Introductory article from the first issue of The Orthodox Word published January 1965
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Safe Resources For Newcomers to the Orthodox Faith
WARNING
NOT EVERYTHING THAT
CALLS ITSELF ORTHODOX IS
TRULY ORTHODOX
The above warning was given to me when I first met Orthodoxy in 1986. Today [2009] it is even more perilous, even more difficult to find the Royal Path. For one thing there is a far greater abundance of misinformation. And many materials are missing, and other materials are being rapidly rewritten. For another thing there are fewer than ever guides remaining on the Royal Path, especially who speak English. Hopefully this website will be a place where Newcomers to the Faith can keep at least one foot on solid ground, while they are "exploring."
blog owner: Joanna Higginbotham
joannahigginbotham@runbox.com
jurisdiction: ROCA under Vladyka Agafangel
who did not submit to the RocorMP union in 2007
DISCLAIMER
Safe Reading List
BY GOD'S GRACE
...and there are still others outside of the Orthodox Church who by God's grace, their hearts being open to His call, will undoubtedly yet be joined to genuine Holy Orthodoxy...
– Fr. Seraphim
Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future
1983 edition, page 220
FOCUS OF THIS BLOG
A sure way to learn properly about Orthodoxy is to read lives of saints and Fr. Seraphim Rose [1934-1982†]. Everything necessary can be found in lives of saints. And Fr. Seraphim Rose is the American convert's link to the Holy Fathers, he himself having received the living transmission from living saints of his time. He understood what the royal path is, and he lived it. So this will be the focus of this blog.
So you want to be Orthodox?
WHERE DO I FIND A ROYAL PATH PARISH?
In America look for a ROCOR parish under Metr. Agafangel or a GOC-K parish under Metr. Demetrius. Any church or group not in communion with both of these bishops is not considered royal path.
ROCA 2023
Links
Blog Archive Organization
Posts before May 17, 2023
are being organized this way:
2022 by Fr. Seraphim
2021 about Fr. Seraphim
2020 Fr. Seraphim recommends
2019 End Times
2018 Saints & Miracles
2017 Book Reviews
2016 Joanna's notes
Blog Archive
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2022
(53)
-
▼
January
(53)
- 1981 Letter To Fr. Michael [Azkoul]
- Acquiring The Mind of The Fathers
- Fr. Seraphim awakens a soul in Arizona
- Each One of Us is Potentially a Judas
- One Man in the Face of Apostasy
- Link to Holy Fathers ARCHBISHOP AVERKY of Jordanville
- About Nicholas Deputatov
- Fasting in the Orthodox Church
- Fr. Seraphim about the Calendar
- Rene Guenon
- Introduction to ORF
- Akathist Composed by Fr. Seraphim Rose
- Patristic Doctrine of Creation
- Speaking the Truth in Love
- Evolution
- Contemporary Signs of the End of the World
- Blessed Augustine
- Forming the Soul
- How to read Holy Scriptures
- About Fr. Michael Pomazansky
- Sts. Patrick and Gregory of Tours
- Holy Fathers Part 3
- Holy Fathers Part 2
- Holy Fathers Part 1
- Excerpts From Writings
- The Orthodox Way of Life and the Modern World
- Raising the Mind, Warming the Heart
- The Orthodox World-View
- The Future of Russia and the End of the World
- The Orthodox Revival in Russia
- Signs of the Times
- Orthodoxy in America
- The Royal Path
- Introducing the Orthodox Word Magazine
- Orthodox Christians Facing the 1980's
- Other-Worldliness of Holy Orthodoxy, by Eugene Rose
- The Search for Orthodoxy
- Meaning of Affliction, by Eugene Rose
- St. John, A Prophet, by Eugene Rose
- Veneration of Icons in Holy Orthodoxy, by Eugene Rose
- "Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen" by Eugene Rose
