Greetings, I'm a former jew. came to U.S.A at young age. Now orthodox christian feels good to be back with the root. I'm the old lost branch. Lord Jesus Christ have mercy a chief sinner among sinners. ☦️
@@Hg-1-13 Who is the true god? Cause for Orthodox Christians it is Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, the three persons of the undivided Trinity.
"More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify you!" ☦️
Roman Catholic here we agree so much and though many other Christians I’ve encountered don’t agree, I am praying for Christian unity so we can be a less hypocritical and more potent witness to Christ’s love and unity. May God bless and keep you and all my Orthodox and Protestant brothers and sisters Amen, Amen. 🙏
Former Methodist. Now a Catholic. Thanks Fr. Truebenbach. I’ve enjoyed your channel and this episode is remarkable. Thank God for our Most Holy Theotokos.
This has been one of the greatest surprises about becoming Orthodox for me. I had been Baptist and was very blessed as a member of that denomination, but God drew me into Orthodoxy through a series of clear signals. When I finally got up the nerve to speak to the Theotokos outside of a Liturgical setting, I was amazed by the immediate sense of her presence and immediate relief of the anguish I was feeling. I had been experiencing a moment of acute distress and trying to keep functioning. The impression I have of the Theotokos is of compassion, gentleness, and overflowing maternal love. She always points me to Christ. I certainly don’t expect, or receive, a strong sense of her presence or an alleviation of my problems every time I speak to her, but I treasure the moments that I do feel her with me and all her love and help. EDIT: Just a quick edit to add that I have a close direct relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ as well-He’s the most beautiful, powerful Presence in my life by far. I do not go to Mary as a substitute, but as another member of the Body of Christ. I ask other living Christians to pray for people and things I am concerned about, and I also ask our saints who have passed for their prayers.
I was raised Baptist, became Catholic, and I feel the same way about Mary. I had been taught that anything to do with Mary was idolatrous. At one point I asked her for a miraculous sign if she really heard my prayers and cared about me, and she totally gave it. I came to have a strong devotion to her and the Rosary.
@@jennifernorton7476 That is so beautiful, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing your story. I have been thinking about starting a rosary practice, and your comment encourages me!
@@elusivemayfly7534 That would be awesome! I have some Orthodox friends who like to pray the Rosary, and they got theirs with an Orthodox cross from Rugged Rosaries.
Thank you so much Father Paul. I’ve come to the Orthodox faith less than two years ago and I came from the Evangelical world. I can honestly say that my heart never rejected The Mother of God even when the false doctrine of Evangelical Christianity was still whispering in my ears because I knew by the Holy Spirit and The Word of God that She was very Special to God. Now in my prayers I tell Jesus that I honor His Mother and ask Her to pray for me everyday. It’s such a terrible sin that the whole Protestant world has rejected The Mother of God.
Im a protestant who has been exploring orthodoxy. My son and I were JUST talking about the different views on Mary yesterday! Thank you for this timely video! I have not understood the Orthodox view of Mary very well until now! ❤
You must have alot of questions. Find your closest Orthodox parish and ask the priest there. If you want to talk to an Orthodox layman (your day to day sinner), im open to discussions.
You must have alot of questions. Find your closest Orthodox parish and ask the priest there. If you want to talk to an Orthodox layman (your day to day sinner), im open to discussions.
The biggest problem with most protestantes accusation of orthodoxy veneration of Mary comes from their own wrong assumptions and not willing to hear the orthodoxy view. Kudos to you
This is such confirmation for me. The last few days, I have woken up between 2 and 3 o'clock, and I did not get out of bed to pray. However, this morning, for the third or fourth time I woke up at 2:55 am so this time I got out of bed and I made sure I prayed the rosary. I prayed it for 2 hours. And this is the first video that showed up on my CZcams as I picked up my phone. This is confirmation regarding what I have prayed. ❤
I can't stress enough how efficacious I've come to know the rosary to truly be. So glad for you that you are beginning to see the same. As someone who for so long never really believed in the power of prayer, it shocked me how powerful the rosary truly is. Our Immaculate Mother will never fail to help obtain for you the graces you need if they are ultimately to your benefit. I struggled with sin, especially of the flesh. The effects were so quick and overwhelming it seemed miraculous to me. The graces she obtained turned things I thought I might struggle with always into at worst a bothersome gnat easily brushed away with little bother. I think because she never sinned against God, or measured the personal cost to herself, the slightest sigh from our Immaculate Mother is more pleasing to God than the prayers of all the rest combined. He denies her nothing. Whatever the problem the rosary is the answer.
After I started taking my faith seriously, I started looking into this and i came across many protestants bringing the Theotokos down to a mere woman on youtube. I even had trouble praying to her because i feared sinning against God. This matter was weighing on my heart for months but not after this video. Thank You father Paul keep making these awesome videos! Love from Ethiopia.💚💛❤
I'm Orthodox and she was a mere woman but that's what makes her so blessed. She was a poor woman who set her entire life apart for holiness and consecration to God. She was no ordinary woman though, because while she was only human, she remained unblemished from sin by God's grace. She is blessed and we should honor her because our Lord honors her.
@@andys3035isn't that wrong ? She had God inside of her and gave birth to Word and Son of God trough The Holy Spirit after that moment she stoped being a mere woman .
@slavplaysgames when I say mere woman, I mean she was 100% human but not just any human because of her role in our salvation. As Fr. Paul says in this video, she doesn't save us but leads us to the Saviour. And of course she was pure and holy and as we say in our prayers "more honorable than the cherubim, beyond compare, more glorious than the seraphim, without corruption, gave birth to God the Word". That's no ordinary woman.
@LMK-wf6fv the protestants are a heretical movement. gracelsss temple that appears christian but has no roots in the faith. they often seek to argue and shame others to hide their own sins. they are seekers of attention rather than truth. heretics still searching as you can see they repeatedly leave comments.
18:57 Hearing that statement from Elder Ephraim brought tears to my eyes. Truly those prayers melt the heart, and bring us to repentance. Most Holy Theotokos, save us ☦️
@@bentleyepic1731 I'd say first speak to your spiritual father about this, he'd give a better answer that I could. I would answer that Mary, The Theotokos, saves us through her prayers to her son and our God. When we ask her to "save us" we're asking for her prayers on our behalf. Hope that helps. She has certainly helped me.
I was baptized Orthodox last Sunday, and I have the Theotokos to thank. I converted to Catholicism 3 years ago and had a devotion to the Virgin Mary, but always preferred to call her the Theotokos and would listen to her Akathist hymn often. I found the truth in Catholicism, but slowly the Queen of Heaven lead me to the fullness of the truth in Orthodoxy!
What were you before converting to Catholicism? Did you ever have trouble praying to the saints and Mary, thinking that you should only pray to God? And how or what made you overcome your conscience about praying to Mary and saints? Thank you and God bless.
I grew up up Mormon and at 16 became a hardcore atheist. I had a huge problem paring to anyone but God, Mormons don’t even pray to Jesus! My mind was changed by learning 2 things. 1. In Christ, the dead aren’t truly dead, but sleeping in the body. 2. Prayer isn’t equal to worship. If I ask a friend to pray for me, why wouldn’t I ask my friends in heaven??
@@mpkropf5062 - the Catholic Church has variations. E.g. baptism without full immersion in water changed, sacraments changed, (e.g. wafers used instead of Levain bread) & the list goes on. The Orthodox Church has remained the same for 2,000 years. This is fact, not my personal opinion, nor to be disrespectful. Research it. The Great Schism occurred in 1054 AD. God bless. ✝️
Thank you, Fr. Paul. I've struggled with how to reconcile my former Protestant view of Mary with my ongoing walk in Orthodoxy. Your words helped open my eyes and heart towards her. Thank you!
Hello Father, I am an orthodox (soon to be) catechumen from Zimbabwe. Your videos are what led me to Holy orthodoxy and I am so grateful to God for you, and I'd like to thank you for what you do. Please keep up with the very helpful videos! ❤
This is a great explanation Father🙏🏻✝️ thanks you. Something for the wedding of Cana that I heard from Sam Shamoun and really blow my mind is: not only the Son fulfilled Her request, but considering that the Son is doing the will of the Father and can’t go against it, (the same for the Holy Spirit), the three Persons of the Trinity would have to accept Her request and agree for the Son to perform His first miracle, so the Trinity actually accepts Her request and changes the time for the Som to start His ministry. So Her request wasn’t just granted by the Son but by the Father and the Holy Spirit as well! Only this event by itself shows how much honoured and loved she was/is by the Triune God and how Her intersections can change the course of our lives.
Father, you have been so instrumental in leading me to Holy Orthodoxy, I thank you for all that you do! I hope to be baptized this year after 31 years of an agnostic existence ☦️
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have been reading the orthodox study bible with the notes about this throughout the Old Testament. This is something I never realized about the Theotokos and the ark.
Crushing Satan's Head and Adam's Deep Sleep, both by Father Mawdsley (I forget his first name), are really good books if you want to go a little deeper into the prefiguring of Mary and Jesus in the OT. They're not long reads at all, and I found them fascinating. They got me reading the OT again to look for more foreshadowing, lol.
1 Corinthians 10:13 is very helpful in understanding the way in which Mary lived: though born into the consequences of original sin, chose not sin. That passage explains that this is indeed possible, and what is intended for all of us to do and the Theotokos is an important example in this regard. And because of being born into the effects of original sin it does not negate Romans 3:23. She still needed Jesus as her savior and still died as celebrated in the Dormition. As a protestant who is on the path to be a catechumen, I prayed through these matters and this was the scripture that was brought to my remembrance. Also helpful was The Orthodox Veneration of the Theotokos by St. John Maximovich.
As a new Catholic I am undergoing the 33-day consecration to Mary for the first time. Its been a very challenging and spiritually rewarding experience. I find that praying the rosary has a tremendous affect on my daily life in resisting temptation and sin. I know its the holy mother defending us against Satan. Those attachments no longer have the same power over you. The rosary becomes even more effective when you pray to St. Joseph.
Thank you Fr. Paul for a lucid and inspiring explanation of Mary's inportance in the history of salvation. As a Catholic, I belive what you are arguing 100%. I hope that we can soon overcome our djfferences and form one body of the church with Christ as our head. God bless you!
