ΣΥΝΤΕΛΕΙΤΑΙ ΠΡΟΔΟΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΥ ΠΙΣΤΕΩΣ

ΕΙΘΕ Ο ΚΥΡΙΟΣ ΝΑ ΑΝΑΣΤΗΣΗ ΝΕΟΥΣ ΑΓΩΝΙΣΤΑΣ

Τοῦ Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης Αὐγουστίνου

 Ζούμε είς ημέρας κατά τάς οποίας συντελείται, όπως ανέπτυξα είς τα εσπερινά κηρύγματα και είς τάς ποικίλας συναντήσεις τάς οποίας κάνουμε μεταξύ μας, συντελείται μία προδοσία της Ορθοδόξου ημών πίστεως μέσα είς τους κόλπους της Εκκλησίας έκ μέρους επισκόπων, έκ μέρους ιεροκήρυκων, έκ μέρους θεολόγων, έκ μέρους εκείνων οι οποίοι θα έπρεπε να είναι οι πρώτοι φύλακες της ιεράς ημών παρακαταθήκης.
Να είμεθα έν επιφυλακή. Και εάν παραστεί ανάγκη σκληρότερων αγώνων, να τους διεξάγωμε , διότι τώρα είναι απλώς τα προοίμια μίας τοιαύτης συγκρούσεως εάν παρουσιαστεί ανάγκη-δεν ξέρουμε τι μας επιφυλάσσει ο Κύριος-, εάν παρουσιαστεί τοιαύτη περίπτωσις, είθε ο Κύριος να αναστήσει νέους αγωνιστάς της Ορθοδόξου ημών πίστεως.
Καθένας από μας και ιδίως σείς οι νεαρώτεροι, άς προσπαθήσετε να γίνεται μικροί Αθανάσιοι, μικροί Φώτιοι, μικροί Μάρκοι Ευγενικοί, έτοιμοι να σηκώσετε ψηλά την σημαίαν και το λάβαρο της Ορθοδόξου μας πίστεως.

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Kyriaki – Sunday Sermonette
Issue No. 1851

The Necessity Of The Moral (Canon) Law

ΑΝΑΓΚΑΙΟΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΗΘΙΚΟΥ ΝΟΜΟΥ

ΟΙ ΙΕΡΟΙ ΚΑΝΟΝΕΣ ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΣ ΟΔΗΓΟΙ. pdf

The memory of the holy fathers, which we are celebrating, and certain conventions which are taking place as of late by theologians with the disposition of undervaluing so much the holy fathers (“metapatristic” theology) as much, also, the sacred canons (“codification”), give us the opportunity to remind ourselves again certain teachings of father Augustinos with diachronic timeliness.

A few years ago, my beloved, there was an attempt made to write off from the (Hellenic) Constitution and the bylaws of the Church the sacred canons which were compiled by the holy fathers with the breath of the holy Spirit for the governance of the Church.
This expulsion evoked, as was natural, the indignation of every orthodox Christian, and there were heard even on the part of hierarchs robust voices of protest.
The sacred canons are indissolubly connected with the god-bearing fathers, just as rivers with their sources. Either you accept the sacred canons and with them you also accept the fathers, or you reject the canons and together with them also reject the fathers of the Church. The “out with the canons” is identifiable with the saying “out with the fathers”. Whoever honors the canons also honors the fathers and whoever dishonors the canons also dishonors the fathers. How true this is, is proved by the fact that those clerics and lay-people who are followers of ecumenism, in trying to shake the validity of the sacred canons, speak overtly or covertly even about the fathers with disdain. Read more »

O EΛΕΓΧΟΣ, ΑΝΑΓΚΑΙΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ

(Need For Censure And Rebuke)

Τοῦ Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αὐγουστίνου Καντιώτου.
Ἡ μετάφραση στὰ Ἀγγλικὰ ἔγινε ἀπὸ ἀδελφο στὴν Ἀμερική, τὸν εὐχαριστοῦμε. Τὴν παραθέτουμε παρακάτω)

