Glory to God for All Things!

Border Collie

Every time I see beauty in nature is as if I could hear
God, our Creator, asking me, "Do you like it? I made
it for you!"; and the response of my heart is always 
the same, "Glory to God for all things!

Head, Heart, and Nous by Frederica Mathewes-Green

Entrance to the Monastery in Leilich, Serbia where
St Nikolai Velimirovich's relics are kept

Matushka Frederica makes some brilliant distinctions in this article. She masterfully explains some very subtle nuances in the understanding of the Fathers concerning the make up of man; head vs nous [also translated as intellect, mind (not to be confused with reason), that part of the soul which can have communion with God and can know God. Frederica makes a distinction between spiritual heart and feelings; between imagination and man's creative faculty.This is all very Patristic, and according to holy tradition and the scriptures.

M. Frederica writes;
"This concept of the nous, I would think would be important to Western Christians and to Evangelicals, because they do have this important role for God’s revelation, that there are things that we cannot learn by logic alone, there are things we can only learn because God reveals them. So therefore you need something more than a heart full of emotions and a head full of concepts. You need a receptive mind, a mind that can comprehend, and that would be the nous. It’s like a piece that is missing in our Western anthropology." Frederica Mathewes-Green

To read the article please go to Matushka Frederica's website here.

Posted with permission

How to See God - a Sermon by Fr Andrew S. Damick

Moses beholds the burning bush Source


"Fr. Andrew reflects on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

and how it reveals how we can see God and sense His Presence."

from the Ancient Faith Radio website.

Please click here to listen to this wonderful sermon.

Posted with permission from Fr Andrew S. Damick

On Forgiveness by Fr Alexis Trader

Icon of Christ's Trial inside the Church of 
Panagia Dexia in Thessaloniki, Grecce

Fr Alexis Trader, an Athonite Hieromonk, in the
Monastery of Karakallou, has been publishing a 

series of post on forgiveness in his blog,

Ancient Christian Wisdom

The articles on forgiveness are very comprehensive in 

their scope and practical application. This is Patristic

teaching at its bests. It will surely help many. Please

do not deprive yourself of something wonderful and

start following this series on forgiveness. 
There are 21 posts following this one, so far. If you

go to the home page of the blog you will see the last

or more recent one. To start from the beginning,
please go here. 

Below is the beginning of the first post,


"A New Blog Series on Forgiveness: Some

Preliminary Definitions
June 10, 2014 By fatheralexis


In a fallen world, no one escapes the bumps and bruises associated with our interactions with others. Sometimes, the cuts and scrapes form gaping holes that may leave us offended and wounded, hurt by angry words, callous actions, or selfish disregard. While we can confidently affirm that conflict is an inevitable, if not unfortunate part of human life, the aftermath of such often comes down to a choice between resentment and forgiveness. This new blog series will focus attention on the latter.

Forgiveness, or the lack thereof in ourselves or in others, is a subject that affects each of us, undoubtedly on a daily basis. Its role is so significant that psychologists and healthcare professionals over the past thirty years have begun studying what people of faith have known about for millennia, namely that forgiveness plays a powerful, therapeutic role in better physical and mental well-being. Of course, Christianity uses another language—the language of the heart, the language of brotherhood, and the language of God Himself—to speak about forgiveness, whereas psychology uses the terminology of science. Is there a meeting place between our forgiving our brothers and sisters from our hearts their trespasses against us (Matthew 18:35) and what psychologists are exploring today? That will be one of the questions this series will attempt to answer.

A starting point for that question would be to look at some definitions that psychologists propose for forgiveness. As Blake Riek and Eric W. Mania have noted in their article “The Antecedents and Consequences of Interpersonal Forgiveness: A Meta-Analytic Review,” there have been various opinions concerning an exact definition of the term. Yet, they do point out the definition put forth in 1997 by McCullough, Worthington, and Rachal: forgiveness is “a set of motivational changes whereby one becomes a) decreasingly motivated to retaliate against an offending relationship partner, b) decreasingly motivated to maintain estrangement from the offender, and c) increasingly motivated by conciliation and goodwill for the offender’” (pp. 321-22). In other words, forgiveness is about how we are moved with respect to someone else or a change in disposition in which the fight or flight impulse has weakened and an inclination towards meeting the person with kindness begins to grow stronger. There is a change in the will and a change in perspective that allows for a radically new and undeniably positive approach to someone else that is manifest in thoughts, emotions, and behavior. That this is something good, almost goes without saying."

Icon of St Innocent of Moscow (and of Alaska) Weeping Myrrh in Khabarovsk

I just read the following in Pravoslavie.ru. Could this be

a warning, not only to Russia but also to the United States?

