Christian salvation is fundamentally the same, whether pursued in the world or through monasticism. It is this foundational unity, which is the unity of the Holy Spirit himself that makes monastic spirituality and literature so valuable for the lay Orthodox. Lay and monastic life have the same purpose. According to Abba Moses, a monk's life …
The Concept Behind this Exercise: These prayers are called "arrow-like prayers" by the Church for they are, in a manner of speaking, spiritual arrows that penetrate the thick veil that can exist between man and God, rises to the pinnacle of heaven and enters the sanctuary of the Lord and is most effective. Practical Application: …
St Macarius is one of the monastic leaders of the fourth century. He was a disciple to St Anthony the first monk. In his life we read this story. “The Lord of Glory sent a cherub, he led him into this mountain and when he had set his seal on Abba Macarius by placing his …
“Solitude precedes prayer and is practiced by prayer, and from the two we grasp the love of God…” – Mar Isaac the Syrian If you saw a healthy and fruitful tree and wished to know the secret of its vitality and abundance, no doubt your thoughts ought to turn to the nutrition that are hidden …
Since I see that most people love and admire things that seem to be good, rather than things which are by nature beneficial and truly good, I think that it is necessary to say few words about both of them and to compare with each other both that which the multitude neglects and that which they zealously pursue. By …
It is well documented that in the early centuries, the blood of Coptic martyrs bathed the knees of the horses of their persecutors. However, since the legalisation of Christianity under the reign of Emperor Constantine, there has been a steady decline in the number of martyrs. Martyrdom is arguably non-existent in western countries such as Australia, and the issue has thus …
I challenge anyone reading this article to tell me the names of St George’s parents… How about a tougher challenge, tell me the name of the wife of the emperor Diocletian who believed at the hand of St George… You would be one of a small percentage of people to have the right answer on …
Music is an integral part of our make up as human beings. Music has always been found to inspire many different emotions in the human soul that nothing else could. This is not a twenty first century find but it has been right from the beginning of creation. We read in the book of Genesis …
Every good and beloved soul… when it has been released by death from the body with which it was united… immediately experiences the joy and pleasure which it shall enjoy in full measure in the future… and though immediately after death the enjoyment is small, after when it shall again receive It’s celestial body at …
It is not only a single time that God has talked about the death of the righteous and of the wicked people, it is written that: "When the righteous person dies, it is regretted, but the destruction of the impious person is renounced, and people rejoice over it". And again: "When a good person dies, …
