The Catalog of Good Deeds

By Fr. George Glinski

The end does not come when a person dies. We hear God talking to us through the pages of The Gospel and saying that there is a backside of death and resurrection, which is the Judgement of God. And this Judgement is not something external for us. It will be rather the judgement during which we will judge ourselves. As St. John Chrysostom said, everyone will see a reflection of the person they were supposed to become according to God’s providence, the same way we see our reflection in a mirror. A bishop will see a worthy bishop; a priest will see a worthy priest; a layman will see a worthy layman. It means that our inner self, our own nature will denounce us. This is the most terrifying judgement because our deeds, words, thoughts, feelings, our way of life and views – the most important parts of our being – will rebel against us. But we hear from the Savior that this will happen only if we do not change ourselves. This is why the Lord reminds us that the Judgement of God is not the judgement we are used to, when affronted dignity rules, facts are manipulated and witnesses lie, because they have their own interests. This judgement is reigned by love. Love does not seek its own (1 Corinthians 13:4). And in this sense it cannot be dreadful because the Lord is not our accuser, but He is rather our advocate. He is the One, Who will seek at least one beam of light in us and to show with its help that we are not so bad.

However, we should stop behaving like little children and learn how to take responsibility for our actions. The sense of responsibility, love and gratitude towards God for that He has created us, should move us forward and bring us to the main thing, which is changing our life. The Lord tells us about the judgement not because He wants to scare us, but in order to move us and make us work on ourselves. The essence of spiritual life lies within inner changes. What is more, the sense of the Kingdom of Heaven as aspiration to God and growing in love and kindness is the desire to move forward.

This is why if we create a foundation for such relationships in this life – and this is exactly what we have to do – then the Kingdom of Heaven becomes something natural for us, because it will be inside of us and become a part of us. And then, as St. Simeon the New Theologian said, those who have become the children of light will never see this terrifying day of the Lord, because they are in God and live with Him. At the same time, Blessed Augustine tells us that we should remember about two thieves crucified with Christ. On one hand, we should not despair, because one of the thieves has confessed, which means that he has changed his attitude to life, although it was the last moment of his life. On the other hand, we should not weaken, because we know that what happened to the second thief was completely different.

May the Lord help us with His grace and the power of His Resurrection so that we can change our life. So that we do not construct our life in a way that we hope to catch the last train. Instead we need to live not for ourselves but for Christ and for other people. When we meet people, we should see the image of God in them, although this image can be dimmed and corrupted by sin. Following Christ's example, we should learn to see the beam of light that tells us about the Kingdom of Heaven, which will come in its power with Christ. As St. John the Theologian said: Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20).

St. Elisabeth Convent

August 21, 2017

Q: If Irenaeus and other early fathers believed in the millennium on earth and taught this doctrine, why is this not taught by the Orthodox Church (since its position is amillennialism)?

A: Yes, it is true that some of the early Fathers were millenialists (St. Justin the Martyr, for example); Orthodox Christians are well aware of this and of the fact that St Justin acknowledges disagreements on this point of doctrine.

However, we do not see these fathers as being anything but witnesses of the faith of the specific churches they served or interacted with. In this case, it seems that the millenarist school was localized in Asia Minor and connected with the teachings of St Papias. This view was certainly not “taught everywhere, always and by all” to paraphrase the criteria of St Vincent. It is well-established that the churches of Egypt and Cappadocia did not universally accept this interpretation, as Eusebius documents.

In the end, this interpretation fell in disfavor for three reasons:

- the broader consensus of the churches did not support it;

- sound hermeneutics of Revelation did not actually support the literal view;

- great excess were (and continue to be) connected with millenarism which discredited it.

The Council of Constantinople did address the fact that the Kingdom of Christ would have no end (Luke 1), to correct the erroneous view that it would last 1000 years.

However, it does not seem that millenarism is – from an historic Orthodox perspective – strictly speaking a condemned heresy (on account of these venerable fathers who taught it) but rather a tolerable private opinion that should not be taught or promoted because of its overall rejection by generations of Orthodox bishops as a viable interpretation of the text.

Source: https://www.orthodoxanswers.org/if-irenaeus-and-other-early-fathers-believed-in-the-millennium-on-earth-and-taught-this-doctrine-why-is-this-not-taught-by-the-orthodox-church-since-its-position-is-amillenialism/

If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.

Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.

Not to share our own wealth with the poor is theft from the poor and deprivation of their means of life; we do not possess our own wealth, but theirs.

Be ashamed when you sin, don't be ashamed when you repent [To repent means to have a change of heart and mind. It is not simply a feeling of sorrow, but a psycho/spiritual growth away from evil/death and a turning to God/life]. Sin is the wound, repentance is the medicine. Sin is followed by shame; repentance is followed by boldness [Boldness means to beg God for undeserved mercy]. Satan has overturned this order and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance.

No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger.

Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward & learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.

The road to Hell is paved with the bones of priests and monks, and the skulls of bishops are the lamp posts that light the path.

When you are weary of praying, and do not receive, consider how often you have heard a poor man calling, and have not listened to him.

The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.

If you wish to leave much wealth to your children, leave them in God's care. Do not leave them riches, but virtue and skill. For if they learn to expect riches, they will not mind anything besides, and their abundant riches shall give them the means of screening the wickedness of their ways.

It is impossible to be saved without the help of the Most Blessed Virgin, because those who are not saved by the justice of God are saved by the intercession of Mary.

When we teach our children to be good, to be gentle, to be forgiving (all these are attributes of God), to be generous, to love their follow men, to regard this present age as nothing, we instill virtue in their souls, and reveal the image of God within them.

Why not learn to enjoy the little things-there are so many of them.

There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not seek to save others.

I am a Christian. He who answers thus has declared everything at once-his country, profession, family; the believer belongs to no city on earth but to the heavenly Jerusalem.

To destroy the fetus 'is something worse than murder.' The one who does this 'does not take away life that has already been born, but prevents it from being born.'

Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance.

The rich man is not one who is in possession of much, but one who gives much.

The Eucharist is a fire that inflames us, that, like lions breathing fire, we may retire from the altar being made terrible to the devil.

We must not mind insulting men, if by respecting them we offend God.

A mother experiences more than one death, even though she herself will only die once. She fears for her husband; she fears for her children; again she fears for the women and children who belong to her children. ... For each of these-whether for loss of possessions, bodily illness, or undesired misfortune-she mourns and grieves no less than those who suffer.

You cannot pray at home, like you can at church, where there is a great multitude; where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the unions of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of priests.

You can set up an altar to God in your minds by means of prayer. And so it is fitting to pray at your trade, on a journey, standing at a counter or sitting at your handicraft.

God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves.

Since it is likely that, being men, they would sin every day, St. Paul consoles his hearers by saying 'renew yourselves' from day to day. This is what we do with houses: we keep constantly repairing them as they wear old. You should do the same thing to yourself. Have you sinned today? Have you made your soul old? Do not despair, do not despond, but renew your soul by repentance, and tears, and Confession, and by doing good things. And never cease doing this.

Source: http://www.azquotes.com/author/21940-Saint_John_Chrysostom