Category Archives: Nature, God’s Creation, God’s Energias

A Day of Dogs

A blessed Feast of the Annunciation to you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. May the Theotokos, the invincible Defender, in her irresistible might, keep us safe from all trials. I am so moved by the icon, how Gabriel’s feet suggest that he is running to share the news with Mary!

Last week in England, I had a day of dogs! Any number between 5 to 1 to the houses we visited in various pastoral visits. How comforting is their unconditional love, their presence with the elderly, the housebound, the downtrodden.

Certainly, the dogs have characters, the obedient, the timid, the loud, the excitable, the nervous,the angry, the loving. A bit like humans.

As much as Fathers and Saints have always shown love for God’s Creation, they have also warned us against idolatry:

Let us consider St. Silouan the Athonite words:

“There are people who grow attached to animals, stroke, caress them and talk with them; and they have abandoned the love of God, and thus the love between brothers, for which Christ died in terrible agony, is lost. It is foolish to do so. Feed animals and cattle, and do not beat them—in this consists man’s duty of kindness towards them; but to become attached, to love, caress and talk to them—that is folly for the soul.

“The soul that has gotten to know the Lord always stands before Him in love and awe; how can it be possible to love, stroke and talk with cattle, cats and dogs at the same time? This means that someone has forgotten the commandment of Christ to love God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Mt. 22:37)…”

True, it is hard for us to accept these words: is there anyone among us who has never patted a dog, or stroked a cat or talked to them, thus expressing their love for them? Moreover, they too need our love: just feeding them is not sufficient. They are emotional creatures: dogs, for instance, experience a whole gamut of emotions.” (“The Blessed and the Dumb”)

Aren’t these words by the Saint very strict, maybe even too strict? Isn’t really the problem when affection (or, rather, attachment for a pet) replaces our love for people and God, making up for a lack or a complete absence of the latter?

As my spiritual father told me, we need “a strong balance here. No tightrope but one foot firmly planted in the love of the creator and one firmly planted in the love of His Creation. It is when we love dogs to the exclusion of God therein lies the problem. There was a popular sign in the back of car windows some years ago “A dog is for life not just for Christmas!” I would add “God is for life, not just for Christmas!”

This day of dogs reminded me of an obedience of mine back in Greece: to undertake dog walking of an ill person’s therapy dogs. These dogs offered him comfort, companionship, and joy but he could not take care of them. Many a time, I found myself grumbling about this extra, ‘pointless’ work every day. Surely I had other, far more important tasks and obediences to undertake? Then one day I read the following by St. Paisios which brought comfort and peace to my heart, and from that day onwards, I have started to learn saying Yes, from the heart, to the love of God, even in ‘pointless’ works:

“My mind tells me that even the animals are better than me; so, I humble myself and obey them. Very early this morning, being tired from praying all night and exhausted because of my illness, I lay down to rest. After a while, I heard a kitten meowing outside my cell as if she needed something. I really wanted to rest, but I humbled myself and went against my own will. I obeyed the kitten and replied to her calling. I went to open the door. It had started to rain and I let her in so she wouldn’t get wet. What do you think then? Should I obey the animals or not? My thoughts tell me I should.” – St Paisios

“So, I humble myself and obey them. … What do you think then? Should I obey the animals or not? My thoughts tell me I should.” – St Paisios

Your prayers and your thoughts

Day 8- Part A: Not for the Faint-Hearted

About vigils, the Feast of the Theotokos’ Sacred Veil (Skepi) and Her Holy Protection, the power of the Psalter and the monastery’s chicken coop!

“By Fasting, Vigil and Prayer Thou didst Obtain Heavenly Gifts” (Fourth Great Lent Sunday- St. John of the Ladder , Troparion, tone 1)

Not for the faint-hearted! A most ascetic monastery, I must admit. I, for one thing, thought that I had no problem with fasting, and yet here, I realise that I am such a dainty eater! I have had enough of their plain bread, watery, fasting soups and fruit!

