Orthodox Christians

Lord Jesus Christ Son Of God Have Mercy On Me. a Sinner.   I was strolling through Moscow once on a Lenten evening. There were a lot of people in the churches. This warmed my heart. And although the forty times forty churches were largely lost under the Bolsheviks (even twenty times twenty sounds fantastic), thank God, there are many churches within the Garden Ring. And I repeat, these churches are not empty, and that’s putting it mildly. The smaller ones are even chock full. More and more people come to the churches. People of both sexes and all ages come. They whisper something of their own and repeat something learned by heart from a prayer book. They follow the service, bringing their requests, or, in general, repent of their sins. It’s their business—theirs and God’s. He hearkens to their whispers and thoughts, and He answers. If He didn’t answer they wouldn’t come. That’s something that just occurred to me. Indeed, no one beats us for prayer, and no one cheers us on. ...

How Jesus Christ  Lived and Suffered for Us The basis of life is love: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mk. 12:30-31). Because of our sinfulness, none of us is capable of loving God and our neighbors in such a complete and perfect manner. Only Jesus Christ truly loved everyone, even His enemies. His infinite love was evidenced in His every word and deed. Being the only-begotten Son of God and God Himself, Jesus Christ in His pity for us came down from Heaven and was incarnate, becoming in everything the same as us, except in sin. Being the Sovereign Heavenly King, before Whom all Angels and creatures tremble, He deigned to take on the image of an ordinary person, to restore our corrupted nature. While possessing all the treasures of the world, He agreed to be born in poverty, lying in a manger in a dark cave. Being the supreme Lawgiver, Jesus Christ durin...

                            Holy Week     We are on the verge of the Resurrection of Christ. Holy Week is an incomparable time. There are only a few steps left to take, a few days left to get through. The world is struggling against each of us, trying to separate us from God, to cause misunderstanding and resentment. It attempts to tie us down with sin, make us closed to God. This is why we should stay awake and fight for our hearts which can hold God and in which the Kingdom of Heaven could start.   On the one hand, the Lord voluntarily accepts sufferings, which means His death.  On the other hand, His steps towards Golgotha is a feast for us. We partake of Holy Communion, we take His love and thus we can live.  The majority of people do not live today, but simply exist. They try to do their best to live in comfort, they build and collect something, they try to make their life m...

  When travellers who have travelled a long and difficult road find a large, leafy tree along the way, they sit down beneath its shade, rest there, and after getting relief and gathering strength they continue their way. So does the Church offer the life-bearing tree of the cross of the Lord to those who have passed the time of the fast in ascetic labors and deprivations, for their “relief, cooling, and consolation.” The time of the fast is a time of increased asceticism and labors of piety. If there is any time when we must crucify our flesh with its passions and lusts, it is Lent. A true fast consists in alienating ourselves from everything bad, restraining our tongues from every idle word, especially corrupt and indecent words, in setting aside hatred and anger, and turning away all fleshly lusts and desires. Turning away from all this should be for us not a fast, not forced labors, but the most appropriate work, bringing peace and joy. However, our nature is prone to sin,...

  Pocăinţa Împăratului Manase   Acesta a făcut atâtea păcate înaintea lui Dumnezeu cum nu a mai făcut nimeni. Timp de 52 de ani a făcut cu sila un popor întreg să se închine la diavoli, silindu-l să se lepede de Dumnezeu. Iar pe cei ce nu voiau îi omora cu cele mai crâncene chinuri. Dar, Dumnezeu, l-a adus pe Manase la pocăinţa prin judecăţile Sale.  Cum? A trimis Dumnezeu pe împăratului Asud cu mare oştire şi au robit Ierusalimul, luând pe împăratul Manase rob.  L-au legat şi l-au pus într-o cuşcă în care nu putea sta în picioare. Era legat ca un belciug, cu capul la picioare, cu doua lanţuri de aramă. Şi l-au băgat în cuşca aceea, în care nu putea să ridice capul, decât să stea numai aşa, legat în formă de belciug rotund. Împăratul a crezut că va trăi o săptămână sau câte va zile şi îi dădea mâncare de două ori pe săptămână, numai pâine de tărâţe şi apă. Şi a trăit împăratul în acea cuşcă, legat cu lanţuri, nu o săptămână, nu o lună, nu zece luni, ci t...

