On the Invisible Angelic World (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

About the Invisible World 

 

"I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and all things visible and invisible ..."

 

In addition to this visible world in which we live, there is another world - invisible, in which rational beings also live. That is why God is called the Creator of everything visible and invisible. He created everything that is in heaven and that is on earth, visible and invisible (Col. 1:16). "Invisible" - this is the invisible world, which we will talk about.

We cannot see the invisible world; how do we know that this invisible world really exists? We know that God revealed to us about Himself and there were various manifestations from Him. There are many examples of this in Holy Scripture and in the writings of the Holy Fathers. And the mind itself does not reject the existence of the invisible world, and our heart would be hurt if this invisible world did not exist: whoever has nothing left on earth has only consolation in the invisible world. So, there is an invisible, spiritual world. After all, it is only impossible to reject the existence of the invisible world because we do not see it. The invisible world is invisible only to us, and those who live there see everything in it clearly, just as we now see each other, and even much more clearly.

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Luke - Power in the Name (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Luke

Power in the Name

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, 'What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?'" (Luke 8:28).

Beloved brethren,

The possessed man of the Gadarenes cried out, fell at the feet of Christ and said: "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" (Luke 8:28). The presence of Christ was terrible for the demons that existed inside that unfortunate man. This great power also is in the name of Jesus, which declares His presence, which is why the Fathers often recommend that we pray with "the prayer" of Jesus, in order to be freed from the exploitation and oppression of the devil.

Homily Two for the Sixth Sunday of Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered in 1958)

About the great miracle of the Lord Jesus Christ, about the healing of the demon-possessed Gadarene by Him, I have repeatedly told you and my former flocks. Genuine demonic possession is, of course, rare. A huge number of demons, a whole legion of them, are infused into the bodies and souls of the unfortunate demoniacs. But demons wage an unceasing struggle against every person in order to subjugate him to their power. This is what we read about this struggle in the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians: “... our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

Homily One for the Sixth Sunday of Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on November 25, 1951)

The Lord Jesus Christ sailed with His disciples on the Sea of Tiberias, sailed to the eastern shore of this lake.

On the way, He performed a great miracle of calming the storm by one command of His: He ordered the wind and waves to calm down - and they calmed down.

We went ashore in the country of the Gadarenes, and look what happened there.

“And when He got out of the boat, immediately a man who came out of the tombs met Him, possessed by an unclean spirit, he had a dwelling in the tombs, and no one could bind him even with chains ... he tore the chains and broke the shackles, and no one was able to tame him; always, night and day, in mountains and graves, he shouted and cut himself with stones; but when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him...” (Mark 5:1-6).

Homily for the Tenth Sunday of Matthew - Prayer and Fasting (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 Homily for the Tenth Sunday of Matthew

Prayer and Fasting

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The miracle we heard today refers to the healing of a demon possessed young man, who when possessed by demons fell into fire and water, had tendencies of self-destruction. Christ cast out the demons and the young man became well. To a related question from the disciples, Christ answered: "This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21). Christ cast out the demon with the power of His divinity, the disciples could cast it out with the power of Christ, however, after they pray and fast.

Reflection on the Tenth Sunday of Matthew (St. Theophan the Recluse)

Tenth Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 17:14-23

By St. Theophan the Recluse 

 

"This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." If this kind goes out by the prayer and fasting of another person, then it is even less able to enter one who fasts and prays. What protection! Although there are a slew of demons and all the air is packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is protected by prayer and fasting. 

 

Miracles of the Venerable Martyr Adrian of Poshekhonye

St. Adrian of Poshekhonye (Feast Day - March 5)

During the acquisition and transfer of the relics of the Venrable Martyr Adrian, by the will of God, many miraculous healings from various ailments and diseases took place. And in the time that followed, with faith, those who gathered to the tomb of the Saint received consolation in their sorrows and were healed of illnesses.

The most important of the miracles from the time of the uncovering of the relics were recorded by Adrian's Hermitage. Here are some of these miracles.

Reflection on the Sixth Sunday of Luke (St. Theophan the Recluse)

 

By St. Theophan the Recluse

After the Gadarene man who was possessed with devils was healed, he cleaved to the Lord and desired to be with Him always; then, upon hearing His will, goes and preaches throughout the whole city about the good things he received. The benefactor attracts, His will becomes law for the receiver of the benefaction, and the tongue cannot resist proclaiming what was received from Him. If only we kept in mind all the good things which we have received and are receiving from the Lord, there would not be ungrateful people among us, there would not be transgressors of His holy will, there would not be people who do not love Him more than anything. We are saved through baptism from our forefathers’ sin and all of its perdition; in repentance we are constantly washed from sins, which incessantly cling to us. Through God’s providence we are preserved from misfortunes which often are not visible to us ourselves, and we receive a direction for our life which is safer for us and favorable to our goals; but also all that we possess is from the Lord. That is why we must belong to the Lord with our whole soul, fulfill His will in all things, and glorify His most holy name—especially in our life and deeds, so that we might not fall behind the Gadarene man possessed by devils, who immediately proved himself to be so wise that he became an example worthy of everyone’s imitation.

