| John preached throughout the whole territory of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), and the many peoples living there accepted Christianity, including the Celtic peoples known as the Galatians (in Cappadocia). These people also communicated with their relatives throughout the Greco/Roman world of the time, especially those in Gaul. By the middle of the 2nd century the Celtic Christians in Gaul asked that a bishop be sent to them, and the Church sent St. Irenaeus , who settled at Lyons on the Rhone river. Among the many works St. Irenaeus accomplished, the most important were his mastery of the language of the local Celtic people and his preaching to them of the Christianity he had received from St. Polycarp, the disciple of St. John the Theologian . By the 4th century Christianity had reached all the Celtic peoples, and this “leaven” was preparing people’s hearts to receive the second burst of Christian missionary outreach to the Celts, through St. Hilary and St. Martin. St. Hilary of Poitiers. Photo: Orthochristian.com The seeds that St. Irenaeus planted bore abundant fruit in the person of St. Hilary of Poitiers, who, having lived in Asia Minor, would be the link between East and West, transmitting Orthodoxy in its fullness to the Celtic peoples. He was not only a great defender of the Faith, but also a great lover of monasticism. This Orthodox Faith and love for monasticism was poured into a fitting vessel—Hilary’s disciple, St. Martin of Tours, who was to become the spiritual forefather of the Irish people. What Saints Athanasius and Anthony the Great were to Christianity in the East, Saints Hiliary and Martin were to the West. By the 4th century an ascetic/monastic revival was occurring throughout Christendom, and in the West this revival was being led by St. Martin. The Monastery of Marmoutier which St. Martin founded near Tours (on the Loire in western France) served as the training ground for generations of monastic aspirants drawn from the Romano-Celtic nobility. It was also the spiritual school that bred the first great missionaries to the British Isles. The way of life led at Marmoutier harmonized perfectly with the Celtic soul. Martin and his followers were contemplatives, yet they alternated their times of silence and prayer with periods of active labor out of love for their neighbor. |
| But his abilities and his times required of him a life of ceaseless activity as a bishop, an abbot, a missionary, and someone at the forefront in dealing with matters of Church order and organization. One physical monument he has left to our day is the crypt at Hexham. It gives us some idea of his great buildings at York and Ripon, which would have inspired generations of Christians. His foundation work as a missionary in Sussex and Frisia inspired his successors and lives on in their continuing Christianity. The great monasteries he founded in central and northern England were centres of the Christian life for generations. His Vita, the first Anglo-Saxon ‘biography,’ remains an inspiration to those modern Orthodox Christians who seek to establish and nurture the faith in our multi-ethnic, multi-faith and often hostile world. But there are so many gigantic figures from these times: Columba, Aidan, Theodore, Finan, Cuthbert…. Venerable Bede’s Tomb, Durham Cathedral. RTE: Before we delve into the world of Venerable Bede and St. Wilfrid, perhaps we should begin at an earlier point. The notion of an Orthodox Celtic Christianity co-existing in pre-schism England alongside a more “continental” model has been embraced by quite a number of Orthodox believers over the past decades. Who were the original peoples we think of as Celts, and where did they live? FR. JOHN: As I understand it, the term “Celtic” was first used in the eighteenth century to refer to language groups. In this linguistic sense, both the inhabitants of Ireland and the inhabitants of Britannia (the “British”) were people whom we now speak of as “Celtic” folk. They were bound together by similarities in language, in which there were two distinct strands: the Gaelic Goedelic branch, and the Brythonic. The Irish and the Scots (who are Irish in origin) use the Gaelic, and the Welsh, Cornish and Bretons (of Brittany in France) use the Brythonic form. Many people know that it was the Celts of Asia Minor, the Galatians, for whom St. |
| On This Day November 8, 1866: The Arkadi Monastery Holocaust, Where Cretans Pay Ultimate Price for Freedom One of the bloodiest events in modern Greek history took place at the historic Monastery of Arkadi in central Crete when rebels and almost a thousand men, women and children were hunkered down within the monastery walls, surrounded by 15,000 Ottoman Turkish soldiers who were sent to stop a revolt in the region. The monastery walls were manned by only 259 armed men— Cretan revolutionaries, including 45 monks almost 700 women and children from nearby villages, seeking refuge from the encroaching Turks. The Turkish commander demanded surrender at the monastery walls. The Cretans responded with gun fire. The bloody battle was on and soon, the monastery gates were stormed and a violent battle ensued. The numbers were overwhelming and eventually, all of the Cretan rebels were killed, leaving about 700 helpless women and children holed up inside