Finding The Way To The Heart

Inner River by Dr Kyriacos C. Markides

2012-02-15T01:21:00.000-08:00

The new book by Dr Markides is available here.

From the author of The Mountain of Silence we are about to
receive a new story, "Inner River", which will be available this
coming March.

Dr Markides is a great story-teller and I'm sure we will
again be mesmerized by the fascinating answers from
'Father Maximos', the beloved character from Dr. Markides'
books, 'The Mountain of Silence' and 'Gifts of the Desert'.
I have missed 'Fr Maximos' and I can't wait to read the new
book.

St Nicholas of Myra- video of his relics in Bari, Italy

2012-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

St Nicholas of Myra

Source

Anatomical Examination of the Bari Relics (The city in Italy where the relics of St Nicholas are kept)
In the 1950s the crypt containing Saint Nicholas tomb in the Basilica di San Nicola, Bari, Italy, needed extensive work on the floors and walls. This necessitated taking the heavy cover off the tomb and removing Saint Nicholas' bones for the first and only time since they were interred by Pope Urban II in 1089 (when the tomb was completed).
A special Pontifical Commission, led by Monsignor Enrico Nicodemo, Archbishop of Bari, arranged for the examination of the relics to be carried out in the commission's presence. Luigi Martino, professor of human anatomy at the University of Bari, was engaged to perform the examination. He was assisted by his colleague Dr. Alfredo Ruggieri.

Opening the tomb
The bones had lain undisturbed, neither touched nor seen, for 866 years, until the night of May 5th, 1953. The bones were found scattered in no particular order within the tomb. The skull had been carefully placed at one end (see photo). The bones were removed, to be identified and inventoried. Besides the skull, there were long bones, short bones, and many tiny bone fragments. Among the bones there were also small stones and gravel, presumed to have been gathered hastily along with the bones by the Bari sailors in 1087.
The tomb had about ¾ of an inch of clear liquid in the bottom and the bones were wet, with marrow spaces filled with water. After the bones and the liquid were removed the grave was dried. A thorough examination in strong light found no cracks in its very thick, solid, compact and hard stone walls.

Condition of the bones
The bones themselves were very fragile and fragmented. The skull was in the best condition, showing that it was probably handled with the most care when the bones were brought to Bari. The skull is complete, missing only the back half of one jaw. It contained many teeth, with some still in their sockets. Most of the other bones were broken, some extensively, and many chipped.
After the initial examination and inventory the bones were placed in a glass urn, visible for veneration by the faithful during the four years of renovation works in the crypt. It is reported that the bones continued to yield manna during that time.

The second examination
When the crypt repairs were complete, the bones were examined a second time to preserve their images and characteristics. Both anatomical and anthropological examinations were performed on the night of May 7th, 1957. Luigi Martino, assisted by colleagues Alfredo Ruggieri and Luigi Venezia, carried out the examinations.

This time thousands of minutely-detailed measurements and x-ray photographs (roentgenography) were taken, along with careful anatomical measurements. When the examination was complete, the bones were carefully reinterred.

These measurements allowed the reconstruction of an articulated skeleton, revealing the proportions of the individual. The anthropometric information established that the skeleton belonged to an old person because the bones were extremely fragile and thinning. Because so many bones were broken, they woiuld have already been brittle and easily broken in 1087. The presence of stones and gravel indicate that thy were already fragmented and it had been difficult to separate bone fragments from gravel in the Myra tomb. As the bones were already 737 years old in 1087, it is not surprising that they were fragile and easily broken, especially when hastily gathered by sailors not used to handling such delicate objects. As they were probably not cushioned adequately to protect them from jarring by the motion of the sea, they no doubt were broken further during the voyage. One vertebra shows a thin slice of bone had been removed with a cut from a sharp knive, such as would be made to remove a relic.

Conclusions and personal characteristics
These two examinations showed the bones to be part of one skeleton of a man over seventy years of age (historical accounts report St. Nicholas' death at around age 75, reports range from 72 to 80 years of age). The man was of average height and slender-to-average build. He was 5 feet 5¾ inches tall (1.67 meters). Shoulders would have been 15¾ inches wide (40 cm), girth, 33.86 inches (86 cm) or slightly more, hands 7½ inches long (19 cm), and feet 10¼ long (26 cm) by 4 inches wide (10 cm). Circumference of the head would have been 16.69 inches (52.4 cm). The head had a normal shape, slightly elongated. The face was mostly short and wide, with the chin pushed forward more than usual. The forehead was broad, eye sockets quite large and the nose medium-sized. The hollowed cheekbones protrude slightly. Strong teeth showed recent decay and also indicated that his diet was primarily vegetarian.

The skeleton showed evidence of suffering such as would have been endured during confinement in damp and unhealthy prisons (thought to have been for several years at the age of 51). He suffered from severe chronic arthritis of the spine and pelvis and the skull showed bone thickening that would have caused chronic head pain.
Luigi Martino used the numerous photographs of the skull from various angles—front, side and oblique—to discover what the face may have looked like. So, projecting the soft tissues, he drew eyebrows, eyes and eyelids, nose, lips, chin, cheeks, and beard, corresponding to the skeletal bone. The result was a rather ascetic, thin face with large eyes and forehead. He believed it corresponded to various representations of the saint, the closest being a mosaic of Saint Nicholas with the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist in the St. Isidore Chapel in the Basilica of Saint Mark in Venice.
Source

Some Relics of St. Nicholas Are in Venice

Source
After Myra fell to the Seljuk Turks in 1071, Adriatic rivals Bari and Venice were in competition to bring the relics of Saint Nicholas to their cities. The Bari expedition, with three ships, sixty-two sailors and two priests, beat out the Venetians and the relics arrived in Bari on May 9, 1087.
Venetians also find bones in Myra
However, that is not the end of the story. Ventians left by sea for the First Crusade in 1099. On their way, the ship called in at Myra. At that time the Church of Saint Nicholas was nearly deserted, as the priests and local faithful, afraid of the Turks, celebrated Divine Liturgy just once a month. When the Venetians arrived at the church, they, like the Barians, tried flattery and then threats. They then found three well-protected boxes, containing the remains of two bishops, Ss. Theodore and Nicholas, the uncle of Nicholas of Myra. These were taken to the ship. Several sailors returned to the church. Following a sweet scent, they broke through the floor, and several more layers, until they came to a copper urn engraved "Here lies the Great Bishop Nicholas, Glorious on Land and Sea."
The sailors quickly took their treasure to the ship. A large box of relics and money were given to the Archbishop to cover the cost of repairing the church. The fleet of two hundred ships continued on its way to Palestine.
At the end of the First Crusade in 1101, the ships returned to Venice. Just as it had been in Bari, there was disagreement about where the relics were to be kept. Some put forward the Basilica di San Marco until a new church could be built, named for the saint. In the end the abbot of the San Nicoló del Lido monastery prevailed as there was already a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas on the Lido.
The bones were secured in the center of the choir in a strong fortified tower while a new worthy church was built. Upon completion of the church, the relics were placed beneath the high altar.
Where are the Real Relics? Bari? or Venice?
Thus began centuries of challenge and dispute between Bari and Venice—who really had the relics of Saint Nicholas? Bari had always refused to open the tomb. The Venetians had only seen their bones, but never had them examined. Both cities laid claim to the true relics.
Solving the riddle
Luigi Martino, anatomy professor at the University of Bari, had carried out thorough anatomical examination of the bones in Bari in 1953 and 1957. They had been removed during repairs to the crypt and he took careful measurements and thousands of photographs and x-rays. In 1992 he was asked to examine the relics held at the Lido.
Condition of the bones
The Ventian bones were broken in many small pieces and fragments, perhaps as many as 500. They were a whitish gray color, probably because they had been stored in an open dry container, maybe even in the sun. This would also make the bones brittle and vulnerable to breakage. One source asserts that they had been stored in lime for 230 years. If so, that would also explain the color and condition, which is the same for the Bari bones.

In addition to the bone fragments, a jar of manna and a black stone inscribed with the saint's name help confirm identity. The top of the left long arm bone had a sharp cut such as would be made to remove a relic piece, indicating the bone belonged to a person who was the object of veneration.

Conclusions

Luigi Martino concluded that the fragments of bones in Venice were complementary to the bones in Bari. They are from the skeleton of the same man.

The many small pieces found in Venice are consistent with accounts of the Bari sailors, in great haste, gathering up nearly all of the larger pieces, thus leaving the smaller ones, before hurrying back to their ships.

The accounts tell how the tomb was opened, the cover pulverized, so many small bits of marble would have fallen onto the skeleton. Then impetuous sailor Matteo stepped down into the coffin, still wearing shoes. So, it should be no surprise that the femers were broken off, described as "with an ax." The heads of both femers and most of the ribs are among the bones in Venice, areas easily crushed by two feet.

Professor Martino concluded that the humble remains in Venice are not, and should not be considered, less important than those in Bari.

After 891 years the mystery and dispute between Bari and Venice had ended—both are home to Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, Saint in Bari and the Lido of Venice.

An Attitude of Thanksgiving

2012-02-05T23:39:00.000-08:00

Vase used to hold the blood of St Demetrios of Thessaloniki.
Church of St Demetrios, Thessaloniki, Greece

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude
of thanksgiving " Colossians 4:2

The soul is like a laboratory. And the dynamics of the spiritual life quite
often resemble the process of setting up a scientific experiment. Under
the guidance of a father confessor or elder , we can actually test the
spiritual principles from the Church Fathers, while having the legitimate
expectation that our efforts in putting into practice their knowledge and
way of life, will result in our transformation. We know, from our ascetical
and monastic literature that when a struggler is obedient to his spiritual
director, he succeeds in his endeavors. So I have decided to go against
my natural inclination and set up an experiment in the area of thanksgiving.

I am afraid I do not always have a thankful attitude. It is very hard to say
thanks when bad things happen to me. I may not always openly respond
in anger but if I look carefully, there is an energy within me during those
times, that reflects discontent. The last thing I want to do is to give thanks.

I found a very interesting passage in the homilies of St Isaac the Syrian.
It reads, "That which leads the gifts of God to a man is a heart that is
continually moved to thanksgiving; that which leads trials to the soul is a
murmuring disposition always active in the heart. God bears with all the
weaknesses of men, but He will not suffer to leave without chastisement
a man who murmurs continually. A soul that is devoid of every illumination
of knowledge will be found in such dispositions. A mouth that always
renders thanks receives a blessing from God, and grace descends into
the heart that perseveres in thanksgiving." Homily 48 p.363,
The Ascetical Homilies of St Isaac the Syrian, Translated from the Greek
and the Syriac by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston Massachusetts
2011

Regardless of what my deceiving emotions may tell me, I realize that I
must train myself to give thanks to God in everything. God willing I will do
my part and thank God even for the bad things. The experiment consist in
persevering in thanksgiving and patiently wait for God's intervention. God's
answer may not be what I expect. In any case, I will not be disappointed.
At the very least, I hope I will receive the strength to endure with joy the trials
of this life.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23 NASB

Keep Vigil

2012-02-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

Icon of St George, St Theodore of Tyre and St Theodore Stratelates
from the walls of the Church of Panagia Dexia in Thessaloniki, Greece

The servant of God Maria (Katherine) has shared with us something
wonderful from her experience as a mother and an Orthodox Christian.
I read the story with a sense of awe, knowing very well that I am sharing
in a very holy moment in the life of this family. Her words encourage me,
they fill my heart with joy. We Orthodox Christians are the most blessed
of human beings! Life in the Orthodox Church, the Body of Christ, is the
ontological participation in the Life of Jesus Christ, our union with Him
and with each other. In a way I can not explain, I know that Maria's
Grace-filled experience is also mine and ours, of every one united to
this Body. Therefore we rejoice with, and are encouraged by each other.

Keep Vigil | PEMPTOUSIA
by Katherine Johnson

Forty days had come to a close. I remember them as one, how the weight of sleep had a habit of overtaking the light of day, how the light of a candle overcame the dark of night. A mother always remembers those forty days as if they were but one. And the evening and the morning were one day. Those forty days, they’re a muddled scrawl upon the pages of my memory.

Having come to the end of them, I ventured out with a small babe swaddled tight and carried him for the first time beyond the entrance of our home. That was the day I walked a boy-child across the threshold of the narthex, placed him in the arms of a priest. That’s when the print upon my memory begins to read clear, because I can still remember how I caught my breath, seeing him carried through the Royal Doors and into the Holy Place. I offered my child to God and the priest returned him to me, laid him on the solea where I scooped him into arms already aching for his return.

I stood there before an icon of Christ, gazing into His eyes, an epitrachelion draped over my head and I remember how I held on to the hem of His garment. That’s when the memory’s stamped vivid. I can still hear his words, “Don’t waste the time in the night when sleep is taken from you. Keep vigil. This time nursing your child in the still, quiet hours…don’t complain because you’re deprived of sleep. This is your opportunity for prayer.”

For the rest of this article please follow the link above.

The Life of St Gregory Palamas

2012-01-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Life of St Gregory Palamas
In Greek with English subtitles

Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was born in
the year 1296 in Constantinople. St Gregory's father became a
prominent dignitary at the court of Andronicus II Paleologos
(1282-1328), but he soon died, and Andronicus himself took part
in the raising and education of the fatherless boy. Endowed with
fine abilities and great diligence, Gregory mastered all the
subjects which then comprised the full course of medieval higher
education. The emperor hoped that the youth would devote himself
to government work. But Gregory, barely twenty years old,
withdrew to Mount Athos in the year 1316 (other sources say 1318)
and became a novice in the Vatopedi monastery under the guidance of
the monastic Elder St Nicodemus of Vatopedi (July 11). There he was
tonsured and began on the path of asceticism. A year later, the holy
Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision and
promised him his spiritual protection. Gregory's mother and sisters
also became monastics.

After the demise of the Elder Nicodemus, St Gregory spent eight years
of spiritual struggle under the guidance of the Elder Nicephorus, and
after the latter's death, Gregory transferred to the Lavra of St Athanasius
(July 5). Here he served in the trapeza, and then became a church
singer. But after three years, he resettled in the small skete of Glossia,
striving for a greater degree of spiritual perfection. The head of this
monastery began to teach the young man the method of unceasing
prayer and mental activity, which had been cultivated by monastics,
beginning with the great desert ascetics of the fourth century: Evagrius
Pontikos and St Macarius of Egypt (January 19).

Later on, in the eleventh century St Simeon the New Theologian
(March 12) provided detailed instruction in mental activity for those
praying in an outward manner, and the ascetics of Athos put it into
practice. The experienced use of mental prayer (or prayer of the heart),
requiring solitude and quiet, is called "Hesychasm" (from the Greek
"hesychia" meaning calm, silence), and those practicing it were
called "hesychasts."

During his stay at Glossia the future hierarch Gregory became fully
imbued with the spirit of hesychasm and adopted it as an essential
part of his life. In the year 1326, because of the threat of Turkish
invasions, he and the brethren retreated to Thessalonica, where he
was then ordained to the holy priesthood.

St Gregory combined his priestly duties with the life of a hermit. Five
days of the week he spent in silence and prayer, and only on
Saturday and Sunday did he come out to his people. He celebrated
divine services and preached sermons. For those present in church,
his teaching often evoked both tenderness and tears. Sometimes
he visited theological gatherings of the city's educated youth, headed
by the future Patriarch, Isidore. After he returned from a visit to
Constantinople, he found a place suitable for solitary life near
Thessalonica the region of Bereia. Soon he gathered here a small
community of solitary monks and guided it for five years.

In the 1330s events took place in the life of the Eastern Church which
put St Gregory among the most significant universal apologists of
Orthodoxy, and brought him great renown as a teacher of hesychasm.

About the year 1330 the learned monk Barlaam had arrived in
Constantinople from Calabria, in Italy. He was the author of treatises
on logic and astronomy, a skilled and sharp-witted orator, and he
received a university chair in the capital city and began to expound
on the works of St Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3), whose
"apophatic" ("negative", in contrast to "kataphatic" or "positive")
theology was acclaimed in equal measure in both the Eastern and
the Western Churches. Soon Barlaam journeyed to Mt Athos, where
he became acquainted with the spiritual life of the hesychasts'.
Saying that it was impossible to know the essence of God, he
declared mental prayer a heretical error. Journeying from Mount
Athos to Thessalonica, and from there to Constantinople, and later
again to Thessalonica, Barlaam entered into disputes with the monks
and attempted to demonstrate the created, material nature of the light
of Tabor (i.e. at the Transfiguration). He ridiculed the teachings of the
monks about the methods of prayer and about the uncreated light
seen by the hesychasts.

St Gregory, at the request of the Athonite monks, replied with verbal
admonitions at first. But seeing the futility of such efforts, he put his
theological arguments in writing. Thus appeared the "Triads in
Defense of the Holy Hesychasts" (1338). Towards the year 1340
the Athonite ascetics, with the assistance of the saint, compiled a
general response to the attacks of Barlaam, the so-called "Hagiorite
Tome." At the Constantinople Council of 1341 in the church of Hagia
Sophia St Gregory Palamas debated with Barlaam, focusing upon
the nature of the light of Mount Tabor. On May 27, 1341 the Council
accepted the position of St Gregory Palamas, that God,
unapproachable in His Essence, reveals Himself through His energies,
which are directed towards the world and are able to be perceived,
like the light of Tabor, but which are neither material nor created. The
teachings of Barlaam were condemned as heresy, and he himself
was anathemized and fled to Calabria.

But the dispute between the Palamites and the Barlaamites was far
from over. To these latter belonged Barlaam's disciple, the Bulgarian
monk Akyndinos, and also Patriarch John XIV Kalekos (1341-1347);
the Emperor Andronicus III Paleologos (1328-1341) was also inclined
toward their opinion. Akyndinos, whose name means "one who inflicts
no harm," actually caused great harm by his heretical teaching.
Akyndinos wrote a series of tracts in which he declared St Gregory
and the Athonite monks guilty of causing church disorders. The
saint, in turn, wrote a detailed refutation of Akyndinos' errors. The
patriarch supported Akyndinos and called St Gregory the cause of
all disorders and disturbances in the Church (1344) and had him
locked up in prison for four years. In 1347, when John the XIV was
replaced on the patriarchal throne by Isidore (1347-1349), St
Gregory Palamas was set free and was made Archbishop of
Thessalonica.

In 1351 the Council of Blachernae solemnly upheld the Orthodoxy
of his teachings. But the people of Thessalonica did not
immediately accept St Gregory, and he was compelled to live in
various places. On one of his travels to Constantinople the
Byzantine ship fell into the hands of the Turks. Even in captivity,
St Gregory preached to Christian prisoners and even to his
Moslem captors. The Hagarenes were astonished by the wisdom
of his words. Some of the Moslems were unable to endure this,
so they beat him and would have killed him if they had not
expected to obtain a large ransom for him. A year later, St
Gregory was ransomed and returned to Thessalonica.

St Gregory performed many miracles in the three years before his
death, healing those afflicted with illness. On the eve of his repose,
St John Chrysostom appeared to him in a vision. With the words
"To the heights! To the heights!" St Gregory Palamas fell asleep
in the Lord on November 14, 1359. In 1368 he was canonized at
a Constantinople Council under Patriarch Philotheus (1354-1355,
1364-1376), who compiled the Life and Services to the saint.
Source

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 8)
O light of Orthodoxy, teacher of the Church, its confirmation,
O ideal of monks and invincible champion of theologians,
O wonder working Gregory, glory of Thessalonica and
preacher of grace,always intercede before the Lord that our
souls may be saved.

Kontakion (Tone 8)
Holy and divine instrument of wisdom,joyful trumpet of theology,
together we sing your praises, O God-inspired Gregory.
Since you now stand before the Original Mind, guide our minds
to Him, O Father,so that we may sing to you:
"Rejoice, preacher of grace."
Source

Icon of St Gregory Palamas

Reliquary of St Gregory Palamas, Church of St Gregory Palamas

Thessaloniki, Greece

"If Heaven is good and if I like to be bad, how am I supposed to be happy there?" Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

2012-01-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson Source

I think it is amazing that Bill Watterson came up with this cartoon! This iswhy;

Proposition 1- If Heaven is good and if I like to be bad, how am I
supposed to be happy there?
Calvin agrees Heaven is good. He acknowledges that in his inner being,
he likes to be bad,bad being the opposite of good. Calvin likes and embraces his inner darkness and does notwant to change. He realizes that within these realities, as they are mutually exclusive, hecould not possibly be happy in heaven.

Orthodox view- This state of affairs, as pertaining to unrepentantsinners
is very correct. I think it is amazing Calvin realizes he could notbe happy
in Heaven as he is now. This is a very Orthodox truth. The state of
blessedness of the saints is the love of God, His Grace, participation in
God’suncreated Energy. For an unrepentant sinner, this Grace is fire and
torment,because he rejects God’s love and holds on to his darkness
willingly andknowingly! The gates of Hell are closed from theinside!

For a complete exposition of this Orthodox truth, please read
The River of Fire by Alexander Kalomiros

Proposition 2- How will you get to heaven if you like tobe bad? asks
Hobbes. But Calvin assumes he is going to Heaven even in hisunchanged inner state, and this is in contradiction with his acknowledgement ofhis inner badness (according to Hobbes), and Hobbes confronts him with thisfact.

Orthodox view- Hobbes is right! No one who in hisheart embraces his passions and sins, his darkness, and refuses to repent, willinherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:17-22 NASB Jesus speaks;
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that
the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits
murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry
with his brother shall be guilty before the court;"

Propositions 3 and 4- Let’s say I didn’t do what I wanted to do. Suppose
I led a blameless life! Suppose I denied my true dark nature. In other
words, what if I abstain from doing evil, while preservingmy inner evil
disposition without changing inside; so I can make it to Heaven?

This possibility is the way of Western Theology; accept your inner depravity,it is total and unfixable and all you have to do is receive Jesus Christ inyour heart and His righteousness will be imputed unto you from the moment you ‘believe’.It seems that Bill Watterson is exposing, by means of this cartoon, theabsurdity of this way of thinking (Calvin’s state is not only an ideabut an inner condition).

