C O N T E N T S

Practical Tips for Orthodox Living
Compiled from The Shepherd, published by St. Edward Brotherhood
in Woking, Surrey, England

General Tips

THE FOLLOWING "TIPS" were sent us by Mother Pelagia of Lesna Convent, who prefaces them with the remark: "Orthodox families train their children from a very early age to acquire religious habits, in some of which I was myself, as a Protestant, brought up." Her first tips are:

1) Prayers are said morning and evening, either together as a family or individually.
2) A blessing (grace, we called it) is said by the head of the family before a meal, and a prayer of thanks afterwards.
3) On entering a room where there is an icon, cross yourself before it and say a brief prayer.
4) When leaving one's dwelling, make the sign of the cross over the door and pray for its protection.
5) On seeing a priest, abbot or abbess, or even when phoning them or writing to them, always ask their blessing.
6) Before going to bed, make the sign of the cross over it and pray for protection during sleep.
7) When you hear of anyone's death, immediately say a prayer for their eternal memory.
8) If discussing or planning the future say: "As God wills."
9) If you offend or hurt anyone, say as soon as possible, "Forgive me," always trying to take the blame yourself
10) If something turns out well, say "Praise be (to God)."
11) If something turns out badly, if there is pain, sickness or any kind of trouble, say "Praise be to God for all things," since God is all good and, though we might not understand the purpose of these things, undoubtedly they have been permitted by God
12) If you begin some task, say, "God help me," or if someone else' working: "May God help you," (How sad that this expression is so perverted in the modem exclamation "God help you!")
13) Cross yourself and say a brief prayer before even the shortest journey by car.
14) For a longer and more difficult journey, ask a priest to sing a Molieben, failing that, at home say the troparion and kontakion for a journey.
15) If there is a possibility of future trouble of any kind, either for yourself or for someone you care for, say an Akathist to the Mother of God.
16) When you receive a blessing after prayer, always remember to thank God; if it is a small thing, you may add a prayer of thanksgiving to your daily prayers or make an offering. For matters of greater import, ask the priest to serve the Thanksgiving Molieben.
But NEVER neglect to give thanks.

Avoid Making Excuses

BEWARE of making excuses either to yourself or to / for others. In the psalm that we chant every evening at Vespers, "Lord, I have cried" (Ps.140), the psalmist inspired by the Holy Spirit identifies excuses with "words of evil," praying, "Incline not my heart unto words of evil, to make excuse with excuses in sins" (v.4). The excuse comes very close to an explanation which is of course permissible, but it does not have the honesty of an explanation, and it fails to be an apology. It has in it an element of deviousness—it is admitting that it has done wrong without really admitting it. Such an approach is of course not Christian and we see why the psalmist likens it to "words of evil," because its very dishonesty and deviousness are works of the evil one. To make an explanation is very useful at times; for instance last week we had a couple phone up and say they would not be at church on Sunday because they had flu. This is straightforward, an explanation. Particularly in a small congregation, where one tends to worry about people who are inexplicably absent, it is a great help. An apology falls after the event, and contains not only a straightforward confession of the fault but a request for forgiveness, and this is of course excellent and of the essence of the Christian life. The excuse might come after the event, or even more shamefully before it, and it is an attempt to deceive.
There are several things most clergymen will have noticed, being almost continually subjected to excuses:
a) they do not convince in any case;
b) they are often made repeatedly, because the offending person is unable to unburden themselves of their guilt by such "words of evil,"
c) they are very often addressed to the wrong person.
One often finds habitual excusers, making their excuses to all and sundry, whether their hearers have any interest in the matter or not. In such a way they seem to spread a knowledge of their sin or their supposed sin. In many cases this can be sadly amusing. How many times, for instance, does a pastor have to hear an excuse for someone not attending church? And yet the excuse is directed to the wrong person in such a case. Naturally the pastor is concerned for his flock, and suffers some hurt when he sees that they are not trying to live as they should; but it is not he who is the one primarily hurt if someone does not come to church. He has his Liturgy, he has the children whom the Lord hath given him, however many or few that might be. The Church herself is not diminished—she has all the fullness of grace. God is not diminished. The person hurt is the one who makes the excuses—they have lost out on attending church and the benefit it might bring them. They obviously feel some guilt about it and have to bear that, and they have been trapped by the author of "words of evil," the father of lies, to make excuses. So, give an explanation if it is helpful; certainly always make apology for what you have done wrong, but avoidexcuses like the plague!

