Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Luke - Inequality and Prophecy (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Luke

Inequality and Prophecy

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"There was a rich man ... a poor man named Lazarus" (Luke 16:19-20).

 

Beloved brethren,

In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus that we heard today, Christ expressively presented the abysmal difference between two people. The rich man had daily gluttony, while the poor man lived on the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. The rich man was physically healthy, while the poor man had "sores". The rich man lived in a mansion and had fun there with his friends, while the poor man begged at the door of the rich man's house, keeping company with the dogs. The rich man wore "purple and fine linen" every day, while the poor man was raggedy and naked. Christ depicted in the best way the great disparity between wealth and poverty.

Sermon for the 5th Sunday of Luke - The Rich Man and Lazarus (Monk Agapios Landos)

Sermon for the 5th Sunday of Luke

The Rich Man and Lazarus

By Monk Agapios Landos of Crete (1585-1657)

The Lord said, ‘There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered in sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table’.

Wanting to make us generous and charitable, to love one another and to instruct the mean and hard-hearted what perils await them and also to teach those who have sorrows and who suffer here what joy and elation they will inherit, the Lord wisely described for us the rich man as being very harsh and inhuman beyond measure and the poor man as possessing wonderful fortitude and patience. He leaves the rich man anonymous, as being unworthy of a name, as the prophet says: ‘I shall not mention their name on my lips’ [Ps. 16:4] and ‘his memorial has perished with a noise’ [Ps. 9:6]. The name of the poor man is given because the names of the righteous are recorded in the book of life. And the Jews have a tradition that, at the time of Christ, there was, indeed, a certain Lazarus in Jerusalem who endured great poverty with fortitude pleasing to God. The Lord mentions him as being virtuous and holy, since Scripture says ‘Blessed are they who fear the Lord’ and ‘their memorial remains unto the ages’ and ‘you shall be unto eternal memory’.

Discourse Three on the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (St. John Chrysostom)

 

 Discourse Three

On the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

By St. John Chrysostom

1. The parable about Lazarus has benefited us not a little, both rich and poor, teaching the latter to bear poverty well, and not allowing the former to think highly of their riches; but showing, by the circumstances of the case, that he is of all men to be most pitied who lives in luxury without sharing his wealth with others. Allow me again to take up the same subject; since, also, those who work in mines, wherever they see many grains of gold, there they dig again, and do not cease until they have gathered out all that can be found. Let us, therefore, proceed, and, at the place where we left off yesterday, there again recommence the discourse. It might be possible, indeed, to unfold to you the whole parable in a single day; but we do not strive to be able to depart with the feeling that we have said a great deal, but that you, having received and retained the things spoken, may be able, through this carefulness, to gain a sense of real spiritual benefit. A tender mother about to change the food of her child from milk to more solid diet, if she were at once to give it unmixed wine would injure it, for the child would at once reject the new diet. She feeds it little by little, and thus the new nourishment is received without trouble. In order that you may not feel distaste for the offered food, we do not without preparation pour out to you from the cup of instruction; but distributing the portion over several days, we give an interval of repose from the toil of hearing, that both that which has been said may be firmly fixed in your understanding and in your heart, and that you may receive that which is about to be said with constant and increasing zeal.

Homily Four on the Holy Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered in 1958)

Many times the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to a separate great saint, usually accompanied by one or two apostles of Christ, and she appeared to Saint Seraphim of Sarov alone. But she never appeared to anyone in such glory as in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople, on this great feast, named after her Protection.

There were many people in the temple, and among them were blessed Andrew, a holy fool for Christ's sake, with his disciple Epiphanios.

There was an all-night vigil. The people fervently prayed for deliverance from the invasion of the barbarians, who had already approached Constantinople itself.

The Pitcher Containing the Blood and Dirt of Saint Demetrios

One of the most important treasures of the Orthodox Church is kept in the Church of Saint Demetrios in Thessaloniki. It is an ancient pitcher made of ceramic which is claimed to contain the actual blood of Saint Demetrios that was mixed with the dirt from the ground on which his martyric blood was spilled. The blood and soil within the pitcher are dried up, but when mixed with water it is commonly referred to as holy myrrh, since the Saint is known as the Myrrhgusher.

