Religious Vocabulary Text Bank (2020

4th year of study: Spring 2020

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(101)

It is true that when we pray to God, He is near us and is listening to our prayers. As parents love and protect their child, so God loves us and protects our souls from devilry. Thanks to the Lord, we have nothing to fear even in the most difficult situations, because as it is said in Romans, «If God is for us, who is against us?», which is completely true.
The Lord called us not to give up and mainly not to be afraid of anything, giving us his protection. Perhaps the only thing the Christian people can fear is committing sins because going against God's will is the worst thing.

М.К. [(4) 60]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(112)

From the very first mention of saints in the history of mankind, people saw a ray of hope and life which guides in their examples. But admiration is not enough, because it must be supported by actions. As it is said in Isaiah 40:8, «The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever».
And even if in the most troubled times in the society the teachings of the Lord sink into oblivion, His Word will live forever. The doers of His commandments will be on earth until the end of time, for nothing can overshadow God's power.

М.К. [(4,5) 56]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(140)

I cannot disagree with Elder Paisios of Mount Athos in his saying, because the Lord placed love at the forefront of human feelings and teaches us to share it with everyone. And the most important aspect in any human relationship is not to judge others. I assume that Elder Paisios ~~has~~ meant exactly these things.
If a person claims that he doesn’t judge anyone, then it will be completely logical that no one in his circle will arouse any suspicion in him. The key of a non-judgmental person is faith in the good within everyone, as well as faith in God. You will be happy in giving only if your heart is open and not fraught with a dirty trick.

М.К. [(3,5) 51,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(154)

As much as we would ~~not~~ like the opposite, but what Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt said is the absolute truth of our earthly reality. Especially in our age of technology, reading Internet posts, watching videos and reading electronic magazines on all kinds of «relevant» topics is an integral part of today’s life. Unfortunately, all these «routines» completely delete the Bible from the list of readings for every day.
Truth be said, these statements don’t intend to devalue the information we receive from modern sources, but it reminds of the great importance of the Gospel in our lives. That is why we must pay special attention to reading the Bible in order to know God, His will and purpose. The Scripture is the main treasure of the world that we have available at any time. This is the most valuable thing that can be used for reading.

М.К. [(4) 48]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(155)

I must admit, Saint Nikolai Velimirovich’s phrase at first glance looks simple and clear, but on the other hand it is very profound and enlightening. He draws an analogy between the sun and God which surprisingly is a very accurate example, because the Lord is really for us Christians, like the sun. Often the sun seems too bright, which is why we force ourselves to hide in the shade. But it is the shadow that symbolizes our sinfulness and disobedience to the Lord.
We should understand that heat and brightness, as it were, indicate the power of God's love, which is so strong that it helps us grow spiritually, like all living things that reach out to the sunshine. Therefore, if the Lord calls us, then we, like living plants, obey His call.

М.К. [(5) 44]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(163)

I fully share the position of Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt regarding the phenomenon of irritation. One of the reasons for frequent irritation is self-focusing and the inability to concentrate on anyone other than oneself. All this leads to bad consequences, of which Satan seeks, when a person is able to lose temper even with family or close friends. Conditions of self-concentration don’t leave any space for the Lord in our thoughts and speech, and they make the angry think that he is right in everything he can say.
We must remember that the main testament of the Lord regarding the people around is love for them and the ability to share it with everyone. And for everyone who is obsessed with irritation, the main way out is to share their soul and kindness with others, instead of focusing on themselves.

М.К. [(5) 39]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(171)

The question of repentance worries me personally to this day. This is perhaps one of the questions I have raised in my Christian life. It seems that I still do not fully understand what it is. During ~~the~~ Confession, we seem to get rid of our sins, so that the Lord will deliver us from them. We bring our consciousness and mind ~~view~~ into an altered state in which from now on we should not do what we have repented of.
To sum up, I would like to say that we don’t have to completely forget about the committed sins or reproach ourselves with them until the end of our days, but rather, just remember them in order not to commit them again.

М.К. [(2) 34]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt is right saying that zeal, efforts and activity are an integral part of love. But be that as it may, often in order to achieve that very love one has to make enormous efforts: to give priority to the opinion of another person, to suppress egoism and to do good in response to evil.
In every good deed done, there is the Lord present, for light and love are His intentions. The Lord loves us for who we are, and this means that we must follow this example and unselfishly, stepping over our vices, love for free.

М.К. [(5) 32]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(174)

Without a doubt for any person, the wide path offers us far fewer difficulties and obstacles. Unfortunately, it is common for people to abandon a path that requires effort. As a rule, an illusion is created that in the first case it is possible to achieve goals without zeal, but it is this mirage that can lead a person to the darkest corners of the world. Many people are afraid of responsibilities, and in the hope of escaping from them, they doom themselves to their worst fate.
For those who are full of faith, spiritual strength and who keep the Lord's commandments, devoting themselves to prayer, difficulties are not particularly dangerous. Thus, restrictions become wings for a person and lead to the Kingdom of Heaven, when in the first case a person can die in misfortune.

М.К. [(4,5) 27]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(162)

This statement made me think. I can’t even imagine the difficulties of life of a monk or a nun ~~with~~ which they usually confront. It’s a long path and the most important thing is that you can’t achieve the level of spirituality and to stop. You have to struggle against your temptations till the end of your days. Communion with the Holy Spirit can’t be achieved once and forever. In the Orthodox Church, the laity and monks are the people of God who are responsible for preserving the integrity of the faith equally. So both of them have to work on their souls. Laity have for that their parish or family, and the monks monastery and brethren. People are usually mistaken thinking that people in the monastery always have the same level of high spirit.

А.К. [(3,5) 34]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(175)

Due to this quote the opinion in my soul was divided into two ~~groups~~ and caused in it two different emotions. One part of my mind told me that secular life has its rights for existence. Another part supports spiritual life, which helped people to lead an ascetic life style. However, sometimes daily prayer can become just as a usual ritual. People’s mind in our days hardly accepts the bitterness of life with joy. Nowadays there are too many temptations around us today. There are too many desires. So I came to the conclusion that for the modern person it is enough to strike the happy medium and to stick to it, trying to escape from seductive deeds which lead to sin.

А.К. [(3,5) 28,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(174)

I have mixed feelings on this issue. How to gain the everlasting life? People attain it though misery and sorrow. Some people think joy and pride lead away a person from his path to God. I quite agree with that, but I want to say that every person yearns for happiness. But life is so difficult that a person's being on Earth is often interrupted by problems and troubles. Some people are afraid of happy moments as after them something wrong usually happens.
So I want to ask: Does God have a will for his children to suffer intentionally? I don't think so.
As far as I’m concerned, I want to say that a person has to find a middle path in his life. Life is too difficult and people never had narrow gate. We can judge somebody for their wealth and impurity, but we’ll never know what happens in their souls. As it was written in the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky "The Brothers Karamazov": "Here God is fighting the devil, and the battlefield is the hearts of people."

А.К. [(3) 25]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

I quite agree with John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt. I have remembered a lecture with priest from England Stephen Platt. He told us about five (if I’m not mistaken) kinds of love. It came from Greek tradition, but the Gospel tradition insists on Filia and agape. We can see it in a dialogue between Christ and the apostle Peter. Filia is platonic love, respect, friendship, love for the sake of love. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato called the only real source of love. Love for love, love-respect, love-creation, love-like-mindedness, love based on spiritual attraction, understanding. Such love can be shown to children, to parents, to spouses. This is unconditional, selfless love, pure love, sacrificial love. Agape is sacrificial love. Also storge which expresses itself in love-respect, love-care, love-tenderness, love-friendship also based on self-sacrifice.
In the era of the New Testament a lot of questions arose: can one kind of love go into another? I suppose yes. Due to people’s efforts it can be changed and arise to something higher ~~can be arisen~~.

А.К. [(4) 22]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(172)

I absolutely disagree with this statement. As far as I’m concerned I suppose it’s self-deception. Throughout their lives people are learning how to be strong in their emotions. People are developing their spiritual health and they are trying to strengthen their character. For example, the person leading the eremitic life often also has temptations and desires, inspite of being alone. Can anyone state that he can keep absolute innocence being alone? Why some people are strong and have an ability to keep down irritation? It depends on a person's psychology. There is a nice beast fable by Andrei Krylov "An elephant and Mos'ka". Here is presented the behaviour and reaction of the elephant whose strength is associated with his inner spiritual immovability and calmness, despite of the fact that he was irritated by a small dog, which symbolises people who are slandering one another. So I came to the conclusion that is not right and is dishonest to blame another people of your sins.

А.К. [(0) 18]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(170)

This statement is very unpleasant to my heart. My mum always told me that if I lose something very valuable as belongings, I have to be thankful to God. This means he could take away something more important. This action can protect myself from something dangerous. I quite agree with that. So sometimes after losing something I can look around my life and realise that I've done something wrong and this was a fair God's decision.
But the subject of loosing the nearest and dearest is very contradictory. I can't even think about this propitiatory sacrifice.

