Τετάρτη 29 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021

مواجهه با افکار

 


 

oodegr.com/persia

دعای خم شدن سر در خدمات دعاى مغرب با این درخواست خاتمه می یابد: "ای خداوند ، خدای ما ... ما را از هرگونه اعمال مخرب شیطانى ، از هرگونه افکار بیهوده و خاطرات شر، حفظ کن." اعمال شيطانى ، افکار و خاطرات شر در تلاش هستند تا روح و بدن مسیحی را آلوده کنند. ما این درخواست را با عبارات مختلف دیگری که تقریباً در تمام خدمات مقدس کلیسای ما تکرار می شود ، روزانه می شنویم.

همه این استدعاهاى کلیسای ما وجود دارند تا مومنان بتوانند افکار پاك و پاكيزه داشته باشند و از اعمال بد محافظت شوند. علاوه بر این ، اندیشه انسان ، که به فيض خدا منور شده است ، مى تواند طرز تفکر ، تصمیمات و همه اعمال او را هدایت کند. کلیسا بر این موضوع پافشاری می کند زیرا ، همانطور که خدا گفت ، " ذهن انسان از جوانى  با جدیت درگیر چیزهای شر است" (پیدایش 8: 21). رام کردن افکار شیطانی از نظر انسان دشوار است. آخرین دعای قبل از عشاء مقدس ربانى مى گويد: "خداوندا ، من در برابر دروازه های معبد تو ایستاده ام ، هر چند از افکار بد دور نشده ام."

موضوع افکار برای سلامت روحانى هر مؤمن بسیار جدی است. همانطور که خداوند فرمود، شما ممکن است گناه جسمی را با بدن انجام نداده باشید ، اما اگر رضایت داشته باشید و آن را با قلب و ذهن خود بخواهید ، انگار قبلاً آن را مرتکب شده اید. "هر که به زنی نظر شهوت اندازد، همان دم در دل خود با او مرتكب زنا شده است" (متی 5: 28).

اما افکار شیطانی از کجا می آیند؟

یکی از علل ، گرایش به شر است که پس از سقوط نخستين انسانهای خلق شده در هر انسانی باقی مانده است. خداوند ما بر ما آشكار كرده است که وقتی قلب انسان با سرسپردگى و محبت کامل به خدا تقدیم نشده باشد ، آنگاه از چنین قلبی "خيالات بد ، قتل ، زنا ، فسق ، سرقت ، شهادت دروغ ، و کفر" بر مى آيد (متى 15: 19). هواهاى نفسانى انسان توسط افکار شیطانی تولید و از آنها تغذیه می شوند.

دومین علت ، آن شرير است ، شیطان ، منشاء شر ، که از ویژگی های منحصر به فرد انسان سوء استفاده می کند ، نقاط ضعف شخصیت انسان را جستجو می کند و افکار شیطانی را در آنجا می کارد. و در اینجا بلافاصله این سوال مطرح می شود: 

چگونه یک مسیحی می تواند از خود در برابر افکار شیطانی محافظت کند؟

تقریباً همه پدران مقدس کلیسا به این موضوع پرداخته اند که چگونه باید با افکار شیطانی مواجه شد. با خواندن آثار آنها می توانیم منابع روحانى زیادی در این زمینه جمع آوری کنیم. با جمع بندی این تجربه روحانى ارزشمند ، به طور مختصر و تا آنجا که زمان به ما اجازه می دهد ، می توان موارد زیر را گفت:

   - ما نمی توانیم از آمدن افکار جلوگیری کنیم؛ اما ما مى توانیم آنها را نپذیریم. همانطور که ما نمی توانیم کلاغ ها را از پرواز بر فراز خود بازداریم ، اما می توانیم آنها را از ساختن لانه هايشان بر بالای سرمان باز داریم.

   - هنگامی که فکر بدى به سراغ ما می آيد (مهم نیست که چقدر کثیف باشد) ، اگر اجازه ندهيم آن در درون مان بماند بلكه فوراً آن را بیرون کنیم ، به هیچ وجه در آن گنهكار نیستیم.

   - هنگامی که خودخواهی و غرور در روح ما وجود دارد (چیزهایی که فيض خدا را از ما بیرون می کند) ، آنگاه روح ما در معرض دید آن شرير قرار می گیرد ، او وارد می شود و افکار شیطانی را با نتایج عالی می کارد. پس تنها چیزی که می تواند این افکار را دور کند فروتنی است.

   - شیطان (به شرطی که ما نخواهیم چیزی با او داشته باشیم) هیچ قدرتی برای ورود و ایجاد افکار بد در روح ما را ندارد. به همین دلیل است که ما نباید با این ترس زندگی کنیم که شیطان بر ما غلبه خواهد كرد و حتی اگر ما مایل نباشیم، ما را با افکار شیطانی آلوده مى کند.

   - ما باید مراقب حواس خود باشیم: تا چشمان ما با کنجکاوی تصاویر ناشایست را نبیند؛ گوش ما نباید به توصیفات و آهنگ های رسوا توجه کند؛ دستهای ما نباید بدنها و اشیایی را که حواس تحریک كننده را بر می انگيزد لمس کند. ما نباید از موادی که ذهن را تار می کند و باعث می شود کنترل اعمال خود را از دست بدهیم ، بچشیم ... آن شرير از چنین چیزهایی استفاده می کند و از طریق این "پنجره های کوچک" باز، افکار شیطانی خود را در قلب ما می ریزد.

   - تحقیری که با آن ما در مواجهه با افکار بدى که شیطان می کارد برخورد مى كنيم او را فراری می دهد. و این به این دلیل است که شیطان مغرور است؛ او می خواهد مردم به او توجه کنند ، با او مشغول شوند و او تحمل نمی کند که مردم او را تحقير کنند.

