The "Beautiful Dolls" of St. Theodora the Empress

Read about St. Theodora here.

Despite the fact that Emperor Theophilos was an iconoclast, Theodora, his wife, held fast to the veneration of icons which she kept secretely in her chambers in the imperial palace. One day the emperor's jester, a dwarf named Denderis, who had free access of the palace corridors and chambers since he amused all, surprised Theodora while she was engaged in her secret devotions before the icons which her husband had forbidden her. Having observed this as well as her veneration of the icons, he was amazed and, according to his inquisitive nature, asked the empress what it was that absorbed her attention. Composed and calm, Theodora explained in the following way: "These are my beautiful dolls. They are pretty, are they not? I love them dearly."

Hearing this reply, the dwarf departed and found the emperor sitting at the dinner table. When the emperor asked him where he was, he responded that he was with Theodora (whom he called "mamma"). "What did mamma say?" asked the emperor curiously. Denderis replied: "She has beautiful dolls under her pillow."

Theophilos instantly perceived the true nature of his wife's dolls, and he hurried to the Gynaeceum (women's quarters), burst into her room, and accused Theodora with a harsh tone of harboring icons against his orders in his own home. Innocently Theodora responded, after being told that it was Denderis who made this accusation, in the following manner: "O that foolish and ill-favored little man! When he entered, O Emperor, I was before my mirror and combing my hair. He observed my reflection in the mirror and asked, 'Mamma, what are these?' I told him, 'My dolls.' For I was simply looking at myself in the mirror with my attendants. At that moment thy dwarf thought the faces he saw reflected were religious images, and foolishly went off and expressed it badly to thee." Theophilos then calmed down, or pretended to be convinced. He loved her and could excuse her for anything. A few days later the empress had the dwarf whipped, then reprimanded him and warned him never again to talk about dolls in the Gynaeceum. The lesson was well taken. Theodora had taken these measures primarily to ensure her children were raised Orthodox and not influenced by the emperor, and also to grant favors to the Orthodox who sought her aid.

As time went by Theophilos would revert to this subject again with his dwarf after he had been drinking. Theophilos would question Dendrinos about the dolls, but the dwarf would merely gesture in a significant manner, putting one hand over his mouth and the other on the part of the flesh on which he had been flogged, and say hurriedly: "Nay, nay, sire, let us not speak of the dolls."

In the capital's high society, there was a general feeling of favor toward the holy icons. The old Empress Euphrosyne, who was spending her last years in a convent, shared Theodora's sentiments, and concealed small icons in her cell as well and would pray before them and venerate them. Whenever Theodora would visit Euphrosyne with her little daughters, Thekla, Anna, Anastasia, Pulcheria and Mary, she would always speak to her grandchildren about the holy images. She would place the icons to their heads then to their mouths so they may kiss them. She too would call her icons "the beautiful dolls". She would say to the girls: "You ought always to love and kiss them."

Theophilos, who suspected such things, would question his daughters on their return, however it was always unsuccessful. The oldest knew well to keep this secret, but the youngest, two year old Pulcheria, one day gave the secret away unintentionally. Pulcheria told her father: "Grandmother has a chest full of beautiful dolls. Many times she takes them and presses them to my forehead and those of my sisters. Then we kiss them with respect." Theophilos, vexed at this discovery, flew into a rage. His deepest suspicions were confirmed. From then on he forbade his daughters any further visits to their grandmother, his mother-in-law. God, however, protected Theodora, not allowing Theophilos to take any reprisals against her.

Before Theophilos' death, Theodora managed to turn the heart of her husband as he lay suffering on his deathbed. He expired after having venerated willingly with his own lips, Theodora's "beautiful dolls".

Two of St. Theodora's icons are kept at the Monastery of Vatopaidi on Mount Athos to this day and are referred to as "Theodora's Dolls". They are displayed annually on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, a triumph which she initiated.

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38 Year Old Hindu Converts to Orthodoxy

A 38 year old Hindu man was baptized Orthodox in a church outside Halkida, Greece. It was a decision he came to on his own after visiting various holy shrines in Greece, especially in Tinos which he visited many times. His impression of Orthodoxy was that it was a "living faith" and it thus became his dream to be baptized. His Christian name is Menas. Following his baptism, a celebration was thrown for him at a local tavern.



Source

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Orthodoxy and Hollywood

Russian Priest Provides Spiritual Care for Hollywood Staff

Moscow, Russia
February 9, 2010
Interfax

Rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Los Angeles, Archpriest Alexander Lebedev, has provided spiritual care for actors and staff members of the world “dream factory” for almost thirty years.

“Many of our parishioners work in film studios as directors and actors. There’ve always been many actors in our parish who actively participated in church life. Such famous actresses as Natalie Wood and Sandra Dee were my parishioners. I was familiar with Yul Brynner, who was a parishioner of an Orthodox church in New York.”

Fr. Alexander told an Interfax-Religion correspondent on Tuesday.

According to him, today several Hollywood stars, including Jeniffer Aniston, adhere to Orthodoxy. Tom Hanks, who is also an Orthodox Christian, is an active guardian of St. Sophia Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate.

Fr. Alexander noted that many Americans converted to Orthodoxy after marrying to Greek or Russia women. As, for example, famous baseball player Alex Rodriguez.

Russian actors and directors living in Hollywood are also Fr. Alexander’s parishioners. The priest told that active member of his parochial community, actor Pavel Lychnikoff, had recently invited him to consecrate a film studio before filming a new film there.

Orthodox faith inspires some Hollywood actors to lead a less bohemian lifestyle and overcome temptations, the interviewee of the agency said.

“Certainly, we try to help them control themselves. So that women participating in movies observe proprieties and chastity. Sometimes there’s a possibility to influence their choice in favor of scenarios of moral character,” Fr. Alexander said.

For more on famous Orthodox Christians, including some listed in this article, see here.

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Saint Theodora the Empress

St. Theodora the Empress (Feast Day - February 11)

Holy Empress Theodora was from Paphlagonia and was the daughter of a certain Marinus, the commander of a military regiment. She was the wife of the Roman Emperor Theophilos the Iconoclast (829-842), but she did not share in the heresy of her husband. While being the wife of the Emperor Theophilos, the last of the Iconoclasts, she adorned the royal diadem with her virtue and piety; as long as her husband Theophilos lived, she privately venerated icons, despite his displeasure. After the death of her husband, St Theodora governed the realm wisely for fifteen years because her son Michael was a minor.

She convened a Synod, at which the Iconoclasts were anathematized, and the veneration of icons was reinstated. St Theodora established the annual celebration of this event, the Triumph of Orthodoxy, on the first Sunday of the Great Fast. St Theodora did much for the Holy Church and fostered a firm devotion to Orthodoxy in her son Michael.

When Michael came of age, in 857 she was retired from governing and spent eight years in the Monastery of St Euphrosyne (called Gastria), where she devoted herself to ascetic struggles, and reading books that nourished her soul.

A copy of the Gospels, copied in her own hand, is known to exist. She died peacefully around the year 867.

In 1460, her incorrupt and miracle-working relics were given by the Turks to the people of Kerkyra (Corfu). They remain in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Cave, in the capital city of the island, and it is a place of pious pilgrimage by Orthodox faithful till this day.

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone
As a right worthy namesake of gifts bestowed of God, and a divinely-wrought image of holy wisdom and faith, thou didst make the Church to shine with godly piety; for thou didst demonstrate to all that the Saints in every age have shown honor to the icons, O Theodora, thou righteous and fair adornment of the Orthodox.

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
We sing thy praises as the gem and fairness of the Church, and as a diadem and pattern of all Christian queens, O all-lauded and divinely-crowned Theodora; for in bringing back the icons to their rightful place, thou didst cast usurping heresy out of the Church. Hence, we cry to thee: Rejoice, O Sovereign most ven'rable.






