"A monk was once asked: 'What do you do up there in the monastery?' The monk replied: 'We fall and get up, fall and get up, fall and get up again.'" - Tito Coliander
Reminds me of one of my favorite Russian sayings, we go to heaven together and to hell alone. Peace, Grace, Mercy and The Holy Spirit be with you always father with much love.
Dear Jill, that is so kind of you to say. I am grateful that God does work through our work, it gives us hope and courage (which we all need). May we all be blessed, dear one. PS: Yes, God's creation is beautiful beyond words.
It is a horrible feeling when you make a mistake and somebody leaves you because of it forgeting all the good that you did...And it leavea you with guilt, sadness, desperation..But I have Jesus and that still keeps me alive...
All my life I've been bullied by classmates so the imagery of the classmates who fight for you and help you made me cry because it's so beautiful and makes me hopeful. Thank you for this ❤️ I will try to start reading the lives of the saints and praying to them.
The more we come closer to God the less we feel that we have made progress.
There was this Orthodox monk that once told me that this is a verification (less progress) that takes place as a natural consequence of coming closer to God because we start to realize in a greater way our personal insignificance in His infinite divine and eternal presence!
My spiritual father once told me that the one thing I must always ask when I pray for those whom I meet in confession is that they should leave my side with a drop of new hope, and the desire to start anew, to make a new beginning - that is all we can offer each other, the rest is up to each of us and they way in which we open to Christ's grace. Be blessed, dear one, wherever you are.
The Saints are like stars, that's beautiful Brother. Even though the stars are surrounded by darkness, they shine bright & so too should we. Thanks Brother.: )
Thank you, Fr. Seraphim, for addressing this. I have been feeling this way lately. I’m a stay-at-home mom, and my girls recently got a little book about St. Juliana of Lazarevo. Instead of inspiring me to be a better wife and mother, her story made me feel like I could never be like her - that I’m too weak and it’s too hard.
Thank you Father Seraphim. To the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for the healing effect that Father Seraphim has with his video presentations. He seems to fill a hunger for learning, continuous learning about the saints, and prayer life as Christians. Also, Lord Jesus, Father Seraphim is kind and a guiding father to some of us who are old enough to be his father/mother, yet we are like the children listening to the teacher. Thank you God.
I love your videos and the words you share. I am interested in Orthodoxy, but it somehow seems so foreign and overwhelming for a former evangelical Protestant. But you make it so approachable, so practical, so relevant.
May God bless you abundantly. God has used you today to take me out of a pit with this video and the lust one. Praise be to him and thank you for your YES to Him.
... one humble step at a time in the right direction ... that's so simple and beautiful! And of all the rest our Lord Jesus Christ will take care, we have just to surrender to Him .... Thank you Father Seraphim, God bless you!
Father, I have grown SO MUCH this past year by listening to your videos, THANK YOU!! Through you, the Holy Spirit is teaching the world, I am sure you have listeners in all parts of the world, PRAYING for you as I can only imagine how much the evil one must be waging war on you and the monastery. Praise God, we know He will win in the end!
I have always been looking for a spiritual director to guide me , and I think I have finally found him. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance. I will never stop looking up at the stars ✨ and know that everything is possible. May god bless you.
Dear Father, again our perfect Lord has talked to me through your beautiful words. Again, in the exact moment when I needed this. There is no way I could ever express my gratitude that God has created you and me and all of us brothers and sisters. You even mentioned my beloved friend Saint Catherine of Sinai who, I now understand from your teaching, is praying for me and helping me in all the torment as are the rest of my Saint friends. When I chose Christ I was left alone by my "friends" but I got exactly like you said, the truest of them all. Thank you, again and always!
