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.

"And the King will answer, and sasy to them,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
to TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN,
YOU DID IT TO ME" [Matthew 25:40].

During the holy season of the Nativity Fast and along with prayer and fasting there is another essential element to our spirituality, as Orthodox Christians, to seriously consider charity or philanthropy. Our Lord Christ teaches us the significance and how necessary it is to be charitable to all who are in great need when He says, "AS YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BRETHREN, YOU DID IT TO ME" [v. 40]. Our Savior clearly identifies Himself with the poor, the suffering, the outcast and invites to brotherhood all who are kindled with agape for others. Another passage that reinforces the above is, "If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" [1 John 4:20].

The servants of God who are truly compassionate are the "Blessed of My Father", says Christ, "INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: for 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; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was in prison and you came to Me" [Matthew 25:34-36]. Our Lord is very clear and specific who are those worthy for our charity and concern. However, He is very severe and condemns all those who are heartless and indifferent to those who suffer. He says, "Depart from Me, you cursed, INTO THE EVERLASTING FIRE PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was hungry and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me… Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did NOT DO IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE , YOU DID NOT DO IT TO ME" [Matthew 25:42-46].

A devout and conscientious Christian understands that the Lord expects much more than prayer and fasting from His followers and disciples. The Christian must implement and translate his/her faith into works of love, a living faith. Saint James the Holy Apostles explains the Christians responsibility to those in need. He says, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith BUT NOT HAVE WORKS? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, WHAT DOES IT PROFIT? Thus also FAITH BY ITSELF, IF IT DOES NOT HAVE WORKS, IS DEAD. But if someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works" [James 2:14-18]. The faith that saves IS A COMPLETE FAITH: not just the mind believing and the tongue confessing, but THE WHOLE MAN TRUSTING IN THE LIVING GOD. This means our faith and our relationship with God–our justification–are dynamic and living. Our faith grows and affects our actions, or it dies. "Faith alone" (by itself), static faith, inert faith, DOES NOT SAVE. We must nurture our faith in God and love for Him through our works of love.

Christians must neve part of so-called ‘selective’ of what things they agree upon, like, or approve, or which of the teachings they desire to practice as followers of Christ. One is either a 100% Christian or not at all. The Holy Gospel is not up for discussion or debate. The Christian must be willingly to be totally obedient to the Teaching of Jesus Christ and without any conditions. All the Divine Teachings of our Savior are connected and just as imperative and essential. It is good to pray but also good to fast. It is good to pray, to fast, but also to be philanthropic. One cannot be only a person of prayer and at the same time to ignore all other God-given virtues and commandments. The Christians conform to Christ and NOT Christ to the Christian! "Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I WILL VOMIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH" [Revelation 3:16]. The Laodiceans are lukewarm in spiritual fervor and good works, their lack of commitment is revolting to the Lord, Who would have them go one way or the other. Christians ought to be always truthful and honest with their relationship to God and avoid being elusive and mysterious. The Lord says to all of us, "But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No.’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one" [Matthew 5:37].

Let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison

+In the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Grant to us, O Master, as we prepare for sleep,
Rest of body and soul;
Protect us from the dark sleep of sin
And from every sinful and nocturnal pleasure.
Calm the impulses of the passions,
Quench the fiery darts of the evil one
hurled treacherously against us.
Subdue the rebellion of our flesh
And suppress every earthly and material sentiment.
Grant to us, O God, a vigilant mind, a sober heart, prudent reasoning,
And a sleep that is free from every satanic fantasy.
And at the time of prayer, raise us up again,
Strengthened in the observance of Your judgments.
Grant that we may glorify You throughout the night,
Praising, blessing and glorifying Your Most-Honored
and Majestic Name,
The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Now and forever and to the age of ages. Amen.

_________
"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.

"THIS KIND DOES NOT GO OUT EXCEPT BY PRAYER AND
FASTING" [Matthew 17:21]

Our Lord Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples
says:
"This kind does not go out except by PRAYER
and FASTING" [Matthew 17:21].

The Exorcism which Jesus performed requires sincere "FAITH" combined with "PRAYER" and "FASTING".

Our Holy Orthodox Church teaches that fasting, and prayer are considered inseparable, meaning they are two sides of the same spiritual practice; fasting is not truly meaningful without accompanying prayer, and prayer is enhanced when combined with the discipline of bodily abstinence represented by fasting, both working together harmoniously to achieve a more profound spiritual connection with God through sincere humility and genuine repentance.

People usually, when thinking of fasting, believe it is about abstaining from certain kinds of foods. Fasting is a tool to focus or concentrate the mind and heart on spiritual matters or discipline, which is best achieved through dedicated prayer. Saint Paul speaks also of sexual abstinence as well. "Do not deprive one another EXCEPT WITH CONSENT for a time, and you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control" [ 1 Corinthians 7:5]. Therefore, fasting includes other aspects of having a spiritual life. It includes one’s behavior or conduct, one’s thoughts, one’s words, one’s desires or passions and most certainly the necessity of repentance.

The practicing Christian believer must be in control of every aspect of his/her life at all times. The aim, of course, is living Christ daily unhindered and removing every kind of temptation and spiritual obstacle standing in the way of our success. Both fasting and prayer are viewed as avenues for REPENTANCE, allowing one to examine one’s life and to seek forgiveness from God. The Holy Scripture reveals the importance of both fasting and prayer. Jesus Himself "fasted for 40 days and 40 nights," [Matthew 4:2].

Our Lord Christ reverses Israel’s dallying with temptation in the wilderness. The Israelites were tested 40 years in the wilderness, during which they were disloyal and disobedient. So God humbled them by letting them go hungry, then feeding them with manna, all to help them realize their DEPENDENCY UPON Him [Deuteronomy 8:2-3]. Jesus is tested with hunger for 40 days, but He DOES NOT SIN. Jesus’ answers to Satan are from Deuteronomy, and all of them call for LOYALTY TO GOD: WE ARE TO LIVE BY THAT WHICH GOD COMMANDS. Contrary, to the opinions of His detractors, in His Messiahship Jesus actually fulfills the Law. He is the LOYAL and OBEDIENT Son Who triumphs over temptations. We are to emulate His example and also triumph over the wicked temptations and snares of the devil.

To accomplish anything good takes a sincere and pure faith, total commitment, total discipline, and courage. The Orthodox Christian must never waiver or be distracted from his or her goal and spiritual objective. We must have Christ on our sights at all times no matter what the conditions are. The Orthodox Christian has the Church’s Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture to guide him or her in achieving sound spiritual life. Our Lord Himself tells us how to fast when He says, "Moreover when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" [Matthew 6:16-18].

Keeping "a sad countenance" while fasting, so that everyone can see how one is suffering, is more external display. Jesus rejects such hypocrisy. For the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines physical discomfort: JOY OVERSHADOWS SORROW. Thus, during seasons of fasting, the hymns of the Orthodox Church call the faithful to watch and anoint their faces. There is no "Ash Wednesday" in Orthodox Christian practice. And fasting is NOT merely abstaining from eating. Physical fasting works together with SPIRITUAL FASTINGS or self-denial: IT IS A LIBERATION OF THE SPIRIT FROM ITS VOLUNTARY ENSLAVEMENT TO SINFUL PASSIONS. FASTING IS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, NOT TO IMPRESS PEOPLE AROUND US.

The Holy Fathers of the Church teach that UNCEASING PRAYER IS A PROPER GOAL, for spiritual growth comes through such discipline. For centuries, Christians have used the "Jesus Prayer" or "Prayer of the heart" as a way to pray unceasingly from the heart: "O LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNER." This is encouraged by the Holy Apostle Paul who also writes: "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING" IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU" [1 Thessalonians 5:17-18].

Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ teaches us the correct and acceptable way to pray. "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men–extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house, for everyone who EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED, AND HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED" [Luke 18:10-14]. Our Lord Christ reverses the expected conclusion in the eyes of God, it is the tax collector who is JUSTIFIED because of HUMILITY and CONTRITION. The Pharisee is CONDEMNED because of his self-righteousness and pride.

