Saint James had such love for Christ, and so little regard
for the things of this world, that he liquidated his entire estate and
gave the proceeds to the poor without spending any of the money on
himself. Later, he fell into a demonic temptation and became very proud.
He would say, “Who knows better than I do, concerning my own
salvation?” Following his own self will and personal preferences, he
lived in solitude and undertook difficult struggles without first
seeking the advice of wise and experienced ascetics.
Once a demon
appeared to him in the guise of an angel of light (2 Corinthians
11:14). He told James that Christ was very pleased by his labors, and
would come that night to reward him. “Clean your cell,” he said, “and
make ready by lighting the lamps and burning incense.”
The foolish
James, in his delusion, accepted all of this without question. When the
Antichrist came at midnight, James opened his door and fell down in
worship before him. The devil struck him on the head, then vanished.
James
awoke at dawn and went to visit a certain Elder to tell him what had
happened. Before James could speak a single word, the Elder said, “You
must leave this place, for you have been deceived by Satan.”
James
was heartbroken and wept bitter tears. The Elder also advised him to go
to a cenobitic monastery, which he did. There he fulfilled his
obedience in the trapeza with great humility. Then for seven years he
sat in his cell working at some handicraft, and fulfilling his Rule of
prayer.
St James acquired the gift of discernment, learned the
straight and narrow path of God, and became a great wonderworker. He
completed the course of his life in peace.
Fesuri călugărești croșetate (100% bumbac)
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Până acum am croșetat fesuri groase (cu 25% lână), fesuri subțiri (cu 55
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pentru ...
What About Me, Says Patriarch of Alexandria
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Source: spc.rs What about me? Patriarch of Alexandria Theodore responded
with a letter to the appeal of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porphyry, in
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Does God Really Care About Me?
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Have you ever gotten the message that God doesn’t care about you? Logic
tells you this to be true; however, your heart seems unable to accept this
conclusi...
The Catacomb Church (1991)
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The text below is excerpted from the 2011 book "In the Catacombs" by S.V.
Shumilo:
"Remaining in a position without rights, the Catacomb Church – as in t...
The Experience of Autism from the Inside
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I write this post with a great deal of caution. I am going to attempt to
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The Four Horsemen of Palamism
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There are many interesting things taking place in academia right now
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Moving
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I started this blog back in late 2005. For a few years, I posted fast and
furiously--138 in 2007. Then gradually it dropped off to the point where I
o...
Ascension and Judgment in the Triumphal Entry
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One of the key features of the Gospels is the many prophecies of Christ
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The circular firing squad on Pope Francis
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Introduction
I. The pastoral Magisterium
II. When truth functions as law
III. The fence and the circle of orthodoxy
IV. Criticizing Magisterial failures
V. ...
Christmas: the Eternal embraces the Finite
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The following is a Christmas-season meditation by Susan Anne, who will be
joining me on this blog as a co-author. Beginnings and endings, finite
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Manifest
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Manifest is a binge worthy 4 season series on Netflix. We are on the last
season and I am impressed by the intelligent and evenhanded treatment of
group pr...
Service Interruption notice
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You may have noticed rigorousintuition.ca is currently down. We're moving
servers. Drew informs me it shouldn't take too long. Perhaps tonight or
tomorrow....
The truth drew hatred…
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“Seest Thou what suffer those who censure, O Word of God, the faults of
the unclean. Not being able to bear censure, lo, Herod cut off my head, O
Savior....
The Dynamism of Holy Tradition
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I. How & Why Traditions Are Created “Be imitators of me, just as I also am
of Christ. Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold
firml...
Apostleship - A Family Affair?
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Sometimes I amuse myself by imagining Jesus and the Apostles in situations
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Moving Day
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I’m beginning to copy some of the articles on ecumenism over to a new blog
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