Orthodox Talks

Christ left us a most fearful warning: “False Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” In our own times we see even pious Orthodox Christians become confused and deluded by phenomena which appear to be Orthodox. Prophesies, clairvoyance, visions, healings, exorcisms, dreams, and mysterious fragrances are just a few...

We live in a time where demonic delusion is at its peak. These delusions come in the form of thoughts, feelings, dreams and visions. The Holy Apostles and Fathers of the Orthodox Church provide insight into these delusions. Saint Paul in particular warns against the “angel of light,” referring not only to false visions of angels, but to anything the demons present as good or spiritual. Using examp...

People often say that Orthodox Christians should focus on loving Christ and their neighbors, and not bother thinking about the demons. These same people criticise those who instruct the faithful concerning demonic warfare. When Elder Paisios of Mount Athos was writing the life of Elder Arsenios the Cappadocian, he was advised to omit all references to demonic possession in order to appeal to Europ...

In the writings of the Holy Fathers we often find statements such as this: “One must consider oneself the worst person of all”; “Self-esteem is a sin”; “One must only look at one’s failures, never at one’s virtues”; “The proud cannot be saved”; “Always consider yourself a sinner”; and “There is nothing good in us.” Many find these types of statements upsetting, and come to the conclusion that Chri...

This is a continuation of Talk 29. There is much confusion among Orthodox Christians regarding many aspects of the Church’s teachings on life after death. One important example is the difference between Hades and Hell. While many think them identical, the difference is actually so important that it can cause many not to prepare properly for their own deaths, and to neglect the departed souls who a...

In the writings of the Holy Fathers we often read statements such as these: “Our sins will prevent us from seeing God,” “Only those who have been purified before death can be saved,” and, “After death, even forgotten sins will be used by the demons to obstruct a soul’s passage to Heaven.” Many who read these types of statements fall into despair, thinking that salvation is impossible. The fact is,...

Without a doubt, even among Orthodox Christians there is considerable ignorance today regarding the soul after death. When someone close to us departs this life, those left behind are often at a loss as to how to help their departed loved one. Some ascribe the greatest importance to flowers, poems and speeches, beautiful funerals and graves. Others try to communicate with their departed loved ones...

A great many Orthodox Christians who fast, confess, commune, attend the church services, and perform various ascetic labors complain of a feeling of spiritual coldness and deadness. They are surprised, thinking that doing all this ought to help them in acquiring the grace of God. Common characteristics of such people include self-satisfaction, vainglory, self-trust, self-will, being judgmental, an...

Some traditional Orthodox theologians believe that the spirituality of many Orthodox Christians has become quite similar to Western spirituality. These Orthodox Christians share the distorted Protestant view of repentance as merely accepting Christ and feeling some regret for past sins, and the Roman Catholic over-emphasis on partaking of the Sacraments and obedience to the bishop. This movement w...

This talk is a continuation of Talk 24: "Elders vs. Religious Intellectuals: Whom to Follow?" Asceticism is the most important aspect of Orthodox spirituality, for it is the path by which one acquires the grace of God. But the holy elders of our times teach that today there is a lack, and even an absence, of asceticism in the Church. Without asceticism, Christians tend to ignore the heart and the...

In the Orthodox Church today there is a growing trend towards using logic and reason to explain miracles, mysteries, Divine Providence and demonic phenomena. This school of thought has existed in the Western Church for centuries, and is known as rationalism. The disease of rationalism is now being spread in the Orthodox Church by some clergy and theologians, many of whom have studied in the West....

There is a mistaken view that the spiritual life concerns only spiritual matters, and that physical and mental issues are of little or no importance. However, diet, exercise, recreation, relationships, and managing stress and anxiety are not only part of the spiritual life, but a very important aspect of it. Though many do not realize it, the Church teaches that disregarding or abusing our bodies...

Today, more than ever before, parents are very concerned with the question of how to raise their children. A large percentage of Orthodox parents look for answers outside of the Church, in books and magazines, on the internet and TV, and from health practitioners. Some in desperation even resort to mediums, psychics, and magicians for advice and help. Unfortunately, the answers they receive are of...