In conclusion the Orthodox Christian must be aware to avoid all spiritual pitfalls and to fast and pray but to do so according to our Lord Christ. It is wonderful and inspiring to hear more and more people speak about the importance of prayer and having a prayer life but in order to please God the believer must follow Christ’s example and His guidance in both prayer and fasting.

Let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison

+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord, our God
You have given Your peace to mankind;
And the gift of the All-Holy Spirit
You have sent to your Disciples and Apostles,
Opening their lips with fiery tongues by Your power.
Open also the lips of us sinners
And teaches how and for what we should pray.
Lord, govern our life
For You are the calm harbor for those who are storm-tossed.
And make known to us the way we should go.
Renew a right spirit within us,
And establish our spiritual instability
With Your governing Spirit.
Each day, may we be guided brightly by Your Good Spirit
Toward what is beneficial for us,
Being empowered to observe Your Commandments,
To remember always Your glorious presence,
Which leads us to seek the salvation accomplished
by You for mankind,
And not to be deceived by the corrupting pleasures of this world.
Strengthen us, Lord, to desire rather of future blessings,
For You are truly Blessed and praised among Your Saints
Unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers,
Lord Jesus Christ, our God
Have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
[A Prayer of Saint Basil the Great]

_____
"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.

THE ORTHODOX SPIRITUAL JOURNEY TO THE HOLY NATIVITY
OF CHRIST OUR LORD AND GOD.

"O Theotokos Virgin who hast borne the Savior, thou hast overthrown
the ancient curse of Eve. For thou hast become the Mother of Him in
Whom the Father was well pleased, and hast carried at thy bosom God
the INCARNATE Logos/Word. We cannot fathom this mystery: but by
FAITH ALONE we glorify it, crying with thee saying: O Lord past all
interpretation, glory to Thee." [Sticheron, Tone four: Matins]

"When it was time for Thy Coming upon earth, the first taxation of
the world was held; and then Thou madest ready to enrol the names
of ALL WHO BELIEVED IN THY BIRTH. For this cause Caesar published
such a decree, since Thy timeless and Eternal Kingdom was newly
made manifest. Therefore, as we pay our earthly tribute money, at the
same time we offer Thee the wealth of our Orthodox faith, O God and
Savior of our souls." [Doxastikon.  Tone Six at Matins]

Our holy mother the Church nurtures and guides us throughout our lives, however, she especially prepares each and every faithful to celebrate the major events and celebrations in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so that we may rejoice and reaffirm and renew our faith in Him. "The people…Being counted worthy of the Coming of God, And now they humbly pray for the regeneration that gives life…Magnify, O my soul, her that has delivered us from the curse." "O Theotokos, intercede for our salvation with Him Who took flesh from thee."

For the Orthodox Christian our Lord and His life on earth transcends time and place. Everything that occurred in His life on earth as not an event that took place many centuries ago but today, this very minute. Every Lord’s Day we celebrate and we relive His life on earth fr2om His birth to His Resurrection and Ascension. His life on earth does remain an occurence of the past. His holy and divine Gospel is not a reference book which we turn to for inspiration and knowledge. It is the voice of God speaking to us today just as powerfully as it was when He spoke in person to the multitudes thousands years ago. We rejoice His Birth intimately just as if we were present 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.and

All Holy Days are treated in our Holy Orthodox Tradition not as just important memories but experientially, emotionally, spiritually, and realistically. We experience them both joyfully and sorrowfully. In other words we share, we feel, we experience what our Lord felt and experienced in His life on earth. We shed tears of pain at His Crucifixion and tears of joy at His Resurrection. How can we not, that is, if we believe that we are one with Christ. We live Christ through our faith, worship, and prayer. Jesus for the Orthodox Christians is both fully human and fully Divine, and that His life’s events are central to our faith. We believe that Christ’s INCARNATION, Teachings, death and Resurrection, and Ascension are pivotal to our faith.

Orthodox Christians pray daily, both in communal worship and in private devotions. We believe that Jesus Christ set the example for prayer, and that prayer is an important part of life. During the holy season, such as the 40 day fast period before the Holy Nativity, our prayer, worship, works of agape, forgiveness, and repentance intensifies. We believe that we are called to be transformed into the image of Christ our Lord. We also believe that this transformation is a daily process, where we "put on Christ" and "die to the old man."

"As Orthodox Christians we are reminded throughout but especially during holy seasons, such as the present one, that Orthodoxy is NOT a ritual, or belief, or a pattern of behavior, or anything else that a person may possess, thinking that he/she is thereby a Christian, and be spiritual dead; it is rather an elemental reality of power which transforms a person and gives him/her strength to live in the most difficult and tormenting conditions, and prepares him/her to depart in peace into eternal life."

Orthodox Christian spirituality is founded on agape. There can be no true spiritual life without agape. Divine Agape without limits and restrictions. Active agape, agape from the heart, compassionate, humble, kind, which manifests itself through good works and by helping others but especially to those who are in distress and suffering. A sensitive person that cares for others expresses his/her agape not only financially but by exhibiting their concern by praying for them, by giving them hope, by being a good samaritan. The Good Samaritan is CHRIST HIMSELF, the wounded man is humanity. Agape for neighbor proves our agape for God. Agape knows no bounds, race, background, or social status. If we were to look around us we would see countless men, women, and children that need mercy and healing. The act of helping our fellow man, our neighbor, is understood as a way to participate in Christ’s healing ministry, bringing spiritual restoration to those who are wounded physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically. "Pouring on oil and wine" [Luke 10:34]. On the Fourth Sunday of Holy and Great Lent at Matins we say, "Bind up the wounds of my soul, O Jesus, as the Samaritan once did, for the traveler who fell into the hands of thieves: heal my pain, I pray Thee, O Christ."

"Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" [Luke 11:1]. "Lord, teach us to pray" expresses a universal spiritual need, and leads Jesus to teach the Lord’s Prayer to the disciples and us. There is no other prayer that is more divine and perfect than the Lord’s Prayer. What is necessary is that whether we offer the Lord’s Prayer or any other kind of prayer, that it is done with genuine faith, with humility, with love, with trust, and with conviction and confidence. The All Knowing God knows our hearts, our faith, our intent, our needs, and how sincere and truthful we are. He is not impressed with anyone’s performance, if that is all that it is. He does not want lip service. He is our Heavenly Father and we are His children, what He requires is faith, repentance, and obedience to His commandments.

Let us pray

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and

of the Holy Spirit. Amen

O God of our fathers,
We praise Thee, we hymn Thee, we bless Thee and we
thank Thee,
For Thou have set aside the darkness of night
And have shown us again the light of day.
We beseech Thine goodness
To be merciful over our sins
And, in Thy great compassion, to accept our prayer
For we turn for refuge to Thee
The Merciful and Almighty God.
Let the true Sun of Thy Righteousness
Shine in our hearts.
Enlighten our mind and uphold all of our senses,
To walk modestly, as in the day,
Upon the way of Thine commandments,
And thus to attain eternal life.
For Thou art the Source of life,
And Thou can make us worthy to enjoy unapproachable Light.
For Thou, Lord, are indeed Blessed unto the ages of ages.
Amen. [The Twelfth Prayer of Matins]

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

With 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 15th of November the Nativity Fast begins
for Orthodox Christians.

Troparion Hymn of the Feast. Tone Four

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, has shone upon the world
with the light of knowledge: for thereby they who adored
the stars though a star were taught to worship Thee, the
Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee the Dayspring
from on high, O Lord, glory to Thee.

(Irmos) As Thou art God of peace and Father of mercies,
Thou has sent unto us Thine Angel of Great Counsel,
granting to us peace. So are we guided towards the light
of the knowledge of God, and watching by night we glorify
Thee, O Lover of mankind. [Matins, Canticle Five, First Canon)

Ikos

Bethlehem has opened Eden: come, and let us see. We have
found joy in secret: come, and let us take possession of the
Paradise that is within the cave. There the unwatered Root
has appeared, from which forgiveness flowers forth: there is
found the undug Well, whence David longed to drink of old.
There the Virgin has borned a Babe, and made the thirst of
Adam and David to cease straightway. Therefore let us hasten
to this place where now is born a young Child, the Pre-eternal
God.

