Update

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

I'm a few days overdue for my promised update and yes, the soundtrack to my leave of absence continues to play. Life is still very busy and overwhelming, so I'm not quite ready to return to posting, but will get back to it either for the beginning of Great Lent or shortly thereafter. As I said, my break from posting isn't necessarily to relax, but to attend to more pressing personal matters and to catch up on things I've let pile up so I can return to a more normal routine. Posting here on Mystagogy is only one of a few things I've had to temporarily set aside to do this. I'd say I'm about 30% into where I'd like to be.

I had alluded to the fact that during this time I wanted to get back to reading, since it had been a few months since I had completed a book. Below is a list of the books I have either read over the past few weeks or am currently reading:

Handbook: The Correspondence Between Fr. J. S. Romanides and Prof. P. N. Trembelas (Greek)

Greece's Dostoevsky: The Theological Vision of Alexandros Papadiamandis by Anestis Keselopoulos

Counsels On The Spiritual Life (vol. 1 and 2) by Mark the Monk

The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World by William A. Dembski

Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan

Against Happiness by Eric G. Wilson

Warrant for Genocide: The Myth of the Jewish World Conspiracy and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Norman Rufus Colin Cohn

Readings in Propaganda and Persuasion: New and Classic Essays edited by Garth S. Jowett and Victoria J. O'Donnell

Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History by David Aaronovitch

The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories by Nikolai Gogol

Melmoth the Wanderer by Rev. Charles Robert Maturin

Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood

Best Ghost Stories of J. S. LeFanu

Ghost and Horror Stories of Ambrose Bierce

I had also mentioned in an earlier post that I wasn't able to fully catch up on various TV shows and music from 2011. I'm still in the process for these, but did get to complete the second season of Boardwalk Empire and got caught up with The Walking Dead, which are two of the best shows in this our golden age of television. As for music in 2011, I have mentioned in the past a few albums worth mentioning in an otherwise soulless year in music, but over the past week I have come across two very good albums to add to my list. The first is the self-titled album Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi, which interested me initially because it was endorsed by Nick Cave and Brian Eno and was produced by PJ Harvey's producer. Second is the debut album Light Me Up by The Pretty Reckless fronted by Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen, who will be opening for Marilyn Manson's "Cruel World" tour this spring. I've also had the opportunity to purchase my tickets to see Roger Waters perform The Wall this summer at Fenway Park.

Personal errands are still getting done, book orders are getting fulfilled, and updates to this website are far from complete. I should mention that I will be removing certain posts I have made in the past that have either became outdated or misapplied by my readers to promote agendas I do not necessarily endorse. I will also update posts in many ways, for example videos that do not play anymore or links that do not work anymore. Categories will also be made clearer, updated and easier to access. One thing I also wish to emphasize in the future more and more is that this website is a personal website and is not necessarily an "Orthodox" website. This is why I keep it in blog-style and why my web address bears my name and not that of Mystagogy. When I get emails from people telling me what I should and should not be posting I typically ignore them, and this is why. Just because I primarily identify myself as an Orthodox Christian and tend to post on these topics doesn't mean that I will only stick to those topics just to satisfy some of my readers. This website is by an Orthodox Christian and I am inviting everyone to a few aspects of my world, and so far this website has reflected only a few of my many many interests which some would like while others would despise, and both are cool with me. Below are a few randomly chosen topics I will tackle when I get back, and keep in mind that I have about 500 posts set aside waiting to be posted which I will do slowly over time, God willing:

A Miracle of the Three Hierarchs

A Romanian Villager Who Saw the Uncreated Light

The Origins of Anti-Semitism and Conspiracy Hysteria in Modern Greece

How Henry Ford Fueled the Fire of the Jewish Holocaust

Elder Porphyrios' Censure of Elder Paisios

The Disciplines of Singing in the Ancient Greek World

The Nazi Origin of Modern UFO Phenomena

The Greek Diaspora of Venice

The Funeral of an Athonite Monk

The Avaton of Mount Athos

The Errors of Post-Patristic Theology

The 1919 Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia

Was Nietzsche An Atheist?

