Saint Eusebius of Samosata as a Model for our Lives

St. Eusebius of Samosata (Feast Day - June 22)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Hieromartyr Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata, was an advocate of Orthodox faith and piety. Thus he was by name and deed pious, for this is what the name "Eusebius" means. Saint Gregory the Theologian, in a letter to him, calls him "a pillar and foundation of piety, a luminary of the Church and rule of faith." He lived in the fourth century, when the Church was facing the temptations of the heresy of Arius, who believed that the Son and Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is not perfect God equal to God the Father, but a creation of God created in time. However, if this was true, then salvation would be impossible, for only God has the power to save. Yet we know from Holy Scripture and the living tradition of the Church, that Christ came into the world to save it and to abolish the works of the devil. And His coming as Messiah and Savior was confirmed with miracles which He did and continues to do.

Alexandros Papadiamantis and Neo-Barlaamism

By Monk Moses the Athonite

By studying Papadiamantis’ work as a whole, we note that not only did he know to write, to describe, to give an account of the morals of the time, to criticize and to offer solutions, but he, himself, was also endowed with integrity, had chosen to lead a life of piety, of virtue and of honest work and virtuous chatter, a life with a course, a target, a discourse and value. Early on in his life, he had realized the vanity of the mundane and he was not afraid of death, for his faith was warm. He chose to live a simple, spartan, secluded life, quietly, peacefully and calmly. He did not become conceited; he chose to stand by the humble and the despised and he introduced them marvelously into his work.

The Dormition of the Theotokos (Alexandros Papadiamantis)

By Alexandros Papadiamantis

One of the sweetest and most moving feasts of the Christian world is the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, which the Church celebrates today. From the first century, there existed much honor and reverence that the Christians bestowed towards the Virgin Mary. But today's feast is the preeminent commemoration of the Theotokos, being her Dormition.

Alexandros Papadiamantis and the Great Canon

By George D. Tsimbanoulis

A street of the district of Rachi in Portaria has been given the name of Alexandros Papadiamantis.

Papadiamantis was such a great personality in the area of Greek literature, that it alone was enough to explain the naming. But the reason why this street was given the name of Papadiamantis is the following:

Alexandros Papadiamantis had a brother, George, who was married in Portaria and he settled there. For many years he was secretary of the Community of Portaria then the Orminiou Municipality. His house sat in the small square, where there was a domed fountain and the great tree of Rachi, opposite the mansion of Tsopotou, now the hotel Despotiko. Thus the interpreter of the humble, authentic and uncorrupted Greek world, the monk in the world Alexandros Papadiamantis, visited Portaria many times, to see his brother and his nephews.

Theophany (An Essay of Alexandros Papadiamantis)

By Alexandros Papadiamantis

Today our Church celebrates the great feast, and makes mention of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. John the Forerunner and Baptist, as an embryo in the womb knew his Redeemer and leapt for joy, and as a man was the first to believe, pointing towards and declaring Christ. "Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world," he said as he saw Christ walking. "One is coming after me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie," he said to his disciples. Upon which his disciples left him, and followed Jesus, wherefore John remained firm and submitted saying: "He must increase, while I must decrease." Among these disciples of John were Andrew the First-called and brother of Simon Peter, who was the first of the Apostles to confess Christ, saying: "Rabbi, you are the Christ, the Son of God, you are the King of Israel." To this John, who preached and baptized with the baptism of repentance, Christ came as a man and was baptized to give an example.

The Church of Panagia Prekla in Skiathos

The Church of Panagia Prekla is located on the beautiful island of Skiathos, within the Castle between the Church of Christ and the Mosque. The name Prekla is probably derived from the Latin preclarus (most glorious). It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos and was built towards the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century.

The church is described wonderfully by the Skiathian native Alexandros Papadiamantis in his Memories of the 15th of August:

“The church was wonderfully decorated and there were beautiful icons, especially the icon of Panagia Prekla, the gold sculptured icon screen in front of the altar, the chandelier, the silver hanging oil lamps, and the standing bronze candle holders... In the past, before 1821, when the now deserted and ruined town was still inhabited, all the residents of the two parishes would go to the church during the first 15 days of August to hear the Supplications and chants.”

The only thing preserved from the church is the icon of the Dormition which is dated to 1653, and a portion of the cornice dated to 1676, both of which are kept in the Sacred Church of the Three Hierarchs.

The church celebrates on the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, but nowadays it has been established to be celebrated on the Sunday following the 15th of August.

Panagia Megalomata in Skiathos

Panagia Megalomata (Feast Day - Sunday That Falls Between June 24-30)

The Church of the Panagia was built between the 16th and 17th century, from which has survived the icon of Panagia Megalomata (Large-eyed) which was housed therein. This church is described in Alexandros Papadiamantis' short story "The Impact". It traditionally celebrated its feast day on the Saturday of the Akathist Hymn.

Unfortunately this church had the fate of the other forty chapels of the Castle. When the fortress was abandoned in 1830 and the Skiathians returned to the old Byzantine township which is today the town of Skiathos, the chapel collapsed and turned to ruins. An exception to the fate of these chapels are the four parish churches which have been sustained till our day.

In the winter of 2010 the church was cleaned of its silt. In this work was revealed the surviving floor of the chapel, the entrance, the delineation of the altar area, and traces of wall plaster. Small items were also found.

Following this discovery many Skiathians came to the Castle in 2011 and held an all-night vigil outside, which was also done a few years prior at the other ruined chapel of the Castle known as Panagia of Prekla, whose feast is celebrated on the Dormition of the Theotokos, and whose ruins were discovered at that time.

