Pay attention here

 

🇷🇺 Ρωσικά (Russian)

Дорогой отец, у меня есть проблема. Мой вопрос может показаться немного расплывчатым.
Пожалуйста, просто немного помогите мне. Допустим, что кто-то вечером идёт молиться только с Иисусовой молитвой (одной непрерывной молитвой). Разве это плохо, что должны читаться и другие гимны?

У меня только этот вопрос, отец, пожалуйста, скажите: что было бы, если человек молится только одной Иисусовой молитвой? Это правильно?

Давайте скажем, что у нас есть молитва, мы молимся — спасибо большое. Цель — молиться. Нет “магических” молитв, которые кто-то обязан читать.

Я не могу сказать: теперь я должен молиться 20 минут каждый вечер или полчаса. У каждого есть своё время и возможность молиться.

Теперь — будь то Иисусова молитва, Псалмы Давида, канон, акафист, молебен Богородице или святому, чтение Святого Евангелия или поклоны — всё это молитва.

Не будем ограничиваться только одним видом молитвы. Не нужно говорить, что нужно читать только это или обязательно столько-то псалмов и глав.

Я думаю, что нет ничего плохого в том, чтобы человек свободно сказал: “Я могу молиться 20–30 минут в день.” В это время я могу читать молитву. Мне нравится Иисусова молитва — хорошо, молись Иисусовой молитвой. Или мне нравится обращаться к Богородице — обращайся к Богородице. Или я читаю Псалмы — читай Псалмы Давида. Или делаю поклоны — делай поклоны.

Человек может молиться в церкви, может читать молитву, может обращаться к Богу своими словами. Это тоже молитва.

Все молитвы хороши и святы, потому что обращены к Богу. Но главное — они привлекают благодать Святого Духа.

Цель молитвы — чтобы пришла благодать Святого Духа, чтобы она освятила, очистила и просветила нас.

И если человек чувствует это, иногда он хочет оставить привычные правила и просто сказать: “Сегодня я не хочу читать молитвенное правило, я просто буду молиться Иисусовой молитвой.” Это не вредно.

Иисусова молитва особенно подчёркивается святыми отцами, потому что её можно произносить всегда и везде. Но другие молитвы не обесцениваются: псалмы, гимны, службы Церкви и чтения тоже помогают человеку укреплять сердце и душу.

🇩🇪 Γερμανικά (German)

Vater, ich habe ein Problem. Meine Frage mag etwas unklar erscheinen.
Bitte helfen Sie mir einfach ein wenig. Nehmen wir an, dass jemand abends betet und nur das Jesusgebet (das Gebet in einem einzigen inneren Ruf) spricht. Ist es traurig, dass auch andere Hymnen gelesen werden sollten?

Das ist meine einzige Frage, Vater, bitte sagen Sie mir: Was wäre, wenn jemand nur mit dem Jesusgebet betet? Ist das richtig?

Nehmen wir an, dass wir beten und das Gebet verrichten – vielen Dank. Das Ziel ist das Gebet. Es gibt keine „magischen“ Gebete, die man unbedingt lesen muss.

Ich kann nicht sagen: Jetzt muss ich jeden Abend 20 Minuten oder eine halbe Stunde beten. Jeder hat seine Zeit und seine Möglichkeit zum Beten.

Ob man nun das Jesusgebet spricht, die Psalmen Davids liest, einen Kanon oder einen Akathistos betet, eine Bitte an die Gottesmutter oder einen Heiligen richtet, das Heilige Evangelium liest oder Niederwerfungen macht – all das ist Gebet.

Wir sollten uns nicht auf nur eine Form des Gebets beschränken. Man sollte nicht sagen, dass man nur das eine lesen muss oder eine bestimmte Anzahl von Psalmen oder Kapiteln der Bibel.

Ich denke, es ist nichts Schlechtes daran, wenn jemand frei sagt: „Ich kann jeden Tag 20 bis 30 Minuten beten.“ In dieser Zeit kann ich beten. Ich liebe das Jesusgebet – gut, dann bete das Jesusgebet. Oder ich bitte die Gottesmutter – dann bitte sie. Oder ich lese die Psalmen – dann lese die Psalmen Davids. Oder ich mache Niederwerfungen – dann mache sie.

