From the Post-Modern Persona to the Person

 Saint Gregory Palamas

The theology of the person, as this is revealed in the hesychast ascetic tradition, is the most significant counter-argument to post-modern individualism and relativism. The ascetics of introversion and of conscious tranquillity (hesychia) is not a psychological proposition but the authentic and only way of transforming the “repulsive mask” into a person.

It has been aptly remarked that what will best characterize the theology of the 21^st century is its concern with anthropological questions[1]. If we have not sufficiently investigated anthropological truths in the sphere of theology today, imagine what must be the case in the realms of philosophy, the intellect and the social and human sciences.

Today’s post-modern people do not know what a person is. They live, and project, the mask of a persona. What is a mask? It’s a guise which was used in Ancient Greece by actors to take on a variety of roles- personae- on stage in the theater. So this mask is not something real, it’s artificial, it’s a virtual reality, to use modern IT terminology. We need to remove this false object and replace it with the real one, which, in this case  is the person.

The Fathers of the Church did not define what a person is. But in order to refer to the magnificence, the enormous worth of the human being, they used the term “person”. Basil the Great writes that persons are the only animals who are God-made[2]. Saint Gregory the Theologian says God made a creature- the person- who was a mixture of visible and invisible nature, who is a  second cosmos, “great in miniature”[3]. Saint John Chrysostom stresses that “the person is the most carefully made of God’s living things”[4].

Human beings are the crown of creation. The longing for perfection is innate. This can be seen in the execution of any academic activity, art or even profession. People try, to the best of their abilities, to achieve perfection, even in their everyday activities. And this is evidence of the potential God has given us for our personal perfection and completion as a psychosomatic entity and being.

"Τί πρέπει νά κάνουμε, ὅταν ἡ πίστη ἐξασθενήσει;"

ΠΑΤΗΡ ΑΡΣΕΝΙΟΣ ΠΑΠΑΤΣΙΩΚ

Εάν ευρίσκεσαι σέ κατάσταση πνευματικής εσωτερικής οπισθοχωρήσεως, σίγουρα η πίστις αδυνατεί. Πώς να μην κλονισθή η πίστις! Ακόμη και στους άγιους διαπιστώνει κανείς περιπτώσεις ταλαντεύσεως στην πίστη, αναβάσεως και καταβάσεως. Γιατί σε εγκαταλείπει η Χάρις; Για να μην υπερηφανεύεσαι, να μη λέγεις: «Να, κοίταξε εγώ που έφτασα»! Οπότε σε εγκαταλείπει η Χάρις για να ταπεινωθείς. Αλλά σ’ αυτές τις περιόδους της ζωής σου, να μή χάσης και την πίστη σου. Συ πρέπει να είσαι πάντοτε εν εγρηγόρσει.