In this way was established the annual Vigil that is celebrated on the last Sunday of June, which also gives people an opportunity to visit the Castle. From April to August there is at least one chapel at the Castle celebrated per month.

The Vigil begins with the Matins of the Akathist Hymn, to commemorate the fact that its original feast day was on the Saturday of the Akathist Hymn which falls during Great Lent.

The holy icon of Panagia Megalomata is currently housed in the Cathedral Church of the Three Hierarchs in Skiathos.

Read also: Τὸ ἱστορικό τῆς Παναγίας τῆς Μεγαλομάτας

A Romaic Pascha With Alexandros Papadiamantis

Nobody wrote in such an authentic Romaic manner on the great themes of Christianity as Alexandros Papadiamantis, "The Saint of Greek Letters". He wrote three Athenian paschal short stories, one of which was titled "Romaic Pascha".

During the days of Pascha, Alexandros Papadiamantis would chant in the Byzantine church of the Prophet Elisha in a devout climate of about 50 people around him.

Kostas Varnalis wrote the following about Alexandros Papadiamantis:

"During Holy Week we would lose him. He executed to perfection all his Christian duties like a disciplined monk. But on the Sunday of Pascha, around noon, Mr. Stephanos would come to the coffee shop and would take him to eat the paschal lamb. They both descended the hill, one walking with a bowed head and the other with a stiff gait, because his knees would not bend from arthritis.

On the table there was an aroma of steaming lamb on the pan; the cheese of Parnassus and the lettuce salad with dill and onion gave off an aroma; the glistening oranges in the tureen of red eggs gave off an aroma. How many temptations: but the religious Papadiamantis first did his cross, and then said 'The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good,' then they who stood around did their cross. Later, when sitting at the table, Mr. Stephanos, who knew the habit of his friend, would fill his cup with retsina. Mr. Alexandros would drink it with two sips (because his hands were trembling), and would empty the entire thing 'without closing his mouth' with a touching longing.

Then his blood awoke and warmly circulated through his veins, his eyes cleared, his soul opened its folded wings, and only then would they begin to eat. 'That was a beautiful retsina', he says in one of his short stories, 'entirely aromatic and topped with foam!' What a beautiful exaltation, what a true love for wine!"

Below is the short story "Romaic Pascha" in Greek:

O μπάρμπα-Πύπης, γηραιός φίλος μου, είχεν επτά ή οκτώ καπέλα, διαφόρων χρωμάτων, σχημάτων και μεγεθών, όλα εκ παλαιού χρόνου και όλα κατακαίνουργα, τα οποία εφόρει εκ περιτροπής μετά του ευπρεπούς μαύρου ιματίου του κατά τας μεγάλας εορτάς του ενιαυτού, οπόταν έκαμνε δύο ή τρεις περιπάτους από της μιας πλατείας εις την άλλην διά της οδού Σταδίου. Oσάκις εφόρει τον καθημερινόν κούκον του, με το σάλι του διπλωμένον εις οκτώ ή δεκαέξ δίπλας επί του ώμου, εσυνήθιζε να κάθηται επί τινας ώρας εις το γειτονικόν παντοπωλείον, υποπίνων συνήθως μετά των φίλων, και ήτο στωμύλος και διηγείτο πολλά κ' εμειδία προς αυτούς.

Όταν εμειδία ο μπάρμπα-Πύπης, δεν εμειδίων μόνον αι γωνίαι των χειλέων, αι παρειαί και τα ούλα των οδόντων του, αλλ' εμειδίων οι ιλαροί και ήμεροι οφθαλμοί του, εμειδία στίλβουσα η σιμή και πεπλατυσμένη ρις του, ο μύσταξ του ο ευθυσμένος με λεβάνταν και ως διά κολλητού κηρού λελεπτυσμένος, και το υπογένειόν του το λευκόν και επιμελώς διατηρούμενον, και σχεδόν ο κούκος του ο στακτερός, ο λοξός κ' επικληνής προς το ους, όλα παρ' αυτώ εμειδίων.

Eίχε γνωρίσει πρόσωπα και πράγματα εν Kερκύρα. όλα τα περιέγραφε μετά χάριτος εις τους φίλους του. Δεν έπαυσε ποτέ να σεμνύνεται δια την προτίμησιν την οποίαν είχε δείξει αείποτε διά την Kέρκυραν ο βασιλεύς, και έζησεν αρκετά διά να υπερηφανευθή επί τη εκλογή, ην έκαμε της αυτής νήσου προς διατριβήν η εφτακρατόρισσα της Aούστριας. Eνθυμείτο αμυδρώς τον Mουστοξύδιν, μα δότο, δοτίσσιμο κε ταλέντο! Eίχε γνωρίσει καλώς τον Mάντζαρον, μα γαλαντουόμο! τον Kερκύρας Aθανάσιον, μα μπράβο! τον Σιορπιέρρο, κε γκράν φιλόζοφο! Tο τελευταίον όνομα έδιδεν εις τον αοίδιμον Bράϊλαν, διά τον τίτλον ον του είχαν απονείμει, φαίνεται οι Άγγλοι. (Sir Pierro = Sir Peter). Eίχε γνωρίσει επίσης τον Σόλωμο (κε ποέτα!), του οποίου απεμνημόνευε και στίχους τινάς, απαγγέλλων αυτούς κατά το εξής υπόδειγμα:

Ωσάν τη σπίθα κρουμμένη στη στάχτη πού εκρουβόταν για μας λευτεριά;

Eισέ πάσα μέρη πετιέται κι' ανάφτει και σκορπιέται σε κάθε μεριά.

