Sermon delivered by His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrius on the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Triumph of Orthodoxy, March 8/21, 2021, at Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Monastery, Cobleskill, NY.
Metropolitan Demitrius uses an eloquent and beautiful yet butterfly wing-light touch to place a well-deserved yet respectful rebuke where it is greatly needed. Something tells me those being chastised likely never realized they'd been so. Masterfully done.
Yes I can affirm as painful as it is becoming I absolutely love his presentation of my failing. Please pray for me I am a sinner and have an affliction. God Bless
Holy Master bless Thank you Despota for your wise words in helping us understand how easy it is to fall away from the teaching of the church . Especially when one may put his or her own will first. I pray God will give you His strength to continue to guard His church. Amen!
video time 12.35 jerusalem and antioch have cut communion as have constantinople and moscow/things are getting worse/thank you metropolitan demetrius of san francisco
Our faith defines how we believe and must, obviously be protected. The old calendar church is the only church that is not corrupted. We need not look very hard to find fault in man, but not the church. Many people think man is corrupted, therefore the church is corrupted.
Fr Seraphim Rose and St John of San Francisco were in Communion with COGOC yes? If yes, that's all I need to know. These were to mighty and holy men of God in our recent times. I am fortunate enough to have a parish near me
@@OrthodoxTradition thank you for the response. if I can ask another question, does the COGOC have a Matthewite ecclesiology? Im very interested in attending a parish near me although their sermons online are Greek. I hope there's English in person lol
So forgive me if I come across accusatory, I was baptized by a ROCOR parish over ten years ago, I at the time had heard rumors of old calandarists but had never researched into it, should I be seeking to join the GOC and has the last decade been nothing more than a delusion for me? Was my baptism false and all my struggles just vain strivings? I have been growing disillusioned with the church I have been attending but I don’t know if that’s more of laxity on my part or something else. I can be very impulsive hence why I am cautious of just “jumping ship” because someone says I am in the wrong place Again please forgive me for being somewhat brunt, despite constantly being distracted I find my heart’s desire is salvation in Christ and I just want to make sure I am on the right path.
Thank you Despota. You have exposed so many things that I was unaware of . I know there are many problems , nothing new under the sun . It appears that we are in great need for truth to be revealed and evil exposed . Thank you for your loving and composed presentation. I pray that those in the positions of authority will respond and repent . The contradictions and incorrectness that is unfolding in the Orthodox Church will be revealed . I pray . God is with us .
Yes I would also like to know the answer to that question, if I recall they followed the Gov orders and Obeyed but left certain decisions up to each congregation leader.But I may be wrong
I hope that this video with your wise words will continue to enlighten orthodox untill the end of the age. But im curious what became of the monk who lost his grace of baptism?
What a beautiful sermon. Please forgive me but there is a rumor that a Priest under Metropolitan Demetrius married an Orthodox Christian to a Coptic Heretic. I hope this isn't true. Please correct me but is this even allowed?
It definitely did not happen under Metropolitan Demetrius. Be careful what you hear. Especially be careful of people who just say things with no proof. Oftentimes they are the ones who fall into the sin of slander. You will know them by their fruits. May God forgive all those who have slandered us.
@@OrthodoxTradition Prayers for you all and especially for Blessed Metropolitan Demetrius. Prayers for St. Michaels protection against demonic attacks against all who serve in The Holy Spirit. Thank you for your sound Spiritual guidance and teaching. With Love in Christ from the UK. ☦️🤍☦️ ☦️🙏🙏🙏☦️
I'm confused... are all orthodox churches on new calendar considered heretics? To me old calendar makes more sense, but it is not up to me. I'm a member of an Antiochian Orthodox Church, which I believe is new calendar. Am I a heretic?
Please pray for me! I was received into the OCA 20 years ago, by Chrismation ONLY (at the adamant insistence of the "bishop" at the time). I know now how wrong that was, and am seeking God's guidance and direction towards receiving a true baptism, and being joined to a TRUE Orthodox Church (hopefully GOC).
@@OrthodoxTradition Thank you. I live in the Los Angeles area. I believe the closest GOC to me is in Oxnard (Holy Trinity), which is about an hour away. I have been in contact with them by email.
