Podcasts about arsenius

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ENCOUNTERED TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AUDIO IN THE RECORDING OF THIS EPISODE. AS A RESULT, IT DOES SOUND GLITCHY. WE APOLOGIZE. What is unique and distinctive about the Christian identity, perception of reality, and our experience of what it is to be a human being? How do we experience human sexuality and understand how it is shaped by the grace of God or how it can be distorted by sin or demonic provocation?  If we are honest, we would have to say that it is the popular culture, modern psychology, and politics that shape our understanding of these things rather than an encounter with the living God. It is Christ who reveals to us what it is to be a human being made in the image and  likeness of God. Beyond this, it is the Grace that comes to us through baptism, the Eucharist, and the gift of the Holy Spirit that shapes are perception of reality most fully. The ascetic life, driven by our desire for God, seeks to remove the impediments to our understanding what it is to be a human being and “fully alive.” We are not simply seeking psychological peace of mind or self understanding. Rather, we are seeking to understand the mystery of our existence and our dignity and destiny in Christ.  These realities should sharpen and intensify our sensibilities and how we engage in our day-to-day life and relationships. The writings and actions of the desert fathers may seem distorted, masochistic or misogynistic.  Yet, upon deeper reflection we discover they had a fuller experience and understanding of life. One Saint said: “HE who ceases to pray is no longer a human being.” In other words, when we turn away from God, we lose sight of ourselves and the truth. Our focus and our vision is turned downward, like animals, only seeing what is before us and what can be consumed or used to satisfy our own desires. The life and the writings of the fathers cry out to us saying: “See your dignity, O man. See your glory in Christ your Redeemer and embrace your true identity in Him.” --- Text of chat during the group: 00:11:32 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 220, paragraph starting "After these words...." 00:27:32 Sr. Charista Maria: So true Fr. Thank you for your vulnerable sharing regarding social media even if it's ministry; how important it is to be ever vigilant and conscienceous 00:36:27 Anthony: There are some special considerations regarding Arsenius. He fled imperial Rome to enter the Desert. And, he might have in mind the role women played in puffing up Arius. 00:44:39 Julie: This can be both ways. 00:44:55 Julie: For a women 00:49:09 Maureen Cunningham: Was this because it  is the early church. And it would have never lasted all these years. 00:49:18 Maureen Cunningham: Had they compromised 00:52:46 Kate : I don't know if this is the proper use of the word “gluttony”, but curiosity seems to lead to a certain kind of gluttony for information. 00:53:22 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "I don't know if this..." with

Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of Saint Arsenius, the Great, Patron Saints of Jesuits and Franciscan | July 19        I have always something to repent after having talked, but have never been sorry for having been silent.” These words came from St. Arsenius of Rome, who was known to be always quiet and prayerful. He was a Roman tutor who became a hermit in Egypt and his teachings influenced greatly the development of asceticism and the contemplative life. Arsenius was born in Rome to a noble family in 350. After the death of his parents, his sister entered the cloister and he, after distributing all their property to the poor, was recommended by the pope to be the tutor of the two sons of Emperor Theodosius I, of Constantinople since he knew Greek literature, was wise, and righteous. Arriving at the Emperor's palace, he was introduced to a life of extravagance and luxury, but he was never happy about it. While praying one day, he said: “O God, teach me how to be saved.” And God's answer was in the Gospel he was then reading. Seeking for eternal salvation, he left Constantinople and went to the desert to become a monk. When he presented himself to the father of the monks, he was put under the care of St. John the Dwarf. St. John treated him with indifference and seeming aversion, to test him, but he did not react negatively. Instead he remained humble and quiet, so he was accepted at once. Arsenius desired for greater solitude. St. John allowed him to live in a hidden cave in the desert. He never visited his friends nor was available to receive visitors. He requested his disciples to entertain whoever wanted to see him. He only met other people when he attended spiritual conferences. Asked why he avoided company, he answered: “God knows how dearly I love you all; but I cannot be both with God and with men at the same time; nor can I think of leaving God to converse with men.” In 434 the tribesmen from Libya raided the monasteries and hermitages and Arsenius was forced to go to Troe and spent some time in the island of Canopus. He spent the next fifteen years wandering in the wilderness. He was always prayerful and did not allow his work to diminish his time for prayer. When his former pupil became the Roman Emperor, he wanted to employ Arsenius, but they could not find him.  After a long search, they found him, but he refused to return to the court and did not accept any work, not even to distribute the alms for the poor and the neighboring monasteries. Arsenius loved poverty. He refused the rich legacy his relative gave to him. He was also inclined to shed tears in reparation for the life he had before becoming a monk so that when he was already old his eyelashes were worn out. As he was dying he was also in great tears but he died in great peace, full of faith in the year 445 at the age of 95. Today, two of his important writings are still extant: a guideline for monastic life, and a commentary on the Gospel of Luke. There is also a compilation of many spiritual sayings attributed to him. His contemporaries admired him greatly and surnamed him THE GREAT.       Virtue: piety, humility, detachment, temperance, charity, commitment, perseverance and patience. Prayer: “St. Arsenius, help us to shun the riches of the world and love God above al things.”

Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arsenius the Great, 354-450; served as tutor to the children of Emperor Theodosius I; became a monk in Alexandria, Egypt, studying with St. John the Dwarf; in 434, he went to the rock of Troe, then to Memphis, Egypt, and to the island of Canopus, near Alexandria; he died at Troe Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/19/23 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27

It's Monday, May 22nd, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus.  (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Sudanese church attacked On May 13, six gunmen attacked the Al-Masalma Coptic Church in Omdurman, Sudan, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide. They came to the church in a car and shot four men, including a priest named Arsenius, and his son. They also stabbed the church guard before looting the building for two hours. Thankfully, all five victims, who received treatment at a private hospital, have since recovered. However, they were unable to access the largest hospital in the area as it is currently under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. The Sudanese Armed Forces had cut off the electricity. Matthew 5:10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” FBI retaliated against three whistleblowers Last Thursday, three FBI whistleblowers testified before Congress that the FBI unjustly investigated Americans and pressured staff to "reclassify cases as domestic violent extremism, and even manufactured such cases where they may not otherwise exist," reports The Blaze. The three on-the-record FBI whistleblowers accused the agency of "retaliatory conduct" after they spoke out about the bureau's "abuse and misconduct" and "politicized rot." Suspended FBI Special Agent Garret O'Boyle along with former Special Agent Stephen Friend and suspended Supervisory Intelligence Analyst George Hill spoke before the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing. According to O'Boyle, after he came forward with the allegations, the FBI retaliated against him by relocating him to an office on the other side of the country. O'Boyle claimed that when he arrived for his first day of work at the new field office, he was informed by the FBI that he was being placed on unpaid suspension. The whistleblower stated that the agency effectively left him and his family "homeless" and prevented him from accessing their belongings, which were still in FBI storage because of the recent relocation. North Dakota Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong asked O'Boyle what advice he would give to future government whistleblowers. Listen. ARMSTRONG: "With all of the hardships you've gone through, if one of your really good friends, your former colleague, came to you and said, 'I have this thing that is being covered up and I think the American people need to know about it,' what advice would you give them?" O'BOYLE: "I would tell them first to pray about it, long and hard. I would tell them I could take it to Congress for them, or I could put them in touch with Congress. But I would advise them not to do it." ARMSTRONG: "You would legitimately try to protect one of your colleagues from doing what you have done?” O'BOYLE: "Absolutely!" ARMSTRONG: "And how do you think that solves being able to shine light on corruption, weaponization, any kind of misconduct that exists with the American people?" O'BOYLE: "It doesn't solve it. But the FBI will crush you. This government will crush you and your family if you try to expose the truth about things they are doing that are wrong. We are all examples of that." ARMSTRONG: "I can't think of a more sobering way to end a hearing. I yield back." Pastor Tim Keller died of pancreatic cancer Last Friday, Pastor Tim Keller died of pancreatic cancer, reports The Christian Post. The founding pastor of the 5,000-member Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and the author of The Prodigal God and The Reason for God, he was 72 years old.  