St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

HOMILY ON THE NEW YEAR
by St. Barsanuphius of Optina
I greet all of you gathered here with the New Year. I congratulate you with the joys that I hope the Lord might send you in the coming year. I congratulate you also with the sorrows that will inevitably visit you this year: perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow, or in the near future. Incidentally, do not be confused by sorrows or fear them. Sorrows and joys are closely bound up with each other. This may seem strange to you, but remember the words of the Savior: A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world (Jn. 16:21).Day turns to night, and night turns to day, bad weather turns to good; so also does sorrow turn into joy, and joy into sorrow.
The Apostle Paul pronounced threatening words against those who do not endure any punishment that comes from God: If you are left without punishment, you are illegitimate children. Do not be depressed; let those be depressed who do not believe in God. For them, of course, sorrow is onerous, because they know only earthly pleasures. But people who believe in God should not despond, because through sorrows they receive the rights of sons, without which one cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
"Scorning the impious decree, the Children brought up together in godliness feared not the threat of fire, but standing in the midst of the flames, they sang: 'O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.'" (Irmos of the Nativity of Christ, tone 1, canticle 7).
Sorrows are that very threat of fire, or trial, but we must not fear them; rather we must be like the godly children and sing unto God in our sorrows, believing that they are sent to us by God for our salvation.
May the Lord save you all, and lead you to the Kingdom of Unwaning Light! Amen.

11 hours ago | [YT] | 228

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

THE NEW YEAR: THE MYSTERY OF TIME
by Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann
On New Year’s Eve we feel the mystery of time more powerfully than at any other time. We feel, in other words, that its flow—in which we live and in which everything constantly vanishes as the “past” and constantly places us face to face with the unknown future—essentially contains within itself the main question that everyone is called to answer with their lives.
“Vain gift, chance gift—life, why have you been given me?” asks the poet [Pushkin] in his immortal line. Indeed, it is enough for one moment to turn away from the cares that absorb us, enough mentally to stop the ceaseless waterfall of time, disappearing into the abyss, in order for the question “Why is life given and what is its meaning?” to rise from the depths of the subconscious, where we normally hide it from ourselves, and stand before us in all its implacability.
I was not, now I am, and I will not be; thousands of years passed before me, and thousands will come after... On the surface of this unimaginably infinite ocean I am but a fleeting bubble, into which a ray of life flashes for a split second, just to be extinguished and disappear then and there.
“Vain gift, chance gift—life, why have you been given me?” What, in comparison with this only honest, rueful question do all the loud theories mean that seek to answer this with tiresome theoretics of a “bright future”?
“We will build our new world. He who was nothing will become everything” [from The Internationale]... The most naïve, gullible, and dull-witted person cannot but know that all this is a lie. For both the very one “who was nothing” and the one who “will become everything” will disappear from the face of the earth, from this hopeless mortal world.
