A Miraculous Healing By Saint Raphael of Lesvos

The following miracle is recounted in the book The Miracles of Saint Raphael by Evgenia, abbess of the Convent of Saint Raphael in Mytilene, Greece.

My son Constantine, a pupil in high school, had a terrible accident. Together with two other boys, he was burned when a cauldron of boiling fat exploded. There was no part of his body which was not burned, from head to foot. We rushed him to the hospital, but the doctors said he could not live, or if by any chance he did so, he could remain paralyzed.

As soon as I heard this I uttered from the depths of my heart: "St. Raphael, have pity on me and save my child. Let him live with no trace of the accident, or else let God take him tonight, so that he should suffer no more."

That evening as I dozed, I dreamed that I was at the harbor of Mytilene, and St. Raphael came up to me dressed in a white rason, and said, "Magdalene, our Costas will get well. Soon he will be home without any mark." That same night my son saw St. Raphael come and peel off a black skin from him, from the crown of his head to his toes. The Saint said, "You are completely well."

From that moment, he recovered rapidly, and in fifteen days he was home without any mark on him. The doctors confessed that it was a great miracle. This happened in 1969.

Magdalene Patrele
Ellwood, Australia

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The Appearance of the Iveron Portaitissa Icon

Photo taken in 1927 or 1928 by Ali Sami Bei

This icon was the property of a pious widow who lived in the area of Nicea in Asia Minor during the time of the iconoclastic emperor Theophilus (829-842). When the emperor's men arrived there to find and destroy every holy icon, this faithful widow threw the wonderworking icon of the Theotokos into the sea. Then she beheld a strange wonder. The icon stood upright on the water and traveled westward across the waves in this position.

After a time the icon arrived in front of the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos. A certain holy hermit named Gabriel received it in his arms from the water, and he gave it to the monks. They built a little church for the icon near the gate of the monastery, and they placed the icon there. From that time it was called the Portaitissa.

Since then the Most Holy Theotokos has worked many miracles through her holy icon. She has cured those who were possessed by demons, healed those who were lame, and given sight to the blind. At the same time, she has protected the monastery from every danger and saved it from invasions of foreigners. Among those who received benefit from the Portaitissa was a Russian princess, the daughter of Tsar Alexei Michailovitch (1651).

The icon arrived at the Holy Mountain on Bright Tuesday 1004. Therefore, the Iveron Monastery celebrates this bright festival even to the present day. The Divine Liturgy takes place in the church by the sea, where holy water gushed up when the monk Gabriel took the icon from the sea.

The Iveron Portaitissa Icon is also commemorated on March 31.

Source

Photos by Milovan Cvetic during the litany of 2006

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Holy New Martyrs Anastasia and Christodoulos of Patras (+ 1821)

At the beginning of the revolution of 1821, Patras was in a degraded condition. A mother with two daughters and her son, a wealthy family, tried to flee to the French Embassy ​​to be saved. They did not succeeded. Arrested by the Turks they went in front of Yusuf Pasha. They pleaded, they begged and they kneeled before him to be released, but Pasha was adamant: the only way to avoid death is to convert to Islam. They cried and mourned at the threat, but shaken at the prospect of death they eventually denied Christ and were included in the harem of the Pasha.

Their servant, Anastasia, a humble girl, was also urged towards denial, however she resisted, and to the proposal of the Pasha she replied:

"My God is the God of your false prophet. Can you threaten Him, Whose echoes of thunder are louder than the cries of rage in your guards. Look at the sky, wretched unbeliever, for there resides the Virgin. She spreads out her hands to me. I see her. How sweet is her smile. She invites me, 'Come, my dove'. Rejoice, Queen of Angels! Rejoice, star of the morning! Accept your humble servant, Anastasia. Be baptized, Vizier, and deny your error. I feel it, my Savior calls me to him."

Having said that she delivered her soul, before the murderers were able to infect and to kill her. This was April 3, 1821 on Palm Sunday.

"You escaped me!" shouted Yusuf Pasha, and approaching a young boy of fourteen, the son of a priest, Christodoulos, he said:

"My Prophet struck her already, as you yourself observed, that miserable one who was not afraid to curse his name. Tremble lest you have the same luck. Say what I say 'God is my God, and Muhammad is his prophet.'"

Instead of repeating those words, the child martyr cried out:

"Christ is Risen!"

"Muhammad is better," responded Pasha.

"Only Christ is Risen!"

"I will slaughter you like a goat!"

"Christ is Risen!"

Then the attending soldiers rushed with fury against him. Pasha ordered to spare him, ordering him but a penalty of five hundred beatings, which would be distributed during a period of fourteen days. Immediately he accepted the first beating, and was encouraged to deny Christ, but he glorified Jesus. The ordeal was repeated for the next fourteen days. The Saint responded after he was encouraged to apostasize:

"My body belongs to you, but my soul to God, Who would never abandon me nor would the Virgin Mary."

When his time and penalty was completed, Yusuf dismissed him with contempt by telling his soldiers:

"Muhammad does not want this dog Christian. The resistance is enough proof. Let's let him go."

The witness of Christ left and surrendered shortly thereafter his spirit into the hands of the Lord, to receive the crown of victory.

His bloody and ripped up clothes became a treasure for the Christians, and were taken for miraculous protection.

Their memory is celebrated in Patras on Bright Tuesday.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos

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The 1826 Miracle of St. Menas in Herakleion, Crete

This miracle of Saint Menas took place in 1826 in Herakleion, Crete. Five years prior was the beginning of the Greek Revolution and the Turks had slaughtered a great number of Greeks in Crete, most noteworthy being the Metropolitan of Crete together with many of his bishops of various districts on June 24, 1821 in the Cathedral of Saint Menas, together with the officiating priest who was slaughtered on the very altar during the Divine Liturgy.

Five years later the Turks were devising another slaughter of the Christians on April 18, 1826, which was the Feast of Pascha when all Christians of the city would gather to celebrate the Feast of Feasts. To distract them they set fires on Pascha in various areas of the city and many gathered towards the church to celebrate the feast and sing "Christ is risen!"

As the gospel was being read proclaiming the Resurrection Feast, suddenly a gray haired man appeared and began running around the church holding a sword, and the faithful saw him chase away the Turks who were devising the slaughter.