Hello Brother. All the Saints experienced the illuminating warmth eminating from God's Love like the sun on earth, chasing away shadows, making the path clear, endowing strength. But in thier former lives, the Saints had rough times of sin, doubt, temptation, & fear, shrouded in blinding darkness. Then they saw the light, felt the rays of the sun & began a new path, a better life. You're right Brother, the Saints are like stars in the sky, we look up to them, they can help light our way during our darkest hours, guiding us through thier example, that darkness can be defeated with the light of God. They are human beings, that transform into lanterns fueled by the Creator. Thier lives reinforce that change is possible, the ability to walk a better path, provide hope to over come struggles. Regardless, the difficult night will always return to test the earth bound soul. While mountains eventually crumble, lakes dry, & our physical form erodes to dust...steadfast Faith remains solid & eternal, because of its divine source. Thanks you Brother for sharing your light. :)
A wonderful message as always Father . The priest at my church that I correspond with told me , before I got baptized , that what I am about to embark on is a marathon and not a sprint. He said you will trip and stumble , we all do , but to pick yourself up and keep moving forward . Wanted to share that because the video reminded of it . As a sidenote , I can't get over just how beautiful the background is . I fancy art museums when I travel , and that scenery outdoes any painting I have seen . God willing, someday I will see it for myself .
Thank you, Father, for another thought-provoking message. I am still looking for that congenial saint waiting in the classroom for me, the little boy still on the playground at recess time.
Yes. Exactly. I like the image of the two classes. A wise man once told me to join a band in which I would be the worst player, because I would learn from the better players.
Thank you Fr Serafim! But I feel that I am a really bad "student" among the fallen Brothers and Sisters in this world around me...I just kann't stop thinking (I see that it is so) they are much better than me ...that are keeping me in a deep pain because I really can not do anything for Christ. Not even keep my mouth shut when it should be. I am also struggling to try fasting....and so on. In this way I think that the Saints don't want to have anything to do with such ...me...I am just like a broken barrel....
Read 2 Corinthians 4 May the Word always dwell in all of your heart. May you be lead to the still waters and let love refresh your Spirit and wash you clean.
I have been where you are... far worse than what you describe. Dear Cristina. Never lose hope. I will pray for you in my vigils. Set your sights on tiny attainable goals first and do them until they are a habit. Then rejoice. Then take the next step. Then the next. Ask for help. Keep falling. Keep getting up. Trust that Christ has your welfare in His heart. Practice the love and compassion of God on yourself. The peace, mercy, and patience of a Christian does not magically appear out in the world through force of will. It is received by you from God as the recipient and then radiates out into the world with natural flow. The purification of the soul is not adding anything to it. It is subtraction. Purify is removal until only the good remains.
Anthony the Great once said that there was one who was his equal in the city. He was a doctor by profession and whatever he had beyond his needs he gave to the poor, and every day he sang the Sanctus with the angels. Maybe don't try to do anything more than what you are able and called to do with faith, humility, and love. If it impresses Anthony the Great, who are we to criticize or neglect small obediences?
My dear Cristina, I know what you say. I know it because I am just like you. My solution has been to 'befriend' one or two Saints and let them introduce me to all the others. It's like making friends with the popular kids in school 😊 Once they take you under their wing, everyone else will accept you too. I think you should stop worrying about how the Saints relate to you. Just focus on the one or two Saints of your heart and try your best to live your life as close to them as possible. This will slowly, slowly show you that - in fact - none of the Saints ever judged or condemned you, but that your heart was just kept humble by the grace of God. My 'popular kid' has always been St Nicholas; he then introduced me to so many others (St Seraphim, St Sisoes, St Oran, St Isaac and many others). Focus on the Saints of your heart - they will do the rest. God bless you, dear one.
What a beautiful sermon. How many times have I looked upon the Saints and kidded myself that I could be anywhere near them. I always feel like dumb fool in their midst. I just keep trying in my little way to do things for Jesus, like St. Theresa
It is the help and company of the Saints that lift the weighted yoke enough that we may continue and feel the Christ’s yoke ‘is easy’. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov is easy to get discouraged when reading. So stalwart and...unbending. But he writes about what a human could and can be and what other Saints have already become. And that is an encouraging thought. God bless you, Father.