Δεν αρεσκόμεθα εις το να ελέγχωμεν. Θα ήμεθα ευτυχείς, αν δεν έδίδοντο σοβαραί αφορμαί προς έλεγχον και ο λόγος μας ήτο καθαρώς διαφωτιστικός, παρηγορητικός καί εποικοδομητικός. Αλλα δυστυχώς σκληρά ανάγκη επιβάλλει την χρήσιν ελέγχου. Διότι δεν κατοικοϋμεν εις κοινωνίαν αγγέλων, οι όποιοι εΐνε άγιοι καί ακαταπαύστως υμνούν τον Θεόν. Αλλά κατοικούμεν εις κόσμον, ο οποίος κατά την Γραφήν «εν τω Πονηρώ κείται» (Α’ Ίω. 5:9). Και όσον προχωρούμεν προς την συντέλειαν του κόσμου, το κακόν θα επιτείνεται και θ’ αποθρασύνεται περισσότερον. Και πάν ό,τι άλλοτε εγίνετο κρυφίως, θα γίνεται δημοσία εν πλήρει αναιδεία και αναισχυντία και θα χειροκροτήται δαιμονιωδώς. Εις τοιούτους καιρούς ο έλεγχος, όσον δυσάρεστος και αν είνε, και όσον και αν στοιχίζη εις τον ελέγχοντα, είνε απαραίτητος, έστω και αν δεν φέρη τα αναμενόμενα αποτελέσματα, έστω και αν είνε «φωνή βοώντος εν τη ερήμω». Ο Θεός διατάσσει τον προφήτην Ιεζεκιήλ να ασκήση έλεγχον, καίτοι δεν θα εισηκούετο. Ωραίον είνε, όπως λέγει ο ιερός Χρυσόστομος, ο σφοδρότερος ελεγκτής του συγχρόνου του κόσμου, ωραίον είνε ο ποιμήν να βοσκή το ποίμνιόν του εις χλοερόν λειμώνα και παρά κελαρύζοντα ύδατα και να παίζη την φλογέραν του. Αλλ’ αν εμφανισθή ο λύκος, τότε ο βοσκός αφήνει την φλογέραν και πλήρης ορμής αρπάζει την σφενδόνην και εκσφενδονίζει λίθους εναντίον του λύκου. Καιρός παντί πράγματι. Καιρός φλογέρας, αλλά και καιρός σφενδόνης.

