Orthodox Wisdom

• On ROCOR & Its Canonicity - Elder Ephraim of Arizona

  For a very breif time in 1991, Elder Ephraim (+2019) was a member of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). Compelled to address his reasons for joining the Synod, Elder Ephraim composed this statement explaining the position of ROCOR and its canonicity. His statement is valuable to all Orthodox Christians in today's struggle against the heresy of Ecumenism and for the unity of the Orthodox Church.0:00 Introduction1:52 Elder Ephraim's StatementThe inclusion of the introduction by the editors of Orthodox Tradition (Old Calendarists from Etna, CA) is neither to promote nor demote them. At minimum, their words provide valuable context and are appropriate in setting up the audience for their english translation of Elder Ephraim's original greek. It's up to the listener to draw their own conclusions about the Old Calenderists and more importantly, the words of Elder Ephraim. 📖 Elder Ephraim on the Russian Orthodox Church Abroadhttp://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/ephraim_roca.aspx🎧 PLAYLIST: Elder Ephraim of AZ & St. Joseph the Hesychast - Readingshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYg5pt1Tvc3lnjd41E9pdR-p🎧 The Church, Ecumenism, and the Salvation of the World - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizonahttps://youtu.be/Srl9lCkmCM4🎧 Pray the Jesus Prayer with Elder Ephraim:https://youtu.be/pmFA4LTADQE?si=ig5DyyyQgX-WEgOA🎧 On Trials and Temptations - Elder Ephraim of Arizonahttps://youtu.be/yX68hapAbjY⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______Elder Ephraim writes:The Apostolic Succession of the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad cannot be impugned, since all of the present Bishops hold canonical Consecrations from the Bishops of the pre-Revolutionary era and their successors.Patriarch Tikhon, foreseeing a bleak future for the Russian Church, issued a decree to the Bishops outside Soviet Russia, granting them the right to organize self-governing synodal bodies. Despite this, the exiled Russian Hierarchs, having lived in an atmosphere of utmost loyalty to the law and obedience under the Tsar, insisted, during their first few years of exile, on maintaining contact with their base (Patriarch Tikhon and his successors) and to seek from there approval for their more momentous decisions at least—though this was difficult under their circumstances at the time (persecutions, banishments, etc.). This communion was abruptly cut off by the capitulation of the locum tenens and later Patriarch [Sergius] (Stragorodsky) in his infamous declaration—something totally unacceptable to the Bishops in exile—, assuring the full submission of the Church to the atheist regime and ordering the faithful to show full obedience to and pray for the Soviet authorities. In my opinion, this rupture in communion was justified by the Canons, which provide for the cessation of all commemoration of the first Hierarch of a local Church in the event that he preaches heretical teachings; for Marxism is not only a political system, but entails a secular worldview, indeed a heresy.

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• How St. Porphyrios Served the Divine Liturgy

  A spiritual son of St. Porphyrios describes how the elder served Christ with incredible love and devotion in the Divine Liturgy.A reading from “Father Porphyrios: The Discerning, The Foreseeing, The Healer” by Anargyros J. Kalliatsos, p. 52-54🎧 To Be A Christian You Must Become A Poet - St. Porphyrioshttps://youtu.be/sp_NV5zj9wo🎧 Noetic Sound Waves of the Heart - From the Life of St. Porphyrioshttps://youtu.be/n5dWVVDDvhM🎧 Original recording of Saint Porphyrios saying the Jesus Prayer:https://youtu.be/w7XSW7wpCfY?si=w3yUXGV94QMWg4FH📖 Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios:https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios?srsltid=AfmBOoorE21YcZGUDow6RQlSnMJLerM851JSD-JP01Rl_2lvrmd0tO7n📖Healing the Soul: Saint Porphyrios as a Model for Our Lives. The St. John Chrysostom Monastery in Wisconsin publishes this book. Email them to ask how to obtain a copy:https://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______Father Porphyrios was actually living the divine mystery. This was obvious by the way he acted. The consecrated bread was for him really the Body of Christ. And when he cut it, he felt pain in his heart. He was more than sure that he cut Christ's Body itself! During the Prothesis, he was reading the prayers with particular emphasis and such expression that even the most faithless could not fail being moved. It is impossible to forget the way he prayed for the living and the dead: "Remember, Lord, your servant So-and-so." It was asked with such sweetness and in such a supplicatory tone that it was impossible to be refused; not by God, who is merciful, forbearing, and full of love, but even by the worst criminal of the world. I also noticed that during the Divine Liturgy Papouli gave the impression that he was not hearing or seeing. He was not in touch with the world around him. He was living in his own world. Nevertheless, I did not leave him in peace even there. Every now and then, I went near him to show him my love. With full response he made the sign of the cross on my forehead with the sacred spoon' or his cross, or any other sacred object that he had in his saintly hands at that time. That was not done in the way the other priests did it. He crossed with such faith and force on the forehead, the head, or any other part of the body that it was really felt. Sometimes, I had the impression that my forehead started bleeding. Of course, that never happened. What also impressed me enormously was the way he collected the Divine Pearls! His diligence, his devotion, his care, and his fear in case he lost one of them could not be described. He was literally sweating from agony. Finally, I would consider it an omission if I did not say anything, at least two words, about the way father Porphyrios chanted. His chanting bore no relation to the common chanting we hear in most churches today. It had something completely distinct. It was plain, unaffected, low, without high pitches and other vocal techniques reminding oriental songs. He avoided showing off his vocal ability. This does not mean that he lacked such an ability. What he was interested in was to pronounce correctly and clearly what he chanted; on the one hand, to offer the chant to the people comprehensibly and, on the other hand, to have a direct and continuous contact with God. He achieved both because he had great faith in God and he loved Him more than anything else in the world.

