St. Porphyrios on the Divine Liturgy and on Frequent Communion

Christ serving the Divine Liturgy (source)

  
A conversation with St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia on the Divine Liturgy and on frequent Holy Communion.
He was very upset, because the faithful have rights, as is proper, that the priest be praying in the Holy Altar. But they many times are not in the state to help him.
"I," St. Porphyrios said, "cense them and they do not bow in reverence. I say 'Let us stand aright', but they sit down. I bless them, and they are having a conversation. And the most tragic, I say: 'Drink of this, all of you', and only few people approach for Holy Communion. This is a great pain for the priest."

I asked him: "Elder, does that mean that everyone should be receiving?"

"Hey, I am not saying this myself. The Lord is saying this 'all of you'!

"Perhaps this word has some other meaning that I don't know? And later on, the prayer says: 'through us and to all your people.' Naturally, this applies to those who do not have impediments [i.e. mortal sins for which they are under penance to not receive for a period of time, determined by one's spiritual father.] The rest should have beforehand received the permission of their spiritual father. Otherwise, without Holy Communion, without Christ, how will they go out into their everyday lives? You come to church and you lost the most important thing, the Gift, Which is everything, you remain only with antidoron. Hey George, do you know what "The Holy Altar" is? It is the most precious thing upon the earth. Royal thrones, presidential halls, academic institutions have little worth. The Holy Altar is the Burning Bush. Here Christ descends, the Holy Spirit is present, and the Angels encircle. It is an awesome thing. I, many times, am afraid to touch the Holy Altar with my hands. And before this wonder, you hear the faithful whispering and discussing various topics, not experiencing this unique event. How can one liturgize like this?

"Is the priest alone, or are we all together, clergy and laity? Why do we call it 'liturgy'? Is it or is it not 'the work of the people'? Eh!

"As the priest stands, so should the people stand. Concentrated. Totally dedicated to God. At that hour, we are not upon the earth. 'We who mystically represent the Cherubim', we are in heaven, before the Holy Trinity. Without the 'cares of life'. We are all liturgists...My, my, my! What God has made us worthy to experience! If we believe that before us is completed the Great Sacrifice, we would all be standing 'with fear of God'.

"We should be weeping out of joy that God Himself condescends to be sacrificed out of love for us. If we don't believe this, why are we coming to Church? Who are we mocking? Those who don't come to church therefore are more consistent [i.e. compared to those who come in a disrespectful or faithless manner]. In church we are silent, we are concentrated, and we speak to God.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? If so, you have a responsibility to share this among the rest of our brethren who are ignorant of the terrible mysteries that are being accomplished. If it is as I say.

"May God give us strength to accept this "wonder". Canonically, both the priest and the faithful should repose having lived so closely to the Mystery [of Holy Communion], as close as to the Sun.

"But the greatly compassionate God allows, (hear an awesome thing!) for us to experience rest already [in this life], in our worthlessness."

And the Saint, a true liturgist, began to cry, and finished:
"If you leave in this way, from the Divine Liturgy, full of peace, which shines throughout the world around you...You transmit Christ. You have become a Christ-bearer.

"One prayer says it all: 'Grant us to worship You in holiness."
(source)
  

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes: On the Prophet Elias and the Wonders of Prayer

The Holy Prophet Elias (source)

  
Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes of Florina: On the Prophet Elias and the Wonders of Prayer
Today, my beloved, we celebrate one of the greatest Saints of our faith, the glorious Prophet Elias. He lived before Christ, but he is also "the second forerunner of the coming of Christ" (from the Apolytikion of the Saint). He is one of the most beloved Saints, and many bear his name, and on many hills there are built chapels in his name, and many villages celebrate his name.

Should we tell of his life? It would take much time and you don't have much stamina. So that I might not tire you, I will tell of a few essential things from the life of the Prophet Elias. I will mention three of the wonders out of the many that he had done.

The one was that once, with his prayer, there was a drought that hit along with a famine in Judea. He also was hungry, because the Saints suffer hunger. He went to a village and everyone closed their doors to him. Only one house, a hut, opened their door. And who lived there, a rich man? It was a poor widow with her children. She received him. She had nothing to offer him hospitality, only a handful of flour and a little oil. And these she did not hold back. As soon as she saw him, even though she didn't know who this old man was, she said: "Come in, Elder." She immediately took the flour, made bread and gave him to eat, because he was tired from his journey. This occurred in Zarepta of Sidonia. And then--let the faithless disbelieve; it is their right, but we believe--from that hour on, the widow's house was never lacking in flour and oil. (Third Kings 17:8-16).