Ο έλεγχος συνιστάται υπό της Γραφής. Και προ πάντων είνε καθήκον των πνευματικών ποιμένων και οδηγών. Ο απόστολος Παύλος, γράφων προς τον έπίσκοπον της Εφέσου Τιμόθεον, παραγγέλλει· «Έλεγξον, επιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον» (Β’ Τι. 4:2). «Τους αμαρτάνοντας ενώπιον πάντων έλεγχε, ίνα και οι λοιποί φόβον έχωσι» (Α’ Τι. 5:20). Ο ίδιος δε ο Παύλος, όπως βλέπομεν εις τας Πράξεις καί εις τας Επιστολάς του, ήλεγχε και εκαυτηρίαζε, αλλά και αφώριζε και παρέδιδεν εις τον Σατανάν προς βασανισμόν καί σωφρονισμόν πρόσωπα, τα όποια εξετρέποντο εκ της τροχιάς της πίστεως και της ηθικής ζωής και προεκάλουν δημόσιον σκανδαλισμόν. Ο Ι. Χρυσόστομος, παρατηρών εκείνους, οι οποίοι εσκανδαλίζοντο εκ του ελέγχου και δεν συνεφώνουν προς τον ελεγκτικόν λόγον, έλεγεν: 0ι θρασεϊς αμαρτάνουν δημοσίως. Ψεύδονται, κλέπτουν, αδικούν, καταπατούν θείους και ανθρωπίνους νόμους, βλασφημούν τον Θεόν, διασαλεύουν την ηθικήν τάξιν. Και εγώ να μη τους ελέγξω; Πώς θα συγκρατηθή το κακόν; Δια τούτο έγιναν τα άνω κάτω καί τα κάτω άνω, διότι ούτε ελέγχομεν, ούτε ελεγχόμεθα, λέγει επίσης ο ιερός Πατήρ. Ο δε Σωκράτης έλεγεν, ότι βίος ανεξέλεγκτος είνε βίος αβίωτος. Ήσκησε δε καυστικόν και εκτεταμένον έλεγχον των συγχρόνων του. Και δια τον έλεγχον εμισήθη υπό αρχόντων και κατεδικάσθη εις τον διά κώνειου θάνατον.
Ο έλεγχος αναγκαίος. Υποδείγματα δε ελέγχου υπάρχουν εις την Γραφήν. Διό και ο Παύλος λέγει: «Πάσα γραφή θεόπνευστος και ωφέλιμος προς διδασκαλίαν, προς έλεγχον, προς επανόρθωσιν, προς παιδείαν την εν δικαιοσύνη» (Β’ Τιμ. 3:16). Ακούετε τι λέγει ο Απόστολος; Η Γραφή είνε «ωφέλιμος προς έλεγχον». Τι σημαίνει τούτο; Όπως ο καθρέπτης είνε χρήσιμος προς έλεγχον της εξωτερικής μορφής καί εμφανίσεως του ανθρώπου, ούτω και η Γραφή, πνευματικός καθρέπτης, είνε χρήσιμος προς έλεγχον της πνευματικής μορφής και εμφανίσεως του ανθρώπου, διά να βλέπη δηλαδή ο άνθρωπος την αρετήν και την κακίαν εις όλας τας εκφάνσεις των και εκδηλώσεις. Εις την Γραφήν η αρετή τιμάται, έστω καί αν ασκήται από τον πλέον ταπεινόν και άσημον της γης. Η δε κακία ψέγεται και τιμωρείται, έστω και αν παρατηρήται εις την ζωήν των μεγάλων και των ισχυρών της γης. Η Γραφή δεν γνωρίζει προσωποληψίαν. Όπως ο καθρέπτης δεν κολακεύει, αλλά δεικνύει την μορφήν όπως είνε, όσον άσχημος καί αν εΐνε, και εις οποιονδήποτε και αν άνήκη, έστω και αν άνήκη εις τον ισχυρότερον άρχοντα, ούτω και η Γραφή δεν κολακεύει. Ελέγχει τον ταπεινόν της γης, ελέγχει και τον ανώτατον άρχοντα. Πάς άνθρωπος, εις οιανδήποτε εποχήν και αν ζή, εντός του πνευματικού καθρέπτου, ο οποίος λέγεται Γραφή, δύναται να ίδη την πνευματικήν κατάστασίν του και μορφήν, διότι εις την Γραφήν υπάρχει το ανάλογον παράδειγμα, ο παράλληλος βίος. Δια τον λόγον τούτον μοχθηροί καί κακεντρεχείς, άπιστοι καί άθεοι μισούν καί αποστρέφονται την Γραφήν. Δεν υποφέρουν τον έλεγχαν της ζωής των από την Γραφήν. Και ομοιάζουν με την διαβόητον αρχαίαν πόρνην Λαΐδα, η οποία, όταν εγήρασε και είδεν εις τον καθρέπτην τας ρυτίδας και την ασχημίαν της, έξωργίσθη καί κατέστρεψε τον καθρέπτην! Και εκείνος μεν ο καθρέπτης κατεστράφη. Αλλ’ η Αγία Γραφή είνε ο ασύντριπτος καθρέπτης των αιώνων.

Need For Censure And Rebuke

We do not take pleasure in censuring. We would be happy, if serious occasions for censure were not given and our discourse was purely enlightening, consoling and edifying. But unfortunately a hard need compels the use of censure. For we don’t dwell in a society of angels, who are saints and unceasingly hymn God. But we dwell in a world, which according to Scripture “lies in evil” (1 john 5:9). Read more »

Kyriaki – Sunday Sermonette
Issue No. 1858
Metropolitan Avgoustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina

A Response To The Critics Of The Sacred Canons

ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΚΑΤΗΓΟΡΟΥΣ ΤΩΝ Ι. ΚΑΝΟΝΩΝ.pdf

This past July, in the occasion of the remembrance of the Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Synod we opened an issue. The memory now of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Synod and the spirit of the undervaluing as much of the holy fathers (“metapatristic” theology) as much as the sacred canons (“codification”), give us again the opportunity to continue setting forth the related teaching of father Augustinos concerning the sacred canons drawing from his works.