a storage room inside the monastery compound that was usually used for olive oil and food— but since the revolt, was a storage room for gun powder and explosives. Soon the Turkish soldiers surrounded the massive warehouse that was filled with people and at the most opportune moment, a rebel by the name of Konstantinos Giaboudakis who was inside the room gathered the consensus of all inside to do the unthinkable— ignite the gun powder and die, en masse, as free Greeks. The ensuing explosion also killed more than 1500 Ottoman soldiers The desire of the Cretan villagers to die as free Greeks and the actions of the Turks shocked the world’s public opinion and brought focus on the Cretan struggle for independence. Philhellenic volunteers began arriving on Crete from Serbia, Hungary, Italy— and a Frenchman named Gustave Glourens— so moved by the freedom-yearning Cretans enlisted in their rebel army and organized a small group of foreign rebel fighters, including three other Frenchmen, an Englishman, an American, an Italian and a Hungarian. This group published a brochure on The question of the Orient and the Cretan Renaissance, contacted French politicians and organized conferences in France and in Athens. |
| The Life of Saint Martin of Tours (d. 397), written by Sulpicius Severus, was intentionally modeled on the Life of Anthony. Saint Martin was a Roman soldier who became a Christian after beholding a vision of Christ in which the Lord commended him for giving half his cloak to a cold beggar. Together with Saint Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315–367), who is known as the “Saint Athanasius of the West” for his ardent defense of the Nicene Faith, Saint Martin established the first monastery in Gaul (modern-day France). Communal, or cenobitic, monasticism was founded in Egypt by Saint Pachomius (c. 290–346). His monastic Rule greatly influenced Saint Basil the Great, as well as Saint John Cassian (c. 360–435), who founded two monasteries in southern Gaul with the ethos of Egyptian monasticism, as well as Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-c. 550), whose Rule guided nearly all of Western monasticism for some 500 years. One of the first monks to write about the spiritual and ascetical life was Saint Macarius the Great (c. 300–390) of Egypt. The Fifty Spiritual Homilies, traditionally ascribed to him or his disciples, are some of the most powerful spiritual treatises ever written. Evagrius of Ponticus (346–399), a disciple of Saint Macarius, also wrote important spiritual works, but some of his writing is considered to be tinged with Origenistic teachings. Saint John Chrysostom Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) lived for several years as a monk in the caves near his hometown of Antioch. However, he so injured his health through his severe asceticism that he came back into the city to live. Eventually he was ordained as a presbyter and given the major preaching duties in the cathedral in Antioch. Having been trained in rhetoric by Libanius of Antioch, one of the last great pagan rhetoricians of the ancient world, John flourished as a preacher, coming to be known as the Golden-Mouth (this is what “Chrysostom” means). Many of Saint John’s sermons were preached in series as he went through various books of the Bible verse by verse. He eloquently interpreted and explained the texts with great practical wisdom and deeply penetrating spiritual fervor. Hence he is honored in the Church as not only the greatest preacher who ever lived, but also as the greatest Biblical commentator in the Eastern Church. |
| Sadly, however, some emperors did use their authority to support heretical teachings. The most prominent and grievous example is the era of the six Iconoclastic emperors in the 8th and 9th centuries. For all of Constantine’s great efforts on behalf of the Christian Church and in promoting its influence in his vast domain, and for his own repentance and life of faith, he is revered in the Eastern Church as Saint Constantine the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles. He and his illustrious mother, Saint Helen, are honored together on May 21. Interestingly, he is not considered a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, no doubt partly because of his permanent removal of the imperial capital from Rome to Constantinople. The Donatist Schism Though the Church was free from external persecution in the era of Constantine, inner troubles soon arose to disturb its peace. First, there was the Donatist Schism that erupted in western North Africa. This was a schism between those who supported a certain Majorinus-soon afterwards succeeded by Donatus-to be the bishop of Carthage, and those who supported the regularly elected bishop, Caecilian. The Donatists opposed Bishop Caecilian because he was willing to grant the possibility of repentance to those who had lapsed during the Diocletian Persecution, and because one of the bishops who consecrated him allegedly had surrendered holy books to the authorities. In an attempt to help the Church resolve this conflict, Constantine summoned the parties to Rome to appear before a commission led by Pope Miltiades. When this commission decided in favor of Bishop Caecilian, the Donatists refused to accept the judgment. They complained to Constantine that the matter had been judged too hastily and by too few other bishops. Yielding to their request to reopen the case, the emperor summoned a much larger council to address the problem. This Council of Arles (in Gaul-modern day France) in 314 also decided against the Donatists. But still the Donatists refused to be reconciled with Bishop Caecilian, and in 316 Constantine resorted to the use of force to try to bring the schism to an end. Unfortunately, this gave the movement an aura of martyrdom. Fueled by the anti-Roman feelings of the native Berber population of the region, the schism became more deeply entrenched than ever. |
