From our blog Spiritual travels in Greece
Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker: a Marvellous Advocate (Kerkyra, Corfu), December 12 (icon)
See also
THE FIVE HOLY MARTYRS: EUSTRATIOS, AUXENTIOS, MARDARIOS, EUGENIOS AND ORESTES (December 13)
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα English. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα English. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Παρασκευή 13 Δεκεμβρίου 2024
Holy Father Spyridon, Keep Us Just As You Kept Your Sheep — On Miracles from the Relics of St. Spyridon of Tremithus
Τρίτη 19 Νοεμβρίου 2024
The Life and Final Homily of Fr. Daniel Sysoev († November 19, 2009)
On November 8, 2015, following the meal after the Divine Liturgy, a memorial gathering honoring Rev. Daniel Sysoev will be held in the ROCOR synodal cathedral, commemorating 6 years since his martyric death.
The Life and Final Homily of Fr. Daniel Sysoev
Fr. Daniel Sysoev (+2009) was a priest, husband, confessor, and martyr. His great love for God and his fellow man led him to write many texts and convert many to the Orthodox Faith, including personally baptizing over 80 Muslims. Because of this great missionary fruit, he was murdered by an enraged enemy of Christ in his own mission church. Fr. Daniel is not yet canonized as a Saint but his witness, both before and after his repose, has given the faithful confidence in his holy prayers.
“Fr. Daniel loved the Divine services of the Church and the beauty and logic of their structure. He did not countenance liturgical liberalism. There are those within the Church who believe that for the sake of missionary work the Church needs to accommodate itself to the world. Fr. Daniel, on the contrary, took a maximalist stance, with regard to both the Church services and to the work of evangelization. This he believed to be the true missionary approach.”
From Fr. Daniel’s final homily: “Truly, right now the devil wants to divide Christians and then to destroy everything that the Christians depend on. It is because of Christians that God maintains the world. Because of Christians, the Lord gives peace to nations. Why are there wars? It happens when Christians forget about their unity, when they relate themselves to this world...”
Homily begins at 7:55
Text of his Life: https://orthochristian.com/117356.html
Text of his final homily: https://orthochristian.com/33371.html
See also
Fr. Daniel Sysoev: holy icons & hymns (in Greek)New Martyr fr Daniel Sysoev († 19.11.2009) - “The warriors of Christ are not killed, but crowned”!...
Father Daniel Sisoyev’s Posthumous Mission: Three Stories
Fr. Daniel Sysoev: A Man Completely Immersed in Faith - For the Twelfth Anniversary of His Slaying
Κυριακή 10 Νοεμβρίου 2024
Actress Juliette Binoche Acclaims Saint Paisios the Athonite and Byzantine Iconography In Award Speech
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ: Ζιλιέτ Μπινός: «Ο Άγιος Παΐσιος γεμίζει τη διαδρομή μου»
The 65th Thessaloniki Film Festival welcomed two of the most prolific stars
of contemporary cinema, Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, on Friday,
November 1st 2024, at the Olympion theater. The two renowned actors
received the Festival’s honorary Golden Alexander award prior to the
screening of the monumental film *The English Patient* (1996), which marked
their second collaboration (their first was in 1992's *Wuthering Heights*)
and garnered Juliette Binoche an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress,
and Ralph Fiennes a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. ...
See also
Greek Television Series on the Life of Saint Paisios (Episodes 1 - 3)
New Saints, Orthodox Teachers, Orthodox Way (tags)
Παρασκευή 28 Ιουλίου 2023
Δευτέρα 10 Ιουλίου 2023
Της αγίας Ευφημίας & Όλγας, των αγίων Σωφρόνιου (Σαχάρωφ) & Παϊσίου // Great Saints (& new Saints) on July 11 & 12 in the Orthodox Church!...
φωτο από το Διαδίκτυο
Ένα ταπεινό & εορταστικό κάλεσμα αγάπης στα:
Της
αγίας Ευφημίας & Όλγας, των αγίων Σωφρόνιου (Σαχάρωφ) & Παϊσίου
// Great Saints (& new Saints) on July 11 & 12 in the Orthodox
Church!...
