My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

SEPTEMBER 1st IS THE BEGINNING OF THE INDICTION, THAT IS,
THE NEW ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR.

BEGINNING OF THE INDICTION: For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors decreed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was re-issued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an assessment was made of what economic changes had taken place, and a new tax was decreed, which was to be paid over the span of the fifteen years. This imperial tax decree, which was issued before the season of winter, was named INDICTIO, that is, Definition, or Order. This name was adopted by the Emperors in Constantinople also. It is commonly held that Saint Constantine the Great introduced the Indiction decrees in A.D. 312, after he beheld the Sign of the Cross in heaven and vanquished Maxentius and was proclaimed Emperor in the West. There are three types of Indictions: (1) That which was introduced in the West, and which is called Imperial, or Caesarean, or Constantinian, and which begins on the 24th of September; (2) The so-called Papal Indiction, which begins on the 1st of January; and (3) The Constantinopolitan, which was adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the Fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453. This Indiction is indicated in their own hand on the decrees they, without the numeration of the fifteen years. This Indiction begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church.

Since the completion of each year takes place, as it were, with the harvest and gathering of hte crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for teh production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also holds a festival on this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and the abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scripture (Leviticus 23:24-25 and Numbers 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate OUR SAVIOR’S ENTRY INTO THE SYNAGOGUE IN NAZARETH, WHERE HE WAS GIVEN THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH TO READ, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me…" (Luke 4:16-30).

It should be noted that to the present day, the Orthodox Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1st. This was the tradition in Constantinople until its Fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter Ist. September 1st is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate in Constantinople; among the Jews also the New Year, although reckoned according to a moveable calendar, usually falls in September. The service of the Menaion for January 1st is for our Lord’s Circumcision and for the memorial of Saint Basil the Great without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.

On the Saints that are celebrated today, OUR RIGHTEOUS FATHER SYMEON was born about the year 390 A.D. in a certain village named Sis, i the mountain region of Cilicia and Syria. Having first been a shepherd, he entered the monastic discipline at a young age. After trying various kinds of ascetical practices, both in the monastery and then in the wilderness, he began standing on pillars of progressively greater height, and heroically persevered in this for more than forty years; the greater part of this time he spend standing upright, even when one of his fee became gangrenous, and other parts of his body gave way under the strain. He did not adopt this strange way of life out of vainglory, a charge that some of his contemporaries made against him a the first: because he was already famous for his asceticism and holiness before ascending his first pillar (in Greek, STYLE, whence he is called "STYLITES"), many pious people came to him wishing to touch his garments, either for healing or for a blessing; to escape the continual vexation they caused, he made a pillar about ten feet high, and then higher and higher, until the fourth and last was about fifty feet high. The Church Historian Theodoret of Cyrrhus, an eyewitness of his exploits who wrote of him while Symeon was yet alive, called him "THE GREAT WONDER OF THE WORLD." God gave him the grace to persevere in such an astonishing form of asceticism that multitudes came to see him from Persia, Armenia, South Arabia, Georgia, Thrace, Spain, Italy, Gaul, and the British Isles. Theodoret says that he became so famous in Rome that the entrances of the workshops were adorned with small icons of him for a blessing and protection. Nomadic Arabs by the thousands believed in Christ and were baptized because of him; the king of Persia sent envoys to inquire into his way of life, and the Queen asked to be sent oil that he had blessed. He also was a great defender of sound doctrine, and confirmed the Orthodoxy of the Holy Council of Chalcedon for many who had been beguiled by the teaching of the Monophysites, including the Empress Evdocia, widow of Theodosius the Younger (see January 20). After a life of unheard-of achievements and struggles, he reposed in peace at the age of sixty-nine, in the year 459 A.D.

THE SYNAXIS OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS OF MIASENAE is celebrated today because of the wonder or miracle that was wrought when her holy icon, which has been cast into the lake called Zaguru in order to prevent it from being desecrated by the Iconoclasts, miraculously arose intact from the depths of the lake after many years.

JESUS (JOSHUA) OF NAVI was born of the Tribe of Ephraim in Egypt, in the seventeenth century before Christ. When he was eighty-five years of age, he became Moses’ successor. He restrained the River Jodan’s flow and allowed the Israelites to cross on foot. He caused the sun to stop in its course when he was waging war against the Amorites. He divided the Promised Land among the Twelve Tribes of Israel and governed them for twenty-five years. He wrote the Old Testament Book that bears his name, and having lived 110 years in all, he reposed in the 16th century B.C. His name means "GOD SAVES."