Διότι δεν φέρεις αποτέλεσμα έστω και με πολλή προσευχή, αν κάνης, όση με την Χάρι του Θεού, εφ’ όσον σύ θέλεις με κάθε τρόπο την βοήθεια του Θεού.
Είναι αλήθεια ότι ο σατανάς έρχεται να σου αρπάξει τον νου, αλλά εσύ δεν πρέπει να ξαφνιάζεσαι, ούτε να αδημονείς, διότι αυτός (ο σατανάς) δεν ησυχάζει να σε ενοχλεί. Ο Θεός γνωρίζει τί θέλεις. Μή φοβάσαι καθόλου και συνέχιζε την προσευχή σου. Εάν λέγεις την ευχή: «Κύριε, Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησόν με τον αμαρτωλό», μη φοβήσαι πλέον τον διάβολο. Διότι δεν μπορεί να ακούει και να υποφέρει την δύναμη του Ονόματος του Χριστού. Βλέπεις;
Υπάρχει έλλειψης εσωτερικού αληθινού βιώματος και όχι λογικής. Θα πρέπει να καταλαβαίνεις σίγουρα αυτά τά θέματα.
Όσον αφορά την ταλάντευση πού είχαν και οι Άγιοι υπάρχει ένας λόγος του Αποστόλου Παύλου πού λέγει: «Μνημονεύετε των ηγουμένων υμών, οιτινες ελάλησαν υμίν τον λόγον τον Θεού, ων αναθεωρούντες την εκβασιν της αναστροφής μιμείσθε την πίστιν» (Έβρ. 13,7). Δηλαδή στο τέλος της ζωής τους τελειοποιήθηκαν και έχουν δυνατό και αληθινό διδακτικό λόγο. Επομένως ημείς πού είμεθα σε μάχη , μας βοηθεί τώρα η Χάρις του Θεού. Μάχη όμως είναι  ολόκληρη η ζωή μας και πειραζόμεθα από τον διάβολο συνεχώς.
Πρέπει να  να προσευχώμεθα μόνον, όταν πειραζώμεθα από τον διιάβολο;Όχι! Πρέπει να προσευχώμεθα και όταν δεν έχουμε  πειρασμούς. Εάν όμως μας πειράζει και αυτό του το επιτρέπει ο Θεός, είναι μία επιπλέον ευκαιρία ν αγωνιστούμε για να λάβουμε στεφάνους και δεν θα μας κυριεύση το δυστυχισμένο αυτό θηρίο (διάβολος).
Έχουμε ανάγκη από μια κατάσταση συνεχούς εσωτερικής εγρηγόρσεως και  τότε η Χάρις του Θεού θα μας βοηθη. Διότι, χωρίς -την Χάρι του Θεού, δεν μπορούμε να σωθούμε. Είναι αδύνατο να σωθείς, όσο και μέγας ασκητής να είσαι, ελπίζοντας στα καλά σου έργα και όχι στην Χάρι του Θεού. ’Άκουσε τι είπε στον άγιο Σιλουανό τον Αθωνίτη ο Χριστός: -<<Κράτησε τον νου σου στον άδη και μην απελπίζεσαι», δηλαδή δεν του είπε ότι θα σωθείς με τά έργα σου. Και ποιος ήτο ο Μέγας Αντώνιος, όλοι γνωρίζουμε. Δεν σώζεται ο άνθρωπος από τά έργα του, αλλά από την Χάρι του Θεού λέγει ο Σωτήρ: «Τά αδύνατα παρ ανθρώποις, δυνατά παρά τω Θεώ εστί» (Λουκ. 18,27). Τον ρώτησε ο Απόστολος Πέτρος: «Και τί θα κάνουμε, Κύριε, ποιός μπορεί να σωθεί»; (Πρβλ. Ματθ. 19, 25). Συνεπώς δεν μάς σώζουν τά έργα μας, αλλά το έλεος του Θεού, αρκεί εμείς να έχουμε εσωτερική εγρήγορση και προσευχή. Δεν αξίζεις να λάβεις χαρίσματα, παρά μόνο, όταν ζεις με βαθειά εσωτερική ταπείνωση.
Βλέπετε τον άγιο Κήρυκο με την μητέρα του, την αγία = Ιουλίττα, οι όποιοι βασανίσθηκαν από τους ειδωλολάτρες. ' Ο μικρός Κήρυκος έφθανε την μητέρα του μέχρι τά γόνατά της και είπε στον τύραννο: Κι εγώ πιστεύω στον Χριστό. Και ο τύραννος τον κτύπησε με την μπότα του στην κοιλιά, τον πέταξε στον τοίχο και τον σκότωσε επί τόπου. Και συναριθμήθηκε το παιδάκι αυτό στην χορεία των μαρτύρων της πίστεώς μας. Τά Λείψανα αυτού του αγίου νηπίου, τά βαστάζει με ευλάβεια ιερεύς και τά προσκυνούν οι πιστοί χριστιανοί μας.
Βλέπετε ότι μέσα σέ ένα ομολογιακό λόγο κρύβεται η σωτηρία μας; Μια εσωτερική κατάστασης αγάπης για τον Χριστό, έστω με επώδυνο τέλος, έφερε τον άγιο Κήρυκο στην Βασιλεία των ουρανών. Ανέστη ο Χριστός! Είμεθα βαπτισμένοι, έχουμε φύλακα άγγελο, ο Θεός μας διδάσκει: «Ζητείτε και ευρήσετε.,.ή τις εστίν εξ υμών άνθρωπος, ον εάν αίτηση ο υιός αυτού άρτον, μη λίθον επιδώσει αύτω;» (Ματθ. 7, 9). Κι Εγώ δεν θα σάς δώσω άρτο, ολιγόπιστοι Χριστιανοί μου; Αυτή είναι η αδυναμία της πίστεως. Δοκιμάσθε, μη παραιτήσθε από το να ζητήτε! Ανάλογα με το μέτρο της πίστεώς σας.