   - دعای قلبى ، دعای تک جمله ای ، "خداوند، عیسی مسیح ، بر من رحم فرما" قوی ترین سلاح برای کسی است تا بتواند بر افکار شیطانی غلبه کند. قديس جان [نویسنده] نردبان با تاكيد می گوید: "همچنان دشمنان را با نام عیسی شلاق بزنید ، زیرا هیچ سلاحى قدرتمندتر از اين در زمین و آسمان وجود ندارد".

   - ما باید براى صلح ، شادی و محبتى كه از مسیح مى آيد درخواست کنیم و به افکار گناه آلود توجه نکنیم. تا صورت خود- تمام وجود خود را حفظ نماييم.

   - دائماً به سوی مسیح روی آورده و در جستجوی صورت او ، رحمت او باشيم. به این ترتیب ، کم کم ، ناخودآگاه ، ما مقدس می شویم. انسانيت كهنه که با خواسته ها و افکار خود ما را آزار می داد، عزيمت مى كند و ما همانطور که قديس پورفیریوس کائوسوکالیویتس توصیه می کرد ، "انسانيت تازه را که به صورت خدا آفریده شده است" (افسسيان 4: 24) می پوشیم.

   - برای هر وسیله دیگری که ما را از افکار بد محافظت کند ، ما باید از پدر روحانی خود مشورت بگیریم که همراه با آمرزش گناهان ، راهنمایی های روحانى را نیز ارائه می دهد تا بتوانیم برای روح و جسم خود به حالت تقدس برسیم. آمین

~ متروپوليتن سوتيريوس از پيسيديه

 

 https://www.oodegr.com/persia/sermons/sermons.htm

Τρίτη 28 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021

Patmos, the Holy Island: The “Island of Apocalypse” or “Jerusalem of the Aegean”

The Island of Patmos

Municipality of Patmos

«On the previous day, shortly after midnight, “I was in the isle that is called Patmos”. As dawn was about to break, I was high up in Chora. The sea, immobile like metal, bound the surrounding islands. Not a leaf stirred in the strengthening light. The peace was a shell without trace of a crack. I remained nailed to the spot by the force of the place; then I felt I was whispering: “Come and see…”»

George Seferis, I Apokalypsi tou Ioanni (preface to Seferis’ translation of the Revelation of St John), Athens, Ikaros, 1966


Patmos, like a paradise on earth, awaits its guests to reveal them all of its beauty that derives not only by its nature, but also by one Supreme Power that may determine its fate and destination.

The Island of the Apocalypse and the Jerusalem of the Aegean – as Patmos is called worldwide – the island where Saint John the Theologian was exiled to become a hermit and then to write in 95 AD the sacred book of Revelation, is one of the most important religious and atmospheric destinations, without lacking the cosmopolitan air of an Aegean island or the cultural tradition.

The multifarious indented coastline, ten times larger than the coastline of Greece in relation to its size, creates unique bays and beaches, some pebbly, others with sand or rocks and caves that make Patmos an ideal destination of peace, tranquility, mysticism and leisure, embracing with its aura every visitor.

The medieval town of Chora, with Kastromonastiro (castle-monastery) of St. John the Theologian, which dominates like a crown at its peak, the picturesque and labyrinthine alleys and mansions that surround the Monastery, and the unique architecture of the settlements, offer the visitors the unique opportunity to experience a world whilom and modern at the same time, a world that combines tranquility with the unpretentious cosmopolitan element and culture.

The Greek State, recognizing and accepting the specificity and thus the sacred side of this site, proclaimed Patmos in 1981 as “Holy Island” by law of the national parliament, while Unesco in 1999 placed the Chora(town) of Patmos, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse in the World Heritage Monuments, noting once again the importance and unspoiled beauty and charm of this island over the centuries. Alongside, Patmos belongs to the network COESIMA, as one of the seven most important sites of pilgrimage in Europe. .

Patmos is the island ,witch with its devoutness and its original beauty consisted a source of inspiration not only for the Nobel-laureates Greek poets Seferis and Elytis, but also for the German lyric poet Friedrich Hölderlin, who shocked by the natural beauty of the island wrote:

(…) On the sea’s uncertain plain, shadowless roads enough
Though my seafarer knows the islands. And since I had heard,
That among those near at hand was Patmos,
Much I desired to put in there and be close to its dark cave.
For not like lordly Cyprus, with its abounding waters,
Nor like any other island does Patmos dwell,
But still hospitable in her poorer house is she,
And if a stranger comes from shipwreck or grieving
For his lost homeland or distant friend
She listens, and her children,
Voices of the hot thicket, a trickle of sand,
Earth splitting in a field, her sounds,
They hear him and a loving echo flows from his lament.
Thus did she care once for the god-beloved Seer
Who in his blessed youth had walked
With the Son of the Highest, inseparably (…)

Friedrich Hölderlin (1803), trans. Robert Huddleston

The Island of the Apocalypse

“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches.”

Revelation (1:9) , Apostle John
(Bible, King James Version (KJV)
)

And with these holy and providential words begins the Holy Book of Revelation, which the beloved disciple of the Lord – John, wrote in the homonymous cave of Patmos to determine the fate and destiny of Patmos and to make the name of Patmos known from all over the world.

According to Christian tradition Patmos is one of the two places in the world that the voice of God was heard. More specifically in the “Holy Cave of the Apocalypse”, which still exists, John the Evangelist spoke with God and He recited the holy book of Revelation that John recorded with the help of his student Prohoros. This book has caused admiration and awe among the faithful Christians who find it prophetic and come from the ends of the world to visit and worship this place.

The “Island of Apocalypse” or “Jerusalem of the Aegean” -which attracts thousands of visitors and worshipers from all corners of the world- with the Greek state law was declared in 1981 “Holy Island”, while in 1999 the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the United Nations («UNESCO») listed Chora of Patmos, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse among the World Heritage Monuments.

