I kid you not, i was asking Our Lord to help me as i was unable to keep away from porn yet again and the moment i came out to the living room and opened youtube this video had been released 5 minutes ago at exactly the time i asked for grace. Thank you for this video, it is exactly what i needed.
I'm 38 years old and have been addicted to dopamine and pornography since I was 11 years old. I've abstained for 1 month. The longest I've gone in many many years. I've been praying ceaselessly. Whenever impure thoughts invade my mind, i immediately pray the Jesus prayer. Everytime. Be mindful of your thoughts and transform them with prayer. You'll begin to notice the results by cutting it off before it comes to fruition. Fast. Be mindful of what you put before your eyes and what goes into your ears. Hate sin. Really hate it and it will flee from you. The devil is cunning so don't allow him any opportunities to poison your mind. Keep busy at any cost and develop strategies to better use your free time. Edit: For all my brothers that are also struggling; I encourage you to study the life and spiritual practices of the saints and monastics. UA-cam has incredible resources in this regard. In my inquiry and study of EO, the life of the monastics have been a witness to me and have inspired a zeal for righteousness that I've never experienced. Stay strong and let's finish this race well!
I am younger than you however I want to recommend you what worked for me. Confession to spiritual father gave an ultimate end to it. May God help you dear brother.
@@flamar_bros8766 I'm currently an inquirer and attending catechism at my local mission parish. That's been one of the greatest decisions in my journey so far. I needed a community and I've found one. Appreciate your encouragement and wisdom!
The pornography issue in particular is the number one issue/problem/plague for men in modern times, especially young men. It's hard for older generations of men to really relate to the issue because they simply didn't grow up with technology. Since the explosion of the internet over the past 20 years or so countless numbers of boys have been growing up addicted to pornography. Your sex drive is already through the roof while you're going through puberty, curious about sex, etc... combine that with high speed internet on demand and infinite pornography at your fingertips 24/7 365 and you get a perfect storm for generations of boys growing up and developing into adults with porn-brain. This does unimaginable damage to your brain and It's only very recently that this problem is finally being brought to light. It's good to see the church speaking out on the issue, it needs to be taken extremely seriously.
Worst of all combine it with the messaging through academia and online influencers that porn and jerking it are morally decent things because anything that brings relief can't possibly be evil according to the modern worldview.
thank you ! pornography is awful and i felt shame and guilt for so long. i pray to god every night when i am awoken in the early morning. i plan on attending a orthodx church this weekend. please pray for me.
"Truly the evil of the present age has exceeded the evils and sins of all other ages.. In the present wicked generation the spiritual father ought to use oikonomia, for if he uses strictness, either none of those who confess, or few and far between, will be found worthy of recieving communion." - Elder Philotheos Zervakos, Paternal Counsels vol.1 These words from Geronda Philotheos is very much worth to consider on this sin, since self abuse and pornography has not only greatly increased but has become much more accessible and extreme.
Father Peter can you please make an in depth lecture on the sin of pornography and how to overcome it? This is something me and many other men desperately struggle with and it would be very helpful.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Matthew 5:28-30 “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” That’s about all there is to it if you ask me! Peace be with you and may the Lord cleanse your heart from these immoral desires, Glory to the Father Son and Holy Spirit, we cannot be righteous but through our God ❤️
Pornography and sexual sin latched on to me as a child. I was baptized at 16 understanding why I was being baptized and that Jesus was the only way that made sense to me, that my sin debt was paid through Gods grace alone, and nothing on my part, and I accepted his gift. I'm 52, and Pornography and sexual sin still infects me. There are times where I'm victorious for longer and then there are utter ruinous valleys of gratification and sin against God's spirit. But what has also caused me, and still causes me such torment alongside the sexual sin, is having heard and been led to understand that the ultimate source of deliverance for this and any kind of sin is Jesus' hand of spiritual deliverance in ones life. And that that deliverance isn't brought about by works, as works do not grant us salvation, but God's grace alone. So here I am, having been sincere time and time again throughout my life, repentance and tears and always looking to Jesus to deliver me. Deliver me as the Psalmist's write so often in their agony and yearning for God and his spirit. But God has not delivered me, otherwise I would not be writing this. And this leaves me in a deep well of despair, lacking the discernment and understanding of why God's mercy and grace through deliverance of this foulness within me, ever be given to me so that I can stand and know in my mind and realize in my very being and spirit that Jesus set me free. So my mind and spirit fails within me and I am brought so low where a doubting spirit consumes my thoughts, even in the middle of prayers and turning my eyes to God in the darkness, asking without answer or even any spiritual inkling as to what God would enlighten me to as why he abstains from deliverance of this sin. And I become lost in this balance of hope and despair, because inevitably, the chains have not been broken, and so therefore God's silence (as perceived by me), as i try to not trust my own understanding, crashes over everything and his rejection of me seems so complete. Yet I know Jesus says that he will never leave me nor forsake me. How lost I feel when all I long for is to be like the Psalmist who turns his eyes to the Lord and can say publicly and with complete Joy and trust, "The Lord lifted me out of the mud and the mire, out of the slimy Pit".
Seek out an Orthodox Christian Parish and speak to the priest and attend Divine Services. The Church has the tools to break one free of this demonic yoke.
21:30 This is so important! Children need to fast. I had never given much thought to this before, but considering that most children are exposed to pornography around age 11 (if not earlier), we need to make sure our kids aleady have some training in the arena of self-sacrifice instead of self-indulgence.
From my experience, surrounding yourself with loving Christian people for a long time can help overcome this passion. Surround yourself by your family (parents, siblings, children etc) with VERY frequent interactions with them.
I used to be very addicted to porn and online games. I have been freed from those almost 4 months ago. I force myself to pray Jesus Prayer whenever I want to watch porn and online games. I thank Lord Jesus Christ and the power of Jesus Prayer help. May God always bless and protect us.🙏⛪
Astonishing to realize Mary of Egypt likely had no spiritual formation before the age of 5. If she did, she proceeded to absolutely obliterate it and all fear of God and desire for anything good. Yet she repented to the utter core and far surpassed all Christians of her day and in most ages. As a laywoman, not a monastic. Lord Jesus Christ and our All Pure Lady, look on all of us the utterly unworthy who realize this even a bit. Let us noetically touch just the hem of her and thus Your garments and receive mercy and eternal life and not damnation when our souls depart, and at the Second Coming.
May God strengthen and protect me from the spirit of lust and grant me a heart to turn to Jesus for my gratification. May I always give my passion to the service of God, above all else.
For me, pornography is relatively easy to give up and easy to stay away from. I have viewed it before However I have stopped using pornography for a little while now. However masterbation or self abuse as I prefer to call it is hard to let go of. I will go about a week without doing it and then the urge will really come that I feel I need to release and then I just give into it while having a shower or something. I really wish I didn't do it at all and really want to stop doing it, but that second week is brutal. I have abstained from it for eighty days before so I do know that it becomes progressively easy after not doing self abuse after a while. But that second week is nightmare fuel.
Christ was strong and wants you strong. Dear brothers, even if you fall Christ still loves you. Take step by step and implement new healthy habits: Go to gym Read books Cold showers Pray/meditate Explore nature Hang up with people that have similar values. Eat healthy - avoid alcohol, stop eating refined sugar, The persevere repetitive discussion mentioning how bad is it, won't help the victim. Most of people commenting here are very young, they do their best to be good Christians but still they fall. In this conference, we observe the same attitude, victim blaming and condemnation (even if the Christian teaching says that the sin must be condemned not the victim). Of course, lust, pornography, masturbation is deadly sin, but repeating this over and over again and condemning the victims wont help. Discipline is the key to success.
I just went to confession this evening, I am so desperate to be done with this sickness. Watching this video, everything made so much sense and was so well put and easy to understand. Thank you so much Fr. Heers!!
