The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Spata

The Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Spata (Feast Days - December 6 and May 10)

The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas is located just 1500 meters east of Spata, but has been so much associated with the village that it is commonly thought to be in Spata. To add to the confusion, in 1957 the village of Spata, in the district of Ileia, came to be known as "Agios Nikolaos" or "Saint Nicholas". It is in one of the most beautiful locations in the area.

The History of the Monastery

Very little is known about the history of the Monastery. It has been determined that a chapel was probably established in the early 19th century on the spot where the Monastery stands today. The purpose for the building of this chapel seems to have been the discovery of the miraculous icon of Saint Nicholas. In 1875 a larger church replaced this chapel with the assistance of the priest Liaros of Aigion. It became a monastery initially as a Metochion of the Holy Monastery of the Taxiarchon in Aigion. The popularity of this sacred shrine seems to have been the result of the many miracles attributed to the icon of St. Nicholas, which eventually lead to the building up of cells for monks and rooms of hospitality for pilgrims.

The Discovery of the Miraculous Icon of Saint Nicholas

As to how the miraculous icon of Saint Nicholas was found, no one today is exactly sure. According to the oral tradition of the various villagers surrounding the Monastery, two stories emerge.

First, it is believed that a shepherd saw his goat with a wet beard in the area, however there was no drinking water in the area for this to be true. He followed his goat the next day when it wandered off and eventually came upon a spring. Above the spring was also a cave in which the icon of Saint Nicholas was found, to the shepherds amazement. Excitedly he ran to the village of Spata and informed the villagers of his find, and they followed him to the spring. They took the icon back with them to the village, but each night it would disappear only to be found once again at the spring.

Second, another tradition relates that nearby the village of Spata is a mountain named Gariza. During the summer months in the early 19th century the villagers would leave their sheep to graze there - especially those of two families: the Paulopoulos' and the Stamatopoulos' (whose ancestors still are in Spata). One quiet summer night, as the shepherds were watching the sheepfold, suddenly the sheep became frightened and scattered. Thinking that a wolf or some other predator may have scared them off, they called their dogs and began to investigate. Instead they discovered a bright light in the sky like a star go from west to east. They followed with their eyes this strange light until it reached another mountain named Ailia (or Prophet Elias). The next morning they told the other villagers about this strange phenomenon, most of whom remained skeptical of the shepherds tale. That night, when others went to investigate, they also beheld the same phenomenon. Others again beheld the same thing the next night as well. Was it a star? a meteor? a natural phenomenon? They tried to make a rational explanation, but in vain. They decided to investigate by grabbing their tools and clearing a path through the thick forest to where they approximated the light to have burned out each night. Eventually they came upon a spring and a little further on they found a small house which was falling apart that was enough for one person to live in. Inside the house they found the icon of Saint Nicholas. They reasoned that this must have been the spot where the light came. They took the icon therefore to the village so that it not remain in the forest. However, each night the icon would disappear, and they would find it every day next to the spring.

As to why the icon was found in the forest, it is up for speculation. The icon itself is very old and possibly went through the terrible time of Iconoclasm. Possibly the icon was hidden in the forest during Iconoclasm and forgotten.

The Feasts of the Monastery

The Monastery of Saint Nicholas celebrates two feast days: December 6th and May 10th. The reason it is celebrated on May 10 is because it is believed that on that day the sacred relics of Saint Nicholas reached the western shores of Peloponnisos as they were being transferred from Myra in Asia Minor to Bari in Italy (it reached Bari on May 20; the Russian and Bulgarian Church celebrate this on May 9). The Monastery also especially celebrates the feast days of the Holy Trinity the day after Pentecost, the Holy Apostles on June 29 and 30, and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. These latter three feasts draw less crowds, but on the two feasts of Saint Nicholas it is estimated approximately 15,000 people make their pilgrimage.

On these feasts one often sees many acts of piety. Some people come barefoot, even in the winter. Others come on their knees, bloody from the rocky ground. Most come having fasted in order to receive the Holy Mysteries. People bring offerings of oil, candles and other things as a vow to Saint Nicholas. It is not uncommon that as they approach the wonder-working icon of Saint Nicholas, tears fill their eyes and deep sighs are heard by the faithful seeking the aid of the Saint for whatever problem they have. The icon itself is near the right choir of the nave at about a little child's level, so it is necessary for most people to kneel when they venerate the icon of Saint Nicholas. It is on these feast days as well that dozens of baptisms take place.

Miracles of the Wonder-Working Icon of Saint Nicholas

Innumerable are the miracles of Saint Nicholas at this holy shrine. Hundreds of healings of all sorts are reported. There are also many reports of visions of Saint Nicholas to those who have venerated at this shrine, often as a matter to discipline these people towards repentance for a particular evil they did. This shrine has also become a well-known place to bring the demon possessed, for whom there are many reported healings. The paralyzed have walked, the blind have received their sight, life-threatening illnesses have been erased. There are also reports of Saint Nicholas saving the Monastery and surrounding villages from disaster, such as in 1961 during a great fire which threatened to burn them down but was reverted by a strong wind allowing it to change opposite direction before hitting the Monastery.

One of the more interesting and original wonders performed at this Monastery has to do with the fact that hundreds of witnesses have seen animals enter the church unguided, approach the miraculous icon of Saint Nicholas, kneel with their hind legs in front of it, and some even venerate it. This is something my own uncle, Nikos Sanidopoulos of Patras, has seen and he related this story to me. It made such an impression on him, that he took me to this Monastery to drink from the Holy Spring and venerate the Holy Icon. My uncle saw a horse enter the church unguided and venerate the icon unguided. He is not a very religious man, but whenever he spoke of this miracle he would say it with powerful reverence and conviction. Besides horses, others have also seen this with goats and calfs from reports I have read. For example, it often has been the case that poor shepherds would vow to Saint Nicholas a goat to the Monastery to receive healing. When the healing was received they would bring the goat, but the goat would go ahead and lead the way to the Monastery, into the church, and to the icon, in front of which the goat would offer its veneration.

The Orphanage

Besides the miraculous icon, the Monastery of Saint Nicholas is also widely known for its Ecclesiastical Orphanage founded in 1948. It is a beautiful orphanage in a beautiful area where the children receive a very good elementary education. It is also intertwined with the Monastery, so they receive a Christian upbringing as well. Behind the orphanage is also an old age home. Both of these ministries are fully funded by the Monastery, to which donations can be made.

The Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Spata

The spot where the wonder-working icon was discovered.

The spring with the stair leading up to the church.

The Wonder-Working Icon of Saint Nicholas

The Orphanage

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The Climategate Scandal: The Stench of Scientific Corruption

Global Warming Skepticism on Rise in U.S.

The Left's Climategate: A Scandal for Journalism, Too

NBC Nightly News Takes Up ClimateGate, But Frets It Could 'Delay Taking Action'

ABC, did you get the news on 'Climategate'?

Researcher: NASA Hiding Climate Data

Climategate Reveals 'The Most Influential Tree in the World'

'Climategate' Professor Phil Jones Awarded £13 million in Research Grants

The Canadians Who Changed the Climate Debate

Obama Ignores 'Climate-Gate' in Revising Copenhagen Plans

Palin says Obama Should Boycott Copenhagen Over Hacked E-mails

The Decline They Hid: the Deleted Portion of the Briffa Reconstruction

New Zealand Climate Scientists Faked Data, Too

Atlantic Monthly on Climate Science: "The Stink of Intellectual Corruption is Overpowering"

Commenter Nails the Central Issue in ClimateGate: the Rigging of Peer-Review

Climategate: Follow the Money

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Orthodox Christmas Reflection (3)

Continued from Part Two...

