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The Flowers of Orthodoxy
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English Flowers of Orthodoxy 2
ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY – MULTILINGUAL ORTHODOXY – EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH – ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ – SIMBAHANG ORTODOKSO NG SILANGAN – 东正教在中国 – ORTODOXIA – 日本正教会 – ORTODOSSIA – อีสเทิร์นออร์ทอดอกซ์ – ORTHODOXIE – 동방 정교회 – PRAWOSŁAWIE – ORTHODOXE KERK - නැගෙනහිර ඕර්තඩොක්ස් සභාව – СРЦЕ ПРАВОСЛАВНО – BISERICA ORTODOXĂ – GEREJA ORTODOKS – ORTODOKSI – ПРАВОСЛАВИЕ – ORTODOKSE KIRKE – CHÍNH THỐNG GIÁO ĐÔNG PHƯƠNG – EAGLAIS CHEARTCHREIDMHEACH – ՈՒՂՂԱՓԱՌ ԵԿԵՂԵՑԻՆ / Abel-Tasos Gkiouzelis - https://theflowersoforthodoxy.blogspot.com - Email: gkiouz.abel@gmail.com - Feel free to email me...!
Nativity Message of St. John Maximovitch
1963 Christmas Message
By St. John Maximovitch
“Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among those whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).
The angels sang in heaven when the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. “Glory to God in the highest” is heard in heaven to this day, in all ages it has not calmed down and never stopped for a moment. The angels are constantly praising Him. “Holy, Holy, Holy,” cry the six-winged seraphim and the many-eyed cherubim, countless hosts of angels worship Him. Soulless creation listens to Him: the sun shines, warming the earth with its rays, the moon dispels the darkness of the night, the stars shine, the material sky, imitating the spiritual Heaven, glorifies the Creator of the universe in its strength in the highest.
Is there peace on earth that the angels sang about on the night when the Infant Christ was born in a wretched cave?
After all, when the angelic singing heard by the shepherds had not yet ceased, Herod’s warriors were already sharpening their swords for slaughtering innocent babies. Then the Jewish elders and high priests viciously persecuted the Newborn, finally achieving the crucifixion and death of the Source of life. And soon after His Ascension, the blood of His disciples poured into heaven, beginning with Archdeacon Stephen, whose memory has long been associated with the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The blood of those who believe in Christ is still shed today, and divisions constantly arise between them, often turning into enmity. Where is the peace that the angels sang about on the night of the Nativity of Christ?
But, although it seems that there was not and is not peace on earth, now indeed the King of the world was born in Bethlehem, He gave peace to mankind. He proclaimed peace to people and was the bearer of true peace.
“Peace be with you,” He constantly told His disciples. He also had peace towards His enemies, and prayed for those who crucified Him. That peace He bequeathed and left to those who followed Him and loved Him. This is that inner peace given from above, for which we daily pray during divine services, saying: “For peace from above and the salvation of our souls, let us entreat the Lord.” That is a deep inner peace, a feeling of closeness to God and the purity of one's conscience before Him. That peace does not depend on external conditions, but is given by the purification of one's heart.
This peace belonged to the martyrs during their sufferings, the saints who fled from the world, but whom the world followed. “Acquire inner peace and thousands around you will be saved,” said St. Seraphim of Sarov. That peace Christ brought to earth, which He gave and gives to those who seek Him. He gives to those who aspire to it and in their hearts prepare a dwelling place for Him, driving out all that is filthy from it - to those who have good will, i.e. the will to do the commandments of God and do good to others. Whoever not only wants it, but directs and forces himself to it, the Lord rewards him with a grace-filled peace. Blessed is the soul that feels it, then nothing is terrible! She experiences joyful blessedness, and sows peace all around.
Lord God, give us Your peace! Let's break away from earthly attachments. Woe to our hearts! May the light of the Star of Bethlehem shine upon them, and with joy let us cry:
Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among those whom He is pleased!
Christ is born!
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2023/01/1963-nativity-message-of-st-john.html
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A miracle of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg: "You know where to go!"
About fifteen years ago, I heard this story about an event that took place in Northern California—an unusual story, about a miracle of St. Xenia of Petersburg. Nun Nina, now Abbess Nina of St. Nilus Skete in Alaska, had heard it from Fr. Weldon Hardenbrook, who at the time was the rector of a church in Santa Cruz County. I wrote it down immediately, but unfortunately the notebook I wrote it in is located somewhere far away from me now, and I am writing it again from memory—so that people might know that Blessed Xenia the fool-for-Christ of St. Petersburg helps people everywhere, even people who previously knew nothing about her. She helps not only those who have prayed to her, but even those who will pray to her.
This priest, Fr. Weldon, served in a parish that consisted of former Evangelical Christians who had embraced Orthodox Christianity. There was a time when their flourishing community was not Orthodox, and all kinds of people came to them to hear their Christian message. One day, a young man rode up to the church on his Harley Davidson. His appearance betrayed the life of a prodigal, but he was sincerely interested in hearing about Jesus. A relationship formed with the Fr Weldon, now an Orthodox priest (who told this story), and the young man began to gradually change his ways. He had given up one vice after another when the pastor told him that his “biking” would have to go if he wanted to truly follow Christ. This was too much for the newly-born Evangelical to bear, and he left the community and his pastor’s care, never intending to return.
Our biker rode off on his Harley Davidson, and soon had a terrible accident, which cost him his legs. Eventually he landed back in the company of his old “friends”, in a run-down apartment in a low-rent neighborhood in the bad part of a crime-ridden city. One evening, as he and his companions were abusing drugs and alcohol in a particularly vigorous way, he slipped over the edge and lost consciousness. The others were also far from sober and took him for dead. Not understanding clearly what they should do, and as usual avoiding all contact with the police, they simply dragged his limp, legless body to the street and threw him into the nearest garbage dumpster. In there, the next morning, he came to his senses. It was a rude awaking indeed to find himself in a dumpster, wallowing in refuse. Climbing dazedly out of that would-be coffin, he sat down on the curb, thinking the darkest thoughts. “So, this is what I have come to. Useless, human trash. Thrown away like garbage.”
Sunk in these pessimistic thoughts, he was suddenly stirred by the presence of an old lady in tattered clothes—what people call a “bag lady”. She was coming closer to him with a fierce, accusatory expression. “You know where to go,” she said, pointing at him. “So, go there!” At that moment the man remembered his former pastor, and the church where he had almost reformed. Determined to find it again, he made his way back to the town where it is located.
When he returned to that church it was different. There were gold domes with crosses on the roof, and the interior was completely changed. No pews; and there was a sort of screen at the front, with strange images of holy people. He looked around in wonder, when his gaze caught the image of a woman—the very “bag lady” who had told him where to go in that hour of dire depression. It was Holy Blessed Xenia, the fool-for-Christ of Petersburg.
He met his old friend, now an Orthodox priest in a cassock, wearing a cross. He received holy Baptism himself, and began to live the life of a dedicated parishioner, this time truly transformed.
I do not know what has come of this man since. I have no reason to believe that he is anywhere other than at that parish, but as I have said, this story was related to me fifteen years ago. However, the fact remains that this miracle of St. Xenia happened to person who knew nothing of her, who lived in a place very far from Russia, and when he needed it the most.
