Elder Paisios is another holy person among many who place an emphasis on the practice of what is called the “Jesus Prayer.”
He says,
We should constantly and unceasingly repeat the Jesus prayer. Only the name of Christ must remain inside our communication with God, then the devil finds the chance to confuse us with negative thoughts. Thus, we end up not knowing what we want, do, or say.
Source: Elder Paisios on the Holy Mountain, p 79
Κάθε άνθρωπος έχει τρεις φίλους.
Ο ένας τον εγκαταλείπει κατά την ώραν του θανάτου, ο άλλος κατά τον ενταφιασμόν και ο τρίτος τον συνοδεύει πέραν του τάφου.
Ο πρώτος είναι τα υλικά αγαθά, ο δεύτερος oι φίλοι του και ο τρίτος τα καλά έργα.
Δια τούτο ο άνθρωπος πρέπει να φροντίζει, ώστε ενώ, όταν εγεννήθει, όλοι γελούσαν και αυτός έκλαιεν, όταν αποθάνει, οι άλλοι να κλαίουν και αυτός να γελάει!
http://www.diakonima.gr
Those, who have realised how dangerous and evil is the life they lead, the devil succeeds in keeping in his power, mainly by the
following simple but all-powerful suggestion: ‘Later, later; tomorrow, to-morrow.” And the poor sinner, deluded by the appearance
of good intention accompanying this suggestion, decides: ‘Indeed, to-morrow; to-day I shall finish what I have to do, and then, free
of all care, will put myself in the hands of Divine grace and will follow unswervingly the path of spiritual life. To-day I shall do this
and that; to-morrow I shall repent.” This is the net of the devil, my brother, with which he catches a great many, and holds the
whole world in his hands. The reason why this net catches us so easily is our negligence and blindness. Nothing but negligence and
blindness can explain why, when the whole of our salvation and all the glory of God are at stake, we fail to use immediately the most
easy and simple and yet the most effective weapon, namely: to say to ourselves, resolutely and energetically: ‘This moment! I shall
start spiritual life this moment, and not later; I shall repent now, instead of to-morrow. Now, this moment is in my hands, tomorrow
and after is in the hands of God. Even if God will grant me’ to-morrow and after, can I be sure that I shall have to-morrow
the same good thought urging me to mend my ways?’ Moreover, how senseless it is when, for example, a sure remedy is offered for
curing one’s illness, to say: ‘ Wait, let me be sick a little longer!” And a man who delays the work of salvation does exactly this.
So, if you wish to be free of the prelest of the enemy and to over come him, take up at once this trusty weapon against him and
obey immediately in actual deed the good thoughts and promptings coming from the Lord and calling you to repent. Do not allow
the slightest delay, do not permit yourself to say: ‘I have made a firm resolve to repent a little later and I shall not abandon this
intention.” No, no, do not do this. Such resolutions have always proved deceptive and many people, who relied on them, have for
many reasons remained unrepentant to the end of their lives.
(a) The first of these reasons is that our own resolutions are not based on distrust of ourselves and a firm trust in God. Therefore
we are not devoid of high opinion of ourselves, the inevitable consequence of which is always withdrawal from us of the blessed
Divine help and our consequent inevitable downfall. This is why a man, who decides in himself: ‘ To-morrow I shall abandon the
path of sin without fail ‘, always meets with the opposite effect— that is, instead of rising up he falls down worse than before, which
is followed by downfall after downfall. God sometimes allows this to happen deliberately, in order to bring the self-reliant to the
realisation of his weakness and urge him to seek Divine help, renouncing and abandoning all trust in himself, since God’s help alone
can be trusted. Do you want to know, 0 man, when your own decisions will be firm and reliable? When you abandon all trust in
yourself and when all your hopes are based on humility and a steadfast trust in God alone.
(b) The second reason is that in making such resolutions we mostly have in view the beauty and radiance of virtue, which attract our
will, however weak and impotent it may be; and so naturally the difficult side of virtue escapes our attention. To-day this side
escapes notice, because the beauty of virtue strongly attracts our will; but to-morrow, when the usual works and cares present
themselves, this attraction will not be so strong, although the intention is still remembered. When desire weakens, the will also
becomes weaker or relapses into its natural impotence, and at the same time the difficult side of virtue stands out and strikes the eye;
for the path of virtue is by its nature hard, and is hardest of all at the first step. Now let us suppose that the man, who decided
yesterday to enter upon this path, today does so; he no longer feels any support for carrying out his decision. The desire has lost its
intensity, the will has weakened, nothing but obstacles are in sight—in himself, in the habitual course of his life, in the usual
relationships with others. And so he decides: ‘I shall wait a while and gather my strength.” Thus he goes on waiting from day to day,
and it is no wonder if he waits all his life. And yet had he started work yesterday, when the inspiring desire to mend his ways came
upon him, had he done one thing or another in obedience to this desire, had be introduced into his life something in this spirit—
today his desire and will would not be so weak as to retreat in the face of obstacles. There must be obstacles, but if the man had
something to lean on in himself, he would have overcome them, be it with difficulty. Had he been occupied all day with overcoming
them, the next day he would have felt them far less; and on the third day still less. Thus going further and further he would have
become established on the right path.
(c) The third reason is that if the good of awakening from sinful sleep is not translated into practice, such awakenings do not easily
come again; and even if they do come, their effect on the will is less strong than the first time. The will is no longer as quick in
inclining towards following them and so, even if the resolve to do so is there, it is weak and lacks energy. Consequently, if a man was
able to put off till to-morrow obedience to a stronger impulse and then lost it altogether, how much more easily will he do this a
second time, and still more easily the third. And so it goes on: the more often obedience to good impulses is put off, the weaker
their effect. After a time they lose their effect altogether, come and go without leaving a trace, and finally cease to come at all.
The man surrenders himself to his downfall: his heart hardens and he begins to feel an aversion from good impulses. Thus delay
becomes a straight road to final perdition.
I shall add also that delays occur not only when an inner impulse is felt to exchange one’s bad life for a better, but also when a man
already leads a good life. For instance, when an opportunity presents itself to do good and a man puts it off till to-morrow or till
some other indefinite time. All that was said about the first form of delay applies to this second one, and it may lead to the same
consequences. Know that if someone misses a chance to do good, he not only deprives himself of the fruit of the good he might
have done, but also offends God. God sends him a man in need, and he says: ‘Go away, later!’ Although he says this to a man, it is
the same as saying it to God, Who has sent him. God will find him another benefactor; but the man who refused will have to
answer.
Taken from "Unseen Warfare" By St.Nikodemos the Hagiorite
Γέροντος Κλεόπα Ηλίε.
Όχι. Κανείς δεν μπορεί να σωθεί, ούτε λαϊκοί ούτε μοναχοί ούτε κληρικοί, χωρίς την εξομολόγηση των αμαρτιών και χωρίς τη λύση από τον πνευματικό, κατά τον λόγο του Κυρίου που λέει: «λάβετε Πνεύμα Άγιον. Αν τινών αφήτε τας αμαρτίας, αφίενται αυτοίς. Αν τινών κρατήτε, κεκράτηνται» (Ιω. 20, 23). Και σε άλλο χωρίο: «όσα εάν δήσητε επί της γης, έσται δεδεμένα εν τω ουρανώ. Και όσα εάν λύσητε επί της γης, έσται λελυμένα εν τω ουρανώ» (Ματθ. 18, 18).
Επομένως, πώς θα μπει κανείς στη βασιλεία των ουρανών, μη όντας λελυμένος στη γη από τις αμαρτίες του; Διότι η εξουσία αυτή δόθηκε μόνο στους εκλεκτούς, δηλαδή στους Αποστόλους, στους Επισκόπους και στους Ιερείς, και όχι στους λαϊκούς.
Πρέπει όλοι να έχουμε τους πνευματικούς μας και να εξομολογούμεθα τακτικά, ακόμα και εκείνοι οι οποίοι νομίζουν ότι δεν έχουν αμαρτίες. Ετσι μας διδάσκει ο άγιος Απόστολος και Ευαγγελιστής Ιωάννης: «εάν είπωμεν οτι αμαρτίαν ουκ έχομεν, εαυτούς πλανώμεν και η αλήθεια ουκ έστιν εν ημίν. εάν ομολογώμεν τας αμαρτίας ημών, πιστός έστι και δίκαιος, ίνα αφή ημίν τας αμαρτίας και καθαρίση ημάς από πάσης αδικίας» (Α’ Ίω. 1, 8-9). Και ο άγιος Συμεών Θεσσαλονίκης δείχνει λέγοντας: «Όλοι πρέπει να μετανοήσουμε, και λαϊκοί και μοναχοί και ιερείς και αρχιερείς. Να μετανοήσουμε όλοι (να εξομολογηθούμε), για να σωθούμε». Χωρίς εξομολόγηση, κανείς δεν μπορεί να σωθεί, επειδή «πολλά γαρ πταίομεν άπαντες» (Ιακώβου 3, 2). Πας άνθρωπος συλλαμβάνεται και γεννιέται με αμαρτίες (Γεν. 8, 21˙ Ψαλ. 50, 6˙ Ματθ. 7, 11˙ Ρωμ. 3, 11). Η Αγία Γραφή μας δείχνει ότι «η δε αμαρτία γεννά τον θάνατον» (Ιακ. 1, 15) και ότι «τίποτα ακάθαρτο δεν θα εισέλθει στη βασιλεία των ουρανών». Να ενθυμούμαστε ότι «αμαρτία είναι η καταπάτηση του νόμου του Θεού και ακαθαρσία ενώπιον Του», και ότι η οργή του Κυρίου έρχεται πάνω στους κακούς και αμαρτωλούς, οι οποίοι πεθαίνουν ανεξομολόγητοι και χωρίς μετάνοια. Οι αμαρτωλοί, δι’ εξομολογήσεως και μετανοίας, στρέφουν την δίκαιη οργή του Θεού και αποκτούν την σωτηρία, των ψυχών τους….
http://orthodox-answers.blogspot.gr/2013/02/blog-post.html
One of the things that folks often mention when they’re making their confession is inattention during the divine services. So, I thought I would use this month’s column to talk about that important subject.
If we want to be focused during the services, one thing we can do is prepare adequately. And even if we can’t do all the prayers that the Church encourages us to do leading up to the Divine Liturgy, we can at least avoid over-stimulation from media. For example, if we stay up late Saturday night to watch an exciting movie and then read the paper or check out our favorite web-sites before we leave for Church—and then listen to music or text our friends right up to the very moment that we get out of the car and walk into the nave, then we’ll probably spend most of the Liturgy processing all those experiences and all that information instead of attending to what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are trying to say to us. Another thing we can do is spend more time in the Divine Services. In fact, one of the main reasons why our services are so long is because the Church understands that it takes most of us a good while just to relax and calm down before we can ever get around to actually praying. A good rule of thumb that works for most people is one hour in the Divine Services equals about two minutes of genuine interaction with the Most Holy Trinity. Of course, that two minutes can be life changing and world-changing. However, if we never actually spend a full hour in the Divine Services, then we’ll never experience that two minutes of authentic prayer. So, the more time we invest in the services, the more focused we will be.
But what if you have an infant or a small child, and you’re constantly in and out during the Divine Liturgy? What if you are an usher or a chanter or you sing in the choir? Does that mean that you’re never going to be able to really communicate with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Of course not, because there is a special grace that accompanies each of those roles. Folks who are raising young children or helping with the service are performing important tasks, and the Most Holy Trinity is going to make sure that they get what they need while they are doing their jobs. But we’re not going to receive any special grace if we just wander in and out of the nave because we’re bored or because we don’t like to be still.