Great Vespers for St. Theodora in Kerkyra

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Mixed Martial Arts Champion is a Pious Orthodox

World Champion in Mixed Martial Arts Observes Fasts, Listens to Church Music and Reads about Orthodox Ascetics

Moscow
10 February 2010
Interfax

World champion in mixed martial arts, Fedor Emelyanenko, confessed he loved to listen to church music and read Orthodox literature.

“I’ve read a book not long ago and I liked it very much, it was Ivan Shmelev’s The Summer of the Lord. Now I’m reading about great Orthodox ascetics of the 20th century,” the renowned fighter was quoted as saying by the Valetudo.ru.

The fighter also said he used Internet only to learn something new about the lives of saints and liked to eat when there was no fast. “Now it’s Maslenitsa and next week is a strict fast.”

According to the sportsman, he spares no effort to win in his profession and hopes for God’s will. He says he is happy and mentions that he lives “with God in my soul,” and goes to the Church.

Emelyanenko also stated he was concerned with the ideals of modern-day youth.

“There are real, nonfictional heroes like Alexander Nevsky, Dimitry Donskoy, Peresvet. They are great warriors and we have to be equal to them. They are not invented by cinematography, they are heroes who proved their heroism by their lives. They gave their lives for the honor of Russia,” the world champion stressed.

Official Webpage of Fedor Emelyanenko

Read more here.

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Orthodox Liturgical Courtesy to Catholics in the 13th Century

[From the text below, we learn that the process of the schism between the Catholics (known as "Latins" in the text) and the Orthodox (known as "Catholics" in the text) was a slow process. Though inter-communion had ceased sacramentally, the Orthodox allowed common prayer and the handing out of antidron to those schismatics who still maintained a certain level of Orthodoxy. It would be foolish to apply this text to our situation today, since the schism has taken its full effect, though I do believe some of the principles employed in the text can be considered to "the effect of gradually drawing them [the Catholics] over altogether to our [Orthodox] holy usages and doctrines." - J.S.]

Here follows an extract from the "Answers" of Demetrius Chromatenus, Archbishop of Bulgaria (A.D. 1203), to Constantine Cabasilas, Archbishop of Dyrrachium:

Question: Is it any harm for a Bishop to enter the churches of the Latins, and to worship in them, on any occasion when he may be invited by them? And should he give them the kataklaston [that is, the antidoron or blessed bread,] when they are present at the Liturgy in the Holy and Catholic [Orthodox] Church?

Answer: There are some of the Latins who do not at all differ from our customs either doctrinal or ecclesiastical, but are, as one may say, in this respect double-sided or neutral. As then it is our duty, and agreeable to piety, stiffly to oppose them that essentially differ from us, especially in the point of the doctrine of the Procession of the Holy Spirit, so on the other hand to use condescendence towards them that are not such, and to go with them into their churches, will be no fault in the Bishop who is charged with, and aims after, such economy as befits a steward of souls. Wherefore he will both go, when invited, to their churches without scruple, (for they too, no less than we ourselves, are venerators of the Holy Icons, and set them up in their churches) and will give them freely the Antidoron when they are present in the Catholic Church and come up to receive it. For this custom may have the effect of gradually drawing them over altogether to our holy usages and doctrines. Italy itself is thickly studded with churches of the Holy Apostles and Martyrs, the chief of which is the celebrated Church of Peter the Chief of the Apostles at Rome. Into these churches our people go freely, priests and laymen alike, and make their prayers to God, and render to the Saints who are honoured in them their due relative veneration and honour. And by doing this they incur no manner of blame, the churches in question being all under the Latins.

We remember that there were some Questions asked a good many years ago by Mark Patriarch of Alexandria, of blessed memory, and Answers written to the same by Theodore Balsamon, late Patriarch of Antioch. Among these there was one Question relating to Latin captives, namely, whether such ought to be admitted, when they come to the Catholic churches and seek to partake of the divine Mysteries? and subjoined to this an Answer altogether forbidding that the aforesaid Latins should be admitted to receive the divine Communion at the hands of our priests. The Answer professed to ground itself upon the Holy Scripture, and quoted that saying of the Lord: "He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth".

This Answer however was disapproved of by many of the most eminent men who were living at that time, as showing too great harshness and bitterness, and an unjustifiable tone, in blaming the Latin forms and customs; because all this, they said, has never been read or decreed synodically, nor have they ever been publicly rejected as heretics; but both eat with us, and pray with us. And any one, they said, may readily prove the justness of this reasoning from Canon XV of the Holy Synod which is called the First and Second of Constantinople. And again because this very fact of the Latins coming to us, and seeking to communicate at our hands of the Holy Oblation which is made with leavened bread, shows plainly that they cannot think much of their Azymes, nor make any great point of sticking to them: else they would not come to our celebration of the Divine Mysteries. These too, in order to support their own view from the Gospel, alleged what was said by St. John to the Lord. "We saw," he said, "'one casting out devils in Thy name, and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, 'Forbid him not, for whosoever is not against us is for us.'"

They urged also in addition that the words "He that is not with Me is against Me" are plainly and exclusively intended by our Saviour for the devil, as the context of the Gospel in the same place shows. For as Satan is an enemy from the beginning, and abides unchangeable in his malice, and is absolutely incapable of repentance, in this sense he, not being with the Lord, is against Him, and from so being has his name Satan, or adversary: inasmuch as the Lord loveth His own creation and gathereth it to Himself, but Satan hateth it and scattereth. But the words "He who is not against us is for us" are spoken in reference to a man who, though he follows not Jesus, yet emulates them that do follow Him, and in His name casts out devils, and so from walking apart may easily change to following. For mere human infirmity there is a remedy, namely, conversion and repentance, and to change from what is worse to what is better.

They appealed also to the judgment on this same subject of Theophylact, the most wise Archbishop of Bulgaria,…which discourses of condescension and economy in a manner worthy both of admiration and of praise. And so they who argued against the opinion of Balsamon, as has been related, were judged to have insisted piously and reasonably for giving the preference over inflexible harshness to economy, in order that so, instead of casting down, we may gently and gradually win our brethren, for whom our common Saviour and Lord shed His own most precious blood.

As quoted in William Palmer’s Dissertations on Subjects Relating to the ‘Orthodox’ or ‘Eastern Catholic’ Communion (1853).

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Byzantine-era Street Uncovered In Jerusalem

[The most important part of this discovery is that it confirms the accuracy of the Madaba Map, about which you can read here.

The Madaba Map – an ancient mosaic map in an Orthodox church in Jordan from the sixth-seventh century AD, which depicted the Land of Israel in the Byzantine period, explicitly showed: the entrance to Jerusalem from the west was via a very large gate that led to a single, central thoroughfare on that side of the city. - J.S]

SHIRA RUBIN
02/10/10
Huffington Post

JERUSALEM — With the help of an ancient mosaic map, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday they have unearthed a section of an old flagstone street in Jerusalem that provides important new evidence about the city's commercial life 1,500 years ago.

The 20-foot (6-meter) section of the street passes from the west into the center of Jerusalem's Old City, and stands upon a large cistern that supplied water to the city's 30,000 to 40,000 residents. Pottery, coins and bronze weights used to measure precious metals from Byzantine times also were found.

The discovery conforms to the layout of the city depicted in a famous 6th-century mosaic map discovered more than 100 years ago in a Jordanian church, said excavation director Ofer Sion.

The map has long been used as a guide to understanding the shape of the city from the 4th to 6th centuries, and the direction of the street is new evidence the map is correct, he said.

Jerusalem during this time had become a Roman city named Aelia Capitolina, with Jews barred from entering after their revolt against their Roman overlords in 132 A.D. It became a major center for the emerging Christian religion.

The Byzantine Empire evolved out of the eastern half of the Roman Empire when the western part succumbed to barbarian invasions and ruled over much of the Middle East until the Arab conquests of the 7th century.


A staunchly Christian empire based in Constantinople, now Istanbul, it valued Jerusalem as a key Christian religious center and invested heavily into the city, which became a destination for thousands of pilgrims every year.

