On vanity (Igumen Tikhon)

1. Grace and peace to you from the Lord Jesus Christ, and may He sanctify your hearts, so that, without caring for earthly things, you may seek first the Kingdom of Heaven.

2. I urge you, brothers, to look at this world and not be deceived by its vanity, for everything in the world is vanity. Do not set your hearts on perishable things, but rather pursue God, who is your true joy.

3. Anyone who cares about temporal things and forgets about eternal things is lost in empty vanity. Know that true satisfaction lies not in riches, pleasures, or the glory of this world, but in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Mystery of the Holy Cross (St Justin Popovich)

Saint Chrysostom proclaims: "If anyone asks me what wondrous thing Christ did, I will omit the heavens, the earth, the sea, the resurrection of many dead, and the other miracles He performed... and I will point only to the Cross, which is more glorious than all." And Saint Damascene, as if supplementing this good news, says: "Every deed and miracle of Christ is great, divine, and wondrous, but most wondrous of all is His precious Cross."

The New Testament is entirely rooted in the sacred and ineffable mystery of the Cross of Christ. All New Testament truths and all New Testament blessings are rooted in the mystery of the Cross of the God-Man, drawing from it their saving and life-giving power and their divine mystery. One thing is clear: the all-saving power of Christ's Cross extends beyond all human depths, passions, vices, sins, and infirmities; it encompasses all of man, saving, redeeming, cleansing, sanctifying, deifying, and clothing him in Christ.

With his God-purified, God-sanctified, and God-enlightened mind, completely immersed in the unfathomable depths of the God-man's mystery of the world's salvation, Saint Basil the Great proclaims: "By the Cross, Christ's economy of salvation is accomplished." And Saint Gregory Palamas, wise in Christ, distilling all the apostolic and patristic gospels into a single, all-encompassing good news, proclaims: "In the Cross of the Lord is revealed the entire economy of salvation (πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκονομίαν), accomplished during the Lord's sojourn on earth, and the entire mystery of this economy is contained within it." Hence the patristic, God-wise gospel: the Cross is the foundation of the Church, the affirmation of the universe... The Cross is the strength of the weak, the physician of the infirm. The Cross is the cleansing of lepers, the restoration of strength to the paralytic. The Cross is the bread of the hungry, the source of the thirsty. "Christ was entirely on the Cross and at the same time entirely in everything." - The most wise philosopher of the Holy Spirit, St. John of Damascus , proclaims: "The Cross of Christ has clothed us in the hypostatic Wisdom and Power of God (τὴν ἐνυπόστατον τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν καὶ δύναμιν)." St. Chrysostom the Evangelist proclaims: "What has not the Cross done? It taught the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, the contempt for earthly goods, the thirst for the good of the future; it made men angels; "Thanks to him, everyone and everywhere became philosophers (wise men) and capable of every virtue." "The Cross founded the Church. The Cross is the confirmation of virtues. The Cross opened paradise."

Because the wondrous Savior concentrated all His saving and life-giving power in the Cross and imbued it with His entire Person, the Cross became the sign of the Son of Man ( Matt. 24:30 ; cf. Rev. 1:7 ) both on earth and in heaven—a sign by which all earthly and heavenly beings recognize Him. Since the Lord Christ, with all His infinite Divine powers, truths, and mysteries, is entirely contained in His Cross, His Precious Cross became an invincible conqueror in all worlds, an all-conquering savior from all sins, from all death, from all demons. In the Cross there is “an ineffable providence,” an ineffable dispensation of salvation, therefore the mystery of the Cross is incomprehensible: “the incomprehensible mystery of the crucifixion (τὸ ἀκατάληπτον tò τῆς σταυρώσεως μυστήριον).”