Every year, on November 15th a, a 40-day fast period begins in preparation for our Lord’s Holy Nativity. As one of the FOUR ANNUAL FASTING PERIODS, the Holy Nativity Fast is more lenient than Holy and Great Lent. Fasting is an essential element along with prayer and repentance. Our Lord God Christ Himself observed fasting and recommended it by teaching (Matthew 6:16; Mark 2:20; and 9:29). The Holy Apostles also observed fasting. (Acts 13:2, 14:23; 2 Corinthians 2:27). In the early Church, regular fast days were soon established, two of them–Wednesdays and Fridays–being mentioned in the very ancient document Didache. In the Orthodox Church there are other periods of fasting: the Christmas (Nativity) fasting beginning on November 15-December 24, The fast called Great Lent, associated with with the 40-day preparation for the celebration of Holy Pascha; the fast proceeding the feast day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul–of variable duration depending on the movable feast of the Holy Trinity–and fifteen days before the feast of the Koimisis (Dormition) of the Mother of God, August 15th.

FASTING originally meant complete abstinence from food for the entire day. Coupled with SELF-REFLECTION and PRAYER, fasting can prove a powerful ally to a believer in his/her struggle to raise himself/herself above GLUTTONY and other carnal and material passions. However, fasting is not of the nature of banking credits in heaven, as some seem to believe. Saint John Chrysostomos, in an eruption against fasting taken by some to be the embodiment of Christian living, said the famous, "MORE ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THINGS FHAT COME OUT OF ONE’S MOUTH RATHER THAN THE THINGS THAT GO IN IT." Still, fasting may prove invaluable to those who take it seriously and not merely as an expression of outer piety which they feel they should observe.

Until the last two weeks before Christmas, fish, wine and oil are on the menu for weekends and weekdays–except Wednesdays and Fridays. With two weeks until Christmas, the fast intensifies, and fish is off the menu. At that point, wine, and oil are still on the menu on the two weekends preceding Christmas. The Holy Gospel teaches us to fast joyfully and in such a way that no one knows we are fasting.

This Holy Nativity period is a joyous occasion that prepares our whole being to experience the true meaning of Christmas–Our Lord’s INCARNATION—His taking on human flesh from the Ever-virgin Mary. Christ opened the way to our salvation by UNITING HIM DIVINITY TO OUR HUMANITY. As Saint Athanasios the Great says, "God became man so that man can become God." The Holy Fathers of the Church all this process of becoming God by grace theosis (Greek Θέωσις).

"Christ was not a mere human, neither was He simply God. He was God and man simultaneously. He was Theanthropos; God in the flesh! Even though He lived as a simple human. He also lived as God in the flesh. Let us assume that we are hungry and that it is a day of fasting. On the table we see foods that we are forbidden to eat. What do we do? We are tempted. We fight the urge to eat and inthe end we choose to abstain. This is how believers function."

Asceticism-prayer, fasting, and almsgiving–and participating in the Holy Mysteria (Sacraments) TRANSFORMS US TO BECOME LIKE GOD. Our Holy Orthodox Church encourages us to increase our prayer, and almsgiving (Philanthropy) and decrease what comes between us and God.

The 12 fast-free days of Christmas (Greek Δωδεκαήμερον) following the Lord’s Nativity (until the Eve of Theophany on January 5th, which is a strict fast) reminds us to glorify God for the Greatest Gift He has given us: HIMSELF!

__________
"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.

UNWARRANTED CHALLENGES CONFRONT THE NEWLY
FORMED MONASTERY IN AEGINA AND SAINT NEKTARIOS
[Part V]

The newly formed monastery in Aegina drew many visitors, however, not all the visitors went with good motives and Christian fervor. Some were belligerent, unkind, rude and disrespectful even to the Saint. The monastery continued to grow and flourished. Girls and women from every background wished to join. As we know from Saint Nektarios’ past, he was no stranger to disappointment, but with patient endurance and faith he accepted trials and temptations as an exercise in humility. Just as the monastery was being built up and thriving, and the donors honored their pledges, it was then that Metropolitan Theokletos Metropoulos withdrew his promise to officially recognize the monastery. On the contrary, he now threatened to dissolve it. "God shall not let this happen," spoke the Saint to the lamenting sisterhood.

The Saint knew that the Metropolitan wished him to abandon the monastery and go on a preaching tour in the Diocese. The Saint resolved to consign the entire matter to the Theotokos. He implored her protection and intervention, "at least for the sake of the nuns’ simple souls, which I believe to be more worthy than our supposedly trained souls."

Metropolitan Theokletos demanded also a written account and detailed report of the monastery’s inhabitants, finances, and donations. Although the Saint courteously reminded the Metropolitan that his blessing was given to pursue the founding of the monastery. He informed the Metropolitan that the accounting of the monastery deposits in the monastery treasury would be forthcoming from the Egoumenisa (Abbess) Xene, who would submit a detailed list of receipts and expenditures.

Together with the persecution from the Metropolitan, there were also many other concerns that demanded the Saint’s attention. His charities and alms were extensive. When asked if there would be enough to pay the monastery laborers, he consigned the matter to the Theotokos, since there were no funds remaining. When it came time to pay for their hire, envelopes with donations arrived in the post that same day from all over, mostly from Egypt and even Canada. The Theotokos always provided when the Saint had need.

The Saint’s renown grew on account of miracles that were being wrought. This gift for performing Wonderworkings, hence, was made manifest even while he was still in this life, so that the people of Aegina considered him their protector and patron, openly acknowledging his Wonderworking power which he received from God.

However, the evil one never ceases to create new opportunities to undermine the Saint’s pious ministry and to save souls in need and distress. Maria Frangoudis, had come to the monastery seeking the bishop’s protection from her wayward and unbalanced mother, who kept urging her to follow a life of sin. The holy man accepted Maria into the sisterhood, and she was given into the care and direction of Mother Xene. In the meantime, Maria’s enraged mother attempted to extract her daughter from the monastery. When she failed, she promised revenge and cunningly presented her case before the Metropolitan Meletios and the prosecutor, Gregory, In Piraeus. She declared that her daughter had been charmed and persuaded by Nektarios to enter the monastery. In the spring of 1918, Meletios and his young Deacon Athenagoras, visited Aegina. The holy Nektarios was subjected to the most abominable verbal abuse by the Metropolitan, who accused him of mingling with women and nuns, and of bringing shame upon the title of bishop. While the Metropolitan insulted him for more than an hour, Saint Nektarios only managed to reply, "Bless thy spirit, holy bishop." The following day, the Metropolitan arrived with a large entourage to inspect the monastery. Finding nothing improper or irregular, he departed.

A few days later, however, the Prosecutor of Piraeus arrived with two police officers. He pushed his way into the monastery, shouting loudly at the holy man, and calling him the pasha of a harem. He showed himself despicable and disgusting that he kept looking and turning things over, searching for bodies of illegitimate infants born to Nektarios and the nuns. The holy bishop said very little in response to the wild accusations–only "God knows that all thou art saying is false." A fortnight later, the Prosecutor came and physically removed Maria Frangoudis from the monastery. She was enjoined to submit to a medical examination, which disproved her mother’s sordid accusations, for the young woman was a virgin. The case then came to an end. Several months later, the wife of the vile Prosecutor came weeping to the monastery. Her husband Gregory had contracte gangrene and was near death. The Saint promised to pray for the Prosecutor. Nevertheless, God chose to take the Prosecutor five days later in the midst of terrible pains and alone in his hospital bed.