Το κοινό Πνεύμα στις διαθήκες των αγίων Παϊσίου και Πορφυρίου
Άγιος Παΐσιος: «Έτσι όπως κινείστε, πού να φθάσετε στο σηµείο να έχετε επικοινωνία µε τα ζώα, µε τα πουλιά!»
Η
μαρτυρία του π. Ν. Λουδοβίκου (ενός από τους σημαντικότερους σύγχρονους
Έλληνες διανοητές) για τους Ορθοδόξους αγίους της εποχής μας
Έμαθα, Άγιέ μου, ότι μυροβλίζεις....
Αθηνά Σιδέρη († 5 Ιουνίου 2020)
Μνήμη κοίμησης του Γέροντος Ισαάκ του Λιβανέζου
Γιατί να θέλω να είμαι ορθόδοξος χριστιανός;
Τρεις σύγχρονοι άγιοι & οι Αφρικανικοί Λαοί
Η Δεντροκκλησιά του Αγίου Παϊσίου (Photos & Videos)
Οι όσιοι Παρθένιος και Ευμένιος της μονής Κουδουμά της Κρήτης
ΟΣΙΟΣ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΙΟΣ ΣΑΧΑΡΩΦ (23.9.1896- 11.7.1993)
Φωτο από: Θεσσαλονίκη: Το άγνωστο γκράφιτι του αγίου Παϊσίου...
Τετάρτη 7 Ιουνίου 2023
Christian Arrested After Holding Sign with 5 Biblical Words on It at 'Pride' Event: Report // Χριστιανός συνελήφθη γιατί κρατούσε πινακίδα με 5 βιβλικές λέξεις σε εκδήλωση «Pride»
By Peter Partoll June 5, 2023 at 6:33pm
https://www.westernjournal.com
Part of the narrative espoused by LGBT activists is that they are a powerless group that is oppressed by society, but the opposite appears to be the case.
That certainly seemed to be true Saturday in Reading, Pennsylvania, where a Christian was arrested for holding up a sign at a “pride” event that contained a famous Bible verse.
The whole incident was captured on video by another Christian who, according to the Lancaster Patriot, is named Matthew Wear, who in the video, says that he was preaching for about 12 minutes before being told by the police to stop.
Then, another preacher named Damon Atkins approached with a sign that contained the famous words of Christ in the Gospel of John, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11), a verse that is often ignored by leftists who like to use the rest of the story as a way to make Jesus seem like He would be accepting of sin.
Less than a minute after arriving, Atkins is approached by Police Sergeant Bradley McCune who told him to respect their event, while Atkins responded that it was public property and therefore he had a right to be there.
McClune then walked away, but Atkins continued to preach, at which point McClune and other officers return and handcuff him, while the people celebrating the “pride” event cheer as he is led away.
According to the Lancaster Patriot, McClune submitted a criminal complaint against Atkins, recommending that he be charged with “disorderly conduct” and alleging that he “yelled derogatory comments at an organization that was holding a permitted event.”
Atkins, for his part, has responded to this claim by saying he was at the event to share the Gospel with those who need to hear it.
Was the arrest just?
Yes: 2% (14 Votes)
No: 98% (757 Votes)
“The main reason I was there was because of love,” he said. “Because Jesus has taught me to love my neighbor as myself.” He also hit back against the claim that his statements were “derogatory,” saying that he was only quoting the Bible.
The Lancaster Patriot reported that Atkins’s court date is scheduled for June 16, and he is hoping that the Alliance Defending Freedom will represent him at the proceedings.
Sadly, none of this is new or surprising anymore. In February, a Catholic student in Ontario, Canada, named Josh Alexander was suspended from school after saying that there were only two genders and was then arrested when he tried to attend school in violation of his suspension.
In April, Alexander was arrested again after handing out Bibles at a protest in Calgary, Alberta.
