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Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Quote by Saint Justin Popovitch
"The Church is ecumenical, catholic, God-human, ageless, and it is therefore a blasphemy — an unpardonable blasphemy against Christ and against the Holy Spirit — to turn the Church into a national institution, to narrow her down to petty, transient, time-bound aspirations and ways of doing things. Her purpose is beyond nationality, ecumenical, all-embracing: to unite all men in Christ, all without exception to nation or race or social strata".
Abbot Tryphon - Angels Unawares
Angels Unawares
While sitting in a sidewalk cafe with my friend, Archpriest Basil Rhodes, having a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, we noticed a homeless man stop behind me. The man was staring at our food, so Father Basil asked him if he was hungry. He answered with an enthusiastic "yes", and when Father asked what he'd like to eat, he said "eggs and sausage". Father Basil told him they didn't have such a breakfast here, but gave him five dollars to buy it somewhere else.
...The whole time this conversation was taking place with this homeless man, another man, around thirty years of age, was standing nearby, listening to every word. As the homeless man walked away, the younger man walked up and confronted us with the question, "how could you give money to a junky? You are not doing him any good by giving him money. Aren't you men of God?"
I responded by saying that it was not our place to judge anyone, to which he replied, in a confrontational manner, "he's just going to buy drugs with that money. You don't seem to be very intuitive". I told him I'd worked with the homeless before, and that the man was hungry and deserving of our charity. The man said "cheers" and dismissively walked away.
A woman seated at a nearby table called over with the words, "good response". She then came over to our table, knelt down beside me, and with tears in her eyes, identified herself as a social worker, and told us she'd been going through a particularly difficult time, and that the interaction she'd just witnessed had helped her immensely.
I then told this woman the story of the time I was walking with an elderly bishop of the Russian Church, and how I had spotted a filthy homeless man walking towards us. This man's hair was disheveled, filthy with years of dirt, and was wearing torn clothing. He had no soles on his shoes, so with each step we could see the bottom of his feet. Instinctively, I took the elbow of the bishop, and attempted to get him to cross in the middle of the street. The bishop asked why, and I said, "Look at the crazy man coming towards us". The bishop told me we were not crossing, but would continue.
When directly in front of the the man, the bishop stopped, reached out, taking the man's filthy right hand into his own, and placed a twenty dollar bill into the man's hand, covering the bill with the man's left hand. At that moment the man looked up into our eyes, saying nothing. But looking back were the bluest, clearest eyes I had ever seen. They were not the eyes of a homeless man, nor the eyes of a deranged man, eyes filled with wisdom and holiness.
As we walked away, I remarked about the man's eyes, to which the bishop responded by saying, "We just encountered an angel unaware, and we were being tested," recalling the words of Scripture, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
After the social worker left, a man seated at a nearby table remarked, "that was a remarkable story, and you made my wife cry". This other couple had witnessed the whole of these encounters.
A moment later, the young man who'd judged us so harshly after the original encounter, returned. He came up, asked forgiveness for having judged us, and said he'd "just seen the homeless man buying yogurt and fruit" with the money we'd given him. I stood up, gave the young man a hug, and we all parted ways.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
While sitting in a sidewalk cafe with my friend, Archpriest Basil Rhodes, having a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, we noticed a homeless man stop behind me. The man was staring at our food, so Father Basil asked him if he was hungry. He answered with an enthusiastic "yes", and when Father asked what he'd like to eat, he said "eggs and sausage". Father Basil told him they didn't have such a breakfast here, but gave him five dollars to buy it somewhere else.
...The whole time this conversation was taking place with this homeless man, another man, around thirty years of age, was standing nearby, listening to every word. As the homeless man walked away, the younger man walked up and confronted us with the question, "how could you give money to a junky? You are not doing him any good by giving him money. Aren't you men of God?"
I responded by saying that it was not our place to judge anyone, to which he replied, in a confrontational manner, "he's just going to buy drugs with that money. You don't seem to be very intuitive". I told him I'd worked with the homeless before, and that the man was hungry and deserving of our charity. The man said "cheers" and dismissively walked away.
A woman seated at a nearby table called over with the words, "good response". She then came over to our table, knelt down beside me, and with tears in her eyes, identified herself as a social worker, and told us she'd been going through a particularly difficult time, and that the interaction she'd just witnessed had helped her immensely.