As to vigils, rising at ungodly [sic!] hours to chant Psalms, after two consecutive vigils, one at St Demetrios’ Feast in Thessaloniki and the other one here, at the monastery, for the Sunday Holy Liturgy, I believe that I have reached my limit. If I had any doubts (which I did not have) now I feel confident that I am not yet ready for this second step in this ladder, for this “violence” on our flesh. Not to mention the third ring, prayer …

“By Fasting, Vigil and Prayer Thou didst Obtain Heavenly Gifts”

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12

Oh dear! A most ascetic long weekend. I have been so food deprived, so heat deprived, and so sleep deprived—the worst part— that I cannot put it to words. I certainly need time and rest to recover from all this ascetic labour. I do feel blessed and most grateful, I am floating, but this monastery’s specifications are for angels, fleshless, holy beings. The sisters are of course lenient with us poor guests, yet even the “compromise” they bless for us is so hard for my spiritual level! I cannot even begin to imagine how it is to spend Great Lent here, with only meal a day, and what a meal …

One can”feel” their asceticism even in their etherial chanting. Indeed, an ascetic hue to the spectrum of light explored so far on my way of a pilgrim. And so “hidden”! Adding a wholly  empirical dimension to the verse “our lives being hidden in Christ!” So very different to my previous two pilgrimages to Dormition monastery in Panorama and St George Karslides monastery in Sipsa. Such a humbling experience! Probably because of all this most demanding typikon, this monastery has the least pilgrims or faithful attending, even when its gates are open. As to the sisters, they humbly believe that they they are useless, lukewarm, “end of times” monastics, not honouring their calling.

Matushka Constantina is so right when she writes at her blog (Lessons from a Monastery): “Encountering monastics reminds the pilgrim that there are better Christians than himself (not that he cannot also learn this in the parish, he most certainly can, but it is an indisputable fact that one is faced with at a monastery). Hence the famous statement: “Angels are a light for monastics, and monastics are a light for the world.”[9] The monastic is simultaneously humbled and enlightened by reading the lives of the saints, just as the layman is when he compares his life with that of a monastic. … the layman makes pilgrimages to monasteries in order to draw the soul away from the distracting world and into an environment of stillness and prayer, where the atmosphere is conducive to taking stock of one’s life alongside that of a dedicated monastic, and to allow the grace of the monastery to help him see his own sinfulness.”

Economia is granted to me and I arrive late at the morning church service. I don’t think I could take one third consecutive vigil in a row. Today, on October 28, the Holy Orthodox Church in Greece commemorates the Holy Protection of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, that is, her sacred veil (skepi) kept in the treasury of the sacred temple of Blachernae; and we also remember how the righteous Andrew, the Fool for Christ’s sake, beheld it spread out above and covering all the pious.

The Feast was originally marked on October 1st, yet the Greek Orthodox church, in 1952, transferred its celebration of the Protection to October 28 in conjunction with “Okhi Day” as a testament to the rejection of European aggression and as a day of national remembrance.

Before daybreak on October 28, 1940, the Italian ambassador to Greece, representing Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, went to Greek general Ioannis Metaxas with an ultimatum. Italy wanted full control of Greece to occupy “strategic locations”; otherwise it would brutalise the country. General Metaxas shouted “Okhi!” meaning “No!” Thus, Greece was plunged into the Second World War, as Italy burst through, and then Nazi Germany eventually, wreaking havoc and horrors on the Greek people.

Both dates recognise the Ever-virgin’s constant defence for all the faithful, all over the world, whenever we prayerfully seek her protection and shelter in distress and strife. It goes without saying that we must ask the Theotokos to extend her protection and intercession every day of our life.

A holy, sacred place, an agios topos

St Paisios, the spiritual founder and father of this monastery, +Gerondas Gregorios, St Paisios spiritual child, founder and spiritual father of the monastery, and +Gerondissa Euphemia

Everything is holy in the grounds of a monastery. It is an agios topos, a holy, sacred place. The prayers of the monastics, the saints that dwell within, the angels that protect it, its chapels and the temple of God in its grounds, all these sanctify the place. “And Moses said, I will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed. And when the Lord saw that he drew nigh to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses… loose thy sandals from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3: 3-5). All monasteries I have visited so far feel holy, sacred places, yet this monastery seems the most etherial, otherworldly of all. This holiness permeates all its grounds.

