Vesting [Ourselves] in the Grace – Fr. Nicholas***BOW***, sermon GOD Is Alive Обличане в благодатта – Жив е БОГ

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11.12.2011 г. Неделя 26-та сл. Петд.

(проповед на о. Николай***ПОКЛОН***, в катедр. храм „Успение Богородично“, София)

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December 11, 2011, Sunday 26-th after Pentecost
(a sermon by Fr. Nicholas***BOW***, at the “Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos” cathedral Church, Sofia)

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TRANSLATED FROM BULGARIAN

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       We heard the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony

[sufferings] of our Lord ” [2 Tim. 1:8] Jesus Christ. This message of the apostle is filled both with general Christian and particularly pastoral instructions, most of which – clear[-cut] and specific. Such is the content of his first epistle to Timothy. The former persecutor of Christ, called by the Grace to be an apostle of the Gentiles, as he writes, “ordained a preacher, … a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity” [1 Tim. 2:7] tutors one of these Gentiles who has became for him his “own son in the faith” [1 Tim. 1:2]. This faith in the One who has redeemed the entire human race – the Son of God, [this faith] which after Christ’s birth has been leading the new God-chosen people, both Hebrews and Gentiles. This faith is revealed and established not by the vague Old Testament promises and expectations, but - through the light of enlightenment for every soul - by the truth of God. This is the human nature resurrecting action of the Grace, of the soul’s living connection with God through the condescending to it regenerating power of God. But this is only valid when faith has turned into a center, the contents and the meaning of life; when the soul has started living and has come to know Christ in itself. When the evidence and the confirmations of this faith are born on their own, without being sought after. And this takes place in the presence of newly acquired awareness, of the enlightened thinking through the new capabilities for understanding, which give the faithful the inbuilt in their minds “nous of Christ”. This applies to those who not only believe in Him, but also carry their cross, which consists in taking off the old man of sin and vesting oneself in the Grace.

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Talk on Uncreated Energies Беседа за Несътворените Енергии

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Talk on the Spiritual Life
for the Toronto Conference of October, 2011

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ПРЕВОД ОТ АНГЛИЙСКИ

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Беседа за духовния живот
за конференция в Торонто през октомври 2011 г.

       {Темата за несътворената светлина е обяснена от о. Максим Марета [Fr. Maximus Maretta, GOC] в обръщението му, произнесено на конференция [на супер-правилните, или „десните”] през 2011 г.. О. Максим преди време беше част от РПЗЦ, но с обединението РПЗЦ – МП той се присъедини към ГПЦ. Беседата му, днес, се отнася до всички и не показва супер-правилно мислене.

       Световното Православие сякаш е извадило тази тема от контекст. О. Максим го връща обратно в точно правилната перспектива с перфектна трезвост. Прочетете тази беседа, за да се запознаете с настоящето ни място и днешното ни състояние в по-общата схема на нещата.

[Йоанна Х.]}


Ваши Преосвещенства, отци, братя и сестри в Христа,

       Светът, в който се намираме днес, е свят на почти пълно изоставяне на Бога. Ние живеем в едно напълно светско общество, в което религията в най-добрия случай се игнорира, а в най-лошия – бива активно тормозена. Всеки аспект от нашата култура се бори против познаването на Бога и против християнския начин на живот. Как ние – православните християни, би следвало да водим набожен и сериозен живот, имащ Христос за свой център? Как можем да следваме стъпките на Светите Отци и да продражаваме на техните светоглед и начин на живот?

       Част от отговора, мисля, е в това, че трябва да се опитаме да разберем писанията на Светите Отци. Това, което бих искал да сторя днес, е да ви предложа кратко описание на духовния живот според ученията на Светите Отци. Макар че част от онова, което ще ви кажа може да изглежда на пръв поглед малко абстрактно или дори неприложимо по отношение на живота на средностатистическия човек в света, мисля, че това човек да има разбиране на теорията, която стои зад духовния живот, е изключително полезно за всички. Всички ние, независимо дали сме духовници или монаси, или миряни, в крайна сметка имаме една и съща цел: да се съединим с Христа. Едни и същи духовни закони важат за всички ни, въпреки че някои от особеностите може и да се различават в зависимост от статуса на даден човек в живота. Всички ние сме хора и всички ние сме православни християни, и всички ние следваме едно и също Евангелие и едни и същи Свети Отци на Църквата. Светите Отци са писали не просто за монасите, а за всички хора; и всеки, който има сериозно намерение да води живот в съответствие с Евангелието трябва да разбере основополагащите правила за духовната бран и основните рамки, в които работим за нашето спасение.

       Една от най-големите хвалби на Православната Църква е това, че ние не влизаме в духовната бран сляпо както правят протестантите и сектантите, а по-скоро с определен план наум. Според св. Максим Изповедник, ние трябва да се борим „по научному”. „По научному” ще рече, че духовният живот може да бъде анализиран и разбит на части, така че да знаем какво правим във всяка една стъпка по пътя. Стремим се да разберем кои са пречките пред нас, как можем да преодолеем изкушенията, какви са проявите на благодатта, каква е разликата между благодат и заблуда и така нататък.

       Духовният живот като цяло е разделен на три етапа, които за първи път са били ясно разграничени от св. Дионисий Ареопагит. Той говори за етапите като [за] пречистване, просветление и съвършенство. Други Свети Отци говорят за последния етап като [за] обо́жение. Пречистването е етапът, в който започват всички хора: това е, когато се очистваме от осемте главни страсти, за да се подготвим да получим Божията благодат. Най-простичкият начин да мислим за страстите е като за лоши навици. Като се пречистваме от тях ние достигаме състоянието на безстрастие, което е предпоставка за обитаването на Светия Дух и за непрестанната молитва.

       Светите Отци на Църквата изброяват осем общи [главни] страсти: лакомия, блудство, алчност, гняв, равнодушие или отегчение, отчаяние, тщеславие и гордост. Тези осем страсти идват от три основни [коренни] страсти, които са любов към удоволствие, любов към притежание и гордост. Те са описани в Свещеното Писание като „похотта на плътта, похотта на очите и гордостта житейска” [1 Йоан. 2:16]. Тези три страсти на свой ред произхождат от един източник на всяко зло, който е любовта към самия себе си. И така, страстите са изброени в определен традиционен ред, който не е случаен, а по-скоро е свързани с начина, по който те властват над нас и с реда, в който трябва да се борим с тях. Като така, първите страсти, които са изброени, са лакомия и блудство, които са грехове, свързани с плътта. Греховете на плътта сякаш са първите, в които изпадаме (по този начин Адам изпадна в лакомия в рая), понеже те предлагат незабавно удоволствие и удовлетвореност. И така, там където Адам падна, и ние трябва да започнем нашия духовен живот; ще рече – с постене. Тъй стана, че Христос започна Своето служение чрез четиридесетдневен пост в пустинята. Другите страсти следват поред, като звършват с гордостта, която едноврменно е най-лошата от всички и е изцяло нематериална.