Still another thing we can do to stay focused during the services is to be honest about who we are. For example, if we are concerned about our health or stressed about our job or anxious about a family situation, it’s not going to do any good at all to pretend like we’re not thinking about those issues. But rather than just obsess over those things, we should turn them into prayers. And there are lots of ways to do that: we can light a candle for each of those problems when we first go into the nave; we can make the sign of the cross or make a metanioa every time one of those subjects pops up in our mind; we can touch the priest’s vestments during the Great Entrance and attach all those topics to his intercessions; we can raise all of those issues up to the Most Holy Trinity when the deacon elevates the Holy Gifts over the altar. It may take quite a while and a lot of effort, but, eventually, we will clear all that stuff out of our hearts, and then we will be able to hear what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are saying to us.
Worship is hard work—there’s no doubt about it. But it is the most important work that we do all week long, because it’s how we are getting closer to the Most Holy Trinity, it’s how the people we love are going to get closer to the Most Holy Trinity, and it’s how this world is being transformed through the love of the Most Holy Trinity. And the more attentive we are during at that work, the more those incredibly important goals will be realized.
Source: The Voice in the Wilderness: The Parish Newsletter of St. John the Forerunner Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church
Διηγήθηκε Γέρων:<<Κάποτε ήρθαν καί μέ προσκύνησαν τά δαιμόνια,ένω έψελνα τό Χερουβικό καί είχα φθάσει στό "καί τή ζωοποιώ Τριάδι".Έρχονται λοιπόν πέντε δαίμονες,ένας μεγάλος άξιωματικός μέ πηλίκιο καί κάτι σήματα δαιμονικά,γαλόνια καί κέρατα πού έβγαιναν δίπλα άπ΄τό πηλίκιο,καί τέσσερις μικροί μαλλιαροί,καί πέφτουν στά γόνατα μπροστά μου.Ό μεσαίος,ό άξιωματικός,,είχε τό ένα πόδι γονατιστό καί τό άλλο μισολυγισμένο όπως οί καθολικοί καί μού λέει:
¨Είσαι σπουδαίος ψάλτης!Είσαι θαυμάσιος!Είσαι άφθαστος!¨.
Είχε τό κεφάλι ψηλά,ένώ οί άλλοι τέσσερις είχαν τό κεφάλι κάτω.
Έγώ μονολόγησα;"Τά δαιμόνια θά μού πάρουν τό μυαλό.
Κύριε Ίησού Χριστέ,'ελέησόν με.Κύριον τόν Θεόν μας προσκυνήσωμεν καί Αύτώ μόνω λατρεύσωμεν".Αμέσως έγιναν άφαντοι.Αύτά έν ριπή όφθαλμού.Έγώ άγρίεψα μέσα μου.Σκέφθηκα¨Άύτός πού δέν δέχεται νά προσκυνήση τόν Θεό καί νά πή έλέησόν με ό Θεός,ήρθε νά προσκυνήση έμένα νά μέ κάνη συμμέτοχο στήν ύπερηφάνειά του; Άγρίεψα καί άρχισα νά λέω τό "Τριάδι" τού Παπανικολάου.Μόλις τελείωσα,μού λένε οί πατέρες;"Τί Τριάδι ήταν αύτό!Πανηγύρι μάς έφερες". " Έ,λέω,καμμία φορά μάς πιάνουν καί τά μεράκια".
>>Μετά τήν τράπεζα συναντώ στήν αύλή ένα μοναχό αγιορείτη,
όχι τού Μοναστηριού,πού ήταν παρών στήν Λειτουργία.Τόν χαιρέτησα καί μού λέει;
-Βρέ,τί ήταν αύτό σήμερα! Τί ώραία ψαλμωδία!Μάς άνέβασες στόνούρανό.Νιώσαμε κατάνυξη.
-Όχι έγώ,ό πατήρ τάδε,τού είπα.
Ποιός πατήρ τάδε,Έσύ,ή δική σου φωνή,καί μού είπε καί διάφορα
έπαινετικά λόγια.
>> Τόν Βάζω μετάνοια καί πάω νά φύγω.Έρχεται ό σατανάς δίπλα μου τόν έβλεπα καί μού λέει;"Όταν σού λέω έγώ νά άκούς.Είσαι άφθαστος, έσύ έπρεπε νά πάς νά πάρης δίπλωμα έξω καί νά είσαι δάσκαλος".
>>"Πίσω μου δαίμονα",λέω.Τί ήθελα νά ΄ρθώ άπό δώ νά συναντήσω τόν μοναχό νά άκούσω όλα αύτά.
>>Βγήκα έξω καί κίνησα γιά τόν κήπο.Ό διάβολος άπό κοντά μου.
Ένώ έβλεπα,βάδιζα,δέν ξέρω πώς,πήρε τό πνεύμα μου ό σατανάς
καί μέ άνέβασε ψηλά,πολύ ψηλά καί έβλεπα τόν κόσμο σάν
μυρμήγκια κάτω.
-Έσύ δέν είσαι τυχαίος,μού έλεγε ό σατανάς,έσύ δέν ξέρεις τί κουβαλάς.
-Τί κουβαλάω,βρέ σατανά,ό,τι κουβαλάς καί σύ κουβαλώ καί έγώ.
Φύγε άπό κοντά μου."Θεέ μου,βοήθησέ με".Τί είνα αύτό σήμερα.
Θά μού πάρει τά μυαλά ό σατανάς."Κύριε Ίησού Χριστέ,έλεησόν με".
>>Άρχισα νά φουσκώνω άπό ύπερηφάνεια,άλλά είχα καί λίγο έπίγνωση καί είπα; Θεέ μου,δέν θέλω τέτοιες έπάρσεις".
>>Μπαίνω στόν κήπο,αύτός άπό κοντά.Αύτός τά δικά του,εγώ τά δικά μου.Δέν υπάρχει χειρότερο δαιμόνιο άπό τό δαιμόνιο τής ύπερηφανείας.
Προχώρησα πιό μέσα στόν κήπο, μήπως καί φύγη.
Τίποτα."Πάει",είπα,"θά δαιμονισθώ",Τότε έπεσα στά γόνατα μέ τό ράσο πού φορούσα στήν Έκκλησία,καί έκλαιγα,Δέν έδινα σημασία τί μού έλεγε ό σατανάς,έγώ τά δικά μου."Κύριε Ίησού Χριστέ,έλέησόν με",δύο-δυόμισι ώρες είχα μέσα στόν ήλιο.
"Δέν θέλω",έλεγα,"τετοιες έπάρσεις,τέτοιους λογισμούς.Έγώ θέλω,Χριστέ μου,να σέ προσκυνώ πάνω στόν Σταυρό.Έγώ είμαι ένας άμαρτωλός καί τίποτα παραπάνω".Αύτός έλεγε τά δικά του.Μούσκεψε τό χώμα άπό τά δάκρυα,σάν νά είχε τρέξει βρύση.Κάποια στιγμή έφυγε έκείνο τό νέφος καί ό σατανάς μαζί.Κατάλαβα ότι προσγειώθηκα.¨Ένιωσα τήν άνάγκη νά
προσκυνήσω τά πόδια τού Έσταυρωμένου.Σηκώθηκα,εύχαρίστησα τόν Κύριό μας καί τήν Παναγία,έβαλα λίγες μετάνοιες καί έφυγα κλαίγοντας.
>>Έπειτα σκέφθηκα ότι γιά νά έρθουν νά μέ πειράζουν τά δαιμόνια τόσες φορές,κάτι βρήκαν μέσα μου.Φαίνεται ότι λάγκευα'' πρός τόν έγωίσμό. Γι΄αύτό χρειάζεται προσοχή καί ταπείνωση>>.
First-because our faith is light. Christ said: I am the light of the world (John 8:12). The light of the vigil lamp reminds us of that light by which Christ illumines our souls.
Second-in order to remind us of the radiant character of the saint before whose icon we light the vigil lamp, for saints are called sons of light (John 12:36, Luke 16:8).
Third-in order to serve as a reproach to us for our dark deeds, for our evil thoughts and desires, and in order to call us to the path of evangelical light; and so that we would more zealously try to fulfill the commandments of the Saviour: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works" (Matt. 5:16).
Fourth-so that the vigil lamp would be our small sacrifice to God, Who gave Himself completely as a sacrifice for us, and as a small sign of our great gratitude and radiant love for Him from Whom we ask in prayer for life, and health, and salvation and everything that only boundless heavenly love can bestow.
Fifth-so that terror would strike the evil powers who sometimes assail us even at the time of prayer and lead away our thoughts from the Creator. The evil powers love the darkness and tremble at every light, especially at that which belongs to God and to those who please Him.
Sixth-so that this light would rouse us to selflessness. Just as the oil and wick burn in the vigil lamp, submissive to our will, so let our souls also burn with the flame of love in all our sufferings, always being submissive to God's will.
Seventh-in order to teach us that just as the vigil lamp cannot be lit without our hand, so too, our heart, our inward vigil lamp, cannot be lit without the holy fire of God's grace, even if it were to be filled with all the virtues. All these virtues of ours are, after all, like combustible material, but the fire which ignites them proceeds from God.
Eighth-in order to remind us that before anything else the Creator of the world created light, and after that everything else in order: And God said, let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:3). And it must be so also at the beginning of our spiritual life, so that before anything else the light of Christ's truth would shine within us. From this light of Christ's truth subsequently every good is created, springs up and grows in us. May the Light of Christ illumine you as well!
Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
I saw in my dream, that I visited Paradise and an angel assumed my hospitality. We walked beside each other in a great hall full of angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first work station and said. "Here is the receiving department. Here we receive all the requests that reach God in the form of prayers". I glanced around the place. It was busy with activity, with so many angels receiving and classifying huge stacks of notes from people around the world. We then proceeded through a long corridor till we reached the second station. My angel told me: "This is the packaging and delivery department. Here the graces and blessings that are requested are brought forward and delivered to those who requested them".
I noticed again how active it was here. Innumerable angels were going back and forth to earth. Finally in the end of a long corridor, we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise only one angel was sitting there, doing basically nothing. "This is the department of the thank you's" whispered my angel, feeling a bit ashamed. "How is it possible? Is there no work here?" I asked. "It is sad" sighed the angel. "After people receive their gifts, very few send their thank you's". "How can one thank God for the blessings received" I asked again. "Simply" he replied, "you only need to say, thank you my God". "And why exactly do we need to thank Him?"
"If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the Bank, in your wallet and some coins on a plate, you are one of the 8% of the people who prosper.
If you wake up in the morning feeling healthier than others with sickness, you are more blessed than those who will not survive this day.
If you have not lived to experience the fear of war, the loneliness of prison, the struggle of torture and the piercing pangs of famine, you are ahead of 700 million people of this world.
If you can pray in a temple without fear of attack, of arrest and execution, some 3 billion people of this world will envy you.
If your parents are still alive and are still married, you are unique.
If you can hold your head high and smile, you are not the rule but the exception, for all those who live with doubt and exasperation.
And if you can read now this text, you received a double blessing because it was given by someone who loves you and because you are luckier than two billion people who do not know and cannot even read".
"I understand. And now what should I do? How can I start?" "Say good morning" my angel smiled, "and count your blessings and pass this message to other people to remind them how blessed they are".
"And don't forget to send your thank you".
Magazine "Tolmi" by Archimandrite Daniel Sapika, Doctor.
«Σήμερα οι άνθρωποι ζητούν να τους αγαπήσουν και γι’ αυτό αποτυγχάνουν.
Το σωστό είναι να μην ενδιαφέρεσαι αν σε αγαπούν, αλλά αν εσύ αγαπάς τον Χριστό και τους ανθρώπους.
Μόνο έτσι γεμίζει η ψυχή».
«Αγάπα όλους»
«Δεν πρέπει να κάνεις τον χριστιανικό σου αγώνα με κηρύγματα και αντιδικίες, αλλά με πραγματική μυστική αγάπη. Όταν αντιδικούμε, οι άλλοι αντιδρούν. Όταν τους αγαπάμε, συγκινούνται και τους κερδίζουμε.
