Love your Enemies by Hieromonk Gregorios

 This book is available from Amazon

Hieromonk Gregorio is a Priest-monk from the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou, Mount Athos, Greece.

The Lord Jesus Christ commands what only He is in the position to ask of us. We could not possibly accept this Word from anyone else.
He speaks to us saying,

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what
credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."Luke 6:27-36 NASB

Hard words indeed! But if we obey the commandment,  the doors of eternal life will be open to us,  we will become like unto God Himself and His very Life and nature will be communicated to us,  because we would have learned to love the way He loves.

Can you imagine? To be forgiven everything, even our most serious offenses,  because we strive to show kindness to the one who is unpleasant to us,  the one who is trying to hurt us.

Hieromonk Gregorios writes,  "St John Chrysostom appeals to each of us, saying,
'He (God) has made you the judge of the forgiveness of your own sins: if you forgive only a few sins,  only a few will be forgiven you: if you forgive many,  then many will be forgiven you. If you forgive sincerely from the heart, that is how God will forgive you. And if after forgiving your enemy you make him your friend, God will do the same for you. " page 15,
quoting St John Chrysostom's Homilies on the Statues,  20, 6, PG 49, 206 (Note)

I do not yet possess this kind of love but I am determined to behave as if I had it. This is a struggle which is froth with difficulty, but in the end,  if we persevere,  it will leads us into
eternal life!

For more on the love of enemies please read my post,  The Foolishness of the Cross: Love your Enemies.

Note:
from 'Love your Enemies' page 15, by Hieromonk Gregorios, published by the Cell of St John the Theologian, Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou, Karyes, Mount Athos, Greece
2008

The Angel with the Fiery Lance and the Monk Who would not Forgive

"Love Your Enemies" says Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel According to St Luke 6:35

Judas Betrays the Master - Icon in the Church of Panagia Dexia,

Thessaloniki, Greece

Please listen to Fr Phillip Hall's video podcast, 'Come And See'

in Ancient Faith Radio. In this occasion a wonderful homily

on the words of our Lord, Love Your Enemies.

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."

Which is Greater, Fasting or Forgiveness?

The Prologue of Ohrid by St Nikolai Velimirovich in 2 vols.
is available from Amazon

Reflection for April 8

"There is heroism above heroism and asceticism above asceticism.
St. Epiphanius of Cyprus invited Hilarion the Great to dinner and
in order to show the greatest hospitality to his distinguished guest,
placed fried chicken on the table and offered it to him.

Hilarion said to him: "Forgive me, but ever since I was tonsured
a monk, I have eaten nothing butchered." To that Epiphanius
replied: "And I, ever since I was tonsured a monk, have never
laid down in bed until I first forgave my enemy."

Amazed, Hilarion said: "Your virtue is greater than mine, Oh holy
master!" This is a great lesson for all of us. Fasting is an
admirable thing but it is more admirable to forgive
insults.

Through fasting, man is preparing for charity but, by forgiving
insults, man shows charity. Fasting precedes forgiveness but
fasting alone, does not save without forgiveness." Source

Prologue of Ohrid by St Nikolai Velimirovich p.350, Sebastian
Press 2008

Forgiveness of Sins by St Ephraim the Syrian

St. Ephraim the Syrian


Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian

"Oh Lord and Master of my life, 

Do not give to me the spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, lust for power and idle talk! 

But, give to me Thy servant the spirit of purity,

humility, patience and love. 

O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge

my brother, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen

Forgiveness of Sins for Forgiveness of Offences

"Thus does the Lord speak to every soul: forgive your brother
his transgressions, and I will forgive you your sins. You shall
forgive minor errors, debts of perhaps a few coins or some three
pence, and I will grant you thousands of talents. For you have 
only to forgive, without presenting any gift; but I will forgive you
your sins and grant you healing and the heavenly kingdom.

And I will accept your gift when you make peace with him who 
is at enmity with you. When you have no malice, when the setting
sun does not find you angry, when you meet all with peace and 
love - then will your prayer be acceptable and your offering 
pleasing, and your house will be blessed and you also shall find
blessing.

But if you do not make peace with your brother, then how will
you ask Me for forgiveness? I am your Master; I command you
and you do not heed Me. You are a servant; how dare you bring
Me a prayer, or a sacrifice, or first fruits of your harvest, if you 
bear malice toward anyone? If you turn your face from your 
brother, so shall I turn Mine eyes from your prayer and from your
gift."

From 'A Spiritual Psalter' No. 33 p.61, excerpted by Bishop

Theophan the Recluse from the works of our Holy Father

Ephraim the Syrian, Trans. by Br. Isaac E. Lambertsen, 

The St. John of Kronstadt Press, Liberty TN 1997

ISBN 0-912927-40-2

 Image Source

About how men must become like children in order to be sons of God by St Nikolai Velimirovich

My Nephew Diego


Homily From the Prologue of Ochrid - Jan 30

About how men must become like children in order to be 

sons of God

"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you

will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (St. Matthew 18:3).

Thus speaks the Lord and His word is holy and true. What kind of 

advantage do children have over adults? They have three 

advantages: in faith, in obedience and in forgiveness. The

child asks the parent about everything and whatever the parent

replies, the child believes its parent. The child is obedient to its 

parent and easily subordinates its will to the will of the parent. 

The child is forgiving even though he provokes easily, but the 

child forgives quickly. Our Lord requires these three from all 

men i.e., Faith, Obedience and Forgiveness.

He seeks that men believe in Him unconditionally, as a child

believes in its parent. To be unconditionally obedient to Him as

a child is to its parent and to be forgiving in relation to one 

another, not to remember evil and not to render evil for evil.

Faith, Obedience and Forgiveness are the three main 

characteristics of a child's soul. In addition to that, comes purity

and joy. A child is not greedy; a child is not lustful; and

a child is not vainglorious. The child has an eye 

unspoiled by vices and a joy unspoiled by worries.

O brethren, who can make us over again into children? No one, 

except the one Christ. He can make us over into children and help

us to be born again and that, by His example, by His teaching and 

by the power of His Holy Spirit.

O Lord Jesus, perfect in obedience and meekness, Eternal Child 

of the Heavenly Father help us to become as infants by faith in You,

by obedience toward You and by forgiveness one toward the other.

The Prologue of Ochrid is available from

Archangelsbooks.com