"This street was the center during the most (commercially) successful period in the history of (ancient) Jerusalem," Sion said. "It is wonderful that (today's street) actually preserved the route of the noisy street from 1,500 years ago."

Working from the historic map, archaeologists three months ago uncovered the section of the wide, white stone street 14 feet (4.5 meters) below the current street level.

Archaeologists have already excavated another ancient street in Jerusalem from that time known as the Cardo, which ran north to south and hosted many shops along its pillared length. Sion said the newly found street included a sidewalk and row of columns.


The map, uncovered in 1894 on the floor of a Byzantine-era church in Madaba, Jordan, shows the locations of major streets and the Christian sites in the city, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where the faithful believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Once restoration work is completed, within the next few weeks, the segment of street will be covered because of heavy pedestrian traffic, Sion said. It has yet to be decided if the site will be available for viewing.

The Israel Antiquities Authority undertook the project in response to a municipal plan to build an electric cable system on the site. In a land where every shovel might unearth something ancient, Israeli law requires the authority to inspect construction zones for ruins before work begins.

For a gallery of eight pictures, see here.

Read more about this discovery here.

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4th Century Icon of St. Agnes in Rome

St. Agnes, whose name is inscribed above her head, stands frontally in the orans position between two columns on which doves are perched.

This beautiful fourth century icon of St. Agnes is found and still intact in the Catacomb of Pamphilus in Rome on the Ancient Salarian Way. It is a gold-glass medallion which was likely embedded in the wall of the catacomb as an offering for the dead.

According to tradition, Saint Agnes was a member of the Roman nobility born c. 291 and raised in a Christian family. She suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve or thirteen during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on January 21, 304 or 305.

The image above was made within a generation or two after her martyrdom.

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Shedding Light on the Catacombs of Rome

By Duncan Kennedy
BBC News, Rome
3 May 2009

Rome's underground Christian, Jewish and pagan burial sites, the Catacombs, date back to the 2nd Century AD.

There are more than 40 of them stretching over 170km (105 miles).

But, until now, they have never been fully documented, their vast scale only recorded with handmade maps.

That is now changing, following a three-year project to create the first fully comprehensive three-dimensional image using laser scanners.

A team of 10 Austrian and Italian archaeologists, architects and computer scientists have started with the largest catacomb, Saint Domitilla, just outside the Italian capital.

The tunnels, caves, galleries and burial chambers of Saint Domitilla stretch for about 15km (9 miles) over a number of levels.

At a time when Christians, in particular, were persecuted, the Catacombs became a relatively safe place to bury the dead.

The soft, volcanic tufa rock was an especially workable, yet durable, material that was burrowed out over the course of nearly three centuries.

Yet, because of concerns about safety, only about 500m (1,640ft) are accessible to the public today.

Scanner

The new, moving, images of this entire underground system will change all that and open up this beautiful subterranean world in a way that it has never been seen before.

The leader of the project, Dr Norbert Zimmerman of the Vienna Academy of Sciences, was behind the idea to use laser scanners to record every part of the Catacombs.

His scanner, which looks like a cylinder on a tripod, stands a metre or so high and is a piece of kit you usually find in the construction industry.

Gone are the days when archaeologists just used shovels, brushes and sieves to unearth the past.

The scanner has been placed in hundreds of different locations in the Catacombs.

It turns slowly, sending out millions of light pulses that bounce off every surface they come into contact with. The light pulses rebound back into the scanner and are recorded on a computer as a series of white dots, known as a "point cloud".

Gradually, every wall, ceiling, and floor is bombarded with the dots, enabling the computer to build up a picture of each room.

Eventually, the computer completes a 360-degree, three-dimensional, moving image of that room, with every surface looking like it is made up of small white dots.

At the same time a camera on the scanner takes a picture of each surface. That information is also fed into the computer enabling colour to be added to "fill in" the dots.

'Real data'

When the process is finished, it looks like an actual film of the particular room in question.

In all, four billion dots were recorded, enabling practically the whole catacomb to be documented in this way. Only a handful of small spaces were left out because it simply was not possible to get the scanner in.

The final result is astonishing.

On a computer screen, you can now see the whole underground complex. Using different buttons on the key pad, you can zoom in on the tunnels.

You can travel "through" walls, down corridors and into chambers, giving the first real sense of its beauty, scale and detail.

Paintings on walls, which have not been seen in nearly 2,000 years, are now visible - their colours vivid and clear.

"It is not a virtual image, it is not animation - what you are seeing is real data," says Mr Zimmerman.

I ask him why he did not just video the whole thing.

"Well, you could have filmed each room. But that would not have given you the ability to 'travel' through the catacomb in a way that the scanned images allow," he says.

"Its moving, 3D flexibility, gives you the chance to compare areas, to assess the ways the Catacombs were developed over time, to analyse how and why those who built them did what they did," he adds. "That's never been possible before."

'Big job'

Mr Zimmerman and his team have nearly completed their work on the Saint Domitilla catacomb. It is now back to Vienna to study the images in more detail.

Dr Zimmerman says much of the work will be made available to the public.

Examining the images from the Saint Domitilla catacomb alone will keep them busy for the next year or so.

He has no plans to scan all the Catacombs.

"That is a big job, but it may well be needed if we are to really understand this incredible historical phenomenon and if we are to make a proper detailed study whilst these caves are still intact."

"We will publish our findings to reveal, for the first time, just how impressive these tombs were and how the people of that time went to so much effort to bury their dead," he says.

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Saint Haralambos and the Demon Possessed

Many of the weighty difficulties which befall man have their cause, known or unknown, in his past. However, the causes of these weighty difficulties, let us say mental disorders, are nothing else than the transgression of the moral law of God.

When St. Haralambos was being tortured, the persecuting emperor found out about his miracle-working power and ordered an insane man to be brought to Haralambos so that the emperor could be convinced that Haralambos could heal him. The devil tormented this man for thirty-five years driving him into the wilderness and hills and hurling him into mud or into gorges. When this deranged person approached Haralambos, the demon sensed a sweet-smelling fragrance emanating from this holy man and shouted: "I beg you, O servant of God, do not torment me before my time, rather command me and I will depart and, if you wish, I will tell you how it came about that I entered into this man." The saint commanded the demon to relate the story. The demon said: "This man wanted to steal from his neighbor and thought to himself: `If I don't kill the man first, I will not be able to seize his goods.' He proceeded and killed his neighbor. Having caught him in the act, I entered him and behold for thirty-four years I dwelt in him." Upon hearing this, the saint of God commanded the demon to depart from the man immediately and to leave him in peace. The demon departed and the demented man was restored to health and became tranquil.

- St. Nikolai Velimirovich, Prologue

In the video posted here, Elder Dorotheos of Kornofolias Monastery in Soufli speaks about St. Haralambos and his miraculous power. This monastery has in its possession the incorrupt right leg of the saint. At about the 4:30 mark a woman who is demon possessed in the audience makes itself known. The Elder urges her to venerate either the relic or icon of St. Haralambos, but she refuses saying "I will not venerate" and she leaves.



Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
O Priest-martyr, athlete, champion Haralambos, your relics are a priceless treasure of the Church. Wherefore she rejoices, glorifying the Creator.

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Money Can't Buy Happiness...

Money Can't Buy Happiness, So Man Gives Away Every Penny of His £3 Million Fortune

By Alex
Money & Finance
Feb 10, 2010

Karl Rabeder grew up poor and thought that life would be wonderful if he had money. But when he got rich, Karl discovered that he was unhappy … so he decided to give away every penny of his £3 million fortune:

"My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come."

Instead, he will move out of his luxury Alpine retreat into a small wooden hut in the mountains or a simple bedsit in Innsbruck.

His entire proceeds are going to charities he set up in Central and Latin America, but he will not even take a salary from these.

"For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness," he said. "I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years," said Mr Rabeder.

But over time, he had another, conflicting feeling.

"More and more I heard the words: ‘Stop what you are doing now – all this luxury and consumerism – and start your real life’," he said. "I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need. I have the feeling that there are lot of people doing the same thing."

