"Well done, good and faithful servant!"

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (source)

  
Well done, good and faithful servant! Well done, worker in the vineyard of Christ! You bore the heat of the day, and to you was given the talent, while you did not grumble against those who came after you. Therefore, the gate of the heavens have been opened unto you. Enter into the joy of your Lord, and intercede on behalf of us, O St. Nicholas.
-Idiomelon of the 50th Psalm, Matins for St. Nicholas
  
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"You were mystically illumined with the radiance of the Spirit..."

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (source)

 

You were mystically illumined with the radiance of the Spirit, and were thus shown forth to be a true prophet of noetic and divine things, O Porphyrios. For through your zeal for ascetic deeds, you overtook all, reaching a height of virtues hard to climb. And having received a multitude of gifts from the Spirit, you grant many gifts and wonders to those who entreat you, while your life instructs all, calling them to repentance. But, O venerable and compassionate Father, intercede for salvation of souls for those who of those who take refuge in your boldness [before God].

-Idiomelon from the Great Vespers for 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!

Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Milesi, Attica, built by St. Porphyrios

Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ built by St. Porphyrios in Milesi, Attica (source)

  
Brief history of the Monastery
The Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ (celebrated August 6th), though technically a dependency, was founded by St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia in Milesi, Attica, geographically between Oropos and Malakassa in the northern suburbs of Athens.

From one's first step as a pilgrim in the area, one encounters the sanctity of the place and the total silence. One is struck by the astonishing Holy Church and the beautiful green surroundings.

A multitude of people hasten to the holy Hesychasterion which honors the memory of the Venerable Porphyrios on December 2nd, the day of his repose, in order to partake in the grace of this Saintly Elder.

The building of the monastery began in 1981, and the building occurred in stages, with the Katholikon being founded in 1990, with permission of Archbishop Seraphim of Athens. The walls of the church were completed in the spring of 1992, a few months after the repose of St. Porphyrios.
  

St. Porphyrios on his bed at the monastery near the end of his life (source)

  
After St. Porphyrios retired from the chaplaincy at the Polyclinic of Athens (St. Gerasimos near Omonoia), he lived a few years at St. Nicholas in Kalisia, Penteli, but ultimately moved to Milesi of Malakassa, where he continued to live humbly, struggling with his illnesses.

That place became a true pilgrimage. The Elder chose obscurity, but God glorified him. "The world," as he wrote later, "took me from my good place, and everyone calls me a saint. However, I feel that I am the greatest sinner of the world...and I entreat all those who knew me to pray for me."
  

The interior of the Katholikon (source) 

  
His last breath was humble and far from the world in Kavsokalyvia of Mount Athos, on December 2nd, 1991, as he had been informed by God that his end was near. His repose was known only by his fellow cell-mates in Kavsokalyvia, and so his funeral was humble in the Garden of the Panagia.
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Information and Hours of Operation
Ιερόν Γυναικείον Ησυχαστήριον Αγίου Πορφυρίου Μεταμορφώσεως του Σωτήρος
Milesi, Malakasa, Greece 190 11
+30 2295 098261
  
The Monastery is open from sunrise to sunset, except for being closed from 2-4PM daily. Vespers is served daily at either 5PM (winter hours) or 6PM (summer hours). Orthros and Divine Liturgy are served every Sunday from 7-10AM.
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Pilgrims to the monastery can venerate the bed and personal articles of St. Porphyrios, a place full of grace (source)

  

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

Metropolitan Neophytos on St. Porphyrios and other Contemporary Saints

This is a wonderful talk in Greek (with English subtitles) by Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou (Cyprus) on his experiences with St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia and other contemporary Saints and Elders of the Orthodox Church. This occurred on his Eminence's recent visit to the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Milesi (outside of Athens). This monastery was built and spiritually guided by St. Porphyrios. Pilgrims to the monastery can venerate the cell of St. Porphyrios and many of his personal articles. The Bishop came as a simple pilgrim and was asked by the Abbess to give a talk after lunch about his relationship with St. Porphyrios. May the Saint help all those who need his help throughout the world! (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!

"Mary, the spotless one, and spiritual tabernacle..."

