Jerusalem Patriarchate Leaves America

[Matthew]

Recently, an Orthodox person who attends the MP churches in Russia told me if you read the entire Psalter 20 times, and on all Father, Son and Holy Spirit mention all those who are dead from your family, then God forgives all their sins. They read this in one of their books in Russia and so now they are going to do this.

I have never heard of this kind of promise from God among Orthodox believers. However, I have heard of dozens of this kind of contractual promise from the "Mary" the Roman Catholics worship who in her visions and revelations makes all kinds of promises like that if you do so many hail marys and rosaries and so many services attended for 9 consecutive months and masses etc etc then "thus and thus" will be done for you.

It doesnt sound Orthodox to me. but then I am new to Orthodoxy and quite limited in my knowledge. Have any of you come across such promises from God? Or is it more Catholic poison and infection taking over the Pseudo Orthodox world who have joined themselves to the Roman Catholic Church?

[Barbara]

I don't know about the latter. I don't belive it's something PRECISE. Just a general request for receiving Communion on 5
First Fridays of the month, 5 First Saturdays, etc as an offering to Heaven to help stave off a big punishment otherwise due,
because of the
huge avalanche of sin inundating much of the world.

I never heard of any "sins will be forgiven in return" clause !

Worst of all is that MP idea you explained the guy told you. That is silly in my opinion. How could one's relatives' sins be FORGIVEN
just like that with some magical number of prayers read ?

I don't believe it.

A priest could say better, though.

[Matthew]

Yes, that legal and magical notion of prayer seems entirely the property of the Roman church which has a heretical idea of grace. It seems typical of their way of thinking and not Orthodox.

[StephenS]

It reminds me of some traditionalist Latin clerics who on staying at an Orthodox monastery showed one of the monks a scapular that guaranteed a 'pass' for Purgatory? The expression of incredulity and horror on the monk's face said it all. Magic belongs not in the Kingdom of Heaven'.

[Matthew]

Amen, Stephen. By the way, have you any prayer requests for your parish in Birmingham?

[Barbara]

Before Stephen relays any prayer request [ a nice offer to make, Ic.],
it's the BROWN Scapular and it does NOT give a free pass to heaven.

That would be childish. Wearing a Brown Scapular only allows extra protection
from the Heavenly Queen at the time of death.
It is believed by Catholic faithful - yes, traditionalists only these days believe in the use
of sacramentals - that wearing this on one's person or in one's wallet or tucked away
hidden somewhere will save one from the fires of Hell.

That is not necessarily forever, either. Could be just a postphonement.
But definitely NOT a ticket to Heaven. That would be absurd.
The worst souls on the planet could wear it and imagine they are going to
Heaven.

More importantly, the Brown Scapular's function is to keep devils away during LIFE.
But it isn't a magic charm. I know someone who uses it as that, but with so little faith
in God that it barely can make a difference.

Explanations about the GREEN Scapular are always accompanied by the stern warning
that it is not a good-luck charm. Faith is the most important ingredient, faith
that souls can be converted, which is what the Green Scapular centres on.

[Matthew]

Yes, that is true too. The Catholic priest will usually tell someone that personal faith is the work that is necessary to activate the sacramental device. Still, it seems to indicate a heterodox perception of the workings of divine grace.