The Priest Who Ate A Snake: A Miracle of the Holy Eucharist

"We do not support at any time that microbes from the new influenza can be transferred through the reception of Holy Communion," said Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki this past week according to Romfea.gr.

The Metropolitan further stated: "In accordance with scientific opinions, the microbes, if they exist, die upon impact with silver." The spoons used in Orthodox churches for Holy Communion are made of silver.

Noting the illogical thinking behind the controversy, he further argued: "It's as if we were to say to not use silverware in homes or restaurants out of fear that the influenza may be transferred."

He further maintained that his Metropolis would be guided by the Holy Synod and the Health Department for preventable measures without causing panic.

Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki

The logic of the Church on this matter has always been the question: How can that which is transformed by the Holy Spirit into the Precious Body and Blood of Christ for the purpose of giving life and healing to the Church be also the cause of illness and death through germs and microbes? Pandemics have existed throughout the centuries, but the Fathers of the Church never even considered addressing the common reception of Holy Communion in the Canons nor of excluding the faithful who are ill from praying in the same church as the healthy. Illnesses and death, according to the Apostle Paul, can only be transferred through Holy Communion to those who receive unworthily in a sinful state, but there is no example that this could be the means of transfer from one person to another. For this reason, that there is no justification to make changes in the Divine Liturgy, changes should not even be considered.

It is true that certain Papal and Protestant churches have enforced changes as precautions against transferring germs. For Orthodox however this is an act of faithlessness in the divine energies of the Holy Spirit which transform the bread and wine into the "medicine of immortality". Is not to deny the power and works of the Holy Spirit considered blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mk. 3:29)?

The island of Psara

With today being the feast commemorating the discovery of the miraculous skull of Saint Matrona of Chios, as well as the current debate that is going on today in Greece and throughout the Orthodox world as to the possibility that germs and sicknesses can be transferred through the common reception of the Holy Eucharist, I thought the following miracle was appropriate to put an end to the nonsense.

Saint Matrona of Chios is very much revered on its small neighboring island of Psara, with its mere 400 or so inhabitants and over 60 churches. There is a miraculous icon there of St. Matrona which is responsible for working many miracles for the faithful. There is also a small chapel dedicated to the Saint in Psara in an area known as Saint Kioura (another name for St. Matrona). Near this chapel there used to be a monastery dedicated to St. Matrona in an area known as Fidolakkos (or Φιδόλακκος, which means "Snake Pit"). As the name suggests, this place had many snakes.

Miraculous icon of St. Matrona in Psara

During one Divine Liturgy at this monastery a small snake fell into the Holy Communion cup from the ceiling after its consecration. The priest saw this and desperately wondered what to do. He could not let the snake go because it was covered in the blood of Christ. He therefore emboldened himself to eat the snake. The grace of the Divine Gifts allowed for nothing to happen to the priest. However for doing what he did he wanted to make sure this never happened again. He therefore prayed fervently to the Lord that all snakes disappear from Fidolakkos and the island. The result is that ever since not one snake has ever been spotted on the island.

The Chapel of St. Kioura in Psara

This story is well known among Psara's 400 or so inhabitants. Outsiders like to test this tale, so when they bring snakes from neighboring islands and release them on Psara they always die within 3-4 meters. Many people take the dirt from Fidolakkos and bring it back to their homes or anywhere there is a problem with snakes and spread out this dirt and the miracle transfers to that area as well.

To conclude, germs and influenza are threatened by Holy Communion and not Holy Communion by germs and influenza!

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Elder Daniel Gouvalis Passes On To The Heavenly Jerusalem

Elder Daniel Gouvalis (+ July 11, 2009)

Relatively unknown in the West, Elder Daniel Gouvalis passed away on July 11, 2009 and his sad yet joyful funeral took place July 12. He was a holy man who possessed many spiritual gifts, and considered by many of his spiritual children to be a saint. He was especially well known in Malakasas, a small suburb of Athens, and was known as the Elder of Malakasas serving as a priest and spiritual confessor there. His first meeting with holiness was in the person of the Russian Elder Tryphon, who was also spiritual father of Elder Paisios the Athonite (who it should be noted passed away on July 12, 1994), when he visited Mount Athos in his youth, and in his latter days was among the closest disciples of Elder Porphyrios in Athens. A man of deep theological education Elder Daniel cultivated every virtue and enlightened many in a humble and reverential manner in the ways of Orthodox faith and piety. He wrote many books and was on the Synodal Committee for Heresies for the Church of Greece in which he helped many involved in cults to turn back to Orthodoxy. His most famous work is the highly romanticized and inspiring book called Η ΑΝΩ ΙΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΗΜ (The Jerusalem Above) in which he expressed his longing to enter Paradise and be with his protectress St. Paraskevi, his Elder Tryphon, his patron saint Daniel the Prophet, the Apostle Paul and St. John the Theologian. He was especially known for his charitable nature, and in imitation of the Saints kept nothing of his possessions or money for himself but instead distributed it to those in need. He passed away quietly and in peace, just as he lived his life, being given the heavenly gift to know when his life was to end. The Elder was buried at the convent founded by his spiritual father Elder Porphyrios (where he also is buried) in Milesi next to Malakasas.

Below are two videos from his funeral on July 12. May his memory be eternal and keep us in his prayers!

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Elder Daniel Gouvalis Interviewed About His Elder Porphyrios

Elder Porphyrios

ELDER PORPHYRIOS
Testimonies and Experiences

Archimandrite Daniel Gouvalis
Theologian, writer.

K.I.: Fr. Daniel, you had God's great blessing to have known Elder Porphyrios very well for many years. I would like to ask you first to give us an outline of his personality, and then we shall see manifestations of God's grace within his person.

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios was a gift from God towards the Church. He sent us great light within the darkness in which we live, through Elder Porphyrios. We thank the Lord for giving us such a great gift in our times, indeed, keeping him in life for eighty-six whole years.

You felt comfortable next to Elder Porphyrios. He pressured no-one. He wanted whoever came to him to do it out of their own free will. He always told confessors that when we as spiritual fathers guide the life-journey of those who confess to us, we must always respect their freedom. He always stressed that Christianity is freedom.

He often referred to the event according to which Christ once said something that scandalized many people. The result was they all started to leave until only the disciples remained. In which case the Lord told them that if they too would like to leave, they were free to do so. He quoted the Gospel of St. John, word for word , "From that time many of his disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?"'( Jn.6:66- 7)

Elder Porphyrios had a highly cultivated ecclesiastical awareness. He respected Church people and the Church hierarchy. He said "If I fall out with the bishop, if the bishop is angry with me, my prayer won't rise up to heaven."

He loved hymnography very much. He studied and paid attention to the Canons for the great feasts, both of the Master and of the Mother of God. He carefully studied the meaning of each and every word of the Canon.

He frequently liked to talk about love. He said, characteristically, that hate soils the soul. He also said that when our brother has a problem we should gather many of us together and say a common prayer about it.

He constantly spoke about love towards Christ. "When we love Christ" he said, "our soul is freed from fear." He frequently used the words of St. John the Divine "Love casts out fear."

Elder Porphyrios never allowed himself to be occupied with negative things; he wanted everything to be bright and positive. He typically told us, "You find yourself in a dark room and you wave your arms, trying, in that way, to drive away the darkness. The darkness doesn't leave like that though. Open the window so that the light can come in, and the darkness will leave by itself. The light will drive away the darkness. We should study Holy Scripture, the lives of the saints, the Fathers; that's the light that'll drive away the darkness." He used the image very often.

K.I.: Is there something Fr. Daniel that has moved you particularly?

Fr.D.G.: One day, during the German Occupation, Elder Porphyrios was walking towards the vicinity of Lykavittos. As he was walking along he came across an unpleasant scene. A German soldier had intentionally driven a young girl into a corner, by the basement of some house, and wanted to dishonor her. She looked like a little bird that had fallen into the claws of a hawk. You could see the horror etched on her face. She let off some weak cries of struggle and pain from her mouth. The German tried to calm her down with sweet words. The entire neighbourhood had heard the commotion, and were now looking out of their windows and doorways to see what would happen. They saw a priest walking towards the scene.

When Elder Porphyrios found himself facing this scene he felt great internal anguish. He had to find a way of saving the girl. Ignoring the danger he was in from the brutal German, the Elder directed his footsteps towards him. He prayed silently and intensely for divine strength to manifest itself. As soon as he got close enough he raised his hands up high. It looked like he was either appealing to the German or that he was asking God to show His mercy.

