A joyful heart & the struggle to see goodness in all: gifts from St Paisius & St John of the Ladder

Some people thrive and others collapse fought by the same temptations, in the same context, surrounded by the same people. St Paisius the Agiorite (St Paisius of the Holy Mountain) and St John of the Ladder teach us that a joyful disposition of the heart and the determination to see goodness in everyone can make the difference between spiritual life and death. We need to train our thoughts to always 'translate' the situations we face into good examples, into sources of strength, virtue and beauty. Depending on whether we decode this world through a lens of love or one of condemnation, the same temptations can feed the Divine Image in us or the nothingness in us.
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The video 'A joyful heart & the struggle to see goodness in all: gifts from St Paisius & St John of the Ladder' was recorded by Fr Seraphim Aldea from Mull Monastery (The Orthodox Monastery of All Celtic Saints), on the Isle of Mull, Scotland.

[@charlesrae3793]

It strikes me that your words are words of wisdom for anyone, not just for Christians. You speak from the heart, and your words penetrate our hearts.

[@margaretphilomenagibbons774]

Thank you Fr Seraphim for this inspiring talk. V difficult when you suffer from migraines as I know from family they are debilitating. May Jesus & Mother Mary relieve you of this suffering. I know sometimes in conversations with others they take a turn that you did not intend & it ends in gossip. Yesterday I found myself in this. So I asked for help from Jesus to divert the conversations .The Lord enabled it. I have to own that I also have been guilty of this. I know we are all weak & need God's abundance grace. Have mercy on me oh Lord. I live on my own now & I know I am not challenged in this area . I love it gives me time for prayer. But can't get comfortable . I ask God to think in my thoughts, speak through my words see in my seeing, hear in my hearing. I unite my will to God's Holy will. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Just discovered your site . Great teaching food for the Journey God bless to you & the community

[@jeanneelisabeth]

Thank you, Fr. Seraphim, for struggling through your migraine to talk with us. I know it is difficult to ignore them when you wish to do something. (Personal experience.)

[@cameronb.6362]

Thank you father… this is so beautiful… thank you!!!

[@annelizification]

Well said Father

[@turveyabbey4357]

Thank you!

[@evelynnicholl5366]

I had migraines years ago when i worked in a terrible place , but i got prayed for & the migraines left me , i will pray for you, for your migraines to leave

[@kathleenmeury9231]

Dear Fr. Seraphim, prayers from a fellow migraine sister, thank you for posting this new treasure. Today's reflection helped me this morning to eventually see that a situation differently. My sister yelled at me for listening to a Christian message in the living room. I need to start my day with a Word of God. I did not have headphones on so she could hear what l was listening to. She yelled at me to turn that off.. At first l resisted as this condemnation was unjust as l have every right to make noise in my own living room. Frustrated, l went to my room. As l was praying in my room, l realized her chastisement pushed me to enter a quiet, private space with God....my room, literally and figuratively. This condition of entering into my private room with God was much better. Time with God my Father should be private and intimate. Your teachings Fr. Seraphim are very very helpful valuable. Thank you and God bless! Today was a blessed moment of the Holy Spirit helping me to begin to train my mind. It is a beginning. Peace of Jesus Christ be with you! Thank you helping us all.....

[@mexita2002]

Your talks are a beautiful gift to the world. I have learnt so much. Thank you so much, I deeply appreciate the time and effort you spend to bring us this wisdom. God bless you🙂

[@johnhealy4647]

Seeing the good in everyone, oh so much harder than it sounds..

[@SLVBULL]

No one said being a Christian was easy.

[@franciscalester8879]

Amen,Amen

[@chachatruth3534]

I'm being bullied by 2male neighbours I find my peace when I pray I say father forgive then they know not what they do! I pray they find God! I also think I'm being sifted like weat & its very tough to Trust in God! ! I want God to deal with it now! But its Gods' timing! Is not ours Because God is allowing this to happen! & all things work for good for them who trust in God! Please pray for this . thank you fr l will pray for your migraines to go!

