A spiritual yo-yo: our constant ups and downs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
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The video 'A spiritual yo-yo: our constant ups and downs' was recorded by Fr Seraphim (Aldea) at Iona Monastery (The Orthodox Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints of Iona), on the Isle of Iona.
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May God bless us all!
I'm Catholic, but I find your videos to be most nourishing! I also have this spiritual "yo-yo" problem. At certain times I feel motivated to pray, offer my daily struggles and sufferings to Christ, and carry my daily cross with strength and determination. However, after some time it becomes increasingly difficult for me to maintain this determination. I become fatigued and tired.. At such periods I slowly abandon prayer and self-denial.. Then I start falling back into impurity, laziness, gluttony, etc. After some time of this spiritual low, I come back to Christ and the process begins anew... It's an endless cycle of ups and downs... Anyhow, thank you for your teaching! God bless you, Dear Brother in Christ!
Same
You find orthodoxy nourishing. Discern brother.
@@UnworthySinner7 not easy very few orthodox communities in Uk
Me too. Ave Maria.
I laughed at the intro "what is wrong with us?" im glad im not alone in this game of yo-yo.
Before i was orthodox spiritual life was so easy now its rly difficult its very hard. Before i thought i knew everything now i see i know nothing. How hard it is to root out all the bad habits and passions.
Glory to God for revealing all this to you for the sake of your salvation!
same here .. well said
Christ is Risen
Be blessed.
☦
Truly He is Risen! God bless you☦
You talk about just about all the problems I’ve been running into. Glory to God for giving you wisdom and understanding on the trials and tribulations most of us are having!☦️Christ is Risen!
Christ is risen! Once again, such a providential video, father! Right in time! After some days of spiritual sunshine, the storm returned yesterday and unfortunately I sank... And just before entering TH-cam, I was praying the Vespers thinking the same thing, that it's like I'm building a tower out of cards, it's hard, it takes time, patience, concentration, but all of a sudden I kick it and destroy it, and then I have to start all over again. One step forward and ten backwards. It makes me sad, because I feel like I cannot become how our Lord wants me to be and I keep going back to the starting point. I received some precious answers through your words. May God bless you and the whole Community always!
Amen 🙏 ❤be blessed father from California
The Holy Spirit works through you. 🙏🏿
I am 60, I noticed what you say is true, our life is going in circles, I am convinced there is a spiritual battle going on, seems as if Satan is winning 😢, I just wait to leave this earth 😊
I agree 👍 💯 with you it's very true I'm 60 years old to
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8.28. Satan has lost, Christ defeated Him and ask us to be part of the mopping up operation after the defeat. This often takes longer than the battle itself, it is messy and tragic because of the spite the liar and loser has, but we must be of good cheer embrace that mess and clean it up one soul at a time through Christ Our Lord.
Hey man I'm just starting life I'm only 20 and I feel the same way recognition of it is the first step as long as we have breath we can still turn back to the Lord it's never too late
Yes… 🙏✝️….I’ll be 60 this year, also☺️
God bless you brothers ☦️
Excellent message Father. You were spot on with the truths of our generation. I see this every day in myself and hate it every day, really longing to be the opposite kind of Christian. God bless you and thank you.
❤Christ is Risen! Lord have mercy!
The yo-yo are the times we aren’t walking in the fullness of His love. God give us wave after wave of your love, not the waves of the world that toss us to and fro. Amen 🙏
I didnt see any fruit till a few months of praying. It takes time. But I was seeing new people show up at my parish. Outcasts.
We must learn and wait. Be Patient. It's not easy. We do what we can. Sometimes we need to focus on our faith and learning. You are exactly right.
❤💘💚LOOOVE TO YOUR MONASTERY FROM FRANCE GOD BLESS YOU 💘💘💘
I have missed the last three weeks..time to catch up! Thank you and blessings!❤🙏
Thank you, dear father!
I check my plants every day, waiting for the leaves..... the buds..... the flowers....
I think our modern culture is plauged by instant gratification
This and all the productivity, hapiness and success BS... vanity replacing vanity.
To have cycles in one's spiritual life is like the true yo-yo of the world. Not just the modern world, of course. So the wisdom of the ancients can help.
Amén! Yes Jesus have mercy and help us to wait for the fruit.
Father I'd like to share this with you and your viewers. These are not my words but of Gary Zimak a Catholic Author and Speaker on Psalm 90:4
A thousand years in your eyes are merely a day gone by. (Psalm 90:4)
As someone who tends to be impatient, I find it difficult to wait for my prayers to be answered. When I present my needs to God, I prefer Him to answer ASAP. Unfortunately, this tendency has caused me much grief over the years.
God is not in a hurry and isn't influenced by my impatience. Because He loves me and knows what's best, He will answer my prayers in the best way possible at the best possible time. I'll keep working on accepting it and pray for the grace to be patient. There's really no other way.
Let not your heart be troubled!
Gary Zimak
Amen! This is also why the Orthodox Fathers encourage us to pray The Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.”)