If, my beloved, one steeps oneself in the study of the sacred canons as wise canon law specialists of the Orthodox Church interpret them, and indeed as saint Nicodemos the Hagiorite does; if above all he or she believes that the sacred canons are decisions not of a certain ministerial council or of some council but of sacred men who come together and deliberate in holy Spirit, then he will see them in a different light. He will see the depth of patristic thought and not the surface, the spirit and not the letter. “The letter kills, but the spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3.6). The essence, which is contained in the forms of the sacred canons, have eternal value.
Certain ones, in order to spurn and mock the sacred canons, refer to some of them which touch upon different questions of moral order, and standing firmly behind their letter maintain that the canons no longer have a place in contemporary life.
We answer them the following.
They say that the canons, since they were instituted 1.200 – 1.600 years ago, are excessively old. They forget however, that certain things don’t grow old. For example the sun, which despite its age is for all absolutely indispensable. Can the sun be abolished. Read more »

Spark no.606 (See also Kyriaki no. 863)
Τοῦ Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αὐγουστίνου Καντιώτου
by Bishop Augustine

ΣΟΔΟΜΑ ΚΑΙ ΓΟΜΟΡΡΑ

Ἀκοῦστε τὰ μικρα ηχητικά ἀποσπάσματα

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcPxaS3a2hM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RZbslCyytU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMEQ3OA2G_M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6SdbS4iIKY

ΑΝΟΙΞΤΕ το πιο σοφό βιβλίο του κόσμου, ανοίξτε την αγία Γραφή, και ψάξτε κάπου εκεί στην αρχή. θα δήτε, ότι ήτανε πέντε πολιτείες μέσα σ’ ένα πλούσιο κάμπο. Το χορτάρι ήταν πέντε μέτρα ψηλά, είχαν γίδια και βόδια, είχανε πλούτο. Και τί συνέβη; Πέσανε στην αμαρτία, πέσανε στη σάρκα· πέσανε στην πορνεία, στη μοιχεία, στα παρά φύσιν. Γινήκανε τῆς «οκάς». Γιατί ο άνθρωπος είνε πνεύμα, πού υψώνεται επάνω· ενώ αυτόν που έγινε «οκά», τον ζυγίζεις και όλη η αξία του είνε μόνο οι 50, 60, 80 οκάδες του σώματος. Άνθρωποι λοιπόν της «οκάς» είχαν γίνει. Σάρκες μόνο, χωρίς πνεύμα, χωρίς ιδανικά, χωρίς τίποτα το υψηλό. Μέσα στην κοινωνία εκείνη είχε μείνει ένας μόνο δίκαιος άνθρωπος. Και τους έλεγε· Αδέρφια μου, σταματήστε, φύγετε από την αμαρτία… Τίποτα αυτοί· το βιολί τους, το χαβά τους. Γλέντι, διασκέδασι, γυναίκα, πορνεία. Πέρα από τη σάρκα και πέρα από το κρασί και τη διασκέδασι δεν είχαν τίποτε άλλο στο μυαλό τους. Χτίζανε σπίτια, μέγαρα, όλα αυτά. Το τέλος ποιο ήτανε; Μια μέρα, εκεί του έλαμπε ο ήλιος, ξαφνικά ο ουρανός μαύρισε. Άστραψε, βροντούσε, και σε λίγο δεν έπεσε ούτε νεράκι ούτε χιόνι ούτε χαλάζι. Άλλα τι έπεσε; Φωτιά και θειάφι! Λαμπάδιασε ο τόπος. Καήκανε τα δέντρα, καήκανε τα πρόβατα, καήκανε τα γίδια, καήκανε τα σπίτια, καήκανε οι βασιλιάδες τους, καήκανε οι δικασταί τους, καήκανε οί δάσκαλοι τους, όλοι καήκανε. Έλειωσε το χρυσάφι τους, το ασήμι τους, όλα. Τα πέρασε ο θεός από κλίβανο. Και μετά, αφού καήκανε όλα, ξαφνικά βούλιαξε η γη σε βάθος 500 – 600 μέτρων, σε ένα χάος. Έγινε εκεί μια θάλασσα, που δεν ζή τίποτα. Σε όλα τα νερά ζουν ψάρια, σ’ αυτήν δεν ζή ψάρι. Τα Σόδομα και Γόμορρα έγιναν Νεκρά θάλασσα.