 

 

The Beloved "Daughter" of Eldress Galaktia: An Interview With Ririka Chronakis (Part 2 of 2)

...continued from part one.

 

Did she personally do something for you with a therapeutic effect?

Continuously! Let me tell you two incidents. When she became bedridden, I had an acute problem in my right shoulder. A bone spur appeared, which hurt the flesh all around and I had unbearable pains and internal bleeding.

I was punctured twice to get the blood out, my arm was immobilized; I was taking medication but nothing. I was disappointed. She could no longer hear and understand. But she understood in another way.

One morning she called for me and said: "Here, take the wooden cross I am wearing and put it on you. Do not wear it until the evil is out of your hand. Then you will give it to me again."

I was in awe that she understood my problem and put the cross on. I was immediately relieved. In a week I had nothing.

Discourse on the Demon Possessed Man (Basil of Seleucia)

By Basil, Bishop of Seleucia

Many and various are the demons' plots against humans. However, the help God provides to humans is incomparably greater. Indeed! If God did not defend us with His divine protection, the entire human race would have ceased to exist a long time ago due to the demons' onslaughts. Truly! When have the demons ever allowed an opportunity to pass without creating temptations for man? When did they ever pause preparing traps for human beings or planning calamities for us?

Of course, the devil is not evil by nature, but he chose to incline toward wickedness. The Creator had appointed him to rule over the air, as St. Paul, the beholder of heavenly mysteries revealed to us: “According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). However, when he desired to rise above his appointed position, and, when he subsequently lost his honorary distinction and was displaced from his throne on account of his high-minded arrogance, he turned his malice toward human beings, in order to manifest his vengefulness toward the Creator. Since he was unable to strike back at God directly, he devised a different plan of attack: he decided to instruct God's creations to revolt against Him. Thus, as soon as the first man was created in the image of the Creator,the devil advised him to oppose God: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will become gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). In following, when the human race began to multiply, he imparted thoughts of idolatry to man, who became so darkened that he began to worship the creation instead of the Creator.However, the demons were not content with deceiving humans in this way or even with receiving worship from them. They proceeded to harm and forcefully take up residence within people.

Saint Laurence the Recluse of the Kiev Caves, Bishop of Turov (+ 1194)

St. Laurence of the Kiev Caves, Bishop of Turov (Feast Day - January 29)

Saint Laurence at first lived as a monk at the Kiev Caves Lavra, but desiring to retire into solitude, he was forbidden to do so by the holy fathers. For this reason Laurence went to the Monastery of the Great Martyr Demetrios, built by Great Prince Izyaslav at Kiev near the Kiev Caves Lavra, where he lived as a recluse. Because of his austere life, the Lord granted him the gift of healing.

Holy Hieromartyrs Herakleides and Myron, Bishops of Tamassos in Cyprus

Sts. Herakleides and Myron of Tamassos (Feast Day - September 17)

Verses

Herakleides and Myron were assigned to the fire,
They approached Christ as fragrant myrrh.

Herakleides was the son of a pagan priest and lived in the village Lambadistos, in Cyprus. His father, although a pagan, was hospitable and did not hesitate to accommodate the Apostle Paul together with Barnabas and Mark when they came to Cyprus. The Apostles however refused to dine with one who sacrificed to idols, but instead asked for a guide around the island. Herakleides' father gladly volunteered his son. The Apostles led Herakleides to the faith of Christ, since he was eager to learn, and he in turn, led his parents. It is said that his name was first Herakleon but changed by Saint Paul upon his baptism to Herakleides. Saint Barnabas on his second trip to Cyprus appointed him Bishop of Cyprus and placed him in Tamassos. He is said to have built churches, cured diseases, raised the dead, cast out demons, and worked innumerable wonders. Herakleides worked with great zeal along with his disciple Myron, his successor as Bishop of Tamassos, for the dissemination of Christianity with impressive results, and many pagans believed in Christ. His successes however agitated the unbelievers, who killed them by burning them alive.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)

By St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

The Lord said to His Apostles about the evil spirits, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" (Mk. 9:29). Here is a new aspect of fasting! Fasting is acceptable to God when it is preceded by the great virtue of mercy; fasting prepares a reward in heaven when it is foreign to hypocrisy and vainglory; fasting works when it is joined with another great virtue—prayer. How does it work? It not only tames the passions in the human body, but it enters into battle with the spirits of evil, and conquers them.

