August 8, 2022

Saint Kallinikos of Edessa, a Balanced and Transfigured Man


Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, in his sermon today in honor of the feast of his spiritual father who was canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate two years ago, Saint Kallinikos of Edessa, referred to the glorious repose of this Saint of our days, which came after the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ and after he said a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, in view of the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.

This is important, because he loved both of these feasts. He spoke every day during this period about the Panagia, about her faith, her purity, her patience, her silence, but also about the Transfiguration of Christ.

Saint Kallinikos himself was a balanced man, a transfigured man.

Then, the Metropolitan referred to the term "homeostasis" which, from a biological point of view, means the process of self-regulation of the organism, in relation to changes in the environment, and, from a psychological point of view, it is the tendency that contributes to the psychological stability of man.

He then said that this homeostasis which is a factor of health - physical, psychological and spiritual - that is, this balance in relation to the environment one lives in, was the special characteristic of Saint Kallinikos the Aitolos, Bishop of Edessa. He was a transfigured man.

He listed some typical examples that reveal this reality.

As a Person, he had a balance between reason, emotion and passion; he was not distinguished by rationalism, nor by sentimentality.

As a Christian, he avoided extremes, i.e. both excesses and deficiencies, and always found a way to stay within the blessed measure of the ecclesiastical phronema.

As a Cleric and Bishop, he connected the institution with the charisma, he did not exaggerate the institution over the charisma, nor the charisma over the institution. Also, he closely connected hierarchical grace with the monastic/hesychastic life.

As a Theologian, he moved between tradition and modern life.

He concluded by saying that we should imitate Saint Kallinikos in this mental, spiritual and theological balance.

See more here.