The Wonderworking Icon of St. Marina of Maistros

The wonderworking icon of St. Marina of Maistros was a family heirloom of Irene Abatzis. When she died on 21 September 1932, her daughters Smaragdis Karageorgiou, Katherine Bousdrouki, and her son Demetrios Abatzis, at the suggestion of Metropolitan Gervasios of Alexandroupolis, gave the holy icon to the church of the village. From that time the Holy Church of St. George of Maistros also became associated with St. Marina.

Irene Abatzis, following the death of her husband T. Abatzis in 1911, left Kessani with her three children and settled in Maistros next to her relatives, where she occupied herself in needlework. Immediately the miracles began to occur at this time. Irene noticed that the icon of St. Marina would begin to weep every time an unpleasant event in the region of Greece would take place. These tears had healing properties. So when believers from the areas of Maistros and Ainos heard about this, they would come to Irene's home to partake of the grace given to St. Marina. Among the faithful were also Muslim Turks who heard of the miracles of St. Marina and came to receive a blessing. This resulted in not only many miracles among Christians, but also among Muslims.

Irene Abatzis would fall into a deep sleep during this time, which lasted sometimes beyond a whole day. The first time this happened Irene's family thought she died, so they began to lament her, until she finally awoke and informed them that St. Marina took her to places that she could never have even imagined. She would recount events that had happened, or had not been known, or would soon take place. There are many testimonies from residents that these things took place as Irene beheld in her visions.

After the uprooting, Irene Abatzis with her fellow villagers of Maistros were installed 3km northwest of Alexandroupolis.

The wonderworking icon of St. Marina was not only a family heirloom, but a collective emotional connection of the Maistros community and the other refugees of Ainos. The people would still bring their sick, whether they were sick physically, spiritually or mentally, to the holy icon to seek healing from St. Marina. Many are witnesses of Irene consoling the sick, who were in an acute crisis, sometimes with her prayers and sometimes with her imperative voice, but always with love and care. She would often receive, according to reports, many attacks, especially from the demon possessed, but she never came to any harm, but rather, they would calm down and be obedient after a forty-day stay in her home.

From 1925 and onwards, residents of Alexandroupolis at first, then Evros later, would arrive to worship and celebrate on the feast of St. Marina on July 17th. So in Maistors a great feast would take place with large crowds coming to venerate the wonderworking icon of St. Marina.

The festival continues to take place today, together with the ever-growing reputation of the wonderworking icon of St. Marina.

Source: Εφημερίδα «Πολίτης της Θράκης» (12-07-2006). Απόσπασμα από άρθρο της Αικ. Κάλτσου. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.

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Video: Interview with Sir Steven Runciman

Culture and literature series featuring a different Scottish writer each week. In this episode author Sir Steven Runciman remembers his childhood as the son of a Cabinet Minister with aspirations to be a thief, his many travels, and his joy in keeping a diary. Runciman was a revolutionary scholar bringing Byzantine studies to the serious attention of the West.

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Muslims Join Orthodox in Honoring St. Marina

Last week it was reported that a historic chapel dedicated to St. Marina in Didymoteichon of North Evros, northwest of the cliff Kale, once again since the 19th century began spouting its miraculous holy water following landscaping and enhancement of the chapel. Because of this rediscovery, Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteichon, Orestiada and Soufli organized a festival to take place for the celebration of the feast of St. Marina on July 17th.

Upon hearing of this discovery in the Greek media, many Muslims joined the Orthodox Christians to celebrate the feast of St. Marina and venerate her relic. All sought to receive a vial of holy water for the health of their families. Didymoteicho has a strong Muslim population. They joined the Christians in lighting candles, venerating the icon and relic of St. Marina, and even wrote their names to be prayed for on behalf of the health and well being of their families.

According to the Metropolitan, this feast brought together two religions.

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Muslim Converts to Orthodoxy After Witnessing Christian Compassion

July 18, 2012

RIA Novosti

The deadly flashflood that killed 152 in southern Russia this month prompted a local adherent of Islam to change religion, an Orthodox Christian priest told RIA Novosti.

The Krasnodar region resident was visiting the city of Krymsk, which bore the brunt of the disaster, when the flood hit on July 7, Archpriest Sergei Karpets said.

The man, whose name was withheld, was not in the disaster zone, but was impressed by the “Christian unity” of people involved in the cleanup, Karpets said on late Tuesday.

The Muslim requested to be baptized, but will have to wait until the cleanup is ended because the priests will first have to educate him in the basics of the faith he is seeking to accept, Karpets said. He gave no timeframe for the baptism.

