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We are what you once were.
We believe what you once believed.
We worship as you once worshiped.
If you were right
then, we are right now.
If we are wrong now, you were wrong
then.
A Canonical Orthodox Church of World
Wide Orthodox
 A Monk's Wisdom!
Peace of the simple and
the prosperity of the fools
Saint Nikolai mostwise bishop of Ochrid and
Zicha
"For the turning away of the simple shall slay them and the
prosperity of fools shall destroy them" (Proverbs 1:32).
The friends of Christ
Saint Maximos the Confessor
" The friends of Christ love everyone sincerely but are not loved
by everyone. The friends of Christ maintain the continuity of love until
the end. The friends of the world, on the contrary, maintain theirs until
they clash with each other over the world’s goods.”" A faithful friend
is a strong defense, for when his friend is prospering he is a good counselor
and sympathetic collaborator, and when he is in distress, he is his sincere
supporter and most sympathetic defender. Many people have said much about
love, but only in seeking it among Christ’s disciples will you find it,
for only they have true love, the teacher of love, of whom it is written,
‘If I have prophecy and know all mysteries and have all knowledge but do
not have love, it profits me nothing.’ Therefore the one who possesses
love possesses God himself, since God is love.”
When to Pray?
Saint Ephraim the Syrian
It is good…to pray always and not to lose heart, as the Lord says, And again
the Apostle says, ‘Pray without ceasing’, (Lord Jesus Christ Have Mercy On Me)
that is by night and by day and at every hour, and not only when coming into
the church, and not bothering at other times. But whether you are working,
lying down to sleep, traveling, eating, drinking, sitting at table, do not
interrupt your prayer, for you do not know when he who demands your soul is
coming (death approaching…). Don’t wait for Sunday or a feast day, or a
different place, but, as the Prophet David says, ‘in every place of his
dominion’.
Whether you are in church, or in your house, or in the country; whether you
are guarding sheep, or constructing buildings, or present at drinking parties,
do not stop praying. When you are able, bend your knees, when you cannot, make
intercession in your mind, ‘at evening and at morning and at midday’. If prayer
precedes your work and if, when you rise from your bed, your first movements
are accompanied by prayer, sin can find no entrance to attack your soul.
On thoughts of the mind
Saint John the Solitary
Be attentive to the thoughts of the mind. If some evil thought passes
through you, do not get upset, for it is not the transient thoughts of your
mind that the knowledge of the Lord of all observes, rather He looks at the
depths of the mind to see if you take pleasure in that evil thought which resides
there; for hateful thoughts float over the surface of the mind, but it is the
senses that are lower down which can chase away hateful thoughts, which the
Lord of all examines. He does not judge what just passes over the mind, but
rather the thoughts that are lower down than those hateful ones, namely those
which appear in the depths of the mind, which can drive them away with its
hidden hand. For He does not pardon the thoughts which spring up from the depth
of the mind, for it is they which should be chasing away those which pass over
the surface of the mind; He judges those thoughts which have a passage into the
heart.
:My personal Blessing to you!
May God in His infinite love and mercy, rain down upon you compassion so that your heart is filled with the mercy of God within you.
May you in turn bestow this mercy of God that He has bestowed upon you,
upon every person that you meet in this life. May you never forget to smile
from your heart so that your smile may warm the heart of another.
In this mercy may you develop compassion and love for everyone that you
meet so that you may never in your lifetime leave anyone sorry to have
met you, but that all who meet you in this life also meet Jesus Christ
who is Himself the life emanating from your heart to theirs.
Father Michael Valentine (Sweet)
(Monk Michael).
More from Monk Michael;
You ask what in the world makes us think that we know everything, I tell
you that we/I do not know everything. But there is a resource that has
the earliest church writings for you to study.
It's your soul and your eternity, do with it what you like but the excuse
that you just simply did not know will not be accepted on that dreaded
day of judgement. Don't be one who neglects his own communion with the
Father through the blood of Jesus Christ because of the subtle pride that
has you trapped.
Study to show thyself approved, get rid of your pride and just do it. Knock
and the door shall be opened, seek and ye shall find. Ask and it will be
given unto you.