Το κακο επνιξε τον τοπο

Είνε αλήθεια ότι το κράτος —μέσα σε μια κοινωνία υποκριτών—, για να συμμορφωθή με τα Ηνωμένα Έθνη, έβγαλε μια διαταγή και κλείσανε τα σπίτια εκείνα, που τα διέκρινες από μακριά με ένα κόκκινο φανάρι που άναβε τη νύχτα. Βέβαια, τα κατήργησε! Πόσα σπίτια ήτανε αυτά; Ήτανε 100, 200, 300. Τώρα πόσα είνε; Κατήργησε εκείνα, και τώρα γέμισε ό κόσμος αλλά. Πύκνωσε το κακό· σε κάθε τετράγωνο, κάθε πολυκατοικία, κάθε δρόμο, κάθε σοκάκι, κ’ εδώ άπ’-έξω, γέμισε ό τόπος από αυτά.

–

ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ

Sodom and Gomorrah

Open the wise book of the world, open holy Scripture, and search somewhere there in the beginning. You will see there were five cities in a rich land. The grass was five meters high; they had goats and cattle; they had wealth. And what happened? They fell into sin, they fell in the flesh: they fell into fornication, into adultery, in sins against nature. They became “oka”. For man is spirit, which rises upwards; while he who has become “oka”, you weigh him and his whole value is only 50, 60, 80 okas of body. So they became people of “okas”. Flesh only, without spirit, without ideals, without anything high and sublime. In that society only one just man remained. And he would tell them: My brethren, stop, depart from sin… It fell on deaf ears; they couldn’t care less; they kept doing what they were doing, their pleasure. Partying, entertainment, woman, fornication. They had nothing more in their brains beyond the flesh and wine and entertainment. They were building houses, palaces, all these things. What was the end? One day, there where the sun shone brilliantly, suddenly the sky became black. There was lightning, thunder, and in a short time there fell not water nor snow nor hail. But what fell? Fire and brimstone! The region lit up. The trees were burned, the sheep were burned, the goats were burned, the houses were burned, their kings were burned, their judges were burned, their teachers were burned, all were burned. Their gold, their silver, everything melted. God passed them through a furnace. And then, after all things were burned, suddenly the earth sank to the depth of 500 – 600 meters, into a chaos. There a sea was formed, where nothing lives. In all the waters fish live; in this not a single fish lives. Sodom and Gomorrah became the Dead Sea.…

The Evil Has Choked The Region

It is true that the state – in a society of hypocrites – , to conform with the United Nations, made a decree and closed those houses, which you discerned from afar with a red light which was lit at night. Certainly, it abolished them! How many houses were they? They were 100, 200, 300. Now how many are there? It abolished those, and now the world has become filled with other ones. The evil has grown thicker; in every corner, in every building, every street, every alley, and here outside, the region has become filled with them.

TOWARDS AN ECUMENICAL SYNOD? (Πρoς Οικουμενικη Συνοδο;)

“It seemed good to the apostles and to the presbyters together with the whole Church” (Acts 15:22).

«Τότε ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ…» (Πράξ. 15,22)

Στὰ Ελληνικά
http://www.augoustinos-kantiotis.gr/?p=53237#more-53237.
344/1971 page of the periodical “Christian Spark”

Church = Christ

The Church is, according to the ingenious observation of sacred Augustine, Christ extended unto the ages. What does this mean? This means, that the teaching of Christ, the miraculous power, the holiness, the crucifixional sacrifice, the divine grace flowing from it will continue unceasingly by means of the Church, this mystical body of Christ, unto all the ages. But also the reactions, which Jesus Christ encountered during the three-year period of his divine activity in the world, won’t cease: these too shall continue unceasingly. Christ himself, a short while before his crucifixional sacrifice, said to his disciples: “If they persecuted me, they shall also persecute you: if they kept my word, they will keep your word too” (John 15:20).
Christ was a sign spoken against and a rock of scandal for the unbelievers? His Church also is a sign spoken against and a rock of scandal for the unbelievers of all ages. Only if the Church ceases to preach whatever Christ preached and to enact whatever Christ enacted, only then will the reactions of the world against Her will cease. The Holy Spirit indeed forewarned that as the centuries go by and the drama of global history journeys towards the end, that much also will the reactions of the world against the teaching of Christ and the trials of the faithful will increase. Frightful will be the conflict of truth against falsehood, which, constantly being armed, by all the means and attainments of an atheist philosophy and science, in the person of many antichrists, and particularly one, the great Antichrist, will muster all his powers to take out Christ, that is to say, his Church. The faithful will become few as never before. The small flock will be tested a lot. But the Church, vibrant and free, Orthodoxy, will gather together her children under the all-powerful wings of the Eagle and will go forth into the desert, not only modally, but also regionally, until days of refreshment come again for the greatly pained people of God.

