Dearest Father Heers. God bless your commitment and servitude to Our Lord and your brother. May He bestow upon many blessings and Xronna Polla. Thank you for your teachings.🌹🌹🌹♥️♥️♥️
Thanks again Father for these videos. What many Patriarchs/Bishops/Priests don’t realize is that the Orthodox Christians (the ones who struggle against their own passions, against securalization and other wiles of the devil) thirst to hear the words that you offer. For example, I’m also tired of hearing such statements as “Do not concern yourself with the end times...” , “Do not concern yourself with the Antichrist.... “, etc. etc. I’m not suggesting in any way that we should be obsessed with all matters pertaining to the Antichrist, as Christ should be our obsession. But at the very least, we need to know who we are at war with, if we are to be soldiers.
Father, bless. The forces that seek to darken this, Holiest of times cannot overcome the light of Jesus Christ. Your words of truth are helping to keep the lamps burning, despite said darkness, we all need to hear it, and are all thankful for it. Glory to God. For and through all things.
It's getting really worrying, the damage the lies and fear are doing to some Orthodox. I just had somebody who I had told this was coming, who denied it a few weeks ago ( vaccine immunity certification to travel) and they admit I told them, but are now saying, " you should have to show immunity to get out of lockdown, so you stop killing people, and me and my family will get vaccinated, and live in peace." In my opinion, it's saying you want the beast system, and demand it for others, but think it will bring peace?! Of course I am just a crazy conspiracy theorist, they say. How can you be a Christian, and not believe in conspiracy? They conspired to kill our Lord Jesus Christ! How can people think they'll find peace in the beast system that open Luciferians are pushing on us? It was just like all the things you mentioned that the antichrist will promise. Lord have mercy.
As if returning to be with God does not feel like the Miracles of Miracles!!? After being with the Evil one?!! Never even knowing what was happening before. Terrorized day and night. Only knowing the fallen world. Not knowing what was wrong! Just to be with our Father. That one simple thing. Glory to His Son Jesus Christ and Glory to the Holy Spirit. Glory to God.
Thank you Father Peter for another excellent podcast. During theses difficult times, the beginning of sorrows, I found comfort in reading Psalm 91 in particular, verse 5 & 6. Keep up the good work by spreading God’s word.
Bless you father I found a monastery nearby that I can visit tomorrow to hopefully find some guidance about becoming a catechumen, get advice about the times we are living in, and get help correctly praying to help cleanse me from all the chaos in my life that I now understand is from my own past transgressions sent straight from the enemy himself. I also likely have some generational sickness from my ancestors bc my grandmother is from Japan and practices Shinto whether she realizes it or not which is an offshoot of the original Sumerian pagan earth worship. Watching your video woke me up and now I can comprehend and literally feel the 2 sides of the spiritual battle being fought especially during my morning and evening prayers. I never could pray without my mind wandering before sleep bc I was praying the Protestant way sometimes making me forget i was even praying which always scared me and made me question things. Now I stand and make the cross in fear of God and last night prayed for 20 mins despite feeling the other side desperately trying to overtake my mind without success. Thank you so much Fr I owe you my life and soul. You won the battle for me with your guidance and willingness to be bold and say out loud what is happening in our world right now. I just hope and pray there is time for me to officially become a catechumen and join the Faithful during Liturgy and consume the body and blood of Christ. Then also have time to get my daughter back bc her mother has practiced witchcraft in the past which I didn’t grasp the seriousness of years ago when she mentioned it and hadn’t found Orthodoxy. I’m at the mercy of the courts which takes thousands of dollars and a lot of time. If you read this please pray for me and just know you saved my life and hopefully my daughters life and I am forever indebted to you. I love you all and the world. I just hope more can awaken to the situation were in bc so many won’t be saved. I’m tearing up just typing this....Glory be to Jesus Christ!
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves. 17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.”
