"Lord, Bless My Enemies"

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

How can we overcome the enmity of our enemies? By renunciation, meekness and prayer. Renunciation in everything, except in faith and purity of life, meekness and prayer, always and always. St. Ambrose writes: "This is the weapon of the righteous ones, that in retreating they conquer, just as the skillful archers have the custom that by fleeing, they shoot those stronger than themselves."

A brother was offended by his friend but, nevertheless, desiring peace with him, went to him to be reconciled. However, his friend did not even want to open the door for him and scolding him from within, chased him away from his house. The brother then complained to a spiritual father who said to him: "Going to your friend to be reconciled, all along the way, you condemned him in your thoughts and justified yourself. I counsel you, even though your friend sinned against you, establish the thought in yourself that you have sinned against him and, in this manner, go to him and in your thoughts justify him and condemn yourself." Thus, the brother proceeded. And what happened? Just as the brother approached the house of his friend, he opened wide the door, ran up to him and embraced the offended brother and made peace with him.

1. "Lord, Bless My Enemies": A Prayer

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Enemies have driven me into Thy embrace more than friends have.

Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.

Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world.

Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Thy tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.

They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.

They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.

They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself. 

They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.

Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.

Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.

Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.

Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.

Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.

Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of Thy garment.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:

so that my fleeing to Thee may have no return;

so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;

so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul;

so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins: arrogance and anger;

so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven;

ah, so that I may for once be freed from self deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.

Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.

One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.

It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.

Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and my enemies.

A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand.

But a son blesses them, for he understands. For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life. Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Amen.

2. Prayer for Enemies

Lord Jesus Christ,

Who didst command us to love our enemies,

and those who defame and injure us,

and to pray for them and forgive them;

Who Thyself didst pray for Thine enemies,

who crucified Thee:

grant us, we pray,

the spirit of Christian reconciliation and meekness,

that we may heartily forgive every injury

and be reconciled with our enemies.

Grant us to overcome the malevolence and offences of people

with Christian meekness and true love of our neighbor.

We further beseech Thee,

O Lord, to grant to our enemies true peace and forgiveness of sins;

and do not allow them to leave this life without true faith and sincere conversion.

And help us repay evil with goodness,

and to remain safe from the temptations of the devil and from all the perils which threaten us,

in the form of visible and invisible enemies.

Amen.

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The Hellenic Orthodox Community of Lebanon

Interview with the Founder and President of the Orthodox Party in Lebanon, Rodrigue (Dimitri) El Khoury, by Antonia Patsidou

1) The Hellenic Orthodox community in Lebanon, lists over 3,000 Hellenes-Greeks. The Hellenic speaking regions of the country are mainly concentrated in the capital Beirut, and in Tripoli, at North Lebanon. Give us more details on the Hellenic community of Lebanon.

That the Hellenic Orthodox community in Lebanon lists over 3000 Hellenes living in Lebanon, is a wrong idea. The true number is about 300,000 and we are 7-8% of the population, and the fourth biggest community in Lebanon, after Sunnis, Shiits, and Maronites. The number 3000 represents those who have “Greek nationality” from the new Greek state, and those who came to Lebanon from Greece after 1920. But those who have “Hellenic roots”, those who once spoke Greek, those who are named “Rum”(in the Arabic language) are now more than 300,000.

When the Arabs occupied our land in 634 A.D, they called our land “the land of al-Rum” and the first Arab historian al-Wakidi from the 8th century noted that in every Syrian and Lebanese town, the Arab invaders were obliged to talk with our ancestors (al-Rum), in the “Greek language” (lougha Rumia). The same as the Turks after them, they called Greeks “Rum” and the Greek language “Romaic”. After 1400 years of Arab invasions, we are totally Arabized, but we keep our name, “Rum”, and we keep the Greek language in the liturgies. And you should know that the Greek Orthodox community, and the Greek Catholic community (Uniates) have the same roots, and the Greek Catholic community now are about 190,000 in Lebanon. And don’t forget that many Greek philosophers and saints are from Antioch (Saint John Chrysosotom, Saint John of Damascus, Saint Romanos the Melodist, etc.).

2) The Hellenes in Lebanon, although they speak Arabic, keep in their thoughts that they are Greeks, and are forced to accept the Arabism. But what about the propaganda that was made ​​by the political parties trying to convince them that they are Orthodox Arabs or Syrians, but not Hellenes. What exactly happens with this issue?

We still call ourselves “Rum”. In the old Arab manuscripts the name “Rum” in our country means “Greek people”, and the term “lougha Rumia” means “Greek language”. And we are here, many centuries before the Arabs. Papadopoulos, in his book The History of the Antichian Church, says: “The majority of the Antiochian church was Greek” (page 51). And about the Arabization, he says in the same book, “The persecution has been intensified since 773 … The Calipha al-Mansur … prevents the teaching of the Greek language to children. Since that time, the Christians, especially the Orthodox Church, were obliged to translate books into Arabic … and this is what precipitated the Arabization of the Greek people” (page 570, 571). The propaganda of the political parties, influenced by the Muslims, nowadays say to all people that they are “Arabs", and the Christians are from the Arab tribes, which is not the truth. They teach this wrong idea in schools (Syria), and in Lebanon many of the people repeat this wrong idea without any historical references, and without searching the historical truth. The propaganda of the Maronite parties say to our “Orthodox youth” that we are all Christian “Syriacs”, not Hellenes, and the “Rums” were invaders, as the “Arabs”. And many members of the “Rum” population repeat this idea without any awareness, influenced by the strong Maronite media. The truth is: in this land there once existed many nations-communities. The Syriacs (Maronites), the Hellenes (Rum), and the Arabs (Muslims). We should accept the “plurality” of this area, because it is the “historically true one” not the “ideological one”.

3) The Greek Orthodox Youth of Lebanon are the descendants of the Greeks of Antioch, namely they are Greeks from the Hellenistic era. There is an effort on your part to found a political party for the Greek Orthodox community. What are the objectives of the party?

Only by insisting on this “plurality” can we save our community from being absorbed. The Lebanese regime is a sectarian regime. We have 128 deputees, 64 must be Muslims, and 64 must be Christians. 14 deputees is the quote of the Greek Orthodox community. The Vice Prime Minister also must be a Greek Orthodox. Every community in Lebanon has its own political party, that’s why they are strong in politics. The Maronites have their political parties (kataeb, the Lebanese forces, the fpm, and the marada), the Sunni community has the “future movement” and the Islamic organizations, the Shiits have the Hezbollah and Amal, the Druze have their parties. Even the Armenian community (1%) of the population is strong in political life and they can have their own representatives in the parliament and the government, because they have their own party. The Greek Orthodox community (7% of the population) has 14 deputees, none of them have “a Greek Orthodox” speech, no one of them come from “a Greek Orthodox” party. The leaders of the other communities elect OUR representatives, that’s why our Orthodox deputees speak of the interests of the other communities. To satisfy the “Maronites leaders” or the “Muslim leaders” to elect them another time in there electoral regulations. We have to organize ourselves in a political party to strengthen our political presence, not only in Lebanon, but in Syria too and in Jordan. We have to organize ourselves in a political party to save our historical identity, the “Byzantine-Hellenic” identity. In this way there will be no more absorbing our youth in the other’s political ideologies. That’s why we have to teach the Greek language to our youth, we have to make conferences about this historical identity, and this year we made the first “liturgy in the east” commemorating the fall of OUR City (Poli) Constantinople, to keep our historical identity alive. In our speech we said: "Hagia Sophia is ours”, and we made this liturgy with greetings from the Greek Orthodox of Antioch and all the East to our Ecumenical Patriarchate, saying: "Our Patriarch of Constantinople is an ecumenical authority, any violation to his rights is an offensive act against all the Orthodox people in the world”. And for the first time we talked to the Lebanese media about this cause and this historical event.