The priest of the church, Archimandrite Damaskenos Petikas, says that the church acquired this important relic on October 23, 1985, and recounts that the pitcher was in the hands of the Savva family, a family of Thessaloniki that goes back centuries, who lived since the Byzantine era in a house below the Church of Saint Demetrios, near the current Church of Saint Nicholas. The house was completely destroyed by the great fire of August 1917 and then all the written evidence regarding the history of the family and the acquisition of the pitcher was also destroyed.

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Luke - Power in the Name (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Luke

Power in the Name

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, 'What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?'" (Luke 8:28).

Beloved brethren,

The possessed man of the Gadarenes cried out, fell at the feet of Christ and said: "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" (Luke 8:28). The presence of Christ was terrible for the demons that existed inside that unfortunate man. This great power also is in the name of Jesus, which declares His presence, which is why the Fathers often recommend that we pray with "the prayer" of Jesus, in order to be freed from the exploitation and oppression of the devil.

Venerable Eudokia the Fool for Christ of Ryazan (+ 1890)

St. Eudokia the Fool for Christ (Feast Day - October 24)

Eldress Eudokia (Plyakhanova) was born in 1830 in the city of Tula.

Throughout her earthly life she was unceasingly aflame with the Spirit of God. All her mind and thoughts were in heaven.

At the age of twenty, Eudokia decided to enter the path of monastic life. Her parents blessed her and she went to consult a Christian priest who lived in Tula. He turned his head in the direction of the Holy Protection Monastery in MIkhailova of Ryazan, and said to her: "Darling, you are for there." After this advice, the young girl with a bag on her shoulders went to the Holy Protection Monastery, where she was received by the Eldress Elpidophora (Afanasova).

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

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered in 1958)

About the great miracle of the Lord Jesus Christ, about the healing of the demon-possessed Gadarene by Him, I have repeatedly told you and my former flocks. Genuine demonic possession is, of course, rare. A huge number of demons, a whole legion of them, are infused into the bodies and souls of the unfortunate demoniacs. But demons wage an unceasing struggle against every person in order to subjugate him to their power. This is what we read about this struggle in the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians: “... our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

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

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on November 25, 1951)

The Lord Jesus Christ sailed with His disciples on the Sea of Tiberias, sailed to the eastern shore of this lake.

On the way, He performed a great miracle of calming the storm by one command of His: He ordered the wind and waves to calm down - and they calmed down.

We went ashore in the country of the Gadarenes, and look what happened there.

“And when He got out of the boat, immediately a man who came out of the tombs met Him, possessed by an unclean spirit, he had a dwelling in the tombs, and no one could bind him even with chains ... he tore the chains and broke the shackles, and no one was able to tame him; always, night and day, in mountains and graves, he shouted and cut himself with stones; but when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him...” (Mark 5:1-6).

The Healing of a Hernia by Saint Artemios

 

By Demetrios Panagopoulos, Preacher 

(1916 - 1982)

For 25 years I suffered from a hernia. This year I couldn't take the pain anymore and had to go for surgery.

One day after one of my talks, I spoke to a monk and said to him:

"Next Thursday I will not be here to speak. I will go to operate and I will ask Father Marino to come in my place."

"I will tell you something," the monk told me. "I also had a hernia. I was suffering and had to go to surgery. But I was ashamed as a monk to go and operate. I then went and begged Saint Artemios to make me well. And he made me well! And now I'm without a bandage, without anything and I'm going around with the sack in my hand, I'm "plowing through" Attica and I'm fine. Glory to His name! Why don't you go there too?"

The Church Where Saint John of Kronstadt Served for 53 Years

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew the First-Called was the main Russian Orthodox cathedral of Kronstadt.

The church was built in 1805–1817 to Andreyan Zakharov's designs to replace a wooden church dating from 1717 whose foundation stone was laid by Peter the Great.