Sundays: The Minimal Obligation

A SIMPLE THING to bear in mind (but a fundamental one for anyone who wants to live as an Orthodox Christian): Sunday is the Lord's Day. It, and the major feasts, are days on which we should go to church. Nowadays many people seem to be under the impression that going to church is an option on Sundays, and nothing more than that. (They do not even think that it is an option on other days of the week.) Sometimes one hears excuses for not coming—"I had so much to do!" and the like, —but there are no excuses from this base-line commitment. These are not excuses but admissions of sin. Church attendance on Sundays is not simply one of several options. It is essential for our spiritual well-being. In fact, Sunday church attendance and attendance on the Twelve Great Feasts is so essential for us (not for God, not for the priest, not for the parish community, but for our own spiritual lives), that even if we are away from home, on holiday, or travelling, we should make enquiries, find a church, and try our best to attend a service on these days. Of course, occasions do occur when we are prevented from going to church; but then, rather than just dismissing it, we should make a special effort to read the Scriptures and services at home, still to keep holy the Lord's day. This is particularly important for those who have the responsibility of bringing up children. Also, if through necessity you have missed a Sunday Liturgy, try to attend on some other day in that week. If we consistently neglect this, we shall find that the neglect becomes habitual and will quickly spread into other areas of our spiritual life, resulting in our becoming one of the saddest of all the creatures on the face of the earth—a nominal Christian, i.e. a spiritually dead Christian.

Do Not Be Habitually Late

NATURALLY it is better to go to church for part of the service rather than omit it altogether, but one should avoid making coming late habitual, as many Orthodox Christians seem to consider a quite normal and acceptable practice. Habitually coming late, if it can be avoided, is an insult to the Lord in Whose house we are guests. It is also disturbing to the other worshippers, setting a bad example for them. One would not go to a concert, a play or a sports event for only the last fifteen minutes. Nor, if invited to a dinner at a friend's house, would one turn up at the end of the meal as a matter of course. So why do we treat God in this way, and then expect His blessings? Try by all means to be present from the start of the Divine Services and to attend to them. Very often, we are phoned by people inquiring about the services—and we know other clergy are as well—and asked not only when the services begin but also—and it seems more importantly—when they end. Except on days when onemight have other commitments, this should not be one's first consideration; and certainly it should not be a way of trying to calculate when one should arrive!

Paying Attention During the Services / Language Issues

THIS MAY SEEM SIMPLISTIC ADVICE, but it is nonetheless something which we all very often forget and it can bear spelling out. When in church, attend to the words and actions of the divine service. Often in church we find our thoughts drifting, we sometimes become bored or tired by services which are admittedly long. But the remedy is not to seek for some distraction, or come for ever shorter portions of the services, but to apply ourselves to listening to what is being sung or said. This is especially important in the portions of the service proper to the feast or commemoration of the day, such as the canon in Matins. These portions can tell us so much about our Faith. By beginning to listen comprehendingly—(and it is to remind us of this necessity, after all, that the priest or deacon so often exclaims, "Wisdom" or "Let us attend"), —not only will we find our interest is engaged, but our souls and minds will be nourished by the teaching contained in the services.
Some might argue that this is not always possible; because in many churches the services are conducted in languages they do not readily understand. In which case, you do not have to do nothing. You have four positive courses of action: a) to follow what you can with a book in your own language; b) (if a sizable number of you share a need in this regard) to make your needs known to the pastor (who after all has the care of your spiritual well-being) and ask that at least some of the service might be in your language; or c) to find a church where the services are in a readily understandable language; d) make an attempt to learn the liturgical language of your church. This last idea might not seem very practicable; and of course peoples' abilities with regard to learning languages vary considerably; but it is an odd thing that people will try to learn foreign languages when going abroad for a two-week continental holiday, and will invest quite a lot of effort and money to do so, but the same people will "happily" stand in church and daydream Sunday after Sunday for years on end, without giving a thought to learning at least something of the language used. The present writer has done this, and remembers when he first started attending services in Slavonic some thirty years ago, that for about four years it did not even occur to his minute mind that one could learn to understand the language of the services! But it can be done. You may never learn much, but you will find encouragement in beginning to understand more and more.
Paradoxically it seems often to be those who are born into Orthodox families and traditions who most often seem to entertain the soul-destructive idea that the services are not to be understood—I expect our non-Orthodox readers will be shocked by such a thought, but it is prevalent, and would that all the Orthodox were shocked by it too. If you want to try and learn the liturgical language, ask help and advice of the pastor or the readers, and more particularly ask help from the heavenly choir of Saints.

Talking in Church

Those who talk in church commit two wrongs: they dishonour the house of God, wherein even when our services are over, the holy things remain and the prayer of the Heavenly Church continues; and they immediately lose what spiritual benefit they might have received in the time of prayer. It is as if one has a bath and then immediately rolls in filth. Of course, after we have left the church itself we should greet our fellow-worshippers and talk to them. If there is an opportunity to eat with them—or at least have a cup of tea with them, as happens in many parishes—, this is good too. It helps us to grow together as a church family. But in doing so we should still carefully hold fast to what we have received in church lest we lose it, making our return journey home having profited nothing.

The Importance of Communing Children

PARENTS ARE USUALLY AWARE that from the age of seven, children should be brought to confession before receiving Holy Communion. In the Russian Church this is a strict ruling, in other national Orthodox Churches it is a guideline date as children vary immensely in their maturity and capabilities. In both instances it is helpful to talk with your children about it first and to talk with the priest before presenting them for their first confession. Maybe also arrange for him to talk to them with you, so that they are not anxious when they come for confession for the first time. However, it should also be emphasized that just because children are required to go to confession above this age, they should nonetheless be brought to Holy Communion no less frequently than previously. The reception of the Holy Mysteries is important for a child's spiritual growth and it is no less important after seven! Very often one notices that until they are seven children are brought perhaps even weekly to Communion (and this is commendable and something all Orthodox parents should try to do), but from about seven on parents bring their children less often for Communion. By the time they are in their teens, when perhaps they most need the anchor of confession and the contact that that gives them with their pastor, they are infrequent communicants, and so in their adult years, if they do not altogether lapse, they quite naturally descend to the widespread but deplorable custom of only receiving the Holy Mysteries on a few occasions in the year.