Thank you for sharing the wonderful message, Father. As I was learning about the lives of the saints, I always felt drawn to them and wanted to follow their footsteps. But just as what Saint Paul had mentioned, "...let us live up to what we have already attained." We walk step by step towards the goal. May God grant us all strength and grace to live and love to our full potential through the parayers of the saints!
Father ? You are a great grace to us all at this time . You have been given the exact words that we need to hear Now. And the teaching ; insight and support we have not found anywhere else. I pray you remain as you are. Remain humble and sensitive and courageous! I only discovered..no i was led to your stories just a week ago. Now i share you with everyone. Your channel is missing very often. May you and Monastery be Protected by The Veil of the Theotokos !
Thank God for Mull Monastery on You Tube!! I listen to these videos in the morning before work, and they help me so much to start my day with faith and direction, in this chaotic world. 🙏
Wow. Your talks are getting more beautiful and edifying every time. This one was a perfect pearl of wisdom. Thank you so much my brother in Christ. We are blessed to have ears to hear the blessed words you speak.
Your videos are a blessing to me everyday. Thank you for your wisdom and continuing to allow God to speak through you so you can share these messages with the world. They have helped me and many others with our faith and walk with Christ more than you know. God bless you, from an Anglican in New Zealand.
fantastic - love these talks thank you blessed brother in Christ - I need to struggle harder yet suffer severe chronic pain more than 25 years...I seem like a lost cause to myself sometimes...
Just the words I needed at this time thank you! Was just dwelling on how easy it use to be to pray when i was younger vs now. My favorite Saint is St. Porphyrios a recent Saint. His words are so rich with love, and at the same time, i can relate, reading his books can be Kind of depressing when I compare with my life. Sometimes I feel I have to find another book for my grade level.
For a minute I thought the background was art, wowowowo. God is awesom. I hate city life so much, and I dont know how to get out. Thank you for this lifting word of God Abuna! God less you.
At my lowest points, as I am being crushed by sufferings, you consistently post videos addressing the exact, concrete problems I'm grappling with. Mental illness stripped me of the ability to focus on prayers, and your videos on prayer and meditating on Christs face come out. Suffering distracting me from becoming the person I want to be, progressing towards the models of the Father's that I am drawn to, and you post this video. You posted it right around the time I woke up from the surgery I was having. The last thought before being put under was "I hate myself, I want to become who I have been trying to be, beautiful, knowledgeable, disciplined, kind... But I am in a state of suffering so that my development has felt to be totally stalled." Part of me hoped to just die in surgery so I don't have to think about how little I resemble the God and saints I want to be like. But then I find that you uploaded this at the perfect time. Thank you.
You are not alone. Many of us in the church suffer as you do. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. " Romans 8:18-30
The suffering we experience is not in the way of the path... it is part of the path for those who persevere. Where you are now is where many of the saints and prophets were when God went out and found them. --- 19 King Ahab told Jezebel every thing Elijah had done and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me terribly if by this time tomorrow I don’t kill you just as you killed those prophets.” 3 When Elijah heard this, he was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there. 4 Then Elijah walked for a whole day into the desert. He sat down under a bush and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “Let me die. I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and slept. Suddenly an angel came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. 6 Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he went back to sleep. 7 Later the Lord’s angel came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too hard for you.” 8 So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night. Then the Lord spoke his word to him: “Elijah! Why are you here?” 10 He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I have always served you as well as I could. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I am the only prophet left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 11 The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand in front of me on the mountain, and I will pass by you.” Then a very strong wind blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of the Lord . But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle sound. 13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! Why are you here?” 14 He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I have always served you as well as I could. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I am the only prophet left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back on the road that leads to the desert around Damascus. Enter that city, and pour olive oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram. 16 Then pour oil on Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king over Israel. Next, pour oil on Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to make him a prophet in your place. 17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes from Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes from Jehu’s sword. 18 I have seven thousand people left in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed his idol.”
