Orthodox Wisdom

A reading of the homily titled, "On Watchfulness and Noetic Prayer" from Chapter 15 of "Counsels from the Holy Mountain" by Elder Ephraim of Arizona -Learn more about the ever-memorable Elder Ephraim: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/pages/elder-ephraim -Buy the book here: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/counsels-from-the-holy-mountain -Find an Orthodox parish and monas...

St. Sophia of Kiev (+1941) was a valiant Abbess, Confessor, and spiritual guide for the faithful during their apocalyptic trial under the Bolshevik antichrists. This account of her life is found in "Russia's Catacomb Saints" written and translated by I. M. Andreyev, Fr. Seraphim Rose, Fr. Herman Podmoshensky, and others. Published in 1982 by the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. Read...

My dear brothers and sisters, take these words to heart! Be encouraged and be courageous! Excerpt from "On Our Times" by St. Paisios the Athonite Full podcast: https://spotify.link/4JXWlzCKUyb Text: http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2015/06/on-our-times-st-paisios-of-holy-mount.html _______ More of St. Paisios' teachings from Orthodox Wisdom: Marriage or Monasticism? (The Young Fa...

Hear how St. Joseph faced the most fearsome spiritual battle of his life, an eight year battle against lust and fornication, and how by the powerful name of Christ and his indomitable spirit he became victorious. 0:27 St. Daniel the Hesychast calls Francis (St. Joseph the Hesychast) and Fr. Arsenios to be obedient to an Elder 2:32 Their Elders: Elder Joseph and Elder Ephraim the Barrel-Maker4:15 T...

Fr. Seraphim Rose writes to a woman who was baptized as a child, left the faith, and returned to the Church as an adult. Fr. Seraphim rejoices in her return, shares how he too was far from Christ, and some basic tenants of living the Orthodox life.   Fr. Seraphim writes:   “Coming from a Protestant background, I rejected it completely and became an agnostic and atheist, and then started...

Take advantage of a 20% discount, March 10-12, on all books. Type in discount code LENT20 when checking out at http://uncutmountainpress.com  St. Gregory Palamas wrote two treatises on the procession of the Holy Spirit presenting the Orthodox dogmatic teaching and refutes the Latin heresies, especially that of the “filioque.” Not only do these texts show forth the glory of true theology, of w...

Metropolitan Philaret's letter to Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, written in 1969 in response to ecumenical prayer gatherings and statements expressing heretical ecclesiology from both the Archbishop and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. Notice the royal path exhibited here by the great hierarch: when addressing the Archbishop and Patriarch he is very respectful, c...

St. Sophrony is one of the greatest saints of the 20th century, a teacher of prayer of the heart and one graced with the experience of the Uncreated Light. He was glorified as a Saint in 2019 and is beloved by the entire Church worldwide.   This excerpt comes from Letter 11, Dec 3/16, 1932 found in "Striving for Knowledge of God: Correspondence with David Balfour" available for sale here: htt...

Blessed Lent brothers and sisters! St. Theodore the Studite (+826) reminds us of the stance of the righteous in the face of "small" matters such as eating or not eating meat during Great Lent. Yet, for "these men it was permissible to partake of any meat under necessity, as St Basil says. But since the order from the Scythians was aimed at the rejection of the faith, they refused..." Are not the d...

Excerpt from homilies on Revelation, Lesson 89 (Rev. 21:8) by Elder Athanasios   The Lord said to the Apostle John: "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death." -Revelation 21:8   Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios, a dynamic...

A reading of St. Basil's Lament for Sin   Find the text here: https://www.orthodox.net/confess/lament.html  St. Basil prays:   In profound humility I weep for all my sins, voluntary and involuntary, conscious and unconscious, covert and overt, great and little, committed by word and deed, in thought and intention, day and night, at every hour and minute of my life.   How often,...

An excerpt from "Introduction to the Lives of the Saints" by St. Justin Popovic.   Listen here: https://youtu.be/q1SQB8O2Aek Read here: here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjustin_intro.aspx  The Prologue of Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovich is great for daily reading. It includes a brief life of one or two saints, a hymn of praise, reflection, and homily. Buy the Prologue from vario...

A reading of “Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images” (First Apology) by St. John of Damascus (+749). In response to the iconoclast heresy of the 8th century St. John wrote three treatises in defense of the apostolic tradition. His defense centers on the incarnation of Christ, how the invisible God became visible, and how from the witness of Holy Scripture we are commanded by God to make and v...

