«Winning battles isn’t the only thing; winning the war is the only thing.»

«Revenge is so sweet, God has reserved it for Himself» (Stanley Michael Sarantis)

STUDENT LIGHTNING

OCT-NOV. 1999, no. 118

“Emit a flash of lightning, and You will scatter them; shoot out Your arrows, and You will convulse them.” (Psalm 143:6)

Panhellenic Militant Bulwark of Christian Students

The One Shall Conquer

By the Metropolitan of Florina, Fr. Augustinos

Our beloved children,

As I direct my word to you, I feel very moved. Three feelings dominate in my soul. The one is joy, the second is sorrow, and the third is worry.

I rejoice, because it is no small thing in the contemporary world, in this epoch of atheism and unbelief, to see hundreds of children, boy and girl students of junior high and high school, like thirsty dear running to the well, to the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the catechetical schools. This consoles us and enthuses us a great deal. That’s why I feel joy and glorify God.

However, I also feel sorrow, because as bishop I ought to have been your catechist (religious instructor), the catechist of all the children of my diocese and even of little children too, because that is the most important work of the bishop. So I ought to have taken on the job of teaching of children, of teaching in all the classes of religious instruction in the schools of the Metropolis.

I remember the unforgettable years, when as a preacher I went to different cities of Hellas and didn’t have the heavy weights of the episcopal office; I had many classes of religious instruction and my joy and gladness was to shepherd the lambs of Christ. Unfortunately now I must confess, that I am found far from the youth of the fatherland. And this, because in my old age I have taken on a heavy cross, the burden of my Episcopal duties.

But on fact minimizes this sorrow of mine: that I have entrusted the catechism of children not to professionals, but to noteworthy missionary persons, clergy and laity, men and women and even girls, who work unselfishly in the Lord’s farm. These people were at other times students of the catechetical school and they know very well the incalculable value that catechism or religious instruction has, in the formation of the Christian character.

So they speak from experience and from their sense of duty. To these persons, who worked with zeal, our Church expresses her pleasant satisfaction. The catechetical school is the only school that doesn’t pay. The religious instructor doesn’t receive even a penny. And yet, it is the only school the world hates mortally.

Here beside us in Albania, no Sunday school was allowed to function. The priest was not allowed to approach and catechize the children.

***

So the one feeling I sense is joy, the other sorrow, and the third worry.

I, the old bishop, worry a lot. I heard you with joy and gladness, children, singing and chanting. You seemed to be nightingales that sing in the forest. But the question arises: After three years, after five years, ten years, when you grow up, when you go to university and receive your diplomas, when join the army, when…, when…you get married, will you continue to have this fervent feeling, which you have at this moment?

I doubt it and worry. Because I know that this shameful society of the 20^th century – not only in Hellas but everywhere – , which unfortunately has the name that it is Christian; 95% of it is antichristian. Within this society that children live, they meet many obstacles, which don’t allow them to form a stable Christian character. Everything pushes them to atheism; the radio, the television, books, teaching, the whole climate of society is contrary to the Christian faith and morality. And it is heroism in these years of ours for a young man to believe in Christ. For this reason those who believe are few, a minority in this world. But as few as they are, in our days the saying is realized: “Out of the mouths of infants and sucklings I shall create praise” (Psalm 8:3; Matt. 21:16).

These children are few. But as few as they might be, they have within them an indefatigable militancy for the supporting of the Orthodox faith. To these heroic children, the children in whose veins flows the blood of heroes and martyrs, we must remind the saying: “Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you” (James 4:7). Resist the devil and he will distance himself from you.

Few are these children in relation to the majority of youth, in relation to the world of atheism and unbelief. To these children, who with so much yearning go to catechetical school (religious instruction), I would like to say the following.

My children, as few as might be, have no fear. Only be careful not to be led astray by the current of evil. For this reason I will remind you of the following myth of Aesop.

At one time a fox was captured in a trap and her tail was cut off. She remained crippled. How can she now return without a tail with the other foxes? She couldn’t; she didn’t feel well. Then she thought to make the other foxes cut off their tails. So she went and called all the foxes from the forest and made a speech, being careful all along, however, for them not to see that she didn’t have a tail.

My beloved sisters, she says! God did many good things for us. They made us the smartest animals in the world. We live well. We have brains, intelligence and cunningness. We go to the chicken pens, grab the chickens, eat them, and we get along wonderfully. We have everything. But we have one fault. God gave us something that we don’t need.

–         What? said the other foxes.

–         Why here, he gave us a tail. And it gets all caught up, and it doesn’t allow us to move comfortably. For this reason I propose here at our convention, to cut our tails, so we can become more mobile, more free, but also more beautiful.

–         You speak correctly, said the foxes. Let’s cut our tails.

Then an old female fox gets up and says:

–         Let’s see, does she have a tail?

When they saw her ugliness, they all disapproved her. Because she didn’t have a tail, she would recommend to the others, too, to cut off their tails. In this way they comprehended her cunningness and didn’t cut off their tails.

The myth indicates. If a girl loses her honor, she immediately calls her friends and tries to lead them astray, to make them like her. For them to lose their honor. Because she was corrupted, she wants all the girls to be corrupted. This is a mania, a form of envy, of evil, and a catastrophe.

Thus also does the person with tuberculosis; he who suffers from tuberculosis. In earlier times, those who had tuberculosis would spit in oranges, in order to transmit their illness to others, too. Because they had tuberculosis, they wanted to make others have tuberculosis. That’s what girls that have been corrupted do; they want to transmit their corruption to as many other girls as possible. So stand as far away from such corrupted girls and boys. They’re foxes without tails.

And let the boys and girls steer clear from children who smoke. A boy of 12 years old, who began to smoke, tries to make all his other friends smoke.

So, far from such persons. The children of Hellas, the Christian children, must offer resistance, must resist against evil, which is found around them.

***

I said at another time too, and I repeat it here now, and I won’t stop repeating it. When I was a preacher, up on the high mountains of Grevena, there where the wells of Aliacmona are, I saw one thing: I saw the waters of the river, that as many fish that were dead, the water took them, and went down to Thessalonica. As many fish that were alive, these would go against the current.

My children! Be live fish of the great fisherman, of our Lord Jesus Christ. Go against the faithless and corrupt society. Against your father and mother, when they are faithless and push you towards atheism. Go against the teachers and professors, if they deviate from their destiny and preach unbelief and atheism to you. Go against faithless and perverse society. Go against that global current of corruption. Against all the demons. We shall resist as Hellenes, as Christians. And you can be sure, that as few as you might happen to be, the atheists and faithless shall not conquer; the faithful shall conquer. Because really Christ did not die, but lives and reigns unto the ages of ages.

Now an old bishop, who am found at the end of my earthly life, after living a life of hardships and difficult adventures of so many decades in the fatherland, I recommend to you the following:

If, children, a time comes, not in a theater but in reality we too hear “Persection!”, and priests and bishops grow faint-hearted and the churches are led astray so that they dissolve the Gospel, offer resistance. Whatever happens in Albania and whatever in other far off countries, will happen in Hellas too; I prophecy. But know one thing very well; the atheists won’t be victorious, the faithful will conquer. You, my children, as few of you as might remain with Christ, have no fear; you shall conquer. And even if, my children, child of the catechetical, religious school, a child of Hellas, of Macedonia, of Asia Minor, and of Pontus, and even if your mother and your father denies you and you remain alone in your city or your town, and if all society kneels before the devil, you don’t kneel. Fight him. And you the one shall conquer.

I said it before and I stress it again. Other lands may bow down. But Hellas, which is painted with the blood of saints, shall not kneel down. In your veins, of the small and great, flows the blood of martyrs. Our land shall remain a fortress of Christ. We shall prove yet another time, to the utter dismay of demons, that Christ didn’t die, but lives unto the ages of ages.

Your spiritual father

(This was a homily delivered to boy and girl students of catechetical, religious schools during a celebrative function in the city of Ptolemaida, in 1978).

_______________________

Revelation: “Let he who has ‘mind’ and «wisdom» decipher the number of the antichrist, the beast; it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. The numerical value of the Greek letters for 666: B-e-n-e-d-i-c-t-o-s. Certain of our Protestant friends, like St. Cosmas and other saints, have identified the beast arising from the land (signifying semi-civility) of the West to be the Pope; while the beast arising out of the sea (signifying the chaos of barbarity) the East is identified as Mohammedasim

***

(Taken From the Pamphlet “The Disdainers”)

Let our dear readers allow us to begin the present pamphlet with an icon taken from the collection of the Aesopian myths. For, even in these famous myths of antiquity there exist certain hidden practical truths that the careful listener or reader is able to see by cutting the skin under which is hidden the essence of the mythical, the allegorical narrative. At all events, no comparison can be made between the myths of Aesop and the parables of the Lord, which from every perspective comprise unsurpassable monuments of speech through icons taken from the physical life that teach the highest truths concerning the kingdom of the heavens. But let us see the Aesopian icon.

A certain rooster in the courtyard of a hen was scratching around in the dirt. It was poking around in the dirt so that it might find something for food, a seed or a worm. But there where it was hoeing, here now there appears a precious stone, a diamond, which was covered with dirt. To the rooster this superb finding made no sensation whatsoever. The bird only wanted to find pits and worms. Diamonds? What would it do with them? He is not a diamond jeweler. One grain of wheat, one worm for the rooster was the only thing of value. For this reason, also, with his foot he gave it a light kick and threw away the diamond and continued the digging of the dirt.

***

So that the fruit of impiety is the disdaining of God and the things of God. A pridefulness and a haughtiness to the highest degree dominates in the heart of such kind of people. God? For them He does not exist or rather He exists. He is their own self. He is their knowledge. He is their science. He is especially material power, which they have amassed. He is the iron sword which they hold and brandish above the rest of humanity. Concerning the ancient Scythians it is said that as an idol to which they offered their bloody sacrifices they had … a huge iron sword. That was their god. But do you think that perhaps today too he is not the god of the big nations, whose rulers have confidence in only their material powers and threaten the world and ridicule those who in the 20^th century of atomic energy continue to express themselves piously concerning the Supreme power of all, the power of God?

The prophet Habakkuk, in describing such a man, who has obtained material power and threatens others, says that he is like a monster, like Hades, who opens his jaws and seeks to devour all people and all things; but he also prophesies the miserable end of this man. Be, says the prophet, be sure, that a superior power, the power of God, in a moment that no one expects, will overthrow the human-form beast, the antichrist system, and the pious people will see, will marvel, will glorify God upon the destruction of the tyrant, who disdained every spiritual value and believed himself to be God and called nations and peoples to worship his own self. Let us hear the same: “Look among the nations and watch – be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you.” (Habakkuk 1:5)

ΤΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΠΑΠΙΣΜΟΣ;

«Τόν Πάπα νά καταρᾶσθε, αὐτός θα είναι ἡ αἱτία»

(Άγιος Κοσμάς ό Αιτωλός)

Το «δίς εξαμαρτείν ουκ ανδρός σοφού», έλεγαν οι παλοιοί. Άν είναι ανόητον να την πάθει κανείς δυο φορές, το να πηγαίνει στό στύμα του λύκου, ενώ προηγήθησαν όχι μία άλλο πολλές  «ευκαιρίες» για να τον γνωρίση, και μάλιστα όταν δεν πρόκειται απλώς δια το άτομον. αλλά δι’ αυτό το έθνος, την ορθόδοξον πίστιν μας, την ψυχήν μας, η τοιούτη θεληματική εξαπάτησις συνιστά έγκλημα φοβερόν. Αποθνήσκει ένας Πάπας, γίνεται άλλος (και περίεργον πώς πεθαίνει, αφού κηρύσσεται θεός), καί Χριστιανοί Έλληνες δείχνουν ότι πολύ τους μέλει καί ούτε πολύ ούτε λίγο βούλονται να τον νομίσουν και ως ευργέτην! Το να λησμονούν τι έπαθον, ακόμη και να μη υποπτεύωντοι και προβλέπουν, για να πάθουν τα ίδια κοί χειρότερα, αυτή είναι η στρατηγική τών «εξύπνων» Ελλήνων; Μήπως είδον ποτέ είλικρινιαν εις τον καταχθόνιον παπισμόν, μήπως έπαυσέ ποτέ να είναι ο αιώνιος και αδιάλλακτος εχθρός του Ελληνισμού και της Όρθοδοξίας, μήπως άλλάξαν ποτέ αι κακούργοι διαθέσειες του καθ’ ημών;

