Religious Vocabulary Text Bank (2022

4th year of study: Spring 2022

In 1967, Albania was officially declared AN ATHEIST STATE.
The Turks were quite tolerant towards Christian beliefs because they were still WORSHIPPERS OF ONE GOD.
A communist government seeks TO EXTIRPATE ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEF and to overthrow all organized Church life.
Christianity was subjected to a systematic and relentless POLICY OF CULTURAL STRANGULATION by the Soviet government.
Usually elders can GIVE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS to people and help them.
It was forbidden by the Soviet government to form PARISH LIBRARIES.
All the ECCLESIASTICAL PUBLICATIONS were rigidly restricted in Russia.
The «LEAGUE OF MILITANT ATHEISTS» was abolished in 1942.
THE DECREE ON THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE is a legal act adopted by the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
In the period from 1918 until 1939, many churches were DESECRATED and destroyed.
The NAVE is the central part of a church where people stay during the service.
According to the Western Rite Glossary, on the Altar of or the Holy Table we can find A CROSS, two CANDLESTICKS, THE EPISTLE-BOOK, A MISSAL, THE LAMB, A CHALICE, THE GOSPEL-BOOK, A PAX ICON, A CORPORAL-ANTIMENSION and A SINDON.
A PATEN usually lays on the Altar of or the Holy Table until the words «'Lift up your hearts».

А.Ж. [(11) 11]

1) Although Christians were persecuted for a long time, before the communists no one really tried to EXTIRPATE ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEF. 2) The Roman Empire and the Golden Horde were pagan, they were still not ATHEIST STATES, and the latter even acknowledged Christian God to some degree. 3) But this AGGRESSIVE AND MILITANT ATHEISM brought by Bolsheviks was a severe blow for Russian Orthodox Church.

1) In the middle of 20th century Christianity in USSR was subjected to a POLICY OF CULTURAL STRANGULATION, which included propaganda of GODLESSNESS and prohibition of religious education, formation of PARISH LIBRARIES and spreading ECCLESIASTICAL PUBLICATIONS. 2) Priests could not even GIVE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION at any time, except for sermons during services, and HOLD CATECHISM CLASSES. 3) For twenty two years there even existed the ‘LEAGUE OF MILITANT ATHEISTS’, whose main goal was to wage ideological war with all forms of religion. 4) But it all were just so-called ‘INDIRECT’ METHODS OF PERSECUTION, but communists, of course, had another, more harsh and radical ways to annihilate Russian spirituality. 5) For example, THE DECREE ON THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE prohibited the Church to HOLD PROPERTY and to POSSESS any LEGAL RIGHTS. 6) CONGREGATIONS couldn’t use their buildings for worship, many churches were destroyed and DESECRATED. 7) But not only churches were in danger; more than 12.000 ORDAINED PERSONS were executed, and ~~how~~ many more suffered IMPOVERISHMENT and prison sentences. 8) But nevertheless, in many places such persecutions led to AN AMAZING QUICKENING OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, true Orthodox believers revealed their love for God through heroic resistance. 9) Since 1943-1945, the Church and the Soviet government came to a sort of an agreement: the Church became “loyal” to those who DESECRATED its buildings and killed its priests, and got in return a decrease in THE FORCED CLOSING OF CHURCHES and THE IMPRISONMENT OF CLERGY. 10) These times gave us a great list of THE NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS OF RUSSIA, and though the official RAPPROCHEMENT between the Church and the State was reached, St. Tikhon’s EXCOMMUNICATION of Bolsheviks was never revoked.

Д.Н. [(12) 12]

For communists, it was important not just to separate the church from the state, but they were eager TO EXTIRPATE ALL RELIGIONS BELIEF.
During the Soviet government, the Orthodox church was subjected to a systematic and relentless POLICY OF CULTURAL STRANGULATION.
It was difficult for the church to COUNTERACT this anti-religious propaganda, but it fought against it with ~~the~~ great ASSIDUITY.
At that time, a Soviet teacher had to be an active propagandist of GODLESSNESS among his students.
The possibility of HOLDING CATECHISM CLASSES was denied.
In confession, the priest always says that WE ARE SAVED IF WE HOLD FIRMLY to the word of God, so it is very important to read the Gospel regularly.
In 1918 THE DECREE ON THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE was published which deprived the church of the power TO HOLD PROPERTY and POSSESS any LEGAL RIGHTS.
Also at that time churches were methodically DESECRATED, closed, and destroyed.
It was very difficult for THE WORSHIPPERS to resist the Soviet anti-religious regime.
The CONGREGATIONS and the ordinary people who belonged to them underwent sufferings which in extent and in cruelty equalled everything endured by early Christians.

Е.Т. [(6,5) 6,5]

A Western Christian church building consists of a PORCH, a NAVE, a VESTRY and most importantly a CHANCEL AREA which is located behind a ROOD-SCREEN. In the chancel area there is an ALTAR, which stands in the middle, with RELICS behind it and a CREDENCE on the left.

Before the revolution of 1917 the Orthodox Church had never experienced what it was like to live in AN ATHEIST STATE. And what is more, the Bolsheviks were committed to AN AGGRESSIVE AND MILITANT ATHEISM. If the Turks, while non-Christians, were still WORSHIPPERS OF ONE GOD, the Soviet government sought TO EXTIRPATE ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEF which brought many TRIBULATIONS upon the Church. It subjected Christianity to A POLICY OF CULTURAL STRANGULATION. Priests couldn’t GIVE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS (although many of them preached sermons with great ASSIDUITY) and HOLD CATECHISM CLASSES. Priests couldn’t form A PARISH LIBRARY because they were permitted to keep in church only SERVICE BOOKS, and ECCLESIASTICAL PUBLICATIONS were rigidly restricted.

С.Г. [(10) 20]

THEOSIS, also known as DEIFICATION, is a process of becoming united with God. SALVATION is a process that requires our ACTIVE COOPERATION which can enable us to become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE and grow in CHRISTLIKENESS. We wait eagerly for OUR ADOPTION AS SONS but only those will be saved who ENDURE TO THE END all tribulations. We must CONTINUE IN GOD’S KINDNESS and then we can hope for THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODIES.

С.Г. [(5) 10]

1) The HERODIANS that were mentioned in the New Testament were either soldiers of HEROD or members of a sect.
2) During the last week of LENT the priest reads episodes of Christ’s PASSION.
3) SOLA SCRIPTURA is nowhere to be found in the writings of the CHURCH FATHERS.
4) Protestants believe that one can understand the Bible without any help of TRADITION.
5) Alexis Khomiakov was a lay theologian and a leader of the SLAVOPHIL circle who argued that LATINISM and Protestantism shared the same ASSUMPTIONS.

С.Г. [(5) 5]

4th year of study: Autumn 2021

1. It is very essential for your spiritual life to KEEP THE FAST.
2. There are some allowances during fasting for women WITH CHILD.
3. There are still many DEVOTED people who torment themselves by THE AUSTERITY OF THE FASTS.
4. Some priests make some CONCESSIONS because of the HUMAN WEAKNESS.
5. People used to use THE SIGH OF THE CROSS with two fingers, which is called THE TWO-FINGER SIGN OF THE CROSS.
6. There are many RITUAL ACTIONS in the church.
7. Many martyrs were BURNT AT THE STAKE.
8. OLD BELIEVERS are people who refused to accept the reforms of Patriarch Nicon.
9. THE PARISH CLERGY should communicate closely with THE LAITY.
10. In Peter's celebrated SPIRITUAL REGULATION ~~in which~~ it was said about the abolishing of the Patriarch and setting up THE SPIRITUAL COLLEGE and HOLY SYNOD.
11. Peter established a post of THE CHIEF PROCURATOR at the Holy Synod.
12. Christ chose 12 DISCIPLES.
13. THE PRACTICE OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION has developed recently.
14. There is a huge COMMUNITY in our church.
15. Many elders, monks spend years in ~~the~~ SECLUSION.
16. Seraphim was SEVERE to himself, he spent A THOUSAND SUCCESSIVE NIGHTS IN CONTINUAL PRAYER.
17. MONASTIC REVIVAL is a very important part in the life of the spiritual people.

В.П. [(9,5) 21]

1 Although the SYSTEM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT established by Peter the Great is said to have resulted in the CHURCH BEING IN COMPLETE SUBSERVIENCE TO THE STATE, the Holy Synod in practice governed efficiently. REFLECTIVE CHURCHMEN understood the flaws of Peter’s reforms and STANDARDS OF THEOLOGICAL SCHOLARSHIP remained high. For example, Saint Paissy made a Slavonic translation of the PHILOKALIA. And many of his DISCIPLES helped to spread a MONASTIC REVIVAL across Russia which was marked by a high development of the PRACTICE OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.
2 PIETISM is a movement within LUTHERANISM.
3 According to some sources, FREEMASONRY is regarded as the largest worldwide secret society.

С.Г. [(6,5) 31]

1) There were a lot of quarrels about PRACTICES in Russian Church in the XVII century. 2) Patriarch Nikon, for example, even insisted that the SERVICE BOOKS must be altered to match the Greek ritual traditions. 3) He paid much attention to THE SYMBOLIC GESTURES WHEREBY THE INNER BELIEF OF A CHRISTIAN IS EXPRESSED, one of such gestures was THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. 4) This quarrel grew bigger and worse, to the point that a movement of DISSENT began to rise. 5) The OLD BELIEVERS, as the members of that movement are called, fought for THE TWO-FINGER SIGN OF THE CROSS, but the true reason for their fight was much deeper. 6) For the DISSENTERS changes in RITUAL ACTIONS meant changes in their faith, and they were reluctant to give up their traditions to the extent that some of the OLD RITUALISTS were BURNT AT THE STAKE for their persistence. 7) I personally believe that THE EXTERNALS OF WORSHIP can be changed and that people should be more focused on MYSTICAL PRAYER.

1) In THE MOSCOW TSARDOM there were two equal powers, the Patriarch and the Tsar. 2) It was a DYARCHY, or a SYMPHONY of two powers, which divided THE SOVEREIGNTY between each other. 3) But gradually the State began to gain more power over the Church and the prosperity of the JOSEPHITE tradition helped it a lot. 4) Eventually, the Patriarchate in Russia was eliminated with the SPIRITUAL REGULATION in 1721. 5) The Patriarchate was replaced with THE SPIRITUAL COLLEGE, which was also called the HOLY SYNOD. 6) It was under full control of the Emperor, and was governed by an appointed official – THE CHIEF PROCURATOR. 7) Thus, the Church ended up being IN COMPLETE SUBSERVIENCE TO THE STATE for more than 200 years.

Д.Н. [(13) 27]

1. THE JOSEPHITES defended the possibility for monasteries to own land and demanded physical destruction of heretics. THE NON-POSSESSORS, in turn, demanded that the monks observe their VOWS.
2. This MONASTIC REVIVAL restored to the center of the Church’s life the tradition of the Non-Possessors which was marked in particular by a high development of THE PRACTICE OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.
3. Saint Seraphim of Sarov spent sixteen years in the ordinary life of the COMMUNITY and the next twenty years in SECLUSION, living in a hut in the forest, then enclosed in a cell in the monastery.

А.Д. [(3,5) 24,25]

In Christian SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY the term SOTERIOLOGY is used to refer to the study of the biblical doctrine of SALVATION.
The Church's teaching on THE TRANSMISSION OF ORIGINAL SIN was articulated in the fifth century under the influence of THE REFLECTION of St. Augustine.
PURGATORY plays a prominent role in Catholic religion.
DIVINE SIMPLICITY is the theological and philosophical concept that God is composed of a single unitary essence and has no composite parts.
Nowadays, many people attach too much importance to the EXTERNAL MANIFESTATIONS OF WORSHIP of God and do not care at all about the inner state of the soul.

CHURCH SCHISM was the split of the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the OLD BELIEVERS movement in the 17th century.
Patriarch Nikon aimed to establish UNIFORMITY between Greek and Russian church practices.
In Russia, until the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the 17th century, it was customary to make THE SIGN OF THE CROSS with two fingers which symbolised the DUAL NATURE OF CHRIST.
THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE THREE-FINGER sign was one of the reasons for the schism with the Old Believers whose congregations continue to use the two-finger sign of the cross.

THE SYNODICAL PERIOD in the history of Russian Orthodoxy is usually represented as a time of decline, with the Church in complete subservience to the State.
Meetings of the Holy Synod were attended by THE CHIEF PROCURATOR who in practice wielded considerable power over Church affairs.
In 1721 Peter issued A SPIRITUAL REGULATION that served as by laws for all religious activities in Russia.
Knowing the background, we can say that the ABOLITION OF THE PATRIARCHATE was part of a wider process.

SOVEREIGNTY of God is the Christian teaching that God is the supreme authority and all things are under His control.
In the teaching of the Catholic Church AN INDULGENCE is a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins.
VIRTUES are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner.

Е.Т. [(10,5) 10,5]

1 Among other things that the Roman Catholic Church has to repudiate and reject in order to become Orthodox again is the teaching that understands ORIGINAL SIN as guilt transmitted via “propagation”. 2 And from the teaching about original sin comes the teaching about THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY.
3 DIVINE SIMPLICITY is the Catholic teaching that says that God doesn't have both ESSENCE and ENERGIES and so can’t be both unknowable and knowable. 4 From the teaching about divine simplicity comes the teaching about CREATED GRACE.
5 Catholics, but not all, believe in PURGATORY which is a state after death for PURIFICATION.
6 At some point in history it was very popular among Catholics to buy INDULGENCES.
7 In 1721 Peter the Great issued THE SPIRITUAL REGULATION which abolished the Patriarchate and set up the SPIRITUAL COLLEGE or HOLY SYNOD. 8 And THE CHIEF PROCURATOR became in effect a “Minister for Religion.”

С.Г. [(8,5) 14,5]

1. Peter set up a commission, the SPIRITUAL COLLEGE, which was composed of twelve members and some of them were drawn from the MARRIED CLERGY.
2. In the manifesto on the establishment of the HOLY SYNOD it was said that the president has an equal voice in the Synod with other members.
3. The priests grant to all who give donations to the church a plenary INDULGENCE from the pain of PURGATORY.
4. In the theological sense, a MERIT is a salutary act, to which God owes a supernatural reward, consisting in eternal life.

А.Д. [(3) 7]

1 Patriarch Nicon wanted to conform Russian PRACTICES to the Greek standard. 2 He also wanted to alter the Russian SERVICE BOOKS whenever they differed from the Greek. 3 Among other changes in RITUAL ACTIONS he insisted that the SIGN OF THE CROSS should be made with three fingers. 4 But many people attach too great an importance to the SYMBOLIC GESTURES whereby their INNER BELIEF OF A CHRISTIAN is expressed. 5 Those who refused to accept the changes in the official Church are known as the OLD BELIEVERS. 6 But this movement of DISSENT is different from English Dissent of the same period as the Russian DISSENTERS differed from the official Church only in ritual and not in DOCTRINE.

С.Г. [(6) 6]

1. Every Christian should strive to tread THE PATH OF VIRTUE.
2. Educated Orthodox people believe that ORIGINAL SIN cannot be understood as GUILT TRANSMITTED VIA “PROPAGATION”.
3. Catholics celebrate the Feast of THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY on December 8.
4. Some people believe that their sins can be cleansed in PURGATORY.
5. Disagreement over INDULGENCES was one of the main reasons for the Reformation.

А.Ж. [(3) 16,75]

1. Peter I's decision to replace the Russian Patriarch with the SPIRITUAL COLLEGE has been extremely controversial.
2. Many monks attempt to distance themselves from PASSIONS.
3. SOTERIOLOGY is the theological discipline that studies salvation.
4. Anton Kartashev was the last CHIEF PROCURATOR of the HOLY SYNOD.

С.З. [(2,5) 4,5]

1. INDULGENCES were one of the many reasons Martin Luther was frustrated with the Catholic Church.
2. THE TWO-FINGER SIGN OF THE CROSS is now often associated with the Old Believers.
3. Many converts put too much emphasis on THE EXTERNALS OF WORSHIP.
4. Wanting SOVEREIGNTY for every national church is a heresy called ethnophyletism.

С.З. [(2) 2]

1. DIVINE SIMPLICITY is the theological concept that God is composed of a single unitary essence and has no composite parts.
2. SOTERIOLOGY refers to the doctrine concerning SALVATION.
3. According to the teachings of the Catholic Church, PURGATORY is a place for those who died but who are not entirely free from faults.
4. CREATED GRACE is God’s communication within the human person.
5. The IMMACULATE Conception is a Roman Catholic dogma that asserts that Mary was preserved by God from the ORIGINAL SIN at the time of her own conception.
6. The TRANSMISSION of original sin is a mystery that people cannot explain.

А.Д. [(4) 4]

В.Л. [(10,75) 10,75]

В.П. [(11,5) 11,5]

Д.Ж. [() 4]

Д.Б. [() 0]

Е.Т. [() 0]

Е.Ш. [() 0]

Ал.Д. [() 0]

3rd year of study: Spring 2021

1. When the Moon is seen in the sky in its first or last quarter, you may notice THE CRESCENT.
2. Constantinople was considered “GOD-PROTECTED CITY” for more than a thousand years, but eventually it fell before THE INFIDEL.
3. Generally under ISLAM Christians did not UNDERGO PERSECUTION and were permitted to continue in THE OBSERVANCE OF THEIR FAITH.
4. Patriarch investing Sultan with his PASTORAL STAFF and became CHAMPION OF ISLAM and protector of Orthodoxy.
5. In the first centuries Christians by WITNESSING TO THEIR FAITH showed their dedication and true reverent love for the Lord.

1. THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE under the Turks fell to corruption and SIMONY.
2. This in turn led to the great taxation of THE PARISH CLERGY and their FLOCKS and to the frequent changing of the Patriarchs.
3. JESUITS and FRANCISCANS helped to develop Orthodox theology as they UNDERTOOK MISSIONARY WORK among Orthodox.
4. Jeremias in his three ANSWERS critiqued the doctrines of the Reformation and discussed such chief matters as FREE WILL AND GRACE, SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION, THE SACRAMENTS, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD, and PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS.
5. Catholic intervention helped LITTLE RUSSIA strengthen its Orthodox faith and even increase the education level above GREAT RUSSIA or anywhere else in the Orthodox world.

1. In Peter Moghila’s Confession passages about the CONSECRATION IN THE EUCHARIST (which he attributed solely to the WORDS OF INSTITUTION) and about PURGATORY later had to be altered.
2. Latin term TRANSUBSTANTIATION was adopted by Dositheus.
3. The Orthodox clergy attended IN FORCE, wearing full vestments, with candles and BANNERS during the Roman Catholic Blessed Sacrament.
4. In the 18th century Latin baptism was declared invalid and unable to give any SANCTIFICATION.
5. Although Nicodemus’s teaching of FREQUENT COMMUNION was attacked by some Orthodox, in 1819 a Council of Constantinople confirmed it.

