Ask An Orthodox Priest #11 - How Does Secular Music Affect Us? Q&A 

The prist has a kind voice ❤

Eight years a Christian. I can now recognise the peace of Christ in a person (progress!) but I'm nowhere near having it myself. Pray for me. Father Timothy is beautiful.

I am a musician/composer/pianist. I have lived my creative life in service to my art as do I pray to Christ, and expression of my Faith, that what I do should serve the Lord, and to the best of my ability. Up until August 20th, 2022, when I lost my father to dementia, I had been his full-time care giver for 12 years. He died several months shy of his 100th birthday, cradled in my arms at hospital. My father had become my child. Since my father's passing, I have been playing piano to end-of-life patients in palliative care. I do this in memory of my father, and to express gratitude to the hospital for caring for both my father and me during the final weeks of dad's life. I am a classical musician. Playing music, and composing music, is a way of prayer for me. When I play for end-of-life patients in palliative care, it is not to distract them from their fate, rather to embrace them within the spirit of Love's kindness itself. I seek to disembody the sound from the instrument as will they soon become a spirit disembodied, to speak to them through Music of heavenly things. The Hungarian music educator, Zoltan Kodaly, said of Music that it was a manifestation of the human spirit. At its most nuance, it is a manifestation of the huma spirit at its most humane, as wholly relative to one's state a sacred thing, as it holy when intone through Grace. At a more personal level, to reflect back over my own life with its varying degrees of challenges, if it were not for Music - if it were not for my creativity - I very much doubt that I would be here. I can only hope the feeling for Eternity I wish to impart to end-of-life patients when playing for them makes for a peaceful transition, and that the rt of music-making at times to precise for words serves as their prayer as much as it has been mine. Blessings!

For that brother/sister who's looking for a priest in Serbia who speaks English, go to monastery Ribnica and look for father Arsenije. He lived in the US and he's fluent English speaker. Now, it's not perfect solution, but good for the start.

Many Serbs speak English. I lived in Serbia for a time and found plenty of English speaking priests. Also when I travel, the non English priests are always accommodating and will hear my confession even if they don’t understand English.

About the first question: I have American Orthodox friends, living abroad, who go to the church where the priest don’t speak English and they can’t confess, but they found a solution. One time in two weeks they go to more big town to the church with English speaking priest. And they got a blissing not to confess before Communion. Just one time in two weeks. I hope I helped someone. Best wishes

Ty Fr. for speaking the truth

Hi, I live in Belgrade, Serbia and my children's first language is English our priest speaks English and I know there are others. If this person that's moved to Serbia needs any information I am happy to help.

Thank you so much for these videos. I find myself connecting so much to the insights of the priests.

This man has provided a lot of clarity, thank you

Thanks for the word, Fr Timothy. And thank you for hosting, mods!

..he's truly wise..

I love this man beard and wisdom , God bless you. My faith is starting to grow again in these trouble times of the world, stay strong people, cause in the end Jesus is all that matters

This Priest speaks words n the meaning of the the words which he speaks are devein

I am Byzantine Catholic, and we do not say the filioque in our creed. We say the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, not the Father and the Son.

I once went to a Slavonic Country, Confession was required to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. I used my phone to write and translate my sins. It was a blessed event despite the language issue!

Thank you very much Fr. Timothy. Edifying and pertinent answers.

Kakosim Serbia Agape se esei Love to you Greetings from Sydney Australia

Thanks from Orthodox from Ukraine❤

Спаси вас Господь!!!

Thank you Father. Just to clarify, Eastern, Byzantine Catholics do not pray the filioque. They do commemorate the Pope of Rome.

His take on secular music made me so insecure about myself cry😅

Correction: Byzantine/Greek Catholics do NOT recite the Filioque in the Creed as it’s not part of their theology. Other Eastern Catholics, like the Maronites, do include it but not the Byzantine churches.

I agree about the second music.. I am one year in Orthodoxy and i already have a hard time listening to secular music. And i was musician.

4:43

Some correction, The eastern catholic church does not recite the filioque during liturgy. Their theology regarding it is more complex :)

❤❤❤❤❤🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

it is not between you and a priest, it is between you and God.

I have a suggestion by my own experience: try to look up the lists of sins in Serbian or the language of the place and the English translation So you can confess by simply saying the Serbian word for “sloth in prayer” “lustful thoughts” etc

Translator online, write it out, and translate it, print

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church I went to says the original Creed not with the filioque.

I've been a musician my entire life. Music is non material, I believe it's a deeply spiritual experience. And it's difficult for me to think God would place this "worldly" stamp on it and degrade it as a "distraction". I feel this blessed holy father could have given a more nuanced take on the subject.

I live in a non-English speaking country and I just use Google translate 🤷‍♂️ the priest reads what I’ve written and then gives me the prayer of absolution.

It cannot be just me.. this man sounds exactly like John Malkovich. Its distracting me😅 but im researching

I love your videos Fr, but I must offer a humble correction to this video. Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite do not use the filioque in the Divine Liturgy. I'm not 100% sure about any others, but it is my understanding that no Eastern Catholic Churches use the filioque. They do commemorate the Bishop of Rome and often the local Latin Bishop as well. But, they also commemorate all the Orthodox ritefully dispensing the Faith. Thank you for the videos.

Slow guy, relax. 'We walk in spirit'. If you read me? This is why we are separated. Spit in my eye again? And I will do nothing. We walk in spirit. What we declare shall come to pass. What I do is like magic to you. It's quite possible I'm your third man. Kingdom Came, Kingdom Be, Kingdom Is. If you read me. I don't care. You feel me, I know you hear me. And also I the one good thing inside of me is I never really a real home, and I am billions. If they knew what I know, what could we do?

I’d like to

Where is the part about secular music? Was this accidentally mistitled?

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. ~Mark 7:15 I don't even have to watch this video to know this is going to be nonsense.

why was this reuploaded?

With all due respect priest, I don’t understand when you say Orthodox Church permits mixed religion marriage. I was born and raised in Ethiopian Orthodox religious family and what we have been thought is couples must have the same religious belief bonded with communion. I’m not saying all Ethiopian orthodox are doing this of course we are human and we do things that we’re not suppose to do however to the best of my knowledge our church does not permit mixed religion marriage so just in case you see this comment Please help me understand this matter better.

What is secular music?

I find it hard to believe none of those Serbian priests speak English ...many many people in Serbia speak English

To know the things of God we must be born from above. God gives us a new heart with new desires to love righteousness. We cannot do it ourselves. Jesus is our high priest we go straight to Him to confess our sins and He is faithful to forgive us. Listening to all the rules and regulations this religion sounds like a cult you need to follow man made rules to be accepted into it. Jesus tells us to follow HIM. They aren’t satisfied bc they are still seeking the truth

They can use Google translate while they go up to confession.

😑 P r o m o s m

Or just go direct! You can pray directly to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness of your sins

Jesus told the disciples how to pray, and it wasn't to priests and he never said to confess sins to a priest...

music is haram