Apostasy is punishable by death in Islamic Shariah law.

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If You Want Authentic Byzantine Coins, Buy Them Here

http://www.TrustedCoins.com

Personally I own only one Byzantine coin, which I have framed and hanging on my wall, but if you want to own one, visit the website above and purchase your very own Byzantine coins.

The reality is, I find the videos this guy puts out very entertaining and wanted to share. But he obviously shows a genuine passion for his collection, which is why I do recommend him.

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Elder Porphyrios and the Scantily Clothed Women

Two incidents from the life of the holy Elder Porphyrios demonstrate the discernment we must have regarding our neighbor.

The Girl With the "Super Mini Skirt" Has a Wonderful Soul!

Years ago, when the Elder served at the Polyclinic of Athens, while walking in the area of Omonoia one day with two girls who were his spiritual children, he saw from across the street a young woman coming with a sexy appearance. She was wearing the familiar "super mini skirt" which was fashionable. When they saw her, the Elder said:

"What do you have to say? What are you thinking? Are you judging that woman?"

"No, Elder", they responded, understanding their position.

"You do well to not judge her", said the Elder. "Do not judge people from their outward appearance. That girl you see has a wonderful soul! She has a dynamic soul. That which she is doing now, that is, provoking, is due to the strength of her soul. Imagine what would happen if that girl came to know Christ, and knew everything that you knew. Then she will certainly reach a high place."

This was the way Fr. Porphyrios counseled and taught. He guided through life and experience.

They Came to the Elder With Indecent Clothing

One day, when I went to the Elder, he met with some girls who had come to see him. However, they were dressed indecently. Elder Porphyrios chatted with them on various spiritual topics, but he made no comment regarding their appearance. I, admittedly, was internally indignant with these girls, who went to such a holy Elder dressed in this way, and I was scandalized by the fact that Elder Porphyrios did not make any observations.

When the girls left, he said to me, smiling:

"Mr. (so and so), I am not as strict as you are."

Of course, I knew immediately that he had captured my thoughts and scandalization. But I asked him:

"Why do you say that, Elder?"

He then said:

"Those girls came here with that appearance and I did not make a comment. I have another tactic. Because, even if I did talk about their appearance, since they have no faith in Christ, they would not comply. I first attempted to bring them to faith in Christ, and then, by themselves, they will understand their error and correct it."

Source: Ἀνθολόγιο Συμβουλῶν Γέροντος Πορφυρίου, σελ. 168, 169. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.

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Video: Miracles of St. Marina in Cyprus (Greek)

Θαύματα της Αγίας Μαρίνας στην Κύπρο

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The Orthodox Church in Pakistan

History of the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan

Fr. John Tanveer was born into a Roman Catholic family in Hafizabad, Pakistan in 1952, the third of six children. His zealousness for the faith and thirst for learning led him to enroll in the seminary, and in 1986 he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. For the next 10 years Fr. John served the Lahore Diocese with enthusiasm as a priest and instructor at the seminary in Lahore. However, during the course of teaching, studying, praying, and reading, he came to learn about the Orthodox Church. In time he came to believe the Orthodox Church was “the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.”

Unable to gain access to Orthodox materials or books, he began using the internet to learn more about the faith and incorporate its teachings into his lessons and sermons. In 1996 Fr. John finally spoke to his bishop and told him that in his study of the Orthodox Church, he had discovered many differences in the teachings of the two churches. He said, “I must see who these Orthodox are.” His bishop tried unsuccessfully to discourage his interest. Fr. John resigned from his pastoral duties and left the Roman Catholic priesthood. Accepting the dominant cultural pressures to marry and have a family, Fr. John married Presbytera Rosy in 1997. They soon began a family and now have three children—a son and two daughters. As a family they have continued their life-long journey of “becoming Orthodox.”

Upon leaving the Roman Catholic Church in 1996, Fr. John was able to obtain a job at the International Press newspaper in Lahore where he earned a living as a journalist. He was not going to church at the time, but began looking for a true spiritual home by reading and searching about the Orthodox faith. In July 1998 Fr. John submitted a letter to a Greek man he had met in Lahore years before, inquiring about how to become Orthodox. The man forwarded Fr. John’s letter and eventually it ended up in the hands of Metropolitan Nikitas of Hong Kong and South East Asia. In October 1998 Fr. John received a letter from Metropolitan Nikitas inviting him to enter into a dialogue of how to become Orthodox, thus beginning a correspondence between Fr. John and Metropolitan Nikitas. In 2003 His Eminence traveled to Pakistan and the two met in person. In 2005 Metropolitan Nikitas visited Pakistan again and baptized and Chrismated 300 people into the Orthodox faith. Although not yet an Orthodox priest, Fr. John continued his pastoral activities, sharing the faith with others through conferences and seminars.

