Homily Three for the Seventh Sunday of Matthew - The Gospel of the Kingdom (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

In today's Gospel reading, we heard about the miracle that Christ performed on the two blind men, who followed Him crying: "Have mercy on us, Son of David" and were found worthy to see the light of the sun and all of creation. Previously, they were blind and in darkness. However, when Christ opened their eyes, they began to see God's creation for the first time. Also, the Gospel told us that Christ healed a demon possessed deaf man, who then heard and spoke. Light and sound are two important factors which are connected with creation, but also with two basic senses that God gave to man to see and hear, that is, the sense of sight and the sense of hearing.

Reflection on the Seventh Sunday of Matthew (St. Theophan the Recluse)

 Seventh Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 9:27-35

By St. Theophan the Recluse

"According to your faith be it unto you," said the Lord to the two blind men, and immediately their eyes were opened. 

 

The greater the faith is, the greater is the influx of Divine power. Faith is the receiver, lips, and receptacle of grace. Just as one person’s lungs are large while another person’s are small, and the large take in more air, while the small take in less, so one person has a large degree of faith, and another a small degree, and one person’s faith receives more gifts from the Lord, and another person’s fewer. 

 

I Named Him Chrysovalantis to Always Remember the Gift You Gave Me: A Miracle of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou

Chrysovalantou and Chrysovalantis Sotiropoulos

My Saint Chrysovalantou Irene, I also come to thank you for the miracle you did for me too.

I have been married for nine years and after around five years we made the decision to have a child as well, but things did not turn out as we expected. We tried for quite some time without success, when we made the decision to do tests, which unfortunately showed that my husband had a problem and the doctors said was that we will not have a child if we do not do IVF.

When I heard this I lost the ground under my feet, because I never thought that something like this would happen to me in my 28 years. Six months after the exams and without expecting it, I became pregnant naturally. My joy was indescribable, but it only lasted two months. Unfortunately I had a miscarriage and from then on my psychology was very bad.

Saint Irene Chrysovalantou as a Generous Physician: A Miracle Story

My Saint Irene Chrysovalantou, I also come with tears in my eyes to thank you for the miracles you performed in my family. Praise be to God and the Most Holy Theotokos, who enriched you with such grace, Generous Saint, to perform miracles and heal human pain.

The first miracle is that with your help I gave birth to my first baby girl Chrysovalantou.

You performed the second miracle on my Maria, when she was three years old. The greatest miracle happened again to my Maria at sixteen years of age.

It was August and me and her father had gone on vacation. Every day she called me and told me how her little head hurts. I was scared and told her to come to us there. The pain continued and suddenly her right eye began to blur and she could not see at all.

Great Is the Grace of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou: A Miracle Story

Chrysovalantou (left) and her mother Varsamo (right)

Great is the grace of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou. Thank you for the miracle you did for me and my daughter.

While I was fine, I suddenly had a phobia from an earthquake that happened in the area where I lived. Then the torture of my health began, because the nerves of my brain were affected and I was in so much pain that I could not sleep. For six months, my everyday life became a torture.

I went to the doctor and he gave me some pills, but he told me that the problem of the nerves in the head is not a simple thing, because our whole body works from our brain.

And he assured me that I had to take the pills for years.

Five Testimonials of the Miraculous Grace of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou

My Saint Irene Chrysovalantou, I venerate you. My deep gratitude to your miraculous grace cannot be expressed in words.

A warm thanksgiving comes from my heart, from the heart of a suffering mother whom You helped and saved her child.

My daughter Eleni at the age of 6 suddenly had convulsions. I started taking her to the doctors at the clinics, but I didn't see any difference.

Then I began to think that the only savior of my child is the savior of the whole world, Jesus Christ. From one church I went to another, until I heard about your miraculous grace.

Faith and hope nestled in my aching soul that with your prayers Jesus Christ will help my child. I also came to your grace and venerated your miraculous Icon.

My child is fine now. She goes to school and plays casually with the other children and glorifies you.

As a small token of my gratitude, I vowed to give your name to my fourth angel that I was waiting to bring into the world.

He is now 14 months old and has your name. My belief that you will always be close to us is great and we all thank you.

