Gerondissa Gavrilia On Fasting

G. Meneopoulou: Mother, what could you tell us on fasting?

Gerondissa Gavrilia: Fasting is one of our greatest weapons against the Evil One. I will repeat what Father Lazarus [Moore] told me once. In 1962, I went to the USA. I stayed there a long time and travelled to many states. The letters of Father Lazarus were a great help. He was my Spiritual Guide and I am most grateful to him for the valuable letters he wrote to me at times, wherever I went. He used to say: "Go anywhere you like, do whatever you like, as long as you observe Fasting."

Why that, Mother?

Because not a single arrow of the Evil One can reach you when you fast. Never.

You mean Wednesdays and Fridays?

Not only that; all Fast days and periods.

What were you eating then?

It was the Fast of the first two weeks in August [the Dormition Fast] and, there, they keep a good table with all sorts of delicacies. But for me, a tomato juice and some stewed fruit were more than enough - every day of the Fast. I was then witnessing God's many miracles! When they asked me for a Confession on the Orthodox Faith or for my experiences with the Lord, and I listened afterwards to what I had said on the tapes, I marveled as if the words had not been my own. I am deeply grateful to Father Lazarus, for this advice of his.

Mother, as you have just said, by fasting we are safe from the arrows of the Evil One. Does this happen because the soul is left free for spiritual nourishment?

To begin with, fasting makes you forget your body - the "What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink?" So, when you pay no attention to the body, you turn your attention to the spirit. And the spirit is blessed by God. It receives and accepts the Grace of God. Then you can lead a life according to Christ, as we all wish our life to be, as we all wish to live our life. Fasting helps in that. St. Basil the Great said that the basis for spiritual progress is the practice of temperance in everything. Our ancestors, too, had that famous saying: "A fat belly cannot breed a fine mind."

This rule is for Monastics. What about people who live in the world?

No, the rule is not only for Monks and Nuns. I was living in the world before, with my professional activities, my Physiotherapy practice, etc.

Yes, but what if someone is married and has a family? As far as fasting is concerned, some solution may be found. What about continence though? What is the right measure?

Temperance in food, fun and marital relations can be practiced. Provided both spouses agree that their way of living will not be totally "according to the world", but that they also will share a life according to God. I know many couples who have raised a family and lead a proper life. A young man or woman who loves God, should ask first: "Is the future wife or husband a true Christian?"

What if he or she is not?

In that case, there is no reason to start a family. Even so, I know of some instances in which the pious wife, after long years of prayer, saw her husband go to church and receive Holy Communion - for the first time in thirty or forty years perhaps. Imagine how long...

What great patience!

A prayer is always answered, when it is about spiritual change and progress.

From The Ascetic of Love, pp. 200-202.

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Saint Valeriu Gafencu the New Confessor (+ 1952)

Valeriu Gafencu was born on the 24th of December 1921, in the northern part of Romania, near the Russian border of that time. His parents were both active Orthodox Christians. His father was to be deported to Siberia by the Russians in 1940 for his pro-Romanian activity. When he was in high school, Valeriu joined an Orthodox youth organization called the Cross Brotherhood, and, when this became illegal during the second World War, he was arrested and condemned to 25 years of hard labor. He was only 20 and, at his trial, his fellow students and teachers would come and defend him, pointing out his innocence and wonderful human qualities. At first he was sent to a prison called Aiud.

The first years were a time to reflect upon his Christian legacy. He would soon become engaged in a life of prayer, while avidly reading the Fathers of the Church. During the war, although Romania had a dictatorial regime, prison life was not so strict and some fundamental human rights were still considered: the prisoners could go to the prison's church, confess to a priest, receive Holy Communion, and also meet with each other and read books of their own choice. So Valeriu read a lot: the Holy Bible, the first 4 volumes of the Philokalia (which were then just being translated into Romanian by another holy figure of the church, Father Dumitru Stăniloae, and who would also encounter the communist prisons some years
later) and other Church Fathers.


During the time of the war a lot of priests and monks were arrested for various political reasons (and many more would follow under the communist regime) and the prisoners who wanted to live a religious life had plenty of people to turn to for guidance. Under their guidance, Valeriu thought a lot about salvation in his first years. In a letter from 1942 he says: "In life, faith is everything. Without it a man is like dead." He tried to live among his fellow prisoners in humility and practice Christian charity.

As he was pursued by the idea of sin, he wanted to enter a monastery when he would be liberated. He would confess often and also pray a lot in his cell. With a group of other dedicated prisoners he made a prayer schedule that would go along uninterrupted day and night. They prayed together, as if in a church, and also separately in their cells.

By his deep Orthodox feeling, kindness and rich life of prayer he managed to influence a huge number of people, many of which he never met, but knew him from stories that were on everybody's lips even before he passed away.

His first eight years of prison were the learning years when he became stronger in faith (he would need this for what was about to come). When the political regime changed in Romania, the prison conditions also changed dramatically: all the previous facilities were denied and the prisoners started to be persecuted for their faith (as well as for their participation in the Cross Brotherhoods). In this incredibly hard period Valeriu's word would be like a burning flame warming and comforting the ones around him. When he was in Aiud, Valeriu once encountered a poor man and gave him his student jacket. This recalls the life of Saint Martin of Tours, but it wasn’t his only generous deed. A priest from Paris (Vasile Boldeanu) remembered years later that when he was transferred to Aiud only in shirt and pants, almost frozen, he was saved by his younger brother of suffering, who gave him his warm coat.


Between the years 1946-1948 Valeriu and other older prisoners were sent to labor in some fields near Galda. There it was a milder regime; the prisoners would work, but they had time for praying and they lived in open spaces, and could meet daily.

In 1948 this working colony was closed, and the prisoners were sent back to Aiud where the communist regime would confront them with its official atheist propaganda. After some time the majority of imprisoned students were sent to a special prison called Pitesti, were they were to be re-educated (here took place the horrific and famous Pitesti experiment). There are many things to be told about this horrific phenomenon, and the remarkable Christian resistance that took place here.

Valeriu was held in Pitesti only for a short period of time because from all the torturing, the cold and terrible hunger, he became very sick with tuberculosis (a very contagious disease) and was sent to a penitentiary TB hospital called Targu Ocna. He saw this as the mercy of God Who saved him from the most abominable tortures that were ever conceived by a human mind and that took place in Pitesti soon after his departure.

An ex-colleague of detention remembers about Targu Ocna: "His arrival in this penitentiary hospital was felt by the other prisoners (who knew his reputation) like a miracle. Valeriu would transform this sordid jail living into a truly Christian life. He is the blue-eyed angel who obliges, by his very presence and prayer, to think about repentance and start praying, who would strengthen the ones around him and transform them inside for the rest of their life."

The people that met him during the horrific re-education, which he was comforting, encouraging, and raising spiritually, compared him with another Apostle Paul of our days. That is why the sick from other rooms of the sanatorium would gather near his bed and listen to him, and receive strength to bear the powerful ordeal they lived. The power of his love would shine not only in the hours of the programmed extermination but also in the everyday life of the sanatorium, when death was so close to everyone.


Valeriu’s power of sacrifice was proverbial: it did not take account person, ethnic origin, religion or political opinions. At Targu Ocna Valeriu was very ill because of his tuberculosis. In this state, when the sick usually cling to the tiniest hope for survival, he was capable of a supreme gesture. A friend of his was allowed by the wardens to receive some antibiotics for treatment (this kind of medicine was rarely allowed in the hospital, although it was vital for their recovery from TB), but as he was recovering, he thought to give it to Valeriu who was near his death. But Valeriu donated the medicine to the also dying Richard Wurembrand (a converted Jew who in freedom would become a well known Protestant pastor), saying he needed it more. Because of this medicine he recovered and, when liberated, wrote several books in which he gratefully remembers the one who saved his life.

