VIDEO: Father Stephen Freeman – Common Pitfalls of Orthodox Beginners

30 thoughts on “VIDEO: Father Stephen Freeman – Common Pitfalls of Orthodox Beginners”

1. I had never heard of the "fast of demons". I enjoyed the wisdom in this video. I'm still growing as a catechumen.

2. I always enjoy listening to Father Stephen. He's down to earth, and what he says makes a lot of sense.

3. I’m in a pitfall right now. Need some prayer and advice.

4. Fr Stephen is a treasure. I see him as another Fr Thomas Hopko.

5. As a Catechumen in The Orthodox Church, I find this to be reassuring and well-balanced. Thank You for posting this.

6. Thank you.

7. Great advice. Would have liked to hear this when I was a catechumen (although my priest did handle me gently).

8. I found Orthodoxy 2 years ago. Got scared. Decided it was too hard. I can't believe I fell for that! I'm back. Never leaving 😇

9. Fr. Stephen is a treasure and has been a tremendous help to me in my journey.

10. That is perfectly stated Fr, Stephen. "People find aspects of Orthodoxy" and all the while they are only finding aspects of their own personalities – so well said. As stated toward the end, we are all to go out 'beyond' ourselves. "More than human or less than? Which one? The answer to that is 'yes.' Beyond categories? You bet.

11. I’m not orthodox, I used to fast once a week, not eating, not praying either though. Recently I’ve started again to fast, usually 36-40 generally , just water, this time it’s accompanied with prayer. Fasting on its own I’ve always felt was good on a spiritual and physical level. It’s actually watching videos on Orthodoxy that brought to my remembrance the importance of it. I think denying oneself is always a step in the right direction when it comes to drawing closer to God.

12. That's a really good answer.

13. As someone just starting to look into the Orthodox church more fully, this was very educational, and inspiring!

14. Very very balanced advice. Many thanks.

15. I tend to disagree with the statement at 1:30… In patristic literature fast was never divided into "monastic" and "laymen", and that is because there are no separate rules for either monastics or laity. It is one and same rule for all. What does differ are typikons for monasteries and common sense for laity. Difference come in a form of QUANTITY of certain rule. If monastics have one meal a day as per typikon they observe, lay people who are not on a same spiritual level as monastics, will have three meals a day, for example. It does not mean that if layman who feels ready to go to that level can not reduce number of meals to one only. yada…yada.. yada..

16. Glory to God for all things! Fr. Stephens statement on the fast of demons really struck me

17. Thank you Fr. Stephen!!! Sounds like you are teaching pretty much what The Apostles taught.

    In the book of The Didache, The Apostle Peter says that one should fast as much as one can bare it!!!

    And given that we are in a Pandemic, maybe no fasting or much lighter fast…

    In any case, fasting is a means of drawing nearer to God, otherwise may not have much effect.

    Meanwhile, what The Church prescribes in fasting, is also good for your health.
    For those who try to follow it, have MUCH less RISK of getting a cancer or heart disease.
    And would live longer, given all equal!!!

    I always enjoy fasting as it makes me happier, healthier & inspired in The Way of God!!!

    Love in Christ!!!
    Rev. George

18. I find these Orthodox videos very encouraging words. Never let the guard down and pray always over the matter! The Jesus Prayer!

19. Ask Father Freeman if he thinks snitching out an entire parish to antifa is a common pitfall for new orthodox in general or just something he’s unrepentant of

20. I have much more questions and doubts than these two.

21. This is very illuminating thank you

22. Good comments – American converts are especially vulnerable as they live in a hostile world and the temptations are many.

23. Born and raised Catholic; I am investigating and this was so helpful!! 🤍

24. J'aime souvent lire le blog du père Freeman.

25. Great! Thank you Father!

26. This channel and its content are a very important antidote to the “crazy” that is being produced by unaffiliated lay YouTube “apologists” who themselves are neophytes and, in some instances, not even past the catechumenate. My parish priest has had his hands full the last two years with all the work of trying to wash away much of the toxic internet zealotry that several inquirers and now catechumens have been soaking their sponge-like minds in via YouTube before ever setting foot in an actual Orthodox Church or speaking with a priest. As someone prone to placing ideology before Orthodoxy, and as a person with an admitted weakness for taboo dissident right wing political sophistry, I can’t express how grateful I am for this sort of content and clergy like Fr Stephen. ❤️☦️

27. Amen and Amen.. Bless Father! that was good news

28. I'm the "rule-lover", I actually needed this

29. Thank you for this!

30. Thank you so much for this; in my former residence, I had a superlative father confessor/spiritual father who understood, explained, and supported the very traditional praxis of the Faith. Sadly, he passed in the same month that my husband did (after we'd moved from that locale), and while I trust in God and know that He provides, my heart was completely broken. After yet another move with my then 14- 15 year-old children, I now have a father confessor who is part of a (Greek) modernist paradigm about these things, which has really put me off from confession and attendance, with which I struggle; I feel I've been taught the "higher path", and it's a struggle I grapple with daily.. Thank you so much for your videos which support the more traditional and purist among us.

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