The Stapleton Family

St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," STEP 22: On the Many Forms of Vainglory

2011-05-25T21:21:00.001-08:00

The flatterer is a servant of devils, a guide to pride, a destroyer of contrition, a ruiner of virtues, a misleader. Those who pronounce you blessed, lead you astray, says the prophet. (Isaiah 3:12)

Lessons from the Holy Fathers on Fasting

2011-05-25T21:05:00.001-08:00

Do you fast?
Give me proof of it by your works.
If you see someone who is poor, take pity on that one.
If you see a friend being honored, do not be envious.
Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eyes, and the feet,
and the hands and all the member of our bodies.
Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful.
Let the ears by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes,
but bite and devour our brothers and sisters?
— St. John Chrysostom

It is necessary most of all for one who is fasting to curb anger, to accustom himself to meekness and condescension, to have a contrite heart, to repulse impure thoughts and desires, to examine his conscience, to put his mind to the test and to verify what good has been done by us in this or any other week, and which deficiency we have corrected in ourself in the present week. This is true fasting.
— Saint John Chrysostom

An excellent faster is he who restrains himself from every impurity, who imposes abstinence on his tongue and restrains it from idle talk, foul language, slander, condemnation, flattery and all manner of evil speaking, who abstains from anger, rage, malice and vengeance and withdraws from every evil.
— Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

See what fasting does: it heals illnesses, drives out demons, removes wicked thoughts, and makes the heart pure. If someone has even been seized by an impure spirit, let him know that this kind, according to the word of the Lord, “goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).
— Saint Athanasius the Great

By fasting it is possible both to be delivered from future evils and to enjoy the good things to come. We fell into disease through sin; let us receive healing through repentance, which is not fruitful without fasting.
— Saint Basil the Great

The strictness of the forty-day fast puts to death the passions, extinguishes anger and rage, cools and calms every agitation springing up from gluttony. And just as, in the summer, when the burning heat of the sun spreads over the earth, the northern wind gives a welcome blessing to those who are scorched, by dispersing the heat with a tender coolness, so fasting also provides the same by driving out of bodies the burning which is the result of overeating.
— Saint Asterius of Amasia

As bodily food fattens the body, so fasting strengthens the soul; imparting it an easy flight, it makes it able to ascend on high, to contemplate lofty things, and to put the heavenly higher than the pleasant and pleasurable things of life.
— Saint John Chrysostom

2011-05-25T15:00:00.001-08:00

View from pillar mountain. Still testing the iPhone app.

Test

2011-05-25T14:39:00.001-08:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I know, I know.

2011-05-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

I know I said that I was going to post more on this blog and I truly intend to do so. My only problem is that I usually have great things to say while I am out and about and not near my computer. What am I doing to rectify this situation? I'll tell you, I found an app for my Iphone and Im installing it and will hopefully be able to use it more often. Thats it for now, time to aquaint myself with the app.

Been a while

2011-03-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I've been on here, I forgot about the blog untill one day recently I said hey I should start a blog and then I remembered I already have one. So I am just going to change the direction of this blog and continue where I left off. More to come very soon.

"The faith of a Christian is with love; faith without love is that of the devil"

2008-04-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

"The faith of a Christian is with love; faith without love is that of the devil"
Hieromonk SERAPHIM (Rose)
We can define Orthodoxy in no better way than in the words of the great 18th-century Russian Father, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk — a Saint whose fervent spirit is needed very much today by Orthodox Christians. We should read him more and practice what he teaches. St. Tikhon calls Orthodoxy "the true Christianity," and he wrote a whole book under this title. But "true Christianity" does not mean just having the right opinions about Christianity — this is not enough to save one's soul.
St. Tikhon in his book, in the chapter on "The Gospel and Faith," says: "If someone should say that true faith is the correct holding and confession of correct dogmas, he would be telling the truth, for a believer absolutely needs the Orthodox holding and confession of dogmas. But this knowledge and confession by itself does not make a man a faithful and true Christian. The keeping and confession of Orthodox dogmas is always to be found in true faith in Christ, but the true faith of Christ is not always to be found in the confession of Orthodoxy... The knowledge of correct dogmas is in the mind, and it is often fruitless, arrogant, and proud... The true faith in Christ is in the heart, and it is fruitful, humble, patient, loving, merciful, compassionate, hungering and thirsting for righteousness; it withdraws from worldly lusts and clings to God alone, strives and seeks always for what is heavenly and eternal, struggles against every sin, and constantly seeks and begs help from God for this." And he then quotes Blessed Augustine, who teaches: "The faith of a Christian is with love; faith without love is that of the devil" ("True Christianity," ch. 287, p. 469). St. James in his Epistle tells us that "the demons also believe and tremble" (James 3:19)...One might think, hearing about our faith; that all one has to do is to become on fire with zeal for it, and then one can enter the Heavenly Kingdom. But it so happens that we have an enemy — the devil — and as soon as we become fervent, the enemy comes and begins to fight...The first pitfall occurs when one begins to read Orthodox books, is inspired by them, but does not apply their principles properly to one's own life...This is a basic pitfall. One can think about living in the desert, while right in front of one there may be an excellent opportunity to practice Christianity — someone may be in trouble, and with our high ideas we may not even think of helping him. Or, with these same high ideas in our mind, we may begin to criticize others and be lacking in the basic Christian love without which all our high ideas are empty. Through experience we must learn how to apply the writings of the Holy Fathers and the Scripture itself to our own level and circumstances.Our spiritual life is not something bookish or that follows formulas. Everything we learn has to become part of our life and something natural to us. We can be reading about hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer, for example, and begin to say it ourselves — and still be blind to our own passions and unresponsive to a person in need right in front of us, not seeing that this is a test of our Christianity that comes at a more basic level than saying the Jesus Prayer. We have to read Orthodox books that are on our level — the ones I mentioned above are more for beginners — and we have to read them very humbly, realizing the nature of our times when worldly influences are present everywhere and affect our thinking even when we aren't aware of it, and never dreaming that we are on any level but that of raw beginners.Bound up with this is a disease of today's Orthodox Christians which can be deadly: the "correctness disease." In a way this is a natural temptation to anyone who has just awakened to Christian faith and to spiritual life — the more one finds out about Christian doctrine and practice, the more one discovers how many "mistakes" one has been making up to now, and one's natural desire is to be "correct." This is praiseworthy, although in the beginning one is probably going to be too artificially "strict" and make many new mistakes out of pride (to which we are constantly blind). If you are critical of others, self-confident about your own correctness, eager to quote canons to prove someone else is wrong, constantly "knowing better" than others — you have the germs of the "correctness disease." These are signs of immaturity in spiritual life, and often one outgrows them if one is living a normal spiritual life.But especially in our days, the spirit of worldliness is so strong, and there is obviously so much wrong in our church life — that there is a strong temptation to make "correctness" a way of life, to get stuck in it...Sometimes one's zeal for "Orthodoxy" (in quotes) can be so excessive that it produces a situation similar to that which caused an old Russian woman to remark of an enthusiastic American convert "Well, he's certainly Orthodox all right — but is he a Christian?"...To be "Orthodox but not Christian" is a state that has a particular name in Christian language: it means to be a pharisee, to be so bogged down in the letter of the Church's laws that one loses the spirit that gives them life, the spirit of true Christianity. In saying this my aim is not to be critical or to point to anyone in particular — we all suffer from this — but only to point out a pitfall which can cause one to fail to take advantage of the riches which the Orthodox Church provides for our salvation, even in these evil times.Even when it is not fanatical, this spirit of "correctness" for its own sake turns out to be fruitless. As an example, I can tell you of a very good friend of ours, one of the zealot fathers of Mt. Athos. He is a "moderate" zealot, in that he recognizes the grace of New Calendar sacraments, accepts the blessings of priests of our Church, and the like; but he is absolutely strict when it comes to applying the basic Zealot principle, not to have communion not only with bishops whose teaching departs from Orthodox truth, such as the Patriarch of Constantinople, and not only with anyone who has communion with him, but with anyone who has communion with anyone who in any remote way has communion with him. Such "purity" is so difficult to attain in our days (our whole Russian Church Abroad, for example, is "tainted" in his eyes by some measure of communion with the other Orthodox Churches) that he is in communion with only his own priest and ten other monks in his group on the Holy Mountain; all of the rest of the Orthodox Church is not "pure."Perhaps there are only ten or twelve people left in the world who are perfectly "strict" and "pure" in their Orthodoxy — this I really don't know; but it simply cannot be that there are really only ten or twelve Orthodox Christians left in the world with whom one can have true oneness of faith, expressed in common communion. I think that you can see that there is some kind of spiritual dead-end here; even if we had to believe such a narrow view of Orthodoxy according to the letter, our believing Christian heart would rebel against it. We cannot really live by such strictness; we must somehow be less "correct" and closer to the heart of Orthodox Christianity.From a talk delivered by Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) at the St. Herman Winter Pilgrimage at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, December 25, 1979.

