The Empirical Theologians and the Contemplative Thinkers

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

I see the way in which empirical theologians (the saints) theologize and the way in which philosophical thinkers theologize and I understand the great difference between them. Empirical theologians are the Theoptic saints (Prophets, Apostles, Saints), while contemplative theologians are those who reason on dogmatic issues that refer to God, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Saints. And so the difference between them is abyssal.

I will cite two examples that will make this clear, and they refer to the way the Fathers theologized at the First Ecumenical Synod in contrast to the philosopher Arius.

Father Eusebios Giannakakis: "At the Proskomide I Chat With Saint John the Theologian"

Thirty to forty people worked daily at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Aigaleia, who had to be paid every Saturday. In addition to the cost of building materials, a significant amount of money was needed for the workers’ insurance. The Monastery had no income or movable or immovable property, yet the work proceeded without interruption. During the reconstruction, the Brotherhood literally experienced a miracle. His Eminence told the faithful: “If you want to see a miracle today, see how this Monastery is being built. It is a prolonged miracle.”

The main factor in this miracle was Father Eusebios (+ 1995), who had entrusted the Monastery to the protection and intercession of Saint John the Theologian. He had amazing optimism and faith. Where the sisters saw darkness, he saw light. Where they saw narrowness and difficulty, he saw spaciousness. Knowing the magnitude of the work, they were timid, but the Elder, seeing with the eyes of his pure soul the protection and providence of God surrounding them, supported them with prophetic words:

Homily Two on the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily Two on the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1961)

"If we love one another, God abides in us" (1 John 4:12)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Today, dear brothers and sisters, we honor the memory of one of the great Apostles of Christ, a pillar of the Christian Church, a zealous preacher of Christ's teachings, who wrote for us the Holy Gospel, three Epistles and the Apocalypse, the wise and loving Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, recalling the day of his death.

He was the closest and most beloved disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, or, as the Church hymn puts it, the friend and confidant of Christ. What made this Apostle so different from the Lord's other disciples, and how did he earn such special favor and affection from Jesus Christ?

September: Day 26: Teaching 2: The Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

 

September: Day 26: Teaching 2:
The Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
 
(Lessons to Follow From His Life: 
a. Zeal for the Salvation of Others; 
b. Love for the Lord and Others; 
c. Virginity)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, celebrated today, was the son of the Galilean fisherman Zebedee and his wife Salome. Before his conversion to Christ, he was a disciple of Saint John the Baptist and, together with Saint Andrew, followed the Lord at the direction of the Forerunner, as he himself recounts in the first chapter of his Gospel, without, however, indicating his own name. During the Lord's earthly life, John, along with Saint Peter and his brother James, was among the Lord's three beloved disciples: he was honored to witness the appearance of Divine glory on Mount Tabor, was present at the resurrection of Jairus's daughter; at the Secret Supper, the Lord revealed Judas the traitor to him. Filled with love for the heavenly Teacher, John followed the Lord to the trial and stood at the Lord's cross with a few persons, His relatives according to the flesh. In his dying moments, the Lord entrusted him with the care of His Most Pure Mother. Appearing to him after the Resurrection at Lake Tiberias, the Lord hinted at his long life and peaceful end. Fulfilling his sacred duty to guard the Most Pure Mother of the Lord, John lived in Jerusalem until her Dormition. Here he was tried and scourged before the Sanhedrin; he left Jerusalem only once, to join Peter in bringing the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans baptized by the deacon Philip.

Prologue in Sermons: September 26

 

On How We Should Treat Perishing Sinners

September 26

(Homily on the Young Man Whom John the Theologian Saved)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

When we encounter perishing sinners, it often happens thus: some of us pay them not the slightest attention; others regard them with contempt and derision; a third group, at times, even looks upon their demise with malicious glee; while the fourth, although they finally address them with a salvific word, more often convey a harsh rebuke, which generally leads only to mutual dissatisfaction between the reprovers and the reproved. What do you think, brethren? Should we treat perishing sinners in this way or not? Certainly not! We should act in an entirely opposite manner. "How so?" you may ask. To this question, let the example that follows provide the answer.

September: Day 25: Teaching 2: Saint Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh

 

September: Day 25: Teaching 2:
Saint Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh
 
(Against Irascibility)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. We would not err, brethren, if we say that the esteemed Venerable Sergius is the teacher of many Christian virtues.

This time, we will point out his extraordinary control over all the impulses of his heart, thanks to which he suppressed all manifestations of irascibility. Once severely insulted by his elder brother, Stephen, he immediately left his monastery, where his brother wanted to be the leader, and showed no sign of irascibility or irritation. Yet we often indulge in irascibility.

Prologue in Sermons: September 25

Those Who Distort the Words of Church Prayers Will Be Condemned

September 25

(How During a Terrible Earthquake a Youth Was Caught Up Into the Air)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

When reading Church prayers, many of you either add to them what is not appropriate, or mispronounce the words contained within them, distorting their meaning. This, brethren, is not good. How dangerous and pernicious is such carelessness in the use of prayers received by the Holy Church, mostly from holy men? Listen to the following account.

References to Saint Thekla in the Writings of Gregory of Nyssa

Saint Thekla, to whom a famous martyrium near Seleucia was dedicated in the time of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, was celebrated in the early Church as an archetypical virgin and martyr. In the two places where she is mentioned in Gregory of Nyssa's writings, this is how she is presented.

1. Homily 14 on the Song of Songs

(A commentary on Song of Songs 5:13, which reads: "His jaws are like bowls of spice pouring forth perfumes. His lips are lilies, dropping abundant myrrh.")