The sight of a priest with his hands raised high, the bright countenance of his face, and what's more the divine strength that he had hidden within him, worked its miracle.

The German softened, abandoned his intentions and let the girl free. As Fr. Porphyrios continued on his way the people who had followed events from their houses demonstrated their applause for him. They cheered as much as they could for as long as they could in those difficult times.

K.I.: What do you have to tell us about his gifts of discernment and foresight?

Fr.D.G.: Both of these gifts of his would always leave us speechless. There are countless incidences. We'll talk about just a few examples.

At the time when Elder Porphyrios was at the Polyclinic, he asked someone, who had gone there for confession, where he came from. He told him he was from a village in Eleia . He then asked him if he had a house out in the fields. When the man said yes, Elder Porphyrios told him that a river flowed underneath the property, where that house could be found. The man was lost for words, he never suspected anything of the like.

Many years afterwards a foreign company went to that area with the aim of drilling to find oil. When the drilling had reached four hundred meters deep, a huge river of water shot up. If they hadn't caught it in time, the whole area would have been flooded.

K.I.: So much

Fr.D.G.: Yes

I'll also tell you this story. A student who did his military service at a base near here where I live, asked me to take him to see the Elder.

As soon as we got there the Elder asked him where he came from. The student replied that he came from a village in the Western Peloponnese. Then the Elder said to him "What strong winds blow in those mountains by your village!" And the student said "Do you know what the villagers call those mountains? They call them the Wind Mountains."

K.I.: That's wonderful

Fr.D.G.: Once I went to his cell. It was the 19th of October, late in the afternoon, I interrupted him without wanting to, because at that hour he could be "found" in Cephallonia, at vespers for the feast of St. Gerasimos. He saw, as he told me, the priests, the bishops, countless people and heard the chanting. He described to me in exact detail what was taking place at that hour at St. Gerasimos on Cephallonia.

Once he telephoned Brussels where a spiritual child was serving in the navy there on a NATO submarine. He told him that there was a shoal-reef there where the submarine was circulating under the sea, and that they ought to be careful. The officer checked the spot that the Elder had pointed out, located the reef, and gave orders for the submarine to avoid that spot.

K.I.: The gifts of Elder Porphyrios are really so many and so surprising that one doesn't know what to mention first and which are the most wonderful!

Fr.D.G.: On the 15th July 1974 he was traveling with some spiritual children of his to Macedonia, Northern Greece. On the car radio they heard that a coup d'etat had taken place in Cyprus and that Archbishop Makarios had been murdered. He turned around and said to his spiritual children "That is a mistake. Archbishop Makarios has not been murdered." And in truth, with the next newscast they learnt that Archbishop Makarios was still alive.

K.I.: That's astonishing.

Fr.D.G.: The incidents that demonstrate his gifts of foresight and discernment could fill whole volumes, alone.

When I first met him on Mt. Athos he told me that in my village of Panourgia in the Phokhidos Parnassian mountains near Amfissa there are some caves where people lived during the Turkish Occupation. He also told me that in my village there are three country churches. He saw my village in its past, present, and future phases, because when he spoke to me there were only two churches; today there are three. On the other hand, he saw that in the past, during the the Turkish Occupation, men-of-arms and klephts had lived in the caves near my village.

He often happened to tell me something which at the time appeared puzzling and 1 couldn't understand it or interpret it. One day, as we were walking, he said, "Many people will listen to you." I thought that we would have some kind of festival, we would put up some loudspeakers, and lots of people would hear me. When, however, years later, two church radio stations went on the air with a large audience, only then, having taken on some of the programs, did I understand what the Elder meant.

Personally, I had the feeling that I had a prophet before me, like the prophets in the Old Testament, and that he had the Holy Spirit within him.

Whatever he heard, whatever was said to him, he was always completely calm. Just like the calmness of St. Anthony.

When people who were facing difficult problems came to me, I took them to the Elder and he gave them perfect advice. His advice was always faultless and perfect. I'll give you one such example.

A gentleman once visited us who came from a village in Corinth. He had a large property and was in a dilemma as to whether to plant olive trees or lemon trees. He didn't know which was best and he couldn't arrive at a decision. We took him to the Elder; note that this took place at the end of the 1970's.

The Elder told him about the needs the countries of the EEC would have regarding such produce in the future: that a method would be found for the quick harvesting of olives and so there would be an overproduction of olives. He advised him to plant lemon trees; lemons would always be in demand in those countries and in the countries of the north. That, as events proved, is what actually happened.

K.I.: The impressive thing is that Elder Porphyrios was interested in everything, in all kind of problems that concerned people.

Fr.D.G.: Very true.

K.I.: How did he himself deal with those gifts of his?

Fr. D.G.: First, we must mention that he acquired his gift of discernment at Kavsokalyvia when he was only seventeen years old. It is a surprising case because these gifts
as a rule are only acquired after many decades of ascetic practice.

Elder Porphyrios, speaking about the gifts that God had given him, said that for the Church to function, God gives different gifts to some people at times for the good of the Church. He felt that his gifts were an ecclesiastical function.

He kept these gifts until the end of his life. Others have also at times been given various gifts. Afterwards however, they were found unworthy and deprived of them.

Figures like Elder Porphyrios appear within the Church once every hundred or two hundred years. The things that we read about in the lives of the saints that amaze us, happened next to us because the Elder was a living saint. And now we're informed about miracles that he performed after death.

K.I.: Fr. Daniel, from what I know, you have many direct experiences of Elder Porphyrios' healing gift. Could you give us a few indicative examples?

Fr.D.G.: Personally, I knew different people that had cancer and were cured after a prayer and blessing from the Elder.

One high-school teacher had a breast tumor and was scheduled for surgery. She went to the Elder, who blessed her, and the tumor disappeared without needing an operation.

One other young girl in the Athenian district of St. Paraskevi had decided to commit suicide because she was severely reprimanded at home. She had bought some strong weed-killer and was going to drink it. Suddenly, Elder Porphyrios appeared before her, took the weed-killer from her hands, and said to her, "Don't be afraid. Everything will be all right. You'll marry, you'll have children and you'll be fine." That's just what happened.
K.I.: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see
God."

Fr.D.G.: Occasionally the Elder used to visit stores where business was not going too well. He gave a blessing and customers started to arrive immediately, one after the other, and indeed, to shop for things in bulk.

K.I.: What did he say about politics?

Fr.D.G.: I'll tell you this one characteristic thing, as we shouldn't get into details. He said, "When a country is in a lot of sin, then its political life, instead of being straightforwafd, will be crooked."

K.I.: Elder Porphyrios, from what I understand, had a concern for married couples, Fr. Daniel?

Fr.D.G.: Very much so. He helped countless couples whose problems were so great that their marriages had started to dissolve. He helped them with his gifts and he restored their relationship.

I remember one moving incident when he was traveling in a taxi. He had the following conversation with the driver:
"Do you have a wife?" "Yes, I do."
"How many years have you lived apart?" "Five."

The conversation continued and the ending was a happy one. The taxi-driver was so impressed with what this unknown priest had said to him that he immediately went and found his wife and re-established their marriage.

With his gifts the Elder knew what each situation required. For example, he said to one married lady, "When your husband finds himself in a difficult situation, do not say a word. Pray and ask others to pray. Because otherwise you'll make things unpleasant for him. He won't find warmth and happiness near you, and he'll start looking around." He would, each time make recommendations according to the situation which contributed to the peace of that particular family.

He talked about "mixed-up" children; children who have psychological problems because their parents have a bad relationship with one another so there isn't a good atmosphere in the home.

He talked about "mixed-up" children of "mixed-up" parents. Indeed, it happened that I myself took some of these parents of children with problems to see the Elder. He said that these children already had problems, this "mix-up", from the womb. When the child's mother was pregnant she didn't try to put her life in order, to be calm, peaceful, to pray and to partake of the Sacraments of the Church.

I remember that he once advised a mother of five children to stay away from her house for a month. Her behavior was such that her children would fight amongst themselves every day. They couldn't reason with their mother so they would take their anger out on one another.

Because of his great discernment he would treat each situation accordingly. He didn't deal with people uniformly; the Elder knew what advice each person could bear. Ten people could ask him about the same matter, and he would give them ten different answers. This is called pastoral individualization.

K.I.: He carried out his pastoral work with discernment because he had exactly that manner about him.