Obedience

2008-04-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

Obedience is another indispensable implement in the struggle against our selfish will. With obedience you cut off your physical members the better to be able to serve with the spiritual, says St. John Climacus. And again, obedience is the grave of your own will, but from it rises humility.

You must remember that you have of your own free will given yourself over to slavery, and let the cross you wear around your neck be a reminder of this: through slavery you are proceeding towards true freedom. But has the slave a will of his own? He must learn to obey.

Perhaps you ask: Whom shall I obey? The saints answer: you shall obey your leaders (Hebrewws 13:17). Who are my leaders, you ask? Where shall I find any, now that it is so utterly hard to discover a genuine leader? Then the holy Fathers reply: The Church has foreseen this too. Therefore since the time of the apostles it has given us a teacher who surpasses all others and who can reach us everywhere, wherever we are and under whatever circumstances we live. Whether we be in city or country, married or single, poor or rich, the teacher is always with us and we always have the opportunity to show him obedience. Do you wish to know his name? It is holy fasting.

God does not need our fasting. He does not even need our prayer. The Perfect cannot be thought of as suffering any lack or needing anything that we, the creatures of His making, could give Him. Nor does he crave anything from us, but, says John Chrysostom, He allows us to bring Him offerings for the sake of our own salvation.

The greatest offering we can present to the Lord is our self. We cannot do this without giving up our own will. We learn to do this through obedience, and obedience we learn through practice. The best form of practice is that provided by the Church in her prescribed fast days and seasons.
Besides fasting we have other teachers to whom we can show obedience. They meet us at every step in our daily life, if only we recognize their voices. Your wife wants you to take your raincoat with you: do as she wishes, to practice obedience. Your fellow-worker asks you to walk with her a little way: go with her to practice obedience. Wordlessly the infant asks for care and companionship: do as it wishes as far as you can, and thus practice obedience. A novice in a cloister could not find more opportunity for obedience than you in your own home. And likewise at your job and in your dealing with your neighbor.

Obedience breaks down many barriers. You achieve freedom and peace as your heart practices non-resistance. You show obedience and thorny hedges give way before you. Then love has open space in which to move about. By obedience you crush your pride, your desire to contradict, your self-wisdom and stubbornness that imprison you with a hard shell. Inside that shell you cannot meet the God of love and freedom. . . .

You may depend upon it that you are sent just as many opportunities for obedience as you need, and the very kind that are most suitable for you. But if you notice that you have let an opportunity slip by, reproach yourself: you have been like a sailor who has let a favourable wind go by unused.

For the wind it was a matter of indifference whether it was used or not. But for the sailor it was a means of reaching his destination sooner. Thus you should think of obedience, and all the means that are offered us by the Holy Trinity, in that way.

–Tito Colliander, Way of the Ascetics (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press: 1960/2003). pp. 42-44, 45

…He who is obedient, is an imitator of Christ, and he who is proud and talks back is an imitator of the devil. So let us be careful, whom we are imitating, Christ or the devil…The so-called Christians must be true, in word and deed and not false, only in name. Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Therefore silence, prayer, obedience; when you practice these virtues with the help of God, then you will know the light of Christ is within your soul. Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain"

...a man who submits to the statutes of the fathers, reaches his goal before he has made a single step. the Monks Callistus and Ignatius (Directions to Hesychasts no. 15, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pg. 180)

...obedience is the medicine compounded of virtues, giving life to those who drink it, and the knife which, with one cut, cleans festering wounds. A man who, in faith and simplicity, has chosen to wield this knife, at once cuts off all passions, more completely than anyone... St. Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no. 107)

...willing obedience is an action which shows more courage and strength of spirit than subjugating great kings and ruling over them... Lorenzo Scupoli (Unseen Warfare: Chapter 7)

A truly intelligent man has only one care -- wholeheartedly to obey Almighty God and to please Him. The one and only thing he teaches his soul is how best to do things agreeable to God, thanking Him for His merciful Providence in whatever may happen in his life. For just as it would be unseemly not to thank physicians for curing our body, even when they give us bitter and unpleasant remedies, so too would it be to remain ungrateful to God for things that appear to us painful, failing to understand that everything happens through His Providence for our good. In this understanding and this faith in God lie salvation and peace of soul. St. Antony the Great A.D. 250-350

