A Handwritten Note of Venerable Gabrielia

Τι ωραίο τραγούδι η Ζωή!

 

Καί τι Ευλογία όταν μετά από μια μακροχρόνια πορεία, μπορώ να πω, πώς από το 1937 μέχρι σήμερα, δεν έφυγε το Αόρατο Πρόσωπο Του Θεού από κοντά μου καί από μέσα μου.

 

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What a beautiful song is Life!

And what a blessing when after a long journey, I can say that from 1937 until today, the Invisible Face of God did not leave from my side or from my inside.

 

 

SAINT DIONYSIOS THE AREOPAGITE: The all-wise hierarch and patron saint of Athens who died in Athens by fire

By Aristeides G. Theodoropoulos

Among the first Athenians who embraced our Lord Jesus Christ after the fiery sermon on the crucifixion and resurrection by the Apostle to the Nations Paul in 51 AD on the Areopagus of pagan Athens, with its magnificent marble temples and elaborate statues, was Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, this leading judge and president of the Supreme Court, who after his conversion to Christianity became a "fit vessel of the All-Holy Spirit," was granted to behold the immaculate and life-begetting body of the Most Holy Theotokos, and with his martyrdom by fire he became the heir of the Heavenly Kingdom in order to intercede to God for the salvation of all Christians.

Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, honored on October 3rd, the glorious hieromartyr of Christ, was born in the eponymous city of Athens around the end of the first decade of the 1st century. His parents were pagans of aristocratic origin and financial prosperity, which contributed to his obtaining an excellent education. His rich education, famous eloquence and virtuous state made him a wise Athenian aristocrat and one of the nine wise and impartial Areopagites of great fame and prominence in Athenian society. That's why he was characterized as having "managed justice in a balanced manner, and ruled over Athens most uprightly" (Michael Synkellos, Oration on Dionysios the Areopagite). In fact, according to ancient tradition, he emerged as a leading judge and president of the Supreme Court.

Synaxarion of our Venerable and God-bearing Mother Gabrielia the New Ascetic of Love

 March 28

By Haralambos M. Bousias

On this day we commemorate our Venerable and God-bearing Mother Gabrielia, the New Ascetic of Love.

Verses

You sheltered everyone with the shelter of your love, revered one,
Being seen as one who was covered by God, Gabrielia.

Synaxarion

Our Holy and God-bearing Mother Gabrielia, known as Aurelia Papagiannis, was born in Constantinople on October 2, 1897. Adorned as a child with divine grace, she adorned the Church of Christ with the pearls of love, faith and the emptying of her soul in words and deeds and acts of service towards her neighbor. A nun of the Orthodox Church, she distinguished herself as a spiritual guide of souls towards salvation. A witty and brilliant mind, she willingly helped her neighbors without sparing time and cost. The radiant look of her form testifies to her inner purity and life in Christ. She sanctified Thessaloniki through this utterly pure conduct, where she fled with her family after the exchange of populations, and she attended the philosophical school in Athens, where she worked, and showed the bowels of her compassion in England, where she received the degree of a chiropractor, presenting her service free of charge to everyone like an unmercenary, especially to the Cypriot brethren living there, and confessed her love for her fatherland and genuine Orthodox phronema. When she departed for India, she excelled as a missionary to the nations, tending the blind and lepers and seeking for the lost sheep. She arrived at Bethany of the Holy Land, and she obeyed the venerable one presiding there, and she followed in the footsteps of the old ascetics. In Patmos she received the Small Angelic Schema by our Venerable Father Amphilochios, whose surname is Makris, and then she moved around on missionary journeys, going back to India then to Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, in order to finally settle in a house in renowned Athens. There she was given hospitality by our Venerable Father Agathangelos, whose surname is Michaelidos, and she was granted the "House of the Angels", i.e. a student's house for the accommodation of her inexhaustible love. When she came to Aegina, she occupied the Hesychasterion of the Holy Protection near the Monastery of Saint Nektarios, where she was seen as a wellspring of offerings and a compass to the faithful towards salvation. Finally, after she was attacked by cancer and divine intervention cured her, she ended up on the island of Leros, where after having lived in God-loving and venerable asceticism, she surrendered her soul to the hands of the living God on March 28th, in the year of salvation 1992.

Through her holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy and save us. Amen.

