this issue

Letter from Fr. Mark Liturgical/Organization Calendar for September 2011 Greek Festival Youth Team: JOY and GOYA Philoxenia House Stewardship What Is the Human Nous? Father John Romanides The Logos and the Tao The Translation of St. John the Theologian College Students: stay in touch! St. Marys Family Camp, 2011 Hosted by Paul Karos in Amery, WI

BOX & SPOON - September 2011

September 2011

Box & Spoon

Monthly Newsletter for Stewards of Holy Anargyroi Sts. Kosmas & Damianos Greek Orthodox Church

Brethren, we command youthat you keep away from any brother who is living in idlenessif anyone will not work, let him not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 2 Thess. 3:6-12
We hurried from our work stations just moments before we opened our doors for Greek Fest 2011 to gather as one united family in prayer to ask Gods blessing upon our immediate endeavors through the celebration of the Small Sanctification of the Waters. As we stood in the midst of organized chaos with the sun blazing down on our already toiled brow the words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians filled the small parking lot. In a rare moment of intense concentration I closed my eyes and cleaved to the words that the Reader chanted, and was profoundly struck with an emotion I can only articulate as accountability. I firmly believe there is a pervasive social component to the Christian Gospel; a harmonious balance of personal responsibility and obligation coupled with a proactive awareness of ones neighbor and their needs. This ideology, at some level, is currently belabored in an all too vitriolic dispute within the national political spectrum. Lets lay aside the political caveats for one moment and consider the poignant and timeless message the Apostle Paul is revealing to the Church.
St. John the Theologian
Icon from Patmos Monastery

After his words were pronounced I opened my eyes and saw many of our parishioners with gloves, aprons, work Tshirts, and even some tools of their trade. They were ready to work. My heart swelled with admiration and gratitude for, unlike in the past, this year the parish family heeded the incessant plea for volunteers and answered the call. In fact, several members from our sister family St. George Ethiopian Church arrived and asked where they could be of assistance. We had such a wealth of volunteers many of them were asked to come the following day as all positions were filled. This response was a testimony to the dedication, worth ethic, and faith of our parish family. As your priest I was humbled to see so many fleeing from idleness, willing to work and offer personal sacrifice for the benefit of the whole. Many recognized the spiritual necessity to put forth effort and toil in order to receive blessings in returna few, perhaps, did not. For better or for worse (Ill save that topic for another day) a majority of parishes throughout the Archdiocese depend on Greek Festivals in order to ensure financial stability; ours is currently one of those parishes. Therefore, in order for our parish to continue her mission we must do everything in our power to ensure the annual success, at ALL levels, of the Fest. It is an undeniable fact that every member of our parish benefits from the success of the Festival; the funds received are in turn allocated to all aspects of the parishs functioning. I remember my grandmother always telling me, If you dont vote you dont have a say! Her words reflect an undeniable moral logic: if one is not willing and chooses not to participate in a process, one does (should) not receive the benefits of having done so. I would like to invite those parishioners who actively chose, for whatever reason, not to be involved this year to examine their heart in an honest and unpretentious manner and ask themselves if St. Pauls exhortation somehow applies to them. Did some perhaps exempt themselves from work for selfish or misguided reasons? Did some perhaps choose to underestimate the significance of the Fest? Did some perhaps lull themselves into complacency deeming previous sacrifices sufficient? My words, although bold, are offered with love and concern in a spirit of exhortation not judgment and ire. To complete St. Pauls quote cited above he states, Now such persons we command and exhortto do their work in quietness if anyone will not work, let him not eat simply maintains the appropriate and healthy balance that the Christian life demands. To apply this theology to our immediate circumstance I believe St Paul would agree with the following extrapolation, If one chooses not to support the Church in her efforts, how can one in good conscience in turn demand support from her? +Fr. Mark

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

holyanargyroi@gmail.com

Greek Orthodox Church 703 West Center Street Rochester, MN 55902 (507) 282-1529 phone (507) 282-1253 fax http://www.holyanargyroi.org

Holy Anargyroi/Sts. Kosmas & Damianos

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Rochester, MN Permit No. 278

Who can tell thy mighty works, O virgin Saint? For thou pourest forth miracles, and art a source of healings