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios used the word "mixed-up" which I mentioned earlier, a lot, when he wanted to say that someone had internal problems. Indeed, he used that word when the subject of heresies was brought up. He said that all the "mixed-up" people join heresies.

K.I.: How did he deal with people’s external appearance, the way they dressed?

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios didn't concern himself with people's external appearances. This was confirmed by all the people who went to see him without, let us say, the proper attire. He would look to the deeper cause within the soul. He knew that if man is sorted out on the inside then the outside will sort itself out automatically.

K.I.: What other features of his personality would you like to tell us about Fr. Daniel?

Fr.D.G.: Something fundamental, that characterized Elder Porphyrios is that whatever passed through his hands he wanted it to be perfect. Just to give you one example, when he was about to build the convent at Milesi. He was concerned about the passage of the sun, so that in winter those who lived there would not have sunless rooms. He also looked into the matter of dampness, wind direction etc., so that everything would be perfect. He wanted, as much as possible, completeness and perfection.

He spoke about the work of St. Gregory of Nyssa, "Whatever St. Gregory has written is very well constructed; his words, his concepts, his paragraphs." He added, "Just like a builder who puts down strong foundations, he lays the bricks evenly, he builds the ground floor first and then goes on to the second floor. St. Gregory of Nyssa, having taken care of those things that belong to the first paragraph , then goes on to the second paragraph and then the following one."

K.I.: Personally, I have a passion for studying the works of that great Father of our Church, who, in the words of that distinguished poet of Byzantium, George Pisidis, was the "the most mystical."

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios advised me to study St. Gregory of Nyssa's works a great deal.

K.I.: Your words have filled me with enthusiasm Fr.
Daniel.

Fr.D.G.: Something especially impressive about Elder Porphyrios was that he admired and exploited technological inventions. He was amazed by the fact that God had given Man the ability to make such discoveries, and he advised his spiritual children to make use of technology. "Should it be allowed," he asked "for God to help Man make so many discoveries, then for the devil to use them and us Christians not to use them?"

K.I.: That's very good.

Fr.D.G.: He made use of the telephone a lot. He spoke to his spiritual children and others by phone on a twenty-four hour basis. Not only in Greece, but also abroad, on all the continents. He helped untold numbers of people through the telephone.

K.I.: The telephone, in the hands of Elder Porphyrios, really was a gift for all those who needed it.

Fr.D.G.: He loved the Church radio. He said that through it the wish and prophecy of St. John Chrysostomos was fulfilled, "I will rise up high to speak about Christ and all the world will hear me."

K.I.: Truth will be shouted from the rooftops.

Fr.D.G: Elder Porphyrios was very hard-working. He loved hard work and always spoke out against indolence. He characteristically said, "He can't even pick his feet up off the ground, and he comes to me for advice on how to be lifted to the heights of spiritual life." He always stressed that when we pray we ought to also pray with our body making full prostrations .

Studying both the Old and the New Testament we see that each time the Lord called a prophet or an apostle, he called them while they were working. One was called while he was shepherding sheep, another while plowing, another while threshing, yet another while mending nets etc.

He wanted people to be busy, to be constantly using all the limbs of their body, not to be idle. He would in no way accept indolence and laziness.

K.I.: We would like you to tell us, Fr. Daniel, about the Elder as priest?
Fr.D.G.: He liked his work at the Polyclinic. He comforted the sick. He heard their confessions. He gave them communion. He did serve as a consoling, guardian angel.

The liturgical life of the St. Gerasimos' Church also developed beautifully. The church had a choir, and the voice of the priest had to correspond with the singing of the choir and to avoid being musically offensive. This is why he went to a school of music where he made notable progress. He completed a course of studies. He also learnt to play the piano. However, as a musical instrument, he loved the organ the most.

Later, the place of the choir was taken in the church by the official cantor, Spyridon Peristeris, who was destined to become the chief cantor in Athens as First Cantor at the Metropolitan Church. Their harmony was excellent. If on occasion somebody at the lectern made a mistake, or said something irregular, the Elder didn't speak and didn't ruin the atmosphere of the Divine Liturgy. Once when a visiting priest took his place a great confusion was created. He started to say to the cantors "Not that apolytikion , the other one. Look for the other one." They looked for it and couldn't find it. What a commotion! This unfortunate incident made that the cantor and his helpers appreciate the politeness and tact of Elder Porphyrios.

The Alevizatos brothers were university professors. There were many university people in their circle. All of them went to church at St. Gerasimos'. Professors from the Theological School also went there, like that great religious expert Leonidas Philippides, who revered the Elder immensely. A whole University congregated in the church of St. Gerasimos. The Liturgy was truly uplifting. The Elder delivered the Gospel reading with special grace and life. Indeed, during Holy Week, at the Service of the Passion, the reading of the Twelve Gospels had that special something that remains unparalleled. Fr. Porphyrios, with the grace that he had, saw Christ suffering and was shaken. Filled with emotion, his voice would often break and he had difficulty in continuing the reading. Once he couldn't bear anymore, and he stopped reading. Then he wiped his face that was washed in tears, sought forgiveness from the congregation and making a great effort, he continued. It is needless to say what moving emotions were conveyed to the Christians present. It was like they found themselves at Gethsemane, at the Praetorium, at Golgotha, they followed the divine drama with bated breath. One certain time, he had a priest of his own with him at the Service of the Passion. He was a spiritual child of his and he had told him to be ready. If he was forced to stop reading the Gospel, then the other priest should take over.

When the time came for St. John Chrysostom's Catechetical Homily, during the Paschal Liturgy, unprecedented emotion and pious enthusiasm were created.

He recited the text from memory, slowly, solemnly, and most beautifully. He loved all of St. John Chrysostom's sermons, but he especially loved this one. He said it quietly, elegantly, little by little, without holding a book, holding only the paschal candle. The height of this grandeur was when he said, "Hades was embittered when below he met You face to face. He was embittered, for he was set at naught..." and the people repeated, "He was embittered." Unrepeatable spiritual emotions.

He adored every Church prayer, every reading from a sacred text. They had to be said in the most suitable way. Throughout his life he helped countless priests, monks, cantors and lectors to chant and to read in the best possible way, in a way worthy of God.

K.I.: One could talk with you, Fr. Daniel, for hours on end about Elder Porphyrios. Unfortunately, a radio program, as you well know, has its time limit. Of the great number of stories and examples that you didn't manage to tell us, which one would you like to end with?

Fr.D.G: At the end of his life, he asked me to bring him Holy Communion after the Divine Liturgy. During the time when he was preparing to receive the divine gifts a heavenly state prevailed; such was his love and his longing for the Immaculate Mysteries. Once he spoke to me about the aroma of Holy Communion; I understood it to mean that he sensed a fragrance in the Holy Communion.

He always urged Christians to participate actively in the sacraments of the Church.

He said that with the sacrament of Confession, whatever has fallen down is raised up again. He told us the moving story of a monk who had gone to the Holy Mountain in his youth. He had so many gifts that he felt like he lived in Paradise. One day he was disobedient to his elder. All that gracious state left him. When his elder returned, he heard his confession and read the prayer of forgiveness. The gracious state that he had iost returned to him immediately.

Elder Porphyrios always stressed that when we are within the Church, when we participate in the sacraments of the Church, then we are in Paradise. Also, as much as we participate in the sacraments, we are that much more in eternal life. That is why he always reminded us of the Lord's saying, "He who believes in the Son has life eternal."

K.I.: What did he say about our departed brethren who can now be found in the Church Triumphant?

Fr.D.G.: He said that we are all one and we should pray as much for the living as we do for the departed. He stressed that we shouldn't say, "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on so-and-so" or "have mercy on us," but that we should say "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me." As he explained, since the Christ's Church is one bodv, within the "have mercy on me" are included all the living and the dead. And if prayer is not extended to all people, then it is not ecclesial.

He told us that whenever he went to holy places, to Mount Sinai, to the Cave of the Apocalypse on the isle of Patmos or to Jerusalem he had indescribable life experiences. He always stressed the sanctity of the places, that the places can sanctify, that they are saturated with God's grace.

He characteristically told us that when he struggled at a certain place in order to reach a certain spiritual state through prayer, he needed a quarter to a half of an hour of struggle. But when this happened at a sanctified place things were different. "I enter, for example, a holy cave," he said, "like the caves of St. Niphon or St. Neilos on the Holy Mountain, or the Cave of the Apocalypse, and I don't even begin to pray and immediately that sanctified place lifts me up."

