Community of Saint John the Baptist, Essex

New Publications

Ask, and It Shall Be Given You

‘The seed is the word of God.’ However, this seed is not of this world and therefore, when it falls in the good earth of the deep heart, it becomes ‘the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth’. ‘It is sown in weakness,’ but ‘it is raised in power and incorruption.’The texts of this book are the fruit of these Sunday meetings and are presented in the form of questions and answers: ‘Ask (with desire) and it shall be given you (of the abundance of the love of him that speaketh).’

Born from on High

The present book contains chapters St Sophrony wrote on the theological and ascetic basis for Christian life. He writes about the Christian life of married couples and of those called to monasticism. Themes which are central to his thought, such as personhood, and repentance, are looked at again here, but as ever with fresh and in spiring insight.

Mariam, The Mother of the Lord and Mother of Our Life

The fall of our forefather did not bring to nought God’s will for the creation of His reasonable creature. For centuries God looked down from heaven to see if there was one person who would ‘do righteousness’ and cooperate with Him as His minister in the great work of the salvation of mankind. He needed someone whose spiritual state corresponded as closely as possible to the divine state, which is the prerequisite for grace to dwell in the heart of man. Such was the state of the Mother of God. Her utter purity and selfless love for God was commensurate with the unfathomable measure of grace that would come to dwell within her. When God perceived the supernatural humility and purity in the godly child Mariam, ‘He bowed the heavens and came down.’

Perfect Surrendering to the Spirit of Salvation

Monasticism is truly a strange life, and when the monk acquires the gift of unceasing prayer, he understands the paradoxical character of monastic life. His breath is different; his thoughts, his gestures and the movements of his heart are different. Even while living on earth, such a man becomes like the wind whose sound you can hear, but you cannot see from where it comes and where it goes. When man is in this state, there is hardly any veil separating this world from the other world; there is a certain transparency and direct contact with heaven; there is a charismatic attraction from heaven which continually pulls man’s heart to the other world; then, there is only a deep, sweet pain in the centre of his being, in his heart.

New books in Greek

Ἡ ζωή Του ζωή μου

Tὸ βιβλίο His Life is Mine ἐκδόθηκε ἀρχικὰ στὰ ἀγγλικὰ τὸ 1977 (ἐκδόσεις A. R. Mowbray & Co. Ltd, Οxford) ἀπὸ τὸ ρωσικὸ πρωτότυπο σὲ μετάφραση τῆς Rosemary Edmonds. Σκοπὸς τῆς ἀγγλικῆς μετάφρασης ἦταν νὰ δοθεῖ ἡ εὐκαιρία καὶ στὸ ἀναγνωστικὸ κοινὸ τῆς Δύσης νὰ γνωρίσει τὴ θεολογία τοῦ ἁγίου Σωφρονίου.

Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν

Ἀφότου ἐγερθεῖτε τὸ πρωῒ καὶ πλύνετε τὸ πρόσωπό σας, προσφέρετε ἀμέσως εὐχαριστία στὸν Θεὸ «πάντων ἕνεκεν»· διαβάστε κάποιες ἀπὸ τὶς εὐχὲς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· προσευχηθεῖτε αὐτοσχέδια ἀπὸ τὴν καρδιά σας καὶ στὴ συνέχεια προσευχηθεῖτε λίγο μὲ τὴν εὐχὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Τότε ἡ ἐνέργεια τῆς προσευχῆς θὰ σᾶς συνοδεύει ὅλη τὴν ἡμέρα καί, εἶμαι βέβαιος, ὅτι θὰ σφραγίζει μὲ εὐλογία κάθε ἔργο σας.

Μαριὰμ

Ἡ πτώση τοῦ προπάτορος δὲν ματαίωσε τὴ θεία βουλὴ γιὰ τὴ δημιουργία τοῦ λογικοῦ πλάσματος. Ὁ Θεὸς γιὰ αἰῶνες κατόπτευε ἀπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸ νὰ δεῖ, ἂν ὑπῆρχε κάποιος ἄνθρωπος «ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην», ποὺ θὰ συνεργοῦσε μαζί Του ὡς θεράπων Του στὸ μέγα ἔργο τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ ἀνθρώπινου γένους. Ὁ Θεὸς χρειαζόταν κάποιον, τοῦ ὁποίου ἡ πνευματικὴ κατάσταση νὰ ἀντιστοιχεῖ ὅσο τὸ δυνατὸν περισσότερο στὴ θεία κατάσταση…

Ἡ τέλεια παράδοση στὸ πνεῦμα τῆς σωτηρίας

Ὁ μοναχισμὸς εἶναι, πράγματι, παράδοξη βιοτή. Ὅταν ὁ μοναχὸς ἀποκτήσει τὸ χάρισμα τῆς ἀδιάλειπτης προσευχῆς, ἀντιλαμβάνεται τὸν παράδοξο χαρακτήρα τῆς μοναχικῆς πολιτείας. Ἡ ἀναπνοή του ἀλλοιώνεται· τὰ νοήματα, οἱ νεύσεις καὶ οἱ κινήσεις τῆς καρδιᾶς του εἶναι πλέον ἕτερα. Ἀκόμη καὶ ἐνόσῳ ζεῖ πάνω στὴ γῆ, ὁ ἄνθρωπος αὐτὸς γίνεται σὰν τὸν ἄνεμο, τοῦ ὁποίου ἀκοῦς τὴν πνοή…