The Turks thought the man was a fellow Muslim who was sent by the governor of the city to call off the slaughter. However the governor assured them he had sent no one and in fact had not left his home that night. It was then that the Turks realized that this was a miracle of Saint Menas to save the Greeks. It is for this reason that Muslims began honoring Saint Menas and bringing gifts to the church.

This event is celebrated annually at the Cathedral of Saint Menas by the people of Herakleion on Bright Tuesday, and during Great Vespers his relics are venerated by the faithful.

#1 is the new Cathedral of St. Menas completed in 1895. #2 is the old Cathedral of St. Menas where the miracle took place.

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New Documentary On Elder Paisios the Athonite

During Holy Week on Greek television a new documentary on Elder Paisios aired over a three day period. The video above is the complete program.

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Bright Week Customs and Beliefs In Old Russia

By Sergei V. Bulgakov

The feast of Pascha represents the most cheerful and solemn festival in all Rus. Not in vain did our ancestors surround this feast with special beliefs and customs living up to then in the popular way of life. Spring and the awakening of nature, incorporated with the great religious paschal celebration, gives the feast special attraction and charm: nature at this time, according to popular belief, empathizes with the resurrection of the Savior and expresses this joy in its appearance. So, our ancestors were quite sure that on the Bright Resurrection the flash of the morning dawn in the eastern sky is redder, rosier than on other days, that the sun in its rising is flashing, playing.

According to popular belief, the brightest paradise is opened on the first day of Pascha, and its gate remains opened during all of Bright Week. Therefore any one who dies during Bright Week becomes a saint, his soul entering directly into paradise. This idea was easily born in the popular mind partly under the influence of the sacred hymns proclaiming forgiveness in general, partly under the influence of the tradition to keep the Royal Doors open in the temples during all Paschal Week, itself signifying "an opening of the heavens". The Book of Needs explains why very little of the usual Burial Service for the Laymen is kept for their burial during the days of Pascha, saying that "the dead person has died in repentance (during these days); but even if he has not yet made satisfaction for his sins, these are remitted to him through the prayers of the Church and he will be freed from its bond".


Closely connected with the idea of the opened paradise is the superstitious idea, against which Maxim the Greek in the 16th century spoke, that if the sun does not set during all Paschal week, and the whole week is as though one long day, also is often the pagan conviction that during this fertile time the gods of light descend from heaven to earth and bestow fertility on it.

According to popular stories, the Savior and the Apostles wander over the earth in beggarly sackcloth from the first day of Pascha and until the Ascension of the Lord, testing human mercy, and rewarding good and punishing evil. The belief that Christ the Savior wanders about the earth departs from the Gospel narratives frequently mentioning the appearances of the Incarnate God after His resurrection from the dead. These popular views on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ were expressed as if they were of antiquity, and are now also the most advanced.

In the ancient Christian Church the feast of the Resurrection of Christ was preferentially devoted to deeds of philanthropy. During Pascha in Rus our sovereigns visited hospitals, alms-houses, imprisoned strangers, and convicts, and with the paschal salutation brought them clothes, money and food. In general, our tsars and tsarinas spent all Bright Week as pilgrims, traveling to near and far monasteries, with generous charity to the needy and the lame. And now during the whole week food is taken from the table and is hospitably offered to each traveler and
beggar.

But of all the paschal customs the most widespread and oldest included in Russian popular life is the use of colored eggs on Pascha. Besides the use of eggs during the Paschal kissing, simple people used them as symbols of all that is vital and flowers in nature.


The paschal egg, especially the first received after the Paschal kissing in the opinion of the people, has some superstitious meaning. It carefully protects as a talisman, they find treasures with its help, are released from misfortunes, fire, robbery, illnesses. With it they go to the cemeteries to give the Paschal kiss to the departed, in full confidence that the departed will hear their greetings when this egg is there with them. They go into the fields to sow grain with Paschal eggs in the firm hope for a good crop. In some places during harvesting of hemp they snack with paschal eggs and scatter the eggshells in the fields, saying: "O God, they whipped crops of hemp like eggs".

On Ascension Day they go to the fields and toss up the red eggs so that the rye will rise as high as the tossed egg. In choral dancing games and songs for the days of St. Nicholas and Pentecost, Paschal eggs play a role as a symbol of fertility and the rebirth of nature. With the end of spring the symbolical use of eggs by the people diminishes.

Also from of old the Russian people have an egg, especially on the feast of Pascha, to serve as some kind of toy: it is used for rolling, hitting and other entertainment. However, such reference to the paschal egg even from antiquity was not considered decent and proper and is why in the monastic decrees of the 17th century, signed by rectors and bishops, it is forbidden for peasants along with a number of other superstitions to beat themselves with eggs as an activity opposed to the faith and degrading the importance of the feast.

And at the present time it is required for the shepherds of the Church to care about uprooting customs connected with the paschal eggs through edification and exhortation, inasmuch as their use is connected to the superstitions opposed to the spirit of Christian teaching, but certainly is exactly the same as all other sorts of superstitious views and customs, and with every other, attached to the feast of Holy Pascha (Rukovodstvo dlia Selskikh Pastyrei [Manual for Village Pastors] 1894, 15).

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Greek Epithets of Saint George the Great Martyr

In the Orthodox Church, we give many and various epithets to the names of our Saints, either out of reverence or for some miracle or for any other reason. More than any of our Saints, the Theotokos has the most epithets applied to her name by far by the faithful. Below are some epithets applied to one of Orthodoxy's most popular and miracle working saints - Saint George the Great Martyr.

In Ofis of Pontus they called Saint George by the name Saint Aeris (Saint Aerial). Also in Pontus the Turks called him Aerts (Saint George) and knew him as O Zanton (Of the Wheel) because he was tortured on the wheel and in turn he was believed to torture their minds and drive them crazy as a punishment.

In Thrace they knew him as Arapi (the Black) or Arakleiano (of Herakleia) because a miraculous image of his was in Herakleia in the Propontis that was carved of hard black wood that gave him a black face.

In Thissio they called Saint George Akamati (the Lazy), because the Turks allowed the church dedicated to him to only celebrate the Divine Liturgy on his feast day on April 23.

In the olden days, many Greek people would often call Saint George Afenti (Master or Boss) out of respect for his position in the heavenly army and over their lives as a protector.

In Kastoria and other places they would call him Gorgos (Speedy) because he was a speedy helper, a speedy visitor and a speedy protector.