Because of the incomprehensible and all-saving mystery of the precious cross, all the services of Holy Week, especially on Great Thursday and Great Friday, are filled with prayerful awe and thanksgiving to the crucified God-Man, the Savior. Awe and thanksgiving are imbued with rapture, which concludes each prayer with the sobbing, "Incomprehensible, O Lord!" Yes, it is truly incomprehensible to the mind, truly unfathomable, that the God-Man, through His suffering and cross, saves the world and by His death overthrows sin, death, and the devil. Yes, it is incomprehensible and unfathomable, but true and real: truly with the most convincing truth and truly with the most unwavering reality, for the God-Man's reality and truth immeasurably surpass human reason and logic. The unspeakable mystery of the salvation of the human race through the Trisagion is evident. The Cross is an integral part of this most holy mystery of salvation. It is rooted in the Trisolar God, extending through the incarnate Word to all creation. All of this is immersed in the sweetest mystery of the Divine-human Person.

All the theanthropic powers of the Precious Cross, all the all-saving power of the Cross, all the all-necessity of the Cross, all the miraculousness of the Cross, all the all-victoriousness of the Cross, are imprinted in the prayerful theology of the Church, with apostolic inspiration and patristic divine wisdom. Even a fleeting glimpse of this astonishing and magnificent paradise of ecclesiastical divine wisdom, a paradise of immortal, fragrant divine-humanity, eloquently convinces us of this.

With His Precious Cross, the Lord Christ shamed the devil and, with His Resurrection, blunted the sting of sin—and saved us from death. With the Cross, the Savior captivated hell, trampled death, and enlightened the world. "Jesus rose from the tomb, as He prophesied, and gave us eternal life and great mercy." With His Cross, the Lord opened paradise to the thief. "By the Cross... all idolatry's deception was abolished, and demonic strength was trampled." "The place of execution became paradise, for the tree of the cross was erected, and immediately the Cluster of Life grew forth"—Christ the Savior. "Let us, the faithful, sing and glorify the Savior and our Deliverer, who was crucified of His own free will, as He knew and as He willed: for He nailed the sins of men on the Cross, delivering the human race from deception, and He made Him worthy of the Kingdom." "Having endured the crucifixion by Thy own free will, and having freed mankind from incorruption, O Savior, we the faithful sing and worship Thee, for Thou hast enlightened us with the power of the Cross; and with fear we glorify Thee, O generous Lover of mankind, as the Giver of Life and Lord." - "Thou hast established the striving for death, having given birth to Him Who possesses life and death, O All-Immaculate One; pray then to Him, O mortifier of sins, to establish my soul and save me."

We pray to the crucified Lord: “Thy Cross, O Christ, though visible in substance as wood, is clothed in divine power; and, being manifested sensibly to the world, it works miracles of our salvation in our minds. We worship Thee, O Savior, and have mercy on us.” “Thou wast raised up upon the Cross, and the enemy fell; and we who had fallen were raised up, and we became inhabitants of heaven, O Christ, glorifying the power of Thy Kingdom.” “By the power of Thy Cross, O Christ, strengthen my thoughts to sing and glorify Thy saving ascension (in Serbian, “crucifixion.” – Translator’s note ). "Thy Cross, O Lord, is the life and resurrection of Thy people, and trusting in it, we sing to Thee, our Risen God: Have mercy on us." "Thy Cross, O Lord, opened paradise to the human race, and having delivered us from corruption, we sing to Thee, our God, crucified in the flesh: Have mercy on us." "Protected by the Cross, we resist the enemy, not fearing his guile or barking: for the proud was abolished and trampled upon the Tree by the power of Christ crucified." By His Cross the Lord destroyed death and opened paradise to the thief. Having descended into hell by the Cross, the Lord resurrected me with Him. "Lord, Thy Cross has given us a weapon against the devil: for he trembles and shakes, unable to bear to look upon his power: for He raises the dead, and abolishes death. For this reason, we venerate Thy burial and resurrection." "Lord... Thou hast risen and granted incorruption to our souls." "Thou didst suffer the Cross, O Impassible One, and didst accept three days' burial, that Thou mightest free us from the bondage of the enemy, and, having immortalized us, Thou mightest revive us, O Christ our God, by Thy Resurrection, O Lover of Mankind." "Thou didst ascend the Cross, O Christ our God, and save the human race." Christ, through the Cross, saves the world as God. "By Thy Cross, O Savior, paradise was opened, and condemned man entered it again, magnifying Thy goodness." “By Thy Cross, O Christ, the flock of angels and men became one, and the Church one – καì μία Ἐκκλησία, heaven and earth rejoice, O Lord, glory to Thee.”

