From a letter to Eleftheria by Saint Paisios

"There is one thing that we should know: that we, as people, must feel the necessity for prayer (contact with God), so that the devil does not control us. It is not that God needs our prayer and punishes us because we fail to pray. God is wholly love and mercy: He is not a tyrant. Therefore, when we cannot offer great prayers, we offer small ones, in order to be sanctified."


Translated from Modern Greek to Russian by Tatiana Samoylenko, and from Russian by Habib Saliou

The Venerable Saint Paisios of Mount Athos on expensive donations

"... Forgive me, perhaps I am wrong in this: to collect money from the righteous and then build bell towers and add [expensive] lamps and an array of luxurious vestments was a custom of the tsars and had very bad consequences, to the extent that it brought communism to Russia. But we also see these consequences on the Holy Mountain [Mount Athos]. The tsar did not take care of the miserable people in Russia, instead he sent gold in fleets to build another cathedral - for just one ascetic monk, while building one small church would have made sense. I am not speaking of great splendor for it is indescribable. What we see today are the ruins of the most magnificent Russian churches and buildings on the Holy Mountain and atheism in Russia..."

From a letter to Dmitri, 14 March, 1971, Hermitage of the Holy Cross near Stavronikita Monastery on Mount Athos [Translated from Modern Greek to Russian by Tatiana Samoylenko, and from Russian to English by Aviv Saliou].

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos to an Orthodox Christian

From a letter by Saint Paisios of Mount Athos to an Orthodox Christian, written at the Holy Skete of Iveron on 8 May, 1966. Translated from Modern Greek to Russian by Tatiana Samoylenko, and from Russian to English by Aviv Saliou.

... The further I withdraw from the problems of the world, the more I am able to help others in the problems of the world. Because these attempts to help will not be human efforts, but rather, the Lord God Himself will interfere in the world's problems without infringing upon man's free will.

Man has the right to make supplications about his neighbor insofar as we are all brothers in the flesh (from Adam and Eve), and in spirit. Because “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” And: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female...” (Galatians 3:27-28).  What is more, it is our duty to make supplications concerning all of our brothers in the flesh, so that they come to an awareness of the truth, in order for them to become our brothers in spirit as well.

What a holy gift God has given us – to be Orthodox Christians!

Therefore, we will not be able to make excuses, since we have been shown this great mercy, and since the Lord has continually bathed us in the bounty of His Grace, in His Holy Sacraments.

I will not bore you, my brother, with many words. I will just end by asking God to give you His Enlightenment and everything necessary for the salvation of your soul.

Many blessings to your family from Christ and the Mother of God.

With Love in Christ,

Your brother,

Monk Paisios

FATHER DANIEL SISOYEV’S POSTHUMOUS MISSION: THREE STORIES

On November 19, 2009, priest Daniel Sisoyev was killed. He was a missionary, a preacher, and a talented orator, whose word both spoken and written roused people from their spiritual torpor and led them to Christ. Fr. Daniel’s followers speak different languages, live in various countries, and have varying experience in preaching, but they are all united by one thing—they know that it is their duty to spread to as many people as possible the truth of these words: “there is no salvation outside the Church”.

Read more: Three Stories about Fr. Daniel

Russia

     I love Russia, it is my fourth homeland, after America, Guinea and Switzerland... All of which I also love. I fell in love with Russia in the year 2002, having first loved her great authors, poets and composers. And then, having lived, suffered, grown, studied, taught and learned in St. Petersburg for five years, I left the country with a deep sense of affiliation with Russia and Russians. Finally, I married a Russian woman and we are raising a child whose first language and culture is Russian. Through them, I am Russian.

    But most importantly, God's Orthodox Church has found refuge in Russia, and has grown. And as the Church is our True Homeland and eternal calling, a natural patriotism has been forged in me, and many like me, for Russia.

    Nonetheless, one should be careful when making the connection between our earthly home, through which we enter our Heavenly home, and our Eternal Homeland. For the latter supersedes in all respects and beyond our reason, anything earthly, material, political or even human...

    Our earthly homeland, even our Local Church, are but stepping stones, from where we may lift up into Heaven.

A Victory over Fascism

fas·cism

  (făsh′ĭz′əm)

n.

1. often Fascism

a. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

b. A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.

2. Oppressive, dictatorial control.

---

[Italian fascismo, from fascio, group, from Late Latin fascium, from Latin fascis, bundle.]