He said again and again that, "God is everything" and he stressed that without praying to God nothing is accomplished. "Prayer," he said "is the mother of all good things, provided that it is always done with humility, without any egotism, and with love towards Christ."

K.I.: We thank you very much, Fr., Daniel, for all the manna from heaven, that, you've had the goodness to share with us.

Fr.D.G.: May we have the blessing of Elder Porphyrios and let us give thanks to God, Who sent us such a gift in the twentieth century.

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Significant Increase in Number of Practicing Believers in Romania

July 13, 2009
http://portal-credo.ru

The Romanian Patriarchate's information agency, "Basilica", released details of research, showing an increase in the number of practicing believers in Romania, reports "Patriarhiya.Ru". In 2008, nearly half (48%) of Romanians attended church at least once a month.

In 1993 the figure did not exceed 30%. This trend is typical for all age groups, except for those born before 1929 - because of the natural decline in their physical abilities.

Already in 2005, Romania ranked first in Europe in the number of practicing believers -- 25% -- ahead of Poland and Italy and almost twice the average European rate of those who attended church at least once a month. The lowest numbers in Europe are for Sweden, Norway, Finland, France and Russia.

In 2008 85% of the population had confidence in the Romanian Orthodox Church. According to this index, it is significantly ahead of all other public and State institutions in the country.

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Two "Ape" Nuns Invade Loutraki

On Tuesday July 14th the police in Loutraki, Corinth arrested two women posing as nuns to deceive the faithful. They were selling icons, crosses, prayer ropes, and incense saying that they were raising money for a holy purpose. Loutraki prosecutors discovered they in fact had ill intentions. A lawsuit was filed against them to face prosecution. Greek newspapers have been calling them the "ape" nuns.

This is actually more common than this one incident. Someone once told me about meeting some questionable nuns trying to raise money somewhere in Greece. When he asked them from which monastery they were from, they said they were from Mount Athos!

PS. For those not aware, Mount Athos is an exclusively all male community.

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Patriarch Pavle of Serbia Today

Patriarch Pavle of Serbia receiving Holy Communion

Referred to by some as a "walking saint" based on his simple lifestyle and humility, as of right now Patriarch Pavle is 95 years old and still leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Whereas bishops around the world are often wrongly criticized for the cars they drive and despite the fact that every bishop in Serbia owns a car to travel around their diocese, he did not. When asked why he never obtained an automobile, he replied: "I will not purchase one until every Albanian and Serbian household in Kosovo and Metohija has an automobile."

Today Patriarch Pavle is the oldest living Patriarch in the Orthodox Church, and unable to walk, bound to a wheelchair. On November 13, 2007 Pavle was institutionalized in the Belgrade Military Medical Academy and has remained there ever since. On May 17, 2008 the Holy Synod took over all Patriarch Pavle’s duties owing to his inability to carry out his functions following a long illness. On October 12, 2008 His Holiness was reported to have asked the Holy Synod to accept his resignation due to declining physical ability. Because of the great love and honor the people and clergy have for His Holiness, on November 11, 2008 the Holy Synod decided to ask Patriarch Pavle to remain on the throne for life.

Today Metropolitan Amphilochios of Mavrovounio visits the Patriarch daily to administer for him Holy Communion, as he has been doing now every day for two years.

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Bulgarian Orthodox Synod Says "NO" to Dialogue With Papal Church

Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

On June 28, 2009 a delegation representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate met with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome to participate in the festivities in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The participation of the Orthodox delegation in the late-June liturgies “reminds us of our common commitment to the search for full communion,” Pope Benedict said.

"You already know this, but I am pleased to confirm today that the Catholic Church intends to contribute in every way to making it possible to re-establish full communion in response to Christ’s will for his disciples,” he said.

Pope Benedict said the International Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue Commission would meet in October in Cyprus “to face a theme crucial for relations between the East and West, that is the ‘role of the bishop of Rome in the communion of the church in the first millennium.'” Ecumenical experts believe agreement on how the pope, the bishop of Rome, exercised his ministry before Christianity split into East and West is essential for discovering the way the papacy could be exercised in the church if Catholics and Orthodox successfully reunite.

“I want the participants in the Catholic-Orthodox dialogue to know that my prayers accompany them and that this dialogue has the complete support of the Catholic Church,” Pope Benedict told the Orthodox delegation.

"With all my heart, I hope that the misunderstandings and tensions encountered by the Orthodox delegates during the last plenary session of the commission have been overcome in fraternal love so that this dialogue will be more broadly representative of Orthodoxy", the Pope said. At the last plenary gathering, held in Italy in 2007, the Russian Orthodox delegation walked out to protest the presence of a delegation from the Estonian Orthodox Church, recognized as autonomous by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople but not by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Interestingly at the 2007 meeting the Bulgarian Orthodox Church sent no representatives.

According to a news report by Romfea.org on July 9, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has rejected the invitation once more to the International Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue Commission that was to meet between October 16-23, 2009 in Cyprus.

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church examined the letter/invitation sent by the organizers of this Meeting and after discussions decided to send no representatives. They analyzed the fact that prior dialogues between the Orthodox and Papal Church didn't lead in the least to any reconciliation between Orthodox and Papal doctrines.

Apparently the Bulgarian Orthodox Synod did not like the topic for discussion and simply just does not want to waste its time or resources, but did agree to meet with Papal delegates in the future to discuss mutual problems relating to human issues.

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Does Atheism Really Make Sense?

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An Orthodox Christian Attitude Towards Swearing

A few days ago a study was released that appeared just about everywhere in the news, where researchers at Keele University made the "discovery" that swearing can reduce the feeling of pain by increasing aggression. Behind the purpose of this study is to determine why evolution has made it common place around the world for humans to swear. Dr. Richard Stephens, who conducted the study at the university's school of psychology, concluded:

"We think it could be part of the flight or fight response. In the volunteers who swore, we also found they had an elevated heart rate, so it could be increasing their aggression levels. Increased aggression has been shown to reduce people's sensitivity to pain, so it could be swearing is helping this process."

It's hard for me to comprehend why grants are released for such studies when it should be known by experience that swearing is coupled with every high emotional state, whether its for pain or pleasure, aggression or humor. Because it is coupled with all of these high emotional states is what makes it so wrong for those who love virtue. For those who cannot maintain a sober and prayerful attitude, using loose sexual or blasphemous remarks (which most swears are) may help to increase the pleasure and decrease the pain, but these usually are associated with activities or thoughts that Christians are called to not associate themselves with. Should not the martyrs of Christianity be a testimony to the fact that even under extreme torture, both piety and virtue can be maintained and swearing and blasphemy avoided with a higher attitude than mere aggression?

However another news story was released at the same time about pop star Katy Perry and how she wrote her hit song "I Kissed A Girl" in order to rebel against her "comically strict" Evangelical parents. She talks in the article about being forbidden to swear in her childhood even over the most silly or trivial matters, such as not being allowed to use a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner or refer to her eggs as "devilled" (she had to call them "angelic eggs"). She explains further that if she stubbed her toe she had to say something like "Jiminy Christmas" and if for any reason she even said "Hell no" she would get in trouble.

What happened to Katy Perry through the influence of her parents is a common reaction Christians make to fight against the use of swearing. There is, however, a danger where Christians can turn such reactions against sin into moralizations that verge on the extreme (as we see above). In Katy Perry's case she was expected to meet the standards of her parents that was not a part of her own attitude. To say swearing or blaspheming is wrong for the sake of being wrong is dangerous because it is in reality an offspring of one's spiritual state. To focus on the particulars is like focusing on the letter of the law instead of its spirit. If it is not a natural outcome of one's spiritual state to refrain from swearing but merely a reaction against guilt, then in social settings, where swearing and blasphemy are common and such corny reactions as "Jiminy Christmas" are ridiculed, rebellion is to be expected as a reaction against guilt.

What, therefore, is the proper attitude Christians should take to be in such a state that swearing becomes unnecessary and even unnatural? As I read the above two stories a few days ago I chanced upon an interesting story in the life of Elder Paisios the Athonite that perfectly illustrates an Orthodox Christian attitude. I could not overlook the connections between the three stories, since the above two articles reveal the two extremes about swearing, while this story of Elder Paisios reveals how a sober and prayerful attitude makes swearing and blasphemy unnecessary and even almost impossible.

The following dialogue took place between the Elder and some young men who came to visit him:

-- "Elder, some devout young men are troubled while serving their military duty by those who are abusive and curse. What should they do?"