Μένετε ευχαριστημένοι με τά μικρά δώρα του Δημιουργού σας, μή ζητείτε τά μεγαλύτερα. Γνωρίζει Εκείνος αν είσθε και πότε θα είσθε άξιοι για να σας δώσει τά μεγαλύτερα χαρίσματά Του. Ένα μικρό δώρο πού έχεις, μη το βλέπεις μικρό- είναι αυτό πού σου χρειάζεται.  Αλλά ο άνθρωπος, επειδή έχει απερίσκεπτη επιθυμία και υπερηφάνεια, θέλει σέ μια στιγμή ολόκληρο τον ουρανό! Όχι! όλος ο ουρανός είναι δικός σου, εάν είσαι ταπεινός και βιώνεις μέσα στην καρδιά σου βαθειά την Χάρι του  Αγίου Πνεύματος. Χωρίς την ταπείνωση δεν γίνεται τίποτε. Να το ξέρετε!
Υπάρχει ένα βιβλίο με τίτλο: «Ο Βίος του άγιου Νήφωνος». Αυτόν τον άγιο τον χαρακτηρίζει ιδιαιτέρως η ταπείνωσης. Και τί αποκαλύψεις είχε από τον Θεό, δεν μπορείτε να φαντασθείτε. Στον θάνατό του ήλθαν οι Όσιοι, οι
Μάρτυρες να τον πάρουν, ήλθε ακόμη και ο Σωτήρ. Διότι ο όσιος του είπε: «Κύριε πόσο ευτυχής θα ήμουν να είσαι κι Εσύ στον θάνατό μου»! Τον πήραν από την γη και τον έφεραν όλοι οι Άγιοι με τον Χριστό στην ουράνια κατοικία του.
Όλα αυτά τά έργα τα πραγματοποιεί η ταπείνωσης. Αυτή είναι η μοναδική οδός. Όμως μή πιστεύετε ότι είναι αδύνατον να ζήσετε αυτά τά πράγματα πού είδε και έζησε ο άγιος Νήφων. Όχι! Προσπαθήστε και σεις στο μέτρο των δυνάμεων σας. Ο Χριστός μας λέγει: «Η βασίλεια των ουρανών βιάζεται και βιασταί αρπάζουσιν αυτήν...» (Ματθ. 11,12). Σ’ ένα αγώνισμα τρέχουν πολλοί εκείνος όμως πού τρέχει ειλικρινά, δεν τρέχει μάταια. Όποιος πηγαίνει στο αγώνισμα, να μή πιστεύει ότι δεν θα κερδίσει• στο τέλος όλοι κερδίζουν, όσοι έτρεξαν με τιμιότητα, αλλά μόνον μερικοί παίρνουν τά βραβεία.
Υπάρχει το μικρό ποτήρι, το μεγάλο και το μεγαλύτερο. Όλα είναι γεμάτα νερό. Το μικρό ποτήρι δεν στενοχωρείται, διότι δεν χωρεί μέσα του όσο νερό είναι στο μεγαλύτερο ποτήρι. Το μικρό ποτήρι είναι ικανοποιημένο ότι είναι κι αυτό γεμάτο. Ένας στο μέτρο τών δυνάμεών του, έλαβε το βραβείο, πού είναι το μικρό ποτήρι γεμάτο νερό.
 Άλλος, αγωνίστηκε περισσότερο και πήρε βραβείο το μεγαλύτερο ποτήρι. Όλα αυτά τά βραβεία εξαρτώνται από την Χάρι πού δίδεται δωρεάν στους ταπεινούς τη καρδία. Ό άνθρωπος πού είναι ειλικρινής και ταπεινός, είναι γεμάτος με το δικό του το ποτήρι. Είναι ευχαριστημένος και δεν βασανίζεται με τον λογισμό του ότι ο άλλος είναι πιο ευχαριστημένος απ’ αυτόν, διότι έχει πιο πολλή Χάρι στο δικό του ποτήρι.
Ακούσατε για τον άγιο Ιωάννη τον Ευαγγελιστή, τον όποιον αγαπούσε ο Ιησούς. ’Άραγε δεν αγαπούσε ο Ιησούς τούς άλλους Μαθητές; Τούς αγαπούσε, αλλά ο άγιος Ιωάννης είχε μεγαλύτερη δύναμη να εγκολπώνει μέσα του την Αγάπη. Ο Χριστός έπρεπε να τον κρατά πάντα κοντά Του, διότι ήτο ποτήρι πρώτου μεγέθους. Όμως όλους ο Χριστός τούς αγαπούσε και όλοι ήσαν γεμάτοι, έκαστος κατά το μέτρο της δυνάμεως της αγάπης του προς αυτόν. Και τότε δεν δικαιολογείται η ταλαίπωρη ζήλια μεταξύ τους. Διότι έχει διαπιστωθεί ότι ουδέποτε σέ ταλαιπωρεί κάποιος πού έχει ασθενέστερο πνευματικό βίωμα από σένα στη ζωή του. Ακόμη και μεταξύ των λαϊκών και μοναχών. Ο άγιος Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος λέγει για τον μοναχισμό, ότι αυτός είναι ο δρόμος προς τον όποιο πρέπει να φθάσουν όλοι ως προς τα βιώματά του. 'Όλοι δεν μπορούν να υπάγουν στο μοναστήρι. Δεν πειράζει. Παραμένουν εκεί πού ευρίσκονται και ανάλογα με τον αγώνα τους, φθάνουν στην τελειότητα. Γεμίζουν το δικό τους ποτήρι με θεία Χάρι. Δεν σώζονται μόνον οι μοναχοί. Αυτοί προσπαθούν να εφαρμόσουν τον υψηλό λόγο πού είναι η κορυφή της Γραφής: «εάν θέλης τέλειος είναι...» (Ματθ. 19, 21).

