| Photo: doxologia.ro What does it mean to be spiritual? The world knows and promotes all kinds of “spiritualities” related to music, art, nature, leisure, sports, and many other kinds of human activities, including religious and quasi-religious practices. Many such activities are fairly harmless and promote a sense of physical and emotional well-being. Others however may involve obsessive preoccupations with popular music, sports or other forms of entertainment, and may actually be quite harmful, such as in the case of experimentation with drugs. For Orthodox Christians, being spiritual has to do with ordinary Christian living based on faith in God as we know Him in the person of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. For an Orthodox Christian, the first thing about being spiritual is not to dare think that you are spiritual but only humbly to seek to live by your faith in Christ and His teachings. Faithfulness, humility, discernment, peacefulness, love, truthfulness, compassion, and inner joy are the primary attributes of Orthodox spirituality. Orthodox spirituality is a quality of life that is always anchored and grows out of Orthodox piety. Orthodox piety is a way of life defined by observance of the ordinary expressions of Orthodox Christian life: regular worship, prayer at home, lighting and offering a candle, baking and offering the prosforo, fasting, philanthropy, celebrating the feast days of the liturgical calendar, reading the Scriptures and the writings of the Church fathers, serving in one of the Church ministries and services, and above all, fervent faith in Christ and whole-hearted obedience to His teachings. An Orthodox Christian can never cease doing the works of Orthodox piety, or somehow circumvent them, or think to rise above them, and still think that she or he can make progress in spiritual life. Spiritual growth occurs by reliance on God’s grace and attentiveness to practicing and living by the full meaning of the acts of piety and so to transform, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, Orthodox piety into Orthodox spirituality. For example, a person can light a candle without much thought and be done with it. However, as one offers a monetary gift, takes up a candle and lights it as an offering to God, and at the same time, again and again, perceives that symbolically she or he is offering herself or himself to God, and that the flame of the candle is her or his burning faith in God, or doubly also the flame of the baptismal grace in the soul—all this turns a pious act into a spiritual act full of meaning and power for strength and newness in life. |
| John Anthony McGuckin Monasticism TENNY THOMAS The term “monasticism” refers to a form of life involving separation from the world for the purpose of ascetical dedication to prayer, with a view to achieve perfect obedience to the gospel life. In the Eastern Christian tradition, monasticism is understood as full discipleship of Jesus Christ and traced back to the New Testament example of St. John the Baptist, to Jesus’ own virginal celibacy, and to the many calls for renunciation (e.g., Mt. 10.37 ; Mk. 10.21 ). Itis often called the “barometer of the spiritual life of the church.” So great has the influence of and appreciation for this way of life been, that its existence and status have been equated with those of the church as a whole: as flourishes the monastic life, so flourishes the church. Monasticism is not just a part ofthe greater scope of Eastern Christian life; it is the very center and heart ofthe church. The monastics (both men and women) choose to follow with singular devotion and obedience the call of Christ. They are thus the models in which the church sees one of her most radiant icons: a communion of souls wholly living the life in Christ. Monasticism refers to that ascetic movement characterized by anachoresis, or withdrawal from the Christian community and the rest of society. Monasticism does not have a monopoly on asceticism, as this is a characteristic of all Christians following the gospel prescripts; thus all monasticism is ascetic, while all asceticism is not necessarily monastic. What distinguishes monasticism from the broader category of Christian asceticism is monasticism’s emphasis on withdrawal, on solitude. The Greek word for “monk,” monachos, meant, in its origins, “a solitary.” Two classic forms of monasticism emerged from early times: the anchoritic, or solitary life or the hermit, and the coenobitic (the Greek koinos bios means “common life”), that is, a life within a structured (and often secluded) community. Monastic life required from the outset stark renunciations: of family, property, marriage, and career. Early monks typically joined together ascetical disciplines (fasting, vigils, poverty, and lifelong celibacy) with a life of manual labor. |
| Instructions of the Holy Fathers on Spiritual Life Who are these venerable men — ascetics and how are they unlike other Christians? While the majority of people were content to lead ordinary lives, these were people since ancient times, in Christ’s Church, whom He called " not of the world " (John 17:14). These righteous individuals dedicated their lives totally to God by isolating themselves away from worldly cares and falsehood, in wastelands, in deep forests, or in some other way shielded themselves from earthly temptations and the presence of outsiders. These were people thirsting for the truth, pining for higher spiritual values and ablaze with love for God, seeing the Kingdom of Heaven as their only motherland. Some of these righteous individuals attained spiritual heights and experienced blessed enlightenment that a majority of people could never see or imagine. Introduction This booklet appears as the first in a series of collections, from which we intend to publish the