Embracing the Impossible through Lent. A retreat with Fr Seraphim
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- As we prepare to enter Great Lent, our ancient spiritual laboratory, we are called to ponder on the impossible height to which we are being called-to be perfect with the Father’s perfection-an impossibility which becomes possible in Christ, as we open up to His presence. This paradox and the tension it creates in us keeps our spiritual life safe from being reduced to empty piety and religiosity.
This video is part of a Lenten Retreat at St Seraphim's Cathedral in Santa Rosa, California. Our love and gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin (OCA), Fr Lawrence Margitich and the wonderful people at the Cathedral for their invitation and hospitality.
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The video 'Embracing the Impossible through Lent. A retreat with Fr Seraphim' was recorded live at Saint Seraphim's Cathedral, Santa Rosa, California.
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Thank you. Great speech. What Church is your monastery part of? I mean what Patriarchate?
minunat!
Father, bless! In my ignorance I do not listen: I wake up at 3 am several nights during the week and rather than pray, I turn to worldly books to get back to sleep. All along God has been nudging me to get up and pray. Forgive me, a sinner.
I can imagine Jesus was preparing for the crucifixion and how much mental and physical preparation it would take if one could imagine having to endure that kind of pain. Focus on Christ Not on Fear. Withdraw from the world. Don't Judge. It's incredible that the saints converted the pagans. Focus on the 1% of seeds of Christ. Christ has been there first. The sun as the circle. I love the Celtic cross. shadows of the truth. We are not finished. Focus on the light.
This is a very EYE-OPENING sermon or rather an essence of how to start and remain in practising Christianity throughout one's lifetime with the correct mindset and attitude as long as we live!
In Jesus' name, I bow down to receiving this Grace via this religious experiential speech of Father Seraphim Aldea at this very hour!
Amen.
~ Saturday March 04, 2023 @ 1450 hours
First time practising Lent this year. Pray that I go through to the end.
Fight against judgement of others. Or any mundane concept.
Thank you Father Seraphim, for this Powerful message today. Stay Blessed.
I find the metaphore "spiritual chihuaha" very funny. It made me smile as I recognised myself so well in its meaning. Thank you father for sharing with us this eye-opening word on the many ways we can live a fake spiritual life. Thank you also for building this wonderful online community where I feel I can open my heart without fear. May Christ be among us with every teaching that you give, may we all support eachother to become the saints that God wants us to be.
Your words in reference to non judgement resonate strongly with me. Thank for coming to California Fr. Praying for the Monastery and all of the community.
Thank you FATHER fasting is a gift from God
I took this advice, and it revealed a blessing
I feel blessed to watch this. Thank you and God bless your soul 🙏
Father pray for me.
Excellent! God bless you and your community Holy Father!
Thank you for all the thoughts you put together for this sermon, it was beautiful. Listening to you preach I always remember you are a force against the darkness of this world. I appreciate the difficulties you encounter when preaching and traveling. We all need to remember that Mull Monastery exists on the generosity of others. I am speaking to myself most of all, someone who enjoys each video for years now; and does nothing in the way of support. God Bless you dear Father Aldea for being the person you are by always staying in submission and obedience to God. You are a shining beam of wisdom and light to a hurting world.
Father can you recommend to us a reading list for studying the stories and lessons of the Church and the desert Fathers and Mothers?
"The gift of insomnia" 🤣😇🙏
God blesssss youuu fatherrrr 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for these words fr Seraphim 🙏☦️🕊️
Keep up the great work in Christ may God bless you and your family
oh, but that „bunny” exist, my dear ones, it is not a conspiracy theory at all. Apocalypse warns us to refuse absolutely that thing that „bunny” and his comrades had to offer. God bless us all.
Thank you for your words and thoughts. They touched my heart. I will strive to be a more saintly person this Lent and experiment in prayer and fasting and alms giving.
I cant fast with food due to medical stuff. I take every sugestion to heart if you know other ways to fast and how I can inply it? God bless you and much love from Sweden 🇸🇪💟✝️💟
The point of fasting is to take less and give more. Remove vices and needless, wasteful earthly things from your life (I'm sure you can think of something) and focus on God.
God Bless you! Praise be to God! This video is immensely enlightening.
☦️☦️☦️
"We become that image which we reflect"
I like this statement very much.
Thank you Father. This was wonderful. The non-judgement part certainly hit close to home. By your prayers I hope to remember those words when I am tempted to let my mouth run away with my opinions.
Father Seraphim, I am posting this comment on the most recent video in hopes that you will be more likely to see it.
I am a young man who is dating a very lovely woman. She has had incredible spiritual experiences with our God, even while in an atheistic home.
She has learned love from God, and has shown such beautiful love to everyone she meets. She is the closest person to a Saint that I have met, although she isnt a catechumen yet.
My question is, Father, if we were to marry in the future, how can I make a Saint out of her? Thank you, may God bless you.
