Paschal Pastoral Encyclical 2021 (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Pascha 2021

Pastoral Encyclical

Hierotheos

by the mercy of God Bishop and Metropolitan

of the God-saved Sacred Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

To the Clergy, Monks and Laity

of our Sacred Metropolis

Beloved children in the Lord,

Once again, God has found us worthy to celebrate the annual feast of the Resurrection of Christ, with the expectation that this event will mark our internal resurrection from spiritual necrosis, which we experience depending on the activity of the passions and our various tribulations.

After the Cross that each of us bears in various ways, comes the event of Christ's Resurrection to give us joy, hope, faith, certainty of Christ's victory over the problems we have.

"The Life of Desert-Dwellers is a Blessed One, For By Divine Eros They Are Raised Up"

 

 

 

In the Anavathmoi for Matins in Plagal of the First Tone we chant: 

 

"The life of desert-dwellers is a blessed one, 

for by divine eros they are raised up." 

 

"Τοις ερημικοίς ζωή μακαρία εστι, 

θεϊκώ έρωτι πτερουμένοις."

 

Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite explains this verse as follows:

"Blessed is the life of desert-dwellers, for they are raised up to God with a fiery, excessive, and intense eros. Yet the Melodist did not say that the desert-dwellers are in love with God, but they are raised up by divine eros."

Saint Nikodemos highlights this last point to show that the hymnographer was expressing his own eros for God and love for life in the desert, not wishing to make a generalized statement that desert-dwellers are in love with God. Desert-dwellers acquire divine eros by distancing themselves from all earthly temptations that would prevent any other love from coming between himself and God. It is this divine eros that gives him wings to fly up to God.

When King David was forced to become a desert-dweller to save his life, he wrote in Psalm 54:7-8 what the hymnographer above saw as an expression of one who indeed was raised up by divine eros after living far away from earthly temptations: "O that I had wings as a dove, then would I fly away, and be at rest. Behold! I have fled afar off, and lodged in the desert."

 

 

"My Soul Follows Close Behind You; Your Right Hand Upholds Me"

 

Psalm 62 (63)

1 A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

 

2 O GOD, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

Saints Alexander and Antonina as Models for our Lives

Sts. Alexander and Antonina (Feast Day - June 10)

By Protopresbyter George Papavarnavas

The holy martyrs Alexander and Antonina lived at the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth century. They were from a town called Kardamos. As Christians they lived with self-control and prudence. Antonina dedicated her life to works of love, to the service of her neighbors, and had as her main occupation the care of the widows, the orphans, and of the weak and persecuted people in general. Her way of life and especially her preoccupation with works of love gave birth to the suspicion among the pagans that she was a Christian, and for this reason she was reported to the prefect Festos, who had her arrested, and he tried to convince her to deny Christ and sacrifice to the idols.

On the Interpretation of the Psalms (A Letter of St. Athanasius of Alexandria to Marcellinus)

My dear Marcellinus,

Your steadfastness in Christ fills me with admiration. Not only are you bearing well your present trial, with its attendant suffering; you are even living under rule and, so the bearer of your letter tells me, using the leisure necessitated by your recent illness to study the whole body of the Holy Scriptures and especially the Psalms. Of every one of those, he says, you are trying to grasp the inner force and sense. Splendid! I myself am devoted to the Psalms, as indeed to the whole Bible; and I once talked with a certain studious old man, who had bestowed much labour on the Psalter, and discoursed to me about it with great persuasiveness and charm, expressing himself clearly too, and holding a copy of it in his hand the while he spoke. So I am going to write down for you the things he said.

Saint Gabriel the Confessor and the Mercy of God

By Malkhaz Dzhinoria

Every word of Father Gabriel served as medicine for all, laymen and clergy.

One time monks who came to see him were discussing on the road:

"What a privilege monks have and how great it is that we know the power of the cross and the 90th Psalm, and with them we can fight evil!"

Saint Eustathios Plakidas and Psalm 96

Psalter at Pantocrator Monastery in Mount Athos

Middle Byzantine Psalters often illustrate Psalm 96 (97) with a miniature of the conversion of Saint Eustathios Plakidas (Khludov Psalter, Moscow, State Historical Museum, 129D, fol. 97v; Mount Athos, Pantocrator 61, fol. 138; Paris, B.N., gr. 20, fol. 5v; Bibl. Vat. Barb., gr. 372, fol. 160v). The conversion of Saint Eustathios is depicted with him riding on horseback hunting a stag with an image of Christ in its antlers. But why is it depicted along with Psalm 96?

In Orthodox Worship David is First and Middle and Last

By St. John Chrysostom

In the churches there are vigils, and David is first and middle and last.

