Elder Porphyrios On Unhealthy Religiosity

By Elder Porphyrios

A Christian should avoid unhealthy religiosity: both the feeling of superiority due to virtue, and the feeling of inferiority due to sinfulness. One thing is it to have a complex and another humility; one thing depression and another repentance.

One day a secular psychiatrist visited me and accused Christianity because, as he said, it creates guilt and depression. I replied: I admit that some Christians, from their own errors or otherwise, are trapped in the illness of guilt, but even you must admit that secularists are trapped in a worse illness, pride. And while those with religious illnesses, when they come close to Christ, flee to confession and repentance, the pride of secularists, living away from Christ, does not leave.

Excerpt from the book "Anthology of Advice" (Gr.) translated by John Sanidopoulos.

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Bulgarian Archaeologists Claim Oldest Monastery in Europe

March 18, 2012
Novinite

Bulgarian archaeologists have uncovered what they believe is the oldest Christian monastery in Europe near the village of Zlatna Livada in southern Bulgaria.

According to latest archaeological research, the St. Athanasius Monastery, still functioning near the village, had been founded in 344 by St. Athanasius himself, reports the BGNES agency.

Until now, the Candida Casa Monastery, founded in 371 AD in Galloway, Scotland, was believed to be the oldest Christian monastery in Europe, followed by the St. Martin Monastery in the Pyrénées-Orientales, France (373 AD).

Archaeologists have examined objects in a hermit's cave and shrine located near the present St. Athanasius Monastery in Bulgaria, and found evidence that the great saint might have resided there.

Additional studies in archives at the Vatican have confirmed that St. Athanasius was present at the Church Council in Serdica (modern Sofia) in 343 AD.

He then travelled on to Constantinople and is believed to have stopped in the area of present Zlatna Livada, which is located in Thrace on the ancient way between Serdica and Constantinople.

The small village of Zlatna Livada (pop. 123) is located near the Bulgarian town of Chirpan, Stara Zagora region.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria (296/8-373) was for a long time Bishop of Alexandria, and is revered as one of the greatest Christian saints.

He did extensive work in theology and was one of the key figures in establishing the dogmas of Christian faith that are still accepted by Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians alike.

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Audio: Oxford Math Professor on God and Science

John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, explains how the relationship between God and the individual is enhanced through science. Part of the series Lent Talks.

Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 March 2012

LISTEN HERE

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Synaxis of the Eight Saints of Fthiotidos

On the Sunday before the feast of the Annunciation (March 25), the Metropolis of Fthiotidos celebrates the synaxis of eight saints who were either born, lived, or died within the region of Fthiotidos. These saints are: the Apostle Herodian of the Seventy, the Holy Martyr Jerusalem, Sts. Nikitas and Gregory, Saint Agathon, Saint Athanasios of Meteora, Saint David the Elder, Hieromartyr Gregory, Saint Ephraim Domboitis, and Saint Nektarios of Aegina.

At the celebration of the feast on 18 March 2012, Metropolitan Nicholas of Fthiotidos celebrated in the Church of the Annunciation to the Theotokos in Lamia. Together with the icon dedicated to the feast, also present was the miraculous icon of the Panagia Gerontissa which was brought from Pantokratora Monastery on Mount Athos, the holy skull of the Holy Martyr Jerusalem from Beroia, and the holy skull of St. David from Evia. (See photos)

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St. Nektarios of Aegina: "Happiness Is A Pure Heart"

By St. Nektarios of Aegina

How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside of themselves, in foreign lands and journeys, in riches and glory, in great possessions and pleasures, in diversions and vain things, which have a bitter end! It is the same thing to construct the tower of happiness outside of ourselves as it is to build a house in a place that is consistently shaken by earthquakes. Happiness is found within ourselves, and blessed is the man who has understood this. Happiness is a pure heart, for such a heart becomes the throne of God. Thus says Christ of those who have pure hearts: "I will visit them, and will walk in them, and I will be a God to them, and they will be my people." (II Cor. 6:16) What can be lacking to them? Nothing, nothing at all! For they have the greatest good in their hearts: God Himself!

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Effects of Orthodox Christian Fasting on Serum Lipids and Obesity

Effects of Greek Orthodox Christian Church Fasting on Serum Lipids and Obesity

By Katerina O Sarri, Nikolaos E Tzanakis, Manolis K Linardakis, George D Mamalakis and Anthony G Kafatos

BMC Public Health 2003, 3:16

Published: 16 May 2003

Abstract

Background
No study to date has focused on the impact of Greek Orthodox Christian fasting on serum lipoproteins and obesity yet.

Methods
120 Greek adults were followed longitudinally for one year. Sixty fasted regularly in all fasting periods (fasters) and 60 did not fast at all (controls). The three major fasting periods under study were: Christmas (40 days), Lent (48 days) and Assumption (August, 15 days). A total of 6 measurements were made during one year including pre- and end-fasting blood collection, serum lipoprotein analyses and anthropometric measurements.

Results
Statistically significant end-fasting total and LDL cholesterol differences were found in fasters. Fasters compared to controls presented 12.5% lower end-total cholesterol (p < 0.001), 15.9% lower end-LDL cholesterol (p < 0.001) and 1.5% lower end-BMI (p < 0.001). The end- LDL/HDL ratio was lower in fasters (6.5%, p < 0.05) while the change in end- HDL cholesterol in fasters (4.6% decline) was not significant. Similar results were found when the pre- and end-fasting values of fasters were compared. No change was found in control subjects. Conclusions
Adherence to Greek Orthodox fasting periods contributes to a reduction in the blood lipid profile including a non-significant reduction in HDL cholesterol and possible impact on obesity.

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Background
Fasting, the voluntary abstention from all restricted foods, is a feature of many religions, and the putative health benefits have attracted both scientific and popular interest. Commonly, religious doctrines proscribe foods from animal sources permanently or for particular periods.

There are several religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Seventh-Day-Adventism that have often been studied regarding their relation to health [1-14]. However, the studies on Orthodox Christianity are very limited.

Orthodox Christian holy books recommend a total of 180–200 days of fasting per year. The faithful are advised to avoid olive oil, meat, fish, milk and dairy products every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year. Additionally, there are three principal fasting periods per year: i) a total of 40 days preceding Christmas (meat, dairy products and eggs are not allowed, while fish and olive oil are allowed except on Wednesdays and Fridays), ii) a period of 48 days preceding Easter (Lent). During Lent fish is allowed only two days whereas meat, dairy products and eggs are not allowed. Olive oil consumption is allowed only at weekends, iii) a total of 15 days in August (the Assumption) when the same dietary rules apply as for Lent with the exception of fish consumption which is allowed only on August 6th. Seafood such as shrimps, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, lobsters, crabs as well as snails are allowed on all fasting days throughout the year. The Greek Orthodox fasting practices can therefore be characterized as requiring a periodic vegetarian diet including fish and seafood.

The variant of vegetarianism followed during fasting periods by Orthodox Christians, with a diet of vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, olives, bread, snails and seafood, is a type of the so-called Mediterranean diet [15,16]. To date little is known as to the effects of this 'hidden' element of the traditional Orthodox Christian diet on health and no data exist on the effect of Orthodox Christianity's dietary rules on blood lipid levels and obesity. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the effects of intermittent short-term religious fasting, according to the dietary rules of the Orthodox Christian Church, on blood lipoprotein profile and the prevalence of obesity.