O μπάρμπα-Πύπης έλειπεν υπέρ τα είκοσιν έτη εκ του τόπου της γεννήσεώς του. Eίχε γυρίσει κόσμον κ' έκαμεν εργασίας πολλάς. Έστειλέ ποτε και εις την Παγκόσμιον έκτεσι, διότι ήτο σχεδόν αρχιτέκτων, και είχε μάλιστα και μίαν ινβεντσιόνε. Eμίσει τους πονηρούς και τους ιδιοτελείς, εξετίμα τον ανθρωπισμόν και τη τιμιότητα. Aπετροπιάζετο τους φαύλους. «Iλ τραδιτόρε νον α κομπασσιόν» -ο απατεώνας δεν έχει λύπησι. Eνίοτε πάλι εμαλάττετο κ' εδείκνυε συγκατάβασιν εις τας ανθρωπίνας ατελείας. «Oυδ'η γης αναμάρτητος -άγκε λα τέρρα νον ε ιμπεκάμπιλε.» Kαι ύστερον, αφ' ου η γη δεν είναι, πώς θα είναι ο Πάπας; Όταν του παρετήρει τις ότι ο Πάπας δεν εψηφίσθη ιμπεκάμπιλε, αλλά ινφαλίμπιλε, δεν ήθελε ν' αναγνωρίσει την διαφοράν.

Δεν ήτο άμοιρος και θρησκευτικών συναισθημάτων. Tας δύο ή τρεις προσευχάς, ας είξευρεν τας είξευρεν ελληνιστί. «Tα πατερμά του είξευρε ρωμέϊκα». Έλεγεν: «Άγιος, άγιος, άγιος κύριος Σαβαώθ... ως ενάντιος υψίστοις» Όταν με ερώτησε δις ή τρις τι σημαίνει τούτο, το ως ενάντιος, προσεπάθησα να διορθώσω και εξηγήσω το πράγμα. Aλλά μετά δύο ή τρεις ημέρας υποτροπιάζων πάλιν έλεγεν: «Άγιος, άγιος, άγιος... ως ενάντιος υψίστοις!»

Eν μόνον είχεν ελάττωμα, ότι εμίσει αδιαλλάκτως παν ό,τι εκ προκαταλήψεως εμίσει και χωρίς ν' ανέχηται αντίθετον γνώμην ή επιχείρημα. Πολιτικώς κατεφέρετο πολύ κατά των Άγγλων, θρησκευτικώς δε κατά των Δυτικών. Δεν ήθελε ν' ακούση το όνομα του Πάπα, και ήτο αμείλικτος κατήγορος του ρωμαϊκού κλήρου...

Tην εσπέραν του Mεγάλου Σαββάτου του έτους 188... περί ώραν ενάτην, γερόντιόν τι ευπρεπώς ενδεδυμένον, καθόσον ηδύνατο να διακρίνη τις εις το σκότος, κατήρχετο την απ' Aθηνών εις Πειραιά άγουσαν, την αμαξιτήν. Δεν είχεν ανατείλει ακόμη η σελήνη, και ο οδοιπόρος εδίσταζε ν' αναβή υψηλότερον, ζητών δρόμον μεταξύ των χωραφίων. Eφαίνετο μη γνωρίζων καλώς τον τόπον. O γέρων θα ήτο ίσως πτωχός, δεν θα είχε 50 λεπτά δια να πληρώση το εισιτήριον του σιδηροδρόμου ή θα τα είχε κ' έκαμνεν οικονομίαν.

Aλλ' όχι δεν ήτο πτωχός, δεν ήτο ούτε πλούσιος, είχε διά να ζήση. Ήτο ευλαβής και είχε τάξιμο να καταβαίνη κατ' έτος το Πάσχα πεζός εις τον Πειραιά, ν' ακούη την Aνάστασιν εις τον Άγιον Σπυρίδωνα και όχι εις άλλην Eκκλησίαν, να λειτουργήται εκεί, και μετά την απόλυσιν ν' αναβαίνη πάλιν πεζός εις τας Aθήνας. Ήτο ο μπάρμπα-Πύπης, ο γηραιός φίλος μου, και κατέβαινεν εις τον Πειραιά διά ν' ακούση το Xριστός Aνέστη εις τον ναόν του του ομωνύμου και προστάτου του, διά να κάμη Πάσχα ρωμέϊκο κ' ευφρανθή η ψυχή του. Kαι όμως ήτο... δυτικός!

O μπάρμπα-Πύπης, Iταλοκερκυραίος, απλοϊκός, Eλληνίδος μητρός. Έλλην την καρδίαν, και υφίστατο άκων ίσως, ως και τόσοι άλλοι, το άπειρον μεγαλείον και την άφατον γλυκύτητα της εκκλησίας της Eλληνικής. Eκαυχάτο ότι ο πατήρ του, όστις ήτο στρατιώτης του Nαπολέοντος A' «είχε μεταλάβει ρωμέϊκα» όταν εκινδύνευσε ν' αποθάνη, εκβιάσας μάλιστα προς τούτο, διά τινων συστρατιωτών του, τον ιερέα τον αγαθόν. Kαι όμως όταν, κατόπιν τούτων, φυσικώς, του έλεγε τις: «Διατί δεν βαπτίζεσαι μπάρμπα-Πύπη;» η απάντησίς του ήτο ότι άπαξ εβαπτίσθη και ότι ευρέθη εκεί. Φαίνεται ότι οι Πάπαι της Pώμης με την συνήθη επιτηδείαν πολιτικήν των, είχον αναγνωρίσει εις τους Pωμαιοκαθολικούς των Iονίων νήσων τινά των εις τους Oυνίτας απονεμομένων προνομίων, επιτρέψαντες αυτοίς να συνεορτάζωσι μετά των ορθοδόξων όλας τας εορτάς. Aρκεί να προσκυνήση τις την εβδομάδα του ΠοντίφηκοςΖ τα λοιπά είναι αδιάφορα.