In 1718, the original cathedral was ready for construction and on July 13 it was solemnly consecrated in the presence of the Emperor and his numerous retinue, as well as foreign ambassadors and envoys. It was dedicated to the Apostle Andrew, the patron saint of the Russian Navy.

The Chapel of Saint Mnason in Tamasos of Cyprus

The humble Chapel of Saint Mnason is located opposite the well-known Monastery of Saint Herakleidos on the west side of the hill, a little further down from the famous necropolis of ancient Tamasos, which borders the Cypriot village of Politiko. Unfortunately, we lack evidence or testimonies about when this beloved little chapel was built or the Monastery that we know functioned there (only the ruins of some cells and other buildings that extend to the east and west of the chapel testify that there functioned a large monastery in the past).

Saint Laura of Cordoba (+ 864)

St. Laura of Cordoba (Feast Day - October 19)

The Iberian peninsula was invaded by the Muslims at the beginning of the 8th century. Between the years 756 and 929, the Emirate of Córdoba was established in the south. The Visigoths who lived in these lands are known as Mozarabs and it was among this group of Christians who lived in the Umayyad lands that a movement arose that led them to voluntary martyrdom. Apparently, the Muslims and the Mozarabic ecclesiastical authorities had reached an agreement and, as long as a series of rules were respected, they did not prevent the Christians from continuing with their beliefs. However, due to the influence of Eulogio de Córdoba, a group of almost 50 Mozarabic Christians volunteered for martyrdom, afflicted by the Arabization of the population. Among them was Saint Laura of Cordoba.

Homily Six on the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 18/31, 1958)

In the epistle to the Romans, the holy Apostle Paul writes great words that should be the basis of the life of every Christian: “... love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).

In the same great apostle, in the first epistle to the Corinthians, we read the great commandment given to us: "Pursue love ..." (1 Corinthians 14:1).

How should we understand these words of the great teacher of the nations? They require a twofold understanding: by fulfilling the commandments of Christ, we must achieve such a purity of heart that it would be a container of love for all people. On the other hand, we must become worthy of our neighbors' love for us.

Homily Five on the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 18/31, 1957)

After the ascension into heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ, tasks of the greatest difficulty were presented before His holy Apostles. They had to radically change the whole worldview of the people of the ancient pagan world; to change the whole course of world history. They had to pour the new wine of Christ's teaching into the old wineskins of the minds and hearts of people who had been in darkness for an infinitely long time, whose eyes were blinded by the light of Christ.

In dilapidated skins, the strongest fermentation of new wine took place. They were torn, and no longer wine flowed out of them, but the blood of countless martyrs of Christ.

Homily Four on the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

  By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 18/31, 1952)

The Holy Apostle Paul bequeathed to all of us: "Imitate me, as I imitate Christ." And if one must imitate him, then, of course, one must imitate all the apostles, for they all followed the same path of Christ.

And I have the good fortune to bear the name of the great apostle and evangelist Luke. Should I not, therefore, first of all imitate him in his great deeds? In what, in what can I imitate him? What am I really imitating? What do I not imitate, what am I guilty of before him?

The Apostle Luke was a long-term companion of the Apostle Paul; together with him he walked all over Asia Minor, walked many hundreds of kilometers on foot. What for? Then, in order to preach about Christ anywhere and everywhere, to convert pagans and unbelieving Jews to Christ, to establish the Church of Christ anywhere and everywhere, to appoint bishops, to organize dioceses.

Homily Three on the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 18/31, 1951)

You have now heard in the Gospel reading the great words of Christ addressed to His disciples, the apostles, the saints: “He who hears you hears Me; and whoever rejects you rejects Me; but whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me” (Luke 10:16).

Oh, how terrible!

If we do not listen to the holy apostles, if we do not consider them the lamps of our life, then this means that we reject both the Lord Jesus Christ and His Beginningless Father.