According to the New York Times, Keller was open to Christians aligning with various political parties -- liberal or conservative. In his words, “thoughtful Christians, all trying to obey God's call, could reasonably appear at different places on the political spectrum, with loyalties to different political strategies.” Just prior to the reversal of Roe v. Wade last year, Keller wrote on the politics of abortion. He said, “I know abortion is a sin, but the Bible doesn't tell me the best political policy to decrease or end abortion in this country, nor which political or legal policies are most effective to that end,” reports The Christian Post. And on evolution, in his book The Reason for God on pages 97 and 98, Keller taught that “God guided some kind of process of natural selection.”   World watches in disbelief and horror as U.S. nears possible default The finance ministers for the Group of 7 nations in Japan had one simple question for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen: What is going on with the U.S. debt ceiling? Around the world, experts have been watching in disbelief as the U.S. flirts with its first default, fearful of the potential international economic ramifications — and astonished by the global superpower's brush with self-sabotage, reports the Washington Post. Rich and poor nations alike fear a possible U.S. default, which would torpedo the financial markets and deal a massive blow to the dollar. Analysts say the impasse jeopardizes America's standing abroad. All the worry will dissipate — at least for a while — if Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can come to an agreement before June 1. More than half of the world's foreign currency reserves are held in U.S. dollars. Many nations look to Treasury bonds to safeguard their own economies and guard against drowning in debt. One White House reporter was understandably concerned. REPORTER: “Right now, the nation's debt exceeds 100% of its GDP. This has happened twice in US history -- once during World War Two and once now over the last couple of years. How is it not a crisis when the country literally owes more than it's worth?” White House Press Secretary: The kids “belong to all of us” And finally, in the course of defending the surgical and chemical “gender transitioning” of children, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declared that the children of America “belong to all of us,” reports LifeSiteNews.com. Upset with the number of states that are outlawing puberty blockers and mutilating surgeries on minors, Jean-Pierre, a self-professed lesbian, spoke candidly to a far-left feminist website named Jezebel, no doubt in honor of the evil Queen Jezebel of the Old Testament. JEAN-PIERRE: “I've met a lot of parents of trans kids in the past couple of months who have told me these devastating stories, whether they're in Texas or Oklahoma or wherever they are, saying how they now have to seriously consider leaving their state to protect their child. That's something that we have to call out and continue to be very clear about. “These are kids. These are our kids! They belong to all of us!” The remarks echo similar sentiments expressed recently by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and various other Democrats. Together, they have disrespect for the parents' right to have the primary and final say over their minor children. 1 Timothy 3:4 describes one of the key virtues of a man worthy of being an elder. “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.” Biblically speaking, minors are under the proper guidance of their parents, not the state.  And those parents should not sign off on puberty blockers or disfiguring surgeries. Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, May 22nd in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

The Theresian mansions and spiritual progress.  Saint Arsenius and what it means to find solitude, be silent, and remain centered in God.

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communion in the Holy Mysteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communion in the Holy Mysteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

Prayed at St. Gregory American Coptic Orthodox Church in Anaheim on December 3, 2021

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communion in the Holy Misteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communion in the Holy Misteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communion in the Holy Misteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