Four monks of Scetis, clothed in skins, came one day to see the great Pambo. Each one revealed the virtue of his neighbor. The first fasted a great deal; the second was poor; the third had acquired great charity; and they said of the fourth that he had lived for twenty-two years in obedience to an old man. Abba Pambo said to them, “I tell you, the virtue of this last one is the greatest. Each of the others has obtained the virtue he wished to acquire; but the last one, restraining his own will, does the will of another. Now it is of such men that the martyrs are made, if they persevere to the end.” Abba Pambo, from Sr. Benedicta Ward, “The Desert Christian,” (New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1975), pp. 195 - 198

He is not yet a faithful servant who bases himself on bare knowledge alone; a faithful servant is he who professes his faith by obedience to Christ, Who gave the commandments. St. Mark the Ascetic, "Early Fathers From the Philokalia," trans. by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, (London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1981), pp. 86 - 90

He who reveres the Lord does what is commanded, and if he commits some sin or disobeys Him, endures whatever he has to suffer for this as being his desert. St. Mark the Ascetic, "Early Fathers From the Philokalia," trans. by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, (London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1981), pp. 86 - 90

He who wishes to tear up the account of his sins and to be inscribed in the Divine book of the saved, can find for this purpose no better means than obedience. SS. Callistus & Ignatius
In order, then, that Christ may win us all unto obedience, He promises us surpassing honors, and deigns us the highest love, saving, `My mother and My brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.' For who among men is so obdurate and ungentle, as to refuse to honor, and accord the most complete love to his mother and brethren? For the all-powerful law of nature, even without our will, obliges us to this. When, therefore, bowing our neck to the Savior's commands, we become His followers, and so are in the relation of a mother and brethren to Him, how does He regard us before God's judgment seat? Is it not with gentleness and love? What doubt can there be of this?: And what is comparable to this honor and goodness? What is there worthy of being matched with a gift thus splendid and desirable? St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke

It was said of Abba John the Dwarf that he withdrew and lived in the desert at Scetis with an old man of Thebes. His abba, taking a piece of dry wood, planted it and said to him, "Water it every day with a bottle of water, until it bears fruit." Now the water was so far away that he had to leave in the evening and return the following morning. At the end of three years the wood came to life and bore fruit. The old man took some of the fruit and carried it to the church saying to the brethren, "Take and eat the fruit of obedience." Sr. Benedicta Ward, "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers," (Kalamazoo, Michigan: Cistercian Publications, 1975), pp. 85-89

Obedience is absolute renunciation of our own life, clearly expressed in our bodily actions. Or, conversely, obedience is the mortification of the limbs while the mind remains alive. Obedience is unquestioning movement, voluntary death, a life free of curiosity, carefree danger, unprepared defense before God, fearlessness of death, a safe voyage, a sleeper’s progress. Obedience is the tomb of the will and the resurrection of humility. A corpse does not argue or reason as to what is good or what seems to be bad. For he who has devoutly put the soul of the novice to death will answer for everything. Obedience is an abandonment of discernment in a wealth of discernment. St John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent", Step 4: On Blessed and Ever-Memorable Obedience (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978)

Our Holy Father Acacius of Sinai.

In his famous book, 'The Ladder', St John Climacus records the life of this saint. The young Acacius was a novice with an evil elder in the monastery on Sinai. The foul-tempered elder daily groused and grumbled at Acacius, and often beat him, tormenting and illtreating him in every possible way. Acacius did not complain, but bore it all patiently and with trust that it would work for his salvation. When anyone asked him how he survived, he replied : 'Well, as before the Lord God'. After nine years of obedience and ill-treatment, Acacius died. The elder buried him and then went off to lament to another elder, a holy man, saying: 'Acacius, my disciple, is dead. "I don't believe it' replied the holy elder , 'Acacius is not dead.' They then both went to the dead man's grave, and the holy elder called out: 'Brother Acacius, are you dead?' The obedient Acacius, obedient even in death, replied: 'I am not dead; the obedient cannot die.' Then the evil elder repented and shut himself in a cell near Acacius's grave, where he spent the rest of his life in repentance and prayer. The Prologue from Ochrid - November 29

The Lord said, 'When you have done all that is commanded you, say: We are useless servants: we have only done what was our duty' (Luke 17:10). Thus the kingdom of heaven is not a reward for works, but a gift of grace prepared by the Master for His faithful servants. St. Hesychius the Priest

The beginning of the mortification both of the soul’s desire and of the bodily members is much hard work. The middle is sometimes laborious and sometimes not laborious. But the end is insensibility and insusceptibility to toil and pain. Only when he sees himself doing his own will does this blessed living corpse feel sorry and sick at heart; and he fears the responsibility of using his own judgment. St John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent", Step 4: On Blessed and Ever-Memorable Obedience (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978)

There is no shorter ascent to the royal and Divine mansions...than through subduing the five passions hostile to obedience, namely: disobedience, argumentativeness, self-gratification, self-justification and pernicious high opinion of oneself...Disobedience is the mouth of hell; argumentativeness its tongue, whetted like a sword; self-gratification is its sharp teeth; self-justification its throat; high opinion of oneself, which casts one into hell, is the belching of its all-devouring belly. But he who, through obedience, conquers the first, by one stroke cuts off all the rest and with one stride reaches heaven. St. Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no. 121)

They used to say that Abba Sylvanus had in Scete a disciple whose name was Mark, and that he possessed to a great degree the faculty of obedience; he was a scribe, and the old man loved him greatly for his obedience. Now Sylvanus had eleven other disciples, and they were disturbed because they saw that the old man loved Mark more than them, and when the old men who were in Scete heard of this they were also troubled about it.

One day when they came to him to reprove him about this, Sylvanus took them, and went forth, and passing by the cells of the brethren, he knocked at the door of each cell, and said, "O brother, come forth, for I have need of thee." And he passed by all their cells, and not one of them obeyed him quickly.

But when they went to the cell of Mark, he knocked at the door and said, "Brother Mark," and as soon as Mark heard the voice of the old man, he jumped up straightway and came out and Sylvanus sent him off on some business.

