Author of …
Sunrise from our home in Platina, CA
Our Upcoming Relocation to our Property Adjacent to St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, CA
The sun is rising on the next spiritual adventure for my husband and me in our journey with Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Nine years ago we purchased raw land next to St. Herman of Alaska Serbian Orthodox Monastery in the foothills of the Trinity Alps.
Since the early days of our conversion, we both felt the call to participate in a monastic lifestyle, but family obligations and illness kept our call on the back burner.
I refer to myself as a pillow ascetic, literally, due to my lifelong struggle with fibromyalgia. I am the princess who can feel the pea no matter how comfortable anything I lie or sit on may be. I personally had not thought it possible for me to ever live on our land, especially when in addition to chronic back problems and fibromyalgia, I contracted Lyme’s Disease in 2004. I had just started writing my book, The Pearl of Great Price, and my husband had just purchased our little piece of wilderness heaven. We bought an RV to get me up there, camping on our land as my husband started developing it.
Writing my book was one of the few things I could do with the little energy I had while battling Lyme. I wrote and my husband started building what we thought would be a small cabin. God had other plans though for both of us. After three years, I was able to heal from Lyme (Praise God!), and Greg’s small cabin became a small three bedroom two-story home! Now six years later, thanks to the infinite mercy of our God, the generosity of our family, friends and the monks at St. Herman’s Monastery, our home is nearly finished and we will soon be moving in to it. Glory to God who hears our prayers and answers them!
This is the first in what I hope will be an ongoing series of stories and eventually podcast interviews (to air on the Orthodox Christian Network sometime this fall) about our Orthodox spiritual adventure, both the struggles and joys, of being in our new wilderness home.
Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!
Yours in Christ,
Veronica
O Lord and Master of my life,
Grant not unto me a spirit of idleness,
of discouragement,
of lust for power,
and of vain speaking.
But bestow upon me, Thy servant,
the spirit of chastity,
of meekness,
of patience,
and of love.
Yea, O Lord and King,
grant that I may perceive
my own transgressions,
and judge not my brother,
for blessed art Thou
unto ages of ages.
Amen.
This is the labyrinth I wrote about in my book, in the Catholic Cathedral in Chartres, France.
Question: About Labyrinths…
Veronica,
After a long journey I find myself at the doors of Orthodoxy. I will soon be a catechumen. The Labyrinth has long held a place in my heart and helped me through my spiritual journey. We had planned on constructing one in our back yard. My question does this in any way conflict with Orthodox practices?
Veronica’s Response:
Hi Kyle,
Labyrinths are not part of Orthodox worship, prayer, or contemplation as in some Catholic/protestant/ or New Age traditions.
I used the labyrinth in my book for I found its meaning quite connected to my wanderings prior to Orthodoxy. I was in a maze of false spirituality and a labyrinth best explained where I had been. The only time I walked one was at Chartres Cathedral in France. At the time I was really into energy vortexes, etc.
I do not think a labyrinth in your garden is a problem unless you want to use it as part of a ritual, prayer practice or something you used to do spiritually – then I would suggest talking with your priest about it or even better – waiting a while before acting on this thought.
I found that a lot of things that spiritually feed me in the past naturally faded from use or were replaced by traditions in Orthodoxy as I matured into my faith. So perhaps waiting for a while after you are received into the Church would be a way to see if you feel the same way about putting a labyrinth in your garden? It takes time to see who you are becoming in Christ in Orthodoxy and what will best serve you.
God bless,
Veronica
More interaction:
Veronica,
Thank you so much for your quick response and your sound advice. The labyrinth played a large part in leading us to Orthodoxy and I myself have many time asked myself if I am hanging onto something from my past or if it something I need to grow beyond, so I have taken your advice and contacted my priest to help guide me in this.
Kyle Boyd-Robertson
Hi Kyle,
You are welcome! I think that running most things like this by your priest at this stage of your journey is the best. I am in the process of writing my second book about the struggles and challenges of converts after being received into the Church. Integrating an Orthodox world view and truly becoming Orthodox takes time and patience. Even if we have ‘put off the old man’, the process of illumination and purification is ongoing. Christian conversion is something that continues until we die.
God bless you,
Veronica
From The Pearl of Great Price, Part II, Chapter 1, Greg’s Epiphany
(Greg is Veronica’s husband.)
In the fall of 1994, Greg attended a conference at St. Paisius Monastery (then in Forestsville, CA) where clergy and lay people from the brotherhood gathered from all over the United States to study and pray together. Someone asked Greg if he could give a priest a ride to the airport on his way home, and Greg agreed. The priest in question, Fr. Simeon, asked if they could stop to visit Blessed John’s incorrupt body on the way. Greg reported that the grace-filled energy of the saint’s relics radiated throughout the Cathedral. The entire experience of the retreat, his talk with Fr. Simeon and the visit to the church had profoundly moved him, but that wasn’t the whole story.