А.К. [(3,5) 18]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(168)

What is meant by the «cross»? The image of the cross came to us from the New Testament. So in the Christian tradition it's something very heavy ~~for life and~~ that a person is carrying on his spiritual shoulders which was placed on them by God. It can be something like a decease, parents, relatives. There is such an expression: "The Lord endured and ordered us to." Thus, to bear your cross means patiently, with Christian humility, following the example of Christ, to bear all the hardships that fall to our lot. If you reject God's will you can get something more heavy for your spiritual health.
"Who wants to follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Mark 8:34)

А.К. [(2,5) 14,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(165)

From my perspective there is a deal of truth in this statement. Man longs for silence, because he unconsciously feels its benefit. But today we have a lack of such experiences. Technological progress has given a rise to a completely “technical”, “mechanical” society. This society can destroy human feelings and kills interpersonal relationships. We call ~~out~~ our society «social». However, the modern representative of a technogenic society, criticizing ascetic solitude, unconsciously strives for it. Nowadays we have such kind of opportunity to gain knowledge. But there are a lot of distractive things in the internet sources, so people are suffering from unclean information. Asceticism sets as its goal the cleansing of the soul and mind of everything that can prevent this desire. So these days it's a very difficult aim.

А.К. [(4) 12]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(176)

To my way of thinking this comparison of the heart with a house is fitly spoken. Currently we are going through the period of Lent and prepare for the Holy Communion on Easter Day. Christ's Resurrection is a significant event for every person in the Christian World. During this time people are trying to cut down their harmful habits, like swearing ect. So as far as I’m concerned I can say that it’s very difficult for me to be strong during this time, and I have a lack of patience. But I believe that reading of the Holy Scripture can develop in my heart virtue and piety. And also I often remember the ~~last~~ scene of the "Crime and Punishment" written by Dostoevsky. There we can see that Sonya is reading the Gospel to Rodion. Particularly it is the Gospel of John about the resurrection of Lazarus. We have the same path as this character, trying to overcome our sins and to reach peace of mind.

А.К. [(3,5) 8]

1) Russian Synodical Church was governed by SPIRITUAL REGULATION and on this basis a special commission SPIRITUAL COLLEDGE or HOLY SYNOD was set up.
2) Although he was a MILITANT ATHEIST and THE ASSAULT UPON HEAVEN seemed to be his mission, countless trials and TRIBULATIONS changed him beyond recognition. Even though he lived in the ATHEIST STATE, he stopped to be an active propagandist of GODLESSNESS and started studying theology with great ASSIDUITY.
3) AN AGGRESSIVE AND MILITANT ATHEISM vanishes frequently on the deathbed. All attempts to EXTIRPATE RELIGIOUS BELIEF don’t survive in the face of death.
4) Some WORSHIPPERS OF ONE GOD believe that it doesn’t matter what faith to practise, because all denominations profess differently the same God.
5) Our PARISH PRIEST blesses you to use our PARISH LIBRARY, where you can find SERVICE BOOKS and numerous ECCLESIASTICAL PUBLICATIONS. With all these materials it will be easier for you to HOLD CATECHISM CLASSES. But if authorities forbade our CONGREGATION to use our former place, we would have to find another place.
6) THE HERMITAGE OF OPTINO is famous for succession of startsi who MINISTERED here. By the art of SPIRITUAL DIRECTION and the gift of INSIGHT they influenced a number of Russian brilliant minds. Thus the MONASTIC REVIVAL influenced the life of the whole country.
7) BISHOP THEOPHAN THE RECLUSE was PROCLAIMED A SAINT in 1988.
8) In the middle of 1930s were taken measures to restore normal life of THE RUSSIAN CHURCH IN EXILE.
9) THE REVIVAL OF MISSIONARY WORK inescapably involved CHARITABLE WORK.
10) Father John of Kronstadt is famous for insisting on FREQUENT COMMUNION and for establishing A PUBLIC CONFESSION. The more ancient form of CHANCEL SCREEN did not have continuation in the subsequent church practice.
11) After the arrival to the island I was concerned with MISSIONARY STUDIES, which were supposed to help my preaching to THE HEATHENS.
12) Thoughtless SUBJUGATION can’t be ennobled by humility.
13) Your ASSUMPTIONS grows from the PRESUPPOSITIONS typical for LAY THEOLOGIANS of the SLAVOPHIL circle.
14) THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT left little time to the DELIBERATIONS, and the Church had no time to confirm the election of the Patriarch made by LOT.
15) INCENSE is set in the THURIBLE to CENSE WORSHIPPERS, as each of them is a divine image.
16) Our God become partaker of our humanity in order to make us JOINT-HEIRS OF HIS VERY GODHEAD. Thus communication AVAILS FOR OUR SALVATION.
17) DECREE ON THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE was the first step to the further ‘INDIRECT’ METHODS OF PERSECUTION. THE FORCED CLOSING OF CHURCHES and THE IMPRISONMENT OF CLERGY did not stay very long.
18) In English history there were moments when Protestants ceased TO POSSESS any LEGAL RIGHTS. It meant that they were deprived of the right TO HOLD PROPERTY. Nobody knows how MANY LAITY suffered IMPOVERISHMENT at that time.
19) Everything started from the POLICY OF CULTURAL STRANGULATION, but led to DESECRATING of churches, and murdering of PRIESTS, MONKS and NUNS and other ORDAINED PERSONS. However, persecutions for Christ led also to AN AMAZING QUICKENING OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE and ABUNDANT OUTPOURINGS OF GRACE which comforted believers.
20) The ‘LEAGUE OF MILITANT ATHEISTS’ consisted of party members and also embraced workers, peasants, students, and intelligentsia.
21) Those Christians who were killed in the 20th century during political repressions are called THE NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS OF RUSSIA. There is no doubt that they are the treasure of Orthodox Church.
22) THE ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY used to EXCOMMUNICATE and ANATHEMATIZE those, whom they termed ‘the enemies of Christ’.
23) ECUMENISM is a movement, based on ideology of RAPPROCHEMENT among different Christian Churches. THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHS are involved in interfaith dialogue and charitable work and dissolve prominent issues of THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE.
24) To EXTERMINATE RELIGIOUS BELIEF was the main goal of the TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT, but when it saw that it was impossible, it decided that A SUBSERVIENT CHURCH would suit its purposes a lot better.
25) The leader of ‘RENEWED CHURCH’ also known as ‘LIVING CHURCH’ was ‘protopresbyter’ Vladimir Krasnitskij. Her CRYPTO-COMMUNIST character made some people refuse to participate in it.
26) After Patriarch’s death The Holy Synod, chaired by the oldest consecrated member, elects from the permanent members the ‘GUARDIANS’ OF THE PATRIARCHAL THRONE or LOCUM TENENS. There were elected three locum tenentes and one ‘DEPUTY TO THE LOCUM TENENS’.
27) Disputes and conflicts existed even among CO-RELIGIONISTS, and Sergius’s request TO LEGALIZE THE PATRIARCHAL SYNOD was one of the principal points. His efforts to negotiate with the atheist state, dedicated to THE OVERTHROW OF ALL RELIGION were perceived as attempts TO RECONCILE THE IRRECONCILABLE.
28) It was impossible for the Russian Church in Exile to promise COMPLETE LOYALTY TO THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT.

А.Л. [(38) 60]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(175)

Saint Paisios tries to warn us against one phenomenon which is called ‘sinful complacency’. We are seeking continuously for pleasure and rest not only for our body, but also for our soul, forgetting that all truth in the fallen world is achieved with sweat and blood.
When a soul is healed it accepts equally grief and joy, because its true joy is God. But this applies to saints. Anyway, we still can perceive grief like God’s attendance. Our Lord says that ‘straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it’ (Matt.7:14). Understanding that God directs us to a narrow road brings to our life meaning, and therefore life becomes sweet.
I agree with saint Paisios in theory, but spiritual things are hidden from the public eyes. Thus, you can’t understand what is ‘accept bitterness with joy’ unless you experienced what is to walk along this narrow path.

А.Л. [(4) 20]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

Love. Nowadays this word is so overused that it has lost its true meaning. Here we are speaking about Christian love, first and foremost. We know that not every language is rich with words that are able to distinguish all kinds of love. In Ancient Greek people distinguished 7 kinds of it. We know that Agape is the closest one to ~~the~~ Christianity, our God shows it to us, and father John in this quote talks exactly about it.
It is the hardest way of love indeed, because it requires plenty of abilities, habits, knowledge and power to practise it. But at the same time, it is the most efficient way of love, which encourages to the mutual development. Such love helps to get rid of selfishness and calls to sacrifice and courage.
Christ says: ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend’ (John 15:13).
But such love is a result of day-to-day facilitation. That is why righteous John says that ‘love will not come of itself’.

