| Instead, it completes it. In Christ’s words: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke.14:26; cf. Mat.10:34–39). And St.Paul writes to the Corinthians: “Now concerning the unmarried, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the impending distress it is well for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage… I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” ( 1Cor.7:25–27, 32–35 ). And, we are all familiar with Christ’s teaching on voluntary renunciation of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Mat.19:12). 48 The preference for virginity in the New Testament is beyond debate; what is debatable is its explanation. In the teaching of Jesus Christ and St.Paul, virginity is usually extolled because it permits a man to devote himself single-mindedly to God and His service here on earth. But, in the Apocalypse, we run across the notion that the throng of redeemed are glorified because they “have not defiled themselves with women.” (Rev.14:1–5). This is a hard saying and if read literally it could be taken as a condemnation of marriage, and would actually contradict other passages of Scripture. In any case, this text suggests that the physical aspect of sex is by nature base, and so virginity is higher than marriage. |
| All religions recognize the worthiness of love – at the same time, nearly all limit it to those who are pleasant or close to a person. For example, Judaism in the Old-Testament Ohuman interpretation and practice of the Torah clearly taught: “Love thy brother and hate thy enemy” (Matt. 5:43). Only Christianity removes all human barriers and beckons to love everyone unconditionally. To the question as to who is my neighbor, Christ explains through His parable about the Good Samaritan that a neighbor is every person that is in need of help, irrespective of his religious beliefs, nationality, or other traits (Luke 10:25-37). The distinguishing mark of a Christian should be an all-encompassing love and not an ascetic life or the accurate observance of rituals or a deep understanding of dogmas. As Christ bequeathed to His followers: “By this all will know that you are My Disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The commandment directs us to love our neighbor as we would ourselves. However, it cannot be said that the ability to love others is directly proportional to the love one has for oneself. Experience shows that the exact opposite occurs: The more a person loves himself, the less able he is to love others. Egoism and self-adulation destroy authentic love: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold,” said our Lord (Matt. 24:12). The Blessed Diadochos wrote: “He who loves himself, cannot fully love God, but he who does not love himself by reason of his strong love for God, only he truly loves God. Such a person would never wish glory for himself, but to God only . . . A God-loving soul, filled with Divine feelings, naturally seeks glory solely for God – and for himself, the enjoyment of humility. Due to His greatness, God deserves glory – and man, humility.” Although a person’s love for himself serves as a measure of his love for his neighbor, nevertheless “Greater love hath no one that this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13; also see Matt. 5:42-48). And here our Savior proves to be the supreme example: “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16-18). On this subject matter, Abba Pimen wrote: “If someone hears an offensive word, and, instead of answering with a like insult, conquers his feelings and stays silent, or, having been cheated, bears it and does not avenge himself, then by this he lays down his soul for his neighbor.” |
| And when we deny him by the way we live, we are adulterers. We commit adultery. So don " t deny Christ, either by your attitude, by your priorities, by indulging in things that you know are unclean, or by fear of another " s opinion. You know, there is that meaning to this phrase as well -- when people are afraid to show that they are Christians, because especially in our country here, people sometimes think you " re crazy when you " re an Orthodox Christian. Too strict about fasting, or this or that. You make the sign of the Cross? What for? All these things. Or, you follow that calendar? Why do you do that? That " s not the real calendar. All these questions. We should not be ashamed. God has enlightened us and planted us in his vineyard, and we must bear fruit. God help you all to see reality, to see what God has done, and then, to set your face forward, to be on the plow and not to look back, but to set your priorities, to live the Christian life. God help you. Amen. Cf. Mark 8:37 " Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? " Mark 8:34, partial 1 John 4:19 Cf. Matthew 26:31-45, and especially, Luke 13:24-27: " Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. " Hebrews 4:15 Mark 8:35 Cf. Mark 9:42-48 " And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. |
