I’d like to make a piece on pre- and post-fall sexuality. If you have anything from the Saints discussing the nature of sex and potential for childbirth pre-fall, please link or DM it to me. Thank you!

"In this life God spares the wicked ones but does not spare His chosen ones; in the future life He will spare His chosen ones but He will not spare the wicked."

St. Isidore of Seville

The “Orthodox phronema” isn’t Greek supremacy or Eastern isolationism. It’s embracing the Catholicity and Saints of the Orthodox Church, East and West, conforming ourselves to their ideas rather than filtering them through our own.

New Year's Resolutions from the Holy Fathers

1. Never stop making a good beginning: “Abba Poeman said regarding Abba Prin that every day he made a new beginning.” “My God, do not abandon me. I have done nothing good before Thee, but grant me, in Thy compassion, the power to make a start” (Arsenios, 5th century). Again St Anthony advised, “Let this especially be the common aim of all, neither to give way having once begun, nor to faint in trouble, nor to say: We have lived in the discipline a long time: but rather as though making a beginning daily let us increase our earnestness. For the whole life of man is very short, measured by the ages to come, wherefore all our time is nothing compared with eternal life.” Continually get up everyday making a new beginning before God.

2. Live intentionally, not aimlessly: “Think nothing and do nothing without a purpose directed to God. For to journey without direction is wasted effort” (St. Mark the Ascetic, 5th century). “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”(1 Corinthians 10:31). Do not give yourself to vain pursuits or useless distrcations, but do everything to God’s glory.

3. Never, ever despair, no matter what: “Let us eagerly draw near to Christ, and let us not despair of our salvation. For it is a trick of the devil to lead us to despair by reminding us of our past sins” (St. Makarios of Egypt, 5th century). “When someone is defeated after offering stiff resistance, he should not give up in despair. Let him take heart, encouraged by the words. . . . God raises up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14). Do all in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall. But if you do fall, get up again at once and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times. . . . rise up again each time” (St. John of Karpathos, date unknown). Make confession a regular part of your life, by not only confessing your sins to God daily, but frequenting the confessional to recieve the Church’s medicine.

4. Pray simply, not stupidly: “Often when I have prayed I have asked for what I thought was good, and persisted in my petition, stupidly importuning the will of God, and not leaving it to Him to arrange things as He knows is best for me. But when I have obtained what I asked for, I have been very sorry that I did not ask for the will of God to be done; because the thing turned out not to be as I had thought” (Evagrios the Solitary, 4th century). Abba Macarius said, “It is enough to say, ‘Lord, as you will, and as you know, have mercy.’ And if the conflict grows fiercer, say: ‘Lord, help!’” Do not just ask for what you want in prayer, but give yourself entirely over to the will of God.

5. Renounce all self-justification and making excuses: According to John the Dwarf, “We have put aside the easy burden, which is self-accusation, and weighed ourselves down with the heavy one, self-justification.” The modern desert father, Saint Paisios, told a group of people: “I must understand that when I try to justify myself with excuses, I’m in a wrong state of mind. I cut off my communication with God and am deprived of divine Grace, because divine Grace does not come to one who is in a wrong state. The moment a person justifies the unjustifiable, he is separated from God…There is no stronger barrier to the Grace of God than excuses!” And he says again, “One who justifies himself with excuses makes no progress in the spiritual life, nor can he find any inner peace.”

My recent paper on Sts. Photios, Jerome, and Augustine has spurred a lot of interest on Academia. If you haven’t yet read it (or seen the video where I read it on my YouTube channel “Brother Augustine”) here is the link:

https://academia.edu/resource/work/112353322

No matter how much you’ve read about Roman Catholicism, you’ll learn something new from Craig’s book. Just under two hours from now, our interview will be published on my YouTube channel ??☦️

Christ is born! Merry Christmas ☦️

Really enjoying this new book from http://www.scriptoriumpress.ca/ - the first English translation of the Life of St. Bede the Venerable ☦️

Fr. Turbo Qualls endorses “Fascism Viewed From The Cross” on his show, The Royal Path:

https://youtu.be/_0Li3-ziE7Y?si=asVWdtXORkV9bVGQ

YouTube

"Whosoever Heareth These Sayings" (The Royal Path Ep 083)

In this episode, Father Turbo, Andrew, and Cyprian explore how ideology is a poor substitute for a genuine orientation toward Christ.. Join us and walk The Royal Path: https://royalpath.store All proceeds for our merchandise go to Saint Mary Of Egypt Orthodox…

I am looking for quotes from Saints - with citations -regarding the relative authority of Ecumenical Councils, local Councils, Confessions, Catechisms, and the writings of other Saints. If you have any such quotes on hand please post them below or DM them to me. Thank you!