THG ORTHODOX WORD
Saint MACARIUS )
the Great
of EGYPT
/ MV
c CuKTHE ORTHODOX WORD
A BIMONTHLY PERIODICAL
1969 Vol. 5, No. 1 (24)
January - February
Established with the blessing of His Eminence the late
Jobn (Maximovitch), Archbishop of Western America and
San Francisco, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
Editors: Eugene Rose, M.A., & Gleb Podmoshensky, B.Th.
Printed by the Father Herman Brotherhood.
‘Text eet in lO-point Garamont type, tiles in I8-point Goudy Bold.
CONTENTS
1 Open to Me the Door of Repentance, O Giver of Life!
by Archbishop Jobn Maxtmovitch
3 The Miraculous Icons of the Mother of God: A New
Weeping Icon
9 The Fathers of Orthodox Monasticism: The Life of
St. Macarius the Great by Prof. I. M. Kontzevich
19 The Orthodox Spiritual Life: The Spiritual Instructions
of St. Seraphim of Sarov (XXXII - XXXVI)
30 Orthodox Issues of the Day: Ecumenism and
Communism by An Orthodox Christian Living Bebind
the Iron Curtain
37 The Icons of the Great Feasts: The Meeting of the
Lord fy S.V. Bulgakov
COVER: St. Macarius’ desert of Scetis in Northern Egypt, showing one of the sur-
viving monasteries.
Copyright 1969 by Orthodox Christian Books & Icons.
Published bimonthly by Orthodox Christian Books & Icons. Second-class postage paid at
San Francisco, California. Cae
Yearly subscription $4.00, two years $7.00; individual copies 75 cents.
All inquiries should be directed to:
‘Gumiobox CHRISTIAN BOOKS & ICONS 254 GEARY BLVD. SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA 9428OPEN TO ME THE DOOR
OF REPENTANCE,
O GIVER OF LIFE!
RREPENTANCE is expressed in Greek by the word metania. In the
literal sense, this means an alteration of one’s mind, of one’s thinking.
In other words, repentance is a transformation of one’s orientation, of
one's way of thinking, a transformation of a man within himself. Re-
pentance is a reexamination of one's views, an alteration of one's life.
How can it come about? In the same way as when a dark room
into which a man has happened to enter becomes illuminated by rays of
sunlight, While he was looking at the room in the darkness, it presented
itself to him in one aspect: much that was there he did not sec, and he
did not even imagine that it was there. Many things appeared to him
not at all as they were in actual fact. He had to move cautiously, since
he did not know where there might be obstacles. But now the room has
become light: he sees everything clearly and moves frecly.
The same thing occurs in the spiritual life also.
When we are immersed in sins and our mind is occupied only
with worldly cares, we do not notice the state of our soul. We are in-
different as to how we are within, and go constantly by a false path,
ourselves not noticing this. (Continued on inside back cover.)
+ ull Medinet.
Archbishop Joha Maximovitch
San Francisco
February, 1963