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St. Haralambos and the Sacrifice of the Bull

The Municipality of Agia Paraskevi is situated in the centre of the island of Lesvos, among the hills and close to the plain of Kalloni. Agriculture and cattle raising are the main income sources of the Municipality.

The Municipality of Agia Paraskevi is famous for the "Religious Festival of Tavros". This festival is the most important popular activity of the village of Agia Paraskevi and it combines a variety of happenings that regard the ritual of the bull's (tavros) sacrifice. An agricultural group called "Το Ισνάφι των Ζευγάδων" (Agricultural Association "The Progress") revived this ancient custom in 1774. It was established as a reverence to St Haralambos, the protector of this agricultural group (Το Ισνάφι) that organises this festival (St. Haralambos os the patron saint of ploughmen).

The festival is linked to an old story: "During the period of Turkish occupation, a Turk stole a bull. Each time he tried to kill it, a bright light shone in his eyes, until eventually, he gave the bull back."

The incomes of this celebration are used for the inhabitants' common profit. The activities that take place during the celebration of this festival are the following:


The inhabitants gather the necessary materials (wheat etc.) for the preparation of the traditional meal ("kiskek"). The carrying of the decorated bull around the village takes place with the participation of the local orchestra. The pilgrims ride decorated horses accompanied by the local traditional orchestra. Sacrifice of the bull takes place at the chapel of St Haralambos situated at the evergreen mountain of Tavros that rests nearly 30 minutes outside of the village in a remote location.

Throughout the night, preparation of the traditional meal is accompanied by popular dances. The inhabitants return to the village, where a parade of horses and horse races take place. Amusement at the central square of the village takes place with the visitors' participation. On the last night of the festival, local inhabitants have fun until the next morning.

These festivals that take place at the village of Agia Paraskevi last for several days; they start from Friday and last until Monday, usually in the middle of June. The dances and the songs as well as the popular orchestras that play traditional music from Lesvos and from the village of Agia Paraskevi and Asia Minor are of a great importance at those festivals. The Religious Festival of Tavros takes place at the end of the spring and coincides with the preparation of the harvest.

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Miracle of Saint Haralambos in Filiatra (1943)

Celebrated on February 10 and July 18

A modern miracle took place in the small Peloponnesian town of Filiatra in 1943, during the dark days of the occupation of Greece by the Germans. This miracle has moved and continues to move, to this day, not only the people of Filiatra but also the people of all Greece.

From the German Headquarters in Tripoli, orders were issued to Officer Kondau (or Kunster), in charge in Filiatra, to burn the town, because of a sabotage that the rebels had instigated. The Commander was ordered to kill a certain number of notable Filiatrians, to take as prisoners the 1,500 other citizens, and to send them to Germany, after which it is was obvious they would never return.

Officer Kondau, feeling no pity, in turn, gave the orders to his soldiers to follow through with implementing the destruction, on the following day at 6:00 in the morning.

In Tripoli, the priest, Archimandrite Theodore Kotsakis, who was originally from Filiatra, learned of this plan. Grief and worry overcame everyone; no one knew what to do to save Filiatra and its people. So, the priest Theodore found someone who knew German, and together they went to the house of the German Officer in Tripoli. But while they waited outside his office, loud voices, cursing and a great upheaval were heard. A Greek woman pulled on the priest’s cassock, urging him to leave, so that they might not be killed there, right on the spot!

Thereby, upon leaving, the Priest notified all the people from Filiatra who were living in Tripoli, to pray that night to Saint Haralambos, who was Patron Saint of Filiatra, asking him to intercede for the town and its people. Then the Priest Theodore closed himself in his room and prayed with much pain and sorrow. And the citizens of Filiatra did the same, as they had caught wind of something going on, themselves.

Saint Haralambos heard their prayers and performed the miracle! The Saint then appeared that night to Officer Kondau while he was sleeping. He appeared to him as a serious, old and dignified man of holy countenance, dressed in priestly robes and having a long white beard. This German conqueror, who was a Protestant, had never seen such a face or such an appearance ever before in his life. The solemn Elder then said to him with such sweetness: “Listen, my son, do not carry out the orders you were given.”

The dream was so real that it created a great impression on him. He awakened suddenly and then went back to sleep, but, with determination, however, to carry out the order he was given. Then once again the Saint appeared to him in his sleep and said: “That which I have told you to do, do it. Do not execute the order. Do not be afraid. I will make sure that you are not punished.” Again, he awakened, and the words spoken to him were whirling around in his mind. But it was impossible for him not to carry out the order, after all the Germans would execute him if he didn’t. Once again he fell asleep. And once again the solemn Elder appeared to him for a third time, saying: “I told you not to be afraid. I will see to it that you are not punished. I will protect you and all your men. You will all return to your homes and nothing will happen to you.”

At first, the Commander wanted to ignore the order of Saint Haralambos, in order to appear independent. But despite all his intransigence, he yielded, because afterwards, as this German Officer himself related, he heard in his sleep shouts and cries, as if coming from people being tortured right in his own courtyard. Then, real life figures appeared like women, many women, who were beating themselves on the heads and chests out of unbearable misfortune and pain.

They were mourning, showing desperation, and cursing out of agony in anticipation of the slaughter of their children and grandchildren that was to take place. All of these voices then became like a big cloud that ascended on high, into the heavens, without anything falling to the earth.

And furthermore, as he slept, the German Officer saw long black clouds that were coming out of his room, ascending, and casting a shadow upon the sun, with the sun trying to hide from the clouds as if it were a person who in turn was casting shadows on the faces of his soldiers. Some of soldiers were afraid, while others were asking for help as they made the sign of the cross. And still others were running and hiding behind the olive groves.

From his fright he woke up. He tried to speak but couldn’t, rather his mouth was agape as he looked at the image in his dream, the old man that he saw three times in his dream who had the appearance of a Saint of the Orthodox church. When he came to his senses, he began thinking of the evil that was about to happen: the slaughter of human beings, like dogs to remain on the streets without burial and of houses burning in seconds which had taken centuries to be built!

These reflections stirred him. But still he said to himself: “I said I was going to burn this town and burn it I will!”

Then he closed his eyes. And the old man, Saint Haralambos, appeared once again before him, in a threatening and persistent manner. In a loud and emphatic voice, the Saint said to him: “Be careful! This town is not going to burn and its people are not going to be captured. They are innocent. Do you hear me?”

The German Officer stood up, steadied himself, as his knees were shaking from fright and he picked up the telephone. With a trembling voice, he called Tripoli to speak to the German Commander of all Peloponesos. And when this commander tried to respond to give orders, he faltered. He tried to get fierce so that his orders would be carried out, but he wasn’t able to! So what was going on? That same night he also had seen Saint Haralambos in his sleep, just as the Officer Kondau from Filiatra had described him on the telephone. And finally, the Commander resolutely told the Officer in Filiatra: “Write this down. I am suspending the destruction of the town. Come immediately to see me tomorrow at noon!”

At daybreak, the decision by the Germans to revoke the order was announced.

Everywhere there were shouts of joy to be heard by the townspeople, in the cafes, in the square, in the streets….

One battalion, then, of German soldiers with Officer Kondau and two Orthodox priests in the middle, walked down the street going from church to church. They started at Saint John’s, then Saint Nicholas’, then Saint Athanasios’ and finally headed for the Church of the Panagia.

Officer Kondau was searching for the icon of the Saint that he saw in his dream. When they opened for him the door of the Church of the Panagia, he recognized among the icons, Saint Haralambos, whom he had seen in his dream, who had commanded him. His voice broke. He became ashamed of his pride. He hid his face with his hands. Shortly, he lowered them. And this Protestant, on bended knee, made the sign of the cross. He uttered a few prayers in his own language, of which the priests present were unable to interpret.

Afterward, he asked the priests to tell him who this geronda (elder) depicted in the icon was. They related to him that it was Saint Haralambos who bore many torments for Christ. Then they told him of the many miracles that the Saint had performed, and still does to this day.

