Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Saint

Elder Paisios of Holy Mountain

     "In the saint there exists nothing that is trivial, nothing coarse, nothing base, nothing affected (fake), nothing insincere. In him is the culmination of delicacy, sensibility, transparency, purity, reverence, attention before the mystery of his fellow men…comes into actual being, for he brings this forth from his communication with the supreme Person (God). The saint grasps the various conditions of the soul in others and avoids all that would upset them, although he does not avoid helping them overcome their weaknesses. He reads the least articulate needs of others and fulfills it promptly, just as he reads their impurities also, however skillfully hidden and through the delicate power of his own purity, exercising upon them a purifying action. From the saint there continually radiates a spirit of self-giving and of sacrifice for the sake of all, with no concern for himself, a spirit that gives warmth to others and assures them that they are not alone. … And yet there is no one more humble, more simple, no one more less artificial, less theatrical or hypocritical, no one more “natural” in his behavior, accepting all that is truly human and creating an atmosphere that is pure and familiar. The saint has overcome any duality within himself as St. Maximos the Confessor puts it. He has overcome the struggle between soul and body, the divergence between good intentions and deeds that do not correspond to them, between deceptive appearance and hidden thoughts, between what claims to be the case and what is the case. He has become simple, therefore, because he has surrendered himself entirely to God. That is why he can surrender himself entirely in communication with others.
  
     The saint always lends courage; at times, through a humor marked by this same delicacy, he shrinks the delusions created by fears or pride or the passions. He smiles, but does not laugh sarcastically; he is serious but not frightened. He finds value in the most humble persons, considering them to be great mysteries created by God and destined to eternal communion with Him. Through humility the saint makes himself almost unobserved, but he appears when there is need for consolation, for encouragement or help. For him no difficulty is insurmountable, because he believes firmly in the help of God sought through prayer. He is the most human and humble of beings, yet at the same time of an appearance that is unusual and amazing and gives rise in others to the sense of discovering in him, and in themselves too, what is truly human. He is a presence simultaneously most dear, and unintentionally, most impressing, the one who draws the most attention. For you he becomes the most intimate one of all and the most understanding; you never feel more at ease than near him, yet at the same time he forces you into a corner and makes you see your moral inadequacies and failings. He overwhelms you with the simple greatness of his purity and with the warmth of his goodness and makes you ashamed of how far you have fallen away from what is truly human, of how far you have sunk in your impurity, artificiality, superficiality, and duplicity, for these appear in sharp relief in the comparison you make unwillingly between yourself and him. He exercises no worldly power, he gives no harsh commands, but you feel in him an unyielding firmness in his convictions, his life, in the advice he gives, and so his opinion about what you should do, expressed with delicacy or by a discreet look, becomes for you a command and to fulfill that command you find yourself capable of any effort or sacrifice…

     Who ever approaches a saint discovers in him the peak of goodness, purity, and spiritual power covered over by the veil of humility. He is the illustration of the greatness and power of kenosis. From the saint there radiates an imperturbable quiet or peace and simultaneously a participation in the pain of others that reaches the point of tears. He is rooted in the loving and suffering stability of God Incarnate and rest in the eternity of the power and goodness of God…."


-Dimitru Staniloae from his book "The Experience of God” -

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Prayer

"As many times as the enemy attacks you either through
passion or through sadness or despondency or despair,
immediately grab the weapon of prayer, and you shall see
how much it disappears and not even a trace of it
remains."
--Father Philotheos Zervakos

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Why People Become Orthodox.

                                


 This is partially a plug for Father Stephen's blog 'Glory to God for All Things' but also a link to a wonderful post and, subsequently, an even better discussion following. It essentially touches on people's own journeys to the faith. Many (especially those in North America) waded through the vast seas of protestantism, others through atheism, eastern religion, and various other situations and backgrounds. I just find it so touching and amazing that the Holy Spirit can lead even the most cold-hearted, doubtful, and apathetic souls to Christ's church.
   I used to, as my excuse for not looking into Orthodox Christianity, ask 'Why don't I ever hear or see people converting?' 'It's just full of Greeks and Russians...its cultural...dead religion.'.   I made all these assumptions without ever once exploring the history of Orthodoxy.....that is.....of Christianity itself.  I somehow looked past 1500 years of Christianity (the Reformation was where Christianity really started right?). I looked past nations like Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia, Georgia, Albania, Romania, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ukraine, all who have a very solid foundation of Orthodoxy and have produced innumerable holy and spirit-filled Saints as examples for us. I had to pull my mind out of the idea that the only Christian nation that was still 'living' was america and realize that Christianity started over 'there'. The fact is, the Church has been evangelizing and people have been converting for 2000 years. I was wrong.

   These are of course my own thoughts and shortcomings. I don't assume it's everyone's experience.  

    Anyways I may expand on my experience at another time but for now I will pass on Father Stephen's blog entry. I hope it edifies at least a few.

    'Why People Become Orthodox.'

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Last Anchorite


St. Antony's Coptic Monastery
                                  

  I came across this two part documentary on youtube and I found it very well put together. I gives you a nice compact glance into coptic monasticism and life as a hermit. Father Lazarus is from the Coptic church which it must be noted, is not a canonical orthodox church, but none the less God shines forth from him. Its always beautiful to witness an atheist conversion to christianity. His story is quite touching and he speaks with such love that it can almost bring you to tears. Enjoy.

Part 1

Part 2



Monday, October 4, 2010

The Desert Fathers on Humility

         Saint Macarius the Great

An old man was asked, “What is humility?” and he said in reply, “Humility is a great work, and a work of God. The way of humility is to undertake bodily labour and believe yourself a sinner and make yourself subject to all.” Then a brother said, “What does it mean, to be subject to all?” The old man answered, “To be subject to all is not to give your attention to the sins of others but always to give your attention to your own sins and to pray without ceasing to God.”
An old man said, “Every time a thought of superiority or vanity moves you, examine your conscience to see if you have kept all the commandments, whether you love your enemies, whether you consider yourself to be an unprofitable servant and the greatest sinner of all. Even so, do not pretend to great ideas as though you were perfectly right, for that thought destroys everything.”
As abba Macarius was returning to his cell from the marsh carrying palm-leaves, the devil met him with a sharp sickle and would have struck him but he could not. He cried out, “Great is the violence I suffer from you, Macarius, for when I want to hurt you, I cannot. But whatever you do, I do and more also. You fast now and then, but I am never refreshed by any food; you often keep vigil, but I never fall asleep. Only in one thing are you better than I am and I acknowledge that.” Macarius said to him, “What is that?” and he replied, “It is because of your humility alone that I cannot overcome you.”
The old men used to say, “When we do not experience warfare, we ought so much the more to humiliate ourselves. For God seeing our weakness, protects us; when we glorify ourselves, he withdraws his protection and we are lost.”