Brothers, sisters and viewers - please pray for Stock and Marni. We are a couple separated by the closure of the US/Canada for over a year. We are both suffering several mental anguish due to this on top of the depression that we both already suffer from. We are those trees that you sit among. I thank you for your prayers for us. Blessings to you all.
The eucalyptus trees were brought to California from Australia to make rail road ties in the 19th century. But when the trees grew and were cut down to make the railroad ties they shattered. But in Australia the wood is very hard. The extreme dry climate of Australia makes the trees grow slowly and the wood gets very hard. But the quick growth in the rainy California coast caused the wood to be weak and useless. Hardship, failures, pain, and suffering can make us very strong if we allow them too. Ease and fast growth make us lazy and very weak. Father Seraphim you are a great gift!
May Christ bless you, dear Karen. May He guide you, strengthen you and lead you to His Light. Be blessed, dear one. Always move forward, always trust Christ and place your hope in Him, dear one.
Dear Marsha, may God bless you, may He bring you peace in your struggles and may He teach your heart how to grow in the midst of your struggles. Thank you for your kind words and for the encouragement they offer us.
I struggle with Bipolar disorder It is a real thing as well as any mental illness but I get upset when those still deny this, but Our Savior says give t to me and I'll take care of this, I finally gave it to him and with my SSRI everything is a working progress.
May God bless you, dear one. May Christ teach you how to grow through your struggles and may He lift those struggles from you when you need a break from all the suffering. Please keep those who upset you in your prayers - if you do that, you show yourself closer to the meaning of a true Christian than them. May you, them and all of us be blessed, dear one.
@@mullmonastery Oh thank you so very much, I'm doing much better with his love around me I've to be reminded like all of us do I hope your migraines ease up as well.
Thank you father for teaching me well. I love and admire your every point of view. You really help me understand circumstances and situations people face on their daily basis. I can never thank you enough. May God bless you. 🙏
Dear Peter, that is way too kind of you, but I am so grateful for your words. I am naturally inclined to doubt everything about myself and I act mostly like walking on water, in the sense that I do what I know I need to do because I need to do it, not because I actually believe in myself (whatever that means). So it means a great deal to me to hear that this work of mine and of the Monastery is, in fact, helping someone, somewhere, to a small degree. Glory be to God, Who finds ways to use even people like myself.
What do I do to change in the find a different life I mean I loved your statement I am deaf resurrect me I don't want my old life to be improved I want a whole new feeling with Jesus and the Lord addiction depression and clean this where do I go do I find a spiritual father pray for one pray for me
This is one of the most profound helpful messages. My older sister has schizophrenia and a personality disorder. She is very resentful toward me, and our relationship is strained daily as often l am targeted as the source of life's problems. Often, too often, l do not bite my tongue and try to defend myself against the verbal attacks which often come simply because l walk into the same room. Loving the poor is not as glamorous and wonderful as people so often think. It is actually grueling at times, full of rejection, persecutions. Not the cross l would have chosen, but l know without a doubt it us the one God chose for me. Thank you, bless you for speaking of the reality of loving the poor when are full of spite and hatred and do not seem weak....wonderful Word of God, needed for me this,day, to help me convert.
@@carltonpoindexter2034 Thank you for your empathy and prayers. I hear today that l must turn her over to God because she truly belongs to Him. This message helped me to recognize that l really do not know or understand her suffering and l do judge her so harshly at times. Peace, and God's love. May God guide us all.
'Loving the poor is not glamorous' - dear Kathleen, only someone who has actually tried to love someone not as a result of their own love (so, not love as response to love) knows the truth of these words. I find that a kind of detachment, almost like purposeful blindness towards the reactions of these people is actually helpful. When they struggle and they abuse you, show your love by not internalising this abuse, by letting it wash away and by not reacting (responding in reaction) to their abuse. I know it is difficult, but it can be done, and the beauty of it is that - in time - you actually learn to FEEL that you love them as you reject this abuse. It is not theirs, this is not them so, when you reject this version of themselves you are in fact preserving and validating the right, good, beautiful (but hidden) version of themselves. Be blessed, dear one, be blessed and strong in your love.
I'm in shock.... a friend was telling me about his sister who is struggling with addiction. I needed to hear this today because I was less than compassionate. 😞 what a good reminder to stay humble by the storms some people battle in life.
I love the image of the Holy Face in the branches. It is true no matter how serene the surroundings the landscape we experience the warfare the tempest!
Dear Bruce, there is something about being outside in nature and facing the wind, hearing the waves or silently watching a cormorant which feeds my heart the same way reading a book does. But thee process is in reverse somehow: when I read a book, I usually 'import' knowledge in my mind (like taking an idea which I did not have before and placing it in my head); when I walk outside, nature has the gift of helping me 'export' ideas (things that were already in me all of a sudden become clear and they take shape, I find the right words to express them and 'get them out'). If this makes no sense, please forgive me. It is late here :) May we all be blessed, dear one
I find that when I am hiking in nature, every sound, every sight, every fragrance and every thing I touch, is God communicating with me. God teaches me in nature. Thank you Father Seraphim for teaching through nature today. Prayers for you and the monastery, be well, strong and loved💙🙏💙
Adam & Eve were told not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I think this is because we are never wise enough to know enough to judge others, and no good can come from judging them. People are transformed, not by condemnation, but by compassion.
We should all live with that fear in our hearts, dear Phred. Pride is at the roots of judging others while we slowly rot inside, eaten by the cancer of our own sinfulness. Instead of desperately trying to heal ourselves through repentance, we abandon ourselves to pridefully (and madly) try to heal others. May we all be blessed, dear one
Dear Father Seraphim, I have been re-viewing many of your past videos since you have returned to You Tube...I really needed to hear this particular one again...God Bless You!
