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Prayer of the Heart in an Age of Technology and Distraction, Part 6

By Fr. Maximos (Constas) The Orthodox Church is a bottomless spring of spiritual wisdom, granting the eternal life of Christ to all who ardently seek it. Through the millennia this wisdom has been captured for us in part in the writings of the Fathers, the lives of the saints, and the various collections of sayings of the monastic fathers. Among the most prized literary possessions of the Church is the spiritual classic The Philokalia, which

Do Not Judge: Causes and Types of Criticism (Part II)

He who is not aware of his own spiritual condition is spurred on by pride and criticizes others, and for this he is condemned by the impartial Lord. On the other hand, he who is aware of his condition is humbled, and with magnanimity towards his fellows, seeks the Lord’s mercy. Concerning a person who has attained self-awareness, one saint says: “He who has a sense of his sins is superior to one who resurrects

Do Not Judge

As it is, the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son ….I judge no one … For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world! (Jesus Christ. See In. 5: 22. 8: 1 S. 12: 47) Therefore, judge nothing before the time, [that is] until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of every heart.

Treasures from our Subsequent Conversations (Part III)

When I Told Him I Was Definitively Leaving for the Monastery When I told him that I was definitely leaving for the Monastery and that in a few days they would tonsure me, he leapt for joy. On that day he spoke to me and advised me extensively! In the end, when we were bidding each other farewell, he naturally took my hand and kissed it. I, living the mystery that surrounded me, asked myself

FATHER MAXIMOS: FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT (VI)

If you don’t learn to carry your cross during your daily life, then you are losing the thousand opportunities that God creates for you at every moment so that you can become perfected as a human being. “The Gerontikon [a series of books about the lives of great elders] is full of examples of simple practices that have led many to become giants of virtue. Abba Agathon prayed to God, ‘Please, God, help me do