On the Use of Antidoran

MOST ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS are aware that one should keep a strict and complete fast from midnight before receiving the Holy Mysteries, but one should also receive holy water and the antidoran (the blessed bread given out at the end of the Liturgy) fasting. If, as many do, you keep a supply at home, use a little each day to break your fast, when you have said your morning prayers and before eating anything else. If you are attending the Divine Liturgy, then keep a fast until the service is over (as in any case one should) and you receive your antidoran from the priest. If for some reason, you have eaten when you attend the Liturgy, then take the antidoran home as a blessing and consume it on another day, thus showing reverence for the things of God and the blessing which this bread has received .

Praying at Home

WHEN saying your private prayers, either alone or with the family, always stand before the holy icons, sitting only if you are aged, infirm or ill. Some, it seems, think that to read one's prayers, one sits as if reading a book, but unless absolutely necessary this is not a good practice. Our outward deportment effects our inward disposition. If we sit and read our prayers as if we are sitting and reading a novel or a work report, we will not bear in mind that we are coming before the Lord in prayer. At best we shall be just getting through our "prayers."

WHEN PRAYING AT HOME before your icons, take some time to look at them. This might seem obvious, but particularly when we are reading a Prayer Rule, the Prayers Before Sleep, or the Preparation for Reception of the Holy Mysteries, to our shame we are often so determined simply to "get through the prayers" that our eyes are glued to the book and we never for a moment look up at the icons. Looking at them will remind us before Whom we stand and Whom we are addressing, and it is itself edifying and spiritually nourishing.

Making the Sign of the Cross

First of all, we should always remember that in making this sign we are making an act of worship, a confession of our Faith and a prayer, and therefore it should not be done carelessly or thoughtlessly, nor simply a matter of habit or nervous reaction. To make the sign, first join the tips of the thumb, index finger and second finger of your right hand, while folding the other two fingers into your palm. Recollect that the three joined digits represent the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The two folded fingers are an expression of that other fundamental teaching of our Church, the Incarnation, for folded into the palm (the earth) they recall God the Son Who came down to earth and became man and is known in two natures, being both perfect God and perfect man. With the hand held thus, make the sign over yourself by touching in turn the forehead, the stomach, the right and the left shoulder. In this way taking up His Cross, dedicate your whole being to Christ in fulfillment of the commandment to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy mind." Having done this, you then bow from the waist. Oftentimes this bow is slight, but sometimes during divine services we bow deeply to touch the floor with the fingers (now extended) of the right hand, or even make a full prostration to the ground, touching it with the forehead. This bowing reminds us of the attitude of the Publican, who feeling his unworthiness to stand before God, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven. The touching of, or prostrating to, the ground, can remind us of our end, that “dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" (Gen. 3:19). With such dispositions and such reverent care, our making of the sign will indeed be a call for God's mercy. Perhaps we should add one warning: although it is right and proper to make the sign reverently and with care, bearing in mind its rich significance, we should try to avoid doing it theatrically or demonstratively. No one in this life who sees you will be awarding prizes for the way you do it! And in the life to come, you will find that the Awarder of Crowns will have been looking rather at the disposition of your heart than your melodramatic talents.

Body Position While at Prayer

WHEN STANDING IN CHURCH or during prayer at home, you will find it easier if you stand straight, with your feet a little apart and bearing your weight equally. As soon as you begin to shift the weight from one foot to another, or to lean or "relax" your posture a little, you will not only find that you can less easily pay attention (and therefore inevitably will find the service more tiring and boring), but you will find it physically more tiring. Also one should stand with one's hands at one's side. Some seem to adopt the stance of officials at American state functions—or of unbelievers at a funeral forced for a brief spell to be "reverent" but embarrassed by it and unused to it—with their hands clasped in front of them. This not only looks ugly and irreverent (a kind of studied nonchalance), but it means that one's hands are not ready for spiritual combat, ready to make the sign of the Cross. One is striking the pose of a spectator rather than a participator in worship, and will inevitably adopt the attitude of a spectator too.

On Prostrations

DURING THE WEEKDAYS following Pentecost we begin again to make prostrations in church. Some have asked when these should be made. In some parishes, three full prostrations are made when one first enters the church, although that is not a custom we keep here. In some churches prostrations are made on Saturdays; in others they are not. Our custom is generally not to make them on Saturdays. This follows the pattern which is set in Great Lent, when prostrations are appointed at various points during the Monday-Friday services (the days when "Alleluia" is sung at the beginning of Matins), but not on Saturdays. Outside of Lent the times when one should make prostrations are less rigidly defined. However, the following guidelines might help if you are in doubt: During the Divine Liturgy, prostrate to the ground at: 1) "Let us give thanks unto the Lord" (the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer); 2) at the end of the hymn, "We hymn Thee, we bless Thee" (after the consecration of the Gifts); 3) at the end of the hymn to the Mother of God; 4) before the "Our Father;" 5) at "The Holies are for the holy;" 6) when the Chalice is brought out at the words "With fear of God;" and 7) (if one has not taken Communion) at the presentation of the Chalice at the words, "Always, now and ever."

