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There is not a single person alive that understands New Testament Greek better than St. John Crysostom. St. John did not need to read historical books to understand Biblical culture. I do not understand how a modern person can justify their "view" of Holy Scripture being better than St. John's. Further, and most important, St. John IS a Good bearer and a pillar of the ancient Church. It is foolish to handwave his work. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 — However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

"The Lord reveals His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses, that the disciples might understand that the Resurrection follows the Cross, and that the glory of the Kingdom is promised to those who persevere in faith." ☦️ St Leo the Great You should know that young people today who remain pure will be counted among the martyrs of our Church on the Day of Judgment. ☦️St. Paisios the Athonite

In the sermon which Elder Sophrony gave on the feast of the Transfiguration, there is a very significant detail which shows that he was himself a true hesychast and that throughout his life he knew this mystery of stillness. During the whole week before His Transfiguration, the Lord performed no miracle and uttered no word, but took His disciples apart to pray. At the end of this week, He ascended Mount Tabor together with them and revealed His glory before their eyes. He worked all those seven days with the purpose of preparing them to see His glory ‘as far as they were able so to do’, as we sing in the troparion of Transfiguration. The life and works of the Lord clearly reveal unto us this mystery of stillness, of hesychia. Unless man consecrates a certain time to abide silently in the presence of God, he will never find His newness of life... Unless we abide in stillness with one single thought of God and of our wretchedness – His presence will not consume the power of wickedness which encompasses and oppresses our heart. It will not break the shell of our heart, that it may open wide to God and receive the grace of His Holy Spirit... This is the wondrous mystery of stillness, which the Prophet David set forth in an axiomatic way: ‘Be ye still and know that I am God.’ - Archimandrite Zacharias of Essex, The Engraving of Christ on Man's Heart, p. 251-252, (Kindle Ed.)

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Auron on Tucker is worth a listen. The Tucker Carlson Show: Auron MacIntyre: The American Empire Is Racing Towards Collapse. Here’s How to Prevent It. Starting from: 00:00:00 Episode webpage: http://www.tuckercarlson.com/ Media file:

Your battle with “demoniac fornication” is not as unusual as you may think. This passion has become very strong in our evil times—the air is saturated with it; and the demons take advantage of this to attack you in a vulnerable spot. Every battle with passions also involves demons, who give almost unnoticeable “suggestions” to trigger the passions and otherwise cooperate in arousing them. But human imagination also enters in here, and it is unwise to distinguish exactly where our passions and imagination leave off and demonic activity begins—you should just continue fighting. That the demons attack you in dreams is a sign of progress—it means they are retreating, seeing that you are resisting conscious sin. God allows this so that you will continue fighting. Often this demon goes away altogether for a while, and one can have a false sense of security that one is “above” this passion; but all the Holy Fathers warn that one cannot consider this passion conquered before the grave. Continue your struggle and take refuge in humility, seeing what base sins you are capable of and how you are lost without the constant help of God Who calls you to a life above these sins. ☦️Fr. Seraphim Rose, letter to a young woman written on March 7/20, 1979

GM

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People ask quite regularly why people in Byzantine and medieval art aren’t smiling or showing emotions, but the question reveals a completely philosophically captured notion of what Christian art is for. The contemporary iconographic master, George Kordis, explains: “The reason Byzantine painters and artists from the Classical period of ancient Greece were not especially interested in conveying emotional states is because emotions are temporary and therefore cannot characterise someone. For example people laugh and stop a moment later. They smile and stop smiling, or look saddened only for that look to disappear later on. Thus when we paint an icon there is little point in recording something that is completely temporary. “Rather we focus on the person’s basic characteristics, the ones that always identify the person. This is precisely why there is no insistence on capturing emotions. “This philosophy is very different from the one developed in western painting, at least from the Renaissance onward, especially in the Baroque period, where the depiction of emotions is of central importance and characterises an entire period in the history of art.” (Segna di Bonaventura - Madonna and Child, c. 1325-1330)

“Love is not a feeling that comes and goes like the wind; it is a labor of the heart, to will the good of another, even when it costs you dearly.” ☦️St Ambrose of Optina He who is pure of soul and chaste in life always speaks the words of the Spirit discreetly, and in accord with his own measure he speaks of the things of God and of the things that are within him. But when a man’s heart is crushed by the passions, his tongue is moved by them; and even though he speak of spiritual matters, yet he discourses passionately, to the end that he might be victorious by unjust means. The wise man will mark such a man at his first encounter with him, and the pure man will smell his evil stench. ☦️St. Isaac the Syrian