       В етапа на пречистване, нашата основна цел е да изкореним и унищожим страстите. Божията милост, обаче, е винаги с нас: обикновено по незабележими начини, но понякога и по начини, които са напълно очевидни. Всеки един от трите етапа има свое собствено ниво на благодат, която постепенно става все по-интензивна и по-забележима. Тези дела на Божията благодат са красиво описана от Йоан Преподобни, сирийски отшелник, чиито творби са събрани ведно с творбите на св. Исаак Сириец. Той описва благодатта, която получаваме, докато биваме пречиствани, по следния начин, към който повечето от нас могат да се съотнесат на някакво ниво.

       „Посещенията на Първия Етап [т.е. на очистването от страстите]

     √    Понякога благодатта сее смирение в сърцето на човека и прави мисълта му по-ниска и от прахта и пепелта.

     √    Понякога тя го кара да пролива сълзи посредством спомнянето на своите грехове.

     √    Понякога прави рецитирането на Псалмите да се услажда на сърцето му, като му дарява лекота и наслада в дългото му служение.

     √    Понякога го кара да обикне честите земни поклони, възбуждайки у него импулси на скръб и смирение, или на радост и увереност.

     √    Понякога го утешава с мечтания, той трябва да е предпазлив с тях, независимо колко прекрасни са те, заради Лукавия.

     √    Понякога го стимулира с възпоменание на светиите и на техните трудове и постижения, като му дава пламенно желание да подражава на трудовете им.

     √    Понякога го укорява с възпоменание на грешките му и как благодатта търпеливо го е търпяла като любяща медицинска сестра, и при този спомен той ще рони сълзи на скръб и радост. Тук, ако благодатта не би поддържала сърцето, той ще издъхне поради множеството парещи сълзи.

     √    Понякога му дарява неспирни похвали и услаждане в тях.

     √    Понякога го кара да обикне постоянното четене и смесва сълзи или удоволствие с него.

     √    Понякога му припомня живота на нашия Господ, и човек става смирен, но радостен; или изобразява Страданието пред него и го кара да рони от очите си страдалчески сълзи без мяра.

     √    Понякога вдъхновява у него любов да прави неща за удоволствието на братята му.

     √    Понякога тя ще до дари с мълчние, за да потуши импулсите на страстите.

     √    Понякога тя ще се разбуди в сърцето му жал за угнетените и служение на болните.

Посредством тези неща благодатта на Духа пречиства и полира душата на начинаещия и на всекиго, който обърне гръб на своето безгрижие и гнусни дела, и като се доближава до нея го поставя под ярема на послушанието”.


       Когато даден човек се е пречистил от страстите, благодатта на Светия Дух се спуска върху него и просветлява душата му. Тази фаза Светите Отци наричат просветление, и тя се нарича така, защото човек възприема цялата реалност по един коренно различен начин. Човек не само се освобождава от страстите, които разкривяват нашето възприятие на нещата, но също така човек вижда всичко чрез и във Бога: той вижда нещата така както са свързани с Бог, а не така както са свързани със собствените ни желания. С други думи, той вижда нещата такива каквито те наистина са. Това възприятие е толкова различно от възприятието на човек, който е под влиянието на страстите, че разликата е като между светлината и тъмнината. Такъв човек навлиза в друг един свят, свят на светлина и благодат; и все пак, това не е съзерцаването на несътворената светлина, която се отнася до хора в състояние на обОжение. Има три основни характеристики на състоянието на просветление:

   1.    непрестанна молитва
     2.    приемането на даровете на Светия Дух
   3.    съзерцание на “logoi” или на вътрешните принципи на сътворението

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Warring with Ourselves, Ours Is ... a True Apostleship Before God Като Воюваме със Самите Себе Си, Нашето е ... едно Истинско Апостолство пред Бог

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Warring with Ourselves,
Ours Is ... a True Apostleship Before God
[The Big Bang and the Witness of the Old-Calendar Church of Bulgaria]
(a sermon delivered on 25 September / 08 October 2006* in Sofia)

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* 330th anniversary of the repose (1776) of Elder Dositheus (actually a woman), recluse of the Kiev Caves who blessed St. Seraphim to go to Sarov

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[Bishop Photii of Triaditsa:] Unfortunately, my beloved, the health of His Eminence Archbishop Chrysostomos did not allow him to serve today but we all have together taken communion of the Eucharistic table! I shall now ask His Eminence to address you with an arhipastor’s sermon!

[Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna:] Во имя Отцу и Сыну, и Святому Духу ныне и присно и во веки веков – Амин!

       With the blessing of bishop Photii I would like to say a few words to you today about the importance of the witness of the old-calendar Church of Bulgaria. – I would like to begin in a rather curious way – by telling you some recent news. – As some of you may know three of the Nobel prizes for this year have been announced. – The Nobel prizes for chemistry, physics and medicine or physiology. – And these three prizes were shared by five Americans. – And the five of them are [much to our pride] either teaching in. or products of. the University of California and the Stanford University in California. – There is a theory in America that these prizes were given as a consolation prize to the United States. – As consolation for our president. – To give us a little hope beyond him! – At any rate – we’re proud of these prizes. – And two of the prize-winners have particular significance – these are the two prize-winners in physics. – These two prize-winners have demonstrated some of the processes by which the Big Bang may have occurred at the beginning of Creation. –

       Now, why would I refer to these two individuals in terms of the witness of your Church in Bulgaria?!? – There’s a very important reason! – We have come to think of our witness as old-calendarists or as traditional Orthodox as in oppositional witness. – And many of us like to think that our position is against modernism, – against trends in society, – – against the official Churches, – against any kind of new thought, – and against the Apocalyptic spirit of Antichrist. – In fact there is nothing oppositional in our position! – Our position is a matter of perspective. – For example, there are many who would say that these two scientists who won the Nobel prize – and who offered support for the physical-and-chemical components of the ‘Big Bang’ theory – and that they are therefore opposed to the Christian concept of Creation. – And therefore we as Christians should be opposed to their science! – Quite the opposite! Our position should be one of perspective! – They say that all life began with the Big Bang because of chemical-and-physical occurrences. – We have a different way of speaking of the Big Bang. – We turn to the narrative of Creation in the Old Testament – and we say, “God said ‘Let there be light!’ – and there was light” – that is our Big Bang! – And it’s perfectly consistent – with the idea that there was a point of Creation – which others may express in chemical-and-physical terms – but which we express in spiritual terms. – And this should be our approach as old-calendarists! – Not to be oppositional, – but always to offer a spiritual perspective. – The new calendar entered into the Orthodox Church – because there were those concerned about astronomical issues. – Our answer is not to argue astronomy with the Church – because astronomy is a secondary issue with the calendar – our answer is to talk about Tradition. – And Tradition is not built on astronomy – and is not changed on the basis of astronomy. – Our position is that Holy Tradition – expresses the inner essence of our Faith. –

The Royal Path of Moderation in our Age of Excess – AbC Царският път на умереността в нашата епоха на излишък

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ПРЕВОД ОТ АНГЛИЙСКИ

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The Royal Path of Moderation in our Age of Excess – AbC

ORTHODOX TRADITION
Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies
VolumeXXVIII, Number 1, 2011