In Crete Saint George is widely known as Diasoritis which is believed to derive from his association with Zeus, who is known in Greek as Dia, or the association of the name "God" with Dia, thus meaning "Priest of Zeus". However, this epithet is probably of toponymic character and derives from the antique name of Ortaköy (the traditional birth place of St. George in Cappadocia), or, according to another version, from the name of the monastery on Amorgos Island within the Cyclades. The expression Diasoritis is usually linked to the composition modelled on the image from the monastery, where the saint is presented frontally, from the waist up, with a lance in his right hand and a round shield in his left (read more here).

Another epithet for Saint George is Disouritis (of Dysuria), because he is known to heal people with dysuria. In the Monastery of Xenophontos on Mount Athos there is a fresco of Saint George known as Disouritis.

In Imvros they call Saint George Zouros, because he heals zoura, tuberculosis and withering for those who leave their rags in the chapel.

St. George is often called Wonderworker, Trophy-bearer, or the Great. He is called the first from his numerous miracles which he works for those who call upon him in faith. The second because he won many trophies, in other words victories and triumphs in the Roman Empire as an officer. But chiefly in the Church of Christ he triumphs against every evil and conqueres the devil. And he is called “the Great” because he is perceived as the greatest and chief of the champions and martyrs.

In Kaso he is named St. Kallaris, and elsewhere St. Kavalaris (the Horseman), because he is a Saint that rides a horse.

Others call St. George the Cappadocian, because Cappadocia was the home of his father and his place of origin. He is also called the Palestinian, after his mother's homeland of Palestine and the place of his tomb.

In Chios and Limne there is a church of St. George with the name Katadoti (the Snitch). In this church the Christians gathered to plan for the revolution against the Genoans. Someone, however, betrayed them and they were all slaughtered.

In Pringkipos he is called Koudounas (the Bell), because on his icon people hang bells, symbols of insanity, which all believe he will heal them of. And there if one wants to say that someone is not well, he says: “he is for the Bell”.

On his feast on November 3rd [the dedication of the church of the Saint in Lydda] he is named tou Krasa (of the Wine), or tou Methysti (of the Drunk), because on that day they open the new bottles of wine.

In Cyprus he is called St. George tou Sporou, or elsewhere tou Sporari, because from his feast day begins the sowing of seeds by the farmers.

In Psomathia of Constantinople there is a church of the Saint, and in the outer courtyard there is a great cypress which burned in 1782. From this they called the Saint Kyparissa (the Cypress). In 1882 because of this story, Patriarch Constantios planted a new cypress.

In many areas the Saint is perceived as the protector of fishermen and they continually call on him to help them in fishing. And if it doesn't go well, they call him Paximadoklefti [Dry Bread Stealer].

In an area of Messenia called Giannitsa, near the Saint's church it appears that there are traces of horse footprints which people believe are from his horse, and because of this they call him Petaloti (the Horseshoe).

In various places he is called St. Stratego (St. Soldier) for the position which it appears he had.

In Crete, when at one point they built a church to him, some went to fish to pay the workers. They caught so many fish that they named his church St. George tou Psaropiasti (the Fish-Catcher).

On Mount Athos there is a monastic cell named St. George tou Phaneromenou (the Revealed One). It is a cell far from Karyes. 200 years ago, one night, pirates went to rob the two old monks who were staying there. A young man opened to them in kindness and was brought to the leader, and he said that he would call the Elder. The robbers waited for a while, and because they didn't see anyone they began to steal. However, then they felt that they were invisibly bound. They shouted, and they awoke the fathers who saw them bound. When they learned what had occurred, they brought the icon of St. George from the church and the thieves recognized the young man. Immediately they fell down and venerated the Saint in repentance. One of them went and lived in asceticism in Karoulia, where he built a chapel dedicated to St. George. After this miracle the cell took the name: St. George Phaneromenos.

Many times they give the Saint the name of the founders of the church, e.g. St. George O Machairas, or St. George O Trachys, and both of these churches are in Naxos. The one was opened by the Machairadon family, the other by a family named Trachy. In Constantinople there is a church of St. George O Agridianos, while in Chios they call him Pezostrato or Ketoktono.

These are just a sampling of the many epithets of Saint George, which the Greek people have called him over the years.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
As the liberator of captives, and the defender of the poor, physician of the sick and champion of kings, O Trophy-bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

Source: Translated and edited by John Sanidopoulos

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Video: Report On the Church of St. George In Cairo

The Church of Saint George in Cairo, Egypt is known for its rotunda and for being the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria. In this report the history of the church is explained and the current structural problems are discussed. Read more here.

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Video: Report On St. George Church In Lydda

This is a report on the Church of St. George in Lydda, Israel done in 2008. This church contains the tomb of St. George and is a major shrine where both Christians and Muslims venerate the Great Martyr.

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48.1% In Greece Do Not Believe in the Resurrection

According to a poll done by Κάπα Research published in the Sunday Vema, essential Orthodox teachings like the resurrection of Christ are being abandoned.

When asked "Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead?" there appears to be a drop of 10 points since the 2008 poll. 51.3% stated 'yes' and 'probably yes' then, while 41.8% answered to the same thing this year, with 26.5% indicating "yes and 15.3% "probably yes". Contrast this with 48.1% who said 'no' and 'probably not', while 10.1% replied "do not know" or "no answer".

A similar trend is seen to the question '"Do you think that in recent year Greeks believe in the divine?", where only 28.8% said "the same as before" and 18.9% "more" and 46.1% "less".

Regarding Easter, people were asked to complete the sentence "For you personally, Easter is ..." 36% said "a period of religious devotion" and 11.1% "a chance to go to church". In contrast, 42.5% said "a chance to return to their manners and customs" and 39.9% said "a chance for vacation and relaxation", while 15.1% said "a chance to be with my relatives" and 11.9% said "a chance to visit my place of origin".

In the same vein the answers to the question "On the evening of the Resurrection do you follow the entire Divine Liturgy, starting from the very beginning and leaving after the 'Christ is Risen', or simply prefer to go to hear the 'Christ is Risen'?" 48.4% said "Just go to hear the 'Christ is Risen', "28.8% said "I go from the beginning of the Divine Liturgy and then I leave after the 'Christ is Risen', "and 8.5% said "I do not go to church". Only 13.6% said they stay for the entire Divine Liturgy.

Regarding whether or not they believe in God, 56.3% said "Yes" and 20% said "Probably yes". However, 13% said "No" and 7.7% said "Probably no". 3.1% said "I don't know" or gave "No answer".

