004 - Finding God's Will in your life

It has been said that at the end of your life the only things that really matter are the people you loved, the people who loved you, and what you did for God. The importance of our other accomplishments, however great, does not have the same significance. They even tend to fade into oblivion and be forgotten. How then do we discern what is truly important in our lives? How do we make our major decisions (what career to pursue, whom to marry, etc.)? Obviously, the way to a meaningful life is to follow God’s will for our lives. But to know God’s will for ourselves implies that we are attuned to Him, that we have a spirituality that allows us to listen to Him. Here are several principles to help young adults develop and maintain such spirituality.

(1) Pray the prayer “Thy will be done.”
God’s will is always for our benefit and always out of love for us, even though we may not understand it at first and it may be difficult to accept. We see that things turned out best only later. God sees what we do not see in our own hearts and in the hearts of others. As we grow, we will see that He is watching us very closely and is always in control. We thereby learn to trust Him and always be at peace.

St. Chrysostom said, “I always pray, ‘Lord, not what I will, nor what any other creature wills, but may Thy will be done.’” Christ Himself prayed the same prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, in His most difficult hour. We also should always finish our personal requests to God with the same prayer, “not my will, but Thy will be done.” This prayer will give us clarity of vision, free us from disappointment, protect us from trying to bring the wrong people into our lives, and deliver us from man-pleasing and flattery. It does not mean that we won’t make mistakes, but even in our mistakes God will not abandon us, and we ourselves will seek to re-align ourselves with Him.

(2) Develop a world of interiority
Everyday we should strive to do something for God which is known only to Him and not to any other human being. In this way, no one on earth can take it away from us. This is what Christ meant when He said, “Let not your right hand know what your left hand is doing” (Mt 6:3). This was a source of strength to Christians of the past in times of persecution. It will also protect us when the conditions of our life change and we do not find ourselves near a church that is providing for our needs, or near a church at all.

(3) Stay inspired, or you’ll expire
The daily, patient reading of the Holy Scripture is the best means to keep our heart warm to God. At first it may seem difficult, but as we read more we realize how deeply it speaks to our lives. St. Chrysostom even speculated, “Without the daily sweetening of the soul with the words of Holy Scripture, it is impossible to be saved.”

Also important is to choose inspiring friends, and to associate ourselves with inspiring people. Our habits, speech, interests, etc., are influenced by those with whom we spend time. Choose your friends carefully. Spend time with those who lift you up, help you achieve your goals, and make you want to be a better person.

Finally, absorb and pursue the truly beautiful things in life. St. Paul said, “Whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are lovely, think on these things” (Phil 4:8). The modern media seeks to choke us with materialism and the baser things in life. Rebel against this by seeking a higher culture. Listen to Mozart, to Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, etc. You will not be disappointed.

(4) Be persistent and consistent
The spiritual life is not always easy. We will still make mistakes in life. But when we fall, we must get up. We must always move forward and never quit. Christ said, “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Mt 10:22). If we have down days or times of loneliness, we must fill them with stronger prayer to God. A Christian is not a person who never fails – a Christian is a person who has the courage to return to God, to get back up and strive to improve.

(5) Give your heart to God
“My son, give me thine heart” (Prov 23:26). This is what God requires of us, He wants our love freely given. He will not settle for second place. If there is a person or thing or ambition in our life that we may value above our relationship with God, it must be abandoned. This is what Christ meant when He said that whoever would come after Him must abandon all and follow Him. Yet He also added that whoever did this would receive a hundredfold in return. When we receive this hundredfold back, however, it no longer means as much to us. Christ is the main focus of our lives. Any other main focus can become a form of idolatry.

(6) Avoid negativity
“It’ll never work.” “Oh, what’s the use?” “Everyone else is doing it.” This sort of negativity can drag us down, and even become addictive. It will ruin our desire to be creative, courageous and energetic. It will encourage us to live by lower ideals and lower standards. Stamp out negativity from the start, don’t give it a chance, and don’t feed it.

(7) Keep a journal
It is a good practice and one followed by many Saints to keep a notebook in which we write down things that inspire us, things people say, things that happen in our lives that reveal God’s providence and care for us. In the future we can then look back and be edified again.

(8) Do not neglect the Sacraments
Last, but certainly not least, do not be absent from the Divine Liturgy, make every effort to attend Vespers on Saturday nights and feast days, and receive the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion as often as you can. These Sacraments are a “forgotten medicine” today. They have a power not only to unshackle us, but to fill us with joy and strength. Holy Communion especially, when taken with due preparation, can center and strengthen our whole life in Christ. It is where we are united with Christ, who said, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

Life is a great potential, a vast horizon of endless possibilities. Each one of us has a path, a calling, a purpose in God’s plan, and this purpose will bring us fulfillment and joy. But to follow this path takes struggle, work, and even sacrifice. It is a “narrow way” in the words of Christ. Follow Christ, and follow your path, the path God sets for you. Do not follow the path that the world sets for you, nor others who may not have your best interest in mind. As contemporary saying states, “Life is short, pray hard.” To be truly happy, to meet our goals, to spend our time on earth with those who would bring us the most joy and love, means that we are seeking to follow Christ with our whole heart and being. It is only God who gives every gift, and He does so without measure to those who love and follow Him.

