Saint Panagis Basias: A Contemporary Fool for Christ

By Lambros Skontzos, Theologian

The Ionian Islands are the birthplace of many Saints of our Church. One of them was the newly-appeared Saint Panagis Basias from Lixouri in Kefallonia.

He was born in Lixouri in 1801. His pious and wealthy parents were Michael Typaldos Basias and Regina Dellaporta. He received a strict education, and besides Greek he knew Italian, French and Latin.

Initially, he was appointed a grammar teacher, but soon he was inspired by the radical sermons of Kosmas Flamiatos and Eusebios Panas, great ecclesiastical figures of the time, who defended Greece and Orthodoxy, and joined them. The English (rulers of the Ionian Islands), who were supposed to be protectors, instead tyrannized the people and manipulated their Orthodox phronema. For this reason he left the public school, which propagated English supremacy, and started teaching at home.

Post-Pentecost Reflection of St. Theophan the Recluse

 

 By St. Theophan the Recluse

After the Baptism of the Lord, when the Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, He descended into the wilderness to be tempted. This is the common path for all. St. Isaac the Syrian remarks in one place that as soon as you taste grace-filled consolation or receive some gift from the Lord, wait for temptation. Temptations conceal the brightness of grace from one’s own eyes which usually consume every good with self-conceit and self-exaltation.

These temptations are also external - sorrow, humiliation; and internal - passionate thoughts that purposely are released, like beasts unchained. Therefore, we must heed ourselves and strictly analyze what occurs with us and in us, to see why it is happening, and what obligations it brings. 

Oration on Holy Pentecost (St. Proclus of Constantinople)

Oration 16

On Holy Pentecost

 (PG 65:804D)

 

By St. Proclus of Constantinople

Today, beloved, the Holy Spirit’s grace visited, beginning from today’s day; and growing until today’s day, it is magnified. The Holy Spirit’s grace shone, and suddenly the speechless ones’ mouths [became] eloquent; and the untaught ones’ tongues were trained; and the fishermen’s hearts were moved to courage. Therefore, the grace visiting from heaven today snatches away the timidity of even my impoverished reason. For as, before the advent of the Spirit, Peter, fearing, denied the Master before the maiden; and [so], after the descent of the Spirit, before the peoples and kings, with courage, he confesses, saying: “We cannot not speak of what we have heard and seen” (Acts 4:20). Whence the Jews even considered the eloquence of the Holy Spirit drunkenness, saying, “Since they are drunk on new wine.” But Peter disputed with them [regarding] what [were] the proofs confirming the Trinity even at [that] hour. For since, at the third hour, the cross was planted, also, at the third [hour], the Holy Spirit, in the form of fire, descended upon the apostles, intimating that God [is] Spirit. “For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:29). And "the advent of the Spirit was as dew upon wool” (Ps 72:6), since it was the symbol of the dispensation. And about the Spirit, so that it would be shown that God is Spirit, “there was a voice out of heaven like a blowing, violent wind” (Acts 2:20). And that God [is] Spirit, learn. For Isaiah says:

Father John Kalaides, the Icon of the Holy Trinity, and How He Blessed and Did Miracles for People

Fr. John Kalaides leading the procession holding the miraculous icon of the Holy Trinity in Serres, 1977.

The daughter of our Holy Father John Kalaides, Theodora, wrote the following regarding her father in honor of the feast of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity:
   
"My father's favorite icon was the icon of the Holy Trinity! He always had such an icon of the Holy Trinity in the pocket of his anteri [inner cassock].
 
There is a monastery in Toumpa of Serres, where for thirty years Father went by train and kept vigil in front of the icon and in the morning every time they gave him this miraculous icon to carry for the procession. He told me with tears in his eyes: 'My child, there are so many priests and they always give me, the least one, to hold the icon!" He was very happy with this honor that the Good God gave him. His whole life was a Pentecost!