In the singing of early morning hymns, David is first and middle and last.

In funeral processions of those who have reposed, David is first and middle and last.

What a thing of wonder!

Saint Theophilos the New Martyr of Chios as a Model for our Lives

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Neomartyr Theophilos lived in the seventeenth century. He was a sailor from Zakynthos who traveled on a Greek ship. Once, when he arrived in Chios, which was the homeland of his captain, he met a Turk, who suggested that he work on his ship.

Theophilos refused, and then he was accused of wearing on his head the fez of a Turk. The Turkish judge, to whom he was brought, decided that the accused should become a Muslim. Theophilos boldly confessed his faith in the true God, and for this the enraged Turks forced him to be circumcised, then they decided to send him as a gift to the Sultan, because he was young and handsome. Theophilos managed to escape them and went to Samos. Later, he returned to Chios searching for his captain, and the Turks, who recognized him, arrested him. They had him endure horrible torture, but he remained steadfast in his faith, and for that he was burnt alive in the year 1635. Indeed, when he realized that he would he would burn, he went of his own accord into the fire, after he had made the sign of the cross and said: "My Christ, into Your hands I deliver my soul."

Homily on the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ (St. Gregory of Nyssa)

Gregory of Nyssa's brief homily on the Ascension is perhaps the most ancient witness of this feast's existence, and he does not hesitate to call it the "great celebration". The literal reading of the title is "Concerning that festive day which is said to be consecrated in the region of the Cappadocians: the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ." On the other hand, there is little allusion to Christ's ascension into heaven; the homily turns out to be more a commentary on Psalms 22 and 23. Because of this it is not difficult to see that Gregory's sermon was most likely composed about the same time as his Commentary on the Inscriptions of the Psalms.

The Pastoral Use of the Book of Psalms by St. Arsenios of Cappadocia

St. Arsenios of Cappadocia (1840-1924) is famous not only for his own sanctity and miracles, but also for having baptized his namesake Arsenios Eznepides, known to us today as St. Paisios the Athonite. St. Paisios, out of his great love for St. Arsenios and a desire to make him more widely known, wrote his biography.

Being a priest, St. Arsenios needed to read blessings for various occasions. However, the Euchologion (a book of prayers used by Orthodox priests) was not enough, because there were occasions when it did not provide a prayer. Thus, St. Arsenios used the Psalms of the Psalter for each specific case as a prayer.

Saint Poplia the Confessor, Who Confronted Julian the Apostate With Spiritual Songs

St. Poplia the Deaconess (Feast Day - October 9)

Verses

Poplia was delivered from the delusions of this world,

As a sparrow that leaves its nest for the sky.

By Theodoret of Cyrus 

(Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 3, Ch. 14)

I will now include in my history the noble story of a right excellent woman, for even women, armed with divine zeal, despised the mad fury of Julian [the Apostate] (361-363).

In those days there was a woman named Poplia [or Publia], of high reputation, and illustrious for deeds of virtue. For a short time she bore the yoke of marriage, and had offered its most goodly fruit to God, for from this fair soil sprang John, who for a long time was chief presbyter at Antioch, and was often elected to the apostolic see, but from time to time declined the dignity.* She maintained a company of virgins vowed to virginity for life, and spent her time in praising God who had made and saved her.

Saint Gennadius of Constantinople as a Model for our Lives

St. Gennadius I, Patriarch of Constantinople (Feast Day - November 17)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Saint Gennadius lived in the fifth century. He was a Presbyter of the Great Church of Christ and was elected Patriarch of Constantinople-New Rome in 458. He worked zealously to preserve the Orthodox Faith from heresies that threatened to alter it, and he even managed the return of many heretics back to Orthodoxy. Also, due to his office, he helped Patriarch Martyrius, who was evicted improperly and illegally by Peter the Fuller, to regain his throne.

Saint Gennadius, as noted in the sacred Synaxarion, arranged with great care for the training of the sacred Clergy, and he denied the ordination of any candidate that did not study the Psalter and knew how to interpret them. At this point we should note that at that time, according to prevailing custom, the candidate for the Clergy would be familiar with the Psalms of David and their interpretation. Also, he struggled with all his strength to combat the phenomenon of simony, in which money was made by ordinations, which was common in those days. For this reason he convened a Synod in Constantinople, and sent out an encyclical "Against the Buying of Ordinations".

He reposed in the year 471. The end of his life was peaceful.

His life and times give us the opportunity to emphasize the following:

In olden times the faithful gave great importance to the reading of the Book of Psalms, and spiritual fathers especially urged their spiritual children to read them every day, because the reading of the Psalter is not only a way to pray, but it creates inspiration which is necessary for spiritual progress, but also for the work of everyday life. The Athonite services are interspersed with readings from the Psalter, and exude a unique spiritual flavor.