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-miracle-of-st-xenia-of-st-petersburg.html
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ELDER PAISIOS AND ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN, WHO WERE TREATED SO UNFAIRLY
Hieromonk Isaac
In light of the recent commemoration of St. Isaac the Syrian the Bishop of Nineveh, we offer a small episode from the life of Elder Paisios, who particularly revered this saint and was very upset with the fact that modern-day theologians identified him as a follower of Nestorian heresy.
One day, the Elder, sitting on a stone ledge near the monastery of Stavronikita, had a conversation with some pilgrims. One of them, a graduate of the school of theology, claimed that Abba Isaac the Syrian was a Nestorian, and he kept repeating his view that was so commonly accepted in the West.
The Elder Paisios tried to convince the theologian that Abba Isaac the Syrian was not only Orthodox, but also a saint, and his ascetic words were filled with great grace and power. But the elder’s attempts turned out to be futile—the “theologian” stubbornly stood his ground. The elder retreated to his cell in distress and immersed himself in prayer.
When he had walked just a little distance from the monastery and reached a large sycamore tree, in his own words, he “experienced an event”, which he declined to describe in greater detail. According to one testimony, the elder had a vision: he saw the venerable monastic fathers passing in front of him. One of the venerable saints stopped in front of the Elder and said, “I am Isaac the Syrian. I am really and truly Orthodox. Indeed, the area where I served as bishop fell into the Nestorian heresy, but I fought against it.” We are unable to confirm the truthfulness of this vision or to reject it. At any rate, beyond a doubt, the event the Elder had witnessed was of supernatural origin. This event clearly and precisely informed the Elder of the Orthodoxy and holiness of Abba Isaac.
The book by St. Isaac lay at the head of the Elder’s bed. He would read this book all the time, and for six years, it would be his only spiritual reading. He used to read a single phrase from the book only to repeat it in his mind throughout the day, “working” at it actively and in depth, in his own words, just like “the cattle that chews their cud.” The Elder would hand out excerpts from St. Isaac’s writing as a blessing to his visitors in his desire to encourage people to read his works. The Elder believed that the study of the ascetic writings by Abba Isaac is “greatly beneficial since it allows us to grasp the most profound meaning of life. And if a person who believes in God, has complexes of any kind, either large or small, it will help him be rid of them. Abba Isaac’s book contains a great number of spiritual ‘vitamins’, and owing to them, it transforms the soul.”1
The elder also advised the laity to read Abba Isaac, but in small bites in order to digest what they have just read. The elder said that Abba Isaac’s book is identical in value to the entire library of the Holy Fathers.
Elder Paisios wrote in his book by Abba Isaac under the icon of the saint that shows him holding a pen: “Abba, give me your pen so that I can underline every single word in your book!” With this, the elder meant to say that this book is of such great value that every word in it is worth underlining.
The Elder not only read the sayings of Abba Isaac, but he also held him in great awe and revered him as a saint. The icon of St. Isaac the Syrian was one of the very few icons placed on the tiny altar table in his Panaguda cell. Because of his love and reverence for the saint, the Elder gave his name to one of the monks when he tonsured him into the Great Schema. The Elder celebrated the memory of St. Isaac on September 28. He saw to it that all the fathers from his inner circle celebrated a general All-Night Vigil on this day. During one of these vigils, the Elder was seen surrounded by the Light of Tabor, exalted and in a transformed state.
Before the Fathers began to commemorate the memory of the saint on September 28, the Elder had signed the following in his Menaion on January 28 (on this day the memory of St. Isaac the Syrian is commemorated, together with that of St. Ephraim the Syrian): “The 28th day of this month is the commemoration day of our Venerable Father Ephraim the Syrian, as well as Isaac the Great Hesychast, who were treated so unfairly.”
From: Hieromonk Isaac. Life of the Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (Moscow: Holy Mountain, 2006), 243–245.
https://orthochristian.com/158669.html
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Saint Eumenios Saridakis of Athens, Greece (+1999)
May 23
Saint Eumenios was born in 1931 in Ethia of Monophatsion in the province of Heraklion of Crete, the eighth child of a poor family of faithful Christians. He became a monk at the age of 17; he struggled to cultivate his soul with love and prayer and was tested very harshly by leprosy; but later also, while a priest, by a demonic influence which tormented him in body and soul, but was freed of it after many prayers, vigils and exorcisms in monasteries of Crete, such as the monasteries of Koudoumás and Panagía Kalyvianí.
Leprosy brought him to the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in the St.Barbara suburb of Athens. He was healed there, but, having seen human suffering, he decided to remain at the Hospital as a priest, in order to help comfort his fellow-men as much as he could! That was where “he was to begin his pastoral work, in the presence of which, those with theological degrees and ecclesiastic offices ought to kneel”.
His love and his ascetic labours brought God’s grace upon him; this humble priest (who officiated in the chapel of the Holy Unmercenaries and Physicians, Saints Cosmas and Damianos, situated inside the Hospital for Infectious Diseases) reached a high degree of sanctity – which he kept secret as much as he could – and became endowed with the gift of foresight, lofty spiritual experiences and visions and helped countless people of every social class and level of education – not only with his advice and his prayers, but also with his sanctified presence.
The Elder loved everyone, every individual personally, and he was particularly a laughing saint – his booming laugh was one of his distinctive features – likewise, he would often exit the Inner Sanctum during the course of a Liturgy, with his beard soaked by his tears, since he used to pray for all of our suffering and unfortunate fellow-men, obviously because he also had the gift of tears.
At the Hospital for Infectious Diseases, he was blessed to meet the leprosied holy monk Nicephorus [St. Nikephoros the Leper] who, even though blinded by the illness, had nevertheless become a great spiritual father of many Christians and a teacher to Elder Evmenios.
He spent the last two years of his life at the “Annunciation” Hospital and on May 23, 1999 he gave up his spirit in the Lord and was buried at his birth place (in Ethia), in accordance with his wishes. (cf. Monk Simon, Fr. Evmenios – The hidden saint of our time, Athens 2010, ed. 2, pp. 137-146).
http://o-nekros.blogspot.gr/2011/02/elder-evmenios-saridakis-holy-friend-of.html
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Quote from Saint Elder Ephraim of Arizona (+2019) on Holy Pascha
Today is the Resurrection of Christ.
"Come, receive the light, from the never-setting light..."
O, never-setting, perfect light that never sets, surpassingly bright and surpassingly white, O how you magnetize my nous, my soul, my heart! I desire you endlessly, with love and eros unending. When will I be made worthy of the gift of the compassion of my Most-Holy God the Father, to partake of You unto the ages of ages!
My unworthiness troubles me, that I am not worthy of such a place among the saved, but I am worthy of hell and of eternal punishment.
The Resurrection, the eternal Pascha, attracts me terribly. It draws me above the state of things. Above heaven. Above to the sure desire, which I greatly desire to find. But, when will this occur?
O Pascha, together with the Angels, with the Saints, dressed in white, who so greatly desire me and attract me! New songs and unspeakable words are chanted and praised to God, with an awesome, but also unspeakable peace and serenity.
O Pascha, without end, and transformation of the unspeakable joy and Festival! My Father and my God, preserve me from every evil that I myself might be made worthy, I the refuse, one day to be found at that Pascha which cannot be described in human words, nor expressed and spoken of.