How does one refrain from judging when they witness something so completely and utterly wrong ? I speak for myself , and so how does one not judge in that instance . Not something that is perceptably wrong mind you , but an actual injustice .
Dear Joshua, Christ commands us not to judge, but he also asks us to act into the world. Of course you act and you do what is needed to protect the frail and the abused. You do all that is necessary to save your brother and your sister, but you do not allow your heart to judge, condemn or hate the abuser - both the abused and the abuser are equally your brothers, and they are both in suffering. The abused experiences a type of suffering which is visible and known to everyone, including himself; while the abuser is in spiritual suffering, in an invisible way and unknown to him, which is even more dangerous. I pray this makes a bit of sense, dear one. Thank you for asking - it may actually be worth recording a video about this.
Judge not lest you be judged. Judging others is conducive to condemning them. Although we have a responsibility to reprove our brothers and sisters, the most effective approach in doing this is with "Kindful compassions, Tenderful mercies and ever Saving Graces" just as Christ does for us. We're command to build one another up in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Let's do so in the most loving way possible🙏
Maria. Mulțumesc părinte pt acest mesaj de iubire față de aproapele nostru și semnificația lui pt noi înșine Mulțumesc pt povățuirea și călăuzirea duhovnicească făcută cu multa dragoste. Dumnezeu vă iubește și prin dv pe noi. Multe mulțumiri.
This is the path for all of us, dear Carlton - we need to look ever deeply in our own hearts and melt in repentance before God. If we are consumed by repentance, we naturally shy away from condemning others, for how could one who feels guilty before God stop asking for forgiveness and start pointing to another one's mistakes?
I deeply appreciate you for making this video. I suffer from several mental issues and I struggle with sin as a result of it. It really feels like my life is an uphill battle. Your words are dripping with empathy and love and you are transparent to the light of God. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
'The time of God is now' - there is no past, no future. The time of God is now, and he will judge each of us in what He finds us in our own, personal 'now'. May God find all of us with love and prayer in our hearts when our 'now' comes. Be blessed, dear Andemariam, be blessed.
I pray this season of Great Lent will help me overcome my pride in the falling into judgment of the sins of others. Lord have mercy upon us. God Bless you Father Seraphim ❤️☦️
Thank you father. This teaching is profound. Humility, forgiveness, non judgement.....Thank you God for words and actions of wisdom that help us to understand. We hunger and thirst for right thinking and acting.
O,Father!if only all people thought like You!it would be no more hurting or destruction or fear.I loved most the way You brought the Icon here,so gently,so caressing.this is how we all should be one to another.I also loved so much that You prayed at the beginning and at the end.very sweet.really,the greatest thing you ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return every day.thank You!❤
Dear one, I do these things always - when I entered the Monastery, no-one 'taught' me to do anything, I was simply told to do what everyone else was doing. It is easy to learn everything when you are surrounded by good examples and when your heart is obedient to these examples. I have grown more by looking and copying the good behaviour of my elders than through their words and spoken wisdom. If there are eyes to see, one can learn a great deal by seeing one's behaviour, so I try to 'show' the very basic things which we should all do, such as praying before we speak, praying before starting any action, especially if there is a danger of pride in it (as is always the case with doing things publicly) or hurting others (as is always the case with any intention to teach). Anyway - I pray this helps you a bit. Be blessed, dear one.
@@mullmonastery I Thank You so very much for the Heart and for Your answer!It is my first heart from You and Your first answer.I am the happiest in the world!!so You read my writings.even though I am so far away.So I didn't t scare You away.And really You are the gentlest Person surrounding me.You have Won me When You had said You would hate Yourself had You said a tough word to someone.and You never hurt anyone.I just love You.❤I don t know if my letter got to You.but now I am going to my work very happy
@@mullmonastery I am in no way hurt.You gave me hope.Throuh Your words,all the Saints ,the Scriptures,seem to come alive.That is what I want,all to be alive,written in my heart,not carved in stone or paper.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you Father I can relate to being in a dark hole sometimes, especially lately with the current times, I'm a key worker and have found life very stressful and full of anxiety, my mood has suffered and I have tried to be strong and failed a lot and have upset myself and others close in my life, it's been hard to find light some days, thank you for your beautiful words of comfort.
Anyone who is a position like yours can be weighted down by the less beautiful things we see in our brothers and sisters, dear Georgina. But if you learn to look at these reactions through the eyes of Christ, you can grow immensely through this experience. When someone else loses their patience, instead of reacting and condemning, think to yourself 'how often I have also hurt my Lord and He has responded with love and kindness'. When you see the ugliness of someone, learn to also see the unfortunate spiritual blindness of that person, learn to see the spiritual illness hiding behind this ugliness and teach your heart to have compassion for your neighbour's suffering and to take up his cross, by not responding to his ugliness with your own ugliness. When we are faced with the evil of others, dear one, what we see - in fact - is our own evil, reflected unto the mirror of our brother's face.
@@mullmonastery Than you so much for your kindness, and learned words that I will surely reflect upon, I am trying to reach a friend at the moment I’ve prayed to God for forgiveness I was angry and said the wrong things and hurt them, I am currently cut off and can’t talk to apologise, I’m deeply sad, please would you say a prayer for me my Father , God bless you always and thank you 🙏 ✝️
These words are so wise and just what I needed. I'm struggling to remain loving when the only other person I'm allowed to be around is so angry all the time. Sometimes when he wakes up and slqms things around and groans and sighs angrily for a long time I wake up irritated. I try to stay away but then he demands things of me and it's so hard to react in love. I know he's angry at me for not being a perfect housewife and I feel bad about my flaws but even angrier at him punishing me emotionally for it. I don't know how to be loving in this situation when focusing on my own flaws hurts so much because I don't know that I am capable of making myself perfect. So I guess it's a purgatory to suffer constant humiliation with no gentleness from anyone else. In The Imitation of Christ it says to only rely on the close relationship with Christ, so maybe this is a perfect training ground to seek that closer relationship with Him. God bless you for your work on this channel, and all those who are suffering due to the difficult situation we are finding ourselves in.