Many Protestants have trouble with the Mother of Christ. They unwisely ignore her and often disrespect the Blessed Mother of Jesus. I am a former Protestant. I am now Catholic.
Thank you so much for this word. I am a new convert from the Church of Christ. I never learned this and have accepted it in my new life but didn’t understand it well. Thank you. This has helped me so much. God bless you always.
Thank you father Paul, this is a great video a treasure that we should share, may through the intercession of the Holy Theotokos to his Son our Lord Jesus Christ help us save our soul.
Gerondissa Makrina in her book that Fr Recommended. In one of the homilies Gerondissa actually recommends that people pray on their komboskini the Hail Mary prayer. She recommended the Orthodox version of course. “O Theotokos and Virgin Rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. For thou hast given birth to the saviour of our souls”. She also said that when you are facing temptation it is good to pray it on komboskini. Also at night times when hard to sleep. She also recounted a story where a woman and her son would also whisper it throughout the day and together at night and how much grace that this woman had.
I've never felt distant from the Father when it comes to prayer. It is a blessing to go to him directly, throughout each day, praising him for the gift of his beloved Son. The Spirit provides all that we need.
Fr. Truebenbach - thank you for inviting me to explore my faith more deeply. I stumbled across your videos by accident, and I can honestly say that my faith has grown immensely over the past few months despite being Catholic. Thank you for speaking on this and God bless you!
Also important to remember that The Apostle Paul himself talks about becoming all things to all men *that he might SAVE some* (1 Cor 9)! Do we accuse Paul of trying to usurp Christ as the Savior? Of course not! We know he means that he was bringing the news of salvation to men. All glory to Christ the Lord. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! ❤
Indeed!! The Mother of JesusCHRIST❤ is 100%, very Pure and so very kind to STILL WANT to pray for all sinners to be saved. I understood She likes us to JOIN in Her prayers so that lots more Love and Peace reigns in our sinful minds.
Holy Fr. Paul Truebenbach, your blessing! This is the best video about the Most Holy Theotokos in this very short time. Please keep this Holy work of God you are doing and keep us in your prayers (Theodoros)
@Fr. Truebenbach. I was born into the greek orthodox faith. I am 61 yrs old and i can say wholeheartedly say that you are doing a phenomenal job. For yrs i would seek answers to questions my own greek priests could not answer. Maybe because of the language barrier, maybe because i could not find a priest i could resonate with. You father have illuminated my mind. Have brought me clarity and have explained my orthodox faith more clearly than anyone else has in the past. It’s not about how many views you get but how many souls you touch with your teachings of our church. Remember even if you bring one soul to Christ you have done a great job. I love this channel and i am actually going through your catechism lessons even though i was catechised in greek, i now understand things much better. May Christ our Lord continue to guide you. GOD BLESS you father Paul. 🙏🇦🇺🇬🇷 PS my mother and i both have had the Theotokos visit us. One visit led my mum to the island of Tinos as she had pledged my sister to the Theotokos and so my sis and mum both went. When i had the visitation she spoke to my mind and said: I WAS SENT TO PROTECT YOU CHILD. Who sent her, Christ did!!! 🙏
Fr. Paul, My first experience in an Orthodox church was LAST NIGHT. (My adult son is moving to Orthodoxy from protestant Christianity.) Everything you said in this video describes my reactions and questions - and fill me with joy, not only what you said, but that I awoke this morning to the God of all Creation responding to me through you. Selah I have one question about the attributes of the saints - I know the scriptures teach about the cloud of witnesses. However, can they process the simultaneous prayers of thousands of believers? I, of course, believe that God the Father can as He is omniscient and omnipresent. I know that when Jesus was asked, teach us to pray, he told us to pray to the Father and I'm not aware of anywhere in scripture where it is taught that believers can or should pray to anyone other than Him. I understand completely what you've said about the historical practices. But as an honest, respectful question, I ask: Can the Theotokos and the saints hear our individual prayers?
I believe they can hear our prayers. I don't believe this requires omniscience as there are not an infinite number of people in the world. There is an infinite difference between God and His creation, including the saints in heaven. That doesn't mean they retain the same kind of existence that we have now. They have been given glorified existence, a share in the life of God. That doesn't mean they are omniscient and that isn't necessary anyway since there aren't infinite prayers to them. They are in eternity and thus are outside of time itself. They are partakers of the divine nature, butt hat doesn't mean they share in the essence of God. Only in His energeia, His life, His energies. If you believe that the devil can tempt people all around the world at any time, why would he be more powerful than the saints in heaven?
@sakamotosan1887 thank you so much for this insight. I appreciate you taking the time and care to respond. What you've said adds peace to my soul and brings clarity.
If we approach the issue from technical perspective, the saints leave this physical reality the very moment of reposing and therefore they are outside of time and space - in a technical sense. This doesn't make them omnipresent or timeless by any means, but it would be logical to assume this could possibly have some impact on the ways how they perceive these things... Fr Josiah Trenham once shared a story of a Celtic monk (I recall it was Celtic monk, but not sure) who was momentarily taken up to Heaven, and the higher he ascended the more he saw: he saw people, even into their hearts, and this globe of ours was appeared like a disc below him. And as said, all Christians are one body in Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells and lives in us - already in this temporal life, but this connection grows even deeper when we are finally in unity with God without any distortion from passions and demons or worldly things. If the saints can hear and answer our prayers "simultaneously", that's the miracle of God.
Yes. Mother Mary did many miracles when people asked for her help, there's many testimonies about that. These miracles are impossible to deny for those who were witnesses. Those Christians who ignore Mary cannot experience that cause they lack faith in her. They say she's just a random woman who "happened" to give birth to Christ.
Do you pray also to paul or peter? They did also many miracles even raised someone from the dead. There is only one god. To pray to mary (and often people do this in front of an image of her) violates the 1. and 2. commandment
@@shred5528 There's adoration, worshἰp prayer, only to G○d. And there's PETITION prayer, which sometimes we address to Mary or saἰnts. We HONOR saἰnts and ask for their help. They INTERCEDE for us for they're in Heaven and their prayer is more powerful. They're part of the Church and within the church we pray for one another and we ask for intercession as well. No commandments are violated because we do not worshἰp Mary, but VENERATE her. Not cause we consider her a g○ddess, but for she's the Mother of G○d. Therefore "for I am a jealous G○d" doesn't apply, on the contrary, for the reason why we venerate her is BECAUSE of Jesus and her connection with Him. Angel Gabriel also venerates Mary "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the L○rd is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 01-28), so we follow his example.
@@shred5528 YT keeps deleting my comments. There's a difference between adoration or worship prayer and petition prayer. Saints are part of the Church as well, the Triumphant Church which is in Heaven, and within the church we can pray for one another, it's called intercession. We do not worship Mary but honor and venerate her. Just like Angel Gabriel venerates her in Luke 1 28. We follow his example.
Thank you so much, Fr. Paul, for this follow-up to the “rosary” teaching, vis a vis Orthodox veneration of the Theotokos Mary. Being able to take such an historical and profound topic and explain it to us with such faithful and spiritually rational words and examples is a rare blessing for us.🤗🙏
Lifelong Catholic. It brings me sincere joy to learn that reverence for Our Holy Mother is also a part of the Orthodox faith. I have no doubt that a single sigh from Our Immaculate Mother is worth more in obtaining graces from God than the prayers of countless others. Precisely because she was sinless and never counted personal cost in her obedience to Our Lord. For that reason He never refuses her. I've seen this over and over in my life. She will never fail to obtain graces for one who prays the rosary if they are truly to our benefit. If you struggle with sin, pray the rosary. If you wish to grow in faith and your love of Our Lord, pray the rosary. Whatever the problem is, pray the rosary. I feel true pity for any follower of Christ who denies themselves of the efficacious intercession of Our Lady. It's a tragedy that the enemy has convinced so many to denigrate her and deny her aid. Precisely because it is her heel that crushes his head and robs him of so many souls.
I've had quite a few miraculous answers to prayer with the Rosary. Mary has come through for me so many times. I'm sad that I went through my protestant years not knowing her.
@@jennifernorton905 For too many years I never had much faith in prayer, and lacked the willingness to even offer more than short prayer. But I've come to see how powerfully she answers and obtains graces for us. Saying one rosary a day seemed close to impossible for me once. Even the grace to pray more faithfully I obtained from the rosary. Now four or more a day is more common than not. And the graces needed to avoid sin are so powerful and immediate they are nothing short of miraculous to me. Things that used to causse me such difficulty became at worse insignificant and easily brushed off. People really dont comprehend what they are missing out on. She will obtain for you the grace to desire to strive toward saintliness.
As a protestant I really want to honor and honestly do affirm Orthodox as the purest of continuity of the church. But with some of the views held on Mary I'm just not there yet. I commented and hope I didn't sound negative. I just struggle to have the same views at this time. But thank you for sharing, this is alot for me to consider. At the very least I do honor Mary and recognize the wonderful blessing she was given and prophecy fulfillment she represents.
Mary is the woman in Revelation 12. It's clear that she is more than an ordinary woman. God created Mary for the purpose of bringing the Messiah into the World. She knew Jesus better than any person on Earth. Mary spent 33 years with Christ. She was His first teacher. Mary prayed for her Son and she prays for us.
@@user-ki2vh1uc5k I'm certainly on board with everything you just said. The idea that Mary is the second Ark and even the better Eve (as Jesus is the better Adam) that reverses the curse of death. Maybe its still praying to Mary and the saints that I'm still struggling to understand. It's totally alien to my thinking as someone who prays to God only. Perhaps it was comments also like Jesus "obeys" her that made me uncomfortable, but the way Fr Paul explained makes more sense to me that its about doing what you will for someone you love.
@@Grimaldo354 I am a Catholic and a former Protestant. I ask Mary to pray for me. It's like asking a friend to pray for me. Mary points us to her Son, Jesus. She knows Him better than anyone. But, I do understand how some folks struggle with Mary. They don't understand that honoring her is different than worshipping her. God commands us to honor our Mother and Father. Christ was an obedient Son who honored His Earthly parents. Since Jesus honored Mary, we should too.
