Λένε οι άθεοι
Εάν ο Θεός δημιούργησε τον κόσμο τότε ποιος δημιούργησε τον Θεό.
Είναι σαν να ρωτούν εάν ο Πικάσο ζωγράφισε έναν πίνακα τότε ποιος ζωγράφισε τον Πικάσο.
Η εάν αυτός ο Μάγειρας μαγείρεψε αυτές τις λιχουδιές τοτε ποιος μαγείρεψε τον μάγειρα
Το γεγονός ότι ένας ζωγράφος ζωγραφίζει δεν σημαίνει ότι κ ο ίδιος είναι ζωγραφισμένος. Κι
St. Iakovos of Evia: "For married people, your prayer ropes and prostrations are your children..."
There was once a pious couple with nine children. The husband was very pious and a little overly-zealous as regards spiritual things.
By letter he said that he wanted to do everything like a monk. His wife complained to St. Iakovos of Evia that she was exhausted and that she wanted help. When they came to the Monastery of St. David, at night,
Δύο άνθρωποι βρήκαν μια μέρα μέσα στην έρημο έναν πανέμορφο κήπο, γεμάτο λουλούδια, φρούτα και τρεχούμενα νερά.
— «Κάποιος κηπουρός θα τον φροντίζει», είπε ο πρώτος.
— «Αποκλείεται», είπε ο δεύτερος. «Είναι απλώς μια σύμπτωση της φύσης. Οι σπόροι έπεσαν μόνοι τους και το νερό βρήκε τον δρόμο του».
Περίμεναν μέρες, αλλά δεν είδαν κανέναν κηπουρό.
— «Βλέπεις;» είπε ο άπιστος. «Δεν υπάρχει κανείς!»
— «Κοίτα όμως», απάντησε ο πιστός. «Τα αγριόχορτα είναι βγαλμένα, τα δέντρα κλαδεμένα και
Some Christian apologists [Protestants] often attack the Jesus Prayer, which Orthodox Christians repeat, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
They claim repeating this prayer is sinful because of the verse about "vain repetitions." But that is not what the verse actually teaches.
These apologists often quote "do not use vain repetitions" and assume that means repeating prayers is wrong.
But read the verse carefully. The problem Christ condemns is vain repetition, not repetition itself.
The pagans believed that saying more words and to be seen by men would magically force their gods to act. It was superstition, not prayer.
The irony is that Scripture itself shows righteous repetition in prayer.
In Gospel of Matthew 26:44, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed to the Father three times saying
St. Photini the Great-Martyr and Those With Her
On February 26th we celebrate the Great-Martyr, and Equal-to-the-Apostles, St. Photini, together with her family martyred with her. St. Photini was the Samaritain Woman who spoke to Christ at Jacob's Well (told in John 4, and celebrated the Fifth Sunday of Pascha).
Here is a quote from St. John Chrysostom's Commentary of the Gospel of St. John:
"'The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a Man which told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?'
[1.] We require much fervor and uproused zeal, for without these it is impossible to obtain the blessings promised to us. And to show this, Christ at one time saith, “Except a man take up his cross and follow Me, he is not worthy of Me” ( Matt. x. 38 ); at another, “I am come to send fire upon the earth, and what will I
Hiroyuki Tagawa - (Αμερικανός ηθοποιός Ιαπωνικής καταγωγής, δάσκαλος πολεμικών τεχνών):
"Η επιλογή μου είναι η Ορθοδοξία! "
"Τα βάθη που βρήκα στην Ορθόδοξη Πίστη δεν υπάρχουν πουθενά αλλού. "
Δεν είναι εύκολο να γίνεις Ορθόδοξος Χριστιανός, δεδομένης του πόσες θρησκευτικές συγκρούσεις υπάρχουν στον κόσμο. Όποιες προκλήσεις κι αν έρθουν στο δρόμο μου, τις παίρνω
St. John Chrysostom on Job's Suffering as Consolation
On both sides, beloved, reap the utmost gain, and avoid the imitation of Adam knowing how many ills are begotten of laziness and imitate the piety of Job, learning how many glorious things spring from earnestness. Consider him, the conqueror throughout, and you shall have much consolation in all pain and peril. For as it were in the common theatre of the world that blessed and noble man stands forth, and by means of the sufferings which happened to him, discourses to all to bear all things which befall them nobly and never give in to the troubles which come upon them. For verily, there is no human suffering which cannot receive consolation as a result. For the sufferings which are scattered over the whole world,
«Ἕνας νέος γύρω στά εἰκοσιπέντε, γεμάτος ἀπό ἐγωϊσμό, ἀπαιτοῦσε ἀπ᾽ τόν πατέρα του τήν ἀγορά τοῦ διπλανοῦ μαγαζιοῦ καί τήν προέκτασι τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως, ἐνῶ, κατά τόν πατέρα, ἡ πράξι αὐτή δέν ἦταν καθόλου σωστή ἐμπορικά καί ὁ πατέρας κατέφυγε στόν Ἅγ. Γέροντα Πορφύριο γιά συμβουλή. Τότε ὁ Γέροντας, πού ἔβλεπε μέ τή διόρασι, τοῦ εἶπε, ὅτι τό παιδί του θέλει ἀκόμη λίγα χρόνια, γιά νά ξεφύγη ἀπ᾽ τό νεανικό ἐγωϊσμό ἀλλά, ὅπως ἔβλεπε κι ὁ ἴδιος ὁ πατέρας, ἡ διαφορά τους ἔφθασε στά ἄκρα κι ἔφθασε ὁ κόμπος στό χτένι καί ὁ νέος ἀποφάσισε νά ἐγκαταλείψη τόν πατέρα καί νά φύγη. Τότε ὁ Γέροντας λέει πρός τόν πατέρα, χρησιμοποιῶντας τό διορατικό του χάρισμα, ἐγώ βλέπω ὅτι μπορεῖ τό παιδί νά κάνη λάθος ἀλλά
Thánh Agatha xứ Sicilia (k. 231 – 251)
Lễ kính: 5 tháng 2
Thánh Agatha xứ Sicilia (k. 231 – 251) là một tín hữu Kitô giáo sống ở Sicilia vào thế kỷ thứ III. Cô được tôn phong là một trong các thánh vì có hành động dũng cảm không khuất phục cường quyền khi từ chối kết hôn với viên Thống đốc trong vùng để giữ trinh tiết theo đức tin của mình và kết cục phải chịu nhiều hình phạt nặng nề cho đến chết.
Agatha được sinh ra trong một gia đình đạo đức, có gia thế tại Sicilia, cô đi đạo từ khi còn nhỏ. Khi nghe
Το κίνημα της "Νέας Εποχής" (New Age)
Το κίνημα της "Νέας Εποχής" (New Age) είναι μια σύνθεση ανατολικών Θρησκειών και αρχαίων μυστηριακών διδασκαλιών συνδυασμένες με γνωστικισμό και πνευματισμό. Ως "Νέα Εποχή" χαρακτηρίζεται η καινούρια δισχιλιετία (από το 2001) διότι, όπως υποστηρίζουν οι αστρολόγοι (βασικά στελέχη της Νέα Εποχής) κατ' αυτήν ο ήλιος μπαίνει στο ζωδιακό κύκλο του Υδροχόου και έτσι θα δοθεί τέλος στην "εποχή του Ιχθύος", όπου -κατ' αυτούς- κυριαρχούσε η σύγχυση, οι