The Position of the Laity in the Orthodox Church

Fasting: A Study

Elder Gabriel and His Incorrupt Relics

The Actor Who Became an Orthodox Monk

On Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

An Old Calendarist Hoax

Five Ways of Repentance

Rock Throwing Demons

etc. etc.

With love in Christ,

J.S.

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Break Time

The time once again has come to take a short break from posting here. My life has become too busy and I'm more than overwhelmed, and every day something new seems to pop up leaving many things undone as new things pile up and nothing really gets done. Working a full time job in a fast paced environment doesn't help my situation or energy level either, but that is something I can't give up temporarily unless I took a vacation which I would rather save for an actual vacation since I have not taken one since 2003. My house needs cleaning and fixing, my personal library needs to be organized, I need to get back to reading at least six books at a time like I usually do and have not done in months, my DVR needs to get out of the perpetual 90+% full indicator, errands need to be done, appointments must be made, orders from my bookstore need to be fulfilled, books I'm writing which are past their deadline need to be updated, decisions about my future must be made, and the updates I've promised for this website must take place, among many other things. When all these things are done, I'll be back with maybe some peace of mind which I have feel like I have not had in many years to give this website and all my endeavors the energy and time and effort that they deserve. Hopefully this won't take more than a week or two, but my goal is to certainly be back to posting here by my birthday on February 15th if not sooner. I will continue to post past webposts, especially concerning feast days, on both Facebook and Twitter. When I come back, I'll let you know how everything went. A blessed Triodion to all!

As I was thinking of what to write here at 3:00 AM I was fooling around on MixPod.com listening to some music, so I thought I would share some songs and videos (all 15 of them can be browsed through below using the forward button and can be seen also at the link below the video that says "Get Tracks") I quickly and randomly compiled that will provide the soundtrack to my leave of absence.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

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A Wondrous Event In The Life of Elder Paisios

The following story was told by Elder Ephraim, Abbot of Vatopaidi Monastery, in a talk he delivered in Bucharest in 2002, concerning a wondrous event in the life of Elder Paisios as it was related to him by the same:

One winter, just before sunset, I left the Stavronikita Monastery to go to my cell. At one hundred meters from the entrance of the Monastery, I met five students, who earlier were loking for me at my cell (it was close to the Monastery), and they had brought something to me from an archimandrite. Since they could not find me they left it at my cell and went to the Monastery.

When we met they asked me to talk with them for a bit. They showed great zeal for divine things. In this way, without realizing, the time passed. They would not unglue themselves from me. However it was getting dark and barely nothing could be seen, so I sent them to the Monastery before the doors closed on them. I hastened to go to my cell. It was very dark and I could not see the road. This is how I got lost. I had no flashlight.

Then I thought that with such cold and with one lung it was inevitable that I would die. Having no hope to live, I knelt and began to pray for my soul. As I was praying a light came out of me that was so strong that the sun of midday would appear to be dark. This light led me to my cell. As soon as I arrived at my cell the light was gone!


Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos

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Movie Reviews: The Grey; Albert Nobbs; The Iron Lady; Man On A Ledge

1. The Grey (2012)

Story: In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.

Director: Joe Carnahan
Stars: Liam Neeson

Official Trailer
Official Website
IMDB

Review: The Grey is based on the short story "Ghost Walker" by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers. The film was clearly inspired by similar horror tales such as Hitchcocks' The Birds, Spielburgs' Jaws and Scotts' Alien. Yet it is also an exciting though horrifying tale of survival with a surprising philosophical agenda. Promotion for The Grey in part targeted Christian groups by issuing a "film companion," which highlighted the spiritual value of the film. John Ottway (Liam Neeson) is a man who battles with despair throughout the film and topics such as love, death and faith and how they relate to despair are explored. One of the most interesting scenes comes toward the end when Ottway curses God and asks for his help in his deepest moment of despair, but receives no response. Ottway responds to God's non-responsiveness with a statement of individualism that encourages him to take matters into his own hands.

The greatness of this film is not only the horrifying elements that will surely make the viewer cringe, but also its philosophical and theological elements. It tied in with the Gospel reading from the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday the movie was released, which was the Sunday of the Canaanite Woman (Matt. 15:21-28). Whereas in the film Ottway, in his despair, quickly gives up on God after he asks for His help and gets initial silence, the Canaanite woman persists in her hope, despite her despair and Jesus' silence, and gains God's mercy. I was also reminded of a few stories from the lives of the Saints, among which was a story of Elder Paisios that I translated in the post following this one.