Rejoice and exalt, you to as well, O my Lady Theotokos, at the arising of Your Son and God. In the divine beauty of your Son and God, remember me, the wretched one, that I might be found together with you in the eternal Pascha!
...It is the day of Resurrection, let us brilliantly shine forth, O people, Pascha, the Lord's Pascha.
I greet you this year, my Pascha.
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2021/05/quote-from-elder-ephraim-of-arizona-on.html
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St. Basil the Great: On Giving Thanks to the Creator
Giving ThanksAs thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of thy Benefactor pass away too. As thou art putting on thy tunic, thank the Giver of it. As thou wrappest thy cloak about thee, feel yet greater love to God, Who alike in summer and in winter has given us coverings convenient for us, at once to preserve our life, and to cover what is unseemly. Is the day done? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night, and to serve the rest of the needs of life. Let night give the other occasion of prayer. When thou lookest up to heaven and gazest at the beauty of the stars, pray to the Lord of the visible world; pray to God the Arch-artificer of the universe, Who in wisdom hath made them all. When thou seest all nature sunk in sleep, then again worship Him Who gives us even against our wills release from the continuous strain of toil, and by a short refreshment restores us once again to the vigour of our strength. Let not night herself be all, as it were, the special and peculiar property of sleep. Let not half thy life be useless through the senselessness of slumber. Divide the time of night between sleep and prayer. Nay, let thy slumbers be themselves experiences in piety; for it is only natural that our sleeping dreams should be for the most part echoes of the anxieties of the day. As have been our conduct and pursuits, so will inevitably be our dreams. Thus wilt thought pray without ceasing; if thought prayest not only in words, but unitest thyself to God through all the course of life and so thy life be made one ceaseless and uninterrupted prayer.”
+ St. Basil the Great, from Homily V. In martyrem Julittam, quoted in the Prolegomena in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series II Volume 8
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St. Gennadius: Always have the fear of God . . .
St. Gennadios Scholarios“Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.”
+ St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 14
https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com/2015/10/31/st-gennadius-always-have-the-fear-of-god/
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St. Ephraim of Katounakia on the Humble Simplicity of the Cave of Bethlehem
Christ's Nativity in the humble Cave of Bethlehem (source)
"I remember," said St. Ephraim of Katounakia, "that I was astonished by everywhere in the Holy Lands, but when I went to the Cave of Bethlehem, there, my heart was broken! It was torn into a thousand pieces! And I said, 'how was God born in this place, in this cave, without any consolation, like one thrown out of the city? This God Who could make anything for Himself, but, without complaint, far from every worldly comfort, during the night (and the coldest night of the year), the longest night of the year, in a totally abandoned place, He Who created everything--Heaven and Earth--He was born in this place!
"And when I returned [to his cell on Mount Athos], I entered in and saw my blankets (what blankets did He have?), and I saw what I had, and I was ashamed, and said: 'If God was born in that cave, how could I need all of these things?' I saw pots and pans..."
Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemesou, who was relating the story, comments that: "If I were to describe his pots...not even our dogs would eat from them! And if I could describe his bed...not even our pigs would we put in them!
"But, he perceived his place to be a luxury, over the top. And from then on, when they would tell him: "Elder, your cell is small." He would reply: "God was born in a cave. If I thought of God's cave, well then, what could I say regarding my own?"
http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2020/12/blog-post_380.html
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St. Neilos the Ascetic: . . .Rivalry over material possessions has made us forget . . .
BiltmoreSo we no longer pursue plainness and simplicity of life. We no longer value stillness, which helps to free us from past defilement, but prefer a whole host of things which distract us uselessly from our true goal. Rivalry over material possessions has made us forget the counsel of the Lord, who urged us to take no thought for earthly things, but to seek only the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 6:33). Deliberately doing the opposite, we have disregarded the Lord’s commandment, trusting in ourselves and not in His protection. For He says: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them’ (Matt. 6:26); and again: ‘Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil or spin’ (Matt. 6:28). When He sent the apostles out to declare the good news to their fellow men. He even forbade them to carry wallet, purse or staff, and told them to be content with His promise: ‘The workman is worthy of his food’ (Matt. 10:10). This promise is to be trusted far more than our own resources.
Despite all this we go on accumulating as much land as we can, and we buy up flocks of sheep, fine oxen and fat donkeys – the sheep to supply us with wool, the oxen to plough and provide food for us and fodder for themselves and for the other animals, the donkeys to transport from foreign lands the goods and luxuries which our own country lacks. We also select the crafts which give the highest return, even though they absorb all our attention and leave no time for the remembrance of God. It is as if we accused God of being incapable of providing for us, or ourselves of being unable to fulfill the commitments of our calling. Even if we do not admit this. openly, our actions condemn us; for we show approval of the ways of worldly men by engaging in the same pursuits, and perhaps working at them even harder than they do.
+ St. Neilos the Ascetic
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St. Paisios the Athonite on Prayer and Lighting Candles
Elder, when we light a candle, do we say that it is for some purpose?
-You are lighting it, but where do you send it? Aren't you sending it somewhere?
With a candle, we are seeking something from God. When you light it, you should say: "For those who are suffering in body and soul", "for those who have the greatest need", and among them is also the living and the reposed.
Do you know how much rest the departed sense when we light a candle for them? Thus, one has spiritual communication with the living and with the reposed.
The candle, in a few words, is an antenna*** that brings us into communication with God, with the sick, with the departed, etc.
***Note: St. Paisios is cleverly showing the resemblance of the words "κεράκι" and "κεραία" ("Candle" and "antenna") in Greek.
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Elder Thaddeus: We think we know a lot . . .
Scholar Education KnowledgeWe think we know a lot, but what we know is very little. Even all those who have striven all their life to bring progress to mankind — learned scientists and highly educated people — all realize in the end that all their knowledge is but a grain of sand on the seashore. All our achievements are insufficient.
+ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives
https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/elder-thaddeus-we-think-we-know-a-lot/
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When was such a wonder of wonders ever seen by men? How does the Queen of all lie breathless? How has the Mother of Jesus reposed? Thou, O Virgin, wast the preaching of the prophets; thou art heralded by us. All the people venerate thee; the angels glorify thee. Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee, and through thee, with us. With Gabriel we hymn thee, with the angels we glorify thee; and with the prophets we praise thee, for they announced thee.
Habakkum beheld thee as an overshadowed mountain, for thou art covered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Daniel beheld thee as a mountain from whom, seedlessly, the solid and strong King, the Christ, issued forth. Jacob saw thee as a ladder upon Whom Christ came down to eat and drink with us. And although we, His slaves, contemplate ascending into the heavens, yet thou hast ascended before all. Rejoice, O Virgin, for Gideon beheld thee as a fleece. David saw thee as the virgin daughter of the King. Isaias called thee Mother of God and Ezekiel a gate. All the prophets prophesied thee!
