The PROPHECIES of Starets Lavrentii (+1950)

From ‘Prepodobnyistarets’ [“The Venerable Elder”], originally published in the May 1996 issue of the Russian Orthodox newspaper ‘Zhizn Vechnaya’ [“Eternal Life”] The Second Coming of Our Lord! Starets (Elder) Lavrentii was a Schema-Archimandrite monk at the Chernigov-Trinity Convent. With his illumining gift of clairvoyance, he served as a guide for hundreds of monastics and laity struggling to find their way through the manifest entanglements of early 20th century life. He reposed in 1950. YOU WILL LIVE TO SEE ANTICHRIST! Accompanied by two keleinitsy [lay-sisters], the igumeny [abbess] of the Domnitskaya Convent came to have tea with batiushka [father (dim. aff.)] Lavrentii. During dinner, he said: “You and I, matushka - igumenya [abbess-mother (dim. aff.)], will not live to see antichrist; but, these -- your kelelnitsy, will live to see him!” That was in 1948. Both nuns had been born in 1923. Monakhinya [nun] N. was the one who told the story. I NEED TO SEE Whenever Fr. Lavrentii would sit down at table to dine, while waiting for everyone to gather together, he would say: “I am not hungry, but I need to see you all, and to speak with you a little concerning what lies ahead for all of you.” Then he would weep and say: “If you but knew what fate awaits men and what lies ahead for you. If you but knew how people suffer in hell!” AND HOW HE WILL RECOIL! This was recorded from the words of Sister M. Batiushka Lavrentii would say: “Do not be astonished when you hear that people are praying in every which way in the churches. When those in their golden-caps [archi- and proto-hieratical mitres] forbid the reading of the Psalter -- and, later, of the hours -- then will the Lord endure but a little; and, O how He will then recoil from them! The Second Coming is now no longer far-distant!” REMEMBER THIS! “This happened when my father was yet alive,” I. M. would recall, concerning her conversation with batiushka Lavrentii. “We were extremely poor, incapable of regaining our senses after the destruction of the war. I went to see starets [elder] Lavrentii, in order to ask him to bless me, that I might secretly wear a podriasnik [an under-cassock, (to be a secret nun)]; but he said to me: “Not all who are in the world will perish; nor will everyone in a monastery be saved! Do you understand? It is not yet time.” Again I began to implore him [to grant me his permission] to enter a women’s monastery, for it is so extremely difficult for one to save oneself in the world, but batiushka said to me: “Monks and schema-monks in the monasteries will attain unto the seventh Heaven; but if you only knew what awaits those virgins who live in the world! The Lord will tell those schema-bearers to make way for these secret ones who did not live in a monastery. And these latter will exceedingly precede the former ! Do you understand that, before God, the secret ones will be superior to those in the monasteries? Do you understand?” the starets asked. “I understand nothing,” was my reply. “Then remember what I just told you, at least!” batiushka said.” IF ONE LIVES ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF LOVE A certain pious widow had a dream: “I saw, as it were, batiushka Lavrentii of Chernigov in the Trinity Convent, with its inhabitants. There were many sisters there, and the choir was chanting: “Rejoice, O Tsaritsa”. Then, suddenly, the starets rose up in the air, but there were only a few matushki (mother nuns) with him seven or eight total! I ran to ask him: “Why had so few nuns risen up?”, but upon uttering these words, I awoke, without having received an answer.” ”When I went to see Fr. Lavrentii, he said: “It is as you dreamed it! Had they lived in accordance with the Law of Love, then everything would have been fine. If someone has a piece of bread, it is in order that he might share it with another, who would then offer up a prayer for him. Thus, both would receive their largesse, and all would have been saved! But, with us, it is just the opposite: the one who has the piece of bread stirs up great rows. That is why there are so few who are lifted up, because there is no love!” FEW ARE SAVED The venerable Fr. Lavrentii of Chernigov would frequently repeat that souls go to hell just like people come out of a church on a feastday; but they go to Heaven like people go to church on a weekday. Batiushka would frequently sit and weep: he pitied the people who were perishing. “How many people there are, who are packed in the inferno like herring in a barrel,” starets Lavrentii would say. His spiritual children would console him, but he would reply, through his tears: “You do not see. If you could but see... How pitiful it is! And in the last days, hell will be filled with young people.” TWIRL THIS AROUND YOUR MOUSTACHE “And I say unto you, and with great regret do I say it, that you will be buying houses, and killing time by adorning large and lovely monastic buildings. But you will have no time for prayer, although you made a vow of non-possession! It will not be difficult to be saved during the last days, but wisely so. The one who overcomes all these temptations, the same will be saved! Such one will be among the first. The former will be like unto lamps; the latter will be like the sun. You have other dwellings prepared for you. So listen, and twirl this around your moustache!” Thus did the venerable starets, gazing into the future with his perspicacious mind, admonish his many, many spiritual children. A FRIGHTFUL TIME “Not long before antichrist is enthroned, even those churches that have been closed will be repaired and restored -- not only their exteriors, but their interiors, as well. They will gild the cupolas of bell-towers and cathedrals, alike; and when they have completed the main one, then will the time have come for antichrist to be enthroned. Pray that the Lord might lengthen that time, that we might be encouraged and sustained; it is a frightful time that awaits us. The restoration of the cathedrals will continue up to the very moment that antichrist is crowned. We will have unprecedented splendour,” Starets Lavrentii would say. “Do you see how craftily and insidiously all this is being prepared?” Batiushka would continue, tearfully. “All the cathedrals will be exceedingly splendid, as never before, but you must not attend these cathedrals, for the Bloodless Sacrifice of Jesus Christ will not be offered there. Remember, there will be churches, but Orthodox Christians must not attend them, as the entire ‘synagogue of Satan’ (Apoc. 2.9) will be gathered there! I repeat yet again that one must not attend those cathedrals; there will be no grace in them!” CONCERNING ANTICHRIST “Antichrist will be crowned king in a splendid rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, with the clergy and the Patriarch of Russia participating [in his coronation]. There will be free ingress and egress from Jerusalem for everyone, but do not attempt to go there then, as everything will have been done so as to ‘deceive.’ (Matt. 24.24) He [antichrist] will be exceedingly learned in all satanic wiles and will show great signs. The entire world will hear and see him. He will ‘stamp’ his people with satan’s seal; he will hate Orthodox Russia,” the venerable Starets Lavrentii of Chernigov would say. THERE IS NO NEED TO BE AFRAID To a certain deacon who is yet alive, but who is now quite aged, Batiushka Lavrentii forthrightly said: “You will live to see the time when antichrist comes to power. Do not be afraid, but tell everyone that this is he -- and that there is no need to be afraid! There will be a war, and where it passes, there will be none left alive! But, prior to that time, the Lord will send minor ailments to the weak and they will die, for during antichrist’s time there will no longer be any death. The Third World War will not be for repentance, but for annihilation; but the Lord will leave the strongest alive, that they might confront him [antichrist]. THE SUPREME “PEACE-MAKER” The venerable Starets Lavrentii of Chernigov spoke frequently of antichrist, saying: “There will come a time when they will fight and fight, and a world war will break out. And in the very thick of it, they will say, ‘Let us choose for ourselves a single king over all the inhabited earth.’ And they will elect him! They will elect antichrist as the universal king and supreme ‘peace-maker’ of the world. It will be necessary to listen carefully; it will be necessary to exercise caution! As soon as they begin to vote for one single man in all the world, know that it is none other than himself, and that it is forbidden [to Orthodox Christians] to vote [for him].” ALL [MY] WORDS ARE TRUE! Batiushka Lavrentii was sitting in the choir-loft, speaking of the last days and of the end of this world, relating the details of antichrist’s enthronement over those who have fallen away from God... And priests Nikifor, Grigorii and Vasilii Ganzin objected to Fr. Lavrentii that he had also spoken differently concerning these things. But he replied to them: “Fathers and brothers, there is one thing that you neither know nor understand; I speak not only of Russia, but of the whole world! All my words concerning future events are true, because the Holy Spirit has revealed them to me by [His] grace.” FOR A SHORT WHILE Schema-Archimandrite Feofan related that Batiushka Lavrentii would joyfully say, with a smile: “The Russian people will repent of deadly sins: that they allowed ... [antichristian] impiety to hold sway in Russia; that they did not defend God’s Anointed Tsar, the Orthodox churches and monasteries, and all that is holy and sacred in Russia. They despised piety and came to love demonic impiety. But there will be a spiritual upheaval! And Russia, together with all the Slavic nations and lands, will constitute a mighty Tsardom. She will be governed by an Orthodox Tsar, by God’s Anointed One. Because of him, all schisms and heresies will vanish away in Russia. There will be no persecution of the Orthodox Church. The Lord will have mercy on Holy Russia because the dreadful time preceding that of antichrist has already taken place in her. Even antichrist himself will fear the Russian Orthodox Tsar - Samoderzhets [Tsar - Autocrat]. But all the other nations, save only Russia and the Slavic lands, will be ruled by antichrist and will undergo all the horrors and torments written of in Holy Scripture. In Russia, however, there will be rejoicing and a blossoming of faith -- but only for a short while, for the Dread Judge will come to try both the living and the dead.” CONCERNING ANTICHRIST’S PERSON IN THE HOLY PLACE “Blessed and thrice-blessed is the man who will not desire to do so and, hence, will not see the God-abominated person of antichrist. Whosoever will see him and hear his blasphemous words promising all earthly blessings, the same will be seduced and will go forth to worship him. And they will perish, along with him, as far as eternal life is concerned; they will burn in eternal fire!” We asked the venerable one, “How shall this be?” And he answered us with tears, [saying]:”The abomination of desolation will stand in the holy place and will show-forth the foul seducers of the world who, working false miracles, will deceive all such men as have fallen away from God. And, after them, antichrist will appear! The entire world will see him at one and the same time.” To the question “Where in the holy place -- in church?” venerable Lavrentii said; “Not in church, but in the home! Beforetimes, a table used to stand in the corner wherein the holy icons were. Then, however, that space will be occupied by seductive instruments for the deception of men. Many who have departed away from the Truth will say, ‘we need to watch and hear the news.’ And it is in the news that antichrist will appear; and they will accept him.

