Parish spirituality

[Fr Stephen Maxfield]

There are a vast number of books on Orthodox Spirituality. However the vast majority are written by and for monastics. As a parish priest I am frequently asked what is available that answers ordinary people's needs. I would like some ideas!

[M.C. Steenberg]

A few titles that come first to mind (and just the titles for the time being; I'll be able to be more thorough once I'm back in proper internet connectivity) - one new and one old:

* T. Coliander, Way of the Ascetics (definitively a book for the parish, and for persons 'in the world')
* N. Cabasilas, Commentary on the Divine Liturgy

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Herman Blaydoe]

The Orthodox Way by Bishop Kallistos is a very accessable and understandable book.

[Nicolaj]

I found this book very helpful coming around the first time I touched Orthodoxy:Andrej Lorgus a.o.: Book about the church/ Orthodox Believing. And the book which really took me in even as at that time being really nothing knowing and believing in Orthodoxy is the book of the Russian Pilgrim!

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[Nina]

In addition to the books recommended above:

Marriage as a path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints by David and Mary Ford.

Praying with Icons by Jim Forest

Short Trip to the Edge: Where Earth Meets Heaven - A Pilgrimage by Scott Cairns

The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church by Vladimir Lossky

The Spiritual Life and how to be attuned to it by St. Theophan the Recluse (correspondence with a lay Orthodox girl and guidance for her salvation)

My Life in Christ by Saint John of Kronstadt

Marriage: an Orthodox perspective by John Meyendeorff

On Marriage and family life by Saint Chrysostom

Wounded by Love by Elder Porphyrios (many teachings to his spiritual children who were not monastics, or ordained). Other books of Saints, or Elders aimed at lay people are very valuable.

There are many Orthodox children's books written by laity.

[Tom Cook]

As a recent Orthodox convert, I found Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home by Anthony M. Coniaris very helpful. It is essentially a practical book and gives many suggestions about how to actually apply the Orthodox faith to one's daily family life.

[Sophronia]

Mother Raphaela's two little books "Living in Christ" and "Growing in Christ" are very readable, down to earth but not at all watered down.

[Owen Jones]

"How to Pray" by Theophan the Recluse is probably the best thing you could introduce to your parish. An OCA priest has produced a guide to go along with it. What is distinctive about this guide is that it is not a "study guide." It is a "doing" guide."

Also, for people a bit more advanced, I would recommend "The Communion of Love," by Matthew the Poor (a Copt). But what is significant about it is that it is the only book I have ever seen in the contemporary world that ties together Holy Scripture, theology and the liturgical rites. More to the point, it reveals the true meaning of suffering for the Christian believer. This is the fundamental problem that most clergy never address, or at best skirt around. If I am faithful and living a good life, why do I suffer so unjustly? And what does the suffering of Christ have to do with me?

[Mary]

This is such a wonderful thread! So many books I need to buy!! Thank you so much! =)

I'm reading "Chilrdren in the Church Today" by Sr Magdalen of the Monastery of St John the Baptist, Exxex, England. It is absolutely wonderful! I'll just copy the 'blurb' from the back cover:


These clear and insightful reflections are based on a series of informal talks given to Orthodox Christian parents at the Monastery of St John the Baptist, Essex, England. Directed to parents, young adults and teenagers, the refelections encompass many aspects of Christian life: Marriage and the Christian family, Prayer in the Christian home, the example of the Christian parents, the Christian education of children, Liturgical and spiritual Life, Leisure time and social life, and Christian life in the Teen years. Sister Magdalen's major emphasis is that "if children are conceived, born, and brought up surrounded by prayer and love, they will grow up as spiritual persons and thus fulfill their human vocation."

I haven't finished reading it yet, but it is very, very good! I even underlined stuff in the Foreword =)


If the aim of our life is to reach divine life, this means that every moment has extremely great significance; every aspect of our life needs to be treated with wisdom. Human wisdom, though, is not enough for life according to the commandments of Christ; without Christ we cannot accomplish anything divine. ...... By the practice of prayer we achieve our highest aim: to be saved, and to help our children reach eternal life.

I realized that that's exactly what I want, and I'm glad it was put into words for me.