St. ArseniusOn the 22nd day of Coptic Month of Baramhat we celebrate the life of St Arsenius the Great.Arsenius was born to wealthy parents in the year 350 AD in Rome. His father was a righteous and honorable senator and judge. They sent Arsenius to the teachers of the Church and he was raised in the fear of God, was eager to read the Scriptures and was ordained a deacon then an arch-deacon by Saint Damasus, the Bishop of Rome.After his parents died, he and his sister, Afrositty, gave all their riches to the poor, and chose to live an ascetic life. Arsenius became famous for his righteousness and wisdom. He was a disciple of Rophenius the monastic historian from whom he admired the Egyptian monastic life and its fathers, and he wished to meet them.When the Emperor Theodosius the Great wanted a man to whom he might entrust the education of his children, Saint Damasus recommended Arsenius. Arsenius accordingly went to Constantinople in 383 A.D. and was appointed to the post by Theodosius.After ten years at the court he seemed clearly to hear the voice of God through the Gospel, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26). He left Constantinople and came by sea to Alexandria and fled into the wilderness. When he first presented himself to Abba Macarius the Great, the father of the monks of Skete, he recommended him to the care of Saint John the Short to try him. In the evening, when the rest of the monks sat down to take their meal, Saint John left Arsenius standing in the middle without inviting him. Such a reception was a severe trial to a revered member of the imperial court; but Arsenius accepted humbly.Saint John took a loaf of bread and threw it on the ground before him, bidding him with an air of indifference to eat it if he would. Arsenius cheerfully sat on the ground and took his meal. Saint John was so satisfied with his behavior that he required no further trial for his admission, and said, "This man will make a monk".Arsenius was asked one day why he, being so well educated, sought the instruction and advice of a certain monk who was an utter stranger to all literature. He replied, "I am not unacquainted with the learning of the Greeks and the Romans; but I have not yet learned the alphabet of the science of the saints, whereof this seemingly ignorant Egyptian is master".Evagrius of Pontus who, after he had distinguished himself at Constantinople by his learning, had retired into the desert of Nitria in 385, expressed surprise that many learned men made no progress in virtue, whilst many Egyptians, who did not even know the letters of the alphabet, arrived at a high degree of contemplation. Arsenius answered, "We make no progress because we dwell in that exterior learning which puffs up the mind; but these illiterate Egyptians have a true sense of their own weakness, blindness, and insufficiency; and by that very thing they are qualified to labor successfully in the pursuit of virtue".One of the emperor's officers brought news to Arsenius that a relative of his had passed away and made him his heir. The saint took the will and would have torn it to pieces had the officer not begged him not to, saying such an incident would get him in trouble. Arsenius, however, refused the estate, saying "I died eleven years ago and cannot be his heir".He employed himself in making mats of palm-tree leaves; and he never changed the water in which he moistened the leaves, but only poured in fresh water upon it as it wasted. When some asked him why he did not cast away the filthy water, he answered, "I ought to be punished by this smell for the self-indulgence with which I formerly used perfumes". He lived in the most utter poverty, so that in an illness, having need for a small sum to procure him some little necessities, he was obliged to beg for it.Due to his desire for quiet and solitude, Saint John allowed Saint Arsenius to live alone in a hidden cave in the desert 32 miles away. He would seldom see strangers who came to visit him, but Theophilus, Pope of Alexandria, came one day in company with others to visit him, begging Arsenius to speak some wisdom for the good of their souls. The saint asked them whether they were disposed to comply with his directions; and being answered in the affirmative, he replied, "I entreat you then that, whenever you are informed of Arsenius' abode, you would leave him to himself and spare yourselves the trouble of coming after him".He never visited his brethren, contenting himself with meeting them at spiritual conferences. The abbot Mark asked him one day why he so much shunned their company. The saint answered, "God knows how dearly I love you all; but I find I cannot be both with God and with men at the same time; nor can I think of leaving God to converse with men".Arsenius was known by man for his gift of tears, weeping both over his own shortcomings and those of the world. His tears which he shed continually had worn away his eye-lashes. He lived in this same austere manner till the age of about ninety-five.His brethren, seeing him weep in his last hours, said to him, "Father, why do you weep? Are you, like others, afraid to die?" The saint answered, "I am very afraid - nor has this dread ever forsaken me from the time I first came into these deserts". Notwithstanding his fear, Saint Arsenius died in great peace, full of faith in the year 445.Lessons from this story“He is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;” (Luke 16:10) As this story tells us, Arsenius was born in privilege and as he escaped the world to the desert to converse solely with God, he weeped for his sins, sins that are so inconsequential to you and me as to be not even acknowledged. But the depth of this great saint, dug deep into his own existence and finding even the smallest of sins weeped for forgiveness.Repentance is an essential part of being Christian. Not only must we walk through hallways of our sins, but even the crumbs on the floor must be acknowledged. But this kind of depth of examination escapes most of us not because this saint is greater than us, but because he detached from the world. Once detached, he examined himself daily, every nuance of his existence. But because we continue to live in the world, our repentance is more focused on the bigger sins, assuming we are honest with ourselves. But just imagine, if you could, stopping everything you are doing right now. Disconnecting from the world, isolating yourself in such a way that no one could contact you. Then all you would have left to examine would be yourself. Those lucky few that have this great time of oneness with themselves are truly blessed.Not a selfish oneness, where you are only focused on the “me”. But a unity between the known “you” and the hidden “you”. The visible “you” that you share with others and the secret “you” you shy away from prying eyes. This is a repentance worthy of saints. A dispassionate and clinical examination of one’s self as an honest judge.This is why we call Arsenius the Great. PrayerLord, please help us be honest with ourselves so that we may pour more of ourselves out and drink in more of you. That we may walk with our eyes wide open with full knowledge of the sins we commit, knowingly and unknowingly, the hidden and the manifest. May the prayers of St Arsenius be with us all, amen.

