For a very breif time in 1991, Elder Ephraim (+2019) was a member of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). Compelled to address his reasons for joining the Synod, Elder Ephraim composed this statement explaining the position of ROCOR and its canonicity. His statement is valuable to all Orthodox Christians in today's struggle against the heresy of Ecumenism and for the unity of the Orthodox Church.0:00 Introduction1:52 Elder Ephraim's StatementThe inclusion of the introduction by the editors of Orthodox Tradition (Old Calendarists from Etna, CA) is neither to promote nor demote them. At minimum, their words provide valuable context and are appropriate in setting up the audience for their english translation of Elder Ephraim's original greek. It's up to the listener to draw their own conclusions about the Old Calenderists and more importantly, the words of Elder Ephraim. 📖 Elder Ephraim on the Russian Orthodox Church Abroadhttp://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/ephraim_roca.aspx🎧 PLAYLIST: Elder Ephraim of AZ & St. Joseph the Hesychast - Readingshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYg5pt1Tvc3lnjd41E9pdR-p🎧 The Church, Ecumenism, and the Salvation of the World - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizonahttps://youtu.be/Srl9lCkmCM4🎧 Pray the Jesus Prayer with Elder Ephraim:https://youtu.be/pmFA4LTADQE?si=ig5DyyyQgX-WEgOA🎧 On Trials and Temptations - Elder Ephraim of Arizonahttps://youtu.be/yX68hapAbjY⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______Elder Ephraim writes:The Apostolic Succession of the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad cannot be impugned, since all of the present Bishops hold canonical Consecrations from the Bishops of the pre-Revolutionary era and their successors.Patriarch Tikhon, foreseeing a bleak future for the Russian Church, issued a decree to the Bishops outside Soviet Russia, granting them the right to organize self-governing synodal bodies. Despite this, the exiled Russian Hierarchs, having lived in an atmosphere of utmost loyalty to the law and obedience under the Tsar, insisted, during their first few years of exile, on maintaining contact with their base (Patriarch Tikhon and his successors) and to seek from there approval for their more momentous decisions at least—though this was difficult under their circumstances at the time (persecutions, banishments, etc.). This communion was abruptly cut off by the capitulation of the locum tenens and later Patriarch [Sergius] (Stragorodsky) in his infamous declaration—something totally unacceptable to the Bishops in exile—, assuring the full submission of the Church to the atheist regime and ordering the faithful to show full obedience to and pray for the Soviet authorities. In my opinion, this rupture in communion was justified by the Canons, which provide for the cessation of all commemoration of the first Hierarch of a local Church in the event that he preaches heretical teachings; for Marxism is not only a political system, but entails a secular worldview, indeed a heresy.

A spiritual son of St. Porphyrios describes how the elder served Christ with incredible love and devotion in the Divine Liturgy.A reading from “Father Porphyrios: The Discerning, The Foreseeing, The Healer” by Anargyros J. Kalliatsos, p. 52-54🎧 To Be A Christian You Must Become A Poet - St. Porphyrioshttps://youtu.be/sp_NV5zj9wo🎧 Noetic Sound Waves of the Heart - From the Life of St. Porphyrioshttps://youtu.be/n5dWVVDDvhM🎧 Original recording of Saint Porphyrios saying the Jesus Prayer:https://youtu.be/w7XSW7wpCfY?si=w3yUXGV94QMWg4FH📖 Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios:https://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios?srsltid=AfmBOoorE21YcZGUDow6RQlSnMJLerM851JSD-JP01Rl_2lvrmd0tO7n📖Healing the Soul: Saint Porphyrios as a Model for Our Lives. The St. John Chrysostom Monastery in Wisconsin publishes this book. Email them to ask how to obtain a copy:https://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______Father Porphyrios was actually living the divine mystery. This was obvious by the way he acted. The consecrated bread was for him really the Body of Christ. And when he cut it, he felt pain in his heart. He was more than sure that he cut Christ's Body itself! During the Prothesis, he was reading the prayers with particular emphasis and such expression that even the most faithless could not fail being moved. It is impossible to forget the way he prayed for the living and the dead: "Remember, Lord, your servant So-and-so." It was asked with such sweetness and in such a supplicatory tone that it was impossible to be refused; not by God, who is merciful, forbearing, and full of love, but even by the worst criminal of the world. I also noticed that during the Divine Liturgy Papouli gave the impression that he was not hearing or seeing. He was not in touch with the world around him. He was living in his own world. Nevertheless, I did not leave him in peace even there. Every now and then, I went near him to show him my love. With full response he made the sign of the cross on my forehead with the sacred spoon' or his cross, or any other sacred object that he had in his saintly hands at that time. That was not done in the way the other priests did it. He crossed with such faith and force on the forehead, the head, or any other part of the body that it was really felt. Sometimes, I had the impression that my forehead started bleeding. Of course, that never happened. What also impressed me enormously was the way he collected the Divine Pearls! His diligence, his devotion, his care, and his fear in case he lost one of them could not be described. He was literally sweating from agony. Finally, I would consider it an omission if I did not say anything, at least two words, about the way father Porphyrios chanted. His chanting bore no relation to the common chanting we hear in most churches today. It had something completely distinct. It was plain, unaffected, low, without high pitches and other vocal techniques reminding oriental songs. He avoided showing off his vocal ability. This does not mean that he lacked such an ability. What he was interested in was to pronounce correctly and clearly what he chanted; on the one hand, to offer the chant to the people comprehensibly and, on the other hand, to have a direct and continuous contact with God. He achieved both because he had great faith in God and he loved Him more than anything else in the world.

