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.



February 16, 2022

Holy New Hieromartyr Deacon Who Is Anonymous

Holy New Hieromartyr Deacon Who Is Anonymous (Feast Day - February 16)
 
Verses

You mocked the Immaculate Mysteries, Deacon of Vitsa,
As a Martyr you entered the heavens.

The glorious, new hieromartyr of Christ, and anonymous Deacon, was a teacher of sacred letters, who came from Vitsa of Zagori. He served as a Deacon in the Church of Saint Marina in Ioannina, in the neighborhood of Kalou Cesme (Kaloutsiani). Having been deceived by the devil, he apostatized from the Orthodox faith and embraced Islam.

One day, on a certain Islamic feast, as he was making merry with some of his fellow Muslims, this former Deacon decided to joke around with his friends and took on his former role as a Deacon to mock the Immaculate Mysteries of Christ. When he cried out, "With the fear of God, faith and love, cdraw near!", suddenly and in a wondrous manner real blood began to flow from the make-believe chalice he was holding, and it showered him as well as those around him.

Diakonovitsa in the mid-1970's (photo at top of the page is an older version of the same place)

When the Deacon saw this miracle, he returned to the Christian faith and with boldness confessed Christ as the true God and Savior of the world. The unbelievers had him arrested and he was made to endure vicious tortures in order to get him to return to Islam, but seeing that he was firm in his faith, he was given over to be martyred. His martyrdom took place beyond the fountain of Kalou Cesme, where since that time the place became known as "Diakonovitsa", named after the Deacon of Vitsa.
 
 
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