After being Chrismated in 2005, Fr. John knew he wanted to re-enter the priesthood and so he began preparing for his holy duty. He applied to Holy Cross Seminary in the United States in 2005 and 2006, however neither opportunity materialized as he was declined a visa to the United States both times. With the blessing of the Metropolitan, Fr. John sent away for the materials needed to study and prepare for ordination. Finally, in November 2008, Metropolitan Nektarios ordained Fr. John to the priesthood in Athens, Greece.

Since that time, Fr. John has continued his ministry, slowly developing, by the grace of God, the Orthodox Church in Pakistan. He and Presbytera Rosy joyously and faithfully stay the course that God has laid before them, despite the many challenges and trials of being Orthodox Christians in Pakistan.

About Pakistan

Capital: Islamabad.

Other major cities: Karachi, located in the southeastern part of the country on the Arabian Sea, is the largest city, with a population of 13 million. The second-largest city is Lahore, with a population of 7 million.

Population: 187,342,000

Religions: 95% Muslim; 1.5% Christians, 1.5% Hindus, and 2% others

Languages: The official languages are Urdu and English. English is spoken predominantly by the upper classes. There are many regional and provincial languages; the most common is Punjabi, which is spoken by nearly 50% of the population.

Literacy: About 50% of the population is literate. Among males the literacy rate is 63% and among females 36%.

The modern state of Pakistan was created in 1947, when British India was divided into the predominantly Muslim country of Pakistan and the mostly Hindu country of India.

The Orthodox Community in Pakistan

According to the World Bank, Pakistan’s gross national income, per capita, was $1,050 in 2010. (By comparison, it was $47,240 in the US.) The Orthodox in Pakistan are no exception; the vast majority struggles to make ends meet. A typical Orthodox family size is 6. On average, members of the Orthodox community complete 8 to 10 years of schooling. Fr. John frequently cites education as one of the greatest needs of the faithful; education will enable them to secure higher-paying work and better quality of life. Unfortunately young people drop out of school because they need to work to help support their families, and thus the cycle of poverty and lack of education continues.

Basic needs like shoes, school materials, and medicines are frequently unattainable for members of the Orthodox community.

As for religious tolerance, the government of Pakistan is officially tolerant of minority religions. Churches are given recognition and people of all faiths are permitted to worship. In recent years, however, Christians have increasingly come under attack — not by the government but by individuals.

Support the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan

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Magnificent Monemvasia

Monemvasia (Μονεμβάσια) is located in the southeastern Peloponnese in the prefecture of Laconia, 400 meters from land having been separated from the mainland by an earthquake in 375 A.D. Its name derives from two Greek words, mone and emvassi, meaning "single entrance". It was called Malmsey by old English writers, Napoli de Malvasia by the Venetians and Malvoisie by the French.

It was founded by the Byzantines in the sixth century and shortly after it became an important port. It remained in Byzantine possession for almost seven hundred years until it was captured by the Franks in 1249 after a three year siege. However, it returned to Byzantine hands ten years later and became the chief port of the Despotate of Mystra.

When the rest of the region was captured by the Turks in 1460, Monemvasia remained unharmed by placing itself under the control of the papacy (1460-1464) and later under the Venetians (1464-1540). In 1540 the Turks gained control of Monemvasia after the Venetians abandoned their garrison. Although Monemvasia experienced decline under Turkish control, it underwent a revival when it returned to Venetian hands between 1690 and 1715.

In the War of Independence, Monemvasia was the first of the major Turkish fortresses to fall after a four month siege in July 1821. On August 1st 1821, overcome by misery and illness the Turks agreed to surrender to Demetrios Ypsilantis.

During World War II the New Zealand 6 Brigade numbering several thousand men was successfully evacuated on April 28th 1941 mainly from the causeway and the two piers. Soon after the Germans entered Monemvasia, which was not used as a defensive position but rather as a place for wounded soldiers to recover.