When asked about their knowledge of the Holy Week religious texts, 9.1% said "a lot", 36.6% said "fair amount", 37.9% said "a little", and 16.2% said "none".

And to the question "What emotions were generated within you during Holy Week?", 43.9% said "humble devotion", 25.1% said "reverence", 18.4% said "tranquility", 14.8% said "love", 12.9% said "peace", 10.5% said "joy", and 11.1% said "philanthropic feelings".

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Video: Report On the Holy Light of Jerusalem

This was a news report done by the Greek TV station Mega in 2001 with interviews by witnesses.

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Holy Saturday Morning In Kerkyra (Corfu)

In Corfu ceramic pots are thrown out of windows symbolizing the throwing out of evil from homes and making noise to proclaim the harrowing of Hades by Christ's victory over death. This is done following the First Resurrection service on Holy Saturday.

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Bulgarians Flock to See Wondrous Bachkovo Icon

April 25, 2011
Novinite

Monday Bulgarians are celebrating the second day of Easter, and the first day of the Bright Week, or Week of Renewal, following Jesus Christ's resurrection.

Thousands gathered at the great Bachkovo Monastery in the Rhodope Mountains south of Plovdiv in a traditional Easter meeting centered around the wonder-working icon of Virgin Mary.

The story goes that the icon was discovered some time in the 14th c. by two little shepherds high in the mountains, where they witnessed wondrous flames going out from the ground.

It is said to have healed and otherwise helped many a person ever since.

Monday Christians gathered in a solemn religious procession behind the image of the Mother of Christ.

Bachkovo Monastery is one of the largest and oldest Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe. Located along the reaches of the Assenitsa River (29 km south of Plovdiv and 189km of Sofia), the Bachkovo monastery ranks second after the Rila Monastery both with regard to size, and to architectural, artistic and literary significance. It was founded by the Georgian Grigorii Bakuriani in 1083. Almost immediately after its foundation, the monastery turned into a wealthy landowner, its properties stretching as far as Salonika.

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Flash Mob In Beirut Mall Sing "Christ Is Risen!"

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The Trickery of Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba, the famous Hindu Guru and demi-god, died at the age of 84 yesterday (read here). He is said to have performed many miracles in his lifetime, yet they were clearly magic tricks by which he deceived many people. Much can be read at Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed. One of his predictions for example was that he would die at the age of 90, so with six years short of his prophecy his "early" death throws a major death blow to his credibility.

Joe Schwarcz
April 16, 2011
The Gazette

He vanished the Taj Mahal. He made a train full of people disappear. He can turn a baby elephant into a horse. He performs to full houses more than 400 times a year, travels with a crew of 75, carries 48 tons of equipment, an elaborate laser lighting system and costumes galore. He has performed in front of royalty, presidents and prime ministers. No, he's not David Copperfield. He is P.C. Sorcar Jr., billed as the living legend of Indian magic. Even though he has garnered fame and fortune, Sorcar is not the best known magician in India. That distinction goes to Swami Sai Baba. But the Swami is not regarded as a magician. Far from it. He is revered as a miracle worker, a healer, an embodiment of divinity who has come down to Earth. To his followers, he is a "godman."

Baba has millions of followers in more than 100 countries who regularly gather at Sai Baba centres to pray, sing, meditate and work toward improving the human condition. And let's give credit where credit is due. Numerous schools, hospitals and safe drinking water systems have been built under the Swami's guidance to benefit the poor.

But don't count P.C. Sorcar among the guru's fans. He calls Baba a charlatan whose miracles amount to no more than common conjuring tricks, readily duplicated by any amateur magician. He's right. The production of "holy ash" from an apparently empty hand, the sudden appearance of a watch or necklace and the coughing up of a golden egg are all standard conjuring tricks, readily learned by any youngster attracted to magic as a hobby.

There is no doubt the miracles the Swami performs are magic tricks. Back in the 1940s, when he burst upon the scene, there were no video recorders, so all he had to do was fool a live audience. But now, his public appearances are videoed by amateurs and professionals, and you can't fool the camera. Stop action shots clearly show the guru palming compressed ash pellets before sprinkling holy ash on his admirers and "stealing" the necklaces and watches from various hiding places before they make their miraculous appearance. The rich, capable of giving donations, get the jewelry, the poor get the ashes.

Magicians get really irritated when their art is misused. Sorcar is no exception and has repeatedly challenged Sai Baba to produce his miracles under controlled conditions. Not only has that challenge not been met, the guru has even refused to meet with the magician. Sorcar finally resorted to attending one of the Swami's "performances" incognito and when Baba produced a sweet known as a sandesh, he stood up and oneupped him by materializing a rasgulla, an Indian cheese ball. At this point the Swami began to shout and had the magician forcefully removed.

Why should anyone object to the Swami's use of magic tricks in support of his roleplaying as a god? After all, he and his devotees have done a lot of good.

But what about the unfortunate people who have been disappointed when the godman was unable to heal them? Even worse, how many young men have been victimized because the guru's magic tricks convinced them that he is a god, and that therefore they should unquestioningly do his bidding?

Allegations of homosexual abuse are way too numerous to dispute, with many accounts of the holy man performing unholy feats such as rubbing followers' genitalia with oil under the guise of a "spiritual experience." Former worshippers have also come forth to describe the decidedly ungodly acts they were asked to perform during "private interviews" with the deity.

While Sai Baba is the most famous godman, there is no shortage of self-proclaimed divine beings prowling the Indian countryside, performing miracles in return for donations. Godliness is a growing, lucrative business. Aspiring gods can head to the southern Indian state of Kerala where they can enrol in schools that specialize in teaching the tricks of the trade. Here they learn how to produce holy ash, how to materialize sweets from thin air (apparently an absolute requirement for gods), how to make jewelry magically appear and how to perform the "Indian water trick," a particular favourite.

A "lota bowl" is a traditional Asian container used to dispense water in ritual purification ceremonies. But a guru who has graduated from god school can turn the bowl upside down, empty it, and within seconds show it to be full of water again. Once more it is emptied, only to be magically filled again. Surely anyone who can produce such holy water out of nowhere can also heal the sick, and is well-deserving of donations! Needless to say, the only miracle here is in the form of some clever engineering that allows the jug to be refilled with water from a hidden compartment.

An even more impressive effect is to have a coconut erupt in flames after pouring "holy" water on it. The message is that an ailing person's illness has been transferred to the coconut for destruction.