Most of us have no choice in what our bishops have decided for us. I had no choice in that I'm no longer allowed to attend services. I am not allowed to receive holy communion. I am not allowed to go to confession. Well, I can confess over the phone but my priest is expressly forbidden to give us absolution. You said we are not to abandon our cross. The implication seems to be that we are not supposed to abandon attending the services or receiving holy communion etc. Am I wrong in feeling that implication in what was said in this talk? St John of Tobolsk says that carrying our cross and obeying the will of God is being able to accept whatever it is that God sends to us. So are we carrying our crosses and accepting the will of God when we are forbidden access to the sacraments and stay home instead? Is it helpful to imply we are failing in this endeavor when all our priests obey their bishops and we obey our priests?
My husband and I got a blessing from our priest at the beginning of the pandemic to go to our local ROCOR parish when the Antiochians were told not to commune anymore. As this is really only the beginning of troubles, we were disturbed by the lack of faithfulness in the leadership and chose to put ourselves under the authority of the ROCOR. It was not done lightly, but they seem to take these realities a bit more seriously due to their recent history.
@@23rsnyder I totally understand that choice. My husband is minor clergy though and we were expressly forbidden from choosing to visit our local ROCOR parish. For various reasons our local ROCOR parish would not be a good long term choice for us either. The services aren't in English anymore though I used to be a member there 20 years ago when the services were in English.
Forgive me, as your comment and questions were unintentionally overlooked in terms of a response. No doubt, this comes late to you, but perhaps it is still helpful: The implication is not that you must not abandoned services or receiving holy communion, no matter what. In fact, Dr. Tselengides tells us, as you will see in a future episode, that we should receive the cutting off of Divine Services and Communion as a “epitimio” (rule, program of therapy, penance). That we should see ourselves as included in this, among the first; that we are all in need of deep repentance for our waywardness. We have been cut off because we (the general “we”) have not properly approached or prepared or fulfilled the presuppositions of communing fruitfully. I can attest, as a priest in Greece, that this is most true for most Christians. For whatever reason, among the first of which is lack of catechism followed by the strong worldly spirit and laxity of the clergy, most approach the mysteries without fulfilling the presuppositions of faith, repentance, humility, so that the Divine Energies of God might transfigure us and the Holy Sprit take up His abode in us. . . So, no, carrying one’s cross during this time does not mean absolutely doing everything possible to attend services. It really depends on one’s circumstances. Furthermore, if a parish is carrying out measures which are contrary to our understanding of the Holy Things and the Holy Temple, such as forbidding veneration of the Holy Icons, of the priest’s hand, or receiving antidoron from him, or venerating relics, or all that we do in the Holy Temple in order to receive the Grace of God, then know that many here are counseling not attending that parish until these practices stop. In the case of those parishes which are using multiple lavides (tongs) (or “spoons”) or dipping them in disinfectant of some kind, as these practices are seen as impious, if not blasphemous, by those I know on Athos and elsewhere here, this counsel is especially stressed. All of this so as not to a participant in impiety or blasphemy, but also for us to become conscious of our need to accept our “penance” and repent.
@@OrthodoxEthos , it's true. I have been slack as a Christian. I have failed in many ways. I can see and accept this as something God allows as a consequence and an epitimio. My parish is not using multiple spoons and is still communing all with one spoon. The Antiochian bishops have told us not to kiss the priest's hands or the icons or close our mouth on the spoon. I forgot when I went to liturgy. I forgot it all. I venerated all the icons and closed my mouth on the spoon and never even remember I wasn't supposed to till later. It's all instinctual and the requests are so unnatural. My priest has said he is not concerned about us closing our mouths on the spoon either and his choice would to continue to commune us as normal. But this is what is requested of him. I don't feel we can stop leaving our parish though. :( I'm just going to venerate the icons anyway. I doubt anyone will say anything to me.
Thank you Father for this. I have a question. The Lord says, If you deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. Is the closure of the Church by its leaders a denial of the Lord Jesus Christ?