These dialogues are always hyper-pertinent to my life. And others too, I’d wager. We love you and your mission, father. God bless you and the monastery.
Jesus was betrayed, judged and condemned by man and yet he has mercy on our souls even as he was dying on the cross he asked God to forgive them for they do not know what they do. He alone has the power to judge and condemn our souls and we are lucky he alone can do that. I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Jesus had condemned us all on the day of his crucifixion. What we can learn from that is that our sense of judgement is flawed. If it wasn't, how on earth could any human have condemned the son of God? If our sense of judgement was clear, Jesus would have been offered a throne and a Kingdom on earth. We need the mercy of Our Father and we must try our best to be deserving of His love and grace. For us and even more so for those unlucky ones who haven't felt his presence. Who do not believe in Him. Who have never attended a day in Church. It would have to be harder on them. We're the lucky ones. As Saint Padre Pio would often say "Pray, hope and don't worry". You really had me thinking there Father! This video is so important, it's the corps of our salvation.
It was my Birthday on the 9th of March. While I feared that I would get so much that I do not need in this world and would have been blessed to have received nothing. I realize through God our father that once you establish your life with God and you do establish the rapport concerning earthly goods or wealth is insignificant, But one must be thankful to those who have been so generous even to think that they would contribute to one's happiness. To live as a monk is much easier than to walk the walk and find goodness in rats. A seed can be very small and if by your prayer and goodness you can make it grow within that rat then it's Glory to God and a Blessing for a soul that could be on the mend? We walk the walk and prayer is the talk.Amen
Dear Father, Please pray for me. I need many prayers and blessings. In judging others, I hardened my heart and pushed God's Grace away. May the Lord forgive and have mercy on me. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Exodus 20: 4-6. If i see a brother or sister sinning my first instinct is to help them . if i stood by and did nothing to aid them i could not bare the guilt. If he or she missed out on heaven because i did nothing it would be dreadful.
Thank you Fr. Seraphim for this message. I never thought of judgement that way. That when I judge my brother or sister I am pridefully usurping Christ's rightful place as Judge. And dishonoring his power and authority as Judge. And at the same time the Holy Spirit flees from my judging heart. And it makes sense that judgement should be up to Christ because he knows all the most minute details of a person and their life and heart. While here I am arrogantly judging somebody based on nothing but the body I see. God bless you Fr. Seraphim. I needed this so much. ❤️✝️📖💪
Hello Blessings to you Fr, Imagine our spiritual life is like the birth of a tree, Baptized in a love that is given for free. The sacraments grow the branches they are gifts to the tree, for the stronger the branches the more fruits there can be. The nourishment of faith ripens the fruit, all this from a seed feed with love from its root. In time the fruit releases its seed these are the virtues and are blessings indeed. For the blessings are to be shared so everyone can see how to grow their tree in a love that is free. 🙏
I was up on a cliff, hiding from the wind, and here they were: quietly moving along, following each other, and together moving along the same path which was created on the coast by thousands of other sheep that have walked there before them. I like the silence, I likes the humility, I liked the 'following' revealed by them. May we all be blessed, dear Thomas.
Thank you for these words!! My mother and son suffer from mental illness. My own brother has all but abandoned my mother. Although sometimes it hurts my heart dealing with mom I love her where she is for God has made her and my son and they are perfect in His eyes. People with mental illness are no less in need of love and respect than someone who is suffering from cancer. May God have mercy!
@@mullmonastery My very dear Fr. Seraphim, please bless me a very sinner. Your loving and kind words are the love, the peace, the hope, and the strength from the Lord who loved me so dearly! The Lord is so merciful to me even though, I am committing a great sin. I am truly so weak and truly so sinful! My very dear Fr. Seraphim, please pray for the Lord’s Will for me! Through the prayer of the Mother of God, may the Lord bless you with His love and His peace to continue to save us through your passion from the Lord to help us! With our dear beloved Christ’s love and peace from Hawaii, much love in Christ, Ruth
My friend recommended one of your videos to me last year and please know that they are still ministering and producing much fruit to this day! Thank you for your obedience to God in making these.
I'm 50yrs old and I still have to remind myself when out among humanity that these very people, this person before me is in fact worthy of Christ's sacrifice. That he died for this or that "jerk" I'm bitching about in my head....i became hyper critical of my own species early as some kind of preemptive defense. I separated myself through judgement and never learned how to have friends. It is a dead end on so many levels, judgement. I pray to come to truly understand someday the brotherhood of man. I pray for the grace I need to interact as if Jesus was in the room with me always. When I really needed help it was through others I found Christ. The design is one of interdependence. We disrespect it.
I know this may not be a deep, spiritual comment, but I was struck by how untouched and pastoral this beginning scenes looked; with the ocean and coast, the sheep marching in a line, and you with your staff, this scene might have been filmed 2,000 years ago in the time of Christ. (assuming they had cameras then). It looks so serene and peaceful, and completely untouched by the materialism of the past centuries and today; no telephone poles, billboards, paved walkways, souvenir shops selling I ❤ Mull tshirts, etc.... You are so blessed and fortunate to wake up to such a scene daily. (no traffic noises or car alarms...just the waves. May you and your brother monks be richly blessed for all of the wisdom and faith you are giving us in these videos.
