I picked up the 3 volume set titled "therapy of spiritual illnesses" by larchet from Alexander press for $120.00 shipped last year. For my struggle with lust I recently read "theology of the body" by Christopher West it's not an Orthodox source but I've found it very helpful . Despair is indeed the worst enemy as father says in my experience. "My power is made perfect in your weakness"
Larchet has a small book with the same title. Revolutionary. When Catholic read the one you mentioned. You are a brother with me in this struggle. Recently had a particular insight. Prayers.
@@stephengolay1273 well when we stand before God, He’s not gonna ask if you’re catholic, or free will, or lutheran, or orthodox. if you dont know the Lamb who was worthy to be slain then well…
Father Paul, I'm a 16 year old male from Grand Junction, Colorado and I'd love to talk to you about Orthodoxy and visit your parish. God bless you and the true, Orthodox faith. ☦️
Aspiring Orthodox here (I say that because I need to settle on a church and become a catechumen). I converted to Christianity after being a lifelong agnostic after 2 years of intense study attempting to "debunk" it and also steelmanning Christianity to put it to the test of truth and evidence. In my own struggles against the passions and my frequent failures I noticed that each time I fell, I gained greater insight into what was going on, and a greater and greater sense that I was growing and becoming better even as I failed. When you said "not only have you deepened your strategy, and gained some humility... but you also win a crown." I knew immediately that was what I was experiencing in my struggles to turn away from the secular life and all its temptations. I had noticed this phenomena on my own and when I fell and failed, it almost felt like I was a small boy falling off his bicycle and Jesus was right there telling me to get back up and try again. I recently found your channel and wanted to comment because of how perfectly your explanation and insight mirrored precisely what I was going through in my battles against lust and better aligning myself with God. Thank you for what you're doing here, it really is making a wonderful difference.
i’m inquiring Eastern Orthodoxy too, just remember to take it slow and dont, and always remember Christs infinite love for you. i will pray for you, please pray for me too ☦️🙏
Father Paul I have not been to Divine Liturgy in a couple weeks due to my busy work schedule, but I appreciate these videos to help me stay close to Christ and to teach/remind me of what our lord wants from us. Thank you☦️
I am truly broken, even crushed at the struggles. Not struggles of sin, but struggles of condemnation and misunderstanding. As Job in them. My soul is down cast and my knowledge is grief for anguish. Mercy Lord.
The wisdom of these words are incredible. This video was exactly what I needed. Thank you Fr. Paul for your words and advice. I have been struggling with passions myself and will apply this to my life.
I recommend you read a book called surprised by christ by Father James Bernstein he is our beloved brother eternal memory. He went from Judaism to orthodox christian. this will help your journey. God bless you! when we ask the Mother of God to save us, she hears our request and asks God on our behalf. such is the loving mother we have she is not dead as the protestants assume but rather she is alive, when she hears our cry and prayer she asks her beloved son jesus christ on her behalf to grant us our request and since christ loves his mother he will grant this by intercession of the blessed theotokos. @@BornAgain223
@BornAgain223 We Orthodox define "salvation" as "becoming like Christ." Thus, statements like this could be understood by Protestants as us asking the saints to pray to God for us to obey Him better. It would be like you asking your pastor to pray for you, that God would help you be able to resist the devil successfully.
@EpistemicAnthony that makes sense, though the other answers given did not make sense to me, and seemed to create some other savior besides Jesus Christ.
A good word after a day full of struggles. I did not fight well, but a good reminder not to fall in despair and always know Christ is with me and wants me well. Thank you Fr. Paul, God bless you!
Thank you father for this content, I’m really appreciate your spiritual advice and coaching, I will adquirir the book. I’m struggling and feel days exhausted.
Father, it is difficult to balance resisting passions and aspiring to trophies and victories without a sense of pride. How do we avoid pride when attaining Christ’s rewards as motivation?