St Paisios, + Gerondissa Euphemia and Sister Paisia, looking at the camera behind Gerondissa. I had the privilege to spend quite some time during my stay here with Sister Paisia.

11 For He will give His angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways. 12 Upon their hands they will lift you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra, trample the young lion and serpent. (Psalm 91:11-13)

Let me share with you a story which a sister here told me about the power of the Psalter, transfusing holiness …

… even to their chicken coop!

This is what the monastery’s chicken coop looks like. You can tell that it is unprotected from the top and sadly the sisters had many problems with hawks attacking and snatching their chickens. The sisters would take turns, one after another, every hour, to protect their chickens, to no avail really, until Sister T. appeared, a frail, old sister …

This sister had a particular affection for the Psalter. Rather than recite the kathismata in her cell, she got the blessing from Gerondissa to sit on her chair inside the chicken coup grounds and recite the psalter there, together with the chickens. She kept doing this every day, for two years before reposing in the Lord.

These two years, all hawk attacks suddenly ceased! Not only this, but even after her sleep in the Lord, for 16 years counting until now, no hawk has attempted a single attack on the chicken! Amazing! For 16 years going! So, the sisters have stopped guarding the chicken coop and chasing predators away. The sister who told me this story, added that Gerondas Gregorios of blessed memory, after this sister’s sleep in the Lord, wondered how long her psalter protection will last. Well, it lasted 16 years and going! This frail, old sister with the particular affection for the Psalter died a holy death on an Easter night, after receiving Holy Communion at the Pascal holy Liturgy. Glory to God for all things!

Sadly, the time for my departure has arrived, but I am not leaving alone. I have to drive two university students first to the church of St. Demetrios, and then one of them to the airport for Cyprus. Glory to God for all things! What an amazing synodeia! The family of one of these two students I am offering this drive has 10 children (!), her father is a priest and a teacher, and their mother comes from a family of … 13 children! They have all moved from Athens to Metamorfosi and build their house here to live next to the monastery, together with all their nephews, children and grandchildren.

How many stories have I heard on the way! What a joy and a privilege to be together with these young people! How fast time flies! A few decades ago, other pilgrims drove me back to Thessaloniki, to spare me the buses, the walking and the long hours of waiting. Now it is my turn to return the favour. Glory to God for all things!

My Twelve Days of Christmas — Part B

New Year 2024

My spiritual father’s wish for the New Year: “Hope for the New Year is a gift from God along with faith and love. We should embrace these graces; we will be blessed as peacemakers and become wise if we love His Commandments.”

*

Jan 2 +Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov

May the holy one pray for us. Back to home, work, hospital/ emergency rooms, crises, implosions, explosions, yet with more hope. Theophany is at the end of this long, dark tunnel. Glory to God!

“You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of one who gives and kindles joy in the heart of one who receives.” St Seraphim of Sarov — If only I could interact like this with some difficult family members!

*One of our friends K. who was in hospital and 3 times came near death, got back home! When his mind was in a haze in hospital, and he thought he was at work and gave orders to his employees, and he would not recognise even family members, yet when they prayed the Trisagion, he made his cross! And when one of the doctors was explaining to family members how that particular treatment brought him back to life, the unconscious K. corrected him and told him that it was not that medicine but God who had brought him back! And then, he returned to his coma!

*

Jan 3 + The finding of the Holy Relics of St. Ephraim in N. Makri, Attica (1950) + Alexandros Papadiamandis Repose

Cleaning, tidying, cooking, skype prayer sessions, lots of telephone calls and Papadiamandis, the Saint of Greek literature! Papadiamandis’ desire to glorify God is shown even more in the way he ended his life and in his attitude toward death. In a prayer he offered at the end of a poem entitled, “To the Little Panagia in the Turret,” he beseeches her, “comfort me, as well, my Panagia, before / I depart and will be no more.” In a letter written by Papa-George Rigas, we learn about the last moments of Papadiamandis’s life on Earth:

His repose took place as follows: He became ill on the 29th of November 1910. On the third day of his illness, he fainted. When he revived, he asked, “What happened to me?” “It’s nothing, a small fainting spell,” his three brothers who were at his side told him. “I haven’t fainted,” Alexandros said, “in so many years; doesn’t it seem that it’s a prelude to my repose? Get the priest immediately and don’t delay.”… Soon after, having been called [by his brothers], the priest and the doctor arrived at the same time. Papadiamandis was, above all things…a pious Christian. So, as soon as he saw the doctor, he asked him, “What are you doing here?” “I came to see you,” the doctor told him. “Keep quiet,” the sick man told him. “I will first follow the ecclesiastical path [and call upon the help of God], and then you can come later.”…

Papadiamandis death bed in his cell

He had control of his faculties until the end and wanted to write a story. Until the end, his mind was dedicated to God. On his own, a few hours before his repose, he called for the priest to come so he could partake of Holy Communion. “Perhaps later on I won’t be able to swallow!” he explained. It was the eve of his repose and, as irony would have it, it was the day they told him that he would receive the medal of the Cross of the Savior. On the eve of his repose, the second of January, he said, “Light a candle [and] bring me an [ecclesiastical] book.” The candle was lit. The book was about to be brought. However, Papadiamandis wearily said, “Don’t worry about the book; tonight I will sing whatever I remember by heart.” And he began to chant in a trembling voice, “Thy Hand Touching” [a troparion from the 9 the Hour of the eve of Theophany].

Papadiamandis sang this final hymn and, as day broke between the second and third of January of his sixtieth year, he wearily fell asleep. After passing through the furnace of pain and trials and tasting many of the bitter dregs of life while faithfully living the liturgical life of the Church, he now stretched out his strong wings to fly to the upper chapel of the angels, toward which he had oriented his whole life. It snowed on the following day and, like Uncle Yiannios in the story, “Love in the Snow,” Papadiamandis lay down his worn-out body, presenting himself, his life, and his work before the Judge, the Ancient of Days, the Thrice-Holy. This was, finally, the only judgment with which he was concerned as he passed through life. Though his life and struggle in this world have ended, his work will continue to give witness to his devotion to the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church for generations to come.

More about this ‘Saint’ of Greek literature in A Greek Dostoyevski

The Gleaner, A Christmas Story by Papadiamandis

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Jan 4 + Forefeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, St. Nikiforos the leper

Theophany carols to cancer hospitals, spastics society and autistic foundation centres.

Jan 5 + Eve of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

Vespers Holy Liturgy in church and the visit of our new Bishop Philotheos. Such a humble and full of God’s love this Bishop he is! He discreetly emerged from the Royal Doors and joined us, chanting and blessing us- no special ceremony! Such a beautiful, brief homily and chanting! May the Lord richly bless him! We all wanted to stay all day, every day, with him!

More photos here

Jan 6 + The Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ- The Blessing of Jordan

Church service, blessing of waters at the Thessaloniki harbour, blessing of our house by the parish priest and lots of telephone calls from dear brothers and sisters, Glory to God! Turning point to this descent to Hades! Epiphany! Ascent to Heavens!

1917, Blessing of waters in Thessaloniki harbour, same location with 2024

Meanwhile, somewhere in the UK …

The blessing of Jordan

The brightness of Theophany

Jan 7 — Synaxis of John the Holy Glorious Prophet, Baptist, & Forerunner, Afterfeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus

SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND BAPTIST

Thirty years of fasting and silence–

This, not even the mountain beasts can endure!

The lion alleviates his hunger with the music of roaring,

And the tree rustles when the wind approaches.

But you neither rustle, nor moan.

Neither your lament nor your song through the wilderness echoes!

Tell me, are you a man? What is your name?

Will you ever want to speak with someone?

“The voice, the voice, the voice: I am the voice–

But the Word of God, He is.

To the children of Israel I was sent to cry out:

Repent, O people; behold, He comes.

Bring forth good fruit, each according to your strength.

Behold, behold He comes–oh, wonder of wonders!

In the midst of the water, fire from heaven is concealed!

Behold, the Lamb of God, among the wolves, walks.

Wolves, your lupine temper in the water, cleanse!”

Thirty years of silence and fasting:

Of your body, what remains, save your voice?

Your withered body is but a shadow of your voice,

Which proclaims the news: Behold, God is come to us!

Your withered body was a reed, which Herod broke.

But the voice goes on and on, with no one to silence it.

