“The Heart in Orthodox Spirituality”

 

St Anthony of the Desert / New Mexico

Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Enquiries 

The heart is central in Orthodox Spirituality. This is biblical: if your heart is pure, your actions are pure. If your heart is impure, so will your actions be.

In our Orthodox tradition, the heart is bigger than the mind and the mind is located in the heart; the combination is referred to as the nous (νους). The heart is not identified with the physical heart, but it is understood to be the center of our spiritual existence.

God takes up residence in the heart (Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 3:17). Christ refers to this residency in the heart as “the Kingdom of God,” which is not a state like New Mexico or Montana, but rather may be understood as a reign  or  rule (βασιλεία). It is a verbal noun; it is not, in other words, static but energetic. When Christ says, “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), he means that we are energized by God’s power through the Holy Spirit. This is where we know the “peace of God that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), to which Paul also testifies at Romans 5:5. In the heart we receive both the grace of God and the enlightenment of our lives (II Corinthians 4:6).

The heart is the location for our feelings, for our will, and for our thinking.

Our objective as Christians is to have these three unified, for the heart to be one. Sin interrupts this process of unification. The mind may be convinced of the good, but the will is not able to follow because of the heat of desire; hence, the unity of the heart is broken.

 

When trouble comes, it comes in the form of double-mindedness (this concept is found in the Epistle of James, chapters 1 and 4, in particular). We are split apart in consciousness. Jesus uses a different metaphor for the same idea in Matthew 6:22: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good (sound, singular), your whole body will be full of light.” We are to be of one mind and focused. But we do not see the world aright because we are blind. The Slavonic word for this problem is  prelest, or delusion or, better still, spiritual blindness. Ironically, the word has the positive meaning of “lovely” in the sense of “enchanting.”

Because of the dynamic nature of our lives and our hearts, and because we are always strung between good and evil, light and darkness, life and death (see Deuteronomy 30:19), the Evil One may also take up residence in the heart. We may be deluded; we may be spiritually blind; we may not think right! The Orthodox Tradition, however, insists that the Light cannot be overcome (see John 1) by the darkness that Evil brings to it. Because of baptism, our hearts are filled with the grace of God that cannot be extinguished; therefore, the Evil One cannot take up residence in the heart but must remain outside as a goad (St Diadochos of Photiki, On Spiritual Knowledge, Philokalia Vol. 1). 

Metaphor or not, this is a powerful image that can bring us comfort in dark moments.

The heart is the seat of passion (pathos - πάθος). As our Lord says, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts” (Matthew 15:19). Paul writes, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24) and goes on to list the virtues of life in the Spirit. But this is again part of the dynamic of life. There is no guarantee that we will remain in this condition; in fact we have every reason to commit ourselves to spiritual warfare for life. At the heart of this is the struggle for self-control (Galatians 5:23, Ephesians 4:22, and elsewhere) and for what the Tradition calls  apatheia (απάθεια), which means dispassion; it does not mean that we become apathetic, but that we view all things without clinging to them. In a way it relates to our use of the icon. Our vision does not stop with the icon; if it does, then we do indeed make an idol of the icon. Our vision must pass through the icon to see the reality it embodies.

 

At this point we must consider the process of temptation. The Fathers of the Philokalia clearly labeled this process. We should learn to recognize it in our own lives. At the core of the process is a  logismos, (λογισμός) a thought that potentially leads to action. First there is the suggestion to sin. A temptation arises: let’s be gluttonous. Let’s gorge ourselves on food and wine. Wow! Great idea!  Second, we begin to think about this suggestion, savor it, interact with it, and dwell on it. Third, we accept the premise as possible (to change the temptation: I can find a way to commit adultery with that person). Fourth, we enter into agreement with the suggestion (I want to commit adultery with that person), and we become captive to it. The thought becomes habitual and we become passionate about it. The Fathers say that this is the point when it becomes sin, in accord with Christ’s word (Matthew 5:28). We don’t have to fulfill the act. We have already stepped over the line, and we must repent and repeal our agreement to the suggestion. We must refuse the logismos with its allure. Now, back to our concern with the heart.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” says our Lord. The first step toward purification of the heart is the recognition that we need God’s power; we cannot purify ourselves. We can only invite this act of Grace into our lives. We can turn to it but we cannot purify ourselves.

