These are reflections from a hermitage with standing in the Eastern Orthodox Church. They are not intended for parish churches but are rather snapshots of the spiritual life as the hermits understand it. They are offered in friendship to those who also strive for Christian conversion:
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And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Rom 2:12) |
Following the teachings of St. John the Theologian, the Hermitage has little contact with the secular world, only to the extent of ministry and farm business. The hermits do not participate socially, are not registered to vote, nor does the Hermitage have radio, television, or newspapers. The few people who do visit (mostly nuns, monks, and clergy) seek peace and sanctuary from the fever of the world. The Hermitage Farm, an enclosure of eight acres, is set apart for prayer and agricultural labors. The lives of the hermits revolve around our temple, Our Lady of the Angels, where our podcasts are recorded.
Following the precedent of the pre-history Irish and Scottish saints, the Hermitage has retreated from the world. Like our forebears who eluded Roman influence, the Hermitage is situated on the edge of the earth (an island most remote from any major land mass); at the end of the day, nearly 180° from the prime meridian; and removed from the secular world by thirteen days, following the Holy Calendar of Jesus and the Apostles.
Humbly following their example of monastic life, serious study and godly writings, we seek to share the light of Christ .... in our case by means of the internet.
Americans say they want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But without God, none of these things will be possible. Without God is only death, enslavement, and eternal regret. C. S. Lewis wrote that "Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."
We do not suggest that God penalizes us for straying from Him. His heart is only to bless. He has always already predestined all to Heaven. But He has given us the precious gift of freedom, sovereignty over our lives, capable of choosing destinations of our own devising. Freely, we may reject Him and His marvelous world of holy life, which is the Kingdom of Heaven. This place of willful separation from our own Divine Family is called Hell.
What is the next thing people do when they encounter God?
They seek to learn, to be guided, to compare notes.
This is our ministry:
to meet with these pilgrims,
to offer guidance,
to offer learning,
and
to assure them that the unbelievable things they have seen and heard are to be believed,
indeed,
are the only reality.
This is the spirit of the "snapshots" we share.
We pray they will be helpful.
Nota Bene:
The free app
Vox is recommended for these podcasts.
(iTunes,
keen to stamp out pirated music,
often rejects a source it does not know.)
The media player for Windows
VLC
will suffice for PCs.
We grant permission to our readers & listeners to download our reflections
and to pass them on to others.
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Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace,
so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (Rom 4:16) |
Abraham is the exemplar of that central act of the the Christian life, which is theosis. For the story of Abraham and Sarah, above all, is the story of journey and of profound transformation, passing through purgation, illumination, unto unity with God. The fulfillment of their faithfulness is one-ness with God (we think of Jesus' phrase "Bosom of Abraham") as well as the worldly blessing children. Children given in a state of old age and barrenness, then, is a special sign of blessing for only in extreme old age can we know who and what we are: having run the race, having fought the good fight, having been faithful (2 Tim 4:7). This is the imposing context for the story of the aged and barren Zachariah and Elizabeth, parents of the superlative prophet, John the Baptist, which is closely tied to the story of aged and barren Joachim and Anna, parents of the Most Holy Theotokos. They are like two panels of a diptych, and the great artist standing behind this holy art is, of course, the great icon writer, St. Luke. He sets this diptych as the cornerstone of his Gospel. It is the first thing we see, and it will be a controlling theme throughout his masterpiece, the two-volume Gospel, Luke-Acts. Come, let us gaze upon this holy art in all its sanctifying detail.
New Year's Day. September 1, 2022.
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia begins a new era with the election of His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan as Metropolitan and First Hierarch of the Church. Following a long tradition, the ROCOR, created to preserve the ancient Church from Soviet atheism, has chosen holiness as the first mark of its leader. Nicholas Olhovsky attended elementary school at St. Alexander Nevsky Church (later Cathedral) in Howell, NJ. This community (near to where I grew up) was noted for its rigor and cohesiveness. After high school graduation, Nicholas proceeded directly to Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. Following the pattern of his predecessor, HE Metropolitan Hilarion (of sainted memory), he fulfilled his obediences in the book-binding and print shop of the seminary. In due time, he would be accorded the holy privilege and responsibility of Guardian of the Kursk Root Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. To be chosen for this filial and intimate relationship with the Holy Mother attests his personal character. He would later be elevated to the monastic rank of Archimandrite. The people of the ROCOR may be confident that their Church, in a world gone mad, continues in her vocation as guardian of the faith, protector of the holy things, and reliable at a most unsteady time in human history. May this forty-eight-year-old man of God reign for many years! Axios! Axios!