Therefore, regardless of whatever we were taught by pathetic prophets of a pathetic happiness, only one real question stands eternally before man: does this ever-so-brief life have any meaning? What does it mean, when compared with the boundless abyss of time, that this flash of consciousness, this ability to think, rejoice, and suffer, this extraordinary life that, however seemingly futile and random, is still looked upon by us as a gift?
Now the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s. And as long as it strikes life for twelve short seconds stops and pauses, and everything as it were focuses on what is now to begin, posing and responding to the same torturous question: What is this—another step towards a meaningless end and disappearance, or the unexpected flashing of a ray of renewal and new beginnings? In response come words from an infinite loftiness and an infinite profundity: That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth... And of His fullness have we received, and grace for grace (John 1:9-12, 14, 16).
These are the words of the Evangelist John the Theologian in the very beginning of his Gospel. They are thoroughly imbued with the joy, confidence, and love of a man who has seen the light of true life, about which it is said that it shines in darkness and was not overcome by the darkness (John 1:5). Listening attentively to them, the very same joy, the very same confidence, and the very same love begin to be kindled in our own souls. Time is powerless if this light shines above us. Life is not vain, life is not chance, but is a gift from on high, from God, about Whom the same John the Theologian said that in Him was life, and this life was the light of man (John 1:4). And every man that comes into this world is once again set alight, is once again gifted this life, and the love of God is addressed to each one of them, and to each one of them is addressed God’s commandment: “Live!” Live, in order to love! Live, so that your life will be filled with love, light, wisdom, and knowledge! Live, so that in your life darkness, meaninglessness, and eventually death itself will be overcome! For eternity already shines through this world and through this earthly life. This gift of life in the world and with the world is given us that eternal life with God and in God may become part of us.
Yes, suffering, doubt, trials, the bitterness of separation—all these have fully become part of our lot. How often we are weakened in this battle, and give up, and fall, and change! How often we are scared and lonely, how often we lose heart when we see how evil and hatred are triumphing in the world! But the One Who gave us this life and granted us freedom taught us to discern good and evil; He gave us the loftiest of all gifts: love. For He said, and continues to say: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). We, too, can overcome in this very world, and in it our lives can shine with that same light that once flashed forth and continues to shine—that light that the darkness has not overcome.
The clock strikes... Let this mysterious future come to us; for, whatever it might bring with it, we know and believe that God is with us, that Christ has not orphaned us, that He is faithful that promised (Hebrews 10:23). Here are the marvelous words of Vladimir Soloviev:
Death and time reign on earth,
Do not call them your masters;
Everything, whirling about, disappears in the haze
The only thing fixed is the sun of love.
Yes, this is our calling, our freedom as children of God: not to call “masters” those things whose dominions have been destroyed, and not to close ourselves from access to the Sun of love, faith, and hope.
The holiday will soon be over, and routine, labor, fatigue, and depression will begin. But let us not permit the daily routine to overpower ours souls! Just as sunlight penetrates through closed shutters, so too let the light of Christ, through this mysterious holiday, become present in our daily lives, rendering our entire lives an ascent, a communion with God—a difficult but joyful path to eternal life. For the Apostle John said: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 162

