Orthodox Talks

As we read in the lives of the saints, during periods of heresy God permits plagues, famines, earthquakes, floods, civil wars, invasions, etc., to occur as a means to bring Christians to repentance. The heresy of Ecumenism has been plaguing the Orthodox Church now for 100 years and we can say with certainty that the majority of Orthodox Churches have been infected with this disease. Consequently, because of this heresy, God has permitted many disasters to occur, not only in the Orthodox Church, but in the world.

Further to this, as often happens during periods of heresy, additional heresies arise. This is exactly what took place starting in 2020 when the heresy of Covidism manifested itself. As with Ecumenism, the majority of Orthodox bishops have submitted to this heresy, or have remained silent even though they know Covidism is contrary to Orthodoxy. Orthodox Christians throughout the world have had their faith shaken. This should not shock us or cause us to lose our souls because Christ Himself pre-warned us, saying:

“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

Only a few Orthodox bishops during the last 100 years of Ecumenism - and now Covidism - have refused to submit to these vile heresies, and even fewer have openly condemned them. This, too, was foretold to us. Saint Paul the Apostle says:

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, and will not spare the flock. Also, from among yourselves men will rise up and distort the truth, in order to lure the disciples into following them.” (Acts 20:29-30)

Saint Paul also tells us that the reason God permits divisions in the Church is so that genuine Orthodox Christians can be clearly seen to have God dwelling within them. For God cannot dwell in those who are heretics (even if they are officially part of the canonical Orthodox Church).

“In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a Church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there must be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.” (1 Corinthians 11:18-19)

In this talk, Father Kosmas, with much pain, reveals something that he has always believed but was reluctant to say until the right time. It has become apparent to him, through those enlightened by the Holy Spirit - the saints, grace-filled elders and right-believing clergy - that now is the right time to fully expose the abomination. What abomination? The betrayal of Orthodoxy by most of the Orthodox hierarchs, priests, and even monastics. Father Kosmas then presents soul-saving advice given by saints and grace-filled clergy and monastics of what to do during these difficult times when it has become apparent that many clergy are, not only failing to teach Orthodoxy to the faithful, but are openly and defiantly teaching heresy as wolves in sheep’s clothing.

The following questions are also discussed:

• What is meant by, “Now the devil is on vacation, because his work has been taken over by the bishops”?
• Should we consider cowardice to be a great sin?
• What did Elder Justin Parvu of Romania mean when he said, “The time will come when you will be sold by your shepherds. They will watch you being ripped apart by the wild beasts and they will not come to your help”?
• Why did the Mother of God refuse to enter the cell of a virtuous monk?

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Duration: 4hrs 51mins

We read in several lives of the saints that they had to deal with various heresies in their time. Today the Orthodox Church is faced with two heresies: ecumenism and covidism. The heresy of ecumenism has been around for approximately 100 years, while the heresy of covidism began in 2020. Much has been written about ecumenism by our saints and holy elders, and the faithful are thus better equipped to deal with this heresy. Because the heresy of covidism is new, however, many of the faithful were justifiably confused - and even deceived - when it manifested.

What is covidism? It is the heretical belief that one can contract diseases from a place, object or sanctified person in which the grace of God dwells – or more generally, that the grace of God bears no power at all to defend the faithful from sickness, particularly Covid-19.

The covidists used various demonic arguments to justify the horrible practices that they introduced into our churches: forbidding the veneration of the Life-giving Cross, holy relics and icons; not allowing the faithful to partake of holy water, holy unction and holy oil within the church; changing the way Holy Communion is administered; not allowing the faithful to receive the blessing from a priest; the wearing of masks, and the closing of churches. Adding to all this sacrilege and blasphemy, the covidists went so far as to become pro-mass vaccination and to turn some churches into vaccination hubs.

In this talk, Father Kosmas explains that all these restrictions and practices are sacrilegious and blasphemous, and contradict the examples found in the lives of saints and elsewhere in Orthodox tradition. He states that many of the faithful were deceived into believing that all these practices were correct, while others reluctantly accepted them due to fear, weakness or an incorrect understanding of obedience. Father Kosmas also analyses some of the reasons that many Orthodox clergy fell to such a low spiritual level, which eventually led them into the heresy of covidism.