Mary As Prophetess

Another prophecy of Isaiah is:

"'And I went into the prophetess and she conceived and bore a son.' And the Lord said to me, 'Call His name: Spoil Quickly, Plunder Speedily. For before the child shall know His father or His mother, He shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of the Assyrians'" [8:3-4].

The Persian sage, monk and bishop, Aphraates (4th c.) speaks of Mary as a "prophetess", because of the Magnificat [Lk. 1:46-55] that she had uttered.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that "contemporaneously with the birth of Christ, the power of the devil was spoiled. The name 'Spoil Quickly, Plunder Speedily' or 'Maher-shalal-hash baz', refers to our Lord. The prophetess is the Holy Virgin; and the name given to the child suits not a man, but God; for, He says, call His name 'Spoil Quickly, Plunder Speedily'. For at His birth, the heavenly and supernatural infant, while yet in swaddling bands and on His Mother's bosom, because of His human nature, stripped forthwith Satan of his goods by His ineffable might as God; for the magi came from the East to worship Him...."

Saint Justin Martyr (135-c.165) writes that Isaiah's words, "He shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria", meant that the power of the wicked demon that dwelt in Damascus would be crushed by Christ at His birth. This is shown to have taken place. For the magi, held in servitude (as spoils) for the commission of every wicked deed through the power of that demon, by coming and worshipping Christ, openly revolted against the power that had held them captive; and this dominion Scripture [1 Kings 11:23-25; 15:16-22; 22:31-35; 2 Kings 13:3] has shown us to reside in Damascus. Moreover, that sinful and unjust power is termed well in the term, 'Samaria'. 'Damascus' was and is a part of the land of Arabia, although it now belongs to Syro-Phoenicia.

Saint Cosmas expounds upon this in his Matins hymn:

"You have shone forth from the tribe of Judah, and You have come forth to plunder the strength of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria, turning their error into faith beautiful to God."

Saint Cosmas also incorporates other prophecies of Isaiah into his inspired hymns:

"As You are the God of peace and Father of mercies, You have sent us to Your Angel of great counsel [Is. 9:6], granting us peace. So are we guided towards the light of the knowledge of God, and watching by night we glorify You, O Lover of mankind."


The Rod of the Root of Jesse

Here again, St. Cosmas composes hymns by weaving in Old Testament prophecies, showing the Virgin as the rod and the overshadowed mountain:

"Rod of the root of Jesse [Is. 11:1], and flower that blossomed from his stem, O Christ, You have sprung from the Virgin. From the mountain overshadowed by the forest You have come [Hab. 3:3], made flesh from her that knew not wedlock, O God, Who are not formed from matter."

Saint Andrew also speaks of the Virgin as the rod and Christ as the Flower:

"Let Jesse rejoice and let David dance, for behold, the Virgin, the rod planted by God, has blossomed forth the Flower, even the everlasting Christ."

Saint Ambrose (339-397), Bishop of Milan, concurs with this image, writing:

"The root is the household of the Jews, the rod is Mary, the Flower of Mary is Christ. She is rightly called a rod, for she is of the royal lineage, of the house and family of David. Her Flower is Christ, Who destroyed the stench of worldly pollution and poured out the fragrance of eternal life. As He Himself said, 'I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys'" [Songs 2:1].

Saint Irenaeus (+ c.193) also speaks of Isaiah's prophecy concerning the rod of the Flower from the root of Jesse:

"Thereby the prophet says that it is of her, who is descended from David and from Abraham, that He is born. For Jesse was a descendant of Abraham, the father of David; the descendant who conceived Christ, the Virgin, is thus become the 'rod'. Moses too worked his miracles before Pharaoh with a rod; and among others too of mankind, the rod is a sign of empire. And the 'Flower' refers to His body, for it was made to bud forth by the Spirit."

From the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, we chant:

"Rejoice, O mystical rod which blossomed the unfading Flower."

And,

"Rejoice, O Bride of God; you are the mystical rod from whom the unfading Rose blossomed and budded forth."


Part Four

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The Mysterious X-Ray Image of Saint Savvas of Kalymnos

Katherine Vlahou of Afandou, Rhodes was suffering from brain cancer. It came to the point where a physician was unable to heal her, so she put her hope in the Lord's power to heal. Fleeing to Kalymnos she sought the aid of Saint Savvas, having faith that Saint Savvas would heal her of her brain cancer. Having prayed before his icon and venerated his relics, she returned to Rhodes. A week passed and Katherine returned to the hospital for a check up and an x-ray. When the doctor came in to give her the results, two amazing miracles happened: the first was that all traces of the cancer were gone, and the second was what appears to be an image of Saint Savvas from the icon she had prayed in front of for her healing, and it appeared in the area where there was the cancer growth.

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Various Miracles of Saint Barbara

The Miraculous Icon of Saint Barbara in London, England

This is a miraculous icon of Saint Barbara which currently is in Harrow, London. It belongs to a Greek family from Egypt who has had it for generations. It was handed down to them while living in Alexandria, travelled with them during a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, and when they decided to move to England they now reside in London where this icon has become well-known among the Greeks and even non-Greeks.

On the feast of the Saint (December 4), many pious faithful are welcomed into the home of this family. A priest also comes to chant a Supplication Service. At the end of the Service, the priest anoints the faithful with oil from the vigil lamp that remains lit at all times in front of the miraculous icon.

This icon worked many miracles in Alexandria and continues to do so in London. It saved a sick child that was near death in Alexandria. It made cancer in a sick woman of London disappear. It even helped to heal a woman with cancer in the United States, and gave strength to a young girl in Greece after Saint Barbara herself appeared to her. It has given strength and healing to many throughout the world who venerated her icon with faith and reverence.



The Miraculous Icon of Saint Barbara in Nauplion (or Nafplion), Greece

In the Church of Saint Spyridon, within the nave of the church, on the left proskynitarion, stands the miraculous icon of Saint Barbara. It was painted by Anthony Barou in 1897, at the expense of the faithful women of St. Spyridon parish.

In 1928 a deadly plague swept through Nauplio. At that time, when all hope seemed to be lost and no medicine existed to heal the people, the faithful fled to the icon of Saint Barbara with tears and made a procession with the miraculous icon throughout Nauplion to stop the deadly epidemic. Saint Barbara heard their prayers and the deadly plague immediately ceased. In gratitude, every year on the feast of Saint Barbara, a procession is held with this same icon to commemorate this miracle following the Great Vespers on December 3.



The Miraculous Icon of Saint Barbara in Zakynthos, Greece

The island of Zakynthos holds a special reverence for Saint Barbara due to a miracle attributed to her by the faithful. Periodically throughout the 18th century residents of the island suffered through various small pox epidemics. On March 26, 1795 the Venetians gave the faithful Orthodox permission to process with the icon of Saint Barbara of Krokou in the suburb of Kipon. Immediately followig the procession, the small pox epidemic ceased. Following this miracle, many icons of Saint Barbara were sponsored by the faithful to be placed in various churches throughout the island, since she proved to be their protector and healer.



The Miracle of Saint Barbara in Drama, Greece

According to local tradition, in 1380, when the Ottomans took Drama, they destroyed a church dedicated to Saint Barbara next to a lake (named after St. Barbara) and desired in its stead to build there a mosque. On the feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, the region where the building of the mosque was taking place flooded. It flooded to the point where construction became impossible and the building of the mosque was abandoned through the miraculous intervention of Saint Barbara on her feast day. The ruins of the mosque can still be seen under the water. The chapel that exists today to St. Barbara is built on the lake and the bell tower is built where the old church is said to have existed.