Patmos is a place blessed by God,with natural beauty and rich cultural and especially religious heritage. It is a spiritual beacon radiating over the world, calling the worshippers to come and experience the unique divine and mystical aura.

Patmos monastery

Greek News Agenda

The small island of Patmos, part of the Dodecanese complex in the central Aegean, is known, above all, as the location where John the Apostle received his visions and recorded them in the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament. An impressive monastic complex, dedicated to him, was founded there in the early 11th century.

The monastery stands on the site where Saint John is believed to have written his Gospel, including the Book of Revelation (also known as the Apocalypse); it is also located near the grotto where the apostle is said to have received his Revelation, hence called the Cave of the Apocalypse. Both the Monastery and the Cave, along with the rest of the historic centre of the island’s Chora (main town) have been declared a joint World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 as an "exceptional example of a traditional Greek Orthodox pilgrimage centre of outstanding architectural interest".

The Cave of the Apocalypse

The island of Patmos was first settled by Dorians and then by Ionians. When it became part of the Roman Empire, it served as a place of exile, along with other small islands of the Aegean.

John the Apostle, traditionally identified by the Eastern Orthodox Church with John the Evangelist, and referred to as "John the Theologian", is considered to have been exiled to Patmos during a time of persecution under the Roman rule of Domitian in the late 1st century. According to tradition, while residing in a cave on the island, he received a series of prophetic visions which he recounted in the Apocalypse, the last book of the New Testament (a word coming from the Greek apokálupsis, "unveiling, revelation"); he is hence also known as John of Patmos and John the Revelator.

1024px Patmos mosaik ovanför grottentrenMosaic above the entrance to the Cave of the Apocalypse (by Njaker via Wikimedia Commons)

The site of the revelatory visions, known as the Cave of the Apocalypse, is situated halfway along the road linking the port with the Chora (main town), which sits on top of the island’s mountain. The Holy Cave of the Apocalypse has been transformed into a place of worship, where visitors can see the dent on the wall of the cave, where the Evangelist was said to lay his head; according to tradition, the Voice of God could be heard coming from a cleft of the rock, which is also still visible today. The southern part of the cave has been turned into a church dedicated to Saint John the Theologian, while later a Chapel of Saint Anne (mother of Mary) was added, incorporating the cave, which is now entered through the chapel.

The Monasteryof Saint John the Theologian

In the 7th century, Patmos was ravaged by raids of Saracen pirates and remained virtually uninhabited for the next two centuries. In 1088, Abbot Christodoulos Latrinos (now known as Saint Christodoulos the Blessed of Patmos), who had already founded monasteries on Leros and Kos, presented himself at the court of emperor Alexius I Comnenos in Constantinople, proposing a plan to repopulate Patmos by creating a monastic community; Alexius indeed granted sovereignty over the deserted island. In 1091, Christodoulos began the construction of the monastery Saint John the Theologian, over the ruins of a fourth-century basilica also dedicated to Saint John.

Ph.Patmos Monastery 01Interior of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (by Thanasis Christodoulou via Wikimedia Commons)

The monks were chased off by pirates in 1093 but returned a few years later to resume the works, bringing with them the relics of Christodoulos, who had died on the island of Euboea. The monastery was heavily fortified for fear of pirate attacks; through the years, it received various contributions from the emperors Alexius and Manuel Komnenos. Following its establishment, the repopulation of the area was encouraged, with a settlement evolving around the monastery’s walls. In 1204-1261 the monastery was affiliated with the Empire of Nicaea and acquired many territories in Asia Minor.

Inside the monastery, the main church features impressive icons and frescoes, while the Chapel of the Virgin, outside the main courtyard, has the oldest frescoes. The monastery houses an extensive library of 330 manuscripts (267 on parchment), including 82 manuscripts of the New Testament; it also houses important relics, including the skull of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Asteep flight of forty-three steps leads from the monastery to the Cave of the Apocalypse.

According to UNESCO, "there are few other places in the world where religious ceremonies that date back to the early Christian times are still being practised unchanged"; this includes the Byzantine ritual of Niptir ("Maundy"), a reenactment of the symbolic event of Christ washing his disciples’ feetahead of the Last Supper, which takes place on the Thursday of the Holy Week (also called Maundy Thursday). In accordance with this 4th-century ritual, after the Divine Liturgy takes place at the monastery, a solemn procession leads to the town hall square, where the monastery’s abbot (hegumenos) washes the feet of 12 priests.

In the MonasteryInterior of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (by Yiannis Theologos Michellis via Wikimedia Commons)

The Chora

The Chora (main town) of Patmos, located 4 km from the small port of Skala, has continuously evolved since the 11th century, when the founding of the monastery transformed it into an important place of pilgrimage. In its centre, on the mountaintop, the imposing monastery of Saint John the Theologian with its grey fortified walls dominates the area. According to UNESCO, it is among the oldest and best preserved main townsof the Aegean islands, and is also the only example in Greece of an organised settlement which has developed as a supporting community around a fortified monastic complex. Still today, the Chora is a quaint town with white-washed houses, narrow arched streets and some picturesque small plazas.

UNESCO also cites as an important criterion for the inscription of the site the fact that Patmos’s Chora "is one of the few settlements in Greece that have evolved uninterruptedly since the 12th century", adding that "the authenticity of the settlement is also ensured by the retention of its morphological features and its building techniques with the use of similar or even the same, as far as this is possible, traditional methods and materials in building new constructions".

The property is protected by the provisions of the Archaeological Law 3028/2002 "On the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural heritage in general", and by separate ministerial decrees published in the Official Government Gazette. Protection and management are carried out by the Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs through the responsible regional service (Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese). Effective site management is also achieved through cooperation between secular and ecclesiastical authorities in all areas of common concern, to ensure that the character of the settlement will not be tainted by tourism.