Today a causeway links the mainland town of Yefira/New Monemvasia to Monemvasia or Kastro (castle). The Kastro is divided into a lower and an upper town. Many ruins of the original 800 houses and only four out of the original forty churches can be found in the lower town. Among them is the Church of the Elkomenos Christ (Christ Dragged), which is named after a famous icon of Christ given in 1700 to the church by Andreas Likinios, philosopher and chief physician to the ruler of Moldavia, Dimitirs Kandimir. The oldest church is St. Paul’s, which was built in 956, and today houses the museum. Further on, towards the eastern edge of the lower town and closer to the sea is the whitewashed Our Lady of Hrisafittisa, which was built in the sixteenth century.

High above, castle walls protect the upper town on the summit. There one can see the remains of Byzantine houses and public buildings and a vast cistern that ensured a water supply at times of siege. A fortified zigzag path from the upper town leads to the Fortress of Goulas on the summit overlooking the town. It is entered by a tunnel that still retains its ironbound gates. Among the ruins of houses and cisterns of the acropolis of the upper town stands St. Sophia, a Byzantine church founded by Andronikos II Paleologos on a plan similar to that of Daphni in Athens.

Source

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Video: The Best of Russian Composers

This is a small simple selection of works by some of the greatest Russian composers:

1) Glinka: Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture.
2) Borodin: Polovtsian Dances (Prince Igor).
3) Cui: Orientale, Op.50
4) Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain.
5) Mussorgsky: Pictures at an exhibition.
6) Tchaikovsky Waltz of the Flowers.
7) Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1.
8) Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture.
9) Rimsky Korsakov: Russian Easter Festival Overture.
10) Rimsky Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee.
11) Rimsky Korsakov: Scheherezade.
12) Glazunov: Violin concerto in a minor, Op.82: Allegro.
13) Scriabin: Etude Op.8 No.12.
14) Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.2.
15) Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
16) Stravinsky: The Firebird. Finale.
17) Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring.
18) Prokofiev: Montagues & Capulets.
19) Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.3.
20) Khachaturian: Sabre Dance (he was born in Tiflis, in the Russian Empire at that moment (1903). He's like a Soviet-Armenian composer, that's why I included him).
21) Shostakovich: Suite Jazz No.2. Waltz.
22) Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.2.

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The Holy Monastery of Saint Marina in Andros

The Monastery of Saint Marina is located opposite Apoikia of Andros, where comes the famous water Sariza, and dates from 1325 A.D.

Saint Marina had revealed herself to an ascetic elder and indicated to him to find her icon which was hidden in a slit of a rock. Emperor Emmanuel II Komnenos in turn financed the erection of this Holy Monastery.

During the 16th century, the Monastery burned down three times by pirates, losing its old glamour, and in 1743 there were only five monks. Then Saint Marina brought to the Monastery the Hieromonk Sophronios, who sold his property in the Peloponnese and fully refurbished the Monastery and converted it to a female convent in 1746. This brought many women from Andros to dedicate their lives as monastics, and eventually 100 nuns lived at the Monastery.

Following the Greek War of Revolution, Orthodoxy in Greece suffered under the Protestant Bavarocratia of Otto. Under the Bavarians 417 monasteries in Greece were forced to close in 1833. Saint Marina Monastery was among these, and closed in 1833. The holy icon of Saint Marina was purchased by the Emberikou family to preserve it. They placed it in a church dedicated to the Panagia, and there it remained safe for 146 years. Meanwhile, the Monastery was fully destroyed during this period.

One and a half century passed, and in 1975, the Metropolitan of Syros, Tinos, and Andros Dorotheos, passing through the ruins of the Monastery, asked with pain of heart that his Deacon Kyprianos rebuild the Monastery. Kyprianos denied the request because he had other plans, but that night he received a visit from Saint Marina, who appeared in his dreams and said: "I am Marina, and I with my two sisters Paraskevi and Katherine live in the Monastery. Because of the decree of Otto we were cast out and live a little above the Monastery and we will come again to live here. Me, you will see every day. Together we will struggle and rebuild the Monastery. Receive then the command of your Master. You listening Kypriane!"

So Fr. Kyprianos worked hard for five years and rebuilt the Monastery. In 1976 the wonderworking icon of Saint Marina returned to the Monastery. In the same Monastery is a wonderworking icon of the Panagia which miraculously brings back to life dead flowers during the first fifteen days of August. A similar miracle takes place at the Monastery of St. Nicholas, also in Andros.

The Monastery has now become famous, and Saint Marina has performed many miracles, revealing her presence and love.

Read also: Astonishing Contemporary Miracles of Saint Marina on the Island of Andros

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Questions On Financial Matters

By St. John the Prophet

Question 672: If one has debtors who are wealthy, should one demand interest from these people? And if they are poor, should one take back the capital?