@@user-ki2vh1uc5k Matthew 12, 46-50 I can understand honoring Mary, but not praying to her. because there is only one God. I see images of Mary in many catholic churches and people pray to her. this violates the 1st and 2nd commandments
@@shred5528 Asking Mary to pray for you is no different than asking a friend to pray for you. I am sure Jesus asked His Mom to pray for Him when He lived on Earth.
I had this exact question, being taught in a Baptist church. Pastor John MacArthur did a whole video on the on how Mary should not be worshipped and how Catholics do that. Orthodox makes a lot of sense to me. I’ve been seeking the truth for a while now ever since getting married with a catholic woman.
Text of “Sub Tuum Praesidium” (in its Greek form): Greek: Ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καταφεύγομεν, Θεοτόκε, τὰς ἡμῶν ἱκεσίας μὴ παρίδῃς ἐν περιστάσει, ἀλλ’ ἐκ κινδύνων λύτρωσαι ἡμᾶς, μόνη Ἁγνὴ, μόνη Εὐλογημένη. English translation: “Under your mercy we take refuge, O Theotokos; do not overlook our supplications in time of trouble, but deliver us from danger, you alone pure, you alone blessed.”
Excellent testimony on the Virgin Mary the Theotuckos ’ I’m glad orthodoxy recognize her ‘ I have great faith in our lady ‘ our great intercession to Jesus
18:36. God bless all. 2 prayers that are very simple. Such an easy start if you are struggling with your prayer life which will be a catalyst for your thrist for learning more prayers and building your prayer life
The timing on this was great for me. I was just researching how the first Western reformers affirmed the title Theotokos and even honored Mary. Many modern protestants trying to separate themselves from the RCs will go as far as to affirm Nestorianism.
Fr. Paul, I come to you with a humble answer, not with the desire to criticize, judge, or just because I feel like arguing. I have been subscribed to your YT channel for several months and I have not left any comment on this topic except the one with the rosary because I had the heart to convey this to you. I have all the respect for you, and you being married to a Romanian woman, was one of the factors that influenced my desire to follow your channel, because I, too, am Romanian, raised in the Orthodox Church. You may refuse to believe this based on what I say, but God is my witness and I also have never been influenced by Protestant teachings. But, from a young age, I felt and understood that some practices in the Orthodox Church are wrong. Now I am not coming to tell you that based on my feelings, I am coming to say that what you and 99% of the Orthodox priests taught the parishioners is wrong, but based on the evidence. With the exception of James the Righteous, finding himself the half-brother of Jesus, there was no other man who spoke about the Mother of God and venerated her as he did. The Protoevangelium of James, being the only book by which the Orthodox Church guides itself in terms of information related to the Mother of God, is an apocryphal gospel. The steps that the Church followed in choosing the books included in the Bible had to be inspired by the Lord, it must be recognized by all the members of the Church, and they decided that it is not canonical and rightly so. He made some problematic statements and these are.. As Maria's parents took her to the Temple when she was 3 years old and she grew up there and the priest Zachariah, Ioan's father, was her mentor in the Temple. And the fantastic tragedy of James the Righteous claims in his book that Mary (Theotokos) was taken one day by the priest Zacharias to the Holy of Holies. Here we realize two problems with what James the Righteous claims, who was a Jew but did not know Jewish customs. 1. Never in the history of the Temple has there been a school for girls to practice religion near the Temple, because any approach to a woman is considered impure. 2. If the girl entered the Holy of Holies according to Jewish law, the whole Temple was defiled, it had to be burned and not a stone left on another stone. Because even if the girl didn't have her period, she was impure. Only the high priest was allowed to go there, not even the father of John the Baptist was allowed there, being a simple priest. From here it appears that James the Righteous was a liar and a man who spoke and said foolish things, therefore his writings are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, which is why it was not canonized. All the 66 books that make up the entire Scripture were chosen well and with a purpose from all the writings and what was not considered from the Lord, were not introduced. Another very important aspect, according to the Scripture, both the Mother of God and any Saint, CANNOT mediate between people and God, according to 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Through God, she was blessed, but like all the rest of the people on earth, needed a Savior, according to Luke 1:46-47. The veneration of relics and saints/icons has nothing to do with our salvation. I have seen how this "veneration" is transformed into the worship of people and not of God. Don't tell me it's not like that when I witnessed these. I will not leave any more comments to other videos, I unsubscribed from your channel so as not to "disturb" your peace or others, but I pray that the Lord will guide your steps and give you the wisdom to see the light, the truth, to wake up and worship Him properly, giving Him your full attention and all your full and complete worship, and also to guide others to do the same..Because you have a gift to talk to people about God, but also the responsibility for what you teach.. I told you everything out of love for the Lord. May God be with you and your family.
The Protoevangelium of James while not being scripture, is not wholesale tossed out. There are writings, like the Didache, that at one time was being considered for canonization but it also wasn't included but again, not wholesale tossed aside. This is the problem with a Protestant mindset, that unless it's spelled out in their 66 book canon, and interpreted through a Protestant lens, it is ignored or deemed as "lies". This way of thinking is problematic because as Protestants invoke Sola Scriptura, Luther opened the door to higher criticism and now we have scholars today questioning the validity of specific epistles. The fact is, the Reformation is never ending. The subject of canonization is an interesting one. You say the Orthodox Church decided what books should go in the Bible but yet say they are wrong, a bunch of heretics. So a Church of heretics put together the canon that you base your arguments on using Sola Scriptura, which is unbiblical, to cast doubts and judge an entire Church? Next you talk about mediation and yet you say you grew up Orthodox? Mary is not a mediator in the Church, she is an intercessor and the difference is important. You should know this and if you didn't, you should have asked questions instead of "feeling" that the teachings were wrong. But this is what happens when the individual becomes the arbiter of truth, basing said truth on their interpretation. This is exactly what Luther created; instead of one pope, there are now millions of Protestant pope's. Yes, of course Mary needed a savior, this is a strawman because the Orthodox Church doesn't claim she didn't need a savior. Again, another strawman. The church does not say that relics bring us salvation but they are nonetheless biblical. Read 2 Kings 13:21 about Elisha's bones or Acts 19:12 about Paul's handkerchief healing the sick. Regarding how people treat or "worship" others, that does not determine the truth of the matter, it just exposes ignorance. Lastly, you leave a parting shot to a priest who is trying to serve the community in charity and you tell him to wake up and to worship properly? This is pure self righteousness and wrong. And you leave this comment of condemnation as if he is lost and your not in a passive aggressive tone as you say you're unsubscribing and leaving him in peace after you toss dirt in the comments, expounding your authority to judge another servant, Romans 14:4. You need to be publicly rebuked for this. Your post was very disrespectful and uncharitable to Fr. Paul.
@@andys3035 In 170 AD, the Jewish canon ended, having over 100 or so writings, the Jews decided which were from God and which were not. The Jews are the ones who canonized the Old Testament, starting from Genesis to Malachi, only these being considered to be from God, and the Church cannot judge them. The Jews also said that the rest of the books can be read as historical books, but they have nothing to do with salvation and that they are not from God but from people, therefore they decided not to introduce them. And the 27 books of the Christians have been recognized by both the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, as ONLY these are from God... is not/or was not just a mindset of the Protestants but also of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. To the Holy Hierarch Athanasius himself, Archbishop of Alexandria, in a letter dated 367, Athanasius describes the importance he gives to the 27 books of the New Testament: "These are fountains of salvation, which satiate the thirsty by the words they contain. ONLY in these is the teaching of godliness proclaimed. Let no one add and let no one take away from these." And we must understand an important thing, the Canon of the Bible (New Testament) was recognized, not established. As for intercessor is the synonym of the word mediator, look in the dictionary. If you want to say that the meaning is the fact that God used intermediaries to transmit certain messages, such as the Angels, or if we are talking about the Apostles who went in the name of God to speak to other about the Gospel, it is different from praying to them. I never said that preaching the Word of God is wrong, for ex a priest is God's messenger, who urges people to Christ, but you don't worship that priest in any way. Or to compare the fact that when someone is alive, you ask him to say a prayer for you, which is not intercession between you and God, it is practically another person that prays to God for you and the intercessor is still Jesus Christ, but that person is alive, also you do not pray to that person by bowing before them, and maybe kissing their hand, which indicates a form of worship and tell him what to pray to for you in this way. Do you really not understand the difference between them? God's people direct others to Him, but they do not become intermediaries between them. They are workers, the tools that God uses to reach the hearts of others. What is so hard to understand? Also the Theotokos and the Saints are not alive today, although their souls lives. There is nowhere in the Bible where it says to pray to those who died but their soul lives, for them to pray for you, it is totally absurd, it is wrong and unbiblical. However you want to spin it, it's not correct, and I take the liberty of using your word, is a 'strawman' of the Orthodox and Catholic Church. Period. And all this has nothing to do with my feelings. Like the immature people you are using a thing that I said in another context to try to discredit me..haha funny. But you don't quite succeed. But you know what is says, try and try again, maybe eventually this tactic of yours will work. Hahaha. According to 2 Kings 13:21, this is the last time it is mentioned that there was any healing after his death. These healings took place under certain circumstances and by the will of God. Not for all to flock to their relics now to be healed. And I ask you... why are there no other healings now, or even after these mentioned occurrences? Either after touching their realics? Or why other people dont rise up with this gift? Have you never asked yourself this questions? And you are the spokesperson of Fr. Paul? Let him say if he is bothered, not you. And you're dramatizing the situation more than necessary and give another connotation to my words in what I told Fr. Paul. If he is angry with me for what I said, well, I apologize, because in no case is that my intention. I am talking about what is written, I am not adding anything of my own. Please differentiate between judging and telling the truth, two totally different things. You and others didn't like a woman coming out and saying these things, that's your biggest problem. Well, this woman has studied and understands Scripture and History better than you and other men, hahaha. I will wait for you to publicly rebuke me. But I suggest to be at peace, because if I'm wrong, God will punish me, He won't overlook me.
John 19:25-27 BSB [25] Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and her sister, as well as Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” [27] Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, this disciple took her into his home. If we are Christ, then Mary is our mother.