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Methods

Subjects
The subjects of this study were selected from an adult population in the region of Heraklion, Crete. One hundred-twenty Orthodox Christians were asked to participate in this study. Sixty individuals (31 males, 29 females), mean age (x ± SD) 41 ± 12 years, fasted regularly according to the dietary rules and the fasting periods of the Christian Orthodox Church. Fasters had been practicing the fasting rituals for a mean of 20 ± 14 years. Another group of sixty subjects (24 males, 36 females), mean age (x ± SD) 38 ± 9 years, were control subjects that did not fast. Among the fasting group, 20 were lay persons (fasted for 13 ± 10 years) and 40 were under religious order (fasted for 23 ± 15 years): 19 nuns living in a convent and 21 priests living with their families in community parishes. The family history of each subject was recorded with regard to diabetes, CHD, smoking, hormonal disturbances and drug intake.

Study design
Three pairs of measurements were made over a 1-year period (2000–2001), coinciding with the beginning and end of each of the three major fasting periods of the Christian Orthodox Church: Christmas, Lent and the Assumption. All measurements were made between 8.00–10.00 am and they included fasting blood collection, anthropometric measurements and the completion of questionnaires.

Questionnaires
All subjects signed informed consent forms and completed questionnaires on fasting, health habits (coffee and alcohol consumption, smoking), certain items of personal data (marital status, educational level), physical activity, dietary habits (24 h recall, 3-day dietary record). Fasters were defined as those who fasted regularly during all three principal fasting periods, while current smokers as those who smoked at least one cigarette per day.

Anthropometric variables
Body weight was measured all six times by a digital scale (Seca, Hamburg, Germany, Model 770) with an accuracy of ± 100 g. Subjects were weighed barefoot in very light clothing. Standing height was measured once without shoes to the nearest 0.5 cm with the use of a stadiometer with the shoulders in relaxed position and arms hanging freely. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated by dividing weight (kg) by height squared (m2). Waist and hip circumferences were measured twice, at the first and sixth measurement of the study [17]. Blood pressure (BP) was measured all six times in the right arm with a traditional sphygmomanometer. Three seated BP measurements were taken for each subject spaced two minutes apart.

Biochemical assays
Serum lipoprotein concentrations were always determined after 12 h of fasting. Blood samples were transferred to the University hospital of Crete in tanks containing ice packs that maintained the temperature at 3–4°C. Total cholesterol was determined by Allain's method [18], HDL-C was measured by the heparin-manganese precipitation method [19] and triacylglycerols were determined using Fossati's method [20], while LDL-C was calculated as follows: LDL-C = TC - (HDL -C + TG/5) [21]. During the period October 2000 – September 2001 the coefficient of variation for the biochemical analysis of total cholesterol was 2,85%, for HDL was 5,40% and for triacylglycerols was 3,92%. DNA extraction was performed according to the method of Miller et al [22]. Apo E genotype was determined by PCR amplification and subsequent digestion with the restriction enzyme Hha I (New England Biolabs) as described by Reymer et al [23] in Harokopio University of Athens.

Statistical methods
Differences in gender, tobacco use, educational level and apolipoprotein E distribution were compared using χ2 analysis, while differences in age were compared by ANOVA analysis. Regression analysis was used to compare end-fasting lipid concentrations and BMI with age, sex, smoking, educational level, BMI, WHR, fasting and the pre-fasting values. The influence of fasting on end-fasting values was examined using ANCOVA analysis. Paired samples T-test and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare pre and end-fasting values in fasters.

Pre-fasting values comprise the mean of the three measurements that were made before the beginning of the Christmas, Lent and Assumption fasting periods, while end-fasting values are the mean of the three measurements that were made at the end of each one of the fasting periods.

Results
Demographic data on a hundred and twenty subjects are presented in Table 1. Sixty of the subjects were fasters (26% male, 24% female) with a mean age of 42 ± 12; the other sixty were control subjects (20% male, 30% female) with a mean age of 38 ± 9. There was no statistically significant difference in the age of the two groups (ANOVA). The subjects in the fasters group had been observing the fasting rituals for a mean of 20 ± 14 years. The rate of compliance with the fasting rules was 100%. All subjects in both groups did not suffer from any disease like thyroid, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and did not take any medication.

Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics of the population.
The levels of serum lipids, blood pressure and body measurements of all three periods for fasters and controls are presented in table 2.

Table 2. Levels of serum lipids, blood pressure and body measurements.

Effect of fasting on end-fasting values
Multiple Linear Stepwise Regression Analysis indicated that fasting is a significant determinant for end-total cholesterol, end-LDL cholesterol, end-LDL/HDL ratio and end-BMI (Table 3), showing that fasters have lower levels of these variables.

Table 3. Effect of various variables including fasting on serum lipids and BMI.a
Females have higher levels of end-HDL cholesterol while men have higher levels of end-TC/HDL and end-LDL/HDL ratios. Waist-to-hip ratio was positively related to end-total cholesterol and end-LDL cholesterol.

Comparisons of end-fasting values between the two groups
Comparisons of mean end-fasting values between fasters and controls are shown in Table 4. Mean end-TC, end-LDL and end-BMI were statistically lower (p < 0.001) in fasters compared to controls. Fasters presented 12.5% lower end-TC, 15.9% lower end-LDL cholesterol and 1.5% lower end-BMI compared to controls. Moreover, fasters had significantly lower LDL/HDL ratios (p < 0.05). All results were adjusted for age, sex, BMI and smoking. Table 4. ANCOVA analysis. Effect of fasting on end-fasting mean ratios with covariates the respective pre-fasting mean ratios between fasters and control subjects.

Comparisons of pre and end-fasting values in the fasters' group
The fasters who had 3 complete pairs of measurements were included in this analysis (Table 5). Paired samples T-test showed that fasters presented 9.1% decline in end- total cholesterol, 12.4% decline in end- LDL, 8.5% decline in end- HDL and 1.4% decline in end- BMI compared to their respective pre-values. All these differences were significant (p < 0.001). As for the ratios end- TC/HDL and end- LDL/HDL although they declined the changes were not significant. The same analysis was done in controls that presented no significant changes over the year. A further step was to categorize fasters in two subgroups: 1) nun-priests and 2) lay people and to compare their pre- and end- fasting values. Mann-Whitney test showed that the changes seen in fasters' group remained when each subgroup was analyzed separately though they were not significant. It was observed that between the major fasting periods studied (between the end of Christmas and the beginning of Lent; and between the end of Lent and the beginning of the Assumption fasting period) when fasters returned to their usual dietary habits (non-fasting periods) total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were increased by 6% and 9% respectively. Table 5. Pared samples T-test. Mean pre-fasting values compared to mean end-fasting values in the group of fasters (n = 43).

Dietary data
Table 6 shows that at end-fasting periods fasters had 10% reduction in energy intake (EI), 17% reduction in total fat (%EI), 23% increase in carbohydrates (%EI) and 43.5% increase in fiber consumption, whereas the respective percentages for the controls are +7%, +1%, +1.7% and +3.3%. All the differences found between the two groups are significant.

Table 6. Ancova analysis. Dietary differences between fasters and controls among pre and end-fasting periods based on the 24 h dietary record.

Distribution of Apo E polymorphism
Subjects in this study were screened for the common apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism, as genetic variation at the apoE locus has been shown to influence serum lipid responsiveness to dietary interventions and account for much of the interindividual variability in dietary response [24,25] Several studies, for example, support the concept that the ε4 allele is associated with an increased cholesterol response to dietary manipulation, and that subjects carrying the ε4 allele are the most responsive to diets restricted in saturated fat and cholesterol [24-27].