This is a sickness in this world and Internet worsens it. So available at all times, its so hard to fight. It's slavery. I pray my sisters and brothers overcome this passion and fight the temptations with the help of Christ our lord and savior that loves us infinitely. This battle is not meant to be fought alone. I have been struggling with his for so long and I hate it. But i know Christ isn't taking it away because he wants me to fight, to learn and become victorious with his help.
O father Peter. Your content and works are unrated enough by the people. Perhaps more by Our Lord Jesus Christ. Wish you more subscribers and Gods support in all your deeds. I'm so happy that i found you here, about one month from now ago. With a warm heart and may the Lord bless you.❤
Fr Heers I thank you for showing the serious reality of this issue. So often whithin orthodoxy this issue is dealt with as an abstract, I have been taught this is something that will always be dealt with, and probably not overcome. And that sainthood is a pipedream for us, just something to be hoped for but not realistically sought. I thank you for helping me reject these notions, and understand the incarnational reality we are commanded to live. It takes time to unlearn all the reasons ive been given, as to why today, I cant live as early Chistians did. Thank God!!!
Thank you. I’m sorry to hear that. Those sentiments are absolutely not of God. We are all called to sanctity and sainthood. And by the grace of God all can be overcome.
This was very useful, especially after the question occurs at 10:45, it is really hard to navigate this stuff because so far I have not received penance but I want so bad to be healed of this passion
I thought it would make me feel better but it didn’t. Brains wired wrong. Peer pressure is what stole my youth. I never developed as a young man. Still in my twenties I’m just now seeing the damage and learning to pray. I need to quit smoking as well. Please pray for me.
You arent alone my dear brother, get away from the weed immediately. It is gasoline to the fire. Christos Anesti, do not despair or fall to the nihilism. I love you and God loves you.
Its paganistic. Stay away from people who live indifferent to the spiritual life to avoid this pit. Confession often and communion. Dont eat food as much. Fast for lengths if time as much as you can do. Stay off of sites that have any hint of nudity. Do not use drugs or alcohol. Without the workings of grace, it is not likely that you can escape this vice or any of the other ones. Do not be around peoole living in this sin or talking about it.
LORD , BE WITH US COS WE ARE WEAK WITHOUT YOU, LORD PLEASE DONT TURN YOUR BRIGHNTHESS FORM US AND HELP US THE ONE THAT ARE SLAVES OF LUST. LORD JESUS CHRIST HAVE MERCY ON US SINNERS
I believe that I relapsed back into this because I told myself if I just smoke some weed I’ll be fine as long as I stayed away from everything else and then slowly it was a slippery slope. Jesus Christ has been speaking loudly to my heart recently I have fell three times but I must get up once again thank you Jesus ! Let us reason together and let me leave all of this behind I can’t hold 10% for myself otherwise I committed the greatest sin of all… I have to turn fully. It will not be fun but oh well.
Thank you for making this video, and i humbly ask that you continue to keep making content such as this it was very helpful and also gave me the assurance that i am not alone in struggling with this sin it is awful i feel far from my lord and it is a painful feeling
Should do a more in depth video how damaging this is to the wives/children/families of porn addicted Fathers, especially self proclaimed Orthodox Fathers. This passion kills.
Nobody addresses how damaging this is to a wife as well. The pain of your husband no longer wanting you, trying to keep modest while still keeping your porn-loving husband interested in you, dealing with the porn-induced mood swings (withdrawal symptoms or the “down” that comes after the dopamine spike-dopamine falling below baseline) and porn-high that you know is not because of you. A man turning to porn when there is a conflict, rather than working to solve conflicts to come together as a married couple. Sneaking, lying, disconnection. It’s very very difficult and none of us women know how to navigate that with an Orthodox approach. Is it infidelity?? If the man was in the room with those people it would definitely be considered that but since there is a screen it’s not considered so? Is he binding himself to a prostitute? Also, chemically, he is bonding himself to himself. Selfish behavior throughout one’s life increases. Please address!
Yes, it is a form of adultery. Jesus said if a man lusts after a woman, that he's committed adultery with her in his mind. Yes, no one really addresses the wives who suffer because of this horrible addiction. Women in general are blamed for men doing this and called vile names, no responsibility being taken by them and they do not look at the lives around them, like their wife, that are being destroyed by this. They say they are victims but that is not true, the people hurt by it are the victims. P0rnography is a demonic illness, possessing both the ones who do it (though there are women who are trafficked into this, victims too) and the ones who partake of it. It can be broken if everyone took responsibility for him or herself. Those who do it or sponsor it need to say, "I'm done!" Those who partake of it need to say, "I'm going to get help for this addiction as it's eating my soul and hurting those around me!" I'm sorry you're going through this. If you need to talk ever. I'm here. May God bless you. 🙏
I agree that RARELY is it spoken of the spiritual and mental damage this does when your husband is partaking of this passion. And a husband you have children with... even girls. Which is an even harder pill to swallow. Lord have mercy on us.
It's like this video was made for me...orthodoxy is so incredible. Pray I overcome this passion. 🙏 I'm not orthodox yet, still inquirer. Do penance apply to inquirers or just full orthodox? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Why is there no mention of God’s love. Understanding the love of God and the strength of forgiveness and the joy of fellowship with the Spirit is what healed me and kept me away from pornography for good. Your heart doesn’t change until you understand the lengths the Savior took in life to free you from that bondage. His passion replaces the passion for lust. Knowing that sin severs relationship with God and feeling that effect yet knowing his cross bore our sin
This brought me nothing but despair. Almost all Orthodox videos and homilies and reading brings me nothing but despair anymore. Liturgy makes me despair, talking to my priest brings me despair, talking to my god father brings me despair. Praying makes me despair, I don’t know what to do. There’s so many things that are going to keep me out of heaven, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” said The Lord. It hasn’t felt that way since the day I got chrismated.
It is the goal of the devil to make us despair and lose hope so that we give up the struggle against sin, so that we give up the struggle to strengthen our faith and persevere in prayer. When we feel stuck in a cycle of sin it can feel hopeless. However, through Christ anything can be overcome as long as we are willing to do our part to cut off occasions of sin and to spend time cultivating the spiritual life under the guidance of an experienced spiritual father. There are many things we can do to make progress and cultivate our faith and hope, including reading the lives of the saints, many of whom lived very sinful lives before their deep and profound repentance. We can also strive to fast more, to do more prostrations, to pray more, to say the Jesus Prayer more throughout the day, again all with the blessing of a spiritual father. Our lives on earth are a spiritual battle and we must enter the battle with courage and fortitude, realizing this is a battle for our souls against the evil and demonic powers. We cannot roll over in despair and let them win!
The reality is that God isn't unjust or ignorant. There is a question of culpability essential to the estimation of this sin: Who is doing this (OCD, ADD, ADHD, genetic proclivity to addiction and extreme behavior)? How long have they been doing this? Since they were very little? Why are they doing this? They were abandoned morally by parents, etc? The question of culpability is essential in determining the gravity of particular sin, while the intrinsic type of sin (mortal) always remain. Things like force of habit, maturity of the individual, stress, etc... these are all mitigating factors which may reduce a person's culpability and therefore the actual gravity of the sin. And as was pointed out, sins of lust aren't the worst kind... they just feel the worst, often. None of that is said to sublimate the objective gravity of this sin. But, if you tell a person with OCD that they need to go to frequent confession over this sin, there is the risk of leading the individual into creating the vice of scrupulosity. Similarly, for depressed or despondent persons, frequent confession might degrade in their minds the efficacy of this sacrament, or even lead to disbelief in its ability to help. The Church and mankind have never faced a crisis of this magnitude in quantity and quality regarding the vice of lust. Even so, the best tactics against it remain the same, and at the same time blaming it on bad formation when coming into the Church seems patently absurd and like grasping at straws. Information is not the answer, here. As I said, the best answers are the tried and true, the simplest. Fasting from certain foods, from technology, and not being so prideful as to accord oneself personal time. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Meeting the temptation on the threshold of the mind with the reading of scripture and meditative prayer. Resignation to God's Will regarding the timeline for the cure. We are called to be faithful, not successful... and He alone can save us from this vice, or any other. Our Lady is particularly helpful in this endeavor. It is unhelpful to tell people that whoever doesn't conquer this sin isn't going to be saved... and it certainly isn't the Orthodox position. If a poor soul with low culpability, who hates this sin/vice, who fights it, and doesn't give up, doesn't lose faith... has good reason to have every hope in their confidence (in Christ). And this is why they should not despair. It is a disease, much like any other disease, and Christ does not recoil from the diseased. He can either cure them or raise them to life. But we must fight.