[@deerhodes4689]

Thank you, Father Seraphim! I pray that your migraine pain eases soon. I am so grateful for your words this week, and the images of wind blown trees, wandering tidal rivulets and upblown waterfalls that help me keep your teachings in my mind and heart. I am quiet about it, but I am so often judging away in my mind. Please pray for me! Dee

[@realtimeisnowtanyalynnk5425]

AMEN AMEN AMEN

[@gemeinschaftsgeful]

It seems like one of the biggest topics Jesus preached about often was the sinful wrongness of judging others. I knew someone in my life that tended to look for the best in others. This person was sometimes seen as silly and Poly Annish in view point, but I've grown to understand that this person was willing to look for the good as a potential open road for more goodness. In the end, it seems we should reflect on the bad in others as the same spirit potential we have in us to do wrong so that we may correct ourselves, or we may see the good in others as a model and encouragement for us to practice the same.

[@heatherwhitehead3743]

Sorry! Father, I'll remember your headaches in my morning prayer. Thankyou for taping in spite of.

[@audreydonovan6710]

May God bless you Father for your wonderful teachings which guide us towards charity towards our brothers and sisters.

[@mysticalheart8107]

This is one of the best talks i've ever heard on how Not to judge. Thank you Father Seraphim. I love to read and hear about Father Paisius. God Bless you always!

[@1pgfwabf]

I too have been "blessed" with a full blown migraine over the last couple of days, Father, and I thank you for allowing God's grace to speak through you anyway. I understand the challenge. May you also be blessed with His healing grace.

[@subdeaconk]

I tried to use the example of the positive monk when i lived at a coptic monastery. The abbot laughed at me and told me to clean my cell. I miss monastic life so much... ❤️

[@peregrinacatolica7095]

Thank you for sharing! Saint John of Kronstadt was inspired to explain this saying that the gold seekers doesn’t mind about the amount of sand that they need to filter, they just focus on the gold. Really amazing the spiritual treasures that I’m finding in the Orthodox tradition, I’m Catholic Roman and I appreciate the spiritual feeding from your videos, thanks and be blessed all your journey to home. Greetings from Barcelona!

[@orsulchili6984]

Yes! I'm latin Catholic traditionalist! In this country, there aren't many of those churches left. The real ones that truly do reflect the heart of Jesus within his works. I'm so happy to see that there are others like me joining in here. God bless you!

[@peregrinacatolica7095]

@@orsulchili6984 God bless you!

[@christaprice4090]

Such a great challenge this Lent. To cultivate the self awareness and wisdom to see others in a way that is beneficial to both of us. My prayer is that I can lead my children through exercises where we can discuss the judgements and assumptions that we make of people that only promote disconnection and stunt our spiritual sight. If God saw me the way I see others ........may it never be. A blessed Lent to all of us! Amen

[@zacharylowreyna]

This is a great application of this message especially for those with young kids. God-willing I will adopt it. Thanks for this!

[@matina_angel]

Greetings from the Orthodox Greece ❤

[@bearios8961]

Bless you Father Seraphim.

[@victorinoterradillosortega2539]

"Cuando van por el mundo no litiguen, ni juzguen, ni condenen a nadie. No desprecien a los que vieren vestidos de sedas suaves y de colores". Tener una mente libre que no condena nunca, es una gracia para vivir entre los hermanos. Paz y Bien.

[@barrycartner3855]

My prayers for your health. Thank you for pushing onward.

[@fstri757]

I also have struggled with frequent migraines recently. I am thankful I do not have to run a monastery while I am in the middle of one. One thing about migraines, though....after one has passed and I feel "normal" again I find myself so thankful to be alive and so thankful to feel well again. It's a feeling that is hard to describe and also hard to duplicate.