THE SAINT’S REPOSE IN ATHENS

Soon therefore, Metropolitan Nektarios was admitted to an Athens hospital, the Aretaieion. He was brought in by two nuns, one being Mother Ephemia, together with the assistance of his particular friend, Kosta Sakkopoulos, a mature man.The hospital personnel were somewhat surprised to observe the humility and simplicity of the former Metropolitan and Dean, for they had presumed that he was a simple elderly monk. When the holy man entered his room, which was for indigent patients, there were four beds, of which two were occupied. The bed next to Metropolitan Nektarios was occupied by a man who was paralyzed from the waist down, having suffered an accident by falling off a cliff while on horseback. After fifty pain-filled days in the hospital, Saint Nektarios, then 74 years old, was heard by Mother Ephemia uttering these last words from his lips: "Art Thou speaking to me, O Lord?" The holy man of God then surrendered his soul into the hands of the Lord on the 8th of November, 1920, at midnight. A sweet-smelling fragrance thereupon permeated the hospital room. The nurse who prepared the dead came and was preparing the holy body of the Saint with the assistance of the nun. They removed his old woolen undershirt and, for the sake of convenience, temporarily laid it upon the paralyzed man’s bed. Suddenly, O the Wonder! The previously paralyzed man began moving his legs so that he was able to stand and walk about. He then gave glory to God, shouting, "I am cured! The undershirt had miraculous power!" The fragrant relics were later transported to the hospital chapel, and then transported by automobile to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Piraeus.

The holy relics were seen by many, and the Saint’s hair and beard were filled with a myrrh-like fluid, which the people were dabbing with handkerchiefs and cotton. That same day the ferry, which flew the flag at half mast, the holy relics were conveyed to the town of Aegina, and from thereto the Saint’s sacred monastery amidst arguing men vying to have the honor of carrying the wooden coffin. Public veneration lasted for three days, while the relics continually poured forth the sweet scent of myrrh. The Saint was interred beside the pine tree that he loved, adjacent to the church. The tree had been planted years before by an old nun who watched over the ruins of the old monastery. When she planted the tree, she heard a voice commanding, "Leave thou room for a grave?" She ignored the charge, and went on attempting to plant the tree where she first contrived. Nevertheless, a force pushed her hand to the side. The nun, therefore, planted the tree leaving room for a grave.

The Saint often appeared to the nuns, counseling them. It was necessary to better arrange the Saint’s quickly devised grave. He was exhumed after five months and found to be INCORRUPT,as were the lemon flowers that had been placed in his coffin. The myrrh-like fragrance continued to pour forth from his holy relics. The relics of Saint Nektarios remained whole and incorrupt for twenty years, pouring forth an ineffable fragrance theat gave perceptible proof of his sanctification and showed God’s Wondrous in His saints.

Thus, we beg the intercession of the hierarch and Wonder-worker Saint Nektarios, who has much boldness before Christ, to preserve and protect Orthodox Christians from the inroads of heresy, from which, in his lifetime, he strenuously sought to safeguard the faithful. We therefore glorify this true lover of virtue, who appeared in recent times, as a Wonder-worker of all kinds of diseases and a deliverer in every situation and a champion for those in need, and beg his intercession before the Master Christ.

Through the intercessions of Thy Saints,
O Christ God, have mercy on us. Amen.

___________
"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.

SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOMOS BEGINS A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL

Saint John wished to bring about A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL, and encouraged the faithful to attend the Divine Liturgy. Although the Liturgy had been shortened already by Saint Basil the Great, still people complained that it was too long, and they stayed away. Saint John, filled with grace, abbreviated the service even further. What abridgments were made is not definitely known, but they were of some consequence must be assumed, otherwise why was his name placed in conjunction with the Greek Liturgy? Possibly the Antiochene Liturgy formed some kind of outline for him. Constantinople had just finished recuperating from the Arian occupation, leaving the city with no bishop, nearly no priests, and very few Orthodox. Reforms were needed. The former bishop, Nektarios, a court official with little theological training, seems to have continued with what he found in place. Other scholars suggest that when Saint Gregory the Theologian occupied the throne, he had already introduced Saint Basil’s Liturgy, and that is what Chrysostomos shortened. The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostomos, as we know it today, developed somewhat over the centuries. The oldest text is now in the Vatican Library, and that one was in use between the years 788 and 797 A.D.

Whenever the Saint liturgized he beheld the Holy Spirit. Who DESCENDED UPON THE PRECIOUS AND HOLY GIFTS WITH A SIGN, WHICH ONLY HIS PURE AND BLAMELESS SOUL BEHELD. Once when he was liturgizing with a certain Deacon, that same one was gazing long into the gynaeceum, (gynekonite), which was that part of the Church reserved for women, where one beautiful woman was a stumbling block for him. The Saint perceived this because he observed that the Holy Spirit had not descended, as was customary. The Saint then dismissed the Deacon from the service, and then Saint John beheld the Spirit. After this occurrence, that it might at another time, he commanded the construction of a lattice for the gynaeceum. The women could look out toward the holy vema, but the clergy would not be able to see the women.

A Warning About the Spectacles

There were times when the crowds preferred the theater and the hippodrome to attendance at church. It was Great Wednesday, just before the Feast of Pascha. A severe storm hit the city. The frightened populace hastened to the churches, where prayers were offered up for their deliverance. A procession of the Holy Cross was made, and God hearkened to their entreaties.
By Great Friday the storm that visited them was already old news and forgotten in the minds of many. Not a few were excited about the upcoming shows that Friday and Saturday in the circus and theater. Saint John was both grieved and upset at how many of his congregation quickly forgot the visitation of God earlier that week; instead of preparing themselves for Pascha, they were already to run to the spectacles. Many of the people received the wise counsels of their Prelate, and attended church for Great Friday and Great Saturday, refusing to patronize the spectacles.

It was Great Friday, and many went to the chariot races, and circus. Bishop John was profoundly pained. On Pascha 399 A.D., when the church was half empty, and the yells, shouts, and cheers could be heard from the nearby circus in the ears of those in church, he reprimanded those absent from their venerable assembly, saying, "Is this to be borne? Is this to be tolerated?" Saint John then addressed his flock, and warned them of the negative effects of the theater on morals. "Now I have preached so often and instructed you for so long, still there are those who simply leave us here alone, and run off to the circus and charioteers and the horse races! So far have they yielded to their passions, that they fill the whole city with their cries and unrestrained yelling, at which one would have to laugh if it were not so sad… When the immense roar struck my hearing when I was in my house, I threw myself to the floor and hid my face. But what can I say, or what excuse can I give, if a stranger in the city should say, "Is this the city of the Apostle? Is this the city which received the Prophet Samuel’s holy relics? These are the people who love Christ? …Not once have you paid any attention to the holiness of the day on which the mystery of the redemption of our race was accomplished! Even on Great Friday, the day when our Lord was crucified for the whole world? …

"Three days ago when violent torrential rains swept our city and submerged everything, you prayed and wept. You went in crowds to the graves of the Apostles. You implored the assistance of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew. Then, only one day later, you are jumping with joy, and making an uproar, dragged away by your passions! If you wish to see unreasoning animals run, why do you not couple together the animal passions in yourseles, the anger and fleshly lust, and throw over them the yoke of piety, and give them your own conscience as charioteer, and drive them to the goal of your own supernatural vocation, in which you do not run from the outrages of the circus to those of the theater, but from earth to heaven? That kind of chariot racing is not merely entertaining, but also very much to your advantage!"

Saint John often spoke of the stage, admonishing the people, "For when you go up to the theater, and sit feasting your eyes upon the naked limbs of women, for the time indeed you are delighted, but afterward, you have nourished thence a mighty fever. When you see women exhibited thus… and behold spectacles and hear songs of irregular loves… tell me, how will you be able to continue chaste afterward with these narratives, these spectacles, these songs filling your soul, and dreams of this sort henceforth succeeding? For it is nature of the soul for the most part to raise visions of such things, as it wishes for and desires in the daytime. Now this whore goes with you, although not openly and visibly, but in your heart, andin your conscience. There she kindles the Babylonian furnace, in which the peace of your home, the purity of your heart, the happiness of your marriage, will be burnt up!

