Ἡ ἐμπειρία τῆς ἡσυχίας...

Σ'ένα μοναχικό ερημίτη έφτασαν μια μέρα κάποιοι επισκέπτες. Τον ρώτησαν:
Τι νόημα έχει η ζωή σου στην ησυχία;
Ο μοναχός εκείνη τη στιγμή μόλις έβγαζε νερό από ένα βαθύ πηγάδι.
Είπε: Κοιτάξτε στο πηγάδι! Τι βλέπετε;


Εκείνοι κοίταξαν: Τίποτα.
Μετά από λίγο ο μοναχός τούς είπε ξανά: Κοιτάξτε στο πηγάδι! Τι βλέπετε;
Εκείνοι κοίταξαν πάλι κάτω. Ναι, τώρα βλέπουμε τα πρόσωπά μας.
Και ο μοναχός απάντησε:
Βλέπετε πριν, όταν έβγαλα νερό, το νερό ήταν ταραγμένο. Τώρα
είναι ήρεμο.
Αυτή είναι η εμπειρία της ησυχίας.
Βλέπεις τον εαυτό σου!
Aπόσπασμα απ'το βιβλίο του Heinz Nussbaumer

http://agiameteora.net/index.php/gerontes-tis-epoxis-mas/6186-mpeiria-t-s-syxias.html

The baker’s son: Saint Tychon of Cyprus

Long ago in the days when Arcadius and Honorius ruled the Roman Empire, a saint was born on the islanld of Cyprus. His parents were pious, humble islanders whose names are not recorded. The saint’s name was Tychon.



Tychon’s father was a baker in a small Cypriot village. Each day, as he measured the flour, kneaded the dough and shaped the loaves of bread, he dreamed one dream, that someday his son would become a priest. Tychon’s gentle mother cherished the same dream. How happy and proud these good, simple people would be when their son was a priest.

Tychon spent the years of his boyhood in the village of his birth. He played in the fields around the village and helped his father in the small bakery, which was next to their house.

Along with the other boys he attended the school belonging to the village church. Here, in the only available school, the village boys learned to write and read. The priest was their only teacher, the Holy Scriptures their single text.

The priest also taught them the long history of their native island. The boys learned that St. Paul himself had brought Christianity to Cyprus. They were proud that their own church was one of the oldest in the world.

Of all the Bible stories that he knew, Tychon’s favor­ite was that of Barnabas. This apostle had been born on Cyprus. In Jerusalem he had become a Christian, and changed his name from Joseph to Barnabas. Barnabas, his new name, meant ‘son of consolation.” Tychon liked this new name better than the old.

Tychon liked especially to hear the story of Bar­nabas’ generosity. Soon after he became a Christian, Barnabas sold a piece of the land that he owned and gave the money for the poor. The young village boy never forgot Barnabas’ act of charity.

Barnabas’ journeys and voyages fascinated Tychon, who had never traveled beyond the fields around his village. · He could not imagine any city as large as Antioch, where his favorite apostle had preached. Nor could he imagine Jerusalem, familiar though it was from the Scriptures.

He could, however, imagine Barnabas’ journey with PauI to Cyprus, the beautiful island covered with olive groves and vineyards. Tychon knew by heart the story of their visit. The two apostles had landed at ancient Salamis. Together they traveled the length of the island, preaching everywhere. Then the two missionaries sailed away from Paphos, said to be the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite, born of the sea.

Later Barnabas returned to his native island and be­came its first bishop. An energetic, eloquent and com­passionate saint. he was Tychon’s hero. The Cypriot apostle was often in the boy’s thoughts, in school, in church, and when he was selling bread from his father’s oven.

Every day the baker gave his son a large, round, straw basket filled with round loaves of bread. Taking the basket, Tychon went through the winding, narrow streets of the village to sell his father’s bread. As he went along, he called out in his clear, strong voice, “Bread, fresh bread. Buy some bread warm from the oven.” His cheerful words sounded through the streets like a song.

Hearing his cries, the village housewives, especially those who did not have ovens of their own, came out of their walled courtyards to buy fresh bread from the baker’s son. When he had sold all the loaves his father had given him, Tychon returned home. He carried an empty basket in one hand, and in the other a little bag filled with coins.

One day as he set out with a basket filled with sweet-smelling loaves of fresh bread to sell for his father, Tychon suddenly remembered how Barnabas had sold his land and given the money to the poor. Then he thought of the poor people of his village. The poor Families who lived on the edge of the village, he knew, were often hungry.

That day Tychon did not follow his usual route among the winding, narrow streets in the village. Instead, he went straight to the outskirts of the village. There stood the hovels, the forlorn houses of the village poor. In a few minutes Tychon distributed all his round loaves of bread, one by one to the hungry families.

Then with empty bread basket and empty money bag, Tychon went home. He laid down the basket and handed his father the empty money bag. The baker eagerly opened the little money bag to count the coins. Butthere was not a single coin in the bag.

“Where is the money?” the baker demanded, holding the empty bag in his hand.

“I did not get any money today, Father,” Tychon replied .

The baker did not understand. “But the loaves are all gone. The basket is empty. You sold the bread, didn’t you?”

“No, Father,” Tychon replied quietly. “I did not sell the bread today. I gave it all away to our poor neighbors who have nothing to eat.”

Tychon’s answer enraged his father. The village baker was a poor man himself, not a rich man. He barely earned enough money from the bakery to take care of his family. Of all people he should not be expected to feed the poor. The baker was angry with his son. Tychon had given away a whole basket of bread. A day’s profit had been lost.

His father’s anger, however, did not frighten Tychon. He tried to explain. “Father,” he said, “do not be angry with me. I loaned the loaves to God so that He could feed the hungry. I have an account with Him. God will repay the loan. I know He will.”

Tychon’s words of explanation fell on deaf ears. His father would not listen to him. Nor could he under· stand what Tychon was saying. He could think only of the money he had lost because his son imagined he had an account with God!

Despite his father’s anger, Tychon insisted that he had loaned the bread to God. Early the next morning the baker went to the store· room where he kept his flour. Yesterday he had almost used all of it to make the bread his foolish son had given away. There was not much flour left. And now there was no money with which to buy more. If only Tychon had sold the bread, and not given it to the poor. If he borrowed money from the village moneylender, he would have to pay high interest. By feeding the poor Tychon had impoverished his own family.

Unlocking the storeroom, the baker entered, sadly expecting to find empty flour bags. To his amazement he saw that all the bags were bulging, full of fine, milled four. Had his eyes deceived him? The baker touched each bag. Each was solid to the touch. He tried to lift them. But he could not. Each bag was too heavy even for a man as strong as the baker to lift. The little storeroom had never contained so much flour before. Today he could bake twice as much bread as yesterday. And still he would have flour left over.

It was a miracle. The loan that Tychon had made to God had been richly repaid. The baker never again reproached his son’s generosity. In time Tychon finished the little school that belonged to the village church. The good priest had taught his pupil well. Tychon now became a reader in the church, reading the Scriptures on Sundays and holy days.

Faithful and conscientious in his duties, loving and generous to all, the young reader was later ordained a deacon by the bishop of Amathus. The baker and his wife were proud of their son. Their dream was coming true. When the bishop died, Tychon was chosen to succeed him. The baker’ s son became Bishop of Amathus.

Bishop Tychon still remembered his boyhood hero, Barnabas, the first bishop of Cyprus. For many years Tychon’s words and deeds graced his Episcopal throne. By his eloquence and goodness he converted many pagans. All the islanders loved the bishop who was always kind, patient and generous.

The bright memory of the good Bishop of Amathus still survives any centuries after Tychon’s death. Each year, on his feast day which is celebrated on the sixteenth day of June, the story is told again of the baker’s son who fed the poor and loaned loaves of bread to God. From the book Sacred stories from Byzantium, by Eva C. Topping (Holy Cross Orthodox Press) 1977. 

http://pemptousia.com/2012/10/the-bakers-son-st-tychon-of-cyprus/

Πως μπορούμε να βοηθήσουμε όσους έχουν τάσεις αυτοκτονίας (Αγιος Πορφύριος)

Κυκλώστε τους ανθρώπους που έχουν τάσεις αυτοκτονίας με εντατικές προσευχές

Για μια νέα κοπέλα, που έκανε απόπειρα αυτοκτονίας, συνέστησε στους γονείς να την περικυκλώσουν προστατευτικά με εντατικές προσευχές, όσο το δυνατόν περισσοτέρων ανθρώπων. Αυτό έγινε, και η κοπέλα σώθηκε από υποτροπές.

Να αλλάξεις συντροφιές

Σε μια νέα, που είχε κάνει απόπειρα αυτοκτονίας, συνέστησε ν ἀλλάξει απαραιτήτως τις συντροφιές της, που την επηρέαζαν αρνητικά, και να κάνει συντροφιά με χριστιανές νέες της αρεσκείας της, που μαζί τους να μπορεί να συζητά ευχάριστα, να πηγαίνει εκδρομές και να επισκέπτονται ναούς, όπου θα παρακολουθούν Ιερές ακολουθίες. Φρόντισε μάλιστα να αναθέσει σε μια καλή κοπέλα, που τον επισκεπτόταν τακτικά, να αναλάβει εκείνη την πρωτοβουλία της προσεγγίσεως.

Από το βιβλίο “Ανθολόγιο Συμβουλών Γέροντος Πορφυρίου”

ΚΑΤΑΛΟΓΟΣ: ΒΙΒΛΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΟΣΙΟ ΠΟΡΦΥΡΙΟ



Πηγή: hristospanagia3.blogspot.gr

The Boldness of a Saint ( Elder Iakovos Tsalikis )

A drawing I did of Elder Iakovos in 2007. 
matushka constantina

Excerpt from The Garden of the Holy Spirit: Elder Iakovos of Evia, p. 79

That year, the area [of Livanates] suffered from a long drought. The villagers in the boat, who knew Fr. Iakovos, pleaded for rain. Fr. Iakovos listened to them, then sat in a corner. The boat was approaching Livantes. Then Fr. Iakovos, holding the woven bag with the holy head [of St. David of Evia] in his arms, addressed the following exact words to St. David: “Old man, your fellow villagers are here on account of the drought. Now, when we arrive, I ask you to thunder [rain]. Take good care not to embarrass me. You will be ridiculed, and I will be ridiculed too!” As soon as they got on shore, it started thundering. Thirty years later, Fr. Iakovos said: “I, my brother, say these things to the Saint’s ears, and he opens a direct line with our Christ!”

This simple explanation contains, in fact, the theological wisdom of a thousand and one theologians. God alone has miraculous power, divine grace, and uncreated energies. He bestows them, though, upon human beings through his very elect, through the saints, who, having loved Him exceedingly and having cleansed themselves by means of every kind of ascesis, having obtained the gift of boldness towards God. That is, the saints have been given the privilege to ask something from God, while God “obeys” them and fulfills it.




Elder Iakovos with St. David of Evia

http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/the-boldness-of-a-saint/

Οι εμφανίσεις της Αγίας Παρασκευής στον αγιασμένο γέροντα π. Ιάκωβο Τσαλίκη

«… Όλα τα παιδάκια πήγαιναν σχολείο μια φορά την ημέρα. Το Ιακωβάκι πήγαινε δύο. Το αγαπούσε πολύ, γιατί το σχολείο του στα πρώτα χρόνια ήτανε κι Εκκλησία, της Αγίας Παρασκευής. Αργά το απόγευμα πήγαινε κι άναβε τα καντήλια. Πήγαινε μόνο του το παιδί και του άρεσε να μένει μέχρι το νύχτωμα. Προσευχότανε όσο ήξερε κι όσο μπορούσε. Έπειτα έπαιρνε τον κατήφορο για το σπίτι, αφήνοντας το δάσος με τα πεύκα. Ένα απόγευμα όμως, θα᾽ τανε τότε οκτώ-εννέα ετών, εκεί που προευχότανε του εμφανίστηκε ολοζώντανη η αγία Παρασκευή ως μοναχή, όπως ήτανε στην εικόνα. Το παιδί τρόμαξε, το ᾽βαλε στα πόδια κι έφτασε λαχανιασμένο στο σπίτι. Ούτε γύρισε να κοιτάξει πίσω από τον φόβο του. Ξαναπήγε άλλη μέρα ν᾽ ανάψει τα καντήλια και του εμφανίστηκε πάλι. Και πάλι τρόμαξε. Έφυγε τρέχοντας τον κατήφορο, μα η Αγία βγήκε από το ναό, μίλησε γλυκά και καθησύχασε το παιδάκι. Αυτό, τώρα, σταμάτησε να τρέχει, γύρισε να δει ποιός του μιλούσε. Η Αγία του εξήγησε ποιά είναι, του ᾽πε να μη φοβάται, και το Ιακωβάκι ανέβηκε δειλά δειλά πάλι προς το εκκλησάκι. Έκατσε κοντά της και την άκουσε προσεκτικά. Η εμφάνιση της Αγίας Παρασκευής επαναλήφθηκε πολλές φορές. Το Ιακωβάκι συνήθισε και δε φοβότανε πια. Καθόσανε δίπλα δίπλα και μιλάγανε… τέτοια οικειότητα και αφελή παρρησία ο μικρός! Σε μία από τις πρώτες εμφανίσεις της η Αγία, όταν είχε ξεθαρρέψει ο μικρός, του είπε:

– Τι θέλεις, Ιάκωβέ μου, να σου χαρίσω για τις προσευχές που κάνεις και που περιποιείσαι το σπίτι μου;

Εκείνο δεν ήξερε τι να ζητήσει. Όμως το βράδυ ρώτησε τη μητέρα του, τη Θοδώρα. Εκείνη το συμβούλεψε απλοϊκά: «Να σου πει, να σου δώσει, την τύχη σου». Το άλλο απόγευμα εμφανίστηκε η Αγία και απάντησε στο παιδί:

– Άκουσέ με. Θα δεις δόξες και τιμές πολλές, πολύς κόσμος θα ᾽ρχεται να σε δει, πολλά χρήματα θα έρχονται στα χέρια σου, αλλά δε θα μένουν (και πράγματι όλα επαληθεύτηκαν. Τον τίμησαν τον γέροντα Ιάκωβο πλούσιοι και φτωχοί, σοφοί και αγράμματοι, άρχοντες και αρχόμενοι, καθηγητές πανεπιστημίου

και ανώτατοι δικαστικοί, μοναχοί, ιερείς, επίσκοποι και πατριάρχες, που έφταναν τα τελευταία χρόνια στο μοναστήρι να τον γνωρίσουνε, να εξομολογηθούνε, να ωφεληθούνε, να πάρουνε την ευχή του. Και χρήματα επίσης, τα τελευταία χρόνια, του έδιναν πολλά, μα κι αυτός τα προσέφερνε όλα σε όποιους είχανε ανάγκη, δε μένανε στο σακκούλι του – γιατί σ᾽ ένα σακκούλι τα έβαζε, που δεν άδειαζε ποτέ, όσα και να ᾽δινε). Ο ίδιος, που τα διηγότανε αυτά, πρόσθετε:

– Και μήπως ψέματα μου είπε, αδελφέ μου, η αγία Παρασκευή; Μικρή τύχη μου έδωσε; Μ᾽ έκανε ιερέα των μυστηρίων του Θεού!



ΠΗΓΗ : Στ. Παπαδόπουλου, Ο ΜΑΚΑΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΙΑΚΩΒΟΣ ΤΣΑΛΙΚΗΣ, Εκδ. Ακρίτας, Θ´ έκδοση, Σεπτέμβριος 2005, σσ. 37-39.



Πηγή: tribonio.blogspot.gr

The Christian struggle ( Elder Paisios )

Greater worth has he who has acquired virtues through struggle than he who was born with inherent virtues and who therefore must double them so as to hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..." (Matthew 25:21)


Elder Paisios

Ὁ πειρασμός οὔτε τρίχα δέν θά μᾶς πειράζει, ἄν δέν ἔχει τήν ἄδεια ἀπό πάνω ( Γέροντας Ἀρσένιος Σπηλαιώτης )

- Παππού, βοήθησέ με.
- Τι έχεις, παιδί μου; μωρέ πολύ τρομαγμένος φαίνεσαι.
- Ε, να Γέροντα. ο πειρασμός δεν με αφήνει ήσυχο. Και στον ύπνο, αλλά και φανερά ξύπνιο με πολεμά. Στον ύπνο φωνές, απειλές. Στην αγρυπνία το ίδιο. Μόλις αρχίσω τον κανόνα μου χτυπά την πόρτα, ακούω άγριες φωνές, απειλές. Από τον φόβο μου τρέμω σαν ψάρι. Πού να πάω να γλυτώσω!


- Μωρέ, εσύ μεγάλος αγωνιστής είσαι. Σε κατάλαβε ο σατανάς και γελά μαζί σου. Όταν λέμε «Κύριε, Ιησού Χριστέ, ελέησόν με», ο πειρασμός κατακαίεται, μόνο που ακούει το όνομα του Χριστού. Πάση θυσία μηχανεύεται να μας καταφέρει να σιωπήσουμε. Βάζει μέριμνες, ιδέες, περισπασμούς, και ό,τι άλλο φανταστείς. Μόνον ευχή να μη λέμε. Εσένα σε βρήκε δειλό. Σου λέει. ή σταματάς την ευχήν ή μπαίνω να σε σκοτώσω. Εσύ… το΄ χαψες. Βρε μην τον φοβάσαι. είναι ψεύτης.
Ούτε τρίχα δεν θα μας πειράζει αν δεν έχει την άδειαν από πάνω. Ο Θεός τον αφήνει για να σε γυμνάσει. Εμάς με τον Γέροντα (τον συνασκητή του Ιωσήφ τον Ησυχαστή και Σπηλαιώτη) μας έκαμε άλλα γυμνάσια ανώτερα. Μέχρι κι ξύλο φάγαμε απ΄ αυτόν τον καταραμένον. Όμως, εμείς δεν είμασταν δειλοί όπως εσύ. Όταν ερχόταν ο πειρασμός, εμείς ελέγαμε την ευχή με όλην μας την ψυχή. Εδίναμεν όλον τον εαυτόν μας στον Θεόν. Η ευχή έτρεχε γρήγορα αλλά και καθαρά. Ο νους μας κολλούσε στο νόημα της ευχής. Κολλούσαμε στην προσευχή, στον Χριστό μας. Ερχόταν μέσα μας γαλήνη, χαρά, δάκρυα. Και τότε… ο πειρασμός άφαντος. Του λέγαμε και ευχαριστώ.
ΠΗΓΗ : ΙΩΣΗΦ Μ.Δ., Ο ΓΕΡΩΝ ΑΡΣΕΝΙΟΣ Ο ΣΠΗΛΑΙΩΤΗΣ (1886 – 1983), ΣΥΝΑΣΚΗΤΗΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΟΣ ΙΩΣΗΦ ΤΟΥ ΗΣΥΧΑΣΤΟΥ

http://agiameteora.net/

Do not hope in temporary things ( part 4 )

The pleasures and prosperity of the present world are like a lit wick that remains lit for as long as there is wax or oil to keep the flame alive.  Shortly thereafter, however, the flame is extinguished,
and the only thing that remains is a puff of smoke and a bad smell. Similarly, the temporary things of this life appear beautiful and shiny; however, they end in sorrows and torment, and, unfortunately,
unrepentant sinners will melt away like wax and smoke. 

For,according to the Prophet David, “As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire, so let sinners perish from the face of God. And let the righteous be glad” (Ps. 67:3-4).
 

Since the end result of the secular world is so destructive for man’s soul, loathe it with all your heart. Instead, think of your true purpose and the
intention for which God created you. Desire and seek this out continuously, just as all things naturally desire to fulfill  their purpose and
innately run their course until completion.
 

All the rivers come forth from the oceans, and they ultimately return back to the ocean. The ocean, from which our soul came forth, is our God and Creator to Whom the soul desires to return once more. Thus, the human soul is not content with any worldly thing because God is its ultimate end. This is why the heart cannot be satisfied with anything until it returns to its Creator and Savior.
 

All the things God brought into existence were created out of love for man: so they can be of assistance to him and serve him; however, He
made man for Himself. God made man to glorify, praise, and respect Him.
 

God did not create you for the earth but for Heaven. Neither did he bring you into existence
in order to desire corrupt and vain things. The
four-legged animals that God created for the earth have their heads steadily turned toward the ground.
 

This is all they look at because when they die they
return back to the earth, and this is where their
existence ends. Conversely, O man, you were created for Heaven! This is why you walk
standing upright so you can look at and be reminded of the path that you will take one day in
the near future. The Lord did not make you in order to seize and rule over corrupt and transient
things but to proceed toward the Jerusalem above, to your permanent homeland, to your blissful and final destination, where you will eternally delight in God. 

from the book
The Salvation of Sinners

Νεομάρτυρες, η δόξα της Εκκλησίας μας ( ΦΩΤΗΣ ΚΟΝΤΟΓΛΟΥ )

Τὸ νὰ μιλᾷ κανένας σήμερα καὶ νὰ γράφει γιὰ κάποια πράγματα τῆς θρησκείας, ὁ πολὺς κόσμος τὸ νομίζει γιὰ ἀνοησία.

Καὶ ἀκόμα μεγαλύτερη ἀνοησία ἔχει τὴν ἰδέα πὼς εἶναι τὸ νὰ γράφει γιὰ τοὺς ἅγιους μάρτυρες, καὶ μάλιστα γιὰ κείνους ποὺ μαρτυρήσανε κατὰ τὰ νεότερα χρόνια ποὺ βασιλεύανε οἱ Τοῦρκοι ἀπάνω στὴ χριστιανοσύνη,

ἐπειδὴς ὁ λίγος καιρὸς ποὺ μᾶς χωρίζει ἀπ᾿ αὐτοὺς κάνει ὥστε νὰ τοὺς νιώθουμε πολὺ κοντά μας, ἀνθρώπους σὰν κ᾿ ἐμᾶς, ἐνῷ τοὺς ἀρχαίους μάρτυρες τοὺς βλέπουμε μέσα ἀπὸ τοὺς αἰῶνες ποὺ περάσανε ἀπὸ τότε ποὺ μαρτυρήσανε καὶ στὴ φαντασία μας παρουσιάζονται εὐκολότερά με τὸν φωτοστέφανο τοῦ ἁγίου.

Κανένας λαὸς δὲν ἔχυσε τόσο αἷμα γιὰ τὴν πίστη τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὅσο ἔχυσε ὁ δικός μας, ἀπὸ καταβολὴ τοῦ χριστιανισμοῦ ἴσαμε σήμερα.

Κι αὐτὸς ὁ ματωμένος ποταμὸς εἶναι μιὰ πορφύρα ποὺ φόρεσε ἡ ὀρθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία μας, καὶ ποὺ θά ᾽πρεπε νὰ τὴν ἔχουμε γιὰ τὸ μεγαλύτερο καύχημα, κι ὄχι νὰ τὴν καταφρονοῦμε καὶ νὰ μὴ μιλοῦμε ποτέ γι᾿ αὐτή, καὶ μάλιστα νὰ ντρεπόμαστε νὰ μιλήσουμε γι᾿ αὐτή, σὲ καιρὸ ποὺ δὲ ντρεπόμαστε γιὰ τὶς πιὸ ντροπιασμένες καὶ σιχαμερὲς παραλυσίες ποὺ κάνουνε οἱ ἄνθρωποι στὸν ἀδιάντροπο καιρό μας.

Ἐμεῖς οἱ σημερινοὶ πονηρεμένοι ἄνθρωποι φροντίζουμε μονάχα γιὰ τὴν καλοπέραση τοῦ κορμιοῦ μας, καὶ γιὰ τοῦτο ἡ ψυχή μας ἔχασε τὴν εὐαισθησία της, μ᾿ ὅλα τὰ πνευματικὰ γιατρικὰ ποὺ λέμε πὼς ἔχουμε. Καὶ γι᾿ αὐτὸ περιφρονοῦμε καὶ τοὺς λέμε ἀνόητους ἐκείνους ποὺ δὲν κοιτάζουνε τὸ ὑλικὸ συμφέρο τους, ἀλλὰ κάνουνε κάποιες θυσίες.

Κατὰ πολὺ ἀνόητους καὶ μικρόμυαλους θεωροῦμε ἐκείνους ποὺ θυσιάσανε τὴ ζωή τους γιὰ τὴν πίστη τους, ἀφοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἁμαρτωλὴ κρίση μας, δὲν κοιτάξανε νὰ χαροῦνε τὰ νιάτα τους καὶ ν᾿ ἀπολάψουνε τοῦτον τὸν κόσμο, ποὺ εἶναι χειροπιαστὸς καὶ σίγουρος, ἀλλὰ βασανιστήκανε, φυλακωθήκανε, δαρθήκανε καί, στὸ τέλος, σφαχτήκανε ἢ κρεμαστήκανε, οἱ ἄμυαλοι, γιὰ κάποιους ἴσκιους ποὺ λέγουνται ἀθάνατη ζωὴ καὶ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν...

...Μ᾿ αὐτὰ τὰ λόγια βροντοφωνεῖ πὼς ἡ Ἐκκλησία μας, μὲ τὰ μαρτύρια ποὺ τραβᾷ ἀπὸ αἰῶνες, εἶναι ἡ ἀληθινὴ Ἐκκλησία, ἡ βλογημένη ἀπὸ τὸν Κύριο, κι ὄχι ἡ Δυτική, ἡ καλοπερασμένη ἡ ὑπερήφανη ἀφέντρα, ποὺ ὄχι μονάχα τὸ αἷμα της δὲν ἔχυσε γιὰ τὸν Χριστό, ἀλλὰ ἡ ἴδια ἔκαιγε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποὺ δὲν τῆς ἤτανε ὑπάκουοι.

Οἱ δικοί μας οἱ ἅγιοι, ποὺ μαρτυρήσανε στὸν καιρὸ ποὺ εἴμαστε σκλάβοι στοὺς Τούρκους, ἤτανε ταπεινοί, ἁπλοί, λιγομίλητοι, μὲ τὴ φωτιὰ τῆς πίστης στὰ στήθιά τους, ἀπονήρευτοι κι ἀγράμματοι, ἀφοῦ τὸ μόνο ποὺ γνωρίζανε νὰ λένε μπροστὰ στὸν ἀγριεμένο τὸν κριτὴ ἤτανε «Χριστιανὸς γεννήθηκα καὶ Χριστιανὸς θ᾿ ἀποθάνω!».

