PARADISE NOW - ASCETICAL HOMILIES AND VIGNETTES Saturday Oct. 18/31 ns 2026 - HOMILLY Saint John Chrysostomos THEN? VIGNETTE

 

Ascetical homilies are the God-given fruits of guidance and agape granted to those who in asceticism, from the apostles on, gave and give all of their life and love to Christ and His two salvific commands.  If we, in turn, contemplate and reflect on those gifts, they bring crucial clarity not only to scripture, (which can at times be difficult to comprehend and apply for the fallen mind), but also clarity to our own personal spiritual status as we take up the Cross and transcend from transient darkness to the Eternal Light of of the Holy Trinity.

T H E N ?

+ Saint John Chrysostomos

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?

(St. Matthew 26:14–15)

These words seem to be clear and not to hint at anything more, but if you carefully examine each word, you will find deep meaning and a great deal to contemplate.

First, the time. The Evangelist does not indicate it without cause. He does not simply say, “One of the twelve went,” but adds, then one of the twelve … went. "Then?" tell me, when? And why does he indicate the time? What does he want to teach me? He does not say for no reason: speaking by the Spirit, he does not say anything at random or to no end. Therefore, what does this “then” mean?

Before that time, before that hour, a harlot came with an alabaster box of ointment and poured the oil onto the head of the Lord. She displayed great service; she displayed great faith, great obedience, and great piety. She was turned from her former life and became better and wiser. And when the harlot had repented, when she had been drawn to the Master (note: on her own by her humility), then the disciple betrayed his Teacher. Thus the Evangelist said then, so that you not accuse the Teacher of weakness when you see the disciple betraying Him. For the power of the Teacher was such that He drew even harlots to proper obedience. 

Why then, you say, was He Who won over harlots not able to win over His disciple? He had the power to win over His disciple, but He did not wish to make him good by force or to forcibly draw him to Himself. Then [he] went. In this “went” there is not a little matter for contemplation: for he was not summoned by the chief priests, he was not constrained or forced. Rather, of himself and of his own accord, he gave birth to his intention and brought forth his treachery, without any counselor in his wickedness.

V I G N E T T E

CONSEQUENCES

Except for a single obedience, Adam and Eve were given free will while in Paradise. Having, failed they were cast out of Paradise into a world in which they had exposed themselves. We all know this and are now experiencing it but consider and contemplate the nature of our banishment. Does this world not contain elements of Paradise? Yes! Did God abandon us? No! Is this world void of His love and grace? No! Did He destroy the Garden? No! Did He not personally provide a way to return? Yes! And did He not tell us its location and directions? Yes!

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ASCETICAL HOMILIES AND VIGNETTES for Friday Oct. 17/30 ns 2026 = Saint Theophan the Recluse NOTHING TO FEAR - Saint Maximos the Confessor LOVE

Ascetical homilies are the God-given fruits of guidance and agape granted to those who in asceticism, from the apostles on, gave and give all of their life and love to Christ and His two salvific commands.  If we, in turn, contemplate and reflect on those gifts, they bring crucial clarity not only to scripture, (which can at times be difficult to comprehend and apply for the fallen mind), but also clarity to our own personal spiritual status as we take up the Cross and transcend from transient darkness to the Eternal Light of of the Holy Trinity.

NOTHING TO FEAR

Saint Theophan the Recluse

The devil approaches the God-man with temptations. Who among men is free of them?

As soon as one begins to come to himself and intends to begin a new life according to God’s will, immediately the entire satanic realm enters into action: they hasten to scatter good thoughts and the intentions of the repentant one in any way they can.
If they do not manage to turn him aside, they attempt to hinder his good repentance and confession; if they do not manage to do that, they contrive to sow tares amidst the fruits of repentance and disrupt his labors of cleansing the heart.
If they do not succeed in suggesting evil they attempt to distort the truth; if they are repulsed inwardly they attack outwardly, and so on until the end of one’s life. They do not even let one die in peace; even after death they pursue the soul, until it escapes the aerial space where they hover and congregate.

You ask, “What should we do? It is hopeless and terrifying!”
For a believer there is nothing terrifying here, because near a God-fearing man demons only busy themselves, but they do not have any power over him. A sober man of prayer shoots arrows against them, and they stay far away from him, not daring to approach, and fearing the defeat which they have already experienced.