Царският път на умереността
в нашата епоха на излишък

От слова на архиепископ Хризостом Етнийски със съвети
към братството на манастира „Св. Григорий Палама”

       Що се отнася до нашето общество – ако има нещо, което да го описва уместно – то това е думата „излишък”. Разполагаме с повече отколкото се нуждаем. Лакомо не намираме никакво удовлетворение в нашето излишество [до втръсване – тук и по-долу: квадратните скобки са бел. прев. ]. Не се поколебаваме да експлоатираме по оскверняващ начин околната среда. Медиите вече не дават новините с обективност и в дух на сдържаност, така че онова, което чуваме за световните събития, е покварено от сензационност и необуздана емоция, притъпяващи усета за предпазливо, умерено съзерцание на всички явления – били те духовни или светски – към което ни приканват светите отци на църквата. Вследствие на което дори се обадиха някои гласове, прегърнали омразата, разделящото отмъщение и грозотата в името Христово. Замаскирани като благочестие и праведност, вдъхновени и подигравани от Лукавия, различни подстрекатели сипят огън и жупел срещу злините в Църквата с неблагоразумна ревност, като си мислят, че поддържат традиционното православно учение. В действителност, общият дух на излишък в света около нас ни е направил съвсем слепи за смисъла на християнската умереност (която се корени в любовта, подслонява я и я храни) и доведе до една побъркана представа за света и за светоотеческия дух, която е в еднаква степен шокираща и опасна.

       Обществото ни привикна да нарича мира, тишината, сдържаността, внимателното обмисляне и разсъждаването – „топлохладност”, като злоупотребява с предупреждението на Христос за необходимата топлина на нашата вероизповед, нашата любов и нашето братство и обърква тази „топлина вътре в сърцето” със студеното, неуважително, превзето [и голословно] говорене в света – [нека повторя] още веднъж, говорене, което е навлязло в Църквата в дух на озлобление и омраза, противен на християнството. И наистина, когато св. Павел, пишейки до евреите, ни призовава към ревност в това да се „държим (здраво) за Вярата

”, той незабавно съпоставя това увещание с чист и ясен призив към „любов” и „добри дела” (вж. Евреи 10:23 – от ред на англ.). Разделящите ревността от любовта той описва като „потъпкали Сина Божий” със своя гняв и отмъстителност, считайки ги за заслужили наказание за това, че са похулили Духа на Благодатта: “τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς χάριτος ἐνυβρίσας” (Евреи 10:29 – от ред на англ.). И в действителност, умереност в любовта е необходима дори и в защита на нашата вяра, независимо от това в колко голяма степен днес този смисъл остава неразбран и пренебрегнат.

St. Great Martyr Procopius Св. влкмч. Прокопий. Стенопис в църквата „Протата” в Карея, Света Гора Атон

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Св. влкмч. Прокопий
St. Great-Martyr Procopius
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Прокопий Пчелар / Procopius the Bee-Keeper

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Стенопис в църквата "Протата" в Карея, в Света Гора Атон, от Мануил Панселинос

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Тропар на преподобен, глас 8

На тебе, Отче, който подражава, сигурно ще се спаси,
защото, поел кръст, си последвал Христа;
и на дело си учил да се презира плътта, защото е преходна,
а да се грижи за безсмъртната душа.
Затова и с ангели ще се възрадва, преподобни (името), твоят дух.

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       Празнува се в чест на пчелите и техния закрилник св. Прокопий. Пчелите са посредници между видимия и невидимия свят и помощници на Бога. Благословени са да създават меда. Дори и злите сили не им пакостят, заради любимата си храна. Затова болестите, злосторните същества, орисниците, вилите и самодивите биват умилостивявани с мед или медени питки.

       На 8/21 юли, още преди да е изгряло слънцето, за да са пчелите в кошерите, пчеларите отиват на пчелина с два обредни хляба – едният за Господ, другият – за св. Прокопий. Прекадяват пред кошерите хляба, намазват го с миналогодишен мед и после го раздават на съседи и познати за здраве и берекет. Докато прекадява, стопанинът нарича благословията: "Който е честит, честит берекетлия, на трън да седи, пчели да рои!" След това от всеки кошер се взема по парче от пълна восъчна пита. Това е първият мед и се вярва, че той притежава магически свойства да лекува всякакви болести. Затова се пази през цялата година: ако децата се разболеят, ако някой е ухапан от насекомо, пчела, стършел или паяк… С този мед се мажат питите в чест на Баба Шарка, мажат се и челата на децата, на момите и на невестите, за да не хващат уроки. На този ден не се работи, за да не "изрови облак полето", жените „пазят празника”, за да им „държат” децата, да растат живи и здрави.


Св. великомъченик Прокопий умрял мъченически за вярата, посечен след жестоки изтезания през 303 г.

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       Celebrated in honor of the bees and of their patron St. Procopius. Bees are intermediaries between the visible world and invisible world and helpers of God. They are blessed to make honey. Even evil spirits do not harm them because of their favorite food. This is why diseases, evil-doing creatures, the weird sisters, wood-nymphs, and fairies are appeased with honey or honeycombs.

       On July 8th / 21st, even before sunrise, so that bees would be still in the hives, beekeepers go to the apiary with two ritual loaves of bread – one for the Lord, the other – for St. Procopius. They incense before the hives the bread, spread it with last year honey and then hand it out to neighbors and friends for health and prosperity. While censing, the beekeeper speaks this blessing: “Whoever is happy, a happy well-doer, let him sit on a thorn, and swarm bees!” Then taken from each hive is a piece of a full honeycomb. This is the first honey and people believe that ite possesses magic properties to cure any diseases. Therefore it is kept throughout the year: in case children fall sick, if someone gets bitten by an insect, a bee, a hornet or a spider... This honey is spread on the ritual loaves in honor of Baba Sharka [Granma Measles], spread on the foreheads of children, young women and brides, so they woould not be susceptible to evil eyes. No work on this day, so that “a cloud would not dig out the field”; women “keep the feast” so their children would “hold” and grow up safe and sound.

Икуменизъм /Ecumenism/ =A 1969 report= архиеп. Виталий, Монреалски и Канадски

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ПРЕВОД ОТ АНГЛИЙСКИ

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Икуменизъм

Икуменизъм

от архиепископ Виталий, Монреалски и Канадски

1969 г.

Доклад пред епископския Събор

на Руската Православна Задгранична Църква

-както е публикуван в „The Orthodox Word” бр. 27 юли-август 1969 год.

       Историите за икуменизъм са в изобилие, а няколкото останали православни издания, които все още успяват и желаят да дадат израз на истината, все по-често се появяват и примери на решителна защита на истинската Христова Църква срещу тази съвременна ерес на ересите. Но може би все още самата същност на икуменизма не е определена с такава яснота и отчетливост, нито са разкрити причините, нито са изяснени мотивите на неговите последователи, нито е изложен неговия план – така както в настоящата статия. Представена първоначално като официален доклад пред пълния епископски Събор [Съвет] на Руската Православна Задгранична Църква през 1967 г. и преработен през тази година в светлината на Асамблеята в Упсала от 1968 г., тя може с право да заеме своето място до съвсем неотдавнашното „Печално Послание” на митрополит Филарет до всички православни епископи в целия свят* като един окончателен тръбен зов към познаващите и обичащите Христовата Църква да се отделят от злото на днешните дни и да се надигнат в защита на Църквата**.