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• St. Paisius Velichkovsky: "The Most Important Saint of Recent Times" - Fr. Seraphim Rose

  Written in 1972, Fr. Seraphim Rose draws attention to the significance of St. Paisius Velichkovsky (+1794) for us today, stating, "...for Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky."A reading of Fr. Seraphim Rose's Introduction to: "Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky: The Man Behind the Philokalia" by Schema-monk Metrophanes📖 Read the Introduction here:https://jordanville.org/news_121129_2http://orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/intro_bpv.aspx📖 Currently available books by Fr. Seraphim:https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Fr-Seraphim-s/1817.htm🎧 On Prelest (Spiritual Deception) - Fr. Seraphim Rosehttps://youtu.be/Pt00jwZ37ik🎧 The Holy Fathers of Orthodox Spirituality, Pt. I - Fr. Seraphim Rosehttps://youtu.be/ZEDGphNMUw0🎥 Experiences with Fr. Seraphim Rose - from Archpriest Paul Babahttps://youtu.be/w2Ej6Z8e90w🎧 See my playlist of readings of Fr. Seraphim Rose:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYjDHTp3rJVE7B66juR7bDzI⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______Fr. Seraphim writes:"...for Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky. This is so not merely because of his holy life; not merely because, like another Saint Gregory Palamas, he defended the hesychast practice of the mental Prayer of Jesus; not only because he, through his many disciples, inspired the great monastic revival of the 19th century which flowered most notably in the holy Elders of Optina Monastery; but most of all because he redirected the attention of Orthodox Christians to the sources of Holy Orthodoxy, which are the only foundation of true Orthodox life and thought whether of the past or of the present, whether of monks or of laymen.It is these very same sources—the Divine Scriptures and the writings of the Holy Fathers—which are the foundation of all genuine Orthodoxy in our own times. The observer of the Orthodox world today can see easily enough what "Orthodoxy" becomes when these sources are not made the foundation of life and thought.The followers of unenlightened custom are themselves innocent; they merely accept what has been "handed down" to them. But not seeing the meaning and not knowing the sources of what has been handed down, they are easily led into error, accepting customs which the Church has allowed only out of her condescension or economy as if they were the best of Orthodoxy, and also improper customs of recent heterodox origin and inspiration, together with the pure and meaningful Orthodox customs handed down from the Holy Fathers. Under strict yet prudent pastors, such people can be guided in the true path of Orthodoxy; but in our own time of such widespread irresponsible Church leadership, these people are more often guided gradually into a path of ever greater and more senseless innovation and reform, the clearest example of which is perhaps the Greek Archdiocese of America, where pews, organs, and Uniat spirituality and theology have become the new "customs" of an unfortunate people whose Orthodoxy has been stolen from it.

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• Boredom & Despondency - St. Seraphim of Sarov