What shall we call thee, O Virgin? Paradise. It is meet, for thou hast blossomed forth the flower of incorruption, Christ, Who is the sweet-smelling fragrance for the souls of men. Virgin? Verily, a virgin thou art, for without the seed of man thou gavest birth to our Lord Jesus Christ. Thou wast a virgin before birth and virgin at birth and still a virgin after. Shall we call thee Mother? This is meet too; for as a Mother thou gavest birth to Christ the King of all. Shall we name thee Heaven? This thou art also for upon thee rose the Sun of righteousness. Wherefore, rejoice O Virgin, and hasten to thy Son’s rest and dwell in the tents of His beloved. Hasten there and make ready a palace and remember us and all thy people also, too. O Lady Mother of God, for both we and thyself are of the race of Adam. On account of this, intercede on our behalf; for this supplicate thy Son Whom thou hast held in thine embrace, and help us in our preaching and then afterwards that we may find rest in our hopes. Go forward, O Virgin from earth to heaven, from corruption to incorruption, from the sorrow of this world to the joy of the Kingdom of the heavens, from this perishable earth to the everlasting Heaven. Hasten, O Virgin to the heavenly light, to the hymns of the angels, to the glory of the saints from all the ages. Hasten, O Virgin, to the place of thy Son, to His Kingdom, to His power, where the angels chant, the prophets glorify and the Archangels hymn the Mother of the King, who is the lit lampstand, wider than the heavens, the firmament above, the protection of Christians, and the mediatress of our race.”
-St. Ierothos
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/08/when-was-such-wonder-of-wonders-ever.html
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A Miracle of St. Iakovos of Evia in India
When we celebrated the forty-day memorial of Papou [St. Iakovos of Evia], they whole area was covered in snow.
At one point in the evening, a rural villager came close. I heard Fr. Seraphim tell the sailor: "Go ahead, Niko, they're waiting for you behind the Altar."
When I went for a walk again in the Monastery, I passed by [the Saint's] grave, and I see the sailor crying, and after a short time, he related to us:
"We were stopped in India, because our boat had suffered damage, and we didn't know what was wrong. On Thursday evening I saw [the Saint] and he told me:
'Niko, it's there. That's where the damage is. Change out that part and you will leave.'
And that is how it occurred."
And when he returned to his home, his loved ones hadn't told him anything.
At the lunch table in his home, his little daughter told him:
"Daddy, that Papouli*** flew"
"What Papouli?"
They told him what had occurred [i.e. the repose of St. Iakovos] and he immediately came up to the Monastery. Of course at that hour, Fr. Seraphim and other pilgrims were there saying:
"He was a holy man."
And Fr. Seraphim [joked] "What kind of holy man? He was lying. He said that he hadn't gone anywhere, but he himself had gone to India."
-Quote of Metropolitan Pavlos of Siatista, of Blessed Memory, from a talk on St. Iakovos of Evia in the Holy Church of St. George, Panoramatos 11/21/2016
***Note: "Papouli" here is being used as a term of endearment for a priest.
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-miracle-of-st-iakovos-of-evia-in-india.html
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A certain monk told me that when he was very sick, his mother said to his father, “How our little boy is suffering. I would gladly give myself to be cut up into pieces if that would ease his suffering.” Such is the love of God for people. He pitied people so much that he wanted to suffer for them, like their own mother, and even more. But no one can understand this great love without the grace of the Holy Spirit.
+ St. Silouan the Athonite
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“If [the disease of sin] is natural, then it cannot be cured. Thus it would remain always, no matter how hard you worked to rid yourself of it. If you accept this thought, you will lose heart, and say to yourself: this is how it is. For this is that woeful despair, which, once it has been introduced into people, they have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness (Ephesians 4: 19).
“I shall repeat again: Maintain the conviction that our disorderliness is not natural to us, and do not listen to those who say, ‘It is no use talking about it, because that is just how we are made, and you cannot do anything about it.’ That is not how we are made, and if we undertake to cure ourselves, then we will be able to do something about it.”
+ St. Theophan the Recluse
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"Which is better? To be meek, humble, peaceful and to be filled with love, or to be irritable, depressed, and to quarrel with everyone? Unquestionably the higher state is love."
-St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2020/11/which-is-better-to-be-meek-humble.html
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A vision of Elder Ephraim, and a picture of his purported to be weeping
"I just communicated with Gerontissa Thekla from Montreal, and she told me that our holy Elder appeared to someone living in Crete. He lives ascetically, and would go to visit the Elder at St. Anthony's [in Arizona].
He has this picture of our holy Elder with a constant vigil lamp before it. The Elder told him that God is greatly saddened by the Greeks***, because they are not praying.
On November 3rd, the picture began to weep, not just tears, but it became soaked.
The Elder is praying for all of us."
-Maria
***Note: By no means are the Greeks the only people that might not be praying as they should, but all people throughout the world, young and old, clergy, laity and monastics, should be repenting and praying as we should, entreating the Lord to save the world.
“Elder Ephraim of Philotheou, who lived as an ascetic in Arizona, appeared to a woman in Northern Greece, a long-time spiritual daughter of the elder. At the time of the appearance she was with her daughter-in-law; she was not asleep but actually in a state of alertness. At one point the woman was unresponsive, as if in ecstasy,* and this lasted for about 10 minutes, according to her daughter-in-law who was watching her. She did not realize or comprehend the time duration — i.e., for how long the vision lasted. It was something new for her (the content of the conversation) because she has seen the Elder before, after his repose, both in her sleep as well while she was awake. Due to all this (her shock), she contacted her spiritual father and asked whether this experience was real or a deception by the evil one.
She saw Elder Ephraim and he was very sad and was imploring Christ that the ongoing [direction of] events be averted (all this, of course, is in agreement with what the elder said to many while he was alive).
And he told her:
‘Repentance repentance repentance. Christ is very angry...
We people today should not be in this spiritual state we are in...
Huge tribulations are coming, you can not imagine how bad these will be...
Alas to all of you for what awaits you; you must repent as long as there is time...
You need to kneel and cry, to shed tears of repentance, that Christ soften...
This has to do with what is happening in America as well.
Many people will depart through all that is to come, many people will depart (they will die).
You have no mercy among you. You show no mercy to each other.
You are tough towards each other, you stand ready to eat (consume-destroy) each other ....
Tell all of this to your spiritual father and to others ....’
The woman who saw this was a spiritual daughter of Elder Ephraim and was in communication with him often up until his repose.
- f. I.
*Translator’s note: The Greek term here is χάθηκε. It was not immediately clear to us if this meant literally or spiritually. We received clarification that it was the latter and have made the change. We have also made other minor changes to improve the English translation and correct typos in the Greek version.
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/11/picture-of-elder-ephraim-of-arizona.html
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Saint Porphyrios and the Visit of Divine Grace Before Christmas: A True Testimony Similar to "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
It was the days leading up to the Christmas of 1993. I was in a very difficult situation: physical sicknesses and horrible pains, revolts of the passions, warfare with the devil and through men.
I said: "My Christ, what kind of Christmas am I going to have this year?" Then I called upon the Elder [Porphyrios].
(Just before he reposed he said to me: "Call on me.")
On the night of December 22, as soon as I was able to fall asleep, he came.
At first I thought he was still alive, and he said to me:
"Come and take me for a ride."
I grab him and instead of taking him, he took me. We were together, I think, all night.
We traveled to many places, we also came to the Monastery, we also visited the children.
The next day in the morning everything went away: sorrows, melancholy, worries, intrusive thoughts, everything went away and there came serenity, peace, joy, good thoughts, humble and forgiving thoughts for everyone and for everything, and above all a preparation for my deeper lonely state.
