The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Savior

By George Mantzarides
Professor at the School of Theology,
University of Thessaloniki

The Transfiguration of Our Savior has a central place in the Orthodox Church and in Orthodox theology.

It is the event that reveals the glory of the Church and of the faithful. It is a witness to the new reality introduced by the coming of Christ in history.

During His Transfiguration, Christ revealed the Uncreated Glory of His Divinity within His human nature. At the same time, He took up those surrounding Him into His Uncreated Divine Glory. Moses and Elias participated in the same radiance as Christ. The only difference is that Christ is the Source of Divine radiance, whereas the others are recipients thereof.

The reason why Christ was transfigured before His Disciples was that the day of His Crucifixion was approaching: “That when they should see Thee crucified, they might know Thy Passion to be voluntary....”1

By His Transfiguration, Christ, on the one hand, bears witness to His Divinity, which His Disciples had confessed shortly before through the mouth of the Apostle Peter; and, on the other hand, He offers an initial experience of the coming of His Kingdom.

The fact that we celebrate the Transfiguration on August 6 perhaps does not help us to remember its direct relationship with the Cross of Christ. Only when we consider that a few weeks later, on September 14, we celebrate the Universal Exaltation of the Precious Cross — which is reminiscent of Great Friday — do we find its historical connection with the Feast.

In other words, as an historical event, the Transfiguration took place a few weeks before the Passion. From an historical standpoint, we would place it in the ecclesiastical Calendar a few weeks before Pascha — perhaps as many weeks as now separate it from the Exaltation of the Precious Cross.

And we should not reckon it fortuitous that the Church has instituted another Feast in this place: the Feast of the Theologian of the Light of Mt. Tabor, St. Gregory Palamas. Thus, the Second Sunday of Great Lent, five weeks before Pascha, is dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas.

Moreover, it is significant that in all three Synoptic Gospels the event of the Transfiguration is related immediately after Christ’s declaration that “there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.”2 Hence, as Patristic Tradition also emphasizes, the Transfiguration of Christ comes as a revelation of the Kingdom of God “with power.”

By His Transfiguration, Christ confirms and strengthens faith in His Divinity, which His Disciples had already confessed.

During His Transfiguration, Christ did not assume something that He did not previously possess; rather, He reveals — once again, according to the measure that His Disciples could receive it — the Glory that He always possessed as God-Man. In other words, the Glory that His Disciples saw on Mt. Tabor was not some transitory phenomenon, but rather the eternal Light of the Divine Nature of Christ. One of the hymnographers of our Church declares this when he says: “Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Thy Disciples Thy Glory as each one could bear it.”3

The Light of the Transfiguration is the Uncreated Light of the Kingdom of God, which came into the world with the coming of Christ. Of course, the Kingdom of God, being without beginning or end, is not limited by time; rather, it transcends and transforms time. It does not begin at the end of history, but rather already exists within and above it, and it will continue to exist beyond history.

In reality, that is, the coming of the Kingdom of God “with power” is nothing other than its revelation “with power.” This is not the arrival of something that did not previously exist; instead, that which existed and will always exist is revealed.

Just as the Uncreated Light, which was revealed during the Transfiguration to the Disciples, existed from before the ages and abides eternally in the Theanthropic Hypostasis of Christ, so also the Kingdom of God, which came into the world with Christ, is sometimes revealed to the faithful as a precursor of the Age to Come.

The Christian Faith is not based on some moral principle or ideology; rather, it is founded on the revelation of the Kingdom of God in Christ within history. The testimony of the Apostle Peter, in which he makes precise reference to his experience of the Transfiguration in order to proclaim the truth of the Christian message, is striking: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”4

Without experience of the Heavenly, man is not freed from earthly temptations. The Apostles of Christ, Martyrs, Saints, and ascetics of the Church would not have been able to gain victory over the world and to offer everything to Christ had they not had some taste of Heavenly bliss.

One obtains adoption in Christ in the present life. “Now are we the children of God,” writes the Apostle John the Evangelist, “and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”5

Man acquires a sense of adoption in Christ in his life by keeping the Divine commandments. By self-abnegation and offering oneself to God and to the Will of God — which constitutes a form of death — the believer becomes a participant of the Divine Life and Kingdom.

The taste of eternity does not begin after the Cross, but rather with the Cross. Obedience to the Will of God “unto death” already constitutes participation in the resurrection. Just as the Glory of Christ begins with the Cross, which crushes the powers of the Evil One, so also the glory of Christians begins with voluntary acceptance of death for Christ, Who crushes the old man and reveals the new.

The Transfiguration of Christ is preparation for the Cross. And the Cross of Christ is the commencement of His Glory as man. By His Transfiguration, Christ does not acquire anything new; rather, He strengthens His Disciples in view of His Crucifixion. His Disciples are in need of this strengthening, in order to face the Cross of their Teacher, as well as their own cross, later, for the Name of their Teacher.

The gate of the Kingdom of God is the Cross, and the Glory of God in the world begins with the Cross. Every revelation of the Glory of God within history, whether before or after the coming of Christ, constitutes a model or an extension of the Cross of Christ. Every experience of the Glory of God during this present life presages or accompanies an experience of the Mystery of the Cross.

___________

1. Kontakion for the Feast.
2. St. Mark 9:1; cf. St. Matthew 16:28, St. Luke 9:27.
3. Apolytikion for the Feast.
4. II St. Peter 1:16.
5. I St. John 3:2.

Source: Orthodoxe Martyria, (Cyprus) No. 49 (Spring-Summer 1996), pp. 8-10.

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Saint Evgenios the Aitolos (+ 1682)

St. Evgenios the Aitolos (Feast Day - August 5)

Evgenios Yiannoulis was born in the village of Megalo Dendro of Trichonida near Patras in 1597. At a young age he went to the Monastery of Panagia Vlochou in Agrinio. He then fled to the Monastery Trovatou in Agrafa, where he associated with virtuous elders and increased grammatical knowledge. At the age of seventeen he became a monk and after two years was ordained a deacon in the Monastery Tatarna in 1616.

