Orthodox Wisdom Readings from Saints of Holy Orthodoxy

St. Ephraim offers a dynamic commentary on this famous story (Matthew 26:6-13) that the Orthodox Church reads each year on Holy Wednesday. Presenting detailed conversations between the sinful woman, the devil, Simon the Pharisee, and Christ, this homily is faithful to Scripture yet expands our understanding and experience of this most instructive example of repentance and love.

-READ the text here:
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/04/homily-on-sinful-woman-st-ephraim-syrian.html
-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:
https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/

Troparion for Holy Week's Bridegroom Matins: "Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching; and again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, lest thou be given up to death, and lest thou be shut out of the Kingdom. But rouse thyself crying: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God. Through the Theotokos, have mercy on us."
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From St. Ephraim's homily:

The sinful woman answered and said to him, (even) to Satan, after his speech: "Well have you said that I go to inter the dead, one that has died to me. The sin of my thoughts has died, and I go to bury it."

Christ speaking, "The great Physician is in your house. Allow sinners to look upon Me, for their sakes have I abased Myself. I will not ascend to heaven, to the dwelling whence I came down, until I bear back the sheep that has wandered from its Father's house, and lift it up on My shoulders and bear it aloft to heaven."

Christ explaining who owes the 500 pence and who owes 50, speaking to Simon: "You are he that owes five hundred, and this woman owes fifty. Lo! I came into your house, O Simon; and water for My feet you brought not; and this woman, of whom you said that she was an harlot, one from her childhood defiled, has washed My feet with her tears, and with her hair she has wiped them. Ought I to send her away, O Simon, without receiving forgiveness? Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will write of her in the Gospel. Go, O woman, your sins are forgiven you and all your transgression is covered; henceforth and to the end of the world."
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Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


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St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, one of the most beloved Russian saints of the past few centuries, exhibits his apostolic love and zeal in these brief exhortations. Always remember the sufferings, the love of Christ Jesus.



0:00 Beginning

0:11 Remembrance of the Divine Passion

3:16 Imitation of the Life of Christ

Text is from "Journey to Heaven", p. 99-103. To my knowledge, this book is out of print and unavailable except for overpriced third party copies. If this book is available for a reasonable price, please add a comment below.

-READ the text here:
https://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/tikhon_zadonsk_2.htm#_Toc530611586
-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:
https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/
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St. Tikhon teaches:

A real and powerful encouragement in the struggle against sin, and in the holy and Christian life, is the contemplation of the sufferings of Christ.

Keep the faith, then, and guard it against your enemy the devil, who desires and attempts to seize it away from you and make you his captive. Struggle against this enemy; consider, then, the suffering of Christ and it will teach you every virtue.

In order to correct yourself and become a true Christian, that is Christ's, set the holy life of Christ before your eyes and imitate its example. And even though your heart, corrupt as it is, does not wish it, force and convince yourself to imitate the beautiful virtues of Christ.

You look into a mirror so that you may know what is in your face, whether there are any blemishes in it, and having seen blemishes, you cleanse them. Let the immaculate life of Christ be a mirror to your soul, look into it often and know what is in your soul. Does it desire the same things that Christ desires? And does it do what Christ did when He lived on earth? And in it you will see what is contrary to the life of Christ, and you will cleanse it all like blemishes with repentance and contrition of heart.
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Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


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This short excerpt from Elder George's treatise discusses the characteristics of experiences of theosis, union with God, the true purpose of each and every human being. Elder George (Kapsanis), former Abbot of the St. Gregorios Monastery on Mount Athos who reposed in the Lord on Pentecost 2014, presents the Orthodox understanding of Theosis and the essential path towards receiving this divine gift.

-READ "Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life" by Elder George in many languages:
http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/theosis.aspx
-LISTEN to "Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life - Part I"
https://youtu.be/ReheAcnRPmU
-READ a reflection on the life and works of Elder George by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos:
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/07/fr-george-kapsanis-former-abbot-of.html
-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:
https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/

This recording is an excerpt from "Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life - Part II"
https://youtu.be/E5tLjZBrpS0
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Elder George teaches:

If man cannot be deified with divine Grace and divine energies what purpose does his life have? Only that he becomes morally better. But moral perfection is not enough for man. It is not enough for us simply to become better than before, simply to perform moral deeds. We have as our final aim to unite with holy God Himself.
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Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


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This short excerpt from Elder George's treatise explains the qualifications for attaining the true purpose of each and every human being: union with God, or Theosis. Elder George (Kapsanis), former Abbot of the St. Gregorios Monastery on Mount Athos who reposed in the Lord on Pentecost 2014, presents the Orthodox understanding of Theosis and the essential path towards receiving this divine gift.

