The soul as an Arrow" is a theme explored by St.Gregory of Nyssa in his Commentary on the Song of Songs.He states that the bride(who is a figure of the soul) is both struck by the arrow of God's love,and at the same time becomes herself an arrow propelled toward God:The bride praises the bowman for his good marksmanship because he hits her with his arrow.The bride says"I am wounded with love"(Song2.5)
These words indicate that the bridegroom's arrows have penetrated the depths of her heart.The Archer of these arrows is love(cf. Jn 4.8),who sends his own "chosen arrow'(cf Isa 49.2) the Only-begotten Son,to those who are saved,dipping the triple-pointed tip of the arrow in the Spirit of Life.The tip of the arrow is faith, and by it God introduces the archer into the heart along with the arrow.
As the Lord says"I and the Father are one,we will come and make our home with him"(Jn 14-23).
O beautiful wound and sweet blow by which life penetrates within!.The arrow's penetration opens up,as it were,a door and entrance for love.As soon as the bride receives the arrow of love,the imagery shifts from archery to nuptial delight...Earlier we said that the bride was the target;she now sees herself as the arrow in the bowman's hands....God treats the purified soul as a bride and as an arrow aimed at a good target.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa
The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are aware, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore we should not trust our logical minds. Never believe your thoughts.
St. Paisios
a talk given by St. Nektarios of Pentapolis to a group of high- school students
Education without self-knowledge, devoid of the axiom “know thyself,” can neither be considered a complete education nor regarded as suitable schooling.
Education lacking the all-important and fundamental lesson of knowledge of man
himself, and, consequently, education without reverence for God, righteousness, and truth,
ignorant of the matters related to God and man, and the reasons for their existence, is a partial knowledge void of correct instruction. Ignorance of ourselves necessarily entails ignorance of God and His divine attributes, it leads to the denial of God Himself, His relationship with the creation in general and with man specifically. Such ignorance will create a scientist who audaciously transgresses the laws of God and men, and it
will strip him of the splendor of ethical virtue and modest moral conduct. Thus, a person who has acquired such scientific knowledge ends up becoming more harmful rather than helpful to
society.
The wise Plato, denouncing such education states, “All education that is separated from righteousness and virtue becomes not wisdom but cunningness.”
Aristotle says that education devoid of proper instruction is an unhealthy body, which is harmed increasingly the more it is fed, for malignant growths thrive in such conditions. The arts and sciences—without prudence and the remaining
ensemble of virtues—do not produce wise scientists, or truthful scholars, or useful citizens, or healthy members of society.
Diagoras from Melos, the student of Democritus, was wise; however, he was the legendary atheist of ancient times. He was condemned to death on
account of his godlessness and impiety, but managed to escape secretly and save himself.
Democritus from Abdera, the teacher of narcissism, was also wise; but he was an atheist and a complete materialist.
Aristippus from Cyrene was a philosopher; however, he was a teacher of hedonism, preaching that sensual pleasure is man's ultimate purpose.
Theodorus of Cyrene was wise as well; but he was a herald of atheism and promoter of carnal pleasure.
Pyrrho and his pupil Timon, the fathers of skepticism and teachers of rationalism and discernment, were also wise; however, they would use contradictory arguments to distort and pervert the truth.
Epicurus was also a philosopher; but he was imprudent, an atheist, and a teacher of sensual pleasure, professing that happiness is hedonism and pleasure.
Protagoras, Gorgias, Euthydimus, Xeniadis from Corinth, Thrasymachus, Callicles, Hippias, Prodicus, and Polus were all wise, learned orators
and eloquent deliberators; however, they were sophists who perverted the truth, and who
undermined the foundations of morality, religion, and faith. They came close to utterly overturning
the spiritual convictions and social principles of humanity, and they almost paralyzed ethics and virtue.
For they professed that all things are a falsehood, that everything comes into existence from non
-existence, that everything that is susceptible to
decomposition dissolves to non-existence again,
and that man himself is the standard of all truth and knowledge:
“Whatever each person believes is what is actually real.
What ever seems good to each person is what is in
fact stable and unchanging” (Protagoras).
Therefore, when the various branches of science
were lacking correct instruction and devoid of
the maxim “know thyself,” they were more harmful than beneficial.
http://www.stnektariosmonastery.org/
Geronda, if a woman is not Orthodox, and if she is not able to conceive a child, is it alright for her to wear the belt we have blessed on the holy relics of St. Arsenios?[l]
—Does she believe in the power of the Saint or does she think that it will help in some magical way? If she believes in the Saint, it's alright for her to wear it.
For some women who aren't able to conceive children, the spiritual laws are at work, because they didn't start families when they should have. They become very picky,
"No, he has this problem and the other guy has these problems." So, they make a promise to someone; but then they see someone else, so later they say "no" to the one to whom they had originally made a promise—and he, instead of seeing it as a blessing that she left him, goes and commits suicide. What kind of family is a woman like this going to make? Other women aren't able to have children because in their younger years they lived a wild life. Then others are troubled by their diet. Many foods contain lots of drugs and hormones.
There are also couples who, as soon as they marry, immediately want to conceive a child; and if they are held up a little they begin to be tormented. But how are they going to have a child while they are full of grief and stress? If they get rid of the grief and stress, and get their lives in order spiritually, then they'll have a child.
Sometimes God is intentionally slow in giving a child to a couple. Look at Saints Joachim and Anna, the holy ancestors, and the Prophet Zacharias and Saint Elizabeth. In their old age they were given a child, in both cases in order to fulfill God's pre-eternal plan for the salvation of all mankind.
Couples should always be ready to accept the will of God in their lives. Whoever entrusts himself to God, He will not abandon. We do so little, yet look at how much God does for us!
With such love and open-handedness He gives us everything! Is there anything that God is not able to do? One couple had five children; but when their children grew up, they all moved away and settled elsewhere, leaving their parents all alone. So they decided to have one more child, to have with them in their old age. And even though the woman was at an age when it was humanly impossible to conceive, they had great faith in God and brought forth a son. So they had their youngest son, whom they had raised and cared for, with them in their old age.
The matter of childbearing is not dependant only upon man, but upon God as well. When God sees humility in a couple who has difficulty conceiving children, He won't just give them one child. He is able to give them a large family. However, when He sees stubbornness and egoism, if He grants them their request, He will give in to their stubbornness and egoism. They must entirely give themselves over to God saying,
"My God, You know what is best for me; Thy will be done. (Mt 6:10)." Then, that for which they ask will be done. Because when we say Thy will be done, and dedicate ourselves in faith to God, then the will of God happens. But we on the one hand say Thy will be done, and on the other hand persist in wanting our own will. What can God do then?
Translation by Fr. Luke Hartung from the book: "Family Life" by Elder Paisios the
Athonite, published by the Sacred Hesychastirion of St. John the Evangelist, Souroti, Greece.
Vol. 18, Issue 01-08 Page 11 Orthodox Heritage
Do not be ashamed to enter again into the Church. Be ashamed when you sin. Do not be ashamed when you repent. Pay attention to what the devil did to you. These are two things: sin and repentance. Sin is a wound; repentance is a medicine. Just as there are for the body wounds and medicines, so for the soul are sins and repentance. However, sin has the shame and repentance possesses the courage.
St. John Chrystotom