Then Sylvanus said to the old men, "My fathers, where are the other brethren?" And they went into Mark's cell, and looked at the quire of the book which he was writing, and they saw that he had begun to write one side of the Greek letter "omega" (o) and that as soon as he heard the voice of his master, he ran out and did not stay to complete the other side of the letter. Now when the old men perceived these things, they answered and said unto Sylvanus, "Verily, old man, we also love the brother whom thou lovest, for God also loveth him." "Paradise of the Fathers," vol. II, p. 53, translated by E. A. Wallis Budge, (Seattle, St. Nectarios Press, 1984)
Those who live in obedience are strangers to love of money. For where even the body has been given up, what is left to be one's own? Only in one way can they be harmed, namely by being ready and quick to go from place to place. I have seen material possessions make monks patient to remain in one place. But I praise those who are pilgrims for the Lord. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston; Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), STEP 17: On Non-Permissiveness (that Hastens One Heavenwards)

Those who struggle, regain their original state by keeping two commandments - obedience and fasting; for all evil entered into the generation of mortals through practices opposed to them. Moreover, those who keep the commandments through obedience ascend to God more quickly, and those who keep them through fasting - more slowly. Besides, obedience is more suitable for beginners, and fasting for those on the way, who possess courage and vision of mind. But in fulfilling the commandments it is given to very few always to obey God undeceived, and even for the most valiant this achievement is very difficult. St. Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no. 18)

2008-02-11T20:54:00.001-09:00

The Holy Eucharist is the first, most important, and greatest miracle of Christ. All the other Gospel miracles are secondary. How could we not call the greatest miracle the fact that simple bread and wine were once transformed by the Lord into His very Body and His very Blood, and then have continued to be transformed for nearly two thousand years by the prayers of priests, who are but simple human beings? And what is more, this mystery has continued to effect a miraculous change in those people who communicate of the Divine Mysteries with faith and humility.
St. Ambrose of Optina

A HOMILY ON FASTING AND DISPASSION

2008-01-26T15:02:00.000-09:00

Spoken at the beginning of the Great Fast by St Theodore the Studite

Brethren and fathers, the season of Lent, when compared to the whole year, may be likened to a storm-free harbour, in which all who are sailing together enjoy a spiritual calm. For the present season is one of salvation not for monks and nuns only, but also for lay people, for great and small, for rulers and ruled, for emperors and priests, for every race and for every age. For cities and villages reduce their hubbub and bustle, while psalmody and hymns, prayers and entreaties take their place, by which our good God is propitiated and so guides our spirits to peace and pardons our offences, if, with a sincere heart, we will only fall down before him with fear and trembling and weep before him, promising improvement for the future. But let the leaders of the churches speak of what is suitable to lay people, for just as those who run in the stadium need the vocal support of their fellow contestants, so fasters need the encouragement of their teachers. But I, since I have been placed at your head, honoured brethren, will also talk to you briefly. Fasting then is a renewal of the soul, for the holy Apostle says,
Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward is being renewed day by day. And if it is being renewed, clearly it is being made beautiful according to its original beauty; made beautiful in itself it is being drawn lovingly to the one who said, I and the Father will come and make our dwelling with him. If then such is the grace of fasting, that it makes us into a dwelling place of God, we must welcome it, brethren, gladly, not grieving at the plainness of the diet, for we know that the Lord, though he is able to nourish lavishly, made a banquet for thousands in the wilderness from bread and water. Also because what is unusual, with enthusiasm becomes acceptable and painless. Fasting is not defined by foods alone, but by every abstinence from evil, as our godly fathers have explained. And so, I beg you, let us abstain from despondency, idleness, sluggishness, jealousy, strife, maliciousness, self-indulgence, self-reliance; let us abstain from destructive desire which the manyshaped serpent lays before us when we are fasting. Let us listen to the one who says, ‘The fruit which slew me was beautiful to behold and fair to eat’. And observe: he says beautiful to behold, not beautiful by nature. For just as if someone taking a pomegranate decked out with a scarlet rind should find it rotten, in the same way pleasure feigns untold sweetness, but when it is plucked it is found more bitter than gall, or rather, than a sharpened two-edged sword which devours the soul it has captured. This is what our forefather Adam suffered when he was tricked by the serpent; for when he touched the forbidden food, he found death instead of life. This too is what all they have suffered who from then until now have been similarly deceived by the dragon. For just as he, who is darkness, transforms himself into an angel of light, so he knows how to transform bad into good, bitter into sweet, dark into light, ugly into beautiful, deadly into life-giving; and so the all-evil one does not cease to lead the world astray at every opportunity. But let us at least, brethren, not be led astray by his manifold deceptions, nor suffer the fate of the birds who greedily approach what seems to be food and fall into the hunter’s trap. Let us rather look on the outer coverings of evil as dung and when with the mind we have looked on evil in its nakedness we shall flee from it at once. In addition let us welcome the times of psalmody, be enthusiastic for hymnody, attentive to the readings, making prostrations according to the given measure at each hour; working with our own hands, because working is good and because one who does not work is not judged worthy of eating. Let us bear one another’s burdens, for one is weak and another strong, making use of food and drink and the other necessities with moderation, so that there is no provoking to jealousy among evil people, but zeal in goodness. In everything be good to one another, compassionate, reasonable, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and thoughts. And now, may you be found worthy without condemnation to reach the supreme day of the Resurrection, but in the age to come at the resurrection of the dead to gain the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer without Ceasing

2007-12-08T22:21:00.000-09:00

From The Way of the Pilgrim
________________________________________
[God's Call to the Pilgrim.]

"BY the grace of God I am a Christian man, by my actions a great sinner, and by calling a homeless wanderer of the humblest birth who roams from place to place. My worldly goods are a knapsack with some dried bread in it on my back, and in my breast pocket a Bible. And that is all.

On the 24th Sunday after Pentecost I went to church to say my prayers there during the Liturgy. The first Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians was being read, and among other words I heard these--" Pray without ceasing." It was this text, more than any other, which forced itself upon my mind, and I began to think how it was possible to pray without ceasing, since a man has to concern himself with other things also in order to make a living. I looked at my Bible, and with my own eyes read the words which I had heard, i.e, that we ought always, at all times and in all places, to pray with uplifted hands. I thought and thought, but knew not what to make of it. " What ought I to do! " I thought. " Where shall I find someone to explain it to me! I will go to the churches where famous preachers are to be heard; perhaps there I shall hear something which will throw light on it for me." I did so. I heard a number of very fine sermons on prayer; what prayer is, how much we need it, and what its fruits are; but no one said how one could succeed in prayer. I heard a sermon on spiritual prayer, and unceasing prayer, but how it was to be done was not pointed out. Thus listening to sermons failed to give me what I wanted, and having had my fill of them without gaining understanding, I gave up going to hear public sermons. I settled on another plan--by God's help to look for some experienced and skilled person who would give me in conversation that teaching about unceasing prayer which drew me so urgently.