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

SOME NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (1:1-8)
by Fr. James Guirguis
Christmas is about the coming of God to all of mankind. It is about His taking human flesh and dwelling with us, in order to suffer and die for us and save us, but God became man for another reason as well. So that we might hear His teachings. By the grace of God we are given the privilege of coming into His house every week and hearing His actual words. He loves us so much that He doesn’t tell us to go off on our own and figure things out. God does not want us to be lost, or confused. He teaches us with His words, to give us His teaching for our lives. In the reading, given to us on the eve of the New Year, we hear these words “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” If that is not a worthwhile New Year’s resolution, I am not sure what would be. Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. But what does that actually mean for us? What is this path that we need to make straight? What is the way of the Lord, and how do we prepare it?
Perhaps we should not be surprised that ultimately these words refer to the heart. Christ desires to reign and to rule over His people by ruling in their hearts. And we who deeply desire to know Him more intimately, more deeply, are given the way forward here. We have to prepare the way of the heart and straighten the paths of the heart so that God can come to us, or rather, that we might come to Him. We prepare the way of the Lord in the same way that the people prepared the way for the Lord long ago, when these words were first spoken. We repent and we confess our sins and then we receive baptism or the washing away of our sins. Of course we know that in our Orthodox Christian faith, there can only be one baptism. So how can we be baptized again?
St. Basil the great says that the second baptism is the baptism of tears. We should pray in a heartfelt manner and reflect upon all of our sins. We should acknowledge that our sins have truly and violently separated us from the God who loves us and also from our families and friends. We should acknowledge that our sins have tainted every single thing that we have done in our lives. I should understand that my sins affect more than just me. They are felt within the whole community and even cosmically. Our sins are powerful. But God is more powerful by far.
Why should we start our New Year with this resolution? Because as Christians, we have stated that we desire to know God and be His sons and daughters. This, my brothers and sisters, is the only way to make our desire a reality; through true and heartfelt and even painful repentance. Anytime someone wants to build a house, we think that the first thing that must be done is to prepare a foundation. But it’s not true. The first thing that must be done is to clear a path for the materials and workers and equipment to come to the construction site.
The Lord Jesus will provide the materials, the workers and the equipment and He will even oversee the whole job. The materials are the sacraments that bring us the grace of God, especially Holy Communion. The workers are the clergy and our fellow brothers and sisters who minister to our needs and love us. The equipment is the Church and all that is contained in her. Her prayers, her discipline, her services, her hymns. All of that is provided by the chief architect and builder, who is Christ our Lord. What is required of us is to clear a path for Him to work. We have to give Him space to do His amazing work. The work requires patience and time and it requires us to genuinely struggle to keep the path clear and straight for the Lord. If the Lord is always battling for a spot on the path, we are bound for failure. But if we uproot the sins and the unnatural and downright demonic lusts of our hearts, then He can do a marvelous work in each of us. I know that some of you, hopefully all of you, would like to be saints. It is possible only if the heart is struggling for purity. So how do we struggle in a practical sense?
Our struggle is not just to avoid certain things, and certain activies. We have to struggle to actually do some things that are very important. We have to develop a spiritual rule for our lives. It has to be something that we do every single day, without fail. If you don’t think this is possible, remember that you shower, brush your teeth and eat nearly every day. The soul is also hungry, so allow God to feed it! First, Dedicate time to God every single day, at the very least with 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Don’t try to convince yourself or me that you don’t have the time. Our days are already numbered by God. There are plenty of prayer books and prayer apps that can be used and if you would like a recommendation, please see me later or send me an email. The end of each day should be marked with prayers of repentance and a daily private confession of your sins. This confession should be punctuated by confession with your father confessor at least 4 times a year and my recommendation is to confess early in the fasting periods as opposed to right before the feasts in order to get the biggest benefit, because “no one puts new wine into old wine skins”.
In addition we should definitely understand that purity is holistic and it builds upon our environment and our senses. Christians have no business watching filth, no matter what name that filth goes by, be it Game of Thrones or Walking Dead or Sex and the City or Will and Grace or whatever other nonsense to which we are exposing ourselves. Guard the door to your hearts ferociously, with zeal, because our God is a jealous God and He refuses to share space in our hearts. There is only enough room to love God and love your neighbors. Sometimes, even if what we are watching and doing is not awful, it can still be obscuring the path to our hearts. Facebook is not just a drain on your time, it is a drain on society. If you want to continue to use it, do so, but understand that when it replaces things that are spiritually productive, it becomes a great sin, because your life was given to you so that you would have fellowship with God and serve Him.
That is ultimately what this gospel reading is telling us, cleanse your hearts in an uncompromising way and allow space for God and what is holy, and then you will be quite surprised by the way that God breathes new life into you and into your life, your relationships, your school and your work. May the Lord bless the crown of the New Year by His grace and love towards mankind. AMEN.