| Yamauchi, Gnosticism Yamauchi, Edwin. Pre-Christian Gnosticism: A Survey of the Proposed Evidences. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973. Yamauchi, «Gnosticism» Yamauchi, Edwin M. «Gnosticism.» Pages 414–18 in Dictionary of New Testament Background. Edited by Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter. Downers Grove, 111.: InterVarsity, 2000. Yamauchi, «Magic» Yamauchi, Edwin. «Magic or Miracle? Diseases, Demons and Exorcisms.» Pages 89–183 in The Miracles of Jesus. Edited by David Wenham and Craig Blomberg. Vo1. 6 of Gospel Perspectives. Edited by R. T. France and David Wenham. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1986. Yamauchi, «Mandaean Studies» Yamauchi, Edwin. «The Present Status of Mandaean Studies.» Journal of Near Eastern Studies 25 (1966): 88–96. Yamauchi, «Motif» Yamauchi, Edwin M. «The «Daily Bread» Motif in Antiquity.» Westminster Theological Journal 28 (1965–1966): 145–56. Yamauchi, Persia Yamauchi, Edwin M. Persia and the Bible. Foreword by Donald J. Wiseman. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990. Yamauchi, Stones Yamauchi, Edwin M. The Stones and the Scriptures: An Introduction to Biblical Archaeology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1972. Yates, «Worship» Yates, Roy. » " The Worship of Angels» (Col 2:18).» ExpTim 97 (1985–1986): 12–15. Yavetz, «Judeophobia» Yavetz, Zvi. «Judeophobia in Classical Antiquity: A Different Approach.» 7/S44 (1993): 1–22. Yee, Feasts Yee, Gale A. Jewish Feasts and the Gospel of John. Zacchaeus Studies: New Testament. Wilmington, De1.: Glazier, 1989. Yee. «Sabbath» Yee, Gale A. «The Day Was the Sabbath.» The Bible Today 28 (1990): 203–6. Yegül, «Complex» Yegül, F. Kret Κ. «The Bath-Gymnasium Complex.» Pages 148–61 in Sardis from Prehistoric to Roman Times: Results of the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, 1958–1975. Edited by George M. A. Hanfmann, assisted by William E. Mierse. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1983. Young, «Cult» Young, Frances M. «Temple Cult and Law in Early Christianity.» NTS 19 (1972–1973): 325–38. Young, «Isaiah» Young, Franklin W. «A Study of the Relation of Isaiah to the Fourth Gospe1.» ZNW 46 (1955): 215–33. |
| European Catholics to Go on Pilgrimage to Holy Places in Russia St. Nicholas Maritime Cathedral on a rainy day Moscow, August 21, Interfax – Representatives of clerical and academic community of the Roman Catholic Church will participate in the Summer Institute which will be held in Russia on August 24 – September 2 in Russia. “Bishop of Saint-Die-des-Vosges (France), president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Mgr Didier Berthet will head the delegation,” press service of the Church Post-Graduate and Doctoral School of the Moscow Patriarchate reports on its website. Representatives of the Holy See were invited by the Moscow Patriarchate for extending their knowledge about Orthodox Christianity and modern Russian culture starting from 2015. Protection of Christians and preserving traditional values will become the central topic of the coming institute. The program includes acquaintance with work of Synodal departments of the Russian Orthodox Church, pilgrimage to the holy places and sights of Moscow, Sergiyev Posad, Veliky Novgorod and St. Petersburg, and meetings with renowned people. The Summer Institute is financed by the Russky Mir Foundation and Urbi et Orbi Catholic charitable foundation. 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 |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk addresses General Assembly of the World Council of Churches On November 1, 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, delivered an address at a plenary session of the 10 th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, taking place in Busan, South Korea. The WCC remains to this day a unique instrument of inter-Christian cooperation that has no analogy in the world, said Metropolitan Hilarion, who leads the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the WCC Assembly. In his address, the DECR chairman spoke on major challenges faced by the Christian world today. Among them is the militant secularism which is gathering strength in Europe and America as it seeks to expel religion from public life and to reject the basic moral norms common to all religious traditions. One of the main directions of its activity today is the straightforward destruction of traditional notions of marriage and the family. This is witnessed by the new phenomenon of equating homosexual unions with marriage and allowing same-sex couples to adopt children. Metropolitan Hilarion drew the attention of the assembly