PASSAGES THROUGH PARADISE
The "Other-Worldly" Organ of Sense must be
activated in order for any of "This Video" to
be communicated to others.
PASSAGES THROUGH PARADISE is an
extremely mystical video. Not everyone can see it!
And it is my sincere desire that no one, "Holy Oak"
or not would find it has "Objectionable Content"
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lawrence
activated in order for any of "This Video" to
be communicated to others.
PASSAGES THROUGH PARADISE is an
extremely mystical video. Not everyone can see it!
And it is my sincere desire that no one, "Holy Oak"
or not would find it has "Objectionable Content"
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lawrence
posted by Father Lawrence | 2:08 AM
4 Comments:
I did not know Father Seraphim or even of him, nor of Father Lawrence but as life has it and puts meetings in sequence when the timing is appropriate, we meet.
Your quote at the top of the page "Since his death I can find no peace of heart unless everything in my life is in some way an awareness of the reality that I am living the rest of my life the way I am, because I met and knew Father Seraphim." interests me.
why do you put so much emphasis on a man (out side of your self)?
should not the Light of awareness come from within yourself not from within another?
Dear Dawningone:
Because for us ... the Orthodox Christians, the Incarnation is ever so important. By Incarnation I mean the reality of God becoming man in Jesus Christ. We view the very fact that God Who is outside space and time has twice sanctified us as mankind and as well the whole of the universe. Once He sanctified us in creating everything, and another time He sanctified us in taking flesh from the Pure Virgin. This is why we call the Virgin Mary "The Mother of God." In Jesus Christ the fact that He (God) united Himself to mankind is the same to us as His joining Himself to all humans who have ever been or ever will be. Saints are those people who have tuned into this concept to such a degree that Jesus Christ physically changes them. For me, even though I have heard about a great number of saints ... I have only known one saint in the flesh (this Earthly life)... Father Seraphim Rose. Knowing this saint has so changed my way of life that all I desire is to understand it more deeply. I have seen God in Father Seraphim and Father Seraphim has fed me as the Lord Jesus explained to His disciples as is recorded in the Christian Holy Scriptures referenced as St. John 6:[53] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
[54] Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
[55] For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[56] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
[57] As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This comes back to the old question - "If a giant tree way far back in the wilderness falls down - does it make any noise? Some philosophies will say "No, because there is nobody there to hear it." We (The Orthodox Christians)would say of course it makes noise because reality, absolute reality, that is, Truth or Absolute Truth does not depend on a persons perceptions and personal interpretations to be what it is. It is Truth and will remain so no matter what we may think of it. We can have many personal views of what Truth is but Truth will be what it is no matter what we think it is. These are things and ways of thinking that I received from "eating the flesh of and drinking the blood of Jesus Christ from the hands of Father Seraphim Rose". So, ultimate reality or Absolute Truth is something "Outside" of us and because it is outside of us as humans we can have it inside us "after" we realize that Truth is God who is outside of time and space, the same God who became man and entered into time and space. And this same God of Truth can finally enter into us by our eating His Flesh and Drinking His Blood as described by St. John and practiced by the Orthodox Church for over 2,000 years now.
So, can you see why I look outside myself and into Father Seraphim? Eventually that means looking inside myself because he taught me these things and fed me God Incarnate. Truly, knowing Father Seraphim has changed the way I look at reality and the very way I live day to day.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lawrence
Dear Father Lawrence
by'religion' I too am an Orthodox Christian but I see things in a different way. I celebrate the 'traditional' Christmas and Easter according to the old calendar but I see things, life as always evolving and changing.
I no longer see God as that Creator sternly watching Creation. I, like you or Father Seraphim are all part of the ONe Creation and as such have that same Creative God force (Divine Spark) running throughout all of us as ALL THAT IS. God becomes man in all of us as we are all of the same Creation. We are not separate. God dwels within Father Lawrence, see that sight within your own soul. We all have the same creative Spark glowing in us whether we see this or not. This is the greater/absolute Truth of this reality.
Sincerely in Truth always
Dawning One
PS I know this is not the place to post this comment but I'm only new at blogging and just finding my way around. Once I get broadband I will watch the video you have put up.
Dear Dawningone:
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
You say that by 'religion' you are an Orthodox Christian. With your printing the word 'religion' the way you have I believe that you are trying to indicate that you believe there is a difference between religion and spirituality. Please, let me assure you the the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church have never made a distinction like this. This is an artificial distinction made in many man-made religions of the present day. The English word "religion" comes from the Latin word "religare" which is a compound of two Latin meanings; (re)= back and (ligare)= to bind [as a link]. Thus, religion is a "Binding-Link" to what is "Back" ie; the past which leads ultimately to God. Therefore religion is our link with God - the God of the past the study of which is Patrology. There can be no artificial distinctions between true religion and spirituality. To be religious is to be spiritual and to be spiritual is to be religious.
I am very sorry to learn that you were taught that God was, as you say, a "Creator sternly watching Creation". Where did you ever learn such a thing? This certainly is not the teaching of the Orthodox Christian Church. It saddens me when people tell me of such things.
What does it say within the halo of an Icon of our Lord Jesus Christ? It says "I Am He That Is". This is very similar to what you have written is it not? I was taught to pray as follows; "Oh Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who are everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and abide in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, Oh Good One."
I suspect that there are spiritual depths and dimensional realities far, far beyond that which you have known or ever experienced within the Orthodox Christian Church. If this is not so, please forgive me. I do not judge you in any way what so ever.
Once again, thank you.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lawrence
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