– Elder, Abba Isaac writes, “No kind of repentance that takes place after the removal of our free will will be a well-spring of joy, nor will it be reckoned for the reward of those who possess it.” How can anyone repent without exercising his own free will? – One may be forced to repent, having fallen in the eyes …
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-Elder, how can someone be helped to not fall into the same fault? -If one truly feels pain for his fault, he will not do it again. There must be an inner contrition with sincere repentance in order for a person to be corrected. This is why Saint Mark the Ascetic says, If one does not feel contrition commensurate to …
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“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Jc 4:6) Father Paisios used to say: – When we patiently endure our problems and turn to God for help, we notice that He gives us the best possible solution. Unfortunately, in our days, people are very impatient. We do not love patience at all. Christ assured us, however, that …
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By Elder Paisios the Athonite A Christian must not be fanatical; he must have love for and be sensitive towards all people. Those who inconsiderately toss out comments, even if they are true, can cause harm. I once met a theologian who was extremely pious, but who had the habit of speaking to the secular people around him in a …
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ModeOfLife Become love as God exhorts us, for this is the true starting point for changing your life and the world. For it is love that will bring respect, justice and equity into the world, not our personal opinion of what justice or equity is.