[@heatherwhitehead3743]

Maybe someday you can give a talk on how you think about your chronic headaches spiritually? For those of us living with chronic illnesses especially. Are we to go to healing masses or try to ask for the pain to he removed? How do we live with grace in that? Thankyou Father 🕊❇

[@Kressa1111]

Bees and flies are both pollinators. Some flowers smell bad and some smell good. And with the growing population of bees being killed, the last flowering plants to survive may very well be those pollinated by flies. So even if we are surrounded by flies we can still produce goodness and life. May we be able to find beauty in all of Gods creation. It’s like the difference between just surveying the surface for treasure or diving deep. It’s just so much more fun to dig and dive.

[@thomasbeardslee2418]

Wowwe.. Whatta analogy. Very instructive...thanks for sharing!!

[@Kressa1111]

@@thomasbeardslee2418 Thank you Thomas. Father Seraphim is very good at getting our minds activated. He’s a good teacher. 😁

[@Clodaghbob]

Kressa Singh Admit it. You just like flies. And you're fighting the good fight against rampant worldwide insectism. Good for you.

[@Kressa1111]

@@Clodaghbob Yes 🙌

[@mkeenan1955]

If we are a bee, we are never in the situation of a fly, and if we are a fly, we are never in the situation of a bee. We are human and so we are neither naturally a bee nor naturally a fly, but we must TRAIN ourselves, as Father said, to be naturally like a bee.

[@mkeenan1955]

Thank you Father!

[@Mary-ui4im]

So beautiful Father. Thank you for teaching us how to to turn our thoughts to/for the good of others. God bless you for showing me the way.

[@soniadvry7169]

Amen! Thanks for this message filled with wisdom about seeing Lord Jesus' goodness, truth and beauty in others and how He is reflected in all His creation.🙏❤🙌🙏

[@paisialee294]

Amen. Thank you dear Father for these words.

[@andemariam1763]

Amen Amen Amen Thank you so much Father God bless you Father. I am always waiting for your post. It gives me better of myself.

[@vivienne4686]

Praying for you Migraines 🙏🏻

[@pantaleimona]

Father, bless! Thank you so much, Father.

[@blackmirror5559]

. Wish I could speak so compassionately and profoundly when carrying a migraine. Thank you, Fr Seraphim 🙏🏽 HAPPY EASTER .

[@daniellahormos8792]

Amen! Amen! Amen!!! I really needed this since I was thinking about these topics yesterday. Thank you 🙏🏼 Thanks to the Holy Spirit that led me to find this video.

[@w.h.simpson6465]

Your right about our life situations that we don't always have the opportunity to live in a ShangriLa. At 345 this am a full magazine was unloaded(9 rounds) in front of my house. 15 minutes later several more rounds. I was upset not scared and went to confront. Cowards no where to be found. What do you think that did to my 94 year old father. Yes we were up all night and today has been a blur. After a few hours of trancelike waste I went to the Bible. After that I realized a blessing. No-one had been injured or killed. Yes, I'm still exhausted. It will pass. I have a vehicle parked in front of my house now with a sign on it. "Why Do You Hate". I'm on a 4 lane thoroughfare. Thousands of vehicles and people MUST see the message. Perhaps something somehow will open a persons heart to flee from evil.

[@kaybrown4010]

Lord have mercy.

[@junibreithaus7119]

Can you move to a safer place?

[@dylancalderwood]

Beautiful video. Thank you 🙏

[@zorangelev2117]

Its good to see beauty in everything...

[@Georgian1717]

God Bless you. I hope you feel better Father. I needed to hear this today. I’m being challenged by those near me at this time. I ask humbly for prayers from everyone to stay strong in love and patience.

[@lubicaverescakova8314]

Hallo my brother! 💚 I am so sorry for your headache. My migraine comes with cervical spine pain. I have to move it a little every day. When the headache runs badly, I have to lie down in silence and cover my eyes with a dark scarf. it helps. Try it too. I wish you an early recovery, dear brother. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for encouraging words to love our neighbors.

