good works are by grace

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“It is for us to confess with contrition of heart that all the good words are done by the grace and help of God. We people, without God can do nothing. Whatever we have, our being, our life, health, strength, wisdom, and riches are gifts of God. We ourselves are nothing, for out of nothing were we created. Every good thing, therefore that we do is by the grace of God. The Apostle Paul, who worked and suffered greatly said in humility, not me but the grace of God that is in me. We may labor, but if we do not have the Grace of God or the intercessions of the Saints our labors will amount to nothing.

Let us then humble ourselves and ask the Lord to give us true and fervent faith…

“Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos” Translated by Archimandrite Polycarpos Rameras

spiritual companionship

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“For the company that you do not have, I will find you good company which you already have, even though you are not aware of them. First you have God, who is always with you. Remember and believe in Him for He is everywhere, sees us, hears, us, looks after us, protects us, loves us and keeps us. As the Prophet David says, “The Lord keeps all those who love Him and all the sinners He destroys.”

Second you have the companionship of the Most Holy Mother of God, who is greater than the Heavens and more glorious than the Seraphim. The Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and earth, she is the protectress of all Christians who call upon her with faith.

Thirdly you have the Archangel Michael, the guardian of our souls and bodies.”

“Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos” Translated by Archimandrite Polycarpos Rameras

with boldness and courage

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Every good work, every God pleasing deed will have its obstacles and temptations. This is why the Holy Fathers had the concern that every virtue which is not received through obstacles and struggles, suffering, temptations and fears is not a true virtue.

This does not mean that we should become frightened by these obstacles, but moving forward with boldness and courage, calling for the help of God and the Saints, over-come and destroy these obstacles. From now on, when you are confronted with such temptations immerse yourself in prayer to God and the Saints.

I pray that the Grace of our Good God and the help of the Theotokos enable you worthily to fulfill your good work in these evil days.

And let us not have hope in our strength but only in God.

“Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos” Translated by Archimandrite Polycarpos Rameras

soul word {smile}

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“Three things that are necessary and soul saving I want to tell you my beloved children that you should watch and guard always. They are great patience, True Orthodox faith and above all love for God and your neighbors, even for your enemies.

Do these things and keep the commandments of the Lord and as many times as you sin, repent and confess. Thus in this way you will be saved and inherit the kingdom. Without the sacrament of confession, very few will be saved.

Our whole life is a time of preparation, a time for repentance and salvation.

Blessed and joyful is he who dies in repentance.

I pray that the Lord will save us all. Amen.”

“Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos” Translated by Archimandrite Polycarpos Rameras

the cure of the soul

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As sickness is to the physical body, so sin is to the soul. Just as a person becomes sick in his body and goes to a doctor and reveals to him all his symptoms and pains in order to be treated by the doctor with necessary medicine to effect a cure so it is also with sins. These are the ills of the soul. and one must go to a spiritual physician similarly revealing to him all their sins in order to receive the necessary medicine and treatments for the healing of the soul.

The sickness of the body a doctor can not always heal because there are diseases that are incurable, while ALL the sickness of the soul can be cured and restored to righteousness.

I advise you to look for a good and competent doctor to take care of your physical ills so do the same in choosing a spiritual physician.

“Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos” Translated by Archimandrite Polycarpos Rameras

words of salvation

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My first word, or rather the command of God, is to love God with all your soul, your heart, your mind and strength. To be able to love God we must strive with ourselves, for all the good things are acquired by work and suffering… Be thankful to God for all the good that you have, especially that He has enlightened you with divine knowledge and has saved you from evil delusions.

My second word is to love your neighbor as yourself. Love according to the law of the Lord, your enemies also, and do good to those who do you wrong. Love and help the poor according to your strength.

My third word is that you judge no one who sins, because our Lord told us not to judge so that we will not be judged. If you see someone sinning and you know that he will listen to you then admonish that person to leave their sin…

My fourth word is that you go often to church services, and pray regularly, especially pray in your heart when you are walking or working, remember God by praying, “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me”, or “Glory be to God”, or “Most Holy Theotokos help me”, and other prayers that you know. Study the Holy Scriptures, the life and writings of the Holy Fathers. Always remember God, your own mortality, God’s righteous judgement, Paradise and Hell. These thoughts and remembrances help us not to sin so easily.

“Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos” Translated by Archimandrite Polycarpos Rameras

life is like the sea

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The temporal life of man is like the sea, and we are like the ships. Just as a boat sails the sea, it does not all the time have favorable waters, but it is now and then tossed into the waters experiencing danger. So it is with us in this worldly life, we come upon dangers, and storms, scandals, temptations, sickness, sorrows, worries, persecutions and dangers. We must not be overcome by fear.

We must have courage, strength of purpose, and faith. And if as men, we become faint-hearted, and weak in faith and timid before dangers, then call out as Peter did before Christ, our most sweet God who is everywhere. Lord save us from danger. And immediately our sweet Jesus will extend His right hand to you and say, “Oh you of little faith, why are you afraid. I am by your side and will not leave you.”

The ship when it is anchored safely in port gives no cause of fear or danger. So also with us when we reach the port of eternal life, we will not experience fear or danger, but rather we will be safe for all eternity. There solace is without disturbance, peace without war, health without sickness, happiness without fears, joy without sorrow, life without death. May the All Good and Heavenly Father, who desires that all men may be saved, and come to the knowledge of truth, make us worthy of the Eternal Blessings and the Heavenly Kingdom.

Spiritual Advice of the Elder Philotheos Zervakos (1884 – 1980)

Saint John the Baptist Church – Skopelos Greece

what we can do in our everyday life

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“What we can do in our everyday life is something very simple. First, we should be careful not to disturb or upset our relations with others, even a little. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed by how much we like or dislike a person, which indicates the degree to which our stance is dependent on that person. For example someone might might speak to me rudely and I ignore him. Or someone else might speak to me kindly and I embrace him. In both cases my responses are determined by the other person, which means that at any moment I can be troubled, become angry, lose my inner peace, or otherwise be thrown off balance, because I have no control over what people say or do to me.

+ Elder Aemilianos of Simonopetra


no other basis

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The life of repentance is a constant embracing of Christ’s Pascha. It is a giving of ourselves to what has been given to us. It is the rejection of every pretense that would erect a life on some other basis (as though there were another basis).

Father Stephen Freeman

Glory to God for All Things Blog

from the article “Faith, Doubt, Theology and Suspicion”

fruits of the struggle

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they are in the world but not of the world

they are separated from all yet united to all

We visit monasteries to leave the noise of the world and find some stillness.   Especially after a tragedy it is a blessing to be in contact with monastics, better still if one has developed a relationship with them.  But either way, it’s good to get away.

Despite the growth of monastic communities there still remains skepticism by some about the role of monasteries in our Faith, yet Saint John Chrysostom is clear that the health of our Churches is interrelated to the presence of monasteries.   Monastics truly place themselves beneath all the people in the world and consider themselves the chief among sinners.  They cultivate a patience and silence that is palpable to the souls that visit them.

They pray for the salvation of the whole world as fervently as we pray for ourselves.   Their joy is not a fleeting joy but the jewel-joy forged of the pressure of the struggle.  It is like a low hanging fruit, uplifting and  nourishing all who gather under it’s branches.

Elder Amphilochios amplifies this interconnection between the health of the parishes in this way,

“Wherever Orthodox monasticism is absent, the Church does not exist, just as there can not be a government with out an army and a well-governed state without a national guard.  The monastics guard the boundaries of our Church and protect Her from her enemies, who in or contemporary materialistic ages rush to mangle her like wolves.”

To visit a monastery is to visit a place of intensified authentic spiritual struggle.  Orthodox believers should always bear that in mind when visiting monastic communities.   You might walk right in to the spiritual struggle of another – but yet all of us are in a great struggle – aren’t we?

But for pilgrims with no expectation, for pilgrims seeking a good word, one finds low hanging fruit, a respite from earthly cares, and a glimpse at heaven on earth.