| REFERENCES Alfeyev, Hilarion, (2002). The mystery of faith. London: Darton, Longman & Todd. Kadloubovsky, E. & Palmer, G.E.H. (trans.) (1951). Writings From the Philokalia on Prayer from the Heart. London: Faber and Faber. Morelli, G. (2006, June 04). The Spiritual Roots of Procrastination. . Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P. & Ware, K. (Eds). (1979). The Philokalia: The Complete Text Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth Vol. I. London: Faber and Faber. V. Rev. Archpriest Fr. George Morelli Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, Coordinator of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese , ( www.antiochian.org/counse… ) and Religion Coordinator (and Antiochian Archdiocesan Liaison) of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion . Fr. George is Assistant Pastor of St. George’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, San Diego, California. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog New Year Resolutions: Bah Humbug! Probably one of the most useless wastes of mental and spiritual energy engaged in by some individuals is the making of New ... 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. |
| “We need all the saints to free Cyprus, our monasteries, and our churches from the boot of the Turkish conqueror “—Russian Church of St. Andrew consecrated on Cyprus Moscow, May 4, 2017 Photo: Romfea The recently-completely Russian-style Church St. Andrew and All Russian Saints on the island of Cyprus was ceremoniously consecrated on Monday, reports Romfea . The church had previously been opened , with the laying of the antimens on the altar and its first Divine Liturgy being celebrated by Metropolitan Isaias of Tamasos, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, and Archbishop Amvrosy of Peterhof, concelebrated by clergy of the Churches of Cyprus and Russia. The service was also attended by Metropolitan Niphon of Philipopolis (Patriarchate of Antioch), Bishop Antonije of Moravic í (Serbian Patriarchate), Metropolitan Nikolaj of Plovdiv (Bulgarian Patriarchate), and Metropolitan Theokletos of Vrestheni (Church of Greece) on March 26. Photo: flickr.com The ceremony began with magnificence and splendor on Sunday evening, April 30, with the arrival of the holy relics of St. Matrona of Moscow, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Luke of Crimea, and many other prominent Russian saints. Also present at the celebration was the incorrupt left hand of the Great Martyr George the Victorious. Photo: flickr.com Following the deposition of the relics, the hierarchical Great Vespers was celebrated by Met. Isaiah of Tamasos. Many other hierarchs were present, including Met. Timothy of Vostro, Anthony of Boryspil, Dionysios of Corinth, as well as a multitude of local Russians and Cypriots. Photo: flickr.com Following the celebration of Vespers, the inauguration of the exhibition of Russian relics and heirlooms of ecclesiastical art from the St. Theodore Ushakov Foundation in Russia was carried out in the metropolis’ ceremonial hall. A celebratory concert finished the evening. The rite of consecration took place the next morning , Monday May 1, celebrated by Met. Isaiah of Tamasos. Again, a number of hierarchs concelebrated, including Met. Athanasius of Limassol, and Met. Anthony of Boryspil, and Met. Eusebius of Samos and Ikaria, among others. |
| The Eucharistic Liturgy in Ancient House Churches Vincent Martini Many evangelical groups today are proposing that we abandon “traditional” models of “being the Church,” and instead replace that stodginess with what is presumably a more “New Testament” model: that of the “house church” or “cell church.” Essentially, they are promoting that the local Church be a de-centralized assembly, meeting in the homes of various individuals, proportionally scattered throughout a city. The presumption is that this is the “Biblical” model for both fellowship and discipleship, being derived from the New Testament itself. While we certainly read of “house Churches” in the New Testament (e.g. 1 Cor. 1:11,16; Rom. 16:5; Col. 4:15), typically being the homes of wealthy individuals with enough room for a large assembly of people, the house/cell churches of today do not actually resemble the worship or piety associated with these New Testament prototypes. Beyond this, the house Churches of the New Testament eventually developed into the basilicas of the post-Constantine Roman empire, when the faith was no longer forced “underground” as the result of periods of sporadic, imperial persecution. The same elements present in the earlier house Churches found their way into the more established basilicas and temples of the 4th century and beyond; they were just given a newer and freer context. Two distinct features of the most ancient house churches — and in fact, of the most ancient churches that archaeology has unveiled, period — are that of the baptistry and the place of the Eucharistic sacrifice. When discussing the Eucharistic controversy at Corinth, Jerome Kodell describes a typical, first century Christian house Church: Archaeology has shown that the typical large home of the period could accomodate about fifty people for a meal, ten in the triclinium (dining room), where the guests reclined on couches, and forty in the atrium (courtyard), where the guests sat around a central pool. Jerome Kodell, The Eucharist in the New Testament , p. 75 |
| Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections Premieres at National Gallery of Art, Washington Washington, January 2, 2014 Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections Premieres at National Gallery of Art, Washington from October 6, 2013, through March 2, 2014; Travels to the J. Paul Getty Museum, April 9 through August 25, 2014 Icon of the archangel Michael first half of 14th century tempera and gold on wood overall: 110 x 80 cm (43 5/16 x 31 1/2 in.) Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens, Gift of a Greek of Istanbul, 1958 In the first exhibition devoted to Byzantine art at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, some 170 rare and important works, drawn exclusively from Greek collections, will offer a fascinating glimpse of the soul and splendor of the mysterious Byzantine Empire. On view in the West Building from October 6, 2013, through March 2, 2014, Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections will trace the development of Byzantine visual culture from the fourth to the 15th century, beginning with the ancient pagan world of the late Roman Empire and continuing to the opulent and deeply spiritual world of the new Christian Byzantine Empire. Recognized masterpieces, many never lent before to the United States, will be on view with newly discovered and previously unpublished objects from recent archaeological excavations in Greece. Sculptures, icons, mosaics, frescoes, manuscripts, metalwork, jewelry, glass, embroideries, and ceramics are being loaned by the Benaki Museum, Byzantine and Christian Museum, National Archaeological Museum, and Numismatic Museum, all in Athens, and the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, as well as from collections in Argos, Corinth, Crete, Kastoria, Mistra, Patmos, Rhodes, and Sparta, among others. After Washington, the exhibition travels to the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, where it will be displayed at the Getty Villa from April 9 through August 25, 2014. “We are delighted to present the Byzantine period to our visitors. The earliest paintings in our own collection from the 13th century would not have been possible without these Byzantine precedents,” said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art, Washington. |
| This summer, Meteora was due for a major boost as an extreme sports destination, with the makers of energy drink Red Bull having made plans to shoot a five-minute promotional video featuring renowned Norwegian base-jumper Jokke Sommer soaring over the area’s monoliths in a wingsuit. The 27-year-old’s Meteora jump was scheduled to take place this month, and Red Bull – which has filmed numerous videos in Greece, including one of Australian motorcycle jumper Robbie Maddison crossing the 85-meter Corinth Canal – had secured permission from the Central Archaeological Council and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) The five-minute clip would have been screened in 160 countries, providing much-needed cost-free promotion for Meteora. However, the plan was scrapped late last week after Seraphim, the metropolitan bishop of Stagoi and Meteora, along with other high-ranking clerics in the area, filed official complaints with authorities, claiming that the use of the monastic site for commercial purposes is blasphemous. “We were told that the video would promote Meteora. But Meteora is already well known from China and Japan to every continent in the world. We don’t need this commercial,” Seraphim wrote to Culture Minister Panos Panayiotopoulos. Despite assurances from the company and central authorities that holy sites would only feature in the background and would not be used as a base station nor as a helicopter landing site, the clerics refused to back down, prompting Red Bull to cancel the shoot. According to the Ethnos daily, Sommer – who is one of the best-known wingsuit proximity fliers and has even flown between two skyscrapers in Rio de Janeiro – was bitterly disappointed by the news as he had visited the site and had been looking forward to making the jump. Source: Ekathimerini Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Meteora misses out on extreme sports ad after clerics oppose plan Christina Sanoudou July 23, 2013 Centuries before the area was known for its Byzantine monasteries, the natural sandstone rock pillars that characterize Meteora – meaning “suspended in the air” – inspired the bold, and perhaps even offered refuge to the hopeless – who are rumored to have climbed the giant rocks to ... |
