Guide for Converts: How to Go Deeper, Get Well Established

Рет қаралды 10,032

Ай бұрын

An introduction for catechumens and newly illumined, covering topics such as how to find a spiritual father, how to start fasting, what is a prayer rule, and more.
This podcast will be aimed at helping all of those seeking to go deeper and get well established in the life of the Church -- especially new converts.
-With Fr. Peter Heers
Originally recorded in May, 2023
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Пікірлер: 85

@francinebotton2635 Ай бұрын

It took 20 years to find a spiritual father, then I found a wonderful one, Glory to God!

@Orm-zn6fl Ай бұрын

God's perfect timing 😉

@ZBielski Ай бұрын

I am going to be accepted as a catechumen next sunday! Christ is risen! So thankful i found the church. I pray i never make a mockery of god and assimilate successfully and fully! I do not feel a need for a fast catechism! If it takes more than a year thats fine im not going anywhere!

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

Yes Take it slow

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

Be baptized

@GoldiSmith-lc3lf Ай бұрын

I became a Catechumen on Mother’s Day.

@NaturesEyesAndMouth Ай бұрын

Glory be to God! I became one on Easter.

@honeymilk4160 Ай бұрын

This is incredible Father Peter Absolutely edifying. Thank you very much.

@living_orthodox Ай бұрын

Well said Father! It isn’t enough to stand and mechanically pray. St Ignatius tells us we must be attentive. We must see our needs in the prayers and earnestly entreat God to grant us forgiveness and enlightenment.

@patrickbarnes9874 Ай бұрын

I read this very same thing - that it is important when you pray that your full intention and attention is on the prayer before you start - quoted from a homily by St Theophan that was assigned reading for a session on developing inner prayer. Different person on a different continent in a different century but delivers the same message. Glory to God for apostolic succession guarding holy tradition! ☦

@kaylacarter6817 Ай бұрын

This really made me want to cry. I'm always so hard on myself. To know that this will be a lifelong journey is extremely humbling.

@pawelmjw 20 күн бұрын

I am a catechumen. In past I've approached Orthodoxy twice, and unfortunately returned to Roman Catholicism. Each time the internal, irresistible calling towards Orthodoxy came around the time of Orthodox Great Lent. This year it was in the 2nd week of the Great Lent. I think I got the message, and I I'm going to persevere withGod'sgrace. . Please, say just one prayer for me. ☦️

@joehouston2833 20 күн бұрын

Trent Horn

@joehouston2833 20 күн бұрын

Jimmy Akin

@pawelmjw 19 күн бұрын

@joehouston2833...and why exactly would I be interested in catholic apologetics? Been there. Thanks, no more any of this papist' heretical cult for me.

@joehouston2833 19 күн бұрын

@@pawelmjw 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@Moskal91 Ай бұрын

Perfect timing! Just got baptised a few weeks ago 😂😂🙏☦️

@Cp....icnttyuif Ай бұрын

Χρισός Ανέστη!!! ❤️☦️🇬🇷

@bread5617 Ай бұрын

Nice this couldn't come at a better time. I've been reading up on orthodoxy. Where i first thought Catholicism is the way I'm starting to learn more and more

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

Thank God. Let us know how we can help. Good struggles and enlightenment! You may want to check out the Orthodoxy 101 playlists on OE for more introductory live-streams.

@normadaly7506 Ай бұрын

Thank God!!! I'm new too

@elKarlo Ай бұрын

May the Lord have mercy on me. Theotokos pray for us!

@carolflower9672 Ай бұрын

Thank you Father Peter ... I am So Grateful for your work ... This was so helpful for me.

@angiekereakes6551 Ай бұрын

amen!!!

@Greasy__Bear Ай бұрын

When I talk to others, I am humbled. Most people I talk to came from far worse backgrounds than me, but they are doing better than me.

@cajroverby6590 Ай бұрын

Broadness vs Narrowness makes me think of the splinter vs the plank in my neighbor's eye vs mine. My axe is broad and ready to chop my neighbor's splinter but narrow and never splits my plank.

@vrhovnipredstojnik7650 Ай бұрын

Thank you, Father.

@has25252 Ай бұрын

Everyone thinks they'll build a rocket-ship to get there when what you actually have to build is a staircase.

@normadaly7506 Ай бұрын

Thank you

@has25252 Ай бұрын

@@normadaly7506 My pleasure! I had to learn the hard way.

@andit4454 Ай бұрын

Thank you so very much Father Heers!! This was extremely valuable to me!

@ChristianHagood Ай бұрын

Well spoke, Father!

@henrybarrett1292 Ай бұрын

Father, bless!!! Thank you for this wonderful overview!!!