"Therefore, I make it known and announce in a loud voice: If any one, after this sermon and admonition, runs to the sinful outrages of the theater, I shall not allow such a one to pass the threshold of this church, to partake of the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments), to approach the Holy Table. I will do as the shepherds do, who separate the mangy sheep from the flock, lest they contaminate others…"

THE FINAL JOURNEY

Saint John, already weakened, was forced to go on foot over at least six mountain ranges, two great rivers, and nine tributaries. In the middle of a terrific rainstorm, they made the Saint continue walking, though streams of water ran down his back and chest. All the while, in spite of the hardships, he kept faith with Christ and had continual recourse to prayer. After a torturous three-month journey he came upon Comana. His health was greatly enfeebled by his forced march. At the Church of Saint Vasiliskos (a bishop from Comana who has been martyred by the pagans under Maximian in Nikomedia), he partook of the Mysteries. Saint Vasiliskos appeared to him in a vision and said, "Have courage, Brother John, tomorrow we shall be united."

That evening the Saint understood that the hour of his death was at hand. Sozomen says he was attacked with pain in the head, from the day’s march in the heat of the sun. He called the two hieromonks and the Deacon and disclosed his imminent departure. He asked for white clothes and received them. He gave his own garments, except his shoes, to those around him. Then, after receiving Holy Communion the following day, the victorious athlete laid down and surrendered his soul to God, saying, "Glory Be To God for all things!" At the last "amen," he signed himself with the Cross and reposed. This took place in 407 A.D., on the 14th of September, when the Church commemorated the Exaltation of the Precious Cross. Saint John was then laid to rest in that same church at the age of 63.

Thus, beloved Christians, we have done our best to recount the life of our holy Father John Chrysostomos. We have mentioned only some of his deeds, words, and missionary activities.

May we be deemed worthy to emulate his God-pleasing life and be vouchsafed to the heavenly Kingdom in Christ Jesus our Lord! To Him be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen. [Resources: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]

_________
"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 13th of November, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
Our Holy Father among the Saints, JOHN CHRYSOSTOMOS.
Archbishop of Constantinople.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Plagal of Fourth Tone

Grace shining forth from thy mouth like a beacon hath illumined
the universe, and disclosed to the world treasures of uncovetousness,
and shown us the heights of humility; but whilst instructing us by
they words, O Father John Chrysostomos, intercede with the Logos/Word,
Christ our God, to save our souls.

Kontakion Hymn. Plagal of Second tone

From the Heavens hast thou received divine grace, and by thy lips
thou dost teach all to worship the One God in Trinity, O John
Chrysostomos, all-blessed righteous one. Rightly do we acclaim thee,
for thou art a teacher revealing things divine.
+

This greatest and most beloved of All christian orators was born in Antioch the Great in the year 344 or 347 A.D.; his pious parents were called Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his literary training under Anthragathios the philosopher, and Libanios the sophist, who was the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanios wa a pagan, and when asked before his death whom he wished to have for his successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from us." With such as training, and with such gifts as he had by nature, John had before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician. But through the good example of his godly mother Anthusa and of the holy Bishop Meletios of Antioch, by whom he was ordained reader about the year 370 A.D., he chose instead to dedicate himself to God. From the years 374 to 381 A.D. he lived the Monastic life in the hermitages that were near Antioch. His extreme asceticism undermined his health, compelling him to return to Antioch, where saint Meletios ordained him Deacon about the year 381 A.D. Saint Meletios was called to Constantinople later that year to preside over the Second Ecumenical Synod, during which he fell asleep in the Lord. In 386 A.D. Bishop Flavian ordained John Presbyter of the Church of Antioch. Upon his elevation to the Priesthood his career as a public preacher began, and his exceptional oratorical gifts were made manifest through his many sermons and commentaries. They are distinguished by their eloquence and the remarkable ease with which rich imagery and Scriptural allusions are multiplied; by their depth of insight into the meaning of Holy Scripture and workings of God’s Providence; and, not least of all, by their earnestness and moral force, which issue from the heart of a blameless and guileless man who lived first what he preached to others. Because of his fame, he was chosen to succeed Nektarios as Patriarch of Constantinople. He was taken away by stealth, to avoid the opposition of the people, and CONSECRATED Patriarch of Constantinople on February 18, 398 A.D. by Theophilos, Patriarch of Alexandria, who was to prove his mortal enemy.

At that time the Emperor of the East was Arcadios, who had had Saint Arsenios the Great as his tutor; Archadios was a man of weak character, and much under the influence of his wife Evdoxia. The zealous and upright Chrysostomo’s unsparing censures of the lax morals in the Imperial city stung the vain Evdoxia; through Theophilos’ plutting and her collaboration, Saint John was banished to Pontos in 403 A.D. The people were in an uproar, and the following night an earthquake shook the city; this so frightened the Empress Evdoxia that she begged Arcadios to call Chrysostomos back. While she had a silver statue of herself erected in the forum before the Church of Saint Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in September of 403 A.D., and had it dedicated with much unseemly revelry. Saint John thundered against her, and she could not forgive him. In June of 404 A.D. he was EXILED to Cucusus, on the borders of Cilicia and Armenia. From here he exchanged letters with Pope Innocent of Rome, who sent bishops and priests to Constantinople requesting that a council be held. Saint John’s enemies, dreading his return, prevailed upon the Emperor to see an insult in this, and had Joh taken to a more remote place of banishment called Pityus near the Caucasus. The journey was filled with bitter sufferings for the aged Bishop, both because of the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of his guards. He did not reach Pityus, but gave up his soul to the Lord near Comana Pontos, at the Chapel of the holy Martyr Vasiliscos, who has appeared to him shortly before, foretelling the day of his death, which came to pass on September 14, 407 A.D. His last words were "GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS!" His holy relics were brought from Comana to Constantinople thirty-one years later by the Emperor Theodosios the Younger and Saint Pulcheria his sister, the children of Arcadios and Evdoxia, with fervent supplications that the sin of their parents against him be forgiven, this return of his holy relics is celebrated on January 27th.

Saint John was surnamed Chrysostomos ("Golden-mouth") because of his eloquence. He made exhaustive commentaries on the Divine Scripture and was the author of more works than any other Church Father, leaving us complete commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospel of Saints Matthew and John, the Book of Acts and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His extant works are 1,447 sermons and 240 epistles. Twenty-two teacher of the Church have written homilies of praise in his honor. Besides his feast day (November 13th) and on January 27, he is celebrated as one of the Three Hierarchs on January 30th, together with Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregroy the Theologian.

[  It should be noted that, because September 14th is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Saints memory has been transferred to this day.] (Resources: The Great Horologion)

(To be continued)

___________
"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

THE WOMEN’S MONASTERY OF THE HOLY TRINITY
AT XANTOS, AEGINA

While still at Aegina the Saint was approached by the islanders for his intercession. They believed that he worked miracles and asked him to entreat God for rain, since there has not been any for three years. "I do not have special powers," he told them. In any event, he told them, I shall return this Sunday and pray with you at your Cathedral, that the Lord might send forth much rain." Sunday came, and he went to their Church of the Dormition. After the Divine Liturgy, special prayers were offered for rain. At noon, the Saint and the people went to inspect the Monastery site. By four o’clock in the afternoon, the sky was dark with clouds. Thunder and lightning followed, and a heavy rain.

The Saint returned to Athens and prepared himself with prayer and fasting to visit the new Metropolitan of Athens, Theokletos, whose permission was needed to reopen the old monastery at Xantos. When friends asked how those women were expected to start a Monastery without money, the Saint remarked."God shall provide. No true spiritual work is achieved by money or depending on human abilities." The Saint was granted an interview with Metropolitan Theokletos, who not only agreed to the plan, but also offered to help by granting synodal recognition and more novices from Sparta. The holy Nektarios returned to his office and immediately informed the young women.