If they succeed in something, it is due to our blundering. We slacken our attention, or allow ourselves to be distracted by their phantoms, and they immediately come and disturb us more boldly.
If you do not come to your senses in time they will whirl you about; but if a soul does come to its senses they again recoil and spy from afar to see whether it is possible to approach again somehow.
So be sober, watch, and pray—and the enemies will do nothing to you.

L O V E 

Saint Maximos the Confessor

Love is a holy state of the soul, disposing it to value knowledge of God above all created things. We cannot attain lasting possession of such love while we are still attached to anything worldly.

No new vignettes today

ASCETICAL HOMILIES AND VIGNETTES -Thursday Oct. 16/29ns/2026 - THEOSIS - ONE WITH GOD Saint John of Kronstadt - PRAYER AND HAPPINESS Saint Paisios of Athos

*

MY LIFE IN CHRIST

THEOSIS - ONE WITH GOD 

Saint John of Kronstadt

God is the cause of everything visible and invisible. 

God  is invisible.

Yearn after the invisible God. 

God is an eternal, All Holy, Most Gracious, Omniscient, Almighty, All Righteous, Omnipresent, Unchangeable, All Satisfied, Most Blessed Spirit. And you are the image of God. Therefore, be spiritual, despising the flesh, which is only your temporal home; be holy, kind, wise, just, watchful, and courageous, unchangeable in good, and satisfied with everything. He who has built himself a house, He, by every right, ought to live in it. We are the houses of our Creator; He has created us for Himself, for He "has done all things for His own sake;" and it is He Who should dwell in us, and not the Devil--this murderer, thief, ravisher, this deceiver. " Come and make Thine abode in us." "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" Reverence every word, every thought of the Word of God, of the writings of the Holy Fathers, and, amongst them, the various prayers and hymns which we hear in church or which we read at home, because they are all the breathing and words of the Holy Spirit. It is, so to say, the " Holy Spirit Himself," Who " maketh intercession" for us, and through us, " with groanings which cannot be uttered."

The great litany daily said in the Orthodox Church is the most wise litany, the litany of love; in it both living Christians and the saints are represented as fellow members of the Body of Jesus Christ. It finishes most beautifully with the following exclamation: " Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and all our life to Christ our God." The redoubled and supplicatory litanies are also beautiful. We have grown accustomed to them, but let us imagine that we hear them for the first time: let us put ourselves in the position of foreigners. [Have no doubt]

Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain Athos carrying an icon
of the Theotokos, the Mother of all the saints and angels, and who appeared to him.

(Don't stop here, keep reading)

When praying to God, we must always represent to ourselves His infinite greatness, His worship by thousands of thousands and millions of millions of the angels of Heaven and the saints; also His omnipresence and omniscience, His infinite mercy, righteousness and holiness. 

And when in prayer you call the most holy Virgin Mother of God, most holy, most pure, most spotless, most blessed--represent to yourself that Her very being is holiness eternal, immovable, unchangeable, unimaginable, "impenetrable, even to angelic eyes." Think the same of all the angels and saints--that is, that their being is holiness and goodness, by the grace of Jesus Christ. 

Always consider as a great happiness it is for you to be able to converse in prayer with the Lord, or with His most pure Mother, or with the angels and saints, and pray to them with joy and trembling reverence, remembering with Whom you are conversing ...

NOTE:  Text in blue are the comments of the blogger.

*ON ASCETICAL HOMILIES

Ascetical homilies are the God-given fruits of guidance and agape granted to those who in asceticism, from the apostles and on, gave and give all of their life and love to Christ and His two salvific commands.  If we, in turn, contemplate and reflect on those gifts, they bring crucial clarity not only to scripture, (which can at times be difficult to comprehend and apply for the fallen mind), but also clarity to our own personal spiritual status as we take up the Cross and transcend from transient darkness to the Eternal Light of of the Holy Trinity.

MUTUAL LOVE

When you finally begin to not only read from but love your guides and instructors of Christ (holy ones/saints), you become aware that their love for you was already there and as a result you may come to know the meaning of selfless love.

SEEKING FAULTS

When you admit that you all too frequently look for and remind others of their faults, consider that they may not mention yours because there are too many for them to remember.

IN MY OPINION

I think that anyone who may dutifully read and study Holy Scripture but has no need for help or interpretation in homilies from God-inspired saints and ascetics, (who exchanged this transient life for illumination and Eternal Life in Christ St. Matt 16:26 KJV), is much like someone who chooses to become a physicist and turns down personal help and guidance offered by Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton!

