Why does God allow sickness?Father Paisios.

Why does God allow sickness?

One of the reasons our God may not make a sick person well is so the person does not lose his reward in the afterlife. This is similar to a father not giving all of the inheritance to his children at once so they don’t go on to waste it. We should always consider this and the afterlife as a continuum then we can understand that God may have plans to reward us in the afterlife.

http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2021/05/why-does-god-allow-sicknessfather.html

Elder Efraim of Arizona: The gate of the kingdom of heaven

Elder Efraim of Arizona: The gate of the kingdom of heaven

When they accuse us, when they slander us, when they tease us, when they humiliate us, when they wrong us, we must forgive. According to the heart, the strength, the desire that we offer our forgiveness, God will provide His blessings not a hundred fold but a million fold. Here is the way! Here is how we can be saved! This is the gate through we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Elder Ephraim of Arizona.

http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2021/05/elder-efraim-of-arizona-gate-of-kingdom.html

Betrayal of trust -Saint George Karslidis

Betrayal of trust -Saint George Karslidis

One morning, a farmer from Sipsa, a town close to the city of Drama in Greece, was getting ready to pour fertilizer in his fields. However, he was urgently called into court as a witness. Thus the farmer asked his trusted fellow villager to help him out. However, instead of helping the farmer, the villager spread the fertilizer in his own fields, without anyone noticing him.

After some time, when the villager went to the monastery to receive Communion, the elder of the monastery, the eventual Saint George Karslidis, refused to give him Holy Communion, telling him that he must first repent of his sin and confess.

One day, time will run out.

One day, time will run out. Our eyes will not be able to look upon the holy icons or the life-creating mysteries of Christ, our ears will grow deaf to the beautiful chant of the Liturgy, our hands will not be able to make the sign of the cross anymore nor touch holy things, our tongue will not taste the body and blood of Christ, our lips will not kiss the saints. No, we will grow cold, and our muscles will contract, and we will stiffen, we will be laid in the casket with our faces covered before we are covered by the ground from which we came.

On that day, the Apostle Paul says, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (5:10).

“Prepare your heart for your departure,” St. Isaac says.

Ἡ θέση τοῦ Ἁγίου Πορφυρίου γιά τίς ἐλεύθερες σχέσεις-The position of St. Porphyrios regarding free relations

Ο αγιότατος Όσιος γενικώς ήταν τελείως αντίθετος στις νεοορθόδοξες – νεονικολαϊτικές διδασκαλίες περί ελεύθερων σχέσεων με πρόσχημα την αγάπη. Γνώριζε ότι οι διδασκαλίες αυτές ωθούν τους ανθρώπους και μάλιστα τους νέους στον ερωτισμό, στην ελευθεριότητα, στις σαρκικές αμαρτίες και στις διαστροφές. Δυστυχώς, αυτές οι ιδέες εισβάλλουν στην Εκκλησία ως προοδευτικές, φιλελεύθερες, αντιπουριτανικές, αντιζηλωτικές και εκσυγχρονιστικές. Προωθούνται μέσω κακόδοξων Επισκόπων, « Πνευματικών χωρίς Άγιον Πνεύμα»259, μεγαλοσχήμων αρχιμανδριτών, ιερέων, καθηγητών Πανεπιστημίου, θεολόγων, κ.λ.π. 

Ο ορθοδοξότατος Άγιος Πορφύριος δεν ήθελε να ακούσει καθόλου γι’ αυτά260. Κάποτε του έδωσαν ένα από τα κυκλοφορηθέντα βιβλία, που διατύπωνε νεονικολαϊτικές απόψεις. Το μελέτησε λίγο και μόλις αντιλήφθηκε το περιεχόμενό του, το απεστράφη με βδελυγμία λέγοντας: « τι είναι αυτά;!!...»261 