The Beatitudes

St. Matthew 4:25-5:13 (6/17) Gospel for Tuesday of the Week of the Holy Spirit The Sermon on the Mount I ~ Beatitudes: St. Matthew 4:25-5:13, especially vs. 3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." With this Gospel reading we begin a course of readings through the Lord's "Sermon on the Mount" (Mt. 5:1-7:29). The prologue of the Sermon, called the "Beatitudes," contains all the major themes of the entire Gospel. Like a plant with stalk, branches, and leaves, the Beatitudes possess an inherent life-filled unity. The root system of the Beatitudes is "poverty of spirit," which feeds Life to the rest of the Beatitudes, drawing from the rich loam of humility - that which St. John Chrysostom calls "the mother of virtues." For when humility is active in the heart, it infuses the entire life of a disciple with the essence of the Lord Jesus' Kingdom. A possibility to consider! Without humility, immature Christians continue to indulge the "old man" (Eph. 4:22) and the bitter acid of self and pride disrupt resistance to the passions. It is so easy to embrace the way of the world, imagine conquering the earth, exult in one's own righteousness, all the while being unmerciful, acting cruelly, seeing life through distorted lenses, warring with any opponent, but never rejoicing because of persecution as a Christian, crying only at "misfortune." True spiritual brokenness passes into the heart through the stalk of mourning and tears (vs. 4). Branches of meekness (vs. 5) form and carry renunciation of self to the leaves of righteousness (vs. 6), which will turn naturally to the Sun of Righteousness. As these leaves are fed by God's merciful rays and by nutrients drawn up from true meekness, lowliness, and tears, they produce mercy (vs. 7) and purity (vs. 8) as God reveals Himself. The shade cast by the blessed ones who embrace lowliness brings peace to others. Sadly, the reprobate, contrary to the life given in the Beatitudes, being enmeshed in the darkness of sin and hatred, can only perceive those with some health of heart as weeds, nuisances to be cursed, struck down, and uprooted. St. Simeon the New Theologian, in his teachings concerning the life in Christ, explores this deep interrelatedness of the Beatitudes. He speaks of them as a composite, calling them "the true imprint of the seal of Christ." He urges us, the Faithful, to acquire the ability to recognize the presence of Christ stamped in ourselves and in others. For when the Lord's "true imprint" is embossed on one's heart, there develops a peculiar sorrow "that is full of joy." A Christ-filled soul "begins eagerly to bring forth the fruit of the other virtues for Christ and for itself." In addition, God's gift of compunction manifests the Divine humility moving within the heart. Thus, a true, impoverished spirit forms. "And naturally," says St. Simeon, "for when [a heart] is being watered and made fruitful by tears and wholly extinguishes its temper, it becomes meek and incapable of being moved to anger." Hunger and thirst to learn God's ways become irrepressible. The soul becomes merciful and compassionate, "and by all these things its heart will become pure, and as has been promised, thus attain to the vision of God." Persons of such a spirit are, in truth, peacemakers. They will "endure every labor and every tribulation" and gladly take every insult and reproach for His name's sake. They exult, in fact, because they have been found worthy of suffering dishonor from men for the sake of the love of Christ. Can we attain such a high spiritual state? Paisius Velichkovsky says that "First of all, with an unquestionably firm faith and warm love, you ought to approach God and decidedly renounce this world...And then through Christ's grace a holy zeal will be kindled in perfected souls. With the passing of time....Hunger and thirst after righteousness shall appear, that is a fiery effort to behave in everything according to His commandments and to achieve humility." Remember us, O Holy One, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom.

Prophecy of Starets Ambrosy of Optina

Saint Ambrosy (also known as Starets Ambrosy) is one of the better known starets of Optina. The Russian Orthodox Church declared him a saint in 1988 and his memory is celebrated on October 10th. My child, know that in the last days hard times will come; and as the Apostle says, behold, due to poverty in piety heresies and schisms will appear in the churches; and as the Holy Fathers foretold, then on the thrones of hierarchs and in monasteries there will be no men to be found that are tested and experienced in the spiritual life. Wherefore, heresies will spread everywhere and deceive many. The enemy of mankind will act skillfully, and whenever possible he will lead the chosen ones to heresy. He will not begin by discarding the dogmas on the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, or the Theotokos, but will unnoticeably start to distort the Teachings of the Holy Fathers, in other words the teachings of the Church herself. The cunning of the enemy and his "tipics" (ways) will be noticed by very few -- only those that are most experienced in spiritual life. Heretics will take over the Church, everywhere, and they will appoint their servants, and spirituality will be neglected. But the Lord will not leave His servants without protection. Truly, their real duty is persecution of true pastors and their imprisonment; for without that, the spiritual flock may not become captured by the heretics. Therefore, my son, when you see in the Churches mocking of the Divine act, of the teachings of the Holy Fathers, and of God's established order, know that the heretics are already present. Be also aware that, for some time, they might hide their evil intentions, or they might covertly deform the divine faith, so that they better succeed by deceiving and tricking the inexperienced. They will persecute pastors and the servants of God alike, for the devil who is directing the heresy cannot stand the Divine order. Like wolves in sheep skin, they will be recognized by their vainglorious nature, love for lust, and lust for power. All those will be betrayers, causing hatred and malice everywhere; and therefore the Lord said that one will easily recognize them by their fruits. The true servants of God are meek, brother-loving and obedient to the Church (order, traditions). At that time, monks will endure great pressures from heretics, and the monastic life will be mocked. The monastic families will be impoverished, the number of monks will decrease. The ones remaining will endure violence. These haters of the monastic life, who merely have the appearance of piety, will strive to draw monks to their side, promising them protection and worldly goods (comforts), but threatening with exile those who do not submit. From these threats, the weak at heart will be very humiliated (tormented). If you live to see that time, rejoice, for at that time the faithful who possess no other virtues will receive wreaths for merely remaining steadfast in their faith, according to the Word of the Lord, "Everyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess before My Heavenly Father". Fear the Lord, my son, and don't lose this wreath so as to not be rejected by Christ into the utter darkness and eternal suffering. Bravely stand in faith, and if necessary, joyfully endure persecutions and other troubles, for only then will the Lord stand by you...and the holy Martyrs and the Confessors will joyfully watch your struggle. But, in these days, woe be to monks tied to possessions and riches, and who, for the sake of love of comfort, agree to subjugate themselves to the heretics. They will lull their conscience by saying: we will save the monastery, and the Lord will forgive us. Unfortunate and blinded, they are not even thinking that through heresies and heretics the devil will enter the monastery, and then it will no longer be a holy monastery, but bare walls from which Grace will depart forever. But God is more powerful than the devil, and will never abandon His servants. There will always be true Christians, till the end of time, but they will choose lonely and deserted places. Do not fear troubles, but fear pernicious heresy, for it drives out Grace, and separates us from Christ, wherefore Christ commanded us to consider the heretic and let him be unto thee as a heathen man and publican. And so, strengthen yourself, my son, in the Grace of Christ Jesus. With joy, hasten to confession and endure the suffering like Jesus Christ's good soldier who was told: "Be faithful l unto death, and I will give you the wreath of life".

