How to BE PRESENT. How to let go of the Past & how to live in the Present
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ส.ค. 2020
- Fr Seraphim Aldea from Mull Monastery - Orthodox Monastery of All Celtic Saints on the Isle of Mull - talks about the dangers of trading the reality of our present for the fantasy world of a past which no longer exists. We must learn how to let go of the past and how to live in the present.
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We often mistake the reality of the person in front of us for a shadow from our past. We often fail to hear the real words they say and we react to painful echoes from a lost past which has nothing to do with the flesh and bones people in front of us. We often compromise our present out of fear of a past which has long ceased to exist.
There is a saying in the Desert Fathers: if you can neither pray, nor fast, nor keep vigil, then keep yourself in your cell and your cell will teach you everything. Only when we learn to keep ourselves in the reality of our cells (our marriage, our monastic life, our single life), only when we learn how to keep our minds and our hearts in the reality of 'here and now', only then we shall break free from the shadows and the echoes of our (endlessly rewritten) past.
Only then shall we see who we are, who Christ is and how to approach the Cross of salvation.
I'm 14 and i love your videos. I have only become a Christian less than a year ago and you are a big helper. I am surrounded by athiests at home and school and you teach so much truth. You are such an inspiration and you have been helping me and others like me and for that i am grateful. God bless.
Stay on the righteous path..god see's your resolve and purity..amen
You have been given a wonderful gift.
You are a wise young one. If possible, and you feel the calling, seek the monastic life.
When this man speaks, I feel the Holy Spirit. Many on earth are starving for Truth; never stop teaching, Brother!
I had migraines for 15 yrs and it would come and go. I was going to different doctors for my head but no cured until my tooth was extracted from my dentist. My dentist told me that the root of my tooth was bad and infected and finally it cracked and she couldn’t save it but to pulled it out. After the extraction my severed headaches was gone too.
@@yennguyen-uj3ri You've replied to Buffenmeyer's comment. You should put your comment in the main comments section, otherwise it's hard to notice.
I feel so,too..that he is blessed with the Holly Spirit..
Dear Father,
Please pray for me and my family.we would like to be a personal relation ship with our
Lord jesus christ, and mother mary..
Iam very much interested in your talks and sharings recently I found in the u tube vedieos .Iam from cochin, kerala ,southern India. Please pray for our country to know the only oneGOD andOUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. AMEN.
Thank you so much ,May our good lord bless all your endevours.
Amen
I am a priest and i am struggling but
Your talks fill me peace and encouragement
Thank you and please pray for me if possible.
We are in need so much Fr. Please come and teach me and my friends. We need even a bad priest to help us!!!
This man out here putting therapists out of a job.
Much love ❤
There are no words of gratitude for your presentations. You have helped me marry my spiritual and psychological world. You are my blessing
This holy brother has become the bright part of my prayer life, very positive teaching
When I see the picture of Mother Mary on the walls of your abby, it gives me a lot of happiness
Thank you for your teachings Father Seraphim. May God in turn bless you for helping us understand ourselves in our faith. God bless you. Amen
Dear Father Seraphim, you are speaking the truth. Please pray for Sayge, Anthony, Ghassan, Maria, Stamatoula for good health.
Thank you.
He Filled us with the Holy Ghost.... am I afraid of tears released from the witness of myself..I am Blessed to further Understand myself, and break into 2 reality Amen Father!
So blessed thank you Father!☦️❤️🙏🏻
This is none but God speaking to me through my brother in Christ. I know this because I really wanted to hear this in my current reality. May God bless you all dear elders!
Am studiat în tinerete multe materiale new age (vreme de 10 ani)..despre cum să trăiești în prezent ... am aruncat toate cartile new age cand l-am auzit pe Pr Arsenie Papacioc vorbind despre starea de prezență. Acest material pe care l-am vizionat este al doilea cel mai zguduitor din viața mea care sper să arunce din mine toate reminiscenţele si legăturile cu fanteziile despre a fi în prezent și să pot să trăiesc în singurul prezent adevărat, cel întru Hristos. Ce bine e că am și eu chilia mea (căsnicia mea). Bogdaprosti Părinte Serafim.
Please pray for me and my family...
Cartar family needs PLENTY prayer and immediate divine intervention
Dear Father Seraphim, your message was extremely timely for me. I ask for your prayers. 🙏🏻♥️☦️
One of Father Thomas Hopko's 55 Maxims To A Christian Life is be Present. Don't carry the regrets of yesterday and don't worry about the future. Be in the present.
I used to run from the pain of the present moment. Now I run into the present moment with my pain. I think you can only actual pray if you've located the present.
