Fr. Christian Siskos

@Oastea_Domnului Simonopetra…. How blessed you are.

“Every Divine Liturgy is like an atomic bomb dropped on hell” - St. Nikolaj Velimirović

They all became Christian when John the Baptist went into hell and converted them before being taken to heaven when Christ descended there after the crucifixion

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I grew up watching Dragonball Z and it taught me to holdback all my "power" until the very end and then make a wild comeback (somehow).... unfortunately, I come to find out that none of that "last minute comeback" stuff works in jujitsu.. thanks DBZ, for nothing. 😂

@JerrickNaylor What does repentance mean to you?

@NoeticSpring Why would incompetence require repenting? "Oh no I only know as much as im supposed to know"

Competence in the spiritual life is realizing how incompetent you are, and then turning to God in repentance.

The only thing you can present to God before His judgement seat is an honest account of your sins. Thankfully, as Orthodox Christians we practice this every time we go to confession.

1 Timothy 3:1-10 seems really appropriate at this time. Lord, thank You for Your wisdom and guidance through Your saints.

God rested on the 7th day during his 3-day entombment. When Christ speaks "it is finished," it can be understood that the whole work of creation and salvation, the 7 days of creation, was completed then.

I'm finally catching up on X/Orthodoxy and you're telling me I didn't make any list? Not one?

Marriage is challenging in the practical life but simpler in the spiritual life. Monasticism is simpler in the practical life but more challenging in the spiritual life.

Read the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Acts. Pause on Old Testament readings (except Psalms, Ecclesiastes, or Job). Do not interpret on your own. Simply read. If your voices instructs you to only focus on the Old Testament or the book of Revelations then seek an Orthodox Priest for immediate guidance. When praying, I would suggest the Jesus Prayer and the Book of Psalms. Seek out Christ. You will find Him in His fullness in the Orthodox Faith.

Need practical spiritual advice I started introducing more prayer and Bible reading into my life the last few days Something felt wrong. A sort of off feeling like I was walking on the wrong path Then I heard a voice like my own tell me it’s because I’m not reading Scripture enough I started. Surreal. This isn’t some magic trick but I’ve started to feel peace I’ve been having insane insomnia but instead of insane videos or scrolling I started listening to more audio Bible readings It feels like my mind is being machine washed but my Spirit is craving more distraction free physical reading if that makes sense It feels like something deep in my psyche is shifting but I can’t articulate it. Does anyone know what’s going on here? I’m feeling convicted and need to go study right now - but I sense some sort of physical pull to read though I admit I am so addicted to my phone, work, and staying informed - I also feel this inability to commit to it in any given moment How does one break this to focus on The Word more frequently? What do you do to discipline yourself to study rather than scroll?

Reflections post Mt. Athos: When we sin, grace departs and we can no longer feel the presence of God. Sin is like a stormy cloud which covers the warm rays of the sun. Thankfully, the grace for repentance remains, so that even in the darkness of our sins we might be inclined towards the light. Immediately upon repenting, grace returns once more, though not in its fullness, so that we might seek after and remain in its fullness with more vigilance in any forth coming temptation.

Reflections from Mt. Athos: I have never been as sad for Protestants as when I was on Mt. Athos. My heart hurts for them now more than ever. There is so much depth in the Orthodox Church… so much holiness… so much sanctification. Our group got a chance to experience SO MANY saints while on Athos and in Thessaloniki, their relics, stories, where they lived, etc. and not just saints of the early centuries, but also modern day saints. And so many stories of peope who personally knew and interacted with real saints. Then also stories and experiences of modern day clairvoyant holy ones. Lord, have mercy! Being a Protestant without the saints is like being in a family without brothers or sisters. It’s just “you and Jesus” and this is anti-gospel. As the early saying goes, “one Christian is no Christian.” The saints perform miracles because they participate in Christ. And here the Protestants cannot fathom, they cannot understand truly. Even I, who have been orthodox for so many years, have gained a new appreciation for the holy ones of God. Poor Protestants, forgive me for saying it like this, poor Protestants… May God have mercy on them and bring them into the Church. May we also grow a fire in our hearts so as to become holy for their sake, for their salvation, for their union in the body of Christ. How lonely and shallow Christianity is without the saints… how sad… how truly sad. The saints are why the hermits in remote deserts never feel alone, and why during the Divine Liturgy, holy men and women can see the church full of the angels and the saints. They are here, even now with us, we have only but to call on them, learn about them, interact with them, emulate them.

@THEORTHOCHAT @HellenicEchoes 😅

@HellenicEchoes @NoeticSpring 👈🏽

Without using google, can you name a famous Greek?

Reflections from Mt. Athos: I asked one of the fathers for his thoughts on AI… “Western academia has slowed down thinking. AI will remove thinking altogether. End of line.”