THE EVIL WHISPERS OF THE DEVIL: SLANDER and GOSSIP. ARE WE MURDERING THE SAINTS OF CHRIST?
Summary
TLDRThe video script conveys a profound message from St. Macarius the Great about the dangers of slander and gossip, comparing them to murder as they kill the soul. It narrates a story of a woman overwhelmed by negativity online and reflects on the potential loss of saintly souls due to condemnation. The speaker urges viewers to flee from slander, to see themselves as the greatest sinners, and to embrace humility and love to nurture the potential for sainthood in others, warning against the spiritual harm of gossip and its impact on the salvation of many.
Takeaways
- 🙏 The importance of fleeing from negativity and slander, as emphasized by Abba Macarius the Great.
- 🌱 The metaphorical desert as a place of spiritual refuge beyond the physical desert, symbolizing an internal escape from worldly evils.
- 📞 The impact of the pandemic and lockdowns on mental health, leading to increased feelings of isolation and negativity.
- 🌐 The overwhelming presence of negativity, hatred, and division online, affecting personal relationships and spiritual well-being.
- 💔 The destructive power of slander, equated to murder by the Holy Fathers, causing harm to both the slanderer and the listener.
- 🗣️ The comparison of slander to the devil's whisper in Eden, illustrating its corrupting influence on the soul.
- 😔 The potential loss of spiritual growth due to condemnation and gossip, hindering the journey towards repentance and holiness.
- 👼 The hypothetical fate of Saints like Mary of Egypt and Moses the Black in today's judgmental society, highlighting the need for compassion and understanding.
- 🕊️ The transformative power of love, forgiveness, and patience in nurturing the potential for sainthood in others.
- ⛪️ The Church's role as a spiritual womb, providing a nurturing environment for sinners to become Saints through repentance and self-condemnation.
- 🚫 The warning against the spiritual murder of potential Saints through condemnation, which deprives the world of their grace and intercession.
Q & A
Who is Abba Macarius the Great and what advice did he give to the brothers at Scetis?
-Abba Macarius the Great is a revered figure in the Christian tradition, particularly known for his teachings and wisdom from the Desert Fathers. He advised the brothers to flee from the negativity and slander that can corrupt the soul.
What is the main issue the sister from the monastery is facing due to the pandemic and lockdowns?
-The sister is struggling with the overwhelming negativity, hatred, and divisions she encounters online. This has led to feelings of isolation and separation, and even affected her relationships with loved ones.
How does the speaker describe the impact of slander and gossip on the soul?
-The speaker equates slander with murder, stating that it kills the soul of both the one who spreads it and the one who listens to it, dragging them into a pit of poison.
What biblical reference is used to illustrate the destructive nature of slander?
-The speaker refers to the story of the serpent in Eden, suggesting that slander is akin to the whispering that led Adam and Eve out of paradise, corrupting the soul of the listener.
What is the potential danger of slander and gossip beyond affecting the immediate parties involved?
-The greater danger is the potential loss of a soul that could become a Saint. Slander and gossip can prevent individuals from reaching their spiritual potential and becoming holy figures.
How does the speaker relate the actions of those who slander to the actions of St Mary of Egypt or St Moses the Black?
-The speaker suggests that if these Saints were alive today, the internet's negativity and judgment could hinder their spiritual growth and transformation, preventing them from becoming the revered figures they are known as.
What does the speaker suggest is the role of the Church in relation to sinners and potential Saints?
-The Church should act as a spiritually nourishing womb, providing love, forgiveness, and examples of Christ's love to help sinners repent and grow in holiness.
What is the consequence of condemning and judging others according to the speaker?
-Condemning and judging others not only harms the condemner and the listener but also potentially kills the spiritual life of the one being judged, preventing them from becoming a Saint.
How does the speaker describe the process of transformation from sinner to Saint?
-The process is described as fragile, requiring time, patience, and a series of small steps. It involves moving from the depths of sin to the heights of holiness, often through years or even decades of repentance and spiritual growth.
What is the final advice given by St Macarius the Great in the script?
-St Macarius advises to flee from slander and gossip, to focus on self-condemnation and repentance, and to open one's heart to God's whisper rather than the devil's.
What message does the speaker convey about the importance of not feeding on negativity and slander?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of feeding on Christ and the examples of His Saints, rather than the negativity and slander that can lead to spiritual death and the loss of potential Saints.
Outlines
🙏 The Perils of Slander and Gossip
This paragraph discusses the teachings of Abba Macarius the Great on the importance of avoiding slander and gossip, comparing their destructive effects to murder. It recounts a phone call from a sister overwhelmed by the negativity she encounters online, leading to feelings of isolation and division. The speaker emphasizes the spiritual damage caused by spreading and listening to slander, likening it to the devil's actions in Eden, and stresses the need for humility and self-awareness in recognizing one's own sins.
