Orthodox Talks

This talk is a continuation of Talk 58 - "Magic and Demonic Influence - Part 1". There are various views among Orthodox Christians regarding the topic of magic. Some believe that magic does not exist, while others believe that it does, and fear it to such an extent that anytime something bad happens to them they attribute it to magic. Still others believe that magic exists, but their ignorance of...

Many Orthodox priests sadly admit that it is becoming increasingly common for people to come to confession with sins involving magic. There are many reasons people seek a magician’s help: marital problems, learning the future, healing from sickness, financial success, protection from the evil eye and black magic, communicating with a departed loved one, for “good luck”, and for “love”. But some pe...

It is a sad fact that divorce, so widespread in secular society and other religions, has become a rising problem in our Orthodox Church, as well. People seek divorce for many reasons, but the underlying reason is usually the same: a belief that there is no hope of saving the marriage. We often hear statements such as: “My husband will never change”, or: “My wife is incapable of improving”, or: “Th...

In the New Testament Christ teaches that a married couple must remain inseparable to the end, and that the only just cause for divorce is adultery. Furthermore, Christ says that those who divorce and remarry for any other reason are condemned as adulterers. Yet, over the centuries the Orthodox Church has allowed divorce for a number of other reasons, and may even perform second and third marriages...

In these times of spiritual ignorance, the true meaning of marriage is almost unknown. Most believe that marriage is all joy and happiness, and when this delusion is shattered the marriage falls apart. It is therefore important for couples to know the true meaning of marriage if they want to have a successful marriage. In this talk, Father Kosmas uses the writings and advice of various saints and...

Many Orthodox Christians today obtain most of their information on married life from television, films, secular books and magazines, and the internet. Unfortunately, much of this information is incorrect and can not only be harmful to the marriage, but can even cause the loss of one’s salvation. Thanks be to God, there are a number of Orthodox books on married life which offer essential advice on...

Many know of the great Greek saint of the last century, Nektarios of Pentapolis the Wonderworker. Saint Nektarios is especially known for the countless miracles that he has performed, and many turn to him for help in their time of need. Yet the majority of these people know very little about this saint’s life, and still less about his beneficial teachings and writings. In this talk, Father Kosmas...

Christ said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” These words were shown to be true in the life of Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker of Aegina. This saint of God endured from his fellow clergymen exactly what Christ foretold: they disdained him, excluded h...

Many people in the Church today unfortunately hold incorrect views regarding spiritual life. For example, many believe that when they progress in the spiritual life, God sends them fewer temptations and afflictions. The question arises: why do so many hold this view when the lives of the saints and the writings of the Holy Fathers teach us the exact opposite? In Part 3 of the life of Saint Nektari...

Due to his countless miracles, Saint Nektarios of Aegina is considered a wonderworker like Saint Nicholas and Saint Spyridon. However, few know that the saint suffered greatly from persecution, slander, and afflictions. Many would be shocked to learn that Saint Nektarios’ greatest enemies were actually Orthodox bishops and clergy. Thus, Saint Paul’s teaching that ‘all who desire to live godly in C...

Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker is one of the best-known saints in the Greek Orthodox Church. Anywhere in the world where there are Greeks, you can be certain of finding a church dedicated to him. Countless miracles attributed to the Saint have been reported in Greece, Australia, Canada, Europe, England, and the United States. Yet many know little or nothing about this great Saint. In this talk,...

Orthodox Christians who read the Holy Bible will have read Christ’s words: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Regarding these words, the Holy Fathers clearly teach that at the Last Judgment only those who show mercy will obtain mercy. This is why the saints put great effort into fleeing from the soul-destroying passion of mercilessness by practising works of mercy. Hence, it...

This talk is a continuation of Talk 46. There is considerable opposition to the teaching of the toll-houses. This opposition has been increasing over the last 150 years, and has long been recognized as one of the signs of ecclesiastical “modernism.” These modernists make a number of accusations against the toll-houses, including that they are not real, but rather are myths and fables, that they ar...

