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.

GETTING INTO THE CHURCH FATHERS

The Church Fathers deserve to be better known than they are among contemporary Christians. Patristic works are the "classics" of Christian theology, as with other classics, though they are regularly lauded but rarely read. Admittedly, working through the whole of Patristic literature would be as daunting task: J.P. Migne’s Patrology runs to some four hundred volumes, with more than a hundred thousand pages of dense Greek and Latin text. However, one can manage a solid acquaintance with the Church Fathers without navigating the seven seas of Migne: some good series have made works of the major (and some of the minor) Church Fathers available in English translation…

The Designation "Church Father"

Those who have come to be known as "Church Fathers" led Christianity during the first centuries of its existence also the Apostles. Not everyone who lived and wrote during that period qualified as a Church Father, though. The designation is an honorific, bestowed at some point subsequent to the author’s death. One only qualified as a "Church Father" if he met four tests: ANTIQUITY, HOLINESS OF LIFE, ORTHODOX TEACHING, AND ECCLESIASTICAL APPROVAL. These tests distinguished those ancient Christian writers who had been and could be trusted as faithful witnesses to TO GENUINE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND TEACHING. Being accorded the designation "Church Father" was a stamp of approval; it assured that the author’s works could be read with confidence and profit.

Why Read the Church Fathers?

Some contemporary Christians might question the value of reading the work of Christian authors from so long ago, but reading the Church Fathers offers many benefits to Christians today. For one thing, the works of the Church Fathers give us access to the Christianity that emerged fresh from the Apostles’ lives and labors. Patristic literature thus offers us A WINDOW ON WHAT THE EARLY CHURCH HAD LEARNED FROM THE APOSTLES. For the many today who naively believe that their particular denomination or congregation practices New Testament Christianity, pure and simple, Patristic literature can be at once humbling and enlightening.

In addition, whether we today recognize it or not, the Patristic era was a critical period for Christianity. WE TRUSTED FOR THE DELIMITATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON. The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity we profess was articulated by the Church Fathers, as against several heresies. In embracing the teaching that Jesus Christ had two natures–ONE DIVINE AND ONE HUMAN–in ONE PERSON, we take terminology refined by the Church Fathers to confess faith in the Savior. If we follow the architectural metaphor of Saint Paul, according to which the Apostles and Prophets ARE THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH, with Jesus Christ THE CORNERSTONE [Ephesians 2:20], then the Patristic period erected the first story of the building–THAT ECCLESIASTICAL EDIFICE IN WHICH CHRISTIANS STILL LIVE.

The Church Fathers long ago UNFOLDED WHAT IT MEANS TO THINK AND LIVE AS CHRISTIANS; as the third millennium begins, we can still learn much from them about Christia thought and life. Their times were, of course, much different from the present day; even so, the Church Fathers lived in periods of great social and cultural dislocation, in which momentous changes were afoot–similar enough to our contemporary postmodern (and even post-Christian) situation to make it worthwhile to give them a hearing…So getting to know the Church Fathers is not just as exercise in antiquarianism; IT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT PRACTICAL BENEFITS FOR CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANS…

Another good reason for reading the works of the Church Fathers is that their writings are not esoteric pieces intended only for those professionally initiated in theology–quite the contrary, in fact! The Church Fathers WROTE FOR THE FAITHFUL, NOT FOR SCHOLARS. They addressed the needs of the Church in their days for INSTRUCTION, EDIFICATION, AND EXHORTATION. Consequently, much of Patristic literature comes to us IN SERMONS OR CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION; APART FROM REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC CULTURAL SETTINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN THE MEANWHILE, SUCH MATERIAL USUALLY REMAINS ACCESSIBLE TO CONTEMPORARY READERS.

To be sure, THE CHURCH FATHERS ALSO WROTE TO DEFEND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AGAINST PAGAN OPPONENTS OR HERETICS, IN BOTH CASES, THOUGH, THEY SOUGHT A CLARITY THAT WOULD GUIDE READERS TO TRUTH, RATHER THAN A SCHOLARLY PROFUNDITY THAT MIGHT ENLIGHTEN ONLY AN ACADEMIC FEW. Even so, the needs of argument to such conflicts sometimes forced the Church Fathers to wrestle over terminology or to articulate careful responses, to complicated alternative positions; these Patristic works admittedly make special demands on readers…

Further, Patristic literature is not dry and detached; rather, the Church Fathers’ works show authors passionately involved with important questions. In Patristic literature, a reader can hear the heartbeat in every sentence; in some theological literature in later centuries (e.g. in medieval scholasticism and Protestant scholasticism–but not only there!}, it is at times difficult even to detect a pulse. The Christian faith matters profoundly and obviously to the Church Fathers; of that, no reader will have any question.

A Holy Father is known for the holiness and great virtue of his life, he teaches the True Faith, explains correctly and unerringly the Holy Scripture, he gives witness to it by both his life and works, he is enlighten by the grace of the Holy Spirit and has dedicated his whole life to the service of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and Divine Head of the Church. They are among the greatest Saints of the Orthodox Church. Holy Fathers like Saint James the holy Apostle who wrote, structured, and introduced the Divine Liturgy named after him to the Church. He was followed by Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom and thus the Orthodox Church has a truly a most heavenly and God-inspired worship service for her faithful. Many of the Holy Fathers of the Church experienced, exile, imprisonment, torture, slander and some gave their lives for the Faith. It was also the Holy Fathers that defended the belief that the Church of Christ is ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH and UNDIVIDED!