With infinite gratitude,

E. S.

March 1977

The Parish Priests of the Church of Saint Panteleimon in the Leper Colony of Spinalonga

When the decision of the Cretan government in 1903 to transfer the lepers of Crete to the island of Spinalonga became known, the then Bishop Titos of Petras renovated the Church of Saint Panteleimon that was located there and consecrated it, before the lepers even arrived. But when he wondered if he would find a priest, Father Manolis Psarakis, a parish priest in Neapolis, stood up and volunteered to serve the sick, which he did with zeal for 21 whole years. After the death of Papa-Manolis, he was successively and voluntarily succeeded by the very old Father Nestor, Father Nikandros, Father Nikodemos and Father Andronikos who served until 1935, all brothers of the Holy Monastery of Aretiou.

How Fr. Evangelos Halkidis Came to Possess the Hand of Saint Panteleimon

In the small chapel, in Fr. Evangelos' (1923-1987) house, were resting the relics of many saints that were fragrant, and the hand of Saint Panteleimon would release myrrh.

All of them had miraculously come into his possession.

One day, in the summer, with a lot of heat and little sleep, the father returned from a ministry duty to his house, in Thessaloniki where he lived at the time, and being tired he lay down on the couch with the window half open above him.

Fr. John Kalaides and the Miracle of Saint Paraskevi

 By Miltiadis Tsesmetzis, Teacher

In the village of Sintiki in the prefecture of Serres, where the holy father lived, there is a Chapel of Saint Paraskevi, at the foot of the mountain. Because the area has many chapels, where many miracles took place, my grandfather used to tell us that this place is a second Mount Athos!

So he [Fr. John Kalaides ] once told us:

Saint Paraskevi and the Blasphemer

Michael, a resident of Smyrna before the Population Exchange of 1922, one day went to plow his field with oxen. In a moment the plowshare* got stuck somewhere, the oxen did not advance and he himself could not get the plowshare out of the ground. After he was tired and indignant, he began to blaspheme Christ and the Saints.

He immediately lost his sight for about a quarter of an hour. Then, repentant and compunctionate, he begged Saint Paraskevi to give him his sight and promised never to blaspheme again. He also made a vow. As long as he lived, on Friday he would not eat or drink anything. And immediately, miraculously, his sight came back, he easily took out the plowshare and continued plowing, thanking God and Saint Paraskevi.

Homily on Saint Paraskevi the Wonderworker (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Saint Paraskevi is honored not only by those women who bear her name, but also by all Christians. This happens especially in our Province, since there are many parish churches, but also chapels that are honored with her name and on this day they celebrate brilliantly.

The life of Saint Paraskevi is wonderful. Her parents were pious and virtuous, her birth was by God's intervention, she herself grew up in a Christian way, distributed her property to the poor, became a nun, preached Christ, confessed Him and finally suffered many tortures and was martyred for the love of Christ. That's why she is called a Venerable Martyr.

Homily on Galatians 3:27 - "As Many of You as Were Baptized Into Christ Have Put on Christ" (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Homily on Galatians 3:27 - "As Many of You as Were Baptized Into Christ Have Put on Christ"

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

In the sermon of each Sunday of the two summer months this year, we will interpret some phrases of the apostolic readings that are read in the Divine Liturgy. These are readings from the Apostle Paul's Letters to the Christians of the various Churches he had founded, and they aimed at solving problems and guiding them to a life in Christ.

Today we will interpret the passage from his Epistle to the Galatians, which refers to the Baptism of Christians and declares its great value: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ". That is, those who were baptized in the name of Christ have clothed themselves with Christ. This passage is chanted every time the Mystery of Baptism takes place and it is also chanted on the great Despotic Feasts, Christmas and Easter, because then the group baptisms of the catechumens and the illuminated took place. It is a very important passage.

How Saint Anna Saved a Greek Family from a Nazi Assault

Hieromonk Hesychios Agiannanites

During the years of the German occupation of Greece, the following incident happened.

Father Hesychios Agiannanites (1909-1982) was passing through a village with the relic of the foot of Saint Anna, the Grandmother of the Lord. In a certain house, when they learned that the Holy Relic of Saint Anna had arrived, they ran to welcome it with longing.

