Father Christopher

Christ is risen! Let us pray with the Book of Psalms and read a kathisma (approximately 7–8 psalms) each day. If we are 20 people, together we can read the entire Book of Psalms daily. If you would like to join, just DM me, and I will assign you a kathisma number to read and share with you the names of the other participants. Let us fill our hearts with the grace of the Holy Spirit and pray for the peace of the world!

"We have life from God: „In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). That is, God is the Source, the Sustainer, and the very purpose or destiny of our life. If we live according to this truth, our life is assured by God. But if we do not follow this path and instead entangle our life in all kinds of lawlessness and impurities - which demonize both soul and body - and persist in this for a long time, then God, according to our own fault, withdraws from our life. Nevertheless, He does not withdraw immediately after the fault, but patiently endures for a time the wandering of man, His younger son, calling him in every possible way, until finally He despairs of the salvation of many. We have death, however, from the murderer (the devil). Therefore, when people fully surrender themselves to the will of the demons, their life is in danger, and they endanger others as well. And if they bind themselves like slaves with their hearts to this world and to the unnatural desires of the body, their mind becomes warped, so that they can no longer distinguish truth from error. Then God withdraws from their mind, from their heart, and from their will, and they reach the point where they no longer want to know anything about God. And thus comes the sentence of death, and thus comes destruction upon every generation of people. First comes the spiritual death of atheism and unbelief; afterwards, the outward death of the body appears as well - according to each one’s worthiness and for the instruction of many." Saint Arsenie Boca

Saint Gabriel pray to God for us!

"HERE AM I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."

In the Orthodox tradition, we understand that the little one may indeed cry or seem frightened during baptism - it's quite common, especially with the sudden immersion in cooler water, the unfamiliar surroundings, the handling, and being undressed. Babies often react this way to anything new or startling, just as they might during a bath at home or a doctor's visit. Yet this moment is not one of harm, but of profound grace and rebirth. The brief discomfort is part of entering into the mystery of dying to the old life and rising anew in Christ. Many saints and elders have noted that such cries can even be seen as the infant's first confession or protest against the passions that seek to cling to us from birth - though of course, we don't attribute sin or malice to the child herself. The priest, godparents, and family surround the baby with love, prayers, and the warmth of the Church precisely so that any fear is quickly overcome. After the three immersions, the child is immediately anointed with holy chrism, clothed in white (symbolizing purity and joy), and brought to receive the Eucharist. In almost every case, the baby calms remarkably quickly, often falling peacefully asleep in the godparent's arms as the service continues - a beautiful sign of the Holy Spirit's comforting presence. "Poor baby getting frightened" is a natural, tender human response from those watching. But in the eyes of the Church, what looks like distress is actually the threshold of eternal life and adoption as a child of God. The tears are short-lived; the gift received lasts forever. As one old Orthodox saying goes: "The font is both tomb and womb." The brief "death" to the old way brings forth true life - no lasting harm, only salvation. May the newly-illumined one grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord!

@FChristopher77 Poor baby getting frightened 🥺

Today, the handmaid of God, Anastasia-Theodora, received the birth from above, of water and the Spirit, through the Mystery of Holy Baptism. Through the threefold immersion in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, she became a partaker of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, then receiving the robe of light, the seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord. Congratulations to the parents who gave birth to her and to the godparents who received her as their spiritual daughter. Glory to the Holy Trinity for this new shoot in the vine of Christ’s Church. May the Lord and the Mother of God always keep her under their protection, and may she inherit the Kingdom of God!

Why triple-dip (triple immersion)? The three full immersions (and three risings out of the water) are performed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This ancient practice symbolizes both the invocation of the Holy Trinity and our union with Christ's three-day burial and resurrection: we are buried with Him in baptism and raised to new life (Romans 6:3–4). The triple action makes the image of death to sin and resurrection to incorruption complete. It has been the normative form in the Orthodox Church since the earliest centuries. Why is she naked? The infant is baptized completely undressed to show the total stripping off of the old man (the fallen nature and its garments of sin) before putting on Christ (Galatians 3:27; Colossians 3:9–10). Just as we entered the world naked from our mother's womb, we are born again naked from the "womb" of the baptismal font - pure, without any covering of corruption or worldly things. This also recalls Adam and Eve's original nakedness in paradise before the Fall, and Christ's own nakedness on the Cross, where He conquered sin and death. After the three immersions, the newly-baptized is immediately clothed in a white garment, signifying the putting on of Christ and the robe of righteousness.

@FChristopher77 Why triple-dip? Why is she naked??