В.Л. [(13) 84,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(198)

I agree with this expression. Excessive convenience and comfort hinder progress in spiritual matters. For example, monks and nuns avoid conveniences because it doesn't help them spiritually. People are always trying to save time, they buy various appliances for cleaning the house, cooking, ironing clothes, thereby saving themselves time, but often spending it on meaningless conversations or surfing the Internet. People forget about the regular life, start to chase something somewhere. As a result, life becomes stressful, full of anxiety and worries.
So we should not make ourlife easier and more convenient. It is important to understand and accept the discomfort. We should use it consciously and direct out attention to it. After a while, these inconveniences will give you more pleasure, make you more successful and happier.

В.Л. [(4,5) 71,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(199)

To love God with all your heart is the most important commandment. To love God means to fulfill His commandments, His will, that is, to do what God wants. To love God does not just mean to feel great sitting on a bench in church during Sunday worship. Rather, it means that I strive to do what pleases God, what gives Him pleasure. If during our fasting, vigils, renouncing property or worldly things and reading the Holy Scriptures, we do not please God, do not invest in this process, then it is all useless.
We can always turn to the Lord and ask Him about another option if we feel that it is very difficult for us to fulfill His will, but we unconditionally accept any of His answers. God, of course, can open a different path for us, because He is the most beautiful Lord and Father, merciful and kind to all His children. If there is no other way, then He will support us in fulfilling His will, which seems impossible to us.

В.Л. [(5) 67]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(200)

Any, even the most full-flowing and wide river originates from many small streams. Also, our habits, both good and bad, start small.
We must monitor our actions and words, because they can affect not only our lives, but also the lives of people around us.
We, students, sometimes have thoughts of missing one day of study. We think: "Well, it's just one day, what will happen?", but we are running the risk that it may become a habit. And now we have already missed not one day, but a week, with a bad excuse, and if we add the days missed due to illness or important reasons, then a large academic debt can accumulate, because of which we can be expelled.
Also, positive changes start small. My friend's mother was a religious person all her life, she grew up in a religious family, but she never fasted. And one year she decided that she would observe the fast. Naturally, she could not immediately give up all types of food and things, but this year she fully observed the Christmas fast and Great Lent.
Summing up, I can say that even small actions greatly affect our daily life and build our habits.

В.Л. [(4) 62]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(201)

We Christians often repeat the text of the continuous or Jesus prayer throughout the day, the text of which sounds like "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." We turn to God with it for help in times of danger, in difficult moments of life, and, most importantly, in times of temptation.
As for the gratitudes... Now it is very fashionable among people to write thanks for the day, but few people know that Christians daily, in their morning and evening prayers, and sometimes during the day, thank God: for awakening, opportunities, life.
Also, people have the phrase "Glory to Thee, Oh Lord" in everyday life, which we usually say after something that happened or vice versa did not happen. That way we praise and glorify the Lord God for the situations given to us.
So, this quote completely coincides with reality.

В.Л. [(5) 58]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(202)

People who have not known the fruits of temptation, who have not known passion and abundance, they are less vicious, more pure in soul and body. About someone who has lived all his life in poverty, need, problems, and who continues to live this way until now, you will think about and will want to help them more than someone who lived comfortably, but lost such a life. They, people who are in the former situation, always want to help, I want to feel sorry for them. The Lord Jesus Christ himself said that there is more joy in the Kingdom of Heaven about one penitent sinner than about ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent. This does not mean that he loves only the unfortunate and cares only for them. But those who suffer need his care more than those who do not experience adversity.

В.Л. [(3) 53]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(203)

I totally agree with this quote. Every person hardly tolerates various diseases or earthly adversities and cannot accept the fact that he feels bad, that he has some discomfort and suffering. When we feel bad, we even begin to grumble at God or blame Him for our problems, because we are too weak to accept illnesses or sorrows.
However, we forget that God does not give us all this for nothing, but for our sins or for our salvation. In difficult times, we must learn to turn to God even more often, to strive to be better. We must humbly accept all diseases and sorrows, remembering that they will remain on earth along with our life, that our salvation will happen through suffering.

В.Л. [(5) 50]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(204)

This is a very contradictory statement. Of course, we must remember that man is not omnipotent and no one can fully help himself. But on the other hand, no one, except the person himself, can decide what "too much" is. There are people who do a hundred times more than others, and they can't even think about limiting their powers. And there are people who understand the words "do not demand much from yourself" too literally and do not demand anything from themselves at all, do not expect and do not do anything. It is very important to understand your capabilities. But this does not mean that we should go easy, because we are weak, and God will still love us, unless we leave Him.

В.Л. [(5) 45]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(205)

This quote seems to me very interesting. Conscience is a kind of spiritual instinct that distinguishes good from evil faster and more clearly than the mind. Those who follow the voice of conscience will not regret their actions. In the Holy Scriptures, conscience is also called the heart. It is believed that our conscience is the inner voice of God in us. Therefore, listening to our conscience, we do not do bad things, we make the right choice. We must understand the purpose of conscience and listen to it, because God knows what is best for each of us. Conscience not only tells a person what is good or bad in itself morally, but also obliges him to do good and avoid doing bad, accompanying good actions with a sense of joy and satisfaction, and vicious actions with a sense of shame, fear, and mental anguish.
We can say that conscience is some kind of force separate from us, standing above man and dominating his mind, will and heart, although it is enclosed or living in him.

В.Л. [(5) 40]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(206)

This is a very interesting quote. As I understand it, it says here that a person takes information from books that he thinks will help him in life, so it was important for him to understand every word he read and not miss a single thought. For example, reading the Bible is not so difficult, but understanding and assimilating ideas from it actually takes our whole life, and not everyone can do it.
Many people, while reading, begin to subconsciously transfer the life of the hero they liked to themselves, and thereby begin to engage in introspection. Books are fuel for thinking, rethinking some things. So you need to take quite seriously the choice of what to read.

В.Л. [(5) 35]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(207)

This is a very contradictory quote. We should not condemn others for their sins and misdeeds, but we should also not be cruel to ourselves when it comes to our worldly actions. Of course, we should pay attention only to our sins, but we should not compare ourselves to others, who is more or less sinful. We should be responsible only for ourselves. We just need to know exactly about our misdeeds, and everything that is not yours does not concern you.
I agree that we should not dwell on the sins of others, because we have our own. But I do not agree that we should despise ourselves for this and hate ourselves.

В.Л. [(5) 30]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(208)

I completely agree with this quote. We must be careful not only in our actions, but also in our words and even thoughts, because the corruption or destruction of the soul begins with thoughts. Unfortunately, many people often gossip, letting negative feelings and attitudes inside themselves, and they most likely do not even think about how this affects their state of mind. God did not create us to condemn each other and point out to everyone else the imperfections of people. So we need to monitor our thoughts and words about other people. Instead, we should focus on our own shortcomings and work on them, not paying attention to the shortcomings of other people.

В.Л. [(5) 25]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(209)

Naturally, I agree with the words of St. Theophan the Recluse. But this idea may seem difficult to many people. Even I'm not sure that I fully understand the meaning of all the words correctly. Since most Orthodox people were baptized in infancy, they did not understand what was happening to them and why all this was happening. Some even came from not very religious families, in which relatives rarely went to church, if at all. This is done out of the consideration that they should do it because it was a custom in their family, or so that some external forces would protect the child, or even because they did not want their children to be exposed to the evil eye.
Such people will have to deal with our faith themselves at a more conscious age, understand its full value, and maybe even decide for themselves to profess another faith. And each of these actions will be wise and mature. A person should not be someone just because of the beliefs of their parents or their environment. You don't have to be a blind confessor, but you have to be conscious.

В.Л. [(5) 20]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(210)

Since childhood, every Christian has been taught that God is Love, and this is so. Faith is not only inseparable from love; it is love in all respects. The essence of this love is in God and in his attitude towards us. The main meaning of love is to do as much as possible for the well-being of others, and there are many ways to convey love. It can be expressed in care, in friendship, in the union of two people, in brotherhood and sisterhood. Therefore, we must act like our Lord. We must love each other.

В.Л. [(5) 15]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
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This is a very interesting and controversial quote. Unfortunately, due to my nature, I am a very hot-tempered person, just like my mother. And she sometimes says things to me that I categorically disagree with, that hurt me. In moments of our disagreements, I really feel angry and impatient with my mother's phrases. But I don't stop loving her or start loving her less after that. Of course, it is very easy to love a person when he loves us and is kind to us. But it is much more difficult to continue to love a person when he offends us or hurts us. And I agree that if we continue to love other people as much as before, even after their misdeeds or negligence, we love them in accordance with the gospel. But I do not quite agree with the view that we stop loving our neighbors in accordance with the Gospel only when, being offended, we are filled with a spirit of hostility, hatred or impatience.
I don't think that we should blame ourselves for being angry at someone or forgetting about the feeling of love during a quarrel or resentment. But we should not hold a grudge against this person later. This is a sign that we love this person according to our strengths.

В.Л. [(5) 10]

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I completely agree with this quote. Work is the basis of human life and development. A person works in order to provide himself and his family with a decent standard of living. Without moving towards some goal, a person's life becomes dull, meaningless. Everyone, most likely, noticed that after the school year or on the first day of vacation, we just want to lie on the couch, order food, do nothing, but by the end of a long weekend or vacation, there was a desire to move more, read, go somewhere, because we want to be saturated with emotions. Just like our body, our soul needs movement and energy.
Thus, labour means life as it is.

В.Л. [(5) 5]

1. Back in the times of Jesus Christ people were using WINESKINS to store wine.
2. PAPAL INFALLIBILITY is one of the most striking, and perhaps even shocking, doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.
3. OBSERVING, KEEPING THE FASTS is important for every Orthodox person.
4. The 20th century was a time of trials for all DEVOUT Orthodox.

С.З. [(2) 22,5]

1. Jesus is sometimes spoken of as the BRIDEGROOM, as the one to whom the Church is betrothed.
2. It might be reasonable to conclude that the Catholic PETRINE EXCLUSIVISM is not well supported by the Gospels.
3. People go to churches to participate in CORPORATE, or communal WORSHIP.
4. The TRISAGION is one of the most ancient prayers in Christianity.

С.З. [(2) 20,5]

1. In the East marriages were consummated in BRIDAL CHAMBERS.
2. Some monks become HERMITS, completely detaching themselves from the wider society.
3. Detaching oneself from WORLDLY CONCERNS is a great Christian feat.
4. In many Christian denominations there are people who take POVERTY VOWS.

С.З. [(2) 18,5]

1. Many people who consider themselves RIGHTEOUS have no right to call themselves such.
2. LITURGICAL REFORMS are not nearly as common in the Orthodox Church as in the Catholic.
3. The CHIEF HIERARCH of the Russian Orthodox Church at the moment is Patriarch Cyril.
4. The people who had LAPSED INTO HERESY probably receive less of God’s GRACE.

С.З. [(2) 16,5]

1. PUBLICANS were essential for the Roman economy, for they collected taxes.
2. BODILY ASSUMPTION OF MARY is a belief held by Catholics that the body of the Mother of God was elevated, or “ASSUMED” into heaven.
3. THE PHILOKALIA, a book the title of which translates from Greek as “love of good”, was a pivotal book published during an 18th century SPIRITUAL REVIVAL on Mt. Athos.
4. The Orthodox Church honours many NEW MARTYRS who suffered for their faith in the 20th century.

С.З. [(3) 14,5]

1. IT CAME TO PASS that my tea was left forgotten on the windowsill for over three years.
2. The MELKITE SCHISM was a painful blow to the Orthodox Church, separating many Antiochian Christians from it.
3. Watching the cats fight was a truly UNEDIFYING sight.
4. JANISSARIES formed what was possibly the first standing army in Europe.

С.З. [(1,5) 11,5]

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Truly profound thoughts can be seen as a kind of an onion, having many layers to them that you can just keep peeling, and each one would be as rich as the next. This can also be said of St. Paisios’ passage, to which I personally can relate on multiple levels. On a surface level I can deeply relate to his pure scholarly practicality. Theory is fantastic and useful on its own, but only by being applied, implemented into something tangible, does it turn into something truly worthwhile. This is a thought that I’m sure is shared by most people who have to deal with theoretical matters. But on a deeper level, what St. Paisios says really does put in the limelight our innate sense of discovery, perhaps best illustrated by that “spiritual restlessness”. God might be beyond our comprehension, but it is this “restlessness” that pushes us towards him, that pushes us to seek closer contact with the Lord, including through the search of knowledge, through the discovery of the world He created.

С.З. [(5) 10]

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It is hard to deny that God gave man the gift of ultimate vivacity. Bemoan as we may the laziness and decadence of whichever generation, deep inside we all know that nobody alive is capable of pure laziness. A mentally healthy person constantly needs to occupy themselves with something, to do something that would keep their attention, to be active, to labour. This is nothing short of a gift, a perpetual motion machine that, in many ways, constantly pushes us forward. But even the hardiest locomotive needs maintenance, and this is something that, I feel, St. Theophan the Recluse noted very astutely. The pandemic has, in many ways, thrown a spanner in our works, and many of us, thrown off balance, have started working less, let their attention slip, let this spark of life go dim. And fanning that flame back after it has diminished is a herculean task for certain. St. Theophan reminds me that we need to be the firemen of our engines, and it is our duty to keep labouring, lest our coals go cold and the locomotive of our lives slows down to a crawling halt.

С.З. [(5) 5]

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I agree with the statement of Archbishop Averky. Our conscience is an inner voice that rebukes us when we are about to do something that we consider to be bad or urges us to do something that we consider to be good. And since those values for Christians are defined by the Gospel, the calls of conscience perfectly align with the commandments that were passed to us by God. That’s why many people refer to the conscience as “God’s voice”.

Д.Б. [(5) 41,5]

1) The Orthodox Church denies the existence of THE PURGATORY.
2) In life-threatening circumstances baptism can be performed even by someone from THE LAITY, although if the baptized person survives, he should be chrismated properly by a priest.
3) THE SOCIETY OF JESUS was founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1540.

Д.Б. [(1,5) 36,5]

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I agree with the statement of St. Paisios. Human mind is easily distracted by worldly things, so it is entirely possible to begin a conversation with the intention to discuss spiritual matters but then end up in gossip.
It is also true that gossiping is not only wasting our time, but our souls too, because gossip always involves judging someone for their actions or appearance, and as we all know, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matthew, 7:1-2)

Д.Б. [(5) 35]

1) One has to wonder if a STATE-SPONSORED SYNOD is legitimate, since the head of the state might pressure the members of it to act according to his preference, not to the truth.
2) NON-JURORS, in search of support against the main Anglican Church, tried to establish communion with the Orthodox in 1716-1725.
3) THE PHILOKALIA is a massive compilation of spiritual writings on the theory and practice of prayer from different authors of 4th-15th centuries, published in 1782 in Venice and brought together by SAINT NICODEMUS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, and SAINT MACARIUS, METROPOLITAN OF CORINTH.

Д.Б. [(2,5) 30]

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I completely agree with St. Theophan’s statement. An Orthodox Christian must know the dogmas of his faith and understand why this is the true way to Christ. A blind confessor who doesn’t know much about his faith can be easily manipulated into betraying Orthodoxy and following another religion, since he doesn’t have an understanding of why exactly the other religions are not right.
I remember a priest at my school who always reminded us about this necessity of knowledge of your faith. He even tried to prepare us for the debates with sectarians by giving one person a list of objections to Orthodoxy from the point of view of different sects, and asking another person to disprove them. He told us, “You should always be ready to defend your faith, because the others are well prepared to attack it”.

Д.Б. [(5) 27,5]

1) The reforms of the late VATICAN II marked a new era in the history of Roman Catholic Church.
2) After Byzantine Church has accepted THE FLORENTINE UNION, Russian Orthodox Church had no choice but to become AUTOCEPHALOUS.
3) Leo III was the emperor of Byzantium during the 8th century who LAPSED INTO HERESY of iconoclasm.

Д.Б. [(2) 22,5]

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I completely agree with the statement of Elder Arsenios. True faith is impossible without love, and St. Paul confirms it in his Epistle to the Corinthians: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthans, 13:1-2). Although it might seem to others that someone capable of all those things is of great faith, St. Paul shows that without love all of this is not true and not from God, and such a man is nothing in God’s eyes.
And true love is also impossible without faith; we can find an example of that in the Gospel: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matthew, 5:46-47). People without faith are only capable of loving those who love them, while true love for a Christian means loving everyone, including your enemies and those who offend you.

Д.Б. [(5) 20,5]

1) Despite establishing JOINT COMMISSION FOR THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE back in 1979, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches still have their disagreements to this day.
2) SAINT NILUS OF SORA, known as the leader of THE NON-POSSESSORS, began his campaign against ownership of land by monasteries at a Church council in 1503.
3) The statement of Nilus was supported by a lot of monks and hermits from monasteries beyond Volga, who will later be known as “TRANSVOLGA HERMITS”.

Д.Б. [(2) 15,5]

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I completely agree with the quote of Righteous John, because his point can be proven with the words of Jesus Christ himself. As He says, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew, 5:44), and also, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matthew, 5:46-47).
These statements confirm that it is not enough for a true Christian to only love others when they love him, since it is easy, and publicans and heathens can do that as well. What they cannot do, however, is to maintain this love in the face of offence – their immediate reaction is to respond with the same offence and hatred. That’s where Christians should surpass them and preserve their love for those who did them wrong.

Д.Б. [(5) 13,5]

1) Because of their belief in PAPAL UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION, Catholics often didn’t treat the representatives of other Churches as equal to them.
2) THE JOSEPHITES, also know as THE POSSESSORS, is a monastic movement in 16th century Russia that supported the monasteries’ right to own land.
3) I’ve never heard of a FOOL FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST who came from a Western-European country.

Д.Б. [(2) 8,5]

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I agree with St. Theophan the Recluse’s statement. Absence of labor gives way to idleness and apathy, which prevent you from physical and spiritual development, causing stagnation. Moreover, this state makes it harder for you to combat your sins and addictions, which in severe cases can lead to your demise (hence “extinction of the sparks of life”).
It definitely has a lot of practical applications in modern peoples’ lives, since laziness and procrastination are a bane of today’s society. We must remember St. Theophan’s advice and never let idleness be dominant over us.

Д.Б. [(5) 6,5]

1. In its current state, the Catholic Church is unlikely to reject PAPAL PETRINE EXCLUSIVISM, making a union between them and us virtually impossible.
2. It’s extremely hard to KEEP THE FASTS to monastic standards for modern lay people, so it’s impressive to see someone succeeding in that.
3. Wide use of INDULGENCES was one of the key factors that made Martin Luther doubt the righteousness of the Catholic Church.

Д.Б. [1,5]

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I totally agree with this statement. Dorotheos of Gaza was right saying that. I remember the words: «For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.» (Galatians 5:17). Our desires are like cages for us. And we can can be free and be released just after we can get rid of them.