The ones that stood by him along the years remember other extraordinary things about him. For example in Targu Ocna, he was to undertake an appendicitis surgery. When it was finished, Valeriu told the doctor he felt everything, because the anaesthesia did not work. However, he didn’t utter a word during the surgery, only his forehead was full of a cold sweat.

Valeriu died on the 18th of February 1952, at Targu Ocna. His last words were: “Don’t forget to pray to God that we all meet there! Lord, give me the servitude that sets the soul free and take away the freedom that enslaves my soul!” His grave remains unknown, for at that time all the prisoners were buried in a common pit and their head was smashed so that it would be beyond recognition. However, he asked to be buried with a small silver cross in his mouth and if God allows, his holy relics may be found.

Valeriu remained in the memory of all who knew him for the rest of their life. There is not one Christian book that recalls the ordeals of the communist prisons that doesn’t mention his name. His deeds and words were passed on from prisoner to prisoner and helped many to survive the communist hell, until the general liberation in 1964. Since Romania has become a free country many of its prison saints have come to light and are being honored by the faithful. Valeriu Gafencu is perhaps one of the most representative examples, and many call him the "Saint of Prisons" (this name was actually give by his fellow prisoners who knew him during his short life).

Source

3 New Confessors of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Valeriu Gafencu: The Saint of Prisons and Prisoners

A Lutheran Pastor’s Account of Romanian Suffering

Θαυμαστά γεγονότα του φυλακισμένου Αγίου Βαλερίου Γκαφένκου

A Romanian website about St. Valeriu Gafencu


A Vision of the Theotokos Before His Death

During the night of his last Christmas, towards dawn, Valeriu testified to his friend loan Ianolide:

"Amazed, I lifted my gaze and at the head my bed I saw the Mother of God, clothed in white, vivid, real. She was without her child. Her presence seemed material to me. The Mother of God was actually beside me. I was happy. I forgot everything. Time seemed endless. Then she said to me:

‘I am your love! Don’t be afraid. Don’t doubt. My Son will be victorious. He has sanctified this place now for future life. The powers of darkness are growing and will frighten the world still more, but they will be scattered. My Son is waiting for people to return to faith. Today, the sons of darkness are bolder than the sons of light. Even though it may seem to you that there is no more faith left on earth, nevertheless, know that deliverance will come, albeit through fire and devastation. The world still has to suffer. Here, however, there is still much faith and I have come to encourage you. Be bold, the world belongs to Christ!’"


A Letter of Saint Valeriu Gafencu To His Mother

7 March 1946

My beloved mom, I saw you in the heart of Norika [his sister], when she visited. You were good, gentle, very understanding. I remained silent and looked within myself. There I found love ... Today I'm so happy! I look calmly at my life and life around the world and see God's intervention in everything. I look at our lives and see the miracle of God.

My dear mom, I feel you so much! Tell me mom that you feel my love! Tell me mom that you always feel me by your side! Tell me mom you're happy! I have so much to tell you, mom! At night I wake up from sleep and pray. I send my thoughts to my mom and then there is so much peace within me! And I feel my dad, I feel the endless love. And I often think of the love you had for my father. What a beautiful family you have created! And what beautiful love!

Mom, remember the summer days when I was a student in high school and we were walking together in our garden, among the trees. I remember what thoughts you had and you told me about my future.

My primary thoughts then were that I would become a man of great value. I meant by this to become a man who played a great role in history and bring many good things to the nation. I wanted to do much good in the world, but man plans and God decides. Life has followed its rapid and imposing journey. I arrived by myself to the University in Iasi. There I saw that truly there is opened for me a great future. I lived a normal life, I was one of the most gifted students, a friend of all, with an unusual thirst for the ideals of a new world, in which govern love and justice, the perfect harmony.


Well, I arrived in prison. I knew that my prison life would bring, through suffering and isolation from the world, many problems. I do believe that I suffer for the truth. This circumstance has brought to my soul a deep peace. I was satisfactorily fulfilling the course of my ideal.

And, my beloved mother, I want you to know that I have suffered much. The first winter I would wake up at night from my sleep, and the loneliness of my incarceration, cold and hungry, I would look into the darkness and whispering low, so that I only heard myself, but loud enough for God to hear: "Mom, I'm cold, hungry!"

At first it was very difficult. But God was always with me. He did not forsake me even a moment. I began to confront my bodily sufferings, and slowly began to savor new joys. I saw that I am a sinful man. I am appalled by my sins and my weaknesses. I realized then that I, who wished with all my heart for an ideal world, was a sinner. Therefore, I first had to become a pure new man. And so I began to war with the evil that was inside me.

Slowly there descended upon me the light of truth. I began to live the happiness in pain. And the hole in my heart was overfilled by Christ, my great love. And I realized then that truly great is he who has this great love, though he seems small. Today I am happy. Through Christ I love everyone. It is a difficult journey for these things to be accepted and known by the people! But I am very convinced that it is the only path that leads to happiness ....

Translated by John Sanidopoulos from the Greek here.


Questions and Answers

In answer to one question, he said:

Atheistic materialists, obsessed with pleasure, the desire for domination, and egotism, have created modern civilisation, which culminates in technology. They have isolated human nature and have abandoned the commandments of God. Their attempt to create an earthly and sensual paradise has failed. Nature has been exhausted and polluted, and has become unsuitable for life. Technology, in turn, has a much greater capacity for destruction than construction. On top of all this is the worst evil of all: Man’s alienation. In these conditions, the advocates of anthropocentrism (humanism) no longer feel that they are in control of the fate of the world that they themselves have created. And thus the world, alienated from God, bears the punishment for its own evil deeds.

He also said:

The fulfilment of man is [to be found] in communion with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called to bring unity into diversity, to bring order into history, to bring holiness into life. Holiness is not something seraphic, unearthly, or esoteric, but is an opening that Christ makes toward a world steeped in the Holy Spirit.

Q: Will the Christian world of the twentieth century accept the vision of creative and messianic freedom?

A: The tragic events through which the modern world is passing will create conditions that favour returning to faith. We must come back to the Holy Spirit, the Gospel, to apostolic force. We have the duty of crying out with all our strength the Truth, repentance, and the world’s return to God. Christianity is being reborn in the ovens of fire and torture of materialistic atheism. It is exactly through his own methods of operation that Satan will lose the world that he thinks he will gain.

Q: What is the most repulsive aspect of Communism?

A: Its poverty is hard to endure, its imprisonment of man within a system is indeed serious, but nothing is more dreadful than the determination of conscience, which transforms man into a controlled tool.

Q: But doesn't Communism have its weaknesses, its cracks, its fissures?

A: It has many ideological ‘fissures’, but they are kept concealed, for Communist power cannot accept any freedom (outside of it], it cannot give anyone the right to criticise or deny Communism. Communist tyranny is formidable. (Communism was created to be] an institutionalized system that holds on to power relentlessly and which seeks at any and all cost to extend itself. The prospects of a triumphant Communist empire in this century are opening up with a degree of darkness never before imagined. ‘Re-education’ at Pitesti is but a symbol of the new Communist world order.

Q: Therefore what future do you see for mankind?

A; God works in the world. Mankind will be delivered through many sufferings and Communism will be defeated, but the world has even more serious problems to solve. The world must change its style of life and its orientation. Therefore Communism will perish, but what is important is what will replace it.

Q: Valeriu, what is the essence of today’s crisis?

A: Atheism.

Q: What do you see in today's world?

A: I see internal chaos, a decomposition that is leading toward nihilism, because people are obsessed with the nothingness of matter, with the fiction of forms, with sensual exhaustion, with historicism without transcendence, with ceremonialism without God, with consumerism without spirituality, by the falseness that conceals itself within the self-deification of man. Disaster is unfolding on all planes of fortitude of human life. Much suffering will be necessary in order to re-orient the world spiritually and to change its way of life.