Orthodox view- A change of heart is absolutely necessary. “Blessed arethe pure in heart for they shall see God”. Jesus says in Matthew 5:8 Notice that here are included both external acts aswell as inner movements of the heart. Also remember Christ words, looking at awoman with lust is adultery. Anger against our brother is murder. Avarice isidolatry.

Galatians 5:16-21 NASB

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of theflesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spiritagainst the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you maynot do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you arenot under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just asI have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inheritthe kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesushave crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Proposition 5- Hobbes says, “I’m not sure I have thatmuch imagination.”

Hobbes seems to be implying that Calvin’s hypotheticalscenario, while technically possible, is not something Calvin could actuallypull off. Calvin’s past pattern of behavior makes his plan very unlikely to succeed.

Orthodox view-The passions (sinful dispositions of the soul), if notrepented from and healed in the participation of the sacramental life of theChurch, can and will dominate a person’s behavior to the point where the sinnerwill continually sin, repeatedly and with very little power to turn around!

Proposition 6- Maybe Heaven is a place where you areallowed to be bad.

As Calvin sees it, “Heaven”, the perfect ideal situation, isa ‘place’ where his
inner darkness is totally free to be and to act. That is,provided he does not act
on his inner evil disposition now,maybe he will be allowed to go to heaven
without having to change inside.Heaven to him is a place of self-indulgence
and unlimited pleasures.

Orthodox view- This is the lie of the evil one, “happinesscomes from
fulfilling the passions”. But the Fathers teach that a passion is a
movement of the soul contrary to nature. It ruins the soul instead of
fulfilling it. Passions cannot besatisfied.

"What is a passion? Passion is an unnatural movement of the soul, says Maximus the Confessor, just as a physical disease is something unnatural to our body… 'Passion is an excessive feeling, or appetite, going beyond what is reasonable. Passions are a disturbance of our soul contrary to our nature, in disobedience to reason. Passion is not natural and it ruins our nature instead of fulfilling it- Clement of Alexandria”
From 'Path to Sanity' p.30, Dee Pennock, Light & Life Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN 2010

Calvin is right about one thing, there is a time andcondition when he will be allowed to be bad. But it is not called Heaven. It iscalled Hell and he will not be happy there. And repentance then will not be anoption.

Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us!

A Human Being in the Womb

2012-01-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

Source

Revival of Orthodoxy In Russia (Exhibition in Moscow)

2012-01-17T04:13:00.000-08:00

Source

Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a Poet!

2012-01-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Wounded by Love The Life and the Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios
Translated by John Raffan, Holy Convent of the Life Giving Spring
Denise Harvey Publisher, 2005

This is a jewel of a book. Some books are meant to be read over
and over and this is one of them. The narrative is warm. The words
soothe the heart. The teachings of the elder are genuine and
simple but it takes a life lived in God to fully comprehend them.
"Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet.
That's what it is! You must suffer. You must love and suffer - suffer
for the one you love. Love makes effort for the loved one. She runs
all through the night; she stays awake; she stains her feet with blood
in order to meet her beloved. She makes sacrifices and disregards
all impediments, threats and difficulties for the sake of the loved
one. Love towards Christ is something even higher, infinitely higher.
And when we say 'love', we don't mean the virtues that we will
acquire, but the heart that is pervaded by love towards Christ and
others. We need to turn everything in this direction.

But are we inflamed by love for Christ? Do we run to the Beloved
when we are exhausted to find rest in prayer, ..." p.107

Such a lofty poet is Elder Porphyrios. The lyricism and rhythm of
his teaching enraptures the soul and transports it to another world.
"You prepare yourself to acquire those things which Christ
desires in order for divine grace to enter you, but it cannot enter
when that special ingredient you require is lacking. What is that?
It is humility. Without humility we cannot love Christ...humility
and selflessness in the worship of God...Do not let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing.

No one must see you; no one must understand the motions
of your worship toward the divinity. All these things must
be hidden and secret as with the hermits. Do you remember
what I told you about the nightingale? It sings in the middle of
the forest amid the silence. Can you say that anyone hears it
or applauds it? Not a soul. Such breathtakingly beautiful
singing in the midst of the wilds! Have you seen how its throat
puffs up? That's what happens also to the person who falls in
love with Christ. If he starts to love, his throat swells, he is
overcome, his tongue moves incessantly. He finds a cave, a
hidden dell and lives with God secretly, with groanings that
cannot be uttered. This is a sign that he is living with God..."
p.109-110.

Blessed Elder Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) the Kapsokalyvite (1906-1991)
Source

May we all have his blessing!

Free Abbott Ephraim! Urgent, please sign the petition!

2011-12-31T15:24:00.000-08:00

Abbott Ephraim of the Great and Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi,
Mount Athos, Greece Source

A grave injustice has been committed in Greece! The beloved
Abbott of the Monastery of Vatopaidi, Geronda Ephraim, has
been arrested and imprisoned even though there is no
evidence against him. For more on this story please visit the
Pravoslavie.ru site.

To sign the petition for the release of Abbott Ephraim please go
here.

"God-forsakenness" according to Elder Sophrony

2011-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

‘God-forsakenness’ according to Elder Sophrony
by Archimandrite Ephraim,
Abbot of the Vatopaidi Monastery
from Pemptousia

Archimandrite Sophrony of Essex

In our presentation we will touch upon an issue which may not be readily
acknowledged by those who are not initiated in the existence of divine

Grace. We would actually say that it quite ‘heavy going’ as its title

reveals: ‘God-forsakenness’. However, it is a particularly important,

“a crucial”, element in spiritual life. When many people, perhaps most,

will hear what we have to say they will respond: “This is a hard saying;

who can listen to it?”(John 6, 60) However, Elder Sophrony stressed that

God wishes to see us become perfect just as He is perfect (See Elder

Sophrony: We shall see Him as He is). The path to perfection necessarily

passes through the Calgary of God-forsakenness.

During the crucial moment of his life when man will adopt a positive stance in the face of the Lord according to His providence, the Lord will reveal Himself in a way which is beyond nature. Having devoted his entire freewill in obedience to the divine commandments, man “walks in newness of life” (Romans 6, 4) and enters a special spiritual realm in which he meets with the Lord, communicates with His Grace and experiences conditions beyond “words and meanings” which he could not previously even imagine. It is at this moment that the Christian beings to experience the spiritual “new life”, life in Christ.

In line with earlier Fathers of the Church, Elder Sophrony describes three stages in spiritual life. He writes: “The total regeneration of the fallen man into the “new” man is accomplished in three stages: The first, the initial, is the stage of the calling and inspiration towards the present battle. The second is the stage where the “perception” of Grace is withdrawn and man is experiencing God-forsakenness…And the third is where the perception of divine Grace revisits and man holds on to it” ( Elder Sophrony: On prayer).

This last stage where divine Grace revisits the faithful is a period of spiritual delight, of perception of Christ’s love and His proximity and of wonderful sentiments in the heart which are inexpressible with worldly, created words. Nevertheless, Elder Sophrony views this gift which was given according to the Lord’s pleasure as the “mammon of unrighteousness” (Luke 16, 9) ( Arch Sophrony: We Shall see Him as He is). The faithful is not able to assimilate divine Grace during this period so that his nature is united with it unto eternity. The faithful must enter into the second stage which is a protracted period of God-forsakenness. (Above: “We shall see Him as He is). The stronger the experience of the first visitation by divine Grace, the more powerful becomes the experience of its desertion. Even the spiritually perfect experience God-forsakenness in a perfect degree, but they recognize and accept the discipline by the Lord and do not grow weary.

In Patristic writings and especially in treatises written by Saints Ammonas, Macarius of Egypt, Diadohos Fotikis, Isaac the Syrian, Maximus the Confessor, John of Karpathos and Simon the New Theologian we encounter the corresponding terms “desertion by Grace”, “loss of Grace”, “diminishing or withdrawal of Grace” or “spiritual change” as indicative of this second stage. It is a rare occasion when the Fathers use this single, strong term: “God-forsakenness”. The first to use this term was Abba Kassianos in the beginning of the 5th Century in his work “Conversations with the Fathers of the desert”. The second one, as far as we know, is Elder Sophrony sixteen centuries later; we believe that he did this in order to stress the painfulness of this condition. In his writings Elder Sophrony also uses the corresponding terms ‘departure’ or ‘loss’ of Grace. We are not able to find any systematic teachings about this stage of “the departure” of Grace in patristic writings. Elder Joseph the Hesychast, St Silouan the Athonite and then Elder Sophrony were the first to extensively describe it.

For the complete article go here.

Light or Darkness, a Choice that Must Be Made with the Heart

2011-12-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

All the circumstances of our lives; past, present and future, are an opportunity to make the disposition of our hearts manifest. We must choose between light or darkness. This choice is not to be made merely by a decision of our reasoning brains but by the innermost movements of our hearts. How often do we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are choosing wisely because we agree that virtue is worth pursuing, but when pressed-upon by our circumstances, our hearts manifest the darkness inside and we knowingly or unknowingly embrace that darkness and act on it.

While we are still alive, there is much we can do to purify
ourselves, with God's Grace and the wise use of our free will. Therefore let us occupy ourselves with the one thing needful, to attend to the inner healing of our soul that it may lean towards the light and reject the darkness.

In the book 'The Gurus the Young Mand and Elder Paisios', by Dionysios Farasiotis p.238-242, St Herman Press 2008, we read the most amazing description of that moment when a searching soul is presented with the terrifying choice, eternal life or eternal death.

"The Choice between Light and Darkness"
One afternoon at the beginning of Holy Week, having made a stop in Thessaloniki, I was by myself in our home there, when, suddenly, my surroundings vanished. There were no images to be seen, sounds to be heard, or objects to be touched. My five senses had ceased functioning. It was as though the light switch had been flicked and the room plunged into total darkness.
My mind turned its full attention to a spiritual realm that it found utterly riveting and captivating. In one direction, I saw a soft but intense light- brilliant yet gentle. In the other direction, I saw a thick, cavernous darkness. Initially, I turned my attention towards the awesome, yet fearful, darkness. It made my flesh crawl, but I was overcome by curiosity, the desire to understand what it was. My mind advanced towards the darkness, and I began to sense the magnitute of its negation. The deeper I went, the greater this negation became, and the thicker the darkness.
It had a vast power and, if I dare put it this way, a certain
grandeur. It represented a negative perspective on reality, unhesitatingly extending into reality as depth, even as the light stretched infinitely into reality as height. On one side, there was immense love; on the other immense hatred. The light was overflowing with unconditional altruism, while the darkness pulled away in utter self-centeredness.

Though I could not see into the darkness, I could feel the presence of souls in it, leaping about and shrieking with insane, wicked laughter as they were pulled deeper and deeper into the ocean of darkness , until the sound of their voices disappeared altogether. Frightened by this savage madness, I headed towards the light, seeking its protection. Just reaching its outskirts, I felt the relief of having being rescued from a grave danger.

Although I didn't advance very far at all into the darkness, I was able to fill the depths of its evil ocean. I could understand the very essence of the enticing power of sin to tempt, as well as its laughable powerlessness, utter dependence, and shadowy non-existence. The darkness, I saw, is fearsome when it has won you over, but it is absurd and feeble when you reject it- it can not defeat even a small child if he does not fall on his own. In the same way, I did not advance far into the light- only so to speak, skating its edge -but even there I felt confident and comforted by a fullness of life, peace, joy, and knowledge. The light loved me greatly in spite of my unworthiness and granted me its gifts, gifts I never dreamed existed.

At this point, I realized that the light created the world and
every living being. The existential space in which each person dwells is itself a creation fashioned by the light, which also fills and permeates these spaces. One being decided to stay outside of the existential space created by the light, thus creating a sort of space for itself, though only by denying the light, turning from it and driving it away. The darkness has no existence of its own, but only in that it denies the ever-existing and sovereign light....

Just as the light's love wishes to unite all things, being the source of existence and creation, so the hatred of the darkness wants to divide all things, being the source of non-existence and destruction.

Within a matter of minutes, I had received a lesson of immeasurable depth. It was not only a revelation beyond words, of subtle differences of profound meaning and great importance, but also -and even more- a test and trial of the deepest inclinations and intentions of my heart, to see whom I would follow and whom I would leave behind. Fortunately, although my heart initially moved towards the darkness, it ultimately found repose in the light, and fortunately, the light still accepted me."

Available here

Byzantium - The History

2011-12-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

Byzantium: The Early Centuries by Lord John Julius Norwich
Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Copyright 1988 by
John Julius Norwich

"On 11 May AD 330, Constantine the Great renamed the old
Greek city of Byzantium in his own honor, and Constantinople
became the capital of an empire that would enthrall the world
for more than eleven centuries. But the ancient name of
Byzantium still clung to the empire, and its very name still
evokes 'visions of gold and malachite and porphyry, of stately
and solemn ceremonial, of brocades heavy with rubies and
emeralds, of sumptuous mosaics dimly glowing through halls
cloudy with incense." From the front flap.

Even though the purpose of this blog is to journal the issues and
struggles pertaining to the purification of the heart, it is important
to point out that our Church Fathers, clergy, monastics and laymen
alike, achieved their purification within the particular historical
setting in which they lived their lives. These circumstances quite
often worked against their efforts. The saints nonetheless overcame
and were crowned with the imperishable crown of glory

To my knowledge this 3 vol. series on the history of Byzantium
is unsurpassed. Lord Norwich pays fascinating attention to detail
without losing sight of the whole picture. It is very hard to put the
books down.

This first volume covers the historical background for six Ecumenical
Councils as well as the background for the lives of such as, Sts.
Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian,
John Chrysostom, Anthony the Great, the desert fathers, St Ephraim
the Syrian, St Jerome, St John Cassian, St Nicholas of Myra, St
Spyridon, St Ambrose of Milan, St Benedict, St Dionysius the
Areopagite, St Maximos the Confessor, St John Climacus and many
others.

Byzantium: The Apogee By Lord John Julius Norwich

This second volume covers the years 800 A.D. to 1081 therefore
covering two pivotal events in the history of the Church, the iconoclast

controversy and the Roman Patriarchate's schism from the Body of the

Eastern Orthodox Church. In page 320 we painfully read, "At three
o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday 16, July 1054, in the presence of

all clergy assembled for the Eucharist, the three ex-legates of Rome,

two cardinals and an archbishop, all in their full canonicals, strode into

the Great Church of St Sophia and up to the high altar, on which they

formally laid their solemn Bull of Excommunication. This done, they

turned on their heel and marched from the building, pausing only to

shake the dust symbolically from their feet."
"Even if we ignore the fact that the legates were without any papal

authority and that the Bull itself was consequently invalid by all the

standards of canon law, it remains an astonishing production."

"...but it was only when the Bull had been publicly burnt and the three

legates themselves formally anathematized that peace returned."

p.340
This volume covers the background for the Seventh Ecumenical

council. It is during this time that Mount Athos flourishes. St John

of Damascus, St Boniface, St Theodore of Studius, St Cyrill and

Methodius and the mission to the Slavs, St Photius, St Joseph

the Hymnographer, St Athanasius of Athos, St Symeon the New

Theologian, St Vladimir of Kiev, St Andrew the Fool for Christ,

St Niketas Stethatos, St Anthony of Kiev, St Theophylactus of

Bulgaria, etc. belong to this era.

Byzantium: The Decline and Fall by Lord John Julius Norwich

Byzantium, the empire of 1,123 years, fell on Tuesday, May 29,

1453. We read, "The spellbinding account of the city's fall - the

last great epic in the history of the middle ages - provides a

climax to a story worthy of Homer himself. The Byzantines (a

personal note- the Byzantines never called themselves as such

but called themselves 'Roman'. They were nothing less than the

remnant of the ancient civilization of Rome), under their last

Emperor, Constantine XI, held out until, on Tuesday, May 29,
1453, the massive walls of Constantinople crumbled at last."

From the front flap."

This is the time of St Alypius the iconographer, St Symeon the

myrrh-flowing of Bulgaria, St Alexander Nevsky, St Gregory

Palamas, St Nicolas Cabasilas, St Sergius of Radonezh,

St Andrew Rublev, St Mark of Ephesus and St Ephraim the New

of Nea Makri. The futile Council of Florence took place in 1438.

With tears in our eyes we read, "The next morning the people of

Constantinople awoke to find their city shrouded in thick fog,

something quite unprecedented at the end of May; the same

night the dome of St Sophia seemed suffused with an earthly

red glow that crept slowly up from the base to the summit and
then went out. This last phenomenon was also seen by the Turks
in Galata and at the Double Columns; Mehmet himself was greatly

disturbed by it, and was reassured only after his astrologers had

interpreted it as a sign that the building would soon be illuminated

by the True Faith. For the Byzantines there could be only one

explanation; the Spirit of God itself had departed from their city."

p.429-430

Byzantium: The Lost Empire (1997) Narrated by John Romer DVD

Amazon Editorial Review:
"For more than 1,000 years, the Byzantine Empire was the eye of the
entire world – the origin of great literature, fine art and modern
government. Heir to Greece and Rome, the Byzantine Empire was
also the first Christian empire. Now, after a year of filming on three
continents, TLC unlocks this ancient civilization, spanning 11
centuries and three continents. Pass through the gates of
Constantinople, explore the magnificent mosque of Hagia Sophia
and see the looted treasures of the empire now located in St. Mark's,
Venice."

The photography of this documentary is stunning! I was particularly

moved by the view of the remains of the Monastery of Studius and

the pillar of St Simeon the Stylite.

How the Great and Holy Monastery of Vatopedi is helping people at Porto Lagos

2011-12-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

From the blog Pemptousia
The work of the Monastery

St Nicholas Metohi at Porto Lagos
The recipient of human suffering

Human pain and the numbers of people who lack even the most basic goods have increased because of the economic crisis. Many people seek refuge in the Church. This is what people do in times of hardship. On the day of the feast of the miraculous icon of Pantanassa, Fr. T talked with Fr. Nifon, who heads the Porto Lagos Metohi,

Firstly this discussion gives some historical details and then it refers to the service which the monastery provides to ease the hardships of those who seek refuge there. “Love in real terms”… This is a story brimming with the presence of the Lord…

Fr T: Let’s start with the history of the Metohi of St Nicholas

Fr. N: The church of St Nicholas was built in order to cater for the worshiping needs of the monks since the place was a metohi. Earlier there was a church dedicated to the two Saints Theodores and its ruins have been found outside Porto Lagos. It is for this reason that there is the icon of the two saints on the Templo (icon stand) in the church. Tradition has it that St Nicholas appeared in person and said that from then on “he would be the patron saint of the metohi, since he was the patron of the seas”. Thus the church was renamed after him. The present church was built in 1904 on top of the ruins of previous churches. This is attested by the fact that the icons, which we have recently restored, date around 1850. The monks from Vatopedi would visit the metohi regularly to attend to its needs since it has been owned by the monastery since the 11th Century. On this basis we guess that the metohi was created on the small island many years ago, but the church is more recent. We have also recently built the bridge connecting the mainland with the small island which houses the chapel of the Most Holy Lady Pantanassa. Earlier people would use small boats to visit the chapel. Indeed we will need many hours to describe how many miracles were performed here not only to Christians but to Muslims too.

FR. T: Is the chapel more recently built?

Fr. N: The chapel was built eighteen years ago. Our Elder, Blessed Joseph built it and brought over from the Holy Mountain the miracle performing icon of Pantanassa. This icon has since become the consolation of the people in Thrace, not just because of the many miracles the most Holy Lady performs but because of her perceptible presence. We will need many hours to account for all those miracles. Today, a Muslim lady came and crossed the bridge kneeling instead of walking, carrying two planted pots. She said that two months ago she had pleaded for her grandson who had a tumour and now the tumour has disappeared.

Fr T: How was the metohi populated over the years?

Fr. N: Occasionally the Vatopedi monastery would send over somebody as an overseer while the monks would visit on the feast days. They would also cooperate with the local fishermen in benefiting from the pond. Many monks, who served here, like Ignatios hieronmonk, are remembered in inscriptions seen on the bell tower and the icon stand. The last fifty years however, because of the peculiar status of the monastery and the fact that it was sparsely populated, no fathers resided here. However, there was always a paid keeper in view of the political situation which prevailed in the area. During the civil war, a wonderful incident took place which was described to us by the couple who was looking after the metohi. Now that they are old came recently to see me. They stayed at the metohi as soon as they got married. However, since it was isolated and remote they had decided to send a letter to the monastery offering their resignation. They were about to send the letter the following day. On the same night they saw a priest walking on the bridge who was covered in bright light, even though it was already dark. He was holding the Gospel in one hand and had a white omophorio on his shoulders. When they went to ask who he was, he told them not to leave and that he was going to look after them. “I am the owner of the place. My name is Nicholas of Myron” he said and disappeared. It was St Nicholas and thus they took heart and stayed.

We, the brotherhood of Elder Joseph, assumed the responsibility of the Vatopedi monastery at a time when only ten elderly monks were living there. We had our hands full in trying to restore the ruined monastery and as we were only eighteen monks, had no time to deal with outside affairs. At the time there was an elderly priest living at Porto Lagos with his wife, who had subsequently left. Then another priest was appointed and was guarding the place with his family. When Vatopedi was re-established as a coenobium and regained its former glory, more monks joined the brotherhood and thus the monastery decided to deal with Porto Lagos. Elder Joseph started coming here and gained first hand experience of the desolation and poverty in the area and ached for the hardships that people faced. He then decided to revive it, since God’s providence wished to keep our presence in these lands, bordering with Turkey. Thus he built the chapel to Pantanassa and fervently wished to populate it and establish it as a tiny monastery. This happened in 2003 with the blessing of our Abbot, Elder Efrain. Thus a small brotherhood of three was sent here, which resumed the liturgical services daily. I think this is the greatest gift we could offer to people; namely, to hold the divine service daily. There is no greater value than that derived from the Divine Liturgy since the whole place is sanctified and thousands of names are being read during the paraklisis and the liturgies. We firmly believe in God’s providence and we do not lose our hope…

FR. T: We hear that ever since you came here you have been busy…

Fr N: As soon as we arrived we met with many difficulties but with God’s help we survived. We have been trying with our limited abilities and the assistance of the monastery and the blessing of our Elder Efrem, to stand by the people who suffer and share in their pain, which is overflowing.