It was a visit of Divine Grace through Elder Porphyrios. That's what my discerning spiritual father told me.
Homily on the Meaning of the Holy Cross, by Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotes
My beloved, what does the Cross teach us? Take a chalk and write, like children do in school, 2+2=4. Thus, the Cross is the "equal sign", but what is it? Do you think that it is simply a piece of wood that we venerate and are saved? You are mistaken, because this is not how it is in reality.
The Cross equals forgiveness.
Because upon the Cross, Christ forgave His murderers. Are there today some here in church who are at odds with each other? Are there women who hate their mothers-in-law? Are there houses where people don't speak with each other? Are there neighbors that don't greet each other? Is there hatred? Well then, the Cross tells us today: "Forgive!" If you don't forgive, then don't approach the Cross, don't venerate it. When, within your heart, you have bitterness, you have this serpent of hatred, you can't approach the Cross. Because the Cross means forgiveness. You must forgive even your greatest enemy.
The Cross equals truth.
Even if they put a knife to your throat, and slaughter you, you should speak the truth. Not in the sense that you go to court and raise your wretched hand upon the Gospel and take a false oath. Not like this. Christ was crucified for the truth. Whoever says lies, whoever goes to court and takes false oaths, he is not worthy to venerate the Cross. The Cross, therefore, equals forgiveness, the Cross equals truth.
The Cross equals humility.
No--even though you might have a very large home, or more money or lands or animals, or if you have children studying in school or if you have a beautiful wife, or whatever else you might do--you should not boast or feel proud. You are not a Christian! Humility! Humble yourself to say: I am nothing, I am a worm, I am nothing in this world. However, when you have pride and you boast and you show off your body and your job and your money, then you are not a Christian.
The Cross equals love.
Is your neighbor hungry? Give him a piece of bread. Is he thirsty? Give him a glass of water. Is he naked? Give him a shirt to wear. Go and console him and wipe away his tears. This is Christianity. Not when you have everything and your neighbor has nothing.
The Cross equals sacrifice.
As Christ sacrificed Himself, thus we must sacrifice ourselves. This is what the Cross means. If you do these things, then you are worthy to be called Christians. But you who dip your hands in blood, you who take false oaths, you who are unjust to the orphan, you cannot approach the Cross. The Cross casts you out.
Read the life of St. Mary of Egypt. On this day, she went to Jerusalem and saw the crowd going into the church and everyone--old, young, women, men--were going to venerate. She herself tried to approach the entrance. But some power pushed her back. She tried and second and a third time, but she was unable. Why? Because she was a sinful woman, and she worked in sin in Alexandria. Only after she repented, then she was able to enter the church and she became a Christian in reality.
The Cross, my beloved, creates presuppositions. We must live corresponding to the teaching of the Cross.
And something else: You should make your Cross properly. Because unfortunately, in our faithless years that we are living through, everything has become fashionable. Fashionable hair, fashionable clothing, fashionable shoes, fashion everywhere. Unfortunately many in Church do it out of fashion. Unfortunately you see scientists, congressmen, ministers, prime ministers, and none are doing their Cross correctly. That which they are doing is not the Cross. It joking and mocking. It is playing with God. Do not play with God. How will they understand that you are a Christian? By your Cross. When you make the sign of the Cross properly, you are doing a whole prayer. Therefore, do your Cross properly.
And when should you do your Cross? When you awake in the morning, do your Cross. Are you going to work? Do your Cross. Are you going to your field? Do your Cross. Are you sowing, returning from your field, entering your home? Do your Cross. Are you sitting at your dinner table? Do your Cross. Are you going to sleep? Do your Cross.
"Though I fall, I make my Cross
And have an Angel by my side."
O woman, are you baking? Make the sign of the Cross in the dough. Wherever you go and whatever you do, make your Cross. The Cross is the "protector of the whole world."
(+) Bishop Augoustinos
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/09/homily-on-meaning-of-holy-cross-by.html
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They asked an Abbess:
"What are you doing here, locked up in the Monastery for so many years?"
She replied: "I am praying to God to place you in Paradise."
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/09/i-am-praying-to-god-to-place-you-in.html
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"Once, when St. Iakovos of Evia, Greece, was casting out demons from a wretched demoniac, his ears heard: 'Hey Iakovos, you should know! The knees of Mary have withered from praying for all of you.' What are we doing? Are we worthy of these prayers or do we fall and get carried away from our passions and fall into sin? And if we fall, do we go afterwards to kneel under the stole of a spiritual father, that our sins might be washed away? Because, we will have to give an account for our deeds, our desires, our thoughts...so while there is still time, let us repent! Let us change our way of thinking and our way of life, to enter into the space of our Church. She is the ark of our salvation, that we might partake of the Spotless Mysteries, in Confession and Divine Communion, and when we commune, we become even more closely related to our Panagia, because our Panagia hosted within her womb the Son of God and her Son, and when we commune, we host, we give a dwelling-place within us, within our body, to God, like our Panagia."
-Quote from a sermon of Elder Gabriel of St. David's Monastery in Evia on the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-knees-of-mary-have-withered-from.html
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They asked Abba Sisoes, ‘If a brother sins, surely he must do penance for a year?’ He replied, ‘That is a hard saying.’ The visitors said, ‘For six months?’ He replied, ‘That is a great deal.’ They said, ‘For forty days? ‘He said, ‘That is a great deal, too. ‘They said to him, ‘What then? If a brother falls, and the agape is about to be offered, should he simply come to the agape, too? ‘The old man said to them, ‘No, he needs to do penance for a few days. But I trust in God that if such a man does penance with his whole heart, God will receive him, even in three days.’
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Elder Ephraim of St. Andrew's Skete on the Repose of St. Paisios
"Gerontissa (Eldress) Philothei, from the Monastery of Souroti, told me that, as soon as St. Paisios reposed, his face shown, and his whole body began to pour forth fragrance and lightning!!! And he went from being very pale from his afflictions, to becoming totally white!
"A sign of his great humility and the many signs from God that he had in his life.
"St. Paisios had very many revelations, some of which he revealed to people, but he asked them to not make them known until he had died!
"His life was a martyrical one, and his battle with the devil and with the demons was not insignificant!
"To live one's whole life as a monk, this shows that he had a leonine soul, for otherwise he could not have withstood the attacks of the enemy, being totally alone."
-Elder Ephraim of St. Andrew's Skete, Mount Athos
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/07/elder-ephraim-of-st-andrews-skete-on.html
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WHAT is the Orthodox Church? The Orthodox Church is a body or community of people, who, 1—correctly believe in divine revelation; and 2—who obey a lawful hierarchy instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ himself, through the holy apostles. In order to belong to the Orthodox Church two principal conditions are required: First—to accurately accept, rightly understand and truthfully confess the divine teaching of faith; and secondly— to acknowledge the lawful hierarchy or priesthood, to receive from it the holy mysteries or sacraments, and generally to follow its precepts in matters concerning salvation.Book St Sebastion Preaching in the Orthodox Church
+ St. Sebastian Dabovich
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Homily on the Day of the Theophany Before the Blessing of the Waters (St. John Maximovitch)
By St. John Maximovitch
(Delivered in Shanghai in 1947)
“The heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended physically like a dove” on the Son of God standing in the Jordan. The voice from heaven of God the Father is heard: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:11; Matt. 3:17).