What does this mean?  Where there is the blessing of God, everything is riches. One can have incomparable fields, vineyards and olive groves, one can have sacks of gold and silver, one can have it all, but die from hunger. And one can have a handful of flour, a little piece of earth, a bucket of soil, and this will sustain you, as long as one blesses the Lord. These are not just words, they are reality. Because of this our Church chants: "The rick have become poor and hungry, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing." (Psalm 33:11) Everything, therefore, is a blessing. Some place too high an emphasis of work alone, because above work is the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Another miracle: While the house of the widow had flour and oil, the rest of the village was suffering hunger, for it had not rained for three and a half years. The impious King Ahab gathered the people of Israel on Mount Carmel, and there, the Prophet Elias censured them for their lack of steadfastness. Until when, he said, will you stand limping with your two feet? If our God is true, then follow Him. If Baal (the idol) is true, then follow him. They heard him without speaking, how would they be justified? Then he told them, I will only preach the true God, while the priests of the idols were about 1000. Today, therefore, we will test who is the true God. Bring two calves, and you will choose whichever you wish, and let us prepare a sacrifice with wood, but we will not light them on fire. And I will prepare the other for sacrifice and will not light it on fire. And you will entreat your god, and I will call upon the Lord my God. And He will hear me and will light and burn the calf of sacrifice, because He is the true God.

They agreed. The priests of shame placed their altar, and their calf upon it, and began to entreat, calling out: "Hear us, Baal". Noon passed, evening came, nothing. Their god was shown to be false. Afterwards, Elias places the clean altar, places wood and the calf upon it in pieces, and tells the others to sprinkle it three times with water (in order that there not be any possibility of fire). And as soon as he prayed, fire descended from heaven and consumed the whole calf, and the wood and the stones and even the water! Nothing remained. Then everyone believed that the only true God is the Lord. Immediately, the Prophet Elias commanded: cease all of the priests of shame, the priests of idolatry. And he took them to the brook of Kisson, and there--terribly--he slaughtered them all (ibid 18:19-40).
  

The Holy Prophet Elias (source)

  
Let us now return again to the house of the widow. What happened there? One day her child fell deathly ill and died. The mother said to the Prophet Elias: "Come to my house to explain to me for which of my sins my son was put to death." "Give me your son." he told her. He took him to the upper room, laid him in his bed, and having prayed to the Lord, breathed three times on the child, and then--let the faithless disbelieve, we believe that there is a God Who works wonders through the Panagia and the Saints--the child was resurrected. "I see that you are a man of God", the widow said. (ibid 17:17-24)

I told you a few things, my beloved, about the Prophet Elias. One more thing I will mention. When it came the time for him to flee from the world, he did not die like we do. As he was walking, a fiery chariot took him and lifted him high. The Prophet Elias still lives. He is hidden somewhere, in one corner of the universe. And we expect him to come again. You don't fear the Prophet Elias, because it seems that you are Saints? I am afraid of him. He is a thunderbolt against sinners, prostitutes, adulterers, blasphemers, atheists, shameful people and all who remain unrepentant. His word is burning. He is the "second forerunner of the coming of Christ", the forerunner of the Second Coming of the Lord. And the Second Coming of the Lord is approaching, it is coming! The signs are many. There are signs which will precede the end of the world, and one of them is the appearing of the Prophet Elias.

One sign of the end of the ages is, as Christ Himself said, that there will be earthquakes, terrible earthquakes (Matthew 24:7). And continuous earthquakes are occurring. Another sign was mentioned by St. Kosmas Aitolos. When they asked him when the end of the world was coming, he replied: "When you see women walking naked in the street." And we see this in reality. Women walking around [naked], corrupting the world*, and even in the church they dare to enter naked. Another sign is the divorces that are increasing, while formerly divorce was unknown and only the shovel of the undertaker separated couples. Another sign that will appear is the 666. The devil will come out and begin to seal people, all, small and great will take this identification. These are the signs of the times. Go and sell your shirt and buy the Book of Revelation and read it, it is all written in there, what will occur.**

Within your houses, have fear of God. How will we be saved? With prayer. With what prayer? Not dead prayer, but living prayer which comes through tears. In the old blessed days the Christians listened in the Church of Christ with contrition. Today, we find the church dead. In the old days, in the crags of our homeland dwelt holy people. And what did they do? Were they partying at night? Before they would go to sleep, the father and mother, along with their seven or eight children would kneel in prayer to God. Show me today a family that prayers together! We have lost the mind of God. Where is prayer, family prayer? Where are the tears, the contrition? Where is Confession and Holy Communion? Where is almsgiving? Where are the wonders of our people?