Ιδιαιτέρως η Κύπρος, ήδη από την εποχήν της φραγκοκρατίας γνωρίζει την…καλωσύνην και τας «καλάς διαθέσεις» του παπισμού. Όταν μελετά κανείς τας τρομεράς πιέσεις και τα φοβερά δεινοπαθήματα πού υφίσταντο οι Κύπριοι από τούς παπιστἀς, κυριολεκτικώς κλαίει κοί φρίσσει. Όχι μόνον τας περιουσίας τους επήραν έδωσαν εις τους τιμαριούχους «ευγενείς» φράγκους τους δε Κυπρίους έκαμαν δουλοπαροίκους των, αλλά και την πίστιν των «κατεπάτησαν, τας ορθοδόξους μητροπόλεις κατήργησαν και έκαμαν λατινικάς, και υποχρέωσαν τον κλήρον  των λαών ν’ αναγνωρίσουν τον Πάπαν  – άγιον πατέρα- αλλ’ αυτό τούς εχώριζεν από την Όρθοδοξίαν και τους λοιπούς Ορθοδόξους. Τόσω τρομεραί ήσαν αι πιέσεις των παπιστών, ώστε η επέλευσεις των τούρκων (1571) εθεωρήθη υπό των Κυπρίων λύτρωσις. Εάν ο αγροίκος ασιάτης ήτο περισοότερον βάρβαρος καί αἰμοβόρος,  όμως άφηνε τουλάχιστον κάποιαν έλευθερία εις τα της πίστεως. Ενώ οι παπισταί φράγκοι όχι μόνον τα κτήματα των άλλο και την ψυχήν των εβούλοντο να κλέψουν! Ούτε οι σκύλοι δεν θα έκαμναν, όπως οι παπασταί κατά το Μαρτύριον των Αγίων Δεκατριών της Καντάρας, πού τούς έκαψαν ζωντανούς εις το κεντρον της Λευκωσίας καί ακολούθως έρριψαν πάνω εις τα Λείψανα των Άγιων πτώματα ίππων και χοίρων καί τα ξανάκαψαν!!  Και αυτό είναι ένα απο τα πολλά βασανιστήρια των παππιστών εις τούς Χριστιανούς.

Άλλαξε ποτέ αυτή η…φιλαδελφος νοοτροπία, του Πάπα και των παπιστών; Δεν είναι πολύς καιρός, πού η επίσημος εφημερίς τής Αρχιεπισκοπής τούς εχαρακτήρισε «λύκους βαρείς» και με δριμείς λόγους τούς εκάκιζε και τους κατηγόρει: και τώρα οι λύκοι έγιναν αρνία και «αδελφοί», και άνθρωποι της εκκλησίας και της πολιτείας σπεύδουν ν’ αποδώσουν «τιμἀς» και ίσως περιμένουν απο αυτόν … οφελιμότητα! Σημειωτέον, ότι ουδέν άλλο ορθδόδοξον κράτος ανεγνώρισεν, ως η Κύπρος, επισήμως τον παπισμόν, με κογκορδάτον, πρέσβυν κλπ., όπερ είναι ύβρις κατά του Θεού και της Όρθοδόξίας. Και όσοι σέβοντοι τον θεόν καί την πίστιν των, ας συνειδητοποιήσουν περί τίνος πρόκειται καί διότι παρεχωρήθη να μας έλθουν τα κακά και να εξυπνισθούν δια να μη μας έρθουν τα χειρότερα.

Αντί να «συλλυπούνται» Χριστιανοί Έλληνες, ότι πέθανε ένας Πάπας, προτιμότερον να ελυπούντο ότι πέθανε αμετονόητος αδιόρθωτος αιρετικός και σύρει όπισθέν του εκατομμύριο ανθρώπους για να φτάσουν «στου σατανά την αγκαλιά μάνα μαζί με τα παιδιά», όπως λέγει το περί αυτών ρητόν του λαού μας. Δεν έχουν ύπ’ όψιν των οι κληρικοί και λοιποί πού σπεύδουν να δείξουν «ενδιαφέρον» περί Πάπα, τι λέγει η Εκκλησία μας, τι λέγουν οι Άγιοι μας. ΄Η όλα τα καταπατούν; Οι Πατέρες μας λέγουν, ότι αφ’ ότου εξέπεσεν απο την ορθόδοξον πίστιν όχι μόνον «ποιμήν» και «αρχηγὀς» δεν είναι ο Πάπας αλλ’ ούτε πρόβατον υγιές, άλλο ψωρολέον χρήζον θεραπείας. Ό ‘Αγίος Μάρκος Ευγενικός διακηρύσσει «Πέπεισμαι ότι όσον μακρύνομαι Λατίνων, τοσούτον ένούμαι τη αλήθεια και τοις αγίοις πατράσι και τοις θεολόγοις της Εκκλησίας.» Άλλος Άγιος λέγει «Εάν συγκαταβήτε Λατίνοις, Χρίστος υμάς ουδέν ωφελήσει». Ο άγιος ιερομάρτυς και Ισαπόστολος Κόσμάς Αιτωλός (1779), ο όποιος επροφήτευσε πολλά θαυμαστά πού έγιναν εις τους καιρούς μας, επροφήτευσε και τούτο «Τον Πάπα να καταράσθε, αυτός θα είναι η αιτία.» Οι περιφρονούντες την Ορθόδοξιαν και τους Πατέρας της και θέλοντες να σχετίζωνται με Πάπαν και παπιστάς, ας ενθυμούνται τούς αφωρισμένους της Μ. Λαὐρας του αγίου Όρους, οι όποιοι συνελειτούργηοαν με τους λατινόφρονας και παπιστας (1274) και μετά θάνατον έμειναν άλυωτοι τυμπανιαίοι, τα νύχια και τα μαλιά των μεγάλωσαν υπέρμετρα ωσάν αγκάθια και έγιναν φρικιαστικόν θέαμα, πού όποιος τους έβλεπεν έμενεν ο τρόμος είς την ψυχήν του έφ’ όρου ζωής: δια τούτο τους έκρυψαν εις απρόσιτον σπήλαιον.

Τόσες φορές έπεχειρήθη ένωσις με τούς ποπιστάς, που πάντοτε επίδιωξις του Πάπα ήτο η υποδούλωσις και εξαφάνισις της Ορθοδοξίας και του Ελληνισμού και πού τόσας φοβεράς ζημίας επροξένησαν εις το έθνος και την Εκκλησίαν και τάς ψυχάς. Με την ψευδένωοιν της Φερράρας—Φλωρντίας (1439), μήπως εβοήθησαν ο Πάπας τους Χριστιανούς Έλληνας; Πού δι’ αυτό επρόδωσαν την πίστιν των, ή μάλλον, όπως βεβαιώνουν οι Ιστορικοί, επέσπευσε την πτώσιν τής Κωνσταντινουπόλεως και καταστροφήν του κράτους, την οποίαν αυτοί προητοίμασαν με τους θεομισίτους σταυροφορίας των; Τα παθήματα δεν θα μας γίνουν ποτέ μαθήματα; Άλλαξε λοιπόν η είναι δυνατόν ν’ αλλάξει ποτέ ό παπισμός; Πού, πότε και πως πορετηρήθη ποτέ τοιαύτη πρόθεσις; Τούναντίον η αιμοβορία και η δολιότης και σατανική πανουργία και άναισχυντια του «συγχρονίζονται» και δεν έχουν όρια. Κατά τον τελευταΐον μεγάλον πόλεμον οι παπισταί έσφαξαν λυσσωδώς 800,000 Ορθοδόξων εις την Κροατίαν τής Σερβίας και εγέμισαν κοφίνια με μάτια Ορθοδόξων πού ετύφλωσαν, ως καταγγέλλουν εις επίσημα βήματα Σέρβοι επίσκοποι.

Ο Πάπας διατάσσει τους δικούς του να φορούν ορθόδοξα ράσα εις τας χώρος μας και να «εορτάζουν» τω Πάσχα συγχρόνως με τούς Ορθοδόξους διά προσηλυτισμών. Δια τους σκοπούς των, ευρίσκοντες όργανα «όρθοδόξους», επέτυχαν να εισαγάγουν το ημερολόγιόν των είς την Όρθοδοξίαν από του 1924, παρά την αντίδρασιν των ευσεβών, δια να διαιρέσουν τούς Ορθοδόξους και ώς «πρώτον βήμα», όπως τω ώνόμαοαν, δια -ένωσιν, πού όμως δεν θα είναι του Χριστού, αλλά του αντίχριστου. Διά τον παπιστικόν προσηλυτισμών στήνουν «σχολεία» των εις την πατρίδα μας—ωσάν να μη είμεθα άξιοι νά έχωμε σχολεία—δια να διαβρώσουν την πίοτιν εις τάς ψύχος των παιδιών μας και δια τα όποιο πολλάκις εξεφράσθησαν δριμύτατα αυτοί πού σήμερον σπεύδουν να τους «τιμήσουν». Ποιὁν λόγον θα δώσουν οι γονείς πού στέλλουν τα παιδιά των εις τα τοιαύτα σχολείο, δια να τα χωρίσουν από τον Θεόν και θανατώσουν τάς ψυχάς των.

Καλό περιμένουν ο Χριστιανοί Έλληνες απο τον Πάπαν «τω θηρίον της Άποκαλύψεως», ή ύπονόμευσιν και εκμετάλλευσιν; Ας μη λησμονούμε την ιστορίαν και μη περιφρονούμε τους Πατέρας μας και ας εννοούμε – «ότι αι ήμεραι πονηραί εισι».

WHAT IS PAPISM?

“Curse the Pope, for he shall be the cause” (St. Cosmas the Aeotolean)

“To err twice is not of a wise man’s nature”, that ancients used to say. If it is foolish for one to suffer twice, to go into the lion’s den, when there preceded not one but many “opportunities” to get to know him, and indeed when it is not about simply an individual, but about the very nation, our orthodox faith, our soul, such-like willful deception constitutes a dreadful crime. One pope dies, another comes to be (and his death is a strange thing, since he is preached as being god), and Christian Greeks show by their words and behavior that he means a great deal to them, and more or less they want to think him to be a benefactor! For them to forget what they suffered, still not even to suspect and look ahead, so that they might suffer the same and worse things – this is the strategy of the “intelligent” Greeks? Perhaps they ever saw sincerity in underworld popery? Perhaps she ever ceased to be the eternal and incorrigible enemy of Hellenism and Orthodoxy? Perhaps she ever changed her evil-dealing dispositions against us?

Particularly Cyprus, already from the time of Frankish rule, knows the … goodness and the “good dispositions” of popery. When on studys the terrible pressures and the fearful extremely hard sufferings that the Cyprians were subjected to by the papists, literally one cries and is terrified. Not only did they take their properties and gave them to honorable “noble” Franks, and made the Cyprians their colonial slaves, but even their faith did they “trample underfoot, they abolished the orthodox metropolises and made latin ones, and forced the clergy and laity to recognize the Pope – holy father – but this separated them from Orthodoxy and the rest of the Orthodox. So horrible were the pressures of the papists, that coming of the turks (1571) was regarded by the Cyprians as liberation. If the savage asian was more barbarous and blood-thirsty, yet, nevertheless, he allowed some freedom with regard to matters of faith. While the papist Franks not only deliberated to steal the properties of the other, they even deliberated to steal their soul! Not even dogs would have done, as did the papists during the Martyrdom of the Holy 13 of Kantaras, whom they burned alive in the center of Lefkosia and following that threw over the Relics of the Saints the corpses of horses and swine and burned them again!! And this is one of the many tortures of the papists against Christians.