Νέοι ἄνθρωποι, παλληκάρια ἀπάνω στ᾿ ἄνθος τῆς νιότης τους, πηγαίνανε προθυμερὰ νὰ παραδοθοῦνε γιὰ τ᾿ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κι ἀντὶς ἀρραβωνιάσματα σφαζόντανε σὰν τ᾿ ἀρνιὰ ἡ κρεμαζόντανε μὲ τὴ θελιὰ στὸν λαιμό τους καί, γιὰ νὰ τοὺς τυραγνᾶνε περισσότερο οἱ ἄπιστοι, κόβανε τὸν λαιμό τους σιγὰ -σιγὰ μὲ στομωμένα μαχαίρια ἢ τοὺς χωρίζανε μὲ σάπια σχοινιὰ ποὺ κοβόντανε, γιὰ νὰ τοὺς ξανακρεμάσουνε.

Καὶ τὰ μόνα ποὺ ξέρανε ἀπὸ τὴ Θρησκεία μας οἱ περισσότεροι ἀπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἤτανε τὰ λόγια τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ποὺ εἶπε: «Ὅποιος μὲ ὁμολογήσει μπροστὰ στοὺς ἀνθρώπους, θὰ τὸν ὁμολογήσω κ᾽ ἐγὼ μπροστὰ στὸν Πατέρα μου, ποὺ εἶναι στὸν οὐρανό, κι ὅποιος μ᾿ ἀρνηθεῖ μπροστὰ στοὺς ἀνθρώπους, θὰ τὸν ἀρνηθῶ κ᾿ ἐγὼ μπροστὰ στὸν Πατέρα μου, ποὺ εἶναι στὸν οὐρανό». Καθὼς καὶ τὰ λόγια τοῦτα, ποὺ εἶπε ὁ Κύριος: «Μὴ φοβηθεῖτε ἀπὸ κείνους ποὺ σκοτώνουνε τὸ σῶμα, μὰ ποὺ δὲν μποροῦνε νὰ σκοτώσουνε τὴν ψυχή», καί: «Ὅποιος χάσει τὴ ζωή του γιὰ τ᾿ ὄνομά μου, αὐτός θὰ ζήσει στὴν αἰώνια ζωή».

Ὤ! Τί ὕψος καὶ πόση πνευματικὴ εὐπρέπεια εἶχε ἡ φυλή μας, τὸν καιρὸ ποὺ θαρροῦμε ἐμεῖς πὼς ἤτανε ἀγράμματη καὶ βάρβαρη. Ἐμεῖς, οἱ σημερινοί, εἴμαστε βάρβαροι, ποὺ δὲν εἴμαστε σὲ θέση νὰ νιώσουμε ὅσο πρέπει την εὐγένεια καὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖο τῆς θυσίας γιὰ τ᾿ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ποὺ τὴν προσφέρανε μὲ τὰ κορμιά τους ἐκεῖνοι οἱ λεονταρόψυχοι, ποὺ γι᾿ αὐτοὺς λέγει ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς Ἰωάννης πὼς δὲν γεννηθήκανε ἀπὸ αἵματα, μήτε ἀπὸ θέλημα τῆς σάρκας, μήτε ἀπὸ θέλημα ἀντρός, ἀλλὰ πὼς γεννηθήκανε ἀπὸ τὸν Θεό. Ἡ γενεὰ ἡ δική μας, «ἡ μοιχαλὶς καὶ ἁμαρτωλός», ἂς κάνει τὸν ἔξυπνον ἐκεῖ ποὺ δὲν χωρᾷ καμιὰ ἐξυπνάδα, ἂς περιπαίζει ἐκείνους ποὺ δώσανε τὸ αἷμα τους γιὰ τὴν πίστη τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς αἰώνιας ζωῆς. Θὰ ἔρθει μέρα ποὺ θὰ δώσει ἀπολογία καὶ σὲ τοῦτο τὸν κόσμο καὶ στὸν ἄλλον, καὶ τότε θὰ καταλάβει σὲ τί σκοτάδι βρισκότανε...

ΦΩΤΗΣ ΚΟΝΤΟΓΛΟΥ
[«Πονεμένη Ρωμιοσύνη», ἐκδ. «Ἀστήρ»]


http://agiameteora.net/

Peace of Heart is Established Little by Little ( Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite )

Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite

Your constant care should be not to let your heart become agitated or troubled, but to use every effort to keep it peaceful and calm. Seeing your efforts and endeavours, God will send you His grace and will make your soul a city of peace. Then your heart will become the house of comfort as is allegorically expressed in the following Psalm: ‘Jerusalem is builded as a city’ (Ps. 122, 3). God has required only one thing from you, that every time you are disturbed by something, you should immediately restore peace in yourself, and should thus remain undisturbed in all your actions and occupations. You must know that this requires patience; for just as a city is not built in a day, you cannot expect to gain inner peace in a day. For gaining inner peace means building a house for the God of peace and a tabernacle for the Almighty, and in this way becoming a temple of God. You must also know that it is God Himself Who builds this house in you, and without Him all your labour will be in vain, as it is written: ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it’ (Ps. 127, 1). You must know too that the main foundation of this peace of heart is humility and avoidance of actions, works and occupations which bring worry and care. As regards the first – who does not know that humility, peace of heart and meekness are so closely related that where one is, the other is too.

A man whose heart is at peace and who is meek is also humble, and a man who is humble in heart, is also meek and at peace. This is why our Lord joined them indissolubly together, saying: ‘Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart’ (Matt. 11, 29). As regards the second, we see its prototype in the Old Testament, namely, in the fact that God wished His house to be built not by David, who spent almost all his life in wars and tribulations, but by his son Solomon, who, by his name, was a peaceful king and fought no one.

To preserve inner peace:

(1) First of all keep your outer senses in order and flee all licentiousness in your external conduct, – namely,

neither look, speak, gesticulate, walk nor do anything else with agitation, but always quietly and decorously. Accustomed to behave with decorous quietness in your external movements and actions, you will easily and without labour acquire peace within yourself, in the heart; for, according to the testimony of the fathers, the inner man takes his tone from the outer man.

(2) Be disposed to love all men and to live in accord with everyone, as St. Paul instructs: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men’ (Rom. 12, 18).

(3) Keep your conscience unstained, so that it does not gnaw at you or reproach you in anything, but is at peace in relation to God, to yourself, to your neighbours, and to all external things. If your conscience is thus kept clean, it will produce, deepen and strengthen inner peace, as David says: ‘Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them’ (Ps. 119, 165).

(4) Accustom yourself to bear all unpleasantness and insults without perturbation. It is true that before you acquire this habit you will have to grieve and suffer much in your heart through lack of experience in controlling yourself in such cases. But once this habit is acquired, your soul will find great comfort in the very troubles you meet with. If you are resolute, you will day by day learn to manage yourself better and better and will soon reach a state when you will know how to preserve the peace of your spirit in all storms, both inner and outer.

If at times you are unable to manage your heart and restore peace in it by driving away all stress and griefs, have recourse to prayer and be persistent, imitating our Lord and Saviour, Who prayed three times in the garden of Gethsemane, to show you by His example that prayer should be your refuge in every stress and affliction of the heart and that, no matter how faint-hearted and grieved you may be, you should not abandon it until you reach a state when your will is in complete accord with the will of God and, calmed by this, your heart is filled with courageous daring and is joyfully ready to meet, accept and bear the very thing it feared and wished to avoid; just as our Lord felt fear, sorrow and grief, but, regaining peace through prayer, said calmly: ‘Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me’ (Matt. 26, 46).

Source: Unseen Warfare as edited by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and revised by Theophan the Recluse, via http://easternorthodoxspirituality.blogspot.gr/ 

http://pemptousia.com/

Γιαγιά να με περιμένεις!

«Στις εφηβικές μου αναμνήσεις συνυπάρχουν τα πάρτι, η ρόκ μουσική και η γιαγιά μου. Για εκείνην, η ρόκ μουσική δεν ήταν παρά ένας κακότεχνος θόρυβος. Πάντως σεβόταν περισσότερο την νεανική μας σύγχυση, από όσο εμείς την νηφάλια σοφία της. Ήξερε που πηγαίναμε, αλλά ποτέ δεν έμπαινε στον πειρασμό να αντιπαρατεθεί προς ό,τι θεωρούσε φυσικό για την ηλικία μας. Σηκωνόταν, μας φιλούσε, ευχόταν να περάσουμε καλά, κι ύστερα προσέθετε να έχουμε τον Χριστό στην καρδιά μας εκεί που θα είμαστε, και ας κάνουμε ό,τι θέλουμε. Μετά μας σταύρωνε, ευχόταν να είναι η Παναγιά μαζί μας, και συμπλήρωνε διστακτικά, σαν να μην ήταν σίγουρη αν έπρεπε ἠ όχι να το ξεστομίσει, να μην αργήσουμε, γιατί θα προσευχόταν για μας όσο λείπαμε και δεν άντεχε να ξενυχτάει…

Τελειόφοιτος της Ιατρικής, αφελώς πεπεισμένος για την παντοδυναμία της επιστήμης, βρέθηκα στην Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου στο Έσσεξ. Έμεινα μόνο λίγες μέρες στο μοναστήρι αλλά η ανακάλυψη υπήρξε συγκλονιστική. Οι μοναχοί ζούσαν με τον τρόπο της γιαγιάς μου. Αναγνωριστικά σημάδια: το κομποσχοίνι, το ανεπιτήδευτο χαμόγελο και η άνευ όρων αποδοχή του άλλου.

Επιστρέφοντας στην Ελλάδα πήγα να δω τη γιαγιά. Μισοαστεία-μισοσοβαρά της είπα κάποια στιγμή: «Τόσα κομποσχοίνια έχεις, δεν θα μου δώσεις κι εμένα ένα;» Σοβάρεψε απότομα. Σχεδόν βούρκωσε. Πήγε και μου έφερε ένα κομποσχοίνι μεταξωτό και είπε:
«Πόρτο. Είναι το δικό σου. Στο φυλάω τρία χρόνια και περίμενα πότε θα μου το ζητήσεις». Η γιαγιά μου περίμενε να γυρίσω· από τα πάρτι, από τήν Αγγλία, από τον λανθασμένο δρόμο. Εγώ, και όσοι άλλοι συμπεριλαμβάνονταν στην προσευχή της…

Λίγους μήνες, πριν την αναχώρηση από τα επίγεια, με είχε πάρει ιδιαιτέρως και με αιφνιδίασε πάλι. Σε ένα χαρτοκιβώτιο είχε μαζέψει μια σειρά με όλα τα λειτουργικά βιβλία. Με την ίδια απλότητα, που μου έδωσε το «δικό μου» κομποσχοίνι, μου άφησε ρητή εντολή: «Αν κάποιος από σας γίνει ιερέας, θα τα κρατήσει αυτός. Αν όχι, θα βρεις κάποιο φτωχό ναό και θα τα δώσεις εκεί»…

Στην κηδεία της πολλοί άγνωστοι εμφανίστηκαν και μιλούσαν γι’ αυτήν με ευγνωμοσύνη. Όπως εκείνη η ηλικιωμένη κυρία, που έλεγε ότι η γιαγιά συνέχισε να την δέχεται στο σπίτι της, όταν όλοι την απέφευγαν. Και αυτό, γιατί απόκτησε ένα εξώγαμο παιδί λίγο μετά τον πόλεμο και την θεωρούσαν πόρνη. Διηγιόταν, ανάμεσα στα κλάματα, πως της έχωνε τσάντες με τρόφιμα κάτω από το παλτό, παρακαλώντας την να μην το μάθει κανείς…».

Η γιαγιά μου και πολλοί άλλοι ευλογημένοι παππούδες και γιαγιάδες αναπαύονται πια εν ειρήνη. Η ευθύνη για το σήμερα και το αύριο έχει περάσει στα χέρια μας. Καλούμαστε να καθρεφτίσουμε τον εαυτό μας στην παρακαταθήκη που μας άφησαν και να προβληματιστούμε σοβαρά για τον τρόπο, που θα διαχειριστούμε την πνευματική μας κληρονομιά.

(Πρωτ. Αδαμάντιου Αυγουστίδη, Αναπλ. Καθηγητή Θεολογικής Σχολής Παν/μίου Αθηνών.