Όταν αγαπάμε, νομίζουμε ότι προσφέρουμε στους άλλους, ενώ στην πραγματικότητα προσφέρουμε πρώτα στον εαυτό μας. Η αγάπη χρειάζεται θυσίες. Να θυσιάζουμε ταπεινά κάτι δικό μας, που στην πραγματικότητα είναι του Θεού»
«Όταν αγαπάς τον Χριστό, αγαπάς όλους»
«Ο Χριστός είναι η Εκκλησία και η Εκκλησία είναι ο Χριστός, που μας έχει προσλάβει όλους στον Εαυτό Του. Όταν αγαπάς τον Χριστό, αγαπάς συγχρόνως όλους τους ανθρώπους, χωρίς να ρωτάς αν οι άνθρωποι είναι άξιοι της αγάπης ή ακόμη αν την αποδεχθούν ή την απορρίψουν. Όταν θέλεις να συναντήσεις τον Χριστό, θα Τον βρεις στο χώρο της Εκκλησίας, γιατί εδώ είναι ενωμένη ολόκληρη η ανθρωπότητα με τον Θεό στο Πρόσωπο του Χριστού. Δεν μπορεί να επικοινωνείς με τον Χριστό και να μην τα έχεις καλά με τους άλλους ανθρώπους».
«Ο Θεός δεν τιμωρεί»
«Όχι, ο Θεός δεν τιμωρεί, ο άνθρωπος αυτοτιμωρείται, απομακρυνόμενος από τον Θεό.
Είναι, ας πούμε: Εδώ νερό, εκεί φωτιά.
Είμαι ελεύθερος να διαλέξω. Βάζω το χέρι μου στο νερό, δροσίζομαι, το βάζω στη φωτιά, καίγομαι».
«Η αγάπη προς το Θεό»
Μια άλλη μέρα ερωτώ το Γέροντα πώς πρέπει να είναι η αγάπη μας προς το Θεό και μου λέει:
«Η αγάπη μας προς το Θεό, παιδί μου, πρέπει να είναι πάρα πολύ μεγάλη και χωρίς να υπάρχει καμιά διάσπαση σε άλλα πράγματα. Σου φέρνω σαν παράδειγμα το εξής: Ο άνθρωπος μοιάζει να έχει εντός του μια μπαταρία με ορισμένη ενέργεια. Όταν αυτή την ενέργεια την ξοδεύει σε άλλα διάφορα πράγματα εκτός της αγάπης προς τον Θεό, η ενέργεια που απομένει μέσα του γι ́ Αυτόν είναι ελάχιστη και ίσως πολλές φορές μηδαμινή. Όταν όμως διαθέτουμε όλη μας την ενέργεια προς τον Θεό, τότε η αγάπη μας είναι μεγάλη προς Αυτόν».
«Σου λέω και τούτο το άλλο».
«Ήταν μια φορά μια κοπέλα που είχε ερωτευθεί πάρα πολύ ένα νέο, που τον έλεγαν Νίκο. Αυτή που λες, σηκωνόταν κάθε νύκτα και κρυφά από τους δικούς της, πηδούσε το παράθυρό της και πήγαινε ξυπόλητη μέσα απ ́ τα χωράφια που υπήρχαν αγκάθια για να συναντήσει τον αγαπημένο της ματώνοντας τα πόδια της. Όταν επίσης γύριζε στο σπίτι της και καθόταν μέσα, πάντοτε ο Νίκος της ήταν εδώ, και μου έδειχνε το μέτωπό του. Ό,τι δουλειές και να έκανε, ο Νίκος της εδώ, και μου ξανάδειχνε το μέτωπό του. Έτσι πρέπει και συ, παιδί μου, να δίνεις όλη σου τη δύναμη στο Θεό και ο νους σου να είναι πάντα σ ́ Αυτόν, γιατί έτσι του αρέσει».
«Αγάπη με απλότητα χωρίς φόβο»
Μου έλεγε ο παππούλης πολλές φορές:
«Αγάπη σου συνιστώ να έχεις πάντοτε. Πρώτα αγάπη και μετά όλα τα άλλα».
«Πρέπει ν ́ αγαπάμε εν απλότητι καρδίας, όπως το ίδιο πρέπει και να προσευχόμαστε».
«Δεν θέλω με το φόβο του θανάτου να πλησιάσεις το Θεό. Θέλω με την πολλή αγάπη προς Αυτόν να το κάνεις. Αυτό είναι το ανώτερο, παιδί μου».
«Ο Χριστός είναι το παν»
Ο γέροντας Πορφύριος είπε:
«Λοιπόν, ζωή χωρίς Χριστό δεν είναι ζωή. Πάει, τελείωσε.
Αν δε βλέπεις το Χριστό σε όλα σου τα έργα και τις σκέψεις, είσαι χωρίς Χριστό.
Πώς το κατάλαβες; Θυμάμαι κι ένα τραγούδι. «Σύν Χριστώ πανταχού, φόβος ουδαμού».
Το ’χετε ακούσει; Έ; Το λένε τα παιδιά, δε το θυμάμαι.
Λοιπόν, έτσι πράγματι πρέπει να βλέπομε το Χριστό. Είναι φίλος μας, είναι αδελφός μας, είναι ό,τι καλό και ωραίο.
Είναι το Παν. Αλλά είναι φίλος και το φωνάζει: «Σας έχω φίλους, βρέ, δεν το καταλαβαίνετε; Είμαστε αδέλφια.
Βρε εγώ δεν είμαι... δεν βαστάω την κόλαση στο χέρι, δεν σας φοβερίζω, σας αγαπάω.
Σας θέλω να χαίρεσθε μαζί μου τη ζωή». Κατάλαβες;
Έτσι είναι ο Χριστός. Δεν έχει κατήφεια, ούτε μελαγχολία, ούτε ενδοστρέφεια, που ο άνθρωπος σκέπτεται ή βασανίζεται από διάφορους λογισμούς και διάφορες πιέσεις, που κατά καιρούς στη ζωή του τον τραυμάτισαν.
Ο Χριστός είναι νέα ζωή. Πώς το λέω; Ο Χριστός είναι το Παν. Είναι η χαρά, είναι η ζωή, είναι το φως, το φως το αληθινόν, που κάνει τον άνθρωπο να χαίρεται, να πετάει, να βλέπει όλα, να βλέπει όλους, να πονάει για όλους, να θέλει όλους μαζί του, όλους κοντά στο Χριστό.
Όταν εμείς βρίσκουμε κάποιονε θησαυρό ή ό,τι άλλο, δεν θέλομε να το λέμε πουθενά.
Ο Χριστιανός όμως, όταν βρει το Χριστό, όταν γνωρίσει τον Χριστό, όταν ο Χριστός εγκύψει μέσα στην ψυχούλα του και τον αισθανθεί, θέλει να φωνάζει και να το λέει παντού, θέλει να λέει για το Χριστό, τι είναι ο Χριστός.
Αγαπήσατε το Χριστόν και μηδέν προτιμήστε της αγάπης Αυτού.
Ο Χριστός είναι το πάν, είναι η πηγή της ζωής, είναι το άκρον των εφετών, είναι το Πάν. Όλα στο Χριστό υπάρχουν τα ωραία. Και μακράν του Χριστού η θλίψις, η μελαγχολία, τα νεύρα, η στεναχώρια, οι αναμνήσεις των τραυμάτων της ζωής, των πιέσεων, των αγωνιωδών, έτσι, ωρών. Όλα, ζούμε εκείνα εκεί της ζωής μας. Και πάμε εδώ και πάμε εκεί, και τίποτα, και πουθενά δεν στεκόμαστε. Όπου βρούμε το Χριστό, ας είναι μια σπηλιά, καθόμαστε εκεί και φοβούμαστε να φύγουμε, να μη χάσουμε το Χριστό. Διαβάστε να ιδείτε. Ασκηταί, που εγνώρισαν το Χριστό, δεν ήθελαν να φύγουν από τη σπηλιά, ούτε βγαίναν έξω να κάνουνε πιο πέρα« θέλαν να είναι εκεί που αισθανόντουσαν το Χριστό μαζί τους. Ο Χριστός είναι το Πάν.
Ο Χριστός είναι η πηγή της ζωής, της χαράς. Το Πάν».
Γέρων Πορφύριος
Ὅταν βρίσκεσαι πληγωμένος, ἐπειδὴ ἔπεσες σὲ κάποιο ἁμάρτημα λόγῳ ἀδυναμίας σου ἢ καμιὰ φορὰ μὲ τὴν θέλησί σου γιὰ κακό σου, μὴ δειλιάσης· οὔτε νὰ ταραχθῇς γι᾿ αὐτό, ἀλλὰ ἀφοῦ ἐπιστρέψης ἀμέσως στὸ Θεό, μίλησε ἔτσι· «Βλέπε, Κύριέ μου· ἔκανα τέτοια πράγματα σὰν τέτοιος ποὺ εἶμαι· οὔτε ἦταν δυνατὸ νὰ περίμενες καὶ τίποτα ἄλλο ἀπὸ ἐμένα τὸν τόσο κακοπροαίρετο καὶ ἀδύνατο, παρὰ ξεπεσμὸ καὶ γκρέμισμα».
Καὶ ἐδῶ, ξευτελίσου στὰ μάτια σου ἀρκετὴ ὥρα καὶ λυπήσου μὲ πόνο καρδιᾶς γιὰ τὴν λύπη ποὺ προξένησες στὸν Θεὸ καὶ χωρὶς νὰ συγχυσθῇς, ἀγανάκτησε κατὰ τῶν αἰσχρῶν σου παθῶν, ἰδιαιτέρως δὲ καὶ μάλιστα, ἐναντίον ἐκείνου τοῦ πάθους ποὺ ἔγινε αἰτία νὰ πέσῃς· ἔπειτα πὲς πάλι· «Οὔτε μέχρι ἐδῶ θὰ στεκόμουνα, Κύριέ μου, καὶ θὰ ἁμάρτανᾳ χειρότερα, ἐὰν ἐσὺ δὲν μὲ κρατοῦσες μὲ τὴν πολὺ μεγάλη σου ἀγαθότητα».
Καὶ εὐχαρίστησέ τον καὶ ἀγάπησέ τον περισσότερο παρὰ ποτὲ θαυμάζοντας τὴν τόση μεγάλη εὐσπλαγχνία του, ὅτι καὶ παρόλο ποὺ λυπήθηκε ἀπὸ σένα, πάλι σοῦ δίνει τὸ δεξί του χέρι καὶ σὲ βοηθάει, γιὰ νὰ μὴ ξαναπέσῃς στὴν ἁμαρτία· τελευταία πὲς μὲ μεγάλο θάρρος στὴ μεγάλη εὐσπλαγχνία του· «Ἐσύ, Κύριέ μου, κάνε σὰν ἐκεῖνος ποὺ εἶσαι καὶ συγχώρεσέ με καὶ μὴν ἐπιτρέψης στὸ ἑξῆς νὰ ζῶ χωρισμένος ἀπὸ σένα, οὔτε νὰ ἀπομακρυνθῶ ποτέ, οὔτε νὰ σὲ λυπήσω πλέον».
Καὶ κάνοντας ἔτσι, μὴ σκεφθῇς ἂν σὲ συγχώρεσε, διότι αὐτὸ δὲν εἶναι τίποτα ἄλλο, παρὰ ὑπερηφάνεια, ἐνόχλησις τοῦ νοῦ, χάσιμο τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ ἀπάτη τοῦ διαβόλου, χρωματισμένη μὲ διαφόρες καλὲς προφάσεις. Γι᾿ αὐτό, ἀφήνοντας τὸν ἑαυτό σου ἐλεύθερα στὰ ἐλεήμονα χέρια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀκολούθησε τὴν ἄσκησί σου, σὰν νὰ μὴν εἶχες πέσει. Καὶ ἂν συμβῇ ἐξαιτίας τῆς ἀδυναμίας σου νὰ ἁμαρτήσῃς πολλὲς φορὲς τὴν ἡμέρα (1) καὶ νὰ μείνης πληγωμένος, κάνε αὐτὸ ποὺ σοῦ εἶπα ὅλες τὶς φορές, ὄχι μὲ μικρότερη ἐλπίδα στὸ Θεό. Καὶ κατηγορώντας περισσότερο τὸν ἑαυτό σου καὶ μισώντας τὴν ἁμαρτία περισσότερο, ἀγωνίσου νὰ ζῇς μὲ περισσότερη προφύλαξι.