For a long time I wandered through many places. I read my Bible always, and everywhere I asked whether there was not in the neighborhood a spiritual teacher, a devout and experienced guide, to be found..."

[Note that a spiritual director or teacher is often essential to spiritual life and growth. However we cannot often find the right person immediately so we pray the Lord will lead us to him and we search.]

"At last towards evening [one day] I was overtaken by an old man who looked like a cleric of some sort. In answer to my question he told me that he was a monk belonging to a monastery some six miles off the main road. He asked me to go there with him. " We take in pilgrims," said he, "and give them rest and food with devout persons in the guest house." I did not feel like going.1 So in reply I said that my peace of mind in no way depended upon my finding a resting-place, but upon finding spiritual teaching. Neither was I running after food, for I had plenty of dried bread in my knapsack. " What sort of spiritual teaching are you wanting to get" he asked me. " What is it puzzling you !" ...

"Well, it's like this, Father", said I. "About a year ago, while I was at the Liturgy, I heard a passage from the Epistles which bade men pray without ceasing. Failing to understand, I began to read my Bible, and there also in many places I found the divine command that we ought to pray at all times, in all places; not only while about our business, not only while awake, but even during sleep,'I sleep, but my heart waketh.' This surprised me very much, and I was at a loss to understand how it could be carried out and in what way it was to be done. A burning desire and thirst for knowledge awoke in me. Day and night the matter was never out of my mind. So I began to go to churches and to listen to sermons. But however many I heard, from not one of them did I get any teaching about how to pray without ceasing. They always talked about getting ready for prayer, or about its fruits and the like, without teaching one how to pray without ceasing, or what such prayer means. I have often read the Bible and there made sure of what I have heard. But meanwhile I have not reached the understanding that I long for, and so to this hour I am still uneasy and in doubt."

Then the old man crossed himself and spoke. " Thank God, my dear brother, for having revealed to you this unappeasable desire for unceasing interior prayer. Recognize in it the call of God, and calm yourself. Rest assured that what has hitherto been accomplished In you is the testing of the harmony of your own will with the voice of God. It has been granted to you to understand that the heavenly light of unceasing interior prayer is attained neither by the wisdom of this world, nor by the mere outward desire for knowledge, but that on the contrary it is found in poverty of spirit and in active experience in simplicity of heart. That is why it is not surprising that you have been unable to hear anything about the essential work of prayer, and to acquire the knowledge by which ceaseless activity in it is attained. Doubtless a great deal has been preached about prayer... But what is prayer! And how does one learn to pray ! Upon these questions, primary and essential as they are, one very rarely gets any precise enlightenment from present-day preachers. For these questions are more difficult to understand than all their arguments ..., and require mystical knowledge, not simply the learning of the schools. And the most deplorable thing of all is that the vain wisdom of the world compels them to apply the human standard to the divine. Many people reason quite the wrong way round about prayer, thinking that good actions and all sorts of preliminary measures render us capable of prayer. But quite the reverse is the case, it is prayer which bears fruit in good works and all the virtues... [T]he Apostle Paul says, ' I exhort therefore that first of all supplications he made ' (1 Tim. ii,1) The first thing laid down in the Apostle's words about prayer is that the work of prayer comes before everything else: ' I exhort therefore that first of all . . .' The Christian is bound to perform many good works, but before all else what he ought to do is to pray, for without prayer no other good work whatever can be accomplished. Without prayer he cannot find the way to the Lord, he cannot understand the truth, he cannot crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts, his heart cannot be enlightened with the light of Christ... None of those things can be effected unless they are preceded by constant prayer...

[The basic method.]

He took my request kindly and asked me into his cell. " Come in," said he;... We went into his cell and he began to speak as follows. " The continuous interior Prayer of Jesus is a constant uninterrupted calling upon the divine Name of Jesus with the lips, in the spirit, in the heart; while forming a mental picture of His constant presence, and imploring His grace, during every occupation, at all times, in all places, even during sleep. The appeal is couched in these terms, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. One who accustoms himself to this appeal experiences as a result so deep a consolation and so great a need to offer the prayer always, that he can no longer live without it, and it will continue to voice itself within him of its own accord. Now do you understand what prayer without ceasing is!" (Emphasis added.)

"Yes indeed, Father, and in God's name teach me how to gain the habit of it," I cried, filled with joy.

He opened the book [The Philokalia], found the instruction by St. Simeon the New Theologian, and read: " Sit down alone and in silence. Lower your head, shut your eyes, breathe out gently and imagine yourself looking into your own heart. Carry your mind, i.e, your thoughts, from your head to your heart. As you breathe put, say Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' Say it moving your lips gently, or simply say it in your mind. Try to put all other thoughts aside. Be calm, be patient, and repeat the process very frequently."

I listened closely and with great delight, fixed it in my memory, and tried as far as possible to remember every detail.

[The Pilgrim found a place to stay in a village nearby. As he tried to practice this new way of prayer he found himself] "tired, lazy, bored and overwhelmingly sleepy, and a cloud of all sorts of other thoughts closed round me." [His friend and spiritual director, the monk, said] "My dear brother, it is the attack of the world of darkness upon you. To that world, nothing is worse than heartfelt prayer on our part. And it is trying by every means to hinder you and to turn you aside from learning the Prayer. But all the same the enemy only does what God see fit to allow, and no more is than is necessary for us...2

He turned to the teaching of Nicephorus [in The Philokalia] and read, " ' If after a few attempts you do not succeed in reaching the realm of your heart in the way you have been taught, do what I am about to say, and by God's help you will find what you seek. The faculty of pronouncing words lies in the throat. Reject all other thoughts (you can do this if you will) and allow that faculty to repeat only the following words constantly, " Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Compel yourself to do it always. If you succeed for a time, then without a doubt your heart also will open to prayer. We know it from experience.'

"There you have the teaching of the holy Fathers on such cases," said my [director], " and therefore you ought from today onwards to carry out my directions with confidence, and repeat the Prayer of Jesus as often as possible. Here is a rosary. Take it, and to start with say the Prayer three thousand times a day. Whether you are standing or sitting, walking or lying down, continually repeat 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me'. Say it quietly and without hurry, but without fail exactly three thousand times a day without deliberately increasing or diminishing the number. God will help you...