2 days ago | [YT] | 351

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

IS IT A SIN TO BE CELEBRATING NEW YEAR?
by Archpriest Vladimir Puchkov
When I was a seminarian, the Orthodox youth was seriously occupied by the topic of New Year’s celebration. We were sharing with one another details about what exactly this or that particular elder blesses on this day; we discussed the strategies for parish priests to distract their flock from the celebration; we were indignant with all these people who got drunk just on the eve of the martyr Boniface’s name day; we saw the New Year celebration as a blasphemous communist alternative to Christmas. It is hard to remember the details of our discussions now, but I distinctly remember that we all agreed on December 31 and January 1 being ordinary days, leaving ourselves no option but to sleep on the New Year’s Eve.
I lived with that conviction from the very beginning of my church life, all the way until marriage, ordination and my first New Year in family (and priestly) status. I think it was on December twenty-eighth that my spouse asked me how we were going to celebrate the New Year. Remembering the pious discourses of my seminary times, without the slightest doubt I replied that we weren’t. “We aren’t?” my matushka asked me again. “Nope.” I replied with no less certainty. “Are you all right?” she then asked in a manner that really shook my confidence. It was then that I clearly understood that I had no answer to that. It was easy for me to be smart at the seminary, when I had no wife or family to care for. But as soon as I got married, it became clear that all the convictions of my undisturbed and irresponsible youth were completely out of place in family life. Both for me and my wife the coming holiday had been an important date during our childhood and, partly, adolescence. It was not my wife’s or my children’s fault that I denied it its privileged status in times of my neophyte exuberance. Perhaps, something really was wrong with me. As one would expect, we did celebrate the New Year then. After the Liturgy served in the morning (December 31 fell on Sunday that year), the two of us sat at the festive table, laid with all simplicity of a young family. It has been twenty years now since that New Year’s Eve, and for me the question of whether believers should celebrate the New Year remains completely off the table.
I declare with full responsibility: do celebrate! And please spare the talk about the terrible partying in the middle of Advent. When I hear this narrative, I am always tempted to ask the zealots spreading it, why they give believers so little credit? Seriously, it looks as if any Orthodox Christian’s hidden desire is getting completely hammered. It becomes fulfilled the minute he sits down at the holiday table with his family instead of going to bed or attending the night Liturgy in church. And when he reaches the desired condition, he is most certain to start dancing, perhaps even on the table. It goes without saying that everything will then certainly end with debauchery and fist-fighting. I do agree that we see enough of such disgrace during the New Year’s celebrations. But, excuse me; what does it have to do with faithful Christians? If a believer celebrates the New Year within the limits set by the fasting rules, how is he participating in the lewdness of those who spend their time in excessive drinking, gluttony, adultery and rowdiness? A stupid question, isn’t it?
Okay, I agree, not all believers can easily resist the temptation. One can start celebrating quite decently, and later lose control… But judging only by those inclined to lose control would mean laying one’s fault at somebody else’s door. Church people in general do not tend to wildly celebrate anything. So why forbid them to celebrate the New Year if they are generally indisposed to overindulge in celebrating? It turns out that completely others are to blame for the fact that they walk without measure? There is simply no logic here.