Because of this, I advise you to take the Gospel and the Revelations and all of you read them, men and women. Pray night and day, at noon and in the evening. And if you can't say many prayers, say only one prayer: "Lord, have mercy", "Lord, have mercy", "Lord, have mercy". And if you say it with your whole heart, you will be heard, and you will work wonders, and the stars will descend to earth.

Let us live like this, therefore, my beloved and blessed ones, with Christ, awaiting the return of the Prophet Elias, and entreating God to save the world. Amen.

(+) Bishop Avgoustinos, recorded from a homily given in the Holy Church of the Prophet Elias, Xanthogeion, Amyntaiou, on July 20th, 1987) (Source)

*Note I: This described lack of modesty, and lust in general is of course not only seen in women, but in men as well, as day by day, filth of body, mind and soul is growing and is being exhibited more externally, in society, TV, the internet, etc.

  

**Note II: Thankfully, there are many good Orthodox guides to reading the Book of Revelation, including the most famous commentary by St. Andrew of Caesarea (translated here), published talks by Fr. Athanasios Mitilinaios, a series by Fr. Thomas Hopko, the series of talks by Fr. Josiah Trenham, etc. Metropolitan Avgoustinos ends this sermon very poignantly, focusing not on fear of the 666 or the Antichrist, but on fear of the Lord, and emphasizing the need for prayer, repentance, contrition, the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Mysteries of our Church.

  

The Holy Prophet Elias, with scenes from his life (Source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. Luke of Simferopol on the Raising of Children

Christ blessing the Children (source)

 
"Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life."
(Mark 10:29-30)

This word of the Lord is not a lie. I confirm to you that, when I left my children and entrusted them to God, He took care of them.*** My children grew up well and I think that even I couldn't raise them so well. And my Lord granted me a hundred-times more children. He gave me all of you. He gave me your hearts, because I know how much you love me and I return your love with my own fervent love. So many children has God given to me!

And your own children must be educated. But do not only make plans for their education in outward wisdom, in the wisdom of this world.  They should learn at the same time the wisdom from above, and the highest truth. They should learn the law of God and the commandments of Christ, to learn with reverence how to always have the memory of God and the true Christian path. Only then will your children not be lost on the ways of human wisdom. Only then, above all else, they will have Christian wisdom, the knowledge of God. In this way, therefore, we must educate our children.

You will have to give an account before God for the evil examples that you give to your children, for the arguments that occur before their eyes, for the chatter that they hear you say. If you yourselves do this, then what will your children learn from you?
  

Christ blessing the children (source)

  

We must begin this effort from the beginning, because only very small children easily receive our advice and suggestions. Their soul is like a soft candle, which every one of your words or deeds make an indelible impression on, whether good or evil.

"A small plant, wherever you train it, that shape it will take, and a new container will bring forth either fragrance or stench based on what you fill it with, placing in it either perfumes or filth." (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk)

Mother, the most beloved person for the child, the source of tenderness and nourishment, stands in prayer before the icon of Christ. The child looks at her then at the icon and does not need long explanations about what is happening. Here is the first and silent lesson of godly knowledge. This is the first and most significant lesson of piety. This lesson you can and you must give to your children.

There is no greater responsibility for the mother, no holier work, for which you will have a responsibility before God, than the raising of your children. To God you will have to give a word if you are negligent before this work. And from now you will begin your tortures and you will shed bitter tears and you will groan seeing your children.

Therefore: "Do not neglect one of these little ones." (Matthew 18:10) You must take care of your children, that you might be for them an example of the true Christian life, and then the blessing of the Lord will be with all of you and with your children unto the ages of ages.
(source)
 
***Note: St. Luke was forced to leave his children when he was exiled and tortured on behalf of Christ.
 

Icon of St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon of Simferopol and Crimea, from the newly-built and beautiful Church of Sretensky Monastery (source)

 

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Homily on the Feast of Pentecost, by Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes

The Great and Holy Feast of Pentecost (source)

  

Homily on the Feast of Pentecost, by Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes

By the mercy of God, my beloved, we have reached the end of the feasts of Pentecostarion. The first feast is the Resurrection of the Lord, which is the greatest in the Orthodox Church. And in this way we differ from the [West], which celebrates Christmas with more grandeur. The Orthodox of the East, as the Queen of Feasts have Pascha. For forty days we hear “Christ is risen”. After the Resurrection, is the Ascension of the Lord, which we celebrated ten days ago. What meaning do these feasts have? In the Resurrection: Christ lives and reigns. In the Ascension: “Let us lift up our hearts.”
  