PS Before I was a Baptist pastor I had been adopted into the family of the chief ceremonial medicine man of the Lakota nation and trained as a traditional pipe keeper and sun dancer- for about 15 years. One lasting impression in the Baptist world was that the level of their spirituality did not hold a candle to what I was accustomed to in indigenous circles. We used to be put out into the desert for a traditional fast for four days and four nights in 110F+ temperatures for four days and four nights with no food and no water, and pray to the Creator. Something like this pandemic would be occasion to only pray harder, in sweat lodge ceremony, sun dancing, or other ways. I had been hoping that it was different in the world of Orthodoxy.
Having said that, when the Lord Jesus Christ delivered me from the Pit, He completely convinced me that He is the Creator, and that there is no other, and that the Church is the Body of Christ. I wish the Church believed that salvation is from the Lord, and not from social distancing.
In the words of the Lord above I don’t think we have a basis to conclude in our current situation that this is a denial of His Person. No. It is a test, indeed, but it is not being put forward, and most are not taking it, as a question of whether they deny the Lord, nor are they *entirely* closing the churches. To my knowledge, every Diocese has Divine Services continuing, albeit without 98% of the faithful.
As a part of a pagan Indian ritual you were not struggling against the demons, only your own personal limitations. Always remember that the demons attack Christ and those who are His true disciples, who are both initiated into the Mystery of His Incarnation, confessing His Divine Humanity, and warring agains their passions, flesh, and the devil.
The Church is Christ and par excellence the Saints, so you can be assured that the Church believes and lives salvation as from the Lord. In this particular case, a test allowed by God, it is too early to tell who will remain standing, who will fall but get up and who will fall away. Leave Judgement to the Lord. Follow Him.
Awesome - looks great
Dearest Father Heers. God bless your commitment and servitude to Our Lord and your brother. May He bestow upon many blessings and Xronna Polla. Thank you for your teachings.🌹🌹🌹♥️♥️♥️
Your channel is great; an Orthodox blessing.
Thank you father. Truth worth dying for!
This is such a wonderful message. Thank you again Father.
Thanks again Father for these videos.
What many Patriarchs/Bishops/Priests don’t realize is that the Orthodox Christians (the ones who struggle against their own passions, against securalization and other wiles of the devil) thirst to hear the words that you offer.
For example, I’m also tired of hearing such statements as “Do not concern yourself with the end times...” , “Do not concern yourself with the Antichrist.... “, etc. etc.
I’m not suggesting in any way that we should be obsessed with all matters pertaining to the Antichrist, as Christ should be our obsession. But at the very least, we need to know who we are at war with, if we are to be soldiers.
Indeed Brother. I feel exactly the same. Many bishops are pseudobishops. Masons...
Father, bless. The forces that seek to darken this, Holiest of times cannot overcome the light of Jesus Christ. Your words of truth are helping to keep the lamps burning, despite said darkness, we all need to hear it, and are all thankful for it.
Glory to God. For and through all things.
It's getting really worrying, the damage the lies and fear are doing to some Orthodox. I just had somebody who I had told this was coming, who denied it a few weeks ago ( vaccine immunity certification to travel) and they admit I told them, but are now saying, " you should have to show immunity to get out of lockdown, so you stop killing people, and me and my family will get vaccinated, and live in peace."
In my opinion, it's saying you want the beast system, and demand it for others, but think it will bring peace?! Of course I am just a crazy conspiracy theorist, they say. How can you be a Christian, and not believe in conspiracy? They conspired to kill our Lord Jesus Christ!
How can people think they'll find peace in the beast system that open Luciferians are pushing on us?
It was just like all the things you mentioned that the antichrist will promise.
Lord have mercy.
Thank you Fr Peter for this teaching. God bless
Thank you, Father! You are a blessing to us all. ☦️🙏🏻
As if returning to be with God does not feel like the Miracles of Miracles!!? After being with the Evil one?!! Never even knowing what was happening before. Terrorized day and night. Only knowing the fallen world. Not knowing what was wrong! Just to be with our Father. That one simple thing. Glory to His Son Jesus Christ and Glory to the Holy Spirit.
Glory to God.
Thank you Father Peter for another excellent podcast. During theses difficult times, the beginning of sorrows, I found comfort in reading Psalm 91 in particular, verse 5 & 6. Keep up the good work by spreading God’s word.