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of the Indiction. Second Tone

O MAKER of all creation, Who has established the times and the
seasons in Thine own power: Bless the crown of this year with
Thy Goodness, O Lord, and keep our rulers and Thy flock in peace,
by the intercessions of the Theotokos, and save us.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of Saint Symeon. First Tone

THOU becamest a pillar of patience and didst emulate the Forefathers, O
righteous one: Job in his sufferings, Joseph in temptations and the life of
the bodiless while in the body. O Symeon, our righteous Father, intercede
with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of the Theotokos. Grave Tone

REJOICE, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, haven and
protection of the race of man; for the Redeemer of the world became
incarnate of thee; for thou alone art both mother and virgin, Ever-Blessed
and Glorified. Intercede with Christ God that peace be granted unto
the world.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hym of the Prophet. Second Tone

AS we celebrate the memory of Thy Prophet Jesus of Navi, O Lord,
through him we beseech Thee to save our souls.

Kontakion Hymn of the Indiction. Forth Tone

O GOD OF ALL, Thou has made all the ages, O Sovereign Lord,
truly transcendent in essence, bestow Thy grace and blessing on
the year to come; and, O Most Compassionate, in Thine infinite
mercy save all them that worship Thee, Who alone art our Master,
and that with fear, O Savior, cry to Thee: Grant unto all men a
fruitful and godly year.

[Resources: The Great Horologion]

A BLESSED, A PEACEFUL, A HEALTHY AND FRUITFUL NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WHO IS MENTALLY ILL ACCORDING TO
THE CHURCH FATHERS
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides,
of blessed memory.

Everyone is mentally ill according to the Patristic meaning of mental illness. You do not have to be schizophrenic in order to be mentally ill. The definition of mental illness from a Patristic point of view is that PEOPLE ARE MENTALLY ILL WHEN THE NOETIC ENERGY THEY HAVE INSIDE THEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. In other words, being mentally ill means your NOUS is full of thoughts, not only bad thoughts, but good thoughts as well.

According to the Church Fathers, anyone WHOSE SOUL HAS NOT BEEN PURIFIED FROM THE PASSIONS AND WHO HAS NOT REACHED THE STATE OF ILLUMINATION THROUGH THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MENTALLY ILL, ,BUT NOT IN THE PSYCHIATRIC SENSE. For a psychiatrist, being mentally ill is something else. It means suffering from psychosis or being schizophrenic. For Orthodoxy, however, if you have not bee purified of the passions and have not reached a state of illumination are you normal or abnormal? That is the question.

Who is considered a normal Orthodox Christian in the Patristic tradition? If you want to see this clearly, read the service of Holy Baptism, read the service of Holy Chrism that is held at the Patriarchate of Constantinople on Holy Thursday, read the service fro the consecration of Church sanctuaries. There you will see what it means TO BE A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. There you will see who is illumined.

In all of the Church services as well as the ascetic tradition of the Church, mainly THREE SPIRITUAL STATES are mentioned: THE STATE IN WHICH THE SOUL AND BODY HAVE BEEN PURIFIED FROM THE PASSIONS, THE STATE IN WHICH THE HUMAN NOUS HAS BEEN ILLUMINATED BY THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,, AND THE STATE IN WHICH THE HUMAN SOUL AND BODY EXPERIENCE THEOSIS or ‘GLORIFICATION.’

In his English writings, Father John Romanides consistently avoids the term ‘deification’, sparingly uses the term theosis as it is (although he uses it frequently in Greek) and prefers the term ‘GLORIFICATION.’ The value of a term such as glorification is that IT REFLECTS BOTH THE BIBLICAL CONTINUITY and THE NATURE OF THE EXPERIENCE. According to the will of God, the Prophets could see God’s glory, the Apostles could see Christ’s glory at the Transfiguration.

So who is the normal Orthodox Christian? Can someone who has been baptized but not purified be considered normal? What about someone who has not yet been illuminated? Or is it someone who has been purified and illumined? Naturally, someone in the last categroy is a normal Orthodox Christian.

So, what makes normal Orthodox Christians different from the rest of the Orthodox? Is it dogma? Of course not. Take the Orthodox in general. They all share the same dogma, the same tradition, and the same common worship. A church sanctuary, for example, might hold three hundred Orthodox Christians. Of that number, however, only five are in a state of illumination, while the rest of them are not. The rest of them have not even the slightest idea what purification is. So this raises the question: How many among them are normal Orthodox Christians? Unfortunately, out of three hundred only five are.