New Books in Romanian

Cuviosul Siluan Athonitul

Fecioara Maria

Preasfânta Fecioară este numită Împărăteasa și Mireasa Mirelui. Ea a îmbrățișat mai întâi viața ascunsă în poruncile Lui, iar mai apoi pe Însuși Domnul slavei. Deși nu a păcătuit niciodată, a luat asupra sa o viață de răstignire desăvârșită, pentru a face loc înlăuntrul ei voii dumnezeiești și a cuprinde întreaga omenire în inima sa…

Nelumescul iubirii

Cântările bisericești de la praznicul Cincizecimii exprimă graiurile străine și cuvintele paradoxale ale Duhului, care covârșesc mintea întunecată a omului, dar dau mărturie despre realitatea înfricoșată a lui Dumnezeu. Așijderea, Duhul pune suspinele minunate ale izbăvirii înlăuntrul inimii celui ce este purtător al iubirii dumnezeiești…

Isihasmul

Isihasmul înseamnă biruința omului asupra patimilor sale, atunci când Duhul Se odihnește în cămara de nuntă a inimii lui. Este o nevoință ascetică cu caracter îndoit: pe de o parte, presupune dezbrăcarea și lepădarea de omul cel vechi, iar pe de altă parte, asumarea, îmbrăcarea și primirea plinătății omului celui nou…

TESTIMONIALS

The spiritual inheritance passed down from St. Silouan to St. Sophrony to Fr. Zacharias is invaluable as it speaks with such clarity to the needs of our time. That has been my experience - first as a seminarian, and now as a young priest. I routinely draw on the publications of the work of St. Silouan, St. Sophrony, Archim. Zacharias, & Archim. Peter - both for myself and for my pastoral work in the parish. The way these publications speak of the Gospel and the fulness of the life in Christ has been uniquely helpful to me personally and in my work as a priest.

I would also like to offer my thanks for the physical quality and overall appearance/aesthetic of the books themselves. The clothbound hardback with stamped text & logo makes for a superior look and feel for the books. The high-quality paper, uncrowded pages, and even the font, all contribute to the unparalleled reading experience. I appreciate that the books available in hardback will lay flat. Additionally, I have greatly appreciated recent publications - such as At the Doors of Holy Lent - that included two-color text and a ribbon bookmark.

Fr. Anthony Saunders @St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church

Thank you for continuing to release Fr. Zacharias’s writings. They are incredibly encouraging personally and very helpful for pastoring. As a mission-planting priest, these books have enabled me to connect the hard work we are doing here with God’s desire for our salvation. I hope Fr. Zacharias is able to continue publishing for a long time.

Fr. Joel Wilson @Annunciation Orthodox Christian Church

I have read everything available from Archimandrite Zacharias, and yet every time I embark on reading his latest work, it's like I'm clinging to a tiny but precious thread that leads all the way to eternity. I am forever grateful for his wisdom and utterly penetrating insights into the nature of Orthodoxy and God's infinite love for His children, even when they turn away or don't realize His presence. More than ever, the world needs a voice like Archimandrite Zacharia's.

Robert David Vivian, Michigan USA

Archimandrite Zacharias books are like a good movie- I cannot stop reading them!!!!

Costakis Neocleous, Atlanta USA

I have recently purchased Christ, Our Way and Our Life from you and I am so very glad that I have. As an Anglican it is one of the most powerful works that I have ever read. Although I am only part way through, it has illuminated my thought with a clarity that I have not felt outside of Holy Scripture. I give my genuine thanks.

David, Staffordshire UK

PHOTO GALLERY

Our latest book gift wraps from last month plus our Christmas specials! 🌠🎄🌠🎄

Letters to his Family - Saint Sophrony's Letter 2, to his sister Maria. Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois 16th-17th September 1958. #sophrony #saintsophrony #essexmonastery #letters #orthodox #christianorthodox #quote #quotes #quoteoftheday #wisdom

Our recent gift wraps, wrapped with all our heart and full of joy 🥰

Letters to his Family - Saint Sophrony's Letter 39, to his sister Maria. The Old Rectory, Christmas 1968/1969. #sophrony #saintsophrony #essexmonastery #letters #orthodox #christianorthodox #orthodoxchurch #quote #quotes #quoteoftheday #wisdom

⭐NEW BOOKS IN ENGLISH The past month was very productive and we published more than a dozen new titles in English, Greek, Romanian and Serbian. OUR NEW BOOKS ARE: "Born...

His Life is Mine - New Greek Edition Η Ζωή Του ζωή μου, μετά από πολλά χρόνια έχει επανεκδοθεί, με τη βοήθεια του Θεού και τις ευχές του Αγίου Σωφρονίου,...