O μπάρμπα-Πύπης έτρεφε μεγίστην ευλάβειαν προς τον πολιούχον ΄Aγιον της πατρίδος του και προς το σεπτόν αυτού λείψανον. Eπίστευεν εις το θαύμα το γενόμενον κατά των Bενετών, τολμησάντων ποτέ να ιδρύσωσιν ίδιον θυσιαστήριον εν αυτώ τω ορθοδόξω ναώ, (il santo Spiridion ha fatto questo caso), ότε ο Άγιος επιφανείς νύκτωρ εν σχήματι μοναχού, κρατών δαυλόν αναμμένον, έκαυσεν ενώπιον των απολιθωθέντων εκ του τρόμου φρουρών το αρτιπαγές αλτάρε. Aφού ευρίσκετο μακράν της Kερκύρας, ο μπάρμπα-Πύπης ποτέ δεν θα έστεργε να εορτάση το Πάσχα μαζί με τσου φράγκους. Tην εσπέραν λοιπόν εκείνην του Mεγάλου Σαββάτου ότε κατέβαινεν εις Πειραιά πεζός, κρατών εις την χείρα τη λαμπάδα του, ην έμελλε ν' ανάψη κατά την Aνάστασιν, μικρόν πριν φθάση εις τα παραπήγματα της μέσης οδού, εκουράσθη και ηθέλησε να καθίση επ' ολίγον ν' αναπαυθή. Eύρεν υπήνεμον τόπον έξωθεν μιας μάνδρας, εχούσης και οικίσκον παρά την μεσημβρινήν γωνίαν, κ' εκεί εκάθησεν επί των χόρτων, αφού επέστρωσε το εις πολλάς δίπλας γυρισμένο σάλι του. Έβγαλεν από την τσέπην την σιγαροθήκην του, ήναψεν σιγαρέττον κ' εκάπνιζεν ηδονικώς.

Eκεί ακούει όπισθέν του ελαφρόν θρουν ως βημάτων επί παχείας χλόης και, πριν προφθάση να στραφή να ίδη, ακούει δεύτερον κρότον ελαφρότερον. O δεύτερος ούτος κρότος του κάστηκε ότι ήτον ως ανυψουμένης σκανδάλης φονικού όπλου. Eκείνην την στιγμήν είχε λαμπρυνθή προς ανατολάς ο ορίζων, και του Aιγάλεω αι κορυφαί εφάνησαν προς μεσημβρίαν λευκάζουσαι. H σελήνη, τετάρτην ημέραν άγουσα από της πανσελήνου, θ' ανέτελλε μετ' ολίγα λεπτά. Eκεί όπου έστρεψε την κεφαλήν προς τα δεξιά, εγγύς της βορειανατολικής γωνίας του αγροτικού περιβόλου, όπου εκάθητο, του κάστηκε, ως διηγείτο αργότερα ο ίδιος, ότι είδε ανθρωπίνην σκιάν, εις προβολήν τρόπον τινά ισταμένην και τείνουσαν εγκαρσίως μακρόν τι ως ρόπαλον ή κοντάριον προς το μέρος αυτού. Πρέπει δε να ήτο τουφέκιον.

O μπάρμπα-Πύπης ενόησεν αμέσως τον κίνδυνον. Xωρίς να κινηθή άλλως από την θέσιν του, έτεινε την χείρα προς τον άγνωστον κ' έκραξεν εναγωνίως.

-Φίλος! Kαλός! μη ρίχνεις...

O άνθρωπος έκαμε μικρόν κίνημα οπισθοδρομήσεως, άλλά δεν επανέφερεν το όπλον εις ειρηνικήν θέσιν.ουδέ καταβίβασε την σκανδάλην.

-Φίλος! και τι θέλεις εδώ; ηρώτησε με απειλητικήν φωνήν.

-Tι θέλω; επανέλαβεν ο μπάρμπα-Πύπης. Kάθουμαι να φουμάρο το τσιγάρο μου.

-Kαι δεν πας αλλού να το φουμάρης, ρε; απήντησεν αυθαδώς ο άγνωστος. Hύρες τον τόπο, ρε, να φουμάρης το τσιγάρο σου!

-Kαι γιατί; επανέλαβεν ο μπάρμπα-Πύπης. Tι σας έβλαψα;

-Δεν ξέρω 'γω απ' αυτά, είπεν οργίλως ο αγρότηςΖ εδώ είναι αποθήκη, έχει χόρτα, έχει κι' άλλα πράμματα μέσα. Mόνον κόττες δεν έχει, προσέθηκε μετά σκληρού σαρκασμού. Eγελάστηκες.

Ήτο πρόδηλον ότι είχεν εκλάβει τον γηραιόν φίλον μου ως ορνιθοκλόπον, και διά να τον εκδικηθή του έλεγεν ότι τάχα δεν είχεν όρνιθας, ενώ κυρίως ο αγρονόμος διά τας όρνιθάς του θα εφοβήθη και ωπλίσθη με την καραβίναν του. O μπάρμπα-Πύπης εγέλασε πικρώς προς τον υβριστικόν υπαινιγμόν.

-Συ εγελάστηκες, απήντησεν εγώ κόττες δεν κλέφτω, ούτε λωποδύτης είμαι εγώ πηγαίνω στον Πειραιά ν' ακούσω Aνάσταση στον Άγιο Σπυριδωνα

O χωρικός εκάγχασε.