[Father David Moser]

"How to Pray" by Theophan the Recluse is probably the best thing you could introduce to your parish.

Is this the same as the 4 homilies on prayer (http://www.monachos.net/library/Theophan_the_Recluse%2C_Four_Homilies_on_Prayer) which are found in the patristic section of monachos?

Fr David Moser

[Owen Jones]

I believe it is.

[Nina]

Other excellent books:

Great Lent: Journey to Pascha by Father Alexander Schmemann

The Life in Christ by Nicholas Cabasilas

Journey to Heaven: Counsels on the particular duties of every Christian by Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

The Forgotten Medicine: The mystery of Repentance by Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev

Beginning to Pray by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

Repentance and Confession by Saint Nektarios

The Mystery of Death by Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis

Life after death by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Hierotheos

Orthodox Spirituality by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Hierotheos

Lives of Orthodox Saints are an invaluable spiritual material, especially for children and teens. A source of inspiration, motivation because of the plenty examples of Christian practical virtues. They can choose their role model, or role models from the myriads of the saints. :)

[Effie Ganatsios]

Is this the same as the 4 homilies on prayer (http://www.monachos.net/library/Theophan_the_Recluse%2C_Four_Homilies_on_Prayer) which are found in the patristic section of monachos?

Fr David Moser


Father David, I have "Let us Learn to Pray" by Holy Theofan the Recluse and it is about the same as the 4 homilies you refer to. My text seems to have only the practical parts of the homilies with some additions that are not included in them. I sometimes wish that we could be 100% sure that what we read are true translations of the original texts.

The Let us Learn to Pray text I have has been extremely helpful to me and I recommend it.

Effie

[Owen Jones]

The problem of the mind wandering during prayer is probably one of the more troubling things to the average parishioner. I've never heard a sermon that addresses it. Most sermons are historical, or a reflection on the life of a saint.

[Father David Moser]

The problem of the mind wandering during prayer is probably one of the more troubling things to the average parishioner. I've never heard a sermon that addresses it.

Personally - this is not a topic for the sermon - the sermon needs to be of a more general application. This is more a topic for confession, where I frequently address it. The problem of the mind wandering can have many different approaches and in confession I can help the person with their problem rather than just throw a bunch of ideas out there into the atmosphere and hope that the right idea sticks to the right person.

Fr David Moser

[Nina]

The problem of the mind wandering during prayer is probably one of the more troubling things to the average parishioner. I've never heard a sermon that addresses it. Most sermons are historical, or a reflection on the life of a saint.

I have read things from Fathers and Saints about it but I do not recall where. The other day I read (I think in one of the books of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, or Saint Symeon the New Theologian - I am not sure) that when the nous is occupied from things other than the memory of God is one of the greatest offenses towards God. Imagine when this happens (in Liturgy) while we are supposed to actually pray and collect all thoughts and direct them to God. I do not think this is a problem only for average parishioners, but for all. Another Elder (I think), or Saint said that when we pray we must chase away all kinds of thoughts even the good ones during prayer. Because even good thoughts are not worthy to come between us and God during our prayer to Him.

Oh and another thing. It is moving and very motivational (for concentrating our thoughts to God during prayer), to read what God revealed to Saint Nifon (Nephon) of Konstantinople, that when someone prays, God bows His head down. Now, who are we to have God do that for us? This is very humbling story. Such passages, sermons, sayings, writings exist. Maybe we are not aware of them all, or maybe those are not translated. Saint Nephon's book is wonderful and so spiritually didactic.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Does anyone know of any orthodox books that deal with practical day to day christian life. I have a terrific book (protestant) by Eugenie Price. The title is Woman to Woman and it is about the difference between your life being Christ-controlled and ego-controlled. It is one of the best books I have read perhaps
because the author does not go into theological details but concentrates on daily life and it's problems. She gives numerous examples - from her extensive speaking tours of the US, her retreats and her college lectures - of women and the tremendous influence they have on those around them. This influence can be either negative or positive, depending on who controls your life - Christ or you. I have had this book for over 35 years and have read it quite a few times. Each time is a revelation because I change and develop each year and thus discover new things in this book (as happens with all good books).