With his elder Arsenios he visited Mount Athos. Evgenios formed a relationship with the scholarly and virtuous bishop Haralambi in Xeropotamou Monastery. Elder Arsenios departed for Jerusalem, and after a long time Evgenios learned of his death. He returned to the Monastery Trovatou. Mount Athos was nostalgic in his memory. Afterwards he visited Alexandria, where he was ordained a priest by Patriarch Cyril Lukaris of Alexandria at Sinai Monastery in 1619.

He returned to his homeland and remained in the Monasteries Vrangianon, Varnakova and Tatarna. As a lover of studies he pursued education in Kefallonia, Zakynthos and Constantinople from renowned teachers. He founded schools and taught in Arta, Messolongi, Aetoliko, Agrinio, Karpenissi, and the Monastery of Saint Paraskevi in Vrangianon. He acquired many good students, who in turn excelled and established schools themselves. He built churches, preached constantly, wrote many letters - around five hundred, and engaged in writing and hymnography.

Evgenios came to the point that he was even deposed by the Turkophile and Latin-minded Patriarch Cyril Kontaris, but later, in 1639, Patriarch Parthenios restored him triumphantly.

He reposed in prayer, being aware of his impending end, on 5 August 1682 in Vrangianon Monastery, surrounded by his beloved students. He was entombed in the narthex of the katholikon. His biographer was his faithful disciple, the Hieromonk Anastasios Gordis (1703). The recognition of Evgenios as a saint came by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on July 1, 1982. A full service of praise was produced by the monk Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis.

The entire work of St Evgenios manifests his great love for God and the people. He was a tireless worker in difficult spiritual times for the Greek Nation, a virtuous teacher and an illuminator. His rhetorical skills, education, vast memory, courage, dedication and outstanding commitment helped rectify his enslaved brethren. In Karpenissi there are two chapels dedicated to him. His memory is celebrated on August 5th.

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Demonic Possession or Mental Illness?

By Archimandrite Vasilios Bakoyiannis

The Common Symptoms

It is certainly possible for a person who is mentally ill or suffers from nerves to display the same symptoms as someone who is possessed. For example: The possessed person might not want to say “Lord have mercy” or to go to church, to confess or to take communion. (An unbeliever might also refuse to do these things, but that doesn’t mean that the unbeliever is possessed).

It is possible, according to psychiatrists, that someone who is mentally ill, faced with the Precious Cross or the relics of saints, or in attendance at the Divine Liturgy, might shout “I’m burning, I’m burning,” without that meaning that they are possessed. We know of such cases. Any sins which they might have committed, the psychiatrists go on to say, in conjunction with their stricken conscience, would suffice to make the sufferer feel as if he or she were burning when brought face to face with the sacred objects of our Faith.

Imagine, a case like that, in which a sufferer needs the immediate attention of a specialist practitioner and we are trying to do what we can with exorcism!

When the prayers of exorcism are read over a person who’s mentally ill, that person feels a certain temporary relief, because “something” has been done to alleviate their illness. Unfortunately, this can be taken as a sign of or symptom that the sufferer is possessed.

The Difference

Possession is one thing and mental illness another. They may have the same surface symptoms, but these symptoms cause very different underlying behaviour.

When possessed persons are faced with the Precious Cross or the relics of a saint, they are seized with a “fit” and become unrecognizable. Their heads turn right round, their tongues stick out and they begin to howl. It is the reaction of Satan. Mentally ill people, however, react very differently. They are neither distorted nor altered. They always retain their human countenance.

In addition, during their “fits” people who are possessed:

*Break chains, escape from restraint etc.

*Reveal “secrets”.

This, of course, is utterly impossible for people who are mentally ill.

Bewitchment or Psychological Problem?

Witchcraft may also produce the same symptoms as certain psychological problems.

A spouse who is bewitched may not be able to enjoy conjugal relations with his or her partner. This can also happen to someone who has a psychological problem in this area.

Someone who is under a spell may lose their appetite and suffer from constant weight loss. This may also be true for someone who has a psychological problem.

How are we to tell the difference?

If the sufferer continues to be a member of the Church, with a conscious sacramental life, then his or her problem is not due to bewitchment. Magic doesn’t affect pure and conscientious Christians. The problem is psychological and requires the assistance of a specialist practitioner.

If the person is outside the Church and living in sin, then the sickness may be due to witchcraft, although, again, we must not rule out a psychological problem. But a proper diagnosis will require cooperation between a priest and a God-fearing doctor.

The Ruler of This World

“The prince of this world” (Jn 12:31).

We live in a sinful world. Every day a thousand and one evils are committed (theft, robberies, murder), not only in one place but all over the earth. They happen so frequently that these terrible things have become common place.

And it’s not only today that they are happening. It has always been like this, from the beginning of humanity right down to now. In other words, in the many thousands of years since the Fall there hasn’t been a single period when love, justice, peace and altruism reigned in this world. It would seem, then, that the prince of this world is the devil. He’s the ruler of the world!

Well, he may seem to be, but he isn’t.

The Cause of Evil

Let us remind ourselves that the Devil simply puts the idea of evil into each of our minds. From then on, it is each of us individually who undertake to carry the idea out. To be more specific: the devil puts it into your mind that you should steal. But you are the one who plans where, when, how and what you are going to steal. You may plan one thing today, another tomorrow and something else entirely the day after. Furthermore, you may have laid your plans to perfection and have started out to commit the robbery, yet on the way, you may have thought of something else and put the whole operation off. You have gone home, making new plans. Now, what if you set out again and this time you actually do steal? Was it the devil that made you steal, or yourself? Was it he who laid your plans, who opened your hands so that you would take something that did not belong to you? Or was it you?

You were in charge of the game. You stole, not the devil.

The same is true for any action you perform, as well as for any bad things you do. You do it. The same thing is true for your friend, for any acquaintance and for people you’ve never even heard of. In other words, it’s not the devil that does evil, but you in your weakness. If the devil did it, you would be innocent and then, of course, you wouldn’t be punished. No matter what crimes you had committed, you would go to Paradise. And only the devil would go to hell.