Fasters and control subjects were classified in three groups according to their apoE genotype: subjects homozygous for the common ε3 allele (apoE3/3 genotype, (38 fasters and 40 controls); subjects with the apoE2/3 genotype (nine fasters and four controls); carriers of the ε4 allele (apoE3/4 and apoE4/4 genotypes; four fasters and six controls, respectively). Chi-square analysis showed that apoE genotype distribution did not differ between fasters and controls (data not shown).

Discussion
The most important finding of this study is that most serum lipid variables decreased significantly over the fasting periods. Fasters, as compared to controls, had decreased levels of mean end- total cholesterol, LDL-C, LDL/HDL-C ratio and BMI. Several genetic factors account for the variation in cholesterol levels and obesity indices, however, we believe that the possibilities of genetic differences between the two groups are minimal since the population of Crete is stable with a long history over 4000 years. In addition to this, the ApoE genotype distribution found no differences between the two groups (fasters vs controls). In the fasters' group the mean decrease within all three fasting periods was 9% for total cholesterol and 12% for LDL-C. However, it was observed that during non-fasting periods when fasters returned to their usual dietary habits, total cholesterol and LDL-C increased by 6% and 9% respectively. This shows that the reduced end-total and LDL cholesterol concentrations that were observed within the fasting periods were not sustained when the subjects returned to their usual dietary habits even though the increase did not reach the initial pre- levels. The reduction in HDL that occurred in fasters is a common finding with low-fat and vegetarian diets [28-31]. The findings above are in agreement with the results reported by Barnard et al who conducted a strict vegetarian-diet intervention study for 5 weeks on 35 women [30]. The intervention diet consisted of grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit. After the intervention diet phase total cholesterol, LDL and HDL were decreased by 13.2%, 16.9% and 16.5% respectively [30]. BMI was also significantly reduced (p < 0.001) while, in agreement with our findings, the TC/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios remained unchanged (table 5)[30]. Similar were the findings in another 6-week vegetarian-diet intervention study by Masarei et al [28] and in a 12-week low-fat-vegan-diet intervention study by Nicholson et al [32]. Lee [33] and Hoffman [34], who compared omnivores with lacto-ovo-vegetarians, found no difference in LDL/HDL ratio between the two groups. The contrasting results on LDL/HDL ratio could be attributed to differences in the population samples studied. Nieman et al [14] and Toohey et al [35] investigated Seventh-Day Adventists with similar demographic and life-style factors and with comparable diets and dietary habits to our cohort. They found that lacto-ovo-vegetarians and lifetime strict vegetarians had lower concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol when compared with non-vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians respectively (p < 0.05) [14]. Toohey et al found also found lower levels of BMI, triacylglycerols and TC/HDL ratio [35]. The present study showed that women had lower levels of LDL/HDL ratio and TC/HDL ratio, which is also a better predictor for CHD in women [36-38]. This is explained by the higher concentrations of HDL that women have compared to men [39]. The positive association of waist-to-hip ratio with total and LDL cholesterol is in agreement with other studies that correlate waist-to-hip ratio with coronary risk factors and CHD prevalence [40-42]. Waist-to-hip ratio measurement is a simple and cost-effective measure that contributes in predicting abnormal lipoprotein levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Both the fasting and control groups had mean BMI in the overweight category. Fasting had a small but statistically significant impact on fasters' BMI at the end of the fasting periods that was not sustained in non-fasting periods. In accordance to the results in this study, Haddad et al studying a group of vegans and nonvegetarians found significantly lower BMI levels in the vegan group [43]. Moreover, others found that vegetarians have lower BMI than meat eaters [44-46]. At the same time following a Mediterranean-style diet has also been proven to be beneficial to weight loss [47]. As regards religious fasting some studies associate it with weight loss and decline in BMI [2,3] while others do not [4,5,48]. Educational level was not found to influence any of the blood lipid variables in this study (Table 3). This was an unexpected result since higher education is associated with better health care and awareness whereas low educational level has been related to unfavorable lipid profile [49], all-cause and CAD mortality [50] and hypertension [51]. The beneficial changes seen in fasters diet during the fasting periods, especially regarding energy intake, total fat and fiber consumption, can also explain the reductions in the biochemical and obesity indices. A recent study of the University of Crete showed that the Christian Orthodox nuns' diet was very low in cholesterol and in saturated fat intake (6% of total energy intake), and high in fiber and antioxidant vitamins [16]. This could be attributed to nuns' high consumption of fruit, vegetables, cereals and legumes. In another study Haddad et al found that vegans consume more grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes and seeds and as a result their diet consists of more dietary fiber and less dietary cholesterol [43]. It is well known that reduced intakes of dietary SFA and cholesterol lower total and LDL cholesterol concentration and are associated with low risk of cardiovascular diseases [52,53]. The Orthodox Christians' diet, which is based on vegetables, legumes, fruit, cereals, bread and olive oil, is a Mediterranean-type of diet with periodic abstinence from meat and other animal products during the fasting periods. Numerous investigators [54-56] have recognized the beneficial role of the Mediterranean diet in cardiovascular diseases, and the protective effect in terms of cancer and longevity have also been noted [57,58]. In addition, supplementary studies have associated religiosity with good health [10]. This has been confirmed in a recent study by Chliaoutakis et al [59], which is the only published work to date which investigates the association between the Orthodox Christian lifestyle and health. Chliaoutakis et al found that devout Orthodox Christians adopt healthier life-styles and that religion has a substantial impact on mental and physical health-related behaviors [59]. In the present study, contrary to Chliaoutakis' findings, the physical activity of the two groups (fasters vs controls) did not differ in any of the testing periods. Our study attempts to provide an understanding of the impact of Christian Orthodox fasting on serum blood lipids and obesity indices before and at the end of the three major fasting periods. Compared to controls, fasters presented decreased lipoproteins and BMI levels. These results support our hypothesis by highlighting the beneficial influence of Christian Orthodox fasting on lipoprotein profile and prevalence of obesity. Competing interests
None declared.

Authors' contributions
Author K.S mainly organized and performed the study, and drafted the manuscript. Author N.T participated in the design of the study and supervised the manuscript. Author M.L performed the statistical analyses. Author G.M performed part of the statistical analysis. Author A.K conceived of the study, participated in its design, and supervised the study and the manuscript.

Acknowledgments
We appreciate the assistance of Bishop Nektarios of Crete in supporting the study and the Monasteries of Sabbathiana, Isodia Theotokou and Kremaston for their participation. We are also grateful to Dr N.Yiannakouris, Mrs C.Codrington, Dr C.Hatzis, Ms F.Bervanaki, Mr M.Kiriakakis and Mr G.Tsibinos.

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Int J Epidemiol 1994, 23(5):948-56.

50.Hardarson T, et al.: "The relationship between educational level and mortality. The Reykjavik Study."
J Intern Med 2001, 249(6):495-502.

51.Tedesco MA, et al.: "Educational level and hypertension: how socioeconomic differences condition health care."
J Hum Hypertens 2001, 15(10):727-31.

52.Law M: "Dietary fat and adult diseases and the implications for childhood nutrition: an epidemiologic approach."
Am J Clin Nutr 2000, 72(5 Suppl):1291S-1296S.

53.Shahar DR, et al.: "Seasonal variations in dietary intake affect the consistency of dietary assessment."
Eur J Epidemiol 2001, 17(2):129-33.