The Maniacal War Against The Church Read more »

4th Sunday of Lent 4-4-1965 Athens
Speech in full, by Fr. Augoustinos Kantiotes,
translated into English by I.M. Agiou Augoustinou Florina

• Introduction: This is an English translation of a prophetic speech, in full, given in Greek by Fr. Augoustinos Kantiotes in Athens 4-4-1965 when he was a priest-preacher (ἱεροκήρυκας). The abridged version of the speech in Greek can be found in the “Kyriaki” pamphlet no. 1940 and the speech can also be heard on the “Foni Voöntos” CD series, in Greek, CD no. 114. Although Fr. Augoustinos was speaking to Greeks and had the Greek nation in mind, it can easily be adapted and applicable to every country. (Note that in Greece army duty is compulsory.) We see in our days that his prophecy has been fulfilled.

The responsibility of raising children
“from childhood” (Mark 9:21)

My beloved Christians, did you hear the Gospel reading? Today, Mark the Evangelist narrates a miracle to us. One of the innumerable miracles that our Lord Jesus Christ did, does and will do until the end of the ages.
The Evangelist narrates how the Lord healed a youth, a youth who had suffered —may God protect us— a terrible illness. He suffered from a demon, he was possessed. The Gospel says that this youth was in a miserable state, because he had ears, but Satan had blocked his ears so he couldn’t hear any conversations. He had a tongue, but the devil had tied it in a knot and he couldn’t utter a word. And when he had one of his crisis’ he fell sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water, he foamed at the mouth, gnashing his teeth, and writhed like a fish out of water. So therefore this youth was in a miserable state. But his father was even more miserable. And where nobody could heal this youth, Christ healed him.
I am not going to take this Gospel reading word by word to analyze it and present all its rich teachings, my beloved. But if you will allow me, I will give a short homily and I plead with you to pay attention to only one point. What is this point? It is a question that our Lord Jesus Christ directed to the father, and the answer that the father gave Christ. The question is, Christ asks the father: How long has this been going on? When did this start? When did the youth get sick? Read more »

(12 ἀπομαγνητοφωνημένες ὁμιλίες τοῦ Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αὐγουστίνου Καντιώτου σὲ pdf, μεταφρασμένες στὰ Ἀγγλικα)

I.M. Agiou Augoustinou
Florina 531 00
GREECE

Dear Fathers and Friends,
Gerondissa Synglitiki is pleased to send you these homilies of Fr. Augoustinos which have been translated into English.
Most of them have been translated by Rev. Dr. John Palmer of Canada.
We hope you enjoy them and receive much spiritual benefit.
Please feel free to pass them on to anyone you think may be interested.

1. The withered fig tree.pdf

2. Are we Ready

3. Christ Lives and Reigns

4. Christ Noetic Sun

5. Creator of All-1

6. Death and Ressurection

7. Death equals Birth

8. Eternity

9. New Heresies

10. Saint Kosmas the Aetolian as a Missionary

11. The History of the Cross

12. The Salvation of our souls

Are We Ready for Christmas?

(Εἴμαστε ἕτοιμοι γιὰ τὰ Χριστούγεννα;)

Metropolitan Avgoustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina

Beloved in Christ, I would like to ask you a question; I ask it of myself and I ask it of you. Are we prepared to celebrate the great feast of Christmas?

There are two kinds of preparation; material and spiritual. Our material preparation is more or less finished. Housewives have cleaned their houses, husbands have finished – or have almost finished – their shopping, and children await their presents. Everyone has written their Christmas cards, signing them with the customary, ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy New Year’. This is worldly preparation; I am not interested in this. What I am interested in is spiritual preparation, the kind of preparation which makes us ready to celebrate the great event of the Incarnation of the Divine Word as is proper. Only a small number have properly prepared themselves. Of one thousand Christians, I doubt if even one celebrates Christmas truly. Does my estimate seem exaggerated? Let us see.

