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God gives us lots of opportunities to gain Paradise, but we don’t take them all; we push them aside. If, in this life, people pay what they owe, they’re saved. Saint Païsios the Athonite

Give yourself over to God’s will. He doesn’t abandon anyone who hopes in him. The most terrible storms are useful for Christ’s servants, because they bring great benefit. Make use of these storms as a lesson which prepare you and give you experience to withstand the even more terrible and dangerous storms which are to come. Saint Seraphim Romantsiov of the Monastery of Glinsk

People today, enslaved as they are to the passions and disorientated as regards the meaning of life, have greater need than ever before of escaping this unnatural, abnormal and pernicious. Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos

We can enclose the whole world, if we enclose the atmosphere of paradise within us. Because, if we lose the kingdom of heaven, we neither save ourselves nor anyone else. Those who have the kingdom of God within them will imperceptibly transmit it to others. People will be attracted by the peace and warmth within us, they’ll want to be with us, and the atmosphere of heaven will gradually pass to them, too. It’s almost not necessary to talk to people about it. The atmosphere of paradise will radiate from us, even when we’re silent or when we’re talking about everyday matters. It’ll radiate from us even when we have no sense that it’s doing so. Elder Tadej Vitovnički

Those who have love, calmly put up with the sorrows and pains brought upon them by their enemies. Be patient in sorrows and pains that are sent to you, because through them you’re being cleansed by God’s providence. Saint Thalassios the Libyan

If a soul’s to be saved, we need patience. Because if we aren’t patient with a soul and that person then ties a stone round their neck and jumps into the sea, whose fault will it be? Hieromonk Chrysostomos Stavronikitianos

What injured person ever cured their wounds without patience regarding the pain and the course of treatment from the doctor? Who can follow Christ without taking up the cross of patience on their shoulders? Nobody. Everyone who has followed and is following him was and is prepared to face patiently the trials that certainly await them. Saint Dimitri of Rostov

If you’re quick-tempered, or what they call irritable, that’s a real disaster. Even if you suffer from  phobias and from being easily aggravated, you’ll be cured through repentance, with a humble outlook and with love for others, even your enemies. If people don’t love their enemies, the grace of God doesn’t yet reside in them. Saint Silouan the Athonite

Scholarship Programme ANNOUNCEMENT 2021-2022 The Saint Maxim the Greek Institute, with the support of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi, is introducing the ‘Evyenios Voulgaris’ Scholarship Programme. Evyenios Voulgaris (1716-1806) served as principal of the Athoniada School, which had been established by the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi. In his day, he was the greatest and most important Greek scholar, a theologian, philosopher, polymath, a man of encyclopaedic learning, poet, Father and Shepherd of the Church and an influential teacher for the whole of Orthodoxy.  The ‘Evgenios Voulgaris’ is directed towards:  Orthodox theologians (up to 40 years of age), holders of or candidates for a doctoral degree. Duration: 1 year (October 4 – September 30) Programme Language: Modern Greek Requirements:  Good knowledge of Ancient Greek, Modern Greek and English High level of theological knowledge ...

Orthodox theology maintains an attitude of respect towards animals, as it does to the whole of creation, recognizing the raisons d’être for their existence, which were established by God himself. Thus, as Saint Silouan the Athonite taught, it is impossible for people whose heart loves the Creator fervently not to be filled with compassion for all creatures. We see a similar pattern of thought in the teaching and personal example of many Fathers and Saints of our Church. This concept does not, however, involve any absolute prioritization or idolization of creation, animate or inanimate, animal or plant. The Church regards the creation with respect. We must ‘guard’ creation, while, at the same time, living in it and off it. Animals and plants ...

The Gospel reading for the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women (Mark 15, 43-47; 16, 1-8) relates two important events: the burial of Jesus’ body by Joseph (15, 43-47) and the visit of the myrrh-bearing women to the empty tomb (16, 1-8). The burial is the last act of the drama of the crucifixion, with which the cycle of the earthly ministry of Jesus comes to an end. The Resurrection is the first-fruit of a new world which is offered to us. Before looking at the second narrative, let’s turn our attention briefly to the person of Joseph, who occupied a high position in society (‘a prominent member of the council’) and belonged among those who secretly were hoping for the coming ...

Dear friends, We are writing to inform you about the 1st Digital Fellowship with Elder Ephraim Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi, Mount Athos and the Theology Teachers of the Open Educational Resources Platform  “red-religie.ro” will take place Monday the 17th of May 2021 at 19:30 Greek time (12:30 EASTERN).    The developers and users of red-religie.ro, dedicated to supporting and promoting Orthodox Christian religious education. The project includes teachers from Romania who initiated the platform. Other teachers from Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Canada and America joined them, wishing to contribute to the development of the platform’s resources. Elder Ephraim will talk in Greek and we will offer simultaneous Romanian, English, Russian and Georgian Interpretation for the entire session, including the homily as well as the questions ...

Ensconced within the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women is another, greater feast: that of the second Annunciation of Our Lady. The feast of her Annunciation as the Mother of the new creation, as Mother of the children of the Resurrection. Saint Gregory Palamas notes that Christ’s Resurrection is the resurrection of human nature and the recall of the old Adam to imperishable and immortal life. And just as the first person to see the old Adam was a woman, Eve, so the first person to see the new Adam, Christ, after his Resurrection which renewed human nature, was also a woman. This woman was not Mary Magdalene, however, but Our Lady, as can be seen from a detailed comparison of the ...

Without the body, the mind does all sorts of things, good and bad. But without the mind, the body can’t do anything, because, before any action, the law of freedom comes into play and the mind decides what to do and what not to do. Saint Mark the Ascetic

It sounds harsh, and perhaps the observation that we don’t want the Resurrection will be hard for unsuspecting readers to believe. What blind people wouldn’t want their sight back; what sick person wouldn’t want to be cured? And Christ’s Resurrection is precisely the eyes in the darkness of our wicked blindness, health in the hideous sickness of our mortality, the saving escape from the blind alley of this world into the infinite and holy world of eternity, our transition from decay to permanence. The Resurrection is an irrefutable fact. It doesn’t depend on our faith; it’s the foundation and support of our faith. Two thousand years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ, as God and human person, did battle with death and ...

Our eyes should always be brimming with tears at the good things given to us by God and we should be constantly thanking him. Dimitrios Panagopoulos, preacher

‘So that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life’ (Rom. 6, 4). The triumph of Jesus’ Resurrection over injustice, violence and, in general, over sin and death, again fills our hearts with elation and is the culmination of his ministry on earth for the renewal of the whole world. Christ, the ‘Son of God and Son of Man’ did not merely suffer a terrible death on the Cross, but on the third day he rose from the dead ‘through the glorious power of the father’ and remains forever the Risen Lord. The Resurrection confirms the magnificent uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Billions of people have passed through ...

Sudden headache that does not go away with just a painkiller. Unexplained drowsiness, unbearable stomach ache, annoying feelings of weakness and unbearable dizziness, feeling of suffocation, high pressure or discomfort without any biological cause. These are some of the most common symptoms that – if there is no obvious disease – are attributed to the evil eye, vaskania (bad energy). Whatever you call it, it is essentially nothing more than a strong negative influence of one person on another one, because of the envy or intense jealousy the one may feel for the other. Read more here

Be wary of intemperate sorrow; it comes as the result of a just rebuke. Excessive sorrow over things is a temptation. There’s only one genuine sorrow: that which comes when we fully recognize the wretched condition of our soul. None of the other sorrows have anything to do with the grace of God. Saint Nektarios of Pentapolis