54.Kafatos A, et al.: "Heart disease risk-factor status and dietary changes in the Cretan population over the past 30 y: the Seven Countries Study."
Am J Clin Nutr 1997, 65(6):1882-6.

55.Panagiotakos DB, et al.: "The association of Mediterranean diet with lower risk of acute coronary syndromes in hypertensive subjects."
Int J Cardiol 2002, 82(2):141-7.

56.Kris-Etherton P, et al.: "AHA Science Advisory: Lyon Diet Heart Study. Benefits of a Mediterranean-style, National Cholesterol Education Program/American Heart Association Step I Dietary Pattern on Cardiovascular Disease."
Circulation 2001, 103(13):1823-5.

57.Trichopoulou A, Vasilopoulou E: "Mediterranean diet and longevity."
Br J Nutr 2000, 84(Suppl 2):S205-9.

58.Trichopoulou A, et al.: "Cancer and Mediterranean dietary traditions."
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000, 9(9):869-73.

59.Chliaoutakis JE, et al.: "Greek christian orthodox ecclesiastical lifestyle: could it become a pattern of health-related behavior?"
Prev Med 2002, 34(4):428-35.

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/3/16

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Study Says Fasting May Help Protect Brain

February 23, 2012
Pravda

Fasting a day or two a week may protect the brain against degenerative diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, according to a study by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Baltimore, USA.

Meeting of the AAAS:

"Reducing calorie consumption could help the brain, but simply reducing food intake may not be the best way to enable this protection. It's probably better to alternate periods of fasting, in which you eat almost nothing, with periods in which you eat all you want," said Mark Mattson, head of the neuroscience lab of the Institute during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Vancouver.

The National Institute of Ageing based its conclusions on a study with laboratory mice, in which some animals received the minimum number of calories every other day. These mice lived twice as long as the animals that were fed normally.

Insulin

Mattson said that mice that ate every other day were more sensitive to insulin - the hormone that controls blood sugar levels - and needed to produce a smaller quantity of the substance.

High levels of insulin are typically associated with a decrease in brain function and an increased risk of diabetes. Moreover, according to the scientist, fasting would have made the animals to furthermore develop new brain cells and show themselves more resistant to stress, besides equally protecting the mice from diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

According to Mattson, the theory would also be proven by studies in humans who practice fasting, including showing benefits against asthma." The dietary restriction increases energy and lifespan, and protects the brain and the cardiovascular system against age-related diseases," said Mattson.

The team now intends to study the impact of fasting on the brain using magnetic resonance imaging and other techniques.

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Video: Orthodoxy in the South Pole

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14 Movie Reviews

I have not given any movie reviews since the last weekend in January, so I will briefly review each movie I have seen since then, mainly focusing on my star-reviews since it would take too long to fully review each movie. I will not provide info on the movie either, since this can be looked up through an online search.

1. Chronicle (2012)

A super hero movie with a "found footage" look. Excellent film.


2. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

A man sells his soul to the devil, and uses it for redemptive purposes. Very good and better than the first one.


3. The Woman In Black (2012)

A traditional gothic film that foregoes the gore so often seen in today's horror films for chills and atmospherics.


4. Safe House (2012)

Strong performances coupled with a lot of action and thrills.


5. The Vow (2012)

Too many chick flick cliches, but compelling performances. The true story, with the couples deep Christian faith included, would have been more interesting.


6. This Means War (2012)

A romantic comedy that is not so much romantic, but has some funny cartoonish moments.


7. Act of Valor (2012)

A compelling action film utilizing actual active duty U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen.


8. Gone (2012)

Very good for a PG-13 horror flick. Would have been much better as a film with an R-rating.


9. Wanderlust (2012)

Funny moments, but could have been funnier.


10. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012)

Though the movie is against chopping down trees, it made chopping down trees look pretty cool. The best animation film so far this year.


11. Project X (2012)

An out of control party with a "found footage" look and some humor. The soundtrack was one of the best parts of the movie.


12. Silent House (2012)

Another "found footage" film that will leave you on the edge of your seat, but the end doesn't deliver as powerfully as it should.


13. 21 Jump Street (2012)

A very funny and crude film about friendship with a lot of penis jokes.


14. A Separation (2011)

A strong film from Iran that deservedly won Best Foreign Film at this years Academy Awards.

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7th-century Anglo-Saxon Teen With Golden Cross Discovered

Extraordinary 7th century discovery on outskirts of Cambridge offers unique insights into the origins of English Christianity.

March 16, 2012
University of Cambridge

One of the earliest Anglo-Saxon Christian burial sites in Britain has been discovered in a village outside Cambridge. The grave of a teenage girl from the mid 7th century AD has an extraordinary combination of two extremely rare finds: a ‘bed burial’ and an early Christian artefact in the form of a stunning gold and garnet cross.

The girl, aged around 16, was buried on an ornamental bed – a very limited Anglo-Saxon practice of the mid to later 7th century – with a pectoral Christian cross on her chest, that had probably been sewn onto her clothing. Fashioned from gold and intricately set with cut garnets, only the fifth of its kind ever to be found, the artefact dates this grave to the very early years of the English Church, probably between 650 and 680 AD.

In 597 AD, the pope dispatched St Augustine to England on a mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxon kings; a process that was not completed for many decades. Using the latest scientific techniques to analyse this exceptional find could result in a greater understanding of this pivotal period in British history, and the spread of Christianity in eastern England in the Anglo-Saxon period.

Was this teenage girl an early Christian convert, a standard-bearer for the new God? “Christian conversion began at the top and percolated down,” says Dr Sam Lucy, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon burial from Newnham College, Cambridge.

“To be buried in this elaborate way with such a valuable artefact tells us that this girl was undoubtedly high status, probably nobility or even royalty. This cross is the kind of material culture that was in circulation at the highest level of society. The best known example of the pectoral cross was that found in the coffin of St Cuthbert now in Durham Cathedral.”

“That this is a bed burial is remarkable in itself – the fifteenth ever uncovered in the UK, and only the fourth in the last twenty years – add to that a beautifully made Christian cross and you have a truly astonishing discovery,” says Alison Dickens, who led the excavation for the University’s Archaeological Unit.

“We think there’s only been one other bed burial combined with a Christian pectoral cross ever found – at Ixworth nearby in Suffolk in the 19th century; the records of this find are unclear, however. The fact that we will be able to apply modern techniques to thoroughly investigate the site is a thrilling prospect.”



The bed consisted of a wooden frame held together by metal brackets, with further pieces of looped metal fixing the cross-slats to create a suspended bed base, similar to modern beds, but with a straw mattress. The body was then placed on the bed, probably when it was already in the grave.

Dr Richard Dance, an expert on Old English at the University, has pointed out that the Anglo-Saxon word ‘leger’ can mean either ‘bed’ or ‘grave’. “Etymologically, the word means ‘place where one lies’, but there are examples of this meaning both bed and grave in literature of the time,” says Dr Dance. A clue to the possible symbolism of bed burials perhaps? But why only a chosen few were buried in their beds remains a mystery.

“Bed burials were never widespread, but there is a little cluster around the Cambridge area and another in Wessex, with a solitary very high status example in Teeside” says Dr Lucy. “Where we do find them they seem to be predominantly burials of females, and date to the mid to later 7th century; most have indications of high status such as fine jewellery or burial under a barrow.

The gold and garnet construction of the Trumpington cross also tends to be used for female associated items, although the recently discovered Staffordshire Hoard, as well as the slightly earlier famous ship burial at Sutton Hoo, show that such material was also used in high status weapon fittings throughout the 7th century. It is interesting that the same decorative techniques are seen both in overtly pagan and overtly Christian settings.”