[@georginamahoney649]

Thank you so much, God bless you always Father

[@alexandrinacojocea2709]

Amin,amin,amin,parinte Serafim,Bunul Dumnezeu să vă răsplătească osteneala și să va țină in sănătate ! Post cu mult folos duhovnicesc ! DOAMNE.AJUTA!

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

As always, thank you Father Seraphim and God bless you and your brother monks.

[@alkibossa]

Thank you Father for your beautiful message, in spite of you fighting a migraine. I am praying for you and the monastery.

[@marianicodemou3206]

Thank you, Father!! 🙏

[@miriam4091]

I'm a day late in viewing, however thankyou and praying for your migraines! God bless you for thinking of us...(Canada)

[@katkat2340]

Blessed be God forever, Amen

[@amyfrezgy4198]

Dear father it’s a struggle but by the grace of God one day we will rise. Thank you for the daily bread, my soul is being feed day & night. 🙏 . Glory to Almighty God!!!

[@amybastock8370]

I’m so sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well, Father. I hope you are better. Thank you for this message. Finding the good in people and situations happens to be something I’m struggling with mightily right now. I ask your prayers for a good Lent. A blessed Lent to you as well!! ❤️☦️

[@zacharylowreyna]

Thank you for this. This is a really good-and huge-practical exercise to not only judge less, but find those places where I fall into judgment and do not recognize it.

[@cathy3130]

Fr. Seraphim, I pray that God will help you with your headache pain and symptoms. I ask Jesus Christ to help you by showing you an easy rhythm of how you might go in and out of pain, so that you have less disturbance from pain. Thank you for working to tend to all of us who are benefiting from your God Given ability as a Monk and Priest. Please Lord hear my prayer and make it acceptable to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

[@johnpaulhumphrey2981]

I hope your migraines get better! I find that when I judge someone (and I do far too often) that it is because I do not love them enough. It feeds a selfish sense of pride in me. When I actually love someone and see an action that appears wrong, I try to justify them. However my enemy? I feed my pride and enmity by judging even innocent actions as wrong. Your lesson and your previous one on the desert fathers talk of judging is something I need to hear.

[@irinaki2011]

Look for the good in them! I really needed to hear this sermon today FR Seraphim. I am going to pray to God Almighty to help me in applying the example of St John of the Ladder cause I am having some family issues. Thank you and God bless you. Amen, Amen, Amen. 🙏

[@adamw6315]

Thank you.

[@carlamoraisdesousamoreirad5159]

God Bless you Gather Seraphim. Your words are very special for me and help me during my day.

[@carlamoraisdesousamoreirad5159]

Father

[@malinaluca7579]

Va multumim mult, părinte, pentru postarile dumneavoastră pline de iubire în Hristos! Sa va rugați pentru noi,românii, și pentru mine,ca sa imi ajute Dumnezeu sa nu mai fac asa de multe lucruri care nu Ii sunt deloc plăcute și nici mie nu îmi sunt folositoare! Va iubim mult în Hristos!

[@danielwoldu1855]

Thank you very much ,God bless you

[@throughhumaneyes7648]

This was a good lesson, thank you.

[@lucianbura6106]

Father. I command you. Appoint a Sword Bearer of Your own Choice...

[@birhanemeskeltilaye9014]

Thank you Father. May God bless you.

[@10000diamondeyes]

Thank you Father Seraphim. What a wonderful message. Your words help me so much on my spiritual life. I aspire to be like the monk who chose to see the good and God's love in all things. God bless you ✝️❤️💪

[@colmwhateveryoulike3240]

Beautiful wisdom Father. Thank you and God bless you.

[@IamValentina66]

You are an inspiration.

[@michaelwiddis5997]

Wonderful Father ! Such wisdom and insight ! I really needed to hear your message today ! God bless you !

[@skyback1]

Multumim parinte ! Ascultandu-va si vazandu-va stradania, chiar daca nu va simtiti foarte bine de la migrene, m-a ajutat si pe mine sa ies din starea mea care azi nu e tocmai buna ! Doamne ajuta !

