If our Monasteries bring value to your life, consider supporting us and our work this Christmas. This is how to make a donation from anywhere in the world: mullmonastery.com/donation/
Forgive me everyone for not being able to reply to you this time. I am travelling to see my spiritual father and to make my confession before Christmas. I am reading all your comments and I am grateful for all your love and support. Please keep me in your prayers for safe travels. My love in Christ, fr seraphim
Western Culture’s mindset does not understand paradoxes. The Eastern Church does understand paradoxes! God bless you as the Nativity Fast sharpens our spiritual life towards the remembrance of the Incarnation found in the events of the Nativity and the 12 Days ending In Epiphany and Theophany!
Thanks Father, you have been busy. Im grateful u have, as this i needed to hear. I constantly need to let go of my intellectual pride, and do as Jesus said Follow my teachings , and be likeca little child. Retreat to my cell and avoid distractions, like upsetting debates with aggressive protestants. Wasting my precious time left, for repentance and being a humble, meek,peacemaker my love goes to u Father, znd all at Mull Monastery. Enjoy Christmas 🎄 ❤😊
That really rocked me... I really felt that fear and love with how you described God the creator becoming creation, I've never heard it put that way. (I'm new to this) I was a simple nihilist only a month ago, though I grew up with an infantile dumbed down protestantism.
It was exactly the lesson I was searching for and praying for, and I pray that it won’t be wasted on me, at a time when I so desperately need the fear of God to motivate me to obey him and humbly seek his forgiveness and his aid. I hope the fear and love of God shall remain ever before me, spurring me toward his will and away from all that is sinful and destructive. Infant Lord Jesus, look with mercy and healing upon me, and enfold me into your kingdom. I fear you so, and need you so, and so much want to be yours. Let me trust you, let me cease from angering you, and let me honor what you honor and spurn what you spurn. Let me never be separated from you! Amen. Thank you, Father, for always being unafraid to address the serious and intimidating aspects of Christianity that frequently get ignored in favor of the frothy cutesy bits. The things you say have power and in a fearful time of my life, you’ve helped me recover hope and renew my commitment to the Lord. Please pray for me, body and soul, and for a second grader I know who is battling cancer. ❤❤❤
May the joy of Christmas fill your life father 🙏 your talk reminded me of the spiritual song “ Mary did you know that your baby boy … will one day walk on water “ so many mixed emotions of fear- awe- joy ….I feel like it’s such a lifelong struggle to find the balance between the love of Christ and his fearful judgment . 🙏🥰✝️
Dearest Father. Again your words hold me in Christ, glued to your homily hanging on every word. Oh thankyou Father! God bless you, all in the monastery, all watching and our families and loved ones. 🙏🎄
The simultaneity of tears of laughter and tears of grief can we attain? The baby Jesus was the Son of Man. Mary knew what she was undertaking unlike the scribe who had only the will but did not know. The Son of Man’s mother had nowhere to lay his head when he was born-even foxes have their dens and birds their perches at night.
Oh Father you humble me. How do we cope with the dread of his judgement. Throughout my little under 2 years of experience the worst times of my life and what I think is my chiefest temptation has been the Fear of Hell. Whenever this happens to me it's like I'm actually there. All these terrible, terrible doubts and thoughts about God come into my head and to top it all of a most dreadful thought comes saying 'See, you stand no chance and will be damned forever, Go back to your old way of life and maybe you will have fulfilment in this life and the memory of it in hell will be your only pleasure.' I know the things I have done and the beyond stupid things I continue to do make me worthy of it, but it's like an instinct in my heart kicks in and my whole being feels under threat. My mind just cannot understand how he can condemn without hating, and the idea of being hated by God for me is worse than anything. The only thing I can do in these times is pray as the penitent thief, 'Doesn't not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation, and we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing amiss.... Remember me O Lord when thou comest into thy kingdom.' then trying to hold on to any faith I have to hear the reply 'Verily I tell you, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' But my faith is so abysmal, it is very hard for me. Please pray for me I am a wreck of a man. Also please remember my friend Lucas who died this day. God bless you.