What are the keys to understanding Genesis and the creation of the world? Where is true knowledge found? Fr. Seraphim Rose points us to the Holy Fathers, to Moses the God-Seer and their means of knowledge about things of the past, things which no man can observe, and the correct relationship between divine revelation and science.  This video contains excerpts from Fr. Seraphim's book "Genesis...

Fr. Seraphim Rose examines the phenomena of “Christian Yoga,” which in his day (1970s) was gaining popularity and acceptance, and offers a sober warning to all, especially Orthodox Christians. From “Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future”, Fr. Seraphim writes: “The essence of Yoga is not the discipline itself, but the meditation which is its end. The author (French Benedictine monk, J. M. Dechan...

Part III of "Christianity or the Church?" Read the text here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/sthilarion_church.aspx 0:00 St. Irenaeus on how Christ’s incarnation is not about teaching but about man becoming a new creation in Christ 1:26 If Christ is only a teacher he is not very original 2:18 “The essence of Christ's activities, as we have seen, is not at all in teaching, but in salvation.” 4:1...

Part II of "Christianity or the Church?" Read the text here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/sthilarion_church.asp 0:05 To be a Christian means to belong to the visible Church and obey Her hierarchs 1:10 Heretics and schismatics do not have the true, unifying love of God 2:00 Not only no Christian love outside the Church, but no Christian teaching in the true sense 3:32 According to Saint Cypria...

St. Hilarion Troitsky, New Martyr of Russia and righteous Confessor of the Church, brilliantly sets for the Scriptural and Patristic understanding of what Christ came to establish: not an invisible, personal “Christianity” but the Church which He promised He would build (cf. Matt 16:18). The question posed as the title of the work must be asked and answered by everyone who calls themselves a Chris...

Christ is born! Glorify Him!   A Reading of the Prologue of Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirović and a homily on the Nativity by St. Justin Popović   0:11 Prologue of Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirović  0:23 On the Nativity  3:17 Hymn of Praise  4:50 Reflection  7:06 Contemplation  7:26 Homily   9:22 Homily by St. Justin Popović   “Out of burning love, Thou...

Fr. Daniel Sysoev (+2009) was a priest, husband, confessor, and martyr. Listen to a brief reading of his life here: https://youtu.be/ufXoK_C1eyU From "Catechetical Talks", p. 328-336. Buy here: https://mission-shop.com/product/catechetical-talks/ 0:09 Baptizing by sprinkling and not immersion, without need, is "one of the most painful and gross violations in performing the sacrament"  2:08 Th...

St. Sebastian of San Francisco & Jackson (Nov. 30), Apostle to all America and first American-born priest, reposed in 1940 after his remarkable labor for Christ and His lost sheep. This essay comes from his book “Preaching in the Russian Church” and shines light, in a clear and simple way, on the truth of the uniqueness of the Orthodox Church. This saint is worthy of far greater recognition th...

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov writes in his book “The Field: Cultivating Salvation”:   “Filled with worry and futility is my cross, no matter how heavy it may be. if it does not become the Cross of Christ through our following in His footsteps. My cross becomes the Cross of Christ if I am a disciple of Christ, because a disciple of Christ is firmly convinced that Christ watches over him at all t...

A newly translated Missionary Tract written by Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev. We commemorate this great missionary's martyrdom on Nov 7/20.   -Find Fr. Daniel's book for sale here: https://mission-shop.com   -Support the Rev. Daniel Sysoev Benevolent Fund that supports the widows and children of priests who die and leave their family in great need: https://mission-shop.com/pozhertvovanie-na-...

We commemorate St. John the Almsgiver on Nov 12 / Nov 25.  From the Life of St. John, written by St. Sophronius of Jerusalem: "And indeed he was always on all occasions amiable to all, advising, encouraging, assisting, acting as peacemaker, doing a kindness, reconciling, and ever anxiously striving to display his love for the highest virtue in all its forms." "He absolutely refused to receive...

The word of the Lord to St. Ephraim: "Ecumenism has a spirit of wickedness and is dominated by unclean spirits."   Demetrios Tselengidis, professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Thessaloniki, writes of his experiences with St. Ephraim of Katounakia:    So I asked him on the matter in hand - if he could tell me what kind of thing Ecumenism is. He replied outright and with...