Word History: It is fitting that the name of an authoritarian political movement like Fascism, founded in 1919 by Benito Mussolini, should come from the name of a symbol of authority. The Italian name of the movement, fascismo,is derived from fascio, "bundle, (political) group," but also refers to the movement's emblem, the fasces, a bundle of rods bound around a projecting axe-head that was carried before an ancient Roman magistrate by an attendant as a symbol of authority and power. The name of Mussolini's group of revolutionaries was soon used for similar nationalistic movements in other countries that sought to gain power through violence and ruthlessness, such as National Socialism.

source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Facism

As we celebrate the glorious victory and sacrifice our ancestors made over Fascism, we must ask ourselves: "have we truly defeated Fascism?" Is it still lurking in the outer reaches of world societies and governments, as well as in the inner reaches of our hearts?

The tyranny that defeated the irrevocably more evil tyranny of Hitler and Mussolini was in itself a destructive force in the bloody wave of world history, exemplifying the 20th century movement into modernism. As National Socialism confronted Communism on the eastern front and Liberal Capitalism on the western front, it proved itself to be a weaker and a more immoral force than its foes. However, can we affirm with absolute certainty that the poles which defeated it were themselves free from evil? Did they not, in the wake of their victory, leave the world in a continuous struggle against this very enemy: Fascism? The men and women who laid down their lives, the "immortal regiment" and "the saviors of Europe", themselves internally and externally fighting Fascism, both on the battlefield and within themselves, came home to a regenerated and proudful tyranny - a socio-political despot who bore slightly different ideals, yet slowly drained life out of its native sons and its surrounding neighbors. 

That is the "tyranny without". Here is the "tyranny within". Every hero, every spiritual athlete and ascetic knows the risk of victory. The risk of victory is to believe that you are the cause and reason for victory, and that you have earned the right to "rest on your laurels" and receive the world's praise for your good deeds. Conversely, the true ascetics, whose spiritual feat has meaning and bears fruit, never say "my work is done, let me rejoice, for I have done well." They say: "we are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty." (Luke 17:10). And those "unworthy servants" are already receiving the fruits of their labors when they believe thus, they are cleansing their hearts of pride - the virulent seed of fascism and evil - and gaining humility. It is only the humble who can achieve a lasting victory over the fascism without and within, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble." (James 4:6). 

In conclusion, every victory is the beginning of the true struggle. The struggle against pride, and the struggle to gain humility. Once recognizing that we are essentially nothing without God, one can approach the first step towards salvation and sanctity, towards a true Victory and a lasting Peace: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3). 

Sons of Israel

Samson was a Nazarite (JUDGES 13:5), and Samuel was a Nazarite. (SAMUEL 1:11). After suffering infertility their parents made vows not to cut their sons' hair, a symbol of their perpetual repentance and prayer, their consecration to the LORD. (NUMBERS 6:2-7).

Isaac was the son of the beloved wife Sarah (GENESIS 18:10, 21:1-13), previously infertile. Samuel was the son of the beloved wife, Hannah, previously infertile. Both of these wives were loved by their husbands, Abraham and Elkanah, both preferred over the child-bearing wives Hagar and Peninnah. Through their beloved wives, a heritage was sought and hoped for.

The long-suffering righteous parents of Israel, of God's nation, were tested with infertility and ultimately blessed with righteous children. Upon the parents' willingness to offer their children to God, or in the case of Isaac, upon the acceptance of God's vow, God not only granted these people children, but made them great in His eyes. Isaac, Samson and Samuel are precursors in their holiness, in their strength, in their prophetic gifts to New Testament Saints: namely John the Baptist and the Holy Virgin Mother Mary. Both were consecrated to the Lord from birth; both were children born to elderly, previously infertile mothers, Elizabeth and Anna (LUKE 1:5-20; Gospel according to James).

Saint John and the Mother of God Mary open the door to an even deeper understanding of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, whose conception and miraculous birth supersede all previous histories, who was prophesied to be a Nazarene, which means literally a branch, and also Holy, and He was born in Nazareth. (MATTHEW 2:23; JUDGES 13:5; ISAIAH 11:1).

The Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God, in His human and divine natures, Jesus Christ, is, of course, the Holy Branch which extends to all of mankind through the Sons and daughters of Israel and from the Eternal Father.

All of us, suffering problems with the birth and non-birth of children, should take examples from Abraham and Sarah, from Manoah and his wife, from Hannah and Elkanah, from Zacharias and Elizabeth, and from Joachim and Anna. We should promise to raise our children in the fear of God and consecrate them to the LORD. When we are fully confirmed in doing this, He will grant us holy children.