Archive His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania: Instead of unity of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, there has appeared a danger of schism in the unity of universal Orthodoxy 22 November 2018 year 16:33 In his letter sent to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on 10 October 2018, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania expressed his concern that the implementation of the project of Ukrainian autocephaly by the Patriarchate of Constantinople would be a “march in a minefield.” “It reminds of a dangerous undertaking with unforeseen repercussions. The warring groups will preserve their identity and cohesion, as often happened before in various Local Churches. As a result, instead of the unity of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, there has appeared a danger of schism in the unity of the universal Orthodoxy,” the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church said in his letter and noted that he had expressed his opinion to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople during their meeting in Cyprus. As His Beatitude emphasized, he is lifting up “ardent prayers for the unity of our Holy Church, which its Head, our Lord Jesus Christ, hath purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28).” The Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church assured His Holiness Patriarch Kirill that he “will do all he can to prevent the schism in the universal Orthodoxy.” “Such scenario would be a painful blow to the trust in Orthodoxy, and every effort must be exerted to prevent it,” His Beatitude Metropolitan Anastasios added, “Howsoever impossible it might seem, we believe that we all must do all within our power to return to the Synaxes of Primates and to the planning of a new Great Council. We are aware that some will regard these proposals as unreal and therefore unfeasible. However, I am confident that no one can be a realist while not believing in a miracle, and that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Lk 18:27).” DECR Communication Service /Patriarchia.ru Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
What would you now, brethren, from the ministers of the word? The Word Himself is no more! The Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salvation, the Author of every quick and powerful (Heb. 4:12) word, is silent, dead, buried, and sealed up. The more plainly and convincingly “to show man the path of life” (Ps. 16:11) this very Word came down from heaven and put on flesh; but men would not hearken unto the Word, they tear His flesh, and lo, “He is cut off out of the land of the living” (Is. 53:8). Who then shall now give unto us the word of life and salvation? Let us hasten to confess the mystery of the Word which shall disarm His persecutors, and restore Him to souls ready to receive Him. The Word of God is not bound by death . As a word from the lips of man dies not entirely away at the moment its sound ceases, but rather gathers new strength, and passing through the senses, penetrates the minds and hearts of the hearers; so also the Hypostatical Word of God, the Son of God, in His saving incarnation, whilst dying in the flesh, “fills all things” (Eph 4:10) with His Spirit and might. Thus when Christ waxeth faint and becometh silent on the cross, then is it that heaven and earth raise their voice unto Him, and the dead preach the resurrection of the Crucified, and the very stones cry out. “And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose” (Lk 23:45; Mt 27:51-52). Christians, the incarnate Word keepeth silence only in order to speak unto us with greater power and effect; withdraws, that He may the more inwardly “dwell among us” (Jn 1:14); dies, that He may grant us His inheritance. Assembled by the Church to hold converse with the departed Jesus, listen ye unto the quick and powerful word of the dead (Heb 4:32); listen ye to the testament He has left unto you, “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me” (Lk 22:29). |
Скачать epub pdf Volume III – Church History Christ and the Apostles The first century of the Christian era begins with the birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. Christ lived, preached, did mighty acts, was crucified, rose again, and ascended into Heaven in the first several decades of the first century. After His Ascension into Heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit upon Christ’s disciples on the Feast of Pentecost (Acts.2), empowering them to take Christ’s Gospel to the ends of the known world. During His life on earth, Jesus selected disciples – first the Twelve ( Mt.10:2–4 ) and then the Seventy ( Lk.10:1 ). He trained them to be the leaders of His Church. After Pentecost, the Apostles preached the Gospel of Christ far and wide. We do not know exactly where all the Apostles traveled, but we know a good deal about the missionary journeys of Saint Paul, which are recorded in the Book of Acts (chs:13–28). In his extensive travels Saint Paul founded many churches in Asia Minor and Greece. All the Twelve Apostles (including Saint Matthias, who took Judas’s place – Acts.1:15–26) except Saint John, as well as many of the Seventy, died as martyrs for their faith in Christ. The Gospels and Epistles, and all of the 27 writings which the Church eventually selected to be the New Testament Scriptures, were written in the first century. Also in this time, Christian communities were established in the main cities of Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and Egypt, and even as far as Armenia and India. Because the Church in Antioch was growing so much, Saints Paul and Barnabas went there to preach and teach. It was there that the followers of Christ were first called Christians (Acts.11:19–30). Also, this Church sent forth Saints Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts.13:1). Antioch probably surpassed Jerusalem as the leading Christian center by the time the Christians fled from Jerusalem shortly before the outbreak of the Jewish Revolt against the Romans in 66 A.D. |
Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday The week following the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt is called Palm or Branch Week. At the Tuesday services of this week the Church recalls that Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died and that the Lord is going to raise him from the dead ( Jn 11 ). As the days continue toward Saturday, the Church, in its hymns and verses, continues to follow Christ towards Bethany to the tomb of Lazarus. On Friday evening, the eve of the celebration of the Resurrection of Lazarus, the “great and saving forty days” of Great Lent are formally brought to an end: Having accomplished the forty days for the benefit of our souls, we pray to Thee, O Lover of Man, that we may see the holy week of Thy passion, that in it we may glorify Thy greatness and Thine unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake. ...(Vesper Hymn) Lazarus Saturday is a paschal celebration. It is the only time in the entire Church Year that the resurrectional service of Sunday is celebrated on another day. At the liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the Church glorifies Christ as “the Resurrection and the Life ” who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before his own suffering and death. By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the branches of victory, we cry out to Thee, O Vanquisher of Death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! (Troparion). Christ —the Joy, the Truth and the Light of All, the Life of the world and its Resurrection—has appeared in his goodness to those on earth. He has become the Image of our Resurrection, granting divine forgiveness to all (Kontakion). At the Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday the baptismal verse from Galatians:As many as have been baptizedl into Christ have put on Christ ( Gal 3:27 ) replaces the Thrice-holy Hymn thus indicating the resurrectional character of the celebration, and the fact that Lazarus Saturday was once among the few great baptismal days in the Orthodox Church Year. Because of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, Christ was hailed by the masses as the long-expected Messiah-King of Israel. Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, he entered Jenrsalem, the City of the King, riding on the colt of an ass ( Zech 9:9; Jn 12:12 ). The crowds greeted him with brancfies in their hands and called out to him with shouts of praise: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The Son of David! The King of Israel! Because of this glorification by the people, the priests and scribes were finally driven “to destroy him, to put him to death” ( Lk 19:47; Jn 11:53, 12:10 ). |
‘’He who does not love his brother abides in death’’ (1Jn 3:14) The action of life is the heroism of love. This is the milk that is given in abundance by our Mother Church. ‘’Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him’’ (1Jn 3:18-19). In the life of the Orthodox Church we don’t worship a dogma or some belief. But what we live is a theophany: the revelation of the truth, that God is love. Out of love, God creates everything. And when humanity fell from love, from communion with God, He did not abandon it. He humbled Himself and saved it. The God-man our Lord Jesus Christ as you know from the life of the Church, is a revelation of ineffable love for all of creation and the human being. Jesus does not see enemies but friends. He gives no defense to be saved, but sacrifices Himself to save everyone. He even considers friends those who crucify Him. He does not destroy enemies because He doesn’t have any, but abolishes the hatred in humanity. This final victory of peace destroys death, enlivens everyone and resurrects them. The lighthouse which guides and frees the human being from the ravages of death is the confession by the Apostle of love who said: ‘’we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death’’ (1Jn 3:14; cf. Lk 10:27-28). There is a world of difference between thinking about love and loving, between noble thoughts and noble actions. We have enough talk, enough ideas. We need action. We need deeds; not that deeds buy our ticket to heaven, but talk definitely doesn’t. Love is the oxygen of life. It does not divide but unites. It helps everyone improve their behavior, heals the sick and assists people to rejoice in their life. We don’t breathe life into our souls simply by being informed about different religious views, but by the living examples of those who conquered death, through the sacrifice of love. No soul is nourished with religious informative views, but by the spirit of the heroism of love. |