--"This requires discernment and patience. God will help.

"The wireless operator that I worked with in the army was a blasphemous, unbelieving doctor. Every day he would come to the administrative unit to brainwash me with ideas! He talked to me about Darwin's theory of evolution, and other such things; things entirely blasphemous. But after a particular event, he began to understand a few things.

"Once we were on a mission and we had loaded the wireless equipment and the carrier on a large mule. On a downhill and slippery path, I was holding on to the mule's tail and the doctor was pulling on the reigns. Suddenly, as the carrier slightly touched the animal's ears, the mule gave a strong kick with its hind legs and threw me with force to the side. As I recovered, I realized that I was still walking! The only thing I remember is shouting, "My Panagia!" [an expression of praise for the Virgin Mary]. Nothing else. The mule's hoofs were imprinted on my body; my chest was all black and blue. The animal had kicked with such force! The doctor was very surprised to see me walking. We continued on our mission.

"A little further on the doctor lost his footing on a rock, fell and could not get up. He started shouting, "My Panagia! My Christ! What will become of me, who will help me?" He was afraid of being captured. "Don't worry", I told him, "I will stay with you; if they capture you, they'll capture me." The poor fellow then started thinking, "Arsenios [this was the name of the Elder before becoming a monk], even though the mule kicked him so hard and threw him flying, did not suffer a thing, while I, who merely lost my footing, am now unable to walk".

"After a while, he got up with difficulty and I helped him as he limped. The others in the unit had moved ahead. The doctor got a good lesson that day. Every day he was spouting his blasphemies without restraint, and then, at a time of danger, instead of swearing he started shouting, "My Panagia, my Panagia!" The Panagia was now convenient for him! Another person, a motorcyclist in the army, had broken his leg twice and still he continued to curse and be abusive."

-- "Couldn't you tell him something, Elder?"

-- "What could I tell him? Here I was telling him nothing and he was constantly cursing Christ and the Panagia on purpose, just to annoy me. Once I realized that, I only prayed. And you know, while at first he and others cursed for no good reason, later, when they experienced some difficulty and were about to curse, they would bite their tongue! When someone is cursing, blaspheming, or being imoudent, it is better to pretend to be busy and not listening and to say the Jesus Prayer. For, if he sees that you are paying attention to him, he may continue to curse all the more, and you can then become a cause for his demonic influence. If, however, one is not impudent but is conscientious and curses out of a bad habit, you can say something to him. If, again, one is conscientious but has a great deal of egoism, you must be careful not to speak sternly to him but, rather, you have to be as humble as you can and speak to him with pain. What does Saint Isaac the Syrian say?

"'Confute those who dispute with you by the strength of your virtues and not by the persuasiveness of your words. By the meekness and quietness of your lips put the impudence of the obstinate to silence. Reprove the wanton by the nobility of your life, and those who are shameless as regard the senses, by the modest curbing of your eyes.'"

Within this dialogue Elder Paisios seems to answer all the questions the other two articles press towards for an Orthodox response. An Orthodox attitude towards pain, instead of inspiring aggressiveness which is barbaric, is best approached with courage and bravery while remaining true to yourself. Isn't this the attitude of the much-suffering Job who blessed God in his pain rather than "curse God" as his wife suggested? Isn't this the attitude that Jesus had when he was crucified, or is the above study suggesting that Jesus would have been better off swearing to lessen the pain on the Cross? Or what of the two thieves on the cross next to Jesus; who was really better off in enduring their pain? By suggesting that evolution guides our behavior reduces man to his animalistic passions which christians are called to rise above and transform. And by doing this within our own lives, we become an example to our friends, family and children that swearing and blaspheming can be controlled and ultimately unnecessary.

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Photios Kontoglou: A Prophet of Suffering Romiosini

Yesterday marked the 44th year since the passing of the ever-memorable and blessed Photios Kontoglou (November 8, 1895 - July 13, 1965), the foremost iconographer of Greece in the 20th century.

Following the Asia Minor tragedy in 1922, Kontoglou was exiled to Greece and would come to have as his main goal to bring back to Greece all the best that Romiosini had to offer as opposed to the European spirit which was oppressing the Greek soul. So in 1923 he travelled to Mount Athos, a fashionable destination for the most prominent intellectuals, and became awe-struck upon his discoveries. He writes:

"I must say I had not expected to find such perfect art in the monastery churches. From what I had read about Byzantine art I had formed the idea that it was less worthy of attention than the art of the Italian Renaissance... [but] on Mount Athos there are paintings of the most superb artistry, such as the Archangel Gabriel and St. Mercurios by Katelanos. So far as I am in a position to judge, it is very seldom that one comes across paintings executed with such shrewd artistic judgment and charged with such powerful rhythm. I approached these paintings with a feeling which arises from a cast of mind similar to that of the Byzantines and from a strict Christian upbringing" (The Art of Athos, c.1923, quoted in Nikos Zias, "The Greek Tradition and Fotis Kontoglou", Zygos, vol. III, Athens, 1984, p. 58).

It is this experience which initiated a revival in traditional Orthodox iconography throughout the world and would many years later compel Kontoglou to confess the following:

"Byzantine art is for me the art of arts. I believe in it as I believe in Orthodox religion. Only this art nourishes my soul through its deep and mysterious powers; it alone quenches the thirst that I feel in the midst of the arid desert that surrounds us. In comparison with Byzantine art, all the others appear to me trivial, 'troubling themselves about many things, when but one thing is needed'."

Besides inspiring a revitalization in the culture of Romiosini (which included upholding all the traditions of Orthodoxy such as Byzantine Music, traditional clerical attire and appearance, faithfulness to the canons, etc), Kontoglou was also a prolific writer and theologian. Speaking against the cerebral, scientific and liberal forms of theology that Greeks were bringing to Greece from the West, he said:

"Such theologians regard traditional Orthodox theology, which comes from the roots of Christianity and from the Greek Fathers, as ossified, and they come as renewers of it. Actually, they lack real faith, lack interior, spiritual life. They view theology as a science, comparable to chemistry and physics, which employ discursive reason as their instrument and give rationalistic explanations" (Constantine Cavarnos, Meetings With Kontoglou, p. 128).

He would further write of such theologians:

"Todays theologians have become scientists, like the doctors, chemists and engineers, because by presenting themselves as such they will be honored by the world. And they go to Europe, the place of spiritual darkness, to receive a degree. They stuff their heads with a multitude of ungrounded and vain philosophies, and come to our land to transmit their unbelief instead of the Faith…. They do not enter into the Heavenly Kingdom, and hinder others from entering, as our Lord has said. Their punishment is that they do not see any of the wondrous things that are seen by believers, and hence they lack contrition and are cold. They are separated from God and His Kingdom, because they love the glory of men, instead of the glory of God" (Semeion Mega [A Great Sign], 1962, pp. 16-17).

In another book, Papa-Nicholas Planas, which was published three years later, again emphasizing the importance of faith and piety, he says:

"They endeavor today, with the plight of the Church, to find its causes, and hold that the answer is to be found in scientific theological education. But the evil is to be remedied only by education in piety…. What will it benefit the Church if students go to (say) Geneva? They will return with Protestant principles. We are told by these same persons that our Church has remained behind a whole century. How good it would have been if the members of the Church today had the piety of those who lived a century ago! External [secular] scientific education is fine when it is joined to piety" (Athens, 1965, p. 46).

The inculturation of the European spirit in all its forms was seen by Kontoglou as a threat to Orthodox culture in Greece (and of course even to Orthodox outside of Greece). This caused him to lament, what he called, "suffering Romiosini":

"Romiosini came out of Byzantium, or, to say it better, Byzantium in its last years stood the same as Romiosini. Even in the time of Phocas its characteristics appeared clearly, and in the years of the Paleologoi, even as the kingdom was at the point of death, tortured Romiosioni became stronger, a brand new Greece. Christian Greece grew in the midst of agony, because pain is the new mark of Christ. Romiosini is suffering Greece. Ancient Greece might have been glorious and strong, but the new one, the christian one, is much deeper, because pain is something that is much deeper than glory and joy and of whatever else. The people who live with pain and faith imprint much deeper their character in the hard rock of life, and they are marked with a mark that does not erase with misfortune and unbearable persecution, but they become more uneraseable. With such a mark is Romiosini marked. The nations which redeem every hour of their life with blood and agony, bear fruit with spiritual joys, which are unrecognizable to people who live the good life. These remain poor of both spiritual treasures as well as of human, because the good life weighs down the inner man."