  Fr. Seraphim Rose: Why do men learn through pain and suffering, and not through pleasure and happiness? . . .  “Why do men learn through pain and suffering, and not through pleasure and happiness? Very simply, because pleasure and happiness accustom one to satisfaction with the things given in this world, whereas pain and suffering drive one to seek a more profound happiness beyond the limitations of this world. I am at this moment in some pain, and I call on the Name of Jesus—not necessarily to relieve the pain, but that Jesus, in Whom alone we may transcend this world, may be with me during it, and His will be done in me. But in pleasure I do not call on Him; I am content then with what I have, and I think I need no more. And why is a philosophy of pleasure untenable?—because pleasure is impermanent and unreliable, and pain is inevitable. In pain and suffering Christ speaks to us, and thus God is kind to give them to us, yes, and evil too—for in all of these we glim...

ARCHIMANDRITE CLEOPA (ILIE). KING MANASSEH'S REPENTANCE Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie: 1912-1998) is widely known as an elder, a great confessor of Romanian monks and a spiritual father to thousands of laypeople who flocked to him, seeking spiritual help. Below is an extract from his book, Value of the Soul, which was published in Russian by the publishing house of Moscow Sretensky Monastery.   Manasseh, King of Judah in the Old Testament, committed perhaps more sins against God than anybody else. Over fifty-two years he forced his people to worship idols and demons, ordering the Jews to abandon their faith in true God. So Manasseh apostatized himself together with his children and the whole family. More than that, the king brutally subjected to torture and put to death all those who refused to worship idols and offer sacrifices to demons. This king committed so many sins that it is even beyond expression. But the Most Holy God, wishing to demonstrate the depth of His mercy ...

Psalm 23 ( a psalm of David ) Psalm 23 A psalm of David. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23

The Monastery of Vatopedi is located on the north-eastern part of the Athos peninsula. It was built in 972, founded by the monks Athanasios, Nicholas and Antonios, all three students of Saint Athanasios the Athonite. Today’s buildings were erected during the years of the emperor Manuel the first Komnenon. Vatopedi ranks second in the hierarchy of the monasteries. It is coenobitic (communal) and is inhabited by 80 monks (1999). To Vatopedi belongs the Greek skete of Saint Demetrios and the Russian skete of Saint Andrew (Serrai). The whole impression is that of a fortress as it features numerous wings, towers, etc. The katholikon was built in the tenth century, and is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in accordance with the Athonite architecture. Samples of Byzantine mosaics remain, some of which were retouched in the 12th century and in 1312. Nineteen smaller chapels in addition to the katholikon lie within and outside the boundaries of the monastery. Five ar...

The Lord's Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  *** Russian Отче наш, Иже еси на небесех! Да святится имя Твое, да приидет Царствие Твое, да будет воля Твоя, яко на небеси и на земли. Хлеб наш насущный даждь нам днесь; и остави нам долги наша, якоже и мы оставляем должником нашим; и не введи нас во искушение, но избави нас от лукаваго. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzXjjzM9UFo *** Romanian Tatal nostru Care esti in ceruri Sfinteasca-se numele Tau Vie imparatia Ta Faca-se voia Ta Precum in cer asa si pre Pamant Painea noastra cea de toate zilele Da-ne-o noua astazi Si ne iarta noua gresalele noastre Precum si noi iertam gresitilor nostri Si nu ne duce pre noi in ispita Ci ne izbaveste de cel rau Ca a Ta este impa...