With many tears and words of thanks, they venerated and kissed the Saint.

The Relics of Saint Olympia the Deaconess

 

By St. Justin Popovich

 

After Saint John Chrysostom was exiled from Constantinople and traveled to Cyzicus, Saint Olympia was also sentenced to be exiled and shelter in Nicomedia. Upon learning of this, Saint John Chrysostom wrote her a letter from his imprisonment, consoling her in her troubles. Having spent a considerable amount of time in captivity and having suffered many torments, the blessed one reposed in the Lord on July 25th 408.

After her repose, while her honorable body was not yet buried, the Saint appeared in a dream to the Bishop of Nicomedia and said: "Put my body in a wooden box and cast it into the sea, so wherever the waves throw it onto the shore, there may it be buried."

Crypt of Santa Cristina in Carpignano Salentino

A gate and small baroque facade may mislead you into thinking there is not much to see at the Crypt of Santa Cristina (also known as the Crypt of Madonna delle Grazie) in Carpignano Salentina, but that would be wrong. Because once inside you'll descend some steps and enter two chambers carved out of limestone, where you'll discover that the Crypt of Santa Cristina is a big deal, after all. It contains the oldest Byzantine frescoes in Puglia, the most ancient inscription dates them to 959, signed by Teofilatto. Santa Cristina is also one of oldest place of worship in Puglia.

Monastery of Saint Eupraxia in Hydra

The picturesque island of Hydra, located in the Saronic Gulf, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece.

One of the main and, perhaps, the most interesting sights of the island of Hydra is the Convent of Saint Eupraxia. It is located in an amazingly beautiful place among pines and cypresses on the slope of the islands highest peak, Mount Eros (588 m), at an altitude of about 500 meters above sea level. Nearby is the slightly older Monastery of the Prophet Elias.

The Monastery of Saint Eupraxia was built in 1819, while the katholikon, or central church, was built in 1829. The builder was Fr. Hierotheos Dokos, who named the monastery after the patron saint of his daughter, who bore the name Eupraxia, and from a young age dedicated her life to Christ as a nun.

Homily One for the Epistle Reading on the Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on July 5, 1953)

It is not I who will preach to you today - the great Apostle of Christ himself will preach, and my humble role will only be to explain these great words to you, to help you assimilate them, to put them into your hearts.

In the twelfth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, the reading of which you heard at the Divine Liturgy, the holy Apostle Paul speaks of how the life of the Church of Christ should be organized so that it is pleasing to God. These are the words you heard. I should have read them myself, but the Lord deprived me of this opportunity: I have to use the eyes of others, so Father Porfiry will read, and I will add something to the reading: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

Homily on the Sixth Sunday of Matthew (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

"Jesus, seeing their faith (those who brought the paralytic), said to the paralytic: 'Be of good cheer, child!'" (Matthew 9:2).

Once they brought to Jesus Christ in Capernaum a sick and paralyzed man. The sick man was so weak that not only could he not walk, but he could not utter a word, he could not ask Jesus Christ for his healing. And therefore Jesus healed him for the sake of the faith of others, for the sake of those who brought him. They asked Jesus Christ to heal him, already by their zeal when they brought him to Jesus Christ. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic: "Be of good cheer, child!" The sick man was silent, did not ask, because he could not: he only entrusted himself to others - did not prevent them from carrying himself, and only mentally asked them to carry him to Jesus Christ.

Reflection on the Sixth Sunday of Matthew (St. Theophan the Recluse)

 Sixth Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 9:1-8

By St. Theophan the Recluse

The Lord forgives the sins of the paralytic man. One should rejoice; but the evil mind of the learned scribes says: “This man blasphemes.” Even after the miracle of the healing of the paralytic man—a confirmation of the comforting truth that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins—the people glorified God; but nothing is said about the scribes, probably because they continued to weave their deceitful questions even after such a miracle. The mind without faith is a schemer; it constantly hammers out its evil suspicions and weaves blasphemy against the whole realm of faith. As for miracles—it either doesn’t believe in them, or it demands a tangible one. But when a miracle is given that would obligate one to submit to the faith, this mind is not ashamed to turn away from it, distorting or slandering the miraculous works of God. It treats irrefutable evidence of God’s truth in the same way. It is sufficiently and cogently presented with both experiential and intellectual proof, but it covers even this with doubt. Sort out all that it produces and you will see that in this there is only deceit, although its own language calls it cleverness, and you are unwillingly led to the conclusion that cleverness and deceit are one and the same. In the realm of faith the Apostle says, "We have the mind of Christ." Whose mind is outside of the realm of faith? The evil one’s. That is why deceit has become its distinguishing characteristic.