The logical second step, then, is prayer. The Fathers particularly invite us to the Jesus Prayer. This prayer is performed in quiet (Greek  ησυχία hesychia  – hence, the term hesychast prayer), an injunction that goes back to Christ’s word at Matthew 6:5-6. Since this prayer penetrates deep within us, it is also called noetic prayer, i.e. the prayer of the nous, in this case the word meaning that supplication which embraces both mind and heart (see Mark 12:30).

Repentance (metanoia - μετάνοια) is the next step. Repentance means, literally, re-thinking: we have to enter into the depths of our own hearts to discover all those habits and temptations to which we cling that separate us from God’s Light. This is the capsule sermon with which Jesus begins his ministry, according to Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe this good news.” Reflection on the Love of God draws us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

 

There is the possibility of return. As we pray at the Divine Liturgy, “Shine in our hearts, Loving Master, with the pure Light of your divine knowledge and open our hearts to the message of your Gospel.”

In the Orthodox tradition, a great deal of emphasis is placed upon tears of mourning for our alienation from God. This is called  penthos (πένθος)  in Greek; the word is the opposite of acedia (ακηδία), which means sloth or despair. Hence these are not tears of despair, but rather of mourning at the loss of paradise, so to speak, in our own lives. St Isaac the Syrian wrote much about the gift of tears, but he is one among many of the fathers who recognized the importance of mourning at loss.

If we desire purity of heart, we must see that the worship life of the church is of central importance. Simply put, we make no solo progress along this pathway; we join together with others in community in the knowledge that we are all seeking purity of heart. We need the sacraments and the Word of God to nourish us and to enable us. The ascetic life includes fasting. This is important but we must always remember that the fast is of the soul as well as the body. Bodily fasting is only the outward manifestation of inward fasting. If it is only outward, the fast is worthless (see Christ’s word at Matthew 6:16-17).

 

5th Sunday of Great Lent: Saint Mary of Egypt, "the most amazing story, which has taken place in our generation"...

Please, see:
 
5th Sunday of Great Lent: Saint Mary of Egypt, "the most amazing story, which has taken place in our generation"...

St. Mary of Egypt القديسة مريم المصرية (5th Sunday of Great Lent) 
 
St. Mary of Egypt Convent, Uganda
 
Maria die Egiptenaar - Die verhaal van groot Egiptiese Heilige
 
St. Mary of Egypt Multi-Cultural Orthodox Christian Church - Kansas City, Missouri

The Akathist Hymn (a very concrete spiritual preparation for the Holy Week and Easter Services five Fridays in the Great Lent)

"Unto you, O Theotokos, invincible General, your City, in thanksgiving ascribes the victory for the deliverance from sufferings. And having your might unassailable, free us from all dangers, so that we may cry unto you: Rejoice, O Bride Ever-Virgin".
Icon from here

Click:

The Akathist Hymn (a very concrete spiritual preparation for the Holy Week and Easter Services five Fridays in the Great Lent)

The Hymn "Ti Ypermaho" ("To the Champion Leader") in Greek and Kiswahili

The Ladder of the st John of Sinai (4th Sunday of Great Lent)

 

Orthodoxwiki

 

The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an ascetical treatise on avoiding vice and practicing virtue so that at the end, salvation can be obtained. Written by Saint John Climacus initially for monastics, it has become one of the most highly influential and important works used by the Church as far as guiding the faithful to a God-centered life, second only to Holy Scripture.  There is also a related icon known by the same title. It depicts many people climbing a ladder; at the top is Jesus Christ, prepared to receive the climbers into Heaven. Also shown are angels helping the climbers, and demons attempting to shoot with arrows or drag down the climbers, no matter how high up the ladder they may be. Most versions of the icon show at least one person falling. 