God's Guiidance

St. Matthew 18:10-20 (6/16) Gospel for Monday of the Holy Spirit God's Guidance: St. Matthew 18:10-20, especially vs. 11: "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." Wonderful and myriad are the ways by which God guides and draws us to Himself! Truly, He is ever active, seeking "...the one that is straying..." (vss. 12,13). He searches for us with a gracious, compassionate, and loving heart, so that not "...one of these little ones should perish" (vs. 14). In its splendor spread before us, the world God created encourages us to wake up and thank Him Who crowns us "with glory and honor" (Ps. 8:5). Even science invites us to open our eyes to the complexities and wonders of the creation. Ah, but Saint Matthew reveals four specific means by which the Lord our God is guiding us to Himself. Angels (vs.10)! The Lord God is not speaking of little greeting-card figures, but of majestic beings suggested in reverent icons, incorporeal spirits capable of rolling great stones from the sepulchers of sin that entomb us. These powerful ones serve God day and night, and do so on our behalf. They guard soul and body; they watch over every Christian from Baptism; they are messengers of God's peace to bring us out of the pit of misery, set our feet upon a rock, and order our steps aright (Ps. 39:2,3). At all times they protect us from the temptations of the evil one, praying always for us to the Lord (Mt. 18:10). His holy angels are guiding us to Him! Christ Jesus, our God and Savior, the Good Shepherd (vss. 11-13), "the Son of Man," came as one of us into the crags and valleys of this unforgiving wilderness we call the world, "...to seek the one that is straying" (vs. 12). The icon of the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, stands beside St. Paul's portrait of Him Who emptied Himself of His splendor as God (Phil. 2:6-8) and took "the form of a bondservant...coming in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7). This determined, saving search of the Good Shepherd for His lost sheep occurred in the objective history of our race as a permanent witness to God's constant activity in each of our lives and within every moment of time. The Blessed Shepherd Who "...came to His own..." (Jn. 1:11) wrote out, once and for all, an indelible record: God is present to guide us home to Himself, now, right now! Christ's Church (vss. 15-18), the living Body of our God and Savior, is the nurturing family He gives so that we may be re-created as brethren. Yes, the Holy Orthodox, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is the community that the Holy Spirit is guiding homeward to the God of all. Beloved, the Church is our true home for receiving correction when we sin, healing from the ravages wrought by our sins, and providing brothers and sisters to love and uphold us. In the tangible relationships of the Church, we are permitted to see what our sin and willfulness causes. At the same time, the Church is the family within which we may begin to correct the hurts we cause and to restore the bonds of love (vs. 15). Straightforward efforts, guided by godly Pastors, set right the real wrongs of this life. Holy discipline exists (vss. 16-18) to guide us toward our Father Who has reconciled us to Himself in Christ (2 Cor. 5:19). Holy Worship also guides us back to God (Mt. 18:18-20). In the gathering of the Church, "Christ is among us" (cf. vs. 20), as the vestments of the Priests and the respect shown to our clergy visually remind us. The words of the Divine Liturgy guide the heart and mind toward the will and mind of God our Father and of His Only Begotten Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Liturgy invites us to "worship and fall down before Christ." The supreme Guide and Guardian of our souls, the All-Holy Spirit, assures us that our Lord Jesus is present. The Holy Mysteries of Christ's Body and Blood feed us. He is in our midst to guide us in our Father's commandments, to nurture us in His grace, and to prepare us for the unimaginable good things yet to come. Lord, I have fled unto Thee: teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.

What is an Elder?

The elder or "old man", known in Greek as geron and in Russian as starets, need not necessarily be old in years, but he is wise m his experience of divine truth, and blessed with the grace of "fatherhood in the spirit", with the charisma of guiding others on the Way. What he offers to his spiritual children is not primarily moral instruction or a rule of life, but a personal relationship. "A starets," says Dostoevsky, "is one who takes your soul, your will, into his soul and his will." Fr. Zachariah's disciples used to say about him, "It is as though he bore our hearts in his hands." The starets is the man of inward peace, at whose side thousands can find salvation. The Holy Spirit has given him as the fruit of his prayer and self-denial, the gift of discernment or discrimination, enabling him to read the secrets of men's hearts; and so he answers, not only the questions that others put to him, but often the questions often much more fundamental - which they have not even thought of asking. Combined with the gift of discernment he possesses the gift of spiritual healing-the power to restore men's souls, and sometimes also their bodies. This spiritual healing he provides not only through his words of counsel but through his silence and his very presence. Important though the advice may be, far more important is his intercessory prayer. He makes his children whole by praying constantly for them, by identifying himself with them, by accepting their joys and sorrows as his own, by taking on his shoulders the burden of their guilt or anxiety. No one can be a starets if he does not pray insistently for others. If the starets is a priest, usually his ministry of spiritual direction is closely linked with the sacrament of confession. But a starets in the full sense, as described by Dostoevsky or exemplified by Fr. Zachariah, is more than just a priest confessor. A starets in the full sense of the word cannot be appointed such by any superior authority. What happens is that the Holy Spirit speaking directly to the hearts of the Christian people, makes it plain that this or that person has been blessed by God with the grace to guide and heal others. The true starets is in this sense a prophetic figure, not an institutional official. While most commonly a priest-monk, he may also be a married parish priest, or else a lay monk not ordained to the priesthood, or even-but this is less frequent-a nun, or a lay man or woman living in the outside world. If the starets is not himself a priest, after listening to people's problems and offering counsel, he will frequently send them to a priest for sacramental confession and absolution. The relation between child and spiritual father varies widely. Some visit a starets perhaps only once or twice in a lifetime, at a moment of special crisis, while others are in regular contact with their starets, seeing him monthly or even daily. No rules can be laid down in advance; the association grows of itself under the immediate guidance of the Spirit. Always the relationship is personal. The starets does not apply abstract rules learnt from a book- as in the "casuistry" of Counter-Reformation Catholicism-but he sees on each particular occasion this man or woman who is before him; and illumined by the Spirit, he seeks to transmit the unique will of God specifically for this one person. Because of this the true starets understands and respects the distinctive character of each one, he does not suppress their inward freedom but reinforces it. He does not aim at eliciting mechanical obedience, but leads his children to the point of spiritual maturity where they can decide for themselves. To each one he shows his or her true face, which before was largely hidden from that person; and his word is creative and life-giving, enabling the other to accomplish tasks which previously seemed impossible. But all this the starets can achieve only because he IO\les each one personally. Moreover, the relationship is mutual; the starets cannot help another unless the other seriously desires to change his way of life and opens his heart in loving trust to the starets. He who goes to see a starets in a spirit of spiritual curiosity is likely to return with empty hands, unimpressed. Because the relationship is always personal, a particular starets cannot help everyone equally. He can help only those who are specifically sent to him by the Spirit. Likewise the disciple should not say, "My starets is better than all the others." He should say only, "My starets is the best for me." In guiding others, the spiritual father waits upon the will and the voice of the Holy Spirit. "I will give only what God tells me to give," said St. Seraphim. "I believe the first word that comes to me inspired by the Holy Spirit." Obviously no-one has the right to act in this manner unless, through ascetic effort and prayer, he has attained an exceptionally intense awareness of God's presence. For anyone who has not reached this level, such behavior would be presumptuous and irresponsible. Fr. Zachariah speaks in the same terms as St. Seraphim: Sometimes a man does not know himself what he will say. The Lord himself speaks through his lips. One must pray like this: " 0 Lord. May you live in me. may you speak through me. may you act through me." When the lord speaks through a man's lips. then all the words of that man are effective and all that is spoken by him is fulfilled. The man who is speaking is himself surprised at this...Only one must not rely on wisdom. The relationship between spiritual father and child extends beyond death to the Last Judgment. Fr. Zachariah reassured his followers, "After death I shall be much more alive than I am now, so don't grieve when I die...On the day of judgment the elder will say: Here am I and my chjldren." St. Seraphim asked for these remarkable words to be inscribed on his tombstone: When I am dead. come to me at my grave. and the more often the better. Whatever is in your soul. whatever may have happened to you come. to me as when I was alive. and kneeling on the ground. cast all your bitterness upon my grave. Tell me everything and I shall listen to you. and all the bitterness will flyaway from you. And as you spoke to me when I was alive. do so now. For I am living and I shall be for ever. By no means all Orthodox have a spiritual father of their own. What are we to do if we search for a guide and cannot find one? It is of course possible to learn from books; whether or not we have a starets, we look to the Bible for constant guidance. But the difficulty with books is to know precisely what is applicable to me personally, at this specific point on my journey. As well as books, as well as spiritual fatherhood, there is also spiritual brotherhood or sisterhood the help given us that is , not by teachers in God, but by our fellow disciples. We are not to neglect the opportunities offered us in this form. But those who seriously commit themselves to the Way should in addition make every effort to find a father in the Holy Spirit. If they seek humbly they will undoubtedly be given the guidance that they require. Not that they will often find a starets such as St. Seraphim or Fr. Zachariah. We should take care lest, in our expectation of something outwardly more spectacular, we overlook the help which God is actually offering us. Someone who in others' eyes is unremarkable will perhaps turn out to be the one spiritual father who is able to speak to me, personally, the words of fire that I above all else need to hear. Taken from the book ELDER PORFYRIOS Testimonies and Experiences Excerpted, with grateful acknowledgement from The Orthodox Way by Bishop Kallistos Ware Published by St Vladimir Seminary Press