| But what do scientists say about the miracle in Vasta? In 2003, at the Fourth Symposium of “Archaeometry” in Greece, ageophysical report on the little church in Vasta was presented. Researchers from the University of Patras came to Vasta especially to study “the miracle”. They decided to make an ultrasound test, and to analyze each part of the walls. The results of the research offered the researchers the necessary answers in order to receive the approvals needed for the complete restoration of the monument. They observed how the roots have grown through the small free spaces in between the stones of the wall, all the way to the ground. The walls are under constant pressure, and the building has become “a living body”. The archaeological findings led to the same conclusion: the way the roots have followed this path and the fact that the church and its roof are untouched appear to be in fact a miracle, which is unique in this world, and unexplainable. Eleftherios Beligiannis, an Engineer from Athens, said in 1986: “Since the winds that blow in that area have the power to uproot trees, it is clear how much force the 17 trees press upon the roof”. Loukos Constantinos, a Geologist of Corinth, said in 1987: “There is no geological explanation. It is a continuous miracle”. George Raptis, a Silviculturist of Nafpaktos, said in 1992: “The entire phenomenon is beyond any of man’s logical, natural and scientific explanations”. Eleni Stavrogiannis-Perry, an Architect from Kalamata, said in 1993: “The phenomenon is scientifically unexplainable. Considering the position of the church, its temporary construction and its age, the heavy weight and the winds should have gradually destroyed it. But it is still standing, after so many centuries, without any serious damage”. Anastasios Tinkas, an Archaeologist, Historian and Theologian from Attica, said: “The entire growth, existence and life of the trees on the roof of the little church of the pious martyr Theodora is amazing, beyond any man’s natural reasoning and explanations. This shows a rare characteristic: God’s intervention for His creature, the making of the miracle”. |
| We do not claim that it is exclusively and only Mount Athos which has preserved the Tradition of spiritual life and guidance throughout Church history. In fact there were unhappy times when Mount Athos was preserving its spiritual treasury more in the manner of a library than as a living evidence of Tradition. For example, in the XVIIIth century, neither St. Paisios (Velichkovsky) nor St. Makarios of Corinth succeeded in finding there a true spiritual harbour. However, we do hope to be able to show that the experience of personal spiritual guidance preserved on the Mount, either in life or in the letter, through the writings of the Church fathers, has been an inspiring factor for Russian Church life through the centuries. In one way or another Mount Athos has acted as a sort of ‘catholic lens’, accumulating the spiritual experience of different Christian ascetics (not exclusively belonging to Athos itself) and continually inflaming by its spirit anyone who desired to take advantage of these treasures. The Theological Perspective If we wish through the Person of Christ to establish an on-going personal relationship with all of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity we cannot achieve it without a certain preparation in which we are called to build a subtle relationship with other human persons. But there is a need to select among those human persons a single person as our spiritual guide who, possessing a certain vivid experience of a personal relationship with God, can teach us through our everyday life what this personal relationship ought to be. As Metr. Kallistos has put it in one of his works ‘orthodox tradition insists upon the need for direct spiritual direction, person to person’ 1 . ‘The person is a source of absolute singularity’ and at the same time this ‘singularity does not imply withdrawal into self’. On the contrary, the human person is meant to be open to everything 2 , though without any damage to its identity. An authentic spiritual leadership should foster these two seemingly opposite qualities: absolute singularity and all-embracing consciousness. |
| R. Graffin, ed. Patrologia Syriaca. 3 vols. Paris: Firmin-Didot et socii 1894–1926. Pseudo-Dionysius. The Complete Works. Translated by Colm Luibheid et al. Classics of Western Spirituality. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist, 1987. Theodoret of Cyrus. Quaestiones in Octateuchum. Edited by N. Fernandez. Madrid: Marcos A. Saenz-Badillos, 1979. H. de Lubac, J. Danielou et al., eds. Sources Chretiennes. Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1941. Symeon the New Theologian. The Discourses. Translated by C. J. DeCatanzaro. Classics of Western Spirituality: A Library of the Great Spiritual Masters. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist. 1980. The Philokalia. The complete text compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth. Translated and edited by G. E. H. Palmer. Philip Sherrard and Kallistos Ware. 4 vols. London: Faber and Faber, 1979–1995. Introduction to Genesis I-II The early chapters of Genesis had arguably a greater influence on the development of Christian theology than did any other pan of the Old Testament. In these early chapters the Fathers have set out the fundamental patterns of Christian theology. Here there was affirmed the doctrine of creation, in accordance with which the created order had been brought into being from nothing by God’s Word as something “exceedingly good” ( Gen 1:31 ). One of the most popular genres of scriptural commentary among the Fathers was commentary on the six days of creation, the Hexaemeron. Those by Basil the Great and Ambrose are perhaps the most famous. Although Augustine gave this title to none of his books, he returned at least five times to exposition of the first chapter of Genesis and three times earned his commentary beyond the first chapter (Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichaeans, On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis and City of God 11–16). The Fathers also found in Genesis the doctrine of humankind created “according to the image and likeness of God.” In addition, they found there the doctrine of the fall and the beginning of fallen human society, as well as hints and guesses about the eventual overcoming of the fallen human condition through the incarnation. |