On the feast day of St. Barbara, following the procession with the icon and Great Vespers, all the little girls of the area gather with lit candles on the eastern side of the lake where the old church used to be, and pray that St. Barbara protect them and give them health. Some place the candles on a plank of wood which they allow to float on the water, others place them in small boats. Following the festivites, which sometimes go through the night, families gather in their homes and eat a warm "barbara". This is a traditional food named after St. Barbara which is like a honey cake. According to tradition, the father of St. Barbara tainted all the bread with poison to extermintate the Christians, but St. Barbara notified them of this and told them to make bread with whatever they had in their homes. This is where the tradition of the "barbara" cake comes from. The next day the girls gather again at the lake and take some of this water as Holy Water and proceed to the Divine Liturgy. St. Barbara is a special protector of girls.

For a video of the lake, see here.



The Miracle of Saint Barbara in Rethymno, Crete

Where the current church of Saint Barbara stands today stood an older church dedicated to her from Roman times. Some time during the Turkish occupation the following miracle took place.

One day, suddenly, a plague broke out in Rethymno. The Christians immediately made a procession with the icon of Saint Barbara and for them the plague completely stopped. However, the Muslims were still suffering from the plague. When the Muslims saw the Christians no longer suffering from the plague following the procession, they began to donate oil and other valuables to St. Barbara. From that day forward the plague ceased for the Muslims as well.

In 1833 a rich Turk, Ali-Tsitsekaki, who resided in Rethymno, bought the church in order to destroy it to build stores and houses. The location of the church he specifically wanted to make into a large bath house. To this the christians protested and bought back the property for 500 golden franks. After this the church was built, decorated with icons, and renewed. The dedication of the church was officially made on December 14, 1885. The icon of St. Barbara in the proskynitarion was painted in 1894 by A. Vevelaki. In 1898 the dome was painted by Bishop Hieortheos Braouakis after he fasted for two weeks.

When the famous Massacre of Crete happened, the houses and stores of Rethymno were destroyed except the Church of Saint Barbara. Often Turks, when someone in the family was sick, would go to the homes of the Greeks asking for some oil from the Church of Saint Barbara to bring healing; they would gladly give it as a witness to the truth of their faith. Miracles still happen in the Church of Saint Barbara in Rethymno.

More can be read about the veneration of St. Barbara in Rethymno here, here, and here.



The Relics of Saint Barbara

In the sixth century the relics of the Holy Great-Martyr Barbara were transferred to Constantinople. Six hundred years later in the twelfth century, they were transferred to Kiev (July 11) by Barbara, the daughter of the Roman Emperor Alexios Komnenos, who married the Russian prince Michael Iziaslavych. Initially the relics of Saint Barbara rested in St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev where they were brought in 1108 by Sviatopolk II Iziaslavych's wife and kept in a silver reliquary donated by Hetman Ivan Mazepa. Starting from the late seventeenth century the apolytikion honoring St. Barbara was sung in the Cathedral of the Monastery on each Tuesday just before the Liturgy. In 1870, about 100,000 pilgrims paid tribute to St. Barbara at St. Michael's Monastery. Before the Russian Revolution in 1917, rings manufactured and blessed at St. Michael's Monastery, known as St. Barbara's rings, were very popular among the citizens of Kiev. They usually served as protectors and, according to popular beliefs, occasionally protected against witchcraft but were also effective against serious illnesses and sudden death. These beliefs reference the facts that the Monastery was not affected by the plague epidemics in 1710 and 1770 and cholera epidemics of the nineteenth century.

In the 1930s the relics of Saint Barbara were transferred to St. Vladimir's Cathedral in the same city. This was done before the destruction of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery by the Bolsheviks. Until World War II St. Vladimir's served as a museum of religion and atheism. After the war the cathedral was reopened and since remained continually open. It was then the main church of the Kiev Metropolitan See of the Ukrainian Exarchate. The cathedral was one of the few places in the USSR where tourists could openely visit a working Orthodox Church. It saw the revival of Orthodox religion in 1988 when the millennium celebration of the Baptism of Kiev marked a change in Soviet policy on religion. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, St Vladimir's Cathedral ownership became an issue of controversy between two denominations that both claim to represent the Ukrainian Orthodox Christianity - the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a church with an autonomous status under the Moscow Patriarchy, and the newly established Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchy, which, ultimately, won the control over the cathderal.

An Akathist to the Saint is served each Tuesday before her holy relics.

For pictures of the feast of St. Barbara in Kiev, see here.

Other portions of her relics were distributed in various places from Constantinople. See here for example.

Skull of St. Barbara in the Monastery of Mega Spelaion in Kalavryta, Greece

A Pious Practice

Many pious Orthodox Christians are in the habit of chanting the troparion of St. Barbara each day, recalling the Savior's promise to her that those who remembered her and her sufferings would be preserved from a sudden, unexpected death, and would not depart this life without benefit of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Let us honor the holy Barbara for, with the aid of the Cross as her weapon, she crushed the snares of the enemy, and was rescued from them like a bird.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
O noble Champion, following God who is reverently praised in Trinity, you abandoned the temples of idols. Struggling amid suffering, O Barbara, you were not overwhelmed by the threats of the tyrants, O brave One, even singing aloud, "I worship the Trinity, the one Godhead."

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Fr. Daniil Sysoev's Last Sermon

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The Holy Shrine of Saint Barbara in Athens

As of the 20th April 1949, under Law No.957, the holy shrine of St. Barbara in the Egaleo district of the St. Barbara Municipality is under the ownership, jurisdiction and administration of the Apostolic Diakonia of the Church of Greece. Proceeds from this holy shrine are always donated to various missionary and social needs.

THE PILGRIMAGE TEMPLE

The Temple as we see it today was built in 1904, and its architectural rhythm is that of a three-naved basilica. The central nave honors the name of Saint Barbara. The right-hand nave is dedicated to the Glorious, latter-day Martyr Fanourios, while the left-hand nave is dedicated to Saint Mavra. Both these chapels were consecrated by the late Metropolitan of Athens, Theokletos I.

The Holy Sanctuary of the Temple is also named "DISCOVERY", or "EVRESIS", as it denotes the exact spot where the miraculous icon of St. Barbara was discovered. We have no historical information on the year in which the first Temple was erected; it is said, that it was the remnant of an older Monastery that was dissolved and destroyed. The only authentic historical information that we have on the existence of a Temple is the year «1774» that is clearly inscribed on the mural icon of St Barbara, inside the Holy Sanctuary.

We have assumed the existence of a Temple prior to the year 1774, given that the hagiography of mural icons is not usually concurrent to the actual building of the edifice. Unwritten tradition that has been preserved by Christians to this day, maintains the existence of a Temple in this area for over 1000 years; this would make it almost as old as the neighbouring Monastery of Daphni.

The tiny church that existed in the location that the present Church now stands was practically lost, on account of its abandonment for so many years. It had been buried under 80 cm of earth and stones, and was being used as a sheep pen. This conclusion was reached, by observing the extent of the damages to the murals. This also explains the differing depth of the central nave of the present Temple.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE HOLY ICON

How and when was the icon of St. Barbara discovered? In a wondrous way. About 100 years ago, a shepherd had been using the little church as a pen for his sheep. One night, he saw a young woman in his dream, who said to him: «This place that you are using as shelter for your sheep is mine, and you must stop desecrating it». The shepherd paid no attention to the dream, and did nothing about it. After several days had gone by, he started to lose one sheep each day. The young woman then re-appeared in his dream, and said to him «Tomorrow, two people will come to this place. You will accost them, and ask them to dig the ground on the right-hand side of the entrance». Indeed, the next day two women - Marigo Koula and Angelica K. Tsambazi - came from Piraeus to that place to gather herbs. These were the women for whom was reserved the great blessing of discovering the miraculous icon of St. Barbara; an icon measuring 37 x 26 cm., which to this day is guarded within the Shrine and is acknowledged as a holy relic and a boast for every Christian.

