Words from the Saints -- November 21, 2017

"Prayer should be the means by which I, at all times, receive all that I need, and, for this reason, be my daily refuge, my daily consolation, my daily joy, my source of rich and inexhaustible joy in life." --St. John Chrysostom

"The remembrance of God is suffering of heart endured in a spirit of devotion. But he who forgets God becomes self-indulgent and insensitive." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The reason that we have both good and wicked thoughts together is not, as some suppose, because the Holy Spirit and the devil dwell together in our intellect, but because we have not yet consciously experienced the goodness of the Lord. As I have said before, grace at first conceals its presence in those who have been baptized, waiting to see which way the soul inclines; but when the whole man has turned toward the Lord, it then reveals to the heart its presence there with a feeling words cannot express." --St. Diadochos of Photiki

"...every day we should stand in awe of Him, as He is with us, and do what is pleasing before Him. If we are unable now to perceive Him with our physical eyes, we can, if we are watchful, see Him continuously with the eyes of our understanding, and not just see Him, but reap great benefits from Him. This vision destroys all sin, demolishes all evil, and drives away everything bad. It gives birth to purity and dispassion, and bestows eternal life." --St. Gregory Palamas

"No one has ever been accused for not providing ornaments, but for those who neglect their neighbor a hell awaits with an inextinguishable fire and torment in the company of the demons. Do not, therefore, adorn the church and ignore your afflicted brother, for he is the most precious temple of all." --St. John Chrysostom
 

Words from the Saints -- September 26, 2017

"Blessed is the mind which, during prayer, is drawn neither to the material nor to possessions." 
--St. Nilus of Sinai

"To know God we have no need of riches. We need only love our neighbour and be lowly in spirit, sober, and obedient; and for these virtues the Lord allows us to know Him. Could anything in this world be more precious than this knowledge?" --St. Silouan of Mount Athos

"For Your sake we came into being, so that we might delight in the paradise which You have planted and in which You have placed us." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"A hypocrite is someone who teaches his neighbor something he makes no effort to do himself." 
--St. Poemen

"Do you want to come to God; do you want to not be deluded and not to get lost; do you want not to die and to live forever? The Lord says: 'I am the Way, Truth and Life' (John 14:6). Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!' (Matthew 11:28)" --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
 

Words from the Saints -- September 5, 2017

"Do not stop praying as long as, by God's grace, the fire and the water [i.e. fervor and tears] have not been exhausted, for it may happen that never again in your whole life will you have such a chance to ask for the forgiveness for your sins." --St. John Climacus

"If one becomes angry with one's neighbor on account of riches, fame or pleasure, one does not yet realize that God orders all things with justice." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Anyone who truly wants to follow God must be free from the bonds of attachment to this life. To do this we must make a complete break with our old way of life. Indeed, unless we avoid all obsession with the body and with the concerns of this world, we shall never succeed in pleasing God. We must depart as it were to another world in our way of thinking, as the Apostle said: 'Our citizenship is in heaven.'" 
--St. Basil the Great

"Born as a son, led forth as a lamb, sacrificed as a sheep, buried as a man, He rose from the dead as a God, for He was by nature God and Man. He is all things: He judges, and so He is Law; He teaches, and so He is Word; He saves, and so He is Grace; He begets, and so He is Father, He is begotten, and so He is Son; He suffers, and so He is Sacrifice; He is buried, and so He is Man; He rises again, and so He is God. This is Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs Glory for all ages." --St. Melito of Sardis

"Remembrance of Jesus' passion will heal your soul of resentment, by making it ashamed of itself when it remembers the patience of the Lord. Some people have wearied themselves and suffered for a long time in order to extract forgiveness. By far the best course, however, is to forget the offenses, since the Lord says: 'Forgive at once and you will be forgiven in generous measure' (cf. Luke 6:37-38)." 
--St. John Climacus

"Some of the things given to us by God for our use are in the soul, others are in the body and others relate to the body. In the soul are its powers; in the body are the sense organs and other members; relating to the body are food, money, possessions and so on. Our good or bad use of these things given us by God, or of what is contingent upon them, reveals whether we are virtuous or evil." 
--St. Maximos the Confessor

Words from the Saints -- August 29, 2017

"The room of the soul is the body; its doors are the five bodily senses. The soul enters its room when the mind does not wander here and there, roaming among the things and affairs of the world, but stays within, in our hearts. Our senses become closed and re main closed when we do not let them be passionately attached to external sensory things and in this way our mind remains free from every worldly attachment, and by secret mental prayer unites with God our Father." --St.Gregory Palamas

"Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement." --St. John of Kronstadt

"It may be that a man seems to be silent, but if his heart judges others, then he is always speaking." --St. Pimen the Great

"Estrangement and turning away from God are more unbearable than the punishments expected in hell." --St. Basil the Great

Words from the Saints -- August 22, 2017

"Do not listen gleefully to gossip at your neighbor's expense or chatter to a person who likes finding fault. Otherwise you will fall away from divine love and find yourself cut off from eternal life." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"Purity is the fellowship with and likeness to God, so far as is possible for men." --St. John of the Ladder

"Just as a man whose head is under water cannot inhale pure air, so a man whose thoughts are plunged into the cares of this world cannot absorb the sensation of the world to come." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"Understand the words of Holy Scripture by putting them into practice, and do not fill yourself with conceit by elaborating on theoretical ideas." --St. Mark the Ascetic
 

Words from the Saints -- August 15, 2017

"Control your appetites (passions) before they control you." --St. John Climacus

"No sinner can escape future judgment without experiencing in this life either voluntary hardships or afflictions he has not chosen." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"I reckon prosperity, O men, to consist in nothing else than in living according to truth. But we do not live properly, or according to truth, unless we understand the nature of things." --St. Justin Martyr

"When a person accepts anything Godly, then he rejoices in his heart, but when he has accepted anything devilish, then he becomes tormented." --St. Seraphim of Sarov

"The man ensnared by pride will need God's help, since man is of no use to him." --St. John Climacus

"Blessed the one who has not been worsted by the passion of despondency like a coward, but has found perfect endurance, by which all the Saints received their crowns." --St. Ephraim of Syria

Words from the Saints -- August 8, 2017

"The secret sinner is worse than those who do evil openly; and so he receives a worse punishment." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"We must keep in mind that whatever we do, openly or in secret, we do in the presence of our guardian angel." --St. Nikolai of Zicha

"It is not darkness and desolateness of place that give demons power against us, but barrenness of soul." --St. John Climacus

"I have found the words and the commandments of Christ pure, holy, true, splendid, brighter than the sun; and whoever believes in Christ and calls Him God and lives in accordance with His teaching, contained in the Holy Gospels, is fortunate and thrice-blessed." --St. Kosmas Aitolos

"Beloved, even if we should attain the very pinnacle of virtue, let us consider ourselves least of all, as we have learned that pride is able to cast down even from the heavens the person who does not take heed, and humility of mind is able to bring up on High from the very abyss of sin the person who knows how to be sober. For this is what placed the Publican before the Pharisee. By pride I mean an overwhelming boastful spirit, surpassing even incorporeal powers, that of the devil himself while humility of mind and acknowledgment of sins by the robber is what brought him into Paradise before the Apostles." --St. John Chrysostom

"The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul." --St. Anthony the Great
 

Words from the Saints -- August 1, 2017

"Theology without action is the theology of the devil." - St. Maximos the Confessor

"Nothing whatever pertaining to godliness and real holiness can be accomplished without grace."
--St. Augustine of Hippo

"Just as a basic concern is to be careful of anything that might be harmful to our physical health, so our spiritual concern should watch out for anything that might harm our spiritual life and the work of faith and salvation. Therefore, carefully and attentively assess your inner impulses: are they from God or from the spirit of evil?" --St. John Maximovitch
 
"Pray not pharisaically but publicanly, for you to also be justified by the Lord. Praise of prayer is not the quantity but the quality. This becomes obvious from the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee and from the word of Christ: 'When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, who think that with their much talking they will be heard'" (Matthew 6:7). --St. Nilus of Sinai

"A good conscience is found through prayer, and pure prayer through the conscience. Each by nature needs the other."  --St. Mark the Ascetic

"If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul, as He is said to be, and as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is and as it is said to be, then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger." 
--St. John Climacus

"Do not wish what concerns you to be as seems (best) to you, but as God wishes; and you will be free from cares and thankful in your prayer." --St. Nilus of Sinai
 

Words from the Saints -- July 24, 2017

"The love of God inspires the love of our neighbor, and the love of our neighbor serves to keep alive the love of God." --St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome

"The person who fears the Lord has humility as his constant companion and, through the thoughts which humility inspires, reaches a state of divine love and thankfulness. For he recalls his former worldly way of life, the various sins he has committed and the temptations which have befallen him since his youth; and he recalls, too, how the Lord delivered him from all this, and how He led him away from a passion-dominated life to a life ruled by God. Then, together with fear, he also receives love, and in deep humility continually gives thanks to the Benefactor and Helmsman of our lives." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"You are indignant that God is indignant, as if you deserved anything good by living evilly, as if all those things that happen were still not less and lighter than your own sins." --St. Cyprian of Carthage

"When you pray, try to let the prayer reach your heart; in other words, it is necessary that your heart should feel what you are talking about in your prayer, that it should wish for the blessing for which you are asking…. Observe, during prayer, whether your heart is in accord with that which you are saying." --St. John of Kronstadt

"The principal vices - stupidity, cowardice, licentiousness, injustice - are the "image" of the "earthy" man. The principal virtues - intelligence, courage, self-restraint, justice - are the "image" of the "heavenly" man. As we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49)." --St. Maximos the Confessor
 

Words from the Saints -- July 17, 2017

"As by nature the soul gives life to the body, so virtue and spiritual knowledge give life to the soul." 
--St. Thalassios the Libyan

"The truly blessed are not the ones who can work miracles or see angels; the truly blessed are the ones who can see their own sins." --St. Anthony the Great

"If man remembered that it is written: 'By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned,' (Matthew 12:37) he would choose to remain silent." --St. Poemen

"Watch your heart during all your life—examine it, listen to it, and see what prevents its union with the most blessed Lord. Let this be for you the science of all sciences, and with God’s help you will easily observe what estranges you from God, and what draws you towards Him and unites you to Him. It is the evil spirit more than anything else that stands between our hearts and God; he estranges God from us by various passions, or by the desires of the flesh, by the desires of the eyes, and by worldly pride." 
--St. John of Kronstadt

"I have heard people say that there are no demons or devils...the Devil surely will not reveal himself to people who do not believe ; for, should he do so, they might believe, and that would be against his own sly, diabolical policy, as he would have all in the dark, so terrible is his enmity against the Eternal Source of Light and Treasure of Goodness—God Almighty." --St. Sebastian Dabovich

"Brethren, let us endeavor to be a holy material for a holy house of the Kingdom of Christ which He builds day and night that He, by the end of time, finishes it completely." --St. Nikolai Velimirovich
 

Words from the Saints -- July 10, 2017

"The tree of life is the knowledge of God; when, being purified, you share in that knowledge you attain immortality." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Love, unchangeable tranquility and our adoption as children of God are different from each other only in name. As light, fire and flame are present in the selfsame operation, so are these three manifestations of the Spirit. When someone is completely permeated with the love of God, the brightness of his soul is reflected by his whole personality as if in a mirror. Therefore the one who loves God also loves his brother or sister. Indeed, the second love is the proof of the first." --St. John Climacus

"If you are a Christian, no earthly city is yours. Of our City 'the Builder and Maker is God.' Though we may gain possession of the whole world, we are withal but strangers and sojourners in it all! We are enrolled in Heaven: our citizenship is there! Let us not, after the manner of little children, despise things that are great, and admire those which are little." --St. John Chrysostom

"Blessed is the one who is fired by the fear of God, ever having in himself the fervor of the Holy Spirit, and who has burned up the thorns and thistles of the thoughts." --St. Ephraim of Syria

"Until a man’s earthly life finishes its course, up to the very departure of the soul from the body, the struggle between sin and righteousness continues within him. However, high a spiritual and moral state one might achieve, a gradual or even headlong and deep fall into the abyss of sin is always possible. Therefore, communion of the holy Body and Blood of Christ, which strengthens our contact with Him and refreshes us with the living streams of the grace of the Holy Spirit flowing through the Body of the Church, is necessary for everyone." --St. John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco

Words from the Saints -- July 3, 2017

"There are many differing methods of prayer. No method is harmful; if it were, it would be not prayer but the activity of Satan." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Where would there be opportunities for struggling for great deeds if we were not occasionally injured by our neighbors, if they did not offend us? Where would there be opportunities for patiently bearing offenses, for meekness and humility? You see, then, that we must be tried by many and various evils in order to prove our virtue and be eventually crowned." --St. John of Kronstadt 