 Οπότε αυτοί είναι προσκαλεσμένοι για αυτήν την ζωή. Διότι οι εντολές είναι εντολές πού σέ σώζουν και είναι και ευαγγελικές συμβουλές πού σέ προσκαλούν σέ μια τελειότερη ζωή. Αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι ο άνθρωπος πού έχει γυναίκα δεν σώζεται. Όποιος σώζεται είναι μακάριος, είναι άγγελος. Αλλά υπάρχουν ουρανοί και ουρανοί, τόποι και τόποι. Υπάρχουν τέλειοι άγιοι, όπως ο Μέγας Αντώνιος, ο Ιωάννης ό Χρυσόστομος, αλλά αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι και οι μαθητές τους δεν είναι μακάριοι, οι όποιοι κι αυτοί σώθηκαν διότι όποιος σώζεται είναι ένας άγγελος.

Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos-On Dogmas and Philosophy

It is very clear…that theology is not linked with philosophy, because they are two different paths. Theology is based on theoria (vision) of God, whereas philosophy is based on human reason, speculation. The holy Fathers of the Church were theologians who beheld God, not philosophers. When they formulated dogmas, they did not do so in a philosophical way, or in order to understand them or to develop philosophy.

“The assertion by many historians that the Fathers of the Church used philosophy in order to understand dogmas, and that the conflict between Orthodox and heretics was about who had the correct rational understanding of dogma, is a myth. The Fathers of the Church never had this perception. The heretics had this perception.”

The Fathers of the Church did not speculate; they knew the dogmas. Logical processes are gymnastics for the mind and are unconnected with the experience of Orthodox theology. If Orthodox theology were based on syllogisms and logic, the best theologians from the point of view of Orthodox theology would be the professors of dogmatics and the history of dogmas.

“When someone really digests the statement, ‘It is impossible to express God and even more impossible to conceive Him,’ he also gains a good understanding of the efforts of contemporary theologians.

Theology students have been given the impression that the university professor of dogmatics or history of dogmas, being very intelligent and having studied philosophy, logic and so on, is someone with a profound mind who conceives God and dogmas. Therefore when he says, ‘one essence, three hypostases’, he understands it. All these professors ignore Gregory the Theologian’s words, ‘It is impossible to express God and even more impossible to conceive Him.'”

Dogma cannot be approached from a metaphysical angle. In Western theology metaphysics dominated even in dogmatic issues, which is why Western dogmatics was not successful.

“It is impossible to approach dogma about God and the subject of perfection through metaphysics.”

“In the West, since metaphysics was predominant, they thought that metaphysics was independent of success. The Americans have identified truth with success. Whatever is successful is true. If something is unsuccessful, it is not true.

Metaphysics may be true without having any success. This truth is independent of success. Orthodox people who followed this line also made a metaphysical approach to theological issues and suffered the same fate. They think of dogmas as metaphysical phenomena, as metaphysical realities, which have no connection with the meaning of success, and are something separate from success. They are truths in themselves.”

The holy Fathers, however, were not metaphysical philosophers, so it is impossible for the Orthodox tradition to be interpreted through metaphysics.

“The Fathers of the Church do not accept metaphysics, because metaphysics is human thought about ‘the immutable’. By means of concepts and words, man thinks about and expresses ‘the immutable’. That is the foundation of metaphysics.

In patristic theology, however, we have the famous saying of Gregory the Theologian, the compass for every Orthodox theologian, which tells us, ‘It is impossible to express God and even more impossible to conceive Him.’ We can neither describe God in words nor understand Him. For that reason words and concepts about God do not “express” God. They are simply part of the ascetic means by which man attains, if he ever does attain, to glorification-theosis.

The fact that dogma is temporary removes all metaphysical meaning from Orthodox theology. Metaphysics cannot be founded upon Orthodox tradition. For the same reason the philosophical approach to theology is completely foreign to the Orthodox tradition.”

Western theology was closely connected with metaphysics, so there was a serious reaction against it from the Enlightenment.

“The main feature of the French Enlightenment, apart from Voltaire, was its opposition to metaphysics: the anti-metaphysical orientation of the French Enlightenment. The French Enlightenment, at least in its final state, what it led to, was an attempt to stop anyone accepting dogmas which have their basis somewhere in heaven, out of human sight. Instead, the verification of the truth should come from man’s experience, from the experience of knowledge.”

