Sunday of Forgiveness.Saint Sophrony the Athonite.

Saint Sophrony the Athonite.

We must say a few words about Sunday of Forgiveness. This day, when we sincerely ask forgiveness from one another, is extremely important. When forgiveness is granted from both sides, the soul then feels free and full of peace. Of course this state of freedom and peace exceedingly softens Lent. Prepare yourselves beforehand then, so that you may toss away from your heart and mind every trace of a negative stance against our brother.

          Already from the beginning of Lent we shall chant about Adam who was chased out of Paradise, and this is important. According to historical order, we shall also later remember the fall of Adam into sin and Christ's decision to blot out the curse. In this ingenious composition of the entire cycle of services, in this amalgamation of theology, prayer and doctrine, which is presented in the books of Great Lent, is written down the entire Tradition. To everything however has been given the form of prayer, so that theology can become the content of all our prayers.

          Forgive me. I have spoken now about the details of our life. Our principle aim I stated in my will. I ask you please to forget my nothingness and to keep that will. I said there that is not about something easy. Nevertheless, each time in such days, as the coming Sunday of Forgiveness, we shall realize this practice and forget all the wounds which were inflicted on us during our life! And when we forgive, from our heart all our brethren, for everything which has piled up in our full of toil, misunderstandings, sorrows, deprivations daily life, then all these are cast off, and our spirit is redeemed and obtains the liberty of the forgiven man, the redeemed from all the consequences of sin and inspired with new hope.

          We should not be surprised that misunderstandings in our life occur, especially during the period of Great Lent. We should however learn to overcome these difficulties, in order to fulfill the law of Christ Who said: "Forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father Who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses"[1]. Through the same act, forgiving the sins of our brother, we enter the process of salvation of the entire mankind. Every time temptations or some difficulty appear- because it is impossible to avoid frictions, the consequences of the shortcomings of our flesh-, we must without fail overcome these, and in this will show wisdom.

How To Cross Great LentSaint Sophrony the Athonite.

Saint Sophrony the Athonite.

Today and yesterday my heart aches, and aches in a strange way... And I entreated God: "Not now. Grant me to fulfill my life's work". And here it is. Walking towards the completion of my life's work I shall begin speaking with you on how we should pass the period of fasts.

          I have already spoken to you about my method, which I urge you to imitate. This method is the following: to see our final goal and to walk towards it beginning with the "a. b. c". As regards Great Lent, we should set ourselves precisely this same principle, but condensed. We must understand that we are being offered fifty days of fasting as a preparation to receive the Resurrection of the dead. And we shall build our vision in this way: Now begins our spiritual striving. Our inspiration is multiplied with the thought that millions of Christians will keep this Fast. The way to the Resurrection, even for the Incarnate God, passed through sufferings. The mystery of the Passion we will understand only later. From the beginning we accept this as a condition for our growth in God, as a condition for the acquisition of the word of God and the imitation of His ways in our daily life.

          Thus, let us set for ourselves such an image of Great Lent and we shall see how one Man on earth decided to climb alone Golgotha and break the iron collar of the curse, due to the sin of Adam. He decided to endure everything in a positive way, which no one on earth understood, and no one in reality accepted. And when He completed His "work"[1], He said: "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"[2].

Anecdotes About St. Joseph the HesychastHieromonk Ephraim, St. Nilus Skete, Alaska.

 Saint Joseph the Hesychast.

Elder Sophrony of Essex heard about Elder Joseph and found him on his own. Elder Sophrony visited him frequently because he had great reverence for him. He later said that Elder Joseph was one of the greatest ascetics of the Holy Mountain he had ever met. In a letter of his, Elder Sophrony wrote the following about their meeting: “I wanted to hear the words of this bearer of great grace. He spoke to me primarily about the hesychastic life of a hermit and that he himself had seen the Uncreated Light several times. My discussion with Geronda left a deep impression on me.... I had the impression that I had in front of me a spiritual general.” Indeed, he was “the teacher”—which is what pious monks of the wilderness of the Holy Mountain would call him out of reverence and respect.

Geronda Gregory abbot of Dochiariou Monastery.