* Пълен текст на английски език в „Orthodox Life” [Джорданвил, Ню Йорк], юли-август 1969 г., и в „Образователната Поредица на Св. Нектарий” [Сиатъл Вашингтон].

** Текстът в превод от руски език в периодичните издания, публикуван от „Monastery Press” на архиепископ Виталий в Монреал: „Orthodox Observer” [Православен наблюдател], юни 1969 г., стр. 14-30.



       ИКУМЕНИЧЕСКОТО ДВИЖЕНИЕ, което сега наблюдаваме в окончателния му вид със „Световния Съвет на Църквите“ като главно негово седалище, така да се каже, със сложната си мрежа от организации, е поставено поетапно през едно постепенно развитие.

       През първата половина на миналия век се появиха първите му предшественици: през 1844 г. в Лондон някой си Джордж Уилямс основава т. нар. YMCA [Уай-Ем-Си-Ей – Християнска Асоциация на Младите Хора (мъже)], която към златния си юбилей през 1894 г. [вече] е успяла да се разпространи в целия свят, а през 1952 г. наброяваше близо 10 000 клона с четири милиона членове. Сам основателят на тази общност е награден с Рицарски Орден от кралица Виктория.

Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me. Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ ἐλέησόν με.

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Превод от английски на
Translation into English from Greek

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Mother Gabriel

Thou hast made me known to friends
Whom I knew not.
Thou hast given me seats in
homes not my own.
Thou hast brought the distant near
And made a brother of the stranger.

I am uneasy at heart
When I have to leave
my accustomed shelter,
I forget that there abides
the old in the new,
and that there also, Τhou abidest.

Through birth and death,
in this world or in others,
wherever Τhou leadest me,
it is Τhou the same,
the One Companion of my
endless life,

who ever linkest
my heart with bonds
of joy to the Unfamiliar.
When one knows Τhee,
then alien there is none,
then no door is shut.

Oh! Grant me my prayer
That I may never lose the bliss
Of the touch of the One
In the play of the many.

Мат Гавриила


Ти срещна ме с приятели,
Които не познавах.
Ти ми даде дом
във чужди къщи.
Ти далечното го приближи
И от странника направи брат.

Сърцето ми препуска лудо
Когато трябва да оставя
обичайния подслон,
и все забравям,
че старото живее в новото,
и че в него – също – пребиваваш Ти.

Чрез раждане и смърт,
във този свят и в онзи,
където Ти ме поведеш,
пак Ти си – все един и същи! –
Единственият Спътник
на живота ми безкраен,

Който свързвал е някога
с връзки на радост
сърцето ми с Непознатото.
Когато човек Те опознае,
тогава няма странник,
тогава никоя врата не е затворена.

О! Чуй молитвата ми
Никога да не загубя блаженството
От д́осега с Едничкия
В играта на мнозина.
       This is now!

The Prayer of
Ephraim the Syrian
(A. S. Pushkin)


The desert fathers and
women of no blame –
So that the hearts would
rise in areas celestial,
To strengthen one amidst
the valley storms and battles –
Laid down a multitude
of holy prayers;
But none of those
melt down my heart,
Like the one a priest
repeats in prayer
In days of sorrow during Lent;
And it all so often comes to mouth
And upholds the fallen
with force unknown:
“O Lord and Master of my days!
A spirit of despondent idleness,
vainglorious ambition,
veiled by the serpent
And idle talking give not to my soul.
But rather grant me
to see my, Oh dear Lord, failings –
lest I condemn my brother –
And bestow on me
a spirit of humble-mindedness,
Of patience and of love,
And chastity in my heart bring to life.”

       This is here!

Молитва
Ефрема Сирина
(А. С. Пушкин)


Отцы пустынники
и жёны непорочны,
Чтоб сердцем возлетать
во области заочны,
Чтоб укреплять его средь
дольных бурь и битв,
Сложили множество
божественных молитв;
Но ни одна из них
меня не умиляет,
Как та, которую
священник повторяет
Во дни печальные Великого поста;
Всех чаще мне она приходит на уста
И падшего крепит неведомою силой:
Владыко дней моих!
Дух праздности унылой,
Любоначалия, змеи сокрытой сей,
И празднословия не дай душе моей.
Но дай мне зреть мои,
о Боже, прегрешенья,
Да брат мой от меня
не примет осужденья,
И дух смирения, терпения, любви
И целомудрия мне в сердце оживи.

Holy Prophet and God-Seer Moses († 1531 BC), Holy Glorious Prophet John the Forerunner (1st C) as the Angel of Desert, Holy and Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver (†1st C.), and Righteous Anna the Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, who met the Lord Jesus Christ at the Temple in Jerusalem

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[[the link in the title is not to advertise the site of origin
of this icon below - sold; just to indicate the source]]

LOVE AND PEACE GUSH OUT OF HEARTS

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РОЖДЕСТВО ХРИСТОВО Когато цял свят тънеше във мрак най-светлата звезда изгря в небето! Отчаяно от всичко, трепна пак във радостно очакване сърцето! И ангели запяха над света възторжения химн: “Христос роди се!” И мъдрост, и овчарска простота, и всичко пред Смирения смири се! От яслите под светлата звезда изтече Извор и заля земята... И дето пият чудната вода, любов и мир избликват от сърцето!

CHRIST’S NATIVITY When all the world in darkness lay the brightest star rose up the sky! Despaired by all, the heart again in joyful anticipation quailed! And angels started singing up above the hymn enthused: "Christ is born!" Before the Humbled both wisdom and shepherd's simplicity and all humbled! From the manger under the bright star a Well ran out and broke the ground ... And where they drink the wonderful water love and peace gush out of hearts!

&#9766 Архимандрит Серафим

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НЕВИДИМОТО "Бога никой никога не е видял. Ако любим другиго, Бог пребъдва в нас." (1 Йоан.4:12) Поисках в порив чист да видя аз душата си - невидимата моя, която в мен живей и свойта власт издава в мисъл, в чувство и във воля. Но колкото и с ревност да се взирах, аз чувствах я, ала не я намирах. Тогаз да видя жадно се заех невидимия Бог. И помня още, как денем молех се, но без успех, как търсех Бога сред звездите                         нощем. Но колкото усърден и да бях, в безкрайния всемир не Го видях. И чух: “Безумецо, що дириш ти невидимото със очи да зърнеш? Виж брата страдащ и го навести! Побързай мъката му да прегърнеш!” Аз сторих туй. И в моя ближен тих и Бога, и душата си открих.

