| 2. Novitiate Period On the next day the three pilgrims met with the Abbot. He received them lovingly and accepted them into the monastery. He paid particular attention to Prokhor, since he himself was from Kursk and knew the young man’s parents personally. Seeing in him the great soul of a future ascetic, he committed him for spiritual direction into the experienced hands of his co-struggler and friend, the wise and loving treasurer, Fr. Joseph. Prokhor received from him his first obedience, as cell attendant. This was only an introduction. Soon the novice Prokhor, in accordance with the general rule, was given various difficult obediences—he served in the bread and prosphora bakeries, in the furniture shop, performed the task of waking the monks, was church sacristan, sang on the cliros, and participated in the general obediences of cutting wood, maintaining the grounds, etc. Prokhor worked in the carpentry shop longer than anywhere else, where he became very experienced, and was known as “Prokhor the carpenter.” Above all, brother Prokhor distinguished himself by his unmurmuring obedience and meticulous character, wholeheartedly carrying out all that was asked of him, as perfectly as possible. He was later to say to the Diveyevo sisters that there is no sin more deadly than murmuring, judging or being disobedient to your superiors. “Obedience is the foremost virtue, before fasting and praying.” From his advice to monastics one can discern his own life as a novice. Second to obedience he placed labor. “If you have handiwork,” he instructed one monk, “work on it alone; if you are in your cell without any handiwork, engage in some reading, in particular the psalter. Try to read every line several times in order to concentrate it in your understanding.” He also considered reading to be a special ascetic labor, which he called “vigil.” The Gospels and the epistles of the Apostles he read before the icons, and always standing erect as in prayer. He sometimes allowed himself to read the Psalter sitting down. “Such reading produces an enlightening of the reason, which brings about a Godly change.” |
| For these things happened not only before Christ had begun to teach, but before He was even born of the Virgin. If, then, they dare not impute to their gods the grievous evils of those former times, more tolerable before the destruction of Carthage, but intolerable and dreadful after it, although it was the gods who by their malign craft instilled into the minds of men the conceptions from which such dreadful vices branched out on all sides, why do they impute these present calamities to Christ, who teaches life-giving truth, and forbids us to worship false and deceitful gods, and who, abominating and condemning with His divine authority those wicked and hurtful lusts of men, gradually withdraws His own people from a world that is corrupted by these vices, and is falling into ruins, to make of them an eternal city, whose glory rests not on the acclamations of vanity, but on the judgment of truth? Chapter 19.– Of the Corruption Which Had Grown Upon the Roman Republic Before Christ Abolished the Worship of the Gods. Here, then, is this Roman republic, which has changed little by little from the fair and virtuous city it was, and has become utterly wicked and dissolute. It is not I who am the first to say this, but their own authors, from whom we learned it for a fee, and who wrote it long before the coming of Christ. You see how, before the coming of Christ, and after the destruction of Carthage, the primitive manners, instead of undergoing insensible alteration, as hitherto they had done, were swept away as by a torrent; and how depraved by luxury and avarice the youth were. Let them now, on their part, read to us any laws given by their gods to the Roman people, and directed against luxury and avarice. And would that they had only been silent on the subjects of chastity and modesty, and had not demanded from the people indecent and shameful practices, to which they lent a pernicious patronage by their so-called divinity. Let them read our commandments in the Prophets, Gospels, Acts of the Apostles or Epistles; let them peruse the large number of precepts against avarice and luxury which are everywhere read to the congregations that meet for this purpose, and which strike the ear, not with the uncertain sound of a philosophical discussion, but with the thunder of God " s own oracle pealing from the clouds. |
| I read that four per cent of Argentinians are Orthodox… This figure is probably related to our compatriots, the ethnic Orthodox, and, of course, the potentially Orthodox. But, on the whole, South Americans know little of Orthodoxy for now, but, I repeat, they deeply respect Russia. First of all, at one point, South American countries used to collaborate with the Soviet Union, they received humanitarian aid, their specialists went there for training. Secondly, many are interested in our culture, especially in Dostoevsky. What is more, it often happens completely spontaneously. In some capitals and cities, without any participation of the Russians, clubs are formed, where people read Dostoevsky, translate his works into Spanish. It is astonishing, but Fedor Dostoevsky is a very popular writer among them! Even the young people read his works. There are many places where you can study Russian, that encourage an interest in Russian culture, for example, the Institute of Leo Tolstoy in Bogota (Columbia) or the Faculty of Russian Literature in the University of Sao Paolo (Brazil). Moreover, Russia is respected as a country whose politics are independent of the USA. Because South America feels pressure from their “neighbour from the North.” For that reason, in general, the middle class is drawn towards us, and the ruling elite towards the USA. You wrote that Catholics treat the Orthodox as brothers… Correct. And that is without any expectation of any kind of personal advantage. Vladyka Alexander (Mileant), Bishops Platon, Lazar, Mark, then Vladyka Leonid started off and operated in extremely difficult circumstances. Catholics could have made it difficult for them or could have simply remained unconcerned. However, the reverse happened: they let us pray in their churches to assemble our congregation, they offered us room to conduct assemblies, invited us to their own meetings, expressed an interest in our ascetics, iconography, church singing. And they keep on doing it to this day. |