I am 32 and virgin and addicted to this from like I dont even remember exactly,I think 11-12 years old,how can I escape from this sin? I am scared of women cuz of it and super shy. I blocked it on my smartphone but still in the mornings I have this sexual desire really strong.
Thank you for this. I’ve been ok for almost several days now. I felt it the case before, but within the first 6 minutes this confirmed that my parish priest isn’t going to be able to really delve deep into my problems and help me stop them permanently and heal from them. Even my thoughts are bad. I feel ok now, lustful thoughts and ideas are still there, but I don’t go and satisfy the visual fantasy. It’s a few taps away. I’ve felt this before: I’m going to try and keep away from it but I know deep down I want it and I’m going to open images and stories again and abuse my soul again and have to go to confession… again. I want to live my fantasy out in real life but it’s literally satans dream. I want to be married already. I’m 28 and I want a family. I’m so not worthy.
As a single man I've been struggling for years with this sin but only recently took it seriously; at first I wouldn't mind even though I had read that masturbation was a sin. And it always happens when I'm alone in my house.
Father, have you ever thought of joining forces with AMEN DOMSE on this very important topic? They are doing really great work, and so are you. And so many men and women need help in this.
Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner ☦️. Father I have a question my eldest child is a type 1 diabetic and fasting becomes difficult for our house hold. Sometimes due to our economic situation and constantly working and basically being stretch out very thin we do not go to church. Is there an economy we can ask for during these times. We do our best to fast for lent but throughout the year it’s a real struggle. I pray the our lord helps guide us out of this difficulty I truly desire to be free on Sundays so that I can take my children to church. I feel as though the enemy has put obstacles in front of me one after the other. Please pray for us
Most Orthodox in the west are converts who bring their baggage to the hospital. Thanks be to God that healing and deliverance for those who seek the Divine Healer.
@LadyMaria I typed a comment yesterday here, but it is no longer visible to me. I have since made a second comment, this one about censorship/shadow banning
Ill be honest Father. I know i cannot be like the Saints of the Church. all i can do is struggle. Ive prayed. Ive fasted. Ive prostrated and all i know is that maybe if i am going to Hell. Then so be it. I will continue to struggle to the very end. I cannot become a monk and escape this world in order to repent. (Under obedience) and i cannot see myself get married, especially with all these passions i have. And one of the best things ive found that has helped me against the passion. Ive been told by a priest that i shouldnt focus on. I enjoy BodyBuilding and that I have found it a great escape from this passion. Because it helps me focus my testosterone and desire to doing something BETTER than waste my life looking at images. So either way. I do not see myself being able to fulfill what the Church SAYS i should be doing. Maybe I am on a different Path to Christ. Or maybe im deluded and Im going to destroy myself eventually. Either way. At least ill find out where im going.
I used to feel the same. Biggest advice I can give you: control your thoughts brother, control your thoughts. Sexual thought pops up in your head? It’s a demon. Say the Lord’s prayer and pray to the Theotokos. “Lord I need help, my flesh is weak, Holy Mother of God, help me fight this temptation.” WARNING: if you pray like this while you still want to fantasize and get something out of your thoughts, it will NOT work. So when you pray, be 100% focused on the Goodness of God and focus on maintaining your purity.
"If repentance is too much for you and you sin out of habit even when you do not want to, show humility like the publican. This is enough to ensure your salvation." St Peter of Damascus. The important thing is to never stop struggling brother, even if get way WORSE God is still with us because we never gave up, as St Nikodemos also wrote.
Your desire for God and asking for mercy is the important thing. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:11-14
Father, When you say that one should refrain from communing until he enters some kind of therapeutic approach to his sin - ie. fasting, prayer, etc - is that not withholding the primary healing means of grace until works have been completed? How is one to heal from discipline alone. Should not the Eucharist be seen as the most important medicine for healing?
Strong medicine for strong stomachs. Strong medicine can heal when the body can withstand it. To become able to receive it one must prepare, fulfill the presuppositions. The Eucharist has presuppositions. The Grace of God works among the repenting.It does not force itself when we are still turning away. The Grace of God also works among the repenting in other ways -- depending on the humility of the penitent. See St. Maria of Egypt. There are innumerable canons to guide us and they all have a therapeutic role and method and the almost all apply the medicine of abstaining from Communion for a time while the necessary presuppositions are met. In other words, not communing after a fall is a part of the healing schedule and far, far from opposed to it. When one has repented and is repenting, become more stable, consistent, and shown humility and determination to be faithful, he will fulfill the necessary presuppositions and can approach without being burned.
Pray first. Also, battling restlessness in the body can be helped with more physical fitness. Volunteering at your church will help with the loneliness and perhaps, introduce you to a partner or friend. Social media is a gateway to lust. Clean up your media feed. It will eventually tempt you into more graphic content.
Thank you so much father for this, you are true blessing, we need more God-fearing and loving Priest like you! If I may ask a small question father. I‘m soon going to buy Patristic Theology, Exomologetarion by St. Nikodemus and Concerning frequent Communion by St. Nikodemus. In which order do you recommend me to read the books? Thank you and God bless!
Why is there no mention of God’s love. Understanding the love of God and the strength of forgiveness and the joy of fellowship with the Spirit is what healed me and kept me away from pornography for good. Your heart doesn’t change until you understand the lengths the Savior took in life to free you from that bondage. His passion replaces the passion for lust.
This is true, and a key part of Orthodoxy since God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Not only does He know our weakness, but desires to heal us from that weakness. This is where Orthodoxy shines in the emphasis of church as hospital, with the full sacramental life (including prayer and fasting, etc.) as the medicine to heal the soul. I think Fr. Peter is maybe not emphasizing that because in Orthodoxy it is sometimes taken for granted, or as a given, and so his remarks presuppose an understanding of this already. I could be wrong, but, just my spin on it. I think it would be different, however, if he had an entire series dedicated to exploring this topic.
@@sooperdtI don’t mean to argue brother or sister, but that is your own perspective not the truth. There is love in the Orthodox Church. I understand what you’re saying. I was raised Baptist and became Orthodox. It’s definitely a different atmosphere. I even had a friend who said she wouldn’t attend the Church because it seemed depressing. I had the same feeling in the beginning but the more I attended the the more I understood. Lord have mercy. ❤️
@@sooperdt no love of Christ in the liturgy? Over three quarters of the text of the liturgy is Scripture. I know this is not your intention, but it is blasphemous to say that the Scripture is absent of God's love. The Divine Liturgy recounts the entire story of salvation, both Old Covenant and New Covenant, and proclaims God's love through and through. Just consider the first antiphon, "Bless the Lord, O my soul! And forget not all His benefits! Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases! Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works vindication and justice for the oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long suffering and of great goodness! He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever." That should be enough, but consider also that the Liturgy also includes the work of intercession for the entire world. It is the Body of Christ literally pouring out the love of God for the world "again and again", a reality that the faithful also bring with them from the liturgy and into the world. But this would not be possible were it not for Christ's victory over sin, death, and the demons (the Gospel) which is proclaimed not only in the ordinary text of the Liturgy, but in the Scripture readings, and the sermon. In response to this, we offer a thanksgiving offering of bread and wine, symbolic of our desire to serve God as Christ serves Him. But because we are weak and sinful, God not only forgives our sin, but transforms these gifts into His very body and blood, infusing them with His divine grace, and returns them to us for our salvation and transformation. Yes, He is a God who doesn't leave us where we are, but actually deals with our sins. That is true love. I encourage you to go and speak to a priest about any of your concerns.