With special divine inspiration, the Cross is glorified and exalted in the services on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, from September 13th to 21st. The prayerful thought of the Church eloquently articulates the theanthropic truths about the Cross. The first clear truth of this feast declares: the Cross is "the invincible victory of piety," conquering all demons, all temptations, all sins, all evil, all death. The Cross is "the door to paradise." By the Cross, "corrosion was destroyed and abolished, the power of death was trampled upon, and we were raised from earth to heaven." The Cross is the guide of the blind, the physician of the infirm, the resurrection of all the dead; by the Cross, immortality blossomed. The Cross accomplishes salvation and deification: those on earth were deified by the Cross, the devil was utterly crushed. With its grace, the Cross sanctifies those who kiss it, for it is the source of holiness and the cause of the deification of all. By the Cross, our minds are enlightened; embracing the glorious Cross of the Lord, we are enlightened and cast away passions. By the Cross, Christ pierced the devil to the very heart and freed everyone from the bonds of hell. The Cross of the Lord is like the sun: when we kiss it with faith, our souls are enlightened. The Cross is the source of immortality, the deliverance of the entire world. In many prayers, we address the Cross as a living being, as a kind of living face. Thus, we pray: "O Most Honorable Cross... kissing you with our hearts and lips, the faithful receive sanctity," health and eternal salvation.

The prayerful thought of the Church on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, with its God-manly truth, resounds from the Church across heaven and earth: on the Cross, the Lord slew him who slew us, revived the slain, adorned them, and in His mercy granted them a dwelling in heaven. The Cross is the praise of the faithful, the confirmation of the sufferers, the savior of all the saints. Now, on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Cross is raised up and the demons flee; now all creation is freed from corruption, for through the Cross all gifts have shone forth for us. The Cross is "the strength and protection of the Church." Hence our prayerful ascent to heaven and into the heavens: “O Cross of Christ, hope of Christians, guide of the lost, haven of the storm-tossed, victory in battles, confirmation of the universe, physician of the sick, resurrection of the dead, have mercy on us.”

The Sign of the Son of Man ( Matthew 24 – Ed. ) = The Sign of the God-Man Christ = The Sign of the Orthodox Church – the Cross; it is depicted on everything characteristic of the God-Man, and its all-conquering power pours out upon all visible and invisible creation, protecting it from all that is mortal, from all that is evil and demonic, and enriching it with immortality, virtues, and divine-humanity. And we joyfully exclaim: "The Cross is the guardian of the entire universe, the Cross is the beauty of the Church, the Cross is the power of kings, the Cross is the confirmation of the faithful, the Cross is the glory of angels and the wound of demons."

The divine-human truth and reality are as follows: by the Cross, death was completely destroyed ("devoured"). The Cross is the ladder by which we ascend to heaven; the Cross is the perfect deliverance of fallen Adam. In the midst of the earth, God has prepared salvation: the Cross and the Resurrection. The Cross is the full armor of piety. The Cross is the champion of the righteous and the savior of the saints. Christ, as God, saves the human race through the Cross. In the Cross lies the endless resurrection of the world. The Cross of the Lord is the resurrection of the dead. The Cross is raised up, and the demons are driven out; the thief opens the gates of Eden; death is mortified—and now it is empty. – And then this prayerful cry: "Having mortified the passions of the flesh and spirit, let us strive by the Cross to ascend from the earthly to the heavenly, crucified with the Lord Christ!"