There are no words to describe the joy felt by the people of Filiatra and their gratitude toward the Saint. They glorified God and they thanked Saint Haralambos for the miracle. And just as the Saint had told Officer Kondau, the leader of the garrison, and all his men, after the war was over, they returned safely to Germany and to their homes, without anyone being harmed. The German Officer, thus, preserved vividly the memory of this miracle and showed gratitude to the Saint. He hoped to return from Germany to venerate him. And in fact, after two years, he came with his wife to the town of Filiatra. But, on his first pilgrimage, he didn’t quite make it for the Feast Day of the Saint. He came one day later, on February 11th.

When, however, the people of Filiatra saw him, they were so overjoyed that they celebrated the Feast Day all over again. They chanted the doxology; they held receptions and dinners and other festivities. And up until recent times this German Officer with wife and family and other countrymen have come on the 10th of February to the town of Filiatra to venerate and pay homage with faith to this Saint. In their hearts Orthodoxy had blossomed.


Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
O wise Haralambos, you were proven an unshakable pillar of the Church of Christ; an evershining lamp of the universe. You shone in the world by your martyrdom. You delivered us from the moonless night of idolatry, O blessed One. Wherefore, boldly intercede to Christ that we may be saved.

Feast of St. Haralambos in Filiatra (2009)

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Paradise and Hell In the Orthodox Tradition

By Fr. George Metallinos

On Meatfare Sunday, as we prepare for the commencement of the Holy and Great Lent, "we commemorate the Second and Incorruptible Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ". The expression "we commemorate" confirms that our Church, as the Body of Christ, re-enacts in its worship the Second Coming of our Lord as an "event" and not just something that is historically expected. The reason is that through the Divine Eucharist, we are transported to the celestial kingdom, to meta-history. It is in this Orthodox perspective that the subject of paradise and hell is approached.

In the Gospels (Matt. 5), mention is made of "kingdom" and "eternal fire". In this excerpt, the "kingdom" is the divine destination of mankind. The "fire" is "prepared" for the devil and his angels (demons), not because God desired it, but because they are without repentance [i.e., unwilling to turn, to re-think, and participate in redemption]. The "kingdom" is "prepared" for those who remain faithful to the will of God. The uncreated glory is paradise (the "Kingdom"). "Eternal fire" is hell (v.46). At the beginning of history, God invites man into paradise, into a communion with His uncreated Grace. At the end of history, man has to face both paradise and hell. We shall see further down what this means. We do however stress that it is one of the central subjects of our faith — it is Orthodox Christianity's "philosopher's stone."

Mention of paradise and hell in the New Testament is frequent. In Luke 23:43, Christ says to the robber on the cross: "Today you will be with me in paradise". However, the robber also refers to paradise when he says: "Remember me, Lord…in your kingdom". According to Theophylact of Bulgaria (PG 123, 1106): "For the robber was in paradise, in other words, the kingdom". The Apostle Paul (2 Cor.12:3-4) confesses that, while still in this lifetime, he was "swept up to paradise and heard unspoken words, which are impossible for man to repeat." In Revelation, we read: "To the victor, I shall give him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God" (2:7). And Arethas of Caesaria interprets: "Paradise is understood to be the blessed and eternal life" (PG 106, 529). Paradise, eternal life, kingdom of God, are all related.

References on hell: Matthew 25:46 ("to everlasting torment"), 25:41 ("everlasting fire"), 25:30 ("the outermost darkness"), 5:22 ("the place of fire"). 1 John 4:18 ("…for fear contains toment"). These are ways that express what we mean by "hell".

Paradise and hell are not two different places. Such an idea is an idolatrous concept. Rather they signify two different conditions [ways or states of being], which originate from the same uncreated Source, and are perceived by man as two, differing experiences. More precisely, they are the same experience, except that they are perceived differently by man, depending on his internal state.

This experience is the sight of Christ in the uncreated light of His divinity, of His "glory". From the moment of His Second Coming, through to all eternity, all people will be seeing Christ in His uncreated light. That is when "those who worked good deeds in their lifetime will go towards the resurrection of life, while those who worked evil in their lifetime will go towards the resurrection of judgment" (Jn.5:29). In the presence of Christ, mankind will be separated (like "sheep" and "goats", to His right and His left). In other words, they will be discerning in two separate groups: those who will be behold Christ as paradise (the "exceeding good, the radiant") and those who will be looking upon Christ as hell ("the all-consuming fire" of Hebrews 12:29).

Paradise and hell are the same reality. This is what is depicted in the portrayal of the Second Coming. From Christ, a river of fire flows forth. It is radiant like a golden light at the upper end of it, where the saints are. At its lower end, the same river is fiery, and it is in that part of the river that the demons and the unrepentant ("the never repentant" according to a hymn) are depicted. This is why in Luke 2:34 we read that Christ stands "as the fall and the resurrection of many". Christ becomes the resurrection into eternal life for those who accepted Him and who followed the means given for the healing of the heart. To those who rejected Him, however, He becomes their separation and their hell.

Among the patristic testimonies, Saint John of Sinai (of the Ladder) says that the uncreated light of Christ is "an all-consuming fire and an illuminating light". Saint Gregory Palamas (E.P.E. II, 498) observes: "Thus, it is said, He will baptize you by the Holy Spirit and by fire: in other words, by illumination and judgment, depending on each person's predisposition, which will in itself bring upon him that which he deserves." Elsewhere, (Essays, P. Christou Publications, vol.2, page 145): The light of Christ, "albeit one and accessible to all, is not partaken of uniformly, but differently".

Consequently, paradise and hell are not a reward or a punishment(condemnation), but the way that we individually experience the sight of Christ, depending on the condition of our heart. God doesn't punish in essence, although, for educative purposes, the Scripture does mention punishment. The more spiritual that one becomes, the better he can comprehend the language of Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Man's condition (clean, unclean, repentant, unrepentant) is the factor that determines the acceptance of the Light as "paradise" or "hell".

The anthropological issue in Orthodoxy is [to provide] that man will eternally look upon Christ as paradise and not as hell; that man will partake of His heavenly and eternal "kingdom". This is where we see the difference between Christianity as Orthodoxy and the various other religions. The other religions promise a certain "blissful" state, even after death. Orthodoxy however is not a quest for bliss, but a cure from the illness of religion, as the late Father John Romanides so patristically teaches. Orthodoxy is an open hospital within history (a "spiritual infirmary" according to Saint John the Chrysostom), which offers the healing (catharsis) of the heart, in order to finally attain theosis — the only desired destination of man. This is the course that has been so comprehensively described by Father John Romanides and the Rev. Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Hierotheos (Vlachos); it is the healing of mankind, as experienced by all of our Saints.

This is the meaning of life in the body of Christ (the Church). This is the Church's reason for existence. This is what Christ's whole redemptory work aspired to. Saint Gregory Palamas (Fourth Homily on the Second Coming) says that the pre-eternal will of God for man is "to find a place in the majesty of the divine kingdom" — to reach theosis. That is the purpose of creation. And he continues: "But even His divine and secret kenosis, His Theanthropic conduct, His redemptory passions, and every single mystery (in other words, all of Christ's work on earth) were all providentially and omnisciently pre-determined for this very end [purpose].

The important reality, however, is that not all people respond to this invitation of Christ, and that is why not everyone partakes in the same way of His uncreated glory. This is taught by Christ, in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16). Man refuses Christ's offer, he becomes God's enemy and rejects the redemption offered by Christ (which is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, because it is within the Holy Spirit that we accept the calling of Christ). This is the "never repentant" person referred to in the hymn. God "never bears enmity", the blessed Chrysostom observes; it is we who become His enemies; we are the ones who reject Him. The unrepentant man becomes demonized, because he has chosen to. God does not desire this. Saint Gregory Palamas says: "…for this was not My pre-existing will; I did not create you for this purpose; I did not prepare the pyre for you. This undying pyre was pre-fired for the demons who bear the unchanging trait of evil, to whom your own unrepentant opinion attracted you." "The co-habitation with mischievous angels is voluntary" (Fourth Homily on the Second Coming) In other words, it is something that is freely chosen by man.