How can fasting, which is actually a bodily podvig [ascetical labor], work or cooperate with prayer in a war against spirits? Why do the bodiless spirits submit to the power that fasting has over them?

Miracles of Saint Thomais the Wonderworker of Lesvos (1 - 3)

Miracle 1:

My narrative has shown us that Thomais constantly visited the divine churches, and most frequently attended services at churches where all-night hymnody to God was being performed. She used to go regularly to the most divine church at Blachernae, and would walk the whole way at night sending forth hymns of supplication to God and entreating His all-pure Mother. Then she would prostrate herself before Her all-honored and all-holy shrine,* entreating Her with tears and begging grace for the whole world, that is, to intercede with Her Son to postpone and delay His punishment and to grant a respite from the wickedness that afflicts the world because of our sins. For she did not petition and entreat the Lord on her own behalf, but for the salvation and redemption of the community and the world. In the words of the apostle she strove not for her own but for another,** and indeed she carried out this saying by her very deeds.

Synaxis of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel and All the Bodiless Powers

On the eighth of this month [November], is the Synaxis of the Chief Commanders Michael and Gabriel, with the other bodiless and heavenly orders.

Verses

To the Archangel Michael*

Michael, a fitting song I wished to sing

As is fit, but one free from matter I have not.

To the Archangel Gabriel**

I behold Gabriel the Angel with great joy,

In you I exceedingly rejoice and fly towards what I long for.

On the eighth the heavens glorify the Leaders of the orders.

To the Assembly of the Nine Orders of Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Principalities, Powers, Archangels and Angels.

What offering worthy of the nine orders,

Could one the offspring of nine months pronounce?

The Miracle of the Archangels at Dionysiou Monastery in 1913

By Elder Gabriel of Dionysiou

In October of 1913, the Chief of Staff of our National Army Victor Dousmanis, sent with an escort of two soldiers his nephew, who was a psychopath and possessed by a spirit of the python, just as the fortune-teller of Philippi, along with a letter for the Monastery, which said: "Here fathers in my homeland (Kerkyra), is the best mental hospital in Greece, where my nephew John was, but we saw no improvement. We were told by doctors that we exhausted all means of science, and therefore we decided to send him to your holy places, and we ask that you please accept him and make him become strong spiritually, so that by your prayers God may pity us and him and will make him well." We accepted him at the Monastery.

Discerning Angels from Demons (St. Paisios the Athonite)

By St. Paisios the Athonite

The devil can appear either as an angel or as a saint. The demon camouflaged as an angel or a saint will propagate disturbance (which is what he possesses), whereas a true Angel or Saint will always propagate a paradisiacal joy and a heavenly exuberance. The humble and clean person - even if inexperienced - can discern between an Angel that is from God and a demon that appears as an angel of light, because he is spiritually clean and more closely related to the Angel. The egotist and carnal person will however be deluded easily by the cunning devil. When the devil appears as an angel of light and the person forms a humble thought, the devil will vanish.

Christ's Divine Strategy in Defeating the Devil (St. Gregory Palamas)

By St. Gregory Palamas

The pre-eternal, uncircumscribed and almighty Logos and omnipotent Son of God could clearly have saved man from mortality and servitude to the devil without Himself becoming man.

He upholds all things by the word of His power and everything is subject to His divine authority (cf. Heb. 1:3). According to Job, He can do everything and nothing is impossible for Him (cf. Job 42:2 LXX).

The strength of a created being cannot withstand the power of the Creator, and nothing is more powerful than the Almighty.

But the incarnation of the Logos of God was the method of deliverance most in keeping with our nature and weakness, and most appropriate for Him who carried it out, for this method had justice on its side, and God does not act without justice.

How Do Non-Orthodox Christians Work Miracles and Prophesy?

Questions and Answers

By St. Anastasios of Sinai,

Bishop of Theoupoleos

Question 20:

With what power do those who believe and do the opposite, oftentimes prophesy and work miracles?

Answer:

Various signs and miracles and prophecies oftentimes take place by those who are unworthy, according to some need or condescension, as with Barlaam and the ventriloquism. And elsewhere the Apostles, when they found a certain unbeliever "casting out demons in the name of Christ," and they prevented him and reported him to Christ, Christ told them: "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you" (Lk. 9:50).

How to Talk to Children about Demons, Hell and Death

By Nun Magdalene

It is a serious educational mistake to talk to young children in detail about demons, because if a child hears once how they are, it is impossible to not stop imagining them.

Adults may be warned of the danger they risk by allowing images of demons invade their minds, but a young child, even if they are warned, can't easily stop thinking about something that torments them, and this can result in a dangerous state of mind or, at least, to suffer from nightmares. When young children ask about the devil or the existence of evil spirits, it is preferable not to make a thorough analysis, but to say that you should not give them more attention than they have in dreams or something similar. Generally we should turn the minds of children to Christ, the saints and the angels.