4) Since the civil war started in Syria, thousands of Christians have been killed by Muslim mujahideen guerrillas. Many of them are Greek Orthodox Christians, mostly Hellene Macedonians and Hellenes of the Byzantine period. What is your information on this issue?

Our Greek Orthodox community in Syria live in a dangerous situation. The Islamic fundamentalists nowadays, supported by western “stupid” politics, attack many old Christian monuments, especially in Homs Emesa, the town of the big Greek Saint Romanos the Melodist. Nowadays 130,000 Greek Orthodox are displaced from this town to the Alawite area or at Lebanon. They attack our brothers there, and threaten them, and the western media support these fundamentalists without asking the Greek Orthodox population of Syria if it will be better for them to restore an “Islamic fundamentalist regime”. I can say, even in Syria, only by creating a Greek Orthodox political party can we save our presence. Not to be used by the others conflicts - 13% of the Syrian population is Greek Orthodox, more than 1,200,000. By founding a political party for this big community, you can imagine what an influence we will have. We will be more strong and we can say: our party, our community will never be involved in your conflicts. We have our rights and we are here to take them by creating this party. We can make the convergence between all the communities. And we can defend OUR rights.

5) What message would you like to send in Greek to your brothers in Hellas?

We are proud of our Greek ancestry. Do not forget that here in the East, you have Greek brothers, and WE LOVE YOU. We are the Acritan temples [Acritans were the Byzantine border guards] and we will keep the flame in our hands, the flame of Hellenism and Orthodoxy.

Source: Edited by John Sanidopoulos

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Was the Faithful Centurion Gay?

Tony-Allen

April 11, 2011

Design of Providence

This question might immediately make most of my regular readers do somersaults. I nearly did the first time I encountered this argument, told to me by a friend. The argument deals with the faithful Centurion found both in Matthew's gospel and Luke, and deals mainly with Matthew's passage.

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment. [Matthew 8:5-13; NASB]

Those who read this passage may immediately be wondering, So...where is homosexuality in all of that? The key in the argument is the original Greek of verse 6:

καὶ λέγων κύριε ὁ παῖς μου βέβληται έν τῇ οἰκίᾳ παραλυτικός δεινῶς βασανιζόμενος

The centurion refers to his "servant" with ὁ παῖς (shown in bold). The argument is that the Greek word refers to a homosexual lover. To quote one presentation on this argument:

In the most common English translations, we read this passage and have no idea the context of this encounter between the Roman centurion and Jesus. The key word is "pais", which is often translated as "servant" or "boy". However, most scholars believe that the term pais in the ancient world was a well-known idiom referring to a male concubine (often younger) and an explicitly homosexual relationship.

Kenneth J. Dover, noted authority on ancient Greece, in his book, Greek Homosexuality, tells us the younger partner in a homosexual relationship is called pais or paidika.

Dr. Robert Gagnon, arguably the foremost anti-gay scholar of our day, writes that pais can refer to a partner in a homosexual relationship. He writes:

“boy” (pais) could be used of any junior partner in a homosexual relationship, even one who was fullgrown.” Dr. Robert Gagnon ("The Bible And Homosexual Practice", p. 163, footnote 6.)

In fact, the overwhelming historical evidence (and perhaps, the implication of Luke 7:2, which literally translates as "had much love for") is that the Centurion and his "pais" were likely involved in a homosexual relationship that was very common in the ancient world. It is worth noting that this kind of relationship is one that today, we would almost universally condemn since it was between and older man and a young pubescent boy. However, these relationships were very common. [source]

Let's review the problems with this argument in two parts...

1) The Lexical Game

The "lexical game" is what I refer to when a person takes the various definitions of a word, finds the one they like best, and essentially ignores the context or use of the word in the individual passage. While παῖς is indeed the word used here in Matthew's account of the faithful centurion, it is not the only time the word is used in the Gospels. Some other times the exact form of παῖς is found:

- In Matthew 12:38, in reference to Christ

- In Matthew 17:18, in reference to the young man whom Christ expelled a mute demon from for the boy's father

- In Luke 2:43, in which it talks of "the boy Jesus" staying behind in Jerusalem

- In Luke 8:54, in reference to the young girl whom Christ raises from the dead

- In John 4:51, in reference to the nobleman's child rising at Christ's command

As we can see here, there are at least five other references to παῖς outside of the faithful Centurion story, and none of them deal, within the context, of a young homosexual lover. Some of them are obviously not speaking of a sexual connotation (such as Matt 12:38 and Luke 2:43) while others are not speaking about sexual connotations given the context (such as Matt 17:18 or Luke 8:54).

Does the word even mean a "young homosexual lover"? I'm sure in some parts of ancient Greece it might have been written to refer to such a person, but the question is whether or not it could be understood here. Some comments from various concordances and lexicons regarding the word:

child, maiden, servant, young man. - Perhaps from paio; a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy), a girl, and (genitive case) a child; specially, a slave or servant (especially a minister to a king; and by eminence to God) -- child, maid(-en), (man) servant, son, young man. [Strong's Exhaustive Concordance]

Definition - a child, boy, youth [NAS Exhaustive Concordance]

Definition: (a) a male child, boy, (b) a male slave, servant; thus: a servant of God, especially as a title of the Messiah, (c) a female child, girl. [biblos.com]

The Greek term here is παῖς (pais), often used of a slave who was regarded with some degree of affection, possibly a personal servant... [from the NET notes on Matthew 8:6]

As we can see, most basic Biblical sources point to it referring to a young man or "boy." John Gill and A.T. Robertson likewise say that the word παῖς is used here in reference simply to a youth, with no sexual connotations.

2) Does Luke 7:2 mean anything?

The author of the quoted article states that there is "implication" in Luke 7:2, as it says the Centurion "had much love for" his παῖς. However, this is just one translation - in fact, I couldn't find a translation that bore those exact words. The closest translation that comes to it is the KJV with "who was dear unto him."

The Greek word used in Luke 7:2 which the author translates as "have much love for" is actually ἔντιμος, which means "to regard or value highly." Many translations - such as the NASB, NIV, NRSV and ESV - translate the word in Luke 7:2 in such a manner. Various cases of the word are used across the New Testament, including 1 Peter 2:4 and 6, Luke 14:8, and Philippians 2:29. A quick examination of the context of all these passages will show that it does not refer to the kind of eros love which the article's author is trying to promote. When the passage says that the Centurion had much ἔντιμος for his servant, it meant that the Centurion had much respect and care for those who worked under him - not that the Centurion had any kind of sexual interest in him.

One notable factor about Luke 7:2 that those who make the παῖς argument seem to miss is that Luke has the Centurion refer to the boy as δοῦλος. He then uses παῖς in verse 7 in reference to the same person. What does this mean? That δοῦλος and παῖς are being used interchangeably (as some Greek words often are), and therefore the true context of παῖς is a young male servant...not a young homosexual concubine.

All in all, there are no homosexual connotations in this passage. Anyone who argues so is either playing lexical games or reading too much into the text.

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Pilgrims Celebrate St. Herman on Spruce Island

Nicole Klauss

August 09, 2012

Kodiak Daily Mirror

Pilgrims from across the world traveled here Wednesday to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the canonization of St. Herman of Alaska.

The annual pilgrimage drew around 100 people who arrived by boat to visit the holy site where Orthodox Christianity celebrates its roots in America.