Д.Ж. [(5) 82]

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This quote reminds us of something important. The process of repenting is really hard. Repentance must be rooted in a high value on God, not a high value on oneself. Only then can turning away from sin towards holiness truly be called repentance. So, we should remember about hardness of this process and respect the path to repentance of every person.

Д.Ж. [(4) 77]

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I totally agree with this statement. Christians can be generous in many ways, including giving our money, time, energy, talent, as well as showing hospitality, sharing food, and other good works. Generosity overflows from our life in Christ. It’s a heart response because we are recipients of such amazing grace. Christian generosity is to be like that of our God. Because we love God, we can love others as ourselves and do good works for their good.

Д.Ж. [(5) 73]

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If I may, I want to change this quote a little bit. I remember the statement ~~about~~ that people appreciate things only when they have lost it and not when they had it. And the reason is that 1 We respect the things if and only if we got them by hard-work and patience.
2 Most people take things for ~~the~~ granted when it was achieved by accident.
3 We start regretting as appreciating the things instead of trying hard to get them because we didn’t know how we got them earlier.
And I think that when we appreciate and respect the things we have around, there will never be a chance of loosing things or people.

Д.Ж. [(3,5) 68]

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I can agree with this quote of the week. St. Maximos the Confessor was undoubtedly right saying that. We should remember the words «Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things» (Romans 2:1). It’s important to live your own life and remember that only God can judge us and no one else. «For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God» (Romans 14:10).

Д.Ж. [(4) 64,5]

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I can say that this quote is quite interesting for me. Elder Joseph the Hesychast is talking about a popular topic. Unfortunately, a lot of people on social networks are trying to show themselves to those around them from the side which is best in their opinion. Almost everyone wants to look richer, prettier, smarter than they really are. And here lies the main problem: people are not trying to be richer, more beautiful and smarter, but are trying to seem richer, more beautiful, and smarter. And this applies not only to those who are far from faith – many Christians also strive to seem more pious, moral, and kinder. The problem of self-acceptance remains for many of us a truly insoluble problem. At first glance, there is nothing wrong with that. We want to change. But then we can realize that the problem is deeper than that. Speaking about God, it is more important for us not to be ourselves; it is very important to look, to seem. We continue to run ahead again and again, in our striving not to be, but to seem.

Д.Ж. [(4) 60,5]

Sometimes a person WITHDRAWS into a remote area to live an ascetic live away from worldly temptations. He finds A PLACE OF RETREAT and stays there for a long period. Sergius of Radonezh is one of the most famous and venerable HERMITS. He gathered a group of disciples in a remote area and founded there a HERMITAGE that became THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS HOUSE IN THE LAND. Even Prince Dmitry Donskoy visited Sergius of Radonezh TO SECURE HIS BLESSING.

SIMONY is a kind of corruption inside church`s community when priestly ranks are sold and bought. It can be buying such rank as bishop or ranks of PARISH CLERGY as well. In such situations corruption leads even to cases when FLOCKS are taxed by their priest. Even THE PATRIARCHAL THRONE is given to the candidate who paid more then the others. This situation may lead to a terrible consequences such as great amount of ABDICATIONS and patriarchs who SUFFERED VIOLENT DEATHS.

Russian church is considered as THE SUCCESSORS OF BYZANTIUM since 1453.
Since that moment Russian church was AUTOCEPHALOUS which means that it appointed its own CHIEF HIERARCH.
Those who LAPSED INTO HERESY were excommunicated and claimed heretics but some of them continued preaching activity and even wrote pseudo-PROPHETICAL BOOKS.
The Pope claims himself to be the only SPIRITUAL DESCENDANT of Peter.

The rank «CHIEF PROCURATOR» was established by Peter I in 1722. This position was usually given to a lay person who was appointed to control the activity of the HOLY SYNOD. This SYSTEM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT existed until 1917. This period is remembered as a time of decline when the church was IN COMPLETE SUBSERVIENCE TO THE STATE.

Russian Orthodox Church didn`t UNDERGO either a REFORMATION or a COUNTER-REFORMATION while some others, such as JESUITS and FRANCISCANS, BOWED EVENTUALLY TO THE INEVITABLE. But they UNDERTOOK MISSIONARY WORK AMONG ORTHODOX so some consequences of Reformation and Counter-Reformation affected the Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Jeremias II was among the first who criticized doctrines of the Reformation from an Orthodox point of view. His criticism was about such important questions as FREE WILL AND GRACE, SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION. He entered this discussion unintentionally just to answer some questions of the Lutherans. In these letters he also referred to the questions of THE SACRAMENTS, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD, and PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS.

Members of the «UNIATE» church acknowledged THE SUPREMACY OF THE POPE but they preserved some of their traditions and PRACTICES, that`s why they are called «CATHOLICS OF THE EASTERN RITE».
Patriarch Cyril’s reign was very hard and tragic. He was DEPOSED FROM OFFICE and REINSTATED six times.
SAINT NICODEMUS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN was in the center of the SPIRITUAL REVIVAL in the eighteenth century which is also called SPIRITUAL REAWAKENING.

Some people insist on OBSERVING ALL FASTS, they say that it`s necessary for PARTAKING OF THE MOST PURE MYSTERIES. Nowadays such urge isn`t so strict as it used to be during the TIME OF TROUBLES. Then there was a group of reformers which consisted of married PARISH CLERGY. They proclaimed that even children should KEEP THE FASTS.

Ал.Д. [(27) 54]

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I quite agree with this saying. Since childhood every Christian has been taught that God is Love, and it is so. «God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him». (1st John 4:16). I suppose it is one of the most popular phrases about the Lord. But let`s start from the very beginning. To be faithful means to believe in God, to trust his will, have no doubts in his words. But to have such opportunity we must know why we trust him. The answer is simple he`s the Lord, he loves us, he wants us to be saved, wants it so much that he became incarnate and suffered for our sins. Isn`t it Love? I suppose it is.
But what about us? What are we supposed to do? To love him in response. We have to trust him, rely on him, his wisdom and love. In other words we should have love like a child has to his father. Jesus Christ said: «And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these». (Mark 12: 30-31) So there`s no separation between love and Faith. Those who believe in God and trust his will definitely love him because such trust without love is impossible. And those who love him undoubtedly trust him because such love without trust is not possible, either.

Ал.Д. [(4) 27]

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As I see, the point of this quote is a statement that a person shouldn`t be too self-confident. Of course, a human being is given free will and we are able to decide what to do and how to do it. But there are some things that we can do and some that we can`t. For example, we can not fight our sins only with our willpower because we have not enough power to do in only by our own strength. But «The things which are impossible with men are possible with God». (Luke 18: 27) So that`s why Abbot Nikon Vorobiev urges us to humble ourselves before God and give it all to his hands.
But that`s not the only point. It`s not enough just to say «Thy will be done» and do nothing. We have to do all that we can and all that is possible. We have to do all that is needed according to our strength so that God can see our efforts and desire to be worthy of his Kingdom.
So when we see that our sins are taking over and we have not enough strength to resist them we should not to fall into despair but continue fighting them and cry unto God «Lord have mercy on me, a sinner».

Ал.Д. [(3) 23]

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I personally find this quote quite reasonable because even the best intentions could turn into a gossip or rant. For example I faced it few times. When a person says something which he thinks is a right thing to discuss he gets distracted by other fellows or some daily problems and his speech which started as a spiritually true statement turns into a rant.
So Saint Paisios of Mount Athos prevents us from vain talks, because gossip can easily turn into a judgement which will damage not only our time but our soul too, because Christ said: «For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged» (Matthew 7: 2). So as I see it, that`s why we should be very careful about what we say. We can not even notice how we commit sin during a usual or even spiritual conversation that`s why we should be careful about what we think and twice more careful about what we say.

Ал.Д. [(4,5) 20]

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Once Christ said: «Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven». (KJB Luke 6: 37) and, as I see it, that`s what this quote is about. Righteous John of Kronstadt urges us to judge only our own sins and infirmities and not to judge the sins of our neighbors.
Here I can refer to Christ's words: «First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye». (Matthew 7: 5) In daily life we often encounter situations when we see our neighbor sinning and as it seems to me the best way not to judge them is to follow the advice of Righteous John of Kronstadt. We should fight against our own sins and regard ourselves as the greatest sinners of all so that we won`t judge our neighbors «For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged» (Matthew 7: 2).

Ал.Д. [(3,5) 15,5]

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In this quote Protopriest Gregory Dyachenko encourages faithful Christians not to be afraid of death because when our earthly way ends, earthly needs, sorrows, and sufferings end too. I see the point of this quote, it`s based on Christian teaching which says that when a person dies his soul ascends to Heaven «where there is no pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting». So this teaching is one of the basic points of Orthodoxy. That`s why each day when we commemorate death of a saint is regarded as a great feast.
During the whole funeral service we can hear different words proving the same, that it`s the end of our sufferings and tribulations. «With the spirits of the righteous made perfect, give rest, Saviour, to the soul of your servant»; «You are our God who descended into Hades, and released from pain those who had been bound; give rest, Saviour, also to the soul of your servant»; etc. So I agree with this statement, Christians should not be afraid of death because there isn`t an actual death but a unification with our Heavenly Father.

Ал.Д. [(4) 12]

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The path of our life we choose ourselves. Everything depends on what we put in the foreground for ourselves, what is our priority. Most of the people set a goal for themselves to get as much worldly goods as possible. Moreover they forget the most important things, that firstly we should collect treasure in Heavens. People who want to dedicate their life to God, choose the way of misfortune and sorrows to be closer to Him. In the Gospel there is a situation. Once a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.. The man said that all these he had kept. Then Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus Christ said: “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23).
I see the point of this quote and I totally agree with it. When a person has all goods and riches on earth, then he doesn’t think about eternal life. So if you truly want to be with God, don’t look for treasures on earth and don’t get attached to them.

А.Д. [(5) 100]

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Sometimes we can feel that God has left us or doesn't hear us. Or that He is so far away. That He doesn't see our pain or hear our moans. In these moments we should drive away such thoughts. Personally I know a lot of similar situations, where a person is trying to pray constantly for a long time and there is no answer or sign from Heavens. More often people get upset. Then it is enough to come to the church and you feel that God is always with you and never leaves you alone. In one moment you look back and are astonished how He cares for you, how helps you and leads you to the right path all the time. Your eyes are fill with tears when you realise that your Heavenly Father has always been with you, even when He left your prayers without answers. You just need to be patient and ask God to do everything according to his Holy will. Because God is love and He does all the best for us.
I see the point and I absolutely agree with it. So frequently we lose ourselves in our worries and that is why we forget the most important things. It is vital we remember the main goal of our lives and don’t lose ~~the~~ communion with God. When we realise that no one would love us like our Father in spite of our many sins and transgressions, “our hearts will be filled to overflowing with ardent and reverent love for Him”.

А.Д. [(3,5) 95]

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Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt said: If we call upon the saints with faith and love, then they will immediately hear us. Faith is the connecting element on our part, and love on theirs, as well as ours; for they are in God, and we are in God, Who is Love. (195) I see the point of this quote and I totally agree with it. Christianity is based on ~~the~~ faith. When we pray we believe that one to whom we pray will hear us. And we believe in One God. So we should pray with this faith to the saints as if we see them in reality and don’t just mechanically pronounce the words. We shall pray with warmth and love, because we know that we pray to people who love us too. Love is a connection between us and the Kingdom. Without love we cannot be truly Christian, because God is love (1 John 4:8), this is what He is like.
This quote really touched me. All people need love and they are looking for it all the time. And words cannot express how it is joyful to realise that there is your Father, Who loves you, the Virgin Mary, Who won’t leave you and the saints who always hear you.

А.Д. [(4,5) 91,5]

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I fully agree with this statement. The word ‘labor’ can be understood by another meaning. For example, as the profession of a person.
Anyway a person should have his own business and getting money isn’t the main purpose. The main purpose is the business he is engaged in during his life. And without this business, this Labor each person loses the taste for life. If there is nothing to do you just get bored.
Someone exercises in prayer and it brings him joy that keeps him alive. Work brings joy because of which you want to live on and develop and improve.
To summarize, there is no life without labor. Each person has to find his own destiny and work all his or her life, because it is necessary for salvation.

А.Д. [(5) 87]

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As I see, the words of Saint John are about saints. It is about the highest degree of love which only saints can achieve. In our common lives it is literally unrealistic. But as we know everything starts from a little thing. And if you were successful in this little thing then it would already be a good result.
So let’s imagine the scene with any quarrel. Firstly you can remove any loud screams and it will be the first necessary step. Then you can try to work for your invisible inner part, for your soul.
Let’s remember Seraphim of Sarov. His ascetic feat is difficult to overestimate. When he was beaten by strangers, he kept inner calmness and humility. He forgave his abusers and held no grudge against them.
Jesus Christ also said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). So we should try to follow the example of our Saviour.
So being humble and trying to suppress your anger is the thing people have to do in order to be closer to the Kingdom.

А.Д. [(5) 82]

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I fully agree with this statement. As we know from the Gospel, God is love and love itself is impossible without faith. The construction of humans, the way we think according to our hearts allows us to receive love and understand it. Without faith we cannot fully receive and get love from others. If a person doesn’t believe that God is our Holy Father, who loves each of His creatures, how will he learn the source of love and from where will he take it?
Moreover I would also like to add that Hope is one of the components. When a person begins to believe in something, he has Faith and then Hope and then love. So hope is inseparable from them.

А.Д. [(5) 77]

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This statement made me think about who can be called a person at all. I agree with these words and will try to explain why.
This is about what distinguishes a person from an animal, that is, the ability to think, to defend one's position, to live according to one's own principles, and not to act according to one's instincts. If you take away a person's freedom, he will remain true to the ideology in which he believes. For this, he will give the most precious thing he has, which is his life.
I want to say the same about the Orthodox people who, despite ~~the~~ persecution, torture and intimidation, remained faithful to Christ. As believers, they knew that death is not the end, that there is another life after death, so they were not afraid to leave the earthly life for the sake of faith.
Everything that surrounds us now is temporary. Everyone knows this, but this fact still needs to be realized, passed through and strive for the other. Each person has his own path, which he must go through, regardless of others.
As we know from history, some people have already tried to impose their own ideology of fascism in the Second World War. There are known heroes who did not become traitors. And they went to death for their homeland and for their self-consciousness and their ideals, giving the most precious things. These people are completely free individuals.
Also, I want to give an example of a moral feat and loyalty to your faith. Yevgeny Alexandrovich Rodionov was executed for refusing to remove his cross. This example illustrates that when a person becomes a true Christian,
Thus, a person's actions begin with thoughts, and what is inside us, no one can take away from us, as long as we stand firm in the defense of our principles.

А.Д. [(3,5) 72]

1. Prince Dmitry Donskoy wanted TO SECURE SERGIUS' BLESSING and went especially to him for this purpose.
2. The Orthodox Church has not UNDERGONE either a REFORMATION or a Counter-Reformation, but these two movements have had some influence upon Orthodoxy.
3. JESUITS and FRANCISCANS helped to develop Orthodox theology as they UNDERTOOK MISSIONARY WORK among Orthodox.
4. THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION is the primary confession of faith used in the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Protestant Reformation.
5. There were some associations (brotherhoods) founded by LAITY and several energetic Orthodox nobles in LITTLE RUSSIA.
6. The members of a "UNIATE" Church in Poland are called "CATHOLICS OF THE EASTERN RITE."
7. THE COUNCIL OF FLORENCE was an Ecumenical Council of bishops and other ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church.
8. The Catholic Church recognizes THE SUPREMACY OF THE POPE on the assumption that he is the successor of Peter.
9. THE UNION OF BREST was the decision of a number of Orthodox bishops in the region of what is modern Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus to depart from the Orthodox Church and place themselves under the Pope of Rome.
10. According to the belief of some Christians (mostly Catholics), PURGATORY is supposed to cleanse you from your sins.

А.Ж. [(6,5) 84,5]

After THE TIME OF TROUBLES the leadership of the REFORMING MOVEMENT passed to a group of married PARISH CLERGY.
In the 17th century there were exiting standards by DEVOUT Russians: woman WITH CHILD RECITED 400 prayers etc.
PAPAL INFALLIBILITY relies on Catholic dogma of PAPAL SUPREMACY.

Д.Ж. [(3,5) 56,5]

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«Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these» (Mark 12:31). We should notice that loving our neighbors is so important to God because we can find these words eight times in the Bible. Of corse it’s not so easy and sometimes it’s quite difficult. But before we can give this love to someone we need to receive it. We can’t give something that we don’t have. So, we all are objects of love. «This is love. Not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son as a propitiation…» (1 John 4:10). He’s the main source of our love and without it there will be no love at all.

Д.Ж. [(4) 53]

1 Moscow succeeded Constantinople as the Third Rome because Constantinople HAD FALLEN INTO HERESY at the Council of Florence and then was taken by the Turks.
2 The monk Philotheus of Pskov wrote that all CHRISTIAN EMPIRES had fallen and only Russia stood alone in accordance with THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS.
3 At a Church council in 1503 the division among Saint Sergius’s SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS first came into open. One group was known as THE POSSESSORS and its leader was Saint Joseph. And the other group was known as THE NON-POSSESSORS, it consisted chiefly of HERMITS, and was led by Saint Nilus. The Possessors emphasized THE SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS OF MONASTICISM and named among other duties ALMSGIVING. And the Non-Possessors argued that a monk must BE DETACHED FROM THE WORLD and to achieve true detachment one must VOW TO COMPLETE POVERTY so as not to act and think in A WORLDLY WAY. Among other things, the Possessors believed in A CLOSE ALLIANCE BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE and the Non-Possessors drew a clearer line between THE THINGS OF CAESAR AND THE THINGS OF GOD. Also while Nilus feared that beauty in worship might become an IDOL and so demanded from monks SELF-STRIPPING, Joseph realized the importance of CORPORATE WORSHIP.

С.Г. [(9) 96]

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Saint Theophan the Recluse said:“Where there are no labours, there are stagnation and the extinction of the sparks of life.” I see Saint Theophan’s point and I fully agree with what he said. Even from a non-religious point of view, life without work is viewed as something we should avoid. But usually it is not about helping other people. Usually it is about being occupied with something useful and it does not matter whether it is physical toil or mental.
So, it is a more or less universal idea, that one should be occupied with something useful. I think that most people have been in a situation when doing nothing becomes unbearable. Maybe that is why at the end of long holidays I always want to return to studying. But Christian understanding of labour is a bit different. Jesus Christ says that we should not labour for food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. So we should not work just for the sake of work so that we would not be bored and our life would have some purpose. But we should work so that there would not be stagnation and the extinction of the sparks of our spiritual life. And that labour can be in many forms such as helping other people or praying.