This does not happen in the Orthodox Church, which regards dogmas as expressions of experience and not metaphysical speculations.

In Orthodox theology dogmas are the fruit of the experience of glorification=theosis and signposts pointing the way to glorification=theosis. In the West, by contrast, dogmas are linked with speculation, and dogma and mystery are regarded as identical.

“Augustine is the only Orthodox theologian of the early Church who confused dogma and mystery, and believed that it was possible to understand the mystery by means of dogma. For the Fathers of the Church, on the contrary, dogma does not lead to comprehension of the mystery, but to union with the mystery. And this mystery, even in union, goes beyond all human categories.”
 
Augustine identified theology with philosophy. The dogma of the Holy Trinity is also regarded as part of natural revelation, whereas the dogma concerning the incarnation belongs to supernatural revelation.

“Augustine believed that theology is like philosophy, that it is a speculative attempt by man to conceive the truth. So we have the truth from philosophy. For Augustine, the dogma of the Holy Trinity was not part of supernatural revelation, as you see, since the Platonists had it. What was part of the supernatural revelation was the incarnation of Christ, the Word of God. The incarnation, the doctrine of divine grace and the doctrine of the Fall and sin: these constitute the specific form of supernatural revelation, whereas the dogma of the Holy Trinity belongs to natural revelation.

As time passed, however, in the Western tradition — this view of Platonists and so on — it began to be considered in the Middle Ages that the doctrine of the Holy Trinity was also part of the supernatural revelation. This means — and you will see in the neo-scholastic textbooks of the Papal Church, particularly from the dogmatic standpoint — that they no longer write in the same way. You see that the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is part of the supernatural revelation and no longer of the natural revelation.”

Augustine also puts faith first, followed by knowledge. He said that we accept dogmas in order to understand them and learn the truth through the process of rational thought.

“In the penultimate chapter of Contra Academicos, which is a summary of all the others, he tells us the most important fact: that we are now convinced that we believe ‘that we might know the truth’. I believe in order to understand.

The basic presupposition of all the scholastic theology of the Middle Ages is that, in order to understand the truth, someone must first accept the truth by faith. Once he has accepted the truth or the dogma by faith, he then makes an effort through reasoning and afterwards he actually understands.”
The Western tradition maintains that, by means of the philosophical method and profound reasoning, we can understand the dogmas of faith. This runs counter to the Orthodox tradition, where dogmas are the fruit of experience, not human axioms aimed at leading us to rational understanding.

“This method of Augustine’s, that on the basis of faith, assisted by the philosophical method and profound reflection, we shall come to understand the dogmas of the Church, became the basic method of the Frankish tradition in the West.

This view of the patristic tradition is in all the textbooks — as far as I know and have been able to check — in all the textbooks here in Greece from high school up to university. They constantly follow this line: that faith must be changed into knowledge, into understanding, and this is achieved with the help of philosophy.

Here, modern Greek theology, due to modern Greek patriotism along the lines drawn up by Korais, put the purist form of the Greek language and philosophy at the heart of Greek education in the early years. It was considered indispensable for a theologian, particularly a systematic or dogmatic theologian, to have mastered philosophy, so that he could ponder correctly on the dogmas of the faith. In the patristic tradition, however, we have purification, we have illumination and afterwards we have glorification=theosis.”

In addition to this mistaken method, in which faith precedes knowledge, the Church is regarded as the authority instead of the glorified Fathers, as we encounter in the Orthodox tradition.

“Augustine put faith first and knowledge comes afterwards. The fundamental presupposition of Augustine is that man cannot know the truth through his reason alone, but his reason must first know the truth through faith. Faith comes first. Someone accepts the dogmas by faith, and after that he understands the dogmas. So faith comes before knowledge.

In this way another curious theory of Augustine’s developed. Why do we accept dogmas? Because they are the Church’s dogmas, they are the teaching of the Church. For Augustine, the authority for their acceptance is the Church.

It is the first time that this perception appears. Whereas for us this perception does not exist. For us it is the Fathers, not the Church. The Church for us is not an abstract idea, which is an organised, ecclesiastical, hierarchical authority. For us it is ‘those who have experience'; the glorified are the reason why we accept the dogmas. The glorified, who have direct knowledge about God, are the foundation of our own faith. Those of us who do not have knowledge about God accept the teaching of those who have knowledge.

The same happens as in astronomy. Not all of us have looked through telescopes and seen the heavenly bodies. There are, however, astronomers who have done so. They describe things to us and even take photographs for us. We open a book on astronomy and, having confidence in the experience of the astronomers, we read all these things and accept them, since we are sure of the trustworthiness of these people.