Read also via Greek News Agenda: The Monastery of Daphni: retracing the city's Byzantine past; The historic Sumela Monastery in Trabzon; The medieval ghost town of Mystras; Early Christian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki

N.M. (Based on an article published on Punto Grecia; intro photo: Chora of Patmos and Monastery of Saint John the Theologian [by Valeria Casali via Wikimedia Commons])

The Letters of Saint John the Apostle & Evangelist (September 2): “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”

Orthodox Church in America

The three letters of Saint John were written by the Lord’s beloved apostle who also wrote the fourth gospel. They were written at the close of the first century and have as their general theme a fervent polemic against the heretical “antichrists” who were changing the doctrines of Christ and denying His genuine appearance “in the flesh” for the salvation of the world, denying thereby both “the Father and the Son” (l Jn 2.22, 4.3, 2 Jn 7).

The first letter of Saint John is the simplest and deepest exposition of the Christian faith that exists. Its clarity concerning the Holy Trinity and the Christian life of truth and of love in communion with God makes it understandable without difficulty to anyone who reads it. It is the best place to begin a study of the Christian faith generally, and the Bible in particular.The first letter begins in the same way as Saint John’s gospel to which it is most similar in its entire content and style.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life . . . we proclaim also to you, so that you may have communion with us; and our communion is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete (1.1–14).

The first letter of Saint John proclaims that Jesus is truly “the Christ,” the Messiah and Son of God who has come “in the flesh” to the world as “the expiation of our sins, and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (2.2). Those who believe in Christ and are in communion with Him and His Father have the forgiveness of sins and the possibility not to sin any more (1.5–2.12). They “walk in the same way in which He walked” (2.6) being the “children of God” (3.1, 5.1). They know the truth by the direct inspiration of God through the anointment [chrisma] of the Holy Spirit (2.20–26; 6.7). They keep the commandments of God, the first and greatest of which is love, and so they are already recipients of eternal life, already possessing the indwelling of God the Father and Christ the Son “by the Spirit which He has given us” (2.24–3.24).

Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God has sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.

In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation of our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (14.7–16).

The hatred of others is the sure sign that one does not love God (4.20) and is “in the darkness still” (2.9–11). The one who hates his brother is “a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (3.15). Those who love God are hated by the world which is in the power of the evil one” (5.19, 2.15–17).

The first letter of Saint John is part of the Church’s lectionary, with special selections from it being read at the feast of the apostle John.
The second letter of Saint John is addressed to the “elect lady and her children” which is obviously the Church of God and its members. Again the truth of Christ is stressed and the commandment of love is emphasized.

And this is love, that we follow His commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son (6–9).

The third letter of Saint John is addressed to a certain Gaius praising him for the “truth of his life” (3) and “urging him not to Imitate evil but imitate good” (11). “No greater joy can I have than this”, writes the beloved apostle, “to hear that my children follow the truth” (4).

Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

The Holy, Glorious All-laudable Apostle and Evangelist, Virgin, and Beloved Friend of Christ, John the Theologian was the son of Zebedee and Salome, a daughter of Saint Joseph the Betrothed. He was called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be one of His Apostles at the same time as his elder brother James. This took place at Lake Gennesareth (i.e. the Sea of Galilee). Leaving behind their father, both brothers followed the Lord.

The Apostle John was especially loved by the Savior for his sacrificial love and his virginal purity. After his calling, the Apostle John did not part from the Lord, and he was one of the three apostles who were particularly close to Him. Saint John the Theologian was present when the Lord restored the daughter of Jairus to life, and he was a witness to the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor.

During the Last Supper, he reclined next to the Lord, and laid his head upon His breast. He also asked the name of the Savior’s betrayer. The Apostle John followed after the Lord when they led Him bound from the Garden of Gethsemane to the court of the iniquitous High Priests Annas and Caiphas. He was there in the courtyard of the High Priest during the interrogations of his Teacher and he resolutely followed after him on the way to Golgotha, grieving with all his heart.

At the foot of the Cross he stood with the Mother of God and heard the words of the Crucified Lord addressed to Her from the Cross: “Woman, behold Thy son.” Then the Lord said to him, “Behold thy Mother” (John 19:26-27). From that moment the Apostle John, like a loving son, concerned himself over the Most Holy Virgin Mary, and he served Her until Her Dormition.

After the Dormition of the Mother of God the Apostle John went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his own disciple Prochorus. They boarded a ship, which floundered during a terrible tempest. All the travellers were cast up upon dry ground, and only the Apostle John remained in the depths of the sea. Prochorus wept bitterly, bereft of his spiritual father and guide, and he went on towards Ephesus alone.

On the fourteenth day of his journey he stood at the shore of the sea and saw that the waves had cast a man ashore. Going up to him, he recognized the Apostle John, whom the Lord had preserved alive for fourteen days in the sea. Teacher and disciple went to Ephesus, where the Apostle John preached incessantly to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was accompanied by such numerous and great miracles, that the number of believers increased with each day.

During this time there had begun a persecution of Christians under the emperor Nero (56-68). They took the Apostle John for trial at Rome. Saint John was sentenced to death for his confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Lord preserved His chosen one. The apostle drank a cup of deadly poison, but he remained alive. Later, he emerged unharmed from a cauldron of boiling oil into which he had been thrown on orders from the torturer.

After this, they sent the Apostle John off to imprisonment to the island of Patmos, where he spent many years. Proceeding along on his way to the place of exile, Saint John worked many miracles. On the island of Patmos, his preaching and miracles attracted to him all the inhabitants of the island, and he enlightened them with the light of the Gospel. He cast out many devils from the pagan temples, and he healed a great multitude of the sick.

Sorcerers with demonic powers showed great hostility to the preaching of the holy apostle. He especially frightened the chief sorcerer of them all, named Kinops, who boasted that they would destroy the apostle. But the great John, by the grace of God acting through him, destroyed all the demonic artifices to which Kinops resorted, and the haughty sorcerer perished in the depths of the sea.