The Seventh Ecumenical Synod as a Landmark for the Unity of the Church

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The Sunday of Orthodoxy celebrates the restoration of the sacred icons that took place in the year 843 AD, and in fact it is the implementation of the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod, which took place in the year 787 AD in Nicaea of Bithynia. An iconoclastic period preceded it, during which an intense debate about icons took place, people were divided into iconoclasts and iconophiles and many arguments were heard from each side.

The important thing about this case is that the politicians of that time were heavily involved in this debate. This was not unprecedented since, unfortunately, theology is always connected with politics, to be more precise I would say that politics used and still uses theology to implement its plans. This will also be made evident in today's speech.

Sunday of the Commemoration of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod (Fr. George Metallinos)

 

 By Protopresbyter Fr. George Metallinos

(Homily Delivered in c. 1980)

1. Today our Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod (787). As in the past, a heresy also caused this synod, the Iconoclast heresy. Apart from its undeniable Christological content, Iconoclasm had a clear ecclesiastical character. It was an overt attack by the State, which was no longer acting as "God's minister for good" (Rom. 13:3), against the Church. The two ministries of the citizens, the "Priesthood" and the "Kingdom", the priestly and the state ministry, stood opposite each other. The State sought to subjugate the Church, in an unprecedented explosion of politicism. Heresy was the spiritual background of the problem.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Luke - Ecclesiastical Teaching (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Luke

Ecclesiastical Teaching

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11).

Beloved brethren,

The interpretative teaching of the Parable of the Sower and the declaration that the seed is the word of God, is one of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, which the disciples of this heavenly Kingdom deserved and deserve to know. This is the great value of preaching in the space of the church. It is a revelation and interpretation of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, to those who seek it. It is a real sacred work, a transforming power. This basic teaching will be interpreted below.

On the Illustrious Holy Martyr Lucian (St. Jerome)

 By St. Jerome

(On Illustrious Men, ch. 77)

Lucian, a man of great talent, presbyter of the Church at Antioch, was so diligent in the study of the Scriptures, that even now certain copies of the Scriptures bear the name of Lucian. Works of his, On Faith, and short Epistles to various people are extant. He was put to death at Nicomedia for his confession of Christ in the persecution of Maximinus,* and was buried at Helenopolis in Bithynia.**

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.

Homily on the Holy Martyrs Juventinus and Maximinus (St. John Chrysostom)

St. Juventinus and Maximinus (Feast Day - October 12)

 

 

 

 

Homilies on the Great Litany of the Divine Liturgy - Mary the Theotokos (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Homilies on the Great Litany of the Divine Liturgy

Mary the Theotokos  

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Every time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy and every Sacred Service, and we pray to God, either to the Triune God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - or to the God-man Christ, we also ask for the intercessions of Mary the Theotokos, our Panagia. This is because the Panagia played an important role in the incarnation of the Son and Word of God and our salvation. The "homeless" God acquired a "home", that is, he entered the world through our Panagia.

Homily on the Resurrection of the Son of the Widow (Patriarch John VIII of Constantinople the Xiphilinos - 11th cent.)

 

By Patriarch John VIII of Constantinople the Xiphilinos 

 

(11th century - Feast Day August 30th)

 

The great mystery of the Resurrection is taught to us by our Savior and God as much through His words as through His works. And in His commands and teachings and miracles, the Lord begins with the lowest, and proceeds to the greatest. As by some steps He ascends from the lowest to the highest, and slowly raises the human race to the glory and knowledge and concept of His Godhead. One can see this in many other cases as well, but particularly in this case. For first the Lord indicated and announced the power of the Resurrection in the case of a serious illness for which they could do nothing, when He rebuked the fever that was burning Peter's mother-in-law, and caused such a change in her condition as to strengthen her in the service of visitors, the one everyone expected to die.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Luke - Orthodox Training (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 Homily for the Third Sunday of Luke
 

Orthodox Training

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Then He came and touched the body, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother" (Luke 7:14-16).

Beloved brethren,

Christ, with the power of His divinity, resurrected the dead youth and then gave him to his mother (Luke 7:11-17). This miracle, like all the miracles of Christ, show His work which is the abolition of death and the revival of dead mankind.

