By Fr. George Dorbarakis
A day of special joy is today, especially for Athens, which honors in a particular way the Venerable Martyr Philothei of Athens. And rightly so: in Athens the Saint lived, was sanctified, and was martyred. Even more: there also lie her holy relics. The relics of the saints, as is known, constitute the greatest treasure for a place — provided, of course, that there are faithful Orthodox Christians. For we Orthodox have the “eyes” to be able to see the grace of God in that which for unbelievers is a dead body, a corpse. For us, the “corpse” is the living presence of the saint and the tangible proof that Christ sanctifies the human being completely: both in soul and in body.
Which means: the soul lives the energy of God when it is turned toward Him, and this energy is transmitted also to the body united with it. No materialism is higher or more effective than that of the Orthodox Church. The daily miracles performed by the Saint through her relics confirm the above truth. And further: the relics, fragrant and myrrh-streaming, show how greatly deluded are all those who advocate cremation of the dead. How much spiritual shortsightedness and lack of faith is hidden behind this belief. The service of the day proclaims this joy:
“Today the renowned Athens rejoices, because the divine relics of Philothei are set forth for veneration, and all the people kiss them with longing.”
Yet the joy, according to the Hymnographer, is not only for the existence of the Saint’s relics. The city rejoices — and with it every city and country — also because the Saint was, while she lived, a living and true manifestation of God Himself. For she manifested His love — “God is love” — to such a degree that she became a second inexhaustible fountain of this supreme virtue. The Venerable Martyr therefore not only had sympathy toward her fellow human being, but possessed the love of Christ, which reaches the point of sacrifice for the sake of the neighbor, even the considered enemy. And this love of Christ, precisely because it operates in the heart of the true believer, never ends. As the Apostle Paul says:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, distress, danger, sword? Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
The same therefore we note in Saint Philothei: “You appeared as an inexhaustible fountain of love.”
And it is of course understandable that such love cannot be theoretical. It is always expressed in practice as an offering to one’s fellow human being: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in,” says the Lord Himself.
Besides, a love that takes no concrete form ceases to be love — it becomes an ideology serving other purposes. Saint Philothei therefore was a reminder of this practical love. According to the Synaxarion and the Hymnographer:
“Rejoice, all-honored one. For having scattered your earthly wealth and gathered around yourself multitudes of virgins, you appeared an inexhaustible source of love.”
“You, O venerable one, distributed your fleeting wealth to those in need.”
Her offering takes on even greater dimensions, reaching peaks of spiritual mountains, precisely because it occurred in a very difficult era. She did not give alms in a time of freedom, when one might perhaps have ease for such things. Her entire life — a life of almsgiving — was under constant surveillance by the Turks and continually threatened. And in the end she indeed did not escape a martyr’s death.
One might say she was in the darkness a bright light, in winter a fragrant flower, and in the harsh slavery of Ottoman rule a warm sun. And indeed the Hymnographer presents her thus:
“Like a most radiant star you shone in the darkness, and like a fragrant, sweet-smelling flower you blossomed in winter; like light and like the sun you rose joyfully in Athens, warming and illuminating those darkened by bitter slavery.”
The hymns of our Church conclude with the obvious: that the Saint intercede for us all, but especially for her beloved city: “Intercede for the city in which you lived your life in holiness.”
And one would say this is the most timely and critical request for Athens, seeing what it has become — both by its inhabitants, many of whom have left for “better” areas, and by its various enemies who repeatedly, without any trace of respect for its beauty and traditions, its monuments and shrines, destroy it and disgrace it worldwide.
Her sanctified soul must grieve greatly seeing what continually takes place “in the renowned Athens.” Perhaps the Lord protects her by covering her eyes so she does not see the ugliness where once the Attic sky was praised and fervent supplications were offered to the Lord of glory.
Yet our Church, wishing to view things with hope and knowing that in the end good prevails over evil, insists and will continue to insist:
“By your prayers to the Master Christ preserve your city.”
So be it.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