For the myrrh that flows from the mouth and fills the receptive soul is an image for the mortification of the body, since it is often observed that in the improper usage of the inspired text the term 'myrrh' signifies death. Therefore the pure and perfect eye, which makes of the jaw a bowl that pours and gushes perfumes out of itself, this eye blossoms with lilies in the form of words that proceed from the mouth of those who have been beautified by the divine radiance; for so does the text identify those who are pure and who breathe out the perfume of virtue, from whom there is unendingly distilled the drop of myrrh that fills the mind of its recipients — that is to say, disdain for the material life, which appears when everything that people work for in this life becomes inoperative and dead on account of their desire for transcendent goods.

Homily for the Commemoration of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Thekla (Fr. Daniel Sysoev)

Homily for the Commemoration of Saint Thekla

By Fr. Daniel Sysoev

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

I congratulate you all on the feast day of the Holy Protomartyr Thekla, Equal-to-the-Apostles! If we look at the history of the Church, we see that there were saints who were once highly venerated, but later became less so. This applies to Saint Thekla. The entire ancient Church, right up until the 15th century (now she is highly venerated only in Syria), held her in high esteem. Yet many Orthodox Christians don't even know her life, which is remarkable. 

Saint Thekla was from Asia Minor and lived in the city of Iconium, near Antalya, now Konya (fifty kilometers from Antalya). Saint Thekla was an ordinary pagan, a young woman of nineteen, betrothed to a pagan youth. At that time, the Apostle Paul was passing through the city, preaching the holy gospel. He went to preach in a high-rise building called an insula (Latin for "insula" — literally translated as "island" — in ancient Roman architecture, a multi-story residential building with rooms and apartments). At that time, cities already had high-rise buildings inhabited by the less wealthy. Saint Thekla lived in a mansion next to this "khrushchevka" building, where the Apostle Paul celebrated the Liturgy in one of the apartments.

Prologue in Sermons: September 24

What is Needed to Ensure That Family and Friends Remain Inseparable From Us Even After Death?

September 24

(How a Certain Abbot Prayed to God for his Monks, So That They Would Enter Paradise With Him.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Having family and friends here on earth, we would, of course, wish not to be separated from them even after death. Unfortunately, this may not always be the case. When the Lord comes to judgment, He will separate some from others and say to some, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;” but to others, “ Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” And some will go to the Kingdom of Heaven, and others into everlasting torment (Matthew 25:32–41, 46). It may well be that we too will be separated from our family and friends. It may well be that they will go to the Kingdom of Heaven, and we into everlasting torment, or vice versa. A terrible fate! But is there no way to avoid it?

Holy New Martyr John the Former Hagarene as a Model for our Lives

St. John of Konitsa (Feast Day - September 23)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Holy New Martyr John lived in the 18th and early 19th centuries AD. He was born in Konitsa, Epirus, to Muslim parents. His father was a Dervish and held the rank of Sheikh. At the age of twenty, he also entered the religious order of the Dervishes. After living for several years in Ioannina, he then went to Vrachori in Aetolia, today's Agrinio, and lived in a house called the Musallim Serai.

We do not know the processes that took place in his inner world and contributed to his life being completely transformed and changed. That is, he suddenly threw off the garments of a Dervish, dressed like a Christian and went to Ithaca, where he was baptized and took the name John. Then he returned to Aetolia, and specifically to the village of Mahalas. There he married and practiced the profession of a field guard. His father, when he learned of these events, sent people to convince him to return to Islam. John chased them away and was then arrested by Muselimi of Vrachori. He confessed his faith in Christ with boldness and courage and, despite the inhuman torture, remained steadfast and unwavering. Then, because they could not bend his brave spirit, they beheaded him on September 23, 1814, and thus he delivered his holy soul into the hands of Christ, whom he loved deeply. The Christians buried his sacred tabernacle on a farm in Vrachori. Later, his sacred relics were brought back, which were deposited in the crypt of the Sacred Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos Prousos in Evrytania, and were discovered on January 4, 1974.

Father Vaseilios Gontikakis: "The Archon of the Holy Mountain" (+ 2025)

By Metropolitan Chrysostomos III of Mani

The “Archon of the Holy Mountain,” the great scholar and spiritual man, Father Vasileios Gontikakis, former abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Stavronikita and former abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Iviron, has passed away. We are obliged to write a few lines in memory of the renowned elder Father Vasileios, because I personally had the blessing of knowing him since my student years.

Father Vaseilios was a rare personality. A hieromonk of genuine deep faith, complete devotion to monastic ideals, with a holy life, with a rich education, both secular and Christian. It is undeniable that he contributed greatly to the flourishing of monastic life in the Athonite State, especially for the reestablishment of coenobitic life. The elder himself, Father Vaseilios, constitutes a serious chapter in the history of monastic life on Mount Athos.

At the beginning of the 1960s, when he had already become a monk and was with Saint Paisios, one day the professor, his father in the flesh, Konstantinos from Heraklion, Crete, came to visit him and when he saw him outside the Skete chopping wood, he said to him: “My son, this is why I had you educated, to come here, to chop wood”? Then, the monk Father Vaseilios replied: “Yes, father, I chop wood, because I have not yet learned humility!"

Eulogy for the Blessed Elder Vasileios of Iviron by the Current Abbot of Iviron Archimandrite Nathanael

Our revered Elder,

You have always liked the doxastikon of the Vespers of Great Saturday: 

 

"And God blessed the seventh day; for this is the blessed Sabbath; this is the day of rest, on which the Only Begotten Son of God rested from all his works through the economy of death, honoring the Sabbath in the flesh."

