Preparing for Battle - How to use our moments of peace to survive the DARK times
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ค. 2020
- During the good times, the moments of peace in our lives, we tend to relax and imagine that this spiritual bliss will last forever. Instead, we should make the most of these upbeat periods, to prepare for the battles ahead, to gather our strength and develop new 'spiritual skills'. While we have peace, we should prepare for battle. While in the Light, we should develop a survival 'mode', a survival strategy for when darkness returns.
Fr Seraphim, from the Orthodox Monastery of All Celtic Saints on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, talks about the need to keep our focus during our good spiritual periods, so we are stronger and better prepared when temptation hits next.
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I apologise for the wind. I did try to command it to stop, but apart from a neighbour looking strangely at me, I succeeded nothing... Anyway - remember to subscribe and leave any questions or comments below. I'll respond to them in our video this Friday. Be well, dear ones. Be blessed. And keep me and the Monastery in your prayers. Christ is risen!
God bless you dear father ❤
TRULY HE HAS RISEN!!!!☦🙏🌻💞
Father, after 50 years of work, 32 years in ministry, now in retirement, 67 years old, I find now extra time to progess in the things of God. Throughout my life I have had good seasons and dark times, and through it all the growing presence of Christ. Your videos bless me in my walk with Him. You are a blessing for all who listen to your words of wisdom coming from the heart of Christ. Thank you.
May God bless you for your kindness, dear one. We accept it as a sign we need to keep going, but fully aware that without Christ's blessing, nothing is real, nothing survives death. We are grateful that anything in our own ministry can benefit someone, in the smallest way. Please keep us in your prayer, and may we all be blessed by His Love. Christ is risen!
Fr Seraphim, these videos are such a blessing. Thank you so much for this insight, that we are called to transform the darkness that comes to us into light for others and ourselves. I'm grateful for your presence and the prayers of your brothers and sisters on our islands.
That is so kind of you, dear Tess. I see nothing in Christ except a mad, beyond reason fight to save humanity - despite our fall, despite our hatred, despite the very fact that we crucify the One Who comes to save us. If this is God, then we should be like Him, because we were created for this reason: to become Christ-like. Love is a difficult thing, when Love is the Self-Sacrificing God Himself. Christ is risen, dear one!
Sannerligen uppstånden(truly risen) ☦
Indeed He is risen! Dear Father, thank you for these words of encouragement and the story about St Seraphim of Sarov. It is too easy to slip into anxiety, despair and forget that life is a gift from God after all. Peace be with you.
God loves us and WANTS to save us, dear one. He wants to save us more than we do, and He loves us more than we do. This has always helped me to get. through my dark moments, I pray to helps you too. In Christ, fr seraphim
It’s 2:24 am and I need it to hear this. Thank you. All glory is to God!
Oh dear thank you thank you thank you so very much!!! God bless you Mother Mary keep you near to Her loving heart!!! ☺️🤗🙇♀️🕯📿🙏🌹🌸💐❤🌟🌈
Dear Father. I happen to stumble upon this at a very very timely moment. I am trying to resolve finding a new job and place t live as graceful and as fast as is Gods will, so I can begin a family of my own. The most difficult challenge of this time is that I have feel an evil external type temptations, distractions, mentally and physically some years ago. Thank God its' much better today. I am not anyone special so I never understood how this came about at the most clear time in life where I very intentionally decided to get closer to God for my future and future family. Its been years and much better today, but your videos have helped make me aware of how to continue to resolve life and spiritual temptations, vexations, or just (thankfully) more minor every day confusions of one's day.
Your videos, especially regarding evil temptation or forces help me to see that some things are real that i feel and not made up, even if friends or colleagues in my working world don't experience anything like it. Again stumbling upon your videos has been very timely.
Could you pray for my future family and ability to discern along the way?
Much grace, peace, and so much health and joy to you and yours.
Those little lambs are adorable!!!!! I talk to all the critters, too!
I’m enjoying your videos so much. I would love to hear some bible study and explanations from your self father. Much of the Bible from the Protestant view that I have been thought do not make sense and I know they have a much richer spiritual meanings. I know so many of us are hungry for this. God bless you all.
Thank you, today a God send message 🙏🏽😇😇😇
Indeed He is risen!
Thank you again, Father Seraphim for your words! I keep them with me throughout these challenging time we've been facing here.
🌷🌷🌷
May Christ bless and protect us all, dear Maria. Be strong and keep your heart on high.
Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ!
Good afternoon, dear Father Seraphim! My name is Mihaela, an Orthodox Christian missionary in Africa, a servent of the Metropoly of Burundi and Rwanda. I am from Romania, but from September last year my home, my life and my way for salvation is here in Africa, where by the will of God I work hard to be helpful.
I have found You on youtube these days and your words are in my heart. Thank you for your opening to us, for your teachings, for your concern about everythings that is going on so we can understand much better. Thank you for your love - I know love is not a simple matter but the most important fact of our salvation. May God bless you always!
Thank you Father, I really appreciate these videos.
Indeed, He is risen, Father. Thank you for all your lovely teachings and the weekly videos you enrich us, with. I loved the conversation with the lambs from the beginning of video 😊. Gave me a good laugh 🙈. And I totally agree with you, we should always be in God's Love and to prepare our Souls for everything that's awaiting us. God bless you and thank you so much for all your prayers and wise words 🙏
Dear Mihaela, as we move forward through our life, we need to slowly grow in our faith and our love. We can grow in any moment, good or bad, but we need to keep our focus on Christ and not lose sight of our aim: we need to remain focused, we need to hold on to our hope and trust in Christ even when (especially when) things get difficult. A bit of humour is a blessing from God, it goes a long way in helping us get over our dark days.
Praying for you Fr.Seraphim🙏🙏, God bless you🙏🙏the beautiful combination of nature and the wise words are truly a treasure.Thank you.
Glory be to God for all good and beautiful things, dear one. We live in such a beautiful part of the world, I am constantly humbled by God's love and mercy to me and the Monastery.
Thank you, Father. This pandemic has been a period of darkness for me. Glad to hear my habit of using humor to lighten situations is a good one. I was astounded to hear I actually have something in common with the great St Seraphim of Sarov. I, too, am the “choir clown”. 🤣
😊 Dear Amy, I was always the serious one, the 'nerd' of the Monastery. I would frown at those 'silly' brothers who tried to make me laugh, but secretly (this is just between you and I) I was so relieved when they would join the choir and start making everyone giggle. Because I needed their silliness to survive my darkness. As I said, this is just between us 😊
Mull Monastery Mum’s the word, Father! 😉
Thank you Father, been struggling with seeing God's presence in this pandemic. I am going to start today, with the help of God's grace, to try and see everything, or at least something, through God's eyes, to try and see the beauty and the goodness and the truth in every person.
My dear Tyler, when He Who is Love allows something like this to happen (not that He generated it, but He has chosen to allow it to happen), I am filled with fear, because what I understand is that He is using the very last way (something that goes against Himself, for He is Love by nature) to warn us about something else, sorting worse that waits ahead of us unless we change course. This pandemic has taught me that I need to take things much more seriously and, for that, I am immensely grateful to Him. Be blessed, dear one. Christ is risen!
Yes dear, you are in my prayers!!!🤗🙏🕯🌹🌈
God Bless too .
Yes right here on earth
So encouraging. Thank you, Father!
Dear Wynter, how lovely to hear from you. I pray everyone and everything is alright. This life will throw darkness and light at us - both of those can become temptations or opportunities to grow spiritually. It is up to us and how closely we work with the Grace of God. Christ is risen, dear one!
Yes, I am here. The assistance arrived on time, thank you. (It occurred to me the other day that sheep are taken up to the mountains in order to thicken their coats in the cooler weather.)
Perhaps - I have no idea about sheep. I look at a sheep and I see a grazing prayer rope, wrapped around a chunk of kindness. I actually like sheep very much. Ours (those on the island, that is) are always outside, throughout the whole year. With the exception of a few select ones (whose wool is used for various purposes, like our prayer ropes), they are allowed to shed their wool freely. In late May / early June, there is a ton of wool everywhere. Christ is risen, Unknown one!
Thank you for the reminder, Fr. When I am being persecuted I lose the peace I have built, because the injustice and suspicion I must endure from others causes an impulse to anger. I am getting better at not taking any offense over such situations. I now understand the importance of maintaining the peace in my heart and my connection with the Holy Spirit. I will not let such things jeopardize my salvation anymore
What a beautiful and at the same practical teaching..thank you for helping us, God bless you!
Sts Sophrony and Silouan pray for us
By the grace of God (and through the kindness of a very good friend the Monastery) we are now working on a large icon of Sts Silouan and Sophrony together. It will be an immense blessing to have it at the Monastery, and I shall make sure to share it with everyone when it is ready. Christ is risen, dear one!