The Holy Fathers of the Church were more than great scholars and brilliant in the sciences and rhetoric, BUT WHO ABANDONED THE UNIVERSITIES, DISTRIBUTED THEIR WEALTH TO THE POUR AND BECAME MONKS AND LIVED ASCETIC LIVES WITH HUMILITY, MEEKNESS AND GLORIOUS MARTYRDOM. They were holy men who were Spirit-filled and who lived ascetic lives and who became true spiritual beacons of the Orthodox Faith. They were inspired by the Holy Spirit and became the authentic Christian teachers and defenders of Orthodox Christianity and were profound and insightful. They fought heresy and expelled the heretics. They preserved the Apostolic tradition and legacy and were exceptional preachers of the word. They were conscious of having received the Christian faith from the Holy Apostles and of the necessity of preserving that faith inviolate. They were known for their austere fasting, and spiritual discipline and love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Church. They were distinguished for caring and providing the essentials for the poor, widows and orphans. Their life was one of unceasing prayer and doing good works. They had bestowed theosis (deification) and clairvoyance. They offer insights, teachings, and perspectives on the Christian faith that open up how to live faithfully before God of everyday life. They performed miracles and healing to those who were entrusted to them. They were constantly engaged with the Holy Scripture and offered commentaries on them. For the Holy Fathers of the Church, Doctrine is to be experienced , not just talked about. They had no room for the dichotomy between the "head" (i.e., intellectual understanding of doctrine) and the "heart" (i.e. personal, existential appropriation of truth) to which Christians have become accustomed in the subsequent history of the Church. For the Holy Fathers, DOCTRINE AFFECTS AND CHANGES LIFE, OR IT IS NOT TRUE DOCTRINE. For them, not only is all truth interrelated, it also inevitably affects life. Patristic literature is always engaged with the reader, seeking to lead him or her into more faithful Christian discipleship. The Holy Fathers of the Church participated in the Church’s Seven Ecumenical Councils and the formulation of the Orthodox Creed and Doctrine that can never be altered by anyone.

I strongly recommend that those interested in learning and in growing spiritually, turn not only to the sacred writings or works of the Holy Fathers of the Church but to their God-inspired and holy lives. I promise you by doing so your lives will be greatly enriched and edified. Christianity currently needs to turn its attention to the Holy Fathers of the Church since there is a plethora of heresies, confusion, division, unethical and perverse practices, apostasy, and blasphemous innovations introduced as being Christian. The Holy Fathers of the Church can show the contemporary Christians the true way and path to the Authentic Church of Christ, the Holy Orthodox Church. [Source: A Patristic Treasury.  Early Church Wisdom for Today by James R. Payton, Jr.]

______________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos, one of the great Holy Fathers of the Church.
+ + +

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 the Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

"He," Jesus, "asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say
that I, the Son of Man, am?" [Matthew 16:13].

"So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and
others Jeremiah or one of the Prophets.’ He said to them,
‘But who DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?’ Simon Peter answered
and said, YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING
GOD" [Matthew 16:14-16].

The Holy Apostles’ confession–an insight given to him by the Father according to Jesus Himself who said: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (v. 17). What was it that was revealed? Jesus’ Messianic IDENTITY and Divinity, the mystery hidden from eternity.

In God’s wisdom it was necessary that Jesus’ true identity was revealed to His disciples and through them to all, so that everyone understood that He was the anticipated Messiah, the Son of God, and the Redeemer Who came down from heaven to save mankind. From this biblical account we come to understand how very important personal identity is for all of us. At some point in all of our lives, we may be faced with a similar question of who we are. How important to you is your identity? How far are you willing to go to protect your God-given identity?

The Christian believes that the Almighty God and Creator bestowed our identity when in His Divine Wisom created the first man and the first woman. When "God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" [Genesis 1:26]. Indeed, man was made in the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity, and he was made male and female. Therefore, the dignity of each man and each woman is the image and likeness. "Then God formed man out of dust from the ground, and BREATHED IN HIS FACE THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL" [Genesis 2:7]. "The breath of life" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life [the Creed], God breathed the breath of life into man’s body, and he became a "living soul." Therefore, Adam was a living soul because he possessed a body, A SOUL, and the GRACE of the Holy Spirit. For the Christian this is his/her true identity. This is how God knows each and everyone of us.

The soul of each human being is unique and true to his/her identity that no one can ever rob. It is yours for eternity. However, it is the most precious gift given to us by our Creator and must always be protected and nurtured by the grace of the Holy Spirit, however, the responsibility of every genuine Christian is to live by this grace. There is no else in the world that has a soul like ours. It cannot be duplicated, stolen or borrowed by anyone. No worldly authority can deprive us of our Christian identity. Wicked men and governments over many centuries have not only persecute Christians but have taken everything away from them, have enslave them and their families, have imprisoned them, they have inflicted horrific tortures on them and countless were killed by them but they could never take their true identity, their God-given soul from them.