I miss having a similar Orthodox book and wonder why more books like the above are not available to Orthodox christians - although it's almost certain that they are there but I just haven't come across them yet.

Elder Paisios' series of 4 books titled Λογοι (Talks) are very practical and even though the Greek is quite simple and clear, it is still Greek and the words don't "flow" for me as they do in English. The nuns at Souroti Monastery told me that they were in the process of translating these 4 high quality books and so I am eagerly awaiting the translations.



Effie

[Effie Ganatsios]

Concerning being distracted during prayer :

From Let us Learn to Pray - Holy Theofan the Recluse

"Third, if your volatile thought would get distracted by other things during your prayer, exert yourself to focus your attention keeping your mind concentrated on the subject of your prayer. Bring your mind back to it every time it wanders away. Read the prayer again and again until every word of the prayer is said with awareness and feeling. That will rule out your absentmindedness during prayers."

[Nicolaj]

Dear Brethren!

In your question you said that many of the available literature is by monks and for monks. By monks may be true but it is mostly not only for monks written. And most of the literature is as the whole orthodox way of life not meant to absorp alone but to read in communion with the church and your spiritual father. And I can strongly recommend to keep it this way because the right parh is narrow and we can get lost lightly.

Coming back to my point about the addressed in the writings I can recommend to all of us the Philokalie. And probably many will think this one is first for the monastics but it is written in the book itself that also we, being laymen, should read and follow it on our walk to heaven.

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[Owen Jones]

Well, I don't know what percentage of people in a particular parish avail themselves of confession on a regular basis. I just simply cannot imagine that instruction in prayer is not a valid and necessary sermon topic. I know of no rule that says the sermon has to address the scripture reading only, or an historical explication of the saint. I sometimes wonder if clergy, in general at least, are not insufficiently trained and instructed themselves in the kind of inward daily struggle stuff of faith. Lack of practical instruction seems to me to be a common failing in sermons. My experience throughout life, Orthodox or not, is that the preacher tells me what I am supposed to believe, and what I am supposed to know, and I am pretty much on my own with the application. If one looks closely at Patristic sermons, they follow a general "formula," wherein we are brought to a state of painful mindfulness over our sins, moved to feelings of repentance, reminded that our individual journeys are part of the Exodus of the Jews, with the connection to Christ as our Exodus and, finally, given practical instruction in the virtues. I think they probably ran a bit longer than ten minutes, on average.

With that said, I'm pretty sure that I am not going to be exposed to heretical ideas in an Orthodox sermon, and you cannot possibly imagine how grateful I am for that blessing!

[Nina]

Dear Brethren!

In your question you said that many of the available literature is by monks and for monks. By monks may be true but it is mostly not only for monks written. And most of the literature is as the whole orthodox way of life not meant to absorp alone but to read in communion with the church and your spiritual father. And I can strongly recommend to keep it this way because the right parh is narrow and we can get lost lightly.
Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

Yes dear Nicolaj, I agree with you. But we lay people have become so spoiled because of all comforts of life and we would like to have the same comfort in spiritual matters also. Who was the Father who said that "it will be good to go to Heaven in a nice bed covered with a comforter of feathers, but it can not be so."?

Ours is the 'me' generation and we 'me' lay people put pressure on our priests and monastics because many spiritual truths are not convenient for us. We choose the wide path. I will not be surprised if we sometime suggest censure for the words in the Bible, that Christ said to the rich man about the camel etc. And if we do not listen to Him about the narrow path, why should we listen to His monastics and priests? Exactly like in the Old Testament when Israel did not listen to God's Prophets and often killed and persecuted the Prophets of God. History repeats itself.

We do not like to hear the truth because it hurts and we do not like that because comfort in all aspects of life is what we are after (I am the first who does). And where does this mindset in spiritual matters lead us? In ignorance about God, which the Fathers say it is a sin. A great one. I did not understand the meaning of this fully until I was told something by a friend of mine last week.