Meanwhile, also in Calgary, a pastor was arrested and spent Easter in jail after protesting a drag queen story hour event aimed at children.
While these examples may have taken place in Canada, the fact that Atkins was arrested for peacefully protesting a “pride” event shows that the same thing is starting to happen here in America as well.
Far from being a powerless and oppressed group, the LGBT movement in America, and indeed across the West, now enjoys the protection of the police and the government, while Christians preaching the Gospel are harassed for their beliefs.
While the left is allowed into schools to indoctrinate our children, Christians are met with brute force while trying to stand up to these evils, this does not bode well for the future of our country.
America needs our prayers now, more than ever.
Αυτόματη μετάφραση:
Χριστιανός συνελήφθη γιατί κρατούσε πινακίδα με 5 βιβλικές λέξεις σε εκδήλωση «Pride»
Του Πήτερ Πάρτολ 5 Ιουνίου 2023 στις 6:33 μ.μ
Μέρος της αφήγησης που υποστηρίζουν οι LGBT ακτιβιστές είναι ότι είναι μια ανίσχυρη ομάδα που καταπιέζεται από την κοινωνία, αλλά φαίνεται να συμβαίνει το αντίθετο. Αυτό σίγουρα φαινόταν να ισχύει το Σάββατο στο Ρέντινγκ της Πενσυλβάνια, όπου ένας Χριστιανός συνελήφθη επειδή κρατούσε μια πινακίδα σε μια εκδήλωση «υπερηφάνειας» που περιείχε ένα διάσημο εδάφιο της Βίβλου.
Το όλο περιστατικό καταγράφηκε σε βίντεο από έναν άλλο Χριστιανό που, σύμφωνα με το Lancaster Patriot, ονομάζεται Matthew Wear, ο οποίος στο βίντεο λέει ότι έκανε κήρυγμα για περίπου 12 λεπτά πριν του πει η αστυνομία να σταματήσει. Στη συνέχεια, ένας άλλος ιεροκήρυκας ονόματι Ντέιμον Άτκινς πλησίασε με μια πινακίδα που περιείχε τα περίφημα λόγια του Χριστού στο Ευαγγέλιο του Ιωάννη, «Πήγαινε και μην αμαρτάνεις πια» (Ιωάννης 8:11), ένα εδάφιο που συχνά αγνοείται από αριστερούς που τους αρέσει να χρησιμοποιούν η υπόλοιπη ιστορία ως ένας τρόπος να κάνει τον Ιησού να φαίνεται ότι θα δεχόταν την αμαρτία.
Λιγότερο από ένα λεπτό μετά την άφιξή του, ο Άτκινς προσεγγίζεται από τον λοχία της αστυνομίας Μπράντλεϊ ΜακΚούν, ο οποίος του είπε να σεβαστεί την εκδήλωσή τους, ενώ ο Άτκινς απάντησε ότι ήταν δημόσια περιουσία και επομένως είχε το δικαίωμα να βρίσκεται εκεί. Στη συνέχεια ο ΜακΚλάουν απομακρύνθηκε, αλλά ο Άτκινς συνέχισε να κηρύττει, οπότε ο ΜακΚλάουν και άλλοι αξιωματικοί επιστρέφουν και του περνούν χειροπέδες, ενώ οι άνθρωποι που γιόρταζαν το γεγονός «υπερηφάνειας» ζητωκραυγάζουν καθώς τον οδηγούσαν μακριά.
Σύμφωνα με το Lancaster Patriot, ο McClune υπέβαλε ποινική μήνυση κατά του Atkins, συνιστώντας να του απαγγελθούν κατηγορίες για «άτακτη συμπεριφορά» και ισχυριζόμενος ότι «φώναξε υποτιμητικά σχόλια σε μια οργάνωση που διοργάνωσε μια επιτρεπόμενη εκδήλωση». Ο Άτκινς, από την πλευρά του, απάντησε σε αυτόν τον ισχυρισμό λέγοντας ότι ήταν στην εκδήλωση για να μοιραστεί το Ευαγγέλιο σε όσους χρειάζεται να το ακούσουν.
