How great is our God; the God of the Orthodox Christian

How great is our God; the God of the Orthodox Christian

A young American man had visited St. Anthony’s Monastery in Arizona with his friends. At some point, Elder Ephraim who was in his room hearing confessions came out of the room, approached the young man and asked him: – Do you have a good cell phone, a modern one, the latest and greatest one my child? “Why are you asking Elder?” said the young man. “I want you to call a monastery on Mount Athos in Greece so that I can speak to the monks there,” the Elder replied.

The elder gave the young man the monastery’s phone number and told him: “My child, call this number in an hour, and when the line connects, give me the phone so I can talk with them.”

ST. PETER OF DAMASCUS - How to Acquire True Faith ( Extrait)

ST. PETER OF DAMASCUS - How to Acquire True Faith 

( Extrait)

 HOW TO ACQUIRE TRUE FAITH 

If we desire to acquire faith -- the foundation of all blessings, the door to God's mysteries, unflagging defeat of our enemies, the most necessary of all the virtues, the wings of prayer and the dwelling of God within our soul -- we must endure every trial imposed by our enemies and by our many and various thoughts. Only the inventor of evil, the devil, can perceive these thoughts or uncover and describe them. But we should take courage; because if we forcibly triumph over the trials and temptations that befall us, and keep control over our intellect so that it does not give in to the thoughts that spring up in our heart, we will once and for all overcome all the passions; for it will not be we who are victorious, but Christ, who is present in us through faith.

FAITH AND HOPE IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE By St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867).

FAITH AND  HOPE IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE

By St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867).

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov stands out as one of the greatest patristic writers of the nineteenth century. This great saint left to Orthodox Christians a compass by which we can check our direction as vve traverse the complex path of spiritual life, to avoid the dark forests and pitfalls of spiritual delusion and pride.

There is no such thing as blind happenstance (a circumstance especially that is due to chance, Ed. God rules the world, and all that happens in heaven and under the heavens happens according to the wise and omnipotent God, unfathomable in His wisdom and omnipotence,, and unfathomable in His governance.

If there is not a single event that is secret from God, then we must glorify God for everything that happens.

The Gift of Faith and Truth Belongs to the Humble.St. Nikolai Velimirovich

The Gift of Faith and Truth Belongs to the Humble

by St. Nikolai Velimirovich

“When the Messiah [Christ] comes, will He perform more signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31).

The Lord Jesus performed miraculous works before all and all saw but not all believed. The people witnessed His miracles and believed in Him. Servants heard His words and believed in Him. But the leaders of the people and the masters of the servants also witnessed His miracles and did not believe in Him. And so, in those days the words of the Savior came true: “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (Matthew 19:30).