I am an electrical contractor and I have a very busy physically demanding job and I have found that it's nearly impossible for me to not eat meat. I have also found that it is possible for me to eat much smaller portions. To the extent that I'm constantly hungry. For now that is how I fast. The portions are incredibly small compared to normal and I'm constantly constantly hungry. Lord Jesus Christ son of God have mercy on me a sinner. That's my experiment.
Thank you, Father! To support the monastery - are you on Patreon?
Thank you Father ☦️
God Bless you and the Brothers & Sisters of the Monastery 🙏🏻
Father bless please 🙏🏻
God bless you Father Seraphim. May we all be blessed and grow in the “spiritual womb” this Lent ☦️🙏
So great to see you at St. Seraphim's!
I hope some day that you can come a little closer to San Diego. California is so large that Santa Rosa is still far for me, an 8 hour drive. (I am not a true Californian, for whom an 8 hour drive is no sweat.) The church is beautiful. I was glad to hear you bring your experience of Scotland to them. My wife and I are planning a visit to Ireland this August, which, unfortunately, is after your pilgrimages in July.
I am encouraged. Bless Father
Christ continue to be reflected from you. You are opening doors and windows in my mind, heart and soul .
Amen...God Bless Fr Seraphim.
Thank you for this message. I try to share and watch the videos from both channels often. May God bless you! 🙏🏼
It was a blessing to be present for this talk. A much needed encouragement for the start of Great Lent. So glad it was recorded so I could watch it again.
Prayers please for my husband who has paranoid schizophrenia. He is stuck in a cycle of profound self neglect and hoarding of his possessions. Thank you.
Prayers said!
Using simple language Fr Seraphim has helped me to understand concepts I’ve been experiencing in my learning journey but haven’t fully grasped.
In eternal gratitude 🙏
✝️✝️✝️
Thank you Father for all the Holy advise contained with in this loving Homily.
God Bless,
🙏🙏🙏
There is so much I wish to absorb from this. Thank you, Father. I will watch again and again, so as to keep the resonance within me!
Thank you for this, dear Father Seraphim! Also, I had an idea -- can the online community have gift subscriptions so that for example we can give our godson or goddaughter a six month subscription or send a friend a month of talks?
Nice retreat,Fr.Seraphim!The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.I loved Your Presence.So consoling.It always brings Hope and Light.I even don t need words.I loved how You have entitled it:EMBRACING,and Impossible,written in capital I.as if I were to accept I m powerless without God.But,I can do all Things through Christ Who strengthens me.yet it was good of You to share in my troubles.Fr.,if You feel sorry for us,it means God does too.I feel much better now.I m just sorry You re standing for so long.So,it s not a shame to be wretched in front of God.if You are Embracing all of us as Icons,imago Dei.Thank You so so much!🙏❤❤❤❤❤
Fr Seraphim, I just rediscovered you after your long period of online absence. It is so good, especially in this season of Great Lent, to hear your messages to us again.
Spectacular words
A talk straight to my heart. Thank you God.
Bless you Father for your teaching; I have such joy in listening to what you impart about our humanity in Christ and of the richness of our inheritance as children of God. The challenge of lent , its prescribed discipline of fasting, prayer and vigil are possible despite difficulties when approached creatively, Indeed it's true - we can do what we can do. I valued in particular your explanation of the 'distractions' - actions and duties which are good in themselves, but which we use as excuses for NOT responding to God's invitations to life in Him. This is so very very true, Also I loved your story about the early picts and their god - the sun. Many years ago I wrote and produced a Christmas programme entitled 'The Sonne at Christemasse' that explored that very same change in the understanding of early European man's understanding of the sun as a life-giving god. Early Christian missionaries spoke of the light of the world , the life giver, creator and sustainer. I hope one day that I'll be able to share it with you. Bloodless conversion indeed. Father, Bless.
Thank you father!!
Mulțumim părinte pentru extraordinarele cuvinte, pentru limpezimea și profunzimea lor. Dumnezeu să ne ajute pe toți să scăpăm de această povară a judecării lumii! Mă bucur că v-am revăzut. Sărut mâna.
Amen Amen Amen ☦
With all my respect father, Psalm 2, is it not about conspiracy against the Anointed of God- Christ? Neemiah building the walls of Jerusalem, there was one against him and also against Saint Paul (in the book of Acts of the appostles). They did not hate, but did not fall in the trap neighter.
Secret oats. The snake of old laying in wait. Is the beast today not looking like a lamb but speaking like a snake?
Yes, but...the services of Holy Friday do quote Ps 2 in regard to Christ. So, perhaps both.
Great talk!
Father Seraphim, thank you for this virtual spiritual retreat. Welcome to the USA. I missed you. Thank you for your spiritual guidance, it makes our Lenten journey more meaningful. I've learned a lot from you... God bless you abundantly.