News of this event spread throughout Greece, and from that day hence, the faithful swarm to this saint's grace, to pray and to ask for her embassies and her intervention.

A large volume would be hardly enough space, to record the miracles and signs that the pious faithful have preserved, during the 200 or so years of this Shrine, not to mention the innumerable dedications and offerings that are daily brought here by pilgrims, with faith, reverence and a thankful disposition.


HOW THE SHRINE RECEIVED THE RELIC OF SAINT BARBARA

The sacred remains of Saint Barbara were brought to Venice during the reign of the Doge Pietro II Orseolo (991 -1009). They were brought to Venice by Maria Argyropoula - considered by John the Deacon and Andrea Dandolo to be the daughter (or perhaps even the very sister) of the emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII - but, as surmised from the surname, was probably one of the future emperor Romanus III's sisters, who had been married to the Doge's son, John. Their marriage was officiated in the "imperial chapel" in Constantinople by the Patriarch, and the emperors themselves participated in the ceremony as "best men", carrying the bridal coronets.

John, who was accompanied by his brother Otto, received the title of "Patrician", while his spouse managed to secure from the monarch the privilege of taking with her the holy remains of the Great Martyr Barbara. Back in Venice, they were placed in the "chapel of the duke" ( i.e., Saint Mark's ).

John Orseolo's stay in the Bosporus was an extensive one, and it was there, that the only child was born to the royal couple, between the years 1002 and 1004.

John died of the plague in 1007. Later, in 1009, during the reign of the Doge Otto Orseolo, two more of Pietro Orseolo's children - Orso, Bishop of Torcello and Felicita, Mother Superior of the convent of Saint John the Evangelist in Torcello - managed to transfer the holy remains of the Great Martyr to the chapel of that same convent , where it continued to be witnessed in the 18 th century, by Corner.

During the times of Napoleonic destruction, the holy remains were translated to the temple of Saint Martin on the island of Murano, where they continue to be guarded, to this day.

On Sunday, the 1st of June 2003, a delegation of the Church of Greece's Apostoliki Diakonia arrived at the city of Venice, Italy, on a military aircraft assigned by the Greek Government, to receive a section of the sacred remains of the Holy Great Martyr Saint Barbara that are guarded there, pursuant to the courteous response of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Venice Mr. Angelo Scola to our Church's pious request.

The holy relic of the Great Martyr Saint Barbara will repose permanently in the Shrine of Saint Barbara, which belongs to the Apostoliki Diakonia and is situated in the Attica Municipality that bears her name, by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, during the "door-opening" ceremony of the Holy Temple, to take place after completion of its overall renovation, in the month of October.

(From Apostoliki Diakonia website, which contains more information on this Holy Shrine)

The Miracle of Sophia Bella

A young girl named Sophia Bella from Athens suffered a severe sickness which left her right arm paralyzed. Her parents took her to many physicians, but nobody could help her.

On the night of February 14, 1899, young Sophia saw a young woman come into her bedroom saying: "Tomorrow morning get up and play the piano."

"But how shall I play?" she said. "Can't you see my hand, that it is paralyzed?"

"I am Saint Barbara!" said the young woman, who then disappeared.

On February 15 Sophia awoke with joy. Her hand was no longer stiff unable to move. It once again had warmth and movement. She ran immediately to the piano and began to play. Her parents in the next room heard the piano and went to go see who was playing. There they beheld the miracle! Their daughter Sophia was playing with both hands. This miracle became widely known throughout Athens immediately.

The parents of Sophia, in gratitude to Saint Barbara, had a golden hand made which they placed next to the miraculous icon of Saint Barbara in Athens as a testimony. In the Holy Shrine of Saint Barbara, this miracle is inscribed on the iconostasis, which says: "Sophia L. Bella. Having suffered from an incurrable condition, on February 14 1899 was healed by the Saint. The iconostasis, the oil lamps and the enclosure were piously offered."

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The Power of Negative Thinking

By SARA STEWART
December 1, 2009
The New York Post

“IF you can’t say something good about someone,” a wise woman once said, “sit right here by me.”

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Teddy and notorious curmudgeon, would have been awfully lonely if she’d come up with that personal motto during the past decade.

America’s mania for “The Secret,” team-building exercises, Oprah, vision boards, life coaches, antidepressants and inspirational terminal-illness ribbons has all but outlawed any manner of negative thought.

According to this philosophy, if you’re not constantly generating positive brain waves, you’re dooming yourself to a life half-lived, and you deserve whatever hardships may come your way (obviously, as you’re the one who psychically invited them in).

But recently, there’s been an undercurrent of doubt. It seems a perkiness backlash may be brewing, fueled not by hopeful thoughts but by actual scientific research.

In his study “Think Negative!,” published this month in Australian Science, psychology professor Joseph Forgas says bad moods are actually useful for us.

“Mild negative mood and sadness have definite advantages when it comes to dealing with certain kinds of problems that require vigilance, concentration and careful attention to the world around us,” Forgas says via e-mail from the University of New South Wales.

“Our studies specifically suggest that those in a mild negative mood remember more details in their environment, have better eyewitness memories, are less prone to judgmental errors, are less gullible, and are better communicators and persuaders.”

The grouchy and therefore less gullible might also be less inclined to buy into the booming self-help industry, which Barbara Ehrenreich takes down in her new book “Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America.”

In her examination of the positive-psychology industry, which she dates back to Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 book “The Power of Positive Thinking,” Ehrenreich finds that it bears an alarming resemblance to brainwashing.

“We have seen the enemy,” she writes, “and it is ourselves, or at least our thoughts. Fortunately, though, thoughts can be monitored and corrected until .¤.¤. positive thoughts become ‘automatic’ and the individual becomes ‘fully conditioned.’¤”

But fully conditioned to accomplish what?

The millions of adherents of positive thinking have yet to experience a mass increase in wealth, health and happiness. Why haven’t they visualized us out of the current economic climate?

Maybe what we need instead is a little realistic thinking — hell, maybe even a little depression. Instead of hewing rigidly to the mantra “Yes we can!” perhaps we should at least consider what happens if, you know, we can’t.

In a recent article in Scientific American, evolutionary psychologist Paul W. Andrews argues that even full-blown depression isn’t necessarily the disorder it’s been made out to be. Rather, it’s a rational, evolved human response to adverse circumstances.

“Depression is actually an indicator of how much of your intellectual capacity you’re using,” he says.

“If you’re really depressed, you’re probably using your full intellectual resources on a problem.”

And intellect has been in short supply during the positive-psychology years, Ehrenreich points out. Books such as “The Secret” and mass-media preachers like Joel Osteen encourage their followers to think of the universe as a big mind-controlled ATM. Success in life is not predicated on educating oneself or learning to think things through — it’s simply a matter of wanting stuff hard enough.

“Anyone, anyone at all could be catapulted into wealth at any time simply by focusing their thoughts,” as Ehrenreich puts it.

In a similar vein, costly personal-enhancement seminars, such as those run by Landmark Corp., have been proliferating wildly. One recent event ended badly enough to have dealt a potentially lethal blow to the whole industry, when three attendees at a $9,000 “Spiritual Warrior” retreat died in an overheated sweat lodge.

Retreat leader James Arthur Ray is the author of the 2008 best seller “Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want” (the tenets of which are also included in “The Secret”). His tactics, as reported by participants, included encouraging people to push past their limits — even, it seemed, their need for oxygen.

But he’s only the most high-profile member of a massive industry, built on teaching people to stop thinking critically and start hoping. And it’s this kind of pernicious “positive thinking” that researchers like Forgas hope to combat with their findings.