Αὐτὴ ἡ ἐκγύνασις δὲν ἀρέσει στὸ διάβολο· γιατὶ βλέπει πὼς ἀρέσει πολὺ στὸ Θεό, ἐπειδὴ καὶ μένει ντροπιασμένος ὁ ἀντίπαλος, βλέποντας ὅτι νικήθηκε ἀπὸ ἐκεῖνον, ποὺ αὐτὸς εἶχε πρὶν νικήσει. Γι᾿ αὐτὸ καὶ διαφορετικοὺς ἀπατηλοὺς τρόπους χρησιμοποιεῖ γιὰ νὰ μᾶς ἐμποδίσῃ νὰ μὴ τὸ κάνουμε. Καὶ πολλὲς φορὲς πετυχαίνει τὸν σκοπό του ἐξαιτίας τῆς ἀμέλειάς μας καὶ τῆς λίγης φροντίδας ποὺ ἔχουμε στὸν ἑαυτό μας. Γι᾿ αὐτό, ὅσο ἐσὺ βρεῖς δυσκολία σὲ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ τὸν ἐχθρό, τόσο περισσότερο πρέπει νὰ ἀγωνισθῇς νὰ τὸ κάνῃς πολλὲς φορές, ἀκόμη καὶ ἂν μία μόνο φορὰ ἔπεσες· μάλιστα πρέπει αὐτὸ νὰ κάνῃς, ἄν, ἀφοῦ ἁμαρτήσῃς, αἰσθάνεσαι ὅτι ἐνοχλεῖσαι καὶ συγχύζεσαι καὶ σὲ πιάνῃ ἀπελπισία γιὰ νὰ μπορέσῃς ἔτσι μὲ αὐτὸ νὰ ἀποκτήσῃς εἰρήνη καὶ γαλήνη στὴν καρδιά σου καὶ θάρρος μαζί· καὶ ἀφοῦ ὁπλισθῇς μὲ αὐτὰ τὰ ὅπλα, νὰ στραφῇς στὸ Θεό.
Γιατὶ, αὐτὴ ἡ παρόμοια ἐνόχλησις καὶ ταραχὴ ποὺ ἔχει κάποιος γιὰ τὴν ἁμαρτία, δὲν γίνεται ἐπειδὴ μὲ αὐτὸ ποὺ ἔκανε λύπησε τὸν Θεό, ἀλλὰ γίνεται γιὰ τὸν φόβο τῆς δικῆς του καταδίκης· καὶ αὐτὸ σημαίνει ὅτι, αὐτὴ προέρχεται ἀπὸ τὴν φιλαυτία, ὅπως πολλὲς φορὲς εἴπαμε.
Ὁ τρόπος λοιπόν, γιὰ νὰ ἀποκτήσῃς τὴν εἰρήνη, εἶναι ὁ ἑξῆς· νὰ ξεχάσης τελειωτικὰ τὴν πτῶσι καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτία σου (2) καὶ νὰ παραδοθῇς στὴν σκέψι τῆς μεγάλης καὶ ἄφατης ἀγαθότητας τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅτι, αὐτὸς μένει πολὺ πρόθυμος καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖ νὰ συγχωρέσῃ κάθε ἁμαρτία, ὅσο καὶ ἂν εἶναι βαρειά, προσκαλώντας τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸ μὲ διάφορους τρόπους καὶ μέσα ἀπὸ διάφορους δρόμους, γιὰ νὰ ἔλθη σὲ συναίσθησι καὶ νὰ ἑνωθῆ μαζί του σὲ αὐτὴ τὴν ζωὴ μὲ τὴν χάρι του· στὴν δὲ ἄλλη, νὰ τὸν ἁγιάση μὲ τὴ δόξα του καὶ νὰ τὸν κάνῃ αἰώνια μακάριο. Καὶ ἀφοῦ μὲ αὐτὲς καὶ παρόμοιες σκέψεις καὶ στοχασμούς, γαληνέψης τὸ νοῦ σου, τότε θὰ ἐπιστρέψης στὴν πτῶσι σου, κάνοντας ὅπως εἶπα πιὸ πάνω· κατόπιν, ὅταν ἔρθη ἡ ὥρα τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως (τὴν ὁποία σὲ προτρέπω νὰ κάνῃς πολὺ συχνά), θυμήσου ὅλες σου τὶς ἁμαρτίες, καὶ μὲ νέο πόνο καὶ λύπη, γιὰ τὴν λύπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μὲ πρόθεσι καὶ ἀπόφασι νὰ μὴ τὸν λυπήσῃς πλέον, φανέρωσέ τες ὅλες στὸν Πνευματικό σου καὶ κάνε μὲ προθυμία τὸν κανόνα ποὺ θὰ σοῦ ὁρίσῃ.
1. Τὸ κς´ καὶ κζ´ κεφάλαιο τοῦ β´ μέρους αὐτοῦ τοῦ βιβλίου, μᾶς διδάσκει καθαρώτερα, ὅτι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ποὺ λέει τὸ παρὸν κεφάλαιο, δὲν ἐννοοῦνται πὼς εἶναι θανάσιμα, ἀλλὰ μὴ θανάσιμα καὶ συγγνωστά, καὶ αὐτοὶ ποὺ σὲ αὐτὰ ἁμαρτάνουν δὲν ἐννοοῦνται ὅτι εἶναι αὐτοὶ ποὺ ζοῦνε ἁπλὰ καὶ ἀδιάφορα καὶ κάνουνε θανάσιμα πταίσματα κάθε λίγο· (γιατὶ αὐτοὶ πρέπει καὶ νὰ ἐνοχλοῦνται καὶ μὲ πόνο καρδιᾶς νὰ κλαῖνε καὶ μεγάλη σκέψι νὰ ἔχουν στὸ νὰ ἐξετάζουν πάντα τὴν συνείδησί τους καὶ νὰ ἐξομολογοῦνται· καὶ λύπη ἀνάλογη νὰ ἔχουν πάντα, ὄχι ὅμως καὶ ἀπὸ τὴν ὑπερβολικὴ λύπη νὰ πέφτουν σὲ ἀπελπισία)· ἄλλα αὐτοὶ ποὺ ζοῦνε πνευματικὴ ζωή, οἱ ἀγωνιζόμενοι στὴ ἀρετή. Γιατὶ αὐτοὶ αὐτὰ τὰ συγγνωστὰ ἁμαρτήματα κάνοντας (ποιά δὲ εἶναι αὐτά, βλέπε στὴν ἀρχὴ τοῦ κς´ κεφαλαίου) ἢ καὶ βαρύτερα ἀπὸ αὐτὰ καὶ μεγαλύτερα (στὰ ὁποῖα κάποτε πέφτουν καὶ αὐτοί, κατὰ παραχώρησι Θεοῦ), κάνουν κατὰ τὴν διάταξι τοῦ παρόντος κεφαλαίου· πλὴν ἡ διάταξις αὐτή, ὡφελεῖ ἁπλὰ κάθε ἄνθρωπο, ποὺ κάνει τὸ ὁποιοδήποτε ἁμάρτημα.
2. Σὲ αὐτὸ ἁρμόζει ἡ ἱστορία ποὺ ἀναγινώσκομε στὸ Γεροντικό· φαίνεται ἐκεῖ ὅτι ἕνας μοναχὸς ἀπὸ συναρπαγὴ ἔπεσε σὲ πορνεία. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ οἱ λογισμοὶ τῆς ἀπογνώσεως ἀπὸ μέσα τὸν ἐνωχλοῦσαν, ὅτι ἔχασε τὴν ψυχή του καὶ πλέον σωτηρία δὲν ὑπάρχει, αὐτὸς ὡς φρόνιμος καὶ ἔμπειρος στὸν κατὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἀόρατο πόλεμο, ἔλεγε στοὺς λογισμούς του· «οὐχ ἥμαρτον, οὒχ ἥμαρτον»· ἕως ὅτου μπῆκε στὸ κελλί του καὶ κλείσθηκε καὶ ἀφοῦ εἰρήνευσε τὴν καρδιά του, τότε ἔδειξε τὴν πρέπουσα μετάνοια διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτία του· ὁπότε καὶ ἀποκαλύφθηκε σὲ ἕνα ἄλλο διορατικὸ Γέροντα, ὅτι ὁ μοναχὸς ἐκεῖνος, ἔπεσε, ναί, ἀλλὰ σηκώθηκε καὶ νίκησε.
Η κυρία Βασιλική Τζουρμανά από το Κομμένο Άρτας μαρτυρεί:
«Άκουσα σε μια Εκκλησία της Άρτας για πρώτη φορά να συζητούν για την Λαμπρινή και τα πνευματικά της χαρίσματα και ένιωσα μεγάλη επιθυμία να την γνωρίσω. Με μια συγγένισσά μου που την ήξερε πήγαμε στο φτωχικό σπιτάκι της. Από τότε για σαράντα περίπου χρόνια μέχρι πού έφυγε από την ζωή την ακολουθούσα σχεδόν πάντοτε σε προσκυνήματα, σε αγρυπνίες, σε λειτουργίες που έκανε σε Εκκλησίες και κοιμόμασταν μέσα σ' αυτές τις νύχτες.
Η θεια Λαμπρινή προσευχόταν και διάβαζε πολλές ώρες και κοιμόταν ελάχιστα.
Κάποτε ζήτησα την βοήθειά της. Ο άνδρας μου χαρτόπαιζε και παραμελούσε το σπίτι. Είχαμε φθάσει σε αδιέξοδο. «Μη φοβάσαι», μου είπε, «όλα θα τα τακτοποιήσει ο Κύριος Ιησούς Χριστός, αρκεί να δείξεις πίστη στον Κύριο».
Μου ζήτησε για σαράντα μέρες να ξυπνώ στις 3 μετά τα μεσάνυχτα και να προσεύχομαι κάνοντας και 40 μετάνοιες. Μου είχε δώσει να διαβάζω κάποιες προσευχές και μου είπε ότι και αυτή θα προσεύχεται για να μας βοηθήσει ο Κύριος. «Πράγματι έκανα όπως μου είπε η θεια Λαμπρινή κρυφά από τον άνδρα μου και μετά τις σαράντα μέρες ξαφνικά όλα άλλαξαν.
Ο άνδρας μου δεν ξανάπαιξε χαρτιά, ασχολούνταν με τα κτήματα και την οικογένεια και τα
οικονομικά μας βελτιώθηκαν.
Κάποτε με τη θεία Λαμπρινή και άλλες γυναίκες κοιμηθήκαμε σε μια Εκκλησία. Αφού τελείωσε τις προσευχές της ξάπλωσε να κοιμηθεί. Εμένα δεν με έπαιρνε ο ύπνος. Ακούω την θεία Λαμπρινή ενώ κοιμόταν έβγαζε κάτι αναστεναγμούς, σαν να δούλευε και ήταν πολύ κουρασμένη.
Αυτό κράτησε για λίγο. Σηκώθηκα και έπιασα τα χέρια της και τα πόδια της. Ήταν σαν να έπιανα έναν πεθαμένο...
Κατάλαβα ότι πάλι η θεια Λαμπρινή έφυγε πνευματικά από το σώμα της. Τις πρωινές ώρες την άκουσα πάλι σαν να αγκομαχούσε. «Τώρα θα επέστρεψε», σκέφθηκα. Μόλις ξύπνησε την ρωτάω: «Το βράδυ έφυγες; Που πήγες»; Μου έδωσε την έξης απάντηση: «Πήρα την (τάδε, μια γυναίκα πού ήταν στην παρέα μας) και την παρουσίασα στον Κύριο».