participants to the fact that over the past few years same-sex cohabitation has been legalized in a number of states in the USA, a number of Latin American countries, New Zealand as well as France, England and Wales. “Those countries that have recognized in law homosexual unions as one of the forms of marriage are taking a serious step towards the destruction of the very concept of marriage and the family. The family in its Christian understanding is falling apart to be replaced by such impersonal terms as " parent number one " and parent number two”, he stated. The head of the DECR stressed that the response of the Christian Churches to the challenges of the modern world should be based on Divine Revelation as handed down to us in the Bible. “In speaking out against all forms of discrimination, the Church nonetheless must vindicate the traditional Christian understanding of marriage as between a man and a woman, the most important mission of which is the birth and upbringing of children”, His Eminence said, expressing the regret that not all Churches are ready today to vindicate the biblical ideals by going against that which is fashionable and prevalent secular outlook. |
| “As the Holy Spirit moved the hearts and souls of various races, each responded according to its own endowments, to develop our present liturgical The true spirit of our Church, and the witness of the Apostles, must be understood in this way: unity, not uniformity. Orthodox saints in the western whose spiritual life was grounded in the Liturgy of St. Gregory of Rome. The Western Rite has a rich history in modern times, and especially in our recent century. In the 18 th and 19 th centuries, long and heartfelt dialogues took place between Christians in western nations and Orthodox hierarchs. These dialogues finally bore fruit in the 20 th centuries, when a number of Western Rite parishes were brought into communion with the Orthodox Church. The largest, initial groups were in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and France (where St. John of San Francisco was a key contributor and avid supporter). Finally, with the direction of Sts. John, Tikhon, and Raphael, and that of many hierarchs, the Western Rite that we know today has taken root in our American soil. Here, a host of churches worship God and receive the sacraments with the western traditions that have been passed down in since the times of Apostle Peter. St. Peter Western Rite Orthodox Church, Fort Worth, Texas Is the Western Rite liturgy fully Orthodox? The liturgy used in the Western Rite was written by the Apostle Peter and codified by St. Gregory the Great. It is responsible for nurturing the sanctity of hundreds of saints. It has been revered by all the Church Fathers, and embraced by many modern day saints, hierarchs, and theologians. In the 6 th century, St. Gregory the Great took the Roman liturgy that had been passed down from the apostles and reorganized it. Fr. John Connely explains, “St. Gregory revised the variable parts of the liturgy, the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels; but the only change which he made in the Ordinary was by the addition of a few words which is noticed by the Venerable Bede [Hist. Eccl. Lib.2, |
| Accordingly the divine Fathers who followed these men of old, gave extreme stature to the ketos. Basil the Great said that the ketos was like a large mountain in the magnitude of its body, and they look like islands (Hexaemeron, Hom. 7). When Ambrose says that the ketos swims on the waves, he thinks of it as an island and high mountain that reaches to the sky with the edge of its navel. Eustathios of Antioch, in his Hexaemeron, says that one ketos, called a aspidochelone, is so big that it appears to seamen as if it is an island. Even the moderns say that in Santonia, a city in France found in the British Ocean, a ketos was caught with one hundred and twenty legs, according to Scaliger. And in the Baltic Sea there was another caught, being a hundred cubits in length, according to Ziegler. These are among the many ketoses that we are told have been caught, which are otherwise called whales. We see therefore that ancient and modern writers with scientific minds, some who had much experience at sea, described the ketos as something much larger than a contemporary sea creature or whale. This leaves the possibility that an aquatic creature may have existed that was much larger in the past few thousand and even few hundred years that is greater in size than something like a whale shark today, which can reach up to fifty feet or fifteen meters (see photo below). How Did Jonah Survive? There are three possible answers to the question of how Jonah could have survived three days in the belly of the large fish. 1. Natural—It has been well established that the ancient Hebrew usage of " three days and three nights " was an idiomatic expression that meant simply " three days " , allowing the first and last day to be partial days, thus forming a period of time as little as 38 hours (as in the case of the Resurrection of Christ). If something alive is swallowed by a whale, there is always some air for survival, and digestive activity will not begin as long as it is alive. Thus, Jonah " s experience could possibly have taken place within the framework of natural law. |
|
|