New Year, of course, is a secular holiday, but there is nothing bad in its essence. It is quite the opposite. Have you ever noticed how we have lost the habit of simply being near one another because of this vanity, which has almost become the norm of life lately? I mean family first of all. You may have heard about the increase in the divorce rate, caused by the strict quarantine that we faced in spring. People were forced to spend much more time together than they were used to. As a result, some of them realized that they were unable to stand one another.
The fact is that the time spent together will bring joy only if we learn how to make it a joy. In this context, holidays, including the New Year present a perfect opportunity to gather a family, for example, at the table. So why neglect a good opportunity? After all, we can celebrate with all modesty and sobriety and refrain from unnecessary entertainment. Plus we will have more opportunities to be around one another, decorating a Christmas tree with the whole family, and preparing for the holiday. Plus the extra joy of pleasing children with gifts!
Indeed there are many ways to celebrate, and although some people tend to overindulge in superfluity, it’s not the holiday, but a person. A drunkard will get drunk and a trouble-maker will pick a fight on Easter or Christmas just the same. What the New Year can become for each of us depends only on us. Turn it into a warm family holiday, and the question of whether it is permissible for believers to celebrate the New Year will answer itself.

3 days ago | [YT] | 206

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

SIMPLE THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR
by Metropolitan Sotirios of Canada
NEW YEAR’S ENCYCLICAL
Certain followers of another religion — that is very much in the news today — are fond of ridiculing Christianity and Christians. They say such things as: “Are you dumb? Are you a masochist? Don’t you know any better?”
They go so far as to ridicule the teachings and sayings of Christ Himself, when they say: “Christians are stupid. You can slap them on the cheek, and they will tell you to keep on hitting them.”
Of course, you know better. They misinterpret what Jesus said. “If someone strikes you on the one cheek, then turn to them the other.”
With this teaching, Christ preached tolerance; love; cooperation; and humility, while other religions preach supremacy; hate; revenge; and oppression.
Listen to me. In the New Year that begins, the first thing you need is faith in Christ. Why? Because in Christ, all the prophecies are fulfilled, for He is the True Messiah. The only True God. The only Redeemer and Savior of the world. There is no one else who can claim this. True faith is the link that unites humanity and the divine — a faith that allows each person who is baptized to be united with Christ the God-Man.
Imitate your ancestors, the ancient Greeks, who would look back at the events of the past year and make their resolutions and plans for the New Year. Think about how you have lived your life and what changes you need to make. What good have you done? What harm have you done? What should you have done that you did not do? Since the Lord has allowed you to live through 2016, you still have time and a long journey before you in 2017. Make plans in 2017 for both your spiritual and material benefit. Stick to this plan faithfully, so that by the end of 2017, you will be successful — if the Lord wills that you are still on this earth.
During the course of this New Year, above all, have faith in Christ, the divine Son of God. Show genuine love to all people. We are all children of the same Father, who is the Only True God. Practice these virtues throughout the New Year: industriousness, honesty and kindness.
Do not fear possible threats. Violence can never prevail. Truth will ultimately prevail, for Christ is the Truth, the Way and the Life — a Life lived in abundance.
With faith in Christ and abiding in His love, you will succeed in this life and inherit life for eternity. I wish you a happy and blessed New Year, having Christ abiding in your hearts. Christ has accomplished the true victory over evil in this world, and this victory He grants to each person who is united with Him for eternity.