Has this … brotherly mentality of the Pope and the papists ever changed? It was not long ago, when an official paper of the Archdiocese characterized them as “ravenous wolves” and with harsh words showed their evil nature and accused them: and now the wolves became lambs and “brothers”, and people of the church and of the state hasten to render unto him “honors” and perhaps await from him…benefits! It is noteworthy, that no other orthodox nation recognized, as did Cyprus, papism officially, with a concordant, embassador etc., which is an insult, an hybris against God and Orthodoxy. And those that respect God and their faith, these people should become aware of what this issue concerns, and how it was permitted for evils to come upon us, and we should wake up so that worse things do not befall us.

Instead of Christian Greek “offering condolences”, on account of the death of a Pope, it would be preferable for them to lament that an unrepentant and uncorrectable heretic died, and is dragging behind him millions of people in order to reach “satan’s bosom, mother with children:, as the a saying of our people goes with regard to them. The clerics and the rest of the people who hasten to show “interest” concerning the Pope, do not know what our Church says, what our Saints say? Or they trample all underfoot? Our Fathers say, that since the very instant the fell and renagaded from the orthodox faith not only is the Pope not a “shepherd” and “Leader”, but neither is he a healty sheep, but lice-filled in need of therapy. Saint Mark Eugenicos declares “I am convinced that the more I distance myself from the Latins, that much more I unite with the truth and the holy fathers and the theologians of the Church.” [Elsewhere he says, “the Latins are not schismatics; they are heretics.” And, “flee from the latin-minded clergy as you would a poisonous snake.”] Another saint says “If you condescend to the Latins, Christ shall in no way benefit you.” The saint and sacred-martyr and Equal to the Apostles Cosmas the Aetolos (1779), who prophesied many marvelous things that came to pass in our times, prophesied this too “Curse the Pope, he shall be the cause.” Those disdaining Orthodoxy and Her Fathers, and wanting to be associated with the Pope and papists, shoul remember those of Megistis Lavra of Mount Athos who were excommunicated for concelebrating with the latin-minded clerics and the papists (1274), and after death their corpses remained as uncorrupted drums, their nails and hair grew beyond any normal degree, and looked like thorns and become a horrific sight, a sight which, whoever beheld their gruesomeness, terror would remain in their soul for life: for this reason the hid them in an unreachable cave.

So many times was the union with the papists endeavored, that every time the ambition of the Pope was the enslavement and extermination of Orthodoxy and of Hellenism, and which provoked so many fearful damages to the nation and the Church and the souls. With the false-union of Ferrara-Florentia (1439), perhaps the Pope helped the Christian Greeks? Which on account of this reason they betrayed their faith, or rather, as Historians affirm, they hastened the fall of Constantinople and the destruction of the nation, which they prepared with their god-hated crusades? Will not the sufferings ever become lessons to us? So have they changed or is it ever possible for popery to change? Where, when and how was such-kind of disposition ever observed? Quite the opposite, his bloodthirsty and beguiling and satanic cunningness and shamelessness are “modernized” and have no bounds. During the last World War the papists slaughtered rabidly 800,000 Orthodox in Serbia’s Croatia, and filled barrels with the eyes of the Orthodox they had blinded, as Serbian bishops declare from official seats.

The Pope orders his own to wear orthodox robes in our nations and to “celebrate” Pascha (Easter) at the same time with the Orthodox for proselytizing purposes. For their aims, finding “orthodox” instruments, they have succeeded in introducing the new calendar into Orthodoxy from 1924, despite the reaction of the pious faithful, so that they might divide the Orthodox and as a “first-step” as they called it, for union, which shall not be of Christ, but of the antichrist. For their papal proselytism they set up “schools” in our fatherland – as if we are not capable enough to have schools – in order to corrupt the faith in the souls of our children and for which many times those who hasten to “honor” them expressed themselves most harshly. What account shall the parents who send their children to such-kind of schools, so that they might separate the from God and murder their souls.

Do the Christian Hellenes await something good from the Pope “the beast of the Apocalypse”, or undermining and exploitation? We should not forget history and disdain our Fathers and we have to understand – “that the days are evil”.
____________

Christian Orthodox Periodical “He Soteria”, Sacred Monastery of the ALL-holy Ever-Virgin Mary, Lemesos. Those wishing to disseminate such-kind and other Orthodox pamphlets, write us and we shall send you

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Χριστ. Ορθόδοξον Περιοδ. «Η ΣΩΤΗΡΙΑ», Ι. Μονή Παναγίας, Γερμασόγεια, Λεμεσού. 0ι επιθυμούντες να διανείμουν τοιαύτα και άλλα Ορθόδοξα φυλλάδια, ας γράφουν να τους στείλωμε.

…Mε βαθιά αγάπη της καρδιάς μου καί πνευματική ευγνωμοσύνη της ψυχής μου, το αφιερώνω στον σεβαστό Γέροντα, στον ανίκητο καί παραδειγματικό μαχητή της ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑΣ, στόν φωτισμένο ιεράρχη της του Χριστού Εκκλησίας, στόν φλογερό καί ακούραστο ιεροκήρυκα του Λόγου του Θεού, Επίσκοπο Φλωρίνης, πατέρα Αυγουστίνο…

ΧΡΙΣΤΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΙΝΟ!

With deep love from my heart and with a whole lot of gratitude from my soul, I dedicate this work to the honorable Elder, the exemplary champion of Orthodoxy, the enlightened hierarch of the Church of Christ, the fervent and the restless preacher of the Word of God, Bishop of Florina Father Augoustinos

LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST HELP BISHOP AUGOUSTINOS!

(This is the prayer that he always

asked the faithful of his audiences to say for him)

A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF THE LIFE

OF THE CHAMPION OF ORTHODXY

BISHOP OF FLORINA

AUGOUSTINOS KANTIOTIS

1907: He was born in Lefkes on the island of Paros from God-fearing parents Nicholas and Sofia.  His father was a shop-keeper and his mother was a teacher.  He is baptized with the name Andrea.

1915-1925: He was granted a scholarship to study in the Gymnasium of the island Syros.   He finished his studies there with excellent grades.

1925: He was admitted to the Theological School of the University of Athens.

1929 (December): He graduated with “excellent” grades.

1929-1934: He lived for a few years with his mother in one of the islands in the Cyclades, dedicating his time to studying while teaching at the Elementary School of the island.

1934 (December): One rainy day, while walking, he sees on the ground a small-sized postal envelope.  He bends down and picks up the envelope from the mud.  The surprise is even greater when he sees that the envelope is addressed to him. Apparently it had fallen accidentally from the bag of the aged postman of the island.  He opened it and read it right-away. The Metropolitan of Aetolia-Acarnania Ierotheos invited him to go to Messolonghi and take over the position of the secretary of the Metropolis.  He saw this as a call from God and immediately accepted the invitation of the Metropolitan.

1934 (Christmas): Andreas Kantiotis, the son of Nicholas, is the only passenger on the boat to Pireaus, and the captain thought this was strange.

1934-1941: He took over the position of the principal deputy (protosyncellus) in the Metropolis of Aetolo-Akarnania.  He gave his very first sermon there in Messolonghi.

1935: He was tonsured a monk taking the name Augoustinos.  He was ordained a deacon by the Metropolitan of Aetolia-Acarnania Ierotheos.

1941: He was transferred to the Metropolis of Ioannina where he served as a preacher.

1941 (Christmas): In front of the Italian usurpers and with Metropolitan of Ioaninna Spyridon Vlachos (afterwards the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece) officiating the Devine Liturgy, he preached patriotic messages from the pulpit.  The Italians, greatly displeased by this, gave an order for his immediate arrest.  The Bishop didn’t allow him to preach in order to protect him.  Then, the preacher Augoustinos, seeing that he is no longer needed there decided to leave. He departed during wild winter storm leaving his mother behind.  The Italian secret police searched his house and when they didn’t find him they arrested his elderly mother.

1942: He arrives in Macedonia.  In Yannitsa he learns from a Greek officer about the order for his arrest by the Italians.

1942: In Yannitsa the Metropolitan of Edessa and Pella Panteleimo ordained him to the priesthood.

1942: In the same year he was transferred to the Metropolis of Thessaloniki from where he undertakes successive trips to Kilkis, Veria, Edessa and then Florina (a city in northern Greece).  In Florina, he criticized the local Metropolitan Vasilios from the pulpit. He criticized him because while being the Bbishop of Florina he spent most of his time residing in Athens coming to Florina only on Christmas and Easter.  The Metropolitan, being in Athens, is informed about this by phone and immediately sends a telegraph ordering the removal of Augoustinos.  In reality this worked out for the better because by leaving Florina the preacher Augoustinos escaped a greater danger. The Germans occupiers had arrested 10 patriots of Greece in the area and burned them alive outside the village Proti – near Florina. Surely he would have been among the executed.

1943-1945: He is transferred to Kozani (a city in northern Greece).  The Metropolitan of Kozani Ioakim Apostolidis had already left the city for the mountains.  All the villages around there were being burned by the Germans and the people fled to the city.  Hunger and death was wide spread.  The preacher Augoustinos, during these very difficult times appeared like an Angel of God and saved the city and all the inhabitants in it.  Using whatever means he could he created and managed a local soup-kitchen.  These were daily meals which on certain days reached 8,150 meals.  This was truly a miracle which he attributes to this day to Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas is the patron Saint of the city of Kozani.  Many times the Germans (especially the Gestapo) had condemned him to death and sought his execution but God was always on his side and protected him!

1945-1947: He was transferred to the Metropolis of Grevena.

1947-1950: He was called up as an army priest and preacher serving the 2nd Brigade of the Hellenic Army that had its headquarters in Kozani.

1949: From the pulpit of the military Church of Saint Athanasios of Kozani and in the presence of the country’s leaders, he forbid the chanting of the Polychronion (“many years” chant) for King Paul of Greece. King Paul was a very powerful man at the time.  In his sermon he referred to him as not being “honorable” as the hymn declares but as “dishonorable.” He harshly criticized him for signing a government order through which Freemasonry was recognized as a philanthropic organization and as such it should be supported by all the Holy Churches and Monasteries of Greece.  The thundering voice of this army priest was the beginning of new persecutions and chastisements for the preacher Augoustinos. Finally, the King recognized his mistake and withdrew his signature from the pro masonic order and stoped all condemnation against the preacher Augoustinos.

1950-1951: He was transferred to the Metropolis of Karystia, with its headquarters in Kymi (an ancient city in Euboea, Greece).

1951-1967: Archbishop Spyridon Blachos assigned him to be the official preacher of the Archdioceses of Athens.  This period of his life is a time of great spiritual activities and battles. It was also a time of persecutions, expulsions and chastisements for the preacher.

1964: He was admitted to the hospital of the “Annunciation of the Theotokos” in Athens for an operation.  Following the operation he contracted a bad infection which brought him close to death.  All the clergy, the monasteries and the faithful people held prayer vigils.  The doctors, trying very hard to save him, could only raise their hands towards heaven and announce that only a miracle of God could bring him back to life.  They even predicted the hour of his death. And on what was supposed to be the “last night” of his life, they sent a young doctor to stand by his death-bed until his final hour.  The miracle was granted.  The hour that was determined by the doctors to be the hour of his death, became the moment when the high fever broke all of a sudden and his heath takes the road to recovery.  After 60 days of convalescing he was released from the hospital.  He himself declared at that moment with a sense of awe and prayer: “Why, my Lord and God, did you bring me back to this life?  What plans do you have for me?”