Identity, as we understand it in the world which we live in, is a combination of one’s physical and behavioural traits that define who one is. For example, one’s name is part of his identity, as is one’s eyes and fingerprints. This set of characteristics allows one to be definitively and uniquely identified. In today’s world one’s identity is constantly challenged and questioned. Using modern technology authorities are able to know every detail of one’s being. life, and movements. Official documents such as passports, drivers license, and identity cards are used as a proof of one’s name, and one’s photo ID on these documents is the most expedient way of knowing who one is.

Protecting one’s identity has become more complicated and even very expensive. People now are concerned about identity theft. We use our personal data to perform numerous tasks every single day, including accessing bank and credit card accounts, email, social media sites, and others. Although this data is usually encrypted, that does not mean it is totally secure. In fact, one’s personal information, and thus one’s identity, can be stolen and used by identity thieves for their financial gain.

There is, however, another kind of identity and that is one’s religious identity. Christians know fully well how hostile governments, over the centuries, have used religious identity to persecute them. Christians made an easy target for scapegoating. The common people of Rome believed rumors about Christians. Some thought Christians practiced cannibalism because of the Mystery (Sacrament) of the Eucharist called for believers to eat of the flesh and blood of Christ. Others believed that Christians practiced incest because they preached loving their brothers and sisters. Many believed Christians hated humanity because they kept secrets and withdrew from "normal" social life. Many pagans feared that the gods would become angry and punish the Roman people since Christians refused to participate in the pagan rituals, etc. Therefore, the Christian genuine identity was deformed, maligned and distorted by its enemies which produced great and horrific persecutions against them. But Christians, nevertheless, professed with boldness: "I too am a Christian!"

There is also the spiritual identity of the Christian which is most significant. Orthodoxy from its very beginning believed that Christians are created, not born. We became Christians through our entry into the Holy Church, whether through baptism as an infant or through "conversion" later in life. Forming an Orthodox Christian identity takes a lifetime to develop and growing spiritually is a continuous process. It takes a life in Christ, living the faith, having a sacramental life, a life of prayer, fasting, worship, and adhering to the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Dionysios the Areopagite divides the spiritual life into three categories: Purification (Katharsis), Illumination and Theosis (Deification). Philanthropy (Alms-giving) is one of the most vital spiritual disciplines, one of the "three pillars" of Orthodox Spiritual Life, in conjunction with prayer and fasting.

We today live in most precarious and dangerous times, and therefore it is extremely necessary and important that we do NOT surrender to the various and strong undercurrents in society, pulling us this way or that way, to our certain demise. Our identity is sacred and something that needs to always be protected and not violated. Our enemies should not be able to use anything worldly against us. The Christian is not attached to anything earthly or material wealth. As Christians we are dead to this fleeting world. We belong to the God’s Kingdom instead. Every Orthodox Christian family ought to make sure that their children and grandchildren are knowledgeable of their Christian Faith and have strong moral values and character.

It is certain that we will see greater changes and threats in the days ahead but we must not cower. Persecutions will inevitably take place once more but we do not ever fear them because our Lord is always with us. It is, however, necessary to be vigilant and alert on what changes are taking place all around us and be ready. The worst thing that one can do is to become complacent and apathetic to the numerous threats confronting our Faith at this very moment. Our prayer life must always remain strong and seek God’s guidance, enlightenment and protection. Please do not think that I am an alarmist or paranoid because I am not. I recall going to the Holy Mountain sometime ago and to my astonishment, discovering how well informed the fathers (monks) were about current events, and what was happening throughout the world. That is what I am talking about! It is ludicrous to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that all is fine when in reality it is a horrible situation. The dark powers leading governments throughout our world now are dictating, corrupting, polluting, deceiving the public, destroying and violating everything in sight such as, traditional family (Christian family), education, marriage, childbirth (abortions), gender-sex mutilation, sports, professions, medicine (doctors and hospitals), criminality, justice, law-enforcement, citizenship, attempting to take children from their parents, priests and ministers are censored and not free to preach the Gospel in their churches , viruses-tempering and weaponized and used to kill millions of people throughout the world, senior citizens are target by governments because they present a financial burden to the state, food-tempering or GMO’s ["genetically modified organism" or genetic engineering] and controlling farmlands so that they cannot produce food to feed the world, new definitions are created and everything is redefined and given new interpretations, ignoring and/or even depriving one’s human rights, freedom, free speech, free thought, praying in silence; governments becoming tyrannical and turning against their own people, weaponizing, medicine, energy,food, and monetary currency etc. Should we not sound the alarm now?

Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ reminds, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION; BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, i HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD" (John 16:33). Despite persecution and suffering, Orthodox Christians can maintain the peace and joy of Jesus Christ Who has "overcome the world" of darkness through His Saving Work. The Christian’s faith and loyalty to our Divine Master is tested at times of persecution, tribulation, suffering, imprisonment, and martyrdom. Our Most Merciful Savior says, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is NOT greater than his master.’ If they persecute Me, they will persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).

We, Christians, who share a common faith in Christ, are one spiritual family and whatever we may face in the future, we will face together. As true followers and disciples of Christ we are comforted from the Holy Spirit and we must never become despondent. We truly understand that there is an ongoing battle between Light and darkness, between Jesus and the prince of this world. However, Jesus says, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are NOT of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19). And finally He says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

Let us pray to the Lord,

Kyrie Eleison!