THE INVISIBLE "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,God dwelleth in us." [1 John. 4:12] In a pure impulse I wanted to see my soul - the invisible of mine, which resides in me and her power is seen in thought, in feeling and in will. But no matter how zealously I stared, I felt it, but I did not find it. "Then I eagerly undertook to see the God invisible. And I still remember how daytime I prayed, with no success, how I was searching God             amidst the stars at nights. But diligent though I was in the endless universe I saw Him not. And I heard: "Fool, what are you looking for; to glance the invisible with eyes? See your brother suffering and visit him! Hurry up to embrace his grief!" I did this. And in my quiet neighbor both God and my soul I did find.

&#9766 Архимандрит Серафим

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КОЛЕДНО ВИДЕНИЕ Зове ме древният пророк да идем днес до Витлеем и на Смирилия се Бог сърдечен дар да поднесем. Не идва Той могъщ, богат, а скрит във сетна нищета и взел на всеки малък брат върху Си мъката, скръбта! Той зъзне в той зимен мраз във схлупен дом накрай града! Какво ли чака Той от нас, избрал за Себе си глада? Той може би съвсем е Сам и гледа в тихите врати, ще се яви ли някой там в скръбта Му да Го навести?! Свещената Му нищета е урок тих и кротък зов... Той чака в Свойта самота сърдечен дар, троха любов! Съседи бедни и добри, от своя хляб да Му дадем! Елате, братя и сестри, да идем днес във Витлеем!

CHRISTMAS APPARITION The ancient prophet calls me to go with him to Bethlehem and to the Humbled God a gift of heart to offer. He comes not powerful, and rich, But in the poorest misery hidden and having shouldered every little brother’s grief, and sorrow on Himself! He shivers in the winter frost in a shabby house just off the town! What can He be waiting from us, having chosen hunger for Himself? He is perhaps quite Lonely and looks at the quiet doors will anyone appear there to visit Him in His affliction? His holy misery is a lesson quiet and a gentle call ... He waits in His loneliness a gift of heart, a crumb of love! Poor and good neighbors, let us give Him from our bread! Come, brothers and sisters, let’s go today to Bethlehem!

&#9766 Архимандрит Серафим

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«Призыв Христа к покаянию».

Зачем ты покинул меня человек? Зачем от меня отвернулся? Ведь я возлюбил тебя крепко, на век, А ты ко врагу обратился! я небо оставил, на землю сошел, От Девы Пречистой родился, С одной лишь любовью к тебе Я пришел, И ради тебя воплотился. Ведь ради тебя как убогий Я жил, Бездомный и нищий скитался, И каждому в жизни, чем мог Я служил, Как раб, я в труде подвизался! И ради тебя я муки терпел, И били меня и терзали; На страшном, позорном кресте я висел, И люди в лицо мне плевали! И ради тебя на ужасном кресте я умер среди двух злодеев; Пред смертью подали Мне желчь на копье, При радостных криках евреев. И ради тебя похоронен Я был, И крест и тяжелые муки, И самую смерть ты Мою позабыл, Забыл Мои связаны руки!

Я душу твою от греха исцелил, От смертного ада избавил; Я смертью Своею тебя искупил, И вновь тебя к небу направил! Зачем ты любовью Моей пренебрёг? За что ты Меня ненавидишь?! Под гнетом страстей ты совсем изнемог! И собственной пользы не видишь!!! Богатства ли хочешь? Ума, красоты?! Желаешь ли славы и знаний? Стремишься ли к счастью заветной мечты? Иль ищешь покой от страданий?! Я дам тебе славу, богатство и ум, Я дам бесконечную радость… Сниму с тебя бремя сомнений и дум, Я дам тебе райскую сладость! Я дам тебе свет от Себя Самого, Источника жизни нетленной; Я дам тебе знания мира всего, Я — Истина жизни вселенной! Ты слышишь ли зов Мой, приди же ко Мне, Не бойся своих прегрешений, Любви милосердной ведь больше во Мне! И каждому дам я Прощенье!!!

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На грани.

(иерм. Роман Матюшин)

Вожди живут себе в угоду, Во власти полный паралич. Мы перестали быть народом - И засвистел кавказский бич. Его старательно сплетали При одобрении властей. Уж как на Русь не клеветали Искариоты всех мастей! Разбой телесный и духовный! В верхах измена и обман! Но словоблудит вождь верховный О процветанье россиян. Иван да Марья - недруг знает - Хребет страны, её душа! Когда хребет переломают, Тогда и рёбра сокрушат. И что? Мостить страну гробами, Наполнив ненавистью грудь? Нас подло сталкивают лбами, Антихристу готовя путь. Мир подвела к последней грани Лапсердаковая напасть. Русь обрекла на вымиранье Олигархическая власть.

Хотя-б не прикрывались Богом! Какая правда на земле, Когда не только в синагогах - Гремит Ханука и в Кремле! Жидовский праздник - всенародный? Вождям не надобно врача? Но вождь идёт, как пёс голодный, Плевок в народ - горит свеча! И Патриарх*, престол позоря, Спешит не веру защищать, А направляется к меноре Не Божьи свечи зажигать! И отступлению есть мера! Что пользы в сдаче без потерь? Ужель неверие и вера Не отличаются теперь? Стоит в святых местах менора, Пред нею - люди-мертвецы. Такого срама и позора Доднесь не ведали отцы! Без солнца давит непогода, Без света губит чернота! Без Веры нам не стать народом: Мы погибаем без Христа!

18 декабря 2010 г.
йером. Роман

* Патриарх Сербский Ириней.

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Watching romantic blah-blah-blah,
for the season... ——
Ah, is this the season?
Or, are we out of season?
By the way "петарды" translates as 'farts'
                          или 'пиратки'. ——
I've found these quotes memorable:

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We all have “a small
but distinct opportunity
to do the right thing!”

And it “sort of makes us
‘fungus’ ” ...

“Исповедуйтеся Господу“
[Хвалите Имя Господне] ——
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

I am with Christ forever - every moment on His narrow path

T A L M A C H
so much and simple

I am with Christ forever -
every moment on His narrow path

And my home is on this narrow countryside Road of Christ -
at 8, November - some Authorities and Kingdoms [Dominions]
would have it changed - to 21, November - but our home is
still the very same! Call us at our house number 8[OS]/21[NS].

Those Authorities and Kingdoms [Dominions] have been demoted -
rest assured! - and authorities and kingdoms are they no more! -
For I have the Powers - and the Will of the Living Word!

And the Thrones are being submerged - lest they be defiled by
Antichrist, who knows all lies.

                                                                      Archangel Michael

The Eighth Day (of indiction)

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The world was created in Six Days
and the Seventh Day was attributed to honor the Creator.
And so the cycle started running in time...
It is called Genesis, week, calendar...

And on the Eighth Day

there came
the hope for salvation,
the beginning of our salvation was born on the Eighth Day of the indiction
(and through Her – the Most Holy Theotokos, Ever Virgin Miriam –
coming to this world was also our Savior),
subsequently (probably) still on that Eighth day
there will come our very salvation...

(For early Christian Fathers the spiritual "Eighth Day"
is Christ's resurrection) or the end of the world...

But is our salvation an end –
[Yes, of course - in English -
yes, this is our ultimate objective!]
or our salvation is an end of the world, of this world?!?