The “All-powerful” Devil

We’ve seen how the devil torments the possessed. But there is something we have not paid much attention to, namely that he does not torment his victims night and day, but only at intervals. In most instances he leaves them alone and does not bother them. Why? Why such mercy, such sympathy?

He does not do it out of mercy, nor out of sympathy, but out of weakness. In other words, he does not torment his victim whenever he feels like it, but only when the Lord permits him to. Without the Lord’s leave, the devil cannot bother anyone. Before he tormented Job the Righteous, he had to ask permission from the Lord.

He can’t even bother dumb animals without getting permission from the Lord! Remember how the demons asked His permission to enter the Gadarene swine. And once they had done so the swine did not merely wander off, but rushed headlong over the cliff into the sea. There’s mania for you!

The devil does not have any score to settle with swine, though he does with people, especially Christians, because they believe in Christ, Who is his enemy. Now, if the devil exterminated the swine so abruptly, just imagine how much he would like to exterminate people. He would love to enter each one of us, to make us rush headlong over cliffs and into seas and to go to our perdition, so that not a single person would remain on earth, particularly a Christian, to worship his enemy. And yet ALWAYS, throughout all the ages, people have survived, including Christians. So the Lord of All keeps the devil confined. In that case, who is really the Prince of this world?

God is Good

Since God holds in check the “all-powerfulness” of the devil, it means that He Himself is all-powerful, and thus more powerful than the devil. Therefore: He is able at any moment to do wonderful things. He can make the whole earth tremble for hours with one glance and the whole world will bow down before Him as Lord and God. He can immobilize the thief who is on his way to steal. The same can happen with the murderer and so on, so that evil would disappear from the earth once and for all. He could make the world a paradise on earth.

But God does not do this. He can, but does not want to – while the devil wants to but can’t! He does not want to because He is a good God. He wants us to do good freely, not under pressure from Him. He leaves everything up to us.

From the book Confronting the Devil, Magic & the Occult, Orthodox Book Centre, Athens 2003

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Archeologists May Have Discovered Emperor Constantine’s Palace in Sofia

Siyana Sevova
August 5, 2011
Standart Daily

The metro station in Sofia downtown may soon happen to house the residence of Byzantine Emperor Constantine I. The archeologists have not confirmed for sure the identity of the findings as excavations continue. All facts for now, however, lean towards the variant that the palace of the first Christian Emperor lies just under the square in front of St Nedelya Church.

Yesterday Bulgaria’s Minister of Culture, Vejdi Rashidov and Sofia Mayor, Yordanka Fandakova presented the latest archeological findings. A unique dwelling and a church from the 4th century have been the most recent sensation that came up from Sofia’s underground depths. “The well-preserved building must have belonged to a noble citizen of Serdica,” explained archeologist Mario Ivanov from the Bulgarian Academy of Science. There is a bathroom, yard and a bakery in the building. The most precious finding, however, is the 30sq.m of mosaics. Such a large mosaic preserved with all the ornaments is vary rare to find, so far only separate parts have been discovered, experts commented.

Read also: Bulgarian Archaeologists Hope to Find Constantine's Palace

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Kosovo Serbs Facing Food Shortages...

IC/XC
NI/KA

Press Release

FOOD SHORTAGES IN NORTHERN KOSOVO

PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHERS....

Decani Monastery Relief Fund

Beloved in Christ our Lord,

May our Gracious God always bless you!

Some of us have heard for the last couple of weeks of problems at the borders of Kosovo, and currently NATO troops are securing the borders due to the fact the Albanians have tried to take over the borders. Cars can pass through the borders it has been reported, but not trucks that are carrying supplies such as food and medicine among ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo.

"Suppliers from Serbia have been unable to deliver bread and milk to the towns of Lesak, Leposavic and northern Mitrovica, the Belgrade-based Beta news agency reported." Local shops in the towns are on the verge of selling out of meat and sugar products, and customers have been trying to stockpiling flour and yeast. Bottled water is also in short demand. Local doctors at the main health centers in Mitrovica expressed concern over shortages of medicine, the Beta said. In addition long lines now at local fuel stations throughout the region.

The Independent Kosovo government has created all of these severe difficulties for thousands of Serbs, as it was also decided earlier this monthly to implement a new ban on imports from Serbia, At this time as it has been indicated no trucks with supplies are allowed to enter Mitrovica or Northern Kosovo.

As the days continue onward and months Serbs will indeed be facing a humanitarian crisis from the lack of fuel, water, food, and medicine.

If talks begin about the problems at the borders NATO will perhaps in the end grant further freedom to the Independent Kosovo government in allowing them to control the borders! This will be a humanitarian disaster! for Serbs living in Mitrovica and in Northern Kosovo. Thousands of Serbs will starve and many will perish due to the lack of medical help!

How did many of these problems begin in the first place?

Peace-keeping troops have been taken out of the region for the protection of Serbs!

Local Serbian Orthodox Churches and monasteries have limited protection at this time, as well as local towns and villages!

Then we have reports of vandalism of local Serbian Orthodox cemeteries!

Now we will have starvation and serious medical problems for the Serbs with no one to assist them or offer any help! The eyes and ears of many of us will be closed!

We must as loving Christians open up our hearts and offer any assistance possible to help the Serbs in the Kosovo region, and the way to do this is to please support the Decani Monastery Relief Fund, -send a donation of your choice to this fund. The monks at the Decani Monastery will offer as much as possible further assistance throughout these towns and villages.

Our love and kindness is needed at this hour, and let us together bring some comfort and hope to our brothers and sisters! Offer as well your humble prayers.

God love and bless you!

Decani Monastery Relief Fund Inc.
C/O Very Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes
2618 West Bannock Street
Boise, Idaho 83702

Cell phone: 208-860-2479

Facebook: The Decani Monastery Relief Fund

Thank you most humbly!
Peace to your soul!

God love and bless you!

Humbly in Christ our Lord,

+ Very Reverend Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes

President of The Decani Monastery Relief Fund Inc.