Written in 1972, Fr. Seraphim Rose draws attention to the significance of St. Paisius Velichkovsky (+1794) for us today, stating, "...for Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky."A reading of Fr. Seraphim Rose's Introduction to: "Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky: The Man Behind the Philokalia" by Schema-monk Metrophanes📖 Read the Introduction here:https://jordanville.org/news_121129_2http://orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/intro_bpv.aspx📖 Currently available books by Fr. Seraphim:https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Fr-Seraphim-s/1817.htm🎧 On Prelest (Spiritual Deception) - Fr. Seraphim Rosehttps://youtu.be/Pt00jwZ37ik🎧 The Holy Fathers of Orthodox Spirituality, Pt. I - Fr. Seraphim Rosehttps://youtu.be/ZEDGphNMUw0🎥 Experiences with Fr. Seraphim Rose - from Archpriest Paul Babahttps://youtu.be/w2Ej6Z8e90w🎧 See my playlist of readings of Fr. Seraphim Rose:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYjDHTp3rJVE7B66juR7bDzI⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______Fr. Seraphim writes:"...for Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky. This is so not merely because of his holy life; not merely because, like another Saint Gregory Palamas, he defended the hesychast practice of the mental Prayer of Jesus; not only because he, through his many disciples, inspired the great monastic revival of the 19th century which flowered most notably in the holy Elders of Optina Monastery; but most of all because he redirected the attention of Orthodox Christians to the sources of Holy Orthodoxy, which are the only foundation of true Orthodox life and thought whether of the past or of the present, whether of monks or of laymen.It is these very same sources—the Divine Scriptures and the writings of the Holy Fathers—which are the foundation of all genuine Orthodoxy in our own times. The observer of the Orthodox world today can see easily enough what "Orthodoxy" becomes when these sources are not made the foundation of life and thought.The followers of unenlightened custom are themselves innocent; they merely accept what has been "handed down" to them. But not seeing the meaning and not knowing the sources of what has been handed down, they are easily led into error, accepting customs which the Church has allowed only out of her condescension or economy as if they were the best of Orthodoxy, and also improper customs of recent heterodox origin and inspiration, together with the pure and meaningful Orthodox customs handed down from the Holy Fathers. Under strict yet prudent pastors, such people can be guided in the true path of Orthodoxy; but in our own time of such widespread irresponsible Church leadership, these people are more often guided gradually into a path of ever greater and more senseless innovation and reform, the clearest example of which is perhaps the Greek Archdiocese of America, where pews, organs, and Uniat spirituality and theology have become the new "customs" of an unfortunate people whose Orthodoxy has been stolen from it.