Acquiring the Holy Spirit

St. John 7:37-52; 8:12 (6/15) The Gospel for the Feast of Pentecost: Holy Trinity Sunday Acquiring the Holy Spirit: St. John 7:37-52, 8:12, especially vs. 39: "But this [Jesus] spoke concerning the Spirit, Whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." In his "Conversation with Motovilov," St. Seraphim of Sarov recalls Christ's fulfillment of His promise on the day of Pentecost: "Then on the day of Pentecost He solemnly sent down to them in a tempestuous wind the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire which alighted on each of them and entered within them and filled them with the fiery strength of divine grace which breathes bedewingly and acts gladdeningly in souls which partake of its power and operations" (see Acts 2:1-4). Next, St. Seraphim reminds you and me, Orthodox Christian, that "this same fire-infusing grace of the Holy Spirit...given to us all, the faithful of Christ, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, is sealed by the Sacrament of Chrismation." Then, as St. Seraphim continues the "Conversation," he describes in clear detail how this "fire-infusing grace" may be awakened and ignited within each Orthodox believer: first, and most important, one must desire to "drink the water which Christ gives, the drink which quenches thirst eternally" (Jn. 7:37; 4:13,14); that is, spiritual thirst must be present. Second, a man must believe in the Lord, trust Him; and finally, one must actually drink (Jn. 7:37,38). Notice that the Lord Jesus Himself defined these same three essentials. Thirst is the starting point, a "driving" thirst for God. The blessing is that such a thirst is natural to all men. Still, because we are fallen and sick, we often ignore our thirst for God, or confuse it with desires of the flesh. The thirst becomes identified with psychological and physical desires. The Fathers speak of the unbridled physical passions, of false, short-lived gratification sought in flattery, of vanity, pride, gossip, or acquisition of temporal goods, material success, and pleasures. These supplant the natural thirst for the living God (Ps. 41:1-2). The enemy suggests these to divert us from the 'true drink' that satisfies eternally (Mt. 4:2-3). Through demonic deception and our own delusions and confusion, we often turn to the wrong sources for that which is readily available by the grace of God. However, once the deep thirst for God dawns: we need to direct our efforts to the work of salvation. But we are like an airplane searching for a place to land. We require the voice of the true Controller, the Holy Spirit. Most important, beloved, let us resolve to follow His directions and devote ourselves to God and His path to salvation. Plainly, the Spirit must be obeyed. There are blessings in repentance and the practice of the virtues opposite of our sins: the Holy and Life-giving Mysteries enable us to "taste and see how good the Lord is. Alleluia!" A word of caution at this point: spiritual exercise and pious devotions will not slake the deep thirst for God unless they are practiced with the firm intention to receive Christ and the Holy Spirit if They will appear. The Lord says that only he who "believes in" Him ultimately will drink 'the miraculous vintage pouring forth from His tomb,' the "...living water" (Jn. 7:38). St. Seraphim cautions against the futility of good deeds done apart from Christ our Master. "God's all-saving will, consists in doing good solely to acquire the Holy Spirit, an eternal, inexhaustible treasure which cannot be rightly valued...Every soul is quickened by the Holy Spirit...and mystically illumined by the Triune Unity." Nonetheless, good works also must follow. You and I must "drink." God appears to those who both believe in Him and act. As we pray, watch, fast, and practice the virtues, let us ask ourselves, as St. Seraphim encourages us to do: "Am I in the Spirit of God or not?" O Heavenly King, Comforter, come and dwell in us and cleanse us of every stain of sin.

Orthodox Fasting vs. Other Fasting

St. Matthew 9:14-17 (6/27) The Gospel for Friday of the Second Week after Pentecost Fasting and Feasting: St. Matthew 9:14-17, especially vs. 15: "The days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." Among too many Orthodox, the Fast of the Apostles passes unnoticed and neglected; while during the other three fasting seasons, special services are held, and the Faithful generally are more responsive to the call for increased ascetic struggle. Additionally, much has been written about Great Lent, the Nativity, and the Dormition Fasts, but there is a paucity of material concerning the Apostles' Fast, and no special services are offered. So then, "Why this fast?" And, "What warrant is there for an Apostles' Fast?" The present Gospel passage provides the Lord Jesus' answer to such questions. The disciples of John the Forerunner noticed that the Lord Jesus disciples were not keeping the common fasting practices of the Jews. Wondering why, they came and asked the Lord directly (vs.14). He explained that a time was coming when His disciples would fast, "when the Bridegroom will be taken away" (vs.15). He adds that it is right for His disciples to fast when their Lord is "taken away" from them, but not when He is present (vs.15). Applying the Lord Jesus' statement to the four seasonal fasts, another question arises: how can the Faithful, who participate in the Mystery of the Resurrection, say that the Bridegroom is taken away? Christ is risen! He has trampled down death by death. "Christ is among us! He is and He ever shall be!" We share regularly in His life-giving Body and Blood. Agreed, the ineffable reality of our risen Lord gives fasting in the Church a distinctive mark. All our Fasts differ qualitatively from the fasting practiced among the ancient People of God. The seasonal fasts of Judaism were, and remain, days of sad bereavement - mourning for what is lost. The Jewish Fasts recall the destruction of the Temples - of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians and of the great Temple of Herod by the Romans. For the Faithful in Christ, however, fasting is never separated from feasting. We fast in a joyful sorrow that we may enter the portals of the Bridal Chamber with our wedding garment radiant and pure, for our "Temple" was rebuilt "in three days" (Jn. 2:19-21), never again to be destroyed. Christ is risen! Beloved, we fast to heighten our awareness of the ineffable Living, present Christ among us. The Lord Jesus is not absent. He cannot be. He never will be absent. He is risen, and we are endowed with life! The portals to the bridal chamber stand open. In the Great Fast we prepare for this Resurrection Mystery. Similarly, prior to celebrating the Lord's Nativity and Theophany, we prepare for the renewing of the presence of the Incarnate Life-giver. In the Fast of the All Pure One, we prepare to celebrate her theosis, her full union with God, a promise to our struggle. In the person of the ever-virgin Birthgiver of God, perfect union with the risen Lord is fully manifest. The same is true for Christ's Holy Martyrs and Chief Apostles, Peter and Paul. They are united to Him for eternity by virtue of their self-offering for His Name. Their struggles and deaths are finer and better than other sacrifices of the Faithful. They reign with Christ in the eternal Kingdom. The presence of God is known in both the Dormition and Apostles' Fasts. The Lord's remark about being "taken away" points to subtle facet of Christian fasting: each celebration of the Lord Jesus' eternal presence recalls times of seeming separation prior to Triumph. Hence, in Great Lent and Holy Week we re-enter His Passion and Burial. Prior to His Nativity we remember the ages before He came in the flesh. Also, we remember the Church's grief at the Virgin's Dormition before her victory in Christ became known. In the Fast of the Apostles, we share briefly in grief because at their martyrdom, but greatly exult in their victory. Let us extol the Apostolic Martyrs who walked the narrow way to dwell in Paradise.

