République des Moines- Mont Athos

Αλλά αν κάποιος δεν θέλει τη ζωή;

ΤΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΒΛΑΣΦΗΜΙΑ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΟΣ;

Διάβασες στο Ευαγγέλιο τους λόγους του Χριστού: «Κάθε αμαρτία και βλασφημία θα συγχωρείται στους ανθρώπους· η βλασφημία κατά του Αγίου Πνέυματος δεν θα συγχωρείται σ’ αυτούς…ούτε στη εδώ ζωή ούτε στη μελλοντική» (Ματθ.12,31-32). Και ρωτάς τι σημαίνει βλασφημία κατά του Αγίου Πνεύματος;

Είναι η βλασφημία κατά της αλήθειας και της ζωής, που προέρχονται από το Άγιο Πνεύμα του Θεου. Ο άπιστος που μισεί και διώκει την αλήθεια του Θεού, βλασφημεί κατά του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Ο αυτόχειρας που μισεί και αφαιρεί τη ζωή του, βλασφημεί κατά του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Εφόσον το Άγιο Πνεύμα αποκαλείται και Πνεύμα της Αληθείας και της ζωής. Στο ευαγγέλιο του Ιωάννη γράφεται ότι ο Χριστός τρεις φορές επικαλέσθηκε το Άγιο Πνεύμα με τη σημασία του Πνεύματος της Αληθείας: «Ο δε παράκλητος, το Πνεύμα το Άγιον ο πέμψει ο πατήρ εν τω ονόματί μου, εκείνος υμάς διδάξει πάντα και υπομνήσει υμάς πάντα α είπον υμίν…» (Ιωάν. 14,26) -«όταν δε έλθη ό παράκλητος ον εγώ πέμψω υμίν παρά του πατρός, το Πνεύμα της αλη­θείας…» (Ιωάν. 15,26)- «οδηγήσει υμάς εις πάσαν την άλήθειαν» (Ιωάν. 16,13). Εκείνος, λοιπόν,που αρνείται και χλευάζει το Άγιο Πνεύμα, αρνείται και χλευάζει τον Θεό που είναι το Πνεύμα της Αληθείας. Ρωτάς γιατί αυτό το αμάρτη­μα δεν συγχωρείται ενώ κάθε άλλο αμάρτημα συγχωρείται. Κοίταξα, στον Ζακχαίο συγχωρέθηκε το αμάρτημα της φι­λαργυρίας, σε αμαρτωλές γυναίκες τα σαρκικά αμαρτήμα­τα, του ληστή στο σταυρό οι ληστείες και σε πολλούς άλλους πολλά άλλα αμαρτήματα. Γιατί λοιπόν να μην συγ­χωρείται και η άρνηση, η απιστία, ο χλευασμός κατά του Αγίου Πνεύματος; Επειδή στα μεν πρώτα υπάρχει ντροπή και μετάνοια ενώ στο δεύτερο δεν υπάρχει. Στα μεν πρώτα, λοιπόν, ο άνθρωπος αν και αμαρτάνει διαθέτει ντροπή και φόβο που τον συνδέει με τον Θεό, ενώ στο δεύτερο η σχέση με τον Θεό διακόπτεται και ο ασεβής άνθρωπος ανεπίστρεπτα και εντελώς απομακρύνεται από τον Θεό. Στα μεν υπάρχει αδυναμία στο δε εμμονή. Στα μεν η ψυχή ταξιδεύει στο σκοτάδι και αποκαλεί το σκοτάδι φώς. Στο δε συμβαί­νει ο άνθρωπος να μην έχει την παραμικρή διάθεση να σωθεί και είναι γνωστό ότι ο Θεός δεν σώζει με τη βία.

Μια άλλη βλασφημία προς το Άγιο Πνεύμα είναι η έχθρα προς τη ζωή και η αφαίρεση της ζωής από τον εαυτό σου. Το Άγιο Πνεύμα αποκαλείται και χορηγός της ζωής, δωρη­τής της ζωής. Έτσι όταν ο άνθρωπος λαμβάνει ζωή από το Άγιο Πνεύμα αλλά αγνοεί από που έλαβε τούτο το δώρο μη ευχαριστώντας τον Θεό, μπορεί να του συγχωρεθεί. Ακόμα και κάποιος που γνωρίζει από που έλαβε το πολύτιμο αυτό δώρο και παρόλα αυτά δεν ευχαριστεί τον Θεό, μπορεί να του συγχωρεθεί. Αλλά όταν κάποιος λαμβάνει ζωή από το Άγιο Πνεύμα και με περιφρόνηση την πετά, αυτός δεν πρό­κειται να συγχωρεθεί. Για να το καταλάβουμε αυτό πρέπει πριν απ’ όλα να καταλάβουμε τι σημαίνει συγχώρεση. Συγ­χώρεση του αμαρτωλού σημαίνει να του επιστραφεί πλήρως η ζωή. Αλλά όταν κάποιος δεν θέλει τη ζωή πολύ δε περισ­σότερο τη μισεί και την αρνείται, ο Θεός δεν έχει τι άλλο να του δώσει. Γι’ αυτό και τον διαγράφει από το βιβλίο της ζωής.