ASCETICAL HOMILIES AND VIGNETTES From Wednesday Oct. 15/28 ns / 2026

 

are God-inspired fruits from ascetical struggle that bring crucial clarity to our spiritual status as we transcend from darkness to the

Light of Illumination of the Holy Spirit

WE ARE ONE BODY

St. John of Kronstadt

You know that eternal life in God has been promised to you and that it must be attained in this brief life through obedience to God and His Church and through patiently enduring illnesses, sorrows, misfortunes, and various privations. Yet you live carelessly, neglecting your soul and virtue...

When you glorify a pious neighbor, you glorify God. When you do good to your neighbor, you do good to yourself, for we are one body.

When you do good to your neighbor, you make God your debtor, for your neighbor is God’s image and God is all in all. When you do good to a Christian, you make Christ, the Son of God, your debtor, for Christians are His Body and His members. When you lend to a Christian, you lend to the Holy Spirit, for Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

A MUTUAL EXPERIENCE DURING CONFESSION

While confessing to God from the heart before the priest, purging it of sin with tears, whether wet or dry, in sincere sorrow and regret for your offences against LOVE itself - that Is CHRIST, have you not felt Him listening and already gently blessing you with a dew drop of forgiveness but a dew drop that lifts you from sorrow, whelms you and presents you before Him washed and completely clean?

Having read and been illumined by our Beloved John of Kronstadt's homily above, do you see more clearly why our Lord is called the "Son of Man"? 

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

St. John 14:9 KJV

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Thursday October9/22ns 2026 VIGNETTE - PEOPLE ARE LIKE EGGS

 PEOPLE ARE SO MUCH LIKE EGGS

You need not be an artist to admire the simple yet elegant shape, beauty and art of the modest egg.  It reminds me of how many of us, who admire ourselves, who have it good in this life, (not everyone does however) love our life, our hobbies, our interests, our good fortune, our good looks (if so endowed) our abilities our talents, etc.
The reality however is that our life, whether good or bad, distinguished or dim, is nothing more than the shell of the egg, if it remains un-cracked. If one never cracks the egg how can its inner beauty, far surpassing its outer beauty, be known?

When the egg is cracked, which, relative to its size requires some force, a completely new reality, a new identity is revealed.
An identity that not only pleases the eye as did the shell but all the senses and even more. And seemingly infinite possibilities are found. How many of its uses and rewards can you name? The shell is not without value of course but what is it compared to the treasure within? Moreover, its consumption sustains life like no shell can ever do. 

To reveal that which is within the egg, a force is required. So it is with that which lies within each one of us. But with man however the force needed may be either as slight as a single breath or, sadly, greater than splitting an atom. Wonderfully, that force need be nothing more than sincere desire.

Not one of us is an empty shell but no matter how illustrious or lowly our shell may be, few of us find the treasure contained within.

But wait! There is even more to the lowly egg besides food and beauty.  Waiting to get out is a new creature! 

And within the shell we call our body, it is Christ Himself.

The Kingdom of Heaven is within!

Get crackin’!!!

VIGNETTES posted Tuesday October 7/20 ns 2026

 V I G N E T T E S

CHRIST OFFERS PRAYER

Follower of Christ, know that God can directly grant you prayer to offer to Him, not only the prayers of your prayer book, not only the prayers said and heard in the Church, but prayers coming forth from Him and given to you so you may witness them being offered to Him but, rewarding you. If desire abides in the heart it can come forth 'then it will inevitably appear outwardly...' as St Tikhon tell us. Speak to God from your heart on your bed, expecting Him to grace you with words profound in honor of Him. Consider the Psalmist and the beauty of his prayer, how it comes forth like a gushing spring and as effectual to the soul and Spirit as spring water refreshes the body.

MORE BLIND THAN A BAT

ASPECT OF THE FALLEN STATE

No, this is beside war after war after war - in imitation of Cain killing his brother Abel.  

Call them what you like - Palestinians, Jews, Iranians,  Russians, Ukrainians, Latinos, Iranians, Moslems, Africans, etc.  Can  your conscience deny that they are all indeed brothers and sisters in REALITY?  And do we see them as brothers and sisters.  If not, do we even ask why we don't? And what do we really know about reality if we separate ourselves from our Creator?  We are blind and worse yet,  we don't know it.

Yes, the aspect is blind to the fallen state we are in.  And what separates us from God? What changes our relationship with God from peaceful communion to fear and hiding? PRIDE

Sunday October 5.18 ns 2026 VIGNETTES

 

BOREDOM

Does one who keeps endless company with the Creator ever become bored?