@@sooperdt What a disgusting untruth. Divine Liturgy is ALL about the love of the Holy Trinity, the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the love of us for brothers and sisters.
The only reason people do this, is because God is absent in their life, he doesn't give flying f about their life, he doesn't guide them a safe road. They don't feel loved because god didn't do his job, and yet they are the ones who needs to fix what god broken, he is truly a sadistic scum not worth worshipping ever. I sacrificed my whole life for this joke of god, and in return my life is being destroyed every day. Thank you god, such a great father and shepherd, leading me from one harmful situation to another, what a great compassionate god. 30 years of being christian only to be tortured by other people and led to mental state in which i almost plan to suicide - which is a sin. But if God destroy human life to the point human does it, is it really a sin? Yes it is - but not sin of human, but sin of God who doesn't have a heart or slightest fraction of mercy and compassion.
9:05 which foods are dry foods. Id be curious to know the proper way of penance for this sin. Naturally I am already aware of the importance of abstinence from certain foods for the sake of a soul. Which foods does the cannon refer to?
The reality is that God isn't unjust or ignorant. There is a question of culpability essential to the estimation of this sin: Who is doing this (OCD, ADD, ADHD, genetic proclivity to addiction and extreme behavior)? How long have they been doing this? Since they were very little? Why are they doing this? They were abandoned morally by parents, etc? The question of culpability is essential in determining the gravity of particular sin, while the intrinsic type of sin (mortal) always remain. Things like force of habit, maturity of the individual, stress, etc... these are all mitigating factors which may reduce a person's culpability and therefore the actual gravity of the sin. And as was pointed out, sins of lust aren't the worst kind... they just feel the worst, often. None of that is said to sublimate the objective gravity of this sin. But, if you tell a person with OCD that they need to go to frequent confession over this sin, there is the risk of leading the individual into creating the vice of scrupulosity. Similarly, for depressed or despondent persons, frequent confession might degrade in their minds the efficacy of this sacrament, or even lead to disbelief in its ability to help. The Church and mankind have never faced a crisis of this magnitude in quantity and quality regarding the vice of lust. Even so, the best tactics against it remain the same, and at the same time blaming it on bad formation when coming into the Church seems patently absurd and like grasping at straws. Information is not the answer, here. As I said, the best answers are the tried and true, the simplest. Fasting from certain foods, from technology, and not being so prideful as to accord oneself personal time. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Meeting the temptation on the threshold of the mind with the reading of scripture and meditative prayer. Resignation to God's Will regarding the timeline for the cure. We are called to be faithful, not successful... and He alone can save us from this vice, or any other. Our Lady is particularly helpful in this endeavor. It is unhelpful to tell people that whoever doesn't conquer this sin isn't going to be saved... and it certainly isn't the Orthodox position. If a poor soul with low culpability, who hates this sin/vice, who fights it, and doesn't give up, doesn't lose faith... has good reason to have every hope in their confidence (in Christ). And this is why they should not despair. It is a disease, much like any other disease, and Christ does not recoil from the diseased. He can either cure them or raise them to life. But we must fight.
Hi Father Peter , is the nomokanon only for the priest to have as a guide or is it possible for none clergy to have the nomokanon aswel . I would like to go deeper into knowing the cures of sins or is there any other literature you could send my way .
How do these guys make a living financially, I can imagine some people like this might need to work hard in a factory and then continue to practice religion outside of work?
Humility is the cure for pornography and masturbation. The Lord has blessed us with those who have seen hell and have come back to report of its extreme graphic nature Google hellish experiences near death experience and listen to what people say who have been in hell this will cause bodily passions to subside extremely if not completely. Memory of hell and continuous prayer throughout the day is the remedy for pornography and self abuse. Learn the psalms particularly psalm 23 and psalm 51 along with the Lord prayer throughout the day. Rebuke the demons of lust and pornography in the name of Jesus Christ. Renounce the devil verbally as well. Take extreme measures to guard your thoughts through the memory of hell Saint Silouan of mt athos was told by Jesus “keep thy mind in hell and despair not” in order for him to attain deeper humility. This is what has worked for me at my Guardian angel has taught me to do. God bless you all my brothers and sisters.
I kid you not, i was asking Our Lord to help me as i was unable to keep away from porn yet again and the moment i came out to the living room and opened youtube this video had been released 5 minutes ago at exactly the time i asked for grace.
Thank you for this video, it is exactly what i needed.
I’m so sick of falling in this trap. Please pray for me. 😢☦️
Me too brother. I will, pray for me too. It's very hard to deal with this when being alone
Every time you're tempted to do something, have religious pictures or icons near you✌🏻
I'm trying to compensate for something that's what that is a cover for pain
🙏
Agree 👍 brother, it's trap,Satan has carefully set for us**it's not all of our fault, but disaplain and prayer and fasting is start
Many people will benefit from this. May Christ strengthen all those who struggle!
THANK YOU for your donation!
I'm 38 years old and have been addicted to dopamine and pornography since I was 11 years old. I've abstained for 1 month. The longest I've gone in many many years. I've been praying ceaselessly. Whenever impure thoughts invade my mind, i immediately pray the Jesus prayer. Everytime. Be mindful of your thoughts and transform them with prayer. You'll begin to notice the results by cutting it off before it comes to fruition. Fast. Be mindful of what you put before your eyes and what goes into your ears. Hate sin. Really hate it and it will flee from you. The devil is cunning so don't allow him any opportunities to poison your mind. Keep busy at any cost and develop strategies to better use your free time.
Edit: For all my brothers that are also struggling; I encourage you to study the life and spiritual practices of the saints and monastics. UA-cam has incredible resources in this regard. In my inquiry and study of EO, the life of the monastics have been a witness to me and have inspired a zeal for righteousness that I've never experienced. Stay strong and let's finish this race well!
I am younger than you however I want to recommend you what worked for me. Confession to spiritual father gave an ultimate end to it. May God help you dear brother.
@@flamar_bros8766 I'm currently an inquirer and attending catechism at my local mission parish. That's been one of the greatest decisions in my journey so far. I needed a community and I've found one. Appreciate your encouragement and wisdom!
🙏
The pornography issue in particular is the number one issue/problem/plague for men in modern times, especially young men. It's hard for older generations of men to really relate to the issue because they simply didn't grow up with technology. Since the explosion of the internet over the past 20 years or so countless numbers of boys have been growing up addicted to pornography. Your sex drive is already through the roof while you're going through puberty, curious about sex, etc... combine that with high speed internet on demand and infinite pornography at your fingertips 24/7 365 and you get a perfect storm for generations of boys growing up and developing into adults with porn-brain. This does unimaginable damage to your brain and It's only very recently that this problem is finally being brought to light. It's good to see the church speaking out on the issue, it needs to be taken extremely seriously.
Worst of all combine it with the messaging through academia and online influencers that porn and jerking it are morally decent things because anything that brings relief can't possibly be evil according to the modern worldview.
Wise Words
🇮🇱 is responsible...
@@kingkoi6542 Why though?
@@felobatirmoheb4884 Who do you think owns all the industry?
thank you ! pornography is awful and i felt shame and guilt for so long. i pray to god every night when i am awoken in the early morning. i plan on attending a orthodx church this weekend. please pray for me.
Pornography is the work of the devil. So demonic and obscene
I was not expecting a Luka pfp here XD
ocarina of time?
God, strengthen my resistance to degeneracy. Amen.
