STRESS

What are the causes of stress? The easy-comfortable life as well as the struggle for social happiness in order to have a good time. Leading an easy life has become a dogma, i.e. above all things to have a good time.

We have a good time even through hardship and illness and problems. And especially then, does the man become stronger, when he goes through all these difficulties.

The paradox is that hardship helps us, i.e. the choice in your life to have a hard time or to face difficult situations with great ease.

There are people who repent but do not confess, whereas there are people who confess but do not repent.

People nowadays run, run, run, run against the clock. Of course, if their aim is sacred, then let this be the case.

Lack of communication in out times. Two people meet in order to talk and their discussion is as follows: The first talks about his own matters and, when he has finished, the other also starts talking about his own matters. But this is not communication. This is a double conversation or, if you want, a double monologue.

The lack of faith is what creates stress. Because if you dont believe that everything in your life is determined from somewhere, i.e. has a purpose, it goes objectively through some procedure, which is that God is watching you, then you will never relax.

The parent who absolutely trusts the upbringing of his children to God, should set an example for everybody.

The man runs without calculating that he is in an orbit which will damage the machine slowly. To cut the long story short all these create load and no relaxation because consumption causes more stress about money.

People nowadays are stressed because they dont pray, they dont try hard and they dont receive the Holy Communion.

When someone first learns about Fast, pray and struggle, he thinks to himself: Isnt it enough that I get tired? Do I also need to think about these? Not to eat, not to drink, not to sleep? Well, it is this haste that relaxes people because the solution in our life is Christ.

But, which is the best life? The one which is full of stress in the world or the other of the Monk, inside the monasteries? And what should we do in each case? Go to the monasteries and get rid of our stress? If someone fights his stress, no matter where he will be put, he will be relaxed person, whichever life he chooses to live.

Lets say you cant be cured and I give you a tablet. What is this tablet? When you are stressed during a busy day at work, can you say 100 times the wish Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us?

Because one of the problems people have nowadays is that they dont smile. Nowadays people burst out laughing, but they dont smile, which means that they will listen to a joke and they will burst out laughing. But after a while, they will be the same dull and miserable men. There is a difference between smiling and laughing. People nowadays may laugh because there are a lot of jokes, but they dont smile. Smile is the condition of the lovely-charmed person who sends out love and tranquility.

When a child watches cartoons which cause intensity, it is almost certain that he/she will then have stress. When the child becomes witness of a quarrel between parents, then he/she will probably have stress. When during pregnancy the mother if

stressed and anxious and has frequent arguments with her husband, wont the child have stress?

Are you anxious about someone elses problem, which you cant solve? There is no point. If you cant help your family, how could you be anxious about somebody elses problems? This happens to us quite a lot of times. As if we are Gods and we can achieve anything.

Why are people nowadays stressed? Audience: Because they want more than they have. Priest Ioannis: They have a lot of desires. I want this, I want that, I want the other and of course concern begins. People should leave aside their wants and desires. In the monkish life, the lack of desires is the most important issue if people dont want to collapse, to sink.

Patience is science by brothers. It is not just a word. They say Im patient, but in what way should I be patient? With stress? With concerns? Should we be patient just because we do not have any other choice? With nagging and grumbling? The patience which is going to bear fruit in our life is not like that. What is patience? It is a struggle. Patience leads to paradise. It should be our friend. We should need it, we should call it, we should ask for it.

At present, people feel stressed not only about the things they can do but also about those they cant. another weird thing in man. Are you stressed about the things you can do and you dont? thats fine. But why are you also stressed about those that you cant do? It is this mentality that we encounter everything as if they all depend on us. Thats where our problem lies.

Are we ever stressed about sins, my brothers? Does anyone say right this moment I am doing a big sin and is stressed? We are much more stressed about everyday issues. Somebody has a big sin. Is he/she stressed because of this? That something might happen and his/her soul might be lost? And of course, if we believe that God is here for all people and that HE is not dead, then we can relax a little. And particularly

when you are IN the sin, IN the mistake, you should believe more than ever that God is by you and that He will give the redemption and the right outcome.

So, who is going to be stressed for the garbage in our souls? In any case, that wont be the devil. He will be happy because of the rubbish we carry in our souls. He wont be stressed at all.

Polite people do not get stressed. We speak in a bad way, we act in a bad way and the result of these is the creation of stress to people.

When you pray, make the sign of the Cross correctly. It seems childish, but we are in serious trouble. You should know this. The way we make the sign of the Cross is of great importance, because it is not just a simple symbol, the Cross is a stamp. We stamp ourselves when we make the sign of the Cross.

Dont just say in your life God or Jesus as some people do. Say MY CHRIST. The way you say My husband, My love. MY CHRIST, otherwise we seem to have a quite weak communication, a bit inadequate, a bit irrelevant. Do you understand? Some people say The Lord. Which Lord? No, it is not a bad expression, it is a good one, but say MY LORD.