-Στον Πειραιά; στον Aϊ-Σπυρίδωνα; κι' από πού έρχεσαι;

-Aπ' την Aθήνα.

-Aπ' την Aθήνα; και δεν έχει εκεί εκκλησίαις, ν' ακούσης Aνάσταση;

-Έχει εκκλησίαις, μα εγώ τώχω τάξιμο, απήντησεν ο μπάρμπα-Πύπης

O χωρικός εσιώπησε προς στιγμήν, είτα επανέλαβε.

-Nα φχαριστάς, καϋμένε...

Kαι τότε μόνον κατεβίβασε την σκανδάλην και ώρθωσε το όπλον προς τον ώμον του.

-Nα φχαριστάς καϋμένε, την ημέρα που ξημερώνει αύριον, ει δε μη, δεν τώχα για τίποτες να σε ξαπλώσω δω χάμου. Tράβα τώρα!

O γέρων Kερκυραίος είχεν εγερθή και ητοιμάζετο να απέλθη, αλλά δεν ηδυνήθη να μη δώση τελευταίαν απάντησιν.

-Kάνεις άδικα και συχωρεμένος νάσαι που με προσβάλλεις, είπε. Σ' ευχαριστώ ως τόσο που δε μ' ετουφέκισες, αλλά νον βα μπένε... δεν κάνεις καλά να με παίρνεις για κλέφτη. Eγώ είμαι διαβάτης, κ' επήγαινα, σου λέω στον Πειραιά.

-Έλα, σκόλα, σκόλα τώρα, ρε...

Kαι ο χωρικός στρέψας την ράχιν εισήλθεν ανατολικώς διά της θύρας του περιβολίου, κ' έγινεν άφαντος. O γέρων φίλος μου εξηκολούθησε τον δρόμον του. Tο συμβεβηκός τούτο δεν ημπόδισε τον μπάρμπα-Πύπην να εξακολουθή κατ' έτος την ευσεβή του συνήθειαν, να καταβαίνει πεζός εις τον Πειραιά, να προσέρχηται εις τον Άγιον Σπυρίδωνα και να κάμει Πάσχα ρωμέϊκο. Eφέτος το μισοσαράκοστον μοι επρότεινεν, αν ήθελα να τον συνοδεύσω εις την προσκύνησίν του ταύτην. Θα προσεχώρουν δε εις την επιθυμίαν του, αν από πολλών ετών δεν είχα την συνήθειαν να εορτάζω εκτός του Άστεως το Άγιον Πάσχα.

ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ ΠΑΠΑΔΙΑΜΑΝΤΗΣ

ΑΠΑΝΤΑ

ΤΟΜΟΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ

ΚΡΙΤΙΚΗ ΕΚΔΟΣΗ

Ν. Δ. ΤΡΙΑΝΤΑΦΥΛΛΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ

ΕΚΔΟΣΕΙΣ ΔΟΜΟΣ

ΑΘΗΝΑ 1982

Σελ. 177-182

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos

Read also:

Pascha With Papadiamantis: Lessons from a Panegyrist

A Village Easter

Photos From Vigil In Honor of Alexandros Papadiamantis

An All-Night Vigil took place in the Chapel of Prophet Elisha in Plaka last night in honor of the 100th anniversary repose of the pious author Alexandros Papadiamantis (1911-2011). It was officated by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece and many people attended, especially youth and young adults, to honor the author from Skiathos who chanted for many decades in this chapel while St. Nicholas Planas officiated as priest.

Read also: All-Night Vigil In Memory of Alexandros Papadiamantis

More photos here.








Photos from Romfea.gr

All-Night Vigil In Memory of Alexandros Papadiamantis

According to Romfea.gr, Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece will be leading an all-night vigil in honor of the 100th anniversary of the repose of the pious author Alexandros Papadiamantis.

The vigil will take place this Saturday at the Chapel of St. Elisha (Agiou Elissaiou) in Plaka, which is where Papadiamantis served as a chanter under the priest St. Nicholas Planas.

Alexandros Papadiamantis: The Spiritual Dimension of His Work

By Monk Moses the Athonite

After expressing my warmest thanks to those who kindly invited my lowliness to this vesperal memorial anniversary, I will proceed to my subject, as I do not like wasting time with long introductions.

160 years have gone by since the birth of Alexandros Papadiamantis and 100 since his passing away. Despite the passing of so many decades, his memory remains alive. People have always been writing about him. There are not so many references for any other of our literary men. We will try, in the short time available, to show the religiosity, the Orthodox Christian spirituality, of Alexandros Papadiamantis which is undoubtedly spontaneous and sincere and warm.

Papadiamantis studied literature but he is a theologian, because a theologian is not a person who has a degree in theology, but the one who truly prays, according to blessed Nilus the Ascetic. A theologian is essentially a faithful person who lives an authentic Christian life, a friend of God, a partaker of God, a saint, the redeemed and saved. Inside our Orthodoxy nobody is ever saved individually; he is saved when he shares his life with other people, helping them to be saved in various ways. Papadiamantis’ God is the Creator of the universe, the Creator of man, the Almighty, Divine Providence, the caring Father. He believes in God’s will, in Divine Providence, in Divine Grace, in Divine reward and just judgment.

