On Illness - St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia

[@alanbourbeau24]

Watching this video makes me think about my friend Caramela Carpentieri because she has Cushing's disease and tomorrow she was supposed to go for brain surgery but she decided to put it off until next month. But she's not the only one who suffers from an illness. Her son Gabriel Sebastian Carpentieri suffers from Crohn's disease and her husband Bill suffers from Parkinson's disease. So all 3 of them have a heavy burden on their shoulders and a heavy cross to carry but luckily she has friends like my mom and I to give them emotional support. And I pray to God that Carmela's Cushing's disease doesn't get any worse and hopefully she'll goes for the brain surgery and hopefully the brain surgery goes well and hopefully she makes a full recovery in the future. Amen 🙏.

[@nikolapantelic7341]

Amen

[@Tyreemorris68]

This world needs to hear such divine wisdom, especially western cukture. We’re so fixed on trying to avoid suffering at all means, even to make a caricature of faith that it earns blessings. The true blessing is love God no matter how painful it is - this is a true saint.

[@mariavlahochristos7756]

Hold Have Mercy. St. Porphiyrios interceded for us. Christ is Risen ! Indeed He is Risen !

[@-wb8hv]

Thank you. He is such a special saint ❤

[@boyar3033]

Amen ! Thank you for doing this Orthodox Wisdom !

[@afandi6910]

🙏

[@Kaytee-miow]

We cannot acquire the grace of God, we can struggle to plead His mercy, but isn't grace a gift? I know this elder is a Saint, but i'm confused by him saying strive to aquire grace. Can you explain it?

[@OrthodoxWisdom]

Grace is certainly a gift. Sometimes God may give us grace without anything done on our part, but generally we are to struggle for it. We struggle to be obedient to Christ, to fast, pray, give alms, not judge, pray always, to become more humble and loving. What comes to mind are the following two verses: "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." -Matthew 11:12 " Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."- Philippians 2:12-13 Does this help?

[@joshuafritz1386]

In Orthodoxy, there is synergy. It means two souls have freedom. Then, there is the possibility of love.

[@Kimberley-j6k]

We must know our weaknesses. It's our weaknesses that make us humble and aware of our need for God's grace.

[@Kaytee-miow]

@@OrthodoxWisdom Yes, absolutely. Glory to God and THANK YOU XXX CHRIST IS RISEN !!!

[@georgemelissinos9128]

@@Kaytee-miowTruly he has risen Truly he is the Lord

[@grk70s]

So those that don't suffer and have a miserable life will go to hell? Those that get what they want in life are not saved.

[@RonaldSeese-sx4ow]

I don’t think that is the lesson to take from this. A lot of this is the Saint’s opinion too. You will probably find saints like Paul who prayed for God to remove the thorn from his flesh. But remember we are on a different path than most people. This life is the closest we will ever be to hell. And for many this life is the closest they will ever be to heaven. God in His mercy and loving kindness often gives the worthless gifts of fame and wealth to people far from him. And he often chastises us, His children who love Him, and that is a good sign because we discipline our own children. If we were not disciplined by God we might think we were illegitimate children or not His at all.

[@maciejrzepczyk6562]

No that's not the case. "Man does not live on (physical) bread alone". The word "alone" implies that there is something far greater than material wheat bread, the bread Body of Christ, but doesn't exclude the fact that we eat normal food to keep ourselves alive. But sometimes we need to make a decision between one or the other. What matters is whether or not we define ourselves as success. Paraphrasing St John Paul II, external happiness in and of itself is not a bad thing. It is only bad when it is used as a measure for our identity, meaning and purpose. It's priorities.

[@Guest-vz1dj]

Be alone, be single, don't get married, be lonely, don't socialize, cancer is a gift from God. I am done with these things. And yet the priests who say these things will be married, have children.

[@OrthodoxWisdom]

Lord have mercy...who is telling you to be single? Being a monk or married is not something you are told to do and then obey without your desire. And where does the Elder here say we should be single? Some are called to be monks, others to be married...there is one gospel with two primary paths.

[@orthochap9124]

Remember, St. Porphyrios was a chaplain. He saw hundreds suffer in different ways. He knew he had to suffer to get closer to God. People can willingly choose to be refined in their struggle, even some they choose. As a fellow chaplain, I too have seen some of the holiest people be people who treated their suffering as refinement. It makes me more apt to throw myself into ascetic labors like fasting, long prayer, and taking care of those who struggle with sickness in various forms knowing this example from his life. We can scarcely be refined through fire any other way than through the “death of the old man” if you will in order to enter the new life Christ has for us in the here and now.

[@justin-zk3cz]

St Porphyrios ran away from home as a child to become a monastic, he never married or had children. He wasn't doing one thing and saying another.

[@normadaly7506]

Pride is worse than any circumstance or sickness. Worship is better than life.

[@Guest-vz1dj]

@@OrthodoxWisdom sorry a priest of mine says all these things, I was frustrated when I posted the earlier post which might be unrelated to the video.

[@nickkerinklio8239]

Plz no more AI generated stuff in your thumbnails

[@OrthodoxWisdom]

To my knowledge there is not AI here. What do you think is AI?

[@calebbrunson7120]

The background image of the sick man in bed somewhat looks AI generated

[@OrthodoxWisdom]

It doesn't to me. It's not the best quality image but if was AI I would avoid it. I wouldn't use AI unless I really couldn't find a suitable image any other way

[@calebbrunson7120]

@@OrthodoxWisdom I don’t really mind AI images personally

[@nickkerinklio8239]

@@OrthodoxWisdom I’m just assuming it AI because it looks uncanny. Not a big deal, but I don’t like to see that next to a Saint. Forgive me for nitpicking.