I then told this woman the story of the time I was walking with an elderly bishop of the Russian Church, and how I had spotted a filthy homeless man walking towards us. This man's hair was disheveled, filthy with years of dirt, and was wearing torn clothing. He had no soles on his shoes, so with each step we could see the bottom of his feet. Instinctively, I took the elbow of the bishop, and attempted to get him to cross in the middle of the street. The bishop asked why, and I said, "Look at the crazy man coming towards us". The bishop told me we were not crossing, but would continue.
When directly in front of the the man, the bishop stopped, reached out, taking the man's filthy right hand into his own, and placed a twenty dollar bill into the man's hand, covering the bill with the man's left hand. At that moment the man looked up into our eyes, saying nothing. But looking back were the bluest, clearest eyes I had ever seen. They were not the eyes of a homeless man, nor the eyes of a deranged man, eyes filled with wisdom and holiness.
As we walked away, I remarked about the man's eyes, to which the bishop responded by saying, "We just encountered an angel unaware, and we were being tested," recalling the words of Scripture, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
After the social worker left, a man seated at a nearby table remarked, "that was a remarkable story, and you made my wife cry". This other couple had witnessed the whole of these encounters.
A moment later, the young man who'd judged us so harshly after the original encounter, returned. He came up, asked forgiveness for having judged us, and said he'd "just seen the homeless man buying yogurt and fruit" with the money we'd given him. I stood up, gave the young man a hug, and we all parted ways.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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Abbot Tryphon - The Unpardonable Blasphemy of
THE SIN OF NATIONALISM
The Unpardonable Blasphemy of
turning the Church into a National Institution
With the fall of communism, some nations with a history of Orthodoxy would seek to establish the Orthodox Church as a State Church, something that history tells us can be a big mistake. When the Bolsheviks defeated Imperial Russia, the former government's close ties with the Church led to the wholesale murder of countless bishops, priests, monastics, and faithful, all seen as ...an inseparable part of the government. The institution of the Church was seen as so closely tied to the former government, the new government sought to completely destroy the Church.
When we behold the Church in the light of how the Church sees herself, we realize as Christians, our true nation is not the country of our birth, but the Church herself. We Orthodox Christians belong to Christ and His Church. Our true nation is therefore the Church.
Whether we are Americans, Russians, Greeks, or Norwegians, by birth, our second birth in baptism has made us members of the nation of Orthodoxy. I am an American by my first birth, but in baptism my nation is Orthodoxy, and I am of one nation with all Orthodox Christians throughout the world.
This unity of Faith is based on a personal relationship with Christ, Who is the head of His Church. Our true nationality is not based on political ideology, be it democratic, socialist, or monarchical, but on our common baptism that has united us to Christ, and to each other as the Body of Christ, the Church.
Saint Justin Popovitch wrote, "The Church is ecumenical, catholic, God-human, ageless, and it is therefore a blasphemy — an unpardonable blasphemy against Christ and against the Holy Spirit — to turn the Church into a national institution, to narrow her down to petty, transient, time-bound aspirations and ways of doing things. Her purpose is beyond nationality, ecumenical, all-embracing: to unite all men in Christ, all without exception to nation or race or social strata".
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
The Unpardonable Blasphemy of
turning the Church into a National Institution
With the fall of communism, some nations with a history of Orthodoxy would seek to establish the Orthodox Church as a State Church, something that history tells us can be a big mistake. When the Bolsheviks defeated Imperial Russia, the former government's close ties with the Church led to the wholesale murder of countless bishops, priests, monastics, and faithful, all seen as ...an inseparable part of the government. The institution of the Church was seen as so closely tied to the former government, the new government sought to completely destroy the Church.
When we behold the Church in the light of how the Church sees herself, we realize as Christians, our true nation is not the country of our birth, but the Church herself. We Orthodox Christians belong to Christ and His Church. Our true nation is therefore the Church.
Whether we are Americans, Russians, Greeks, or Norwegians, by birth, our second birth in baptism has made us members of the nation of Orthodoxy. I am an American by my first birth, but in baptism my nation is Orthodoxy, and I am of one nation with all Orthodox Christians throughout the world.
This unity of Faith is based on a personal relationship with Christ, Who is the head of His Church. Our true nationality is not based on political ideology, be it democratic, socialist, or monarchical, but on our common baptism that has united us to Christ, and to each other as the Body of Christ, the Church.