[@JaythePandaren]

My girlfriend gets migraines when she is upset or sad about something. Please pray for her that she may be in a better place someday

[@alfredhitchcock45]

Spiritual Bee

[@martinas8063]

Father Paisios ♡♡♡♡

[@clairemccartin]

God Bless

[@vitkhail1388]

Amen!

[@ionvoiculet3210]

🙏

[@evelynnicholl5366]

Bless you thank you xx

[@kiriaioulia]

Thank you! Something to strive for - daily! Amen!

[@timmarshall4881]

Thank you. Bless.

[@antonellajalil5663]

Thank you so much for these words, Father. I have much difficulty in thinking positive about any situation. In fact, I always tend to think firstly negative about everything and everyone. So these words, the examples you present: the bees and the flies, St. John of the Ladder, the waterfall and the wind, help me find a tool to overcome this and try to train my mind and decode my way of thinking. I am really grateful for this teaching. I am always amazed by the greatness of Nature, how much we can learn from God's Creation, from the Kingdoms, we must fight and pray for them as well, they need us too as much as we need them. Please pray for me so that I can manage to surpass myself and become like that good monastic who thinks and sees the good and positive in everything. Thank you! God bless you and keep you and make His Face shine upon you!

[@Sophie-lg4li]

Thank you

[@deborahbrayton276]

Forgive me for I am a sinner

[@ioanagrancea6091]

Thank you so much for helping us so much with the materials you post. May God reward you for this work and dedication, that I see you do under all conditions - in sickness and in health :) I really need to start living by this perspective and see the good in people. I wonder if I will manage to give up judging people in my family who despise the Lent, Confession, or other elements of our Church? Can I think good of them, without risking to embrace their approach and turn away from Christianity myself? I guess a great part of why I feel the need to judge them is that I try to oppose their way of life and the values they try to ''teach" me. I see I am wrong. Yet I wish I could find this place in my mind: not judgmental, yet not imitating what they do.

[@needgamer5506]

Father, I ask for your help for my home is full of bad energy that is affecting my family really badly. I pray for them and my home and I ask for you wisdom for I don't know how to help and what to do.

[@entelechy777]

What I just realized is that you can't always force positivity, rather you should examine the positive and negative possibilities of the situation at hand, without passing judgment or being drawn into either pole. Then upon receiving objective evidence, realize the necessary praise or admonition to deliver based upon that. That, I believe, is the righteous judgment which we are called to judge with even while called not to judge lest we be judged. Not a hateful, divisive judgment, but one which cuts to the core of the matter so that a solution may be found. One guided by love, not the need to lay on guilt so that an individual can feel better about their own. Because maybe that messy monk wasn't quite so fixated on focusing on his spiritual life, maybe he had a negative trait which needed to be curbed. And the same for the very orderly monk. Perhaps he really was too focused on his worldly surroundings rather than it being a reflection of his organized mind and understanding, where he finds spiritual growth in the act of tidying and cleansing. But until you get to know them, talk to them, and learn about these possibilities' truth one way or the other, then no judgment should be passed in any way. And when it is, then it should only ever be delivered in a loving way, whether that be calling out a fault or admiring a virtue.

[@anitar150]

perfect message for me today. thank you.

[@andrewklager1347]

Thank you, Fr. I wonder if you could say a word on how to properly hold in tension this cultivation of humility through our refusal to condemn others by instead recognizing and encouraging that which is good in others regardless of outward appearances with our need to still sharpen our discernment as a way to denounce injustice and all forms of violence. Is this a matter of recognizing the true self in others vs. denouncing the negative fruits of the false self of others, or encouraging manifestations of true Being wherever it is and in whatever situation it exists vs. denouncing expressions of non-being or nothingness? Thanks 🙏

[@alfredhitchcock45]

Waterfall of condemnation

[@ktk5726]

Always looking out for your vids. Please continue with your reach out efforts!! They are well received!!