Bells rang as the Orthodox ministers arrived and made their way up the path to the St. Herman's Chapel, followed by the crowd of pilgrims.

St. Herman was part of the Russian mission that came to Kodiak in 1794. He helped convert the Native population to Christianity, but eventually came into conflict with the Russians about their treatment of the Native people. As a sort of exile, he moved to Spruce Island where he lived a monastic life in the early 1800s.

"St. Herman who lived here on Spruce Island is a Saint who is known throughout the Orthodox world," Archbishop Benjamin Peterson of San Francisco and the West, and acting Diocese of Alaska, told the Kodiak Daily Mirror. "I think a lot of people feel connected to him because he's closer to our time. He's not really a remote figure."

St. Herman was canonized in 1970, and is buried in Kodiak. He was the first Orthodox saint in North America.

The divine liturgy lasted about two hours and included prayer, Scripture readings, a sermon and communion. Twelve members of the St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church in Kalskag led the choir services; it was the group's first time on the pilgrimage.

After the divine liturgy, some pilgrims paid tribute to St. Herman by visiting his original grave site located underneath the chapel.

Pilgrims also visited the St. Herman's spring to drink fresh holy water, and the homes and grave sites of Father Peter Kreta and Rev. Archimandrite Gerasim Schmaltz, the men who came after St. Herman and carried on his legacy.

Bishop Nikolai of Salavat and Kumertau, head of Bashkiryan Metropolia in Ufa, Russia, traveled from Russia with eight other pilgrims.

"This holiday is very important, not only for Alaska or for Kodiak, but for Christians from all over the world," he said. "You can see that today. It's amazing because it's a very small place."

People in attendance were from Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Mexico, Pennsylvania, Missouri, California, Alaska, and other places in the U.S.

Metropolitan Christopher, Archbishop of Prague and the head of the Orthodox Christian Church in the Czech Republic and Slovakia was supposed to be in attendance, but had to return home due to a death in the church.

After the divine liturgy, the pilgrims had a picnic on the beach before heading back to Kodiak.

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Russian Olympians Place Their Hopes in Their Orthodox Faith

Ksenia Dmitrievna Afanasyeva (b. September 13, 1991) is a Russian artistic gymnast. She is the 2011 World Champion on the floor exercise, and represented Russia at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

In the photo above, Ksenia Afanasyeva holds an icon of her patron Saint Xenia of St. Petersburg after her performance during the artistic gymnastics women's floor exercise final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2012, in London. Afanasyeva placed the icon near the mat prior to her performance.

Prior to the Olympics, Ksenia Afanasyeva and her teammates Viktoria Komova and Aliya Mustafina, lit candles at a Russian Orthodox Church on media day.

Read also: The Fervent Orthodox Faith of Greek Olympians

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Meteorologists Cannot Explain the Miraculous Cloud of Mt. Tabor

January 12, 2011

Interfax

Science cannot explain a mystery of the cloud that descends on Mount Tabor each year. Mt. Tabor is where, according to the Bible, the Transfiguration of the Lord took place.

Komsomolskaya Pravda daily writes:

"Sergey Mirov, a participant in the research organized this summer by the working group on miraculous signs at the Synodal Theological Commission, said the investigation was conducted by Russian and Israeli meteorologists. According to him, summing up the results, the experts concluded that fog cannot be generated in such dry air and temperature."

Mirov stressed that the "descending of the blessed cloud" takes place only in a territory of the Orthodox monastery. He said that during a festival service a glaring sphere rushes over believers, then the cloud appears above the cross of the Transfiguration Church; it grows in dimensions and descends on believers, covering them and pouring life-giving moisture over them.

Interfax reports: "In his turn Pavel Florensky, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences academician and head of the working group on miraculous signs, said that his team examined the appearance of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Easter eve with the help of modern highly accurate equipment."

"The conclusion is simple: the appearance of fire is accompanied with powerful piezoelectrical phenomenon in the church and adjacent territories similar to those that take place during thunderstorms, but there was no thunderstorm... Thus, it means that this event can be considered miraculous," he believes.

The Monastery of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor

Already in the 4th century the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helena built a temple in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. At the end of the 11th century the Crusaders, having seized Palestine, have found a few temples and monasteries on Tabor and converted them to Roman Catholic. During the victory of the Saracens over Palestine at the end of the 12th century, the Taborite holy places were destroyed. For a long time the holy mount remained uninhabited and only on the day of Transfiguration the Orthodox and Catholics performed church services on the ruins of the former temples. In 1849 the Patriarch of Jerusalem Cyril II started to strive for permission from the Turkish government to construct a temple on Tabor. The decision was implemented only in 1860 when a temple was built on the ruins of an ancient Greek church. Above the door of the temple is an inscription in Greek: "On the ancient ruins on Mount Tabor a sacred temple of our Divine Lord and Savior of the Transfiguration is providentially constructed under the auspices of the Most Blessed Patriarch of Jerusalem Cyril II at the expense of the Brotherhood of the All-Holy Sepulcher". 

In Russia there is also a memorial of the glorious Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. In the Moscow All Sorrows Church and in the church in the village of Novospassky (Dedenevo, Moscow Province) where stones from Mount Tabor brought there a very long time ago are kept. There is a basis for thinking that these memorials on the sacred mount for Christians are not unique in our temples.

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Church Used As A Toilet in Occupied Famagusta!

August 7, 2012

Romfea

A historic monument of the medieval period, the Church of St. George, in the walled area of occupied Famagusta in Cyprus, is used as a receptor of uncleanness, according to a report in the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Havantis.

The newspaper writes that there are many historical monuments in the walled city that are crumbling from disrepair, and so do not attract visitors.

Apart from wild grasses in the courtyards of many churches, during the night, some people consume alcohol within the church, leaving their garbage and cause environmental pollution.

The Havantis writes that neglected are also the churches of St. Simeon, Holy Zoni and St. Nicholas.

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Islamic Martyrdom Site Actually a Byzantine Cemetery

August 8, 2012

Hurriyet Daily News

A place known as a place of martyrdom in the northwestern province of Balıkesir’s Erdek district and visited on Victory Day each Aug. 30 for the last 30 years has been revealed to actually be a Byzantine cemetery thanks to an inspection by the district governorship and Garrison Command. The location has since been removed from this year’s Victory Day program.

A 10-person committee inspected the region and announced that it contained many Byzantine graves, Erdek District Governor İsmail Kaygısız said. The same region was found to also contain the graves of locals and foreigners, he said.

“When graves of martyrs were not found in the region in documents, the Garrison Command determined that the place was not one of martyrdom. This is why we have cancelled the visit to the place and removed it from the Victory Day program,” Kaygısız said.

Erdek Mayor Hüseyin Aysan said the Erdek Mufti had wanted to build in the region after developments but the demand was rejected by the High Council of Monuments because of the Byzantine graves.

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The Monastery of Panagia Trooditissa in Cyprus

The Monastery of the Panagia of Trooditissa is established in a pine covered area of Troodos, between the villages of Platres and Prodromos. The Monastery is built higher than any other Monastery in Cyprus, as it is situated 1,380 metres above sea level.

The Panagia of Troodos has also been named Panagia the Olympian, a name given due to Mount Olympus, which is the highest mountain in Cyprus, and for this reason she is considered to be the Queen of the Cypriot Olympus. However, the Monastery of Panagia Trooditissa is also called the Μonastery of the Panagia Aphroditissa, since the Virgin Mary has succeeded Aphrodite Akraia (Aphrodite of the High Mountain), who was worshiped on top of Troodos, on Mount Olympus, in antiquity. Like Aphrodite Akraia in earlier times, the Panagia of Trooditissa is today known to bring fertility to sterile women.