FOR SURE?

An atheist once claimed:  "There is no God!"  In response he was asked:  "Are you sure?  Can you prove it?" Surprised, he answered with a "No".  This scenario isn't uncommon among atheists who seem to like to address a subject in which they have little more to offer than conjecture.  Hmm ...

Another atheist meekly asked if the existence of God could be proved. "Yes"  was the reply.  Ok, what is your proof?  

If you will, please repeat the name Jesus, and he did.   Now what? he said.  If you really desire to know, start calling for Christ by simply saying his name ceaselessly, either within or outwardly. Ok, he replied, and for how long? Don't stop until ...

KECHARITOMENE - FULL OF GRACE

In the Church the following is related concerning St. Gregory Palamas the Wonderworker. He called the name of Most Holy Ever Virgin Mary ceaselessly for so long that she finally appeared in the room and asked what he wanted.  

HEART IN THE PALM

Approach our Heavenly Father holding your heart in your hand in hope of restitution, a meek and loving heart from which the passions has been circumcised. He is closer than your eyes, the same eyes that have been granted to touch the clouds and the stars.

A SINGLE REQUEST BUT DENIED

Adam was in ceaseless communion with God but having been given free will, he chose to use it to disobey his Creator's one, single instruction and in doing so became prideful, which alienated him.
So, many are and remain alienated through pride even if in the slightest degree as an innocent child.

VIGNETTES POSTED THURSDAY OCTOBER 3/16 NS 2026

 FREE WILL

Free will is a gift from God.   It allows one to make choices.  But far beyond the choices we make and have made, it allows us the freedom to exchange our will for God’s Will.  In doing so, entirely and completely, and to God and God alone, our will is miraculously, by our Father's love for us, not lost but *retained.  Once this occurs faith is fulfilled; acquisition confirmed. As our Lord said:

* '...I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.'

His voice is infinitely quieter than
a single particle of dust floating in the air;
His voice is louder than a trillion galaxies
crashing together when heard by the soul.
When we wander off in pursuit
of the temporal and we wish to return
Simply Yearn!

Wednesday Oct 1 / 14 ns 2026 VIGNETTES / Holy Protection of the Theotokos; Gorgoypékoös Icon of the Theotokos; Holy Apostle Ananias; St. Romanós the Melodist; St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, Enlightener of the Franks ~ Fast day

 Wednesday, October 1

October 14 ns

2026

~ Fast day ~

Commemorations are provided at
THE PARAGON BLOG
Link is in the column to the right  

WAKE UP!

Our Holy Father Andrew of Crete says to himself in the Great Canon: “My soul, my soul, arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near . . ."

Should I not say this to myself continually until  Life Eternal calls me from this ephemeral one?  After all, God doesn't have to tolerate us. He doesn't have to suffer us. 

He does so because

HE IS LOVE

WAKE UP!

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Takes away not only life. but also time to repent

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR

and

PLEASE GOD AT THE SAME TIME

Do yourself a favor by doing something for someone beside yourself, but at the same time be sure to dismiss any thought of a reward.  As the saints say, it's easy to fall into pride.   And if you hear complaints from the person who are offering consolation, don't correct but instead ... be a comfort.  If we take account of all our wrongs we will find no torment from our Lord 'before the time'.  So emulate the Lord and His Most Precious Mother and offer comfort, if you want to please God!

Do you need substantiation?  Read the BOOK OFJOB

Don't Forget...

On the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord said: "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" . In fact, there is an ancient saying that imitates our Lord's words. "Do the right thing, (in other words, do the Lord's will) and then throw the memory of what you have done into the ocean." 

In our fallen state, we are inclined toward the passions so we must always be on guard.

Thursday October 8, 2026 - GOD, US AND ANIMALS - A DISUSSION

 GOD, US AND ANIMALS - A DISCUSSION

After a discussion with an individual concerning the relationship of God and animals I came to the following:

I have I agree with those who say that animals do not know God as we do. 

However, although illumination isn't available to them, it appears their relationship with God, assuming they don't seem to have am easily recognizable form of government (and yet function with each other and their environment as though governed), and they do so without question, without wavering and are admirably constant in obedience as one would expect from a servant and its lord.