Saint Justin Popovitch wrote, "The Church is ecumenical, catholic, God-human, ageless, and it is therefore a blasphemy — an unpardonable blasphemy against Christ and against the Holy Spirit — to turn the Church into a national institution, to narrow her down to petty, transient, time-bound aspirations and ways of doing things. Her purpose is beyond nationality, ecumenical, all-embracing: to unite all men in Christ, all without exception to nation or race or social strata".
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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Friday, July 26, 2013
The Sainthood of the Venerable Elder Paisios
The Sainthood of the Venerable Elder Paisios
By His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of
Fthiotidos
That which is happening with the blessed Elder
Paisios the Hagiorite has no precedent in the Orthodox Church.
And when he lived, as well as after his
venerable repose, the unanimous conscience of the Church believes and already
considers him to be a saint.
In Greece as well as other homodox lands
everyone speaks of his teachings, his miracles, and his clairvoyant charisma,
through which, as a heavenly telescope, he knew the innermost parts of souls and
offered to pilgrims the medicine of salvation.
This man had wisdom from above, who, although
uneducated, took his place among the chorus of ecumenical teachers.
His words were wise, his advice was sweeter
than honey, his love with which he embraced every person was divine, his mind
and heart emitted the illuminating grace of the Holy Spirit.
In his person we came to know holiness in all
of its depth and width. His words were "words of eternal life". His graceful
jokes were full of wisdom and delight.
Everything he said was a gospel. His
affectionate and compassionate style calmed every troubled soul.
No other spiritual father delivered such a
great work, like Elder Paisios.
No other physician healed as many sick people,
like the physician of souls Monk Paisios.
No other shepherd led their logical sheep so
worthily along the way of salvation, like this humble Hagiorite Monk.
His boldness before God transcends even that of
the great saints.
His presence in our time was a gift from God
for afflicted people.
The conscience of the Church believes him to be
a great saint. His name has reached the ends of the universe.
The day of his canonization to sainthood is
very near. It is very significant that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew himself, in a recent homily in Nigdi of Cappadocia, numbered Elder
Paisios among the saints of Cappadocia.
The day of the official recognition by the
Venerable Head of Orthodoxy of the sainthood of Elder Paisios will be a
triumphant day of the Faith and of the life in Christ.
May he intercede before the Lord on behalf of
us all.
Source:
Translated by John Sanidopoulos
thanks to source and John Sanidopoulos:
A Personal Encounter With Elder Paisios
A Personal Encounter With Elder Paisios
By Protopresbyter George Efthymios
In the summer of 1975, I was blessed with going
for the first time to the Garden of the Mother of God, Mount Athos (Agion Oros).
I visited various ancient monasteries; I paid my respects to many of the
priceless treasures of the holy place, that is, holy relics of martyrs and
saints of our faith as well as holy icons. I participated in the daily all-night
long vigils which are concluded with the Divine Liturgy early in the morning. I
sat at the simple monastery dining room table, where everything reminds you that
you eat in order to survive and fight for your salvation and you do not live in
order to eat, where the reading of the devout patristic texts aim at
transporting the minds of the table companions to heaven. I associated with
conscientious monks who, inspired by divine love and obeying the urging of Basil
the Great, "take care of thyself", have denied the world, but not man for whom
they pray unfailingly with love and "with many tears" (Act. 20:19) in their
cells and the church during the sacred vigils.
During my visit, I did not succeed, despite my
wish, to meet Elder Paisios who was then an ascetic at the Stavronikita cell of
the Holy Cross. This came later, "when the time was mature" (Gal. 4:4). What I
realized about this full-of-grace person during my first pilgrimage to Mount
Athos were the characteristic words of another co-pilgrim, today an assistant
professor at the Medical School of the University of Thessaloniki, who had met
him and told me that "his love breaks you apart", something I verified myself
later on.
I will deal with this genuine man of God
briefly, as I had the opportunity to do in the past with my dear spiritual
fathers, Elder Porphyrios and Elder Iakovos.
On Tuesday, July 12, 1994 , the late Elder
Paisios, the Hagiorite, rested in the Lord, at the Holy Cemetery of St. John the
Theologian, in Souroti of Thessaloniki.
This genuine man of God, whose secular name was
Arsenios Eznepides, was born to pious parents, Prodromos and Evlavia, at Farasa,
Cappadocia on the 25th of July, 1924.