Response: It is written of the righteous: "They do not lend their money with interest" (Ps. 15:5). This means that we may receive the capital. Now, if some of them are unable to pay them back, it has also been written about them: "When your friends are in poverty, do not distress them by making demands on them" (Sir. 31:31).

Question 673: What happens if both he and I are poor? Am I committing sin by demanding what I need?

Response: No, you are not committing sin. However, it is good not to distress one's brother, as much as this is possible, if he is too poor to repay us.

Question 726: Someone owes me money, and unless I ignore this a little, we shall never come to have peace. What do you order me to do?

Response: Whoever seeks peace is not deprived of God's peace. "Whoever is faithful in very little is faithful also in much" (Lk. 16:10); and: "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). Therefore, unless a person despises the needs of the world, that person does not attain to the peace of Christ. "The one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). For this is our prayer: that God may grant us peace, so that we may complete the work of God, as the most holy Guest-Master of the entire Church bore witness.

Question 744: My thought suggests to me that my material resources are tight and that I cannot feed myself or my household, and this causes me sorrow. What does this mean?

Response: This sorrow is human; for, if we had hope in God, he would provide for us as he wants. "Therefore, cast your concern upon the Lord" (1 Pet. 5:7), and he is able to take care of you and your own without sorrow and affliction. Say to him: "Your will be done" (Mt. 6:10 and 26:42), and he will not allow you to grieve or be afflicted. May the Lord have mercy upon you and protect you with his right hand. Amen.

Question 750: If I settle an account and afterward discover that I tricked my brother without wanting to, what should I do?

Response: If the amount is large, then return it to him. If it is small, then examine your thought carefully, asking - from the contrary perspective - what you would do if you were tricked by him and were about to receive the amount; if you find that you would indeed want to receive it, then you too should return it. If you would not receive it, then neither should you give it, unless the person was extremely poor; for in this case, a small amount would make a difference. In this case, you should give him what is fair.

Question 756: If one is buying or selling something, is it a sin to agree on a price, which is higher or lower?

Response: If there is no constraint but the matter is handled in freedom, then it is not a sin to give and take according to the agreed price. However, if one knows that one has gained more, then one should return the amount of one's own accord; for, one will be doing something good and will also be pleasing the other person.

When one agrees on a price with someone that is under one's authority, then one should also examine whether the agreement was made by force; for this is a sin. Rather, one should reassure the other person, by saying: "Brother, I shall not grieve if you do not do as I say; nor shall I offer you more. Therefore, do as you please and as you want."

From The Letters of Saints Barsanuphios and John; translated by John Chryssavgis.

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Space Exploration and Religious Observance

Rebecca J. Rosen

July 16, 2012

The Atlantic

Before the launch this weekend of three human beings into the ether of space around the Earth, before they boarded their Soyuz spacecraft, and before the rockets were fired, precautions were taken. Not the humdrum checklists and redundancies of space exploration -- assessing the weather, the equipment, the math -- but a preparation with a more mystical dimension: the blessing, by a Russian Orthodox priest, of the spacecraft, as it sat on the launchpad on the Kazakh steppe.

The scene, as shown in NASA photographs such as the one above, presents a tableau that seems incongruent, but may just be fitting.

The discordance is obvious: Here we are, on the brink of a new expedition to space, a frontier of human exploration and research that is the capstone of our scientific achievement. "The idea of traveling to other celestial bodies reflects to the highest degree the independence and agility of the human mind. It lends ultimate dignity to man's technical and scientific endeavors," the rocket scientist Krafft Arnold Ehricke once said. "Above all, it touches on the philosophy of his very existence." His secular existence.

And yet here is a priest, outfitted in the finery of a centuries-old church, shaking holy water over the engines, invoking God's protection for a journey to near-earth orbit. That these two spheres of human creation co-exist is remarkable. That they interact, space agencies courting the sanction of Russian Orthodox Christianity, is strange.

For reasons both straightforward and opaque, the secular, scientific work of space exploration cannot shake religion, and over the last few decades of human space travel, astronauts of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith have taken their religious beliefs into orbit, praying out of duty, in awe, and for their safe return.

Read the rest of this article, titled "Communion on the Moon: The Religious Experience in Space", here.

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Russian Church Opens Mission in Pakistan

July 16, 2012

Interfax

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) has founded a mission in Pakistan.

"The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia now has an active mission in Pakistan with 174 members. The community is growing steadily and attracting the attention of enquirers and seekers," Metropolitan Hilarion, the First Hierarch of ROCOR said in a statement posted on its website.