«Παραμυθητική Θεολογία», εκδ. Δομή.) /4synodoiporoi 


http://orthodoxigynaika.blogspot.gr/2013/10/blog-post_6410.html

Στάχτη είμαι και πηλός... ( Αρχιμανδρίτης Αιμιλιανός Σιμωνοπετρίτης )

Τίποτε δεν είναι τυχαίον εις τον κόσμο.Την ζωή μας και όλα τα της ζωής μας τα διοικεί ο Δεσπότης Χριστός.Εις τον πόνον και τας πικρίας μας έρχεται εις συνάντησιν το Άγιο Πνεύμα και εξάγει χαράν θεοδώρητον. Δεν αντιλαμβανόμεθα πολλάκις την παρουσίαν του,διότι είμεθα απερροφημένοι από την καθημερινότητα των μεριμνών μας.
Όμως Aυτό, πνέον όπου θέλει, πνέει και εις την καρδίαν μας και την δροσίζει .Ως βάλσαμον χύνεται επάνω μας η θεία παράκλησις. Το έλεος του Θεού κατέρχεται από τον ουρανόν και πλημμυρίζει την ζωήν μας. Όσον πιο πολλαί είναι αι οδύναι μας τόσο περισσότεραι αι επισκέψεις του Θεού.
Ανοίγεις τα πνευματικά βιβλία και βλέπεις να σου μιλά ο Θεός. Νιώθεις αμέσως το φτερούγισμα του Πνεύματος. Νιώθεις να απαντά ο Θεός στις απορίες σου. Βλέπεις να διαλύει τα σκοτάδια σου, να ανοίγει τους δρόμους σου, όταν υπάρχει μπροστά σου αδιέξοδο. Βλέπεις να μην αφήνει κανένα σημάδι σκοτεινό μέσα στο περασμά σου. Τότε γεμάτος χαρά φωνάζεις “νυν ηρξάμην λαλήσαι προς τον Κύριο μου. Εγώ δε ειμί γη και σποδός”. Άρχισα να κουβεντιάζω με τον Θεό μου, με τον Χριστόν μου. Και τι είμαι εγώ που μιλάω μαζί του;
Στάχτη είμαι, πηλός είμαι.
Μου κάνει όμως αυτήν την χάρη ο Θεός.

Αρχιμανδρίτης Αιμιλιανός Σιμωνοπετρίτης

 

 http://lllazaros.blogspot.ca/

Elder Symeon, Abbot of Grigoriou Monastery (+1905)

A man blessed by God, Spyridon Angelidis, as he was before his tonsure, was born in Tripoli in the Peloponnese in 1830. In 1852 he arrived at the Monastery of Ayiou Pavlou with three friends. According to Abbot Serafeim, who died in 1960: ‘Casting off all secular care for material things, he devoted himself with zeal and self-denial to the service of the abbot and the other fathers, and having been tested in a variety of duties, was renamed Symeon’. Thereafter he was ordained deacon and served in the secretariat of the monastery. He then completed his studies at the Athoniada Academy and served in the secretariat of the Holy Community.


Elder Symeon Grigoriatis (+1905)

The fervent entreaties of the Fathers of the Monastery of Grigoriou took him to the abbot’s throne there, after he had first been ordained priest. He was taken to the monastery by his Elder, Sofronios Ayiopavlitis (†1882). In his customary, elevated style, Elder Gavriil Dionysiatis (†1983) writes: “This Coenobium was fortunate to have abbots who were well-known for their zeal on behalf of the Monastery, and first among these was the Hieromonk Symeon, also the new founder, who erected the splendid new residential quarters which are almost equal to the older, and also the most notable gateway. Having been invited from Ayiou Pavlou to be the abbot, he imposed his authority, though he was a stranger, through his austere mode of life, industry and friendship towards all, while his love of toil and exceptional efforts over the building of the new wing became proverbial. He was the first among the workers and, from morn till dusk, carried stones and other material on his back, without, however, omitting the slightest detail from his appointed spiritual labours’.

At one time, the monastery’s olive oil supply was greatly reduced and it was far from certain that it would last the year. The monk responsible, Ypatios, went to Abbot Symeon and asked if he should continue to serve oil. The answer was: ‘The oil is for all of us. If it’s enough, it’s enough for us all’. And they gave and gave, but the oil supply never dwindled. It stayed just as full in the jar, by the blessing of Abbot Symeon, the obedience of the servant Ypatios and the prayers of the monks who benefitted.

He went to his blessed rest in the Lord, as abbot, on 20th of October 1905. The most distinguished of his spiritual children was the most virtuous Athanasios (†1953), who later became abbot. Because of Symeon’s virtue and his many sacrifices, when his bones were removed from his grave, they gave off fragrance.

He served as abbot for 46 years and had many spiritual gifts. He was highly intelligent, perceptive, strong and hard-working. He set all his hope in God. He left an example of industry, zeal, wisdom and spirituality.


Monastery Grigoriou, Holy Mountain (Athos)

When A. Moraïtidis visited the monastery, he wrote that ‘the Athonite Symeon, the Peloponnesian, a man of rather tall stature and a most venerable Hieromonk, came to me accompanied by Father Varlaam, leaning on his abbot’s staff and blessing me in the most genial manner […] and with the sweet smile with which he gathered other devout men from the Peloponnese to live as monks with him, proving to be his obedient and humble sons. After the usual formal speeches, we spoke at length about this hesychast Coenobium, the latest renovations to which are due entirely to the progressive activity of this Peloponnesian abbot, whose ambition it was to make this small monastery great and wonderful, in terms of the number of monks and of their virtue. The result is that today it is preferred above many other monasteries by those who desire their own salvation. For its order and meticulous observation in prayer and the most complete refectory, within the restrictions of the monastic rule, which provides sustenance to all those monks who bear the weight of service and obediences from the dead of night until sunset of the next day- kneading, cooking, baking, and working in the tailor’s shop, the cobbler’s, the garden, the landing-stage, unloading the abundance of produce which the monastery’s caïque brings in from its dependencies, for all of this, and the renovation of the walls and the addition of a new wing, new monks and a new regime, Abbot Symeon enjoys the reputation of being the new founder of this monastery’.

Source: Monk Moïsis, Μέγα Γεροντικό εναρέτων αγιορειτών του εικοστού αιώνος Τόμος Α΄, 1901-1955, § Ιερομόναχος Συμεών Γρηγοριάτης (1830 – 1905),Mygdonia Publications, 1st edition, September 2011

http://pemptousia.com/

«Άγιε Ραφαήλ προχώρα εσύ μπροστά και εγώ σ’ ακολουθώ» - Συγκλονιστικό Θαύμα

Θα ήθελα να σας γράψω το θαύμα που μου έκανε ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ. Είμαι η Ελένη Χ. από την Αλεξάνδρεια Ημαθείας. Το Νοέμβριο του 2011 μαθαίνω από τον γυναικολόγο μου ότι είμαι έγκυος στο δεύτερο παιδάκι μου. Μου είπε ο γιατρός ότι πρέπει να πάω τον άλλο μήνα, δηλαδή τον Δεκέμβριο, να ακούσουμε την καρδούλα του μωρού. Περνάει ο καιρός και ήρθε η μέρα που πρέπει να κάνουμε τον υπέρηχο, να ακούσουμε την καρδούλα του μωρού.

Πάμε στον γιατρό, με βάζει στον υπέρηχο, βλέπει από εδώ, βλέπει από εκεί, τίποτα. Ο σάκος πολύ πιο μεγάλος από την πρώτη φορά, αλλά άδειος.

Δεν φαίνεται τίποτα. Εγώ και ο άντρας μου παγώνουμε. Ακούμε τον γιατρό να μας λέει ότι δεν ακούει την καρδούλα του μωρού και δεν βλέπει έμβρυο.

Μας φωνάζει στο γραφείο του και μας λέει ότι πρέπει να κάνω τον καθαρισμό, δηλαδή απόξεση, για να μην μείνουν υπολείμματα στη μήτρα, γιατί είναι επικίνδυνο, μπορεί να προκληθεί σηψαιμία και θάνατος.

Ήταν ημέρα Τρίτη όταν έγιναν όλα αυτά. Μας κλείνει ραντεβού για την Παρασκευή (3 μέρες μετά). Εμείς αυτές τις ημέρες ήμασταν πολύ στεναχωρημένοι. Παίρνω, λοιπόν, τηλέφωνο έναν από τους πατέρες της Αδελφότητος του Αγίου Ραφαήλ στο Άνω Σούλι Μαραθώνος, τον οποίο γνώριζα τηλεφωνικά και με στήριζε με τα καλά του λόγια, με τις ευχές και τις προσευχές του.

Γεμάτη πόνο του εξιστόρησα όσα συνέβησαν και τον παρακάλεσα να προσευχηθεί για μένα και το μωρό μου. Εκείνος μου έδωσε θάρρος και δύναμη. Μου είπε να μην απελπίζομαι, αλλά να έχω πίστη το Θεό και τους Αγίους. Μου είπε ότι θα προσευχηθεί, αλλά να προσευχηθώ και γω, να παρακαλέσω τον Άγιο Ραφαήλ να αναλάβει την κατάσταση και να λέω στον Άγιο Ραφαήλ: «Άγιε Ραφαήλ, προχώρα εσύ μπροστά και εγώ σ’ ακολουθώ!». Αυτό και έκανα.

Έρχεται η Παρασκευή και πάμε στον γιατρό να κάνω την επέμβαση (δεν παύει να είναι χειρουργείο). Φτάνουμε στο ιατρείο. Ο γιατρός είναι πάνω στα χειρουργεία, γιατί έχει μια γέννα. Μόλις τελείωνε θα ανέβαινα και εγώ να κάνω την απόξεση. Περίμενα λίγη ώρα μαζί με τον άντρα μου και με μια φίλη μας. Χτυπάει το τηλέφωνο είναι ο γιατρός μου και ρωτάει την υπάλληλό του αν έχω έρθει και του λέει ότι είμαι στο ιατρείο του και είμαι έτοιμη να ανέβω πάνω για την επέμβαση. Τότε ο γιατρός της λέει να περιμένω να με ξαναδεί, προκειμένου να μου φύγει κάθε αμφιβολία, και μετά να γίνει η επέμβαση. Κατεβαίνει ο γιατρός, με φωνάζει και με βάζει στον υπέρηχο. Ο άντρας μου, σίγουρος ότι δεν υπάρχει μωρό, κάθεται έξω και με περιμένει. Βάζει ο γιατρός το μηχάνημα και τι να δει!

Θεέ μου, την καρδούλα να χτυπάει κανονικά και το έμβρυο, το οποίο το έβλεπα και εγώ!! Ο γιατρός τα έχασε. Με ξαναείδε 2-3 φορές. Βγαίνει έξω σαστισμένος, πάει στον υπολογιστή του να δει το ιστορικό μου (που να ήξερε ότι είχε βάλει ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ το χέρι Του). Μετά από λίγο έρχεται μέσα στον υπέρηχο, φωνάζει και τον άντρα μου και μας ανακοινώνει ότι η επέμβαση δεν μπορεί να γίνει, γιατί υπάρχει μωράκι και μάλιστα χτυπάει κανονικότατα η καρδούλα του. Η χαρά μας ήταν τόσο μεγάλη που δεν περιγράφεται με λόγια. Ήμασταν πανευτυχείς. Με το που φύγαμε από τον γιατρό η πρώτη σκέψη που είπα στον άντρα μου και την φίλη μας ήταν να πάω να ανάψω ένα κεράκι στον Άγιο Ραφαήλ. Ευχαριστήσαμε τον Άγιο Ραφαήλ μέσα από την καρδιά μας για το θαύμα που μας έκανε. Είναι ο προστάτης μου Άγιος, όπως είναι και ο Αρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ και η Παναγία μας. Μας βοηθάει καθημερινά με την παρουσία Του. Θα Τον ευχαριστώ σε όλη μου τη ζωή! Ευχαριστώ για όλα Άγιέ μου Ραφαήλ!

Σημείωση: Ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ, εκτός από προστάτης των ασθενών, είναι και προστάτης των εγκύων. Όπως πολλές γυναίκες το έχουν βιώσει και συχνά τους το αποκαλύπτει ο ίδιος ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ σε όνειρο, προτρέποντάς τις να Τον επικαλούνται για να προστατεύει και εκείνες και τα παιδιά που κυοφορούν και να τις βοηθά να έχουν καλή γέννα.



http://agiameteora.net/

Schema-nun Sepphona: Learning from Holy People

Schema-nun Sepphora, in the world Daria Nicholaevna Shnyakina (nee Senyakina) was an Orthodox ascetic and eldress. She was born in 1896, and desired from her early years to dedicate herself to God in monasticism, but due to her father’s early death she was compelled by her mother to marry in order to help support the family. Darya did not wish to disobey her mother. She went through many trials during the much-suffering twentieth century—“raskulachivanie”, or the confiscation of all property by the soviet authorities, famine, war, and persecution against the faithful. In 1967 she received the monastic tonsure in the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, but she continued to live in the world. Her move to Klykovo was foretold to her in 1993, when the monastery was just being built, and no one knew about its existence. Schema-nun Sepphora reposed in the Lord at age 102 in Klykovo Monastery. Many people had found a in her a spiritual mother, consoler, and witness to faith in Christ.

Excerpt from Julia Posashko’s interview with Igumen Mikhail (Semenov):

Igumen Mikhail: …We had to restore the church having no money whatsoever for it—not a cent. So we went to ask the prayers of Schema-nun Sepphora.

How does one take a blessing from a woman?

Igumen Mikhail: Schema-nun Sepphora was waiting for us. It just so happens that in 1993, when Matushka prayed to the Mother of God to show her where she would end her days, the Heavenly Queen appeared to her and said, “Wait—the priests will come from Klykovo Monastery to take you there.” She waited for two years. At first there simply was nowhere to take her. We ourselves were living in very bad conditions here; we were building a building, and when we met her in 1995 it was half completed. Matushka starting hurrying us. “Build it faster, I am going to live with you.” We did what we could to finish the building and just before Christmas of 1996 we brought her here.