From here: Our venerable and God-bearing Father John Climacus (ca. 579 - 649), also known as John of the Ladder, John Scholasticus, and John Sinaites, was a seventh century monk at St. Catherine's monastery at the base of Mount Sinai. In Greek, his epithet is Κλιμακος (Klimakos). The Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on March 30. He came to the monastery and became a novice when he was about 16 years old, and when he died in 649 he was the monastery's abbot. He wrote a number of instructive books, the most famous of which is The Ladder of Divine Ascent. (It is because of this book that John is known as "Climacus," which means "of the ladder".) It describes how to raise one's soul to God, as if on a ladder. This book is one of the most widely read among Eastern Orthodox Christians, especially during the season of Great Lent which immediately precedes Pascha (Easter), and on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent he is especially commemorated.

Icon of the Ladder of Divine Ascent (St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt) And here's a much bigger image of a similar icon

 

History of The Ladder

John, whilst a hermit living at the Sinai Peninsula, was recognized for his humility, obedience, wisdom (which was attained through spiritual experience), and discernment. He already had a reputation for being extremely knowledgeable about how to practice a holy life. St. John, igumen of the Raithu Monastery, one day asked St. John Climacus (also known as John of Sinai) to write down his wisdom in a book. At first hesitant to take on such a task, John of Sinai eventually honored the request, and he proceeded to write The Ladder. St. John Climacus received his name "Climacus" ("of the Ladder") because of this work, and his writing The Ladder (later called The Ladder of Divine Ascent) has been compared to the Holy Prophet and God-seer Moses receiving the Law. This work was initially used by monastics. In fact it is read by monastics to this day during the Great Fast. It is also suggested as Lenten reading for those who are still "of this world"; yet this should be done with caution and under the guidance of a spiritual father. This work has made its mark on the lives of innumerable saints, including St. Theodore the Studite, St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Joseph of Volokolamsk, St. Peter of Damascus, and St. Theophan the Recluse, amongst many others. 
 

Structure and purpose

The aim of the treatise is to be a guide for practicing a life completely and wholly devoted to God. The ladder metaphor—not dissimilar to the vision that the Patriarch Jacob received—is used to describe how one may ascend into heaven by first renouncing the world and finally ending up in heaven with God. There are thirty chapters; each covers a particular vice or virtue. They were originally called logoi, but in the present day, they are referred to as "steps." The sayings are not so much rules and regulations, as with the Law that St. Moses received at Sinai, but rather observations about what is being practiced. Metaphorical language is employed frequently to better illustrate the nature of virtue and vice. Overall, the treatise does follow a progression that transitions from start (renunciation of the world) to finish (a life lived in love).
 

The steps are:

1. On renunciation of the world
2. On detachment
3. On exile or pilgrimage; concerning dreams that beginners have
4. On blessed and ever-memorable obedience (in addition to episodes involving many individuals)
5. On painstaking and true repentance which constitutes the life of the holy convicts; and about the Prison
6. On remembrance of death
7. On joy-making mourning
8. On freedom from anger and on meekness
9. On remembrance of wrongs
10. On slander or calumny
11. On talkativeness and silence
12. On lying
13. On despondency
14. On that clamorous mistress, the stomach
15. On incorruptible purity and chastity, to which the corruptible attain by toil and sweat
16. On love of money, or avarice
17. On non-possessiveness (that hastens one Heavenwards)
18. On insensibility, that is, deadening of the soul and the death of the mind before the death of the body
19. On sleep, prayer, and psalmody with the brotherhood
20. On bodily vigil and how to use it to attain spiritual vigil, and how to practise it
21. On unmanly and puerile cowardice
22. On the many forms of vainglory
23. On mad pride and (in the same Step) on unclean blasphemous thoughts; concerning unmentionable blasphemous thoughts
24. On meekness, simplicity, and guilelessness which come not from nature but from conscious effort, and about guile
25. On the destroyer of the passions, most sublime humility, which is rooted in spiritual perception
26. On discernment of thoughts, passions and virtues; on expert discernment; brief summary of all aforementioned
27. On holy stillness of body and soul; different aspects of stillness and how to distinguish them
28. On holy and blessed prayer, the mother of virtues, and on the attitude of mind and body in prayer
29. Concerning Heaven on earth, or Godlike dispassion and perfection, and the resurrection of the soul before the general resurrection
30. Concerning the linking together of the supreme trinity among the virtues; a brief exhortation summarizing all that has said at length in this book

Guide to reading The Ladder

St John of the Ladder (icon from here) 

 

Like with other ascetical and spiritual texts, this one should be read carefully. Since the original audience was those practicing the monastic life, the language is very strong when contrasting the life of the world and the life devoted to God. This is one of the reasons why this work should be read under the guidance of a spiritual father. This work can be read at once with careful attention and intense concentration, trying to replicate as much as possible the monastic life. Yet it can also be read in its individual steps as well. The bottom line is that a spiritual father should be there as a guiding hand with this work.
 