Everyday, more and more people arrive here, wanting assistance and we have reached the point where we can not cope. With God’s help we have also started assisting people in jail. Every Saturday we hold meetings with students. On the 24th September we will start again and Elder Efrem will come and speak. Even though we are far away, the youngsters visit us every week. Every Sunday afternoon, we hold meetings open to everyone and every Wednesday night we hold a night service at the chapel of St Nektarios. This chapel was miraculously built despite the strife that was started against its establishment. They have even imposed a fine on us for building it. I do not mind that our Muslim brothers build their own mosques since they live here. But I object to the double standard imposed by the authorities. They have withdrawn the 700,000 Euro fine imposed on the Mosque which was built but they insisted that we paid our own fine. Nevertheless, we place our faith in the Lord and we are not overcome by these things. However, it is quite hard, when one is facing such temptations…

The story continues here.

"And the Glory of the Lord filled the House." 2 Chr. 7:1

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Representation of the First Temple in Jerusalem (957 B.C.)
Source

In the book of the Prophet Isaiah we read about a most
astonishing event. The servant of God Isaiah was in the
temple in Jerusalem when he suddenly,
"saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and
the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the
seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face,
and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And
one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Sabaoth; the whole
earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the
thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and
the house was filled with smoke.

And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my
eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a
burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched
your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
Isaiah 6:1-7 NASB

Prophet Isaiah

I love the stories from the Old Testament. I remember that as a
child, every week, I looked forward to Sunday Bible school, so
I could listen to our teacher narrate these stories again and

again even though quite often I already knew them by heart. It

was wonderful! The teacher had printed drawings of the

characters in the stories and we would compete for them by

answering the questions at the end of each lesson. It was very

hard to choose which Bible character was more interesting. But

even then, I was especially captivated by the lives of the prophets,

in particular the Prophet Isaiah. I used to think that, if I could travel

back in time and be allowed to witness any particular event of my

choosing, I would like to stand side by side with Prophet Isaiah at

the moment of his calling to service.

The story of the Prophet has never ceased to move me. Even now

I read, in awe, the account of his prophetic calling but it is no longer

the magnificent creatures called Seraphim what captures my

attention. It is remarkable that at the moment of the vision, Isaiah

was stricken first and foremost by the awareness of his impurity

of heart. He cried out in terror, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am

a man of unclean lips,.."

Do you realize that something just as awesome happens at every

Divine Liturgy celebrated in every Orthodox Christian temple?
Yesterday, Saturday December 3rd, the temple of St Andrew's

Orthodox Church in Riverside, CA was consecrated to the Lord
followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. It was magnificent.
I could not see the Seraphim but I knew they were there! I could not
see my Lord but I knew He was walking among the lamp-stands on
the altar (Rev.1:12). I could not hear the cries of heavenly beings

glorifying God but my soul joined the choirs of the Faithful and the
seraphim saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the
whole earth is full of his glory!" From the Divine Liturgy of St John
Chrysostom

The consecration of the high altar of St Andrew's was very much
like my own baptism. The Bishop entered the sanctuary with the
relics of the Great Martyr St Eugene and Patriarch Athanasios
of Alexandria and placed them inside the altar. It was then
washed with rose water, anointed with holy chrism and dressed
in white linen. Then the altar was vested with precious materials
and all the liturgical vessels, the antimension and the book of the
Gospels were placed upon it. Then an unseen but very significant
wonder took place; a holy angel sent from God was commanded
to guard this holy altar. And he will stand watch until the second
coming of Christ.

Fr Josiah Trenham, with a thunderous voice read from the Gospel
of Matthew and confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.” Matthew 16:16. Unlike Isaiah and the Apostle Peter, I
could not see my Lord but the Bishops and all the priests, dressed
in royal vestments did not allow me to forget that He who is "clothed
in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a
golden sash" ( Rev.1:13), was closer to me at that moment than my
own heart.Isaiah's realization of his uncleanness was devastating.
He thought, "I am a dead man". But the mercy of the Lord endures
forever and God made provision for the prophet's needs, "Then
one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning
coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he
touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips;
your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." Isaiah 6:1-7 NASB

St Gregory Palamas explains,
"For Isaiah gave clear proof that they, like us, only commune

with, and touch, the intangible divine nature through her. He

did not see the seraph taking the burning coal (the burning

coal is a figure or type of the divine Eucharist) directly from

the altar, but taking it by means of tongs, with which he also

touched the prophet’s lips and bestowed cleansing (Isa. 6:6-7).

The vision of the tongs is equivalent to the great vision seen

by Moses of the burning bush which was not consumed

(Exodus 3:2). Surely, everyone is aware that the Virgin Mother

is both that burning bush and those tongs, as she conceived

the divine fire without being consumed by fire. An archangel

also ministered at that conception, and through her he united

Him who takes away the sins of the world with the human

race, thoroughly cleansing us by this union.”
From St. Gregory Palamas, The Homilies p.430-431, Edited and
Translated by Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Mount Thabor Publishing 2009.

It was the pre-incarnate Person of the Word of God Whom Isaiah
saw. This very Word of God is our Lord Jesus Christ who for our
sake and for our salvation became incarnate.The Apostle John
writes that, " the Word became flesh, and dwelt (lit. tabernacled)
among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten
from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Like Isaiah, we are also aware of our spiritual need. We hear
a most solemn warning during the prayers of preparation for
Holy Communion, "Tremble, O man, as thou beholdest the
deifying blood, For it is a burning coal consuming the unworthy."

Yes indeed, we tremble with dread. We dare approach Him only
because he has first invited us. "His voice is like the sound of
many waters" Rev.1:15, "Take eat, this is My Body which is
broken for you for the forgiveness of sins. Drink of it all of you ,
this is my Blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and
for many for the forgiveness of sins" From the Liturgy of St John
Chrysostom.

It is indescribable. When I partake of the Holy Mysteries, Life

enters into my very being, body and spirit. I am united with our

Lord Jesus Christ in His Humanity. My Lord dwells within the
manger of my soul. Alleluia!

I am then, also comforted by the words uttered by the Seraph,

"Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away,
and your sin atoned for." Isaiah 6:1-7 NASB

A song of praise arises in my heart,

"Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform

His word, obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul." Psalm 103:20-21

Note:
The Prophet Isaiah is commemorated by the Orthodox Church
on May 9th.

The Holy Prophet Isaiah lived 700 years before the birth of Christ, and was of royal lineage. Isaiah's father Amos raised his son in the fear of God and in the law of the Lord. Having attained the age of maturity, the Prophet Isaiah entered into marriage with a pious prophetess (Is 8:3) and had a son Jashub (Is 8:18).

St Isaiah was called to prophetic service during the reign of Oziah [Uzziah], king of Judea, and he prophesied for 60 years during the reign of kings Joatham, Achaz [Ahaz], Hezekiah and Manasseh. The start of his service was marked by the following vision: he beheld the Lord God, sitting in a majestic heavenly temple upon a high throne. Six-winged Seraphim encircled Him. With two wings they covered their faces, and with two wings they covered their feet, and with two wings they flew about crying out one to another, "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with His glory!" The pillars of the heavenly temple shook from their shouts, and in the temple arose the smoke of incense.

The prophet cried out in terror, "Oh, an accursed man am I, granted to behold the Lord Sabaoth, and having impure lips and living amidst an impure people!" Then was sent him one of the Seraphim, having in hand a red-hot coal, which he took with tongs from the altar of the Lord. He touched it to the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah and said, "Lo, this has touched thy lips, and will take away with thine iniquities, and will cleanse thy sins." After this Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, directed towards him, "Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?" Isaiah answered, "Here am I, send me" (Is 6:1 ff). And the Lord sent him to the Jews to exhort them to turn from the ways of impiety and idol worship, and to offer repentance.

To those that repent and turn to the true God, the Lord promised mercy and forgiveness, but punishment and the judgment of God are appointed for the unrepentant. Then Isaiah asked the Lord, how long would the falling away of the Jewish nation from God continue. The Lord answered, "Until the cities be deserted, by reason of there being no people, and the land shall be made desolate. Just as when a tree be felled and from the stump come forth new shoots, so also from the destruction of the nation a holy remnant will remain, from which will emerge a new tribe."

Isaiah left behind him a book of prophecy in which he denounces the Jews for their unfaithfulness to the God of their Fathers. He predicted the captivity of the Jews and their return from captivity during the time of the emperor Cyrus, the destruction and renewal of Jerusalem and of the Temple. Together with this he predicts the historical fate also of the other nations bordering the Jews. But what is most important of all for us, the Prophet Isaiah with particular clarity and detail prophesies about the coming of the Messiah, Christ the Savior. The prophet names the Messiah as God and Man, teacher of all the nations, founder of the Kingdom of peace and love.

The prophet foretells the birth of the Messiah from a Virgin, and with particular clarity he describes the Suffering of the Messiah for the sins of the world. He foresees His Resurrection and the universal spreading of His Church. By his clear foretelling of Christ the Savior, the Prophet Isaiah deserves to be called an Old Testament Evangelist. To him belong the words, "He beareth our sins and is smitten for us.... He was wounded for our sins and tortured for our transgressions. The chastisement of our world was upon Him, and by His wounds we were healed...." (Is 53:4-5. Vide Isaiah: 7:14, 11:1, 9:6, 53:4, 60:13, etc.).

The holy Prophet Isaiah had also a gift of wonderworking. And so, when during the time of a siege of Jerusalem by enemies the besieged had become exhausted with thirst, he by his prayer drew out from beneath Mount Sion a spring of water, which was called Siloam, i.e. "sent from God." It was to this spring afterwards that the Savior sent the man blind from birth to wash, and He restored his sight. By the prayer of the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord prolonged the life of Hezekiah for 15 years.

The Prophet Isaiah died a martyr's death. By order of the Jewish king Manasseh he was sawn through by a wood-saw. The prophet was buried not far from the Pool of Siloam. The relics of the holy Prophet Isaiah were afterwards transferred by the emperor Theodosius the Younger to Constantinople and installed in the church of St Laurence at Blachernae. At the present time part of the head of the Prophet Isaiah is preserved at Athos in the Hilandar monastery.

For the times and the events which occurred during the life of the Prophet Isaiah, see the 4th Book of Kings [alt. 2 Kings] (Ch 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, etc.), and likewise 2 Chr:26-32).
Source

A Conversation with Elder Sophrony of Essex

2011-11-21T16:38:00.001-08:00

Elder Sophrony of Essex

For the complete interview, please visit the Orthodox Blog
Pemptousia

The abbot of the Great and Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, Archimandrite Ephraim, spoke with Elder Sophrony of blessed memory at the Holy Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, England on 20 September 1992.

From this meeting, one is struck by Elder Sophrony’s spirituality and ascetic vision, and can appreciate the value of his contribution to the contemporary life of the Church.

The abbot of the Great and Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi, Archimandrite Ephraim, in the garden of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex (1992) with Elder Sophrony, among the many pilgrims who found spiritual comfort near the venerable Elder

Elder Sophrony: “O Heavenly King and Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art in all places and fillest all things, treasury of blessings and giver of life, come and abide in us and cleanse us of all that defileth, and save our souls, oh Thou who are good.” Welcome, holy abbot…

If during our conversation I do anything unusual, please forgive me. These days I don’t hear or see very well.

Archimandrite Ephraim: Considering your age, you’re doing very well.

E.S.: Ninety-six years old…I’ll tell them to bring us the letter from Vatopedi from our archives.

A.E.: Yes, I would like to see it.

E.S.: You know, I’m one of your own.

A.E.: This is a blessing for us.

E.S.: I don’t know. It is a blessing for me, that they gave me leave with such willingness. And circumstances have shown that God blessed it. After I left the Holy Mountain, though, I became very ill. I had a stomach ulcer and I suffered from gastrorrhagia, I was also very poor. I had to undergo a difficult operation, and they had to remove nearly my whole stomach. For twelve years I had great difficulty eating. I got something later on, but it’s fake.

A.E.: It was God’s will, Elder, that you came here.

E.S.: I’ll tell you what, abbot, I’m always afraid to say that something [from God] happens to me, but it seems to me that nothing took place according to how I imagined it, but everything came from God.

A.E.: This is what the conscience of the Church also witnesses to, it seems that it was from God. And that it is a work that has a history behind it. And [this monastery’s] history has been stamped by God, that’s what the facts witness to.

E.S.: Yes, but I am only bold enough to say, “Lord have mercy on me and save me.” Only to a certain extent can I say that it happened according to the providence of God.

A.E.: Elder, your monastery is an oasis in the desert [of a culture] of materialism.

E.S.: We’re just…eh! How can I explain it to you…we’re thankful to those who rule this country, and to the queen, and other officials. But Orthodox life outside of Greece is difficult. Not all of our thought: theological, ascetical…connects with the tradition of the West, with the Catholics and Protestants. But these are the ones who rule this place.

A.E.: From everything I have observed here, Elder, you live wisely. During the years that you have been here, you have acted with great discernment, which is why you’ve been able to help people greatly in hidden ways. And this is a very important thing for a spiritual person.

E.S.: Well…let me tell you. You’re an abbot. And I was, in a certain way, an abbot. And I was always hung from a thread above the abyss, shouting at God for everyone, for everything…because nothing happens by human strength.

A.E.: And I’m sure that you must have had many difficulties here, Elder.

E.S.: Oh…it’s better not to talk about them…. But even this, to a certain extent, is a question for us. Recently, I published a book, a spiritual autobiography [We Shall See Him as He Is].

A.E.: We’ve read it, Elder.

E.S.: Of what interest would a purely factual biography have been? I only recount spiritual events in this book. And the book has appeared, somehow, at just the right time.

A.E.: What you have provided is a living witness.

E.S.: I didn’t write a theological text, I only wrote down my experience, from fear and because I’m bold to say, “Lord have mercy, Lord save me.” But…I don’t understand…. I became ill many times with fatal sicknesses and yet I’m still alive. I don’t know why…

A.E.: The Church needs you, which is why God has extended your life. Your life is a miracle. We are amazed at how you are still living considering the illnesses you have had and still have. Many spiritual people are amazed that you’re still alive.

E.S.: In 1986 they invented a machine that can diagnose cancer and they opened me up and found that I had the worst type of cancer, and they were expecting me to die. There was no chance of an operation, of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or something similar. They left me to waste away…. Six years have passed and I’m living in my seventh year since then, and I don’t know how. After the stomach operation I had, which completely cut up my insides, for twelve years I couldn’t eat. Two years after that, I was a bit better.

A.E.: Your Elder, St. Silouan, wanted you to see his official canonization by the Church.

E.S.: And I don’t know how the providence of Christ made it happen. He placed me at the feet of my Elder. The contemporary spiritual, theological problem concerns the person [πρόσωπο]…I lived completely by revelation. Revelation reveals that “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). If He says, “I am” it means that He is a person. This is why in one of the chapters in the book to which I referred earlier I note that the word “I” has great significance. For it expresses the person. God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Science cannot say this. Only revelation can say this. And we need to base ourselves on revelation, which the Lord never refuted…. So, when I sent the book that is right behind you to His All Holiness [the Ecumenical Patriarch], I didn’t want to write a theological textbook, but simply to describe the experience of an Orthodox monk.

This interview continues here.

A Song forever in my Heart

2011-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Source
Coqui, the singing frog of Puerto Rico. It is about one inch long

and can sing with a volume of 100dB within 65 feet of its physical

location

Source

Among my dearest memories from my homeland, the island
of Puerto Rico, U.S., is the sweet melodious chant of the
Coqui which began every evening at sunset and continued
long after I was already asleep. This song was my lullaby for
the first twenty years of my life.

I took it for granted. I was as certain the Coqui would sing for
me again the following night, as I was certain the sun would
rise again in the morning sky. But for my last twenty-six years
of residence in the mainland, I haven't had the joy of knowing
that my little friends are outside, resting on the leaves of
Bromeliads and serenading me into sleep. I now realize the
wonder of God's creation and the magnificence of this gift.

It is the same when it comes to God's blessings that he bestows
upon us in the Church. Just today, I was remembering the
aroma from the relics of the Apostle Paul, which I have had the
privilege of venerating many times during my pilgrimages
to Greece.

Reliquary of the Apostle Paul in the Church of the Apostol Paul
in Thessaloniki, Greece

I can think of many other relics, the relics of the Apostle Andrew,
St Gregory Palamas , St Demetrius, St Stephen the First Martyr,
St Basil the Great, St John Chrysostom, etc and I can't help feeling
overwhelmed by the fact that I actually was there and venerated all
of these awesome saints of our Orthodox Church. The reality of
these blessings begs the question, "Why me?".

Relics of the Apostle Andrew in Karyes, Mount Athos, Greece

But it is not only the possibility of venerating the wonder-working
relics of the saints, gushing with Holy Myrrhon, that amazes me.
What about the fact that we, as Orthodox Christians may partake
of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at every Divine
Liturgy celebrated in our parishes, if we are prepared.

Fr Zacharias Zacharou, the disciple of Blessed Elder Sophrony
of Essex tells us that Fr Sophrony, until the very end of his life
had an inspiration for the Divine Liturgy. It was as if every Divine
Liturgy was the first, so much so, that by the time he (Elder
Sophrony) stood in front of the Holy Altar, he was already rapt in
his spirit, in communion with God.

Consider the comfort it is to know, that if we fall into sin, our Lord
is always willing to receive us in repentance through the sacra-
mental act of absolution by our priest. This is a labor of love
constantly taking place in our communities, an Orthodox priest
willing to sacrifice the opportunity of spending time with his family
on Saturday night, so that he may help us to be reconciled to God
and receive in this way sacramental absolution of our sins.

I am afraid that many times I have behaved as if these blessings
were only the playing out of the routine of my life but they are not.
They are a precious gift from God to us. Why me?, I asked and the
answer is as simple as it is fathomless. It is so because God loves
us.

From now on, every time I listen to my recording of the melody of
the Coqui, I want to remember that God's mercies are also
new every morning and that the daily blessings from the life in
Christ are nothing less than miraculous indeed.

Below video of Puerto Rico's National Forest

The Ascetical Homilies of St Isaac the Syrian, Revised Edition NEW!

2011-11-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited revised editon of THE ASCETICAL HOMILIES OF ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN is here!

(ASH) THE ASCETICAL HOMILIES OF SAINT ISAAC THE SYRIAN, Revised Edition, translated by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, are sublime treatises on the life of prayer and stillness—hesychasm—and have been treasured by monastics and layman alike. The book includes among other things an introduction discussing what we know of the Saint's life and the manuscripts of the homilies and the various translations of them, with maps, and Appendices with homilies by Saint Isaac only in the Syriac, a Glossary of special terms, and more. Includes all the homilies by Saint Isaac in the first edition plus two newly translated from the Syriac that were omitted from the first edition. A major work of scholarship. Fine cloth bound edition, 6 x 9-3/4 in, printed in two colors on archival paper. Appendices B and D and the Epilogue on the Persian Church are not included, but are available as a free download from www.thehtm.org 608pp. e$70.00 Order from St Nectarios Press and Bookstore

Pain of Heart according to Fr Seraphim Rose

2011-10-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

This book is available from St Herman Press

In my search for those things that can help me in my purpose to

achieve the purification of my heart, I pay particular attention to

those words, writings and personal encounters in which I come

face to face with real Orthodox spiritual experience. It is very hard
to describe it. The gift of spiritual discernment is given to those
advanced in the spiritual life but, at a more humble level, there is
something to be said about the simplicity of a soul that intuitively
recognizes the still small voice of her Creator, our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the humble disguise of our fellow human beings who
know Him, and in the providential circumstances of our lives.

Fr Seraphim Rose knew very well how to recognize this small

voice and the state of a heart that is perceptive and open to
divine grace. He calls it 'pain of heart'. His disciple Fr
Damascene, describes this spiritual state in page 471 of the
book 'Father Seraphim Rose His Life and Works',
"Pain of Heart. In this is found the last and most crucial key to

Fr. Seraphim's entry into the mind of the Fathers.In the Patristic

writings, 'pain of heart' generally refers to an elemental
inward suffering , the bearing of an interior cross while
following Jesus Christ, and a spirit broken in contrition.

'Suffering', Father Seraphim stated, 'is the reality of the human

condition and the beginning of true spiritual life'. From Archbishop

John (of San Francisco), who had utterly crucified himself in this life,
Fr Seraphim had learned how to endure this suffering in thankfulness
to God, and from him he had learned its fruits. If used in the right way,
suffering can purify the heart and 'the pure in heart shall see God'
(Matthew 5:8). 'The right approach' wrote Fr. Seraphim ' is found
in a heart which tries to humble itself and simply knows that it
is suffering, and that there somehow exists a higher truth which
can not only help this suffering, but can bring it into a totally
different dimension.'

According to St Mark the Ascetic (fifth century), 'Remembrance of God
is pain of heart endured in the spirit of devotion. But he who forgets
God becomes self indulgent and insensitive'. And in the words of
St Barsanuphius the Great of Egypt, whose counsels Fr. Seraphim
translated into English, 'Every gift is received through pain of heart'.

Besides its general meaning, 'pain of heart' has a liturgical meaning
in the writings of the church Fathers, for when the heart is
concentrated in fervent prayer to Christ, it may be actually
pained. As Fr. Seraphim noted, in Patristic terminology the
'heart' does not mean mere 'feeling', but 'something much
deeper - the organ that knows God'. The heart is both spiritual
and physical: spirituality is the center of man's being, identified
with his nous (spirit); physically, it is the organ where the nous
finds its secret dwelling place. Concentrated within the spiritual
heart, the nous cries out to the Savior, and such a heart-cry
born in pain and desperation, yet hoping in God - calls down
Divine grace.