selected instructions of Orthodox ascetic fathers concerning Christian living. In compiling this first collection, the following books were used: Five tome collection of “Philokalia” (edited by Theophan the Recluse); “The Ladder” of Blessed John, Abbot of the Sinai hills; “Spiritually Beneficial Instructions” of Abba Dorotheos; “Unseen War” of St.Nikodemus of the Holy Mount; thoughts of Sylian of Athos; “Otechnik” of Bishop Ignatius Branchaninov, and other various ascetic collections. From these works, we have selected those instructions that apply to people living secular lives, and disregarded those sections that are essentially relevant to a monastic or reclusive environment. Judging by the large number of pre-revolutionary catalogues of publications, the Lives of Saints and their directives were favorite reading to the spiritually disposed Russian individual. Indeed, it is this literature that contains within itself a power of attraction, because it is not a dry and abstract philosophy but reflects a saintly life in a righteous soul. To read about his life or his instructions is like visiting him and drawing upon his treasury of spiritual experiences. |
| The importance of fasting and its observance today: Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council Source: DECR Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council, adopted by the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference in Chambésy on October 10-17, 2015. Photo: http://www.patriarchia.ru/ Published in compliance with the decision of the Synaxis of Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Chambésy, January 21-28, 2016. 1. Fast is God’s commandment (Gen 2:16-17). According to St Basil the Great, fasting is as old as humanity itself; it was prescribed in Paradise (On Fasting, 1,3). It is a great spiritual endeavour and the foremost expression of the Orthodox ascetic ideal. The Orthodox Church, in strict conformity with the precepts of the holy apostles, the rules of the Councils and the patristic tradition as a whole, has always proclaimed a great significance of fasting for people’s spiritual life and salvation. The annual cycle of liturgical celebrations fully reflects the patristic teaching on fasting, as well as the teaching on the necessity of constant unrelaxing watchfulness and on how to succeed in spiritual endeavours. The Triodion praises fasting as bringing the light of grace , as the invincible arms , the beginning of spiritual warfare , the perfect path of virtues , the nourishment for the soul , the source of wisdom , the life imperishable and imitation the angelic life , the mother of all blessings and virtues , and as the image of the life to come . 2. As an ancient institution, fasting was mentioned already in the Old Testament (Deut 9:18; Is 58:4-10; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5-7) and affirmed in the New Testament. The Lord Himself fasted for forty days before entering upon His public ministry (Lk 4:1-2) and gave to people instructions on how to practice fasting (Mt 6:16-18). Fasting as a means of abstinence, repentance and spiritual growth is presented in the New Testament (Mk 1:6; Acts 13:3; 14:23; Rom 14:21). Since the apostolic times, the Church has being proclaiming a profound importance of fasting, having established Wednesday and Friday as fast days (Didache, 8,1) and the fast before Easter (St Irenaeus of Lyons in Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 5, 24). |
| " For the Healing of Soul and Body: Let us Pray to the Lord " Photo: Sergei Vlasov/patriarchia.ru Fasting possesses great power and it works glorious things. To fast is to banquet with angels. +St. Athanasius the Great Fasting is an important spiritual struggle that carries us into the Kingdom of God. Combined with increased prayer and almsgiving, fasting helps us to say ‘no’ to the bodily desires in order to say ‘yes’ to the spiritual riches of the virtues of Christ. St. Seraphim of Sarov writes, Fasting, prayer, alms, and every other good Christian deed is good in itself, but the purpose of the Christian life consists not only in the fulfillment of one or another of them. The true purpose of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. 1 There are two basic categories of fasting within the Church: the Ascetical Fast and the Eucharistic Fast. The Ascetical Fast refers to the prescribed days and seasons during the year in which we refrain from consuming all meat, meat products, dairy products, fish, olive oil and alcoholic beverages. The Eucharistic or Communion Fast refers to the period of time in which we abstain from all food and drink after midnight before receiving Holy Communion the next day. It is very important that all fasting rules be developed and followed under the direction of an Orthodox physician or dietician that is blessed by the parish priest. In certain circumstances, he may relax the traditional fasting guidelines at his discretion due to health concerns, very young children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers. (Please refer to the Antiochian Archdiocese website for the current fasting calendar and guidelines.) In this way, fasting can be a spiritually fruitful practice for everyone for the healing of both soul and body. Saint John Cassian (+435), a monastic saint known for his writings on the monastic life, described the difference between eating to provide for the needs of life and self-indulgence. While his writings were specifically for monks, they are also helpful for the faithful in all walks of life. He writes, |