| V. Putin: " Today society is expected to consider good and evil equal " Moscow, December 12, 2013 Vladimir Putin has read his annual Message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly. This year the message was read on the day of the 20th anniversary of the Russian Federation " s Constitution, which was adopted on December 12, 1993, by a nationwide vote. In his address Vladimir Putin has particularly stressed that Russia will continue to defend traditional values: " The meaning of conservatism is not that it impedes movement forward and upward, but that it impedes movement backwards and downwards—to chaotic darkness and the return to a primitive state " " Today in many countries the norms of morality are being revised, national traditions and differences between nations and cultures are being obliterated. Now not only conscious acknowledgement of everybody " s right to freedom of conscience, political views, and private life is required from society, but also compulsory recognition of equality (though this may seem very strange) between good and evil—two opposing concepts. This destruction of traditional values " from above " not only leads to negative consequences for societies, but it is also completely anti-democratic, as it is carried out on the basis of abstract ideas, in defiance of the will of the national majority, which does not accept the ongoing change and suggested revision. And we know that there are more and more people in the world, who support our stance on the protection of traditional values, which over thousands of years have been the spiritual and moral foundations of our civilization, of all peoples: traditional family values, genuine human life, including religious life—not only material, but also spiritual life, values of humanism and diversity of the world. Of course, this is a conservative stand. But, according to Nikolai Berdyaev, the meaning of conservatism is not that it impedes movement forward and upward, but that it impedes movement backwards and downwards—to chaotic darkness and the return to a primitive state. Over recent years we have seen that attempts to impose a supposedly more progressive model of development on other countries have in fact turned into regression, barbarity, and great bloodshed " . Pravoslavie.ru 14 декабря 2013 г. ... Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| It was still known then that love is the highest value in the universe.” (Reprinted from The Monthly Newsletter Of Saint Xenia of Petersburg Russian Orthodox Church, Nepean, Ontario, Canada, December, 1995) Source: ROCA website Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Beyond Science Hieromonk German (Ciuba) " Love makes the world go round, " proclaimed a popular song of some years ago. The song was, of course, singing of romance, but to a man of the Middle Ages the words would ring true on a much higher level. In the thought of the immortal poet and theologian Dante, for example, it really was ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Donate Related articles Did Yuri Gagarin Say He Didn’t… Colonel Valentin Petrov Today Russia celebrates Cosmonautics Day, which marks the anniversary of the first manned space flight, made… Science Meets Religion Half-Way admin One of the most recognized Russian technical schools, The National Research Nuclear University “Moscow Engineering and… Also by this author " Forming the Soul – Alessandro Manzoni’s The Betrothed Hieromonk German (Ciuba) On the recommendation of an acquaintance, I had some time ago put on my mental list of books… " Do You Read? Hieromonk German (Ciuba) Do you read? Reading involves you intimately with the word, and the word is the definitive means of… More Today " s Articles “Le monde entier reste silencieux au… pravmir_com_team Depuis le 12 décembre 2022, la région de l " Artsakh, où vivent 120… “The whole world is silent about… Natalia Nekhlebova Since December 12, 2022 the region of Artsakh, where 120,000 Armenians live,… The Importance of Patiently Letting Down… Priest Philip LeMasters If there is any virtue that seems completely foreign to our culture… Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. RSS About Contact Us Donate Pravmir.ru © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com Developed by Hamburg Church Studio Design by — |
| Yet we no longer operate under these conditions, because the outward signs or markers of male affectionate friendship have been reinterpreted to be homoerotic, something that has not happened for female friends, who may show outward forms of affection without being thought to be lesbians. Because we have so drastically reoriented outward signs of friendly affection toward sexuality, we have lost the ability to read and understand those same signs when they occur in ancient literature, hence, for example, the common speculation that Achilles and Patroclus were in a homosexual relationship, or, as we will now examine, David and Jonathan. Literary Analysis After the death of Saul and his son Jonathan at the Battle of Aphek, David sings a lament for both, which is recorded in the opening chapter of II Samuel. Regarding Jonathan he states, I am distressed over you, my brother Jonathan./ You were very pleasant (or lovely) to me.// Wonderful was your love to me/ More than than the love of women.//(my translation) Someone in our day could easily read this and conclude that there was indeed a homoerotic relationship between the two, for the language is rather erotically charged. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is intentionally laden with an erotic tone, yet not because David and Jonathan had actually been carrying on a homoerotic relationship, but that by analogy, so great was their friendship. The literary type, in my opinion, rather strongly suggests this. We are dealing, after all, with poetry, specifically a lament, and in such a literary genre we would expect poetic devices and rhetorical figuration to be used extensively. To read the two poetic couplets above as referring to a literal homosexual relationship strips away the primary poetic figuration from the lament, which is the metonymic transfer of the heterosexual erotic relationship to the realm of male friendship as a way of emphatic overstatement. By this literary figuration, the friendship is stylistically framed as one of intense affection as can only be referenced by that affection between a man and a woman in love. By such a comparison, the poetry gains its effectiveness and its literary artistic value. Without it, it becomes rather hum-drum in style. |
| Moreover, there is a more fundamental problem, too. Readers of the New Testament must have faced it when they read the entire biblical corpus but could not find a detailed doctrine regarding certain basic tenets of Christianity, such as Sacraments. The question is: Why is the Bible silent about all those matters? This question can’t be resolved within the Sola Scriptura mindset. Besides, the structure of the New Testament without the Holy Tradition appears vague due to discrepancies and incomprehensible passages. For example, what does Jesus Christ has in mind when He refers to the Heavenly Bread, to the grapevine, and to the water that flows into the eternal life? What does Apostle Paul urge us to do when he says, “[L]et a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor. 11:28-29)? What do the grapevine, the water, the bread, and the cup refer to? The New Testament text doesn’t provide us with a clear explanation. However, all those questions disappear as soon as we put the Scripture into its original context, i.e., the Tradition. Archpriest John Meyendorff stresses that the aforementioned words of Jesus “cannot be fully appreciated without knowing that Christians of the 1 st century performed baptisms and celebrated the Eucharist.” Sayings about the cup, the grapevine, and the bread become clear as soon as we put them in the context of the Tradition. Again, it shows that the Scripture and the Tradition are reciprocally connected and inseparable. Their unity is the prerequisite for the conceptual completeness of the Divine Revelation. The Holy Tradition is the prerequisite for true understanding of the Scripture, the point of reference based on centuries-long reading and analysis of the Bible, which allows every Christian to read God’s Revelation without the risk of distorting its meaning. Remember the story from the book of Acts where Apostle Philip asked the Eunuch who was reading the Old Testament, “Understandest thou what thou readest?” The eunuch replied, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (cf. Acts 8:30-31)? It is the Holy Tradition that “guides” a believer. It instructs us not only how to read the Scripture but also how to get saved. |
| 1F. Authority for Forgiveness (20:23) Immediately after breathing on them and announcing the Spirit, Jesus grants them the authority of representative forgiveness. 10720 It is anachronistic to read into this passage the later Catholic doctrine of penance or others» views about admission to baptism; 10721 it is likewise anachronistic to read into it Protestant polemic against the Catholic interpretation of the passage. Read on its own terms, the passage makes good sense as it stands. Because the Spirit would continue among them (20:22), they would be able to carry on Jesus» work (cf. 16:7–11); 10722 given the backdrop of 16:7–11, which explains the meaning of the Spirit " s coming here, the disciples announce both righteousness and judgment based on peoplés response to Christ (cf. 14:6). 10723 Although the promise is given directly to those present at the time (20:19), it will no more exclude later generations of Christians (such as John " s audience, 17:20–22) than it would Thomas once he believes (20:24). If the Spirit is for later Johannine Christians as well as for the first ones (3:5; 1 John 2:20, 27), then they, too, will bear witness (15:26–27) and be recipients of the Spirit (16:7), who prosecutes the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (16:8–11). 10724 The passive is a divine passive; forgiveness comes from God; further, in John " s perspective, only Jesus» sacrifice takes away sin (1:29). In the perspective of Johannine Christians, however, believers can play a role in other believers» forgiveness, at least by prayer (1 John 5:16–17); 10725 the present passage speaks of believers» ministry to nonbelievers, mediating God " s forgiveness through the word they bring (20:21; 16:8–11). 10726 (We mean «word» in its Johannine sense; by proclaiming the message of Jesus, to whom the Spirit testifies, believers proclaim Jesus the word himself, who is revealed by the Spirit to unbelievers.) In the Synoptics, the disciples had already exercised such discretion based on evidence of repentance ( Mark 6:11 ; Matt 10:14; Luke 9:5); John has, however, omitted that preresurrection ministry of the disciples, probably to avoid playing down the full role of Christ before the resurrection and the full role of the Spirit and believers after 20:19–23. 10727 Some take the perfect tense as meaning that «the apostolic sentence is forthwith confirmed–is effective as soon as spoken.» 10728 Others suggest that the perfect tense here, like the future perfect in Matt 16:19; 18:18, may be intended literally, that is, that those who pronounce forgiveness are merely confirming what has already taken place from God " s perspective. 10729 |
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