The mind wanders and is in a state of isolation and dereliction. But when we believe, with living faith, that God is everywhere, in every place, at every moment, and is always with us and within us, the heart becomes serene, it’s free, bright, alive, and the mind’s clear. It then works as the most powerful proof of the existence of Him Whom I doubt.
The Hagiorite Orthodox monasticism is not isolated from the world; it is not unsociable. On the contrary, one might say that the genuine monk is more sociable than the laity, since he directly communicates with the supreme social Being, the Creator of man and society: the Lord. As hagiorite monks we ache and worry about the future of man theses days. Many discontented people visit the Holy Mountain, distraught by impossible troubles which cause a deadlock. The wrong way of living is the main culprit for all the hardships; that is, life outside the Church. Our times are such that everything surrounding us and our values is going through a crisis. Scientific and technological advances affect our social lives; consumerism, hedonism, ...
Worms breed in rotten wood. In the same way, anger adheres to people with very meek external behavior and contaminated calm and tranquillity. People who expel it from within themselves find forgiveness of their sins. On the other hand, those who retain it are deprived of God’s mercy.
During the stay we live in three-bed, four-bed and eight-bed rooms in different monasteries, and take part in the daily lives of the monks. The services often start at 3 o’clock in the morning, and there are only two daily meals. They are all vegetarian and last for a grand total of ten minutes. The pilgrims thus have more time for conversation and getting to know one another. All of them have a Lutheran background. Two of them, Lars Karlsøen and Bjørn Skauen, have even been priests in The Lutheran state church of Norway. Several of them have sought refuge in the Orthodox Church from what they see as heresy, modernism and worldly influence in Protestantism. – I experienced that the ...
In the biblical narratives of our Lord's Transfiguration it is easy to discern different points of inclusion and emphasis peculiar to each writer. Only Luke, for instance, mentions that Jesus was praying when He was transfigured, and only Matthew remarks that the disciples "fell on their faces." The Transfiguration. By hand of Elena Murariu In Mark's account (9:2-10) one of the most notable features of the Transfiguration is the curious way the evangelist speaks of the arrival of Moses and Elijah. Whereas Matthew and Luke say simply, "Moses and Elijah appeared" on the scene, Mark lays a special stress on Elijah. He writes, "Elijah appeared to them with Moses." Not only does Mark mention Elijah before Moses, but the verb he ...
The Paraclitic Canon to the Mother of God The day of the Dormition of the Mother of God is a high feast. In the life of the Church, the dismissal hymn and kontakion for the feast explain why: “In giving birth, Mother of God, you retained your virginity, and in your Dormition you did not abandon the world. You who are the Mother of Life have passed over into life and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death”. “Neither the tomb nor death had power over the Mother of God, who is always watchful in her prayers and in whose intercessions lies unfailing hope. For as the Mother of Life she has been transported into life by Him Who ...
If you unite yourself to God with powerful passion, you’ll be raised on high and won’t fall. Nor will you fritter away your time. You’ll belong entirely to Christ until you actually see Him, your Bridegroom.
‘I know you to be a treasury of miracles and source of good things, John, curing the passions of sickness and foiling the actions of the demons; and I beseech you now to save me from the evils of corruption’. What we call a miracle is a strange, inexplicable event which causes amazement because it’s a challenge to natural laws. A miracle means an achievement ‘impossible’ for us humans. Holy Scripture recognizes the hand of God in all things, revealing His power and love to those who believe in Him. The universe of creation, with its stable order, is ‘miraculous’ as are God’s exceptional interventions in history. A miracle presupposes faith, but, at the same time, strengthens it. Jesus Christ declared that ...
We usually characterize people as rational and independent beings. These attributes are correct enough, but don’t convey human nature in its completeness. Through the liturgical experience, we feel that, more than anything, people are liturgical beings. They were made to serve, to offer themselves and the whole world to God with gratitude, praise and worship, to unite with God, to be sanctified, to live, through this continual offering/sacrifice/service. Rationality, independence and the other attributes were given to us for this reason, so that we can put ourselves into this liturgical relationship with the Triune God. In this liturgical ascent, people act as being ‘in the image’ and are elevated to being ‘in the likeness’. Life in Paradise was a Divine Liturgy. Together with ...
When you commit a serious sin and then repent, take up the trumpet of prayer again, but not to play triumphal marches. Arm yourself with humility, which is the strongest breastplate against sin and the greatest attraction that draws God to you.
– Christos anesti (Christ is risen)! Panagiotis cries out, and before long a man with a flowing beard is seen in the doorway. Father Arsenios greets his old friend warmly and the Norwegians politely, before telling a few of the numerous stories of signs and wonders which took place right here in his cabin. A phenomenon father Arsenios tells us about, is the ability of saint Paisios to know what the guests would ask him, before even opening their mouths. – Once, a lawyer came to Mount Athos. He didn’t believe the stories about Paisios, and decided to put him to the test. He planned to present himself as a doctor, instead of a lawyer. When he arrived at the gate he ...
Beyond the fact that, as we learn from biology, there really is a gradual development in the way that things are ordered (that is, a plant is more organized than a stone, since it is alive and has all the functions which characterize living species, whereas an animal has a much greater degree of organization than a plant, since it’s equipped with many more functions related to what Maximos calls ‘awareness’ etc.) it is the way we humans are configured psychodynamically that demonstrates the truth of Maximos’ claim. And the psychodynamics- the forces that underlie our behaviour- of the human person are of great importance in expressing who were really are; it’s not merely psychologism, that is, interpreting things in ...
So if, from the beginning, from their first steps, we keep children away from evil and lead them along the best path, then being devout will be like a habit for them and second nature. They won’t then willingly or easily turn to evil, because their habit will help them to do good deeds. So for us they’ll become more revered than their elders and more useful in public affairs, since, from their youth, they’ll display the virtues of their elders.
Having now examined oikonomia in relation to the so-called "hard cases" of pregnancy due to rape, incest or that which threatens the life of the woman, as well as that which will result in the birth of a "defective" child, the question still remains: is there a place for oikonomia in the abortion question? In practice, oikonomia is presently being applied in this situation. The Orthodox Church today asks of those who are involved with abortion only sincere repentance and a change of heart and mind in order to be received back into the Community of the Faithful. The ecclesiastical penance of ten years excommunication as directed unchanged, in the Canons, is very rarely, if ever, required of those who ...
As time went by, he acquired spiritual children in Athens, too, particularly among people who had moved from Thessaloniki. He took care of them, as well, going down usually once a month for confessions and holding a vigil at the same time. To these few were added genuine Athenians and his arrival was soon eagerly awaited. In order to celebrate in another diocese, such as Athens, he needed the canonical permission of both bishops, Thessaloniki and Athens. I approached the then Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, the late Panteleïmon II, with whom I’d been friends from our time as students together, and he gave his permission. When I asked the late Archbishop of Athens, Serafeim, he said in his typical manner: ‘You’re asking ...