The feast of St. John the Theologian in the Holy Island Patmos, in Greece (here)
 

The Apostle John withdrew with his disciple Prochorus to a desolate height, where he imposed upon himself a three-day fast. As Saint John prayed the earth quaked and thunder rumbled. Prochorus fell to the ground in fright. The Apostle John lifted him up and told him to write down what he was about to say. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8), proclaimed the Spirit of God through the Apostle John. Thus in about the year 67 the Book of Revelation was written, known also as the “Apocalypse,” of the holy Apostle John the Theologian. In this Book were predictions of the tribulations of the Church and of the end of the world.

After his prolonged exile, the Apostle John received his freedom and returned to Ephesus, where he continued with his activity, instructing Christians to guard against false teachers and their erroneous teachings. In the year 95, the Apostle John wrote his Gospel at Ephesus. He called for all Christians to love the Lord and one another, and by this to fulfill the commands of Christ. The Church calls Saint John the “Apostle of Love”, since he constantly taught that without love man cannot come near to God.

In his three Epistles, Saint John speaks of the significance of love for God and for neighbor. Already in his old age, he learned of a youth who had strayed from the true path to follow the leader of a band of robbers, so Saint John went out into the wilderness to seek him. Seeing the holy Elder, the guilty one tried to hide himself, but the Apostle John ran after him and besought him to stop. He promised to take the sins of the youth upon himself, if only he would repent and not bring ruin upon his soul. Shaken by the intense love of the holy Elder, the youth actually did repent and turn his life around.

Saint John reposed when he was more than a hundred years old. He far outlived the other eyewitnesses of the Lord, and for a long time he remained the only remaining eyewitness of the earthly life of the Savior. 

  

Icon from here

When it was time for the departure of the Apostle John, he went out beyond the city limits of Ephesus with the families of his disciples. He bade them prepare for him a cross-shaped grave, in which he lay, telling his disciples that they should cover him over with the soil. The disciples tearfully kissed their beloved teacher, but not wanting to be disobedient, they fulfilled his bidding. They covered the face of the saint with a cloth and filled in the grave. Learning of this, other disciples of Saint John came to the place of his burial. When they opened the grave, they found it empty.

Each year from the grave of the holy Apostle John on May 8 came forth a fine dust, which believers gathered up and were healed of sicknesses by it. Therefore, the Church also celebrates the memory of the holy Apostle John the Theologian on May 8.

The Lord bestowed on His beloved disciple John and John’s brother James the name “Sons of Thunder” an awesome messenger accompanied by the cleansing power of heavenly fire. And precisely by this the Savior pointed out the flaming, fiery, sacrificial character of Christian love, the preacher of which was the Apostle John the Theologian. The eagle, symbol of the lofty heights of his theological thought, is the iconographic symbol of the Evangelist John the Theologian. The appellation “Theologian” is bestown by Holy Church only to Saint John among the immediate disciples and Apostles of Christ, as being the seer of the mysterious Judgments of God.

Σάββατο 11 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021

The Bread, The Wine, and The Mode Of Being (& the ancient terror of the pandemic)

 

by Chrysostom Koutloumousianos, Hieromonk

Death to the world - The Last True Rebelion (about)

The recent reappearance of the ancient terror of a pandemic has prompted fertile conversation among theologians and literary people across the world. Various opinions have been articulated, such as that disease can be transmitted through the current way of distributing holy communion, or that the Eucharistic Gifts themselves can be bearers and transmitters of pathogenic germs. It is said that since the bread and the wine do not alter their essence and essential properties, it follows that they are subject to decay and can also spread toxic viruses. This idea has supposedly found Christological grounds as well in that the human body of Christ is a carrier of germs which can be harmful to us, though not to Him; after all, germs themselves are not bad, since there is nothing bad in creation.

Within this framework the following evidence drawn from the writings of the Fathers might be relevant and useful.

Undoubtedly, there is nothing bad in creation. No form of life, nor even natural destruction can be considered as bad, because evil is only that which alienates us from God. However, at the same time one should not ignore or deny the products of personal sin, such as, for example, a dangerous laboratory hybrid, as well as the effects of the ancestral Fall, namely decay and death, to which the human being has been submitted. Now, God’s incarnation manifested something entirely new in the world.

Let us open a short parenthesis to delineate the Orthodox belief regarding the Eucharistic elements. Do we hold that they are merely a representation of the Lord’s presence in the congregation, as is the general understanding in Protestantism? In this case, the holy bread could be offered in sterilized bags and the holy wine in certified sealed bottles. If, on the other hand, in accord with the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, the holy gifts are Christ with respect to their essence, then either we must commit ourselves to worshipping the gifts or fall into unbelief when thinking they can be corrupted.

The Greek Fathers speak neither of transubstantiation nor symbolic function but of the ‘change’ of the material elements. This ‘change’ signifies a new mode of being, inaugurated through the appearance of God in the flesh. Here we must consider the patristic distinction between the logos of nature and the mode of existence, a distinction which is useful for an Orthodox approach to the mystery of Christ.

The Fathers use this distinction as a tool for explaining God’s miracles in history. When God intervenes to perform a wondrous act, He does not alter the nature of things — that is, their logos or principle; instead He innovates the manner in which their nature operates, so as to fulfill the divine economy. The innovated mode means nature operating beyond its own ordinance, beyond its limits, translating the human being “into another form of life”, as for instance when Noah remained unharmed amid wild animals and holy men would walk upon the waters.