May you be blessed be blessed father this channel is a gift.
Very glad I found this channel. Father bless.
Bless you father I found a monastery nearby that I can visit tomorrow to hopefully find some guidance about becoming a catechumen, get advice about the times we are living in, and get help correctly praying to help cleanse me from all the chaos in my life that I now understand is from my own past transgressions sent straight from the enemy himself. I also likely have some generational sickness from my ancestors bc my grandmother is from Japan and practices Shinto whether she realizes it or not which is an offshoot of the original Sumerian pagan earth worship. Watching your video woke me up and now I can comprehend and literally feel the 2 sides of the spiritual battle being fought especially during my morning and evening prayers. I never could pray without my mind wandering before sleep bc I was praying the Protestant way sometimes making me forget i was even praying which always scared me and made me question things. Now I stand and make the cross in fear of God and last night prayed for 20 mins despite feeling the other side desperately trying to overtake my mind without success. Thank you so much Fr I owe you my life and soul. You won the battle for me with your guidance and willingness to be bold and say out loud what is happening in our world right now. I just hope and pray there is time for me to officially become a catechumen and join the Faithful during Liturgy and consume the body and blood of Christ. Then also have time to get my daughter back bc her mother has practiced witchcraft in the past which I didn’t grasp the seriousness of years ago when she mentioned it and hadn’t found Orthodoxy. I’m at the mercy of the courts which takes thousands of dollars and a lot of time. If you read this please pray for me and just know you saved my life and hopefully my daughters life and I am forever indebted to you. I love you all and the world. I just hope more can awaken to the situation were in bc so many won’t be saved. I’m tearing up just typing this....Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Where are you located?
Kansas City Missouri
Thank you Fr. Peter
Thank you so much.
ive never seen that pulled back shot if fr peters study. its beautiful!
edit: just so happen to be watching this on the second day of Holy Week.
God: gives Himself and peace.
Human: Yes, I love that!
God: withdraws only the peace.
Human: where is God?? He is gone!
Legend
Ευλογείτε Πατέρα. Από περιέργεια, εξομολογείτε πιστούς. Αν ναι, που? Καλή Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα εύχομαι.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves. 17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.”
@@OrthodoxEthos I understand...It was stupid on my part...Thank you, Father
Most of us have no choice in what our bishops have decided for us. I had no choice in that I'm no longer allowed to attend services. I am not allowed to receive holy communion. I am not allowed to go to confession. Well, I can confess over the phone but my priest is expressly forbidden to give us absolution. You said we are not to abandon our cross. The implication seems to be that we are not supposed to abandon attending the services or receiving holy communion etc. Am I wrong in feeling that implication in what was said in this talk? St John of Tobolsk says that carrying our cross and obeying the will of God is being able to accept whatever it is that God sends to us. So are we carrying our crosses and accepting the will of God when we are forbidden access to the sacraments and stay home instead? Is it helpful to imply we are failing in this endeavor when all our priests obey their bishops and we obey our priests?
My husband and I got a blessing from our priest at the beginning of the pandemic to go to our local ROCOR parish when the Antiochians were told not to commune anymore. As this is really only the beginning of troubles, we were disturbed by the lack of faithfulness in the leadership and chose to put ourselves under the authority of the ROCOR. It was not done lightly, but they seem to take these realities a bit more seriously due to their recent history.
@@23rsnyder I totally understand that choice. My husband is minor clergy though and we were expressly forbidden from choosing to visit our local ROCOR parish. For various reasons our local ROCOR parish would not be a good long term choice for us either. The services aren't in English anymore though I used to be a member there 20 years ago when the services were in English.
Forgive me, as your comment and questions were unintentionally overlooked in terms of a response. No doubt, this comes late to you, but perhaps it is still helpful: The implication is not that you must not abandoned services or receiving holy communion, no matter what. In fact, Dr. Tselengides tells us, as you will see in a future episode, that we should receive the cutting off of Divine Services and Communion as a “epitimio” (rule, program of therapy, penance). That we should see ourselves as included in this, among the first; that we are all in need of deep repentance for our waywardness. We have been cut off because we (the general “we”) have not properly approached or prepared or fulfilled the presuppositions of communing fruitfully. I can attest, as a priest in Greece, that this is most true for most Christians. For whatever reason, among the first of which is lack of catechism followed by the strong worldly spirit and laxity of the clergy, most approach the mysteries without fulfilling the presuppositions of faith, repentance, humility, so that the Divine Energies of God might transfigure us and the Holy Sprit take up His abode in us. . . So, no, carrying one’s cross during this time does not mean absolutely doing everything possible to attend services. It really depends on one’s circumstances. Furthermore, if a parish is carrying out measures which are contrary to our understanding of the Holy Things and the Holy Temple, such as forbidding veneration of the Holy Icons, of the priest’s hand, or receiving antidoron from him, or venerating relics, or all that we do in the Holy Temple in order to receive the Grace of God, then know that many here are counseling not attending that parish until these practices stop. In the case of those parishes which are using multiple lavides (tongs) (or “spoons”) or dipping them in disinfectant of some kind, as these practices are seen as impious, if not blasphemous, by those I know on Athos and elsewhere here, this counsel is especially stressed. All of this so as not to a participant in impiety or blasphemy, but also for us to become conscious of our need to accept our “penance” and repent.
@@beetkvass1730 Forgive me. So sad. Lord have mercy on all of us.
Father bless, and thank you for your helpful comments!
@@OrthodoxEthos , it's true. I have been slack as a Christian. I have failed in many ways. I can see and accept this as something God allows as a consequence and an epitimio. My parish is not using multiple spoons and is still communing all with one spoon. The Antiochian bishops have told us not to kiss the priest's hands or the icons or close our mouth on the spoon. I forgot when I went to liturgy. I forgot it all. I venerated all the icons and closed my mouth on the spoon and never even remember I wasn't supposed to till later. It's all instinctual and the requests are so unnatural. My priest has said he is not concerned about us closing our mouths on the spoon either and his choice would to continue to commune us as normal. But this is what is requested of him. I don't feel we can stop leaving our parish though. :( I'm just going to venerate the icons anyway. I doubt anyone will say anything to me.
Thank you Father for this. I have a question. The Lord says, If you deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. Is the closure of the Church by its leaders a denial of the Lord Jesus Christ?
PS Before I was a Baptist pastor I had been adopted into the family of the chief ceremonial medicine man of the Lakota nation and trained as a traditional pipe keeper and sun dancer- for about 15 years. One lasting impression in the Baptist world was that the level of their spirituality did not hold a candle to what I was accustomed to in indigenous circles. We used to be put out into the desert for a traditional fast for four days and four nights in 110F+ temperatures for four days and four nights with no food and no water, and pray to the Creator. Something like this pandemic would be occasion to only pray harder, in sweat lodge ceremony, sun dancing, or other ways. I had been hoping that it was different in the world of Orthodoxy.
Having said that, when the Lord Jesus Christ delivered me from the Pit, He completely convinced me that He is the Creator, and that there is no other, and that the Church is the Body of Christ. I wish the Church believed that salvation is from the Lord, and not from social distancing.
In the words of the Lord above I don’t think we have a basis to conclude in our current situation that this is a denial of His Person. No. It is a test, indeed, but it is not being put forward, and most are not taking it, as a question of whether they deny the Lord, nor are they *entirely* closing the churches. To my knowledge, every Diocese has Divine Services continuing, albeit without 98% of the faithful.
As a part of a pagan Indian ritual you were not struggling against the demons, only your own personal limitations. Always remember that the demons attack Christ and those who are His true disciples, who are both initiated into the Mystery of His Incarnation, confessing His Divine Humanity, and warring agains their passions, flesh, and the devil.
The Church is Christ and par excellence the Saints, so you can be assured that the Church believes and lives salvation as from the Lord. In this particular case, a test allowed by God, it is too early to tell who will remain standing, who will fall but get up and who will fall away. Leave Judgement to the Lord. Follow Him.
Where can I find more of this chanting?
:D