4: St. Seraphim of Sarov

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

18:09

HR is no longer just about managing people—it’s about shaping the future of work. Jens Baier, BCG’s HR transformation expert, discusses how AI and shifting employee expectations are forcing companies to rethink talent strategies. From re-recruiting to upskilling employees, HR must adapt to a rapidly changing landscape. Learn More: Jens Baier: https://on.bcg.com/41ca7Gv BCG on People Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/3QtAjro Decoding Global Talent: https://on.bcg.com/4gUC4IT…

2 года назад 9:40

M4A•Главная эпизода

A sermon by St. John Maximovich of Shanghai and San Francisco in Serbia in 1928 on St. Seraphim of Sarov. The sermon is as applicable to us today as it was then. As in the time of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, the royal martyrs, we too, find ourselves on some sort of precipice. Something in the world is changing around us such that we can sense, but cannot fully perceive. Strange alliances are forming, war is raging with no end in sight, egged on and funded by nations who seemingly have no appetite for peace, but for transformation by domination. Society is deteriorating at an ever-increasing rate. Perversions of every kind are celebrated publicly. Murderous rage spews at those who attempt to protect human life. Economies are failing. Livelihoods have been threatened or destroyed for refusal to participate in experimental biotechnology trials. Storms rage. Suffering and death are everywhere. But we must be faithful. We can control nothing, save for that which has been given to us for control: ourselves. We must, as St. Paul encourages in Romans 12:12, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer….

37 эпизодов

#Religion #Joel Dunn

4: St. Seraphim of Sarov

published 2 года назад

M4A•Главная эпизода

37 эпизодов

#Religion #Joel Dunn

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1
35: The Problem with the Garments of Leaves 13:47

47 weeks назад13:47

13:47

There were two main problems with the garments of leaves. The garments were taken from a tree that didn’t belong to Adam and the woman as a selfish, external sacrifice, and, The leaves were an insufficient cover for their sin because they were too different from man.

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Bonus Episode: A Mid-Fast Meditation (Isaiah 58) 4:57

48 weeks назад4:57

4:57

Here's some encouragement from Holy Scripture as we approach the mid-point of the great fast. "And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach" Isaiah 58:12

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34: The Garments of Leaves 13:54

49 weeks назад13:54

13:54

After The Fall, Adam and the woman's instinct for self-preservation resulted in them taking and making clothing from fig leaves. They dimly perceived their lack of self-sufficiency and attempted to cover themselves, to hide their shame, and to hold themselves together.

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33: Stripped of Glory: Unveiling the Biblical Symbolism of Adam and Eve’s Nakedness 8:25

50 weeks назад8:25

8:25

According to the Genesis 3 account of the fall of Man, the first and most immediate result of Adam and Eve’s consumption of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was the realization that they were naked. According to St. Ambrose of Milan: "Whoever has lost the covering of his nature and virtue is naked."…

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32: The Law Written on Hearts of Flesh 11:25

1 year назад11:25

11:25

The law written by the hand of God on stone tablets represents the law’s inability to enliven the dead, for when Moses descended the mountain, the people had already created the golden calf. Therefore, the tablets were remade and Moses wrote on the stone tablets. But Christ, who fulfilled the law and took His life back up again, now writes the law on living hearts of flesh. Visit https://thepodvig.com to sign up now! Support the show! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepodvigpod/support…

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31: Take up Your Cross and Follow Me 9:50

1 year назад9:50

9:50

This episode focuses on sharing the afflictions of Christ through bearing our own cross. Sacrifice was established as soon as mankind was expelled from paradise where Adam and Eve did not sacrifice their own will, but instead took the fruit for themselves. Love in sacrifice and sacrifice in love are the cornerstones of true Life. Without love, sacrifice kills; without sacrifice, love is barren sentiment. Visit https://thepodvig.com to sign up now! Support the show! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepodvigpod/support…

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30: The Door to Mysteries 12:12

1 year назад12:12

12:12

This episode delves into the concept of the cross as baptism from the Old Testament to the New, in which Christ calls His crucifixion a baptism. Sign up at https://thepodvig.com to get the full transcript episode! Support the podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepodvigpod/support

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29: The Weapon of the Cross 10:39