Q: Why did God allow the world to sink into this present crisis, after some 2000 years of Christianity?

A: This crisis is not from God, nor is it from faith, but rather from the freedom of the human conscience. In the past few centuries, man has profaned the world, devastated souls, encouraged sensuality and has fallen prey to the pride of materialism and atheism. At the same time, satanic forces are more refined and better organised in the 20th century than in the first Christian age. The way in which saints are killed by the beast and perish in the 20th century is much more diabolical, more perverse, more complete, better studied, more horrible than the way in which martyrs were killed during the age of the catacombs.

He also said:

The desire to rise up to heaven can be seen in all of nature. The mountains, the skies, the skylarks, the eagle, and the soul of man are ever thirsting to rise higher, higher, closer to the Lord, further away from this world.

And lastly:

I long for a quiet, distant place, for a hut or cabin hewn out of rock, for a monastic cell in the foothills, to be with the birds of the sky. With nature as a friend around me and the Lord Christ ever in my heart. To love in peace, humble, and forgotten by the world. Sometimes I think about becoming a priest, but I am not worthy. I look at the soil. One day I will be earth myself and others will dig up the ground. My body will turn into dust. From my body another life will probably grow. My soul will be in heaven, where it will wait to be judged. I want to be saved.

Source

Apolytikion in Plagal of the First
Flowers of Romania, planted by God, children of the Church true and faithful, let us exalt, O faithful, as martyrs of Christ; for they competed brilliantly, confessing Christ before the atheists, and were worthily crowned, in His glorious kingdom.

The beginning of a documentary on St. Valeriu can be seen below:


The beginning of an Akathist to St. Valeriu can be heard below:

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The Exiled Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine Returns To Baloukli

February 18, 2011
Romfea.gr

86 years after his violent expulsion from Constantinople and 81 years after his death, the exiled Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine VI returns to his homeland, due to the efforts of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The venerable bones will be placed in the Patriarchal Cemetery in Baloukli on Sunday 6 March 2011, by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy and Sacred Synod.

Before the departure of the remains from Athens, they will be exposed for veneration on the evening of Friday 25 February at the Church of St. Kosmas in South Philadelphia.

On Sunday 27 February a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Memorial Service will be conducted by His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon, representing the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos

Constantine VI (1859 – November 28, 1930) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from December 17, 1924 till January 30, 1925, for 43 days. He served as a locum tenens following the death of Patriarch Gregory VII in 1924. He was exiled to Greece by the Turkish government under the Republican People's Party in 1925 and resigned the Patriarchate.

Source

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Greeks Building Their Own Church In Alaska

February 17, 2011
Romfea.gr

For the first time in the history of Hellenism in Alaska, this summer the Orthodox will have their own church in Anchorage, the largest city in the state.

Built entirely with donations from the faithful, as well as revenue from the annual festival held in the city, about fifty Greek families will have their own presence, as the Greek service of Voice of America writes.

Most of them deal with the restaurant business.

The church, Byzantine in style, will serve the needs not only of our expatriates, but also towards foreign Orthodox in the region (French, Serbs, Arabs, Armenians, Romanians, Slavs, Ukrainians and Americans).

Speaking to Voice of America after the Sunday service, the priest Father Leo Schefe said: "I am here eight years and I love every moment that passes. Our Liturgy here is somewhat reminiscent of the meaning of America. Orthodox come here from every country, and when it comes time to say the 'Our Father', as many foreigners as are here say the prayer in their own language. It is the Church that keeps all these Orthodox united. I believe that every Christian, wherever he is, understands the need for the Orthodox community, and will help in any way for the completion of the temple."

The history of the community goes back to 1953 when the first Divine Liturgy took place in a basement apartment with Russian priests, in the effort of the Greeks of the time to keep their Greek and Orthodox identity. Initially as the Community of the Savior, later that same year, under the guidance of the Archdiocese, it was renamed the Church of the Transfiguration, and until this year operated in a hall house which was purchased by community members.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos

Read more: Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church Official Site

This house on the property is currently being used for Worship Services.

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Restoration Work Complete At Hagia Sophia

After nearly twenty years, the restoration project is complete on this great jewel of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul.

February 17, 2011
Hello Magazine

This major restoration project began back in 1993, a few years after the Hagia Sophia was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the rest of the historic centre of Istanbul. It wasn't until last year, when the city was designated European Cultural Capital 2010, that the works were hurried along and finally finished, after nearly 20 years.

It was Ataturk, founder of the modern Republic of Turkey and the country's first president, who decided that this beautiful monument should be neither mosque nor church, but a museum open to the general public. The main focus of the restoration work was to restore the splendour of the building's immense sixth-century dome, an architectural wonder measuring 31.5 metres in diameter whose innovative design is largely responsible for the mystical quality of light for which the Hagia Sophia is famous. To clean and restore the golden mosaics that cover the dome, the craftsmen had to work on scaffolding at heights of up to 55 metres.

Besides the new dome, the basilica also debuts the opening of the baptistery atrium which was previously closed to tourists. Soon it will be possible to visit the baptistery itself, which houses a sixth-century baptismal font carved from a single block of marble. The baptistery, which is outside the Byzantine church, was used as a mausoleum for Ottoman sultans because Sultan Mustafa I and Sultan Ibrahim were not considered worthy of a separate mausoleum as they had been ousted from the throne. 


Inside the monument, a total of 600 square metres of mosaics have been restored, together with Islamic calligraphy that decorates the walls and medallions; in addition, the mosaic of the face of one of the winged seraphim of the four main dome supports has also been uncovered. Outside, the facades have been cleaned and the roofs of the domes have been reinforced with 50 tons of lead.

It has only been a partial restoration project, however, and there are still visible stains and chipping in some areas of the Hagia Sophia due to the humidity of Istanbul, the city on the Bosphorus. Realistically, a complete restoration is probably impossible, and reconstruction has been an ongoing task since the original church was erected in the year 360. 



The current building dates from the reign of the Emperor Justinian, who decided to build a third church which would be both more splendid and more robust than its two predecessors. To this end, he had the finest of materials brought from the far reaches of the Byzantine Empire: green marble from Thessaly, porphyry from Egypt, black rock from the Bosphorus and even the columns of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 



The current Hagia Sophia was inaugurated at Christmastide in 537. Since then it has stood its ground despite earthquakes, fires and ravages during the Crusades, all of which badly damaged the building structure. In 1453 it was converted into Mosque and in the nineteenth century Sultan Abdulmecit ordered important restoration work.



Read also: Restoration On Hagia Sophia's Canvasses Completed

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Gerondissa Gavrilia: On Anti-Church and Anti-Clerical Attitudes

G. Meopoulou: Mother, let me say something that preoccupies me. You tell us: "This is Christ... Follow Him... Love Him... Accept Him in your life..." However, others have taken from Christ whatever they want... whatever they can... while they do not want to take anything essential. Some speak of Ritualism or accuse the Clergy...

Gerondissa Gavrilia: Ah! Those thinking like that are wrong! This is only an excuse. They want to find fault in the other one, while actually they themselves are to blame.

You think so?