Sept 26th, 2011

Intercede for our souls, as the Theologian and the friend of Christ

The Burial and Translation of St John the Theologian - Sept 26th

2011 Standing Committees

PARISH COUNCIL Tim Kelly - President Johnny Mangouras - Vice President Andru Peters - Secretary Dan Jerghiu - Treasurer Diana Orbelo Tia Maragos Nick Maragos Halina Woroncow Aaron Biedermann STEWARDSHIP John Maragos Chair Ari Kolas Mark Smith OUTREACH Diana Orbelo Halina Woroncow ICONOGRAPHY Diana Orbelo Chair Tia Maragos Andru Peters Fr. Mark Muoz BUILDING Tim Kelly Ari Kolas BUDGET Dan Jerghiu Chair Johnny Mangouras Fr. Mark Muoz AUDIT Aaron Biedermann Mark Smith John Maragos ELECTION BOARD Presbytera Michelle Chris Brekke Chamaidi Belanger PHILOXENIA HOUSE Chamaidi Belanger Chair GREEK FESTIVAL Dan Jerghiu Chair Steve Kereakos Treasurer Lorenda Jerghiu Silent auction Joe Ferrer Set-up/Teardown Tim Kelly Outdoor Cooks Johnny Mangouras Marketing Ari Kolas Marketing Penny Kolas Pastries Maria Thomas Pastries Denise Mangouras Pastries Presbytera Michelle Volunteers Martha Voytovich Market place Andru Peters Beverages Mike Brekke Beer Garden Larissa Osfeld Children Area Mrs. Mangouras Inside Kitchen

Liturgical and Organizational Calendar September 2011

Monday Thursday Saturday Sunday Monday Monday Sept. 5th Sept. 8th Labor Day Office Closed Building Committee Meeting Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Orthros and Divine Liturgy Sept. 10th Great Vespers Sept. 11th First Day of Sunday School Philoptochos Sponsored Luncheon Sept. 12th Sept. 12th Iconography Installation: Platytera, Nativity, Extreme Humility Philoxenia Monthly Meeting Orthros and Divine Liturgy Saturday Monday Saturday Saturday Sunday Monday Sept. 17th Great Vespers Sept. 18th Sept. 24th JOY Outing @ Northwoods Apple Orchard Parish Council Meeting Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Luncheon Rosemont, IL GOYA Flag Football Adult Religious Ed: Epistle of St James 6:00pm 7:00pm 12:30pm 5:00pm 8:30am 6:00pm 8:30am 6:00pm 7pm Wednesday Sept. 7th

St. Marys Family Camp Registration 2011

Name: ____________________________________ Phone:_____________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________ State:________ Zip Code: _________ E-Mail_______________________ Home Parish:______________________________ Parent(s)________________________________________________ Children ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ age: _________ _________ _________ _________ grade: _________ _________ _________ _________

Wednesday Sept. 14th Elevation of the Holy Cross * Strict Fast Day *

Wednesday Sept. 21st

Rooms sleep eight people. Is there someone (family, friends) with whom you would be willing to share a room? Yes__ No__ Who?_________________________ Arrival will begin on Friday at 4 pm. We plan to have dinner at 6 pm Friday night. The weekend will conclude Sunday following Liturgy and brunch. What time do you anticipate arriving at camp? ___________ Check in will be held at Crossfire Hall where room assignments will be available. We have the opportunity to hire qualified staff for the high ropes course. For a small additional fee, how many from your family (13 years +) would be interested? ___ (informational onlycommitments will be made later) Register Early! Limited Space! Adults over 18..........................$89.00 Age 12-17..............$68.00 Age 3-11....................................$55.00 FREE.......................................Age 0-2 Maximum family fee is $350. NON-REFUNDABLE AFTER OCTOBER 1. Send completed forms and payment to: St. Marys Greek Orthodox Church 3450 Irving Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55408. Attn: Family Camp. Registration is first come, first served upon receipt of payment.

Sept. 24th NO Great Vespers Sept. 25th Sept. 26th

Silent Auction Thank You!

