I believe in God, I believe in man

I believe in man

http://masarchive.org/Sites/texts/1991-05-09-1-E-E-T-EM95-052IBelieveInMan.html

The subject which I want to speak about, “I believe in man”, is something which was born within my thinking from a variety of sources. On the one hand, the experience which I have both of the West, where I have lived since the age of seven, that is solid 70 years, and of Russia, which I have been visiting yearly for the last 40 and a few more years, has proved to me that speaking of God immediately to people may a be a divisive thing because immediately there is a polarisation, much less in the West, because everyone has more or less faith, but in Russia it’s either — or, white or black, while there is one point, which we all have in common, believers and unbelievers, is our common humanity. And to tell a person, yes, like you, whether you believe in God or not, I believe in man, is a point of encounter instead of a point of confrontation. And this is an extremely important thing because it is important to have a common ground if you want to discuss things and particularly to discuss things with people who are at the other extreme of your own convictions.

The Gospel in Action

"The Eucharist … is the Gospel in action. It is the eternally existing and eternally accomplished sacrifice of Christ and of Christ-like human beings for the sins of the world. Through it earthly flesh is deified and having been deified enters into communion again with earthly flesh. In this sense the Eucharist is true communion with the divine. And is it not strange that in it the path to communion with the divine is so closely bound up with our communion with each other. It assumes consent to the exclamation: “Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in essence and undivided.”

Towards Unity

Towards Unity
By Met. Georges Khodr
http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2014/01/met-georges-khodr-on-christian-unity.html

Saint Silouan on Love

"Where there is pride there cannot be grace, and if we lose grace we also lose both love of God and assurance in prayer. The soul is then tormented by evil thoughts and does not understand that she must humble herself and love her enemies, for there is no other way to please God." + Saint Silouan on Love

Fr Zacharias of Essex visiting Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For those in Toronto:

St John the Compassionate Mission is having a Retreat for Clergy Only (Feb 13th), for Adults (Feb 15th) and Youth  (Feb 14th) with Archimandrite Zacharias (Disciple of Fr Sophrony who was in turn a disciple of Saint Silouan).

Please share this information with anyone who would be interested.

Please RSVP to Fr Deacon Theo at frdeacon.theo@gmail.com or +1416-466-1357 Ext. #34

St John the Compassionate Mission,  St Silouan the Athonite
155 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON M4M 2E9
Tel: +1416-466-1357  Fax: +1416-466-3517
Charitable #89328 1832 RR0001
www.stjohnsmission.org  www.stsilouan.org
http://tinyurl.com/stsilouandirections

Saint Silouan and the Mystery of God

Reblogged from http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/saint-silouan-and-the-mystery-of-god/

St Silouan and the Mystery of God

by Fr John Breck

Thoughts on Missions

An interesting blog post on mission. In particular is the resonance with Liturgy: "The first thing the Church is supposed to do is worship. And we’re supposed to do it well and beautifully, as you well know."

and

"a Liturgy served faithfully according to Russian practice and a Liturgy served faithfully according to Greek practice have an awful lot in common. It’s at least going to be recognizably the same ethos, even if the details are different."

One could add, Liturgy served according to Coptic, Bulgarian, Georgian, Armenian rites are likewise reflective of ethos. What is meant. Who is encountered.

Orthodoxy is Orthodoxy.

Lex Orandi Est Lex Credendi.

Thoughts on new Orthodox missions
Source: http://leitourgeia.com/2012/09/19/thoughts-on-new-orthodox-missions/

Envy, Justice and the Evil Eye

Fr Stephen Freeman's recent post is a very important reminder of the temptation of equating Justice with Envy. In many cultures the"evil eye" and the envy of others is believed to be warded off by superstitious incantations or a physical talisman. In India babies are marked with a small black dot, in Egypt some Christians will say "Bisma Salib" (In the Name of the Cross) when a compliment is given.

In my high school world religions class we were taught that superstition and magic are primarily rooted in fear. It is this fear that paralyzes and which can also give way to envy. It is a reminder that Christian life is rooted in love and not in envy. Perfect Love casts out fear. Love seeks the interiority of the other, the compassionate heart desires even the wellbeing of ones 'enemy'. That all might grow in life of the Holy Trinity.

One is also reminded of Elder Sophrony's story of a conversation that Saint Silouan had with another monk:

"I (Elder Sophrony) remember a conversation between him (St. Silouan) and a certain hermit, who declared with evident satisfaction, 'God will punish all atheists. They will burn in everlasting fire.' Obviously upset, the Staretz said, 'Tell me, supposing you went to paradise, and there looked down and saw somebody burning in hell fire -- would you feel happy?' 'It can't be helped. It would be their own fault,' said the hermit. The Staretz answered him with a sorrowful countenance: 'Love could not bear that,' he said, 'We must pray for all.'"

May we learn the kind of love and that kind of justice which the Saints have been crowned with.

The entirely of Fr Stephen's post is reblogged for reference below. May we learn and live compassion and seek help when occupied with our fallen passions, when we seek the ill of another or that justice be metered out according to our envy. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on us sinners.

+++

With Envy and Justice for All
by Father Stephen Freeman
http://glory2godforallthings.com/2014/01/23/with-envy-and-justice-for-all/

The Betrothal Prayers in the Coptic Orthodox Rite

The Betrothal Prayers in the Coptic Orthodox Rite
Prepared by Fr. Jacob B. Nadian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fsu0Km0KRc

Procession into the Church
The Bridal procession enters the Church and the Singers, Readers, Sub-Deacons, Deacons and Congregation sing the Hymn “O King of Peace” (ie. Epouro):

O King of peace, grant us Your peace, render unto us Your peace, and forgive us our sins.

Disperse the enemies, of the Church, and fortify her, that she may not be shaken forever.

Emmanuel our God, is now in our midst, with the glory of His Father, and the Holy Spirit.

May He bless us all, and purify our hearts, and heal the sicknesses, of our souls and bodies.

We worship You O Christ, with Your Good Father, and the Holy Spirit, for You have (come) and saved us.

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on The Christian Life

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on The Christian Life
Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1971
Source: http://masarchive.org/Sites/texts/1971-00-00-1-E-E-C-EM02-036ChristianLife.html

CHRISTIAN LIFE

A talk