How did you meet Schema-nun Sepphora?

Igumen Mikhail: We met her in Optina. I had been there a month when one day I heard that an eldress had arrived, and everyone had a high opinion of her. They said that she was spiritual, clairvoyant, and a great woman of prayer… Naturally everyone was trying to see her; many of us had only begun the religious life, and we all had a great many questions. Well, I also went to see her. I was told, “Forget it! There are abbots waiting in line to see her. You won’t get in!” On the first night I did not get in, and I resigned myself to the probability that I would not see her. However, the next day I was leaving the Church of the Entrance of the Mother of God, and a laborer said to me, “Look, they are taking Matushka. Let’s go and get her blessing!” I thought, how does one get a blessing from a woman, and what is going on? But then I saw her blessing each person carefully with three fingers. I went up to her; she made the sign of the cross over me and asked, “Who are you?” I said, Sergei. She said with surprise, “And what are you doing here?” I said, “I am laboring in the steward’s department, helping the fathers.” She was silent, and then said, “But you and I are going to live together.” Her cell attendant whispered to me, “Listen to what Matushka says to you, she is an eldress!” We stood for a bit, were silent, and then Matushka Sepphora patted me on the shoulder. “Well, run on, run on for now!” I of course walked away perplexed. Where are she and I supposed to live together? Then I just put it out of my head. I remembered that conversation only when we were bringing Matushka here to Klykovo. She lived in our monastery until her death. We do not do anything to “advertise” Schema-nun Sepphora. It all happens by itself. People know her, and she really does help people. Some people told me, for example, that she stood during an operation next to one woman… The Hermitage of the Savior “Made Without Hands” in the village of Klykovo.

But isn’t there a certain spiritual danger in people always coming to the monastery, to her relics, to pray by the grave of the eldress not because they are seeking God, but only to solve their problems of everyday life?

Igumen Mikhail: Yes, often people have a poor understanding of God, but when they come up against an obvious miracle from a specific saint it strengthens their faith. After that, God looks for action from a person. But in order to light the flame in him a miracle is often needed. He is smart enough to turn to one or another saint and prays, and the miracle happens. It is a little push, and the person begins his first spiritual steps. He may not receive the same “advance pay” the second or third time—you can’t deceive God.

Did you have such a launching point?

Igumen Mikhail: I did not seek out miracles, and it was not my goal to pray one out. I simply lived my life with the thought that I wanted the Lord to do what was necessary in me. My sole desire was to learn from people of holy life. The Lord aided me in this—I knew many elders.

*A nun’s head-covering


 
http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/5405/

Hieromonk Paisie Olaru - Sihla Monastery, Neamt County

Fr. Paisie Olaru was born on June 20, 1897, in Stroienesti, Lunca-Botosani, Romania. His parents had 5 children; he was the youngest of all. At age 24, he became a monk at the Cozancea Skete. In 1943 he was ordained hierodeacon, and in 1947, he was ordained a priestmonk. Here you can read a few little stories from his monastic life.

It happened one time that a Christian woman and her 4-year old daughter visited Fr. Paisie. They were from Humulesti, and at that time Fr. Paisie was in the Sihla Monastery. After he confessed her, he blessed her daughter and said to her: "May God and His Holy Mother bless you, because you'll be a nun!". After 12 years, the child enrolled in the monastic life, making herself Jesus' bride... [...]

A disciple of Fr. Paisie once asked him: "How many times do we have to pray with the Jesus Prayer and cross ourselves?". And the elder said to him: “I pray one hundred times with ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’, one hundred times with ‘Most-Holy Mother of God, have mercy on us’, one hundred times with ‘Holy Godbearing Father Paisios, pray to God for me, a sinner’, one hundred times with ‘Holy Hierarch Spiridon, pray to God for me, a sinner’, and then one hundred times with ‘Holy Saint Veronica, pray to Jesus the Saviour for me, a sinner’. And so I keep repeating them over and over from the beginning. Then it happens that someone comes in, or I say a little prayer for a sick, or I confess a monk, or I listen to the Holy Services, or I cry, or I fall asleep a bit, and so goes everything until the Lord comes to us...” [...]

In the last years of his life, when he was more than 90 years old, he was lying in bed with a broken leg, having lost sight because of cataracts in both his eyes, and almost deaf. Whenever he wasn't feeling well or he was in any pain, he would pray and cry, saying of himself: "I have once again upset God!". And then he used to yell softly: "Forgive me my Lord, because I have upset you terribly; Mother of God, help me because I have no power! Where would I go? I'm waiting for you, mercy Jesus, I'm crying and waiting for you".

His disciple, seeing the pain of his spiritual father, would also cry out of compassion for him. But the father didn't know he was in his cell with him. His face enlightened once again, and then he crossed himself three times, wiped out his tears with a towel, and continued to pray secretly with the prayer of the heart, gently shaking his head in between the pillows... [...]

Fr. Paisie had the Holy gift of healing people and the gift of bringing peace into the souls of the people hurt by sin. His teachings were simple and wise, evangelical and practical. He talked little, but with Holy wisdom.

Προσκύνημα Μονής Εσφιγμένου, Άγιον Όρος - Pilgrimage Esphigmenou Monastery , Mount Athos

Ἡ πίστη στό Χριστό ἀλλάζει ὁλοκληρωτικά τόν ἄνθρωπο

Ασφαλώς έχουμε μέσα στην ψυχή μας και αγαθές διαθέσεις, όχι μόνο κακές ∙ και πολλές φορές υπακούουμε στις αγαθές κινήσεις και κάνουμε πολλά καλά πράγματα τα οποία μας φέρνουν κοντά στο Θεό, τα οποία αυξάνουν την πίστη μας. Αν δεν έχουμε την πίστη ως θεμέλιο, είναι δυνατόν άλλοτε να κάνουμε το καλό και άλλοτε να κάνουμε κακό, άλλοτε να είμαστε καλοί και άλλοτε να μην είμαστε καλοί.

Ενώ, όποιος έχει πίστη στο Χριστό, όποιος αφήνεται στο να καθοδηγείται από το Χριστό δεν κάνει πλέον το κακό, γιατί έχει κατά Θεόν γεννηθεί και ο Θεός τον οδηγεί στην κατάσταση του να μην κάνει το κακό. Ακόμη και αν κάποτε το θέλει, δεν μπορεί πλέον να κάνει κακό!
Στο Γεροντικό γίνεται λόγος για ένα γέροντα που από την πολύ μεγάλη αγαθότητα δεν ήξερε πλέον τί είναι η κακία. Δεν μπορούσε πλέον να σκεφτεί το κακό, να πράξει το κακό, να μιλήσει για το κακό. Ήταν τόσο αγαθός , ώστε δεν μπορούσε κανείς να τον αποσπάσει από το αγαθό. Γιατί; Διότι η αγαθότητά του ήταν θεμελιωμένη στην πίστη στο Χριστό. Όποιος πιστεύει στο Χριστό έχει και τη βοήθεια του Χριστού.
Στην προς Εφεσίους επιστολή διατυπώνεται από τον Απόστολο Παύλο η επιθυμία «κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως» ( Εφεσ. 3,17 ) . Η πίστη φέρνει το Χριστό κοντά μας. Η πίστη φέρνει το Χριστό μέσα μας. Η πίστη κάνει το Χριστό να εργάζεται μέσα στην ύπαρξή μας και μέσα στη ζωή μας. Κατ’ αυτόν τον τρόπο, όποιος πιστεύει σώζεται. Όποιος πιστεύει είναι ευάρεστος στο Θεό. Όποιος πιστεύει έχει ζωή θεμελιωμένη στην πίστη. Όποιος πιστεύει στο Θεό δεν μπορεί να αδιαφορεί για το Θεό.

Πηγή: «Ο Γέροντας Θεόφιλος Παραϊάν
Χωρίς φως, φωτισμένος»
Μετάφραση- επιμέλεια:
Πρωτοπρ. Κωνσταντίνος Καραϊσαρίδης

Εκδόσεις ΑΘΩΣ



http://agiameteora.net/

Qualities of a true Spiritual Father

St. Arsenios of Paros (1800-1877)


The Holy Elder Philotheos (Zervakos) points out the qualities of the good Confessor or Spiritual Father using St. Arsenios of Paros (1800-1877) as his exemplar. These qualities are particularly the following: humility, gentleness, patience, discernment, compassion and love. These virtues, he says, Father Arsenios eminently possessed. Thus, he remarks:

“St. Arsenios received all with love and paternal affection, and gave to all with understanding and discernment the ‘medicines’ necessary for the therapy of their souls. Besides other necessary ‘medicines’ he used to give to all two common ones: the medicine of repentance and the medicine of God’s compassion and love. He exhorted all to repent sincerely, and not to despair on account of their many sins, but to have hope in God’s immeasurable compassion, realizing that God accepts sinners when they repent. As proof of God’s great compassion he cited the examples of the Prodigal Son, the Thief, the Harlot, the Publican, and many others. Through love and gentleness Arsenios led many to repentance and salvation.”

Father Philotheos Zervakos goes on to give a very moving example of how St. Arsenios the New acted as a Confessor. It is as follows:

“A certain girl from the island of Syros (One of the Cyclades Islands, not far from Paros.) went to the Convent of the Transfiguration of Christ on Paros to visit her sister, who was a nun there. The latter had previously been informed that her sister had deviated from the right path; and when she was notified that her sister was outside the gate of the convent and wanted to see her, she at once began to scream and say: ‘Go away, go far away from the convent, because you are defiled and will defile the convent of the nuns.’ “And taking along with her as helpers some other nuns, she went outside the convent. When she saw her sister waiting outside the gate, instead of feeling compassion for her for having been wounded by the soul-destroying enemy, instead of sharing her pain, embracing the kissing her, and taking care to heal her wounds, and leading her to repentance and confession, thereby saving her, she dashed against her like a lioness. And aided by other nuns, she struck her in the face, on the head, wounded her seriously, and with wild shouts and threats drove her away. ‘Go away,’ she kept telling her, ‘you foul harlot, who came here to the convent, to this holy place to defile it also. Go away, I will kill you, to wash away the shame you have brought to our family.’ She replied: ‘I erred, forgive me, my sister, don’t you share my pain?’—’No,’ she replied, ‘you are not my sister, you are a harlot.’— ‘Where shall I go?’ asked her sorrowful sister. ‘Go and drown yourself, go and kill yourself,’ replied the other.

“The miserable girl fled from the convent full of wounds and bloodstained. When she was about 800 yards away, she sat down by the road, weeping bitterly; and groaning painfully she said: ‘What shall become of me the wretch? Where shall I go, when even my sister, to whom I hastened to seek help and consolation, drove me away, wounded me, and filled me with despair? There remains nothing for me now but to go and drown myself in the sea! O my God, help me the wretch.’

“Through the dispensation of God, Who does not want the death of the sinner but his repentance, it happened that St. Arsenios was going up to the convent. When he saw the girl crying and wounded, he felt compassion for her, and approaching her he said: “What is the matter, my child? Why are you weeping? Who has caused you the wounds?’—’My sister, Elder,’ she replied, ‘together with some nuns.’— ‘And why did they wound you?’— ‘Because, Elder, some corrupt men and women led me astray, and I became a harlot. But I realized that I did not do well and I came to the convent to seek protection, help, from my sister. And behold, Father, what they did to me. Is that the way nuns act, having fled from the world in order to save their souls? What do you, Father, counsel me? To go to the sea and drown myself, or to go and hurl myself down a precipice?’ T, my child, do not give you such counsel. I love you as my child, and if you wish I shall take you with me and heal the wounds of your soul and body.’—’And where are you going to take me, Elder?’—’To the convent, my child.’—T beg you not to take me to that convent, where my sister is together with those wicked nuns, because they will kill me—they declared this to me clearly, and if I insisted on remaining there they would certainly have killed me. You, Elder, are a good Father, but those nuns are criminals.’

“Come, my dear child, and be not afraid, they will not kill you, because I shall turn you over to Christ, and no one will be able to harm you.’—’In that case, Elder, since you are going to turn me over to Christ, I am not afraid of them, because Christ is much more powerful than they.’

“After he had encouraged and consoled her, St. Arsenios took her by the hand and led her up to the convent. And like another good Samaritan, by means of fatherly and affectionate words he exhorted her to repentance and confession. When she had repented sincerely and confessed candidly, he cleaned and dressed the wounds of her body and soul. Having clothed her with clean garments, those of repentance, he introduced her into the spiritual fold of the convent and included her with his other rational sheep.