English language editions

The Ladder of Divine Ascent, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery. (ISBN 0943405033) This edition, based on Archimandrite Lazarus Moore's translation is generally preferred over the Paulist Press edition of the Ladder—especially because of the verse numberings, which are the standard way of referencing Climacus' sayings (these are also present in older versions of Archimandrite Lazarus' translation). It is also physically beautiful and much nicer to have on one's bookshelf. It contains an icon of "The Ladder," many other embellishments, and is printed on high quality paper. All that said, the Paulist Press edition is also worth having, especially because of the helpful introduction by Bishop Kallistos.

• Luibheid, Colm; Russell, Norman. John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Paulist Press. [ISBN 0809123304]
• Mack, John. Ascending the Heights: A Layman's Guide to the Ladder of Divine Ascent. [ISBN 1888212179]

See also

• Ladder of Divine Ascent Icon

References 

Secondary literature

• Ascending the Heights - A Layman's Guide to The Ladder of Divine Ascent by Fr. John Mack ISBN 1-888212-17-9 (St Vladimir's Seminary Press)

See also

 

The Great Lent in the Orthodox Church, “mother of chastity, accuser of sins, advocate of repentance, life of the angels and salvation of men” - Like Moses, Elijah, Daniel & the Lord... 

Theosis (deification): The True Purpose of Human Life

Theosis, St. Silouan and Elder Sophrony

A Deer Lost in Paradise
LIVE, BEYOND THE LIMITS!

Why Monasticism? - St. Silouan of Mount Athos

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of N. America
 

Do you have monks and nuns in your church?
I don’t believe in that, they’re wasting their life doing nothing…
…..unless they’re out helping people like Jesus did.

I had this conversation recently with a man named Jim who is a member of another Christian denomination.  The topic of monasticism was started by the news of the canonization of the nun Mother Theresa of Calcutta by the Roman Catholic Church.  In Jim’s view, she is an example of a good nun, that is, one who went out and helped people rather than living behind the walls of a monastery.
Monasticism:  the way of life of monks and nuns, is at the very heart of our Orthodox Faith and is the foundation of spirituality for all Orthodox Christians:  priests, monastics and lay people.  In fact, the very spiritual center of Orthodox Christianity is Mount Athos:  a remote peninsula which is an autonomous  part of Greece.  It is the home to 20 ancient monasteries, many over 1,000 years old and numerous smaller sketes and hermitages.  One of the bright lights to shine forth from this region is a recently canonized saint who has become well known throughout the world – Staretz (Elder) Silouan of Mount Athos. 

His Life

Saint Silouan was born Simeon Ivanovich Antonov in 1866 to pious Orthodox parents in the Tambov region of Russia.  His youth was much like other village young people of his day and much like the lives of many youth today. While he was attracted at times to the spiritual life and seeking God, he was more attracted by the pleasures of village life.   He worked as a carpenter on the estate of a nearby noble and spent his free time drinking vodka with his friends, playing his concertina and socializing with the village girls.  It was said that he could drink three bottles of vodka without feeling any effects.  Young, strong and handsome he was popular with these girls and one evening fell into the sin of fornication.  On one occasion a young man who had too much to drink and wanting to show off for the girls, threatened Simeon and tried to take his concertina.  In Simeon’s own words:

 At first I thought of giving in to the fellow but then I was ashamed of how the girls would laugh at me, so I hit him a great blow to the chest.  His body shot away and he fell backwards with a heavy thud in the middle of the road.  Froth and blood trickled from his mouth.  All the onlookers were horrified.  So was I.  “I’ve killed him,” I thought, and stood rooted to thespot… It was over half an hour before he could rise to his feet.