O Eternal God, the Uncreated Light, Infinite and without beginning, The Creator of all creation, the inexhaustible Source of mercy, the deep ocean of goodness, and the unsearchable abyss of loving-kindness for mankind, let the Light of Your Countenance, O Lord, shine upon us, and illuminate our hearts, O spiritual Sun of Righteousness, and fill our souls with Your gladness. Teach us always to meditate and to speak of Your judgments, and to constantly confess You, Our Master and Benefactor. Direct the work of our hands to conform with Your will, thus, even though our unworthiness, Your All-Holy Name will be glorified, the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, of the One Godhead and Kingdom, to Whom befits all glory, honor and worship unto the ages 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.

On the 18th of October, the Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Holy Apostle LUKE, the Evangelist.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Third Tone

O HOLY Apostle and Evangelist Luke, intercede with the Merciful God
that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offences.

Kontakion Hymn. Fourth Tone

THOU with Paul didst shine thy light upon the whole world, since
thou wast a genuine disciple of the Logos/Word of God. And thou
didst drive out the gloom far hence when thou didst write the
divine Gospel of Christ God.

This holy Apostle was an Antiochian, a physician by trade, and a disciple and companion of Saint Paul. He wrote his Gospel in Greek after Matthew and Mark, after which he wrote the Acts of the Apostles, and dedicated both works to Theophilus, who, according to some, was Governor of Achaia.
The name "Luke" is an abbreviated form of the Latin name "Lucanus." His parents were not members of the Hebrew race. In one passage in his Epistle (Letter) to the Colossians, the holy Apostle Paul makes a clear distinction between Luke and those "who are of the circumcision," that is, the Jews [Colossians 4:10-15]. In his own writings, however, Luke shows a thorough knowledge of the law of Moses and the customs of the Jewish people. He was instructed in both the Hebrew and Syriac tongues. From his youth, he advanced in wisdom and knowledge. In his native land, which was renowned for the flourishing state of the arts and sciences, Luke had developed his intellect with various scholarly studies. He was a man of noble character and many talents, having become skilled in many arts. From the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, we learn also that Luke had studied medicine (Colossians 4:14).

When he came of age, he went to Greece and to Egypt where he learned all the wisdom of the Greeks. At school, no one excelled him in grammar and rhetoric–not even the rhetors of old. He surpassed all in philosophy, so that none other arrived at his level of understanding. His cognizance and appreciation of those things heavenly and earthly were clearly comprehended by him. By contemplation he came to the knowledge of things, and this manifested itself on a practical level as he governed himself toward virtue. Thus, even before he came to know Christ, he was a good example to all who observed him. As a university man, he came to study all the sciences. He, however, specialized in medicine and earned an esteemed name in his chosen profession. Now as Luke was growing up in Antioch and while receiving higher education abroad, he was not acquainted with piety and true religion. As a Greek, and son of Greek parents, he too was a product of his culture steeped in idolatry. Hear, however, how Luke came to the true Faith.

When news of the miracles and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ spread from Galilee throughout Syria and the entire surrounding region, Luke journeyed from Antioch to Galilee, where the Lord Jesus Christ had begun to sow the seeds of His saving teaching. Luke heard the preaching of the Lord, and immediately came to believe in Him. His spiritual eyes were quickly opened to the Light of the knowledge of the Truth and the Kingdom of the Heavens. He had long been struggling in virtue to purge and purify himself of the passions of the world. Thus, he readily received the seed of teaching as good earth that had been cleaned and prepared. He utterly left off the religion of the idolaters and followed the Master Christ with all his soul.

Saint Luke the physician had been present at the many miracles of healing bestowed by Jesus, which further helped in making him steadfast in the knowledge of God and divine mysteries. Even as he surpassed his peers in those times in both wisdom and learning, so did he quickly go beyond them in understanding the Truth. Thus, the holy Luke became a genuine disciple of the Christ and never left His side. Although he was not one of the Twelve, he was numbered among the Seventy secret Apostles [Luke 10:1], whom the Lord appointed and sent forth, two by two, before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

During the final days of the Savior’s earthly life, when, with the striking down of the Shepherd, the sheep of His flock also were scattered, the holy Luke abode in Jerusalem, lamenting and weeping for his Lord Who had accepted suffering voluntarily. In all probability, Saint Luke also stood "afar off" among the others who knew Jesus, and looked upon the Crucified One. But soon his sorrow was transformed into joy, for the Resurrected Lord consoled Luke on the very day of His Resurrection, counting him worthy to see and converse with him, as Saint Luke himself informs us in his Gospel in detail and with much animation [Luke 24:13-32].

After the Ascension of the Lord, Saint Luke remained in Jerusalem for a time, with the other holy Apostles; but later, as tradition bears witness, he went to Antioch, his native city, where there were already many Christians. He left the city only when he became the traveling companion and fellow laborer of the holy Apostle Paul, who, in the words of several ancient writers, was even one of his kinsmen. This took place during the Apostle Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. At that time, Saint Luke and the Apostle Paul traveled to Greece to preach the Gospel, and the holy Evangelist was left behind by the "Apostle to the Gentiles" to establish and organize the Church in the Macedonian city of Philippi; thenceforth, for a period of several years, the holy Luke labored to spread Christianity throughout those parts.