Greg had been unsuccessfully nursing a large, ugly wart on one of his fingers for twenty years. I would frequently urge him to remove it, until Greg finally confessed to me. ”I have this secret prayer. I’ve been waiting for it to be healed. I’ve been hoping that when I find the right spiritual path for me, that it will disappear, as my sign that I’ve finally arrived where God wanted me to be.” The morning after his weekend conference and visit to Blessed John’s tomb, he woke to find the wart gone and his finger returned to normal. We were both astounded. It was a miracle! Greg felt so blessed to have his prayer finally answered.
During an extended vigil service at the St. Paisius Monastery several months later, Greg witnessed another miracle related to St. John. In the middle of the evening prayers, the priest anointed a young man in the community who had a severe cancer on his face. The oil the priest used was taken from a special container that rested at the feet of St. John’s relics. The young man later reported that he experienced a burning sensation on the anointed side of his face that persisted throughout the service. When he emerged from prayers, the cancer was gone! This second miracle was confirmation for Greg that he had truly found the right path.
Relic of Blessed John at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco
Relics of Blessed John in the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco
To read more about St. John’s life:
Blessed John the wonderworker: A preliminary account of the life and miracles of Archbishop John Maximovitch (Third, revised ed.). Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. ISBN 0-938635-01-8.
Question posed by Kevin Allen, Ancient Faith Radio
In parts of the Evangelical world there is a teaching that somewhat relates to the New Age view on prosperity: God or the universe wants the best for you. This equals victory over all your material circumstances, health, prosperity, better job, etc. What is your experience of this concept?
Veronica’s answer:
I believe that part of this American prosperity lifestyle/desire is based on Freemason ideas that have become part of our American culture. It is certainly not an Eastern Orthodox approach. That is not to say that we can’t have things: a good job, and a home, etc., but the whole concept of victory over your material circumstances, health, etc. is really not part of Christ’s teachings or the Eastern Orthodox Church. This approach is not life creating; but rather puts us at the mercy of worldly desires.
Christ was victorious over death and sin, but gave little attention to the material world, though he had/has power over it. He did not exert His power when tempted by the devil to prove He could or when challenged by the Jews to prove His divinity in a worldly manner, even on the Cross.
Part of the misconception of the Jews at the time was that their Messiah would be a worldly Messiah who would free them from suppression by the Romans. I see for myself, I too want to be saved from worldly oppression and sufferings and this often occurs when I lack awareness of my lack of personal responsibility or state of sin (missed the mark, which leads to separation from God and love). I want to be saved, but I do not want to change anything in myself.
I used to make myself wrong, “Why am I not more prosperous, healthy and happy? What is wrong with me? Why do I not have what others have?” I kept wanting to live up to a hopeless hope: that being healthy, wealthy and wise meant I had made it in the world. This approach, however, was an illusion that kept me running away from suffering, seeking relief in the New Age and Eastern spirituality, which temporarily assuaged my fears, made me ‘feel better’ for a while, while actually prolonging my suffering! My fears and all my concerns would return with an even stronger force. Then I would seek another spiritual fix. I was stuck in a revolving door, seeking spiritual gratifications that lead me nowhere.
My understanding now, from an Eastern Orthodox prospective, is that anything good that occurs in our lives is thanks to the grace of God, not our own efforts. We need to be in relationship with God. We are asked to work, serving God and others with our efforts, that is our part to play, but it is the grace of God that makes our efforts fulfilling.
God wants what’s best for our soul’s salvation and that may not equal what we/or society thinks is best for us! In fact my experience has been that my thoughts and or expectations about what would be best for me and when I should receive things are usually inaccurate! This is so dramatically different from how I approached life when involved in the New Age and Eastern religions.
Adverse situations, lack of comfort, financial challenges and chronic health issues forced me to seek help, make deep, internal, and heartfelt changes that eventually brought me back to God and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. While I still struggle with my worldly needs and desires everyday, I strive now to be grateful for all that God sends my way and live a life that revolves around God and others, not me and what I want. Each day I am called to trust in God and serve God and others; especially when things are not going my way. God knows what I need and I have so much to learn about what that truly means!
I have read several of the books written by Kyriacos Markides. What I love the most about his books are his conversations with Fr. Maximos, an Athonite monk, now a bishop. Fr. Maximos is able to summarize matters of faith with the wisdom of an Athonite elder in a manner modern seekers can hear. He incorporates the wisdom of the Holy Elders and Fathers of the Orthodox Church with compassion and humor completely compelling and disarming the listener at the same time. One can easily relate to the spiritual adventures and struggles of the author, Kyriacos, as well.
