| Clergy, faculty, students and administrative team members at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary here recently marked the 60th Anniversary of the repose of Saint Nikolai [Velimirovic] with the celebration of an Akathistos Hymn outside the room in which he had fallen asleep in the Lord on March 18, 1956. Photo: http://oca.org/ “Saint Nikolai of Zhicha, known internationally for his numerous theological and spiritual writings, including the Prologue from Ohrid, The Life of Saint Sava, and A Treasury of Serbian Spirituality , spent the last five years of his life here at Saint Tikhon’s, where he taught classes, mentored seminarians, and served as the seminary’s Dean and Rector,” said Archpriest Dr. Steven Voytovich, STOTS Dean, who presided at the celebration. “A commemorative photo and short biography hang in the hallway outside his former room, serving as a daily reminder of his presence and protection.” According to the account of Saint Nikolai’s life , he also had served as a guest lecturer at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, at that time located in New York, NY, and Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary, Jordanville, NY. “The Akathistos Hymn, composed on Pascha 1923 by Saint Nikolai, who at the time was Bishop of Ohrid, is dedicated to Jesus, the Conqueror of Death,” Father Steven explained. “One of the prayers from his earlier composition, Prayers by the Lake, focusing on Jesus as King and God, was read at the conclusion before the singing of the Magnification and the veneration of his relics and icon.” Concelebrating with Father Steven and Archpriest Stephen Kopestonsky were Priest David Gresham and Deacon Basil Ferguson, both students at STOTS. “We take this opportunity today to prayerfully remember one of our saints who had walked on these grounds, and ask his intercession before Christ our Lord for our ongoing efforts toward pastoral formation, for the faculty, the seminarians, and all who continue to labor here,” Father Steven said at the conclusion of the celebration. “O Venerable Father Hierarch Nikolai, pray unto God for us!” |
| In the 4th century, the Eucharistic prayers of the two most prominent liturgies of the Eastern Church-the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, and the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (d. 407)-were substantially formulated. The catechetical sermons of Saint John Chrysostom, together with those of Saint Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem (d. 386), show that the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation were being celebrated in the fourth century almost exactly as they are done in the Orthodox Church today. By this time, the 40-Day Great Lent and the Feast of Pascha (Easter) were well established. And the Feast of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) was separated from the Feast of Theophany (Epiphany), thus becoming a separate feast of the Church (see Worship). Monasticism With the end of the era of persecution and the rapid growth of Christianity in the cities, many Christians, both men and women, were drawn to wilderness areas to serve God alone, and to fight the devil. Some lived completely in isolation as hermits. Others lived near famous elders to be led by their spiritual guidance. And still others gathered together to live in communities-the first monasteries. The ascetical life led by the monastics came to be seen as a white, bloodless martyrdom, marked by constant dying to one’s passions and desires. Not rejecting the world as something evil, the monastics served the world in the most effective way possible-by their constant prayer for the whole world, and by giving spiritual counsel to those who came to visit them. Monasticism began in Egypt in the 3rd century. Saint Paul of Thebes (c. 230–340) was apparently the first hermit in the Egyptian desert. He was seen by Saint Anthony the Great (c. 250–356), the one traditionally considered to be the founder of monasticism, who lived in isolation for many years before allowing disciples to begin living around him. The very vivid and dramatic Life of Anthony, written by Saint Athanasius the Great, did much to popularize monasticism, especially in Western Europe. The 38 “sayings” of Anthony in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers remain to this day a superb teaching of the Christian spiritual life. |