When, at the end of his Third Missionary Journey, the Apostle Paul again visited Philippi, Saint Luke, on his instruction and as the choice of all the faithful, went to Corinth to collect alms for the poor Christians of Palestine (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:18-19). When he had finished what he had been sent to do, Saint Luke departed with the Apostle Paul for Palestine, stopping along the way to visit the Churches on the island of Aegean archipelago, along the coast of Asia Minor, in Phoenicia, and in Judaea.

On arriving in Rome, the holy Luke again stayed by the holy Apostle Paul’s side and together with Mark, Aristarchos, and several other of the Apostles’ companions, preached Christ in the capital city of the ancient world. In Rome, the holy Luke wrote his Gospel and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Now the holy Apostle Paul guided him in this labor and afterward approved the Gospel written by Saint Luke. In the same way was the Book of the Acts of the Apostles written, as the tradition of the Church says, at the command of the Apostle Paul.

After two years in chains in the dungeons of Rome, the Apostle Paul was released and, departing Rome, visited several Churches he had founded before. At this time also the holy Luke was his companion. But before long, the Emperor Nero initiated a cruel persecution against the Christians in Rome. The Apostle Paul then returned to Rome, that by his discourse and example he might encourage the persecuted Church, make it steadfast, and, if it so pleased God, share with the faithful the crown of martyrdom. He was arrested by the pagans and imprisoned again. Yet even then the holy Luke did not forsake his teacher, and he alone, among all the Apostles’ fellow laborers, stayed at his side during that period of time which was so terrible that the Apostle compared himself to a victim doomed to be slaughtered.

It is quite possible that holy Luke was also a witness to the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul in Rome. After the repose of his teacher, the holy Luke, as the Tradition of the Church informs us, spread the Gospel of Christ in Italy, Dalmatia, Gaul, and, especially, in Macedonia, in which he had labored before for several years. He also evangelized Achaia, which borders on Macedonia. When he was already quite elderly, the Apostle Luke undertook a journey to faraway Egypt and there labored greatly and endured many afflictions for the holy name of Jesus. Returning to Greece he again set up churches there, primarily in Boeotia, ordained priests and deacons, and healed the sick of body and soul.

Like his friend and mentor, the holy Apostle Paul, Saint Luke fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the Faith (2 Timothy 4:7). At the age of eighty-four, he died a Martyr’s death in Achaia, crucified on an olive tree in lieu of a cross. His precious body was buried in Thebes, the principal of Boeotia, where his holy relics, which were responsible for a multitude of healings, were not to be found until the second half of the 4th century; they were subsequently transferred to Constantinople, the Capital of the Eastern Empire.

Holy Tradition also informs us that Saint Luke was a painter. The writers of the ancient Church inform us that Saint Luke was the first to paint the image of the All-Holy Theotokos. Thus, he depicted the Virgin Theotokos holding in her arms the Pre-Eternal Infant, our Lord Jesus Christ, and later painted two other icons of the All-Holy Theotokos and brought them to the Mother of God for her approval. On seeing the icons, she said: "May the grace of Him Who was born of me, through me, be imparted to them!" Of these icons, one is located in the Peloponnesos at the Monastery of the Great Cave.

The holy Luke also painted on boards the images of the holy preeminent Apostles Peter and Paul, and was thus himself the initiator of the good work of iconography, to the glory of God, the Mother of God, and all the Saints, unto the adornment of the holy churches and the salvation of the faithful who piously venerate them. Amen. [Souce: 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.

The True Face of the Heresy of Protestantism
By Father Valery Dukhanin, translated by
"Orthodox Christianity," OrthoChristian.com.

When some people in the Church become interested in liberalism and reforms, expressing their dissatisfaction with the Church’s traditions, it would not be superfluous to remind them that that is precisely how Protestantism was born in its time. Protestantism was born in its time. What Protestantism leads to, and its hidden essence is something that the holy Fathers reveal to us most precisely. Amongst the Fathers of the Church, especially significant is Saint Igrnatius (Brianchaninov), whose spiritual intuition always exactly exposed the subtlest deceptions.

Being in society and having experienced the influence coming from the Protestant West, Saint Ignatius often spoke out on this issue. In the present time, now having the complete works of Saint Ignatius, we are able to compile a sufficiently clear picture of his views on Protestantism..in an article, "A visit to Valaam Monastery," the Saint speaks about the Lutheran proselytism among the local population, as a result of which Orthodoxy on the Finnish shore was pressured to leave. "Now there are Lutheran churches here, which pronounce only the meagre sermons of a cold pastor. Telling the people in his sermons nothing more than superficial, scholarly information about the Redeemer and His moral teaching, he gives each time something like a funeral eulogy over the true, living faith and Church that the people in these regions have lost." Thus, there is no True Faith and life in Protestantism, ONLY RATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP WITH A SUPERFICIAL MORAL TEACHING. Therefore, in Protestantism there could never be any serious ascesis, or deep spiritual experience.