Who said these words? The person that you claim to follow, are you doing as He said? Or does your pride keep you where you are because you are the Pastor, the music director, the assistant Pastor, the youth director, the Deacon, the head of the women's committee?
Here is a resource for your re-course for a better understanding..
Early Church
Fathers
I will give you another one here, the seven Oecumenical councils that established
and shaped the church. Agreed on by the whole church before schism and
reformation. These two links; one above and one below will show the true
church to you, it is up to you to believe the truth or to believe a lie.
You'll find that the scriptures that you claim to follow will be found
here in these two links, in living color.
The Seven Oecumenical Councils.
Important Links:
Daily Scripture Reading
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Some personal thoughts from the heart of Monk Michael.
Am I then become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Galatians 4:16
Saints, Angels, and Demons!
We celebrate the Sunday of Pentecost or Whitsunday this month, let us pray:
GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people,
by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same
Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his
holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and
reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without
end. Amen.
Sometimes it can be very difficult to write an article for the church,
we strive at all times to be of complete truth without any fault or deviation
from the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ through his
holy Apostles and the church. Often there are many who refuse at all times
to ever investigate what is written and just attack without cause other
than their own dislike for the words that you have put down. This is very
sad to me as a priest and as a man who loves the human soul with all of
my heart and who has every desire to see that all come to the light and
find eternal dwelling with the Father, the Creator of the world, this includes
myself, we, that is, everyone, should always be searching for that union,
that theosis, that being one with the Christ. We can never stop this seeking
His face, unfortunately, far too many have reached an intellectual level
of what they have determined is understanding and cease all searching and
then simply begin to get angry when presented with facts, even facts from
Holy Scripture that they claim to follow.
Everyone who I come into contact with whether it is in person or through
the internet is placed into my book of prayer regardless of whether they
accept me or the teaching of the church or not, these people need the prayer
even more than others because they believe they are in the light but have
no understanding that within them is so much pride that the light they
call light is actually darkness and they do not understand true light.
I ask all who read this newsletter to place myself, my church and congregation
and all who read this letter as well as all who are seeking the truth,
into their prayers as well so that we all without ceasing will pray for
each other whether we know one another or not, in this way maybe none will
be lost.
Pride is a demon that is the most subtle and also the most destructive
of all, pride will never allow someone to see the truth, every word that
the prideful reads will be interpreted in the light of their own thought
regardless of the intent of the writer, the words will become the readers
words and not the words of the writer and in this way the reader can then
become the sayer of the words to suit their own pleasure. This is the case
of the Christian Church today. So many people believe that a person or
a thing, an object, can be possessed with evil or a demon and will call for an exorcism or a spiritualist to cast out this evil essence
or spirit from the object or person; they believe that a dead man can be
conjured up, or a demon impersonating the dead one you are calling;
But, speak to this very same person of an angel of God possessing some
thing or a person, or a saint who can hear when you speak and will respond
to you, or speak to them about praying before an icon, and that very same
person will call you demonic and say that you are from the devil himself.
How can it be that only evil possesses matter or a human but nothing from
the heavens can do this? Oh, they will readily say that Jesus Christ can
come into their heart, but nothing else is possible unless it is from hell.
Much of what people call the church today has lost the teachings of the
fathers and patriarchs. I speak in generalizations of course because there
are many who have not, but those who have not need to stop being complacent
and start speaking out for the truth in these times that are coming ahead.
What do the scriptures say regarding the Angels of the Lord coming to us?
Genesis 16:6 And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in
thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran
away. 7 And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, 8 He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress. 9 And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand. 10 And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 22:11 And behold an angel of the Lord from heaven called to him, saying: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am.
Genesis 48: 16 The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham, and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.
Numbers 22: 27 And when the ass saw the angel standing, she fell under the
feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a
staff.
Judges 6: 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with thee, O most valiant of men.
