Saint Metrophanes Chi Sung | A Witness of Faith and Courage.

 

Bande-annonce : Fraternité orthodoxe d’Occident – ​​De l’amour du prochain au souci de la Création

 

The Good Soil | The Parable of the Sower!!!

 

Father Iliodor (Gairiyants) of Optina, the “Greek“On October 26, the Our righteous Father Archdeacon Iliodor (Gariyants) of Optina, the “Greek“, reposed in the Lord on 2020.

 

We’re parting, but not saying goodbye

From his youth, Father Iliodor was a virtuoso piano player. In the worldly world, he even had his own musical group and wrote poetry and music. Before entering the monastery, he burned a large pile of his compositions.

– Father, why did you do this? We could learn your songs now.

– Why?

Nevertheless, when visiting his spiritual children, Father Iliodor often played music. His favorite love song was “A Million Scarlet Roses.” “Who among you is ready to do such a thing for the sake of a loved one, huh?” he would ask.

I’ll help everyone in one fell swoop

When my godfather was hospitalized, we were confident he would definitely recover. His condition became serious, but we continued to hope he would recover.

On Sunday evening, October 25th, like a bolt from the blue, news came from the doctors: the only hope was a miracle, his condition was critical. The feast of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was approaching. The words from the Akathist hymn came to mind: “Rejoice, blessed Gatekeeper, who opens the gates of paradise to the faithful.” We understood everything, but we didn’t want to let our godfather go. We practically cried out to the Mother of God: “No, Queen of Heaven! We need a priest here!”

On the night between Sunday and Monday, we were driving along the night road to Kaluga. I was driving and asking my husband to continue praying for his father. He was reading the Psalter and seemed to hear a familiar voice in his soul: “Volodenka, don’t! It’s all over… The Lord showed me that while I’m here, I won’t be able to help everyone at once, but if I’m there, I’ll help everyone in one fell swoop, you understand?”

Here on earth, we were happy with our godfather, and now we believe that in him we have found a heavenly patron for our family.

Elena Galkina

Source: Monastic Bulletin, No. 1 (49) 2022. Pp. 40–49.

[Google Translate]

https://pravoslavie.ru/146834.html

***

Hierodeacon Iliodor

A story about disobedience

Once we were on Mt. Athos, at the Skete of the Panagia. The skete is a small building: Inside there is a hall with a fireplace that can be kindled to get dry and spend the night in warmth, and part of the building is a small chapel. Pilgrims usually spend the night in the skete, and in the morning, having rested, make the last dash to the Church of the Transfiguration on the summit of Mt. Athos. They also stop for a bit in the skete before going back down.

And we took a break before our descent; we ate, we drank coffee, and we felt good; we were happy. I said: “Now, let’s read the Akathist to the Mother of God, as usual, and then we’ll head down.”

But our secular companions said: “No, we don’t have time to read the Akathist here; we’re in a hurry! We need to get down the mountain faster!”

I gave in to their entreaties, and we all started to go down together.

There is no vegetation on the mountain there, the rocks are slippery under your feet, it’s easy to fall and it’s easy to hurt yourself, rolling down the mountain. And just as we began our descent, thunder cracked and a storm began. And instead of an Akathist in the chapel, we went down the mountain in the rain. We went down to the cross at the fork, where people usually make another stop, dirty, wet, and we stood, looking at each other. Well, we were in a hurry…

We started reading the Akathist to the Mother of God at the cross…

https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/

Father Iliodor (Gairiyants) of Optina, the “Greek“On October 26, the Our righteous Father Archdeacon Iliodor (Gariyants) of Optina, the “Greek“, reposed in the Lord on 2020.

 

“My son, give me your heart…” (Proverbs 23:26)

Above all canons and regulations is love.

Father Iliodor fully brought these words spoken by Saint Gabriel (Urgebadze) to life.

“I approach the hotel, it’s raining and cold, a woman with a child is knocking on the door, but they won’t let her in because the hotel closes at eleven o’clock. So I knock again and complain, ‘How can this be? Are you not letting Christ, the Mother of God, in?'” Father Iliodor recounted.