All the same, PURIFICATION and ILLUMINATION are specific conditions of healing that experienced and illumined spiritual fathers can recognize. So we have here clearly medical criteria. Or maybe you are not convinced that these criteria are strictly medical? Consider the fact that THE NOUS IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL HUMAN ORGAN THAT EVERYONE HAS. It is not only Greek and Orthodoxy that have a nous. So do Muslims, Buddistis, and everyone else. So all human beings have the same need fro purification and illumination. And there is only one therapeutic treatment. Or do you think there are many therapeutic treatments for this illness? And is it really an illness or not? [Resources: Patristic Theology]

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WHAT IS THE HUMAN NOUS?
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides, of
blessed memory.

The chief concern of the Orthodox Church IS THE HEALING OF THE HUMAN SOUL. The Church has always considered the soul as the part of the human being THAT NEEDS HEALING because She has seen from Hebrew tradition, from Christ Himself, and from the Apostles that in the region of the physical heart there functions something that the Fathers called NOUS. In other words, the Fathers took the traditional term nous, which means INTELLECT (dianoia) and speech or reason (logos), and gave it a different meaning. They used NOUS to refer to this NOETIC ENERGY that functions IN THE HEART OF EVERY SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY PERSON. We do not know when this change in meaning took place, because we know that some Fathers used the same words NOUSa to refer to reason as well as to this noetic energy THAT DESCENDS AND FUNCTIONS IN THE REGION OF THE HEART.

So from this perspective, NOETIC ACTIVITY IS AN ACTIVITY ESSENTIAL TO THE SOUL. It functions in the brain as the reason; IT SIMULTANEOUSLY FUNCTIONS IN THE HEART AS THE NOUS. In other words, the same organ, the nous, prays ceaselessly n the heart and simultaneously thinks about mathematical problems, for example, nor anything else in the brain.

We should point out that there is a difference in terminology between Saint Paul and the Holy Fathers call DIANOIA. When the Apostle Paul says, "I will pray with the spirits" (1 Corinthians 14:5), he means what the Holy Fathers mean when they say, "I will pray wit the nous." And when he says, "I will pray with the nous," he means "I will pray with the intellect (dianoia). When the Holy Fathers use the words nous, the Apostle Paul uses the word ‘spirit.’ When he says "I will pray with the nous, I will pray with the spirit," ..he uses the word ‘spirit’ to mean what the Holy Fathers refer to as the nous. And by the word nous, he means the intellect or reason.

In the phrase, "the Spirit of God bears witness to our spirit," Saint Paul speaks about two spirits: THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT. By some strange turn of events, what Saint Paul meant by the human spirit later reappeared during the time of Saint Makarios the Egyptian with the name NOUS, and only the words LOGOS and DIANOIA continued to refer to man’s rational ability. This is how the nous came to be identified with spirit, that is, WITH THE HEART, since according to Saint Paul, THE HEART IS THE PLACE OF MAN’S SPIRIT.

This means that the Spirit of God speaks to our spirit. In other words, GOD SPEAKS WITHIN OUR HEART BY THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Saint Gregory Palamas to his second discourse from "In Behalf of the Sacred Hesychasts" notes that "THE HEART RULES OVER THE WHOLE HUMAN ORGANISM..FOR THE NOUS AND AL THE THOUGHTS (LOGISMOI) OF THE SOUL ARE LOCATED THERE." From the context of grace-filled prayer, it is clear that the term ‘heart’ does not refer to the intellect (dianoia) but to the energy/activity of the heart, the NOETIC ENERGY which wells forth from the essence of the nous (i.e., the heart). For this reason Saint Gregory adds that it is necessary for the hesychasts "to bring their nous back and enclose it within their body and particularly within that innermost body, within the body that we call "heart." Philokalia, vol. IV.

Thus, for the Apostle Paul reasonable or logical worship takes place by means of the NOUS (i.e.., the reason or the intellect) while noetic prayer occurs through the spirit and is spiritual prayer or prayer of the heart. Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, who notes: "Man has two centers of knowing the NOUS which is the appropriate organ for receiving the revelation of God that is later put into words around us."

When the Apostle Paul says, "I prefer to say five words with my NOUS in order to instruct others rather than a thousand with my tongue," he means that he prefers to say five words, in other words to speak a bit, for the instruction of others rather than pray noetically. Some monks interpret what Saint Paul says here as a reference to the Prayer of Jesus, which consists of five words. In Greek, the Prayer of Jesus consists of exactly five words in its simplest form, which in English is translated as "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."

