On the Christian

The wealth of the Christian is the comfort he receives from sorrow and the joy he finds through faith.
— Saint Isaac the Syrian

There are three ranks of Christians:

1. The servants, who do not do evil because they fear hell.
2. The hired servants, who do good for the reward and enjoyment of Paradise.
3. The sons, who do good out of love for the Lord.

— Saint Basil the Great

What is the special characteristic of a Christian? To remain watchful every day and every hour, and to be ready to become perfect, so as to please God, knowing that the Lord comes at an hour he does not know.
(Luke 12:40)

— Saint Basil the Great

Nothing characterizes a Christian more than being a peacemaker, because our Lord promised us a reward for this.

— Saint Basil the Great

The athlete is revealed by the stadium, the governor by winter, the general by battle, the courageous person by adversity, and the Christian by temptation.

— Saint Basil the Great

The martyr of Christ does not look at the unpleasant trials, but at the crowns. He does not examine the temporary dangers, but the eternal rewards.

— Saint Basil the Great

Whatever someone may be, he cannot truly be a Christian as long as he is not within the Church of Christ.

— Saint Cyprian

The spiritual life of the Christian is directed toward three things: the commandments, the doctrines, and faith. The commandments separate the mind from the passions; the doctrines introduce it into the knowledge of creation; and faith leads it to the vision of the Holy Trinity.

— Saint Maximus the Confessor

There are three ranks of people who follow Christ:

The first are those who follow Him only with their thoughts. They admire the spiritual struggle from afar but never decide to take up the weapons and fight.

The second are those who enter the battle but want to fight according to their own will, not according to the will of God.

The third are those who understand that the greatest good of the soul is to imitate Christ and surrender themselves to Him, allowing Him to guide them.

The first rank is cold and slow.
The second is lukewarm and idle.
The third is warm and diligent.

— Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite

Every Christian ought above all:

1. To love God.
2. To love his brother and his fellow human being.
3. To avoid hatred, resentment, and quarrels, and quickly reconcile.
4. To avoid sinful curiosity and desires.
5. Not to swear oaths falsely or carelessly.
6. Not to seek revenge or return evil for evil.
7. To avoid disputes and prefer peace and spiritual judgment.
8. Not to judge others.
9. To forgive others, so that God may forgive us.
10. To give alms, pray, and fast not for human praise, but for God.
11. To seek heavenly treasures rather than earthly possessions.
12. To be humble and not proud.
13. To endure trials with patience.
14. To remain spiritually awake, prepared for death and God’s judgment.
15. To repent continually from the depths of the soul.
16. To strive in good works, seeking entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

— Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite

“Let us strive to live as true Christians — with faith, love, repentance, humility, and obedience to the will of God.” ✝️

Mother Galaktia writes extensively about these subjects in her book.

 I will now read to you from Mother Galaktia.

"Elder, Mother Galaktia often emphasized that certain sins would bring great suffering upon humanity."

Yes, she spoke about these things often. Like Elder Ephraim of Arizona, whom she regarded as a great saint, she taught that sins against nature, whether committed within or outside marriage, as well as abortion and occult practices, would bring great hardships upon the world.

Modern theological thinking, however, attempts to justify the autonomy of sexual desire and separate it from the purpose God established for it. It refers to acts against nature simply as matters of personal choice.

Imagine how confused society has become.

As Saint Porphyrios told us, in our own time, some theologians and clergy would embrace these practices, using clever arguments to claim that God has no place in what happens in the bedroom.

But because this represents a distortion of the Church's mission and of the path of salvation, God Himself will intervene.

These are very serious sins.

Mother Galaktia taught the same things.

I remember married friends who visited her telling me that she had the spiritual gift of recognizing those who had fallen into sins against nature. They said she could perceive the spiritual corruption associated with such sins.

On the other hand, those who lived faithfully within holy marriage and avoided adultery, fornication, and such practices were, according to her, spiritually fragrant.

She would kiss their hands and tell them, "You are pure. You shine."

She also possessed the gift of discerning these matters, much like Saint Ephraim of Katounakia.

Mother Galaktia strongly opposed abortion.

Using her own simple expression, she would say, "Do not use those killing devices to destroy your children," referring to intrauterine devices.

She was also opposed to deliberately avoiding children.

She did not approve of refusing parenthood.

"Are there really clergy who promote sins against nature and even abortions?"

Sadly, yes.

Abortion is presented here as a particularly grave sin, a deliberate act committed against a defenseless unborn child.

Father Georgios Metallinos also spoke strongly about this subject.

Saint Porphyrios once told us, with great sorrow, that an elderly clergyman, widely known in the media and especially influential among young people, would eventually turn his own passions into theology.