Christian Divisions complicate Lebanon Politics

BEIRUT, Apr 28 (IPS) - The political crisis gripping Lebanon has chipped away at what has been viewed by most since the 2005 parliamentary elections as an unlikely alignment of two political heavyweights.The recent falling out between Michel Aoun, head of the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Michel Murr, the Greek Orthodox former vice-president of parliament, heralds a change that will undoubtedly affect the 2009 electoral landscape in the Lebanese Christian region of the Metn in the north. Inexplicable alliances have long been a tradition of Lebanese politics, defined by short-sighted tactical partnerships rooted in the intense rivalry of opposing parties, communities and political families. Such alliances have played a key role in the struggle for power among the various Christian factions. To strengthen their positions, the Christian Kataeb party (Phalangists) and the Lebanese Forces -- led by Amin Gemayel and Samir Geagea respectively -- joined forces in the 2005 elections with the largely Sunni Future Movement (headed by Saad Hariri, son of slain former prime minister Rafik Hariri) and the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) headed by Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. Comprising the March 14 Movement and holding a total of 67 seats out 128 in parliament, the alliance is considered the majority. At the other end of the spectrum is the opposition, consisting of the surprising 'memorandum of understanding' between the FPM and Hezbollah, the Shia 'Party of God', which is led by Hassan Nasrallah. Also part of the alliance is the Shia Amal party, headed by current House speaker Nabih Berri. Since the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005, the two sides have failed to reach a compromise on the balance of power in government, which has resulted in an ongoing sit-in protest by the opposition in Beirut since December 2006 and an empty presidential seat since the position was vacated by former president Emile Lahoud in November 2007. It is, in fact, the postponement of presidential elections 19 times thus far that has incited Murr to warn Christian MPs who abstained from voting that they might not be re-elected. "Christians should not be lied to; under the false pretence of defending the rights of their community, presidential elections are being blocked," he said. "Murr believes presidential elections should take place as soon as possible, while the FPM links elections to a basket of measures, such as agreement on the future cabinet composition and the replacement of the inequitable 2001 parliamentary law," says Armenian MP Hagop Pakradounian. So, what does the growing rift between Murr and Aoun over the appointment of a president mean for the 2009 elections? The battle for power in the Metn pits the Kataeb party and LF against the FPM, which is joined by a few independents, including Murr. The impact of Murr's defection from the opposition can be measured by his political weight in the area, which affects the outcome of eight parliamentary seats: four Maronite positions, two Greek Orthodox, one Catholic and one Armenian. Research shows that participation of voters has been customarily low in the area, as is the case with the rest of the country. According to statistician Kamal Feghali, 51.2 percent of registered voters participated in the 2005 elections, in which Murr represented 20,000 votes. In the 2007 partial elections (prompted by the assassination of Kataeb MP Pierre Gemayel), 47.2 percent of voters participated, with 15,600 votes influenced by Murr. During both elections, total votes amounted to about 80,000. "There are currently four independent members of parliament, of which three are allied with the FPM -- Hagop Pakradounion, Selim Salhab and Ghassan Moukheiber -- while the fourth is Michel Murr. Four other seats are occupied by FPM deputies," explains Alain Aoun from the FPM. According to Alain Aoun, Murr's new position will be restricted to the Metn and will not affect national elections. "It is too early to measure the exact repercussions of this new realignment on the political landscape. The disagreement between Mr. Murr and the FPM might dissipate before the 2009 elections, as long as the political discourse remains toned down," he points out, adding that the political context in 2009 will ultimately define the outcome of the next parliamentary elections. Another factor that could disrupt the balance of power in the Metn is the Armenian sway. "Armenian voters represent some 12,000 votes in the Metn, of which our party, Tachnag, traditionally garners 80 percent," explains Pakradounian. Some 10,000 people voted for the Tachnag party in the 2005 elections, while this figure came down in 2005 by 1,150 votes, according to statistics provided by Feghali. "Murr's recent change of heart does guarantee his realignment with the majority," says Pakradounian. "I think his main objective is to exert enough pressure to resolve the deadlock and accelerate presidential elections. My belief is that he is still trying to find a common denominator between the opposition and majority. "We maintain excellent relations with both Gen. Aoun and President Murr, who are our allies, and their disagreement may be short-lived," continues Pakradounian. While Tachnag's alliance with Michel Murr is more than 44 years old, Pakradounian states that General Aoun has also frequently proven his loyalty to the Armenian party by refusing to participate in the cabinet in the absence of the Tachnag. With the power to sway votes in one direction or the other, the Tachnag is certainly proving a force to be reckoned with. Their influence could even reach the elections of the eastern Bekaa city of Zahle, where the party holds one of seven seats.

Is Jesus "Lord"

St. Matthew 7:21-23 (6/25) Gospel for Wednesday of the Second Week after Pentecost The Sermon on the Mount VIII ~ Calling Jesus, "Lord": St. Matthew 7:21-23, especially vs. 21: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." The Apostle Paul assures the Faithful that "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom.10:9). He confirms his assertion by quoting a promise of the Prophet Joel, "...whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom.10:13; Joel 2:32). The glory of the Lord Jesus is found precisely in His abounding mercy to save. The Holy Fathers and Scripture teach us to cry out to the Lord Jesus for salvation. St. John Chrysostom, in his Baptismal Instructions teaches that "the understanding must be strongly fixed in pious faith, and the tongue must herald forth by it confession the solid resolution of the mind." The Prophet David gives us the words in the familiar Psalm of the Incense Offering at Vespers: "Lord I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me..." (Ps.140:1). St. Matthew records that at least 21 people called out to the Lord, and none were refused - lepers, pagans, His own disciples, and many others. When the Apostle Paul speaks of God's promises of salvation, he qualifies the gift: along with crying to the Lord, one must also "believe in [his] heart" in the Lord Jesus risen from the dead (Rom. 10:9). And, concerning appeals to Him for salvation, Christ our God adds a similar qualification: we have reason to anticipate salvation only if we call Him "Lord," and also do "the will of My Father in heaven" (Mt. 7:21). The Lord's and Apostles' promises are quite consistent on this point. Thus: if one believes "in his heart" that God has raised Jesus from the dead, he will "do" the will of God the Father. Right belief and right action are inseparable. In the contemporary religious milieu, many stray from this evangelical truth as they "call upon the Name of the Lord." They are superficial in quoting the promise of St. Paul, by ignoring both his qualification and the Lord Jesus' caution in this passage. Therefore, meditate carefully on what the Lord means by doing "the will of My Father in heaven," for merely doing works "thought" to be "good" in God's eyes may not result in salvation (vs. 22). One must be "known" by Christ (vs. 23), and one must live within the bounds of the Law of God (vs. 23). How is it that one may do "many wonders" in Christ's Name and not be doing the will of God the Father? The Apostle Paul provides the answer when he urges us to call on the Name of the Lord by adding the need for belief in the Lord Jesus and His Resurrection. Doing great wonders in Christ's Name without uniting oneself to Him from the heart does not gain salvation. As St. Seraphim of Sarov says, "...only the good deed done for Christ's sake brings us the fruits of the Holy Spirit...but to this end we must begin with a right faith in our Lord Jesus." Through a "right" faith in Christ one becomes "known" by Him (vs. 23). Hence, the cry to Him is essential, but only when coupled with the desire to know Him, to "unite oneself unto Christ" and "believe in Him as King and God." Surrender from the heart is demanded, as St. Peter discerned: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn. 6:68). When you know the Lord Jesus and are known by Him, when you have a Life-giving relationship with the Lord, a new orientation occurs within the heart, from which good works and virtues develop. You seek the Lord and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33), and your works will be valued in God's eyes. St. Seraphim of Sarov confirms this: "through the virtues practiced for Christ's sake [you] will acquire the Holy Spirit Who acts within us and establishes in us the Kingdom of God....such people at last actually appear before the face of God." I tremble for the Day of Judgment, but trusting Thy mercy, I shout to Thee, Have mercy!

Ancient rhythm: Converts to Orthodoxy are drawn by its unchanging nature, aesthetic beauty and spiritual mystery