In the same way, we have God-seers, who have beheld God, and we too accept what these people have said about God, until the time when we too, perhaps, may reach that state. Then we shall have the same experience and the same teaching again.”

We also find in Augustine that he uses psychological terms for the Holy Trinity.

“If anyone wants to do an analysis of Augustine’s book De Trinitate, it is a curious account. The significant thing is that the basic method used by Augustine — he was the first to undertake a psychoanalysis of the Holy Trinity — was to take humanistic psychology, Neoplatonic in this case, in order to investigate the dogma of the Holy Trinity and reflect more deeply upon it.

He makes comparisons between God and the human nous, memory and reason in order to understand the dogma of the Holy Trinity in a psychological way. We see scholastic theology deriving from this. Instead of occupying themselves with asceticism, they sat at their desks and devised theory and philosophical theory about the Holy Trinity. They thought that the great task of theologians was to sit and try to understand dogmas and understand God, the essence of God. Thus the great universities of Europe were built in the monasteries.

—Metropolitan Hierotheos: Protopresbyter John Romanides, Empirical Dogmatics, Volume One

Source-http://thoughtsintrusive.wordpress.com

Π.ΑΝΔΡΕΑΣ ΚΟΝΑΝΟΣ-Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΝΕΚΤΑΡΙΟΣ (Ομιλία)

Ομιλία του π.Ανδρέα Κονάνου.

Why the Orthodox Church Needs Deacons?...

Painting of a Russian Orthodox deacon leading an ektenia (litany)

Imagine going into a fancy restaurant for a special meal. The dining room is beautifully decorated, only the best linens are used, and the glow of candlelight creates a warm ambience. Through the kitchen doors, you see the chef hard at work preparing a delectable dish. He then shouts from the kitchen, never moving from his cutting board, to sit yourself down and asks you what you want to order. You think this is odd, but then you notice there isn’t a single waiter or waitress in the entire establishment. What is wrong with this scene is analogous to what is presently amiss within the Orthodox Church – namely the significant lack of deacons within our parishes.

A Model Of Service

“Deacon” literally means server. Deacons are the waiters (servants, slaves) at the table of the Lord (e.g., Luke 14:16-24; John 2:1-11). Therefore they are usually found during Liturgy around the altar helping the priest. Deacons are also the earthly equivalent of the angels who are intermediaries between God and man (Hebrews 1:14).  So, they are often mediators uniting the laity with priests and bishops, or deacons sometimes represent the Church’s interests to the populous. Additionally, deacons are the third rank of the ecclesiastical hierarchy appointed to relieve bishops and priests from work they are too busy to fully attend to (see Acts 6:1-6). Therefore, deacons often minister to widows, orphans, shut-ins, the poor, the sick, the disabled, the imprisoned, the undereducated, and others with special needs.

However, more important than what they do, deacons represent something of tremendous value within the Body of Christ: they are our models of service – no matter what form that service takes. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus places particular emphasis on being a servant as a defining characteristic of His followers. For example, our Lord stated, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also.  Whoever serves me, the Father will honor” (John 12:26). To be a servant is to emulate Christ Himself:  “. . . whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.  For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45, cf Luke 22:27). In these verses, “servant” in Greek is “diakonos” [διάκονος]. Therefore, all Christians are called to be “deacons” in whatever their circumstance in life.  The role of the ordained deacon is a “sermon without words,” a living icon, of this calling to all believers. If you consider we will be judged based on our service to others (Matthew 25:31-46), then it is obvious how vital it is that we are continually reminded to serve.

A Reflection of The Trinity

Η ιστορία των δύο αγγέλων…

Δύο άγγελοι που ταξίδευαν σταμάτησαν να περάσουν την νύχτα σε ένα σπίτι μιας πλούσιας οικογένειας. Η οικογένεια ήταν αγενής και αρνήθηκε στους αγγέλους να μείνουν στο δωμάτιο των ξένων της βίλας.