Without a doubt, the Cross and the Resurrection constitute a dual reality, a dual truth, a dual power of the Savior's accomplished Divine-human economy of salvation, the Divine-human economy of deification. And therefore, at the Sunday all-night vigil, before the Holy Liturgy, we confess and give thanks: "Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and we sing and glorify Thy holy Resurrection: for Thou art our God; we know no other besides Thee; we call upon Thy name. Come, all ye faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ: for behold, through the Cross joy has come to the whole world. Ever blessing the Lord, we sing His Resurrection: for having endured crucifixion, He destroyed death by death."

Again and again: “We worship Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy holy Resurrection.”

Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Iustin_Popovich/sobranie-tvorenij-tom4/1_4_6

Orthodox Christian teaching on the Mother of God (St John of Shanghai and St Ignatius Brianchaninov)

 

St John of Shanghai:

I. Veneration of the Mother of God during the days of Her earthly life

From Apostolic times to the present day, all who truly love Christ have paid homage to the One who gave birth to Him, raised Him, and protected Him in His childhood. If God the Father chose Her, the Holy Spirit descended upon Her, God the Son dwelt within Her, obeyed Her in His childhood, and cared for Her while hanging on the cross, then should not everyone who confesses the Holy Trinity bow down to Her?

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Igumen Tikhon)

With this commandment, Christ completes the chain of beatitudes, and it no longer speaks of the inner work of the heart, but of a confrontation with the world. While the first commandments concerned the hidden life of the soul—poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, mercy, purity, and peacemaking—here resistance arises. The world does not always accept a person who lives by righteousness.

True Orthodoxy and its enemies in the modern world (Archbishop Averky Taushev)

A widespread, “current” opinion these days is that Orthodoxy is just one of many varieties of Christianity, along with others that have every right to exist and are even, to one degree or another, equal in value.

But to think so is either extreme naivety based on ignorance, or a definitely malicious distortion of the truth.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Igumen Tikhon)

These words resonate especially powerfully now, in a world accustomed to tension. We're accustomed to arguments, to fighting for our own position, to constantly defending our position. Peace is often understood as a temporary truce, a pause between conflicts. But Christ speaks of something different—peacemaking as an inner calling.

A peacemaker is not simply someone who avoids quarrels. They are not indifferent observers or someone who seeks silence at any cost. A peacemaker is someone who has first made peace within themselves. Someone who has restored peace with God and then brings this peace to others. Without inner reconciliation, it is impossible to become a true peacemaker.
Peace begins in the heart. As long as a person struggles within—pride, anger, envy—then they unwittingly spread this tension around them. He may speak the right words, but his inner state will be transmitted. Peacemaking begins when a person has learned self-control, when they have stopped responding to irritation with irritation.
We all have a tendency to defend ourselves, to justify ourselves, to prove ourselves right. When we are offended, we want to respond. When we are not understood, we raise our voices. This is a natural reaction. But a peacemaker chooses a different path. They do not suppress their feelings, but they also do not allow them to control them. They know how to stop.
Peacemaking requires inner maturity. It is the ability to see a situation beyond one's own grievance. It is the ability to listen to others, even if their words are harsh. It is a willingness to seek not victory, but the truth. A peacemaker does not necessarily agree with everything, but they do not turn disagreement into war.
Patristic commentaries indicate that peacemakers are called sons of God because they become like God. God is the source of peace. He reconciles people with Himself; He does not destroy the sinner, but calls them to return. When a person becomes a peacemaker, they reflect this Divine image. They become a vehicle for reconciliation.
It's important to understand: peacemaking is not weakness. It's not a renunciation of the truth. It's a union of truth and love. Sometimes a peacemaker must speak a difficult word. Sometimes, they must rebuke. But they do this not out of a desire to hurt, but out of a desire to heal. Their goal is restoration, not destruction.
In everyday life, peacemaking manifests itself in simple things. In the family, it's the ability not to incite conflict but to seek understanding. In work, it's the ability to smooth over tensions and not fuel rumors and hostility. In society, it's the willingness not to succumb to aggression but to maintain dignity and composure.
A peacemaker is a person who does not spread evil further. When rudeness befalls them, they don't return it. They break the chain of retaliation. This is difficult. Sometimes it seems unfair. But this is precisely where spiritual strength is manifested.
The saints noted that true peace is impossible without reconciliation with God. As long as a person lives disconnected from the Source of peace, they cannot find complete peace. Their anxiety will manifest itself in their relationships. Therefore, peacemaking begins with prayer, with repentance, with inner trust in God. Only those who have experienced God's peace in their hearts are capable of sharing it.
Christ's promise—"they shall be called the sons of God"—speaks of deep intimacy. A son is one who resembles the Father. A peacemaker becomes like God not in appearance, but in spirit. They bring into the world what they have received from above. And this is their dignity.
A person who lives by peacemaking becomes more resilient. They are less torn by other people's emotions. They don't get drawn into every argument. They maintain their inner center. This is not coldness, but a calm clarity.
In our time, when words easily become weapons, peacemaking is especially important. It requires courage. It is easier to join in an outrage than to stop it. It is easier to prove one's point than to listen. But Christ calls blessed those who choose the difficult path of reconciliation.
Each of us faces a daily choice—to increase or decrease tension. Small decisions shape the atmosphere around us. If even one person maintains peace, the space changes. The peacemaker becomes a quiet source of light.
And perhaps this is the depth of the commandment: peacemaking is not a one-time action, but a way of life. It is a constant striving to maintain peace in the heart and bring it into relationships. It is a path by which a person becomes increasingly like God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers." Blessed are those who do not live by war. Those who know how to reconcile—first themselves with God, then themselves with others, and people with each other. Because in their hearts, that peace begins to breathe, which makes a person a true son of God.