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Epistle of Barnabas

       "Chapter 16. The spiritual temple of God

       Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple. But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: "Who has meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?" Isaiah 40:12 "Thus says the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool: what kind of house will you build to Me, or what is the place of My rest?" Isaiah 66:1 You perceive that their hope is vain. Moreover, He again says, "Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again." It has so happened. For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now: they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up. For the Scripture says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction." And it so happened as the Lord had spoken. Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is— where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, "And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord." Daniel 9:24-27; Haggai 2:10 I find, therefore, that a temple does exist. Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, you observe, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwells in him, and speaks in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord."

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TRANSLATION FROM RUSSIAN

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Homily XI by St. John of Kronstadt
On the Day of St. Archistratigue Michael and the Synaxis of all Heavenly Bodiless Powers

November 8, 1907

       We keep praising Thee, O Christ, Who has most wisely joined the sky with the earth and has made one Church of angels and men. (Stichira for small vespers).
       We celebrate, dear brethren, the bright holiday of the thunder-like Archangel Michael and the other heavenly bodiless powers.
       The history of the Church’s establishing of this holiday is long and we will not tell it now; let those wishing to know it read about it in the church book "Lives of the Saints" [Chetyi-Minhei], and now let us talk about the spiritual countless world of angels, about their features, about their order of lines and about the immeasurable God’s sweetness, Who has associated us, Orthodox Christians, with this angelic Synaxis and Who has constituted one Church out of the angels and men, and then about our obligation to honor them according to dignity and to imitate them in force, as the future fellow citizens of ours in the heavenly fatherland; about which we pray to the Lord God, our common Creator.
       St. Cyril of Alexandria says (see Macarius’s Theology on Angels): if our earth, and it – as just one point in-between the worlds – bears on it such a countless number of people and all [kinds of] beings, then [imagine] how many times more inhabitants abide in the immaterial heaven, so great and beyond limits [comprehension] for any mind?
       Angels have a spiritual, immaterial, subtle, immortal nature – free from any mortality, but a limited one – not like that of the Lord Himself, the Spirit – everywhere consubstantial and one, without beginning and all-pervading. He brought Angels out of non-being into being, sanctified them by His word, and for [the purpose of] intransigence against evil He strengthened them up by the Holy Spirit in a non-falling manner (i.e. they can no longer fall into sin), their nature is full of the wonderful, unquenchable light, holiness, goodness, beauty, [utter] wisdom, power, immortality, ardent love for the Creator and for each other and for men, about whose salvation they rejoice and are [but] willing to have them as their eternal fellow citizens in the country of eternal light and immortality, of peace and joy. St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a disciple of Apostle Paul, whom the Holy Spirit raised up [in admiration] to the third sky, heard from Him the mysterious teaching on the world of angels, [he] wrote it down and handed it to the Church (Dionysius the Areopagite on the Church Hierarchy).
       The Angelic world divides into nine orders, and these – each [divides] into three lines. The first and brightest-seen angels (Michael and Gabriel) as a bright illumination of the Trinity without beginning, wait immediately on the flaming throne of God, being enlightened by His unapproachable light, and handing down enlightenment and knowledge of God’s mysteries to the their lower lines; and the lower lines are being controlled in a most peaceful manner by the higher [ones]. Such heavenly citizenship, such most peaceful, holy, most bright, gracious Synaxis of the celestial residents is called Heavenly Hierarchy, in line with the earthly hierarchy or the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church.
       Let us marvel at the all-good God and at [His] most wise providence, at His boundless goodness, intending us to our co-interning and bliss without end – along with Angels – in the future fatherland of ours and constituting one Church of Angels – most bright and incorruptible, and men chosen and worthy. What indescribable by any language bliss awaits the faithful Christians, if through the end they abide in faithfulness to their Christian calling! In order for us to qualify for eternal cohabitation and blissful life together with the angels in heaven, we must try and honor them, imitate their holiness, humility, love and wholehearted devotion to God, elevation of thoughts, abstinence, prayer and fasting, mercy and compassion to each other, hot mutual love.
       The holy God-inspired audiences of God’s mysteries and of the angelic visions, the prophets and evangelists have seen how the angels in mysterious visions face each other in a friendly manner and praise consortingly the Holy Trinity. This teaches us, too, to treat each other with warm love and to live in one mind, ardently serving our common-for-all Creator.
       The glory of the infinite goodness of God, Who has prepared eternal kingdom for us, a kingdom of unquenchable light, peace and unfailing bliss, together with the countless Synaxis of Angels.
       Let us make use of the little time here towards prosperity in Christian virtues, so we may inherit this everlasting bliss, which may the Lord grant us all by grace, through His generosity and love for men, through the intercession of the Most Pure Mother of God and through the waiting [intercession] of the honest bodiless heavenly powers, especially the radiant thunder-like Michael and Gabriel, and the holy Angels – our guardians. Amen!

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TRANSLATION FROM RUSSIAN

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Vision of Joseph Munoz

       A number or a day, or the year...? What prompted me to publish this? - I cannot understand. Perhaps Vladyka Philaret’s date of demise? Indeed, it has been 25 years now.

       …

       "Let me remind you of a portentous vision given to Joseph in the night of 20th against the 21st November 1985 – just a few hours before Metropolitan Philaret died.
       You were the first person whom Joseph told about this vision of his shortly after the news came of the Metropolitan Philaret’s demise.
       On November 24th (the Iberon icon’s feast day) 1985 Metropolitan Philaret was buried. Immediately thereafter Joseph came to us in Washington for a few days [stay] and on the very first evening, under the fresh impression of the vision he told us about it in details. This was also attended by Fr. Theodore Shevtsov.
       In the words of Joseph on the night of November 20th he felt very tired and went to bed. The holy Icon hanged on the wall opposite his bed – so that when lying he could gaze at it. Soon after he lied down, the icon-lamp hanging in front of the icon went out. He lit it up again but it went out for the second time. Then Joseph changed the oil, the wick, washed the lamp-glass, and filled it up again. But soon the lamp went out for a third time... This upset him, because he felt that the Mother of God intimately suggested to him that something significant was going to happen, since shortly before that the lamp in front of the Iberon Icon went out on three occasions – before the terrible earthquake in Mexico and before the eruption of the volcano in Colombia, in result to which thousands were killed. Joseph stood up for prayer. Under the icon, by the wall there was a [small] bench. Joseph knelt down to his knees, leaned against the bench and began praying. During the prayer he fell asleep.
       In the dream, a panoramic view opened to him – very much like a huge wide screen – and he was presented one such vision. Wooded nature with rocky soil. On the trail he saw – standing on his knees with a haggard face – Metropolitan Philaret. On the back of the Vladyka and on his right shoulder there lay a large heavy cross. The cross look was terrible – iron and cold (it lacked any life-giving heat, which gently emanates out of a wooden cross), it was an ugly color – dark green-brownish. Metropolitan Philaret was falling under the weight of the cross and was unable to budge. But, suddenly, unexpectedly, Metropolitan Philaret bent forward and with a decisive movement from right to left he dropped the cross onto the ground (the motion was strange as the Metropolitan could simply drop his right shoulder down and the cross would slide to the ground).
       Once the cross touched the ground, the Metropolitan disappeared. Joseph was seized with fear by what he had seen and out of horror he hid his face with his hands. When he finally dropped his hands before another picture appeared to him. He saw a land that has turned into a desert due to a terrible disaster. Instead of Metropolitan Philaret – standing on his knees was Vladyka Vitaliy with that same cross on his back, only the cross was more terrible, darker and heavier. Although with enormous labors, but still somehow the Vladyka budged little by little on.
       In a last, third part, of the vision Joseph saw a cross – purely black in color in that same desert, and crucified on it was – in full vestment, with miter – Bishop Vitaliy...”.