"Khabarovsk, August 22, 2014

Source

On August 20, 2014, in the house church of the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary, the icon of this educational establishment’s patron-saint, Holy Hierarch Innocent of Moscow (Veniaminov; 1797-1879; a great missionary in Siberia and north America, later Metropolitan of Moscow) , began weeping myrrh, reports the Khabarovsk Diocese’s information department.

The unusual phenomenon was noticed by the seminary aspirants who came to take entrance examinations.

“The streaming myrrh was noticed by our seminary entrants who remained at the evening prayers. When we were informed about it, we saw drops on the eyes of the Holy Hierarch Innocent of Moscow and stains from them. This is an icon of our patron-saint so we performed a prayer service at once,” related the pro-rector of the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary Bishop Ephraim of Bikin. “When the icon was opened to make sure that it really was shedding myrrh, the church suddenly was filled with fragrant aroma. In order to document the fact that the icon started shedding myrrh, the seminary has drawn up a special record”.


 




The myrrh continued streaming on the following day as well. Big drops resembling tears were flowing down the saint’s image, accumulating at the bottom edge of the icon.
The complete article can be read here.

The Struggle for Virtue by Archbishop Averky

This book is available from Amazon

"Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: The Essence and Meaning of Asceticism
1. Self-Asserting Pride and Christian Humility
2. The Importance of Spiritual Discernment
3. Gospel Love and Humanistic Altruism
4. Acquiring Gospel Love
5. Reawakening Our Conscience
6. The Christian Understanding of Freedom
7. Guarding the Heart Amidst the Distractions of Life
8. Resisting Evil
9. Waging Unseen Warfare
10. Christian Struggle
11. The Holy Fathers on Combating the Passions
12. Pastoral Asceticism
Notes
Subject Index
Scripture Index

Archbishop Averky is considered one of the great scholars of 20th-century Orthodoxy and this book brings to the English-speaking world his answer to the question “What is asceticism?” A bearer of the saving doctrine of the Patristic teaching, he steadfastly defended traditional Orthodoxy and passed on this teaching through his commentaries on Scripture and other works in the Russian language. In showing how evil is rooted out and virtue is implanted in the soul, Archbishop Averky counters the many false understandings that exist showing that the practice of authentic asceticism is integral to the spiritual life and the path to blessed communion with God." from the Amazon website

Path of Entry to the Philokalia by Monk Maximos - available from Patristic Nectar Publications

To purchase this series please go to Patristic Nectar Publications


"The Path of Entry to the Philokalia: Selected Readings
as presented by Monk Maximos (Constas)


Many of you have expressed great interest in the Philokalia, but struggle with a method for entering and digesting these great texts.

As you know, the Philokalia is a collection of sacred Orthodox spiritual texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries. The writers of these texts were concerned with inner asceticism, ceaseless prayer, and how one may attain a life of contemplative stillness and union with God. Although a treasure trove of patristic wisdom, the texts are not organized thematically in a manner that facilitates comprehension for the beginning reader.

To assist those interested in immersing themselves in the Philokalia, Patristic Nectar Publications has created an audio series of nine readings that constitute the traditional path of entry into these texts as presented by Monk Maximos (Constas). When the Philokalia is entered by listening to this selection in the order proposed, the listener is gradually and wisely initiated into the practices of inner attention, spiritual sobriety, and the Prayer of the Heart. Moreover, this selection amply demonstrates the Biblical and Patristic foundations of these practices, as well as their direct connection to the sacramental life of the Church. Because the mind must first be recalled from its many distractions, these works encourage the practitioner to use the breath as a way to lead the mind to the heart, and from there to invoke the name of Jesus Christ. Having understood the basic principles and practices presented in these works, one may afterwards move more freely throughout the other works in the Philokalia.

Each audio in this series may be purchased individually, or they may be purchased as a set. When purchased individually, the total cost is $60. Patristic Nectar is offering the set of all nine audios for $40 – a savings of 33%!

The set includes:

1. St. Nikephoros the Hesychast, On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart

2. Saints Kallistos and Ignatios, Directions to Hesychasts

3. St. Hesychios, On Watchfulness and Holiness

4. Evagrius, On Prayer

5. A Discourse on Abba Philemon

6. St. Symeon the New Theologian, On Faith

7. St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Three Methods of Prayer

8. St. Gregory Palamas, In Defense of Those who Devoutly Practice a Life of Stillness

9. St. Gregory of Sinai, On the Signs of Grace and Delusion

And also included as an added bonus: Free PDF entitled:

Prologue of the Philokalia (On Noetic Prayer) - A Primer of Mystical Theology by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

(Please note: Monk Maximos also recommends reading: St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, “Guarding the Mind and the Heart,” in id., A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel, trans. P. Chamberas (New York, 1989), 153-172. This selection is not included in this series or offered by Patristic Nectar Publications.)" from the Patristic Nectar Publications website