Who prays for you and with you!

I have run to the fragrance of your myrrh,
O Christ God, for I have been wounded by your love;
do not part from me, O heavenly Bridegroom.

- "Wounded by Love, The Life and The Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios"

Read also: Kosovo Crisis: Serbs Facing Food Shortages, Albanians Burning Serbian Products

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Croatia Celebrates While Serbia Mourns Anniversary of Operation “Storm”

August 4, 2011
Free Republic

Croatia on Thursday celebrated the 16th anniversary of military operation “Storm” which crushed a Serb rebellion and sparked an exodus of some 200,000 Serbs, while Serbia commemorated victims of what it calls the worst ethnic cleansing in Europe after World War Two.

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said operation “Storm” was a “brilliant military action” and a great victory which re-united the country. “The Day of Victory we celebrate in peace and freedom, taking our place in the European family of states and nations,” Kosor said.

Serbian president Boris Tadic said the anniversary was a date of “sorrow and remembrance”. Justice has been partly served by the fact that Gotovina and Markac were in jail, but a lot more remained to be done, he added.

Tadic attended a commemoration in Belgrade’s St. Mark church for the victims of the operation “Storm”. Religious rites were held by the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church patriarch Irinej.

Croatian forces launched an offensive on self-proclaimed Republic of Serb Krajina on August 4, 1995 and in only two days re-conquered a third of its territory held by local Serbs who rebelled against Croatia’s secession from the former Yugoslavia.

According to Serbian sources, 1,205 civilians, including 522 women and 12 children, were killed in the operation and some 200,000 fled to Serbia. According to Croatian Helsinki Human Rights Committee, 677 Serb civilians were killed.

The United Nations War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia last April sentenced two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, to 24 and 18 years in jail respectively for crimes committed in the operation.

According to the indictment, they were a part of a “joint criminal enterprise”, headed by late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, aimed at expelling minority Serbs from the country. Gotovina and Markac have appealed the sentence.

Croatia is expected to join the European Union in 2013, but Belgrade insists Zagreb should first facilitate the return of refugees, resolve their property claims and create conditions for normal integration into society.


Victims of Operation Storm Remembered

August 4, 2011
B92

Today marks the 16th anniversary since the beginning of Croatian army and police Operation Storm that led to the exodus of more than 200,000 Serbs from Croatia.

Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Patriarch Irinej held a memorial service at St. Mark’s Church in downtown Belgrade for the victims of the 1995 military operation aimed against Serb areas of Croatia.

The memorial service was attended by Serbian President Boris Tadic, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of refugee issues Jovan Krkobabic, and by other government officials.

Representatives of more than 100 refugee and home clubs associations of Serbs from Croatia said they will hand the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade an open letter for Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and Deputy Prime Minister from the Serb community Slobodan Uzelac.

The representatives are demanding from Croatia to return all the property that belongs to the Serbs who had to flee Croatia, and also to pay the people the pension arrears and their savings in banks, before the country enters the EU.

On August 4, 1995 the Croat armed forces in cooperation with Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina launched Operation Storm which claimed lives of nearly 2,000 Serbs and sent about 340,000 people to expulsion.

Nearly 2,000 Serbs were reported missing and 220,000 were expelled from the Republic of Serb Krajina during Operation Storm which was shortly followed by Operation Mistral, in which around 655 Serbs were killed and 125,000 driven from their homes in 13 municipalities in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

According to the data of the NGO Veritas, a total of 1,011 Serbs are still registered as missing, including 660 civilians, 337 of whom are women.

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The Innumerable Miracles Worked Through Prayer

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

This is how Valerian begins the biography of his companion, St. Pontius: "Who can believe, if God does not grant it? Who can lead a life of asceticism, if the Lord does not help? Who can receive the wreath of martyrdom, if Christ does not give it?" God can do all and God wills all that is for the salvation of men, if only men pray to Him. By prayer, St. Nonna converted her husband Gregory and her son, Gregory the Theologian, to Christianity. By prayer, Monica brought Augustine back from a wayward life to the path of good works and faith. By prayer, St. Basil converted his teacher Evulios. By prayer, King Hezekiah prolonged his life for fifteen years. By prayer, St. Simeon the Stylite turned back the Persians and Scythians that they not attack the land of Greece with an army already prepared. Furthermore, all the stars in the heavens will be more readily counted then all the miracles worked on earth by prayer.

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The Monastery of Panagia Panahrantos in Andros

The Monastery of Panagia Panahrantos in Andros was established by Emperor Nikephoros Phokas in the tenth century.

It's origins go back to the discovery of the Sacred Icon of Panagia Panahrantos by two ascetics living in a nearby cave, who every night would see a bright light in the area where the Monastery stands today. The two ascetics found the icon in a cave by tracing the source of the strange light, and after venerating it brought it back to their monastic cell. At night, however, the icon would return to its original cave. This happened many times. Enlightened by the grace of the Theotokos, the two ascetics abandoned their monastic cells and settled near the cave where the icon established itself. The All Pure One (the literal translation of "Panahrantos") indicated to the monks to build the first church there to house the Sacred Icon, and the Monastery was eventually established around this church.

The Katholikon (central church) of the Monastery is cross-shaped with a dome and dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, celebrating its feast day on August 15th. Some believe the Sacred Icon of Panagia Panahrantos is the work of the Evangelist Luke. Since this church also houses the skull of Saint Panteleimon, it also celebrates on his feast day which is July 27th.

The Monastery is famous also for being the final resting place of Monk Christoforos, or "Papoulakos", in the 19th century, and a recent miracle from May of 2009 where the skulls of former monastics were discovered on the grounds of the Monastery together with many which have been exuding a fragrant myrrh.

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Chapel of Panagia Thalassini in Andros

The small chapel of Panagia Thalassini (lit. "of the sea") is located in the old harbor of Chora in Andros. According to local tradition, she is the protectress of sea travellers along with St. Nicholas.