С.Г. [(5) 87]

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I fully agree with these words. The Cross is the most-powerful, almighty source of comfort and strength in times of sorrow, despondency, and despair. The Cross is, first of all, the symbol of our salvation. In signing ourselves with the sign of the Cross, we pray to God through His Cross, through his sacrifice. Signing oneself with the sign of the Cross has particular meaning when praying for forgiveness and salvation, for we cannot be forgiven or saved on account of any personal merits, no matter how great they might be. It is only thanks to the Passion of Christ, at the price of His blood, and only after our repentance and the fruits of repentance, that we dare hope in forgiveness and salvation. It is the primary, profound meaning of signing oneself with the sign of the Cross.
I would say that there is no true faith without the cross. To carry your cross means to choose not what you like, what is easier, but what is better, what is pleasing to God, what benefits one's fellow. The Cross is truth, it is wisdom. Sin, pride is stupidity. And if we lose our cross, we lose not only Christianity, but also ourselves.

Е.Т. [(4,5) 86]

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Sin is something that we have inherited and are born with as Adam and Eve’s descendants. It is the inclination to follow our own self-will rather than God’s will. We experience this inclination every time we are tempted by our desires to commit sin. However, if we do not agree with the temptation, we do not commit sin. This is where the fight against sin lies. And this fight is very difficult and long. It is not possible to defeat sin once and for all. Because as soon as the evil forces realized where we have a weak point, they always shoot at this place. Eternal struggle with sin and evil is the way to our salvation. To take part in this battle is to give up everything that would come between yourself and your goal – deification.

Е.Т. [(5) 81,5]

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I quite agree with the words of St. Theophan the Recluse. Where is labour, the movement can be found. This movement leads a person somewhere and as working means humbling yourself and struggling in order to reach something it is basically should lead one way or another to some development. Thus, labour means life as it is. And without it there is no life but deterioration and decline.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 94]

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I fully agree with the quotation of Righteous John. Our lives are not trouble-free by any means, but our souls can be at peace. And if you remain calm, you are fair and kind towards these people and this shows that you judge them and the situation honestly, thinking not only about yourself but also about your neighbor. This is the best confirmation that your love is truly sincere.

Е.Ш. [(4) 89,5]

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Undoubtedly, these words are true. While we are struggling with our sins, while our nature is still corrupted, we will sin until we won that inner battle. But this battle is long-lasting which means it takes all the sources. That is why struggling faithful people pray continually and God gives them and us mercies unstoppably, encouraging us out of pure love. And that love can’t be taken without gratitude and praise as it is the way and it is the aim of it all.

Е.Ш. [(5) 85,5]

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I absolutely agree with the quote of Abba Pimen and it’s just impossible to argue with it. ~~The~~ silence in not about your position on the diagram between two poles which are “a chatterbox” and “a taciturn person”. ~~The~~ silence is not about the physical act of speaking but about the state of the heart, of the soul. Silence means here not ~~the~~ emptiness but ~~the~~ purity of heart. While a man whose heart is condemning others is full of evil and sin in a reality.

Е.Ш. [(3,5) 80,5]

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I fully agree with St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, as putting the idea in the simplified example we can say that not understanding how something works in our life at best will give us no result which we expected and at worst will cause some damage to us. But in the issue of prayer at any rate it means a great threat to one’s spiritual life or show that one’s faithfulness may be false and ~~the~~ nature more corrupted than it is thought.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 77]

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I believe that this is especially hard burning topic of the day. The more I live, the more I come back again and again to the thought that our existence and the world around us are extremely overflowing with those sparking and distracting things. For example, the numberless shops with the goods which are produced by at least several companies and often without caring whether they are needed or not. In the market of cosmetics you cannot work out the sense of the goods as there are huge numbers of them and even a bigger number of the companies from Europe, USA, Asia that make them. The same is with clothes, accessories, decorative stuff and so on and so on. Programs on the TV and on the Internet are produced in such quantities that I’m not really sure how much of it is watched, not even talking about their quality or usefulness. And the worst thing that frustrates me is that how much time all these things take from people's lives. This way it is indeed unrealistic to collect ourselves and contemplate our inner state.

Е.Ш. [(3) 72,5]

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I agree with these words as even nowadays we haven’t yet forgotten the result which gave humanity that effort to live according to the ideas of the age of Enlightenment. Human reason is imperfect just as any other part of our entity. So why should it be an infallible organ of knowledge? So the only way which can bring us to the truth is the way of purification and restoration, and transfiguration of us on the whole.

Е.Ш. [(5) 69,5]

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I think, Righteous John is right when he talks about love in accordance with the Gospel. His thoughts are close to my own opinion, but I realize that such an approach is not actually easy. We need to love our neighbours to be closer to God. However, in practice, we can barely fully love our parents and wives/husbands. Therefore, it is a great labour to love all those around you. And I think learning how to do it is one of the parts that make up the meaning of our life. Righteous John offers us a wonderful "identifier" so that we can understand whether we are succeeding or not. You should also pay attention to his words "remain calm". These words do not call us to be indifferent. They only suggest that our love should not be shaken, it should remain calm.

А.Ж. [(5) 78]

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I fully agree with St. Theophan's opinion. I came to these thoughts three years ago, but I wish I understood it earlier. Because when I was a teenager I liked to waste my time doing nothing. Lying and watching movies were my favourite things, but I felt strange after this. Now I understand why. People really need to have labour in their life. We are suffocating without moving. And saying labour I mean physical, mental and spiritual work. Our bodies need physical exercises as much as our souls need prayer which is the best spiritual exercise itself. So, this quote was useful and it squarely fits my idea of Christianity.

А.Ж. [(5) 73]

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These words of the Righteous John of Kronstadt seemed very interesting to me. Indeed, when a person has everything he does not notice it, and only when he loses something he realizes the value of what he once had.
Мost often it is easier to find the true path to God for a person who has lost something or simply does not have wealth, e.g. either money or real estate, than for a person who has everything. Because such a person has nothing. And the only hope for him is God. He turns to God, realizing his weakness, trusting His mercy and salvation. God is his support. He trusts Him, resorts to Him, and in love for him grows and becomes stronger.
The Righteous John of Kronstadt said that the path of those who love God is a narrow one. I understand these words in such a way that the path to God is one and it is simple and it is open for every person.

Е.Т. [(5) 76,5]

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I fully agree with Archbishop Seraphim’s words.
We must restrain ourselves in everything that does not benefit our soul. The human enemy does not sleep and is always ready to destroy us. And our main task is to fight him with dignity.
Quarrels, resentments, anger are all sins that destroy our human nature and decompose the soul. And the only way to fight against sins is prayer. The power of the prayer of supplication is great, and the power of the prayer of thanksgiving is many times greater. Therefore, it is very important to be grateful to God.
All the tests that are given to a person, he can pass and cope with them. Nothing happens just like that. The main thing is to stay with God.

Е.Т. [(5) 71,5]

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I really agree with St. Theophan the Recluse. His opinion is very popular nowadays. Many people came to similar thoughts. However, St. Theophan explains his idea in accordance with the Christian faith. I think, it is good to have blind faith, because we should believe in God as children do, without any doubt. But our actions and thoughts must have a solid foundation. This foundation can be built on self-awareness and independence of mind. In our world where we have so much information from all sides, it is very difficult to find the right ideas and thoughts. It seems to me that one of the ways to form your own views can be to consider the views of other people and have some critical research. It is a good idea to read the holy fathers and historical books, you can also watch different videos and listen to podcasts. But you should always remember that the information may be incorrect. You need to learn to analyze and criticize it. On the one hand, it is very interesting, and on the other hand, it is very difficult too. However, in the end, with the help of God, it can lead to a correct understanding of your faith.

А.Ж. [(5) 68]

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I fully agree with Elder Arsenios’ quote. His opinion is really close to my idea of Christianity. It seems easy for us to love people, but it is hard without deep faith. Because all the people usually associate love with some pleasant things. Especially, if we speak about romantic love. But in Christian understanding love is not about it. It is about giving your help, your support, and other resources to people around you. Without expecting something back from them. This view is the same in families and in communication with friends and even with strangers. In “The First Epistle of John”, we can see a wonderful quote: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.” (1 John 1:20) I really like that idea. I think it continues Elder Arsenios’ thoughts. So, if you don't know how to go to God, the best way is to start taking care of the people around you.

А.Ж. [(5) 63]

1. The autocrat of Russia was called to act as CHAMPION and protector of Orthodoxy.
2. A sad division occurred among Sergius’s SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS, so the social and the mystical side of monasticism became separated.
3. There were HERMITS in the Russian Church, who lived beyond the Volga.
4. God teaches us to practice ALMSGIVING to the poor.
5. The Non-Possessors argued that a monk must BE DETACHED FROM THE WORLD, and only those who are VOWED TO COMPLETE POVERTY can achieve true detachment.
6. People cannot avoid being TANGLED UP IN SECULAR ANXIETIES, and because they become ABSORBED IN WORLDLY CONCERNS, they act and think in a WORLDLY WAY.
7. All RECALCITRANTS were executed.
8. Without regular participation in CORPORATE WORSHIP, a person tends to drift spiritually.
9. Saint Maximus the Greek was invited to Russia to translate Greek works into Slavonic and to correct the Russian SERVICE BOOKS.
10. Saint Maximus was strict in his demand for SELF-STRIPPING and spiritual poverty.

А.Д. [(6,5) 68,5]

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According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, when a person becomes a Christian, he or she should become rationally convinced that the holy faith which he or she confesses is the only sure path of salvation, and that all other paths which are not in agreement with it lead to perdition. And it is no honour to a person to be a blind confessor, he or she must be a conscious confessor; and I fully agree with it.
Most of Orthodox people were baptised when they were babies. They did not understand what was happening to them. Some of them came from not very religious families that went to church rarely if ever. I personally know many examples when children were baptised because their parents thought it was just something they should do, because it was a custom in their family or even because they did not want their children to be affected by the evil eye.
And other babies came from more or less religious families. And so they grew up going to church and maybe even to Sunday schools. But they were not really taught their faith properly. In my experience most Orthodox people do not truly understand their faith. I believe that it is crucial to understand what you actually believe in, because maybe it is not what you should believe in at all. You should not be something only because of your parents’ set of beliefs or your environment. You should not be a blind confessor but you must be a conscious one.

С.Г. [(5) 82]

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According to the Gospel, we, Christians, should love our neighbours as we love ourselves. And Righteous John of Kronstadt offers a way to test ourselves, whether we love our neighbours in accordance with the Gospel or not. And while I see Father John’s point, I cannot agree wholeheartedly. I agree that the important test for our love not only for our neighbours but also for our family and friends is when they somehow offend us. Of course, it is easy to love other people when they are nice to us. But it is much more difficult to continue loving them when they, for example, offend us. And I agree that if we continue to love other people as much as previously even after their offences or negligence, we love them in accordance to the Gospel.
But I do not fully agree that we love our neighbours in accordance to the Gospel only when on being offended we are not filled with the spirit of enmity, hatred or impatience. Ideally, yes, we should not feel all those negative emotions. Jesus Christ did not hate his executioners and all the more so we should not hate other people when they say or do something hurtful to us. But we are weak and I think that for many of us not to feel those negative emotions is too much to ask. At the end of the day, it is said in the Gospel that we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves and we feel annoyance and sometimes hated even towards ourselves. So I think we should not beat ourselves up when we did not feel only love for someone while being offended by that person. But we should not hold a grudge against that person afterwards. And we should not love that person less. And that will be the sign that we, weak as we are, love our neighbours in accordance to the Gospel, at least according to our strength.

С.Г. [(5) 77]

ALMSGIVING is the primary duty of us, of the laity and a monk‘s duty is to help by praying for us.
We are the SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS of our ancestors.
Caring for the sick and poor is the SOCIAL OBLIGATION OF MONASTICISM.
Monks do not spend their wealth on themselves, but hold it in trust for the benefit of others and for the SERVICE TO PEOPLE.
Monks who are landowners cannot avoid being TANGLED UP IN SECULAR ANXIETIES, because they act and think in a WORDLY WAY.

Е.Т. [(3) 66,5]

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God is our loving Father in Heaven, and He loves all His children perfectly.
God wants to help all His children be happy. He blesses us, He loves us, watches out for us, waits for us and wants us to communicate with Him through prayer.
We can learn about God’s love by studying His word. As we read the Bible, we learn that throughout history, God has never stopped loving His people. This can help us recognize God’s love in our own lives. The evidence of His love for us is everywhere. And we should just want to see it.

Е.Т. [(5) 63,5]

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I absolutely agree with these words. Of course, prayer is а significant and important part of our Christian life. We know that prayer is our way to communicate with the Lord. But we should remember that prayer affects not only our lives but the lives of others.
Humility is one of the great virtues. And through our virtues we can serve people and make their lives better. By keeping ~~the~~ peace within ourselves, we project ~~the~~ peace onto the people around us.
And when we struggle with our sins, we must remember that we are fighting not only for us, but also for our loved ones.
If a person struggles with his sins, tries to become better and more worthy, then he will definitely receive the gifts of God.

Е.Т. [(3,5) 58,5]

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These words of the Righteous John of Kronstadt are very significant. It is very important that everyone understands the meaning of prayer and faith. Indeed, prayer should be sincere and come from the heart. And if our prayer is pure and sincere, it will definitely be heard.
Righteous John of Kronstadt said that saints are in God, and we are in God and the faith is the connecting element between us. This means that faith is a significant link between us and God, and without faith, we are dead.

Е.Т. [(5) 55]

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I fully agree with Abbot Nikon Vorobiev’s words. I understand these words in such a way that we, sinful people, should try to be worthy of God. Worthy to receive his holy sacraments and gifts. And without proper and diligent preparation, we will not truly be able to unite with God and be one with Him. And that is why we must carefully follow our thoughts and actions, so as not to desecrate the temple of God that is in each of us.

Е.Т. [(5) 50]

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I can fully agree with the first part of this passage. A person should stick to the idea not because they are told to, but because they find it true. For example, sometimes parents try to educate their children on Christianity and faith, and they do not succeed in it. They can and should show them the way, but they will not succeed until their child himself truly finds God. It is a very personal thing, and every Christian must enter this narrow gate on his own.
But I am a bit confused by the words “rationally convinced”. If everything were so easy, there wouldn’t be a single atheist in the world. Rationality doesn’t give you everything. In fact, too much of it may even harm your spiritual health and make you doubt everything. At the end of the day, I think faith lies somewhere beyond reason and rationality. You may recall a famous quote of Tertullian “Credo quia absurdum”, which means “I believe because it is absurd”.
However, I don’t quite agree with this phrase as well. I would say “I believe, despite it being absurd”. And I guess that I have a more suitable expression to convey my feelings on that. As Søren Kierkegaard said, we must commit the “leap of faith”, which means that if we believe in something, we accept it outside the boundaries of reason. Of course, a person should remain rational, but radical rationality will never let you reach deep into Christianity.

Д.Н. [(5) 98]

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John the Evangelist says: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”. These words are vital for Christian faith. Faith is not only inseparable from love; it is love in every way. The essence of this love is in God and in his relation to us, because He sent His own Son as a sacrifice for our sins. So, faith can in no way be present in a person without love. But can we really say that wherever faith is absent, love is absent too? It seems to be a very hard question, and I tend to disagree with elder Arsenios the Cave-dweller. I think everyone is able to experience this love, even if they are not Christian. Tertullian said: “Anima naturaliter christiana”, which means “the soul in its very nature is Christian”. People may experience this Christian love without even realizing it.

Д.Н. [(5) 93]

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It’s true, a person can’t repent if they constantly dwell on wrongs done to them. It means that they haven’t really given them up. These thoughts are still rooted in their soul. And if a person doesn’t realize it and thinks that they are repenting, it makes everything much more dangerous for their soul. ~~First of all,~~ you must see it, so that you can work with it. Actually, it’s one of the trickiest traps – to think that you are doing everything fine. You become blind and it’s easy to stray further from God without even understanding it. That’s why we should always ask ourselves, whether our thoughts and actions harm our soul, or not.

Д.Н. [(4,5) 88]

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Love, indeed, rarely comes without effort. It is not hard, for example, to love your parents and friends. But to love literally every human being is much harder. And it may be really an uncomfortable topic to talk about. For example, should we love criminals, or people who pose a threat, or even murderers? If we are Christian people then of course we should. These people have souls, as well as we do. They may have rebelled against God, but it deserves not our anger, but pity. It’s important to see these poor wretched souls corrupted by sin and to realize that these people are just like us before the face of God. But it is extremely hard to love people who are vile, who do awful things to others; we as human beings can physically detest them, because of our instincts and the danger they pose to society. That’s why this deep spiritual love is something you must work hard to attain and to preserve in your heart.

Д.Н. [(5) 83,5]

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Faith and Love are really inseparable. I agree with this statement by Elder Arsenios Galanopoulos. We should remember the words «And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love» (1 Cor 13:13).
We all know that God Himself is Love.
Where there is no love, there is no spiritual life. And where Love is, God is. The basic meaning of love is to do as much as possible for the well-being of others. But there are lots of ways to love. It could be love as union, love as goodness or as friendship but there is no form of love outside the spiritual life and faith.
So we should act like our Lord. We should love. And we do it «because He first loved us» (1 Jn 4.7–19).

Д.Ж. [(4,5) 49]

The SUZERAINTY of the Mongol Tartars lasted for a really long period - 243 years but thanks to THE GRAND DUKES OF MOSCOW Mongol OVERLORDSHIP was weakened after the battle of Kulikovo.
The most important and great figures during the Mongol period are STEPHEN of PERM, SERGIUS of RADONEZH and Alexander Nevsky who was the WARRIOR SAINT of Russia and some people could even compare him with SAINT LOUIS, KING OF FRANCE.
During the Mongol period all the people had TO PAY TRIBUTE.

Д.Ж. [(3,5) 44,5]

After 1453 the Russian Church was AUTOCEPHALOUS and appointed its own CHIEF HIERARCH.
The Great Duke of Moscow after the successful marriage started to assume such title as AUTOCRAT, to use THE DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE and that is why people started to call Moscow as the THIRD ROME since the first two had FALLEN INTO HERESY or LAPSED into it.
Taking CARE OF THE SICK AND the POOR and SHOWING hospitality were THE SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS OF MONASTICISM.

Д.Ж. [(4) 41]

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Frankly, I cannot agree with that quote due to several reasons.
The first thing is that the idea sounds like it doesn’t imply the imperfection of human beings. Every person has a free will and begins to act independently from the late childhood, but, even having self-awareness and independence of mind, they can do wrong things. It comes from ill nature which can make a human being spiritually blind although they live independently and know the basics of life. But also it comes from inaccurate knowledge as all of us learn a lot from ~~the~~ society. And looking back at our history we can find more than one example of untrue ideas occupying the big part of society which they will clearly hand down to the next generation. So how should that new generation act both independently and faithfully? I do understand that a good person will find the way but it is not so easy and fast, it is easier said than done.
And the second thing is about the ability of being independent. It is not always possible. The shyer person can be suppressed by a stronger one (who may prevent the first one from choosing the better path) and the shy one needs somehow to struggle against that control. Or coming back to my example of a society infected with some wrong concept, as I said before it takes time and a lot of events and labour to overcome it.
And the last thing is that due to all that was said above and due to the result of the Age of the Enlightenment we come to a conclusion that people cannot be regarded as fully rational beings. We can only seek for the existence that was described in the quotation.