In his latest book, Inner River, Fr. Maximos walks us through the fruits of the Holy Spirit, “Starting with self-control and climbing the ladder all the way up to love.” My words fall short of the sweet flowing manner in which Fr. Maximos relates these virtues to our everyday life. It was said by St. Seraphim of Sarov that the acquisition of the Holy Spirit is the goal of Chrisitian life. Well, Fr. Maximos takes us through those fruitful steps essential to the acquiring of the Spirit and the grace-filled transformation of the soul experiences in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
A book well worth reading, though I confess, I skipped many of the personal sharings by Kyriacos at the advice of my husband. “The heart of the book lies in the words of Fr. Maximos for those who are already Orthodox.” For those folks not yet Orthodox, the personal aspect of Inner River shared by Kyraicos on his pilgrimages in this book may be of interest, as he himself is actively engaged in the process of discovering the hidden treasures of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and brings a few friends with him along the way.
Veronica Hughes
Inner River by Kyriacos C. Markides, Image Books, New York
What must grow and change in us while on earth to merit Heaven?
“The hereafter provides no more opportunities for change. So this leaves our life on earth as the only time during which changes possible. St. Paul says, ’Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation’.” (I Cor. 6:12)
“Let us therefore strive for the mastery in the time of this gift. It is a day of grace, of grace divine, wherefore with ease even we will obtain the crown (of heaven)… so how do we use this ‘accepted time’ to benefit us for all eternity? The Church, in her wisdom, has made available to us the sacraments for this purpose: Baptism, Confession, Communion, and Holy Unction. But none of these can help us in the depths of our being or effect the necessary essential change in us without our own contributing effort and without that crowning virtue: humility. A baptism casually buried in the mire of subsequent sin, upper functionary confession, communion taken without the fear and devout love of God, and holy action received without fervent belief in its power of healing–all these are useless to us. Indeed they are a mockery and sacrilege.
The change must take place in us must be in our heart, ‘ with much groaning and weeping’. (Rom. 8:23) It must be real. For only the real and the cured can enter heaven.”
St. John Chrysostom, pp.775, The Bible and The Holy Fathers
I am currently hard at would on my second book, The Pearl of Great Price, Volume II, I am a New Creation.
Part of my spiritual journey after converting to Eastern Orthodox Christianity involved the integration of an Orthodox worldview into every aspect of my being and life. Why was this so important and so challenging for me and perhaps other converts to Orthodoxy?
Taken from my new book:
“The more I studied and prayed, the more I realized how little I understood what an Orthodox worldview was. I was raised in the West as a Western Catholic. How I approached Orthodoxy was from of a combination of my Western, Western Catholic, post-Renaissance, humanistic, and secular views mixed in with all kinds of New Age, non-Christian ideologies and Eastern religions. I called this my minestrone soup worldview! I realized more frequently after my conversion that my instincts, my whole way of viewing life, was Western and innately flawed, but how? Where had my/our thinking gone astray? Why? How was my spiritual life at the mercy of my minestrone soup worldview?”
St. Paisius Missionary School was an essential part of my re-formation – part of my becoming a new creation in Christ in Orthodoxy. Please check out their website and contact them if you are interested in bringing a deeper experience of Orthodoxy to your parish or might be interested for yourself and family. Fr. Michael Oyer and Fr. Phillip Tolbert offer at least one or more retreats a year. Here is their website:
http://stpaisius.org/about-us/
Check out this wonderful video review of Veronica’s book by David Withun released 12/28/11
A moving biography about the process of Christian conversion that takes you into not just the story, but a part of Veronica’s soul and its journey to Christ and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWbnkCOkh1A&feature=digest_fri
This book tells the story of one woman’s movement from the traditional Roman Catholicism of her youth, through various New Age and Eastern spiritual and religious movements, and finally to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Throughout the course of the narrative, the reader is not only told the events that occurred but also let into the emotional, mental, and spiritual world of the author, getting a glimpse of the movements of heart and spirit that eventually lead to embrace Christ and his Church.
Her story is one that many, including myself, who have converted to Orthodoxy in America over the last several decades will be able to identify with, as many of us found ourselves disillusioned with the spiritual barrenness and harshness of Western religion, as embodied in Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity, and so headed East to religions and philosophies like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism, only to turn again to Christianity as it is embodied in the Orthodox Faith, its fullest and truest expression.
I recommend this book both for those who have come or are coming to Orthodoxy from such a background in Eastern and New Age religions, as well as for those who have close friends and family interested or involved in such movements. I think this book can act as an excellent bridge book and a gateway for those who have fled from the typical Western understandings of Christ to return to Christ, the real Christ.
WestbowPress.com