Orthodox Rules for Life.

Christ is Risen!
These 55 Maxims for Orthodox Life were written by the late Father Thomas Hopko (1939-2015) +
If you'd like to support the channel and our goal of building an Orthodox training camp, then feel free to check out the Patreon! Thanks for watching.
/ asceticaesthetic
#Orthodox #Christian #Motivation

[@2kslimey]

Pray for me, I’m struggling mentally and emotionally due to bipolar disorder. I need Jesus Christ more than ever & intercession from all Gods people ☦️❤️‍🩹

[@scierpka]

you’ll be fine brother,have trust

[@Indepthtravel]

Have you been baptised into Orthodox Church?

[@Indepthtravel]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@2kslimey]

@@Indepthtravel not yet, I am Catechumen

[@luminouswarrior3473]

Be patient, baptise, pray and don't forget to visit a doctor. I'll pray for you.

[@CharlsGalindo]

Christ is King. May God almighty guide his church and his faithful

[@ultra.based.27]

Awesome list! Jesus saved my life when I was suicidal. Since then I have been practicing Orthodox Christianity and I have been extremely happy, even when bad things happened in my life.

[@Tyyler888]

Non-denominational Protestant here. This is the first of your videos I watched. Subscribed! Gonna watch more now❤ Keep going and God bless you✝️☦️

[@joepavone3586]

and me also-same category !

[@willemjankamerbeek9822]

Please go to the lithurgy sometime soon, for you will experience the true presence of our Lord. May God bless you brother.

[@Notmyfullneim1]

Solid thesis, That rule about not doing for other when they can do it for themselves is controversial but insightful

[@aamartolos]

Please help me with my temptation of m@sturbation, every time I'm alone an a sexual thing comes in mind or I see something that reminds me of sexual desire, it leads to that disgusting sin, please help me, it feels like a prison with no freedom when I do these horrible sins. May God have mercy on you all brothers and sisters.

[@danielswanepoel9931]

Please speak to your priest in confession. That is the base level of dealing with sins.

[@MrIncredible1495]

Criminally underrated channel

[@ileanagheorghisor]

37 is gonna be my highest struggle since my mind wanders off into fantasy worlds on a daily basis 😔

[@willemjankamerbeek9822]

Pray always, submit your thoughts to the Lord. For you will overcome this my sister in Christ.

[@ileanagheorghisor]

@@willemjankamerbeek9822 thank you for your kind words! ❤

[@christophermanley3602]

Imagination and fantasy aren’t necessarily bad things- as long as they are used for God’s will, and put to practical use. Dante Aligheri, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote fantasy novels that expressed Christian themes and morals and have become beloved literature around the word.

[@aamartolos]

same for me, but my fantasies lead to me doing disgusting acts of sin, I wish I was the rest of yall and just had those thoughts and handled the temptation like a breeze 😢

[@tylerswedan4742]

@@christophermanley3602 I think he is referring to the imaginative faculty which is discussed heavily in early church fathers as something to be avoided often, without a purified nous. To be honest there's lots to say about it, but the gist is to keep a pure, serene, centered and silent mind, more so than never using the functions of your brain.

[@untoages]

This is awesome stuff! Love the channel & the "aesthetic" (I don't even care if that's a pun).

[@Ray-zv8zs]

As an Orthodox Christian who is trying to master English, your videos are very useful spiritually and study wise 👌🏻

[@AED365]

This might end up being the most replayed video I ever listen to.

[@kingofthorns203]

Gorgeous video, I love the aesthetics you use - they live up to the channel name. I'm Catholic but hope we can still be friends.

[@Chrisc-sn6uh]

Im listening to a lecture series done by father Thomas on the holy Trinity. What a wise man he is! May his memory be eternal.

[@AED365]

Can you make a 1 hour loop of this?

[@danielswanepoel9931]

That is a good idea.

[@inferaption]

Very useful advices, hopefully i will not forget them soon.

