On Giving Thanks to God For All Things (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

 

 By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Job's imitator, divine Chrysostom, always used to say this memorable quote, on every occasion: "Glory be to God for all things. I will not stop repeating it always, for everything that happens to me." The great Gregory Palamas of Thessaloniki used to say the same in every matter, imitating the divine Chrysostom, who added with his eloquent tongue: "So let us give thanks for everything, for whatever happens, this is thanksgiving. For to do this when all is going well is no great thing, because the very nature of things prompts it. But if we give thanks while we are in the depths of misfortune, this is admirable. Indeed, when we give thanks for those things which others blaspheme and are discouraged by, see how much philosophy there is! First, you make God glad. Second, you have shamed the devil. Third, you have proven that what happened was nothing. That is, at the same time that you give thanks, God removes the sorrow and the devil retreats.

The Chapel of Saint Ioannikios on the Island of Hydra

Every year, on November 4, our Church celebrates the memory of our Venerable Father Ioannikios the Great of Olympus.

He was born in Bithynia in the year 740 AD, excelled in the Byzantine army, was led into the error of iconoclasm, but repented and returned to the Orthodox faith, climbed Mount Olympus in Bithynia and lived as an ascetic there, as well as in other areas.

He learned and memorized thirty of the Psalms of David and together he sang a prayer of his own, which the Church still preserves, slightly modified: "God is my hope, Christ is my refuge, the Holy Spirit is my shelter."

The Bright Feast and Glorious Celebration of Saint Symeon the New Theologian (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Today common joy arose throughout the world for the bright feast and glorious celebration of Saint Symeon the New Theologian. Heaven above rejoices and the whole triumphant Church rejoices, because it has in its midst the blessed soul and the divine and all-illuminated spirit of the sacred Symeon. The earth below also rejoices, and the entire militant Orthodox Church is celebrating, because it possesses as precious treasures and delights and enjoys the divinely inspired and luminous and melodious writings of Symeon. And with this common joy of heaven and earth, the heavenly and earthly glorify the life-bestowing and all-holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the God of all, who graced and glorified and exalted as great His holy Symeon, when he was on earth with so many supernatural gifts, and when he was transferred to heaven with so many inconceivable glories and beatitudes.

Introduction to the Writings of Saint Mark the Ascetic in the 'Philokalia' (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Our venerable father Mark the Ascetic thrived in the year 430. He was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom, according to Nikephoros Kallistos (vol. 2, bk. 14. ch. 53), and was a contemporary of Saint Nilus and Isidore of Pelusium, who were famous ascetics. Diligent in the study of the Scriptures, he wrote many discourses full of abundant learning and spiritual benefit. Of these, 32 are mentioned by Nikephoros Kallistos, which teach the entire path of the ascetic life, though they have not been preserved. Only eight of his discourses survive, different from the above, which are mentioned by both Kallistos and the critic Photios (codex 200).

Meditation on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

 Spiritual Exercises

Meditation 15

On the Parable of the Prodigal Son

 

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

A. He Departed From the House of His Father.

B. What Life He Lived After His Departure.

C. What His Return Consisted Of

A. Think, brother, of the departure of that prodigal son from his father's house, as narrated by sacred Luke (15:11), with which the departure really seemed like a young man without a mind and intellect, because what was he missing when he was at his paternal home and under the protection of his sweetest father? He was in his paternal arms every day, he had everything he needed, he was served by all the slaves, he had the caresses and honors as the heir of the paternal property and he was almost recognized as the master and ruler of everything, so he could have every reason to say that psalm: "We shall be filled with the good things of thy house" (Psalm 64:5). But the desire for delusional freedom, from being a child and an heir, made him desire to become a slave and a servant. So he began to be disturbed by the royal and free life he had under his father's obedience; and desire to live according to his own will and utilize his disposition, as it is utilized by others, and this disturbance and desire urged him to seek the consent of his father, to leave the paternal house, and they advised him to ask for the share of that inheritance which belonged entirely to him: "Father, give me the share of property that falls to me" (Luke 15:12). The father did not want to stop him from this move, but let him go, to find out through trial and deprivation, what goods he enjoyed when he was in his father's house and despised them, as sacred Chrysostom explains: "That is why the father left him and did not prevent him from going to a foreign country, in order to learn with experience, how many benefits he had by staying in his paternal home" (Discourse 1 On Repentance). And because his father could not persuade him with words to stay in his house, he let him be persuaded by these things and sufferings: "Many times God, when words cannot persuade, allows experience of situations to be a teacher", says he who had golden speech (ibid.), as it is written: "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee" (Jer. 2:19), because even Adam, when he was in paradise, did not know the blessedness he had, but from the time he was exiled by Him, then he knew it. ”So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living" (Luke 15:12-13).

