Hello my siblings in Christ. As before: I answer the questions posted in previous Q&As. If you want to have your question answered, please post it in the most recent Q&A episode. Also, know that I have a lot of question to answer, so while I will answer your question, it does not mean it will be answered in the next episode. Starting with this episode, I will try to answer more questions and to keep the answers more brief.
Утка asks: Do you think that the Bible gives the state of Israel any legitimacy, or are you against it's existence?
I don’t think that the Bible gives Israel or any other country legitimacy. However, as for the legitimacy of Israel itself, I don’t mind Jews having their own state, but I also feel for the people who lives in the land prior to establishment of modern day Israel. It is one of those things where no decision will satisfy all the stakeholders.
Micah Danker asks: Have you heard of the Amish or the Mennonites, and if you have what do you think of them?
Outside of religious differences, I find them rather charming, and I appreciate their devotion to their faith. Sadly, they’re clearly not fans of my content because I don’t have any Amish subscribers.
cineva1 cineva asks: Are hobbies ok for an Orthodox? I spend a lot of time reading about plants,alpine gardening is my main hobby,i put small wooden crosses
Hobbies are absolutely ok for an Orthodox, unless it is something anti-Christian like collecting porn or leaving poison pills for neighborhood dogs. I myself am no fan of people who have no personality out of their Orthodoxy - you know, those who only listen to spiritual music, watch interviews with priests and so on. Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your thing, that’s fine, I’m just not a fan of it. It is also great that you do your hobby in such a Christian manner! Remember, even God rested on the 7th day! We are not creatures of perpetual motion, but also of rest and thanksgiving. I myself was quite a greenthumb once.
Brendan Smith asks: Have you heard of the Anglican ordinariate of the Catholic church and its liturgy?
Yup. Got no particular opinion on it, I think it is a good way for Anglican clergy to transition if they want to avoid the sadly excess compromising of the Gospel in the Anglican communion.
Drohtnian asks: What do you think of the works of ž ? Do you think, that a big part of why the christian West suffers a spiritual crisis is due to the fact, that we(Catholics) followed Augustines thoughts?
Of Romanides I’ve only read The River of Fire, which I really like. As for the spiritual crisis, I do believe that the crisis is brought, in part, by seeing God as a distant deity who needs to appease its bloodthirst, to be more specific, thirst for Christ’s blood. Just how much Augustine played a part in this I do not know, it is being thrown around in Orthodox circles. Of Augustine I’ve only read parts of his Confessions, but to be quite frank, I found it tad whiney.
Абв Где asks: What is your opinion on the Holy Fire? What is the Serbian Orthodox Church's position on the question? If it is in fact a real miracle, doesn't that pose a valid argument in favour of keeping the Julian Calendar.
Serbian Orthodox Church does consider it a miracle, and the fire is brought regularly to Serbian churches. Myself, I don’t really care much for it - they had a vigil lamp with it in my parish church and I never went to fetch it. Triumphalism of some Orthodox aimed at other Christian is one of my major pet peeves, for an Orthodox who believes in Orthodoxy today because of the Holy Fire will convert to Catholicism because of Fatima tomorrow, and God knows what else as soon as the next miracle comes. Finally, it is no argument for Julian calendar because the way we calculate the date of Pascha has nothing to do with Julian calendar.
John Martin asks: Do you think christians should do Hanukkah since in john 10:22 it says that jesus participated in Hanukkah.
Jesus also said that we will no longer worship at the Temple, but anywhere in truth and Spirit. There is really no reason to observe the dedication of a second version of an outdated mode of worship. We do consider Maccabees to be saints in the Orthodox Church.
John Martin asks: Why does it seem that orthodox like jews more then catholics.
Er..,
Gillian C aks: (1) are there any priest's wives amongst the named saints? (2) why is there so little devotion to St Joseph amongst the Orthodox?
As for named saints that were priest’s wives, I know no such officially canonized saint, but Matushka Olga, a priest’s wife from Alaska, will hopefully be canonized. If it’s any comfort, married priests rarely get canonized as well. As for St. Joseph, it is because the Western devotion is relatively recent: the first church dedicated to St. Joseph in West was in 10th century, his feast day was introduced in 15th century, and major devotional development occurred only in 19th century. There are Orthodox churches dedicated to him, as well as a feast day.
Aleksa Nikolić asks: Зашто постоје природне непогоде (полаве, урагани...), пошто за то нису криви људи?
To make long answer short, it is because of our sins. Sin tears apart us and creation apart from God, and both strive towards nothingness. We die and creation behaves wonky. So, while we did not cause a volcano per se, the very fact we are separated from God causes the whole of creation to behave in a manner it wasn’t intended to.
Sean Wu asks: Do orthodox say Hail Mary's or other Marian prayers that Catholics pray like the angelus.
Orthodox pray the Hail Mary, but our version is a bit different “O Virgin Theotokos, rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for you gave birth to the Savior of our souls.” We have some other prayers too, the most important of which is a lengthy prayer known as the Akathist.
