/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>>754603

I'll just take a quick self-bump to give a bit of a background on why I'm asking that for anyone wondering.

So, some of you folks here have really piqued my interest about the eastern orthodox church. I'm actually legitimately interested and I think I do want to pursue it, but first I want to do some reading to find out a bit more about what is actually the deal.

In that vein, one of the things that was mentioned in here that I thought was kind of interesting to me was about how the orthdox tradition deals with fasting. I wanted to find out a bit more, and went to http://www.holy-father.com/fasting.html (I literally don't know what I'm doing, tell me if that's some place I shouldn't be looking at for information if you know better, but I did take away some useful and helpful things from reading through what was posted there).

One of the things I thought was /especially/ interesting from there was a quote they put at the bottom from Saint Symeon:

'My brethren, it is not possible for these things to come about in one day or one week! They will take much time, labor, and pain, in accordance with each man's attitude and willingness, according to the measure of faith and one's contempt for the objects of sight and thought. In addition, it is also in accordance with the fervor of his ceaseless penitence and its constant working in the secret chamber of his heart that this is accomplished more quickly or more slowly by the gift and grace of God. But without fasting no one was ever able to achieve any of these virtues or any others, for fasting is the beginning and foundation of every spiritual activity'.

  — Symeon the New Theologian: the Discourses, pub. Paulist Press. pp. 168-169.

That picqued my interest, and I feel like now I want to know a lot more about what this guy said other than that about other things more than just fasting.

Annnnnnnnnnnnd that brings to this point, where I am now realizing it seems to be basically impossible to read anything from him without paying some exorbitant fee to someone. Can I read him for free somewhere? I'll buy it if I have to, but I'm seriously pretty broke, and aside from that, even if I do buy it the only version of things I can find is in print, and I'll end up scanning it in just to read the thing because I do all my reading digitally (mostly so I can listen to it).

>>754603

Also, possibly relevant: I recently found Christ (or rather, he found me) after a long while wandering around in the world without him. I am VERY glad to be back, but I am somewhat unsatisfied with how often I am failing at things, and I want to read more about the practices from church traditions and hear from wiser people than myself on how to make this all actually happen. That quote on fasting is literally the only thing i know about Saint Symeon, feel free to tell me I should abandon ship if you are 100% confident that's the wrong direction, but please provide good reasons why if that is indeed the case. Keep in mind I was raised neither catholic nor orthodox, but I do read a lot and I'm willing to do leg work and reading if you link me some documents or info.

>>754607

>I recently found Christ (or rather, he found me) after a long while wandering around in the world without him. I am VERY glad to be back, but I am somewhat unsatisfied with how often I am failing at things, and I want to read more about the practices from church traditions and hear from wiser people than myself on how to make this all actually happen. That quote on fasting is literally the only thing i know about Saint Symeon, feel free to tell me I should abandon ship if you are 100% confident that's the wrong direction, but please provide good reasons why if that is indeed the case. Keep in mind I was raised neither catholic nor orthodox, but I do read a lot and I'm willing to do leg work and reading if you link me some documents or info.

Interesting. My story pretty much follows that same format Anon. My advice is talk with an Orthodox priest. There's only so much you can learn from books, and Orthodoxy is lived - not learned. I haven't personally delved too much into St. Symeon, but one book that did help me was the Shepherd of Souls, it's about Fr. Cleopa Ilie, he was a Romanian monastic during the times of Communism in Romania. Interesting man. (https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/sos.htm)

Back to Symeon though - he's probably worth reading. Search for wisdom as for gold. Every saint is a saint for a reason and there's something for you to learn from them.

And in a quick search - I don't know much about this book, but seems to deal with St. Symeon and some of his homilies.

https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/fcm.htm

>>754653

wow, this is amazing! Thank you!

>>754666

>>754666

Thanks! Downloaded, will read momentarily.

>>754670

thank you for the reference, it seems like that's one I'll have to pay for also.

Thanks for the comments on St. Symeon and the saints, also, that was encouraging and helpful.

>>754666

I’m really glad I read that actually, thanks a lot for posting it, seriously.

> thread about mortification of the flesh

> Everyone gets excited by the opportunity to involve themselves in thievery for the gratification of their desires

Smh tbh lads

OP here are some links to some of his own writings

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-motorola&ei=Voc4XOP4Lu2q1fAPjYilyAY&q=symeon+the+new+theologian+pdf&oq=symeon+the+new+theologian+pdf&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-serp.1.0.0j0i22i30l4.2310.4308..5925...0.0..0.860.2279.2-1j0j1j0j2......0....1.........46.aLM0j4RgHts

Thanks for bringing my attention to him. I have seen his name before but never really read about him but your question lead me to search myself and I am very grateful that this happened. He is right up my street so to speak. Btw adding 'pdf' to a Google search after any topic always brings interesting and useful results

According to St. Alphonsus via Baronius, St. Simeon saw Origen in hell.

more of a historical footnote than anything. Orthodox really love the idea of giving up rationality, but from what I read of St. Simeon he seems to be quite clever, using the facade as a means of a conversion