Often, when we arrived at the monastery, we’d find our godfather not in his cassock, but in sweatpants and a robe. “The abbot took him off. I took a child, a wheelchair user, to Jerusalem without his blessing. I promised him, but the abbot didn’t bless him, but how could I not fulfill my promise?”

There was a children’s camp near Optina in the summer. Having visited there and discovered that the children had neither fresh vegetables nor milk or sour cream, Father Iliodor immediately ran to the brotherhood’s refectory, loaded a cart with boxes of cucumbers, tomatoes, and jars of milk, “harnessed” one of the pilgrims to it, and took it to the children. Hegumen Nikon came running toward him:

– Are you robbing the brethren! Without a blessing?!

– Father, you are a priest, so bless us to feed the children.

“On Valaam there lived ascetics, and at Optina, comforters. Such were the venerable elders of Optina. We must continue this tradition.” This principle became the foundation of Father Iliodor’s monastic life.

Mom, how many times do I have to kiss you?

Father Iliodor taught all his children that they should strive to receive communion often:

“We don’t ask, ‘Mom, how many times do I have to kiss you?’ It’s the same here. In communion, we unite with God, who loves us more than anyone.”

There were cases when priests wouldn’t bless someone for communion. The godfather would go and investigate. Some were even successfully “won back.”

His reverence for the Holy Gifts was also astonishing. One day, a little girl vomited in church immediately after receiving Communion. She had been complaining of feeling unwell since the morning, but her mother insisted on going to church. She had brought a plastic bag with her, into which the child vomited. When she told Father Iliodor about the incident, the girl’s mother heard: “Come back with this in a few hours.” Having fasted, the godfather consumed the contents of the bag.

Heart ultrasound and the formula for Christian life

“No fasting will save us,” Father Iliodor instructed his parishioners on New Year’s Day 2020. “Up in heaven, they won’t do stomach ultrasounds. They’ll do heart ultrasounds. We’ll take with us only our hearts, our consciences, and good deeds, if any of us have any.”

His instructions, even if sometimes stern, never depress anyone, never offend or hurt anyone, never alienate anyone. Around him, people felt inspired.

“A person needs a little attention and nothing more. A listening ear and, if possible, a hug and a kiss.”

Father Iliodor left us all a “formula,” as he called it, for Christian life: “Love everyone, pity everyone, justify everyone, pray for everyone.”

https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/

The Robber and the Tears | An Orthodox Christian Story of Repentance!!!

 

The parable of the Sower is about evangelism and the importance of “sowing the seeds” of Christ’s gospel.

Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell:

The parable of the Sower is about evangelism and the importance of “sowing the seeds” of Christ’s gospel. Thus, we are reminded that our Church is apostolic and every practicing Christian has the sacred obligation and duty to share, spread, and grow the Word of God so that it bears fruit. Sadly, however, many find this to be an uneasy task; afraid to share steadfast truths amidst an ever-widening sea of political correctness and the oppressive waves of moral ambiguity. They are intimidated by the thought of not knowing what to say or how to say it, terrified of looking foolish, and worse yet, fearful of offending someone.

When God called upon Ezekiel to be His prophet, He said, “Listen closely, and take to heart every word I say to you. Then go to the people and proclaim my word, whether they listen or not.” (Ezekiel 3:10-11)

Therefore, our mission is no greater or lesser than Ezekiel’s: we are simply called upon to take God’s Word to heart and then share it with others as truthfully, honestly, and respectfully as we can. And one need not worry about whether you will succeed or fail, because that is a matter between God and those with whom you’ve shared His Word. If God so chooses to bless your efforts, that’s great, but your obligation to share the Faith comes with no guarantees. In other words, God doesn’t call upon us to be successful, He only expects you to be faithful.

Fr. John

Schedule for the arrival of the relics of Venerable Gabriel in Canada.

 

Mother Olga Yurevich.

"No matter how much a person sins, no matter how much he is a complete idiot, the Lord will not love him less. Our Lord loves us fully, each of us individually. And each one with an extraordinary love, the only kind the Lord can love."

Mother Olga Yurevich

The Sparrow and the Silence | An Orthodox Monk’s Lesson in Love (Greek Subtitles)

 

Eternity!!!!