Daniel 10: 11 And he said to me: Daniel, thou man of desires, understand the words that I speak to thee, and stand upright: for I am sent now to thee. And when he had said this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 And he said to me: Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, to
afflict thyself in the sight of thy God, thy words have been heard: and
I am come for thy words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me one and twenty days: and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there by the king of the Persians. 14 But I am come to teach thee what things shall befall
thy people in the latter days, for as yet the vision is for days.
Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 18: 10 See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Luke 1:11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense. 19 And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God: and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. 26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Acts 10:
7 And when the angel who spoke to him was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a soldier who feared the Lord, of them that were under him.
Acts 12:
7 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in the room: and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands.
2 Corinthians 1:
14 And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light
Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Apocalypse 8:
3 And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censor; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. 4 And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God
from the hand of the angel.
You must read the scripture above several times to understand the point,
throughout the history of the scriptures and of God dealing with man, we
see the intercession of the angels, we see an angel coming to the aid of
man because of the prayer of the man asking for help, obviously the angel
heard the plea and came to intercede, in this example we also see that
the angel was delayed due to battle and St. Michael had to come as well
to help.
What more can be said? Our prayers are offered to God through our angels,
the children have an angel that stands always before God, you cannot see
that asking for the intercession of angels is from scripture? You read
the scriptures so you say but do not pay attention? It is plain from the
above examples that the angels hear and come to help or offer prayer to
God Almighty for us, do not tell me of your speaking in tongues as being
scriptural but yet deny the aid of the angels in heaven who hear our cry
for help. To deny this is from Satan, he laughs at those who listen to
his lie and do not ask for the help that they could so desparately use.
Do not be so blind as to ignore this help.
Of Demons and Devils
Matthew 8:16 And when evening was come, they brought to him many that were possessed
with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word: and all that were
sick he healed.
Matthew 9: 33 And after the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke, and the multitudes
wondered, saying, Never was the like seen in Israel.
Matthew 10:33 And after the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke, and the multitudes
wondered, saying, Never was the like seen in Israel.
Mark 3: 15 And he gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils
I know Protestant denominations who perform exorcisms to chase demons out
of those in their congregation, they will walk around someone's house trying
to pick up some indication of evil living in the house as if they are tuned
into the spiritual world but yet deny the intercession of that which is
good on our behalf. This is evil and denies those who need the help the
most of ever even asking for it because they are taught this lie from satan
that there is no intercession.
I know for a fact and from personal tribulation and help that this is a
lie, our angel stands ever before God and will come to our aid. To deny
this is to deny Holy Writ and if that is what you are doing then you are
denying the Christ as well.
On the intercession of the Saints
One point here before I give you the readings, if you indeed accept the scriptures that the early church has given us, if you in fact declare them to be Holy and the Word of God as you do, then you must accept the other teachings of these same early church fathers as well.
You cannot claim their scripture that they handed to us while also claiming
that everything else that they handed down to us is a lie. You do not have
the option of making that decision 1600 or 2000 years later at your whim.
They have given us the truth or they have given us a lie. Jesus Christ
did not write the Bible and hand it over to men who then got it wrong until
now. These men wrote the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it
was not dictation, if everything else that they taught us is wrong, then
so is scripture.
The Holy Mother of God
Archbishop John Maximovitch
(A)ll who hated Jesus Christ and did not believe in Him, who did not understand
His teaching, or to be more precise, did not wish to understand as the Church
understood, who wished to replace the preaching of Christ with their own human
reasonings -all of these transferred their hatred for Christ, for the Gospel and
the Church, to the Most Pure Virgin Mary. They wished to belittle the Mother, so
as thereby to distroy faith also in Her Son, to create a false picture of Her
among men in order to have the opportunity to rebuild the whole Christian
teaching on a different foundation. In the womb of Mary, God and man were
joined. She was the One Who served as the ladder for the Son of God, Who
descended from heaven. To strike a blow at Her veneration means to strike
Christianity at the root, to destroy it in its very foundation
FROM APOSTOLIC TIMES and to our days all who truly love Christ give
veneration to Her Who gave birth to Him, raised Him and protected Him in the
days of His youth. If God the Father chose Her, God the Holy Spirit descended
upon Her, and God the Son dwelt in Her, submitted to Her in the days of His
youth, was concerned for Her when hanging on the Crossthen should not everyone
who confesses the Holy Trinity venerate Her?