According to Papadiamantis, man’s relationship with God is one of obedience, of keeping His commandments, of ministering to Him in the person of every neighbor with self-sacrifice. Man’s relationships are shattered by sin. Papadiamantis’ works are full of sinners. Prodigals, godless, blasphemous and ambitious people, thieves, usurers, gluttons, drunkards, unjust, envious and even sacrilegious people, hypocrites, people committing suicide as well as killers roam through his novels and his short stories. Nevertheless, we end up sympathizing with all these sinful heroes of his as we identify our own sinful person in them, but also because they usually repent for their actions. Papadiamantis knows how easily human nature falls into temptations and sins. But he also knows the cure in the Church by sincere repentance and confession. For Papadiamantis the Church is, as he writes: “the caring mother and the source of every consolation.”

Papadiamantis firmly believes that it is not easy for the modern Greeks not to believe. Inside the Church, the innate religious feeling and sentiment is strengthened. The Greek has to strive too hard if he is not to have any faith at all. However, Papadiamantis justifies the alienation of the people as it is a result of the breakdown of the bond of love with the Greek Orthodox tradition, a fact that deteriorated because of the loss of trust caused by scandals that broke out in the clergy. For Papadiamantis, tradition is, as he says, “to live according to God’s law”. He, eventually, admits: “I am a genuine child of the Christian Orthodox Church, as it is represented by its bishops”. In another case, however, he is not hindered from criticizing them strictly for their various provocative actions.

Papadiamantis does not believe in an ideological Greek Christian nebula. He firmly believes that Hellenism needs Christianity badly. He considers mimicking and xenomania - “gawping to foreign habits”- that is, the introduction of the western lifestyle to our home country, dangerous for Greek society. Thus, it is with deep pain that he observes the deterioration of morals, the weakening of the Orthodox Christian faith of the people, the counterfeiting of the rich and beautiful Greek language. He regrets the fact that “Illiteracy is already openly preached, as is the unavailingness of writing or speaking in the right way”, so that “nearly the whole language has become an illegitimate and false construct.”

He writes that the Greeks follow “Christian worship without faith and an honest conscience”. The lack of morals, the deterioration of morals, the immorality, the hate for our neighbors had begun to prevail all over our land. What would the wonderful Papadiamantis say today, a hundred years later?

The solution to the problem, according to Papadiamantis, is to repent and to return to the fair and genuine ecclesiastical tradition. More specifically, he stresses: “Proper defense of our home country would be the conscientious functioning of the institutions, national education, honest administration, the eradication of foreign materialism and of the mimicking which have corrupted the spirit and have degenerated the nation, and the prevention of bankruptcy”. His words, my dear brothers, as you very well understand, have significant validity even today.

Papadiamantis thinks that the problem is aggravated by the unwillingness of church leaders to take action. He does not want the Church to do business or to stage plays. There is only one solution according to him: the conscientious return to the saint-sustaining experience of the Church and its life. Inside the holy and saving Church which explains the right faith, the human being is born again, is transformed, and is armed with the armor of light and of grace against sins of every kind, and meets once again the living God of mercy and compassion. The great choice depends upon the human being. In Papadiamantis’ rich work his suffering figures usually reach redemption through sincere repentance and then they live a new life. Not always, however. Some of them remain in the dark because they make a bad use of their freedom.

Our important prose writer from Skiathos often describes nature “with love”, but he is not a conceited ecologist, or a nature-worshipping dreamer. By referring to the beauty of nature and describing it elaborately, he proceeds towards its Creator and glorifies Him for His perfect wisdom. He has written about these kind of people in one of his short stories: “Little, involuntary pagans who after so many centuries still keep worshipping nature unconsciously.” He is certainly grieved when the beauty of the natural environment is destroyed, and writes with a sorrowful heart: “The infamous spirit has invaded the works of God”.

By studying Papadiamantis’ work as a whole, we note that not only did he know to write, to describe, to give an account of the morals of the time, to criticize and to offer solutions, but he, himself, was also endowed with integrity, had chosen to lead a life of piety, of virtue and of honest work and virtuous chatter, a life with a course, a target, a discourse and value. Early on in his life, he had realized the vanity of the mundane and he was not afraid of death, for his faith was warm. He chose to live a simple, spartan, secluded life, quietly, peacefully and calmly. He did not become conceited; he chose to stand by the humble and the despised and he introduced them marvelously into his work.

Papadiamantis’ work preserves the pure piety of the people. The priests in his work are simple, poor, and even naive at times, but they feel with all their existence the mystery of the living God, the genuine Orthodox Christian way of living and liturgical tradition, even when they cannot express it. Being fully aware of their sinful nature, they never cease praying for mercy, life, peace and salvation for their flock, whom Christ Himself entrusted to them. They do not attempt “liturgical renewals”, for they are satisfied with the food offered by the existing genuine tradition, glorifying the Most High continuously and invoking His ineffable mercy.

Papadiamantis declared his faith strongly and undeniably in his characteristic way: “For as long as I live and breathe and have my logic, I will never cease singing hymns of worship to my Christ”. Sin pains him, the babylonianism of Athens grieves him, the gossip of his island about the ones led astray by sin tires him; however, he does not give up struggling, hoping, trusting God, presenting some of his heroes as saints: the childless Seraino of “Karahmeti’s Wedding”, the simple shepherd in “Poor Saint”, the glorious new martyr in “The Widow of the New Martyr” and others.

We must not forget that Papadiamantis is the son of a devout priest, who is a follower of the genuine renewal Athonite movement of the revered Kollyvades. He is brought up with divine liturgies, sacred books, holy icons, inviolable Church traditions, with the nice customs and the excellent morals. He studied the fragrant biographies of the saints, the patristic and neptic texts, the amazing "Philokalia", the songs of the services. He was a reader and a chanter of the Church. All this knowledge made him go to Mount Athos in order to become a monk. However, after staying for less than a year at the Hermitage of the Annunciation of the Monastery of Xenophontos, he returned to the world, always feeling deep respect towards monastic life, especially the Athonite.

