Consequences of Guidance for Theosis The guidance that our Orthodox Church offers, with the Holy Services, Patristic theology, Monasticism, is theanthropocentric guidance. Its centre is the God-Man Christ, and it leads to Theosis. This brings great joy into our life when we know what a great destiny we have, and what blessedness awaits us. To
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WE PRAY BEFORE THE RELICS OF SAINTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE POWER OF LIFE
The primate spoke about this on the day of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, August 9, reports the information-education department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry noted that the Lord endowed the Great Martyr Panteleimon with the gift of healing people’s diseases, and after death he helps all who call upon
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Spiritual Counsels of St. Nikon of Optina
We honor the memory of the Optina Monastery holy confessor Nikon. St. Nikon (in the world, Nicholai Mitrofanovich Belyaev) was a great example of patience and obedience—from his youth to the end of his life, he good-heartedly endured everything sent to him by God. Even in his childhood, there were events that were like signs
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 8 of 10 – Experiences of Theosis
Experiences of Theosis are proportional to the purity of man. The more someone is cleansed from the passions, the higher the experience he will receive from God; he sees God just as it was written: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). When man starts to repent, to confess,
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 9 of 10 – Failure of Many People to Reach Theosis
So, while we have been called for this great purpose; to unite with God; to become Gods by Grace; and to enjoy this great blessing for which our Maker and Creator made us, we often live as if this great and noble aim does not exist for us. Because of this, our life is filled
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 7 of 10 – Qualifications for Theosis
The holy Fathers certainly say that within the Church we can attain Theosis. But at the same time they say Theosis is a gift from God, it is not something we can attain on our own. Of course, we must desire, struggle, and prepare ourselves so that we are worthy, capable, and receptive enough to
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 6 of 10 – The Uncreated Energies Of God
According to the teachings of the Holy Bible and the Fathers of the Church, man is able to achieve Theosis because within the Orthodox Church of Christ the Grace of God is uncreated. God is not only essence, as the West thinks; He is also energy. If God was only essence, we could not unite
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 5 of 10 – The Church: The Place of Man’s Theosis
Those who wish to unite with Jesus Christ, and, through Christ, with God the Father, recognize that this union is realized in the body of Christ, which is our Holy Orthodox Church. Of course, this Union is not with the Divine essence, * but with the deified human nature of Christ. But this union with
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IMPULSIVITY AND SELF-CONTROL: THE PROBLEM OF BEING OF TWO MINDS
The Apostle James once wrote, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). That being of two minds, or more literally of two souls (δίψυχος), creates an instability of the will that makes the task of overcoming impulsivity especially challenging. Part of us is utterly persuaded that addictive behavior is bad
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HOW TO BECOME HUMBLE
A humble man is never rash, hasty or perturbed, never has any hot and volatile thoughts, but at all times remains calm. Even if heaven were to fall and cleave to the earth, the humble man would not be dismayed. Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble man is quiet. There is no
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