She made such progress in the monastic life — in fasting, self-control, vigils, prayer, temperance and the rest of the virtues, and in the keeping of the Commandments of God — that she surpassed all the other nuns. Thus there was fulfilled the saying of the divine herald Paul the Apostle: “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Wishing to correct the nuns who had acted wrongly towards her, the Saint called all the nuns into the church of the convent and sharply rebuked those who wounded her, especially her sister, saying: “The good father of the parable, upon seeing from afar his prodigal son — who had spent his whole life living prodigally — returning to him, hastened to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, took him to his house, removed his old garments and clothed him with new ones and new shoes. He rejoiced greatly, because his son was dead, and was alive again, he was lost and was found. Christ came down from Heaven not in order to save the righteous, who have no need, but sinners. He came to save the lost sheep. He mingled, conversed and ate with publicans, harlots, sinners, towards whom he showed His love and affection. In this manner, that is, through His love, He saved them. But you did the opposite. Although you knew that the incorporeal wolf, the devil, had seriously wounded her soul, instead of feeling sorry for her, and running to embrace and kiss her, to rejoice, to save her from the danger of further sin, you felt hatred for her and ran to kill her. And because you were unable to kill her, you incited her to go and kill herself, to drown herself in the sea. Now learn from me, your Spiritual Father, that you are not nuns, you are not Christians, you are not even human beings. If you had a sheep and saw that it was at a precipice and was in danger of perishing, I think you would have hastened to save it. Why? Because it is an animal. If you show so much concern for an animal, should you not have shown concern for your sister, who is not an animal, but a human being, has a soul, which is worth more than the whole world? She was on the precipice of perdition, and although she came to seek your help, you pushed her so that she might fall down faster.

“Therefore, you are devoid of compassion, devoid of affection, devoid of sympathy; you are murderesses. For this reason I impose upon you the penance of not receiving Holy Communion for three years, if you do not recognize the great sin which you inconsiderately fell into. Repent, confess your sin, sigh, weep bitterly, and ask for forgiveness from God, from me, your Spiritual Father, and from those sisters who did not agree to your sinful act.”

Inasmuch as the nuns became aware of their sin, repented and wept bitterly, St. Arsenios forgave them and moderated their epitimia. Upon the sister, he imposed the penalty of not receiving Holy Communion for a year, because she provided the occasion and cause of the sin, while upon the others, that of not partaking of Holy Communion for six months, because they shared in the responsibility.

This story appears in Blessed Philotheos Zervakos’ book Life, Conduct, and Miracles of Our Father Arsenios the New, which was first published in 1960 and has been reprinted many times. I translated the story into English for inclusion in my book St. Arsenios of Paros, and present it here because it constitutes a very instructive and powerful lesson for priests with regard to the extremely important Mysterion of Confession and to imposing the proper penance on sinners for their spiritual therapy.

In another book of his, Blessed Philotheos has this to say about a good Confessor:

“The good Confessor’s manner, the cheerfulness of his face, the fatherly affection with which he receives the sinner, the sweet language of his teaching, the courage which he gives to the shy, the consolation which he offers to those who have committed many sins and are in despair, citing the example of any who repented and were saved—all these are conducive to sincere repentance and confession of the sinner…. It is to such Spiritual Fathers and physicians of the soul that the sinner ought to entrust the therapy of his soul.”

One cannot speak adequately about priests serving as confessors without saying something about the possibility of their being adversely affected thereby. In the Old Testament we read: “With a holy man thou shalt become holy, with the perfect man thou shalt be perfected, and with a perverted man thou shalt become perverted.”

We may call the principle involved here “the Principle of Assimilation.” Contemporary psychoanalysis terms it the “Principle of Identification,” and calls attention to instances where this principle operates in a negative manner.

By Dr. Constantine Cavarnos 

  http://tokandylaki.blogspot.ca/2014/01/qualities-of-true-spiritual-father.html

Λέγε την Ευχή .....

A Clever Way to Help Another Overcome Sin ( Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos )

Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos

One of [Elder Epiphanios'] spiritual children held a high-ranking administrative position, and when he confessed he would often confess the same sin involving his subordinates over and again. One time during confession the Elder threatened him, saying that if he fell into the same sin again he would receive a very particular penance. “If you fall into this sin again,” the Elder informed the man, “I will make you sit down and allow me to wash your feet.” Unfortunately the spiritual child did fall into the same sin again and Elder Epiphanios made good on his threat. Naturally, this event proved quite a spiritual trial for the spiritual child. After the washing, the Elder said: “Since I know that this makes you uneasy, I will wash your feet every time you fall into that particular sin.” The man never fell into the sin again, though every time his subordinates pushed him to the brink he would shout: “You owe a great deal to the man who washed my feet!” They never knew what he was talking about.

Translated by Rev Dr John Palmer



http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com/

Όλη μου η ευτυχία ή η δυστυχία εξαρτάται από τους λογισμούς μου και από τις διαθέσεις της καρδιάς μου ( Άγιος Ιωάννης της Κροστάνδης )

  

Αν οι λογισμοί κι οι διαθέσεις μου είναι σύμφωνα με την αλήθεια του Θεού, με το θέλημά Του, τότε είμαι αναπαυμένος, γεμάτος θείο φως, χαρά κι ευλογία.
Αν όχι, τότε είμαι ανήσυχος, γεμάτος με πνευματικό και ψυχοφθόρο σκότος, νιώθω να με βαραίνει η απόγνωση. Αν μεταβάλλω τελείως τους απατηλούς κι ακάθαρτους λογισμούς και τις διαθέσεις της καρδιάς μου και τους κάνω αληθινούς και θεάρεστους, τότε αποκτώ πάλι ανάπαυση κι ευλογία.
Ο πλησίον μου είναι μια ύπαρξη με ίσα δικαιώματα μαζί μου. Είναι ένας άνθρωπος σαν και μένα, πλασμένος κατ’ εικόνα Θεού. Κι αφού είναι σαν και μένα, πρέπει να τον αγαπώ όπως αγαπώ και τον εαυτό μου. «Αγαπήσεις τον πλησίον σου ως σεαυτόν» (Ματθ. κβ΄ 39).
Πρέπει να τον φροντίζω και να τον προσέχω όπως προσέχω τη σάρκα και το αίμα μου, να του φέρομαι στοργικά, ευγενικά, καλοσυνάτα, να του συγχωρώ τις αστοχίες όπως θα συγχωρούσα και τις δικές μου, όπως θα ‘θελα να συγχωρήσουν κι οι άλλοι τα σφάλματά μου και να μου φέρονται με συγκατάβαση. Δηλαδή, όπως θα ‘θελα οι άλλοι άνθρωποι να μην παρατηρούν τα λάθη μου, σαν να μην υπάρχουν, ή να τα αγνοούν με ευγένεια, με καλοσύνη και μεγαλοψυχία, το ίδιο πρέπει να κάνω κι εγώ στον αδελφό μου.
Ο σαρκικός άνθρωπος δεν μπορεί να καταλάβει την ευλογία και την πνευματική ευφροσύνη που απολαμβάνουμε με την προσευχή και την άσκηση της αρετής. Ούτε στο ελάχιστο δεν μπορεί να κατανοήσει τι ευλογία και ποια μακαριότητα μάς περιμένει στον άλλο κόσμο. Δε γνωρίζει τίποτα υψηλότερο από την επίγεια σαρκική χαρά. Τις μέλλουσες ευλογίες τις λογαριάζει φαντασίες. Ο πνευματικός άνθρωπος όμως γνωρίζει εμπειρικά την ευλογία που νιώθει η ενάρετη ψυχή, γιατί η καρδιά του προγεύεται από τώρα τη μέλλουσα μακαριότητα.
Όσο περισσότερο προοδεύει στην πνευματική ζωή ο άνθρωπος, τόσο περισσότερο πνευματοποιείται. Αρχίζει σιγά σιγά να βλέπει παντού το Θεό, την ύπαρξη της δύναμής Του σε όλα τα πράγματα. Βλέπει παντού και πάντα τον εαυτό του να κατοικεί στο Θεό, να εξαρτάται απ’ Αυτόν ακόμα και στα πιο παραμικρά πράγματα. Αντίθετα, όσο περισσότερο ο άνθρωπος είναι δοσμένος στο σαρκικό τρόπο ζωής, τόσο περισσότερο σαρκικός γίνεται. Δε βλέπει παντού το Θεό. Δεν Τον βλέπει ούτε και στα πιο θαυμαστά επιτεύγματα της θείας Του δύναμης. Το μόνο που βλέπει παντού είναι σάρκα και ύλη. Στα δικά του μάτια ο Θεός δεν υπάρχει ποτέ και πουθενά. (πρβλ. Ψαλμ. 35: 2). ".

Άγιος Ιωάννης της Κροστάνδης

http://lllazaros.blogspot.ca/search?updated-max=2014-09-21T20:00:00%2B03:00&max-results=10&start=40&by-date=false

Πώς φεύγει η ανασφάλεια, η απελπισία, η κατάθλιψη ( Άγιος Πορφύριος )

Ὅλα τὰ κακὰ αἰσθήματα, ἡ ἀνασφάλεια, ἡ ἀπελπισία, ἡ ἀπογοήτευση, ποὺ πᾶνε νὰ κυριεύσουν τὴν ψυχή, φεύγουν μὲ τὴν ταπείνωση.
Αὐτὸς ποὺ δὲν ἔχει ταπείνωση, ὁ ἐγωιστής, δὲν θέλει νὰ τοῦ κόψεις τὸ θέλημα, νὰ τὸν θίξεις, νὰ τοῦ κάνεις ὑποδείξεις. Στενοχωρεῖται, νευριάζει, ἐπαναστατεῖ, ἀντιδρᾶ, τὸν κυριεύει ἡ κατάθλιψη.


Ἡ κατάσταση αὐτὴ θεραπεύεται μὲ τὴ χάρη. Πρέπει ἡ ψυχὴ νὰ στραφεῖ στὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡ θεραπεία θὰ γίνει μὲ τὸ ν’ ἀγαπήσει τὸν Θεὸ μὲ λαχτάρα.

Πολλοὶ ἅγιοί μας μετέτρεψαν τὴν κατάθλιψη σὲ χαρὰ μὲ τὴν ἀγάπη πρὸς τὸν Χριστό. Παίρνανε δηλαδὴ τὴν ψυχικὴ δύναμη, ποὺ ἤθελε νὰ τὴ συντρίψει ὁ διάβολος, καὶ τὴ δίνανε στὸν Θεὸ καὶ τὴ μεταβάλλανε σὲ χαρὰ καὶ ἀγαλλίαση.

Ἡ προσευχή, ἡ λατρεία τοῦ Θεοῦ μεταβάλλει σιγὰ σιγὰ τὴν κατάθλιψη καὶ τὴ γυρίζει σὲ χαρά, διότι ἐπιδρᾶ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐδῶ χρειάζεται νὰ ἔχεις τὴ δύναμη, ὥστε ν’ ἀποσπάσεις τὴ χάρη τοῦ Θεοῦ, ποὺ θὰ σὲ βοηθάει νὰ ἑνωθεῖς μαζί του. Χρειάζεται τέχνη.

Ὅταν δοθεῖς στὸν Θεὸ καὶ γίνεις ἕνα μαζί του, θὰ ξεχάσεις τὸ κακὸ πνεῦμα, ποὺ σὲ τραβοῦσε ἀπὸ πίσω, κι ἐκεῖνο ἔτσι περιφρονημένο θὰ φύγει. Στὴ συνέχεια, ὅσο θ’ ἀφοσιώνεσαι στὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, τόσο δὲν θὰ κοιτάζεις πίσω σου, γιὰ νὰ δεῖς αὐτὸν ποὺ σὲ τραβάει.

Ὅταν σὲ ἑλκύσει ἡ χάρις, ἑνώνεσαι μὲ τὸν Θεό. Κι ὅταν ἑνωθεῖς μὲ τὸν Θεὸ καὶ δοθεῖς σ’ Ἐκεῖνον, πᾶνε ὅλα τ’ ἄλλα, τὰ ξεχνάς καὶ σώζεσαι. Ἡ μεγάλη τέχνη, λοιπόν, τὸ μεγάλο μυστικό, γιὰ ν’ ἀπαλλαγεῖς ἀπ’ τὴν κατάθλιψη καὶ ὅλα τ’ ἀρνητικά, εἶναι νὰ δοθεῖς στὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Ἕνα πράγμα ποὺ μπορεῖ νὰ βοηθήσει τὸν καταθλιπτικὸ εἶναι καὶ ἡ ἐργασία, τὸ ἐνδιαφέρον γιὰ τὴ ζωή. Ὁ κῆπος, τὰ φυτά, τὰ λουλούδια, τὰ δέντρα, ἡ ἐξοχή, ὁ περίπατος στὴν ὕπαιθρο, ἡ πορεία, ὅλ’ αὐτά, βγάζουν τὸν ἄνθρωπο ἀπ’ τὴν ἀδράνεια καὶ τοῦ δημιουργοῦν ἄλλα ἐνδιαφέροντα. Ἐπιδροῦν σὰν φάρμακα.

Ἡ ἀσχολία μὲ τὴν τέχνη, τὴ μουσικὴ κ.λπ. κάνουν πολὺ καλό. Σ’ ἐκεῖνο, ὅμως, ποὺ δίνω τὴ μεγαλύτερη σημασία εἶναι τὸ ἐνδιαφέρον γιὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησία, γιὰ τὴ μελέτη τῆς Ἁγίας Γραφῆς, γιὰ τὶς ἀκολουθίες. Μελετώντας τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, θεραπεύεται κανεὶς χωρὶς νὰ τὸ καταλάβει.

Νὰ σᾶς διηγηθῶ γιὰ μιὰ κοπέλα, ποὺ ἦλθε σ’ ἐμένανε τὸν ταπεινό. Ἔπασχε ἀπὸ φοβερὴ κατάθλιψη. Δὲν κατάφερε κάτι μὲ τὰ φάρμακα. Παράτησε τὰ πάντα, τὴ δουλειά της, τὸ σπίτι της, τὶς ἀπασχολήσεις της. Κι ἐγὼ τῆς εἶπα αὐτὰ ποὺ ξέρω.