Due to the extraordinary and harsh conditions,
he was baptized a few days later at Farasa, on the 7th of August, by St.
Arsenios Chatziefentis and was given the name "Arsenios".
Barely a month after his birth, he was exiled
along with his parents, relatives and other citizens of Farasa away from his
paternal home and became a refugee.
The boat with the refugees arrived in
metropolitan Greece on September 14. The Elder's family lived for a little while
first in Piraeus, then in Castro of Corfu, and in a small village near
Igoumenitsa prior to settling down in Konitsa in 1926.
He finished the Konitsa Elementary School and,
then, he worked as a carpenter until 1945 when he was enlisted in the army. His
military service, during those unlucky years of the civil war, lasted for
approximately four years, until 1949, when Arsenios Eznepides, the radio
operator, received his discharge certificate marked with "excellent"
conduct.
In 1950, he went to Mt. Athos aiming at
realizing the dream of his life; that is to receive the angelic schema.
In 1954, he was tonsured at the Monastery of
Esphigmenou where he was serving as a novice as a rasophoros monk with the name
of Averkios.
In 1956, he was tonsured to the "Small Schema"
in Philotheou Monastery taking the name "Paisios".
In 1958, after being asked by the people of
Konitsa who were spiritually in danger by a "raid" of Protestants who had
managed to proselytize eighty poor families, he went to the Monastery of the
Nativity of the Theotokos, at Stomio, next to the Aos River. He stayed there for
four years and greatly helped the inhabitants of the area who visited the
Monastery.
In 1962, we find him as an ascetic at the Cell
of Saints Galaktionas and Episteme, in the desert of Mt. Sinai.
In 1964, he returned to Mt. Athos and took up
residence at the Archangels' cell, at the Skete of Ivira.
In 1966, he was operated on and had part of his
lungs removed due to a serious illness.
In 1967, he settled down at Katounakia, at the
Cell of Ypatios of Lavra, for more intense discipline.
In 1968, Papa-Tychon clothed him in the "Great
and Angelic Schema", at the Holy Cross Cell of Stavronikita Monastery. He
remained in the Cell after the repose of Papa-Tychon on the 10th of September
1968 , and stayed there until 1979.
In 1979, he moved on to his final home, the
Panagouda Cell of the Monastery of Koutloumousiou, near Karyes. He stayed there
until 1993 receiving many thousands of people who visited him in order to share
their pain with him and ask his advice and prayer.
I was blessed by God to manage to visit him and
talk with him during that blessed and fruit-bearing period of fifteen years that
he lived in the Panagouda Cell.
I remember my eagerness when I went down the
path that led from Karyes, the administrative centre of the Athos State, to the
Elder's cell. The sweet expectation of my meeting with this true man of God
flooded my heart and gave wings to my feet.
The waiting in front of the yard's gate at the
Cell was short or long depending on the case. The Elder took good care to "make
this waiting sweeter" having always in the Cell loukoumia or other sweets and
water to offer to the pilgrims. The inscription written by him "to eat is a
blessing" is characteristic. Apart from all the above, there were also makeshift
seats so that the waiting pilgrims could rest and various articles of clothing
to be worn by them so that they would not get cold as they were sweaty. Such
affection, such love, such providence for everybody!
At some point, the Cell's door, of the old and
poor building, would open and the Elder, who had been inside involved in
asceticism and prayer of the heart for the salvation of his soul and the souls
of his brothers, would appear. His face was always exhilarated and his attitude
cordial. He would receive us and ask us to sit in the "outdoors dorter" on seats
made of pieces from tree trunks. He would shake our hands and at the same time
offer us loukoumia and water according to the tradition of Mt. Athos.
There, under the trees, with the songs of the
birds "as the vocal drone", the Elder would start talking to us with "the words
of eternal life" (John 6:68) either answering our questions or making comments
on his own on the basis of information from "above" about the needs of each one
of us. Here is the miraculous thing! The pilgrims were of various ages,
professions, characters, spiritual and intellectual levels. Some of them were
conscious of who was sitting in front of them and exactly what they were looking
for. Some were there because they had heard something about him. Others were
there with an ill-tempered and negative mood. He, guided by the Holy Spirit,
offered "as every man had need" (Acts 2:45 ).