When we look out at the stars and the black depths of space, we may feel something of the enormous splendor of creation, and we may get the smallest hint of how utterly dwarfed we are by it. It is the experience of awe, which we greet naturally with silence, an overwhelming and overpowering sense of beauty beyond our conception, the humbling of our very selves, and a twinge of our own seeming insignificance. It is at one and same time irresistible joy and unfettered fear. But that "insignificance" is the fallen part of that fear that tells us we are worthless, and that is abysmal. The humbling is the redeeming part of that fear, that places us in a position more alike to being in God's presence. The humbling is the "fear of God", being awestruck. The fallenness is of Satan, to cause us to lose all hope, the fear of hell. As fallen humans, we cannot but experience some of this fallenness, but as Christians, we know to humble ourselves and pray for God's real presence within us, and not to recoil. For God did not come to Earth to condemn us, but rather to save us from our fallenness. It is not He that condemns, but Satan who accuses and seeks condemnation for us. And as we allow God to teach us in prayer, we learn to trust and depend not on ourselves, but on Him for our salvation. And He is merciful and compassionate, and surpassingly loving. This Earth, under evil domination, remains good, but also it is the valley of the shadow of death. We turn to His rod and His staff that we may be comforted, and that we may fear no evil, for God is True, and heals, and forgives, if only we seek Him. Then we don't find Him so much as He finds us wherever we are, welcomes and blesses us. It is His gift. May we all receive that gift into our hearts this season, as we await His coming to us, eventually to come into His presence.
@@farmergiles1065 I was hoping father would respond but your response is great. Seems like I have a lot of work to do though 😅. God bless you and remember you in his Kingdom!
Thank you Father Seraphim for this topic. Now i will start to mull over it for a long time, because I have a hard time seeing our Lord as the almighty God. It is a good reminder for me to fear Him too. Have a blessed Christmas time for you and your brothers and sisters at the monastery Maybe we can have a little Christmas Carol like last year?😃🙏🌷
Now that you said that I understand why i've been feeling a little bit of fear seeing that christmas is near when i see my sins. Maybe because i am not ( and i will never be) ready to receive him. Let us keep the love of the all mighty and all powerful fear producer God ( if i can say like this, i'm so sorry and scare if it is wrong say). Thank you for reminding us the reason for the season. ❤️ Be blessed, and if you respond to my message i please have a question for you father
Those who love God, follow his laws, statutes and commandments have nothing to fear as God is not angry with them. The wicked have everything to fear as God is furious with them. Let's not complicate our sins any further through fear. Repent your sin.
Dear father, I am a 20-year-old believer who lives in a Protestant community yet always adores the Orthodox faith. It might be irrelevant to the content of the video, but as I don’t know any way to send a private message and this question has become an insoluble pain in my heart, I feel urged to ask for your help. If He is willing to be crucified for the entire humanity yet never comes to comfort me as an individual. It is said that the love of God is shown on the cross, yet isn’t it hypocritical? In theology, God’s absence in earthly suffering is explained as his will to give us the freedom of choice, and the opportunity to be strong in faith. But what about those who come to the end of destruction? It might only require some words to prevent a person from self-harming or committing suicide, yet in my personal experience, He has never saved His children from despair. He is God, so he must be infinitely good. But what are these all about? I have no problem with His existence but an agonising doubt about His love. If it appears to be blasphemous, please forgive me, father. I always held Him my dearest. And it makes me ache to accuse His name. Out of the fear of excommunication, it is not a question that I can ask in my church. I would be deeply grateful for your kindness and patience, should you consider replying to me. Sincerely, Christopher
I've been on so many useless, time consuming, damaging paths, i now fear not following God's wonderful, joyeuse, furfilling path. I didn't know, was blind before, i can't play dumb anymore. Everything else is a useless waste of time. Your life is not even long enough to walk down all the wrong paths, it doesn't even make any sense.
If our Monasteries bring value to your life, consider supporting us and our work this Christmas.
This is how to make a donation from anywhere in the world: mullmonastery.com/donation/
Forgive me everyone for not being able to reply to you this time. I am travelling to see my spiritual father and to make my confession before Christmas. I am reading all your comments and I am grateful for all your love and support. Please keep me in your prayers for safe travels. My love in Christ, fr seraphim
❤
Thank you Fr. Seraphim 🙏🏼🕯️✝️❤️
Your teachings are exactly what I need. 🙏🏽
Western Culture’s mindset does not understand paradoxes. The Eastern Church does understand paradoxes! God bless you as the Nativity Fast sharpens our spiritual life towards the remembrance of the Incarnation found in the events of the Nativity and the 12 Days ending In Epiphany and Theophany!
