http://www.ocf.org/food/archivefood.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
Food for Thought
Food for Thought
What are "our traditions"? They are everything that the God-man Christ,
He Himself, and by the Holy Spirit, gave the commandment to hold and to
live according to Them; whatever He delivered to his Church, in which He
dwells continuously with His Holy 'Spirit (Cf. Mt. 28:19-29). "Our
traditions" are our whole life in grace in God, Christ, and the Holy
Spirit, the life of us Christians, which began in the Church of Christ,
through the Apostles, by the decent of the Holy Spirit. ... Thus, our
"traditions" are the new life of the grace in the Holy Spirit, which is
the soul of the Church, the life in the Eternal Truth of God, in the
Eternal Justice of God, in the Eternal Love of God, in the Eternal Life
of God. Here man is not creating anything, nor can he create the Eternal
Truth, the Eternal Justice, the Eternal Love, the Eternal Life, but they
are for him to accept, to change into his own.
St. (Fr.) Justin Popovich in Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ
(A true confessor for the Orthodox Faith in our days!)
The practice of the prayer of Jesus holy David, or more accurately the
Holy Spirit by the mouth of David, offers to all Christians without
exception: 'The kings of the earth and all people, princes and all judges
of the earth, young men and maidens - let elders with the young praise the
name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted (PS. 148:11-13).' A
literal understanding of the states enumerated here would be perfectly
permissible, but their essential meaning is spiritual.
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, On the Prayer of Jesus
God seeks nothing else from us men except that we do not sin; this alone.
But this is not a work of law; it is rather a careful guarding of the
image and dignity from above. In these things, affirmed in our nature and
bearing the radiant garment of the Spirit, we shall abide in God and He
in us. We shall be called good, and sons of God by adoption, marked in
the light of our knowledge of God.
St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Practical and Theological Chapters
In the Lives of the Saints are shown numerous but always certain ways of
salvation, enlightenment, sanctification, transfiguration,
"christification," deification; all the ways are shown by which man
conquers sin, every sin; conquers passion, every passion; conquers death,
every death; conquers the devil, every devil. There is a remedy there for
every sin: from every passion-healing, from every death-resurrection,
from every devil-deliverance; for all evils-salvation. There is no
passion, no sin for which the Lives of the Saints do not show how the
passion or sin in question is conquered, mortified, and uprooted.
Fr. (St.) Justin Popovich, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ
The Christian ought not to grudge another's reputation, nor rejoice over
any man's faults; he ought in Christ's love to grieve and be afflicted at
his brother's faults, and rejoice over his brother's good deeds. He ought
not to be indifferent or silent before sinners. He who shows another to
be wrong ought to do so with all tenderness, in the fear of God, and with
the object of converting the sinner. He who is proved wrong or rebuked ought
to take it willingly, recognizing his own gain in being set right.
St. Basil the Great, Letters
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There is a knowledge that precedes faith, and there is a knowledge born
of faith. Knowledge that precedes faith is natural knowledge; and that
which is born of faith is spiritual knowledge. What is natural knowledge?
Knowledge is natural that discerns good from evil, and this is also
called natural discernment, by which we know to discern good from evil
naturally, without being taught. God has implanted this in rational
nature, and with teaching it receives growth and assistance; there is no
one who does not have it.
Spiritual Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian
If only people would care as much for good things as they care about that
which is bad. If only they would transfer to a yearning for piety all the
attention they lavish on spectacles, magnificent festivals, on avarice,
vain-glory and injustice. We are not ignorant of how highly God values
us, nor are we powerless against the demons.
The Spiritual Meadow of John Moschos
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St. Dionysios of Zakynthos was put to the ultimate test as regards
forgiving: he met the killer of his brother, and he forgave his
crime and even helped him escape from the authorities.
Here is part of a poem that details the moment of truth for St. Dionysios.
It is, of course, a fictional account of the episode.