One can make prostrations when venerating the relics and icons, and at other times during the service when you feel moved to do so. When the unconsecrated gifts are brought out at the Great Entrance, the Russian practice is to refrain from prostrating lest it seem that we are offering adoration to the unconsecrated bread and wine; however the Greeks generally see no difficulty in prostrating at this point as well.

Commemoration Books

IN MANY CHURCHES, particularly Slavic rite ones, it is the custom for the faithful to send up lists of names of Orthodox Christians (both living and departed) for commemoration in the Divine Liturgy with a small prosphora to be blessed. The purchase of this prosphora is, in effect, a donation to the church. (In the Greek practice, the person who wants commemorations made usually bakes a prosphora and brings it to the church with a list a names—a much more beautiful custom.) Sometimes people deposit commemoration books at the church with the request that the names be read at the Divine Liturgy, making a donation for this. If doing so, you should be very careful to do two things: a) to keep the listing of the names up-to-date—one often finds names of people who have died months before still among the living, or people ordained to a higher rank still listed as laymen, all giving the impression that rather than really caring for the people commemorated, those who own these books are simply farming out prayers (something which cannot rightly be done); and b) make sure that you pray for these people too, at home and in church. If your list is deposited with the church, keep a duplicate and remember the people inscribed there in your own prayers, asking for the return of the book occasionally to bring it up to date. Otherwise this custom which has developed as a manifestation of our love for the people remembered will become the very opposite—a witness of our lack of concern for them and of our carelessness.

Learn As Much As You Can!

Learn! Learn as much, as broadly, and as deeply as you can about your Faith. Very often, and perhaps especially among those who come to Orthodoxy as adults, we tend to think that in becoming Orthodox we have reached the peak—just as in some ways many people think that getting married is an aim and goal and one achieved at the wedding ceremony (!), whereas in fact rather than having finalised the matter we have only just begun it. Also having "become Orthodox," many cease to inquire and so their understanding of the Faith remains shallow. After the initial exaltation it becomes lack-lustre, and people often drift away. So take every opportunity to lean more. Read, for sure: the Scriptures, the lives of saints, the writings of the Fathers, commentaries. Ask questions and don't be embarrassed to do so. But take every opportunity to learn in practical ways too: how to bake prosphora, how to chant, how the services are put together. If you have any gift or talent, find a way to use it for the Church. Ask for help if you have any difficulty or need in doing this. Ask for guidance too. Do not be ashamed even to learn the simplest of things: the names of the saints on the icons in church for instance, and from that go on to learn about and from their lives. Learn to turn to them in prayer. If there is anything that you realize that you do not know; seek to find out. Lose no opportunity to learn. The Saviour said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt.18:3). This, of course, refers to the guilelessness and innocence of little children, but we who claim to be "converted," to be "converts," must become little children in this too, for little children are always ready and eager to learn and seeking out new things to learn, and so must we be.

Don't Hesitate to Ask

IF ANYTHING in Church-life worries you or disquiets you in any way—however trifling it may seem—, ask about it. This could be either something in your personal spiritual life or, in the life of the parish or community to which you belong. It could be something incidental, or something about the Faith and practice of the Church itself. Often people do not ask because they think that it will make them look stupid or ignorant, or that it will cause offence; but then they waste an opportunity to learn more and they probably give the evil one occasion to tempt them at some stage. For however insignificant the matter might seem, it will be like an untreated wound that will likely go septic. They may even cause hurt to their fellow Orthodox Christians; for very often when people have difficulties and do not set about resolving them in a right way, they talk about them with people from whom they cannot hope to receive help. In this way they not only receive no help themselves, but perhaps also spread their doubts, worries, or complaints to others, ultimately becoming a source of temptation for them.