Instead of calling people to repentance, he would reinterpret immoral passions through psychological explanations and personal theories.

I love him and pray for his salvation.

May Christ even take years from my own life and grant them to him, so that he may recognize what is beneficial for his soul and sincerely repent.

There are, however, many faithful clergy who do not agree with these modern theological approaches.

The problem is that many are afraid to speak because of ridicule, criticism, or pressure, even from within Church leadership.

Some bishops, the speaker claims, silently tolerate abortion under exceptional circumstances.

If exceptions are invented in matters of sexual morality, then people will eventually attempt to justify even the most serious sins.

Faithful clergy often fear being labeled as fanatics, moralists, extremists, or homophobic.

Nevertheless, some courageous pastors continue to teach according to the Church's tradition with wisdom and love.

Saint Eumenios had the same position.

If he had taught differently, he would not be the saint we honor today.

There is a difference between sacrificial love for every sinner and uncompromising opposition to sin itself.

Near the end of his life, Saint Eumenios reportedly refused to receive a Romanian monk who wished to visit him concerning homosexuality.

The speaker says the saint perceived that the man was unrepentant and wanted to use the saint's reputation to suggest that holy people approved of such behavior in the name of love.

He even declined the refreshments the visitor had brought.

On another occasion, the speaker says, Saint Eumenios asked a young man to leave the sanctuary because he had engaged in acts the saint considered sinful within his marriage.

According to the speaker, such acts are forbidden even within marriage.

Therefore, we must love the person while hating the sin.

Love the person.

Hate the sin.

Both love and opposition to sin should be sincere and complete.

Mother Galaktia writes extensively about these subjects in her book.

She teaches that acts against nature are grave sins.

The speaker further claims that such acts committed within marriage can have harmful effects on children and urges parents to avoid them.

He concludes by saying that God blessed the natural union between husband and wife, not what he describes as immoral or unnatural acts.

He apologizes for speaking forcefully but explains that serious subjects require a strong voice.

Where correction is needed, he believes correction should be given.

Where love is needed, love should be shown.

He finishes with this message:

We hate the sin.

We love every human being, regardless of who they are.

Stay away from these sins, my brothers and sisters.

The girl said, "Mother, don't you remember me?"

Well, how should we, as parents who have had an abortion, pray?

The first thing is that the parents must repent. Listen carefully to this. The first thing parents who have had an abortion need to do is repent.

Second, they should go to confession, and their spiritual father should give them a rule of prayer or repentance, whether small or great. This responsibility does not belong only to the woman. She did not do it alone.

If this happens—if the couple becomes aware of the gravity of this sin, repents sincerely, and confesses it—then the soul of the child, which is in heaven, begins to receive light.

Our repentance brings light to those who have departed, and even more so to our own children.

Then the mother, because she has a special blessing from the Virgin Mary, should light a candle at every Divine Liturgy for the child or children lost through abortion, especially if the abortion took place when she was spiritually immature.

As I have said before, it is possible to give the child a name. I once had a case involving a very good young woman who confessed to having had an abortion. I told her to give a name to her daughter.

She had an abortion while she was a university student in France. Later, she returned to Cyprus, found a job, met another man, and became pregnant before they were married. The man told her that he would not marry her. He said he had never promised marriage. Sadly, this kind of attitude has become fashionable today.

She became pregnant, and she came to me asking what she should do. I told her to ask him to marry her. He replied that he would acknowledge the baby after birth, give the child his surname, provide financial support, and pay for the child's education, but he would not marry her.

She then said that if this was his decision, she would have an abortion.

The man came to me in tears, saying she was going to kill his baby. I asked him, "Can she kill the baby by herself? Is it not your child as well?"

When we reach such dead ends, we kneel in prayer.

They both knelt, and we prayed that God would enlighten her and help her keep the child.

Less than two weeks later, she came back to my office. At first, when I saw her, I thought she had come to confront me. Then I remembered the baby and looked at her stomach.

She asked, "What are you looking at? To see if my stomach is smaller? The baby is still here."

She said she had come to tell me something that had happened during those days.

She explained that while she was sitting at home crying, she suddenly saw a girl about twelve or thirteen years old, dressed in beautiful pink clothes, standing before her.

The girl said, "Mother, don't you remember me?"

She replied, "Are you my daughter?"

The girl answered, "Yes, I am your daughter. Have you forgotten when you were studying in France? You killed me."

The mother said, "But if you were killed, how are you alive?"

The girl replied, "I am alive in heaven."

Then she pointed to her mother's womb and said, "Please don't do the same thing to my little brother."