"Truly the evil of the present age has exceeded the evils and sins of all other ages.. In the present wicked generation the spiritual father ought to use oikonomia, for if he uses strictness, either none of those who confess, or few and far between, will be found worthy of recieving communion." - Elder Philotheos Zervakos, Paternal Counsels vol.1
These words from Geronda Philotheos is very much worth to consider on this sin, since self abuse and pornography has not only greatly increased but has become much more accessible and extreme.
Father Peter can you please make an in depth lecture on the sin of pornography and how to overcome it? This is something me and many other men desperately struggle with and it would be very helpful.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Matthew 5:28-30 “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
That’s about all there is to it if you ask me! Peace be with you and may the Lord cleanse your heart from these immoral desires, Glory to the Father Son and Holy Spirit, we cannot be righteous but through our God ❤️
it's the number one issue men struggle with in our current time. A plague that is ravaging society.
@@bobcobb158It destroys marriages too.
Pornography and sexual sin latched on to me as a child. I was baptized at 16 understanding why I was being baptized and that Jesus was the only way that made sense to me, that my sin debt was paid through Gods grace alone, and nothing on my part, and I accepted his gift.
I'm 52, and Pornography and sexual sin still infects me. There are times where I'm victorious for longer and then there are utter ruinous valleys of gratification and sin against God's spirit.
But what has also caused me, and still causes me such torment alongside the sexual sin, is having heard and been led to understand that the ultimate source of deliverance for this and any kind of sin is Jesus' hand of spiritual deliverance in ones life. And that that deliverance isn't brought about by works, as works do not grant us salvation, but God's grace alone.
So here I am, having been sincere time and time again throughout my life, repentance and tears and always looking to Jesus to deliver me. Deliver me as the Psalmist's write so often in their agony and yearning for God and his spirit.
But God has not delivered me, otherwise I would not be writing this. And this leaves me in a deep well of despair, lacking the discernment and understanding of why God's mercy and grace through deliverance of this foulness within me, ever be given to me so that I can stand and know in my mind and realize in my very being and spirit that Jesus set me free.
So my mind and spirit fails within me and I am brought so low where a doubting spirit consumes my thoughts, even in the middle of prayers and turning my eyes to God in the darkness, asking without answer or even any spiritual inkling as to what God would enlighten me to as why he abstains from deliverance of this sin.
And I become lost in this balance of hope and despair, because inevitably, the chains have not been broken, and so therefore God's silence (as perceived by me), as i try to not trust my own understanding, crashes over everything and his rejection of me seems so complete. Yet I know Jesus says that he will never leave me nor forsake me.
How lost I feel when all I long for is to be like the Psalmist who turns his eyes to the Lord and can say publicly and with complete Joy and trust, "The Lord lifted me out of the mud and the mire, out of the slimy Pit".
Seek out an Orthodox Christian Parish and speak to the priest and attend Divine Services. The Church has the tools to break one free of this demonic yoke.
Bro you’re too old for this bro
How have u not given it up after all these years ??
Mark 9:47 🤷🏽♂️
Paul had a thorn God wouldn’t take away. No one really knows what that was. Continue to battle. You are not alone.
be strong brothers and sisters in Christ. even if you fail, get up and do better.
I am Catholic and I find this very helpful to do real penances like fasting after falling into mortal sin. Thank you Father!
21:30 This is so important! Children need to fast. I had never given much thought to this before, but considering that most children are exposed to pornography around age 11 (if not earlier), we need to make sure our kids aleady have some training in the arena of self-sacrifice instead of self-indulgence.
From my experience, surrounding yourself with loving Christian people for a long time can help overcome this passion. Surround yourself by your family (parents, siblings, children etc) with VERY frequent interactions with them.
I used to be very addicted to porn and online games. I have been freed from those almost 4 months ago. I force myself to pray Jesus Prayer whenever I want to watch porn and online games. I thank Lord Jesus Christ and the power of Jesus Prayer help. May God always bless and protect us.🙏⛪
Astonishing to realize Mary of Egypt likely had no spiritual formation before the age of 5. If she did, she proceeded to absolutely obliterate it and all fear of God and desire for anything good.
Yet she repented to the utter core and far surpassed all Christians of her day and in most ages. As a laywoman, not a monastic.
Lord Jesus Christ and our All Pure Lady, look on all of us the utterly unworthy who realize this even a bit. Let us noetically touch just the hem of her and thus Your garments and receive mercy and eternal life and not damnation when our souls depart, and at the Second Coming.
May God strengthen and protect me from the spirit of lust and grant me a heart to turn to Jesus for my gratification. May I always give my passion to the service of God, above all else.
Father bless. I needed this video so much. I'm afraid for my eternal soul and want to please and obey God.
Gods timing is perfect, speechless. God bless everyone here and may we all walk by the Spirit.
For me, pornography is relatively easy to give up and easy to stay away from. I have viewed it before However I have stopped using pornography for a little while now. However masterbation or self abuse as I prefer to call it is hard to let go of. I will go about a week without doing it and then the urge will really come that I feel I need to release and then I just give into it while having a shower or something.
I really wish I didn't do it at all and really want to stop doing it, but that second week is brutal.
I have abstained from it for eighty days before so I do know that it becomes progressively easy after not doing self abuse after a while. But that second week is nightmare fuel.
8:49 - the book is "Exomologetarion: A Manual of Confession" (it took me a while trying to phonetically decipher what he said and the image was fuzzy)
I quit in 2019 for no fap November , before I became an orthodox enquirer.. I realised that it was a weapon used against us..
Christ was strong and wants you strong.
Dear brothers, even if you fall Christ still loves you.
Take step by step and implement new healthy habits:
Go to gym
Read books
Cold showers
Pray/meditate
Explore nature
Hang up with people that have similar values.
Eat healthy - avoid alcohol, stop eating refined sugar,
The persevere repetitive discussion mentioning how bad is it, won't help the victim. Most of people commenting here are very young, they do their best to be good Christians but still they fall.
In this conference, we observe the same attitude, victim blaming and condemnation (even if the Christian teaching says that the sin must be condemned not the victim). Of course, lust, pornography, masturbation is deadly sin, but repeating this over and over again and condemning the victims wont help.
Discipline is the key to success.
I just went to confession this evening, I am so desperate to be done with this sickness. Watching this video, everything made so much sense and was so well put and easy to understand. Thank you so much Fr. Heers!!
How are you doing with your life . Just thought id check up on you as a brother in christ.
Arrogance and pride as the source of fleshly sin. That's a deep observation.
This is a sickness in this world and Internet worsens it. So available at all times, its so hard to fight. It's slavery. I pray my sisters and brothers overcome this passion and fight the temptations with the help of Christ our lord and savior that loves us infinitely. This battle is not meant to be fought alone. I have been struggling with his for so long and I hate it. But i know Christ isn't taking it away because he wants me to fight, to learn and become victorious with his help.
Much needed. Thank you so much may they blessing of God be with you. 40 days ❤
Father Heers is spot on.
O father Peter. Your content and works are unrated enough by the people.
Perhaps more by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wish you more subscribers and Gods support in all your deeds.
I'm so happy that i found you here, about one month from now ago.
With a warm heart and may the Lord bless you.❤
I am struggling with this right now. I am a Catholic, but I will take this advice.
Fr Heers I thank you for showing the serious reality of this issue. So often whithin orthodoxy this issue is dealt with as an abstract, I have been taught this is something that will always be dealt with, and probably not overcome. And that sainthood is a pipedream for us, just something to be hoped for but not realistically sought. I thank you for helping me reject these notions, and understand the incarnational reality we are commanded to live. It takes time to unlearn all the reasons ive been given, as to why today, I cant live as early Chistians did. Thank God!!!
Thank you. I’m sorry to hear that. Those sentiments are absolutely not of God. We are all called to sanctity and sainthood. And by the grace of God all can be overcome.