When you pray the psalms to God, and they speak of the enemies who attack and those who wish you evil... know in your heart that these are not merely people in your world, but specifically these afflictions of mind and soul that want you to do anything other than rest in God through prayer. Take care of yourself because you are loved by us and by God. The Theotokos loves you as do all the saints and angels. In my own experience, suffering rarely just goes away... it is either endured or transcended. I have found that the greatest trap to keep us from finding those two holy escapes (of endurance or transcendance) is obsessing over the suffering in itself and wishing for it to just vanish: this saps our strength, it breeds disappointment, it distracts the mind further, it makes us too lazy to get the help we need, it builds dispair, it hardens resentment, and it makes God feel very far from us when He is holding us tightly. When our focus is fixed firmly on the suffering or our failures because of it then we are not at peace and not looking to God. Wasn't this exactly the goal of our enemies when these afflictions were put on us? We have voluntarily handed them victory by playing their mind game.
Fr Seraphim, Thank you genuinely for your encouraging words and for taking the time to make and post your videos. These are a blessing to so many people. May Christ bless you and your monestary.
I was struck by the silence that surrounds you.
"A monk was once asked: 'What do you do up there in the monastery?' The monk replied: 'We fall and get up, fall and get up, fall and get up again.'" - Tito Coliander
Well done ❤
Thanks! It's inspiring!!!
Beautiful view. 🌸 We are part of the earth. Our bodies return to the earth. God is part of the earth. So we return home that way.
Loved this! ❤
Dear sir, you are beautiful and I see so much of Jesus Christ in you.
☦️☦️☦️
Reminds me of one of my favorite Russian sayings, we go to heaven together and to hell alone.
Peace, Grace, Mercy and The Holy Spirit be with you always father with much love.
Amen. Beautiful said!
Blessings Father!
Your words help me every day. The beauty of where you are is breathtaking! Thank you so much.
Dear Jill, that is so kind of you to say. I am grateful that God does work through our work, it gives us hope and courage (which we all need). May we all be blessed, dear one. PS: Yes, God's creation is beautiful beyond words.
Oh my Lord thank You for this servant willing to share the secrets of his heart
It is a horrible feeling when you make a mistake and somebody leaves you because of it forgeting all the good that you did...And it leavea you with guilt, sadness, desperation..But I have Jesus and that still keeps me alive...
All my life I've been bullied by classmates so the imagery of the classmates who fight for you and help you made me cry because it's so beautiful and makes me hopeful. Thank you for this ❤️ I will try to start reading the lives of the saints and praying to them.
I am saving this for future encouragement. I needed to hear this this morning. Thank you and God Bless
Thank you Father, a tower of strength
Please pray for me dear Father Seraphim. Thank you so much for these videos and for shining the love of Christ upon us.
Thank you - we must all allow Jesus to perceive over our 'souls journey' during our lifetime - God is Love and Mercy
GREATFUL TO GOD, FOR YOU AND YOUR COMUNITY, I REMEMBER YOU.. 🙏🙏🙏.
The more we come closer to God the less we feel that we have made progress.
There was this Orthodox monk that once told me that this is a verification (less progress) that takes place as a natural consequence of coming closer to God because we start to realize in a greater way our personal insignificance in His infinite divine and eternal presence!
Amen Amen Amen
Thank you Father
Always I feel better and with full of hope, when I hear your Father.
My spiritual father once told me that the one thing I must always ask when I pray for those whom I meet in confession is that they should leave my side with a drop of new hope, and the desire to start anew, to make a new beginning - that is all we can offer each other, the rest is up to each of us and they way in which we open to Christ's grace. Be blessed, dear one, wherever you are.
Bless Father. Thank you for this message. It has affected me powerfully.
Thankyou so much Fr Seraphim! Very penetrating and helpful day to day....God bless you always!
oh this word ive found by the Grace of God ....is right now, i want to thank you brother.
I love Our Blessed Mother and her Saints!!