Apolytikion in Plagal of the Fifth Tone
Now the worker of love the revered ascetic Gabrielia, who is our aid in misfortune and succor in mortal hardship, the missionary of Christ, let us be wakeful in offering her impressionable hymns, that she may entreat the Creator on our behalf who bless her.

Kontakion in Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Fervent love joined with humility, you lived in the world but lived outside the world, praying and offering herself as a sacrifice to Christ, to her we ardently sing hymns, the divinely luminous Gabrielia, the ascetic, crying out with longing: Rejoice, mother inspired by God.

Megalynarion
A bright lamp and ray of missionaries, a new boast of ascetics, for your fiery love towards your neighbor, we cry out to you with longing, Gabrielia.

 

Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

Brief Life of our Venerable Mother Gabrielia (Papagiannis)

Eldress Gabrielia Papagiannis was born on October 2, 1897, the feast day of Saints Cyprian and Justina, in Constantinople.

Her father was a wealthy timber merchant and lived in an environment with many comforts in the City, in the area of the Phanar. She was a cute little girl, full of love for the whole world.

From the days when the Papagiannis mansion "received" the joy of little Aurelia (her name before she received the monastic tonsure) she immediately would run to open the door and welcome the visitors.

Aurelia was the fourth and last child of the family.

Eldress Gabrielia Has Been Canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate

At the suggestion and exhortation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimously decided on the canonization of the Most Venerable Nun Gabrielia Papagiannis to be among those listed in the Hagiologion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. This took place on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes was commissioned by the Sacred Metropolis of Leros, Kalymnos and Astypalaia to compose her Sacred Service. Eldress Gabrielia reposed in Leros on March 28, 1992.

May our Venerable Mother Gabrielia intercede on our behalf.

 

Synaxarion of our Venerable and God-bearing Mother Gabrielia the New Ascetic of Love

The House of Saint Ananias in Damascus

The House of Saint Ananias is an ancient underground structure in Damascus, Syria, that is said to be the remains of the home of Ananias of Damascus, where Ananias baptized Saul (who became Paul the Apostle). he building is at the end of the Street Called Straight (al-Share' al-Taweel) near the Bab Sharqi (Eastern Gate).

Ananias, the first Bishop in Damascus, believed in Christ, and made his house a safe place to spread Christianity.

Saint Ananias Chapel consists of two small underground rooms, laid with stone, with two holes in its roofs to allow light into the place. Though currently underground, it is believed this was the level ground in Roman times.

Holy Martyr Eleutherios of Nicomedia and Those With Him

Though Saint Eleutherios of Nicomedia is not commemorated in any Orthodox calendar and there is no historical record of his existence that is known to us, he is listed in in the Roman Martyrology to be commemorated on October 2nd.

According to the Roman Martyrology, Saint Eleutherios was a Roman soldier who was falsely accused of having set fire to the palace of Diocletian in Nicomedia and, by order of this most cruel emperor, he and a number of others were massacred in groups. Some were put to the sword, some consumed by fire, while others were cast into the sea. Eleutherios himself, having endured long tortures, and being found stronger after each one, was finally burned alive and became like "well-tried gold."

Homily Two for the Second Sunday of Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

 Homily for the Second Sunday of Luke

Respond to Evil With Love

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 15, 1944)

 

“As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). What amazingly simple words! They are so natural that when a person hears them for the first time, he even becomes ashamed. God, how come I didn’t think about this myself before! The entire teaching of Christ is extremely simple, like everything that is great. It was addressed to people with simple hearts, it was perceived by the simple-minded Galilean fishermen, who became lights of the whole world.

All His teaching seems to be self-explanatory, and yet, how far our lives are from fulfilling the great commandments of Christ! How rarely do we treat people the way we would like to be treated. We expect respect from people, but we humiliate them ourselves. We want to be helped when we are in need, but we ourselves forget about helping our neighbors when we are prosperous.

Homily One for the Second Sunday of Luke (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 Homily for the Second Sunday of Luke

What Prevents Us From Loving?

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on October 15, 1944)

The Lord said, "As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:31-36)    

What amazingly simple words! They are so simple, so natural that when a person first hears that he should do this, he even becomes ashamed. “How come I didn’t think of this myself before?” - he exclaims. But everything great is simple and all the teachings of Christ are extremely simple. It was addressed to people with simple hearts; it was perceived by the simplest Galilean fishermen, who became lights of the whole world.