One day, shortly before he began his required military service, he dozed off to a light sleep and dreamt that a snake crawled down his throat.  He woke up to hear a voice saying: “Just as you found it loathsome to swallow a snake in your dream, so I find your ways ugly to look upon”.  Simeon later reported he saw no one but was convinced that it was the beautiful voice of the Mother of God coming to rescue him from the evil pit his life had become.  This vision/dream would alter the rest of his life, he began to be ashamed of how he was living his life.  As an example of the change in him, one evening, while serving his military service, he and a few of his friends went to a tavern where there was much loud music, dancing and carousing.  Simeon sat quietly and hardly spoke which led his companions to inquire why he was so quiet.  Simeon said:

I’m thinking that here we sit in a tavern, eating, drinking vodka, listening to music and enjoying ourselves, while at this very hour on Mount Athos they are in

church for vespers and will be at prayer all night.  And I’m wondering which of us will put up the best defense before God’s Judgment Seat – them or us?

At the age of twenty-seven in 1892 he left his native Russia and came to Mount Athos, where he became a monk at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon and was given the name Silouan, the Russian version of the Biblical name Silvanus. He was given the obedience (work duty) at the monastery mill, sleeping little, fasting severely and praying continually.  He struggled against sinful memories from his past life and practiced the Jesus Prayer.  Though barely literate, he received the grace of unceasing prayer and saw Christ in a vision. After long years of spiritual trial, he acquired great humility and inner stillness. He prayed and wept for the whole world as for himself, and he put the highest value on love for enemies.

He was never ordained to the diaconate or priesthood but continued his ministry as a monk in which he devoted himself to praying for all people.
A monk is a man who prays for the whole world….. I tell you that when we have no more men of prayer the world will come to an end and great disaster will befall – as, indeed, is happening already.
Having repented and received God’s mercy for his past life, Father Silouan felt great compassion for all people.  He wrote:   

“But when a man sees in himself the light of deliverance from sin there awakens in his soul a mighty compassion for all who ‘fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23) and prayer for the ‘whole Adam’ fills his being.” 

After a period of time, Father Silouan was appointed one of the stewards of St. Panteleimon’s monastery, helping in the administration of a monastery with over 1,000 monks and overseeing 200 laymen who worked in the monastery’s many workshops.  After assigning the work tasks for the day, Father Silouan would return to his room to pray and weep for the men who had left their families in their villages to seek employment in far off Mount Athos.  He wrote:

He who has the Holy Spirit in him, however slight a degree, sorrows day and night for all mankind.  His heart is filled with pity for all God’s creatures, more especially for those who do not know God, or who resist Him, and therefore are bound for the fire of torment.  For them, more than for himself, he prays day and night, that all may repent and know the Lord. 

Father Silouan died in the monastery after an illness on September 24, 1938. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1987 and his relics are enshrined in the St. Panteleimon’s Monastery on Mount Athos.  His writings were edited by his disciple and pupil, Archimandrite Sophrony who later established a monastery in England and became known as a staretz himself. 

Why Monasticism?

In Jim’s view, the life of monks and nuns are only worthwhile if they are “doing something”, that is, ministering to the people of the world in an active way.   Unfortunately my friend was Biblically illiterate and did not know the story of Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus.  One day Jesus was visiting in their home and Martha was busy with preparing and serving the food while her sister Mary just sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His words.  How did Jesus respond?

 “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

According to Jesus, Mary who sat with Him and listened to Him had chosen what was most important and needed.  Certainly our Lord knew that someone had to prepare the food and as a man he felt the pangs of hunger but He was emphasizing that a person can become so busy doing things for God that they forget simply to be with Him and to love Him.  This is a danger especially for clergy who can become so busy doing ministry that they neglect simply to be quiet with their Lord.  Being with the Lord in prayer is vitally important because through it we connect with Him who is the source of peace, the source of love, the source of strength, the source of life.   The world needs Marthas but the world also needs to appreciate and value Marys, which my friend Jim failed to understand. 
 One of the best illustrations of the importance and role of monasticism is found in the teachings of a recently canonized saint of our church:  St. Paisios of Mount Athos.   