Preparing for Confession

WHENEVER POSSIBLE, make sure that you allow sufficient time for your Confession. Where people sometimes live far from a church, conditions are difficult, and often we find people cannot get to church except on the day of their receiving Communion. They are thus unable to come—as they normally would—to Confession before or after the Vigil on the previous evening. This is understandable and most sensible priests will allow for this. But if this is the case, come particularly early on the day itself. Do not expect to arrive just before the advertised time of the Liturgy or even when the Hours are already being read (when likely as not a dozen others will have done the same) and expect that the priest will have time properly to hear your confession. At that time usually he has other things to do in any case. This results in a very brief Confession—in which the priest barely has time to read the prayers and you have time only to mention a couple of things—, and all with a feeling of being rushed. This going through the outward motions of Confession will not help you much and may even be harmful to you spiritually. If it is impossible for you to come the day before, then arrange to see him sometime earlier in the week, when you can confess unhurriedly, even write your confession in a letter, and on the day itself just come to bring him up to date or hear his advice. Better still, rather than just “going to Confession” when it is required, develop a relationship with your pastor whereby he gets to know you, and you discuss things with him as a normal part of life. Then you will need less time actually in Confession. Also if you have a car, remember that there are others who rely on public transport or on lifts from friends and might have a more difficult time than you have in getting to church for Confession. Come earlier so that you can be confessed before those who have no way of getting there when they would like to, and thus might have to leave their confessions to the very last moment. Remember the old and the infirm too, who perhaps have not the strength to come early and stay long in church. Remember the priest who is hearing your confession and the strain you put on him. There is little point in coming to Confession if in the very act of doing so you are being inconsiderate of others—perhaps abusing the leniency of your pastor—and thus sinning! Incidentally, some think that you only go to Confession as part of the preparation for receiving Communion. This is not so. You may go to Confession at any time that you feel it is needed, whether or not you are preparing to receive the Holy Mysteries.

ALL ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS know the importance of Confession in their spiritual lives. However, there are practical aspects which we tend time and time again to forget, and the following might help some people, First of all, make a proper preparation before you come to confession. Examine your life, and to help in this you may use the Beatitudes, the list of the eight principle passions, the lists of sins in the daily prayers especially those before sleep. If necessary, write out a list and bring it with you to confession. In confessing, try to be brief and concise and, although sometimes necessarily explaining the circumstances of a particular sin, refrain from excusing yourself or confessing the sins of others. Some people like to tell a good story—this is not necessary. Some preach sermons in confession (the best are at least self –condemnatory) but this too is not the purpose of confession—let the confessor do that if necessary. Oftentimes many people come to confession at one time—on the eves of Great Feasts, etc.—this is good and commendable, but it also makes being concise and to the point even more desirable. The priest may have to hear a dozen or more confessions, others will be waiting their turn—be considerate of him and them. If you come on the day of the Liturgy at which you wish to receive, then come before the service begins, and not at the last moment when the Hours are being read. Also warn the priest beforehand when you will be coming, so that he will have some idea what to expect and will not suddenly be confronted by a queue of people wanting confession minutes before the Liturgy is to begin.

On the Soul and Union With God
By Priest Paul Volmensky

The Holy King and Prophet David counselled his son, Solomon: And now, Solomon my son, may you know the God of your fathers, and serve Him with a perfect heart and a willing mind (I Chron. 28:9). Centuries later, Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote, "The greatest and most perfect thing a man may desire to attain is to come near to God and dwell in union with Him." This is the main purpose, the main goal, of each individual soul. In view of the importance of this task, a task that requires great effort, we offer here some thoughts about God, about the soul and its composition, and about the path to union with God.

GOD IN TRINITY
What is God like? He is Inscrutable in essence, but known to us through His attributes, according to the measure of the purity of our soul. Sacred Scripture attests that God is Spirit (John 4:24). However, we also know that God is one in essence and triple in Persons." The Hypostases of God have personal attributes: the Father is not born, the Son is born, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. Three Persons, yet one God, Trinity undivided.
This is a mystery not entirely comprehensible, but it does come clearer for us if we think about God's closeness to the world: "God is above us, God is with us, God is in us." Above us is God the Father, the ever-flowing Source, the Foundation of every existence. We are His children by grace. With us is God the Son, Who has revealed Himself as Man in a most perfect image, performing miracles and teaching with His words. In us, by His power and grace, is God the Holy Spirit, Who fillest all things, Who is the Giver of Life, the Comforter.
The mystical, inner life of God concealed in the depths of Divinity has been revealed to the world in time "by the sending down of the Son of God from the Father into the world, and by the activity of the wonderworking, life-giving and saving power of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit."

God the Son is also called the Word. The same Apostle begins his Gospel with the following: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:1-3). These verses are important not only because they shed light on the dogma of the oneness of essence and the equality of honor of God the Son with God the Father. Understanding that the Word is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity is essential when we study the nature of the human soul.

THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN SOUL
Let us make man in our image (Gen. 1:26). God as Trinity adorned human nature with His image and likeness.
The soul has three particular powers: mind, thought (or word), and spirit. Our mind, as the source, the beginning of both thought and spiritual feeling, is an image of the Father. Our word (an unpronounced word is a thought) is an image of the Son, and our spirit, the capacity for spiritual feeling, is an image of the Holy Spirit.