Today we are honoring your own Sabbath, your own rest and the rest from all works. Normally, respecting your wish, we should not have said anything but in silence and prayer to surrender your tabernacle to the earth and to send you forward to eternity. However, in obedience to dear brothers, I will dare to utter a few unskillful words.

September: Day 23: Teaching 2: The Conception of the Honorable Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

September: Day 23: Teaching 2:
The Conception of the Honorable Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
 
(On How To Imitate Saint John the Baptist)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. At first glance, it seems rather strange that John, who was to precede the grace available to all mankind, is raised and spends most of his life in the wilderness. The forerunner of the Savior, who dined with tax collectors, observes such a strict fast. Yet this was necessary for John to prepare for his high calling. Living in the wilderness, he maintained a more profound communion with God. Here, he does not witness the depraved customs of the world; immoral examples could not become ordinary for him, and as a representative of the law, he confronts them with utmost severity. Having become accustomed to feeding on locusts and wild honey in the wilderness, he, appearing among the people, has no need for human assistance, and as an independent figure, he openly preaches and gains credibility through his preaching. Finally, when this hermit, whom no one knew, clearly and openly points to Christ the Savior, does he not make it evident that his knowledge of Christ was acquired not through human teaching, but through divine revelation? On the other hand, this very extraordinary life of John bears edifying traits for those who follow the most ordinary path.

Prologue in Sermons: September 23

On How Best to Act for One Who Wishes to Convert a Sinner From the Error of His Ways

September 23*

(On How Not to Condemn, But to Have Mercy on Sinners)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

One of the works of spiritual mercy is to convert a sinner from the error of his way. This is a great and saving work for us. The Apostle James says: "Brethren, if anyone among you errs from the way of truth, and someone converts him, let him know that he who converts a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). But, although great in the eyes of God and saving for us, this work, unfortunately, falls short of its goal for many of us. Thus, we see many who undertake to convert sinners to the path of truth, but few actually convert them; many undertake to teach them goodness, but few actually learn it; many, finally, even exert all their strength to divert those who have strayed from sin, but for very few who make the effort, their efforts are crowned with success. Why is this so? Because many begin this work in the wrong place, conduct it in the wrong way, and approach sinners from the wrong angle. For the work of converting sinners to be salvific for them and beneficial for us, those who convert must first learn where to begin, then how to conduct it, and what attitude to adopt in relation to sinners. And only then, undoubtedly, will the work of converting them to the path of truth be salvific for them and beneficial for us. But you will, of course, ask: from whom should we learn, and how should we teach sinners? We answer: from whomever you wish - from the Lord Jesus Christ, or from His Saints.

Prologue in Sermons: September 22

In the Special Ways of God's Providence in our Lives, We Must See a Call to Repentance and Correction

September 22

(From the Words of Saint John the Merciful about Saint Peter the Tax Collector)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

It happens, brethren, that we are guilty of many deeds for which, it would seem, we should pay dearly in this life, both before God and before men. Sometimes a person has sinned and thinks that inevitable disaster awaits him for his sin and that the consequences of his sin must be terrible for him. Meanwhile, you see, everything somehow passes without a hitch, and there are no dire consequences. And this happens not once or twice, but, one might say, a thousand times in our lives. What is this, if not an act of God's special mercy and indulgence toward us sinners, so as to turn us to repentance and the correction of our lives? But is this how we view it? Do we care for the riches of God's goodness, meekness, and longsuffering? Do we strive to grasp the fact that they lead us to repentance (Rom. 2:4)? Alas, brethren, in reality it turns out quite differently! Having been delivered from misfortune for one sin, we begin to think that God is merciful, that another sin will pass just as unpunished, and a third, and so on — and so we continue to sin. Wise people, however, act differently: seeing God's special indulgence and mercy toward them, they immediately repent and begin to correct their lives. Let us learn from one of them in this regard.

Archimandrite Vasileios Gontikakis, a Prominent Athonite Figure and Author, Has Reposed

On September 17, 2025, the former abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos, Archimandrite Vasileios Gontikakis, passed away at the age of 90. Hospitalized in Thessaloniki since August 27th, after falling and suffering a spinal injury at his monastery before Vespers on the eve of the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Elder Vasileios gave up his spirit to God. On September 18, the funeral service took place, when he was buried in the cemetery of the Monastery of Iviron.

The ceremony was attended by the abbots of the monasteries of Mount Athos, representatives of the Holy Community, representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as the Churches of Greece and Cyprus, along with a large number of spiritual children of Archimandrite Vasileios. He was a major figure of Athonite monasticism, as well as an important scholar and teacher of Orthodox theology.

As Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece said about him: "He was an authentic witness to the Orthodox tradition in the modern world, noble and at the same time courageous in matters concerning the Church and society, a truly free and genuine man."

The current abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Iviron is Archimandrite Nathanael, who succeeded Elder Vasileios.

Homily Two on the Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two on the Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

By St. John of Kronstadt

"Whoever wants to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).

Thus, the Lord also designates that each of us must bear our own cross. He says, "Whoever wants to come after Me... let him take up his cross," referring to the cross of various hardships and sufferings, "and follow Me." Indeed, to attain the Kingdom of God, the cross is necessary for everyone, and without the cross, or in other words, without afflictions, without tribulations, no one can enter the Heavenly Kingdom. The Lord has paved the way to heaven for us with the cross, and by that very cross, we must journey there. "Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22), says the Apostle. "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life" (Matthew 7:14), says the Lord. But why not, one might ask, widen the path to the Heavenly Kingdom, why not make it easier, why not remove various sufferings from it? How many would then be on their way to heaven! The wide path would then seem to be filled with people hastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem, just as it is currently full of those heading to hell. Yet to speak thus is to be ignorant of the essence of the matter, to be ignorant of oneself, to be unaware of what the Kingdom of Heaven truly is. It is an impossible endeavor, brethren, for there to be a wide and smooth path to our heavenly homeland.