@@Psalm91ArmorUp Any victory is due to us simply working with God’s Grace. Without Grace, we would be hopeless. Humility causes us to give all glory to God.
We can't really 'remove' our Passions. The key thing is that they either must not be inflamed for evil or that we find how to use them for good. God gives them to us for a reason, but they must be used properly. As a man who struggled badly and still struggles at times with lust, the way I think of it now is like a candle that is always burning inside me, but that it must not be allowed to burn stronger than God designed. Seeing temptations is like adding more wax to the candle in a sense, and with enough time, it will begin to burn strongly. We have to really guard ourselves and pray at all times, I found no other ways around it.
I think it was very wise to use dark clothing for female baptism instead of deaconesses. I don’t know anything about when that happened, but I think it would be interesting to learn about it.
But why father i even need to fight against sexual passion? Isnt sex a blessing from God? I prayed for wife 20 years but i did not find. So all the blessings are sin for me. Married more hansom people have sex and that is blessing of God to them. I am not hansom so i even thinking about sex is sin for me. This is totally wrong. I cannot see God is righeous here.
Everything that is normal can be turned into sin by our own passions. Sometimes we don’t get what we we think we want because it would not benefit us. Eating is good for the body, but overeating is a sin. Working is good, but dedicating your life to a career without God is a sin. So can it be with intimacy, even in marriage. There are things that are not blessed even in marriage, and maybe having a spouse would make it very hard for someone to abstain when they should abstain. I’m not giving you an absolute response, just a small perspective until hopefully Father Paul responds or you find an answer with your Spiritual Father at Confession. I don’t know your situation but I am sorry to see you are struggling. Try to keep faith that whatever happens it is for our own good and keep going to an Orthodox Church. God bless you, brother! Be well!
It's the heart that matters not the outside my dear brother. You're not ugly only in thy own mind that is so. for God does not judge you based on your outward appearance. GOD looks in your heart there lyes the secret to life or death. Remember never to question GOD! give thanks in all circumstances even. Let's us be faithful unto death ☦️ the mysteries of God isn't always revealed but known to the saints for example: a young child died early in order to save that child from sin and save the soul. for God knows all things ahead before they happen. nothing is against you. think about it, if you find a woman and this woman was to cause you worse pain than looking for 20 years? Was this for your own benefits that the Lord has saved you from such trouble?
@@escapegulag4317 Church tradition and the Saints. Now, it isn't a commandment to be baptized naked, it's a tradition that come way back from the time of the Baptism ministered by Saint John the Baptist which Christians adopted. "A comparison of all the evidence leads to the conclusion that the catechumens entered the font in a state of absolute nakedness. See particularly St Cyril, Hieros. Myst. Catech. ii ad init; St Ambrose, Serm. xx (Opp. t.v. p. 153, Paris 1642)and Enarrat. in Ps lxi 32 (BB t.i.p. 966); St Chrysostom, ad Illum. Cat. i (Migne, tom. ii. p 268). Possibly a cincture of some kind (quo pudori consuleretur) may have been worn, as indicated in some medieval works of art."
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner! ☦
I picked up the 3 volume set titled "therapy of spiritual illnesses" by larchet from Alexander press for $120.00 shipped last year.
For my struggle with lust I recently read "theology of the body" by Christopher West it's not an Orthodox source but I've found it very helpful . Despair is indeed the worst enemy as father says in my experience. "My power is made perfect in your weakness"
And you can cross reference that to what Jesus said to the disciples when they asked if the paralytic sinned or his parents. (John 9:1-5)
Larchet has a small book with the same title. Revolutionary. When Catholic read the one you mentioned. You are a brother with me in this struggle. Recently had a particular insight. Prayers.