The history of the Monastery goes back to the 8th century A.D. During the iconoclastic period an iconophile monk brought to Cyprus from Asia Minor one of the 70 icons of the Virgin attributed to the Evangelist Luke. After living for 25 years at the Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats in the area of Lemasol, the monk left for the interior of the island and took the historic icon with him to the "Cave of Trooditissa" where he took refuge along with another monk. There, at this cave, the two anonymous hermits lived their lives, and there, they were also buried.

About 200 years later, in 990, the Holy Cave was revealed to the Christians along with the beautiful icon of the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, a shepherd lost his goat during the night, and he was surprised when he saw a light appearing among the rocks high on the mountain, and with awe he told about his discovery to the other villagers. For some time the mysterious light was to be seen shining in the night, but nobody dared to attempt to find out what it was. One day, they decided to inform the authorities of the Cypriot Church, where it was decided that a priest should accompany the team that was to investigate this mystery. When they arrived near the light high on the mountain, they discovered the cave with the icon of the Virgin Mary, but there was no human presence there. The inexplicable mystery had caused great enthusiasm and excitement in the minds of the Ecclesiastical Authority, which came to the conclusion that as the phenomenon of light was a miracle, it was people's responsibility to build a Monastery on the spot where the light had appeared in order to honor the Holy Cave. However, an invisible power prevented the transfer of water needed for the construction of the monastery. The clay pots slid from the shoulders of workers and broke on the rocks. Meanwhile what was built during the day, fell into ruins during the night. One morning, a pot full of water was discovered to the west of the cave which was at a lower and a leveled place. It was certain that an Angel of God had placed the pot there in order to reveal the place where a hidden spring was situated, also indicating a much more suitable place for the Monastery to be built. And so it was, the spring was discovered and the Monastery was built nearby without any more obstacles. When the building of the Monastery was finished, the icon of the Panagia Trooditissa which was found in the cave was enthroned in the church accompanied by a brilliant ceremony.

The original church of the Monastery was burned by the Turks in 1585, and the second church was again burned down due to a lit candle left in the church in 1842.

The years passed and the reputation of the Monastery grew with the arrival of a childless man of a high position, a Minister by the name of John, who came from Beirut along with his wife in order to venerate the icon and plea to the Virgin Mary to help them have a child and in exchange they promised to devote that child to the Monastery. After these heartbreaking pleas, his wife conceived a baby and gave birth to a son who was baptized at the church of Trooditissa. When the boy came of age his parents offered him to the Monastery as was their promise. However, after ten years had passed they returned to the Monastery to buy him back. The Fathers of the Monastery did not allow the negation of the given promise, but the parents insisted. Then the following miracle happened: while they were in church, a huge rock fell from the wall of the building which was going to kill the young man who was standing beneath it during that time. The miraculous icon of the Virgin moved from its position and covered the boy right away. This way he was saved from sure death and the Virgin accepted to be hit by the stone instead. This stone remains from that time to the present day stuck at the back side of the icon. When the boy saw this miracle he stayed at the Monastery and he became a monk where he lived the rest of his life until his death. From then on, the stone which is stuck at the back side of the icon of the Panagia Trooditissa cures young children who suffer from teeth grinding. but they must be brought there and kiss it first.

Another miracle by the Panagia Trooditissa associated with fertility in sterile women is as follows: One day during the year 1864, a lady who had grown too old and could no longer conceive children, visited the Monastery and asked the Panagia of Trooditissa to give her the happiness of becoming a mother. The desire of the woman was heeded by the Virgin Mary who fulfilled the desired result. As a token of thanks, the woman gave to the Virgin Mary the beautiful silver belt with the large buckles which she was wearing during her pregnancy as a present. Today, this belt is suspensed around the icon of the Panagia Trooditissa, and any woman who cannot conceive children comes to the Monastery and the hieromonk (monk-priest) fastens it round her waist. In doing so, it is believed that she will become a mother.

Apart from giving fertility to sterile women, the Panagia Trooditissa performs many other miracles. For example, she prevents the disaster of hail and stops droughts.

Panagia Trooditissa celebrates on the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15th.

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Video: Caves of Mount Athos

In July of 2011 a team of speliologists studied 26 caves on Mount Athos. Photos from their study were compiled in the video above.

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The Blessing of Fruits on August 6th

By Sergei V. Bulgakov

In the first centuries of Christianity, the faithful brought forth to the temple the fruit and crops of the new harvest: bread, wine, oil, incense, wax, honey, etc. Of all these offerings, only bread, wine, incense, oil and wax were taken to the altar, while the rest was used for the needs of the clergy and the poor whom the church was caring for. These offerings were to express gratitude to God for all goods, but at the same time help the servants of God and people in need.

On the feast of Transfiguration grapes are blessed, and in those places in Russia where grapes do not grow apples are blessed. The custom to offer fruit at an appropriate time is undoubtedly ancient, and in the Christian Church is partly the continuation of a similar custom in the Old Testament Church (Gen. 4:2-4; Ex. 13:23; Num. 15:19-21; Deut.8:14) and partly an apostolic establishment (1 Cor. 16:27). Writing concerning this custom is already mentioned in canon 3 of the Apostolic Canons (compare canon 46 of Carthage and canon 28 of the 6th Ecumenical Council).

The simple establishment of the custom to offer fruit (grapes) on August 6 is that in Greece fruit are ripe by this time, most of which are new ears of grain and grapes, which are offered for blessing as a sign of thanksgiving for the acceptance of these fruits in the livelihood of man. St. John Chrysostom teaches: "The farmer receives fruits from the earth not so much from his labor and diligence, but as much from the grace of God returning these; for 'it is neither the planting nor the watering, but God Who nurtures'."

Besides grapes are brought to the church for blessing because it is directly connected to the Mystery of the Eucharist. According to the Rudder [Book of Canons], "clusters of grapes more than any other vegetable are more tolerably brought into church; inasmuch as wine is made from them, the fulfillment of the bloodless sacrifice is understandable". Similarly in the prayer "In the Partaking of Clusters of Grapes" the priest prays: "Bless, O Lord, this new fruit of the vine, through the healthfulness of the air, by rain showers and temperate weather, Thou art well pleased to attain ripeness at this time. May our partaking of this birth of the vine be for gladness and for offering Thee a gift for the cleansing of sins through the sacred and holy Body of Thy Christ."

Apples, itself substituting for grapes, are blessed with another prayer as only the first fruits of vegetables. A more special meaning of the sanctification of fruit on the 6th day of August can be deduced by the general reasoning of the Church that the event of the transfiguration pleasing to the Lord was to show the new situation in which human flesh enters into the resurrection of the Lord and enters into the general resurrection of all believers. But as all nature became subject to God together with man for the last sin, so together with him she also waits for her renewal from the blessing of God. From here the church blessing of fruit makes man worthy of faith in this hope.

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Why the Transfiguration is Celebrated on August 6

The Transfiguration of the Lord happened in February and not in August as it is now celebrated in our Orthodox Church. The Church of Christ transferred this feast from February to August because, without transferring it to the other month, the majestic feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord would occur during the days of the Holy Forty Day Fast. That would not be congruent with the Great Lenten services, the sadness of the fast and of repentance which represents in itself the present multi-calamitous life; whereas the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord will presage the future age in itself. The Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated on the sixth of August instead of another time because the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is celebrated on September 14 in which the commemoration and memory of the Passion of Christ is again made. And as the Transfiguration was 40 days prior to the crucifixion of the Savior, the Holy Fathers, having counted forty days back from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, established that Transfiguration would be celebrated on August 6, because from August 6 to September 14 is exactly 40 days. 