Entire Communion of Saints, Pray For Us!! ☺️
Gorgeous location.
Thanks for your soothing wisdom.
Simplicity & minimalism.
Vs
Hedonism & greed.
Inspirational insights... Thank you rev.. Father... 🌹🌹
Thank you again for another wonderful lesson. I truly appreciate your talks.
I needed this. Thank you.
The Saints are like stars, that's beautiful Brother.
Even though the stars are surrounded by darkness, they shine bright & so too should we. Thanks Brother.: )
Thank you, Fr. Seraphim, for addressing this. I have been feeling this way lately. I’m a stay-at-home mom, and my girls recently got a little book about St. Juliana of Lazarevo. Instead of inspiring me to be a better wife and mother, her story made me feel like I could never be like her - that I’m too weak and it’s too hard.
Habla usted con mucha fuerza. Bendiciones. Paz y Bien.
You have created us for Yourself, O Lord, our hearts are restless until they rest in You. St Augustine
Wonderful words! Hard to follow. But posibile, by the grace of God
Thank you father Seraphim for taking us closer to the midst of that place of great saints.
Thank you Father Seraphim. To the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for the healing effect that Father Seraphim has with his video presentations. He seems to fill a hunger for learning, continuous learning about the saints, and prayer life as Christians. Also, Lord Jesus, Father Seraphim is kind and a guiding father to some of us who are old enough to be his father/mother, yet we are like the children listening to the teacher. Thank you God.
I love your videos and the words you share. I am interested in Orthodoxy, but it somehow seems so foreign and overwhelming for a former evangelical Protestant. But you make it so approachable, so practical, so relevant.
amen
I converted to Orthodoxy 2 yrs ago and will never regret it! It's so beautiful, deep and true - God bless you as you search.
Thank you, dear Fr. Seraphim. I needed to hear your message today.
May God bless you abundantly. God has used you today to take me out of a pit with this video and the lust one. Praise be to him and thank you for your YES to Him.
... one humble step at a time in the right direction ... that's so simple and beautiful! And of all the rest our Lord Jesus Christ will take care, we have just to surrender to Him ....
Thank you Father Seraphim, God bless you!
Father, I have grown SO MUCH this past year by listening to your videos, THANK YOU!! Through you, the Holy Spirit is teaching the world, I am sure you have listeners in all parts of the world, PRAYING for you as I can only imagine how much the evil one must be waging war on you and the monastery. Praise God, we know He will win in the end!
Our creator, all Intelligent design comes from the light: God.
I really love your Christian messages!
God bless you mate.
🙏☦️🙏
Amen. Lord, God have mercy on me!
I have always been looking for a spiritual director to guide me , and I think I have finally found him. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance. I will never stop looking up at the stars ✨ and know that everything is possible. May god bless you.
Couldn't agree more
WE STILL NEED, A SPIRITUAL FATHER, IN THE PLACE WE LEAVE....... THIS HOLLY MONK SAY SO... 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks Be to God for your words.
God bless you father your videos are invaluable thank you for these words such beautiful words and so full of hope!
Thank you father very inspiring and beautiful ❣️☦️🙏
Father Seraphim I feel like I have a calling from God to go to the monastery. What do you suggest me to do?
Thank you 🙏🏻
Dear Father, again our perfect Lord has talked to me through your beautiful words. Again, in the exact moment when I needed this. There is no way I could ever express my gratitude that God has created you and me and all of us brothers and sisters. You even mentioned my beloved friend Saint Catherine of Sinai who, I now understand from your teaching, is praying for me and helping me in all the torment as are the rest of my Saint friends. When I chose Christ I was left alone by my "friends" but I got exactly like you said, the truest of them all. Thank you, again and always!
Pride.... wretched am I; pray for us you Saints, now and at the hour of our death....
AMEN!!!
God bless you, dear Brother Seraphim! Thank you endlessly much.