Е.Ш. [(4) 64,5]

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I agree with that quote of Elder Arsenios Galanopoulos as recently I have finished reading Victor Hugo’s “Les miserables” and I believe the characters of that book represent the same idea. Throughout the story we see the progress of them which is the main theme of the novel. And that progress can be achieved only with love and faith. On the one hand love is the thing that helps to redeem people. Love brings out the best qualities of each person, and encourages their progress. Basically it is the path of Jean Valjean who was saved from the further decline by the act of pure love of Bishop Myriel and then by the love of Cosette. But on the other hand in most of his positive characters Hugo represents a gentle form of spirituality focused on God and rooted in good deeds which also shows that God is the goal of all progress. That is how this novel matches the quote in my view.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 60,5]

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This quote of the week sounds really good to me. Fasts, vigils, study of Scripture are really tools. But the most important thing is love.
So, John Chrysostom said that our love will be sincere when we also show love to our neighbors. Also he said that Christ doesn’t demand anything else from us but love for Him from the bottom of our hearts. And the fulfillment of the Savior’s commandments is the sign of our true love accepted by Him.

Д.Ж. [(5) 37]

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I can totally agree with this statement. Archbishop Averky was undoubtedly right saying that. It starts in a small way. Right now I’m reading a book by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. There was a question about small and mortal sins. And the Metropolitan told a story about two women who came to confess. One of them had many minor sins while the other had one sin but it was really serious.
So, one of them was asked to bring many small stones and the second one a large stone and after that to return them back to their places. So, the woman with the large stone did it but the second one couldn’t do it because she couldn’t find the place where she had taken them from.
The point is that we can repent of the big sin but once and for all and the matter is settled. And with minor sins you don’t know how to get rid of them.

Д.Ж. [(4,5) 32]

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I think that I can agree with the statement of Saint Paisios of Mount Athos. I remember the quote by Aaron Lauritsen. He said that «Without struggle, success has no value». I think that it works at any level of our life. Sacrifices and sufferings from passions make our results more joyful and meaningful. Without it we can even devalue what we have.

Д.Ж. [(5) 27,5]

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I can agree with this quote of the week. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev was right. I think that humbling ourselves before God begins with an awareness of the necessity of Christ’s sacrifice. It was horrible and it was hard for Him. But that was the only way because He wanted us to be with Him. And that is why when we come before God we need to do it with humility because there is nothing that we can do to be saved or get God to love us. We are able just to come to Him with hearts full of love and gratitude and be covered with His righteousness.

Д.Ж. [(5) 22,5]

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That is the first quote of the week I can’t agree with. We can never be perfect or live up to God's standards. But our God hasn’t left us in our sin. He loved us and that is why send His Son to die for our sins on the cross. If we acknowledge our sinful nature and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, He forgives us.
If a person has received Christ he has no needs to hate himself for his sin because our Lord has cleansed him of his sin.
Holding onto self-hatred is a form of pride and it says that Christ’s sacrifice isn’t enough to cover our sins.

Д.Ж. [(4,5) 17,5]

THE UNION OF BREST created a so-called “UNIATE” Church in Poland, which was a strange mix of Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
THE UNIATES, which were also called “CATHOLICS OF THE EASTERN RITE” acknowledged THE SUPREMACY OF THE POPE, though they kept their Orthodox PRACTICES.
In this case, Catholic people were even worse than Turks, because though the latter took their IMPOST, they did not try to enforce their religion.
Nevertheless, this Catholic intervention helped LITTLE RUSSIA strengthen its Orthodox faith and even increase the education level above GREAT RUSSIA or anywhere else in the Orthodox world.

The reign of Cyril Lukaris was full of UNEDIFYING intrigues, he was deposed from his OFFICE six times and in the end strangled by JANISSARIES.
At this time there also took place the writing of several “Confessions”, in which different Orthodox HIERARCHS argued about matters of PURGATORY, FREE WILL, GRACE, PREDESTINATION and many others.
In some of the writings many concepts of Roman Catholic Church were adopted, such as TRANSUBSTANTIATION or division between SUBSTANCE and ACCIDENTS.

One of the forces of a SPIRITUAL REVIVAL was Hesychasm, at the center of which was a monk SAINT NICODEMUS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN.
Nicodemus compiled THE PHILOKALIA, which was a great work of more than a thousand FOLIO pages and, after being translated into Slavonic, caused a SPIRITUAL REVIVAL of Russia.
Although Nicodemus’s teaching of FREQUENT COMMUNION was attacked by some Orthodox, in 1819 a Council of Constantinople confirmed it.

After the fall of Constantinople, Russia became THE SUCCESSOR OF BYZANTIUM.

Д.Н. [(15) 78,5]

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Having read this quote of Archbishop Averky, all of a sudden I remembered Frederica’s podcast “Self and Scepticism”. And here is why.
Basically people have a general idea of good and bad things as they learn it, living in ~~the~~ society. Of course, I’m not saying that everything we learn from the society is correct, but by experience and meeting numerous and various opinions all the people get to know what is good and what is bad. It is not the most precise notion but this is the fuel of our conscience. Thus, human conscience opposes human heart. And while the heart is influenced by sins, ~~the~~ conscience accumulates knowledge untouched by corrupted human nature, as it was worked out throughout history and by many people.
So the point is that one must not listen to one’s heart but must listen to one’s conscience. And this fits my opinion very well.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 56]

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I find this quote especially valuable as in books we see the experience and thoughts of other people. Of course, it matters what exactly you read but speaking about books in general I would call them the reflection of authors’ souls. They are an infusion of one’s inner world which you can reach and explore and this way find another opinion on some burning question or even problematic ideas (which are also helpful in understanding the outer world and human beings); or you may discover something entirely new for you, something you haven’t ever thought about before.
What I’m trying to say is that books are a fuel for our inner worlds and they truly are a good way of a self-examination.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 51,5]

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Frankly speaking, I do not really agree with this idea as nowadays I often come across the situation when a person understands that others are just human beings and in spite of their sins respects and love them. But when it comes to the person and their wrong deeds they hate and despise themselves so much that it becomes simply impossible to overcome their weaknesses. Their self-perception becomes distorted and they cannot do anything ~~except~~ but loathe themselves.
That’s why I would rather not advise to detest yourself. It‘s better just to know that you are weak as a human being, that you have problems and sins with which you can work in order to struggle against them and not against yourself on the whole.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 47]

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It is pretty much true that we must be careful not only in our deeds, but also in our words and even thoughts as corruption can influence the whole human existence and everything it contains. But still the borderline between consideration and gossip is vague sometimes. People can be wrong, situations can be noticeably bad and yet we can talk about it and there are things that must be talked about, for example, so that other people would be aware of it or if the solution is sought. Also, saying that evil is evil is not ~~also~~ a condemnation but pronouncing a well-known fact which means that not every utterance implies judgment and putting someone down. But when it has the shade of meaning that those who are speaking are superior it is indeed harmful for their souls.
Thus, I both agree and disagree with this quote, as I suppose that people also get ~~the~~ information and build their opinion towards an issue, but it’s not always about condemning others and leaving yourself aside.

Е.Ш. [(4,5) 42,5]

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To tell the truth, this quote of the week got me thinking about the process of my own reading. The point is that some of us are able to read a book once and remember every detail of it for life, while others struggle to recall even the title a few days after putting down a book. So, it’s about how they read. And about having good reading habits. I’ve never tried making notes before but now I can tell that notes are important foundation for reflecting what we read in our mind.
A friend of mine advised me to simplify my thoughts after reading and write them down, write my chapter summary at the end of it. Stay focused on the book and nothing else. Stop whenever I need and give myself some time to reflect on what I have just read.

Д.Ж. [(4,5) 13]

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I fully agree with Righteous John's quote. His opinion is really close to my idea of Christianity. And it is so Orthodox. I mean, this approach is associated in my head with Orthodoxy. And it can have really good practical application in our lives. I noticed that it works even in my relationships with people. When you have an argument with someone, you are usually very angry and you are trying to blame another person for all the sins. But I try to stop pitying myself and to start pitying this person. When I remember all the evil that I did, purposely or not, during the entire time of our communication, I can no longer be angry with him. I can only be angry with myself. And I feel sorry for the person and want to love and protect him. And I also saw how this effect works with other people. It is mostly the same result. And I think it is very easy to love a person who is good and pious. But, as it is said in the Gospel: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Mt 5:44) Therefore, in this quote, we can also see the idea of love. We should love not only those who are good but all the people. Of course, it is not an easy way. But we can start with simple things, such as being friendly, generous and kind to all the people.

А.Ж. [(5) 58]

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The opinion of Saint Paisios is close to my thoughts about this issue. But this advice is very difficult to follow in everyday life. Especially it is difficult for me because I like talking with people and it is very hard to notice at what point you switch to condemning someone. But communication itself is not a bad thing. And I believe that communication is necessary for people's psychological health. Actually, I do not have a solution to this problem. Saint Paisios tells us to be careful. What does it mean? I think this idea can have a practical application in our lives. We just need to remember the old advice: “Silence is golden.” It is said, that this proverb comes from Bible when Christ teaches us: “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Mt 12:36) So, the idea is simple: we need to remember the importance of all our words and try to keep silent if possible. It is not an easy task, but if we do not try, we may offend our beloved ones. And this is bad not only from the point of view of religion and faith but also from the point of view of relations with people and morality.

А.Ж. [(5) 53]

1. The Orthodox clergy attended IN FORCE, wearing full vestments, with candles and BANNERS during the Roman Catholic Blessed Sacrament.
2. The buildings required another SANCTIFICATION after it had been defiled by the fortune tellers.
3. St. Nicodemus drew on Roman Catholic WORKS OF DEVOTION, adapting for Orthodox use books by Lorenzo Scupoli and Ignatius Loyola.
4. The Russians had been chosen to be THE SUCCESSORS OF BYZANTIUM.
5. The CHIEF HIERARCH thinks that they are not fit to be priests.

А.Д. [(3) 62]

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I see the point on this quotation and I absolutely agree with this. This is one of the main teachings from God. You can hear such words even in the prayer before Communion: "I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief". So we should remember that we have to be concerned only about our sins, because for us we are the most sinful. Our sins are closer to us than those of others. If you notice your sins, you already have something to work on and no time to watch or discuss other people. And if you find the strength and time to discuss others, then it’s time for self-consciousness. It is still important to be aware of this before Communion. You can stand in line for Сommunion and think: am I more sinful than all of them? You need to know for sure that for you you are the most sinful of all, and everything that is not yours does not concern you.

А.Д. [(5) 59]

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I absolutely agree with Saint Paisios’s statement. This is a fairly common phenomenon in our lives. There are a lot of conversations when your energy is not spent on what is really needed.
Jesus said: He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters (Matthew, 12:30). This means grace and in such conversations we waste it and in huge quantities. It would seem such an insignificant thing.
This is not new to me. Indeed, sometimes you feel empty after such conversations. In such conversations it is tedious to at least be silent for a start, and in general it is better to deviate from such topics. It is better to think about what you really need to spend energy on.
For myself, I very often notice such a sin, like many others. There are too many temptations in the world, and for people and others it is the highest pleasure. It is especially funny when people start judging others, because as we know, everyone judges for themselves. And in fact, no one gave us the right to judge other people, because we don't really know anything about them. There would be fewer quarrels in the world if people relied on the only correct judge in the dented world - God.

А.Д. [(4) 54]

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Father Paisius tells us about true charity, which does not try to know all the nuances of the situation, but is filled with love and compassion.
Scripture is replete with sayings about the need for mercy, the mercy of the spiritual life of man: "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"(Luke 6:36).
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt.5:7)
"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice" says God by the prophet Hosea (Hos.6: 6).
But the most vivid place in the Holy Scriptures devoted to our topic is the conversation of Jesus Christ about the Last Judgment. Bright and scary words that should lead everyone to reflect on life. Christ clearly points out what exactly will be asked of us first of all at this Judgment. All our earthly achievements will not count at this Trial, because the main question will be: how have we served our neighbor? Christ enumerates six main types of help that can be given to your neighbor. Identifying Himself in His love, forbearance and mercy with every poor and needy person, the Savior says: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me" (Matthew 25: 35-36).
In order not to be tempted and to show mercy despite everything, Father Paisius advises to do it without any doubts and in secret, according to the Lord’s words: “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6: 2-4).

В.П. [(5) 96]

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I fully agree with the idea expressed by Father John. Indeed, without thinking, we get used to the church and to ~~the~~ prayer, which turns into some ritual or even a routine. Our lips say something, our ears hear something, but our thoughts are far away. As the holy fathers teach, prayer is a conversation with God. We must not only grab our attention for this conversation, but we must also set our hearts on communion with God, as Father John says. Of course, this is not easy, but therefore we should more often remember these words of Father John, so that our church or home prayer would be really a prayer.

В.П. [(4,5) 91]

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There are such words in the Gospel of Matthew: "Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18: 21-22).
If the Lord has commanded people to forgive each other many times, then He himself, being merciful, is ready to forgive people their sins indefinitely. But for this a person should repent.
The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (John 5: 19), only holy people can live in it without sin, who have freed themselves from the passions by their deeds. Therefore, Abbot Nikon urges us to ask God for forgiveness without delay and to be firmly confident in His forgiveness.

В.П. [(5) 86,5]

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I certainly agree with the statement. These words encourage us to do something useful, pleasant and very interesting - to read the lives of saints. I agree with the elder that the example of the saints’ feat inspires and teaches us. Therefore, it is difficult not to experience love for the saint and respect the saint while reading his life.. Seeing this, the saints themselves pray to Christ for us. The study of the lives of saints was a favorite reading in Russia.

В.П. [(5) 81,5]

1) PREDESTINATION is the doctrine that teaches that God has eternally chosen those whom he intends to save.
2) In the 17th century there were Roman Catholic PROCESSIONS of the BLESSED SACRAMENT which sometimes the Orthodox clergy attended IN FORCE, wearing FULL VESTMENTS, with candles and BANNERS. 3) But in the 18th century Latin baptism was declared invalid and unable to give any SANCTIFICATION.
4) The NON-JURORS were a group of ANGLICANS who separated from the MAIN BODY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND in 1688.
5) Saint Nicodemus of the HOLY MOUNTAIN was at the center of an important SPIRITUAL RIVIVAL in the 18th century. 6) He drew, among other works, on Roman Catholic WORKS OF DEVOTION.

С.Г. [(5) 72]

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Abbot Nikon Vorobiev said that we must not demand too much of ourselves. We should do all that is needed according to our strength and the Lord will do everything necessary for our salvation. We just should not forsake God.
On the whole, I agree with Abbot Nikon Vorobiev. Sometimes reading stories about saints can make you feel that you don’t do enough and that you will never be able to do enough. There are stories about people who gave away everything they possessed and devoted their life to God. They decided to live their life in prayer and so they entered a monastery or became hermits. Or they decided they would be closer to God through helping the poor and sick. And some even were martyred for their faith. But we should not be discouraged by these high standards and do all we can according to our strength and that is what matters the most.
That being said, I think that sometimes it is not the best policy to say that people must not demand too much of themselves. People can understand it too literally and do not demand or expect much of themselves at all. I think that it is important to know your capability. Not everyone can forsake everything they possess and became a hermit. But it does not mean that we should go easy because we are weak and God will love us anyway if only we not forsake Him.

С.Г. [(5) 67]

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Saint Paisios of Mount Athos said that even in conversations we must be careful because sometimes they begin as spiritual conversations and end up as gossip. And it is not only that we are wasting our time; we are also wasting our souls when condemning someone else, for we have no right to judge other people or other situations.
I could not agree more with Saint Paisios. People enjoy gossiping, men and women. For some it may be something they indulge in from time to time and for some it is their favourite type of activity. But I think it is universally agreed that gossiping is not very nice. And if from a non-religious person’s perspective gossip is something that shouldn’t be encouraged, all the more for a Christian gossip should be something to avoid.
God didn’t create us to judge each other and point out other people’s imperfections to everyone else. In fact, the Bible repeatedly says that we should love one another, treat others as we would want to be treated and love our neighbour as ourselves. We should instead focus on our own imperfections and work on them and overlook other people’s faults.

С.Г. [(5) 62]

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I fully agree with the quote by elder [Paisios] of Mount Athos. Confession is a very important part of our spiritual life. However, sometimes we forget that we confess to God, not to the priest. The main thing is to truly repent of what you have done, to confess to God. When you repent, you promise not to do it again, at least try to improve. At Confession a person confesses his sins in the presence of a priest and through him receives the forgiveness of sins from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Repentance implies, first of all, an internal [reevaluation] of oneself, the ability to look at oneself from the outside, to condemn your sins and to bring oneself to justice and the mercy of God. Repentance is ~~the~~ awareness of your own sin, ~~the~~ recognition that in your actions and thoughts you have deviated from the moral norm that God has placed in one's nature. Realizing this is the greatest virtue and at the same time the key to [changing] your life for the better.

В.П. [(4,5) 76,5]

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I believe that this statement is absolutely correct. We must pray for ~~the~~ sinners and pity them. Especially if they are people who are unchurched, who do not know God. "Father! Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” ([Luke] 23:34). Because such people do not understand that they are committing sin. And we must pray for them. Of course, we are no better than them, all people are sinful, but at least we know what to do, what to strive for - for the Kingdom of Heaven. And by condemning and cursing other people, we condemn ourselves to even greater sin. Because God has called us to love everyone, friends and enemies. He loves everyone equally and waits for everyone at His House. Therefore, we can only pray that people know the [faith] and come to God.

В.П. [(5) 72]

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I definitely agree with the quote by saint Paisios of Mount [Athos]. I think this is a very relevant topic for many people, especially for young women. After all, we love to discuss someone. "Well, what's up?" This question often implies "Well, what about new gossips?" And I know the feeling, as I also like to discuss someone with my friends about who hangs out with whom and so on. However, [most] often, these discussions result in [condemnation]. The point is that we not only judge other people or other situations, something we shouldn't do, but we also harm our soul. Thus, the best way is to stop discussing other people with friends, there are much more interesting and useful topics for conversations.

В.П. [(4,5) 67]

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I find this lesson of Saint Paisios extremely important and helpful. The saint lived in the 20th century, but today his words are more relevant than ever. That spiritual restlessness and eagerness not just to read, but to understand, is what many people lack today. Reading, especially if we talk about spiritual literature, is not leisure, but hard work. It is quite easy to read the text of the Bible, but understanding and internalizing of its spiritual ideas actually takes your whole life. You must apply to your life all the valuable information and ideas you like in books. Otherwise, your mind and soul will just remain dormant, and only your eyes will continue their completely fruitless task.
Of course, it applies not only to the spiritual literature. The world today doesn’t really encourage deep thinking. People are used to reading small texts, advertisements, news, or to watching short videos. The quantity of information has greatly increased, but not the quality. It all goes like an endless stream and blends into white noise. One has to be quite picky about what he reads, and also acquire this “deep reading” skill.

