For the first time Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy accompanied by sign language translation. Throughout the service several specialists were present at the church who translated everything into sign language. The Liturgy was served at All Saints’ Church in the Moscow district of Novokosino. “I call upon all our
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 4 of 10 – The Contribution of the Theotokos
The Contribution of the Theotokos to the Theosis of Man So, the Lord Jesus gives us this possibility to unite with God and return to the primary purpose which God ordained for man. Therefore He is described in Holy Scripture as the way, the door, the good shepherd, the life, the resurrection, the light.
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 3 of 10 – Falling Away
Falling away from Theosis We all know the consequences of the fall. Separation from God threw man into carnal, bestial and demonic life. The brilliant creation of God fell seriously ill, almost to death. What had been made “in His image” was darkened. Since the fall, man no longer has the qualifications he needs
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 1 of 10
Theosis is the true purpose of human life. The question of the destiny of our lives is very serious, as it concerns the most important question for man: * for what purpose are we placed on earth? If man takes a correct stance on this issue; if he finds his true destiny; then
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 2 of 10- The Incarnation
The Incarnation of God: The Cause of Man’s Theosis The Church Fathers say that God became man in order to make man a god. If God had not taken flesh, man would not be able to achieve Theosis. In the years before Christ, many wise and virtuous people had appeared. For example, the ancient Greeks
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PUSHED TO THE BRINK OF DESPAIR
St. Luke 5:1-11 It seems at first glance that this gospel reading is about fishing. In truth it is about no such thing. It is a test of faith. It is about honestly assessing the obstacles and hindrances that are between us and a life that is dedicated to God. What are the obstacles in
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DENY YOUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS TO LIVE
The world we are living in today has many many obstacles to growing in holiness. It has many distractions that tempt us from praying and learning to read holy words or the lives of the saints. But the worst problem of all is that there are many false idols in our world. We are taught,
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MEET THE CHRISTIANS WHO LOVE THEIR ENEMIES, EVEN WHEN IT’S ISIS
On the outskirts of Fallujah, just weeks after Islamic State had been driven out of the city by the Iraqi army following two years of jihadist rule, a team of Sunni and Shia Muslims visited a compound where hundreds of people who had fled the city were being held. They brought supplies – food and
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The Way of Spiritual Transformation – #5
5. Self Aware and Prayer The healing of our sick nous begins with what we have just been discussing: the sacrifice of our “old man,” the cutting off of the passions, repentance. In speaking of the healing of the nous, the Holy Fathers place much emphasis on the practice of watchfulness. We must at all times
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The Way of Spiritual Transformation – #8
8. On Not Measuring One’s Progress In conclusion, I would like to make one more point concerning the theme of transformation. The Holy Fathers counsel us that we are not to try to measure our spiritual progress. Trying to measure our progress can lead to pride on the one hand, and to despair on the
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