I will never forget, in relation to the above,
the Elder's behaviour towards a Spanish student of Fine Arts, follower of the
Pope, who happened to be amongst us in the "outdoors dorter" at some visit. At
some point, the Elder turned to him with affection and interest making use of
some Italian words and phrases he remembered from the Italian occupation so that
he could communicate with him. Then, he gave him many pieces of advice in the
Greek language and revealed to him many truths that, as he explained to us, the
Holy Spirit would help him feel regardless of the fact that the different
language would not allow him to understand. More specifically, when another
visitor made the comment that "the foreign student does not understand what you
are saying to him in Greek", he answered that "he will understand what he is
meant to understand".
His advice to all his visitors was to have a
spiritual father. This is why after giving answers and advice to questions or
problems put forward by the people, he would finally send them to their
spiritual fathers to lay the burden of their sins, which were the cause of all
problems, under their stoles.
Many Christians, therefore, leading autonomous
lives, selfishly, as orphans, "as sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36 ) took
his advice, found a spiritual father and started living according to the Church.
Their lives and the lives of the ones around them changed. Here I would like to
mention something that the Elder always recommended for his wedded visitors.
"Have the same spiritual father with your wife. Because as the carpenter uses
the same plane to work on two pieces of wood and make them fit, the same way the
spiritual father will use the same "plane" to work on the character of both
spouses so as to make them fit. Whereas if you have different spiritual fathers,
you will face difficulties."
I would like to mention something else
extremely important that the Elder said on another occasion. I was with a group
of people in the "outdoors dorter", when another group came, amongst whom there
was an assistant professor of the Medical School of the University of Athens who
held the Elder in great veneration. The professor asked Fr. Paisios at some
point with pain, interest and love: "There are, Elder, many colleagues of mine,
doctors, who have good intentions, good feelings, 'bowels of mercies'
(Colossians 3:12 ) but do not believe. What can we do for them?" "Listen," said
the Elder", "pray for them because under these circumstances they deserve God's
mercy." He had said the same about some teachers and professors on another
occasion.
The Elder, as a genuine man of God, had
consolidated and immovable ideas "in the things he hast learned and hast been
assured of" (2 Timothy 3:14 ). He knew and taught "by word and deed" (Romans
15:18 ) that in the issues of faith there is no swaying, negotiation or
compromise. He clearly knew that there is no greater unhappiness and bigger
danger for the Christian than to deny his faith and accept deceit. As we know,
many deceived people, people that did not feel rest, urged by his reputation,
went to meet him and discuss their existential problems. It is true that many of
those people went there full of delusions and left repented, seeking then
guidance in their spiritual fathers. If, therefore, someone gets involved with
some of the heresies and false religions that have flooded our country mainly in
recent years as well as if someone advances in the initiations, rites and other
demonic activities imposed in order to become a member, this means a conscious
or unconscious negation of the faith to the Trinitarian God, Christ, the Church
and Baptism. I once asked the Elder: "What should we do with these people when
they repent and want to return to the Church?" "You will say," he said, "the
Service for the One that returns to the Orthodox Church. The people that return
will denounce the bad faith with libel, they will confess the faith of the
Church by reciting the Symbol of Faith and then you will anoint them with the
holy chrism."
All of us are very much concerned about our
dear departed, their state and what we can do about them. We used to ask the
Elder about this and wanted really convincing answers. He would emphatically
advise us to pray a lot for them. "Prayers," he said, "memorial services,
liturgies, alms are very much to the benefit of the departed ones." "You should
pray more," he added, "for the departed ones than the living. Because there is
nothing they can do on their own any more, but we can help them attracting God's
mercy through praying and the other means we have mentioned so that their state
can be improved or even change, because they are still under judgment." And he
concluded by saying in his characteristic way: "Is it a small thing to take our
departed one from a sunless basement to a sunny apartment through our prayers?"
At some point, I remember, he mentioned something overwhelming as regards the
departed ones and our stance for them. There was a suicide once, a person who
put an end to his life by falling from a bridge into a river. This man, as the
Elder said, repented while he was falling, asked for forgiveness, his repentance
was accepted and his soul was received by a Lord's angel. We must learn not to
despair; and pray for our brethren asking for God's mercy and according to the
words of St. Isidore of Piluseum: "Do not forerun God's judgment" (P. G. 78,
377) and be judges of others
It is unanimously accepted by the
ecclesiastical tradition that pride is the biggest enemy of man's salvation.