Thank you !
Thanks Father, you have been busy. Im grateful u have, as this i needed to hear. I constantly need to let go of my intellectual pride, and do as Jesus said Follow my teachings , and be likeca little child. Retreat to my cell and avoid distractions, like upsetting debates with aggressive protestants. Wasting my precious time left, for repentance and being a humble, meek,peacemaker my love goes to u Father, znd all at Mull Monastery. Enjoy Christmas 🎄 ❤😊
Thank you, father! May you and your fellow monastics on Mull and Iona be blessed as well.
Thank you father. It's better than medicine.
Thank you father!
God bless you always ❤
God Bless you all in this Christmas season.
Much love and gratitude to you and everyone who reads this ! I appreciate all you do ♥️🙏
That really rocked me... I really felt that fear and love with how you described God the creator becoming creation, I've never heard it put that way.
(I'm new to this) I was a simple nihilist only a month ago, though I grew up with an infantile dumbed down protestantism.
It was exactly the lesson I was searching for and praying for, and I pray that it won’t be wasted on me, at a time when I so desperately need the fear of God to motivate me to obey him and humbly seek his forgiveness and his aid. I hope the fear and love of God shall remain ever before me, spurring me toward his will and away from all that is sinful and destructive. Infant Lord Jesus, look with mercy and healing upon me, and enfold me into your kingdom. I fear you so, and need you so, and so much want to be yours. Let me trust you, let me cease from angering you, and let me honor what you honor and spurn what you spurn. Let me never be separated from you! Amen.
Thank you, Father, for always being unafraid to address the serious and intimidating aspects of Christianity that frequently get ignored in favor of the frothy cutesy bits. The things you say have power and in a fearful time of my life, you’ve helped me recover hope and renew my commitment to the Lord. Please pray for me, body and soul, and for a second grader I know who is battling cancer. ❤❤❤
May the joy of Christmas fill your life father 🙏 your talk reminded me of the spiritual song “ Mary did you know that your baby boy … will one day walk on water “ so many mixed emotions of fear- awe- joy ….I feel like it’s such a lifelong struggle to find the balance between the love of Christ and his fearful judgment . 🙏🥰✝️
Amen Amen Amen
Dearest Father. Again your words hold me in Christ, glued to your homily hanging on every word. Oh thankyou Father! God bless you, all in the monastery, all watching and our families and loved ones. 🙏🎄
This is excellent! Thank you!!! ❤
Peace & love from the Netherlands. 🙏❤️🌹
❤ mulțumim pentru limba română!
Today is the feast of St Herman of Alaska!
May you sit in mercy’s seat
For me fear is not being affraid But is having respect!
His Almighty Power is His Love: unconquerable and all-conquering! Praise Emmanuel! God is with us!
Thank you
Your blessings,needed them so,so much!Of course,true Joy is not of this world!Much Love,Dear Fr.!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
In our prayers holy fr
The simultaneity of tears of laughter and tears of grief can we attain? The baby Jesus was the Son of Man. Mary knew what she was undertaking unlike the scribe who had only the will but did not know. The Son of Man’s mother had nowhere to lay his head when he was born-even foxes have their dens and birds their perches at night.
❤
Oh Father you humble me. How do we cope with the dread of his judgement. Throughout my little under 2 years of experience the worst times of my life and what I think is my chiefest temptation has been the Fear of Hell. Whenever this happens to me it's like I'm actually there. All these terrible, terrible doubts and thoughts about God come into my head and to top it all of a most dreadful thought comes saying 'See, you stand no chance and will be damned forever, Go back to your old way of life and maybe you will have fulfilment in this life and the memory of it in hell will be your only pleasure.' I know the things I have done and the beyond stupid things I continue to do make me worthy of it, but it's like an instinct in my heart kicks in and my whole being feels under threat. My mind just cannot understand how he can condemn without hating, and the idea of being hated by God for me is worse than anything. The only thing I can do in these times is pray as the penitent thief, 'Doesn't not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation, and we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing amiss.... Remember me O Lord when thou comest into thy kingdom.' then trying to hold on to any faith I have to hear the reply 'Verily I tell you, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' But my faith is so abysmal, it is very hard for me. Please pray for me I am a wreck of a man. Also please remember my friend Lucas who died this day. God bless you.