The brethren of the Dochiariou monastery, who recently bade farewell to their Geronda Gregory (Zumis), offer this text in his memory.

Geronda Gregory (Zumis)

In October 9/21, 2018, around 10:30 pm, Gerondas Gregory , the hegumen of the Dochiariou monastery for 38 years, reposed in the Lord . The monk-ascetic, the charismatic leader, distinguished by an enlightened mind and a critical spirit, a skilled orator, loving spiritual father, renovator and new builder of the ancient monastery Dochiariou.

Geronda Gregory spiritually “grew at the feet” of Saint Amphilochius of Patmos and Saint Philotheos (Zervakos), abbot of the monastery of Longovard on Paros.

At the age of 29, he became the abbot of the “Mirtie” monastery in “Etoloakarnanii” and then the monastery of “Prusso” in “Evritania”. And, finally, since 1980, he became the hegumen of Dochiariou monastery in Mont Athos.

Antiochian testimonies. Father “Amphilochios Makris”.

Saint Amphilochios Makris.

 From the prologue of the Arabic version of the book “Our Geronda: The Life and Miracles of the Late Elder of Patmos, Amphilochios Makris”, (2001)

*Metropolitan Georges Khodr.

I would like to quote father “Amphilokhios” in the following 4 phrases: “Every Holy Liturgy is new”, "I am the son of the Church and I cannot give myself a break”, “whenever you see a spiritually exhausted person, don’t overburden him”, “Ask God’s forgiveness for I have given you nothing”.

Metropolitan Georges Khodr.

I had the chance to know the man. I met him in Patmos where Saint John saw his “revelation”. The light in his face was exactly the one described in this book, and this light was much more expressive than the words we exchanged. After all, words were not my aim. I wanted to go on pilgrimage to the place where the “Revelation” was given to Saint John. That great monk came across as one of those who lived for “the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus”. One of those who didn’t leave their first love, or one of the 24 elders who where kneeling “before the One seated on the throne”. A meek and humble monk, whose raso’s tail touched the floor’s dust and was made for him in the shape of a Cross. He considered himself as nothing, but considered greatly  contemplating in the face of  “the lamb slain from the foundation of the world”.

Saint Arsenius bishop of Tver(1409).

Saint Arsenios.

Our holy father Arsenius was born in 1350 to pious and humble Serbian parents in the town of Tver, about 150 miles northwest of Moscow, Russia. (His grandparents had migrated to this territory in Russia some seventy-five years before his birth.)

He was a very serious and intelligent boy, excelling in school while also delighting in serving the Lord as an acolyte in his local Orthodox Church. When Arsenius was still a young boy, both his parents became grievously ill; and just prior to his thirteenth birthday, they both fell asleep in the Lord. On their deathbed they asked Arsenius to fulfill one last wish: to live a holy and devout life, remembering the Lord God all his days, and to remember the poor and needy. At this time, because Arsenius was their only child, they willed all their possessions to him.

After the repose of his pious and God-loving parents, Arsenius spent many hours in prayer, seeking guidance from the Lord as to how to carry out his parents’ last request. During this time, two particular passages of the New Testament continually spoke to his heart: “For what is a mall profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26).

Love. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos.

Conscience is the first law of God, which He deeply carved in the hearts of the First Created, and conse­quently, each one of us takes it as a "photocopy" from his parents when he is born. Those who have managed to sensitize their conscience through the daily study of themselves, feel themselves estranged from this world; and, as a result, worldly people are dumbfounded by their discerning behaviour. Those, however, who do not examine their conscience, are neither benefited by spiritual study, nor by the advice of the Elders, nor are they even able to keep God's commandments, since they quickly become insensitive.

The Testimony of the Saints. Archimandrite George Kapsani.

Father Georges Kapsani.

Archimandrite George, the former Abbot of St. Gregorios Monastery (1974-2014), was well known throughout the Orthodox world both as a theologian and spiritual father. He has written many books and articles on theology and the spiritual life. His works have been translated into many languages. He reposed in the Lord, the day of Pentecost, 8 June 2014. 