Whilst He was yet without power of speech, the sword of the preaching of the cross is already being sharpened in the lips of Simeon, and pierces through the soul of His mother (Lk 2:34, 36). A few men of a strange tribe come to salute Him with the title of King of the Jews; but even this faint glory excited against Him the enmity of the Jewish king, makes Him the innocent cause of bloodshed, and obliges Him to withdraw Himself from among the people of God into a land of idolatry. The boundless Wisdom of God “increaseth in wisdom, and in favour with God and man” (Lk 2:52), according as it increases in stature. For thirty years the Lord of Heaven and the King of Glory shrouds Himself from heaven and earth in deep obedience unto two mortals whom He has vouchsafed to call His parents. And what did not Jesus suffer afterwards from the very day of His entering on the solemn ministry of the salvation of mankind? The Holy One of God coming to sanctify mankind, in company with sinners, seeking purification, bows His head beneath the hand of man, and receives baptism; baptism indeed, my brethren, that is to say, immersion, not so much in the water, as in the fulness of the cross. [In Russian, the word baptism, krestchenie, is derived from the word cross, krest; so that to be baptised is equivalent to being crossed.] He Who “searcheth the heart,” and trieth the reins (Jer 27:10), is Himself delivered up to temptation. The bread of heaven is given up to earthly hunger; He before Whom “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Phil 2:10), suffers the prince of hell to claim worship of Him (Mt 4:9). The Mediator between God and man reveals Himself unto men, but they either do not recognize Him, or will not recognize Him; His doctrine is counted blasphemy (Mt 9:3), His works unlawful (Jn 9:16), His miracles those of Beelzebub (Mt 12:24), if He works miracles and does good on the Sabbath day, He is called a transgressor of the Sabbath; if He converts sinners and receives the repentant, He is upbraided as “the friend of sinners” (Mt 11:19). |
Feeble women by nature, but not in your minds and hearts; for womanly weakness did not appear in you in any way, but all your feats surpassed the bravery of men. Upon you were truly fulfilled the words of Scripture, which say, My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9), and again, God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (1 Cor. 1:27; cf. Ps. 8:2, Mt. 21:16). The words of our Most Holy Savior were truly in your hearts, Who said, fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul (Mt. 10:28). And again the Holy Spirit says, Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord (Ps. 30:24). You completed the apostolic work before the apostles. You displayed the faith and courage of soul of the holy martyrs before them. Elias the great prophet, ablaze with Divine zeal, rebuked Ahab, and you confounded the guards of the Lord’s Tomb. Gideon once crushed a multitude of Midianites with three hundred soldiers (cf. Jdg. 7:25). You, along with the righteous men Joseph and Nikodemos, stronger than all of the Jews’ and Pilate’s fortifications became fearless ministers, ready even unto death to serve Him Who came to serve and lay down His soul for the redemption of the whole of mankind. You, O holy women, together with the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the mother of our eternal Savior, with great zeal and bravery of soul gathered to celebrate the very first service to the Savior. Therefore, you were blessed even before the apostles to preach the Resurrection of the Lord. Beloved faithful! Who are these holy Myrrhbearing Women who followed Christ together with the apostles and were accounted worthy to be witnesses to the Lord’s sufferings, and to anoint His holy Body with spices as it lay in the Tomb? The holy Gospel briefly provides us their names and deeds. The first and most full of spiritual zeal and courage is Mary Magdalene , from the city of Magdala in Galilee. The other holy Myrrhbearers are Maria, the mother of James (Mk. 16:1) and of Joses (Mk. 15:47), who is the cousin of the Mother of God; Mary, the wife of Cleopas (Jn. 19:25), and Salome, the mother of the Sons of Thunder (Mt. 27:56; 28:1; Mk. 16:1; Lk. 24:10). Then there is Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, Susanna, and many others serving Him out of their own means (Lk. 8:3). Among the Myrrhbearers were Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus from Bethany, where the Savior often stayed with the holy apostles on the way to Jerusalem or Galilee. |
And understand, brothers, that in the plan of salvation for mankind, the Mother of God was already prefigured in Noah’s dove. For as it bore to Noah the good news of the cessation of the flood, so the Mother of God—the chosen dove of God and the Holy Spirit—through bearing Christ brought to the world the great news of its redemption from slavery to sin. The Mother of God was prefigured also by Jacob’s ladder upon which ascended and descended the angels of God (Gen. 28:12), for the Mother of God was that ladder upon which God came down to us and upon which our nature ascended to the right hand of God (Canon of the Akathist to the Theotokos). And again the Mother of God was foreshadowed by the Burning Bush , burning but yet not consumed by the flames of the Divine fire (Ex. 3:2), for She was the spiritual bush, receiving into Herself the fire of the Godhead and not being burnt by It. The Mother of God was also foreseen in Aaron’s budding rod (Number 17:8), for she went up from her barren parents who dwelt in purity, conceived by the Holy Spirit and bore Christ (Lk. 1:35). The Mother of God was prefigured by the seven-branched candlestick (Ex. 37:17-24), for She enlightened the world with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. And again she was prefigured by the golden censer (Ex. 37:16, 40:26-27), for she brought to the world the fire of the Godhead. Further, the Mother of God was prefigured by the tabernacle of the Ark of the testimony and the tablets of the old law (Ex. 40:20-22) because She is the sacred tabernacle and the animate ark, and the tablet of the law of grace. The Mother of God was foreshadowed by the shut gate seen by the prophet Ezekiel, for through Her passed but God alone and She remained shut, not violating the fountain of Her virginity (Ezek. 44:2). The Mother of God is the Most Holy Queen, splendidly arrayed, Who Her blessed forefather, the prophet and king David saw in the Holy Spirit standing at the right hand of the throne of God, for He Who rules by the thunder of heaven in Her settled and live (Ps. 44:10). The Mother of God was foreshadowed again in the light cloud upon which God descended to us. |