This is also the work of the Church, since the holiness of Christ is transferred to the Church, which is His Body. Thus, the Church aims to abolish death, to resurrect man. This is called education and training. For this reason, Orthodox education-training for everyone and especially for young people has a resurrected character and cannot be understood outside the Church, outside the Divine Liturgy and outside the Christian Community.

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

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 26, 1952)

Let us transport our thoughts to distant ancient Palestine, let us approach the city of Nain and see there an ineffable, indescribable spectacle: we will see a huge crowd of people, along with the apostles, accompanying the Lord Jesus Christ, for crowds of people always followed Him, attracted by His Divine teaching, His glorious miracles.

A sad procession comes out of the gates of the city: they carry the only son of the unfortunate widow to the burial, and her heart breaks, and she cries and sobs inconsolably. Her Jewish acquaintances follow the coffin and weep with her.

Reflection on the Third Sunday of Luke (St. Theophan the Recluse)

Third Sunday of Luke

 
Luke 7:11-16

By St. Theophan the Recluse 

 

The Lord sees a mother weeping over the death of her son and has compassion on her; another time he was called to a marriage, and rejoiced together with the family. By this He showed that to share ordinary everyday joys and sorrows is not contrary to His spirit. 

 

This is what true, reverent Christians do, who live their life in fear [of God]. However, they distinguish some everyday life routines from others; for much has entered into these routines which cannot be God’s good will. There are customs that come from passions, which arise for their indulgence; others are kept alive by vanity and busyness. He who has the spirit of Christ, will be able to distinguish the good from the bad: he adheres to the one and rejects the other. 

 

The Holy Ninety-Nine Fathers of Crete including Venerable John the Hermit

 

MEMORY OF THE VENERABLE NINETY-NINE FATHERS,
who practiced asceticism on the island of Crete
including JOHN THE HERMIT

Commemorated on October 7th

By St. Justin Popovich

 

THESE ninety-nine venerable fathers, among whom the most famous was John the Hermit, practiced asceticism and perfected themselves on the island of Crete, but their origin was from various regions. Venerable John was from Egypt and with him thirty-five other fathers; thirty-nine fathers were from the island of Cyprus, and the other twenty-four from Attaleia. Traveling by ship to the island of Crete, they were miraculously saved from a storm and landed on the neighboring island of Gavdos, and from there they came to Crete. But John the Hermit lagged behind them, who then came across the sea standing on his tunic, which, after praying to God, he spread on the water and thus by the power of God he also sailed to Crete.

When Beasts and Humans Together Celebrated the Memory of the Holy Martyr Sergius

By St. Justin Popovich

Every year on the feast of the holy martyr [Sergius], wild animals, as if fulfilling some law, came out of the surrounding deserts and gathered at the place where the holy martyr was first buried. And during that time, they changed their wild nature into the meekness of a lamb: for they did not attack any of the people or the cattle, but having meekly visited the holy place, they again left for their deserts. So God glorified his beloved, that He inspired the beasts as well as humans to celebrate the holy memory of the holy martyr.

From Lives of the Saints for October.

 

 

Sergiopolis, the Site of the Martyrdom of Saints Sergius and Bacchus

On October 7th the memory of the two saints Sergius and Bacchus is celebrated. Their history and their martyrdom are closely linked to Syria.

Traveling in the Syrian desert and specifically on the northern road, which connects Palmyra with the Euphrates, the emperor Diocletian had built one of the great border camps of Roman Syria. Sergius and Bacchus, two Christian soldiers who refused to renounce their faith, were martyred here. The place acquired mythic proportions because of the martyrdom, and Sergius especially - because the name of Bacchus carried many ancient “sins” – became the pre-eminent saint of the tribes of the Syrian desert.

The Relics of Saint Methodia of Kimolos

Saint Methodia of Kimolos, after living as a recluse for several years, reposed in the Lord at the age of 47 on October 5, 1908. The day after her repose, it was noticed that her limbs were still flexible. She was then initially buried in the Church of Saint Spyridon on the island of Kimolos.