To all fellow parishioners and friends for their personal donations and for helping us get donations from businesses: your generosity is very much appreciated and helped to make the 11th Greek Festival Silent Auction a tremendous success! Angie and Pete Chafos Angie Rustad Ann and Nick Kolas Caliope Chafoulias Calli and Tim Kelly Cathy and Robert Little Chamaidi and Joel Belanger Cathy and George Murak Connie and Nick Maragos Loredana and Dan Jerghiuta Donald and Elaine Jenkins Eric Tangalos Erline and Brad Holman George Kereakos Gus Chafoulias Halina Woronkow Helen Santrizos Jackie Barbes James Krom Jean and Paul Pliakas Jenny Leidig John Fibison John Maragos Johnny and Denise Mangouras Kathy Chafos Christina Bakrizes Lexie and Aaron Biedermann Linda and George Margellos Lucia and Ionel Dumitrascu Mando and Michael Katselis Maria and George Thomas Maria Cazacu Marion and George Zahos Mariuca Jerghiuta Mariya Maragos Martha Vojtovich Mary Shabestari Natasha Henderson Nereida Lekakis Nick and Eva Laskaris Penny and Ari Kolas Phylio Kapenis Salah and Catherine Sedarous Sandra and Fausto Cabral Sandy and Tom Kapellas Sherly Snyder Soula Pampori Steve Davis Steve Kereakos Terri and Russ Mettler Tina Sageotis

Who can tell thy mighty works, O virgin Saint? For thou pourest forth miracles, and art a source of healings

Sept 26th, 2011

Intercede for our souls, as the Theologian and the friend of Christ

The Burial and Translation of St John the Theologian - Sept 26th

Family Camp 2011

Featuring

Paul Karos
When: Where: Who: October 14, 15, 16 Camp Wapogasset, the beautiful site of St. Marys Summer Camp in Amery, WI Twin Cities Orthodox Families
Dear Friends, Over the last few years, being both Treasurer and chair of the Festival Committee my primary concern has been how much money we made. I would look for Steve several times a day to get an update on money collection. This year I had a completely different experience. Friday afternoon, after finishing the set up for the Silent Auction, I went out and saw that all booths were fully staffed, well supplied, food was ready and great tasting and we were ready to serve even before the opening time. Seeing so many parishioners respond to our call for help, come early and many work all day long, I totally forgot about money. I did not look for Steve the whole weekend. I still dont know how much money we made but I can say without any doubt that we had a Great Festival. Sincere thanks to everybody who worked that weekend and also throughout the year to make this event a reality! I also want to thank our friends from St. George Ethiopian Church for joining us throughout the weekend. As always there are things we can do better. We will have a Festival Committee meeting Wednesday, August 28 at 7PM to discuss ideas for next year. If you have suggestions please try to attend or at least forward your comments to us. Planning has to start early for many of the changes. Ill end with a challenge for all of us. Every year I do interviews for newspapers, TV stations or web sites. There is one question that comes up in every single interview: where does the money go?. They ask because most public events donate some of the money to local charities. As we move ahead with our plan to rely more on stewardship and less on the Festival (and implicitly the weather) for our monthly expenses, lets all think about giving back to a community that has been generous to us for 40-some years. Dan Jerghiuta djerghiuta@yahoo.com 507-271-7688

About what are you passionate?? Join us this October to explore how the passions that drive each one of us affect our spiritual and family life. Paul Karos has lead retreats around the country on this topic and will help us explore. Family camp is a great opportunity to share a weekend of fun and spiritual growth with your family and other Twin Cities Orthodox friends at a beautiful retreat center only 1 hours away! Families will eat, worship, learn, and play together! Activities are planned for children while parents attend discussion groups. Each family has a private sleeping area with a bathroom. What a wonderful way to introduce a new camper to their summer camping destination! Registration. Space is Limited! Register early and spread the word to your family and friends. Registration fees include two nights lodging, five meals, all programming and tons of fun! Over 18.$89.00 Age 12-18.$68.00 Age 3-11...$55.00 Age 0-2.Free Maximum Family Fee is $350 Non Refundable after October 1, 2011. Questions? Contact Paul or Cindy Karos at ckaros@visi.com or at 952.929.6371. Registration forms available at all Orthodox Churches or at www.stmarysgoc.org. St. Marys Greek Orthodox Church 3450 Irving Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55408 612.825.2525