1965: The Holy Synod voted to silence him by forbidding him from preaching because of his strong stands against some of the bishops and metropolitans who were caught up in scandals.  He objected and fought against the transfer of Bishops which is forbidden by the Holy Canons of the Orthodox Church.  The faithful people rushed to his defense and along with the support of the press of that time. The Hierarchy, seeing this kind of reaction immediately withdrew their directive forbidding him to preach.

1967 (May): Tthe unthinkable took place; on that day, the sun rose from the east – as he always would say!  The unsavory and disagreeable preacher, who had found himself most of the time under expulsion and chastisement because of his criticisms, was elevated to the position of a  Bishop and was elected Metropolitan of Florina.

1967-2000: He served for 33 years as the Metropolitan of Florina, during which he dedicates himself to the Church of Christ with many sacrifices.   He resigned in the year 2000.

2010: He completed 10 years following years of very energetic service at the age of 104 years old.  He worships during the Holy Eucharist and other services of the Church in the Holy Monastery of Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine was Bishop of Hippo (in modern day Algeria). The Monastery is located in the city of Florina – this monastery is the last of his dedicated hierarchal work, and from there he continues to give his blessings to the faithful people of our Church.

Humbly translated from the original Greek

by Aleksander P. Filip

May we all have your blessings your Eminence!

ΧΡΙΣΤΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΙΝΟ!
Lord Jesus Christ help Bishop Augoustino!

Η μετάφραση στα Αγγλλικά έγινε από τον ακούραστο εργάτη και αγωνιστή της Ορθοδοξίας πνευματικόν τέκνον του π. Αυγουστίνου, τον π. Αστέριο Γεροστέργιο.
Προσφέρεται ταπεινά καί μέ την έν Χριστώ αγάπη είς ψυχικήν ωφέλειαν Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών απανταχού της γης καί επισκεπτών της ιστοσελίδας τού σεβαστού Γέροντος Αυγουστίνου, πρός δόξαν του Τριαδικού μας Θεού.

SUNDAY OF THE MYRRH-BEARING WOMEN

Mark 15:43-16:8

WOMEN

And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices so that they might come and anoint him.

Today’s Sunday is called the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.  The Myrrh-Bearers are those women who, in spite of the fear spread by the enemies of Christ, dared to go to Golgotha before Sunday’s dawning, to anoint Christ’s body with myrrh.  Because of their ardent love and faith, they were the first to hear the glad news of Christ’s resurrection and to become the evangelists to the disciples who were terrified and hiding at a friend’s house.  The disciples were timid!  The myrrh-bearing women were brave.  In that situation, the women proved to be incomparably greater than the men.

God, as we all know, created Adam as the first human being.  He created him “according to His image and likeness” and put him in paradise.  But the all-wise and all-kind God didn’t want to leave Adam that way.  When he slept, God took one of his ribs and fashioned the first woman, Eve.  When Adam awoke, he was amazed.  Of all creation Eve appeared in Adam’s eyes to be the most beautiful.
God fashioned man and woman in such a way that the one fulfilled what was lacking in the other.  That which man had, the woman did not have; that which the woman had, the man did not have.  A man has certain abilities and talents, and a woman has others.  With their union, the one complete the other, and a human being is brought to perfection.

There is a story that when a certain young man married, he was filled with such joy and happiness that he wrote to his teacher, the famous Koraes, and told him: “Teacher, I am no longer alone.  I married and became two”.  Koraes supposedly answered him: “No, my boy, you didn’t become two, you became whole”.

A man and a woman are like two half people who, when they are joined, form a whole person; they are like two hemispheres which, when joined, make a whole sphere.  Man is more mind and woman is more heart, and in that holy union of marriage they complement each other.
It is impossible for a viable community made up only of men to exist, just as it is impossible for a community made up of only women.  The attraction God planted in the hearts of men and women is what brings the two races close to each other; it joins them, and from that joining, the new generation results.  Only in exceptional cases can men or women who are overwhelmed by divine love conquer, by the grace of God, the natural attraction of man toward woman and woman toward man;  only a few can succeed in living a kind of angelic life in a human body and present an image of that heavenly life we anticipate in which the genders will cease and all will live like angels in the Kingdom of Heaven.  For these people, the hymn might be said: “To the hermits life is blessed, because it is possessed by divine love”.

Man and woman.  Both are exceptional creations of God, with abilities and gifts to fulfill the high mission given to them by God – that is, to continue life by child-bearing.  God elevates man and woman and makes them co-workers in the making of new people.
Man and woman.  Equal members in the human community.  What does this mean?  Let’s remember St. Cosmas Aitolos who, speaking on the subject said: “Look and see how God created woman.  He didn’t take a piece from the head of the man because He didn’t want her to be superior to him.  But He didn’t take a piece from man’s foot, because He didn’t want her to be a slave to him.  He took one of man’s ribs, which is over his heart, to show that woman is dear to him – equal and beloved.”

God created one man and one woman.  This means that God is against polygamy of man and woman.  If God wanted them to have many wives, as the Koran teaches and the flesh-worshipers of our age practice – even though they are called Christians – God would have had to fashion one man and many women.  If God wanted woman to have many husbands, then He would have made few women and many men.
Christianity is against polygamy.  One man for one woman is proper, and one woman for one man.  One marriage is blessed, and only after special dispensation does the Church allow a second and a third marriage.  Even then, there are penances for those who marry a second and a third time.
Unfortunately, though Holy Writ orders these rules on marriage, the opposite takes place in societies that are governed by the Spirit of God.  At one time man became woman’s tyrant, and woman found herself in a miserable condition; she was treated like an animal and even worse than an animal.  At other times, the woman was the tyrant, and under her tyranny, men became degenerated beings, slaves and pack animals, led around by these corrupted women.

The Bible condemns both extremes.  The Bible wants man to be an affectionate husband and father, who behaves with love and courtesy toward his wife and children, not as a dictator.  The Bible also wants the woman to be at the height of her mission, a precious companion to her husband, a loving mother, the queen of her house who is dedicated to bringing up her children.  The Bible wants the woman to be a myrrh-bearer, like the myrrh-bearers of today’s scripture reading.  A woman like that can offer a great service to the world.  Such a woman surpasses man in heroic achievements of faith and virtue.  A woman like that appears to the world like an angel who spread the myrrh of love.

Myrrh-bearing women!  How few of them there are in this contemporary society of ours, which is rotted by unbelief and corruption.  If only those few and pious women who hear or read this homily could be all women.

This chapter was taken from the book
“DROPS FROM THE LIVING WATER”
by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

_______________

Translation by
Rev. Fr. Asterios Gerostergios
e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net
www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

«Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

Ομιλία 7 – Ο ΥΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ

Η μετάφρασι ολόκληρου τού βιβλίου (δύο τόμους) στά Αγγλλικά έγινε από τόν ακούραστο εργάτη καί αγωνιστή της Ορθοδοξίας, πνευματικόν τέκνον του πατρός Αυγουστίνου, πατέρα Αστέριο Γεροστέργιο.  Προσφέρεται ταπεινά καί μέ τήν έν Χριστώ αγάπη είς ψυχικήν ωφέλειαν Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών απνανταχού τής γής καί επισκεπτών της ιστοσελίδας τού σεβαστού Γέροντος Αυγουστίνου
πρός δόξαν του Τριαδικού μας Θεού.

THE SON OF GOD

(Ο ΥΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ)

In our last homily, we saw what the names, LORD, Jesus, and Christ mean.  In addition to these three names, the second article of the Symbol of Faith adds yet another name when it speaks about Christ.  The name is SON OF GOD.

Christ is the Son of God.  About this we will now speak.  The subject is very difficult, but very necessary for our salvation.  Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to sense and understand the truth contained in these few words.

Once, when Christ was alone with His disciples in a desolate place, He asked them a question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?” (Matt.16:13).  That is to say, when people hear my teaching and see my miracles, what is their opinion of me?  The disciples answered: Some say you are John the Baptist; others that you are Elijah the Prophet; others, that you are Jeremiah; and still others, that you are one of the prophets of the Old Testament returned from the dead.

As we can see from the disciples answers expressing the impression Christ gave to those who saw Him, everybody except His bitter enemies admired Him and considered Him an excellent person, a great personality, who, by what He said and did, was able to emulate historic persons of the Old Testament.  But they thought no further.  And this is still happening today.  People of our times, like the ancient Jews, admire Christ as a great man in world history, but they stop there.
After this answer, Christ asked a second question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt.16:16).  That is, people who hear me have this notion about me, thinking that I am one of the prophets, but you, who live with me, what do you think about me?

Peter, who was the most ardent of the disciples, answered the question: “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God”. Upon hearing Peter’s confession, Christ said: Blessed are thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”  He enlightened your mind and you said it.  This is a truth.  And on this truth, like on a firm, unshakable rock, I will build a Church, and no power of satan will ever be able to destroy it.

What Peter confessed in that desolate place the Church is still preaching and will continue to preach until the end of time.

O my Christ!  Your are the Son of God, living and reigning forever.

When Christ was arrested and brought before the Jewish Court and the High Priest asked Him, “Art thou the Son of the living God?” if Christ answered “no” to this question, the accusations would have been dissolved and Christ would not have been condemned to death; but Christ answered with a firm and unshakable “yes”, because his answer “Thou hast said” means “Yes”.  The High Priest understood it to mean “yes” and that is why, when he heard he was horrified, tore his clothes, and said that Christ had blasphemed because He made himself out to be the Son of God, adding “We do not have further need of witnesses” (Matt 22:63-65).

Now the question is put to us: What did Christ mean when He said He was the Son of the living God, for even we are called sons of God and raise our eye to heaven and call God “Father”.  We are children of God, but Christ’s name of Son of God differs greatly from our being called sons of God.  Christ is not the Son of God by calling, but by nature.  He is of the same essence, consubstantial.  He is not a creation, like us.  We are of a different essence, a different substance.

Are the things we discuss too difficult?  Let’s try to simplify them.

Our existence in this world is limited.  There was a time when we did not exist.  We were born and came into the world at a certain point in time.  We live in the world for a few year until the time comes to die, and we end our bodily life.  Our soul does not die, it’s immortal; however, we are speaking about bodily existence.  While we live but a short time, Christ, as Son of the living God, was born in a way beyond our understanding, before all ages, before Abraham and Noah, before Adam, before the creation of the angles and archangels.  There was not a moment in all of time when Christ did not exist, and to use theological language, we say, “As the Father exists, so exists the Son and the Holy Spirit: O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!”

It is in this sense, which we in some way explained, that the Holy Scriptures refer to Christ as the Son of God, and this is declared as a truth of the Faith in the Symbol of the Faith.

Unfortunately, a man named Arius did not accept this fundamental truth of our Church.  He admired Christ as a man, preached His grandeur, confessed His miracles but did not accept Him as God.  He maintained that Christ is the first creation, superior to the angels and archangels, but lower than God.  He preached that there was a time when Christ did not exist.  This is the horrible heresy of Arius, and it is this heresy that the Jehovah’s witnesses teach today, and they blaspheme St.Athanasios the Great while honoring the arch-heretic Arius.

The heresy that Christ is not True God, but a creation of God, was condemned by the First Ecumenical Synod.  The Synod declared Christ to be consubstantial with (of the same essence as) the Father.  The followers of Arius fiercely fought against this “consubstantial”.  At one point they wanted to add one letter to the Greek word for consubstantial, “homo-ousios”, “i”, iota, in order to call Christ Homoi-ousios (of similar essence) instead of homo-ousios (of the same essence).

The Church did not want to add this iota and struggled greatly, and the Symbol of the Faith remained unchanged.  Together with the Saints and Confessors, let every one of us proclaim: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.  Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made”.