Here is what Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov writes:
"The mind begat and does not cease to beget thought. Thought, having been begotten, does not cease to again be begotten and at the same time remains continuously begotten, concealed in the mind.
"The mind cannot exist without thought, just as thought cannot exist without the mind. The beginning of the one is, without fail, the beginning of the other. The existence of the mind is the existence [source] of thought.
"In exactly the same way, our spirit proceeds from our mind and synergizes the thought. Therefore every thought has its own spirit, every order of thoughts has its own separate spirit...
"A thought cannot exist without a spirit. The existence of the one is necessarily accompanied by the existence of the other.
"Our mind, word and spirit, by virtue of the simultaneity of their origin and their mutual relationships, serve as an image of the Trinity." (Ascetical Writings, Vol. VII)

The Father is inscrutable, indescribable. But, according to the teaching of Saint Athanasius the Great, the Image of the Father is the Son, Who said, He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father ... I am in the Father and the Father [is] in Me (John 14:9-10). The same may be said about man's mind and his thought. We cannot know the mind of our neig
hbor in and of itself. But we can know him in part through acquaintance with the thoughts his mind produces.
The Holy Spirit is called the Power from on High (Luke 24:49), the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17). The spirit of man also has a known power. The spirit of a man is the spirit of his thoughts, be they true or false. Man's spirit "is manifest both in the secret movements of the heart and in the order of his thoughts and in all of his actions. By the spirt of a man, both his mind and the order of his thoughts are revealed. The spirit of every action exposes the thought, guiding the man during the action."
The state of the soul is manifest through words and thoughts as confirmed by the Sacred Scriptures: Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matt. 14: 18-19).

THE DERANGEMENT OF THE SOUL
The image of God is the very essence of the soul. It remains forever inalienable, even when the soul is immersed in the mire of sin or bound and cast into outer darkness (hell). "I am an image of Thine ineffable glory, though I bear the wounds of sin" (hymn from the memorial service).

The likeness of God lies in the godly attributes of the soul. The newly-created man was like unto God: "eternal, most-wise, good, pure, incorruptible, holy, foreign to every sinful passion, to every sinful thought and feeling. It is in the nature of the image of God to be in all things like unto God. Otherwise, the image would be insufficient, unworthy of God; it would not fulfill its purpose."
But alas, the image of God was corrupted through the sin of disobedience. Having abused self-dominion and deceived by the devil, man severed his will from the will of God, thereby driving from himself the Spirit of God and distorting the divine likeness. In this derangement of the soul, "thought and spirit war against each other; they disengage from submission to the mind and rebel against it. The mind is in continual confusion, in a horrible darkness, barring it from God and the way to God." Because of this derangement, the soul experiences terrible torment. Instead of eliminating the cause of this torment by restoring the fallen image, the soul, more often than not, attempts to blunt it by diversions and pleasures. But woe, "having reposed under the canopy of amusements, torment awakens with renewed strength." Who does not know the emptiness of soul and the darkness of abandonment after immoderate, even desperate subjection of oneself to pleasures and distractions?

RESTORATION OF THE FALLEN IMAGE
Man is liberated from the Fall by God's wondrous providence. God, through His Second Person, took upon Himself His (Own) image: He became incarnate. The image has not only been restored, it has been elevated to an even greater glory than it possessed when it was created.

"The Son, the Word of God, God's Truth, became flesh. Our thought is cleansed, rectified by the Truth. Our spirit has become capable of communion with the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit our spirit, slain by eternal death, is enlivened. Then our mind enters into the knowledge and vision of the Father.

"The trinity in man is healed by the Triune God: our thought is healed by the Word; it is conveyed from the realm of falsehood, from the realm of self-delusion, to the realm of Truth; our spirit is enlivened by the Holy Spirit; it is conveyed from the sensations of the flesh and soul to the sensations of the Spirit. The Father is manifest to the mind. The mind acquires the mind of God. We have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16), writes the Apostle Paul."

UNION WITH GOD
By the grace of Baptism, the image of God is restored in us; mind, thought, and spirit are enlightened. The way to God is once again accessible to us. But where is this path? Scripture tells us clearly that the way lies through Jesus Christ. He is the door (John 10:1-9), and whosoever enters in by Jesus Christ, the same shall find pasture, i.e. abundant food; the same is led to the Father, for the Son is the brightness of His [the Father's] glory and the express image of His Person (Heb. 1:3). But how can one come to the Father through Jesus Christ? According to our strength, we must be like unto the God-Man in all things. Be ye followers of me, exhorts Saint Paul, even as I also am of Christ (I Cor. 11:1).
Clearly, our union with God is union with the Trinity. Whoever has put on Christ no longer says, Lord, show us the Father (John 14:8); rather, having received adoption from the Holy Spirit and sensing his sonship, he beholds the Father as One he knows intimately, exclaiming, Abba, Father (Rom. 8:16). Here is union with God.

IMPEDIMENTS TO UNION WITH GOD
The key here is "put on Christ."
One of the greatest impediments we encounter in trying to draw near to God is our own pride, our self-opinion, whose off-spring is self-delusion. This is a terrible malady of the soul. One who suffers from self-opinion considers himself "satisfactorily and in the highest degree acquainted with true knowledge of God, as one who has no need of any further growth or teaching." He does not consider the light of the image of God that is in him to be fallen. On the contrary, he develops this fallen light within himself, producing complete darkness and confirming the Gospel: If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness (Matt. 6:23).
To overcome this impediment, we must develop blessed humility, which is the converse of pride. Pride is a malady of our spirit, a sin of the mind, while humility, a good and blessed state, is a virtue of the mind. Humility denotes a peaceful state of soul. The source of this state, according to the Holy Fathers, is what they call humbleness of mind* or lowliness, which is a state of inner peace combined with a correct understanding of humanity and true self-knowledge.