| Celibacy, Marriage or “free love” – Which way to choose? The problem of gender. The enigmatic side of sexual attractions. A healthy direction for sexual draw. Marriage or celibacy? Marriage and virginity – the two ways. Monasticism. The problem of gender. People are nowadays more than ever exposed to unhealthy sexual pressure. Sexual problems have always tormented the human race. And now they are tormenting it with an even more indomitable power. That is why it is important to help Christians understand this sphere so as to avoid a spiritual catastrophe. There is only one way to master the play of our subconscious powers — that is, to illumine them in calmness and sobriety, in order to understand their hidden dynamics in the light of Christianity. First of all it is necessary to establish the fact that not everything in a human being is natural, for all kinds of perversion also arise “naturally”, becoming the cause of severe and agonizing illnesses. In our blindness we can not make out right away as to what can be acknowledged as “natural,” and what is, though being experienced as “natural,” in fact, a display of unhealthy deviation and spiritual dislocation. Many sufferings torment human beings because they did not master that fight of light and darkness, of virtue and vice, at the right time, which starts at a very early age… The enigmatic side of sexual attractions. Why does the problem of gender contain so much difficulty and suffering? Our other functions usually develop normally without causing any complications; but in sexuality our body and soul are bound so tight together and affect each other so imperceptibly that sexual desires can cause extreme pressure. It is exactly within the sphere of sexuality that everything in human life is brought together, — things dark and terrifying, as well as bright and creative. Thus the right arrangement of sexual life is a most important task in our life. A major obstacle in the elucidation of the gender problem is that this sphere is closed for us in many aspects, as though being hidden in psychological twilight. Under the conditions of modern life, filled with vulgarity and moral decadence, a person must learn how to guard his spiritual health and develop an “antidote” against all kinds of fornication. It is especially important for the young whose sexual attractions are developed too early. Indeed, young men mostly suffer from the intensified work of imagination in the area of gender, from that secret curiosity and inner tension, that so much weakens any self-control. It is the premature development of sexual imagination, neither bridled by spiritual sobriety nor restrained by Christian morals, that becomes the source of all sorts of mental illnesses. |
| Brief Spiritual Instructions: From the Notes of Archbishop Seraphim’s Spiritual Children “The Lord is near; if you call upon Him, He will respond immediately.” These words belong to Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev, 1881-1950), a remarkable hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, for whom living communion with God was the ultimate meaning and center of all of life. This Archpastor was renowned not only for the strength of his prayers, but also for his labors in defense of Orthodoxy. We offer our readers short spiritual instructions from this Holy Hierarch, collected by his spiritual children. Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) On Love and Obedience Love for God consists in the fulfillment of His commandments. One should look upon one’s brother as an Angel, and upon his sin as an illness. One needs to separate man from his sins. We should hate sin, but love and pity man. Vladyka Seraphim said of himself: “Nothing upsets me as much as upsetting words said to a neighbor, even when it is necessary.” I strive to think almost not at all about myself. Strive to do this, too. You will find genuine love when you cast aside self-love. Hear people out, but about oneself (one’s sicknesses and sorrows) do not speak! Obedience is true love. Obedience is the source of life and blessedness, while disobedience is the source of death and unhappiness. Genuine obedience makes the obedient one like unto a burning bush. Obedience does not burn in fire, does not drown in water, and raises one from earth to Heaven. But disobedience sinks in water, burns in fire, and casts one from earth to Hades. Obedience is Paradise, but disobedience is Hades. For obedience God sends abundant joy. Obedience is love, but disobedience is non-love, it is the trampling upon love. Never decline from obedience. In disobedience is hidden pride. In humility is hidden love. In pride there is no love. All your unhappiness comes from your pride. On Humility Nothing can help us be saved, apart from humility. We humble ourselves before our neighbors when we do not judge them. Prepare for monasticism through meekness and humility. |
| John Anthony McGuckin Communion of Saints MARIA GWYN MCDOWELL For Orthodoxy this signifies the ongoing participation (methexis, or koinonia – communion) in God by all of God’s holy elect. those still living on earth, those passed to the Lord, and the holy angels who also form part of the heavenly church. The letters to the churches of Corinth and Ephesians are addressed to the “saints” ( Eph. 1.1 ; 2Cor. 1.11 ) surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12.1). Aside from Scripture, the earliest attestations to a cult of the saints is the early cult of martyrs. Ignatius of Antioch asserts that true discipleship lies in the witness, the martyria, of a confessing death. The 3rd-century Life of Polycarp testifies to 2nd-century Eucharistic meals at the graveside of martyrs, and encourages the honoring of the saints by following their example. origen of Alexandria in the 3rd century emphasizes the singularly united life of the whole body of Christ, in which those in heaven continue in the struggle of faith through their sustaining love and intercession for the living. When St. John Chrysostom preached in the late 4th century, the cult of the saints was well established. In his sermons martyrdom is a powerful act of love; martyrs “speak” their faith through deeds and speak freely to God, their human lives encouraging imitation (Chrysostom 2006. 