The faithful are worshipping out in the open or in whatever space is available. The mission is thus in need of a place to worship and land has been donated by a mamber of community for a future church building.

The Metropolitan hopes to build a church and an orphanage in the city of Sargodha.

"When built, this will be the first Russian Orthodox Church in the Indian subcontinent and will serve as a fortress for Orthodox spirituality and guidance to worshippers and a protection to the many unfortunate children in Pakistan," the statement said.

Metropolitan Hilarion added that the budget is quite low and affordable. He asked for assistance for the mission.

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Righteous Chrysanthi of Andros (+ 1992)

By Mother Nectaria McLees

Almost completely unknown outside Andros, and there only to a few, Righteous Chrysanthi was both an enigma and a blessing to those who knew her. Of these we can count only a handful of villagers and the monks of St Nicholas Monastery who visited her lonely monastery above Batsi. Abbott Dorotheos was for some years her confessor. Chrysanthi had no family and had gone, perhaps as a young girl, to live in a monastery in Siseroes. She was never officially tonsured but had been blessed, like a novice, to wear black and live and work alongside the nuns. She was a bright, pious girl and in 1943, when the local bishop began making innovations in traditional church practices, she fearlessly disputed them with him. Although young, she was a staunch defender of everything handed down to her from the holy men and women she had known, and finally the irate bishop sent her to the Monastery of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodochos Pigis) on Andros. She was twenty-three years old and her exile lasted fifty years.

Why she didn't leave and go elsewhere is known only to God. Her life was a mystery to those around her; at times she was sage and serious, at other times almost like a fool-for-Christ in her cheerful poverty and seeming indifference to hardship. Whether she had consciously foreseen and accepted these trials early in life as God's providence for her salvation, no one is sure, but it is known that she accepted her lot uncomplainingly, and at least once was granted a vision of the Mother of God.

The Monastery, sitting atop a hill half-way between the coastal villages of Batsi and Gavrion, is an old, huge stone foundation, which throughout the period of this story housed only a handful of nuns (all of whom have now reposed). In the winter, fierce, wrenching winds blow through the monastery, and in summer the heat scorches the barren hilltop to a dull brown. For the five decades Chrysanthi lived here she endured much from the other sisters, both because of her status as an exile and because she was simply different- she lived a life apart from theirs.

Normal, even kindly women in their own way, the evil one incited the sisters to an intense dislike of the girl that continued throughout her life. Her first abbess at Zoodochos Pigis loved her like a daughter, but after her repose Chrysanthi was treated as an outcast. She did not sleep with the handful of other sisters, who themselves lived very simply, but in an unheated store-room with a dilapidated wooden floor in a ruined part of the monastery.

Her room, when the author saw it about six weeks after her death, was filled with rubble piled five feet high like a barricade: bits of wood, oil cans, rags, and pieces of broken furniture.

A further room was full of gunny sacks. In one far corner were some paper icons on the wall, and a pile of cloth and cardboard on the floor where she slept. It was difficult to make one's way through the rubbish.

She spent much time outdoors in the hills and in the small chapels dotting the island. The other sisters' aversion for her was so strong that they would not allow her into the monastery church, and even in winter she was forced to stand outside during services. The monks of St Nicholas however told me that she would often slip quietly into the back of the narthex, listening intently and crossing herself with great vigor when the saints were mentioned.

Not only was she not allowed in church, but the sisters would not let her eat with them. After their own meals were finished she would creep into the kitchen and take a little of what was left over. Even in the bitter winter cold she was not permitted to warm herself in the heated living quarters but would kindle a small fire in the unused, centuries-old kitchen off the courtyard. When the sisters discovered her there, they put out the fire and drove her away.

Why the other nuns acted like this is unknown, and certainly not typical. Most likely they had come to the isolated monastery as uneducated girls from surrounding villages, and after the first abbess reposed simply lacked competent leadership. They are perhaps more to be pitied than condemned - the succeeding abbess was not well-trained enough herself to give them a proper formation, and they did not have a resident spiritual father. Fallen nature took its course, and Chrysanthi, as both an outsider and a disgraced 'exile' became a scapegoat for the sisters' irritations. In other ways the nuns were quite normal.The author met several of them after Chrysanthis' repose, and found them welcoming and hospitable.