 

Eternity

If we fill ourselves with good thoughts and noble aspirations, we shall find them in eternity. Those thoughts that embody goodness here grant us peace in eternity. But if we occupy ourselves with other thoughts—hellish ones, filled with envy and malice—then, upon passing into eternity, we shall see that we squandered the time during which we could have mended our lives, yet failed to do so. Then, the pangs of conscience over lost time will begin. Who, then, shall deliver us from this in eternity?

Only God can deliver man from this. Or perhaps someone on earth might remember us and pray to the Lord to free us from those mental shackles we forged here on earth—shackles we failed to cast off while there was still time. Peace and joy are the greatest riches, both of this world and of the next.

Archimandrite Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Until Tomorrow | Saint Sabbatius of Solovki (Greek Subtitles)

 

Ο ΥΜΝΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΙΤΣΑΣ!!!THE HYMN OF THE AUNTIE!!!

 

«Create Christ centered families» - π. Γεώργιος Σχοινάς. Με αγγλικούς υπότιτλους.

 

Without place and time!!!!Εκτός τόπου και χρόνου!!!

 

The path for all of us is the same: we will all leave this life.

"The path for all of us is the same: we will all leave this life. Yesterday, I, a twenty-year-old, was running down Gorky Street, and tomorrow I might be dying. No metaphors. Am I afraid? Yes, I am. It's an unprecedented situation. But it's also very interesting. There's God, there's eternity. I'm not ready. There's so much negativity. We were sitting with Vanya Okhlobystin on the set of the film "Tsar," getting our makeup done and talking about what we had read and heard about eternal life. The makeup artist said, "Oh, you guys are so funny." I told him, "Just wait until we stand before the Creator; you'll be laughing uncontrollably." Because with our consciences and our lives as they are, we'll have to look God in the eye, the God who gave his life for us on the cross...

Don't be fooled into thinking that after death, only dust will remain of us. All the great scientists are believers. All my doctor friends, who deal with life and death, believe.

There are thousands of testimonies about clinical death that prove there is no end. Einstein didn't doubt the existence of God, nor did Pushkin, Lomonosov, or Mendeleev. And some seventeen-year-old girl says, "I'm not sure your God exists..." But first, you should read, study the issue, and then you can say that. But she doesn't do that; she just talks. It's like getting on the subway, seeing the diagram – a circle with colorful dots. You wave your hand and say, "Oh, it's nothing, I'll just go on my own." And you'll end up riding the Circle Line for the rest of your life."

Petr Mamonov

Jesus died on the cross at the age of 33. The human spine has 33 vertebrae.

Jesus died on the cross at the age of 33. The human spine has 33 vertebrae. The same structure that supports our body has the same number of years that His sacred feet have walked the Earth.

We have 12 ribs on each side. 12 disciples. 12 tribes of Israel. God has engraved His plan in our bones. He has written Heaven in our very anatomy.

The vagus nerve starts in the brain and goes down to the heart and intestines. It calms the storms in the body. It looks like a cross. This is the source of power that runs through our being. Every time your body heals, when your heart is calmed in prayer, when peace appears where it shouldn't... He is there.

Jesus rose on the third day. I read that when you fast for three days, the body begins to regenerate.  Old cells die. New cells are born. Healing begins. The body is resurrected. It is not a coincidence. It is a pattern.

And it continues.

Your heart has an electrical rhythm. Your brain lights up when you pray, like the fireworks in Sydney on New Year's Eve. Tears of joy have a different chemical composition than tears of pain or crying. Blood speaks. Bones carry memory. The body worships, even if you don't realize it.

We are made terribly beautiful. We are living prophecy. Walking temples. Dust and divinity in one.

God didn't just create you. He engraved His image in you.

You don't have to search far for Him.

You just have to look within.

 He knows you and loved you before your first heartbeat...

Father John Bandilita

BEFORE ABORTION.....

 

The Last Loaf | A Story of Faith Inspired by Psalm 37 / Το Τελευταίο Ψωμί | Μια ιστορία πίστης!!!

 

Panic Attacks, Hidden Sins, and Healing: Mother Siluana | Orthodox Church