4 days ago | [YT] | 389

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

FEAR EVIL LIKE FIRE!
by St. John of Kronstadt
Fear evil like fire. Don’t let it touch your heart even if it seems just or righteous. No matter what the circumstances, don’t let it come into you. Evil is always evil. Sometimes evil presents itself as an endeavor to God’s glory, or as something with good intentions towards your neighbor. Even in these cases, don’t trust this feeling. It’s a wrong labor and is not filled with wisdom. Instead, work on chasing evil from yourself.
Evil, however innocent it looks, offends God’s long-suffering love, which is His foremost glory. Judas betrayed his Lord for thirty silver pieces under the guise of helping the poor. Keep in mind that the enemy continuously seeks your death and attacks more fiercely when you’re not alert. His evil is endless. Don’t let self-esteem and the love of material goods win you over. When you feel anger against someone, believe with your whole heart that it’s a result of the devil’s work in your heart. Try to hate the devil and his deeds and it will leave you. Don’t admit it as a part of yourself and don’t justify it. I know this from experience. The devil hides himself behind our souls and we blindly think we’re acting by ourselves. Then we defend the devil’s work as something that is a part of us. Sometimes we think that anger is a fair reaction to something bad. But the idea that a passion could ever be fair is a total and deadly lie. When someone is angry at you, remember that this evil feeling is in him. He’s just fooled by the devil and is a suffering instrument in his hand. Pray that the enemy leaves him and that God opens his spiritual eyes, which have been darkened by the evil spirit. Pray to God for all people enslaved by passions because the enemy is acting in their hearts.
Perhaps you hate your neighbor, despise him, don’t want to talk to him peacefully and lovingly because he has been rude, arrogant, or disgusting in his speech or manners. You may despise him for being full of himself or proud or disrespectful. But you are to blame more than he is. Physician, heal yourself! (Luke 4:23). So, teacher, teach yourself. This kind of anger is worse than any other evil. How could evil be chased out by another evil? How can you take a needle from the eye of another person while having a log in your own? Evil defects must be fixed with love, kindness, resignation, and patience. Admit yourself as the worst of all sinners, and believe it. Consider yourself the worst one, chase away any boldness, anger, impatience and fury; you may start helping others. Be indulgent about the defects of others, because if you see their faults all the time, there will be continuous enmity. The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. (Psalm 129:3). For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:14).
We can feel from time to time the most perfect love for God without loving each other. This is a strange thing, and only few care about it. But love for our neighbor will never come without our own effort. A real Christian doesn’t have any reason to be angry about anybody. Anger is the devil’s deed. A Christian should have only love inside and since love doesn’t boast, he shouldn’t boast or have any bad thoughts towards others. For example, I must not think about another person that he is evil, proud etc; and I must not think that if I forgive his offense he would laugh at me or upset me again. We must not let evil hide in us under any pretense. Evil and anger usually have many different veils. Don’t yield to gloomy feelings in your heart but control and eradicate them with the power of faith and the light of the sane mind. These strengths will make you feel secure. Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. (Psalm 25:20).
Gloomy feelings usually develop deep in the heart. Someone who hasn’t learned how to control them will be gloomy and pensive most of the time and it will be hard for him to deal with himself and other people. When they come close to you, sustain yourself with inner strength, happiness and innocent jokes: and they will leave you soon. This is from experience.
Lord, give me strength to love everyone like myself and never to get angry or work for the devil. Give me strength to crucify my self-esteem, my pride, my greed, my skepticism and other passions. Let us have a name: a mutual love. Let us not worry about anything. Be the only God of our hearts, and let us desire nothing except You. Let us live always in unifying love and let us hate anything that separates us from each other and from love. So be it! So be it! If God showed Himself to us and lives inside us as we in Him (according to His eternal Word), wouldn’t He give us everything? Would He ever trick us or leave us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32). Now be comforted, my dear, and know nothing but love. These things I command you, that ye love one another (John 15:17).