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

Translation by
Rev. Fr. Asterios Gerostergios
e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net
www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης πατρός Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτου
«Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

Ομιλία 8

Ο ΥΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥ

THE SON OF MAN

“Who for us and for our salvation came down from Heaven,
and was incarnated by the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary…”

Our Lord is a sign that has been contradicted.  People have made war over his name.  This began on the day of His birth and continues to this day, and will go on until the end of the world.  No other person in history was fought over so much as Christ.  Unbelievers and atheists reject Him; heretics teach ideas which are contrary to the Holy Scriptures and our Sacred Tradition.  Heretics, egotists that they are, interpret the Holy Scripture as they wish and think they have discovered something new.  Some of them dispute the divinity of Christ, others question the humanity of Christ.  Who are they?

With Christ as a prototype, people again become truly human, with all the depth and breadth the word contains, while outside of Christ, man is dehumanized, losing every element of nobility, exhibiting not the image of Christ but that of Antichrist.

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

Translation by
Rev. Fr. Asterios Gerostergios
e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net
www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου

«Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

Ομιλία 9

THE ALL HOLY VIRGIN

Η ΠΑΡΘΕΝΟΣ

“An was incarnated by the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary and became man”

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.

Dear Christians, let us all fight to stop this blasphemy and save ourselves from God’s wrath.

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

Translation by
Rev. Fr. Asterios Gerostergios
e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net
www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

Μετάφραση στα Αγγλλικά  – Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο «ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ» του Μητροπολίτου π.Αυγουστίνου

PREACHING WILL NOT STOP

Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life

-Acts 5:20

Who should expect it, beloved!  People who were uneducated and who didn’t attend schools and universities – people to whom the world paid no attention – how does it happen that these people, poor and powerless, the Apostles, who hid in fear on Holy Friday and didn’t dare come out to visit the tomb of Christ, now appeared in public and preached Christ with power?  How did the timid become brave and fearless?  How these illiterate people become orators and wise men?  How did this change take place?  It cannot be explained unless we accept the fact that two great happenings affected their lives.  One was the resurrection of Christ, the other was the descent of the Holy Spirit.  The Apostles saw Christ, Who arose from the grave, with their own eyes.  They believed in Christ absolutely.  There was no doubt whatsoever in their souls.  Then, in fulfillment of Christ’s promise, they received “power from on high”, or the Holy Spirit, and the rabbits became lions.  “Such is the change at the right hand of God”.

We see today in the excerpt that was read how successfully the Apostles preached the Gospel of Christ.  The Gospel has never had as much success as it had during the days of the Apostles.  Don’t you see?  Those base and unbelieving people – the people who hated Christ and who got together on Holy Friday and shouted: “Crucify, crucify him” – they heard the Apostles who were preaching, they repented and were baptized by the hundreds and thousands.

The growth of the first Church is another miraculous event.  To what, we wonder, is the astonishing growth of the first Church attributed?  It is attributed to the preaching of the Apostles, the preaching that came out of their mouths like fire, illuminating and warming frozen hearts.  Those who heard them understood that the Apostles believed what they preached and were ready to shed their last drop of blood for Christ. Without the Apostle’s preaching, would the Church have grown?  Preaching is the life of the Church – not just any kind of preaching but the kind of preaching that the true preachers of Gospel, people who believe and are ready to make every sacrifice, do.
So now we know that the major reason that the first Church was able to progress and grow was the preaching of the Apostles.  But something else contributed to the growth and progress of the Church, and that was the miracles of the Apostles.  As today’s Epistle lesson says “By the hands of the Apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people”. (Acts 5:12).  What miracles?  Wherever the Apostles happened to pass in Jerusalem, the people brought the sick in their beds and waited in the streets and squares of the city.  They waited for the Apostles to pass.  The Apostles had so much power to cure the sick that it was only enough for Peter’s shadow to fall on them and they became well.  Even the sick who came from the neighboring cities and villages, and even those possessed by demons, were cured by the miraculous power of the Apostles.  Thus the preaching of the Apostles, in combination with the miracles they performed, took on an unprecedented brilliance and made the people believe and repent.  Oh, if only today’s preachers had the power to perform miracles!

The progress of the Gospel and the rapid expansion of the Church did cause considerable anxiety.  The Jewish authorities certainly were not pleased.  They had killed Christ, thinking that by doing so the troublesome preaching would stop.  But after Christ’s death, the preaching did not stop, but rather continued with great success.  The Jewish authorities did not expect this, and they became enraged.  They arrested the Apostles and threw them in jail.  They thought this action would silence the name of Christ.  But again they were mistaken.  A new miracle took place: God intervened.  An angel unlocked the door of the jail at night and told the Apostles: “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life”. That is to say, the angel told them: “Go and stand there where you preached.  Stand fearlessly and courageously and preach the words that bring life to dead souls.  Preach to the people.”  Yes, to the people, the angel emphasizes, which means that, if the leaders who have the power and are full of egotism and pride don’t want to hear the preaching, don’t be influenced by their denial or be afraid of their persecutions.  Talk to the people, women and men, young and old people.  There are people out there who are not egotistical and who want to hear the preaching. The preaching of Christ, which the greatest of all the preaching of the world, can’t help but motivate people who are tired of hearing the dull preaching of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees.

“Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life”.  This voice of the angel crosses the centuries and reaches us.  It is also directed to today’s preachers and apostles of Christ because preaching can never stop.  No one can stop it, just as no one can stop the rushing waters of a river with fences.  The river will knock down the fences and continue on its way.  The purpose of the river is to run.  The word of God also has its purpose to run.  Yes, the word of God will run; it will be preached in all times and in all centuries.  It will bring divine blessings everywhere, and it will perform the greatest of miracles.  Spiritually uncultivated and waterless places will change into exceptional gardens of God’s grace.

Oh bishops, priests, theologians, and preachers of Orthodoxy: listen to the voice of the angel and with heroic conviction preach the Gospel to our people.

This chapter was taken from the book “SPARKS FROM THE APOSTLES” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.
Translation by Asterios Gerostergios
e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net
www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου
«Απόστολος –Sparks from the Apostles».

ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΣΧΑ

(ΟΙ ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ)
Μετάφραση στά Αγγλικά από τόν π. Αστέριος Γεροστέργιο

EASTER SUNDAY

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8

WORKS

The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all
that Jesus began both to do and teach.

-Acts 1:1

Christ, beloved, the founder of our Holy Church, was a teacher.  He taught things that no one before Him had ever taught, and you can be sure that on one, no matter how wise he may be, will ever say greater things than those which Christ has preached.  His teaching was the highest of all teaching.  There is none higher.  Those who read the Bible without prejudice will tell you that of all the other teachings heard both in ancient times and today, no matter how they may dazzle people, none can compare to the teachings of Christ an all are far below that very pinnacle of Christ’s divine teaching.  You, too, beloved, open you Bible and read just one page, any page.  Wherever you open the Bible, you will see that a river of pure gold runs before you.

Read, for example, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  Read it carefully, and you will be convinced how right the philosopher was who said that if Christ had but told this one parable only, it would have been enough to prove that He was not a man but God.  God, who created man, knows man’s heart, knows how he thinks and acts.  Because of this, the teaching of Christ, in spite of the severity which it seems to have, corresponds to the noblest of desires and aspirations of man and offers to suffering humanity what all the philosophies of the world cannot offer.  Christ’s teaching offers joy and peace and comfort of the heart and mind.  The greatest teaching of Christ is love, a word that was totally unknown to the ancients.  Oh love, divine gift, angel with golden wings!  Oh love, divine flame, the flame that Christ ignited in the hearts of people!  Oh love that rises upward and reaches the stars, surpasses them, and touches God to sing hallelujah.  It comes downward to embrace all of God’s creatures, especially man, and creates sacred bonds of family, of brotherhood!  The God-man taught love for God and love for fellow man.  And in that love He enclosed all of the commandments.
Christ taught love.  He taught that we should love God, the Heavenly Father.  He taught that we should love our parents.  He taught that we should love other people like brothers.  He taught that we should love even those who are our enemies and pray for them.
But Christ did more that teach this greatest teaching.  His teaching isn’t the only miracle.  His life is a much greater miracle.  For someone to teach is an easy thing to do.  But to practice what he teaches is far more difficult.  Christ practiced what He taught.  Christ taught that we should love God.  But who loved God the Heavenly Father the way Christ did?  Who ever prayed to God with the fervor Christ prayed to Him?  Christ spent nights without sleep in ardent conversations with His Heavenly Father.  Christ taught that we should love our parents.  And He himself, while nailed to the Cross, did not forget His Holy Mother.  He took care of her.  Christ taught that we should love our enemies.  He himself loved His enemies, even though they hated Him with a passion.
Christ taught that we should forgive our enemies and pray for them.  He prayed for and forgave His own enemies.  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing,”  He was heard saying a few moments before He gave up His spirit to the Heavenly Father.

We must follow Christ’s example.  We must also do what He taught and practiced.  But how can we practice what Christ taught, many of you will ask.  Christ practiced these virtues, but after all He was a man and a God, and as God-man He had the strength to carry our the most difficult commandments and to accomplish the greatest works.  And we are not Gods.  We’re people – people with weaknesses, people with faults and vices, people who want what’s good, people who marvel at what Christ said – how can we do it?  The morality that he taught is impossible to practice.  His teaching isn’t applicable, especially in present times.  So what do we do?

Most of us will ask this.  But what do you say, Oh people?  That Christ’s teaching isn’t feasible, is unrealizable?    But if history presents you with people who also had imperfections and shortcomings but practiced the teaching of Christ, what would you say?  If only one person in the world who practiced Christ’s teaching were found, he would be enough to prove that Christ’s teaching can be practiced.  But there is not just one person who did this.  Many people heard Christ’s words and then did wonderful and marvelous deeds.  And those who saw them marveled  and said that if a religion gives such power to people to overcome weaknesses and passions and to surpass human standards, then this is a religion that is divine in origin, and He Who established it is God.

Do you want to see people who believed in Christ and did everything He taught, beloved?  Open the book of the New Testament that is called the Acts of the Apostles.  Today, on this holy day, this great holy day of Christianity, the Sunday of Easter, we read the beginning of the Gospel according to John, and the Epistle reading is the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles in the Divine Liturgy.  The Bible is the story of the life of Christ.  The Acts, a continuation of the Bible, is the story of the Apostles of Christ and the first Christians.  It contains not only their teachings but also what they did.  The Apostles applied Christ’s teaching.  They loved God, and they loved their neighbor.  For this love they abandoned everything.  Poorly clothed and hungry, they traveled the world, preaching everywhere and performing miracles.  In some instances – don’t be surprised – they performed miracles that were even greater than those of Christ.  They performed them with His power and in this way proved that what He said was true when He said that “not only that which I do you shall do, but even greater things” (John 14:12).

My beloved! We must put Christ’s words, which we hear in Church, into practice and into works in the community in which we live.  We must show our children and future generations that faith is not dead in our times but alive – a faith that shines like the sun, shining with the brilliant teaching of Christ.  It shines even more so with good deeds, with the marvelous works of men and women, of clerics and laity.  Therefore, let us all go forward, beloved, to do good works.  Christian works, like the ones of the first Christians, like the works of the Apostles, like the works of Christ.  “Both to do and to teach.”

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτου «ΜΥΡΙΠΝΟΑ ΑΝΘΗ», μεταφρασμένο στα Αγγλικά. 6 ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΥ, ΑΓΙΟΥ ΦΩΤΙΟΥ (Ο ΘHΣΑYΡΟΣ ΜΑΣ)

FEBRUARY 6

SAINT PHOTIOS THE GREAT, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE

(OUR TREASURE)

My beloved, we are Orthodox Christians.  That is, we belong to the Church which keeps the true faith, that is Orthodoxy.  There is no falsehood in Orthodoxy – it is the whole truth.  It is like gold which is passed through many furnaces and is one hundred percent pure.  This is accepted (declared) by the foreigners, who do not belong to our Church.  The Orthodox Church possesses a brightness that draws towards it the man of good intention who wants to know the truth.  Therefore we must thank God for our being born Orthodox and ask him that we remain faithful and dedicated children of Orthodoxy.
In order, however, for us to arrive at Orthodoxy many contests were needed and much blood was shed by her chosen children.  With their wise teaching and efforts, great teachers and fathers strengthened the Orthodox faith.  There are two among the great fathers and teachers of the Church who distinguished themselves in their fight for strengthening Orthodoxy.  One is Saint Athanasios whose Feast is the 18th of January and the other is Saint Photios, whose feast we celebrate on the 6th of Februrary.