I think He is their Lord, but they don't know Him as Lord, Savior or the Son of the Father. Rather than go too far with this, yet I feel confident to say in conclusion, that they are not, in any way, capable of the following: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" {Exodus 20:3 KJV}  Comments are appreciated.

Monday Sept 22 / Oct 5ns 2026 SUPPLANTING ILLUMINATION

SUPPLANTING ILLUMINATION AND THE CHURCH BUILDING WITH IT - 'MODERNISM'

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 2Thess 2:15

HOW DOES DEPARTURE FROM HOLY TRADITION ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

The only effort required to supplant illumination from a Life in Christ is to increase to excess social activities and attach ourselves (body and soul) to temporary objects, (apparently the most prevalent choice in this world) both of which are transient because our time in this life is ephemeral and soon 'Churches' become social clubs or organizations where God is honored with the lips - but with hearts distant. {St. Matthew 15:8 KJV}

Monday September 23/October 6 ns 2026 WHEN PRAYER COMES FROM THE HEART

CONNECTION

When prayer comes from love in the heart, a connection is made.

And when you pray to Christ, you pray to and for ALL MANKIND, in heaven and on earth. Don't wonder at these words but instead ask yourself, is He not the new Adam?

Is He not the Son of Man?

Did He not say that if we receive the least among us,

we receive Him?

And when a connection is made in prayer, you will love it more than all things due to the presence of Divinity. And when occupied at times with worldly things, you will yearn to leave what you are doing and go to Him in prayer because you know He is there with Treasure for you.

Thursday 9/11 ~ 9/24 ns 2026 Fr. John Romanedis from PATRISTIC THEOLOGY - Who is Mentally Ill according to the Church Fathers? - CAN YOU HAND THE TRUTH?

Who is Mentally Ill according to the Church Fathers?

Everyone is mentally ill according to the Patristic meaning of mental illness. You do not have to be schizophrenic in order to be mentally ill. The definition of mental illness from a Patristic point of view is that people are mentally ill when the noetic energy they have inside them is not functioning properly. In other words, being mentally ill means your nous is full of thoughts, not only bad thoughts, but good thoughts as well. Anyone who has thoughts in his heart, whether they are good thoughts or bad, is mentally ill from the Patristic perspective. It makes no difference whether these thoughts are moral, extremely moral, immoral, or anything else. In other words, according to the Church Fathers, anyone whose soul has not been purified from the passions and who has not reached the state of illumination through the grace of the Holy Spirit is mentally ill, but not in the psychiatric sense. For a psychiatrist, being mentally ill is something else. It means suffering from psychosis or being schizophrenic. For Orthodoxy, however, if you have not been purified of the passions and have not reached a state of illumination, are you normal or abnormal? That is the question. Who is considered a normal Orthodox Christian in the Patristic tradition? If you want to see this clearly, read the service of Holy Baptism, read the service of Holy Chrism that is held at the Patriarchate of Constantinople on Holy Thursday, read the service for the consecration of Church sanctuaries. There you will see what it means to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. There you will see who is illumined. In all of the Church services as well as the ascetic tradition of the Church, mainly three spiritual states are mentioned: the state in which the soul and body have been purified from the passions, the state in which the human nous has been illumined by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the state in which the human soul and body experience theosis.11 For the most part, however, they speak about purification and illumination, since the Church services are expressions of reasonable worship.12 So, who is the normal Orthodox Christian? Can someone who has been baptized but not purified be considered normal? What about someone who has not yet been illumined? Or is it someone who has been purified and illumined? Naturally, someone in the last category is a normal Orthodox Christian. So, what makes normal Orthodox Christians different from the rest of the Orthodox? Is it dogma? Of course not. Take the Orthodox in general. They all share the same dogma, the same tradition, and the same common worship. A church sanctuary, for example, might hold three hundred Orthodox Christians. Of that number, however, only five are in a state of illumination, while the rest of them are not. The rest of them have not even the slightest idea what purification is. So this raises the question: How many among them are normal Orthodox Christians? Unfortunately, out of three hundred only five are. All the same, purification and illumination are specific conditions of healing that experienced and illumined spiritual fathers can recognize. So we have here clearly medical criteria. Or maybe you are not convinced that these criteria are strictly medical? Consider the fact that the nous is a physiological human organ that everyone has. It is not only Greeks and Orthodox that have a nous. So do Muslims, Buddhists, and everyone else. So all human beings have the same need for purification and illumination. And there is only one therapeutic treatment. Or do you think there are many therapeutic treatments for this illness? And is it really an illness or not?