But if you acquire inner beauty, that beauty will
radiate outward to the physical person as well, and thus that beauty will
endure.
Saint
Ephraim the Syrian
Afterward, the nun in charge of the refectory and her
assistant began clearing the tables, carrying the dishes through a hallway to
the kitchen.
Suddenly, a loud crash rang out in the corridor; a
tray had fallen, and all the dishes shattered against the marble floor.
The Abbess, who had not yet left the refectory,
immediately went to see what was happening.
She found a single nun bent over, gathering up the
broken pieces.
In a stern, severe tone, she asked:
"Did you do this?"
"Bless me," the nun replied.
And the Abbess said to her:
"Tomorrow—Sunday—you will not receive Holy
Communion, and you must perform five hundred full prostrations."
"May it be blessed," the nun answered, and
she continued to gather the shards and clean the area.
The next day, Sunday, the nun in question remained on
her knees from the opening "Blessed is the Kingdom..." until the very
end of the Divine Liturgy, while tears streamed from her eyes.
When the time for Holy Communion arrived, she bowed
her head to the floor, watering it with her tears.
She remained in that position until the Divine Liturgy
concluded. As the Abbess was the last to leave the church, she noticed the nun
who was still standing in that same spot; she approached her and asked what was
wrong.
The nun remained silent, but upon the Abbess’s
insistent questioning, she answered—very hesitantly and shyly—that while the sisters
were receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, she had suddenly raised her head,
and a portion [of the Holy Sacrament] flew from the Holy Spoon and entered her
mouth.
Then the Abbess asked her:
"Which sister was next in line to receive
Communion at the moment this happened?"
She bowed her head and, very softly and hesitantly,
spoke the sister's name.
"Now," said the Abbess, "in the face of
this miracle that has occurred, and in the Name of the Holy God, you must tell
me what happened yesterday; you must tell me the whole truth."
"As I was leaving the refectory with a tray full
of dishes and passing through the connecting area, that particular sister came
up and pushed me with both hands; I fell, and that is how the damage
occurred."
My brethren, God miraculously brought the truth to
light, rewarding the holy humility of the one sister while withdrawing Grace
from the other. Then the Gerontissa called the other sister and asked her:
"Tell me, please, what did you receive at
Communion today?"
And she replied:
"Nothing, Gerontissa; the Holy Spoon was
empty!..."
Source: the book *Experiences During the Divine
Liturgy*
However, when one fails to make the sign of the Cross
before eating, even wholesome food can cause harm, for a demon may be lurking
within the substance of the food itself! Demons have the power to enter into
matter—especially water—which is why we should make the sign of the Cross
before drinking water.
Everything we consume—whether food or drink—should be
sealed by us with the sign of the Cross. This is why people in the past were
stronger in body and mind; they possessed greater faith and made the sign of
the Cross during every aspect of their lives, especially before eating and
drinking.
Elder Ephraim of the Skete of Saint Andrew
They share a common characteristic: both receive the
waters of the Jordan River.
However, the Sea of Galilee receives the water and
allows it to flow out toward the south.
The Dead Sea receives the waters of the Jordan and
keeps them for itself.
In the Sea of Galilee, there is abundant life—both
within the lake and around it.
In the Dead Sea, there is not a trace of life.
The Dead Sea symbolically illustrates what happens
when someone keeps things only for themselves.
To receive and to give— that is the secret to a
fulfilled life.
Archbishop
Anastasios of Albania.
Elder Ephraim of the Skete of Saint Andrew
You said, Lord, that You are Love. Yet around me,
hatred reigns.
Is the power of love, then, a lie?
You said, Lord, that You are the Light. Darkness
reigns around me. Is the significance of light, then, a lie?
You said, Lord, that You are the Way. Yet very few
around me follow You. Is the true Way, then, a lie?
You said, Lord, "My peace I give to you." Yet
around me, we see no true peace—neither in hearts, nor between individuals,
nor, on a grand scale, between nations. Wars cease in some parts of the earth
only to ignite new conflagrations elsewhere, with all the terrible consequences
such situations entail. Is the offer of Your peace, then, a lie?
You said, Lord, that You are the Truth. Around me, I
see the lie worshipped with a kind of frenzy.