Actually, hidden in the coconut fibres is a small piece of potassium that reacts with water to form hydrogen gas, along with enough heat to ignite the hydrogen and the coconut. Impressive!

Chemically astute gurus can even start fires by telepathy! All they need do is pour some ghee (clarified butter) on sawdust and glare at it from a distance until it bursts into flames. A neat demo to be sure, one I do in the lecture room without any need for divine intervention. But I do need some potassium permanganate hidden in the sawdust to react with the glycerol masquerading as ghee.

I doubt, however, that the minions who worship at the feet of Sai Baba (now in very poor health, apparently unable to heal himself) will ever believe that their godman is but a simple conjuror. And not a very good one at that. His best trick actually is to make rational thinking vanish.

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Video: Pascha On Mount Athos

Watch live streaming video from hellasorthodoxy at livestream.com

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Mount Athos on "60 Minutes" - All Episodes

"60 Minutes",
April 24, 2011

Mount Athos: A Visit to the Holy Mountain



Transcript

Source

Behind-the-Scenes Travelogue to Holy Mt. Athos



"60 Minutes" producer Michael Karzis is the perfect tour guide to take you behind the scenes on the show's Mt. Athos story. Karzis is the son of Greek immigrants and speaks Greek. Those things surely helped as he and fellow producer Harry Radliffe tried to get permission to film a "60 Minutes" story on the otherworldly Mt. Athos, a self-governed peninsula in Greece that's home to 20 monasteries and some 2,000 monks.

But getting permission was no easy task. "The parliament that exists there, the holy community, is the only parliament on the face of the Earth that has been continually in session since the 10th century," says Karzis. "And these are the guys we were looking to get permission from to shoot on Mount Athos."

The Holy Community turned down requests from "60 Minutes." "They said, 'Thank you very much but, get in line,' Karzis recalls. "I mean, the BBC's been knocking on the door for 40 years, the French, the Germans, they've all wanted to come."

They then appealed to the powerful abbots who run individual monasteries on Mt. Athos and finally had a breakthrough.

Watch part one and part two of Bob Simon's report.

"We just built trust," says Karzis. "And they understood that we would do our best to distill the essence of monastic life, the beauty of the place, and what makes Mt. Athos unique in this world."

Once Karzis and Radliffe got their invitation, many more challenges were to come, as you'll learn in this "60 Minutes Overtime" travelogue. It's located in Europe, but Mt. Athos is remarkably difficult to access. The peninsula is only reachable by boat and the surrounding seas can be rough. It's believed that the Virgin Mary herself was shipwrecked there, which is just one of the many things that makes Mt. Athos so sacred to the monks and the thousands of pilgrims who visit each year.

The "60 Minutes" team was also stranded on Mt. Athos when heavy seas hit after the two-week shoot ended. Now back in New York, Karzis and Radliffe still seem moved by their time on the stunning mountain. If you're interested in visiting Mt. Athos as a pilgrim, these "60 Minutes" videos are arguably the best visual record ever created and the best place to start your research.

If you're a woman, these videos may be the only way you'll ever see Mt. Athos. No women allowed.

Source

Extra: Mt. Athos' Autonomy



Extra: Bastions of the Orthodox Faith



Extra: Don't Call It Art!



Extra: Life on Mt. Athos

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A Paschal Exhortation of St. Gregory the Theologian

By St. Gregory the Theologian

Yesterday the Lamb was slain and the door-posts were anointed, and Egypt bewailed her Firstborn, and the Destroyer passed us over, and the Seal was dreadful and reverend, and we were walled in with the Precious Blood. Today we have clean escaped from Egypt and from Pharaoh; and there is none to hinder us from keeping a Feast to the Lord our God— the Feast of our Departure; or from celebrating that Feast, not in the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, carrying with us nothing of ungodly and Egyptian leaven.

Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us — you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died.

Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become God's for His sake, since He for ours became Man. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich; He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer; He was dishonoured that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw to Himself us, who were lying low in the Fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him Who gave Himself a Ransom and a Reconciliation for us. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the Mystery, and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours.

Source: The First Paschal Oration

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The Testimony That Christ Rose From the Dead

It may come as a surprise that one of the most reliable testified events in the ancient world is the resurrection of Christ, recorded in writing within a generation after the event (see 1 Corinthians 15) and fully testified within two generations while the majority of the witnesses were still alive. To understand how rare this is in the ancient world, one need only look at such a historical figure as Alexander the Great, whose earliest biography was not written until about 400 years after his death, after the earliest written testimony for Jesus.

Twelve Resurrection Appearances in the New Testament

There are twelve indisputable resurrection appearances recorded in the New Testament which spanned a time period of forty days following the event of the resurrection. They are to the following people:

- Mary Magdalene (Mk. 16:9-11; Jn. 20:11-18)
- The Myrrh-bearing women (Mt. 28:9-10)
- Two disciples going to Emmaus (Mk. 16:12-13; Lk. 24:13-32)
- Peter (Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:4)
- Ten disciples (Lk. 24:36-43; Jn. 20:19-25)
- Eleven disciples (Mk. 16:14; Jn. 26-29)
- Seven disciples (Jn. 21: 1-23)
- Eleven disciples on the mountain (Mt. 28:16-20)
- Over five hundred disciples (1 Cor. 15:6)
- James, the brother of our Lord (1 Cor. 15:7)
- Disciples in Bethany at the Ascension (Lk. 24:50-53; Acts. 1:2-12)
- Paul (1 Cor. 15:8)

We should mention that Acts 1:3 records Jesus appeared many times over a forty day period following his resurrection from the dead, so the appearances are not limited to only twelve.

How many saw the resurrected Christ?

Over a period of forty days Christ rarely appeared to only one individual disciple. Usually many were present, and he gave ample evidence that his resurrection was in his physical body (they touched his wounds and saw him eat). From the testimony in the New Testament, we know that well over five hundred people saw the risen Jesus, usually in groups, and there are no contradictions in the accounts nor recorded disputes about these appearances by those who saw him.

When did they see the resurrected Christ?

Interestingly, all the resurrection appearances occurred either during the day, afternoon or towards evening. Never is a resurrection appearance recorded at night, lest it be confused with a dream.

Where was the risen Christ seen?

The risen Christ appeared in many different areas, both indoors and outdoors. He was seen:

- Near his tomb
- On a well travelled road
- The seashore
- Inside a home
- A mountain
- A city
- Outdoors
- Judea
- Galilee

How did they see the risen Jesus?