-READ "Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life" by Elder George in many languages:
http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/theosis.aspx
-LISTEN to "Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life - Part I"
https://youtu.be/ReheAcnRPmU
-READ a reflection on the life and works of Elder George by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos:
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/07/fr-george-kapsanis-former-abbot-of.html
-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:
https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/

This recording is an excerpt from "Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life - Part II"
https://youtu.be/E5tLjZBrpS0
______

Elder George teaches:

If man cannot be deified with divine Grace and divine energies what purpose does his life have? Only that he becomes morally better. But moral perfection is not enough for man. It is not enough for us simply to become better than before, simply to perform moral deeds. We have as our final aim to unite with holy God Himself.
______

Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

St. Luke teaches: "With this deep and fiery repentance the force that prevented her from entering the church receded and she finally entered. There she fell before the life-giving Cross of the Lord and did not get up until the end of the service. Tears flowed from her eyes, from the eyes that once seduced men and are now cleansed with wholehearted and fervent repentance."

-READ the Life of St. Mary of Egypt by St. Sophronius of Jerusalem:
https://www.orthodox.net/saints/mary-of-egypt.html
-READ St. Luke's homily here:
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2021/04/homily-for-fifth-sunday-of-great-lent.html
-WATCH Trisagion Films video on the Life of St. Mary of Egypt:
https://youtu.be/BBXvDuNElB8?si=Uk16Pa18mAXX9BMq
-READ about St. Luke’s life here:
http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2008/10/st-luke-archbishop-of-simferopol.html?m=1
-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:
https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/
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St. Luke teaches:


On the fifth Sunday of Great Lent, our Holy Church honors the memory of Saint Mary of Egypt. Her truly wonderful life is known to you because every year on this day it is narrated in the churches. But I will describe her again in a few words to remember the unusual and unique life of this Saint.


Let us stand with Saint Mary at the gate of the church. We now see her heart overwhelmed by the fear of God, when she realizes that she cannot, in God's judgment, enter the church with the others. She alone is unworthy to enter, while everyone else enters freely. Her entrance is prevented by an invisible force. When she realizes her tragic situation, a strong flame of the fear of God lights up in her soul. She is shaken by the fear she feels in front of All-Holy, All-Wise, Almighty and Just God.

It was not a fear of punishment, it was a shame that burned like fire, a shame for the impurity of her soul and body. It was a shame and pain for her that God, because of her impurity, did not allow her to enter the church and appear before Him. Then she prayed fervently. She fell before the icon of the Panagia which was placed above the entrance of the church and with tears begged the Mother of God to pray for her to her Son.

With this deep and fiery repentance the force that prevented her from entering the church receded and she finally entered. There she fell before the life-giving Cross of the Lord and did not get up until the end of the service. Tears flowed from her eyes, from the eyes that once seduced men and are now cleansed with wholehearted and fervent repentance.
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Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


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In this letter, Fr. Seraphim expresses his reaction to unhealthy approaches to Blessed Augustine, the great bishop and Church father of Africa, and shares a more personal side of his own experience with Augustine and his works: "I feel in Augustine the love of Christ."

In Fr. Seraphim Rose’s time, as well as today in 2024, many diverse and strongly held opinions exist when it comes to how we should regard Blessed Augustine of Hippo. In one extreme, some treat him as either the greatest father of the first millennium, as one can see in some western confessions and even by some Orthodox. In another extreme, some see him as the root source of a multitude of heresies, even explicitly or implicitly condemning him as a heretic.

The text of this recording is his full letter to Fr. Michael Azkoul written on June 13/26, 1981.

-BUY “The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church” by Fr. Seraphim Rose:
https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=blaug
-LISTEN to a fuller treatment of the Orthodox Church's understanding of Blessed Augustine according to Fr. Seraphim Rose:
https://youtu.be/1KT4APf8GFM
-READ this letter and others from Fr. Seraphim Rose:
https://thoughtsintrusive.wordpress.com/letters-of-fr-seraphim-rose-1961-1982/
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Fr. Seraphim writes:

If your attempt is to find our Augustine’s real place in the Orthodox Church, I think your approach is all wrong. It assumes that “we moderns” are the ones who can do this—that we can “know better” than anyone in the Orthodox past. I don’t think so. I have a deep distrust of all of us who are writing on theological subjects today—we are more under “Western influence” than anyone before, and the less we are aware of it, the more obnoxious our “Westernism” becomes. Our whole cold, academic, and often disdainful approach to theology is so remote from the Fathers, so foreign to them. Let us admit this and try not to be so presumptuous (I speak for myself also).

I myself am no great admirer of Augustine’s doctrines. He does indeed have that Western “super-logicalness” which the Eastern Fathers don’t have (the same “super-logicalness” which the critics of Augustine today display so abundantly!). The one main lovable and Orthodox thing about him is his Orthodox feeling, piety, love for Christ, which comes out so strongly in his non-dogmatic works like the Confessions (the Russian Fathers also love the Soliloquies).

I myself fear the cold hearts of the 'intellectually correct' much more than any errors you might find in Augustine. I sense in these cold hearts a preparation for the work of Antichrist (whose imitation of Christ must also extend to 'correct theology'); I feel in Augustine the love of Christ.
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Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message