Ήταν δίκαιη η σύλληψη;
Ναι: 2% (14 ψήφοι)
Όχι: 98% (757 ψήφοι) [ψηφοφορία της ιστοσελίδας].
«Ο κύριος λόγος που ήμουν εκεί ήταν λόγω αγάπης», είπε. «Επειδή ο Ιησούς με δίδαξε να αγαπώ τον πλησίον μου όπως τον εαυτό μου». Απάντησε επίσης στον ισχυρισμό ότι οι δηλώσεις του ήταν «υποτιμητικές», λέγοντας ότι παρέθεταν μόνο τη Βίβλο.
Το Lancaster Patriot ανέφερε ότι η ημερομηνία του δικαστηρίου του Atkins έχει προγραμματιστεί για τις 16 Ιουνίου και ελπίζει ότι η Alliance Defending Freedom θα τον εκπροσωπήσει στη διαδικασία.
Δυστυχώς, τίποτα από αυτά δεν είναι πια νέο ή εκπληκτικό. Τον Φεβρουάριο, ένας καθολικός μαθητής στο Οντάριο του Καναδά, ονόματι Τζος Αλεξάντερ, αποβλήθηκε από το σχολείο αφού είπε ότι υπήρχαν μόνο δύο φύλα και στη συνέχεια συνελήφθη όταν προσπάθησε να πάει στο σχολείο παραβιάζοντας την αναστολή του. Τον Απρίλιο, ο Αλεξάντερ συνελήφθη ξανά αφού μοίρασε Βίβλους σε μια διαδήλωση στο Κάλγκαρι της Αλμπέρτα.
Εν τω μεταξύ, επίσης στο Κάλγκαρι, ένας πάστορας συνελήφθη και πέρασε το Πάσχα στη φυλακή, αφού διαμαρτυρήθηκε για μια εκδήλωση drag queen story ωρών που στόχευε σε παιδιά.
Σχετίζεται με: Στροφή Παλίρροιας; Ο 2ος παίκτης των Dodgers μιλάει με την πιο εκρηκτική δήλωση μέχρι τώρα: "Ο Θεός δεν μπορεί να κοροϊδευτεί"
Ενώ αυτά τα παραδείγματα μπορεί να έλαβαν χώρα στον Καναδά, το γεγονός ότι ο Atkins συνελήφθη επειδή διαμαρτυρήθηκε ειρηνικά για ένα γεγονός «υπερηφάνειας» δείχνει ότι το ίδιο πράγμα αρχίζει να συμβαίνει και εδώ στην Αμερική. Το LGBT κίνημα στην Αμερική, και μάλιστα σε όλη τη Δύση, δεν είναι μια ανίσχυρη και καταπιεσμένη ομάδα, τώρα απολαμβάνει την προστασία της αστυνομίας και της κυβέρνησης, ενώ οι Χριστιανοί που κηρύττουν το Ευαγγέλιο παρενοχλούνται για τις πεποιθήσεις τους.
Ενώ η αριστερά επιτρέπεται στα σχολεία για να κατηχήσει τα παιδιά μας, οι Χριστιανοί αντιμετωπίζονται με ωμή βία ενώ προσπαθούν να αντισταθούν σε αυτά τα κακά, αυτό δεν προμηνύεται καλό για το μέλλον της χώρας μας. Η Αμερική χρειάζεται τις προσευχές μας τώρα, περισσότερο από ποτέ. ["Ν": και η Ελλάδα, καθώς και όλος ο πλανήτης].