  St. Seraphim addresses two related spiritual diseases that plague many at various times, offering insight into how to overcome them and remain close to Christ.This reading comes from: Life and Teaching of St. Seraphim of Sarov📖 Life and Teaching of St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/life-and-teaching-of-saint-seraphim-of-sarov?srsltid=AfmBOopmeXl6e0F3AWUW23i0Sy5XOCVLP002Q85QzKN09lymGZj5VLdv🎧 Despondency in Prayer - St. John of Kronstadthttps://youtu.be/dlH-e6gQQEM🎧 Drive Out Despair With The Jesus Prayer - St. Barsanuphius of Optinahttps://youtu.be/ELcvcmLMI7A🎧 The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit - St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://youtu.be/i5rTls7uTsM🎧 Never Despair of Your Salvation (Concerning the Sin of Self-abuse)https://youtu.be/OOQxdpPd_PI🎧 On Peace of Soul - St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://youtu.be/6LTSr5pu00A⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______St. Seraphim teaches:An inseparable companion of the spirit of sorrow is boredom. It attacks a monk, as the Fathers have observed, at about midday, and it produces in him such a terrible restlessness that both the place where he lives and the brothers who live with him become unbearable to him; and during the reading there is aroused in him a kind of disgust, repeated yawning, and great hunger. Once the belly has been satisfied, the demon of boredom insinuates into the monk the idea of going out of his cell and talking to someone, suggesting that the only way of saving oneself from boredom is by constantly conversing with others. And the monk who is vanquished by boredom is like desert tumbleweed that now stops for a moment, and now is again at the mercy of the wind. He is like a wisp of cloud pursued by the wind.This affliction is cured by prayer, abstinence from idle talk, manual labor according to one's strength, reading of the Word of God, and patience; for it is born of faintheartedness, inactivity, and idle talk.When boredom vanquishes you, say to yourself, in accordance with the instructions of St. Isaac the Syrian: "You desire again an unclean and shameful life. And if the thought occurs to you: it is a great sin to kill oneself [with ascetic practices], — you should say in return:I am killing myself because I cannot live uncleanly. I shall die here so as not to see real death — the death of my soul in its relation to God. It is better for me to die here in purity than to live an evil life in the word. I have preferred such a death to my sins. I am killing myself because I have sinned against God, and I will no longer anger Him. What is life to me apart from God? This affliction I will bear, so as not to be deprived of the hope of heaven. Why should God care for my life, if I live evilly and anger Him? (Homily 22).Boredom is one thing, and the anguish of spirit that is called despondency is quite another. It sometimes happens that a man is in such a spiritual state that it seems to him that it would be easier to be annihilated or to be totally without consciousness or feeling than to remain any longer in this immeasurably painful state. One must come out of it quickly. Guard yourself against the spirit of despondency, for from it comes every kind of evil (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Answer 73)._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

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• The Struggle Against the Passions - St. Paisios the Athonite

  St. Paisios provides guidance on fighting the sins and passions that plague us, and how to win the battle to receive a heavenly crown.A reading from Spiritual Counsels, Vol. V: Passions and Virtues by St. Paisios, p. 21-36📖 Spiritual Counsels, Vol. V: Passions and Virtues by St. Paisioshttps://www.holycross.org/products/passions-and-virtues-elder-paisios?srsltid=AfmBOoosr8olgBCwD0SYQ-GFS_bfXyRVYAsxDAiBGL9MlAUJ1SC3ssyE🎧 The Struggle Against Thoughts - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/5sN-zHdnjto🎧 On Attention and Distraction - St. Ignatius Brianchaninovhttps://youtu.be/v5ZIEmv8RwQ🎧 Everyone Needs a Spiritual Father - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/xaSeWRcJPHo🎧 Fighting the Passions - Archbishop Theophan of Poltavahttps://youtu.be/tNYLK80dFvA🎧 Holiness is in the Struggle! - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://youtu.be/Qhm2ffdEBsc⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______St. Paisios teaches:When there is no danger of becoming conceited and prideful, then God will certainly help. The Good God desires that we be delivered from our passions; but if we have pride or the predisposition to become prideful, then He does not help us to be delivered from our passions, for then we will imagine that we achieved it without His help.— Geronda, is it better to do away with a passion or a bad habit at once, or little by little? — If you can get rid of it immediately, it is best; otherwise it may leave some... residue. There is no need for delay. When one is crossing a river, particularly in the winter, he tries to do it as quickly as possible; otherwise, he'll freeze from the cold. If he crosses quickly, before being overcome by the cold, he will soon warm up again. You see, even tethered horses that want to get free will snap the rope with a sudden strong pull. Temptation requires a very sharp tug in order to sever the rope.— Geronda, does the remembrance of death help in this inner work? — Yes, it is very helpful. If we bear in mind the remembrance of death with hope in God, we will become aware of the vanity of this world and be helped spiritually. This is why we should keep the criterion (judgment) of God in mind and not forget that we will be judged for the sins we have committed and not repented for. "What am I doing? How can I live with so much negligence?" should be our thoughts. "If I should die right now, how will I be judged? Do I have a contract with death? Death comes both to the young and the old." If I could keep in mind that God may call me soon, then I would not be so inclined to sin.We sometimes try to acquire God's Grace and gifts through some magical means. We delude ourselves by thinking that we can acquire a virtue or even be sanctified without a struggle. However, for God to give, we must sow. How will God give if we do not work? What does the hymn say? "You have cultivated the barren desert?" God will provide abundant rain to soften the soil, but we must also "cultivate" our field. The earth is ready, but we must put our hand to the plough and sow our field; and whatever we sow, we will reap. But if we do not plough, how can we sow? And if we do not sow, what will we harvest? For this reason, we should not only ask what God can do for us, but what we can do for ourselves. The bank of Christ offers great interest rates. But if we make no deposit in His bank, how can we expect to make a withdrawal?_______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

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