The Incarnation was the climax of all divine interventions. The incomprehensible mystery that took place in the Logos Incarnate was the indissoluble union of divine and human nature. Such union meant the exchange of the natural properties in Christ, in the same way that a blade becomes fire when thrown into fire while at the same time fire acquires a sharp edge. Human nature remains intact while its mode of existence is altered. This is why Christ was born both in a divine and a human way, that is, carried by a woman, yet without labour pains and corruption. He was not subjugated to nature; instead, elevating it to Himself, He made nature “a transcendental mystery” Christ’s human nature operates in a divine mode, and it operates in a divine mode because it carries the fullness of divine activity.(1)

This same reality and understanding can be applied to the Eucharistic mystery. Here also an alteration of the material elements takes place. Neither is their logos or essence changed, nor their natural properties, but their condition and conduct, that is, their mode of being. Just as in Christ everything human has a transcendental mode, since human nature in Him has the fullness of divinity, so the Eucharistic Gifts receive and transmit to its participants the same theandric activity of Christ. We partake, therefore, not of something that is subject to decay and deterioration, but of God Himself, through matter that has become life-giving, as the very flesh of Christ is life-giving.

Clearly, authentic communion has to do not only with the presence of Christ in bread and wine but also with His presence within us. Union and assimilation with God is not accomplished without the good resolve (prohairesis) and synergy of man, nor is it exclusively fulfilled in the Eucharist.(2) We need to follow and wholeheartedly imitate Christ freely and be born in the Spirit. Divine activity operates in various inscrutable ways according to the measure of each one’s faith and longing.

Thus, when Christ is offered as bread, He does not alter the nature of bread but its ‘economy’. Christ’s human nature was passible, yet, one with the Divinity, and for this reason it could not be seized and possessed by death. And as His body was dead and risen, since it was never detached from Divinity, similarly, when we receive this body we foretaste the resurrection. Just as Christ suffers as a human being, yet acts as God, in the same way the consecrated elements, though subject to ‘suffering’ and corruption, act upon us as uncreated divinity. As St Cyril of Alexandria says,

The body of Christ is holy and has the power to vanquish every illness. It was and is holy, not merely as flesh with its natural powers, but as the temple of the indwelling divine Logos, who sanctifies His flesh with His Spirit. This is why Christ vivifies the daughter of the leader of the synagogue not only through His omnipotent command but also with His bodily touch. (Αναστασίου, Doctrina Patrum, σ. 129, 131-32)

Therefore, to those that receive communion with faith and true repentance the Lord’s body becomes a ‘safeguard’, ‘for strength, healing and health of soul and body’, maintenance and deification of human nature.(3)

The consecrated elements operate as the deified body of Jesus. Through matter God grants life uncorrupted. And although immortality is an eschatological condition, and we shall all, sooner or later, cross to the other side of the bank, yet ‘doses’ of incorruption are given in this mortal life according to the measure of each one’s faith, longing, godly fear and love.

Source

Post Script Regarding the Spoon

By Fr. Panayiotis Papageorgiou, Ph.D.

Fr. Chrysostomos explains that just as Christ suffers as a human being, yet acts as God and rises from the dead, in the same way the consecrated elements (Holy Communion), though subject to ‘suffering’ and corruption themselves, act upon us as uncreated divinity in order to transform and perfect our fallen nature, not to change us from being physically corruptible, but to enable us to become partakers of the divine nature (2Peter 1:4), even in the here and now.

Therefore, to those who receive Holy Communion with faith and true repentance the Lord’s body becomes a ‘safeguard’ ‘for strength, healing and health of soul and body’, maintenance and deification of their fallen human nature.(3)

The consecrated elements in the Holy Eucharist operate as the deified body of Jesus. Through corruptible matter, God grants life uncorrupted. And although immortality is an eschatological condition, and we shall all, sooner or later, cross to the other side and receive it in its fullness, yet ‘doses’ of incorruption are given to us in this mortal life according to the measure of each one’s faith, his/her longing and godly fear and love.We are transformed into a different mode of existence by the touch of Christ’s Body and Blood.We are sanctified and deified by being united with Him.

The Chalice and Spoon of Holy Communion are also changed as they come into contact with Christ’s Body and Blood. They are transformed to a different mode of existence; they are sanctified. Their nature is not changed, but, rather, in the same way as a blade becomes fire when thrown into the fire . . . the Chalice and the Spoon are also changed and sanctified. Their mode of existence is altered so that they may transfer life to us, just as his garment heals the flow of blood in the woman when she touches it, just as the sea is calmed by the touch of Christ for the safety of the disciples, just as the daughter of Jairus and the son of the widow are brought back to life by the touch of Christ.

The Body and Blood of Christ, along with the sacred vessels (the Chalice and the Spoon) utilized to deliver it to us cannot be a threat to our bodily health if we approach with the “Fear of God with Faith and with Love.” On the contrary, they will lead us to healing of soul and body and eternal life as they deliver to us the healing, salvific touch of Christ.

Hence, as we return to Holy Communion, let us surrender in faith to God’s Mercy and Forgiveness and ask that He may restore us again in His good favor, and protect us from disease, calamity and eternal condemnation.

COVID-19 is a tribulation (δοκιμασία), a test to our faith. The only way to overcome tribulations is by surrendering to God’s Love and Mercy completely and unconditionally in faith and trust. Holy Communion is the place to do that, even as He is offered to us through the shared Chalice and Spoon.

Source


Notes to First Article

(1) See Maximus the Confessor, PG 91.298-300, 344, 1048-1056, 1273-1276, 1341-1345.

(2) See Chrysostom Koutloumousianos, The One and the Three: Nature, Person and Triadic Monarchy in the Greek and Irish Patristic Tradition, James Clarke, Cambridge 2015, pp. 119-22, 132-34, 150-53.

(3) John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 87. Also see Prayer before the Holy Communion, and Gregory of Nyssa, Catechetical Oration, 37.