Those who have NOETIC PRAYER in their hearts do, however, communicate with one another. In other words, they have the ability to sit together, and communicate with each other NOETICALLY, WITHOUT SPEAKING. That is, they are able TO COMMUNICATE SPIRITUALLY. Of course, this also occurs even when such people are far apart. They also have the gifts of CLAIRVOYANCEs and FOREKNOWLEDGE. Through their clairvoyance, THEY CAN SENSE BOTH OTHER PEOPLE’S SINS AND THOUGHTS (LOGISMOI), WHILE FOREKNOWLEDGE ENABLES THEM TO SEE AND TALK ABOUT SUBJECTS, DEEDS, AND EVENTS IN THE FUTURE. Such charismatic people really do exist. If you go to them for confession, they know everything that you have done in your life before you open your mouth to tell them. [Resources: Patristic Theology]

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"HE WHO DOES NOT TAKE HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME
IS NOT WORTHY OF ME" [Matthew 10:38]

"And why do I speak, He says, of friends and kinsmen? Even if it is your own life which you prefer to my love, your place is far from my disciples…In Deuteronomy …He says, ‘Who said to his father, and to his mother, I have not seen you, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, and his own sons he disowned: he kept Your oracles’ (Deuteronomy 33:9). And if Paul gives many directions touching parents, commanding us to obey them in all things, do not marvel, for only in those things he means us to obey that do not hinder godliness. For indeed it is a sacred duty to render them all other honors…

Luke says ‘If any man comes to Me, and does not hate his father, mother, wife, and children …even his own life, he cannot be my disciple’ …Nothing is closer than his life to any man …For why are you willing to despise your life? Because you love it? Then for that very reason despise it, and so you will benefit it in the highest degree and do the part of one who loves it …Do you see what mighty persuasions He used, and how He opened to them the houses of the whole world? Yes, He signified that men are their debtors; first saying, ‘The workman is worthy of his hire,’ secondly by sending them froth having nothing…to instruct you that not for the worthiness of the visitor, but for the purpose of him who gives welcome, is His reward appointed. For though He speaks hee of Prophets, the righteous men…elsewhere He bids men receive the veriest outcasts and punishes those who fail to do so" (Cf. Matthew. 25:45). Saint John Chrysostom. Homily XXXV on Matthew 10:3-5).

The Holy Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians writes: "But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).

Truly this symbol is thought despicable, but it is so in the world’s reckoning, and among men; in heaven and among the faithful is the highest glory. Poverty too is despicable , but it is our boast; and to be cheaply thought of by the public is a matter of laughter to them, but we are elated by it. So too the Cross is our boast…And what is the boast of the Cross? That Christ for my sake took on Him the form of a slave, and bore His sufferings for me, the slave, the enemy, the unfeeling one; He even so loved me as to give Himself up to a curse for me. What can be comparable to this! …Let us then not be ashamed of His unspeakable tenderness; He was not ashamed of being crucified for your sake, and will you be ashamed to confess His infinite solicitude? …

"By whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." [Galatians 6:14).

What he here calls the world is not heaven nor earth, but the affairs of life, the praise of men, retinues, glory, wealth, and all such things as have a show of splendour. To me these things are dead…Nor was he content with the former putting to death, but added another, saying, ‘and I to the world,’ in this way implying a double putting to death, and saying, They are dead to me, and I to them, neither can they captivate and overcome me…Nothing can be more blessed than this putting to death, for it is the foundation of the blessed life …Observe the power of the Cross, to what a pitch it has set him far above the Old Dispensation …for the Cross has persuaded him who was willing to be slain…This, our rule of life, he calls ‘a new creature,’ both on account of what is past, and of what is to come; of what is past, because our soul, which had grown old with oldness of sin, has been all at once renewed by baptism, as if it had been created again. Therefore we require a nw and heavenly rule of life..and seek the new things of grace. For those who pursue these things will enjoy peace and amity, and may properly be called by the name of ‘Israel. (Saint John Chrysostom. Commentary on Galatians. Chapter 6.

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

GLORY BE TO GOD!

Glory be to God for everything! Glory be to God for having created me to His image and likeness. Glory be to God for having redeemed me, the fallen. Glory be to God for having extended His solicitude to me, the unworthy. Glory be to God for having led me, the sinner, to repentance. Glory be to Godfor having offered me His Holy words, like a lamp in a dark place, thus setting me on the path of righteousness. Glory be to God for having illumined the eyes of my heart. Glory be to God for having made known to me His Holy Name. Glory be to God for having washed away my sins through the bath of baptism. Glory be to God for having shown me the way to eternal bliss. The way is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Who says of Himself, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.’