 The army has many divisions and each one fights from its own position; the navy at sea, the airplanes in the air and the army on the land.  A very specialized position is the one of the radio operator.  His main characteristic is that he connects all the army divisions with the headquarters, which send help in case of emergency.  The radio operator must not be close to the combat zone, but higher up in a quiet place, so that he may clearly transmit the messages.  When the soldiers fight and are in danger, they should not say to the radio operator:  “What are you doing up there?  Come and fight with us.”  His duty is to stay where he is and receive orders from headquarters, and keep them up to date regarding the outcome of the combat.

 - Very Rev. Dr.  Edward Pehanich

For Further Reading

Orthodox Spiritual Life According to St. Silouan the Athonite
Archimandrite Sophrony     St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press
St. Silouan the Athonite, Archimandrite Sophrony    St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press

Saint Silouan the Athonite as a Model for our Lives

Theosis, St. Silouan and Elder Sophrony 
Elder Sophrony Sakharov († July 11, 1993)
 

Pandemics and Holy Communion (Orthodox Church)

Announcement by Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki

Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Enquiries
Source here Translation: A.N. 

Metr. Nicholas (Hatzinikolaou) was born on April 13, 1954 in Thessalonica, Greece. He began his post secondary education at the University of Thessalonica where he studied physics. After graduating, he served his obligation with the Greek military services. He then moved to the United States and continued his postgraduate studies in astrophysics at the University of Harvard from which he received a Master of Arts degree, followed by further studies in engineering and biomedical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he received a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Additionally, he undertook studies in theology at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, earning Master's degrees in Theological Studies and Theology.
In addition to his studies, he worked as a researcher and research assistant in the Cardiovascular laboratory at the England Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and taught at Harvard University. During this time he was a scientific colleague at NASA and the Arthur D. Little Company. He returned to Greece about 1987.
Entering a monastic life, he resided at Mount Athos for two years before he was tonsured a monk on March 18, 1989 at the Stomion Monastery at Konitsis in northern Greece at which time he received the name Nicholas. Later, Monk Nicholas joined the Monastery of Simonopetra. Mnk. Nicholas was ordained a deacon on March 19, 1989 and a priest later that year on September 10. From May 1990, Father Nicholas served as parish priest at the Holy Ascension metochion of Simonopetra Monastery in Byrona (Vyronas), a suburb of Athens.
Fr. Nicholas was elected to the episcopate by the Synod of Bishops of the Church of Greece on April 26, 2004. He was consecrated Metropolitan of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis on April 30, 2004 by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, assisted in the consecration by fifteen other hierarchs, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
Since his ordination as a priest, Metr. Nicholas has continued his involvement in the medical and related arts. From 1991, he taught university courses involving medical, bioethical, and theological content at the medical schools of the Universities of Athens and Crete and the Theological School of Balamand in Lebanon. In 1993, he founded the Greece Center for Biomedical Ethics. In 2003, he received his Doctor of Theology degree in Christian Ethics and Sociology (Ethics) at the Aristotle University of Thessalonica. He also served as the director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics. Since 1998, he has been the President of the Synodical Bioethics Committee of the Church of Greece. [Orthodoxwiki]

Beloved brethren,

During the relatively recent threat of the swine flu pandemic, there also arose – albeit unnecessarily – the issue of contagious illnesses spreading through Holy Communion.

It is unfortunate that yet another such attempt is being made to “deconstruct” our Faith (often with impious dialectic, timorous style, and no genuine, well-meaning argumentation), at a time when we have been left with no other support to hold on to.

So, with this opportunity, I thought it would be good to mention certain truths that are deemed necessary for salvaging the valuable treasure of faith within us.

For over 2000 years, our Church has been transmitting the grace of Her Sacraments in the all-familiar, human and blessed manner, for “the healing of soul and body”.

The Church has never been troubled by the contemporary logic of disrespectful doubting; instead, the faithful have continued to live with the experience of a confirmed, major miracle. Could it ever be possible for one’s communion with God to become a cause for sickness or even the slightest harm?

Is it ever possible for the Body and the Blood of our Lord and God to contaminate our body and our blood?