The appearances of Jesus were not passing visions, but they lasted over many hours to people of different backgrounds and occupations, where he would eat with those he appeared to and have conversations with them. None of them had previously believed that he would rise from dead, so initially the appearances confirmed the event and clarified teachings they may not have understood.

- The Apostle John writes in 1 John 1:1-4 that they heard, they saw, and they handled the risen Christ.

- The Apostle Peter says in Acts 10:41 that they ate and drank with the risen Christ.

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The Holy Light Of Jerusalem In Kalymnos 2011

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Synaxarion For the Sunday of Pascha

By Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos

SUNDAY of PASCHA

On the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the life-bearing Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Verses

Christ descended to do battle with Hades alone;
He ascended after taking many spoils of victory.


Synaxarion

We call the present Feast “Pascha,” which means “Passover” in the Hebrew language; for this is the day on which God originally brought the world into existence from non-being. It was on this day that He conveyed the people of Israel across the Red Sea and snatched them out of the hands of Pharaoh; on this day also, descending from Heaven, He came to dwell in the Virgin’s womb. And now, after snatching the whole of mankind from the depths of Hades, He has raised it up to Heaven and restored to it the ancient dignity of incorruption. But when He descended to Hades, He did not resurrect all, but only those who chose to believe in Him. He freed the souls of the Saints from all the ages who were being forcibly held by Hades, and allowed all of them to ascend to Heaven. For this reason, rejoicing exceedingly, we celebrate the Resurrection with splendor, offering an image of the joy in which our nature abounds through the tender mercy of God. Likewise, demonstrating the destruction of enmity and our unity with God and the Angels themselves, we give each other the customary kiss of peace.

The Resurrection of the Lord took place in this manner. While the soldiers were guarding the tomb, around the middle of the night an earthquake occurred; for an Angel came down and removed the stone from the door of the sepulchre. On beholding this, the guards fled, and thus the women were afforded their opportunity at the end of the Sabbath, that is, around the middle of Saturday night. The Resurrection was made known first to the Mother of God, who sat opposite the tomb with Mary Magdalene, as St. Matthew says. But in order that the Resurrection should not be a matter of doubt, on account of the familiarity of the Lord’s Mother, the Evangelists say: He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. It was she who saw the Angel on the stone and, stooping down to look, saw the Angels inside the tomb; these Angels announced the Resurrection of the Lord. For “He is risen,” they said, “He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him.” Therefore, on hearing these words, she ran to the most ardent among the Disciples, Peter and John, and told them the glad tidings of the Resurrection. As she was returning with Mary, Christ encountered them, saying: “Rejoice!” For it was fitting that the sex which first heard the words, “in pain thou shalt bring forth children,” should be the first to hear this joy. Overcome with love, they approached and touched His immaculate feet, wishing to recognize Him more precisely. The Apostles came to the tomb; and Peter stooped down to look inside the tomb and departed, while John went inside and looked more searchingly, and touched the linen clothes and the napkin.

Mary Magdalene returned with other women at dawn so as to confirm with greater certainty what had been seen. Standing outside, she lamented, but when she stooped to look inside the tomb, she saw two Angels shining with radiance, reproving her, as it were, and saying: “Lady, why weepest thou, whom seekest thou? Seek ye Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified? He is risen; He is not here.” And at once they arose in fear, seeing the Lord. Turning round, she saw Christ standing; thinking Him to be the gardener (for the tomb was in a garden), she said: “Sir, if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.” When she beckoned again to the Angels, the Savior said to Magdalene: “Mary.” And she, perceiving the sweet and familiar voice of Christ, wanted to touch Him. But He said: “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father, as thou thyself dost reason, still supposing Me to be a man; but go to My brethren, and tell them all that thou hast seen and heard.” Magdalene did this. As day dawned again, she came to the tomb with the other women. Those who were with John and Salome arrived at sunrise; and, to put it simply, the women came to the tomb in different groups, among them being the Theotokos; for she is the one whom the Gospel calls Mary, the mother of Joses; this Joses was a son of Joseph. It is, however, unclear at what hour the Lord arose: some say that it was at the first cockcrow, others that it was when the earthquake occurred, and others suggest different times.

After these events, some of the guards went and reported to the high priests what had happened; the latter, putting money in their hands, persuaded them to say that Christ’s Disciples had come by night and stolen Him. In the evening of the same day, when the Disciples had gathered together through fear of the Jews and the doors were securely shut, Christ came to them—for His body was incorrupt—and greeted them with the customary greeting, “Peace.” On seeing Him, they rejoiced exceedingly, and when Christ breathed on them they received the energy of the All-holy Spirit more perfectly.

This is how the Lord’s Resurrection took place on the third day. The evening of Thursday and the day of Friday (for this is how the Hebrews measure the period of twenty-four hours) are one day. The night of Friday and the whole of Saturday are another period of twenty-four hours; this is the second day. The night of Saturday and the day of Sunday are another period of twenty-four hours; this is the third day.

To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Source


Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Kontakion in Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Thou didst decend into the tomb, O Immortal, Thou didst destory the power of death!In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrhbearing women, granting peace to Thy apostles, and bestowing resurrection to the fallen.

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Two Powerful Old Testament Images of Christ On the Cross

Below are two readings from the Old Testament I propose to be added in the Orthodox service books for Great Friday or Holy Saturday. They are little known images or shadows of the Cross that powerfully show Christ victorious on the Cross.

The first describes the Prophet Balaam's vision of the Cross. This one is easily overlooked. The key to understanding this passage are knowing three things. First, Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Second, Balaam is taken to a high hill or mountain overlooking the encampment of the people of Israel to be given instruction by the Lord on whether to curse or bless Israel. Lastly, he blesses them because he sees the image of Christ crucified in glory amidst the people of Israel.

How does he see Christ in his prophecy? The key is the formation of the people of Israel described in Numbers 2 (read here). As one can observe from the image above, the Israelites were encamped in the formation of the Cross around the Tabernacle which contained the Holy of Holies, that is, the presence of God or throne of God in the midst of His people. One can even see how God deliberately had the tribes of Reuben and Judah join to make the southern formation appear longer if one were to look down at the formation from a mountain as Balaam did. Thus, when Balaam sees the formation of the Cross with the Lord in the middle, he saw Christ, the King of Glory seated on the throne of the Cross, crucified and said: "For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him..."