Κάποια φορά αντιμετώπισα ένα μεγάλο πρόβλημα. Έμεινα για έξι μήνες στο κρεββάτι με δυνατούς πόνους στην μέση μου. Δεν μπορούσα να κουνηθώ και πήγαινα από γιατρό σε γιατρό, αλλά η κατάσταση μου χειροτέρευε. Μια μέρα η θεια Λαμπρινή με επισκέφθηκε στο σπίτι μου.
«Μην ανησυχείς», μου είπε, «σε λίγο καιρό θα είσαι τελείως καλά». Την ίδια μέρα με πληροφόρησε κάποια γνωστή μου ότι η θεια Λαμπρινή πριν έρθει στο σπίτι μου πήγε στην Εκκλησία του χωριού μου, και γονατιστή για πολλή ώρα προσευχόταν μπροστά στην εικόνα της Κοιμήσεως της Παναγίας, που είναι αφιερωμένη η Εκκλησία. Σε λίγες μέρες με την βοήθεια κάποιου γιατρού περπατούσα κανονικά. Από τότε μέχρι σήμερα για 18 χρόνια δεν είχα την παραμικρή ενόχληση.
Και μετά την κοίμηση της σε δύσκολες στιγμές της ζωής μου την επικαλούμαι και πάντα με βοηθάει. Είχα ένα καλοκαίρι πονοκεφάλους και ζαλάδες που ίσως οφείλονταν στους καύσωνες.
Ξάπλωσα να κοιμηθώ, αφού πρώτα ζήτησα την βοήθεια της. Ήρθε στον ύπνο μου, στάθηκε από πάνω μου και με σκέπασε μ’ ένα σεντόνι. Το πρωί πού σηκώθηκα ήμουν υγιέστατη».
Η κυρία Μαρία Δραγατάκη από την Άρτα αναφέρει:
«Έμαθα πολλά κοντά στη γιαγιά Λαμπρινή πηγαίνοντας μαζί της στις αμέτρητες ολονυχτίες και στα προσκυνήματα πού οργάνωνε η ίδια. Με αποκαλούσε «παιδί μου» και η λέξη αυτή άγγιζε πραγματικά την ψυχή μου. Είχε υπομονή και άκουγε τα προβλήματα μου και πάντα εύρισκε λύσεις.
Η ζωή της ήταν αγία και ήταν πολύ ταπεινή. Τι να πρωτοθυμηθώ; Την βοήθεια της προς την μητέρα μου; Τις προβλέψεις και την προσευχή πού έκανε για τα παιδιά μου; Ή το μεγάλο καλό πού έκανε σε μένα; Όταν μετά από ένα βαρύ χειρουργείο έχασα τον ύπνο μου, νιώθοντας απελπισμένη και χαμένη, πήγα μεσάνυχτα στο σπίτι της, ζητώντας βοήθεια και την βρήκα στα γόνατα να προσεύχεται λουσμένη στον ιδρώτα και γύρω της αναμμένα καντήλια και κεριά. Μου είπε: «Παιδί μου, Τι έπαθες απόψε»; Σταυρώνοντάς με από τότε ηρέμησα. Να είναι καλά εκεί πού βρίσκεται η γιαγιά Λαμπρινή και να πρεσβεύει για όλους μας».
Ο Α. Γ. αναφέρει:
«Γνώριζα την γιαγιά Λαμπρινή από μικρός, γιατί ερχόταν στο σπίτι μας και έβλεπε την κατάκοιτη γιαγιά μου, αλλά την θεωρούσα μια αγράμματη γιαγιά. Άκουσα άλλους να μιλούν με ευλάβεια γι’ αυτήν και όταν γύρισα από το πρώτο προσκύνημα μου στο Άγιον Όρος το 2002, πήγα να την δω και να της δώσω μια ευλογία. Μπαίνοντας στο κελλάκι της ένιωσα σαν να βρίσκομαι μπροστά σ' ένα γίγαντα. Συνειδητοποίησα τότε, χωρίς να ξέρω πώς, ότι αυτή η γυναίκα ήταν πολύ ψηλά πνευματικά, τόσο πού δεν μπορούσα να την ατενίσω, αν και σωματικά ήταν μικροκαμωμένη.
Η συζήτηση μαζί της ήταν μια πνευματική πανδαισία. Τότε κυριαρχούσε το θέμα των ταυτοτήτων που με απασχολούσε έντονα. Η πρώτη κουβέντα που μου είπε, χωρίς να αναφέρω κάτι σχετικό, ήταν: «Δεν πρέπει να πάρουμε τις ταυτότητες με το χάραγμα...»
Στις επόμενες επισκέψεις μου μέχρι την κοίμησή της διαπίστωσα ότι είχε το προορατικό και διορατικό χάρισμα.
Μου ανέφερε γεγονότα άγνωστα σύμφωνα με την ανθρώπινη λογική, άλλοτε γεγονότα που αφορούσαν το μέλλον μου και έγιναν, και άλλα για γενικότερα θέματα. Ορισμένες δε φορές ενώ είχα στο νου μου να θέσω μια ερώτηση η μου γεννιόταν μια απορία σε συζήτηση παρουσία και άλλων ανθρώπων, αυτή σταματούσε την συζήτηση, απαντούσε στην ερώτηση που σκεφτόμουν και συνέχιζε την συζήτηση.
Τον Μάϊο του 2002 πού την είδα μου είπε ότι σε λίγους μήνες θα φύγει. Αλλά όταν με είδε πως στενοχωρήθηκα πολύ, είπε: «Ε, έτσι το λέω, μήνες – χρόνια». Αλλά κοιμήθηκε πράγματι σε λίγους μήνες, τον Οκτώβριο του 2002 και πορεύθηκε η ψυχή της στον Κύριο που τόσο πόθησε από μικρή».
Την τελευταία Κυριακή που πήγε στην Εκκλησία κοινώνησε και διάβασε την Ευχαριστία στο σπίτι της. Την Δευτέρα άπλωσε όλα τα βιβλία στο κρεββάτι της, διάβαζε από το καθένα λίγο, το σταύρωνε, το ασπαζόταν και το άφηνε στην άκρη. Τρόπον τινά τα αποχαιρετούσε, γιατί τόσα χρόνια αυτά ήταν η καλύτερη συντροφιά της. Την Τρίτη το απόγευμα κάλεσε την κόρη της να κάνουν Παράκληση. Τελειώνοντας είπε: «Σ’ ευχαριστώ, Παναγία μου, πού μου έδωσες να κάνω κι αυτή την Παράκληση. Γιατί μέχρι την Πέμπτη έχω πολλές προσευχές να κάνω ακόμη».
Στην ερώτηση της κόρης της τι θα κάνει την Πέμπτη, απάντησε: «Θα πάω για εκεί πού εργάστηκα, αν εργάστηκα καλά...»
Την Τετάρτη το πρωί ζήτησε να δη τα εγγόνια της. «Αύριο θα φύγω», είπε.
Το βράδυ είπε σε μια ανιψιά της: «Τώρα εγώ θα φύγω. Να πας να το πεις εσύ στην Σταθούλα, να μην της κακοφανεί. Παρακαλούσα τον Θεό να με αφήσει να ζήσω, μέχρι να ωριμάσει η Σταθούλα και να καταλάβει τι είναι η άλλη ζωή».
Κάποια στιγμή ανασηκώθηκε στο κρεββάτι, άνοιξε τα χέρια της και είπε στους
παρευρισκομένους: «Ελατέ τώρα, όλοι μαζί, να πάμε στα Ιεροσόλυμα».
Τους αγκάλιασε όλους, μετά σταύρωσε το στήθος της, το προσκέφαλο και ξάπλωσε. Τότε η Σταθούλα έβγαλε τους άλλους έξω και μαζί με τον σύζυγο της άναψαν κεράκι και διάβασαν τις προσευχές, όπως ακριβώς της είχε αφήσει εντολή να κάνει η μητέρα της Λαμπρινή. Όταν τελείωσαν τις προσευχές άκουσαν ένα ελαφρύ σσσσς και η Λαμπρινή Βέτσιου ξεψύχησε σαν πουλάκι, στις 17 'Οκτωβρίου 2002, ημέρα Πέμπτη.
Στον τάφο της περνούν και προσκυνούν πολλοί άνθρωποι. Προσεύχονται και αντλούν δύναμη. Κάποια που όσο ζούσε η Λαμπρινή την συμβουλευόταν, ήταν πολύ στενοχωρημένη, γιατί ο σύζυγός της θα έκανε σοβαρή εγχείρηση καρδιάς. Αφού προσκύνησαν τον τάφο της και προσευχήθηκαν, είδε στον ύπνο της την γιαγιά Λαμπρινή που της είπε:
«Μην στενοχωριέσαι. Ο άνδρας σου θα γίνει καλά. Μόνο πριν πας στο νοσοκομείο, θα φτιάξεις πρόσφορο και θα το πας στην Εκκλησία. Πράγματι έκανε το πρόσφορο και όλα πήγαν καλά.
Αυτή ήταν η Λαμπρινή Βέτσιου. Ασκήτρια με μεγάλες νηστείες, με καθημερινές αγρυπνίες, με συνεχή μελέτη και προσευχή. Αγαπούσε τον Χριστό, μιλούσε συνέχεια γι' Αυτόν και όλα τα κύτταρα του σώματος της ανέδιναν Χριστό. Βοηθούσε τους ανθρώπους με την χάρη πού είχε. Είδε απ' αυτή την ζωή τον Παράδεισο και την Κόλαση. Ενώ προσευχόταν ερχόταν ενίοτε ο Χριστός, η Παναγία και άλλοι Άγιοι και συνομιλούσαν.
Ήξερε τα μελλούμενα και έλεγε ότι μας περιμένουν πολύ δύσκολα χρόνια. Λυπόταν τα μικρά παιδιά και έλεγε: «Αν ήξεραν τι θα περάσουν»!. Αλλά αμέσως συμπλήρωνε:
«Έχει ο Θεός.Θα οικονομήσει για τους Χριστιανούς».
Περισσότερα, έλεγε, δεν την άφηνε ο Χριστός να ειπεί ...
Αιωνία άς είναι η μνήμη της...
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Από το βιβλίο «Ασκητές μέσα στον κόσμο», η 19η διήγηση.
Κεντρική διάθεση βιβλίου: Ιερόν Ησυχαστήριον «Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος», Μεταμόρφωσις Χαλκιδικής.
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?
Just what the heck are you doing?
That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.
Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
"I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said.
"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
It's our choice: Listen to the whisper ... or wait for the brick!
Ήταν κάποτε ένας νέος που δεν ήταν ποτέ ευχαριστημένος κι όλο παραπονιόταν για τις δυσκολίες που είχε στη ζωή του, τον Σταυρό δηλαδή που κουβαλούσε. Ο φύλακας Άγγελός του τον άκουγε στωικά, ώσπου μια μέρα άκουσε το παρόπονό του και του είπε:
- «Αφού ο Σταυρός που κουβαλάς σου φαίνεται ότι είναι δυσβάσταχτος και δεν είναι της αρεσκείας σου, διάλεξε άλλο Σταυρό, όποιον θέλεις». Και έφερε τον νέο σε μια πεδιάδα γεμάτη από Σταυρούς κάθε είδους και κάθε μεγέθους.
Ο νέος έτρεξε εδώ, έτρεξε εκεί, είδε πολλούς Σταυρούς και στο τέλος πλησίασε έναν ο οποίος ήταν στολισμένος με χρυσό και διαμάντια.
- «Είναι ο Σταυρός ενός πλούσιου, πάρτον αν θέλεις» είπε ο Άγγελος.
