Saint James the Persian in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint James was a Christian of Christian parents, living in the city of Beth Lapat, in the land of the Persians, of an honorable and illustrious lineage, and greatly honored by King Yazdegerd. For this reason, namely, because the king of the Persians loved him very much, he distanced himself from the Christian faith and followed the king, thus leading to perdition by denying Christ. But when his mother and wife broke off their communion with him, because he preferred the love of the king to the love of Christ, and for temporary glory he chose eternal shame and condemnation – something they accused him of in letters they sent him – he was wounded in soul and distanced himself from the vain religion of the king, whereupon he began to weep for all the sins he had committed, as he had apostatized from Christ. For this reason, he was brought to trial, while the king was very unhappy with the event. The result was that he suffered a bitter death, with the division of the harmony of the body: the hands and feet and arms, little by little, so that only the head and the torso remained. Then they also removed his head with a knife.

Saint Damaskinos the Studite: Teacher of the Enslaved Nation

 

By Konstantinos Holevas, 
Political Scientist

To the Hellenism that was wintering from the Turkish conquest, Divine Providence sent a great figure in the 16th century. He is Saint Damaskinos the Studite, whom our Church honors on November 27. A cleric, scholar, militant Orthodox, author of wonderful books, wise, modest and ascetic, Damaskinos was an excellent Shepherd in the two Diocese where the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent him. First to the Diocese of Liti and Rentini (today's Metropolis of Lagada) and then to the Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Arta, as it was then called.

Damaskinos was born in Thessaloniki probably in 1520. He studied in Constantinople and had as his teacher the famous Theophanes Eleavoulkos Notaras. He was associated with the historic Monastery of Stoudios, which is why he was called a Studite. He collaborated closely with important Patriarchs such as Metrophanes, Joasaph II the Magnificent and Jeremias the Tranos. He was elected Bishop of Liti and Rentini in 1560 and his ordination took place in Thessaloniki and in particular in the well-known Church of the Rotunda, today the Church of Saint George. Due to the Turkish occupation, the Metropolitan Church of Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki had been converted into a mosque and for a time the Rotunda, known as the Church of the Archangels, served as the Metropolitan Church.

November: Day 27: Teaching 2: Feast of the Sign of the Mother of God

November: Day 27: Teaching 2:
Feast of the Sign of the Mother of God
 
(Whom Should We Seek Help From Against Enemies Visible and Invisible?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On this day, a great national celebration once took place in ancient Novgorod. It was a great celebration, but a great miracle also occurred.

One day, numerous and fearsome enemies approached this ancient city, besieged it from all sides with their army, and threatened to destroy it with fire and sword. The poor Novgorodians were dismayed and terrified; their military forces were small, they had no means of defense, and there was no one to expect help from. What should they do in such a situation? What should they decide? After long and varied consultations and deliberations, they finally decided to resort to the merciful Lord God, to turn with fervent prayer to the heavenly Intercessor, the revered Leader — the Mother of God. And so the entire nation rose to prayer; young and old flocked to the churches of God; prayerful cries and lamentations resounded from the streets and crossroads; fervent tears and fervent prayers flowed to the heavens; – and consider how important, how significant before God is a united, communal prayer founded on heartfelt faith, hastened by love, and nurtured by hope! – One night, following such a communal and ardent prayer, the Archbishop of Novgorod received in a dream a command to place the next morning on the city wall an icon depicting the Mother of God with her hands raised in sorrow. Upon awakening, the Archbishop received this command with unwavering faith and, the next morning, indeed, with due reverence, he placed the sacred icon on the city wall, positioning it so that it faced the praying people. As the service of supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos began, the enemies, who had intended to launch a decisive assault on the city at that moment, were suddenly thrown into confusion, disoriented, faltered, and, struck by an invisible force, scattered and fled! The weak Novgorodian army could only strike at the fleeing and gather the treasures of the enemy camp; – and now in Novgorod, on the day before this gloomy and sorrowful one, – there was universal joy, delight, and the greatest triumph! The enemies before them had seemed invincible – and they were scattered, there had been hunger and need – now there was abundance in everything; there had been despair and fear – suddenly, there was indescribable joy and merriment! Thus, the Mother of God saved the ancient Novgorodians from numerous and terrible foes; thus, She revealed to them the Sign of Her miraculous help and power; and thus, time and again, She has saved our homeland in times of internal strife and in the grave invasions of foreign enemies. In the same way, She now saves all of us, Christians, from all the hardships and misfortunes of life and from all our enemies, both visible and invisible.

Prologue in Sermons: November 27

 

Against Slander

November 27

(A Sermon on Not Condemning Monks)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

In a church sermon on the 27th of November, the following is written, among other things, about slander: "Many of the foolish," it says there, "recklessly slander the monks. When they see one of them sinning, they say that this is not what the Lord commanded, yet they themselves sin in abundance, oppress others, and steal. And if they see any partaking of a sweet dish, they begin to slander even more; yet they themselves drink daily, thereby storing up eternal fire for themselves." Having heard this, many may very well ask: why have you brought us this sermon, and what does it signify?

The 11th Century Athonite Monastery of Alypios (Today's Cell of the Holy Apostles Under Koutloumousiou Monastery)

The Sacred Monastery of Alypios was located on the outskirts of Karyes, adjacent to the old Sacred Monastery of Anapausa. Its original name was "Monastery of Alopos". The name was probably given by its founder, who would have been called Alopos. In the eleventh century, the Alopos family flourished in Byzantium.