Absolutely! Yes! Because we have the Holy Scriptures, the Gospels which speak to us. The more you read it, the more you understand, the more you advance, the more His Mysteries are revealed to you and you become a person of God. People who find false reasons against the Church and the Clergy, are people who refuse to admit that there are also saintly men among this Clergy and see only those who are not saintly. In the Church of God is the Holy Spirit, Who comes and enlightens us during the Divine Liturgy. If we stay on, after the congregation has left, and remain seated in a corner with our eyes closed, we shall "see" God with the eyes of our soul. We shall understand what the Angels are. We shall comprehend the meaning of the prayer: "Encompass us with your Holy Angels, so that guided and guarded by their Host, we may attain the Unity of the Faith" - instead of doubting one another - "and the comprehension of Your ineffable glory...." We cannot see the ineffable glory of God with these earthly eyes, but we can behold it when the Holy Spirit fills our mind and soul, our entire being. Then we can understand what is said in the Holy Bible: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind." That is: Totally. Our entire being loves Him. And then, what happens? Automatically you "love your neighbor as yourself". You cannot distinguish yourself from the others. Quite often they ask me: "Why do you associate with Hindus, Muslims, Jews? With persons of other religions?"

Because you have love in your heart. That's why!

Because "God is love". How can you be a Christian unless you love non-Christians too? If you love only Christians, well... "even the sinners do as much"!

Still, every now and then, articles against the Church are published in the newspapers...

Why does that surprise you? Poor reporters... they can only see what is bad, they cannot see what is good. They don't write about all these persons who serve in so many churches, who hear confessions, who organize works of love... They don't mention these. They search for a fault, to project it, to generalize it, to say that all Church people are like that. We see it. We saw it in the Parable of the Pharisee last Sunday. He began by saying: "I thank Thee, O God" - which is very good and which we should all be saying from morning till night. And then, suddenly, he turned and said "that I am not like that one who is so and so..." Yet, all those who judge others, wouldn't they be wise to begin with themselves? If they could discover what is inside them, they would realize that they are a hundred times worse than those they criticize. For this is what is wrong. People are always ready to criticize others.

From The Ascetic of Love, pp. 173-174.

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Holy New Martyr Theodore of Byzantium

St. Theodore of Byzantium (Feast Day - February 17)

By Hieromonk Makarios of Simonopetra

Saint Theodore was born in 1774 in a village near Constantinople. He was apprenticed to a Christian painter employed in the palace of Sultan Selim (1788-1807); but despite a pious upbringing, in which he had been attentive to the Holy Scriptures and to prayer, the lure of the pleasures and luxury of the court led him to adhere to Islam. After living for three years in worldliness and frivolity, a dreadful visitation of the plague, which struck all ranks of society including the Sultan's entourage, made Theodore realize the vanity of worldly pleasures. Having come to his right mind, he fled from the palace in disguise and was reconciled to the Church by anointing with Holy Myron. He then took ship to Chios, where he spent some time under the direction of a spiritual father, the renown trainer of neomartyrs, St. Makarios of Corinth (April 17).

Repeated Confession, reception of the Holy Mysteries, and reading of the feats of New Martyrs like Saint Polydoros (Sept. 13), brought him to the firm decision that he too would seal his repentance by shedding his blood for the Lord. After a difficult battle, he overcame the temptation to abandon this holy resolve and went to the island of Mytilene, accompanied by a zealous brother who had already helped Saint Polydoros. On Thursday of the first week of Great Lent he presented himself dressed as a Muslim before the judge. Boldly confessing his conversion, he tore off his green turban and trampled it underfoot. The judge took him for a fool and committed him to prison in chains, giving the gaolers leave to beat and insult him as they pleased. The following day, after a second court appearance, he was taken back to prison and beaten 300 times on the soles of his feet. His cell door was left open for anyone to come in and beat him. A gang of some fifteen Muslims then set upon the Holy Martyr, who endured their blows without complaint, only saying in a choking voice: "I am a Christian!" Afterwards, they tied two bricks to his temples so tightly with a chord that his eyes were forced from their sockets. As he called with loud cried for help from above, they struck him on the mouth, broke his teeth, and left him half dead.

A young Christian named George, an avid reader of the feats of the Holy Martyrs, got himself imprisoned in order to observe Saint Theodore's contests. He stayed at his side, kissing his feet and encouraging him, while the Turks questioned him and subjected him to different torments.

When sentence of death was finally delivered, the executioners tore off his fetters with violence and beat him along the way to the place of his execution. Having confessed Christ one last time, he was hanged on the gallows, but the rope broke and he fell to the ground, hurting his legs. He was strung up again, and thus obtained the much longed for crown of martyrdom. For three days Christians hastened there from all parts to take pieces of his tunic, and to soak them in his precious blood, which continued to flow from his wounds, and many were healed of their sicknesses. Saint Theodore was solemnly laid to rest, and he is venerated as one of the holy protectors of the island of Mytilene.

From The Synaxarion (vol. 3), pp. 542-543.

The Prayer of St. Theodore

As he was preparing for his martyrdom, a fellow monk of St. Theodore in Chios wrote the following prayer for him:

Lord Jesus Christ, the physician of my miserable soul, do not turn from me the sinner in disgust, but strengthen my weak and hardened heart, and warm it in its love for Your martyrdom. I denied You, my Maker and Benefactor, without being forced by anyone and became a servant of the vile devil and a plaything of demons, and found myself under their authority and subject to their will. Now aided by Your grace and unsurpassable forbearance, which has helped me to flee their traps, help me, who am a miserable and pitiful creature, unworthy of the Orthodox Christian calling, to confess You before rulers and tyrants. Yes, my Lord, yes Only-Begotten Son of God. Do not turn in disgust from your servant, but accept me in the choir of your martyrs, and find me worthy to gain their forgiveness. Amen.

Read also: St. Theodore the Byzantine and the Miraculous Deliverance of Mytilene from the Plague

The Metropolitan Cathedral and Sts. Theodori Church In Mytilene

A few blocks from the port in Mytilene town, are enshrined the relics of St. Theodore of Byzantium. On his feast day, February 17th, Orthodox Christians celebrate his memory with flowers and brightly illuminated lanterns in the church bell tower. In 1888, however, when the regions newly assigned pasha asked what the Christians were commemorating and was told about St. Theodore, he became angry and forbade them to display public veneration for the martyr. The next morning the pasha was found dead, and everyone, both Christians and Muslims, believed this to be an act of God, a punishment for forbidding of the celebration.

The Metropolitan Cathedral (the new Cathedral) and Sts. Theodori (the old Cathedral) are just a few blocks away from the waterfront of Mytilene town. The Metropolitan Cathedral contains the skull of St. Theodore and is open daily. The old Cathedral is a block away, and though officially dedicated to the Annunciation, the locals call it "Agioi Theodori", after Sts. Theodore Stratilates, Theodore the Tyro and Theodore of Byzantium.

Apolytikion in the First Tone
Thou wast offered to God as a precious gift through thy labours in conflict, and didst become a blameless and acceptable offering. O blessed Theodore we praise thy struggles; we give glory to God who has strengthened thee, O much-afflicted one, against all thine enemies, visible and invisible.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
Thy contest has arisen like a bright morning star and has inspired us to glorify Christ. He has shown thee forth as one steadfast in struggle, O Martyr Theodore.

Megalynarion
Let us the faithful praise the pearl of Jesus in odes and hymns, Christ's bright star of the neomartyrs, Theodore the New, the boast of the faithful.

The Apolytikion for the Translation of the Relics of St. Theodore of Byzantium (4th Sunday of Pascha) in the Fourth Tone
The all-precious Relics of St. Theodore, O faithful, let us gloriously honor as a precious treasure, and let all cry out: Save us from the dangers, those who faithfully hymn you, as when you delivered the city from the plague, and preserve all of us through your intercessions.

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Hundreds of Russians Gather To Venerate Icon of Tsar Nicholas II

February 17, 2011
Romfea.gr

Hundreds of faithful flocked to St. Petersburg today to venerate the "miraculous" icon of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, who was executed by the Bolsheviks and was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.

"I am Russian and Orthodox, and for me the holy martyr Nicholas II is a symbol of Russia," said Anatoly Krougklof, 65, while waiting in line that lead to the icon in an exhibition center in the former imperial capital.