| Second, UFOs are but the newest of the mediumistic techniques by which the devil gains initiates into his occult realm. They are a terrible sign that man has become susceptible to demonic influence as never before in the Christian era. In the 19th century it was usually necessary to seek out dark seance rooms in order to enter into contact with demons, but now one need only look into the sky (usually at night, it is true). Mankind has lost what remained of basic Christian understanding up to now, and now passively places itself at the disposal of whatever “powers” may descend from the sky. The new film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, is a shocking revelation of how superstitious “post-Christian” man has become – ready in an instant and unquestioningly to believe and follow hardly-disguised demons wherever they might lead. 38 Third, the “message” of the UFOs is: prepare for Antichrist; the “savior” of the apostate world is coming to rule it. Perhaps he himself will come in the air, in order to complete his impersonation of Christ (Matt. 24:30; Acts 1:11); perhaps only the “visitors from outer space” will land publicly in order to offer “cosmic” worship of their master; perhaps the “fire from heaven” (Apoc. 13:13) will be only a part of the great demonic spectacles of the last times. At any rate, the message for contemporary mankind is: expect deliverance, not from the Christian revelation and faith in an unseen God, but from vehicles in the sky. It is one of the signs of the last times that there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven (Luke 21:11). Even a hundred years ago Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov, in his book On Miracles and Signs (Yaroslavl, 1870, reprinted by Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, N.Y., I960), remarked on “the striving to be encountered in contemporary Christian society to see miracles and even perform miracles... Such a striving reveals the self-deception, founded on self-esteem and vainglory, that dwells in the soul and possesses it” (p. 32). True wonderworkers have decreased and grown extinct, but people “thirst for miracles more than ever before... We are gradually coming near to the time when a vast arena is to be opened up for numerous and striking false miracles, to draw to perdition those unfortunate offspring of fleshly wisdom who will be seduced and deceived by these miracles” (pp. 48–49). |
| The Gospels» sources may well include collections of «memoirs» 41 (perhaps «Q» may be understood in such terms), 42 the sort that could constitute «folk» biographies. Some second-century Christian writers 43 viewed the Gospels–alongside other apostolic works– as «memoirs,» probably recalling Xenophon " s Memorabilia, a «life» of Socrates. Their use of this term provides attestation that, from an early period, some saw the Gospels as a form of biography. 44 A common general pattern does exist, but the canonical gospels may represent a different kind of biography from most collections of memoirs; they are complete literary narratives and not simply «folk» biographies, as most such collections would be. 45 In their present form the Gospels are relatively polished and intricate works, as literary critics have skillfully demonstrated. Such literary preparation is to be expected for writers in a Greco-Roman context. Ancient speechwriters, for instance, were expected to premeditate their works carefully, arranging the material in advance and fixing it in their memories, so that they needed add only finishing touches once they set out to write their speeches. 46 Similarly, writers of Greek and Latin narratives typically began with a rough draft before producing their final work; 47 Jewish writers in Greek could do the same. 48 The Gospels are thus undoubtedly polished products of much effort, carefully arranged to communicate their points most adequately. 49 The writers of the Synoptics, like writers of most ancient historical works, probably began with a basic draft of the material in chronological order, to which a topical outline, speeches, and other rhetorical adjustments would be added later. 50 It was not, however, usually appropriate to «publish» the work in an unfinished form; one would complete the book, check copyists» manuscripts when possible, and then give the first copy to the dedicatee when appropriate (Cicero Att. 13.21a, 23,48). 51 Aristotle recommended sketching the plot in outline, then expanding by inserting episodes, and illustrates this with the Odyssey. 52 Like other Greek writers, Luke follows one source at a time, incorporating a large block of Q material into Mark; 53 both Luke and Matthew make Mark the backbone, and supplement Mark from other sources. 54 John s adjustments toward rhetorical sophistication may in some respects be less elaborate than even those of Mark. Depending on the circumstances, some ancient observers could view incorporating preexisting lines as plagiarism, others (if the incorporation was obvious) as flattering the source (Seneca Suasoriae 3.7). The Gospels (especially if they were circulating anonymously, though this remains uncertain), however, functioned as common property of the apostolic church. |
