By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:34:02 +0000

Fr. Schememann hits the nail on the head. One of the reasons the election of Metropolitan Jonah is so refreshing is that it breaks the mold of the bishop who uses words like harmony, unity etc against the body of Christ and for his own self interest and to wield power over people

How many times have we heard bishops use words such as harmony and unit to exploit the faithful and pillage the Church?

How many times have we heard bishops use words such as harmony and unity to target and punish good men and women who express their opinion in public or in writing?

From San Francisco to 79th Street the examples are many.
However, we should not give up hope (especially in the GOA) for as the OCA shows us the Holy Spirit can shatter the the bonds of secular power that have seduced so many Church leaders.

By: L. Coman

L. Coman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Fr. Alexander Schmemann looked at what we call
today secular ecumenical movment. The worst of it is yet to come.
It is an utopian vision dreamed up by man. It has spiritual force because it uses parts of the truth. People are unaware of its danger, not vigilant and almost unnoticed it alters one’s spiritual consciousness.

I have bad news: they will succeed! Apparently … God promised to be with His Church until the end of the world.

We are told that: we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:10, 12)

St Anatoly of Optima tells us what to expect:
http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/instructions-anatoly-optina.html

The enemy of the human kind will act skillfully, if possible, leading the chosen ones to heresy. He will not begin by discarding the dogmas on the Holy Trinity, divinity of Jesus Christ, on Theotokos, but will unnoticeably start to distort the Teachings of the Holy Fathers from the Holy Spirit – the Church teaching itself. Cunning of the enemy and his “tipics” will notice a very small number of those most experienced in spiritual life. Heretics will take over the Church, everywhere will appoint their servants, and the spirituality will be neglected.

But the Lord will not leave His servants without protection, and in ignorance.

He said “by the fruits you will recognize them”. And strive to distinguish them from real pastors; those spiritual thieves who are snatching the spiritual flock, do not enter through the door into the sheepfold, but cross in the other place” as the Lord said it, that is, they will enter in illegal way, with force(violence) destroying God’s order. The Lord calls them the criminals.
Truly, their real duty is persecution of true pastors, their imprisonment, for without that the spiritual flock may not become captured.

Comments on: Peace or Truth?

By: Andrew

By: L. Coman