| NEW YORK – Saint Basil Academy will celebrate its 70th Anniversary, June 21, 2014, in its magnificent campus by the Hudson River, in Garrison, NY. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America will lead the celebration. Dr. Steven Gounardes is the chairman for this special 70th Celebration and Mike Emanuel, FOX News chief congressional correspondent will be the Master of Ceremonies. The children of the Academy along with the Executive Director Rev. Constantine Sitaras and the members of the Board of Trustees led by its president Evellyn Tsiadis are preparing to welcome friends, supporters and visitors. Saint Basil Academy is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese home for children in need. It was established in 1944 to house orphaned children and later became a school to educate young Greek women to teach the Greek language in our parish communities. Today it is a safe haven for children within a nurturing and spiritual environment. Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| One would have thought that this very pro-Roman council would have well satisfied the papacy. But this council had also asked Emperor Basil to resolve the status of the newly formed Bulgarian Church, and not surprisingly, he assigned it to the authority of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Ignatios defied Roman protests about this, and appointed an archbishop and bishops for the Bulgarians, expelling all the Latin clergy. The Bulgarians accepted this development, as they finally realized that their Church would have more independence under Constantinople than under Rome. But Rome threatened Ignatios with ex-communication, and relations between the two Churches were very strained again. Photios’ reconciliation with Emperor Basil and Patriarch Ignatios In 873 Photios was recalled from exile by Emperor Basil, who by now had shifted his allegiance from the extreme conservatives in the Church to the more moderate party that still supported Photios. By now Basil was firmly ensconced in power and no longer needed the support of the Ignatian party, or that of Rome. He even made Photios the tutor for his sons Leo (the future emperor) and Alexander, and Photios resumed his lectures at the University. In the following years Ignatios and Photios were reconciled; and when Ignatios neared death, he stipulated that he wanted Photios to succeed him as patriarch. This indeed is what happened, for after Ignatios died, on October 23, 877, Photios was returned to the patriarchal throne. And soon thereafter, Photios worked for the official canonization of Ignatios as a saint—his feast day is October 23. The " Photian Council " of Constantinople in 879-880 In 879-880 another council is held in Constantinople, with 383 bishops in attendance, which annulled the decisions of the much smaller and much more politically motivated Ignatian Council of 869-870 which had affirmed Ignatios rather than Photios to be the rightful patriarch of Constantinople. The Papal legates attending this council, known as the Photian Council, were apparently in full approval. Indeed, they joined in this declaration of the council " s last session: “If any man refuses to recognize Photios as the holy patriarch and declines to be in communion with him, his lot shall be with Judas, and he shall not be included among the Christians!” |
| At the very least this must mean that theology presupposes personal faith. Human reason is indeed essential if we are to theologize coherently, but our human reason can be effectively exercised only within the context of faith. Credo ut intelligam, stated Anselm of Canterbury, ‘I believe in order to understand’; and he spoke of fides quaerens intelligentiam, ‘faith seeking out understanding’ – not vice-versa! 2. Mysterion Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian regularly use the phrase ‘the mystery of theology’. But, if we are to appreciate what it means to call theology a ‘mystery’, it is important to recall the true religious meaning of the word. A ‘mystery’ is not simply an unsolved problem, a baffling conundrum, but something that is indeed revealed to our understanding; yet it is never exhaustively revealed, because it reaches out into the infinity of God. Theology, then, is a mystery in this religious sense, because, as Saint Thalassios says, ‘it transcends our mind’, seeking to express in human language that which lies far beyond all human comprehension. In the words of Archpriest John Meyendorff, theology is ‘à la fois contemplation de Dieu et expression de l " Inexprimable’, ‘simultaneously contemplation of God and expression of the Inexpressible’. In T. S. Eliot’s phrase, theological discourse is ‘a raid on the inarticulate’. ‘Every theological statement’, remarks Saint Basil, ‘falls short of the understanding of the speaker... Our understanding is weak and our tongue is even more defective.’ According to the Cappadocians, once theology forgets the inevitable limits of the human understanding, replacing the ineffable Word of God with human logic, it ceases to be theologia and sinks to the level of technologia. That is why our theology has always to be expressed ‘in a riddling, enigmatic way’ (1 Corinthians 13:12). We are compelled to employ antinomy and paradox because we are stretching human language beyond its proper limits. In order to embrace, however inadequately, the fullness of divine truth, we find ourselves obliged to make statements that are seemingly contrary to each other. Not without reason did Cardinal Newman describe the theological enterprise as ‘saying and unsaying to a positive effect’. |