1 year назад10:39

10:39

Like the wooden horse given to the city of Troy, the Cross of Jesus Christ is not at all what it seems. It is dead wood that produced the ripened fruit of eternal life; it's a sword disguised as gallows. Sign up at https://thepodvig.com to get the full transcript episode! Support the podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepodvigpod/support…

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28: Behold, Your Mother! 14:21

1 year назад14:21

14:21

The prophecy of St. Simeon the God-receiver involves both Christ and His mother. This episode explores the biblical, liturgical, and theological meaning of the Theotokos becoming the new Eve and her essential role in the Kingdom of God. Get the full transcript by signing up at https://www.thepodvig.com/ Support the podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepodvigpod/support…

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27: Endure Temptation 10:45

1 year назад10:45

10:45

Your life, beloved, is a war and temptation precipitates each battle. Saint Theophan the Recluse said it this way: “The arena, the field of battle, the site where the fight actually takes place is our own heart and all our inner man. The time of battle is our whole life.” St. James tells us that every man is tempted from within, being lured away by his own lusts and passions, and is enticed. (James 1:14) In Mark 7, our Lord says this: “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.”…

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26: Be Holy 7:16

1 year назад7:16

7:16

St. Peter teaches that “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 So how does one be Holy? Is that just a platitude or is it actually achievable? Support the podcast to help keep this thing going! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepodvigpod/support Visit https://www.thepodvig.com/ and sign up for full podcast transcripts and more!…

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25: Prayer is the Ultimate Technology 10:40

2 years назад10:40

10:40

In its ancient understanding, technology (“techne” in Greek) is a form of spiritual knowledge and skill granted to humans by the divine for their empowerment. Although we tend to think of technology as its physical application, it universally originates from the spiritual realm. Therefore, the use of technology doesn’t just have physical repercussions but spiritual ones as well. St. John of Damascus, in the “Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith,” writes: “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. But when you pray, you should seek with your whole heart and not be slothful, employing a certain skill (techne) in the art of prayer.” Because we are witnessing the continuous and exponential growth of technology, which will provide the type of power necessary to bring Transhumanism from a dystopian nightmare into reality. The only viable response to transhumanism is to become truly human, to become by grace what God is by nature. As those around us are inevitably deceived into transforming their nature in accordance with the demons, Christians must be discerning and seek to become like God. Check out https://thepodvig.com and sign up now for exclusive content and podcast transcripts!…

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24: Live Simply 10:48

2 years назад10:48

10:48

A simple life is not about depriving ourselves of earthly joy, comfort, or material possessions. Rather, it is a deliberate choice to reorient our lives toward what truly matters. Simplifying our lives allows us to shed that which weighs us to this Earth, while at the same time knowing that: "The spiritual life does not remove us from the world, but leads us deeper into it." - St. Seraphim of Sorov. Get the full transcript and other exclusive content by becoming a member at https://thepodvig.com…

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23: On Pentecost 11:09

2 years назад11:09

11:09

Christ reconciled the entire human race through his death, burial, and resurrection, and, like Adam, provided both a body and the blood necessary for His bride, the Church. Pentecost is the recreation of the woman, wherein God breathes the Holy Spirit into the body and blood taken from the side of His Son on the cross. The power of the Holy Spirit, the uncreated energies of God, now animates the unified Body of Christ, which is the Church. Get the full transcript and other exclusive content by becoming a member at https://thepodvig.com…

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22: The Cultivation of Humility 10:03

2 years назад10:03

10:03

Humility is the preeminent Christian virtue. It is a disposition of the heart and mind, which recognizes one’s true self and one’s complete dependence on God. According to St. Isaac the Syrian, “The sum of all virtues is humility. By it, the soul is made like God." In this episode, we will briefly explore ‘humility’ from an Orthodox perspective, and discuss how to begin its cultivation. Get the full transcript and other exclusive content by becoming a member at http://thepodvig.com!…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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21: Essence, Energies, and the Nature of Reality (Part 3) 9:31