Please see also

Governments evicting God – from inside the Christian Chalice? / Is Holy Communion safe to consume? - A compilation dedicated to answers provided by medical specialists

Ελληνικά: Είναι ασφαλές να κοινωνούμε;

Παρασκευή 10 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021

St. Theodora of Vasta, Warrior of Honor, & the seventeen large trees on the roof of her Church (September 11)

  
 
Near the village of Vasta in the Peloponnese, there is a miraculous site that defies human logic. The lush green mountain gully with a river flowing through it is visited by many pilgrims, as well as by those curious to see how seventeen trees can grow from the thin roof of a small chapel. It all goes back to the life of a brave young girl who lived in the Byzantine Empire.

During the tenth century, when St. Theodora was born, there was a law in the Byzantine Empire that required every family to send at least one male to fight as a soldier, or pay a tax. Because St. Theodora’s family had no male children and was very poor, her father would have had to serve. St. Theodora loved her father, did not want her family to be deprived of his protection, and so she conceived the idea of offering herself instead. Dressed as a boy, she enlisted in the army as “Theodore”.

Not only was Theodore successful in keeping her secret in the ranks, she became a courageous soldier, respected for her honor and valor. However, she also drew the admiration of a young lady who fell in love with “Theodore” and told everyone that she was pregnant by him. Soldiers in those days were held to high standards, and Theodore was commanded either to marry the girl, or be condemned to death. Theodora did nothing to show her innocence, although this would obviously have been a very easy thing to do; she did not wish to reveal her secret, and bring a possible penalty upon her father.

St. Theodora had deep faith in God, and before her execution she prayed, “Let my body become a church, my blood a river, and my hair, the forest.”

Some histories show that there was an ancient monastery on the current site of the church over St. Theodora’s grave. The three-by-two meters church dates back to sometime between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The forested site is lush and green, with a clear river flowing under the church. Seventeen large trees—up to thirty meters tall—grow from the roof, but there are no roots to be seen, no cracks in the wall, and no damage to the roof. It may also be noted that when fires raged through the Peloponnese in 2007, scorching 370,000 acres of land and destroying ancient forests, Vasta remained untouched. The entire site with its miraculous church and river has the feeling of a living, breathing, incorrupt relic. 
 
 
Inside the church in Vasta.
 
Scientific research was conducted to probe the origin of the uncanny growth, but no explanation could be found other than the power of God, which can overthrow the order of nature. The area is subject to strong winds, and as one geologist said, the weight and leverage of only one tree would have ordinarily been enough to bring the church down long ago, but there are seventeen of them!

May we all remember how God honored St. Theodora when she forsook the easy justification of her own honor in the eyes of men. St. Theodora pray to God for us!

Two comments under the article:

It struck me that the words of this saintly woman had great power. May my body become a Church (Temple) my hair a forest and my blood a river. The power of words are immense, and when said in a spiritual environment, your words may have immense power and you may find that you wish you could withdraw those words. I am of the opinion that even words said to another in anger, or disgust or in love or hate may carry more power than we think, even if not said in a spiritual environment. The message I carry away after seeing this, is to be very careful what I say and to whom I say it. I have removed words like 'divorce' and "hate" from my life dictionary.

I really enjoyed reading the article about St.Theodora of Vasta. She showed extraordinary bravery when she served in the army to save her father from being forced into service. When faced with false accusations from a girl who thought she was a boy her piety and bravery was remarkable, she rather go to her death than reveal her secret. The place where she lived and died is very beautiful.

Πέμπτη 9 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021

Theotokos vs Nazi - The Miracle of the Panagia in Orchomenos on September 10, 1943

 

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΕΔΩ 

On 8 September 1943, the day of the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Italians capitulated and in the beginning refused to surrender their weapons to their German allies. In Orchomenos of Boetia the regional organization E.A.M. felt they could capitalize on this and accept the Italian arms. The Italians refused this and went with their weapons to Livadia. On the way the Germans surrounded them and disarmed them, and the Italians betrayed the people of Orchomenos by stating their intentions. When the Germans learned of the intentions of the people of Orchomenos they sent against them the next day, September 9th, armored vehicles. When the people of Orchomenos heard this they left and arrived at the crossroads of Agios Andreas, unprepared and disorganized as they were, and scattered throughout the surrounding area to the most remote Dionysus (Tsamaliou). The Germans continued the chase, to retaliate against Orchomenos, as was their usual tactic.

 
When the Germans entered Orchomenos they took 600 hostages, left a section in the village, and sent three tanks against the rest to Dionysus. On the night of the 9th towards the 10th of September, at around midnight, about 550 meters away from the Byzantine Church of the Panagia Skripou (874 AD), the three German tanks were immobilized for no apparent reason. As the German commander known as Hoffman later recounted, the form of a woman had appeared in the night sky with her hand raised in a prohibitive stance. Commander Hoffman then requested a tractor to pull the tanks, and he beheld another miracle when the tractor was able to easily pull the heavy tanks like an empty matchbox. He then proclaimed "miracle! miracle!" and asked the residents to take him into the church. From the icon in the church the commander recognized the woman to be the Virgin Mary. He fell down on his knees and said: "This woman saved you! You must honor her and glorify her!"

 
Orchomenos was indeed saved by the Panagia and the 600 hostages were freed with a vow by the commander that the village would not be harmed. Following the war, Commander Hoffman returned to the Church of Panagia Skripou, donating an icon of the vision he saw along with an large oil lamp. Just about every year he returned on September 10th to commemorate the event and light a candle in the church. For this reason the Panagia Skripou celebrates a feast on September 10th every year. A procession takes place with the icon on this day to the spot where the tanks were immobilized.