Warning: Do not watch this movie while on a plane flight.

Heads Up: Make sure you watch till the end of the credits, where there is an extra scene.

Rating:
2. Albert Nobbs (2011)

Story: Glenn Close plays a woman passing as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Ireland. Some thirty years after donning men's clothing, she finds herself trapped in a prison of her own making.

Director: Rodrigo García
Stars: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska

Official Trailer
Official Website
IMDB

Review: The screenplay is based on a short story by Irish novelist George Moore. Glen Close does a remarkable job portraying Albert Nobbs, an introverted "man" with a simple little dream, but in order to achieve this dream "she" must become a "he". In the written story Nobbs is 30 years old, but in the movie the character looks about 60 which causes some awkward moments to look at in the film, particularly when Albert is seeking to marry Helen (Mia Wasikowska). Overall however this was a moving film that is superbly acted. It is not a "gay film" as some would suspect, but it more reminded me of a secular version of certain saints lives when women fled to male monasteries to become monks as men. Usually these saints encountered great tragedy for their identity change and were only discovered to be men upon death. Spoiler alert: something similar happens in this movie.

Rating:
3. The Iron Lady (2011)

Story: A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent

Official Trailer
Official Website
IMDB

Review: The Iron Lady tells the story of a woman who smashed through the barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. The story concerns power and the price that is paid for power, and is a surprising and insightful portrait of an extraordinary and complex woman who refused to compromise. There is controversy about the film in how Margaret Thatcher's dementia is portrayed, and I would agree it goes a bit too far with this. The film should have focused more on her career, which it skims over like a news reel. But Meryl Streep seems to perfectly capture the voice and mannerisms of Thatcher in one of the best performances of 2011.

Rating:
4. Man On A Ledge (2012)

Story: As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion....

Director: Asger Leth
Stars: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris

Official Trailer
IMDB

Review: I am typically not a big fan of over-the-top heist films, yet this one I found mildly entertaining for its intriguing premise. Like Tower Heist of last year, it is a contemporary parable of the "99 percent", but it fails to deliver any powerful message, and often comes off as absurd. I have no problem with suspending my disbelief to a certain degree, but Man on a Ledge has one too many bizarre moments to count. You're not going to find anything profound with Man on a Ledge, just simple mindless entertainment.

Rating:

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Children Should Be Raised To Be Faithful To the End

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

In our day, you usually hear these words from parents: "We want to secure the life of our child." That is why they work very hard to amass wealth, often unjustly, to educate their child in the calling [vocation] which brings the greatest physical security and material benefit. This is done by so-called Christians! They do this because their concept of a real life and the real security of life is erroneous. See, how a true Christian mother prepares her son for a real life. At the time of her death, Blessed Euphrosyne spoke to her son Clement of Ancyra (Jan. 23):

"Do me the honor, O my son, and bravely stand up for Christ and confess Him strongly and without hesitation! I hope, in my heart, that the crown of martyrdom will blossom on you in my honor and for the salvation of many. Do not be afraid of threats, nor swords, nor pains, nor wounds, nor fire. Let nothing separate you from Christ, but look up to heaven and from there await your great, eternal and rich reward from God. Fear God's majesty; be afraid of His awesome judgment, tremble at His all-seeing Eye, for all those who deny Him will receive the punishment of unquenchable fire and eternally vigilant worm. Let this be my reward from you, my sweet son, for my pain in child-bearing and effort surrounding your education that I may be called a mother of a martyr. The blood that you received from me, do not spare but shed it that, from that, I can also receive honor. Submit your body to torture that I, too, may rejoice at that before our Lord as though I myself had suffered for Him."

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Mormonism is Not Christianity

Bethany Blankley
December 6, 2011
The Huffington Post

Reading the results of the Pew poll about Mormonism, reminds me of what Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in "Strength to Love": "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

The fact that two thirds of mainline Protestants and Catholics believe Mormonism is a Christian religion is an unfortunate example of both.