Source: Rukovodstvo dlia Selskikh Pastyrei [Manual for Rural Pastors] 1893.

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The Transfiguration Unites the Old and New Testaments

By St. Ephraim the Syrian

The Prophets and the Apostles gathered on the mount were filled with joy; the Prophets rejoiced for they have beheld here His humanity which they did not see before; the Apostles rejoiced for they beheld here the glory of His Divinity which before they had not understood. They stood before the Lord as ministers, and looked at one another, Prophets at Apostles and Apostles at Prophets. There they mutually extended to themselves the sights of the prototypes of the Old and New Covenants. Thus, the mount represents the Church itself because Jesus united in it the two covenants accepted by the Church and has shown that He is the Giver of both.

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Why Peter, James and John Were Chosen Witnesses of the Transfiguration

According to the explanation of St. John of Damascus, "the Lord took Peter in order to show that His testimony truly given to him will be affirmed by the testimony of the Father and that one should believe him in His words, that the heavenly Father revealed this testimony to him (Mt. 16:17). He took James as the one who before all the Apostles would die for Christ, to drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism (Acts 12:2). Finally, He took John, as the virgin and purest organ of Theology so that he, after having beheld the eternal glory of the Son of God, has thundered these words: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (Jn. 1:1). Besides this on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter who hadn't yet spread the ideas about the suffering and death of his Teacher and Lord (Mt. 16:22), might mature in the truth of His glory, which forever remains inviolable despite all hostile efforts; James and John, awaiting the opening of the earthly kingdom of the Messiah and pursued the first places in this kingdom (Mk. 10:37), might behold the true majesty of Christ the Savior, surpassing every terrestrial power. The three disciples were under the law (Deut. 19:15) sufficient witnesses of the revelation of the glory of God and, according to the expression of St. Proclus, 'in spirit personally represented all the others'."

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The Feast of Transfiguration in Bulgaria

On August 6 the Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Sveto Preobrazhenie Gospodne).

According to the Church, this is the day that Christ strengthened the belief of his disciples in his holy origin by transfiguring himself in front of the eyes of Peter, James and John. On this day people pick the first grapes and give them out to relatives and neighbors. According to folklore beliefs, on Preobrazhenie the "summer turns" and starts approaching the autumn and, respectively, the cold weather.

Orthodox Bulgarians also take grapes to church to sanctify it and give them out for health and fertility during the next year. People believe that when God created the grapes, the Devil made the blackberry, called by the people "devil's grapes". The Devil did so that it ripened earlier than the grapes. That is why it is unlucky to eat blackberries on Preobrazhenie. The good Christian tastes first the fruit of God and only after that he can eat blackberries without fear.

According to folk belief, on this day the sky opens up and if you are to see this, all your wishes will come true. And if anyone is to fall ill, he would soak some dried fruit and drink the water - the illness will be cured.

The colorful rituals connected with Preobrazhenie are still alive in hamlets and villages across Bulgaria. On this day, fairs are held and livestock and goods exchanged. In the past unmarried girls and men would arrange betrothals and weddings. According to tradition going back to antiquity, weddings would take place in September, so that the child may be born in June and the bride could get down to work during the summer period.

Preobrazhenie is also an important day in Bulgarian history as it is when the Adrianople vilayet joined the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising of 1903.

The uprising occurred when Bulgarians in Macedonia and Thrace rebelled trying to unify the country as large swaths of territories populated by Bulgarians were left in the Ottoman Empire at the Berlin Congress of 1878.

The Uprising was an organized revolt against the Ottoman Empire prepared and carried out by the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committee

The Adrianople vilayet joined the uprising on 19 August 1903 in the Gregorian Calendar, which corresponds to 6 August of the Julian Calendar.

Although the rebellion in both regions was initially successful, the intervention of the Ottoman Turkish regular army led to the dissolution of the rebels' detachments. Some 25,000 badly armed rebels faced 300,000 Ottoman troops.

By the time the rebellion had started, many of its most promising potential leaders, including Gotse Delchev, had already been killed, and the effort was quashed within eleven days. The survivors managed to maintain a semi-successful guerilla campaign against the Turks for the next few years, but its greater effect was that it persuaded the European powers to attempt to convince the Ottoman sultan that he must take a more conciliatory note towards his Christian subjects in Europe.

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Video: The Monastery of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor

The traditional site of our Saviour's Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, is an isolated dome-shaped mountain in eastern lower Galilee. It has been a site of Christian worship from the earliest times, following the example of our Lord Who "went up the mountain to pray" (Luke 9:28). A web of catacombs recently discovered under the courtyard and church of the Orthodox contains a chapel with a 3rd-century Holy Table and other important artifacts. Archaeologists surmise that these caves also served as a hiding place during persecutions. In the 4th century a church was built on Mount Tabor, and two more were built in the 5th century. Pilgrims and monastics flocked to the hallowed mountain, and over the centuries several small monasteries existed at the summit. When the Muslims recaptured the area in the 13th century, they destroyed all the Christian buildings and built a fortress over some of the ruins. In the mid-19th century Christians were permitted to rebuild. On the northern section of the summit the Roman Catholics built a monastery, and later, a hostel and Byzantine-style basilica. In 1862, on the southern portion of the summit, the Orthodox built a monastery, a large church dedicated to the Transfiguration, and a chapel dedicated to Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Melchizedek is the priest whom Abraham meets in the Book of Genesis who gives Abraham bread and wine).

Early pilgrims hiked up 4,300 steps carved into the rock to get to the summit, but now access to the summit is via a very steep and winding road which is only accessible to small vehicles. A taxi service is available at the parking lot at the foot of the mountain.

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An Interpretation of the Icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord

The icon of the Transfiguration constitutes the key to Orthodox theology on the vision of God. The light which appeared to the Apostles was the expression of the Divine brilliance, of the timeless and uncreated glory, the recognition of the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human. At the same time, it was a prototype, an icon of the transfigured human nature and of the theosis (deification) which is granted by the redemptive work of Christ. The Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor is the corresponding event in the New Testament of the event in the Old Testament in which God is revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb.

Already from the first Christian centuries we have indications that the Transfiguration of Christ was celebrated in the Church, while from the end of the 6th century of the Christian era the date of this celebration was fixed to be the 6th of August. It is from the same period that we derive the first examples of the iconographic art.

The Light of the transfigured Christ constitutes the main expression of the Hesychastic movement through the theology of the “Hesychastic Fathers” which was recorded in the 14th century. Their leader, St. Gregory Palamas, declared that God is called “Light” not according to his being (ousia), but according to his “energy”, and that this “uncreated” light can be sensed by our senses through prayer and as long as certain presuppositions apply (purity of heart, ceaseless memory of God… etc.). This dogma of the Church resulted in certain iconographic changes in the composition of the icon of the Transfiguration, especially in the rendering of the Glory of Christ. So the icon of the Transfiguration is depicted not only in accordance with the Gospel accounts – it is recorded by all the Evangelists (Matthew 17-1-9, Mark 9: 2-13, and Luke 9:28-36) with the exception of John, – but also in accordance with its spirit. It is because of the dogmatic significance of this event, that the iconographic theme has undergone the least of changes in the course of centuries. This depiction was not only for the theologians but also for the iconographers the pretext for producing extended scholia (commentaries) concerning the way in which that uncreated light had to be depicted with transient material means. This is the point where the theology of the icon meets with hesychastic theology and the vision of the divine and uncreated light.