Thankyou so much for these words!
So do I! Same experience. I feel like my past continues to ruin my present and ive projected the past onto new friends and hurt them.
After watching this video I realised one true thing.
I was so stupid through out my life creating a fantasy idol of this world.
YES I am the greatest stupid.
Thank you so much for this video.
Now my heart feels at rest.
Just how I feel,too..
Praying for God's healing from your migraines 🙏🙏❤
i had migraines in my 20s, very serious pain, debilitating...during a session of Reichian Therapy (breathwork), during a purge of frustration through a primal scream, I was totally cured of migraines. I am now 66 and have not had one in over 40 years. the therapist said it was the most frustrated scream he had ever heard. I will pray for your healing. Viva Cristo Rey!
Dear Father, please please keep giving us practical spiritual instruction. Most of do not have a spiritual director. The sermons we hear every week are usually broad commentaries on scripture that I can't even remember after I return home or I have already heard in one form or another. We desperately need a teacher to guide us with practical ways to become holy. Thank you Father.
I listen to your talks more than once. It's like my brain can only absorb one point at a time, but all that you say is very timely and Christ knows what I need to hear. Thank you.
I need to be in the present and not carry regrets of the past. I come from a very dysfunctional family. My mother had schizophrenia and was violent. My sister at the age of 16 was diagnosed with a chemical imbalance and was violent. I had my own set of problems ( none of them had to do with mental illness ). I have an undiagnosed learning disability ( possibly autism spectrum ) and very dysfunctional myself. I am taking Prozac for mild depression and processing problems. I am also selfish, lazy, absent-minded, thoughtless, careless, a liar, and a thief. My home was destroyed in a fire back in December and I am currently staying with a friend. I am 38 years old and single. I am not being called to married life and I doubt joining a monastery is in the near future right now, although I am very drawn to living a monastic type lifestyle. As you can see I have my cross to bear.
Marie Sieloff God be with you ♥️ Sending prayers your way
@@dimitrap5615 thank you
Be strong, dear Marie. Be strong and take things as they come. It helps me a great deal not to try to 'fix' all things at once, but to focus on the urgent thing at hand. If I were to contemplate the entire mountain before me, I would dig myself a hole and hide in it for the rest of my life. But I try to look only at the road I need to cover today or the following week - if God helps me through this week, I shall then see what I do about the next one. And make perfect peace with yourself - your 'faults' are the aspects of yourself that make you able to pray in a way which is only yours; only you can offer this sacrifice to Christ for your sins and for the sins of the whole world. Only you, through your 'weaknesses' and imperfections, can utter your prayer. You see the world from inside its own weakness, from inside its own imperfections, and that makes your prayer unique and immensely valuable in the eyes of the One Who willingly put Himself on a Cross for us. Be blessed, dear one. Be strong and pray for us all.
@@mullmonastery I will keep on trying. I won't give up. My Bishop in his homily for the transfiguration says God wants us to be transferred and he is like a parent who encourages their child to walk for the first time. My Priest and some members of my Parish are aware of my faults and I have gone to them for advice. I am looking into seeing a counselor to work with me. I can't do this alone.
Bless you. We can't live in the past, but there is definitely a time to work through the past so that there can be some healing. For various reasons, through someone I dearly love, I understand a little of what you're going through. Know that there are people praying for you, that God may reach out and comfort you. I hope you have a spiritual father with whom you can talk about some of these issues; there's a big difference in being humble and admitting we're sinful, versus letting our weaknesses (sometimes based in physical problems) overload us with guilt and feelings of worthlessness. No one is worthless before God.
My new favourite teacher. So close to home too! Which is unusual for these internet times 😅😅
I have had true migraines since Age 4 and I understand what you go through. Also the next day is no good for me because I feel so washed out empty and weak from the headache. May our Lord bless you and heal your migraines. In the name of the father Son and Holy Spirit
Praying for you dearest Father. May Our Lady Queen of Peace -Medjugorje, cure you from migraines. She did it to me.🙏🕊💒🕊🙏
Yesterday is past, tomorrow is our hope, today is a gift. That's why they call it the present. 🙏
Dear Brother, I know this video is three (3) years old, however I pray you no longer suffer from Migraines. I understand Botox helps people who suffer from these debilitating headaches.
You are God's wonderful messenger still delivering the Holy Truth while you suffer.
God Bless You & keep you healthy & safe. Thank you!
Praying for your migraines - not pleasant at all and so many reasons for migraines - from allergies, to air pressure and heavy low clouds, renovations, sinus, vision, pillow etc. I do hope you find a good remedy! Thankyou for the presentation; it was very deep and moving - just the way I like it! God bless from Canada....
