Text Box: Only by abandoning God, like the stupid and evil public officials and voters have abandoned God, can we be damned to hell.

In your personal relationships, always remember the old adage: Never judge a book by its cover. Put in a little more complex form: A person’s true character is not found in their appearance; it is found in what the person does of their own free will. God attempts to influence a person’s free will to the person’s being good, but does not control a person’s free will. Each of us is unable to do any more - for since God has set limits on His own  interference or influence of the free will of a person, we are unable to more.

Therefore, do not be stupid. Do have Faith Jesus Christ is God. Think, act, and strive to bring your entire being into conformity with what you know is God’s will because that is righteous and honorable. Attempt to persuade the stupid and evil ones to forego their stupidity and evil and if they refuse you can not prevent their going to hell. If you wish to avoid being stupid just be sure you do not accompany them.

Ref: 1 Cor. 1:4-8; Mat. 9:1-8

+

Even though it looks good on the outside, it might look like this on the inside.
+
Text Box: INSTRUCTION AND PRAYER ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF MY CONSECRATION
+ Paul, S.S.B.

Saturday, November 22, 2008 A. D., was the tenth anniversary of my Consecration as Bishop, my election as Metropolitan Archbishop of Orleans, Superior General and Metropolitan Primate of The Society of Clerks Secular of Saint Basil, and of The Orthodox Catholic Church of the Americas.

This was not a position which I sought, it was not one which I desired, it is not one which I desire, but it is one which I reluctantly accepted and which I attempt to fulfill and to perform. I will continue in this or these offices until such time as God deems it proper to relieve me, to release me from the burden I have agreed to carry.

Think of this as my decennial report to you, those whom I serve and attempt to serve.

My life and conduct, even to today, are not shining examples of holiness and Godliness, nor is it worthy of emulation in many aspects. But it is worthy of emulation, imitation, and as an example, in a few matters. I pray for you daily: many of those for whom I pray are by name, some by group. My Morning Offering is typed eight pages in length and growing. I pray for the living and for the dead by name so that I will remember each individual as an individual; so that I will recall those few instances when I was sufficient to that individual and the numerous instances when I failed each individual; so that I will learn from my few successes and numerous failures, correct my inadequacies, and make a better foundation for my few strengths. I also pray for various situations and conditions.

Everything for which I pray and every person for whom I pray is included in every Divine Liturgy I pray be it a weekday, Holy Day, Great Feast, or Sunday.
Text Box: These practices are worthy of you emulation. They are activities in which you should engage whether you are a member of the laity, a religious, a Priest, or a Bishop. Every Priest and every Bishop should definitely pray a Morning Offering wherein are mentioned by name as many as possible of the living and the dead for whom the Priest or Bishop has concern. And every Priest and every Bishop should have concern for a very great number of people. When the overwhelming number of such individuals is intellectually realized and acknowledged the practicality and necessity of praying for individuals by “category”, “classification”, and “group”, as well as for numerous individuals as individuals becomes evident. But this necessity should never be allowed to reduce the number of individuals for whom prayer is made as individuals, down to a level of insignificance. Not only is such a practice an abandonment of the Christian duty incumbent upon all laity, religious, and clergy, but it also makes it less likely one will realize one’s inadequacies and sufficiencies, learn from them, diminish the inadequacies, and strengthen the sufficiencies.

However, I do not pray the Morning Offering out of a sense of duty. Though it has changed in form over the decades, I began praying  and continue praying it because I want to pray for certain people, things, and situations. I found there is not a single person anywhere who I would desire not go to Heaven and be united in the Perpetual Light of God. Since this state of eternal happiness is reserved for those who do God’s will at least to an extent sufficient that they are not spiritually dead and thus can be purified after death, I attempt to assist people, including myself, to attain at least this bare minimum. But I attempt to personally achieve greater spiritual heights, and to assist others to those greater heights.

When I realized I really wish everyone could go to Heaven, that I wished even the Devil would or could repent, seek, Text Box: Q. Are you married? A. No, I'm divorced. Q. And what did your husband do before you divorced him? A. A lot of things I didn't