The Monastery was dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and is referred to either by their name or by the name of the Holy Apostles.

The oldest written testimony of the Monastery of Alopos is the signature of the Hieromonk of Hierotheos in a document of 1021. The first proper document of the Monastery of Alopos, which is preserved to this day in the Monastery of Koutloumousiou, is by Abbot Theophanes of the year 1257.

Saint Stylianos of Paphlagonia in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Venerable Stylianos was sanctified from his mother’s womb and became a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. He even gave all his property to the poor and followed a monastic life, surpassing everyone in arduous asceticism and austerity. Then he went to the desert, and after finding a cave as a place of residence, he received food from a divine angel and became a healer of various incurable diseases. When once the corruption of death, attacking newborns, made those who had given birth childless, the mothers invoked the name of the Saint and by making his honoroable icon they became capable of childbearing again. When he died, his body was deposited in the country of the Paphlagonians, performing many healings and miracles.

Holy New Martyr George the Chiopolitis in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

The retrieval of the beheaded body of St. George of Chios from the ravine it was thrown into, which his friends transferred to an uninhabited island for burial off the coast of Kydonies.

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint George was born in Chios. His father was named Paraskevas, and his mother Aggerou. At the age of 18 months, orphaned by his mother, he was handed over by his father to be raised by his stepmother. In childhood, his parents handed George over to a woodcarver, named Vissetzis, to teach him his art. When he once came to Psara with his boss, to carve the iconostasis of the Church of Saint Nicholas, George fled with some young men to Kavala. There he was arrested stealing from a garden and handed himself over to the judge. To avoid punishment, he accepted Islam, was circumcised and was named Ahmed. At the age of 10, he returned to Chios crying and confessing Christ. His father, in order to protect him, took him to one of his estates in Kydonies ((also known as Aivali). Later, at the age of 22, he became engaged and the brother of his fiancée, because he had financial differences with him, betrayed him to the Turkish commander, saying that while he had become a Muslim, he had returned to Christianity. He was tortured cruelly and after he had received the Holy Mysteries in prison, on the morning of November 26, 1807, they cut off his head - in a martyric manner - little by little. Thus he received the crown of martyrdom, from Christ the crowner of athletes. 

Prologue in Sermons: November 26

To the Rich

November 26

(A Sermon on the Punishment of Those in Power)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

To you, the wealthy, comes our message, and here is what we find necessary to say to you. The Lord teaches: "It is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven; it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:23–24). Thus, according to the Lord’s word, you see, it is difficult for you to be saved. But what should be done? For even if it is difficult, one must still be saved; after all, you are Christians. What, then, must you do in order to overcome all obstacles on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven and, on equal footing with other well-lived Christians, attain the crowns? It is precisely this matter that we intend to address to you.

Holy Great Martyr Katherine in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

 

 

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

“Katherine was Wise and a Virgin, and a Martyr by the sword, O beautiful triad!” These verses of the synaxarion reveal the gifts with which Katherine won Heaven and acquired such a great place in the firmament of the Church. This is not about the so-called natural gifts, which all people on earth have to a greater or lesser extent. Although the Saint, as her synaxarion notes, was indeed endowed with these as well – for she had rare physical beauty and was a genius and modest in moral character – yet by the grace of God and her free will she acquired the spiritual gifts, with which alone one is sanctified in God and enters the Kingdom of Heaven. And spiritual gifts are those that come to light when a person becomes aware of the gift of God that He gave him in Holy Baptism, that is, when he feels that he has become a member of Christ and tries to activate his new life in Christ by keeping the commandments of Christ.

Homily Five for the Entrance of the Theotokos (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Five for the Entrance of the Theotokos 

By St. John of Kronstadt

We celebrate the Entrance of the Most Holy Virgin Mary into the Temple of God, where She was nurtured in the Holy of Holies by the Lord! A significant feast: it teaches many things. 

The temple is the dwelling of God on earth, the house of God – here the boundless, infinite God seems to be encompassed, descending from His infinity into the small receptacle of the temple; the intangible becomes tangible and is tasted, I understand, in the Mystery of Communion. The temple of God is the earthly heaven, the boundary that connects heaven with earth; here a person recognizes and feels that he is made in the image of God; that he is only a guest and sojourner on earth, that he truly belongs to the heavenly realm; that he is a member of the Church of God or of the God-established community of the saved; that he is a child of God. Here, in contrast to the sinful world, he sees only sanctity, truth, love, and mercy in the faces depicted on the icons, and hears in all readings and chants nothing sinful, as in the world; here, as if in heaven, he, together with the Angels, glorifies the Lord, His eternal glory, His goodness, love for mankind, generosity, His power and kingdom. In this sense, the temple is essential for a Christian, as an inseparable element of his being, just as water is the element for a fish, or free air for a bird, in which it flies and lives and breathes; here he learns the truth, prayer, for only here does he learn the true knowledge of God and of himself; here he learns to love God and his neighbor; here he learns holiness and all virtue, as well as to turn away from sin with all his heart; here he learns to despise the temporary and perishable and to strive for the imperishable and eternal in heaven.