2 years назад9:31

9:31

We are terrestrial beings, being made from Earth. Therefore we have physical bodies, but we are enlivened with God-breathed souls. Therefore, mankind is made from a unique combination of earth and spirit. We have physical bodies, but we are not primarily earthen. While there is no official Orthodox dogma on the subject, Sts. John of Damascus and Gregory the Theologian thought Angels were the first things created, because, according to St. John, “it was fitting that the mental essence should be the first created, and then that which can be perceived, and finally man himself, in whose being both parts are united.” The “spiritual” body is not a pale shadow of the material world we now know; the opposite is true. The resurrection body is the fulfillment of what God intends for our present body. It is the material fulfilled, not dematerialized.…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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20: Essence, Energies, and the Nature of Reality (Part 2) 9:16

2 years назад9:16

9:16

Please forgive me for not posting an episode in a while. My wife gave birth to our 9th child recently and priorities had to shift. Not to mention the lack of sleep that made writing this episode much more difficult. The episode explores Divine Light as well as create light.

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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19: Essence, Energies, and the Nature of Reality (Part 1) 9:56

2 years назад9:56

9:56

St. Gregory Palamas teaches that “[God] is not revealed in his essence (ousia), for no one has ever seen or described God's nature; but he is revealed in the grace (charis), power (dynamis) and energy (energeia) which is common to Father, Son and Spirit … Distinctive to each of the three is the person (hypostasis) of each… Shared in common by all three are not only the transcendent essence - what is altogether nameless unmanifested since it is beyond all names, manifestation and participation - but also the divine grace, power, energy, radiance, kingdom and incorruption, whereby God enters through grace into communion and union with the holy angels and the saints. “ In the book, The Orthodox Way , we learn that God “is outside all things according to his essence’, writes St Athanasius, ‘but he is in all things through his acts of power.’ ‘We know the essence through the energy’, St Basil affirms. ‘No one has ever seen the essence of God, but we believe in the essence because we experience the energy.’” St. Maximus the Confessor put it this way: "God - who is truly none of the things that exist, and who, properly speaking, is all things, and at the same time beyond them - is present in the logos of each thing in itself, and in all the logoi together, according to which all things exist …” Orthodox Christian Andrew Williams beautifully distills St. Maximos’ teaching. He says: “Without God, nothing is just nothing. And yet with God, out of nothing comes everything. He creates ex nihilo. In a sense, we can say that he imagines everything into being… Just like the icon painter, he puts the veils over nothing, and we come into being… individual, real persons in the image of God, each of us a veil over the face of God; each of us an icon of ultimate Reality. For Orthodox Christians, man as an icon of God may seem obvious at first glance, but let us consider this carefully. So what does it mean to be fashioned as an icon of God? In Colossians 1:15 St. Paul tells us that Christ is the “icon” of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. St. Gregory the Theologian says of this verse, “He is called “image” because he is of one substance with the Father; he stems from the Father and not the Father from him, it being the nature of an image to copy the original and to be named after it. But there is more to it than this. The ordinary image is a motionless copy of a moving being. Here we have a living image of a living being, indistinguishable from its original.” This ability to apprehend the knowledge of God and to participate in His divine energies is that likeness of being, which renders us icons. Our souls, enlivened by the breath of God, have the capacity to receive the sacraments of the Church, by which God imparts to us His grace and His very life to those who have been given “the right to become sons of God.”’ But to what end? St John of Damascus says that “although man, by reason of the infirmity of his body, is capable of repentance, the angel, because of his incorporeality, is not.” Both Angels and man possess reason, intelligence, knowledge and agency. But only man is subject to mortality, which allows for his repentance. Man was expelled from the garden before eating of the tree of life, so that he would not attain immortality and solidify his corruption. For Christ taught that resurrected men are immortal and equal to the angels. Luke 20:36 It is the capacity to repent, to return to God and be healed of the wounds of sin that God preserved in mankind so that, according to St. Paul, his body could be sown in corruption and raised in incoruption by receiving the energies of God.…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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18: The Beginning and End of Salvation 9:28

