In Orthodox monasteries, prior to the start of any service, we strike a large, wooden plank, known as the talanton (klepalo), in such a way as to reproduce the name of Adam. The two syllables of the name “Adam”, in other words, provide the basic beat by which the talanton is rhythmically and repeatedly struck: “A-dam, A-dam, A-dam.” By striking the talanton in this way, the sacristan is calling Adam home from his long exile. He is in effect announcing to the whole monastery, and to all the earth and to heaven itself, that the gates of paradise, which once were closed, are now open.
Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra From the book “The Way of the Spirit”
“Brothers and spiritual children, mainly I beg you to lay all your hope on God, hold on to the true faith above all.”
~ Saint Sava
“The truth does not exist outside the Orthodox Church. It is the only faithful guardian of all that was commanded by the Lord through the Holy Apostles, and therefore it is the true Apostolic Church. It exists and will remain, according to His promise, unto the end of the world.”
~ St. Theophan the Recluse
“Give up everything for Christ, but Christ for nothing.”
Saint Sava’s ideal (described by St. Justin Popovich)
A young man came to an elder and joyfully told him that the goal of his life had been fulfilled: he had passed the exam well and entered university. The elder asked: “Okay, you’ll graduate from university, but what’s next? – I will apply in the civil service – said the young man. – And then? – I’ll create a family. – And what’s next? – the elder continued to ask. – I will receive rewards and medals. – And next? – I’ll get old and retire. – And then what? – I’m going to die, said the young man, no longer in such an enthusiastic tone. – And what’s next? – the elder asked. – I didn’t think about that, – the young man said.”
– There is also a situation, Your Holiness, and that is very often even when we do something we like we do not rejoice as much as we should. Who steals our joy? We do not rejoice to the success of our work and that happens very often.
– The word of Christ must be accepted that greatness before God, before Christ, is measured by the greatness of service, nothing else. Certainly, a man can serve in every vocation he is interested in. A scientist can serve for the benefit of people. An artist can also do that. All those vocations can be directed in such way. If every one of them understood their work in such way, they would have bliss, not just happiness. Nobody could take that away from them. No matter how much other people talk bad about them or not recognize them, they will feel blissfulness in reaching the goal of their work. If we wait for the praise of this world, that is difficult.
You know, people often are not capable of praising others because of their envy and malice. There is the story of ancient Greeks about Aristides the Rightous. A man cannot be righteous and honourable especially on high position. Even if he does everything right, de facto, he will cause harm to someone. So they wanted to expel Aristides. The Council gathered in the theatre. Likurg came and sat among others. A simple man was sitting next to him. They shared pieces of tile to write whether they should expel him or not. This person not knowing Aristedes, being illiterate, asked Likurg to write down that he should be expelled. “Do you know Aristides? – I have never seen him. – Did he do some injustice to you? – No. But I am bored of listening ‘Aristides the Righteous, Aristides the Righteous’. Let him go together with his justice.” There are those kind of people…
One time, when I was reading the Gospel, I read the phrase: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life” (Matthew 7:14). I said, “What is this way?” Then I was taken in a spiritual manner to a place where there was a very narrow path, like a tube, and I had to go into it. I wondered, “How could a person fit through there? They would be squeezed.” Then I tried to go forward with unbearable difficulty, pulling myself forward with my hands and feet until I made it through that fearsome path. Only my elder and I were able to pass through this way.
Another time I found myself before a giant abyss, a bottomless chasm. Across this abyss there was a golden-white bridge that was no wider than a finger and I had to pass over this bridge to the other side. I made my way onto the bridge, walking very slowly and carefully, because if I fell into that chasm I surely would be lost. It was truly a struggle to do this; and then, suddenly, the golden bridge started to swing dangerously and to shake, putting me in danger of falling. I turned to see who was rocking the bridge, and what did I see? I saw the faces of some of the other fathers of the monastery rocking the bridge, and I asked them, “Fathers, why are you shaking the bridge? Don’t you see that if I fall into this abyss I will die?” In any case, I had passed over the great length of the bridge and had a only little bit left to get to the other side.
Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian activities, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ’s sake, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. But mark, my son, only the good deed done for Christ’s sake brings us the fruits of the Holy Spirit. All that is not done for Christ’s sake, even though it be good, brings neither reward in the future life nor the grace of God in this. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ said: He who gathers not with Me scatters (Luke 11:23). Not that a good deed can be called anything but gathering, since even though it is not done for Christ’s sake, yet it is good. Scripture says: In every nation he who fears God and works righteousness is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:35)…
Of course, every good deed done for Christ’s sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us it most of all, for it is always at hand, so to speak, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit. For instance, you would like to go to Church, but there is no Church or the Service is over; you would like to give alms to a beggar, but there isn’t one, or you have nothing to give; you would like to preserve your virginity, but you have not the strength to do so because of your temperament, or because of the violence of the wiles of the enemy which on account of your human weakness you cannot withstand; you would like to do some other good deed for Christ’s sake, but either you have not the strength or the opportunity is lacking. This certainly does not apply to prayer. Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful…
I think that if a Christian says to himself that he is a modern Christian, he has already lost the battle. He must realize that he is a CHRISTIAN and that he is fighting the same battle that has been ongoing for 2000 years – the struggle for knowledge of God, for that which remains forever, for that which shapes man and his relationship to the world, God and other people. If he realizes this – then he is on the right path to acquiring what he has been striving for.
Christ is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and unto the ages of ages, as Apostle Paul said.
I think that in modern life this is how the lie that the devil presents to us manifests itself: that now there is a special situation for which there are no recipes, no rules, that now is the time of computers and modern technologies and the ways of salvation are different.
I believe that together with this lie, which he planted in us, he imposes a parallel religion, the religion of this world.
The fact that there are modern technologies, that we dress differently, and that social relations have changed, does not separate us from the Gospel. The Gospel remains the same, for it is timeless and was not written for the times when the Lord walked the earth, but for all times.
Archimandrite Luka (Anic) – for fifteen years has been the abbot of one of the largest monasteries in Serbia and Montenegro, the Cetinje Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
In the skete of the monastery Kutlumush lived an eminent spiritual father, to whom many elders of the Holy Mountain went for confession and spiritual advice. Once came an elder, who had a novice overwhelmed from despondency in his Kaliva. The despondency ate him from inside like a worm, the sadness and melancholy were changed by despair. The danger was big, because if the novice couldn’t find a way to get out of the trap of despondency, he could be exposed to the temptation to leave Mount Athos.
Because of this the elder of the novice took him to the divinely inspired father.
– My father – he said – say what I should do with him. He can fail. His mind is darkened, he doesn’t show interest in anything. He lives as if he is surrounded by a dark cloud, his thoughts are scattered. Very good conditions are created for him in our Kaliva. He’s not burdened with physical labour, his obedience is to read the services.
– I cannot describe to you how much our Panagia likes chastity and purity. Since she is the only pure Virgin, she wants and loves everyone to be like that. As soon as we cry out to her she rushes to our help. You don’t even finish saying, “All Holy Theotokos, help me!” and at once, like lightning, she shines through the nous and fills the heart with illumination. She draws the nous to prayer and the heart to love. Many times the entire night passes in tears and sweet cries, singing praises to her and especially to Him Whom she carried.
– Embrace in your arms the icon of the Panagia as if she were alive, as you embraced your dear mother when you were little. Tell her all your pain, wet her icon with your pure tears, then you will derive consistent consolation. She will intercede with her Son, Who is so good, Who loves the good, has mercy on the bad, and forgives repenting sinners. He will open the noetic eyes of your soul and fill your heart with love and divine eros. And then your eyes will become two fountains of tears.
In his mentorship as an elder, father Alexei (Mechev) always led the person, under his guidance, to spiritual struggle, in other words, to the hardest and most-important. But everything hard begins with the easy. The external spiritual struggle is necessary, even the smallest. It trains the strength of will, without which any struggle, even more a spiritual one, is impossible. But before that a person has to evaluate his strength and possibilities carefully: “Measure seven times – he said – cut once”. But if you have decided something, you have to do it to the end. Otherwise you won‘t accomplish your goal. For example the prayer rule may not be big, but it has to be done necessarily, no matter tiredness, busyness and other impediments.