The following questions are also discussed: what is the difference between the terms endemic, epidemic and pandemic? How did the holy Orthodox Church deal with epidemics, pandemics, plagues, cholera, typhus and other deadly infectious diseases in the past? Why did the faithful pray to God about their bishop, saying, “Why, oh Lord, have You sent us such a monster?” How were bishops chosen in the past compared to how they are chosen today? Why did a contemporary elder constantly keep in mind the saying: “Better with a prayer-rope in Paradise than an epitrachelion in hell”? Should the clergy have trusted in the saints, elders and eldresses rather than the medical authorities and pharmaceutical companies? Why did Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom say that hell is filled with many bishops and priests? What did Abba Pambo prophesy regarding the clergy of the last times? What did Saint John of San Francisco and Saint Nicholas Planas say about those who believe one can get sick from Holy Communion? What happened to the clergy and laypeople that communed from the same chalice that a COVID-infected Bishop communed from first? What did some contemporary saints say about being blindly obedient to bishops and priests? Why did Blessed Father Kosmas of Grigoriou say that it would be better to study in a monastery than in a seminary?

Other points covered in this talk include: how some clergymen secretly stood up and ignored the demonic orders of their bishops and their governments; an account of a Russian bishop in 1909 who refused to conduct the Great Blessing of the Waters over steaming pots...

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Duration: 4hrs 44mins

When reading the lives of the saints, Orthodox Christians can encounter several temptations. One of these is doubt or unbelief, especially concerning events that happened many centuries ago. In the lives of saints we encounter supernatural wonders such as their endurance during martyrdom, their miracles, and their great ascetic achievements, and some find them hard to believe. The question arises: how does one overcome the temptation of doubt or unbelief when reading these marvellous lives?

In this talk, Father Kosmas explains that doubt or unbelief occurs because the faith of present-day Christians has become “weak and dried up.” He then uses the advice of saints and elders to show how to overcome the temptation of doubt or unbelief when reading the lives of the saints, and refers to the examples of ancient and contemporary saints.

The following questions are also discussed: when flying over Australia, what did St Paisios say about the absence of canonized saints there? Are there contemporary examples of saints revealing their relics as happened in ancient times? What does St Nicodemos the Athonite say to those who find it hard to believe that angels communed the desert ascetics of old? Have there been recent instances of such miracles as the warming of the frozen waters in the life of the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste?

Other points covered in this talk include: how in his youth a great elder lost his faith, then returned to the Church through a book on the lives of the saints; some examples of saints whose parents often read them the lives of the saints; whether anathemas apply to the heterodox (those outside the Orthodox Church); and how some find it hard to believe that St Ephraim the Syrian, who knew no Greek, spoke fluent Greek to St Basil the Great.

Talk 81 duration: 4hrs 15mins

Chanting duration: 29mins (Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos "Quick to Hear")

Total duration: 4hrs 44mins

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This talk is a continuation of Talks 78 and 79. In the Orthodox Church there are many beliefs, customs, and traditions, but not all of these are essential for one’s salvation. The beliefs required of all Orthodox Christians are called dogmas. A few examples are the dogmas that Christ was both fully man and fully God, that the Virgin Mary is the Mother of God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The question arises: is veneration of the saints and the belief that they pray for us a dogma of the Orthodox Church and therefore essential for every Christian?

In this talk, Father Kosmas states that the teaching on the veneration and intercessions of the saints is indeed an essential Christian dogma. He explains that mere acceptance of this teaching is not enough, and proceeds to give important practical advice on how to establish a proper view of and relationship with the saints.

The following questions are also discussed: why is it important to especially venerate the local and national saints of one’s country? Why did Saint John of San Francisco especially venerate Saint Herman of Alaska and Saint Peter the Aleut? Is it a sin for parents to provide their children with books and films on fantasy and falsehoods while ignoring the lives of the saints? Are the saints closer to those who venerate them, pray to them, and read their lives? Why does one Orthodox priest strongly recommend that adults today read the saints’ lives written for children? Is it permissible for Orthodox Christians to read the lives of Catholic saints and to pray to them?

Other points covered in this talk include: the importance of giving simplified lives of saints to one’s children and godchildren; how one should imitate the virtues and sanctity of the saints; how the saints’ intercessions before God help and protect us; the importance of using the lives and writings of the saints to illustrate spiritual concepts; the dangers of early school enrolment; more examples of saints who themselves read the lives of saints; how under Turkish rule the lives of saints encouraged Orthodox Christians to maintain their faith, and helped those who had fallen away to return to the Church; how parents will answer on the Day of Judgement for not teaching their children to read the lives of saints; and the wonderful and powerful simplified versions of the lives of New Martyr Elias and Saint Sebastian of Jackson and San Francisco.

Duration: 4hrs 14mins

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This talk is a continuation of Talk 78: “Why Do the Demons Tremble When We Read the Lives of the Saints?” For many years, few lives of saints were available in the English language, leaving the English-speaking Orthodox faithful without this soul-saving spiritual nourishment. Such is no longer the case, and we now have volumes of the lives of saints available in English. Nevertheless, the majority of Orthodox Christians are spiritually deprived because they read the lives of saints either rarely or not at all.