The influence of Kontoglou in contemporary Orthodoxy as an artist and intellectual is unmistakable, and his faith and piety is inspiring. His life is worthy of emulation by all Orthodox men in the world, as his sanctity is testified by his incorrupt relics which lie in the Monastery of Saint Ephraim the Newly-Revealed in Nea Makri of Athens.

Below are some links to gain a deeper understanding of the life and writings of Photios Kontoglou:

The Life and Writings of Photios Kontoglou

Various Icons, Drawings and Pictures of Photios Kontoglou

What Orthodox Iconography Is

On Byzantine Music

Various Articles in Greek

On Spiritual Life and On the Holy Spirit

On John the Blessed

Christianity and Islam - Two Related, Yet Different Religions

A Letter to Elder Philotheos Zervakos Concerning the Ecumenism of Patriarch Athenagoras

On the Works of Dr. Constantine Cavarnos

The Small Churches of Maroussi

The Great Wager Between Believers and Unbelievers

The Myth of the Octopus - Smiling Enemies

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A Dome's Eye View of Hagia Sophia

Kept Light Photography has posted some photographs on a video that offers a rare glimpse of Hagia Sophia from the dome. See this entirely different perspective of this astonishing cathedral here.

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A Miracle of Elder Paisios the Athonite

A few days ago marked the 15 year memorial of the renowned Elder Paisios the Athonite since his falling asleep (+ July 12, 1994). I never had the blessing to meet the Elder, but I have known many over the years that did know him very well. So much has been written on the Elder, that I could hardly think of anything unique to add to the existing corpus. I will therefore relate the first time I ever heard of the Elder about a miracle he performed for one of my friends.

A friend of mine named Nicholas told me how he visited Mount Athos in the early 1990's. While there he desired to visit Elder Paisios at his cell because of his reputation as a miracle-worker. One thing that was on his mind was his sister Christina who suffered from epilepsy. When he arrived he was told the Elder was away and would have to wait, so he waited until the Elder arrived and he was recieved into his cell. When they sat down Nicholas brought up his sister for the Elder to pray for her, but he never mentioned her epilepsy. The Elder then pointed to a particular region on his head in the brain area and said something like: "She has something here". Then flicking away his hand he said: "It's gone." From that moment she never had a seizure again, and this is regarded by the family to be a miracle of the Elder.

May the holy and blessed Geronda Paisios pray for us!

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A Guide to Russian Sects and Fringe Beliefs - Part 4 of 6

Russian Sects and Fringe Beliefs - Part Four: Magical Services

Moscow, Russia
July 13, 2009
Marc Bennetts
RIA Novosti

The popular image of the Soviet Union is of a grey, monolithic state where belief in anything that failed to correspond to the teachings of Marx and Lenin was stamped out by brutal KGB agents.

However, beneath the secular surface, thousands of healers and sorcerers went about their age-old professions, practising ancient traditions that date back to pre-Christian Rus. The collapse of the Soviet Union saw these widespread beliefs in the magical and the paranormal rise rapidly to the surface.

From their humble beginnings of whispered recommendations, “magical services” have made the crossover into the mainstream. Estimates suggest there are over 100,000 occult practitioners in Russia, with the business worth some $10 million in Moscow alone.

The Tainaya Vlast (The Secret Power) semimonthly, with a print run of 250,000, is Russia’s most popular paper devoted to all things supernatural. However, if in the West, a similar newspaper would most likely be filled with adverts for New Age self-development courses and the like, Tainaya Vlast’s classifieds are of a much more down-to-earth nature, featuring ads offering to, among other things, “magically cure alcoholism and resolve family problems.”

Hypnotist and Psychic healer Anatoliy Kashpirovsky

“Ancient magical and mystical traditions of the Russian north. Business problems resolved!” reads another ad, in a breathtaking mixture of the magical and the mundane.

In a nod to the realities of 21st-century urban life, the vast majority of Russia’s professional occultists have their own Internet sites. The simply-named Magicheskie Uslugi (Magical Services) website is just one of them. “Curses - 100 euros, success in court - 20 euros,” offers the oddly flesh-coloured site, its pricelist stating that “all services will be fulfilled only after 100% pre-payment.”

The economic downturn that hit Russia hard towards the end of 2008 has also had an effect on the marketing techniques of modern occult gurus, with many proudly advertising “new anti-financial crisis magic!” Apart from the usual curses and love spells, many witches and wizards claim to be able to magically protect their clients against getting the sack by using their powers on unpleasant bosses, maintain pre-crisis salaries by bewitching the entire bookkeeping department, and even make sure that loan applications are approved.

Hypnotist and Psychic healer Alan Chumak

“Casting spells on banks is more expensive, however,” I was told by the owner of one such business when I called to enquire further.

Why?

“It involves black magic.”

“We don’t have the right, legally, to use the word magic in our adverts,” Mikhail, owner of an occult centre in the centre of Moscow told me. “I took the word magic off our advert and got a license.”

But why did the word “magic” cause so much offence when, say, the word “clairvoyant”, was fine?

“Ah, you know,” Mikhail went on. “Those officials. Around five years ago, there was a weird period, let’s call it a witch-hunt, when the authorities started cracking down on the whole occult thing. We came to a compromise, and the word magic got banned. They had to ban something,” he shrugged.

Mikhail is an ex-Soviet air force pilot who, like many people in Russia around the time of the breakup of the Soviet Union, got interested in the occult. However, he differed from most in that he set up his own business, hiring “people with special gifts” to work for him.

He was obviously doing well. His premises were plush, in one of Moscow’s most exclusive areas, and he seemed to have no shortage of clients.

“People in Russia are far more drawn to magical services than to psychiatrists or psychoanalysts,” Mikhail said. “They believe more in miracles than people in the West. And they really love a show.”

A news report on Anatoliy Kashpirovsky and Alan Chumak

Mikhail introduced me to new employee, psychic healer Olga who had applied for a position after seeing the center’s program on a satellite TV channel.

“I came in for an interview, had a test, and they took me on,” she told me.

What exactly was a psychic healer, I asked. What did her powers consist of?

“I can see people’s illness, diagnose them, and cure them. It usually takes about five sessions.”

I had no interest in exposing Olga as a fraud, and, to be honest, I was not even sure that she was. She certainly seemed to believe in her abilities.

“My powers were discovered when I went on holiday with my school, back in the Soviet era,” Olga told me. “This was the era of Anatoliy Kashpirovsky, and that lot, and every sanitarium had its very own bio-energy therapist.”

As the Soviet Union entered its death throes, Kashpirovsky and his great rival, Alan Chumak, were state-approved psychics who appeared on national television, curing the nation of various illnesses through the power of the mind. Able at their height of their fame to fill stadiums all over the country, their individual weekly TV shows had the entire country captivated.

Kashpirovsky, clad all in black, his piercing eyes staring into flats across the USSR, “healed” millions, his sonorous voice both reassuring and oddly threatening.

“For those of you with high blood pressure, your blood pressure will lower…whoever has hip injuries, they will heal…” he droned.

Chumak, a white-haired figure for whom the word eccentric could have been invented, was entirely the opposite. After a brief matter-of-fact introduction, he would silently and slowly, like some Soviet Zen master, move his hands for half-an-hour or so, “charging” with healing energy the jars and saucepans full of water that his millions of viewers had placed around their flats.

Dr. Kashpirovski healing session

“Anyway,” Olga continued, “I started to feel ill when I went to one of the bio-energy sessions, and afterwards the psychic told me that I should never attend again as I had my own powers.”

Had she been frightened, I wondered, by this sudden discovery of her gift?

“I remember feeling extremely interested,” she smiled. “My friends didn’t know that much about it, but my parents did. I used to take my mother’s headaches away.”

Olga also had her own theory as to the popularity of magical services in Russia.

“It’s much more interesting,” she said. “When you go to a psychoanalyst, you have to tell him your problems. Here, psychics and clairvoyants tell you your problems. That’s far, far better.”

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Video of Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi with Translation (3)

[Below is a rough translation which hopefully will help someone with better skills than me to offer a more accurate translation. -J.S.]

Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi

Subject: Admonition to Monks. Egoism and the Cutting of the Will (1 of 3 videos)

1st minute -- We wanted to thank again our Christ who has brought us together in Himself. In order to show us that in fact his paternal affection and love is with us. Today you had sort of a feast in this great synaxis and gathering here. Of course each has their own spiritual significance. And here you must understand that which I tell you often: that people come to Vatopaidi, everything you see here, because I believe there is something spiritual here.