The cross itself – 3 and a half centimetres in diameter – is only the fifth pectoral cross to be discovered in the UK. As well as the examples from Ixworth and Durham, one example was picked up as a stray find in Holderness, East Yorkshire, and another was a 19th-century find from Wilton in Norfolk. These other crosses are pendants designed to hang suspended on a necklace, whereas the Trumpington cross has a loop on the reverse of each arm, so that it could be stitched directly onto clothing.

“You can tell from the shiny look of three of these loops, where they have rubbed against fabric, that this item was worn in daily life, most likely as a symbol of social status as well as religious affiliation,” says Dickens.

The excavations at Trumpington Meadows on the southern city limits of Cambridge, funded by the property developers Grosvenor, have unearthed significant findings from the Neolithic and Iron Ages, as well as material from a contemporary Anglo-Saxon settlement. The Christian girl was in one of a very small group of four graves, along with an unsexed individual in his or her twenties and two other slightly younger women.


The graves are thought to be broadly contemporary with each other, although the team are only at the very beginning of the investigative process. This will include radiocarbon dating of each of the bodies (to establish their date of burial) and isotopic analysis of their bones and teeth, to help determine both their diet and hopefully to establish where they had lived in childhood.

Detailed study of their skeletons will be able to tell, in addition to their sex and age, their stature, health and any visible medical conditions. Analysis of the gold and garnets in the cross will also reveal further details about its place of manufacture; garnets in this period were probably imported from the Black Sea or even further afield, from Asia.

The teenager’s grave also contained other items. An iron knife and a chatelaine (a chain that would have hung from the waist) were found in the girl’s grave, along with some glass beads which seemed to have been kept in a purse on the end of the chain. Preserved textile on the iron knife and chain offers the possibility of reconstructing her burial costume.

“The custom of grave goods was long-established in the pagan period, but it doesn’t mean that the burials at Trumpington weren’t Christian” states Dr Lucy. “The church never issued any edicts against the use of grave goods, but it’s something that does seem to fade away by the 8th century, just at the point where Christianity was becoming the dominant religion. There is, though, a time through the second half of the 7th century, where clearly Christian people were still making use of a limited range of goods within their burials, and these often carried explicitly Christian symbolism, such as the cross here.

“The Trumpington bed burial does seem to belong at that transition between the two religions. Did she have a formal role in the church? The site is just behind the village church, which is first documented over 400 years later. Perhaps there was a monastery – even a nunnery – there before that we don’t know about. This is certainly something worth looking into.”

A small number of structures associated with the burials seem to represent part of a settlement that was in use at the same time. Analysis of the finds from these will help to determine the nature and function of that settlement; initial assessment of the pottery has suggested the presence of some high status imports, of a type usually only associated with high status ecclesiastical centres.

There may even be a possible link to the founding of the first monastery in Ely at around the same time. St Æthelthryth (or Etheldreda), daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, established the female-headed house at Ely in 673 AD. A cemetery found in Ely by the CAU in 2006 also contained a later 7th-century burial of a 10-12 year-old with a delicate gold cross pendant, who was thought to have been associated with the monastery. The parallels between this site and Trumpington are intriguing, and suggest a more interesting origin for the village than has previously been thought.

Click here to see more photos of this discovery

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Third Sunday of Great Lent - Gospel Commentary

Third Sunday of Lent - Veneration of the Holy Cross

By Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Mark

34-37. And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever desireth to follow after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever desireth to save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

[In this passage of St. Mark, and in the following commentary, the single Greek word, psyche, has been translated as either "life" or "soul" as it has both these meanings. See also Theophylact's Explanation of St. Matthew, pp. 30, 61, and 193. Tr.]

Since Peter had rebuked Him for wanting to be crucified, the Lord called the people unto Him, and said in the hearing of all, but directing His words mostly towards Peter, "Do you find fault with Me, Peter, because I take up the cross? I say to you, that neither you, nor anyone else, will be saved unless you die for the sake of goodness and truth." See that Christ does not compel a man to die on a cross against his own will. Instead He said, Whosoever desireth. The Lord is saying: "I compel no one. I invite him to something good, not to something bad to which he must be forced. Whoever does not want these things is not worthy of them." We can learn what it means to deny oneself if we understand what it means to deny another. He who denies another is he who, when he sees his brother, or servant, or father, being flogged or even murdered, does not turn towards him and pity him in his suffering, but acts as if he were a stranger to him. In this same manner the Lord wants us to show no pity towards our own bodies, so that even if we are flogged, or worse, let it make no difference to us. Let him take up his cross, that is, accept a most shameful death, for at that time to die on a cross was considered the most shameful of deaths. But since many were crucified for being bandits, the Lord added to the crucifixion something else: that one ought to have virtue. This is what it means to follow Me. Although His command that one give oneself over to death seemed hard and cruel, the Lord straightway shows this commandment is given out of love for mankind. For whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find life. (But the death of a condemned man, or of one who hangs himself, is not for Christs sake and brings no such reward.) And, on the contrary, he who appears to have saved his life, far from finding life, shall lose it by not remaining steadfast during his time of martyrdom. Do not say to Me, "But he has saved his life", it means nothing. Even if you say that he has gained the whole world as well, it is of no benefit. No one can exchange money for his salvation, for if that were so, a man who had gained the world but lost his soul, could, while burning in the flames of hell, use his money to buy innocence. But at that time and in that place no such trade can be made. Here let us shut the mouths of those who say, following Origen, that all the souls in hell will be restored [and reunited with those in heaven] after they have been punished in accordance with their sins. (1) Let them hear that there is no exchange that can be made there for ones soul. No one is kept in hell as a punishment. Rather, it is the weight of his own sins which holds him there.

38-9:1. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. And He said unto. them, Verily I say unto you, 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.

Intellectual faith does not suffice, but confession of faith with ones mouth is required as well. Since man himself is two-fold, let his sanctification be two-fold as well. The soul is sanctified by faith, but the body is sanctified by confessing. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed to confess that the Crucified One is his God, of him also shall the Crucified One be ashamed. For the Lord shall judge that man to be an unworthy servant, when He comes with glory, escorted by the angels, and no longer in lowly form. At the second coming He will not appear, as He did before, to be of base origin and circumstance, and an object of scorn. Since He speaks of His own glory, He desires to show that He is not vainly boasting, and says, There be some of them that stand here, namely, Peter, James, and John, who shall not die until I have shown them at the Transfiguration the glory with which I shall appear at the second coming. For the Transfiguration was nothing less than a foreshadowing of the second coming, and as He appeared in radiance then, so will He shine at the second coming, as will also all the righteous.

---------------------------------------

1. This false teaching of Origen, apokotastasis, the general restoration of all fallen creation, was condemned by the Church as heresy at the Fifth Ecumenical Council held at Constantinople in 553 AD.

Source

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The "Anathemas" of Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus

By Panagioti Andriopoulou, theologian

The Synodikon of the Orthodox Church is included in the liturgical book known as the Triodion and placed at the end of the sequence of the First Sunday of Great Lent, because on this day (11 March 843 AD) it was established on the initiative of the empress Theodora to be the feast of Orthodoxy in commemoration of the triumph of the Orthodox faith, with the final restoration and honorary veneration of holy icons.

The first and original version of the Synodikon contained the decrees of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 AD), names from the Council of the year 843 AD, and subsequent local councils, but also names of various heretics who had preceded like Arius, Nestorius, Sabellius, Eutychius, etc.