“Vigilant realism is probably a better recipe for success in life than the unrelenting pursuit of positive thinking, which by definition produces a distortion of reality,” he says. “It’s rather strange that American culture has such a simple-minded commitment to positivity.”

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Construction Hold Up For Tunnel Under the Bosphorus

Archaeology Holds Up Construction of Tunnel under the Bosphorus

BalkanTravellers.com
1 December 2009

Istanbul’s Marmaray Project, which is to connect Asia and Europe through a tunnel under the Bosphorus, is held back as archaeologists excavate a fourth-century Byzantine port and other important remains.

“Archeologists are working around the clock on a huge swathe of land is being taken apart little by little,” a publication by the Voice of America News recently reported. “Eventually it will be the city's new transportation hub. But for now, it is a massive archaeological dig.”

On one side, there is one of the largest engineering ventures in the world of its type – the Marmaray Project, which includes the construction of a tunnel under Istanbul’s Bosphorus waterway. When complete, the tunnel will allow subway trains to run the length of the city carrying a million of people a day, thus significantly revitalizing the city’s transport system and easing its traffic problems.

On the other, there are the significant archaeological finds, including a Byzantine port, thousands of clay pots that were used for carrying cargo and at least 34 sunken ships, dating back more than 1,000 years.

The port was built in the fourth century and was used until the eleventh century. It was an international trading port of the time. So much of it is intact that it gives us an insight into the world, Zeynep Kiziltan, head of archeology museums in Istanbul, who is in charge of operations, told the publication.

As the boats and artefacts are being unearthed, they are sent to archaeological centres around the country to be preserved, leaving Turkey’s archaeological community faced with the wealth of the discoveries, the publication noted.

So far, the tunnel’s construction has been delayed by three years because of the archaeological excavations.

We do feel the pressure of time as the tunnel is a project of the state and it has big financial costs, archeologist Kan Ozdemir told VOA News. " So we have to work faster and in the best way we can. But archeology is not a job that you can rush, but we work hard.
"

For now, according to Kiziltan, the government has promised they can have as much time as they need. But working side to side with the tunnel engineers can give rise to some tension. “We do have quite heated arguments from time to time, as the construction team frequently wants us to give up areas we are excavating before we've finished,” she said. “Massive construction machines are literally over our shoulder waiting for us to finish, which can be intimidating. So sure we do have conflicts. But for now we still have the final say, although I don't know long this will last.”

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Church of Greece Agreed to Increased Taxation

Synod of the Church of Greece Agreed to Increased Taxation on Church's Real Estate

Moscow, December 3, 2009
Pravoslavie

On December 1 the Synod of the Church of Greece, at a special meeting, agreed to the triple increase in tax of the Church's real property (from 1% to 3%). However, the agreement applies only to property of the metropolias, but not to temples, monasteries and other legal entities, and applies only to 2009, said REGIONS.RU.

For its part, the Greek Economy Minister George Papakonstantinu said that the government is ready to begin a dialogue with the Church on all the contentious economic issues, "from scratch" and without any preconditions. He asked that the Church to determine who on its behalf, will conduct this dialogue.

The Minister also confirmed that the tax increase is temporary and applies only to the current year; in 2010 the same year the rate will be discussed separately. The tax increase, he said, is due to budget constraints in the financial crisis. In addition, the tax increase does not apply to all real estate, but only to that which generates income.

In Greece, the relations between the Church and the new socialist government deteriorated almost immediately after the election, when the Government put forward amendments to the tax law, increasing the tax on Church property almost threefold. As noted by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, tax innovations in violation of the principle of equality, do not affect property belonging to ministries, public organizations, universities and other entities of a non-commercial nature. There was no tax increase on real estate which is used for commercial purposes.

The compromise reached in 2009, according to the Church, is motivated by a desire to begin negotiations with the state and the duty to help the Greek people in crisis -- although the tax increase will impede her charitable work. The Synod's decision stresses that the Church of Greece has 700 charitable institutions in the country, and its social spending amounts only to 100 million euros a year.

The Synod also agreed with the other requirements of the Ministry of the Economy - in particular, the requirement to limit the [horse] power (and therefore the cost) of the metropolitans' cars, but only in cases where the costs are borne by the State.

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Atheist Humility?

Jerry Coyne: "Atheists Have Been Humble for Centuries" -- If You Don't Count the Last Three

Michael Egnor
December 3, 2009

Sometimes Jerry Coyne makes me spray my coffee. This gem from a post of his on detente in the new atheist-theist wars:

"Atheists have been 'humble' for centuries (who was more humble than Spinoza?) and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. It’s that crop of new atheist books that have finally created a climate in which atheists need not feel like pariahs..."

Humble? Atheism's first assumption of power at the level of the nation-state was in the French Revolution. "Humility" doesn't do justice to the carnage wrought by French atheism-in-power, nor to the Napoleonic wars and millions of dead that followed in the ensuing decades of "atheist humility."

In the 19th century "atheist humility" incubated in the minds of men like Marx, and again gained the reins of power in 1917. The 20th century was the century of atheism in power. Here is the death toll of its "humility" (from The Black Book of Communism):

65 million dead from Atheism in People's Republic of China

20 million dead from Atheism in Soviet Union

2 million dead from Atheism in Cambodia

2 million dead from Atheism in North Korea

1.7 million dead from Atheism in Africa

1.5 million dead from Atheism in Afghanistan

1 million dead from Atheism in the Communist states of Eastern Europe

1 million dead from Atheism in Vietnam

New Atheists like Coyne sell a toxic ideology; atheism's transparent nastiness in "humble" exile is nothing compared to its record of totalitarianism and atrocities on assumption of power. There's a lot more to atheism than "humble Spinoza." Atheism-in-power is mankind's deadliest ideology, bar none.

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The Miraculous Icon of Panagia Gerontissa

The Holy and Miraculous Icon of the Panagia Gerontissa is found in the Holy Monastery Pantokratoros on Mount Athos and is the only traditional icon depicting her full-bodied and alone. The Monastery was founded about 1357 by Alexios the Stratopedarch and John the Primikerios, and completed in 1363. They are buried at the Monastery. Their Monastery was built on the ruins of the Monastery of Pantokratoros that had been plundered by pirates during the years of Frankish occupation after the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204.

Tradition says that the icon now known as Panagia Gerontissa was given to the Pantokratoros Monastery as a gift of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in the 11th century. It is a copy of the famous icon of Panagia Gorgoepikoos originally found in the Holy Monastery of Pantokratoros in Constantinople, which was built by the same emperor.

According to the Monastery’s traditions, this icon was brought from Constantinople by the founders, Alexios and John, when they came to the Holy Mountain with the purpose of establishing a monastery. They put it in the place they had selected for building the monastery and work began. However, the next morning they found the icon at the place where the monastery stands today. They took it back to its initial location and resumed work. However, the next day the icon was again found at the present location of the monastery. After the miracle was repeated for a third time, the founders began to build on the site that Our Lady the Theotokos had selected. The initial position the founders had chosen is identified with that of the Chapel of St Athanasius the Great approximately 500 metres north-west of the Monastery.

Below is the "Narration of the Miracle-Working Icon of the Mother of God Named Gerontissa" taken verbatim from the book Anotera Episkiasis epi tou Atho (Athos: in the Shadow of Heaven) published in Constantinople in 1861:

This icon stands today inside the katholikon against the east column of the left choir. In earlier days it was placed inside the sanctuary.

In this monastery there once lived a virtuous old abbot who fell sick shortly before his repose, and who knew by revelation the time of it. As he ardently desired to be worthy of and receive the Holy and Life-Giving Communion, the flesh and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ before his departure to eternity, he asked the officiating priest-monk to hasten the end of the Service, but the priest would not respect his abbot’s request and continued to perform the Service at a slow pace. Suddenly he heard a threatening voice coming from this icon of the Mother of God standing in the sanctuary, ordering him to do as the abbot wished. Owing to this miracle the icon was given the symbolic name Gerontissa (‘the Elderess’ or 'the Abbess', since the miracle involved the abbot, or elder, of the Monastery).