Glory be to God, that He has not brought me to perdition through my sins, but suffered them because of His kindness. Glory be to God for showing me the vanity and emptiness of the world. Glory be to God for helping me in various temptations, misfortunes, and calamities. Glory be to God for protecting me in accidents and mortal dangers. Glory be to God for defending me against the Devil, who is the enemy. Glory be to God for raising me when I was prostrate. Glory be to God for comforting me in my sorrow. Glory be to God for converting me when I was erring. Glory be to God for punishing me as a father. Glory be to God for announcing to me His last Judgment, that I might fear it and repent of my sins. Glory be to God for revealing to me eternal torment and eternal bliss, that I might flee the one and seek the other. Glory be to God for offering to me, the unworthy one, food, clothing, and shelter.

From Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk’s Will.

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORTHODOXY AND HERESY
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides, of
blessed memory.

During the Middle Ages, those in power were well aware of the difference between Orthodoxy and heresy. What is the difference? The difference is really quite simple. IN heresy THE HUMAN NOUS IS NOT HEALED, while in Orthodoxy IT IS. In Orthodoxy, the healing of human personality is A REALITY. The Saints are proof of this.

Throughout history, HERETICS HAVE BEEN A LOT LIKE MODERN DAY QUACKS. They promise some kind of life after death, but in this life here and now, they could neither cure their followers nor offer them anything more than yet another superstition. Heresies were religions about the afterlife. And a heretic was someone WHOSE DOCTRINES WERE NOT ORTHODOX AND WHOSE DOCTRINES CONSEQUENTLY HINDERED HIM FROM REACHING PURIFICATION AND ILLUMINATION. Orthodoxy, however, OFFERS THIS CURE AND CAN GUIDE THE BELIEVER TO PURIFICATION AND ILLUMINATION…

"…When a priest of the Orthodox Church has a Patristic mindset his main concern IS THE HEALTH OF EVERY HUMAN SOUL. He keeps in mind the words "SEEK YE FIRST THE REIGN OF GOD AND ITS RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Matthew 6:33), and strives to help people find the rule of God hidden within — in other words, TO DISCOVER HOW TO ALLOW GOD TO RULE THEIR INNER MAN.

Please note: Although ‘vasileia’ of God is translated as ‘kingdom’ of God in most English versions of the New Testament and the Divine Liturgy, Father John Romanides in his English works vigorously maintained that such a translation is a serious error. On his website, he wrote, "the Greek term vasileia of God designates the Uncreated rule of God and not the created kingdom (vasileion) ruled by God." Elsewhere, he would note that failure to recognize this has prevented many from seeing that Christ’s promise that His disciples would see God’s ruling power was fulfilled at the Transfiguration. It has also resulted in fruitless discussions about when the Kingdom [sic] will come and comparisons with various political systems. In this translation, the WORD BASILEIA IN Scripture and elsewhere will be translated as ‘REIGN’ or ‘RULE’, as Father John would certainly desire.

But how is this rule of God discovered? It is discovered when the believer’s NOETIC ENERGY and activity is set in motion. Thus, the Orthodox priest with a Patristic mindset focuses his effort ON SETTING IN MOTION THE NOETIC ENERGY OF EVERYONE WHO APPROACHES HIM. The full sweep of his effort and interests extend to all issues troubling society. But this does not mean that he, and by extension the Church should replace his main therapeutic work with all these other peripheral tasks.

Throughout the entire course of the Middle Ages, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite was the theologian of Orthodox tradition par excellence. All the Fathers invoked him, after Saint Maximus the Confessor, as the greatest authority in the Orthodox Church. Of course, we are accustomed nowadays to consider the three hierarchs to be the most important Church Fathers, especially hte establishment of their common feast.

Nevertheless, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite played a definitive role in the formation of Patristic tradition. Saint John John of Damascus himself stayed close at the heels of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. So, if you want to see how our ancestors thought during the Middle Ages, you have to take Saint Dionysius the Areopagite very seriously, regardless of your opinion about his precise identity. [ Resources: Patristic Theology]

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON TWO KINDS OF FAITH
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides, of
blessed memory.

Human beings can have two kinds of faith. The first kind of faith, which has its seat in the mind, IS THE REASONABLE FAITH OF ACCEPTANCE. In this case, a person rationally accepts something and believes in what he has accepted, but this faith does not justify him. When Holy Scripture says, “man is saved by faith alone” (Ephesians 2:8), IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE IS SAVED MERELY BY FAITH OF ACCEPTANCE. There is, however, another kind of faith, THE FAITH OF THE HEART. It is referred to in this way because this kind of faith IS NOT FOUND IN THE HUMAN REASON OR INTELLECT, BUT IN THE REGION OF THE HEART. This faith of the heart IS A GIFT OF GOD THAT YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE UNLESS GOD DECIDES TO GRANT IT. It is also called ‘INNER FAITH’, which is the kind of faith that the father of the young lunatic in the Gospel asked Christ to give him when he said, “Lord, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Naturally, the father already believed with his reason, but he did not have that deep inner faith that is a gift of God.