In the icon of the Transfiguration we have the projection of a deliberate antithesis, which is truly amazing to a very high degree. The composition contrasts the motionless Christ who lies above and is engulfed in superb peace and glory, which are derived from him, and bathe with divine splendor the figures of Moses and Elijah, who stand bending towards the Lord and form a perfect circle of what lies beyond the veil, and the vivid dynamism of the Apostles who lie below – being still completely human – and are overthrown and utterly toppled by the impact of the Revelation.

The transfigured Christ appears high up in the middle of the icon, above the middle peak of Mount Tabor of Galilee. He blesses with one of his hands, while the other holds a folded scroll, where his Law is written. He is dressed with a white garment and he is flooded with light inside his hanging Glory – since the light is the first property of God (Ps. 27:1, Is. 60:19-20 and 42:6) – as the miracle of his revelatory epiphany proclaims. Mark describes the scene as follows: “and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them” (9:2-3).

The uncreated light is depicted in the icon by symbolic schematizations and colors with which Christ is vested. The two homocentric circles symbolize the presence of the other two persons of the Holy Trinity, a wholeness of the spheres of the created universe. The circle is iconographically the most perfect shape and symbolizes perpetual endurance, the divine. Christ – the second person of the Holy Trinity – at the moment of His Transfiguration is circumscribed by the following three symbols of light: the rays which form a ellipsoid square, the golden lines (chrysography), the luminous crown (halo) around his head and the white vestments. The rays which escape from his body indicate the sun, the golden lines the transmission of the divine life, the halo recalls the sun’s sphere, a symbol of the sacred and of the spiritual energy which radiates, and the whiteness of the vestments purity and incorruptibility. Theologically, this light of Tabor makes the icon an iconographic proof of divine existence.

The brilliance which characterizes Christ and his garments which “white like the light” (Matth. 17: 2) which were glistening, sparkled and reflected flashes of divine splendor is what is stressed in all the descriptions of the Apostles. The white as symbol of light has the attribute of spreading as it drives through space. As such it represents what is timeless. It denotes the innocence of the soul, purity and sanctity of life, joy, virginity, faith and glory. Related references are also made in the Holy Scripture: ”wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Ps. 50:9). White garments are put on by the newly baptized as an indication of their birth into the true life. The white becomes the color of Revelation, of Epiphany, of Grace. As St. John says, “God is Light ” (I John, 1:5).

Christ is depicted with a luminous crown that bears the cross and on its antennas the letters «Ο ΩΝ» which means “He who Is, or He who is Present.” This is a reminder that He is the authentic “icon” and co-existing (homoousios) with the Father. God is revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb, saying “I am He who Is” (Εxod. 3:14). It is exactly this that is stamped upon the halo of Christ, indicating that He is co-existing with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The shape of the cross within the halo indicates the event of redemption through the Cross.

Being in His divine Glory, Christ offers a blessing having His face turned towards the observer – to whom it is addressed anyway. The gesture of blessing with the two fingers raised (the index and the medial) and the three others united refer to his two natures, the divine and the human, and respectively to the three persons of the Holy Trinity. In his descent from mount Tabor Christ blesses in a different way. He touches the thumb with the ring finger and he has the other three fingers raised. In this way he indicates again the two natures and the three hypostases (persons), while at the same time the fingers form in their present position the Greek monogram IC XC (=Jesus Christ), which is inscribed as a title on all the Orthodox icons of Christ, even in Russia.

In the “three peaks composition,” as the scene is described by Dionysios of Fourna, Christ is paneled together with the two standing figures of the Prophet Elijah on the left and of Moses holding the tablets of the Law of God on the right. These two figures are presented as prototypes of the Apostles, because God has appeared to both of them; to Elijah on Mount Carmel and to Moses on Mount Sinai. Moreover, in the Christian tradition, the mountain is a place where heaven meets the earth, and ascent to a mountain has a metaphorical meaning, which refers to an ascent of the stages of sanctity. The two Prophets – from among the greatest figures of the Old Testament – appear to have a conversation with Christ: “and behold two men talked with Him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His exodus which He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem” (Luke, 9:30-31).

Christ appears with the brilliance of His divine glory in order to prepare and strengthen his disciples spiritually as they were going to be drawn into the temptation of the hard ordeal of the cross. Moses and Elijah are presented in a more human form than the Savior, and they symbolize respectively the Law of the Old Testament and the Prophets. They also symbolize the dead (Moses) and the living (Elijah, who was transposed to heaven from the earth on a fiery chariot). Christ reminds them that He is the one who brought together the Law of Moses with the Old Testament Oracles of the Prophets – which are represented here by Elijah – and denotes His superiority over these Scriptures through the witness of the Father, “This is my Son…”

In contrast to the two Prophets who stand motionless, the three Apostles below the feet of Christ, being terrified by what happens, are depicted fallen. Blinded by the divine appearance, the divine energy, they are depicted in positions of intense astonishment and being possessed by great agitation and disturbance, as Matthew reports in his account: “When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were filled with fear” (17:6). In the Holy Scripture we have one more example where man is unable to behold at the divine presence: this is the face of Moses which radiated with divine light after he came down from Sinai, so that the people could not look at him (Exodus, 34, 27-37).

The energy of light of the divine nature of Christ transforms into light the Apostles who have lost every possible human balance. Indeed, the Apostles Peter, James and John are chosen for their liveliness as “eyewitnesses of His majesty … being with Him on the holy mountain” (II Pet. 1:16-18). The masterly way in which the positions of the Apostles are depicted with their terrified expressions, creates a dramatic impression compared to the calm majesty of the “timeless” stance of the figures which are depicted on the upper part of the scene. If motionlessness expresses the peace of God and the supernatural life, mobility by contrast bears witness to imperfection of spiritual life, i.e., to humanity’s sinful condition. Besides, the same sense of mobility and agitation belongs to the earthly world, the lower realm and not the heavenly state of affairs.

The hymns which are sung on the 6th of August, the day of the celebration of the Transfiguration, stress the divine glory manifested to the Apostles in accordance with the ability and the degree of receptivity which each of them exhibits. Their postures symbolize the different ways of response to divine revelation that human beings exhibit. So, John, the youngest of them, in the middle, and James on the right with the green vesture are thrown down on the ground, holding their face as they are unable to gaze at the divine radiance, while Peter on the left, being older, holds his face with his left hand, but it is turned upwards. At the same time this depiction preserves the respect of the symbolism of the ages.

The “vision of God” was regarded by the faithful Jews and Christians as the highest experience and virtue that a human being might acquire: “Show Yourself”, said Moses to God (Exod. 33:18). This experience, however, appears to be something unachievable: “No one has ever seen God,” John writes in his Gospel (John, 1:18). Here at Tabor the three disciples become the irrefutable witnesses of a momentary manifestation of the divine glory: “We have seen his glory” (John 1:14). The word was not accidental: they were present (according to the idiomelon of the Vespers of the Feast) at that brilliant event, “so that by seeing the wonders of Jesus “they might not be dismayed by his passions” later on at the crucifixion. Moreover, another purpose of the Transfiguration of Christ was to serve as the foretelling of the Resurrection.

St. Gregory Palamas says this about the three disciples who were witnesses to the scene: “So, neither that light was sensible (created), nor was it simply seen by sensible (created) eyes, but they were transformed by the power of the divine Spirit” (Migne P.G. 151, 433Β). And further on, he says again: He who encounters the divine light, encounters the mystery of God. This is the crossing of the threshold, the “hypostatic beauty”, the divine Initiator (Mystagogue), the Holy Spirit. This is why St. Basil the Great said that the light which radiated at the Transfiguration of Christ was the prelude of His glory which will appear at His Second Coming.