Both the rich man and Lazarus were looking upon the same reality, i.e., God in His uncreated light. The rich man reached the Truth, the sight of Christ, but could not partake of it, as Lazarus did. The poor Lazarus received "consolation", whereas the rich man received "anguish". Christ's words for those still in this world, that they "have Moses and the prophets," signifies that we are all without excuse. For, we have the Saints, who have experienced theosis and who call upon us to accede to their way of life so that we too might reach theosis as they have done. We therefore conclude that those who have chosen evil ways (like the rich man) are without an excuse.

Our orientation toward our fellow man is indicative of our inner state, and that is why this will be the criterion of Judgment Day during Christ's Second Coming (Matt. 25). This does not imply that faith, or man's faithfulness to Christ is disregarded; faith is naturally a prerequisite, because our stance toward each other will show whether or not we have God within us. The first Sundays of the Triodion preceding Lent revolve around relationships with our fellow man. On the first of these Sundays, the outwardly pious Pharisee justifies himself and denigrates the Tax Collector. On the second Sunday, the older brother (a repetition of the seemingly pious Pharisee) is sorrowed by the salvation of his brother. Likewise, seemingly pious, he too had false piety, which did not produce love. On the third Sunday, this condition reaches Christ's seat of judgment, and is evidenced as the criterion for our eternal life.

The experience of paradise or hell is beyond words or the senses. It is an uncreated reality, and not a created one. The Latins invented the myth that paradise and hell are both created realities. It is a myth that the damned will not be able to look upon God; just as the "absence of God" is equally a myth. The Latins had also perceived the fires of hell as something created. Orthodox Tradition has remained faithful to the Scriptural claim that the damned shall see God (like the rich man of the parable), but will perceive Him only as "an all-consuming fire". The Latin scholastics accepted hell as punishment and the deprivation of a tangible vision of the divine essence. Biblically and patristically however, "hell" is understood as man's failure to cooperate (synergy) with Divine Grace, in order to reach the illuminating vision of God (which is paradise) and unselfish love (following 1 Cor.13:8): "love….. does not demand any reciprocation". Consequently, there is no such thing as "God's absence," only His presence. That is why His Second Coming is dire ("O, what an hour it will be then", we chant in the Praises of Matins). It is an irrefutable reality, toward which Orthodoxy is permanently oriented ("I anticipate the resurrection of the dead…").

The damned — those who are hardened at heart, like the Pharisees (Mark 3:5 - "in the callousness of their hearts") — eternally perceive the pyre of hell as their salvation! It is because their condition is not susceptible to any other form of salvation. They too are "finalized" – they reach the end of their road — but only the righteous [sincerely pious] reach the end as redeemed persons. The others finish in a state of condemnation. "Salvation" to them is hell, since in their lifetime, they pursued only pleasure. The rich man of the parable had "enjoyed all of his riches". The poor Lazarus uncomplainingly endured "every suffering". The Apostle Paul expresses this (1 Cor. 3:13-15): "Each person's work, whatever it is, will be tested by fire. If their work survives the test, then whatever they built, will be rewarded accordingly. If one's work is burnt by the fire, then he will suffer losses; he shall be saved, thus, as though by fire." The righteous and the unrepentant shall both pass through the uncreated "fire" of divine presence, however, the one shall pass through unscathed, while the other shall be burnt. He too is "saved", but only in the way that one passes through a fire. Euthymios Zigabenos (12th century) observes in this respect: "God is fire that illuminates and brightens the pure, and burns and obscures the unclean." And Theodoret of Cyrus regarding this "saving" writes: "One is also saved by fire, being tested by it, just as when one passes through fire. If he has an appropriate protective cover, he will not be burnt, otherwise, he may be `saved', but he will be charred!"

Consequently, the fire of hell has nothing in common with the Latin "purgatory", nor is it created, nor is it punishment, or an intermediate stage. A view point such as this is virtually a transferal of one's accountability to God. But the accountability is entirely our own, whether we choose to accept or reject the salvation, the healing, that is offered by God. "Spiritual death" is the viewing of the uncreated light, of divine glory, as a pyre, as fire. Saint John Chrysostom in his 9th homily on First Corinthians, notes: "Hell is never-ending…sinners shall be brought into a neverending suffering. As for the `being burnt altogether,' it means this: that he does not withstand the strength of the fire." And he continues: "And he (Paul) says it means this: that he shall not be burnt, like his works, into nothingness, but he shall continue to exist, but within that fire. He therefore considers this as his `salvation.' For it is customary for us to say `saved in the fire,' when referring to materials that are not totally burnt away."

Scholastic perceptions and interpretations which, through Dante's work (Inferno) have permeated our world, have consequences that amount to idolatrous concepts. An example is the separation of paradise and hell as two different places. This has happened because they did not distinguish between the created and the uncreated. Equally erroneous is the denial of hell's eternity, with the idea of the "restoration" of all, or the concepts surrounding the idea of Bon Dieu [God is Good]. God is indeed "benevolent" (Mt. 8:17), since He offers salvation to everyone: ("He desires that all be saved….." 1 Tim. 2:4). However, the words of our Lord as heard during the funeral service are formidable: "I cannot do anything on My own; as I hear, thus I judge, and My judgment is just" (Jn. 5:30).

Equally manufactured is the concept of theodicy, which applies in this case. Everything [all responsibility] is ultimately attributed to God alone, without taking into consideration man's cooperation (synergy) as a factor of redemption. Salvation is possible only within the framework of cooperation between man and divine grace. According to the blessed Chrysostom, "the utmost, almost everything, is God's; He did however leave something little to us." That "little something" is our acceptance of God's invitation. The robber on the cross was saved, "by using the key request of 'remember me'…"! Also idolatrous is the perception of a God becoming outraged against a sinner, whereas we mentioned earlier that God "never shows enmity". This is a juridical perception of God, which also leads to the prospect of "penances" in confessions as forms of punishment, and not [epitimia] as medications, as means of healing.

The mystery of paradise-hell is also experienced in the life of the Church in the world. During the Holy Mysteries/Sacraments, there is a participation of the faithful in divine grace, so that grace may be activated in our lives, by our course towards Christ. Especially during the Holy Eucharist, the uncreated (Holy Communion) becomes either paradise or hell within us, depending on our condition. Primarily, our participation in Holy Communion is a participation in either paradise or hell, in our own time and place. That is why we beseech God, prior to receiving Holy Communion, to render the Precious Gifts "not as judgment or condemnation" within us, but "for the healing of soul and body," not as "condemnation. "

This is why participation in Holy Communion is linked to the overall spiritual course of life of the faithful. When we approach Holy Communion uncleansed and unrepentant, we are condemned (burnt). Holy Communion inside us becomes the "inferno" and "spiritual death" (see 1 Cor. 11:30, etc.). Not because it is transformed into those things of course, but because our own uncleanliness cannot accept Holy Communion as "paradise." Given that Holy Communion is called "the medicine of immortality" (Saint Ignatius the God-bearer, 2nd century), the same thing exactly occurs as with any medication. If our organism does not have the prerequisites to absorb the medication, then the medication will produce side-effects and can kill instead of heal. It is not the medication that is responsible, but the condition of our organism. It must be stressed, that if we do not accept Christianity as a therapeutic process, and its Holy Mysteries/Sacraments as spiritual medication, then we are led to a "religionization" of Christianity; in other words, we "idolatrize" it. And unfortunately, this is a frequent occurrence when we perceive Christianity as a "religion."

Besides, this lifetime is evaluated in the light of the twin criterion of paradise-hell. "Seek first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness," Christ teaches us (Mt. 6:33). Saint Basil the Great says in To The Youth (ch.3) "Everything we do is in preparation of another life." Our life must be a continuous preparation for our participation in paradise – our communion with the Uncreated (Jn. 17:3). Everything begins from this lifetime. That is why the Apostle Paul says: "Behold, now is the opportune time. Behold, now is the day of redemption" (2 Cor.6:2). Every moment of our lives is of redemptive importance. Either we gain eternity, the eternal community with God, or we lose it. This is why oriental religions and cults that preach reincarnations are injuring mankind: they are virtually transferring the problem to other (nonexistent of course) lifetimes.

