My dear Anthony, God speaks to us in the most unexpected ways. At times, nothing is louder or more clear than the trees around Kilninian or the mist covering everything. God teaches us constantly, through everything and everyone. I pray you will learn to hear His Voice all around you, dear one.
Dear Fr. Seraphim, I am a Roman Catholic, Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict, from the United States, and I have been enjoying your videos since 2020. After six minutes and thirty-four seconds of this video, I was moved to make an appointment with my regular Confessor. Thank you for your wise promptings. Know of my prayers for you. May God bless you. In the name of Jesus, may the schism be healed. 🕊
This one truly stuck a cord...I am a recent convert and I usually preach, debate and antagonize atheists and people of other religions, not to insult them, but to try to convert them. Your words have made it so painfully obvious, Its not my place to preach, is pridefull of me to pretend I got it all figured out now, and therefore can speak in the name of God or the Church, or even worst, that I can understand God better than the church. I want to thank you Father, because this video has humbled me and has given me a new perspective on how to continue living my faith from now on. From this day and for five more years, I wont preach, I wont debate, and I wont reprimend. Instead I will pray, fast, work and study until Im ready to serve God in any other way. God bless you Father, and thanks again
I totally relate to this. Also I can't do any good thing without thinking "oh I'm so good", and then I think "I'm disgusting, I only do good so that I can think highly of myself", and then, "aren't I holy for thinking that". And so on... God bless you Father Seraphim and all here🌹
This video was sent to me by God. I was asking myself exactly this thing for a long time and especially these last weeks. Thank you again Father Seraphim, from the bottom of my heart. Maria
I've never commented before, but I've been watching your videos for the past months. This video gave me the exact insight I needed. I was grappling with a long time with prayer, if I was doing it right, and if I should go through with observing Lent. I was initially worried I'd only be doing it for myself - for my appearances, superiority over others, etc etc. I was also worried I'd break it out of doubt. I was worried that my prayer was insincere or somehow wrong. Now I think I understand better, and will keep actively TRYING works, even if they are imperfect. To prioritize them as well to build a stronger foundation. Thank you very much, it means so much to me and many others that you create content on how to take responsibility and build faith even in a digital sea of others making excuses for their lives. God bless you!
That is exactly what we see in the experience of the Church, dear one. When we start, light and darkness are mixed up in our spiritual life, but - if we are aware of it and we actively struggle against it and ask Christ to cleanse our prayer - slowly, slowly, that very tension will become our cross, and that cross will take away all darkness. May all of us be blessed, dear one.
I love how you personalize faith father Seraphim. The heart is so deceiving indeed but thank you for the reminder to just do the works! God is so merciful to us and uses our imperfect works to change our hearts. Thank you for the message 🙏
Dear Amira, it is always a danger to aim too high too soon. This is why focusing on the works of faith, while knowing that only Christ can pour true Life in our faith, is the only safe way forward. It has been tried and tested by millions before us, during the two millennia of experience of the Church. May we all be blessed, dear one.
Thank you for clearing this up. One of my temptations is to preach. I'm going to avoid that at all costs and focus on my prayer rule. I need to let myself grow like you said. It's just difficult because I'm full of passions that take me in different directions. But this makes things clear.
You say toward the end that you hope this makes sense and helps. While I am not the "Seraphima" you are responding to, I do want to say yes, emphatically, this makes a great deal of sense to me and answers some things I've wondered about over the past 8 years since I was welcomed into the Orthodox Church. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for your wisdom (even though you don't believe you have wisdom). As a novice, this is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you also for your humility. God bless you!
It's truly refreshing to see someone actually going straight to the point while being truthfull about everything, I'm exausted to see people talking about the Bible and God while trying to make themselves look like a bright bacon of light of purity while themselves are actually doing for a selfish pourpuse. The problem is not the pourpose itself, but not recognizing it and being humble, like you are all the time(and congratulations for that brother, we thank you). Bless you and everyone there with you, thanks a lot for your efforst of making these videos possible, I though people like you were extinct on this world. If you didn't made a video about this topic, please consider doing it somewhere in the future: How does one can begin to prepare one self to live in the Kingdom that will eventually come? And by that I mean more mentally than spiritually, since we are all just numbed and conformed with the problems of this world by the thounsands of directions and sources. *How does one begin to make one's mind more "clear", less "armoured", in a way that don't transform our mind into a sponge for today but at the same time make our mind less resentfull or less acostumed to our day-to-day sins like anger for example, anger for the climate, anger for one self, anger for what happened(whatever that maybe)? All I'm trying to ask is this: I'm not asking if it's possible, everything if possible if God wills it, but I'm asking how one would approach this road for a less armoured mind and more open to the better things to come WHILE not allowing this to infect our minds on the present day. I'll be truly thankfull if you ever talk about this, because while we live in this world, we should also be prepared to live on the next one. Bless you brother.