Moreover, RATIONALISM, and the ABSENCE OF A DEEP SPIRITUAL LIFE led Protestantism to THE REJECTION OF ASCETICAL PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE BEEN NATURAL TO TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANITY OVER THE COURSE OF A MILLENNIA AND A HALF. To some extent, Protestants, just like godless atheists, blaspheme Monasticism, denying its Divine origin. Such denial was directly embodied in the life of the progenitor of Protestansim–Martin Luther–and was later exposed in Protestantism’s REJECTION OF THE CHURCH’S CORRESPONDING DOGMATIC STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE EVER-VIRGINITY OF THE MOTHER OF GOD: "Protestants, ,the worn enemies of New Testament virginity, asserts that the Most Holy Vessel and Temple of God, violated her virginity after she had given birth to the God-Man, became a vessel of human lust, entered into a relationship with Joseph as his wife, and had other children. A horrible thought! both beastly and demonic! A blasphemous thought!…"

Saint Ignatius did not even consider the path to Christian perfection to be outside of virginity, chastity, and Monasticism. It was a path that was shown in the life of Christ Himself, and was embodied already by the first generations of Christians. Protestantism, in rejecting this foundation of Orthodox asceticism, was naturally regarded by the Saint as a fall from a spiritual and moral height to a level of life that of beasts…

"Although Luther’s writings were directed against a series of errors of the Roman church, Saint Ignatius finds three kinds of error in Luther himself. First of all, in place of the Roman errors Luther offers his own errors, secondly, he kept certain of Catholicism’s errors and thirdly, he even magnified some of Roman Catholicism’s errors.

Among the preserved errors of Catholicism, Saint Ignatius distinguishes: the teaching of the FILIOQUE (which, in the Saint’s view, was the main reason for the West’s separation from Christ’s Church), and the performance of the Sacrament of Baptism through pouring (as opposed to IMMERSION).

Among the magnified errors of the Latins, the Saint directs our attention to the relationship toward the Holy Eucharist: If Catholics lost the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist BY TAKING OUT THE INVOCATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT… Luther, REJECTING THE EUCHARIST ALTOGETHER, says, "The bread transubstantiates in the mouth of those who partake of it with faith." …Luther REJECTS also the lawful rank of the Episcopate and Ordination itself, having by this violated what was established by the holy Apostles. Having rejected the Latin INDULGENCES, he also rejected the Sacrament of Repentance/ Confession… The Saint points out one of Luther’s key errors, preferring FAITH with THE REJECTION OF GOOD WORKS, saying that supposedly, "faith is sufficient for salvation, even though one’s works do not correspond to faith."

Luther’s well-known errors–rejection of icons, holy relics, prayers to the Saints in Heaven, most of the Sacraments, and Holy Tradition itself by a false interpretation of the Holy Scripture according TO ONE’S OWN WHIMS–the Saint concludes, "All of these errors, taken together, are not only in opposition in the One True Holy Church, but also contain in themselves many serious blasphemies against the Holy Spirit!" That is, this is not simply a personal opinion with which we can tolerantly agree, but a serious blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

"For Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) himself, the borderline between true teaching entirely corresponds with the boundaries of Orthodox confession, and the grace of the Holy Spirit dwells ONLY THERE, WHERE THE TRUTH IS–IN THE Orthodox Church…Compared with Catholicism, Saint Ignatius views Protestantism as a great fall. If the Catholics made changes to the Sacrament of Confession, the Protestants rejected it outright. If the Catholics excluded the INVOCATION OF THE Holy Spirit from the Liturgy, the Protestants have rejected the Liturgy altogether. In Catholicism, there is still an element of asceticism, albeit spiritually delusional, while Protestantism has completely lost the ASCETIC LIFE; remaining is only soullessness and cold rationalism. As we know, Saint Ignatius relied upon asceticism, based upon the writings of the Holy Fathers, for his entire spiritual life; HE SAW IN IT A PURE AND CLEAR PATH TO SALVATION. Therefore, he especially sharply commented on Protestantis’s disgust for Patristic Ascesis. Thus, the Saint evaluates Protestantism as the loss of the key institutions of Christianity–a kind of foreshadowing of the ultimate loss of them in atheism and godlessness…

"The toughness of his statements were always explainable by the obvious fact that any departure FROM THE TRUTH IN CHRIST, WHICH IS MANIFESTED IN Orthodoxy, IS A DEPARTURE FROM SALVATION; moreover, it is an unnoticeable departure and therefore more dangerous. The Saint’s bitter feelings regarding the spread of heterodox teachings was a bitterness over the spread of seductive lies, WHICH CONCEAL THE TRUTH. But the Saint never expressed any contempt for Protestants themselves…

"On the whole, Saint Ignatius’ evaluation of Protestantism might seem to some too categorical and strict. Just the same, it would make sense to heed the Saint’s spiritual intuition: THE PATH OF RATIONAL COMPREHENSION OF THE TRUTHS OF FAITH, WHILE HAVING LOST THE HOLY TRADITION OF THE CHURCH, LEADS TO COLDNESS IN SPIRITUAL LIFE, AND WITHOUT FAIL TO THE LOSS OF DOGMATIC PURITY, WHICH WE OFTEN SEE IN OUR MODERN LIBERAL REFORMERS. [Source: Orthodox Heritage)

___________
"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 A SERIOUS DELUSION
Saint Joseph the Hesychast, from "Monastic Wisdom: The
Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast." An Epistle to a
Hesychast Hermit, chapter XII.

My child, hear about another delusion. There are also other monks who work on all the virtues together, and trust in their works. And when they pray and ask something from God, they do not seek it with humility, but with insolence and pretension, as if they have obliged God with their toils and therefore He owes it to them. When they are not heard and the Lord does not do their will, they are troubled and greatly grieved. Then when the Devil our enemy sees them with this ignorance, he attacks them with twisted thoughts and teaches them saying, "See? You are struggling so hard even until death to work for Him?" Then he pushes him to blaspheme the name of God, so that he may enter inside him and possess him, and then bind him with chains.