The thing is, however, that only one life is available to each of us, whether we are saved or condemned. This is why Basil the Great continues: "We must proclaim that those things therefore that lead us towards that life should be cherished and pursued with all our strength; and those that do not lead us to that destination, we should disregard, as something of no value." Such are the criteria of the Christian life. A Christian continuously chooses whatever favours his salvation. We gain paradise or lose it and end up in hell, already during our lifetime. That is why John the Evangelist says: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (Jn. 3:17-18).

Consequently, the work of the Church is not to "send" people to paradise or to hell, but to prepare them for the final judgment. The work of the clergy is therapeutic and not moralistic or character-shaping, in the temporal sense of the word. The purpose of the theraphy offered by the Church is not to create "useful" citizens and essentially "usable" ones, but citizens of the celestial (uncreated) kingdom. Such citizens are the Confessors and the Martyrs and the true faithful, the saints....

However, this is also the way that our mission is directed: What are we inviting people to? To the Church as a [spiritual] hospital/therapy Centre, or just an ideology that is labelled "Christian"? More often than not, we strive to secure a place in "paradise", instead of striving to be healed. That is why we focus on the rites and not on therapy. This of course does not signify a devaluing of worship. But, without ascesis (spiritual exercise, ascetic lifestyle, acts of therapy), worship cannot sanctify us. The grace that pours forth from it remains inert inside us. Orthodoxy doesn't make any promises to send mankind to any sort of paradise or hell; but it does have the power — as evidenced by the incorruptible and miracle-working relics of our saints (incorruptibility=theosis) — to prepare man, so that he may forever look upon the Uncreated Grace and the Kingdom of Christ as Paradise, and not as Hell.

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Unbelief and the Indifference in Religion

On the morning of Sunday, February 9, 1873 — that is, 137 years ago today — a crowd assembled in Holy Trinity Russo-Greek Chapel in New York City. The priest, Fr. Nicholas Bjerring (depicted above), gave an address on “Unbelief and the Indifference in Religion.” The whole speech was printed in the next day’s New York Times. It is one of the few full Bjerring homilies that has survived, and it is reprinted below in full:

The subject about which, by the grace of God, I intend to speak today, is the perversion of this age in which the enemies of God and of man confuse the minds, corrupt the morals, undermine religion, and, rending asunder all bonds, seek to overthrow Divine and human order. It is the spiritual blindness of so many who attack Christianity, preach vice under the name of virtue, allow themselves everything with lawless audacity, proudly disregarding every authority, mislead the innocent, who poison the spirits and murder the souls. It is the deadly unbelief and the religious indifference which denies everything Divine and holy, the indifference, which is lukewarm and cold toward all that is good — this it is that troubles my heart and fills my soul with pain.

The greatest evil in the world is unbelief, the apostacy from God. This apostacy from God is the continual source of corruption. This is a law of the eternal justice. For the man who falls from God and recognizes infidelity is nothing more holy; for him ceases everything that religion highly esteems — family, property, fatherland. A nation in which skepticism gains the dominion is sure to meet perdition. Unbelief undermines all foundations of society, till finally regarding neither divine nor human authority it seeks seeks to upset everything existing. Thus teaches the history of all times.

Was it not during the rule of the Commune in Paris, as if there the angel of the Apocalypse had opened the abyss from which ascends scorpions? Was it not the lot of the Prince of Darkness to plunder and murder; was it not a picture of unspeakable misery, which there unfolded itself under the red, blood-steeped banner? God permitted for a short time of t his unlimited rule, in order to remind the nations again into what abyss apostacy from God does lead, and how everywhere, at all times, the truth of the law of eternal justice does stand, that unbelief is the source of all evil, and the end of corruption. “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” This eternal truth appears very clearly, when one considers more closely the watchwords and phrases of unbelief, and compares with them the deeds which were seen as the last consequences of the same in the days of the Parisian Commune.

The devil is only the ape of God; he knows no other inducements to allure to his kingdom than the promises which the Lord has made to His believers, only that he explains them in his way, and thus turns the divine truth into a lie. Man was created in the image of God, and “ye shall be as God,” were the words of the first temptation of the serpent, but it led, through sin, to corruption. To the Son of God was promised dominion over the world, and the devil endeavored to seduce Him through the promise of “all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.” The same value have the promises of the Internationalists and the communists. They incite men to their service through all that which God has named as the prize in His service.

“Liberty” is the first watchword that resounds from the ranks of these enemies of order and government, and the glorious liberty of the children of God is also the reward of those who follow the Gospel. But the evangelical liberty is freedom from slavery of sin, from the power of death; it is the sonship of God. The liberty at which the Internationalists aim is the despising [of] the commandments of God, the self-willed separating from His ordinances upon earth, as Church authority, family — these all are instituted to bring man into the service of God, or to preserve him in the same.

“Equality” proclaims the Internationale to its adherents eager after unjust good and enjoyment, and agreeably falls the word upon the ear of the envious multitude. The equality of men is also the doctrine of Christianity. All men are equal before God; all were created alike in His image; to all has appeared the same salvation. The equality of the Commune is the claim alike to the enjoyments of the world, possession, power, and the gratification of the passions. The desire after this equality is the opposite of the commandment, “Thou shalt not covet.” The motives are envy, disloyalty, and indolence, and the way to satisfaction is the putting aside of every authoritative order, the plundering of those who hold possessions, and the emancipation of the flesh.

“Fraternity” is the third word upon the red flag — the beautiful battlecry also of the Christian. The children of God are brethren, and are to be of one mind and soul, and to communicate among themselves that there be none among them that lacketh. The common love of man becomes among Christians brotherly love, and the standing salutation of the Apostle, “Beloved brethren,” is the language of every Christian heart. But what does the Commune understand by “fraternity”? The answer was given to the world in the howling of rage and murder, of petroleurs and petroleuses, even the names of which point to crime, because only the Commune had invented them.

The abuse of those words shows us that words in themselves are dead, and receive life only by the spirit that enters into them. “Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!” Only Christianity gives us the true meaning of these words, and never have the greatest philosophers of the world so highly spoken about the relations of men to each other as Christ has taught and His Church proclaims. The Christian Church with her doctrines and sacraments is, in this respect, to become the leader. She is the medium whereby the Divine life is communicated to each human being, in order to complete the Divine image in him and to unite him most intimately with God. Continually must we cherish the desire to be more and more in unity with the eternal, infinite Deity; and this bond of men with God will then also unite mankind into one family, and make them beloved children of God. That is the meaning of liberty, equality, and fraternity, in the Christian sense.

If we look around us, we cannot fail at the same time to perceive how religious indifference in so many families has also disturbed the Christian life. That faithful, pious mind, that strong trust in God, that content, experienced in former times, have severally disappeared. Acquisition, gain, employment are often the first items in the home, but the last is religion. Prayer has disappeared — nothing more is known of a lifting up of the soul to God. The cares of the body reign over all — religious indifference rules the home. Business flourishes, the master of the house is esteemed, the lady of the house is courted by society, but are we not deceived? The good fortune of such a family is only in appearance, and treacherous, because it is without a foundation. How will it be there when the plays of misfortune and sadness appear? How will it be there when the blessings of this world forsake such a house, for God’s blessing was never sought? Even if the children are so educated as to understand how to acquire with skill the goods of this world, can they endure the trialswhich life imposes upon them? Will they approve themselves in the hour of temptation, when sin with her seductions approaches near; when the excitement of vice decked with flowers misguides them, when the advantage of chrime blinds them? Surely not.