PATRIARCH ILIA II OF GEORGIA HAS FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE LORD On the evening of Tuesday, March 17, 2026, His Beatitude the late Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 93. The Patriarch of Georgia was born in 1933 in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, and was given the name Irakli at his baptism. After finishing school, Irakli studied at the Theological Academy and Seminary in Moscow. He was tonsured a monk and given the name Ilia, then ordained a hierodeacon in 1957 and a hieromonk in 1959. After graduation, Fr. Ilia returned to Georgia, where he was assigned as a priest at the Cathedral in Batumi. In 1961 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen, and later to archimandrite. On August 26, 1963, he was consecrated Bishop of Batumi and Shemokmedi, with the rank of patriarchal vicar. Also in 1963, he became rector of the Theological Seminary in Mtskheta, a position he held until 1972. At that time, the seminary in Mtskheta was the only theological school in Georgia. In 1967, Fr. Ilia was elected Bishop of Tskhumi and Abkhazeti, and in 1969 he received the title of Metropolitan. On December 25, 1977, he was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia. As patriarch, His Holiness Ilia II received numerous distinctions from the Patriarchs of the Churches of Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. In recognition of his work as a theologian and church historian, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York (1986), the Academy of Sciences of Crete (1997), and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania (1998) awarded him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Theology. Patriarch Ilia II was an honorary member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (since 2003) and the International Academy for the Promotion of Scientific Research (since 2007). There are hierarchs whom we respect. And there are hierarchs whom we feel to be like fathers. Such is Patriarch Ilia II for Georgia: a man who carried on his shoulders not only a Church, but also the pain of a nation. “The spiritual cross of Christians is made up of love for God and love for neighbor.” And when such a patriarch bows before the holiness of Gabriel Urgebadze and says: “We are both monks, but the Lord has given you spiritual poverty, and me the Patriarchate,” you understand that true greatness does not lie in rank, but in humility. He baptized over 40,000 children, becoming godfather to every third child in large families. He supported parents in crisis situations, pregnant women, mothers, and children with special needs. A life dedicated to the service of other lives. A man of holy life. A man of God. The Government of Georgia has announced a national day of mourning in honor of the primate who restored the prestige of the national Georgian Church. “He was a spiritual shepherd in the true sense of the word, guiding his people with humility, wisdom, and inner strength in times of trial, hardship, and change. May his soul rest in perfect peace! May his memory endure forever!” May God grant him eternal rest! Eternal memory!!!

The Savior’s Cross, now - at the HOLY SEPULCHRE. Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us, Your creation!

@elonmusk x.com/fchristopher77…

🍀 Happy St Patrick’s Day! 🍀

The Beautiful True Story of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick wasn’t even Irish! He was born around the year 385 in Britain to a Christian family. His father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest. As a boy, Patrick lived comfortably… until one terrible day. At just 16 years old, Irish raiders kidnapped him, dragged him across the sea, and sold him as a slave. For six long years he herded pigs on a cold, lonely mountain in Ireland. Hungry, freezing, and far from home, young Patrick finally woke up to God. He began to pray constantly - up to 100 times a day and night. He cried out to the Lord with tears, confessing his sins. And God heard him. One night, a voice in a dream told him: “Your ship is ready.” Patrick escaped, walked 200 miles through danger, found a boat, and sailed home. His family rejoiced, thinking their nightmare was over. But God had other plans. In new dreams, Patrick heard the Irish people calling: “Holy youth, come walk among us again!” After years of prayer, study, and preparation, the Church ordained him a bishop. With nothing but faith and the Cross, Patrick sailed back to the very island that had enslaved him. He faced angry kings, powerful druid priests, and many dangers. Yet he never gave up. He preached the Gospel with love and power. Thousands were baptized. Churches and monasteries sprang up everywhere. With a simple little shamrock, Patrick taught the deepest mystery of our faith: the Holy Trinity - one God in three Persons, just like the three leaves on one stem. He drove out spiritual darkness from Ireland and filled the land with the light of Christ. In his own humble words (from his Confessio), Patrick called himself “a sinner, the least of all believers,” giving all glory to Jesus who strengthened him. He fell asleep in the Lord around the year 461, but his prayers continue today. Holy Hierarch Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland and equal to the Apostles, pray to Christ our God that He may enlighten our hearts, strengthen our faith, and grant us His great mercy! Glory to God for His saints! ☘️

„The Cross is the power and the glory of all the Saints throughout the ages. The Cross is the healer of passions, the destroyer of demons. The Cross becomes a bringer of death for those who have not transformed their own cross into the Cross of Christ - for those who, while on their own cross, murmur against the Divine Providence, who blaspheme it, who surrender to despair and hopelessness. Unconfessed and unrepentant sinners die on their cross unto eternal death, depriving themselves - through their lack of patience - of the true life, the life in God. They are taken down from their cross only to descend with their souls into the eternal tomb: into the prisons of hell.” Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

Do we really want to be healed?

"Set my life straight, O Theotokos, governing it by the divine command of the Word who took flesh from you, and lead me toward the light, O Mary, Bride of God." Canons of the Mother of God

@dilliberth God bless you!

@FChristopher77 Father, it feels like you made this video specifically for me. I am going through one of those hard times right now. I appreciate you teaching us the right mindset to have in these situations. I’m going to think on this this week. Thank you and I humbly ask you to pray for me.

