Talk 46: The Aerial Toll-houses: Fearful yet Hopeful

The Holy Fathers teach that true Christianity consists in the practice of the commandments of the Gospel. It is, therefore, important for an Orthodox Christian to learn what exactly the commandments of the Gospel are. Many spiritual fathers advise that the study of the teaching of the aerial toll-houses is a valuable aid in learning the holy commandments.

In this talk, Father Kosmas explains the toll-houses using the detailed account of Theodora’s journey through them, as found in the life of Saint Basil the New. He explains how the Church often uses fearful examples to bring Christians to repentance, and to make them aware of the Last Judgment and the next life. After listening to this talk, we will see that while this teaching is indeed fearful, it gives us hope because Christ is compassionate, merciful, full of love, and desires the salv ...