This is also underlined by the Bible where, inter alias, it is said that
the "Lord scorneth the scorners…" (Proverbs 3:34) and "everyone that exalteth
himself shall be abased" (Luke 18:14). The Elder told the following story which
shows that pride is not the unfortunate privilege of the officials, rich and
intellectuals only but is found amongst the most insignificant, poor and
illiterate people. There was a shepherd who was discussing one day with the
Elder when he was an ascetic in the Stomio Monastery near Konitsa. During the
discussion, the dog of the flock approached trying to eat the shepherd's food
which was in a plate nearby. The shepherd realized the dog's intention and
managed quickly and swiftly to cover the plate avoiding thus the damage. Then,
he turned to the Elder and boasted: "Did you see, monk, how clever I am and how
I managed to save the food?" By mentioning this incident, the Elder pointed out
the danger of pride which threatens all of us and the need to be alert and show
repentance and humility in order to avoid the temptation stemming from the
right.
During one of our visits, we asked the Elder
about mercy. His answer was categorical. We have to practice this great
Christian virtue suggested by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount when he blesses
the ones that practice it and says: "Blessed are the merciful for they shall
receive mercy" (Matthew 5:7). He mainly urged us to help widows, orphans and, in
general, people that are in great need. He said that upon accepting our help,
they make a wish for us and our departed from the bottom of their hearts and say
"May God forgive them, may their bones become holy!" and God hears the prayers
that spring deep from their souls. In answer to the question that sometimes the
idea crosses our mind that the ones begging can be cons or use our mercy for
harmful purposes, he used to say that in these cases we should apply Christ's
order by giving a small amount of money, and He takes care so that the money
goes where it is needed. Furthermore, he referred for long periods to the ways
that this is done.
The bleak condition of the world that "lieth in
wickedness" (1 John 5:19) and the difficulties that the conscientious Christian
faces "because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life"
(Matthew 7:14 ) are very well known. The "enemies of man", the devil that
"prowls about as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8), the
old man, the one enslaved in the will of the flesh and the world, under the
thumb of the devil who promotes his will in an attractive way, fight fiercely
against the Christian who, literally, "goes in the midst of snares" (Sirach
9:13). In answer to the agonizing question raised by Christian family men about
what they should do in order to face these bleak circumstances, the Elder
provided the exit from the stranglehold of the daily reality talking to two
different men. He said to the one that we will be saved from these if we "cling
to the Church" and on a different occasion, he said to the other, as a
clarification to the above: "Go to the church, confess, receive the Eucharist
and you will reach the average".
The urging of Basil the Great "take care of
thyself" (P. G. 31, 217B) is well known; the same holds for the unanimous advice
of the Holy Fathers for continuous self-control exercised by the Christian.
Elder Paisios, following this tradition, used to advise us to look into our
selves and see "how many carats of Christians we are".
I left for the end two pieces of advice given
to me by the Elder when I visited him for the final confirmation of God as
regards my entering the holy orders. It was the 1st November 1986, when the
Church celebrates the memory of Venerable David the Elder. I walked down with
eagerness from Karyes to the Elder's Cell, Panagouda, in the wet autumn
afternoon. A bit further down from the Monastery of Koutlomousio, two dogs
became my "companions". They were running along the path which I did not know
well. When they led me to the gate of the Cell's yard and the Elder came out to
welcome me, he said to them and his words were full of meaning: "Ok, you can go
now." And the dogs, as good "subservients" left immediately upon concluding
their mission. This time the Elder welcomed me inside the cell where the stove
with the wood was lit. After the "traditional" treat we went to the small church
of the cells. I mentioned the purpose of my visit and after his unreserved and
at the same time overwhelming answer for me "of course it is God's will", we
talked about other things. There, inter alias, he gave me the following
pieces of advice which I am quoting hoping that they will help my brethren as
they have helped me. His first piece of advice was: "Do not put your plans
before God's plans". These words saved me. They freed me from stress and
anxiety. They taught me to put Christ's will always first in my life over my own
will, to ask Christ always to lead the way in my life and direct me in
everything. I saw, through the daily experience of so many years, that Christ
knows and can assume full charge in the best way when we love Him, trust Him and
ask Him to do that freely, voluntarily and unquestionably. We all understand the
importance of this, especially for the shepherd's ministration of rational sheep
and for the faithful that Christ entrusted him with. His second piece of advice
was: "Thank God for everything you are; everything you have and everything you
achieve. By thanking God you will realize that these are not your achievements
but His gifts and, thus, you will feel humble." Without many comments, someone
can understand the importance of the Elder's precept who with a simple, but
"square" way leads man to self-knowledge and balance, far away from the morbid
complexes of handicap and arrogance as well as away from man's lethal enemy,
pride. The Elder's words always remind me of what Apostle Paul writes: "What
hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost
thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
I know that thousands of pages have been
written about Elder Paisios. And I am sure that many more will be written. My
work did not aspire to add some pages to the so many others. Stating my personal
experience, six years upon the repose of the blessed Elder, is a debt of honor
and gratitude for the person who, with God's providence, helped me in critical
choices of my life and continues to help me in my pastoral ministration with the
prayers and precepts he left me. These lines are also a debt of love for my
brethren so that they can get to know this genuine person and the holy will of
God as it was formulated through his lips with the wish that it will become
their own will for salvation.