As I shook my head I remembered he's surrounded by Muslims it's easier to be an ecumenist under pressure pray for our bishops in private prayer that God speaks to them
@@OrthodoxTradition ok thank you. And with what churches do you have Communion now? And wich churches not? Sorry my bad english and hope it understandable.
ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ἀμὴν λέγω σοι ὅτι ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι τρὶς ἀπαρνήσῃ με. How can you lose grace of baptism when the apostle did not?
Jesus Christ the Lord restored Apostle Peter's loss of grace when he asked him three times "do you love me Peter." The holy fathers teach that the three denials were healed by three confessions "Yes, I love you Lord."
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Rome abandoned the papacy and heresy and repented and converted, forsook all her ways and returned to Orthodoxy and brought all her children with her. The Vatican could be shut down with all its riches and sold off and the money be spent to feed the homeless, impoverished, the starving, the poor.
@@catherinecarter8987 Our Lord said that the poor will always be with us, not so with our Lord. Funny how you point to temporal benefits for spiritual problems. He has come with the sword.
In all sincerity, can someone explain to me why people should accept as true that early church fathers were divine vessels or had the ability to speak with God or to correctly define dogmas and doctrines as opposed to simply writing out their beliefs and coming to some sort of agreement on what they thought was true? For instance, we know from Arianism, and even biblical epistles, that Christians didn't all agree on everything. So beyond tradition and desire, why believe church leaders when they insist that the Fathers spoke with God? Thank you
The Holy Spirit dwelt within them. On top of that, the beliefs condensed down at the seven ecumenical councils were beliefs held by the Church at large, not just the views of a handful of patriarchs. Without the Church, these dogmas and doctrines would never have been accepted.
@@andreichira7518 I appreciate you taking the time to write. I probably wasn't clear as far as my question. The Bishops insist that they have always been guided by the Holy Spirit & that it is impossible for their collective decisions regarding matters of faith and morals to be incorrect. I'm wondering why people should accept this is being true beyond simply wanting it to be true? The Councils were held because groups both inside & outside of Proto & Orthodox Christianity considered themselves as Christians but often held different beliefs about God. For various reasons, the Emperor's, and their own, demand for unity, a sincere desire for clarification, a desire & need for control etc., the Bishops held the councils to decide on the Church's positions and then, utilizing the temporal power of the Emperors, enforced these positions, sometimes threatening various degrees of punishment, so indeed, these doctrines would never have achieved wide acceptance without the Church. As I'm sure you know, not all church leaders always agreed with the council's decisions and various church leaders and Bishops passed in and out of heresy & orthodoxy.. So, again, my question is, as the Church chose the books in the Canon and then decided on their inherency & the doctrines those books declare, what reason, or evidence, is there to believe that God grants the Church infallibility regarding its positions on faith and morals? Thanks very much!
Someone who can see the uncreated light in a person would have no trouble accepting Christ. If you have to ask, you would ask for a sign from Christ himself. Keep reading the Fathers and let the scales fall.
@Aioniansage6081 No! We can't because I'm right and you're wrong! And you need to listen to me, but I won't listen to a single word you say! Why? ECUMENICISM! Maybe this is why the Orthodox have done a piss poor job of spreading the Gospel to all nations. Pride dressed in priestly robes.