By praying for nothing but mercy, you set aside your expectations and your timeline and your specific needs and hand it all over to The One who created the Universe.
Thank you Father
Amen ! it’s just bonkers out here !
When i trie to grow spiritually, fast, pray, etc Then severe illnesses quickly appear, misfortunes, as if god could not wait for exhaust me And to bring me to a state where I don't see the point in fighting, because I can never cope with it. God, when I try to get closer to him, crushes me to the state where I doubt the possibility of carrying the cross and being his faithful disciple
It's actually the exact opposite - God allows those struggles and temptations BECAUSE He sees you can handle them. You have progressed so well with fasting that you can try to endeavour in the next level... But the trick is you are not to carry your cross alone, but with Christ Jesus who abides in you. You do not have power, but you receive it from the Lord out of His mercy.
Exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you ♥
Thank you Father Seraphim ❤❤❤
🙏🏽
Hristos a Inviat 🙏 Parinte Maica Domnului sa va binecuvinteze mereu 🙏
Amin!❤
It is so true what you say , after so many years of struggle. Judging in one way or another so often one is so oblivious because it is done in a way not experienced before so it goes unnoticed as if you have finally overcome the judgement
Thank you father Seraphim. Emmanuel George Nicolaou from South Africa
Thank You so much!Many hugs,Fr.!🥹🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
St Columba please intercede for us 🙏 June 9
Ai căzut, ridică-te! Ai căzut iar, ridică-te! Asta , toată viața.Este omenește să cazi, este dumnezeiește să te ridici.
Another Catholic here but I love your videos. Very helpful !! God bless you.
Thankyou so much. Greetings from Holland
Thankyou for your shared inspirational wisdom... thought provoking homilies.. much clarification and grounded expression of Truth.. love prayers and grace with you all dear beings of Light and Devotion.
Thank you Sir. Appreciate your commitment to Jesus. I’m sure he does too👍
Thank you brother, praise Elohim!
The truth is that there are some people in high places who are determined to see those whom they are being controlling of succeed only in how well they are helping to uphold the narcissists in high place their positive image only. Unborn human beings, young people and the very old always suffer the most under the yoke of that burden. The yoke which is far heavier than the yoke which Jesus Christ himself offers to each and every one of us.
Father pray for me everything seems blurred for me, i feel dull & cold
Thank you brother
Speaks to me.
I am Guilty father! Of it all ! May He engrave within us that “ by patience possess your souls”
Is it wrong to still truly desire a moment of transformative grace ? Iike saint Mary of Egypt at the door of the church or the samiritan woman at the well or Zachaeus in the tree? I apologize for my additional question …
That one moment seems to enflame the soul .. 🙏✝️✝️
I really needed this! Thank you! Could you please give me specific examples of modern spirituality versus the Christianity passed down from the apostles.
Jesus and gravity
Please I beg you to do a video on self-defense and boundaries and how to not judge others and stay humble while also being righteous and protecting others or ourselves. I truly truly am struggling to understand what the line is and I fear my misunderstanding may be pushing people away from christianity as I may be acting beyond just gentle and meek and rather as sluggish and an anti-justice coward that repels peace. This struggle greatly distresses me. In trying to follow Jesus example of turn the other cheek however other instances where he never returned to his home town after they reviled him (is that boundaries?) confuse me. I have read (st Basil)about how soldiers fighting are not murderers for protecting their country and fighting a good war, and the orthodox advice on separating from your husband who may abuse you to create physical boundaries. Im unsure if this is clear to others and I am just missing something. I have had people pull me to the ground and start kicking me and I would not retaliate and think it was obedient to Christ, but what if I'm allowing myself to be hurt for no reason? So i thought it was best to ask in case you'd see this and offer any advice. Thank you for your videos.
Doamne ajută! Traduceți si in română, vă rog.
Including your own blessed self, Fr. Seraphim, how many brothers live in the monastery?
This can all be traced back to original sin when the serpent whispered into Eve's ear, You too can be just like God. We all want to selfishly control each and every move we make and push God away from our lives, as if depending on Him is a sign of weakness. Just horrible.
Spirit of rebellion is fuelled by a sense of unworthiness, which is self-condemnation. It's a devil's snare, a habit of self-gaslighting. Christ has overcome it. There is no condemnation in him.
I don't agree completely. If I don't confirm, then I could believe in anything. Why for example women fall into the whole "new age" thing. I don't know exactly though where the boundaries are to this
I could be wrong, of course, but I don’t think Father is asking us to not have discernment in our everyday life. We all definitely need to be vigilant to not be fooled by the evil one and led away from Christ. I believe Father is talking more about us having patience and faith in our spiritual life, setting aside our expectations and our timeline for how/when we think He should act in our lives.
The problem with New Age and Neo-Paganism etc. is that people seemingly get "confirmation" that those things work - in the form of visions and positive feelings and experience of purpose, and so on.
There is to much proof in our modern time.
these problems come from materialism and so called prosperity preaching. God forbid UK residents live in a flat not a house, walk or catch a bus, instead a big oversized car....