SSCORRE!
Saint Sophia Cathedral
Online Resources for our Religious Edification
Topic of the Week – Men Have Forgotten God
Much of what is being done today in the name of peace and unity by large corporations, international organizations and the media is leading us to humanism. What could be wrong with wanting peace and unity? It is the way in which one goes about trying to achieve it! In the name of ‘brotherhood, union and love’, a man-made solution is being substituted for salvation, instead of Christ’s salvation for us.
“…it [humanism] identifies the distinctiveness of faith and morality as being divisive, the goodness of man is undermined by his allegiance to a particular set of doctrines [religion] or even a particular national identity…. This humanism identifies our problem as the conflict between men, not man’s turning away from God….”
From Orthodoxy and the Kingdom of Satan p34, by Fr. Spyridon Bailey
Adult/Family:
“…[Solzhenitsyn] explained how the Russian revolution and the communist takeover were facilitated by an atheistic mentality and a long process of secularization which alienated the people from God and traditional Christian morality and beliefs. He rightly concluded: “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened….”
The parallels with the current crisis and moral decay in American society are striking….” [Chris Banescu]
“…. The free people of the West could reasonably have been expected to realize that they are beset by numerous freely nurtured falsehoods, and not to allow lies to be foisted upon them so easily. All attempts to find a way out of the plight of today’s world are fruitless unless we redirect our consciousness, in repentance, to the Creator of all: without this, no exit will be illumined, and we shall seek it in vain…. We must first recognize the horror perpetrated not by some outside force, not by class or national enemies, but within each of us individually, and within every society. This is especially true of a free and highly developed society, for here in particular we have surely brought everything upon ourselves, of our own free will. We ourselves, in our daily unthinking selfishness, are pulling tight that noose…
To the ill-considered hopes of the last two centuries… we can propose only a determined quest for the warm hand of God, which we have so rashly and self-confidently spurned.….” [Alexander Solzhenitsyn]
Preschool/Elementary School:
Elder Amphilochius (Makris) was the rector of St John the Theologian Monastery at the Island of Patmos. He founded several monasteries, children’s shelters, and almshouses in the Greek islands. The wise elder often used parables to make a point:
If you had an important friend visiting in your house, wouldn’t you invite them inside into the heart of your home, or would you make them wait by the front door? Would you get up to go do something else and leave that person alone waiting for you to return? What would happen if you forgot to go back to keep your friend company? If we would not do this to a human friend of ours, even less should we do this to God, our Creator who loves us and desires a relationship with us and is waiting to be invited into our very souls! How do we do this to God? We do this to Him when we become preoccupied with worldly material objects and appointments or responsibilities which make us too busy to think about Him, pray to Him or go to church to worship Him.
Middle School:
St. Isaac the Syrian [031]
Why should we be mindful of God? How does St. Isaac exhort us to do this? What does this mean in concrete terms in our day-to-day living? What will you do starting today to be more mindful of God in your life?
High School:
Surprisingly, in our time, even Christians do not consider it to be a problem when they disregard God. Meanwhile, we have all forgotten Him in one way or another…. when we are not engaged in prayer and not burdened with problems, where is God?
Is it not the right time to recall God? …any local or global calamity is nothing but a visitation from God. The purpose of the visit is to save man. And there is a lot to save man from. From the reprobate way of life that is now customary, to outright moral salaciousness, which is nowadays considered the norm and sometimes even encouraged….
Well, everything is more or less clear with faith and hope: life itself teaches us, whether we want it or not. In general, we need to learn to treat God in such a way that we do not forget Him….
A Message from Maria Spanos
I am passionate about our Orthodox Christian faith and seek to help others learn as much as they can about it. My purpose here is to share online resources that help strengthen our relationship with Christ and bind us closer to His Church. I believe they are invaluable in learning about our precious Orthodox Tradition, and are a great aid for teaching family members, friends and others about Orthodoxy. ~Maria
Two of my favorite quotes:
“A true Christian behaves in this life so that it may be a preparation for the future one and not only a life here below. In his actions, he does not think what will be said of him here but of what will be said there in heaven; he represents to himself that he is always in the presence of God, of the angels and all the saints, and remembers that someday they will bear witness of his thoughts, words, and deeds.” — Saint John of Kronstadt
__________________________________________________________
“Of all the holy works, the education of children is the most holy.”
— St. Theophan the Recluse