I am truly blessed to come across this video. Your message words perfectly words is deep rooted and I’ve had trouble wording. Unfortunately, judging others is a sin I am guilty of in the past so It stands out when I see others do it. God bless you dear brother, you are loved and appreciated x
Thank you for mentioning your awareness of various "mental conditions". Your kind help is healing from the Lord, and giving reassurance that every human has a place in your heart along with Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for many good lessons presented in this one video. It appeared on the screen in perfect timing. Thank you.
Thank you father Seraphim. Humbling oneself to the point of not judging the sins of others is extremely hard to do, but your wisdom helps me to understand the truth behind not judging because of the Lord as the True Judge. I struggle with the passion of lust and despite falling into sin again and again, prayer and reading of the Scriptures is beginning to help me identify my mental struggles. It comes from the time before I became Orthodox and even before I became more diligent in my previous Roman Catholicism where as a young child I was targeted. I felt sad and alone and tried to latch onto something as a coping mechanism. Please pray for me brother as a member of Clan Ranald where my ancestors come from in the northern isles of Scotland.
Awesome video. Beautiful land i would pitch a tent right there by the water and live there if i could. I needed to hear what u said. I'm living in dark times my self God bless u father
Do not judge others...In the same Let not others determine your worth and value and their behaviour discourage you that you might reject the light due to their mean and hurtfull behaviour....
Thank you Father seraphin for showing us around your beautiful senery and I feel like I'm in a beautiful place and I feel a little better today but still sad and depressed please pray for me!!!!!!!!
Thank you Father. It was a beautiful lesson. It's wonderful to hear the Gospel preached without reservation or limiting or restricting or qualification like that. He really said 'don't judge' not 'don't judge unless it's one of those bad people then it's okay to judge'. I'll try and remove this judging behavior from my habits. Thanks very much.
May the whole world be blessed, dear Laura. If we, Christ's followers, became one burning candle before Him with this one prayer alone - 'may Your whole world be blessed' - the whole world would change and we would all find our salvation.
Oh the grief-anguish this mother suffers because her husband and children judge their brother and step- son in prison. He is HOLY! And the evil one seeks constantly to destroy our family. Thank you Father. Please pray my beloved son- the prodigal now home to Holy Mother Church -to get out of prison now! May Theotokos wrap you in Her mantle. Pax tibi.
Thank you father, you told the right words in he right time for me.Applies this attitude also for ourselves, how to deal with my own weakness and failure and not to judge myself.?
You should place that in the hands of your spiritual father, dear Sabine. Dealing with our own failures is equally dangerous and requires a great deal of discernment - some people are naturally inclined towards depression, while others are naturally tough-skinned. The attitude to one's own mistakes should be 'tuned' depending on this, on their faith, on their past experience, on the grace discernible in them and so on.
Brothers, sisters and viewers - please pray for Stock and Marni. We are a couple separated by the closure of the US/Canada for over a year. We are both suffering several mental anguish due to this on top of the depression that we both already suffer from. We are those trees that you sit among. I thank you for your prayers for us. Blessings to you all.
I said a prayer for you.❤️
13:37 "There is so much beauty in the worst, in the most fallen, in the most sinful of our brothers and our sisters."
The eucalyptus trees were brought to California from Australia to make rail road ties in the 19th century. But when the trees grew and were cut down to make the railroad ties they shattered. But in Australia the wood is very hard. The extreme dry climate of Australia makes the trees grow slowly and the wood gets very hard. But the quick growth in the rainy California coast caused the wood to be weak and useless. Hardship, failures, pain, and suffering can make us very strong if we allow them too. Ease and fast growth make us lazy and very weak. Father Seraphim you are a great gift!
A very beautiful place and a very beautiful message. Thank you for your videos from the bottom of my heart.
I need prayers.
I’ll be praying for you.
May Christ bless you, dear Karen. May He guide you, strengthen you and lead you to His Light. Be blessed, dear one. Always move forward, always trust Christ and place your hope in Him, dear one.
I will pray for you today Karen.
A very timely message. I've been struggling so much, but your message is a comfort. Bless you, Fr Seraphim.
Dear Marsha, may God bless you, may He bring you peace in your struggles and may He teach your heart how to grow in the midst of your struggles. Thank you for your kind words and for the encouragement they offer us.
I struggle with Bipolar disorder It is a real thing as well as any mental illness but I get upset when those still deny this, but Our Savior says give t to me and I'll take care of this, I finally gave it to him and with my SSRI everything is a working progress.
May God bless you, dear one. May Christ teach you how to grow through your struggles and may He lift those struggles from you when you need a break from all the suffering. Please keep those who upset you in your prayers - if you do that, you show yourself closer to the meaning of a true Christian than them. May you, them and all of us be blessed, dear one.
@@mullmonastery Oh thank you so very much, I'm doing much better with his love around me I've to be reminded like all of us do I hope your migraines ease up as well.
My friend, we're all a work in progress. Your not alone🙏
9:57 "If I could, I could just, just scream from the top of a mountain: Do not judge! Do not judge! Do not judge!"
Thank you father for teaching me well. I love and admire your every point of view. You really help me understand circumstances and situations people face on their daily basis. I can never thank you enough. May God bless you. 🙏
Dear Peter, that is way too kind of you, but I am so grateful for your words. I am naturally inclined to doubt everything about myself and I act mostly like walking on water, in the sense that I do what I know I need to do because I need to do it, not because I actually believe in myself (whatever that means). So it means a great deal to me to hear that this work of mine and of the Monastery is, in fact, helping someone, somewhere, to a small degree. Glory be to God, Who finds ways to use even people like myself.
14:41 "Love, love is the only criterion according to which we shall be judged."