What do you think about those people who have EVERYTHING, things go WELL for them, they have no TROUBLES and no TEMPTATIONS?

"Another person comes to believe about himself that he has attained a state of peace and quiet. But then a brother comes along, throws an unpleasant word at him, and by disturbing him in this way, causes him to lose his composure entirely. On this basis, instead of recognizing that this affliction came to him as a blessing, he will say: “If this brother had not appeared and insulted me with his words, if he had not disturbed me, I would not have lost my temper.” It is laughable! Self-deception! Did the one who spoke the harsh word plant the passion in him? On the contrary: precisely because that word was spoken, the vice that lay hidden within him was revealed, giving him the opportunity to repent - if he so desires. Anyone who reasons in this way is like bread that has gone bad: it looks fine on the outside, but inside it is moldy. When you cut it open, you discover that it is spoiled. So it is with the person who, while living in the world and having a passion hidden within him, claims he was unaware of it. It only took one single word from a brother to uncover the rottenness that lay within him!" Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

Do we live with a constant faith and regular prayer life, or is it mostly occasional and irregular?

In these times of apostasy and terrible deception, the ancient enemy, the devil, raises up new and old heresies to tear souls from the embrace of the Holy Orthodox Church. One of them, born late - six centuries after the Incarnation of the Word - denies the very foundation of our salvation: the Holy and Dreadful Cross of the Lord! Islam speaks with blasphemous audacity: ‘They did not kill the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary… they did not crucify Him, but it was made to appear so to them’ (Qur’an 4:157). What a terrible deception! What blasphemy against God the Man! But behold what impartial history testifies, which no spirit of falsehood can erase: Tacitus the pagan, Josephus the Jew, even the Talmud - all confirm that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Pontius Pilate! Even those who do not believe in the Resurrection acknowledge this fact as an unshakable truth! To deny the Cross is to deny the Sacrifice, to deny atonement, to deny the boundless love of God! Without the Cross, man remains a slave to his passions, prey to the eternal fire of unsatisfied desires - as the Holy Fathers teach. O fearful blindness! O demonic delusion that covers minds! Brethren, let us not be deceived by fallen human reasonings! Let us return to the Holy Gospel, to the true Cross, to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church! Weep for your sins, repent with burning tears, pray without ceasing: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!’ For only through the Cross and Resurrection comes salvation. Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead is the only Truth, the Light, and the Life! ‘If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain’ (1 Cor. 15:14). But He has conquered death - and He calls us to repentance! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners! Amen.

One day the king encountered on the road a wretched fool, hideously disfigured, his face marred beyond recognition. Moved with pity, the king asked: “Where have you come from, man?” “From hell, O king!” the fool answered. “And what were you seeking in that place of torment?” “I went looking for fire - just a spark - to light my pipe and draw a puff.” “Did you find it? Did you light your pipe and smoke?” “No, sire. The prince of darkness himself told me: ‘We have no fire here.’” The king laughed in disbelief. “No fire in hell? Impossible!” The fool nodded gravely. “I too was astonished. But the master of that abyss answered me with chilling clarity: ‘Here there is no fire of our own. Each soul brings its own fire - and that fire burns him eternally!’” Brethren, hear this and tremble! The passions you refuse to uproot now - while you still dwell in the flesh - will demand fulfillment in eternity. But there, without a body, without matter, without the means to satisfy them, they become undying torment. The craving rages on, unquenchable, devouring the soul from within like an eternal furnace. This is the fire that never dies: • the burning thirst of drunkenness that finds no wine, • the insatiable lust of fornication and uncleanness that embraces only ashes, • the endless hunger of gluttony that gnaws on emptiness, • the ceaseless fury of anger and malice that hates without end, • the corrosive poison of envy that consumes its bearer while the envied rejoices forever, • the slavery to tobacco, drugs, greed, pride, vainglory, and every other chain forged in this life… As the holy Fathers teach: the fire of Gehenna is not an external punishment sent by an angry God. It is the very presence of God - the consuming Fire of His Love and Light - experienced as agony by those whose hearts have become hatred, whose wills are fixed on sin, whose souls cling to passions instead of Christ. In Paradise the same divine Flame warms, illumines, and deifies the saints. In Gehenna the same Flame scorches and torments those who have made themselves enemies of love. You carry the kindling now. Every unrepented passion is fuel you heap upon your own pyre. Repent today! Cut off the members that offend (Matt. 5:30). Confess, fast, pray, receive the holy Mysteries, struggle with tears against the old man. Uproot the weeds before the harvest, lest you yourself become the burning sheaf. For when the soul departs the body, the contest is over. The fire you have nurtured will then burn without cease - and there will be no escape, no relief, no end. “Remember thy latter end, and thou shalt never sin” (Sirach 7:36). Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner - before the fire I myself have kindled consumes me forever. Amen.