| 6977 Explicitly «high» Christology is rare in Mark " s sayings and in Synoptic material dependent on Mark, 6978 but Mark, if he knew this sort of tradition, may have lacked reason to emphasize it (the suffering Son of Man is more central for his point than exalted Wisdom), and we suspect that he did have reason, given his focus on the Messianic Secret, to de-emphasize it. In the sixties a more subtle christological approach may have proved more strategic in most Diaspora synagogues. Perhaps more to the point, Mark strategically preserves his plot " s suspense of the Messianic Secret until the passion week. But high Christology appears in Q (Matt 3:11–12/Luke 3:16–17; Matt 11:27/Luke 10:22), 6979 from which John 8appears a relatively short distance in the broader context of christological expectations. After all, many claimed messiahship, but what other historical figure was held to actually embody Wisdom? It usually appeared as a personification or, if hypostatic, certainly not a hypostasis likely to be incarnated as a human being. Mark is also more explicit about divine connotations in Mark 6:48–50 (in view of his biblical allusions, including «I am») than is John in the parallel passage (see comment on John 6:20 ). 6980 The «I am,» then, is not wholly unique to John, though it is far more common there. Thus some evidence, while not coercive, makes plausible the possibility that some Christian traditions applied the self-claim to Jesus before Johns Gospe1. 6981 John forcefully underlines the situation " s irony: the crowds who denied knowing who might wish to kill Jesus (7:20) are now prepared to kill him themselves (8:59). 6982 (A further irony is that Jesus had predicted their violence in 8:37, 40, as part of the charges that aroused their anger.) A merely messianic claim would not have generated such severe opposition to Jesus on religious grounds (as opposed to political grounds) as he experienced here. 6983 Thus the reaction of Jesus» interlocutors suggest that they finally understand his claim to deity–but do not believe it. |
| Please share with us your impressions of Sretensky’s faculty [teaching staff]. It seems to me, thanks especially to the efforts of the rector Archimandrite Tikhon, that the teaching staff of Sretensky Seminary is one of the best amongst the teaching institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, both in the level of knowledge and in pedagogical skill. The conditions for seminarians here are all but ideal. But “to whom much is given, of him much shall be required.” [Luke 12:48] What kind of impressions and memories do you have of Sretensky alumni? I sincerely love all of them. And when we meet, I have the feeling that they remember the seminary with warmth and gratitude. I would like to wish all our graduates success and the help of God in their service to the Church. If I offended any of them with my strictness or any other way—I ask forgiveness. It seems to me that love combined with the proper degree of strictness brings forth the best fruit. What qualities, in your view, does seminary cultivate? Seminary prepares people for service in God’s Church and cultivates the corresponding set of qualities. It seems to me that seminary, first of all, gives a person a clear understanding of what service in the Church is, with all its positive sides, and also a proper understanding of all the difficulties. Often people entering a theological school still aren’t aware of a lot of things. Being immersed in a seminary environment, they come to understand that here one finds not only magnificent church-services and fellowship in love and oneness of mind, but also a particular set of inner trials and temptations. A person has to examine himself, decide if he is willing to put up with the downside. If he really goes through this school with its attendant trials and self-examination, he receives a leavening which will enliven his whole subsequent church life. By the time he finishes seminary, church-life should have become his ‘natural habitat’, congenial to his heart, notwithstanding its inevitable frustrations, trials and temptations. |
| Submission to the will of God was the distinguishing characteristic of Tsar Nicholas II’s character. His faith in the Divine wisdom that directs events gave him that supernatural calm which never abandoned him. We fear catastrophes, but, as St. John Chrysostom said, there is only one thing that is truly fearful – sin. The Lord is in control of everything; everything is either blessed by Him or allowed by Him. Nicholas’ parents were Tsar Alexander Alexandrovich and Tsaritsa Marie Fyodorovna. Alexander was a man with a strong man who feared God and became one of Russia’s great Tsars, though his reign was short (1881-1894). Nicholas’ mother, formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark, was a loving and supportive wife and mother who accepted her adopted faith, Holy Orthodoxy, into her soul and along with Alexander transmitted it to her children, building their house upon a rock. “And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock” (Luke 6.48). The activity of the hateful revolutionaries was to plague Nicholas and his family throughout their lives. In 1888, while Tsar Alexander