Ο νέος προσπάθησε να τον βγάλει από το έδαφος που ήταν καρφωμένος, αλλά δεν μπορούσε. Δοκίμασε πάλι και πάλι, αλλά δεν κατόρθωνε να τον κινήσει ούτε χιλιοστό. Τόσο βαρύς ήταν. Έτσι εγκατέλειψε την προσπάθεια. Προχώρησε πιο πέρα κι εκεί είδε έναν άλλο Σταυρό, αργυρό και αστραφτερό.
- «Αγαπητέ Άγγελε, επιθυμώ να έχω αυτόν το Σταυρό», φώναξε ο νέος και τον πήρε. Όμως, τα αιχμηρά άκρα του Σταυρού εκείνου έγδερναν τους ώμους του νέου κι έτσι μετά από λίγο τον άφησε. Δοκίμασε κι άλλους κι άλλους Σταυρούς, μα κανένας δεν του έκανε. Άλλοι ήταν μεγάλοι, άλλοι δυσανάλογοι, άλλο αιχμηροί. Απογοητευμένος, τότε ο νέος, γύρισε στον Άγγελό του και του είπε:
- «Δε θα με βοηθήσεις; Βλέπεις ότι κανείς από αυτούς τους Σταυρούς δεν είναι για μένα κι έχω εξαντληθεί και δεν μπορώ να ψάξω άλλο».
Στην άρνηση του Αγγέλου, ο νέος έστρεψε το κεφάλι του και τα μάτια του αντίκρισαν ένα μικρό ξύλινο Σταυρό. Ο νέος τότε τον άρπαξε και καθώς ήταν ο ελαφρύτερος από όσους είχε δοκιμάσει τον έβαλε στον ώμο του και αναφώνησε:
- «Βρήκα επιτέλους τον κατάλληλο Σταυρό κι αυτόν θέλω να πάρω».
Τότε ο Άγγελος του είπε:
- «Τέκνον μου, πάρε αυτόν τον Σταυρό, γιατί αυτός είναι ο καταλληλότερος για εσένα. Εκείνος ο Οποίος τον διάλεξε για σένα γνωρίζει καλά. Είναι ο Σταυρός τον οποίο κουβαλούσες μέχρι τώρα, παρά τα τόσα παράπονα και τις διαμαρτυρίες σου. Παρά την λίγη σου γενναιότητα και εμπιστοσύνη στο Πρόσωπό Του. Πάρτον και πάλι, αλλά αυτή τη φορά με ευγνωμοσύνη και αγάπη και κουβάλησέ τον μέχρι τέλους, γιατί αυτός ο Σταυρός είναι ο ίδιος που είχες εξαρχής και αυτός θα σε οδηγήσει ασφαλώς εκεί που πρέπει»!
Μπορεί να είναι πάθος ανησυχίας ή αφορμή μαθήσεως. Υπάρχει ανώφελη και κουραστική περιέργεια. Δεν είναι φρόνιμο να μας αφορούν τα πάντα.
Η συνεχής φιλοπερίεργη διάθεση δεν ωφελεί πάντοτε τον άνθρωπο. Πολλές φορές τον δυσκολεύει και τον ταλαιπωρεί. Από την περιέργεια μπορεί να έρχεται η κατάκριση. Μην είμαστε υπερβολικά αυστηροί με τους άλλους. Μη τους βάζουμε εύκολα στον παράδεισο ή στην κόλαση. Δεν είμαστε οι έξυπνοι και εύστοχοι κριτές.
Δεν ωφελούν λεπτομέρειες της ζωής των άλλων. Το χρέος μας είναι να διδαχθούμε σωστά αυτά που θα ωφελήσουν προσωπικά. Η ανθρώπινη γνώση είναι περιορισμένη. Ας μην απλώνεται παντού. Οι φιλοπερίεργοι θα αστοχήσουν. Η περιέργεια ρυπαίνει την καρδιά και την απομυζά, την ανησυχεί και την ταράζει. Ο περίεργος είναι παράλογος και άχαρος, συχνά αποδοκιμάζεται και απομονώνεται. Οι περίεργοι ασχολούνται πιο πολύ με τους άλλους και αφήνουν τον εαυτό τους στα αζήτητα. Δικαιολογούνται και προφασίζονται για τη στάση τους. Δικάζουν και καταδικάζουν για να ξεχωρίζουν και να επαίρονται. Η περιέργεια δεν αφήνει ποτέ τον άνθρωπο να ειρηνεύει.
Δικαιολογούμε τον εαυτό μας ότι τάχα το κάνουμε από αγάπη και προς διόρθωση του άλλου. Από την περιέργεια έρχεται η κατάκριση.
Αν κάποτε χρειαστεί να παρατηρηθεί δεν γίνεται προς εξουθένωσή του κι εξευτελισμό του. Να μην εκθέτεις τον άλλο αλλά να τον συμβουλεύεις. Να μην είσαι σκληρός και αυστηρός, αλλά επιεικής, ανεκτικός και καλοκάγαθος. Το να σχολιάζουμε συνεχώς τους άλλους δεν είναι καλό. Μπαίνουμε στο πολυμέριμνο κι αφήνουμε την απαραίτητη ενασχόληση με την καρδιά μας. Ας γίνουμε καλύτεροι, πιο αυστηροί με τον εαυτό μας, τον αρκετά άγνωστο.
Υπάρχει και καλή περιέργεια, για μάθηση, για την πρόοδο των άλλων, για το καλό. Η περιέργεια για μάθηση δίνει καλά αποτελέσματα. Η διάθεση για γνώση της προόδου των άλλων δείχνει αγαθότητα. Το να μάθεις το καλό είναι ευχάριστο. Πάθος η περιέργεια ενοχλητικό.
Πολλά κι άχαρα τα διάφορα πάθη. Βασανίζουν και ταλαιπωρούν και σκοτίζουν. Η απάθεια, η απεριέργεια, είναι κόσμημα πολύτιμο. Οι άνθρωποι σήμερα είναι πολύ περίεργοι. Συνεχώς αρέσκονται να ασχολούνται με τους άλλους. Είναι καιρός να ασχοληθούν με τον εαυτό τους. Δεν τοποθετήθηκαν κριτές των άλλων, αλλά του εαυτού τους. Η περιέργεια ξεμακραίνει από την ουσία, δημιουργεί λαβύρινθο σκέψεων, φέρνει μύχιες άσκοπες σκέψεις. Ας μάθουμε το απερίεργο, για να ησυχάζουμε ώστε να είμαστε νηφάλιοι και ησύχιοι. Δεν είναι έτσι;
Μοναχός Μωυσής, Αγιορείτης
http://agioritikesmnimes.blogspot.ca/
An icon is an image, but an image which is meant to be a statement of faith. It is a statement of faith in line and colour as definite, as completely rooted in the faith and experience of the Orthodox Church as any written statement and in that respect icons must correspond to the experience of the total community, and the artist who paints them is only a hand, only one who puts into line and colour what is the faith and the knowledge of the Christian body in the same way in which a theologian is the expression of his Church, and the Church has a right to judge him. That explains why one of the rules given to icon-painters when they learn their trade is that they should neither copy slavishly an icon painted before them, nor invent an icon. Because one can not identify slavishly with the spiritual experience expressed by another person, on the other hand, one cannot invent a spiritual experience and present it as though it was the faith of the Church.
Now, an icon is a proclamation of faith primarily, in the sense that an icon of Christ, an icon of the Mother of God or of saints is possible only since the Incarnation because they all relate to the Incarnation and its consequences. The Old Testament taught us that God can not be represented because indeed, the God of the Old Testament was the Holy One of Israel, He was a spiritual Being that has revealed Himself but had never been visibly present face to face with anyone. You remember the story of Moses on Sinai when he asked God to allow him to see Him and the Lord answered, “No man can see My face and live.” And He allowed Moses to see Him moving away from him, as it were, from the back but never meet Him face to face. It is in Incarnation, through the historical fact that God became man, that God acquired a human face and that it became possible by representing Christ, the incarnate God to represent indirectly God Himself.
Now, there is one thing which is absolutely clear to all of us is that no-one knows what Christ looked like. So an icon is never meant to be a portrait, it is meant to convey an experience and this is different. The difference between, perhaps I should have used the word “snapshot” rather than “portrait”, any attempt at saying, “this is what Christ looked like” is fantasy. We have no likeness of Christ, but what we know is that from the experience of the Church and of the saints, Who He was and this “Who He was” can be expressed in line and in colour. And this is why so many icons do not aim at beauty, at comeliness, we do not try to represent Christ in the Orthodox tradition as the most beautiful, virile man whom we can imagine. We do not try to represent the Mother of God as the most comely and attractive young woman, what we try to represent or to convey through the icon is something about their inner self.
And this explains why certain features in an icon are underlined out of proportion while other features are just indicated. If you look at an icon, a good icon, not the kind of thing which you find commonly, say in Russian or in Greek churches, but icons painted by the great painters of Orthodoxy, you find that certain things are singled out — the brow, the eyes that convey a message, while the cheeks or the mouth are just indicated as common features. And the aim of an icon is not to present you with a likeness of the person but with the message, to present you with a face that speaks to you in the same way in which a portrait is different from a snapshot. A snapshot is a very adequate image of the person photographed at a given moment. It’s exactly what at that given moment the person was, but it leaves out very often most of the personality of this particular person, while a good portrait is painted in the course of many sittings that allow the artist to look deeply into the face of a person, to single out features, which are fluid, which change, which move but which, each of them, express something of the personality. And so that the portrait is something much more composite, much more rich and much more adequate to the total personality than a snapshot would be although at no moment was this particular face exactly as the painter has represented it on the portrait. It is not an attempt at having a snapshot in colour but of conveying a vision of what a person is.
Now, this being said, we treat icons with reverence, and number of people in the West think that to us icons are very much what idols were in older times for pagan nations. They aren’t. They are not idols because they do not purport or even attempt at giving an adequate picture of the person concerned. This I have already mentioned abundantly but I will add this. Whether it is in words, in theological statements, in doctrinal statements, in the creeds, in the prayers and the hymns of the Churches, no attempt is ever made in the Orthodox Church at expressing, at giving a cogent, a complete image of what God is. Already in the IV century St. Gregory of Nazianze wrote that if we attempted to collect from the Old Testament, from the New Testament, from the experience of the Church, from the personal lives of saints their sayings and their writings, all the features which reveal to us what and who God is and try to build out of them a completely coherent, a complete picture of God, what we would have achieved is not a picture of God, it would be an idol because it would be on our scale, it would be as small as we are indeed, smaller than we are because it could be contained in our vision, in our understanding.
If we want to understand what a theological statement is — and that applies not only to written statements but also to icons, I should think the nearest approximation would be to say that theological statement either in words or in lines, or colours, or indeed in music, or in the pageant which the liturgical service is, is very much like the sky at night. What is characteristic of the sky at night is that we see against the darkness of the sky, the translucent darkness of the sky, we see stars, which are combined in constellations. These stars are points of light and these constellations are recognisable, so that by looking at the sky at night we can find our way on earth; but what is important in the sky at night is all these stars are separate from one another by vast spaces. If you collected all the stars in one place, you would indeed have in front of you a glowing mass of fire but you would have no pointer to any direction, you would be unable to find your way not only in heaven but also on earth. What is important is the vastness between the stars and so are also the statements which are being made theologically, again in word or in line, in colour. They give us a glimpse and they leave a vast space into which we must penetrate in silence, in veneration. And the silence and veneration which is paid to them, I think, can be well expressed by the word “mystery”.