In this silver-covered icon, which has been refurbished, the Theotokos is depicted full-length. The jar depicted in relief on the silver cover of the icon was added there in memory of another miracle. On a certain day and while the abbot was praying in front of the icon, the empty oil jars of the monastery were suddenly found filled with olive oil in a miraculous way.

At the time the Saracen pirates raided this Holy Monastery, they threw this sacred icon into a nearby well. At a later time it was found in there following the instructions of a relative of one of those Saracens who had been stricken blind for his impudence and folly. This reckless barbarian, being contemptuous of this sacred item of the Christians, had attempted to cut it into pieces so that he could light his pipe with one of its fragments, but at that same moment he lost his sight because of his audacity and so the icon remained in the well for more than eighty years.

Nevertheless this justly-punished barbarian, when he found himself at death’s door, being in agony and repenting for his impudence, and in the hope of receiving some relief and comfort from his afflictions in return for his repentance, ordered his servants that they must go to Mount Athos, even after his death, and recover there the icon he and his companions had thrown into the well. Therefore the relatives of the repenting barbarian, obedient to his will, came to Mount Athos, indicated the place where this sacred icon had been thrown, and recovered it in honour. This is the tradition maintained in the monastery about this miracle-working icon.

The silver covering of the icon was made in Moscow in 1874 and according to tradition it is a votive offering of a prominent lady from Constantinople in response to a demand from the Blessed Virgin Mary who asked her to offer it. The anthivolon (tracing of the icon) sent to Moscow in order for it to be made is still preserved.

Right beside the marble one on the south side, there is another icon stand where the icons of the saints celebrated each day are placed in turn. This icon stand, dedicated by Priest-monk Anthimos from Sifnos in 1716, is ornamented with inlaid ivory, mother of pearl and carapace, a classic example of the decorative arts of the Eastern Mediterranean at that time.

It should be noted that the presence of the Gerontissa on this large icon (1.96m x 0.76m) of the nave is indeed very commanding as the Theotokos is portrayed full-length, facing slightly to the right in the Hagiosoritissa posture.

The Feast Day for the icon of Panagia Gerontissa is celebrated on December 2 annually. This date commemorates a miracle which occurred on the night of December 1 in 1948 when the Monastery was saved from a fire through the miraculous intervention of the Panagia. Because of this the icon also came to be known as "Pyrosoteira" ("Rescuer from Fire"), which was celebrated the following day on December 2.

Countless miracles are attributed to the Panagia Gerontissa.

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Elder Ambrose Lazaris of Dadiou Monastery

By Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of Vatopaidi Monastery on Mount Athos

Written on December 2/13, 2006

Hieromonk Ambrose (Spyridon Lazaris in the world) fell asleep in the Lord on December 2, 2006 (New Calendar) at the age of 92. He was the spiritual father of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Gavriotissa in Dadiou, as well as that of thousands of Christians from throughout all of Greece. Fr. Ambrose was an Athonite well-spring of Christ's fragrance in the world and is considered one of the contemporary saintly personalities adorned by the Church. He is a fruit of the incarnation of Christ. The Church throughout the ages is a factory which produces saints, and till this day continues to give its merchandise.

The Blessed Fr. Ambrose was born in the village of Lazarata in Lefkada of pious parents, the teacher Panagiotis Lazaris and Louiza. He was the fourth child of many in his family. From childhood young Spyridon was characterized for his calm personality and his love toward the Church. His ethos was fashioned by his pious mother, who, due to her absent spouse away at war, bore the entire burden of raising the children. Spyridon completed only two grades of Elementary School, due to the necessity of helping his mother in agricultural duties. When the time came for him to fulfill his military duties, he served three years as an evzona since he was a tall, upright, handsome young man.

The blessed elder told me in a conversation that after his military duty was completed (he was a Tsolia for the Palace Guard), he wanted to go to the Holy Mountain. However, he did not know where nor how to go. Suddenly there appeared to him a young man around 25 years of age and said to him: "I know those lands. Come with me." And this is how it happened.

They embarked together, went to the sea and boarded the ship. "He also gave me," he said, "bread which we ate together all the days we were together. His name however he did not tell me, though I also never asked him. This is how we arrived in Daphne and from there we walked into the Holy Mountain.


"As long as he was with me, I felt greatly protected. Moving on he showed me the Monastery of Xeropotamou where the Holy Forty Martyrs are honored. He asked me if I wanted us to go venerate and I approved. We entered the church (the katholikon of the Monastery) and as I was venerating the icon, forty young men encircled us. Then the young man told me that 'it is the Forty Holy Martyrs and they are rejoicing because you are becoming a monk'.

"From there we continued along the road and arrived at Karyes and from their the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou. Here the young man stopped, he showed me the Holy Monastery, and said: 'Here you will live Spyro. You will become a monk, you will be patient and be obedient to the elder' ... and he disappeared."

It appears that this was an angel of the Lord, his guardian angel. The Novice Spyridon stayed in this monastery and at 25 years of age he became a monk with the name Chariton.

One night the abbot told the monk Chariton to read the Ninth Hour in the narthex. He, although he was illiterate, tried to read it, but had great difficulty. The abbot sent him away with indignation and told him insultingly to go to his cell. That same night, while he was praying, the Panagia appeared to him and by her grace in just one night he memorized the entire psalter. He was God-taught and reminds us all of Saint Gregory Palamas, who had great difficulty learning when he was a child. His parents had been brought to some monastery, prayed to the Panagia, and showed him that every night he should do three prostrations to the Panagia and to plead with her to make him a good student. In this way he became the top student. Whenever, though, he forgot to do his prostrations, he received a bad grade.

Here is another incident that happened in the life of Monk Chariton, the man of God, on the Holy Mountain. It was the summer and Fr. Chariton was found in the garden working. He saw a fig and since he was hungry he climbed the tree to eat it. On the Holy Mountain the monks are not allowed to eat anything outside of the trapeza [place where food is served in monasteries], because it is considered secret-eating and thus a severe sin. He ate a few figs, but he slipped and fell from the tree. He remained there fallen and groaned from the pain, because he had broken his leg. Though he fell in the morning, the other monks were looking for him and found him only in the evening in the garden fallen and in much pain. They placed him on top of a door and four people together - for he was stout - transferred him to his cell. As Elder Ambrose himself recalls: "Though I was bedridden and and in pain, across I saw the chapel of the Holy Unmercenaries and pleaded with them to help me. There then appeared two doctors with white shirts and they tried to put my leg in its place. 'Pull Cosma', said one. 'Hold over here Damian', said the other. And in five minutes the pain left me and I became well." When his fellow monks saw him totally healthy, they glorified God and the Holy Unmercenaries.

At the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou there were five young monks and one older elder. Some of those thought that it may be good to change the elder. The elder learned of this and decided to separate himself from the five monks. Accompanying police evicted the monk Ambrose, then Chariton, to the Monastery of Chilandari. He had many difficulties there and endured sicknesses, to the point where they urged him to go into the world. He went, therefore, to Elder Porphyrios [in Athens], who advised him to go to the Monastery of Dadiou in Fthiotida which was in ruins. In the ruins of the Monastery of Dadiou he found as residents only snakes and wild animals. Elder Porphyrios advised him: "Stay here, be patient and obedient, and God will help you."

He renovated the ruined Holy Monastery, which in turn became a convent. The then Metropolitan of Fthiotida Ambrose honored the elder and made him a hieromonk, giving him at the same time his own name.