In later sections of the text there are condemned by local councils the heresies and heretics that arose during the later centuries (10th-14th). These were probably included in the period of Hesychasm (14th century). In any case, the final and last configuration and compilation of the current text is placed in the second half of the 14th century. Since then there has been no addition. Liturgically it should be noted that the entire Synodikon is not read in churches on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, but a very small excerpt of which is of course the inclusion of the Orthodox faith. We also emphasize that nowadays the "anathemas" are not read, which have been unstressed for at least a century, maybe more (the issue deserves special investigation).

Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus seems to have a completely different view. He believes that the Synodikon remains "open" and therefore can add "anathemas", as he did during this year's celebratory Sunday of Orthodoxy. He did not read all the anathemas of the Synodikon, but he voiced loudly his own "anathemas" to give, according to him, his own "witness of Orthodoxy" today. Let's see who he anathematized:

- The truly non-existent and fallen arch-heretic Pope and Patriarch of Old Rome Benedict XVI and those in communion with him, anathema, anathema, anathema.

- Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry Zwingli, Henry the VIII the impious king, and those with them, and all the heretical offshoots of the Reformation, anathema, anathema, anathema.

- Those who deny and rebuke the Panagia, the consubstantial, indivisible and Life-giving Trinity, the Rabbi's of Judaism, the Islamists, the anonymous tracts of the Watchtower Society, the Jehovah's Witnesses, anathema, anathema, anathema.

- Those who deny the Holy 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Ecumenical Councils, the Monophysites, Monothelites, and Monoenergists, anathema, anathema, anathema.

- Those who preach and teach the pan-heresy of Inter-Christian and Inter-Religious Syncretistic Ecumenism, anathema, anathema, anathema.

From the above "anathemas" of the Metropolitan of Piraeus the following conclusions are obvious:

The Church for centuries has not added anathemas for Papists or Protestants. The "anathemas" for the Jewish Rabbis and the Islamists are probably totally irrelevant, since they are not for other religions but for Christians who fell into heresy. Shouldn't Piraeus have anathemitized all other religions and not only the monotheistic ones, to be consistent with his ideology of the anathemas. The anathemas of the Monophysites are redundant, as the leaders of the Monophysites are included in the Synodikon.

However all the additions of Seraphim give the impression of an "editor", not to mention a forger of the Synodikon of the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

In particular, regarding the anathema of Pope Benedict 16th and the contemporary "pan-heresy of ecumenism", it is worth noticing that:

1. The Church of Greece, which the Metropolitan of Piraeus is under, consciously follows the Pan-Orthodox line (after relevant Pan-Orthodox decisions) and participates in dialogue with Roman Catholics. The anathema of the Pope by a prelate of the Greek Church creates a major issue between the two churches, whether they come from either a Roman Catholic or not. Has the Metropolitan of Piraeus really expressed the anathema of the Pope to the hierarchy of the Church of Greece? Should he not separate in every way his position from the "pan-heresy" of Dialogue?

2. The same goes for Protestants, since the Church of Greece is in dialogue with them.

3. For the Jewish and the Islamist "anathemas" of Piraeus, it is equivalent to a declaration of "holy war". Doesn't His Eminence realize in what circumstances he may involve the Church of Greece?

4. The anathema, finally, of the "Ecumenists" and those involved in Inter-Christian and Inter-Religious dialogues by the Metropolitan of Piraeus raises a major ecclesiological and canonical problem. The Metropolitan of Piraeus, by only this, is basically anathematizing the Ecumenical Patriarchate (which has the initiative and coordination of dialogues), the Church of Greece to which he belongs (and which in a recent conciliar decision reaffirmed its participation in the dialogues), the ancient Patriarchates and all the Orthodox Churches participating in dialogues and teaching, according to Holy Piraeus, "the pan-heresy of Inter-Christian and Inter-Religious Syncretistic Ecumenism." In this sense, the Metropolitan of Piraeus essentially finds himself in a de facto schism with all of Orthodoxy, since he considers them heretical and anathema in the most formal and solemn manner, and he should clarify his position on this issue.

...

I think that the Church of Greece is treading along dangerous paths ... and apparently silence can no longer be the appropriate attitude. Things should be cleared up before it's too late ... before, in other words, he enters into circumstances with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Orthodox Churches, or before our country is involved in circumstances with third world countries due to unmeasured statements and events by a Metropolitan against Judaism and Islam.

See below the video from the Divine Liturgy of the Sunday of Orthodoxy in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Piraeus:

Η λιτάνευση των εικόνων from pewebtv on Vimeo.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos

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Russian Orthodoxy In Iran

Milena Faustova
March 9, 2012
The Voice of Russia

The once numerous Russian-speaking community in Iran has shrunk dramatically to a few hundred people. Nearly all of them live in Tehran. These are the descendants of Russian émigrés and the permanently accredited staff of diplomatic and trade missions.

The search for compatriots began near the St. Nicholas Church located on the northern outskirts of Tehran. The city’s Orthodox Community traces its history to the late 16th century. Before the 1917 revolution in Russia, there had been two embassy churches in Tehran plus a belfry at the Russian cemetery. Later, both of the churches were shut and destroyed.

The St. Nicholas Church was built the 1940s on donations from Russian émigrés. It was designed by émigré architect and Iranian Army officer Nikolai Makarov. As soon as the crosses appeared on its cupolas, the half-finished church opened its doors to parishioners. There were several Orthodox priests in Tehran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In the early 1980s, all of them were expelled. It was not until the late 1990s that the St. Nicholas Church received its new head priest. Hieromonk Alexander Zarkeshev was appointed by the Moscow Patriarchate to serve in Tehran.

When a Voice of Russia correspondent visited Tehran on March 3, 2012, the church gate was locked. The crosses on the gate and the cupolas rising above the fence were the only signs indicating that this was an Orthodox church. Russian embassy officials explained that liturgies are held every Sunday but that often no one comes.

There are no Russian language courses or Russian cultural center at the embassy any more and of all the Russians who had once settled in Tehran Faina Lvovna Noniyaz was the only one that could be reached by phone. Pleased at the rare opportunity to speak Russian, she gave us her story:

"My husband is Iranian. He lived in Russia for a long time as a political emigrant. But then we returned to Tehran in 1994. At first I found it hard to adapt. I was deeply nostalgic. It was difficult to get used to the local climate and local way of life. I only meet Russians in church, mostly during major feasts like Christmas, for example. The Christmas liturgy is very beautiful and the choir is really good."

The church is the only place where Faina Lvovna can speak Russian. There is no Russian club in Tehran. Ukrainians are luckier. The Ukrainian women married to Iranians have recently set up a cultural center of their own. Olga Sosnova arrived from Kiev 16 years ago. She met her future Iranian husband in Ukraine and fell in love with him. So when he proposed to her, she didn’t think twice before accepting.

"I do not regret it a bit. I feel fine here. True, it was very hard to adapt. The culture and the mentality are different. Despite the fact that I had been morally prepared, everything looked different from what I had imagined. What struck me most is a nice attitude to foreigners. No matter if you are a man or a woman, they do their best to make a nice impression on a foreigner."

Like the Iranian women, Olga wears a headscarf and body-covering clothes, but this doesn’t irritate her. She spends much time in the Odnoklassniki social network, chatting to women like herself, former Soviet citizens married to Iranians. They often celebrate Russian holidays together.