We will dedicate this homily to Saint Photios.  St. Photios was born in the ninth century in Constantinople from rich and glorious parents.  Some of his relatives had high positions in the state and Church.  One uncle on his father’s side became Patriarch and a saint; he was Saint Tarasios.  Photio’s father was a high officer in the Palace.

From his youth, Photios had an inclination toward education.  He studied day and night and became more educated than anybody else in his time.  The Emperor valued his talents and took him into his service, where he soon received a high position.  The palace gave him very difficult assignments.  Everyone admired Photios’ great wisdom and his abilities.  Photios, however, was not destined for politics.  God had predestined him one day to become one of the greatest fathers and teachers of the Church.  Photios, a humble soul, never had imagined that he would be elevated to church offices.  He did not pursue great glories.  He wanted to remain a layman and in this way offer great service to the Church.  Even a layman, without wearing the cassock, can also serve God and become a saint and martyr.  How many laymen were of greater benefit to the Church than priests and bishops who due to their indifference and unbelief buried in the earth and rendered useless the most precious gifts of the priesthood!

Saint Photios was a layman, whom the people loved and respected; a layman faithful and dedicated to the Church; a layman who was a fervent preacher of the Gospel.  However, he did not remain a layman forever.  Against his will, with the affection of the people and the respect of the officials, he was seized and made Patriarch.  In a few days he became monk, sub-deacon, deacon, priest, and on Christmas Day in 857 he was ordained a bishop and undertook the duties of Patriarch.
Photios a Patriarch.  Then the hatred of those who could not see his glory was ignited.  They fought against him and accused him everywhere.  They were saying among many other things, that it was unheard of for a layman to become patriarch in just a few days.  A great Synod was convened, in which representatives of the Pope also participated, examined the accusations of his enemies and affirmed him.  Photios remained on the throne.  He was teaching and catechizing the people and was taking care that Orthodoxy be spread to other peoples who were living in idolatry and error.  Such people were the Slavs, Serbs, Bulgarians, Croats, and Russians.  The preaching had good results in Bulgaria.  Two great missionaries preached there: Cyril and Methodios, whom Saint Photios had sent.  The king of the Bulgarians, Bogoris, was baptized first and receive the new name, Michael.  By now one thousand years have passed since this miracle took place when an entire nation left idolatry and became Orthodox.

Satan, however, envied this glory of the Church.  Another king was enthroned and removed Photios by fore, sending him into exile.  An unlawful Synod condemned him.  He suffered much in exile but he returned to the throne.  The people, seeing Photios on the throe again, rejoiced.  Photios began to preach Orthodxy with new vigor and enthusiasm.  Saint Photios took measures when the Pope sent men to Bulgaria to preach and turn the people away from Orthodoxy and to obey the Pope.  He asked the papists to leave Bulgaria and leave the people in peace.  They did not leave, however, and continued to plant weeds in the souls of the people with their heretic teachings.  Then Photios convened a great Synod, which condemned the heretical teachings and excommunicated the Pope.
This was the beginning of the schism of the Churches.  The Pope separated from Orthodoxy and continues to this day to be separated.  Even though almost 1,150 years have passed, the Pope still does not recognize his mistakes and remains unrepentant; trying with various treacherous ways to mislead the Orthodox to his side.
Unfortunately, there are Orthodox, clergymen and laymen, bishops and even Patriarch who do not want to understand that Orthodoxy is in danger from such satanic efforts of the Pope.
Let us come back, however, to Photios.  Even after his victory over the Pope, his enemies did not keep quiet, they dethroned him for a second time and sent him into exile.  He remained four years in exile.  All the while he was studying and praying.  Finally on the 6th of February in 891 he passed away.

***

What did I say?  Passed away? No, Photios did not die; he is living with all the martyrs and confessors and is waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord in order to receive the crown.  Also, Saint Photios lives on in the Orthodox Church because whatever Saint Photios preached we also preach and teach to this day.  As Saint Photios condemned the Pope, not only for his previous but also for his new heretical teachings, so too do we remain faithful to Orthodoxy.  Orthodoxy is our priceless treasure.
Orthodoxy, beloved, is our treasure!  As the Gospel teaches us, however, this treasure we must not hide, as the wicked servant hid his talent in the earth.  No!  Let us labor.  Let us use the talent.  Let us circulate this genuine coin called Orthodoxy to the whole world.  It is wealth and treasure.  It is a sin to hide it and bury it.  Imitators of Saint Photios let us preach Orthodoxy to East and West, and let us be ready for its protection and spreading and endure every labor, sorrow, and sacrifice.  In this way everyone of us will be worthy to hear from the Lord’s mouth: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

This chapter was taken from the book “FRAGRANT FLOWERS” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

Translated by Fr. Asterios Gerostergios

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

http://www.ibmgs.org

http://www.ibmgs.org/chatechetic.html

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτου  «Μυρίπνοα Άνθη – Fragrant Flowers»!

JANUARY 21

SAINT MAXIMOS THE CONFESSOR

ONE BRAVE CONFESSION

On the 21st of January, my beloved, we celebrate the feast of one of the most brave preachers and confessors of our Orthodox faith, Saint Maximos.  To him we dedicate this short sermon.

***

Saint Maximos lived in the seventh century A.D.  He was born in Constantinople.  He loved education from childhood.  He studied philosophy and theology and he was admired for his education.  Due to his talents he was received as a high administrator in the emperor’s court.  He quickly became the chief secretary, which was a great honor.  At that time the emperor was Heracleios – the one who defeated the Persians and took back the Holy Cross which the barbarians had seized.  During his reign the city was saved from the siege of the Avars and the people chanted for the first time the Akathist Hymn.  Heracleios was a faithful and pious king.  On the serious subject of heresy, however, he showed a degree of leniency which Maximos did not like at all.  Maximos considered the heretics very dangerous and he wanted the State to observe a strict stance in their relation to the Church.  The heretics were so audacious that, if they were left free, there was a danger that a great part of the population would fall prey to their heresy.  At that time the heresy of monotheletism was spreading.

Let us say a few words concerning what monotheletism means.  Christ, the Lord of our Faith and found of our religion is God and man.  He is God-man and He has two wills.  As a man He has will – pure, however, from the filth of the sin.  As God He has a holy and omnipotent will.  These two wills are united in Christ.  The human will is subject to the will of God, and there exists a harmony of the wills in the person of Christ.  There is no confrontation in Christ between the divine and the human will.  However, how the union of the two natures and the harmony of the two will occurs is a mystery.  As the fathers of our Church say, as an iron when put into the fire gets hot and becomes red – that is, it is united with the fire without losing anything from its nature – so also was Christ as a man united with the divine nature without losing anything in His human nature.  He received the brightness of Divinity, it sparkled, and His human nature likewise became glorious and ascended into heaven.  Man is called to reach this great height, which no human language can describe.  He reaches it with faith, which allows the weak man to become united with Christ and become himself, in some way, god-man; an imitation of the God-man.

This was the instruction of the Orthodox teachers concerning the two natures and the two wills of Christ.  The heretical montheletes argued that, if we say that Christ has two wills, divine and human, we undermine Him.  For the reason they were saying that there is only one will in Christ – the will of God which absorbed the human will.  These things we say here may appear to be complex.  This heretical teaching, however, left the Christian world shaken.  The monotheletes, with the toleration and support of the emperor, spread widely.  Heracleios was not a monothelete, but rather was trying to reconcile the parties and bring some kind of peace between the opposing groups.  In matters of faith, however, diplomacy is not needed; in matters of faith there is only the power of “yes” or the “no”; there is no middle ground. Because Maximos did not agree with the policy which Heracleios was following in this matter, he decided that he should resign from his duties to the emperor and to stop serving the emperor as chief secretary.  He sacrificed his important position, salaries and profits and retired to a monastery in a remote desert place.  He clothed himself in hardship in order to pray, study and be prepared for the hard fight for Orthodoxy.

It would have been pleasing for Maximos to remain forever in the monastery.  When he heard, however, that the heretics – horrible wolves – were rushing into the foal of the Church and were snatching the sheep of Christ, the could not remain idle.  He decided to leave the peaceful monastic life and throw himself into the great struggle for Orthodoxy.  He became, in his time, a second great Athanasios.  He fought with all the strength of his soul.  His weapons were his education, his wisdom, and foremost his ascetic and holy life.  He ran everywhere; not only to Constantinople, but also to Alexandria and to other regions of Africa and even to Italy and Rome, to help give support to other Orthodox bishops in their struggle against heretics.  He contributed much to the condemnation of the heresies of the monotheletes.

Emperor Constance, a supporter of heretics, was enraged against Maximos for his brave fight and ordered him to cease his speaking and disturbing the peace of his empire.  His silence, however, would be a betrayal of Orthodoxy.  Alas, if those who must speak and defend Orthodoxy keep silent.  The heretics, if they do not face opposition, will progress and expand.  Saint Maximos did not obey to the emperor’s order.  Now, with even more power he was preaching the grandeur of Orthodoxy.  The enemies of Orthodoxy persecuted him and exiled him to different regions of the Empire.  Wherever they sent him, though, Saint Maximos did not cease to preach the word of Orthodoxy.  Finally they brought him to Constantinople in order to judge him again.  They tried to change his mind, but it was impossible.  The emperor was enraged, became wild like a beast, and ordered his tongue and right hand to be cut off, so that he could neither speak nor write about Orthodoxy.  The cruel and the inhuman order was executed.  His tongue and right hand were cut off and Saint Maximos was no longer able to speak or write.  In this condition, however, he never stopped being a living protest against the heretics.  Finally, he was exiled to Laziki of Pontus and there in 662 Saint Maximos gave up his spirit to the Lord.

***

My beloved!  The Gospel says that, once when the lepers saw Christ from afar, they began calling him saying “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13).  The Lord cured them.  Those of us who believe in Christ should not hide our feelings and our faith, but we must raise our voice and confess Christ.  No power should be able to close our mouths.  Everywhere and always we must preach and confess Christ and Orthodoxy.  In this way the world would be cured from the leprosy of sin and error.  The word of Christ is an omnipotent physician.  Saint Maximos preached this word of Christ with an indomitable courage.  He became one of the most indomitable preachers and confessors of Orthodoxy.  Le us also imitate him in this difficult time we are living.

This chapter was taken from the book “Fragrant Flowers”
by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

http://www.ibmgs.org

http://www.ibmgs.org/chatechetic.html

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου «Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

TA ONOMATA (Ομιλία 6)

THE NAMES

“An in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God”

Christian friends, there are twelve articles in the Symbol of Faith.  One of them, the first, concerns God.  The following six concern Christ.  The Creed consists of 174 Greek words.  Most of them, 100, speak about Christ.  Why is this?  Because Christ was disputed by many unbelievers and heretics.

As we said in our previous homily, unbelievers questioned even Christ’s historical existence, and heretics questioned and interpreted His life and acts in different ways, introducing theories which do not agree with Gospel teaching, and for this reason they were condemned by Ecumenical Synods.

From the day of Her conception, the Church held faith in Christ to be of great importance.  Christ is the center, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  When a man asked the Apostles “What must I do to be saved?” they answered: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31).

But, who is Christ?  The Symbol of the Faith answers this question.  My brief answer is rather comprehensive, with words having deep meaning and requiring some explanation and discussion.  Let us explain the first words of the second article: “And in Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.

As you see, Christ has four names.  The first name is LORD.  The second is JESUS, the third, CHRIST, and the forth, SON OF GOD.