The Church is the place of our meeting with the Holy Trinity and the Epiphany where the fullness of Grace and the real gifts of the Spirit exist. Where everything is perfect, since "the divine Fathers put everything in its proper order". They were driven and guided by the authenticity of the omniscience of God and "having recollected all the science of the soul" have passed on to us authentically" the great mystery of piety". The real piety, not the fake, not the in­dividual piety according to everyone's personal opinion, but piety of the Church.

We, the Orthodox Christians, in our honorable struggle daily die according to the old man and go from admiration to admiration and from surprise to surprise. We act as such even when we take up our cross, each one personally his own, despite our human passions and weaknesses.

WHY DO WE NEED THE LADDER?.Priest Dimitry Shishkin

In our time, many laypeople ask the question: Why should people of the twenty-first century act according to rules written by monks and for monks in deep antiquity?. Why should they read monastic books in which there isn’t even a remote mention of the problems that we face today?.

Here it is, the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, dedicated to a monk who lived one and a half millennia ago. Just how relevant are the writings of St. John, abbot of Sinai, to the twenty-first century?. Could there really be something of value?. 

“Asceticism irritates and even angers some people, because it disrupts the momentary comfort that doesn’t want to know anything about eternity.”

Priest Dimitry Shishkin, rector of the Church of the Protection of the Mother of God in the village of Pochtovoe, Bakhchesar region (diocese of Simferopol, Crimea). 

The main problem of our times is man’s loss of understanding of his higher calling. More and more the idea is spreading in the world that the meaning of human life consists in living here, on earth, with the maximum comfort and happiness. And by happiness is meant some average set of emotional-physical joys and conveniences. Having “waved away” the ascetical experience collected by the Church over the centuries, man handicaps himself, makes his life catastrophically truncated,  because he rejects help in the most difficult and most important work- discovering the fullness of love and harmony with God. Moreover, having completely immersed himself in emotional-fleshly life, man completely loses the true concept of spiritual life. He may even know about it from books, can think about it and discuss it, but no more than that. This is because the living experience of discovering the grace of the Holy Spirit, the experience of growing in the knowledge of God is acquired in no other way than by “love for the very venerable commandments and sacredly fulfilling them.” Without this experience, eternal grace-filled life becomes a certain culturological fact, and nothing more.

The Goal of Earthly Life: Prayer.Archimandrite Touma Bitar

     

Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God,
Douma- Lebanon.

  He came to me with the question, "I do not pray very much lately. I think I'm falling into negligence. What should I do to bring my prayer back?"

      If you truly want to bring your prayer back, then you are able to do this in an instant. Through prayer you acquire prayer. Prayer is an act of will. Pray regularly. A little or a lot? It doesn't matter. With feeling or without feeling? That doesn't matter either. You begin with the body, with words and motions. What's important is that you do it attentively. Don't be hasty and don't be slow. Don't raise your voice and don't hush it. Be moderate. Put your mind on what you are saying, on each word. Understand what you are saying.

A Letter of Father Archimandrite Moses of Optina to his Cousin the Nun Maximilla.

Most honorable among nuns, dearest sister Maximilla Ivanovna,

    Be strong in the Lord!

    I was glad to receive your welcome letter in good order. I thank you most kindly for everything. Do keep writing to me, and do not make this difficult for yourself. Write to me simply, whatever you feel, and just write as you speak. You do not need to go into detail about your devotion and love for me, because I have known that for a long time.

Write to me mostly about yourself and the kind of spiritual infirmities and trials you have, so that for my part I will be able to show you sympathy for the sake of your spiritual welfare, instead of mere useless affection.

    Of course you and I, who are feeble, have no need to con­verse about great feats of asceticism and exalted virtues­ just about weaknesses and the trials of life. I was pleased with this last letter of yours-that is what they should always be like. You write to me straightforwardly and trustingly concerning your infirmity.

De la maladie et l’Économie de Dieu.

