St. Theophan the Recluse: Bottom Line of Lent

More great content, memes, commenting and community not available on this site.

We are also on Facebook and Instagram which have been designated terrorist organizations by the Russian government.

11.04.2025, 01:04

Friday, April 11 (March 29), 2025
No Liturgy ─ no New Testament reading appointed

Forty days of Lent are over! In just nine days ─ coming Saturday, Sunday and the Holy Week ─ we will reach the great Feast of Lord’s Resurrection. Now is the time to sit down and figure out the bottom line: what we had at the beginning and what we have now. A business deal has been closed; how much has been earned? is there any profit? Race course has been finished: how well did we run? War has been declared: have we got to arms? have we fought? have we seen victory or defeat?

Those who have been fasting with attention and vigilance, who have been laboring with a contrite and humbled heart, might well rejoice upon looking back. And what remains for us, careless and pampered ones, concerned with nothing but comfort and fun? Only shame. But even shame is in short supply. Being beaten, some folks feel no pain: they gave copper heads and iron necks.

Read more about the author

More great content, memes, commenting and community not available on this site.

We are also on Facebook and Instagram which have been designated terrorist organizations by the Russian government.

Publications

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Simplicity vs. Arrogance

Now try to prove the truth of the faith to someone whose min...

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Threat to the Simple-Minded

They tangle lie upon lie, to “take” those simple-minded ones...

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Not of His Fold

They have walked out from the fold of Christ, they do not he...

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Night Owls

You ought to blame yourselves for being blind, so the sin of...

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Duty of the Pastors

The people whom the Lord fed is an image of the entire manki...

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Stoning the Lord

They cannot harm Him, they only ruin themselves.

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Rot of Mind as an Obstacle

Modern theories are created upon no solid ground and develop...

Daily Reflections

St. Theophan the Recluse: Hear Him Talking to You

Seek the profound union with the Lord, to always have an inn...

Related Publications

St. Theophan the Recluse: Simplicity vs. Arrogance
Now try to prove the truth of the faith to someone whose mind is corrupted by arrogance!
St. Theophan the Recluse: Threat to the Simple-Minded
They tangle lie upon lie, to “take” those simple-minded ones who cannot untangle their crafty entanglements.
St. Theophan the Recluse: Not of His Fold
They have walked out from the fold of Christ, they do not hear His voice

Patriarch

Paschal Message by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

It is not fortuitous that church tradition calls this day the “feast of feasts” and the “triumph of triumphs”, for Christ’s Resurrection is the solid foundation of our faith and hope. At the heart of it we find the transformation and renewal of every human being, the light of life everlasting and the fount of constant joy. Christ’s Resurrection has vanquished the most terrible enemies of the human race, which are sin and death, it has torn down the barrier between God and people and delivered us from the power of evil.

Heritage

Greeting of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to the participants of commemorative events on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Patriarch Tikhon's repose

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has sent greetings to the participants of the commemorative events on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the repose of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Patriarch

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Repose of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia recorded a video message on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the repose of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Heritage

Anatoly Torkunov: «What’s really important is how many students are blood donors»

On August 26, Mr Anatoly Torkunov, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, rector of the Moscow State Institute for International relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chairman of Trusteeship Council of the Foma Magazine, turns 70. Mr Torkunov is talking with Parsuna on Spas TV about happiness, forgiveness, normal young people, and a university church.

Patriarch

Patriarchal sermon before the Rite of Forgiveness in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

On the evening of March 2, 2025, in the Week of Syropustnaya, commemoration of Adam's exile (Forgiven Sunday), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia prayed for vespers and led the rite of forgiveness at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. After the dismissal of Vespers, His Holiness delivered a sermon.

Heritage

Alexey Savvateev: "Wisdom is you take on exactly the problems that you can solve"

Life is not equal to mind, life is an irrational and a very chaotic thing, and if these bastards ever design a homo sapiens, I mean, turn a man into a robot — this will be the end of history.

Patriarch

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill's Christmas interview with Rossiya 1 TV channel

On January 7, 2025, the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the traditional Christmas interview of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was shown on the Rossiya 1 TV channel. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church answered questions from TASS Director General A.O. Kondrashov.

Heritage

Cancel reporting, teachers’s pay and my math program, – three solutions by mathematician Alexei Savvateyev, if he were to become Minister of Education

Why mathematics is a language of God and what miracles happen in a scientist’s life? Why proof of unscientific nature of homeopathy is unscientific, and why lack of forgiveness is dangerous? These and many other very extremely interesting issues were discussed by mathematician Alexei Savvateyev and Vladimir Legoida in Parsuna TV show.

Patriarch

The word of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the 15th anniversary of the enthronement after the Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

On February 1, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. This day marks the 15th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the worshippers in the temple with a word.

Heritage

Russian State Duma deputy Yevgeny Primakov: «I'm not a forgiving guy»

People who did wrong and were unjust simply cease to exist for me. Let me give you an example. One of the instigators of that campaign recently died in a tragic accident. TV channels called me on the strange assumption that I would want to comment. I said I wouldn't, what was done was done. I leave my personal feelings to myself.

Patriarch

Thank you all for your prayer

I sincerely thank all of you for praying for me. I know that this prayer is daily, the whole Church prays, and, probably, without this prayer it would be impossible to carry out the Patriarchal ministry. But when they pray for me on this day, a personal day, with which the very appearance of a person in life is connected, then, I think, this prayer is heard by the Lord, and help is poured out on the one for whom they pray. And through those present here, I thank all of you now, my dear bishops, fathers, brothers and sisters, who today, all over the face of our earth, in all the fullness of our Church, have been offering up prayers for the Patriarch.

Heritage

Russian State Duma deputy Yevgeny Primakov: «I'm you hired employee»

Yevgeny Primakov joins Vladimir Legoida on Parsuna Show to discuss the origins and projects of the Russian Humanitarian Mission, his work as a member of parliament, and how faith found its way into his life.

Opinion