His ecclesiastical ethos make him feel no anger or fanaticism against the sinful heroes of his works, and all his fellow human beings in general. He hopes in repentance, he believes in God’s love, he considers that offering alms is preferable to justice. He loves focusing on repentance, not as a professional preacher but as a compassionate brother. Sympathy towards weak fellow human beings characterizes the real Christian, the evangelical man.

So Papadiamantis grew up with Byzantine psalmodies, pure candles and Athonite incense. Throughout his life, he remained attached to the Church. He believed in God strongly, he believed in the intercession of the saints and of the Holy Virgin, he believed in their miracles. His good cousin, Alexandros Moraitidis, tells us that when once Papadiamantis became well after a strong toothache, he wrote a whole service for Saint Antipas who is the patron of all those who suffer a toothache, to thank him. Papadiamantis was not a dreamer of the past, but an admirer of the truth which upheld generations upon generations, so that they created marvelous cultural works and an inspired upright way of living.

Papadiamantis is evidently not a saint with a saint’s halo. But he is a fighter. He is not unsocial, miserable, isolated, inhibited, disadvantaged and torn. He is a voluntary monk in the world, without property, gracious, poor, simple, spartan, single, modest, humble. He is not a lover of the flesh but a naturally tempted man. He loved wine but he was not a drunkard. Once, a monk went to a spiritual father at one of the Holy Mountain’s hermitages to confess his sins. He found the father drunk and dizzy. He was scandalised and told him that he had come in vain to confess his sins to a father who is a drunkard. Then, to his astonishment, the spiritual father said: “Yes, you have come three times to confess but you did not confess that sin!” Let us not be too critical or condemn everyone in haste. It would be better if we were strict with ourselves and lenient with others.

Paul Nirvanas calls Papadiamantis “a monk in the world” (κοσμοκαλόγερο), describes him walking with his head bent and his hands folded behind his back, sitting at secluded cafes with simple people, a lover of peace and quiet, badly dressed, with the edges of his sleeves always worn out, and when he was offered 150 drachmas for one of his works he said that 100 drachmas were enough. He presents him cranky, strange and afraid of the world. However, the blessed aged monk and scholar Theoklitos Dionysiatis in his book about Papadiamantis presents a different thesis, with which we agree. He writes:

“If we study deeply his way of living, we will discover characteristics of monastic practice and virtue and a tendency to overcome what most people consider good. Besides, what does his untidy look signify, and also his tendency to avoid being with many people, his voluntary poverty and his ascetic living conditions, given the fact that he had the means to improve them, - '100 drachmas are enough for me' - , his vigils and his chanting, his ecclesiastical morals, his sensitivity for matters of ecclesiastical tradition, his alms from his visibly poor means, his humility, his holiness and his other virtues, if not reflections of the monastic way of living?”

Papadiamantis should be for the Greeks what the great Dostoyevsky is for the Slavs. He is a prophet of our race. He writes “Μη θρησκευτικά, προς Θεού!" ("No religion, God forbid!").

"The Greek nation is not Byzantine, do you understand? Today’s Greeks are directly descended from the ancients. Then they became civilized and made progress. They kept pace with other nations… An Englishman, or a German, or a Frenchman can be cosmopolitan, or anarchist, or godless, or whatever. He has fulfilled his patriotic duty; he has built a great homeland. He is now free to profess, thanks to his luxuries, his lack of faith and his pessimism. But a Graeculus of today who wants to publicly display the fact that he is godless or cosmopolitan looks likes a dwarf who is trying to stand on his toes and is stretching his body to gain height, to look like a giant himself as well.” This is why he says “most of the stories written by me… are rather religious”. The inspired Papadiamantis knows what he is doing. With his work he is honored as a pedagogue of Orthodox Christian Hellenism. Once, feeling pain and holy indignation, he wrote while he was in Athens: “Here Mammon is truly deified; it would be a thousand times more preferable if the ancient poetic idolatry existed instead. Nevertheless, now the dominant religion is the filthiest and the most brutal Materialism. Christianity is only as a pretext a religion.” What would he say today?

He hated riches and loved poverty. From what few things he had, he gave alms in secret. He wrote what he himself had lived: “One must remain in the position where he was at the beginning, however humble, however poor it seems to be; the honest worthlessness is forever a lot more preferable to hollow and flamboyant luxury and to enjoyable life.” He lived and died poor, modest and humble. He passed away in his beautiful island a hundred years and a month ago at the dawn of 01/03/1911, after he received Holy Communion, chanting and weeping.

Today, most of our literary figures, our intelligentsia, our journalists delight in doing a lot of things which they should not be doing; several deride and vilify Papadiamantis. He spoils their schemes. Graeculism, godlessness, nihilism, corruption, love of money, love of flesh and ambition prevail and they do not want to be disturbed by powerful and pure voices such as Papadiamantis’, whose life and work judges them.

Sleep sir, Alexander, in the arms of your island quietly. You fulfilled your duty both as an Orthodox Christian and as a Greek. Your life and your work light the darkness. Darkened, trapped, betrayed, allured by foreign sirens, Greece which you loved so much, is ailing. Prisoned in the bitter deadlocks of individualism, materialism and godlessness, it mopes and pines. May the pages of your works and the example of your life become windows of freedom for the return to a graciously simple living that will be genuinely humble, truly repented, truly Christian.

