FSAW - Like Puppies Wagging Their Tales
OrthoAnalytika
In today's edition of "Father, Speak a Word," Fr. Gregory Jensen and Fr. Anthony Perkins talk about the temptation of betraying their own callings by idealizing a romantic vision of monasticism and either trying to impliment it in their parishes or "wagging their tales" after it. They use Fr. Gregory's "Father, speak a word" substack article as a springboard. There's also some rank punditry towards the end that some listeners might find interesting. Enjoy the show!
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The Way of Ascetics – Chapter 26
OrthoAnalytika
The Way of Ascetics; Tito Colliander Chapter Twenty-Six: ON THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE ... The narrow way has no end: its quality is eternity. There every moment is a moment of beginning-the present includes the future: the day of judgment; the present includes the past: creation; for Christ is timelessly present everywhere, both in hell and in heaven. With the coming of the One, plurality disappears, even in time and space. Everything happens simultaneously, now and here and everywhere, in the depths of your heart. There you meet what you sought: the depth and height and breadth of the Cross:...
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Homily - The Two Holy Mary's and Us
OrthoAnalytika
Homily on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt Fr. Anthony compares the lives of the Theotokos and St. Mary of Egypt, noting that our path looks much more like that of the latter, especially given our culture's immersion in social media, consumerism, aggressive politics, and pornography. Thank God that he has given us His Way of salvation despite all this!
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FSAW - Seeking Deeper Meaning in Orthodoxy
OrthoAnalytika
In this edition of "Father, Speak a Word" Fr. Anthony Perkins and Fr. Gregory Jensen talk about the joy of evangelizing a world full of people seeking something real. Enjoy the show!
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Homily - The Ladder and Living in the World
OrthoAnalytika
Homily of the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder Today Fr. Anthony riffed on this gem, found towards the beginning of The Ladder. He describes the beautiful way of perfection in Christ planned for all those who do not live in monestaries. Step One: On Renunciation 21. Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone;...
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The Way of Ascetics – Chapter 25
OrthoAnalytika
Way of Ascetics; Tito Colliander Chapter Twenty-Five: ON THE JESUS PRAYER ... Especially should the beginner beware of everything that has the slightest tendency to mysticism. The Jesus Prayer is an activity, a practical work and a means by which you enable yourself to receive and use the power called God's grace-constantly present, however hidden, within the baptized person-in order that it may bear fruit. Prayer fructifies this power in our soul; it has no other purpose. It is a hammer that crushes a shell: a hammer is hard and its stroke hurts. Abandon every thought of pleasantness,...
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Homily - Taking up our Cross
OrthoAnalytika
Homily of the Sunday of the Cross From Bishop Nicholas (DOMSE Newsletter): The Church has placed the Cross in the middle of Great and Holy Lent, the third Sunday of the Fast, for a very specific reason! The Church has placed the Cross in the middle of Great and Holy Lent, the third Sunday of the Fast, for a very specific reason! By the third Sunday of the Fast, most of us have been abstaining from eating prescribed sumptuous foods for three weeks, participating in many services each week at inconvenient times of the day after having worked long hours, expanding our prayer...
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The Way of Ascetics – Chapter 24
OrthoAnalytika
Today we cover Chapter 24 of Way of Ascetics, "On an Interpretation of Zacchaeus." It has some beautiful imagery. This class was accompanied by Thai Tofu Fresh Rolls and Gypsy soup. If you are ever in the Anderson area, come and visit!
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Class - Palamas and Becoming One (as God is One)
OrthoAnalytika
Today Fr. Anthony wanted to share some ideas he's been playing with, resulting from his study of St. Gregory Palamas, theology (e.g. essence and energy), and relationships. Enjoy the show!