Before Papa-Tychon Gave Advice He Would Invoke the Holy Spirit

 

By St. Paisios the Athonite

 

Before the Elder [Papa-Tychon the Russian] began his advice, it was customary for him to pray first, to invoke the Holy Spirit, that He may enlighten him, and this was what he also recommended to others.

He would say:

"God left us the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. This is what our landlord does. That is why our Church begins with the 'Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth.'"

While he said these things about the Holy Spirit, his face would change, and many pious people saw this change.

 

- From the book Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

First Homily for the Monday of the Holy Spirit (St. Luke of Simferopol)

An Interpretation of the Prayer: "Heavenly King, Comforter"

 

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on June 25, 1945)

On the Day of the Holy Spirit, we must turn the depth of our thoughts to the knowledge of Him. In the prayer to the Holy Spirit, extremely much is said: "Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth." This is our Comforter, the One whom the Lord Jesus Christ sent to His disciples when He ascended from them into heaven (see John 14:18, 15:26, 14:26). This is the Comforter Who fills the emptiness of our heart, drives away longing from it, the Only One Who can truly console us.

Many people are in severe anguish, conscious of the emptiness and insignificance of their own lives. They do not know the full, deep comfort that the hearts of Christians experience. They do not seek the Holy Spirit, because they did not know Him and live on their own, without God. The Holy Spirit comforts ordinary, far from holiness Christians when, in sorrows, they find that they deserve misfortunes, when they turn their minds and spiritual eyes into their hearts, and see many sins and impurities there, and repent, and wash this dirt with tears and cry: "Lord, the Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth!" It is only necessary to desire this consolation with all your heart and purify your heart.

Homily Two for the Feast of Pentecost (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered in 1957)

We recognize the forces of material nature by their manifestations with greater or lesser power.

A light breeze caressing our cheeks, and a terrible hurricane destroying entire cities - this is only the movement of air with the weakest and with the strongest force. The barely noticeable twinkling of the smallest star and the dazzling light of the midday sun are only manifestations of the same light energy in the weakest and strongest degree.

On this Great Feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, we see that the spiritual energy, which reveals to us the power of God, can manifest itself not only quietly and hardly noticeably, but also with tremendous power and glory.

Encyclical for Pentecost and the Arrival of the Relic of Saint Polycarp in Nafpaktos

Beloved children in the Lord,

Today we celebrate the great day of Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit came to the holy Apostles and made them glorious members of His Body, which is why the Church is the Body of Christ, while the Apostles became members of the Body of Christ.

This is indeed a great day, during which we celebrate the mystery of the Triune God, as Christ revealed to us. The Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - have one essence, one energy, one nature, but they are Three Persons. In the Divine Liturgy we sing that we worship "Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity, one in essence and inseparable."

The holy Apostles blessed the Christians, baptized them, imparted to them the Body and Blood of Christ for their sanctification. However, because the first Christians were multiplying, therefore the holy Apostles ordained other Bishops, who are their successors, so that the Christians would be blessed and sanctified.

The Exodus of the Jews and the Pentecostarion of the Church

 By John Sanidopoulos

 

Originally, in biblical times, Pentecost was primarily a harvest festival, but after the time of Jesus and the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans it became more focused on the fact that according to Exodus 19:1, fifty days after Israel came out of Egypt, God brought them to Sinai to establish His covenant with them and to give them His Law through His Prophet Moses. So from the institution of the feast of Passover, which led to the liberation of the Jews from bondage in Egypt, until God brought them to Mount Sinai to deliver His law to His people, fifty days passed. By being given a law and having God as their Ruler, they would be able to enter the Promised Land as one nation.

In the Orthodox Church, on the feast of Easter, which is known as Pascha (the Greek word for Passover), we celebrate the liberation of the human race from the bondage of sin, death and the devil through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and over a period of fifty days until the feast of Pentecost we are led on a journey to receive from God His Holy Spirit, through whom the law of God is written in our hearts instead of on tablets of stone (cf. 2 Cor. 3:3). When the law of God is written in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we become united citizens of God's eternal kingdom. The fifty day period between Easter and Pentecost is known in the Orthodox Church as the Pentecostarion.