Additional information
| Dimensions | 153 × 229 in |
|---|---|
| Imprint | |
| Pages | 216 |
| Publisher | |
| Author Name | Theophan the Recluse |
| Language | English |
| Book Dimensions | 229 × 153 mm × 14 mm |
| Format Detail | Paperback |
| Format | BC |
| Publication Date | 20260116 |
Now Is the Accepted Time
Lenten Sermons of St Theophan the Recluse
Living a Christian Life, Prayer & Devotion$24.95
Description
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the
day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).
St Theophan the Recluse, one of the greatest teachers of the Russian
Orthodox Church, was steeped in the patristic tradition. He calls all to
salvation through the joy of repentance, confession, and holy communion. These
sermons, delivered by the saint over a number of years, are organized
thematically to reveal the meaning of the liturgical life of the Church and its
application to our lives. They begin with the preparatory period before the Fast
and continue through it, culminating in the time of Holy Week.
St Theophan is concise, clear, and profound. Drawing from early
patristic commentary, he shows the specific actions the enemy of our salvation,
the devil, uses to weaken a person in mind, soul, and body and gives the reader
tools to fight back against him. The reader is assured that the Lord will
tangibly grant him the knowledge that his labor is not in vain and his path is
not misguided. Thus, this book will inspire the reader to enter into the Lenten
season with renewed hope.
“Oh, that the Lord Himself would help us never to be deprived of His
abiding in us! … The Lord is in us! Let us take care to keep Him within
ourselves forever.” —St Theophan
Contents
Contents
1. The Sunday of the Tax Collector and
Pharisee
—Do not trust in your own righteousness
—Self-satisfaction and self-justification are the most pernicious
delusion
—Convictions that persuade the soul to be ashamed and disgusted with
sin and its sinful state
2. The Sunday of the Prodigal
Son
—The Church wants to elevate us to an inspired resolve to forsake sin,
and to walk the right path to the Heavenly Father
—What it means to awaken from the sleep of sin
—About the attempts and tricks of the enemy, who seeks to devour every
zealot for goodness and purity
3. Meatfare Sunday
—Let us draw a picture of the Dread Judgement in our minds and
continually carry it with us
—The secret of preparing a good defense at the Dread Judgment
—About the Second and Dread coming of our Lord Jesus Christ—abridged
from the words of our holy Father Ephraim the Syrian
4. Forgiveness Sunday
—About the matter of remembering from where we have fallen
—This Lent may be the last time given to us for repentance
—Lent seems gloomy until one enters into its field
5. Wednesday—The First Week of Great
Lent
—The main task is cleansing the conscience
—About recognizing one’s sins and self-knowledge
—The spiritual father is the face of all mankind: Do not be ashamed to
expose yourself at confession
—Sorrow over sins and a decisive change for the better is the heart of
preparing to commune
6. Friday—The First Week of Great
Lent
—Contrition for sins is not a simple feeling: The limit of heartfelt
contrition for sins is the firm intention not to offend God with your sins
anymore
—Await the Lord in reverent silence: Prepare to meet Him, to receive
Him and to give Him rest within you in a worthy manner
—How we should arrange ourselves and act in order to worthily approach
the Holy Mysteries
7. Saturday—The First Week of Great
Lent
—The gift of holy communion is not the end, but the beginning of labors
and ascetic struggles
—About the spiritual pleasure of prayerfully abiding with the
Lord
—A real change and correction of life is the goal of the whole
dispensation of our salvation
—No matter how many there are, everyone receives the whole
Lord
—The more often one receives communion, the closer one comes to the
Lord
8. The First Sunday of Great
Lent
—What should be in every communicant of the Mysteries of Christ who has
received the Lord in them; and in whom is the Lord not present
—How to behave in order to avoid new falls into sin
—If you fall again, who knows whether you will get back up?
9. The Second Sunday of Great
Lent
—What are the parts of our nature, what are the attacks on them and
what are the weapons of our spiritual warfare against them?
—The most important methods to ensure your success in the
struggle
—In what manner it happens that when we lose our lives, we do not lose,
but save them
—Fighters of the passions: Do not weaken and do not heed their
flattering speeches
—What it means for the world to be crucified to us and us to the
world
10. The Third Sunday of Great Lent: The Life-giving
Cross
—To be on the cross of self-crucifixion or to perish
—Three types of Cross: External Crosses
—Three types of Crosses: Internal Crosses
—Three types of crosses: The cross of devotion to the will of
God
—You ascended on the cross in order to resist sin
11. The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent—The
Ladder
—A portrait of the life of St John of the Ladder; how to become a
complete emulator of St John
—The main content of The Ladder: A brief outline
of our entire path to the Lord in the form of climbing a ladder
—About the Ladder of Divine Ascent and not sparing the flesh
—An excellent alphabet for all, or about the three types of ascetic
labors
12. The Fifth Sunday of Great
Lent
—Here is our a lesson: Do not arrogate to yourself the kingdom of
heaven
—What we can learn from the conversion of St. Mary of Egypt, or about
the veils of sin
—About the three classes of sinners; or about the key to the door of
repentance
—Two powerful ways whereby Saint Mary of Egypt stood firm in the
struggle and overcame sin
13. Holy Week
—As you labor the body, so also labor the soul.
—How to avoid the bitter fate of Judas
—The Lord is in us! Let us take care to keep Him within ourselves
forever
—The Body and Blood of the Lord is a great gift!
—Arrange yourself as if you have always just received
Communion
Notes
Scripture Index