    Je vous dis, amis chers, que je suis moine. Il est normal que je pense, parle et pose les questions autrement que vous. Je conçois très bien que, dans le monde, la question la plus courante quand on rencontre quelqu'un ou quand on lui écrit soit: «Comment allez-vous?. Votre santé est-elle bonne?», et si la réponse est «Oui, je me porte bien», nous disions poliment: «Je suis heureux de l'entendre!» il est évident, et personne ne le conteste, que la santé est un don béni de Dieu, mais uniquement pour le juste ou le pécheur qui se repent - mais pour le négligent ou l'impénitent, c'est un don dangereux et son absence pourrait rendre cent fois plus heureux le malheureux pécheur. Celui qui perçoit l'esprit de la Sainte Écriture, qui connaît les paroles de l'Apôtre: «Si vous restez sans châtiment, vous êtes des adultères et non des enfants», celui-là sera d'accord avec moi et défendra mon point de vue. Les justes, conformément à l'enseignement de l'Apôtre, n'ont aucun souci de la santé; ils ne la demandent pas au Seigneur, ils supportent comme une grâce toute douleur et toute punition venant de Dieu. Quant aux pécheurs qui se repentent, ils supplient parfois Dieu de leur envoyer la maladie et les épreuves dans le temps présent, et qu'il leur pardonne dans l'éternité. Je peux vous citer beaucoup d'exemples qui illustrent mon propos.

Principles of Orthodox Ascetism.

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov).

The tonsuring of Saint Silouan as a monk. Frescoe in
Saint John the Baptist Monastery in Essex.

   In every age the spirit of man finds itself concerned with the problem of asceticism. Asceticism is of pressing importance not only to those who set out to be ascetics in the nar­row and, may I say, 'specialist' sense - monks and hermits, for instance - but in general to every Christian. Asceticism, understood as spiritual labour, constitutes an inseparable part of the histories of all known religions and civilizations, even of civilizations with no religious basis. Every religion, all the old and new para-religious forms, the lives of the mystics - all have their ascetic culture, which varies in accordance with the underlying dogmatic consciousness.

An Old Nun Prayer.

Abbess Thaisia of Leushino.

   I could not fail to see that the Lord Himself was guiding me along the path of my hard (monastic) life, which was spiritu­ally almost a helpless one. Involuntarily I remembered Father Laurence's words that he had addressed to me while bidding me farewell: "The Lord Himself is guiding you, as if taking you by the hand. He has taken you out of the world and as­signed you to serve Him. He will not abandon you." Not only in dreams, however, did the Lord give me clear indications of the right way to follow, but also in my everyday life. For example, He brought me to witness the fervent, meaningful prayer of an aged nun. This is how it happened.

   It was a beautiful evening. After Vespers, dinner was usual­ly served; but only a few sisters went to the trapeza for their meal most of them ate in their cells, especially the elderly ones.

The Repose of Hieroschemamonk Paisius (Olaru).

Three ascetics of prayer: Hieroschemamonk Paisius,
Archimandrite Cleopa and Protosingel Joel of Sihastria.

   The relationship that existed between the renowned spiritual fathers of Romania during the latter part of the 20th century was truly a bond of spiritual love. These were the fathers and shepherds of souls who encouraged and comforted the vast multitudes of faithful who were suffering under the repressive and atheistic yoke of communism. The fathers, all advanced in age, never expected to see the days when Romania would once again be free. The events of the December, 1989 Revolution that overthrew the tyrannical rule which had held their land in an iron grip for over forty years came as an unexpected blessing to these elders: It was something that would certainly place new demands on Fr. Cleopa in his last years.

Saint Silouane : Sa vie en bref.

(1866-1938)

   

   Les archives du monastère russe de Saint-Pantéleimon à l'Athos conservent une simple notice sur la vie du starets Silouane, l'une des grandes figures de sainteté contemporaine: "père Silouane, moine du grand habit. Nom civil : Symeon Ivanovitch Antonov, paysan de la province de Tambov, district de Lébédinsk, village de Chovsk. Né en 1866. Arrivé au mont Athos en 1892. A reçu le petit habit en 1896, le grand habit en 1911. A accompli les obédiences suivantes : au Moulin à Kalamaréia [domaine du monastère situé hors du Mont Athos], au Vieux Rossikon, à l'Économat. Décédé le 24 septembre 1938."