The five women, however, were living in extreme conditions at Xantos. They occupied two rooms with low ceilings. They all slept together on rag carpets spread about the floor in the damp and cold. Their food consisted of legumes and dandelion greens. The holy Bishop continued in prayer on their behalf, and sent them whatever money he could. Saint Nektarios wrote countless letters, pleading for assistance that the church and Monastery in Aegina might be established. Finally, on the 1st of July, 1906, the groundbreaking ceremony took place. Saint Nektarios dedicated the new Monastery to the Holy Trinity. His fatherly love for the nuns knew no bounds. Every penny went for medicines and the other needs of those young women. In time he tonsured them, and Chrysanthe, the future Egoumenisa (Abbess), became Mother Xene. Because the reverend Dean could not be absent from his duties as Director of the Rizarios School, sok in his absence from Aegina, Archimandrite Theodosios served the nuns. On Sundays he would dispatch a priest to serve them. This arrangement would continue until 1908, when, in December, Dean Nektarios submitted his letter of resignation as Director of the Rizarios School.

On the 21st of October, 1907, Saint Nektarios wrote to the nuns in Aegina regarding a vision: "The dream made an impression on me. I was standing at the foot of the reliquary of Saint Nicholas. He opened his eyes and extended his arms toward me, and I reverently bowed to kiss him. He, however, overtook me, embracing me and kissing me thrice. I then kissed him. He spoke to me, saying, ‘I shall take thee up high, very high, but thou must make a silver throne for me.’ After he had uttered those words, he lay down and closed his eyes. When I awakened, I remembered dreaming something similar a few days earlier, but he only embraced me in that dream, speaking nothing; whereas, in this second appearance, he spoke to me. We shall see if it is true, but it does not seem to be true. We shall remain neutral, and let the Lord guide us. In the past, I participated in having the poor Church of Saint Nicholas in Cairo adorned in a grand manner. This, however, was the first time I beheld him in a dream. May the name of the Lord be blessed."

When Saint Nektarios settled in Aegina, he took on many concerns and cares. He exhibited zeal and courage that the work might be accomplished with the help of God. He established THE COENOBITIC SYSTEM and the typikon according to the Monastic Canon, that they might glorify God properly. He was unceasingly demonstrating and educating them regarding the sacred forms of the divine services, and their good order and solemnity. He expounded upon living THE ANGELIC LIFE IN CHRIST-LIKE CONDUCT. As a loving and compassionate father, he sought to cultivate and implant in their souls the fear of God, reverence, and compunction. He also desired to instill in their souls with love for one another and obedience in imitation of Christ. The coenobitic Monastery, under the direction of the spiritually-advanced Abbess Xene (1904-1923), held all property in common, and all meals were eaten together. The holy Nektarios also led THE LIFE OF A PERFECT MONK AND ASCETIC, KEEPING A MOST FRUGAL DIET. He was always possessed of a meek heart, and his ways and manner of life were simple, guileless, and humble. While he dwelt there, the Monastery assembled thirty-nine nuns.

The Saint himself served as priest of the Monastery. All kinds of manual labor filled his days. Some of the work was very heavy and harsh. Wearing an old cassock (raso) and monk’s hood (skoufo) to protect him from the summer sun, he kept busy with cultivation and irrigation of the garden and fields of the Monastery. He himself watered them and carried water across a great distance. He prepared the earth and cleared the fields of large rocks, bearing them on his own shoulders. He used the rocks for the building of the cells (kellia). He also did road work, removing rocks to widen the road, so that an outside guest house could be constructed. He also repaired or crafted soles for the nun’s shoes. His asceticism was extreme, as he utterly mortified his flesh and thoughts to the things of this world. In the evenings, he engaged in writing edifying books for the Christians who were still in the world, including, but not limited to, Christians Ethics; Confession; Concerning the Ever-virgin Theotokos; Concerning Memorial Services; Concerning the Mysteries (Sacraments); Concerning Repentance; Concerning the Saints of God; Concerning the Seven Ecumenical Synods; The Gospel Story; the Psalter in Verse; and many other titles, which he managed to have published in Cairo, Alexandria, and Athens.

In his title dealing with memorial services, he criticized the errors of the heterodox, that is, the Roman Catholics and Protestants. He opposed in a masterful way the Papal doctrines of both PURGATORY and INFALLIBILITY in his publication, Priest’s Manual. In dealing with the Protestants, the Saint authored Two Studies: 1-Concerning the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church; 2-Concerning Sacred Tradition. He speaks of the deviations of the Protestants from the True Church. "They reject UNWRITTEN SACRED TRADITION and the VISIBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST. They claim to accept ONLY THE WRITTEN TEACHING OF CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES." The Saint composed this book TO PROTECT THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS FROM BEING LED ASTRAY BY PROSELYTIZING PROTESTANTS. Saint Nektarios went on to say that "according to them, churches are superfluous, the functionaries of the Church are superfluous, as well as the Mysteries (Sacraments), traditions, interpreters of the Holy Scriptures, and the priests who purify and sanctify souls through CONFESSION and REMISSION. Furthermore, superfluous also are offerings and memorial services for the reposed souls and prayers of entreaty for the living. Superfluous too are the entreaties made to the Mother of God and the Saints for their intercession with God. These people also REJECT EVERY EXTERNAL FORM OF VENERATION. They deny the power and holiness of the Cross. They REJECT the VENERATION of the Sacred ICONS and RELICS. In general, THEY REJECT ALL THAT OUR ORTHODOX CHURCH REVERES AND RESPECTS AS HOLY AND SACRED.

The Saint conducted an altogether spiritual manner of life, ever practicing the JESUS PRAYER. His countenance radiated sweetness and serenity, evincing the presence of the grace of the Spirit. His manner of life, as a servant and friend of God, provided sufficient proof of the INWELLING GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT. His good reputation as a Saint and Wonder-worker (Miracle-worker) spread from one end of the island to the other, and beyond its coasts. Multitudes were visiting him; and as a hol father, he was consoling and treating both their souls and bodies. Many sinners and unbelievers were converted through his words and the Wonderworking grace energizing in him. The island of Aegina was gladdened to be enriched by such a God-bearing man in these last times. His chief exercise was SPIRITUAL CONTEMPLATION and UNCEASING NOETIC PRAYER.

On many occasions, when people were coming, the elderly Nektarios was seen out in the field wearing his tattered and shabby work raso (cassock). None of the pilgrims imagined that the laborer in the field was the Bishop. Later, however, one can well imagine their surprise when the asked to meet and speak with the holy man and came face to face with the same man they had seen working in the fields earlier! The Saint, when matters of one’s salvation were involved, knew how to be both austere and lenient, in accordance with the situation and circumstances. Thus, the Monastery vineyard grew both OUTWARDLY and INWARDLY, becoming A LIGHTHOUSE GUIDING THOSE IN THE DISTURBED SEA OF THIS PRESENT LIFE. [Resources: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]

(To be continued)
___________
"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 SHALL ALWAYS BE.

THE CONTINUED PERSECUTION OF SAINT NEKTARIOS
BY HIS UNGODLY PEERS

The meek, guileless, and humble holy father, without murmuring or speaking any word of reproof against his persecutors, much rather prayed for them. When he came out of Egypt, he was penniless, since whatever money he had sent either to the poor or toward his expenditures for printing religious writings. Indeed, many were making the following remark: "With regard to the Metropolitan of Pentapolis and money, they are opposites." Though he lacked even pocket change to buy bread, he asked n one for assistance and hoped only for Divine intervention.

Saint Nektarios arrived in Athens in 1889 with the intention of going on to Mount Athos soas to lead the Monastic life, although many were pressing him to stay in Greece, especially the ever-memorable Bishop of Patras, for he knew the righteous man’s holy life and his divinely inspired preaching.