According to the rules of proper iconographic style, the Virgin Mary always wears a red robe on the outside which is used to display her humanity, while underneath she wears a blue or dark green robe which testifies to her giving birth to the God-man Jesus Christ. In the icon of Panagia Thalassini, however, we have her wearing blue on the outside. This may be of its association with the color of the sea.

The Chapel celebrates on August 15th.

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Panagia Gourlomata of Leros

Located in Drimonas on the island of Leros is the fourteenth century Church of Panagia Gourlomata, which is famous for its icon with a wide-eyed expression of the Virgin Mary. Gourlomata literally means "bulging eyes". The church itself was built with material from more ancient structures and it is especially known for its old and beautiful frescoes. It specifically dates to 1327 A.D. The church celebrates its feast on August 15th.

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The Prayer of the Holy Seven Youths For One Who Is Ill And Cannot Sleep

In the Euchologion (Book of Needs) there is a prayer for those suffering from insomnia, especially in time of illness, titled "Prayer For One Who Is Ill and Cannot Sleep, Known As That of the Seven Holy Youths". This prayer is not very ancient, as it mentions St. Athanasius of Athos (c. 950). Read more on the Seven Youths, here.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest:

O God, Great, Praised, Incomprehensible and Ineffable, Who didst fashion man with Thy hands, taking dust from the earth, and Who didst honor him with Thine Image, O Jesus Christ, Most-desired Name, together with Thy Father Who is without beginning, and Thy Most-Holy, Good, and Lifegiving Spirit: Do Thou manifest unto Thy servant, N., and visit him (her) in soul and body, being entreated by our most-glorious Sovereign Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary; by the holy Bodiless Powers of Heaven; by the honorable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; by the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; by the holy, glorious and right-victorious Martyrs; by our Fathers among the Saints and ecumenical Teachers: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; by Athanasius and Cyril, Nicholas of Myra in Lycia, Cyril and Methodius, Teachers of the Slavs, Spyridon the Wonderworker, and all the holy Hierarchs; by the holy Apostle, Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen; by the holy, glorious Greatmartyrs: George the Trophy-bearer, Demetrius the Myrrgusher, Theodore Stratelates, and all the holy Martyrs; by our Venerable and Godbearing Fathers: Anthony, Euthymius, Savvas the Sanctified, Theodosius (Founder of the Common Life), Onouphrius, Arsenius, Athanasius the Athonite, and all the Venerable Ones; by the holy Unmercenary Physicians: Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Panteleimon and Hermalaeus, Samson and Diomedes, Thalelaeus and Tryphon, and all the rest; by Saint(s), N. (of the Day); and by all Thy Saints; and grant unto him (her) a peaceful sleep, the sleep of bodily health and salvation, and life and strength of soul and body, as once Thou didst visit Abimelech, Thy favorite, in the house of Agrippa, and gavest him the consolation of sleep, that he not see the Fall of Jerusalem, and having nourished him with sleep, didst raise him up again in the twinkling of an eye, to the glory of Thy goodness; and as Thou didst make manifest Thy holy glorious Seven Youths, confessors and witnesses of Thine Appearance in the days of the Emperor Decius and the Apostate, having sustained them in the cave for 372 years[1], as infants kept warm in their own mother's womb, none having endured corruption, to the praise and glory of Thy love for mankind, and for a testimony and confession of our regeneration and the resurrection of all. Do Thou Thyself, therefore, O Lover of Mankind and King, be present now also with the infusion of Thy Holy Spirit, and visit Thy servant, N., and grant unto him (her) health, strength and power, by Thy grace, for with Thee every action is good, and every gift is perfect. For Thou art the Physician of our souls and bodies, and unto Thee do we send up glory, thanksgiving and worship, together with Thy Father Who is without beginning, and Thy Most-Holy, Good, and Lifegiving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

1. It was actually about 184 years.

From The Great Book of Needs (vol. III), St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, 2002, pp. 4-5.

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On Magic, Spiritualism, and Demonic Possession

By Archimandrite Vasilios Bakoyiannis

Miracles

“If a prophet rises among you....”

The Lord said if a prophet (i.e., charlatan) performs signs and wonders, don’t get excited about it (like little children). Don’t get carried away like a leaf on the wind. Don’t believe in other gods. Stay true to the Lord.

The Lord is testing you to see if you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

So it’s possible that mediums and so on can, as a concession by God and with the power of the Evil One, work “wonders.” Here are some of them:

“Communication” with the Dead

“There are some people who are so heartbroken by the loss of a loved one that they go to a medium (i.e., the devil), in order to hear the voice of the departed person, to talk to them, to find some kind of relief. Do they really hear the voice of the dead? Victor H. Ernest, the former medium, gave a blunt answer. The voice they heard isn’t that of their loved one but of a devil. And the poor unfortunate people are left with the illusion that they’re in contact with the soul of the person who passed away!

Telepathy

There are two kinds of telepathy.

A) Reading other people’s thoughts: According to Victor H. Ernest, this happens when a person’s intelligence is working hand in glove with an evil spirit, or when the whole person is actually under the control of an evil spirit. Doreen Irvine, a former prostitute and stripper who was actually crowned Queen of the Witches of Europe, had no difficulty, as a Satanist, in reading other people’s thoughts.

B) Seeing something that’s happening far away in a dream or in a trance: Two people at the séance attended by Victor H. Ernest were able to read the headlines of morning newspapers while they were still being run off at the printer’s, hours before they were delivered to the town. Some, who are even more “advanced”, can see into your house as if with a camera and can find hidden objects, etc.

“Miracles” with Fire

In Kalamata, some years ago, an occultist did the following in front of the audience: He drew lines on his hand with a lighted cigarette without feeling any pain at all.

Something similar happens every year in the village of Agia Eleni in Northern Greece on the day of the feast of Sts Constantine and Helen. A group of people holding icons of the saints dance in their bare feet on burning charcoal without getting burnt.

Victor H. Ernest comments that this is not an illusion. He says that fire-walkers really do walk on burning coals or sometimes on molten lava. Behind firewalking, he maintains, is the total surrender of the practitioner to the forces of darkness.