А.Л. [(4) 16]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(170)

Man has forgotten that he is a creature with free will, and is used to taking himself as a creator and master of his own destiny. ‘Your life is in your hands’ or ‘do-it-yourself’ are contemporary slogans which are used by humanity in an ungodly way.
Rather than creating the inner man, doing the inward work, building a strong-willed character and conversing with God, we are often concentrated on purely external status things, like property and career, or are driven by passionate, dependent blind love to the closest people, whose life we are trying to control because perceive them as part of ourselves.
Venerable Antony suggests to us an effective way of thinking in order to fight against passionate attachments. Indeed, understanding that belongings, achievements and people do not belong to us helps to establish psychological distance and stop associate ourselves with all of that.
Not only because we do not really possess anything must we be able to give back gratefully all that we have, but also because God grants us joy and meaning through these attitudes. We should always remember that earthly life is moving to the end, and the only thing we can save is a grateful soul, ‘for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35).

А.Л. [(3) 12]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(169)

I fully agree with father John, who talks about spiritual pride, which drives people to extraordinary length. To my mind, spiritual pride is especially peculiar to people who are somehow educated and cannot accept Church canons as an integral whole, without any further discussions. That kind of man relies on reason rather than feelings. God says: ‘blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God’ (Matt. 5:8).
Even if unclean heart sees God, it is not able to realize Who it has witnessed. When spiritual eyes are closed, a person does not see anything, even if there is a host of angels in front of him.
The tragedy is that people who are occupied only with intellectual development do not purify their hearts and are at risk of permanent spiritual blindness.

А.Л. [(4) 9]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(168)

The idea of the cross is closely linked to ~~the~~ Christianity. Those who love Christ have a need to share His burden, to become partakers of it. That is why the first martyrs considered it a blessing to spill their blood for Him. Therefore St. Luke has written that he ‘came to love suffering’. This is the last ‘proximity’ to Him, which is available to us on Earth. And with the highest level of proximity comes true joy, which cannot be overshadowed.
Without sacrifice there is no delight which resuscitates our faith. It becomes less strong and eventually disappears. I could not agree more with Metropolitan Saba, because without the cross there is no Christ in our hearts.

А.Л. [(4) 5]

1. In Eastern Orthodox the phenomenon of SLAVOPHILES was an integral part and also had the ASSUMPTIONS in state regime of that time.
2. Many linguists had had some DELIBERATIONS about Latin-borrowed words and then have placed them into the group called LATINISM.

1. Among the religions of the Middle East, Christians are considered as WORSHIPPERS OF ONE GOD and their main task was to EXTIRPATE ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEF.
2. During the period of Stalin's power the church was a subject to CULTURAL STRANGULATION POLICY and no clergyman had the right to GIVE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

In the USSR it was quite common to do such things as HOLDING CATECHISM CLASSES and almost all SERVICE BOOKS were liquidated from churches and parishes.
Not every church has a separate PULPIT, so the deacon often reads his PROPERS OF THE DAY standing right in front of the parish.

If you cannot solve a difficult life situation with your own DISCRETION, your parish deacon can always FITLY guide you on the right path.
THE GOSPEL SIDE OF THE ALTAR it is an integral part of any church, without which, for example, the Mass cannot be served, since during the service THE MISSAL should be in this very place.

Each CONGREGATION is like a whole separate world: a socially active group of WORSHIPPERS who devote their time and devote their strength to the prosperity of their neighbor, their temple and God.
The circle of life events can often lead to IMPOVERISHMENT, but often this is what stimulates AN AMAZING QUICKENING OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE of financially injured person.

THE IMPRISONMENT OF CLERGY forced believers to either reject the Orthodox faith or seek strength and support through RAPPROCHEMENT between each other secretly from the government.
There have been many cases in the history of the church when the highest church authority was compelled TO EXTERMINATE RELIGIOUS BELIEF of famous and royal people, and so, for example, Leo Tolstoy and Henry VIII were EXCOMMUNICATED.

М.К. [(4,5) 22,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(154)

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt addressing the Christians talks about the problem of reading worldly writings more than divinely-inspired ones. It is sad to say but it is true. Every day we get a lot of information from different electronic and paper sources: we read various books, magazines, blogs where people share their thoughts and experiences, flip through newsfeeds in social networks and hardly spend time reading the Gospel and the writings of the Holy Fathers. Of course, worldly writings can be profitable for us not only “as a citizen” but even also as a Christian. As for me, I really like following different blogs. I’m interested in a blog of quite a famous theater and film actress. She is a really wise, sincere and pleasant woman. I admire her ability to talk about complex things simply and clearly. Besides, she is a religious person.
However, we should not be lazy to read divinely-inspired writings because the Lord gave us the opportunity to know Him through reading the Bible or the writings of the Holy Fathers. The Lord reveals Himself to people because He loves us and wants our salvation. So we should pay special attention to reading the Bible to know God, His will and purpose.

М.Ч. [(5) 47]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(155)

I really like this quote. It seems to me that in these words reveals the essence of the Christian faith which is love. God loves all people who are His children, regardless of how sinful we are, and He expects us to love Him back. He is always ready to hear and help, it all depends on us, whether we are ready to open our hearts to Him. And if we “turn our faces toward light”, that is toward God, we will reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

М.Ч. [(4,5) 38]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(156)

I agree with Saint Paisios of Mount Athos. Of course, meekness is a virtue, but not in this case. If you consider yourself a religious person, you should not keep quiet when someone abuses and reviles holy and sacred things. It takes a lot of courage to protect what is dear to you in front of evil and cruel people, but our cowardice and inaction indicate that we encourage these demonic acts and betray God Himself. Here the question arises, whether we are really true Christians and dearly love the One who loves us, the One who suffered for us on the cross. Saint Paisios is right: if you do not say anything in this case, it is demonic. Our silence gives these hostile people the right to revile Him. So we should follow the example of Christ proving our love by deeds.

М.Ч. [(5) 33,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(171)

True repentance is awareness of your sins with all your soul and the desire to get rid of them with the help of God. If a person really repents, the Lord forgives his sins and cleanses his tainted soul. But I do not think that we should forget about our wrongs or engage in constant self-humiliation. These mistakes are our spiritual growth. We should remember the consequences of our sins, our pain and shame caused by them in order to try not to make past mistakes in the future.

М.Ч. [(2,5) 27,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(174)

It is more difficult to go a narrow way than a wide one. It requires strength and patience from a person. But the one who chooses the fulfilment of God’s commandments, a constant struggle against his passions, a daily spiritual work and prayer leads his soul into eternal life. But not all people are ready to restrict themselves and that is why they choose a wide and easier way which leads them to their destruction.

М.Ч. [(5) 25]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

I fully agree with Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt that love requires our zeal, efforts and activity. But it is not always easy. It is really hard work because often there are such situations when you need to step over your pride, sincerely ask for forgiveness or, on the contrary, to forgive the one who hurt us. But the more often you step over your pride, the more strength God gives you to love others. Since every good intention is approved and supported by God.

М.Ч. [(5) 20]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(175)

It is difficult not to agree with this statement. Some may say that it makes sense only for Christians as we were taught to leave all the worldly things behind and follow Christ. However, I`d like to argue that it should make sense for all the people. Let me explain my point of view.
The world is not a safe space, we all know that for sure. There is good and there is misery, and we should be prepared to deal with both. There is no way a man could live a perfectly smooth life. So, the ability to enjoy life in all its manifestations will help a lot. And it is easier for us, Christians, to humble ourselves and enjoy the life we were given, because we receive so much spiritual help in the Church (through the Bible, the Holy Communion, etc.)

В.Г. [(5) 89]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(174)

We all know this famous Bible metaphor for our way to salvation. Some can say that this is a visual guide to how not to get lost on the way to eternal life. But is it that easy though? How can we understand if the way we have chosen is broad or narrow? What are the indicators?
Well, we can find all the answers in the Bible and in works of the Holy fathers. We were given some Commandments, some rules how we should live our lives, behave, act with others, how and when we should pray, fast, participate in the sacraments. All this helps us, but at the same time it restricts us. In a modern world all this seems to be just a limitation. That is why the path we should follow is narrow, that is why few will find the gate to the Heavenly Kingdom. All we can do is ask the Lord for help and do our best.

В.Г. [(4,5) 77,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

I have an ambivalent attitude to this statement. Well, first of all, we all know that without working hard it is almost impossible to achieve anything. We were told that in our childhood, we learned that during our lives, we see that it works (not always, but works). And as for love, it is a crucial part of one`s life, and people work on relationships, make a lot of effort to stay together, to make someone they love (and themselves) happy. So, from this point of view the quote is right.
But what if we look at it from another angle? Whatever we do, God loves us. We have His love, His help and His protection through all our lives no matter what. Of course, if we love Him back, we should not just take it for granted, we should be thankful and make some effort to get closer to Him.