Προσευχήσου στον Θεό να φυλά εσένα και τους οικείους σου από ασυγχώρητα αμαρτήματα και να σταματά τον ανόητο ξεσηκωμό του δημιουργήματος ενάντια στον Δημι­ουργό του.

Από τον Θεό υγεία και έλεος (Αγίου Νικολάου Βελιμίροβιτς, Δρόμος δίχως Θεό δεν αντέχεται…, Εκδ. Εν Πλω)

Ο Θεός μας ανέχεται! ( Γεροντας Παϊσιος )

Σήμερα ο Θεός ανέχεται την κατάσταση. Ανέχεται, ανέχεται, για να είναι αναπολόγητος ο κακός. Είναι περιπτώσεις που ο Θεός επεμβαίνει άμεσα και αμέσως, ενώ σε άλλες περιπτώσεις περιμένει. Δεν δίνει αμέσως την λύση και περιμένει την υπομονή των ανθρώπων , την προσευχή, τον αγώνα.

Τι αρχοντιά έχει ο Θεός! Ένας πόσους είχε σφάξει τότε με τον πόλεμο και ακόμη ζη. Θα του πη στην άλλη ζωή ο Θεός: «  Σε άφησα να ζήσης περισσότερο και από τους καλούς » . Δεν θα έχη ελαφρυντικά.

-       Γέροντα, μερικοί τέτοιοι άνθρωποι , ενώ είναι βαριά άρρωστοι, πώς δεν πεθαίνουν;

-       Φαίνεται έχουν βαριές αμαρτίες, για αυτό δεν πεθαίνουν. Περιμένει ο Θεός μήπως μετανοήσουν.

-            Και τον κόσμο που παιδεύουν;

-            Αυτοί που παιδεύονται και δεν φταίνε, αποταμιεύουν. Αυτοί που φταίνε, εξοφλούν.

-           Γέροντα, τι θα πη « Πονηροί άνθρωποι και γόητες προκόψουν επί το χείρον, πλανώντες και πλανώμενοι» ;

-              Κοίταξε. Υπάρχουν άνθρωποι που έχουν κάποιον εγωισμό και ο Θεός τους δίνει ένα σκαμπίλι να πάνε παρακάτω. Άλλοι έχουν λίγο παραπάνω εγωισμό και ο Θεός στους δίνει ένα σκαμπίλι και πάνε ακόμη παρακάτω. Αυτούς όμως που έχουν εωσφορική υπερηφάνεια, ο Θεός τους αφήνει.

Μπορεί να φαίνεται ότι κάνουν προκοπή, αλλά τι προκοπή είναι αυτή; Μαύρη προκοπή. Και μετά δεν πέφτουν απλώς κάτω, αλλά πέφτουν κατ' ευθείαν στο βάραθρο. Ο Θεός να φυλάει!

Γεροντας Παϊσιος

Valaam, l'archipel des moines

Illumination - Gifts of the Holy Spirit

At our Baptism and Chrismation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.    But as long as we are dominated by the passions these gifts are not fully active. They are hidden or covered. Once we remove the passions then these gifts work in our consciousness.
Fr. Dimitru Staniloae says,

Only after the termination of the work of purification, driven especially by the powers of Baptism and of repentance, does the work of the gifts of the Holy Spirit appear first and foremost.It is during the stage of Purification where we work to overcome the work of the passions where we begin to feel increasingly the power of the Holy Spirit. He then works later to bring to our consciousness full illumination of the truths.


There are said to be seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Fear of God to help overcome sinfulness.
Spirit of strength to live by the virtues.
Spirit of counsel to give us the skill of discernment.
Spirit of understanding to realize how blessings have been revealed to us to gain virtues.
Spirit of knowledge to know the deeper motivation of each command and virtue.
Spirit of comprehension to know the meaning of things by identification with them.
Spirit of wisdom which is the simple contemplation of truth of all things.


St. Maximus the Confessor describes wisdom as follows:

By this we know as far as is humanly possible, in an unknown way, the simple logoi of things found in God; we take out the truth from everything, as from a gushing spring of the heart, and we also share it in different ways with others.It is the gifts of the Holy Spirit that guide us in the knowledge of God. Again Fr. Dimitru cautions,

Only after the mind is cleansed not only from the passions but also from simple images and representations of things, will the direct knowledge of God be produced... The work of the Holy Spirit is like a light shining into a dark room. As the light increases, the contents of the room become known. Through illumination the Spirit will illumine our consciousness so that we are filled with divine light. With this light all things become transparent and their meaning and relationship with God become very clear. We are enabled to penetrate beneath the surface of things.


Fr. Dimitru says

Only in the measure in which someone becomes transparent to himself, are things made transparent to him, because this power which works in him later reaches the exterior... for the eyes of our soul to see the light of intelligible and divine realities, that is the depths of things, they must first be filled with the light which radiates from these depths. In him who sees must be found something of what is seen.Through the contemplation of things of the created world and the words of Scripture, we are led to a deeper illumined knowledge.


