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Prayer, fasting, vigils, and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, certainly do not constitute the aim of our Christian life: they are but the indispensable means of attaining that aim. For the true aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, vigils, prayer and almsgiving, and other good works done in the name of Christ, they are only the means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. Note well that it is only good works done in the name of Christ that bring us the fruits of the Spirit.
~St. Seraphim of Sarov



In order for one to understand the Saints and Fathers of the [Orthodox] Church, it is not sufficient to merely read them. The Saints spoke and wrote after having lived the mysteries of God. They personally experienced the mysteries.

In order for one to understand them, he too must have progressed to a certain degree of initiation into the mysteries of God by personally tasting, smelling, and seeing. You can read the books of the Saints and become very well versed in them with a ‘cerebral’ knowledge without even minutely tasting that which the Saints tasted who wrote these books through their personal experience.

In order to understand the Saints essentially, not intellectually, you must have the proper experience for all that they say; you must have tasted, at least in part, of the same things as they. You must have lived in the fervent environment of Orthodoxy; you must grown in it… A Whole new world must be born in a Westerner’s heart in order for him to understand something of Orthodoxy.
~Alexandar Kalomiros, Against False Union, 1959


The mysteries of our Faith are unknown and not understandable to those who are not repenting.
~Archpriest Nicholas Deputatov, ‘Awareness of God’ in the Orthodox Word Magazine, July-August 1976

 

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« Be mindful of God... | Main | Just as the sun's rays... »
Saturday
26Jul2008

At the Entrance...

DateJul 26, 2008 | |
…of the Theotokos hut of St. Anne’s Skete on Mt. Athos there lived a monk called Prokopios. One day when he was feeling sad and gloomy there appeared in front of him a white-bearded elder who asked him, “What is the matter? Why are you sad?”

“What is the matter? I would like to learn music and not one wants to teach me because I cannot sing in tune,” he answered.

“I will teach you. With me you will be the best chanter. But I would like you to do me a favor first,” said the stranger.
“What? Anything you want!” Prokopios replied.

“Instead of any payment, I would like for you to throw away that thing you have in your hand (his prayer rope) and stop saying the prayer.”

Then Prokopios realized the stranger was the devil, and he became very, very angry and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” And the Devil vanished immediately.

from An Athonite Gerontikon 

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Reader Comments (1)

Prayer is without a doubt critical. Thank you for this reminder of my prayer rope.
Jul 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterCatechumen

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