Instructions of St. Ammon

From the teachings of our holy father Abba Ammon

There are four things, even if a person possesses one of them, he cannot repent, and God will not accept his prayers.

1. The first is pride: when a person thinks that he lives correctly, that his life is pleasing to God, that in his conversations he edifies many and that [some people], having retired to the desert, [thanks to him] were delivered from many sins; if a person thinks so, then God does not dwell in him 150 .

On the contrary, a monk should judge himself with a more severe judgment than that of foolish people, and not consider his deeds pleasing to God. For it is said by the prophet: "All the righteous acts of man are as filthy rags before Him" ​​( Isaiah 64:6 ) . 151 And if the soul is not truly convinced that it is more impure than foolish creatures, such as birds or dogs, then God will not accept its prayer. For foolish creatures, such as dogs or birds, never sin before God and will not be judged by Him. From this it is clear that a sinful man is more pitiable than beasts, since he, unlike foolish creatures, is destined for resurrection from the dead and will appear before God's Judgment . 152 For foolish creatures do not speak evil or take pride, but love those who feed them, but man does not love, as he should, God, who created and feeds him.

2. The second thing is: if someone harbors a grudge against someone, even if he were to blind that person, he would still not forgive them for the evil. The prayer of such a vindictive person does not ascend to God. And let him not delude himself: even if he were to resurrect the dead, he will not attain mercy and forgiveness from God.

3. Thirdly, if anyone condemns a sinner, he himself will be condemned, even if he performs signs and wonders. For Christ said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" ( Matthew 7:1 ). Therefore, a Christian should not condemn anyone, "for even the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son" ( John 5:22 ). Therefore, anyone who judges before Christ is an antichrist . 154 And many who are robbers and fornicators today will be found saints and righteous tomorrow.