Elder Porphyrios of Greece, an extraordinary holy father of our own times, was given the gift of clairvoyance by God for his humility, love, and faithfulness to holy Orthodoxy. This gift enabled him to see into the past, present, and future, looking into people’s souls and perceiving their innermost thoughts. He also revealed to many their illnesses – spiritual, mental, and bodily – healing them a...

It has been said that only once in a hundred years does Greece produce an elder such as Elder Porphyrios (1906–1991), who has become renowned as one of the greatest spiritual fathers of the last century. Thousands of people, not only from Greece but from all over the world, came to him for advice and help. Using his gifts of clairvoyance, healing, and miracle-working he brought a vast number of so...

Among Christians today one may encounter three incorrect views regarding the saints. The first is that saints are a thing of the past, not encountered in our day and age. The second is that saints achieve holiness because they are born with special qualities or God especially chose them (predestined them) to be saints, and therefore holiness is unattainable for ordinary people. The third view is t...

This talk is a continuation of Talk 17: “Counsels of Elder Paisios of Mount Athos”. Elder Paisios struggled intensely against his own passions and the demons. He especially struggled to acquire the virtues of obedience, humility, repentance and love. Because of these virtues he achieved such great sanctity that the Holy Spirit came to dwell in him, and he was granted the greatest gift of all: disc...

Elder Paisios was a simple monk who lived on Mount Athos in Greece. Leading a holy life, he became filled with the wisdom of God, and was able during his lifetime to bring great benefit to countless people with his counsels, which have since been translated into many languages. As with the elders of old, people would flock to Mount Athos from all over the world to visit the elder and receive his a...

Elder Paisios (1924–1994) was a rare ascetic and man of prayer in our modern world. As a God-bearing elder he had the prophetic gift of being able to see into people’s souls, and from his hermitage on the Holy Mountain he guided and healed thousands of people who came to him from all over the world for relief from their spiritual and physical infirmities. The life of this great elder silences thos...

Elder Paisios may rightly be considered one of the most popular elders of our times. Thousands of people from all over the world flocked to him to receive guidance, consolation, hope, and insight into their problems. He healed sicknesses of soul and body, warned against dangers, and revealed the will of God. Using the gift of clairvoyance, he could see events both present and future. With the publ...

Many Orthodox Christians participate in the life of the Church, praying, fasting, confessing, communing, singing, etc. But how many of these people are genuinely seeking their salvation? The purpose of life on earth is the salvation of one’s soul. Although most people do not think about their salvation, it comes as a surprise when we encounter this in active participants in church life. The questi...

Marriage is extremely difficult. Few people in our time prepare themselves adequately for the challenges of marriage – and the result is frequently disastrous. A successful marriage requires not only spiritual preparation (as many in the Church mistakenly believe) but also practical life skills. These skills include the ability to perform domestic duties, to deal with financial responsibilities, t...

Marriages today are often troubled by many problems: divorce, adultery, domestic violence, pornography, addictions, and mental illness, to name a few. This can happen for many reasons, but one of the most common is a failure to make good decisions in choosing whom to marry. Internet match-making and dating sites and chat rooms, pre-marital sexual relationships, and other modern approaches to meeti...

Orthodox Christians hold various views regarding the main purpose of marriage. Some believe it is companionship, while others believe it is to have children. What, then, does the Orthodox Church teach regarding the main purpose of marriage? The answer to this question will influence a person’s decision whether or not to marry. In this talk, Father Kosmas explains that the main purpose of marriage,...

Saint Xenia the Fool-for-Christ is one of the best-known Russian saints. Because of her many miracles, her popularity has spread throughout the Orthodox world, in Greece, America, Serbia, Canada, Australia, Romania, and beyond. She is especially called upon for help with everyday problems, such as finding employment, housing, a spouse, or missing children. She also helps those suffering from alcoh...