Pillow yet is highly unlikely to be a cause for headache
You articulate your thoughts so well. Your heart and mind speak with such clarity it is a real gift to listen. Thank you.
Thank you for helping me to work out my own salvation.
May the two Angel's that visit us be blessed.
So beautiful and powerful
I am binging your videos. You are a testimony to Christ. You help me focus on Christ as I drown in the world of sin around me. Thank you, brother.
Good evening Father,
How can we know who we truly are? In the confines of our reality and our cell- how do we not think of the past when our past has lead us to this point of our life? The present moment is four walls. The duration of how long we must remain in isolation is some time looking into the future even if it’s unknown. Already we have delved into the compartments of ourselves that separate the present with reference to time. I am very inexperienced and bit confused. You have pieced many puzzles for me with the explanations and talks that you present to us. It’s truly a blessing father and thank you. You are like the ‘Golden Mouth 2023 version’ How do we keep our thoughts away from the past is my main question. If we manage this- what do we steer our thoughts towards and how can we consistently maintain this? How can we know who we truly are when we are so ridden with a sinful nature living in a default system of secondary to God’s original plan. I am and orthodox Christian (Greek) from birth we have been a family going to church and receiving body and blood of Christ as well as regular confession. I have never really known how to pray effectively and terrible at fast although I have achieved it with great struggles which sometimes makes me feel I don’t know how to truly love Christ because it doesn’t flow naturally . There is a lot in my post I know but if you could answer some of it , it would be a big help. Also how does one from Australia get to attend the monastery there? I am mother of three children in their twenties. Endless blessings!
I spent my life alone in a very long and horrible marriage. Unfortunately, my childhood trauma and lack of guidance landed me in a marriage to someone that believes he's god, ironically enough. If it hadn't been for my recent divorce, I don't believe I would of had an awakening. I realized I didn't need people in order to feel lonely. In fact, this person's disrespect had spiritually broke me. I have learned a lot from the experience and I hope to forget about him, at best... I have no desire to carry a torche for the past, any longer.This was suggested to me, and I feel it was no accident. I started my journey aquiring orthodox art (no idea what faith it was, at the time), then found beautiful hymns etc. from cathedrals...I only very recently found out that my real name is of a martyred orthodox saint. It has all been very surreal, as if calling me. I found out that where I am relocating has a lot of orthodox churches and the nature I feel so far removed from.
Hearing this is kinda life changing
I thank god for you.
My heart feel peace now, to leave the past behind. And it makes me like a new person. God bless you. I am happy in Jesus
I have now listened to this teaching 3 times. It will probably become a monthly meditation for me. At 26:14 Father has this large, pressure-relieving sigh. It is exactly how I react to this teaching. I have been reading the Desert Fathers and trying to emulate them for over 30 years. I am so grateful for the encouragement to "not give them up".
I will pray for you Father Seraphim for your migraines.
Thank you, Fr. Aldea. May God keep and protect you.
Thank you Fr. Seraphim
Your insight into how each of us relates to our brothers and sisters in the here and now without delving into bibliography of the past but only in humility and patience with persiverance brings me closer to real peace. Also on praying with bows and prostrations at night for not more than ten or fifteen minutes gives me a new reality of prayer. Patience watering the seed living in hope.
Amen! And may His love be present with you, our dear brother Father Seraphim! In HIs Glory we shall move from "glory to glory" with your prayer, that of our Celtic brothers and sisters, and those of the Holy Theotokos our Mother and His! Glory to God in His saints! Grant us to be a part of those on the Right Hand of the Lord at His appearing in Glory! Amen!
I found this channel last night around midnight, after watching just 2 videos i can honestly say: This man streams practical wisdom that I can feed on & am truly thankful for, & i know nothing of the Orthodoxy or how it works.
Thank you for your posts.
Fr. Seraphim, I'm very sorry for your migraines, but thank God for His will being done through them. Your videos, podasts and social media posts have been of tremendous value to me. I cannot thank you enough, thank God!
I keep growing in my faith, but my husband will not follow. Please pray for us.
I like the fact that your hands gesture to make a cross when you talk of the here and now.
I have always loved the Desert Father story of "staying in your cell". What a beautiful and powerful application of that wisdom to the struggle to live "in the sacraments of the moment." Our memories often betray us and have us think better of ourseves. How hard it is to live in The Present, the only moment we share live in. The place where eternity meets time. The only moment we have. Oh that I could, "Bring every thought captive, to the obedience of Christ."