The Church of Saint Katherine in Kampos on the Sacred Island of Tinos

Kampos, one of the few fertile valleys of the sacred island of Tinos, is a settlement with a population of a few hundred people with great historical significance. This is where Saint Pelagia was born in 1752, the daughter of the priest Nikephoros Negrepontis, who died a few years after her birth. Pelagia, whose secular name was Loukia, was raised in Kampos by her mother until the age of 12, when life's difficulties forced her mother to send her daughter to her native village of Tripotamos to be taken care of by her sister. At the age of 15, Loukia became a novice at Kechrovouni Monastery, where her other aunt was a nun, and eventually was tonsured with the name Pelagia. It was here that the Mother of God appeared to her over three consecutive nights urging her to uncover her sacred icon in the place indicated by her, which indeed she discovered in the field of Doxara on January 30, 1823. 

November: Day 25: Teaching 2: Holy Great Martyr Katherine

November: Day 25:* Teaching 2:
Holy Great Martyr Katherine
 
(The Betrothal of the Christian Soul With Christ)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Virgin Katherine, commemorated today, was renowned for her wealth, intelligence, and beauty. The paganism in which she had been raised did not satisfy her with either its beliefs nor its customs. Many sought her hand, but she refused, declaring that she would only marry a suitor who was as accomplished as she was in both education and appearance. A certain Christian elder learned of this and, entering into conversation with her, told her of a suitor who incomparably surpassed her in both wisdom and beauty. She asked if she might see him. And so, praying before an icon of the Mother of God with the Eternal Child, which the elder had given her, she fell asleep and saw in a dream the Queen of Heaven and Her Divine Son. No matter how hard she tried to discern Him, He averted His face from her, saying that she was unworthy of His gaze. As soon as morning came, Katherine told the elder her dream and her sorrow. He gave her detailed instructions in the faith, and she was baptized. Returning home, she prayed for a long time, fell asleep, and again saw the same vision. But Jesus Christ, looking mercifully upon her, said to His Most Pure Mother: "Now I desire that she be My bride." The Mother of God took her hand, and the Savior placed a precious ring on her finger. Awakening, she was amazed to find the ring on her hand, and now she thought only of remaining faithful to the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Prologue in Sermons: November 25

Against the Fear of Death

November 25

(The Passion of our Holy Fathers, Which King Abenner Burned Alive)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

I once told you, brethren, that in order to not fear death, you need to reflect on it more often. Now I offer you further instruction on the same subject. Listen to the following story.

Saint Clement of Rome Resource Page

St. Clement of Rome (Feast Day - November 24)

Verses

Clement is cast into the depths like an anchor,

And is present with Christ, the anchor of the eschaton.

 

Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (+ 101)

The Martyrdom and Relics of St. Clement of Rome

 

Saint Clement of Rome: the Great Apostolic Father

 

November: Day 24: Teaching 2: Holy Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Rome

 

Saint Clement of Rome in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church 

Saint Peter of Alexandria Resource Page

St. Peter of Alexandria (Feast Day - November 24)

 

Verses

Unshakable was the faith of the beheaded Peter,

Who saw Christ with a rent tunic.

Holy Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria

 

November: Day 25: Teaching 1: Holy Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria

The Vision of Saint Peter of Alexandria

St. Peter of Alexandria Never Sat On His Patriarchal Throne

 

The Original Copy of the Gospel of John in Ephesus?

 

Saint Clement of Rome in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

 

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The blessed and wise Clement was a Roman, descended from a royal lineage, the son of Faustus and Matthidia, and he acquired all the education of Greek knowledge. When he was once saved in a paradoxical way from a shipwreck and happened to meet the foremost of the Apostles, Peter, he was catechized by him in the true faith of Christ. He became a preacher of the gospel and wrote down the Constitutions of the Apostles, at which time he was made Bishop of Rome. However, he was arrested by Domitian and tortured. And because he did not obey his orders, he was exiled to a deserted city, near Kherson. From there again, after they tied an iron anchor to his neck, they threw him into the bottom of the sea and thus came his end.

The God of miraculous things, however, glorifying His own servant even after death, performed a great and enormous supernatural miracle. That is, from the time he was thrown into the sea, the water of the sea receded three miles every year on his commemoration day and became dry land, which welcomed those who went there for seven days, at the specific point where he was cast. This miracle created joy in those who hoped in the Lord. Once, when the sea receded again and the people entered the revealed dry land, it happened that a little child was abandoned in that place, as his parents forgot him. As soon as they realized it, the waters of the sea had returned to their place, so they raised lamentations and wailing throughout the city. The following year, when the wave had subsided again, the parents went and found their child healthy, sitting by the larnax of the Saint. When they asked what and how it had happened, they learned from their child that he was being fed by the Saint who was there, who also protected him from the harm of the fish. Full of joy, they took their child, thanked the Saint in the appropriate way and departed for their home, praising God for this miracle of His.

Prologue in Sermons: November 24

 

A Lesson for the Literate

November 24

(Commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Katherine)*

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

There have been instances where some literate and skilled readers of the divine books abused their knowledge and brought ruin upon themselves and others. Such individuals, usually infected with pride, began to consider conversation with their Orthodox neighbors too low and retreated to other proud souls like themselves — the teachers of the schismatics. There, naturally, due to inexperience, they quickly became infected with the latter's false teachings and then, returning from them, suddenly began to blaspheme the Orthodox Church. Thus, instead of finding in them, as knowledgeable people, true friends, children, and protectors, our Mother Church found only evil enemies and persecutors. Brethren, learn to read the Scriptures! Is this how you should act? Look around. Look at the lives of the saints, and you will see that the more knowledge they acquired, the more firmly they held their faith and the more concerned they were with spreading it, rather than selling it out. Here is one such example.