He teaches Sunday school in another state and the priest moved and took him to the new parish. This parish has mainly a cradle Orthodox community. To the shock of my friend on his first day there and with a superficial examination of the spiritual knowledge of the Sunday school children, he discovered that the 18/19 year old teens (cradle Orthodox) and of course the younger ones, had no idea that Christ is God (!). They were like "Um yea we kind of know that He was a man and lived sometime in the past, but um we are not sure He was God."

This is the spiritual lethargy (that Father Raphael speaks about in the thread of Russian spirituality) that has enveloped our generation. Another thing was that older people in that parish had no idea about the meaning and symbol of the cross we make. I feel so bad in my heart and I do not judge those poor people (and my friend was telling me he felt the same and hopeful for the future), but I can not stop asking myself: why have we become like this? Where is the zeal and thirst that the first Christians had, even during oppression. We live in freedom, but spiritual laziness is creeping all over us. Where is the confession of faith that many martyrs even toddlers made fearlessly in front of the terrible emperors who persecuted the Church? Where are people who resemble those who followed the Apostles of Christ and did not discriminate while listening to their words if they were ascetics, married etc. but absorbed humbly and with spiritual hunger the words of the Apostles and converted from paganism and found salvation?

My purpose is not to say that lay people do not have something to offer with their spiritual writings. In contrary, we know that many saints and martyrs were lay people and we are encouraged always by the Church to follow their example. Thus I appreciate very much and read with all my heart a good book with spiritual instructions from a lay person. However this does not mean that we as lay people should throw down the drain the works of priests/monastics. Because the lay people when writing a spiritual book, also draw in their work from the wealth of the writings of the Church Fathers, who were mainly monastics. Because in the Church we are members of the same Body, the Body of Christ and we do not exist, or operate as free/detached electrons. We are members of the same Body and in unity we help each other (lay, or monastics) towards salvation. Therefore we should not discriminate in such way. Even those works written by monastic/ascetic Fathers and directed to other monastics are valuable for us as lay people, but of course we must read them with the blessing and guidance of the spiritual father.

I can give an example (and many) why such writings should not be dismissed. There is an ethical discourse of Saint Symeon the New Theologian that is written for monastics. He tells them not to eat a lot and also "not to sweeten their throats with sweets and such delicacies". This strict rule that the Saint gives to monastics, can only help me restrain myself on other things that I as lay person am asked from the Church. Because it is so encouraging by comparing the hardship: they are people like I am, of course they are monastics and I am lay person, however if they as humans should not sweeten their throats always with sweets, denying thus something to themselves for Christ and can bear and endure it, also I as a human can fast on the fasting days appointed by the Church and not whine about fasting and not complain that it is hard.

We can understand better if we notice the lives of the martyrs. They were from all kinds of ranks (lay, monastics, priests etc.) but they endured martyrdom the same way. Because the persecutors did not give physical torture according to the person's status, but showed equal cruelty and ultimately martyred them. It is said in the NT that he who is loyal in small things is also loyal in big ones.

When we see the monastics' way of hardship, with love and compassion (and even admiration), and not as they are out there to intimidate and challenge us, we only help ourselves in our struggle as lay people towards our salvation. And as Nicolaj has mentioned many works of the Fathers who were monastics are directed at both lay and monastics. Also we need to remember that we are blessed to have such works available to us, because these holy monastic men (such as Saint Chrysostom, Saint Athanasius and many others) had firsthand experience of God because they were tested, purified, reached deification and were transfigured in Him and saw the Uncreated Light. For them faith and praxis (action) was one. They were incarnations of Orthodox theology. They have experienced the purifying, the illuminating and deifying energy of God. As illumined and deified in Christ they are the best guides for our salvation. And who better than them can guide us to salvation? We always look for professionals and not amateurs to help us in our needs of life.

Also we should remember that our pride is to blame when we try to discriminate between works in the Church. Since if there is a book about a diet from a secular author that we do not even know, who calls sugar "the white poison and very harmful for us", we receive that advise with such an openness and a good disposition and uphold it as a great advise from a professional in the pertinent field. However if we read the same advise from Saint Symeon (whom we know very well because the Church has glorified as a Saint and who is someone we commune with), we dismiss it saying that he is a monk addressing monks. Because we are tempted and our pride goes into overdrive. Both authors say the same thing (about sugar and sweets) and this advise is beneficial to us not only physically, but also spiritually, however we are tempted and feel proud in the case when we receive the advise as a spiritual advise. This does not exclude even the spiritual advise from a lay person. So in the end it is our pride to blame and about which we should complain and pray to God to deliver us from it and have mercy on us.