INNER FAITH is rooted in an experience of grace. And since IT IS AN EXPERIENCE OF GRACE, what would this make inner faith as far as an Orthodox Christian is concerned? INNER FAITH IS NOETIC PRAYER. When someone has noetic prayer in his heart, which means THE PRAYER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN HIS HEART, THEN HE HAS INNER FAITH. THROUGH THIS KIND OF FAITH AND BY MEANS OF PRAYER, HE BEHOLDS THINGS THAT ARE INVISIBLE. When someone has this kind of vision, it is called THEORIA. Theoria, in fact, MEANS VISION.

As a rule, there are two ways for vision to take place. When a person has not yet attained to THEOSIS (Deification), it is still possible for him to see by means of the prayer that the Holy Spirit is saying within his heart. After attaining theosis, however, he can see by means of theosis in which both this inner faith (I.e., PRAYER OF THE HEART) and hope are set aside, and only love for God remains (as a gift of God). This is what Saint Paul means when he says, “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10). When the perfect is come, faith and hope are done away, AND ONLY LOVE REMAINS. And this love IS THEOSIS. In theosis, knowledge comes to an end; prophecy is set aside; tongues, which are noetic prayer, cease; and only love remains. Saint Paul says this in passages of great clarity and beauty. The Church Fathers in turn offer interpretations of these subjects that are indisputably correct (The entire Philokalia is concerned with these issues). [Resources: Patristic Theology].

_________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WHAT IS ORTHODOXY?
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides of
blessed memory.

Orthodoxy is not a culture as Toynbee refers to it as “Orthodox culture.” Why? Because Orthodoxy is a science. And according to today’s criteria, it is a medical science. It is not a culture, Orthodoxy is neither a culture nor a political system, because it is concerned WITH OUR PERSONAL SALVATION, WITH THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS. Orthodoxy is based on two facts: “the Logos/Word became flesh” and “in hell there is no repentance.” Of course, Orthodoxy contains within itself all that is necessary for the creation of culture, but Orthodoxy IS NOT A CULTURE. Orthodoxy is not even a religion. Orthodoxy is not a religion like all the other religions. Orthodoxy is distinguished from the rest by a unique phenomenon that is not present in any other religion. This phenomenon CONCERNS THE ORIGIN, NATURE AND DESTINY OF HUMAN BEINGS, AS WELL AS HOW HUMAN BEINGS CAN BE CURED. It makes Orthodoxy different from the rest of the religions. Orthodoxy IS A THERAPEUTIC COURSE OF TREATMENT THAT HEALS THE HUMAN PERSONALITY.

A genuine doctor concerns himself with the treatment of anyone who is sick, without exception and without discrimination. He does not single out only certain people from the rest for treatment. He is not interested in people’s social standing, their educational level, their economic situation, their religion, or their ethical conduct. A genuine doctor only notices whether or not the people who come to him are sick. And if they are sick, he takes an interest, tries to treat them, and to heal their infirmities. He is obligated to treat them. In the Orthodox tradition we have something similar to this, but even more so. And it is precisely this something more that constitutes our way of fighting back against westernization.

God loves not only saints, but all people, without exception, including sinners, people in hell, and even the devil. And He desires to save and heal every one of them. He wants to heal them all, but He cannot, because they do not all want to be healed. We know this — that God is love and that He desires to heal everyone and loves everyone — because it has been verified and continues to be verified by the experience of those who have attained THEOSIS (Deification), in which God is seen and they have seen God.

Nevertheless, God cannot heal everyone, because He DOES NOT VIOLATE THE HUMAN WILL. God holds man in high regard and loves him. He cannot, however, HEAL SOMEONE BY FORCE. He HEALS ONLY THOSE WHO WANT TO BE HEALED AND WHO REQUEST THAT HE HEALS THEM. Normally, someone who is physically ill, or even mentally, goes to the doctor on his own accord and not by force in order to get well –that is, if he is still thinking rationally. The same thing happens in the Orthodox therapeutic course of treatment. We must go to Church freely of our own accord, without being forced or pressured. We must go to competent people who have reached illumination, are experienced, and possess the curative method of the Orthodox tradition. And then we must be OBEDIENT TO THEM IN ORDER TO FIND HEALING. [Resources: Patristic Theology]

_____________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WHAT IS THE CORE OF ORTHODOX TRADITION
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides of blessed
memory.