Introduction to the Writings of Saint Peter of Damascus in the 'Philokalia' (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Our Venerable Father Peter, who served as Bishop of Damascus, lived during the reign of Constantine Copronymus in the year 775. Having first lived ascetically as a monk and anchorite, he lived with such non-possessiveness that he did not even have a book of his own, as he testifies of himself. However, taking books from others, I mean the Old and New Testaments, the great teachers of the Church and all the other Neptic and God-bearing Fathers in general, he showed such diligence that, studying day and night the law of the Lord and drinking from their life-giving waters, he showed himself truly to be like a tree that is tall and heavenly, according to the Psalmist (Psalm 1:3), planted by these springs of waters of the Spirit. With one difference: the tree bears its fruit in a single season; the other tree, however, namely the Venerable Peter, does not do the same, but remaining continuously and relentlessly sturdy, in every season it bears spiritual fruit that is beautiful to the sense of sight, sweet to the sense of taste, fragrant to the sense of smell, which satiates every sense of body and soul with the immortal and fragrant sweetness they emit.

Introduction to the Writings of Saint Maximos the Confessor in the 'Philokalia' (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

 Introduction to Saint Maximos the Confessor 

 

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

(The Philokalia, vol. 2)

Our Holy Father Maximos the Confessor lived during the reign of Constantine Pogonatos, around the year 670, and was, of all, the chief destroyer of the ill-famed Monothelite heresy.

At first he distinguished himself in the royal palaces and was honored with the office of Chief Secretary, then, leaving worldly endeavors behind, he engaged himself in ascetic combat. His mouth approached the fount of wisdom, and drinking incessantly from the fountains of the divine Scriptures which flow with life, he made to gush forth from his belly rivers of divine doctrines and writings which flooded the ends of the universe.  

Four Arguments to Free a Sinner From Despair (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

The arguments with which you will be able to free the sinner from despair are these, Spiritual Father.

1) That despair is the greatest and worst of all evils, because it is opposite to and extremely opposed to God. And even though every sin is opposed to God in some way and partially, despair is entirely opposed to God and in every way, because it negates God, and by taking Him out of the picture it makes evil as another God, as well as the cause of evil, the devil. It would make evil stronger than the goodness of God, more infinite than His infinity, and for despair to even be in the place of wherever God is. What can be found that is more impious or more mindless? To believe that powerless sin is more powerful than Power Himself? That the finite is more infinite than the Infinite Himself? And for non-being to be above the Eternal Being? For this reason the Orthodox Confession writes that despair is opposed to the Holy Spirit. Therefore say to the sinner, Spiritual Father, that which Basil the Great says, that is, if it is possible to measure the fullness and the magnitude of the compassion of God, let the sinner then despair, comparing and measuring the amount and magnitude of his sin: “If it is possible to number the multitude of God’s mercies and the greatness of Gods compassion in comparison with the number and greatness of sins, then let us despair” (Lesser Rules 13, PG 31, 1089C). Even if one’s transgressions are measured and counted, the mercy and compassion of God being immeasurable, why should one despair and not know the mercy of God and blame his transgressions: “But if, as is obvious, the latter are subject to measure and can be numbered, but it is impossible to measure the mercy or number the compassions of God, there is no time for despairing, but only for recognizing mercy and condemning sins; the remission of which is set forth in the blood of Christ" (ibid.).

Did the Apostle Luke Ever See or Hear Christ in Person?

 

 

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

 

There is a disagreement among historians regarding Luke the Evangelist.  Leo the Wise in his eothinon, and Christopher the Patrician in his iambic verses, and Theophanes the Graptos in his asmatic canon, and in the manuscript of the Synaxaristes, among others, reply that this divine Luke went to Jerusalem and saw Christ the Master alive, and he served Him. He was present at the miracles He performed. He was also at the Passion and the Resurrection. After the Resurrection he also conversed with Him and with Cleopas. He saw Him ascend into the heavens. He was also found worthy of the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Chrysostom in his first discourse on Acts and his fourth homily on Matthew, as well as Theophylact of Bulgaria in his interpretation at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke the Evangelist, and the published Synaxaristes, as well as others, say that Luke was never an eyewitness and disciple of the Lord, nor did he ever see Him alive on earth. Rather, he was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, who he met and came to believe in Christ through at Thebes of Boeotia. This is confirmed by the words of Luke himself. At the beginning of his Gospel he testifies as follows: "...just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word" (Lk. 1:2). This confirms that he did not see the Lord on earth.