2 years назад9:28

9:28

Pride was the first sin to enter the world through man. Adam and the woman desired to “be like God,” and consumed, without a blessing, the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. St. James tells us, God is neither tempted nor does He tempt, but “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown brings forth death.” James 1:14-15 The words of the serpent, according to St. Athanasius, averted man’s attention from the contemplation of the Divine Word and lowered it to the contemplation of the self. Mankind considered what it could obtain for itself by ingesting then forbidden knowledge. Adam, with his earthen body enlivened by the breath of God, brought a curse upon the earth bringing death instead of life into the world. According to the Fathers, this was not by disobeying the commandment not to eat, but by refusing to repent when confronted. Fr. Spyridon Bailey says that “suffering, accepted in the right way, will lead us to humility. It will strip us of the false belief that we are in control or the idea that peace may come through comfort…" And St. Paul affirms, “ for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Hebrews 12:6-7 After pronouncing the curse in the garden, God said to Adam, “for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:19 . St. Ephrem The Syrian observes that God is intimating that “Since you originate from dust and you forgot yourself, "you shall return to "your "dust " and your true being shall be recognized through your low estate . " Thus, St. John Chrysostom says that “Salvation begins and ends with humility.” We might ask, what is the nature of salvific humility? St. Mark the Ascetic teaches us that “humility consists, not in condemning our conscience, but in recognizing God’s grace and compassion.” Adam, being chastised by God, did not despair of his plight, he did not “kick against the goads” (Acts 9:5), or fall into a state of despondency (Genesis 4:5). Instead, He humbled himself, and he remembered his proper place, and immediately resumed his initial vocation. “And Adam called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all the living.” - Genesis 3:20 St. Porphyrios instructs us that holy humility is “Complete trust in God.” Adam, having endured his chastening, and finding himself, although subject to corruption, yet not destroyed by sin, trusted that God would bring about the restoration of his life, not through him, but through his wife, whereby God would bring new life. Adam chose death. But God in His great love, chose to send the Son to show us true humility, by which death is transformed into life. St. Paul says in Hebrews 12:10 that God chastises us “that we may be partakers of His holiness.” Cyril of Alexandria says that “He became like us that we might become like him. The work of the Spirit seeks to transform us by grace into a perfect copy of his humbling.” True humility is transformative. It is, according to St. Paisios, “the only thing God is asking of us.” If we will humble ourselves, we can, by the grace of God, ascend far above the garden of Eden to “Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.” Hebrews 12:22 St. John Climacus says that “humility is the chariot by which we ascend to God.” thepodvig@gmail.com…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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17: Keep Your Garments 9:47

2 years назад9:47

9:47

Psalms 103:2 describes God as one: “Who cover[s] [Himself] with light as with a garment…” God’s first creation was light. Genesis 1:3 But it is not until verse 14 that God creates the heavenly bodies in the firmament that give off light. There was light before there were lights. This makes sense. We know there was light before there was creation at all. For our Saviour said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” -John 8:12 In Orthodox theology, this Divine light that emanates from God is called “uncreated light.” It is true light and true life. According to St. Saphrony of Essex: “Uncreated Divine Light by its nature is absolutely different from ordinary physical light.” St. Saphrony tells us that “[p]hysical light is the image of Divine light in the natural world…” He says that “Faith is light but in small measure. Hope is light but not yet perfect. The perfect light is love.” God also created man in His image, after His trinitarian likeness. And Genesis 2:25 tells us that “they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” The Greek word translated “ashamed” in the Septuagint is “aischuno.” According to Thayer’s word dictionary, this word means: 1) to disfigure 2) to dishonor 3) to suffuse with shame, make ashamed, be ashamed St. Augustine of Hippo observes from this verse that “[Man and woman] were aware, of course, of their nakedness, but they felt no shame, because no desire stirred their organs in defiance of their deliberate decision. The time had not yet come when the rebellion of the flesh was a witness and reproach to the rebellion of man against his Maker.” They were, in a sense disfigured and suffused with shame. Therefore, God made Adam and Eve “garments of skin and clothed them” before banishing them from paradise. St. John Chrysostom explains this verse: “[T]he loving God, when [Adam and Eve] rendered themselves unworthy of that gleaming and resplendent vesture in which they were adorned and which ensured they were prepared against bodily needs, stripped them of all that glory and the enjoyment they were partakers of before suffering that terrible fall.” that “[Man and woman] were aware, of course, of their nakedness, but they felt no shame because no desire stirred their organs in defiance of their deliberate decision. The time had not yet come when the rebellion of the flesh was a witness and reproach to the rebellion of man against his Maker.” Adam and Eve were created without physical clothing, but they were clothed by God like the angels, in the radiance of the Divine light. They were completely naive of sin, being completely illumined within paradise. In a very real sense, they were unaware of their physical nakedness as a result of their constant contemplation of the Divine. However, once they attended to the evil one, and in their disobedience to themselves, they fell from their blessed state. Immediately their eyes were “opened” and they perceived their nakedness, not just of the body, but of the soul. They were, in a sense disfigured and suffused with shame. Therefore, God made Adam and Eve “garments of skin and clothed them” before banishing them from paradise. Transfiguration is our aim as Christians. St. Paul tells us that “as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27. For Christ, Himself tells us: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Revelation 16:15…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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16: Suffering is a Medicine 7:15