5 days ago | [YT] | 552

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

ON THE CONSCIENCE
by Abba Dorotheos
When God created man He sowed in him something divine, a certain thought which has in itself, like a spark, both light and warmth; a thought which enlightens the mind and indicates to it what is good and what is evil—this is called conscience, and it is a natural law. This is that well which, as the Holy Fathers interpret it, Isaac dug and the Philistines covered up (Gen. 26:18). Following this law, that is, conscience, the Patriarchs and all the saints pleased God before the written Law. But when men through the fall of sin buried and trampled upon it, then the written Law became necessary, the Holy Prophets became necessary, the very Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ became necessary in order to reveal and move it (the conscience)—in order that this buried spark might again be ignited by the keeping of His Holy Commandments.
Now it is in our power either to again bury it or to allow it to shine in us and illuminate us, if we shall submit to it. For when our conscience tells us to do something and we disdain it, and when it again speaks, and we do not do what it says, but rather continue to trample upon it, then we bury it and it can no longer speak clearly to us from the weight that lies upon it. But like a lamp which hangs behind a curtain, it begins to show us things more darkly. And just as no one can recognize his own face in water that is obscured by many weeds, so after the transgression, we also do not understand what our conscience tells us—so that it seems to us that we have no conscience at all. However, there is no man who has no conscience, for it is, as we have already said, something divine and never perishes. It always reminds us of what is profitable, but we do not feel it because, as has already been said, we disdain it and trample upon it.
Wherefore the Prophet laments over Ephraim and says (Hosea 5:11) Ephraim altogether prevailed against his adversary, he trod judgment under foot. By adversary was meant the conscience. Wherefore also in the Gospel it is said (Matt. 25,26) Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou has paid the uttermost farthing. But why is the conscience called the adversary? It is called adversary because it always opposes our evil will and reminds us what we must do but do not do; and again, what we should not do but do, and for this it judges us, which is why the Lord calls it the adversary and commands us saying, Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him. The way, as St. Basil the Great says, is this world.
And thus, O brethren, let us strive to preserve our conscience while we are in this world, let us not allow it to refuse us in any matter. Let us not trample upon it in any way, even in the smallest thing. Know that from disdaining this small thing which is in essence nothing, we go on to disdain also a great thing. For if one begins to say, "What does it matter if I say this word? What does it matter if I eat this thing? What does it matter if I look at this or that thing?" From this "what does it matter about this or that?" one falls into a bad habit and begins to disdain what is great and important and to trample down one's conscience, and thus becoming hardened in evil, one is in danger of coming to complete lack of feeling. Wherefore guard yourselves, O brethren, from disdaining what is small, guard yourself from trampling upon it, looking down upon it as something small and unimportant. It is not small, for through it a bad habit is formed. Let us pay heed to ourselves and be concerned for what is light while it is still light, so that it will not become heavy: for both virtues and sins begin from the small and go on to become great good and evil. Therefore the Lord commands us to preserve our conscience and, as it were, He especially exhorts each of us, saying: "Look what you are doing, unfortunate one! Come to yourself, be reconciled with your adversary while you are in the way with him." Then He indicated the lamentable consequences of not preserving this commandment: lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou has paid the uttermost farthing. For the conscience accuses us, as I have already said, both in good and in evil, and it shows us what to do; and again it is it that will judge us in the coming Age, which is why it is said, Lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the rest.
The preservation of the conscience has many forms: for a man must preserve it in relation to God, to his neighbor, and to things. In relation to God, a man preserves his conscience if he does not disdain God through His commandments; and even in what people do not see, and in what no one demands of us, he preserves his conscience towards God in secret. For example, one may have grown lazy in prayer, or a passionate thought has entered his heart, and he did not oppose this and did not restrain himself, but accepted it; or when one has seen his neighbor doing or saying something and, as it often the case, he judged him. In short, everything that happens in secret, which no one knows except God and our conscience, we must preserve; and this is preservation of the conscience in relation to God. And the preservation of the conscience in relation to one's neighbor demands that we do nothing at all which, as far as we know, offends or tempts our neighbor by deed, word, appearance, or a glance. For one may offend one's brethren in appearance also, as I often repeat, and even by a glance. In short: a man should not do anything at all that he knows to have the intention of offending his neighbor. By this his conscience is defiled, recognizing that this was done in order to harm his brother or make him sad—this means preserving one's conscience in relation to one's neighbor. And the preservation of the conscience in relation to things consists in not having a careless attitude toward anything, not allowing the conscious to be spoiled, and not throwing it out. If we see something thrown out we should not disdain it, even if it be something insignificant, but should pick it up and put it in its place. Likewise, we should not behave carelessly with regard to our clothing. One might wear his garment for a week or two or even a month, and he often washes it prematurely and thus ruins it, and instead of wearing it for five months or longer. By frequent washing he causes it to become old and useless, and this is against the conscience. Likewise in relation to one's bed—one person may be satisfied with a single pillow, but another seeks a large bed; or he has a rough shirt but wishes to change it and obtain a different one, a new or a beautiful one out of vainglory or despondency. Someone may be satisfied with a single blanket, but he seeks another, better one, and he even quarrels if he does not receive it. If he furthermore begins to take note of his brother, saying, "Why does he have one and I do not?" then he is far from maturity. Likewise, if someone hangs his clothing or blanket in the sun and is slothful about taking it down in time and allows it thus to be ruined by the heat, this also is against the conscience. Or with regard to food, one person might be able to satisfy his needs with a small quantity of vegetables or lentils, or a few olives, but he does not want this, and rather seeks some other food that is tastier and better. All this is against the conscience. The Fathers say that a monk should never allow that his conscience reproach him for anything. Thus it is essential for us brethren to always heed ourselves and preserve ourselves from all this, so that we will not be subjected to that misfortune about which the Lord Himself warns us, which we have stated above. May the Lord grant us to hear and fulfill this, so that the words of our Fathers will not serve as judgment against us.