See also: Saint Charalambos of Magnesia (vs Nazi)

Three Greek Orthodox Christian Hierarchs Who Tried to Stop the Holocaust in Their Country

Παρασκευή 3 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021

Holy Martyr Hermione the physician & Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch (Septemper 4)

Orthodox Church in America

Martyr Hermione the Doctor, daughter of Saint Philip the Deacon

Regardless of whether one considers myths that the saint was left untouched by some torture, it is important that we have a saint female doctor, who lived in the 1st century AD. And she is not the only one. You can see about the Sts. Zenais and Philonilla the Sisters (icon from here). In Greek Οι θεραπεύτριες και προστάτιδες των γυναικών αγίες Ανάργυρες Ιατροί Ζηναΐδα & Φιλονίλλα (11 Οκτ.) και Ερμιόνη (4 Σεπτ.). Η αγία Σοφία η Ιατρός (22 Μαΐου).

The Holy Martyr Hermione was a daughter of Saint Philip the Deacon (October 11). Wishing to see the holy Apostle John the Theologian, Hermione with her sister Eutychia went to Asia Minor in search of the saint. During their journey, they learned the saint had died. Continuing on, the sisters met a disciple of Saint Paul named Petronius, and imitating him in everything, they became his disciples. Saint Hermione, having mastered the healing arts, rendered help to many Christians and healed the sick by the power of Christ.

During this period, the emperor Trajan (98-117) waged war against the Persians and he came with his army through the village where the saint lived. When they accused Hermione of being a Christian, he gave orders to bring her to him.

At first the emperor, with casual admonitions, sought to persuade the saint to renounce Christ. When this did not succeed, he commanded that she should be struck on the face for several hours, but she joyfully endured this suffering. Moreover, she was comforted by a vision of the Lord, in the form of Petronius, sitting upon the throne of judgment. Convincing himself that she was steadfast in her faith, Trajan sent her away. Hermione later built a hospice in which she took in the sick, treating their infirmities both of body and soul.

Trajan’s successor, Hadrian, again commanded that the saint be brought to trial for confessing the Christian Faith. At first, the emperor commanded that she be beaten mercilessly, then they pierced the soles of her feet with nails, and finally they threw her into a cauldron with boiling tar, lead and sulphurous brimstone. The saint bore everything, giving thanks to God.

And the Lord granted her His mercy: the fire went out, the lead spilled out, and the saint remained unharmed. Hadrian in surprise went up to the place of torture and touched at the cauldron, to ascertain whether it had cooled. When he touched at the cauldron, he burned the skin on his hand, but even this did not dissuade the torturer.

Regardless of whether one considers myths that the saint was left untouched by some torture, it is important that we have a saint female doctor, who lived in the 1st century AD. And she is not the only one. You can see about the Sts. Zenais and Philonilla the Sisters.He gave orders to heat a sort of skillet and put the holy martyr in it naked. Here again another miracle took place. An angel of the Lord scattered the hot coals and burned many who stood by the fire. The saint stood in the skillet, as though on green grass, singing hymns of praise to the Lord.

When she was removed from the skillet, the holy martyr seemed to be willing to offer sacrifice to the pagan god Hercules. The delighted emperor gave orders to take her off to the temple. When the saint prayed to God, a loud thunderclap was heard, and all the idols in the pagan temple fell and shattered.

In a rage, the emperor ordered that Hermione be led out of the city and beheaded. Two servants, Theodulus and Theotimos, were entrusted to carry out the execution. Since they were in such a hurry to execute the saint, not allowing her time for prayer, their hands withered. Then they believed in Jesus Christ and with repentance they fell at the feet of Saint Hermione. They besought her to pray that the Lord would call them to Himself before her. This is what transpired, through her prayers. After this, she also fell asleep in the Lord. 

Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch, and those with him
 

The Hieromartyr Babylas and with him the three youths Urban, Prilidian, Epolonius and their mother Christodoula died as martyrs under the emperor Decius (249-251). During his stay in their city of Antioch in Syria, the emperor arranged for a large festival in honor of the pagan gods.

At the same time, Babylas, the holy and God-fearing Bishop of Antioch, was serving the Divine Liturgy in church. He prayed for his flock and taught them to endure all tribulations for Christ with courage. The idolater Decius, curious to witness the Divine Mysteries, decided to enter the church.

News of this reached the bishop, so he went out to meet Decius and blocked the path to the church, for he was unwilling to permit impiety in the temple of God. When the emperor approached the church doors, Saint Babylas refused to let him enter, so the emperor had to abandon his intention. He wanted to take revenge on the saint right away, but when he saw the large throng of Christians, he feared they might riot.

The next day the angry emperor ordered that the church be set on fire, and for Bishop Babylas to be brought before him. When asked why he had insulted the imperial dignity by not allowing the emperor to enter the church, the holy bishop answered, “Anyone who would rise up against God and want to desecrate His sanctuary, is not worthy of respect, but has become the enemy of the Lord.”

Decius declared that the holy bishop must worship the idols in order to make up for his lack of respect for the emperor, or else face execution. After convincing himself that the martyr would remain steadfast in his faith, he commanded the military commander Victorinus to put him in heavy chains and lead him through the city in disgrace. The holy martyr replied, “Emperor, these chains are as venerable for me as your imperial crown is for you. For me, suffering for Christ is as desirable as the imperial power is for you. Death for the Immortal King is as precious to me as your life is to you.”

At the trial with Bishop Babylas were three young brothers, who did not forsake him even in this most difficult moment. Seeing them, the emperor asked, “Who are these children? “

“These are my spiritual children,” the saint replied, “and I have raised them in piety, I have given them an education, cultivated them with guidance, and here before you in a small body are these great young men and perfect Christians. Test them and see.”

The emperor tried in all sorts of ways to entice the youths and their mother Christodoula to renounce Christ, but in vain. Then, in a rage, he ordered each of them to be whipped with a number of blows corresponding to their age. The first received twelve blows, the second, ten, and the third, seven. Dismissing the mother and children, the torturer again summoned the bishop, telling him that the children had renounced Christ. He did not believe the lie, however.

Then he commanded all the martyrs be tied to a tree and burned with fire. Seeing the stoic bravery of the saints, the emperor finally condemned them to be beheaded with the sword.