Is the allure of truth, then, a lie?
You said, Lord, "Behold, I am with you... until
the end of the age." Yet, the people around me live as if You never
existed at all, as if You never set foot on our earth. And everything seems to
show that You are the Great Absent One. Is our faith, then, a lie? Is it all a
tragic delusion—as some proclaim with fanaticism and by every possible means?
My child,
I did not come to force upon anyone all that you
mention and all that I proclaimed through word and deed; I said categorically:
"Whoever wishes to come after Me... let him follow Me." "Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him." Even to those who accepted My invitation, I
said—prompted by the departure of some who had rejected Me—"Do you also
wish to go away?" Free from Me. I do not want anyone to follow Me by compulsion,
but freely. How, then, could you not see the things you mention to Me, given
that people do not wish to follow Me?
How could the things you observe not exist?
Indeed, Lord! These doubts are voiced by those who do
not believe in You, Lord; that is why they deem unattainable the very things
You both embody and impart. Indeed, You never sought to impose them. You asked
that we follow You freely—those of us who wish to do so. Yet, for those of us
who follow You freely and with all our hearts, we taste the blessings You offer
and experience Your presence within us, wholeheartedly embracing the word of
Your Grace. No matter how hard the world strives for these things without You,
it will never taste them as realities during its fleeting earthly sojourn.
Therefore, I can never, in any way, accept these
expressions of doubt, my Lord! I fervently beseech You: "Lord, increase
our faith! Increase our faith! Increase our faith"—a faith steadfast and
unshakable in Your all-holy Person and in all that You have assured us once and
for all!
(From Father Eusebius’s book *Katoptrismoi*
[Reflections])
This is why the whole world ought to be at the Divine
Liturgy, for the continuation of its life is a gift of the Divine Liturgy.
Therefore, as long as there are people who seek
repentance and Holy Communion, Satan will have no power."
Saint
Arsenius of Romania
To this Mother of silence I prayed, and today, we all prayed, even those who did not go to Church.
God heard our silences, felt our mourning and losses.
Our sorrows and anxieties, our fears and panics, our frustrations and disappointments.
And be sure of one thing, as long as people crucify you, God will resurrect you.
As long as people will hurt you, Christ will accompany you, as long as people will frustrate your dreams, the Virgin Mary will become the abide in your heart, that in her embrace we will all fit, traitors and betrayed"
Saint Joseph the Hesychast
Watch out for certain pseudo-Christians, who see marriage as something sordid, as a sin, who immediately cast their eyes down when they hear anything said about it. If you marry someone like this, he will be a thorn in your flesh, and a burden for his monastery if he becomes a monk. Watch out for those who think that they're perfect, and find no defect in themselves, while constantly finding faults in others. Watch out for those who think they've been chosen by God to correct everyone else.
There is another serious matter to which you should also pay attention: heredity. Get to know well the father, the mother, the grandfather, the grandmother, the uncle. Also, the basic material prerequisites should be there. Above all, pay attention to the person's faith. Does he or she have faith? Has the person whom you're thinking of making the companion of your life have ideals? If Christ means nothing to him, how are you going to be able to enter his heart? If he has not been able to value Christ, do you think he will value you? Holy Scripture says to the husband that the wife should be "of your testament" (Mal 2.14), that is, of your faith, your religion, so that she can join you to God.”
That angels are close to people and that they care for them is testified to by the entire Holy Bible, and especially the New Testament.
Moreover, in the Orthodox Church there are many traditions of holy men and women, who testify to what Saint Anastasius affirms: that each of us in this world is accompanied by a good and powerful messenger of God, a soldier of the Kingdom of Heaven, the angel of light.
Who, except a madman, drives away a good friend from his presence? Truly, only the mad and the extremely ignorant drive away with their sins their best friend, their guardian angel.
From Saint Nicholas Velimirovich
The Guardian Angel:
“In Christian tradition it is believed that every person has a guardian angel, who is assigned to him at birth to guide and protect him throughout his life.”
Symbolism:
“The angel is often depicted holding a scepter or rod, symbolizing his role as a messenger and the authority he has been assigned, as well as a sphere, which symbolizes the authority granted to him by God.”
The infant within the sphere:
“The infant held within the sphere symbolizes the soul or person under the angel's protection.”