When the old nuns were no longer able to take care of the monastery business, Abbott Dorotheos began to come each month to help assist them in business matters and hear confessions. Although he admonished the nuns about their attitude towards Chrysanthi, they were simply too entrenched to change. When he heard confessions, Chrysanthi would wait quietly in a corner of the courtyard until the other three sisters finished. Only after they were gone would she slip in to speak to him. Abbott Dorotheos says she had an acute mind, and would talk to him in great detail about the needs of the monastery, as if she herself was the abbess. Excluded as she was from the society of the other sisters, he never understood how she knew much more than they did about monastery business.

Sometimes she predicted what would happen if a certain course was followed, and she was always right. She never complained about how she was treated, and seemed to have fully accepted the cross of her life, neither shrinking from it, nor being beaten down by it. She never expressed a desire to leave. Chrysanthi was unfailingly cheerful, and always the first at the gate to welcome guests, with whom she would warmly chat until the other sisters arrived and sent her away. Father Vlasseou, one of the young monks of St Nicholas Monastery who often accompanied the abbott, used to sit with her in the courtyard during fine weather, where she would speak to him of God, the saints and spiritual life. He remembers her as being unlike anyone he ever met, and says that there was an otherworldliness about her that he found indescribable.

Once, when Abbott Dorotheos was at the convent he told the nuns of the centuries-old tradition that on the feast of Theophany, all of the salt water in the sea turns sweet. On Old-Calendar Theophany the nuns went down to the shore, with Chrysanthi following behind. They all took a cup of the salt water, but three tonsured nuns couldn't drink theirs- it was salt as usual, only Chrysanthi's was sweet, and she drank several cups, exclaiming, "It's sweet, it's sweet."

Three days before her death on St Spyridon's Day in 1992, the Mother of God appeared to Chrysanthi while she was praying and said, "There is no abbess here. I am the abbess. Have patience for a little longer and I will come and take you, and then you can rest". Chrysanthi was extraordinarily happy and told the other sisters what she had seen. They accused her of inventing it to annoy the abbess, and treated her particularly roughly for the next few days. On the third day as she tried to make her way back across the courtyard against a savagely bitter wind, she became too weak to go on. Slipping into an empty room a few doors from her own, she quietly died.

Abbott Dorotheos was called, but when he came to say the first prayers for the departed, the sisters insisted he should not pray for her in church, but outside in the courtyard. Even after her death they spoke badly of Chrysanthi, and Father Dorotheos, angered by their callousness, told them, "She was the best of you all". He read the prayers over her body in church, and the next day she was wrapped in a blanket and buried. There was no coffin.

On the ninth day after her repose, Father Vlasseou, accompanied Fr. Dorotheos to serve the pannikhida (prayers for the dead) at her grave. He relates that the bitterly cold wind was blowing so fiercely they could scarcely stand upright as they made their way up the hill. As they came within a few feet of Chrysanthi's grave, however, the wind stopped completely, and although they could hear it blowing all about them, around her grave it was still, and even warm. The candles stayed alight, and when they finished singing the pannikhida they turned to incense the other graves-but as soon as they stepped outside the shelter of Chrysanthi's grave, the wind hit them again with full force.

The author was present for prayers on the fortieth day after Chrysanthi's repose, and as we were sitting over coffee, one of the old nuns looked out of the window and began crying, "I see her, I see her, there's Chrysanthi". The abbott smiled and told her gently to sit down: "Chrysanthi is no longer with us". But she kept insisting, "Don't you see her? She is right there walking on the hill!".

Righteous Chrysanthi, pray to God for us!.

From Evlogeite, A Pilgrim's Guide to Greece, p. 96-100.

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Scenic St. Nicholas Chapel at Georgioupolis, Crete

This extraordinary little chapel, located about 100 meters into the sea, serves as divine protection for those who sail out into the blue waters of the Sea of Crete. St. Nicholas Chapel is situated on a small rock formation off the western end of the popular eight kilometer long beachfront of Georgioupolis on the Greek island of Crete. The chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas because he is the patron saint of sailors, protecting village fishermen, and this chapel also serves as a place for families to pray for their safe return. Though Georgioupolis was a fishing village up till 1990, today it mainly serves as a popular holiday destination. This chapel is also popular for wedding ceremonies.

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On Concealing the Truth Partially

By St. John the Prophet

Question 758: If I do something against my brother and he grieves upon hearing about it, is it perhaps a good thing to hide the truth from him in order to stop the grief? Or is it better to admit my fault and ask for forgiveness?

Response: If he has clearly learned about it, and you know that the matter will be examined and revealed, then tell him the truth and ask for his forgiveness. For lying will only further provoke him. However, if he has not learned about it and will not examine the matter, then it is not improper to keep silent and not give occasion to grief.