Thanks to John Sanidopoulos:
Source:
Edited by John Sanidopoulos
Elder Porphyrios: "I Don't Like To Prophesy"
Elder Porphyrios: "I Don't Like To Prophesy"
By Hieromonk Fr. George Kaufsokalyvites
(From the Holy Kalyva of Zoodochos Pege, of the
Holy Skete of Kaufsokalyvia on Mount Athos)
At a time when more and more people feel the
need, because of the profound crisis affecting mankind, to deal with
eschatological events as described in the Apocalypse of Saint John the
Theologian, as well as those things revealed by the Grace of God to the
Prophets, the Fathers of the Church and contemporary saintly elders like Elder
Paisios, we must especially stand with the view of Elder Porphyrios, and decode
why such a great Saint of our time, while knowing with precision and detail
everything that we are living and where things come from, avoided talking about
these things.
It must especially puzzle us why the Elder
didn't speak at all about what is coming, but only revealed what was necessarily
required for certain people.
The core thought of Elder Porphyrios was that
people need to consolidate and grow in love towards their Creator, not through
fear of things to come, but through a selfless relationship, as an affectionate
father towards his child.
Because the unity that was the greatest legacy
of Christ to His Apostles, can be ensured when the child is joined with his
Father primarily through love and not fear.
Elder Porphyrios aptly likened the times we
live in to the years just before Jesus came.
What existed then? A Roman "peace" in power and
idolatry, and a priesthood alienated by the passion for power that was
hypocritical without being beneficial, but rather distanced the people from God.
And finally there was a small portion of pure and good people.
All this describes in detail what is going on
today, and the repetition of this in our era should probably strongly trouble
us.
Before Christ there existed prophecies about
His coming as well as warnings for repentance to the people of God, as in the
case of Jonah and Ninevah.
However, these prophecies were sent by God for
those few good and pure people of each era, as I said before, because they had
the goodwill to receive the messages and know what to do.
Elder Porphyrios acted with this in mind,
calling people to approach Christ with love and not the fear of terrible
events.
He knew but he did not say. He spoke
laconically and in codes, understanding that in our era there was a great gap
between the spirituality of people on Mount Athos with the outside world.
For this reason he sent a man to notify Elder
Paisios to stop speaking about the Antichrist, the mark, imminent wars,
etc.
Not because it was wrong that which was
informed to Elder Paisios through Divine Illumination, but because the spiritual
measure of the world is at such a level that fear has no practical effect and
that the only approach needed was love for Christ.
For if man loved God, then God, when people
change, will change history. The same happened with the imminent destruction of
Ninevah.
The same Elder Porphyrios, during his last
days, stressed the moral degradation and misery which we find ourselves in as
people, and stressed to his spiritual children to find a verse in the Old
Testament that says "You have a cloak, you be our leader" (Is. 3:6).
There we were told describes clearly the
current situation. The same situations of "old Israel" with the "new Israel" and
the same symptoms.
The "old Israel" lost its unity with God and
the "new Israel" lost exactly this path of unity with Christ.
This was the great longing of the Elder and he
served it literally till his last breath.
The Hierarchical Prayer of Christ, "that all
may be one", was what the Elder served as long as he lived and he slept with it
on his lips. Because he knew that when mankind is ensured with unity with
Christ, then they will fear neither wars nor the Antichrist.
In contrast, today we approach evil and examine
those things that are coming as an inevitable evil. Here we lose the entire
essence.
Wars, calamities and upcoming events are the
ultimate remedy to human apostasy, which is why Elder Porphyrios would say: "The
Apocalypse was written for it not to happen".