This is seen especially in the Orthodox practice of the Jesus Prayer.
(Note: The Jesus Prayer reads, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have
mercy on me, the sinner'. It is very common to use an abbreviated form
such as, 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me'). When we approach
the Jesus Prayer simply, says Elder Paisios of Mount Athos (+1994),
'we will be able to repeat it many times, and our heart will feel a sweet
consolation inside our heart'.

'The Patristic teaching on pain of heart', Fr Seraphim wrote, 'is one
of the most important teachings for our days when head-knowledge is
so over-emphasized at the expense of the proper development of
emotional and spiritual life. The lack of this essential experience is
what above all is responsible for the dilettantism (superficiality, lack
of discipline), the triviality, the want of seriousness in the ordinary
study of the Holy Fathers today; without it, one cannot apply the
teachings of the Holy Fathers to one's own life....without pain of heart,
one can be a barren fig tree, a boring 'know it all' who is always
correct...(one) who does not know and cannot convey the true spirit of
the Holy Fathers."
From Fr Seraphim Rose - His Life and Works p. 471-472, by Hieromonk Damascene,
St Herman Press 2003

Sermon on St Dionysius the Areopagite

2011-10-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Archpriest Andrew PhillipsSermon on St. Dionysius the AreopagiteAfter the martyrdom of his spiritual father the Apostle Paul, Dionysius conceived of the desire to follow in his footsteps. Thus, he left Athens and travelled to Greek settlements in the West. According to tradition, he ended up, not among the many Greeks in Rome, but elsewhere among Greeks in the Roman Empire, in Gaul, in what is today Paris. It was here at the end of the first century that the elderly Dionysius found martyrdom.

The Ladder of Divine Ascent - A Treasure of Orthodox Christian Tradition

2011-10-09T23:29:00.000-07:00

Available from Orthodox Christian Recorded Books

This ancient classic of Orthodox spirituality is now in audio CD
format. The writings of St John of the Ladder are deep, and
require reflection and prayer for us to be able to understand
and assimilate. The Ladder represents, in a nutshell, the
mindset of the Orthodox way of life. How wonderful that this
resource is now available in the form of this readily
accessible media!
"Saint John's Ladder expresses the Orthodox view that spiritual
perfection, theosis, salvation is not something attained all at
once, as by a leap, but comes after a long arduous process
spiritual striving or askesis. In this process, with sustained effort
one rises gradually from lower to higher and higher levels of
spiritual development. Thus, in the ninth step, St John remarks:
"The holy virtues are like Jacob's Ladder. For the virtues, leading
from one to another, bear him who chooses them to Heaven."

Commenting on this, Saint Symeon the New Theologian says:
"Those who want to climb these steps climb the first rung of the
Ladder, then the second, then the third, and so on.... In this way
one can rise from earth to Heaven" (Tou Hosiou Symeon tou
Neou Theologou ta Heuriskomena Panta, p. 368). The first step

of spiritual ascent, says Climacos, "consists in these three

virtues: guilelessness (or truthfulness), fasting, and temperance.
All babes in Christ begin with these virtues, taking as their
model natural babes. For in these you will never find anything sly
or deceitful. And they have no insatiate appetite, no insatiable
stomach, no body that is on fire or bestialized." These three
virtues will serve, he says, as a secure foundation for the rest."
Source

Patriarch Jacob' Dream Source

On Slander

2011-10-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Source

Our Orthodox Faith has everything we need to grow and be healed.
We all, at one time or another, have been victims of unfair criticism
and judgment. Unfortunately, most of us have at some time said or
thought something negative about someone else. Our Church has
a spiritual cure for this problem.

As a general rule, we should never accept it when anyone comes to us
with negative ‘information’ about our brother. A fragment from a Church
Father from the 2nd century (Antonius, Book 2 Sermon 69) states,
“Never be afraid of the slanderer who addresses you. But rather say;
“STOP, brother; I daily commit more grievous errors, and how can I
judge him?”

For you will gain two things, healing with one plaster both yourself and
your neighbor. He shows what is really evil. Whence by these arguments,
God has contrived to make each one’s disposition manifest”.

It is not virtue what moves that person to speak against his or her brother but the evil one, the passions. St John Chrysostom says that even when the gossip is true, it is still slander because the intention is to destroy our brother. If there is something that needs our assessment we should go to our spiritual father and ask him. We should also trust our priest, the man that will answer to God for our soul, with the government of the house of God and whatever evaluation and course of action that any particular situation requires.

But more often than not, what is spread around is a lie. St John
Chrysostom in his explanation of the Gospel of St Matthew
says; “Wherefore not those that are slandered but the
slanderers have need to be anxious and to tremble. For
the former are not constrained to answer for themselves
touching the evil things that are said of them, but the latter
will, for the evil they have spoken. So that the persons
censured should be without anxiety, not having to give
account of the evil that others have said; but the censurers
have cause to be in anxiety, and to tremble, as being
themselves to be dragged before the judgment seat in that
behalf. For this is indeed a diabolical snare, and a sin having
in it no pleasure, but harm only. Yeah such a one is laying up
an evil treasure in his soul. Do not now, I warn thee, seize
upon the privilege of the Only Begotten (Jesus Christ). For
Him is the throne of judgment reserved”.

In the Homilies on First Corinthians, St John states; “Bearing in mind these things therefore let us have a care of our own members, and not sharpen the tongue against one another, nor speak words which may do hurt, undermining the fame of our neighbor, and as in war and battle, giving and receiving blows. For what after all is the good of fasting or watching, when the tongue is drunken, and feasts itself at a table more unclean than of dog’s flesh, when it is grown ravening after blood and pours out filth, and makes the mouth a channel of a sewer, nay rather something more abominable than that?

For “Judge not” said He “that ye be not judged” Matthew 7:1 since he too who spoke evil of the publican was condemned, although it was true which he laid to his neighbor’s charge.

But hast thou a fancy to avenge thyself on the other person? Why then punish thyself instead of him? Nay do thou, who art so earnestly seeking redress from those who have annoyed thee, avenge thyself as Paul recommended to take vengeance; “If thy enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst, give him drink (Rom.12:20) But if thou do not so, but only plot against him, thou pointest the sword against thyself. Wherefore if that other speak evil, answer him with praises and commendations.

St John Climacus in the Ladder of Divine Ascent p. 89-92 has some very important things to say, "Slander is born of hatred and remembrance of wrongs. I have heard people slandering and I have rebuked them. And these doers of evil replied in self defence that they were doing so out of love and care for the person whom they were slandering. I said to them; ‘Stop that kind of love, otherwise you will be condemning as a liar him who said; “Him that privaly talked against his neighbor, did I drive away” Psalm 3:5. If you say you love, then pray secretly, and do not mock the man. For this is the kind of love that is acceptable to the Lord.

But I will not hide this from you: Judas was in the company of Christ’s disciples and the thief was in the company of murderers. Yet it is a wondrous thing, how in a single instant, they exchanged places.

I have known a man who sinned openly and repented
secretly. I condemned him as a profligate, but he was
chaste before God, having propitiated Him by a
genuine conversion.

A charitable and sensible mind takes careful note of whatever virtues
it sees in anyone. But a fool looks for faults and defects. Do not
condemn, even if you see with your eyes, for they are often
deceived”.

Elder Ephraim writes in 'Counsels from the Holy Mountain' p.208
“Each person must bear the weaknesses of others. Who is perfect?
Who can boast that he has kept his heart undefiled? Hence, we are
all sick, and whoever condemns his brother does not perceive that
he himself is sick, because a sick person does not condemn another
sick person”.

"Spread your cloak over the man who is falling and cover him. And
if you cannot take upon yourself his sins and receive his chastisement
in his stead, then at least patiently suffer his shame and do not
disgrace him". St Isaac the Syrian, in Homily 51 of the 1st part as
quoted by Matthew the Poor in 'Orthodox Prayer Life' p.143 no.165,
St Vladimir Seminary Press, N.Y. 2003

The Foolishness of the Cross - Love your Enemies!

2011-09-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

Icon of Christ carrying His cross, Church of Panagia Dexia,
Thessaloniki, Greece

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
NASB BibleGateway.com

I have always read the following passage from the Gospel
according to St Luke, with a sense of astonishment;
"“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever
hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your
coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of
you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.Treat others
the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what
credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good
to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same.If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and
your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He
Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father
is merciful."Luke 6:27-36 NASB Source-BibleGateway.com
The commandment has a sense of absoluteness. It demands
total and unconditional surrender of oneself. And I have to confess
that I did not understand it. What Christ is asking seems inhumane!
Does He mean this literally?, I continually asked myself. What kind
of a person behaves in this way and is able to survive? And I thought,
"there is no way I can fulfill this commandment!"

I read St Silouan, "Blessed is the soul that loves her brother,
for our brother is our life. Blessed is the soul that loves her brother:
the Spirit of the Lord lives manifest within her, affording peace and
gladness, and she weeps for the whole world." From 'St Silouan the
Athonite' by Archimandrite Sophrony p.371, St Vladimir Seminary Press 1991
Such words sound so simple but it takes a heart full of the Holy
Spirit to understand. I thought, "Alright, maybe finding out what
St Silouan means by 'love' will help, and immediately recalled
1 Corinthians 13, where it reads,

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag
and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its
own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.” NASB 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 And I despaired of ever been
able to live and experience this love.

Then I read this passage from St Silouan;
"The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies...
The Lord taught me to love my enemies. Without the grace of
God we cannot love our enemies. Only the Holy Spirit
teaches love,..."
And I realized that my feelings of impotence are warranted, that
is, if I think I am called to have this love in the power of my human
strength. The beloved Elder knows this and he has words of
encouragement for us,
"To begin with, constrain your heart to love enemies, and the Lord,
seeing your good will, will help you in all things, and experience
itself will show you the way. But the man who thinks with malice of
his enemies has not God's love within him, and does not know God."
"If you cannot love, then at least do not revile or curse your enemies,
and things will already be better; but if a man curses and abuses his
enemies, it is plain that an evil spirit lives in him, and if he does not
repent, when he dies he will go to the place where evil spirits dwell.
May the Lord preserve every soul from such adversity!"
From, 'St Silouan the Athonite', p377 to p.378
The words are comforting but also bring fear, hopefully the fear of
God. It is this fear that moves me to constrain myself and struggle
towards God and not away from Him. God loves us so much, that
His Providence makes a plan for us. How, you may ask?
The beloved Bishop of Zicha knows very well how, as revealed by his
prayer,

"LORD, BLESS MY ENEMIES, A Prayer by St. Nikolai of Ochrid

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have.
Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth
and have demolished all my aspirations in the world. Enemies have
made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous
inhabitant of the world. Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter
than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies,
found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Your
tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.
They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.
They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.
They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself. They have
spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.
Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me
as though I were a dwarf. Whenever I have wanted to lead people,
they have shoved me into the background. Whenever I have rushed
to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.
Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened
me from sleep. Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long
and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out. Truly,
enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out
my hands to the hem of your garment.

Bless my enemies, Ο Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even
more bitter against me: so that my fleeing to You may have no return;
so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs; so that
absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul; so that my heart may
become the grave of my two evil twins: arrogance and anger; so
that I might amass all my treasure in heaven; ah, so that I may for
once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the
dreadful web of illusory life. Enemies have taught me to know what
hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world
except himself. One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize
that they are not enemies, but cruel friends. It is truly difficult for me
to say who has done me more good and who has done me more
evil in the world: friends or enemies. Therefore bless, Ο Lord, both
my friends and my enemies. A slave curses enemies, for he does
not understand. But a son blesses them, for he understands. For a
son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life. Therefore he
freely steps among them and prays to God for them. Bless my
enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them."
From 'Prayer LXXV, Prayers by the Lake p.142-144, Bishop Nikolai
Velimirovich, Trans. by Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Todor Mitka, 1999
ORTHODOX HERITAGE. APRIL 2005. BROTHERHOOD OF ST. POIMEN Source

Immediately two things seem very clear, I must pray to God with
perseverance to be able to learn to love my enemies, and I must
trust in, and submit to God's Providence as revealed in the
circumstances of my life.
Father Zacharias Zacharou explains, "God's commandments
are beyond man's conception and power to fulfill. We are humbled
from the moment we come in contact with them. The commandments
of God have the specific effect of crushing the arrogance of our
darkened minds and hearts as to clear the way for grace to dwell
within us. They shed light on our imperfection, on our spiritual
poverty and weakness, so that we cry out to God from the heart,
asking Him to come and fulfill His own commandments in us. This
is the only way, as He Himself said, "Without Me ye can do nothing."
John 15:5
From 'Remember Thy First Love' p.318, by Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou,
Stravopegic Monastery of St John the Baptist, Essex, England, 2010
"The very greatness of loving our enemies is obvious from this simple
example: if we have a misunderstanding with someone and we our-
selves are to blame, how difficult we find it to humble ourselves and
say, 'Forgive me, I made a mistake' But how much greater the
crucifixion of ourselves if we are to love someone who has provoked
us, even as our conscience tells us that we are blameless. This,
however is the way of Christ, Who loved us unto the end even while
we were His enemies. ..
Love for one's enemies, then, is the 'madness' of our faith, 'the
foolishness of the cross'. And woe unto him who does not accept
this foolishness! His is foolishness of a different kind: 'The fool hath
said in his heart, there is no God' Psalm 14:1. There is indeed no God
for him, for he is unmoved at seeing Christ-God with arms outstretched
upon the cross in love for His enemies. Such a fool is so hardened that
the word of life, the word of the cross, no longer penetrates his heart.
And this word is the one that speaks most eloquently to us of what love
for our enemies truly is." Ibid p.320-321

I am speechless! With pain of heart I acknowledge that I do not yet
possess this love. But I can pray, I can ask, "Lord Jesus Christ, have
mercy on me! Transform my heart of stone. I believe, help my unbelief!"

And while I pray, there is also something else I can do, I can start to
act as if I had this love...

You Write about Anger in the Heart of a Fool

2011-09-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Elder Joseph the Hesychast available from Uncut Mountain Supply

Sixth Letter
You write about anger in the heart of a fool
"So listen to me once again. Lay a solid foundation. Build a beautiful little palace in the heavens. Clean the inside of the
cup, as the Lord instructs us, so that the outside becomes
clean as well, because everything done with the body
resembles leaves which merely decorate the outer man.
Those works are well and good, but everything I have written
to you about previously is what cleanses a person internally.
These things will open the eyes of the soul. It is through them
that the heart is purified to see God on that day. For without
noetic work, there is little benefit from outer works.

If you do not see tears pouring forth every time you remember
God, you suffer from ignorance, which leads to pride and
hardness of heart. So let humility serve as a garment in all
your actions, and become a sponge in the brotherhood that
mops up every reproach and abasement. Do not water your
soul with honors and praises but with reproaches and
accusations, even if you are innocent.

Never seek to find what is just, because then you are unjust.
On the contrary, learn to endure temptations bravely, regardless
of what kind the Lord permits. Without a lot of excuses, just say,
"Forgive me !" and without actually being at fault, repent as if
you were. Do so with conviction of soul; not just outwardly
admitting to be at fault for the sake of praise, while inwardly
judging.

During times of affliction do not seek human consolation,
so that God may console you.

The bridge we must all cross is to forgive the transgressions of others. However if you don't forgive them, you destroy the bridge
that you should have crossed. So become a good model and
example to others through your good and God-pleasing deeds
and do not wish to defeat everyone with your words.

Do not think that you will find rest when you speak out
seeking justice for yourself. Justice is to endure with bravery
the temptation that comes so that you emerge victorious, whether
or not you are at fault. But if you say, "But why?", you are
fighting against God Who sent the afflictions because of your
passionate* (see notes below) condition. God disciplines us so
that we reach dispassion. Thus, if you do not endure it, truly you
are fighting against God.

You write about anger in the heart of a fool. Anger in itself is
natural. Just as the body has nerves, the soul has anger. Every-
one should use it against the demons, heretics, and anyone who
hinders us from the path of God. However, if you get angry with
your fellow brothers, or get in a rage and ruin the works of your
hands, know that you are suffering from vainglory and are
abusing the nerve of your soul. You are delivered from this
passion through love towards all and true humility.

Therefore when anger comes, close your mouth tightly, and do
not speak to him who curses, dishonors, reproaches or bothers
you in any way without reason. Then this snake will writhe around
in your heart, rise up to your throat, and (since you don't give it a
way out) will choke and suffocate. When this is repeated several
times, it will diminish and cease entirely.

Since man was created rational and gentle, he is corrected far
better with love and gentleness than with anger and harshness.
after much and through testing, I have also found that with
goodness and love you can pacify many. And if someone is of
good intentions, you can quickly make him comply and become
and angel of God.

So this is what I would say to you and to everyone: never seek
to correct each other with anger, but only with humility and
sincere love, because one temptation does not cast out another
temptation. When you see anger ahead, forget about correcting
for the moment. Once you see that the anger has passed, that
peace has come, and that your powers of discernment are
functioning correctly, then you can speak beneficially.

I have never seen anyone corrected through anger, but always
through love: and then he will even make sacrifices. Therefore,
this is how you should act. Take yourself for example: how are
you pacified - with curses or with love?

Don't you marvel at the words of that saint in 'The Sayings of the
Desert Fathers', "An angry and irritable man is not accepted in
the kingdom of God even if he raises the dead!" ?

For the rest of the letter please read, Monastic Wisdom, The
Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast p.60-63, St Anthony's
Greek Orthodox Monastery, Florence, AZ 85232

Available from Light & Life Publishing

Notes:
Passionate-
The word 'passionate' in this text is not used in any of the
secular senses of the word, but it is used to describe
someone or something subject to the passions.

Passion-
A passion is a spiritual disease that dominates the soul.
When one repeatedly falls into a certain sin, it becomes
second nature-a passion-for him to keep falling into this
sin. Thus, one who misuses the God given powers of the
soul, of desire and anger, or one who succumbs to
temptations of lust, hate, malice, or jealousy, or one who
succumbs to pride and vainglory, acquires those passions.
It is primarily through obedience to an experienced elder
that one is cleansed or healed of the passions and reaches
dispassion.

Fire near the Monastery of St John the Forerunner, Goldendale, WA

2011-09-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Source

"The flames crept up to the edge of their buildings and a cemetery, leaving the wooden crosses intact." KOMO News

The last few days have been stressful for our community. The forest
near our beloved monastery is on fire and it threatens the homes
and very lives of our friends and family.

For many years our church community has been struggling tirelessly
to help the monastic community establish itself and build the facilities
required. Many young women eagerly await for the construction to be
finished so they can move to the monastery and begin their monastic
vocation.

Needless to say, when I heard the news of the fire I was in tears. As if
the threat to the lives and homes of my loved ones wasn't enough, I
had another concern, how are we going to be able to identify the tombs
of our dear ones buried in the cemetery?

I am having flashbacks. I can see Fr Thomas serving in our parish. I
remember Iannis and Photini seating at the table with me for dinner.
The memories come rushing one after another. Here we are, carrying
Fr Thomas' coffin to his grave. The silence on that occasion was
deafening but we were not without hope. Christ is risen from the dead!

But the fire receded. It reached the cross on Iannis' tomb and it receded!
The fire reached the cross on Fr Thomas' tomb and it receded! The
monastery buildings and my friends' homes have also been spared. I may
still walk to Photini's resting place and pray.
Glory to God!

Let us pray for those who are still in harm's way,

"Psalm 91 NKJV
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

BibleGateway

The Second Coming and the Transformation of the Resurrected Bodies

2011-08-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

Painting by Frederick Edwin Church Source

From the book “Saint Symeon, the New Theologian” by Niketas Stethatos.

One day, while he (Saint Symeon) was saying his prayers with a pure heart and conversing with God, he noticed that the air began to illuminate his mind; although he remained in his cell, he began to feel as though he was somehow transported within an open space. It was dark outside, the night was already at hand, when a radiance suddenly began to glow from up high, just like the morning light at dawn. What a truly scary vision befell the poor man! And his living quarters—along with everything in them—vanished completely from sight, making him believe that he was not inside his cell.

He was absolutely overwhelmed by a divine ecstasy, and was fully aware of that light with his mind, as it approached him. The light grew steadily stronger, and made the air seem even brighter than before, and he felt that his entire self—along with his body—had now gone beyond all worldly things.

But, because that light continued to shine more and more, making it seem like a sun shining at mid-day, he felt as though he were actually standing inside that light, and that his entire being, together with his body, was filled with joy and tears, that were generated by the sweetness of that light’s presence. He also observed that the same light, in some wondrous kind of way, came in contact with his body, and gradually permeated its members. The surprise brought about by this vision drew him away from the previous state of theoria and left him feeling only this exquisite sensation that was taking place inside him. He watched as that light slowly penetrated his entire body, his heart and his inner most depths, making his whole existence like a fire and light.

And just as with his living quarters, so did he now lose every sense of form, of place, of weight and of bodily shape, and his tears ceased to fall. Then he heard a voice from within the light, saying to him: It has been decided, that in this same manner shall the Saints be transformed, who will be living and will still be here, during the hour of the final trumpet, and thus transformed, they will be taken up to the heavens, just as the Apostle Paul says.

After remaining in this state for many hours, the blessed Symeon in his secret and incessant praise to the Lord, and fully comprehending the glory that had enfolded him, as well as the eternal bliss that was to be bestowed on the Saints, began to wonder and ask himself: “Will I ever return to the previous condition of my body, or shall I live like this continuously?” No sooner had he made this thought, than he immediately began to feel that he was moving about with his body like a shadow or a spirit. He realized that he had become (as we said, with his body as well) a light without a form; something entirely incorporeal. He continued to feel that he possessed a body, yet without its material dimensions, and more like a spiritual one. In other words, he felt as though he lacked all weight or mass whatsoever, and was amazed, how he could have a body and yet seem bodiless.