Regarding intercession of Theotokos...In Canah wedding although Christ time was not yet He did obey to the demand of His Mother and changed His plan and did the miracle...suppose now that Christ has condemned you becasue of ur numerous sins and you are for hell but you feverently ask Theotokos whom you love and venerate to intercede for you to her Son and save you...she can make Christ change His plan for you and save u as she did in Canah Wedding...its so simple...if Most Holy Theotokos ask from Her Son just one drop of His precious Blood which He borrowed from her and He is eternally indebted to her for this human flesh He took from Theotokos and He will certainly give this drop to her,she puts this drop on the right part of the scale and this one drop of Christ Blood can compensate the numerous sins of you on the Judgement scale and you will be saved...in fact there is such a story regarding a neglectful monk who nevertheless had great veneration and devotion to Theotokos and she saved him in this way...
We pray for each other here on earth. That is intercession. The saints are alive/with Jesus in heaven, they are not dead. They can pray for us (intercede). This is the communion of saints referred to in the Creed.
U forget that Jesus first obeyed His Mother and changed His plans and did the first miracle although it was not His time...who else could change God's plans except from Theotokos? That's why we Orthodox run to her
Amen farther agree 100% I'm from protestant upbringing and am now in a pentecostal church ⛪️ but I pray the rosary daily and absolutely enjoy doing so thier is no shame whatsoever in doing so I love God with all my heart and I love mother Mary and why shouldn't we she's very precious and special in God's eyes ❤️ didn't he say to the apostle John on the cross behold thy mother that should go for the same to all Christians I'm appalled 😮at some of the vile attitudes coming from other Christian ✝️ groups denominations thanks for been honest and informative on the video 📹 excellent
Whoa, you're (staying) Pentecostal and pray to the Virgin Mary? Do your pastors know this? I'm not sure if they're ok with it. Most Pentecostals aren't.
Belle parole io da cattolico sono pienamente d'accordo con tutto quanto ha detto il prete. Soltanto non capisco come potete onorare la Vergine senza il santo rosario che Lei stessa ha dato agli uomini. I frutti del rosario sono meravigliosi. Dovete provarlo a pregare con fede e cuore sincero e vedrete che le promesse della Vergine Immacolata sono vere e attuali.
the FOUNDATION OF THE FAITH. Pope Francis said that the only means to know the Virgin Mary is the Gospel, excluding the narrative of any seer that does not match with Her personality as the Gospel exposes clearly, the humbleness and fidelity to the Lord. So, we can raise these questions about the alleged apparitions: - Would the Virgin Mary ask us to pray Ave Maria? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary introduce Herself saying: "I am the Mother of God"? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary ask for a Chapel be built in Her honour? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary pray the Rosary reciting Ave Maria? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary command a little girl to drink dirty water from a puddle and crawl on the ground eating grass like an animal? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary print Her image on a medal or mantel in order to be venerated? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary impose inhumane penance to 7 and 8 year old children and show them terrifying scenes of the Hell? I affirm: NO! - Would the Virgin Mary confide secrets that the Pope could not know to a 10 year old girl? I affirm, NO! We can go on and on analysing all the "apparitions" and conclude that no one stands up. Does the Holy Father love more Mary than us and listens to Her more than He listens to us? I affirm: NO! We can also with a rational thought say that the nature of the Virgin Mary remains human and cannot know each one of Her hundreds of millions "sons" scattered all around the world and stay by the side of each one to protect them at the same time, 24 hours by day. To do this God would have to give Her His powers of being omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, making Her a goddess like Him. I see that the Catholic Church made a huge theological mistake relating to the Virgin Mary and sold to the faithful Now it is very hard and painful to correct it and the Vatican is trying to do it. And more is to come. I urge you all to watch the CZcams video Sister Lucia from Fatima interview 1957. Lucia reported a message saying that God abandoned His plan for our salvation through Christ's sacrifice replacing for the Rosary and the devotion to the Immaculate Hearth of Mary. Watch and judge for yourselves if she was a truthflul "messenger of God ".
I’m saddened. It’s already difficult enough as it is to trust the Lord Jesus that He will not turn me away when I cry out to Him in repentance. The enemy tempts me with despair to believe that I have gone too far for the Lord Jesus to forgive me; for the father to receive back the prodigal son. And your example at 15:59 simply reinforces that: “…If they don’t want to talk with you; they’re too upset with you; they won’t listen to you…” Was the prodigal son only received back by his father by the intercessions of his other righteous son? Did it take convincing for the father to be convinced to forgive the prodigal? Fr. Paul, so much of your (and other Orthodox) spiritual advice has been so richly rewarding. But then a video like this comes up and suddenly the love of God is called into question by being told that our Lord does not desire to receive us back in repentance save for the intercessions of the Theotokos. Or then when such harsh language is used against fearful Christians like I whose conscience forbids them to give religious devotion to anyone but the Triune God. The most holy Theotokos indeed points us towards her Son. Why then would I ignore her direction and go to her instead of her Son to whom she points? The most holy Theotokos said to “do whatever He tells you.” I want to obey that in good faith.
U forget one thing: in Canah wedding although it was not Christ time to do miracles because Theotokos His Mother asked it He changed His plans and did the first miracle... That's why we ask Theotokos to help us and intercede for us because she has the power to achieve what she wants.. Her Son and our God does not deny anything to Her, because He has borrowed His Flesh from her and this loan is eternal this loan the human flesh He took from her can not be given back...Christ is eternaly indebted to Theotokos..without her consent the plan of God for human salvation would have not be accomplished.If she wants and asks Him He will change his plan for your damnation although u may be unworthy just because u venerate His mother and she asks Him to save u
@@evans3922you said: ”He will change His plan for your damnation.” That’s just it my friend. If a (truly) penitent sinner cries out to God for forgiveness in (true) repentance, we are PROMISED that God will not despise our broken spirit and contrite heart (psalm 51) You clearly missed my point here which is that it is a most dreadful mischaracterization of Christ to say that he would reject the plea of a penitent person.
Truly Truly I say unto you if you deny my beloved mother of GOD than I too will deny you infront of CHRIST! for behold she is our Mother and she is found in our heart. the same heart Christ Our God searches! ☦️ One wishes to be saved must take his relationship with GOD seriouse. do not lean on your own understanding, do you expect to accepted into the kingdom of heaven by denial of the most Holy Mother of GOD? Do you really think you will be accepted into heaven by denial of the heavenly mother of GOD? have your hearts been hardened and your eyes been blind have your ears not heard? Example: If you came to a fathers house and told him greetings father I came to see you but not your mother. than father will deny you entering that home. this secret is the narrow door, which is love in fullness of CHRIST.
Greetings, I'm a former jew. came to U.S.A at young age. Now orthodox christian feels good to be back with the root. I'm the old lost branch. Lord Jesus Christ have mercy a chief sinner among sinners. ☦️
juDAISM IS A RELIGION....BEING A JEW IS ETHNIC. YOU CANNOT BE A FORMER ETHNICITY
You're not the old lost branch, you're the broken fallen branch. We'll still be here when you repent from your idolatry before the true god.
@@Hg-1-13 Who is the true god? Cause for Orthodox Christians it is Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, the three persons of the undivided Trinity.
How could you not be a "jew" anymore?
✝️🙏🏻
"More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify you!" ☦️
God bless you ☦️
Amen
Roman Catholic here we agree so much and though many other Christians I’ve encountered don’t agree, I am praying for Christian unity so we can be a less hypocritical and more potent witness to Christ’s love and unity. May God bless and keep you and all my Orthodox and Protestant brothers and sisters Amen, Amen. 🙏
Blessings! I’am catholic and love Virgin Mary. I’am 75 years old…and she has always walked beside me; I pray and meditate the rosary daily.
Former Methodist. Now a Catholic. Thanks Fr. Truebenbach. I’ve enjoyed your channel and this episode is remarkable. Thank God for our Most Holy Theotokos.
Look into Holy orthodoxy and come home ☦️ Brother
@@jonathannunn2266I did and no I am sticking with Catholic Church. maybe less on these talks and more on unity and peace
@@jonathannunn2266 He is home
@@jonathannunn2266Watch vaticancatholic's playlist on orthodoxy
@@jonathannunn2266 watch vatican catholic orthodoxy
Catholic catechumen here. This is a beautiful video. Glory to God.
This has been one of the greatest surprises about becoming Orthodox for me. I had been Baptist and was very blessed as a member of that denomination, but God drew me into Orthodoxy through a series of clear signals. When I finally got up the nerve to speak to the Theotokos outside of a Liturgical setting, I was amazed by the immediate sense of her presence and immediate relief of the anguish I was feeling. I had been experiencing a moment of acute distress and trying to keep functioning.
The impression I have of the Theotokos is of compassion, gentleness, and overflowing maternal love. She always points me to Christ. I certainly don’t expect, or receive, a strong sense of her presence or an alleviation of my problems every time I speak to her, but I treasure the moments that I do feel her with me and all her love and help.
EDIT: Just a quick edit to add that I have a close direct relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ as well-He’s the most beautiful, powerful Presence in my life by far. I do not go to Mary as a substitute, but as another member of the Body of Christ. I ask other living Christians to pray for people and things I am concerned about, and I also ask our saints who have passed for their prayers.
I was raised Baptist, became Catholic, and I feel the same way about Mary. I had been taught that anything to do with Mary was idolatrous. At one point I asked her for a miraculous sign if she really heard my prayers and cared about me, and she totally gave it. I came to have a strong devotion to her and the Rosary.
@@jennifernorton7476 That is so beautiful, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing your story. I have been thinking about starting a rosary practice, and your comment encourages me!
@@elusivemayfly7534 That would be awesome! I have some Orthodox friends who like to pray the Rosary, and they got theirs with an Orthodox cross from Rugged Rosaries.
@@jennifernorton905 I love that idea! Thank you so much for sharing it. You have convinced me to give it a go! :-)
Thank you so much Father Paul. I’ve come to the Orthodox faith less than two years ago and I came from the Evangelical world. I can honestly say that my heart never rejected The Mother of God even when the false doctrine of Evangelical Christianity was still whispering in my ears because I knew by the Holy Spirit and The Word of God that She was very Special to God. Now in my prayers I tell Jesus that I honor His Mother and ask Her to pray for me everyday. It’s such a terrible sin that the whole Protestant world has rejected The Mother of God.