On August 15th 1946 she was locally recognized as the "patron and guardian of the island and its great benefactor."

By 1962 her monastic cell had fallen into ruin. For this reason a small church was built over the ruins dedicated to the Panagia Eleousa and Venerable Methodia. Her relics were then transferred from the Church of Saint Spyridon to a crypt in the new church.

Saints Domnina, Bernike and Prosdoke as Models for our Lives

 

 By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Saint Domnina came from Antioch and lived in the years of Emperor Diocletian. She embraced the Christian faith together with her two daughters, Bernike and Prosdoke. After their baptism, their way of life changed, since their hearts overflowed with love, joy, peace, and in general with all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which resided in their hearts. This change in their way of life and behavior did not take long for Domnina's idolatrous husband to understand, who tried to convince his wife and daughters to sacrifice to the idols. And because they refused to do so, then, full of hatred, he wanted his own daughters to be dishonored. Domnina, however, self-sacrificingly protected them, and they all preferred to suffer martyrdom by drowning in a river, rather than lose their faith, their inner purity and the peace of their souls, these precious and priceless goods.

The Appearance of Saint Hierotheos to a Greek Nun During World War 2

The presence of Saint Hierotheos in the Monastery of Panagia Kyparisiotissa and Saint Hierotheos in Megara of West Attica is noticeable.

At the time of the Second World War, one of the nuns, Sister Salome Adamakis, was overcome by human weakness and feared the danger of the Germans who went to the Sacred Monastery every now and then, as they were looking for English soldiers. So she decided to secretly leave the Monastery of Panagia Kyparisiotissa and Saint Hierotheos.

The Deep Foundation of the Church and Arbitrary Traditions

 

By Protopresbyter Thomas Vamvinis

The Deep Foundation of the Church

One of the most misunderstood concepts in our time is the concept of tradition, without putting any definition to it.

It is known that in the Church we do not speak of tradition in general, but we speak of the Holy Tradition, which we distinguish from all other human traditions. Sacred Tradition is not exhausted by, nor is it identified with the church building, iconography or hymnology and the art of chanting. Holy Tradition is something deeper.

The Topic That Tests the Faith of a Christian (Photios Kontoglou)

"When you speak to pseudochristians about strict asceticism of the body and the spirit for the love of Christ, they get angry, they call you a fakir, an idolater, a barbarian. If you want to test the faith of a Christian, speak to them about asceticism."

- Photios Kontoglou

 

 

Homily for the Second Sunday of Luke - The Meaning of Justice (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 Homily for the Second Sunday of Luke

The Meaning of Justice

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?" (Luke 6:33)

Beloved brethren,

If there is something that characterizes all the people of our time, it is the search for justice. Everyone thirsts and shouts for its domination, because they think that this is how peace and love will prevail on earth. Justice, which is connected to equality, is the expectation of all people and all systems. However, justice is interpreted differently by each person.

I will briefly formulate some thoughts about justice and how Christianity understands it.

Homily Three for the Second Sunday of Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 10/23, 1949)

Open your hearts, sharpen your hearing to the perception of the amazing, extraordinary, deepest words of Christ: “As you want people to do to you, so do you to them” (Luke 6:31).

When a person with a pure heart hears these words of Christ for the first time, he is embarrassed, he even becomes uncomfortable.

Oh my God! How could I not think of what You are telling us! How did I not think that I should treat people the way I want to be treated.

Simply, unusually simple is this word of Christ, and at the same time it is bottomlessly profound.

Homily Two on the Holy Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol

(Delivered on October 1/14, 1954)

Do not think that I will speak only about the great feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos: I will not explain the meaning of this feast, for I have already explained it more than once.

I will talk about something completely different, I will talk about the little flock of Christ.

Why then, why on the day of the Protection will I speak of the little flock? This is why: I know that most of you are very alarmed by the sudden increase in anti-religious propaganda, and you mourn ... Do not worry, do not worry! It's none of your business.