"Patiently endure the distressing and painful things that befall you, for through them God in His providence is purifying you." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Ever let mercy outweigh all else in you. Let our compassion be a mirror where we may see in ourselves that likeness and that true image which belong to God. A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure." --St. Isaac of Syria

"Blessed the one who is always full of spiritual joy and has not grown slack in bearing the Lord's good yoke, for he will be crowned with glory." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

"Love every man in spite of his falling into sin. Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same - the image of God." --St. John of Kronstadt

Words from the Saints -- June 28, 2017

"If you would know of the Lord’s love for us, hate sin and evil thoughts, and day and night pray fervently. The Lord will then give you His grace, and you will know Him through the Holy Spirit, and after death, when you enter into paradise, there too, you will know the Lord through the Holy Spirit, as you knew Him on earth." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"First of all, we know that God is the beginning, middle and end of everything good; and it is impossible for us to have faith in anything good or to carry it into effect except in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The tongue of a back-biting soul is three-pronged: it injures the speaker, the listener and sometimes the person being maligned." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

Words from the Saints -- June 25, 2017

"Prayer is an activity becoming to the dignity of the mind, or rather, is its real use." --St. Nilus of Sinai

"What toil we must endure, what fatigue, while we are attempting to climb hills and the summits of mountains! What, that we may ascend to heaven! If you consider the promised reward, what you endure is less. Immortality is given to the one who perseveres; everlasting life is offered; the Lord promises His Kingdom." --St. Cyprian of Carthage

"It is impossible for us who have fallen into the pit of iniquities ever to be drawn out of it, unless we sink into the abyss of the humility of the repentant." --St. John Climacus

"A sinner cannot escape retribution except through repentance appropriate to his offense." 
--St. Mark the Ascetic

Words from the Saints -- June 19, 2017

"Prayer is food for the soul. Do not starve the soul; it is better to let the body go hungry." --St. Joseph of Optina

"There never was, and never will be a place on earth free from sorrows. The only sorrow-less place possible is the heart, when the Lord is present there." --St. Nikon of Optina

"Each of us is Adam ...each of us is of Christ ...Just as corruption and death come down from generation to generation from the old Adam, so also incorruption and immortality come down to Christians from the new Adam." --St. Symeon the New Theologian, on Romans 5:17-6:2

"A man knows nothing about the powers that are outside him; but if they enter into him, he must fight them and drive them out." --St. Poemen

"When pride retreats from a man, humility begins to dwell in him, and the more pride is diminished, so much more does humility grow. The one gives way to the other as to its opposite. Darkness departs and light appears. Pride is darkness, but humility is light." --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

"Just as anyone who climbs a rotten ladder risks his life, so are honors and power a danger for humility." --St. John Climacus

Cleveland Area Ministry Reaches Milestone

St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach, founded in July 2010, held its 2,000th service on May 5, 2017.  Its mission is providing Orthodox Christian prayer services for those who are no longer able to go to church on a regular basis.

The St. Panteleimon Ministry is a Pan-Orthodox effort that aims to be of service to every Orthodox parish in Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit Counties.  It submits reports to His Eminence Archbishop DANIEL of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.  On the local level it reports to its spiritual advisor, Fr. Dennis Kristof, and to the Greater Cleveland Council of Orthodox Clergy.

The sacramental ministry of the parish priest is, of course, the most important spiritual care that an Orthodox nursing home resident may receive.  The role of the St. Panteleimon Ministry is to provide spiritual sustenance until the resident is able to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Church. The emphasis of the St. Panteleimon Ministry is helping nursing home residents keep in touch with the liturgical life of the Church by providing a group prayer setting in their communities.  With few exceptions, prayer services follow the daily readings and commemorate the saints of each day according to the Orthodox calendar.  Its ministry is not to be confused with a shut-in ministry or visitations to individual residents in nursing homes, even though one-on-one visits do occur occasionally.

The most commonly used service in the senior living setting is the Typica service.  The number of hymns from the Divine Liturgy is something the residents remember and makes a connection with their home parishes. Services are usually 30 minutes in length and utilize liturgical music from Orthodox residents' ethnic backgrounds. All services are conducted in English.

St. Panteleimon's also serves as an evangelistic tool for the Church.  Residents frequently invite non-Orthodox neighbors and friends to join them in prayer. A senior living facility may only have one or two Orthodox residents at a given point in time, yet in some places 15 to 20 residents consistently attend the services.  This may be attributed both to the invitations extended by Orthodox residents, and to other residents' hunger for what Orthodoxy provides.  In cases where a non-Orthodox resident, family member or staff member wishes to learn more about the Orthodox Faith we will make a referral to a nearby parish for follow-up.

