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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.

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 ...

– 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 ...

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 ...

Our Most Holy Lady, the Ever-Virgin Mary is a wonder and mystery which not even the angels can understand: “Heaven was astonished and the ends of the earth amazed, for God appeared bodily to mankind, and your bosom became broader than the heavens. Therefore, Mother of God, the leaders of the orders of angels and of men magnify you”, writes the poet of the Paraclitic Canon. She is, as Gregory the Theologian says, “God after God”. Of course, the Fathers also refer to her position elsewhere, clarifying it: “Let Mary be held in honour. Let the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be worshipped, but let no-one worship Mary”, (Saint Epifanios). Regarding the genealogy of Our Lady, we’re told in the Gospel ...

This summer ten Norwegians were granted an audience at The Holy Mountain, the last remaining part of the Roman Empire. The monks who live here tell stories of miracles and wonders as a normal part of everyday life. Mount Athos has been called the one place on planet earth that has changed least over the centuries. The Orthodox monks who dwell here, live as they did during medieval times, praying and working. They come to dedicate their lives completely to God, and the last thing they want is for the hard-to-reach peninsula to become a tourist attraction. Nevertheless, the monastic republic in northern Greece has a remarkable pull on people from all over the world. When the famous CBS news magazine ...

The attack which took place in the church of St. Etienne du Rouvray, in Normandy came as a reminder, unfortunately, of the religious character of the extremist terrorism which has been targeting Europe. The terrorists acted under the umbrella of the Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility and they slit the throat of an 84-year-old priest, while holding hostage nuns and members of the congregation who were attending Mass. The incident ended with the intervention of the French authorities who neutralized the perpetrators. The Islamic State and the groups of the network of Islamic extremism in general have never hidden the fact that their activities are of a religious character. With a distorted interpretation of Islam orientated towards violence, they have ...