, without the use of words, the best preachers of Christ and the most convincing apostles of Chris‐tianity.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Their Back Towards the Lord

March 13, 2013 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Wednesday. Also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. Blow the trumpet, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly… let the bridegroom go forth of his cham‐ber, and the bride out of her closet… let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say: “Spare thy peo‐ple, O Lord!” (Joel 2:2–17). Who now hearkens unto this voice, resound‐ing in the Church? If on the city squares a thunderous voice should resound from heaven, saying, “Spare yourselves, O people, so that the Lord will spare you!” — perhaps someone would hear it and awake from his ecstasy of pleasures, lusts and wine. The priests do not cease to plead, “Spare O Lord!” But from the Lord comes the just yet terrible answer, “I will not spare, for there are none seeking to be spared.” Ev‐eryone is standing with their back to the Lord; they have turned from Him and forgotten Him.

Saint Theophan the Recluse