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Homily - St. Gregory Palamas and Marriage
OrthoAnalytika
Marriage as a Metaphor for Orthodoxy Homily of St. Gregory Palamas Today we celebrate the life and teachings of someone who really got it? St. Gregory Palamas; he experienced God's love for him in a real and tangible way, and he reflected that love back at God and on all those around him. That's what we are to do, as well. To open ourselves up to the deifying warmth and light of God; and then to send our thanksgiving and praise back up to Him and to use the energy of His grace to serve those around us. The Good News of the Gospel is that this is made possible and real through the life, death,...
info_outlineBible Study #42: The Rise of David the Christ (1 Kingdom/Samuel 11-15)
St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Allentown PA
Fr. Anthony Perkins, 25 October 2018
Opening Prayer: Make the pure light of Your divine knowledge shine in our hearts, Loving Master, and open the eyes of our minds that we may understand the message of Your Gospel. Instill also in us reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that overcoming all worldly desires, we may pursue a spiritual life, both thinking and doing all things pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the Light of our souls and bodies, and to You we give the glory, together with Your Father, without beginning, and Your All Holy, Good, and Life- Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. (From the Prayer before the Gospel in the Divine Liturgy; see 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 1:18; 2 Peter 2:11)
1 Kingdoms (Samuel) 16. The Spirit of God enters David and leaves Saul.
Questions:
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What do we learn about the Way of God from His selection of David? How can we put that lesson to good use in our own lives?
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David the Christ prefigures Jesus the Christ. How do we fit into this model?
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Saul was also a Christ. But God took His Spirit from Him and an evil spirit of the Lord tormented him. What are we to make of this? Does God cause this?
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One of the signs that Jesus is the Christ is His power over demons. David the Christ was given some of that power to assist King Saul.
Patristic Answers:
On the selection of David.
St. Clement of Alexandria. People have gone beyond the limits of impropriety. They have invented mirrors to reflect all this artificial beautification of theirs, as if it were nobility of character or self-improvement. They should, rather, conceal such deception with a veil. It did the handsome Narcissus no good to gaze on his own image, as the Greek myth tells us. If Moses forbade his people to fashion any image to take the place of God, is it right for these women to study their reflected images for no other reason that to distort the natural features of their faces? In much the same way, when Samuel the prophet was sent to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king, and when he brought out his chrism as soon as he saw the oldest son, admiring his handsomeness and height, Scripture tells us, “The Lord said to him: ‘Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For man sees those things that appear, but the Lord beholds the heart.’” He finally anointed not the one who was fair in body but the one who was fair of soul. If the Lord places more importance on beauty of soul than on that of the body, what must he think of artificial beautification when he abhors so thoroughly every sort of lie? “We walk by faith, not by sight.”
On the evil spirit.
St. Athanasius. Therefore, when a person falls from the Spirit for any wickedness, if he repents after his fall, the grace remains irrevocably to the one who is willing; otherwise he who has fallen is no longer in God (because that Holy Spirit and Paraclete which is in God has deserted him), but this sinner shall be in him to whom he has subjected himself, as took place in Saul’s instance; for the Spirit of God departed from him and an evil spirit was afflicting him.
St. Jerome. Again, that you may be sure that God curbs the spirit of pride, recall how the good spirit of God departed from Saul and an evil spirit troubled him. Holy Writ says, “And an evil spirit of God troubled him,” a spirit from God. Does God, then, have an evil spirit? Not at all. God had withdrawn so that afterwards an evil spirit might trouble Saul. In that sense, the spirit of God is called evil. Finally, holy David, knowing that God could take away the spirit of princes, entreats him, “And do not take your holy spirit from me.”
Psalm 90; A help in times of trouble (to include exorcisms and spiritual warfare).
Michael Heiser. The Naked Bible Podcast, episode 87. https://www.nakedbiblepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Transcript-87-Exorcism.pdf
K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, & P. W. van der Horst (Eds.), Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible (2nd extensively rev. ed., p. 854). Leiden; Boston; Köln; Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: Brill; Eerdmans.
Franke, J. R. (Ed.). (2005). Old Testament IV: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Samuel (p. 264). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.