I know that in colloquial language “mystery” is something mysterious, something which is secrete, hidden and should be unveiled and seen through. The Greek word “mystery” comes from a verb “muen”, which means “to be spell-bound”, to be held absolutely mute in silence because of the deep impression something makes on us. It has given the French word “muet” which means “dumb”. Confronted with the overwhelming sense of the divine presence all we can do is to bow down in adoration. We are silenced in mind, in emotion, we become totally receptive and not passive but actively receptive. If I was to give an image, I would say our attitude at those moments is that of the bird-watcher. You know what happens to the bird-watcher. He gets up early in the morning before the birds are awake, goes into the wood, goes into the field, settles down and then he remains intensely alert at the same time as he is totally immobile because if he budges, he moves, if he doesn’t become part of the background, the birds will have disappeared long before he has noticed them. And so the attitude of the bird-watcher is this intense alertness that combines a total liveliness with a total stillness. This is what one could call the attitude of a believer has with regard to the mystery of God and also with regard to any statement, any expression that conveys God or things divine to us. We look at things in silence in order to receive a message and the deeper the silence, the more perfect the silence, the more completely and perfectly the message can reach us.
Obviously, when we look at an icon, we may discover that it has got features, which we apprehend or analyse intellectually. When it is a face, the impact may be more direct but when it is a scene, like an icon of Christmas, an icon of the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, an icon of the Crucifixion, there are features, which we can examine with our eyes and take in with our mind, but once it is done, we are confronted with something which is an object of contemplation. And I’ll give you an example or two.
The first example I wish to give you is an icon of the Mother of God which probably no-one of you has seen. It is in the South of Russia, there are very few reproductions because it is not considered as being one of the great and beautiful and classical icons of Orthodox Christendom. What it represents is – against a darkish background, the face of what I would call a peasant young Woman, square face with a parting in the middle, her hair falling on her shoulders, without a veil and looking straight not at you, as most icons do, but simply straight ahead into the vastness, into eternity, into infinity, — you must find out into what. And then the second thing you notice is that in front of Her chest there are two hands in agony clasped in pain and anguish. And when you ask yourself, why is this young Woman dishevelled, why has She lost her veil, why is Her hair falling like this? Why is this fixed gaze and this agonised hands? And you look at the icon, you see in a corner of this icon painted in very pale yellow colour the Cross, a Cross without a body. It is the Mother of God who is confronted with the death of Christ, not the dying, not the mystery of Her own offering of Her Son to God and to men but of His being dead, of the seeming defeat, of the end of all Her hopes, of the serene pain of Her heart.
This is one example, but once you have analysed these elements, looked at the face, asked yourself, what do these eyes see and seen it in the corner of the icon what do these hands speak about and understood, then you are confronted with the same thing, which confronts the Mother, – with the Crucifixion, with the love of God revealed as life and death, with the love of God, which says to us, “What you, — each of us singly, not the collectivity of mankind, each of us singly — means to Me can be measured by all the life and all the death of the Only-Begotten Son of God become man through the Incarnation born of the Virgin, crucified on Calvary after the tragic week of the passion.” So at that moment the icon is no longer a story, it is a direct challenge, a confrontation with an event to which we can respond by adoration, by conversion, by a change in us, by prayer in the vastest possible sense of this word. Not by repeating words of prayer, not by doing what a boy of our congregation, when he was seven, said to his mother, “Now that we have finished prayering, could we pray a little?” — which mean:, now that we have said all these words which are written in the book, which I can’t read yet but which you rehearse to me very evening, can’t I stay before God and tell Him that I am sorry for one thing or another, that I love Him, that I am happy and then say “Good night” and send a kiss to the icon which is too high for me to kiss...
The other example which I wanted to give is that of an icon of the Incarnation, a Christmas icon — a mountain, a cave, in one corner the Angels singing to the shepherds, on the other hand, the three kings travelling, in another corner Joseph sitting and being tempted by Satan who whispers to him that there is there something quite wrong in the whole situation, and then the Mother of God and the Child. But this icon, of which I am thinking in particular, does not show us the Child in the manger. It’s not the classical half emotional picture, which we see so often. Instead of the manger there is in pink stone an altar of sacrifice and the Child lying on it. And this icon is a theological statement not only about the Incarnation as the divine act that made God immanent in the world that the world may be saved, it speaks to us of the fact that the Son of God became Son of man in order to die, that His birth was the beginning of entering a world of suffering, of pain, of rejection and of death. And once we have discovered that the mountain matters nothing, that the shepherds and the kings, that Joseph and his tempter are features of the past that has simply brought the message to us, we are confronted with the central event – God has become man and by becoming man He has accepted to become helpless, vulnerable and enter into the realm of suffering and death. And then we are confronted with a God Whom we can worship in a new way, not a God Whom we worship in the great cathedrals because of the unsurpassed beauty He represents, not the All-Mighty one but the God Who has chosen to become one of us, frail, unprotected, helpless, given to us, and we see what mankind has done to this God, who had taken full responsibility for His creative act by dying of it and of its consequences.
So this leads me to the last point, which is obviously very short. Confronted with an icon, we receive a message and this message is always exactly as a passage of the Gospel is or a prayer written by a saint is, is a challenge for us – how do you respond to what you see, what do you do? Who are you in relation to this event, to this person, to this face, to this particular experience of the Church of God, of the Mother of God, of the saints of God, of the martyrs, of the Apostles and so forth. And this is the beginning of an act of prayer. Now, we treat icons with veneration not because they are beautiful and not even because they convey an essential message but because somehow we are aware of the fact that they are connected with the person represented on them and the event. I will give you one more of those flat analogies which are natural to me.
We don’t treat an icon as an idol but we treat it exactly in the way in which you would treat the photograph of someone whom you love dearly. It may be your departed parents, it may be your parents alive, it may be the girl or the boy whom you love with all your heart. You look at these photographs and you do not imagine that they are the person, you do not worship them but there are things which you would do and things which you would not do to them. If you have the photograph of someone whom you love with your whole heart alive or departed, you will not simply take your teacup and plant it on top of it because it is the best way of protecting the table. And you will be probably foolish enough at a moment when there is no-one who looks at you to take the photograph and give it a kiss. Well, it’s exactly what we do about icons. We give them a kiss, we are less shy and we do it publicly, but we do it because they are the only way in which we can kiss the person who is absent in a way, who is present in spirit, yes, whose image is there being like a window, like a link, like a connection with this person.
And our praying to icons is not praying to the wood or to the paint or even to the scene or the face represented. All these things become transparent in the way in which the photograph is transparent to us because it is the person whom we perceive, whom we see, whom we love, whom we treat with tenderness and reverence when we hold a photograph of a beloved person. And our praying to the icon is a praying that reaches through the icon. It may be a help to us because it is not everyone of us who is capable of shutting his eyes, abstracting himself or herself from all surrounding and feeling that he is or she is in the presence of God, and there is nothing between God and him, there is nothing that he needs to connect him with God. But ultimately we must come to the point when having looked at an icon, receive its message, received indeed its challenge, its call, we must be able to shut our eyes and be in the presence of God Himself and the saint who is represented in it. And this is what St. John Chrysostom says in one of his sermons. He says to us, “If you want to pray, take your stand in front of your icons, then shut your eyes and pray.”
Apparently, what’s the point of having icons if you shut your eyes and don’t look at them? The point is that you have taken one look and this look must have awoken you, you must have had one look and be alive to all the message and all the challenge that it has and now you must be free from the particular elements of this icon and be able to pray, to sing to God.
And I will end by an example, by an image, which is not properly of an icon but which convey to you probably better than I can this idea of our whole self beginning to sing and to respond. I was nineteen then. and I was reading together with an old deacon in one of the small churches in Paris. He was very old, he had lost all his teeth with age and the result was that when he read and sang, it was not as clear as one might have hoped for, and to add insult to injury, he read and sang with a velocity that defeated me, my eyes could not follow the lines. And when we finished the service, being as arrogant as one may be, some may be at nineteen, I said to him, “Fr. Evfimiy, you have robbed me of all the service with your reading and singing so fast. And what is worse, you have robbed yourself of it, I am sure, because I am sure, you couldn’t understand a word of what you were saying.” And so the old man looked at me (I don’t know why but he liked me) and he said to me, “O, I am so sorry, but you know, I was born in a very-very poor family in a very poor village of Russia, my parents were not in a position to keep me because they were too poor to feed me, so they gave away at the age of seven to a neighbouring monastery where they fed me, they gave me education, they taught me to read and to sing, and I never left the monastery until the revolution. And I have been reading these words and singing these words day in, day out, day in, day out for all my life. And now, you know what happens? When I see words, it is as though a hand was touching a string in my soul, and my soul begins to sing as though I was a harp, which is being touched by a hand. I don’t cling to the word. You still need it, but for me seeing it or seeing the notes is enough. I begin to sing with all my being.”
Well, this is what we should become when we can look at an icon and immediately receive the impact of it, so that our whole being begins to sing and sing and sing to God in whatever tune. It may be repentance, it may be joy, it may be gratitude, it may be intercession, it does not mean anything, what means something, which is essential is that we should sing to God as a harp sings under the hand that has touched it.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
I should like to begin with a short reading from the book of Revelation, chapters 21 and 22: «I heard a great voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.' And He who sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this, for these words are truthworthy and true... He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son...' 'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.' The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come'. And let him who hears say 'Come'. And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price. ... He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen».
This is the great expectation, but this is not only expectation. The Kingdom of God which is to come has also come with power. He has come in many places, into many hearts, into many families, in an almost unnoticeable way, surreptitiously, like a thief at the dead of night. The Kingdom has come into human relationships with a new recognition of men, with a new dimension of love, the sacrificial love of the living God. So the Kingdom is within us, and the Kingdom is in our midst. All things are on their way into our hearts, into our minds, into our lives, into our will, conquering everything in us. So embodied God is at work. He conquers, and He shall conquer.
But if we are His own people, if we are the people of God, we are called not only to be the objects of salvation, not only to be the recipients of grace, not only to be conquered, but we have the privilege of being the elect of God, the chosen of God who may serve His purpose. We are the people of God whom He can trust because we know Him, because we worship Him in reverence and in faithfulness, to whom He can say «Go» and who shall go; «Die», and who shall die; «Live», and who shall live.
And at the heart of this mission of ours there are words which we have heard twice in the course of this week at two eucharistic celebrations: «Do this in remembrance of me». And doing this in the context of our Sacred Liturgies, in the dividedness of the historical Christendom, we have been painfully aware of separation while we were amazingly aware of closeness. Is there a point where within these very words, «Do this in remembrance of me», we can be even closer than we imagine, even if we do not break the bread together nor share the same cup? May I venture to say that I believe we are a great deal closer than we imagine.
When we apply these words to the bread broken and to the cup shared, we think in liturgical terms; and we forget that at the Last Supper these words and this gesture stood for more than an act of fellowship, more than for a ritual. The bread broken was an image of the Body of Christ broken for the salvation of the world. The cup shared was an image of the Blood of Christ spent for the life of the world. Both stood for divine love that has become incarnate in order to participate in all the tragedy of mankind in an act of perfect and crucifying solidarity that mankind may be saved. And this means all men, beginning with the faithful, as St. Paul says.
Beyond the boundaries of the liturgical action there is the existential doing, all the things for which the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup stand. They stand for the act of Incarnation in which God unites Himself to man, and indeed to the whole cosmos, taking upon Himself all the destiny of mankind, identifying Himself not only with His creature but with His fallen creature, and all the conditions of man, not only to the point of life and preaching and ministering, not only to the point of physical death but to the point of sharing with men the only basic tragedy of mankind: the loss of God - «My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?» - that loss of God which is the beginning of mortality, that loss of God that kills and that killed. The Son of God became the Son of Man in His humanity. They stand for that solidarity of God with us which is expressed in the anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ was facing death - a death which had nothing to do with Him because He was life, a death which could not be inflicted on Him because He says Himself that the prince of this world will find nothing in Him that belongs to him, a death which was a free gift of His life, a death which is all death accepted and shared by Him who could not die. They stand for the Crucifixion, the physical experience of the immortal sharing the death of His creature, of Him who was the Son of God, in an act of incredible solidarity, losing the sense of His oneness with the Father and dying of it. That is what this breaking of the bread and this sharing of the cup stand for.