4. The fourth thing is, if anyone does not have love; without it, as the apostle says, even if we spoke with the tongues of angels, had all the right faith, moved mountains, distributed all our goods to the poor, and gave up our bodies to be martyred – [all this without love] brings us no benefit ( 1 Cor. 13:1-3 ). But you will say: “How can anyone give all his goods to the poor and not have love? Is not almsgiving love?” No. Almsgiving is not perfect love, but is [only] one of the manifestations of love 155 . For many give alms to some, and offend others; show hospitality to some, and bear a grudge against others; defend some, and slander others; show compassion to strangers, and hate their own. This is not love, for love hates no one, blasphemes no one, condemns no one, grieves no one, disdains no one—neither believers nor unbelievers, nor strangers, nor sinners, nor fornicators, nor the unclean. But, on the contrary, it loves sinners, the weak, and the negligent; for their sakes it suffers, grieves, and weeps. [Even more]: it rather sympathizes with the wicked and sinful, imitating Christ, who called sinners and ate and drank with them ( Matt. 9:11-13 ). Therefore, showing what true love is, He teaches [us]: “Be good and merciful, as your Father in heaven.” And just as He sends rain on the evil and the good, and makes the sun rise on the just and the unjust ( Matthew 5:45 ), so those who have true love love everyone, pity everyone, and pray for everyone. Some give alms and, relying solely on it, commit a multitude of sins, hate many, and defile their bodies with impure lusts. Such [people] deceive themselves, relying [only] on the alms they believe they give.

Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Aleksej_Sidorov/tvorenija-drevnikh-ottsov-podvizhnikov/1_3_1

On Glory from people (vainglory) (Hieromonk Savvas Agioreitis)

 

Do you want to have glory from people? It is easy: do them favors! Agree with everyone. Say “no” to no one. To the one who tells you what is right, say “yes”; and to the one who tells you what is wrong, say “yes.” And then you become important to everyone and pleasing to all…

But then you are no longer a person. You have lost yourself. You are a chameleon that takes on the color of its surroundings. This is diabolical glory.

And today, you see—and always, but especially in our days—this kind of person is successful. The politician. The one who is involved in everything. He accommodates everyone. He manipulates everyone. He is a hypocrite.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy and the Current State of Affairs (Photios Kontoglou)

 

The Sunday of Orthodoxy was established in order for the Church to celebrate the restoration of the Icons and the victory of true religion over the Iconoclasts. The Iconoclasts were the modernists of that time, who began with the abolition of iconography, so that they might proceed gradually, as all such people are wont to do, to other destructive reforms, the end result being to leave nothing in Orthodoxy intact. The Icon was the symbol of Orthodoxy, and Byzantium was in turmoil over the Icons, in civil war, for 116 years. In 787 A.D., the Seventh Ecumenical Synod took place in Nicaea. This Synod proclaimed the restoration of the Icons, and put an end to the Iconoclasm which had started in 726, in the reign of Leo the Isaurian. But even after the Seventh Ecumenical Synod, Iconoclasm was revived, and so another Synod took place in Constantinople in 842, and this Synod confirmed the Seventh Ecumenical Synod. Thus did that madness of Iconoclasm cease.

Commentary on the Synodikon of Orthodoxy (Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos)

The “Synodikon of Orthodoxy” is a text contained in the “Triodion” and read on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Lent.

It is well known that through the ages various heresies have appeared which deny the experience of revelation and in fact make use of philosophy and conjecture, doubting the Church’s truth on various dogmatic topics. The Fathers who formed the Synods opposed these errors. The decisions of the Synods on dogmatic topics are called “provisions”. More generally speaking, each decision of the Synods is called a “Synodikon”. Thus we have the synodical tome and the synodical provision, and moreover, each synod has its own synodikon.

The “Synodikon of Orthodoxy” is the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, which refer to the veneration of holy icons. The reading of them on the Sunday of Orthodoxy gave the title “Synodikon of Orthodoxy”. Of course it must be said that later there was also added to the “Synodikon of Orthodoxy” the definition of faith of the hesychastic Councils of the fourteenth century. Thus the “Synodikon of Orthodoxy” comprises the decisions of both the Seventh Ecumenical Council and the Councils of the fourteenth century, which, as will be said below, have all the elements to characterise and regard as a Ninth Ecumenical Council.

An analysis will be made of the “Synod of Orthodoxy” in its central points. There will not be a broader analysis of the whole Council, but what I consider to be the main points will be emphasised, because they express the ethos of the Church. And this is necessary, because the mind of the Church is linked to, and in harmony with the decisions of the Fathers of the Church as it has been expressed with conciliar authority.