 

 

Saint Symeon the Fool for Christ as a Model for our Lives

St. Symeon the Fool for Christ (Feast Day - July 21)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Saint Symeon the Fool for Christ came from Edessa in Syria and lived in the 6th century AD. Together with his friend John, they set out, both young, to go to Jerusalem to worship. With them were the mother of Symeon, the father of John, and his young wife whom he had married a short time earlier. Along the way, the desire to dedicate themselves to God ignited in them. That is why they prayed fervently and begged God to lead them to a monastery, and to take care of their relatives and comfort them, and it happened so. Therefore, they both went to the desert of Jordan and decided to go to a monastery where they will find a welcoming door.

Homily on the Prayer of the Prophet Elijah (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on July 20/August 2, 1951)

When we read in the Bible, in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings about the amazing deeds of the holy prophet Elijah, our mind is amazed by them, we are amazed very much: we are amazed at his extraordinary zeal for the glory of God and his complete fearlessness in planting faith among the pagan people (and such was then the people of Israel); our mind is amazed when we read about his extraordinary miracles; we are most amazed, perhaps, when we read about the amazing power of his prayer, for you know that with his prayer he commanded even the elements: he forbade the rain to fall on the land of Palestine for three and a half years, and then again with his prayer he brought down rain to the ground.

Homily for the Feast of the Prophet Elijah (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

In honor of the prophet of God Elijah and for your edification, listeners, I would like to say a word. Let me tell you one incident from yesterday. We walked past your temple. Your all-night vigil had not ended yet; we rejoiced at this - we approached the church and saw the magnificent illumination of your temple, and heard your harmonious singing. How good it is, in a Christian way, in an Orthodox way; the prophet Elijah, a zealous zealot for the glory of God, no doubt rejoiced that you made up such a solemn feast in his honor. But listen to what we immediately saw. I can't keep silent about it. When adults stood with reverence and prayed in church, at that time small children misbehaved, ran around, laughed in the church, and of those who saw this, no one could find zeal to reason with them, appease them, stand up for the glory of God, for the honor of a prophet of God. This is not good, not Christian; this is not how the children of Orthodox parents should behave.

The Prophetic Schools in Ancient Israel

 By St. Justin Popovich

The "sons of the prophets" (2 King 2:15) is what the disciples of the prophets were called among the Israelites. They formed communities that were educated under the direct influence of the prophet. The prophetic disciples engaged in prayer, instructive conversations, devotional singing and music, and sometimes received divine inspiration. "Prophesy" according to Holy Scripture does not always mean "foretelling the future" according to the revelation of God; it sometimes means: under the influence of the Spirit of God, to give inspired sermons, to speak instructive sermons, to interpret the word of God (cf. 1 Cor. 14:3-6), to compose prayers and songs to God, to recite them and sing them to the sounds of music. - All this was the goal and task of prophetic communities, prophetic schools. There were such schools in Ramah, Bethel, Jericho, Galgal and other places.

From Lives of the Saints for July (July 20th).

 

 

Homily One on the Glorious Prophet Elijah (Archimandrite George Kapsanis)

By Archimandrite George Kapsanis

(Delivered in 1984)

For all Christians, in whatever situation they are in, the Prophet Elijah is a model and an example. For those living in the world, he is a model and example with his faith and devotion to God, and the faithful observance of His holy commandments, and the spiritual zeal he had. For the pastors of the Church, because he did not retreat from seeking the statutes of the Lord God Almighty. But also for the monks, because the Prophet also loved the solitary life, and noetic and secret prayer he is considered a teacher and initiate, but also of virginity he was a lover and representative, and in fact one of the few men of the Old Testament who had the gift of virginity. For all these reasons we feel the Prophet Elijah very close to us, we love him, we honor him, we ask for his intercessions and we admire his life, his works, his faith, his love for God, but also his boldness which he had before the Lord.