In this talk, Father Kosmas uses the teachings of various saints and elders to show the spiritual value of reading the lives of saints and to explain why they are considered the encyclopedia of Orthodoxy. He reads from a range of saints’ lives and emphasises that we should study them in order to apply aspects of their lives to our own spiritual life.

The following questions are also discussed: is it easy to confidently speak with the saints and to have our prayers answered? Why is there a greater emphasis on reading the lives of saints than on reading the Gospels? Why did the Roman Catholic Church remove many pre-schism saints from their calendar? How can Orthodox Christians overcome doubts and unbelief when reading about the great achievements and miracles in the lives of the saints? Can the lives of the saints help us understand more about ghosts and UFOs?

Other points covered in this talk include: how Saint John of San Francisco emphasised studying and commemorating the saints of one’s homeland; the importance of reading the lives of recent saints and elders; how many deceptions and heresies among Orthodox Christians today are due to neglecting the lives of the saints; how to resist sexual temptation by reading about saints who were tempted; how the disabled and sick can benefit from reading the lives of saints who suffered similarly; and why a woman saint who was being tortured felt pain, unlike many martyrs who reportedly felt no pain.

Duration: 4hrs 7mins

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Veneration of the saints and reading their lives is essential to the Christian way of life. Yet Protestants reject these customs, and accuse the Orthodox Church of placing more emphasis on the saints than on the Holy Bible—a view encountered even among some Orthodox Christians. What these people fail to realize is that the lives of the saints are the key to understanding the Holy Bible and to progressing spiritually.

In this talk, Father Kosmas uses the teachings of saints and elders to explain that the demons fear the lives of the saints because they teach us how to fulfil the Lord’s commandments. He describes how the lives of saints enlighten and transform those who read them, and emphasises that our Orthodox saints would themselves read the lives of the saints that lived before them.

The following questions are also discussed: can those who do not read the lives of the saints rightly be called “spiritual prunes”? What did one priest notice about his parishioners who read the lives of saints? What did St. Clement mean when he said, “Come to the saints, for they who unite themselves to them shall be made holy”? What did one holy bishop mean when he said, “In these lives the Gospel truth shines forth in examples”? Why do some priests urge parents not to send their children to heterodox schools? Why did a Serbian saint praise the Greek Orthodox?

Other points covered in this talk include: how the lives of saints can help us better understand the Antichrist, the number 666, and the end of the world; why some modern “Orthodox” theologians prefer to de-emphasise the lives of the saints; how St. Paisios referred to the lives of the saints as spiritual vitamins; how reading the lives of the saints is like learning another language; how as a university student St. John of San Francisco would read the lives of the saints instead of attending lectures and studying; and how possibly the greatest dogmatic theologian of the 20th century had the daily custom of bowing to every saint’s icon in his room.

Duration: 4hrs

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This talk is a continuation of Talk 76: “Speak Less to Your Children, and More to God About Your Children!” Many Orthodox parents have a tendency not to ask for help when experiencing problems with their young and adult children. This may be either out of pride or because they simply do not realize that such help is available within the Church.

In this talk, Father Kosmas uses the teachings of various saints and elders to outline three ways in which parents can receive help with their children. The first is for parents to pray for their children. The second is for parents to ask clergy and monastics for prayers and advice. The third way is for parents to submit their children’s names for commemoration at 40 consecutive Divine Liturgies – usually at monasteries that serve Divine Liturgy every day.

The following questions are also discussed: how should parents react upon realizing their mistakes with their children? Why do many religious parents experience failure with their children? Why do many saints and elders emphasise the importance of a mother’s prayers? Why is it important for parents to keep in mind their children’s salvation when dealing with their problems? Should parents pray for God to send suffering to their rebellious children? Why do some struggling parents progress spiritually while others deteriorate? What can parents do when their children leave home prematurely?

Other points covered in this talk include: how God will judge today’s children leniently because of their difficult circumstances; Saint Ambrose of Optina’s advice to a mother whose son had become rebellious and an unbeliever; why only some monastics can give advice to parents; how Saint Paisios warned parents against being overanxious about their children; how parents should not coerce their children to do good; the story of a young man who complained to a priest that he wanted to fall with a woman but continually failed; and how Saint Porphyrios helped a mother whose son was staying out all night with bad company.