2 years назад7:15

7:15

It's been a few weeks since I posted an episode. Forgive me. There's been a lot going on over that time and now Orthodox Christmas is upon us. For about 12 days recently I was stricken with a debilitating health issue. I endured a lot of pain and required a cane just to walk for several of those days. One night last week I couldn't sleep because of the pain. I managed to get out of bed and I ended up lying on the floor before our family icon corner praying the Jesus prayer for a few hours. In the wee hours of that morning, I began to feel desperate. I felt like God was ignoring my pleas for His mercy. I cried from the depths of my soul, but tears of repentance escaped me, and nor did my soul find comfort. Then, despair began to set in. But St. Nikolai Velimirovich has said: “Don’t ever succumb to the insane thought that God has abandoned you. God knows exactly how much one can endure and, according to that, measures the sufferings and pains of everyone.” “The powers of darkness are not fought with sweets and Turkish delight, but with conduits of tears, with pain of the soul, with extreme humility, great patience, and unceasing painful prayer until our last breath.” - St Joseph the Hesychast. “Let us understand that God is a physician and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.” - St. Agustine of Hippo. “Suffering is an indication of another Kingdom which we look to. If being Christian meant being “happy” in this life, we wouldn’t need the Kingdom of Heaven. - Fr. Seraphim Rose We must all suffer in this life, especially those that would take up their cross to follow the Theanthropos (God-man) Jesus. Like Christ, we may ask that the cup of suffering pass from us, but we must neither be masochists nor hedonists. “Pleasure and happiness accustom one to satisfaction with the things given in this world, whereas pain and suffering drive one to seek a more profound happiness beyond the limitations of this world.” - Fr. Seraphim Rose The question, then, is how do we approach pain and suffering? What disposition should we have towards them? “It is necessary to bear tribulations in peace; for if you accept them with resignation, you shall gain great merit; but if you submit to them with reluctance, you shall increase, instead of diminishing, your misery.” - St. John Chrysostom . We do not seek pain and or suffering, but we must embrace the cross we are called to bear in faith. “God has not forgotten the man whom He sends suffering and trials, but in this way is proving His closeness to him.” - St. John Chrysostom . What lies on the other side of pain and suffering endured for the sake of Christ? “If you succeed in rising above pain, in the sense that you no longer see it as something evil but rather as something good; if you consider every difficulty, burden, privation, and pain as a divine visitation, then you will live beyond temptations.” - Elder Aimilianos…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

1
15: The Reason for Spiritual Warfare 9:05

2 years назад9:05

9:05

In the Unseen Warfare, Saints Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and Theophan the Recluse tell us that “the enemy watches [us] constantly, waiting for an opportunity to sow evil in [us].” They implore us, “be doubly watchful over yourself, lest you fall in the nets spread for you.” St. Maximos the Confessor observes that “God allows the demons to attack us for five reasons: through being attacked and fighting back, we should learn to distinguish virtue from sin. having acquired virtue by struggle and labor we should keep it firm and unalterable. that progressing in virtue we should not think highly of ourselves but learn humility. that having experienced in practice the wickedness of sin we should hate it with perfect hatred. The fifth and most important is that, having been freed from the passions we should not forget our own weakness and the strength of Him that helped us. Remember the words of St. Paul in 2 Corinthians: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the w eapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) But do not allow this to unsettle you, dear Christian. There is a reason for spiritual warfare. St. Nicholas of Serbia says: “Just as people do not enter a war in order to enjoy war, but in order to be saved from war, so we do not enter this world in order to enjoy this world, but in order to be saved from it. People go to war for the sake of something greater than war. So we also enter this temporal life for the sake of something greater: for eternal life.”…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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14: The Podvig of Patience 8:47