Homily Two for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Synod - The Apostles and Fathers as Lights of the World (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Synod

The Apostles and Fathers as Lights of the World

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council are celebratied today, who established and confirmed the doctrine that the two natures of Christ, divine and human, which are united "unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisible, inseparably" in His existence, and this is of great importance for the Church and Christians.

The Right Hand of Saint Macrina the Younger

 

 

The right hand of Saint Macrina the Younger is kept in the treasury of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Two Miracles of Saint Marina

 

By Paraskevas Lambropoulos

The First Miracle of Saint Marina

 

My parents went to work in the vineyard one day. When they were coming back they told me that they would load the wood on the animal they had with them.

My mother sat down somewhere and waited for my father to load the donkey. When my father finished, she went to stand up and couldn't move.

She became stiff as she sat.

My father was trying to help her, but nothing was happening. Finally, he put her on the donkey and took her home.

The Snake of Saint Marina in Voni

At the Monastery of Saint Marina in Voni of Heraklion, Crete, on the lower right side of the iconostasis depiction of Saint Marina, we can see a small snake in a transparent bottle, which is preserved in a preservative liquid.
 

Many years ago there was a sick gypsy from Megara, as her grandson has recently testified, who came to pray to Saint Marina. Her abdomen was swollen and painful. When she was crossed and blessed with the oil from the lamp of the Saint, she "gave birth" to a snake and was relieved of her pains.

Some Contemporary Miracles of Saint Marina

 By Fr. Elias Makos

The martyric life of Saint Marina is well known. After being physically tortured by being beaten with rods and setting her wounds on fire, she endured, and then they took her head.

To whatever they said to her, she answered as strongly as she could: "I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian."

As a result of this courageous attitude of hers and her bright way of life, she became a miraculous Saint.

And this, because the Christian faith is not a theoretical ideology, but mainly a way of life.

The believer does not differ from the unbeliever in his metaphysical views, but mainly in the way he lives.

Many miracles of Saint Marina are mentioned even in our days.

Indicatively, we list some, which, like with all the Saints, reveal the signs of God's presence among us.

Homily One for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Synod - The Theology of Fatherhood (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Synod

The Theology of Fatherhood

Metropiltan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"You are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14).

The God-man Christ called His disciples, "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). This characterization has a real meaning and not a moral one. This means that the disciples are the "light of the world", not simply because they have some external works, but because they are connected to Christ Who is the true "Light of the world" (John 8:12).

Homily Two on the Fourth Sunday of Matthew - Teachings and Miracles (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Homily on the Fourth Sunday of Matthew

Teachings and Miracles

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Beloved brethren,

Today there is great confusion in all matters and consequently also in religious matters, so it is necessary to present the theology of the Church in order to distinguish truth from error. It is known that a "Church" that does not theologize and a "Theology" that does not attend church will not serve to work towards our salvation.

Synaxarion of the Finding of the Honorable Head of our Venerable Mother Matrona of Chios

 By St. Nikephoros of Chios

Synaxarion

On the 15th of this month [July], we commemorate the finding of the honorable Head of our Venerable Mother Matrona of Chios.

Verses

You departed the world completely unworldly,
The virgin approaching Christ as a bride.
On the fifteenth the head of Matrona was taken from the earth.

A sufficient amount of years passed after the death and burial of the Saint, and her miracles, as a bottomless well, were increasing for those who came with faith to her temple (those bound came from everywhere and received their desired health). The people of Chios, whose children are tenderly loved by the Saint, wanted to restore her sacred temple, and they made it spacious, so that the crowds can go through the entrance. In an attempt to move her grave, they found inside her holy Head, as an inviolate treasure, a wealth that cannot be taken away, and they breathed in a wondrous fragrance, which everyone could smell. At the time it was found, many miracles occurred - a paralytic stood up, and a stammering woman rose from her bed glorifying God with clear words, on her own behalf and on behalf of the paralytic that was healed. These and other things always take place until today by the Saint, which is why the commemoration of the finding was established to be celebrated today, for our benefit, and the honor and glory of the Saint, and those who have been healed by God glorify him.