During the Ottoman Empire, there was a Turkish butcher who had a board on which he cut meat for his customers. One day, a Christian customer saw that the board was the back of an icon of the Virgin Mary!
He then said to the butcher:
- If I bring you a nice trunk to cut the meat on, will you give me that board?
One day he invited some friends to his house. His friends, like him, were smokers and they were smoking one cigarette after another.
At one point, one of his friends raised his head and said:
- What a masterpiece this is! Where did he find this most beautiful icon of the Virgin Mary!
And he began to tell how and where he acquired it.
- His friend said, what a great blessing!
And at that very moment, the icon speaks and says:
- If you brought me here to incense me with the devil's incense, I prefer that you take me to the Turk's butcher shop!
He and his friends were shocked by this miracle of the Virgin Mary and they "knocked down" their smoking...
Dimitrios Panagopoulos
He, our Savior Jesus, fasted for forty days and nights as an example for
us. And when? After His baptism. This shows us that all baptized Christians are
obligated to fast according to their abilities.
From *Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos* (Volume 1) by Archimandrite
Cherubim, p. 313.
To a young man who told him that he was experiencing
an intense battle with the flesh and that, as he believed, this battle would be
resolved once and for all through marriage, the late Elder Father Epiphanios
Theodoropoulos (1930–1989) replied:
“My child, you must know that the problem of man known
as ‘sarx’ (=flesh) is not solved by marriage, nor by celibacy, nor by polygamy.
The problem called “sarx” is definitively solved only by the “plax” (= the
marble slab), that is, the grave.
Marriage merely alleviates the problem. It does not
solve it. We must, therefore, remain vigilant throughout our entire lives.
Strive consistently from now on, asking God to strengthen you…
THE “SELF-CONTROL PILLS”
To another young man who told him that it’s impossible
for anyone to remain chaste today, he replied:
“Tell me, what do you think? Do we celibate clergy go
out with women or take pills to suppress our sexual instincts?”
Seeing the young man’s confusion, the Elder continued:
–Listen, my child: The “medicines” we take to combat
carnal temptations are prayer, fasting, all-night vigils, confession, and Holy
Communion. These keep both us and unmarried young people pure. Follow this
“prescription” yourself, and you will see how achievable self-control is. On
our own, we cannot remain pure for even a second. But with God’s grace and
help, everything is possible…
“DON’T YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS?”
Once, one of his spiritual children said the following
to him:
–Father, I don’t believe in anything. Is there any
point in practicing self-control?
–No, my child. Absolutely none. Without God,
everything is permitted. But tell me: do you think I’m a fool?
–No, of course not.
–Selfish?
–Far from it!
–Well, doesn’t the suspicion even cross your
mind—since, as you say, I am neither a fool nor self-serving—doesn’t it occur
to you, then, that perhaps what I advocate and teach, specifically on the
subject of chastity, might actually be true?…
“OH, NO, AND MY SISTER TOO!”
One of Father Epiphanius’s spiritual children notes
the following:
“I remember the following conversation with the Elder
when I was a prospective student:
–Father, a fellow student at the prep school—during
our conversations—keeps bringing up this and that, constantly urging me to find
a girlfriend. Of course, it doesn’t influence me, but it bothers me. What
should I say to him to make him stop?
–Does your friend have a sister?
–Yes, Father.
–Tell him: “All right! But you’ll have to do me a
favor. You know what a good guy I am. So you’ll let me have your sister for one
night!” Tell him that, and we’ll see what happens next.
The next day, I put the Elder’s “plan” into immediate
action. My friend started up with his “usual” routine again.
–“Well, my friend,” I said, “why should I go looking
for a girlfriend? Why don’t you let me have your sister for tonight, and then
we’ll see?”
My friend recoiled, shocked! And he immediately
reacted:
–Oh, come on, not my sister! What, have we lost our
minds?
–Why not your sister? I replied. Isn’t the other girl
you want me to find someone’s sister or daughter, too? Why, X., do you want
someone else’s sister to “have fun” with, but protect your own? Don’t you see
that you’re wrong?
Ever since then, my buddy X. has been “tight-lipped”
about “girlfriends”! Happy myself, I went and reported the result to the Elder:
–Elder, the “plan” worked like a charm!