Still in the days of
Her earthly life the friends of Christ, the Apostles, manifested a great concern
and devotion for the Mother of the Lord, especially the Evangelist John the
Theologian, who, fulfilling the will of Her Divine Son, took Her to himself and
took care for Her as for a mother from the time when the Lord uttered to him
from the Cross the words: Behold thy mother."
The Evangelist Luke
painted a number of images of Her, some together with the Pre-eternal Child,
others without Him. When he brought them and showed them to the Most Holy
Virgin, She approved them and said: "The grace of My Son shall be with them, "
and repeated the hymn She had once sung in the house of Elizabeth: "My soul doth
magnify the Lord, and My spirit hath rejoiced in God My
Saviour."
However, the
Virgin Mary during Her earthly life avoided the glory which belonged to Her as
the Mother of the Lord. She preferred to live in quiet and prepare Herself for
the departure into eternal life. To the last day of Her earthly life She took
care to prove worthy of the Kingdom of Her Son, and before death She prayed that
He might deliver Her soul from the malicious spirits that meet human souls on
the way to heaven and strive to seize them so as to take them away with them to
hades. The Lord fulfilled the prayer of His Mother and in the hour of Her death
Himself came from heaven with a multitude of angels to receive Her soul.
Since the
Mother of God had also prayed that She might bid farewell to the Apostles, the
Lord gathered for Her death all the Apostles, except Thomas, and they were
brought by an invisible power on that day to Jerusalem from all the ends of the
inhabited world, where they were preaching, and they were present at Her blessed
translation into eternal life.
The Apostles gave Her most pure body over to burial with sacred hymns,
and on the third day they opened the tomb so as once more to venerate the
remains of the Mother of God together with the Apostle Thomas, who had
arrived then in Jerusalem. But they did not find the body in the tomb and
in perplexity they returned to their own place; and then, during their
meal, the Mother of God Herself appeared to them in the air, shining with
heavenly light, and informed them that Her Son had glorified Her body also,
and She, resurrected, stood before His Throne. At the same time, She promised
to be with them always.
The Apostles greeted the Mother of God with great joy and began to venerate Her not only as the Mother of their beloved Teacher and Lord, but also as their heavenly helper, as a protector of Christians and intercessor for the whole human race before the Righteous Judge. And everywhere the Gospel of Christ was preached, His Most Pure Mother also began to be glorified.
The Third Ecumenical Council
Thus the decree
of the Council was the voice of the Ecumenical Church, which clearly expressed
its faith that Christ, born of the Virgin, is the true God Who became man; and
inasmuch as Mary gave birth to the perfect Man Who was at the same time perfect
God, She rightly should be revered as THEOTOKOS.
At the end of
the session its decree was immediately communicated to the waiting people. The
whole of Ephesus rejoiced when it found out that the veneration of the Holy
Virgin had been defended, for She was especially revered in this city, of which
She had been a resident during Her earthly life and a Patroness after Her
departure into eternal life. The people greeted the Fathers ecstatically when in
the evening they returned home after the session. They accompanied them to their
homes with lighted torches and burned incense in the streets. Everywhere were to
be heard joyful greetings, the glorification of the Ever-Virgin, and the praises
of the Fathers who had defended Her name against the heretics. The decree of the
Council was displayed in the streets of Ephesus.
The Council of Ephesus is rightly
venerated as Ecumenical, on the same level as the Councils of Nicaea and
Constantinople which preceded it. At it there were present representatives of
the whole Church. Its decisions were accepted by the whole Church "from one end
of the universe to the other." At it there was confessed the teaching which had
been held from Apostolic times. The Council did not create a new teaching, but
it loudly testified of the truth which some had tried to replace by an
invention.
Why do Orthodox Christians give so much honor to the Mother of
God?