Alexandros Papadiamantis had always been attached to the Church. He was never tired or burdened of this relationship. He was a true Christian. He was a faithful servant of the Lord. He was the one who heard from St Anastasia: “Go away, incurable one; pain will be your life…” Only a genuine Christian after hearing this could write: “I felt a wild joy because the Saint had not listened to my prayer.” Papadiamantis is not merely a romantic nostalgic person of a bygone nice picturesqueness which no longer exists, but he was nostalgic of a substantial, true and well-timed Christian living which is worth living to its utmost, my dear brothers. Thank you very much for coming and for your attention.

Translated by Irene Voulgaris
Edited by John Sanidopoulos

Acknowledgement: We are grateful to Geronta Moses for giving us his permission and his blessing to publish the translation of his talk.

Recollections of St. Nicholas Planas by Alexandros Papadiamantis

By Alexandros Papadiamantis

Among the present-day priests in the cities and villages, there are still many who are virtuous and good. They are village-types, beneficent, respected, and venerable. Even though they may expound words, they know another manner of teaching the flock. I know of a priest in Athens. He is the most humble of priests and the most simple of men. For any divine service, if you give him one drachma, half a drachma, or one tenth, he takes it. If you do not give him anything, he does not ask. For three drachmas he does an all-night service: Compline, Vespers, Matins, Hours, and Liturgy, the whole thing lasting nine hours. If you give him only two drachmas, he does not complain. Every list bearing the names of the dead to be commemorated, when once given to him, he keeps always. For two and three years he continues to commemorate the names. At every Prothesis he commemorates two or three thousand names. He never becomes weary. His Prothesis lasts two hours. The Liturgy another two. After the dismissal of the Liturgy, he distributes to all present whatever pieces of prosphora or antidoron he has in the sanctuary. He keeps practically nothing.

Once, it chanced that he owed a small amount of money and wanted to pay it. He had ten or fifteen drachmas, all in copper. For two hours he counted, counted, counted, and could not determine how many drachmas there were. Finally, another Christian took on the effort to count them for him. He stutters a little, and is almost illiterate. In the prayers he says most of the words correctly, but in the Gospel most of them incorrectly. You will say, "Why this inconsistency?" He says the same prayers every day, whereas a certain portion of the Gospel he reads once, twice, or at most three times a year, with the exception of frequent portions which recur occasionally, as in the Blessing of the Waters and at the Paraklesis. The mistakes which he makes in reading are oftentimes comic. Yet, of those who hear, out of all the congregation, not one of us laughs. Why? We have become accustomed to him and we like him. He is worthy of love. He is simple and virtuous. He is worthy of the first Beatitude of the Saviour.

Now, suppose that this same priest had come out of some theological school, old or new. Would the difference in him be to the better? He would be smeared with a few imperfect, ill-digested, and confused teachings, with more pride and more demands. Would he be better for us?


From The Songs of God:

After three days we accompanied little Koula to the grave. The "professional" priests and the chanters chanted the usual hymns from the "Blessed are the blameless in the way" up to the "Let us give the final kiss". Papa-Nicholas, from the Island of Naxos, of the Church of Saint John in the Field, appeared as though he were doing a separate service. He murmured to himself, and his eyes seemed filled with tears. "What are you murmuring, Father?" I asked him from behind the stall on which he leaned. "I am saying the Funeral Service for Children to myself," answered Papa-Nicholas. The Service for Children befits this guileless man.

Church of the Prophet Elisha in Monasteraki (Where St. Nicholas Planas Liturgized Daily)

In the area of Monastiraki in Athens, across from Hadrian's Library, lies hidden a small church named Agiou Elissaiou (Saint Elisha), dedicated to the Prophet Elisha. It was probably built in the mid-17th century.

Nicholas Logothetis was from the island of Kea, who at a young age came to work for the Admiral of the Ottoman fleet, Pasha Tzanoum Hotza, and followed him in his campaigns. Eventually the young man fell into disfavor with the Admiral, and to escape his anger he fled to Athens and hid at Penteli Monastery. He managed to reconcile with Tzanoum Hotza, and helped him to capture Venetian Tinos. Later Nicholas Logothetis married the daughter of Bernard Kapetanaki, Consul of Great Britain, and they moved to Athens. Logothetis himself became the Consul of Great Britain, and built a beautiful mansion on Areos Street in Monastiraki, called the Logothetis Mansion, situated next to the Ottoman bazaar. The Logothetis Mansion was one of the few Greek mansions of the area. Interestingly it was from the courtyard of this mansion that Lord Elgin packaged the Parthenon marbles from the Acropolis. And in this same courtyard was the location of the Church of the Prophet Elisha, who was the patron of the Logothetis family.

It was in this church that St. Nicholas Planas (1851-1932) liturgized daily, with the two famous Greek authors from Skiathos, Alexandros Papadiamantis (1851-1911) who chanted in the right choir and Alexander Moraitidis (1850-1929) in the left choir.

During World War 2 the owner of the Logothetis Mansion was Hercules Kazakos, Commander of the Navy. The Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities was preparing to declare the church a protected historical monument. Hercules Kazakos, fearing that he will lose the plot in such a case, decided to tear down the church and all the remnants of the old mansion. Despite the reactions of the archaeologist and architect Anastasios Orlandos, Kazakos demolished the Church of the Prophet Elisha. This happened because the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities first sued Kazakos for allowing it to fall into ruin and then declared it a protected church during the time of its demolition. It took sixty-two years to restore the Church of the Prophet Elisha, and just in 2005 the church was reestablished. The church is still there on Areos Street in Monastiraki, in the former courtyard of Logothetis Mansion.

See a video of the chapel here.