The Entrance of the Theotokos to the Temple (source)

  

Mary, the spotless one, and spiritual tabernacle, is offered today in the house of God, and is received by the hands of Zacharias, as a sanctified vessel of the Lord.

O, your wonders surpassing mind, O Spotless One! Strange is your nativity, strange the manner of your raising, and strange and paradoxical is everything about you, O Bride of God, and inscrutable to mortals.

Behold, a joyous springtime has shone forth today to the ends of the earth, gladdening our soul and mind and nous with grace, at the festival of the Theotokos today, and let us mystically rejoice.
-from the Matins Canons for the Great Feast of the Entrace of the Theotokos to the Temple
  
(source)
  

The Entrance of the Theotokos to the Temple (source)

  

Most-holy Theotokos, save us!

Remarkable Story of an Appearance of St. Herman

St. Herman of Alaska (source)

  
"I recently discovered this on a friend’s Facebook page and thought it worth sharing. This took place at Holy Resurrection church in Claremont, NH:
“Sometime ago, we invited a local “tree surgeon”, Leo M., to cut down a couple of dead trees in the back of the church property. He came and worked with his wife, Kathleen, doing the job quickly and with kindness to the rest of the surroundings. But they strongly resisted being paid, insisting on offering their work gratis to our church. The reason for it was the following story that happened to them a few years before, just after they had gotten married.
They both were big enthusiasts of serious mountaineering and rock climbing, and therefore for their honeymoon trip they decided to go to Alaska, to bag the highest peak of North America, mount Denali (aka McKinley), 20,320 feet. They prepared their expedition very thoroughly, staying in the camp at the foot of the mountain, talking to guides, studying the maps, checking the equipment, and waiting for a long stretch of good weather.
Everything went just fine for a few days of their exciting, but extremely difficult ascent. At the end of one day, on a narrow path, they met an old, strange looking man in a long robe, who was walking down the mountain. In a friendly manner he greeted them and advised them to turn around and return to the base camp as quickly as possible because the weather was changing into a bad storm. Soon, he said, it will be very dangerous around here. And in answer to their unasked question, how could he know such a thing, he told them that he is local and knows the climate very well. Leaving them surprised and uneasy, he continued on his way.
A few minutes later, when Leo and his wife made a wise decision to turn back and tried to recall the appearance of the old man, they realized that he hadn’t had a back pack or any other hiking gear with him. How could he have made it up so high in the bare rocky mountain in sub-zero temperatures and without any food or protection?!
Anyway, to make a short story shorter, a few days later, almost at the bottom of the mountain, they were indeed caught by a severe storm. They survived it, constantly in their minds thanking the old man who had warned them of the danger. A week later, still staying at the base camp, they were told that some other climbers, who were at the higher elevations than they during the storm, never came back.
But the focal point of the story is this: at the camp cafeteria they noticed a picture of their rescuer, pinned on a bulletin board between all kinds of papers and photos of the mountain. They recognized him from the first, at a glance. When they asked the waiter about his name, he told them, ” It’s St Herman of Alaska.” The photo was of the icon of St Herman from the Orthodox church nearby.
The Saint told them the truth: he was indeed a local guy…”
“By enduring the trials of nature, the storms’ cold and wind together with hunger, thou didst kindle spiritual peace, warmth and satiety, and become unaffected by the elements, truly a heavenly man and earthly angel, O wondrous Herman; so wishing to honor thee as is meet we cry out: Rejoice, conqueror of nature’s hardships! Rejoice, thou who wast arrayed in the virtues! … Rejoice, O venerable Father Herman, adornment of Alaska and joy of all America! ” (From Akathist to St Herman)"
(source)
  

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

St. Ephraim the Syrian on Christ's Divine and Human Natures

Jesus Christ Emmanuel (source)