The Perfect Love of Saint Anthony the Great

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

A certain discerning elder asked God to see the reposed Venerable Fathers. And he saw them, except Abba Anthony. He therefore said to the Angel who showed him the Fathers: "Where is Abba Anthony?" The Angel said to him, that Anthony can be found in the place where God is. "Why was Anthony made worthy of such glory above the other Fathers?" "Because he loved God more than them."

The Sainthood of Emperor Justinian I According to Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

According to Meletios, on p. 86 of his 2nd volume,[1] Justinian died while in the heresy of Aphthartodocetism.[2] The renowned Dositheos of Jerusalem defended Justinian the Great by saying that he fell into the heresy of Aphthartodocetism out of ignorance (as it so happened with some other Saints), for in many and various ways he was recognized as being completely Orthodox. This is supported by Eustathios in his Life of Patriarch Eutychios, where he notes that Justinian, being disposed to inquire into the divine dogmas, night and day with syllogistic proofs and written testimonies defeated the heretics. It was on his behalf that Agapetos the Deacon gathered together the chapters.[3] And the Sixth Ecumenical Synod says regarding the Fifth Ecumenical Synod: "The Holy Synod which was under the revered memory of Justinian in Constantinople gathered together a fourth Act." It also says: "Response of Saint Justinian to Zoilos the Patriarch of Alexandria the tenth Act." And Pope Agatho in his account to Pogonatos,[5] praises Justinian for his great piety. The Patriarchs of the East also in their letter to Tarasios of Constantinople write: "Justinian the wise master, who in his reign was a Saint and blessed." Regarding the problem of Aphthartodocetism, Nikephoros says that Justinian, out of his eros and love towards Christ, said that he had a body without corruption (Dositheos does not engage this).

"I am a Wall, and My Breasts Like Towers": The Theotokos as Protectress of Constantinople

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

In various times and ways our Lady the Theotokos guarded from many dangers the city of Constantinople which is dedicated to her. During the reign of Leo the Isaurian, who ruled in 716, the Saracens entered Constantinople, and encircled it for three years. However they departed without success. Bede among the Latins writes that when the Bulgarians fought against the Saracens they defeated them, while Kedrenos and Theophanes among the Greeks said that the Saracen fleet was obliterated by the fire-bearing ships of the emperor. Except it was the power of God and the grace of the Theotokos, which guarded the City from the danger.

Service for the Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

Introduction

In 1081 AD, the Holy Body of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was taken from the Church of his See in Myra, to the city of Bari on the west coast of Italy. Some have looked at this event, and see it as a theft from, and a great loss for, the Greeks of Asia Minor, to the benefit of the Italians. Other see even in this event, God's love and providence. St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite takes the latter point of view, as he relates that the transfer of the Saint's relic was by the will of God: “on the one hand, that his relic not remain without honor and glory, and on the other, that the West might partake of his wonders, as [the Christians of Bari at that time] had not yet fallen into heresies and false beliefs, but was Orthodox, and united with the Church of the East.”

Likely because some mourn the loss of St. Nicholas' body to the East, the memory of the translation of his relic is generally not as widely celebrated in Orthodox Greece as it is in Russia and other countries. However, St. Nikodemos did feel strong enough that this event deserves memory that he composed a service for this feast, as he relates: “For this feast, my weakness has composed a Service for St. Nicholas, and whoever desires to celebrate the Saint, let him seek it, for it is found in the Cell of St. Nicholas, called Barberadon, near Karyes.”

The Controversy Over the Bathing Scene in Nativity Icons of the Holy Mountain

On Byzantine images of the Nativity of Christ, it is well known that there are several secondary elements represented in the rocky countryside, even though Christ and the Mother of God remain the main figures. Among these elements, we find angels in the upper-left corner; the shepherds listen to the good news in the upper-right corner; the Wise Men, in the middle-left section, are getting close to Bethlehem; Joseph, in deep, disturbing reflection, is shown in the lower-left corner; and the bathing of the divine Child is in the lower-right corner. We sometimes see the bathing scene represented in the middle of the lower section, right beneath the seated Mother of God; sometimes, the scene is in the lower-left corner while Joseph occupies the lower-right corner. In the bathing scene itself, we see two women with their sleeves rolled up. The older woman is seated holding the Child on her knees or in her arms he is ready to be washed. The young woman stands holding a jar and pours water into a deep basin placed between the midwives. The young woman, sitting, extends her hand to check the temperature of the water. She is preparing the bath. On other icons, we see the young woman plunge the Child into the water up to his neck. In these cases, we have the actual bathing scene.