29–33). The martyr and saint has thus become an exemplar of virtue, a spiritual model. Chrysostom highlights the transition from martyrdom to asceticism as persecution gave way to peace and to an increasingly institutionalized Christianity. In part inspired by Athanasius’ Life of Antony, asceticism through bodily virginity, separation from the world, and a life of prayer was increasingly idealized. Ironically, often the greatest advocates of asceticism were active members of urban and ecclesial life. St. Basil the Great’s social programs inaugurated their own attendant form of monasticism, in which serving others was considered integral to an ascetic life. Contemporary studies of holy men and women emphasize their role as agents of change who ignored social divisions in order to serve the needs of all, rich and poor alike (Hackel 1983). |
| Press Release: The Romanian March for Life 2017 – “Help the Mother and Child! They Depend on You” In many cities across Romania and the Republic of Moldova, March 2017 will be The Pro-Life Month 2017— “ Help the Mother and the Child! They Depend on You.” Its highlight will be The March for Life 2017 —“ Help the Mother and Child! They Depend on You,” organized on Saturday, March 25, 2017. The March for Life is at its 7th national edition. This year’s theme, “Help the Mother and the Child! They Depend on You,” creates the opportunity to debate on the need, possibility and efficiency of supporting women in pregnancy crisis. This series of thematic events does not have a unique organizer, but in each town and city it has different independent local organizers from local pro-life organizations and institutions. Here are a few aspects motivating the theme chosen for this year: Romania is second in the world (after Russia) in terms of the total number of abortions ever made compared to its actual population : 22,742,952 legally made surgical abortions have been made—only in Romanian state hospitals—between year 1958 and June 2016, compared to a population of 19,760,000 inhabitants as registered on January 1, 2016. Since traditional Romanian civilization and spirituality have never valued abortion, the huge number of abortions can be explained by lack of knowledge regarding the issue of pregnancy crisis and by a pro-abortion public mindset—both originating in the communist regime and ideology. Pregnancy crisis A pregnancy crisis appears when a woman considers interrupting the natural course of her pregnancy, which would normally lead to giving birth to her baby, and thinks of abortion instead. Pregnancy crisis is triggered by outside issues she cannot cope with. The most frequent causes of a pregnancy crisis are: Pregnancy crisis is deepened by third-party pressure on the woman to have an abortion: 64% of the women who had an abortion felt pressured to do so, according to a study published in a prestigious medical journal. 1 |
| Annotation The spiritual realm after death defies observation, yet mankind persists in its desire to peer beyond this threshold – a threshold through which we all must pass. “You will not die. Your body will die, but you will go over into a different world, being alive, remembering yourself and recognizing the whole world that surrounds you.” – St. Theophan the Recluse, 19th Century THE SOUL AFTER DEATH is a comprehensive presentation of the 2,000-year-old experience of Orthodox Christianity regarding the existence of the other world, addressing contemporary “after-death” and “out-of-body” experiences, the teachings of traditional Oriental religions and those of more recent occult societies. Although the mystery of what lies beyond the veil of death is not fully visible to us in this life, nonetheless, writings and teachings of ancient Christianity dating from the first century have proven timeless and straightforward, yielding sound insights into the spiritual world beyond death. From the firm foundation of Orthodox patristic teaching, Fr. Seraphim Rose offers an interpretation of the meaning of the contemporary experiences which have been publicized by Drs. Kubler-Ross, Moody, Osis and Haraldsson, and other researchers. “He who has the memory of death as his constant companion, painfully seeks to learn what awaits him after departure from this life.” – St. Symeon the New Theologian, 11th Century Principal teachings of Orthodox Christianity concerning the properties of the soul after death are presented in a clear concise manner, as taught by Church fathers and teachers of the early centuries. THE SOUL AFTER DEATH offers an undiluted draught of pristine, mystical Christianity as it has existed since the time of Christ. Preface The aim of the present book is two-fold: first, to give an explanation, in terms of the Orthodox Christian doctrine of life after death, of the present-day “after-death” experiences that have caused such interest in some religious and scientific circles; and second, to present the basic sources and texts which contain the Orthodox teaching on life after death. If the Orthodox teaching is so little understood today, it is largely because these texts have been so neglected and have become so “unfashionable” in our “enlightened” times; and our attempt has been to make these texts more understandable and accessible to present-day readers. Needless to say, they constitute a reading material infinitely more profound and more profitable than the popular “after-death” books of our day, which, even when they are not merely sensational, simply cannot go much below the spectacular surface of today’s experiences for want of a coherent and true teaching on the whole subject of life after death. |
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