Im a protestant who has been exploring orthodoxy. My son and I were JUST talking about the different views on Mary yesterday! Thank you for this timely video! I have not understood the Orthodox view of Mary very well until now! ❤
You must have alot of questions.
Find your closest Orthodox parish and ask the priest there.
If you want to talk to an Orthodox layman (your day to day sinner), im open to discussions.
You must have alot of questions.
Find your closest Orthodox parish and ask the priest there.
If you want to talk to an Orthodox layman (your day to day sinner), im open to discussions.
The biggest problem with most protestantes accusation of orthodoxy veneration of Mary comes from their own wrong assumptions and not willing to hear the orthodoxy view.
Kudos to you
I am a Catholic and I thank God for you. You explained our Lady as I believe also. Thank you God Bless you
There are many ladies but only one Mother of God.
God bless you sir
This is such confirmation for me. The last few days, I have woken up between 2 and 3 o'clock, and I did not get out of bed to pray. However, this morning, for the third or fourth time I woke up at 2:55 am so this time I got out of bed and I made sure I prayed the rosary. I prayed it for 2 hours. And this is the first video that showed up on my CZcams as I picked up my phone. This is confirmation regarding what I have prayed. ❤
I can't stress enough how efficacious I've come to know the rosary to truly be. So glad for you that you are beginning to see the same. As someone who for so long never really believed in the power of prayer, it shocked me how powerful the rosary truly is. Our Immaculate Mother will never fail to help obtain for you the graces you need if they are ultimately to your benefit. I struggled with sin, especially of the flesh. The effects were so quick and overwhelming it seemed miraculous to me. The graces she obtained turned things I thought I might struggle with always into at worst a bothersome gnat easily brushed away with little bother.
I think because she never sinned against God, or measured the personal cost to herself, the slightest sigh from our Immaculate Mother is more pleasing to God than the prayers of all the rest combined. He denies her nothing. Whatever the problem the rosary is the answer.
After I started taking my faith seriously, I started looking into this and i came across many protestants bringing the Theotokos down to a mere woman on youtube. I even had trouble praying to her because i feared sinning against God. This matter was weighing on my heart for months but not after this video. Thank You father Paul keep making these awesome videos! Love from Ethiopia.💚💛❤
I'm Orthodox and she was a mere woman but that's what makes her so blessed. She was a poor woman who set her entire life apart for holiness and consecration to God. She was no ordinary woman though, because while she was only human, she remained unblemished from sin by God's grace. She is blessed and we should honor her because our Lord honors her.
@@andys3035isn't that wrong ? She had God inside of her and gave birth to Word and Son of God trough The Holy Spirit after that moment she stoped being a mere woman .
@slavplaysgames when I say mere woman, I mean she was 100% human but not just any human because of her role in our salvation. As Fr. Paul says in this video, she doesn't save us but leads us to the Saviour.
And of course she was pure and holy and as we say in our prayers "more honorable than the cherubim, beyond compare, more glorious than the seraphim, without corruption, gave birth to God the Word". That's no ordinary woman.
Alleluia!!! @@slavplaysgames
@LMK-wf6fv the protestants are a heretical movement. gracelsss temple that appears christian but has no roots in the faith. they often seek to argue and shame others to hide their own sins. they are seekers of attention rather than truth. heretics still searching as you can see they repeatedly leave comments.
18:57 Hearing that statement from Elder Ephraim brought tears to my eyes. Truly those prayers melt the heart, and bring us to repentance. Most Holy Theotokos, save us ☦️
im a catechuman and im not trying to be rude; but how does Mary save us?
@@bentleyepic1731 I'd say first speak to your spiritual father about this, he'd give a better answer that I could. I would answer that Mary, The Theotokos, saves us through her prayers to her son and our God. When we ask her to "save us" we're asking for her prayers on our behalf. Hope that helps. She has certainly helped me.
@@bentleyepic1731 He explains that in the video.
I was baptized Orthodox last Sunday, and I have the Theotokos to thank. I converted to Catholicism 3 years ago and had a devotion to the Virgin Mary, but always preferred to call her the Theotokos and would listen to her Akathist hymn often. I found the truth in Catholicism, but slowly the Queen of Heaven lead me to the fullness of the truth in Orthodoxy!
What were you before converting to Catholicism? Did you ever have trouble praying to the saints and Mary, thinking that you should only pray to God? And how or what made you overcome your conscience about praying to Mary and saints? Thank you and God bless.
I grew up up Mormon and at 16 became a hardcore atheist. I had a huge problem paring to anyone but God, Mormons don’t even pray to Jesus! My mind was changed by learning 2 things. 1. In Christ, the dead aren’t truly dead, but sleeping in the body. 2. Prayer isn’t equal to worship. If I ask a friend to pray for me, why wouldn’t I ask my friends in heaven??
Glory to GOD! Welcome home ☦️
✝️🙏🏻
@@mpkropf5062 - the Catholic Church has variations. E.g. baptism without full immersion in water changed, sacraments changed, (e.g. wafers used instead of Levain bread) & the list goes on. The Orthodox Church has remained the same for 2,000 years. This is fact, not my personal opinion, nor to be disrespectful. Research it. The Great Schism occurred in 1054 AD. God bless. ✝️
Thank you, Fr. Paul. I've struggled with how to reconcile my former Protestant view of Mary with my ongoing walk in Orthodoxy. Your words helped open my eyes and heart towards her. Thank you!
As a Catholic, I love this channel and thanks to Fr. Paul that remind us to love Theotokos.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
To say that the Theotokos can hold our Lord inside of her body for nine months and not have a special grace is absurd.
Facts
Glory to God! As a former protestant this new exploration of the Holy Theotokos is beautiful and I’m so grateful for this video. Thank you!
Hello Father, I am an orthodox (soon to be) catechumen from Zimbabwe. Your videos are what led me to Holy orthodoxy and I am so grateful to God for you, and I'd like to thank you for what you do. Please keep up with the very helpful videos! ❤
An inquirer in our local parish recently told me they were there due to Fr Paul Trubenbach
God is with you. Doxa to Theo. Be persistent in your struggle.
Orthodoxy is as beautiful as it is challenging.
We call Father only God
I believe Father Paul has and will continue to lead many to Orthodoxy because he is the real deal.
@@coricori1781 Apparently, you are very confused about Orthodoxy!😂
Hello my brother in Christ. Roman Catholic here. You explained why we need to honor our Blessed Mother so beautifully.
Absolutely beautiful Fr, thank you. God bless you.
From a Roman Catholic. 🙏
This is a great explanation Father🙏🏻✝️ thanks you. Something for the wedding of Cana that I heard from Sam Shamoun and really blow my mind is: not only the Son fulfilled Her request, but considering that the Son is doing the will of the Father and can’t go against it, (the same for the Holy Spirit), the three Persons of the Trinity would have to accept Her request and agree for the Son to perform His first miracle, so the Trinity actually accepts Her request and changes the time for the Som to start His ministry. So Her request wasn’t just granted by the Son but by the Father and the Holy Spirit as well! Only this event by itself shows how much honoured and loved she was/is by the Triune God and how Her intersections can change the course of our lives.
This is a great word from you, Father. Bless 🙏🏻
WOW! So very well said, and resonated deep in my heart. ❤️ This is how I know it is truth. Thank you!
Father, you have been so instrumental in leading me to Holy Orthodoxy, I thank you for all that you do! I hope to be baptized this year after 31 years of an agnostic existence ☦️
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have been reading the orthodox study bible with the notes about this throughout the Old Testament. This is something I never realized about the Theotokos and the ark.
The parallels in old and new testament are WILD. I needed that.
Crushing Satan's Head and Adam's Deep Sleep, both by Father Mawdsley (I forget his first name), are really good books if you want to go a little deeper into the prefiguring of Mary and Jesus in the OT. They're not long reads at all, and I found them fascinating. They got me reading the OT again to look for more foreshadowing, lol.
1 Corinthians 10:13 is very helpful in understanding the way in which Mary lived: though born into the consequences of original sin, chose not sin. That passage explains that this is indeed possible, and what is intended for all of us to do and the Theotokos is an important example in this regard. And because of being born into the effects of original sin it does not negate Romans 3:23. She still needed Jesus as her savior and still died as celebrated in the Dormition. As a protestant who is on the path to be a catechumen, I prayed through these matters and this was the scripture that was brought to my remembrance. Also helpful was The Orthodox Veneration of the Theotokos by St. John Maximovich.
*St. John Maximovitch
@@acekoala457 yes great book
As a new Catholic I am undergoing the 33-day consecration to Mary for the first time. Its been a very challenging and spiritually rewarding experience. I find that praying the rosary has a tremendous affect on my daily life in resisting temptation and sin. I know its the holy mother defending us against Satan. Those attachments no longer have the same power over you. The rosary becomes even more effective when you pray to St. Joseph.
Thank you Fr. Paul for a lucid and inspiring explanation of Mary's inportance in the history of salvation. As a Catholic, I belive what you are arguing 100%. I hope that we can soon overcome our djfferences and form one body of the church with Christ as our head. God bless you!
Many Protestants have trouble with the Mother of Christ. They unwisely ignore her and often disrespect the Blessed Mother of Jesus. I am a former Protestant. I am now Catholic.
Thank you Fr. Paul!!!
Thank you father,your blessings🙏☦️
You have sooo much information, books and videos on internet about ☦️ othodox christianity if you know ruusian language.
Good bless you all 🙏🩵
Thank you so much for this word. I am a new convert from the Church of Christ. I never learned this and have accepted it in my new life but didn’t understand it well. Thank you. This has helped me so much. God bless you always.
Thank you Father !
Father, thank you. Your videos have helped exponentially. This is a video that I have certainly needed. Thank you.
Thank you father, that Video is incredibly powerful. The lord bless you and your family and your parish ☦️
John the Baptist jumping before the new Ark and Moses 40 days on the mount in tandem with the transfiguration blew my mind.
Thank you Father, I have learned good things watching your channel. Keep it going! 🙏❣️🙏
Thank You for your words! 🙏 You have no idea how much your words and your videos are helping me, in many ways!
Thank you! I am a former protestant and the Holy Spirit witnesses the truth of your message.
Our beloved mother ☦️
Most Holy Theotokos save us all! ☦️
Brother can u explain what u mean by save us?