2nd minute -- And this spiritual thing we must hold on to and incorporate to reawaken our own brotherhood and that of our nation. I, in order to remind you, did not have any competence, but I honored the respect and honor you gave in my community to help, so that the relationship between us in love could unite our bond to be even closer. This is all of our strength. And we must remember, of course, that our aim is repentence. This is why I am here. But now I was meditating on something in Paul so as to find help...

3rd minute -- ...because in the midst of the repentance we live in there are also great traps of the devil to disturb us. Which is why beforehand we prepare ourselves so that we do not get terrified. Paul says concerning sin "I do that which I do not want, and that which I want to do I can't. And even though I see within myself the law of good that it dwells within me, at the same time I see the law of evil within me and there begins a war" (Rom. 2). And here, exactly, is where we need the assistance of divine grace in order to withstand the war. Otherwise we won't be able to, because this law of perversion within us is not natural to us but an unnatural energy which pulls us by force.

4th minute -- And if we don't hold on to with exactness our submission to God so that our mother grace stays within us, then we will not withstand. Because the devil...look we try daily to live repentance according to each one's strength. But then suddenly, with no reason, their comes to us some sort of grief, trouble, disappointment or discouragement - "Where are my clothes?", "I don't know anything", "I don't know where I am". All these are alterations and you should know they are tools of repentance. We did not flee to the warmth of our Christ...

5th minute -- ...so that through repentance we can receive His love. Because He fulfilled everything by his divine epiphany. He saw as God that our fall was not only in being exiled from Paradise, but in the distortion of our personhood. And there exists because of this these alterations. For this out of His great love He lowered Himself further and gave us repentance. And now this repentance is our target and aim and for this we must be very careful, because the whole aim of repentance is practical, but it is not a practical energy - this is blasphemous to say!

6th minute -- Our purpose is to chase away all evil because we don't want it within us. We do this practically by divine grace. Divine grace takes the place of a mother and stays beside us to see what we are thinking, what do we want, what do we prefer on the practical level. But then she gets involved to bring in freedom, and resurrection and salvation. This is the word I want you to be very aware of. The repentance that we do, even if we don't do it right unfortunately, because if we do it right we must be careful as to what is the divine will and on this alone must we hang.

7th minute -- Our first commandment and duty is to love God. He says: "By this will I know if you love Me, if you have my commandments and do them" (Jn. 14). If we don't love Him we won't do them. Therefore we must protect the commandments. Now what are the commandments? We read it last time also. The commandments are not orders of a despot or lord to complete. They are the medicine by which healing comes to our distortions. Because when you think about there works within us that which is unreasonable and practically because of the fall we do not have much guilt because we are far from the blame. The devil is near our nous however and he shoots arrows at our nous continuously.

8th minute -- This is why mother grace is illusive. The purpose of it all is to offer confession or denial. The denial of the divine will was the fall. The denial of the divine will, individualism, and selfishness were the catastrophy. And for this did the Son of the Living God come to show us on a practical level the way of repentance which leads to a return into Him. Because the fall happened practically we didn't think our thoughts went against God and for this we were hanged. No, we applied it practically and we got up and said: "We don't need God, we can be by ourselves."

9th minute -- ...And because of this that which was forbidden because it was deadly the devil said it would be beneficial. And we went and we ate for our benefit and the fall occurred practically with individualism and selfishness as part of the fall. The meaning of repentance is here. Now we must practically show through our will that we do not associate with the aim of unreasonableness. Have this within your mind and take great care. A monk is known as one who guards his mind. Which is why we are here, because of the fall. The mind does not stop.

10th minute -- The devil does not leave it alone. If therefore the monk is repenting, but with his mind is in dialogue with the unreasonableness, how is it possible that mother grace which is holy will come and dwell in a body of sin? When the mind practically has a dialogue with unreasonableness grace does not come. And if grace does not come all is lost for nothing.

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Video of Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi with Translation (2)

[Below is a rough translation which hopefully will help someone with better skills than me to offer a more accurate translation. -J.S.]

Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi

Subject: The Inheritance of the Greeks.

1st minute -- When the fullness of time had come He [Jesus] was born and became the God-Man - God and man together. He continued in His preaching to the Jews, because He came from among them and had visited their ancestors and had provided for them to become the center of the human race. They did not receive Him. He showed all His love, all His sympathy, all of His paternal affection and goodness - but nothing was returned from them.

2nd minute -- Because of their corrupt faith, even though He did so many miracles among them, His justice proclaimed the following word: "You are of your father the devil (Jn. 8:44), and whatever your father tells you, you think. How can you receive Me then? From them therefore I will take away My Kingdom and give it to the nations to bear fruit upon the earth." This, my brothers, is our main duty. It is just like He spoke the first time to Abraham and told him: "I am God and I chose you to follow Me." But these did not receive Him. So He abandoned them and threw them away. "Behold your house shall be left to you desolate" (Lk. 13:35).

3rd minute -- So He turned His paternal affection and compassion towards us, to our ancestors, who gave us philosophy and knowledge and learning and a way of life. And despite all their trying they understood that something was missing. Philosophy, technology and human revelation could not achieve it. And they understood that "we need to find the Cause. We have uncovered the particles and minerals and systems of astronomy, and so forth. That which alludes us however is our unconquered enemy death, with all the philosophy and study we have done.

4th minute -- "To what gain therefore is all our labor, since our unconquered enemy death and corruption still remains among us. These must be destroyed. But this does not come from humanity. We must find the Cause, for the universe proclaims that there is order in all things. We must therefore find the First Cause for Him to tell us how to destroy death...." They learned therefore that in the area of Palestine a person appeared supernaturally and He taught the essence of their writings. So they thought maybe it could be Him, the Cause, and He has become a person.

5th minute -- They left therefore seeking for the answer in Palestine. This is a story which truly glorifies our roots and is our boast! They went and sought for Him but didn't know how to find Him. The fishermen, before they received divine grace, were simple and unlearned fishermen and they could not converse with them. But still they were desperate and asked: "Sirs, we beg you, we are Greeks. We came here in order to see Jesus. We are not leaving until we see Him." So they [the disciples] grew desperate and approached our Lord to tell Him: "Lord, some Greeks have come and want to see you". Our Lord became firm. And the Absolute out of love said: "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (Jn. 12:23).

6th minute -- Therefore He took away from them [the Jews] the Kingdom and gave it to the nations such as these [the Greeks] to bear fruit, and through them to us. It was foreseen by His paternal affection that we will receive the fullness of the divine message and the correction of universal distortions. We are therefore the continuators of these. And I ask in your love to not ever forget this. Because we did not hear this from some prophet, from angels or from other Saints, but from the same One "through whom all things came into existence" who came down for us and became man for our salvation.

7th minute -- It was ordained by this same One that we are that nation given to Him for an inheritance. And from within our nation will be established by the Holy Spirit our faith [audio is a bit distorted here].... And you should remember this blessing to give you courage, faith and hope. Because the same Creator, who was begotten before all ages, destroyed the apostates and ordained us by his own mouth, not through a prophet, but by his own mouth He who is begotten before all ages illumined us and ordained us to be the continuators of this divine revelation for the fulfillment of the divine gospel.

8th minute -- Our millions of ancestors full of holiness are proof of this divine message. It is this inheritance of which we are continuators, of the millions of martyrs and confessors; of the Saints for whom we make icons and embrace their image and we plead with them for aid. These are our ancestors, who out of submission and obedience to the divine will received the fulfillment ...[recording ends abruptly].

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Video of Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi with Translation (1)

[I found this video a bit difficult to understand, so I offer the basic message below which hopefully will help someone with better skills than me to offer a more accurate translation. -J.S.]

Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi
Subject: Admonition to Monks

1st minute -- The Elder is speaking of the Theotokos. He magnifies the fact that she gave birth to God the Logos who is the glory of the Father. He magnifies her ever-virginity and her perfection which allowed Him who is perfect to regenerate His entire creation. Her paternal affection is not limited to this. She has given us other blessings such as her most holy clothing [Vatopaidi Monastery is in possession of the belt or zoni of the Theotokos and there are other such articles of clothing throughout the world] which held the most holy infant and which by her allowance was given to us out of paternal affection for these to exist as both timeless and living for the sanctification of christians and of all people. And as the Epistle reading of the day says...

