I was sent this email today by Father Panagiotes Carras of Toronto, Canada.
St. John of Kronstadt, in his The Joy Of Being Orthodox, says: “The Christian, as a member of the Church, must know his own Faith and strive to live according to that Faith, to achieve salvation by means of that Faith, because the enemies of our salvation never sleep; they seek our destruction every hour and every day. The Orthodox Christian must not dismiss his Faith as a concern merely of certain people”.
Today the saving teachings of our Faith are obscured and lost among the alluring messages of the heterodox, the various religions and Secularism. These disputations tear truth into so many pieces that the voice of our Faith can be lost within the cacophony of the world. They separate us from the way of the Gospel which God imparted to His Church and they destroy our souls.
We do not know our Faith the way we should and we must make every effort to correct this sad fact. Studying our Faith must be part of our daily spiritual rule. Reading the Holy Scriptures, the Lives of the Saints, the writings of the Saints and the Holy Services brings us the Grace of God and makes the foundation of our Faith more strong.
I would like to recommend one more exercise that will build up our faith. Our Holy Synod, by establishing the Three Hierarchs Theological Institute, has offered us an opportunity that we must not overlook. The courses provided by the Theological Institute are a chance for us to embark upon a disciplined path for enriching knowledge of our Faith. I encourage everyone to enroll in at least one of the courses offered this Spring Semester. For more information please go to: http://3hierarchs.org/index.php/academi ... pring-2014
In Christ,
+Fr. Panagiotes