[@horseradishwithchives]

I nailed 45 in my profile pic.

[@koupdagaming8186]

I was really looking for something like this

[@gogi2883]

Do your work then forget it hahah

[@JesseDrift]

42 is a lil hard ngl

[@steelfalconx2000]

I'm gonna need to write these down!

[@Mod3rnPhilosopher]

Great video, subbed no questions asked

[@numbdeeds3878]

Christos Anesti

[@lilestojkovicii6618]

Some of these are nearly impossible if you actually want to change society as a whole

[@gogi2883]

Not hard but we must forget all technology first xD

[@Cyrus_II]

Good stuff. Some tough to swallow

[@JohnAndries-lt2jd]

A morning offering that makes a sacrifice of our day in union with the Mass.

[@albertyoung3025]

"Don't defend or justify yourself"? Can someone help explain this to me?

[@christophermanley3602]

The truth requires no defense. When Jesus was brought before Pilate and the Sanhedrin, he was mostly silent. When he did speak, it was to speak truth and ask questions, not to justify his actions or explain himself. Similarly with Stephen, Paul, even Sharach Michach and Abednego in the OT. Let the your actions speak for themselves. The picture used, (of the man being pulled over) was probably not the best choice, but the principle still stands.

[@albertyoung3025]

@@christophermanley3602 I see, thanks

[@gogi2883]

prostration to who firat i must know who i prostrate i will only in church orthodox

[@v.ciziri]

Thank you, this is helpful 🙏☦️

[@cunjoz]

there's 55 of them???

[@TJ-015]

Solid list…

[@eyelessjack817]

Fantastic teaching, I will listen to this often. The only thing I do not agree with, at first sight, is "Do not try to convince anyone of anything." Is it not our duty to attempt to convince people to the truth of Christ?

[@christophermanley3602]

The Spirit of God does the convincing- not us. We can only witness. This was a lesson I learned through much consternation.

[@eyelessjack817]

@@christophermanley3602 Very true thanks for answering. It is a matter of speaking truth to others and praying that the spirit convinces them.

[@brettdavidson1140]

Beautiful! Where in writing?

[@SasoKostov-cs7gg]

Thank you fr this, my Ortho bro.

[@OrthoLou]

Why flee imagination and analysis? Of ALL kind? Don't be a creative writer? Starting a channel about film analysis (like Jay Dyer) as a hobby that could potentially be a form of income is out of the question?

[@AsceticAesthetic]

@@OrthoLou It’s all about context. Maybe this chat I had with my godfather can shed some more light on it for you, I know it did for me. Keep well, brother! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGW1poBpip2cibMsi=QGY0CDVUlTEEDePL

[@perti888]

THANK YOU THIS IS GREAT

[@yossarian7617]

37 is very dubious. Yes, imagination and fantasy might lead to temptation but seeking out knowledge is a virtue (i.e. knowledge of God which includes knowledge of Creation). One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is knowledge and some priests consider ignorance to be a grave sin. 43 is flat out blasphemous. We shouldn't convince people of the Orthodox Faith? We shouldn't convince people not to sin? We should never have had the Ecumenical Councils?

[@OrthoNektarios]

That’s not what he means on 43. He is talking about worldly desires. Convincing others to do our will. We should cut off our will for other people as long as it is in lines with God’s law. He literally just gave advice on giving advice when asked and when it should be given. This will obviously lead to questions about God. But also, we should do it in an argumentative way that will lead to pride. But with meekness and gentleness and love. Read Fr.Thomas works and his podcasts and the rest of the rules for context and don’t exaggerate such a thing. Always give the benefit to the doubt to all people.

[@yossarian7617]

@@OrthoNektarios Then it should have been worded like you worded it. I guess someone failed to follow #36.