Source: http://www.pravmir.com/article_350.html

St Themelios of Kalymnos

St Themelios of Kalymnos
FD: November 7
Vesper Service on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/imkalymnoy

Apolitikion:

Ὁ Μάρτυς Θεμέλιος Μελετινῆς ὁ βλαστὸς, τὸν δόλιον δράκοντα, τοῖς τῶν αἱμάτων κρουνοῖς, ἀθλήσας ἀπέπνιξε, πίστει γὰρ ἀληθείας, μελιδὸν τετμημένος, ὥφθη τροπαιοφόρος, τοῦ Σωτῆρος Ὀπλίτης, πρεσβεύων ἀδιαλείπτως ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν

003 - Humility - Humiliation and Humi-limit-ation, the process of setting boundaries for oneself!

All of our actions should be 'measured' or moderate, never in excessive or extreme but balanced. The importance of setting boundaries are significant. Limitation, and moderation in our discipline to others, is connected with the respect for the other person; one is neither called to 'betray oneself' nor to wound another in this moderation, but to be generous to our bodies and gentle towards others.

This is why Our Church encourages her community to have personal self-discipline and discipline imposed by another (eg Spiritual Father) since these two are interconnected. When individual limits are prescribed in this manner then we may attain a full measure of the stature of Christ (cf Eph. 4:13).

Paradoxically (Mt 18:3), one is called not to increase in spiritual complexity or appearance, but to decrease in the direction of simplicity to 'come to the measure of a child,' and to reach the dimensions of an infant. This childlike mentality, holy innocence, provides the key to the heavenly kingdom and holds the secret to spiritual direction. Deriving essentially from God - the efficacy of spiritual direction depends on the innocent trust of the disciple and the wisdom of the elder and depends more on the faith and obedience of the disciple, than on the power or charisma of the elder.

So, if we Orthodox limit ourselves, under the direction of a Spiritual father, it is in order to 'liberate our conscience'. This is the meaning of obedience in the spiritual life and it is a privelege to be able to submit to someone else in order to discover the limitless space of freedom.

This is the way of the cross and the way to follow in the footsteps of the Lord.

To Be Continued.

002 - Leo Tolstoy - Decree of Excommunication

In his lecture at Georgetown University:

“A CHANGELESS FAITH FOR A CHANGING WORLD”
Center for American Progress and Georgetown University
Gaston Hall of Georgetown University
Washington, DC (November 3, 2009)

His Eminence the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referenced Leo Tolstoy as being an Orthodox Christian.

A fellow blogger (John Sinidiopoulos, Mystagogy) reminded us today that Leo Tolstoy not only was not Orthodox, but he rejected Orthodoxy and in turn was excommunicated for this rejection.

See, http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Decree_of_Excommunication_of_Leo_Tolstoy

For those who are not aware of this person, he was a great author but apparantly not a very good theologian.

For those who have some time, they can read some his teachings at these links, note that the content is not traditional and accepted Orthodox thinking (ie, his teachins are false):

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8186/Tolstoy-vs-the-Orthodox-Establishment

http://saif_w.tripod.com/interesting_articles/nonmuslims/tolstoy_regard_me_a_mohammaden.htm

001 - Meditation - 091105

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Excerpted from Father Stephen Wordpress weblog:

Every human being has a “secret place,” that within them that is most intimate – that is beyond words – that is made for God. Learning to enter this place is a very difficult thing and only comes with time and practice. But our culture, the world where the most secret things in our lives are shouted from the rooftops, tells us to profane our secrets and to shout them to the world. And thus we lose something at the very core of our Personhood. Violated, every man and woman becomes a harlot.

The Church, particularly the Orthodox Church, has a very different attitude towards the Secret. It is not to protect the evil or to create a conspiracy – it is to honor the most holy thing within each of us. Thus we learn to approach the Secret Place with great reverence, even in silence and awe.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev. 3:20)

I will offer a short exhortation: if you keep a website or a blog, do not make it a place for your secrets (as is too often done). There is no virtue in this, but only sin. Bring your secrets to God and stand next to His priest. There you will find love and respect, not judgment. And you will find a balm for your soul. This most public of all places (the internet) hates your secrets and would only use them to destroy you. Learn to be silent and speak to God in your heart. I offer this begging…if you have posted your secrets – remove them! Close the doors, draw the curtain and stand in secret before the Most High God!.

And so it shall be.

Source:
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/in-the-secret-place-of-the-most-high-god/