Hello Brother. All the Saints experienced the illuminating warmth eminating from God's Love like the sun on earth, chasing away shadows, making the path clear, endowing strength. But in thier former lives, the Saints had rough times of sin, doubt, temptation, & fear, shrouded in blinding darkness. Then they saw the light, felt the rays of the sun & began a new path, a better life. You're right Brother, the Saints are like stars in the sky, we look up to them, they can help light our way during our darkest hours, guiding us through thier example, that darkness can be defeated with the light of God. They are human beings, that transform into lanterns fueled by the Creator. Thier lives reinforce that change is possible, the ability to walk a better path, provide hope to over come struggles. Regardless, the difficult night will always return to test the earth bound soul. While mountains eventually crumble, lakes dry, & our physical form erodes to dust...steadfast Faith remains solid & eternal, because of its divine source. Thanks you Brother for sharing your light. :)
Thankyou for the inspiring teaching! God bless from Canada....
I love the 3 “amen” at the end. Thank you for the message. Lean on the Saints!
Beautiful scenery!! It almost doesn't look real.....such blue blue water - all from God!! Amen.....
Thank you. I needed this encouragement to continue on my Christian path. God bless.
Thank you so much for kind words, it helped me realise that even if I fail God everyday, it's better than turning from him altogether.
Wonderful . Thanks so much! Gorgeous backdrop too .
God bless you Father ❤️
Thank you so mutch fth Seraphim God bless our love from Melbourne Australia
A wonderful message as always Father .
The priest at my church that I correspond with told me , before I got baptized , that what I am about to embark on is a marathon and not a sprint. He said you will trip and stumble , we all do , but to pick yourself up and keep moving forward . Wanted to share that because the video reminded of it .
As a sidenote , I can't get over just how beautiful the background is . I fancy art museums when I travel , and that scenery outdoes any painting I have seen . God willing, someday I will see it for myself .
Thank you, Father!
Thank you Father,
Such kind and wise words, dear Sir. Here is hope of salvation for all. Grateful thanks for sharing the understanding.
Good afternoon father!! Our love from Greece!!!🎀🌷❤️🌹💓🌼🌺🐣
Thank you, father for the encouragement!
Thanks for pointing to, the light that shines in the darkness 😊
Hello Father Seraphim, God blessing be with you 🙏on your beautiful day🌅🇭🇺🇺🇸
Thank you, dear Julie Ann. May God return your blessings to you a hundredfold!
Thank you, Father, for another thought-provoking message. I am still looking for that congenial saint waiting in the classroom for me, the little boy still on the playground at recess time.
Amen father thank you. Please pray for my mental health 🙏🏽❤️ and for clearance father
I love listening to you Father Serafim.
The view îs breathtaking🙏🙏🙏
Amen Amen Amen
Yes. Exactly. I like the image of the two classes. A wise man once told me to join a band in which I would be the worst player, because I would learn from the better players.
Dr. Father, I just wrote you a letter, I believe you just answered it. Many Thanks and blessings. Mrs. Hutchinson
Thank you Fr Serafim! But I feel that I am a really bad "student" among the fallen Brothers and Sisters in this world around me...I just kann't stop thinking (I see that it is so) they are much better than me ...that are keeping me in a deep pain because I really can not do anything for Christ. Not even keep my mouth shut when it should be. I am also struggling to try fasting....and so on. In this way I think that the Saints don't want to have anything to do with such ...me...I am just like a broken barrel....
"Sadness is burdensome and [spiritual apathy] is irresistible, but tears shed before God are stronger than both." -Evagrius Ponticus
Read 2 Corinthians 4
May the Word always dwell in all of your heart. May you be lead to the still waters and let love refresh your Spirit and wash you clean.
I have been where you are... far worse than what you describe. Dear Cristina. Never lose hope. I will pray for you in my vigils.
Set your sights on tiny attainable goals first and do them until they are a habit. Then rejoice. Then take the next step. Then the next. Ask for help. Keep falling. Keep getting up. Trust that Christ has your welfare in His heart.