       …

       A few hours after this vision the world learned of the repose of Metropolitan Philaret... Maybe this vision – sent to Joseph – was the most significant of all signs of the Iberon Myrrh-streaming Icon. Maybe by this prophetic vision the Mother of God warns us about what might happen – lest it happens. Maybe we are currently witnessing the last part of the/a vision. God forbid! When at your insistence Joseph told You about his vision, tears came into Your eyes and You told him that the first part of the vision was clear, but the next [one] You did not want to interprete and preferred not to think about [it]... "(an excerpt from a letter bt Fr. N. to M. V.)

== CLICK BELOW за БЪЛГАРСКИ===

It looks like love but is reversed …

A poem by Tsocho Boyadjiev, Prof.
стихотворение от проф. Цочо Бояджиев

MIRROR

It looks like:
a trace of bright dream before dawn;
a breath of pigweed and saltbush at the bottom of the yard;
steps of a drunken cricket across the bridge over the river;
quinces arranged on the drawer in the kitchen;
clothes thrown on the chair by the window;
truth spoken without words…

It looks like love
but is reversed

Tsocho Boyadjiev, Prof.

photo by Tsocho Boyadjiev, Prof.

снимка на проф. Цочо Бояджиев

Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev) (1912-1993)

T A L M A C H
so much and simple

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by Elena Kalcheva [a post in Bulgarian of September 27, 2009]

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Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev)

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TRANSLATION FROM BULGARIAN

       Archimandrite Seraphim (Stoyan Georgiev Alexiev in the world) was born on February 25 (9 March old style) 1912 [+ 13/26 January 1993] in Gorno Brodi in Serres (Macedonia) as the youngest son in a large family of devout poor parents. His father Georgi Alexiev was in bell-casting – a craft that he bequeathed to his two senior sons Dimitar and Atanas. The junior son – Stoyan, stood out for his keen church spirit and deep Orthodox faith.
       After the family resettled in Sofia (due to the two Balkan wars of 1912-1913) he joined the Sofia Seminary and graduated with honors. In 1934 he was sent to study at the old-Catholic Theology faculty in Bern (Switzerland), where he gained the scientific degree of doctor of theology, defending a thesis on: "The Meaning of the Requirements of Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount" (173 pages), printed in the German language in Sofia in 1938.
       After his return to Bulgaria he was appointed a lecturer at the Plovdiv, and later at the Sofia Theological Seminaries. In the latter, on February 3, 1940 he accepted monasticism with the name Seraphim, in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov, whom he deeply revered during all his life and to whom he later dedicated one of the best favorite books for Bulgarian Orthodox readers – namely, 'St. Seraphim of Sarov' (1957), reprinted many times in Bulgaria.
       A turning point in the life of the young monk was his convergence with the residing in Bulgaria Russian Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) (1950). From him he took up the live sense of Orthodox faith and a fine sense of spiritual life, which he subsequently taught himself to his numerous spiritual children.
       On Annunciation in 1943 he was ordained a priest and began his soul-benefitting pastoral activity of a dedicated confessor, which lasted nearly half a century.
       After two years of service as protosingel with the Sliven Metropolia, Fr. Seraphim was promoted to the rank of Archimandrite in January 1947 and was moved to the office head of cultural and educational department with the Holy Synod in Sofia. In that difficult time for the Church Archimandrite Seraphim repeatedly valiantly defended the Orthodox faith. At the new office, he developed tireless activity as organizer of pastoral guidance courses for priests, as an inspired preacher – in his lectures that he regularly read and as the author of numerous articles and more extensive works. The most important of these are:
"Our Faith"

(Catechism)
"Our Hope" (talks on Beatitudes) and
"Our Love" (talks on the Ten Commandments),
       as well as brochures on spiritual and moral topics:
"Pride and Humility",
"Enmity and Reconciliation",
"The Meaning of Sufferings",
"The Self-Proclaimed Judges",
"Sick and Sound Mysticism",
"The Forgotten Medicine" and others.
       Archimandrite Seraphim had also a rare poetic gift that found expression in numerous poems and verses featured in church publications as well as in two books of poetry collections: "Insights" and "Songs About Life and Death".
       All this published and unpublished spiritual works expected yet to be assessed and evaluated.
       In 1960, Archimandrite Seraphim was appointed professor at the department of dogmatic theology of the Theology Academy of the St. Kliment of Ohrida, Sofia, and was soon confirmed as an Associate Professor with his habilitation work criticizing the Roman Catholic dogma of the Most Holy Theotokos’ Immaculate Conception. As an associate professor he published in that period (1963-1969) in the Yearbook of the Theology Academy a series of theological studies, including:
"Two Extreme Views of Western Religions regarding the Most Holy Theotokos",
"The State of Man Prior To and After the Original Sin, from the Orthodox, Roman-Catholic and Protestant Points of View",
"Redemption as the Work of God's Love and God’s Righteousness",
"Franz von Bader – a Roman Catholic Philosopher and Theologian in the Search for Orthodoxy and Its Catholicity",
"The Bogomil Heresy from the Point of View of the Orthodox Dogmatic Foundations of Presbyter Kozma and of Orthodox Dogmaticism in General",
"The Church-Missionary Work of Constantine the Philosopher – St. Cyrill" (unpublished).
       After ten years of teaching at the Theology Academy Archimandrite Seraphim was forced to retire in 1969 as [one] ideologically disagreeing with the introduction of the new calendar style in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and in general [disagreeing] with the ecumenical tilt of church policy in Bulgaria – a result of the BOC’s membership of the World Council of "churches".
       Outside the Academy Fr. Seraphim furthered his much-beneficial creative [writing] activities. In the years that followed he wrote a series of books of ideological and of spiritual-and-moral content. The most important of these are:
"The Orthodox View on the Old and the New Style of the Calendar" (1972),
"Our Prayer",
"Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian in the Light of the Patristic Teaching",
"Life After Life",
"The Optina Elders" and others.
       Most of these books are still awaiting to reach [their] readers.
       In the last years of his life Archimandrite Seraphim devoted especially great attention and efforts to a thorough critique of ecumenism as a God-repulsive and soul-slaying heresy that eats away Christian Orthodox Church of today and prepares the way for the coming antichrist. The last bequeathal work of Archim. Seraphim [co-authored with his brother in Christ Fr. Serghiy (Yazadjiev) (Feb 15/28, 1924 - May 21/Jun 3, 2008)]
"Orthodoxy and Ecumenism" (Sofia, 1992) was published only three weeks before his death, that came on 13/26 January 1993. This grand work – the fruit of a quarter century of intensive research – gives an exhaustive answer to the question: "Why we are not and cannot be ecumenists?" in a number of justifications, documented and substantiated with numerous quotations from the Holy Scripture, the Holy Fathers and the theological literature.
       With this work of his Archimandrite Seraphim crowned his rich spiritual-and-writing activities which elevated his name to enviable heights among Orthodox activists and sowers on the God's field, to have fulfilled the cherished words of the Lord Jesus Christ: "but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:19)."