These names are not simply words which have no relation to reality, like words without substance.  They are names that correspond to reality.  For example, someone has the name Anargyros.  To have content and correspond to reality, the man bearing this name should be free from the love of money, in the manner of the holy Unmercenaries (Anargyroi).  If he is miserly and greedy, however, then he bears this name in vain.  The names that the Holy Scripture give to Christ, however, do correspond to reality.

First, let us see what the name Lord means.  Every man today is called by the title MISTER, which in most languages is the same word as LORD, and it’s considered rude not to call him MISTER.  But the lordship of man called MISTEr, no matter how rich and powerful he is, is temporary and very limited, even if he holds command over many things.  Today, rich, tomorrow poor. Famous today, tomorrow unknown and despised.  Even if one owns many things and commands many people, this is not important.  What is important is commanding one’s own self, to rule and subjugate one’s passion.  If he lets his passions rule him, even though he is called LORD and SIR, he will in fact be a slave – a slave of passions and sin, a slave of satan.  O man! You are but called Lord, but you have yet to truly become a LORD.

Man’s lordship is limited.  Little, trivial is this lordship compared to God’s.  God’s power and dominion is limitless, and no one can find words to describe it sufficiently.  In the Old Testament, the Hebrews did not dare pronounce God’s name, but they used to say it by another symbolic word, Yahweh or Jehovah.  And as appears in many passages, Yahweh or Jehovah was seen and appeared to many people, and He was Christ.  St. Nektarios, Bishop of Pentapolis, wrote a book about this and recently, Nikolaos Sotiropoulos, a theologian, wrote a very important book with the title “Jesus-Yahweh” (Athens, 1975).  Christ as proved in a number of passages from the Old and New Testaments, is the Hebrew Yahweh and the Greek Kyrios (Lord) – they are one and the same.

Christ is LORD in an absolute sense.  His domain is all creation, and consists of angels and men.  Everyone is a subject of His domain, and even though some are wayward and do not obey Him, a time will come when even they will kneel before Christ.

Christ is LORD.  Open the Holy Scripture and read the seventh chapter of the prophet Samuel.  There you will see that the prophet Samuel saw a vision.  He saw all the powers falling down in worship before the son of man, the Christ.  The power, which appeared as an external power, had no end.  St. John the Evangelist in the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, also saw Christ in a vision.  He saw Christ seated on a white horse and crowned with many crowns, holding a sword.  He was dressed in bright red and was called “KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16).

Christ is Lord with a capital L.  His other name is JESUS.  This is a Hebrew name which means savior.  Many people who offered the world a great service have been named saviors, but the salvation they offered is insignificant in comparison to the salvation that Christ offers.  The angel said to the Virgin Mary that the child born of her would save people from sin.  And the stories of millions of people who repented and were saved justifies the name given to the Child of Bethlehem at the angel’s command.  A lesser image of Jesus the Savior is a great man of the Old Testament, Joshua (Jesus son of Nun), a shadow of the great Savior.

The second Person of the Holy Trinity is also called by the name Christ.  Those who believe in His Gospel have been called Christians, after this dear name.  Why is Jesus called this?  Because those Old Testament men who were destined to become kings of Israel were ‘christened’ so with holy oil.  Jesus  was ‘christened’ the king of the New Israel.  He was ordained in the Jordan river as a man by the Holy Spirit and is now reigning over and governing His spiritual kingdom, the Church.

Christ the Messiah whom people were awaiting.  He is the Teacher.  His the High Priest and King of the Universe.  To Him belongs all honor and glory forever.

Say, then, my Christian friend: “I believe… in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.”

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

http://www.ibmgs.org

http://www.ibmgs.org/chatechetic.html

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου «Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

ΠΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΣ; (Ομιλία 5)

Η μετάφρασι ολόκληρου του βιβλίου (δύο τόμους) στά Αγγλλικά έγινε από τον ακούραστο εργάτη και αγωνιστή της Ορθοδοξίας, πνευματικόν τέκνον του π.Αυγουστίνου, πατέρα Αστέριο Γεροστέργιο.  Προσφέρεται ταπεινά καί μέ τήν έν Χριστώ αγάπη εις ψυχικήν ωφέλειαν Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών απνανταχού της γης καί επισκεπτών της ιστοσελίδας του σεβαστού Γέροντος Αυγουστίνου
πρός δόξαν του Τριαδικού μας Θεού.

DO YOU BELIEVE?

“And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God…”

The first article of the Symbol of Creed, speaks about God.  Continuing now, we will discuss the second article.  It reads, “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.  Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, through Whom all things were made.”

The first word of this article is “and.” This “and” was not introduced unintentionally into the Symbol – none of the words of the Symbol are there by accident.  Every word has significance.  After much contemplation and by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the fathers of the First and Second Ecumenical Synods composed the Symbol and placed each word properly.  The word “and” then has its own significance.  It connects the second article with the first.  It places the Father and the Son on the same level, the same plane.  God is the Father, and God is the Son, the Christ, as well.  The “and” means that we believe in God the Father and we believe in His Son our Lord Jesus Christ

Those fathers with all the martyrs and confessors believed in Christ.  They believed what the Symbol of the Faith proclaims about Him.  Twentieth-century people, however, even those who call themselves Christians, do they really believe in Christ?

If you ask poor people today, you will see that very few actually believe in Christ and strive to live in accordance with His holy will.  The rest?  If they went to universities and consider themselves scholars or scientists, some then say Christ was a wise man, the wisest of all; others say He was a friend of the poor; others, that He was a great orator and sociologist; others, that He was a great revolutionary figure, who came to overthrow the establishment.  None of them, however, in spite of the laudations they give Him, accepts what the Church believes.  They do not accept Him as God.  Others in our times go even further, into unbelief and atheism, and as they maintain that there is no God, they say and write that Christ never existed, except in people’s imagination.

What a horrible thing unbelief is!  If one begins to question his faith, without noticing it, he will begin to fall into greater and greater doubt, until he ends up an unbeliever.  Such a person is like a rock – once it begins rolling down a hill, it will never stop rolling, but will continue until it reaches the lowest place it can find.

The faithless cry: “There is no God.”  But no matter how much they cry out, they will never succeed in blowing out the Faith of Christ.  This faith has very deep roots in the human heart, and no satanic power is able to uproot it.  The “I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God” will continue being declared boldly by every pure and humble soul.  An old man once came from a neighboring village to the city of Florina and entered the diocesan office.  He brought a little girl with him, who was attending the second grade of the elementary school.  She was his granddaughter, and he had brought her to the office because she wanted to say the Creed before the Bishop.  And so, she recited it in a loud voice, and without error.  I asked her if she believed in Christ, and she answered, correctly making the sing of the Cross, saying “I believe in Christ and I love Him”.  I rejoiced and glorified God, because there are still pure, child-like souls.

Unbelievers continue to cry out and say that Christ never existed.  But, that Christ existed, that He was born in Bethlehem in the reign of Ceasar Augustus, that he lived and worked in Palestine, that he was crucified by Pontius Pilate, these events are actual and not imagined.  Christ was a historical person.  Historians of the First century attest to this:  Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny.  Although the means of communication were primitive, although He came from a despised country, His fame as an extraordinary teacher, prophet and wonderworker spread far beyond the borders of Hi native Israel and reached Rome.

Foreign authorities speak of Christ’s existence.  His life and deeds.  These had no relations with Him, but they observed the events with an indifferent heart.  It is certain that Christ was born and lived in Palestine.  It is as certain as the fact that Alexander the Great was born in Macedonia, lived and was active there.  We believe the few historians who bore witness to the historical existence of Alexander, and no one questions his existence.  People, therefore, should not question the historical existence of Jesus Christ.  They should have more faith in the testimonies that credible people wrote about Christ with truthfulness and self-denial – the four Evangelists.

The four Evangelists testify to Christ.  Although there are some small discrepancies among the four in some points, these discrepancies show that the four Evangelists worked separately, without consulting one another.  These four witnesses are alike in describing the same event; although one might pay attention to some detail which the others overlook.

Christ’s existence is witnessed to by foreign writers, and mainly by the four Evangelists, the Apostle Paul, and the other Apostles.  It is witnessed to by countless martyrs and confessors, who shed their blood for the Faith of Christ.  It is witnessed to by God, the Heavenly Father, through a myriad of miracles that have taken place in the past and will continue to occur forever in His holy Name.

Dear friends, let us erase from our heart every question which satan puts there regarding Christ’s existence and life.  By studying the holy Gospels, our hearts will be filled with admiration for the unique Icon of Christ.  The questions and doubts will then be changed into exclamations of faith, and together, with child-like voices, we will say: “I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of God before all ages…”

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

http://www.ibmgs.org

http://www.ibmgs.org/chatechetic.html

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου «Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

ΤΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΘΕΟΣ; (Ομιλία 4 )

(Η μετάφρασι ολόκληρου τού βιβλίου (δύο τόμους) στα Αγγλλικά έγινε από τον ακούραστο εργάτη και αγωνιστή της Ορθοδοξίας, πνευματικόν τέκνον του π.Αυγουστίνου, πατέρα Αστέριο Γεροστέργιο.  Προσφέρεται ταπεινά και με την εν Χριστώ αγάπη εις ψυχικήν ωφέλειαν Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών απνανταχού της γης και επισκεπτών της ιστοσελίδας του σεβαστού Γέροντος Αυγουστίνου
προς δόξαν του Τριαδικού μας Θεού).

WHAT IS GOD?

“I believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of everything

visible and invisible.”

God exists, dear friends, God exists!  It is declared in the first article of our Symbol of Faith.  Millions of voices proclaim it.  Atheism, as we said, has no evidence; it merely dogmatizes.  And, as we have noted with atheists and unbelievers, there come certain moments even in their lives when they question their attitudes regarding this most relevant subject.  There are also examples old and new concerning people, who, in quiet and peaceful times made much noise, saying ‘there is no God’, but when the blue skies of their lifetime became clouded, when trials and tribulations shocked them and all their worldly foundations were shaken, when they faced catastrophe, then those unbelieving atheists where humbled and they knelt down to pray.

God exists, but what is He?  This is another question.  Human reason, proud, restless, and searching, directs itself also to the investigation of this topic.  What can we say?  We can answer only briefly:

We have said that the question of the existence of God is the highest and most important of all problems.  Every other subject is inferior to this lofty question.  I ask you, has anything been investigated to complete resolution?  Have answers been given to questions concerning, not only spiritual matters, but material things, things that we can perceive with our bodily senses?  Has science given answers even to questions like: “what is matter?” “What is light, electricity, magnetism, atomic energy?”

As we said some time before, science investigates various material phenomena, but it cannot explain them, it cannot give the final world concerning our existence, the creation, the energies and their sundry manifestations.  These matters are shrouded in mystery.  A philosopher once said, that in spite of all science has discovered, we are yet ignorant of many things and will continue to be so, because everything we know is a very small part of what we do not yet know.

We are ignorant, then, to a great degree concerning material things which we can perceive; how then we pretend to know those things that we cannot perceive, things that are above the material and constitute the spiritual world?

Human reason is not limitless, as some philosophers say; it has certain boundaries it cannot cross.  Beyond the natural world is another world, the spiritual, supernatural world.  We cannot perceive this world with our bodily senses, but we can do so with our spiritual senses – our faith, appropriately called the “sixth sense”.

Our minds are limited.  Let me cite an example.  Let us assume that an ant is crawling on a column of the Acropolis.  The ant has a mind, that is, it reacts instinctively.  We ask
you, is it possible for the ant to comprehend and explain the architectural wonder?  Certainly not.  Its thought processes are far too limited.  Humanity, like the ant, lives and walks, and even flies in space, seeing before it the expanse of the vast divinely-created kingdom.  But human thought, no matter how developed, cannot comprehend or explain divine creation in all its magnitude and profundity.  Man stands on a pinhead of the immense universe.  As an ant cannot comprehend the architectural plan of the Acropolis, so the little human being, with his limited reason, is incapable of understanding the details of the Divine Creator’s plans.  That is why the Apostle Paul, astounded by the mysteries of divine wisdom, says: “O depth and riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond understanding!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord?  Or who hath become his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34).

