We follow our usual format of answering questions, presenting the life of Saint (in this case . John the Merciful and Martin of Tours), and then a psalm (Psalm 6), and then our current topic, which is the exorcism prayers, as said in the Making of the Catechumen service. Audio: http://www.orthodox.net/catechesis/catechism_2022-11-27+john-the-merciful-psalm-6+exorcism-prayer-5.mp3 Video: https://youtu.be/-smW8kZ9sGY 0:00 – 3:37 Is it a sin to be proud of someone else? 6:38 One big reason why Orthodox Christianity is not popular in our society. 8:16 – 10:14 We must fight within ourselves the narcissism in our society. 8:49 – 10:14 We are not truly “Orthodox” until we acquire the mind/phronema/ethos of the church. 10:04 – 21:24 We must read the lives of the saints! They are the Gospel “played out”. And a question about “Modern” martyrs vs “ancient” martyrs. 21:24 – 25:57 St Philaret the Merciful 25:57 – 31:45 “Related” to an episode in the life of St Philaret the Merciful: Is Klaus Scwab a neighbor? And should we acknowledge that we have “enemies?” 28:32 – 31:45 Can anyone be so far gone that they lose the path to salvation? 31:45 – 32:55 Can we pray for the Devil? What about suicides? 32:59 – 34:54 Does the command to turn the other cheek mean that you should always allow yourself to be abused? And: Christians are not pacifists! Everything we do is an active choice, including submission. 34:54 – 53:06 Psalm 6 37:39 – 38:18 Concerning the wrath of God. 38:18 Have mercy on me, for I am weak… 39:39 Turn to me again… 43:38 I toiled in my groaning… 41:35 – 42:39 Advice given to people in prison. 42:49 Through wrath is mine eye become troubled… 43:25 Depart from me, all you who work vanity… 42:29 – 50:46 Why should we read the Gospel? A BIG reason. And about prioritizing our reading. 50:54 – 53:06 The Lord hath heard my supplication… 53:09 – 54:57 St Martin the Merciful. 54:57 Prayers at the making of a Catechumen. Exorcism prayer 4 56:11 – 1:02:34 Exorcism Prayer 4 58:49 – 59:24 When does a person “receive” their guardian angel? 59:24 – 1:00:10 The “demon of noonday” 1:02:34 – 1:03:16 The Highest prayer is the Divine Liturgy, but it must *not* be the only prayer for us! ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-smW8kZ9sGY

On American Thanksgiving, we discuss HOW to learn to give thanks with the appropriate Gospel selection from Luke, and we explain the “precursors” to giving thanks”: understanding what is life?, what is the body for? And then we must understand how God manifests Himself to us in everything, even bad things, and learn to obey the commands: “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. … And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubting mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.’” We learn to follow these commands with labor and grace. Audio: http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/misc_2022+thanksgiving+learning-to-give-thanks_luke12-22-31.mp3 Video: https://youtu.be/TLoGbnNcY0k 0:03 - 2:40 A good example of the church properly adapting to the culture it is in – Thanksgiving day liturgy. And a “Holland family Thanksgiving dinner custom”, and the FIRST thing that everyone should be thankful for. 1:14 – 2:40 A “Holland family Thanksgiving dinner custom”, and the FIRST thing that everyone should be thankful for. And the first and second greatest truths of the universe. 2:40 – 3:20 Learn to recognize and answer ALL the questions in Scripture. “At that time, the Lord said to His disciples: ‘Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment” WHAT is life? What is the body for? 3:20 – 4:01 WHAT is life? 4:01 – 5:41 What is the body? 5:41 – 9:24 in EVERYTHING that happens to you in your life, God is manifesting Himself. 6:21 – 7:25 Is God manifesting Himself to you when a child screams in church? 7:26 – 9:24 God manifests Himself in creation, This revelation is not perfect or clear – that revelation is reserved for the human heart: “Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap, they neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith? .” 9:24 – end How do we learn to give thanks for all things and not worry or doubt? 10:58 More QUESTIONS to answer: “And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubting mind” 13:47 – 15:19 a Story from “Ordinary Saints” - that illustrates perfection. 16:54 – 21:19 Strong comments about the ongoing pandemic. 21:19 – end “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.’” ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLoGbnNcY0k