Д.Н. [(4,5) 63,5]

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Truly, it is a waste of time and energy to condemn other people. This way people let negative feelings inside and, while being inside, they can grow. You should feel sorry for people without judging them, because we certainly have no right to judge. Even if you feel resentment towards others, you should try not to articulate it, because articulating means spreading. Otherwise, while gossiping and condemning others you will just put seeds of grudge into other people’s heads and it will spread like a weed. That’s why we should be always mindful about our conversations and always ask ourselves “Aren’t my words hurting me or other people right now?” And if the answer is “maybe” or “yes”, it is better to remain silent.
But it doesn’t mean that we should just keep it in our hearts and let it grow there. No, we should root it out. Many people see conversation as an outlet for their emotions and it’s fine. We have conversation with God through our prayers, and they are often charged with our emotions. And having a conversation is perfectly fine until we start talking bad things about others. We do not complain to God about other people, but we ask Him to forgive them, to have mercy on them, and to show them the true path if they are astray. And I believe that we should perceive daily conversations in such way too.

Д.Н. [(4,5) 59]

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I totally agree with this statement. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos was undoubtebly right. The sin of judging others is found to be very common in human actions because it can be so easily fallen into. Actually ~~yet~~ we often can judge others and at the same time do not realize that. Paulo Coelho has rightly said that we can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. So we should accept more. All we know is that only God can judge a man because only He knows how guilty people are.

Д.Ж. [(4,5) 8,5]

1. Meletius Syrigos, a Greek, altered the passages about the CONSECRATION IN THE EUCHARIST and about PURGATORY.
2. That's why he doesn’t believe in PREDESTINATION.
3. Yesterday's service has filled me with treasures of GRACE.
4. Most people believe that they have FREE WILL in choosing their path.
5. The Latin term TRANSUBSTANTIATION was adopted by Dositheus.

А.Д. [(3) 50]

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I agree with this famous saying of the apostle Matthew, but, as it follows from the apostle’s words, not many people manage to follow this warning.
What is this narrow path, and why do few people find it? The only true path to life, to eternal life and joy in the Kingdom of Heaven, is to follow Christ. To be like Him as much as possible. Achieving this is impossible without a feat, this is why this path is difficult, thorny and narrow, and its passage requires effort from a person. Further, in the 11th chapter, the apostle Matthew says that "...the Kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been [raiding] it" (Matt.11:12,13). And the Apostle Luke also says: "... the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man [presseth] into it" (Luke 16: 16). In contrast to the narrow path that requires effort to pass it, there are so many easy paths that lead to death, and people easily roll down them.

В.П. [(5) 62,5]

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To begin with, I fully agree with the idea expressed by the righteous John. In the Gospel of Matthew, the apostle quotes the words of Christ to the question of the Pharisee which commandment is the greatest in the law. Jesus answered him: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22: 37-40). But the fulfillment of these two most important commandments requires from a person a pure heart, acquired by a Christian feat. Only in such a heart can true love for God and for people be born, because love in human society is impoverished by the [multitude] of [iniquities] committed in this society (Matthew 24: 12). But a pure heart is a necessary but insufficient condition for acquiring the gift of love. This gift is so great that it can only be given by the grace of God, when the Lord sees the person’s desire to acquire it. Saint [Ambrose] of Optina advised: "If you find that there is no love in you, but you want to have it, then do the deeds of love, although at first without love. The Lord will see your desire and effort and put love in your heart." These are the efforts the righteous Father John is talking about.

В.П. [(5) 57,5]

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To begin with, I fully agree with the idea expressed by saint Paisios of Mount [Athos].
I think that with these words saint Paisius [intimately] reminds us of the purpose of a Christian's life – eternal joy in the Kingdom of the heavenly Father. This is the joy that we are intended for, and to it we should strive with all our might.
Realizing this is our [destiny], we can not only give up worldly pleasures, but also limit ourselves in every possible way for the benefit of our soul.
And ~~the~~ elder Paisius reveals to us, at first glance, a paradoxical spiritual law: you can experience sweetness from [bitterness]. It is obvious that the elder is not just talking about the bitter food that [accidentally] got to our table, but about the [asceticism] necessary for our salvation.

В.П. [(4) 52,5]

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I certainly share the idea, expressed by archbishop [Averky] Taushev. One of the common problems nowadays is that people are always in a rush. People are too fussy. And they do not notice the world around them at all. We do not notice the beauty of the world that God created. For instance, many people always listen to [music], going somewhere while sometimes we have to stop and to listen to ourselves, to the world around us, and have to think about our inner world. All this fuss comes from the [devil].

В.П. [(5) 48,5]

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To begin with, I fully agree with the idea stated by Tito Colliander. These words are very [appropriate] to remember in the days of Lent, the time of the church year, in which we are called to cleanse our soul from all sin. This process is really similar to cleaning a house: we need to sweep all the dirt out of our hearts in order to meet the [Risen] Christ with dignity. Referring to the [Gospel] of Luke 13:28, Tito tells us that without purifying our soul’s house, we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of God and will be expelled. This is a terrible but an important warning.

В.П. [(5) 43,5]

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Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt said that we should consider ourselves worse and more infirm than all others in spiritual respects, and despise, hate ourselves for our sins but be indulgent to others, respect and love them in spite of their sins.
Humility is an integral part of Christianity and it also concerns, and maybe especially concerns, how we regard ourselves in terms of spiritual worth. In my opinion, it can be extremely easy to start feeling proud because you have done something good. For example, when you forgive somebody or choose not to fight back, you can start thinking: “I am such a good Christian and I am better than the rest.” Pride can be a good thing but not like that and to avoid it we, indeed, should consider ourselves worse and more infirm than all others in spiritual respects.
But while remembering our sins for what they are is a good way to check our pride, other people’s sins are a different matter. I agree that we should not dwell on other people’s sins, for that we have our own. Christianity is about love to one another despite our flaws.
And so we should look for sins in ourselves and not in others. But I also think that hating ourselves for our sins is a bit unhealthy. We should recognize our sins and work on them but from the place of compassion, not that of hate.

С.Г. [(5) 57]

1) Under the rule of Islam Orthodox were exposed to influence from the West not only because, for example, the Greeks went to study there but also because of JESUITS und FRANCISCANS who UNDERTOOK MISSIONARY WORK among Orthodox.
2) Although the Orthodox Church didn’t undergo either a REFORMATION or a COUNTER-REFORMATION, these two movements had certain influence upon Orthodoxy. 3) Thus, LUTHERANS tried to initiate some sort of Reformation among the Greeks and so in 1573 they send a delegation to Jeremias II with a copy of the AUGSBURG CONFESSION translated into Greek. 4) But Jeremias in his three ANSWERS critiqued the doctrines of the Reformation and discussed such chief matters as FREE WILL AND GRACE, SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION, THE SACRAMENTS, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD, and PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS. 5) But if Lutherans and Orthodox were courteous to one another, Catholics in Little Russia used different methods and with arrival of the SOCIETY OF JESUS in the land pressure on the Orthodox increased. 6) And a council summoned at Brest-Litovsk to PROCLAIM THE UNION WITH ROME ended with those for and against the union EXCOMMUNICATING and ANATHEMATIZING one another.
7) The UNIATE Church, whose members are known as CATHOLICS OF THE EASTERN RITE recognize the SUPREMACY OF THE POPE but keep their traditional PRACTICES of the Orthodox Church.
8) In Cyril Lukaris’ CONFESSION we can see that he fell under Protestant influence in matters of theology. 9) Two other HIERARCHS answered Cyril’s CALVINISM with Confessions of their own but they, in their turn, drew heavily upon Latin sources. 10) Thus, in Peter Moghila’s Confession passages about the CONSECRATION IN THE EUCHARIST (which he attributed solely to the WORDS OF INSTITUTION) and about PURGATORY later had to be altered. 11) And Dositheus of Jerusalem adopted in his Confession the Latin term TRANSUBSTANTIATION and the SCHOLASTIC distinction between SUBSTANCE and ACCIDENTS.
12) GREAT SCHISM is a period in the history of the Catholic Church when there were two, and later three, rival Popes.

С.Г. [(16) 52]

1. Church TITHE is a tenth of the harvest and all other income paid to the church.
2. For the first time the words "GREAT RUSSIA" were mentioned in the XIIth century, and "Great" referred to the size and grandeur of the country.
3. The JANISSARIES were the military elite of the Ottoman or Turkish Empire.
4. He was removed from OFFICE.
5. I went to the church HIERARCH to receive the blessing.

А.Д. [(2,5) 47]

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The statements of Monk Abba Evagrius seemed to me really important.
These words made me think about my life, the purpose of it and the correctness of my understanding of life itself. I believe that everything we do must be done for ~~the~~ eternity. For ~~the~~ eternity that we are meant to inherit.
In this statement the monk writes that «everything untimely or without proper measure is short-lived; and short-lived things are more harmful than useful.» And this idea is truly important and correct, in my opinion. I understand these words in such a way that a wrong spiritual life can cause great harm to the human soul.
And this harm can be very great. I think that this can be compared to a pit into which a person falls and from which it is then very difficult for him to get out.
In my opinion, our spiritual life is our participation in eternity. And this eternity must be approached with due attention, responsibility, and a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose. And spiritual wisdom is what we should ask of God in our prayers.
Human nature is weak and helpless, and only a correct, sober spiritual life can help a person in his salvation. I think a person must understand that he is only a human being and that God never demands more than what we can do. He must understand and accept God with his human mind, simply commit himself to him and live happily. After all, one of the most important purposes of a human life is simply to be happy.

Е.Т. [(4,5) 45]

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I fully agree with the Metropolitan's statement. Only we, people now living on this earth, can be direct intermediaries between God and our departed neighbors. These departed people are in another world and only we can help them. This help consists not of performing some formal rites or some actions, but of sincere personal prayers and one's own righteous life. Only by our sincere prayer and righteous life we can sanctify the life of our departed neighbor or relative.

Е.Т. [(5) 40,5]

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From my earliest childhood, I was taught a simple but very important truth that the left hand should not know what the right hand is doing. And by these Gospel words the simple truth is meant that good must come only from a pure heart. And only a pure heart can accept God and contain Him within itself.
Life is full of temptations, vices, and weaknesses. And in order to preserve spiritual purity, we must not create conditions for the birth of sin but fight it in every possible way, so that sin does not tempt us, and we do not tempt the people around us. Our good deeds should be kept secret from the whole world. God sees and knows everything, and in the end He will surely give us all what we deserve.

Е.Т. [(5) 35,5]

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First of all, I completely agree with the quote by Saint Paisios of Mount [Athos]. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that in the Kingdom of Heaven there is more joy about one sinner who repents than about ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent. The loving elder Paisius has compassion for those who struggle with their ailments and sorrows. This does not mean that he loves only the unfortunate and prays only for them. But those who suffer need his prayers more than those who do not experience adversity.

В.П. [(5) 38,5]

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I completely agree with this quote. Father John brings up a very important question. It would seem that a person sacrifices, helps those in need. But why does Father John call this charity worthless? First of all, He says that we must not forget that the very material well-being of the [contributor] is a gift from God, and man only disposes of it. And secondly, a person is required to have the benevolence of the heart, compassion and love for the unfortunate people he helps. If alms are given only according to custom, without desire and without respect for the unfortunate, then it ceases to be such and does not bring any benefit to the benefactor.

В.П. [(5) 33,5]

1. They were EXCOMMUNICATED from the church and ANATHEMATIZED as heretics and Old Believers.
2. THE UNIATES which recognize THE SUPREMACY OF THE POPE, were allowed to keep their traditional PRACTICES such as married clergy.
3. The fate of Orthodox ascetics is connected with monasticism in LITTLE RUSSIA in the XVIIIth century.

А.Д. [(3) 44,5]

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I suppose I see the point of this quotation. There is a difference between reading for understanding and reading for relaxation. The real difference lies in our attitude to reading. Gilbert K. Chesterton once said: «There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read».
Personally when I read the literature that I truly like, I do the same. I can’t have a rest when I’m doing this. Learning something insightful requires mental work. I usually try to concentrate and my brain is strained. Trying to find something in lines for applying in real life is the goal of reading, I suppose. Because why should we read if there is no practical application in life? Books must teach something good and push to new thoughts. The main reason I read is to learn something new and reflect about it. Highlighting quotes is also very important, because it would be easier to find them and not to forget.
Another deal is to choose what to read. It’s extremely important to choose a good book, because books with negative content are the same as bad neighborhoods. The choice of the book depends on your mood, positive or negative thoughts will be with you. You need to find writers who are more knowledgeable on a particular subject than yourself. In this way you’ll be smarter and wiser.

А.Д. [(5) 41,5]

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Well, I really agree with Nikon Vorobiev. His thoughts came to me at the right time. And his words really inspired me. We all are fasting now and it's time of trials for all of us. I was very sad and disappointed by myself, but his words made me stop looking inside myself and start looking at God. And I asked Him for help. In the Gospel we see the words: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13) So you need to calm down and know that if God wills to purify you (and you want to be purified), then He will do it when it is necessary. However, you have to be very careful. You cannot relax and do nothing at all. God makes things with the hands and deeds of man, so you need to be ready for spiritual work. You must not forget God and you need to keep a pure prayer for him in your heart. As I said at the beginning, the quote was very helpful and I am happy that I have read it.

А.Ж. [(5) 48]

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Well, I agree with Archbishop Averky's opinion. His words seem right to me. In the hustle and bustle of this world it is easy to forget the purpose for which we are here. We must do God's will. But how do we know it? How should we hear the voice of God? According to the holy fathers, conscience is that voice. I have read one wonderful quote of Theophan the Recluse: "Conscience is the voice of the Omnipresent God in one's soul". Moreover, there are a lot of quotes and opinions that also tell us about this idea. Therefore, we should understand the purpose of conscience and listen to this voice. There is another topic that is partially shown in this quote. I mean "happiness in both this world and the next". Many people are persistently seeking happiness and cannot reach it anyway. There is pleasure, comfort, stability. But there is no happiness. That is the point when you need to stop, think, and try to listen to the conscience inside you. So, I believe that the quote is really helpful and it squarely fits my idea of Christianity.

А.Ж. [(5) 43]

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I think the reading approach described in this quote is good. Saint Paisios' method is suitable not only for reading Holy books, but for any literature. There are many thoughts in our head and they are constantly confused, and it is difficult to control them. Good literature can help us with it. However, it does not help for a long time. When you put the book down and start doing your work, studying, or talking with friends, then good thoughts and ideas can easily disappear. So small notes are very useful. They are especially useful if you are working on your character. This experience is familiar to me. I used to have some quotes on my mirror when I lived with my parents. There were thoughts about kindness to others and about patience. I read them unwittingly every day and it helped me to think about good things for at least a couple of minutes a day. Therefore, I think that the quote is very useful and has a practical application in our lives.

А.Ж. [(5) 38]

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First of all, I totally agree with the words of the righteous John, wonderworker of [Kronstadt]. I believe that in this short statement, Father John [primarily] speaks about love. The love that the saints have found, the love that is probably the most important [criterion] of holiness. In these words, righteous John explains to us ~~what is~~ the reason for the quick response of the saints to our prayers – it is their love. It's so simple, but so deep at the same time. If only we could think about it sometimes. And the only thing that is required of us - is our faith, the rest will be covered and filled by saints’ love.

В.П. [(5) 28,5]

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I fully agree with this quote by Archbishop Seraphim. A truly humble person will never respond to [ridicule] at himself, but he will consider it quite fair and even necessary for his soul. However, it is a very difficult task to acquire such humility. And this task cannot be achieved without the help of God. Therefore, Archbishop Seraphim strongly recommends us to seek help from the Mother of God, by appealing to her, as our main Intercessor before the [Throne] of God.

В.П. [(4,5) 23,5]

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I completely agree with the quote by the elder [Thaddeus] that we must be prepared to accept the will of God. What is one of our main aims as a Christians? To love God. And love is about trust. We should trust God and His will. But we are too weak. We often ask the same question as children ask their mothers when they do not want to clean the kitchen "Why me?". Why do I suffer? Why do I feel bad? Why do I have to do this? Why this or that? We just do not trust God, cannot humble ourselves and entrust our life to our Creator. We try to fight and often go against His will, probably partly because of fear. All the difficulties that God sends us, we must accept with humility, they are for our salvation. God tries to [strengthen] us with the difficulties. Therefore, we need to trust God. We say at the Divine Liturgy: “...let us commit ourselves and one another, and all our life unto Christ our God!”

В.П. [(5) 19]

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I fully agree with the [quote] by the protopriest [Gregory] Dyachenko. I think almost all of us can hardly bear different diseases or earthly sorrows. We cannot accept the fact that we feel bad, that we have some discomfort and sufferings. Sometimes we even begin to grumble at God and even blame Him because we are too weak to accept diseases or sorrows.
However, we forget that God gives us all this for a reason - for our sins or for our salvation. When we are in sorrow, we must learn to turn to God even more, to strive to be better. We must accept all the illnesses and sorrows with humility, remembering that they will remain on earth with our lives. People are saved through the sufferings.

В.П. [(5) 14]

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First of all, it should be said that I agree with the quote of saint John [Cassian]. Fasts and vigils, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions and everything worldly are not the aim, they are just tools. We are improving not through these particular actions but through the effect that we have from these actions. For instance, the reading of Scriptures strengthens us spiritually and through prayers and fasts we can become a bit closer to salvation. However, it should be commented, as it is the beginning of Lent, that it works a bit differently with fasting. The main association with fasting is restrictions in food, prohibitions. I think it is illustrated better by the comparison with tools and means. It must always be remembered that fasting is not the aim, but only a means to achieve it. The abstinence in food is not the goal, but only a tool. The most important thing is to improve your soul through praying and fasting, to learn how to keep your senses (sight, hearing, smell, [taste]), so that they do not become an instrument for committing sin. Fasting is designed to soften our temper and become a means of self-improvement for us. And only in this the Church has always seen and sees its main meaning.

В.П. [(5) 9]

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To begin with, I fully agree with the quote of saint Paisios of Mount [Athos]. Excessive [conveniences] make life difficult for people, and for their spiritual life, of course. If a person strives for excessive conveniences, it means that he strives for money. However, money and wealth are very dangerous for a Christian soul. ~~The~~ deception, passion and temptation often go with money. It does not mean that people should live without any comfort and go away into seclusion as many holy fathers did, we are too weak for that. People can live in comfort having money but the main point is not to put convenience and money first. We should remember that the goal of our life is not to get rich, but to open our soul for good, our goal is to become pure and to reach deification. God expects this purity from us, and when we find it, He will fill our soul with grace, give us joy and peace. This is the main wealth for a person, and with this wealth the way to the Heavens is open to him. The most valuable wealth is not earthly wealth and conveniences but the wealth of the soul. The most important thing is to know the measure in everything. It does not mean that with money and conveniences you cannot reach the Kingdom of Heaven. On the contrary, people who know how to distribute and manage their money wisely often help the poor and are saved through this. Wealth is given to them by God for good deeds.
There are lots of temptations in our world but we should not forget about the main goal.