Saint Amphilochios of Iconium in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Amphilochios, having passed through every ecclesiastical rank from a young age, and shining with asceticism and divine knowledge, by the vote of the people he was appointed Bishop of the city of Iconium, in the times of the emperors Valentinian and Valens, while his life was prolonged until the reign of Theodosius the Great and his sons. He, because he became a teacher of the Orthodox faith and strongly opposed the heretical error of Arius, endured many persecutions and sorrows from the impious, becoming a co-struggler with the blessed Fathers against the blasphemy of Eunomius. Amphilochios was one of the one hundred and fifty Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Synod (381 AD) and fought hard against the pneumatomachos Macedonius and the disciples of Arius. After the reign of Theodosius the Great had prevailed and he had handed over all the power of the West to Valentinian the Younger, and after Theodosius had returned victorious after having destroyed the tyrant Maximus, the great Amphilochios came to him and urged him to drive out the Arians and give the churches back to the Orthodox. But since the emperor did nothing, the wonderful man devised the following scheme: He went to the palace and greeted Emperor Theodosius, but did not greet his son Arcadius, disdaining him. The Emperor, resentful of this incident, considered the dishonor that Amphilochios had shown to his son to be an insult directed at himself. He then very wisely revealed the purpose of his action and said: "Do you see, O Emperor, how you do not suffer the dishonor of your child, but are resentful? Believe, then, that in a similar way God also abhors and hates those who blaspheme the Son of God." Then the Emperor understood and wrote laws that forbade the associations of heretics. This fearless man, after shepherding the flock of Christ for many years and composing Orthodox discourses, reached a deep old age and rested in peace.

Homily Four for the Entrance of the Theotokos (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Four for the Entrance of the Theotokos 

By St. John of Kronstadt

"The angels, beholding the Entrance of the Most Pure One, were amazed: 
how the Virgin entered the Holy of Holies." (9th Ode of the Canon)

Today, beloved brothers and sisters, we celebrate two feasts: the Resurrection of Christ and the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple; one is a weekly feast, the other an annual feast; one is the Lord's feast, the other is the Theotokos's feast. The subject of our discourse will be the Theotokos's feast.

In remembering the sacred event which the Holy Church now solemnly celebrates, our entire being should be filled with joy and awe. For what do we remember and celebrate today? The Entrance of the three-year-old Maiden, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, into the Temple of God, so that in the Holy of Holies she might be nurtured for the Lord, that is, prepared to be the dwelling place of God. O unspeakable joy! For the Lord Himself desires, through the youthful Maiden, pre-purified by the Spirit, to enter into the closest union with mankind and to pour out upon them His immeasurably great blessings, which surpass all understanding: to enrich human poverty with Divinity, to clothe our nakedness, to make the ugly beautiful, to purify the impure, to enlighten the darkened, to renew the corruptible, to strengthen the weak. But joy is involuntarily combined with awe. For the God, Who is without beginning, great, unapproachable, and terrifying even to the angels, enters into the closest communion with frail human nature; the Most Holy One with sinners, even those cleansed by repentance. Thus, let us meet the Lord, coming to unite with our frail nature, let us meet Him with joy and trembling — with joy because of the greatness of God's blessings, with trembling because of our sins.

Homily Two on the Ninth Sunday of Luke (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two on the Ninth Sunday of Luke  
(26th Sunday After Pentecost)

On the Foolish Rich Man
Luke 12:16–21

By St. John of Kronstadt  

 

Today we read the Gospel of Saint Luke about the foolish, selfish rich man who collected only for himself and did not share his wealth with those in need (Luke 12:16–21). This is a parable; therefore, its meaning is obviously much broader than it seems at first glance. By a rich man we must understand people of every rank, title, and condition, endowed by God with every good and material prosperity, and not only landowners and people of taxable status. Likewise, by a good harvest of the field we must understand not only natural, plant products, that is, wheat, rye, and the like, but all material prosperity: a rich inheritance, a large salary received from the state treasury, rich income provided by some place or position, direct or indirect, overt or secret - good, profitable trade, a good income from renting out houses, a profitable craft, and so on. Thus, this parable, like a net, catches very many and, in a word, all those who have good means of living. 

Prologue in Sermons: November 23

Ambivalent Attitude Toward the Admonitions Sent From God

November 23

(The Narrative of a Certain Young Man's Vision, Extremely Useful)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

In the lives of Christians, to lead them to repentance, the Lord God is pleased to sometimes manifest certain special acts of His Providence. Thus, some are granted extraordinary visions and revelations for their own enlightenment; others often see various unusual events and circumstances in their lives in which the punishing and merciful hand of God is clearly revealed. These inscrutable ways of God's Providence can be viewed in two ways; the following example will illustrate how.

A Short and Reverent Memorial to the Venerable Iakovos Tsalikes (1920-1991)

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The blessed elder Iakovos Tsalikes fell asleep in the Lord on November 21, 1991, the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos, while he was hearing the confession of a believer.

Elder Iakovos, abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Venerable David the Elder in Evia, was a rare personality who, during his lifetime, was the support and hope for thousands of people around the world. He was literally what our Church calls an “Elder,” that is, a spiritual guide, a charismatic leader, who opens roads and paths, where human logic is unable to provide any explanation. Thousands of people have numerous testimonies to give regarding the resolution of their various problems, which referred not only to the sphere of their spiritual life, but also to their everyday life and immediacy.