[Later his director told him to say the prayer 12,000 times a day.] I did as he bade me. The first day I scarcely succeeded in finishing my task of saying twelve thousand prayers by late evening. The second day I did it easily and contentedly. To begin with, this ceaseless saying of the Prayer brought a certain amount of weariness, my tongue felt numbed, I had a stiff sort of feeling in my jaws, I had a feeling at first pleasant but afterwards slightly painful in the roof of my mouth. The thumb of my left hand, with which I counted my beads, hurt a little. I felt a slight inflammation in the whole of that wrist, and even up to the elbow, which was not unpleasant. Moreover, all this aroused me, as it were, and urged me on to frequent saying of the Prayer. For five days I did my set number of twelve thousand prayers, and as I formed the habit I found at the same time pleasure and satisfaction in it.

Early one morning the Prayer woke me up as it were. I started to say my usual morning prayers, but my tongue refused to say them easily or exactly. My whole desire was fixed upon one thing only--to say the Prayer of Jesus, and as soon as I went on with it I was filled with joy and relief. It was as though my lips and my tongue pronounced the words entirely of themselves without any urging from me. I spent the whole day in a state of the greatest contentment... [The Pilgrim wished to increase the times that he said the prayer and so went to see his spiritual director.]

He heard me out and then said, " Be thankful to God that this desire for the Prayer and this facility in it have been manifested in you. It is a natural consequence which follows constant effort and spiritual achievement.... Now you see with what admirable gifts God in His love for mankind has endowed even the bodily nature of man. You see what feelings can be produced even outside a state of grace in a soul which is sinful and with passions un-subdued, as you yourself have experienced. But how wonderful, how delightful and how consoling a thing it is when God is pleased to grant the gift of self-acting spiritual prayer, and to cleanse the soul from all sensuality! It is a condition which is impossible to describe, and the discovery of this mystery of prayer is a foretaste on earth of the bliss of Heaven. Such happiness is reserved for those who seek after God in the simplicity of a loving heart. Now I give you my permission to say your Prayer as often as you wish and as often as you can. Try to devote every moment you are awake to the Prayer, call on the Name of Jesus Christ without counting the number of times, and submit yourself humbly to the will of God, looking to Him for help. I am sure He will not forsake you, and that He will lead you into the right path."

Under this guidance I spent the whole summer in ceaseless oral3 prayer to Jesus Christ, and I felt an absolute peace in my soul..."

________________________________________
1. Often we feel negative about doing something that we produce great good. However, there will be other signals to indicate that it is God's will, or we will see intellectually that the negative feeling is unreasonable. I have come to associate it with the demon who is trying to stop us before good is done.

2. This sort of reaction, finding difficulty in prayer, is common to other forms of prayer such as meditation and contemplation. We need to recognize it for what it is and to remember that God's grace is sufficient for us. He will make sure we can continue to pray and grow spiritually if we do not give up.

3. Remember that the Jesus Prayer can also be a mental prayer, which is perhaps more useful to us immersed in the normal life of the modern world.
________________________________________
"The events described in the book appear to belong to a Russia [before] ...1861. " The reference to the Crimean War in the Fourth Narrative gives 1853 as the other limit of time." "Of the Pilgrim's identity nothing is known. In some way his manuscript, or a copy of it, came into the hands of a monk on Mount Athos, in whose possession it was found by the Abbot of St. Michael's Monastery at Kazan. The Abbot copied the manuscript, and from his copy the book was printed at Kazan in 1884.
In recent years [1930] copies of this ... edition have become exceedingly difficult to get. There appear to be only three or four copies in existence outside Russia, and I am deeply indebted to friends in Denmark and Bulgaria for the loan of copies from which this translation was made..." R.M.French from the introduction, p. viii.

________________________________________
The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way, translated from the Russian by R. M. French,
S.P.C.K., London, first published in 1930, reprinted in 1963, pp. 1-17.
The black and white images used here are by Rembrandt. They are taken from Rembrandt, Des Meisters Radierungen in 402 Abbildungen, Herausgegeben von Hans Wolfgang Singer, 1906.

A Few Tasty Recepies

2007-12-08T22:15:00.000-09:00

Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb Ground beef or ground pork (for fasting leave the meat out)
1 1/2 c Sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c Chopped onion
1/2 c Chopped green pepper
2 Cloves garlic; minced
2 16-oz cans tomatoes; cut up
6 oz Can tomato paste
1 ts Sugar
1 ts Dried oregano; crushed
1 ts Dried basil; crushed
1/2 ts Dried thyme; crushed
1 Bay leaf

Quick Vegetable Soup
1 lb Ground beef (for fasting leave the meat out)
1 pk (16-oz) frozen mixed soup vegetables
4 c V-8 cocktail juice
4 c Water
2 tb Beef flavor instant bouillon
1 ts Basil leaves
1 ts Marjoram leaves
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Onion salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/4 ts Garlic powder
1/2 lb Package spaghetti broken Into thirds and uncooked

Fresh Tomato Soup
1/4 c Olive oil
4 lb Tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Parsley,chives,chopped fine
Allspice, to taste
Large sweet onion, chopped
1/4 c Fresh basil, finely chopped
Black pepper, to taste

Guard Your Mouth, Guard Your Heart

2007-11-24T17:46:00.000-09:00

Guard Your Mouth, Guard Your Heart
The wise know when to speak and when to keep silent.

by Saint Ambrose of Milan

Now what ought we to learn before everything else, but to be silent, that we may be able to speak? Otherwise, our voice might condemn us before the voice of another can acquit us, for it is written: "By your words you will be condemned" (Mt. 12:37). Why, then, should we hasten to undergo the danger of condemnation by speaking, when we can be safer by keeping silent?

How many people have I seen fall into sin by speaking, yet scarcely anyone have I ever seen sin by keeping silent! And so it is more difficult to know how to keep silent than how to speak. I know that most persons speak because they do not know how to keep silent. In fact, it is seldom that anyone is silent even when speaking profits him nothing.

He is wise, then, who knows how to keep silent. Therefore the saints of the Lord loved to keep silence, because they knew that a man's voice is often the utterance of sin, and a man's speech is the beginning of human error. David, the saint of the Lord, said: "I will take heed to my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue" (Ps. 39:1).

We are chastised by the silent reproaches of our thoughts and by the judgment of our conscience. In a similar way, we are chastised by the lash of our own voice, when we say things by which our soul is mortally injured, and our mind is sorely wounded. But who is there who has his heart so clean from the impurities of sin that he does not offend in his tongue? And so, as David saw there was no one who could keep his mouth free from evil speaking, he laid upon himself a law to maintain innocence by a rule of silence, with a view to avoiding by silence those faults which he could only with difficulty escape in speaking.