“Soap Bubbles”

A while ago, in the main street of the town of Patras, in Greece, a magician, with the aid of evil spirits, was doing tricks. Through a variety of invocations, chairs and tables were lifted into the air as if made of paper. A crowd of people rushed to see this devilish spectacle. But by God’s providence a certain priest of the city, Fr A. K., was passing by and he made the sign of the Cross over these flying chairs and tables. They fell to the ground and remained there no matter what the occultist tried to do to move them. The power of the Cross had deadened that of the evil spirits.

Conclusion

No matter how impressive are the “wonders” performed by the agents of Satan (mediums, magicians, etc.), they can’t stand up to the power of the presence of the Cross. They disperse. They burst just as if they were soap bubbles. As indeed they are.

The Devil: Demonic Possession

The best proof of the existence of the devil is a person who is possessed. To anyone who doesn’t believe in the existence of the devil, we would say, “Come and see. Come and see the devil alive within a possessed person.”

Distress

Possessed people (when the fit is upon them) become unrecognizable: the face becomes distorted, the head twists, the mouth gapes. The tongue is thrust out and the victim howls. It is truly a horrible sight.

In this state, a possessed person is capable of revealing all your “achievements” (i.e., sins). It is not just general and vague, either, but specific and in detail. Without knowing you, they can tell you for example, your name, where you were and what you were doing the previous evening, and who you were with. (It’s worth noting that if you’ve confessed to a priest, the possessed are unable to do this).

Questions:

- How do they manage to know your secrets?

- Why is it that sins confessed aren’t able to be seen?

Trembling

During their fit, however, they show other symptoms.

- At the Divine Liturgy they feel as if they’re burning (although when they see fire they don’t).

- Before the Precious Cross, they feel as if they’re being cut to ribbons (although when they see a butcher’s knife they don’t).

- When a priest makes the sign of the Cross over them with the “spear” used in the Divine Liturgy by the priest to cut the Communion Bread, they feel as if their flesh is being pierced. One priest did this and the possessed person howled: “Why are you sticking that spear into my flesh. Why are you pulling at the spear and tearing my flesh?” (Yet the same person was able to bear the touch of a sharp knife without howling).

- When they look upon holy relics, they feel as if they themselves are on fire.

Questions:

- Why should the possessed fear the Divine Liturgy yet not fear, for example, heart surgery?

- Why do they fear the Precious Cross, which, after all, is only two bits of wood, yet don’t fear a sharp butcher’s knife?

- Why is it that they feel they’re being cut open when the sign of the Cross is made over them?

- Why do they fear the relics of saints such as St Gerasimos, a poverty-stricken little monk who was full of love, yet don’t fear the remains of bloodthirsty Lenin, who slaughtered millions of his fellow-citizens?

“Something...”

All the above show us that there’s something about the possessed person that is very badly disturbed by the Precious Cross, the Divine Liturgy, and the relics of our saints. And this “something” is the same thing that can reveal your secret sins, unless you’ve confessed them.

For us Christians, this “something” is the devil. What about unbelievers? Do they just put it down to parapsychology and be done with it?

There are of course, those scientists who declare that all of this will one day be explained by the goddess of “science”. They’re sure of this. Yet this may not be the case, since it’s still in the future, so why are they so sure? What sort of logic is that? But never mind. If in the future science demonstrates that this something really is the devil, will they then believe it?

The Devil’s Bloodthirstiness

The possessed show just how bloodthirsty the devil is and how cruelly he tortures people. Here are a few instances:

The father whose son was possessed said to Christ: “Every time the devil bothers him, it throws him down, foam comes from his mouth and he gnashes his teeth and becomes catatonic" (Mark 9:18). Some know-it-alls explain this by saying the boy was epileptic. But so was Julius Caesar, who lived before Christ. People in the ancient world were familiar with the difference between epilepsy and possession. They weren’t as “backward” as we like to think.

Another possessed man never stayed at home, but went wandering around the deserts and graveyards. Summer and winter he walked around stark naked (Luke 8:27-39).

Another threw himself into the fire to be burnt and yet another into the water to drown (Matthew 17:16). The two possessed men of the Gaderenes were “exceedingly fierce”. They were so wild and aggressive that no one could approach them They were the bane of people’s lives (Matthew 8:28).

Unnatural Strength

If a criminal is arrested by the police and is handcuffed, then no matter how strong he is, he can’t
break his bonds. His hands are tied, as it were. This isn’t true of people possessed. If they’re handcuffed, for example, even if they’re paralyzed, they’re capable of breaking open handcuffs. St Luke tells us in the Gospel that the Gadarene man who was possessed “was kept bound in chains and fetters, and he broke the bonds.” He was completely immobolized, but despite that he broke the chains!

It wasn’t the man who broke the chains, but the devil who was in the man. This demonstrates quite clearly that the devil has superhuman strength. So, he can work signs and wonders. If he wanted, he could:

- Bring up a hurricane to destroy houses and uproot trees.

- Whip up a storm that would sink all the shipping in the area.

- Drown men and beasts.

- Make an earthquake that would level towns and cities.

But he refrains from this. Why?

Wouldn’t he like to turn everything upside down? Certainly he would, if he could. He’s prevented from doing so by God. If God didn’t keep the mania of the demons in check, we’d see them playing with the world like a ball.

How Does He Fight Us?

The misanthropic devil doesn’t fight us with weapons that can be seen and which make a noise (stones, clubs, etc.), but with silent, invisible ones. ONE of these is THOUGHTS. He puts (bad) thoughts into our minds in order for us to put them into practice. If the bad thoughts don’t take root, then he’ll fight us with supposedly good ones, in order to trap us. Given this, you should be concerned and should ask yourself:

- Is what you have in mind perhaps seed sown by the devil? Is it perhaps misleading you towards seemingly good thoughts?

- Is, perhaps, your philosophy of life and death (which you think is correct), really a set of thoughts from the devil?

- Are even your thoughts on spiritual matters, as an Orthodox Christian, perhaps really thoughts of the devil? Perhaps.

