Knowing Better

A warning against Euphrosynos Cafe and other internet forums

Of 6 Convert pitfalls noted by Fr. Seraphim, "knowing better" is at the top of the list:

A. Trusting oneself, samost

   Remedy: sober distrust of oneself, taking counsel of others wiser, guidance from Holy Fathers.

B. Academic approach – overly intellectual, involved, uncommitted, abstract, unreal.  Bound up with A. also. 

Not of This World p. 781

We see this "knowing better" at work especially on the internet forums.  Euphrosynos Cafe in particular, is truly a gathering of the confused.  The few members left are adrift either in a schismatic jurisdiction, in a vigante jurisdiction, or in no jurisdiction.  (If there happens to be one in a royal path jurisdiction, then their view of the Church is vague, immature, incomplete.)  Already their thinking is faulty – they guide themselves, they are their own authority.  They each present their own incomplete distorted views/interpretations to each other, charitably or not so charitably as the case may be, supporting each other with mutual acceptance on a very general level, i.e., they all use the old calendar and they all call themselves "true" Orthodox.

Along comes the unwary (but sincere) potential catechumen, also confused, but his confusion is not permanent yet.  He is seeking to make sense of all the many jurisdictions.  He has at least figured out that he does not want to be in world-orthodoxy.  And here on Euphrosynos Cafe appears to be a convenient collection of old calendar jurisdictions for him to explore and assess.  He notes what the representatives of the various "true" jurisdictions have to say, and he selects which one "sounds right" to him.  Thus he becomes his own authority, deciding what makes sense to him and satisfies his mind. 

Rarely though, we might find someone (or rather, he finds us) who is not guided by his own knowing.  But, instead, by sincere prayer he is guided by heaven to the Royal Path Churches.  This person does not trust his mind or his own thinking, but rather he goes by what "feels right" even if it does not make sense immediately.  This "feeling" is not emotional, sentimental or "psychic", but something higher in the soul that becomes sensitive with sincere prayer:  prayer born of suffering from being without the Church – not just the mental pain of confusion – but pain that is caused by being estranged from God Whom he loves and wanting to be closer to Him.  These are the people who will find us.

Starting on the Royal Path blog accepts the authority of the ROCOR through the guidance of Fr. Seraphim Rose and those older and wiser in our Church who understand and recognize Fr. Seraphim's spiritual superiority.   Fr. Seraphim was a true Son of the Church.  He was given to us by God through the prayers of St. John S&SF.  Anyone who has a problem with Fr. Seraphim has a problem with the Church Herself and with St. John.  I do not see how a convert in America can make it into the Church in wholeness without Fr. Seraphim.

November 20, 2014