| At the very least this must mean that theology presupposes personal faith. Human reason is indeed essential if we are to theologize coherently, but our human reason can be effectively exercised only within the context of faith. Credo ut intelligam , stated Anselm of Canterbury, “I believe in order to understand”; and he spoke of fides quaerens intelligentiam , “faith seeking out understanding” – not vice-versa ! 2. Mysterion Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian regularly use the phrase “the mystery of theology”. But, if we are to appreciate what it means to call theology a “mystery”, it is important to recall the true religious meaning of the word. A “mystery” is not simply an unsolved problem, a baffling conundrum, but something that is indeed revealed to our understanding; yet it is never exhaustively revealed, because it reaches out into the infinity of God. Theology, then, is a mystery in this religious sense, because, as Saint Thalassios says, “it transcends our mind” , seeking to express in human language that which lies far beyond all human comprehension. In the words of Archpriest John Meyendorff, theology is “а la fois contemplation de Dieu et expression de l’Inexprimable”, “simultaneously contemplation of God and expression of the Inexpressible” . In T. S. Eliot’s phrase, theological discourse is “a raid on the inarticulate”. “Every theological statement”, remarks Saint Basil, “falls short of the understanding of the speaker…. Our understanding is weak and our tongue is even more defective.” According to the Cappadocians, once theology forgets the inevitable limits of the human understanding, replacing the ineffable Word of God with human logic, it ceases to be theologia and sinks to the level of technologia . That is why our theology has always to be expressed “in a riddling, enigmatic way” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We are compelled to employ antinomy and paradox because we are stretching human language beyond its proper limits. In order to embrace, however inadequately, the fullness of divine truth, we find ourselves obliged to make statements that are seemingly contrary to each other. Not without reason did Cardinal Newman describe the theological enterprise as “saying and unsaying to a positive effect”. |
| The calamitous situation in Bulgaria developed because an invasion by the Germans forced them to seek help in the West, and the Bulgarian prince requested the Pope to send his bishops. When they arrived in Bulgaria, the papal legates began to substitute Latin teachings and customs in place of Orthodox belief and practice. Saint Photius, as a firm defender of truth and denouncer of falsehood, wrote an encyclical informing the Eastern bishops of the Pope’s actions, indicating that the departure of the Roman Church from Orthodoxy was not only in ritual, but also in its confession of faith. A council was convened, censuring the arrogance of the West. In 867, Basil the Macedonian seized the imperial throne, after murdering the emperor Michael. Saint Photius denounced the murderer and would not permit him to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Therefore, he was removed from the patriarchal throne and locked in a monastery under guard, and Patriarch Ignatius was restored to his position. The Synod of 869 met to investigate the conduct of Saint Photius. This council took place with the participation of papal legates, who demanded that the participants sign a document (Libellus) condemning Photius and recognizing the primacy of the Pope. The Eastern bishops would not agree to this, and argued with the legates. Summoned to the council, Saint Photius met all the accusations of the legates with a dignified silence. Only when the judges asked him whether he wished to repent did he reply, “Why do you consider yourselves judges?” After long disputes, the opponents of Photius were victorious. Although their judgment was baseless, they anathematized Patriarch Photius and the bishops defending him. The saint was sent to prison for seven years, and by his own testimony, he thanked the Lord for patiently enduring His judges. During this time the Latin clergy were expelled from Bulgaria, and Patriarch Ignatius sent his bishops there. In 879, two years after the death of Patriarch Ignatius, another council was summoned (many consider it the Eighth Ecumenical Council), and again Saint Photius was acknowledged as the lawful archpastor of the Church of Constantinople. Pope John VIII, who knew Photius personally, declared through his envoys that the former papal decisions about Photius were annulled. The council acknowledged the unalterable character of the Nicean-Constantinople Creed, rejecting the Latin distortion (“filioque”), and acknowledging the independence and equality of both thrones and both churches (Western and Eastern). The council decided to abolish Latin usages and rituals in the Bulgarian church introduced by the Roman clergy, who ended their activities there. |