One time he hurt his leg and went to the hospital, where they gave him a platinum hip. He hurt though very much. The then Metropolitan of Switzerland Damaskinos brought him to Switzerland for doctors there to see him. They took him to the hospital. There he entrusted his first intervention, they gave him one one-hundredth of a bigger platinum with the result that he needed a new operation to fashion the platinum. When this was done and he was preparing for his departure, they asked him to do some basic tests, which he did. They then found in his left kidney a stone as big as an orange and thus waited for a new surgery.

The Elder said: "Though I was alone in the room, a monk appeared. We went out to the balcony together and sat down to talk. For fifteen minutes we spoke and I told him about my operation and the stone in my kidney. The monk then told me: 'I am Saint Nektarios and I came to see you. I also was sick and gave up my soul in Aretaieion hospital. I endured slanders and sickness with patience. God has given me great grace for the patience I had.' He then touched me and left. When Saint Nektarios left the urge came for me to urinate, so I urinated in a small basin. With the urine a small stone the size of a small orange also exited. With a papertowel I took it and put it in the bedside drawer.


"The next day the surgery was to take place. The Swiss doctor came and told me: 'Prepare for the operation'. I responded that the operation was not needed. I opened the drawer and showed him the stone. When the doctor saw this, he said: 'You Orthodox have a living faith, we have felt it.' The operation did not take place and the stone remained in the office of the Swiss doctor for many years."

That which I saw in the Elder, besides his visions of saints that he had, which are themselves very rare to find in people these days, was that he was a man who lived in much obscurity there in Dadiou. He didn't like to reveal himself, he didn't like to show himself, he didn't like to make an appearance. And this is the reason that he did not gather up a large sisterhood of nuns. Once when we spoke he told me: "I stayed here, I lived in insignificance and labored in prayer, with the Liturgy etc." He did not want to show himself.

Even in the village of Dadiou they hardly knew him. He would not go down there often. He was in the Monastery doing practical work, and as the priest of the Monastery he labored much with the prayer, as he told me. I also saw him how that once I told him something, immediately he entered within himself and prayed. And he gave very good advice. He told me also how much the grace of God helps him: "I am an illiterate man and so many educated people come here, teachers of universities, and my mind is opened and I say such things where I wonder how I say it."

A child who went to the Elder asked him: "What should I do?" The Elder told him: "You will become a monk." And he, though he never thought about it, felt within him a fire and became a monk. That is, you approached this man in the district of Athens and saw that he was not of this world. He was a hermit. He kept the program of a monk. He would awake at night and pray....

He very much loved the Panagia. Then he had requested we bring the Holy Zoni (belt) of our Panagia. He was very much relieved that he had the Holy Zoni in Dadiou and with great reverence and contrition received it.

The first time I saw him, he told me all about those things with Saint Nektarios, that is how he had visited him in Geneva and told him: "Let's go sit outside, where there is a breeze", etc. And for the stone to exit that was in his kidney? These are amazing things and not drama. These are not simple, but great signs.

Elder Ambrose fell asleep on the same day, exactly fifteen years later, on which Elder Porphyrios also fell asleep (12/02/1991). He was a man of God. The Church is a mystical body of Christ.

We, when we would come to Athens, would go and see him.

May we have his prayers. After his falling asleep, I also named a monk Ambrose in his memory.

His life was a presence and witness of Christ, his life empowers our faith.

May we have his prayers!

See also: Elder Ambrose of Dadiou: Prophecies and Charismatic Gifts

Elder Ephraim of Vatopaidi with Elder Ambrose

Elder Ambrose with Elder Porphyrios

A copy of Panagia Paramythia, the miraculous icon of Vatopaidi. This icon was in the cell of Elder Ambrose and among his most beloved.

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Orthodox Christmas Reflection (2)

Continued from Part One...

The Prophecy of Isaiah

Saint Cosmas the Poet chants of the Virgin:

"Isaiah, as he watched by night, beheld the light that knows no evening, the light of Thy Theophany, O Christ, that came to pass from tender love for us; and he cries aloud: 'Behold, a Virgin shall conceive in the womb' [Is. 7:14], and shall bear the incarnate Word, and all those on earth shall rejoice exceedingly."

"Lo, the Virgin, as it was said in days of old, has conceived in her womb and brought forth God made man; and she has remianed a virgin. Reconciled to God through her, let us sinners sing her praises, for she is verily the Theotokos."

Saint Basil the Great (c.330-379) defended the application of Isaiah 7:14 to Mary. He argued that if it did not apply to a "virgin", there really would be no sign. He was aware that in the translation, some proposed to read the Greek word neanis instead of parthenos for the Hebrew almah or galmah, but he appealed to Deuteronomy 22:23-28 to justify his interpretation - which was that of all the Fathers. This same Hebrew word almah or, in Greek, parthenos, translated as "virgin", may also be seen in Genesis 24:23, when referring to Rebecca.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (318-c.386) also adds that although the Jews gainsay this by claiming the text says "the damsel" and not "the virgin", he finds truth and writes: "To learn more clearly that even a virgin is called a damsel in the Holy Scripture, hear the book of Kings, saying of Abisag the Somanitess: 'And the damsel (in Greek e neanis, in Hebrew nah-garah) was extremely beautiful' [3 Kings 1:4]; that she was chosen as a virgin and brought to David is admitted...." And, "If Scripture says, 'the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to help her' [Deut. 22:27], does it not speak of a virgin?"

The word almah is used nine times in the Old Testament and never for a married woman. The massive patristic witness remains impressive that the verse in Isaiah refers to a virgin and not a young woman. Saint Justin Martyr (+165) reminded his Jewish opponent in his Dialogue With Trypho that the Septuagint used virgin (parthenos). What value as a sign would an ordinary birth have provided? Since the plan of salvation, which God assured [Gen. 3:16], comprised a woman in an important role, they who believe the prophet is speaking of a virgin also see an echo of the Virgin in "the seed of her" [Gen. 3:15]. This inference cannot be lightly dismissed.

Part Three

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Elder Cleopa Ilie (1912 - 1998)

Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie (1912 - 1998) resided in Sihastria Monastery, Neamt County, Romania.

Fr. Cleopa has found his place in history as the most representative elder and spiritual father of contemporary Romanian Orthodox spirituality. The last twenty years of his life the Elder spent in increased and concentrated prayer: fourteen to fifteen hours a day. He had mystical moments when he did not want to speak to anyone, not even his cell attendant. From four until eight the Elder prayed his morning rule; afterward he confessed monks and lay people until about four in the afternoon, when he began his evening prayer rule, consisting of the canon of repentance, canons to the Theotokos, the Supplicatory Canon, Small Compline and other services.

Fr. Cleopa remembering his nostalgic beginnings: "In the years that I was shepherd of the skete’s sheep together with my brothers, I had great spiritual joy. The sheepfold, the sheep - I lived in quiet and solitude on the mountain, in the midst of nature; it was my monastic and theological school". In the last months of his life the Elder could be heard saying often: "Now I am going to my brothers!" and "Leave me to depart to my brothers!" and "I am going to Christ! Pray for me, the sinner."

On the eve of the Elder’s departure for the next life he began to read his morning rule, when his disciple said to him: "Geronda, its evening now. These prayers should be read tomorrow morning." The Elder answered him saying, "I am reading them now because tomorrow morning I am going to my brothers." On the morning of December 2nd, 1998, at about 2:20 a.m. Elder Cleopa departed for eternity and His Christ.

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The Farewell Letter of Elder Porphyrios

While at the Holy Skete of Kavsokalyvia on Mt. Athos, Elder Porphyrios had given orders for his grave to be dug.

Through a spiritual child of his, he dictated a farewell letter of advice and forgiveness to all his spiritual children.