   Des soixante-douze ans de la vie de ce moine, rien n'a paru, aux yeux de ses contemporains, digne d'être signalé. Pas d'exploits ascétiques visibles, pas de miracles extraordinaires. Rien d'autre qu'une existence obéissante et silencieuse, entre les murs de ce monastère russe qui est presque une ville où vivent trois mille personnes, dont deux mille moines. Un flot incessant d'ouvriers et de pèlerins arrivent par bateaux entiers de Russie, depuis le port d'Odessa.

Reminiscences.

Saint Silouan the Athonite.

   In my childhood I used to like thinking of how the Lord ascended into heaven on the clouds, and how the Mother of God and the holy Apostles witnessed His Ascension. But when I lost God's grace (as a young man), my soul fell into wild ways and became captive to sin, and then I seldom thought about the Lord's Ascension. Later, however, I came to perceive my sins and sorrowed exceedingly for having grieved the Lord. I had lost my path to God and His Mother, sin was odious to me and I decided to enter a monastery, and I set my soul to implore God and obtain of the Merciful Lord forgiveness for my sins.

   I entered the monastery at the end of my military service, and shortly afterwards I was tempted to return to the world and marry; but I told my soul firmly, 'I am going to stay and die here for my sins'. And I began to pray fervently to the Lord to forgive me the multitude of my transgressions.

Nous sommes nous-mêmes les bâtisseurs de notre vie éternelle.

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov).

Cet entretien eut lieu en russe le lundi 2 juillet 1992, dans l'église Saint-Silouane.                

[Tous chantent:] « Roi céleste, Consolateur, Esprit de vérité, Toi qui es partout présent et qui remplis tout, Trésor des biens et donateur de vie, viens et demeure en nous, purifie-nous de toute souillure, et sauve nos âmes, Toi qui es bonté. »

   [Le Père Sophrony prie: ] «Très sainte Souveraine, Mère de Dieu, toi qui as mis au monde le Verbe du Père, Verbe plus saint que tous les Saints, demeure avec nous en cette heure, guide-nous vers la vérité tout entière et rends-nous capables d’accomplir toute œuvre bonne devant le Seigneur.

   « Grand saint Jean, Précurseur du Seigneur, par la voie du témoignage du Christ et du martyre, tu as réussi à devenir l'ami du Christ-Dieu. Nous te supplions, toi notre protecteur: ne nous abandonne pas, mais conduis-­nous aux pieds de notre Roi et de notre Dieu.

   «Saint Père Silouane, demeure immuablement auprès de nous, et aide-nous à fuir toute injustice, toute ombre de péché.»

Will you not endure everything for My love?.

   There is nothing else that can help appease anger and all the passions as much as love for God and for every fellow man. It is with love rather than with other struggles that you can win easily. In addition, when love reigns in your nous you feel no pain while struggling. For this reason, "Love never faileth" (1 Cor 13: 8)!. As long as you constantly steer the soul's rudder towards it. And no matter what happens, you shout your maxim: "For the sake of Thy love, Jesus, my sweet love, I will endure curses, disgraces, injustices, toils, and all afflictions that I might encounter!", and at once, while you are pondering these words, the burden of pain is lightened, and the demons' bitterness ceases.

Père Augustin Le Russe et la lumière incréée.

   Vers la fin de sa vie, au milieu des années 1960, le père Augustin demeurait en solitaire dans une dépendance du monastère de "Philothéou". Il observait quotidiennement un jeûne très sévère, que lui avait inspiré sa grande simplicité. Les jours de fête, quand l'Église permet la consommation d'huile, il prenait une plume, la trempait légèrement dans l'huile et marquait d'un signe de croix les deux galettes qu'il avait préparées avec de l'eau et de la farine. Puis il les passait au gril en disant: « Aujourd'hui, on peut prendre de l'huile!».

   Certains vagabonds laïcs, connaissant sa simplicité, entraient librement dans sa cellule, même en sa présence, et lui prenaient tout ce que le monastère lui avait donné en cadeau. Le bienheureux les laissait faire en souriant, sans une parole de protestation. Il avait un grand amour pour tous les hommes et chaque fois qu'il en rencontrait un, moine ou laïc, il faisait devant lui une profonde métanie. «Il porte la grâce du saint Baptême», disait-il quand on lui en demandait la raison.