Answer: We honor her because Jesus Christ Himself honored
her on several occasions recorded in Scripture. He fulfilled her requests and
also gave her special thought even while He was dying on the cross (St. Luke
2:51; St. John 2:3-9; St. John 19: 26-27). Even before Christ was born, she was
honored by heaven when the Archangel Gabriel appeared and said to her: "Hail,
thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among
women" (St. Luke 1:28).
Holy Scripture further proclaims of her that "henceforth all generations
shall call me blessed" (St. Luke 1:48), because from her womb came froth God
in the flesh. This means that all who believe in Christ and in the Bible must
give special honor and veneration to the one that is "blessed among women." It
is not enough to merely give attention to her at Christmas-time, when she
appears in the manger scenes of western Christian churches. No, this "highly
favored one" must occupy a very special place in the hearts of those that follow
her Son, just as she did among the first Christians.
Devotion to and Intercession of the Blessed Virgin
Mary
"For as Eve was
seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His
Word, so Mary by the word of an angel received the glad tidings that she would
bear God by obeying his Word. The former was seduced to disobey God, but the
latter was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the
advocate of the virgin Eve. As the human race was subjected to death through
[the act of] a virgin, so it was saved by a virgin."
Irenaeus, Against
Heresies, V:19,1(A.D. 180),in ANF,I:547
"Under your mercy we take refuge, O Mother of God. Do
not reject our supplications in necessity, but deliver us from danger,[O you]
alone pure and alone blessed."
Sub Tuum Praesidium, Egypt 3rd Century, From
Rylands Papyrus,in MCF,79
"O noble
Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in
greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I
compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O Covenant, clothed with
purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found the golden vessel
containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which divinity resides."
Athanasius, Homily of the Papyrus of Turin,71:216(ante AD 373),in MCF,106
""For it is said that he[Gregory the Wonderworker] heard the
one who had appeared in womanly form exhorting John the Evangelist to explain
to the young man the mystery of the true faith. John, in his turn, declared
that he was completely willing to please the Mother of the Lord even in
this matter and this was the one thing closest to his heart. And so the
discussion coming to a close, and after they had made it quite clear and
precise for him, the two disappeared from his sight."
Gregory of Nyssa,On
Gregory the WonderWorker(AD 380),PG 46:912,in MCF,94
"Mary, the holy Virgin, is truly great before God and
men. For how shall we not proclaim her great, who held within her the
uncontainable One, whom neither heaven nor earth can contain?"
Epiphanius,
Panarion, 30:31(ante AD 403),in MCF,127
In light of the Marian heresy of
adoration(Collyridians): "Let Mary be held in honour. Let the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost be adored, but let no one adore Mary"
Epiphanius,ten Marian medeis
prosknueito(ante AD 403),in CE
"Hail to thee Mary, Mother of God, to whom in towns
and villages and in island were founded churches of true believers"
Cyril of
Alexandria, Homily 11(ante AD 444),in CE
"Hail, our desirable gladness; Hail, O rejoicing of
the Churches; Hail, O name that breathes out sweetness; Hail, face that radiates
divinity and grace; Hail, most venerable memory;"
Theodotus of Ancrya,
Homily 4:3(ante AD 446),in MCF,267
"The
Virgin received Salvation so that she may give it back to the centuries."
Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 140(ante AD 450),in MIRA,16
"Raised to heaven, she remains for the human
race an unconquerable rampart, interceding for us before her Son and God."
Theoteknos of Livias, Assumption 291(ante AD 560),in THEO,187
"Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with
thee; blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
because thou didst conceive Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of our
souls"
Coptic Ostraca (AD 600),in CE
"Mary the Ever-Virgin -- radiant with divine light and
full of grace, mediatrix first through her supernatural birth and now because of
the intercession of her maternal assistance -- be crowned with neverending
blessings ... seeking balance and fittingness in all things, we should make our
way honestly, as sons of light."
Germanus of Constantinople, Homily on the
Liberation of Constantinople, 23(ante AD 733),in MCF,387
"She is all
beautiful, all near to God. For she, surpassing the cherubim. Exalted beyond the
seraphim, is placed near to God."