Τῆς εἶπα γιὰ τὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ποὺ αἰχμαλωτίζει τὴν ψυχή, διότι ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ γεμίζει τὴν ψυχὴ καὶ τὴν ἀλλάζει. Τῆς ἐξήγησα ὅτι εἶναι δαιμονικὴ αὐτὴ ἡ δύναμη ποὺ καταλαμβάνει τὴν ψυχὴ καὶ μεταβάλλει τὴν ψυχικὴ δύναμη σὲ κατάθλιψη, τὴ ρίχνει κάτω, τὴ βασανίζει καὶ τὴν ἀχρηστεύει. Τὴν συμβούλευσα ν’ ἀσχολεῖται μὲ διάφορες ἀπασχολήσεις, ὅπως, γιὰ παράδειγμα, μὲ τὴ μουσικὴ ποὺ τῆς ἄρεσε πρῶτα κ.λπ.

Τόνισα, ὅμως, περισσότερο τὴ στροφὴ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπη της πρὸς τὸν Χριστό. Τῆς εἶπα ἀκόμη ὅτι μέσα στὴν Ἐκκλησία μας ὑπάρχει θεραπεία μὲ τὴν ἀγάπη πρὸς τὸν Θεὸ καὶ τὴν προσευχή, ἀλλὰ ποὺ θὰ γίνεται μὲ λαχτάρα.

Αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸ μυστικὸ τῆς θεραπείας. Αὐτὰ δέχεται ἡ Ἐκκλησία μας.


Άγιος Πορφύριος ο Καυσοκαλυβίτης

http://agiameteora.net/

Never believe your thoughts ( Elder Paisios )

The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are aware, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore we should not trust our logical minds. Never believe your thoughts.

Elder Paisios

Do not hope in temporary things ( Part 3 )

What the prudent person does right at the onset, the foolish person waits to do at the end. The prudent person looks ahead at the consequences before he commits a sin.
 
 The foolish person, on the other hand, commonly says, "I wasn't expecting to suffer such harm...," just as the greedy rich man said when he found himself in Hell (vid.Lk. 16:23-24).
Do not look at what the world is offering to you now because every pleasure it has to offer
rapidly races toward death and demise. Do not look at the present, but envision the future. Do not stare at today, but think of what will happen at the end of this life and consider the reality of eternal
Hell. Then you will gladly refuse all of the world's vain pleasures. The sinful pleasure you experience is short-lived and temporary; the punishment that
follows, however, is endless—forever!
 
 The world has the habit of offering its friends a tasty lunch first, and then serving them a poisonous and deadly dinner. People serve the best
wine at the beginning of a party, just as the master of the feast stated, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior”(Jn. 2:10). 

The world’s festivities begin with laughter but end
with lamentation. On the other hand, Christ's
magnificent and delicious meal consists of the exact opposite: He saves the good wine for later. He gives sorrows in the beginning and consolation
in the end, just as He did with the nation of Israel, whom He allowed to suffer and grow weary in the beginning as they traveled through the desert, but to whom afterwards He gave much consolation and fertile land as an inheritance, just as He had promised. 

This is how God also treated Jacob when he was living in the house of Laban, Joseph when he found himself in Egypt, and many other of His faithful servants. The world does the exact opposite: It conceals the sadnessin the beginning
so it can unveil it later.
 

When you feel as if you are on top of the world, and when you have risen to the summit
of honor and glory, it gives you a strong kick and you come crashing to the ground. It acts similar to an executioner who first makes a criminal climb up a ladder and step out onto a platform, only to,
later, place a rope around the convict’s neck, push
him off the edge,and thus bring his life to an end. 


from the book  The Salvation of Sinners

Ὅταν σοῦ ἔρθει πειρασμός, θλίψη καί συμφορά... ( Ἅγιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἀσκητής )

Ἐκεῖνος πού ἀντιστέκεται στά λυπηρά συμβάντα, πολεμᾶ χωρίς νά τό γνωρίζει τή διαταγή τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐκεῖνος πού τά παραδέχεται, γνωρίζοντας καλά γιατί ἔρχονται καί ὅτι ἀπό τό θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ προέρχονται, αὐτός, κατά τήν Γραφή, ὑπομένει τόν Κύριο (Ψαλμ. 26:14).
Ὅταν σοῦ ἔρθει πειρασμός, θλίψη καί συμφορά, μή ζητᾶς γιατί καί μέσω τίνος ἦρθε. Ζήτησε νά τόν ὑποφέρεις μ᾿ εὐχαρίστηση, χωρίς λύπη καί χωρίς μνησικακία.
 
Ἅγιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἀσκητής



http://agiameteora.net/

Η σημασία της Κατήχησης στο Βάπτισμα ( Διάκονος Καισάριος Χρόνης )

«Σκοπός και σημασία Κατηχήσεων για το Μυστήριο του Βαπτίσματος».

Με τον όρο «Κατήχηση», στην Εκκλησιαστική Γλώσσα εννοούμε τον «τύπο τῆς διδαχῆς»[17], που εισάγει τον υποψήφιο χριστιανό στις βασικές δογματικές θέσεις της πίστεως και που προηγείται του Βαπτίσματος. Ο Απόστολος των Εθνών Παύλος μας περιγράφει τα βασικά στοιχεία από τα οποία αυτή συνίσταται. Αυτά είναι η διδασκαλία περί μετανοίας, περί πίστεως στον Θεό, περί Βαπτίσματος, περί χειροθεσίας (περί του χρίσματος, με το οποίο ο πιστός γίνεται κοινωνός του Αγίου Πνεύματος), περί αναστάσεως των νεκρών και περί μελλούσης κρίσεως[18].



« Ὡς σκοπός τῶν Κατηχήσεων προς τους Φωτιζομένους καθορίζεται ἡ ἐκμάθησις τῶν χριστιανικῶν δογμάτων και δή το Σύμβολον τῆς Πίστεως, ἡ διασφάλισις τῶν Φωτιζομένων ἐκ τῶν διδασκαλιῶν τῶν ἐθνικῶν, Ἰουδαίων και αἱρετικῶν, και τέλος ἡ περιφρούρησις τῶν μελλόντων πιστῶν ἐκ τῶν μεθοδιῶν τοῦ διαβόλου. Ὡς σκοπός τῶν Μυσταγωγικῶν Κατηχήσεων καθορίζεται ἡ μύησις εἰς το νόημα τῶν χριστια-νικῶν μυστηρίων.

Ἐκ τοῦ σκοποῦ καταδεικνύεται και ἡ σημασία τῶν Κατηχήσεων. Αὕτη ἐκδηλοῦται εἰς τρία τινά: 1. Εἰς το γεγονός, ὅτι παραδίδονται χριστιανικά μυστήρια. 2. Εἰς το γεγονός, ὅτι το βάπτισμα εἶναι ἀνεπανάληπτον και 3. Εἰς το γεγονός, ὅτι οὐδέν ἔργον εἶναι εὐπρόσδεκτον εἰς τον Θεόν ἄνευ ὀρθῆς πίστεως.[19]»

Ο Άγιος Κύριλλος Ιεροσολύμων χωρίζει τις κατηχήσεις σε δύο κατηγορίες: α) Σ’ αυτές πού απευθύνονται στους Φωτιζομένους, και β) Σ’ αυτές που απευθύνονται στους Νέοφω-τίστους[20].

Ως σκοπό των κατηχήσεων που απευθύνονται στους Φωτιζομένους, θεωρεί την μελέτη και την μάθηση των χριστιανικών δογμάτων και του Συμβόλου της Πίστεως, την δογματική διασφάλιση των Φωτιζομένων, έναντι των εθνικών, των αιρετικών και των Ιουδαίων, καθώς και την ετοιμότητα των πιστών έναντι στη καταπολέμηση των διαβολικών πειρασμών.

Σκοπό δε, των κατηχήσεων των γνωστων και ως «Μυσταγωγικών», θεωρεί, την μύηση στο νόημα των μυστηρίων της Εκκλησίας. Προσδίδει ένα βαθύτατο πνευματικό αλλά και μυσταγωγικό χαρακτήρα, ο οποίος γίνεται αντιληπτός μόνο μέσω της εμπειρικής ζωής και πνευματικότητος της Εκκλησίας.

Από τους σκοπούς των κατηχήσεων συνάγεται και η σημασία τους. Ο Κύριλλος θεωρεί τις κατηχήσεις υψίστης σημασίας και στηρίζει την άποψή του αυτή σε τρείς κυρίως λόγους: α. Στο γεγονός ότι μέσω αυτόν παραδίδονται τα χριστιανικά μυστήρια[21]. Λέει αυτόλεξή: «Κατηχούμενος ἐλέγου, ἔξωθεν περιηχούμενος∙ ἀκούων ἐλπίδα, και μη εἰδώς∙ ἀκούων μυστήρια, και μη νοῶν∙ ἀκούων γραφάς, και μη εἰδώς το βάθος. Οὐκ ἔτι περιηχῇ, ἀλλ’ ἐνηχῇ∙ το γαρ ἔνοικον Πνεῦμα λοιπόν οἴκους θείους την διάνοιάν σου ἐργάζεται. Ὅταν ἀκούσης τα περί τῶν μυστηρίων γεγραμμένα, τότε νοήσεις ἅ μη ἤδεις»[22]. β. Στο γεγονός ότι το βάπτισμα είναι ανεπανάληπτο, οπότε κατά συνέπεια, η προετοιμασία του προσλαμβάνει ιδιαίτερη σημασία. Να τι λέει ο Άγιος Κύριλλος για το βάπτισμα: «Οὐκ ἔνι δίς και τρίς λαβεῖν το λουτρόν∙ ἐπεί ἦν εἰπεῖν. Ἅπαξ ἀποτυχών, δεύτερον κατορθῶ∙ ἐάν δε το ἅπαξ ἀποτύχης, ἀδιόρθωτον το πρᾶγμα»[23]. Γ. Στο γεγονός ότι κανένα έργο δεν είναι ευπρόσδεκτο στον Θεό χωρίς ορθή πίστη. Λέει επί λέξει:«…οὔτε τα μη μετ’ εὐσεβῶν δογμάτων ἔργα τελούμενα προσδέχεται ὁ Θεός…τι (γάρ)…ὄφελος σωφρονεῖν μέν καλῶς, και βλασφημεῖν ἀσεβῶς;»[24].

Είναι αναγκαίο να σημειωθεί το γεγονός πως μελετώντας προσεχτικά την Κ. Δ., διαπιστώνουμε ότι ο ίδιος ο Κύριος προτρέπει για την δόμηση και ανανέωση της Εκκλησίας λέγοντας: «πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν [25]».

Η προτροπή αυτή του Ιησού Χριστού όταν αναλυθεί δίνει τα ακόλουθα σημαντικά στοιχεία: 1) «μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη», 2) «βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς», 3) «διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς». Σύμφωνα με την ανάλυση αυτή, η δόμηση της Εκκλησίας προϋποθέτει μάθηση, βάπτισμα και διδαχή. Στο σημείο αυτό θα πρέπει να τονίσουμε ότι η προσχώρησει στο σώμα της Εκκλησίας εξαρτάται από την μαθητεία που δείχνει το άτομο, από το βάπτισμα που παρέχει η Εκκλησία και από την διδαχή που προσφέρουν τα όργανα του θεσμού της Εκκλησίας. Προηγείται η μάθηση, ακολουθεί το βάπτισμα και έπειτα η διδασκαλία σε βάθος. Έχουμε δηλ. μια κλιμάκωση πρακτική που συνδέει το μαθητή με το διδάσκαλο, στη συνέχεια ακολουθεί ο σύνδεσμος και η πίστη στο διδάσκαλο που καταλήγει στη πράξη του Βαπτίσματος και τέλος έπεται η διδαχή και η εμβάθυνση στην πίστη ή καλύετρα πληροφόρηση που εξαγγέλεται από τον διδάσκαλο, για να γαλβανωθεί η πίστη στον θεσμό της Εκκλησίας.

Κατά συνέπεια, για να γίνει κανείς μέλος της Εκκλησίας οφείλει να διδαχθεί τι οφείλει να πιστεύσει και να κατανοήσει από τη δομή και τη διδασκαλία του θεσμού της Εκκλησίας ή καλύτερα να του δημιουργηθούν οι προϋποθέσεις ώστε να αποκτήσει θερμή πίστη. Με άλλα λόγια, προϋπόθεση του μυστηρίου του Βαπτίσματος είναι η πίστη σε όποιον επιθυμεί να ακολουθήσει τον διδάσκαλο Χριστό ή να γίνει μέλος της Εκκλησίας Του[26]. [Συνεχίζεται]

[17]Βλ. Ρωμ. 6,17

[18] Βλ. Εβρ. 6,11

[19] Βλ. Ηλία Αντ. Βουλγαράκη «ΑΙ ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΕΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΙΕΡΟΣΟΛΥΜΩΝ ΙΕΡΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΗ ΘΕΩΡΗΣΙΣ» Π.Ι.Π.Μ., ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ 1977, σ.86

[20] Βλ. «ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΕΙΣ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΙΕΡΟΣΟΛΥΜΩΝ», εκδ. ΙΕΡΑ ΜΟΝΗ ΤΙΜΙΟΥ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΥ ΚΑΡΕΑΣ, 1999, σ. 19-20

[21] Ηλία Αντ. Βουλγαράκη «ΑΙ ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΕΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΙΕΡΟΣΟΛΥΜΩΝ ΙΕΡΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΗ ΘΕΩΡΗΣΙΣ» εκδ. Π.Ι.Π.Μ,, ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ 1977, σ..86

[22] Βλ. Πρκτχ. ΣΤ’/43 σ. 11-16. Πρβλ. Πρκτχ ΙΒ/45 σ.14, Πρκτχ ΣΤ,ΚΘ/43 σ. 29.