St. Seraphim addresses two related spiritual diseases that plague many at various times, offering insight into how to overcome them and remain close to Christ.This reading comes from: Life and Teaching of St. Seraphim of Sarov📖 Life and Teaching of St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/life-and-teaching-of-saint-seraphim-of-sarov?srsltid=AfmBOopmeXl6e0F3AWUW23i0Sy5XOCVLP002Q85QzKN09lymGZj5VLdv🎧 Despondency in Prayer - St. John of Kronstadthttps://youtu.be/dlH-e6gQQEM🎧 Drive Out Despair With The Jesus Prayer - St. Barsanuphius of Optinahttps://youtu.be/ELcvcmLMI7A🎧 The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit - St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://youtu.be/i5rTls7uTsM🎧 Never Despair of Your Salvation (Concerning the Sin of Self-abuse)https://youtu.be/OOQxdpPd_PI🎧 On Peace of Soul - St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://youtu.be/6LTSr5pu00A⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______St. Seraphim teaches:An inseparable companion of the spirit of sorrow is boredom. It attacks a monk, as the Fathers have observed, at about midday, and it produces in him such a terrible restlessness that both the place where he lives and the brothers who live with him become unbearable to him; and during the reading there is aroused in him a kind of disgust, repeated yawning, and great hunger. Once the belly has been satisfied, the demon of boredom insinuates into the monk the idea of going out of his cell and talking to someone, suggesting that the only way of saving oneself from boredom is by constantly conversing with others. And the monk who is vanquished by boredom is like desert tumbleweed that now stops for a moment, and now is again at the mercy of the wind. He is like a wisp of cloud pursued by the wind.This affliction is cured by prayer, abstinence from idle talk, manual labor according to one's strength, reading of the Word of God, and patience; for it is born of faintheartedness, inactivity, and idle talk.When boredom vanquishes you, say to yourself, in accordance with the instructions of St. Isaac the Syrian: "You desire again an unclean and shameful life. And if the thought occurs to you: it is a great sin to kill oneself [with ascetic practices], — you should say in return:I am killing myself because I cannot live uncleanly. I shall die here so as not to see real death — the death of my soul in its relation to God. It is better for me to die here in purity than to live an evil life in the word. I have preferred such a death to my sins. I am killing myself because I have sinned against God, and I will no longer anger Him. What is life to me apart from God? This affliction I will bear, so as not to be deprived of the hope of heaven. Why should God care for my life, if I live evilly and anger Him? (Homily 22).Boredom is one thing, and the anguish of spirit that is called despondency is quite another. It sometimes happens that a man is in such a spiritual state that it seems to him that it would be easier to be annihilated or to be totally without consciousness or feeling than to remain any longer in this immeasurably painful state. One must come out of it quickly. Guard yourself against the spirit of despondency, for from it comes every kind of evil (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Answer 73)._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Paisios provides guidance on fighting the sins and passions that plague us, and how to win the battle to receive a heavenly crown.A reading from Spiritual Counsels, Vol. V: Passions and Virtues by St. Paisios, p. 21-36📖 Spiritual Counsels, Vol. V: Passions and Virtues by St. Paisioshttps://www.holycross.org/products/passions-and-virtues-elder-paisios?srsltid=AfmBOoosr8olgBCwD0SYQ-GFS_bfXyRVYAsxDAiBGL9MlAUJ1SC3ssyE🎧 The Struggle Against Thoughts - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/5sN-zHdnjto🎧 On Attention and Distraction - St. Ignatius Brianchaninovhttps://youtu.be/v5ZIEmv8RwQ🎧 Everyone Needs a Spiritual Father - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/xaSeWRcJPHo🎧 Fighting the Passions - Archbishop Theophan of Poltavahttps://youtu.be/tNYLK80dFvA🎧 Holiness is in the Struggle! - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://youtu.be/Qhm2ffdEBsc⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______St. Paisios teaches:When there is no danger of becoming conceited and prideful, then God will certainly help. The Good God desires that we be delivered from our passions; but if we have pride or the predisposition to become prideful, then He does not help us to be delivered from our passions, for then we will imagine that we achieved it without His help.

— Geronda, is it better to do away with a passion or a bad habit at once, or little by little? — If you can get rid of it immediately, it is best; otherwise it may leave some... residue. There is no need for delay. When one is crossing a river, particularly in the winter, he tries to do it as quickly as possible; otherwise, he'll freeze from the cold. If he crosses quickly, before being overcome by the cold, he will soon warm up again. You see, even tethered horses that want to get free will snap the rope with a sudden strong pull. Temptation requires a very sharp tug in order to sever the rope.— Geronda, does the remembrance of death help in this inner work? — Yes, it is very helpful. If we bear in mind the remembrance of death with hope in God, we will become aware of the vanity of this world and be helped spiritually. This is why we should keep the criterion (judgment) of God in mind and not forget that we will be judged for the sins we have committed and not repented for. "What am I doing? How can I live with so much negligence?" should be our thoughts. "If I should die right now, how will I be judged? Do I have a contract with death? Death comes both to the young and the old." If I could keep in mind that God may call me soon, then I would not be so inclined to sin.We sometimes try to acquire God's Grace and gifts through some magical means. We delude ourselves by thinking that we can acquire a virtue or even be sanctified without a struggle. However, for God to give, we must sow. How will God give if we do not work? What does the hymn say? "You have cultivated the barren desert?" God will provide abundant rain to soften the soil, but we must also "cultivate" our field. The earth is ready, but we must put our hand to the plough and sow our field; and whatever we sow, we will reap. But if we do not plough, how can we sow? And if we do not sow, what will we harvest? For this reason, we should not only ask what God can do for us, but what we can do for ourselves. The bank of Christ offers great interest rates. But if we make no deposit in His bank, how can we expect to make a withdrawal?_______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