And the light that spoke inside him, said to him once again: Thus will all the Saints be enrobed without the flesh after the resurrection, in the future age, with spiritual bodies that are either lighter and finer and more ethereal, or, denser and heavier and more earthen, which will be the determining factor for each one with regard to their stance, their order and their closeness to God.

After hearing these things, and having seen the inexpressible divine light, the God-sighting and God-possessed Symeon thanked God, Who glorified our species and made it to partake of divinity and His kingdom, and returned once again to his former state, and found himself again inside his cell, in his previous, human condition. However, he reassured with oaths all those whom he trusted to reveal his secrets, that “for many days after, I could still feel that lightness of body, without feeling any exertion, or hunger, or thirst.”

Given that he partook of these things in the Spirit and was filled with the divine charismas of the Spirit (and of course having fully cleared his mind of all impurities), he was given to see such visions and breathtaking revelations by the Lord, as had the Prophets of old.

Thus, with his apostolic mindset (because his existence was guided and moved by the divine Spirit) he was also given the orator’s charisma, hence whenever words came forth from his mouth—albeit illiterate—he also theologized. With his divinely inspired writings, he teaches the faithful the precision of the pious lifestyle. Having reached spiritual heights such as these, he began to compose ascetic essays, set out in chapters according to the various virtues and the vices that contravened them, by drawing from his own personal ascetic life and the divine knowledge that was bestowed on him, and describing in detail the monastic life for those who practice it, thus becoming to the Israelite nation of monkhood a river of God, full of spiritual waters.

From Orthodox Heritage Periodical
A monthly Orthodox periodical / newsletter published by the Greek Orthodox Brotherhood of St. Poimen

Orthodox Monasticism - A new Book by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos

2011-08-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Elder Sophrony of Essex

Orthodox Monasticism is the latest translation of the work by
Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos. In Part 3 of the book, the
section on "The Mystery of the Cross in the Monastic Life"
p.368 to 369, Metropolitan Hierotheos writes a moving tribute
to Elder Sophrony of Essex and his disciple, Archimandrite
Zacharias Zacharou,

"Archimandrite Zacharias' whole book (Christ Our Way and
Our Life) is a hymn of praise to the living, robust, manly,
apostolic and patristic theology of Elder Sophrony. This text
conveys simply, plainly and clearly the figure of a great Elder
of our time, who is comparable to major prophetic, apostolic
and patristic figures. Reading it we rejoice, glorify God and
are moved to contrition. We pray, repent, bewail ourselves,
mourn, hope and give thanks.

The sanctity of Elder Sophrony is clearly demonstrated. How
can he not be a saint when in the earthen vessel of his human
frailty he experienced theoria of the Uncreated Light to the
highest possible degree?

I have no hesitation about writing once again that Elder
Sophrony is a saint, with extraordinary experience and
an extraordinary record of this experience"

From 'Orthodox Monasticism as the Way of Life of Prophets, Apostles
and Martyrs', Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Translated by Sister
Pelagia Selfe, Birth of the Theotokos Monastery 2011, Levadia Greece.

Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou
Source

Empirical Dogmatics by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos Vlachos

2011-08-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Source Vol 1 These books have not been translated into English

Empirical Dogmatics(according to the lectures of Fr. John Romanides)
Greek Title: "ΕΜΠΕΙΡΙΚΗ ΔΟΓΜΑΤΙΚΗ"

By: Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Fr. Hierotheos Vlachos

An interview with the author of the book, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Saint Vlassios, Fr. Hierotheos Vlachos, by reporter Ms.Thalia Hounda. The interview was published in the local newspaper "DIMOTIKO MELLON".
Source
1. Question: What prompted you to compile the teaching of Fr. John Romanides, which in essence is the official position of our Church?

Reply: The written texts and the oral traditions of Fr. John Romanides have as their core the dogmas of the Church, but, they are delivered from within their basic prerequisite: experience. To the many, dogmas are regarded as arbitrary axioms that have nothing to do with life; the fact is, the dogmas of the Orthodox Church are more reminiscent of medications that scientists have discovered after many years of research and are offering for the healing of various morbid situations.

This is what prompted me to embark on the "Empirical Dogmatics", based on the oral teachings of Fr. John Romanides, which deal with the major existential and ontological problems that torment mankind and which definitely have social repercussions. They are questions such as:

"What is God? How can we attain a personal communication with Him? What is Man? What is the purpose of his existence? Why does death exist? What is there after death? etc...

Fr. John Romanides' teaching fully complies with this requirement. A reader told me that this book can even make an atheist appreciate the theology of the Orthodox Church, because it expresses the depths of the dogma and moves beyond moralistic conventionalities.

2. Question: How difficult was this project, with regard to selecting the most opportune points from out of the entire - and admittedly vast - opus of his?

Reply: The project that I had to compile was indeed a vast and difficult one. I had around 1500 pages of transcripts from taperecorded homilies of the spoken word of Fr. John and I had to isolate the theological topics from among hundreds of other topics - historical, scientific, etc. - because Fr. John Romanides closely linked theology to History, but he also interpreted it from within modern scientific discoveries and therefore I had to locate all the purely theological segments.

But even after this selection, I still had to connect the texts between them into one unity, with a sequence in thought and with relevance. It was like working on a jigsaw puzzle; like taking some exquisite pieces out of an ancient amphora that was discovered in an archaeological dig and presenting a completed piece of work.

I undertook this entire, laborious project with love and inspiration, and I worked somewhat like an artist composing a painting. Thus, even though the project was laborious, it was nevertheless also pleasant, inasmuch as it brought surprise and enthusiasm, even to me. The word "inspiration" says it all. After all, a Christian - as our Fathers said - must work as an artist, as a poet...

3. Question: Please describe some of your own experiences, from within which the personality of that so significant theologian can be highlighted.

Reply: Father John Romanides was a multi-talented personality. He grew up in Manhattan of New York; he studied at the biggest university centers of America (Yale, Harvard...); at Orthodox Schools of Theology in America and Europe (Greek and Russian); he was a professor of Dogmatics in America, in Thessaloniki and Lebanon, and was very familiar with the western and the eastern man. He could equally drive a plane and a boat, and also be familiar with the achievements of modern science.

All the same, even though I had been reading his works from the past, I got to know him personally after his retirement from the University of Thessaloniki, when he was living in Athens. He had a good knowledge of many subjects: theological, scientific, diplomatic, historical... and was continuously into research. His mentality (and the art of a researcher) he had learnt in America. And yet, he was simple, humble, calm, but also concerned about the levels of our society and theology in our land. He was an easterner who lived in the western world; a visionary who lived in a society of many interests; an ascetic who lived outside the Monastery, inside the modern community. I don't wish to idealize him, but he really was a noble and sensitive person.

Twenty days before his passing, when I went to visit him at his home, I discovered that he would wake up in the night and pray - just like a monk - the way his mother did, whom he loved dearly; a woman of the East, who lived the Cappadocian lifestyle inside Manhattan, New York, and who finally became a nun at the Monastery at Souroti near Thessaloniki and under the guidance of the Elder Paisios, who greatly respected her.

4. Question: Are there any "latent" or special points to look out for while studying the books, that the reader has to discover for himself?

Reply: Every reader will be impressed, by various points of his teaching. There certainly are one or two "latent" points for the many, which do however express the depth of his teaching. I have already submitted this question to many readers of the books, to determine if they had located them, and that is why I won't tell you which points they are.

What is important though, is that Fr. John Romanides during the turbulent course of his life had clashed with many theologians, on account of the various changes that he encountered. There were also many who did not comprehend his teaching. But, because he had attained a personal certainty, he was absolute in many topics and would express himself sententiously.

Nevertheless, his basic opus - if one examines it in depth - was unifying, since it pinpointed the relationship between atheists and Christians, Jews and Greeks, orthodox and heterodox, Latin-speaking, Hellenic-speaking and Arab-speaking Romans. He believed in Romanity - not as an ideology, but as a way of life that constitutes a unifying force between seemingly contrary situations. He was a noble, an easterner, deeply democratic and at the same time a revolutionary. These terms may sound contradictory, but they were an expression of the overall manner of his theological thought and of his research work.

Translation: K.N.

Vol.2

St Herman of Alaska

2011-08-09T01:32:00.000-07:00

St Herman of Alaska Icon from Uncut Mountain Supply

St Herman is an Orthodox saint who is very dear to my heart
because, while I am embarrassingly aware of my own
insignificance, I realize the great mercy that God showed me
through this saint. The following took place during the fall,
in 1996, while I was discussing Orthodoxy with a friend,
Peter, with the intention of proselytizing him into
Protestantism. I knew nothing then about Orthodoxy,
saints, icons, Holy Tradition, etc.

This is what happened,
"During one of my internet searches I found a painting of an old man whose blue eyes pierced through the core of my being and made me weep. And I could not stop weeping. I had no idea of who this man was. I thought that I had reached a breaking point and that this search for the truth was affecting me in a negative way. It did not seem healthy that I should be crying at the mere sight of painting of an old man, So I decided to call Peter and tell him that I would not continue inquiring about Orthodoxy. Peter did not seem worried at all, and asked for the name of the name of the file I was looking at. I checked and it was stherman.jpg.
Peter told me; 'David there is nothing wrong with you, do you know about icons?' I answered
'no', and he explained that St Herman was a saint. I asked, Is he alive? Can I meet him? Would he talk to me? I have so many questions. Peter then said; "St Herman lived in the 18th century but he is alive in God, and yes he can hear you. Pray to him!"
For the rest of my conversion story please read here.

Needless to say, I became Orthodox and I have
never forgotten the great kindness shown to me
who I'm of no account.
Please read below one of the most complete
biographies of St Herman I have seen;

THE LIFE OF OUR HOLY FATHER SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA
(1751–1836)
Commemorated November 15, December 13, and July 27
Source

The following Life is based on the original Valaam Life commissioned in 1864 by Abbot Damascene, and incorporates
changes based on recent research.

Saint Herman of Alaska was born in 1751 in a village of the province of Voronezh, Russia, into a very devout peasant family. His name before monasticism was Yegor Ivanovich Popov. It is known that one of his relatives ended her days as a nun of the well-known Monastery of the Passion in Moscow. From his early youth Yegor was a pious boy, and he made several pilgrimages to the Sarov Monastery. During his childhood he stayed for a time in the cell of the elder and ascetic Varlaam of Sarov (†1764), the spiritual father of Hieromonk Nazarius, the future abbot of Valaam Monastery. Little is known ofthe early period of Fr. Herman’s life. A story about him was told by his friend, monk Theophan.[1] “Fr. Herman (he is now in America) at a young age lived in the wilderness with Fr. Varlaam. Fr. Varlaam once departed for a short time, leaving the youngster—he was twelve years old—alone. It happened that some people gathering mushrooms in the forest became lost and came across the cell of the desert dwellers. When Yegor emerged to meet them, they were frightened by him—so unusual did his presence in the forest seem to them.”[2]

At the age of seventeen Yegor was conscripted into the military. At that time he again went to Sarov, and was taken from there into the army. Little is known about his military service, save that he served in the city of Kadom (near Ryazan) as an assistant clerk. The years he spent working on correspondence, occasioned by his work as a clerk, were subsequently reflected in the eloquence of his letters from Alaska, which displayed a talent quite rare among peasants.

During Yegor’s youth the following incident occurred. On the right side of his neck under his beard there appeared an abscess. The pain was horrible. The swelling grew rapidly and disfigured his whole face; it was very difficult to swallow and there was an intolerable smell. In such a dangerous condition, expecting to die, Yegor did not turn to an earthly physician, but, with warm prayer and tears he fell before the icon of the Heavenly Queen, entreating healing from her. He prayed the whole night, then with a wet towel he wiped the face of the icon of the Most Pure Theotokos, and with this towel he wrapped his swelling. Continuing to pray with tears he fell asleep on the floor in exhaustion and saw in a dream that he had been healed by the Most Holy Virgin. In the morning he awoke, stood up and, to his great amazement, found himself completely healthy; the swelling had dispersed without rupturing, leaving only a small lump as a reminder of the miracle. The doctors who were told about this healing did not believe it, insisting that the abscess must have burst by itself or must have been cut out. However, the words of the physicians were the words of the experience of human weakness; for where God’s grace acts, the order of nature is overcome. Such manifestations humble man’s mind under the mighty hand of God’s mercy!

Sarov Monastery.

1777, at the age of twenty-six, Yegor was released from the army due to illness, and the following year he was accepted as a novice in the Sarov Monastery. That same year Prokhor Moshnin, the future St. Seraphim of Sarov, also began his novitiate there. In 1781 Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod and St. Petersburg began to consider assigning Hieromonk Nazarius of Sarov[3] as superior of Valaam Monastery. The monastery, situated on an archipelago in the great Lake Ladoga, on the Russian-Finnish border, had long been in a state of decline. At that time there were only four inhabitants there: two former parish priests, one monk, and the superior, Abbot Ephraim. During the autumn of 1781 both priests and the monk drowned while crossing Lake Ladoga. Abbot Ephraim was relieved of his post in January 1782, and he reposed in March of the same year. By a Synodal decree issued on March 7, 1782, Fr. Nazarius was assigned as abbot of Valaam. Having been informed earlier of his selection as the new superior, he was at that time on a pilgrimage to the Valaam and Konevits monasteries with four Sarov novices, one of whom was Yegor Popov. Fr. Nazarius’ choice of novices to accompany him to his new position was not accidental. Of the four, three were former military men, and one had even been an officer. Such disciplined men were needed to lay the foundation of the new brotherhood.

Valaam Monastery during the eighteenth century.

On November 1, 1782, two of the novices, Yegor Popov and Peter Matchin, were tonsured—Yegor receiving the name Herman, and Peter the name Patermuphius. Thus St. Herman was among the first monks tonsured in the newly revived Valaam monastery. Fr. Herman came to love Valaam and its brotherhood with his whole soul, and he remembered Elder Nazarius with gratitude to the end of his days. “Thy paternal kindness and deeds of love toward my lowliness,” he later wrote to Abbot Nazarius from America, “shall in no way ever be erased from my heart. Neither the terrible impassible Siberian wilds, nor its dark forests, neither the rapids of great rivers, nor the dread ocean can quench these feelings of mine. For in my mind I imagine my beloved Valaam and constantly behold it across the great ocean.”[4] In his letters he addressed Elder Nazarius as “my most venerable, beloved Batiushka,” and all of the Valaam brethren he called “beloved and most treasured.” He named the deserted Spruce Island, his place of habitation in America, “New Valaam.” And, as is apparent, he was always in contact with his spiritual homeland. As late as 1823, thirty years after his arrival in the American territory, he wrote letters to Fr. Nazarius’ successor, Abbot Innocent. Here is what is said concerning the life of Fr. Herman on Valaam by his contemporary, who was also tonsured by Abbot Nazarius and was a future abbot of Valaam—Fr. Varlaam: “Fr. Herman went through various obediences, and as being ready for any good thing, he was, among other things, sent to the city of Serdobol[5] in order to supervise the marble quarry there. The brethren loved Fr. Herman and would impatiently await his return from Serdobol to the monastery. Having tested the zeal of the ascetic, the wise elder, Fr. Nazarius, let hi was located in a dense forest, about a mile’s distance from the monastery. There is now a cultivated field on that site, which has retained the name ‘Germanova Polye’ [Herman’s Field]. On feast days Fr. Herman would come from his hermitage to the monastery. It would happen that during Compline, standing in the cliros, he would sing in a pleasant tenor voice the refrains of the canon: ‘Sweetest Jesus, save us sinners’ and ‘O Most Holy Theotokos, save us’—and tears like hail would pour from his eyes.”

AbbotNazarius

In the second half of the eighteenth century the boundaries of Holy Russia on the northeast were being enlarged through the activity of Russianpromyshlenniki (trappers and pioneers). The Aleutian islands were discovered, which comprise a chain on the Pacific Ocean from the eastern border of Kamchatka to the western shore of North America. With the discovery of these islands the need was seen to enlighten the inhabitants with the Gospel of Christ. For this holy task, with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Gabriel entrusted Elder Nazarius with selecting capable men from among the brethren of the Valaam and Konevits monasteries. Ten men were chosen,[6] and one of their number was Fr. Herman. In 1794 they set out from Valaam Monastery for their appointed destination, the island of Kodiak in the northern part of the Gulf of Alaska. This was at that time the headquarters of the Russian colonies in North America. With holy zeal the preachers quickly spread the light of the Gospel to the new sons of Russia. Several thousand people accepted Christianity. A school was founded to educate the newly baptized children. A wooden church, dedicated to Christ’s Resurrection, was built near Kodiak harbor, as was a wooden monastery for the members of the mission. But by the unfathomable ways of God the general success of the mission was not long lasting. Members of the Russian-American Trading Company, headed by Alexander Baranov, continually persecuted the monks for defending the local natives who were being exploited and virtually enslaved by the Company.

Kodiak harbor as it looked during St. Herman’s time. The Resurrection Church is at left.

Also, after five years of greatly profitable activity, the head of the mission, Archimandrite Ioasaph, drowned along with his whole retinue, which included Hieromonk Macarius and Hierodeacon Stephen. He had been raised to the rank of bishop in Irkutsk, Russia, but suffered shipwreck on his return trip. Before him, the zealous Hieromonk Juvenal had been vouchsafed a martyric crown, while others one after another left the mission, leaving only Hieromonk Athanasius, Monk Ioasaph, and Monk Herman. Eventually, after the death of the first two, Fr. Herman was the only one left from the original group.

Fr. Herman moved to Spruce Island, which, as was noted above, he called “New Valaam.” This island is separated by a strait over a mile wide from Kodiak Island. Spruce Island is not large, and is covered with forest. Fr. Herman chose this picturesque island for himself as a place of seclusion, and dug a cave in the ground there with his own hands, spending his first whole summer in it. By winter the Russian-American Company built a cell for him near his earthen cave. He lived in this cell until his death, turning the cave into a grave for his repose. Not far from the cell was a wooden chapel dedicated to the Meeting of the Lord, as well as a small wooden house for his school (about which more will be said later) and for visitors. This was the whole arena of Fr. Herman’s great ascetic labors over the course of nearly forty years of his life. Here in the garden he himself dug the beds and planted potatoes, cabbage, and other vegetables. He stored mushrooms for winter, salting and drying them. He prepared salt from seawater. The basket in which the Elder carried kelp from the shore in order to fertilize the earth was so big, they say, that it was hard for one man to lift by himself. Fr. Herman, however, to the amazement of all, would carry it without any assistance for long distances. One winter night his disciple Gerasim happened to see him in the woods walking barefoot, bearing a log so large that it would have taken four men to carry it. His clothing was the same winter and summer. He did not wear a shirt. Instead he wore a deerskin garment, which for eight years he neither removed nor changed. Consequently, all the fur wore off and it became soiled. He also wore boots or shoes, a worn-out, faded robe covered with patches, a riassa,[7] and a klobuk.[8] He went everywhere in this clothing, in all types of weather: in rain, snow, winter storm, and in the most severe frosts.

Spruce Island in St. Herman's time.

A medium-sized bench, covered with deerskins, the fur of which had worn out with time, served as his bed. For his pillow he had two bricks which were hidden under the deerskins and thus unseen by visitors. He had no blanket. This was replaced by a wooden board which lay on his stove. Fr. Herman called this board his blanket and willed to have his mortal remains covered with it. It was fully his size. “When I visited Fr. Herman’s cell,” stated Constantine Larionov, “I, the sinful one, sat on his bed, and I consider it the height of my happiness!”

Fr. Herman would occasionally be a guest amidst the Company’s managers in Kodiak. He would speak on soul-saving matters and would sit with them up to, and even past, midnight. He would not stay to spend the night with them, and no matter what kind of weather there was, he would always walk back to his cell at the mission. If for some special reason he was compelled to spend the night away from his cell, his hosts would always find that the bed that had been prepared for him had been untouched, and that the Elder had not slept at all. Exactly the same thing would happen in his desert hermitage. Having spent the night in conversation, he would not give himself over to rest.

The Elder ate very little. When visiting, he would barely taste some dish and would remain without dinner. In his cell, a very small portion of fish or vegetables constituted his whole meal.

His body, worn out by labors, vigils, and fasting, was weighed down by fifteen-pound chains. These chains at the present time are treasured in the chapel where, it has been said by some, they were found behind an icon of the Mother of God at the Elder’s death; or they fell out from behind there at his death, as others explain.[9]

Aleuts.

Describing these ascetic labors of Fr. Herman, his disciple, Aleut[10]Ignatius Aligyaga (†1874) added: “Yes, Apa[11] conducted a hard life, and no one can imitate it.” The above-described characteristics of the Elder refer, so to say, to his outward activity. “But his main activity,” as Bishop Peter of New Arkhangelsk (†1889) said, “was the exercise of spiritual labors in the seclusion of his cell, where no one saw him. Only from outside his cell was he heard singing and performing the services in accordance with the monastic rule.” The bishop’s testimony is confirmed by the following reply of Fr. Herman himself. The Elder was asked: “How do you, Fr. Herman, live alone in the forest? How do you keep from being bored?” He responded: “No! I’m not alone there! God is there, as God is everywhere! Holy angels are there! Can one be bored with them? With whom is it better and more pleasant to converse—with people or with angels? With angels, of course!”