One thing you can be sure of: the devil hasn’t made an exception of YOU.

From the book Confronting the Devil, Magic & the Occult, Orthodox Book Centre, Athens 2003

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Jesus Baptism Site Sparks a Debate in Mideast

August 4, 2011
HeraldNet

Christian leaders in Jordan on Wednesday established "beyond doubt" that the country hosts the holy site where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist on the east bank of River Jordan.

They denied an Israeli claim that Jesus Christ was baptized on the west bank of River Jordan at what had come to be called the Judith Church, which was recently renamed as "Baptism Church" by the Israelis.

"There is no doubt that Jesus Christ had been baptised on the east bank of River Jordan and that the site was honoured by Christians from the early days of Christianity and still so until nowadays," said a statement issued by leaders of churches in Jordan.

They pointed out that they decided this fact in accordance with biblical texts, Christian traditions, excavations as well as testimonies and writings by many pilgrims who visited the area since the second century.

Similar remarks were issued on Monday by the Orthodox churches of the East which met at the baptism site, about 25 miles west of Amman, in response to an invitation by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem.

The Rev. Nabil Haddad, president of the Jordan Interfaith Coexistence Research Centre, said during the meeting that all Christian religious leaders considered Jordan's baptism site as "the actual place where Christ was baptized, which affirms its authenticity and refutes Israeli allegations that claim otherwise".

Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Saket said the baptism site was recognized by several top Christian leaders and historians.

He pointed out that the site was inaugurated by the late Pope John Paul II in 2000 and was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2009.

"We were shocked in Jordan to see the Israelis inaugurating a new site on the west bank of River Jordan and naming it the Baptism Church despite well-known historical and religious facts," Saket said.

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Pendeli Monastery Investing in RES

Nikos Roussanoglou
August 3, 2011
Kathimerini

With the support of the Church of Greece, Pendeli Monastery is planning an investment that is seen reaching as much as 1 billion euros in energy production through a photovoltaic park.

According to sources, the two institutions recently issued an invitation for expressions of interest to private investors regarding the exploitation of a 3,000-hectare plot on Mount Pendeli, north of Athens, which is owned by the monastery.

A number of businesses responded to the invitation and an investment plan has been drawn up with the participation of three construction groups and one affiliated company. The groups are currently in the process of hammering out the details of the scheme, with the aim of developing a small part - 10-15 percent - of the entire area in order to build a photovoltaic park on a section of the plot that is not, according to the cadaster, deemed as forestland. In total, investors are hoping that the park will generate up to 300 megawatts annually, while given the magnitude of the investment, they are also hoping that it will be fast-tracked through the usual bureaucracy.

The aim of the Church authorities is to generate significant revenues by selling the right to develop the property, which can then be used to support charitable causes. Likewise, a part of the revenues generated by the private investors will be bound for use in reforestation projects.

According to sources at the interested companies, the Church has assured them that the plot fulfills all of the necessary criteria for the construction of a photovoltaic park, while they are also confident that they will not encounter any problems in terms of licenses.

According to Archimandrite Antonis Avramiotis, who was recently appointed to head the Central Ecclesiastical Financial Service (EKYO), the Church is also exploring the potential of collaboration with private investors for the development of its real estate assets through a tender process in order to increase its revenues directed at its charitable projects and other activities.

Meanwhile, during a recent meeting with Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Archbishop Ieronymos offered the Church’s assistance in the financial crisis through the development of a special fund that will, in the first phase, create a record of the Church’s assets and then draw up a blueprint for their development. Ieronymos also reiterated the Church’s petition for property belonging to the Church, but which has been under the control of the state for the past couple of centuries and is not being exploited, to be returned to the Church so that it may use it as a source of revenue in aid of its charitable causes.

It is worth noting that the estimated 800 properties in the Church’s possession are mostly plots of land and office buildings located mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki. The total assets of the Church are, of course, much greater, but as far as the real estate is concerned, this belongs to various monasteries, parishes and metropolitan churches and are under their control.

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The Castle of the Panagia in Leros

On the hill Apityki (or Pityki) and at a height of 200 m. above sea level, almost in the center of the island of Leros, stands the medieval Castle of the Panagia, which took its name from the church of the Theotokos, which treasures the "Holy Palladium of Lerians" - the icon of the Panagia Odigitria, or Panagia of Kastro, which miraculously arrived on the island of Leros during the era of iconoclasm. In a bull of Emperor Alexios Komnenos (1056 - 1118) the Castle was founded with the name Panteli Castle and built upon the foundations of an ancient Acropolis, and in its current form it was later altered by the Knights of Saint John (who occupied it from 1309 - 1522, followed by the Turks). Emperor Alexios gave this Castle to Saint Christodoulos together with the Castle of Patmos.

The church of the Panagia was built in the 11th century, and the golden iconostasis is from 1745 as well as the episcopal throne and the pulpit. In the area of ​​the Castle there is still the Church of the Holy Trinity with fragments of frescoes from the 9th century, the Church of Saint Nicholas, and an early Christian church which was dedicated to the Unknown Christian Martyr. This latter church was discovered recently by a shepherd searching for his lost sheep. Also in the Castle is an ecclesiastical museum with many treasures.


The miraculous icon of the Panagia, dressed in silver and bearing the date 728 AD, is believed by some to be the work of the Evangelist Luke. It arrived at the island in a miraculous manner on a small boat by itself with two lit lamps. This was in the 9th century during the days of iconclasm.

In the Castle the Lerian Monk Damascene operated a school from 1726, elevating the education of the island, and it ceased operation in the mid-19th century.

The Castle of Panteli is the most important medieval monument of Leros, which, according to tradition, during the time of the iconoclasts in the 9th century the sacred icon of the Theotokos came in a miraculous manner. It was for this reason that the Castle bears the name of the Mother of God till this day and celebrates annually on the feast of her Dormition on August 15th and the Apodosis on August 23rd. At one time this Castle was more famous than the shrine of the Panagia in Tinos, when Christians would come here from all over Greece and Asia Miinor for the feast.