The Mormon faith is not the same as the Christian faith. Examples abound. Consider these few.

The Ministry of Jesus

In the 2 Nephi 5:21, in the Book of Mormon, in 600 B.C., Lehi, a Jewish prophet from the tribe of Manassah, left Jerusalem with several others, sailed east and landed in South America. Two of Lehi's sons, Lamen and Lemuel, rebelled against God. God cursed them and gave them dark skin -- birthing the Native American race. In 2 Nephi 12:3-12, in A.D. 34, Jesus Christ descended from heaven, baptized the Native Americans, called and commissioned 12 disciples, instituted sacraments, and taught the message of the Sermon on the Mount.

According to the first four gospels of the Bible, Jesus Christ lived and ministered in the region of modern-day Israel. He never appeared in the Americas.

The Virgin Birth

The Mormon Church teaches that Mary, the mother of Jesus, conceived Jesus through sexual relations with God the father. Brigham Young wrote in the Journal of Discourses 8:115, "The birth of the Savior was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood -- was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers." Likewise, the Mormon Apostle Bruce McConkie wrote, "Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers" (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, pg. 547; Read also, The Seer, by Orsen Pratt; Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 1; or The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson).

The Bible teaches that Mary, a virgin, "was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18). It is a miracle that is difficult for many to understand, but not one that occurred as a result of Mary having intercourse with a human or a spiritual being.

The Spirit World

Mormons believe that God, angels and humans are the same. BYU religion professor Robert Millet clarifies this concept in "The Mormon Faith: A New Look at Christianity" (1998, pg. 39): "Latter-day Saints believe that angels are men and women, human beings, sons and daughters of God, personages of the same type as we are. Parley P. Pratt, an early apostle wrote, 'Gods, angels and men are all of one species, one race, one great family.'"

Additionally, angels are created through sexual relations, better known as "celestial exaltation" between God and his heavenly wife in the spirit world. In the LDS Church manual, Achieving a Celestial Marriage, celestial exaltation "includes the ability to procreate the family unit throughout eternity. This our Father in heaven has power to do. His marriage partner is our mother in heaven. We are their spirit children, born to them in the bonds of celestial marriage."

Spirits are gender specific, immortal and eternal: "Each [male and female] is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose" ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World," issued by the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church, 1995).

Brigham Young stated:

"Mankind are organized of element designed to endure to all eternity; it never had a beginning and never can have an end. There never was a time when this matter, of which you and I are composed, was not in existence, and there never can be a time when it will pass out of existence; it cannot be annihilated. It is brought together, organized, and capacitated to receive knowledge and intelligence, to be enthroned in glory, to be made angels, Gods -- beings who will hold control over the elements, and have power by their word to command the creation and redemption of worlds, or to extinguish suns by their breath, and disorganize worlds, hurling them back into their chaotic state. This is what you and I are created for." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 48; see also Doctrines and Covenants 93:29-33)

The Bible teaches that angels (immortals) and humans (mortals) are to worship God (the sole eternal being) their creator (Hebrews 1). Angels have taken on anthropomorphic characteristics but they are not human. They bore messages to humans from God (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:11, 26, 2:9; Acts 8:26) and assisted Jesus (Matthew 26:53; Luke 22:43) and his people (Psalm 91:11, 12; Acts 5:19; Hebrews 1:14).

Jesus and Satan

The Mormon church explicitly teaches in the Pearl of Great Price in both the books of Moses (chapter 4) and Abraham (chapter 3) that Jesus Christ and Satan are both sons of God and are not only spirit brothers to each other but are spirit brothers to humans and angels as well. Brigham Young referred to "the Devil, the mighty Lucifer, the great prince of the angels, and the brother of Jesus" in the Journal of Discourses 6:207. In an Ensign magazine (a publication of the Mormon church) answer to a question from a reader, "How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?" the magazine stated, "On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some--especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers....But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer's older brother" (1986, pg. 25).

The Bible teaches that God has only one son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 17) who came to destroy the work of the devil (I John 3:8).

Both Mormonism and Christianity make very different truth claims.

Christians must know what they say they believe otherwise their claim to faith is meaningless.

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