Καταλυτική, απολύτως επιβεβαιωτική των ανωτέρω, είναι η σχετική ανακοίνωση-καταπέλτης του Ησυχαστηρίου του Αγίου Πορφυρίου ( Ι. Ησυχαστήριον Μεταμόρφωσις του Σωτήρος, Μήλεσι Αττικής). Σ’αυτήν δηλώνεται ξεκάθαρα η αντίθεση του Αγίου στις νεοορθόδοξες-νεονικολαϊτικές διδασκαλίες περί ηθικής απελευθερώσεως και ελευθέρου έρωτος262. « Φίλοι μας επληροφόρησαν», γράφει η ανακοίνωση του Ησυχαστηρίου του Οσίου, «ότι σε πρόσφατη διάλεξη, που πραγματοποιήθηκε στην Αθήνα, ο ομιλητής επεκαλέσθη ότι ο Άγιος Πορφύριος ο Καυσοκαλυβίτης υποστήριξε τις ιδέες του (δηλ. του ομιλητή) σχετικά με την « ηθικήν απελευθέρωσιν» των νέων από τις επιταγές του Ευαγγελίου και των Αγίων. Από καθήκον έναντι της Αληθείας, η οποία βαναύσως κακοποιείται από τους υποστηρικτές τέτοιων ιδεών, φέρουμε σε γνώση των αδελφών χριστιανών ότι ο Άγιος Πορφύριος δεν απεδέχετο τέτοιες διδασκαλίες, όπως και γίνεται φανερό σαφέστατα από πάρα πολλές συμβουλές του και ιδιαίτερα από τους λόγους του, που περιέχονται στα βιβλία με τίτλο «Το πνεύμα το Ορθόδοξον είναι το αληθές» και «Ο Άγιος Πορφύριος για τα σεμινάρια Ψυχοδυναμικής», αλλά και από μαρτυρίες πολλών συμπολιτών μας, που έχουν δημοσιευθεί σε διάφορα άλλα βιβλία. Μπορούμε να διαβεβαιώσουμε με απόλυτη υπευθυνότητα τους αδελφούς μας ότι ο Άγιος Πορφύριος καταδίκαζε με ένταση τις διδασκαλίες περί δήθεν ηθικής απελευθερώσεως και ελευθέρου έρωτος, τις οποίες διδάσκουν διάφοροι ψυχολόγοι και Σχολές Ψυχολογίας. Το γεγονός ότι ο Χριστός συγχώρησε τους αμαρτωλούς, που είχαν υποπέσει σε τέτοιας φύσεως αμαρτήματα ,καθόλου δεν σημαίνει ότι ενέκρινε τις αμαρτίες τους, διότι αυτήν την συγχώρεση την έδιδε μόνον όταν προϋπήρχε ειλικρινής μετάνοια και πάντοτε την συνόδευε με την συμβουλή «μηκέτι αμάρτανε».

Let us not lose our time in vain. The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who force themselves.

Let us not lose our time in vain. The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who force themselves. Bear in mind the departure of our souls, the final hour and moment of that difficult separation. Keep in mind how the demons seek to snatch the poor soul at this final hour and lead it to Hades. Oh, what grief! What pain of soul! How the soul sighs then! Alas, what a sorrowful situation it is in at that moment! How many promises a person will make to God that he will change his life, that he will walk the path of repentance and hardship, as long as he does not die!

All of us shall reach this hour and encounter the above and much more, and we shall then promise much more earnestly that we shall take the path of repentance and spiritual warfare. Let us imagine that this has already happened and that God has heard our request.

Quotations from the writings of our Father Among the Saints, the great Hierarch and Confessor, MARK OF EPHESUS, whose memory we keep on this day (Jan. 19):

''Κανεὶς δὲν ἐξουσιάζει τὴν πίστη μας, οὔτε βασιλιάς, οὔτε ἀρχιερέας, οὔτε ψευδοσύνοδος, οὔτε κανένας ἄλλος, παρὰ μόνο ὁ Θεὸς...''

~ Ἅγιος Μάρκος o Εὐγενικός

________________________

“‘But if,’ they say, ‘we had devised some middle ground between the dogmas (of the Papists and the Orthodox), then thanks to this we would have united with them and accomplished our business superbly, without at all having been forced to say anything except what corresponds to custom and has been handed down (by the Fathers).’ This is precisely the means by which many, from of old, have been deceived and persuaded to follow those who have led them off the steep precipice of impiety; believing that there is some middle ground between the two teachings that can reconcile obvious contradictions, they have been exposed to peril.”