What was the nature of paradise? How should we understand the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? St. John of Damascus explains this and more.

A reading from Chapter 2, Book 11 of the Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 📖 Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith by St. John of Damascushttps://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/exact-exposition-of-the-orthodox-faith?srsltid=AfmBOooIh2HMkYAbPmSR-vRxp3-t7gnDMG-wE35u0kLCM3RfpbB0cVyi

🎧 Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images (First Apology) - St. John of Damascushttps://youtu.be/bm2eV_anejw

🎧 The Divine Bait - Sts. Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor, & John of Damascus

https://youtu.be/8olZ4qkUrJE🎧 Adam's Lament - St. Silouan the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/n0e2bb0lTa0

⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/

🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______St. John teaches:

Since God intended to fashion man after His own image and likeness from the visible and invisible creation to be a sort of king and ruler over the whole earth and the things in it, He prepared a sort of kingdom for him, in which he might dwell and lead a blessed and blissful life. And this divine Paradise prepared in Eden by the hands of God was a treasure house of every joy and pleasure. For "Eden" is interpreted as meaning "delight." It was situated in the east and was higher than all the rest of the earth. It was temperate in climate and bright with the softest and purest of air. It was luxuriant with ever-blooming plants, filled with fragrance, flooded with light, and surpassing all conception of sensible fairness and beauty. In truth, it was a divine place and a worthy habitation for God in His image. And in it no brute beasts dwelt, but only man, the handiwork of God.