| Also dating from the ninth century is a copy of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom which has the Liturgy of the Faithful in virtually the exact form in which it is celebrated in the Orthodox Church today. New Law Code Near the end of the ninth century, a famous new law code was published by Emperor Basil I. In its introduction, called the Epanagoge, the system known as “symphonia”-the harmonious cooperation between the Church and State-is eloquently reaffirmed, with extremely high standards of moral probity, personal sanctity, and theological wisdom placed upon both the patriarch of Constantinople and the emperor. For example, the patriarch is to “lead unbelievers into adopting the Faith, astounding them with the splendor and glory and wondrousness of his own devotion”; and the emperor “must be of the highest perfection in Orthodoxy and piety.” The West Generally speaking, the 9th century was one of the most significant centuries in Church history. It was a period of renaissance in the East after 843, while in the West it was one of increasing centralization around the Roman Papacy, especially through the efforts of Pope Nicholas I. The most important theologian in the West in this century was John Scot Erigena (d. 877), who brought the strong influence of the Eastern theology of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite and Saint Maximus the Confessor into the Western Church. However, he interpreted the mystical writings attributed to Saint Dionysius along Neo-Platonic lines. Tenth Century Cultural Renaissance In the East in the 10th century, there was a general continuation of the cultural renaissance of the ninth century. The writings of the Church Fathers were collected and key excerpts compiled in works known as florilegia. For the first time, Lives of the Saints were collected and paraphrased in an elegant style for liturgical usage; this was done by Saint Symeon Metaphrastes (i.e., the Translator). In 960 Saint Athanasius of Mount Athos (d. 1003) founded the Great Lavra, the first large cenobitic (communal) monastery on Mount Athos. The way was thus opened for the development of the great monastic republic on the Holy Mountain that flourishes to this day. His work was strongly supported by two emperors: Nikephoros II Phokas (r. 963–969) and John I Tzimiskes (r. 969–976). |
| Metropolitan Tikhon’s Holy Week, Pascha schedule announced April 20, 2013 The schedule of services at which His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon will preside has been released. On Lazarus Saturday, April 27, Metropolitan Tikhon will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Fort Bliss Orthodox Chapel, El Paso, TX. The following morning—the Great Feast of the Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem—he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the chapel. On Holy Monday, April 29, he will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and Bridegroom Matins at Saint Sergius Chapel at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America, Syosset, NY. He will celebrate the same cycle of services at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery on Holy Tuesday, April 30. The following day—Holy Wednesday, May 1—he will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and the Matins of Holy Thursday at the monastery. On the morning of Holy Thursday, May 2, Metropolitan Tikhon will celebrate the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. Metropolitan Tikhon will celebrate the remaining Holy Week and Paschal services at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, DC according to the following schedule. Holy Thursday, May 2 Great, Holy and Good Friday, May 3 Holy Saturday, May 4 Great and Holy Pascha, May 5 Source: OCA.org Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Related articles His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon represented the Orthodox Church in America at the funeral of the Rev.… We’re all for it! Patriotism is a good thing: loving, treasuring one’s homeland and people, a… Once when I was a theology student in Paris I went to my spiritual father and… Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| Works Cited St.-Isaac-the-Syrian. 1984. The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian . Translated by Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Brookline, Mass. Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Notes The Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople declared some of Origen’s teachings as heretical. But the church fathers St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzus collected his works and promoted his teachings. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Humility Opens the Door to the Knowledge of God Archpriest Basil Ross Aden The word of the day is “instructed.” We never outgrow our need for teaching. Even the most learned among us can benefit from instruction that deepens our faith and guides us in the way of discipleship. Today in our reading of Acts 18:22-28, Luke introduces us to an erudite and persuasive ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Donate Also by this author " Of Boasting and Modesty Archpriest Basil Ross Aden The word of the day is “boast.” Our society sees achievement as a sufficient reason be proud of… " How to Deal with Sin Archpriest Basil Ross Aden The word of the day is “reckon.” What is our relationship to sin? As we start down our… |
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