Thank you, Father Spyridon. My mother died Jan 1, 2021 after 12 years fighting alzheimer's. I've been watching your videos and they bring me some peace.
God bless you. I helped my uncle die from Alziehmers over a 5yr period. The brutality of that disease I have no words for. May God lead us to a cure. I'm so sorry.🌹
Your mother has cast off the ragged straitjacket of our physical body and she is now the pure soul God intended her to be. God's holy spirit will keep you warm and offer you peace.. my prayers are with you.
Just what I need Father. Various anti-Christian forces are on the rise across Western culture, attacking the fundamental principles that lead us to a decent and virtuous life. I often feel sad especially when my bishops and priests aren’t bravely standing up for us, their sheep, against the man made laws that daily chip away at our right to worship God. Thank you. Love from Australia 🇦🇺
When he spoke about how the demons of despondency attack the moment we awake, I began to tear up. I had thought that I was alone in that struggle, but to hear that the Church fathers know exactly what it is I'm going through and have a solution brought me so much joy. Thank you.
May the Angels help us when we are frightened facing death. I try to pray, but the nearest Orthodox church is 718 kilometers away (both ways). So looking at your videos is very important for me. I am so thankful. Your teachings is a blessing.
Ana, you may be experiencing what many of us or our future generations will experience in the future. May all our prayers bring and keep our Orthodox Churches closer to us! ☦️🙏🏼
Lord, help me to destroy all counscious and unconscious despondency in my soul and put away all demons that try to submit my soul and my life to this vice. God, I love you and I trust you. Thanks my Sweet Lord.
Confidence Courage and calm Nancy keep praying the rosary, your not alone. Unite your rosary with all the just on earth and Saints in Heaven. They have a wonderful book on the rosary. www.americaneedsfatima.org/forms/WEB135.html
Thank you for speaking on this, Father. I have been suffering from despondency. Even thinking of prayer was difficult for me. It took great effort to kneel down this morning to pray. But I did it. I feel much better now. I feel focused, like I can do the things I have to do today. Now I understand why.
I needed to see this. Despondency might be what has caused me to go towards other passions which have attacked me over the past year. One of the things that has made me despondent is with not being able to find good work after college. Now that Covid has closed up so many opportunities and most jobs are basically wage slavery, I fear that my life ambition of a family might be gone for good. Perhaps it might be better to just finish my debt pay-off and give my life to God as a monastic instead, because I don't know how much longer I can torture myself with these negative thoughts. Father Spyridon, I will continue to keep you in my morning and evening prayers. God bless you.
I suggest pay off college debt and then join monastic ... no harm in making an effort for monastic order. I remember story of priest who said God was harassing him to be a priest. He was in church in tears saying he owed $25,000 in college debts! How can he join religious order. All of a sudden, older women who was across the church and who he has never seen came up to ask “how much?”. She was a wealthy lady. She became sort of a grandmother to priest and close friend for many years.
@@richardbenitez7803 Thank you for the advice. I have been thinking about it a lot but I've had relatives who are not Orthodox tell me to not become a monk for various reasons such as: it's boring, you'll never like it, you need a woman, etc. I dreamed of a family someday but in today's age I feel like it is slipping away. I sometimes wish I was born in a different era when things were simpler.
@@revelation2-9 if you truly want a family, you should not give up on that. You are a man, you have no biological clock to worry about. Build yourself up and focus on paying off that debt and go from there. Do not falter. Pray and have faith. God bless you
Greetings from Sydney Australia great to see you again your blessing father (Την ευχή σου πάτερ) we are all suffering despondency World wide we have to start also reading the new Testament starting from Matthew and the church fathers the saints and martyrs we have turn the TV off as much as possible May the holy Trinity and the panagia theotokos bless you and your viewers may we have a blessed thephania.😊☦️
A powerful testimony Father , how often have I woken in the morning in my bed early, to remember immediately the pain in my leg caused by a prolapsed disc, then to lie there and recall the conditions we are encountering through a sudden recollection of Covid 19 and lockdown.. Yet if I get up and go down stairs and clean the wick and replenish the oil in my lampada, even before I have finished cleaning the wick and unscrewing the cap of the oil bottle the clouds are lifting.. Once lit, the lampada and the icons further carry me forward.. By the end of prayers, the 10 minutes wallowing in the bed in the slough of despond are forgotten... I may not be necessarily 'jumping for joy' but I do feel more empowered. If I decide to lay in the bed and have a 'good think' it is ALWAYS a mistake... Truth in what you say Father, as always.