The tree of life was either a tree possessing a life-giving force or a tree that was to be eaten of only by such as were worthy of life and not subject to death. Some have imagined Paradise to have been material, while others have imagined it to have been spiritual. However, it seems to me that, just as man was created both physical and noetic, so did this most sacred domain of his have the twofold aspect of being perceptible both to the senses and to the nous. For, while in his body he dwelt in this most sacred and superbly beautiful place, as we have related, spiritually, that is, noetically he resided in a loftier and far more beautiful place. There he had the indwelling God as a dwelling place and wore Him as a glorious garment. He was wrapped about with His grace, and, like some one of the angels, he rejoiced in the enjoyment of that one sweetest fruit which is the theoria of God, and by this he was nourished. Now, this is indeed what is fittingly called the tree of life, for the sweetness of divine theoria communicates a life uninterrupted by death to them that partake of it. It is just this that God meant by "every tree" when He said: "Of every tree of Paradise thou shalt eat." For He is the all, in Whom and by Whom the universe endures._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Gregory details the nature and characteristics of the Triune God: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. A reading from Homily 8 (p. 55-58) from Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies📖 Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilieshttps://mountthabor.com/products/saint-gregory-palamas-the-homilies🎧 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ - Homily by St. Gregory Palamashttps://youtu.be/DHG2gakIqdQ🎧 The Filioque: From the Latins Which Were Obedient to Satan - St. Gregory Palamashttps://youtu.be/4FeQoutq16I🎧 Homily on the Eve of Theophany - St. Gregory Palamashttps://youtu.be/Z1whxp_kuV0🎧 The Hesychastic Life of the Young Mother of God - St. Gregory Palamashttps://youtu.be/uYsv8o0yyic⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/🎁Support my work here:https://buymeacoffee.com/orthodoxwisdom_______St. Gregory teaches:Believing in God is different from believing God. To believe God is to regard His promises to us as sure and true, but to believe in Him is to have a right understanding of Him. Both are necessary for us and we must speak correctly in both respects, in such a way that people with correct understanding can be confident that we are faithful before the God to whom our faith is directed and that, being faithful, we shall be justified by Him.The Father is timeless, without beginning and pre-eternal. He is the sole cause and root of the divinity beheld in the Son and the Holy Spirit; not the sole Creator, but the sole Father of the only Son and the sole producer of the one Holy Spirit. He is for ever, He is the Father for ever, and He is the sole Father and the sole producer for ever. His one Son is co-eternal with Him. Like Him, the Son is without beginning in time, but inasmuch as He has the Father as begetter, root, source and origin, He is not without beginning. Before all ages He alone was begotten of Him without a body, without passion of change, and was not divided from Him. Being God from God, He is not one thing as God and another as Son. He is for ever, He is the Son for ever and He is with the Father for ever without confusion. He is the living Word, the true light, the enhypostatic Wisdom, cause and origin of all created things, for by Him all things were made.From the eternal Father who is without beginning the Holy Spirit also proceeds. As timeless He is together with the Father and the Son without beginning, but He is not without beginning, inasmuch as He has the Father as root, origin and cause, from whom He proceeded before all ages, without passion or change. He was not divided from the Father or the Son when He came from the Father and rested in the Son, for He was united with Them without confusion and indivisibly distinct. Being also God from God, He is not one thing as God and another as Comforter, inasmuch as He is the hypostatic existence of the Holy Spirit. He has His existence from the Father and is sent through the Son, as the firstfruits of eternal life and the earnest of the everlasting good things to come. He too is the cause of all created things, for in Him all things were made. He does not differ from the Father and the Son except that He is neither unbegotten nor begotten._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Seraphim describes peace of soul in Christ and how to preserve this peace. As the saint says, "One must by every means strive to preserve peace of soul and not to be disturbed by offences from others..."This reading comes from: Life and Teaching of St. Seraphim of Sarov📖 Life and Teaching of St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/life-and-teaching-of-saint-seraphim-of-sarov?srsltid=AfmBOopmeXl6e0F3AWUW23i0Sy5XOCVLP002Q85QzKN09lymGZj5VLdv🎧 The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit - St. Seraphim of Sarovhttps://youtu.be/i5rTls7uTsM🎧 On Refusal to Judge Our Neighbor - St. Dorotheos of Gazahttps://youtu.be/LiAZHn18uVI🎧 On God's Love For Us & The Grace of Humility - Elder Ephraim of Arizonahttps://youtu.be/SQblbVcDMts FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______St. Seraphim teaches:Nothing is better than peace in Christ; in it is destroyed every warfare of the spirits of the air and earth: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in bigh places” (Eph. 6:12). It is the mark of a wise soul when a man plunges his mind within himself and has activity in his heart. Then the grace of God overshadows him, and he is in a peaceful state, and by means of this also in a most peaceful state: peaceful, that is, with a good conscience; and most peaceful, for the mind beholds within itself the grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the word of God:“And His place is in peace” (Ps. 75:3).And so we must concentrate all our thoughts, desires, and actions in order to receive the peace of God and to cry out ever with the Church: “O Lord our God, give us peace” (Isa. 26: 12).One must by every means strive to preserve peace of soul and not to be disturbed by offences from others; for this one must in every way strive to restrain anger and by means of attentiveness to keep the mind and heart from improper feelings. And therefore we must bear offences from others with equanimity and accustom ourselves to such a disposition of spirit that these offences seem to concern not us, but others. Such a practice can give quietness to the human heart and make it a dwelling for God Himself.For the preservation of peace of soul one must likewise by every means flee from judgement of others. By not judging and by silence peace of soul is maintained: when a man is in such a state, he receives Divine revelations. In order to free oneself from judging, one must take heed of oneself, not to accept outside thoughts from anyone and to be dead to everything. For the preservation of peace of soul one must more often enter into oneself and ask: where am I? At the same time one must watch that the bodily senses, especially sight, serve for the inner man and do not distract the soul by means of sensuous objects: for they only receive grace-bearing gifts who have interior activity and are vigilant over their souls._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Silouan the Athonite writes on battling intrusive thoughts and recognizing delusions, emphasizing that we must "fight the enemy with the weapon of humility".