This was very useful, especially after the question occurs at 10:45, it is really hard to navigate this stuff because so far I have not received penance but I want so bad to be healed of this passion
I thought it would make me feel better but it didn’t. Brains wired wrong. Peer pressure is what stole my youth. I never developed as a young man. Still in my twenties I’m just now seeing the damage and learning to pray. I need to quit smoking as well. Please pray for me.
You arent alone my dear brother, get away from the weed immediately. It is gasoline to the fire. Christos Anesti, do not despair or fall to the nihilism. I love you and God loves you.
15 seconds of prayer enough? Lmk
@seanm8665 Lord Jesus have mercy upon Sean and save him and protect him from the evil one
I thank all the comments. May God bless us all.
Its paganistic. Stay away from people who live indifferent to the spiritual life to avoid this pit. Confession often and communion. Dont eat food as much. Fast for lengths if time as much as you can do. Stay off of sites that have any hint of nudity. Do not use drugs or alcohol.
Without the workings of grace, it is not likely that you can escape this vice or any of the other ones.
Do not be around peoole living in this sin or talking about it.
may we all have a blessed Lent this year ❤️ we will defeat the passions by God's Will, pray for all the orthodox faithful this Lent🙏❤️
Exactly the video l wanted, wished there was a greek version as well. Even though l do understand as a Greek.
Ακηδια is everywhere in us
LORD , BE WITH US COS WE ARE WEAK WITHOUT YOU, LORD PLEASE DONT TURN YOUR BRIGHNTHESS FORM US AND HELP US THE ONE THAT ARE SLAVES OF LUST. LORD JESUS CHRIST HAVE MERCY ON US SINNERS
The best NoFap video ever. God bless you Father
The Fear of the Lord is clean...😭
I believe that I relapsed back into this because I told myself if I just smoke some weed I’ll be fine as long as I stayed away from everything else and then slowly it was a slippery slope. Jesus Christ has been speaking loudly to my heart recently I have fell three times but I must get up once again thank you Jesus ! Let us reason together and let me leave all of this behind I can’t hold 10% for myself otherwise I committed the greatest sin of all… I have to turn fully. It will not be fun but oh well.
Thank you for making this video, and i humbly ask that you continue to keep making content such as this it was very helpful and also gave me the assurance that i am not alone in struggling with this sin it is awful i feel far from my lord and it is a painful feeling
thank you Father.
Thank you father, this is one of the best advice online about this subject ❤
Thank you, alot. Thank you.
Truck loads of Grace to overcome this. You become a slave to your passions. 🙏🏻 for anyone going through this.
Tak!
Pornography and subsequent adultery destroyed my 1st marriage.
Should do a more in depth video how damaging this is to the wives/children/families of porn addicted Fathers, especially self proclaimed Orthodox Fathers.
This passion kills.
Very relevant topic thank you. God help each one who is desiring to be free from this bondage.
Ευχαριστούμε για το βίντεο. Την ευχή σας.
Nobody addresses how damaging this is to a wife as well. The pain of your husband no longer wanting you, trying to keep modest while still keeping your porn-loving husband interested in you, dealing with the porn-induced mood swings (withdrawal symptoms or the “down” that comes after the dopamine spike-dopamine falling below baseline) and porn-high that you know is not because of you. A man turning to porn when there is a conflict, rather than working to solve conflicts to come together as a married couple.
Sneaking, lying, disconnection. It’s very very difficult and none of us women know how to navigate that with an Orthodox approach.
Is it infidelity?? If the man was in the room with those people it would definitely be considered that but since there is a screen it’s not considered so? Is he binding himself to a prostitute? Also, chemically, he is bonding himself to himself. Selfish behavior throughout one’s life increases.
Please address!
Yes, it is a form of adultery. Jesus said if a man lusts after a woman, that he's committed adultery with her in his mind.
Yes, no one really addresses the wives who suffer because of this horrible addiction. Women in general are blamed for men doing this and called vile names, no responsibility being taken by them and they do not look at the lives around them, like their wife, that are being destroyed by this. They say they are victims but that is not true, the people hurt by it are the victims.
P0rnography is a demonic illness, possessing both the ones who do it (though there are women who are trafficked into this, victims too) and the ones who partake of it. It can be broken if everyone took responsibility for him or herself. Those who do it or sponsor it need to say, "I'm done!" Those who partake of it need to say, "I'm going to get help for this addiction as it's eating my soul and hurting those around me!"
I'm sorry you're going through this. If you need to talk ever. I'm here. May God bless you. 🙏
You’re absolutely correct. It needs to be addressed.
God willing. Will try to do more.
@@pah9730 also, how do we talk about this without disrespecting our husbands?
I wish I could just hug you.
I agree that RARELY is it spoken of the spiritual and mental damage this does when your husband is partaking of this passion. And a husband you have children with... even girls. Which is an even harder pill to swallow.
Lord have mercy on us.
It's like this video was made for me...orthodoxy is so incredible. Pray I overcome this passion. 🙏
I'm not orthodox yet, still inquirer. Do penance apply to inquirers or just full orthodox?
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
You'd save more souls if you talked about this a lot more and proliferated this content
Why is there no mention of God’s love. Understanding the love of God and the strength of forgiveness and the joy of fellowship with the Spirit is what healed me and kept me away from pornography for good. Your heart doesn’t change until you understand the lengths the Savior took in life to free you from that bondage. His passion replaces the passion for lust.
Knowing that sin severs relationship with God and feeling that effect yet knowing his cross bore our sin
This brought me nothing but despair. Almost all Orthodox videos and homilies and reading brings me nothing but despair anymore. Liturgy makes me despair, talking to my priest brings me despair, talking to my god father brings me despair. Praying makes me despair, I don’t know what to do.
There’s so many things that are going to keep me out of heaven, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” said The Lord. It hasn’t felt that way since the day I got chrismated.
It is the goal of the devil to make us despair and lose hope so that we give up the struggle against sin, so that we give up the struggle to strengthen our faith and persevere in prayer. When we feel stuck in a cycle of sin it can feel hopeless. However, through Christ anything can be overcome as long as we are willing to do our part to cut off occasions of sin and to spend time cultivating the spiritual life under the guidance of an experienced spiritual father. There are many things we can do to make progress and cultivate our faith and hope, including reading the lives of the saints, many of whom lived very sinful lives before their deep and profound repentance. We can also strive to fast more, to do more prostrations, to pray more, to say the Jesus Prayer more throughout the day, again all with the blessing of a spiritual father. Our lives on earth are a spiritual battle and we must enter the battle with courage and fortitude, realizing this is a battle for our souls against the evil and demonic powers. We cannot roll over in despair and let them win!
The reality is that God isn't unjust or ignorant. There is a question of culpability essential to the estimation of this sin: Who is doing this (OCD, ADD, ADHD, genetic proclivity to addiction and extreme behavior)? How long have they been doing this? Since they were very little? Why are they doing this? They were abandoned morally by parents, etc? The question of culpability is essential in determining the gravity of particular sin, while the intrinsic type of sin (mortal) always remain. Things like force of habit, maturity of the individual, stress, etc... these are all mitigating factors which may reduce a person's culpability and therefore the actual gravity of the sin. And as was pointed out, sins of lust aren't the worst kind... they just feel the worst, often.
None of that is said to sublimate the objective gravity of this sin. But, if you tell a person with OCD that they need to go to frequent confession over this sin, there is the risk of leading the individual into creating the vice of scrupulosity. Similarly, for depressed or despondent persons, frequent confession might degrade in their minds the efficacy of this sacrament, or even lead to disbelief in its ability to help.
The Church and mankind have never faced a crisis of this magnitude in quantity and quality regarding the vice of lust. Even so, the best tactics against it remain the same, and at the same time blaming it on bad formation when coming into the Church seems patently absurd and like grasping at straws. Information is not the answer, here.
