The Irony of the Only Greek Orthodox Church Dedicated to Saint John Cassian Being in Nicosia

It is ironic that the only Greek Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint John Cassian is located in Nicosia of Cyprus. According to a folk tradition among Greeks, which stems from the fact that Saint John Cassian is only celebrated every four years because his feast falls on February 29th, the binary leap year, he is considered the only officially "unfairly treated" Saint of the Church. It is said that this day was imposed on him because in Paradise he was being "mischeivous" and would disperse "fiery demons" from there. The respected Professor of Modern Greek History at the University of Cyprus, Mr. Petros Papapolyvios, informs us that in modern Greek literature, Georgios Vizyinos (1884) and Christos Christovasilis (1903) refer to this specific punishment. Nicosia also, as the capital of Cyprus, is divided into a binary, with half of it being under the Greeks while the other half under the Turks. During the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the invasion stopped just 30 meters away from the Church of Saint Cassian, which is considered a miracle on his part, and from there the binary division took place.

The Unorthodox Position on Holy Relics by a Cypriot Theologian

 

By Vasilios Haralambous, theologian

In an article published on the SigmaLive website dated 2/2/2024, titled "Theological Battle for the Holy Zoni: The Child Resurrected - Divine Grace is Not Stored," we note, among other things, the following: "A great uproar has been caused in the last few days on the subject of the circulation of relics, bones and icons for veneration."

Unfortunately, these things are mentioned on the occasion of the Holy Zoni of our Panagia arriving in Cyprus. However, there has been no commotion. No disturbance has been caused. There was no turmoil, no confusion. The Cypriot state officially welcomed the Holy Zoni of the Panagia, together with the people of Cyprus. What ruckus are they talking about?

Not even the political parties were worried about the arrival of the Holy Zoni, as a multitude of people from all parties venerated the miraculous Holy Zoni of our Panagia. Those who did not want to venerate, have not announced it.

Select Sayings of Saint Ephraim of Katounakia

- Papa-Ephraim was able to see the grace of a priest. If he saw the priest from the side door of the Sanctuary, he would perceive how much grace he has.

- Someone asked him how divine Grace is seen, and he replied: "To the beginners as a cloud, to the advanced (intermediates) as fire and to the perfect as light."

- "According to the faith and reverence you have in someone, you benefit and receive grace."

- “A person can perceive if someone is in a lower spiritual state from himself, but he cannot perceive the one who is in a higher spiritual state than himself."

Saint Joseph the Hesychast Explains Why an Icon "Spoke" to Saint Ephraim of Katounakia

Elder Gabriel lived alone his strict monastic life in a small house which was the extension of a cave, very close to the Cell of Saint Ephraim of Katounakia.

He was often visited by Elder Ephraim, to perform priestly duties.

Once, when together with Papa-Nikephoros he was celebrating the Mystery of the Prayer Oil [Holy Unction], Elder Ephraim heard a voice from the icon of the Archangels saying to him:

"From the Moment the Triodion Begins, One Must Begin to Journey Towards Golgotha" (St. Paisios the Athonite)

Saint Paisios the Athonite said:

"From the moment the Triodion begins, one must begin to journey towards Golgotha. And, if he takes advantage of this period spiritually, when he dies, his soul will ascend, without being hindered by tolls and customs.

Every year these holy days come, but every year we also lose a year and that's the point. Did we utilize it spiritually or did we waste it on material things?"

Source: Ὁσίου Παϊσίου Ἁγιορείτου, Λόγοι Στ', Περὶ προσευχῆς, p. 98. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

Homily One on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on February 25, 1945)

Great Lent is approaching, a time of prayer and repentance, the most important time of our lives, for there is nothing more important for the Christian soul than repentance and prayer.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came out to preach His message, the first thing He said was: “Repent!” (Matthew 4:17).

There are many great human deeds, but there is none so great, so important as repentance and prayer, for in prayer the spirit of man has direct communication with the Spirit of God. And the one whose prayer becomes bottomlessly deep and therefore extremely effective knows from his own experience how communication with the Spirit of God occurs. He knows that in prayer people receive direct instructions from God and the true direction of their life activities.

Before the "Triodion" (Demetrios Panagopoulos)

 By Demetrios Panagopoulos

There is a lot of talk every year during the days that the Triodion opens, both by the so-called believers, as well as by the non-believers, the indifferent, and indeed mainly by them.

But there is a misunderstanding regarding the interpretation of the words "opening of the Triodion".

Because we see the unbelievers, the cold, the indifferent in matters of religion, but also many of the Christians in name, interpreting the words "opening of the Triodion" to mean that the period has come for revelry, masquerade, debauchery, intoxication, corruption of soul and body. That is why we see so many strange things taking place these days.

However, the real interpretation of the "opening of the Triodion" is not the above, but the below.

The Findings of the Head of Saint John the Baptist

The Findings of the Head of John the Baptist are Orthodox feasts in honor of the most revered part of the relics of John the Baptist - his head. In the tradition of the Orthodox Church, there are legends about three discoveries of the head of John the Baptist; a separate celebration has been established in honor of each. The first discovery took place in the 4th century, the second in the 5th century, and the third in the 9th century. The feast of the first and second miraculous findings is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on February 24 (March 9) - in non-leap years, and on February 24 (March 8) in leap years. In addition, on May 25 (June 7) the third finding of the head is celebrated.

Currently, the actual location of the relic remains unclear, with many who claim to at least have some portion of the head. In medieval times, it was rumored that the Knights Templar had possession of the head, and multiple records from their Inquisition in the early 14th century make reference to some form of head veneration. Islamic tradition places the head of John the Baptist in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, while Catholicism places it in the Church of San Silvestro in Capite. In addition, mention is made of the front part of the skull in the Cathedral of Amiens (France), brought there from the Fourth Crusade when the crusaders looted Constantinople, and parts of the head are said to be in Turkish Antioch and in one of the monasteries of Armenia. The Romanian Prodromos Skete on Mount Athos also makes a claim, among others.

Fr. John Romanides as a Professor of Dogmatics at Holy Cross School of Theology in Boston (8 of 8)

...continued from part seven.

f. Death and Selfless Love

"Death is the devil's weapon throughout the world; it is also God's weapon against the devil. God created man for selfless love. Man in turn fell into a double death. Deprived of divine grace, he is unable to do good, even if he wants to do good. As long as he is under the state of death, he is unable to live according to his original purpose.

He has within himself the instinct of self-preservation, which manifests itself in two ways - psychologically and physically. Everyone wants to secure themselves. When he tries to secure himself psychologically, he sins. When he strives psychically, then he takes steps towards salvation. Man seeks physical security, because he needs food, shelter, clothes, etc. (to be protected from the elements of nature). It is obvious that he is automatically interested in himself. If not, he will kill himself. Being concerned about physical security is a natural phenomenon. It is not a sin. Christ Himself cared about it. These are called blameless passions, but they are not considered sins (sadness, lamentation, etc. are blameless passions when they have a good purpose). According to the Platonists, all these are sins, due to the body being the prison of the soul; they belong to the appetitive and incensive parts of the soul.