  
The facts themselves bear witness and his divine acts of power teach those who doubt that he is true God, and his sufferings show that he is true man. And if those who are feeble in understanding are not fully assured, they will pay the penalty on his dread day.
If he was not flesh, why was Mary introduced at all? And if he was not God, whom was Gabriel calling Lord?
If he was not flesh, who was lying in the manger? And if he was not God, whom did the Angels come down and glorify?
If he was not flesh, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes? And if he was not God, whom did the shepherds worship?
If he was not flesh, whom did Joseph circumcise? And if he was not God, in whose honour did the star speed through the heavens?
If he was not flesh, whom did Mary suckle? And if he was not God, to whom did the Magi offer gifts?
If he was not flesh, whom did Symeon carry in his arms? And if he was not God, to whom did he say, “Let me depart in peace”?
If he was not flesh, whom did Joseph take and flee into Egypt? And if he was not God, in whom were words “Out of Egypt I have called my Son” fulfilled?
If he was not flesh, whom did John baptise? And if he was not God, to whom did the Father from heaven say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased”?
If he was not flesh, who fasted and hungered in the desert? And if he was not God, whom did the Angels come down and serve?
If he was not flesh, who was invited to the wedding in Cana of Galilee? And if he was not God, who turned the water into wine?
If he was not flesh, in whose hands were the loaves? And if he was not God, who satisfied crowds and thousands in the desert, not counting women and children, from five loaves and two fishes?
If he was not flesh, who fell asleep in the boat? And if he was not God, who rebuked the winds and the sea?
If he was not flesh, with whom did Simon the Pharisee eat? And if he was not God, who pardoned the offences of the sinful woman?
If he was not flesh, who sat by the well, worn out by the journey? And if he was not God, who gave living water to the woman of Samaria and reprehended her because she had had five husbands?
If he was not flesh, who wore human garments? And if he was not God, who did acts of power and wonders?
If he was not flesh, who spat on the ground and made clay? And if he was not God, who through the clay compelled the eyes to see?
If he was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if he was not God, who by his command brought out one four days dead?
If he was not flesh, who sat on the foal? And if he was not God, whom did the crowds go out to meet with glory?
If he was not flesh, whom did the Jews arrest? And if he was not God, who gave an order to the earth and threw them onto their faces.
If he was not flesh, who was struck with a blow? And if he was not God, who cured the ear that had been cut off by Peter and restored it to its place?
If he was not flesh, who received spittings on his face? And if he was not God, who breathed the Holy Spirit into the faces of his Apostles?
If he was not flesh, who stood before Pilate at the judgement seat? And if he was not God, who made Pilate’s wife afraid by a dream?
If he was not flesh, whose garments did the soldiers strip off and divide? And if he was not God, how was the sun darkened at the cross?
If he was not flesh, who was hung on the cross? And if he was not God, who shook the earth from its foundations?
If he was not flesh, whose hands and feet were transfixed by nails? And if he was not God, how was the veil of the temple rent, the rocks broken and the graves opened?
If he was not flesh, who cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me”? And if he was not God, who said “Father, forgive them”?
If he was not flesh, who was hung on a cross with the thieves? And if he was not God, how did he say to the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”?
If he was not flesh, to whom did they offer vinegar and gall? And if he was not God, on hearing whose voice did Hades tremble?
If he was not flesh, whose side did the lance pierce, and blood and water came out?And if he was not God, who smashed to gates of Hades and tear apart it bonds? And at whose command did the imprisoned dead come out?
If he was not flesh, whom did the Apostles see in the upper room? And if he was not God, how did he enter when the doors were shut?
If he was not flesh, the marks of the nails and the lance in whose hands and side did Thomas handle? And if he was not God, to whom did he cry out, “My Lord and my God”?
If he was not flesh, who ate by the sea of Tiberias? And if he was not God, at whose command was the net filled?
If he was not flesh, whom did the Apostles and Angels see being taken up into heaven? And if he was not God, to whom was heaven opened, whom did the Powers worship in fear and whom did the Father invite to “Sit at my right hand”. As David said, “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, etc.”
If he was not God and man, our salvation is a lie, and the words of the Prophets are lies.  But the Prophets spoke the truth, and their testimonies were not lies. The Holy Spirit spoke through them what they had been commanded.
+ St. Ephrem the Syrian, Excerpt from the Sermon on Transfiguration
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Jesus Christ Emmanuel (source)

  

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