6 days ago | [YT] | 342

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS CELEBRATING ON DECEMBER 25th!
Today, our hearts are filled with joy for our brothers and sisters around the world who are celebrating the glorious Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Although our calendars differ, the miracle we celebrate is one and the same: the coming of God into the world as a humble Child, to bring Light, Hope, and Salvation to all mankind.
On this blessed day for you, we too are called to deepen our prayer and spiritual preparation as we continue our journey through the Nativity Fast towards our own celebration on January 7th.
How can we join in spirit today?
We invite you to send us your prayer requests. We will lift up your names and the names of your loved ones in our prayers during this holy season, asking the Lord to bring peace, health, and comfort to every heart.
Let us support each other in prayer.
You can submit your prayer requests here 👉 obitel-minsk.org/prayer-request-youtube.

May the grace of the Holy Nativity be with you all!

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 614

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

ST. SILOUAN OF MT. ATHOS: “I HAVE MANY SORROWS OF MY OWN, AND THEY ARE MY OWN FAULT…”
by Roman Savchuk
Everyone in life has his own battle of Stalingrad, his own cross, his own Golgotha. There are moments when it seems that circumstances are indeed beyond our power, when life breaks down and it’s painful even to look at the world around us. In such moments the soul is tormented by one question: “Why?” Reason refuses to accept reality and it languishes in bewilderment and supposition, tearing the wounded heart into pieces. Reality is cruel, and the soul can truly become sick. And no one knows when sorrows will knock at doors of the heart. But we must know in that moment how to answer these unawaited guests…
“The Merciful Lord loves His own servants and gives them sorrows on earth, so that the soul would through sorrows learn humility and dedication to God’s will and find peace in the pain, as the Lord said: Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you will find rest unto your souls.” This is what St. Silouan of Mt. Athos wrote in one of his letters—and he was a saint who truly knew by his own experience the color of pain. The demons so tormented him as a young novice with attacks both obvious and obscured, that he at last fell into the depths of despair and thought it impossible to beseech mercy from God. With that thought, with his whole heart he suffered complete abandonment, and his soul sank into the darkness of hellish anguish and melancholy. Nevertheless, he withstood it all; he clung to the brim of the abyss without taking that fatal step toward eternal destruction. How he clambered any way he could out of the abyss of despair we learn from another of his letters: “I have many sorrows of my own. They are my own fault, because I did not learn Christ-like humility…” There is very much hidden in this seemingly simple confession. And the most important thing here is that, despite all the horrors and suffering God allowed the saint to experience, he was able by his life to justify God’s Love and Mercy. Here is the meaning of a Christian’s suffering! It is in not only not breaking down, in getting through it and enduring to the end—but in never ceasing to have faith in God’s love for mankind even when one is in utter agony.
The Lord has entrusted much to us—He entrusted to us the truth about Himself! It is truth, which this cruel, unjust, and self-willed tyrannical world has forgotten. We are called here, amidst suffering and lies, to justify the Creator’s goodness! The Savior has entrusted to us the testimony of His measureless mercy for mankind, about how He was crucified, endured cruel torments and scourging—proving that He has not abandoned us, has not alienated His fallen creation, but rather with the entire depth of His boundless love desires our salvation. This means that in the eyes of the all-good Creator, those sorrows and sufferings that come into our lives have beyond all doubt some good meaning; and that means that we must also come to know them as a testimony to His mercy. And we must not only come to know them, but also accept them with all our hearts, and submit ourselves to the Creator’s Providence, even though we may not fully understand what it is.
“You see, it is easy for us Christians to live in the world,” testified the much-suffering Fr. Silouan. “It is good and pleasant for our souls. We have become accustomed to humbling our souls, and for this the merciful Lord gives us His grace. It teaches us to love God with all our souls and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is our life in God, and the enemies envy us and want for us to forget God. But we, supported by God’s grace, love God and find peace in Him.” Having experienced the abyss of despair, ceaselessly worn out by sicknesses and other sorrows, St. Silhouan calls us to one thing: “Let us keep in our thoughts day and night that the Lord loves us sinners and calls us to Himself.”
“Glory be to the merciful Lord, that He loves us so much and gives us His grace. It teaches us to know the Lord and helps us to keep the holy commandments. In them the soul obtains rest in God. Our joy, our merciful Lord loves sinners and gives them His grace of the Holy Spirit. He is sweet, He cannot be compared to anything on earth; see—this is what the Lord has bestowed upon us in His mercy,” as St. Silouan testified from the depths of his heart. This means that when sorrows visit us, the Lord Himself is nigh. It means that God has once more entrusted to us what he cannot entrust to others; what those who do not know Him, who have only heard of Him, cannot understand. God entrusts the witness of Him only to His closest friends. Therefore we also should be ready for the time when the Lord will accept us as worthy to bring the news of our God’s love and mercy to the lost and despairing world. And then, wiping the tears from our faces, we must go out to people and witness that we are beloved of God, despite all the difficulties and temporary hardships—even tragic and irreparable ones—we still believe that our God wishes us only good, and orders everything for the salvation of our souls!
And in the most difficult moments of our lives, we will not depart from faith in the good Providence of God, in God’s measureless mercy and love for us sinners. Then the Lord will not depart from us; He will not forget those who faithfully bore witness of Him to the lost world! In the heaviest moments of our lives, God is entrusting to us what is most sacred—the truth about Him! This means that He believes in us, loves us, and wants to make us His own. Therefore, even in sad circumstances, amidst pain and suffering, let us not forget that we are beloved of God, and, “Let us strive to conquer ourselves in deed, so that the soul would come to know God. It is a great joy to know God. The soul desires Him insatiably. Great is God’s mercy for sinful man. The Lord allows us to gain knowledge of Him, of how merciful He is, and how much He loves us. This love is known from the Holy Spirit. See—this is how the Holy Spirit lives in our Orthodox Church.”

1 week ago | [YT] | 438

St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants

1 week ago | [YT] | 800