Αντιθέτως, έδωσαν στους αγγέλους ένα μικρό μέρος σε ένα κρύο υπόγειο. Καθώς εκέινοι έφτιαχναν τα κρεβάτια τους στο σκληρό πάτωμα, ο μεγαλύτερος άγγελος είδε μια τρύπα στον τοίχο και την επισκεύασε. Όταν ο μικρότερος άγγελος τον ρώτησε γιατί, ο μεγαλύτερος απάντησε: “Τα πράγματα δεν είναι πάντα όπως φαίνονται”…

Την επόμενη νύχτα το ζευγάρι των αγγέλων ήρθε να ξεκουραστεί σε ένα πολύ φτωχικό σπίτι αλλά ο αγρότης και η γυναίκα του ήταν πολύ φιλόξενοι. Αφού μοιράστηκαν τη λίγη τροφή που είχαν, το ζευγάρι των αγγέλων κοιμήθηκαν στο κρεβάτι τους όπου μπορούσαν να έχουν μια ξεκούραστη νύχτα. Όταν βγήκε ο ήλιος, το επόμενο πρωί οι άγγελοι βρήκαν τον αγρότη και την γυναίκα του να κλαίνε. Η μοναδική τους αγελάδα της οποίας το γάλα ήταν το μόνο τους εισόδημα ήταν νεκρή στο λιβάδι.

Ο μικρότερος άγγελος ήταν αναστατωμένος και ρώτησε το μεγαλύτερο πως ήταν δυνατόν και άφησε να γίνει κάτι τέτοιο.

Ο πρώτος άντρας είχε τα πάντα και παρόλα αυτά τον βοήθησες, τον κατηγόρησε εκείνη.Η δεύτερη οικογένεια είχε ελάχιστα και όμως ήταν πρόθυμη να μοιραστεί τα πάντα και εσύ άφησες την αγελάδα να πεθάνει… “Τα πράγματα δεν είναι πάντα όπως φαίνονται”, απάντησε ο μεγαλύτερος άγγελος.

“Όταν μείναμε στο υπόγειο της βίλας, πρόσεξα πως ήταν χρυσός αποθηκευμένος σε εκείνη την τρύπα στον τοίχο. Μια και ο ιδιοκτήτης ήταν τόσο άπληστος και δεν είχε τη διάθεση να μοιραστεί την καλή του τύχη, σφράγισα τον τοίχο ώστε να μην μπορεί να βρει το χρυσό. Εχθές τη νύχτα καθώς κοιμόμασταν στο κρεβάτι του αγρότη ήρθε ο άγγελος του Θανάτου για την γυναίκα του, κι εγώ έδωσα στη θέση της την αγελάδα. Τα πράγματα δεν είναι πάντα όπως φαίνονται.”

Μερικές φορές αυτό ακριβώς συμβαίνει όταν τα πράγματα δεν έχουν το αποτέλεσμα που πρέπει. Αν έχεις πίστη, θα πρέπει να μάθεις να εμπιστεύεσαι και να πιστεύεις ότι το κάθε αποτέλεσμα είναι πάντα προς όφελός σου. Μπορεί να μην το ξέρεις παρά μονάχα πολύ αργότερα.

Μερικοί άνθρωποι έρχονται στη ζωή μας και γρήγορα φεύγουν.

Μερικοί άνθρωποι γίνονται φίλοι και μένουν λίγο αφήνοντας όμορφα χνάρια στην καρδιά μας και εμείς δεν είμαστε ποτέ το ίδιο γιατί έχουμε κάνει έναν καλό φίλο…

Το εχθές είναι παρελθόν.

Το αύριο μυστήριο.
Το σήμερα είναι δώρο.

ΠΗΓΗ.ΙΣΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΑΗΔΟΝΙ

The heavenly host and our modern life

 The mighty Archangel Micheal

On November 8/21 the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the holy Archangel Michael and the entire Heavenly Host. This celebration has great significance not only for Orthodox Christians, but for all of mankind. How is that?

First of all, this celebration teaches us how to view correctly the question of equality and inequality. Mankind, especially from the beginning of the 20th century, is fervently searching for a certain equality which supposedly may be established on earth. Russia has become the primary victim of this idea, followed by other countries. The promised equality has never been established, of course, but traditional forms of government have been destroyed. Orthodox monarchy, which was the last mighty bulwark of universal Orthodoxy, was destroyed in Russia, and countless victims were sacrificed on the bloody altar of imaginary equality.

Archangel Michael, 15th century.

Synaxis of the holy Angels. 15th century. Moscow school.

Archangel Gabriel, 15th century.

How does this tie in with the feast of the Heavenly Host? Very directly. If mankind were less attracted to transient earthly ideas, but instead, gazed upward more often, it would notice that even in heaven, among the holy angels, there does not exist the senseless equality over which the godless rave so madly. In the world of the angels, as everywhere in God’s creation, there exists a definite hierarchy established by God. This hierarchical subordination and this blessed inequality cement the entire structure. If they were taken out, the structure would collapse.

In the case of the angels, such a partial destruction of their heavenly aseembly occurred after the insurrection provoked by the highest and most powerful angel, Lucifer, who from that time on became the father of all those fighters for equality who actually fight against God.

