We must be people of grace, so that those who meet us find relief.
Paper delivered by Prof. Goutzioudis at the 3rd Hagiological Conference on the subject: ‘The Apostolic Fathers and their Era’, which was held in Smyrna and Ephesus (4-8 May 2017) The name of the Apostle Barnabas was linked to the authorship of the work in question by Clement the Alexandrian, Origen, Didymus, Hieronymus and other ecclesiastical writers. There are indications in the text that it can’t, in fact, have been composed by the apostle himself, and point more to the identity of a Gentile Christian with a good knowledge of Jewish tradition. The anonymous author must have been a teacher in the community to which the epistle is addressed*. Even very early on the attribution was viewed with suspicion and Eusebius is ...
The dogmatic boundaries of the Church The significance of the right faith for the existence of the Church God’s love knows no bounds, it’s without limits. As Saint Gregory of Nyssa puts it in his Dialogue on the soul and resurrection, the divine life is activated through love and God’s agapetic. Energy has no boundaries. The creation of the universe and, in particular, the human race, is an expression of God’s boundless love, as is the whole history of His dispensation, with its culmination in the incarnation of the Son and Word of God: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son so that all who believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn. 3, ...
Listen to me, listen to me all you bad judges of other people’s sins. Because if it’s true- and it really is- that ‘For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged’ (Matth. 7, 2), then rest assured that we shall fall into the same sins, be they bodily or spiritual, for which we’ve condemned our neighbour. It can’t be otherwise.
We haven’t reached rock bottom yet, we’ve still got some way to go, but once we do then things will start to sort themselves out.
The saints are our friends and the friends of God, the people to whom we can always turn. On the one hand, to receive comfort and strength. On the other to receive models tried and tested by God for our everyday life, our everyday trial, since they’ve been tried and proved ‘like gold in the furnace’. Their life is not merely a moving narrative, but an indication of how we might live. So now we’ll bring their message into today’s bleak atmosphere. These days we’re experiencing the shock of a global crisis which is particularly and painfully felt on the economic level and which is continually deepening our insecurity, despair and the breakdown of social norms. But let’s see what crisis means. ...
When you feel a persistent weight or you’re tormented by lack of faith, you should know that the enemy has taken his seat in your heart and is making the most of your ignorance, weakness and instability in the faith. You must condemn your foolishness, blindness and lack of faith immediately. Then the Lord will have mercy on you, the weight in your heart will disappear and you’ll find peace.
You want to know the meaning of those seven phrases uttered by Christ on the cross. Aren’t they clear? The first one: ‘Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing’. (Luke 23, 34). With these words, Christ showed His mercy to His executioners, whose malice didn’t abate even when He was suffering on the cross. Besides this, the words He cried aloud from the top of the rock of Golgotha represent a proven but never well-understood truth: that those who do evil never know what they’re doing. By killing the Righteous One, in reality they’re killing themselves and, at the same time, are actually glorifying Him. As they’re trampling all over God’s law, they don’t see the millstone which is ...
The Lord’s uncreated divine grace acts as a mother to us and doesn’t only preserve us from all ills, but also comforts our spirit with the sweetness of its presence. And it inspires us with courage to undertake renewed defence and attack. In sufferings and in trials in general, our spirit is expanded and our spiritual knowledge increased. ‘In my sorrow you saved me, bringing relief to my soul’ (Ps. 4, 1).
‘The point is this: those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, and those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, “He dispenses; he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever”. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every ...
If you want to be governed by God, don’t want to sin. Because if you sin, how are you going to be governed by God?
John Locke believed that if a ruler used his authority against the people, then the latter had the right to oppose him with violence. John Dunn, a political theorist of the 20th century, makes a more general comment that revolution is opposition not to persons but to authority. He also emphasizes that a tyrant has no power. Tyrants are the real revolutionaries. Locke states that politics and paternal authority are so perfectly obvious and distinguishable, built on corresponding foundations and directed towards similar goals, that any subject who is a father has as much paternal authority over his children as a ruler has over his. Political power is ceded to rulers via a voluntary agreement for the good of the subjects. ...