Jesus is the Savior.
@@OdysseyMMA22 he did explain, in great detail and with examples . Listen to it all?
@@dnzswithwombats he did explain, in great detail and with examples . Listen to it all?
@robertmims6700 Sorry I didn't finish the video, I just saw the comment.
Thank you, and may the triune God bless you
Thank you father Paul, this is a great video a treasure that we should share, may through the intercession of the Holy Theotokos to his Son our Lord Jesus Christ help us save our soul.
Gerondissa Makrina in her book that Fr Recommended. In one of the homilies Gerondissa actually recommends that people pray on their komboskini the Hail Mary prayer. She recommended the Orthodox version of course. “O Theotokos and Virgin Rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. For thou hast given birth to the saviour of our souls”.
She also said that when you are facing temptation it is good to pray it on komboskini. Also at night times when hard to sleep. She also recounted a story where a woman and her son would also whisper it throughout the day and together at night and how much grace that this woman had.
Greetings Dear father paul, Glory to GOD! I grew up outside america orthodox. It makes me happy to see you. Thank you! ☦️
I've never felt distant from the Father when it comes to prayer.
It is a blessing to go to him directly, throughout each day, praising him for the gift of his beloved Son.
The Spirit provides all that we need.
Thank you for this video.
Fr. Truebenbach - thank you for inviting me to explore my faith more deeply. I stumbled across your videos by accident, and I can honestly say that my faith has grown immensely over the past few months despite being Catholic. Thank you for speaking on this and God bless you!
Fr Paul is up and at it already at 5am! God bless.
Also important to remember that The Apostle Paul himself talks about becoming all things to all men *that he might SAVE some* (1 Cor 9)! Do we accuse Paul of trying to usurp Christ as the Savior? Of course not! We know he means that he was bringing the news of salvation to men. All glory to Christ the Lord. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! ❤
Indeed!! The Mother of JesusCHRIST❤ is 100%, very Pure and so very kind to STILL WANT to pray for all sinners to be saved. I understood She likes us to JOIN in Her prayers so that lots more Love and Peace reigns in our sinful minds.
Holy Fr. Paul Truebenbach, your blessing!
This is the best video about the Most Holy Theotokos in this very short time. Please keep this Holy work of God you are doing and keep us in your prayers (Theodoros)
Thank you for this video! As a new convert to orthodoxy the doctrine regarding Mary was so foreign to me, this is a fantastic explanation!
@Fr. Truebenbach. I was born into the greek orthodox faith. I am 61 yrs old and i can say wholeheartedly say that you are doing a phenomenal job.
For yrs i would seek answers to questions my own greek priests could not answer. Maybe because of the language barrier, maybe because i could not find a priest i could resonate with.
You father have illuminated my mind. Have brought me clarity and have explained my orthodox faith more clearly than anyone else has in the past.
It’s not about how many views you get but how many souls you touch with your teachings of our church.
Remember even if you bring one soul to Christ you have done a great job.
I love this channel and i am actually going through your catechism lessons even though i was catechised in greek, i now understand things much better.
May Christ our Lord continue to guide you. GOD BLESS you father Paul. 🙏🇦🇺🇬🇷 PS my mother and i both have had the Theotokos visit us. One visit led my mum to the island of Tinos as she had pledged my sister to the Theotokos and so my sis and mum both went. When i had the visitation she spoke to my mind and said: I WAS SENT TO PROTECT YOU CHILD.
Who sent her, Christ did!!! 🙏
❤✝ CHRIST IS RISEN ☦❤
❤💪🙏✝ MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS SAINT MARY MOTHER OF GOD PLEASE PRAY FOR US SINNERS ☦🙏⛪️🕊️
As a Byzantine Catholic I will always honor Our Lady!
Idolatry
@@kats841who did you judge?
@@kats841you tell that to Jesus when you stand before Him! But He will ask you why you did not honor His very own Mother!
Holy God's birth-giver we exalt thee.
Thank you Fr. Paul.
The videos you make are very useful for me in my journey towards Holy Orthodoxy.
Fr. Paul,
My first experience in an Orthodox church was LAST NIGHT. (My adult son is moving to Orthodoxy from protestant Christianity.) Everything you said in this video describes my reactions and questions - and fill me with joy, not only what you said, but that I awoke this morning to the God of all Creation responding to me through you. Selah
I have one question about the attributes of the saints - I know the scriptures teach about the cloud of witnesses. However, can they process the simultaneous prayers of thousands of believers? I, of course, believe that God the Father can as He is omniscient and omnipresent. I know that when Jesus was asked, teach us to pray, he told us to pray to the Father and I'm not aware of anywhere in scripture where it is taught that believers can or should pray to anyone other than Him. I understand completely what you've said about the historical practices. But as an honest, respectful question, I ask: Can the Theotokos and the saints hear our individual prayers?
I believe they can hear our prayers. I don't believe this requires omniscience as there are not an infinite number of people in the world. There is an infinite difference between God and His creation, including the saints in heaven. That doesn't mean they retain the same kind of existence that we have now. They have been given glorified existence, a share in the life of God. That doesn't mean they are omniscient and that isn't necessary anyway since there aren't infinite prayers to them. They are in eternity and thus are outside of time itself. They are partakers of the divine nature, butt hat doesn't mean they share in the essence of God. Only in His energeia, His life, His energies.
If you believe that the devil can tempt people all around the world at any time, why would he be more powerful than the saints in heaven?
@sakamotosan1887 thank you so much for this insight. I appreciate you taking the time and care to respond. What you've said adds peace to my soul and brings clarity.
If we approach the issue from technical perspective, the saints leave this physical reality the very moment of reposing and therefore they are outside of time and space - in a technical sense. This doesn't make them omnipresent or timeless by any means, but it would be logical to assume this could possibly have some impact on the ways how they perceive these things... Fr Josiah Trenham once shared a story of a Celtic monk (I recall it was Celtic monk, but not sure) who was momentarily taken up to Heaven, and the higher he ascended the more he saw: he saw people, even into their hearts, and this globe of ours was appeared like a disc below him.
And as said, all Christians are one body in Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells and lives in us - already in this temporal life, but this connection grows even deeper when we are finally in unity with God without any distortion from passions and demons or worldly things. If the saints can hear and answer our prayers "simultaneously", that's the miracle of God.
Your explanations of these topics are unrivaled.
Yes. Mother Mary did many miracles when people asked for her help, there's many testimonies about that. These miracles are impossible to deny for those who were witnesses. Those Christians who ignore Mary cannot experience that cause they lack faith in her. They say she's just a random woman who "happened" to give birth to Christ.
Lies. SHE is not holy. Satan deceives
Do you pray also to paul or peter? They did also many miracles even raised someone from the dead.
There is only one god.
To pray to mary (and often people do this in front of an image of her) violates the 1. and 2. commandment
@@shred5528 There's adoration, worshἰp prayer, only to G○d. And there's PETITION prayer, which sometimes we address to Mary or saἰnts. We HONOR saἰnts and ask for their help. They INTERCEDE for us for they're in Heaven and their prayer is more powerful. They're part of the Church and within the church we pray for one another and we ask for intercession as well. No commandments are violated because we do not worshἰp Mary, but VENERATE her. Not cause we consider her a g○ddess, but for she's the Mother of G○d. Therefore "for I am a jealous G○d" doesn't apply, on the contrary, for the reason why we venerate her is BECAUSE of Jesus and her connection with Him. Angel Gabriel also venerates Mary "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the L○rd is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 01-28), so we follow his example.
@@shred5528 YT keeps deleting my comments. There's a difference between adoration or worship prayer and petition prayer. Saints are part of the Church as well, the Triumphant Church which is in Heaven, and within the church we can pray for one another, it's called intercession. We do not worship Mary but honor and venerate her. Just like Angel Gabriel venerates her in Luke 1 28. We follow his example.
Amazing explanation Fr.
Glory to God ☦️
continue preaching, there will be many Protestant converts to Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Protestantism in its many forms in false, worldly doctrine.
Amen
Thank you so much, Fr. Paul, for this follow-up to the “rosary” teaching, vis a vis Orthodox veneration of the Theotokos Mary. Being able to take such an historical and profound topic and explain it to us with such faithful and spiritually rational words and examples is a rare blessing for us.🤗🙏
God bless orthodoxy ❤
Father please create more Mary videos I really enjoy them! 😊
I am catholic and pray the rosary but i cannot meditate on it
I just repeat the words of the prayer and hope that that will suffice
Wow. That was awesome. Thank you father.
Thank-you & God bless you for all your teachings 🙏☦️😇🕯️💟
I heartily enjoy All your videos!!!
Thank-you 🙏
Lifelong Catholic. It brings me sincere joy to learn that reverence for Our Holy Mother is also a part of
the Orthodox faith. I have no doubt that a single sigh from Our Immaculate Mother is worth more in obtaining graces from God than the prayers of countless others. Precisely because she was sinless and never counted personal cost in her obedience to Our Lord. For that reason He never refuses her.
I've seen this over and over in my life. She will never fail to obtain graces for one who prays the rosary if they are truly to our benefit. If you struggle with sin, pray the rosary. If you wish to grow in faith and your love of Our Lord, pray the rosary. Whatever the problem is, pray the rosary. I feel true pity for any follower of Christ who denies themselves of the efficacious intercession of Our Lady.
It's a tragedy that the enemy has convinced so many to denigrate her and deny her aid. Precisely because it is her heel that crushes his head and robs him of so many souls.
I've had quite a few miraculous answers to prayer with the Rosary. Mary has come through for me so many times. I'm sad that I went through my protestant years not knowing her.
@@jennifernorton905 For too many years I never had much faith in prayer, and lacked the willingness to even offer more than short prayer. But I've come to see how powerfully she answers and obtains graces for us. Saying one rosary a day seemed close to impossible for me once. Even the grace to pray more faithfully I obtained from the rosary. Now four or more a day is more common than not. And the graces needed to avoid sin are so powerful and immediate they are nothing short of miraculous to me. Things that used to causse me such difficulty became at worse insignificant and easily brushed off. People really dont comprehend what they are missing out on.
She will obtain for you the grace to desire to strive toward saintliness.