Outwardly, a man can appear to be humble, meek, self-controlled. He can also have a sense of inner peace. However, without humbleness of mind, that is, without a correct understanding of humanity with its fall and spiritual infirmities, he is at peace neither with himself nor with society at large, with all of its passions, shortcomings, and abuses; nor with personal or social circumstances. He is at peace neither with heaven nor with earth. In various trials and tribulations, he loses his outward serenity and peace of soul, becoming irritated and embittered. Without humbleness of mind, a man is reckless, founding the house of his spiritual life not upon the rock of Christ's commandments, but upon the sand of his own vanity.

A man with humbleness of mind is conscious of the fall of human nature, and is therefore capable of acknowledging and accepting the Redeemer. "Humbleness of mind does not see the merits of fallen nature. It beholds mankind as a superior creation of God, but at the same time it discerns the sin that has penetrated and poisoned man's entire being. Humbleness of mind, while acknowledging the grandeur of God's creation, also acknowledges the deformity of this creation, which has been distorted by sin. It continually mourns this calamity. It looks upon the earth as the land of its exile, and it strives through repentance to return itself to Heaven, which has been lost through self-conceit." (Bp Ignatius Brianchaninov, The Arena)

A humble man is a doer of the Gospel commandments. "Comparing the loftiness and purity of the holy commandments with his own fulfillment of them, he constantly acknowledges his efforts to be extremely unsatisfactory and unworthy of God. He sees himself as deserving temporal and eternal punishments for his sins, for his unbroken fellowship with Satan, for the fall that is common to all men, for his own continuance in an unrepentant state..... Whenever trouble or suffering comes his way by the ordering of Divine Providence, he submissively bows his head, knowing that by means of suffering God trains and educates His servants during their earthly pilgrimage. He is kind and merciful to his enemies and prays for them as brothers who have been lured away by demons, as members of one body who are spiritually sick, as his benefactors, and as instruments of God's providence."

THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST
In order to believe in God, it is not sufficient to see a miracle with the bodily eyes alone. Those who witnessed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, acknowledged the supernatural power of Jesus Christ. But, when those same people heard His teaching, that He is the very Bread of Heaven and Communion of His Flesh and Blood is an absolute condition for the inheritance of eternal life, many stopped following Him, asking rhetorically, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? (John 6:60). Their faith was superficial, the kind that insatiably demands greater and greater wonders, like a mouth that has tasted something delectable yet quickly becomes bored and seeks something even tastier, or like a stomach stuffed with food, that still cries out for more. Such a faith, based on the physical senses alone, can never be gratified, because there is no way it can satisfy the unbearable pain in the depth of the soul, the result of fallen nature.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has an entirely different approach to faith. He first appears to us in a hidden manner, so as to heal that which is invisible, and only then through the senses, if that is necessary. One of the Gospel lessons illumines this question.
On the day of Christ's Resurrection, the holy Apostles Luke and Cleopas were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, discussing the sorrowful events of the last days of the earthly life of their Lord, which weighed heavily on their souls.

And it came to pass that ... Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know Him (Luke 24:15-16). The Lord did this deliberately, for it did not please Him that they should recognize Him immediately. He did this so as to give them the necessary instruction commensurate with the state of their souls. He desired "that they reveal all of their confusion, open their wound and then receive the medicine ... so as to teach them from Moses and the Prophets, and then be recognized; so that they would better believe that His Body was not such that it could be detected by all in general, but that although the same Body which had suffered had resurrected, nonetheless It is seen only by those to whom He is pleased to make It manifest."
Jesus asked them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad? With this question the Lord stirs up His disciples so that they would pour out before Him their feelings....Then the disciples confessed to the Lord all of their sorrow: how their Teacher was great before God and all people, how He had suffered at the hands of the high priests, how they had hoped that He was the promised Messiah, how this took place just three days ago, and how women had been at the grave early in the morning and had not found His Body.

Seeing their preparedness for a deeper faith, Jesus Christ disclosed to them that the reason for their undefined spiritual state was within them: O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:25-27).
Only then, after this instruction from the Divine Teacher, were their eyes opened, and they knew Him (v. 31).
Such is the action of humbleness of mind. People open their minds to God, confess to Him their infirmity and He then provides the instruction of Truth for their enlightenment through the Scriptures and confirms this Truth through Divine and peace-invoking feelings of the Spirit, for, according to the personal witness of the Apostles, they said, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?

So, Christ desires gradually to bring each soul to a deep conviction of the truth of His Resurrection, appearing to it in brilliant clarity only at the end, after proper preparation. Such faith changes into an inner spiritual vision or knowledge, it is unapproachable by any doubts or temptations inside or outside the soul. Such faith is a true shield against the enemy and a merit of eternal life. It is a true conversion.

TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD
Let us recall Pascha night. For one day, perhaps even just in glimpses, by the mercy of God, to everyone-both those who have borne the heat of the day and those who have come at the eleventh hour-in an inexplicable yet tangible manner, the Lord reveals His quiet, radiant joy, as a prefiguration of eternal good things, of unending communion with Him.
Fr. Paul is rector of Holy Ascension Church in Sacramento, California. This article is slightly abridged from a lecture he gave at the Eighth Russian Orthodox Youth Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 3/16 July 1997 and was first printed in” Orthodox America.”

The Aim of the Christian Life

Acquire the Holy Spirit, and a thousand around you will be saved. St. Seraphim of Sarov

Saint Seraphim was a great ascetic and wonderworker, but even more important for future generations was his teaching on the essence of the Christian life. Firmly based in the patristic tradition, this teaching emphasizes seeking communion with God as the true purpose of life for every Christian. St. Seraphim demonstrated that everything else did nothing but offer the means for "acquiring the Holy Spirit." He stressed that in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, the oil which the ten foolish virgins ran out of is to be interpreted as the grace of the Holy Spirit. While engaging in external works of piety, these foolish virgins assumed that this was the essence of Christian life. They did not stop to think whether these acts were really pleasing unto God, whether they helped them gain the grace of the Spirit of God and made them worthy of this grace. In his teaching, St. Seraphim contrasted moralism with genuine spirituality. The Spirit is granted but it can also be taken away. To acquire it one must engage in spiritual struggle.

There is a profound message in St. Seraphim's spiritual counsels, his miraculous transformation in the presence of the young landowner Motovilov, and also in the fact that Motovilov's all-important first-hand account of this experience remained hidden from public view for seventy years. As Divine Providence would have it, his memoirs were recovered only in 1901. It was a time when many had begun to disregard the true purpose of Christian life. In his conversation with Motovilov the wise elder said: "The Lord has revealed to me that as a child you asked many people of high ecclesiastical rank of the purpose of Christian life, but none of them could give you a definite answer. They told you about going to church and praying to God, about abiding by His Commandments and doing good works. Some were even angry with you for your 'impious' quests..."
Thus, some regarded as impious inquisitiveness attempts to get an answer to the central problem facing every Christian. This shows that at that time most Russian Orthodox were preoccupied with the building of this world, confining Christianity to a subordinate role. Then came a time when many became disillusioned with the objectives of such worldly construction, and at that time the Lord reminded His people through His saint of the true purpose of their journey through this world.

Through Motovilov St. Seraphim gave a most important warning to mankind: 'Good works bring the fruits of the Holy Spirit only if accomplished for the sake of Christ, because the Holy Spirit came into this world only for Christ's sake. And all manner of good works done for their own sake, and not for Christ, bring no grace of the Holy Spirit (because all things that are void of faith are sinful)."

In these words St. Seraphim reveals the mysteries of the Spirit, re-emphasizing the teaching of the Holy Fathers, such as St. Macarius the Great who called on men "to gain the Lord God the Holy Spirit.'' In answer to his questions, Motovilov was told to "abide by God's Commandments and do good Works," but St. Seraphim calls such, answers into question, stressing that the external observance of the Commandments is only the means leading one to the encounter with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

St. Paul warned the Early Church, saying that a man is not justified by the works of the law (Gal. 2:16). The Christian's ultimate objective is not to emulate the suffering Christ or engage in self-mortification but to gain the Holy Spirit. This is the essence of the personal covenant with God in the Holy Spirit, and this is why the Orthodox do not expect any third covenant or any third revelation to mankind. This revelation is achieved through his personal efforts to acquire the grace of the Spirit. Motovilov's utter perplexity in the face of these counsels indicates that he and his contemporaries had become oblivious, of this primary Christian goal: the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.

There are many good works to be accomplished in this world. The difficulty is that we cannot start doing them on our own accord, by emulating historical examples or the lives of saints. One cannot embark on any important acts of faith or ascetic struggles without some Divine command· St. Seraphim warns that otherwise a person cannot really complain that his most well-intentioned efforts were of no avail.

Every person is assigned his or her own place in the Divine Plan, his personal path in Christ. For him this is the only true path upon which he is called by the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ· Other men around him have their own ways in Christ· For God there can be no "inferior" or "superior" ways, but only personal ones. The spirit of competition, of trying to surpass others is most dangerous for the Christian, because then he seeketh his own glory (John 7:18)· But he who really loves the Lord takes care not to offend Him by some willful acts, does not try to surpass others, but humbly admits himself to be the lowest of them all.

At the end of his conversation with Motovilov, St. Seraphim said, as if addressing all Orthodox believers: "And you have no cause to doubt God's mercy, for you can see the words of God, spoken by the prophets, come true in yourself... I am a God nigh at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off (Jer. 23:23)."
Your salvation is in your own mouth. The Lord is near to them that call on Him in truth, and all we need is to have true filial love for Him, our Heavenly Father. The Lord heeds equally the monk and layman, the most "ordinary" Christian. All they must do is to love God from the bottom of their hearts, and have faith in Him as a grain of mustard seed (Matt. 17:20) and they shall move mountains. These words of consolation echo in faithful hearts to this day, increasing our love 'and veneration of St. Seraphim.

(Reprinted, with minor editing, from Russian Orthodox Readings, 1990/2, Moscow Patriarchate publication).