В.Г. [(5) 73]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(172)

I find this quote rather interesting. I like the idea of justifying both myself and others. I believe that was said with great love and charity for people. Why should we justify ourselves? I believe that we should love ourselves in order to be grateful (to God) and happy. How can we possibly not love what was created by God? We should love and value our lives. Moreover, it also echoes the idea that we should not judge a person, but their sins.
As for justifying others, it is easy. We, as Christians, know that our oppressors actually do good to us, so we should not be mad at them or judge them. And we should also believe that there is good in every person and go out to meet other people (like the prodigal son).

В.Г. [(5) 68]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(171)

I can fully agree with this statement. If a person repents, they will forgive all their offenders and let the situation go. They will not relive the situation over and over again.
Repentance is awareness of your sins before God. And true repentance is unthinkable without true forgiveness. We were called upon to follow Christ, follow His example. And we can see that He is meek and forgiving. Moreover, we know that God is love, and love is forgiving, as St. Paul put it.
So, not forgiving is also a sin. And if we want to repent and be with God, we should realize this sin as well.

В.Г. [(5) 63]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(170)

I would like to be honest and say that I am outraged by this quote. Not by its meaning but by the choice of words. I understand that it was written in the 4th century, but nevertheless I believe that it is simply unacceptable to call children and slaves “someone`s belongings”.
As for the meaning itself, I agree with it. We probably have nothing of our own. All we have is from God, we should never forget this. We should be thankful for every opportunity, every gift and even losses we were given.

В.Г. [(5) 58]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(169)

I find this quote really up to date. Nowadays, we can meet a huge number of such “experts”, both among believers and among opponents of the faith. They know exactly what is right and what is wrong, they know what is better for the Church and for all the Christians, they have advice for every occasion, but they are never ready to listen to anybody, even to the Church.
I can understand when these people are atheists or outsiders, but when these “experts” are Orthodox Christians, I have questions. All we should believe in is there in the Bible. Many controversial cases were considered and resolved in the works of the Holy fathers and at Ecumenical councils. So, we have all we need.
Of course, there are cases when all this seems out of date, old, irrelevant. But maybe the thought that God is out of time can help? Or maybe just faith and trust. The faith in the Church and its superiority. Meekness and humbleness.

В.Г. [(5) 53]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(168)

I do not think I can fully agree with Metropolitan Saba Esber. The point is that I do not think that it is possible for a person to lose their cross.
If we for a moment imagine that it is possible, this statement definitely makes sense. In this case we, as always, should refer to the Bible. We have the example of Christ himself: He carried His cross, no matter what. He knew that God the Father wanted Him to do this. And He did. We, as His disciples, should do the same.
But let us go back to my idea. Is it even possible to take off the cross, put it on the ground and keep going without it? Is it in our power? I do not think so. I believe we can only choose how to treat what we are given. I do not say that we have no choice, I just say that whatever is there in one`s life, whatever is happening to a person, it is their cross. And it is their choice how to act – in a Christian way or not.

В.Г. [(5) 48]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(167)

Each century had its own vices, its own passions, its own ways to lead people away from God and make them forget about Him. No matter what is outside someone`s window, what is the weather like or who this person is, the devil has means and webs for everyone.
And for a person it is quite difficult to resist. To be more precise, it is just impossible for a person to deal with the devil themselves without the divine help.
There are too many temptations in the modern world and sometimes it is difficult to see what is right and what is wrong when you are surrounded by so many opportunities and opinions. The only thing we can do is to rely on God, pray and do our best.

В.Г. [(4,5) 43]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(166)

Such words usually make me think if people really have a choice and free will. Because, for example, in this quote it seems like people have only one choice: whether accept what is given or not. There is not enough space for me.
I can not agree with the statement that the world does not “receive those who are self-willed” as well. At least I want to believe the world does receive them.
But nevertheless I agree with the general meaning of the quote. All we have is given by God, as He is the King of heaven and earth, of all living and existing. Nothing can be done without His knowledge. Nothing can exist without Him. And if we want to be with Him, we should accept His Divine plan and be meek and humble.

В.Г. [(4,5) 38,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(159)

I think Saint Paisios of Mount Athos is quite right. The more people have, the more they take it for granted. For example, it is much easier to be happy with a new thing you`ve bought if you rarely buy something. Or, for example, a piece of cake tastes nicer if you do not eat it every day.
Nowadays in the modern world we have more temptations than ever. We have a huge amount of goods and services; we can easily get almost all we want. Is it good for our souls? I would argue that it is even bad for our bodies, not mentioning the souls.
And, paradoxically, even when we have some extra goods or money, it is still difficult to give something to somebody in need. Why is it so? Do we spoil ourselves by allowing ourselves too much? Yes, I think so. Is there a way out of this? It should be, I guess, in a synergy with God, in prayers, repentance and life in the Church.

В.Г. [(4,5) 34]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(140)

I can fully agree with Elder Paisios of Mount Athos. God teaches us that the most important thing in the world and in someone`s life is love. He also teaches us not to judge other people. These two things are the heart of the quote.
If a person does not judge others, they will not examine whether people in need tell truth or not, whether they really need something or not. To do this, from my point of view, a person should be meek, should trust people (believe that there is good in everyone) and should rely on God. And love will help in this as well.
As for being “happy in giving”, I suppose it is also easy for a person when they have love in their hearts.

В.Г. [(5) 29,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(124)

I find these words of St. Symeon the New Theologian about “likeness of Christ” quite accurate. The whole Gospel story is there in this statement put in simple words. Christ descended to earth, became incarnate, grew up among men, was baptized, preached, was killed, resurrected, and ascended to Heavenly Kingdom. And He did all this just to save us. And in order to be saved we should follow His example. We should try our best to be as much like Him as possible.
I also like the parallel in the line “as a son to his father”. Christ was obedient to His Father and He was as perfect as His Father (well, they are actually one God, but nevertheless). And so shall we be obedient to God and try to be as perfect as we can.
As for the image of gatekeepers in this quote, I do not really like it. The matter is that “those who keep the gates” do not decide whether a person goes to the Kingdom of Heaven or not. It is God`s job.

В.Г. [(4,5) 24,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(122)

It is difficult not to agree with the words of Elder Sergei of Vanves. A person`s appearance does not show the inner reality. Of course, there can be cases when an appearance and the soul are alike. But how we, humans, can say that for sure? We never know what is there in a someone`s heart and mind. And in order not to judge we should not treat a person according to their appearance.
And saints are just humans as well. They can look differently and it does not show the level of their holiness. Holiness is something about the soul and the character of a person. It is love, forgiveness, meekness, gentleness to others and strictness to yourself. It is not about the body, not at all.
In general, I really want people to stop judging others according to their appearances. I believe it would make the world a better place.

В.Г. [(4) 20]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(121)

I would ~~like to~~ agree with these words of St. Silouan the Athonite. ~~Firstly~~, I think that people should remember that it is a sin we should condemn, not a sinner. We have no right to judge others as we are not saints. And if we were saints, we would have no wish to do this.
Why do people curse bad people or sinners? Because they spoil their lives? Or because they are like mirrors to them? Or is it just pride that wants to feel like it is above everyone else? But we as Christians should learn how to love and help, without being proud and judgmental.
St. Silouan writes that we should pity the sinners and pray for them. Compassion is good if it is not accompanied by pride. And prayers should be good no matter what. And I believe that such attitude to others will make both their and our lives better.

В.Г. [(4) 16]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(172)

I fully agree with the statement of Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt. His opinion is similar to that of Frederica, which I am also very happy about. I think it's really hard not to get mad at people when they swear at you. Human nature is subject to sin, so as soon as another person starts pointing out our mistakes, we immediately start getting angry. I think the best solution in this case would be to humble ourselves - not for show, but for real - and understand that this will be an “escalator” for our Salvation.

А.Т. [(5) 52]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

In general, I agree with the opinion of Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt. I can say that some people are much easier to love than others. For example, for many people it is easier to love their parents or relatives than some strangers. In addition, it is very difficult to love people who swear at you or annoy you, it takes an effort.
I also would like to say that it is much easier to love a person when you do not notice their shortcomings. For example, when a person is already married, it is necessary for them not only to be able to accept the shortcomings of their partner, but also to love these flaws somehow. In any case, I believe that we should make an effort to keep love alive.

А.Т. [(4,5) 38,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(171)

I agree with the opinion of John Climacus, but it is really difficult to follow this. We take part in the Sacrament of Confession, but do we really repent? How many of us really forgive our offenders, especially if we were wrongly blamed? If the problem doesn't bother you, you don't think about it and forget about it in the end. The same is true with wrongs: if we forget about them, it means that we have forgiven the offender and move on.

А.Т. [(5) 34]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(170)

I can agree with Father Anthony the Great. However, it is very difficult to convince a woman who has lost her child or a girl who was left an orphan at a young age. I understand that everything is done according to the will of the Lord. Perhaps if we think that everything we have was given to us by God, and He has the right to take everything from us, it will be easier to realize this. I think we should start by learning not to be angry with God for our losses, and then try to thank Him. I have always believed that the Lord has a plan for each of us. Perhaps if we resist the will of the Lord, we will not be able to fulfil our purpose in this life.