By Robin Galiano Russell The Dallas Morning News Orthodox churchgoers line up at the end of service to kiss the cross being held by Father David Hovik in Arlington, Wash. After six months of catechism studies, Hovik and 104 members of the independent Grace Community Church converted to Eastern Orthodoxy and became the St. Andrew Antiochian Orthodox Church. (Pedro Perez/Seattle Times ) Meg Robinson lights a candle for her uncle and grandparents before service at St. Andrews Church in Arlington, Wash. (Pedro Perez/Seattle Times ) DALLAS - The Eastern Orthodox Church, as far removed from a nondenominational or evangelical congregation as you can get, is attracting a growing number of converts who are drawn by the tug of an ancient faith. Converts are trading in their PowerPoint sermons and praise bands for the ancient rhythms of a liturgy that hasn't changed in thousands of years - a pendulum swing from the casual, seeker-friendly services that have dominated contemporary evangelicalism. Their numbers are still small compared to megachurch growth patterns, with 1.2 million Eastern Orthodox Christians in the United States. But adherents say there has been a surge in people drawn to the faith. The Antiochian Orthodox Church, the most evangelistic of the American Orthodox churches, has tracked conversions for several decades. The number of its churches in the United States has doubled in 20 years to more than 250 parishes and missions. About 80 percent of its converts come from evangelical and charismatic backgrounds, 20 percent from mainline denominations. Those who convert say they are drawn to an aesthetic beauty and spiritual mystery in Orthodox worship that are often lacking in their own Protestant services. It's like entering a time machine that allows congregants to worship as the early Christians did. Not that it doesn't take some getting used to. Orthodox services are based on the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which can last two hours or more. Congregants stand much of the time, while priests in vestments offer incense and chant the Psalms. 'Startlingly different': Frederica Mathewes-Green, a former Episcopalian and author of Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey Into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy, said the experience of Orthodoxy was ''startlingly different'' from anything she had known in Western churches. But it clicked when she saw it was directed toward God rather than her own emotional needs. ''It called us to fall on our faces before God in worship and to be filled with awe at his glory. I could never go back. I now find Western worship tedious and sentimental. To me, the contrast is jolting.'' Mathewes-Green also prefers the Orthodox view of the Christian life as a healing process and a journey, rather than a one-time ''sinner's prayer.'' She and her husband converted from a liberal Episcopal Church in 1993 and helped found an Orthodox church made up mostly of American converts. ''It's not about getting the sin-debt paid, the ticket punched and now you wait around to die and go to heaven. Orthodoxy is a transforming journey where every day the Christian is being enabled to bear more of God's light. That's exciting,'' she said. Stan Shinn, who was raised in the Assemblies of God denomination, recalls feeling nearly overwhelmed when he stepped inside Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in North Dallas for the first time. What looked good on paper - definitive answers to his search for early Christian worship and doctrine - had taken him to a ''very bizarre and strange'' church with icon-filled walls, heavy incense and Byzantine chanting. ''I felt like there was a gauntlet thrown down in front of me,'' he said. He and his wife, Janine, and their three children converted in 2002 from their nondenominational church to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Like the Shinns, those who convert are joining 350 million Orthodox Christians around the world. First-century church: "Orthodox" means ''right belief.'' The Orthodox Church traces its origins back to Jesus' apostles and first-century practice. The Roman Catholic Church makes that same claim, but the two branches of ancient Christianity differ in ecclesiastical hierarchy and a few doctrinal points. Catholics believe the pope has ultimate authority, while Orthodox Christians say their council of bishops is more in line with Scripture and church tradition. Orthodox Christians also disagree with the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which states that Jesus' mother was born without sin herself. The two branches of ancient Christianity split in 1054. Today, the Orthodox community is led by patriarchs and a hierarchy of bishops who must be celibate. Unlike Catholic clergy, Orthodox priests can marry before ordination. Archbishop Dmitri, 81, leads the Archdiocese of Dallas and the South for the Orthodox Church in America. He grew up in a Southern Baptist family in Teague, Texas, but converted to Orthodoxy as a teen because he wanted more out of faith. ''Everything was true, but it was not complete. It wasn't that I needed to repudiate it. I just went on to find the rest of it,'' he said. The Orthodox consider themselves to have a bond with other Christians but believe they have a more accurate understanding of the faith. At a recent daylong festival in Dallas about Orthodox Christianity, Dmitri encouraged people in other denominations to cling to the elements of the historic faith that their churches uphold, but added an invitation: ''If you find there are holes at the bottom and you have to abandon ship, then head for one that's still afloat,'' he said. In search of history: Conversion to Orthodoxy often begins with an intellectual quest, Shinn said. He began searching when he saw modern churches abandoning historic Christian tenets, such as the Nicene Creed, and stripping their sanctuaries of any religious symbolism to be more seeker-friendly. ''The elements of Christianity were disappearing before me like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. What kind of Christianity would my grandchildren inherit, and would the Gospel even be recognizable?'' he said. The ancient liturgies, chants, incense and sacraments used in Orthodox services, he discovered, were not taken from medieval Catholicism - as his Protestant upbringing taught him - but from early church worship. ''It all caused me to re-evaluate my core assumptions. Instead of me judging history, I decided I wanted history to judge me and tell me what should I practice,'' Shinn said. The unchanging nature of the Orthodox Church is a strong draw for ''serious Christians'' who are tired of Protestant individualism yet disagree with the Catholic Church's teachings, said the Rev. Peter Gillquist, chairman of missions and evangelism for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Minority faith: Converts become more familiar with the church through catechism classes and the guidance of spiritual godparents (individuals and couples in the congregation who mentor new converts). If they've already been baptized in another church, they also must be chrismated, or anointed, to be received in the Orthodox Church. Americans who convert to Orthodoxy know they will be part of a minority faith. That doesn't bother the Rev. Anthony Savas, of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, who grew up Orthodox among Mormons in Salt Lake City. ''It's wonderful to practice the ancient Christian faith in an environment that doesn't know what to do with it. A minority can be a beacon of light, like the apostles, who took it beyond their own country,'' he said. Orthodox in America: Adherents say there's only one Orthodox Church, which is administratively organized into several jurisdictions. The faith, worship and doctrine are the same; churches differ in language and administration. Dioceses of Orthodox Churches are administrated by bishops in North America, as well as archbishops and patriarchs abroad. Orthodox Christians belong to two major ecclesiastical families: the Orthodox Oriental (Coptic, Syrian) and the Orthodox Byzantine (Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian). Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is the largest American Orthodox body, with more than 530 parishes, and was founded by Orthodox Christians from Greece and the surrounding areas. Orthodox Church in America has its roots in Eastern Europe and Russia. It was established when Russian missionaries landed in Alaska in 1794. Ethnic variations of the Orthodox Church of America include Serbian, Romanian, Albanian and Bulgarian. It includes about 380 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Antiochian Orthodox, from the Archdiocese of Antioch, was established by immigrants from the Middle East, and includes more than 200 parishes and missions in the United States and Canada. Coptic Orthodox Church, established by Arab-speaking Orthodox Christians from Egypt, includes about 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions in North America.

ON BECOMING AND REMAINING AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN

A Talk given at the Orthodox Pilgrimage to Felixstowe in August 2001 INTRODUCTION We sometimes hear people talking about how they came to join the Orthodox Church. Although each story is interesting and may even be extraordinary, I think that the stories of how people remained faithful Orthodox Christians despite temptations may be more helpful. As it is written in the Gospels: 'In your patience possess ye your souls'. Moreover, I have called this talk not, 'On Joining the Orthodox Church', but, 'On Becoming and Remaining an Orthodox Christian'. For joining the Orthodox Church or becoming a member of the Orthodox Church, which is concerned with external changes, is not at all the same as 'Becoming an Orthodox Christian', which is all about internal changes. And remaining an Orthodox Christian is even more important, which is why I have devoted three times as much time to it here as to becoming an Orthodox Christian. ON BECOMING ORTHODOX CONVERSION AND INTEGRATION Let us define our terms by talking of a number of words which are used in this context. First, there is the useless phrase 'born Orthodox'. This does not exist. Nobody is 'born Orthodox', we are all born pagans. That is why we first exorcise and then baptise. More acceptable are the terms, 'born to an Orthodox family' and 'cradle Orthodox'. It is interesting that people who condescendingly use terms such as 'born Orthodox' call the children of 'converts', 'converts'. In fact of course in their incorrect language, the children of 'converts' are 'born Orthodox'! Then there is the word 'convert'. When people say that they are converts, I first ask them: 'Converts to what?' To Greek folklore? To Russian food? To Phariseeism? To nostalgia for old-fashioned Anglicanism or Catholicism? To an intellectual hobbyhorse of syncretism? True, in one sense we are all always converts because we all have to be converted to Christ constantly. That is the sense of Psalm 50. The Prophet David too was converted, 'born again', after his great sin. Unfortunately, the word convert is generally used not in this spiritual sense, but in a secular sense. I hope that when people call themselves 'converts', it means that they are converted to Christianity (which is the correct word for Orthodoxy). I also hope that when they say that they are 'converts', it means that they were received into the Church very recently. Sadly, I must admit that this is not always the case. Over the years I have met people who joined the Orthodox Church ten, twenty, thirty and more years ago, and they are still 'converts' and even call themselves 'converts'. And this even among some clergy, prematurely ordained. This is quite beyond me, for it means that even after years of being nominal members of the Orthodox Church, they still have not become Orthodox Christians, they still have not integrated the Church, they still have not grown naturally into Orthodoxy, and still do not live an Orthodox way of life, they still have not acquired that instinctive feel for Orthodoxy, which means that Orthodoxy is their one spiritual home, that it is in their bones and blood, that they breathe Orthodoxy, because their souls are Orthodox. They are suffering from the spiritual affliction of 'convertitis'. They have remained neophytes. They have only achieved what the Devil wanted them to achieve - to be incomplete. This is why Russians, punning on the Russian word 'konvert', which means an envelope, quite rightly say about some converts: 'The problem with the 'konvert' is that either it is often empty or else it often comes unstuck'. There can be many reasons for the state of convertitis. It may be that people joined the Orthodox Church and then had no parish to go to, at least with services in a language they could understand. For example, I have met people who have been Orthodox for forty years but have never been to an Easter Night service in their own language! I have met people who have been Orthodox for five years and have never been to an Easter service at all, because their local Orthodox community only has ten Liturgies a year on Saturday mornings! I have met people who have been Orthodox for sixty years and have never been to Vespers or a Vigil service! In other words, such people have never had the opportunity to learn and integrate. Unfortunately, however, there are also other reasons why people do not integrate into the life of the Church. REASONS FOR CONVERSION In principle, clergy should only receive people into the Orthodox Church for positive reasons. The fact is that there are people who wish to join the Orthodox Church for negative reasons, for instance, out of spite for a denomination or a clergyman. This is psychology, not theology, and at that, neither very healthy, nor very Christian psychology. I remember how in the 1970's the now Bishop Kallistos told me how a group of converts had asked him to write a book denouncing all the heresies of Anglicanism. The converts in question, and they were indeed converts, were all of course ex-Anglicans! They had not understood that their motivation all came from their personal psychological problems, their reactiveness, which they were masking behind their emotional zeal. Quite rightly, Bishop Kallistos refused to write something negative. In any case, no Orthodox would have bought the book because it could only possibly have been of interest to ex-Anglican neophytes. That was one book less to be pulped. Usually, a priest can find out whose motivation for wishing to join the Orthodox Church is negative simply by waiting to see if these people come to church services. Usually these super-zealous people who love reading about the Faith or talking about the Faith on chatlines or elsewhere, are the very people who are absent from church services. Their zeal is all in their heads or in their emotions, not in their hearts and souls and therefore not in their life and practice. Then there are the people who have been attracted to the Church through a discovery on holiday. I call these people 'Holiday Orthodox'. Their attraction is often not actually to Christ, but to a foreign and exotic culture - the more exotic the better. Living very humdrum lives, the Orthodox Church gives them something to dream about, usually their next holiday in Crete or wherever. Again, a priest can easily find out if their interest is serious by seeing if they come to church services. Generally, they do not, because they are not on holiday! Unfortunately, some of these people have been received into the Church by undiscerning priests in their holiday destination, be it Romania, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Mt Athos or wherever. Knowing nothing about the Orthodox Faith, they then turn up on your doorstep and you have to explain to them that although they are members of the Orthodox Church, they have not actually become Orthodox. Often, in any case, such people may well phone you but never actually come to a church service, because they lapse before they get round to attending church. Then there are the people who come with their own agenda, often 'know it alls', who have read every book under the sun, but still have no idea of the letter A of the Christian ABC. And they come with demands which they wish to impose! 'Yes, I want to join the Orthodox Church, but only on condition that it has first been 'reformed' and 'modernised''! 'Yes, this is good, but I want to add in some Western hymns before the Canon'!, or 'I will only join the Orthodox Church when it has the same Easter as my Aunt Susan who is a Methodist'!, or 'Everything is perfect except that you use too many candles. Take away the candles and I will join the Orthodox Church'. 'I will only be Orthodox if you have an icon of St Francis of Assisi'! 'I will join the Orthodox Church on condition that everybody votes New Labour and goes on holiday to Tuscany'! These are perhaps extreme examples, but they are all real examples. They are all examples of a lack of humility. No priest should receive such people into the Church for the simple reason that they do not love and accept the Church and Her Master Christ. There is only one criterion for entering the Orthodox Church and that is because you are convinced that it is for your personal salvation, for your spiritual survival, because it is God's Will for you, because you know that this is your spiritual home and that, whatever the cost, you can never be anything else. ON REMAINING ORTHODOX ATTACHMENT TO EXTERNALS Recently a priest who has received people into the Church for the last twenty years told me that the list of people whom he has received and who have lapsed is much longer than the list of those whom he has received and who have persevered. That priest is relatively cautious about receiving people, but I know two other parishes where the list of the lapsed is at least twenty times as long as the list of the perseverers. In those two cases, I must admit that it is the policy of those parishes which is to blame. Turn up once and ask and they will automatically receive you into the Church without instruction within two weeks. But why then do people give up practising the Faith which they have chosen to belong to of their own free will? If we look at this question, perhaps we can learn some lessons which are useful for ourselves and which can help us remain faithful Orthodox. First of all, we have to watch ourselves. What are we actually attached to in the Church? There are people who say: 'It was so wonderful in church today! The singing was so wonderful, the incense smelt so good!' Words like those make me think that this person is unlikely to come again. Such people seem to have a fire inside them which flares up in a burst of enthusiasm and excitement. But like all fires which flare up, they then burn out leaving just cold ashes. This attachment to secondary externals and exotica is dangerous, because we are failing to see the wood for the trees. The attachment to externals can extend to foreign clothes, language, food and folklore. I remember in one Russian church in Belgium, you immediately knew who the converts were; the men had nineteenth-century Russian peasant beards and the women wore dowdy long skirts and seemed to be wearing tablecloths on their heads. You knew who the Russians were because they dressed normally. In a Greek church here, there were two priests, a Greek and a convert. You immediately knew who the convert was because he wore huge wide-sleeved robes and an enormous chimney-pot on his head. The Greek just wore an undercassock. In another Russian church, the Russians always spoke about singing, Christmas and Easter, but the 'converts' (and that is what they were) spoke about 'chanting' and 'The Nativity' and 'Paskha'. One real Russian, born in the Soviet Union, told me rather cruelly how he liked the convert in his parish because 'he makes me laugh with all his folklore'. Misguided zeal is always ridiculous. Zeal must be channelled in order to achieve something positive. I have a Greek-Cypriot friend, born and raised in London, who told me that his favourite dish is steak and kidney pie, and how it was the first thing he would eat at Easter after the fast was over. I asked him if he ever ate at a Greek restaurant. He answered: 'Oh no, that's only for English people'. He also told me how in London at Cypriot weddings the guests have a custom of pinning banknotes to the clothes of the new couple as a form of wedding present. When for the first time he saw a wedding in the real Cyprus when he was about 25 years old, they did not do this. Why? Because they had stopped doing it in the 1960's, looking down on it as a sort of primitive, peasant custom. In other words they stopped doing it after most of their fellow Greek-Cypriots had emigrated to London, but the ones in London had kept the old 1950's practice. And then converts wanted to imitate this dead custom. On this subject, I recently met another 'convert' who had just come back from a holiday in Greece and talked about it with great enthusiasm as a 'holy land' with all 'holy people', because 'Orthodox people are holy'. Well, I can only presume that he had spent the whole time in excellent monasteries - not all monasteries are excellent, by the way. I would recommend that such people go and visit Greek prisons. They are full of Orthodox - Orthodox thieves, murderers, rapists, pimps, extortioners. You name it, they are all Orthodox! You see, human nature is the same the world over. What I am saying is that if we attach ourselves to externals, then we should first ask ourselves: What externals are we attaching ourselves to? If we do not use our discernment, we can look very silly indeed. All externals are only natural if they reflect what is inside us. If Orthodox Christianity is inside us, then our externals will be those of any Orthodox Christian. We should certainly make a habit of visiting other Orthodox parishes, countries where there are many Orthodox churches, observing and feeling our way towards authenticity. The worst thing is little closed communities of 'converts' who never see anything else. They can end up practising things which exist nowhere else on earth, and yet they think that they are 'more Orthodox' than anyone else! Humility is once again the solution to this illness and humility starts with realism, not with fantasy. No spirituality has ever been built on fantasy. Without sober humility, there is always illusion, which is followed by discouragement and depression. This is the spiritual law. Seeing the reality of Orthodox churches is an excellent remedy for the illness of fantasies. Remember that some Orthodox churches are State Churches, many others have State Church mentalities. It is a sobering experience to meet any number of deacons, priests and bishops who boast to you about how much money they 'make', that they are 'off duty' at five o' clock and on Mondays and Tuesdays, and that they cannot possibly do a funeral then, and that being clergy is a much better job than what they would have done otherwise, because they were none too bright at school and the alternative was menial factory work. But it is reality. Contact with this reality can be very helpful in putting paid to misguided zeal, to convert ghettos, to what I call 'the greenhouse effect'. It gets people's feet back on