The second reading concerns the death of Samson. Samson is an image of Christ in the Old Testament in many ways, but none more powerfully than in the description of his death in Judges 16. The Philistines are images of the enemies of Jesus, primarily the demons who occupy unjustly the people on earth and grip them with fear. The pagan temple he is brought into represents Hades. Samson is brought into this temple blind and asks to be brought in between two pillars. This is the key to seeing the Cross in this passage, because Samson intends to destroy his enemies with this request. He does this by lifting his arms in a cross formation and pulling apart the two pillars of the temple, which in turn destroys the temple and the Philistines within. Thus, this is a perfect image of Christ destroying death by His death on the Cross.

Read the passages below and judge whether or not these should be added to the Holy Week service books:

The Vision of Balaam the Prophet (Numbers 22:41 - 23:12)

So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.”

So he went to a desolate height. And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

And he took up his oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! A people dwelling alone,
Not reckoning itself among the nations.
Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”


The Death of Samson (Judges 16:23-30)

Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said:

“Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!”

When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said:

“Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead.”

So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there — about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed.

Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!”

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

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2011 Holy Light Arrives In Athens From Jerusalem

Shortly after Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem received the Holy Light in a miraculous manner, he took part in the ceremony of distribution where he gave it to representatives from Greece among other places. The Greeks who received and carried the Holy Light were Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Dimitris Dollis, Bishop Chrysostomos of Halkidos and the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre Archimandrite Damianos Panos.

The delegation was welcomed at Eleutherios Venizelos Airport among a large crowd of hundreds. They arrived at seven in the evening.

The Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre immediately said: "The transfer from the Holy Sepulchre of the Holy Light is the everlasting light of the Resurrection of Christ, which is the testimony of the glory of God."

He also noted: "On behalf of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Mr. Theophilos III and all the members of the Holy Sepulcher Brotherhood, who are the followers of this age-old Romeiko presence in the Holy Land ... we wish sincere paschal thanks."

From the airport in Athens the Holy Light was also transferred to Thessaloniki where it was received at Hagia Sophia Cathedral and distributed to many parishes from there. From Athens the Holy Light was transferred to many other parishes throughout Greece in time for the midnight Paschal celebrations.

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Miracle of the Holy Light of Jerusalem 2011

Daniel Estrin
April 23, 2011
Associated Press

The small doorway to the traditional site of Jesus' tomb cracked open to reveal a bright flame and tens of thousands of worshippers cheered ecstatically, marking the pinnacle of Easter Week's holy fire ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The annual ritual has been practiced for at least the last 1,200 years on the day before Easter, which celebrates Jesus' resurrection.

Worshippers of various Orthodox Christian sects packed into the Jerusalem church — Christianity's most sacred shrine and revered as the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. In the ceremony, a flame believed to be miraculously lit emanates from the tomb.

"I'm all vibrating," said Romanian pilgrim Ivan Kurnia. "It's really, really impressive."

Hours before the ceremony, local Christians and pilgrims from around the world snaked through the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem's old city and filled the small courtyard outside the church. About a thousand Israeli police officers processed the crowds through police barricades that filtered access to the church's only entrance.

Inside gathered a colorful mix of clergymen and worshippers representing the different Orthodox Christian sects — from Armenian monks in black robes and pointed hoods to Russian Orthodox women wearing turquoise headscarves.

People crammed against each other in the dimly lit, cavernous church, and police broke up scuffles. One middle-aged American woman fainted, but she remained standing because people were pressed up against her in the densely packed crowd.

Despite the suffocating crowds, the throngs waited in anticipation for the ceremony to begin, clutching bundles of 33 slim candles signifying the years of Jesus' life.

Adorned with a golden crown encrusted with jewels and religious icons, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theofilos III, entered the Edicule, the small chamber at the core of the church marking the site of Jesus' tomb. Armenian clergymen entered as well, and the door was sealed, guarded by clergymen and an Israeli policeman.


Worshippers pass flame on

Then, the door was opened to reveal candles lit with the holy fire — said to be miraculously lit and interpreted as a message to the faithful from the heavens. The precise details of the flame's source are a closely guarded secret.

The flame was quickly passed on from one bunch of candles to another, and soon the dark church was filled with worshippers holding flickering torches and waving it around their faces. Bells rang and people cheered.

"Christos has risen. I feel amazing," said a Russian Orthodox pilgrim from San Francisco who identified himself only as Igor. "It came from God, from the sky."

Police spokesman Shmuel Ben Rubi said around a thousand police officers were deployed to direct foot traffic and keep the peace. He estimated tens of thousands of worshippers were in the church.

Asaf Abras, spokesman for Jerusalem's firefighting services, said about 10 firefighters with mobile units were stationed around the church in case of emergency.

Israeli officials have been worried since the late 1990s that a fire could erupt from the church during the ritual. In 1834, pilgrims in the church panicked, a stampede ensued, and several hundred people were crushed or suffocated to death.


Precious real estate means no emergency exit

But the six Christian sects that stake claim to different sections of the church have been reluctant to build an emergency exit or a fire escape. The sects zealously guard their portions of the church and brawls have erupted in recent years when clergymen of one sect encroach on another section, even when only sweeping the floor. None of the sects wants to give up an inch of precious real estate in the church to construct a second exit.

After the holy fire ceremony, the flame was immediately taken from the church and past an Israeli military barrier into the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Bethlehem where it was received at the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus' birthplace.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad attended another holy fire ceremony in a central square in Ramallah, the seat of his government in the West Bank.

In the Gaza Strip, about fifty Christian worshippers attended a mass in one of Gaza's two churches.

More photos here.

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Holy and Great Friday In Hollywood

Tom Hanks (right) carries the "Epitaphios" at Saint Sophia in Los Angeles on Friday Apr. 22nd

Anastasios Papapostolou
April 23, 2011
Greek Reporter

On Friday evening, the Christian Orthodox population of Los Angeles gathered at the Saint Sophia Cathedral for Good Friday’s service and procession of the Epitaphios. Many celebrities of Greek descent, or with a "Greek connection" come to the church to attend the service. Tom Hanks is there every year, and he is one of the men that carry the Epitaphios. There also was Hank’s wife, Rita Wilson with her friend Nia Vardalos. Another person who carried the Epitaphios was 20th Century Fox CEO Jim Gianopulos. According to people that work for Saint Sophia, Tom Hanks is very religious, and goes to church almost every day throughout Holy Week. The celebration of Holy Week continues with Liturgy on Saturday morning and the Resurrection Liturgy on Saturday night. On Sunday there are private Easter parties - one of those at Jim Gianopulos’ house - and the picnic of the Saint Sophia Cathedral at the Rosebowl in Pasadena.