А.Т. [(5) 29]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(168)

This is a very interesting statement; I have not heard such an opinion before. When we have a lot of problems we start complaining and saying “why has God sent us such a punishment?”. Often, because of our selfishness, we think that our burden is probably one of the heaviest. But we forget about the orphans, the disabled, the poor people, and the worst thing is that we forget about Christ, Who died for us. When each of us humbly does not bear his cross, does not thank God for the difficulties, then we complain, condemn others, indulge our selfishness, we do not want to submit to the will of God. In this case the question arises: are we really Christians?

А.Т. [(5) 24]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(172)

I believe, that this is one of the most important things we must learn, as often people are offended by those people who offend them, because they don’t want to pay attention to some aspects of their character that are possibly far from perfection and working on them really makes sense. Sometimes others condemn us for some nonexistent things, but in this case, it’s much better to humble oneself and accept their condemnation than to start an argument with them, to worsen your state of mind and indulge in anger and condemnation.
When I was a little girl I didn’t understand this and was very worried. Then my grandmother advised me to cover mentally those who condemn me with a blanket. At one moment, I realized that it's much better to say a prayer, listening to your enemies. So God will help you to avoid a conflict and to come to reconciliation with such people.

M.O. [(4,5) 35]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(169)

I think this quote is quite controversial, because, on the one hand, I really don't like when people who are completely alien to religion begin to discuss the church saying: "I don’t believe in church, maybe, I believe in God, but I don’t like the way people are praying, standing in churches, and that they keep fasts, etc." On the other hand, I often fall into judgment and condemnation myself. Once, in the morning of Dmitrievsky commemoration Saturday I went to the church near my house and found that there is no Liturgy. I was shocked and even found a video with a priest, who was saying that this is a kind of prejudice and error which some churchmen have transferred to the present from the USSR. In addition, I remembered the life of St. John of Kronstadt, who conducted the Liturgy every day and insisted on it's importance, which aggravated my condemnation. I understand that there is still no common opinion and agreement among all priests, but I was really upset on that day. And is it my "spiritual pride"? I can't answer this question. But I still believe, that if a Christian has questions and have some reasonings and opinions, it can be rated as a spiritual search.

M.O. [(3,5) 26,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(170)

To be honest, this is one of my favorite topics to discuss with my friends. Many people usually think of those situations in which people lose their children and relatives, and they don’t even understand why God is so cruel with them. I firmly believe that all people have their own situations and their own relations with God and God is wise and never does anything which has no sense. The main problem is that people can't say «thank you» or don't know how to say it in the right way, because usually we say «thank you, God» when everything is good and when we are happy. But when we encounter some problems and temptations and when something goes not in the way we ~~were~~ expected, we forget about saying these words and think that God is cruel and doesn't love us.
We should learn a lesson from every situation in which we have gained something, and realize that we can loose it one day. Nothing can belong to us 100 percent and forever in this earthly life. It is much more important to pay attention to what is inside of us and to be afraid of losing faith and love.

M.O. [(4,5) 23]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(175)

"Sweet life" is often perceived as having financial security, physical beauty and unrestrained fun. However, people who live their lives in a worldly way are subject to passions, preferring earthly goods to spiritual ones.
The memory of eternal life is smothered, dissolved in consciousness, and a person resents every sorrow sent to him for the salvation of his soul. But the one who lives spiritually - thanks God for sorrow and joy, his heart is no longer on earth, but in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ said: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matt. 6:20). When we live spiritually and bear our sorrows for the sake of the Lord, we find a truly sweet life.

Э.К. [(5) 112]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(172)

The Holy fathers tell us that it is necessary to separate sin from man. In other words, there are no bad people, there are bad actions. So, our whole life is a series of trials, through which we are purified spiritually. To purify your heart, you need to hate sin, detach yourself from it, and burn out the sinful weeds with the word of God. Only by relying on the grace of God can we heal our sick soul.

Э.К. [(4) 101]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(170)

So, everything in the world is ruled by Divine Providence. Jesus Christ says to us: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matt. 10:29-30). This means that all circumstances of our life depend entirely on God, and we should thank him for any joy and sorrow. Since God is Almighty and Omnipotent, he chooses the easiest path to a righteous life for a person. Therefore, we should always hope in the Lord and thank him for all that we have, and thrice for all that we don't have.

Э.К. [(4,5) 97]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(168)

Each person lives with certain aggravating circumstances, which in Orthodoxy are called the cross. The "cross" is necessary in order to humble a person and prepare him for eternal life. Thus, if you accept all sorrows and misfortunes, hoping for the will of God - then you are a true Christian. But if you resist, resent, throw off this burden from yourself - then you give up what God has prepared for you for your own good. For Christianity consists of the fulfillment of the Creator's will.

Э.К. [(5) 92,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(118)

Confession is one of the sacraments of the Orthodox Church, in which a person is cleansed from sins through sincere repentance. Only the sacrament of penance can cure a person of his spiritual diseases. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn.1:9). If you make an impure confession, formally name your passions without the desire to leave them and never return to them, then there can be no question of forgiveness from God. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev said: "if a person does not conceal his sins consciously, if the confession is offered by them sincerely, ~~sincerely~~, with the intention to correct himself, all his sins are forgiven: those that he has named, those that he has forgotten, and those that he does not notice in himself."

Э.К. [(3,5) 87,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(117)

Love for each other is the most important commandment of Jesus Christ to people. By sacrificing ourselves for our neighbor, we become partakers of Christ crucified for our sins. Remembering how God loves us we must love each other. For who doesn't love his neighbor doesn't love God. It is love that helps to survive all sorrows and opens the way to the Lord.

Э.К. [(5) 84]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(114)

As for a son in the family, the ideal of behavior is the actions and words of his father, so for an Orthodox person, the ideal of life should be Christ. How can we recognize the Father? Only by communicating with Him, by imitating Him. If a person lives according to the laws given to him by God, he is already approaching it. Only with the help of the Lord can our intentions for a pious life be fulfilled.

Э.К. [(3,5) 79]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(112)

At all times, the saints of God have encouraged people by their example to a pious life. Thus, the best form of teaching is to support it with your own actions. The prophet Amos writes: "People will stagger from sea to sea; And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord" (Amos 8:12). When the teaching of Jesus Christ is forgotten, there will be people who do His will and pass on His word. Only these people pave the way for us to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Э.К. [(5) 75,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(110)

To know who you really are is to be aware of your infirmities, to see your passions and vices. A man can say that he is sinless, righteous, and Holy. However, if he finds out who he really is, sees his spiritual wounds, then he immediately falls on his knees before God and asks for God's mercy. The best "spiritual mirror" is humility and prayer, only with their help you can see yourself through the sinful prism created from your passions. Thus, if a person knows who he really is, sees his spiritual nakedness and is ashamed of it, the path to salvation will be open to him.

Э.К. [(4,5) 70,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(109)

To find true humility in Christ, we must live a life with Christ. Only by experiencing the humiliations that the Lord has experienced can we be a part of him. By humbling ourselves, doing good works for the glory of God, and suffering for his sake, we become true disciples of Christ. Often, Holy people consider themselves the most insignificant. We should also cultivate humility in order to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

Э.К. [(5) 65]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(108)

As we know, prayer to the last breath requires compulsion. The monk Abba Agathon of Egypt said: "Forgive me, but I think there is no labor greater than that of prayer to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, want to prevent him, for they know that it is only by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey". So in prayer lies our salvation. Leaving prayer, we leave communion with God and staying with him. But if a person forces himself to pray for the rest of his life, he gains the Kingdom of Heaven. The monk Vissarion, the Wonderworker of Egypt, instructs us: "When the enemy's thought approaches your heart, seek nothing else but prayer; sharpen the sword of tears against the enemy."

Э.К. [(5) 60]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(102)

A person with a pure heart sees Holiness in everyone, and considers himself the most unworthy. When you truly love God, you love his creation, i.e. all people without exception. But when a person sees only passions and vices everywhere, it speaks of his sick heart. Thus, our attitude to people is a mirror of our soul, our relationship with God. For an Orthodox person, the standard of life is Christ. Only by following him can we love our neighbor as ourselves and find salvation.

Э.К. [(5) 55]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(101)

When we turn to God in prayer, we call Him into our lives. As a father loves his child and rejoices in it, so the Lord loves us and wishes us a better fate. It is with God's help that we should not be afraid of anything, because as it is said in the Epistle to the Romans of the Holy Apostle Paul: "If God is for us, who is against us?". As we study the word of God, we may notice the most frequently repeated words of the Savior: "Do not be afraid." If we are true Christians, we should fear nothing but sin, so that we may not be put to shame in the eyes of our Father.