Is it ever possible for a 2-millennia-old, daily experience to be crushed by the rationalizing and the cold shallowness of our times?

The faithful - both the healthy and the sick - for entire centuries have been receiving Holy Communion from the same Communion Spoon, which we never wash and we never disinfect; and yet, nothing detrimental has ever been observed.

Priests who serve in hospital chapels – even in hospitals for contagious diseases – will serve Holy Communion to the sick patients, and afterwards piously consume the remainder inside the Holy Chalice, and are known to enjoy a healthy longevity.

Holy Communion is everything that the Church and the faithful hold sacred; the most powerful medicine for the soul and the body.  This is also a teaching – a teaching and experience of our Church.

Hoy Communion in the Orthodox Church of Rwanda

Those who disbelieve in the miracle of the Lord’s Resurrection, those who mock His birth by a Virgin Mother, those who deny the fragrance that proceeds from saints’ holy relics, those who shun whatever is holy and sacred, those who plot against our Church, those who seek to eradicate even the smallest trace of faith from our souls, it is only natural that they would try to take advantage of any opportunity to insult the most sacred Mystery of the Holy Eucharist.

The fact that the Anglicans and the Papists have decided “for precautionary reasons” to discontinue the transmission of their “holy communion” in England and New Zealand respectively, if true, does not indicate (as some assert) prudence and freedom, but instead indicates in the best possible manner the vast distance between them and our Orthodox Church, who is Eucharistic in Her theology and Her way of life; Who lives, believes and preaches the Mystery, as opposed to the other Christian groups which are indirectly confessing the absence of Grace and signs from God in their self-designated mysteries, as well as the lack of an ecclesiastic identity.  Life without any Sacrament is tantamount to a sickness without any medication.

Unfortunately, the big problem is NOT the flu virus, as proclaimed by the Media, nor is it the virus of worldwide panic, as disseminated by medical societies; it is the virus of disrespect and the germ of little faith.  And the best “vaccine” for fighting it, is our frequent partaking of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, “with a clean conscience” and “blamelessly”.  Our response to this unholy provocation of our days is our Orthodox way of living.

It would be good if our spiritual fathers were to exhort the faithful – with discretion, and wherever they discern that there are no spiritual impediments – to receive Holy Communion more frequently during these difficult times.  Those of us who have received their blessing should definitely approach the Chalice of Life more frequently, but naturally “with the fear of God, plenty of faith, and sincere love”.

 

The Priest who served Holy Communion in the Spinalonga Island Leper Colony, using the same Spoon for himself after serving all the lepers

 

Source:  here (in Greek)

Photos from here

                   

 

For ten whole years, Monk Chrysanthos Koutsouloyannakis was the consolation of the lepers on Spinalonga. He blessed and served Holy Communion to the sick by reaching out and receiving Holy Communion himself from the same Spoon, without any fear of the disease and its consequences.

Those who had met him spoke of an exuberant, benevolent form whose aim was to alleviate the suffering of people who were ailing. They characterized him as a “godsend” and a “holy man”.

More information on Monk Chrysanthos has been taken from the newspaper 'Orthodox Truth' and the testimony of Dimitris Papadakis, a former High School Headmaster and Chairman of the Heraklion Literary Society of Crete, who had met him personally.

“Dumped like manure in a filthy manure pit”

 

“In 1947 the pastor of Spinalonga, Fr. Meletios Vourgouris, had obtained permission from the Bishop of Petra, Fr. Dionysios Maragoudakis, for a 2-month leave, from July 20th to September 20th, to go to the Holy Land. Upon expiry of his leave, he did not return to his post. The Bishop couldn't find a priest to replace him”, Papadakis said.

Mr. Papadakis did not fail to mention his touching acquaintance with Father Chrysanthos, underlining: “I had the good fortune to become acquainted with Monk Chrysanthos on August 15^th of 1967 at the Toplou Monastery. He was a short-bodied, ascetic form, with a white beard. The years weighed heavily on his shoulders. His cassock and his monk’s cap were both faded”.