How Fr. Herman regarded the native inhabitants of America, how he understood his relationship to them and how he had compassion for their needs, he himself expressed in one letter addressed to the former governor of the colonies, Symeon Ivanovich Yanovsky: “The Creator has given to our beloved fatherland this region like a new-born babe, still without strength or knowledge of any kind, nor sense, which demands not only protection, but also, because of its weak and tender age, support. But it is still not even possible to ask anyone to do this. The dependence of this people is a blessing of Holy Providence, given as it is into the hands, for an unknown period of time, of the Russian authorities here, and now given into your hands. For this reason I, the most humble servant of the local peoples and their nurse, stand before you with bloody tears and write my request: be a father and protector to us! We, of course, know not eloquence, but we say, with the halting tongue of children, wipe away the tears of defenseless orphans, cool the heat of sorrow in melting hearts, give us to know the meaning of consolation.”[12]

As the Elder felt, so also did he act. He always interceded before the authorities on behalf of transgressors, defended those who were being hurt, and helped the needy in any way he could. Aleuts of both sexes, as well as their children, would often visit him. Some would ask for advice, others would complain of oppression, yet others sought defense, or requested help. Everyone would receive satisfaction from the Elder as far as this was possible. He looked into troubles that arose between them and tried to reconcile everyone. He especially strove to restore harmony in families. If he did not succeed in reconciling a husband and wife, the Elder would separate them for a while. The necessity of such measures he explained thus: “It is better to let them live separately, so that they do not fight and quarrel; otherwise, believe me, it is frightful if you don’t take them apart: there were cases where the husband would kill his wife or the wife would drive her husband to madness!”

Fr. Herman especially loved children. He would give them crackers, and bake pretzels for them; and the little ones were especially attracted to his gentleness. Fr. Herman’s love for the Aleuts reached self-denial.

St. Herman's chains.

In late 1819 an infectious, deadly disease was brought by way of a ship from the United States to the island of Sitka and from there to the island of Kodiak. As the colonial governor at the time, S. I. Yanovsky, related, “It began with a fever, intense runny nose and shortness of breath, and would end in spasms: in three days the victim would die. On the island there was neither doctor nor medication. The disease, spreading through villages, would quickly embrace the whole vicinity…. The epidemic affected all, even suckling babes. The death toll was so great that for three days there was no one to dig graves and the bodies lay all over unburied! … I cannot imagine anything more sorrowful, more horrible than that sight with which I was struck when I visited an Aleut dwelling! This was a large barn, or a barrack with bunk beds, where whole Aleut families lived and which could lodge as many as a hundred people…. Some were dying, their bodies growing cold, stretched out next to the living; others were already dead; there was moaning and wailing that tore one’s soul apart! I saw mothers already dead, upon whose cold breasts crawled hungry little infants, futilely and with cries seeking food for themselves. My heart bled from pity! One would think that if one could, with a worthy brush, depict all the horror of this sorrowful picture, that it would evoke the fear of death even in hardened souls.”[13] During the whole time the terrible disease lasted—an entire month with a gradual decline—Fr. Herman, not sparing himself, tirelessly visited the sick, begged them to be patient, to pray, and to bring forth repentance, and he would prepare them for death.

The Elder took special care for the moral improvement of the Aleuts. With this aim he created a school not far from his cell for the orphaned Aleut children. All that he was able to acquire through his toil in his garden he utilized to provide food, clothing, and books for his orphans. He himself taught them the Law of God and church singing. With this in mind he would gather the Aleuts for prayer in the chapel near his cell on Sundays and feast days. His disciple would read the Hours and other prayers for them there. The Elder himself would read the Apostolic Epistles and Gospels and teach them. His female students would sing, and they sang very nicely. The Aleuts loved to listen to Fr. Herman’s instructions, and would gather with him in large numbers. The Elder’s talks were very interesting, and influenced his listeners with a wonderful power. He personally wrote about one such grace-filled impression produced by his word: “Glory to the holy ways of the merciful God! By His unfathomable Providence He has shown me a new phenomenon which I have not yet seen in the twenty years I have lived in Kodiak. Just after Pascha one young woman, not more than twenty years old, who knows how to speak Russian well and who had previously neither known nor seen me, came to me. After hearing about the Incarnation of the Son of God and about eternal life, she became so inflamed with love for Jesus Christ that she does not want to leave me at all. But her intense entreaty convinced me, against my inclination and love of seclusion, to accept her. Despite all the hindrances and difficulties that I presented to her, she has been living with me for over a month and is not bored. Looking upon this with great amazement, I recall the words of the Savior: Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes (Matt. 11:25).” This woman lived near the Elder until his death; she watched over the good behavior of the children who studied in his school. When he was dying, he willed her to live on Spruce Island and to be buried at his feet upon her death. Her name was Sophia Vlasova.[14]

Symeon Ivanovich Yanovsky (†1876),
governor of the Alaskan colonies.

Concerning the character and power of the Elder’s talks, Yanovsky writes: “I was thirty years old when I met Fr. Herman. It must be said that I was educated in a naval academy, knew many sciences, and had read much. But, unfortunately, the science of sciences, i.e., the Law of God, I understood superficially, and even that theoretically, not applying it to life, and was a Christian in name only, while in my soul and my actions I was a free thinker, a deist. Moreover I did not accept the divinity and holiness of our religion, and I had read many atheistic works of Voltaire and other philosophers of the eighteenth century. Fr. Herman noticed this at once and desired to convert me. To my great amazement he spoke so powerfully and intelligently, and argued so convincingly, that it now seems to me that no education and earthly wisdom could withstand his words.We conversed with him every day until, and sometimes later than, midnight about the love of God, about eternity, about the salvation of the soul, and about Christian life. Sweet speech poured from his lips in an unceasing stream! Through such continual conversations and by the prayers of the holy Elder, the Lord completely converted me to the path of truth, and I became a true Christian. For all this I am indebted to Fr. Herman: he is my true benefactor.”

“Several years ago,” continues Yanovsky, “Fr. Herman converted one naval captain, Leonty [Ludwig] Adrianovich Hagemeister, from the Lutheran faith to Orthodoxy. This captain was quite educated. Besides many sciences he knew many languages: Russian, German, French, English, Italian, and a bit of Spanish. In spite of all this he could not resist the arguments and proofs of Fr. Herman: he changed his beliefs and was received into the Orthodox Church through Chrismation. When he was leaving America, the Elder said to him at parting: ‘See to it that if the Lord takes your wife, you will by no means marry a German woman; if you marry a German woman she will unfailingly hurt your Orthodoxy.’ The captain gave his word, but did not keep it. The Elder’s warning was prophetic. Several years later the captain’s wife did die, and he married a German [in 1827]. He evidently either abandoned or weakened his faith, and died suddenly, without repentance.”

Yanovsky continues: “Once the Elder was invited to a frigate that had arrived from St. Petersburg. The captain of the frigate[15] was a rather learned man, highly educated. He had been sent to America by imperial decree to inspect all the colonies. There were at least twenty-five officers with the captain, likewise educated men. In this company sat a man of rather short stature, with worn-out clothing— a desert-dwelling monk, who with his wise conversation brought all these educated men to such a state that they did not know how to answer him. The captain himself related: ‘We were at a loss how to answer, like fools before him!’ Fr. Herman posed one common question to all of them: ‘What do you, gentlemen, love more than anything else, and what would each of you wish for your happiness?’ Various responses began to pour out. Some wished for riches, others glory, others a beautiful wife, others a beautiful ship that he would command, and so on in the same vein. ‘Isn’t it true,’ said Fr. Herman to them, ‘that all your various wishes could be summed up in one—that each of you wishes that which, according to his understanding, he considers the best and most worthy of love?’ ‘Yes, that is true!’ they all replied. ‘Tell me,’ he continued, ‘what could be better, higher than all, more superlative and most worthy of love if not the Lord, our Jesus Christ Himself, Who created us, adorned us with such good qualities, gave life to all, maintains and nourishes everything, loves everyone, Who is Himself love, and is more wonderful than all people? Shouldn’t one therefore love God far more than all things, and desire and seek Him more than anything?’ All began to speak: ‘Well, yes! That is self-evident! That is true in itself!’ ‘But do you love God?’ the Elder then asked. All replied: ‘Of course we love God. How can one not love God?’ ‘And I, a sinner, have been trying to love God for more than forty years, and cannot say that I perfectly love Him,’ replied Fr. Herman, and he began to demonstrate how one must love God. ‘If we love someone,’ he said, ‘we always remember him and try to please him; day and night our heart is occupied with that object. Is that how you, gentle-men, love God? Do you often turn to Him, do you always remember Him, do you always pray to Him and fulfill His holy commandments?’ They had to admit that they did not. ‘For our good, for our happiness,’ concluded the Elder, ‘at least let us make a vow that from this day, from this hour, from this minute we shall strive to love God above all else and to fulfill His holy will!’ What a wise and wonderful talk Fr. Herman conducted in society: without a doubt this conversation must have been impressed in the hearts of his listeners for the rest of their lives!”

In general Fr. Herman liked to talk. He spoke wisely, to the point, and instructively, mostly on the points of eternity, salvation, the future life, and the ways of God. He would recount much from the Lives of the Saints and from the Prologue, but he never said anything frivolous. It was so pleasant to listen to him that those who conversed with him, even Aleuts and their women, were delighted with his talks and frequently only at dawn would they leave him, unwillingly as it were, as Constantine Larionov testified.

Yanovsky describes Fr. Herman’s outward appearance in detail. “I clearly remember,” he says, “all the features of the Elder’s face, which shone with grace: his pleasant smile, meek and attractive gaze, his humble, quiet manner, and his amiable words. He was not tall, he had a pale face, covered with wrinkles, his eyes were gray-blue and full of brightness, and on his head he had a few gray hairs. His speech was not loud, but very pleasant.” From his talks with the Elder, Yanovsky recalls two incidents. “Once,” he writes, “I read Derzhavin’s ode ‘God’ to Fr. Herman. The Elder was amazed and ecstatic, and asked that I read it once more, which I did. ‘Is it possible that this was written by an ordinary scholar?’ he asked. ‘Yes, he was a scholar, a poet,’ I answered. ‘It was written by the inspiration of God,’ said the Elder.

St. Peter the Aleut.

Another time I was telling him how the Spaniards in California had captured fourteen Aleuts in 1815, and the Jesuits[16] were pressuring them all to accept the [Roman] Catholic faith, which the Aleuts in no way agreed to. ‘We are Christians,’ they said. ‘Not true, you are heretics and schismatics,’ argued the Jesuits, ‘and if you do not agree to accept our faith, we will torture all of you.’ Then the Aleuts were placed in prison cells by twos. In the evening the Jesuits came to the prison with lamps and lit candles and again began to try to persuade two Aleuts there to accept the [Roman] Catholic faith. ‘We are Christians,’ was the answer of the Aleuts, ‘and will not change our faith!’ Then the Jesuits had them tortured—at first one, while the other was a witness. They cut off one joint on the Aleut’s toe, and then the second joint, then one joint of his finger and then a second. Then they chopped off his feet and hands; the blood flowed. The martyr endured and firmly repeated the same thing: ‘I am a Christian.’ In such torments he died from loss of blood. The Jesuits promised to torture his friend the same way on the next day, but that night they received an order from Monterey that all captive Russian Aleuts should immediately be delivered there by convoy. Therefore, in the morning all of them, except the deceased Aleut, were sent away. This was told to me by the Aleut witness, the companion of the one who had been tortured, who had later escaped from captivity. I then reported this to headquarters in St. Petersburg. When I had finished my story, Fr. Herman asked: ‘And what was the name of the tortured Aleut?’ ‘Peter,’ I responded, ‘but I don’t remember his last name.’ Then the Elder stood up before the icon, reverently crossed himself and said: ‘Holy new martyr Peter, pray to God for us!’”

In order to express somewhat the spirit of Fr. Herman’s teachings, we shall cite here the words of one of his own letters:

“A true Christian is made so by faith and love toward Christ. Our sins do not in the least hinder our Christianity, according to the words of the Savior Himself. He deigned to say: ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to salvation’ (cf. Luke 5:32); ‘There is more joy in heaven over one who repents than over ninety righteous ones’ (cf. Luke 15:7). Likewise concerning the sinful woman who touched his feet, He deigned to say to Simon the Pharisee: ‘To one who has love, a great debt is forgiven, but from one who has no love, even a small debt will be required’ (cf. Luke 7:47). From these considerations a Christian should bring himself to hope and joy, and pay not the least attention to despair that is inflicted on one. Here one needs the shield of faith.

“Sin, to one who loves God, is nothing other than an arrow from the enemy in battle. A true Christian is a warrior fighting his way through the regiments of the unseen enemy to his heavenly homeland, according to the words of the Apostle: ‘Our homeland is in heaven’ (cf. Phil. 3:20). About warriors he says: ‘Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers’ (cf. Eph. 6:12).

“The vain desires of this world separate us from our homeland; love for them and habit clothe our soul, as it were, in a hideous garment. This is called by the Apostles the outward man.We, traveling on the journey of this life and calling upon God to help us, must divest ourselves of this hideousness and clothe ourselves in new desires, in a new love of the age to come, and thereby receive knowledge of how near or how far we are from our heavenly homeland. But it is not possible to do this quickly; rather one must follow the example of sick people who, wishing the desired health, do not leave off seeking means to cure themselves.”[17]

Pilgrims at St. Herman's miraculous spring.

He never sought anything for himself in life. From the very time of his arrival in America, having out of humility refused ordination to the priesthood or the rank of archimandrite in order to remain always a simple monk, Fr. Herman, without the slightest fear of those in power, worked for God with all his zeal. With meek love, disregarding respect of persons, he reproached many for their unsober life, disrespectful behavior, and oppression of the Aleuts. The unmasked malice of these people rose against him, made every kind of trouble for him, and slandered him. The slanders were so powerful that often people of good will were unable to recognize the lies that appeared under the guise of outward truth in the accusations. Therefore one must say that it was the Lord alone that preserved the Elder. Before actually meeting Fr. Herman and instigated by slanders alone, S. I. Yanovsky wrote to St. Petersburg about the need to remove Fr. Herman, explaining that he was supposedly agitating the Aleuts against the authorities. A priest who came from Irkutsk with great authority gave Fr. Herman much sorrow and wanted to send him away to Irkutsk, but the colonial governor, Matthew Ivanovich Muraviev,[18] defended the Elder. Another priest, M., came to Spruce Island with the colonial governor N., together with company employees to search Fr. Herman’s cell, assuming that they would find great possessions there. When they did not find anything of value, the employee Ponomarkov, evidently with the permission of his superiors, began to pull out the floorboards with an axe. “My friend,” Fr. Herman then said to him, “in vain have you taken up this axe: such a tool will deprive you of your life!” After a certain period of time men were needed at the Nikolaev redoubt[19] on the Kenai Peninsula. Several Russian employees were therefore sent there from Kodiak, among whom was Ponomarkov. There, the Kenai natives severed his head with an axe while he was asleep.

Fr. Herman also endured great sorrows from demons. This he revealed to his disciple Gerasim when the latter, entering the cell without the usual prayer, did not receive answers to any of his questions. The next day he asked for the cause of the previous day’s silence. “When I came to this island and settled in this wilderness,” Fr. Herman then said to him, “many times demons came to me as if from some need, both in human form and in the form of animals. I endured a lot from them: all kinds of sorrows and temptations; therefore, I now do not speak to anyone who comes into my cell without prayer.”

Having dedicated himself entirely to serving the Lord, laboring zealously in glorifying His All-Holy Name, being far from his homeland amidst diverse sorrows and deprivations, and spending many decades in labors of lofty self-denial, Fr. Herman was made worthy of many supernatural gifts from God.

In the middle of Spruce Island a little stream runs from the mountain into the sea, the mouth of which is continually washed by breakers. In the springtime, when the river fish would appear, the Elder would dig in the sand at the mouth of the stream so that the fish could just barely pass by, and would thus trap them. He kept little for himself, and would cut the rest into strips with which to feed birds, which would nest near his cell in great numbers. Under his cell there lived ermines. These little animals, after giving birth to their litters, are unapproachable, yet the Elder would feed them with his own hands. “Wasn’t that really a miracle we have seen!” said his disciple Ignatius. Fr. Herman was also seen feeding bears. “With the death of the Elder both the birds and the beasts went away; if someone tried to maintain the garden out of his own will it did not even give forth a crop,” asserted Ignatius.

Once there was a tidal wave (tsunami) on Spruce Island. The inhabitants ran in fear to the Elder. He then took an icon of the Mother of God from the house where the students lived, carried it out and placed it on the silty shore, and began to pray. After his prayer, he turned to those who were there and said: “Don’t be afraid—the water will not go further than the spot where the icon is standing!” The Elder’s word came true. Then, promising the same help from the icon in the future through the intercessions of the All-blameless Lady, he entrusted it to his disciple Sophia, so that in case of flood she would place it on the shore. The icon is preserved on the island.[20]

Baron Ferdinand P. Wrangell (†1870).

Once, at the request of the Elder, Baron F. P. Wrangell wrote a letter dictated by Fr. Herman to a metropolitan—it is not known which one. When the letter was finished and read back to him, the Elder congratulated the baron with the rank of admiral. The baron was amazed. This was news to him, which was actually confirmed only after a long period of time, upon his departure to Petersburg.

“I feel sorry for you, my dear kum,”[21] Fr. Herman once said to the administrator Kashevarov, whose son was his godson. “I feel sorry for you; the next change will be unpleasant for you!” About two years later, when the next change of personnel took place, he was sent to the island of Sitka in bonds.

Once the forest on Spruce Island caught fire. The Elder, together with his disciple Ignatius, made a clearing in the forest thickets about two feet wide to the foot of the hill, overturning the moss, and said: “Be at peace—the fire will not cross this line!” The next day when, according to Ignatius’ testimony, there was no hope for salvation, the fire with great force came up to the moss overturned by the Elder, ran along it, and stopped, not touching the dense forest on the other side of the line.

A letter written by St. Herman, in his own handwriting.

A year prior to the reception in Kodiak of news of the death of a metropolitan (it is not known which one), Fr.Herman told the Aleuts that their great spiritual leader had died.

Bishop Peter reported that the Elder often used to say that America would have its own bishop, and this was at a time when no one was thinking of this, nor was there any hope that there would be a bishop in America. But his prophecy came true in time.

“After my death,” Fr. Herman used to say, “there will be a plague and many people will die from it, and the Russians will bring the Aleuts together.” And truly, evidently half a year after his death a smallpox epidemic occurred; its fatality in America was staggering: in several villages only a few people remained alive. This compelled the colonial authorities to unite the Aleuts: those who remained out of twenty villages were brought together into seven.

“Although much time will pass after my death,” Fr. Herman used to say to his disciples, “I will not be forgotten, and the place where I lived will not be empty: a monk similar to me, fleeing the glory of men, will come and will live on Spruce Island. And Spruce Island will not be without people!”

“My dear one,” Fr. Herman once asked Constantine, when he was no more than twelve years old, “what do you think? Will the chapel which they are now building be abandoned?” “I don’t know, Apa,” answered the little one. “And really,” said Constantine in later years, “I didn’t understand the question then, although this whole conversation with the Elder was vividly impressed on my memory.” The Elder, after being silent for a while, said, “My child, remember that on this spot there will be a monastery in time.”

Fr. Herman used to say to his disciple Ignatius Aligyaga, “Thirty years will pass after my death, and all those who live now on Spruce Island will be dead. You alone will remain alive, and you’ll be old and poor, and then they will remember me.” “It’s remarkable,” exclaimed Ignatius, “how a man like us could know all this in advance, and such a long time in advance! But no! He was not a simple man! He saw our thoughts and would involuntarily lead us to reveal them to him, and we would receive instruction.”

“When I die,” the Elder would tell his disciples, “bury me next to Fr. Ioasaph. Kill my bullock at once: he has served me enough. Bury me by yourselves and don’t inform those at the harbor of my death. Those who live at the harbor [Kodiak] will not see my face. Don’t send for a priest and don’t wait for him: your waiting will be in vain! Do not wash my body; place it on the board, fold my arms on my chest, wrap me in my mantle and with its edges cover my face, and cover my head with my klobuk. If someone wishes to say farewell to me, let him kiss the cross [in my hands]; do not show anyone my face.[22] After lowering me into the earth cover me with my blanket.” This blanket, as we have mentioned above, was the board that was always in his cell.

The time was approaching for the Elder’s departure. One day he directed his disciple Gerasim to light candles before the icons and read the Acts of the Apostles. After some time the Elder’s face shone and he said loudly: “Glory to Thee, O Lord!” Then, ordering him to stop the reading, he said that it was pleasing to the Lord to prolong his life for one more week. A week later, again according to his order, the candles were lit and the Acts of the Apostles was read. The Elder quietly leaned his head on Gerasim’s chest; the cell was filled with fragrance and his face was shining—and Fr. Herman was no more! Thus he blessedly reposed in the sleep of the righteous on December 13, 1836.[23]

Despite Fr. Herman’s will, expressed before his repose, his disciples could not bring themselves to bury him without letting anyone in the harbor knowabout his death. They were afraid of the Russians, the Aleuts said. Also, for some unknown reason they did not kill the bullock.

The reliquary of St. Herman of Alaska, located in the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Kodiak, Alaska.

An envoy was sent with the sad news to the harbor, and on his return he informed them that Kashevarov, the manager of colonies, had forbidden them to bury the Elder until his arrival. He had ordered a better coffin to be made for the deceased and said that he himself and a priest would bring it without delay. However, such instructions were contrary to the will of the deceased. And so, a frightful wind blew, rain began to pour, and a terrible storm developed. The traveling distance from the harbor to Spruce Island was not a long one—only two hours—but no one would venture to put out to sea in such weather. It continued in such a way for a whole month. And although Fr. Herman’s body lay in the warm house of his students for the whole month, his face did not change, and there was not the slightest odor from his body. The coffin was finally delivered with the help of an experienced old man, Cosmas Uchilishchev. No one from the harbor came, and the inhabitants of Spruce Island gave the earthly remains of their Elder over to the earth themselves. Thus was Fr. Herman’s last wish fulfilled—and then the wind calmed down and the surface of the sea became as smooth as a mirror.