On the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel in July (St. Justin Popovich)

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (Feast Day - July 13)

 By St. Justin Popovich

We praise with songs the harbinger of our salvation, the great servant of God, and the joyful messenger to the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the Archangel Gabriel, organizing a festive synaxis for him for the second time. His first synaxis is celebrated the day after the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the twenty-sixth of March; and now that synaxis of his is being celebrated again in the holy Church, and his miraculous appearances are again being mentioned and celebrated by God's order.

He taught Moses, who escaped from Pharaoh, in the desert to write books, telling him the origin of the world, the creation of the first man Adam, his life and that of the patriarchs after him, the latter times, the flood and the division of the people; he explained to him the position of the heavenly planets and the elements; taught him arithmetic, geometry, and all wisdom.

The Note Saint Paisios the Athonite Would Leave Outside His Door When He Was Sick and Unable To See Visitors

 

 

 

Write what you want, drop it in the indicated place on the box, and I will help you more with my prayers, instead of my many words. This way, I will have time to help more people in pain. I came here for prayer, and not to pretend to be a teacher.

- Monk Paisios

The First Monastic Cell of Saint Paisios the Athonite at Iveron Monastery

 

The Keys of Saint Paisios the Athonite

A pilgrim went to visit Saint Paisios the Athonite at his hut, and narrates for us what he witnessed:

 

I went to the hut of Elder Paisios in the middle of October 1993. There were twelve of us. We all sat on the logs and on the pavement. In order not to have my back to the others I took a log and put it next to the door.

The holy Elder was giving us advice and asked the group how the town of Drama is doing. At some point he gets up, and looks in his pockets. This door required a key to open it. The door of the main entrance of the hut was opened with a handle. He did not find the key in his pockets, so he turns his back to the other eleven pilgrims and in front of me (only I could see) he does the sign of the cross over the door and a click is heard and the door opens by itself. This door had a handle, a piece of metal that goes up and down. I marveled.

After a while, the Saint comes out with a handful of prayer ropes. "Let's see," he says, "did I succeed?" He counts us and says: "There are 12 of you. Let's see." Then he gives them to us and there were exactly twelve!

 

 

The Difference Between Reason and the Nous According to Saint Paisios the Athonite

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

I once asked the late Father Paisios what is the difference between reason and the nous and he answered me with an amazing example.

He told me that the senses are very "large", they are like the grapes that we press and the must that is created; reason is like the wine that comes out of the must and the nous is much finer and is like distilled wine such as tsipouro.

This means that the saints who know the two energies, rational and noetic, have empirical knowledge of what they are and how they work.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

Saint Paisios the Athonite as the Patron Saint of the Signals Corps of the Greek and Cypriot Armies

The Signals Corps of the Greek and Cypriot Armies honor Saint Paisios the Athonite as their patron saint.

By decision of the Ministries of Defense of the two countries, July 12th was established as a day of celebration of the Signals Corps, since he himself had served his military service during the civil war as a signal officer.

He is honored at the Signal School of Haidari near Athens, where there is a chapel with a frescoe that depicts Saint Paisios in the middle of two signal officers.

 

 

Saint Sophrony of Essex Resource Page

St. Sophrony of Essex (Feast Day - July 11)

Verses

Sophronios greatly shined in his life,
Now he more than shines in the chorus of the Saints.
On the eleventh Sophronios was placed with the Spirit of God.

 

Synaxarion of our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Sophrony of Essex 

 

Elder Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex (+ 1993) 

 

The Last Days of Elder Sophrony (+ 11 July 1993)

 

A Short Film of the Life of Saint Sophrony of Essex By and For Children

 

Saint Sophrony and the Children That Visited Him

 

The Legacy of Saint Sophrony the Hagiorite (An Interview With Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)
 

Athonite Neo-Hesychast Fathers (3 of 3)

 

Contemporary Testimonies of the Vision of God on the Holy Mountain  

Archimandrite Zacharias on the Theology of St. Silouan and Elder Sophrony

 

Two Introductory Books on Modern Orthodox Spirituality Recommended by Fr. John Romanides