Judas’ greed surpassed all the apostolic gifts given him by Christ. In his homily “On Judas’ betrayal,” St. John Chrysostom says: “Look how much Christ did to persuade him to take His side and to save him: He taught him wisdom, and by His acts and words He put him above the demons [i.e., He gave the twelve disciples power over unclean spirits (Mt. 10:1)]. He made him capable of accomplishing many miracles, to intimidate Gehenna; he was admonished by promises of the Kingdom, he was constantly revealed the mysteries of His thoughts, however not exposing them to everybody. He washed his feet along with the other disciples’ feet, made him a participant of His meals, and did not miss anything, neither big nor small – but Judas voluntarily remained incorrigible.” One other substantial detail distinguishes Judas from Peter. Judas, being always beside Christ, remained impure of heart. Greed necessarily leads to lies, to the lack of symphony between word, deed, and thought. Therefore it is not surprising that when the high priests began to seek how they might kill him, “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money” (Lk. 22:2-5). Thirty pieces of silver has become the ultimate step in Judas’ fall and, at the same time, the specific feature of the former Apostle’s nature. Betrayal was the result of the fall of the former Apostle. The growth of sinful inclinations led to the loss of Judas’ faith in Jesus as God. Pride, Satan, and money led him to cease believing in Jesus as God, and He had become for him a heretic, an impostor, a blasphemer. The subsequent behavior of the former Apostle became fully predictable and understandable. To seek justification for the betrayal of Judas Iscariot is the word “repented” from chapter 27 of the Gospel according to Matthew – “Then Judas, which had betrayed Him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders” – is misguided. This is not the repentance of the Apostle Peter, when Peter lamented and pronounced a curse upon himself for his weakness of character, and goes to the Apostles. It is the realization that the traitor has been left completely alone. He is neglected by everybody. He is scorned by everyone. He does not have anything or anybody to believe in and, essentially, he does not have anywhere to go. Indirect confirmation of this conclusion can be seen in the reasons for suicide today. It is solitude and disappointment with the absence of faith. Judas killed God in his heart, became disappointed in his actions, and was left in complete isolation. |
Prayer is often called the breath of life. Just as breath in the nostrils shows that the body is alive, so does the prayer of the mind and heart to God testify that the grace of the Holy Spirit has not completely abandoned a person. Prayer has nothing in common with dreams and fantasies, as some, who are not at all acquainted with the essence of the matter through their own experience, think and try to persuade others. Prayer does not mean talking to yourself, self-suggestion, or meditation; it differs radically from those forms of interior life. Not even thoughts about God can be called prayer, for it is one thing to think, and entirely another to pray. Prayer is a thought addressed to God. Not only thought, but also the heart and will. Isn " t it about this total turning of a human being to God in prayer that the greatest commandment of the Law speaks: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind (Lk. 10:27)? Prayer is labor, and probably nothing equally laborious can be found. No sooner do you go to pray than thousands of pressing, major and minor affairs come up requiring immediate attention. You begin the prayer itself, and out of nowhere comes a whirlwind of thoughts, such a distraction that you can " t help but apply the beginning of Pushkin " s famous poem to yourself: " The sky is covered by a storm of darkness, the whirl of snowstorms… " It is always easier to talk about prayer than it is to do it. First, this sacred work requires constancy. You won " t take anything by storm here. Some take up the ascetic work of prayer with heat and fervor, but very quickly cool towards it, forgetting that laziness always follows at the heels of impetuosity. When it comes to teaching yourself to pray, the old saying very much applies: " Slow and steady wins the race. " It is easy to imagine the essence of the matter by using the example of two lumps of coal. One is red and blazing hot—that is prayer itself; another is black and completely cold—that is our heart. If you simply place the two coals next to each other and let them be, then the first will cool down while the second will ignite. Thus, those who think that there is no sense praying if you don " t feel like it are quite mistaken. " I am not in the mood to pray today—it would be insincere, " they say, and put the prayer book aside for a day, then a month, and even for many long years. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (Mt. 11:11), Christ the Savior calls us to force ourselves and increase our efforts in the labor of prayer. The Lord God Himself promises to give prayer to the soul that prays. |
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