The icon of the last Tsar is a copy of the original located in the U.S., which in 1998 was deemed "miraculous" because it emits a fragrance of myrrh.

The then Patriarch of Russia, Alexis II, had placed the icon on a plane to fly above all Russia.

"The resurgence of Russia will begin with the rebirth of faith. I am very pleased to see many people here, near the icon of the Tsar-martyr" said 57 year old Sergei Antotsenkof.

Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their five children were executed by the Cheka, the political police of the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg in the Urals. Their remains were buried in 1998 in St. Petersburg in the family tomb of the Romanovs.

Click on story below for video:

08:03 17.02.2011 «Неупиваемую чашу» привезли в Петербург Чудотворную икону «Неупиваемая чаша» привезли в Петербург. В течении пяти дней к святыне может приложиться любой желающей. В Северной столице открывается большая православная выставка. Образ Божией Матери «Неупиваемая чаша» в нашем городе впервые. С конца XIX века икона помогала людям, страдающим от пьянства. Со всей России страждущие стекались в Серпухов. Также в Петербург из Москвы привезли чудотворную икону Николая Угодника. Ей шестьсот лет. Изначально на ней была изображена Богородица. Со временем старый образ истлел, и потом на полотне был написан новый образ святителя Николая. Уникальность образа царя-мученика Николая в том, что он является ксерокопией написанной в Америке иконы. Русская Православная Церковь за границей прославила императора гораздо раньше Московского Патриархата. Читать далее >>

Read also: Russians Worship 'Miraculous' Icon of Tsar

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The Humility of Saint Gregory the Great

By St. John Moschos

We encountered Abba John the Persian at the Lavra of Monidia and he told us this about Gregory the Great, the most blessed Bishop of Rome:

"I went to Rome to pray at the tombs of the most blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul. One day as I was standing in the city-centre I saw that Pope Gregory was going to pass by. I had it in mind to prostrate myself before him. The attendants of the pope began saying to me, one by one, 'Abba, do not prostrate yourself', but I could not understand why they had said that to me; certainly it seemed improper for me not to prostrate myself. When the pope came near and perceived that I was about to prostrate myself - the Lord is my witness brethren - he prostrated himself down to the ground and refused to rise until I had got up. He embraced me with great humility, handed me three pieces of gold and ordered me to be given a monastic cloak, stipulating that all my needs were to be taken care of. So I glorified God Who had given him such humility towards everybody, such generosity with alms and such love."

From The Spiritual Meadow, Cistercian Publications, 1992, p. 124.

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Catholicism and the Rise of Atheism

Just a quick note of clarification regarding my last post titled F. Dostoyevsky: The Origins of Modern Atheism.

Some may think the "original fault" of Catholicism hardly exists anymore which lead to the rise of atheism, as noted by Dostoyevsky and other Orthodox theologians. We should keep in mind however why this is so. Basically it is because of the rise of Humanism and Secularism in the West, and of course one cannot discount the Reformation. It is hardly because of any repentance by the papacy in Catholic doctrines, which allowed such divisions to arise in the first place. Catholicism today has put on a new facade, such as denying that there are essential differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, but essentially Catholicism is still the same with the intention of having Orthodox bow before the Pope as the Supreme Pontiff of the Church. And the present Pope is very open about this intention, which is why Orthodox-Catholic dialogue today focuses on moral issues and not doctrinal. Today Catholicism, as huge as it is, is in a very vulnerable position in Western Europe especially because its weaknesses slowly yet surely are being exposed, though they have strength still in being the basis of moral order in the West (along with all of Christianity), which answers at least this fundamental human need even in a secular environment.

At the root of the historical problem with the papacy is the Frankish influence it received by implementing the scholastic method of doing theology, which placed reason as the ultimate tool in gaining knowledge, as opposed to the Orthodox method which existed in the West also during the first millenium, which is basically the empirical method of theological knowledge. The empirical method focuses on one's experience of God through the vision of His uncreated energies or powers. By the West placing reason as the supreme source of knowledge and relegating revelation to what was revealed only in Scripture, it allowed atheism to flourish since it took the direct personal experience of God out of the picture (except through a sentimental emotionalism or deluded mysticism). By logic one can argue for faith and against faith, back and forth endlessly. Arguments can be made that are valid for God's existence and against God's existence. The Orthodox however still emphasize what was always taught in Scripture and the Church Fathers, that one cannot know if God exists with absolute certainty unless there is direct knowledge and experience of God. Jesus said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The purification of the heart is at the heart of Orthodox spirituality, and the only way one can truly "see God" and acquire the Holy Spirit and faith based on actual evidence is through the purification of the heart of its passions and sins.

This is basically the essential difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which leads to many other differences.

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F. Dostoyevsky: The Origins of Modern Atheism

By Christos Yannaras

After the Schism, certain Greek Fathers saw clearly where the "innovations" of Western Christianity were leading. Centuries later Dostoyevsky drew the same conclusions about the West: "Roman Catholicism is no longer Christianity (1) ... Catholicism is a non-Christian faith ... The Catholicism of Rome is worse than atheism ... Atheism teaches nothingness, but Catholicism goes further; it teaches a distorted Christ who is Christ's opposite. It proclaims the anti-Christ" (2).

Dostoyevsky is widely admired in the West, but most readers ignore this passage, regarding it as a typical piece of Russian hyperbole. (3) They prefer to see this as an incidental criticism or "confessional" comparison. But it is the crux of Dostoyevsky's analysis. He is making a positive point that sheds a relentless light on the Western distortions. His work as a whole attempts to set the Church's Christ against the distorted version of Christ prevalent in the West.

He writes:

"That is where atheism comes from, from Catholicism. Atheism began in the first place with the Roman Catholics themselves: could they ever have taken themselves seriously? It took root through the abhorrence people felt for them (4) ... Rome has proclaimed a Christ who has fallen for Satan's third temptation ... It has proclaimed that Christ cannot reign without an earthly Kingdom. It is as if Catholicism had proclaimed the Antichrist, and that is what has destroyed the West (5). The pope has seized territory, sitting on an earthly throne and with a sword in his hand. Nothing has changed; there are only more lies, deceit, fanaticism ... They have manipulated the people's honest, most just, most pure, most ardent feelings. They have betrayed everything for worthless earthly power. Is this not a teaching of the Antichrist? Atheism was inevitable after this ... and socialism is the offspring and essence of Catholicism. Atheism, its brother, came from disappointment, usurping the lost moral authority of religion to save humanity, not through Christ but by force. Socialism is also freedom through force and union through blood and the sword (6) ... In the West there is no Church at all, only clergy and magnificent church architecture. Denominations try to aspire to the virtues of the state that swallows them up. This is what I think has happened to the Lutheran countries. But in Rome the state replaced the Church a thousand years ago...." (7)

Dostoyevsky's novels reflect the historical experience of his age, the experience of Western expansion into the Orthodox East. The most celebrated expression of this is in Ivan Karamazov's fable, the "Grand Inquisitor", (8) which exposes the inner logic of the Western innovations.

Dostoyevsky remains the best guide to the experiential differences between Orthodoxy and the West.

Notes:

1. Dostoyevsky, The Posessed II.1.8.
2. Dostoyevsky, The Idiot IV.8.
3. See e.g. Guardini (1964) 177ff.
4. Dostoyevsky, The Idiot IV.8.
5. Dostoyevsky, The Possessed II.1.8.
6. Dostoyevsky, The Idiot IV.8.
7. Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov II.5.
8. Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov V.5.

From Orthodoxy and the West, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, pp. 43-44.

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Official Glorification Sought For St. Ephraim of Nea Makri

An epistle was sent out by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew requesting the recognition of Saint Ephraim, who was martyred in 1436 and whose miraculous relics were divinely revealed in 195o, within the membership of the List of Saints of the Orthodox Church.