Although the Saint had no money for his daily bread, he would not ask for charity, but continued his evangelic life, living on little and in poverty. For one year he sought work, but he found no understanding or assistance. This also was to prove the Saint’s mentle, so that he might shine forth more radiantly before God, for in all his afflictions, the holy man knew how to be humbled and to hunger and to suffer want, having been fully initiated in how both to abound and to lack, for he could do all things in Christ, the One Who empowered him (Philippians 4:12-13). In the meantime, his rent was overdue, and he often went without food. His widowed landlady, Mrs. Andromache, discerned this and would often feed him and not press him for the rent, for which the hierarch was grateful. The holy man kept visiting every politician, parliamentarian, and anyone else who might have had influence to secure a position. Archbishop Germanos allowed him to serve some Liturgies, but the position was not permanent.

Saint Nektarios after an entire year without a position and work became a preacher in Evia on the 15th of February, 1891, that is, after the appointment had been approved by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. The good and faithful steward Nektarios began his expert cultivation in the vineyard of Christ, on the island of Evia. However, the slander spread against him reached the island and when he began to preach, hecklers began jeering, and someone shouted, "Down with you, two-faced one! Down with you, O Pharisee!" He retired to the sanctuary and then went to his apartment and kept weeping. The holy Nektarios was the victim of false witnesses, word spread quickly in Evia that the clerics of the Alexandrian Patriarchate were responsible for the abominable treatment of the holy man. This news circulated so speedily that, by that third Sunday, the Cathedral was packed to capacity. The faithful listened quietly to every word. Finally, the crowd erupted in applause and shouts of ovation. "Axios!" He is worthy!" In the meantime, many people were coming to him with their problems. He took the time to resolve their problems and comfort them, as a father and brothers, to one and all alike.

On the 19th of August, he was transferred to the Prefecture of Phtiotis and Phokis, where he preached until 1894. Then, in the spring, he received news that he had been appointed Dean of the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School, established in 1844, for the training of men for the Priesthood. When he was met by the ten-member governing committee, they beheld a man entering his 48th year, of average height, with a serene and pleasant countenance, bright blue eyes, and a beard beginning to turn grey. In the assembly hall, when he first was introduced to his students, he expressed his joy at being with them. He said,

"My children, in each one of you exists a future priest, an important element of the history and future life of our suffering country. Be proud to wear your cassocks. The vocation is not merely a joy, but also a mission which begins on earth and continues into heaven. Be proud of your Orthodox Faith. Orthodoxy is our treasure, our priceless pearl, if you will. Orthodoxy is also our light that guides us. If we were ever to lose this treasure, then we would be scattered to the ends of the earth like dust, ceasing to exist as a people and as a nation… Let us create a blessed brotherhood. I promise that I will always stand by your side as a spiritual father… Also, I noticed that most of you are beardless. Be not swayed by the Europeans. We Greek Orthodox have our own traditions, dating back to the Holy Apostles and early Christian Fathers. I ask that you follow their examples. Do it for the struggles and hardships they endured."

When the holy man first entered the school, it was no easy task. The school was in turmoil regarding its direction, curriculum, and discipline. Furthermore, there were different attitudes, because some of the trustees wished to promote reforming the school to accommodate the modern world. The Saint, being a man of God with the kind of character that he possessed, put things in order with his peaceful and loving manner. In time the students developed a deep respect for him, and a profound honor and love grew in them for their ascetical Dean, whom they revered as a loving father.

It happened once the custodians were fighting in the schoolyard, so that it came to a fistfight. The Saint went out to them in the cold weather and asked in a calm voice what was the matter. The senior custodian said that he woke up at night and found the lavatories uncleaned. "Why is it that neither of you has taken up this duty? It is ;your duty after all. Well, never mind. I shall personally take on the cleaning of the toilets. What else is there to do? Shall I stand by and see you fired?" "What" cried the janitors. "I will undertake the work myself," repeated the holy man. "Your Eminence, what are you saying?" "I have preached," continued the holy Nektarios, "that no task is beneath a person. The more lowly the job, the more exalted does he become in the eyes of the Lord. If you please, reconcile with one another. I ask that the younger apologize to the older. As a result of this incident, the young janitor daily worked at leaving the toilets spotless.

Some young women approached the Saint, and one of them, Chyrsanthe, was blind. The Saint was most impressed with her guilelessness and gifts of the Spirit. It was the women’s desire to become nuns. He prayed for them and begged God to help him found a Women’s Monastery near Athens. The young women found a place on the island of Aegina not far from the Port of Piraeus by ferry boat. There already was an old deserted Monastery in ruin, dedicated to the Life-Giving Spring. A certain medical doctor, one Peppas, offered to assist the young women and donated the land. He was also the governor of the island and long had the pious desire to see the Monastery flourish again.

In the meantime, some felt that the Saint was spending too much time with these young women. The holy man wondered if his providing for them and protecting them might be taken out of context. The old monastery, on the northern part of a hill, used to belong under the jurisdiction of the holy Archbishop Dionysios of Zakynthos. In the meantime, his health was deteriorating. Saint Nektarios first visited Aegina in the summer of 1904. The whole island was moved to meet him. The priest also went to greet him. Saint Nektarios healed a young boy while at the island who was possessed by a demon. Saint Nektarios spent the night at an inn. As he prepared to leave for Xantos, a woman who had been hemorrhaging for six years knelt to kiss his rason. Saint Nektarios blessed her, and she sensed that her flow of blood had been stopped. She then gave glory to the Virgin Theotokos. All the people were astonished. When he viewed the aspect of the future Monastery, he was well pleased. However, at 58 years of age, he was concerned about the welfare and guidance of these young women who put their trust in him. {Resources: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]

(To be continued)
____________
"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.

"THE ANGEL OF GOD" [Genesis 21:17]

Saint Hillary of Poitiers, speaking on the Trinity and the Book of Genesis, makes a clear distinction between the Angels and the Angel of God Who is the Logos/Word. In this account with Hagar and Abraham concerning future things, there are considerations which must be taken into account in a complete treatment of the subject, which must be reserved for discussion in a separate book; for there are a number of instances in the Holy Scripture where an Angel is described, but it is THE LORD HIMSELF. Saint Hilary writes: "It is the Angel of God Who speaks to Hagar, and speaks of things far beyond the powers which a messenger could possess. He says that ‘I will multiply they seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered fro multitude.’ The power of multiplying nations lies outside the ministry (diakonia) of an Angel. Yet what says the Holy Scripture of Him Who is called the ANGEL OF GOD, yet speaks words which BELONGS TO GOD ALONE? And she called the name of the Lord that spoke with her, Thou art God, Who hast seen me. First He is the Angel of God; then He is the Lord, for she called the name of the Lord, then, thirdly, He is God, for Thou art God, who hast seen me. He who is called the Angel of God is also LORD and GOD. The Son of God is also, according to the Prophet, the Angel of Great Counsel [Isaiah 9:6]. To discriminate clearly between the Persons, He is called the Angel of God, He Who is God from God is also the Angel of God; but, that He may have the honor which is His due, He is entitled also Lord and God.

"Again, it is God Who speaks to Abraham concerning Ishmael. Thus God and the Angel of God are One; He who is the Angel of God is also God the Son of God. He is called the Angel because He is the Angel of Great Counsel; but afterward He is spoken of as God, lest we should suppose that He Who is God is only an Angel.

In another instance the Holy Scripture reveal through Abraham that it was God Who spoke. He receives the further promise of a son, ISAAC. Afterward there appeared to him THREE MEN AT THE OAK OF MAMBRE [Genesis 18 ff.]. Abraham, though he sees three, WORSHIPS One, and acknowledges Him as Lord. Three were standing before him, Holy Scripture says, but HE KNEW WELL WHOM IT WAS THAT HE MUST WORSHIP AND CONFESS. There was nothing in outward appearance to distinguish them, but BY THE EYE OF FAITH, THE VISION OF THE SOUL, HE KNEW HIS LORD.

"It was a Man that was seen, yet Abraham worshipped Him as Lord; he beheld, no doubt, in a mystery THE COMING INCARNATION. Faith so strong has not missed its recognition; the Lord says in the Gospel, "Your father Abraham rejoiced exceedingly that he should see My day; and he saw it and was glad [John 8:56]. …Thus by all his words Abraham instructs us in that faith, for which he was justified; he recognizes the Lord from among the three, he worshipped Him only, and confesses that He is Lord and Judge.