Practice the love and compassion of God on yourself. The peace, mercy, and patience of a Christian does not magically appear out in the world through force of will. It is received by you from God as the recipient and then radiates out into the world with natural flow.
The purification of the soul is not adding anything to it. It is subtraction. Purify is removal until only the good remains.
Anthony the Great once said that there was one who was his equal in the city. He was a doctor by profession and whatever he had beyond his needs he gave to the poor, and every day he sang the Sanctus with the angels.
Maybe don't try to do anything more than what you are able and called to do with faith, humility, and love. If it impresses Anthony the Great, who are we to criticize or neglect small obediences?
My dear Cristina, I know what you say. I know it because I am just like you. My solution has been to 'befriend' one or two Saints and let them introduce me to all the others. It's like making friends with the popular kids in school 😊 Once they take you under their wing, everyone else will accept you too. I think you should stop worrying about how the Saints relate to you. Just focus on the one or two Saints of your heart and try your best to live your life as close to them as possible. This will slowly, slowly show you that - in fact - none of the Saints ever judged or condemned you, but that your heart was just kept humble by the grace of God. My 'popular kid' has always been St Nicholas; he then introduced me to so many others (St Seraphim, St Sisoes, St Oran, St Isaac and many others). Focus on the Saints of your heart - they will do the rest. God bless you, dear one.
Amen, amen,amen! Truly wonderful message for us today
Father, your words has been an answered prayer (from 5 mins before I saw this). Thank you so much.
Thank you for this video, Amen. Channel subscribed. Going to watch more of your videos for sure. Greetings from Finland 🇫🇮.
Your msgs are so encouraging to make good choices. Praying for you each day.
How true. This really lifted my spirits. Thank-you. One day I will come to Mull on retreat, God willing.
Don't worry, the saints are full of love and they will take care of their silly and idiotic classmates, me and you...🙏💛
What a beautiful sermon. How many times have I looked upon the Saints and kidded myself that I could be anywhere near them. I always feel like dumb fool in their midst. I just keep trying in my little way to do things for Jesus, like St. Theresa
Amen Amen father Amen...
It is the help and company of the Saints that lift the weighted yoke enough that we may continue and feel the Christ’s yoke ‘is easy’.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov is easy to get discouraged when reading. So stalwart and...unbending. But he writes about what a human could and can be and what other Saints have already become. And that is an encouraging thought.
God bless you, Father.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing the wonderful message, Father. As I was learning about the lives of the saints, I always felt drawn to them and wanted to follow their footsteps. But just as what Saint Paul had mentioned, "...let us live up to what we have already attained." We walk step by step towards the goal. May God grant us all strength and grace to live and love to our full potential through the parayers of the saints!
The timing and topics of your videos are truly God inspired and ordained. Thank you again and God bless you. You are in my prayers
Father ? You are a great grace to us all at this time . You have been given the exact words that we need to hear Now. And the teaching ; insight and support we have not found anywhere else. I pray you remain as you are. Remain humble and sensitive and courageous! I only discovered..no i was led to your stories just a week ago. Now i share you with everyone. Your channel is missing very often. May you and Monastery be Protected by The Veil of the Theotokos !
Thank God for Mull Monastery on You Tube!! I listen to these videos in the morning before work, and they help me so much to start my day with faith and direction, in this chaotic world. 🙏
BLESSINGS IN JESUS NAME
Wow. Your talks are getting more beautiful and edifying every time. This one was a perfect pearl of wisdom.
Thank you so much my brother in Christ. We are blessed to have ears to hear the blessed words you speak.
Thank you Father your counseling always an inspiration through all of our beloved saints, to guide and protect
us. God bless you Amen🙏🇭🇺✨🌟🇺🇸
🌷🇭🇺🌷
Your videos are a blessing to me everyday. Thank you for your wisdom and continuing to allow God to speak through you so you can share these messages with the world. They have helped me and many others with our faith and walk with Christ more than you know. God bless you, from an Anglican in New Zealand.