[@AwesomeWholesome]

@@yossarian7617 I do have the same concerns for 37 and 43 as well. Less 37 and more about 43. But I can also understand what he means. 37 means to avoid western Aristotelian dialectics of the Catholic and Protestant churches. It doesnt mean that we can't be philosophers or theologians. 43 is more about pride. It doesn't mean that we can't correct, rebuke, or debate. But it is dangerous to want to persuade others of your own view all the time, even during and *especially* during evangelical dialogue, and especially when our faith are still at it's infancy. Youre falling into the traps of being overly analytical and judgmental. These are not canonical dogmas that we must strictly adhere to. Take the words in their spirit, not at letter value. That is no way to talk about an esteemed priest.

[@navigator687]

@@yossarian7617 drop the ego dude

[@yossarian7617]

@@navigator687 > can't abstain from offering input in a conversation from over 2 weeks ago > tells others to drop their ego

[@gogi2883]

communion with the saints wtf

[@knasfrashavre]

God bless you

[@D-777i]

This is good stuff!

[@lifeenjoyerluke3360]

Brilliant, thank you so much

[@denverrandy7143]

Thank you

[@CzarLazar1389]

Bible Illustrated made a very beautiful video about the 55 Maxims of Christian Life. Despite this, your video is also well made and faithful to the original list. May the Lord save and have mercy upon Father Thomas Hopko for all his sins and may He allow him into His heavenly kingdom. Amen.

[@JohnAndries-lt2jd]

I'm a traditional catholic and I thought these maxims wonderful. There are 2 things I would say were overlooked. Although you might say it included in maxim #17. A special devotion to the blessed virgin Mary. And penance for the sins we and our family commit.

[@lapun47]

Thanks for the useful list, but I find the chanting really distracts attention from it.

[@danielswanepoel9931]

Best thing for you then is to read the Maxims daily yourself during your prayer time.

[@lapun47]

@@danielswanepoel9931 Very useful (and doable) advice.

[@Pookiepoo558]

Could you explain the fantasy and imagination one? Is it ok if it’s clean thoughts?

[@johnnyd2383]

That is a slippery slope, and it contradicts also mentioned practice of stillness of mind.

[@Pookiepoo558]

@@johnnyd2383 ohhh ok my mind runs so it’s gonna be hard but Ik I’ll get there 😭😭

[@johnnyd2383]

@@Pookiepoo558 Yup. We all have our "to do" list... I remember once reading how Ortho monks are trying to minimize their sleep time because while asleep, men do not have control over mind... meaning... mind may start imagining things on its own, uncontrollably, which is to monks a huge no no... to us... is a big no no tho...

[@Pookiepoo558]

@@johnnyd2383 I gotta pull all nighters now 😭😭😭

[@danielswanepoel9931]

The mind is meant to be a servant, not a master. We must pray for God's mercy in subduing our minds in service to God. Don't overthink this, that in itself is a vain imagination.

[@fjcanchola12]

How can I find this song/prayer?

[@danielswanepoel9931]

That’s a chant in Greek of Psalm 135! You’ll have to find the full approximately 9 minute version to hear the section used here.

[@suite701]

what is the name of the praises in the background?

[@AsceticAesthetic]

That’s a chant in Greek of Psalm 135! You’ll have to find the full approximately 9 minute version to hear the section used here.

[@suite701]

@@AsceticAesthetic thanks! God bless

[@AR15andGOD]

Don't care about orthodox, only scripture. Sola scriptura

[@acekoala457]

According to Scripture we must keep the Traditions Taught by the Apostles(2nd Thessalonians), not interpret Scripture based on our own minds(2nd Epistle of St. Peter), and that the Church is the Ground and Pillar of Truth(2nd Timothy). There isn't a Tradition of "Sola Scriptura" in Scripture.

[@vincentsarabia2954]

what he said^

[@ካ.ደ.መ.Z]

You care more about AR15s than God apparently.

[@danielswanepoel9931]

Sola Scriptura is literally a heresy. It is also self negating as Scripture itself gives no premise whatsoever for Sola Scriptura.

[@AlexMkd1984]

amin Lord Jesus 🙏 ❤️ 🙏