She is not holy. ONLY one who is holy is JESUS.wow. wake up.
Roman Catholic here: What you said about the Transfiguration and Moses just blew my mind.
Yes, and his points about Mary being the new Eve and the new Ark of the Covenant are Catholic theology too.
@@valwhelan3533 The Queen of Heaven and Earth. She's so awesome
As a protestant I really want to honor and honestly do affirm Orthodox as the purest of continuity of the church. But with some of the views held on Mary I'm just not there yet. I commented and hope I didn't sound negative. I just struggle to have the same views at this time. But thank you for sharing, this is alot for me to consider. At the very least I do honor Mary and recognize the wonderful blessing she was given and prophecy fulfillment she represents.
Mary is the woman in Revelation 12. It's clear that she is more than an ordinary woman. God created Mary for the purpose of bringing the Messiah into the World. She knew Jesus better than any person on Earth. Mary spent 33 years with Christ. She was His first teacher. Mary prayed for her Son and she prays for us.
@@user-ki2vh1uc5k I'm certainly on board with everything you just said. The idea that Mary is the second Ark and even the better Eve (as Jesus is the better Adam) that reverses the curse of death. Maybe its still praying to Mary and the saints that I'm still struggling to understand. It's totally alien to my thinking as someone who prays to God only. Perhaps it was comments also like Jesus "obeys" her that made me uncomfortable, but the way Fr Paul explained makes more sense to me that its about doing what you will for someone you love.
@@Grimaldo354 I am a Catholic and a former Protestant. I ask Mary to pray for me. It's like asking a friend to pray for me. Mary points us to her Son, Jesus. She knows Him better than anyone. But, I do understand how some folks struggle with Mary. They don't understand that honoring her is different than worshipping her. God commands us to honor our Mother and Father. Christ was an obedient Son who honored His Earthly parents. Since Jesus honored Mary, we should too.
@@user-ki2vh1uc5k Matthew 12, 46-50
I can understand honoring Mary, but not praying to her. because there is only one God.
I see images of Mary in many catholic churches and people pray to her. this violates the 1st and 2nd commandments
@@shred5528 Asking Mary to pray for you is no different than asking a friend to pray for you. I am sure Jesus asked His Mom to pray for Him when He lived on Earth.
I had this exact question, being taught in a Baptist church. Pastor John MacArthur did a whole video on the on how Mary should not be worshipped and how Catholics do that. Orthodox makes a lot of sense to me. I’ve been seeking the truth for a while now ever since getting married with a catholic woman.
I hope you realize, now, that Catholics do NOT worship Mary - we honour her in the same way the Orthodox do. Worship belongs to God alone.
John MacArthur preaches a Christ that is not the Christ that the Apostles Preach.
@@acekoala457 Amen.
Text of “Sub Tuum Praesidium” (in its Greek form):
Greek:
Ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καταφεύγομεν, Θεοτόκε,
τὰς ἡμῶν ἱκεσίας μὴ παρίδῃς ἐν περιστάσει,
ἀλλ’ ἐκ κινδύνων λύτρωσαι ἡμᾶς,
μόνη Ἁγνὴ, μόνη Εὐλογημένη.
English translation:
“Under your mercy we take refuge, O Theotokos;
do not overlook our supplications in time of trouble,
but deliver us from danger,
you alone pure, you alone blessed.”
Thank you Father Paul for all your videos and all the work you do. Truly, you are my favorite person to watch on youtube.
Excellent testimony on the Virgin Mary the Theotuckos ’ I’m glad orthodoxy recognize her ‘ I have great faith in our lady ‘ our great intercession to Jesus
18:36. God bless all. 2 prayers that are very simple. Such an easy start if you are struggling with your prayer life which will be a catalyst for your thrist for learning more prayers and building your prayer life
The timing on this was great for me. I was just researching how the first Western reformers affirmed the title Theotokos and even honored Mary. Many modern protestants trying to separate themselves from the RCs will go as far as to affirm Nestorianism.
Father Paul, please continue more videos on the Most Holy Theotokos. it upsets the demons too 😊 O most Holy Theotokos save us! ☦️
Can the Theotokos save you in your religion?
The answer just came in the video. Intercession. Thanks
Fr. Paul strikes again! 👊🏻☦️🙏🏻
Fr. Paul, I come to you with a humble answer, not with the desire to criticize, judge, or just because I feel like arguing. I have been subscribed to your YT channel for several months and I have not left any comment on this topic except the one with the rosary because I had the heart to convey this to you. I have all the respect for you, and you being married to a Romanian woman, was one of the factors that influenced my desire to follow your channel, because I, too, am Romanian, raised in the Orthodox Church. You may refuse to believe this based on what I say, but God is my witness and I also have never been influenced by Protestant teachings. But, from a young age, I felt and understood that some practices in the Orthodox Church are wrong. Now I am not coming to tell you that based on my feelings, I am coming to say that what you and 99% of the Orthodox priests taught the parishioners is wrong, but based on the evidence.
With the exception of James the Righteous, finding himself the half-brother of Jesus, there was no other man who spoke about the Mother of God and venerated her as he did. The Protoevangelium of James, being the only book by which the Orthodox Church guides itself in terms of information related to the Mother of God, is an apocryphal gospel. The steps that the Church followed in choosing the books included in the Bible had to be inspired by the Lord, it must be recognized by all the members of the Church, and they decided that it is not canonical and rightly so. He made some problematic statements and these are..
As Maria's parents took her to the Temple when she was 3 years old and she grew up there and the priest Zachariah, Ioan's father, was her mentor in the Temple. And the fantastic tragedy of James the Righteous claims in his book that Mary (Theotokos) was taken one day by the priest Zacharias to the Holy of Holies. Here we realize two problems with what James the Righteous claims, who was a Jew but did not know Jewish customs.
1. Never in the history of the Temple has there been a school for girls to practice religion near the Temple, because any approach to a woman is considered impure.
2. If the girl entered the Holy of Holies according to Jewish law, the whole Temple was defiled, it had to be burned and not a stone left on another stone. Because even if the girl didn't have her period, she was impure. Only the high priest was allowed to go there, not even the father of John the Baptist was allowed there, being a simple priest.
From here it appears that James the Righteous was a liar and a man who spoke and said foolish things, therefore his writings are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, which is why it was not canonized.
All the 66 books that make up the entire Scripture were chosen well and with a purpose from all the writings and what was not considered from the Lord, were not introduced.
Another very important aspect, according to the Scripture, both the Mother of God and any Saint, CANNOT mediate between people and God, according to 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Through God, she was blessed, but like all the rest of the people on earth, needed a Savior, according to Luke 1:46-47.
The veneration of relics and saints/icons has nothing to do with our salvation. I have seen how this "veneration" is transformed into the worship of people and not of God. Don't tell me it's not like that when I witnessed these.
I will not leave any more comments to other videos, I unsubscribed from your channel so as not to "disturb" your peace or others, but I pray that the Lord will guide your steps and give you the wisdom to see the light, the truth, to wake up and worship Him properly, giving Him your full attention and all your full and complete worship, and also to guide others to do the same..Because you have a gift to talk to people about God, but also the responsibility for what you teach.. I told you everything out of love for the Lord. May God be with you and your family.
The Protoevangelium of James while not being scripture, is not wholesale tossed out. There are writings, like the Didache, that at one time was being considered for canonization but it also wasn't included but again, not wholesale tossed aside. This is the problem with a Protestant mindset, that unless it's spelled out in their 66 book canon, and interpreted through a Protestant lens, it is ignored or deemed as "lies". This way of thinking is problematic because as Protestants invoke Sola Scriptura, Luther opened the door to higher criticism and now we have scholars today questioning the validity of specific epistles. The fact is, the Reformation is never ending.
The subject of canonization is an interesting one. You say the Orthodox Church decided what books should go in the Bible but yet say they are wrong, a bunch of heretics. So a Church of heretics put together the canon that you base your arguments on using Sola Scriptura, which is unbiblical, to cast doubts and judge an entire Church?
Next you talk about mediation and yet you say you grew up Orthodox? Mary is not a mediator in the Church, she is an intercessor and the difference is important. You should know this and if you didn't, you should have asked questions instead of "feeling" that the teachings were wrong. But this is what happens when the individual becomes the arbiter of truth, basing said truth on their interpretation. This is exactly what Luther created; instead of one pope, there are now millions of Protestant pope's.
Yes, of course Mary needed a savior, this is a strawman because the Orthodox Church doesn't claim she didn't need a savior.
Again, another strawman. The church does not say that relics bring us salvation but they are nonetheless biblical. Read 2 Kings 13:21 about Elisha's bones or Acts 19:12 about Paul's handkerchief healing the sick. Regarding how people treat or "worship" others, that does not determine the truth of the matter, it just exposes ignorance.
Lastly, you leave a parting shot to a priest who is trying to serve the community in charity and you tell him to wake up and to worship properly? This is pure self righteousness and wrong. And you leave this comment of condemnation as if he is lost and your not in a passive aggressive tone as you say you're unsubscribing and leaving him in peace after you toss dirt in the comments, expounding your authority to judge another servant, Romans 14:4. You need to be publicly rebuked for this. Your post was very disrespectful and uncharitable to Fr. Paul.
@@andys3035 In 170 AD, the Jewish canon ended, having over 100 or so writings, the Jews decided which were from God and which were not. The Jews are the ones who canonized the Old Testament, starting from Genesis to Malachi, only these being considered to be from God, and the Church cannot judge them. The Jews also said that the rest of the books can be read as historical books, but they have nothing to do with salvation and that they are not from God but from people, therefore they decided not to introduce them.
And the 27 books of the Christians have been recognized by both the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, as ONLY these are from God... is not/or was not just a mindset of the Protestants but also of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
To the Holy Hierarch Athanasius himself, Archbishop of Alexandria, in a letter dated 367, Athanasius describes the importance he gives to the 27 books of the New Testament:
"These are fountains of salvation, which satiate the thirsty by the words they contain. ONLY in these is the teaching of godliness proclaimed. Let no one add and let no one take away from these."
And we must understand an important thing, the Canon of the Bible (New Testament) was recognized, not established.