Για το όλο ζήτημα:
Η Σεξουαλική Διαπαιδαγώγηση στα ελληνικά σχολεία
Ο ολοκληρωτισμός της παγκοσμιοποίησης (και το φύλο)
Η ομοφυλοφιλική κατήχηση στα σχολεία της Δύσης
Μεγαλώνουν τα παιδιά τους και σαν αγόρια και σαν κορίτσια
Ομοφοβία και τρανσφοβία στο Δημοτικό Σχολείο;
Απαράδεκτη μεθόδευση του ΥΠΑΙΘ σε βάρος των γονέων για διδασκαλία της ομοφυλοφιλίας στα σχολεία
Η θαρραλέα επιστολή διαμαρτυρίας ενός εκπαιδευτικού για τα επιμορφωτικά σεμινάρια περί ΛΟΑΤΚΙ
«Αγόρια στο ντους»: Το αποκορύφωμα της απαράδεκτης κυβερνητικής παρέμβασης στα ελληνικά σχολεία
Σχετικά με τη θέση της ομοφυλοφιλίας στο σύγχρονο κόσμο:
Ιατρικά δεδομένα για την ομοφυλοφιλία
Ομοφυλοφιλία, Αμερικανική Ψυχιατρική Εταιρεία & Παραφιλίες (ή Σεξουαλικές Παρεκκλίσεις)
Ομοφυλοφιλία, Αμερικανική Ψυχιατρική Εταιρεία & Παραφιλίες (ή Σεξουαλικές Παρεκκλίσεις)
Για τη θέση της Εκκλησίας στο όλο θέμα:
Τι εύχομαι να είχα ακούσει από έναν ιερέα για την ομοφυλοφιλία...
Τι έχει να προσφέρει η Εκκλησία στους ομοφυλόφιλους;
«Δεν είμαι η αμαρτία μου» - Ένας ορθόδοξος χριστιανός της Αμερικής για την ομοφυλοφιλία
Omofylofilia.gr - Μια εναλλακτική για την ομοφυλοφιλία
Κυριακή 16 Απριλίου 2023
Κυριακή 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2023
Δευτέρα 10 Οκτωβρίου 2022
St. Paisios brings comfort to war-torn Congolese city // Ο άγιος Παΐσιος στην Κανάνγκα του Κονγκό
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ εδώ: "... Η περιοχή της
Γκάζα, κατά τη διάρκεια του εμφυλίου πολέμου, ποτίστηκε με το αίμα χιλιάδων εκτελεσθέντων κατοίκων της κι έτσι τώρα η
παρουσία του Αγίου Παϊσίου έρχεται να παρηγορήσει τις πονεμένες ψυχές
των κονγκολέζων αδελφών μας, να τις φωτίσει και να τις οδηγήσει στην αλήθεια
της Ορθοδόξου Αγίας μας Εκκλησίας".
St. Paisios of Mt. Athos, “the saint of love, sacrifice and spiritual instruction, as the whole Orthodox world now knows him, is a spiritual beacon and guide for the faithful throughout the universe.”
Love and veneration of the great saint extends far beyond his Greek homeland, including to the Congo, where the Orthodox faithful of the war-torn Gazi area are greatly comforted by the presence of the saint in two churches built in his honor in the city of Kananga, reports Romfea.
“During the civil war, the area of Gazi was an area watered with the blood of thousands of its executed inhabitants and so now the presence of St. Paisios comes to comfort the aching souls of the Congolese brothers, to enlighten them and lead them to the truth of our holy Orthodox Church,” reads the report.
In addition to the monastery chapel, a new parish Church of St. Paisios was also recently consecrated and opened in Kananga, the capital of the Kasai-Central Province.
The construction of the church building has been completed. The painting of the church will soon begin, and the community expects to soon receive icons for the walls and iconostasis.
See also
Orthodox Democratic Republic of Congo
Saint Paisios of Mount Athos (1924-1994), Feast day: July 12
Saint Paisios of Athos in the Youth Culture of Greece
Three contemporary Orthodox Saints & the African peoples (following photo)
SAINT PAISIOS ORTHODOX CHURCH, NANDI - ELDORET DIOCESE, KENYA
Τετάρτη 14 Σεπτεμβρίου 2022
Τρίτη 9 Αυγούστου 2022
Christianity, Nationalism and Racism
Photo: Bishop Innocentios of Burundi and Rwanda (of Africa) during a pilgrimage by Orthodox African Christians to the mountains of the Caucasus to honour Saint Nina who, during the 4th century had brought Christianity to the land of Georgia (from an Orthodox site in support of Africa: Orthodox Christian Initiative for Africa)
Ελληνικά: Χριστιανισμός, εθνικισμός και ρατσισμός
By Theodore J. Rigniotes, Theologian
Translate A.N.