😔 The Potential Loss of a Saint's Soul
The speaker highlights the greater danger of slander and gossip beyond the harm to the slanderer and the listener: the potential loss of a saint's soul. It contemplates the fate of St. Mary of Egypt and St. Moses the Black in today's world, where public scrutiny and judgment could prevent their transformation into saints. The paragraph calls for compassion and love instead of condemnation, as these qualities can nurture the spiritual growth of potential saints and prevent the loss of their souls.
🕊️ The Transformative Power of Love and Repentance
This paragraph delves into the transformative journey of sinners to saints, emphasizing the time and care required for repentance and spiritual growth. It contrasts the nurturing environment of love and forgiveness with the destructive impact of condemnation and judgment. The speaker warns against the spiritual murder of potential saints through slander and gossip, which not only hinders their salvation but also deprives the Church and future generations of their spiritual gifts.
😢 The Devastating Impact of Condemnation on Spiritual Growth
The speaker reflects on the fragility of spiritual growth and the potential for condemnation to derail the process of repentance and transformation. It discusses the long-term commitment required to support sinners in their journey to sainthood, using the examples of St. Mary of Egypt and St. Moses the Black. The paragraph calls for self-reflection and repentance, warning against the enemy of God—slander—that undermines Christ's redemptive work and the salvation of countless souls.
🙌 The Call for Self-Condemnation and Divine Guidance
In the concluding paragraph, the speaker calls for self-condemnation as a path to open one's heart to God's whisper, contrasting it with the destructive influence of the devil's whisper. The speaker encourages avoiding the temptation of slander and gossip, urging the audience to seek spiritual nourishment from Christ and His saints. The message ends with a prayer for safety, health, and blessings, emphasizing the importance of repentance and the avoidance of slander for spiritual well-being.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Flee
💡Slander
💡Gossip
💡Desert Fathers
💡Pandemic
💡Isolation
💡Repentance
💡Saints
💡Humility
💡Condemnation
💡Potential Saints
Highlights
Abba Macarius the Great advises to flee from slander and gossip, comparing it to murder as it kills the soul.
Slander and gossip damage both the speaker and the listener, dragging their souls down into a pit of poison.
Desert Fathers equate slander with death, as it destroys the spiritual life of both the slanderer and the one who listens.
The devil used whispering to corrupt Adam and Eve, and those who slander act like the devil, corrupting the souls of listeners.
Slander not only harms the slanderer and listener, but also the potential saint whose reputation is tarnished.
St Mary of Egypt and St Moses the Black are examples of sinners who became saints through repentance and love, not condemnation.
Condemning and gossiping about others can prevent potential saints from reaching their spiritual potential.
Instead of condemning, we should show love, forgiveness, and patience to help others grow spiritually.
Slander and gossip can push people further into sin and despair, hindering their path towards repentance and salvation.
The Church should be a spiritually nourishing womb that feeds sinners with love, examples of repentance, and self-condemnation.
Condemning others is like committing spiritual murder, as it deprives them of their potential for holiness and salvation.
By showing mercy and love to sinners, we help them grow into saints, benefiting ourselves and future generations.
Slander and gossip are enemies of God, as they compromise the saving work of Christ and hinder spiritual growth.
We should flee from slander and gossip, focusing instead on self-reflection, repentance, and seeking God's grace.
Feeding on Christ and the examples of His saints leads to spiritual growth, while feeding on the devil's whispers leads to sin and despair.
The speaker concludes with a call to action for listeners to stay safe, healthy, and blessed, and to seek God's guidance and love.
Transcripts
Abba Macarius the Great said to the brothers at Scetis: Flee! my brothers, flee!
One of the old men asked him: Where could we flee to beyond this desert?
And Abba Macarius put his finger on his lips and he said: Flee
that; and he went into his cell, shut the door, and sat down praying.