Mull Monastery dear Father that will surely force me to visit your beautiful temple! by your blessing and prayers
This smile at the end of this video is a gift from God, especially with the knowledge you had almost lost your dear life.
Oh Blessings! Watching this again. The Word has gone out ..and does not return unto HIM void. Meditating on these things in such a time as this. Bless the Lord , Oh my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name. Thank you , Thank you. AMEN
May God bless you father
Efraim..🙏🏻 thank you for another iplifting message 🙏🏻
Xristos Anesti - xara mou!-😀🙏🏻🌹🌷❤🌿
Ohhh... like the training I had in the military and the fire service: battle readiness. We trained hard during times of peace so we were ready for our instincts to kick in when disaster struck. That makes so much sense! I love your videos!
The story about St Seraphim reminded me of something... Beautiful words and amazing scenery, dear Father! Christ is risen!
Truly He is risen! My dear father, it was a cold, windy, foggy, rainy day - a glorious day, that is 😊 Please keep me and the Monastery in your prayers - you and your wonderful little tribe is deep, deep in my heart. As is everyone in the parish in Durham.
@@mullmonastery You are always in my prayers, and no doubt in the prayers and thoughts of our parish.
How did you know I'm finally starting to rock after all these months of acedia, but neglecting my prayer rule yet again hahaha! Is this something that is happening to many people right now? We don't know each other, Father, but I do hope one day I will be able to see the monastery at Mull. Indeed He is risen!
May God bless it, dear Miruna. These recording are very much an act of faith for me, because I do not know what to say, when and so on - I trust Christ will give me a good word when it is necessary, so that whoever hears it may benefit in some way. May He bless us all.
I suspect your sense of humor has been in place for most of your life. These regular videos are not only edifying but have also peeled back a layer that is quite hilarious 😁
My (dreadful) sense of humour is a survival tool. I am excellent at making fun of myself, which is a great gift. On the other hand, I think this is not part of my deeper self - I say that because humour completely disappears when I am under darkness; only my obedience and trust in my spiritual father get me through those moments. God bless you, dear Robert.
Thank you Father
Amen 🙏
Hello Fr Seraphim, I enjoy watching your videos, they make so much sense in a world that doesn't make sense anymore. Father, I am finding an issue which keeps coming back in my life: evil spirits attack at night when I'm about to sleep or even when I'm asleep. They know I am very vigilant during the day, so they pick late at night when I am tired, sleepy or already asleep. They attack my senses, as in, they force ideas or feelings which I do not have and they exaggerate other feelings at times to make me very anxious. I have tried prayer and Holy Water, they do work but it takes time, I find myself battling the whole night at times, before the evil spirits weaken and leave. Is there a faster way to get rid of them? I cannot fast regularly due to my health, but I abstain from pleasurable foods, as much as possible and for extended periods of time as well (I feel confident that it does help strengthen me). I also attend Holy Liturgy/Mass every day. What do you advise? Is there something that I haven't thought of, that would be helpful in this spiritual battle?
Father my soul is always satiated with you wonderful words of life in Christ. We also love to be invited to the see, feel and hear beauty of Mull. Thank you. Last year I almost made it out to visit the isle but the timing didn't allow for it. Praying for you and the monastery. Christ has Risen!
When the time is right, dear one, God will bring you. Thank you for being so kind and for encouraging us to continue. As we move forward, we realise that we shall face all sorts of difficulties, from my time to the weather. It was very difficult to film this video, because the wind was actually very strong. We now have a storm approaching, so we have to find all sorts of ways to prepare beforehand, so we can keep recording even when I cannot be outside. It is difficult, but - as long as the videos are useful - we shall do our best. May we all be blessed.
@@mullmonastery Your videos and words are very, very helpful Father. Please Father, pray to find to say something helpful for my teenage daughter who is lost from our God, Lord Jesus Christ.
Beautiful !
Glory be to God. He created such a beautiful home for us, even if it is only a temporary one, until we shall find our eternal Home.
I am so glad I found your channel! Wonderful word, thank you.
Glory be to God, dear one. We are happy you found us, too. Perhaps, God willing, we shall also meet in person one day.
@@mullmonastery Us too Father. I pray to God that you'll meet at least my daughter one day and that He will help you to help her. Amen
May I ask: what does “until the kingdom” mean?
Arent they beautiful. They said jesus is coming again.