2 years назад8:47

8:47

Acquiring patience is a hard lesson and one that persists to the end of our earthly sojourn. In the Church, patience is considered a virtue. St. Paul famously lists patience in his discourse on the fruit of the spirit. Noah Webster defined Patience as The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from Christian submission to the divine will. To be patient literally means to suffer and endure for the sake of something greater. In an age of technology, the concept of waiting for anything is anathema. When an Amazon package is delayed even one day, it can send us into anger and/or despair. We justify our impatience by telling ourselves waiting is a waste of our limited time. As Job lamented, “For I will not live forever, that I should patiently endure.” It is only the patient, according to Christ, that bring forth fruit from the seeds of God’s Word that are sown in their hearts. And as for that in the good soil, they are these who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience (Lk 8.15). According to Saint Gregory Palamas: “For our love of God is demonstrated above all by the way we endure trials and temptations.” Patience must be practiced at every opportunity, no matter how small or insignificant. Because in times of real persecution, when Christians are delivered up to answer for Christ, being “hated by all for His name’s sake,” the Lord counsels His followers: “in patience, possess ye your souls,” which means, “through your endurance, you will gain your lives” (Lk 21.19). But we also cannot forget that because patience is a virtue, it is exclusively a grace of God. It is ONLY fruit of the Holy Spirit. We cannot attain patience ourselves from within our own will. “Escape from temptation through patience and Prayer. If you oppose temptation without these, it only attacks you more strongly.” Saint Mark the Ascetic Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko says in “The Orthodox Faith” that Patience is the power bestowed by God to “stay on the cross no matter what,” for the sake of pleasing God alone. And that “Patience must be renewed daily through fasting, prayer and communion with God in the Church.” As St. Justin Popovich observed, “ God hears and fulfills the prayer of a man who fulfills His commandments. "Hear God in His commandments," says St. John Chrysostom, "So that He might hear you in your prayers." A man who keeps the commandments of God is always wise, patient, and sincere in his prayers. Mystery of prayer consists in the keeping of God's commandments. ”…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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13: You Are Not Your Sins 8:06

2 years назад8:06

8:06

“The heart is but a small vessel; and yet dragons and lions are there, and there likewise are poisonous creatures and all the treasures of wickedness; rough, uneven paths are there, and gaping chasms. There also is God, there are the angels, there life and the Kingdom, there light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace: all things are there.” - St. Marcarius the Great (, Homilies 43:7) Many of us in the West have a distorted view of salvation based on faulty conceptions of Christ’s atonement. But you must understand that You are not your sins. St. Nikon of Optina tells us that “We must consider all evil things, even the passions which war against us, to be not our own, but of our enemy the devil. This is very important. You can only conquer a passion when you do not consider it as part of you.” “Descend into your heart, and there do battle with Satan.” - St. Marcarius the Great St. Peter , in his first epistle says that when Christ “suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose bruise you are healed.” 1 Peter 2:23-24 In St. Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians he says: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corithians 5:21 This does not mean that Christ became sinful, nor does it mean that he died as a result of our sin being placed upon Him. Remember that Christ said, “Therefore, my Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This is the command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17-18 . Rather, St. Gregory the Theologian says to “look at it in this manner: that as for my sake he was called a curse who destroyed my curse, and sin who takes away the sin of the world, and became a new Adam to take the place of the old, just so he makes my disobedience his own as head of the whole body. As long, then, as I am disobedient and rebellious, both by denial of God and by my passions, so long Christ is also called disobedient on my account. But when all things shall be subdued to him on the one hand by acknowledgment of him and on the other by a reformation, then he himself also will have fulfilled his submission, bringing me whom he has saved to God.”…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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12: On Thanksgiving 9:23