John of Damascene, Homily on the
Nativity,9(ante AD 749),in MCF,403
"We today also remain near you, O Lady. Yes, I repeat,
O Lady, Mother of God and Virgin. We bind our souls to your hope, as to a most
firm and totally unbreakable anchor, consecrating to you mind, soul, body, and
all our being and honoring you, as much as we can, with psalms, hymns, and
spiritual canticles."
John of Damascene, Homily 1 on the Dormition,14(ante
AD 749),in MCF,408
"Let us entrust
ourselves with all our soul's affection to the intercession of the Blessed
Virgin: let us all, with all our strength, beg her patronage, that, at the
moment when on earth we surround her with our suppliant homage, she herself may
deign in heaven to commend us with fervent prayer. For without any doubt she who
merited to bring ransom for those who needed deliverance, can more than all the
saints benefit by her favor those who have received deliverance"
Ambrose
Autpert, Assumption of the Virgin, (ante AD 778)PL 39:2134,in THEO,188
Patristic and Scriptural Testimony
from the Orthodox Info website.
Righteous Job the Long-Suffering (1000 – 300 BC)
If there shall be an angel speaking for him . . . He shall have mercy on him,
and shall say: Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption" (Job xxxiii,
23).
Book of Tobit (~ 200 – 100 BC)
When thou didst pray with tears… I [Archangel Raphael] offered thy prayer to
the Lord. (Tobit xii, 12)
St. John the Evangelist (+101)
And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censor;
and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers
of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God.
And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before
God from the hand of the angel. (Apoc., viii, 3, 4)
St. Cyprian of Carthage (+258), writing to Pope Cornelius of Rome
Let us be mutually mindful of each other, let us ever pray for each other,
and if one of us shall, by the speediness of the Divine vouchsafement, depart
hence first, let our love continue in the presence of the Lord, let not prayer
for our brethren and sisters cease in the presence of the mercy of the
Father.[iv]
St. Hilary of Poitiers (+368)
To those who would fain stand, neither the guardianship of saints nor the
defenses of angels are wanting.[v]
St. Ephraim the Syrian (+373)
Remember me, ye heirs of God, ye brethren of Christ, supplicate the Saviour
earnestly for me, that I may be freed though Christ from him that fights against
me day by day.[vi]
Ye victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and
Saviour; ye who have boldness of speech towards the Lord Himself; ye saints,
intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of
Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we may
love him.[vii]
St. Athanasius the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria (+373)
Christ became man that men might become gods[viii]
In one of his letters, St. Basil [the Great] explicitly writes that he accepts the intercession of the apostles, prophets and martyrs, and he seeks their prayers to God. (Letter 360) Then, speaking about the Forty
Martyrs, who suffered martyrdom for Christ, he emphasizes that they are common
friends of the human race, strong ambassadors and collaborators in fervent
prayers. (Chapter 8)
St. Gregory of Nyssa asks St. Theodore the Martyr …to fervently pray to
our Common King, our God, for the country and the people (Encomium to Martyr
Theodore).
“ The same language is used by St. Gregory the Theologian in his encomium
to St. Cyprian. St. John Chrysostom says that we should seek the intercession
and the fervent prayers of the saints, because they have special "boldness"
(parresia), before God. (Gen. 44: 2 and Encomium to Julian,
Iuventinus and Maximinus, 3).”[ix]
St. Basil the Great, of Caesarea in Asia Minor (+379)
According to the blameless faith of the Christians which we have obtained
from God, I confess and agree that I believe in one God the Father Almighty; God
the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost; I adore and worship one God, the
Three. I confess to the oeconomy of the Son in the flesh, and that the holy
Mary, who gave birth to Him according to the flesh, was Mother of God. I
acknowledge also the holy apostles, prophets, and martyrs; and I invoke them to
supplication to God, that through them, that is, through their mediation, the
merciful God may be propitious to me, and that a ransom may be made and given me
for my sins. Wherefore also I honour and kiss the features of their images,
inasmuch as they have been handed down from the holy apostles, and are not
forbidden, but are in all our churches.[x]
We beseech you, O most holy martyrs, who cheerfully suffered torments and
death for his love, and are now more familiarly united to him, that you
intercede with God for us slothful and wretched sinners, that he bestow on us
the grace of Christ, by which we may be enlightened and enabled to love
him.[xi]
O holy choir! O sacred band! O unbroken host of warriors! O common guardians
of the human race! Ye gracious sharers of our cares! Ye co-operators in our
prayer! Most powerful intercessors![xii]
Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
By the command of Thine only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of
Thy saints . . . by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and
deliver us for the sake of Thy holy name which is invoked upon us.[xiii]
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (+386)
We then commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first,
patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, that God, by their prayers and
intercessions, may receive our petitions.[xiv]
St. Gregory the Theologian, Patriarch of Constantinople; of Nazianzus in
Asia Minor (+389)
Mayest thou [Cyprian] look down from above propitiously upon us, and guide
our word and life; and shepherd [or shepherd with me] this sacred flock . . .
