Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior

Among the exhortations we receive at holy services in connection with the Mother of God, the most common are to commemorate the Mother of God and to magnify the Mother of God. Let us thank God for these gifts of our Church, let us thank God for the fact that the Mother of God is also our mother. Let us thank God for the fact that we have the Mother of God as an intercessor for our good, let us thank God that we have the Mother of God as our helper. Let us not forget: “ what God can do with power, the Mother of God can do with prayer ” and let us trust in her help. Let us follow her example as much as we can, so that we too may share in the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ now and forever. Amen! Archimandrite Teofil Părăian

He who has taken the fulfillment of God’s will as his life’s goal strives to know this all-holy will thoroughly and without fail by searching with the greatest diligence the Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament, by reading the writings of the Fathers, by talking and consulting with mature Christians, by fulfilling the evangelical commandments with his external conduct, with his mind and heart. “The law of freedom,” said the Venerable Mark the Ascetic, “is honored by true understanding, understood by the work of the commandments and fulfilled by the mercies of Christ.” When the Christian begins to live in accordance with the good, pleasing and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2), in other words with the commandments of the New Testament, the fall and impotence of human nature is suddenly revealed to him. Weakness does not allow him to fulfill God's commandments in a pure and holy manner, as He requires, and the fall resists - often with the greatest ferocity - the fulfillment...

If we do not have a spiritual foundation, if we do not work in our hearts living faith, humility and prayer, it will be difficult for us to remain steadfast. Therefore, it is a time of vigilance, a time of returning to God, a time when everyone must examine their soul and strengthen their connection with Christ. The saint draws our attention to a great danger: the cooling of faith and even the rejection of Christ. Not through a sudden gesture, but through indifference, through gradual distancing, through forgetting prayer and spiritual life. Therefore, he calls us to be careful, not to sleep spiritually, but to remain alive in faith. Let us fraternize in love, live in unity, support each other on the path of salvation. Let us not be alone in the fight, but together, in a spirit of prayer, in obedience and in humility. The spiritual life is not a choice for a few, but a calling for each of us. Let us “cling” to Christ, as a child clings to its mother, with complete trust and without fea...

Today's man comes to Church not as a patient, but as a client. I like it, I don't like it, it was too long, he spoke too loudly, I didn't feel anything. This is how man judges the service, as if it were a product. He no longer comes to be healed; he comes to be satisfied. If the sermon hurts him, he leaves. If he is told to change, he gets upset. If he is asked to be patient, he looks for another place. He has forgotten that the Church is not a theater or a spiritual restaurant. It is a hospital. And you don't go to the hospital to be applauded, but to be cut, cleaned, healed. Whoever enters the Church without humility leaves without healing. Grace does not work according to man's taste, but according to his wound. But modern man no longer wants his wound touched, because it hurts. He wants comfort without Truth, forgiveness without repentance, communion without confession. And when he doesn't get what he wants, he says he doesn't feel anything anymore. It...

Our mind, indeed, sets traps for us: this guide often strays from the path, dragging our entire life astray. Our hearts set traps for us, bowing down to fulfill their own impulses, moving away from the fulfillment of God's will. Sin sets traps for us, both the sin planted in us through the fall, and the sin that works on us from the scandals that surround us everywhere. The world sets traps for us, which serve vanity and corruption, which strive to bend everyone to this service, using both flattery and persecution. Enemies set traps for us - fallen spirits; people controlled by them, enslaved by them, set traps for us. Often, even friends set traps for us, willingly or unwillingly. The Lord commanded us to watch over ourselves constantly, hardening ourselves in good deeds, restraining ourselves from sin through the Word of God, through prayer , through faith, through humility . Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

In times of trials and tribulations, when the heart is surrounded, beset by thoughts of doubt, smallness of soul, discontent, murmuring, we must force ourselves to repeat often, without haste, with attention, the words “ Glory to God! ” He who will believe in the simplicity of his heart the advice presented here, and will put it to the test when the need arises, will see the wonderful power of praising God ; he will rejoice in finding such a useful new knowledge, and he will rejoice in finding such a powerful and easy weapon against the enemies of thought. The mere echo of these words spoken when many thoughts of sadness and laziness invade, the mere echo of these words spoken with self-force, as if only with the mouth and as if in the air, is enough for all the princes of the air to tremble and turn, fleeing. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

With the heart one believes unto righteousness, said the apostle, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10). We must confess righteousness with the mouth and, when possible, with the very deed. Righteousness confessed by words and deeds becomes real, becomes a good of man . And since it is essential, it is a sure pledge of salvation. You have convinced yourselves that the only infallible means of salvation is the unwavering following of the teaching of the Holy Fathers , accompanied by the resolute rejection of any foreign teaching, even from your own reasonings, as long as reason is not cured of its disease and does not become spiritual from what it is carnal and soulful. After you have recognized this righteousness with your mind and heart, confess it with your mouth; Promise God that you will be guided by the teaching of the Holy Fathers, avoiding any teaching that is not confirmed by the Holy Spirit, that is not accepted by the Holy Church of the East. Hav...