В.П. [(4) 4]

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The quotation of Fr. Gregory Dyachenko is really close to me because I keep in mind such words. Every trouble which you face in your earthly life is temporary. And it is important to remember it. The thing is we don’t have to focus on our mistakes, falls and should not pay much attention to them. They are not the things we should care about. What is more important is to prepare for life after death. Personally if I have a big problem and start to worry about it, I immediately remember the thing that one day we will die and then it won’t make sense. And this is the reason to have joy, because earthly sorrows and sufferings are not eternal. This statement truly fits my idea of Christianity. It is a gift from God that our life here is temporary.
And it really helps in your everyday life. In my view it concerns not only sorrows but also fears. If you just speak in public and you are afraid of it, just remember that one day all people will die and no one remembers this moment. Maybe it sounds a bit strange, but it helps you not to pay a lot of attention to such things.
I want to add that we have to go through all sorrows to remember that this life is not perfect because it’s the temporary place of living. The sorrows and sufferings don't let us get used to this place.

А.Д. [(3,5) 36,5]

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There is no doubt that we have to try to do all we can for our salvation. But we also should realise that we are just weak people and we can’t endure the sufferings and struggle with temptations alone. The most important thing here is not to give up and stay with God anyway. Some earthly sorrows can make us doubt that God is with us, but it’s false. God will never leave us until we want it.
Honestly, when I’m praying I suggest that my requests will be executed within a certain time limit. I understand that it’s not the right approach. So I absolutely agree with his words, that it will be better not to “put time limits on God for this”. It’s time to be patient and just to continue doing our daily chores, and not to forget to pray and do all that is needed according to your strength, and the Lord will do everything necessary for your salvation.
I want to pay attention to the last sentence. Reading this you may think: how can I voluntarily reject God? But after some pondering, you start to realise that you very frequently hide from Him in order to do what you want behind the imaginary veil of His absence. So “just do not forsake God”.

А.Д. [(4,5) 33]

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I agree that happiness consists in doing God’s will. It is a mistake to be sure of your plans for life, because very frequently people don’t know what they want actually. When asking for something in our prayer we should add at the end of the prayer: let it be Your will. God knows what is better for each of us. But I would add to this statement that doing God’s will must be voluntary. Happiness consists in pleasing God and enjoying communion with Him. God Himself said, "I do not want sacrifice, but mercy."
Moreover, I’m a bit confused with the remark about conscience. I don’t think you can rely on conscience. Does everyone have a pure conscience? I doubt the existence of such people. We must be guided by spiritual literature. The point of union of Conscience and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures will correctly point to the will of God. When conscience and mind work together, you can come to the right decision. I agree that your conscience should be carefully monitored and protected. The purer the conscience, the more correct the direction it will point.

А.Д. [(4,5) 28,5]

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I can agree with this opinion to some degree. Truly, we must do everything that is needed and that is in our strength and let God do everything else. We must humble ourselves before Him and acknowledge our weakness, since we all are imperfect human beings.
But then, Abbot Nikon Vorobiev says that one must not demand too much of oneself. But there is certainly a little problem here. Nobody except for the person themselves can decide what ‘too much’ is. Some people may do so little but feel that they’ve done everything in their power. And if you feel that you’ve done everything, most likely you have not. And on the contrary, I have met people who do a hundred times more than others and they can’t even think of limiting their powers. They just do what needs to be done, and I truly respect such people. My point is, a truly devoted person doesn’t even think whether something is in their power or not, they just do what is necessary. Our boundaries are much wider than we think and I believe that every time we feel that we have reached our limits, there is something more that can be done.

Д.Н. [(4,5) 54,5]

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There is not much I can say about the quote of this truly great monk. I have no choice but to agree with him. We can easily find similar words in the Gospel. Luke 15:7 “In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent”.
Indeed, those who suffer from passions need to be prayed for and cared for much more than those who lead a righteous life. Simply because if a person has power to rise from their wretched life, they don’t need additional help. Therefore, we may ask saints to be our intercessors before God, so they can help us in our prayer and with us pray to God for our salvation, but we don’t pray for the saints, since they have already achieved the Heavenly Kingdom.

Д.Н. [(5) 50]

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The key word in this quote of St. John of Kronstadt is the word ‘sincere’. For truly, only sincere Christians can do everything that he mentioned. Continuity of prayer, in my opinion, is the most important thing. We continually sin, so we must continually say a prayer of our heart – the Jesus prayer. We have listened to Metropolitan Kallistos speaking about it, and I find it really fascinating. He said that this prayer is said continually during the day, it can be said during everyday work or routine. And even if we don’t stand in front of an icon, we still invoke the Holy name of Jesus in our minds and hearts and say ‘have mercy on me, a sinner’. This action is, I believe, what Righteous John meant when he spoke about the continual prayer, perpetual gratitude and praise.
This is the thing that is very hard to maintain. People always get distracted, and it’s fine, but we must not get bogged down in other thoughts, because in any way they lead us away from God, to whom we must always strive with our heart and mind.

Д.Н. [(5) 45]

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Indeed all the virtues and vices start from little things. It is quite obvious with vices and we all know Christ’s words: “everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. But I want to elaborate on that a little further.
Archbishop Averky tells us about little actions, which lead to disaster, but every vicious action is preceded by a vicious thought. Many people believe that they can think whatever they want in their heads and not be sinners, since their thoughts are but thoughts, not actions. And there might be vicious thoughts without actions. But corrupted mind doesn’t need much time to corrupt the soul and to lead it to destruction.
It is all quite clear and the same goes with virtues. If one wants to become virtuous, he should pay attention to little things he does every day. If you wish to become a better person, you can’t let petty immediate pleasures distract you. You may think they don’t matter a lot, but they do.

Д.Н. [(5) 40]

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It is true indeed, because a person suffering bodily wretchedness may still be free while one that suffers wretchedness of the soul is certainly heavily constrained. So, we must not be afraid of bodily privations if our spirit remains clear and free. Because it is the soul that makes a person worthy of entering the Heavenly Kingdom. And our soul is something we can’t cure with earthly mortal things. Surely, they can help, but they help us get closer to salvation only if they eventually lead us upwards, that is, to God.
And there were many examples of how bodily privations did not harm people, but made them closer to God by preventing them to fall into idleness. For when a person suffers on earth, he sees more clearly the corruption of this mortal world, and, in contrast, the greatness of the Kingdom which is to come.

Д.Н. [(5) 35]

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I couldn’t agree more with this beautiful passage. I have noticed it myself, we all are inclined to forgive ourselves things that we can’t forgive in others. It’s so hard not to look at others from on high, because our judgements are usually based on our own experience and feelings. Even if we don’t exempt ourselves from any faults, we may underestimate our failures because we know why we allowed them and we can make up a million excuses for our actions. It requires a high degree of self-consciousness to look at other people’s actions from their point of view, to keep in mind that they as people are also fundamentally flawed and weakened by sin. Therefore, the first thing you must do before judging someone is to try to truly understand them and to feel compassion towards them. And if we really do that, there will be no space for despising and scorn in our hearts.

Д.Н. [(4,5) 30]

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I quite agree with the statement that excessive conveniences make life difficult for people. Today, we have a great epidemic of depression. And I can say for sure, that many of the cases derive from this rapid increase in the quality of life. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against development of medicine or against helping people to live better in general. But, as everything, it also comes with a bunch of drawbacks. For example, such a mad focus on material growth, unfortunately, leaves spiritual growth behind.
We have to remember that idleness is one of the most dangerous sins. The more we have, the less we need to worry about things, and it becomes too easy to drift into that everlasting feast of earthly pleasures. The great example of how to prevent people from that is monasticism. Monks voluntarily deprive themselves of every luxury they may have in this life. It helps them keep their heads and hearts pure and set their sights not on this mortal world, but on the Heavenly Kingdom.

Д.Н. [(5) 25,5]

1) Russia definitely suffered a lot from Mongol OVERLORDSHIP, but in the end, it led to the unity of all Russian duchies and principalities. 2) Although Russia had to PAY huge TRIBUTE to the Mongols, it was still able to lead wars against the Swedes and THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS. 3) The latter were even more dangerous in terms of religion: the Teutonic Knights wanted to REDUCE THE RUSSIAN “SCHISMATICS” TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE POPE. 4) The Mongol SUZERAINTY also ended with the rising of THE PRINCIPALITY OF MOSCOW, since THE GRAND DUKES OF MOSCOW led Russian warriors at Kulikovo.

5) Saints and martyrs associated with the military, list of which goes back to the early persecutions of Christians in Roman Empire, are called military, or WARRIOR SAINTS.

6) Since there are no deserts in Russia, our saints used to WITHDRAW INTO THE FORESTS, where they led solitary life and sometimes FOUNDED HERMITAGES. 7) Such people show DELIBERATE SELF-HUMILIATION, living in their PLACES OF RETREAT in complete poverty. 8) Their hermitages, though founded in THE WILDERNESS, if well-known and famous after some time may become THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS HOUSES IN THE LAND. 9) Although such saints may have looked like beggars, royal people came to them to receive THE BLESSING.

10) It was quite hard for the Greek Church to cope with the Islamic rule, but with the stable PERSEVERANCE they were able to KEEP THEIR FAITH. 11) Constantinople was considered “GOD-PROTECTED CITY” for more than a thousand years, but eventually it fell before THE INFIDEL. 12) Although Greek Christians UNDERWENT NO direct PERSECUTION during that time and could continue in THE OBSERVANCE OF THEIR FAITH, they were considered inferior and were encouraged TO APOSTATIZE TO ISLAM. 13) The system introduced by the Muslims created A SAD CONFUSION BETWEEN ORTHODOXY AND NATIONALISM, because to the Turks there was no difference between Hellenism and Orthodoxy and the Church also had to act as a government. 14) The fact that every new Patriarch of Constantinople had to buy a berat from the Sultan led to the thriving of SIMONY. 15) Moreover, since there were often several candidates for THE PATRIARCHAL THRONE, the Turks gave it to one who could pay more. 16) This in turn led to the great taxation of THE PARISH CLERGY and their FLOCKS and to the frequent changing of the Patriarchs. 17) It meant an increase in ABDICATIONS, several Patriarchs even SUFFERED VIOLENT DEATHS.

18) There are many religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church, such as the FRANCISCAN order. 19) There is another, called “THE SOCIETY OF JESUS” and its members are usually called JESUITS. 20) Both of these orders used to UNDERTAKE MISSIONARY WORK among Orthodox, whose Church had UNDERGONE NO REFORMATION.

Д.Н. [(20,5) 20,5]

1) In the first centuries Christians by WITNESSING TO THEIR FAITH showed their dedication and true reverent love for the Lord.
2) In his twenties Heinrich von Ofterdingen was under the guidance of CHAPLAIN.
3) Only with full PERSEVERANCE it is possible to fight against your weaknesses.
4) When the Moon is seen in the sky in its first or last quarter, you may notice that THE CRESCENT it forms won’t always be oriented in the same way.
5) Not only atheists and pagans can be called THE INFIDEL but also those people who profess MOSLEM faith.

1) In the 13th century Russia was under threat of being placed under the SUZERAINTY. 2) There was no way to preserve its independence due to the division between its parts which led to the weakness of the state. 3) That’s why Alexander Nevsky preferred to submit to Mongol OVERLORDSHIP and TO PAY TRIBUTE rather than let THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS conquer Russia and reach their aim which was THE REDUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN "SCHISMATICS" TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE POPE. 4) That one of the greatest WARRIOR SAINTS acted from religious motives as the Tartars rule did not interfere with the life of the Russian Church.

1) Many places were explored and inhabited thanks to the monks who were seeking for a PLACE OF RETREAT. 2) They went into the deserts or WITHDREW INTO THE FORESTS where FOUNDED A HERMITAGE. 3) But most of those places sooner or later stopped being the WILDERNESS as other monks and often the disciples of the founder monk gathered around him. 4) So as they were broadening the space to live in for all the people they are called COLONIST MONKS. 5) And those of them who were meeting pagans and preaching them the Gospel also are called EXPLORER MONKS as with new lands their activity brought more people into Christianity.

Е.Ш. [(8,5) 38]

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As it was said in the series about Sherlock Holmes: “People are not attentive beings in general. Everyone is concentrated on oneself, but about ourselves we also do not know much”. And the other point is our ill nature which, no doubts interferes with the possibility of getting happiness and peace. So leaving everything to the will of God we also leave our bad part behind and can truly head for the better.

Е.Ш. [(4) 29,5]

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I absolutely agree with this idea as I elaborated Righteous John’s words (quotation 193) in this very direction. Although living in poverty may push people towards drifting into a life of crime or make them hard-hearted, ~~but~~ the opposite situation may bring just the same threats. When a person has excessive conveniences he won’t have everything and more to grow spiritually, but will have more distractions which lead towards the decline of the soul.
On this issue of overwhelming conveniences I’d like to turn to the principle of the golden mean. It was propounded by many writers and philosophers many times. So it is not bad that in some ways the life of people gets easier, but if it happens to lack afflictions then nothing would remind us that we have to work with our corrupted nature.

Е.Ш. [(4) 25,5]

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I fully agree with the statement of St. John Cassian.
It is not new for me as the concept when a person substitutes the idea, the aim for the actions required to reach it. The simplest example which came to my mind is the phrase “eat to live, but not live to eat”. In this plain structure “eat” and “live” can be replaced with many other things and still the whole sentence will show that concept of substitution pretty clearly.
It is essential to keep that in mind and to be able to estimate your deeds crucially in order to prevent yourself from walking the wrong path.

Е.Ш. [(5) 21,5]

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These words of Archbishop Averky are indisputable to my mind. Yet I have a few comments on this.
First of all I notice nowadays that many people struggle with the problem that they want to create or achieve something but they have no idea how. And under that confusion is hidden the lack of understating about achieving bigger things through smaller things. That is also true for actions leading us to good or evil.
And second of all there is the opposite delusion about significance of every single action. I mean by it the anxious fear of making mistakes and those people who cares too much about every any word they say or every actions they do. It is also problematic, as that fear paralyses such people and they only can despise and punish themselves, but not work for their own good.
So one should remember that everything matters but not bring it to an extreme degree.

Е.Ш. [(3,5) 16,5]

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I’m not absolutely sure that I understood this quotation of Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, but relying on it I guess that, on the opposite, those who do not suffer from passions which are sins basically are spiritually healthier than those who lived a wretched life. And it appears that those uninjured people are less loved. Of course, any person can become better or get bogged down and a struggling person deserves respect, but I would rather not, because of this, put back those who are more righteous and are also struggling to be even better.

Е.Ш. [(5) 13]

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I have already come across this idea and I quite agree with it.
For one thing it is often said bitterly that life on Earth is ~~the~~ Hell itself, which is incorrect. But we indeed face suffering for our weaknesses, however in a milder way.
For another thing I’d like to recall the phrase from a secular composition: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love”. These are the words of professor Dumbledore from “Harry Potter”, but they are so true and very much similar to the idea of Protopriest Gregory Dyachenko. The departed left together with life their afflictions and possibly gained a better existence, but the living are still struggling with their sins, suffering because of them and their fate still hands in the scale. That is why there is only sense in being compassionate towards the living ~~ones~~. And for the departed we can only pray.

Е.Ш. [(4) 8]

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I believe that I see the point of Abbot Nikon Vorobiev. For me it means that one must remember that a human being is not almighty and no one can fully help oneself, as humanity is corrupted and has various weaknesses. The only one who has the ability to cure our nature and our existence is God. But it is dull for us to expect some particular way of our purification as we do not know how actually it should happen. Simplified version of that process is how we receive medical treatment. We must tell all the problems and do what the doctor says.
Thus one can just reveal oneself entirely and humbly, do everything what should be done to lead one’s way to God and to ~~the~~ salvation.

Е.Ш. [(4) 4]

1. THE GRAND DUKES OF MOSCOW led Russia at Kulikovo and inspired the resistance to the Mongols.
2. Saint STEPHEN of Perm preached Christianity in Komi.
3. SERGIUS of Radonezh is a Russian Saint who WITHDREW INTO THE FORESTS in early manhood.
4. Alexander Nevsky is usually compared with SAINT LOUIS, KING OF FRANCE because they are both the great WARRIOR SAINTS.
5. Alexander Nevsky decided to submit and TO PAY TRIBUTE to Tatars because they were not as categorical to the Russian religion as THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS.
6. The Teutonic Knights' aim was THE REDUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN "SCHISMATICS" TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE POPE.
7. A born EVANGELIST possesses both uncommon charisma and a true gift for narrative.
8. St. Sergius of Radonezh FOUNDED in the forest A HERMITAGE dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
9. The monastery which St. Sergius founded became THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS HOUSE IN THE LAND within his own lifetime.
10. St. Sergius displayed DELIBERATE SELF-HUMILIATION by living as a peasant, dressing in the poorest of clothing.

А.Ж. [(7) 33]

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I can agree with Gregory Dyachenko. In my opinion, his thoughts should be close to every Christian. People always have a lot of problems and troubles. We often have hard times and need to know where to find solace. And I think it is easier for those who believe in God. We know what awaits us after death and must prepare for it throughout all our lives. So, when you are sure that the Lord loves you and will accept you, life becomes easier. You know and expect that your earthly sufferings will end. I also think it's important to notice the end of the quote. Protopriest Gregory says that all the needs and sufferings are given us "for our spiritual good". I agree with this statement. I think that we can love and forgive through suffering. So, if we are depressed, Fr. Gregory's words can help us. I can say that his quote has been helpful to me.

А.Ж. [(4,5) 26]

1. During the Renaissance, the Catholic Church had UNDERGONE THE REFORMATION.
2. JESUITS and FRANCISCANS were sent out to the eastern Mediterranean.
3. In the XVIth century Christian monasteries began to UNDERTAKE MISSIONARY WORK.
4. The delegation of Lutheran scholars from Tübingen, led by Jakob Andreae and Martin Crusius, gave the Patriarch, Jeremias II, a copy of the AUGSBURG CONFESSION.
5. Many of the LAITY don’t perceive many prohibitions in Orthodox Church.

А.Д. [(2) 24]

In the Orthodox Church, PROSTRATIONS or BOWS are а part of our prayer life.
The RELICS of the saints are sometimes INCORRUPTIBLE.
There were many COMMUNICANTS at the liturgy today.
The ANTIDORON is designed for people who have not communed.
The priest has absolved all my sins.
TRIBULATIONS are given to us for strengthening.
ORTHODOXY IS UNIVERSAL and doesn’t relate to a particular people, culture or language.
The MILLET system is a sistem when the patriarch is both a spiritual head of the church and the civil head of the nation.