2 years назад9:23

9:23

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! In this episode, I’d like to tell you about America’s actual First Thanksgiving. In the spring of 1618, four gentlemen met in London, England, to negotiate the formation of a new company, The Berkeley Company, and to start a town and plantation in the colony of Virginia. They had received a grant from King James I for 8,000 acres there. On September 16, 1619, at 8:00 in the morning, the “Good Ship Margaret” set sail. The vessel weighed 47 tons and was 35 feet long and carried 55 souls, Captain John Woodlief, 19 crew members, and 35 settlers. The Margaret arrived at the Chesapeake bay on November 28, 1619, which was on the Lord’s day. They proceeded up the James river and finally dropped anchor at their destination on December 4, 1619. Back in England, The Berkeley Company provided a list of 10 instructions. The very first instruction was upon landing that they give a prayer of Thanksgiving for their safe voyage and to do so annually and perpetually thereafter. As soon as they disembarked the Margaret onto the Berkely Hundred they immediately were called to prayer by Captain Woodlief, who proclaimed: “We ordain that the day of our ship's arrival at the place assigned for the plantation in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.” America’s first Thanksgiving occurred one year and 17 days before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts and almost 2 years before the pilgrims held a 3-day Harvest Feast, commonly considered to be the first Thanksgiving. But in Virginia, the annual day of thanksgiving was strictly a religious observance, dedicated to prayer. It was a solemn affair, not a harvest feast. When Christ instituted the new covenant, he initiated it by first giving thanks, which in Greek is " eucharist ." This was not a harvest party at which Christ or the disciples made merry. No, this was a ceremonial institution of Christ’s sacrificial offering for the salvation of mankind. Christ's voluntary sacrifice was neither sweet nor sensual. The bitter cup of death did not pass From Him. And though His death brought forth salvation, for some it brings forth condemnation. What exactly does all this have to do with Thanksgiving? Well, hopefully, it will help us reorient our minds so that we may truly understand how and in what context God wishes to receive our thanksgiving. As he is loath to receive offerings marred by sin and sensuality, so we must strive to offer thanks to Him in purity, which is wrought through the fire of tribulation. Thus, in all things, we can truly give thanks because according to St. Paul: To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. (Titus 1:15)…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

1
11: What is Lacking in the Afflictions of Christ 9:09

2 years назад9:09

9:09

“The saints,” says St. Silouan the Athonite, “were people like all of us. Many of them came out of great sins, but by repentance, they attained the Kingdom of Heaven. And everyone who comes there comes through repentance, which the merciful Lord has given us through His sufferings.” This is but an echo of Our Lord’s answer when asked if few will be saved. He said: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:24 The Greek word translated "strive" here is "agōnizomai." It means to struggle. Thus, its semantic range encompasses athletic struggle, military combat, and perseverance in the midst of danger to obtain that which is sought. It is the word from which our English word “agony” is derived. Knowing the word evokes a sense of competition, battle, or perilous undertaking, Our Lord attached it to the notion of salvation. So how can we agonize to enter by the narrow gate? St. John of Karpathos explains it this way: “My brethren, do all that is in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall, but, if you do fall, get up again at once, and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times, because of the withdrawal of God’s grace, rise up again at each time, and keep on doing so until the day of your death. For it is written: ‘If a righteous man falls seven times,’ that is, repeatedly throughout his life, ‘seven times shall he rise again’ [Proverbs 24:16].” But also, Remember the words of Elder Saphrony of Essex: “Holiness is not an ethical but an ontological concept. A man is not holy because his morals or conduct are good, or even because he leads a righteous life in the sense of devoting himself to spiritual endeavor and prayer – indeed, the Pharisees kept the fasts and made ‘long’ prayers. But that man is holy who bears within himself the Holy Spirit.” In His Epistle to the Collossians, St. Paul says: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…. To this end, I also labor, striving (agonizing) according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:24, 29. St. Agustine of Hioppo says of this passage that St. Paul is “showing that what he was suffering was part and parcel of the afflictions of Christ. That can’t be understood of the head, which now in heaven is not suffering any such thing; but of the body, that is, the church; the body, which with its head is the one Christ.[St. Paul] did not say “of the afflictions of me” but “of Christ,” because he was a member of Christ, and in his persecutions, such as it was necessary for Christ to suffer in his whole body, even Paul was filling up Christ’s afflictions in Paul’s own portion.” This is why the road to the Kingdom is marked by suffering. Not for the sake of punishment, or, as much of the West suggests, purgation; for the sacraments of baptism and confession accomplish the cleansing of soul and body. The Church’s heirship is not subordinate to that of Christ. The Church mystically comprises His holy body and is truly a joint heir with the Son of the Father, being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Your suffering, dear Christian, if endured for Christ’s sake, become’s Christ’s suffering because you are truly members of His body. So don’t lose heart, and don’t fail to get back up. Feel free to reach out to me: thepodvig@gmail.com…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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10: The Spiritual Reality of Bodily Infirmities 9:57