Well, that’s it for this video. Remember, leave the questions at the most recent video and I’ll get to them eventually. Please stay safe during the outbreak and pray for me. Remember to subscribe. Bye!
Утка asks: Do you think that the Bible gives the state of Israel any legitimacy, or are you against it's existence?
I don’t think that the Bible gives Israel or any other country legitimacy. However, as for the legitimacy of Israel itself, I don’t mind Jews having their own state, but I also feel for the people who lives in the land prior to establishment of modern day Israel. It is one of those things where no decision will satisfy all the stakeholders.
Micah Danker asks: Have you heard of the Amish or the Mennonites, and if you have what do you think of them?
Outside of religious differences, I find them rather charming, and I appreciate their devotion to their faith. Sadly, they’re clearly not fans of my content because I don’t have any Amish subscribers.
cineva1 cineva asks: Are hobbies ok for an Orthodox? I spend a lot of time reading about plants,alpine gardening is my main hobby,i put small wooden crosses
Hobbies are absolutely ok for an Orthodox, unless it is something anti-Christian like collecting porn or leaving poison pills for neighborhood dogs. I myself am no fan of people who have no personality out of their Orthodoxy - you know, those who only listen to spiritual music, watch interviews with priests and so on. Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your thing, that’s fine, I’m just not a fan of it. It is also great that you do your hobby in such a Christian manner! Remember, even God rested on the 7th day! We are not creatures of perpetual motion, but also of rest and thanksgiving. I myself was quite a greenthumb once.
Brendan Smith asks: Have you heard of the Anglican ordinariate of the Catholic church and its liturgy?
Yup. Got no particular opinion on it, I think it is a good way for Anglican clergy to transition if they want to avoid the sadly excess compromising of the Gospel in the Anglican communion.
Drohtnian asks: What do you think of the works of ž ? Do you think, that a big part of why the christian West suffers a spiritual crisis is due to the fact, that we(Catholics) followed Augustines thoughts?
Of Romanides I’ve only read The River of Fire, which I really like. As for the spiritual crisis, I do believe that the crisis is brought, in part, by seeing God as a distant deity who needs to appease its bloodthirst, to be more specific, thirst for Christ’s blood. Just how much Augustine played a part in this I do not know, it is being thrown around in Orthodox circles. Of Augustine I’ve only read parts of his Confessions, but to be quite frank, I found it tad whiney.
Абв Где asks: What is your opinion on the Holy Fire? What is the Serbian Orthodox Church's position on the question? If it is in fact a real miracle, doesn't that pose a valid argument in favour of keeping the Julian Calendar.
Serbian Orthodox Church does consider it a miracle, and the fire is brought regularly to Serbian churches. Myself, I don’t really care much for it - they had a vigil lamp with it in my parish church and I never went to fetch it. Triumphalism of some Orthodox aimed at other Christian is one of my major pet peeves, for an Orthodox who believes in Orthodoxy today because of the Holy Fire will convert to Catholicism because of Fatima tomorrow, and God knows what else as soon as the next miracle comes. Finally, it is no argument for Julian calendar because the way we calculate the date of Pascha has nothing to do with Julian calendar.
John Martin asks: Do you think christians should do Hanukkah since in john 10:22 it says that jesus participated in Hanukkah.
Jesus also said that we will no longer worship at the Temple, but anywhere in truth and Spirit. There is really no reason to observe the dedication of a second version of an outdated mode of worship. We do consider Maccabees to be saints in the Orthodox Church.
John Martin asks: Why does it seem that orthodox like jews more then catholics.
Er..,
Gillian C aks: (1) are there any priest's wives amongst the named saints? (2) why is there so little devotion to St Joseph amongst the Orthodox?
As for named saints that were priest’s wives, I know no such officially canonized saint, but Matushka Olga, a priest’s wife from Alaska, will hopefully be canonized. If it’s any comfort, married priests rarely get canonized as well. As for St. Joseph, it is because the Western devotion is relatively recent: the first church dedicated to St. Joseph in West was in 10th century, his feast day was introduced in 15th century, and major devotional development occurred only in 19th century. There are Orthodox churches dedicated to him, as well as a feast day.
Aleksa Nikolić asks: Зашто постоје природне непогоде (полаве, урагани...), пошто за то нису криви људи?
To make long answer short, it is because of our sins. Sin tears apart us and creation apart from God, and both strive towards nothingness. We die and creation behaves wonky. So, while we did not cause a volcano per se, the very fact we are separated from God causes the whole of creation to behave in a manner it wasn’t intended to.
Sean Wu asks: Do orthodox say Hail Mary's or other Marian prayers that Catholics pray like the angelus.
Orthodox pray the Hail Mary, but our version is a bit different “O Virgin Theotokos, rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for you gave birth to the Savior of our souls.” We have some other prayers too, the most important of which is a lengthy prayer known as the Akathist.
Well, that’s it for this video. Remember, leave the questions at the most recent video and I’ll get to them eventually. Please stay safe during the outbreak and pray for me. Remember to subscribe. Bye!
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