Philokalia Vol. 1-4.. (In particular writings by St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Makarius, St.
Gregory of Sinai, St Symeon the New Theologian, St Gregory Palamas)
The God-Man Jesus Christ, Desert Fathers and Mothers, His Emminence Archbishop Dmitri, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Anthony The Great, St. Athanasios, St. Nicholas, Holy Prophet David, St. David of Thessalonica, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Nektarios, St. Catherine, St. Siloaun the Athonite
Nobody special, Orthodox Christian working out my salvation, which for me has
nothing to do with avoiding Hell or being rewarded with Heaven. I simply
want to return to what God intended me to be from the beginning and participate
in the life of God.
Myspace provides a window to the world for me outside of work and church.
It also provides a method to drive more traffic to
St. Seraphims web site
that am currently responsible for. St. Seraphims is home of his Eminence
Archbishop Dmitri. Many of his writings, including the Doctrine of Christ
can be read by
clicking here. Photos from recent events can be
viewed here.
My Patron Saint ...
St. David of Thessalonica
KONTAKION, TONE I
An ever-blossoming garden, bearing fruits of virtues, thou didst appear on a
garden tree like a sweet-singing bird; but all the more didst thou take into thy
heart paradise, the Lord's tree of life, and having cultivated it, O
divinely-wise one, by it thou dost nourish us with grace: ever pray for us, O
David all-blessed.
Relics of St. David of Thessalonica
Chrismation Photo Feb 7th 2004.
I actually first encountered Orthodoxy when I met a subdeacon
from the Antiochian Church in 1988. I was already 2 years into "fleeing"
the god of Luther and Calvin and had well vested myself into Gelug Budhism.
Troubled by Je Tsongkapa always manifesting as Jesus Christ when doing my daily
guru yoga practice I started using the Jesus Prayer that my subdeacon friend had
told me about.
Then one day it hit me, Jesus Christ IS GOD! I couldn't
find anyway to explain that; what rationality from the human mind can explain a
mystery shouted from the depths the heart? This process lead me a year and
1/2 later, 2003, to start attending St. Seraphims, right at the beginning of
Lent. God was gracious and provided circumstances such that I was able to
attend daily vespers, week-end vigils and liturgies, then finally to have Holy
Week off so I could attend all the services of Holy Week.
The next year of catechization was a long one, seems like a
lifetime looking back on it. But somehow, simply by Gods Grace, I was
Chrismated on Feb 7th. 2004.
Well that is a very condensed "cliff notes" version of how God
brought me to the Orthodox Faith.
A Word From Saint Symeon The New Theologean
“I grieve, I exhaust my heart, I pine for you when I bring to
mind that we have a Lord so bountiful and compassionate that simply if we have
faith in Him He grants us gifts beyond our imagination – gifts we have never
heard or thought of and that ‘man’s heart has not grasped’ (1 Cor. 2:9). Yet we,
like beasts, prefer the earth and the things of the earth that through His great
mercy it yields in order to supply our bodily needs; and if we use these things
modestly, then our soul may ascend unhampered towards divine realities,
nourished spiritually by the Holy Spirit according to the degree of our
purification and to the level to which we have ascended.
This is our purpose, for this we were created and brought forth:
that after having received lesser blessings in this world we may through our
gratitude to God and our love for Him enjoy great and eternal blessings in the
life to come. But, alas, far from having any concern for the blessings in
store, we are even ungrateful for those at hand, and we are like the demons, or
– if truth be told – even worse. Thus we deserve greater punishment than they,
for we have been given greater blessings. For we know that God became for our
sakes like us in everything except sin, so that He might deliver us from
delusion and free us from sin. But what is the use of saying this? The truth
is that we believe in all these things only as words, while we deny them where
our acts are concerned. Is not Christ’s name uttered everywhere, in towns and
villages, in monasteries and on mountains? Search diligently, if you will, and
find out whether anyone keeps His commandments. Among thousands and myriads you
will scarcely find one who is a Christian both in word and in act. Did not our
Lord and God say in the Gospel, “He that believes in Me will also do what I do –
indeed, he will do greater things’ (John 14 : 12)? But which of us dares to
say, “I do Christ’s work and I truly believe in Christ?’ Do you not see,
brethren, that on the day of judgment we risk being classed among the
unbelievers and will be chastised more severely even than those ignorant of
Christ? Inevitably either we must be chastised as unbelievers or Christ is a
liar – and that, my brethren, is impossible.”
Enjoy meeting all types of people. If you are a practicing Orthodox/Coptic please say hello. I occasionally post things I find interesting from the Desert Fathers, The Philokalia and other Holy Elders to my blog and bulletins.
I also enjoy reading writings of wisdom from other Eastern sources as I am well aware these contributed greatly to inspire and guide the early Christians in understanding and experiencing the Christian Faith. Please feel free to send me a friend request or accept the one I sent you!
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I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will bless you with his amazing grace and be kind to you! May God bless you with his incredible love and robust peace, and may the Holy Spirit join all your hearts together.