How is Christmas celebrated today? A portion of Christians will celebrate it ‘typically’, let us say. Hearing the bells on Christmas Eve, they will go and take part in the service out of habit. This is certainly better than being absent altogether; it is something at least. Read more »

A SHORT ANTHOLOGY

 OF NICHOLAS J. SOTEROPOULOS

(IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

CONTENTS TABLE

1. Do You Want To Be Saved?………………………………………………….. 1
2. I Ask for Forgiveness!……………………………………………….. 21
3. Elder Porphyrios Special Interview with Nicholas J. Soteropoulos….……..28
4. The Few…………………………………………………………………………. 34
5. Three Qualities of the All-holy Mary………………………………………….45
6. God Does Not Punish?……………………………..52
7. How Scripture Speaks Concerning Heretics………………………………….55
8. Critical Commentaries (Nafpactou)……………………………………………58
9. Wrong Perceptions Concerining Orthodoxy………………………………….59
10. The Humbling Mystery……………………………………………………….66
11. Proofs of God’s Existence …………………………………………………….68

DO YOU WANT TO BE SAVED?

Read more »

The all Holy Virgin

«And was incarnated by the Holy Spirit and of

the Virgin Mary and became man»

http://www.orthodoxpath.org

Dear friends, humanity is the summit of earthly creation, and if God created nothing else, mankind would be enough to testify that there is a God, an all-wise God, omnipotent and benevolent. What an excellent creation man is! We see a beautiful statue and admire it, and no one dares to say the statue created itself without the sculptor. But, when compared to a human, what is a statue, even the most perfect one kept in a museum and considered a treasure of infinitive value? The statue is dead, inanimate, idle. It has eyes but does not see, ears but does not hear, feet but cannot walk. Man, however, is alive, with soul, and active and creative statue, which when studied more and more gains more and more admiration. Common sense says that, just as every statue was made by an artist, man was created by God.

Man is a marvelous creation of God, a little bit less than the angels, and is divided into man and woman. Man and woman are equal. They have the basic characteristics of human personality, reason, conscience, will and the rest. They do possess differences, but the differences between man and woman does not reduce, but rather enhance the admiration due to humanity. They add beauty and charm, making human life a pleasant thing. Since the first man until now, billions of people have been born. Of these billions of people, men and women, there have been some who have tried to destroy the grandeur of humanity by their criminal acts, they tried to degrade the human personality and put the human race to shame. Mankind fell from the lofty height of honor and dignity into the slime of dishonorable passions, and became like the wild beasts. Reading history and seeing contemporary reality, one shudders and is ashamed of mankind’s horrible crimes and shameful acts. Among billions of people, however, there are still some who, by their acts and virtues, have honored and continue to honor humanity, demonstrating that we were created for a higher purpose, making us aspire for heaven, for the blessed life which man lived in Paradise before the Fall. Read more »

– New Heresies – ΝΕΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ

By +Metropolitan Augoustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina

«We will not deny you, Beloved Orthodoxy» – Joseph Vryennios

ΟΥΚ ΑΡΝΗΣΟΜΕΘΑ ΣΕ ΦΙΛΗ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ…Ιωσήφ Βρυέννιου    

Of late, certain theologians, under the influence of contemporary, world-wide currents, have begun to savour the words «ecumenicity», «ecumenical spirit», and «ecumenical movement», as if they were hard-candy.  Ecumenicity; what a beautiful word!  And yet, behind these words, lay hidden a most fearful danger for Orthodoxy.  What is this danger?  We will show you by means of an example.  
     Imagine a woman, a woman faithful to her husband, a woman who will allow no third party to enter into their relationship, ever mindful of the promises which she had made before God and before men.  She is a woman of exceptional beauty, drawing the eye of many a man.  On account of her uprightness, however, anyone who dares to touch, or to proposition her, immediately meets with her anger.  Should such a one persist, this honourable woman will deliver a strong slap to his face in order bring him to his senses.  
     Those men who are learned in this vile business, however, will try another method.  These will try to uncover what it is that this woman likes; does she perhaps love poetry, or philosophy, or art?  By means of these things the secret admirer will trap her.  With great deftness he will begin having innocent conversations with her on those subjects that are beloved to her.  «What a wonderful poem!»; «What a beautiful painting!»; «What a wonderful play!»; «How sweet a piece of music!»  And thus begins the dialogue.  Gradually the unsuspecting woman is lured into longer conversations with the deceiver who, while his tongue speaks of philosophy and art, his heart leaps at the hope of taking the woman for himself.  Finally, after an air of great familiarity and mutual understanding has been achieved through these conversations, the door is opened to the foul deed, the shameful union.  Just as the most-evil serpent succeeded in beguiling Eve by means of a simple conversation, in like manner the seed of shameful union was sown. Read more »

