Category Archives: Christmas

Christ is Born!

*Tiny English subtitles on top šŸ™‚

Dear Fathers and MOTHERā€™s, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Ī§ĻĪ¹ĻƒĻ„ĻŒĻ‚ į¾½Ī•Ļ„Ī­Ļ‡ĪøĪ·! Ī‘Ī»Ī·ĪøĻŽĻ‚ į¾½Ī•Ļ„Ī­Ļ‡ĪøĪ·! Christ is Born! Truly, He is Born!

Christ is born, Glorify Him!


Please accept my warm greetings for the Feast of the Nativity.

May our hearts become a Holy Manger and the Holy Babe of Bethlehem grant us all his blessings! (St Paisiosā€™ prayer)


On this Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, I extend my love and poor prayers in Christ.
In dearest Father Jonathanā€™s words, ā€œLet us remember in our prayers and through actions, the poor, the lonely, the oppressed, the sick, the housebound, those in prison, all exiles from their land, and those who suffer in war.ā€


ā€œWhen God comes to us,
May the joy of the archangels be yours,

May the wisdom of the wise men be yours,

May the watchfulness of the shepherds be yours,

May the contemplation of Joseph be yours,

May the humility of the oxen and donkey be yours,

May the brightness of the stars be yours,

May the love of the Holy Virgin be yours,

May the peace of the Christ Child be yours.

Today the earth gives a cave. Today the heavens give a sign!

Today the Magi offer gifts

Today the angels glorify in praise

Today the shepherds hear the proclamation

Today we offer our heartsā€


“We worship thy Nativity O ChristShow us also Thy Divine Theophany”
EĪ½ Ī§ĻĪ¹ĻƒĻ„ĻŽ

A Blessed Nativity

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“Dear Fathers and Friends in Christ,

On this Day of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the flesh, I wish you every blessing for you and your families.

May the joy of the angels be yours; may the faith of the shepherds be yours; may the wisdom of the magi be yours and may the light of Christ banish the darkness before our path as the Prince of Peace comes to reign in our hearts today.” (Fr. Jonathan H.)

 

Pilgrimage to Evia

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Synaxis of All Saints of Euboea (Evia)

Blessed New Year 2019!Ā May He who is the Alpha and Omega Christ our True God grant us every strength and all virtues necessary for our salvation in this year of His grace 2019. May we honour our calling and chosen way as Christians. Soon, I will start uploading lots of stories and photographs from a recent pilgrimage to Euboia.

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St. Iakovos Tsalikis and St. David of Evia

The Remarkable Christmas Homily of Kyros Panopolites

Probably the most laconic ever Christmas homily!

 

In the 440’s a remarkable and unusual sermon was delivered on Christmas Day before a hostile congregation.

 

Kyros, a poet of some repute, came to Constantinople from his native Egypt and used his literary ability and the patronage of the empress Eudokia to become praefectus urbi about 435 and praefectus praetorio by 439. He held both offices simultaneously for about four years, but his career was ruined when Emperor Theodosius II accused him of being a pagan, removed him from power, and confiscated his property. Whether paganism was really the issue is difficult to say, as several sources claimed that the emperor’s real motive was envy of Kyros’ popularity among the people of Constantinople.

 

Stripped of his office, Kyros sought sanctuary in the Church and became a priest. Then, on the emperor’s orders, he was sent as bishop to Kotyaion in Phrygia. The rather unusual choice of an accused pagan as an episcopal appointee was explained by the reputation of the people of Kotyaion. They had killed four of their previous bishops, and Theodosius supposedly hoped that they would do the same to Kyros, thus ridding him once and for all of a dangerous rival.

 

Kyros arrived in Kotyaion at Christmas-time and was officiating in the church when the people, who had learned that he might be a pagan, suddenly called out for him to preach, presumably to test the validity of the report. It was under these circumstances that Kyros delivered his only recorded sermon. He ascended the ambo, gave the greeting of peace, and spoke:

 

“Brethren, let the birth of God our Savior Jesus Christ be honored with silence, because the Word of God was conceived in the holy Virgin through hearing alone. To him be glory for ever. Amen.”

 

The sermon had taken perhaps half a minute, and the reaction of the people was instant and unanimous. Instead of killing Kyros on the spot, they rejoiced and praised him, and he lived on to administer his see piously for many years. Kyros was a figure around whom Christian lore collected (cf. the story of the miraculous icon), and an element of hagiography may be operating in our accounts of this event. But we should remember that the evidence for Kyros’ sermon seems to come originally from Priskos of Panion, a contemporary observer and one not always favorable to Christian luminaries.

 

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