681 (“CONTINUITY”/ TARGET/ VANITY/ FALLS/ FAILURES)
681 (“CONTINUITY”/ TARGET/ VANITY/ FALLS/ FAILURES) Maintain the blessed and unbroken “continuity” to God…. Do not procrastinate at superfluous or vain or deceitful matters… Do not stop at your falls or at your failures… Rather, keep and follow your continuity to God…, towards your target, to things pure, to
680 (PLEASURE/ WEAKNESS/ ABSTINENCE)
680 (PLEASURE/ WEAKNESS/ ABSTINENCE) When something presents itself to you to which you have a weakness, be careful because it may dominate you! Restrain yourself! Do not let it capture your heart! Instead, place in front of you your “holy programme”, your “holy decisions” (taken during your introspective evening
679 (THOUGHTS/ OBSESSIONS/ DEVIL)
679 (THOUGHTS/ OBSESSIONS/ DEVIL) When you see a thought to “stick” and not going away, be aware that it originates from the…psychopathic, maniac and obsess-ridden devil, in cooperation with our fallen nature. Do not try to resist it… Simply turn the “look” of your mind elsewhere and…ignore it!
678 (FAMILY/ MISUNDERSTANDINGS/ HUMILITY)
678 (FAMILY/ MISUNDERSTANDINGS/ HUMILITY) Although it should not, unfortunately it happens in the same house, in the same family, to have misunderstandings, resentments, even “hostile” encounters between its members. This may also happen to you and surely you do not like it! Trust me, the best reaction on your
676 (SIMPLICITY/ HUMILITY/ NEIGHBOUR) 677 (NEIGHBOUR/ LOVE)
676 (SIMPLICITY/ HUMILITY/ NEIGHBOUR) Civility, courtesy, simplicity, and humility demand from you to be affable when something is offered to you. Accept it with simplicity and pleasure. 677 (NEIGHBOUR/ LOVE) Gladly give your place, your turn, your right…to your neighbour! “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12.43), says the
VIGIL FOR THE LEAVE-TAKING OF THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS and THE FEAST OF THE MIRACULOUS ICON OF PANAGIA TROODITISSA
TODAY'S VIGIL 22/08 (Monday) to 23/08/2022: LEAVE-TAKING OF THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS and THE FEAST OF THE MIRACULOUS ICON OF PANAGIA TROODITISSA Start time 19:30 and finish around 02:30 in the morning. At 18.00 (before the Vigil) we will have a spiritual meeting with the faithful
675 (PLEASURE/ IMPASSIVITY {APATHY}/ CAPTIVITY/ FREEDOM/ JOY/ COMPULSION)
675 (PLEASURE/ IMPASSIVITY {APATHY}/ CAPTIVITY/ FREEDOM/ JOY/ COMPULSION) How can anyone understand what I am about to say? The greatest pleasure is to have impassivity towards pleasure. Can you understand this? You have το experience it, to live it in order to understand it. If one succumbs to pleasure,
673 (JESUS PRAYER/ SOBRIETY) – 674 (JUDGEMENT/ NEIGHBOUR/ GOSSIP)
673 (JESUS PRAYER/ SOBRIETY) Keep asking yourself from time to time: “Do you remember to say the Jesus Prayer?” Then turn into yourself and start saying it secretly… 674 (JUDGEMENT/ NEIGHBOUR/ GOSSIP) You are with a group of people and you notice two things happening: 1. They start saying
672 (NEIGHBOUR/ JUDGMENT/ LOVE/ WORLDLY WEAKNESS)
672 (NEIGHBOUR/ JUDGMENT/ LOVE/ WORLDLY WEAKNESS) 1. Try not to know or learn the malice of your neighbor. If you do so, by itself it constitutes your own malice… Let us take the example of the first Emperor of Byzantium, a Saint, correctly called Constantine the Great: He was
671 (REPENTANCE/ SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE)
671 (REPENTANCE/ SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE) The true repentance (for something specific) presupposes: 1. True awareness of the mistake (sin). 2. True repentance for this. 3. True wish and desire not to repeat it. After you pass all these 3 criteria· from now on: 1. You may rejoice! 2. You may