Sometimes we have too much work and no time for prayer. But if we take it into account, then if we have at least some time for prayer, we try to make the most of it. However, we must think of God in work as well: “Lord, this is for You.” Simply, we need to rely on God in everything we do. Unless we stop, we run astray. But if we stop, God gives us the light for our work, for what to do. All things of the Lord and all divine inspirations are born on knees. If we do not pray, we get nothing.

He who prays has power because God works through him. It is a fight with the realm of darkness.

If we pray in earnest and give our problems to God, He really solves them. We do not seek advice from fortune-tellers who are inspired by the devil. It is not good to seek advice from them because their advice is the devil’s lie.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

That is why we pray 7 times a day: “Shema, Israel, you shall love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. Lord Jesus, I love You with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my strength. Now I lose my soul for Your sake and the Gospel’s.”

When we will pray so this week, let us realize at least once what we are saying. Be aware that Jesus hears you. And when you say to Him: “I love You”, let it really be with all your heart. “I lose my soul” – this is a concrete act of love. Love does not lie in emotions. Pure love is the sign of the will – I want to love even if I do not feel that I give Jesus the first place in my life.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Monk Elijah

Clement of Rome was a real person.
He lived in the first century.
He was a faithful disciple of the Apostle Peter.
He came from a patrician family
related to the imperial Flavian dynasty.
The family’s dramatic fate culminated in their
conversion to Christ. Clement became not only
a disciple of the Apostle Peter and participant
in his mission, but also his successor.

The book sheds a timely light a
on the healthy roots of Christianity,
which we need to return to ever anew.

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“… by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,

that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.“

… by which have been given to us exceedingly great

and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers

of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is

in the world through lust.

Our life is short; in essence, it is only a time of testing, during which our eternity is decided. That eternity will be either happy or unhappy forever. An unhappy future – eternal ruin – awaits those who, in proud unbelief, reject the salvation in Jesus Christ. In Him, God has given us the greatest gift: that through Him we may receive a new nature! We must therefore put aside that nature which is infected by original sin and in which our human spirit is, as it were, clothed. Through this, our inner being has been darkened – our intellect struggles to recognize truth, our will tends toward evil, and our heart is filled with a perverted desire that unites with the spirit of the world, driving humanity toward temporal and eternal destruction. How can we escape this destruction? We must, through faith, accept the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Then the following applies to us: “To those who did accept Him He gave power to become children of God. They were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (cf. Jn 1:12) Thus, by accepting Christ, we already now – though original sin still remains within us – receive the divine nature.

Martyrs and Other Saints

+ Elijah – Tuptalo

October

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If I do not forgive, I cannot be forgiven. But stop! When I think of my offences against others, that I do not pray for them, that I am indifferent to their salvation, that I do not set a good example for them, that I speak empty or angry words, etc., I should ask them for forgiveness in my spirit, or sometimes even in words. I feel guilty towards the other person, and when I realize that he, the other person, has also hurt me, it’s like a triumph for me – I have a chance. Something for something!!! If I am able to forgive, I take the credit for it and, in a sense, I triumph over my neighbour. Then I can say in earnest, “Our Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” Forgive us both, me and the one who hurt me. And now I forgive, and it is as if I am forgiving those who have hurt him too, and then the Lord hears such a sincere prayer of the Our Father.

The Lord shows us that the harder and deeper the fight is, the more humility and self-surrender to Jesus we need. We need to deny ourselves! Here we can no longer defend the divine truth by human means, however good they may be. There is only one rule here: to carry the cross and enter into death with Christ through the Mother of God. This is the way – the way of death towards resurrection.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips but cannot be achieved until the nature of Jesus Christ is in our hearts. The question is: And how can this happen and through whom? Jesus possesses two natures: one divine and the other human, and these two are united without division or separation. He assumed a human nature through the Virgin Mary, through her obedience of faith, through her “yes” to God! How did it happen? Through the Holy Spirit. And this is the answer for us too: The nature of Jesus can be rooted in us through Mary and through the Holy Spirit. We should not only receive the Holy Spirit like the Apostles on the day of Pentecost but we should also be guided by the Holy Spirit, walk in the Holy Spirit, i.e. our minds should be guided by Him so that we may have the mind of Jesus. The Holy Scripture commands: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phi 2:5) So the Holy Spirit will inspire us and make us think in the same way Jesus does. But we need a sound foundation, which is the foundation of humility and faith in relation to God, and this foundation is not stable in the old Eve’s heart.

“So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly,

I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’

and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,

he will have whatever he says.“

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,

‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt

in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,

he will have whatever he says.

What is human faith and what is God’s faith?

Human faith is necessary in everyday life. We have to believe people’s testimonies about Antarctica, for example, even though we have never been there ourselves. We believe that there is snow there, even though we have never seen it. This is natural faith, which can be proven materially.

What is faith in God or God’s faith? It is faith that is bound to the promises God has given us. It is faith in God’s omnipotence. By His almighty power, God created everything that exists; He created this world and cares for it. He created it for a purpose. We believe in God the Creator. We also believe in God the Saviour; we believe that the Son of God became man and died for our sins, and we also believe God’s word. Furthermore, in order to have God’s faith that works miracles, we need to receive grace so that God will show us that He wants to be glorified in this situation and that He requires us to stand in faith and not doubt. Everyone will face a test of faith, so we must overcome the doubt in our hearts. God’s faith is a gift that we must ask for.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of humility. She said: “I am a bondslave of the Lord!” “He looked upon the lowly state of His bondmaid.” Let us keep our eyes on her and become like her. She is our Mother!

As for purity, let us remember that it is the fruit of God’s grace bestowed upon the humble. Purity must be rooted in humility, that is, in complete self-surrender to God, or self-sacrificing and all-consuming love. Without humility, we will have neither love for God nor for our neighbour, neither purity nor any other virtue. Saint Basil writes in one of his letters: “If you excelled in prayer, self-denial, extraordinary self-sacrifice and the like, it would all come to nought without humility!” So let us really try hard to take the lowest place. If we are mocked, unjustly suspected, disparaged, slandered or considered useless, harmful or dangerous because of Jesus, let us accept this injustice through faith. Let us give it all to Jesus and thank Him for it.