God bless you sir
This is a new perspective. Embrace the reality. We, unfortunately, seek fantasy to ease the pain. Pray that we can be true to ourselves.
Amen THANK YOU
Father -- check in with your doctor about your migraines. There are medicines you can take to prevent them (often taken at night, oddly enough). Also, please make sure you have had a brain MRI if you have not already done this. I am sure you have heard this before but I deal with this for a living so I just wanted to be sure you knew. I know this is not a spiritual point but I felt I should say it. Thank you for your love and guidance.
"will teach you how to fast for them" never thought about it that way. thank you.
This is so helpful. I will have to listen to this a few times a month.
Very very helpful..it is..so true..or, even so useful for people who need to heal past traumas..
Thank you Father Seraphim for "bringing" us back to the heart of our life, to the heart of our "unavoidable" efforts to breathe real life, even if several "expirations" are necessary for the dreams, fantasies, constructions of the past to be abandoned. ... I believe in the truth of what you are saying and I get strength from it ... I particularly appreciate the response you gave Michael Binkley four days ago saying : ''We get so captured by our experience of joy, that we 'forget' ourselves, we forget Christ's image in us. Worldly joy is more dangerous that pain, in some ways - at least, pain forces us to turn to Christ and ask for His help and protection.''
It is quite rare to read that the “joy of the world” makes us forget both ourselves and Christ. It is very important to say this and that joy is more dangerous and pernicious and deceptive .... Thank you very much for that .... How good it is to be on the path of truth in Christ! You participate greatly! May you and your monastery be blessed !
This is liberating...hopefully more people will see and hear this.
Wonderful teaching. Gives each of us much to absorb and integrate into our worldview. Thank you, father.
Wow. Thank you. I am grateful to have been led to listen to you tonight, Fr. Seraphim. Thank you, my Lord God.
This teaching is of great value, thank you. The Independent Catholic Church in Las Vegas prays for your healing from migraines. Peace
You are the voice of God taking to us
Thanks to God.!
Thank you for your teaching and guidance, I ask for prayer to keep my eyes focused on Jesus and not on the World Thank you Amen
I'm so Blessed to live in my present. I just miss being skinny like I was in my 20s.
Blessed be God forever! Father you are God sent . My heart burns with love when I listen.
I needed to hear this. Thank you, Father.
Me too Amen
Dear Father Seraphim, try “peppermint oil” for migraines. Place a little bit on your forehead & temples. It helps. God bless. ✝️🙏🏻
Yes father, Yes . Christ is about Relations if the church has to be the living body of His. We are a cross. We are Him and Us in the here. Otherwise we are a sterile catechism
I also have migraine, they are so so horrible...I shall pray for you greatly! 🙏💕💕💕💕
This is an important message!
May God bless YOU and your dear ones be saved by all saints and Theotokos ..Amen
Get well soon
Just Remarkable! Wow!
I am currently in this state big leaving the world behind and have been working on this for the past 4 years since I needed to end a relationship. My only desire was to have my relationship with God. I believe that the evil one sent someone into my life to try to knock me off this path. I am at peace with maintaining a single life focused on trusting in and making the Lord my God my beloved focusing only on Him and serving him, for what ever time I have left on this earth. I believe that this is God's will for my life and may have always been. I just wasn't really listening, to that small voice and rather wanted to live by my will. Thank you brother for this teaching. I am trying to only live in the present, going to my inner cell and spending more time there to devote my time in prayer and meditation on God and listening more closely. Before I try to make ba decision on anything on any direction to go and wait on God for that direction. I have made too many mistakes by making decisions without it.
Beautiful Thank you
Amen.... Viva Cristo Rey
Thank you🙏
Perfect Message. Btw.. I have watched many awaken ones and they say the same.
The most profound words I've ever heard!!!
What a blessing. Thank you.
Very timely, yet again, as the world constantly seeks to encroach yet again on my inner peace. Thank you Fr. Seraphim.
Dear Michael, the world always does that, only that now it is so obvious we cannot ignore it and we must have a reaction against it. But the world will always do that - even when we are 'stolen' from our Christian self-awareness by huge worldly joy, for example; we fail to see it, but the same thing happens then. We get so captured by our experience of joy, that we 'forget' ourselves, we forget Christ's image in us. Worldly joy is more dangerous that pain, in some ways - at least, pain forces us to turn to Christ and ask for His help and protection. We are like the lambs I see on the island: when they are carefree, they run away from they mothers and get lost; when they are in the middle of the road and a car approaches, they get scared and they run straight to their mums. As long as Christ is at the centre of our life, peace will be there too, because He Himself is our Peace. May we all be blessed, dear one.