Whose voice is that, at which even the centuries tremble?

A hungry lion! No, No–a man of faith.

The Prologue from Ochrid

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Και του Χρόνου!

By C.

Flying in Kairos, or Kiss a Joy as it Flies

The travelling guide’s diary—1

I had never thought one can really “bend”, transcend Time until I spent last week together with my little Abouna. Together, we drove hundreds of miles, visited a number of Holy monasteries, met Gerondas, received holy words, but most importantly, for me at least, we transcended Time into Kairos, ie. made a Leap unto God’s Saving Time, God’s Providence for our salvation.

How many dimensions exist in reality? And which dimension were we travelling together with Abouna?! Which dimension is Love? Fifth? This ‘travelling’ has probably been one the most liberating, healing experiences ever in my life, especially since I was so stressed, worked out and nearly burnt out in my obediences the last twelve months. Though the truth is that I was really stressed, worked out and burnt out by my own mind.

“Time is relative; its only worth depends upon what we do as it is passing.” as Einstein wisely pointed out to us. And “ there are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”. And: “God does not play dice with the universe.” Or with our lives. How true all these! And all this I experienced first-hand during these four days together with Abouna.

God is indeed the master of time and circumstance: “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 2:21

“The Lord gave us chronos time, calendar time, that we may turn it into kairos time, salvation time, time filled with opportunities for us to respond to God’s gracious invitation to the Kingdom”. ~Fr. Anthony Coniaris

Little did I understand those quotes and how literally they are to be taken before I became Abouna’s chauffeur, guide, interpreter and secretary for four days and a witness to how God scandalously intervenes in our lives and plans and provides the precise timing, reversals, cancelations and interruptions so that we meet the “right” people in the “right” place! I became a witness to all these miracles, but also to Abouna’s ease at this “normal”, swimming, flying, floating in Kairos.

***God has a way of surprising us and altering our plans.The visit to St Dimitrios shrine was full of such delightful God- intervening surprises.***

Indeed, a plethora of details is to follow, but let it suffice for the time being to say that this 4 days’ intensive course into Abouna’s daily time ‘management’ have drastically changed my experience of Time, and hopefully this ‘meta-noia’ will last. The list of my obediences after his visit is the same, or even longer, but I somehow have “more” Time, and I certainly have more Joy and Gratitude and Thanksgiving.

Time and stress seem to have loosened their grip on me. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) I have also, immediately—in obedience— started taking two half days off for hesychia and have resumed my Byzantine chanting lessons which I had sadly given up before summer because “I had no time …”. And I feel that this is only the beginning in this so post-quantum, and yet so ancient, and so St Porfyrios, and indeed all the saints’ experience of flying in Kairos:

“Poor people… We live, we read books […] and yet we remain in a relaxed state, recklessly living without Christ. Christ is different. When He comes to a person, entering his soul, the soul changes. A soul [that knows Christ] lives everywhere: on the stars, in the spiritual world, in the Universe. Life without Christ is not real life. … Christ is the new life. Christ is everything. He is joy. He is life. He is the light, the true light, allowing a person to rejoice, to fly, to see everything and everyone. … Love Christ and prefer nothing to His love. He is the source of life, He is everything. Everything most beautiful is in Christ.”

Glory to God for all things! Vignettes from our 4 days together to follow soon  …

Creation is groaning … Another young wild horse of Petala found dead yesterday, after losing habitat

Abouna’s Feedback on my Reflection

*** God it seems bends time in order for those who seek Him to receive His grace . Time is not really measured in monasteries. Of course there are set times for worship and work but one does not sense time passing.***

***

“May it be blessed

 I think this is a most clearly distilled profile of our time with Christ. I don’t think it is in any way an alternative diary but a complementary (with an e) account of our joint experience. I too found this to be so true.

Indeed  in my first day’s  diary I think I mention  so many blessings in such a short time. I find St Porphyrios words  so poignant for they dispense our lived experience in Christ  in such a lyrical way.

The people that we met were so lovely. The Christian soul is often seen in the eyes. I wrote to Theologos and said when I met his family heart spoke to heart and spirit to spirit.

William Blake in his poem “Eternity” wrote

“He who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity’s sun rise.”