Prologue in Sermons: September 21

For the Edification of Those Who Hide Their Sins in Confession

September 21*

(Homily On Repentance)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Unfortunately, there are people who conceal their sins during confession. Some, out of false fear, others out of false shame, others out of pride, and still others, finally, out of sheer ignorance, conceal their iniquities during confession to a priest. Thus, not only do they fail to receive forgiveness for their sins, but they actually double their sins, for they lie before the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who receives their confession. In order to divert such individuals from the perilous habit of concealing sins in the future and to teach them to repent openly, sincerely, and without hypocrisy, we will point to a case of how Christians in ancient times sometimes confessed their sins.

September: Day 20: Teaching 2: Holy Right-Believing Prince Michael and Boyar Theodore, Wonderworkers of Chernigov

September: Day 20: Teaching 2:
Holy Right-Believing Prince Michael and Boyar Theodore, Wonderworkers of Chernigov
 
(Why Do We Live In This World?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the day of the Wonderworkers of Chernigov, who courageously confessed their Christian faith before the Tatars and sacrificed their lives so as not to be deprived of the Heavenly Kingdom and eternal blessedness with Christ, it will be appropriate now to talk with you, my brethren, about the fact that the salvation of the soul or the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest object of all human aspirations.

II. Indeed, why was man created? Why do we live in this world? This is an important question we must ask ourselves as often as possible! Do we really exist merely to be born, live a little, and then die, like other animals? Are we really created to spend our entire lives worrying, fussing, searching, tormenting ourselves, suffering, and then disappearing? No! We were created for blessedness. The search for blessedness is an indelible and unquenchable feeling in man; and that is why we see that every person, both intelligent and foolish, savage and enlightened, old and young — each and every one of them wants good for himself, wants to live better, all seek well-being. And although not all seek in the same way, and not all consider the same thing to be their highest good, there is not a single person in the world who would not want to be prosperous, at least as he understands and perceives it. Thus, the savage wants to be well-fed and contented, and to have what he likes. Thus, the poor want to be rich, the rich want to be honored and celebrated; the official and distinguished want to be famous — and so on. In short, everyone wants to be happy and blessed, according to their own standards.

Prologue in Sermons: September 20

In Times of Misfortune, One Should Not Become Despondent and Despair, But Should Place All Hope in God

September 20

(Commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Eustathios)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

There are misfortunes in which we can still, it seems, find help or consolation from people; but there are also those in which people are completely powerless to help or console. In these latter misfortunes, instead of turning to God in prayer for help and placing all hope in Him as the Almighty, we often give in to complete cowardice and, as they say, completely throw up our hands. This is often why many of us, without faith and trust in God, in misfortunes, from cowardice pass to despair and perish. And yet, is there any sorrow in which the Lord cannot console us? Or does He have little love and compassion? Or does He not see our troubles and sorrows? Of His omnipotence and omniscience there is no need to speak, and that He has love and compassion for those in distress is evident from the fact that He Himself calls them to Himself and promises them His help. "Call upon Me," He says, "in the day of your trouble, and I will answer you." Therefore, righteous people do not act like us in adversity: they remain in trust in God, unshakable as a rock, and their trust does not put them to shame. The Lord unexpectedly turns their sorrow into joy and their grief into gladness.

Prologue in Sermons: September 19

Against Anger

September 19

(John Chrysostom on Anger)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Brethren, we often become angry with one another, and this is not good; for in anger we give way to recklessness, and we frequently inflict grievous wounds upon the hearts of our neighbors, we anger God, and we harm our own health. Indeed, how much evil in general comes from anger? We scatter everything, we throw things about, we ruin, and afterwards, we would be glad to gather and restore, but it is already too late, as what has passed is irretrievable! Therefore, we must guard ourselves against anger in every way and learn diligently the virtue of meekness. What then should we do for this? We should more frequently turn to the Saints and learn from them how to shed anger and acquire meekness. The Saints, having served as exemplars of meekness to all during their lives, can always give us life-saving lessons even after their death. Therefore, let us turn to the Saints and take our first lesson from the universal teacher – Saint John Chrysostom.

The Theology of the Cross and the Theology of Glory - (Theologia crucis-Theologia gloriae): Part 4 of 4

...continued from part three.

3. Metropolitan of Pergamon John Zizioulas on the Cross of Golgotha and the Divine Eucharist

The purpose of Creation is the Church. That is, the Father, by creating the world, wanted to transform it into the Church. However, in order for this incorporation of Creation in the Son and the Church to be realized, the free consent of man would have to be ensured. For man is the one who, by nature, as the only free being in Creation, the material Creation, would be used so that Creation could be referred to God. But man, summing up creation, instead of ultimately referring to God, chose to refer to himself; in other words, he deified himself. For this reason, God's entire plan for transforming the world into a Church came up against man's denial and, as Saint Maximus says, God now had to think of another way to save the world and unite it with Himself. This way is the incarnation of the Son within the fallen creation, which means that the Son, and man in general, and all of creation, had to go through the experience of death in order to attain union, that is, the Cross had to intervene. This is why the Church could no longer be realized without going through the Cross of Golgotha.