The sky is open now, again the Holy Spirit descends on the waters, and God testifies of His Son.
Oh, that our spiritual eyes would be opened! Oh, that our ears could perceive celestial expressions! We would see the heavens open above us. We would have seen the Son of God standing among us and the Holy Spirit hovering over us, and we would have heard the voice of God proclaiming the divinity of the Savior of the world.
We would feel how the Holy Spirit descended on the waters, returned to them the kindness that they had at the creation of the world, and made them a life-giving force that revives fallen nature. We ourselves would be illumined with light, our lips would be filled with the spirit and joyfully sing of Him who established us on the rock of faith.
But only the pure in heart see the divine. Those darkened by sin do not see and do not hear.
People saw the heavens at the baptism of the Lord, but only John the Baptist saw that it was open.
Many looked at the Lord Jesus Christ when He came to the Jordan, but only John felt that He was the incarnate Son of God, while others looked at Him as an ordinary person, a carpenter and a carpenter's son.
Perhaps not only John saw the Holy Spirit descending on Him in the form of a dove, but only he understood that it was the Holy Spirit, while others mistook it for the flight of an ordinary dove.
Perhaps many heard the voice of God the Father at the Jordan, but only John clearly heard the testimony of God about His Son. Others heard it like thunder thundering over the waters, just as later people mistook for thunder the answer of heaven, God the Father, to the prayer offered by the Son (John 12:30).
So now, we see the clouds that have covered the sky, but we do not see that it is open, we breathe in the air, but we do not feel the Holy Spirit descending on us and the water, we hear the words of church hymns and do not understand their Divine power.
But in truth the Lord stands between us “where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20), truly the heavens are now open and their Creator bears witness to the Eternal Word, now the Holy Spirit will descend on the waters and sanctify us. Water by the grace of God will become a source of health of soul and body, sanctification for us and our dwellings and all nature, and will be kept incorruptible for many years, will become like the voice of God, broadcasting that our Savior Jesus Christ is the Son of God, descended to earth and resurrecting us to incorruption and will raise you up to the heavenly temple.
Let us open our hearts by faith and open our mouths to praise, from the depths of our souls we will cry out: “Great art thou, O Lord, and marvelous are Thy works, and not a single word will be sufficient for the singing of Thy wonders!”
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2023/01/homily-on-day-of-theophany-before.html
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Christ Is Born, Glorify Him! (St. John Maximovitch)
By St. John Maximovitch
Christ is born, glorify Him!
“You were secretly born in a cave, but the heavens proclaimed You to all, O Savior, using the star as its mouth.”
Quietly, silently, the Son of God descended to earth and incarnated. Like a drop of dew falls on the ground, so the Power of the Most High overshadowed the Most Pure Virgin, and the Savior of the world was born from Her.
But the world did not notice the great work done by God. People were each busy with their own concerns, their attention was directed to the affairs of life and to high-profile worldly events.
Rome strengthened its power over the peoples and its state power. Greece developed the arts and indulged in the refined service of the flesh. The Eastern peoples tried to find answers to all the inquiries of the spirit in the phenomena of nature.
The Jews ardently longed for liberation from foreign power and waited for a deliverer in the person of the Messiah - the earthly king.
However, the affairs of life did not give satisfaction to people, even when they were successful. The “longing of the spirit” for truth was felt more and more strongly, and it was felt that the world, mired in vanity and vices, was about to perish.
Not only the Jews were waiting for a deliverer; but the best of the Gentiles were waiting for someone who would save mankind from destruction.
But each in his own way imagined His coming, and, being carnal themselves, could not think of the spiritual. “The Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22).
No one was waiting for the Savior, meek and humble in heart, clothed not with earthly, but with heavenly glory.
And this was exactly why He “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
It was not by external force or arrogant wisdom that He came to reign over the nations, not as “a frightening ghost” (Prayer for Blessing of W.ater), but in the form of a slave the Savior came to take upon Himself the sin of Adam, to bear the burden of man, being accessible to everyone.
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45; Matt. 20:28).
Accordingly, He is born in a cave, in a small city, where, at the time of the census, the family of the poor carpenter righteous Joseph, rich only in virtues, arrived.
None of those living on earth imagined that in such squalor the Redeemer would appear and that the Reigning over all creatures would come to people.
And even the prince of this world of that time, the proud opponent of God - the devil, turned out to be deceived and did not recognize in the Newborn the One Whom he envied when he was still an angel. The eternal secret about the salvation of the human race, hidden from his power, could be known only by those who heed the voice from heaven and fix their eyes there.
The shepherds heard the angels singing about the coming in the flesh of Christ, those poor shepherds of Bethlehem, whose only source of wisdom was the open book of the wisdom of God, revealed in the beauty of His creations, untouched by the sinful hand of man.
And to the rest of mankind, who did not hear the angelic singing, the sky, with the bright light of the star that shone in it, as if by mouth announced that He was “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9-11).
Heaven spoke to all, proclaiming the glory of God. But only the magi kings, who sought in it revelations of God's judgments and were ready to go anyywhere to find the truth, "understood the voice of heaven." Having collected their treasures in order to present them as a gift to the newborn King, they left their thrones, left their native land and went, not knowing where, following only the course of the star, which announced to them the path to the Eternal Kingdom.
The path was hard, but the light of the star of Bethlehem illuminated it. And the "wise men-magi", overcoming all obstacles, traveled along the paths indicated by the sky, "having renounced their will". The star led them to Jerusalem, where they heard the written word of God, and then to Bethlehem, where they saw the Word incarnate, God in the flesh, and worshiped the Sun of Truth.
The world continued to rage with its passions.
Herod, learning about the birth of the eternal King, sought to kill Him; not finding Him, he killed many babies, but he could not kill the one Secretly Born in the Cave.
This mystery for those who live according to the elements of this world remained a mystery. “He lived among the people, but they did not know Him” (John 1:31).
Only gradually did He reveal Himself to a pure heart, seeking the truth, ready to stand for the truth, revealing Himself to those who desired purification of the heart, who were ready to submit their will to the will of Heaven.
And the time has come - the light of Bethlehem lit up all the ends of the universe.
Now the world is raging again! Some would be ready to kill the Baby and try to erase His Name, others seem not to notice Him. But He stands in the midst of us, revealing Himself to those who "keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart." “Tongues stagger in vain and people are taught in vain! With an iron rod, like the vessels of the poor, He will crush those who anger Him."
And the star of Bethlehem again shines invisibly over the world, calling on all peoples and every person to direct their gaze to heaven, to have a heart, to fall down to the Newborn and rejoice with great joy, for God is with us! “God is with us, understand this Gentiles, and submit: for God is with us!”
Christ is born!
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2023/01/christ-is-born-glorify-him-st-john.html
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Abbot Tryphon, Vashon Island, WA, USA: "We must recognize infanticide and abortion for the evil that it is..."
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
Washington, Oregon, New York, and California, allow for the killing of newborn infants. Calling it late term abortion, it is in reality, the murder of newly born children. That the United States has lowered the moral and spiritual level to allow the holocaust of our own children, is beyond belief.