May we kiss this joy as it flies

William Blake

My love and prayers in Christ 

Little Abouna

All creation is groaning in labor pains


Rom. 8:22
Alone, scared, shocked, and confused, with no mate, and no offspring, this black vulture is staring at his home, his natural habitat, Dadia Forest, all burnt out. The fire in Evros is finally in remission, where extinguishing efforts continue for the 17th day. As reported by ERT, as of Sunday evening 3/9/2023, there is no active front, however, more than 930,000 (!) acres have already turned to ash. A minimum of a 150 years (!) estimated by scientists that is required for Nature to heal and restore this forest.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand and a Story

 

Feeding the 5000

The Feeding of the Five Thousand is the only one of the great nature miracles that is recorded in all four Gospels. The Lord had spent the whole day teaching the crowds and with compassion, healing the sick.  The disciples, as evening approached, were tired and hungry after a long day; they display a rather different pragmatic solution. They say to our Lord, ”….send them away!” The large assembly had become an inconvenience and an intrusion into their cosy circle of fellowship and did not want to share Christ or their food with all these people. We may show the same resentment to those who impinge on our cosy arrangements. We too may ask ourselves why bother with these outsiders, what can we do for them ? We are not equipped to provide for their needs!

 

This combination of self interest and self justification is met with a strong response from our Lord:

”They need not go away-you give them something to eat!”

They,(the crowds) do not have to go- they need sustenance. You do something about it!

The poor, the hungry, the lonely, the oppressed, the sad, the sick, the bereaved need someone to care for them, to love them, to listen to them, to forgive them, to heal them and to understand their needs and to feed them. He who had ministered to their spiritual needs and fed their spiritual hunger was not going to send them away empty. 

Luke 1:53

53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.

Their physical needs were just as important. Christ cares for the whole person -body and soul. 

The command to feed the crowd,” You feed them!” is met with incredulity. How are we going to feed all these people, “we have only five loaves and two fish” ( we might add-and they are for us!)  We simply cannot interpret this miracle as a demand to give people spiritual food- it is not possible to preach to an empty stomach.

Christ asks the disciples to bring what little food that they had for Him to bless and multiply. It is not that the disciples alone have to do everything but to offer up what they have to Christ and then He does the rest. It is the same for us, even if we have only a grain of mustard seed and plant it, it will become great. God always multiplies what we offer. When we offer nothing we will receive nothing.

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 There is the story of the four beggars gathering one evening who were bemoaning the meagre amounts of food they had received that day.

The first said, “I begged until sunset and all I received was a scrap of meat.”

The second said, “ I didn’t get anything but I managed to pick up a few discarded vegetables from the market place.”

The third said,” A merchant threw me a handful of herbs”

The fourth said,” I have a handful of beans, that’s all.”

 One of them suggested that they put all the contents into a boiling pot and make a savoury stew.

They all agreed that this was a splendid idea. The first thought to himself “I’ll just pretend to put the meat into the pot. The others wont know the difference and I’ll eat it later.” The same idea occurred to the second, third and fourth beggars.  In turn they all pretended to put their portions into the pot- it was dark so that the others didn’t notice. After a time one of them said “ It must be ready now”. So each took a bowlful of hot water from the pot in absolute silence learning the stark truth that selfishness is tasteless and barren.

Psalm 33

I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
In the Lord shall my soul be praised; let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my tribulations.
Come unto Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his tribulations.
The angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, and will deliver them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that hopeth in Him.
O fear the Lord, all ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him.
Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry; but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing. 

 The early Church practised great charity and we should do no less

 Acts 4

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 

 

 Divine equations have a simple synergy and formidable formula: Us plus God equals Miracles

God’s arithmatic is very generous: 5+2 = 5000 +12

 

The Coronavirus Diary of a Joyous Pustinik — 46

SONY DSC

The Birds’ Symphony by George Tsintsifas

Symphonia

Yesterday, I heard two familiar pieces of music on the radio. It took me back to when I studied music at school. There, as part of preparations for our examinations we followed the music scores of Bach’s Brandenburg Concert #3 and Schubert’s Fifth Symphony whilst listening to vinyl L. P. recordings of these works. It was both a duty and joy to follow and listen under the observations and instructions of a good teacher. Over and over again, our small group of pupils would listen to the recordings until we became so familiar that we knew them off by heart for the exam to follow. Some years later, I was pleased to hear these works played in concert by a live Orchestra. That initial schoolboy learning process was transposed into wonder as I witnessed each member of the Philharmonic playing their part under the conductor for the audience’s delight. 