Reference: Orthodox Spirituality, pp 195 - 202

Illumination: How to Discern the Truth (logoi) in Things

After a prolonged period of purification with much spiritual exercise to subdue the passions, we can focus our mind on the contemplation of God's creation to discern the truth that lies in them, the logoi.
This truth is not grasped by our reason alone.  
Fr. Dimitru Staniloae writes,

It is reason which is exercised by the choice of rational things required by divine commands and by gradual rationalization of man gained by virtue."

This is a reason purified from the influence of all our passions and self-centeredness and informed by a selfless virtuous life.  This provides the basis for an act of "intuitive knowledge" in which reason is implicated through exercise over prolonged periods of time.  We must be aware that we can make personal judgments about things, their logoi, their purpose.  In our normal state these judgments vary from time to time but this does not change the truth about them.  It only reflects our imperfect judgment about them.  Once we realize, based on humility, that all that happens takes place by God's will, we can begin to have revealed to us the "true line" of His development of creation.


This truth of things is not something obtained with intellectual dialogue.  This is not necessary to extract their truth. We must prepare ourselves so it is revealed to us.  


There exists an objective logos––pure reason.
Fr. Dimitru says,

It imposes itself by its fully convincing and evident rationality and at the same time by its supra-rationality as a reflex of a harmonious and immutable order of the existence of a thing of fact with the framework of the whole of reality.

We can arrive at these truths only after proper preparation and the development of a high moral character.  Only then is the truth revealed to us uncluttered by our personal opinions.

Is God Trying to Get our Attention with the Floods, Earthquakes, and Heat?

I was recently asked to write something about earthquakes and other natural disasters. What do they mean from a spiritual view point? Are they an indication of God's dissatisfaction with us? Or, are they just random occurrences due to the unguided forces of nature?

My first thought was to avoid this question. I sensed that my own personal views might be at odds with the teachings of the Church. Without thinking very deeply about this, I would fall in the camp of those who say they are just random unfortunate events. This is an easy way to explain them away and say they have no spiritual meaning. My deeper spirit pushed me on to find a better answer based on the teachings of the Church. After all, there are many such lessons in Scripture and everything we do has a spiritual meaning.

The Orthodox view begins with the belief that all happens with the awareness of God. He is all powerful, Creator of all. If he wanted, he could prevent any natural calamity. Secondly, we believe that all God does is out of love for us. So, in understanding a natural disaster we have to realize that God lets them happen out of His Love for us. This Love wants to bring us into union with him with eternal life in Paradise as we were originally created.
Here are a few thoughts from the Wisdom of our Church Fathers:

St. Isaac the Syrian:

A time of trial is beneficial to everyone: the diligent are tried so that their wealth may increase; the lax, so that they may be preserved from harm; those spiritually asleep, so that they may prepare themselves for watchfulness; those whose who are far from God, so that they approach Him; those who are God’s close associates, so that they may come closer to Him in freedom of speech. St. Basil the Great says,


If no one makes an effort to repent over the causes of woeful manifestations: why there is drought, why rain, why thunderbolts, why hail? This is for us, who have unrepentant hearts, and who have not been converted until we are stricken.St. John Chrysostom speaks also about the need to correct our lives and place our hope in God:


"Leave to God the time for the end of calamity, and we shall only pray; we ourselves shall live piously; for it is our affair to turn to virtue, while it is God's affair to stop calamities.”
In another work, this great preacher warns:
”God is powerful to stop all catastrophes, but until He sees our conversion, He does not put a stop to our woes.”
Elder Paisios when asked, "Why God does allow a calamity to happen?" responded.:



There are all kinds of reasons. Sometimes God will allow something to happen so that something better may come out of it, and other times He wants to educate us. Some people are rewarded and others pay a debt; nothing is wasted. You know, whatever God allows, even when human being perish, it is done out of love for man, because God has a "heart."Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica says,


By thoughts man often disturbs the order of creation. That is how the first people were destroyed––in a flood––because of their evil thoughts and intentions. This is true even today; our thoughts are evil, and therefore we do not bear good fruit. We must change. Saint Paul says,


"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5: 3-5)From the Priest's Prayer for calamities



" O Lord Who alone art rich in mercy, and in the loving kindness of Thy goodness dost hearken to the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, arranging and directing us all toward our benefit, guiding our life by Thy wise providence, and in every way desiring our salvation; Who by nature art long-suffering and great in mercy; Who dost chastise and healest again; Who dost rebuke gently and with love for man, not to destroy the work of Thy hands, but to bring it to its primal goodness and to its original nobility, which we have destroyed in the feebleness of our understanding and by the counsel of the most accursed one;... Still Thy wrath, O Lord; absolve, O Lord; have mercy, O Lord, and forsake us not utterly because of our iniquities, neither punish Thou others with our wounds. Grant that we may become chaste through the sufferings of others. " Calamities and natural disasters are a mystery to mankind beyond our full comprehension. We only know the tribulation and suffering that occur because of them. We must remember that we live in a fallen world that is dominated by sin. The aim of life on this earth is to perfect our souls so that we will be saved, that we will find union with God, and live with Him eternally. What happens in this fallen world, death, sickness, natural disasters and all kinds of trials and tribulations make up the fire that purifies us.