What was it that made the blessed elder have these abilities? Was it some special psyche or some other natural qualities? Certainly not. The answer lies in what constituted a qualification of every saint of every era in our Church: the grace of God. In other words, Father Iakovos, we are certain, was a divine man, a graceful soul who was richly irrigated by the graces of the Holy Spirit. This presence of the Spirit of God within him made him discern the otherwise indiscernable problems of people. For it is a common belief of our Church that, when the Spirit of God illuminates people, then they acquire the virtue of discernment, which enables them to directly discern good from evil, divine energy from demonic energy.

Holy Apostle Philemon and Those With Him in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Philemon, like the Holy Apostles Apphia (probably Philemon's wife), Archippus (perhaps the son of Philemon and Apphia) and Onesimus (Philemon's slave, who escaped and was sent back as a Christian by the Apostle Paul), who are celebrated with him today, lived during the reign of Nero and were disciples of the Apostle Paul. They were martyred in the city of Colossae in Phrygia, near Laodicea. That is, when the pagans were celebrating Artemis in her temple in Colossae, these Apostles were praising God in the most holy church, together with other Christians. From a raid that the pagans made there, the Christians retreated and hid, but the Apostles were left alone, along with Apphia who was also a faithful Christian, because they desired martyrdom for Christ. They were therefore arrested and led to Androcles, the ruler of Ephesus. After being beaten by him, and because they were not persuaded to sacrifice to the idol called Menas, they were thrown into a cistern up to their waists. In this state they were stoned, after having been previously pierced by children with needles.

Prologue in Sermons: November 22

 

The Parable of Saint Barlaam about the Life and Death of Man

November 22

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

We all, brethren, are well aware that after our death, only our deeds remain for those who will outlive us, bringing either curse or blessing, and only these deeds will we bear on the shoulders of our soul to the judgment of God. Furthermore, we all know that in this life it is necessary to enrich ourselves with that which will accompany us into eternity, namely, good deeds, and that you are the dreadful enemy of yourself if you live as if you were never to die. We all know this well, yet we live as though there were neither God, nor future life, nor anything that exists, ever existed, or will exist. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly remind ourselves of what we know well and continually speak to ourselves about the need to enrich ourselves with good deeds, by which alone we can be blessed in the life to come. In view of all that has been said, we also remind you of what you know well but do not fulfill.

The Entrance of the Theotokos and the Impossibility of the "Ordination-Priesthood of Women"

By Protopresbyter Angelos Angelakopoulos, 
Rector of the Church of Panagia Myrtidiotissa, Piraeus

November 2012

The Entrance of the Lady Theotokos into the Temple of the Law causes a wondrous and universal celebration for Orthodox Christians, because it happened in a strange way and is a prelude to the greatest and most awesome mystery of the incarnation of God the Word, which was to happen in the world through the Theotokos. The occasion for the feast of the Entrance was the following incident. The most-illustrious Saint Anna, because she spent almost her entire life barren, without giving birth to a child, begged the Lord of nature together with her husband, Saint Joachim, to grant them a child and, if they succeeded in their desire, they would immediately dedicate to God the child they would give birth to. And so, Saint Anna gave birth, paradoxically, by promise and with the seed of a man, to her who became the bringer of the salvation of the human race, the reconciliation and harmony of God with mankind, the cause of restoration, resurrection, and the divinization of the fallen Adam, that is, the Most Holy and Lady Theotokos Mary. Therefore, when she was three years old, her parents took her and, after gathering the virgins of the neighborhood, who accompanied the Panagia with torches, offered her on this day in the Temple. And, fulfilling their promises, they dedicated their daughter to God, who gave her to them. That is why they handed her over to the priests and even to the then high priest, the prophet Zechariah, the father of Saint John the Baptist, who began to praise both the Virgin and her parents, Joachim and Anna, who, addressing the prophet Zechariah, said to him: “Receive, High Priest, my daughter, rather the daughter of God. Receive her pure and undefiled and higher than heaven. Put her in the Temple, because that is where she should reside. She is the Temple of God, in a Temple it is fitting for her to reside. She is holy, put her in a clean place. Deliver her into the hands of God. Add her to a holy place, so that she may be sanctified. Take, Zechariah, my daughter and dedicate her to the Temple, for so we have ordered.” When Zechariah heard that she had been offered to God, he took her to the Altar. There were the jar of Moses, which once held the manna, Aaron's rod, the golden censer, and the tablets on which the law was written. As soon as the Panagia entered, they all fell down and venerated her. So when Zechariah received her, he placed her in the innermost part of the Temple, where the high priest entered alone once a year. And he did this according to the will of God, who was soon to be born of her, for the correction and salvation of the world.

The Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

 

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

There are many hymnographers of this feast of the Mother of God, the event of which is not recorded at all in the New Testament. The incident of her entrance into the Temple is found in the so-called Apocryphal Gospels, as is the case with other feasts of the Panagia, in texts that our Church did not consider valid, due to the heresies or even fabrications inherent in them. However, within these there are also true events, which our Church does not hesitate to retrieve and celebrate, seeing not only their truth, but also their usefulness. And this is an element that reveals the absolute self-awareness of the Church, as the “pillar and bulwark of truth,” a self-awareness such as gives it the right and the comfort to choose what it considers true and good, even if this comes from texts that are not considered canonical.

