SSCORRE!
Saint Sophia Cathedral
Online Resources for our Religious Edification
Topic of the Week – We Christians Have Christ
“My child, we Christians do not have money, nor power. Today, this world is governed by the mighty. Mighty powers, banks with a lot of money, other forces, very great…We are unable to cope with these forces and it is natural that these forces, many times, are antithetical to the Christian spirit, with the result being danger to Christians and those who desire to live according to the law of God.
We cannot resist these forces, because in a worldly manner, we are unable.
We, however, have Christ, my child. And if we ask Christ, then, we can resist whatever is difficult that comes our way, and we will be able to endure.
Christ will conquer in the end, and righteousness and truth will prevail.”
-St. Porphyrios of KavsokalyviaTaken from Full of Grace and Truth
Adult/Family:
“The important thing in this life is not to occupy ourselves with how to solve problems, but to find what the problems mean, where they are from, what the man is who carries these problems, where he is from, where he is going, who he is, who precisely he should be, what mission he has. Humble yourself before God and afterwards let everything, whatever thing may befall you, be seen within the providence of God: “God knows.”
You, as soon as you are not doing well, immediately start worrying, become agitated, and argue with others and create a hell within and around you – or you try to find what you are missing in order to be living well. This is a mistake.
The important thing is not whether I live well or not, but whether I find God, whether I am on the road that God as put me on, whether I am keeping His commandments, whether I am in His will: but not like a slave that is being tortured. No. “God knows. He loves everyone. Including me.
“Excerpted from Timeless Truths, Fr. Symeon Kragiopoulos, p349
Preschool/Elementary:
Whoever fears God doesn’t fear anything else.
Excerpted from Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit, Elder Epiphanios, p72
What kind of fear in God is the Elder talking about? How does our this protect us from being afraid of all other things?
Middle School:
Pay no attention to things earthly and passing. Be concerned about the union of your soul with God.
Why does the elder say to pay no attention to earthly things? What happens to earthly things during and after our lifetime? What is important about the union of our soul with God?
High School:
Let us not be led astray by trials, but rather see in them the presence of God. How happy is the man who puts himself beneath the providence of God! Blessed is he to whom God reveals this mystery: “Christ is all and in all.”
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
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“Of all the holy works, the education of children is the most holy.”
— St. Theophan the Recluse