The talks by Fr Maximos entitled,  "Abide with us: for it is toward evening,
and the day is far spent" (Luke 24:29).can be listened to  here

Coping with Stress a Cognitive Behavioral Approach

"Stress is ubiquitous and on the rise. How we learn to
manage it can have profound effects on our health and
well being. This series explains how our bodies
experience stress and demonstrates effective strategies
to help you thrive in a fast-paced world. On this edition,
Dr. Jason Satterfield, Director of Behavioral Medicine at
UCSF, explores adjustment to chronic medical and
stress-induced illnesses, HIV, and stress-management."
from YouTube

"ProfessorJason M. Satterfield is Professor of Clinical

Medicine, Director of Social and Behavioral Sciences,

and Director of Behavioral Medicine in the Division of

General Internal Medicine at the University of California,

San Francisco" from the Great Courses  website.

The science of cognitive behavioral therapy is very 

effective in removing and changing erroneous patterns

of thought that affect our mental and emotional 

well being. It also has significant similarities with the

Orthodox way of achieving spiritual wholeness, at the

most basic and initial steps.

The work that we Orthodox Christians must do within

our own hearts will have the most promising outcome

if we achieve mental and emotional wholeness before we 

engage in the deep spiritual work of renewing our hearts 

and our soul. We must order the house of our thoughts

before we pursue the deep things of God.

Fr Alexis Trader, a priest-monk in Mount Athos has
written a very interesting book on the relation between 

cognitive science and hesychasm. It is fascinating!

Available from Amazon

"Ancient Christian Wisdom and Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Therapy details a colorful journey deep into two seemingly disparate worlds united by a common insight into the way our thinking influences our emotions, behaviors, and ultimately our lives. In this innovative study about mental and spiritual health, readers are not only provided with a thorough introduction to the elegant theory and practical techniques of cognitive therapy, they are also initiated into the perennial teachings of ascetics and monks in the Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West whose powerful writings not only anticipated many contemporary findings, but also suggest unexplored pathways and breathtaking vistas for human growth and development. This groundbreaking interdisciplinary volume in the art of pastoral counseling, patristic studies, and the interface between psychology and theology will be a coveted addition to the working libraries of pastors and psychologists alike. In addition, it is ideal as a textbook for seminary classes in pastoral theology and pastoral counseling, as well as for graduate courses in psychology dealing with the relationship between psychological models and religious worldviews."

From the Amazon website

The Art of Salvation by Elder Ephraim of Arizona

The Art of Salvation is available from 
St Nectarios Monastery's Bookstore

Spiritual words shaped by the personal experiences

of Elder Ephraim. Thirty three homilies that are

indeed alive, informative, inspiring, and which 

outline, with profound simplicity, the means that

securely lead to salvation. Hardcover, 400 pages,

smyth sewn, full color, individually shrink-wrapped.

ISBN 978-0-9725504-4-4 

Translated and published by

St. Nektarios Monastery, Roscoe, NY

Manufacturer's suggested retail price $42.00
plus shipping and tax, if applicable

Table of Contents
Prologue
Introduction
Homily 1
I See Your Bridal Chamber

Homily 2
The Sanctification of the Soul

Homily 3
Only One Thing is Needed

Homily 4
The Christian Way of Life

Homily 5
Warfare Against the Passions

Homily 6
He Who is Sinless May Cast the First Stone

Homily 7
The Passion of Blasphemy

Homily 8
Bless and Do Not Curse

Homily 9
Abortion: The Finishing Blow

Homily 10
The Mystery of Repentance

Homily 11
Watchfulness, Prayer, and Confession

Homily 12
Pain, Sorrow, and Love

Homily 13
Forgive Me My God, Just as I Forgive Others

Homily 14
The Blessing of Almsgiving

Homily 15
The Books of the Conscience

Homily 16
Humility is the Cloak of the Godhead

Homily 17
Glory to Thy Compassion, O Lord

Homily 18
Until the End of the Age, Saints Will Continue to Exist

Homily 19
She Who is Wider than the Heavens

Homily 20
Pain and Suffering in Our Life

Homily 21
Repentance: Joyful Mourning

Homily 22
Orthodoxy: The Royal Path of the Gospel

Homily 23
Love: The National Anthem of Paradise

Homily 24
Eternal Pascha and the Heavenly Kingdom

Homily 25
Obedience is Life: Disobedience is Death

Homily 26
Christ-like Obedience

Homily 27
Obedience and the Spiritual Struggle

Homily 28
Spiritual Zeal

Homily 29
Confronting Temptations

Homily 30
Humble by Nature

Homily 31
The Frightful Hour of Death

Homily 32
Let Every Breath Praise the Lord

Homily 33
During Prayer, a Kind of Mystery Takes Place

"If Heaven is good and if I like to be bad, how am I supposed to be happy there?"