Phillipians 2 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. -Trust that God is working in you to bear good fruit.
That would be dreadful, dear Elizabeth. But telling someone to wait until they actually have a faith to share (a faith that transforms their life, not a surface faith reduced to giving witness in empty words) is exactly what the Orthodox Church has advised from the beginning and - somehow - the Church has survived for two millennia.
Dear father Seraphim, you are the closest I had to a spiritual father! I find so much wisdom and love in your words! Thank you for your word and God bless!
May God bless you and guide, you, dear Daniel. Please keep me and the Monastery in your prayers, and may this common prayer keep us strong in our spiritual life.
To whomever wrote this email: I COMPLETELY understand what you are feeling, as I too often struggle with this. You writing this letter and Father answering has helped me very much, so thank you for taking the time to write it. It just goes to show that we are all connected to each other, even if we don't realize it all the time. Blessings to you.
That is so beautiful, dear one. This unity which is revealed even in our weaknesses, I learn so much from looking at how common our battles are - primarily, I learn why the experience of the Church is essential for our salvation. Instead of falling in all possible mistakes, we can avoid at least part of them if we learn from the experience of those who lived before us. We can also learn how to do spiritual battle without having to be defeated each possible way. May we all be blessed, dear one
I am amazed by this video, I have been conflicted for months about this issue. I am to be Christmated tomorrow so a very new Orthodox Christian convert, I have felt intuitively that I just cannot talk about my faith to others, knowing people will just argue with me and dismiss me, i am completely surrounded by atheist friends and family. I felt like I was being a coward perhaps but just did need that cacoon to develop my faith without external pressure. This has helped me so much!
I am among those 99% of preaching converts, even in the church I always hear Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! And this is told to everyone. Thank you for your discernment and wisdom, blessed be God !
Dear father please may I ask that you pray for my son Andrea's Stavrinides who is having a brain tumour operation this morning on 6th March 2023. He is 27 years of age. Thank you for all your talks
I've gained such valuable insight and discernment from watching your recent videos, Father. You and your fellow monastics on Mull will always have a place in my prayers. God willing, I hope to visit Kilninian when I'm afforded the time to do so!
May God give us the joy to meet you in person, dar one. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, especially now, as we approach the beginning of Lent. May we all be blessed.
This is so hard for me. I grew up evangelical and am still in an evangelical church. It seems like the very next day after accepting Christ you are pushed to go and share. And I definitely feel like the person who wrote this email sometimes. I need prayers that God changes me.
The evil in this world wants to tempt us into not doing good works. The Father is 100% correct. Do good works, learn yourself and grow in your spirituality. You know what you’re thinking, contemplate/correct your motivations. But like the father said, do good works anyway.
Very true words about converts. I'm a convert, and I have this temptation to preach and teach quite often. Thank you for the advise, and for giving the direction for the spiritual growth
I clearly understand your thinking on why you feel you are a horrible sinner. Any of us can review our conscience and come to the conclusion that we are failures and bad sinners. But horrible sinner? My pea brain finds it questionable that you are such a sinner when you have spent all of your adult life in a monastery. That makes you better than me just because it is so. The point that you have no wisdom to share with us. This just is not true. You are stuffed with wisdom whether you know it or not. Whether you disagree or not. If you weren't why do I always learn from you?? Perhaps it is extreme humility on your part. Perhaps God is teaching us from your mouth. Excuse my forwardness Dear Father. I just could not keep quiet in this instance. You are a fountain of wisdom and I bet you thousands of people agree with me. God love you dear dear Father.
Not to defend Father Seraphim or anything, but if he was not aware of his sinfulness he would not have any wisdom to share. Flee from any spiritual teacher who is not aware of his (or her) sinfulness.