"Moreover, the Man Who spoke with Abraham was also God and Lord, while the two Angels, who were seen with the Lord and whom He sent to Lot, are described by the Prophet as Angels, and nothing more. Nor was it to Abraham only that God appeared IN HUMAN GUISE; He appeared as Man to Jacob also. And not only did He appear, but, so we are told, He WRESTLED; and not only did He wrestle, but HE WAS VANQUISHED BY His adversary. Neither the time at my disposal, nor the subject, will allow me to discuss the typical meaning of this wrestling. It was certainly God Who wrestled, for Jacob PREVAILED AGAINST GOD, AND ISRAEL SAW GOD [Genesis 32;25].

Righteous Lot is Saved from Sodom

Two Angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot sat by the gate of Sodom, and rose up to meet them and offer them hospitality. After they ate, the Sodomites compressed Lor’s house and called out Lot, and said to him, "Where are the men that went into thee this night? Bring them out to us so that we may be with them." He said, "By no means, brethren, do not act villainously. But I have two daughters, who have not known a man. I will bring them out to you, and do ye use them as it may please you, only do not injure these men, to avoid them from coming under the shelter of my roof." The Sodomites then drew at night to break the door. The Angels stretched forth their hands and drew Lot into them into the house, and shut the door of the house. Then the Angels smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, and they were weary with seeking the door. Then they urged Lot to depart with those with him, "For we are going to destroy this place; for their cry has been raised up before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it."

The Deliverance of Isaac

When Abraham was put to the test and told to take his beloved Isaac and offer him for a whole-burnt-offering, he rose up and took the lad. Abraham took the wood of the whole-burnt-offering and laid it on Isaac, his son, and he took into his hands both the fire and the knife, and the two went together. When he stretched forth his hand to take the knife to slay his son, an Angel of the Lord called him out of heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham." And he said: "Behold, I am here." And He said, "Lay not thy hand upon the child, neither do anything to him, for now I know that thou fearest God, and for My sake thou hast not spared thy beloved son."

More on Genesis

Other sightings of Angels in Genesis include that of the Prophet Jacob, who dreamed and beheld a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it [Genesis 28:12].

Angels in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the Archangel Gabriel announces the birth of Saint John the Baptist to his father, the righteous Priest Zacharias [Luke 1:19]. This Archangel also announced the Nativity of the Christ, Jesus, to the Holy Virgin Mary [Luke 1:26-28]. He also appeared to the Righteous Joseph in a dream and told him not to fear to take Mary his wife and that she shall bring forth a Son Whom he was to name Jesus [Matthew 1:20-21]. While Joseph was in Egypt, an Angel of theLord appeared to him, telling him to return to Israel [Matthew 2:19-20]. At the Nativity of the Christ, an Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, announcing the newborn Babe [Luke 2:9-12]/ Then a multitude of the heavenly host were praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men" [Luke 2:14]. Angels ministered to Jesus after the temptation in the mount (Matthew 4:11]. In Gethsemane, an Angel from heaven appeared to Jesus, strengthening Him [Luke 22:43]. An Angel rolled away the stone from Christ’s tomb and announced the Resurrection to the women. And Angels appeared on many other occasions recorded in the New Testament.

However, the exalted attributes of Angels have their limits. Holy Scripture indicates that they DO NOT KNOW THE DEPTHS OF THE Essence of God, which is known to the Spirit of God only ("the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" 1 Corinthians 2:11). They DO NOT KNOW THE FUTURE, which is also known to God alone: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the Angels which are in heaven" {Mark 13:32}. Likewise, THE DO NOT UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY THE MYSTERY OF THE REDEMPTION, although they wish to penetrate it (which things the Angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:12)). And THEY DO NOT EVEN KNOW ALL HUMAN THOUGHTS ( Kings 8:39). Finally, THEY CANNOT OF THEMSELVES, WITHOUT THE WILL OF GOD, PERFORM MIRACLES: "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who alone doeth wonders" {Psalm 71:19).

The Angels and the Second Coming

The Angels shall be ministers of Christ at the Resurrection of the dead. Their participation and ministry are strongly attested in the New Testament. In the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Jesus announces that "they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens with power and great glory. And He shall send forth His Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost parts of the heavens unto their extremities [Matthew 24:30]. The Angels shall also be present at the Final Judgment, The Angels shall be present and participate in the eschatological (last) events. They shall minister at the resurrection of the dead, the gathering of the elect, and the separation of the righteous from the wicked.

What finally, is the purpose of the beings of the spiritual world? It is evident that they were ordained by God TO BE THE MOST PERFECT REFLECTIONS OF His grandeur and glory, with inseparable participation in His Blessedness. If it has been said concerning the visible heavens that "the heavens declare the glory of God", then all hte more is this the aim of the SPIRITUAL HEAVENS. This is why Saint Gregory the Theologian calls them "REFLECTIONS OF THE PERFECT LIGHT," OR SECONDARY LIGHTS.

The Angels in the ranks which are close to the human race are presented in Sacred Scripture as HERALDS of God’s Will, GUIDES OF MEN, and SERVANTS OF THEIR SALVATION. The Holy Apostle Paul writes, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).

Not only the Angels hymn the glory of God, but they also serve Him in the works of His Providence for the material and sensible world. Of this service the Holy Fathers frequently speak: "Some of them stand before the Great God; others, by their cooperation, uphold the whole world" (Saint Gregory the Theologian, "Mystical Hymns," Homily 6). The Angels "are appointed for the governance of the elements and the heavens, the world and everything that is in it" (Athenagoras). "Different individuals of them embrace different parts of the world, or are appointed over different districts of the universe, as He knoweth Who ordered and distributed it all; combining all things inone, solely with a view to the consent of the Creator of All Things" (Saint Gregory the Theologian, Homily 28).

OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL

The Orthodox Church believes THAT EVERY MAN (PERSON) HAS HIS OWN GUARDIAN ANGEL, if he has not put him away FROM HIMSELF BY AN IMPIOUS LIFE. The Lord Jesus Christ has said: "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you, THAT THEIR ANGELS DO ALWAYS BEHOLD THE FACE OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN" [Matthew 18:10).

Guardian Angels are "companions of the faithful." Guardian Angels are our "shepherds" with us throughout every second, minute, and hour of every day of our lives. Next to God, our guardian Angel knows us better than anyone in our lives since they are with us throughout our lives! Consequently, it would not be surprising to learn that our guardian Angels exalt in our spiritual growth. Similarly, they weep at our spiritual failures. We are never abandoned or alone. And this is important because man lives in a supernatural world– in "spiritual combat between the powers of Light and the powers of darkness." One who believes in the Triune God must believe in Angels.

According to the Orthodox teaching, each person is ASSIGNED A GUARDIAN ANGEL BY GOD AT BAPTISM. The guardian Angel’s primary role is to PROTECT THE PERSON’S SOUL FROM HARM, INCLUDING FROM THEMSELVES. The guardian Angel also acts as an Angel of peace, penitence, and prayer. Guardian Angels inspire believers with good thoughts,desires, and thinking. However, guardian Angels can leave if they see that a person is cultivating bad thoughts, malice, or profane desires. The Angel will wait for the believer to repent and go to confession before returning.

Belief in guardian Angels is based on passages in the Holy Bible, such as Psalm 34:7 and Psalm 91:11. Also, during the Baptismal prayer, the priest says, "YOKE UNTO HIS (HER) LIFE A RADIANT ANGEL, WHO SHALL DELIVER HIM (HER) FROM EVERY SNARE OF THE ADVERSARY." And during the Divine Liturgy, the priest asks God FOR AN ANGEL OF PEACE TO GUIDE AND GUARD THE SOULS AND BODIES OF THE FAITHFUL. [Resources: Orthodox Dogmatic 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