Е.Т. [(4,5) 30,5]

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I fully agree with this point of view. It is really very important to understand why and for what we are given these problems. And if this understanding is available to us, then we can live a calm and happy life, without emptying and exhausting ourselves. It is the spiritual understanding and spiritual solution of the problem that does not exhaust us, but ~~strengthens us and~~ makes us stronger.

Е.Т. [(4,5) 26]

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I completely agree with the words of Saint John of Kronstadt. Indeed, а bodily privation is nothing compared to а spiritual privation. A person, unlike an animal, has both a body and a soul. Without the spiritual component, our life has no meaning. Having lost himself spiritually, a person loses his humanity and becomes like an animal.
And along with the loss of their humanity, the meaning of life is lost.

Е.Т. [(5) 21,5]

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I absolutely agree with the Righteous John's quote. If we have sincere hearts, we always recognize our sins. So we're trying to receive forgiveness from God and we can do this only through a pure prayer. And of course it should be continual. We need to be constantly in a prayerful mood. A prayerful mood is a thought about God and a feeling for God. And perpetual gratitude always comes to mind, along with the prayer. How can we not thank? We have been given so many miracles and so many chances to be saved. So constant gratitude is natural. And of course we see the glory of God's infinite love to us, so praise should also be perpetual. I think this is a very important task. It is not so easy to find sincerity in yourself and begin to perceive the world in this way, but this is the only true choice.

А.Ж. [(5) 21,5]

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I fully agree with Archbishop Averky's quote. I also think that both virtues and vices start from slight things. And we should be very careful about our behaviour. We often give ourselves indulgences because we love ourselves. Very often our family and friends "help" us in this, without realizing it. They may do this out of love. "Stop starving yourself, so what if it's fast, you need meat, you're growing!" Such phrases are quite common for some kind distant relative. But we must not fall into temptation. A Christian must educate himself. As Archbishop Averky pointed out, you need to start with the small things. With small good deeds, with kind words to yourself and others, with a short prayer. And this squarely fits my idea of Christianity.

А.Ж. [(5) 16,5]

1. As much as he denied the war was coming, he had to BOW EVENTUALLY TO THE INEVITABLE.
2. The first Russian patriarch to ascend THE PARTIARCHAL THRONE was Job.
3. Emperor Nicholas signed the act of ABDICATION for himself and his son Alexy.
4. In the Soviet Union most of the true priests ~~had~~ SUFFERED VIOLENT DEATH.

А.Д. [(2) 22]

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I see the point and fully agree with it. In our earthly life we can’t live a day without committing a sin. And struggling with sins sometimes is extremely hard. So true Christians understand it and anyway continue trying to avoid as many sins as possible. Having an idea of how many sins we commit every day and sometimes unconsciously, makes us wonder how God endures us and why He continues to love us, when we are not even worthy of this life due to the amount of sins we commit daily. And sincere Christians are those who understand it and thank God for granting us mercies despite our mistakes.
And by the way, it squarely fits my idea of Christianity. I suppose that it is like our destination to praise God everyday for giving us a chance to redeem our sins and for His infinite love for us. Actually, when we think that there is nothing good in our life for which we could thank God, then we should remember about who we are and how often we get bad thoughts or quarrels with our closest people or are rude to a stranger etc. If we just remember how we live then we will be surprised that we still stay in this world. And it is the reason to praise the Lord.

А.Д. [(3) 20]

1 Although Constantinople, “GOD-PROTECTED CITY”, had fallen to THE INFIDEL, the Greeks KEPT THEIR FAITH. 2 On the whole, under ISLAM Christians did not UNDERGO PERSECUTION and were permitted to continue in THE OBSERVANCE OF THEIR FAITH. 3 But Christianity under Islam was A SECOND-CLASS RELIGION and from the material point of view there was a strong TEMPTATION for a Christian TO APOSTATIZE TO ISLAM.
4 THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE under the Turks fell to corruption and SIMONY.
5 During the rule of Islam the PATRIARCHAL THRONE was sold to the highest bidder and many patriarchs were forced to ABDICATE and some even SUFFERED VIOLENT DEATHS.
6 THE PARISH CLERGY should look after their FLOCK for they are in need of a SHEPHERD.

С.Г. [(9) 36]

1. In ancient times, all preachers of the Gospel or Christianity were called "EVANGELISTS".
2. HERMITAGE is THE PLACE OF RETREAT of the monks, remote from the settlements of people.
3. Thanks to the efforts of Sergius of Radonezh the hermitage dedicated to the Holy Trinity became THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS HOUSE IN THE LAND.
4. My whole family came to the priest to SECURE HIS BLESSING before fasting.
5. Saint Mary of Egypt settled in THE WILDERNESS, where she spent 47 years in complete solitude, fasting and prayers and displayed DELIBERATE SELF-HUMILIATION.

А.Д. [(3,5) 17]

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We are all considered to be Orthodox Christians. We have one goal to reach the Kingdom. Why would we have it? Because we want to be with God for all eternity. And the whole meaning we should put not in fasting or bowing etc but in the love of God as our Father. Of course we are obliged to study the Holy Scripture, to fast, to go to ~~the~~ church etc. I just want to say that we should do this not because all Christians do the same, but because of our love for God. That’s the point. Through all these virtues we can keep our heart pure from many harmful passions. So, fasting, vigil, asceticism, studying the Holy Scripture are needed for the main goal, that is, purity of heart, which is love.
I see the point of this quote and I absolutely agree with it. What’s the benefit of your fasting or prayers when you are angry with your brother or refuse to help your mother etc. It’s like having tools to do something but not knowing the purpose of doing this. So all these things we have to do due to our love ещ God and His creatures.

А.Д. [(4) 13,5]

1. Sergius of Radonezh is the greatest national saint of Russia, he is closely connected with the RECOVERY of the Russian land in the fourteenth century.
2. The great hermits displayed ~~the~~ DELIBERATE SELF-HUMILIATION.
3. Sergius of Radonezh founded a HERMITAGE dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
4. One of the most striking features of Russia in the 14th century is the steady advance of COLONIST MONKS.
5. The EXPLORER MONKS preached Christianity to the wild pagan tribes.

1. Alexander Nevsky refused any religious compromise and chose political submission to the INFIDEL rather than SPIRITUAL SUBMISSION.
2. Through a TRIAL the Lord reminds us of the fragility of human life, and that our life depends on God.
3. During the service, prayers were OFFERED in connection with the threat of the spread of the coronavirus infection.
4. At the end of the service the priest delivered a SERMON.
5. On the porch of the church we can see BEGGARS.

Е.Т. [(5) 21,5]

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To begin with, I want to say that I completely agree with this quote. The ability to see your sins is the greatest gift of a man. The Orthodox Church presents a view of sins as a spiritual sickness which distorts the whole human being and corrupts the Image of God. Sins disorient and distract a person from his main goal, salvation. And if a person does not see his sins, this is a poor person who does not have the opportunity to move towards the goal of salvation. And if a person sees his sins, it means that he can overcome them and change himself.

Е.Т. [(4,5) 16,5]

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God is love. The Lord calls and waits for each of us, regardless of our position or our sins. I believe everyone has a mission in the world. There is no doubt that God has something to say to us, and that is why He gives us some trials. If we listen carefully to what the Lord tells us, each of us will certainly hear His answer. Perhaps, through these trials, the Lord reminds us of the fragility of a human life, and that our life depends on God. The Lord says: “Do not rely on your strength, do not think that you will be fine without My help. Turn to Me more often, ask Me, and even if it seems to you that I will not answer, I will always come to your aid.” When people fall into sins and turn away from God, they fall into spiritual misery and suffering and only God can save us from this suffering. But the most important thing is that God never turns away from us, he is always here waiting for us.

Е.Т. [(5) 12]

Sometimes a person WITHDRAWS into a remote area to live an ascetic live away from worldly temptations. He finds A PLACE OF RETREAT and stays there for a long period. Sergius of Radonezh is one of the most famous and venerable HERMITS. He gathered a group of disciples in a remote area and founded there a HERMITAGE that became THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS HOUSE IN THE LAND. Even Prince Dmitry Donskoy visited Sergius of Radonezh TO SECURE HIS BLESSING.

Ал.Д. [(3,5) 8]

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To start with, I completely agree with this saying. Sometimes people may think that the main requirement of salvation is to fulfill such actions as fasts, reading Scripture, going to church etc. So, they do it, they turn these actions into the main point of faith. Of course, it`s better than nothing, but it`s less then salvation as it`s supposed to be. The main point of Christians` life is salvation and deification which are acquired through fasts, vigils, the study of Scripture etc. These things are supposed to help us make our hearts, souls and minds closer to God so that we can love Him and our fellow men.
Here I can refer to the dialog between Christ and the young man: «And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me».(Matthew 2;16- 21)
So here we can see that it`s not enough just to fulfill commandments to get redemption but we have to love God and our neighbors. But commandments, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions, and other things are still important because they help us to achieve the love of God and our fellow men.

Ал.Д. [(4,5) 4,5]

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I absolutely agree with the idea of Saint Paisios. I think that the more people move away from the natural, simple life and thrive in luxury, the more human anxiety increases in their souls. And because they are moving further and further away from God, they find no peace anywhere. We all can read in the Gospel: “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19:24) I understand that Saint Paisios spoke more about ascetic life, not about wealthy people. But for us it becomes really difficult even to refrain from luxury things in our everyday life. And I know a lot of people who have everything and their lives are full of comforts, but their misery is very deep.
Actually, I myself have many conveniences, but I cannot feel happy about it. I think that not everyone can lead an ascetic life, depriving themselves of all the benefits. But everyone can fast, pray, and try not to go to extremes, not to surround themselves with luxury.

А.Ж. [(4,5) 11,5]

1. Sir Paul Rycaut wrote that it is remarkable to see and consider how ignorant and poor men KEEP THEIR FAITH with Constancy, Resolution, and Simplicity.
2. After the falling of the "GOD-PROTECTED CITY", the Greeks were under the rule of THE INFIDEL.
3. The Christian religion in MOSLEM eyes is not entirely false, but incomplete.
4. As per Mohammedan teaching, Christians are TO UNDERGO no PERSECUTION.
5. People had taken Byzantium for granted as a permanent element in GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL DISPENSATION to the world for more than a thousand years.

А.Ж. [(3) 7]

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I agree with ~~the~~ St. John's quote. Because his idea is close to my thoughts about being a good man. His main idea is that we should begin with love. I think that the first step is to learn how to love our neighbours. The second is to learn how to love our enemies. And then, at last, we can start "fasts and vigils, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions and everything worldly". Because without love in our hearts all these things are worthless. Through a pure heart, the Kingdom of Heaven comes to man."Blessed are the pure in heart," says the Scripture — " for they will see God (Mt 5: 8). We have this pure heart only if we're able to love each other and God. And this squarely fits my idea of Christianity.

А.Ж. [(4) 4]

1. During the Mongol OVERLORDSHIP the Russian dukes were obliged to PAY TRIBUTE to the Mongol rulers.
2. It was THE GRAND DUKES OF MOSCOW who led Russia at Kulikovo.
3. At the beginning of the 14th century, THE MOSCOW PRINCIPALITY expanded due to the annexation of Kolomna, Pereslavl-Zalessky and Mozhaysk.
4. Alexander Nevsky inflicted decisive defeats upon THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS in 1242.
5. During the Mongol period there were such saints as Alexander Nevsky, STEPHEN of Perm, and SERGIUS of Radonezh.

А.Д. [(3) 9,5]

1 Alexander Nevsky, one of the great WARRIOR SAINTS of Russia, played an important role in preserving the Orthodox Church in the 13th century. 2 Although he decided to submit to Tartars and TO PAY TRIBUTE, he defeated THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS whose avowed aim was THE REDUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN “SCHISMATICS” TO THE JURIDICTION OF THE POPE.
3 During the SUZERAINTY of the Mongol Tartar over Russia, Kiev’s place was taken by THE PRINCIPALITY OF MOSCOW, partly because Peter, Metropolitan of Russia, decided to settle in Moscow.
4 Under the Mongols the Russian Church continued its MISSIONARY WORK and sent EVANGELISTS among the pagan conquerors.
5 When a priest gives us Communion, he gives us THE PRECIOUS AND MOST HONOURABLE BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ unto THE REMISSION OF SINS and unto LIFE EVERLASTING.
6 It’s important for a Christian to receive THE DIVINE, HOLY, MOST PURE, IMMORTAL AND LIFE-GIVING MYSTERIES every Sunday.

С.Г. [(7) 27]

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I fully agree with Father Jack Sparks. People tend to think that they are better that others. And consequently people see a speck in other person’s eye when they themselves have a log in their own.
And as time goes by and science is developing more and more, people’s feeling of self-importance and superiority is only increasing. People think that they have solved the mystery of this world. And while they put themselves above God and nature, they even more readily put themselves above other people. And when one feels that one is better than others one starts to judge and despise others. And then our own faults seem insignificant or even non-existent. And when such is the case, we not only cannot improve ourselves as we close our eyes on our flaws but we also become vainglorious. And this can be true not only for people who have got faults but chooses not to see them, but also for people who can be very good and precisely because of that feel better than others and be judgmental of others.

С.Г. [(5) 20]

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I fully agree with Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt. Indeed, the charity of the man who bestows it unwillingly and grudgingly is worthless. Although it will still help others it will not benefit the soul of the one who performs this act of charity. And it is true not only about unwilling charity. It is also true when a person takes too much pride in their charitable work. As Archbishop Averky said “Vainglory, like a moth, eats away all our good deeds.” Vainglory can ruin any good dead and so when one is being charitable, one should try not to think too highly of oneself because of it.
Also I believe that one only can be truly charitable when one gives away not a surplus of whatever one has got but something that perhaps one could use oneself.
But at the end of the day I still think that people should bestow charity even if it is a useless surplus and it is done unwillingly. It still will be helpful if not for the one who performs this act of charity but for a person who accepts it and I would still encourage people to be as charitable as they possibly can.

С.Г. [(5) 15]

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I fully agree with Abbot Nikon Vorobiev. I believe that being able to see your own sins is the greatest and most needful of all gifts. And it is vital not only to see your sins but also to cry over them. Because it is not enough to recognize that we have done something wrong. People can understand that and don’t feel sorry at all. Some may even be proud of what they’ve done. But when we see our sins and cry over them we can repent. And repentance is an important step to becoming better and more worthy. Of course, a person can be sorry for what they’ve thought, said or done and still do nothing about it. But still it is something.
The theme of vainglory keeps coming up through my essays and here it is again. Because the best way to cope with vainglory is vainglory itself. Or rather awareness of vainglory. If one thinks that one is better than others because one is more righteous than others, distinguishing vainglory in oneself will help to understand that one is not that saint-like after all.

С.Г. [(5) 10]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
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I fully agree with Archbishop Averky. Unfortunately, it is too often that people would say, for example, “You should not break the ten commandments or you will go to hell and you will suffer.” Too often people do certain things and lead a certain lifestyle because they are afraid of God and do not want to be punished. And, sure, it is an effective way to make people better. But God is not cruel and severe. God is kind and merciful. As Archbishop Averky said: “God cares for us like an all-loving Father, and even more gently, like an adoring mother.” And isn’t it natural to try to please someone who loves you that much? To try to become a person who deserves such love. In my opinion, such motivation is much stronger that fear to be punished. And once I was told that we start to obey God because of fear to be punished but gradually we start to obey God because we love him and we do not want to be separated from him.

С.Г. [(5) 5]

1. CRESCENT and star symbol is mostly used by the Muslims and symbolizes heaven and heavenly religion.
2. We need to understand that God PROVIDENTIALLY guides and SUSTAINS our everyday lives and the only thing that we have to do is just trust Him.
3. During the Roman times the Christians were TO UNDERGO PERSECUTION in many ways, they were murdered for their faith, were also thrown into jail, beaten, and expelled from their countries.
4. Fortunately, in these days, we can safely and without INTERFERENCE KEEP OUR FAITH.
5. Our church was CONSECRATED in 1861.

Е.Т. [(2,5) 7]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(188)

I fully agree with these words. Indeed, only one who leaves everything to the will of God can feel truly joyous. Nowadays we all worry about ourselves too much. We turn in the whirlwind of entertainment and problems, not allowing ourselves to collect our thoughts and contemplate our inner state, our soul. Everyday worldly concerns make us forget the most important thing, a man is created to be happy. And this happiness is not possible without God, and without understanding that everything is in the hands of God.
I would say that all our problems come from distrust and doubt. We are afraid to trust God. Indeed, we cannot hope to trust in someone who is essentially a stranger to us, but God has not made Himself difficult to find or know. All we want to know about God, He has made it available to us in the Bible.
Of course, everyone in this life deals with doubt, even the great apostles and disciples in the Bible dealt with doubt, and it is normal for human beings.
From this we can conclude that the problem lies in us and in our own will.
And a person can become truly happy only by trusting God.

Е.Т. [(4,5) 4,5]

"Orthodox Quote of the Week"
(198)

I absolutely agree with this quote. In our days comfort has the highest value. Each of us strives for a comfortable life. We are trying to buy the most comfortable seats on the plane, the most expensive equipment, the most delicious food etc. The pursuit of comfort has consumed everyone. But is this comfort really necessary? Let’s imagine your life with all the exciting conveniences. You have tried all things you wanted, have visited all countries you wanted, have tasted dishes you wanted. And what would you do then? What would you strike for if you have already had all you wanted? Life would lose its colours. And it would be more difficult for you than if you were far from a comfortable life. Life is more exciting and breathtaking when you achieve everything on your own.
And we ~~us people~~ who try to be Orthodox Christians should remember that striving for comfort is not the main goal of our life. Sometimes we have to refrain from some conveniences. We have an example of how we should live. Did Christ have all comforts during His earthly life? So let’s follow the example of our Saviour’s life and be indifferent to these temporary conveniences.

А.Д. [(3,5) 6,5]

1. My father and brother as ~~the~~ altar servers PARTAKE of THE COMMUNION within the Altar.
2. On the domes of MOSLEM temples we can see THE CRESCENT.
3. This Crusade was against the INFIDEL.
4. In the Soviet Union the Orthodox Christians have UNDERGONE PERSECUTION.
5. Greeks called Sultan Mohammed II "THE PRECURSOR OF ANTICHRIST and the second SENNACHERIB".

А.Д. [(3) 3]

The CRESCENT is the curved shape of the waning moon is used by MOSLEMS.
Constantinople was the GOD-PROTECTED CITY, an element in GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL DISPENSATION which fell and turned out to be under the rule of the INFIDEL.
Sultan Mohammed II, so called the PRECURSOR OF ANTICHRIST and the second SENNACHERIB instituted the Patriarch investing him with his PASTORAL STAFF and became CHAMPION OF ISLAM and protector of Orthodoxy.

Д.Ж. [(4) 4]