Synaxarion of the Holy Fifteen Martyrs of Tiberiopolis (+ 361)

On this day, the 28th of November, we commemorate the Holy Martyrs Timothy and Theodore the Bishops; Peter, John, Sergius, Theodore and Nikephoros the Priests; Basil and Thomas the Deacons; Hierotheos, Daniel, Chariton, Socrates, Komasios and Eusebius the Monks; with Etimasios, who all met their end by the sword.

Verses

To the two Bishops.

Timothy together with Theodore,
Were seen to be exceedingly honorable gifts to God.

To the five Priests.

Beforehand they sacrificed a most pure sacrifice,
Afterwards they were observed becoming the sacrifices.

To the two Deacons.

Wherever Christ is, as he says,
The contestants stand nearby serving.

To the six Monks.

The six monks were cut asunder by the sword,
Now they stand together with the six-winged intelligences.

To Etimasios.

Deprived of the first syllable blessed one,
Stands your calling, for you have honor above.

(The following is an English translation of the Greek translation and summary of Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite from the original text of Saint Theophylact of Ochrid.)

Encomium to the All-Great Archangels Michael and Gabriel (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

If, my beloved fathers and brethren, I were granted the gift of acquiring one of the tongues which the angels have, as the Apostle of Christ Paul says, (“even if I speak in the tongues of the Angels”) it would be certain and only to be expected that I would be able to praise Michael and Gabriel, the Archangels of the Lord, in a manner befitting them, since it is natural that one thing can be praised and presented to others by something similar to it. Had I but one of those fiery and immaterial tongues which were given to the holy and divine Apostles, I would be able to speak with supernatural praise, as is their due, of the fiery and immaterial Chief Captains.

If, even for a short time- I had purified my tongue, as Isaiah did, with the coal from the Seraphim, there would be some hope that I might say something worthy of the Commanders. But since I do not possess any of these qualities and I do not have an angelic tongue, but a human one; not fiery, but earthly; not immaterial. but material; not pure but impure, and apart from all that, not rhetorical or methodical, but unlearned and without method; what can you expect to hear from me? Just a few, poor things about the holy Archangels.

St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite on the Authenticity of the Authorship of Dionysius the Areopagite

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

I am greatly astonished, as well as greatly saddened, to see this author of the Ekatonaetiridon hiss forth - woe is me! - that the writings of the great Dionysius are supposititious and were made at a later date. If he does not reverence Maximus, Sophronios, Andrew, the Damascene, Soudas, Syncellus, Pope Agathon, and many other Fathers who accepted the writings of the divine Dionysius to be authentic, the blessed one should at least reverence the two Ecumenical Synods, namely the Sixth, where he is mentioned in its sixth act, and the Seventh, where Saint Dionysius is referred to in its second and fourth canons, and calls Dionysius "Great". A local Synod of Rome which gathered under Martin against the Monothelites also mentions him. The Ecumenical Synods were born in truth, and cannot err. All men as individuals are born in falsehood, with the ability to err, while numerous are called wise and lovers of wisdom.

Why Every Christian Should Wear A Cross

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

The Christians of old were accustomed to carry on themselves the Cross of Christ, made either out of wood, gold, silver or some other metal, for their protection and salvation. For this reason Saint Pankratios the Bishop of Taormina, who is celebrated on the ninth of July, when he baptized Christians, he gave to each of them a Cross made from cedar to carry on them. And Gregory the Theologian carried a Cross towards the averting of every adversary. For this reason he spoke to the devil in meter:

Holy New Martyr George of Cyprus (+ 1752)

St. George the New Martyr at Ptolemais (Feast Day - April 23)

Verses

Now George is gathered with George,
New and old are placed together thither.

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

The victorious New Martyr of Christ, George, came from Cyprus. He was young, handsome, intelligent and moral. Leaving his homeland he came to Ptolemais (modern Acre of Palestine). There he entered the service of one of the European consulates, where he was hired as an attendant to one of its members. George would frequently purchase eggs for his employer's household from a certain poor Turkish woman, who had a daughter of legal age. With the passage of time, the girl began to await his arrival. She spoke freely with him, but only in her mother's absence. Several neighbors noticed that the youth would only buy eggs from this girl (as much as she had), and not from anyone else. They became envious and resentful. They, therefore, took counsel among themselves to make some mischief for George.

Holy New Martyr Michael of Vourla (+ 1772)

St. Michael of Vourla (Feast Day - April 16)

Verses

You were painted Michael with the gore of your blood,
And appeared white as snow Victorious one.

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

The Holy New Martyr Michael was born in Vourla of Asia Minor. He was a coppersmith by trade, very youthful (about 18 years of age), and of a goodly appearance. He was, however, once deceived by a certain Turkish coppersmith, his employer, and denied the faith of Christ. His renunciation took place on the first Saturday of the Great Fast.