Alonian Sage We CAN get along, but we must preserve our Traditional Doctrines and keep them pure. We cannot water down our Faith by changing the rules to modern thinking and political idealism. Eastern Christianity is not a political agenda, or a world governmental institution, or a community run by mere men. We are in accordance with The Nicene Creed and make this Profession of Faith at every Holy Liturgy. If people desire unity, then leave heresy behind, step back into Eastern Orthodoxy and trample on the schism created by the historical heretics, through Repentance and Chrismation; be healed, restored and learn that unity is not about anything other than being reunited to God in Christ and the Holy Apostolic Church He set up and maintained '2000' years ago. Christ is the Head of our Church. Man is imperfect. The Holy Martyrs fought for and died for our Faith. No Pope or false prophet or evangelist can add to what has been set. This is what we defend and know. We can get along and in Orthodoxy alone, not adulterated mixing, we can travel home together. ☦️
Thank you Your Eminence. Today, the loyal Old-ROCOR is the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) that was formed in 1920 by bishops who were forced to leave their homeland along with millions of Russian people, all fleeing the horrors of the communist system. The ROCA bishops, clergy, and laity remain loyal to the original mission of an independent ROCA. We are not in Eucharistic communion with the Moscow Patriarchate (MP), the state-controlled official Russian Church. The Moscow Patriarchate (MP) and the current ROCOR (MP) need to repent of the heresies of Ecumenism and Sergianism. The Churches of the ROCA remnant (the part of ROCOR that did not go along with the union with the MP in 2007) are present today in the Diaspora District of ROCA. The list of Parishes is present on the rocana and auroca web sites. The ROCA Churches are located in Australia, New Zealand, St. Petersburg, as well as in the U.S. and Canada. Despite protests from within the ranks of bishops, clergy, and laypeople, on May 17, 2007, a large part of the ROCA entered into Eucharistic communion with the MP with the signing of the “Act of Canonical Communion” and is now known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR - MP). A smaller part chose to remain loyal to the historical Russian Orthodox Church and continue the mission of the ROCA. ---------
@@OrthodoxTradition I was curious about why you call yourself the genuine Orthodox Church? It’s kind of strange to me. With all respect. I do enjoy your homily’s
With all of my respect your eminence, it is not heresis, it is paneresis. What's the difference in between those two. We name Heresis, when someone is teaching a dogma, strange to the official teaching of the church. Paneresis is when the church accepts all those heresis as true, which is even worst.... my repentance...
Can you imagine if the Franks took Constantinople in 1204 and then after 10 years of inactivity , found a saviour in the union of the latin church and then began commemorating latin fathers? would. you consider that orthodox? As a matthewite , I am confounded as there is little difference between Florinite and Matthewitte, but the Russian Church of Abroad became diluted and ecumenical... it did not not achieve the athletic zeal of defending the church as the Greeks did since before 1920... and then for the honourable greek church to continue their apostolic tradition with a defective and unsound of doctrine institution of a russian church mixed in with the Anglo pluralism of the greater 21st century America with numerous influences? how can one reconcile with the constant diluting and new found holes in the ship and content to be in the steady Bulkwark of orthodoxy? The Greeks should bring honour to the ones who brought the first church in the world will also be the last.. The florinites should be seeking union with MAtthewittes and reject the worldly ROCOR....who even without all the nuanaces and emanating errors of filtration from its anglo bossom, found numerous errors ,even before this , by not abiding by greek councils in the 16th century... and where at this time it adopted a form of ecumenism way before the Greeks did...
They only started diluting in 1986 upon Metropolitan Vitaly’s Nativity Encyclical which leaned to Cyprianite ecclesiology when they should have rallied on St Philaret’s anathema.
Schismatic is thrown around too much. The GOC(K), is taking the position of St Maximos of a complete separation from heresy. There are other approaches, but they seem to be within their rights to do so.
It is not. It holds the true way of Orthodoxy as is. Read Blessed Serafim Alexiev 's book on Orthodoxy and Ecumenism. Ecumenism IS a heresy. GOC preserves Christianity when the Ecumenical movement is taking over churches such as the OCA, the Greek Church in America, Antiochian, etc etc etc
@@ryrocks9487 Schism is breaking from the body of the One True Church. By creating their own Synod (upon synod, upon synod) losing count now, they have well and truly broken away from the body of the church. Simple. I am not saying they are not staunch defenders of the faith, more so then our current Ecumenists, however if the simply went about the correct way of things, there would be no schism. Apotixisi for one, walling-off they could have done.
What are you talking about ??? Paisios was a supporter of ecumenism ... He was supporting Bartholomew's who is a freemason and they both supporting heresy ... So stop calling paisios a saint... You are blaspheming by saying that ... paisios and Bartholomew's both said that the Quran is a very holy book ... And they bowd to it.. So stop spreading rubbish when you don't know what you're talking about ...
@@theTavis01 Bill, I truly think you misunderstand what Ecumenism is actually all about. Ecumenism is Spiritual Adultery and this is also why we are unable to share communion with Protestants and Roman Catholics.