Selection from "The Abbot of Anaphonitra" by Andreas Bartzokis (1849-1923)
Composed in 1889
A': The Killer
[The killer has just arrived at the room of St Dionysios. The killer
doesn't know he has killed the saint's brother, and the saint doesn't know
the victim's name. The saint speaks first]
"Confess your piteous victim's name.
Whom hast thou killed, O wretch?"
"Lean close and let me whisper it
And lock it in your heart."
The fell breath of the murderer
Seeped deep within his ear;
It reached the well-springs of his soul
And shuddered through his frame.
His face grew pale as asphodel,
His lips began to tremble;
His spirit swooned within his breast
With sweat his brow was beaded.
A secret tear ran down his cheek,
A token of his sorrow,
And falls upon the killer's hand,
O Jesu, strengthen him!
"O what can ail thee, holy monk?
And whence that tear of sorrow?"
"My heart is heavy, sad my soul,
I mourn your victim... You no less...
What was the cause, unhappy man,
That bathed your hands in blood?
What made you kill that noble lord?"
"O give me not away!"
"My God, your hand with carnage reeks,
O hide it from my sight!"
"O aid me, hide me in the earth,
My plight brooks no delay!"
"Miscreant, murderer, what have you done?
You know not whom you slew!"
"Save me, Abbot, pity me,
My foes are at your door!"
"Your victim's voice cries out to Heaven:
His curse lies heavy on you."
"Make haste, O Abbot, take me in.
They cry aloud for vengeance."
"Why fear you only mankind's wrath?
Not Him who rules for ever,
From Man you can conceal yourself,
From God Almighty, never!"
B': The Spectre
O, who is here? Who is this man?
Whom have I in my cell?
What words are these that rend my soul?
Can this my brother's slayer be?
"My slayer 'tis you've taken in
And granted him your pardon,
His bloody hand in yours you clasped,
O, Abbot, see! Your brother!
Approach me, brother, see! my wound
E'en now full fresh doth gape."
"Have pity, brother, veil thy wound
Which lays its curse on me."
"How deep within my breast the knife,
O, brother, feel and see!
Mayhap your holy hand may heal
And give me life once more.
O turn not from me in dismay!
The blood unstaunched flows.
Dip in the gore your priestly robe
And give your guest to drink!"
"O shade, I know you, piteous ghost;
Forgive both me and him.
The murderer's hand which slew thy heart
Has also broken mine.
O he is here! The blood he shed
For vengeance cries aloud:
But for the life he robbed me of
I freely spare him his."
But no! The victory is the ghost's:
His call for vengeance wins.
The Abbot starts towards the door,
The cross about his neck he grasps,
To use it for a key.
"O Abbot, wilt thou use the cross
A creature to betray
Whom thou hast pardoned? Stay while!
Your mind with rage is dimm'd."
"O Lord Almighty, pardon me,
In human weakness now
I surely sinned, I know it well;
But now repent in tears.
I see your sweet gaze on me fixed,
Against Thee have I sinned.
My brother's shroud hid from my sight
The lance-wound in Thy side;
His groaning drown'd, O Saviour mine,
The words Thou to me saidst
When crowned with thorns upon the cross,
Between two thieves Thou bledst.
O yes, I have forgiven him,
As Thou Thy torturers.
My thanks are due to Thee, O Lord,
For I Thy pains have shared.
Forgiveness grant to me, O Lord,
And to this murderer vile,
Shine Thy sweet light upon his heart,
Let him his sin revile."
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"On Sundays and feast days come to the church, and falling down with reverence
before God, be mindful of all the mercies you may ever have received from Him.
Thank Him for them with all your heart, and as a sign of your thankfulness,
promise to live as He has commanded you. This is a sacrifice most pleasing to
God."