@@stephengolay1273 well when we stand before God, He’s not gonna ask if you’re catholic, or free will, or lutheran, or orthodox. if you dont know the Lamb who was worthy to be slain then well…
Father Paul, I'm a 16 year old male from Grand Junction, Colorado and I'd love to talk to you about Orthodoxy and visit your parish. God bless you and the true, Orthodox faith. ☦️
God bless orthodoxy amen ❤
Aspiring Orthodox here (I say that because I need to settle on a church and become a catechumen). I converted to Christianity after being a lifelong agnostic after 2 years of intense study attempting to "debunk" it and also steelmanning Christianity to put it to the test of truth and evidence. In my own struggles against the passions and my frequent failures I noticed that each time I fell, I gained greater insight into what was going on, and a greater and greater sense that I was growing and becoming better even as I failed. When you said "not only have you deepened your strategy, and gained some humility... but you also win a crown." I knew immediately that was what I was experiencing in my struggles to turn away from the secular life and all its temptations. I had noticed this phenomena on my own and when I fell and failed, it almost felt like I was a small boy falling off his bicycle and Jesus was right there telling me to get back up and try again. I recently found your channel and wanted to comment because of how perfectly your explanation and insight mirrored precisely what I was going through in my battles against lust and better aligning myself with God. Thank you for what you're doing here, it really is making a wonderful difference.
i’m inquiring Eastern Orthodoxy too, just remember to take it slow and dont, and always remember Christs infinite love for you. i will pray for you, please pray for me too ☦️🙏
Wow. Glory to Jesus Christ for that Word Fr Paul!
Father Paul I have not been to Divine Liturgy in a couple weeks due to my busy work schedule, but I appreciate these videos to help me stay close to Christ and to teach/remind me of what our lord wants from us. Thank you☦️
Lord Have Mercy.
i’m gonna share this with my friends, you had me in tears Father, thank you ☦️🙏
Greetings father paul, thank you for all your videos. God bless you ☦️
If god removed the passions from us, then we are no longer humans.
God bless you 🙏
Very interesting. I have never heard of this before you talked about it. Thank you.
Thank you!
❤ Thank you for this Fr. Paul
Excellent message! Thank you Father.
Dear father Paul, thank you so much, God bless you 🤗
Thank you, Fr Paul. I listened to this twice. As usual, you give us great advice and teach us about ways to grow in love for Christ.
Thank you Fr Paul ☦️
Bless Father. Thank you for this wonderful teaching.
Thank you so much
I am truly broken, even crushed at the struggles. Not struggles of sin, but struggles of condemnation and misunderstanding. As Job in them. My soul is down cast and my knowledge is grief for anguish. Mercy Lord.
That story from the spiritual meadow hits hard thank you
The wisdom of these words are incredible. This video was exactly what I needed. Thank you Fr. Paul for your words and advice. I have been struggling with passions myself and will apply this to my life.
Wonderful advice!
O most Holy Theotokos Save us☦️
what do you mean when you say Theotokos save us? Is it as it sounds that you are saved by the mother of God?
I recommend you read a book called surprised by christ by Father James Bernstein he is our beloved brother eternal memory. He went from Judaism to orthodox christian. this will help your journey. God bless you! when we ask the Mother of God to save us, she hears our request and asks God on our behalf. such is the loving mother we have she is not dead as the protestants assume but rather she is alive, when she hears our cry and prayer she asks her beloved son jesus christ on her behalf to grant us our request and since christ loves his mother he will grant this by intercession of the blessed theotokos. @@BornAgain223
@@BornAgain223 it means through her prayers to her Son we will be saved. Υπέρ Άγια Θεοθοκε σώσον ημάς
@BornAgain223 We Orthodox define "salvation" as "becoming like Christ." Thus, statements like this could be understood by Protestants as us asking the saints to pray to God for us to obey Him better. It would be like you asking your pastor to pray for you, that God would help you be able to resist the devil successfully.
@EpistemicAnthony that makes sense, though the other answers given did not make sense to me, and seemed to create some other savior besides Jesus Christ.
A good word after a day full of struggles. I did not fight well, but a good reminder not to fall in despair and always know Christ is with me and wants me well. Thank you Fr. Paul, God bless you!