 

Metr. Kallistos of Diokleia on Elder Sophrony   

 

An Interview With Elder Sophrony About Saint Silouan the Athonite (1 of 4) 

 

An Interview With Elder Sophrony About Saint Silouan the Athonite (2 of 4)  

 

An Interview With Elder Sophrony About Saint Silouan the Athonite (3 of 4)

 

An Interview With Elder Sophrony About Saint Silouan the Athonite (4 of 4)

 

The Unity of Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony (1 of 5)

 

The Unity of Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony (2 of 5)

 

The Unity of Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony (3 of 5)

 

The Unity of Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony (4 of 5)

 

The Unity of Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony (5 of 5)

 

The Mystical Journey of the Christian, Through the Desert, Towards the Resurrection and Pentecost (1 of 5)

  

The Mystical Journey of the Christian, Through the Desert, Towards the Resurrection and Pentecost (2 of 5)

 

The Mystical Journey of the Christian, Through the Desert, Towards the Resurrection and Pentecost (3 of 5)

 

The Mystical Journey of the Christian, Through the Desert, Towards the Resurrection and Pentecost (4 of 5) 

 

The Mystical Journey of the Christian, Through the Desert, Towards the Resurrection and Pentecost (5 of 5 

A Morning Prayer by Elder Sophrony of Essex

 

A Christmas Card from Elder Sophrony Saharov

 

The Incarnation as the Foundation of our Spiritual Life (Elder Sophrony) 

 

Elder Sophrony: "Every Divine Liturgy is a Theophany"

 
Elder Sophrony: The Basics of the Divine Liturgy

 

Before the New Testament, Was the Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the Greatest Mission of the Church

 

The Light of the Transfiguration Confirms the Knowledge of God

 

Elder Sophrony on the Lowest and Loftiest Spiritual States 

 

Elder Sophrony on the Calendar Issue

 

Elder Sophrony on the Toll Houses, Hell and Paradise 

 

Elder Sophrony: "The World Does Not Need a Political Church"

 

Academic Theology is Not Enough for Salvation

 

Elder Sophrony: The Salvation of the Heterodox

 

Elder Sophrony: On Eastern Religions  

Elder Sophrony and the Union of Churches

 

Why So Few Writings By Holy Women?  

Married Life and Praying Like Ascetics

 

Elder Sophrony: 'All Humanity in a State of Accidie'

 

Saint Sophrony of Essex on Saint Seraphim of Sarov

A Prayerful Encounter Between Saint Porphyrios and Elder Sophrony

 

The Gift of Tongues is Repeated in the Lives of the Saints Till This Day (Metr. Athanasios of Limassol)

 

When Saint Nicholas Appeared to Elder Andrew of Saint Paul's on Mount Athos in 1975

 

The Appearance of Saint Nicholas to Elder Andrew in 1975 

 

Ecumenical Patriarch Announces the Canonization of Elder Sophrony of Essex

 

Elder Sophrony of Essex and Elder Hieronymos of Simonopetra Officially Canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate 

 

Two Chapels Dedicated to the Newly-Canonized Saints Kallinikos of Edessa and Sophrony of Essex in Nafpaktos  

 

 

 

Homily One on the Fourth Sunday of Matthew - The Word of God (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Homily on the Fourth Sunday of Matthew 

 

The Word of God

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The centurion of today's Gospel passage, who was a Roman soldier, had great faith. Not merely an abstract faith in some God who dwells in the heavens, nor in a Supreme Being who rules the world, but he had faith in Christ. He believed that Christ is God and not a simple man who has some ability, and he asked Him to heal his servant who was paralyzed and remained at home. This faith can be seen from the words he said to Christ: "Speak a word and my servant will be healed" (Matt. 8:8), that is, say a word, even though you are far away, and my servant will be healed. The word "pais" (παίς) means either a son at a young age or a slave at any age, which is the case here. Christ accepted his request and the paralyzed servant was healed.

Homily Two for the Fourth Sunday of Matthew (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered in 1958)

In Capernaum, where our Lord Jesus Christ was, a Roman centurion timidly approached Him and humbly asked to heal his seriously ill servant with one verbal command, for he considered himself unworthy for the Great Wonderworker to come to his house.