Э.К. [(5) 50]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(100)

Even at the beginning of your path of life, you should cut off the clinging passions from yourself. If this is not done, sin will take root in the heart and will cause rare heartache. Only with the help of God, hoping for His mercy, can we overcome our ailments. Through prayer, the Lord heals us, making amends for stinking wounds. Thus, the best time to fight against passions is youth.

Э.К. [(4) 45]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(99)

According to Emmanuel Kant's 6th proof of the existence of God, nothing happens in the world without a cause. In other words, the Lord rules everything, but before any action we are given a time to make a free choice in favor of one or another decision. When we say "Thy will be done," we give this time to God. Perseverance at will in this case is hypocrisy, unacceptable in true Christianity. Thus, if we put our full trust in God, we must cut off self-will and pride and develop humility.

Э.К. [(5) 41]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(90)

It is impossible to convey in words all the beauty of God's creation to a blind person, as well as the grace of communion with the Lord to an unbeliever. The fullness and love of the Creator is known only in contact with him. We can touch God by faith, prayer, and co-crucifixion with him. Co-crucifixion means following the laws of the Lord, living in him. Only by communicating with God can we find the most important thing that is above all worldly goods - love and being with him in eternal life.

Э.К. [(5) 36]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(89)

As we know, the foundation of all virtues is humility. Humility is a lack of anger, restraint, the ability to calmly endure all the difficulties of life. But the basis of humility is patience, as its initial stage. Without patience all the passions begin to rage in a person, destroying the soul. Thus, to achieve humility, you need to force yourself to control your negative qualities, feelings, and aspirations. Of course, without the help of God we can't achieve any humility, so we need to ask the Almighty Lord to grant us this virtue.

Э.К. [(5) 31]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(81)

First, let's comprehend what Faith is. Faith is a firm belief in the invisible as in the visible. By believing in God, fulfilling his will and feeling our unworthiness, we hope to receive mercy from him. Those who believe that they will receive everything will be close to the Lord, because for a Christian there is nothing more than being close to The Heavenly Father. However, it is worth remembering that the main thing in life is not just faith in God - but trust and loyalty to the Everlasting God, accompanied by appropriate actions.

Э.К. [(5) 26]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(80)

To pursue the path of crucifixion is to sacrifice something for the sake of others, to save your soul. When love becomes the predominant feeling in the heart, a person sacrifices himself voluntarily, experiencing unity with the Lord. To be a Christian is to confess Christ, to follow him. It is the essence of Christianity to infringe on oneself in some way for the sake of the well-being of one's neighbor and one's own salvation. St. Paul shows us true Christian behavior by his own example: "Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble." (1 Cor. 8:13)

Э.К. [(4) 21]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
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To be honest, I even couldn't understand this qoute of St. John Climacus, as I can’t imagine how it's possible to believe in your repentance when you still remember your sin and think about it over and over again.
Firstly, I should say, I hope, that true repentance took place in my life and some my grave sins are forgiven by God... Secondly, I want to refer to my personal experience, when I felt relief after confessions, during which I really realized my mistakes and was ready for changes. I suppose, this is the key - not to lie to yourself and to God, to prepare for changing your way of living, to make revisions, to snatch your sin at the roots. If you leave even a small sprout of your transgression in your memory, and then, "water" it, recalling and analyzing the situation of the past, it can grow again. It's a lie, another sin to repent of, another challenge for your soul. And at some point it will seem that you are standing in one place or go even farther from God. So, the main thing is to see all your sins and be ready to change your life after going to church and confession.

M.O. [(2,5) 18,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(173)

I really love this quote by Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt. A lot of people believe that love will come to them one day, unexpectedly, in one second, from the first sight and so they can relax, enjoy their life without feeling any responsibility for their future. But in ~~the~~ reality everything is different.
First of all, for example, a woman should prepare her soul for love. It's better for her to practise in humility and kindness, to help people around, to learn how to be a good wife and, what's important and unites all these things, to learn how to love herself. It a hard work and not so easy as it seems. As one of my school teachers says, only when a girl has particular spiritual values and understanding of herself and of life, she is ready to meet her future husband. "God appreciates it and gives a blessing to the most important meeting of her life", - she says.
And then the other step of spiritual development for reaching true love starts. In these relationships of two a lot of temptations come and the devil tests this union for strength. She and he have to make an effort to feel His love and then, of each other, forgiving and supporting each other in all adversity.

M.O. [(4,5) 16]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(175)

I believe, these words of Saint Paisios of Mount Athos are the truth of life and it would be great for all ~~the~~ Christians to read them every day, because we all are weak in some way and can be misled by temptations and to desire the things that will actually bring us illusory and deceptive happiness. But at the same time I can challenge a particular example given by St. Paisios.
I would like to look more closely at eating only for bodily preservation. Personally I really love food, healthy and delicious, I love to cook it and to serve guests. I treat it as a way to show my love and respect to them. I don't think about satiety and getting rid of the feeling of hunger. I find it nice to eat together at the same table, talking and exchanging news and feel unity, love and kindness.
In my opinion, such things which are mentioned by St. Paisios can bring that spiritual happiness. The main thing is to treat it in such way and not to depend on them, not to show off and not to be arrogant. It's better to do everything consciously, with prayer and from the heart.

M.O. [(4,5) 11,5]

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Of course, I fully agree with these words. Sometimes people want to get some encouragements and blessing from God, but they don't ask themselves if they are ready for them. For example, when a person wants to be successful in his job and asks God for help, it often can happen that nothing changes. Because ~~firstly~~, he or she should work at themselves and to cleanse their heart and mind, to do everything in a good and honest way, to give up their mercenary purposes and realize what they really need for being happy and lead a good life.
Only when our heart is cleansed by ourselves with the help of a prayer, reading the Holy Scripture, practicing humility and taming of the will, we can say to God in silence and calmness: «God, have mercy on me, strengthen me in my faith and help me in all my affairs».

M.O. [(4) 7]

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This quote interconnects and intertwines with one of the previous quotes about faith. Faith fears nothing and it makes everything possible. It’s such a strong power. It gives you wings. It encourages you to stay on a difficult path.
It’s same with Christian faith. God helps us in the darkest times. He works miracles and lets us enjoy it. If we pray and trust the Lord, He will provide us with all what we need. That’s why we should remain believers with much faith.

E.З. [(3,5) 72]

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Our crucifixion is different from that of Christ. Most times it’s a mental and not physical crucifixion. What does this mean? We fight a lot of burdens every day in our Christian lives. We try to overcome our desires so they will stay in boundaries of Christian norms. We sacrifice our comfort and tame vanity and pride for the sake of God. We follow the example of Christ in order to get closer to God.
In some cases, crucifixion is literal and physical. Priests or lay people were killed in the past in the name of God. They refused to betray the Lord, to reject their great faith and Christianity. They were sacrificed like the Holy Lamb, Jesus Christ.

E.З. [(5) 64,5]

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Great faith doesn’t fear ridicule indeed. When we believe in something with our heart and soul fully involved, then we do have great faith. This genuine faith is impregnable. Nobody can convince a person with much faith to think otherwise or to do contradictory things.
There are plenty examples of such kind of faith in church history. Lots of Christians were killed in the name of God because they refused to betray the Lord. Their faith was so genuine and so unshakable.
But it’s also important to stay away from fanaticism, as people are blind in that condition. People with great faith manage to balance their faith and they are also quite peaceful.

E.З. [(5) 59,5]

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It’s important to endure courageously the unpleasant burdens. Those burdens are given by God in order to make us stronger. During tough times we acquire new knowledge and skills. If we used to be afraid of something, there would be a burden given to make us brave and decisive. We gain strength. Muscles can grow only when they are stressed. Stress in this case means strain that we apply on muscles.
Not only we gain physical advantage and mental strength, we also empower our souls. That is fundamental for Christians. During hard times our patience is trained. Our love for people is tested.
Some people challenge themselves – they fast devotedly. That’s a wonderful example of the voluntary afflictions.
I’ve come across such quote and I love it: «…if we are to move towards our collective bliss, it's time we shed our focus on the physical and instead embrace the virtues of the heart». If we are in stressful situations, we should rely on our virtues and love of God.

E.З. [(5) 54,5]

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There is really no third option when it comes to experience. In order to get to know something we should experience it ourselves or find those who possess knowledge.
If we want to get an impression of God, we should refer to the lives of saints. Hagiography is a treasure that contains a lot of wisdom and insights. Saints have left a lot of valuable quotes and works of literature that contain knowledge about God or how to be closer to God. Their lives are wonderful example of how to be devout Christians.
The second way of gaining knowledge is to trying something out ourselves. But in terms of getting an impression of God it’s quite difficult for us, lay people. But we can at least try to come into such proximity ourselves.