the earth, and remember that is where they should be, because our religion is the religion of the Incarnation. What other people think and do is none of our business, our task is the salvation of our own souls. On this subject, one of the main reasons why some converts do not stop being converts and so do not become Orthodox is because they do not have a job. The need to earn your daily crust, to be with other people, is an excellent way for people to start living (as opposed to just thinking about) their Faith. This can avoid what is called the temptations from the left and the right. Temptations from the left are laxism, weakness, compromise, indifference. Temptations from the right are censorious judgement of others, the stuck-up zeal of the Pharisee, 'zeal not according to knowledge'. These temptations are equally dangerous and equally to be combatted. Both waste an enormous amount of time and energy on sideshows like the discussion of irrelevant issues like ecumenism, rather than praying. Being in society is the way in which we can get to know ourselves, see our failings and avoid being sidetracked into theoretical concerns. SUPERFICIAL INTEREST Some people can be so full of themselves! Some people can be very self-important and very puffed-up. They will first tell you - if you let them - their detailed life-stories and then all the latest gossip about Priest X, Bishop Y, and then Jurisdiction Z. Even though they do not know the ABC of the children's Faith. The thing is though, that Christianity, and that is what we are about, is about none of these things. If you don't have contact with reality, then you will never learn about real things. Church life is not about any of that nonsense. There is nothing so boring as discussing the personalities and activities of various clergymen or laymen, except of course sin, because sin is always boring, always the same thing. Ask anyone who hears confessions. Church life is about: Who will make the coffee? Who will do the washing-up? Who will do the flowers? Who will cut the grass? Who will bake the prosphora? Who will clean the toilets? St Nectarios performed the latter task when teaching in Athens, even though he bore the mighty title of 'Metropolitan of Pentapolis'. So why should we object? It is after all one of the first obediences given to novices in monasteries. Of course, these are not the main tasks in Church life. Let us go on: Church life is about: Who will learn to sing? Who will stand at all the church services? Who will keep all the Church fasts? Who will read their morning and evening prayers every day? Who will prepare themselves properly for confession and communion? Who will read the daily Gospel and Epistle readings? And actually, if you want the blunt truth, which will shock some 'converts': Church life is also about: Who will pay the bills? Yes, Church life is about commitment, the one thing which is so missing in our present-day luke-warm, indifferentist British culture. Being a Christian, and I remind you again, that is all that the word 'Orthodox' means, is very difficult. Nobody, from Christ down, ever said anything else. Without commitment, we will never remain Orthodox. Being a Christian is about loving God and loving our neighbour. If we are not prepared to even try and do that, then there is no point anyway. Unfortunately, some people think that being an Orthodox Christian - that's a tautology, I know - is not about loving God and loving our neighbour. They think that it is about reading books, having opinions, condemning others, eating weird food, being intolerant, or dressing strangely. Our Lord never said any of that. He said: 'Behold, I give you a new commandment, love one another'. The fact is that all Christians were once Orthodox Christians, but most of them could not take it and they fell away. Orthodox Christianity is not about being received into the Orthodox Church and then saying: 'That's it, I've done it'. It is about entering the Arena, it is about being on the Cross. So often I have heard from Anglicans: 'I know Orthodoxy is the real thing, but I could never do it'. I suppose that at least has the merit of honesty. I always think of the words of that righteous priest, Clement of Alexandria, in the third century: 'If a man is not crowned with martyrdom, let him take care not to be far from those who are'. The solution is to read St John's Gospel, to establish a prayer routine. 'The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force', says the Gospel. NOSTALGIA Nostalgia is defined as attachment to the past. It is not Christian, however natural and human we all find it to indulge ourselves from time to time. The problem with it is that it distracts us from living in the present reality which is what we are supposed to do. Some people for example will tell you that they cannot remain Orthodox because it means no longer doing what they used to do - going to the pub on Saturday nights, not eating roast beef on Sundays during the fasts. Others will tell you that they find kissing icons, relics and priests' hands (and even taking communion) unhygienic - they never used to do it. One wonders why such people bothered in the first place. Yes, I understand the problems of mixed marriages, the dietary problems, the problem of visiting relatives who are not Orthodox, the problem of calendars. Here there are two things. First of all, the Church is not a stick to discourage us. But often people do make sticks for their own backs. If we are visiting a relative during the fast and they offer us non-fasting food, the Church does not tell us to be self-righteous prigs and refuse. It tells us to be humble. Some say: 'I can't eat that because I am holy'. Oh yes, we've heard that sort of thing if not in words, then in spirit. If your wife's Uncle Fred is desperately ill in hospital and desperately lonely and the only solution is to visit him on a Sunday morning, then the Church tells us to go and visit him. This is preferable to refusing to take your wife because you need the car to go to 'my church' and then having a family row. Common sense and discernment in our choices are essential. As regards, mixed marriages, discernment is vital. I have seen Orthodox 'converts' pester and pester their spouses into becoming members of the Orthodox Church. The result is always negative. On the other hand, I have seen people wait patiently for ten, twenty, thirty years, without even mentioning the possibility of joining the Orthodox Church, and then the other spouse spontaneously asks to join. They have been converted by the Christian example of patience of the other spouse. In the smaller English parishes of the Orthodox Church, some of the problems of isolation encountered by many who join the Orthodox Church have been overcome, at least in part. If you go to what I call the 'State Church parishes', you do not often find coffee or tea provide afterwards, or a talk. Conversely, most of the English churches have church halls. Here after a Liturgy or after a weekday service, isolated Orthodox of whatever origin, can meet. One person who came her from Eastern Europe seeing this said: 'Here it is like the Early Church'. Of course, she did not mean that we are 'holy' or something like that, what she meant was that our community is close, we all know each other And this is not in any way to say that here it is 'better' than in Eastern Europe; it is simply that we have to have a community, with a church hall, with coffee and tea, because otherwise we cannot survive as a tiny minority group confessing spiritual values in the vast spiritual desert of modern Britain. This is our survival, this is our substitute family and community in today's fragmented, individualistic, consumerist and communityless society. It is not necessary in some parts of Eastern Europe, because everyone is Orthodox, the Orthodox community is all around you. But that is not the case here. CONFESSION Now I come to a very particular problem which concerns especially the contemporary English, and especially, Anglican character. The ambient Protestant culture in Britain for at least the last six generations has made people very 'uptight' and reserved, which actually is a form of pride. Confession, an important sacrament in the Orthodox Church, is very difficult for many English people to face. This is why in less uptight Protestant cultures, like in the 'shrink-riddled' USA, although people do not go to confession, they go to their therapists. There they can say everything and, since they are paying, they can be told that they are very good people. Confession is different from that. This is a delicate question and I think it is good to talk about your reservations with a priest outside confession before ever you do go to confession. Get to know one another first. Here there are a number of things to understand: First, no confession is to a priest. It is to God in the presence of a priest who is supposed to try and give some helpful advice. Most priests will have no objection to you confessing to another priest, outside your own parish. Some will even rejoice that you do so! Find the right confessor for yourself. If they live some way away, give them your confession by telephone, e-mail or letter. They will reply and then take the absolution from your local priest who knows about this arrangement. It is a solution used by the priest's wife and children. It could be for you. Finally, as I have already said, there is nothing so boring as sin. I am always surprised when people come to confession and expect me to remember their last confession. I always forget boring things. One of the best confessors I ever met was almost totally deaf. After I had said my piece, most of which he had not heard, he gave me some of the best advice I have ever received. PERSONALITIES It is inevitable that you will not get on with everyone in your parish all the time. Such is human nature. But it is not a reason for walking out, slamming the door, not remaining Orthodox. Perhaps you are spending too much time at church outside the services? Yes, we do have coffee and tea after the service, but you are not obliged to stay. Some of the best Orthodox do not! Perhaps your relations with the other parishioners are too close? Are these people you would be with in any other situation? If you have no interest at all in common, other than having a common faith, why spend so much time with them? Spending too much time with people with whom you have little in common in terms of character and tastes is a recipe for friction. After all, you're not married to them. And the same goes for your relationship with the priest. You may have something in common in personality. But perhaps not. Perhaps you find him 'not monastic enough' or perhaps you find him 'too liberal', or perhaps just plain boring. Well, going to church is not about having a close relationship with the priest and buying the same breakfast cereal as he does. Frankly, if you know what he eats for breakfast, you probably know him too well. Another area of friction in parish life is meetings and parish councils. Well, in most Orthodox parishes these occur once a year, after a Sunday Liturgy, during Lent. And yet I have heard of some convert groups constantly meeting, once a month or even more, discussing the same old things. This is something that comes from Anglicanism, not from Orthodox practice. Frankly, that sort of life is almost incestuous, too close for comfort. Discussion of minutiae is not only boring but also a waste of time. Worse still, some people get involved passionately and attach themselves to details. I shall always remember one person, a University Professor, at a parish meeting about twenty-five years ago who stated that if the church ceiling was repainted blue, he would never set foot in church again. Well, he didn't. He died soon afterwards. CONCLUSIONS What will you remember from this talk? I hope the following; We come to the Church and we remain in the Church in order to save our souls, and nothing else. Church is not a hobby, a game, a private interest, a pretence, or even a community. It is our soul's salvation. We achieve this by first being ourselves and then being the best of ourselves. If there is anything else, it is all secondary. We must never lose this perspective. If we do, then we are out of perspective and on our way out of the Church. In order to save our souls, we first have to know ourselves, searching out and discovering our own faults, sins and failings. Then we have to take issue with them and fight, however slowly and weakly, and begin to tame them and never give up this battle. We will know when we are not doing this, it is when we start dwelling on the faults of others. If our personal pride is hurt in the course of Church life, thank God. That is what we are there for, to become humble. Thank you for listening. "It's not about getting the sin-debt paid, the ticket punched and now you wait around to die and go to heaven. Orthodoxy is a transforming journey where every day the Christian is being enabled to bear more of God's light" ---Mother Greene

The Battle for Suzdal (ROAC)

If nobody now rises to the defense of the trampled rights of Russian citizens, believers and nonbelievers, democratic Russia will be finished Hegumen Theophan (Areskin- Translation by PDS Religious News) Editorial: Suzdal Diocesan Herald, June 2008 For the comparatively small Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church, difficult times are continuing. Government officials in union with the official church of the Moscow patriarchate have been oppressing groups of Orthodox Christians over the course of almost twenty years. These are "catacomb" Christians and those who, for doctrinal reasons, have left ROC-MP. For catacomb Christians, such pressure is not surprising, since in USSR they existed secretly, assembling for worship in private homes and cemeteries. That taste of freedom that Gorbachev's perestroika brought to them permitted them to some degree to be legalized, originally under the omophorion of ROCOR and subsequently under their own hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Free Church—free from communist agents in cassocks, from informants, traitors, lies, and betrayal of dogmas of the faith at ecumenical conferences. By divine mirac