The Apocalypse has as its purpose to alert, and
the way to avoid it is to serve the unity which Christ left to us as a
legacy.
This is the therapeutical treatment to the
sick, because if the sickness progresses, the events of the Apocalypse will be
the amputation caused by the physician when gangrene sets.
The Elder would say: "Our time is like the time
of Christ. Then the world had reached a terrible state. But God spared us. And
now we must not despair. I see through the calamity to appear some very
important person of God, who will rally and unite the world for good."
It was one of the few occasions when the Elder
spoke about that which we are living and is upcoming. He stressed that the
justice of God is changing and that our situation is miserable.
But he saw that the mercy of God will once
again visit mankind. Elder Paisios said the same thing when visitors approached
him with evident anxiety about upcoming events and when he was asked when the
wrath of God will come. He would say: "We need to ask that His mercy comes, not
His wrath."
This is what humanity needs and this is how we
must approach what the Saints told us. That which was prophesied in our time are
for those few who, like before the time of Christ, have the goodwill to serve
their unity in Christ.
The tabloids, the foreign press, the electronic
media channels deal systematically with what Elder Paisios and other
contemporary elders said. I don't know if they do it for the sake of
advertising, trade, etc. But we must think. We must think to look for the
substance in all this.
In 2009 while visiting Russia, as part of the
effort of issuing the letters of the first Ruler of Greece, Ioannis
Kapodistrias, we met with senior officials of the Russian Federation. With
surprise I heard a question that relates to all of the above.
He asked me:
"Elder George, the fathers of Mount Athos say
there will be a war between Russia and Turkey for Constantinople. What do you
say about this?"
I answered him without thinking, in a way I
believe Elder Porphyrios would answer:
"Saint Kosmas Aitolos, who is a great Saint of
Orthodoxy, said: 'They will try to resolve it with the pen, but will not be able
to. 99 times with war, and once with the pen.' However, us, we are with the
pen," I said.
The Greeks I believe had the blessing to be
sent by God a revealing personality like Elder Porphyrios to show us the way and
the path to avoid calamities and difficulties.
It is up to us to manage the legacy he left to
us, and not wait for the ship to collide with the iceberg.
If each of us acts alone and cut off from
Christ, it is certain that we will say that which the Holy Elder said: "He may,
however, according to the plan of God, come; to come so that people can acquire
an awareness, to see the chaos alive in front of them, and to say: 'Oh, we are
falling into chaos, we are being lost. Everyone back, everyone back, turn back,
we have been deluded.' And they will return again to the path of God and the
Orthodox faith will shine."
The last days of Elder Porphyrios were the most
revealing for his spiritual children and for all of humanity. The Elder gathered
us in his Cell in Kaufsokalyvia and told us: "I don't like to prophesy, but I
will tell you one prophecy."
The Elder told us about what will happen in
Greece and what its future will be. It was revealing for the future of Greece.
All of these have now begun to be realized. Today we are living all that he told
us and began to take place with exactitude.
The greatest revelation of God was the last
night of his life, when for a half hour he prayer the Hierarchical Prayer of
Jesus: "That all may be one".
The same Holy Spirit prayed within Elder
Porphyrios for the unity in Christ of all Christians and for all of humanity, so
that the sufferings of the Apocalypse would not come.
This prayer is the greatest legacy of Christ to
humanity. May the unity of humanity with God materialize.
This legacy today, 21 years after the repose of
Elder Porphyrios, remains alive and is depicted in an icon: the Panagia "That
All May Be One" Patriotissa, a prophetic and escatological icon, which all of
Christendom knows.
We his children serve today this legacy and
hope in it.
Source:
Translated by John Sanidopoulos
Thanks to John Sanidopoulos:
Elder Porphyrios of Kapsokalyva --- Correcting, Not Condemning, Evil
Correcting, Not Condemning, Evil
By Elder Porphyrios of Kapsokalyva
Our purpose is not to condemn evil, but to
correct it. With condemnation people can get lost, with understanding and
assistance they will be saved.
Evil begins from bad thoughts.
When you are bitter and indignant, even just
with your thoughts, you spoil a spiritual atmosphere. You prevent the Holy
Spirit from acting and allow the devil to increase the evil.
You should always pray, love and forgive,
driving out of yourself every evil thought.
thanks to John Sanidopoulos:
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