When Peter saw Christ in full glory and the two Prophets standing beside him, he proposed: “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, and one for Moses and one for Elijah,” and as he said this, “a cloud came and overshadowed them…and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him” (Luke 9:33-35). This reveals that the Father is “in the voice” and the Holy Spirit “in the cloud.” The Father bears witness to the genealogy of Jesus, so that his disciples may later understand that his suffering was willful. “Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified” (John 13:31). At the same time the Transfiguration of the Savior who “wears the light as a garment” reveals the person of Christ, the beloved and transcendent Son, who possesses the same glory with the Father. It is also a reminder of the fact that man is made “according to the image of God.”

The icon of the iconographer of the Dodekaortion (the icons of the twelve major Feasts) of the Monastery of Dionysiou (on the Holy Mountain) is a unique iconographic variation of the theme of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Following exactly the Gospel accounts, the iconographer includes in his composition, besides the central theme, the scenes of the ascent and descent to Mount Tabor. On the left side we see Christ having his head turned towards the three disciples and his left hand raised in a gesture of addressing them, while on his right hand he holds the divine Law. It seems that he is preparing his disciples for the experience which they will acquire. His purpose is not to astonish them with his Transfiguration, but to reveal to them his divine glory. After the heavenly vision they are depicted descending from the other side of the mount. The unsettled disciples turn their glance to their Lord who reassures them by blessing them. At the same time he tells them: “Tell no one of the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead” (Matt. 17:9).

This variation is employed especially on murals, but it also appears on portable icons. This tradition of adding several secondary incidents around the central theme is purely Byzantine and goes back to the iconography of Byzantium. Its deeper meaning is connected with the thought that on every “divine” manifestation (theophany) – “icon” – the abiding eternal present is revealed, and this allows the possibility of presenting on an “iconographic” surface – an icon – a sequence of related events.

In the past, every iconographer began his “divine art” with the icon of the Transfiguration. Here the tradition believed that the scene is depicted not with the colors of the artist, but with the very light of Tabor. The guiding presence of the Holy Spirit is expressed in the dazzling luminosity of the whole composition, and removes any other possible source of light being involved.

The message that this icon communicates to the faithful is that, since through baptism they have become participants in the mystery of the Resurrection (which is prefigured in the Transfiguration), they are called now to be constantly transfigured more and more by the grace of the Lord (II Cor. 3:18).

Source: Translated from the Greek original by Fr. George Dion. Dragas

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St. John Chrysostom: On Schismatics Over Calendar Issues

In his third homily Against the Judaizers, Saint John Chrysostom specifically addresses a schismatic group of his day which sought to try to appropriate the feasts and practices of the Jews into Christian practice. One of these practices was the attempt of some Judaizing Christians to celebrate Pascha according to the Jewish reckoning, despite the fact that the First Ecumenical Council established a moveable date of Pascha on which all Christians could celebrate in unison. Judaizers looked upon the First Ecumenical Council as an innovation of the Church that did not coincide with the early practices of the Christians. Despite the historical context of this homily, a close reading reveals a critique of schismatics in general, especially of schismatics who have separated from the church over issues dealing with the ecclesiastical calendar. When one reads this homily today, much of it could very well have been written today against Old Calendarist schismatics. Below are some excerpts from this homily:

I

ONCE AGAIN A NECESSARY and pressing need has interrupted the sequence of my recent discourses. I must put aside my struggles with the heretics for today and turn my attention to this necessary business. For I was ready to address your loving assembly again on the glory of the only-begotten Son of God. But the untimely obstinacy of those who wish to keep the first paschal fast forces me to devote my entire instruction to their cure. For the good shepherd does more than drive away the wolves; he also is most diligent in caring for his sheep who are sick. What does he gain if the flocks escape the jaws of the wild beasts but are then devoured by disease?

(2) The best general is the one who not only repels the siege engines of the enemy but first puts down rebellion within his own city. He knows well that there will be no victory over an outside foe as long as there is civil war within. Do you not know that there is no more destructive force than rebellion and obstinacy? Listen to the words of Christ: "A kingdom divided against itself shall not stand." And yet, what is more powerful than a kingdom which possesses revenues of money, weapons, walls, fortresses, so large a number of soldiers, horses, and ten thousand other sources of strength?

(3) But even power as great as that is destroyed when it revolts against itself. Nothing produces weakness so effectively as contentiousness and strife; and nothing produces power and strength so effectively as love and concord. When Solomon grasped this truth he said: "A brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city and kingdom bolted and barred." Do you see the great strength which comes from concord? And do you see the great harm caused by contentiousness? A kingdom in revolt destroys itself. When two brothers are bound together and united into one, they are more unbreakable than any wall.

(4) I know that, by God's grace, most members of my flock are free from this disease and that the sickness involves only a few. But this is no reason for me to relax my care. If only ten, or five, or two, or even one were sick, he must not be neglected. If there is only one worthless outcast. still he is a brother, and Christ died for him. And Christ made great account of the weak ones. He said: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the sea." And again: "As long as you did not do it for one of these little ones, you did not do it for me." And again: "It is not the will of your Father in heaven that a single one of these little ones should perish."

(5) Is it not absurd, when Christ shows such care for his little ones, that we should refuse to care for them? Do not say: "He is one person." Rather, you must say: "He is one, yes, but if we do not take care of him, he will spread the disease to the rest." Paul said: "A little leaven ferments the whole mass." And our neglect of the little ones is what overturns and destroys everything. Neglected wounds become serious, just as the serious wounds would easily become minor if they receive the proper care.

(6) Moreover, the first thing I have to say to the Judaizers is that nothing is worse than contentiousness and fighting, than tearing the Church asunder and rending into many parts the robe which the robbers did not dare to rip. Are not all the other heresies enough without our tearing each other apart? You must listen to Paul when he says: "But if you bite and devour one another, take heed or you will be consumed by one another."

(7) Tell me this. Do you stray outside the flock and have you no fear of the lion that prowls about outside the fold? "For your enemy, like a lion, goes about seeking whom he may seize." Here you see a shepherd's wisdom. He does not let the lion in among the sheep for fear the lion may terrify the flock. Nor does he drive the lion away from outside the fold. Why? So that he may gather all the sheep together inside the fold, because they are afraid of the wild beast outside. Do you have no reverence and respect for your father? Then fear your foe. If you separate yourself from the flock, your enemy will surely catch you.

(8) Christ, too, could have driven the enemy away from the outside of the fold. But to make you sober and watchful, to make you constantly run to your Mother for refuge, he permitted him to roar outside the fold. Why did he do this? So that when those within the fold hear his roar, they may take refuge together and be more closely bound to one another. Mothers who love their children also do this: when their children cry, they often threaten to throw them to the jaws of the wolves. Of course, they would not throw them to the wolves but they say they will to stop the children from bothering them. Everything Christ did was done to keep us bound together and living at peace with one another.

II

And so it was that Paul could have accused the Corinthians of many great crimes but he accused them of contentiousness before any other. He could have accused them of fornication, of pride, of taking their quarrels to the pagan courts, of banquets in the shrines of idols. He could have charged that the women did not veil their heads and that the men did. Over and above all tiffs, he could have accused them of neglecting the poor, of the pride they took in their charismatic gifts, and in the matter of the resurrection of the body. But since, along with these, he could also find fault with them because of their dissensions and quarrels with one another, he passed over all the other crimes, and corrected their contentiousness first....