Hearing the Lord

Let us harken, then, to the master of precaution: "I said, ‘I will take heed to my ways.'" One can take heed if one is not hasty in speaking. The law says: "Hear, O Israel" (Dt. 6:4). It does not say "speak" but "hear."

The first word from God says to you: Hear! If you hear, you will take heed to your ways; and if you have fallen, quickly amend your ways. For "how does a young man amend his way, except in taking heed to the word of the Lord?" (Ps. 119:9). Be silent, therefore, first of all, and listen to God, so that you will not fail to speak rightly.

What then? Are we to be always mute? Certainly not. For "there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak" (Eccl. 3:7). If, then, we will have to give an account for every idle word (see Mt. 12:36), let us take care that we will not have to give an account also for an idle silence. David, therefore, did not enjoin on himself total silence but rather watchfulness.

Bind up your words so that they do not run riot, and grow wanton, and gather up sins for themselves through too much talking. Rather let them be confined and held back within their own banks. An overflowing river quickly gathers mud. Sobriety of mind has its reins by which it is directed and guided.

Let there be a door to your mouth, so that it may be shut when need arises; and let it be carefully barred, so that no one may rouse your voice to anger, provoking you to pay back abuse with abuse. You have heard: "Be angry and do not sin" (Ps. 4:4). Therefore, although we may be angry (this arises from the motions of our nature, not from our will), let us not utter with our mouth one evil word, lest we fall into sin; but let there be a yoke and a balance to our words—that is, humility and moderation, so that our tongue may be subject to our mind.

Let the tongue be held in check with a tight rein; let it have its own means of restraint, by which it can be recalled to moderation. Let it utter words tried by the scales of justice, so that there may be seriousness in our meaning, weight in our speech, and due measure in our words.

Guarding Your Heart

Let us guard our hearts, even as we guard our mouths. Both have been written about in Scripture. As we have noted, we are bidden to take heed to our mouth; in another place we are told: "Keep your heart with all diligence" (Prov. 4:23).

A pure inner life is a valuable possession. Hedge in, then, this possession of yours, enclose it with thought, guard it with thorns—that is, with pious care—lest the fierce passions of the flesh should rush upon it and lead it captive, lest strong emotions should assault it and, overstepping their bounds, carry off its fruit. Guard your inner life. Do not neglect or disregard it as though it were without worth, for it is a valuable possession; truly valuable indeed, for its fruit is not perishable and only for a time, but is lasting and of use for eternal salvation. Cultivate, therefore, this possession—your heart—as the ground you carefully tend.

2007-08-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

First Peter chapter 5 verse 8-9 reads: "Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking who he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood
in the world." The notes in the Orthodox New Testamnet says" The
Devil and his angels explore us individually; looking for our
weakness. The enemy offers appealing visions to our eyes, music to
our ears, to each of our senses setting forth whatever might tempt us
to sin. He arouses our tounges to speak evil about others, and urges
our hands to injure them. He sets forth profits to be earned by shady
and immoral means, and holds out earthly honors and false values to
be preferred to heavenly ones. When he is unable to tempt us, he
brings forth a threat of persecution so that fear may cause us to
betray the faith. Thus we must always be alert for his many-faceted
attacks, ready to resist him at every turn."

Saint Ambrose of Milan teaches us in his exposition on the Gospel
According to Luke that the disciple who cut off Malchus ear was non
other than Peter.

Luke 22:50 Saint Ambrose: "The zeal of the disciples was not lacking.
So Peter, skilled in the law, ready with good will, who knew that it
was counted to Phineas for righteousness that he killed the
blasphemers {Num. 25:7-11}, struck the servant of the chief priest."

Luke 22:51. Saint Ambrose: "The Lord turned away the bloody wounds
and substituted divine mysteries, so that the servant of the prince
of the world... incurred a wound to his ear, because he had not
hearkened to the words of wisdom... But the good Lord restored his
hearing, showing according to the words of the prophet that even
those who were wounded at the Lord's Passion can be saved, if they
are converted.... Why Peter? Because it was he who received the keys
of heaven; for he who absolves also condemns [Mt.
16:19]....Comprehend if you can, how pain passes at the contact of
the Savior's hand. The clay recognizes its Maker, and the flesh
follows the hand of the Lord who formed it, for the Creator repairs
His work as he wishes...These wretches did not understand the mystery
nor did they revere such compassion of piety, because He did not
suffer even His enemies to be wounded. They inflicted death upon the
Righteous One, and He healed the wounds of His persecutors."

1 Peter 5:5-7;10-11 says"...and be clothed with humility, for"God
reists the proud, but gives grace to the Humble." Therefore humble
yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due
time." "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect,
establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be glory and the
dominion forever and ever. Amen"

Hang in there we all share this same burden weather we are in the
same Jurisdiction or not it effects all of us. We need to fight
against our passions, get down on our knees and pray To God to have
Mercy on us Sinners and then pray that His will and not ours be done.

Because of His Love
Ambrose Stapleton

Dont Shoot the Wounded

2007-08-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

DON'T SHOOT THE WOUNDED

(by Chuck Girard)
Don't shoot the wounded, they need us more than ever.
They need our love no matter what it is they've done.
Sometimes we just condemn them, and don't take time to hear their story.
Don't shoot the wounded, someday you might be one.
It's easy to love the people who are standing hard and fast.
Pressing on to meet that higher calling.
But the ones who might be struggling, we tend to judge too harshly, and refuse to try and catch them when they're falling.
We put people into boxes and we draw our hard conclusions, and when they do the things we know they should not do, we sometimes write them off as hopeless, and we throw them to the dogs.
Our compassion and forgiveness sometimes seem in short supply, so I say...Don't shoot the wounded!
We can love them and forgive them when their sin does not exceed our own. For we too have been down bumpy roads before but when they commit offenses outside the boundaries we have set,we judge them in a word and we turn them out, and we close the door.
Myself I've been forgiven for so many awful things. I've been cleansed and washed and bathed so many times that when I see a brother who has fallen from the way I just can't find the license to convict him of his crimes.
So I say... Don't shoot the wounded!
That doesn't mean we turn our heads when we see a brother sin and pretend that what he's doing is all right.
But we must help him see his error, we must lead him to repent. Cry with those who cry, but bring their deeds into the light .
For it's the sick that need the doctor, and it's the lame that need the crutch. It's the prodigal who needs the loving hand.
For a man who's in despair, there should be kindness from his friends. 'Lest he should forsake the fear of Almighty God and turn away from God and man, So I say...Don't shoot the wounded!

