The previous post was the story of the fighting monks of Jerusalem. If you go on YouTube, you can, unfortunately, find a recording of the actual fight. Needless to say, this certainly gives a black eye to the reputation of the Eastern Orthodox.
However, this also gives a very graphic demonstration of a fact that many monks would like to keep quiet. Monks are every bit as sinful, nowadays, as the rest of us Christians. But Father, you will say, are not monks holier than the rest of us? The answer is that they have the potential to become quite attuned to our Lord. But having the potential and actually being holy are two different things.
There are some monks today who are, sadly, living on the basis of the reputation of prior holy monks. Both in the East and the West, monks have defended the faith in many centuries of the faith. They have set high and holy standards for us. They have shown that the Holy Spirit is at work among us and still to this day. Reform movements have started thanks to the monastery. The faith has been saved, both East and West, by the lives of holy monks.
But, yes but, there are monks today who are trading on the holyness of those monks. Unfortunately, some of them oppose our hierarchs and set themselves up as authorities. Claiming to be holy monks, they encourage disobedience while claiming to be defending the faith. Trading on the reputation of those holy monks, they set themselves up as “saviors” of the Orthodox faith. Those monks in Jerusalem are but one example of that type of monk. Claiming to be wise, they are but fools. Sadly, being fools, they are misleading too many of the Orthodox with their disobedience. May our Lord see and bring His great mercy upon us. May He protect us from those who dishonor our Holy Tradition.
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