@americaneclectic Ай бұрын

Dear Father Peter: To the typical person from the Heterodox, this is like teaching QED to elementary students-very advanced, and difficult to understand. Our priest, or spiritual father, can tutor us in the development of the spiritual life very slowly, without lots of vain glory and pride. I don’t think I can learn it on my own, only with help from a spiritual father.

@patrickbarnes9874 Ай бұрын

Unless you are exceptionally lucky you have no choice but to learn it on your own in the sense of not having a spiritual father. The mass secularization of the free world has made it extremely difficult to find a spiritual father compared to the days when there was a monastery outside every city. However, not having a spiritual father doesn't mean you learn alone. Orthodoxy is about being a part of the body of Christ and you should have a parish community to learn with even if you haven't yet developed a one-on-one relationship with a spiritual father.

@jasonsworld333 Ай бұрын

I appreciate this video thank you

@Theoretically-ko6lr Ай бұрын

Glory to God ❤

@Hannah-if3cn Ай бұрын

Christ is Risen! Fr. Peter, l have been in ROCOR for 21 years, and in all of the Churches l have Communed in, all have taught to fast at the minimum from midnight on before partaking in the Holy Eucharist.

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

Yes

@mariatheodorou7462 Ай бұрын

Thanks

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

We thank you so much for your contribution!

@Max-wz3bq Ай бұрын

Thank you for everything Father. Would you mind telling me the chant in the beginning?

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

Makarismi - Vatopedi Monastery: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qtRpY891zaipnKs.htmlsi=5laEkSjrMInms9aH

@ElyWill Ай бұрын

I’d like to know how to convert when a spouse isn’t interested. Looks like there’s resistance and it’s adamant. My part is to pray and grow in my faith, but how do I honor our marriage while having to go to a different church altogether and observe different traditions? We also have young children. Thankfully they are in the Christian faith.

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

You may have to be patient more than others. You may have to pray much more than others, in their relationship, for the sake of your spouse. You yourself have been allowed this by God for it is for your salvation. You will be enriched and purified through this struggle to be loving, patient, kind, etc. She will need to see your love of Christ grow, your long-suffering multiply, your care for her be more manifest. There may be a secret insecurity, a jealously, an anger lurking within her, a fear that she will lose something -- you, perhaps, or freedom, or even God! - if she allows herself to be open to this and follow her husband. Go deeper in every way you can -- even if it is not the ideal or best catechumenate/period of instruction/purification/initiation. In the ancient church it took 3 years. Take your time -- but do not stop progressing. Do not stop moving forward to Christ in the Mysteries. Just don't push it, but pray for discernment and wait on God.

@torreyspencer4928 Ай бұрын

Fr Heers is right. I left a well known controversial “church” after 40+ years to become an Orthodox Christian. Not easy as my husband of 44 years was not for it to say the least. It hasn’t been easy and I put up with his “snarky” comments but, my life is so much deeper and richer. I simply work hard to show Christ like love for my husband and pray often for his heart to soften and open.

@SuperGogetem Ай бұрын

Yep, when I was a member of a parish in the OCA, it was recommended to only confess 4 times per year.

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

Sad

@ICONFESSONEBAPTISM Ай бұрын

It's no use trying to move around and find the right priest, parish, etc, in most cases you'll just wreck your life and end up depressed The real thing is very hard to find nowadays Bigger things are happening behind the scenes and will soon come to light, things are a lot worse than what we currently know right now regarding the total condition of the Church The bible says a time will come when the faithful/saints are given over to the antichrists power, and instructions are given as to how we / they ought to live - it is very similar to the days of the early Church under the pagan imperium, if we emulate the Holy people of those times it makes being in these times much simpler. I wouldn't say easier, but simpler... Nowadays I am more of the inclination of the desert fathers, just give up trying to engage with modern mankind and retreat so you don't lose your soul, be in a position where you can manage your inner war against the passions which often requires us to embrace exile Of course the Church instructs us to have zeal, to speak up when the Faith is in peril, but these are circumstantial rules, we are now in the exceptional days, the late days, which require us to "enter the catacombs" i.e. to avoid the world and go deep into the spiritual heart All this stress about I need the sacraments, I need frequent liturgical activities, all that is dangled over us as bait but in most places we won't be allowed it by the pharisaic clergy, we shall be joined to Christ rather via persecution and martyrdom like the thief on the Cross and early Christians and this is allowed or excepted by God His hand is on the gate of mercy ready to shut it for good and we are among the last to slip through thanks to the endless intercessions of His mother and all the saints From the elementary perspective these claims may sound absurd but nobody sees on the level how bad things have really become at the higher levels in the Church Satan is 99.9999 percent ready right now to release his son upon this world, that is why it has been spiralling down in to unprecedented turmoil in the last 50 odd years and especially the last 5 odd years - again, this is practically unnoticeable for those who are living in a slumber / stupor lacking spiritual sobriety - and yes we can say it has always since the early Church been "really bad" but it's now really really bad