[Father David Moser]

Who was the Father who said that "it will be good to go to Heaven in a nice bed covered with a comforter of feathers, but it can not be so."?

Elder Anthony of Optina - it will take a little bit of searching for me to bring it up again, but that exact quote used to be my email "signature"

Fr David Moser

[Effie Ganatsios]

This is a good link, I think.

http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8134.asp

An excerpt :

"There are two outstanding and indispensable compilations of the writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church which are most important for Orthodox in the West: the Philokalia and the Evergetinos. The Philokalia, a collection of writings by Fathers living approximately between 300 and 1400 A.D., contains exalted theological writings by some thirty Fathers. These writings are essentially instructions to monks and spiritual aspirants in methods by which, to quote the full title of the collection, “the mind is purified, illumined, and made perfect through practical and contemplative moral philosophy.” It contains very advanced teachings ranging from advice on the proper control of the breath during prayerful contemplation to detailed instructions for the attainment of freedom from the passions. Though it has appeared in part in English, it is relatively unknown in its entirety to many Orthodox. Even in its Greek, Slavonic, and Russian editions, it is not widely read in modern times. The transition from an Orthodoxy lacking spiritual maturity and beset by formidable external foes to the perfection of the theoretical philosophy of the Philokalia is not an easy one and, even in translation, this collection is not a first solution to the spiritual naiveté of contemporary Orthodox.

The Evergetinos is probably the beginning point for Orthodox in the West who wish to capture something of the essence of their faith. If the Philokalia teaches pure prayer and the path to deification and union with God, the Evergetinos provides us with anecdotal evidence that the practice of Christian virtues, such as humility, chastity, love for our neighbor, and submission to the will of God, can bring us to the brink of the ultimate encounter with the divine by which we are elevated to the philosophical and higher struggle for perfection. If from the Philokalia we are instructed in the philosophical way to perfection, in the Evergetinos we are guided to the pragmatic life of humility and self-control (composure), the indispensable requisites for the more advanced endeavor of the former. In the Evergetinos we see the virtuous lives of the desert monks who, during the first few centuries of Christianity, fled to the barren deserts around the Mediterranean and lived the most extreme and awe-inspiring lives of asceticism in a search for God. "

[Nina]

Elder Anthony of Optina - it will take a little bit of searching for me to bring it up again, but that exact quote used to be my email "signature"

Fr David Moser

Yes, thank you dear Father. I love this quote also.

[Moses Anthony]

There are a vast number of books on Orthodox Spirituality. However the vast majority are written by and for monastics. As a parish priest I am frequently asked what is available that answers ordinary people's needs. I would like some ideas!

Dear Fr. Stephen,
having seen the list of books which various members have suggested, I must disagree with the one who suggested Vladimir Lossky's Mystical Theology. That is not a tome for the average lay person, not by any means. On the other hand, The Communion of Love, which I'm finding things in as I re-read it for the third time, I obviously would recommend.

Then too, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned -so far- the small pamphlet being read, and discussed by several of the Monachos members written by St. Innocent of Alaska: Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven. Also there's a similar sized (i.e., slightly larger) book by a French priest, Fr. Alphonse Goettman and his wife, The Spiritual Wisdom and Practices of the Early Church. You might ad to that list Maximus the Confessor's Four Hundred Chapters on Love.

Someone else might be able to tell you of a very practical book for lay people on icons.

the sinful and unworthy servant,
moses

[Andrew]

Reflections of a Humble Heart is a good short book too. Very deep and encouraging.

[Moses Anthony]

As I read the posts after my own, a thought occured to me: While the list of "good books" for Orthodox lay people to read is commendable, it might be just as profitable for only one such "good book" to be read, in small bites, and slowly so as to gain the greatest benefit from the wisdom therein.

Having said that, again it occured to me that no one has mentioned The Didache (sp).

the sinful and unworthy servant,