[23] Βλ. Πρκτχ., Ζ/43 σ. 28.

[24] Βλ. Πρκτχ., Δ, Β/67, σ .2.

[25] Ματθ.. 28, 19-20.

[26] Βλ. Γ.Θ. Βεργώτη, «Το Μυστήριο τοῦ Βαπτίσματος και ἡ ποιμαντική τοῦ σήμερα», τομ. «Το άγιονΒάπτισμα», εκδ. ΙεράΜητρόποληΔράμας, Δράμα 1996, σελ. 33-35.



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Με το «έχω Γέροντα» άφαντοι όλοι οι δαίμονες! ( Γέρων Εφραίμ Κατουνακιώτης )

Ξέρετε τι θα πει Γέροντας; Μόνο ο διάβολος ξέρει τι θα πει Γέροντας. Ο κατά σάρκα αδερφός αλλά και υποτακτικός του γερο-Ιωσήφ, ο πάτερ Αθανάσιος, είχε την Κοίμηση στη Νέα Σκήτη. Εκεί το Γεροντάκι που ζούσε πριν, εγώ το πρόλαβα, αλλά αυτό το ιστορικό που θα σας πω τώρα δεν το πρόλαβα, αλλά το άκουσα· το Γεροντάκι το πρόλαβα. Είχε έναν υποτακτικό.

Ο υποτακτικός, ε, κρίσις Θεού, ήρθε στο τέλος να πεθάνει. Την προηγούμενη ημέρα, την παραμονή προτού να πεθάνει, πήγαν οι δαίμονες και του λένε:

«Είσαι δικός μας, τώρα θα σε πάρουμε στην κόλαση γιατί έτσι κι έτσι...», τα συνηθισμένα των διαβόλων. Το παιδί ταράχθηκε. Μπήκε μέσα ο Γέροντας:

- Παιδί μου, γιατί είσαι ταραγμένος; λέει.

- Γέροντα, Γέροντα, θα κολασθώ, ήρθαν οι δαίμονες να με πάρουν, μου είπαν ότι αύριο στις τρεις η ώρα θά' ρθουμε να σε πάρουμε.

- Αχ, παιδάκι μου, λέει, εσύ είσαι υποτακτικός, όταν έρθουν οι δαίμονες να τους πεις: «Εγώ έχω Γέροντα».

- Νά' ναι ευλογημένο.

Τέλειωσε, τον ειρήνευσε τον υποτακτικό! την άλλη μέρα παν οι δαίμονες κατά τη συνήθειά τους, βγάλε τη γλώσσα, τράβα από 'δω... «Τι ερχόσαστε σε μένα», λέει, «εγώ είμαι υποτακτικός, έχω Γέροντα». Με το «έχω Γέροντα» άφαντοι όλοι οι δαίμονες! Αυτός είναι ο Γέροντας.

ΠΗΓΗ : ΓΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ ΕΦΡΑΙΜ ΚΑΤΟΥΝΑΚΙΩΤΗΣ, εκδ. Ι. ΗΣΥΧΑΣΤΗΡΙΟΥ «ΑΓΙΟΣ ΕΦΡΑΙΜ», ΚΑΤΟΥΝΑΚΙΑ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΟΡΟΥΣ

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Marile nevoințe ale Cuviosului Iosif Isihastul ( Pr. Cristian Groza )

Plecând de la Chilia Bunei Vestiri, cei trei au căutat un loc cât mai retras şi cât mai propice nevoinţei tăcerii întru cunoştinţă. Astfel, au ales Schitul Sfântului Vasile. Acesta era format din numai 8 colibe, locuite de călugări isihaşti, care, spre deosebire de cei de la Buna Vestire, vieţuiau de parcă nu ar fi fost acolo, trăind la o oarecare depărtare unii de alţii. Pentru că nu au găsit chilii libere, au fost nevoiţi să îşi zidească singuri chilii, cu foarte multă greutate (datorită în primul rând lipsei apei). Mica lor biserică au închinat-o Naşterii Sfântului Ioan Botezătorul. Au plecat de la Katounakia luând cu sine doar strictul necesar, câteva haine şi puţinele cărţi ce le aveau.


Bisericuța Înaintemergătorului Ioan de la Schitul Sfântului Vasilie, construită de Cuviosul Iosif Isihastul

Bătrânul Efrem a găsit aici odihnă, eliberat fiind de povara rucodeliei, însă, la scurt timp, din cauza vârstei, dar mai ales a condiţiilor precare de trai şi a vieţuirii aspre, a trecut la cele veşnice (+1929), împlinindu-se astfel proorocia făcută de Stareţul Daniil Katunakiotul. Şi tot lui dându-i ascultare, după moartea Stareţului Efrem, tânărul monah Iosif devine stareţ la vârsta de 32 de ani (neîmpliniţi), continuând astfel tradiţia athonită care spune că trebuie să îngropi stareţ, ca să ajungi stareţ, moştenind, pentru ascultarea şi smerenia arătată faţă de cei doi bătrâni monahi, harismele şi binecuvântarea acestora (mai ales pe cel al povăţuirii).


Chiliile Bisericuței Cinstitului Înaintemergător

Odată cu mutarea la Sfântul Vasile îl vor cunoaşte pe ieroschimonahul Daniil (+1929)[1] de la Chilia Sfântului Petru Atonitul (aproape de locul numit Ape Reci), aflată pe moşia Marii Lavre. Acesta a fost cel care le-a influenţat decisiv modul de vieţuire duhovnicească.

Ieroschimonahul Daniil era considerat de cei doi drept mai minunat decât toţi şi următor al Marelui Arsenie. Stareţul Iosif îl descria astfel: Iubitor de tăcere, izolat de toţi ceilalţi, slujitor permanent. Şaizeci de ani nu s-a gândit că poate lăsa măcar o zi Sfânta Slujbă. În timpul Postului Mare săvârşea în fiecare zi Liturghia Darurilor mai înainte sfinţite. A trăit până în ultima zi în trezvie, săvârşindu-se fără să fi fost vreodată bolnav. Sfânta Liturghie săvârşită de el ţinea trei ore şi jumătate, uneori chiar patru ore, deoarece întârzia, afundat în priveghere, să spună ecfonisurile. Lacrimile sale erau atât de multe, încât uda pământul acolo unde stătea. De aceea nu voia ca vreun străin să fie de faţă când slujea Sfânta Liturghie, pentru a nu-i vedea lucrarea. Pe mine m-a primit după multe rugăminţi. De fiecare dată când mergeam, trebuia să merg pe jos în miez de noapte cam trei ore pentru a ajunge la ora începerii acelei cu adevărat înfricoşătoare şi dumnezeiești lucrări. Îmi spunea un cuvânt, două de învăţătură, ieşind din Sfântul Altar, apoi dispărea imediat şi nu se mai arăta toată ziua. Întreaga lui viaţă a avut rugăciunea minţii şi priveghere de toată noaptea. De la el am luat şi eu această rânduială şi am avut mare folos. Mânca numai câteva fărâmituri de pâine pe zi, de aceea era la Sfânta Liturghie ca un fulg. Şi până nu uda cu lacrimi locul unde slujea, nu încheia.

Din cauza izolării şi a programului său strict, mulţi îl considerau înşelat, dar a acceptat dorinţa celor doi de a fi primiţi la Sfânta Liturghie şi de a primi sfaturi legate de viaţa isihastă. Aceste sfaturi erau întotdeauna rare, scurte şi la obiect, fiindcă, aşa cum le reamintea adesea: Sfânta Singlitichia mărturisea că opaiţul luminează, dar are buzele arse.

Nu s-au folosit doar de prezenţa şi învăţăturile pline de har ale acestui binecuvântat nevoitor, ci au luat rânduiala de viaţă personală a acestuia (a privegherii de toată noaptea şi cea legată de hrana zilnică), pe care au transmis-o, la rândul lor, ucenicilor lor, şi, prin aceştia, la multe obşti monahale, atât din Sfântul Munte, cât şi în Grecia şi mai târziu în America.

Trebuie menţionat faptul că deşi tânărul pustnic trăia în ascultare de duhovnic (ieromonahul Daniil, n.n.), se ruga, plângea şi se nevoia, cu toate acestea războiul nu contenea. Intrase în etapa caracterizată drept cuptorul dumnezeieştii părăsiri (adică părăsirea de către harul Duhului Sfânt a nevoitorului pentru o anumită perioadă de timp, cu scop pedagogic). Este perioada cea mai greu de suportat, lucru dovedit şi de cuvintele Cuviosului Iosif: dacă este să aflaţi Harul şi apoi să-l pierdeţi, atunci mai bine să vă rugaţi nu pentru dobândirea Harului, ci a experienţei, fiindcă omul, de unul singur, nu poate să sufere părăsirea de către acesta.

Lupta aceasta a fost cu adevărat înfricoşătoare. Nu doar că era un război aproape continuu, dar acesta lua de multe ori aspectul unei lupte faţă către faţă, corp la corp: „În fiecare noapte cete întregi de demoni, cu ciomege, cu securi şi cu orice altceva ar fi putut provoca vătămare, m-au supus la torturi groaznice, opt ani la rând. Unul mă apucă de barba mea micuţă pe atunci, altul de păr, altul de picioare, de mâini – toate relele şi chinurile posibile. Toţi strigau ca ieşiţi din minţi: «Strângeţi-l de gât, omorâţi-l!».


Sfântul Antonie cel Mare bătut de demoni, Stefano di Giovanni (Sassetta), 1430-1432

Şi continuă, într-un alt loc, spunând că aceştia veneau cu săbii, topoare, securi, lopeţi. «Pe el cu toţii!», strigau. Ce păţeam… «Ajută-mă, Maica Domnului!», strigam. Prindeam pe unul dintre ei şi îi loveam cât puteam pe ceilalţi. Îmi rupeam mâinile de pereţi. Cuviosul reuşea să-i alunge cu desăvârşire numai cu numele lui Hristos şi al Maicii Domnului.


Sfântul Antonie cel Mare ciomăgit de draci, detaliu de icoană bizantină

Un lucru deosebit de important de subliniat este faptul că doar trecut prin focul ispitelor, Cuviosul Iosif cunoştea Harul lui Dumnezeu în chip simţit. De aceea, le spunea mai târziu ucenicilor săi: mai întâi beam întristarea cu butoiul şi abia după aceea îmi dădea Dumnezeu Harul cu linguriţa.

Pentru a curma suferinţa provocată de diavoli prin lupta gândurilor şi a patimilor (în special cea a desfrânării, deşi nu cunoscuse niciodată pofta trupească), născocea tot felul de nevoinţe, pentru a reuşi să-şi strunească mintea şi a potoli pornirile trupeşti: nu dormeam culcat, ci în picioare, rezemat într-un colţ sau şezând pe scăunel. Mă băteam pe mine însumi de două-trei ori pe zi, oftând şi plângând, încât după astfel de chinuri, de lovituri pe care mi le administram în fiecare zi, mie însumi din cauza războiului trupului, de post aspru, priveghere şi alte nevoinţe, devenisem ca un cadavru. Acest fapt, oricât de înfricoşător ar suna, nu este un caz unic în scrierile ascetice. Patericele şi Scara Sfântului Ioan Sinaitul sunt pline de astfel de nevoinţe ascetice, prin care trupul, care este biserica Sfântului Duh, nu este pedepsit, ci este supus minţii stăpânitoare. Ascetismul ortodox nu este ucigător de trup, ci de patimi.

Trebuie subliniat faptul că, pe tot parcursul acestei perioade de mari lupte duhovniceşti, tânărul Iosif avea darul/harul rugăciunii neîncetate în inimă. Deci dobândirea rugăciunii nu presupune nepătimirea nevoitorului, ci constituie doar o armă în lupta cu „stăpânitorul acestei lumi” (Ioan 12, 31). Însăşi păstrarea rugăciunii curate şi neîncetate, precum şi sporirea în ea, presupune un efort deosebit: în timpul rugăciunii nu îngăduiam în nici un fel minţii să iasă din inimă. Curgea sudoarea de pe trupul meu ca din izvor.

Notă:

[1] Ucenicii Stareţului Iosif regretau lipsa detaliilor legate de acest minunat nevoitor, cu un rol atât de important (chiar decisiv) în modul de vieţuire al Cuviosului, cu toate că l-a cunoscut doar pentru o scurtă perioadă de timp, mai exact un an de zile (1928-1929).

Sursa: Pr. Dr. Cristian Groza, Gheron Iosif Isihastul (1897-1959) – Viaţa şi învăţătura 

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