Talk 57: Pray, and Exert Every Effort to Prevent a Divorce!

It is a sad fact that divorce, so widespread in secular society and other religions, has become a rising problem in our Orthodox Church, as well. People seek divorce for many reasons, but the underlying reason is usually the same: a belief that there is no hope of saving the marriage. We often hear statements such as: “My husband will never change”, or: “My wife is incapable of improving”, or: “There is no point in continuing the marriage.” Tragically, some clergymen have a similar attitude, which only encourages divorce.

In this talk, drawing on the letters of the famous Russian spiritual father Archimandrite John Krestiankin, Father Kosmas strongly denounces this incorrect attitude. Such statements are blasphemous, he explains, because they deny God’s power to change circumstances and people. The saints and elders teach that with prayer,  ...