Ours is an age of panic: with an economic crisis that increasingly impacts the weakest... with mental stress intensified by the (with or without quotation marks) pandemic... with a serious deficit in the State’s presence in support of the citizen... with various external threats (for example, even from neighbouring lands) and a host of other thorny issues... all test our patience and our endurance by shredding people’s dignity and jeopardizing the sense of security that they should be feeling - not only within their own country, but even as an immigrant in any “free” (whatever that may imply) and well-governed country.
No-one can even be sure that tomorrow it will be possible to switch on the light, have water in our glass and food on our plate... not to mention free healthcare and education, permanent jobs, etc. (these are becoming increasingly forgotten items). There is also no certainty if people are actually being tracked by technology every minute, or being “sprayed” with unknown materials, or if humans have already been turned into faceless numbers of an electronic hyper-system, which can imminently direct their daily lives upon the decisions made by certain powerful individuals and in disregard if such things were desired or approved.
Of course there are thousands of fellow human beings who have already been deprived of all these basic needs (even potable water and daily nourishment!), which we, the “many”, have for decades taken for granted. But, being increasingly informed by the mass media and the bills that are sent to consumers every month, these important commodities are no longer self-evident.
As in every time of panic, so today, conditions have favoured the emergence of extreme political tendencies that promise the people liberation from their painful shackles. This is the reason one sees Nazist groups and extreme-right parties infiltrating Parliament and their ideas finding followers - even among people who do not vote for them.
Among other things, Christianity is also being turned into an element of political ideology. This can be expected, inasmuch as Christianity also possesses a social message (which is automatically a political message as well), but also because in the past, the Christian faith has often inspired the liberating revolutions – not only by the Greek populace, but also by other peoples of the world.
So, it looks like we are becoming politicized as Christians. However, one must never forget that Christianity is primarily a spiritual matter. Regrettably, in the recent past it had been misused as the (governing) dictatorship’s crutch... Likewise, during the Middle Ages it was twisted into a means of terrorizing and oppressing the Western European peoples by the so-called “Roman Catholic Church”, as well as by the kings of Europe. This is why care and awareness are imperative, that Christianity cannot be turned into a political faction, but rather should be inspiring a political stance for the benefit of the people. The viewpoint that Christianity should not be expressed publicly is not only erroneous; it is also suspicious, because the underpinning of Christianity is both revolutionary and liberating.
The political stance inspired by authentic Christianity is characterized by justice, charity towards all people (even criminals), respect towards every person, selflessness, and willingness for self-sacrifice and self-offering.
Most certainly a Christian (whether politicized or not) cannot remain apathetic towards issues such as social injustice, economic impoverishment, the exploitation of workers (even the major Fathers of the Church, such as the Three Hierarchs who had openly expressed a vehement critique against the authorities of their time, had risked their very lives in doing so!), but also towards issues which at first sight do not seem political - such as the humiliation of the human body by transforming it into a sexual object, and the bombardment with messages of violence and frenzy festering especially within the generation of teenagers (but also of children) through “entertainment” mediums that include scenes of murder and torture, stories of horror and cannibalism, monstrous and demonic “heroes”, etc. These items – and many others unfortunately! – have already shown their bitter fruits, both in the lives of young people but also in entire families and in society as a whole.
Reprehensible extremes
Reprehensible extremes incompatible with the Christian faith, which are nevertheless often muddled when ideologically labelled as “Christianity” (causing confusion and aberrations), are ideas such as nationalism, racism, conditional acceptance of violence (against a guilty party for example) - even the acceptance of fascism of varying hues.