Sixty years after the discovery of the relics of the Saint, the Standing Holy Synod of Greece, in a letter sent - as required - to the Ecumenical Patriarch as the sole power to promote the request, requested that his memoray be celebrated on May 5th as well as January 3rd, since on the latter date his holy relics were discovered.

It is interesting to note that this is Archbishop Ieronymos' first attempt since being elevated as Archbishop of Greece three years ago to enlist someone in the List of Saints.

The Holy Synod wrote to the Patriarch that Saint Ephraim is widely acknowledged by Orthodox throughout the world as a saint. They further stated that "the influx of pilgrims is massive, almost daily, and on Sundays and holidays the monastery is flooded with pilgrims from all of Greece.... The honor towards Saint Ephraim the New is clearly widespread throught Greece and outside of it.... There are churches dedicated to the Saint in Sitia and Tinos.... Icons of the Saint are venerated throughout the Orthodox world."

The late Archbishop Christodoulos of Greece also attempted to canonize St. Ephraim, but Metropolitan Panteleimon of Attica in 1997 stated in a letter that "according to Orthodox tradition and order, the Orthodox Church proclaims and establishes saints according to the conscience of the ecclesiastical world, and the administrative authority of the Church simply confirms the faith of the pious people, and that such a decision is declaratory in nature."

Indeed, Metropolitan Panteleimon was referring to the miracles of the Saint and the thousands of pilgrims who annually flood the monastery.

A year later, while the Holy Synod of Greece called upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate to induct the Saint in the Hagiology, a conflict arose between the Metropolitan of Attica and the Monastery where St. Ephraim's relics lie and the issue became "frozen".

Source

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Orthodox Grateful For Return of the Theotokos of Kozeltshan Icon

Orthodox Christians Are Moved To Tears Over Homecoming of Stolen Icon

The recovery of the valuable painting is regarded as a miracle.

Pipsa Palttala
February 10, 2011
Helsingin Sanomat

The congregation breaks into a sigh when a precious icon, browned and dirtied with soil, is brought into the room.

The staff of the Helsinki Orthodox Church have last seen the "Theotokos of Kozeltshan" icon, depicting the Virgin Mary, in the summer of 2010.

In June of last year, the valuable icon was stolen and subsequently hidden underground in Turku.

Apart from the extremely valuable icon, the thieves also seized jewellery and ornaments that worshippers had left as offerings around the actual work, and further jewels from around a second icon.

Another burglary occurred in August 2010, when several perpetrators had broken into the Greek Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral through the same window as in the previous burglary in June.

The congregation, however, had made improvements to the church’s security systems after the previous break-in, and the security firm reached the scene promptly.

According to the police, some items had been moved around inside, but on this occasion nothing was missing.

Police got on the trail of the stolen icon when a man who was imprisoned for the theft came forward much later with information on where it was hidden.

”In the morning, we were informed that the icon was being searched for. In the afternoon, it was established that the unearthed icon was in fact the work of art missing from Helsinki’s Uspenski Cathedral since June”, reports the smiling pastor Markku Salminen.

”We were kept informed during the entire search, while we were waiting for the return of the icon from Turku. When the police then arrived, singing parishioners were out meeting the icon in the street”, Salminen adds.

For six months, the icon had been covered in dirt under a layer of soil and snow. Even though the pieces of jewellery that had been placed around the icon by parishioners had long since gone missing and the background of the painting had been tarnished, the picture itself looked bright.


For the Orthodox parishioners, the icon is a priceless work of ecclesiastical art. The "Theotokos of Kozeltshan" icon used to draw for example couples desperate for a child to the Uspenski Cathedral, even from abroad.

”God allowed us to get plenty of snow this year. If the ground had been frozen or soaked, the damage would have been much worse”, Salminen notes inside the cathedral.

The recovered icon was kept in the congregation’s refrigerator overnight in order that too rapid a warming process would not destroy the precious work of art.

Last Wednesday, the icon was sent to the Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi for restoration before it is brought back to the Uspenski Cathedral.

Some of the staff of the Helsinki Orthodox congregation were nursing hopes of the recovery of the icon, while Salminen and other priests used a photo of the icon for the screensaver on their computers.

”I ordered that a blank space should be left where the icon had been, even though we had a copy of the icon available”, Salminen continues.

The parishioners are unanimous in their belief that the recovery of the icon was a miracle.

”This indicates that even a hardened criminal may repent”, says a tearful Tuula Savinainen from the Orthodox Congregation’s customer services.

The Helsinki Police Department's unit for investigating crimes against property reports that Ion Vasile, a 36-year-old Romanian national who was imprisoned for the theft, came forward voluntarily, revealing the hideout of the icon.

In August 2010, the Helsinki District Court handed down a sentence of three years and four months' imprisonment to Vasile for the aggravated theft committed in June, and for the attempted aggravated theft in August 2010.

He was also sentenced to pay more than EUR 180,000 in compensation to the Helsinki Orthodox Congregation.

”We believe that the matter has been bothering him in prison. The disclosure will not help him to seek any post-conviction relief, as the court has given its final verdict and the case is over. The disclosure is simply related to the perpetrator’s wish to ease his conscience”, describes Detective Inspector Kari Niinimäki.

The two other men involved in the second burglary received sentences of one year and two months each for attempted aggravated theft.

The underground stash containing the icon was located in the centre of Turku.

The police are unwilling to disclose the precise place, as their investigations are still incomplete.

Apparently the icon was hidden away as the thieves wanted to get rid of the precious artefact.

The whereabouts of the other jewellery taken is not known.

Read also: The Icon of the Theotokos of Kozeltshan Is Found

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A Tale of Two Bucharest Cathedrals

Craig Turp
February 15, 2011
Bucharest Life

Two enormous cathedrals are currently being built in Bucharest: one Orthodox, and one secular.

The Orthodox cathedral was last week handed 10 million lei (around €2.5 million) in funding by the Romanian state, a move which sparked (understandable) outrage amongst a large section of liberal Romanian society (which believes that the state should not be funding cathedrals at all). The project will cost in total around 200 million lei, with the Romanian Orthodox Church now expected to find the rest from donations, benefactors or the banks. The current government has stated quite clearly that there can be no more public money for the project.

The secular cathedral on the other hand – which is now close to completion – has so far benefited from almost €90 million in state funding (either directly from the government or from the local budget), and it is estimated that it will need another €60 million before completion this summer. Unlike the Orthodox cathedral (which is being built on open space behind Casa Poporului) the secular cathedral required the demolition of a historic monument.

And yet – with a couple of honourable exceptions, including the incomparable Sorin Ionita in Evenimentul Zilei (in Romanian) this morning – we have heard nor read barely a word of objection to the public funding of the secular cathedral. Shurley shome mishtake? A cathedral is, after all, a cathedral, regardless of the religion?

Read the rest here.

Read also: Romania to Start Building Balkans' Biggest Church

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Yoga Not As Old Or Hindu As Many Think

Meera Nanda
February 12, 2011
Open Magazine

No one denies that Hinduism’s most sacred and ancient texts, including the Bhagvad Gita, describe different kinds of yogic practices. But what does this ancient and sacred tradition of yoga have to do with what people all around the world do in yoga classes in gyms and fitness centres today?

To most Indians, such questions are nothing less than sacrilegious. Yoga is for them what apple pie and motherhood are for Americans: a living symbol of their way of life.

Indians tend to affirm their claims on yoga by trotting out the familiar icons of the ‘5,000-year-old Vedic tradition,’ which supposedly stretches from the Pashupati seal of the (actually very unVedic) Indus Valley civilisation to the Bhagvad Gita and the venerable Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Yoga, Indians like to solemnly declare, is ‘eternal’ and ‘timeless’ and all the great yoga masters, from Swami Vivekananda to BKS Iyengar to Baba Ramdev of our own time, have only restored or reinstituted an ancient practice. It is also commonplace to hear Indians—even those who are not particularly spiritual themselves—blame Americans and other ‘decadent’ Westerners for reducing their spiritually rich tradition to mere calisthenics.