A reading from "Saint Silouan the Athonite" by St. Sophrony the Athonite, p. 440-447📖 Saint Silouan the Athonite by St. Sophrony the Athonitehttps://www.holycross.org/products/saint-silouan-the-athonite📖 Spiritual Counsels, Vol. 3: Spiritual Struggle by St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://www.athoniteusa.com/products/saint-paisios-the-athonite-spiritual-counsels-volume-iii-spiritual-struggle?srsltid=AfmBOorzehHI_pB20A84pZFWkAJxcyimzUiiZ-lhw3E6bX3XloJV4VFo📖 Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnicahttps://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/otdol.htm🎧 The Struggle Against Thoughts - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/5sN-zHdnjto🎧 On Prelest (Spiritual Deception) - Fr. Seraphim Rosehttps://youtu.be/Pt00jwZ37ik🎧 Holiness is in the Struggle! - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://youtu.be/Qhm2ffdEBsc🎧 On Attention and Distraction - St. Ignatius Brianchaninovhttps://youtu.be/v5ZIEmv8RwQ🎧 Noetic Sound Waves of the Heart - From the Life of St. Porphyrioshttps://youtu.be/n5dWVVDDvhM🎧 Everyone Needs a Spiritual Father - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/xaSeWRcJPHo⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______St. Silouan teaches:Beware these two thoughts, and fear them. The first suggests "You are a saint;' the other, 'You will not be saved.' Both come from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. Instead, think to yourself, 'I am a great sinner but the Lord is merciful. He loves man with a great love, and will forgive me my sins.' Believe in this way, and, you will see, the Lord will forgive you. But put no faith in feats of your own, however much you may have striven. An ascetic once said to me, 'I shall certainly be pardoned because I prostrate myself so many times a day;' but when death came, he rent his clothes.O how weak I am! I write a little and am already weary, and my body seeks rest. The Lord, too, when He was on earth in the flesh knew human weakness; and He, the Merciful One, grew weary on His way and slept in the boat during the storm; and when the disciples roused Him, He ordered the sea and the wind to be still, and there was a great calm. So, too, with us: great peace reigns in our souls when we call upon the holy name of the Lord. O Lord, grant us to praise Thee until our last breath!The Fathers of the Church say that the soul feels troubled and perplexed at visions proceeding from the enemy. But this applies only to the humble soul, who does not count herself worthy of visions, and feels either bewilderment or fear at the workings of the enemy; whereas the conceited man can experience neither fear nor even bewilderment, because he wants to have visions, and deems himself worthy of them, and so it is easy for the enemy to delude him. That which is of heaven is made known through the Holy Spirit, whereas earthly things are discovered by the mind — but the man who would discover God with his mind, through science and learning, is in a state of beguilement, for God is to be known only through the Holy Spirit. If in your mind you should think to see devils, humble yourself and try not to see them. Hasten to your confessor or the staretz to whom you have committed yourself. Tell him everything, and then the Lord will have mercy on you and you will escape delusion. But if you start thinking that you know more about the spiritual life than your spiritual father, and cease telling him in confession what befalls you, you will surely be beguiled for your pride. Fight the enemy with the weapon of humility.

Edifying excerpts from "The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way" concerning Jews and Orthodox Christianity. This reading is from the R.M. French translation of "The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way", p. 112-114, 139-140"Starets" means "Elder" in Russian🎧 Full audiobook:https://youtu.be/wh2Orojo1z0?si=LsyAccwIt7IzK94B⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______From his very earliest years he was preparing to be a rabbi and studied hard at all the Jewish chitchat which was meant to disprove Christianity. One day he happened to be going through a Christian cemetery. He saw a human skull, which must have been taken out of some grave that had been recently disturbed. It had both its jaws, and there were some horrible-looking teeth in them. In a fit of temper he began to jeer at this skull; he spat at it, abused it, and spurned it with his foot. Not content with that, he picked it up and stuck it on a post-as they stick up the bones of animals to drive off greedy birds. After amusing himself in this way, he went home. The following night he had scarcely fallen asleep when suddenly an unknown man appeared to him and violently upbraided him, saying, "How dare you insult what is left of my poor bones? I am a Christian—but as for you, you are the enemy of Christ.”I listened to this story with reverence and humility, and I thought to myself, "How good and kind our Lord Jesus Christ is, and how great is His love! In what different ways He draws sinners to Himself. With what wisdom He uses things of little importance to lead on to great things. Who could have expected that the mischievous pranks of a Jew with some dead bones would bring him to the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and be the means of leading him to a devout life?"One day a pilgrim came to see us. He complained bitterly about the Jews and abused them. He had been going about their villages and had to put up with their unfriendliness and cheating. He was so bitter against them that he cursed them, even saying they were not fit to live because of their obstinacy and unbelief. Finally he said that he had such an aversion for them that it was quite beyond his control. "You have no right, friend," said the starets, "to abuse and curse the Jews like this. God made them just as He made us. You should be sorry for them and pray for them, not curse them. Believe me, the disgust you feel for them comes from the fact that you are not grounded in the love of God and have no interior prayer as a security and, therefore, no inward peace._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!