When we look out at the stars and the black depths of space, we may feel something of the enormous splendor of creation, and we may get the smallest hint of how utterly dwarfed we are by it. It is the experience of awe, which we greet naturally with silence, an overwhelming and overpowering sense of beauty beyond our conception, the humbling of our very selves, and a twinge of our own seeming insignificance. It is at one and same time irresistible joy and unfettered fear. But that "insignificance" is the fallen part of that fear that tells us we are worthless, and that is abysmal. The humbling is the redeeming part of that fear, that places us in a position more alike to being in God's presence. The humbling is the "fear of God", being awestruck. The fallenness is of Satan, to cause us to lose all hope, the fear of hell.
As fallen humans, we cannot but experience some of this fallenness, but as Christians, we know to humble ourselves and pray for God's real presence within us, and not to recoil. For God did not come to Earth to condemn us, but rather to save us from our fallenness. It is not He that condemns, but Satan who accuses and seeks condemnation for us. And as we allow God to teach us in prayer, we learn to trust and depend not on ourselves, but on Him for our salvation. And He is merciful and compassionate, and surpassingly loving.
This Earth, under evil domination, remains good, but also it is the valley of the shadow of death. We turn to His rod and His staff that we may be comforted, and that we may fear no evil, for God is True, and heals, and forgives, if only we seek Him. Then we don't find Him so much as He finds us wherever we are, welcomes and blesses us. It is His gift. May we all receive that gift into our hearts this season, as we await His coming to us, eventually to come into His presence.
@@farmergiles1065 I was hoping father would respond but your response is great. Seems like I have a lot of work to do though 😅. God bless you and remember you in his Kingdom!
Thank you Father Seraphim for this topic. Now i will start to mull over it for a long time, because I have a hard time seeing our Lord as the almighty God. It is a good reminder for me to fear Him too. Have a blessed Christmas time for you and your brothers and sisters at the monastery
Maybe we can have a little Christmas Carol like last year?😃🙏🌷
Father , I got displaced from my family who are in Kuwait as I lost my job. Kindly remember us in the holy mass. Thanks ❤
I do not know if its okay if to ask for prayer here but my name is Hector if you guys don't mind praying for me
Praying for you Hector
May Christ guide you in your journey to Him and hear the voice of your cry 🙏✝️
@@amirasaad630 thank you
Now that you said that I understand why i've been feeling a little bit of fear seeing that christmas is near when i see my sins. Maybe because i am not ( and i will never be) ready to receive him. Let us keep the love of the all mighty and all powerful fear producer God ( if i can say like this, i'm so sorry and scare if it is wrong say). Thank you for reminding us the reason for the season. ❤️ Be blessed, and if you respond to my message i please have a question for you father
Extreme reverence at the manger, is the only appropriate disposition.
Those who love God, follow his laws, statutes and commandments have nothing to fear as God is not angry with them.
The wicked have everything to fear as God is furious with them.
Let's not complicate our sins any further through fear. Repent your sin.
Dear father,
I am a 20-year-old believer who lives in a Protestant community yet always adores the Orthodox faith.
It might be irrelevant to the content of the video, but as I don’t know any way to send a private message and this question has become an insoluble pain in my heart, I feel urged to ask for your help.
If He is willing to be crucified for the entire humanity yet never comes to comfort me as an individual. It is said that the love of God is shown on the cross, yet isn’t it hypocritical?
In theology, God’s absence in earthly suffering is explained as his will to give us the freedom of choice, and the opportunity to be strong in faith. But what about those who come to the end of destruction? It might only require some words to prevent a person from self-harming or committing suicide, yet in my personal experience, He has never saved His children from despair. He is God, so he must be infinitely good. But what are these all about? I have no problem with His existence but an agonising doubt about His love. If it appears to be blasphemous, please forgive me, father. I always held Him my dearest. And it makes me ache to accuse His name.
Out of the fear of excommunication, it is not a question that I can ask in my church. I would be deeply grateful for your kindness and patience, should you consider replying to me.
Sincerely,
Christopher
I've been on so many useless, time consuming, damaging paths, i now fear not following God's wonderful, joyeuse, furfilling path. I didn't know, was blind before, i can't play dumb anymore. Everything else is a useless waste of time. Your life is not even long enough to walk down all the wrong paths, it doesn't even make any sense.
Thank you
❤