Lord have mercy! God bless you Father ❤
To me those trees are magnificent! Their limbs still reach upward to offer the beauty they have to glorify God. I am moved always by great warriors
What do I do to change in the find a different life I mean I loved your statement I am deaf resurrect me I don't want my old life to be improved I want a whole new feeling with Jesus and the Lord addiction depression and clean this where do I go do I find a spiritual father pray for one pray for me
The dark night of the soul may be mistaken for depression by pious individuals. God bless. 🙏
This is one of the most profound helpful messages. My older sister has schizophrenia and a personality disorder. She is very resentful toward me, and our relationship is strained daily as often l am targeted as the source of life's problems. Often, too often, l do not bite my tongue and try to defend myself against the verbal attacks which often come simply because l walk into the same room. Loving the poor is not as glamorous and wonderful as people so often think. It is actually grueling at times, full of rejection, persecutions. Not the cross l would have chosen, but l know without a doubt it us the one God chose for me. Thank you, bless you for speaking of the reality of loving the poor when are full of spite and hatred and do not seem weak....wonderful Word of God, needed for me this,day, to help me convert.
Kathleen, I will pray for you and your sister. I had a number of mentally ill relatives and two friends. It is very difficult.
@@carltonpoindexter2034 Thank you for your empathy and prayers. I hear today that l must turn her over to God because she truly belongs to Him. This message helped me to recognize that l really do not know or understand her suffering and l do judge her so harshly at times. Peace, and God's love. May God guide us all.
'Loving the poor is not glamorous' - dear Kathleen, only someone who has actually tried to love someone not as a result of their own love (so, not love as response to love) knows the truth of these words. I find that a kind of detachment, almost like purposeful blindness towards the reactions of these people is actually helpful. When they struggle and they abuse you, show your love by not internalising this abuse, by letting it wash away and by not reacting (responding in reaction) to their abuse. I know it is difficult, but it can be done, and the beauty of it is that - in time - you actually learn to FEEL that you love them as you reject this abuse. It is not theirs, this is not them so, when you reject this version of themselves you are in fact preserving and validating the right, good, beautiful (but hidden) version of themselves. Be blessed, dear one, be blessed and strong in your love.
This preaching stroke me right in my heart 😢
I'm in shock.... a friend was telling me about his sister who is struggling with addiction. I needed to hear this today because I was less than compassionate. 😞 what a good reminder to stay humble by the storms some people battle in life.
I love the image of the Holy Face in the branches. It is true no matter how serene the surroundings the landscape we experience the warfare the tempest!
Dear Bruce, there is something about being outside in nature and facing the wind, hearing the waves or silently watching a cormorant which feeds my heart the same way reading a book does. But thee process is in reverse somehow: when I read a book, I usually 'import' knowledge in my mind (like taking an idea which I did not have before and placing it in my head); when I walk outside, nature has the gift of helping me 'export' ideas (things that were already in me all of a sudden become clear and they take shape, I find the right words to express them and 'get them out'). If this makes no sense, please forgive me. It is late here :) May we all be blessed, dear one
I find that when I am hiking in nature, every sound, every sight, every fragrance and every thing I touch, is God communicating with me. God teaches me in nature. Thank you Father Seraphim for teaching through nature today. Prayers for you and the monastery, be well, strong and loved💙🙏💙
Your words bring me to tears, thanks for being a vessel of grace x
Adam & Eve were told not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I think this is because we are never wise enough to know enough to judge others, and no good can come from judging them. People are transformed, not by condemnation, but by compassion.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Oh, these teachings give me so much hope!
Glory be to God, dear one. This makes all of us at the Monastery so happy - what else could we hope for? May we all be blessed.
Remember:Pride turned an angel into a devil
We should all live with that fear in our hearts, dear Phred. Pride is at the roots of judging others while we slowly rot inside, eaten by the cancer of our own sinfulness. Instead of desperately trying to heal ourselves through repentance, we abandon ourselves to pridefully (and madly) try to heal others. May we all be blessed, dear one
😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭Lord have mercy!
Dear Father Seraphim, I have been re-viewing many of your past videos since you have returned to You Tube...I really needed to hear this particular one again...God Bless You!
Thank you, Father! I am one of the loneliest, ugliest trees spiritually and I cried my heart out at this video. God bless you with eternal joy!
How does one refrain from judging when they witness something so completely and utterly wrong ? I speak for myself , and so how does one not judge in that instance . Not something that is perceptably wrong mind you , but an actual injustice .
Dear Joshua, Christ commands us not to judge, but he also asks us to act into the world. Of course you act and you do what is needed to protect the frail and the abused. You do all that is necessary to save your brother and your sister, but you do not allow your heart to judge, condemn or hate the abuser - both the abused and the abuser are equally your brothers, and they are both in suffering. The abused experiences a type of suffering which is visible and known to everyone, including himself; while the abuser is in spiritual suffering, in an invisible way and unknown to him, which is even more dangerous. I pray this makes a bit of sense, dear one. Thank you for asking - it may actually be worth recording a video about this.
@@mullmonastery im grateful to you for your answer . It made perfect sense to me .
As someone who works in criminal justice, I struggle with this too.
Thank you father.
Judge not lest you be judged. Judging others is conducive to condemning them. Although we have a responsibility to reprove our brothers and sisters, the most effective approach in doing this is with "Kindful compassions, Tenderful mercies and ever Saving Graces" just as Christ does for us. We're command to build one another up in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Let's do so in the most loving way possible🙏
Maria. Mulțumesc părinte pt acest mesaj de iubire față de aproapele nostru și semnificația lui pt noi înșine
Mulțumesc pt povățuirea și călăuzirea duhovnicească făcută cu multa dragoste. Dumnezeu vă iubește și prin dv pe noi. Multe mulțumiri.