Thank you father for this content, I’m really appreciate your spiritual advice and coaching, I will adquirir the book. I’m struggling and feel days exhausted.
God bless Father ☦️
So helpful Father, thank you for this word
Thank you so much. Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Father, it is difficult to balance resisting passions and aspiring to trophies and victories without a sense of pride. How do we avoid pride when attaining Christ’s rewards as motivation?
@@Psalm91ArmorUp Any victory is due to us simply working with God’s Grace. Without Grace, we would be hopeless. Humility causes us to give all glory to God.
ХРИСТОС ВОСКРЕСЕ ❤✝
БОГ С НАМИ ПРОТИВ ЗЛА И ИСКУШЕНИЙ ✝🙏⛪🕊
Although l don't anderstand,it's nice,thak you.
We can't really 'remove' our Passions. The key thing is that they either must not be inflamed for evil or that we find how to use them for good. God gives them to us for a reason, but they must be used properly. As a man who struggled badly and still struggles at times with lust, the way I think of it now is like a candle that is always burning inside me, but that it must not be allowed to burn stronger than God designed. Seeing temptations is like adding more wax to the candle in a sense, and with enough time, it will begin to burn strongly. We have to really guard ourselves and pray at all times, I found no other ways around it.
I think it was very wise to use dark clothing for female baptism instead of deaconesses. I don’t know anything about when that happened, but I think it would be interesting to learn about it.
But why father i even need to fight against sexual passion? Isnt sex a blessing from God? I prayed for wife 20 years but i did not find. So all the blessings are sin for me. Married more hansom people have sex and that is blessing of God to them. I am not hansom so i even thinking about sex is sin for me. This is totally wrong. I cannot see God is righeous here.
Everything that is normal can be turned into sin by our own passions. Sometimes we don’t get what we we think we want because it would not benefit us. Eating is good for the body, but overeating is a sin. Working is good, but dedicating your life to a career without God is a sin. So can it be with intimacy, even in marriage. There are things that are not blessed even in marriage, and maybe having a spouse would make it very hard for someone to abstain when they should abstain. I’m not giving you an absolute response, just a small perspective until hopefully Father Paul responds or you find an answer with your Spiritual Father at Confession. I don’t know your situation but I am sorry to see you are struggling. Try to keep faith that whatever happens it is for our own good and keep going to an Orthodox Church. God bless you, brother! Be well!
It's the heart that matters not the outside my dear brother. You're not ugly only in thy own mind that is so. for God does not judge you based on your outward appearance. GOD looks in your heart there lyes the secret to life or death. Remember never to question GOD! give thanks in all circumstances even. Let's us be faithful unto death ☦️ the mysteries of God isn't always revealed but known to the saints for example: a young child died early in order to save that child from sin and save the soul. for God knows all things ahead before they happen. nothing is against you. think about it, if you find a woman and this woman was to cause you worse pain than looking for 20 years? Was this for your own benefits that the Lord has saved you from such trouble?
why annoint nude in the first place? who came up with that perverse nonsense?
Who are we to judge?
Christ was baptized naked in the Jordan. That's a symbol of being born again.
@@matheusmotta1750 He was not baptized naked. Where did you get that from?
@@OrthodoxIslands what? are you serious?
@@escapegulag4317 Church tradition and the Saints. Now, it isn't a commandment to be baptized naked, it's a tradition that come way back from the time of the Baptism ministered by Saint John the Baptist which Christians adopted.
"A comparison of all the evidence leads to the conclusion that the catechumens entered the font in a state of absolute nakedness. See particularly St Cyril, Hieros. Myst. Catech. ii ad init; St Ambrose, Serm. xx (Opp. t.v. p. 153, Paris 1642)and Enarrat. in Ps lxi 32 (BB t.i.p. 966); St Chrysostom, ad Illum. Cat. i (Migne, tom. ii. p 268). Possibly a cincture of some kind (quo pudori consuleretur) may have been worn, as indicated in some medieval works of art."