This was perfectly timed encouragement Father; I have been having "disturbances" during sleep, constantly waking me up at all hours, and though I haven't given in to despondency I can sense it's slow creep on the peripheries of my mind.
Thank you very much Fr. Spyridon for the thorough despondency explanation. Yes, distraction in prayer is a challenge, I have to admit it. In spite of all this, your short sermons bring real solace to the soul. Thanks again. Sometimes I am short of hope, though. Albert from Israel
Thank you Father. This is wonderful advice. I have been down this path, and I know how destructive despondency is to the spirit. I have, through the Grace of God, since started praying everyday with my wife and children, and reading of scripture. We also attend a study after Sunday liturgy with our pastor which is currently focussing on the Nicene Creed. This has deepened our faiths to a degree I could never have imagined, and I am so thankful to our Blessed Lord for His gift of faith. Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Thank you father for your zeal it really helps me. I have got much help from your small sermons. I love you my brother thank you for helping the whole family of God.
THIS IS EXCELLENT 😁 - THANK YOU! 😊🙏🏻 HE EXPLAINED THIS (SLOTH, ACEDIA, DESPONDENCY, “SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION,” (and even OPPRESSION) VERY SIMPLY. AND MOREOVER - - THE REASONS WHY GOD GIVES US OBSTACLES - - AND - - AND THE SOLUTION ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM - - AND TRUST IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE, WISDOM, GUIDANCE AND TIMING TO COMBAT 🛡 ⚔️ THEM AND OVERCOME THEM. AMEN. 🙏🏻🕊
Father, thank you. I am so tired from worldly burdens that I often feel blank and it is hard to pray, to concentrate, to remember what I need to pray for. Tomorrow, I face another meeting which has no base in anything decent with a report I must read today knowing that it contains the writings of those who do not know what they do. I cannot suffer what I do without the grace of God but, at the same time, knowing what I know about the infiltration of Satan into the most basic tenets of modern society, makes it harder. To be ignorant would be a blessing at times but also I am glad that been given eyes that can see and ears that can hear.
It is hard to strive and break certain things, when I am so beaten dow and worn out after years of homelessness, strained and broken relations with a mother, and having no supports. It has a lot to do with having a poor and ungodly dad who did not want me and who never loved his own son and never did anything for me in life. I am sick of the struggle, probably because I am burnt out. If I could live alone in a safe place for at least a year, I could probably shake despondent issues. I do listen to the Word when I don't want to read it. Thank you for the video.
Fr , this has revolutionised my spiritual life. Some days are very difficult due to depression. Please remember me in your prayers. This homily should be mandatory!
Thank you for your message. It pricked my heart and led me to see my deep need to repent of my despondency, to replace my self thoughts with gratitude and spiritual discipline. Bless you! Thank you!
Things have improved and God the Father has shown me what he wants me to work on - he has asked me to give up fame and riches to serve him and I will do this
We are the minority who sees what is happening. Tapeworms have entered the soul of humanity. If you are feeling desperate.. You have a soul.. You are blessed not to be like fools who fell for this crime. We are out here... You are not alone.
Thank you Father :) Best regards from "The Mad about Christ " I pray...therefore I live... on this Holy Land of Eternal Lebanon... with the Help and Grace of the Almighty God of Love...Amen!!!
Please, please pray for me brothers and sisters and offer up sacrifices for me and for my salvation! I am a great sinner and was away from the Church for a long time
Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. This is probably the biggest temptation plaguing Christians in this distracted filled technological world. Help us God.
I've just saw an orthodox Christian say God is 1 not father son Holy spirit, I'm a non domination Christian but I love your wise words truthfully if there was a orthodox church were I live I'd go to learn I don't believe in the Catholic church but believe in Catholics , I always pray at night as it cleanses the dirty rag of the day , I love your words they are easy to understand I thank God that you have put you in my life brother we Christians need to come together so the son of man comes again
Thank you, thank you and may God's Blessings be upon you, Father. I needed to hear this message, badly. God willing, I will be able to have even just a little success in fighting off the demons of despondency.
This is very applicable to me.now.thank you for explaining the difference. Im taking multiple med for depression and no benefit.ive think ive become despondent .PLEASE pray for me Father Sprydon.And GOD bless you and thank you for the multiple blessings GOD has given me.
