Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



August 24, 2021

The Holy Spring of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos in Dryovouno of Kozani


An event that was experienced by the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Dryovouno of Kozani that is well known to all in the area is the visit of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos some time between 1775 and 1777 during his Third Missionary Journey.

In this particular Monastery, Saint Kosmas, in addition to preaching the divine word, also took care of the monks who had become seriously ill due to an epidemic of dysentery that prevailed in the area.

According to testimonies, after bringing water from a nearby spring that had little water, he performed a Sanctification of the Waters, gave the monks a drink and they were healed. Since then, the water from this spring has been considered holy water and has been constantly gushing forth, though there was a brief interruption.

The Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior is located on the north side of the picturesque city of Siatista, in a wooded mountainous location, near the village of Dryovouno of Kozani at an altitude of 1000m.

It is the oldest Monastery in the prefecture of Kozani and its foundation dates back to 1592 and its iconography to 1652.

During the difficult times that the Greek Nation went through, the Monastery was a refuge for the persecuted and all those who needed help. During the war, it offered goods to the civilian and militant population, being an ammunition depot and a base for warlords. It is worth mentioning the fact that, in the Monastery, the brother of Rigas Feraios, Demetrios, Captain Bardas and Pavlos Melas took refuge and were hosted. In 1943 the Monastery was burned by the Italian invaders, along with their invaluable historical records. The holy spring of Saint Kosmas was also crushed by the ruins and disappeared.

In 1978, Fr. Stephanos Tsantiris, the abbot of the Monastery, together with the inhabitants of the village and at the suggestion of the elders of the village succeeded and found the holy spring of Saint Kosmas, but it was dried up without a single drop of holy water.

On the eve of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Savior, in 1978, Fr. Stephanos Tsantiris in a last effort and after asking for God's help, carved into the spring a little with a vine and miraculously it began to gush a little, but on the day of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Savior in 1978, the holy spring flowed normally and richly.

Today, this place has a Chapel of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos so that the faithful can approach it and drink the holy water for a blessing.

The Holy Spring in the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, in Dryovouno of Kozani, is the only known Holy Spring of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos and a multitude of testimonies refer to its miraculous and healing properties.

The renovation of the Monastery began in 1996. Today it has about 15 monks and belongs to the spiritual jurisdiction of the Sacred Metropolis of Sisani and Siatista. 
 




Fr. Stephanos Tsantiris

 

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