The Holy Fathers teach that true Christianity consists in the practice of the commandments of the Gospel. It is, therefore, important for an Orthodox Christian to learn what exactly the commandments of the Gospel are. Many spiritual fathers advise that the study of the teaching of the aerial toll-houses is a valuable aid in learning the holy commandments. In this talk, Father Kosmas explains the t...

This talk is a continuation of Talks 43 and 44. Saint Seraphim of Sarov teaches that we acquire grace through doing good works, not for virtue’s sake, but for Christ’s sake. In these times, more than ever, there is great confusion about what are good works. In the media, celebrities are often portrayed as doers of good works such as helping the poor, donating to medical research, adopting children...

This talk is a continuation of Talk 43. In his own time, Saint Seraphim of Sarov said that Orthodox Christians had forgotten the true aim of the Christian life. Many had become immersed in the darkness of materialism or in routine and mechanical outward piety. Saint Seraphim revealed the true aim of the spiritual life to his disciple, Nicholas Motovilov. This revelation is considered one of modern...

The Holy Fathers teach that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are a means of acquiring the grace of God. Although many Orthodox Christians observe these holy practices, spirituality in the Church is steadily decreasing. While there are many reasons for this, the chief cause is that there are few spiritual guides with the gift of discernment. Because of this, pride and Pharisaism have spread like a di...

This talk is a continuation of Talk 41. We live in times of weak faith and a general lack of spirituality. One of the reasons for this is that experienced spiritual guides are very few. This gives rise to a major problem with respect to the inner spiritual life, namely, difficulty in knowing whether our spiritual feelings and experiences are real. These feelings include: joy, peace, warmth, sweetn...

For quite a few decades now there has been an increasing interest in the practice of the Jesus Prayer. A large number of books and pamphlets have been made available to the faithful giving detailed instructions on this prayer, which even include breathing techniques. The main focus of this teaching is to force the mind into the heart in order to acquire prayer of the heart. Orthodox Christians, in...

This talk is a continuation of Talk 39. Much has been written on the subject of prayer, both by contemporary authors and by saints throughout the centuries. Yet the topic of prayer remains surrounded by ignorance, distortion and confusion. This is partly because the saints’ writings on prayer are often too deep for today’s Orthodox Christians to comprehend. On the other hand, articles by contempor...

In the writings of the Holy Fathers we often read fearful statements regarding prayer, such as: “Whoever refuses to pray rejects his salvation”; “There can be no progress in the spiritual life without prayer”; “Without prayer there can be no victory over the demons”; “There is nothing more important than prayer”; and “Prayer is food for the soul – it is better to let the body starve than for the s...

Despite advances in medical science, occurrences of cancer are becoming increasingly frequent. Many live in fear of falling victim or losing a loved one to this disease. However, few give thought to a far worse disease, spiritual cancer: that of pride and vainglory. The saints of old did all they could to fight off the spiritual disease of pride and vainglory by avoiding praise and even hiding the...

This talk is a continuation of the very popular series “Miracles and Deception.” Since the beginning of time people have been fascinated by dreams, prophesies, miracles, and other supernatural phenomena. While this interest lessened with the spread of Christianity, in recent centuries it has once again increased even among Christians. In reading the Holy Bible and the lives of the saints, many peo...

In reading the Gospel and the lives of the saints we come across many signs and miracles. These miracles were especially abundant during the time of Christ and the apostles, bringing many to Christianity, and though less frequent they continue to this day. Over the past 2000 years, however, many Christians have also been converted to Christianity or strengthened in their faith without miracles, me...

We live in a time of growing interest in supernatural phenomena, as is evident from the numerous films, television programs and publications being produced on this topic. Even many Christians strongly desire to see or experience signs and miracles, either out of curiosity or to confirm their faith in God and the Church. But is seeking miracles truly beneficial? In this talk, Father Kosmas uses the...