The day after Fr. Herman’s death, his bull began to miss him and out of despair struck his forehead against a tree and fell to the ground dead.[24]

One evening in the village of Katani (on Afognak Island) an extraordinary pillar of light that reached to heaven was seen over Spruce Island. Stunned by this miraculous phenomenon, some of the old people, as well as Creole[25] Gerasim Vologdin and his wife Anna, said to themselves: “It looks like Fr. Herman has left us!” and they began to pray. They were subsequently informed that the Elder had passed away on precisely that night. This pillar was seen in other places by others as well. On that same evening, in another village on Afognak Island, people saw a man being lifted up from Spruce Island to the clouds.

Having buried their father, his disciples erected a wooden memorial over his grave. “I saw it myself,” said Kodiak priest Peter Kashevarov, thirty years after the saint’s repose, “and I can say now that it has not been touched by time at all, and looks as if it had been put together today.”

Having seen Fr. Herman’s glorious life of ascetic labors, having seen his miracles, the fulfillment of his prophecies, and, finally, his blessed falling asleep, “in general all the local inhabitants have a reverent respect for him as a holy ascetic, and are entirely convinced of his having pleased God,” testified Bishop Peter.

In 1842, five years after the Elder’s repose, His Eminence Innocent, Archbishop of Kamchatka and the Aleutian Islands,[26] while sailing to Kodiak and finding himself in extreme danger, looked at Spruce Island and said mentally: “If thou, O Father Herman, hast pleased the Lord, then let the wind change!” And indeed, not even a quarter of an hour had passed, related the Archbishop, when the wind became favorable to them and they safely landed at the shore. Out of gratitude for his deliverance, Archbishop Innocent himself served a Pannikhida at the blessed one’s grave.

—Valaam Monastery

(written at the request of Abbot Damascene)

A Word on Source Materials

The Life of St.Herman presented here has been taken primarily from the original Life published by Valaam Monastery in 1868. This biography was based on information received by the monastery during the 1860s.

Upon the arrival of the missionaries in Kodiak, they began sending letters back to Valaam, informing the monastery of their activities.[27] Although these informational letters most likely continued to be sent throughout the stay of the Valaam monks in America, they were not all preserved in the monastery archives. Thus, in later years the labors and fate of the missionaries were known only through the writings of Alexander Skarlatovich Sturdza[28] and some others.[29] These writings described the general progress of the missionaries in the Russian-American territory, especially major events in the lives of these preachers, but lacked information about Monk Herman. In 1864 a pilgrim—who had lived in America for ten years and had known Fr. Herman’s closest disciple, Creole Gerasim Ivanov-Zyrianov (†1869)—brought this information to Valaam. The latter’s account was given in written form to the superior of Valaam Monastery, Abbot Damascene.

Abbot Damascene, desiring to learn about the former Valaam monk in more detail, sent out letters of inquiry in 1864 to Hierarch Innocent, Archbishop of Kamchatka and the Aleutians, to Bishop Peter, who had previously resided in New Archangelsk (Sitka) and was a vicar of the Kamchatka diocese, and to Gerasim Zyrianov. While awaiting this information, in 1865 Abbot Damascene received a letter from Symeon Ivanovich Yanovsky, who from 1817 to 1821 had been the governor of all the Russian-American colonies. Yanovsky had himself met St. Herman in 1819, had been converted by him from free-thinking, and had subsequently become his disciple. After his return to Russia, Yanovsky became a disciple of Elder Anthony (Putilov) of Optina Monastery, and ended his days in the St. Tikhon of Kaluga Monastery as Schemamonk Sergius. His letter to Abbot Damascene contained much information about St. Herman and was used as one of the primary sources for the biography published by Valaam.

In 1867 Abbot Damascene received letters in answer to his earlier inquiries. Bishop Innocent confirmed the truth of his miraculous deliverance from drowning through the intercession of Fr. Herman.[30] Bishop Peter submitted information about the Elder which was collected and written by Constantine Larionov, a citizen of Kodiak, a man worthy of credence. “I do not know,” wrote the bishop to the abbot, “whether Gerasim Zyrianov will send you any information about Fr. Herman, but I have, on my part, commissioned a Kodiak priest and a Kodiak citizen, Constantine Larionov, to write about all that they know or have heard from others about Fr. Herman. I have collected what I could and am hereby sending it to you.”[31]

However, it has become evident in recent years that some of the biographical information supplied by Yanovsky was erroneous, specifically the information concerning the saint’s early life. He had confused the biography of St. Herman with that ofMonk Ioasaph, one of the original members of the Ecclesiastical Mission, who lived with St. Herman in Kodiak and was eventually buried beside him on Spruce Island. Thanks to recent research by Dr. Lydia Sergeyevna Black and S. A. Korsun, more precise information on the identity and early years of St. Herman has become available,[32] based in part on the recollections of Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangell, who was himself governor of Russian America after Yanovsky.We have corrected any erroneous information, but have otherwise left the Prima Vita of the Saint as it appeared in the original Valaam publication.

By the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. Reprinted with permission.
09 / 08 / 2011

Notes

[1] Archimandrite Theophan (Sokolov) († December 3, 1832). He became a novice in 1771 at the Sanaxar Monastery, located not far from Sarov. He was later appointed superior of the St. Cyril of New Lake Monastery.From 1782 to 1791 he served as cell-attendant to Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod and St. Petersburg.

2] N. Subbotin, Archimandrite Theophan, Superior of the St. Cyril of New LakeMonastery(in Russian) (St.Petersburg, 1862), p. 69.

[3] St. Nazarius of Sarov and Valaam († February 23, 1809). He was the superior of Valaam Monastery until1801, and then lived in seclu sion there for three more years. He then returned to Sarov Monastery, where he reposed.

[4] From a letter of May 19, 1795.

[5] Sortovala in Finland.

[6] The ten men chosen for the mission consisted of six monks: Archimandrite Ioasaph, Hieromonk Juvenal, Hieromonk Macarius, Hieromonk Athanasius, Hierodeacon Nektary, and Monk Herman; and four novices: Michael Fyodorovich Govorukin (Hieromonk Juvenal’s brother, who was tonsured with the name Stephen and ordained a hierodeacon in Irkutsk on the way to Alaska), Cosmas Alexeyevich Telepnev (tonsured with the name Ioasaph shortly after their arrival at Kodiak), Nikita Semenov, and Dimitry Avdeyev (the fate of these two remains unknown).

[7] Riassa: the outer robe worn by monastics and priests.

[8] Klobuk: a form of monastic headgear.

[9] These chains, along with the saint’s holy relics and his klobuk and hand-cross, are now located in the Holy Resurrection Church in Kodiak.

[10]Apa: grandfather.

[11] Although the natives are called Aleuts in this Life, they are actually from a different language group than those who live in the Aleutian chain. The natives of Kodiak are often known now as Koniag or Sugpiaq.

[12] From a letter written on December 28, 1818.

[13] From a letter to Abbot Damascene of Valaam, of November 22, 1865.

[14] 14 Sophia Vlasova (†1861 or 1862) was the closest disciple of St. Herman. According to archivist Dr. Lydia Black, Sophia had been an alcoholic and had evidently been abused by her alcoholic husband, Ivan, prior to her life-changing first meeting with St. Herman. After the repose of the saint, she became the leader of the Spruce Island community and continued services in the chapel for nearly thirty years. In 1851, Holmberg (a Finnish-Swedish geologist in the Russian service) wrote that the people of Kodiak Island revered Sophia as a holy woman (Ethnographische Skizzen ueber die Voelker des Russischen Amerika. Acta Societatis Scientiarum Fennica, Vol. 4, Helssingfors, 1856).

[15] The captain was Vasily M. Golovnin. This incident took place during the summer of 1818.

[16] Actually, it was the Franciscans, not the Jesuits, who were in charge of Spanish missions in California during this period.

[17] From a letter to S. I. Yanovsky, of June 20, 1820.

[18] Muraviev replaced Yanovsky in late 1820 and served as governor until 1825.

[19] Redoubt: a small, temporary, military fortification.

[20] 20 The present whereabouts of this icon are unknown.

[21] Kum: in the Russian tradition, the father of one’s godchild, or the godfather of one’s child.

[22] It is customary for monks to be buried with their faces covered by the veil of their klobuk.

[23]This church calendar date was later shown to be erroneous. From original documents, Michael Vinokouroff, archivist of the Library of Congress, discovered that the actual date of St. Herman’s repose was November 15, 1836. St. Herman was then in the eighty-sixth year of his life. The date of December 13 was taken from the registry of births and deaths on Kodiak, which listed December 13—the day that a priest was finally able to reach Spruce Island after the storm—as the date of St. Herman’s funeral.

[24] Compare to the life of St. Gerasim of the Jordan and the story of how his obedient lion died.

[25]The term “Creole,” used in the Russian text, refers to Alaskans with Russian fathers and native mothers.

[26]St. Innocent (†1879), later metropolitan of Moscow.

[27] Their letters were published in Sketches of Russia by Vadim Passek, Book 5 (in Russian) (Moscow, 1842), pp. 224–36.

[28] Documents on the Labors of Russian Orthodox Missionaries from 1796 to 1853 (in Russian) (Moscow, 1857).

[29] A manuscript description of the voyage around the world of Hieromonk Gideon of St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra, as well as others.

[30]This original letter of March 1867 is in the office of Valaam Monastery.

[31] This original letter of September 9, 1865, no. 55, is in the office of Valaam Monastery.

[32] See S. A. Korsun, St. Herman of Alaska, Valaam Ascetic in America(in Russian) (St. Petersburg: Valaam Monastery, 2005).

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues

2011-08-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

Icon of Pentecost from source

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues - How the Holy Spirit initiated

the Church into the Spirituality of the Heart

Fr Zacharias Zacharou in his book The Hidden Man of the Heart, explains the gift of speaking in tongues and why it was given to the Church on the day of Pentecost.
"We know that the gift of speaking in tongues (glossolalia) was given to the nascent Church for a specific purpose. The old Israel had become accustomed to worshiping and praying in a largely external manner, and when the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, He wanted this to change. His intention, therefore was to teach the people to pray in spirit, in the 'hidden man of the heart'
(I Peter 3:4). p.176
Those who prayed in tongues were happy being certain of one thing: God had broken into them and was at work in them. St Paul distinguishes between prayer in the spirit (pneuma) and prayer in the mind (nous) and identifies prayer in the spirit with praying in foreign tongues.
(1 Cor. 14:15 and 1 Cor 14:14).
"For St Paul, spirit and mind are almost identical: he sometimes says that the highest purpose of Christianity is the renewal of the spirit and sometimes the renewal of the nous (mind). Nevertheless in trying to distinguish between the two, I would say that the spirit is present in the mind as something higher, deeper than the mind itself - that is revealed through the mind, just as the soul can be said to be revealed through the emotions". p.177
Prayer in the spirit is identified with prayer in tongues, when man's spirit is aware of the irruption of God into his life. In this kind of prayer the highest faculty of the human being is inspired by God, receiving his energy. Man then surrenders to the breath of the Holy Spirit, .., and the Spirit intercedes with unutterable groanings (Rom. 8:26) for those in whom He dwells, sometimes with words which are beyond the understanding of the psychological man.

In prayer of the mind, by contrast, the mind rises toward God in pious thought and godly desire. Such prayer is characterized by holy contrition or joy, but it is not liable to surrender to the great impetus and boundless spiritual exaltation we have just described. A degree of control is exercised by the person who prays in the mind (nous): he is able to direct his thoughts, desires and feelings.

Total surrender to glossolalia (speaking in tongues) involves a certain loss of control: it is an explosion of grace and joy, and while we are fully aware that God is within us, somehow we deny ourselves any awareness of our fellow members of the Body.

The best explanation for God's gift of tongues to the early Church lies in the necessity of teaching newly converted Christians to pray with their heart rather than just externally, as they were likely to have been used to doing, But the Church soon discovered a deeper way to educate the heart, for She was concerned to cultivate the inner man. She discovered the invocation of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And little by little, the Prayer of the Heart (Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me) replaced the gift of speaking in tongues. The Jesus Prayer is a way of praying in the spirit without losing any control of the spirit, and therefore, without running the risk of usurping the space of the other members of the Body of Christ.

In conclusion to speak in tongues or to pray in the spirit is indeed to immerse our nous in the sea of the Spirit. But the Apostle himself prefers to draw us in to shore, that we avoid even the possibility of disorder in the Body of the Church, and that everything be done for the sake of the edification of the people.

If this gift (speaking in tongues) has indeed been given temporarily to some people, perhaps it will enable them to discover the true unbroken Tradition of the Church, the Tradition of the Prayer of the Heart, which is the surest and humblest prayer in the edification, inspiration and salvation of man.. Through this prayer we receive the greatest of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift which will heal our nature and strengthen it 'guiding us into all truth' (John 16:3). It will enable us to bear the fullness of divine love. And this gift will never outlive its purpose - indeed it will accompany us beyond the grave.

It is important that we understand this phenomenon of glossolalia- we must not be seduced by it. But let us above all be gracious to those who believe they have experienced this gift and gently point out to them that it is the beginning of something far greater that will lead them to the heart of the Tradition.

Selections from 'The Hidden Man of the Heart' by Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou, Mount Thabor Publishing 2008 p. 176 to p.189.

This book is available from Light & Life Publishing

Notice - My New Orthodox Blog in Spanish

2011-08-03T02:31:00.000-07:00

Archangel Uriel

I have begun the translation of all the posts in this blog into Spanish.
The new blog's name is El Camino del Peregrino Ortodoxo
I pray it will become a useful resource on the Orthodox Faith for
Spanish speaking seekers in Latin America and Spain.

I will also continue posting in this blog, in English, regularly.

The Spiritual Father-The Physician of the Heart and of the Soul

2011-07-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

Icon of Christ in the Church of St Panteleimon, Thessaloniki, Greece

Open, O doors and bolts of my heart,

that Christ the King of Glory may enter!

Enter, O my Light, and enlighten my darkness;

enter, O my Life, and resurrect my deadness;

enter, O my Physician, and heal my wounds;

enter, O Divine Fire, and burn up the thorns of my sins;

ignite my inward parts and my heart with the flame of Thy love;

enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin;

sit on the throne of my heart and alone reign in me,

O Thou, my King and Lord. -St. Dimitri of Rostov

This is the story of how St. Symeon the New Theologian met his spiritual father, St Symeon Eulabes (The Pious). "This story illustrates the close bond uniting the master and the disciple, and how such love overcomes all fear. It also shows that before choosing and following a spiritual father one must first believe in him;

It was he (St Symeon the Pious), who invited Symeon to follow him. 'Come, my child I will lead you to God'. When Symeon hesitated, his spiritual father told him: 'Light a great fire, that I may pass into the center: do not follow me if I do not remain untouched! 'These words confused me', Simeon wrote, 'and I did what he had commanded. And the flame burned and he stood in its center, intact, unconsumed, and he called me to him. I said I'm afraid master, I am a sinner! He advanced, came to me and embraced me saying , Why were you afraid? Why this fear and trembling? This is a great and frightening wonder: you will see even greater things!'

Finally to subdue Symeon's fear, his spiritual master made him approach: 'He enfolded me with his arms, and he kissed me again with a holy kiss, and he yielded a fragrance of immortality. I believed, I chose to follow him, and I desired to become his slave, his alone." Archbishop Basil Krivocheine, In The Light of Christ, p.98-99, SVS Press 1986.

Fr Sophrony Sakharov quoting from St. John Climacus establishes the connection between spiritual fatherhood and Christ Himself in his book 'On Prayer', p.89 as quoted by Fr Zacharias;

"..spiritual fatherhood is linked with the mystery of the word of God, which is begotten in the heart of man through prayer" Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, 'The Enlargement of the Heart' p.164, Mount Thabor Publishing, 2006. Spiritual fathers are those who, in the fear of God, remain unwavering in the pre-eternal current of the will of God, and who are vouchsafed to hear the still small voice of Christ(I Kings 19:12), and to obey it with humility and discernment, overcoming their own psychological inclination,.". ibid p.164

"A spiritual father bears in himself the blessedness flowing from the knowledge of Christ way, and he thus becomes the means of leading the life of men out of the hell they have created, by the negative effect of their passions, and into pure Christian life and spiritual freedom.He is constrained by only one thought; how the person can be healed. ( Father Sophrony used to say that when the spiritual father prays for his children, as soon as he pronounces their names, he feels in his heart their state, weather they are in a good state or in a bad state, in comfort or in despair). The father confessor offers this sacred service on behalf of the little ones, the unfortunate ones who are themselves completely indifferent. He does not plot against their freedom, but instead considers exclusively his future reward. (That is to say, he must remain selfless, only consider God's reward, and not expect to be rewarded by anyone or anything in this world).The spiritual father is the image of the 'Good Shepherd' who has greater love, and lays down his life for his sheep. John 10:11" ibid p.174-175. "He offers repentance for himself and for all the sins of those whom God has entrusted to him". ibid p.177.

"But if Christ is to send such a father, he is to be sought in fervent prayer and in a spirit of repentance. Symeon (The New Theologian) told a Christian; 'humble yourself and say, O Lord, You do not desire the death of the sinner but that he be converted and live. You descended to earth precisely to resurrect the ones who have fallen and are dead in consequence of their sin. You enable them to see You, the true light, as far as this is possible to man. Send me a man who knows You, that by entirely submitting myself to his service as to Yours and by fulfilling Your will by doing his, I may please You, the only God, and be awarded Your kingdom, even, I a sinner'. A certain identification is made here between Christ and the spiritual father, but it is always Christ, the one true God, who remains the real father". Archbishop Basil Krivocheine, 'In The Light of Christ' p. 92-93, SVS Press,1986

Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos points out that "Only those who have been cured and have attained communion with God are theologians, and they alone can show Christians, the true way to reach the 'place' of cure." Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos in 'Orthodox Psychotherapy'

p. 30-31. "Therefore the theologian and the spiritual father are the same thing" ibid p.35

St. Nicetas Stethatos ( disciple of St. Symeon) states that, "anyone who is uninitiated in the spiritual life is falsely named even if by ordination he is set over all the others in rank and mocks them and behaves arrogantly" ibid p.91

Fr. Simeon P. Koutsas explains the role of the spiritual father in Orthodox tradition, in an article published by the Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Inquiries. It is published in this blog with written permission from O.O.D.E.

The Spiritual Father: Spiritual paternity in the light of Orthodox Tradition

by the Reverend Simeon P. Koutsas, Metropolis of Nea Smyrni, Athens. A Publication by the Sacred Metropolis of Kalavryta and Aegialia, Aegion 1995. Re-published, from Myriobiblos

A. THE FORMING OF THE INSTITUTION

1. The Significance of the Institution

Each and every person has a biological father - the one to whom he owes his entry into this life. Apart from his biological father however,a Christian also has a spiritual father. He is the one to whom he owes his spiritual rebirth - the one who introduces him into the life in Christ and guides him towards the path of Salvation. Our biological birth brings us into this life; it introduces us into the community of human beings. Our rebirth in Christ - a different kind of birth - introduces us into the community of the Church and provides us with the potential to actually live that life in Christ.

In the ancient Church, where the faithful (almost the majority) received Baptism at a mature age, the spiritual father for a Christian was the ecclesiastic pastor that would catechize him, provide him with the baptismal sacrament and then proceed to lead him into the in-Christ way of life. Nowadays, when almost everyone is baptized as an infant, the spiritual father of a Christian is oftentimes not the same priest that baptized him, but the one who at some point in time led him into believing consciously and then directed him towards a consistent Christian way of life. The example of the Apostle Paul allows us to perceive the mystery of spiritual paternity in all its spiritual splendour. Paul is the spiritual father of the Christians of Corinth, as well as many other cities of his time. When addressing the Christians of Corinth, he writes (in 1 Cor.4:14) : "I do not write these things to reprimand you, but advise you as beloved children of mine. For even if you have ten thousand teachers in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for I have begotten you in Jesus Christ, through the Gospel."

Paul, therefore, to the Christians of Corinth was not simply their instructor and teacher in Christ; he was their father. He was the one who had given spiritual rebirth to them. He was the one who introduced them into the family of the Redeemed. His apostolic heart was ablaze with his love for his spiritual children. That in-Christ paternal love was the motive power behind his apostolic concern. He longed to transfuse not only the Gospel to them, but also his soul (1 Thess. 2:8). He struggled painstakingly to form Christ within them (Gal. 4:19). He never ceased to advise "each one individually" and "with tears", in his desire for their spiritual edification and their stabilization in the in-Christ way of life. (Acts 20:31, Ephes.4:12-16).
This Pauline perception of the content and the significance of spiritual paternity permeates the whole of Orthodox spiritual tradition. Saint Simeon the New Theologian, one of its most genuine bearers (whom we will be frequently referring to), wrote the following to one of his spiritual children: "We conceived you through teaching, we underwent labor pains through repentance, we delivered you with much patience and birth pangs and severe pain and daily tears" [Epistle 3, 1-3). As we can see, spiritual birth is compared to natural childbirth and, just like the latter, the former likewise entails three stages: conception, gestation and labour.
For a better understanding of the role of our spiritual father, we are also enlightened by two other images that we frequently encounter in the texts of our holy Fathers. The first one is the climb up a steep and rough mountainside. He who attempts such a climb for the first time, must necessarily follow a specified path; he must have a climbing companion and guide who has been up that mountainside before and knows the way up. That is precisely the role of a spiritual father: an experienced climbing companion and guide on our spiritual path, our in-Christ way of life. The second image is from the realm of physical training, the realm of athletics. All those who train in any athletic sport whatsoever are in need of an experienced guide, their trainer, who will introduce them to the secrets of that sport and will guide them meticulously during their period of training. Analogous is the mission of the spiritual father: having acquired experience himself on in-Christ living, he then undertakes to initiate his spiritual children.

2. How it Evolved Within the Historical Course of the Church
As time passed and the institutions of the Church developed, likewise the institution of spiritual paternity took root and developed. The place where it was especially cultivated was, naturally, the desert. The place of monasticism. And as in the case of other elements, so did this institution spread and permeate the spiritual life of the entire Church. We are all familiar with the terms that we encounter in ascetic literature: "Abba" and "Elder" or "Geron" in the Greek equivalent and "Starets" in the language of our co-believing Russian brethren.

