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By John Sanidopoulos
Good news came to the Greek people when the Men’s Four Sculls Coxless rowing team qualified for the finals this Saturday. They ended second in their category with the time 6:02.61 after USA (6:01.72) and before Germany (6:04.61). These four men are Stergios Papachristou, Yiannis Tsillis, Giorgos Tsialas, and Yiannis Christou.
After their victory, Stergios Papachristou said: "This is the first time in a heavy category that Greece enters the finals at the Olympic Games. I want to mention Father Joseph of Mount Athos. He sent a letter with wise words, which we had with us today and it helped us a lot. We believe in God, we believe in people who are near us. We will give it all now in the finals."
Below is the letter which Fr. Joseph wrote the athletes:
Fr. Joseph, an ascetic from Mount Athos of the Hermitage of Saint Minas, is the spiritual father of the female Olympic rower Christina Giazitzidou. His letter is full of encouragement for the Greek athletes. It ends with the following words: "Children of Greece, immortal for both your victories and ethos, Olympic rowers who will become songs, examples and myths!!!"
Ilias Iliadis put aside his disappointment at missing out on a judo gold medal at the London Olympics and said he hoped the bronze he won on Wednesday will bring some joy to those suffering in crisis-hit Greece.
"Really I am happy for this medal because Greece needs this medal at this time. Greek people need this medal," he told Reuters. "Everybody knows about the hard times in Greece. I want to say thanks to everybody in Greece who was watching my fight. It would have been good if it was gold but no bad thing that it's bronze."
When Iliadies was asked by Greek reporters to whom he dedicated his metal, he said: "I dedicate it first to God, then to all the Greeks." Iliadis went on to say: "I thank God! This metal will go to Mount Athos."
Two months before winning the bronze medal in London, Ilias visited the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi on Mount Athos, in order to "receive strength from the Panagia". He told Pemptousia in an interview that he would give his medal if he won to the Monastery as an offering to the Panagia. In the interview he also speaks of judo, athleticism, his love for Greece, his deep Orthodox faith, and his time living in Georgia. (see video here)
Do you happen to have any insight as to what the little illustration means on the first page of the letter? Is it similar to medieval decorative calligraphy used when beginning a letter/story? It's pretty neat looking and I'm wondering if there's any special Greek or Orthodox meaning to it.
ReplyDeleteHi, any chance of the letter from the Father to be translated to English? :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful! God is good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, John.
It IS,in fact,INSPIRING to see young people having recourse to God, the Theotokos, & the Saints in all of their endeavors. By the same token, however, the "Scholar of Christ", St.Hypatios of Bythinia, ("St.Ipatiy") successfully thwarted a movement to resurrect the Olympics in his day due their Pagan origins. I also would like to bring to notice that the Greek Orthodox Bishops, in 2004, (the Olympics in Athens), asserted that while they are proud of their ancient heritage, they cannot condone the Pagan elements found in the Olympics. Public Nudism is a hallmark of Paganism, & as Sacred Scripture tells us "All of the gods of the gentiles are demons".(Psalms, 96:5-KJV, or Psalms 95:5-Vulgate of Blessed Jerome). Furthermore, St.John the Theologian clarifies the reality of the weakness of our fallen nature: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the LUST of the EYES, and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."- 1 John 2:16. Christ God clarifies that not only chastity of body but also of mind is required to obey His Ten Commandments: "Whoever looks with lust has already committed adultery in the heart.", Matt-5:28. We are aware of St.John Chrysostom's condemnation of immodesty in women. St.Maximos the Greek not only knew the fiery Florentine preacher, Savonarola, but greatly admired him so that when St.Maximos returned to Orthodoxy, he retained Savonarola's moral teachings. Savonarola observed that the leotards worn by Florentine men exposing to advantage the area of the loins was fomenting the vice of Sodomy...No matter what their athletic goals may be, it is clear from both Sacred Scripture & the Church Fathers that the young men & women who enter the Olympics & sports forums are bound to avoid giving scandal in public, & especially to children, (Matt-18:6, Mark 9:42), by avoiding the TOTALLY UNNECESSARY TIGHT & SCANT ATTIRE, (speedos,spandex,etc). It is therefore the duty of the spiritual shepherds, just as the Greek Bishops, to denounce publicly any Pagan elements in sports, & beyond that, to instruct specifically the Orthodox athletes to imitate the Logos Incarnate & the All-Pure Theotokos in whatsoever they do. Sincerely in the Love of Christ God, Mark Grillo-Columbia,SC
ReplyDelete