Crossdiver.

“Just a minute - just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You’re right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I’ll never know. But neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was - why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn’t that right, Uncle Billy? He didn’t save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter, and what’s wrong with that? Why - here, you’re all businessmen here. Doesn’t it make them better citizens? Doesn’t it make them better customers? You - you said - what’d you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they’re so old and broken down that they… Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about… they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you’ll ever be.” 

- George Bailey

Question: In taking the steps which you have presented to us, the most difficult thing, I think, is to overcome the fear of shame. This is what I try to do in my parish. People will not come to confession although their souls are burdened and things are driving them crazy, because they cannot overcome the shame to admit their sins. How do you lead people in this direction?

Answer: I think that the strength to bear shame is a gift from God. When I was a young and inexperienced spiritual father, Elder Sophrony told me to encourage the young people to confess precisely the things of which they are ashamed, for if they learn to do so, shame is transformed into strength against the passions, and they will overcome sin. This is precisely what occurred in the person of Zacchaeus. He bore shame voluntarily, and the Lord, Who was on His was to Jerusalem in order to suffer the Cross of shame, saw Zacchaeus bearing shame for His sake and recognized in him a kindred spirit. Zacchaeus had put himself prophetically in the way of the Christ, in the way of the Cross, and in a prophetic way the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ was activated in the heart of Zacchaeus. His heart was enlarged and he was able to enter into the power of faith. Christ has saved us through the Cross of shame, so when we suffer shame for His sake He considers this as gratitude, and in return He transmits to us His grace which regenerates our life. 

This is exactly what happens in confession. Those who confess sincerely and take upon themselves the same for their sins are regenerated. But those who shrug their shoulders and say,  ‘Nothing special, the usual things … ‘, they do not bear any shame, their heart remains unmoved, and they hardly receive any benefit. But those who, with shame and a contrite heart, strip their souls naked before God and before another mortal, ‘of like passions’ (Acts 14:15) with them — that shame of theirs really finds the heart, humbles it and brings it to the surface. This then, opens the heart to receive the grace of regeneration, of consolation. We see this in the life of many that come to us: the greater the shame they bear with contrition, accusing themselves before God, the greater the grace they receive to amend their lives and make a new beginning. 

From the book, “Remember thy first love” by Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou

“Many other thoughts will be born from that one thought from hell, and it is only much later that a person sees where his thoughts have taken him and what he has done.  One evil thing leads to another, and when a person comes to his senses, he says, ‘Whatever made me do this? I used to be at peace, and now - all of a sudden - everything has gone wrong.’  The reason everything went wrong is that we were not vigilant enough.”

- Blessed Elder Thaddeus of Serbia

Today a friend asked me a question that the folks at Stanley tell me they hear all the time: why does the claw — you know, the little catch at the end of your short tape measure — move back and forth? Is it just poorly attached? The short answer: no, the loose claw is no accident of manufacture. It’s loose on purpose. The longer answer lies after the jump. Actually, the claw moves back and forth slightly to allow you to measure both the length of an item inside the claw and an item outside the claw. To do this, the claw must slide back and forth by a small amount — exactly the same distance as the width of the claw. That way when you, for example, push the end of the measure against a wall, the claw slides in and renders an accurate measurement to the wall. When you catch the claw on the end of a stud and pull to measure a cut, the claw slides out and again you get an accurate measurement to the end of the board. And if the claw is firmly attached and doesn’t move? Better check to see whether the tape’s calibrated inside or outside the claw before you measure or you could end up with an extra (or worse short a) 1/16″ or so. -Chuck Cage

“All things arise from Tao, they are nourished by Te, thus the ten thousand things all respect Tao and honor Te. Respect of Tao and honor of Te are not demanded, but they are in the nature of things. Deep and far-reaching is mysterious Te. It leads all things to return, until they come back to the great harmony.” - Lao Tzu

If you replace “Tao” with “The Word” and “Te” with “Grace”, it makes this quote sound like something far more familiar to us Orthodox. Make sure to listen to Father Damascene’s talk from Ancient Faith Radio.

A certain wise man has called the eyes two braids of the soul which it spreads out like the tentacles of an octopus to receive from afar whatever is desirable to it. Or, if I may say with St. Basil the Great, the eyes are the two “bodiless arms” with which the soul may reach out and touch from afar the visible things it loves. For whatever we cannot touch with our hands, these we can touch and enjoy with our eyes. This is why St. Gregory the Theologian also said: “The lamps of the eyes touch the untouchable.”

It is from these eyes then that we must cut off the vision of those beautiful bodies which tempt the soul to shameful and inappropriate desires. You have heard the great Father St. Basil who said: “Do not play host with your eyes to the visions of bodies that place one at the center of passionate pleasure.” You have also heard the wise Solomon: “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you” (Prv 4:25). I beseech you then to place all of your attention upon the sense of sight. The eyes look upon something passionately; they fondly dwell upon the idol of beauty; in an instant it is impressed upon the mind; the soul is pleased by the sight of the idol; the mind transmits its appetite and desire to the heart,and the sin is committed without a witness.This this is what the Lord meant when He said,“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”(Mt 5:28).

If ever this thief comes and captivates you, fight against him and do not allow any idol of Aphrodite, that is, of any shameful desire, to be impressed upon your soul. How? By taking refuge in God through prayer, which is the most secure way.“Deliverance only comes from the Lord.”(Ps 3:8) Another way is to turn your imagination to another spiritual thought so that one imagination wipes out another and one idol destroys another. Guard your sight well then for it is more beloved by the mind. And because sight is more beloved, the mind makes a deeper impression with its image upon the compass of the imagination. And because they are deeper they are more difficult to wipe out. Those images which we have impressed upon our imagination through our eyes, and curious eyes at that, we either cannot wipe them out at all or we can only after much time and great effort. Whether we are awake or asleep, they do not omit to attack us. In most cases they do not cease to bother us. In short, we grow old with them and we die with them. 

From the book, “A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel” by Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite

It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with the rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures… I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous presence. No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it is just, and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord; but it all happens according to His Sovereign Will, even though He gives advice. He lacks nothing that is in the power of men to give Him. Oh, what a gracious Lord, Who desires that people should perform for Him those things for which He holds Himself responsible!

Day and Night, moment by moment, everyone should express their most devoted gratitude to Him.

- Christopher Columbus