I see absolutely no difference between the Nazi slaughter of innocent men, women, and children, and the taking of a child’s life through abortion. Aborting children in the early stages of development was heinous. The fact that millions were being aborted simply for the convenience of the mother was even worse. And now, we’re being told that it is not only acceptable, but a celebrated choice to end a child’s life at full term. This is pure, unadulterated evil.
As a young man growing up in a German Lutheran Church in Spokane, WA. I prayed God would have granted me the courage to speak up and denounce the slaughter of innocents at the hands of the Nazis had I been alive during World War II. How can anyone who says he loves God, ignore the plight of millions of children who are murdered each year? Are we to remain silent, as did so many Germans under the Nazis, or are we to be bold in our refusal to remain silent concerning this new holocaust?
There is absolutely no difference between allowing a newly born child to die alone on a hospital table, and the holocaust done by the Nazis. Abortion and infanticide have no place in a nation that places so much emphasis on the importance of human rights, gay rights, women’s rights, and the rights of immigrants. We must wake up to the evil that has taken our country, and we must speak out against this evil.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2019/02/abbott-tryphon-we-must-recognize.html
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St. Paisios of Holy Mount Athos: "Abortions are a terrible sin"
-Elder, one forty year-old woman, who has grown children, is three months pregnant. Her husband threatened that, if she does not have an abortion, he would leave her.
If she has an abortion, her other children would pay with sicknesses and accidents. Today, parents kill their children with abortions and do not have the blessing from God. In olden times, if a small child was born sick, they would baptize him, and he would die like an angel, and was more secured.
Parents had other older children, but they also had the blessing of God. Today, they kill their older children through abortions, as they strive to keep them alive while they are sick. Parents run to England, to America to heal them. And they continue to bear children even more sick, because they, if they sought to make a family, they could again give birth to sick children, at which point, what would happen? If they bore a few children, they would not run so much for the one who is sick. He would die and go forth as a little angel.
-Elder, I read once that every year, in total there are 50 million abortions and 200,000 women die from complications.
They kill the children because they say that, if the population would increase, there would not be enough to eat, in order for humanity to be preserved. There are so many uncultivated areas, so many woods, so that, with today's tools, for example, they could plant olive groves to give to the poor. It's not that they would cut the trees and there would be no Oxygen, because there would be trees to replace them.
In America, the wheat burns, and here in Greece, the fruit falls into the rubbish heap, etc. while in Africa, the people are dying from hunger. When people were dying from hunger in Abyssinia, because they had a great drought, I told a well-known ship-owner friend to help in these circumstances, to go to the rubbish dump and to load up a boat to take [the surplus foodstuffs] there for free. They didn't allow him to do this under any circumstance.
-How many thousands of embryos are killed every day!
Abortion is a terrible sin. It is murder, and of course a very great murder, to kill unbaptized children. Parents must understand that life begins from the instant of conception.
One night, God allowed me to see a terrible vision, to inform me regarding this matter! It was the evening of the Tuesday of Bright Week 1984. I had lit two candles in two tin cans, as I always do even while asleep, for all those who suffer spiritually or bodily. To those I include the living and the reposed. At midnight, as I was saying the [Jesus] Prayer, I saw a great field surrounded by a fence, studded by wheat that had just begun to grow. I stood outside the field, and I lit candles for the reposed and placed them on the wall of the fence.
To the left there was a dry place, full of rocks and cliffs, which was shaking continuously from a very strong cry from thousands of voices that break your heart and make you shudder. And even the toughest man, if he would hear it, would be unable to remain unmoved. As I was experiencing these heartbreaking cries, I asked within where these voiced were coming from, and what was happening with all that I saw, and I heard a voice tell me: “The field studded with wheat that has just sprouted, is the Cemetery with the souls of the dead that would be raised. At the place which was shaking from the heartbreaking cries are found the souls of children who were killed through abortions!”
Following this vision, I was unable to rest from the great pain that I experienced for the souls of the children. I could neither lie down to rest, though I had been busy that whole day.
-Elder, can something be done to remove the law regarding abortions?
Yes, but the Nation, the Church, etc. must be moved to inform the people about the consequences of declining birth rates. The Priest should explain to the world that the law regarding abortions is against the commandments of the Gospel. Doctors, from their own positions, should speak of the risks that follow the woman who has an abortion. See, the Europeans had royalty, and left this as an inheritance for their children. We had the fear of God, but we lost it and did not leave an inheritance for the next generation, and for this we legalize abortions, political marriage, [etc.]...When a man disobeys one commandment of the Gospel, he alone is responsible. When, however, something that clashes with the commandments of the Gospel becomes the law of the land, then the wrath of God falls upon the whole nation, that it may be chastened.
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2013/01/elder-paisios-abortions-are-terrible-sin.html
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The Wondrous Appearance of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr on Mount Athos
Saint Stephen, the first martyr and archdeacon, is celebrated on December 27th and is especially honored on Mount Athos at the Sacred Monastery of Konstamonitou, whose katholikon is dedicated to the Saint.
He is also celebrated in Karyes by the representatives of Dionysiou Monastery, where there is a beautifully renovated chapel dedicated to Saint Stephen.
The academic, professor emeritus of the Theological School of Athens, Mr. Antonios Tachiaos, once spoke of the appearance of Saint Stephen to a Russian deacon, when he was called to liturgize in the chapel. This incident took place in the 20th century and was told to the Professor by monks from Mount Athos, during his first visit to the Holy Mountain in the 1950's.
The Professor narrates:
We arrived at the capital of the Holy Mountain, Karyes and, as we had to, we headed to the Holy Community. Here we had recommendations for the representative of the Dionysiou Monastery, Fr. Gregory, who took care of our accommodations and took us into the residence to host us. In the picturesque residence we worshiped in the solemn church of the holy Protomartyr Stephen. Here we heard about some miracle of the Saint. One year, on the feast of Saint Stephen, because they did not have a deacon, Fr. Gregory asked the representative of the Russian Monastery in Karyes, Fr. Nikostratos, who was an elderly, modest deacon, to come for the Liturgy.
Indeed, the good Fr. Nikostratos came on time, but as soon as he entered the church, where the fathers were gathered, he looked towards the sanctuary and said to them: "Why did you call me, since you have a deacon, who has already worn the sticharion?"
They all looked at him with surprise and asked him: "Where do you see the deacon, Fr. Nikostratos?"
Fr. Nikostratos was speechless for a while and then, with tears in his eyes, he told them: "That was him, I saw him fully alive, bright with his vestments and the censer in his hand," and he showed them the icon of the Protomartyr Stephen. The fathers marveled at the miracle, glorified the Lord and with great enthusiasm began the Divine Liturgy.
Source: From Antonios Tachiaos, "Saints, Citizens of Paradise", periodical Panchalkidikos Logos, issue 29, October-December 2016, p. 33).
Quotes of Saint Gabriela of Leros Island, Greece, Missionary in England, Africa, India, Holy Land etc. (+1992)
Two things are very important… “Love one another,” and “Fear not, only believe.”
We become a reflection of Heaven by saying: ‘Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven’.
If you have love for all the world, the whole world is beautiful.
If you do not get rid of “No” and “Tomorrow” from your life, you will never get to where the Lord wants you, Who grants you everything. He will give you the bodily strength when you answer “Yes” and “Now”. The prophets, the angels and the saints all said, “Behold here I am… Let it be according to Your word.”
