Κατηγορία

Ξένες γλώσσες

Give me security (Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos)

Κατηγορίες: In English

‘The devil hates any message or attitude that keep us safe from evil’ (Abba Dorotheos) One of the main requirements we have as people is the need to feel safe and secure, not only in our relationships but in every circumstance of our life which we consider important, such as, for example, the workplace or the path our society is going down. We’ve heard about financial insecurity which affects the stability and development of whole countries. We see young people not wanting to have children because they feel insecure, either economically or due to the prospects for whatever relationship they’re in, since they’re not sure that they’ll be able to live with another person for ever. In this time of the ...

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The misunderstanding’s resolved (Abbess Makrina, Holy Monastery of Our Lady the Guide, Portaria)

Κατηγορίες: In English

If a misunderstanding occurs among us, each nun involved should say to herself: ‘Hold on, are you so imperturbable, so without passions, so without faults, that it’s right for you to judge others? Why not forgive the other person, why not be kind to them?’. The misunderstanding’s resolved straight away. This is why it needs compassion, it requires pain. Abbess Makrina, Holy Monastery of the Guide, Portaria

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To the belligerent rulers of the nations (Elder Filotheos Zervakos)

Κατηγορίες: In English

Translated by: Georgios Velentzas, Theologian Listen up, you, kings and rulers of the nations who love war, and be wise! Almighty God and Creator of all things has made you kings, lords and rulers of nations and peoples and your people have trusted you to govern them, to rule your subjects with justice and truth and, as affectionate fathers and excellent rulers, to provide and ensure the prosperity, happiness and salvation of your peoples. Why do you forget your purpose? Listen up and be wise! You have killed hundreds of thousands of blameless and innocent people by handing them over to slaughter, fire and the seabed. Hundreds of thousands have you made miserable, hideous, seedy, hungry, naked and homeless! Billions of billions are wasted ...

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It’s a great delusion (Archimandrite Georgios Kapsanis, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Gregoriou †)

Κατηγορίες: In English

There are those who view people romantically and at face value. They transfer wickedness from individual people to society, which is why they also proclaim that an improvement in society will also bring about an improvement in people. While not denying the importance of social influences on people, we Orthodox prioritize the transfiguration of the person through repentance and divine grace. It’s a great delusion to want to change society without striving to change ourselves. Elder Georgios Kapsanis

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The Blind Man in Jericho (Metropolitan of Gortyn and Megalopolis, Ieremias †)

Κατηγορίες: In English

Today’s Gospel tells us of the miracle of the cure of the blind man in Jericho. This man was not only blind, he was also poor. This is why he begged. ‘He sat at the side of the road, begging’, as the text says.  Where he was sitting, he could hear the noise of the people passing by and wondered what was going on. He was told that it was Jesus from Nazareth. But why were there so many people with Christ? The feast of the Passover was approaching  and Christ was on his way to Jerusalem, after leaving Bethany where he had raised Lazarus. But lots of other people were also going to Jerusalem, as large groups of pilgrims, ...

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On why we must reproach ourselves (Abba Dorotheos)

Κατηγορίες: In English

Let us investigate how it is that sometimes, if a person hears something unkind, they’re able to let it go without becoming upset, whereas at other times, they hear something and are immediately offended. What’s the reason behind this difference? Is there only one cause or many? The way I see it is that there are many, but there’s one which engenders all the rest, so to say. Let me say how. In the first place, someone’s just finished praying or thinking good thoughts and, as you might say, is in a good state. Then they’re able to bear with the other person and let it go without becoming upset. Or it may be that the person has an affection ...

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Light and Lights (Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis)

Κατηγορίες: In English

‘Because the Lord has prepared it to be his throne and dwelling-place, the soul which has been granted spiritual union with the light of Christ and has been illumined by the moral beauty of his inexpressible glory completely becomes light, completely becomes a persona*, completely becomes an eye. There is no part of such a soul that is not filled with the spiritual eyes of the light; there is, that is to say, no part of the soul that is dark. Because it has completely become light and spirit and because it is filled with eyes, there is no part of the soul that can be characterized as below or behind, but rather it is a persona from all sides, ...

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