The mother asked, "What should I do?"

The girl answered, "Do whatever the bishop tells you."

The woman then came to see me and said she would do whatever I advised because she had not known that souls are alive.

I told her, "Since your little girl appeared to you wearing pink, let us call her 'Rosa.'" Whenever you go to church, light this candle for Rosa."

As for the little boy, I told her to keep the child and that we would baptize him after he was born.

I also told her to leave the rest to me.

The young woman wept, but she agreed.

In time, we baptized the baby in one of our villages. The child's father also came and stood quietly at the back, deeply moved.

Later, God allowed the child to develop a serious eye condition that could only be treated in England.

The parents traveled there together with the child I had baptized.

Through their shared suffering and concern for their son, they grew closer to one another.

I advised them to attend the Divine Liturgy regularly, pray, and go to confession before receiving Holy Communion.

I told them that, because of their sins, the child was suffering.

They confessed to a good priest at a monastery, returned home, and eventually set a wedding date.

I had the joy of celebrating their marriage.

These are the beautiful things of our faith.

This is the story that the good woman who heard this message was referring to when she spoke about it.

We will not all be judged by the same Standards

 We will not all be judged by the same standards, because God knows the heart, the knowledge, and the path of every soul. There are different states and different journeys towards the light.

However, the Apostle Paul speaks of the ‘third heaven’, the mystical experience of the presence of God. For the Orthodox faith, the true Paradise is not merely a place, but communion with Jesus Christ, union with His love.

Orthodoxy believes that within the Church this revelation is preserved: the faith of the Apostles, the Holy Eucharist, the Grace of the Holy Spirit, and the experience of the Saints. The Holy Light, for Orthodox Christians, is a great symbol of this faith.

And finally, God who is love knows every soul and every person with justice and mercy.”

🇬🇷 Ελληνικά

Λέγεται μέσα στην πνευματική μνήμη της Εκκλησίας, πως ο Άγιος Πορφύριος άφηνε να διαφαίνεται μια ελπίδα για τις μέλλουσες ημέρες. Μιλούσε — όπως αποδίδεται από ψυχές που τον άκουσαν — για έναν νέο άνθρωπο, ταπεινό και άγνωστο στους πολλούς, που θα σταθεί κάποτε μέσα στην ιστορία όχι ως εξουσία, αλλά ως διακονία.

Δεν θα κρατά σκήπτρα ανθρώπινα, αλλά θα σηκώνει στα χέρια του την πληγή του κόσμου. Και μέσα από την ταπείνωσή του, θα φανερώνεται μια σιωπηλή αναλαμπή ανανέωσης για την Ορθοδοξία — όχι ως αλλαγή μορφής, αλλά ως επιστροφή στην καρδιά.

Γιατί η Εκκλησία δεν ανανεώνεται με θόρυβο, αλλά με δάκρυ. Δεν αλλάζει με διατάγματα, αλλά με μετάνοια. Και όταν οι καιροί σκοτεινιάζουν, τότε — όπως ψιθυρίζεται — ο Θεός εγείρει πρόσωπα που δεν φαίνονται μεγάλα, αλλά γίνονται φλόγα μέσα στο σκοτάδι.

Και έτσι, η Ορθοδοξία δεν «αναλαμβάνει» ξανά εξουσία, αλλά ανασαίνει ξανά πνεύμα. Γίνεται σιωπηλή άνοιξη μέσα στον χειμώνα της ιστορίας.

🇬🇧 English

Within the living memory of the Church, it is said that Saint Porphyrios once allowed a glimpse of hope for times to come. He spoke — as it is remembered by those who heard him — of a new man, humble and unknown to many, who would one day stand in history not as authority, but as service.

He would not carry earthly power, but in his hands would bear the wounds of the world. And through his humility, a quiet spark of renewal would appear within Orthodoxy — not as a change of form, but as a return to the heart.

For the Church is not renewed in noise, but in tears. It is not transformed by decrees, but by repentance. And when times grow dark, then — as the whisper goes — God raises up faces that do not appear great, yet become fire in the midst of shadow.

And so Orthodoxy does not “take power” again, but breathes Spirit anew. It becomes a silent spring within the winter of history.

The Revelation, the war of two hundred million and the Divine Intervention

 Η Αποκάλυψη, ο πόλεμος των διακοσίων εκατομμυρίων και η θεία επέμβαση

The Revelation, the war of two hundred million and the Divine Intervention

Ελληνικά

Στην Αποκάλυψη του Αγίου Ιωάννη γίνεται αναφορά σε έναν μεγάλο πόλεμο, όπου ο αριθμός του στρατεύματος παρουσιάζεται ως «διακόσια εκατομμύρια» (Αποκ. 9:16). Η εικόνα αυτή έχει ερμηνευθεί από πολλούς Πατέρες και θεολόγους ως μια φοβερή δοκιμασία της ανθρωπότητας, όπου το κακό επηρεάζει όχι μόνο τα σώματα αλλά και τις ψυχές των ανθρώπων.