And in spite of this, humanity in its pride insists on investigating the Incomprehensible.  A lyric poet, Simonides, was once invited to the palace of an ancient king and was asked to answer a question: What is God?  The poet asked him to give him a day to think about it.  When the day had passed, the poet appeared before the king and asked him to give him another two days to think it over.  It was granted.  When the two days had passed, the poet requested that time to be doubled, four days.  The king grew impatient because of the delay, and when the poet asked twice the previous amount of time, the king asked why.  The poet answered, “The more I investigate the matter, the more difficult it appears to be”.

What is God?  A definition would be beyond the capabilities of the human mind.  One of the greatest fathers and teachers of the Church, St. Augustine, in discussing this topic, begins a moving dialogue with Creation.  Let us listen:

“I asked the earth, ‘What is God?’, and she answered: ‘I am not your God’.  Everything in Creation that I asked gave me the same answer.  I asked the sea and the depths and all that live and swim in the seas and oceans, and all in common answered: ‘I am not your God; search for Him higher.’  I asked the winds that blow and the air, and the creatures that live in it, and they answered me ‘I am not your God’.  I asked the sun, the moon and the stars.  ‘We are not the God you seek’.  Then I said to all that surrounded me: ‘You say you are not my God.  Tell me then what do you know about Him?  And all answered in a loud voice, ‘God made us.  God is our Maker, our Creator!’

In spite of all the wisdom our ancient forefathers had, the true God remained unknown to them, and for this reason, an altar was erected in Athens, the capital of arts and sciences, with the inscription: “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23).  The unknown God was revealed to the world through the revelation of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  And the God that Jesus Christ revealed is the true God.  He is spirit.  He is light.  He is love.  We worship and adore Him, and this faith we proclaim by saying: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of everything visible and invisible.”

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2”

by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου «Εις την Θεία Λειτουργία, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΘΕΟΣ; (Ομιλία 3)

(Η μετάφρασι ολόκληρου του βιβλίου (δύο τόμους) στα Αγγλλικά έγινε από τόν ακούραστο εργάτη καί αγωνιστή της Ορθοδοξίας, πνευματικόν τέκνον του π. Αυγουστίνου, πατέρα Αστέριο Γεροστέργιο.  Προσφέρεται ταπεινά και με την έν Χριστώ αγάπη εις ψυχικήν ωφέλειαν Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών απνανταχού της γης και επισκεπτών της ιστοσελίδας τού σεβαστού Γέροντος Αυγουστίνου
πρός δόξαν του Τριαδικού μας Θεού).

THERE IS A GOD!

“I believe in one God…”

Dear readers, there are many subjects which people busily discuss, wherever they live and whatever their education, but the one topic above all others is that pertaining to God’s existence.  People are never indifferent to this subject.  Even though some may appear indifferent, there come moments in their lives when this matter sets them off.  Is there a God, yes or no?  If there is not, then everything is permissible, even the most heinous crimes.  If He exists, however, then things are different, and everyone is responsible to the Creator for his actions.

God’s existence is bound together with the notion of divine justice, a justice that is free of the imperfections and weaknesses of human justice and is able to punish every crime and reward every virtue.  This is what St. Paul means when he says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hb.11:6).

Faith in the existence of God constitutes the cornerstone of the Christian edifice.  That is why the first thing proclaimed in the symbol of the Faith is the existence of God: “I believe in one God”.  Unbelievers have multiplied in our century and fight brazenly against God, saying and writing in books and magazines that there is no God.  If you ask an unbeliever, however, what his arguments are against God’s existence, you will see that he does not have a serious argument.  He accuses the Church of dogmatism, that She tells us to believe without proof, but he himself presents as a dogma that there is no God, and the world must accept that!

While atheism, old or new, feels it does not have to present any proof of what it maintains, it feels that the Church, which preaches FAITH in God’s existence, must present many evidences with which to convince any impartial person.

God exists.  Countless voices cry this.  Let me give a few examples:

We are familiar with the camera.  You stand before this machine and it takes your picture.  If someone tells you the camera you are holding was not made in a factory, but created itself, would you believe in him?  Certainly not! And if your friend insists, you would begin to doubt his sanity, for only a person devoid of reason would say that cameras create themselves…

But there is a camera infinitely superior to any camera in the world.  It will function for years, without expense; it takes millions of photos.  What kind of camera is this?  It is our eye.  This is a perfect camera, a miracle.  Who made it?  If someone cannot accept that an ordinary camera is a work of chance, then how will he dare to say that eye is a work of chance?  No, the eyes are not products of chance.  Someone made them, and that someone is God.  An eye is enough to demonstrate God’s existence.

Do you know about the radar?  It is a huge artificial ear, which science took great pains to plan and produce.  It is placed high on mountains and receives the sounds that airplanes or other object produce, no matter how high they fly.  Let someone dare insist that radar invented itself.  No one would believe him.  Everyone accepts that radar apparatus is designed by men and made in factories.

Do you admire radar?  Then you must admire incomparable more human radar – the ears.  Its construction and function astonishes scientists called otorynolaryngologists.  Radar is created by man, the ears by whom?  Certainly by someone, and that someone is God.  An ear is enough to prove that God exists.

Yet another example.  A city is supplied with water by an aqueduct, which has its reservoir outside the city.  From there, the water flows through large and small pipes and reaches all the houses in the city.  Aqueducts are admirable, as is the Athenian aqueduct, having an enormous reservoir.  The network of pipes supplying the entire city has a total length of many thousands of miles.  I ask you, who would dare say that such a huge system is a work of chance?  No one with a sound mind would!

But let us look at another aqueduct which works day and night to supply not water, but blood to the human organism.  The heart collects blood like a small reservoir, but does not hold it.  It distributes it with absolute justice.  Instead of pipes it uses veins and arteries, which reach even the smallest parts of the body.  There are capillaries thinner than a hair: imagine a tiny pipe like a hair and through it blood is flowing, reaching the tiniest parts of the anatomy.  Do you admire the aqueduct? How much more should you admire the heart, which with an astonishing network of veins and arteries continuously distributes blood!  If the heart stops working, the man dies in a few minutes.  Engineers and technicians construct aqueducts, but who constructed the heart?  Certainly someone, and this someone is God.  A heart suffices – what am I saying – a hair-like capillary suffices to show that God exists!

We could present more examples, but there are so many, they would fill a whole book.  God exists!  Reason demands it.  God exists!  The universe proves it from the grandest to the humblest creations.  God exists!  History testifies it.  God exists!  Man’s conscience proves it.

Our faith is not without proofs and arguments.  Let everyone then, from the bottom of his heart declare his belief: “I believe in one God…”

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs

Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του πατρός Αυγουστίνου «Είς τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν, Πρακτικαι Ομιλίαι»!

ΠΙΣΤΕΥΩ…( Ομιλία 2)

Η μετάφρασι ολόκληρου τοu βιβλίου (δύο τόμους) στα Αγγλλικά έγινε από τον ακούραστο εργάτη καί αγωνιστή της Ορθοδοξίας, πνευματικόν τέκνον του π. Αυγουστίνου, πατέρα Αστέριο Γεροστέργιο.  Προσφέρεται ταπεινά καί με την έν Χριστώ αγάπη εις ψυχικήν ωφέλειαν Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών απνανταχού της γης και επισκεπτών της ιστοσελίδας του σεβαστού Γέροντος Αυγουστίνου
πρός δόξαν του Τριαδικού μας Θεού.

THERE IS A GOD!

“I believe in one God…”

Dear readers, there are many subjects which people busily discuss, wherever they live and whatever their education, but the one topic above all others is that pertaining to God’s existence.  People are never indifferent to this subject.  Even though some may appear indifferent, there come moments in their lives when this matter sets them off.  Is there a God, yes or no?  If there is not, then everything is permissible, even the most heinous crimes.  If He exists, however, then things are different, and everyone is responsible to the Creator for his actions.

God’s existence is bound together with the notion of divine justice, a justice that is free of the imperfections and weaknesses of human justice and is able to punish every crime and reward every virtue.  This is what St. Paul means when he says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hb.11:6).

Faith in the existence of God constitutes the cornerstone of the Christian edifice.  That is why the first thing proclaimed in the symbol of the Faith is the existence of God: “I believe in one God”.  Unbelievers have multiplied in our century and fight brazenly against God, saying and writing in books and magazines that there is no God.  If you ask an unbeliever, however, what his arguments are against God’s existence, you will see that he does not have a serious argument.  He accuses the Church of dogmatism, that She tells us to believe without proof, but he himself presents as a dogma that there is no God, and the world must accept that!

While atheism, old or new, feels it does not have to present any proof of what it maintains, it feels that the Church, which preaches FAITH in God’s existence, must present many evidences with which to convince any impartial person.

God exists.  Countless voices cry this.  Let me give a few examples:

We are familiar with the camera.  You stand before this machine and it takes your picture.  If someone tells you the camera you are holding was not made in a factory, but created itself, would you believe in him?  Certainly not! And if your friend insists, you would begin to doubt his sanity, for only a person devoid of reason would say that cameras create themselves…

But there is a camera infinitely superior to any camera in the world.  It will function for years, without expense; it takes millions of photos.  What kind of camera is this?  It is our eye.  This is a perfect camera, a miracle.  Who made it?  If someone cannot accept that an ordinary camera is a work of chance, then how will he dare to say that eye is a work of chance?  No, the eyes are not products of chance.  Someone made them, and that someone is God.  An eye is enough to demonstrate God’s existence.

Do you know about the radar?  It is a huge artificial ear, which science took great pains to plan and produce.  It is placed high on mountains and receives the sounds that airplanes or other object produce, no matter how high they fly.  Let someone dare insist that radar invented itself.  No one would believe him.  Everyone accepts that radar apparatus is designed by men and made in factories.

Do you admire radar?  Then you must admire incomparable more human radar – the ears.  Its construction and function astonishes scientists called otorynolaryngologists.  Radar is created by man, the ears by whom?  Certainly by someone, and that someone is God.  An ear is enough to prove that God exists.

Yet another example.  A city is supplied with water by an aqueduct, which has its reservoir outside the city.  From there, the water flows through large and small pipes and reaches all the houses in the city.  Aqueducts are admirable, as is the Athenian aqueduct, having an enormous reservoir.  The network of pipes supplying the entire city has a total length of many thousands of miles.  I ask you, who would dare say that such a huge system is a work of chance?  No one with a sound mind would!

But let us look at another aqueduct which works day and night to supply not water, but blood to the human organism.  The heart collects blood like a small reservoir, but does not hold it.  It distributes it with absolute justice.  Instead of pipes it uses veins and arteries, which reach even the smallest parts of the body.  There are capillaries thinner than a hair: imagine a tiny pipe like a hair and through it blood is flowing, reaching the tiniest parts of the anatomy.  Do you admire the aqueduct? How much more should you admire the heart, which with an astonishing network of veins and arteries continuously distributes blood!  If the heart stops working, the man dies in a few minutes.  Engineers and technicians construct aqueducts, but who constructed the heart?  Certainly someone, and this someone is God.  A heart suffices – what am I saying – a hair-like capillary suffices to show that God exists!

We could present more examples, but there are so many, they would fill a whole book.  God exists!  Reason demands it.  God exists!  The universe proves it from the grandest to the humblest creations.  God exists!  History testifies it.  God exists!  Man’s conscience proves it.

Our faith is not without proofs and arguments.  Let everyone then, from the bottom of his heart declare his belief: “I believe in one God…”

This chapter was taken from the book “ON THE DEVINE LITURGY – VOL.2” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

e-mail: ibmgs3@verizon.net

www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs