Where I'm Coming From...

So I should tell this audience that I recently retuned into the world from a pilgrimage which I did for a year. This involved six months at St. Anthony's in Arizona with Geronda Ephraim (may his memory be eternal, the SAINT!), followed by three months on the Holy Mountain of Athos, then another three months at St. Anthony's Monastery again.

It was life-changing and brought me to understand the truth of this precious and most beautiful Orthodox Faith. I experienced the Cross like I never had before in my life and went through great pain and suffering. But as a direct result of this (of course), I also expeienced the peace, forgiveness, and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Along with this, I developed a distaste for "head" knowledge about the Orthodox faith. Instead I found a love of "heart" knowledge of our Faith, which is found in the prayerful Holy Fathers. This has brought me to value silence (which is a most excellent teacher) much more and only want to talk/write about (when I must) three things:

1. The Jesus Prayer with Watchfulness
2. The Grace of God and Repentance
3. Battling the Passions by Asceticism or through Trial

Nothing else really matters in the world; Careers, Politics, Money: all these are vanity and death comes to us all. The life of prayer and pursuit of God is the only thing which will save us in the end. Everything else is a distraction. The more God is made a part of our life, the more awesome and beautiful everything becomes. We just need some faith, hope, and love.