But if the Devil is unable to accomplish this, he comes around differently. He transforms himself into an angel of light saying that he is the Archangel Gabriel or some other angel, and that God sent him to be near him, since God is pleased with his works. Or similarly, he transforms himself into the form of our Lord Jesus Christ, while another demon goes earlier and says, "Since you have gladdened God with your sweat, He has come to visit, so go and venerate Him to receive grace." Or he says that he has come to raise him like the Prophet Elias to the heavens. And in closing, to make a long story short, with such methods he has deluded many both in the past and today. Some were thrown upon the rocks, others into wells, others were slaughtered in various ways and were utterly destroyed. And all this happened because from the beginning they had no discernment and were doing their own will, without having obedience.

But you, my beloved child in the Lord, since you are obedient, and confess everything openly, do not be afraid. Since you have an elder who guides you and prays for you day and night. God will not allow you to be deluded. But even if some such fantasy in the form of an angel appears to you, do not be afraid but tell him with boldness, even if it is in the form of the Lord, a Saint, or an Angel, tell him: "I have an elder who guides me. I don’t want the teachings of angels! I want to see my Lord, the Angels, and the Saints in the other life. I don’t want to see them here." And turn your face elsewhere. Do not look at him. And since he is unable to endure such boldness, he will disappear. But even if the vision is true, the Lord will not get angry with you, but at once your fear is transformed into joy and things will turn out as the Lord wills.

We should neve have such requests and desires from God, that is, to see Angels or Saints, because this is delusion. We should seek–as we have written many times–God’s mercy for the remission of our sins, and should attend to the purification of our soul. Then things from God come by themselves, without our seeking them.

And even if we ascend to the heavens by theoria, nothing is due to us. But if after a little while we undergo a change without wanting to, and great sorrow and unbearable distress come upon us as if we are in Hades, and it seems to us that it will never leave, but will afflict us till death, once again we should remain composed. And just as we were happy when we were raised to the heavens, likewise, when some change occurs and grief overtakes us, we should have patience, without being agitated and without grumbling. But in peace tell your thoughts: "The Father has two places for us to dwell: one of joy and pleasure in the heavens, and one of sorrow down in Hades. And whenever He wants He raises me to the joy above, and whenever He wants He takes me below, so that I learn that as long as I wear this earthen body, I am subject to change. So I have nothing to say. Only let the will of the Lord be done in all, to all, and through all. But even if He leaves me below forever, I would say: My sweetest Savior and God, I have done nothing good or pleasing before Thee, but as a diligent worker of sin I am worthy to be a son of hell. So, even if I am punished, I rightly deserve it. Only do not be grieved with me, but rather look upon me with a happy face, and then even Hades will become a brilliant paradise for me!"

When you say such things, the sorrow departs and joy returns. However, you should not say it so that joy comes back, but you should say it from your heart. And as long as you are in this life–as we have already said–you should never become cocky, even if you ascend to the Seventh Heaven and see all kinds of mysteries. Since you bear a body, there is danger and caution is needed. Only once you have departed from your dead body should you rejoice, because then you are not subject to change anymore, but whatever the Lord bestows upon you is yours and on one can take it from you–to Whom be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen. [Source: Orthodox Heritage]

_________
"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 Devil: That He Exists and Performs False Miracles
By Saint Porphyrios

The Devil, according to the teaching of Saint Porphyrios and the entire Orthodox Church, exists. "Our faith," the Saint said with simplicity, "has made dogma of the devil (since Christ came to us in order to undo the works of the devil ). If you remove the devil, there goes everything else about our faith."

The devil does not save. He works false miracles. "Many lights exist," Saint Porphyrios taught, "which one might see and be mesmerized by… but only one Light is True… Nothing happens with the other ones (he meant of the other religions). These possess mere magic tricks and the like. Many things are implemented. But in our religion, we have everything… Everything is accomplished through the Saints. These are two types of accomplishments. There is the evil and the good… One might pray because the others have no oil and they are suffering much because there is no oil; one might open up his hand and fill their containers with oil. Well, the guru can do something else, another materialization of this, but it is not the same thing. It is not of the good spirit. Because, as we have said, EVIL DOES EXIST. Evil also has the ability to give evil to the person who believes in it… it has the ability to allow him to do it. For this reason, many magicians, gurus, and fakirs exist… they are of the evil spirit.

Concerning the Holy Cross and the Powerless Devil

Saint Porphyrios emphasized that the greatest weapon against the devil IS THE HOLY CROSS and second, contempt. "Leave him alone," he said once to a spiritual child (referring to the devil). "Don’t pay any attention to him. The more attention you give him, the closer he gets. If you wish to cast him off, to distance him from you, stop paying any attention to him. Disregard him, he is worthy only OF CONTEMPT. From the moment he begins to accumulate this disregard, he will start to retreat until the point when he will finally revert to flight. Contempt serves as the second weapon, after the Holy Cross, which is to be used against the devil… He cannot stand contempt because he is arrogant and green with envy. Besides, this arrogance was the cause of his fall and the reason for what happened to him. He collected his due punishment…

By means of the Holy Cross and the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments), and through our own ecclesiastical maturation within the Church in general, the works of the devil are destroyed. The devil is very, very weak.