This, indeed, we can do in remembrance of Him together, without any separateness, in the historical Christian body. This we can do; we can be incarnate, take on the flesh of this tragic world upon us, and carry its sin as a cross. We can identify with the death of the dying and the suffering of the sufferer, as Christ on the Mount of Olives facing an alien death in His own flesh in an act of compassion in the strongest sense of the word, of solidarity that goes to the point of identification and substitution. We can face together living and dying - dying physically, dying in health but also dying in that act of love which is a final, total, ultimate renunciation to all that is for the sake of the other.
And we hear the word addressed to us: «Do this in remembrance of me.» Even if we cannot share liturgically the bread and the wine, we can share fully and completely what it stands for and be inseparable in the mystery of faith. The Lamb of God is broken and distributed, which though ever broken, never is divided, says the Orthodox liturgy. This we can achieve beyond all separations through such union, oneness with Christ, in one body broken, in one blood shed for the salvation of the world.
How wonderful it is to discover this! And this is truly and actually a liturgical action because the priest is defined by the offering he brings, and all universal priesthood is defined by the offering we bring of our souls and our bodies, of ourselves and our lives, of those whom we love - to be an act comparable and identifiable, indeed, with this act of divine incarnation, of divine life, of divine sacrifice. Sacrifice means both shedding of blood and becoming wholly God's own, sharing His life because we will have shared His death in our hearts, in our bodies.
So let us both grieve at the fact that our unity cannot be expressed to the full because we are not yet mature in love, we are not mature in understanding. But let us rejoice and thank God that we cannot be separated either from Him or from one another in the mystery which is defined by these wholly tragic and victorious conquering liturgical words, «Do this in remembrance of me».
Let us pray.
Oh Christ, who didst bind Thy Apostles in a union of love, unite us likewise, Thy sinful but trusting servants, and bind us forever to thee and to one another. Give us bearing and strength to fulfil Thy commandments and truly to love one another. Oh Christ, our God, through the Father and the Holy Spirit, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.
Κύριε ἐλέησον!
Χορταράκι ἐλέησον!
Πουλάκι ἐλέησον!
Τὰ πάντα μέσα μου καὶ γύρω μου: καὶ τὰ μικρὰ καὶ τὰ μεγάλα, τὰ περασμένα καὶ τὰ ἄπειρα, καὶ τὰ ἁπλὰ καὶ τὰ αἰνιγματώδη, καὶ τὰ σκοτεινὰ καὶ τὰ φωτεινά, καὶ τὸ ὁρατὸ καὶ τὸ ἀόρατο, καὶ τὸ θνητὸ καὶ τὸ ἀθάνατο, καὶ τὸ καλὸ καὶ τὸ κακό, τὸ πᾶν καὶ τὰ πάντα σ’ ὅλους τους κόσμους ποὺ γνωρίζω καὶ αἰσθάνομαι, μὲ ὑποκινοῦν σὲ κραυγαλέα προσευχή:
Κύριε, ὦ Κύριε! Ὑπάρχει στοὺς κόσμους Σου ἀπάντησε στὰ ἐρωτήματά μου; Ἡ μήπως ἐγὼ δὲν εἶμαι σὲ θέση νὰ τὰ ἀκούσω ἀπὸ τὸν ἄλλο κόσμο, ποὺ ὅλο καὶ περισσότερο ἀπομακρύνεται, ἀπὸ ἐμένα;
Ἂν πάρω τὴ νύχτα γιὰ γλώσσα μου Ἐσὺ δὲν μὲ ἀκοῦς, ἂν πάρω τὴν ἡμέρα γιὰ αὐτί μου ἐγὼ δὲν Σὲ ἀκούω.
Ὢ πῶς νὰ Σὲ ἀκούσω; ὢ πῶς νὰ μὲ ἀκούσεις; Ἐσὺ ποὺ εἶσαι πανταχοῦ παρὼν δὲν εἶσαι παρὼν μέσα μου λόγω τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου γι’ αὐτὸ δὲ Σὲ ἀκούω, γι’ αὐτό, δὲ Σὲ βλέπω, γι’ αὐτὸ δὲ Σὲ καταλαβαίνω.
Ὢ Πανελεῆμον κατέβα, εἴσελθε στὴν καρδιά μου, στὴν ψυχή μου, στὸ σῶμα μου, (εἶναι φωλιὰ φιδιῶν, εἶναι κόλαση). Ἐσὺ ὅμως καὶ στὴν κόλαση κατέβηκες καὶ πάλι Θεὸς ἔμεινες. Κατέβα στὴν κόλασή μου γιατί θὰ τὴν μεταβάλεις σὲ Παράδεισο Γιατί ὅπου εἶσαι Σύ, ἐκεῖ ἤδη ὑπάρχει Παράδεισος, βρίσκεται ὁ Παράδεισος, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος μαζί Σου εἶναι ἤδη ἄγγελος.
Ὢ πές μου τὸν Ἑαυτό Σου Κύριε Ἀνείπωτε καὶ Ἀκατάληπτε.
Ὅλη ἡ θλιμμένη φύση τείνει καὶ πηδᾶ πρὸς Ἐσὲ μὲ τὴ γοερὴ κραυγὴ καὶ βαθειὰ ἱκεσία:
Κύριε ἐλέησον!…
Οἱ πόνοι μας συνοψίζουν ὅλες τὶς ἀνθρώπινες λέξεις σὲ μία προσευχὴ καὶ σὲ μία κραυγή:
Στραμμένοι πρὸς Ἐσὲ βρίσκουμε ξεχειλισμένο σ’ ὅλο τὸ εἶναι μας, μόνο ἕνα στεναγμό:
Κύριε ἐλέησον!…
Θὰ θέλαμε νὰ Σοῦ ποῦμε τὸν ἑαυτό μας, ἀλλὰ χύνονται τὰ δάκρυά μας καὶ Σοῦ λέμε ὅλη τὴν ψυχή μας μέσα σ’ αὐτὰ τὰ δυὸ λόγια:
Κύριε ἐλέησον!…
Τὸ κάθε κτίσμα ἔχει τὴν καρδιά του. Καὶ ἡ καρδιὰ εἶναι μὲ τοῦτο καρδιά, γιατί ἀναστενάζει καὶ τείνει πρὸς Ἐσέ.
Κύριε ἐλέησον!…
Σ’ αὐτὸ τὸ λυπημένο κόσμο ὁ ἄνθρωπος δὲν ἔχει μεγαλύτερη ἀνάγκη ἀπὸ τὸ νὰ ἐλεηθεῖ πρώτιστα ἀπὸ Σένα.
Κύριε ἐλέησον!…
Καὶ μαζὶ μὲ Σένα καὶ πίσω ἀπὸ Σένα νὰ τὸν ἐλεήσουν ὅλα τὰ ὄντα καὶ ὅλη ἡ κτίση:
Κύριε ἐλέησον!…
Μητέρα ἐλέησον!!!
Φίλε ἐλέησον!!!
Χορταράκι ἐλέησον!…
Πουλάκι ἐλέησον!…
Ὅλα τὰ ὄντα σ’ ὅλους τους κόσμους:
Ἐλεῆστε!!!
Ἐλεῆστε!!! Ἐλεῆστε!!!
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Time and again we read of miracles in the Gospel and in the Old Testament and indeed, we observe them in the life of the Church through the centuries; miracles of healing, miracles of the renewal of a human life by the power of God. And at times people - we all - ask ourselves, What is a miracle? Is it a moment when God overpowers His own creation, breaks its own laws, destroys something which He has willed Himself? That would be an act of magic, an act of overpowering whatever is unwilling to obey, of overpowering what is weak in comparison to Him Who is strong.
A miracle is something completely different, a miracle is a moment when harmony destroyed by human sin is restored. It may be a moment, it may be the beginning of a whole life: a harmony between God and man, a harmony between the created world and its Creator. It is a restoration of what should always be; not a miracle in the sense of something unheard of, unnatural, perhaps contrary to the nature of things, but rather a moment when God enters into His creation and is received. And because He is received, He can act freely.
We have an example of such a miracle in the story of the marriage at Cana of Galilee, when the Mother of God turned to Christ and said to Him at this poor, peasant feast, "They have no wine". Their hearts were still hungry for human happiness, for human joy; and yet, the material support of such joy had gone. And Christ says to Her, "What have I to do with Thee, why are you asking Me this question?" And She does not answer Him directly; She turns to the servants and says, "Whatever He may say to you - do it". She offers Him a perfect act of faith; unreservedly She trusts His wisdom, His love and His Divinity. And at that moment, because a door has been opened by the faith of one person who has drawn into this faith all those who will do what they are told, the Kingdom of God is established, a new dimension of eternity, of infinite depth enters into the world and what is otherwise impossible becomes reality.
And here we are confronted with several things which are necessary for this harmony to be re-established. On the one hand, - a need; a need which is real; it may not be great, but it must be true; and joy and sorrow, illness and un-happiness are equally in need of being absorbed into something greater than the earth, something as vast and deep as the Divine Love and the Divine Harmony.
And then there is the Divine compassion that we have heard of so many times, and the word is repeated here again in today's Gospel - the feeding of the five thousand: Christ had compassion, compassion which means that He looked at these people who were in need, who could do nothing to alleviate it, and He felt a pain in His Divine Heart, that these people, whose life should be fulfilment, abundance, a glorious joy - that these people should be in obvious need. This time it was hunger, another time it is illness, another time it is sin, another time it is death - it may be anything. But God's love may be either joy, exulting, glorious joy or crucified, sacrificial pain. And when all this meets then a mysterious harmony is established between the Divine sorrow and the human need, between human helplessness and the power of God, the love of God that expresses itself in all ways, great and small.
Let us therefore learn to be pure enough in heart, pure enough in mind to be able to turn to God with our need without hiding our face; or if we feel unworthy of coming up to Him, let us kneel at His feet and say, Lord - I am unworthy! Unworthy to be in Thy presence, unworthy of being loved, unworthy of Thy compassion, and yet I believe in Thy love more than I am sure of my unworthiness, and I come, because Thou art love and victory; because I have evidence in the life and in the death of Thine Only Begotten Son of what I mean to Thee: the life, the passion, the death, the descent into hell, the horror of it, to save me.
Let us learn this creative helplessness that consists in surrendering all hope of human victory for the sake of the certainty that God can do what we cannot. Let us be helpless in the sense of being transparent, and supple, and listening with all our being, and presenting our need to God - our need of eternal life, but also our needs that are human and frail: the need of support, the need of consolation, the need for mercy. And the response of God will always be the same: If you can believe, however little - everything is possible. Amen.
The battle against despondency, slothfulness and weakness,when this happens, occupy the mind with the thought of death.
Come mentally to the grave; behold there one who has been dead four days: how he grows dark, bloated, and gives off an intolerable foul odor, is eaten by worms, having lost his fair appearance and beauty. Then look in another place: here there lie in the grave the bones of young and old, the beautiful and the ugly; and consider: who was fair, or ugly? Who was a faster, a continent man, an ascetic, or a careless man? And did it bring benefit to rich men that they had repose and enjoyment in this world?
Remember then the endless torments of which the holy books speak: the fire of Gehenna, the outer darkness, the gnashing of teeth, the infernal Tartarus, the unsleeping worm. And depict to yourself how sinners cry out there with bitter tears, and no one delivers them. They lament and weep over themselves, and no one has pity on them. They sigh from the depths of the heart, and no one has compassion on them.
Think how creatures, each in its own time, unfailingly serve the Lord their Creator. Reflect concerning the most glorious miracles of God which have been performed upon His slaves from the beginning of the world, and especially of how the Lord, having humbled Himself and suffered for the sake of our salvation, has benefacted and sanctified the human race; and for all this give thanksgiving to God, the Lover of mankind.
Remember the future endless life and the Kingdom of Heaven, the repose and unutterable joy.
Stand firm, do not leave off the Prayer of Jesus.
If you will recall and reflect on all this, then despondency, slothfulness and weakness will disappear, and you soul will come to life as from the dead, by the grace of Christ.