[@Sweets8765]

I was on another bible reading network on KZbin. I asked, about dreaming of being given a watch and that God asked, me personally through Jesus to pray for the people, because many lost their faith. They, responded that my time is ticking for mt salvation. I'm comfused on my time or of my appointed time to prayers for us all. In which I've been doing. They respond almost made me abandon my prayer watch throughout the days and night. I believe in Jesus and i have been making all the necessary changes to save my soul and to help others. I will stay strong and continue because many will conflict your fellowship with God.

[@Sweets8765]

Thank you kindly for your prompt response and understanding of my salvation and how to address and knowledge ours through peace, respect and honesty and be not concerned about being judgemental. I believe that i myself needed to learn this listen and continue doing what I believe is good work of God and to others. All grace to God our Savior in Jesus mighty name.

[@audreydonovan6710]

Please Father try drinking lots of water daily to reduce and sometimes prevent migraines. God bless you

[@ftweedy5580]

Praying for your migraines

[@Aleksandr-Herman]

Father Seraphim, is there any other way then KZbin that I can use to talk to you? I left couple comments asking questions under your earlier videos, but never had a reply from you or anyone else.

[@mmaakkiinn]

So glad to hear you today and hope you feel better soon...Lost my brother in law from Coronavirus today..so sad and depressed..God give us strength and please take away this dreadful virus ...🙏

[@tterjani]

May God comfort you and your loved ones and provide rest for your brother in law’s soul

[@kaybrown4010]

I’m so sorry for your loss. May his memory be eternal. ♥️☦️ Peace and love to you.

[@cathy3130]

May your brother in law rest in peace, and may Jesus Christ have mercy on all who loved your brother in law. May the Lord restore each person who liked and loved your brother in law with things that only God knows how to do. And after hearing this video about not condemning others, (it must be said, too) - may Jesus Christ have pity for your brother in law's enemies and bless them forever. Amen.

[@mmaakkiinn]

@@tterjani ..thank you 🙏

[@mmaakkiinn]

@@kaybrown4010 ..thank you 🙏

[@IamValentina66]

I hope if the Triptans (sumatriptan) are no longer working, they can try one of the new lines like emgality. I’m not a doctor but just have them too!

[@heatherwhitehead3743]

The primacy of Christ means finding him in every God given moment before you. I guess predatory environments lend themselves a repulsion towards your fellow man. It really is a fallen state.

[@orsulchili6984]

I had to reread your comment three times to finally understand. Yes, that's exactly right! Sometimes though, we accidently fall in it trying to describe the situation to another fellow person. Sometimes trying to use the correct terms still makes the person look bad even though it's not your intention. I hope that makes sense. What would you do about that?

[@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647]

I agree, what are your thoughts on the 2 beings inside oneself, I think it might be this it might be what you give yourself?

[@mc-vu4vh]

Parinte Serafim, imi pare rau ca v-a durut capul. Insa tot ce ne comunicati are valoare pentru ca este spre a ne schimba in mai bine, indiferent de subiect. Sa mai tot dati exemple de istorioare , sau exemple mai concrete ca si cu albinutele si alti Sfinti, pe care spre rusinea mea sincer nu ii stiam. Multumesc pentru binecuvintare,si pe voi toti sa va binecuvinteze Bunul Dumnezeu.

[@lindsaypeek63]

Such a beautiful message. Can someone help me with this , if a family member is always accusing and trying to make us feel guilt how should we still be loving? I find myself sucked in when they create problems where there are none and then I am as miserable as them. My instinct is to not talk to them. The message in this video is lovely and I hear his heart but even God kicked out Lucifer right? My mind can’t see thru this right now any help would be appreciated

[@bogdanhrytsko8076]

Father, you are from eastern or central Europe ?

[@rodicajichin4387]

BINECUVINTATI SI IERTATI PARINTE SFINTITE SERAFIM!

[@deborahbrayton276]

I would rather be a bee