It is dated June 17, 1991. It was found amongst the monk's garments that were laid out for his burial on the day of his departure. Elder Porphyrios departed in the Lord on December 2, 1991.

It again indicates his profound humbleness.


My dear spiritual Children,

Now that I am still in charge of my faculties, I want to give you some advice.

Ever since I was a child, I was always in sin. When my mother sent me to watch the animals on the mountain, (my father had gone to America to work on the Panama Canal for us his children, because we were poor), there, where I shepherded the animals, I slowly read, word by word, the life of St. John the Hut-dweller and I loved St. John very much.

I said a lot of prayers, like the young child that I was, twelve or fifteen years old, I don't remember too well. I wanted to follow his example. So, with a lot of difficulty, I secretly left my parents and came to Kavsokalyvia on the Holy Mountain.

I became obedient to two elders, the true brothers, Panteleimon and loannikios. They happened to be very devout and full of virtue, I loved them very much and because of that, with their blessing, I gave them absolute obedience. That helped me a lot. I also felt great love for God and got along very well.

However, because of my sins, God allowed me to become ill, and my elders told me to go to my parents in my village of St. John, Evia. Although I had sinned a lot from when I was a small child, when I returned to the world I continued to commit sins which, today are very many. The world, however, thought highly of me, and everyone shouts that I'm a saint.

I however, feel that I am the most sinful person in the world. Of course, whatever I remembered I confessed, and I know God has forgiven me. But now I have the feeling that my spiritual sins are very many and I ask all those who have known me to pray for me, because, for as long as I lived, I humbly prayed for you, too. Now that I'm leaving for heaven, I have the feeling that God will say to me, "What are you doing here?" I have only one thing to say to him, "I am not worthy of here, Lord, but whatever your love wills, it'll do for me." From then on, I don't know what will happen. I however, wish for God's love to act.

I always pray that my spiritual children will love God, Who is everything, so that He will make us worthy to enter His earthly uncreated Church. We must begin from here. I always made the effort to pray, to read the hymns of the Church, the Holy Scriptures and the Lives of the Saints. May you do the same. I tried, by the grace of God, to approach God and may you also do the same.

I beg all of you to forgive me for whatever I did to upset you.

Hieromonk Porphyrios
Kavsokalyvia, June 4/17 1991

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Murder Of Priest Highlights Missionary Role In Russian Church

RFERL
December 01, 2009
By Kevin O'Flynn

MOSCOW -- Flowers still decorate the gates of St. Thomas, the small wooden church in the south of Moscow where Father Daniil Sysoyev served. They represent an outpouring of grief for the priest who had built his parish from nothing and hoped to eventually build in place of the modest wooden structure a brick church big enough to hold 2,000 people.

Four red carnations adorn a photo of the priest, who was murdered November 19 after an unidentified gunman entered his church and shot Sysoyev twice. Someone has pinned up a poem dedicated to him. A sign nearby notes that surveillance cameras have been installed at the church in the wake of the tragedy.

St. Thomas held a service on November 28 to mark the ninth day after the killing. Sysoyev was only 35 years old but had already built a reputation as a priest who stood out for his proselytizing work among Russia’s Muslim community -- a relatively new phenomena for the Orthodox Church.

Andrei Zolotov, a journalist specializing in religious issues, says Sysoyev was known for his missionary zeal.

“He was one of the several most prominent missionaries, and also someone who was known as a bit controversial -- one of those who insisted on the necessity of missionary work among Muslims,” Zolotov says.

Sysoyev actively sought to convert Muslims, working in the capital city’s Muslim communities and reaching out to the thousands of immigrant workers who have come to Moscow from Central Asia, the North Caucasus, and elsewhere. He would routinely go to the city’s construction sites, where many immigrants are employed, and successfully converted as many as 80 people.

But his work didn’t stop there. He also wrote books warning Christians not to marry Muslims and posted online videos that attacked Islam. Copies of his book, “An Orthodox Response to Islam,” have sold out at St. Thomas in the days since his death.

Sysoyev also posted videos of himself on YouTube, in which he would often be heavily critical of the Muslim faith. In one of them, he ends his lecture with an expression of hope that all Muslims would eventually convert to Christianity.

"That’s it. May God help all of us," he says in the video. "We will pray so that Muslims will come to Christianity and not follow the conspiracy of the Prophet.”

'I'm Already Used To It Now'

Sysoyev’s outspokenness did not go unnoticed, and he wrote that he was continually threatened by Muslims angered by his work.

"You're going to laugh, but the Muslims have again threatened to kill me. The threat was by telephone this time," Sysoyev wrote on his blog in October. "It's already the 14th time. Before it scared me, but I'm already used to it now."

After his murder, his wife, Yulia, wrote in a letter of his premonition of death.

“He told us which vestments to bury him in. Then I joked that there was no need to speak about that, we still did not know who would bury whom," Yulia says. "He said that I would bury him.”

The Orthodox Church has come around to the importance of missionary work in Russia in recent years. Zolotov says it is a trend that has been especially evident under the new patriarch, Kirill, who has led the church for less than a year.

“In the last several years, missionary work has been increasingly recognized as a top priority, or one of the top priorities," Zolotov says. "Basically, the election of Patriarch Kirill to a large extent was the manifestation of this recognition that we need to carry out a mission. It is not enough to just be reconstructing the church or sit there saying how important we are for Russian history.”

Part of that mission is to reach out to nominal Russian Orthodox Christians who do not attend church. Different figures show that only between 3 to 10 percent of Russians attend Orthodox Church services, when as many as 80 percent identify themselves as Orthodox.

But many in the church believe that missionary work extends beyond activating dormant Orthodox Christians to attempting to convert members of the Muslim community as well.

Zolotov says while official church policy does not publicly endorse proselytizing of Muslims, it does not discourage priests from missionary work. Patriarch Kirill presided over Sysoyev’s funeral, a gesture that many saw as emphasizing the Orthodox Church’s tacit support for conversion work.


Struck A Nerve

Sysoyev was one of only a few Orthodox priests active in full-time proselytizing work. One of his parishioners, Larisa Vasilieva, was brought up in Kazan, the capital of the Muslim-majority republic of Tatarstan, where her mother was a Muslim and her father an Orthodox Christian. She says Sysoyev struck a nerve by speaking openly about what otherwise remains a hushed battle by the church for influence over what may be as many as 20 million Muslims in Russia.

“Nobody speaks out about it [in Kazan]. But here [in Moscow], he spoke openly and wrote openly about his views, and that is what they did not like," Vasilieva says. "He wrote about what other people think but are too afraid to say.”

With the stark exception of the federal wars in Chechnya and spreading unrest through much of the North Caucasus, experts say contemporary relations between Muslims and Orthodox Christians have rarely been confrontational.

But there are fears that may change as the Orthodox Church, with the explicit backing of the Kremlin, seeks to assert its role as the standard-bearer of Russian national identity. The Sysoyev murder, it is feared, will bring latent tensions between the two communities out into the open.

(And the November 27 bombing of a Moscow-St. Petersburg railway, in which 26 people were killed, may stoke Christian-Muslim tensions further. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, but terror attacks in Russia frequently provoke speculation of a North Caucasus link.)

In the wake of Sysoyev’s murder, religious leaders from Russia’s Orthodox, Muslim, and Jewish communities called the killing of a priest in his church a “mortal and unforgivable sin” and warned that “the tragedy might be used by extremist forces to foment interethnic and inter-religious conflict.”

Not all parishioners are convinced that an Islamic extremist was to blame for the killing, however. Some point instead to a land dispute. St. Thomas was facing problems getting permission to construct a larger building on its grounds. Some of Sysoyev’s followers say that his death may have been connected to that dispute and not to his proselytizing work.

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