@normadaly7506 Ай бұрын

Thank you. I'm new

@ICONFESSONEBAPTISM Ай бұрын

@@normadaly7506 I advise to follow what father said about finding a spiritual father, preparing for a holistic repentance per the commandments, all of that, but sometimes it is just an inescapable dynamic that one cannot find a good spiritual father or even a priest who will do the right thing according to tradition. In particular Australia is super lax and secularised, even much of the Serb and rocor, and their presence is actually super low here compared to say Anglicans, catholics, etc. All over the world this is going on. Not only is that going on, but then there is a direct animosity toward converts who want to do the right thing, I have heard of people being barred from parishes because they stood firm in wanting to be recieved by baptism and not just chrismation-only. Apostasy and ostracization of the traditional folks is nothing new though, in the bolshevik era in Russia it was very very widespread, they even converted some parishes into public toilets and would throw monks and priests off the top of buildings and shoot them and all kinds of horrors like today's times in Ukraine. The whole world will get like that again eventually. Anyway that's my input, some will say just have automatic obedience to whoever, they will answer for any mistakes that occur, but in my opinion that's anti patristic and also spiritually suicidal.

@honeymilk4160 Ай бұрын

This is very true. I feel something quite genuine about what you have written. I’m interested what you mean by the state of the church?

@honeymilk4160 Ай бұрын

@@ICONFESSONEBAPTISMyes, I’m in Australia too. Difficult. Probably time to leave?

@ICONFESSONEBAPTISM Ай бұрын

@@honeymilk4160 I suggest to listen to talk 82 and 83 from father kosmas (Orthodox talks, KZfaq channel), and some other talks he has done regarding heresy, blasphemy, etc.

@amsa3245 Ай бұрын

1:56:00- It's ok.

@normadaly7506 Ай бұрын

Can the spiritual father be of a different jurisdiction?

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

Yes

@normadaly7506 Ай бұрын

@@OrthodoxEthos being ROCOR I cud have Greek OC ? Thank you

@deborahriospendleton Ай бұрын

“We can’t trust Christ directly”. Is that what I heard?

@living_orthodox Ай бұрын

He’s say we can’t trust ourselves to have full knowledge of God, of Christ directly. We must come to know Him in the gospels and in the experience of the apostles and their successors.

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

No. Indeed, trust in CHRIST is the basis FOR EVERYTHING.

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

It has been about a year since this live stream, but I think I meant to say there are people who struggle with trusting Christ directly. And so God assists us through and in others, especially those who are most close to him.

@agiasf7330 Ай бұрын

@@pah9730If we can't trust the Lord, will we be able to trust those closest to Him, Father? How is that possible?

@johnrep9690 Ай бұрын

Wouldn’t it be a natural role of the Parish priest to be that spiritual Fr? Why/How would you “pick” another? If another, then what to do when that spiritual father gives guidance that may contradict the priest in some way? Who trumps whom? Or am I elevating the role of one these two too much?

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

It would be practically ideal . It would be a welcomed development for that reason. And yet, we don’t see this imposed or required in the Orthodox Church. The nature of the relationship is that it has to be freely chosen.

@tiagob3135 Ай бұрын

So I have to be baptized and/or chrysmated in the Orthodox Chruch to have the Holy Spirit dwell in me?

@pah9730 Ай бұрын

Before I answer that, do you believe there is one holy Catholic apostolic Church? And that it is identifiable, concrete, in time and space just as our Lord walked in this earth?

@user-tx7fl1nt4s Ай бұрын

Hard to think that, apart from the Orthodox church, if one hears the gospel and repents and lives for Christ that, that person would not be grafted into the True vine.

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

How?

@user-tx7fl1nt4s Ай бұрын

@OrthodoxEthos is that your position? Perhaps I misunderstood. The Gospel is to repent and believe in Christ. If one genuinely does those things, but never makes it to an "Orthodox" church. Does this mean they don't have the salvation of Jesus Christ? With respect, I enjoy your videos.

@user-si1xj3bp9u Ай бұрын

Good question.

@deborahriospendleton Ай бұрын

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware?

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

What about him?

@deborahriospendleton Ай бұрын

Why focus on someone who hasn’t been canonized when there are the writings of so many saints and fathers?

@OrthodoxEthos Ай бұрын

Were we focusing on him or using his insights and teachings -- which reflect the whole wisdom of the Tradition and witness of the Saints?