The rich ruler in this Bible reading did think of God and did think of eternal life and asked the most important question for himself and for all of us – how to obtain eternal life.
Monthly Archives: November 2018
13th Sunday of Luke, Luke 18: 18-27
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We ought to meditate upon higher things, and count all earthly things but dung . . .
~ Words of the Church Fathers ~
If God had not been incarnate upon earth, if He had not made us godly, if He had not taught us in His Own person how to live, what to hope for and expect, if He had not pointed out to us another perfect and eternal life, if He had not suffered and died and risen from the dead – then we should still have had some reason to live, as we all now live – that is to mostly lead a carnal, earthly life.
But, now, we ought to meditate upon higher things, and count all earthly things but dung, for, everything earthly is nothing, in comparison with heavenly things.
Meanwhile, the Devil, the father of lies, in spite of the Savior’s teaching and His spirit, teaches us to attach ourselves to earthly goods, and forcibly nails our sensual heart to them.
The heart naturally seeks happiness – and the Devil gives a false direction to this tendency, and allures it by earthly happiness, that is – by riches, honors, splendor of dress, furniture, silver, equipages, gardens and various amusements.
St John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
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Modern Saints: Elder Iakovos Tsalikis
A Glimpse of His Holy Life:
From a young age little Iakovos (which was his name even at baptism) loved the Lord and His Bride, the Church. Continue reading
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Feast of the Entrance into the Temple of our Most Holy Lady The Theotokos
The Feast of the Entrance into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on November 21 each year. The Feast commemorates when as a young child, the Virgin Mary entered the Temple in Jerusalem. Continue reading
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Wise Counsel from St Iakovos Tsalikis
“We are not sanctified by the place in which we live, but by the way we live.”
“The faithful shouldn’t tell others of things they have confessed, of details of their life or their spiritual endeavour.”
“Chase away the bad thoughts and fantasies that the devil presents. Don’t even notice them.”
“Don’t hesitate [to come to confession]. Don’t be ashamed. Whatever you may have done, even the greatest of sins, the spiritual father has power from the Lord Christ Himself and from the Apostles to forgive you with his stole.”
“I asked God in prayer for the gift of discerning men’s hearts by looking at their faces, so that I might be able to help them; and God granted it.”
~ from Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit
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Lessons From The Good Samaritan
8th Sunday of Luke, Luke 10: 25-37
Regarding the people of Samaria, also known as Samaritans, Jews had no dealings with them. This is told to us in Gospel of John (4) when Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. That’s why she ask Jesus, “How is that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” To the Jews, the word “Samaritan” meant ‘dog’ or ‘devil’. They were considered half-breeds and heretics. However, because of the parable Jesus told in today’s Gospel, from the Eighth Sunday of Luke (10:25-37), everyone thinks of Samaritans as “good”. If I asked anyone who/what a “Good Samaritan” is, virtually all of them could tell me that it’s a person who helps someone in need, even if they are a stranger. Continue reading
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On Humility & Pride
~ Words of the Church Fathers ~
Draw nigh to the righteous, and through them you will draw nigh to God.
Communicate with those who possess humility, and you will learn morals from them.
A man who follows one who loves God becomes rich in the mysteries of God; but he who follows an unrighteous and proud man gets far away from God, and will be hated by his friends.
St. Isaac the Syrian, Sermon 57,8
The Lord does not show Himself to a proud soul. The proud soul, no matter how many books it reads, will never know God, since by its pride it does not give place for the grace of the Holy Spirit, while God is known only by the humble soul.
St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, III.11
………..
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9 November: St. Nectarios of Aegina
St. Nectarios was born on October 1, 1846, in Selymbria in Thrace to a poor family. His given name was Anastasios Cephalas. At the age of 14 he moved to Constantinople (Istanbul) to work and further his education. In 1866 he left to the island of Chios to take a teaching post. He then became a monk at the age of thirty. Continue reading
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8 November: The Holy Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven
The angels of God have been commemorated by men from the earliest times, but this commemoration often degenerates into the divinization of angels (IV Kings 23:5; A.V. II Kings). Heretics always wove fantasies round the angels. Some of them saw the angels as gods and others, if they did not so regard them, took them to be the creators of the whole visible world. The local Council in Laodicea, that was held in the fourth century, rejected in its 35th Canon the worship of angels as gods, and established the proper veneration of them. Continue reading
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Repentance – St Nectarios of Aegina
Two factors are involved in man’s salvation: the grace of God and the will of man. Both must work together, if salvation is to be attained.
Repentance is a Mysterion through which he who repents for his sins confesses before a Spiritual Father who has been appointed by the Church and has received the authority to forgive sins, and receives from this Spiritual Father the remission of his sins and is reconciled with the Deity, against Whom he sinned.
Repentance signifies regret, change of mind. The distinguishing marks of repentance are contrition, tears, aversion towards sin, and love of the good.
~ Saint Nectarios Of Aegina
St Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church 