To die a perfect death Elder – Thaddeus of Vitovnica

 Unless you sacrifice your self for the sake of the slightest virtue or shed blood in order to receive the Spirit, you’ll never achieve virtue. This is how God arranged things, with his providential power: that we should gain eternal life through our voluntary death.

REFLECTIONS ON THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION By Elder Thaddeus (+2003), from “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives,

REFLECTIONS ON THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION

By Elder Thaddeus (+2003), from “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives, ”ppl63—170.

thank the Lord and the Most Holy ^Mother of God that He has willed to embellish this feast day of the Dor- mition of the Most Holy Theotokos through the angelic voices of the chil-dren who sang so beautifully. This re-minds me of the days of my youth, before the war, when I was a monk in the holy Patriarchate of Pech, the Serbian Zion as some call it. The choir from Pech used to sing the responses at Holy Lit¬urgy every feast day at the monastery. It was a mixed choir, very well organized, and the choir director was a remarkable person.

I have heard many choirs from Belgrade and other places, but that choir from Pech was quite extraordinary. Today, when I said, Blessed is the Kingdom the children responded with Amen. This reminded me of those days of my youth and it touched my heart.

When you find a soul akin to your own…stay with it. Elder Thaddaeus of Vitovnica

Elder Thaddaeus of Vitovnica (1914-2003)

When you find a soul akin to your own …stay with it, for it is a great joy to make friends with those who think alike.
“HE who has the Kingdom of God within himself will imperceptibly pass it on to others. People will be attracted to the peace and warmth in us; they will want to hear us, and the atmosphere of heaven will gradually pass on to them.”

 You must strive to have peace in your homes. Peace starts with each one of us. When we have peace in us, we spread it around to others. You can see for yourself that there are very few humble and meek souls on the earth—but also that they are truly blessed. They will not be offended if you insult them in any way. Whatever way you treat them, they are quiet and peaceful and they are truly sorrowed because you are in such spiritual torment.

No sin is unforgivable except the sin of unrepentance.Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

 Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“We need repentance. You see, repentance is not only going to a priest and confessing. We must free ourselves from the obsession of thoughts. We fall many times during our life, and it is absolutely necessary to reveal everything [in Confession] before a priest who is a witness to our repentance. Repentance is the renewal of life. This means we must free ourselves of all our negative traits and turn toward absolute good. No sin is unforgivable except the sin of unrepentance.”

Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica,  St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. 2011

keep on going…Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.( MATTHEW -11,28-30 )

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“All of us sin constantly. We slip and fall. In reality, we fall into a trap set by the demons.

The Holy Fathers and the Saints always tell us, ‘It is important to get up immediately after a fall and to keep on walking toward God’. Even if we fall a hundred times a day, it does not matter; we must get up and go on walking toward God without looking back.

What has happened has happened – it is in the past. Just keep on going, all the while asking for help from God.”

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine our Lives

Freedom belongs to God.Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Let us lift up our hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Peace be with all.

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

We can go wherever we want and do whatever we want, but that is not freedom. Freedom belongs to God. When a person is free from the tyranny of thoughts, that is freedom. When he lives in peace, that is freedom. He is always in prayer, he is always expecting help from the Lord—he listens to his conscience and does his best. We must pray with our whole being, work with our whole being, do everything with our whole being. We must also not be at war with anyone and never take any offense to heart. Let it be. Today we are offended by one person—who knows who will offend us tomorrow?

when you are in a state of peace, all is well. Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Here on earth we are given the chance to conquer all evil with peace and stillness. We can have peace when we live in surroundings that are peaceful and quiet, but that peace is not as stable and as permanent as the peace we acquire while living in chaotic conditions. When you move from quiet surroundings to chaotic ones, your mood changes instantly and you become irritable—all of a sudden evil thoughts assail you, and your mind is in hell. That is the end of our peace. This is why the Lord guides us through sufferings and sorrows—so that we may, through them, acquire real peace. Without Him we would not have the strength to overcome these things. There is the example of the holy martyr Catherine, who suffered for Christ when she was very young, only eighteen years old. Her tormentors threw her into a dungeon all tortured and broken, and the Lord appeared to her. When she asked Him, “Lord, where have You been all this time?” He answered, “I was here all the time, in your heart.” “How can that be, O Lord, when my heart is impure, and full of evil and pride?” “Yes,” said the Lord, “but you have left room in it for Me. Had I not been with you, you would not have been able to bear all these tortures.