"One day, going from the General Hospital to Omonoia" (a city square in Athens) recalled a certain spiritual child of the Saint, "he fell upon an area where a certain rally had just reached its conclusion. One of the many firefighters who was there cleaning the area, lifted his hose and by accident, drenched another firefighter who was standing across from him. This other firefighter in turn, grabbed his hose and turned it upon the first, starting a water war, so as to see who would win. The one hose possessed a wider diameter with the ability for more pressure and was beating the other with the use of less pressure, as they united their streams forming an arc of water in the sky. Seeing them, Pappouli said to me: ‘Do you see what’s going on there? The stronger one is defeating the weaker one. This is the same for the faithful Christian who defeats the evil demon, because Christ is All-Powerful in comparison to the evil one who is very, very weak."

The devil is abolished (i.e., does not exist) for the person who enters into the Church. He is abolished already from this life here.

That We Must Not Recall Our Sins with Detail

Divine Grace which comes after a person humbles oneself, confesses one’s sins, and is obedient to the specific prayer rule prescribed by one’s spiritual father, cures the ailments of the soul.

The Saint advised that we are NOT TO RECALL OUR SINS which have been confessed because this may cause harm. When a person who has previously confessed one’s sins believes that he has not been forgiven, he then demonstrates little faith in the Holy Mystery (Sacrament).

A person who is severely grieved by his old mistakes, reaching the point of despair, "plays along" with the evil one. He becomes confined, due to the absence of humility, to the feelings of frustration and sorrow, which lead to disinclination for the spiritual matters, spiritual indifference, and despair. This is nicely devised trap by the devil, which comes "naturally," since a person has been wounded. The wound is attributable to egotism and the high-mindedness (self-conceit), which a person must struggle constantly, advancing forward while not returning to things of old. By this way alone, through God’s Grace, cann a person achieve KATHARSIS (purification) and the healing of one’s soul.
Please note: In the Philokalia, Saint Symeon the New Theologian references a quote by Saint Gregory Nazianzos in his chapter On Faith, which states: "FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). For where there is fear, there the commandments are kept, and where the commandments are kept the flesh is purified, together with the cloud that envelops the soul and prevents it from clearly seeing the Divine radiance. Where there is this purification (katharsis) there is ILLUMINATION, AND ILLUMINATION IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LONGING OF THOSE WHO DESIRE THE GREATEST OF ALL SUPERNAL THINGS OR EVEN THAT WHICH IS ABOVE GREATNESS." Later on, in his work entitled One Hundred and Fifty-three Practical and Theological Texts, Saint Symeon comments: "Blessed are the pure in heart," says God, "for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). But PURITY OF HEART CANNOT BE REALIZED THROUGH ONE VIRTUE ALONE, OR THROUGH TWO, OR TEN; IT CAN ONLY BE REALIZED THROUGH ALL OF THEM TOGETHER, AS IF THEY FORMED BUT A SINGLE VIRTUE BROUGHT TO PERFECTION. Even so, the virtues cannot by themselves purify the heart WITHOUT THE PRESENCE AND INNER WORKING OF THE Holy Spirit" (The Philokalia: The Complete Text: Volume Four.

Simplicity and Gentleness in the Spiritual Struggle

In our battle against the three great enemies (the OLD PERSON, the World, and the Devil), the Saint noted that a gentle approach is required. The SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE MUST OCCUR SIMPLY AND GENTLY, WITHOUT FORCE, WITHOUT ANXIETY, AND WITHOUT PRESSURE AND HARSHNESS. Simply and gently, we come to approach the "meek and humble" Lord. We battle against OUR PASSIONS, THE EVIL ONE OF OLD, AND THE WORLDLY MINDSET EQUALLY WITH SIMPLICITY AND GENTLENESS. The most important weapon IS CONTEMPT AND DISREGARD, in other words, our lack of preoccupation with such things.

All of our efforts must be CONCENTRATED TOWARDS THE "ROSE GARDEN" WITHIN US (towards the seeds of the virtues, good, and the new man). Then, our personal "garden of thorns" (the old man, the passions, and evil) will wither away…

We MUST STUDY THE WRITINGS OF THE HOLY FATHERS. We must MEMORIZE THE PSALMS, VERSES FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE, AND SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS. WE MUST PRAY WITH FERVOR AND CONTRITION. WE MUST DELVE INTO THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS AND BECOME IMITATORS OF THEM.

We must NOT be distracted by our shortcomings and our passions. Simply, WE MUST POSSESS THE WILL TO BE ABSOLVED FROM THEM. At a certain point, we will be ready (we will have become quite humble) and then God will take them away. Our entire effort must be concentrated on coming to love God. The Saint emphasized that a Christian ought NOT TO LOSE COURAGE. The chief cause of COWARDICE IS VANITY, SELF-LOVE, AND THE LOVE OF THIS LIFE. The Christian does NOT LIVE IN THIS LIFE ALONE, FOR HIMSELF. In contrast, he must profess together with the Apostle Paul: "IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME" (Galatians 2:20). We must be fully confident in the reality that nothing can make Christ stop loving us. Therefore, let us proceed with confidence, repenting out loud together with the great Apostle: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39). [Source: Healing the Soul: Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia as a Model for Our Lives)

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

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

+ Father George