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
"Do not steal anything from anyone, and take nothing, and be content with what
you earn by your own labors. Be diligent and avoid idleness. FOR AS DILIGENCE
IS PLEASING TO GOD, SO IDLENESS ON THE CONTRARY, AS A SOURCE OF EVERY EVIL, IS
A SIN VERY OFFENSIVE TO GOD. Never lie, but always tell the truth. For all
falsehood and deceit is the most harmful of all vices, and the customary work
only of the devil."
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
The Word of God thus acted consistently in assuming a body and using a
human instrument to vitalise the body. He was consistent in working
through man to reveal Himself everywhere, as well as through the other
parts of His creation, so that nothing was left void of His Divinity and
knowledge. For I take up now the point I made before, namely that the
Saviour did this in order that He might fill all things everywhere with
the knowledge of Himself, just as they are already filled with His
presence, even as the Divine Scripture says, "The whole universe was
filled with the knowledge of the Lord."
St. Athanasius, On The Incarnation
This is from a pamphlet titled "Practical Prayer",
an interview with Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
(Russian Archdiocese). I offer it here in the context of
recent questions on prayer, saints and veneration.
---"Many of our readers come from a non-liturgical
Christian background. What advice can you offer
for making liturgical prayer personal and from
the heart, rather than repeitious and mechani-
cal?
METROPOLITAN ANTHONY: All the liturgical
prayers which we possess came from the hearts of
the saints who composed them. They are not just
ready made prayers which we can recite and call it
quits. In order to be able to pray them with our mind
and with our heart, we must learn the feelings and
the attitudes of those saints who composed them. It
is not simply a matter of just using liturgical
prayers in Church, but of meditating on them
during the course of the week. We should read
them thoughtfully and meditate upon them-not as
a curious exercise, but thinking deeply about what
they mean. We must try to gather from the
thoughts, and at times even the words, of the
vatious prayers that which we possess of a similar
experience. Then, when we come to Church, these
glimpses of vision will come to life when the
Church prays.
Once the liturgical prayers are prayed in
Church, they should not be a continuing object of
meditation or reflection. During the course of the
service one should be all ears. We must listen with
all our heart, all our life, all our perception, and
allow the prayers simply to penetrate us, to pervade
us without stopping one minute to ask ourselves,
"What are they doing to me? How do I respond to
this prayer?" That we can do better at another
moment, but not during the liturgical service.
Something else which I believe to be impor-
tant in learning to pray liturgical prayers is this:
When we use prayers which were composed by the
saints, we should pray to these saints for enlighten-
ment-ask them to uphold our prayers and take
them upward to God together with us. And if we do
these things, I think we will gradually grow into the
prayers themselves and into the liturgical action.
"Is liturgical prayer a means to communion with
the saints?
METROPOLITAN ANTHONY : It can be, of course.
At times all we can do is to offer a prayer and say
to the saint, "I don't really believe that this can
work, but you who spoke these words, pray with me
and on your faith let this prayer mount towards
God." I had this experience once when I read the
prayer called "Intercession" by Saint Basil the
Great. I said to him, "I don't really believe that this
can work, but you did, you prayed this prayer. Pray
with me and all I can do is offer it together with you,
on your faith." I prayed the prayer, and received
answer to it.
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As the bread which is from the earth, after receiving the invocation of
God upon it, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of
two things, an earthly and a heavenly, so our bodies after partaking of
the Eucharist are no longer destructible, having hope of the resurrection
that is forever.
St. Irenaeus in Against Heresies
A worker takes the trouble to get hold of the instruments that he
requires. He does so not simply to have them and not use them. Nor is
there any profit for him in merely possessing the instruments. What he
wants is, with their help, to produce the crafted objective for which
these are the eficient means.
In the same way, fasting, vigils, scriptural meditation, nakedness and
total deprivation do not constitute perfection but are the means to
perfection. They are not in themselves the end point of a discipline, but
an end is attained to through them.
St. John Cassian, Conference One.