Duration: 4hrs

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Wherever one turns, one hears parents complaining and seeking advice about problems with their children—problems with their behaviour, their education, their mental health, and their faith. These problems usually begin in early childhood and increase during the teenage years, but they can also occur in adulthood. Parents find it difficult to deal with their children’s weaknesses, faults, and passions, and are at a loss for when and how to discipline their children.

In this talk Father Kosmas uses the teachings of various saints and elders to help parents navigate their most difficult task: the upbringing of children. He emphasizes that it is a great mistake for parents to seek advice either from no one or from people who have limited knowledge on this topic. Instead, they should turn to those who, enlightened by God, can give them the correct answers to the age-old question: how do we bring up our children? Father Kosmas also explains how it is that parents can know in theory much of what the saints and elders teach on raising children, yet continually fail to put these teachings into practice.

The following questions are also discussed: how do parents create monsters? What is the best way for parents to correct their children’s weaknesses and faults? Why is it wrong to expect perfection from children? Why did one spiritual father penance parents who complained about their children? How did the saints advise parents to reprimand their children? How do parents determine which of their children’s behaviours need correction and which do not? How did the saints explain why children become indifferent and unfeeling? Apart from prayer, what else is necessary in the upbringing of children? What should parents do when their children rebel? Should parents force their children to go to church?

Other points covered in this talk include: how parents who idolize their children damage them for life; parents who, blinded by irrational love and affection, refuse to see their children’s faults; why the first seven years of a child’s life are important for their future development; examples of mothers who were reluctant to discipline their children for fear of losing their favour; the importance of speaking the truth to one’s children; an explanation of Saint Porphyrios’ saying, “Words hammer at the ears”; and what parents should do before speaking to their children.

Duration: 4hrs

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Education and psychology are continually offering new theories to parents and teachers on child development. One such theory, developed in the 1970’s, involves praising children to improve their self-esteem, confidence, motivation and performance in school. Followers of this “self-esteem movement” believe it produces children who will go on to form a better, more positive and productive society. Opponents of the movement, however, hold that praising children leads to psychological problems. Before this movement, praising children was not common in Western society, and there are cultures in which praising children is considered harmful. Who then is correct?

In this talk Father Kosmas uses the lives and teachings of various saints and elders to examine whether the self-esteem movement is compatible with Orthodoxy and whether it has had a positive or a negative effect on society. Furthermore, he helps parents and teachers understand that the teachings of the Church do not change, and that they should trust these teachings more than the ever-changing theories of the world.

The following questions are also discussed: why did the saints strongly desire to be ridiculed and abused? Is avoiding praise only for the saints? Why did Saint Paisios feel sick when people praised him? What did Saint Paisios say causes nervousness in children? What did Saint Porphyrios mean when he said that people accept lies about themselves as their daily nourishment? How can parents protect their children from becoming sick egotists? If humility unites us to God, what does egotism unite us to?

Other points covered in this talk include: an account of a mother who was responsible for her son’s sick sense of self-confidence; how parents encourage their children to believe untrue things about themselves; how Saint Porphyrios’ mother never praised him and how this affected him; why children today are left weak and drained of strength when their will is opposed; how today’s children continually seek praise and applause; and how Facebook can hinder progress in the spiritual life.

Duration: 4hrs

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Considerable information is available today on raising children and on various parenting styles, leaving many Orthodox Christians confused as to which style to use when parenting their children. Some of this information is correct, but how are Orthodox parents to know what to accept or reject? There is a lot of Orthodox literature on monasticism and very little on the upbringing of children. What literature exists often does not cover many of the contemporary issues facing parents. For this reason it is important for parents to read the writings of the saints and elders that have lived in our times.

In this talk Father Kosmas uses the teachings of the contemporary elders Saints Paisios and Porphyrios to explain how parents who are over-protective, over-bearing or who pressure their children are actually traumatizing them. This abuse is so harmful that, according to the saints, it affects the emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual development of the children. Father Kosmas also shows that even the limited findings of psychologists and doctors agree with the simple but enlightened teachings of these saints.

The following questions are also discussed: what are parents to do when their children are disobedient? What did Saint Porphyrios say causes children to become lethargic, weak-willed and generally unsuccessful in life? How much freedom should children have? How does unstructured play and discovering the world help children develop? What did Saint Paisios mean when he advised mothers not to pressure their children but to pressure themselves when dealing with their children’s problems?

Other points covered in this talk include: the effects on children when their parents constantly want to do things for them; how hovering over children can suffocate them; the consequences of nagging parents; how religious parents often force their children in spiritual matters, causing them to leave the Church; and how parents who try to fix their children’s problems themselves end up doing more harm than good.

Duration: 3hrs 47mins

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