Yesterday, yesterday I had a phone call from one of the people whom
we all love dearly at the monastery, a sister of ours who is in the world and
she called to ask for help because obviously like all of us being stuck in the house through this
pandemic and the lockdowns and everything that happens she has moved her entire life
online and she feeds everything in her life from the internet and sources from the internet,
and she called to say that she simply feels overwhelmed with all the negativity
and all the hatred and all the divisions that she sees and that she herself has begun to
accept and see at work in her own heart against people whom she loves,
against her parish, against her parish priest, against her bishop, against her friends,
even against her family, members of her family who have different opinions about different topics
in the world today. She said that everywhere she looks online all she finds is negative thoughts,
negative words, slander and gossip against everything and everyone to the point that now
she feels isolated and separated from everyone as if she were an island, not belonging to any
group of islands, to any continent just an island by herself lost in, in the ocean,
and I instantly remembered what the Holy Fathers, particularly the Fathers of the Desert,
whom you know how much I love, have to say about slander and about gossip, and
we talked a bit about how damaging this is to the soul of the one who actually
promotes and puts out the slander and the gossip, but also to the soul of the one who, who listens,
and the Holy Fathers were very, very clear about it: they actually equal slander
with death, with murder; just like a murderer will kill the body of his brother or of his sister,
a slanderer kills the soul of his brother and of his sister because the soul of the one who listens
is being dragged down in the same poison and the same pit as his own soul;
actually the fathers compare this with what the devil did through the snake in Eden;
there is somewhere---I had found it this morning trying to think about what I would say to you;
here it is---It was through whispering that the serpent drove Adam and Eve out of paradise,
so he who speaks against his neighbour will be like the devil and the serpent, for he corrupts
the soul of him who listens to him and he does not save his own soul
so two souls are being lost because of slander and because of gossip, because of condemnation
of your brother s or your sister s mistakes and sin and because you do not find the humility
to see yourself, as we confess again and again in all the prayers of the Saints,
that I---not my brother or my sister---I am the chief among sinners.
But then at the end of this phone conversation as I continue to think and to pray for the peace
of the soul of our sister, whom again we love dearly and, and her pain and her struggle becomes
our own, in this love I realize that there is in fact a greater danger than just the loss of
the soul of the one who slanders and the loss of the soul of the one who listens and opens
himself to the slander which he hears: the greater danger than losing those two souls is the loss,
the potential loss of the soul of a Saint, because you see,
in a gossip or in a slander there are three people involved: on the one hand there is the
one who puts out the slander, and the Fathers are very clear about what happens to his soul;
then there is sort of the one who opens to the slander,
receives it, and becomes himself or herself a bearer and a further promoter of that condemnation
of one's brother or sister and again the Fathers are clear what happens to the soul of that person;
but then there is also the soul of the one whom we condemn, the soul of the one against whom we speak
slander, against whom we put out this gossip, and this third person could be a Saint.
You know I've often wondered, and this occurrence last night, this phone conversation reminded me,
this thought I often wondered what would happen if someone like for instance St Mary of Egypt would
be alive today, what would happen if the internet would be filled with photographs and videos
of this child living in prostitution since she was 12 or 13 years old, what would her fate be
if she were to be alive today, and you know how many Marys of Egypt live among us today,
young women and young men who live a life of lust and fallenness and who instead of being cared for
and surrounded with love and forgiveness and not judgment, instead of being surrounded by examples
of Christ's love whom we should become, we should be the ones witnessing to the love of Christ,
instead of being surrounded by these examples of love and patience and care and forgiveness and
non-condemnation, are surrounded by condemnation, by them being put down in a corner and put
down and slandered against and then their mistakes being constantly being
thrown into their faces every time they want to get themselves up and make that new beginning and
make that gesture of repentance, instead of being welcomed by the love of Christ they are received
by angry faces, faces who can hardly wait to condemn them, to laugh at them, to spit at them;
what would be the fate of St Mary of Egypt if she were to make that first confession of hers
in one of our parishes today or if she were to enter one of our parishes dressed as she was, the
prostitute by definition.
What happened to St Moses the Black, a thief, a robber, a rapist, a murderer who became
not only one of the holiest Elders of the Egyptian desert but the one whom the fathers
chose and ordained as their priest, I think, I think slander and gossip and this evil
demonic feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment we feel when our brother and our sister has fallen
and we can rejoice at their fallenness, this hideous face of ours
not only kills me, the one who slanders my brother, and not only murders
all those who open themselves to the slander and receive it and then share it and take it further,
but the greatest loss is that we also murder a soul that belongs to a Saint,
because if St Mary of Egypt or St Moses the Black or thousands and thousands of
other Saints who have become Saints and have found their holiness through repentance after having
experienced the depth of hell in their bodies, in their minds, in their actions in the world:
all of these would no longer become the Saints they could become if they were surrounded by
love instead of condemnation, if they were surrounded by Saints who look at our own sin,
Saints who self-condemned, who condemned ourselves for our sinfulness, our fallenness
and the sins and the falls of our brothers and our sisters; if this is what they encountered
we would become that spiritually nourishing womb that the Church should be so that these sinners,
the greatest among sinners could enter this womb and be fed by our examples, be fed by our love,
be fed by our examples of repentance and self-condemnation so that they reach their own