E.З. [(4,5) 49,5]

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The above-mentioned virtue is indeed hard to achieve. This difficulty happens due to the presence of vanity and pride in our nature. No one likes accusations. People react differently when they get accused. Some of them become angry in a matter of seconds. This usually results in a backlash, when the accused person starts accusing their opponents as well. Others get hurt by accusations and take offence. This kind of reaction is followed by multiple excuses. Very few people endure accusations without any comments or feelings. Very few can ignore it and brush it off.
It is useful to step back and think about the reasons of accusations, as there is no smoke without fire. Self-reflection helps to correct one’s own behavior and is very useful in life of a Christian person. The ability to react to accusations with humility is hard to achieve. But practice and intention will lead to perfection.

E.З. [(5) 45]

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A person's sincere repentance for an act doesn’t imply constant reflection on it, but awareness and a desire not to return to it. All the way through life, we make mistakes, stumble, fall. Then we get up and move on. The difference of such a man who stops at his mistakes is that he stays down and continues on his way, when he stumbles. Thus, the result of true repentance can’t be a permanent memory of our misdeeds, since it stops us from productive Christian work on ourselves.

Э.К. [(2) 17]

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True Christian love is a combination of thoughts and actions aimed at caring for your neighbor. Thus, any concern for someone requires a voluntary compulsion of oneself, which is consequently transformed into love. Love, in turn, is the result of a person's voluntary efforts. But to maintain this state, you need constant activity in caring for your neighbor. The most important thing is to remember the purpose for which this is done.

Э.К. [(4) 15]

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I fully agree with St. Theophan the Recluse. Moreover, I would add to this that we should pray to God not only when we have the feeling of need, but also when we have the feeling of gratitude, even for that we are alive and we can continue to glorify God, His spotless Mother and all the God-bearing saints. Praying is a fundamental part of our spiritual life, especially a temple prayer: our Lord of his good pleasure calls us to pray together. It means a commonality, a sharing and participation in the same thing. It is this commonality or sharing that lies at the very heart of our salvation. It is no mere «quality» of our life in Christ – but is our life in Christ. All in all, we should pray with all diligence. We are not to allow our souls to become benumbed.

И.M. [(4,5) 74]

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It is an extremely important quote. When we try to please men, we demonstrate obsequiousness. It is a sin. And the energy we spend on it is blind and unrestrained. And it is not carefully controlled. But when we try to please God, we rejoice and liberate ourselves toward our true self as God’s image and likeness. In this case we spend our energy for the good. And God helps us, moreover, our energy incorporating with God’s energy reaches synergy. Many of people are not spirit-bearing, so we are imitating ~~the~~ sin, ~~the~~ evil. We should stop this and remind ourselves again that we are created for finding the Kingdom of Heaven and not for favour and praise of our bosses, teachers, friends…

И.M. [(3,5) 61]

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I quite agree with the golden words of St. Paisios of Mount Athos. We were created for communion with God, to communicate with God is the meaning of our life. Thinking about it is not a substitute for communion with Him. But living daily in communion with God is difficult. Enjoying worldly things broke that sacred communion. The disease of broken communion, hatred towards God for failures, losses, health problems (Why me? I keep praying and fasting… I’m a good boy / girl! I love my enemies…) were so long at work in us. So it is really difficult to cure ourselves. It takes time and we must be patient with ourselves and our broken humanity – though never using this as an excuse not to seek the healing that God gives. We should come to the comprehension of bitterness – in it is our salvation! And this is the sweetest thing we can get! The worldly life is temporal. We should strive for walking in the light as He is in the light, and for having communion with Him, with the blood of Jesus Christ His Son who cleanses us from all sin.

И.M. [(4,5) 57,5]

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I quite agree with St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. And to my way of thinking, to keep purity of ~~the~~ conscience and patience we can with the help of the venerable and holy images and the precious and life-giving Cross in our houses. I am stating this with all certitude and accuracy. The more often we lift up to the memory of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, of our spotless Lady, the Mother of God, of the honourable Angels, of all Saints and of all pious people in artistic representation, the more often we begin to monitor our actions, we try to purify our thoughts of filth. We are in reverent awe of them. They do not allow us to be angry, to condemn, to slander. Even if a sin occurs, we immediately ask for mercy and make the sign of the cross. When I want to accept a sin, I immediately look at the holy image and, for example, ask myself: «Would St. Tikhon commit the same»? And, of course, my answer is – no! So I stop myself. It is a really nice method, isn’t it!

И.M. [(4,5) 53]

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I am fully agree with Fr. Seraphim Rose. Seeing all of this as true of humanity I understand that this is because of the lack of communion with God. The process of death at work inside us manifests itself in a myriad of ways, extending from moral failure, to death and disease itself. It corrupts everything around us – our relationships with other people and our families, our institutions and our best intentions. Without intervention, the process of death results in the most final form of death – complete alienation and enmity against God. We come to hate all things righteous and good. We despise the Light and prefer darkness. Since this is the state of human beings who have cut themselves off from communion with God, we substitute many things and create a «false» life, mistaking wealth, fame, youth, emotions, etc., for true life. But if we for all that choose the Kingdom of Heaven, we need a change – that is we must be filled with nothing less than the Life of God in order to be healed, forgiven and made new. Jesus did not come to make bad men good; He came to make dead men alive.

И.M. [(4,5) 48,5]

1. The observation of religious customs and ОCCASIONAL RITES is integral part of catholic life in the church.
2. MONASTIC PROFESSION is one of the most serious decisions among others that person can make in life.
3. The smoke of INCENSE in both traditions is a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to heaven.
4. People in their prayers are asking saints for their INTERCESSION.
5. In the Catholic Church tradition children are allowed to partake of the sacrament of communion during adolescence.
6. God ASCENDs to people’s heart grace and purity through the
7. Saint Peter was God’s ELECT ~~in oder~~ to hold keys of paradise.
8. The tradition of using such church equipment as the THURIBLE is similar as in the Orthodox and so in the Catholic Church.
9. EUCHARISTIC OBLATION is when the faithful offer up not only Christ but themselves in union with him.
10. A priest sometimes make CIRCUMAMBULATION in an altar while incensing it with a thurible.
11. Nowadays there two words for the leader of the Mass in Catholic church: presider is a newer term that also means that the priest takes the lead in offering the Mass and the CELEBRANT is a person who celebrates Mass.
12. Fast is helping person’s soul to practise RESTRAINT.
13. Small sins can KINDLE large passion.

А.К. [(4,5) 4,5]

1. The OFFERTORY COLLECTION usually takes place at the end of the Liturgy when people go and kiss the Cross.
2. I used to work with children at the SUNDAY SCHOOL with great ASSIDUITY, however, I felt sorry for myself that Sunday was my only day to make up for my lack of sleep and, thus, I gave up teaching.

M.A. [(1,5) 49]

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What is love? A lot of people associate this term with a feeling or worse with lust. In fact, it is a sacrifice, so to become capable of such a sacrifice one needs to work hard on themselves.
As Righteous John Wonderworker of Kronstadt puts it, one must be zealous and active to reach that height where they can attain love. As for me, I cannot agree more with ~~the~~ Father John.
Analyzing my own experience, I can say that to have love requires quite a lot of your efforts. It is such a toil because you have to step over your pride and only in that case you can be successful in this intention.
Summing up, if you do not want to work on yourself, in other words, to trample upon your pride and to fight against your unrighteous desires, you will never know what love really is and, consequently, you will have no chance to achieve the union with God, that is, ~~the~~ deification.

M.A. [(4) 39,5]

1. THE HERMITAGE OF OPTINO has given quite a lot of holy Fathers who we can ask for help to pray before God for us.
2. Sometimes I find myself TANGLED UP IN SECULAR ANXIETIES and I feel this necessity to be at Liturgies to give my soul some rest and comfort.

M.A. [(1) 35,5]

1. It’s amazing how my life is connected with THE NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS OF RUSSIA: firstly, I was baptized in the church of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, and then this connection was even wider.
2. Our church was consecrated in the memory of Holy Martyr John Frolovskiy (Tarasov) who WAS PROCLAIMED A SAINT in 2000.

M.A. [(1) 34,5]

The other day a friend of mine was ordained to be a deacon and now he is experiencing this gracious period of ABUNDANT OUTPOURINGS OF GRACE.
I like it very much when a prelate serves the Liturgy but hardly have I opportunities to attend such Liturgies.

M.A. [(0,5) 33,5]

1. The Soviet Government tried to EXTIRPATE ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEF but it wasn’t successful because most people preferred death to betraying their faith.
2. I guess that THE BANNS OF MATRIMONY is an important feature of common prayer because all people in a church can pray for those people who are going to get married and, thus, help them. 3. It is rather irritating when a CELEBRANT decides AT his DISCRETION to GIVE A SERMON just after reading from the Gospel because it interrupts the Liturgy, in some way.
4. To ask God that He BLOTS OUT OUR SINS is not enough, it is necessary to DO GOOD and try to change one’s false way of life.
5. I’ve always desired to meet such a priest or a monk with whom I could talk and they would GIVE ME the very RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS I need.