For when the Prophet Samuel was sent to anoint David as king, he was also going to offer sacrifice to God. Yet, because he was afraid lest Saul learn about this, God said to him: "Take a heifer with you; and if the king asks you: 'Why did you come here?' tell him: 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord'" (1 Sam. 16:2). In this way, by concealing one thing, which brought the wrath of the king, he only revealed the other.

You too, then, should be silent about that which causes grief, and the problem will pass.

From The Letters of Saints Barsanuphios and John; translated by John Chryssavgis.

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The Canonization of St. Sophia of Kleisoura (photos)

On July 1, 2012 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived at the Holy Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kleisoura to officially list St. Sophia of Kleisoura (1887 - 1974) among the saints of the Orthodox Church.

The canonization and lighting of the unwaning flame took place at the tomb of the Saint, which was consecrated, amidst other hierarchs, clergy and hundreds of faithful. They then proceeded to the Katholikon of the Monastery where a Doxology took place.

The abbess of the Monastery, Ephraimia, gifted the Ecumenical Patriarch with an icon of the Saint, and the Ecumenical Patriarch in return gifted the Monastery with an oil lamp.

Patriarch Bartholomew ended the ceremony by venerating the place of asceticism of St. Sophia inside the monastery, where she reposed.

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The Five Ascetic Martyrs of Leipsoi

Little information has survived regarding the five ascetic martyrs of the island of Leipsoi who have recently been canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The information we do have come from the records of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on the island of Patmos as well as local tradition.

Leipsoi is an island south of Samos and to the north of Leros in Greece. In 1088 A.D. this island was given to St. Christodoulos together with the island of Patmos by Emperor Alexios Komnenos. In 1550 the first ascetics came to the island to live the monastic life from Patmos. They landed in the bay which they named Koimisis and there built a church dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (Koimisis tis Theotokou), named after the holy icon they brought with them. To live and to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, they dug a well which they called "Holy Water" and cultivated wheat and vines for the bread and wine of the Eucharist. They also planted olive trees in order to extract the oil for the lighting of the oil lamps. Over time this Hermitage of the Dormition attracted other monastics, even a few Kollyvades from Mount Athos. For this reason a second Hermitage was built nearby (about 800 meters away) dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos. In the 15th and 16th century five of these monks who settled in Leipsoi were killed by pirates or Turks. They were:

In 1558 Monk Neophytos of Amorgos was killed by the Turks.

In 1561 Monk Jonah of Leros was killed. He also is commemorated on February 28th.

In 1609 Monk Neophytos the Fazos was killed by pirates with an axe hammer. He also is commemorated on December 8th.

In 1635 Monk Jonah of Nysiros was killed by Pekir Pasha in the month of April by scourging.

In 1696 Monk Parthenios of Philipopolis was killed when a spear pierced his neck.

The Service to these Saints was written by the hymnographer Haralambos Bousias and information about them was gathered by Archimandrite Nikephoros Koumoundouros in 1999. Their holy relics rest today on the island of Leipsoi.

In 2002 these five ascetic martyrs were canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to be commemorated by all Orthodox Christians on the first Sunday after the 10th of July.

Απολυτίκιον Ήχος πλ. α'. Τον συνάναρχον Λόγον.

Την εν χρόνοις ποικίλοις πεντάδα ένθεον οσιοάθλων πατέρων εν τη Λειψώ, ιεροίς αγωνίσμασιν αθλήσασαν τιμήσωμεν, συν Νεοφύτω, Ιωνά, άλλω θείω Ιωνά, Παρθένιον και φωσφόρον ευχής, Νεόφυτον, φάρον, αυτών λιτάς απεκδεχόμενοι.

Κοντάκιον Ήχος πλ. δ'. Τη Υπερμάχω.

Λειψώ την νήσον, θεοφόροι, ηγιάσατε ιδρώτων όμβροις και αιμάτων ταις εκχύσεσι ταις υμών, οσιομάρτυρες τροπαιούχοι, Ιωνά συν Νεοφύτων ζεύγοι έμφρονι και συν άλλω Ιωνά, κλεινέ Παρθένιε, ανακράζοντες. Χαίροις, γέρας πεντάριθμον.

Μεγαλυνάριον

Χαίροις, των αγίων Λειψώ πεντάς, οσιομαρτύρων, ω Νεόφυτε, Ιωνά, συν τω Νεοφύτω και Ιωνά τω άλλω, Παρθένιε παμμάκαρ, πίστεως μάργαρα.

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