Prologue in Sermons: September 18

The Alms We Give to the Poor Are Accepted by Christ Himself

September 18

(On Almsgiving: That By Giving to the Poor One Gives to Christ)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

The Holy Fathers teach this about almsgiving: Chrysostom says: "A man is a great thing, and a merciful man is precious. For far greater is it to feed Christ when hungry than to raise the dead by the name of Jesus: for in the former case you do good to Christ, in the latter He to you" (Homily 16 on I Cor.). And Saint Basil the Great teaches: "Mercy is a great thing: for Christ Himself, who sits in heaven, receives what the poor, lying on earth, receives from your hands" (On the Rich). Is this true? Is it true that by giving alms we do good to Christ? And is it fair that Christ Himself, who sits in heaven, receives from us what the poor, lying on earth, receives from us? Know that all this is absolutely true, brethren, for the deeds themselves speak for the truth of the words of the ecumenical teachers. 

The Theology of the Cross and the Theology of Glory - (Theologia crucis-Theologia gloriae): Part 3 of 4

...continued from part two.

2. Father John Romanides on the Mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ

The necessary means of perfection for the deified, but also for the hired hands and slaves, is the crucifixion of desires and the uprooting of selfish love through unwavering faith and unconditional obedience to the will of God. Perfection through obedience is valid for the angels before the fall of the devil and demons, since after the fall there is no repentance for them. For humans, obedience is the means of perfection before and after the fall. Obedience, however, is not an end in itself, so that through a servile and exchangeable disposition one may acquire a static, blissful state leading to the perpetuation of a servile or selfish relationship with God. In the stages of the slave and the hired hand, man participates in the perfection of God through the partaking in Christ of the purifying and illuminating grace of the mystery of the Cross, which purifies the passions and the nous and illuminates, sanctifies, justifies and animates the whole man and makes possible, through man's cooperation, obedience unto death to the will of God, through which obedience the grace of God transforms this submissive selfishness into selfless love, and thus man is deified and becomes a friend and co-worker of God, a brother and co-king by the grace of Christ, and an adopted son of the Virgin.

Homily on the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love and their Mother Sophia (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily on the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love and their Mother Sophia 

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1964)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Martyrs Faith (Vera), Hope (Nadezhda) and Love (Lyubov) and their mother Sophia, honoring their suffering for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

To understand the nature of the suffering of the Holy Martyrs, it is necessary to recall the time and circumstances in which their martyrdom took place. Saint Sophia lived in the city of Rome, Italy, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Having lost her husband in her youth, she took on the upbringing of her young children — her daughters Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov. Vera was the eldest, twelve years old; Nadezhda was ten; and Lyubov was nine. Being a pious and zealous Christian herself, she strove to instill in her daughters the same spirit of piety, faith, and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Having ample material resources, Saint Sophia devoted herself entirely to Christian philanthropy, helping the poor. Her children, who are generally drawn to good examples, saw in her life a good role model, and so it is not surprising that they were quite pious.

Prologue in Sermons: September 17

The Unskilled Should Not Take Upon Themselves the Title of Teachers and Interpret the Word of God

September 17

(From the Paterikon: On Anger and Repentance)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

It happens that the literate among you, especially those who have lived in the cities for a considerable time and listened to various scholars, return home and assume the title of teachers. They gather the simpletons around them, begin to read to them from the Divine Scriptures, and interpret the words of Holy Scripture as they please, fully confident that they are doing a good deed. That they read from the Divine Scriptures is truly a good deed on their part, but that they interpret the Divine Words in their own way cannot be called a good deed, for often their arbitrary interpretations give rise to superstitions, prejudices, and most destructive errors. Worst of all, when such teachers are confronted with the idea that this or that passage of Scripture has been interpreted incorrectly, they almost never admit their error, and everyone will assume they are right. This stubbornness often leads them to the point of completely separating from the Church and becoming schismatics. In their own destruction, they lead many others to destruction as well. Had they confessed their error, the Lord would have immediately forgiven them, and the Church would have immediately accepted them into communion.

Homily Three on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Three on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

By St. John of Kronstadt

"The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18)

The message of the Cross or the message about the Cross, what is it? It is a message about the salvation of the world perishing in sins through the sufferings and death of the Only Begotten Son of God. It is a message about the infinite love of God for the world, "for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). It is a message about the infinite truth of God, which demanded an infinite sacrifice for the countless and grave sins of the world and for the infinitely insulted holiness of the Deity by creatures created in the image and likeness of God, for the desecrated most holy laws of God; for the corruption by sin of the animated tabernacles of God, the souls and bodies of men. The message about the Cross, further, is a message about the granting of eternal life to all believers for the sake of Christ who suffered, died, and rose again; a message about the crucifixion of the flesh with its passions and lusts; a message about the mutual love of people for each other; about self-denial for the sake of love for God and neighbor; a message about the patience of sorrows, illnesses, reproaches, slander, persecution, torment for the sake of Christ. This is what the message of the Cross means. 

The Theology of the Cross and the Theology of Glory - (Theologia crucis-Theologia gloriae): Part 2 of 4

...continued from part one.