III and his family were travelling towards Kharkov, the imperial train was rocked by two explosions and derailed. Only the level-headedness and great physical strength of the Tsar kept the Royal Family from being killed. Despite such difficult circumstances, Nicholas, now the Tsarevich, was being formed in all the Christian virtues. During his youth his kindness to others and selflessness impressed all who met him. While living frugally himself, he gave freely to those less fortunate. It is known that he often anonymously gave scholarships and other gifts through the agency of one of his childhood teachers. The Tsarevich entered into military service, which formed him in manhood through discipline and responsibility. It was during this period, on a visit to Japan, that he was attacked by a Japanese policeman with a sword and injured. As the heir of the Russian throne, he could have easily had the policeman punished severely. But he chose instead to ignore the incident, preferring to turn the other cheek and forgive. This wound, to his head, was to cause occasional pain throughout the rest of his life. |
| Лариса 2013/01/03, 15:15:07 Пресвятая Матушка Богородица! Помоги избавиться от пьянства Ирине, Елене. Приведи к вере Ольгу, Николая, Варвару. Помоги воину Александру.Слава Богу за все! 2013/01/03, 01:32:02 Пресвятая Богородица! У одной моей знакомой мама болеет раком , у нее последняя стадия, но она не верующая и не хочет креститься , вразуми ее по креститься перед смертью, чтобы не умереть не очистившись от грехов и уйти не подготовленной из этой жизни в вечность!!! Аминь. 2012/12/25, 15:48:38 Пресвятая Богородица умоляю тебя подай исцеление от лейкоза моей мамочке рабе Божией Тамаре, во имя Отца и Сына и Святого Духа АМИНЬ 2012/12/04, 22:45:06 Bogorodica pomogi pozalujsta mojemu sinu Petru,menje Raisi,mojej docke Oljge,mojej docke Antoniji,mojej docke Ivane ,mojemu vnuku Luke. 2012/12/04, 22:44:08 Пресвятая Богородица Дева Мария! Прости грехи наши и помоги нам. По милости великой Твоей даруй здоровье телу и душе протоиерея Георгия, р.б. Ларисе и моей маме р.б Эмилию. Матерь Божия, верю в великую Твою милость, терпение и безграничную любовь. Спаси и сохрани нас, огради от всякого зла, врагов видимых и не видимых, сатанинских козней и замыслов нечестивых людей и всего, что клонит их к греху и падению. Моли Господа о прощении грехов моих ведомых и неведомых, Каюсь перед Господом за грехи прелюбодеяния, за гордыню и многоглаголание, Помоги обрести в Душе и сознании правильные убеждения, желания и мысли для создания полной семьи,супружества.Помоги мне выйти с состояния окаменелого нечувствия души ! Моли Сына Своего и Бога Нашего простить нам грехи наши. Спасибо за все милости дарованные нам Господом. Аминь р.б.Лариса р.б.Лариса Добавить комментарий: Подписка на новости и обновления Закончена публикация писем Сергия Веснина, это, без сомнения, лучшее описание Святой Горы Афон . Мы закончили публиковать Житие старца Паисия Паисий Святогорец Житие. В историческом разделе начата публикация истории строительства Новоафонского монастыря: Новый Афон монастырь в Абхазии на Новом Афоне . |
| 43. The Meeting of Anna and Joachim, Russia, late 16th century, 32 · 27 cm, Ikonen-Museum Recklinghausen 44. Birth of the Mother of God, Russia, 19th century, 35 · 31 cm, private collection (Belgium) 45. The Annunciation to Mary, Russia (Novgorod), late 15th century, 56.5 · 43 cm, Ikonen-Museum Recklinghausen 46. The Nativity, 16th century, 31 · 26.5 cm, Collection of Jan Morsink (Amsterdam) 47. St Simeon the God-Bearer, Russia, 19th century, 31 · 26.5 cm, private collection (The Netherlands) 48. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Russia (Novgorod), late 15th century, 47.8 · 36.2 cm, IkonenMuseum Recklinghausen 49. The Baptism of Christ, Russia, 16th century, 31 · 26.5 cm, private collection (The Netherlands) The Christmas icon is rich in symbolism, elucidating the meaning of Christ’s birth. The black depths of the cave symbolise the darkness surrounding humanity. The child, wrapped in white swaddling clothes, is the divine light. The dark cave, the white swaddling clothes and the coffin are symbols of death. Already from his birth, everything indicates symbolically that Christ has come to conquer death and darkness through his own death. The feast of the Presentation of Christ (2 February) is normally called Candlemas in the Western tradition, because candles used during the Church year are blessed on that day. The oldest representation of this feast dates from the 5 th century, and can be seen on the triumphal arch at the Santa Maria Maggiore Church in Rome. The representation in the icon follows faithfully the account given in Luke 2:22–38. To the right, on a platform by the altar, stands Simeon, an old man from Jerusalem. He bends deeply over the child, which he holds lovingly in his hands. Opposite him stand the Mother of God and Joseph. The Baptism of Christ (6 January) marks the baptism of Christ by St John the Baptist. Early representations of this event are found in the catacombs, but the 5th-century mosaic in the Arian Baptistry in Ravenna is decisive for the iconography. |
|
|