Σύμφωνα με ορισμένες ερμηνείες, μετά από αυτή τη μεγάλη δοκιμασία δεν ακολουθεί αμέσως η Δευτέρα Παρουσία, επειδή η ανθρωπότητα λαμβάνει ακόμη χρόνο για μετάνοια. Η μακροθυμία του Θεού δίνει στον άνθρωπο ευκαιρία επιστροφής και σωτηρίας.

Στο δέκατο κεφάλαιο της Αποκάλυψης παρουσιάζεται ο δυνατός Άγγελος με το ανοιχτό βιβλίο, ο οποίος στέκεται στη θάλασσα και στη γη. Η εικόνα αυτή συμβολίζει την εξουσία του Θεού πάνω σε όλη τη δημιουργία και την κλήση όλων των λαών να ακούσουν ξανά το Ευαγγέλιο.

«Πρέπει πάλιν να προφητεύσεις εις λαούς και έθνη και γλώσσες και βασιλείς» (Αποκ. 10:11).

Η παράδοση της Εκκλησίας βλέπει τον Άγιο Ιωάννη τον Θεολόγο ως μάρτυρα της αλήθειας του Ευαγγελίου. Το μήνυμα είναι ότι, ακόμη και μέσα στις μεγαλύτερες δοκιμασίες, η φιλανθρωπία του Θεού αφήνει ανοιχτό τον δρόμο της μετάνοιας.

Όπως αναφέρει και ο Άγιος Παΐσιος σε πνευματικές του διδαχές, ο Θεός μπορεί να επιτρέψει δοκιμασίες αλλά και να επέμβει για να οδηγήσει τον άνθρωπο προς την αλήθεια και την πνευματική αφύπνιση.

English

In the Book of Revelation, Saint John speaks about a great war, where the number of the army is described as “two hundred million” (Rev. 9:16). Many Fathers and theologians have interpreted this image as a terrible trial for humanity, where evil affects not only human bodies but also human souls.

According to some interpretations, this great trial is not immediately followed by the Second Coming, because humanity is still given time for repentance. God’s patience offers people the opportunity to return to Him and seek salvation.

In Revelation chapter 10, the mighty Angel with the open book appears, standing upon the sea and the earth. This image symbolizes God’s authority over all creation and the calling of all nations to hear the Gospel again.

“You must prophesy again before many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” (Rev. 10:11)

The tradition of the Church sees Saint John the Theologian as a witness of the truth of the Gospel. The message is that even during the greatest trials, God’s mercy leaves open the path of repentance.

As Saint Paisios teaches in his spiritual writings, God may allow trials, but He can also intervene in order to guide humanity toward truth, repentance, and spiritual awakening.

 Ή γερόντισσα Γαλακτία "" μέχρι τά βαθειά γεράματα, σκορπούσε, έδιδε "τοίς πένησι". Ήταν γερόντισσα πιά, χειρουργημένη καί στά δύο πόδια, αλλά έστηνε μία μεγάλη κατσαρόλα φαγητό γιά νά μήν στερηθούν οί μοναχικοί γέροντες τής γειτονιάς. Γι'αυτό, λίγο πρίν τό τέλος, τήν επισκέφθηκαν ανάμεσα σέ άλλους, οί επτά Αρχάγγελοι πού μεταφέρουν τίς προσευχές τών Αγίων από τή γή στόν ουρανό. Τής συστήθηκαν μέ τά ονόματα τους, πού δέν τά λησμόνησε, αλλά τά ενέταξε στήν καρδιακή μνήμη της : Μιχαήλ,  Γαβριήλ,  Ραφαήλ, Ουριήλ, Ραμαήλ, Φαναήλ, Θαναήλ.

 Ό Ουριήλ τής είπε ότι φυλάει τήν άβυσσο. Σήκωσαν ψηλά τίς ρομφαίες καί τίς έκαναν "ρεκάπιτο, όπως είπε, γιά νά περάσει. Τήν οδήγησαν σέ ένα πάγχρυσο παλάτι. " Είναι ό τόπος τής κατοικίας σου", τής είπαν. Στή μέση ξεχείλιζε ένα ολόχρυσο δοχείο πού ανέβληζε κρυστάλλινο νερό. Ρώτησε: "Τί είναι αυτό;" "Είναι τό δοχείο τής καρδιάς σου", απάντησαν " καί ξεχειλίζει ή αγνότητά σου, ή σιωπή σου, ή ταπεινοφροσύνη σου καί οί ελεημονιές σου"!!!