2nd minute -- ...these things were written about in the Old Testament as a shadow. All these shadows in the Old Testament about the divine economy spoke of her - the golden vessel holding the manna, the entrance to the Holy Place, and so many other things which my memory won't allow me to remember. All these symbols symbolized her and they foresaw back then by the power of the Holy Spirit the mystery of this daughter. And the Holy Spirit showed us through the type, the shadow of the law, that she, the ever-virgin daughter will become the tool through which the world is regenerated.

3rd minute -- The Elder goes on to speak how the Theotokos protects us through the power of the Holy Spirit which resides in her clothing that have been given to the monastery and resides in their midst as a living witness. She is in our midst in this center of the universe of her motherly compassion throughout the Holy Mountain and here at our monastery which has its foundations since ancient times and which has offered so much to christendom.

4th minute -- She has made us worthy to have her form and icon [the miraculous Panagia Pantanassa icon resides in the Monastery of Vatopaidi] to receive her sympathy and affection abundantly. When she confessed with her own mouth, the Queen of heaven and earth, that she is named Pantanassa and a resident of Vatopaidi...When the Queen of heaven and earth...is not in the heavens or with the God of gods but resides at Vatopaidi, how much consolation, how joy, how much help,...

5th minute -- ...how much of a sure hope of our purpose should we have since she lives here with us with maternal affection. All these things, my beloved brothers, should be alive in our memory to shadow us when the dark cloud of perversions and violations confuse us and mix us up. Let us not lose our courage. But with sure hope and faith that the mother of mercy, the mother of God the Logos, the mother of all of christendom and humanity is with us and is the mother of Vatopaidi. How much courage do we have now! How much hope!

6th minute -- How much joy should we feel! And with how much force will we battle against the words of perversion which the devil and his armies propose. We will not be separated, for God is with us. God will judge in righteousness. It has been promised to us that God will not leave us as orphans, but will be with us until He calls us to Himself. He does not want us to be alone, but wants us to be with Him.

7th minute -- The synthesis with divinity makes us saints of God and brothers of Christ and we receive gifts which the angels long for. The illumined angels which behold divinity are jealous because they are not worthy to receive what we have received because we have become brothers of Christ and sons of the Father, though they are only servants. Do not forget these things my brothers because these will be our greatest weapons against words of perversion.

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Obama - A Student of History?

[President Obama may be a self-proclaimed student of history, but like most in the West his understanding of history is severely distorted and even misleading. Just because certain Muslims stole certain texts and adopted the culture of the conquered Romans of the East and merely transported them to the West during their bloody reign in the Middle Ages does not mean they "carried the light of learning" and paved "the way for Europe's Renaissance". An accurate student of history knows that the European Renaissance came from the Roman (Byzantine) Empire of the East and Islam in fact did more to suppress learning than enhance it. -J.S.]

OBAMA-STUDENT OF HISTORY?

William J. Federer
June 1, 2009
Worldviewtimes.com

In his speech in Cairo, Egypt, June 4, 2009, President Obama stated:

"As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance."

Civilization is indeed indebted to Islam for Europe's Renaissance, but the President's speech was conspicuous in its omission of certain details.

The Renaissance was a revival of interest in Greek art, architecture, sculpture and philosophy, brought about by Greeks fleeing the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire.

It began in the year 1071, when Turkish Muslims defeated the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert and proceeded to invade the Byzantine Empire, which is today Turkey.

First Muslim Seljuk Turks, followed by Muslim Ottoman Turks, turned Byzantine Churches into mosques, melted church bells into cannons, leveled cities, dug up remains of Christian Saints and gave them to dogs.

In fact, civilization is indebted to Islam for Santa Claus, for in 1087, to prevent desecration, Christians moved the bones of Saint Nicholas, the generous 4th century Bishop of Myra, to Bari, Italy, thus introducing his gift-giving traditions to Western Europe.

Later Muslim Ottoman Turks took boys from Christian families and forced them into the Sultan's service as janissary soldiers, and if they were handsome, into Muslim pederasty - "the sodomy of the Turks."

In 1095, the proud Byzantine Emperor, Alexius I Comnenus, humbled himself and sent ambassadors to beg the Roman Catholic Pope for help.

Robert the Monk recorded in the Medieval Sourcebook (Fordham University) that Pope Urban II pled at the Council of Clermont for Europe's monarchs to help their Byzantine brethren, whom Muslims "compel to extend their necks and then, attacking them with naked swords, attempt to cut through the neck with a single blow."

In 1097, Europe sent help - the First Crusade.

In the next 200 years there were nine major Crusades, notable among them were the 3rd Crusade, led by Richard the Lionheart, and the 7th and 8th Crusades, led by Saint Louis, King Louis IX of France, for whom the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, was named.

Toward the end of the Crusades, there arose a Muslim warlord named Tamerlane (1336-1405).

Related to Genghis Khan, Tamerlane killed an estimated 17 million, conquering from the Black Sea to India.

Tamerlane built a grand mosque at his capital of Samarkand and had a Qur'an so large it had to be carried in a wheelbarrow. He insisted his troops observe Islamic prayer, even on marches, which brought complaints from his soldiers.

Tamerlane captured Moscow and the Afghan city of Isfizar, building a tower of bricks, mortar and 2,000 prisoners cemented into it.

He destroyed the city of Kartid, massacred 70,000 in Ishfahan and destroyed Sarai Berke, one of Eastern Europe's largest cities with a population of 600,000.

In his memoir "Malfuzat-i-Timuri," Tamerlane wrote:

"There arose in my heart the desire to lead an expedition against the infidels and to become a ghazi, for it had reached my ears that the slayer of infidels is a ghazi, and if he is slain he becomes a martyr.

"It was on this account that I formed this resolution, but I was undetermined in my mind whether I should direct my expedition against the infidels of China or against the infidels and polytheists of India.

"In this matter I sought an omen from the Qur'an, and the verse I opened upon was this, 'O Prophet, make war upon infidels and unbelievers, and treat them with severity.' (Sura 66:9)

"My great officers told me that the inhabitants of Hindustan were infidels and unbelievers. In obedience to the order of Almighty Allah I ordered an expedition against them."

Tamerlane slaughtered 100,000 in Delhi, leaving pyramids of skulls. His memoirs record that at Hardwar his troops:

"Displayed great courage...slaying the foe (during a bathing festival on the bank of the Ganges)...

"So many of them were killed that their blood ran down the mountains and plain, and thus (nearly) all were sent to hell."

Tamerlane turned west and captured Syrian cities of Aleppo and Damascus, leaving 20 towers of skulls. He bombarded the Christian city of Smyrna with decapitated heads of its fallen defending knights.

Tamerlane buried alive 4,000 Georgian soldiers, and forced their Christian King, Bagrat V, to convert to Islam at sword point.

French Academy member, Rene' Grousset (1885-1952), wrote in his original edition of L'Empire Des Steppes (p. 513), how in 1403, Tamerlane destroyed all the Christian churches in Georgia's capital of Tiflis:

"Mongols were mere barbarians who killed simply because for centuries this had been the instinctive behavior of nomad herdsmen toward sedentary farmers.
"To this ferocity Tamerlane added a taste for religious murder. He killed from Qur'anic piety. ('Il tuait par piete coranique')

"He represents a synthesis, probably unprecedented in history, of Mongol barbarity and Muslim fanaticism, and symbolizes that advanced form of primitive slaughter which is murder committed for the sake of an abstract ideology, as a duty and a sacred mission."

To escape the Islamic invasion, Byzantine Greek scholars fled west to Florence, Italy, bringing with them their architecture, art, sculpture and philosophy, fueling Europe's fascination with Greek culture.

This was called the "Renaissance," which President Obama reminded Europeans they were indebted to Islam for.

Additionally, as Greeks fled west with their ancient manuscripts, scholars began translating the Bible not just from Latin, but from Greek - thus laying the groundwork for the Reformation, - so even Protestants are indirectly indebted to Islam for the Reformation.

In fact, the very concept of "Europe" was a result of Islamic invasion, as previously, Europe viewed itself as innumerable independent kingdoms.

"As a student of history," President Obama did indeed acknowledge "civilization's debt to Islam...paving the way for Europe's Renaissance," though his lack of detail hints of a little intentional ambiguity, or as it has been euphemistically called, "obamaguity."
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William J. Federer is author of the best-selling book, What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur'an-A History of Islam & the United States.

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