+ St. Mark of Ephesus, “Encyclical Letter, July 1440”

From Orthodox Word , March-April-May, 1967

———-

“All the teachers of the Church, all the Councils, and all the Divine Scriptures, exhort us to flee those who uphold other doctrines and to separate from communion with them.”

— St. Mark of Ephesus, Confession of Faith, XII, 304

————

“These people admit with the Latins that the Holy Spirit proceeds and derives His existence from the Son. Yet, with us, they say the Spirit proceeds from the Father. The Latins imagine that this addition to the Creed is lawful and just, but we will not so much as pronounce it. They state that unleavened bread is the body of Christ, but we dare not communicate it. Is this not sufficient to exhibit that they came to the Latin council not to investigate the truth, which they once possessed and then betrayed, but simply to earn some gold and attain a false union? Behold, they read two Creeds as they did before. They perform two different liturgies – one on leavened and the other on unleavened bread. They perform two baptisms – one by triple immersion and the other by aspersion; one with Holy Chrism and the other without it. All our Orthodox customs are different from those of the Latins, including our fasts, Church rites, icons, and many other things. What sort of union is this then, when it has no external sign? How could they come together, each retaining his own?”

The purpose of godlike beings known as humans is one:

The purpose of godlike beings known as humans is one: to become gradually perfect as God the Father, to become a god by grace, to attain theosis, deification, Christification, Trinification. 

But how is this goal to be attained? Through the evangelic virtues of faith and love, hope and prayer, fasting and humility, meekness and compassion, love of God and neighbour. 

"Thy Will Be Done ..." Talking with Geronta Pavlos of Sinai.

"Thy Will Be Done ..."

Talking with Geronta Pavlos of Sinai (# 17):

Q When we pray for something from the depths of our heart, and God doesn’t answer, does that mean  our prayer is wrong?

A No. First of all, when we pray, we must not have the demand that God must do what we are seeking, because what we are asking for may not actually be to our benefit. 

There was a faithful family, a poor family, and every day the atmosphere in their home was like a party. At one point, someone gave them money to see what would happen - would they remain happy? He gave them a lot of money.

Our Guardian Angel: An Encounter With St. Iakοvos Of Evia by Dr. George Papazahos

Our Guardian Angel: An Encounter With St. Iakοvos Of Evia by Dr. George Papazahos

"Fr. Iakovos was admitted to the Government Hospital of Athens for the problems he was having with his heart. My first impression when I first saw him was something that cannot be described. He literally was filled with light. As soon as the Elder saw me, he made the following observation about me which literally made my hair stand on end. As a Christian I had never thought about this before."

He said to me: “I do not know you. This is the first time that I meet you.  But I can see your guardian angel standing behind you. All human beings have guardian angels and I now see your guardian angel. Be very careful that you never act in such a way that you chase away your guardian angel from your presence.” The Elder Iakovos finished his statement by saying: “That angel has been assigned to you from the day of your baptism.  From the day of your baptism he accompanies you and he should never leave your side.

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.

St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies

St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies

When the Lord told his disciples to go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, He conferred on them the power of giving men new life in God.

He had promised through the prophets that in these last days he would pour out His Spirit on His servants and handmaids, and that they would prophesy. So when the Son of God became the Son of Man, the Spirit also descended upon Him, becoming accustomed in this way to dwelling with the human race, to living in men and to inhabiting God’s creation. The Spirit accomplished the Father’s will in men who had grown old in sin, and gave them new life in Christ.

Luke says that the Spirit came down on the disciples at Pentecost, after the Lord’s Ascension, with power to open the gates of life to all nations and to make known to them the new covenant. So it was that men of every language joined in singing one song of praise to God, and scattered tribes, restored to unity by the Spirit, were offered to the Father as the first-fruits of all the nations.