Thank You Father for this lesson!!! I'm not Orthodox but have incorporated your lessons, the Orthodox Study Bible and the sayings of the Dessert Fathers into my daily studies for the past 6 months. I've been truly BLESSED. 🙏
That is so beautiful, dear Vivian. There is nothing better than the Sayings of the Desert Fathers to prevent us from reducing our spiritual life to mere piety of religiousness. They were all Spirit and that power of the Spirit gives life to this day. Please keep me and the Monastery in your prayers.
Wow, I was wondering about this. Thanks for clearing so much up for me. It's my practice to be the best emanation of GOD that I can be. Rather than try to explain GOD to people. 🙂🙏❤️
Friday with Fr Seraphim is my favorite day of the week, you are a light in this world filled with darkness. Your sense of duty to the Monastery and the Lord have blessed our lives through your videos. Thank yoy Father.
I was chrismated five years ago but I would call myself a beginner in spirituality, and this advice is just what I needed to hear. Thank you and God bless you.
God bless you so much for this channel from Mull Monastery, I'm so happy I found it. Thank you for all your humble and honest topics, that leave you vulnerable, but help other gain strength.
I've always grown from those around me who found the love to teach me by making themselves vulnerable. To some degree, I pray that I am able to return the love I was given, which I know came directly from Christ, not from a human being. May we all be blessed, dear one.
thank you Father Seraphim. thank you for all of your videos. I'm currently being tested. God recently put it on my heart to start my own business and it was a very scary proposition. my business was doing well and I feel like God was showing me his favor. Things have slowed down drastically and I feel a roller coaster of emotions. Fear, anxiety, confusion and much more. I do know what I should be doing. Praying, fasting, almsgiving. Perhaps God is strengthening me but im scared. I want to rest in his peace but i cant find it. I can feel my faith slowly slipping away. God help me and have mercy on me. Subdeacon Christopher.
Father, I had a dream (which I will not repeat here) that I was going to be martyred but instead of accepting my death in the dream I fought back, feeling a rage that I have not felt in a long time towards the evil one. Once I woke up I felt shame for not accepting my fate. Father is it acceptable to fight evil or accept our lives as sacrifices?
It's nothing wrong feeling wrong with "doing things for God", that is a positive "side-effect" from doing the will of God, but I think the bible have a good answers to the questions and the feelings of doubt in the beginning of video, since Jesus said that the Pharisees was praying in public to be seen, but that we should pray in private, and the God who see all things will reward the things we do without having the eyes of others on ourselves.
Years ago I wanted to go to mass everyday during Lent. I managed to stick to it even when I was away because of work. Then one day as I was getting ready for the evening service, my mom called. My dad was away and she was having a tough day and asked me to come over. If I did, it would 'ruin' my record for Lent. Kind of silly to think that I even hesitated a moment before doing the right thing.
Thank you for this message Father, and I appreciate your perspective on the 'why' behind what you do in support of the monastery. It really struck me that I haven't heard many ministries be so honest, and so humble about their "contribution" to the kingdom of God.
Thank God for all good things, dear one. It gives me hope to know that anything we do has been of help for someone. Please keep the Monastery in your prayers.
I'm not sure if it was a video on this channel or not, but it was about showing/giving in love being a "universal language" when observed/experienced by those in foreign countries that can't understand your language.. God is love, & therefore the act itself is giving your testimony to others without having to speak a word. (The video itself was about "speaking in tongues", & claimed that this is really what "speaking in unknown tongues" is actually about) Perhaps Father Seraphina will express his thoughts about this if he sees this comment.
Thank you for your advice Fr. Seraphim! I am currently struggling with this problem as well and this video helped me to understand the issue more. God Bless!
Dear Father Seraphim, I am a Catholic and at the beginning of my spiritual journey toward Christ and this sister who asked this question has asked a question I have had for months. I am just now learning to pray the rosary, and have been more open to others about my spiritual identity, but have felt guilty thinking I am being ostentatious. But my atheist and agnostic or Buddhist friends seem to feel comfortable and don't disrespect me so I suppose I am not preaching too much about it., but I also feel very aware that I could be attacked easily. So I am trying to stay 'private' about it for the time being. Thank you for this