And today, my beloved, we have Pentecost, the great feast which is the fulfillment of the work of the divine economy, and signified the descent of the Holy Spirit. If you go to Mount Athos, in the Byzantine churches, you will see how Pentecost is depicted.
  

Byzantine iconographers, not like those today who are merchants of Christ, were artists who painted with faith and mixed their paints with their tears, and fasted in order to depict the icon of Christ and the Panagia, creating wonderworking icons. Out of ten-thousand icons today, I doubt if we would find one which is wonderworking. Every icon of course has its worth, due to whom it depicts, but another grace comes from the eye and hand of a sanctified iconographer.
  

Therefore, in the Byzantine icon of Pentecost, you will see that in the center is depicted a prophet, the Prophet Joel. He is depicted holding a scroll, on which is written the phrase: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh...” (Joel 3:1-2)
  

I wish to speak, but I hesitate. For what benefit is there from the feasts? For many now, a feast is a party, a gathering, a dance... We do not lessen our sins, but increase them. And for the Church a feast is joy and spiritual exaltation, while we celebrate according to a Judean or idolatrous manner. That terrible prophecy of God is fitting for us, when He says: “Your feasts, my soul hates.” (Isaiah 1:14)
  

I hesitate furthermore, for Pentecost is a feast which is the most difficult for a preacher among all the other topics. For what are we? Nature, worms, unclean animals, lowly-people, sinners, “having unclean lips among a people of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5) How can we speak today regarding the Holy Spirit, in an age which is known for its atheistic speeches, heresies, and generalized corruption?
  

In my place should be one of the Holy Fathers, whose spirits were intangible, and had not a molecule of carnality, and who, when they were praying, did not walk on the earth. And you, my listeners, should be purified, so that our spirits would be in harmony, and so that we be exalted above the heavens, like the Holy Apostles, so that the Holy Spirit would come upon us as well.
  

Behold why I hesitate to speak. But one phrase from today's prayers from the Kneeling Vespers helps to remove my hesitation. Believe me, I would not have even broached the topic, unless those words had strengthened me: “For in fear I stand before You, casting my soul's despair into the sea of Your mercy.” (From the Third Prayer of the Kneeling Vespers) I stand, it says, with fear before you, O Lord, and I the sinner, throw my soul's despair into the abyss of Your mercy.
  

I therefore throw myself into the incomparable mercy of God, and calling upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, I dare to utter a few words. For more properly, I don't speak myself; I become a microphone so that the opinions of the Fathers of our Church can be heard.
  

Pentecost! “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh...” The pouring out of the grace of the Holy Spirit, my beloved, in the Holy Scriptures and according to the Fathers of the Church, is characterized by many names. From all of this, I will take one alone, the name “gift”. Why is it called this? Because it is the culmination of everything that God has granted and continues to grant to us.
  

The grace of the Holy Spirit is not the only good thing which mankind has received from God. “In Him we live and move and have our being”, says the Apostle Paul (Acts 17:28), borrowing a phrase from the ancient poet (Aratos). We swim within the abyss of the energies and the gifts of God. What is there that we don't have as a gift from God!
  

I leave the gifts of the earth and the sea. I bring to mind the greatest gifts which come from on high, from heaven.
  

The first [great gift] is light, those countless rays of the sun, which travel at breakneck speeds, covering unimaginable distances. As one Saint said, every ray of the sun which shines upon a flower, a child, an old man, a beggar, a condemned man, upon the face of every person, what is it? It is an embrace by the heavenly Father. The hour when you sense the ray of the sun enlighten and warm you, it is as if God is saying: “O man, I love you.” How much would we pay for how many millions of kilowatts of energy from the sun? And instead of saying thank you, instead of “Glory to You Who has shown forth the light” (The Doxology), God receives blasphemies! And regardless, He sends His light “upon the thankless and sinners” (Luke 6:35).
  

Another [gift] is water, the rain which comes from the clouds, and falls upon the soil and makes it to grow all those things which nourish us. Every corner is a field. What could we pay for, and what does God receive for all of this water? The hen, when she drinks a sip of water, lifts up her head to heaven, as if to say: “Thank you, O Lord.”
  