Who can tell thy mighty works, O virgin Saint? For thou pourest forth miracles, and art a source of healings

Sept 26th, 2011

Intercede for our souls, as the Theologian and the friend of Christ

The Burial and Translation of St John the Theologian - Sept 26th

September has arrived! Our Church School program resumes on Sunday, September 11th. If you have not yet touched base with Presbytera Michelle to register your child, please do. Our teacher volunteers this year are: Pre-K Connie Jelatis-Hoke and Pres. Michelle; K-1 Kathy Lytle and Rebeca Chery; Gr 2-3 Loredana Jerghiuta and Kris Brekke; Gr 4-6 Gordy Hoke and Terri Mettler; Gr 7-12 Trevor Hamlen, Mike Brekke, and Halina Woroncow. As in the past, we ask parents to kindly be patient and wait until your childs class is done before picking them up after Liturgy (meanwhile, take the opportunity to enjoy some fellowship at Coffee Hour!). The teachers will open their doors and make it clear when class is over. A message for the parents: please instruct your children to put their meal leftovers in a trash can and set the toys and chairs back in order before leaving home. Parents are expected to clean up for children that are too young to do it themselves. These things dont get done by themselves and helping them become responsible children who help take care of their church is an important lesson in helping them grow toward adulthood. Many thanks to our dedicated teachers who spend hours and hours of their time every week preparing lessons for our children! August proved to be a busy month for the youth of our church. We opened with Vacation Church School, attended by an enthusiastic group of our children from ages 4-12. Larissa Ostfeld, Connie Jelatis-Hoke, Deanna Kolas, Ali Ostfeld, and Theoni Kolas, under the guidance of Father Mark, provided a meaningful and enjoyable week for the children as they learned about the feasts of light: The Transfiguration, Nativity, the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, and Theophany. It was wonderful to see our GOYAns mentoring their younger classmates, helping to guide them in the faith.

YOUTH TEAM

Our GOYAns, also, stepped up to the plate early on a sunny Saturday morning to do some needed clean up and maintenance work around the Church before our Festival.

They finished off their summer vacation with a trip to Mt. Olympus Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells. A fun, full day of activity was enjoyed by all!

Last, but not least, our youth participated front and center in our Festival by running the Childrens Area and helping out elsewhere wherever the need arose. Congratulations and thank you to our young people on a job well done! As always, please approach your Youth Team at any time with any questions, concerns, or ideas to better serve the children of our parish. The future is here, now, in these precious ones. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) In Christ, Your Youth Team: Halina Woroncow, Loredana Jerghiuta, Trevor Hamlen

Who can tell thy mighty works, O virgin Saint? For thou pourest forth miracles, and art a source of healings

Sept 26th, 2011

Intercede for our souls, as the Theologian and the friend of Christ

The Burial and Translation of St John the Theologian - Sept 26th

The Translation of St. John the Theologian

The Translation of the Holy glorious Apostle and Evangelist, beloved John the Theologian - Commemorated on September 26th
"The Holy, Glorious All-laudable Apostle and Evangelist, Virgin, and Beloved Friend of Christ, John the Theologian was the son of Zebedee and Salome, a daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. He was called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be one of His Apostles at the same time as his elder brother James. This took place at Lake Gennesareth (i.e. the Sea of Galilee). Leaving behind their father, both brothers followed the Lord. The Apostle John was especially loved by the Savior for his sacrificial love and his virginal purity. After his calling, the Apostle John did not part from the Lord, and he was one of the three apostles who were particularly close to Him. St John the Theologian was present when the Lord restored the daughter of Jairus to life, and he was a witness to the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. During the Last Supper, he reclined next to the Lord, and laid his head upon His breast. He also asked the name of the Savior's betrayer. The Apostle John followed after the Lord when they led Him bound from the Garden of Gethsemane to the court of the iniquitous High Priests Annas and Caiphas. He was there in the courtyard of the High Priest during the interrogations of his Teacher and he resolutely followed after him on the way to Golgotha, grieving with all his heart. At the foot of the Cross he stood with the Mother of God and heard the words of the Crucified Lord addressed to Her from the Cross: "Woman, behold Thy son." Then the Lord said to him, "Behold thy Mother" (John 19:26-27). From that moment the Apostle John, like a loving son, concerned himself over the Most Holy Virgin Mary, and he served Her until Her Dormition. After the Dormition of the Mother of God the Apostle John went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his own disciple Prochorus. They boarded a ship, which floundered during a terrible tempest. All the travelers were cast up upon dry ground, and only the Apostle John remained in the depths of the sea. Prochorus wept bitterly, bereft of his spiritual father and guide, and he went on towards Ephesus alone. On the fourteenth day of his journey he stood at the shore of the sea and saw that the waves had cast a man ashore. Going up to him, he recognized the Apostle John, whom the Lord had preserved alive for fourteen days in the sea. Teacher and disciple went to Ephesus, where the Apostle John preached incessantly to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was accompanied by such numerous and great miracles, that the number of believers increased with each day.
St. John being washed ashore near St. Prochoros