(3) Although he could make so many accusations, his first charge against the Corinthians was dissension and contentiousness. At the very beginning of his letter he said: "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing, and that there be no dissensions among you." For he knew, he knew clearly, that this problem was more urgent than the others. If the fornicator, or the braggart. or a man in the grip of any other vice comes frequently to the church, he will quickly draw profit from the instruction, thrust aside his sin, and return to health.

(4) But when a man has broken away from this assembly, when he has withdrawn from the instruction of the fathers, when he has fled from the physician's clinic, even if he appears to be in good health, lie will soon fall sick? The best physicians first quench the fires of fever and then cure the wounds and fractures. That is what Paul did. He first removed the dissension and then cured their wounds limb by limb. And so lie spoke of dissension before the other sins, so that the Corinthians would not stand apart in strife, so that they would not choose the leaders whom they should follow, so that they would not divide up the body of Christ into many parts?

(5) But he was talking not only to the Corinthians; he was also speaking to those who would come after them and suffer from the same Corinthian disease. I would be glad to ask those of us who are sick with this illness: What is the Pasch; what is Lent? What belongs to the Jews: what belongs to us? Why does their Pasch come once each year; why do we celebrate ours each time we gather to celebrate the mysteries? What does the feast of unleavened bread mean? And I would like to ask them many more questions which contribute to understanding this subject.

(6) If I were to ask them, you would then clearly know how untimely the contentiousness of these men is. They cannot explain what they do. But they refuse to ask anybody, just as if they were wiser than anybody else. They deserve the strongest condemnation because they do not have the answers themselves, but they refuse to follow those who have been appointed to lead them. They have simply risked all they have on this silly practice and are throwing themselves head first down into the depths of danger.

III

When I have this to say against them, what argument of theirs will seem clever? They ask: "Did you not observe this fast before?" It is not your place to say this to me, but I would be justified in telling you that we, too, fasted at this time in earlier days, but still we put more importance on peace than on the observance of dates. And I say to you what Paul said to the Galatians: "Become like me, because I also have become like you." What does this mean? He was urging them to renounce circumcision, to scorn the Sabbath, the feast days, and all the other observances of the Law. When he saw they were frightened and afraid that they might be subjected to chastisement and punishment for their transgression, he gave them courage by the example of his own actions when he said: "Become like me, because I also have become like you."

(2) For, he said, I did not come from the Gentiles, did I? I was not without experience of the Jewish way of life under the Law and the punishment set for those who transgress it, was I? "I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as regards the Law, a Pharisee; as regards zeal, a persecutor of the Church. But the things that were gain to me, these, for the sake of Christ, l counted loss." That is, once and for all I stood aloof from them. Therefore, become like me, for I, too, was as you are....

V

(3) Therefore you must safeguard this exactness and vigor of spirit, not in the observance of the proper times but in your approach to the altar. Now you would elect to endure all things rather than change this practice. So, too, you must disdain it and choose to do or suffer anything so as not to approach the mysteries when you are burdened with sins.

(4) Be sure that God takes no account of such observance of special seasons. Hear him as he passes judgment on those at his right hand: "You saw me hungry and gave me to eat; you saw me thirsty and gave me to drink; you saw me naked and you covered me." But he charged with quite different conduct those on his left hand. At another time he brought forward another man in a parable and castigated him because He remembered the evil the man had done. For he said: "You wicked servant, I forgave you all the debt. Should not you then have had compassion also on your fellow servant, even as I had compassion on you?" Again, when the virgins had no oil in their lamps, he locked them out of the bride chamber. And he cast out another man who came into the feast without a wedding garment because this man was garbed in filthy clothes and was wearing the cloak of his fornication and uncleanness, But no one was ever punished or accused because he observed the Pasch in this or that month.

(5) But why speak of ourselves since we have been set free from all such necessity? We are citizens of a city above in heaven, where there are no months, no sun, no moon, no circle of seasons. If you wish to give exact attention to the matter, you will see that, even among the Jews, little account was made of the season of the Pasch, but they cared greatly about the place for it, namely, Jerusalem....

(6) And so is not the observance of the time annulled among the Jews so that the Pascha may be observed in Jerusalem? Will you not show greater concern for the harmony of the Church than for the season? So that you may seem to be observing the proper days, will you outrage the common Mother of us all and will you cut asunder the Holy Synod? How could you deserve pardon when you choose to commit sins so enormous for no good reason ?

(7) But why must I speak of the Jews? No matter how eagerly and earnestly we wish it, it is not altogether possible for us to observe that day on which He was crucified....

VI

Let us not quarrel, let us not say: "After fasting these many years, am I to change now?" Change for that very reason. Since you have been so long severed from the Church, come back now to your Mother. No one says: "After I lived as her enemy so long a time, I am ashamed to be reconciled now." You have grounds for shame if you do not change for the better but persist in your untimely contentiousness. That is what destroyed the Jews. While they always kept looking for the old customs and life, these were stripped from them and they turned to impiety.

(2) But why do I speak of fasting and the observance of special days? Paul continued to observe the Law and to endure many a toil; he patiently put up with many journeys and hardships; he surpassed all his contemporaries in the exact observance of that way of life. But after he achieved the heights of that life and came to realize that he was doing all this for his own hurt and destruction, he immediately changed. He did not say to himself: "What is this? Am I to lose the reward for this great zeal of mine? Am I to waste all this work?" Rather he was the quicker to change for the very reason that he might continue to suffer that loss. He scorned justification by the Law so that he might receive the justification of faith. And so he loudly proclaimed: "The things that were gain to me I have counted as loss for Christ. And Christ said: "If you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has anything against you, go first and be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift."...

(8) Why, then, do you sit beside a lamp after the sun has appeared? Why do you wish to nourish yourself on milk when solid food is being given to you? You were nourished with milk so that you might not remain satisfied with milk: the lamp shone for you that it might guide you and lead you by the hand into the light of the sun. Now that the era of more perfect things has come, let us not run back to the former times, let us not observe the days and seasons and years: rather, let us everywhere be careful to follow the Church by paying heed to charity and peace before all things.

(9) Suppose the Church were to be tripped up and fall. The accurate computation of dates would not succeed in making her slip as much as this division and schism would deserve the blame. But I make no account of the exact date, since God makes no account of it, as I proved when I devoted many discourses to this subject. But the one thing I seek is that we do all things in peace and concord. If we do so, you will not stay home and get drunk while we are fasting with the rest of the people, and the priests are praying together for the whole world.

(10) Note well that this is of the devil's doing and that it is not a single sin, nor two, nor three, but far more than three. It cuts you off from the flock, it makes you ready to hold so many Fathers in scorn, it hurls you into contentiousness....

(12) The Church does not recognize the exact observance of dates. In the beginning the Fathers decided to come together from widely separated places and to flux the Easter date; the Church paid respect to the harmony of their thinking. loved their oneness of mind, and accepted the date they enjoined. My earlier remarks have proved adequately that it is impossible for us or you or any other man to arrive at the exact date of the Lord's day. So let us stop fighting with shadows, let us stop hurting ourselves in the big things while we are indulging our rivalry over the small....

(14) I could have said much more than this. What I have said is enough for those who heed me; those who fail to heed my words will not be helped even if I should have much more to say. So let me finish my discourse at this point. and let us all pray together that our brothers come back to us. Let us pray that they cling fondly to peace and stand apart from untimely rivalry. Let us pray that they scorn this sluggish spirit of theirs and find a great and lofty understanding. Let us pray that they be set free from this observance of days so that all of us, with one heart and with one voice, may give glory to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power now and forever, world without end. Amen.

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