Among the traditions of the people for the August 15th feast is for mother's who have dedicated their children to the Panagia of Kastro to dress their children all in black on August 14th, they make prosphoro for the Divine Liturgy, they walk up to the Castle by way of 499 stairs, and after the Great Vespers Service they remove the black clothing and offer them to the Theotokos.

The tomb of Eldress Gavrilia (1897 - 1992) is within the Castle also.



An Eye-Witness Account of a Miracle of the Theotokos

It was a spring night passed midnight. The full moon was shining with its rays, the valley was sleeping carefree, having as its guardian the tall mountain with the white mills and the Venitian castle. The Monastery of the Virgin Mary the Megalochari, the Lady of the island, was built in there, with icons full of gold and silver gifts that the islanders brought for her grace. Nothing could be heard in that dead silence except only the creepy voice of an owl or the screem of a shepherd dog from time to time.

Suddenly a door from a hut was openned and a woman came out holding a big bag. She stood for a moment, throwing searching glances around, and making three times the sign of Cross. She put the bag on her shoulder and took the road which leads to the wind mills.

As she was walking, she heard foot steps and in a little while she saw two shadows falling hastily downhill. She got scared and made her Cross. Before she had time to even to pull herself together, she saw in the light of the moon two men carring something on their shoulder, running and out of breath towards the valley.

In the morning, before the sun had gilded the mountain tops with its rays, the church bell of the Castle almost broke from being rung so much. When the only nun of the Monastery went early in the morning inside the church to incence the icons, she found them barren from their rich gold and silver offerings. She started to ring the bell in a nervous manner and the whole island started to suspect that something had happened.

Men, women and children gathered to the church to see what had happened. They would go inside the church, and when they saw the icons bare, they would go out to the church yard to find the others to talk about it and curse the thief. Sadness could be seen in everbody's faces. The priests who where also present during this calling, took the icon of the Virgin out to the yard and everybody kneeled down begging the Virgin to make her miracle.

Suddenly, an unusual sound was heard. The people who where up to that time concentrated in the litany, turned to see what had happened and they saw Nicholas, the dumb shepherd whom they called "crazy", come running and making some incomprehensible noise. Two or three men went to meet him, he however with signs as always, showed them that they should follow him.

Some men finally understood what was asked of them and allowed him to lead them. They followed him down the slope and at the turning-point of the road, the dumb man stood in front of a hidden cave and made them understand that they should go inside it. With hesitation, but also with couriosity, the men entered they cave, and what did they see? Two men were laid down on the ground, tied, and without being able to move themselves, and in between them there were two big bags with the treasures of the Megalochari. The Virgin Mary had made her miracle. As the dumb shepherd was walking about by the old wind mills in the light of moon as if he was some kind of fairy, he passed outside of the cave, and he saw the men and brought the news to the Monastery.

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The Chapel of Panagia Kavouradaina in Leros

Panagia Kavouradaina is a picturesque chapel of Leros in Xirokampos, considered one of the island’s most beautiful. It is a whitewashed, domed chapel, somewhat difficult to reach, although there are stairs leading there, built inside a rock’s crack next to the coast. Further down, we find the location where, according to tradition, a fisherman was looking for crabs (“kavouri”) and found inside a crack (or inside a crab’s shell, according to a different version) a tiny, miraculous icon of the Theotokos. This accounts for the chapel’s name.

We have drawn information on how it was built from tradition.

1. One version is the following:

While a fisherman was collecting sea shells among the rocks, he was bitten by a crab. At that precise moment he saw the icon of the Virgin Mary on the rocks. He immediately prayed and soon the wound healed. Witnessing this miracle he picked up the icon and devoutly took it to the village church, telling his compatriots about the event. That same night he had a dream of a woman in black who said to him: “You must put me back in exactly the same spot where you found me”. The next morning after searching, the icon was once again found on the same part of the rocks as it had been the previous day. After this it was decided that a small church be built on the same spot as where the icon had been found.


2. A second version of how the church was built is the following:

Many years ago two fishermen from Kalymnos set out one day to go fishing. The bad weather however did not allow them to fish for long. When the wind started blowing and the weather got worse they decided to moor at Diapori. So that they would not waste a night’s fishing they decided to fish near the beach with a harpoon to catch an octopus or anything they found by the light of their fishing lamp. As they looked down to the seabed they discerned a big group of crabs. When they filled their fishing baskets with crabs, and they had prepared to leave, a miracle happened: A piece of wood rose to the surface at the exact spot where they were fishing, although the currents were pushing it behind their boat. They stopped, full of curiosity, and took it out of the water. When they cleaned it, they saw that it was the icon of the Panagia. They kissed the icon and crossed themselves.

In the morning, when they arrived in Kalymnos, they both went home. One taking the basket with the crabs and the other the icon of the Panagia. He hung it in a corner of his house and left a small olive oil lamp alight next to it. On the third night while the fisherman was sleeping, he saw the Panagia in his sleep and she said to him: “Take me to Leros and build me a little church, where you found me. Don’t forget to do it!” When he woke up, the fisherman told his friend and they set off for Leros.

They arrived at the rocks of Diapori. They tied up their boat and they went to find Lerian builders to build a church. When it was built they placed the icon of the Panagia on the wooden iconostasis. A few days later, they returned to Kalymnos satisfied that they had realized the Panagia’s wish. However, three days later the fisherman saw the Panagia in his sleep, whose eyes were full of pain and with an angry look on her face, saying to him: “My child, you set me up well in my corner. Go back again and build me the church where you found me. I’m waiting for you”. The Kalymnian was at a loss when he arrived in Leros and saw the church demolished. He tried to find the icon of the Panagia, unsuccessfully. Disappointed he took the road to Xirokampos. To his great surprise he saw the icon against the rocks a little further away from the demolished church. The fisherman thought that as the Panagia wanted that spot to be where her church was, there it must be built. This is how it happened and is still located there, up until today.

A feast for the icon is celebrated every year on the 8th of September and 15th of August.

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