M.A. [(4) 33]

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That is a really fascinating subject to reflect on. Let me tell you my musings about it. So then, the Kingdom of God means righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And if we strive for salvation, we are to accept slander from other people in order to recognize those evils that dwell inside us in order to think again and start freeing ourselves from all passions, including pride, vanity and hypocrisy. Also sometimes I am enthusiastic about listening to psychologists or watching videos with them. They, modern psychologists, are very clear in their teaching about this subject too. They say: when people criticize us they criticize themselves, they talk about themselves, and we should not accept it.
To my way of thinking, I am in a middle position: on the one hand, we should avoid boastful arrogance, because we are not always right and we need second opinions. Almost all passionate drives decrease through reprimand. But on the other hand, I am for constructive criticism. People who criticize to the Glory of God serve God. We are never to criticize in vain, especially when we simply want to show our disdain. It is forbidden! We are all God’s creation, we are equal.

И.M. [(5) 44]

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What is true repentance? It is changing of our mind and character. Confessing the sins before partaking in the Holy Communion means that we admit our iniquities and want to get rid of them. And if we truly want it, God blots them out.
I would not say that we should either forget the wrongs we have done or that have been done to us or permanently blame ourselves for them. It would be better if we remember these deeds and the consequences of them just not to fall into the same trap.

M.A. [(4,5) 29]

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My main impetus for writing is to recollect the words of one good priest said in a sermon. He said that we should not keep repenting after we are released from our sins, especially when we are sanctified through the Eucharist and are forearmed against the wiles of the world. St. John Climacus brings a good comparison here. Lord grieves over our sins, but when we repent, He rejoices in our victories again like one who has invested personally in our salvation. He laid down His life for us and we, His children, should always follow the truth. Certainly temptations abound in our life and if we do wrong, it will never be late to repent sincerely and consciously again and try not to set forth into the tempest of life’s affairs.

И.M. [(4,5) 39]

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Venerable and Godbearing Father Antony the Great tells us about being grateful for what we have and do not grieve when we lose it.
To start with, it is hard to comprehend but we do not own anything here in our earthly life. Everything is given to us by God. He alone can manage what we should have and when. Job the Long-suffering lost everything he had: not only his possessions but even his relatives and physical health. Despite this awful situation, he did not complain but was grateful to God. God allowed all this to happen to test his faith and Job succeeded in the testing showing his great patience, meekness, and humility. Merciful God granted Job earthly goods in greater quantity than he had before because he knew that Job would not get attached to them as Apostle Paul said, «All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.» (1 Corinthians 6:12, KJV).
So we must follow Job’s example who put into practice Apostle Paul’s words and not to grieve for anything or anyone we lose because our loving God knows better what we need to achieve our aim of this earthly life, i.e. salvation.

M.A. [(4,5) 24,5]

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I pretty often meet such people. And at last I got to know how to describe them owing to Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt. These people should travel through the Gospel narratives to discover the real Orthodox traditions, to see them through the eyes of those who knew Christ best – the apostles, his community, believers who vividly portrayed the traditions in stories filtered through their own faith. The Gospel will give them some solid footing. Through these living, breathing accounts, we contemplate what spirituality really is. God’s Son came to redeem and sanctify every aspect of our life. Spiritually proud people are just unaware of the depth of Orthodox traditions and understanding of them. They simply should explore these questions and do not intervene in the stream of the traditions.

И.M. [(5) 34,5]

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It’s quite hard to deal with this issue. But I admit that I am fully agree with Metropolitan Saba Esber. In the Gospel it is narrated that Jesus Christ is sent to us by God. He, Himself, always says: «Amen, amen I say to you…». As if to indicate the particular significance that he does everything not by His will, but by the will of Him Who sent Him. Jesus Christ predicts His own suffering and death. But He agrees this prophecy to be fulfilled. He agrees to be wounded for our transgressions. He unreservedly trusts His Father and He is certain of the Father’s presence and He always prays to Him for His intercession. And Jesus was glorified. The post- resurrection appearance of Jesus leads us to understand that we should not be scared with our cross, because if we managed to carry it till the end, we will sit at the right hand of God. Isn’t it our main goal?

И.M. [(4) 29,5]

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I understand Father Anthony’s exposition of the mind and praxis. ~~And moreover~~ it is an integral part not only of the New Testament message, but also of the Old One (we all remember the story of Abraham and his son). And undoubtedly I cannot dare convincingly disprove this theory. I, myself, enjoy reading the stories in which people share their new, transfigured life day after day, they do not repine against God, but accept everything, even harsh trials gratefully. Thus the truth of our faith is revealed and vindicated by the growth of our devotion and humility. But our hopes and expectations heighten as well. And very often even from myself I hear: «Oh, Lord, why? Wilt thou at this time me lose this, this and this»? Quite often this question burns deep in my heart. Yet this «simple» theory sometimes is difficult to me to accomplish.

И.M. [(3,5) 25,5]

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So here are my thoughts on the above mentioned quote. To fall might mean to commit a sin, to get up means to acknowledge those sins and repent. So unlike most of lay people (especially non-religious ones), monks and nuns work on their spirituality. They try to get as close to God as possible. This could be a metaphor: to fall in this case is to be far from the Creator. When we get up we get taller, we grow. So when you pray and repent you get taller in a spiritual way.
We should follow the example of monks and try to get up next time we fall.
Not just once, but repeatedly.

E.З. [(5) 40]

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Irritation is a signal that a person is too obsessed with his own self, because they are not kind and attentive to others. They get angry easily during interactions with people, which is what the Devil wants. He wants us to be as far from the Father as possible. When we are head over heels with our own persona there is not much room left for God. In fact, we become vulnerable to any kind of criticism, we tend to think we are the only right ones in any situation.
The Lord taught us to love Him and people around us, thus we should stay humble, so we can give out love to others instead of focusing on ourselves.

E.З. [(5) 35]

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I totally agree with Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, for too many material things distract us from the spiritual connection with God and the society. Money is spent on the wrong kind of things: instead of helping out those in need people buy useless stuff or goods that they can show off. All of that is deceiving. When people die they leave their belongings in this world.
The more we buy the more we want. We are unstoppable. It’s become a serious issue recently. There is too much waste on this planet, nature is suffering from the greed of the mankind. So, yes. The more goods we acquire the more problems we have.

E.З. [(5) 30]

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Humility is one of the central qualities of a Christian person. Humility intertwines with love, because when someone is humble they are attentive to others. These people are not obsessed with themselves.
So when a person wants to attain humility they indeed should pay more attention to the closest ones. They need to believe that they are not the best, that there are always those who might be better than them.
If people do so, if they do look up to others, they are ready to see and to hear. They are open to learning from this world and they serve people and God. There are not so many humble people, so any time I see a humble person that warms the heart.

E.З. [(5) 25]

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I strongly believe that without faith religions don’t make sense. God is not something you can touch, so a firm belief is required. We can be close to God when we grow spiritually. While it’s important to read the Bible the most important thing is to live by the commandments of Jesus Christ. He told us to love God and to love people. This is way more important than knowledge of liturgies, rules and books. It’s the essence of Christianity.
There are so many examples where Christian people follow all the rules, pray every day, go to church, but they get irritated by fellow Christians, they don’t have sympathy. People with genuine faith stand out nowadays. Those are the gems of our Christian community.

E.З. [(5) 20]

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The reviling of holy and sacred things has become an actual problem.
People go inside of churches and do crazy and nasty things. This is ridiculous and we should take actions against such people, so there are less cases like these ones. Just like soldiers defend their people and countries, Christian community should defend its people, values and relics. We take into consideration human rights, rights of animals, etc, so why we should be silent on bizzare cases of breach of the sanctity of religion?
It’s not bad to defend our faith and the sacred things that belong to our religion. It’s our heritage after all.

E.З. [(5) 15]

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I find this quote by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich to be very heartwarming and touching. God is indeed like the sun for us. He shines bright and because of His unconditional love we blossom just like flowers on a sunny day. If we turn our back on God we can’t see the light. Instead we see our shadow which is a metaphor for our sinful life.
But if we face the light we can spiritually grow. Just like plants we try to reach for the light of God – we grow in that direction. The sun’s light is too bright and abundant and so is the love of God. It’s a fiery one indeed. So when the Father of light calls us we should turn our faces toward His light and obey.

E.З. [(5) 10]

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I totally agree with this quote because the Bible and the Gospel are indeed the most important books in the lives of Christian people. For instance, even non- religious scientists prove that there is a lot of wisdom in those books. The commandments that are presented there are timeless and amazing to live by. If only everyone followed the commandments and followed the examples of Jesus Christ and saints then we would not have wars, arguments and all those awful conflicts. There would be so much love and peace.
That’s why people should read those essential works. It’s tremendous for spiritual growth. We can follow the example of Christ and try to become Godlike. And of course the most important lessons that we can learn from the Bible and the New Gospel are to love God and love the neignbour.

E.З. [(5) 5]

Э.К. [11]

А.Т. [19]

М.Ч. [15]

M.O. [3]

В.Г. [12]

А.Л. [1]

М.К. [12]