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Synaxarion For Holy and Great Saturday

By Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos

GREAT SATURDAY

On Holy and Great Saturday, we celebrate the Burial of the Divine Body of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, and His descent into Hades, through which our race was recalled from corruption, and was transplanted to eternal life.

Verse

In vain you watchmen guard the tomb.
No grave can contain the Source of Life.


Synaxarion

Of all the days the Holy and Great Forty Day Fast is the most distinguished, but more than the Holy Forty Day Fast the Holy and Great Passion Week is exalted, and more than the days of Holy Week Great and Holy Saturday is the most exalted. This week is called great not because these days or hours are more exalted but because the great, portentous and extraordinary deeds of our Savior were accomplished during this week, but especially on this day.

Yet, as during the first creation of the world God created all creation in six days and on the sixth day he created the final and entirely perfect creature, Man, and then on the seventh he rested from all His work, thus sanctifying this day, calling it the Sabbath Day, which means rest. Thus He sanctified the workmanship of the intelligible world, all wonderfully done (the action of redemption), and on the sixth day (Friday) "refashioning" the corrupted man and renewing him through His life-bearing Cross and death. The Lord really rested again on the seventh day with the complete rest from His works, having reposed in a way that is life-producing and saving for our nature. Therefore God the Word descended into the tomb in the flesh and descended into Hades with His immortal and divine soul, which was separated from the body after death. He delivered His soul into the hands of the Father. He freely offered His own blood in order to bring about our deliverance.

But the soul of the Lord was not held captive in Hades as were the souls of the other holy ones. Why? Because He never participated in the curse of the Forefather as those did. Our enemy the devil did not even touch the blood by which we are redeemed even though he owned us as much as he could, and did not the devil like a predator seize the One sent from God, but God Himself? However, our Lord Jesus Christ was bodily placed in the tomb with His Divinity which was completely united with the flesh, but He was also in paradise with the thief and, as it is told, in Hades with His deifying soul, supernaturally co-presiding with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He was everywhere as the uncircumscribed God, and the Divinity did not suffer at all neither in the tomb nor on the cross. The Lord's body was tested and the corruption, i.e. the separation of the soul from the body, did not destroy the flesh and corrode its members.

In Thy ineffable condescension, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Kontakion
He who closed the depth of the sea is beheld wrapped in linen and embalmed with myrrh; the deathless One is placed in a tomb like one who is dead. The women came to embalm him, weeping bitterly and crying: Behold the Sabbath transcendent in blessings in which Christ has slept and shall rise on the third day.

Oikos
He who holds the whole universe in his hand is raised upon the Cross, and all creation weeps as it sees him hanging on the Wood: the sun hides its rays, and the stars lose their brightness; the earth quakes and is filled with fear; the sea draws back and the rocks split in two; the tombs open and the bodies of the saints rise; Hades laments and the Sanhedrin gathers to fabricate story to deny the Resurrection of Christ; and the women cry out: Behold the Sabbath transcendent in blessings in which Christ has slept and shall rise on the third day.

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The Lord In Hades

By Right Reverend Theognostus, Archbishop of Novgorod

Our Lord Jesus Christ descended into Hades with His soul united with the Divinity, at this same time when He, after His removal from the cross, reposed with His body in the tomb. In Hades all the souls of the people who died suffered affliction up to the time of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. No ray of the heavenly light ever penetrated to them, they were alien to every joy; their destiny was continuous sorrow. The devil fully ruled over them and as a relentless tyrant tormented them with the various means peculiar to him. But here Hades suddenly shines with a wonderful light, the Pantocrator of heaven and earth and the infernal regions, our reigning King, Lord and Savior appeared in it. Before His Divinity the devil falls down into the ashes, his power fails, any authority he had over the souls imprisoned in Hades is taken away from him. All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world are released from Hadean captivity. The seal of condemnation and renunciation gravitating over them is removed from them; they fall with their chains of eternal darkness and they follow with gladness on foot after the Savior and proceed from Hades into the region of light and blessedness, into the kingdom of heaven. The souls of the people confined in it are led out of Hades. The Lord Jesus Christ at the same time has given full opportunity for the future time, till the end of time, for dead souls to be released from captivity and Hadean tyranny. Up to the time of the death of the Savior on the cross the souls of all who died were led down into Hades. Even the Old Testament righteous men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, did not escape this part. But after this, as the Savior went down into Hades and broke the power of the devil, the souls who died in the faith and grace of Christians no longer go to Hades but are lifted up by Angels directly into heaven into the blessed mansion of the Heavenly Father. Having defeated the devil by His descent into Hades, the Savior has taken away from him his former authority even over the people living on the earth. Up to the death of the Savior on the cross the devil had full authority over people, sowed them like wheat, threw them from one pernicious way to another, all people, so to say, have been tied hand and foot by him and had no way to be released from his awful authority. Demon-possessed, represented in the Gospel, may serve as an example of how terribly the devil has tormented people. After, the victorious descent of Jesus Christ into Hades and His glorious resurrection from the dead weakened the influence of the devil over the people and already it became far from being what it was during Old Testament times. To tell the truth, even now the devil has authority to tempt people, i.e. through various clever actions he is able to lead them to iniquity and sin; but the devil has another action to use to take one in captivity, that is, so to say, in his jaws, and another action to test his sting, or to be exposed to temptation from him. During the time of the Old Covenant, people were perfect captives of the devil, now he can only wound us by his sinful stings or to tempt us. But also the opportunity is given to protect us from the stinging of the devil. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you", the Holy Apostle James appeals to Christians (Jas. 4:7). So, the Christian needs only to stand firmly under the sign of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is only necessary to oppose the devil mightily and with sincerity through faith in the crucified and risen Lord, and the devil will abandon him. "In my name they will cast out demons." (Mk. 16:17), is just such a promise preached by the Lord Jesus Christ concerning those who believe in Him. The sweetest name of Jesus Christ, with firm and sincere faith and with the sign of the cross uttered by us, serves as strong armor against the devil. It frightens him and causes his forces to flee from us.

Source: Novgorodskiia Eparkhialniia Vedomosti [Novgorodian Diocesan Messenger], 1894, 9

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