Nationalism and racism, under the inclusive term “ethno-phyletism”, have been explicitly condemned by the Orthodox Church in 1872, by decision of the Great Local Synod in Constantinople, on account of the Bulgarian nationalism at the time, which had turned the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria into a weapon of domination of the peoples living in northern Greece’s Turk-occupied Macedonia and Thrace - which had triggered the Macedonian Struggle around 1900, with the participation of many Cretans also. This was of course preceded by the Greek nationalist movement by the Bavarians who ruled Greece in 1833 and had excised the Church of Greece from the Ecumenical Patriarchate - which finally recognized it by making it an Autocephalous (self-governing) Church.
Nowadays similar trends have been observed in certain places (i.e. newly pronounced, pseudo “States”), where an approving stance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate towards groups such as the nationalist charactered “Churches” of the Ukraine and the “Macedonian Church” in Skopje, which, from their non-canonical and marginal (schismatic) status were arbitrarily declared as canonical, legal Churches of those regions, AND autocephalous (=not dependent on any Patriarchate or any other, local Orthodox Church). Only God knows what the long-term consequences of this practice will be: therapeutic, or traumatic?
It would be useful to mention here the condemnation of negro slavery in the USA by the Ecumenical Patriarch Joachim II in 1862 (with an article of his in the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s magazine “Eastern Star”, republished in America), as well as the move by the Orthodox Archbishop Iakovos of America who had gone to Selma, Alabama and had stood by Martin Luther King for the second black rights demonstration march in March of 1965.
Apart from the above, it should be stressed that Greeks who embrace their cultural tradition should not be nationalists. “Philopatrids” – that is, patriots with a love for their homeland – yes; but not nationalists.
Nationalism is the fruit of the efforts by Western European peoples to liberate themselves from the feudalism and the oppressive empires that were robbing them of their very lives. The people of Greece had faced this problem too, during the centuries-long Turkish occupation; but until that time (or even during that time) they had belonged uninterruptedly for entire centuries to a multinational society that preserved individual and particular cultures and Histories, but whose members were united by common moral values and common ideals. This society was the Christian Romaic Empire (or “Romania” as it was called during the last centuries of its history) – whose general description came to prevail as “Byzantium”.
Because of the name “Romania” (from which is also derived the name of the country of Romania), all the descendants of the “Byzantines” are characterized as “Romans”, while the totality of all the peoples who were once “Byzantines” is characterized as “Romanity”. (Note: “Romanity” is also the title of the much-sung rendition of the poem by Yannis Ritsos and the music by Mikis Theodorakis). Its message is Christian, but not nationalist. “Roman” refers to every Orthodox Christian - not only of the Balkans, but also of Turkey (for example Saint Ahmed the Calligrapher, who was martyred by the Ottoman state for converting to Christianity), also Saint John of Damascus of Syria, Saint Makarios of Egypt, Martyrs of Palestine and of many other peoples. This had also been the aim of the major, exceptionally important Greek idealist, Rigas Feraios.
All Orthodox Christians are one with these - just as they are one with every Orthodox Christian of all peoples, wherever on earth (from Uganda for example to Alaska - and of course even to Russia, Ukraine, etc. – hence our grief being double over the current Russo-Ukrainian conflict), as they are all united by the Common Chalice of Holy Communion, which no-one is allowed to deprive us of - regardless if it is attempted in the name of fear, say, of a certain pandemic or for any other reason...
Although not united by the Common Chalice with other Christian groups and the faithful of other religions, we are however united in the teachings of Jesus Christ about love towards all people – and this is something that should never, ever be forgotten.
Romanity is “ecumenical” – inasmuch as it aspires to embrace all peoples in the world - but at the same time is opposed to the orientation of contemporary Globalization, which primarily aspires to self-interest (=looking out for one’s own interests) and is in the hands of powerful economic and political factors, who are anything but concerned with bringing man closer to God, which is the most important element and the most desirable aim in the life of Christians.
In political terms, Globalization is by nature colonialist. Romanity is its exact opposite.