This is awesome !
I haven’t ever heard from any Eastern Orthodox brothers, but this is an amazing introduction!
Father, you always seem to tell me what I need to hear and reveal to me the evil in my heart and my need for constant repentance.
This is the path for all of us, dear Carlton - we need to look ever deeply in our own hearts and melt in repentance before God. If we are consumed by repentance, we naturally shy away from condemning others, for how could one who feels guilty before God stop asking for forgiveness and start pointing to another one's mistakes?
I deeply appreciate you for making this video. I suffer from several mental issues and I struggle with sin as a result of it. It really feels like my life is an uphill battle. Your words are dripping with empathy and love and you are transparent to the light of God. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Amen Amen Amen
Thank you Father for sharing us
my beloved brothers and sisters now is the time no tomorrow to call our lord Christ to our life.
'The time of God is now' - there is no past, no future. The time of God is now, and he will judge each of us in what He finds us in our own, personal 'now'. May God find all of us with love and prayer in our hearts when our 'now' comes. Be blessed, dear Andemariam, be blessed.
I pray this season of Great Lent will help me overcome my pride in the falling into judgment of the sins of others. Lord have mercy upon us. God Bless you Father Seraphim ❤️☦️
When I confessed my sins, prayed and went to mass every Sunday - while I was is great pain, I began to find peace and continue to do so. God bless.
Thank you father. This teaching is profound. Humility, forgiveness, non judgement.....Thank you God for words and actions of wisdom that help us to understand. We hunger and thirst for right thinking and acting.
O,Father!if only all people thought like You!it would be no more hurting or destruction or fear.I loved most the way You brought the Icon here,so gently,so caressing.this is how we all should be one to another.I also loved so much that You prayed at the beginning and at the end.very sweet.really,the greatest thing you ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return every day.thank You!❤
Dear one, I do these things always - when I entered the Monastery, no-one 'taught' me to do anything, I was simply told to do what everyone else was doing. It is easy to learn everything when you are surrounded by good examples and when your heart is obedient to these examples. I have grown more by looking and copying the good behaviour of my elders than through their words and spoken wisdom. If there are eyes to see, one can learn a great deal by seeing one's behaviour, so I try to 'show' the very basic things which we should all do, such as praying before we speak, praying before starting any action, especially if there is a danger of pride in it (as is always the case with doing things publicly) or hurting others (as is always the case with any intention to teach). Anyway - I pray this helps you a bit. Be blessed, dear one.
@@mullmonastery I Thank You so very much for the Heart and for Your answer!It is my first heart from You and Your first answer.I am the happiest in the world!!so You read my writings.even though I am so far away.So I didn't t scare You away.And really You are the gentlest Person surrounding me.You have Won me When You had said You would hate Yourself had You said a tough word to someone.and You never hurt anyone.I just love You.❤I don t know if my letter got to You.but now I am going to my work very happy
@@mullmonastery I am in no way hurt.You gave me hope.Throuh Your words,all the Saints ,the Scriptures,seem to come alive.That is what I want,all to be alive,written in my heart,not carved in stone or paper.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you Father I can relate to being in a dark hole sometimes, especially lately with the current times, I'm a key worker and have found life very stressful and full of anxiety, my mood has suffered and I have tried to be strong and failed a lot and have upset myself and others close in my life, it's been hard to find light some days, thank you for your beautiful words of comfort.
Anyone who is a position like yours can be weighted down by the less beautiful things we see in our brothers and sisters, dear Georgina. But if you learn to look at these reactions through the eyes of Christ, you can grow immensely through this experience. When someone else loses their patience, instead of reacting and condemning, think to yourself 'how often I have also hurt my Lord and He has responded with love and kindness'. When you see the ugliness of someone, learn to also see the unfortunate spiritual blindness of that person, learn to see the spiritual illness hiding behind this ugliness and teach your heart to have compassion for your neighbour's suffering and to take up his cross, by not responding to his ugliness with your own ugliness. When we are faced with the evil of others, dear one, what we see - in fact - is our own evil, reflected unto the mirror of our brother's face.
@@mullmonastery Than you so much for your kindness, and learned words that I will surely reflect upon, I am trying to reach a friend at the moment I’ve prayed to God for forgiveness I was angry and said the wrong things and hurt them, I am currently cut off and can’t talk to apologise, I’m deeply sad, please would you say a prayer for me my Father , God bless you always and thank you 🙏 ✝️
These words are so wise and just what I needed. I'm struggling to remain loving when the only other person I'm allowed to be around is so angry all the time. Sometimes when he wakes up and slqms things around and groans and sighs angrily for a long time I wake up irritated. I try to stay away but then he demands things of me and it's so hard to react in love. I know he's angry at me for not being a perfect housewife and I feel bad about my flaws but even angrier at him punishing me emotionally for it. I don't know how to be loving in this situation when focusing on my own flaws hurts so much because I don't know that I am capable of making myself perfect. So I guess it's a purgatory to suffer constant humiliation with no gentleness from anyone else. In The Imitation of Christ it says to only rely on the close relationship with Christ, so maybe this is a perfect training ground to seek that closer relationship with Him. God bless you for your work on this channel, and all those who are suffering due to the difficult situation we are finding ourselves in.
Little boy, don't be lonely. Gabriel the Archangel loves you.
These dialogues are always hyper-pertinent to my life. And others too, I’d wager. We love you and your mission, father. God bless you and the monastery.
May God bless us all, dear Kevin. Thank you for your kindness and for your words of encouragement. They do matter and they do help.