- Pope Paul VI in New York 1965, by Eugene Rose
- By the Waters of Babylon, by Eugene Rose
- Archimandrite Sebastian Dobovich, by Eugene Rose
- Blessed John Maximovitch, Vita Prima, by Eugene Rose
- Acension of Our Lord, by Eugene Rose
- Prayer of the Good Thief, by Eugene Rose
- Radiant Feast, by Eugene Rose
- "Death of God" as a Sign of the Times, By Eugene Rose
- Tsar-Martyr Nicholas, by Eugene Rose
- The Feast of Mid-Pentecost, by Eugene Rose
- St. John of Kronstadt, by Eugene Rose
- Love of Truth, by Eugene Rose
-
▼
January
(53)
PLEASE HELP FIND
FR. SERAPHIM ROSE
- 100th issue of The Orthodox Word
- 1981 Letter To Fr. Michael [Azkoul]
- About Fr. Michael Pomazansky
- About Nicholas Deputatov
- About the Calendar
- Acquiring The Mind Of The Fathers
- Akathist to St. John of SSF
- Blessed Augustine
- Book Review ROCOR History
- Chinese Mind
- Contemporary Signs of the End of the World
- Each One of Us is Potentially a Judas
- Eugene's 1962 Letter To Thomas Merton
- Eusebius: Church History
- Evolution
- Excerpts From His Writings
- Fasting in the Orthodox Church
- Forming the Soul
- Future of Russia and End of the World
- Gulag Archipelego
- Holy Fathers Part 1
- Holy Fathers Part 2
- Holy Fathers Part 3
- How to read Holy Scriptures
- In Defense of Fr. Dimitry
- Introducing the Orthodox Word Magazine
- Introduction to Blessed Paisius
- Introduction to ORF
- Link to Holy Fathers Abp. Averky
- Love of Truth
- Meaning of the Russian Diaspora
- Orthodox Christians Facing the 1980's
- Orthodox Revival in Russia
- Orthodox Way of Life-Modern World
- Orthodox Word (back issues)
- Orthodox World View
- Orthodoxy in America
- Other-Worldliness of Holy Orthodoxy
- Patristic Doctrine of Creation
- Pope Paul VI in New York 1965
- Radio Interview
- Raising the Mind, Warming the Heart
- Remember Your Instructors
- Rene Guenon
- Royal Path
- Search for Orthodoxy
- Self-Liquidation of Christianity
- Significance of the Typicon
- Signs of the Times
- Speaking the Truth in Love
- Spiritual Growth Requires Constancy
- St. Patrick and St. Gregory of Tours
- St. Philaret of New York
- Subhumanity
- Survival Course
- Theological Writings of Archbishop John
- Towards the "Eighth" Ecumenical Council
- Vita Prima Blessed John
ABOUT FR. SERAPHIM
- Blessings of Meeting Fr. Seraphim
- by a Jordanville monk
- by Abbot Gerasim
- by his godfather
- by Joanna - Son of ROCOR
- by Reader Daniel
- by Schema-nun Theadelphia
- by Vincent Rossi
- Fr. Alexey Young Remembrances
- Fr. Lawrence's archives
- from Pravda Ru
- In Memory by SIR
- Mat. Maria Kotar Remembers
- Memoriam from Orthodox Typos
- OL magazine 1982 (4) see page 31
- Photo of Fr. Seraphim praying
- ROCOR Metr. Agafangel
- Some Remembrances
SELECTED BY FR. SERAPHIM
- 1979 Catalogue Platina
- About St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
- Archbishop Averky
- Awareness of God
- Christ the Savior and the Jewish Revolution
- Christian and Pagan Contemplation
- Christianity or Papacy?
- Christians You Must Know Christ!
- Decline of the EP
- Excerpts Fr. Nikolai Deputatov writings
- Fr. Sebastian Dabovich
- History of ROCOR
- Is there an Invisible Church?
- Meaning of the word: Orthodox
- On the Deadening of the Human Spirit
- Optina Elders
- Optina Elders and their instructions
- Optina Elders Icon
- Prelest and Elders
- Renovated Orthodoxy
- Renovationism
- Restoration of the Orthodox Way of Life
- Schmemann's Liturgical Theology
- Secret of Creation
- Sermons Philaret Moscow
- St. John of Kronstadt's Orthodox World View
- St. Theophan the Recluse
- What Should We Do?
END TIMES STUDY
- 666
- A Talk On The Dread Judgment
- All labor, every inch of ground, every grain of wheat...