Ein Mensch kann in der Kirche beten, Gott anbeten und gleichzeitig beten. Er kann auch mit eigenen Worten beten und sein Herz vor Gott öffnen. Auch das ist Gebet.

Alle Gebete sind gut und heilig, weil sie sich an Gott richten. Vor allem aber ziehen sie die göttliche Gnade an.

Das Ziel des Gebets ist die Gnade des Heiligen Geistes, damit sie uns heiligt, reinigt und erleuchtet.

Und wenn jemand das spürt, möchte er manchmal sein tägliches Gebetsmuster verlassen und einfach sagen: „Heute möchte ich nur das Jesusgebet sprechen.“ Das schadet nicht.

Das Jesusgebet wird von den Vätern besonders betont, weil man es überall und jederzeit sprechen kann. Aber andere Gebetsformen werden nicht abgewertet: Psalmen, Hymnen, Gottesdienste und Lesungen helfen ebenfalls, das Herz und die Seele zu stärken.

LEARN THE TRUTH-ABOUT THE HOLY LIGHT

 

LEARN THE TRUTH-ABOUT THE HOLY LIGHT

 Who lit them, since many times before the Patriarch came out, these are the candles of the people. They lit by themselves on the day when we were there, before the Patriarch came out to give the Light. I was standing right next to them. As soon as the Light came from the Patriarch and we received it from there, the people were shouting: “The Holy Light is coming!” Look up at the dome of the Holy Sepulchre, at the Holy Tomb of the Lord.