If Moses had not received from God the rod of power, he would not have
become god to pharaoh and would not have punished both him and Egypt. In
the same way the mind, if it does not wield in its hand the power of
prayer, will be unable to conquer sin and the powers of the enemy.
St. Gregory of Sinai in Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart
But as the old Confusion of tongues was laudable, when men who were of one
language in wickedness and inpiety, even as some now venture to be, were
building the Tower; for by the confusion of their language the unity of
their intention was broken up, and their undertaking destroyed; so much
more worthy of priase is the present miraculous one. For being poured from
One Spirit upon many men, it brings them again into harmony. And there is
a diversity of Gifts, which stands in need of yet another Gift to discern
which is the best, where all are praiseworthy.
St. Gregory Nanzianzen, Oration on Pentecost.
Prayer is a ladder leading up to God; for there is nothing more powerful
than prayer. There is no sin which cannot be forgiven by means of prayer,
and there is no sentence of punishment which it cannot undo. There is no
revelation which does not have prayer as its cause, and there are no
types or symbols which prayer cannot interpret.
Anonymous, from The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life.
Let us toil, carrying each other's burden, as Christ carried our diseases
in His body without flinching. If Christ is our master, then let us
imitate Him and bear His injuries, lest in the age to come we be
separated from our brothers who suffered afflictions. Such was also the
fate of others because they wanted to give themselves not to virtues but
rather to vices.
The Letters of St. Pachomius, Pachomian Koinonia, Vol. 3
Did you see how baptism is a cross? Learn that even Christ called
baptism the cross when He used the name of baptism interchangeably [with
that of the cross]. He called your baptism a cross. 'I call my baptism a
cross,' he says. Where does He say this? 'I have a baptism to be baptized
with, of which you do not know.' And how is it clear that He is speaking
of the cross? The sons of Zebedee came up to Him - rather, the mother of
the sons of Zebedee, saying 'Command that these my two sons may sit, one
at thy right and and one at thy left hand, in thy kingdom.' A mother's
request, even if it was an inconiderate one! How then did Christ answer?
'Can you drink of the cup of which I am about to drink, and be baptized
with the baptism with which I am baptized?' You see that He called the
cross a baptism.
St. John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instructions.
I have one more commercial listing, if I may. I was just made aware of a
new title some of us won't be able to resist.
Newly published in Greece by Novo Lacto Ovo Monastery,
"Cookin' With Kallistos: Carnivorous Favorites From The Wok of Ware"
(This was originally released in Greek as "Arise Kallistos:
Kill and Eat") Translation from Greek to Elizabethan by Holy
Transfiguration Monastery.
It includes recipes by Fr. John Romanides (Franks, Beans & Feudalism),
Nina Seco (Food for Thought But Not For Wednesday or Friday), and the one
we've all wanted to try, Bishop K's own Rose Hill Sweet & Sour Pork!
Most likely this will be available from HTM, St. Vlad's and Holy Cross.
The word of Paul urges me
to persevere in prayer to Thee and to await Thee
Taking confidence, then, I pray,
for I am sure of Thy mercies.
I pray that Thou mayest first draw night to me and summon me to
claim me as Thine,
And that Thou dost tarry to give the reward of persistence,
Thou Who dost will that all men be saved.
A Prayer, in Kontakia of Romanos, Vol. II
Human life is 'the shadow of death.' If then anyone is with God and God
is with him, clearly such a man can say: 'for though I walk in the midst
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for Thou art with me.'
St. Maximus the Confessor, Four Centuries on Charity (Love).
Let us, then, cling to His blessing, and study the ways and means of
securing this blessing. Let us unroll the records of antiquity. For what
reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not that he did what was
right and lived up to the truth, enabled by faith? With confidence because
he knew the future, Isaac cheerfully let himself be led to the altar. Jacob
was humble enough to leave his country because of his brother, and went
to Laban and lived in servitude; and the twelve tribes were given to him.
St. Clement of Rome, Epistle to the Corinthians.
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