On the contrary, the certain end of an education without religion and the fear of God, will be that they do not approve themselves. And suppose it were not so; suppose God suffered such a family and their children’s good fortune until the end in the full enjoyment of earthly goods, because their whole heart was attached to them, yet this end must be at the last. Then such a family shall know by experience that they have sowed to the earth, also reaped only from the earth, for heaven they have done nothing, and shall also receive nothing. How often one meets in families a lukewarmness which stifles all Christian life. The faith is dead, the will without power; cold and indolent is the exercise of religion, the life spirit is vanished away. But the exterior practice of religion is nothing without a union with the inner, spiritual. The spirit giveth life, but the flesh profiteth nothing.

However many lights may be burning here in this chapel, and however beautiful the robes of the clergy appear, that will be of no avail either to me or to those that are present, if we are not converted unto repentance. Let us above all not forget prayer, this bond which joins in a mystical manner mankind to God, and the Saviour, who for us all died on the cross, will, let us hope, have mercy on us. For we are all bought with the blood of Christ; we are all to attain to the possession and the vision of God, to drink of the well-spring of eternal love and bliss. May we not forget this final object, but when we celebrate upon our terrestrial pilgrimage the Christian mysteries may we, looking for that heavenly home and spirit, exclaim: “O God, grant us that we may yet be filled with the enjoyment of thy Divinity, whose presence we here celebrate in the reception of thy body and blood.” Amen.

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That There Are No Contradictions in Holy Scripture

by Saint Peter of Damascus

Whenever a person even slightly illumined reads the Scriptures or sings psalms he finds in them matter for contemplation and theology, one text supporting another. But he whose intellect is still unenlightened thinks that the Holy Scriptures are contradictory. Yet there is no contradiction in the Holy Scriptures: God forbid that there should be. For some texts are confirmed by others, while some were written with reference to a particular time or particular person. Thus every word of Scripture is beyond reproach. The appearance of contradiction is due to our ignorance. We ought not to find fault with the Scriptures, but to the limit of our capacity we should attend to them as they are, and not as we would like them to be, after the manner of the Greeks and Jews. For the Greeks and Jews refused to admit that they did not understand, but out of conceit and self-satisfaction they found fault with the Scriptures and with the natural order of things, and interpreted them as they saw fit and not according to the will of God. As a result they were led into delusion and gave themselves over to every kind of evil (c.f. Romans 1).

The person who searches for the meaning of the Scriptures will not put forward his own opinion, bad or good; but, as St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom have said, he will take as his teacher, not the learning of this world, but Holy Scripture itself. Then if his heart is pure and God puts something unpremeditated into it, he will accept it, providing he can find confirmation for it in the Scriptures, as St. Anthony the Great says. For St. Isaac says that the thoughts that enter spontaneously and without premeditation into the intellects of those pursuing a life of stillness are to be accepted; but that to investigate and then to draw one's own conclusions is an act of self-will and results in material knowledge.

This is especially the case if a person does not approach the Scriptures through the door of humility but, as St. John Chrysostom says, climbs up some other way, like a thief, and forces them to accord with his allegorizing. For no one is more foolish than he who forces the meaning of the Scriptures or finds fault with them so as to demonstrate his own knowledge - or, rather, his own ignorance. What kind of knowledge can result from adapting the meaning of the Scriptures to suit one's own likes and from daring to alter their words? The true sage is he who regards the text as authoritative and discovers, through the wisdom of the Spirit, the hidden mysteries to which the divine Scriptures bear witness.

The three great luminaries, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom, are outstanding examples of this: they base themselves either on the particular text they are considering or on some other passage of Scripture. Thus no one can contradict them, for they do not adduce external support for what they say, so that it might be claimed that it was merely their own opinion, but refer directly to the text under discussion or to some other scriptural passage that sheds light on it. And in this they are right; for what they understand and expound comes from the Holy Spirit, of whose inspiration they have been found worthy. No one, therefore, should do or mentally assent to anything if its integrity is in doubt and cannot be attested from Scripture. For what is the point of rejecting something whose integrity Scripture clearly attests as being in accordance with God's will, in order to do something else, whether good or not? Only passion could provoke such behavior.

The Philokalia (vol. 3), "A Treasury of Divine Knowledge".

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Holy Martyr Nikephoros of Antioch

St. Nikephoros of Antioch (Feast Day - February 9)

Regarding St. Nikephoros of Antioch, St. Nikolai Velimirovich writes: "The biography of this martyr Nikephoros clearly demonstrates how God rejects pride and crowns humility and love with glory."

The Holy Martyr Nikephoros lived in the city of Syrian Antioch. In this city lived also the presbyter Saprikios, with whom Nikephoros was very friendly, so that they were considered as brothers. They quarreled because of some disagreement, and their former love changed into enmity and hate.

After a certain time Nikephoros came to his senses, repented of his sin and more than once asked Saprikios, through mutual friends, to forgive him. Saprikios, however, did not wish to forgive him. Nikephoros then went to his former friend and fervently asked forgiveness, but Saprikios was adamant.

At this time the emperors Valerian (253-259) and Gallius (260-268) began to persecute Christians, and one of the first brought before the court was the priest Saprikios. He firmly confessed himself a Christian, underwent tortures for his faith and was condemned to death by beheading with a sword. As they led Saprikios to execution, Nikephoros tearfully implored his forgiveness saying, "O martyr of Christ, forgive me if I have sinned against you in any way."

The priest Saprikios remained stubborn, and even as he approached death he refused to forgive his fellow Christian. Seeing the hardness of his heart, the Lord withdrew His blessing from Saprikios, and would not let him receive the crown of martyrdom. At the last moment, he suddenly became afraid of death and agreed to offer sacrifice to idols. In vain did St Nikephoros urge Saprikios not to lose his reward through apostasy, since he already stood on the threshold of the heavenly Kingdom.

St Nikephoros then said to the executioner, "I am a Christian, and I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Execute me in place of Saprikios." The executioners reported this to the governor. He decided to free Saprikios, and to behead Nikephoros in his place. Thus did St Nikephoros inherit the Kingdom and receive a martyr's crown.

This occurred in the year 260 A.D. during the reign of Gallienus. Nikephoros, whose name bespeaks a "victory bearer", won a double triumph over the passions and impiety.

Profuse are the passages of the Old and New Testaments urging us to love one another according to God, even as He who is mercifully most compassionate ofttimes enjoins upon us. The history of Saint Nikephoros teaches us that even if we should give away all our wealth as alms and surrender up all our bodily members to fire and wild beasts, even for the sake of piety, and endure ten thousand other torments, the sacrifice of one who remembers wrongs would not be accepted by Christ. By remembrance of wrongs, we mean those who bear resentment or harbor rancor. Saint John of the Ladder speaks of this vice, saying:

"Remembrance of wrongs is the consummation of anger, the keeper of sins, hatred of righteousness, ruin of virtues, poison of the soul, worm of the mind, shame of prayer, cessation of supplication, estrangement of love, a nail stuck in the soul, pleasureless feeling cherished in the sweetness of bitterness, continuous sin, unsleeping transgression, hourly malice" (Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 9:2).

For those who have difficulty with forgetting past injuries and offenses, hearken to St. John's further advice: "Let it be put to shame by the Prayer of Jesus which cannot be said with it" (Step 9:10). But, "When, after much struggling, you are still unable to extract this thorn, you should apologize to your enemy, even if only in word. Then perhaps you may be ashamed of your long-standing insincerity toward him, and, as your conscience stings you like fire, you may feel perfect love toward him" (Step 9:11). And, "You will know that you have completely freed yourself of this rot, not when you pray for the person who has offended you, nor when you exchange presents with him, nor when you invite him to your table, but only when, on hearing that he has fallen into spiritual or bodily misfortune, you suffer and weep for him as yourself" (Step 9:12).

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Thy Martyr Nikephoros, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion in the First Tone
Bound fast with chains of love, thou didst mightily sunder the wickedness of hatred with manifest courage, and hence, O Nikephoros, when the sword had cut off thy head, thou wast shown to be a godly Martyr of Jesus, our Incarnate Saviour; pray Him for us who honor thy glorious memory.

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