Orthodox Word

Осмият ден (от индикта) The Eighth Day (of indiction)

Temporal

 

Светът е сътворен в Шест Дни,
а Седмият бе определен за прослава на Твореца.
И така цикълът се завъртя във времето...
Наричат го Битие, седмица, календар...

А на Осмия ден

дойде
надеждата за спасение,
началото на нашето спасение се роди на Осмия ден от индикта
(а чрез нея - Пресвета Богородица, Вечната Дева Мариам -
дойде на този свят и нашият Спасител),
впоследствие (вероятно) пак на този Осми ден
ще дойде и самото наше спасение...

(За ранните християнски отци духовният "Осми Ден"
е Христовото възкресение) или краят на света...

Но край ли е нашето спасение -
[на английски - ЦЕЛ - да разбира се,
това е към което се стремим в крайна сметка!]
или нашето спасение е край на света, на този свят?!?

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The world was created in Six Days
and the Seventh Day was attributed to honor the Creator.
And so the cycle started running in time...
It is called Genesis, week, calendar...

And on the Eighth Day there came
the hope for salvation,
the beginning of our salvation was born on the Eighth Day of the indiction
(and through Her – the Most Holy Theotokos, Ever Virgin Miriam –
coming to this world was also our Savior),
subsequently (probably) still on that Eighth day
there will come our very salvation...

(For early Christian fathers the spiritual "Eighth Day"
is Christ's resurrection) or the end of the world...

But is our salvation an end –
[Yes, of course - in English -
yes, this is our ultimate objective!]
or our salvation is an end of the world, of this world?!?

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Epistle of Barnabas

       "Chapter 16. The spiritual temple of God

       Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple. But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: "Who has meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?" Isaiah 40:12 "Thus says the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool: what kind of house will you build to Me, or what is the place of My rest?" Isaiah 66:1 You perceive that their hope is vain. Moreover, He again says, "Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again." It has so happened. For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now: they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up. For the Scripture says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction." And it so happened as the Lord had spoken. Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is— where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, "And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord." Daniel 9:24-27; Haggai 2:10 I find, therefore, that a temple does exist. Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, you observe, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwells in him, and speaks in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord."

'It is not these sabbaths of the present age that I find acceptable, but the one of my own appointment: the one that, after I have set all things at rest, is to usher in the Eighth Day, the commencement of a new world.

' (And we too rejoice in celebrating the Eighth Day; because that was when Jesus rose from the dead, and showed Himself again, and ascended into heaven.)"

<!-more->

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An inscription in readable BULGARIAN by king Ivan Assen II

"В лето индикт Азъ Йоан Асен въ Христа Бога верньi царъ и самодръжецъ блъгарамъ, синъ стараго Асенъ, създах от зачиала и писанием оукрасих до конца пречстняя сиа чрък въ имя сты 40 мачмникъ ихже помощи в 12 лето црства моего внеже лет псаа еся храмъ съизлезох на бранъ въ Романия и разбих воиска гръчка и самого цръ кюра Одара Комнина и съ всем болеры его а земя вся преях от Одрина и до Драчъ Гръчка ицеже арбанаска и сръбскаа токчоса. Градовом окръг Цреград и самого того град дръжаха Фразинъ ----- Црства моего повиноваха ся понеже иного цръ неимеха раз в мене и мънога ради дни своя испроваждаше беха Богу тако повелевъ. Щоу ибо без него ни дело ни слов с съвръшается. Томоу слава въ векове, Аминъ."

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"В лето 6738 [1230], индикт 3. Аз Иван Асен, в Христа бога верен цар и самодържец на българите, син на стария цар Асен, създадох из основа и с живопис украсих докрай тази пречестна църква в името на светите 40 мъченици, с помощта на които в дванадесетата година от моето царуване, в която година се изписваше този храм, излязох на бран в Романия и разбих гръцката войска и плених самия цар кир Теодор Комнин с всичките му боляри, а цялата земя от Одрин до Драч завладях – гръцка, още и арбанаска и сръбска. Франките владееха само градовете около Цариград и самия този град, но и те се повинуваха(подчиняваха, покоряваха) под десницата на моето царство, понеже нямаха друг цар освен мене и благодарение на мене прекарваха своите дни, защото така повели Бог. Понеже без него ни дело, ни слово се извършва. Нему слава на векове. Амин."

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"In the year 6738 [1230], indiction 3.
I - Ivan Assen, in Christ the Lord a
loyal King and autocrat of the Bulgarians,
son of old King Assen, created from the ground up
and fully decorated with paintings this most honorable
Church in the name of the Holy 40 Martyrs, through
the help of whom in the twelfth year of my reign,
in which year this temple was being painted, went to war
in Romania [Byzantium] and defeated the Greek army and
captured King Kiros Theodore Komnenos himself
with all his boyars, and conquered all the land from
Adrianopolis [Edirne] to Drach - [that was] Greek, and
also Arbanasian and Serbian. The Franks controlled only the
towns around Tsarigrad [Constantinople] and that city itself,
but even they paid tribute [obligation] (subordinated, obeyed)
under the right hand of my kingdom, because they had
no other king but me and through me they spent their days
as God ordered so. As without Him no deed, no word is done.
To Him glory for centuries. Amen."

COVERDALE PSALTER for Orthodox worship

COVERDALE PSALTER
for Orthodox worship

[DOC format, dating unidentified,
divided into kathismata
by the servant of God, Silouan]

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First Kathisma
First Stasis
Psalm 1

       BLESSED is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners: and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side: that will bring forth his fruit in due season.
His leaf also shall not wither: and look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper.
As for the ungodly, it is not so with them: but they are like the chaff, which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth.
Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgment: neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
But the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: and the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 2

       WHY do the heathen so furiously rage together: and why do the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together: against the Lord, and against his Anointed.
Let us break their bonds asunder: and cast away their cords from us.
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath: and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet I have set my King: upon my holy hill of Sion.
I will preach the law, whereof the Lord hath said unto me: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Desire of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance: and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron: and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be learned, ye that are judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord in fear: and rejoice unto him with reverence.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and so ye perish from the right way: if his wrath be kindled, (yea, but a little,) blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from the presence of his son Absalom

       LORD, how are they increased that trouble me: many are they that rise against me.
Many one there be that say of my soul: There is no help for him in his God.
But thou, O Lord, art my defender: thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.
I did call upon the Lord with my voice: and he heard me out of his holy hill.
I laid me down and slept, and rose up again: for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people: that have set themselves against me round about.
Up, Lord, and help me, O my God: for thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: and thy blessing is upon thy people.