If Lucifer had not fallen, then the Church would probably have established a feast in his honor, as it did in honor of the holy Archangel Michael. But Lucifer did not wish to subordinate himself to God. He dreamed of becoming equal to Him and lured away part of the angels to follow him in his struggle against God. Thus the brightest angel became the blackest devil - Satan.

Against Satan’s army there arose the Archangel Michael, one of the highest angels who had remained faithful to the Creator. Going into battle at the head of the bright angels, the Archangel cried out: “Who else but God?” - thereby denouncing proud Satan and all the godless of the future.

The angels of God vanquished the dark forces of the first rebels, and Satan, together with the other demons, fell like lightning into the netherworld.

From that time the Archangel Michael became the head of the entire heavenly host. For his zeal in working for God he is honored by the Church even to this day.

However, the demonic forces continue their battle against the followers of Christ. God allows this, in order for us to be able to exhibit spiritual steadfastness and fealty to the Trinity.

We are surrounded by danger everywhere. But in this daily and hourly struggle we are provided by God with great defenders and helpers - the holy angels, headed by the seven highest archangels; their names are Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel, Barachiel.

We have already spoken of the Archangel Michael. Archangel Gabriel has been entrusted with the service of being messenger to mankind. He came with the Lord’s tidings of forthcoming miraculous events to the parents of St. John the Baptist, to the parents of the Holy Virgin Mary, and also to the Mother of God Herself and to the righteous Joseph. Archangel Gabriel is the messenger of God’s Providence, the attendant of miracles and divine Mysteries. When we are overcome with doubts, when it seems to us that we have been abandoned by everyone and there is no help from anywhere, let us pray to Archangel Gabriel, that by his prayers the Lord would reveal to us His most holy will and would set our life upon the course of salvation.

Archangel Raphael is a merciful healer, sent by God to comfort the sick and the sorrowing. From the Holy Scripture we know that Archangel Raphael expelled demons from a woman. And how many people there are nowadays who are possessed by demons…. Alas, both they and their relatives often turn for help to sorcerers who nowadays hide behind the pseudo-scientific name of “extrasensorics.” But will sorcerers, these servants of the devil, expel demons? Obviously not. The power to expel demons and heal those who are possessed by them belongs to the holy angels and particularly to Archangel Raphael. Let us ask him to intercede for us before the Lord, Giver of all good things.

The name of Archangel Uriel means the light or the fire of God. This archangel enlightens the minds and the hearts of the faithful with the light of divine truths and the fire of divine love. All those who embark upon the study of knowledge can and should pray to this archangel to enlighten their minds and hearts, in order to avoid a destructive chasm between knowledge and faith.

Archangel Salaphiel is the patron of prayer. He is even depicted so on icons: with eyes gazing downward, with hands crossed on his chest, with an air of humility and deep inner concentration. He is our primary teacher of prayer. Prayer is the most difficult thing to achieve, and one must be instructed in it. Unfortunately, some people assiduously study various worldly subjects, but disdain the study of the most important subject in the world - the Jesus prayer. Let us pray to Archangel Salaphiel for the Lord to grant us this gift of divine prayer.

Archangel Jegudiel is the patron, defender and helper of all those who toil. And we must all be such, for we have been commanded to eat our bread in the sweat of our faces. We toil not only physically, to earn our daily bread, but also spiritually, in order to perfect ourselves. Archangel Jegudiel is depicted on icons with a crown of victory in his hands. Such crowns will be earned by those of us who will endure to the very end, who will worthily bear the light yoke of Christ. We are faced with a complex task, so let us ask Archangel Jegudiel for help in our daily lives.

Archangel Barachiel is the angel of God’s blessings. While asking God to bless all our good efforts, let us also appeal to Archangel Barachiel for help. However, we must accept the Lord’s blessing not only for prosperity but also for our cross, i.e. the sorrows without which there is no salvation. And may Archangel Barachiel give us strength to carry our blessed crosses.

In celebrating the feast of the angelic Host, let us not forget the most important thing, - and that is the faithfulness to God exhibited by the holy angels together with Archangel Michael. May the Lord help us, too, be ready to sacrifice ourselves for Christ.

Following the example of the angels’ fealty, let us also remain faithful to true Orthodoxy. And nowadays this is more important than ever before, because Orthodoxy is attacked from all sides by the adherents of other religions and by the unfaithful, who demand that very same infamous equality, this time among all religions. We can never agree to such an equalization of Orthodoxy with religions which have distorted the true worship of God, because we know that there is no salvation outside of Orthodoxy. Let us appreciate our Orthodox faith, which teaches us true knowledge and true worship of God, for which, eons ago, the archangel of God Michael and his entire heavenly host battled in the heavens.

Monk Vsevolod

(Reprinted from “Orthodox Russia,” Vol. 22, 1999)