We happen to be entrusted with a treasure–THE THEOLOGY OF ORTHODOX TRADITION. Orthodox theology is the culmination of Orthodox Tradition. Orthodox theology is the culmination and product of centuries of experiences that have been repeated, renewed, and recorded by those who have experienced THEOSIS (Deification) at different times. We have the experience of the patriarchs and the prophets as well as the later experience of the Apostles. We call all of these experiences ‘GLORIFICATION.’ To say the prophet was glorified means that the prophet saw the glory of God. To say the Apostle was glorified means that the Apostle saw the glory of Christ. Seeing the glory of Christ, the Apostle ascertained by his own experience that the glory of Christ in the New Testament is the glory of God in the Old Testament. Hence, Christ is the Yahweh and the Elochim of the Old Testament.

Although it is not clear in the Old Testament Who the Holy Spirit is, the Apostles discovered Who He is by experience. Their experience repeats the experience of the prophets, but there is a difference because the Apostles were glorified after the Incarnation: Yahweh of the Old Testament now has the human nature of Christ. Although three of the Apostles were partially glorified during the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, ALL OF THE APOSTLES WERE FULLY GLORIFIED AT PENTECOST, DURING WHICH THEY REACHED THE HIGHEST STATE OF GLORIFICATION THAT ANY HUMAN BEING CAN EVER REACH IN THIS LIFE.

After the experiences of the Apostles come the experiences OF THE GLORIFIED WHO INCLUDE THE CHURCH FATHERS AND THOSE SAINTS WHO REACHED THEOSIS. And so the experience of THEOSIS continues to appear in each generation up to the present. This experience of THEOSIS is the core of the Orthodox Tradition, THE FOUNDATION OF THE LOCAL AND ECUMENICAL COUNCILS, and THE BASIS FOR THE CHURCH’S CANON LAW AND LITURGICAL LIFE TODAY.

If the contemporary Orthodox theologian is to acquire objectivity, he must rely on the experience of THEOSIS. In other words, we can positively state that a student of Patristic tradition has objectivity in the theological method only when he has personally undergone PURIFICATION and ILLUMINATION, and reached THEOSIS. Only in this way will the researcher not only understand the Patristic tradition, but also verify for himself the truth of this tradition through the Holy Spirit.

ON DIVINE INSPIRATION

Today Protestants and Roman Catholics are under the impression that God gave Holy Scripture to the Church. This idea has so greatly influenced modern Orthodox thought that the Orthodox een agree with Protestants and Roman Catholics on this point. Moreover, Orthodox and Roman Catholics agree that God also gave Sacred Tradition to the Church. With respect to Tradition, the Protestants are showing some signs that they are reconsidering their position.

But now the Orthodox Church has to face a certain paradox. When you read the Old Testament, the New Testament, and even writings from Tradition, you will run across opinions that science proved to be false at least 150 years ago, especially on account of the breakthrough in research made by the exact sciences. Naturally, this creates a serious problem for someone who does not fully grasp what the Fathers mean when they speak about Divine inspiration. This problem mainly applies to the study of the Bible.

In their tradition, the Franks followed Augustine in identifying revelation with the revelation by God of concepts to man. In fact, they identified revelation not only with concepts, but also with the expressions, that is, terms and words, that conveyed these concepts…When we say ‘DIVINE INSPIRATION’, the Bible, the Prophets, and the Apostles immediately come to mind. Now if you are also conservative, you will bring to mind some Ecumenical Councils outside of Holy Scripture, since a conservative Orthodox Christian believes that THE DECISIONS OF THE ECUMENICAL COUNCILS ARE ALSO DIVINELY INSPIRED. If you are even more conservative, YOU WILL BRING UP THE CHURCH FATHERS. If you are even more conservative still, YOU WILL POINT OUT CANON LAW, THE LITURGICAL LIFE, AND EVEN PRIESTLY ROBES AND HEAD COVERINGS.

"…But what is important in all of this is that most believers suppose that Divine inspiration extends over large segments and many facets of life in the Church, if not over THE ENTIRE LIFE IN THE CHURCH. Contemporary Orthodox theology is quite confused on this point. There is confusion as to what Divine inspiration is, what it means, and where it is found.

All Christians, Orthodox and heterodox alike, can agree that the Bible is Divinely inspired. Of course, we are not looking at any definitions for Divine inspiration or making any qualifications about which portions of the Bible are really Divinely inspired. For the time being, we simply assert that Holy Scripture is Divinely inspired…

"…What can we conclude from all of this? When the Fathers were in a state of ILLUMINATION or THEOSIS, were they or were they not Divinely inspired? Naturally, they were Divinely inspired. After all, what does Divine inspiration mean? IT MEANS THAT SOMEONE IS INSPIRED BY GOD IN CONTRAST TO BEING INSPIRED BY THE DEVIL OR DEMONS. In the latter cases, that person would be diabolically inspired or demonically inspired.