As I said, the best answers are the tried and true, the simplest. Fasting from certain foods, from technology, and not being so prideful as to accord oneself personal time. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Meeting the temptation on the threshold of the mind with the reading of scripture and meditative prayer. Resignation to God's Will regarding the timeline for the cure.
We are called to be faithful, not successful... and He alone can save us from this vice, or any other. Our Lady is particularly helpful in this endeavor. It is unhelpful to tell people that whoever doesn't conquer this sin isn't going to be saved... and it certainly isn't the Orthodox position. If a poor soul with low culpability, who hates this sin/vice, who fights it, and doesn't give up, doesn't lose faith... has good reason to have every hope in their confidence (in Christ). And this is why they should not despair. It is a disease, much like any other disease, and Christ does not recoil from the diseased. He can either cure them or raise them to life. But we must fight.
Run to your mother. If you're sad she's sad. Remember her miracles and her compassion
I am 32 and virgin and addicted to this from like I dont even remember exactly,I think 11-12 years old,how can I escape from this sin? I am scared of women cuz of it and super shy. I blocked it on my smartphone but still in the mornings I have this sexual desire really strong.
Be happy you’ve kept your purity even if not by your will. Value God and yourself more than false temporary peace and pleasure. Read Ecclesiastes 7
Please pray for me so that I won't fall into temptation.
Have you gone to confession? Do you have a spiritual father?
@@pah9730 I have gone for confession yesterday and i don't have a spiritual father
❤️⛪️🙏☦️ GOD GIVE US STRENGTH TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS AND EVIL ☦️🙏🕊️💪
Thank you for this. I’ve been ok for almost several days now. I felt it the case before, but within the first 6 minutes this confirmed that my parish priest isn’t going to be able to really delve deep into my problems and help me stop them permanently and heal from them. Even my thoughts are bad. I feel ok now, lustful thoughts and ideas are still there, but I don’t go and satisfy the visual fantasy. It’s a few taps away. I’ve felt this before: I’m going to try and keep away from it but I know deep down I want it and I’m going to open images and stories again and abuse my soul again and have to go to confession… again. I want to live my fantasy out in real life but it’s literally satans dream.
I want to be married already. I’m 28 and I want a family. I’m so not worthy.
Video wright at the perfect time
Absolutely true. All of it
As a single man I've been struggling for years with this sin but only recently took it seriously; at first I wouldn't mind even though I had read that masturbation was a sin. And it always happens when I'm alone in my house.
I'm glad to see this video I struggle a lot
Lord have mercy
Thanks!
Thank you for taking time away from your free time and making content on this channel.
Please repent! Jesus Christ loves you! He died for our sins! Please believe!
Father, have you ever thought of joining forces with AMEN DOMSE on this very important topic? They are doing really great work, and so are you. And so many men and women need help in this.
Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner ☦️. Father I have a question my eldest child is a type 1 diabetic and fasting becomes difficult for our house hold. Sometimes due to our economic situation and constantly working and basically being stretch out very thin we do not go to church. Is there an economy we can ask for during these times. We do our best to fast for lent but throughout the year it’s a real struggle. I pray the our lord helps guide us out of this difficulty I truly desire to be free on Sundays so that I can take my children to church. I feel as though the enemy has put obstacles in front of me one after the other. Please pray for us
I had no idea Orthodox Christian’s struggled with pornography too. I thought you guys were unbreakable.
Most Orthodox in the west are converts who bring their baggage to the hospital. Thanks be to God that healing and deliverance for those who seek the Divine Healer.
any Christian is a sinner seeking God’s help
Good Heavens no!
hmm my comments are being shadow banned
@LadyMaria I typed a comment yesterday here, but it is no longer visible to me. I have since made a second comment, this one about censorship/shadow banning
My husband is doing anything li'm broken everywhere no soundNeed to find help pray for me please
May God help you!
I need real help I mean I'm not making it I don't know where to go or what to do my life is totally broken @@OrthodoxEthos
@@franciscafazzo3460Have you talked to your spiritual father?
Ill be honest Father. I know i cannot be like the Saints of the Church. all i can do is struggle. Ive prayed. Ive fasted. Ive prostrated and all i know is that maybe if i am going to Hell. Then so be it. I will continue to struggle to the very end.
I cannot become a monk and escape this world in order to repent. (Under obedience) and i cannot see myself get married, especially with all these passions i have.
And one of the best things ive found that has helped me against the passion. Ive been told by a priest that i shouldnt focus on.
I enjoy BodyBuilding and that I have found it a great escape from this passion. Because it helps me focus my testosterone and desire to doing something BETTER than waste my life looking at images.
So either way. I do not see myself being able to fulfill what the Church SAYS i should be doing. Maybe I am on a different Path to Christ. Or maybe im deluded and Im going to destroy myself eventually. Either way. At least ill find out where im going.
The God will never leave you. As long if you pushing. Like the weight you in gym when you push. Fight , struggle, for you life.
Be blessed.
I used to feel the same.
Biggest advice I can give you: control your thoughts brother, control your thoughts.
Sexual thought pops up in your head? It’s a demon. Say the Lord’s prayer and pray to the Theotokos.
“Lord I need help, my flesh is weak, Holy Mother of God, help me fight this temptation.”
WARNING: if you pray like this while you still want to fantasize and get something out of your thoughts, it will NOT work.
So when you pray, be 100% focused on the Goodness of God and focus on maintaining your purity.
Pray the Akathist to St. Mary of Egypt. 🙏 May God bless you. ☦
"If repentance is too much for you and you sin out of habit even when you do not want to, show humility like the publican. This is enough to ensure your salvation." St Peter of Damascus. The important thing is to never stop struggling brother, even if get way WORSE God is still with us because we never gave up, as St Nikodemos also wrote.
Your desire for God and asking for mercy is the important thing.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:11-14
I love the "just the Orthobros hanging out" vibes of this stream.
Father,
When you say that one should refrain from communing until he enters some kind of therapeutic approach to his sin - ie. fasting, prayer, etc - is that not withholding the primary healing means of grace until works have been completed? How is one to heal from discipline alone. Should not the Eucharist be seen as the most important medicine for healing?
The discussion here seemed to me to fall into anti-Roman polemics rather than sound spiritual advice.
Strong medicine for strong stomachs.
Strong medicine can heal when the body can withstand it.
To become able to receive it one must prepare, fulfill the presuppositions.
The Eucharist has presuppositions.
The Grace of God works among the repenting.It does not force itself when we are still turning away.
The Grace of God also works among the repenting in other ways -- depending on the humility of the penitent. See St. Maria of Egypt.
There are innumerable canons to guide us and they all have a therapeutic role and method and the almost all apply the medicine of abstaining from Communion for a time while the necessary presuppositions are met.
In other words, not communing after a fall is a part of the healing schedule and far, far from opposed to it.
When one has repented and is repenting, become more stable, consistent, and shown humility and determination to be faithful, he will fulfill the necessary presuppositions and can approach without being burned.
Pray first. Also, battling restlessness in the body can be helped with more physical fitness. Volunteering at your church will help with the loneliness and perhaps, introduce you to a partner or friend. Social media is a gateway to lust. Clean up your media feed. It will eventually tempt you into more graphic content.
Thank you so much father for this, you are true blessing, we need more God-fearing and loving Priest like you!
If I may ask a small question father. I‘m soon going to buy Patristic Theology, Exomologetarion by St. Nikodemus and Concerning frequent Communion by St. Nikodemus. In which order do you recommend me to read the books? Thank you and God bless!
(one of the) the root (s) of self-abuse is the passion of lust
17:47 the scariest part
Why is there no mention of God’s love. Understanding the love of God and the strength of forgiveness and the joy of fellowship with the Spirit is what healed me and kept me away from pornography for good. Your heart doesn’t change until you understand the lengths the Savior took in life to free you from that bondage. His passion replaces the passion for lust.