©1982 Sea of Glass Music/ASCAP

Because of His Love

Ambrose Stapleton

Some light during a rather dark time

2007-08-18T22:49:00.000-08:00

It is true as Brian Martin of the Kodiak Daily Mirror has pointed out “There is a dark cloud hanging over St. Herman’s Seminary right now”. As a part time seminarian, a fairly new resident to Kodiak, and a member of Holy Resurrection Cathedral I find this “dark cloud” to be a unique source of healing and an opportunity for us to come together as a community and reach out to those who are in a time of need. This isn’t a time for us to sit back on our pedestals and cast judgments and hateful comments but a time for us to ask what can we do to help, how should we pray for you?.

My first experience here in Kodiak was back in the early 90’s while serving as a deck hand aboard the USCG Yoconna, after getting out of the service I remained here for a while doing odd jobs, I also managed the transient workers campground at the old Gibson Cove camp site for one summer. After that I moved across the bay to Homer where I met my beautiful wife got married and had our first son, we moved to the lower 48’s for school when tragedy struck and our first son passed away at the age of 6 weeks. We spent a lot of time moving and trying to rebuild our family, which we now have three wonderful boys. Back in 99/2000 we moved back to Kodiak with the intentions of setting our roots down and meet a lot of great people unfortunately just as we were starting to settle down I became gravely Ill and was diagnosed with Cohn’s disease. Medical help was very difficult for us to find mostly the expense of the medicine so we once again moved back to the lower 48’s all with the dream of returning some day. During our stay in Texas, Virginia, and Arizona we worked hard to instill love and values that was shown to us through the people of Alaska that influenced our live over the years, into our children and tried to gain training and skills that would help us to become productive members of this great land and to be able to give back to those who are in need. We don’t have much but if all we can give is a kind word, or some sober and sound advice, or maybe you need help getting you bag to the garbage can or you need a friend or your hurting inside don’t know what to do. We try to help those who are in a time of need the best we can. When we were in a time of need, help was given to us, love, compassion, shelter, food, friendship, a shoulder to cry on, and a strong arm to hold onto when ours was failing.

Just last summer a “Dark Cloud” was hanging over my family while I set in the Hospital bed in Anchorage not sure if I was going to live or die during the surgery, which was believed to be cancer. I survived the surgery, blessed to not have cancer even though approximately 3 feet of my large intestine had to be removed. While in the Hospital Bishop Nickoli visited me, twice and prayed for me as a loving father would for his son, Father Chad, Father Yaakov visited and prayed for me and helped me in my times of needs. Before going to Anchorage for surgery I was in and out of the emergency room because of so much pain and feeling like I was going to die Fr. Innocent was there holding my hand at one time he help me over to the sink and stood by my side as I was throwing up. Father Innocent spends a lot of time praying with and for the people of this community, weather they are in the hospital or at home, he spends a lot of time in tears in the homes and hearts of who he serves and those whom he serves he has come to love and protect.

It is true there are a lot of things going on at the Seminary which gives those of us who are faithful to Gods command an opportunity to love and serve each other, and not just those directly involved but those in the community weather they reject message of the Church which is Christ Love or embrace it. These “Dark Clouds” just reinforce the need for the words of this prayer of Saint Herman ;”… May the hearts of your spiritual children be filled with that faith and love of the Holy Church which you manifested in your holy life; pray Him to deliver us from the temptations which cause us to fall; renew in us a child-like faith in our Heavenly Father; teach us to place our trust in God, and in Him alone; satisfy our thirst for the true knowledge of God; show us how to serve God faithfully; transfigure our life that it may truly reflect the image and likeness of God within us. O Holy Father and Patron of the Church in America: be a physician to the weak in faith; be a support to the fallen; be a defender to the defenseless; be a bulwark of strength to the weary in spirit; be a guide to the travelers by sea, by land and by air; be our heavenly intercessor. O Venerable Father Herman of Alaska, together with all the saints and the heavenly hosts, pray to God that on each of us He will bestow wisdom for our mind, strength for our will, light for our spirit, enabling us to attain to the true peace of life which is from God alone. We praise with joyous and grateful hearts, the Life-Creating Trinity: Father Almighty, Only-Begotten Son, Comforter, Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”

This is a dark time not just for St. Herman’s Seminary or for the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, but a dark time for the community of Kodiak and the whole state of Alaska. We need people to gather around us and help pray that God will be blessed and those who do not know God will be able to see and believe in our Heavenly Protector and lover of Mankind. Now is the time to come home and pray.

Because of His Love

Ambrose Stapleton

Christ is in our midst

2007-08-18T22:39:00.000-08:00

As many of you know Saint Herman Seminary, Holy Resurrection Cathedral and the Dioce of Alaska is going through some very tough times right now. Glory Be to God that we are going through these struggles and that we can do this together. I am reminded of a scripture verse in Proverbs 4:23 which say’s: “Keep thine heart with all diligence; for out of it flow forth the issues of life.”

We are faced with an opportunity to guard our hearts and to pray and help one another to do the same, and not only within the Orthodox community but for the community of Kodiak at large. It is so easy for us to focus on the wrongs that were committed and to make more or less of the accusations that were brought up, and to judge the hearts of those who are in a position to act upon these charges, especially if we see them not acting at our pace or with our understanding.

This is a time for us to humble ourselves, as well as praying and fasting for those who are in involved, that God blesses them and raises them up to be the leaders they were called to be. Let us pray for the healing of both their souls and bodies.

We are in the midst of a turmoil which will only destroy us if we allow it to. We need to hold people accountable for their actions, just like you would if someone broke into your house and stole your jewelry. You would make sure that guy was caught and brought to trial and have justice served on him. It’s no different in this situation we are facing together as a community. Most importantly we need to get down on our knees and pray asking God for his forgiveness of our sins and for His great mercy on our souls. We need to prepare our hearts through repentance and confession and strengthen it through partaking of the holy and life giving mysteries of Christ By consuming His body and Drinking His blood and when we meet one of those involved in these scandals we can embrace them and give them a thrice holy kiss and ask how we can pray for them.

St. Theophan suggests: “In the morning, after prayer, sit and figure out what you must do during the day, where you will be, with what and whom you will meet, and, when applicable, determine ahead of time what to think, where, what to say, how to keep your spirit and body and so on. This means, that the true Christian must “control himself,” keep control over the actions of his soul, and not permit them to crawl wherever they want. He must be the ruler of his internal condition.”

We need to Guard our hearts and allow the Life Giver to flow forth for all to see and upon seeing they may believe and be Blessed of God. Hang in there dear friends and pray and when prayer just doesn’t seem enough, pray some more.

Because of His Love

Ambrose Stapleton