The Thick Rope of Sin“A thick rope is made from thin, fibrous strands of hemp. One thin fiber cannot bind you nor can it strangle you. For you will easily, as in jest, break it and free yourself from it. However, if you are tied with a thick rope, you will be held bound and even strangled by it. You can neither easily break it nor free yourself from it. As a thick rope consists of thin and weak fibers, so men’s passions consist of small, initial sins. Man can break off and turn away from the beginnings of small, initial sins. But when sin after sin is repeated, the weave becomes stronger and stronger, until in the end a passion is created, which then turns man into some kind of monster, as only it knows how. You cannot easily cut it off or distance yourself from it, nor can you divorce yourself from it. Oh, if only men would beware and uproot the beginnings of sins! Then, they would not have to endure much in freeing themselves from passions. “To cut off rooted passions is as difficult as cutting off one’s fingers,” said a monk from the Holy Mountain. To free himself from sinful passions, St. Emilianus was helped by the remembrance of death and, naturally, the grace of God, without which it is extremely difficult to rid oneself of the fetters of passion. To think often of impending death, to repent, and to implore grace from Almighty God—these three acts save a man from the bondage of sin. St. Sisoes was asked: “How long does it take to uproot passions?” The saint replied: “As soon as one passion arises in you, uproot it immediately.”
The Prologue of Ohrid by Saint Nikolai Velimirovic-March 7th
St. Michael the ArchangelThe angels are our older and superior brothers. The will of God Most-high is their will. They are brighter and swifter than light, lighter and fresher than the air on the mountain. In light they are clothed, the light of their Creator, these tireless laborers of the work of Christ.
They care for men. Their only concern Is how to return the prodigal son to God -- how to return their younger brothers from a strange land to the joyful courts of the householder. Michael, arch-captain, the first among the first: what Venus is among the stars, he is among the angels. He hurries to every penitent, to lift him up to God. No matter how many penitents there are, he reaches them all. To serve, serve and serve -- for him that is joy. Even in heaven, service to one’s neighbor is paramount, service which strengthens life and makes a mother jubilant, service which adorns with wreaths unfading. That service for the angels is joy and celebration for it is directed to the glory of God and the salvation of men. From the Prologue of Ohrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovic, March 5th - A Hymn of Praise
St. John Cassian on the PassionsCassian numbered eight terrible passions, And yet there is a ninth—impure thoughts.
St. John Cassian on LustThe History of Christianity from an Orthodox Christian PerspectiveVideos from the weekly Wednesday evening study, "The History of Christianity from an Orthodox Christian Perspective", are availiable on the web site now and will be updated regularly as they occur. Check them out here. They are also available as a Playlist here on our Youtube page.
From a Homily on
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Mary the Theotokos is very close to my heart, and, I am certain, close to the hearts of all who love her Son, Jesus. I can hardly think of her name without tears. When God, in the fullness of time, because of His great love for His creation, sent His Only-Begotten Son to save us sinners, He chose to do so in a way that is at once simple and tender, and profound, beyond our comprehension. He came to find a bride.
And God the Father, who is above all and in all and over all, chose to unite Himself, through the Person of the Most Holy Spirit, with one of us: the only daughter of Joachim and Anna, the young woman of Nazareth who had been prepared from all ages to become the bride of God. She is our boast. She is like us in her earthly beginning, and she is like us in her earthly end. She is at once our sister—a daughter of Adam, just like us—and also our mother. |
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