This is true, and a key part of Orthodoxy since God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Not only does He know our weakness, but desires to heal us from that weakness. This is where Orthodoxy shines in the emphasis of church as hospital, with the full sacramental life (including prayer and fasting, etc.) as the medicine to heal the soul. I think Fr. Peter is maybe not emphasizing that because in Orthodoxy it is sometimes taken for granted, or as a given, and so his remarks presuppose an understanding of this already. I could be wrong, but, just my spin on it. I think it would be different, however, if he had an entire series dedicated to exploring this topic.
Definitely no love in the Orthodox church. Come to liturgy and witness the complete absence of the love of Christ.
@@sooperdtI don’t mean to argue brother or sister, but that is your own perspective not the truth. There is love in the Orthodox Church. I understand what you’re saying. I was raised Baptist and became Orthodox. It’s definitely a different atmosphere. I even had a friend who said she wouldn’t attend the Church because it seemed depressing. I had the same feeling in the beginning but the more I attended the the more I understood.
Lord have mercy. ❤️
@@sooperdt no love of Christ in the liturgy? Over three quarters of the text of the liturgy is Scripture. I know this is not your intention, but it is blasphemous to say that the Scripture is absent of God's love. The Divine Liturgy recounts the entire story of salvation, both Old Covenant and New Covenant, and proclaims God's love through and through. Just consider the first antiphon,
"Bless the Lord, O my soul! And forget not all His benefits!
Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases!
Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.
Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works vindication and justice for the oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long suffering and of great goodness!
He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever."
That should be enough, but consider also that the Liturgy also includes the work of intercession for the entire world. It is the Body of Christ literally pouring out the love of God for the world "again and again", a reality that the faithful also bring with them from the liturgy and into the world. But this would not be possible were it not for Christ's victory over sin, death, and the demons (the Gospel) which is proclaimed not only in the ordinary text of the Liturgy, but in the Scripture readings, and the sermon. In response to this, we offer a thanksgiving offering of bread and wine, symbolic of our desire to serve God as Christ serves Him. But because we are weak and sinful, God not only forgives our sin, but transforms these gifts into His very body and blood, infusing them with His divine grace, and returns them to us for our salvation and transformation. Yes, He is a God who doesn't leave us where we are, but actually deals with our sins. That is true love.
I encourage you to go and speak to a priest about any of your concerns.
@@sooperdt What a disgusting untruth. Divine Liturgy is ALL about the love of the Holy Trinity, the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the love of us for brothers and sisters.
What if it feels "natural" and not even sinful during temptation but the realization of sin and remorse comes later?
Turn away from it and go to Confession.
I have a question. Can i be baptized orthodox Even If i got baptized a protestant, i was just a little baby?
Depending on the particular denomination you may not need to be rebaptized.
I believe Chrismation is all you need
Yes, you can be baptized. It is not rebaptism, so don't worry, it's your first.
@@pearleelifeFr. Peter teaches on this on this channel. No, one needs to be baptized.
@@LadyMariaappreciate it❤
The only reason people do this, is because God is absent in their life, he doesn't give flying f about their life, he doesn't guide them a safe road. They don't feel loved because god didn't do his job, and yet they are the ones who needs to fix what god broken, he is truly a sadistic scum not worth worshipping ever. I sacrificed my whole life for this joke of god, and in return my life is being destroyed every day. Thank you god, such a great father and shepherd, leading me from one harmful situation to another, what a great compassionate god. 30 years of being christian only to be tortured by other people and led to mental state in which i almost plan to suicide - which is a sin. But if God destroy human life to the point human does it, is it really a sin? Yes it is - but not sin of human, but sin of God who doesn't have a heart or slightest fraction of mercy and compassion.
9:05 which foods are dry foods. Id be curious to know the proper way of penance for this sin. Naturally I am already aware of the importance of abstinence from certain foods for the sake of a soul. Which foods does the cannon refer to?
Should absolutely be illegal to show human trafficking online. We have gone to far
The reality is that God isn't unjust or ignorant. There is a question of culpability essential to the estimation of this sin: Who is doing this (OCD, ADD, ADHD, genetic proclivity to addiction and extreme behavior)? How long have they been doing this? Since they were very little? Why are they doing this? They were abandoned morally by parents, etc? The question of culpability is essential in determining the gravity of particular sin, while the intrinsic type of sin (mortal) always remain. Things like force of habit, maturity of the individual, stress, etc... these are all mitigating factors which may reduce a person's culpability and therefore the actual gravity of the sin. And as was pointed out, sins of lust aren't the worst kind... they just feel the worst, often.
None of that is said to sublimate the objective gravity of this sin. But, if you tell a person with OCD that they need to go to frequent confession over this sin, there is the risk of leading the individual into creating the vice of scrupulosity. Similarly, for depressed or despondent persons, frequent confession might degrade in their minds the efficacy of this sacrament, or even lead to disbelief in its ability to help.
The Church and mankind have never faced a crisis of this magnitude in quantity and quality regarding the vice of lust. Even so, the best tactics against it remain the same, and at the same time blaming it on bad formation when coming into the Church seems patently absurd and like grasping at straws. Information is not the answer, here.
As I said, the best answers are the tried and true, the simplest. Fasting from certain foods, from technology, and not being so prideful as to accord oneself personal time. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Meeting the temptation on the threshold of the mind with the reading of scripture and meditative prayer. Resignation to God's Will regarding the timeline for the cure.
We are called to be faithful, not successful... and He alone can save us from this vice, or any other. Our Lady is particularly helpful in this endeavor. It is unhelpful to tell people that whoever doesn't conquer this sin isn't going to be saved... and it certainly isn't the Orthodox position. If a poor soul with low culpability, who hates this sin/vice, who fights it, and doesn't give up, doesn't lose faith... has good reason to have every hope in their confidence (in Christ). And this is why they should not despair. It is a disease, much like any other disease, and Christ does not recoil from the diseased. He can either cure them or raise them to life. But we must fight.
Where can I read said commentary?
Hi Father Peter , is the nomokanon only for the priest to have as a guide or is it possible for none clergy to have the nomokanon aswel . I would like to go deeper into knowing the cures of sins or is there any other literature you could send my way .
How to overcome p. is by Marriage according to 1.Cor.7.9.
That doesn't work. Lol😂😂
Father, what is if I can’t go to confession yet, because I’m still a catechumen?
How do these guys make a living financially, I can imagine some people like this might need to work hard in a factory and then continue to practice religion outside of work?
I have failed many time can god save us
Yes. Do not give up. Strive to enter in the kingdom. Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us
What orthodox churches would you recommend in the Maryland area?
Try Holy Cross Antiochian parish
Or the ROCOR cathedral in DC
Or another ROCOR parish perhaps
Humility is the cure for pornography and masturbation.
The Lord has blessed us with those who have seen hell and have come back to report of its extreme graphic nature Google hellish experiences near death experience and listen to what people say who have been in hell this will cause bodily passions to subside extremely if not completely. Memory of hell and continuous prayer throughout the day is the remedy for pornography and self abuse. Learn the psalms particularly psalm 23 and psalm 51 along with the Lord prayer throughout the day. Rebuke the demons of lust and pornography in the name of Jesus Christ. Renounce the devil verbally as well. Take extreme measures to guard your thoughts through the memory of hell
Saint Silouan of mt athos was told by Jesus “keep thy mind in hell and despair not” in order for him to attain deeper humility.
This is what has worked for me at my Guardian angel has taught me to do. God bless you all my brothers and sisters.
I have a question. If i go to a Orthodox Church will the Bishop there help learn how to overcome alcoholism?
what are dry foods
not sure but sounds like a strict fast without oil
They they they 😑 O boy, what a pride!
Is there even any hope?
My husband still watches that stuff I’ve asked him to stop and he switched over to reading it. It’s not as bad but it still bothers me.
I'm sorry. 🫂