🇬🇷 Ελληνικά

Οι οδηγίες του Αγίου Κοσμά του Αιτωλού για τις ημέρες που ζούμε

71. «Όταν ακούσετε ότι ο πόλεμος πιάστηκε από κάτω, τότε κοντά θα είναι».

72. «Αν ο πόλεμος πιαστεί από κάτω, λίγα θα πάθετε· αν πιαστεί από πάνω, θα καταστραφείτε».

73. «Οι βράχοι και οι λάκκοι θα είναι γεμάτοι από κόσμο».

74. «Ξαφνικά είτε το βόδι στο χωράφι είτε το άλογο στο αλώνι θα αγριέψει».

75. «Λυπηρό είναι να σας το πω· σήμερα, αύριο θα αντιμετωπίζουμε δοκιμασίες, μεγάλες στενοχώριες, όπου θα χρειάζεται να δώσουμε χιλιάδες φλουριά και να μη βρίσκουμε λίγο ψωμί».

76. «Μετά τον πόλεμο, οι άνθρωποι θα τρέχουν δρόμο μισής ώρας για να βρουν έναν άνθρωπο και να τον κάνουν αδελφό».

🇬🇧 English

The Instructions of Saint Cosmas the Aetolian for the days we live in

71. “When you hear that the war has been seized from below, then it will be near.”

72. “If the war is seized from below, you will suffer little; if it is seized from above, you will be destroyed.”

73. “The rocks and pits will be full of people.”

74. “Suddenly either the ox in the field or the horse in the threshing floor will become angry.”

75. “It is sad to tell you; today, tomorrow we will face trials and great hardships, where we will have to give thousands of florins and not find even a little bread.”

76. “After the war, people will walk half an hour’s distance to find a person and make him a brother.”

🇷🇺 Русский

Наставления святого Космы Этолийского о днях, в которые мы живём

71. «Когда вы услышите, что война схвачена снизу, тогда она будет близко».

72. «Если война будет схвачена снизу, вы мало пострадаете; если она будет схвачена сверху — вы будете уничтожены».

73. «Скалы и ямы будут наполнены людьми».

74. «Внезапно либо бык в поле, либо конь на гумне станет свирепым».

75. «Печально говорить вам: сегодня, завтра мы столкнёмся с испытаниями и большими трудностями, когда нам придётся отдавать тысячи флоринов и не находить даже немного хлеба».

76. «После войны люди будут идти полчаса, чтобы найти человека и назвать его братом».

Dreams and Visions — The Need for Discernment

 Όνειρα και Οράματα — Η ανάγκη της διάκρισης

Dreams and Visions — The Need for Discernment

Τα όνειρα και τα οράματα είναι θέματα που χρειάζονται μεγάλη προσοχή και πνευματική διάκριση. Σύμφωνα με την ασκητική παράδοση της Εκκλησίας, δεν είναι πάντοτε εύκολο να γνωρίζει κάποιος αν ένα όνειρο ή μια εμπειρία προέρχεται από τον Θεό, από πνευματική πλάνη ή αποτελεί απλώς ένα φυσικό φαινόμενο.

Γι’ αυτό οι Άγιοι Πατέρες τονίζουν ότι χρειάζεται σύνεση, ταπείνωση και προσευχή πριν δεχθούμε ή απορρίψουμε τέτοιες εμπειρίες. Η ερμηνεία τους δεν εξαρτάται μόνο από το ίδιο το γεγονός, αλλά και από την κατάσταση της καρδιάς και της πνευματικής ζωής του ανθρώπου.

Η πραγματική πνευματική πρόοδος συνδέεται με το χάρισμα της διάκρισης — την ικανότητα να ξεχωρίζει κανείς την αλήθεια από την πλάνη και να οδηγείται με ασφάλεια στην πνευματική ζωή.

Dreams and visions are subjects that require great care and spiritual discernment. According to the ascetic tradition of the Church, it is not always easy to know whether a dream or a spiritual experience comes from God, from spiritual deception, or is simply a natural event.

For this reason, the Holy Fathers emphasize the need for wisdom, humility, and prayer before accepting or rejecting such experiences. Their interpretation does not depend only on the event itself, but also on the condition of the person’s heart and spiritual life.

True spiritual progress is connected with the gift of discernment — the ability to distinguish truth from deception and to walk safely on the path of spiritual life.