BISHOP AUGUSTINE N. KATIOTES

FORMER METROPOLITAN OF FLORINA

Anti-papal Discourses

“The piety, or godliness, handed down to us by out fathers we shall not deny…In this we were born, in this we were baptized, in this we associated, in this we live and in this shall we fall asleep (die): and if the occasion invites us, we shall die a thousand times in its behalf and no one shall be able to separate us from this true confession. Do not move eternal bounds, nor transpose ancient legislations…Until the end, brothers in Christ, let us remain firm in Orthodoxy, let us keep godliness/piety unbroken, unshaken, and let us keep the faith sure, let us reverence the fathers, let us venerate the saints, let us fear the Lord, and let us not betray our salvation. No one compels us, nor is forced obviously, if we ourselves do not apostasize (fall away) from the good membership of the Church. Let us, then, be manly and no one shall be able turn us over.

JOSEPH VRYENNIOS

(See, “THE SURVIVING WORKS”, “TA EVRETHENTA”,Vol. I, pp. 147,148, Leipsia, 1768)

Dedicated to the faithful children of the Orthodox Church struggling against papism, especially in the Hellenism abroad.

PROLOGUE

Since the time the patriarch of Constantinople Athenagoras without the canonical decision of the Orthodox Church lifted the Anathema against the heretical papists and with frequent declarations and other activities hastened very quickly to the pope, to the orthodox world, and indeed to archbishoprics and metropolises which are dependent upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate, there was created a philo-papal and a philo-unionist climate, which reminds one of the climate prior to the fall of Constantinople. The philo-unionists then, hoping in the pope’s help for the saving of Constantinople, hastened to Ferrara and Florence and signed the false-union with the papists, being heavily pressured religiously, but also being played nationally, since essential help on the part of the pope for the saving of the Byzantine Empire was not given.

After Read more »

In Honour of the Holy Apostles

by matushka constantina

Βιβλίο Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτου

( he Blessed Bishop Fr. Augustine +

ORTHODOXY BEFORE ECUMENISM

CONTENTS………………………………………………………….1
Dedication…………………………………………………………….
Prologue………………………………………………………………
Instead of an introduction (1971)……………………………………

I. On the occasion of the convening of conventions……Evanston (1954)
In Rhodos (1959)………………………………………………
New Arguments (1969)…………………………………………

II. To the ecumenical patriarchs……………………………………..
Open letter to ecumenical patriarch lord Athenagoras (1962)….
Upon the enthronement of ecumenical patriarch
lord Demetrios (1972)……………………………………
Open letter to ecumenical patriarch lord Demetrios (1985)……
III. Ecclesiastical Affairs in Austrailia……………………………….
Australia (1986)………………………………………………….
Our radical difference (1986)………………………………Done
Dialogue and its consequences (1987)……………………..Done
Are we prohibited from speaking about Christ? (1987)……Done+
Charge against the archbishop of Australia lord Stylianos (1989).
IV. Appendix…………………………………………………………….
Crisis of conscience (1988)………………………………………

Year 42 – Athens – July – August 1986 – Issue No. 447

A timely article from the Greek religious periodical

“CHRISTIAN SPARK”

Editor-Publisher

AUGUSTINE N. KANTIOTES Bishop of Florina

Response to the archbishop of Australia Mr. Stylianos

OUR RADICAL DIFFERENCE

Yet again, my beloved readers, yet again the word is concerning Australia.

We are not disposed to be occupied with the internal problems of the Church of Australia, whose Archbishop is the most reverend Stylianos. As the he himself admits, there is nothing personal between us. Neither have I seen his face nor he mine. There exists however, a collision of ideas, and indeed at the most sensitive point, which is the Orthodox Faith. And in this case according to the spirit of patristic teaching it is permitted to each bishop – and bishop only? – wherever on earth he may dwell, that he raise his voice of protest, so that heresy and error might not prevail not only in his region, but in whichever other place on the planet, because all, clergy and laity, are – we must be – guardians, to whose ears the constant admonition must resound: GUARDIANS, BE VIGILANT! Error, even the incorrect dealing with the issues of the faith, which scandalously shows good will to error and heresy, engender the greatest danger, because the evil as a spark is spread from one end to the other, as the history of heresies testifies.

For this reason this writer also, Read more »