Thank you dear Father Serafim, this words come to me in the right time. King regards from Serbia🌺🌺🌺🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹☀️☀️☀️☀️Hristos Vaskrse !
I needed to hear this ❤ thank you
Thank you
For temporary releif for migraines, during one think of the particular migraines shape, location, and colour.. i thought it was crazy too but it worked for me.. for longer term releif make sure u are not over working ur trap and rear neck muscles by looking down too much when reading etc.. and use your cervical flexors more (by keeping ur chin back and tighening ur throat slightly as if someone is about to chop you in the neck)..
My past as had an horrible effect on my whole life? Thankyou father, hopefully i can get free!
God bless you Fr. May Gods mercy be upon you.
I am so sorry to hear of your suffering in this way,but pray dear Lord you show our brother what the root cause is and he is healed and able to minister healing to others.
It's so important to me to find a man who I can trust to call Father with my heart. I trust your face. It has been a nightmare forever unfolding in the Catholic church with the atrocities exposed decades ago.
How can evil like the abuse of children hide so successfully within the church? Anyways thankyou so much.
Thank you Fr. Seraphim Aldea. This is a topic I have been struggling with and searching for an answer. I feel God guided me to your videos to help me and my family with our daily struggles. God bless you and I pray you be healed from your Migraines.
Amen
Thank you Fr Seraphim . Very true message . People need this during this pandemic .
I went through this fantacy world for years .Now I understand the truth , that fantasy world created by you would destroy you and the people around you. So be in your cell ,kneel down and pray . If you can't pray ,keep on repeating the verse ,John 14:26 . In few days ,you will learn the truth. When you come out of that , you will feel the divine love. Also, you will enjoy the world you are in the present ,even if it hurts you.
I'm so glad that I found you on TH-cam.
Your amazing father plz pray for me and my family. I'm speechless may God protect and bless you 🙏❤️
Fr. Saraphim, Thank you for taking the time to make this video. The Holy Spirit has used it to carve off my soul the outgrowths of my own doing that was not a part of his divine plan. My past has plagued me terribly and I have been seeking many weeks and months and years for help. As a married man, I know that I must build a holy monastery in my mind in order to practice consistent godliness that leads to a more disciplined, joy-filled life in Christ our Savior. To that end, I thank God for the ministry he has given you. I am praying for you and will continue you to remember you before our heavenly Father often.
Watching From India.. God bless you Fr.
Fr. Seraphim, as always, you reveal new deep truths we should know and/or always need to be reminded of. The biggest blessing from this "COVID Pandemic" is the lessons you share with us and the opportunities for us to grow closer to Jesus Christ one-on-one and the desire to follow His Word and be what He wants us to be - for our salvation, for the love of mankind (as hard as it is sometimes). A good test. This is a time to stay home and pray and read scripture and the incredible books by our precious Orthodox Saints. I am in the middle of St. John's Divine Ladder of Ascent (among other wonderful books by St. Piasios, Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich (Prayers on the Lake) and St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (The Arena) - what perfect timing by God to remind us/(me) and teach us what we must do/be - to make ourselves ready. What tests - especially during this Pandemic. Staying home alone or in a room with oneself is definitely so revealing and we constantly learn more about ourselves and how far we have yet to work on :-} Thank you for the love you send out to everyone - your teachings are just what we need through the Grace of the All Holy Trinity - Lord Jesus Christ. Continued prayers to you, Mull Monastery and your health.
Dear Xenia, thank God for the drop of peace and prayer you get to experience through all of this. Not only can we use this as an opportunity to grow spiritually, but we also have the opportunity to actually pray for the world. The entire world is in pain, either because of this pandemic, or because of its economic implications or because of the fragmentation which is breaking us apart. There is a mountain of pain crushing our world, and we need to fight this pain by turning it into prayer. Be blessed, dear one, and thank you for your prayers - they mean much more for us than we can describe.
Thank you Father Seraphim! I find it interesting that your insights and teaching are entirely consonant with modern research and practice in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Perhaps the Church has always known what modern science has just discovered.
This is so wonderful!
May God bless you, dear Father Seraphim! Your words have answered issues that I've been struggling with recently. It is amazing how well you explain such complex, difficult and so delicate workings of the mind! I'm very grateful for your work recording these videos, sometimes even being in danger of getting eaten by goats :) May God give you many more blessed years to share the Truth with us! And may He bless you with a solution to your pain. You are in our prayers.
Thank you Father. 🙏🏻
Powerful. Thank-You!
Wow.