I feel spiritually despondent due to the teaching that God would be, under certain circumstances, willing to watch me or some of the people I love suffering the most cruel imaginable torments - and even beyond that - forever and ever.
TY Father, I pray for you daily.......please pray for me that I may struggle as I ought. Please continue to make these videos, they are so encouraging.
No, never doubt your prayer. Don't let doubt creep in and take hold even if you have difficulty in your attempt to pray. Persevere and get through the hard moment - say your prayer - even if it is small and weak in your own estimation. A 'small and weak' prayer is better than no prayer at all - actually I will go as far as to say a 'small and weak' prayer is never empty and useless if it be from the heart and soul.
Ever since I’ve started praying before going to sleep, I sleep a lot better. With the falling asleep part and the restless dreaming. Reading some scripture helps with making the eyes tired too. I like falling asleep while (half) thinking about what I just read. It not really thinking but is more like drifting off on a thought.. 🙏🏻
Father. You have brought me back to and truely awakened me back to my orthodox faith as I have been idle for many years. Your videos and teachings have been a blessing and awakening for myself during this terrible period in the world and my personal life. Thank you and God bless you ✝️
0:42 - - Spiritual despondency (not depression) means sloth, acedia (a = not, kedos = effort, work); a lack of effort, work in spiritual life; a failure to strive for God, to repent, to pray. 1:48 - - dangerous bc it can prevent us from working for our salvation. Repentance is necessary for salvation. We must have faith & trust in God. 2:04 - - we *MUST* be on guard for despondency in ourself. *Pray every evening* to be protected by the Angels & God Himself to protect us from attacks. 2:23 - - the demons of despondency are like a mob that *attack us* immediately when we awake - - to rob + deprive us of our desire to pray, act + seek spiritual things - - to sow despondency in our soul. 2:55 - - Once we *pray through the struggle* - the despondency is lifted for the rest of the day. 3:43 - - demons attack us by (1) suggesting we are tired + weak; sloth + (2) DISTRACTION - consuming us with external worldly things; to make the spiritual life seem alien to us. 6:05 - - *despondency finds its way into us* (1) when we COMPLAIN, when we feel our lot is worse than everyone else’s, (2) when we are DISOBEDIENT to something we’ve been instructed to do by God, (or spiritual teachers); or to the teachings of the Church, Scriptures, rules & law of God - - COMPLAINING + DISOBEDIENCE will cause despondency to grow in us. (I believe also unresolved issues + injustices that fester inside us also can cause despondency, sloth, acedia.) 6:39 - - and (3) when we FAIL TO BELIEVE we are constantly living in God’s care; that our very being & life exists within God’s care always - - and - - 6:50 - - that (4) EVERYTHING WE EXPERIENCE - EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US is permitted by God *for our benefit,* for our salvation. 7:16 - - we *vanquish completely + utterly despondency* by having faith & hope in Christ - - and - - 7:25 - - the *SMALL EFFORTS we make* (is all we need to do) *WILL BE REWARDED BY THE GREAT GRACE OF GOD.* Amen!🙏🏻💗 👼🏼👼🏻👼🏽💗🕊🕊 Almighty God,💞♾🌌🌞🌋🔥🌊💧🌄🌬💨🌫 make it so 🙏🏻 that by Thy Holy Angels👼🏻👼🏽👼🏼👼👼🏼👼🏿👼🏻👼🏾👼🏼 demonic despondency may be driven far from me. ⛈☁️🌥⛅️🌦🌤☀️ In the name of the Father 💞♾🌌🌅🤍🍯⛰ and of the Son 🐑☦️🍞🩸🍷💧 and of the Holy Spirit.🔥🕊🌨❄️💨🌫💦 Amen!
Amen! Being a part of prayer ministry, I have found this to be so terrifying, when many dying, I pray for mercy and Grace to come on those who suffer and have died, becomes a weight I’ve somehow taken upon myself.... thank you for reminding us to pray without ceasing as Saint Paul instructed us. We are not promised it would be easy, only worth it....
Thank you Father. Words we all need to hear. I know some days prayer seems so hard even though it brings such peace and joy. The demons make us despondent; put the Spirit gives us strength to pray as we ought and prays for us when we struggle. God's continued blessings on you.