1. Father George Florovsky on the Theologia crucis and Theologia gloriae

It is commonly assumed that, in counterdistinction from the West, Eastern theology is mainly concerned with Incarnation and Resurrection and that the “theology of the Cross”, theologia crucis, has been under-developed in the East. Indeed, Orthodox theology is emphatically a “theology of glory”, theologia gloriae, but only because it is primarily a “theology of the Cross”. The Cross itself is the sign of glory. The Cross itself is regarded not so much as a climax of Christ's humiliation, but rather as a disclosure of Divine might and glory. “Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” Or, in the words of a Sunday hymn, “it is by the Cross that great joy has come into the world”. On the one hand, the whole oikonomia of Redemption is summed up in one comprehensive vision: the victory of Life. On the other, this oikonomia is related to the basic predicament of fallen man, to his existential situation, culminating in his actualized “mortality”, and the “last enemy” is identified, accordingly, as “death”. It was this “last enemy” that had been defeated and abrogated on the tree of the Cross, in ara crucis. The Lord of Life did enter the dark abyss of death, and “death” was destroyed by the flashes of His glory. This is the main motive of the divine office on Easter Day in the Orthodox Church: “trampling down death by death”. The phrase itself is significant: Christ's death is itself a victory, Christ's death dismisses man's mortality. 

Homily Two on the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily Two on the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

Today the Holy Church solemnly remembers the discovery of the Holy Cross of the Lord. This joyful event took place, as is known, three centuries after the Resurrection of the Lord and was accomplished by the zeal of the Holy Empress Helen, the mother of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine. The Lord Jesus Christ entered into His glory by a long and difficult path of humility, and the humiliation of the Life-giving Tree, on which the Lord sacrificed Himself for our sins, continued incomparably longer.

The Savior of the world was already in Heaven, and the instrument of salvation was contained in the depths of the earth; the glory of the Crucified One had already resounded throughout the ends of the universe, but no one knew about the Tree of the Cross, not even in those places that were adjacent to Golgotha itself. But the world began to be convinced that the "message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18), and the Tree of the Cross needed to appear to the world for its joy, for the triumph and adornment of the Church. Constantine the Great, who himself had repeatedly experienced the power of the Cross, set out to find the very Tree on which our Savior was crucified. This sacred work was undertaken by his praiseworthy mother, the Empress Helen. The Holy Spirit inspired this equal-to-the-apostles empress to use effort and zeal to seek the Cross. But how to find this treasure? On the advice of Patriarch Makarios of Jerusalem, the oldest Jews were summoned, and when asked where their ancestors had hidden the Cross of Christ, they pointed to a certain Judas, who, having led the queen and the archbishop to the north-eastern side of Golgotha, said to them: "In this place, where the temple of Venus stands, you will find the Cross of your Christ." The temple was torn down and after much labor - since the Cross was covered with rubbish and earth - the Cross of the Savior - and along with it the crosses of the thieves crucified with the Lord - were found. Even before their discovery, a fragrance emanating from the earth was sensed. But since three crosses were found, in order to determine which of them was the Cross of the Lord, Patriarch Makarios ordered that a sick pious woman lying on her deathbed be placed next to the crosses. When she was touched the first two crosses, they did not produce any effect or change in the condition of the sufferer, but touching the third not only raised her from her bed of illness, but also gave her greater strength than she had possessed before. After this, giving glory to God, everyone unanimously recognized the miraculous cross as the Cross of the Lord.

September: Day 16: Teaching 2: Holy Great Martyr Euphemia

September: Day 16: Teaching 2: 
Holy Great Martyr Euphemia
 
(How Can We Be Saved?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the day of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia, who received the Kingdom of Heaven through her faithfulness to Jesus Christ in life and suffering, it would be appropriate to ask the question: how can we be saved now, when there is no suffering persecution for Christ?

We must be saved by fulfilling God's commandments.

II. Once, during the earthly life of Jesus Christ, a lawyer (a learned man) came to Him and said: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" The Savior said: "What is written in the law (of Moses)? How do you read it?" He answered: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus Christ said: "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live," that is, you will inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25-28).

Do the same, you Christians, and you will be saved.

Prologue in Sermons: September 16

Everyday Affairs and Needs Do Not Hinder Our Salvation

September 16

(From the Leimonarion: On Dorotheos the Hermit)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

He who stops caring about his salvation, becomes lazy about going to church and praying to God at home, always begins to blame his negligence on work. “I am sinful,” such a person usually says, “but there is nothing I can do. And I would be glad sometimes to pray, to think about my salvation, but work has overcome me. I have done one thing, and lo and behold, another is hanging over my shoulders. I have done this, and the third has arrived,” etc. Such a person says this in his own defense, and it turns out, according to him, that one is saved only by sitting with folded hands, that in order to please God, one must be free from all work, not know any worldly occupations, and not bear any labors at all. Let us see if this is really so?

The Theology of the Cross and the Theology of Glory - (Theologia crucis-Theologia gloriae): Part 1 of 4

The Theology of the Cross and the Theology of Glory 
(Theologia crucis-Theologia gloriae)

Introduction

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

On the occasion of the feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable Cross, we must see the great value of the Honorable Cross in relation to the Resurrection of Christ.

And this is because in Orthodox theology, the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ are closely connected, or as it is called, the theologia crucis with the theologia gloriae, and they cannot be separated. That is, it cannot be maintained that the Cross of Christ is a simple historical event and the Resurrection of Christ is an eschatological event, because this is a great theological error.

Previously, it was argued that Western theology is based more on the Cross with the theory of the atonement of divine justice through the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, which is why the Orthodox Church is the Church of the Resurrection.

