“War is an abomination. . . What, then, if the king orders his army to perform an evil act, such as invading a neighbouring nation? Should the Christian soldier disobey his orders, even at the risk of being executed for his disobedience? In such a situation, he must weigh one evil against another: the evil of participating in the invasion, against the evil of leaving his family without material support. None of us can presume to judge the soldier’s decision; but rather, we must pray that the Spirit guides his conscience.”
☦️Saint John Chrysostomos
☦️Saint John Chrysostomos
We must wholeheartedly believe that during the end times, which we are now entering and will journey through, holy people will be they who will confess our Jesus and who will proclaim and thunder that our Christ is the true God Who became incarnate for man. With this confession, they will be crowned and become holy.
Imagine how beautiful it will be for a Christian of the present age to bear witness to the Divinity of Christ and the Trinity before impious people, to become a confessor, and have his soul taken by angels who will begin chanting heavenly anthems of victory and praise!
☦️Elder Ephraim of Arizona
Imagine how beautiful it will be for a Christian of the present age to bear witness to the Divinity of Christ and the Trinity before impious people, to become a confessor, and have his soul taken by angels who will begin chanting heavenly anthems of victory and praise!
☦️Elder Ephraim of Arizona
Orthodoxy has one thing to say to the ecumenical movement: here is the truth, join yourself to it; to remain to “discuss” this truth not merely weakens the Orthodox witness, it destroys it.
☦️Father Seraphim Rose
☦️Father Seraphim Rose
The holy Prophet Malachi prophesied that before the Messiah's birth His Forerunner (Conception Sept 23) would appear, and would indicate His coming. The Jews therefore in awaiting the Messiah also awaited the appearance of His Forerunner.
In a city of the hills of Judea in the land of Palestine lived the righteous priest St Zachariah and his wife St Elizabeth, zealously observing the commandments of the Lord. Childless in their old age, they prayed unceasingly to God to grant them a child.
In a city of the hills of Judea in the land of Palestine lived the righteous priest St Zachariah and his wife St Elizabeth, zealously observing the commandments of the Lord. Childless in their old age, they prayed unceasingly to God to grant them a child.
Once, when St Zachariah took his turn as priest at the Temple of Jerusalem, he went into the Sanctuary to offer incense. Going behind the veil of the Sanctuary, he beheld an angel of God standing at the right side of the altar of incense. St Zachariah was astonished and halted in fear, but the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John."
But Zachariah did not believe the words of the heavenly messenger, and then the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you the good news. Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words...."
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah and they were astonished that he had not come out from the Sanctuary after so long a time. And when he did come out, he was supposed to pronounce a blessing upon the people, but could not do so because he had been struck speechless.
When Zachariah explained by gestures that he was unable to speak, the people then understood that he had experienced a vision. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and Righteous Elizabeth was delivered from her barrenness, and gave birth to John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord.
God often reveals to us His power and mercy and wisdom beyond the natural law, by which we would otherwise be fettered and, without these special wonders of God, would fall into despair and forgetfulness of Him.
But Zachariah did not believe the words of the heavenly messenger, and then the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you the good news. Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words...."
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah and they were astonished that he had not come out from the Sanctuary after so long a time. And when he did come out, he was supposed to pronounce a blessing upon the people, but could not do so because he had been struck speechless.
When Zachariah explained by gestures that he was unable to speak, the people then understood that he had experienced a vision. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and Righteous Elizabeth was delivered from her barrenness, and gave birth to John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord.
God often reveals to us His power and mercy and wisdom beyond the natural law, by which we would otherwise be fettered and, without these special wonders of God, would fall into despair and forgetfulness of Him.
A prayer to St Varus, intercessor for those who have died outside of the Faith
A woman, Cleopatra, whose son had just died, prayed asking the Holy Martyr St. Varus to pray that her son would be brought to paradise. St. Varus did pray and her son was seen with St. Varus in paradise by his mother in a dream. As Orthodox Christians, we have have a solider-ally in St. Varus in our prayers for loved ones who have died outside of the Faith.
“O Holy wondrous Martyr Varus, who burning with zeal for the Heavenly King, didst confess Him before thy torturers and dist greatly suffer for Him. Now the Church doth venerate thee, as one glorified with the glory of heaven by Christ the Lord, Who granted thee the abundant grace to approach Him boldly.
And now, standing before Him together with the Angels, rejoicing on high, beholding the Most Holy Trinity clearly, and enjoying the Uncreated Light, remember the suffering of [Name(s)],our relatives who have died outside of the Faith, and accept our pleas,
A woman, Cleopatra, whose son had just died, prayed asking the Holy Martyr St. Varus to pray that her son would be brought to paradise. St. Varus did pray and her son was seen with St. Varus in paradise by his mother in a dream. As Orthodox Christians, we have have a solider-ally in St. Varus in our prayers for loved ones who have died outside of the Faith.
“O Holy wondrous Martyr Varus, who burning with zeal for the Heavenly King, didst confess Him before thy torturers and dist greatly suffer for Him. Now the Church doth venerate thee, as one glorified with the glory of heaven by Christ the Lord, Who granted thee the abundant grace to approach Him boldly.
And now, standing before Him together with the Angels, rejoicing on high, beholding the Most Holy Trinity clearly, and enjoying the Uncreated Light, remember the suffering of [Name(s)],our relatives who have died outside of the Faith, and accept our pleas,
and as thou didst intercede for the unbelieving ancestors of Cleopatra and didst free them from eternal suffering, remember those who have died unbaptized and have been buried in an ungodly manner, and pray earnestly that they may be delivered from eternal darkness, that we may all, with one mouth and one heart praise the Most Merciful Creator unto the ages of ages. Amen”
St. John the Theologian (Sept 26)
O Apostle beloved of Christ God, hasten to deliver a defenseless people. He Who permitted you to recline on His breast receives you as you bow before Him; entreat Him, O Theologian, to dispel the persistence of the heathen, and to grant us peace and great mercy.