St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach presents an opportunity for Orthodox Christians to put their faith into action, serving God while they serve others. Volunteers are always welcome! We ask Orthodox parishes, clergy and laity to give prayerful consideration to helping this ministry carry out its mission. Any donation of time, talents or resources will be greatly appreciated.

Our director is available to speak to parishes and organizations about the ministry upon request. For more information please contact: Reader Gerald Largent, gerald@stpanteleimon.com.  Office Phone: 440-941-4850.  Website: www.stpanteleimon.com
 

Thoughts on the St. Panteleimon Ministry: Lea Khoury

Nora (not her real name) was truly one of a kind. She was a classy lady with an old-world elegance. She grew up in Istanbul, the daughter of Armenian aristocratic parents. She knew 6 languages fluently and was one of the only women of her era to receive a college education in business. I met Nora when she was 90 years old as a neighbor on my street in the Cleveland area. We became fast friends despite our age difference and quickly learned that we shared the Orthodox Faith. Nora hadn't been to church in quite some time and longed to reconnect with her faith. She couldn't drive and was essentially homebound. I tried taking her to church with me on a handful of occasions, but it was very difficult for her to get around. A broken hip a little while later led to her moving to Westlake Village. It was not the home she desired, but it turned out to be a great blessing. For the next several years, Nora became an active participant in the St. Panteleimon ministry. She would look forward to every Saturday service offered at Westlake Village. I had the privilege of attending some of these services with Nora, and it was beautiful to watch her face light up as she did the sign of the cross or said the Lord's Prayer and the Creed with great conviction. She was so grateful, as was I, that she could once again be an active participant in a community of faithful people. Nora was blessed with a few more years but passed away in the fall of 2015. I truly believe that the ministry of St. Panteleimon played a critical role in Nora's life. During her final years, months, weeks, and days, Nora was able to refocus on our Lord Jesus Christ and participate in the prayers of His Holy Church. Through St Panteleimon's ministry, God gave Nora, and all of us who knew and loved her, a great gift: she was able to use the last season of her life to prepare herself for eternity.

Thoughts on the St. Panteleimon Ministry: Erika Sullivan

    The ministry that St. Panteleimon offers is invaluable and unique. I don’t know of another Orthodox ministry around that offers anything similar to what the St. Panteleimon ministry offers. Bringing Orthodoxy into assisted living/nursing home facilities is so special. The ministry provides Orthodox residents a time to pray together in a way they are accustomed to. My yia-yia was in an assisted living facility for several years, so I know the importance of visiting people in these facilities, and bringing familiar things to them that they go no longer go out and do on their own. This ministry also benefits the non-Orthodox, as all are welcome and encouraged to attend services.
    I thank God for the St. Panteleimon ministry--a ministry focusing on the elderly and shut ins, who can be forgotten about or neglected at times unfortunately. It brings worship and joy to these beautiful residents' lives; it provides a time to pray and sing to the Lord; it spreads the Orthodox faith and welcomes all to join.

Praying with Alzheimer's/dementia residents

This past week St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach held a prayer service at a senior residence that has both assisted living and memory care residents. About 20 people attended, which is a typical gathering for that community. Some of the residents participated in the service by singing or reciting prayers as a group, while others did not. However things changed a bit when it came time to say the Lord's Prayer. It was moving to hear all the residents, regardless of their limitations, loudly proclaim: "Our Father Who art in heaven..."

This illustrates that God is able to lift the fog of dementia and Alzheimer's when people engage in prayer. Please take time to pray with anyone you may know who is afflicted by this type of illness. Their souls will benefit and so will yours.

A Simple Gesture of Thanksgiving

Yesterday I was at an assisted living facility for a prayer service through the St. Panteleimon ministry. At the conclusion of the service a resident walked into the chapel, went over to the icon of Christ and said "Thank you, Jesus, for helping me and letting me wake up this morning." Then he turned to the icon of the Mother of God and said, "Thank you, Mary, for bringing Jesus into the world." His simple act should serve as a reminder for all of us.

If you would like to get involved with the St. Panteleimon ministry in any way please let me know. The residents would love to see you, and you never know what they will teach you spiritually.