Talking with Geronta Pavlos of Sinai :

 Talking with Geronta Pavlos of Sinai (# 15):

Q Does the Jesus Prayer empty the mind?

A It doesn’t empty the mind, it fills the mind. It fills it with the presence of God, with His grace. The name of Christ has such power that just by pronouncing it, with its grace it sanctifies us and elevates us.

Q Simply by us pronouncing it, without trying to understand the meaning of the name? 

A Yes. 

Q One often reads that we are to confine our mind within the words of the prayer.

A That is not an easy thing! In order to reach that point requires much work! Because the mind wanders; you can be saying the prayer and your mind leaves.

The fragrance of the soul

We used to smell the scent of a flower, inhale the smell of the earth after the rain, or the smell of the sea, remaining on the skin after bathing. It is a pity that no one told us that the soul also has its own fragrance. It also smells, and how it depends on what it lives for and how it fills every day ... 

St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon

https://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-fragrance-of-soul.html

The Art Of Salvation - Elder Ephraim of Arizona

 At a certain monastery, there was a monk whom the devil had successfully led into negligence. He stopped doing his prayer rule, ceased attending church, and discontinued his appointed prayers.

 

The other fathers were aware of his negligent conduct. Eventually, the time of death approached, and the other fathers gathered by his side hoping to see a sign that God would, perhaps, show for their benefit. The fathers noticed that this careless monk was exceedingly joyous as death drew near. They were puzzled. “How can he be so peaceful?” they wondered.

 

“He spent his entire monastic life with complete indifference. Doesn’t this worry him? Isn’t his conscience protesting? Doesn’t he feel uneasy? Why isn’t he despairing?” Meanwhile, the monk continued to be joyful. Compelled by curiosity, they asked him, “Forgive us, dear brother. We notice that you are quite cheerful. We all know, however, that you were negligent and indifferent when it came to your monastic duties. Now that you are departing to be judged by Christ, we expected you to be somewhat concerned and apprehensive. However, we see the exact opposite: you are joyous, peaceful, and full of hope. We are truly perplexed. How do you justify this?”

Wonderful help to you on the day of the Judgement, if you...

Wonderful help to you on the day of the Judgement, if you showed compassion to people here. - St. Ephraim the Syrian

https://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2019/03/wonderful-help-to-you-on-day-of.html

 

One monk from the Holy Mountain was from a village in Bulgaria.

 One monk from the Holy Mountain was from a village in Bulgaria. There were many unbaptized. This monk told me that, still a layman and unbaptized, he saw in a dream his little nephew, who had recently died. The kid was standing behind the fence of a beautiful garden and wept. And the garden was full of little children, who were happy and playing. "Why don't you go to the garden?" - asked the man who had the dream. “How can I go there?

The path of our life in the storm-St. Ignatios Brianchaninov

The path of our life is like unto a voyage across a broad sea. It is sometimes calm on that sea, and sometimes a favorable wind blows; but most often there are storms on it. Seeing the approach of a storm, seeing the storm itself, we must not become disturbed, or fall into despondency or despair; we must fight against the waves and the opposing winds.

Otherwise the ship of our soul might undergo shipwreck, and might even sink. If during a storm something breaks or is damaged in the ship of our soul—again, we must not despond, we must not be troubled. We must spy out a dependable harbor, enter into it, fix and repair that which was damaged, and then continue our voyage with hope in Almighty God.

And Almighty God will not abandon one who hopes in Him! The storms themselves serve for the benefit of the true servant of Christ: they make him an experienced sailor.

No dispair - St. Porphyrios

 “I have consciousness of my sinfulness, but I live with hope. It is bad to despair, because someone who despairs becomes embittered and loses his willingness and strength. Someone who has hope, on the contrary, advances forward”

– St. Porphyrios

https://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2019/02/no-dispair-st-porphyrios.html

Monastic versus family life - St. Paisios

 One day St. Paisios  was asked: can monastic life be considered higher than family life? To which the elder answered with a short parable: 

“Suppose two people go on a pilgrimage. One goes along a well-groomed road, the other goes along the path. However, both marchers have the same goal.