gladdening us with a more perfect and clear illumination of the Holy Trinity,
before Which thou standest.[xv]
St. Gregory of Nyssa in Lower Armenia (+395-400)
...I wish to commemorate one person who spoke of their noble testimony
because I am close to Ibora, the village and resting place of these forty
martyrs' remains. Here the Romans keep a register of soldiers, one of whom was a
guard ordered by his commander to protect against invasions, a practice common
to soldiers in such remote areas. This man suffered from an injured foot which
was later amputated. Being in the martyrs' resting place, he earnestly beseeched
God and the intercession of the saints. One night there appeared a man of
venerable appearance in the company of others who said, "Oh soldier, do you want
to be healed [J.167] of your infirmity? Give me your foot that I may touch it."
When he awoke from the dream, his foot was completely healed. Once he awoke from
this vision, his foot was restored to health. He roused the other sleeping men
because he was immediately cured and made whole. This men then began to proclaim
the miracle performed by the martyrs and acknowledged the kindness bestowed by
these fellow soldiers…. We who freely and boldly enter paradise are strengthened
by the [martyrs'] intercession through a noble confession in our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.[xvii]
Do thou, [St. Ephraim the Syrian] that art standing at the Divine altar, and
art ministering with angels to the life-giving and most Holy Trinity, bear us
all in remembrance, petitioning for us the remission of sins, and the fruition
of an everlasting kingdom.[xviii]
St. Ambrose of Milan (+397)
May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn
towards us Christ's benignant countenance.[xix]
St. Jerome, b. Dalmatia, d. Palestine (+419)
If the Apostles and Martyrs, while still in the body, can pray for others, at
a time when they must still be anxious for themselves, how much more after their
crowns, victories, and triumphs are won! One man, Moses, obtains from God pardon
for six hundred thousand men in arms; and Stephen, the imitator of the Lord, and
the first martyr in Christ, begs forgiveness for his persecutors; and shall
their power be less after having begun to be with Christ? The Apostle Paul
declares that two hundred three score and sixteen souls, sailing with him, were
freely given him; and, after he is dissolved and has begun to be with Christ,
shall he close his lips, and not be able to utter a word in behalf of those who
throughout the whole world believed at his preaching of the Gospel? And shall
the living dog Vigilantius be better than that dead lion?[xx]
St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople; b. Antioch, Syria
(+407)
When thou perceivest that God is chastening thee, fly not to His enemies . .
. but to His friends, the martyrs, the saints, and those who were pleasing to
Him, and who have great power [parresian, "boldness of
speech"].[xxi]
He that wears the purple, laying aside his pomp, stands begging of the saints
to be his patrons with God; and he that wears the diadem begs the Tent-maker and
the Fisherman as patrons, even though they be dead.[xxii]
St. Augustine of Hippo, in North Africa (+430)
At the Lord's table we do not commemorate martyrs in the same way that we do
others who rest in peace so as to pray for them, but rather that they may pray
for us that we may follow in their footsteps.[xxiii]
Endnotes
[i] Catholic Encyclopedia, 1917.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08070a.htm.
[ii] St. John 10:34.
[iii] "De Oratione", n. xi, in P. G., XI, 448.
[iv] Ep. lvii, in P. L., IV, 358.