At the beginning of the Book of Psalms there is written, among other things, the following verses which declare in a poetic way the content of the Psalter, and the beneficial effects of frequent use:

Be silent, Orpheus; thy lyre throw aside, O Hermes.

The tripod at Delphi hath sunk into oblivion for evermore.

For us David doth now play the Spirit's lyre,

The hidden things of God's mysteries he revealeth;

A multitude of ancient wonders he narrateth;

Of the Creator of creation, doth he move one to sing.

Saving all those men he initiateth, as he writeth his verses,

Sinners doth he bring to desire repentance.

Among other teachings, to the throng doth he declare the Judge's judgments.

The purging, he doth teach, of soulful sinnings.*

and

Psalter of David, whose words are like stones,

You crush another Goliath, the passions.

The psalter was "a musical instrument with ten strings. It stood upright and even, and the cause and occasion of the notes were received from the top." According to Basil the Great, "this is the difference between a psalter and a harp; the sound of a harp is produced from its bottom, while that of the psalter is from the top." The psalter as a musical instrument existed before David, but David went from using it "as an amateur for the private use of gathering his sheep into the fold, to building it up and associating it in a most technical way." The Book of the Psalms of David also came to be called the Psalter because, as Basil the Great says: "Though many musical instruments exist, the Prophet David used the psalter for the Book of Psalms." He continues saying: "I believe he did this to show the Grace of the Holy Spirit, which comes down from above, like the musical instrument whose notes come from the top."

The Book of Psalms is similar in some ways to a ladder, which bring man from the lower to the higher and gradually prepare him to meet God. The Jews divided the Book of Psalms into five sections, namely: 1) Psalm 1-40, 2) 41-71, 3) 72-88, 4) 89-105, 5) 106-150 [LXX rendering]. This division is connected with theoretical ascent, according to Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who says the following remarkable things:

A) "The first section helps man to move away from evil, which is why it begins: 'Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful'."

B) The second section helps man thirst for the good and seek it as a thirsty deer seeks for water, which is why it begins with the Psalm that says: "As the deer thirsts for streams of water, so my soul thirsts for You my God."

C) The third section makes man a visionary of the nature of things, which is why it begins: "Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart" and "I was like a beast before You". That is, I considered as good the transient things of this life. Now, however, that I have taken hold of the incorruptible and invisible, I am with You.

D) The fourth section does not allow a person to be common, but it unites us with god and makes us people of God, which is why the 89th Psalm begins thus: "The prayer of Moses, the man of God."

E) The fifth section raises the person to the highest part of the ascent, where the fullness of human salvation is found. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord", is the last verse of the Psalter.

From everything noted above we can surmise how much benefit accrues to the person who loves to pray with the Book of Psalms, which in the first Christian centuries, as we saw, was used daily, and even its knowledge and interpretation was considered a prerequisite for entrance to the Clergy.

* The Psalter According to the Seventy of David the Prophet and King, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, Massachusetts, 1974, p. 21. Read also "The 'Lines to the Divine David' and the First Printed Romanian Bible (1688)" by Emanuel Contac.

Source: Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi, "Αγ. Γεννάδιος Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως", November 2009. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Saint Basil the Great on the Book of Psalms

By St. Basil the Great

("Commentary on Psalm 1")

Any part of the Scriptures you like to choose is inspired by God. The Holy Spirit composed the Scriptures so that in them, as in a pharmacy open to all souls, we might each of us be able to find the medicine suited to our own particular illness.

Thus, the teaching of the Prophets is one thing, and that of the Historical books is another. And, again, the Law has one meaning, and the advice we read in the Book of Proverbs has a different one.

But the Book of Psalms contains everything useful that the others have. It predicts the future, it recalls the past, it gives directions for living, it suggests the right behavior to adopt. It is, in short, a jewel case in which have been collected all the valid teachings in such a way that individuals find remedies just right for their cases.

It heals the old wounds of the soul and gives relief to recent ones. It cures the illnesses and preserves the health of the soul.

Every Psalm brings peace, soothes the internal conflicts, calms the rough waves of evil thoughts, dissolves anger, corrects and moderates profligacy.

Every Psalm preserves friendship and reconciles those who are separated. Who could actually regard as an enemy the person beside whom they have raised a song to the one God?

Every Psalm anticipates the anguish of the night and gives rest after the efforts of the day. It is safety for babes, beauty for the young, comfort for the aged, adornment for women.

Every Psalm is the voice of the Church.

Translation by Thomas Spidlik, Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, MI – Spencer, MA, 1994.