Homily for the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (Fr. Daniel Sysoev)

Homily for the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple 

By Fr. Daniel Sysoev

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

I congratulate you all on the feast of the Entrance of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Ever-Virgin Mary, into the Temple! Throughout all time, our all-merciful and omnipotent Lord has been surrounded by the inconceivable glory of His Divine Face, surrounded by an inconceivable radiance that pours forth from His luminous essence beyond all time. This radiance is also called the glory and power of God, uncreated grace. This Divine glory originally entered the world created by God; it clothed the first man, Adam, who was created in paradise, but it departed from the first man after he rebelled against the Creator. But the Lord, desiring to return man to Himself, did not leave him completely bereft of Divine grace. The Lord led the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt and revealed His glory in the form of a pillar of fire and cloud, through which God Himself led His people into the desert. The Lord Himself sought a place to rest, parted the waters of the Red Sea, and led the Jews through it.

Homily Three for the Entrance of the Theotokos (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three for the Entrance of the Theotokos 

By St. John of Kronstadt

"Long ago the prophetic order was foretold… 
Let us faithfully praise Mary, the God-bearer in her infancy; 
for today she is brought into the Holy of Holies 
to be dedicated to the Lord" (Oikos at Matins)

We celebrate today, brethren, the solemn commemoration of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. What does this entry mean, why was it performed, and by whom? The holy and righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Most Holy Virgin, having been childless for a long time, prayed to God to grant them a child, and if God granted, they promised to dedicate the child to God for life and service in the Temple. God heeded their prayer and granted them a daughter, Mary. Until the age of three, the infant lived in her parents' home, and at the age of four, they brought her from the city of Nazareth to the city of Jerusalem, to Solomon's Temple. Here, the High Priest Zechariah received her, leading her into the Holy of Holies of the Temple, where only the High Priest could enter once a year. From that time on, the Most Holy Virgin, until her coming of age, lived at the Temple along with other virgins dedicated to the service of God, learning to read the Holy Scriptures, writing and needlework, and having free access to the Holy of Holies for prayer, to which she devoted most of her time, and here she often received food from the Archangel Gabriel. Thus, the Most Holy Virgin Mary was brought into the Temple to be nurtured by the Lord.

Prologue in Sermons: November 21

 

The Ways of God's Providence Are Inscrutable

November 21

(A Sermon on the Incomprehensible Judgments of God, Prayed About by a Certain Monk, So That He Might Understand the Ways of God's Providence)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Instead of bowing before God, who works inscrutable ways, and humbly observing all His actions, we, on the contrary, often judge the Lord's decrees with arrogance, sometimes complaining about them. But this should not be. The ways of God's Providence, though inscrutable, are always beneficial to us and always lead to good consequences.

The Journey Towards the True Christmas

By Archimandrite Makarios Tsimeris

The Spiritual Preparation of the Believer According to the Fathers of the Church in the Modern Era

For the Orthodox Church, Christmas is not a simple celebration of an emotional nature, but the mystery of the Incarnation of God the Word, the manifestation of God “in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). It is the event that restores man’s relationship with the Creator and renews the entire creation. Saint John of Damascus writes:

“The Uncontainable is contained, the Beginningless begins, the Beginningless begins through a Mother” (Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 3, 1).

The Incarnation, therefore, is the great miracle of God’s love, and our preparation for Christmas cannot be external, but heartfelt.

Saint Gregory the Decapolite in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Gregory was from the Isaurian Decapolis, the son of Sergios and Makaria, during the time of the impious iconoclasts. At the age of eight he began his education in the sacred writings. And when he finished these studies, he spent all his time in the churches. At the height of his adolescence, his parents began to prepare him for marriage. However, he secretly left, and because of the then prevailing heresy of the iconoclasts, he traveled from place to place, embracing the martyrs and treasuring for himself the benefit that arose from his encounter with them. Living with great restraint and difficult asceticism, he fought many attacks, even those of demons, which is why he emerged as a great miracle worker. Gregory also went to Asia and reached Byzantium, having the desire to achieve his martyric confession for Christ. From there he sailed to Rome, and after going around the entire West and astonishing many with the miracles and signs he performed, he returned to Byzantium. Then he proceeded to Olympus and climbed the mountain. And his body there was so dried up from asceticism that those who knew him recognized him only by his voice. So he descended from the mountain again and came to Thessaloniki. From there he went to Byzantium, where, after finding Symeon the Confessor and God-bearer imprisoned for the sake of the holy icons, he entreated him for a long time and venerated him, and reposed in peace, having previously healed many and various diseases of people.

Prologue in Sermons: November 20

 

The Sign of the Cross is a Fear for Evil Spirits

November 20*

(From the Life of Saint John Chrysostom)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, discussing the sign of the cross in his thirteenth catechetical sermon, says, among other things, that it is a fear for evil spirits. Is this true?

When Saint John Chrysostom became Patriarch of Constantinople and was once preaching, a demon shook a man possessed by demons in the church, cast him to the ground, and the demon began screaming in such a terrifying voice that everyone in the church was terrified. John ordered the man brought to him, made the sign of the honorable cross on him, and the demon immediately left him. 

Another incident: One of the demonic princes once appeared to the Holy Martyr Justina and tempted her with many words to enter into an unholy marriage. Justina, realizing who was speaking to her, reverently made the sign of the cross on her face without engaging in conversation with the devil, and the devil immediately vanished from her with great shame.