«What is that which prompts someone to become an Elder? How is he instated and by whom?» This question was posed by one of the most noteworthy theologians of the Orthodox Diaspora - Bishop Kallistos Ware - in order to highlight the character of spiritual paternity in the answer that he gives ("The Kingdom Within", Akritas publications, Athens 1004, p.117). From this answer of his, I shall convey his more basic positions:

« The spiritual father or Elder is essentially a "charismatic" and prophetic personality, who has undertaken that ministry with the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit. No human hand ordinates him, only the hand of God. It is the Church's expression of an "event" and not the Church's expression of an institution. Nevertheless, there exists no dividing line between the prophetic and the institutional elements in the life of the Church; each develops within the other and is entwined with it. Thus, the ministry that the Elders provide - which is charismatic per se - is linked to a clearly defined function within the institutional framework of the Church, which is that of a Priest-Confessor... Although the mystery of Confession is definitely a suitable opportunity for spiritual guidance, the function of an Elder does not relate to that of a confessor. An Elder provides guidance, not only during a person's confession, but also in many other cases. It is a fact, that while a confessor must always be a Priest, an Elder can be an ordinary Monk...
But, if an Elder is not ordained, nor instated by an act of the official hierarchy, how does he reach the stage of undertaking such a ministry?... Within the continuing life of the Christian community, it becomes apparent to the faithful people of God - the true guardians of Sacred Tradition - that this or that person has the gift of spiritual paternity or maternity. Then, with a free and unofficial manner, people begin to approach those persons for counsel or guidance.» ("The Kingdom Within", Akritas publications, Athens 1004, p.117-119)

3. The Spiritual Father's Mission
What, exactly, is the work of a spiritual father? «To attend to the souls that are redeemed by the blood of Christ» we are told by Basil the Great (Epitome of Terms ΒΕΠΕΣ 53, 305). The spiritual father is a guide to in-Christ living. He is the physician of the soul,who, «with much compassion, according to the science of the Lord's teaching» (Basil the Great, "Ethika" ΒΕΠΕΣ 53, 129), heals the passions and helps his spiritual child to acquire an in-Christ health; that is, a live faith and a stable spiritual life. If the condition and the purpose of Christianity - we are taught by Basil the Great - is the emulation of Christ, then «those who are entrusted with the guidance of the many ought to project the emulation of Christ to the weaker ones, with their (personal) intermediation». ("Oroi Kata Platos" ΒΕΠΕΣ 53, 204). On the path that leads to communion with Christ and theosis (deification), our spiritual fathers are the experienced guides and untiring supporters. But for a pastor to serve such a lofty and responsible opus, he must necessarily be truly spiritual himself - an instrument «attuned and played by the Spirit», as Saint Gregory the Theologian writes. Only one who has learnt something out of personal experience is capable of imparting it; thus, for a spiritual father to guide others into the Christian way of life, he must first be living it himself. He must be a «norm for the faithful» (1 Tim. 4:12) and a «living Gospel». According to Basil the Great, he must provide «his own life as a distinct exemplar of every commandment of the Lord» (as above, ΒΕΠΕΣ 53, 204). His example should speak more than his words; He should inspire, with his virtuous living, edify, with his love and paternal affection, since - according to Saint John of the Ladder - «a true shepherd is proven by his love. It was for the sake of love that the Great Shepherd was crucified.» (To Poemen 24, PG 88, 1177Β).
4. Two Fundamental Characteristics: Perspicacity and Love
We would need many hours if we were to describe the person of the spiritual father, the way that it surfaced from within our age-old ecclesiastic tradition, and to enumerate the individual charismas that characterize a genuine Elder. We shall therefore very briefly touch on two of his most essential charismas.

The first is perspicacity and discernment, «in other words, the ability to intuitively penetrate the secrets of another's heart; to comprehend the secret depths that the other is not aware of. The spiritual father sees beyond the conventional gestures and habits with which we hide our true personality from the others - and even from our very self. And beyond all these trite details, he conceives the unique persona - the one that was created in the image and the likeness of God. This power is a spiritual one and not a physical one; it is not a hyper-sensitive perception, nor is it a sanctified divination, but a fruit of Grace, which has the prerequisite of continuous prayer and uninterrupted ascetic labour.» (Ware, as above, pp. 126-127).
The spiritual father's charisma of insight reveals itself par excellence as a discernment of thoughts. Discernment according to saint Simeon is the spiritual «lamp» and «eye», with which the spiritual father can see, both within his own heart as well as the hearts of his spiritual children. That way, he is able to make the correct diagnosis every time and impose the most suitable therapy (Catechesis 18, SC 104, 292). The discernment that has a cleanliness of the heart as a prerequisite is a charisma - a gift of the Holy Spirit. A spiritual father therefore, «who does not have the light of the Holy Spirit inside himself, can neither see his own actions clearly, nor will he be fully informed if they are pleasing to God. But neither will he be able to guide others or teach the will of God, or be worthy of perceiving foreign thoughts...» (Catechesis 33, SC 113, 250).
The second charisma of a spiritual father is love, the ability to love others and to undertake the sufferings and the trials of others.Without love, there can be no spiritual paternity. Love, according to our spiritual teachers, is not just the most basic of qualifications of a spiritual father, but the foundation and the essence of spiritual paternity. A love for the others presupposes a «co-suffering», a sharing of their passions with them - which is the literal meaning of the (Greek) word "sympathize": «lift each others' burdens, and thus fulfil the law of Christ» (Galatians 6:2). The spiritual father is the one who par excellence carries the burdens of others. of his spiritual children. He takes upon himself their sorrows, their guilt, their trials, their sins. And he agonizes and tirelessly attends to their improvement in Christ. «Brother Andreas, beloved of my soul», writes Abba Barsanuphius to one of his spiritual children, «... not even a blink of the eye, is the time that I do not have you in mind and in my prayer; and if I love you thus, then God, Who has fashioned you, loves you even more, and Him I beseech to guide you and govern you according to His will» (Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, "Book of Barsanuph and John", Sot. Schinas Publications, Volos 1962, Response108, p.132).
In the same book of responses by Barsanuph and John we encounter a soul-stirring prayer that makes the immense love of a spiritual father for his spiritual children apparent: «Behold, here am I and the children that You gave to me; protect them in Your Name, shelter them with Your right hand. Lead us to the harbor of Your Will and inscribe their names in Your book... Lord, either include my children along with me in Your Kingdom, or erase me also from Your Book... » (as above, Response 99, p. 82-83).

5. The Necessity of Seeking an Experienced Spiritual Father
The significance that a spiritual father has on the path to our in-Christ perfecting simultaneously proves the necessity for all of us to have - to discover - an experienced and foolproof spiritual guide. This is both a duty and a right. The responsibility of choice belongs to us also; it is a choice that we must make with the utmost care, since, as saint Simeon observes: «Truly rare, and in fact even until this day, are those who as caretakers of logical souls shepherd and heal well.» (Catechesis 20, SC 104, 346). Caution, therefore, is required. We must neither remain on our own (because we risk either becoming prey to the soul-devouring wolf - the devil - or, on falling, we will not have someone who will help us get up again - according to the words of the Ecclesiast: «Woe to the one, when he falls and there is no second one to raise him» (Ecclesiastes 4:10), but neither should we follow thoughtlessly behind a wolf or an «inexperienced physician» in which case it is certain that we shall undergo spiritual damage or remain incurable [cmp. Catechesis 20, SC 104, 348 and Epistle 1, (Words on confession) , Published by Κ. Ηοll (Enthusiasmus und Bussgewalt bein griechischen Moenchtum, Leipzig 1898) p. 117].
Albeit the choice of spiritual father is - as already mentioned - our right and rests on our judgment, nevertheless, the discovery of an experienced spiritual guide is, finally, a grand gift of God.
That is why Saint Simeon counsels us as follows:
«Brother, beseech the Lord extensively that He might show you a man, who is able to shepherd you well, to whom you will owe obedience as if to God Himself, and the things that he says to you, you should unhesitatingly heed, even if those instructions appear to be against you and harmful.» (Catechesis 20, SC 104, 334).

That same teacher in his 7th moral homily provides us with an example of a prayer with which we can beseech God to send us an experienced spiritual father: «Lord, You who do not want the death of the sinner as much as You do his return so that he may live; Who descended for this reason to earth, so that those who are under sin and are dead because of it may be resurrected and look upon You, the true Light, as much as a person is able to see, make me worthy, send me a man who knows You, so that by serving him as though serving You and submitting myself with all my might and doing Your will within his will, be enabled to please You, the only God, and myself the sinner become worthy of the Kingdom» (Ethika 7, SC 129, pp.186-188).

6. The Reciprocation of the Spiritual Child to His Spiritual Father
The in-Christ edification of the faithful through their bond with a spiritual father is not self-evident. It presupposes their reciprocation to the love that they will be receiving and the concern that their spiritual father will be showing them.

A first and fundamental prerequisite is love. The bond that is forged between the spiritual father and his spiritual child is one of mutual love. The faithful responds to the spiritual father's love with his own reciprocal love. «There is nothing that can lead to learning thus wise; only by loving and by being loved» observes saint John the Chrysostom (Homily 6, 1 on A' Timothy, PG 62, 529). Spiritual bonds are far stronger than the natural ones, and the love that springs from Christ is far stronger than the one that is inspired by blood kinship. «For what can be more desirable than a true father?» Saint Theodore the Studite asks himself (To Plato 2, PG 99, 909Β), thus expressing his personal experience on his own spiritual father.
The love towards our spiritual father is genuine, when expressed as "faith" - that is, as trust - in his person. We assign our entire self to our spiritual father. We acknowledge him as our guide on the path to salvation, therefore we must have faith in him, and follow without any hesitations and inner doubts whatever he advises. Our Holy Fathers persist on this point very emphatically: «One must believe without a care in those who have undertaken to tend to us» advises Saint John of the Ladder (Ladder 4, PG 88, 717Β). Without a wholehearted trust in our spiritual father we cannot progress in Christian living.

In his "Chapters", Saint Simeon writes the following:
"He who has attained clear-cut faith - that is to say, trust - towards his father in God, when seeing him, he considers that he is seeing Christ, and, by staying with him or following him, he believes with certainty that he is with Christ and is following Him. One who is thus, will not desire to speak to anyone else, nor will he prefer anything of the things of this world above the remembrance of him, along with love." (Chapters, 1, 28, SC 51, 47).
If the duty of a spiritual father is to remain alert for the soul of his spiritual child, it is likewise the child's duty to obey and faithfully observe his guidance (Hebr.13:17). God Himself speaks to us, through our spiritual father. With the obedience therefore that we show him, we are essentially obeying the will of God. We are safeguarded from the errors that we would most certainly fall into, if we were to follow our own will. Finally, we attain inner freedom and thus attract the grace of God. Confession is one more important duty of the faithful. We trustingly confess everything to our spiritual father; not only the things we have done, but also our innermost thoughts. Saint Basil the Great urges us to "not keep any movement of the soul secret, but to bare whatever is hidden in the heart" ("Oroi Kata Platos" - Conditions breadthwise, 26, ΒΕΠΕΣ 53, 184). Nothing is concealed from our spiritual father. With humility and filial trust, we should place everything at his feet. That is the only way our sins are forgiven by God. We are freed of the burden of guilt. We uproot our passions. And the spiritual father thereafter guides us safely through our spiritual life.

B. THE PATHOLOGY OF SPIRITUAL PATERNITY IN OUR DAY
Everything that we outlined very briefly so far has to do with the faith and the experience of the Church on the institution of spiritual paternity, the way it evolved and developed in the past, and in fact more so in the sphere of monastic spirituality. The question therefore that very naturally arises here is: Does spiritual paternity - can it - function in the same way today, in our era? This question is opportunely significant, and can quite easily be the subject of another, separate homily. That is why tonight you must allow me to present only certain issues that are related to our theme, which seriously preoccupy many Christians and can be categorized in what could be referred to as the pathology of spiritual paternity.

1. "Elderism" in Many Contemporary Clergymen
Unfortunately, this is not a rare phenomenon. Many of our clergymen - several of whom may even be endowed with charismas and abilities - become zealous for the "glory" of an Elder far too soon. Extremely young in years, still immature as personalities, inexperienced as pastors, without ever having studied near - or submitted themselves under - another, more experienced spiritual father, they advertise themselves, or they artfully strive to project themselves through their environment as new Barsanuphius or as charismatic child-Elders... They roam - according to the words of our Lord - "both sea and land, in order to make one proselyte" (Matth.23:15); in other words, they go hunting for followers. They exercise a crushing oppression on the conscience of people, supposedly in the name of an obligatory "blind" obedience to one's Elder. They cultivate an unhealthy dedication to their person.

Unfortunately - and may His Eminence permit us to point this out - our bishops are equally responsible for this phenomenon; those bishops who perform ordinations too quickly and who assign spiritual paternity thoughtlessly to those still immature clergymen.

Truly wise are the observations that the recently reposed and veritably spirit-guided Elder Paisios had made, in one of his letters that recently saw the light of publicity, after his repose. It referred to the person of the elder that a candidate monk was called upon to select. Nevertheless, his words are also helpful to us in the world, with regard to choosing a spiritual father: "Strive as much as you can, (a) for your Elder to be a spiritual man, with virtues, and more practical rather that just a teacher. It is good, if he has become a captain after being a deck-hand, so that he won't enforce on others all the monastic information that he learnt by merely studying it, or, to have by nature immense love and discernment, so that he will ache for his children and not want to send them off to Paradise immediately, in the manner of Diocletian... It is also immensely helpful for the subordinate, if his Elder is at least eighteen or twenty years older than himself, because that will also generate a natural respect in the subordinate. (b) to find an Elder who lives a simple life, without cares and secular, redundant concerns, and who does not aspire to personal benefits, but aspires to the benefit of his subordinate's soul, and in general to the benefit of our Mother the Church." (Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Epistles, Publications of the Sacred Retreat «Evangelist John the Theologian», Souroti, Thessaloniki 1994, p. 43).

2. The Danger of Person-Worship
The duty of a genuine and experienced spiritual father is to orientate the gaze and the heart of his spiritual children towards the Person of the Lord, and not to his own person. Person-worship - whether pursued by the priest, or displayed by his spiritual child (and not rejected by the former) - is a sickness and constitutes a serious spiritual risk to both of them. Proper spiritual fathers do not project their own person, but the hyper-substantial Person of our Lord. They should not project themselves to such a degree that their "stature" looms between Christ and their spiritual child - thus obstructing it from gazing towards the Person of Christ; instead, they should stand aside, discreetly, and direct the spiritual child towards the Person of the One Who is our Redeemer. According to Bishop Kallistos Ware: «In reality, the relationship is not bilateral, but triangular, because beyond the Elder and his spiritual child there is a third party: God. Our Lord tells us that we should not call anyone "father", because we have only one father - the one in heaven (Matth.23:9). The Elder is not some kind of infallible judge or appellate, but a co-servant of the living God; he is not a dictator, but a guide and companion on the journey. The only true "spiritual guide" - in every sense of the word - is the Holy Spirit» (The Kingdom Within, p. 139).

3. The Degree of Obligatory Obedience to Our Spiritual Father
The purpose of spiritual paternity is not to secure a continuous dependence of the spiritual children on their father, but a source of assistance for them to gradually reach the state of spiritual freedom. A genuine spiritual father does not condemn his children to a lifelong spiritual infancy, but struggles constantly for them to mature spiritually and to become - according to the teaching of Saint Paul - "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Eph. 4,13). (Ven.Christoforidou, Spiritual paternity according to Simeon the New Theologian, Thessaloniki 1977, p.31). Constraint and spiritual violence have no place in the relationship between a spiritual father and his spiritual children. Due obedience to our spiritual father is not a "blind" one, but a conscious one. It does not abolish our personal responsibility either, as that springs from our freedom 'in-Christ'. «The duty of a spiritual father is not to destroy a person's freedom, but to help him see the truth for himself. He does not strive to oppress a person's personality; only to give him the potential to discover himself, to develop, to mature, and to become what he is in reality... A spiritual father does not impose his own personal ideas and virtues, but helps his student to find his own exclusive calling... In short, he is only an usher of God, and he is duty-bound to lead souls onto God's path, and not his own.» (The Kingdom Within, p. 141).

Saint Barsanuphius says the following:
«You know that we have never placed shackles on anyone, not even on ourselves».
«Do not exercise pressure on (another's) intentions, instead, sow with hope; for even our Lord did not force anyone - He preached, and whoever wanted to, would listen» (Response 51 and 35, as above, p. 56 and 49).Furthermore, we must not confuse the degree of monastic obedience with the Christians' obedience to their spiritual fathers. Monastic obedience, with regard to its magnitude and duration, differs from that of Christians living in the world. For this reason, a spiritual father is not "legally" justified in demanding - and the spiritual child is equally not obliged to provide - the kind of obedience that an Elder is entitled to demand from a monk, who is indeed obliged to obey him "to his dying day" : an obligation that springs from the monastic vows that were given during his tonsure as a monk.

4. The Risk of Excessive Sentimentalism
The bond that exists between a spiritual father and his spiritual children resembles the relationship that exists within a normal family. Thus, just as the father and children in a normal family must be united in a mutual love, the same must also apply in a "charismatic family": that of a spiritual father, of an Elder. Nevertheless, it must not escape our attention that this bond is a par excellence Holy-Spiritual relationship, which needs to be purified of all sentimental relations and safeguarded from anything that might possibly hide an impassioned or a dangerous, sickly-sweet sentimentality.
Most certainly, love is often expressed with external signs. This of course also applies to spiritual bonds. Nevertheless, it requires a great deal of caution and discernment. In-Christ bonds must be distinguished by their modesty and their Doric austerity. And in order for these bonds to preserve these characteristics, a spiritual distancing is necessary.

5. Boasting About Our Spiritual Father
This is another frequent phenomenon. Many boast about their Elder. And they mention him thoughtlessly, with every opportunity, but in such a way that exposes their own spiritual nudity and their dangerous, sickly-sweet sentimentality. This phenomenon is not a healthy one. Saint Simeon the New Theologian brings the following to our attention: «Do not boast about your teacher for his being honoured by many, nor about having many obeying you because of his name; rather, rejoice if your name is to be written in the heaven of humility» (Catech.20, SC 104, 338). And Saint John of the Ladder speaks more austerely:
«I saw an unproven student boasting to certain people about his teacher's achievements, and although believing he would attain glory for himself by tending someone else's wheat, he instead caused himself ignominy, when everyone asked him "How is it, that such a good tree brought forth such a fruitless branch?"» (Ladder, 4, PG 88, 713Α).
Attention should also be paid to another similar phenomenon. It concerns the outspokenness of our spiritual father in the presence of God. Our Fathers therefore recommend that we should not be content with it. Nor should we confine ourselves to asking them to pray for us. We have a duty to struggle with zeal ourselves, for the sake of our salvation.
Once, as mentioned in the Gerontikon (Book of Elders), a brother visited Saint Anthony the Great and beseeched him: «Pray for me».
To which the elder replied: «Neither shall I be charitable, nor will God, if you yourself do not strive and beseech God» (Gerontikon, i.e. The Sayings of holy elders, P.B.Paschos publications, Athens 1961, p. 2b).

6. And One Final Point: Changing to Another Spiritual Father
As already mentioned, the choice of spiritual father rests on our own free judgment and preference. Nevertheless, the God-bearing Fathers point out that a change in an existing spiritual father could entail risks to our spiritual progress, and even to our very salvation.
Saint Simeon writes as follows:
«Do not wander here and there looking for renowned monks, and do not scrutinize their life. If, by the grace of God, you have found a spiritual father, tell your issues to him and him alone»(Ethika 7, SC 129, 184).It is therefore unacceptable and spiritually risky to wander here and there, changing spiritual fathers every now and then, without reason.
«Let us not look for those with foreknowledge, nor foreseers, but above all, those who are in every way humble and are suitable for our ailments» (Ladder 4, PG 88, 725D).

This advice by Saint John of the Ladder reflects exactly the mentality of many Christians of our time and their futile quests, which inevitably lead them to frequent changes in spiritual father. (Cmp. Saint Simeon the New Theologian, Catech. 20, SC 104, 334).

I again invoke the testimony of Bishop Kallistos: «There are many who think that they cannot find any spiritual father, because they imagine him as a particular type of person: they want a Saint Seraphim of Sarov, so they close their eyes to those that God sends them in reality. Quite often, their supposed problems are not that complicated, and they already know in their hearts what the answer is. However, they do not like the answer, because it demands a constant and persistent effort on their part; so, they search for a "Deus ex machina" who with one only miraculous word will suddenly make everything easy. People like these should be helped to understand the true character of spiritual paternity» (The Kingdom Within, p.145).

Reverend father, dear brethren,
The Orthodox ecclesiastic tradition is not something that leads back to the Past only; it is simultaneously Present and Future. It is the perennial faith and the incessant experience of the Church, in Grace. This also applies to spiritual paternity, an ecclesiastic institution that we endeavoured to shed light on tonight - even if only a very faint one - with the light of our Orthodox tradition. And the conclusion that is reached from this brief walk through the field of ecclesiastic tradition is: It is our duty to have a permanent and steady spiritual father. At the same time, it is our right to choose the one whom we will judge as being the most suitable. Not the most "accommodating" one, but the most experienced one - a man who is truly of God - and one who we can feel spiritually "comfortable" with and with whom we feel safe.
Saint Simeon observes something that still applies in our day: Those who know how to "shepherd well and to heal logical souls" are rare, in every era (Catechesis 20, SC 104, 346).

That is why we need to exercise care when choosing. And we should pray fervently, so that God will make us worthy of such a superb gift. «With prayers and tears», writes the same teacher, «beseech the Lord to send you a guide who is un-impassioned and holy»(Chapt.1, 49, SC 51, 53) - a guide on our course for the heavenly Kingdom.

Translation: K.N.
Article published in English on: 17-9-2009.

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