“Brethren, no one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
And we have seen, and do testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love which God has for us. God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
O Apostle beloved of Christ God, hasten to deliver a defenseless people. He Who permitted you to recline on His breast receives you as you bow before Him; entreat Him, O Theologian, to dispel the persistence of the heathen, and to grant us peace and great mercy.
“Brethren, no one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
And we have seen, and do testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love which God has for us. God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
In this is love perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment; but he who fears is not perfected in love. We love God, because He first loved us.”
First Epistle of St. John 4:12-19
First Epistle of St. John 4:12-19
The Optina Elder Leonid told of one of his disciples whose father committed suicide. In his overwhelming grief the son turned to the Elder for consolation. The Elder replied, "Entrust both yourself and the lot of your father to the all-wise, omnipotent will of the Lord. Do not seek miracles of the Most High. Strive by humble-mindedness to strengthen yourself within the bounds of tempered sorrow. Pray to the Most-good Creator, thus fulfilling the duty of love and the obligation of a son. You ought not to sorrow beyond measure. God loved and loves him incomparably more than you. And so it remains for you to entrust the eternal lot of your father to the goodness and compassion of God, Who if He is well-pleased to show mercy, then who can oppose Him?"
The following is a model of a private prayer which might be said for a non-Orthodox person as suggested by the Elder Leonid:
“Have mercy, O Lord, if it is possible, on the soul of Thy servant (name), departed to eternal life in separation from Thy Holy Orthodox Church! Unsearchable are Thy judgments. Account not this my prayer as sin. But may Thy holy will be done!”
“Have mercy, O Lord, if it is possible, on the soul of Thy servant (name), departed to eternal life in separation from Thy Holy Orthodox Church! Unsearchable are Thy judgments. Account not this my prayer as sin. But may Thy holy will be done!”
Saint Innocent, Enlightener of Alaska and Siberia (Glorification Oct 6), was known as Fr Ioann Veniaminov in his early days as a parish priest. He would later become first Orthodox bishop and archbishop in the Americas, and finally the Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia.
As a missionary priest, Fr Ioann (John) took his wife Catherine and family with him on a difficult year-long journey from Irkutsk to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Father Ioann became familiar with the local dialects of the islands and in a short time mastered six of them. Fr Ioann devised an alphabet using Cyrillic letters for the most widely used dialect, the Unangan dialect of Aleut.
In 1828, he translated portions of the Bible and other church material into Unangan. In 1829, he journeyed to the Bering Sea coast of the Alaskan mainland and preached to the people there.
As a missionary priest, Fr Ioann (John) took his wife Catherine and family with him on a difficult year-long journey from Irkutsk to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Father Ioann became familiar with the local dialects of the islands and in a short time mastered six of them. Fr Ioann devised an alphabet using Cyrillic letters for the most widely used dialect, the Unangan dialect of Aleut.
In 1828, he translated portions of the Bible and other church material into Unangan. In 1829, he journeyed to the Bering Sea coast of the Alaskan mainland and preached to the people there.
Father Ioann baptized ten thousand people, built churches and schools, and taught the fundamentals of the Christian life in his 45 years of labouring for the enlightenment of the peoples of Kamchatka, the Aleutian Islands, mainland Alaska, Yakutsk and the Khabarov frontier—often in severe conditions and at great risks to life.
“O Holy Father Innocent, in obedience to the will of God you accepted dangers and tribulations bringing many peoples to the knowledge of truth. You showed us the way, now by your prayers help lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“O Holy Father Innocent, in obedience to the will of God you accepted dangers and tribulations bringing many peoples to the knowledge of truth. You showed us the way, now by your prayers help lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
"Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and the Enlightener of North America (Glorification Oct 9) captained the ship of the Church through the bloody storm of anti-ecclesiastical persecution inspired by the godless leaders of the communist regime, who had seized power in much-suffering Russia." https://pravoslavie.ru/88587.html
Holy Hierarch Tikhon, pray for the salvation of our souls.
Image: Patriarch Tikhon. Fragment of a painting by Constantine and Natalia Miroshnik
Holy Hierarch Tikhon, pray for the salvation of our souls.
Image: Patriarch Tikhon. Fragment of a painting by Constantine and Natalia Miroshnik
The Holy Apostle James (Jacob) (Oct 9/ Oct 22), Son of Alphæus, went with the First-Called Apostle Andrew to many places among the gentiles, where they smashed idols, destroyed pagan temples, healed diverse illnesses, drove from people evil spirits, and brought a great multitude of people to Christ.
St James sowed the seed of the word of God in people's hearts, he planted faith and piety. For this, he was called the "Divine Seed". St James finished his apostolic work In the Egyptian city of Ostrachina, where he was crucified by pagans.
St James sowed the seed of the word of God in people's hearts, he planted faith and piety. For this, he was called the "Divine Seed". St James finished his apostolic work In the Egyptian city of Ostrachina, where he was crucified by pagans.
The light of the Orthodox Faith has not been lit to shine only for a small circle of people. No, the Orthodox Church is catholic; she remembers the commandment of her Founder, Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature and teach all nations (Mark 16.15; Matt. 28.19).
+St Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Apostle to America (Glorification Oct 9)
+St Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Apostle to America (Glorification Oct 9)