"We celebrate New Year’s, March 8th, the May 9th Victory Day and all main Orthodox feasts. Iranians are very tolerant to this. We have never encountered any problems. Incidentally, you can see not only Orthodox believers but also Muslims in the Russian church during feasts. They come to watch the Christian liturgy."

Olga’s children regard themselves as Iranians but are proud of having a Ukrainian mother.

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Fr. Alexander Men: On Keeping the Orthodox Fasts

"The only thing that I decidedly oppose is the abrogation of fasts, which I learned about long ago. Perhaps this does correspond to the Western way of life, but I cannot in any way endorse it and I urge you to live according to our Orthodox canons. You know that I am an ecumenist, but this does not at all mean that I consider Western customs to be in all ways better than ours. They too could learn a thing or two from us."

- Fr. Alexander Men, 'Letters to a Spiritual Daughter' (Christianos vol. XIV. Riga (2005): pg. 84.

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Video: The History of Saint Patrick - a Short Story

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Video: In the Footsteps of St. Patrick

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Video: Ali Wentworth's Orthodox Baptism Nightmare

In the video above, actress Ali Wentworth details the events of her daughter's Orthodox baptism in a somewhat humorous way on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and guest Bill Maher. Historically Great Lent has always been a period of catechesis for catechumens approaching Holy Baptism. Without a proper education, an Orthodox baptism could indeed look like something out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, yet those a bit educated understand it is more like something out of It's A Wonderful Life.

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Video: Megan Fox's Anti-Tattoo Campaign

The Tonight Show

The Ellen Show

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Autobiography of St. Christodoulos of Patmos

From "The Rule" of St. Christodoulos:

Inasmuch as I, being but a man, have been maintained in this present life, by God’s dispensation, a sufficient time and, being far advanced in age, have nothing more to look for, to quote Gregory the great Theologian, but my departure hence, I have deemed it incumbent on me to set down in writing for my pious companions the rules that will, I believe, help them to be perfectly and salvifically pleasing to God, an ordinance for my very dear brothers and children in the Lord, in order that, taking it as a rule and a pointer, and governing their conduct by its precepts, their life may run smoothly (may God hear my words!) in peace, with good conscience, guarded by the grace of the Life-giving and All-holy Trinity, three persons of one nature.

But, O holy community (for here I turn and my words are addressed to you!), elect flock, chosen people,  godly concourse, my blessed children in the Lord, come, hear that which I shall expound to you: “Come, listen to me, I will teach you fear of the Lord” (cf. Ps. 65 [66]:16). For I shall use, when opportune, the words of the sacred psalmist David — “Incline your ears to the words of my mouth” (cf. Ps. 77 [78]:1–2) — let Solomon’s voice mingle with David’s, the son and the father together sing to me, a father addressing my sons: “Hearken to me, for I will speak noble truths and will produce right sayings from my lips” (cf. Prov. 8:6).

At this point it seems to me right and necessary to begin with some personal information, and speak of it at acceptable length, then dealing summarily with essentials of a more practical kind. Indeed, even in Holy Writ we often observe that no reproach attaches to words that have a measure of partiality, or accounts that tend to redound to the praise of the speaker. No one attacked them for talking about themselves, nor was this considered a sin, so long as it was in order to expound and clarify something formerly obscure, and not from some other, merely human motive. Considering this, neither do I, a humble old man, think it reprehensible to take up my history, beginning at the beginning and continuing to the end, and place before you the course taken by my life in this vain world (for this seems to me useful for salvation!), after that laying injunction upon you, that you may be saved in the Lord, observing obedience.

I come from the East. From an early age I was tossed to and fro by conflicting thoughts and, still a small child, I thought of leaving home, parents, and family, and fleeing to refuge with Christ, our true God and Savior. This is exactly what I did — going to a flock of monks to whom I surrendered myself, and finding a teacher and educator in the superior of this holy band. But it was God, and he alone, who, through his ineffable mercy, opened my eyes, at that early, unformed and malleable age, well before my reasoning powers were firm. This was indeed worthy of his great works, for, of old, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings he perfected praise” (cf. Ps.8:2), and “The manifestation of his word enlightens and instructs the simple” (cf. Ps. 118 [119]:130) as David divinely and prophetically sings.

But desire for a more complete isolation possessed me and drove me from place to place. To Palestine I went, desiring to venerate the holy steps of our Lord, but most of all to “flee like a sparrow” (cf. Ps. 10 [11]:3; 54 [55]:7), choosing, like those of old, “to lodge in the wilderness.”(Ps. 54 [55]: 7) So, after worshiping at the holy places to my fill, conversing with none but the luminaries and fathers there — and bearing fruit, though I, perhaps, should not say so, through imitation of their life — I presently moved to the most desolate parts of the country (Palestine, that is) settling there for some time.

But then the Saracen swarm made this impossible. They appeared in all regions of Palestine, and spread like a monstrous hailstorm, with a baneful rattling and gibbering, destroying and annihilating the whole Christian society. As I did not wish to fall into [the sin of] self-will (but for this I would not have been seen clinging to life!) I removed from thence, expelled, as it were, and driven out by the barbarian phalanx, and came to a peaceful mountain in a pleasant site in Asia [Minor], called Latros locally, led there by its ancient reputation, for those blessed fathers who once lived on Raithou and Sinai (if not all of them, at any rate the majority) are said to have moved there because of the continual raids of the savage Blemmyes, except those who suffered martyrdom on the spot.

So, because of my love for these saints, my will too inclined to this mountain, settling me there, with my goal before me. I entered the lists, and perhaps the community I founded there [might be called] spiritual, at least by human standards. The hand of the Lord with us advanced our stay on that mountain to good fame. We practiced asceticism but not as solitaries. Here, two or three gathered in the name of the Lord; there, a slightly larger number settled in one place, choosing the cenobitic life.

Elsewhere, a considerable body could be seen, at once separate and together, maintaining, I may say, a lavra, in the ancient tradition of the fathers: together each Sunday, to perform the liturgy and exchange edifying conversation, thereafter returning to their cells, to devote the six days of the week to solitary contemplation with psalm-singing and handiwork. We were all things to each other, sharpening one another’s resolve to the unadulterated labor of virtue.

The triumphs of cenobitic discipline among those subject to its rule showed abundant and overflowing, unadulterated, undebased. O, how should I remember it without tears! Never a coarse word was heard from those who were with us on Latros. Never was there any disreputable cohabitation. No sign of strife or hatred or envy. Not one of those who lived there in the monastery kept anything earthly to himself, private or secret, but all was dignity, freedom from worldly cares, poverty, virtue, saintliness and the crowning virtue of all, humility.

But O! My ill luck! Upon Asia Minor too and all Ionia falls now the saber of the Lord, slashing without rest or cease, refusing to return to the scabbard. Against these lands too is loosed the glittering sword, the bow drawn, with those deadly weapons, his arrows drunk with the blood of the wounded and of the captives. Here too is lit the fire kindled by the wrath of the Lord, that devoured the land of the Romans and set on fire the foundations of the mountains, in the prophetic words, the revelations made by the Lord through Jeremiah and David and Moses, against Israel when it transgressed.

What do I mean by “saber,” “bow,” “drunken arrows,” and “kindled fire”? The right arm of the Persians, the ferocity of the Turks, that wiped out the whole of the east and devastated it cruelly. That lawless nation, destroyer of towns and countryside alike, attacked that land too, bringing the same destruction upon its inhabitants. Because the multitude of our sins daily increased the successes of the Agarenes, they did not leave us untroubled in that mountain either, where we had taken refuge. For there was not a hole hidden from the godless.