- Antichrist
- Apocalypse
- Church of Christ in Time of Antichrist
- Last Chapter of Time
- Lecture 13 Survival Course
- Metr. Vitaly Report 1983 Council
- On the Coming of Antichrist
- Orthodox Prophecies pdf
- Prepare for the End of the World
- Prophesies about Russia
- Rassophore-monk Vsevolod
- Recommended Books
- Revelation of St. John
- Spirit and Forerunner of Antichrist
- St. Ephraim the Syrian on Antichrist
- St. Hippolytus
- St. Ignatius Miracles & Signs
- St. Victorinus
- Vision of Elder Iliodore
AUDIOS
QUOTE
"For the believing soul, openly miraculous events are only an opening in the veil, behind which the uninterrupted miracle of God's Providence continues and the writ of each man's course is recorded without omission."
~Archpriest Michael Pomazansky 1988†
QUOTE
"Holiness is not simply righteousness, for which the righteous merit the enjoyment of blessedness in the Kingdom of God, but rather such a height of righteousness that men are filled with the grace of God to the extent that it flows from them upon those who associate with them. Great is their blessedness; it proceeds from personal experience of the Glory of God. Being filled also with love for men, which proceeds from love of God, they are responsive to men's needs, and upon their supplication they appear also as intercessors and defenders for them before God."
St. John Maximovitch
QUOTE
There's no one Holy Father you can read to get the whole teaching of Christianity, because many Holy Fathers express different points of view, different aspects. And the whole of the Fathers contain the wisdom of the tradition. And modern historians would like to say that one contradicts the other and so forth, but if, once you enter into the Orthodox spirit you see that one rather compensates for the other. And there's a marvelous harmony in all the writings of the Holy Fathers.
Fr. Seraphim Rose
from the Survival Course
QUOTE
"The outward Gospel of social idealism is a symptom of loss of faith."
Fr. Seraphim,
Letter to Thomas Merton, 1962
Fr. Seraphim,
Letter to Thomas Merton, 1962
QUOTE
The "new age" will be nothing else but the brief period of rule of the Antichrist on Earth, who will "unite" all under his blasphemous authority.
Abp. Averky Taushev
QUOTE
"Clearly the World Council of Churches is the vehicle through which Antichrist will establish his one world church."
-statement issued by Jordanville in 1998-99
QUOTE
"Ecumenism is the most prevalent heresy of our times, and the most devastating heresy of all times."
-statement issued by Jordanville in 1998-99
QUOTE
"If we expect to withstand the world, it is first necessary to understand it and keep sensitively in mind that in this present age all that which carries the most holy and dear name of Orthodoxy is not in fact Orthodox. Rather, it is often 'A fraudulent and usurped Orthodoxy' which we must fear and eschew as if it were fire. Unlike this spurious faith, True Orthodoxy was given and must be received without novelty and nothing must be accepted as a teaching or practice of the Church which is contrary to the Holy Scriptures and the dogma of the Universal Church."
Archbishp Averky
QUOTE
Anything outward can become a counterfeit.
Fr. Seraphim Rose
QUOTE
"It's Later Than We Think"
Fr. Seraphim Rose
QUOTE
The divine services in their composition contain all the fullness of the dogmatic teaching of the Church and set forth the path to salvation. They present invaluable spiritual wealth. The more fully and precisely they are fulfilled, the more benefit the participants receive from them. Those who perform them carelessly and who shorten them by their laziness rob their flock, depriving them of their very daily bread, stealing from them a most valuable treasure. The shortening of the services which comes about through lack of strength must be done wisely and performed circumspectly in order not to touch that which should not be tampered with.'
- St John of Shanghai and San Francisco
QUOTE
"In our confused days when a hundred conflicting voices claim to speak for Orthodoxy, it is essential to know whom one can trust. It is not enough to claim to speak for Patristic Orthodoxy; one must be in the genuine tradition of the Holy Fathers..."
-Fr. Seraphim Rose
QUOTE
“AMONG US this food is called the Eucharist; of which no one is allowed to partake but one who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the forgiveness of sins and unto regeneration, and who is living as Christ taught us. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, took both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise we have been taught, that the food which is consecrated by the prayer of His word, and by which our own flesh and blood by transmutation is nourished, is the Flesh and Blood of that Jesus Who became flesh.”
Holy Martyr Justin + 165 A.D.
QUOTE
"Don't have a hypocritical attitude. By this I don't mean to give up your intellect and discernment, but rather to place them in obedience to a 'believing heart' – heart meaning not mere 'feeling,' but something much deeper – the organ that knows God."
-Fr. Seraphim Rose (written to a catechumen)
Posts
Lord, save us!