The Spiritual Journey of the Christmas Fast

By Bishop Maximos of Melitene

The Christmas fast opens before us as a mystagogical gate, inviting the soul to a deeper communion with the divine mystery of the Incarnation. During this period, man is called to awaken from the lethargy of everyday life and turn towards his inner purification. “Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

The preparation for the reception of the divine infant requires inner silence. The heart becomes a manger that welcomes the divine mystery, while the soul, like a snowy branch bending towards the earth, bows before the magnitude of the miracle. In the ecclesiastical tradition, fasting is not simply a dietary restriction, but a spiritual exercise that purifies the nous and elevates the soul.

During this period, the ecclesiastical hymn reminds us: “Christ is born, glorify Him; Christ from heaven, go to meet Him” (Christmas Katavasies). The anticipation of the divine birth transforms our inner world. The days roll by like grains of sand in an ancient hourglass, measuring the course towards the great feast.

November: Day 19: Teaching 2: Venerable Barlaam and Joasaph

November: Day 19: Teaching 2:
Venerable Barlaam and Joasaph
 
(The Christian Faith is an Invaluable Treasure)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today we commemorate the Venerable Barlaam and Joasaph, Prince of India. Christianity in India was founded by the Apostle Thomas, who suffered martyrdom there. However, due to a shortage of teachers, Christianity in India began to weaken after Thomas, and then, through the efforts of kings, it was completely eradicated. King Abenner was especially zealous in persecuting Christian teachers, priests, and monks. Some Christians voluntarily submitted to martyrdom, others fled to the deserts, and some even fell away from the faith. 

The king had a son, Joasaph. He gathered his wise men and asked them what fate awaited his son. The wise men replied that Joasaph would be the most powerful of all kings. One of the wise men added, "I think he will accept the Christian faith, which you persecute." Abenner was saddened by this prediction and, to prevent its fulfillment, wanted to raise his son in complete seclusion, so that no thought of Christianity could penetrate him. 

Saint Barlaam of Antioch in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The martyr Barlaam was from Antioch in Syria. Being old in age, because of his confession of faith in Christ, he was led before the ruler. And because he would not be persuaded to sacrifice to idols, they beat him with rods and pulled out his nails. Then they led him to the altar and forcibly stretched out his hand, putting fire and incense on it. For the ruler thought that if he threw the coals together with the incense on the altar, it would be seen that he was offering a sacrifice to the gods. But he stood unyielding and motionless - thus showing that his right hand has greater strength than bronze and iron - until the fire ate through his flesh and fell to the ground, piercing his hand. Thus he preferred to have his hand burned, rather than, even slightly moved, to appear to have thrown incense on the altar. After this, his soul was delivered into the hands of God with a brave and firm mind. This martyr was honored with praise by both the divine Chrysostom and the great Basil.

If we modern Christians do not particularly know the Holy Martyr Barlaam, the holy choir of the Fathers of our Church knows him very well. It is no coincidence that not simple ecclesiastical writers and synaxarists, but ecumenical Fathers and Teachers of the caliber of Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom dedicated discourses and encomiums to him. What does this mean? That those with the illumination of the Holy Spirit who also possessed the depth of their thoughts, discerned that such personalities as Saint Barlaam should not go unnoticed. They must be highlighted, so that they constitute examples and guiding luminous signs in the firmament of the Church. And rightly so: Saint Barlaam proved to be, according to the Holy Hymnographer, “more firm than a man, and more powerful than bronze, and more mighty than iron.” And this because the mindset of his soul and intellect was “firm and vigorous and unwaverable.” What we emphasized about Saint Plato: the body may be dissolved, but if the soul remains strong, then man remains victorious. "Every bond of the flesh and the harmony of your limbs was dissolved; yet the tone of your soul remained unbroken."

Prologue in Sermons: November 19

True Happiness Is Not On Earth, But In Heaven

November 19

(On our Venerable Father Joasaph the Hermit, Son of Abenner, King of India)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

That there is an afterlife can be proven by the fact that nothing earthly can satisfy us, and that no one here can say of themselves that they are completely happy. Indeed, even if you take all the wealth, all the honor and glory in the world, you will still not be satisfied and will always think of some greater, unknown happiness. But does this happiness exist? Obviously, it does; for otherwise, such a deep and constant desire for it would not be implanted within us. But where is it? As you see, it is not on earth — so that means it is in heaven, with God. Yes, brethren, if we would more often delve into the insignificance of all earthly things and, at the same time, into the desires of our immortal spirit, we would soon be convinced that there is an afterlife and that in it alone we can find true happiness and peace.

The Christmas Fast

George Arabatzoglou, 
Reader of the Archdiocese of Athens – Church of Saint Luke in Patision

Another blessed period of fasting begins, of spiritual struggle and effort to turn our minds to God, each with his own strength and spiritual “philotimo” and always in consultation with their spiritual father.

This fast begins on November 15 and lasts until December 24, while on December 25, when we celebrate the birth of our Christ, we break the fast from everything regardless of the day. During this period of forty days of Christmas, we abstain from meat and dairy products, while we can eat fish all days of the week except Wednesday and Friday.

The fish is consumed until December 17th and in some exceptional cases, mainly in the countryside, the consumption of fish is completed on December 12th, however this is an exception and is not included in the official "fasting calendar" of our Church, which is provided for by the sacred Rudder.

Holy Martyr Plato in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Plato was from the country of the Galatians, from the city of Ancyra, brother of the Holy Martyr Antiochus. Because he confessed his faith in Christ, while still a young man, he was led before the ruler Agrippino. He was beaten by twelve soldiers and stretched out on a fiery bronze bed, while they were whipping him from above. He was then burned in the armpits and on the sides with fiery balls, while a strip of skin was removed from his back. Afterwards they scraped his flesh and sides so much that his appearance was altered. And then he met his end with the sword.