The Lord Jesus Christ was amazed by the deep faith and humility of a pagan, a Roman officer, and said to those who followed Him: “Truly I tell you, even in Israel I did not find such faith. I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the centurion: Go, and, as you believed, may it be unto you. And his servant recovered in that hour” (Matt. 8:10-13).

Homily One for the Fourth Sunday of Matthew (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on July 22, 1957)

You heard in the current Gospel reading about the deep humility that surprised the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, which was shown by the Roman centurion-pagan, who came to the Lord Jesus Christ to ask for the healing of his seriously ill servant.

They also heard the deeply important words of the Lord Jesus spoken on this occasion: “Truly, I tell you, even in Israel I did not find such faith. I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:10-12).

These prophetic words of our Lord Jesus Christ have been fulfilled.

Reflection on the Fourth Sunday of Matthew (St. Theophan the Recluse)

 

Fourth Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 8:5-13

By St. Theophan the Recluse

What faith the centurion has! The Lord Himself marvelled. The essence of this faith is that he confessed the Lord to be the God of all things, an all-powerful sovereign and master of all that exists; for this reason he beseeched, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. I believe that everything is under Your authority and everything obeys Your slightest beckoning."

Holy New Martyr Athanasios of Lemnos (+ 1846)

He was from the village of Repanidi on the island Lemnos and after receiving an education he went to become a monk on Mount Athos, at the Great Lavra Monastery.

During the Greek Revolution of 1821 he was captured and sent to Egypt. There they sold him as a slave to a Hagarene lord, who converted him to Islam, circumcised him, and married him to a Christian captive woman. He became a wealthy aga and lived a secluded life with his wife on a large property.

Photos of the Home and Parish Church of the Holy Neomartyr Michael Paknanas the Gardner

The first photo above is the residence of the Holy Neomartyr Michael Paknanas in the old quarter of Vlassaros (Vrisaki) in the ancient Agora near the Church of Saint Philip and the adjacent Church of Panagia Vlassaros (first photo below), which ware also located in the archaeological site of the ancient Agora and where the Neomartyr worshiped. All the original buildings have now been demolished.

 

Saint Prokopios and the Young Antonis from Kerkyra

Icon of St. Prokopios in the village of Agios Prokopios, Kerkyra

Antonis Koskinas from the village of Kouramades in Kerkyra was a child when his parents sent him in winter to the village of Varypotades, where there was a mill, to grind a bag of corn. It was quite a distance for his age. He went on foot but was too late because he was giving his turn to the others. He was last and the night overtook him.

His mother was worried about her child and taking a lantern went to look for him. She was afraid that while crossing a ravine with trees she would be attacked by jackals, who hid there and attacked passers-by at night.

Picturesque Churches Dedicated to Saint Kyriaki

 

Nydri, Lefkada

A Miracle of Saint Thomas of Maleon in Casablanca in 1991

 

By Archimandrite Daniel Gouvalis

July 1991. A coach from Athens visited Velanidia (a village built on the southernmost edge of the Parnon mountain range). Fifty Christians wished to worship at the Church of Saint Thomas of Maleon and receive the sanctifying grace from its spring. Out of bad judgment, a large coach was used, while they should have taken a small one. How it managed to take the turns, as it approached the village, is inexplicable. It can only be explained as a miracle of Saint Thomas.

The devout pilgrims, after making a supplication to the Saint and after prostrating before his holy relic – some felt that it gave off a divine aroma – reverently drank from the holy water. Moreover they took some with them in bottles. One of these bottles of Saint Thomas's holy water traveled a long, long way. It reached Morocco, to the great city of Casablanca.

The Veneration of Saint Asteios (Asti) in Albania

The Church of Durrës (ancient Dyrrachium), one of the most important Churches in Albania, was founded by Paul the Apostle, although an ancient tradition says that the first to pass through was Saint James, on his way to Spain. Near Durrës, where the town of Shijak (Saint James) now stands, there was a large cathedral dedicated to Saint James, just beyond the hill, where according to tradition he had given his first sermon. According to old documents, in 58 AD, the Church of Dyrrachium had about 70 Christian families.