Lately, Hindus in America have started flying the saffron flag over American-style yoga, which consists largely of yogic asanas and stretches. The leading Indo-American lobby, Hindu American Foundation (HAF), has recently started a vocal campaign to remind Americans that yoga was made in India by Hindus. Not just any ordinary Hindus, but Sanskrit-speaking, forest-dwelling Brahmin sages who learned to discipline their bodies in order to purify their atman. The purist Hindu position, articulated by the HAF, is that all yoga, including its physical or hatha yoga component, is rooted in the Hindu religion/way of life that goes all the way back to the Vedic sages and yogis.

There is only one problem with this purist history of yoga: it is false. Yogic asanas were never ‘Vedic’ to begin with. Far from being considered the crown jewel of Hinduism, yogic asanas were in fact looked down upon by Hindu intellectuals and reformers—including the great Swami Vivekananda—as fit only for sorcerers, fakirs and jogis. Moreover, what HAF calls the “rape of yoga”, referring to the separation of asanas from their spiritual underpinning, did not start in the supposedly decadent West; it began, in fact, in the akharas and gymnasiums of 19th and 20th century India run by Indian nationalists seeking to counter Western images of effete Indians. It is in this nationalistic phase that hatha yoga took on many elements of Western gymnastics and body-building, which show up in the world-renowned Iyengar and Ashtanga Vinyasa schools of yoga. Far from honestly acknowledging the Western contributions to modern yoga, we Indians simply brand all yoga as ‘Vedic,’ a smug claim that has no intellectual integrity.

It is the hidden history of modern postural yoga that is the main theme of this essay. But first, some background on the great ‘take back yoga’ movement.

Read the rest of the article here.

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Movie: The Priest (Поп) [In Russian]

The Priest (Поп)

Director: Vladimir Khotinenko
Cast: Sergei Makovetsky, Nina Usatova, Elizabeth Arzamasova, Stepan Morozov, Kirill Pletnev, Viktoria Romanenko
Country: Russia
Genre: Drama, Historical, Military
Year: 2010
Length: 2:08:54

The film takes place during the German occupation of Soviet territory during the Second World War. Between 1941 and 1944, a small group of priests was dispatched by the Orthodox Metropolitan of Latvia on a mission to the Pskov region, then occupied by the Wehrmacht, to reopen churches closed by the Soviets.

Trailer:


Movie:


Read more here (in Russian).

A review critical of the film and its message is here.

The official movie site is here.

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Photo: Ronald Reagan Lights A Candle of Freedom In the U.S.S.R.

See also photos here and here.

A photograph of Ronald and Nancy Reagan hangs to this day in the monastery.

Read New York Times article here. Read also here and here.

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An Icon Meditation For My Birthday

The icon above is Russian in origin and dates to the 18th century. It depicts the various stages in a man's life as a triangle. According to this icon a man reaches his prime of life, or at least the top of the pyramid of his life, at the age of thirty-five, after which there is a descent into old age.

Since today is my 35th birthday, I find this to be an excellent reminder of where I'm at in life, though it appears its all downhill from here. ;-)

Note: If anyone knows more about this icon, or at least can read the writing, a rough (or complete) translation would be appreciated.

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Holy Newly-Revealed New Martyr Nicholas of Ichthys, Corinth

St. Nicholas of Ichthys, Corinth (Feast Day - February 14)

A Neomartyr Is Newly-Revealed

In the year 1930, a neomartyr named Nicholas of the 16th century who was forgotten by the Church was revealed. Metropolitan Ezekiel of Thessaliotis, who, on a routine tour of the monasteries of his diocese, discovered a manuscript in the deserted Monastery of the Holy Trinity, surnamed Siamou, on Mount Pindos, which contained the service, a synaxarion, and a sermon in honor of this new martyr, all of which were authored by his contemporary, Subdeacon Damaskenos the Stoudite of Thessalonike, who later became Bishop of Rendini. All these were copied by Metropolitan Ezekiel, who dedicated the manuscript to the School of Theology at the University of Athens and published them. The first Greek edition of Metropolitan Ezekiel, titled "Service to the Newly-Appeared Martyr Nicholas of Ichthys of Corinth, with a Prologue by Metropolitan Ezekiel..." was published by Foinikos Press (1930) at Stadiou 44 in Athens [download book here]; a reprint was published at Corinth by Chrestos Skouteres (1963). The hymnographer of the Great Church, Father Gerasimos Mikragiannanites, also composed a service to venerate this saint.

Life of New Martyr Nicholas of Ichthys, Corinth

Nicholas, the newly-revealed and courageous martyr of Christ, was born in an obscure hamlet, called by its neighbors Ichthys or Psari, which was within the prefecture of Corinth. His parents, John and Kalli, were pious and faithful to Christ. When the holy lad was twelve years old, his parents departed this world. Since he was left alone at home, the boy could not endure the absence of his beloved mother and father. He, therefore, departed his hometown in the company of several youths. They were bound for the town of Selyvria, which is a day's distance from Constantinople. Nicholas entered the service of one of Selyvria's prominent citizens as a valet. The fear of God was in Nicholas' heart, and he kept the commandments of Christ with zeal. Along with the fulfillment of his duties, he supported the parishes in the area according to his means.

Nicholas had a good and pious upbringing. He wished to establish a Christian home. When he reached a suitable age, he entered into lawful wedlock and fathered children whom he reared in the Greek Orthodox tradition and the teachings of Christ. His godly children were fruit that bore witness to the tree, even though they were brought up in a worldly environment. While engaged in a livelihood of selling fruits on the main street of the town, Nicholas did not neglect the salvation of his soul. He ministered to the poor and pleased God by distributing alms. He, moreover, attended services in the nearby churches.

Nicholas, however, aspired to achieve a greater gift (that is to say, martyrdom), and this story tells of how it was attained. Now Sultan Suleyman I (1520-1566), in the thirty-fourth year of his reign, had embarked on a campaign in Persia. At Constantinople the sultan left in charge his prefect, a certain Sinan. This man, who had nothing to commend him, would boast of his kinship with the sultan and tyrranize his subjects. He was overbearing in his position and committed more firghtening and barbarous acts against the Christians than one can imagine. He condemned some Christians to serve as galley slaves on pirate ships, while others he terrorized with threats of punishment.

At that time, the godly Nicholas was despised by the Turks in his neighborhood. They resented his industriousness and ability to sell more produce than they on the main thoroughfare. Nicholas, consequently, was taken into custody, and led forth to Constantinople. The Christian stood trial before the prefect; without weakening in the least, Nicholas confessed that he was a Christian, calling the Hagarene (Muslim) religion false. As a result, by order of the prefect, Nicholas received such a severe beating with branches from a pomegranate tree that the blood ran forth even from his toenails. After this terrible torture, he was cast into prison and received no medical attention. The year was 1554.

Four days later, the judge took him out of his cell. The Muslim prefect, by flattery and the promise of an important position, attempted to persuade Nicholas to deny the pure Faith of Christ. But the villain acomplished nothing, for Nicholas, the martyr of truth, became even more adament in the Orthodox Faith. The martyr invoked the name of Christ, thereby chastising those godless ones for their unbelief. He called their false prophet the son of the devil and an enemy of God. After hearing this declaration, the Muslim's bound chains arond Nicholas' neck. Instead of garments, they put a woven mat about his body. In this condition, the executioners paraded him throughout the city. Nevertheless, neither did this form of torture induce the martyr to yield; rather, his sufferings strengthened him in the Faith. By order of the prefect, the Muslims lit a great bonfire in the hippodrome, to which the proponents of impiety led the martyr. They, however, did not throw him into the fire immediately; instead they cruelly exposed his body, little by little, to the flames. This was done to prolong the severity of his suffering.