The people’s candles lit by themselves, and a grandmother who was outside the door of the church, in the courtyard, had her candles lit by others. Her name was Eleftheria, from Athienou. She was crying because they would not let her enter, and she sat down on the ground crying because she had not come to the Holy Tomb and would not receive the Holy Light. When she closed the door, her candles lit by themselves at the time when the celebration of the Holy Light had finished. The rejoicing began, and we started the Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday before our eyes. I was chanting, and I was at the Beautiful Gate. Suddenly, a flame from the lamp of the Beautiful Gate, which was by itself… I tell you, the Patriarch could have a lighter and could light the place, but how did all the other things light? How did they all catch fire? We saw it with our own eyes. How could it be an illusion? How did I see it? I saw it like blue lightning, moving like this. I said, “But lightning comes from above downward. How is it moving like this?” The monk standing next to me saw nothing. Another person nearby saw a sphere, a ball of fire. Another saw something like a cloud. If it were artificial, we would all see the same thing. If it were something artificial, you and I and everyone else would see the same thing. Why did I see it and you did not? Why did I see lightning and you saw a sphere, another saw a cloud, and another saw something else? I am not saying I can confirm what the Patriarch brings out from inside. I cannot, because I was not standing beside the Patriarch to see. But I have two things to say. First of all, if it were a deception—because if it is not as we say, then it is a deception—how could it have continued for so long? And secondly, when the Patriarch enters, the Armenian Archbishop also enters with him. The Armenian wants very much to remove the Orthodox Patriarch so that he himself can enter. He is the only one who stands outside and can see the Patriarch. The Armenian bishop can see what the Orthodox Patriarch does inside the Holy Tomb. If the Orthodox Patriarch were doing something fake, the Armenian would expose him and humiliate him. He would say: “What are these things you are doing? What lies are these?” But he also comes and receives the Light from the Orthodox Patriarch, kisses the hand of the Orthodox Patriarch, and the Latins, the Armenians, the Monophysites, and everyone receives the Light from the Orthodox Patriarch. Why can nobody else bring out the Light except the Orthodox Patriarch or an Orthodox bishop? There is also that historical story: at one time, they bought the right from the Turks, removed the Orthodox from the Holy Tomb, and an Armenian entered to bring out the Holy Light. While the Orthodox were praying outside, the Light came out of the column. The column can still be seen today, burned and cracked. You may not believe it. That is your right. But we can see it until today. And we have historical testimonies about the Holy Light from centuries ago. This is not something that happened today. This tradition of the Holy Light has existed for many centuries. Because this tradition exists, and we have heard it ourselves, even younger people who have not gone to the Holy Tomb know about it. But there are clear statements from some theologians that this is, in some way, a deception. I advise them to go and see it themselves. Whoever has a theological school paper is not necessarily a theologian. Now someone else wanted to say something. The woman here is Mrs. Giota. In the Holy Land, Father, there is a small church of Saint Constantine, which is above the Holy Sepulchre. I went once at Easter, and on the night when the Holy Light was supposed to come out, they put some of us up there so we could see the Holy Light. Others from our group entered the small church of Saint Constantine because there was no space, and all the lamps and candles were extinguished. All the lamps and candles were completely off. When the Holy Light came out, we had people from our group who saw it entering through the little window on the left side of the church. A blue light entered, and all the lamps lit at the same time. This happens every year. People who were with me saw it. There are countless testimonies about this. Something else that has troubled many people is that candles can supposedly be dipped in a liquid, and after some time, they can light, and this was even shown on television. Look, something else people said is that officially, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem has not stated that the Holy Light is a miracle. I do not know what the official Patriarchate says. I know what history says, what the testimonies of pilgrims have said for centuries, and what we ourselves have experienced and seen with our own eyes. Now that woman Eleftheria from Athienou—she dipped her candle in something. Why did it not light five minutes earlier? The candles are bought from the beginning, from the first day people arrive. The woman carries them with her. I say: Do we need a miracle in order to believe in Christ? No. Even if the Holy Light did not exist, we would still believe. So let people say whatever they want. I also want to say that miracles are not the foundation of faith. The Apostle Paul says we do not need the Holy Light to believe in Christ. But one thing we saw with our own eyes and read in our history is that this happens continuously and happens before thousands of people every year. So how can you dismiss it so easily? I told you: perhaps the Patriarch does not light it himself—the light may come from God. I do not know what happens there. But I have these two questions: What happens with the Armenian who sees the Patriarch? And what happens with the people whose lamps light by themselves? I was also told that Bishop Timothy’s mother used to go to the Holy Tomb at Easter, but one year she was not allowed to go because she had difficulty walking. They told the old woman to stay upstairs in his cell, which was in the courtyard of the Patriarchate. She sat on the balcony crying because she was not allowed to go down and see the Holy Light. And her candles lit by themselves while she was on the balcony of the house. How could the candles have been prepared with fire and then lit? They lit at the time of the Holy Light. Some say there is a liquid which, after a certain time, reacts with oxygen and other elements and catches fire. Yes, but you would have to dip them a little while before, and after so much time, they would ignite. But people buy the candles from the Arabs, from the Jews, from whoever sells them, and carry them with them. It does not make logical sense. Anyway, may God enlighten us all about what we see, what we hear, and what we say.

 🌿⛪🌿

The Elder Porphyrios was lying on his little bed and said to me:

“Tell me, here where I am sitting, can you sit too?”

“Of course, Elder,” I replied. “Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

“Well,” he said to me in his gentle and charming way, “are you crazy? You will fall on top of me and I will suffocate!”

“Well yes, Elder, you must stand up so that I can sit,” I added, correcting myself.

“Ah! Bravo, bravo. That is how it happens with our soul in relation to Christ and the Antichrist. When Christ is enthroned in our soul, can the Antichrist have any place there?”

“No, Elder.”

“That is why, my child, I tell you this. We do not have Christ in our soul. If we did, the devil would not even come near us.

Unfortunately, we are not careful, and the accursed one enters inside. Christ, who is very gentle, stands at the door and knocks. If we open to Him, He enters.

But the devil — if he finds even a tiny opening, he enters shamelessly, and once he gets in, he does not leave easily! That is why we must be very careful in our lives, so that we do not give the devil a place.

Many times we are careless and either we mention him, or we send our children, our wife, our husband, or other people towards the devil through our words and actions…”

Saint Porphyrios

🌿⛪🌿