Prologue in Sermons: September 15

The World, the Flesh and the Devil

September 15

(From the Leimonarion: On Thoughts)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

There are temptations that draw us to sin. These temptations cannot come from God: He is holy, righteous, and every sin is repugnant to Him. They always come from the flesh, from the world and the devil. The flesh nourishes within itself the seeds of sinful desires and passions; in the world, wicked morals and customs and a seductive way of life draw those who are unstable in piety to sin; and the devil was a murderer from the beginning, says the Savior Himself (John 8:44). These temptations continue throughout life, and even the Saints themselves are not free from them. One monk, who lived in the desert, tormented by the lust of the flesh, came to the Venerable Pachomios and told him about his inner battle. “Child,” the Venerable One answered him, “do not be surprised at this. Now you see me as an old man, for forty years I have not left my cell and I care for my salvation; yet even to this day, a similar struggle troubles me” ("Prologue", Sept. 15).

The Cross – The Life-Bearing Plant (Photios Kontoglou)

Sketch of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross by Photios Kontoglou

 

The Cross – The Life-Bearing Plant

By Photios Kontoglou

“Come, all nations, let us venerate the blessed wood, through which eternal justice was accomplished.”

The Cross is the most honorable and holy symbol of all Christians. And yet, this Cross was, before Christ was crucified on it, a sign of dishonor, condemnation and curse, because the most terrible criminals were condemned to be nailed to it. Christ, who changed everything, also changed the meaning that the Cross had in the souls of people, completely changed their feelings and from a disgusting and cursed tool, transformed it into a venerable and beloved symbol.

Christians place the Cross everywhere, on the domes and bell towers of the church, in their homes, on women's ornaments, on their buildings, on flags, on the masts of ships, in high places so that it can be seen from afar. The old pious Christians, from the faith they had, saw it everywhere, even in natural phenomena, as Saint Justin the Philosopher and Martyr writes.

Homily One on the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily One on the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1961)

"Today, the Master of creation and the Lord of glory 
is fastened to the Cross, pierced in the side, 
tasting gall and vinegar,  and adorned with the sweetness of the Church, 
crowned with thorns."

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters, an involuntary sorrow fills our soul today, often pouring forth in tears, as we hear from the Gospel reading and the touching hymns the poignant narrative of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Should we, as Christians, members of His Body, beneficiaries of His grace, not feel compassion for Him, wounded by the crown of thorns? Should we not grieve with all our hearts at the sight of the indescribable sufferings of our greatest Benefactor?

It is not only difficult, but positively impossible to imagine anything more astonishing than the spectacle of Golgotha. Here is the ineffable miracle of Divine love for the disobedient creation, man. It began, this miracle, in the earthly paradise, together with the creation of man, and was accomplished on Golgotha by the death of the God-man.

Homily Two on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Two on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

By St. John of Kronstadt

Beloved brethren in Christ! We celebrate today the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. When Patriarch Makarios, one and a half thousand years ago, in the presence of Empress Helen and a multitude of people, raised the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, found by the Empress, then the Empress and all the people, looking at it with reverence and as if seeing the Savior hanging on it, all covered in blood and living out the last hours of His suffering life for us in inexpressible torment, fell down with fear and love and cried out with one voice: "Lord have mercy!"

September: Day 14: Teaching 2: Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

September: Day 14: Teaching 2: 
Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
 
(What the Cross of the Lord, Carried by the Church for our Salvation, Inspires In Us)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On this great day the cross, solemnly brought forth to the church for our veneration and edification, itself teaches us the truths of salvation. Therefore I consider it useful to draw your attention to this cross and to explain somewhat what it inspires in us.

II. a) Whose cross is this? Who is depicted on it? What does it signify? This is the cross of Christ, on which the Only-begotten Son of God in the flesh is depicted; this is the great instrument with which God our Savior defeated the devil, our primordial enemy, destroyed his hellish kingdom, broke the bonds in which the human race enslaved by him was held, and opened for us the entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. This means that the cross of Christ is the greatest relic, for which we must have in our hearts and express outwardly the most sincere and deep respect. Therefore, those who look upon the holy cross without due reverence, bow down before it without a feeling of gratitude for the salvation granted to us through it, and depict it on themselves carelessly and without attention, act very badly and impiously. An ancient prophet once said: "Cursed is the man that does the work of the Lord carelessly" (Jer. 48:10). This threatening saying also applies to those of us who do not revere the cross of the Lord and treat it disrespectfully: for although the cross of Christ is externally, materially, constructed by human hands, in its essence, spiritually, it is the greatest work of the Wisdom and Providence of God.

Prologue in Sermons: September 14

 

The Four-Pointed Cross Is Not the Roman Cross and the Seal of the Antichrist

ADMONITION TO PARISHIONERS LIVING AMONG SCHISMATICS

September 14

(The Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

The Greek Emperor Constantine, when he was still a pagan, once went to war against the Emperor Maxentius. On the way to Rome, Constantine was struck by an unusual phenomenon. In the middle of the day, he and those with him saw a cross in the sky made up of stars, at the top of which were the words: "BY THIS CONQUER." Constantine and his soldiers were afraid, because for pagans at that time, seeing a cross was considered a misfortune. But that same night, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Constantine, ordered crosses to be made on all weapons and said that he would defeat Maxentius. Constantine made crosses and defeated Maxentius. 

The Good Disposition of Saint Cornelius the Centurion

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The life of Saint Cornelius is admirable, who belongs to those people who, one might say, are chosen by the Lord from the womb. It is no coincidence that the hymnographer of our Church characterizes him as “the bright dawn of the sun,” “a great river watering the entire face of the earth,” “a shining star,” and does not hesitate to consider him an equal of the Holy Apostles, because he received the same Holy Spirit as they did. “For you were seen as equal in status to the Holy Disciples, having been chosen by the Holy Spirit, like them.” The unique, among other things, element of Saint Cornelius, which the hymnographer repeatedly emphasizes, is that he “became the beginning of nations,” that is, he was the first to convert from the pagans and be baptized and receive the grace of the Holy Spirit like the mouthpieces of God Holy Apostles.