As for conditional violence (with slogans such as “hang them in the public square!” as a reaction to criminals such as paedophiles, rapists, drug dealers etc. - even politicians), it seems quite clear that such behaviour does not befit people who simultaneously wish to be proper Orthodox Christians. Of course convictions, restraints and imprisonments of criminals are necessary – especially those guilty of heinous crimes! However such condemnations should not be vindictive while simultaneously claiming to be proper Christians!. They should aspire to protect society and to rehabilitate – that is, to correct (if and where possible) the guilty parties.
It is understandably very difficult – even superhuman! – for one to defeat the natural human tendency towards hatred and revenge. However, a Christian should not be a “natural” person, but a “supernatural” one. We must all be human beings that rise above the earth heavenward to become angels... indeed more than angels – and become “children of God”. It is the reason that Christ Himself (the only-begotten Son of God) had taught us to recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father...” as if we too are like Christ: as sons and daughters of God. We should pay careful attention to this detail and at least strive to honour it.
Please see the tags Nationalism, Racism
Παρασκευή 5 Αυγούστου 2022
Πέμπτη 4 Αυγούστου 2022
The Failure of Hedonism
By Justin Marler
Whether subliminal or completely overt, we are told that we should do what we want when we want. “Just do it!” or “You deserve it!” or “Enjoy yourself!” “Do what you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone” is the prevailing motto in our culture and age. We are so entrenched in this that it is a built-in philosophy and way of life for most of us. We get this messaging from all advertising, music and movies, and virtually all media. We are trained in this philosophy from childhood. Selfishness becomes the norm as we get older. As adults we consume, buy, take and feed our desires always. And when we don’t get our way we get irritated, bitter and even feel justified in rage. This is the American way.
This is not a new philosophy. The ancient Greeks had formalized this way of life in a school of thought called Hedonism, which claims that pleasure and happiness are the primary or most important intrinsic goods and the goal of human life. In this philosophy a hedonist strives to maximize pleasure and avoid pain. In this way of life one does whatever one wants not restricting any form of self-indulgence. In more recent times this idea was thrust forward by English magician Aleister Crowley in his cultic religion that espoused: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law….”
You would think that if we do what we want when we want this would make us happy. But for some reason this can’t be farther from the truth. This has been clearly demonstrated by this generation. We do what we want but for some reason depression, despair, discontentment, unhappiness and suicide are increasing at surprising rates. We have more comfort than all previous ages and peoples in all of history. We have homes with indoor plumbing, air conditioning, access to medical and dental care, access to drugs to make our illnesses and discomforts go away, access to all foods, meat, sweets, and junk food. We have immense warehouses where we can find every form of liquor, wine, beer and cheese. We can indulge ourselves for hours and even days by binge watching TV shows, movies, sequels, and all this content is pumped into our homes from “the cloud” at the click of a button. We can get high, get drunk, get lost in social media at will. We can have sex with anyone at any time because this is the norm, and because we have pills to make us sterile. And if we can’t find a partner we can virtually engage by pumping pornography into our homes from “the cloud.” Then, we find ourselves slaves of our own pleasures. We become addicts and puppets of our desires.
We do what we want but our hearts are restless. We are depressed! How could this be? Hedonism as the new religion is not working. Since the time of the Greek Philosophers we have known that pleasure does not produce happiness and contentment. Hedonism as a philosophy was overcome by the virtues, one of which was called: self-control. Even with modern neurological science we know this. Dopamine is released and we want more, but more is never enough. However, we still move forward with this new religion.
So what do we do? The key to our restlessness, discontent, unbearable dejection and meaningless pleasure filled lives is clearly not found in doing what we want. It is found in exactly the opposite. It is found in a life lived in virtue and self-control. When we slay our desires, we slay our sorrow. When we train ourselves to practice virtue, we develop interior peace and contentment that is enduring. Love, chastity, humility, justice, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-sacrifice and self-control are the cure to the human condition.
You can see also
Philosophical Ketchup (or "The taste you deserve", “Have it your way”)
Δευτέρα 16 Μαΐου 2022
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