Thank you so much for your videos Father. I've just recently become Orthodox and your videos have been such a blessing in this journey ❤️
Glory to God! These are hard chaotic times- & so thankful for these edifying messages. So thankful for the Orthodox Church.
Amen
Thank you Fr. Seraphim for all your videos you post. This really helps me stay focused to be with Christ. Kyrie Elasion
Twisted trees make the prettiest lumber.
Ευλογείτε π.Σεραφειμ!
Τhank you for your spiritual Homilie from the Desert of Scottland!☦️🇬🇷🇷🇴🏴
Jesus was betrayed, judged and condemned by man and yet he has mercy on our souls even as he was dying on the cross he asked God to forgive them for they do not know what they do. He alone has the power to judge and condemn our souls and we are lucky he alone can do that. I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Jesus had condemned us all on the day of his crucifixion. What we can learn from that is that our sense of judgement is flawed. If it wasn't, how on earth could any human have condemned the son of God? If our sense of judgement was clear, Jesus would have been offered a throne and a Kingdom on earth. We need the mercy of Our Father and we must try our best to be deserving of His love and grace. For us and even more so for those unlucky ones who haven't felt his presence. Who do not believe in Him. Who have never attended a day in Church. It would have to be harder on them. We're the lucky ones. As Saint Padre Pio would often say "Pray, hope and don't worry". You really had me thinking there Father! This video is so important, it's the corps of our salvation.
Thank you, Fr. This was a beautiful meditation and so important for us to keep in mind as all of us are about to enter the storms of Great Lent.
Beautiful perspective father, thank you 🙏🏻
Glory be to God, dear Hala. Have a beautiful, blessed day, wherever you are in this world.
Thank you.
It was my Birthday on the 9th of March. While I feared that I would get so much that I do not need in this world and would have been blessed to have received nothing. I realize through God our father that once you establish your life with God and you do establish the rapport concerning earthly goods or wealth is insignificant, But one must be thankful to those who have been so generous even to think that they would contribute to one's happiness. To live as a monk is much easier than to walk the walk and find goodness in rats. A seed can be very small and if by your prayer and goodness you can make it grow within that rat then it's Glory to God and a Blessing for a soul that could be on the mend? We walk the walk and prayer is the talk.Amen
Dear Father, Please pray for me. I need many prayers and blessings. In judging others, I hardened my heart and pushed God's Grace away. May the Lord forgive and have mercy on me. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Through the prayer of the Very Holy Theotokos, may the Lord have mercy on us and save us!
Exodus 20: 4-6. If i see a brother or sister sinning my first instinct is to help them . if i stood by and did nothing to aid them i could not bare the guilt. If he or she missed out on heaven because i did nothing it would be dreadful.
Bless you father for this honest and hearty talk. 🙏🏻
So beautiful. This talk touched my heart deeply.
beautiful metaphor, my brother. i was one of those trees, but God put me in his higher ground. God bless you.
May we all be blessed, dear Constantin.
👍👍👍👍👍 Doamne ajuta ! Bucurii👍👍👍
Thank you Fr. Seraphim for this message. I never thought of judgement that way. That when I judge my brother or sister I am pridefully usurping Christ's rightful place as Judge. And dishonoring his power and authority as Judge. And at the same time the Holy Spirit flees from my judging heart.
And it makes sense that judgement should be up to Christ because he knows all the most minute details of a person and their life and heart. While here I am arrogantly judging somebody based on nothing but the body I see.
God bless you Fr. Seraphim. I needed this so much. ❤️✝️📖💪
Blessed be God forever
Ati facut o combinatie care mi-a uns sufletul, cantarea, sunetul marii si vocea dumnevoastra graind despre Domnul ! Seara binecuvantata !
Thank you Father
Hello Blessings to you Fr,
Imagine our spiritual life is like the birth of a tree,
Baptized in a love that is given for free.
The sacraments grow the branches they are gifts to the tree, for the stronger the branches the more fruits there can be.
The nourishment of faith ripens the fruit, all this from a seed feed with love from its root.
In time the fruit releases its seed these are the virtues and are blessings indeed.
For the blessings are to be shared so everyone can see how to grow their tree in a love that is free. 🙏
The sheep are lsomehow like as on the Icon Sheeps walking to Christ in the old Peter Dome in Rome. And thank you for the lesson and blessing Father.
I was up on a cliff, hiding from the wind, and here they were: quietly moving along, following each other, and together moving along the same path which was created on the coast by thousands of other sheep that have walked there before them. I like the silence, I likes the humility, I liked the 'following' revealed by them. May we all be blessed, dear Thomas.
Thank you for this valuable teaching.
Unconditional love stops us judging.
Thank you for these words!! My mother and son suffer from mental illness. My own brother has all but abandoned my mother. Although sometimes it hurts my heart dealing with mom I love her where she is for God has made her and my son and they are perfect in His eyes. People with mental illness are no less in need of love and respect than someone who is suffering from cancer. May God have mercy!
Through the prayer of the Mother of God, may the Lord have mercy on me a sinner!
May the Theotokos bless us all, dear one.
@@mullmonastery My very dear Fr. Seraphim, please bless me a very sinner. Your loving and kind words are the love, the peace, the hope, and the strength from the Lord who loved me so dearly! The Lord is so merciful to me even though, I am committing a great sin. I am truly so weak and truly so sinful! My very dear Fr. Seraphim, please pray for the Lord’s Will for me! Through the prayer of the Mother of God, may the Lord bless you with His love and His peace to continue to save us through your passion from the Lord to help us! With our dear beloved Christ’s love and peace from Hawaii, much love in Christ, Ruth
My friend recommended one of your videos to me last year and please know that they are still ministering and producing much fruit to this day! Thank you for your obedience to God in making these.
I needed this message so much! A great reminder for us all. Thank you!
I'm 50yrs old and I still have to remind myself when out among humanity that these very people, this person before me is in fact worthy of Christ's sacrifice. That he died for this or that "jerk" I'm bitching about in my head....i became hyper critical of my own species early as some kind of preemptive defense. I separated myself through judgement and never learned how to have friends.
It is a dead end on so many levels, judgement. I pray to come to truly understand someday the brotherhood of man. I pray for the grace I need to interact as if Jesus was in the room with me always.
When I really needed help it was through others I found Christ.
The design is one of interdependence. We disrespect it.
Thankyou for getting me back in line.....God bless from Canada!
You're awesome, brother. Love your perspective. Thank you for the sub!
Thank you 🙏
I know this may not be a deep, spiritual comment, but I was struck by how untouched and pastoral this beginning scenes looked; with the ocean and coast, the sheep marching in a line, and you with your staff, this scene might have been filmed 2,000 years ago in the time of Christ. (assuming they had cameras then). It looks so serene and peaceful, and completely untouched by the materialism of the past centuries and today; no telephone poles, billboards, paved walkways, souvenir shops selling I ❤ Mull tshirts, etc.... You are so blessed and fortunate to wake up to such a scene daily. (no traffic noises or car alarms...just the waves.
May you and your brother monks be richly blessed for all of the wisdom and faith you are giving us in these videos.
Thanks father!
Thank you Father.... ☦️
Thank you, Father, for this cup of cool water. ❤️☦️
Absolutely beautiful message thank you
🙏
Your words and analogies Father, are quite powerful. Thank you.
I am truly blessed to come across this video. Your message words perfectly words is deep rooted and I’ve had trouble wording. Unfortunately, judging others is a sin I am guilty of in the past so It stands out when I see others do it. God bless you dear brother, you are loved and appreciated x
Thank you for mentioning your awareness of various "mental conditions". Your kind help is healing from the Lord, and giving reassurance that every human has a place in your heart along with Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for many good lessons presented in this one video. It appeared on the screen in perfect timing. Thank you.
Romans 8:34
I am still young and searching my way through my faith and your videos are full of wisdom and very encouraging. This was very helpful.Thank you❤️
Perfect timing of this teaching as Holy Spirit corrects my negative judgements🙏
Thank you father Seraphim. Humbling oneself to the point of not judging the sins of others is extremely hard to do, but your wisdom helps me to understand the truth behind not judging because of the Lord as the True Judge. I struggle with the passion of lust and despite falling into sin again and again, prayer and reading of the Scriptures is beginning to help me identify my mental struggles. It comes from the time before I became Orthodox and even before I became more diligent in my previous Roman Catholicism where as a young child I was targeted. I felt sad and alone and tried to latch onto something as a coping mechanism. Please pray for me brother as a member of Clan Ranald where my ancestors come from in the northern isles of Scotland.
Thank you for such a beautiful message and video. I do appreciate that. It can be a hard rain in life and a hard struggle. Love Tim Marshall
MayGod help us not to judge but to love ❤️, I m so touched father! Please remember us on your prayer. 🙏
Awesome video. Beautiful land i would pitch a tent right there by the water and live there if i could. I needed to hear what u said. I'm living in dark times my self God bless u father
Do not judge others...In the same Let not others determine your worth and value and their behaviour discourage you that you might reject the light due to their mean and hurtfull behaviour....
Thank you brother in Christ, many blessings to you. Your words touched my heart so deeply, I wept. Thank you for sharing your spirit of love.
Glory be to God for all good things, dear Mirtza. Thank you for sharing this - it gives us hope and courage to keep working. May we all be blessed.
Great Message!!! he is always guided by the Holy Spirit! Does not need to read a script
Thank you Father seraphin for showing us around your beautiful senery and I feel like I'm in a beautiful place and I feel a little better today but still sad and depressed please pray for me!!!!!!!!
May Christ, OUR JOY, show you the way out of all your dark moments, dear Maryann.
A very powerful and beautiful word indeed. Thank you and God bless you my dear brother. ❤️
Thank you Father. It was a beautiful lesson. It's wonderful to hear the Gospel preached without reservation or limiting or restricting or qualification like that. He really said 'don't judge' not 'don't judge unless it's one of those bad people then it's okay to judge'.
I'll try and remove this judging behavior from my habits. Thanks very much.
God bless you, dear Father! Your lessons are healing our wounded hearts! God bless the entire world! 🙏🙏🙏 Amin!
May the whole world be blessed, dear Laura. If we, Christ's followers, became one burning candle before Him with this one prayer alone - 'may Your whole world be blessed' - the whole world would change and we would all find our salvation.
@@mullmonastery , Amen! Amen! Amen! 🙏💙🙏
Oh the grief-anguish this mother suffers because her husband and children judge their brother and step- son in prison. He is HOLY! And the evil one seeks constantly to destroy our family. Thank you Father. Please pray my beloved son- the prodigal now home to Holy Mother Church -to get out of prison now! May Theotokos wrap you in Her mantle. Pax tibi.
Please pray for me I deal with blasphemous thoughts and feelings and I have committed a very grave and mortal sin/sins I hope I can rise up
Amen Amen Amen
AMEN!
Thank you father, you told the right words in he right time for me.Applies this attitude also for ourselves, how to deal with my own weakness and failure and not to judge myself.?
You should place that in the hands of your spiritual father, dear Sabine. Dealing with our own failures is equally dangerous and requires a great deal of discernment - some people are naturally inclined towards depression, while others are naturally tough-skinned. The attitude to one's own mistakes should be 'tuned' depending on this, on their faith, on their past experience, on the grace discernible in them and so on.