[v] "In Ps. cxxiv", n. 5, 6, in P. L., X, 682.
[vi] "De Timore Anim.", in fin..
[vii] "Encom. in Mart.".
[viii] "De Incarn.", n. 54; cf. St. Augustine, "Serm. De Nativitate
Dom.".
[ix] Bebis, George. “The Saints of the Orthodox Church” (Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, http://www.goarch.org/en/resources/saints/).
[x] Letter 360, “Of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the
invocation of Saints, and their Images”.
[xi] “Homily on the Forty Soldier Martyrs of Sebaste”, quoting St. Ephrem the
Syrian, “Homil. in SS. Martyres”, Op. Gr. and Lat. ed. Vat. an. 1743, t. 2, p.
341.
[xii] "Hom. in XL Mart.", P. G., XXXI, 524.
[xiii] Cf. the Liturgy of Jerusalem, the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, the
Liturgy of Nestorius, the Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril, etc..
[xiv] "Cat. Myst.", v, n. 9 in P. G., XXXIII, 1166.
[xv] Orat. xvii — according to others, xxiv — "De S. Cypr.", P. G.,
XXXV, 1193.
[xvi] Catholic Catechism, 1917.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08070a.htm.
[xvii] “Second Letter Concerning the Forty Martyrs”.
[xviii] "De vita Ephraemi", in fin., P. G., XLVI, 850.
[xix] "Hexaem.", V, xxv, n. 90, in P. L., XIV, 242.
[xx] "Contra Vigilant.", n. 6, in P. L., XXIII, 344.
[xxi] Orat. VIII, "Adv. Jud.", n. 6, in P. G., XLVIII, 937.
[xxii] "Hom. xxvi, in II Ep. ad Cor.", n. 5, in P. G., LXI, 581.
[xxiii] "In Joann.", tr. lxxxiv, in P. L., XXXIV, 1847.
Note carefully that in all of the scripture quoted above we see angels
acting in a variety of ways, they deliver messages, they teach and they
guide. They hear our prayers and come to our aid because of our asking
and they stand before God Almighty Himself, at His altar and offer up the
prayers of the saints. The scriptures themselves teach us to ask the angels
for their intercession and help. When you deny this you deny the truth
of the scriptures and you in turn deny the truth of the Christ. This is
the simple truth.
No matter how many times you say the name of Christ in whatever you are
doing, if you deny the teachings of the church you are denying the truth
of the Christ. Should I re-word it and say it a third time?
Colossians 1: 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
Ephesians 5: 23 Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the
head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.
I don't know how many other ways to say it, this is the teaching of the
church handed down from Bishop to Bishop since Christ taught the Disciples.
If you refuse to believe the church you are condemning yourself already.
Please research what is written here for the sake of your own soul and
seek the truth without hesitation and without stopping, you will never
be perfect as neither will I as long as we are in the flesh, but it is
our duty, all who claim the Christ, to never cease to seek the face of
God through Jesus His Christ.
If you choose not to accept this as fact even though scripture plainly
tells you so, you are looking for your own damnation. Do not allow another
time frame to go by without accepting the truth.
St. John 14:
6 Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. 7 If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also:
and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him. 8 Philip saith to him: Lord, shew us the Father,
and it is enough for us. 9 Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, shew us the Father? 10 Do you not believe, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The
words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. But the Father who abideth
in me, he doth the works.
This is the teaching of the church, you must believe this in order to be
a Christian, I don't know how much plainer Jesus Christ can say it, I hope
that this will help you in your understanding, there is much work to be
done while we are yet still here and we as Christians need to be doing
it together as one mind.
May the Lord Bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face to shine
upon you and be gracious unto you, may the Lord make His face to look upon
you and bring you peace: today, tomorrow and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Important Links:
Daily Scripture Reading
Write to us if you want to know more at;
monkmichael@newwarriorministries.com
or to the Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Thaddeus who will take the time to help you for the sake of your soul, reach him at; thaddeus@apostle1.com
or Bishop Gregori of the St. John Maximovitch Theological Institute at: abouna@orthodox.com
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