| readeralexey | Дата: Воскресенье, 04.01.2026, 19:19 | Сообщение # 1 |
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| The gift of words is one of God's greatest gifts. It ennobles man, lifting him above all other creatures. But how this gift is now misused by a corrupt humanity! Safeguard this gift and learn to use it as befits a Christian. Do not judge, do not speak idly. Avoid like fire bad language and seductive conversation. Do not forget the words of our Lord and Saviour: "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mt. 12:37). Do not indulge in lying. Holy Scripture sternly forewarns: "The Lord shall destroy all them which speak a lie" (Ps. 5:4).
Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York.
Guidelines for Orthodox Christians (4 of 8)
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| milapolyudova | Дата: Понедельник, 23.02.2026, 16:38 | Сообщение # 2 |
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| After taking in the advice of Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York, written especially for Orthodox Christians, it hits you again: we all come into this world already gifted. Even those who can't speak, who are mute or deaf, still find ways to communicate, using their hands and facial expression to live humanly. And what does living humanly really mean? It means being in connection, with the people around us and with God. Or, if you are a hermit, maybe just with God. Either way, we are told plainly: safeguard this gift. Learn to use it "as befits a Christian".
The tongue isn't a random body part. It's more like a mirror reflecting whatever is going on inside us. The Apostle James states bluntly : “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.” (James 1:26). Sounds extreme, but our words always give us away. Christ himself said it: " For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34).
Imagine a faucet. Turn it on, and out comes whatever is in the tank. If your heart has been stewing in irritation, bitterness, judgment — that's what's going to spill out. But if it is filled with prayer, gratitude, good thoughts—then your words actually do something. They comfort. They heal.
Keeping your tongue in check? That takes work. Sometimes it hurts. There is an old story from the Patericon about an elder who got insulted and just... held it in. Didn't fire back. He avoided bad language like fire. But the effort of swallowing that retort was so intense, the word turned to blood in his mouth, and he spat it out. I read something similar happened to an army officer. A young soldier mouthed off to him, and this older man, who had every right to crush him, just didn't. He held it together so tightly, his mouth filled with blood. That is what it can cost to choose love and peace.
If a person, regularly attending church, continues to judge their neighbours, it means they have not yet encountered themselves. The Apostle calls it "vain" not without reason: much labour, but no fruit. True spiritual life, however, is always quiet, attentive, and gives birth to words that bring warmth to others.
What frightens me most is a lot of people choose to remain brainwashed and embittered by liars, who, in fact, start from speaking lies to themselves. For example, when I say I'm doing something "for this reason", at a certain point I might realize deep down I'm actually doing it for something entirely different. That looks like lying with life. So, that is where self-destruction might take place sooner or later. To illustrate, many of us have experienced losing good old friends to their self-betrayal. I am no exception.
Сообщение отредактировал milapolyudova - Воскресенье, 15.03.2026, 18:12 |
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| dkirlenkova03 | Дата: Вторник, 10.03.2026, 09:32 | Сообщение # 3 |
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| This exhortation from Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky)rings especially sharp in the era of social media and information noise. The gift of words is a unique distinction of man from animals (Gen. 1:26–28), granting the power to name and communicate, but today it often serves as a tool of division: trolling, fakes, and gossip erode its divine essence. The word elevates the mind (Prov. 18:21: "death and life are in the power of the tongue"), but sin (condemnation, idle talk) degrades it. Saint John Chrysostom, in his homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, expounds Mt. 12:37: every word will face God's judgment. Do not judge (Mt. 7:1): condemnation is the usurpation of God's role (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk). Do not speak idly (Mt. 12:36): idle words are the sin of sloth (Abba Dorotheus). Avoid foul language (Eph. 4:29; Col. 3:8): the word is like fire (James 3:5–6) — it ignites passions. Do not lie (Ps. 5:7; Eph. 4:25): a lie comes from diabolos ("slanderer," Jn. 8:44). In a world where words serve manipulation, this is also a call to silence as a virtue (cf. "silence is the language of humility" in St. Silouan the Athonite). Christian speech is love and truth (Eph. 4:15), building up the Church. Metropolitan Philaret reminds us: the tongue is also a measure of holiness and a test of faith by works (James 1:26).
Сообщение отредактировал dkirlenkova03 - Вторник, 10.03.2026, 09:33 |
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