potential and from the greatest among sinners they could become the greatest among Saints,
but when we condemn them and when we decide this is who they are we actually kill them
and we think that we are serving God in doing so, and this is no novelty of course, Christ has
told us this will happen: They will take you into synagogues and they will take you before emperors
and judges and they will even kill you thinking that they bring worship to God; this has happened
in body---Saints have been killed as Martyrs from the very first centuries of the Orthodox Church
to the century we live in today; look what happened during Communism, look what happens
in the Orthodox countries today in Syria and so on---but this also happens spiritually, all
these potential Saints, all these potential Marys of Egypt and these potential Moses the Black who
fail to reach their potential of holiness because of us, although we have not put a dagger through
their hearts, although we have not killed them in their bodies we have killed them in their souls
and when we kill them we deprive them of their potential and their salvation and we deprive us of
the gifts of grace they would have bestowed upon us if we had acted as agents for their salvation;
do you think that any of the people who showed mercy and care and love towards the sinner who
Mary of Egypt was or towards the sinner who Moses the Black was before they became the
Saints we know of today, do you think any of these people who showed compassion and love and
forgiveness towards them have been forgotten in the Kingdom of God and do you think any of these
have missed on receiving the right just payment for their good hearts and for their love, and do
you think that any of those who spit upon them and condemned them and put them down and compromised
an opportunity for them to lift up from their sin earlier and to make their movements towards God
earlier than what happened, do you think they have remained without their just judgment? It takes
time for a human being to grow, it takes time and for many of us it takes mistakes,
it takes fall after fall after fall, it takes the experience of hell and the depth of despondency
before the light of Christ shines through and overtakes all that we are and we finally gather
the strength to see the light and to be able to walk towards the light of Christ, that life
that will overcome us, overtake us, become who we are and transform our being in repentance;
it takes time, years and sometimes decades: St Mary of Egypt lived in the desert for 47 years;
St Moses the Black died in the desert in his old age---it takes time and it is such a fragile,
such a fragile process to lift a sinner up from his or her sin and to gently and carefully,
in steps that are so small that are almost impossible to perceive from the outside,
it takes so much time to care for the soul of a Saint, and when Christ has invested the
time and the love and the care to raise them up, to call them from their fallenness, from their sin
to a point where they see the light of His love and they are almost ready to open up, almost ready
to welcome Him into their hearts, and then I come along or you come along and we spit on them and
we condemn them again for what they have done 20 years ago or two years ago and we take them down
and it just pushed them back into the despondency and all the sin that comes with despondency,
when we compromise all the work of love that Christ has invested in these potential Saints,
why are we surprised that the Fathers call those who slander their brothers and their sisters
the enemies of God, because where God came to bring life they purposely and knowingly
compromise the saving work of Christ and they not only fail to save their souls,
not only pour the poison of their slander in the hearts of all those who
open themselves up to hear this and to condemn their brother and sister, but they also compromise
the soul of potential Saints of the Church and all those who in the generations to come would have
benefited from the examples of the lives of the Saints and from their prayers and their
intercessions before God. How many millions of us have benefited from the prayers of St Mary
of Egypt or St Moses the Black or St Silouan, who experienced the depths of despondency, and so many
other Saints who before they became the Saints, these glorious stars of heaven, were in the depths
of one passion or another? How many millions and millions of us have found our hope for salvation
looking at their examples and feeding ourselves from their prayers?
When you put down one of your brothers or one of your sisters, when your evilness and your
slander compromises the work of love that Christ has invested in them in order to drag them from
the depths of hell and bring them to the height of heaven, you not only compromise your soul and the
ones who listen to you and even just the soul of that Mary of Egypt or that Moses the Black,
but you compromise the salvation of the millions and millions who could have found hope and
love and courage to move towards Christ in the generations to come by praying to these saints
whom I have killed through my gossip, through my slander, through my condemnation.
Flee, my brother! Flee, my sister! said St Macarius the Great.
Where further can we flee? asked the old men of the Egyptian Desert. Flee this;
said St Macarius, and then he went back into his cell, he shut the door, and in silence
he went back into his prayer of remorse and repentance over his own sin.
When you condemn yourself, when you see yourself as the Saints teach us---that we are the greatest
among sinners---you open your heart to the whisper of God in your being. When instead of that
you open yourself to the whisper of the devil, to the whisper of the serpent who by
another whisper compromised the life of our forefathers in Eden, the same happens to us
and we fall from the little Eden of our hearts, we fall from the grace of God,
from the womb of the Church and we drag down with us in the depth of our sin those who listen to us
and unfortunately all those who we slander and whose potential for holiness we compromise, again
and again. Feed yourselves from Christ and the examples of His
Saints, my brothers and my sisters; don't feed yourselves from the devil and his servants.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and be blessed, wherever you are in the world. Amen, amen, amen.
Посмотреть больше похожих видео
St. Therese of Lisieux Biography | The Little Flower of Jesus
Enduring In Love Until The End | 10. Judge What God Exposes In Your Flesh - Zac Poonen
I don’t care if you don’t like me, you don’t even like yourself
Shitposting for Buddha- If you are a non-dual Troll YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS video!
S08E15 - Justiça nas palavras
“A Mother’s Great Faith & Love” Mark 7:24-30
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)