September: Day 13: Teaching 2: Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

September: Day 13: Teaching 2: 
Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
 
(The Meaning of the Feast)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. This feast is seemingly insignificant, judging by the fact that in a series of other ecclesiastical feasts it is not distinguished by any solemnity. But meanwhile, in its inner significance it can stand on a par with the most important feasts.

II. a) Indeed, what do we celebrate on this day? The renewal of a temple, no more; but what temple? The temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ. And the Resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christianity. "If Christ has not risen, our faith is vain." But the resurrection of Christ is the pledge of our resurrection, the pledge of eternal life and eternal blessedness. Christ rose from the dead, became the firstfruits of those who died. Without the Resurrection of Christ we have no hope of eternal life, and without the hope of eternal life, what is man? An absurd and most unfortunate creature. Indeed, the last worm has its own definite purpose in the chain of creation and its share of happiness, because, no matter how insignificant and weak it is, it finds full satisfaction of its small needs and fully enjoys its life until the beak of a bird or the foot of a man puts an end to it. But what is man with his higher spiritual needs, which find no satisfaction here on earth, with his ideals, which find no fulfillment, with his passions, which he abhors, which torment him, and which he either satisfies with curses, or fights against, not knowing why, only according to an incomprehensible and irresistible demand of his spirit, fights until exhaustion of strength without any hope of winning a decisive victory, fights until he falls in this fruitless struggle, broken and tormented? What is man, eternally striving for heaven and continually falling into the mud, wandering in the darkness of doubts and riddles, eternally dissatisfied, an unhappy martyr, if not of his own passions, then of the vanity of other people? What is he without hope of eternity? An absurd and unhappy product of the senseless play of the blind forces of nature. If Christ did not rise, then not only can we say with the Apostle, as Christians, that we are the most wretched of all men, but we can also add, as human beings in general, that we are the most wretched of all creatures. Therefore, the Resurrection is not only the foundation of Christianity, but also the foundation of humanity. Such is the dogmatic meaning of this feast.

Prologue in Sermons: September 13

The Renewal of Man-Made Temples Should Remind Us of the Renewal of the Temple of our Soul

September 13

(Commemoration of the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection of our Holy Christ and God)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

Today the Holy Church commemorates the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, founded by the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen in Jerusalem, on the spot where our Savior suffered and died. This is what Church tradition tells us about this event.

It is known that after the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, the place where our salvation took place was often desecrated by people who hated Christ. One of these, namely the Roman Emperor Hadrian, ordered the Holy Sepulcher to be filled with earth and stones; on Golgotha he built an idol temple; over the Tomb of Jesus Christ he placed an idol; where the Temple of Solomon was, he also erected a temple, and thus tried in every way to destroy the memory of the Savior especially in the place where the atoning Sacrifice was brought, and through this to destroy the Christian faith. But the Providence of God did not allow this. For the spread of the faith of Christ and for the purification and renewal of the holy places, He raised up the pious emperors Constantine and Helena and put it into their hearts to cleanse all the holy places from demonic filth, to renew the holy city of Jerusalem and to build a majestic temple on the site of the Savior's suffering. The mother of Constantine, Saint Helen, having arrived in Jerusalem, destroyed all the pagan temples, uncovered the Cross and the Holy Sepulcher, and, on the site of their discovery, founded a temple in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. Since the temple was enormous and its construction took a long time, Saint Helen did not live to see its completion. Her son, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, lived to see its completion. When the temple was completed, Constantine commanded bishops from all the countries of his vast empire, as well as from the countries adjacent to Jerusalem, to gather in Jerusalem and consecrate the newly built temple. And the temple was consecrated, with a great gathering of people, on the 13th day of the month of September. The holy fathers who were present at its consecration unanimously decided to annually commemorate the event of the consecration in churches everywhere, in the same way that Solomon in the Old Testament legalized the celebration of the day of the consecration of the first Temple of Jerusalem, which he built during his lifetime.

Homily One on the Nativity of the Theotokos (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily One on the Nativity of the Theotokos 

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered in 1902)

“We magnify you, Most Holy Virgin, we honor your holy parents, and we glorify your most glorious nativity” (Magnification).
 
 Nineteen hundred years ago, humanity was elated and exalted by the birth from the righteous yet barren parents, Joachim and Anna, of a wondrous infant – the Virgin, who was destined before the creation of the world to be a marvelous Mother in the flesh of God the Word Himself, the Creator and Savior of the world – the God of spirits and of all flesh. The sorrow of the barren parents, descendants of King David the prophet, who longed for a blessed progeny and suffered reproach from neighbors who had the blessing of offspring, was exceedingly great; yet, within them was a strong faith in the God of Israel – a steadfast hope in His mercy, fervent prayer, unwavering devotion to the God of their forefathers, and an unshakeable expectation of the promise made long ago by God to Israel – the Messiah, the Deliverer of mankind. And their sorrow was soon turned into joy; faith and hope were not put to shame; the complete devotion of Joachim and Anna to God was rewarded with an extraordinary and glorious fruit – the pure Maiden Mary. Even before her birth, the righteous parents made a vow to God to dedicate and consecrate to Him the Child that He would give them; and upon her birth, they immediately fulfilled their vow and brought her to the Temple of God – to be raised for the Lord.