So from this place too I was driven by fear, migrating for the second time, with little regard, I must admit, even for pastoral ordination — which I had not received willingly. How could we have been so bold as of ourselves to have assumed so great a burden? On the contrary, most reluctantly did I shoulder it [yet], making myself responsible, perhaps, in the legal sense, as a guardian, since that mountain of Latros was entrusted to me by his holiness the Patriarch, and I bore the title of protos on it. Well, perhaps I should have faced death there, if the law is to be interpreted rigorously. But human frailty, ever turning to the Lord’s mercy and emboldened thereby, made me confident I was doing no wrong in moving once more because of the great vexation caused by the aforesaid enemies.



So I came in due course to Strobilos, a city on the sea shore. I wished, in a way, to avoid the cruelty of the barbarians, and had with me, too, some of the brothers, who felt that expatriating themselves with me was the answer to their prayer, and what a man could most reasonably wish to do. Well, but God’s grace was not yet pleased to let us be and grant us rest. After all we had been through, not even there did we find peace. The same fear continued to dog us.

There, however, we fell in with a pious man of distinguished birth (for he was of native stock, well born, and all looked up to him); he was godly in his ways, moderate in his opinions, imposing in his person, decorous in character, and a monk. His name was Arsenios, his surname Skenourios. He devoted himself entirely to looking after us. No stranger to us before, he was now bound even closer in the spiritual bonds of affection. He began by offering me his own monastery at Strobilos, but, seeing he could not keep me there, I was sick of the East for good, what with continually being on the move out of fear of the enemy (at Strobilos too a Persian attack was expected any moment!); he begged me to cross over to the island of Kos, go round it, inspect his patrimonial lands there, and found a monastery on them wherever I chose. To it he would consecrate the whole property.

I obey and make haste to visit Kos. I go round Skenourios’ properties, come upon an extensive ridge with no habitation, in a well-exposed site, well-watered besides, and temperate. This hill was called Pelion by the islanders. So, seeing it ringed in and cut off from the surrounding country, and isolated by a ring of ravines and natural gullies (one might think it a fortress!), I was straightway delighted with the site and eager to build a monastery there, for I thought to stay my wanderings in that hill and at last taste peace, until I should bequeath my clay to that same Pelion. But God, apparently, did not approve my plan.

For there again, though I endured on Pelion labors too great to relate, in the end I failed of my aim. God had decided that on Patmos I should find my fate and my grave. However, acceding to the suggestions and appeals of the said brother Arsenios (I shall make room in the relation of my affairs for a short account of my stay on Pelion) I threw myself into the building program. He began by promising to help us and work beside us with all his might, but before long, at the very outset of work, he made up his mind to flee, slipped away by night, and sailed for Jerusalem without a backward glance.

As a result, a maximum was demanded of me. With pain and sweat, in those difficult times, amid a general shortage of necessaries, but with help from on high, I erected from the foundations and brought to completion a quite beautiful, a most elegant church, founding it in the name of the most holy Mother of God. I made a circuit-wall and cells and everything else that characterizes a self-supporting and completely equipped monastery. Delighted with its appearance and reckoning it, quite simply, as a “factory of virtue," the pious and Christ-loving inhabitants of the aforesaid island, each according to his means and inclination, made offerings consisting not only of movables, but of immovables also. For all of them, viz. Skenourios’ little properties and those that accrued to us from offerings, we procured a chrysobull from the then holder of the Romaic scepter, the Lord Nikephoros [III] Botaneiates [(1078–81)], to confirm and establish our possession.

So then for a little I thought we should have peace. But the land all round us was occupied. Next to those given us, and bordering on them, were properties belonging to the inhabitants of the island, and all this was a source of trouble for the brothers with me. They quarreled, differences arose with the neighbors, till the supervening distress for me was indistinguishable from the confusion of a city. Consequently I was in fear, and not, as the proverb has it “Where no fear was”; no indeed! With my brethren involved, from utter necessity, I may say crawling in the promiscuity and confusion, the ferment of worldly concerns, mingling with worldly men, engaged in barter and also, as is generally the case, in disputes, what if it should happen that one of them, besieged by the ambushes of the Evil One, should fall, alas!, a prey to his snares, and then his soul be required of my wretched self, a soul that the whole world, in Christ’s sacred words, is not worthy to purchase? (cf. Matt. 16:26)

This was the fear, the terror that gripped my heart of hearts, that shattered my bones, that drained my marrow, that tore my sinews apart, that divided my flesh, while unceasingly I chanted within myself: “Flee,” poor wretch, “like a sparrow” (Ps. 10 [11]:2) to places wholly uninhabited and deserted, for it is out of the question, utterly out of the question for you to achieve peace and quiet until you find a place whence any inmixtion of worldly men is completely excluded, a tabernacle of peace for yourself and those with you, an habitation devoted to the utmost to the work of salvation.

Being so minded, I discovered that the brothers’ choice in this matter was in harmony with mine. They had discussed it already and suggested an island to the east of the Icarian sea, far removed from the mainland and the prestigious islands (this little island is called Patmos), as being the uttermost wilderness, unknown to man, a place where life flows untroubled, whose harbor is inaccessible to regular shipping. In short, desire for this island completely took possession of me, a desire made more acute because here had dwelt the Apostle that Christ loved, [St.John] the virgin Evangelist. Here he had his famous vision, his all-blessed ecstasy and change, here his exalted and heavenly initiation into theology. Here the Gospel was dictated in the thunder of God’s voice. Taking all this into consideration, when I compare Patmos to Sinai, I set the former as far above the latter, and account it first, as I set grace above the shadow, truth above appearances, the spirit above the letter and the Gospel above the Law of the Tablets.



So, invoking the aid and influence of heaven, I addressed myself to our pious and God-governed monarch, pre-eminent among emperors, the lord Alexios [I Komnenos (1081–1118)]. I am introduced into his presence, he deigns to give me a kind reception. I have speech with his divine Majesty immediately. I acquaint him with what is in my mind, relate my aim, reveal my desire, plead fervently to be given the island of Patmos, beg to have it as an imperial gift, free of all obligations.

But the most powerful emperor, while on the one hand freely and royally extending to us his personal good will, yet begged our miserable self (all but inclining that crowned head to us!) not to persist in our aim, but to accept the government of a mountain called Kellia and Zagora (for it had been given to monks of old). Perhaps I would have yielded to the insistence of his imperial majesty, if I had not found the monks settled on this mountain far from what I hoped in their habits, little to my mind and nothing to my purpose, unsuited to the solitary life (I do not wish to sound tiresome!) for they were entirely lacking in exact instruction. When it became clear, even to the emperor, that these monks were completely unacceptable for my purpose, I again begged and beseeched his imperial majesty to accede to my wish concerning Patmos. This time, with the empress of blessed memory, the emperor’s mother, also interceding for me and urging this course, the most powerful emperor granted the request of our miserable self.

Finally, to make a long story short, I renounced in favor of the fisc all my possessions received from Skenourios and others, on Kos and at Strobilos, retaining only the two estates on the island of Leros given me in full possession by this oft-mentioned Skenourios and by Kaballourios. In exchange I received by imperial chrysobull the whole island of Patmos, forfeited by the fisc for good, as well as the neighboring islets of Narkioi and Leipso, as also the two estates of Leros which I owned before, as already mentioned, viz. Parthenion and Temenion.

READ THE REST OF "THE RULE" HERE.

Read also: Saint Christodoulos Latrinos of Patmos

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