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson  Source

I think it is amazing that Bill Watterson came up with this cartoon!
This is why;

Proposition 1- If Heaven is good and if I like to be bad, how am I 
supposed to be happy there? 
Calvin agrees Heaven is good. He acknowledges that in his inner 
being, he likes to be bad, bad being the opposite of good. Calvin likes
and embraces his inner darkness and does not want to change. He 
realizes that within these realities, as they are mutually exclusive, he 
could not possibly be happy in heaven.

Orthodox view- This state of affairs, as pertaining to unrepentant

sinners is very correct. I think it is amazing Calvin realizes he 

could not be happy in Heaven as he is now. This is a very 

Orthodox truth. The state of blessedness of the saints is the love

of God, His Grace, their participation in God’s uncreated Energy.

For an unrepentant sinner, this Grace is fire and torment, because

he rejects God’s love and holds on to his darkness willingly and 

knowingly! The gates of Hell are closed  from the inside!

For a complete exposition of this Orthodox truth, please read 

The River of Fire by Alexander Kalomiros

Proposition 2- How will you get to heaven if you like to be bad? 
asks Hobbes. But Calvin assumes he is going to Heaven even in his
unchanged inner state, and this is in contradiction with his 
acknowledgement of his inner badness (according to Hobbes), and
Hobbes confronts him with this fact.

Orthodox view- Hobbes is right! No one who in his heart 
embraces his passions and sins, his darkness, and refuses to 
repent, will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. 

In the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-22 NASB Jesus speaks;
 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and 
earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the
Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of
these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be 
called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches
them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
   For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You 
have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’
and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say 
to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before
the court;"

Propositions 3 and 4- Let’s say I didn't do what I wanted to do. 

Suppose I led a blameless life! Suppose I denied my true dark

nature. In other words, what if I abstain from doing evil, while 

preserving my inner evil disposition without changing inside; so I can

make it to Heaven?

This possibility is the way of Western Theology; accept your inner 

depravity, it is total and irremediable and all you have to do is receive

Jesus Christ in your heart and His righteousness will be imputed unto 

you from the moment you ‘believe’. It seems that Bill Watterson is

exposing, by means of this cartoon, the absurdity of this way of 

thinking (Calvin’s state is not only an idea but an inner condition).

Orthodox view- A change of heart is absolutely necessary. 
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”. Jesus 
says in Matthew 5:8 Notice that here are included both external
acts as well as inner movements of the heart. Also remember 
that according to Christ's words, looking at a woman with lust is
adultery. Anger against our brother is murder. Avarice is idolatry.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians 5:16-21 NASB, writes,
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the

flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit 

against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you

may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit,

you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, 

which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities,

strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 

envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I 

forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice

such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit

is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those

who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions 

and desires."

Proposition 5- Hobbes says, “I’m not sure I have that much 
imagination.”

Hobbes seems to be implying that Calvin’s hypothetical scenario, 
while technically possible, is not something Calvin could actually pull
off. Calvin’s past pattern of behavior makes his plan very unlikely to 
succeed.

Orthodox view-The passions (sinful dispositions of the soul), if
not repented from, and healed in the participation of the 
sacramental life of the Church, can and will dominate a person’s
behavior to the point where the sinner will continually sin, 
repeatedly and with very little power to turn around!

Proposition 6- Maybe Heaven is a place where you are allowed
to be bad.

As Calvin sees it, “Heaven”, the perfect ideal situation, is a ‘place’ 
where his inner darkness is totally free to be and to act. That is, 
provided he does not act on his inner evil disposition now, maybe he
will be allowed to go to heaven without having to change inside. 
Heaven to him is a place of self-indulgence and unlimited pleasures.

Orthodox view- This is the lie of the evil one, “happiness comes
from fulfilling the passions”. But the Fathers teach that a passion
is a movement of the soul contrary to nature. It ruins the soul
instead of fulfilling it. Passions cannot be satisfied.

"What is a passion? Passion is an unnatural movement of the soul, 
says Maximus the Confessor, just as a physical disease is something
unnatural to our body… 'Passion is an excessive feeling, or appetite, 
going beyond what is reasonable. Passions are a disturbance of our
soul contrary to our nature, in disobedience to reason. Passion is not
natural and it ruins our nature instead of fulfilling it- Clement of 
Alexandria”
From 'Path to Sanity' p.30, Dee Pennock, Light & Life Publishing Company, 
Minneapolis, MN 2010

Calvin is right about one thing, there is a time and condition when
he will be allowed to be bad. But it is not called Heaven. It is called
Hell and he will not be happy there. And repentance then will not 
be an option.

May our Lord Jesus Christ preserve us from such calamity!