Another is the air. Like the fish which swim in the water, and couldn't live outside of it, thus does man life within the ocean of the air. And only Earth has this atmospheric air. If we removed the atmosphere, we would die of asphyxia. Because of this, the astronauts carry with them Oxygen tanks. And think of how much it would cost if the Oxygen were sold by pharmacists. Only a few rich people could afford it. And for this, again there is thanklessness and ingratitude that our good God receives.
  

Besides these ordinary gifts of God, however, there are also extraordinary gifts, such as in the Old Testament, the manna, that sweet water, which was received by the mouths of the Jews who desired them. And those thankless ones watered the Son of the Virgin “with gall instead of mana” (hymn from Holy Friday). This is what man is.
  

Listen, my beloved, that up till now all of these gifts benefit me here. I told you understandable and simple things that we all know and can experience, and which penetrate our lives.
  

But man is not designed for here alone, for only this natural sphere, for the life of the body. He is not just a body. He is also a spirit, and primarily a spirit. He therefore, has another life, a life in the sphere of the spirit. And there, in the sphere of the spirit, he has need of other provisions. How can I make you understand? I seek the grace and the power of God.
  

Above all physical gifts which we sense, because we live with them and depend on them, is another great and uplifted gift. All of those gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, are small. Today's great gift is the Holy Spirit. “Taste of the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38) Great and necessary for our life is the light, the water, the air, but all of these are simply icons and symbols of that great gift, which is called the Holy Spirit.
  

The Holy Spirit has come! God has fulfilled His promises. It was prophesied of in the Old Testament by the Prophet Joel. It was the promise of Christ to His disciples, before He ascended into the Heavens. It was the completion of the work of the divine economy, the grand work of God for the salvation and glory of fallen man. Without the gift of the Holy Spirit, the work of the divine economy would be imperfect and incomplete. Today, this work is completed. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!
  

+Bishop Avgoustinos

On the Monday of the Holy Spirit, 1961.

  

(amateur translation of text from source)

  

The Holy Spirit descending upon the Disciple at Pentecost (source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

A few quotes of St. Sophia of Kleisoura

St. Sophia the Ascetic of Kleisoura (+1974) (source)

   
Below are several amateur translations from a great new ascetic of our church. St. Sophia's quotes and teachings are remarkable for their brevity, power and meaning. Regarding dress in church, her words are very important and timely, as many of us have lost the great reverence and fear of God that our ancestors bore. Regarding prophecies of war and the retaking of Constantinople, of course such statements are not dogma (though they are in-line with those of other recent saints and elders; for a great approach to such prophecies, see here). Let St. Sophia's words be one more call for us all to repent and return to our Lord's embrace, before it is too late for us to do so.
   

May you be well. May you have joy! Repent, my children...May you have prayer...day and night...wherever you walk, wherever you are found, wherever you are standing, always you should say: “My Christ, have mercy on me!” With a sweet tongue speak to God, that your prayer might reach Him.

Panagia told me where, in the Holy Books of the chosen of my Son, it says everything that will occur in time. A third war will occur...Three-quarters of mankind will be destroyed...Only one-quarter will be saved...

She suggested: Let us have Love, humility and patience in temptations. Pride is a bad thing...it sends the soul to hell...

The Panagia told her: “Tell them...Tell them about the short dresses...Tell them about the apostasy...Preach repentance!...Let them not wear indecent dresses in Church...Let them have humble dress.”

Be prudent...Not short sleeves, not short hair. Panagia [χωλιάσκεται].

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Your world, and later, on us!

Greece, if she keeps the faith, will be saved from the evil which is about to come. If, however, she does not keep the faith, she will be destroyed...All the demons will fall upon her...The evil will come and the wheat will be separated from the chaff, the sheep from the goats...

If the world repents, we will take back the City [Constantinople] with Love... If we do not repent, we will take it back with blood...

Have fear of God...Have Love...Have compassion.

You see me here how I am for so many years? Here, three demons have been fighting me...The one is faithlessness...The other demon is sloth...The third I don't remember, most likely anthropareskeias [the desire to ever please other people]...

The Ascetic of Kleisoura said: My soul is burning for Christ!

God does not reveal sins to me...Only in the face of a person I see light or darkness. And unfortunately, most are darkness...

Did you see? Did you hear? Shut your mouth!

(source)

St. Sophia of Kleisoura (source)

   

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!