“I was outside the Katholikon (=the Main church) with Father Chrysanthos one morning, when a very elderly man appeared. As soon as he spotted Father Chrysanthos, he exclaimed with great surprise and joy: 'Father Chrysanthos!’ At that same moment, two embraces opened wide. Inside Father Chrysanthos' humble cell, I was given the opportunity to acquaint myself with the stranger, but also to nudge him into talking about his experiences during his contacts with the priest on the island: 'I was a leper' - he said – ‘I lived on Spinalonga for many years. Our illness had deformed us. The fear of infection made all the healthy people not even dare to approach us. The doctor, the nurses, the other civil servants and the women who washed our clothes, would all leave the island with a motorboat a little before sundown, and go to the village of Plaka to the west and opposite Spinalonga Island.  Journalists called Spinalonga the 'Island of the living dead', and officials did not wish to stay the night with the lepers.

We all felt the need for a priest. He alone could comfort us with God's word and support us spiritually. But a priest would come to our island from Elounda only twice a month.

He would come Saturday evening, serve Vespers, and then depart. He would come again the next day, serve the Divine Liturgy, and depart. He would also come at other times: for the unavoidable necessity to inter our dead!

One day some of us men were sitting in the yard of our café, which was close to the main gate.  Then a priest appeared at a distance.  We all understood that he had come to the island to officiate in the church. As soon as he saw us, he approached us. He bade us good morning kindheartedly.

We all stood up and welcomed him with a slight bow. But none of us extended their hand to greet him. A leper must never shake hands, the reason being, he might transmit his accursed sickness. But then he greeted us all with a handshake! He told us very simply that he would be staying with us, to help us fulfill our Christian duties. Our emotion was immense.”

The narration regarding the second day on Fr. Chrysanthos’ island was as follows: “The next day we went to the church of St. Panteleimon. All of us - men, women and children - participated with due solemnity in the Divine Liturgy, which was served with Doric simplicity and unfathomable piety. That Sunday we didn’t receive Holy Communion. We had not been informed in time for the Divine Liturgy and we had not fasted. At the end of the Liturgy, we received the Antidoron bread morsels from his hand. And as we took the Antidoron, we ALL kissed his hand!

It was something that he himself had aspired to do; as he distributed the Antidoron, he intentionally moved his hand closer to our mouths.  Everyone’s eyes filled with tears of emotion.

Before his arrival, we would take the Antidoron ourselves, from a reed basket that the sacristan placed on the candle counter. On the following Sunday, practically all of us went to church. The church was packed, as was its courtyard. On that day, we all received Holy Communion. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, we noticed that our priest was consuming the remnant of the content in the Holy chalice, after all of us had partaken of it!

All of us stood with eyes opened wide in surprise. We thought we were dreaming. Large beads of hot tears welled up from our eyes. The previous priest would pour the remnant of the Holy Chalice into the special disposal crucible (naturally per Divine Providence); he would not consume it himself.

The priest-monk Chrysanthos stayed with us night and day. And he stayed with us for ten whole years! During those years, he showed his love for all of us. He would visit us at our homes. He guided us all. He helped the poor with what little money he had; and he did that, by observing the gospel words: ‘Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’. Like all the other patients of Spinalonga, I too am grateful to Father Chrysanthos for .....”, but was unable to complete his phrase. He burst into a muted sobbing”.

“Father Chrysanthos,” continued Mr. Papadakis, “with his gaze focused on the floor as he listened to the descriptions by the former leper, commented with an inner grandeur: “ 'I don’t believe what I did was something so great. It is what every officiator of the Most High and what every Christian would have done.  I just helped our fellow-man as much as I could, to lift up their Cross upon their Calvary. After all, their sickness is not transmitted with Holy Communion – with the Body and the Blood of Christ.’ “

He stayed there to tend to the graves!

 
Father Chrysanthos - emotionally charged - spoke to Mr. Papadakis about his decision to stay on the island when everyone had departed from it: 'The Spinalonga Leper Colony was shut down. It was July of 1957. Everyone left the island; only I remained there.' I asked him why, and he replied: 'I had to tend to the graves of the Hansenites. Furthermore, as I stood before their graves, I had to chant prayers for the repose of their souls. I abandoned the island in 1959. My health was shaken. That’s when I left the island. My Bishop placed me in this Monastery.’ “...