And the Elder said, smiling:
–Well, what did the young man think?!…».
“BY FLEEING!”
“The Fathers say: ‘All battles are won by attacking;
the only battle won by fleeing is the battle against the flesh!’…”
“THE MAN IS RIGHT!”
“Once,” recounts a spiritual son of Elder Epiphanius,
“I took an acquaintance of mine to him for confession. When he came out of the
confessional, he was clearly disappointed.”
“I’m never coming back!” he told me.
“Why?” I asked him.
“Well…” he replied, “when I told him I date women, he
asked me how old I was. I told him twenty-five.” So he continued: “Do you
realize how those twenty-five years went by?” “No,” I replied. “Well, another
twenty-five will go by, and maybe even another twenty-five years, without you
realizing it, and then you’ll die. And when you stand before Christ, He will
ask you: ‘I came and was crucified for you. What did you do for Me? Did you
make your body—which is the temple of the Holy Spirit—the members of a
prostitute?’”
My acquaintance told me more about the conversation
he’d had with the Elder, and I felt sad—not, of course, because I disagreed
with Father Epiphanius’s views, but because I thought the Elder could have cast
his “hook” so that my acquaintance wouldn’t have left feeling so disappointed.
The next day, I went to see Father Epiphanios and
explained the problem to him.
He said to me:
–Look, my child: Confession is a sacrament of
repentance. This means that the person who approaches it considers himself
worthy “of death” and is ready to accept—and indeed with relief—the severity
and rebukes of his spiritual father. Now, if someone has not realized “what”
the Sacrament is and thinks that Confession is an opportunity to discuss their
questions with their spiritual father or to express their pain in order to be
comforted, or that it is something like a session with a psychologist, then,
the situation is different, because he simply hasn’t grasped the true purpose
and meaning of the Sacrament. In any case, tell him to come so we can talk.
I finally found this acquaintance of mine, and when I
recounted to him the conversation I’d had with the Elder and suggested we go
see him sometime, I received the following response from him, which
demonstrates the Elder’s wisdom and sound judgment on the matter:
“But what are we supposed to go and say now?! The man
is right. Since I have no intention of stopping going out with women, there’s
no point in such a meeting…”
(“Life’s Hypotheses,” pp. 140–144, 11th edition, Holy
Monastery of the Gracious Mother of God of Troizina, Athens 1997)
Do not be ashamed to offer Him your entire being, for
He will renew it, glorify it in the kingdom of heaven.
As Christ suffered for your sake, suffer for the sake
of Christ. Take a look around you and see how much pain, how much misery, how
many sorrows there are among people.
No matter how much you hurt, there are others who hurt
more. No matter how much you are unhappy, there are others who are unhappy
more.
Praise and thank God who does not send you greater
calamities. Take courage, begin and please Him with your spiritual struggle.
With a little temporary effort you will enjoy eternal and infinite goods.
~
Saint Demetrius of Rostov
Do not be ashamed to submit your flesh for the sake of
Christ, for He created it. Do not be afraid in the face of pain, for He has the
power to heal every wound.
Do not be ashamed to offer Him your entire being, for
He will renew it, glorify it in the kingdom of heaven.
As Christ suffered for your sake, suffer for the sake
of Christ. Take a look around you and see how much pain, how much misery, how
many sorrows there are among people.
No matter how much you hurt, there are others who hurt
more. No matter how much you are unhappy, there are others who are unhappy
more.
Praise and thank God who does not send you greater
calamities. Take courage, begin and please Him with your spiritual struggle.
With a little temporary effort you will enjoy eternal and infinite goods.
~
Saint Demetrius of Rostov
So much does the Virgin Mary.
And infinitely, of course, and inexpressibly does our
Lord Jesus Christ.
And come on, man is made of love, for love.
He seeks love everywhere.
Even in sin.
Even in evil.
Even in crime, if you like.
But love is not there.
Love is at its source.
It is in our Christ.
Therefore, let us leave the works of sin, the dead,
and let us enter into the works of repentance.
And let us do works worthy of repentance.
And let us follow our Savior Christ, our Virgin Mary,
Saint John and all the saints.
+
Fr. Ananias Koustenis
Dimitrios Panagopoulos, preacher