Thank you, Father. I needed to hear this more than I realized. ❤️
fantastic - love these talks thank you blessed brother in Christ - I need to struggle harder yet suffer severe chronic pain more than 25 years...I seem like a lost cause to myself sometimes...
Just the words I needed at this time thank you! Was just dwelling on how easy it use to be to pray when i was younger vs now. My favorite Saint is St. Porphyrios a recent Saint. His words are so rich with love, and at the same time, i can relate, reading his books can be Kind of depressing when I compare with my life. Sometimes I feel I have to find another book for my grade level.
Amen
For a minute I thought the background was art, wowowowo. God is awesom. I hate city life so much, and I dont know how to get out. Thank you for this lifting word of God Abuna! God less you.
Very interesting, thanks.
At my lowest points, as I am being crushed by sufferings, you consistently post videos addressing the exact, concrete problems I'm grappling with. Mental illness stripped me of the ability to focus on prayers, and your videos on prayer and meditating on Christs face come out. Suffering distracting me from becoming the person I want to be, progressing towards the models of the Father's that I am drawn to, and you post this video. You posted it right around the time I woke up from the surgery I was having. The last thought before being put under was "I hate myself, I want to become who I have been trying to be, beautiful, knowledgeable, disciplined, kind... But I am in a state of suffering so that my development has felt to be totally stalled." Part of me hoped to just die in surgery so I don't have to think about how little I resemble the God and saints I want to be like. But then I find that you uploaded this at the perfect time. Thank you.
You are not alone. Many of us in the church suffer as you do.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. "
Romans 8:18-30
I will pray for you.
The suffering we experience is not in the way of the path... it is part of the path for those who persevere. Where you are now is where many of the saints and prophets were when God went out and found them.
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19 King Ahab told Jezebel every thing Elijah had done and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me terribly if by this time tomorrow I don’t kill you just as you killed those prophets.”
3 When Elijah heard this, he was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there. 4 Then Elijah walked for a whole day into the desert. He sat down under a bush and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “Let me die. I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and slept.
Suddenly an angel came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. 6 Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he went back to sleep.
7 Later the Lord’s angel came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too hard for you.” 8 So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night.
Then the Lord spoke his word to him: “Elijah! Why are you here?”
10 He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I have always served you as well as I could. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I am the only prophet left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
11 The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand in front of me on the mountain, and I will pass by you.” Then a very strong wind blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of the Lord . But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle sound. 13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! Why are you here?”
14 He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I have always served you as well as I could. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I am the only prophet left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back on the road that leads to the desert around Damascus. Enter that city, and pour olive oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram. 16 Then pour oil on Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king over Israel. Next, pour oil on Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to make him a prophet in your place. 17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes from Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes from Jehu’s sword. 18 I have seven thousand people left in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed his idol.”
When you pray the psalms to God, and they speak of the enemies who attack and those who wish you evil... know in your heart that these are not merely people in your world, but specifically these afflictions of mind and soul that want you to do anything other than rest in God through prayer.
Take care of yourself because you are loved by us and by God. The Theotokos loves you as do all the saints and angels.
In my own experience, suffering rarely just goes away... it is either endured or transcended. I have found that the greatest trap to keep us from finding those two holy escapes (of endurance or transcendance) is obsessing over the suffering in itself and wishing for it to just vanish: this saps our strength, it breeds disappointment, it distracts the mind further, it makes us too lazy to get the help we need, it builds dispair, it hardens resentment, and it makes God feel very far from us when He is holding us tightly.
When our focus is fixed firmly on the suffering or our failures because of it then we are not at peace and not looking to God. Wasn't this exactly the goal of our enemies when these afflictions were put on us? We have voluntarily handed them victory by playing their mind game.
Fr Seraphim, Thank you genuinely for your encouraging words and for taking the time to make and post your videos. These are a blessing to so many people. May Christ bless you and your monestary.