Truth and light are synonymous.When you follow the truth you are in the light, you are with Christ.
True prayer always reaches heaven. The angels carry it to the right place and the answer comes. Its basis is Truth, and “Not My will, but that of the Father Who sent me.”
Say prayer-ropes also just with “Thank you”.
The angels always come. You should have continual conversation with your guardian angel. About everything. Especially in difficulties and when you cannot get across to someone. He always helps.
When it is in God’s programme for you to go somewhere, you will go. That is why I am generally quiet in life. I have observed that even if a person does not want to, God moves him.
Never expect anybody to understand you. Only God.
When one is alone with God, the time passes unimaginably quickly. More quickly than when you have companionship… And yet even within the world one can remain united with God. How? When whatever he is doing he directs his thoughts to Him… when whatever good comes his way he gives Him glory… and whatever testing he meets, he gives Him thanks.
Love means to respect the freedom of the other.
You must not talk about persons who are absent.
Love is always on the cross. Because Christ is on the cross.
If coal is not “beaten”, can it become diamond?
The Lord allows those who love Him to be tested, first, so that their faith in Him may grow stronger, and second, to set an example for those around.
Some people want to go to the Resurrection without passing by way of Gologatha.
The sermon on the mount and the epistle of Saint James. Every day! What a pity that we do not hear them more often…
My wishes: may the grace of our Christ, the love of the omnipotent Father and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit be with you! May your example be the life of the Mother of God, who will lead you at every step with her archangels and angels as your heavenly mother; that you love your mother who brought you into life and brought you up, and may you give love and joy first to her, and then to all who come near you.
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2023/10/mother-gabriela-ascetic-of-love-is.html
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Elder Symeon Kragiopoulos on the Nativity of the Theotokos: "The heavier the burdens we’ve got to lift in this world, the greater God’s blessing will be..."
The heavier the burdens we’ve got to lift in this world, the greater God’s blessing will be, as was the case of saint Anna who, though infertile, brought the Virgin Mary into the world.
Something similar will happen to each one of us, if we don’t despair and if we take this difficult and unbearable burden as special grace from God. Indeed, that’s the way things are. So great will the blessing from God be that man will remain in wonder.
To get to this point, man shouldn’t grumble. On the contrary, let us allow this unbearable cross, this unbearable shame we have to carry be the reason we refuse to grumble. Let it be the reason why we learn to feel gratitude to God. Let it be the reason we cry out to God with all our might, the reason we entrust ourselves to God and indeed expect for His blessing, His grace, His love to come.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (†)
From the book: Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos, “SPIRITUAL MESSAGES” Panorama Thessaloniki, 2017
https://www.orthodoxpath.org/saints-and-elders-counsels/the-nativity-of-theotokos/
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St. Peter of Damascus: . . . if someone wants to be saved, no person and no time, place or occupation can prevent him. He must not, however . . .
Icon of St. Peter of DamascusBriefly, we may say that in the nature of things, if someone wants to be saved, no person and no time, place or occupation can prevent him. He must not, however, act contrary to the objective that he has in view, but must with discrimination refer every thought to the divine purpose. Things do not happen out of necessity: they depend upon the person through whom they happen. We do not sin against our will, but we first assent to an evil thought and so fall into captivity. Then the thought itself carries the captive forcibly and against his wishes into sin.
The same is true of sins that occur through ignorance: they arise from sins consciously committed. For unless a man is drunk with either wine or desire, he is not unaware of what he is doing; but such drunkenness obscures the intellect and so it falls, and dies as a result. Yet that death has not come about inexplicably: it has been unwittingly induced by the drunkenness to which we consciously assented. We will find many instances, especially in our thoughts, where we fall from what is within our control to what is outside it, and from what we are consciously aware of to what is unwitting. But because the first appears unimportant and attractive, we slip unintentionally and unawares into the second. Yet if from the start we had wanted to keep the commandments and to remain as we were when baptized, we would not have fallen into so many sins or have needed the trials and tribulations of repentance.
+ St. Peter of Damascus, Book I: A Treasury of Divine Knowledge, The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 3)
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Homily on Theophany by St. Luke of Simferopol
The Gospel reading of Theophany provides a word of Christ of great importance. And on this I wish now to turn your attention for a bit.
This great event of the Theophany of the Lord was preceded by the preaching on the banks of the Jordan River by John, the Forerunner of the Lord, the greatest among those born of women. His fiery preaching of repentance, for which he prepared beforehand for twenty years in the desert of Judea, attracted to him a great multitude of people. The fiery word of his preaching set ablaze the hearts of men, whom he baptized in the waters of the Jordan to purify their sins.
But on that great day, to his great astonishment, among the others who were coming to be baptized was Him Who he had never seen, but was Him Whom he revealed would come to baptize him with the Holy Spirit. And having fallen at His feet, he told Him with reverence: "I have need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?" (Matthew 3:14)
We, hope are truly baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire, could not understand why the sinless Son of God went to His servant John and asked to be baptized by him with the baptism of repentance, in order for Him to be loosened from sins that He did not possess, if Christ had not responded to the question of the Forerunner in this way: "Let it be so, for thus we will fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15)
O, our Lord! We venerate You and Your Forerunner, and we thank You from the depths of our hearts for teaching us to respect and honor "all righteousness", and to hate any type of injustice, for this comes from the devil. Every righteousness, even the most insignificant righteous act, is blessed by God. You received baptism from John in the Jordan River for the remission of sins, because You wished to fulfill whatever was seen beforehand in the plan of God. The descent into the waters of the Jordan served as a seal of repentance for those who were coming to be baptized. For repentance from one's whole heart in those who received the baptism of John, received from God remission of their sins...
Therefore, the baptism of John was righteous. Our Savior was not speaking only about this righteousness to John, however, in order to silence him and to answer his question, but He was speaking about every righteousness, in other words, regarding the plan of God. With His Divine Word, He sanctified and blessed every truth and simultaneously condemned every injustice.
Think, my beloved, people of the spirit as myself, communicants of the little flock of Christ, how much injustice exists in the word! What a great sin is war, when the faithful, and especially Christian people kill each other! If the murder even of one person is punished by death in many peoples, then, how much will our Lord punish those who have led the murder of tens of millions of people?! Any sin is injustice, and war is the greatest injustice, which we all must despise...
The Baptism of our Lord has for us an exalted meaning as well, for we have the revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the instant when the Lord stood up from the water, from Heaven was heard the voice of God the Father, Which bore witness to the Son, saying: "This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17) And the Holy Spirit "in the form of a dove", descended from Heaven upon the head of the Pre-eternal Son of God. This Theophany has great importance, as it is also called besides the Baptism of the Lord. He Himself, the tri-hypostatic God, revealed the divinity of His Second Person, of the incarnate Word of God. God--Father and Holy Spirit as well--were revealed as well to mankind together with the Savior of the race of men...
O, Son of God! O, our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ! To Your works of love, to Your countless wonders, please do another wonder: draw close with Your right hand to my stony heart and turn it to a "heart of flesh". Amen.
-From the Words and Homilies of St. Luke of Simferopol, Vol. II., Published by Orthodox Kypseli
https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2021/01/homily-on-theophany-by-st-luke-of.html
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