In an Orchestra, breath and hands on musical instruments bring sound to notes, as breath gives voice to words in praise of God and hands bring mercy and kindness to others. Just as music is the fuel to stir emotions, Christian love is the engine to move faith and hope into action. Our Christian life too, often starts with listening and following the scores (the Bible/the Liturgy/the Church Fathers), paying attention to the Teacher and Conductor of our life (Christ), and then working together (in fellowship)for the benefit and joy of others(evangelism). 

 

 Theme: Working together in Harmony

Luke 15:25
“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

 

When one desert father told another of his plans to “ shut himself into his cell and refuse the face of men, that he might perfect himself,” the second monk replied, “ Unless thou first amend thy life going to and fro amongst men, thou shall not avail to amend it dwelling alone.”

 

Many arrived and adjusted themselves to a listening mode in the auditorium.

The orchestra entered, settled themselves, tuned up and looked intently for the Conductor’s command.

Sound and silence became a dialogue.

Both the ones who played and those who listened melded into a dynamic organism;

 a heartbeat giving life to a body.

The union of loving strings buzzed as bees in a hive,

To shrive the withered minds and weary limbs,

 And having worked the nectar and shared the pollen from the hours of practice and rehearsal,

Produced the honey for those seated to taste.

 The audience feasted on the abundant sweet notes

 And were swept along and above to a higher form;

 from their mundane routine to another dimension.

They were moved, transported to the land

Of awe filled tears,

Where harmony is the currency,

Where sunshine sparkles

and dances on the ears.

 Beads of infinity permeate the throng in this communion song;

Inspiring first emotion, then empathy, followed by wonder and finally joy.

Such joy as can never be captured but glimpsed-only glimpsed,

In a gilded moment, felt in the heart,

digested in that part 

of the mind which is forever a child’s laugh or first remembered summer.

As food is energy to the body so is music nourishment for the soul.

Such provision was encouraged by a ministering angel’s smile, sent

In order for us to repent from worldly guile.

 

We are drawn into that scented circle, inexorably and imperiously drawn

By that mysterious sound that claims and wraps our tender frame.

“But why so little music in the Gospels?”

“Hosannas” with palms endorse a King 

And older Psalms, of course, to sing!

But where is the chorus for our dreams? 

Only for the Prodigal it seems!

Was music not given by God to grace the mind of all,

 make glad the heart, to heed the call?

Is there not harmony at the centre of the Universe?

Or is it that our lives in Christ should rehearse

 for heaven;

 reverse the ego’s trend and blend to be

 a sounding board with others in that greater symphony.

Epilogue

A Harmony with Thee

Glory be,

 Viva Vivaldi,

 Not I but we, 

Was blind now see, 

Oh Mystery,

Oi Agioi kai Angeloi,

 In unity 

with The Holy Trinity. 

 

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

 

Saint Basil the Great

Adam and Eve my little apple trees

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Grown from pips!

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Kimberly, Tom and Kristian

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Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope that you are all well and safe. I apologise for my disappearance but I have recently started “offcially” chanting at two (!) parishes in the suburbs of Thessaloniki. In fact, I am so busy chanting all the time (or preparing for the services) and I spend so much time in church that I sometimes have to politely decline a chanting obedience since I cannot be in both parishes at the same time 🙂
Church services in Greece have dramatically multiplied since the release of the lockdown, for as long as it lasts, so chanters are in great demand as there is no end to our vigils, processions and forty days liturgies!

How are the churches doing in your countries?

sparrow1
PS. Not my hand 🙂 This is from a spiritual brother in Lesvos who is the closest I have known of a “bird whisperer” 🙂
Christ is in our midst!

Keeping Ison

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Dear friends in Christ,

Let me introduce to you my feathered sisters who daily assist me in Matins and Vespers . Please help me with names.

Εν Χριστώ