In terms of Divine inspiration, the HIGHEST FORM OF REVELATION and THE SUPREME ILLUSTRATION OF THEOSIS (DEIFICATION) WERE EXPERIENCED BY THE APOSTLES ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. Pentecost is the key to Orthodox Theology REGARDING DIVINE INSPIRATION. If you grasp the meaning of Pentecost in the Patristic tradition, at least you will know WHAT THEOLOGY IS AND WHAT A THEOLOGIAN IS, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A THEOLOGIAN. [Resources: Patristic Theology]

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

Orthodox Prayers for all Seasons and Occasions:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."

The tradition of Holy Scripture and of Orthodox Christianity provide an extraordinary perspective from which to see not ony the nature and meaning of prayer, but also it concrete expressions in practice. The basic presupposition of any real and truly spiritual prayer is the belief in the existence of the Living God. The genuine believer not only believes that the infinite and invisible God exists, but that He also reveals Himself to people. It is through this revelation of God that it becomes possible for one to have a personal communion with Almighty God. When, therefore, the believer prays, he or she speaks directly to God and becomes aware of a communication with Him. Consequently, PRAYER PRESUPPOSES FAITH IN THE REALITY AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND MEANS PRIMARILY THAT LIVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIM/HER AND GOD.

Saint John Chrysostom, who has taught us so many things about prayer and who has bequeathed to us so many solemn prayers, emphasizes that prayer is the most powerful thin gin the life of a person, and nothing can be compared with prayer. Prayer is the unique and priceless gift of the Creator to the human being, because it is through this most important Divine Gift of prayer that the creature is raised up to the Creator and the finite human person is empowered to speak with the Eternal God.

Prayer should not be seen as simply one of the virtues, or merely a duty we must fulfill as Orthodox Christians. Rather, we must see prayer as constituting the natural and perfect stance of the person as a creation of God. Saint Neilos writes, "everyone who does NOT wish to be united to God through prayer IS ACTUALLY SEPARATED FROM GOD." In the Holy Tradition of the Church, prayer is always seen as an act that is purely free and personal, and which, when practiced faithfully and reverently, always UNITES THE BELIEVER WITH HIS CREATOR.

The Jesus Prayer "LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNER" became the standard short prayer in the 4th century. It is used in works like The Ladder of Divine Ascent by Saint John Climacus and afterwards. The Jesus Prayer eventually became the de-facto standard for continuous prayer. It is important to note that the Jesus Prayer must be said always with profound faith and genuine humility. We must be believing and trusting God and willing to put our life in His Divine hands. It is understood that the key to life in wanting God’s help and mercy, However, n one can call Jesus Christ Lord without the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord, God and Savior reveals this solemn prayer when He spoke about the two men who "went p to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector" (Luke 18:9-14). He says, "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to The heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for EVERYONE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED, AND HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED" (vs. 13-14). The tax collectors posture and words express his deep humility and contrition, the opposite of the Pharisee’s attitude. By "justified" is meant forgiven and made right with God. Jesus clearly reverses the expected conclusion. In the eyes of God, it is the tax collector who is "justified" because of his genuine humility. The Pharisee is condemned because of his self-righteousness and self-exaltation. To say "sinner", means only God is without sin and to admit one’s own sinful condition before God.

Everyone, however, must be extremely careful for it can be dangerous to use if faith, agape and humility are absent and itis being used for ungodly reasons. Both the Divine Liturgy and the Jesus Prayer can be cause for condemnation, therefore all must be very careful. Saint Paul writing to the Thessalonians however urges the Christians of first century to "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING" [1 Thess. 5:17). And in his letter to Rome, the Holy Apostle instructs the Christian community there to "be constant in prayer" (Romans 12:12). In fact, whenever Saint Paul speaks of prayer in his letters, two Greek words are mentioned: PANTOTE (pantote),meaning always: and ADIALEPTOS (adialeptos, meaning without interruption or unceasingly. Prayer is then not merely a part of life which we can neglect but prayer is life itself. Prayer is as essential to our life as breathing.

The Jesus Prayer is rooted in the Name of the Lord. In the Holy Scripture, the power and glory of God are present in His Name. In the Old Testament to deliberately invoke God’s Name was to place oneself in His Presence. Jesus, whose name in Hebrew means God saves, is the Living Logos/Word addressed to the human race. Jesus is the final Name of God. Jesus is "the Name which is above all other names" and it is written that "all beings should bend the knee at the Name of Jesus" (Philippians 2:9-10). The Name of Jesus is unbridled spiritual powers for those who believe.

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George