The Holy Hymnographer cannot fail to point out for Saint Plato what constitutes the treasure of every martyr: his living faith in Christ ("through your intimate active faith"), his upliftment with His love ("you are completely uplifted by the love of the Creator"), the constant contemplation and vision of His beauty and graces with the eyes of the soul ("contemplating with the eye of the soul, always gazing upon the comeliness of the Creator, and reflecting upon the ineffable beauty"), things that made him, on the one hand, clothed with the garment of prudence and the saving grace of God, transcending even the pains of martyrdom itself, and on the other hand, to be joyfully in the vastness of Paradise (“O glorious one, you measure the purest expanse of the eternal kingdom”). The poet even presents the Saint as a priest who offered himself as a sacrifice to Christ (“you have been shown as a divine priest, O Martyr, offering yourself as an unblemished sacrificial burnt offering”), and in a way as a spectator who observes himself, as if someone else were suffering (“as in another's body, most illustrious one, you endured suffering as if competing in the contest of another, becoming a spectator of the struggle in which you contended").

Prologue in Sermons: November 18

Through Humility, We Shame the Devil and Drive Him Away From Ourselves and From Others

November 18

(On Humility, Which Is What Demons Fear)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Since the devil, through pride, abandoned obedience to God's will and was cast out of heaven for it, it is clear that this sin is most contrary to God, as the chief sin of the devil, the enemy of God and the destroyer of human souls. From this, it follows that if pride is especially dear to the devil, then, of course, humility is especially unbearable. Yes, brethren, the devil cannot tolerate humility, and those who possess this virtue put him to shame and drive him far away, both from themselves and from others.

Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea was a rare man. The mere fact that when he went to Neocaesarea he found few believers (17 Christians are mentioned), while when he left, he left few unbelievers (also 17 in number), reveals the zeal of his faith, the power of his word, the power of the miracles that God granted him. The Holy Hymnographer cannot help but apply to him the prophetic saying: “the zeal of God has consumed you, Gregory.” Seeking to find figures similar to Gregory, the ecclesiastical poet, Saint Theophanes, resorts to the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament. The Saint resembles Moses, he says, who, like him, received the tablets of faith on the mountain of mystical theophany, legislating piety to the people: “You have become a new Moses through your deeds, receiving the tablets of faith on the mountain of the mystical theophany, legislating piety to the peoples.” He resembles the Prophet Samuel, who ascended the mountain of theoria: “ascend on high, like Samuel, to theoria.” He resembles the Prophet Daniel, who, just as the gift of interpreting dreams was given to him, the mystery of faith was revealed to him in a dream: “for as the dream was to him (Daniel), so the mystery of faith was revealed to you.”

Saint Hilda of Whitby (+ 680)

St. Hilda of Whitby (Feast Day - November 17)

Brief Life

Hilda, born in Northumbria in 614, was a grandniece of King Edwin of Northumbria and daughter of Hereric. Hild is her correct name and means "battle." Both she and her uncle were baptized by Saint Paulinus at York in 627, when she was 13. She lived the life of a noblewoman until 20 years later she decided to join her sister Saint Hereswitha at the Chelles Monastery as a nun in France. In 649, Saint Aidan requested that she return to Northumbria as abbess of the double monastery (with both men and women, in separate quarters) in Hartlepool by the River Wear.

After some years Saint Hilda migrated as abbess to the double monastery of Whitby at Streaneshalch, which she governed for the rest of her life. Among her subject monks were Bishop Saint John of Beverly, the herdsman Caedmon (the first English religious poet), Bishop Saint Wilfrid of York, and three other bishops.

Prologue in Sermons: November 17

One Can Attain Salvation In Any Rank

November 17

(A Sermon on Eucharistos the Shepherd)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

I have often said that salvation can be found not in a monastery, but in the world as well, and, indeed, in any rank, and to convince you of this, I have repeatedly cited examples of saints who, like you, were of humble rank and unlearned, and entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Now I intend to prove the same point again, and I believe the example I will give will be instructive for you.

Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Matthew, sitting at the customs house, as a tax collector, heard the Lord say to him: "Follow me." At that very moment he got up and followed Him. He gave him great hospitality in his house, as the Gospel says, and he was numbered among the Apostles. He, after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit and learning divine things, wrote the Gospel according to him and sent it to the Jews. He taught the Parthians and the Medes, founded a Church, and after performing many miracles, he was then perfected by fire by the unbelievers.

Saint Theophanes, the hymnographer of the service and of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, focuses our attention on two main points through his hymns about him: first, on the fact of his calling by the Lord, so that from a publican he could become an apostle; second, on the writing of his Gospel. In order to understand the significance of this conversion, one should know that the term “publican” at that time was identical with the term “sinner”. This is because the publicans were those who, by renting the taxes that the sovereign Romans had imposed on the Jews, later demanded them multiplied. They were therefore considered to be those who literally “sucked” the blood of the people, due to their great injustice. In fact, the following incident has been recorded about him, which very directly reveals the sinfulness of tax collectors. A tax collector who went to collect taxes from a poor Jew found that he had died a few days prior. So what did he do? In order to extort payment from the relatives of the deceased, he dug up the corpse and began to scourge it. Thus publican and sinner were identical terms.