After the saint was subjected to this torture for a long period of time, he could no longer hold himself upright, so he leaned to the right. The executioners removed the chains, which he wore about his neck, and severed his head with a sword. Thus, Christ's valiant witness and martyr surrendered his soul into the hands of God. His honored body was burned in the fire and his soul went into the hands of God. Only his sacred head remained intact. It was purchased by a devout man for twenty golden coins, by which he bribed the executioner. This precious relic was sent to the Thessalian monastery of our Holy Father Athanasios of the Great Meteoron, where it is found to this day, being a source of many miracles, to the glory of Christ, our true God, to Whom is due glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.

From The Great Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church, translated by Holy Apostles Convent, pp. 634-636.

Read more about St. Nicholas in Greek from his church in Corinth here.

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The Orthodox Saint Valentine

St. Valentine the Hieromartyr (Feast Day - February 14 and July 6)

The ancient martyrology of the Church of Rome marks February 14th as the remembrance of "the martyr Valentine, presbyter of Rome" (Valentinus means "vigorous" in Latin). Unfortunately the historical data for the Saint is incomplete.

The Martyrdom of the Saint in Rome

Saint Valentine lived in Rome in the third century and was a priest who helped the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II the Goth. The great virtue and catechetical activities of the Saint had become familiar. For this he was arrested and brought before the imperial court.

"Why, Valentine, do you want to be a friend of our enemies and reject our friendship?" asked the emperor.

The Saint replied "My lord, if you knew the gift of God, you would be happy together with your empire and would reject the worship of idols and worship the true God and His Son Jesus Christ."

One of these judges stopped the Saint and asked him what he thought about Jupiter and Mercury, and Valentine boldly replied, "They are miserable, and spent their lives through corruption and crime!"

The judge furiously shouted, "He blasphemes against the gods and against the empire!"

The emperor, however, continued his questions with curiosity, and found a welcome opportunity to finally learn what was the faith of Christians. Valentine then found the courage to urge him to repent for the blood of the Christians that was shed. "Believe in Jesus Christ, be baptized and you will be saved, and from this time forward the glory of your empire will be ensured as well as the triumph of your armory."

Claudius became convinced, and said to those who were present: "What a beautiful teaching this man preaches."

But the mayor of Rome, dissatisfied, began to shout: "See how this Christian mislead our Prince."

Then Claudius brought the Saint to another judge. He was called Asterios, and he had a little girl who was blind for two years. Listening about Jesus Christ, that He is the Light of the World, he asked Valentine if he could give that light to his child. St. Valentine put his hand on her eyes and prayed: "Lord Jesus Christ, true Light, illuminate this blind child." Oh the great miracle! The child saw! So the judge with all his family confessed Christ. Having fasted for three days, he destroyed the idols that were in the house and finally received Holy Baptism.

When the emperor heard about all these events, he initially thought not to punish them, thinking that in the eyes of the citizens he will look weak, which forced him to betray his sense of justice. Therefore St. Valentine along with other Christians, after they were tortured, were beheaded on 14 February in the year 268 (or 269).

The Relics of the Saint in Athens

After the martyrdom some Christians salvaged the body of the Saint and put a bit of his blood in a vile. The body of the martyr was moved and buried in the Catacombs of St. Priscilla, a burial place of most of the martyrs. Over the years somehow he was "forgotten" since almost every day there were buried in these catacombs new martyrs for several decades. The memory of Valentine's martyrdom however remained robust, particularly in the local Church of Rome. Officially the memory of St. Valentine was established in 496 by Pope St. Gelasius.

Fifteen centuries pass and we arrive at 1815, at which time the divine intention was to "disturb" the eternal repose of the Saint. Then the relics were donated by the Pope to a gentle Italian priest (according to the custom of the time). After this the relics are "lost" again until 1907 where we find them in Mytilene in the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady. It seems that after the death of the priest that a descendant of his had inherited the relics who had migrated to Mytilene, which was then a thriving community of West-European Catholic Christians. There they remained until 1990 when they were moved to Athens in the Church of Saints Francis and Clara's Italian community, where they are today.

Saint Valentine the Greek

We should first say that there is not sufficient information on the national origin of the Saint, though there are some other (shades of) evidence that the Saint was of Greek origin. For example, the earliest depiction of the Saint bearing the inscription «O ΑΓΙΟC BAΛΕΝΤΙΝΟC" in Greek, is in the Church of Our Lady the Ancient (Santa Maria Antiqua) of the 6th century which was the parish of Greeks in Rome. The church particularly venerated saints who were Greeks and generally from the East. The decoration and renovation of the church was ordered by the Greek Pope John VII (705-707) and finished by his successors, including the last Greek Pope Zacharias (741-752). But perhaps it is no coincidence that after seventeen centuries, the remains arrived in Greece. The issue here still requires research.

Saint Valentine: Patron of Lovers

Apart from the historical data we have for Valentine's life, there is accompanied various legends, such as from those who say he is the patron saint of lovers.

The Saint had a reputation as a peacemaker, and one day while cultivating some roses from his garden, he heard a couple quarrel very vigorously. This shocked the Saint, who then cut a rose and approached the couple asking them to hear him. Even though they were dispirited, they obeyed the Saint and afterwards were offered a rose that blessed them. Immediately the love returned between them, and later they returned and asked the Saint to bless their marriage. Another tradition says that one of the charges against Valentine was that he did not adhere to the command of the emperor which stated that men who had not fulfilled their military obligations were not allowed to marry; meanwhile the Saint had blessed the marriage of young Christian soldiers with their beloveds.

Besides all this, the likely choice of him as the "saint of lovers" is to be associated with the pagan festival of Lupercalia, a fertility festival, celebrated by the Romans on February 15. Others connect the celebration of this feast with the mating season of birds during this period. Certainly, however, the Saint has nothing to do with the commercialism (marketing) of flowers, gifts and secular centers which trivialize Eros, this great gift of God.


Saint Valentine and Orthodoxy

Many, however, raise the objection that St. Valentine is not mentioned anywhere in the calendar of the Orthodox Church. Indeed on 14 February in the calendar of the Church there are commemorated Saints Auxentios, Maron and the martyrs Nicholas and Damian. The explanation is simple: in ancient times hagiographic directories, biographies and martyrologia were written to be primarily used locally in their own character, and the fame and reputation of a saint locally does not mean that it extended also throughout the Church. So there may be saints honored widely in one region and completely unknown in another, eg, St. Demetrios, who is famous throughout the Eastern Church, yet in the West is not honored at all, and is almost unknown, but this does not mean that he is not a saint. Another example of the modern Church: St. Chrysostomos of Smyrna († 1922) who in Greece is known, yet in Russia is completely unknown, but this does not mean that he is not a saint.

Honor Martyrs - Imitate Martyrs

We honor our saints and St. Valentine when we imitate their courage to proclaim their faith in Christ the Savior, who did so even at the cost of their lives. We honor them when we beseech them to appeal to God to have mercy on us and forgive our many sins. We honor them when they are our models of the life in Christ. We do not honor the saints when we measure their 'worth' by worldly amusements and festivities in the best circumstances ... Honor Martyrs - Imitate Martyrs!

Bibliography

1. Encyclopedia New Advent (www.newadvent.org)

2. Patron Saints Index (www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm)

3. Oxford Dictionary of Saints

4. Ελληνισμός & Ορθοδοξία, Εκδόσεις PSL Λιβάνη

5. Ο άγιος Βαλεντίνος της Αθήνας, Εκδόσεις Καλός Τύπος

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos

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