The Jesus Prayer is said like this: “ Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! ” At first, it was said without the addition of the word “sinner,” which was added later. This word, which contains in itself the recognition and confession of the fall, notes the Venerable Nil Sorsky, is suitable for us and pleasing to God, Who commanded us to offer prayers to Him from the recognition and confession of our sinfulness. For beginners, making allowance for their weakness, the Fathers allow the prayer to be divided into two halves, saying sometimes: “ Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner! ”, and at other times: “ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! ”. However, this is only a permission and a descent, and by no means a commandment and an ordinance that requires unwavering fulfillment. It is much better to always pray the entire prayer, without occupying and spreading the mind with the care of changing the halves. Even he who has received this permission, which i...

Today, I came to give thanks for all the good that the Venerable Parascheva has done for me over time. I was born in 1985 with a rather rare and very serious illness. I had fluid in the area of ​​my skull, which affected my brain and eyes. In short, I risked going blind and having a severe mental disability. The diagnosis, made by doctors at the Roman Hospital, confirmed by those at the Children's Hospital in Iași and the University Hospital in Bucharest, was hydrocephalus. What does this illness actually mean? A lot of torment and certain death. You either die in torment, or you live and suffer your whole life with a very serious mental disability. It is enough to do a search on the Internet or ask a doctor what this illness is. It is even worse than cancer. While there are known cases of other diseases that have been cured, even completely, by various modern procedures, in the case of this disease, there are no known cases of complete cure, perhaps only partial, but with very exp...

We want to decide to keep control of what can happen to us. We want to do what we want, and when we want, we have the firm conviction that we have the legitimate right to do everything we have decided, at the time we choose, where we want, with whom we want... And we have this pride - this is how the English word pride, so appreciated today, is translated, which we can also translate as arrogance. We have this feeling of self-sufficiency that fills us with what we call self-realization. However, it happens that some obstacles are harder to overcome than others or are completely insurmountable. Or they come back as if by irony before us, as if they were defying us, while we thought they had disappeared. These obstacles that reduce and limit the expansion of our ego that we wanted to be irresistible can be of all kinds: material, technical, financial, physical, physiological, sanitary, accidental, emotional, psychic, family, sociological, historical, meteorological... There are so many o...

When Mary anointed the Lord's feet with expensive ointment, Judas did not say: – I am stingy. But he said: – What a waste! This ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor! (cf. John 12:5) Such was the one who sold Christ. We, humans, know very well how to hide our wickedness under the guise of virtue. When someone judges another, he does not say: – I have become his judge! But he says: – I fight for the truth, the truth is above all, and what I say I do in the name of justice! And so, digging a pit for another, he is ready to push him into it, believing that he is serving the truth. But forget that God judges no one . The Scripture says: “The Father has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22), and Christ says: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47). God the Father does not judge , Christ does not judge — and then, you, who allow yourself to judge a man in the place of Christ, do you not make yourself his opponent, that is, th...

Ostrog Monastery is one of the most famous and wonderful Orthodox monasteries in Montenegro, and in the world. Situated on an almost vertical cliff of Mount Ostrog, at an altitude of 2,000 meters, in a rocky terrain between the cities of Danilovgrad and Nikšić, the monastery houses a mysterious cave, where a great Saint rests: Saint Basil of Ostrog. Often, the monastery on the coast of Mount Ostrog is categorized as one of the most visited Orthodox monasteries in the world and the most important pilgrimage site in the entire Balkan Peninsula. Thus, thousands of pilgrims cross its threshold, for a blessing and worship of Saint Basil of Ostrog. Both Orthodox and Catholic Christians, as well as Muslims, come to the reliquary with the relics of Saint Basil of Ostrog, all believing that miracles are performed here. Certainly, many non-Christians will have been baptized following the veneration of the Saint's Relics. Ostrog Monastery – brief history Ostrog Monastery is an Orthodox monast...

One Saturday morning, while Father Anthony was celebrating the Holy Mass, he arrived at the moment of the consecration of the Precious Gifts. As he was kneeling and saying the prayer, with his hands resting on the Holy Table, he was about to rise and bless the Precious Gifts, when a drop of blood fell from a height onto his hand, splashing it all over. He saw it and trembled! He stood up in confusion, looked at it and was seized by a holy fear, an earthquake, a fear, an astonishment, a stupor, many feelings mixed together that are impossible to describe. He stood up and did not know what to do! The blood of Christ had stuck to his hand. He was lost! However, the grace of God, after this miracle, guided him to look at the Holy Chalice and saw that it was empty. He had forgotten to pour wine. Taking note of the Holy Lamb, he noticed that it had not been pierced, meaning that the Proskomidia was not complete. The singer at the pew continued: – We praise You, we bless You… He motioned for ...