As for intercessor is the synonym of the word mediator, look in the dictionary. If you want to say that the meaning is the fact that God used intermediaries to transmit certain messages, such as the Angels, or if we are talking about the Apostles who went in the name of God to speak to other about the Gospel, it is different from praying to them. I never said that preaching the Word of God is wrong, for ex a priest is God's messenger, who urges people to Christ, but you don't worship that priest in any way. Or to compare the fact that when someone is alive, you ask him to say a prayer for you, which is not intercession between you and God, it is practically another person that prays to God for you and the intercessor is still Jesus Christ, but that person is alive, also you do not pray to that person by bowing before them, and maybe kissing their hand, which indicates a form of worship and tell him what to pray to for you in this way. Do you really not understand the difference between them? God's people direct others to Him, but they do not become intermediaries between them. They are workers, the tools that God uses to reach the hearts of others. What is so hard to understand?
Also the Theotokos and the Saints are not alive today, although their souls lives. There is nowhere in the Bible where it says to pray to those who died but their soul lives, for them to pray for you, it is totally absurd, it is wrong and unbiblical. However you want to spin it, it's not correct, and I take the liberty of using your word, is a 'strawman' of the Orthodox and Catholic Church. Period.
And all this has nothing to do with my feelings. Like the immature people you are using a thing that I said in another context to try to discredit me..haha funny. But you don't quite succeed. But you know what is says, try and try again, maybe eventually this tactic of yours will work. Hahaha.
According to 2 Kings 13:21, this is the last time it is mentioned that there was any healing after his death. These healings took place under certain circumstances and by the will of God. Not for all to flock to their relics now to be healed. And I ask you... why are there no other healings now, or even after these mentioned occurrences? Either after touching their realics? Or why other people dont rise up with this gift? Have you never asked yourself this questions?
And you are the spokesperson of Fr. Paul? Let him say if he is bothered, not you. And you're dramatizing the situation more than necessary and give another connotation to my words in what I told Fr. Paul. If he is angry with me for what I said, well, I apologize, because in no case is that my intention. I am talking about what is written, I am not adding anything of my own. Please differentiate between judging and telling the truth, two totally different things.
You and others didn't like a woman coming out and saying these things, that's your biggest problem. Well, this woman has studied and understands Scripture and History better than you and other men, hahaha. I will wait for you to publicly rebuke me. But I suggest to be at peace, because if I'm wrong, God will punish me, He won't overlook me.
John 19:25-27 BSB
[25] Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and her sister, as well as Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” [27] Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, this disciple took her into his home.
If we are Christ, then Mary is our mother.
Thank you for affirming my lack-of-a-middle-man-between-me-and-Jesus relationship :)
Thank you
I don't get intercession yet. But you've got me on Mary!
Regarding intercession of Theotokos...In Canah wedding although Christ time was not yet He did obey to the demand of His Mother and changed His plan and did the miracle...suppose now that Christ has condemned you becasue of ur numerous sins and you are for hell but you feverently ask Theotokos whom you love and venerate to intercede for you to her Son and save you...she can make Christ change His plan for you and save u as she did in Canah Wedding...its so simple...if Most Holy Theotokos ask from Her Son just one drop of His precious Blood which He borrowed from her and He is eternally indebted to her for this human flesh He took from Theotokos and He will certainly give this drop to her,she puts this drop on the right part of the scale and this one drop of Christ Blood can compensate the numerous sins of you on the Judgement scale and you will be saved...in fact there is such a story regarding a neglectful monk who nevertheless had great veneration and devotion to Theotokos and she saved him in this way...
We pray for each other here on earth. That is intercession. The saints are alive/with Jesus in heaven, they are not dead. They can pray for us (intercede). This is the communion of saints referred to in the Creed.
Beautifully said & articulated! God Bless. ✝️🙏🏻
Jn 2:5 Mary then said to the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do." Father, that's where the Orthodox and Catholics should first do.
U forget that Jesus first obeyed His Mother and changed His plans and did the first miracle although it was not His time...who else could change God's plans except from Theotokos? That's why we Orthodox run to her
@@evans3922 The larger and more important point, and I hope you agree, is to do what He says to do. Mary agrees, you should too.
Amen farther agree 100% I'm from protestant upbringing and am now in a pentecostal church ⛪️ but I pray the rosary daily and absolutely enjoy doing so thier is no shame whatsoever in doing so I love God with all my heart and I love mother Mary and why shouldn't we she's very precious and special in God's eyes ❤️ didn't he say to the apostle John on the cross behold thy mother that should go for the same to all Christians I'm appalled 😮at some of the vile attitudes coming from other Christian ✝️ groups denominations thanks for been honest and informative on the video 📹 excellent
Whoa, you're (staying) Pentecostal and pray to the Virgin Mary? Do your pastors know this? I'm not sure if they're ok with it. Most Pentecostals aren't.
Father Truenbach references Steve Ray on this video. I would check out more of Steve's CZcams videos to get a further understanding of Mary.
just because she's John's mother now doesn't mean we need to sing her praises. Everyone is special and precious in God's eyes.
@@uncreatedlogosThere are quite a few Protestants who pray the Rosary! Mother Mary has brought many home to the Catholic Church through her!
@@Postenebraslux-n4yShe’s every believers Mother! Protestants just don’t accept her!
Belle parole io da cattolico sono pienamente d'accordo con tutto quanto ha detto il prete. Soltanto non capisco come potete onorare la Vergine senza il santo rosario che Lei stessa ha dato agli uomini. I frutti del rosario sono meravigliosi. Dovete provarlo a pregare con fede e cuore sincero e vedrete che le promesse della Vergine Immacolata sono vere e attuali.
Wonderful video Fr Paul, may God bless you and your church!
Every video so far has been very very beneficial. Thanks
Romans 8:34
Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.
the FOUNDATION OF THE FAITH.
Pope Francis said that the only means to know the Virgin Mary is the Gospel, excluding the narrative of any seer that does not match with Her personality as the Gospel exposes clearly, the humbleness and fidelity to the Lord.
So, we can raise these questions about the alleged apparitions:
- Would the Virgin Mary ask us to pray Ave Maria? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary introduce Herself saying: "I am the Mother of God"? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary ask for a Chapel be built in Her honour? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary pray the Rosary reciting Ave Maria? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary command a little girl to drink dirty water from a puddle and crawl on the ground eating grass like an animal? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary print Her image on a medal or mantel in order to be venerated? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary impose inhumane penance to 7 and 8 year old children and show them terrifying scenes of the Hell? I affirm: NO!
- Would the Virgin Mary confide secrets that the Pope could not know to a 10 year old girl? I affirm, NO!
We can go on and on analysing all the "apparitions" and conclude that no one stands up.
Does the Holy Father love more Mary than us and listens to Her more than He listens to us? I affirm: NO!
We can also with a rational thought say that the nature of the Virgin Mary remains human and cannot know each one of Her hundreds of millions "sons" scattered all around the world and stay by the side of each one to protect them at the same time, 24 hours by day. To do this God would have to give Her His powers of being omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, making Her a goddess like Him.
I see that the Catholic Church made a huge theological mistake relating to the Virgin Mary and sold to the faithful
Now it is very hard and painful to correct it and the Vatican is trying to do it. And more is to come. I urge you all to watch the CZcams video Sister Lucia from Fatima interview 1957. Lucia reported a message saying that God abandoned His plan for our salvation through Christ's sacrifice replacing for the Rosary and the devotion to the Immaculate Hearth of Mary. Watch and judge for yourselves if she was a truthflul "messenger of God ".
I’m saddened. It’s already difficult enough as it is to trust the Lord Jesus that He will not turn me away when I cry out to Him in repentance. The enemy tempts me with despair to believe that I have gone too far for the Lord Jesus to forgive me; for the father to receive back the prodigal son.
And your example at 15:59 simply reinforces that: “…If they don’t want to talk with you; they’re too upset with you; they won’t listen to you…”
Was the prodigal son only received back by his father by the intercessions of his other righteous son? Did it take convincing for the father to be convinced to forgive the prodigal?
Fr. Paul, so much of your (and other Orthodox) spiritual advice has been so richly rewarding. But then a video like this comes up and suddenly the love of God is called into question by being told that our Lord does not desire to receive us back in repentance save for the intercessions of the Theotokos. Or then when such harsh language is used against fearful Christians like I whose conscience forbids them to give religious devotion to anyone but the Triune God.
The most holy Theotokos indeed points us towards her Son. Why then would I ignore her direction and go to her instead of her Son to whom she points? The most holy Theotokos said to “do whatever He tells you.” I want to obey that in good faith.
U forget one thing: in Canah wedding although it was not Christ time to do miracles because Theotokos His Mother asked it He changed His plans and did the first miracle... That's why we ask Theotokos to help us and intercede for us because she has the power to achieve what she wants.. Her Son and our God does not deny anything to Her, because He has borrowed His Flesh from her and this loan is eternal this loan the human flesh He took from her can not be given back...Christ is eternaly indebted to Theotokos..without her consent the plan of God for human salvation would have not be accomplished.If she wants and asks Him He will change his plan for your damnation although u may be unworthy just because u venerate His mother and she asks Him to save u
@@evans3922you said: ”He will change His plan for your damnation.”
That’s just it my friend. If a (truly) penitent sinner cries out to God for forgiveness in (true) repentance, we are PROMISED that God will not despise our broken spirit and contrite heart (psalm 51)
You clearly missed my point here which is that it is a most dreadful mischaracterization of Christ to say that he would reject the plea of a penitent person.
Truly Truly I say unto you if you deny my beloved mother of GOD than I too will deny you infront of CHRIST! for behold she is our Mother and she is found in our heart. the same heart Christ Our God searches! ☦️ One wishes to be saved must take his relationship with GOD seriouse. do not lean on your own understanding, do you expect to accepted into the kingdom of heaven by denial of the most Holy Mother of GOD? Do you really think you will be accepted into heaven by denial of the heavenly mother of GOD? have your hearts been hardened and your eyes been blind have your ears not heard? Example: If you came to a fathers house and told him greetings father I came to see you but not your mother. than father will deny you entering that home. this secret is the narrow door, which is love in fullness of CHRIST.
Father, what is the book called by Saint Nectarios?
The Theotokarion of St Nektarios of Aegina a.co/d/0chxmSJ
@@frpaul thank you so much Father!!!!