Why God Sends Us Tribulations and Why It’s Useful to Learn Patience from Job the Much-Suffering and St. Job of Pochaev St. Job of Pochaev: St. Job would conceal himself for many days or even a week in the caves carved into the Pochaev cliffs, where he could neither sit nor lie down comfortably.
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Mental Illness, Insanity, and Demonic Possession in Patristic Thought – Mother Melania
At times, people come to our monastery with concerns about close friends and relatives who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disease, or some other such disorder. Often they ask, “Is this really mental illness or is it demonic possession?” So, from the practical need to give a helpful response to such heart-breaking questions, we
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On Egotism – Elder Ephraim of Arizona
Pimin, the great Father of the desert, says that if you want to ‘extract’ yourself, to root out your passions, it will hurt and you will bleed. And that really is the truth. Today we shall speak about the great spiritual sickness known as egotism. Egotism is an absurd passion and is literally a scourge
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COMING INTO A MYSTICAL WAY OF SEEING
Father Karl Rahner (1904-1984), a well-known German Jesuit Roman Catholic priest and theologian, claimed: “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist at all.” When we look at the continuing decline in organized Christianity and its churches and its seeming irrelevance in the lives of many people, I believe this
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U.S. Independence Day And The Bible’s King Nebuchadnezzar
Even apart from these celestial gifts distinguishing the saints from other living people, there are further ways of recognizing their superiority. For instance, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, summoned to him all the peoples to worship the image that he had set up (cf. Dan. 3:1-30). But God in His wisdom so disposed things that the
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Why Do We Have To Struggle Against The Passions?
Romans 6:18-23 – Slaves To Sin Over a century ago, slavery was a common practice here in this country. Plantation owners brought captives from the continent of Africa over to provide labor for their plantations. While there were some kind slaveowners who provided well for their workers, more often than not, conditions were horrible.
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One With A Strong Will Enters The Kingdom Of Heaven Quicker
Showing that it is necessary to train the will is like proving that a hungry man needs bread or a sick man needs medicine: everyone knows that a strong will focused on attaining virtue helps a man in every step of life. The possessor of a strong will enters the kingdom of heaven much quicker than the
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AM I BEING DRAGGED THROUGH LIFE BY MY STRUGGLES?
I have never met anyone who did not struggle with someone or something. They struggle at work, or struggle at school. They struggle with a friend or with an enemy. They struggle with the bills and they struggle with debt. They struggle with their spouse or their boyfriend or girlfriend. They struggle with Democrats and
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The Eight Deadly Sins ( St. John Cassian )
Our venerable and God-bearing Father John Cassian was a 4th/5th century monastic saint known for his writings on the monastic life and for his correctives of the anti-Pelagian writings of St. Augustine of Hippo. His feast day in the Orthodox Church is February 29th (celebrated on February 28th in non leap years), and it
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THE OLDER OR THE YOUNGER BROTHER – WHO WAS THE REAL PRODIGAL?
“Of what great blessings in my wretchedness have I deprived myself! From what a kingdom in my misery have I fallen! I have wanted the riches that were given to me, I have transgressed the commandment. Alas, unhappy soul! You are henceforth condemned to the eternal fire. Therefore before the end cry out to
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