Stress is a disease of the soul and does not depend on material deprivation. It is combated by trusting in God’s providence and by fighting the good fight. All the unpleasant things that remain in your soul and cause stress can become a pretext for worshiping God and stop exhausting you. Trust in God . Doesn’t the Apostle Paul say: “ We are troubled on every side, but not crushed ?” Approach everything with love, kindness, gentleness, patience and humility . Be rocks! Let everything break against you and, like waves, return to the open sea. Be calm. But you will say: Well, is this possible? Yes, with the grace of God, it is always possible. If we look at them only humanly, it is not possible. Even if you are wronged, do not contradict, nor get angry, but be patient and silent, preferring to let God inform others about you. For this is for your benefit and not to become your own advocate and defender. Christ wants us to unite with Him and waits outside, at the gate of our souls. Only d...

I have received your letter. You ask me which way to go to God. Go on the path of humility! By humbly bearing the difficult situations of life, by humbly bearing the illnesses sent by the Lord, by a humble hope that you will not be abandoned by the Lord, our swift Helper and our much-loving Heavenly Father; by a humble prayer for help from above, for the expulsion of sadness and the feeling of discouragement, through which the enemy of salvation tries to lead us to despair, which is destructive for man and deprives him of God's grace and distances him from His mercy; thus we go to God. The meaning of Christian life, according to the word of the Holy Apostle Paul, as he wrote to the Corinthians, is: " glorify God in your bodies and in your souls, which are God's ." Thus, having inscribed these holy words in your souls and hearts, you must take care that your dispositions and deeds of life are for the glory of God and the edification of your neighbor. Through prayers t...

Man, you are still afraid that you will suffer. You still want you and yours to enjoy all the things of the world. But a life of plenty is not the measure of divine love! You have not come to understand the meaning of suffering, and that is why you are unhappy and sad. You do not understand that, no matter how heavy it is, the accepted burden is no longer so tormenting. You have not understood that the price of eternal life is precisely the suffering that you fear with all your being. Why are you troubled in trials and tribulations? You only know that when everyone has abandoned you, there is Someone up there who protects your life and loves you as people cannot love. When you understand the purpose of suffering, when you entrust yourself to the Lord with all the problems of your life that you cannot solve, and you place your hope not in man, but in God, praying: "Lord, help me to do Your will!", then that change will begin to work in you that will bring you light, peace, and...

We will never live without problems and without swords pointed against us! Don't you see the Christian teaching? "I did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword...A man's enemies will be those of his own household." But all this should not discourage anyone from doing anything. Even if a man is affected by these misfortunes, this does not mean giving up. No! God knows about your trouble, and these sufferings test you in order to be able to define yourself, to deserve to be crowned by God, for this is what He wants. Archimandrite Arsenie Papacioc

Elder Theodore lived in a village in the Xiromeros region. He was 52 years old, but he had never confessed. However, he went to church and had good intentions. Once, while he was on some business in a market called Astako, he went to the Church of Saint Nicholas, found the serving priest, Father Hierotes, who was also his confessor, and confessed. However, he made a formal confession because he did not tell them about his greatest sins. The priest, in order to help him repent, sent him to the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos on the island of Kefalonia, which is celebrated on August 16. Thus, Elder Theodore went with other worshipers to the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos. On the afternoon of August 15, the relic of Saint Gerasimos is moved to the large church for the celebration of the patron saint’s service. During the move, the relic of the Saint passes over the sick, who are mainly demonized, and is accompanied by the local bishop, surrounded by the multitude of priests from Kefalonia. The...

The tradition of performing the Holy Unction at Bisericani has deep roots, just like that of the oak tree in which the Mother of God appeared to the monks who wanted to leave for Mount Athos. Many miracles of healing must have been performed and are still performed today, by the mercy of God, as the Father Abbot, Protosinghel Seraphim Mihali, testifies. In order to strengthen and encourage those who need help, suffering from some serious illness, I tell this miracle that a father, living in the community of Bisericani, told me during the celebration. "Good man, your liver is new." It was Friday evening, the time when the Holy Unction is performed at Bisericani. The church is full, as usual. The priests lead the order of the service, reading the appropriate Gospels, with the epitrachelions on the heads of the faithful. Among them was a patient with cirrhosis, whom the doctors gave no more than two months to live. He was not the only one sick, nor did he stand out in any way....

The ordinance of the Sacrament of the Holy Unction, as a visible part, consists of prayers for the sanctification of the oil, the anointing of the sick with it, the reading of the seven fragments of the Apostle and the Gospel, prayers for forgiveness and healing, and as an invisible part, it consists of the forgiveness of sins, therefore the healing of the soul. The seven different prayers that are said during the service of the Holy Unction occupy a central place in the service. Recalling the mercy and kindness that God has always shown towards people, they ask for the preservation of the life of the sick person, relief from torment, healing and strengthening of the body, and at the same time forgiveness of sins, spiritual strength, the renewal of his whole being, and the renewal of his life in Christ. Each prayer insists in a particular way on one or another of these aspects, but all of them put together the comfort of the soul and the relief of the body; they link spiritual and phys...