| There was a time when he remained as the only Orthodox bishop in the area, a moment when all the other bishops had fallen into heresy. At the false councils of Arian bishops he was deposed as bishop. Despite being persecuted for many years, the saint continued to defend the purity of the Orthodox Faith, and he wrote countless letters and tracts against the Arian heresy. When Julian the Apostate (361-363) began a persecution against Christians, his wrath first fell upon Saint Athanasius, whom he considered a great pillar of Orthodoxy. Julian intended to kill the saint in order to strike Christianity a grievous blow, but he soon perished himself. Mortally wounded by an arrow during a battle, he cried out with despair: “You have conquered, O Galilean.” After Julian’s death, Saint Athanasius guided the Alexandrian Church for seven years and died in 373, at the age of seventy-six. Numerous works of Saint Athanasius have been preserved; four Orations against the Arian heresy; also an Epistle to Epictetus, bishop of the Church of Corinth, on the divine and human natures in Jesus Christ; four Epistles to Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis, about the Holy Spirit and His Equality with the Father and the Son, directed against the heresy of Macedonius. Other apologetic works in defense of Orthodoxy have been preserved, among which is the Letter to the Emperor Constantius. Saint Athanasius wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture, and books of a moral and didactic character, as well as a biography of Saint Anthony the Great (January 17), with whom Saint Athanasius was very close. Saint John Chrysostom advised every Orthodox Christian to read this Life. The memory of Saint Athanasius is celebrated also on January 18 with Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Troparion — Tone 3 You were a pillar of Orthodoxy, Hierarch Athanasius,/supporting the Church with divine doctrines;/you proclaimed the Son to be of one Essence with the Father,/putting Arius to shame./Righteous father, entreat Christ God to grant us His great mercy. Kontakion — Tone 2 |
| Who are the editors of the Philokalia? The 1782 title page bears in large letters the name of the benefactor who financed the publication of the book: ... δι δαπνης το Τιμιωττου, κα Θεοσεβεσττου Κυρου ωννου Μαυρογορδτου (this is perhaps the John Mavrogordato who was Prince of Moldavia during 1743 – 47). But neither on the title page nor anywhere in the 1.206 pages of the original edition are the names of the editors mentioned. There is in fact no doubt about their identity: they are St Makarios of Corinth (1731–1805) and St Nikodimos the Hagiorite (1749–1809), who were both associated with the group known collectively as the Kollyvades 3 . What was the purpose of St Makarios and St Nikodimos in issuing this vast collection of Patristic texts on prayer and the spiritual life? The second half of the eighteenth century constitutes a crucial turning-point in Greek cultural history. Even though the Byzantine Empire fell in 1453, it can justly be claimed that the Byzantine -or, more exactly, the Romaic- period of Orthodox history continued uninterrupted until the late eighteenth century. The Church, that is to say, continued to play a central role in the life of the people; despite Western influences, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, theology continued to be carried out in a spirit that was basically Patristic, and most Greeks, when looking back to the past, took as their ideal the Christian Empire of Byzantium. During the later decades of the eighteenth century, however, a new spirit began to prevail among educated Greeks, the spirit of modern Hellenism. This was more secular in its outlook than was Romaic culture, although -initially, at any rate- it was not explicitly anti-religious. Its protagonists looked back, beyond the Byzantine period, to ancient Greece, taking as their ideal the Athens of Pericles that was so greatly admired in the West, and their models were not the Greek Fathers but the authors of the classical period. These exponents of modern Hellenism were inspired, however, not simply by the Western reverence for classical studies, but more broadly by the mentality of the Enlightenment (Aufklärung), by the principles of Voltaire and the French Encyclopedists, by the ideologists of the French Revolution (which began only seven years after the publication of the Philokalia), and by the pseudo-mysticism of Freemasonry. |
|
|