Early Christianity was surely marked by practices: without them, there would have been no need of martyrdoms in the arenas of the Roman Empire. Early Christianity was not a set of beliefs – philosophies were cheap and plentiful in ancient Rome. It was the Christian refusal to offer worship to the Emperor and the gods of the Empire that brought them to the arena. They refused to engage in the practices of the pagan state. The radical generosity of Christians came under the abuse of the Platonist philosopher Celsus. He excoriated Christian acceptance of thieves, rogues, prostitutes, drunkards and the like while the Christian refusal to declare upstanding pagans (such as himself) as “just,” was a rejection of Roman society ...
Love is the spouse of the angels, the companion of the fathers, table companion of the prophets, and fellow athlete of the martyrs. Love confesses the Father, venerates the Son and glorifies the Holy Spirit. Love doesn’t divide the unanimity of the Trinity.
Orthodox Christian perspective Orthodox Christian theology teaches that human life begins from the very moment of conception. The respect on human life from this point does not allow us to accept: a. the manipulation on human embryos, b. the destruction of supernumerary embryos from In-Vitro Fertilization (I.V.F.), c. the destruction of blastocyst. The acceptance of the use of embryonic stem cells for research and therapeutic purposes is obviously in contrast with the teaching of Christian ethics, which respect the human foetus from the very moment of conception. The medical opinion that the use of foetuses up to the 14th day after insemination or conception, for research and experimental purposes is permitted and it is not immoral is also in opposition to Christian ...
Writing to someone on the subject of confession, Saint Nikolaj had this to say: You want to know if confession is so important. At one time you used to go more frequently for confession, but you stopped because somebody mocked you for it. You shouldn’t have stopped. Who haven’t people mocked? Do you know what the most perspicacious of all people said: ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep’ (Luke 6, 25). You write that, apart from your trade, you’ve also got a vine which is very productive because you look after it well. If somebody else had a vine, abandoned it and then mocked you for taking care of yours, would you throw your ...
The Annual Spiritual Clergy Retreat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) took place from October 2 — 5, 2017, in Kingston, Ontario. The retreat was organized by Fr. P. Avgeropoulos, President of the Presbyters Council. There was an excellent program, which was flawlessly executed. Warmest congratulations to Fr. P. Avgeropoulos and the Executive of the Presbyters Council. Speakers and Presentations “Whoever confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 10:32) — Fr. Α. Allain. Every Community as a microcosm of our Holy Metropolis — Metropolitan Sotirios. The Priest as liturgist and catechist: Teaching the Divine Liturgy and liturgical uniformity — Fr. Ν. Mostratos. Confession of Faith and Youth — Fr. C. Chatzis. Clergy Relations with ...
If people are to live, to become complete, they have to receive Grace. It’s our right to hold, to experience in our heart, the Holy Spirit, Who is, exists, lives, acts and functions in the Church. This is why, above all else,the Orthodox Church is the mother of Grace and gives her children everything the human soul requires. This is why, by living a proper life, being properly inducted into the Church, we can enjoy all that’s beautiful, pleasing and sweet. And there’s nothing sweeter than God’s Grace.
Anyone reading or hearing today’s Gospel (the raising of the son of the widow in Nain) can form their own thoughts and conclusions. One thing which people might think of and wonder about is why God doesn’t show the same compassion in all cases of the loss of a young person and also why there aren’t any such miracles and resurrections in our own day. Many people are confused by this and some find it a challenge to their faith. But the fact that young people are being lost today doesn’t mean that God is uncompassionate and harsh. It’s simply that, in these cases, human reason is unable to comprehend God’s compassion, which transcends our ways of thinking. We’re unable to ...
My mind has been returning lately to this article as I think about issues between Christianity and the State. It has become an increasingly common legal opinion in the Western world that religion is an inward belief, aprivate matter. At the same time it has used this understanding to restrict various expressions of belief. In some nations the hijab (scarf) is being forbidden in schools. Personal crosses have been banned from the work place. Roman Catholic institutions are being required to provide birth control for employees in the US. There is growing concern among some that the same development of thought might seek to punish religious groups who do not recognize same-sex unions. The essential problem is the failure to acknowledge that religion is a ...