2 years назад9:57

9:57

To what extent does one pursue physical healing? To what lengths should one go? When should one stop such a pursuit and simply rely on God’s providence? How do we obtain the phronema or the mind of the Church with respect to our own bodily suffering? The lives of the saints suggest that there is no singular answer to these questions other than to strive to keep the greatest commandments to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as ourselves. St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain explains that God “created last of all man with an invisible soul and a visible body. He, therefore, has created a cosmos, a world unto himself, but not a microcosmos within the greater one.” Thus, the connection between body and soul, sin and sickness, is clear: physical suffering signals to us that not only is the body distressed in some way, but also the soul as well. The physical manifestation of illness is precisely how the soul communicates its ills to the body, thus awakening us to self-knowledge and ultimately to the necessity of turning back to God. “How long we live, what disease or illness accompanies our death—such things are not the proper concern of Orthodox Christians. Although we sing "many years" for one another at Namesdays and other celebrations, this is only because the Church in her wisdom knows that we indeed need "many years" to repent of our sins and be converted, not because a long life has any value in itself. God is not interested in how old we are when we come before His Judgment, but whether we have repented; He is not concerned about whether we died of a heart attack or cancer, but whether our soul is in a state of health.” - Fr. Alexy Young Our maladies are not merely physical. Indeed, they are not even primarily physical, since, according to St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain, our "true self, that which is principally man, is not the visible body but the invisible soul, the 'inner man.’” “God’s works are never finished, and from HIm health is upon the face of the earth. My son, do not be negligent when you are sick, But pray to the Lord and He will heal you. Depart from transgression and direct your hands aright, And cleanse your heart from every sin. Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice And a memorial of the finest wheat flour; And pour oil on your offering, as if you are soon to die. And keep in touch with your physician, For the Lord created him; And do not let him leave you, For you need him. There is a time when success is also in their hands, For they will pray to the Lord To give them success in bringing relief and healing, for the sake of preserving your life. He who sins before the One who made him, May he fall into the hands of a physician. (Wisdom of Sirach 38:9-15, OSB)…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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9: Concerning Spiritual Warfare (St. Silouan the Athonite) 10:00

2 years назад10:00

10:00

You may be aware of the following quote from St. Silouan the Athonite: "Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not." But do you know the context of that quote? Check out this episode to learn about it and stay for the timeless wisdom of a beloved Siant, whose humility and love for God and man stand as a shining beacon for us all. The episode is a series of excerpts from the book "Saint Silouan the Athonite," by St. Sophrony, translated by Rosemary Edmonds from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

1
8: Do Not Despair 9:59

2 years назад9:59

9:59

According to St. Seraphim of Sarov, “Just as the Lord is solicitous about our salvation, so too the murderer of men, the devil, strives to lead a man into despair…” Being exposed by our sins should humble us. It should bring us to blessed tears of repentance. But we must never ever sink into despair. In order to receive the promise of adoption, we must be willing to partake of the suffering of sonship, through which Christ brought forth redemption by His resurrection from the dead. The Holy Prophet Micah concludes his book with these words: “Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy . He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities . You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:17-19 Suffering is not a punishment from God for our sins. Suffering is the result of sin, which God, in His omnipotence, love, and mercy, allows and uses to subdue the iniquities of those who love Him. He allows our wounds so that He might heal us. (Hosea 6:1). Hope is the reason the Christian does not despair of suffering because of the hope we have in the living Christ. Therefore, although, “ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) yet “we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:3-5 St. John Chrysostom says that “People who are really brave are those who never despair.” So, let us enter the month of thanksgiving, with hope. Hope in the promises, truth, and goodness of our Lord and savior. Hope in the redemption of both soul and body. Hope that by faithfulness in the midst of sufferings we may be found worthy of the consolation of the saints.…

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

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7: Evil is Non-Existent 9:41

2 years назад9:41