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communion in the Holy Misteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communiaon in the Holy Misteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

"In the wilderness of David-Garejeli in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which monks had lived the ascetic life for centuries. In 1615, Shah Abbas I invaded Georgia, laid it waste and slew innumerable Christians. One day, while out hunting at dawn on Easter Day intself, he saw the light of many candles shining in the hills. This was the monks of all twelve monasteries in procession all round the Church of the Resurrection, walking with candles in their hands. When the Shah discovered that it was monks, he asked in disbelief: 'Isn't the whole of Georgia put to the sword by now?', and ordered his generals to go and slaughter the monks at once. An angel of God appeared to Abbot Arsenius, and revealed their imminent death to him, and Arsenius informed the brethren. They then all received Communiaon in the Holy Misteries and prepared for death. Then the attackers arrived, hacked the abbot to pieces when he came out ahead of the others, and then killed all the rest. They all suffered with honour and were crowned with unfading wreaths in 1615. Thus ended the history of these famous monasteries, which had been like a flame of spiritual enlightenment in Georgia for more than 1,000 years. There remain just two today: St David and St John the Baptist. The King of Georgia, Archil, gathered the remains of all the martyrs and buried them. Their relics are to this day full of myrrh for the healing of those in sickness." (Prologue)

These were the three admonitions Arsenius told the Cenobium as the call to contemplative prayer. This call is so very needy today.

Athanasius was accused of murdering Arsenius and cutting off his arm to practice magic. Well, it turns out that Athanasius did not murder Arsenius (or cut off his hand for that matter!), and he dramatically proves his innocence in court. Here's the story.

Fr. John shares about humbly using our spiritual gifts, from Romans 12:1-13. Please note: "At one point in the sermon I mentioned Arsenius the Athonite, but actually meant to refer to the Elder Paisios, and the book I referred to is http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Paisios-Mount-Athos-Isaac/dp/960897643X"

Fr. John shares about humbly using our spiritual gifts, from Romans 12:1-13. Please note: "At one point in the sermon I mentioned Arsenius the Athonite, but actually meant to refer to the Elder Paisios, and the book I referred to is http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Paisios-Mount-Athos-Isaac/dp/960897643X"

Fr. John shares about humbly using our spiritual gifts, from Romans 12:1-13. Please note: "At one point in the sermon I mentioned Arsenius the Athonite, but actually meant to refer to the Elder Paisios, and the book I referred to is http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Paisios-Mount-Athos-Isaac/dp/960897643X"