PHILOXENIA HOUSE
Greetings to all our Holy Anargyroi parishioners and friends of the Philoxenia House.
We are very thankful and blessed to have the support of our brothers and sisters at The Holy Apostles in Westchester, IL. We received a check for $6,100.00 from the 5K run fundraiser. What love and support they have showed in the past, and continue to show toward our ministry! During the summer the roof shingles at the white Philoxenia House were replaced. Trevor, who was contracted to do it, and his people did a nice job. The roof was the start of a few more projects of renovating that need to be done in the two apartments. I may have to call on some of our parishioners to help us with painting and some light work. We, the Philoxenia House committee would greatly appreciate your donating a little of your time or some of the supplies when the time comes. The Youth Volunteer Group from St. Haralambos were unable to visit this summer. The flower gardens were in desperate need of weeding. A group of young people from the Holy Anargyroi Goya came to the rescue! On behalf of the Philoxenia House committee I would like to thank these wonderful youths for spending a Saturday morning, under the guidance of their leaders, weeding, cleaning and making the flowers breath again. What a magnificent job they did! God bless you all. Your support is appreciated, Chamaidi Belanger Chair, Philoxenia House Committee

STEWARDSHIP
We would like to thank the 82 Stewards who have returned their stewardship packets. It is truly a blessing to witness firsthand the support our parish receives from her parishioners. That being said, we are still 48 pledges short of our goal for this year. If you havent already done so, we ask that you prayerfully consider what you can give back to God in support of His parish. Additional stewardship packets are located by the Church entrance in the Narthex.

During this time there had begun a persecution of Christians under the emperor Nero (56-68). They took the Apostle John for trial at Rome. St John was sentenced to death for his confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Lord preserved His chosen one. The apostle drank a cup of deadly poison, but he remained alive. Later, he emerged unharmed from a cauldron of boiling oil into which he had been thrown on orders from the torturer. After this, they sent the Apostle John off to imprisonment to the island of Patmos, where he spent many years. Proceeding along on his way to the place of exile, St John worked many miracles. On the island of Patmos, his preaching and miracles attracted to him all the inhabitants of the island, and he enlightened them with the light of the Gospel. He cast out many devils from the pagan temples, and he healed a great multitude of the sick.
Sts John and Prochoros exiled to Patmos

2011 Current List of Pledging Members

Note: this list is not synonymous, nor does it indicate, members in good spiritual and/or financial standing with the parish.

The Apostle John withdrew with his disciple Prochorus to a desolate height, where he imposed upon himself a three-day fast. As St John prayed the earth quaked and thunder rumbled. Prochorus fell to the ground in fright. The Apostle John lifted him up and told him to write down what he was about to say. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty" (Rev 1:8), proclaimed the Spirit of God through the Apostle John. Thus in about the year 67 the Book of Revelation was written, known also as the "Apocalypse," of the holy Apostle John the Theologian. In this Book were predictions of the tribulations of the Church and of the end of the world.
Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos Icon of Sts. John and Prochoros on Patmos

St John when he was more than a hundred years old. he far outlived the other eyewitnesses of the Lord, and for a long time he remained the only remaining eyewitness of the earthly life of the Savior. When it was time for the departure of the Apostle John, he went out beyond the city limits of Ephesus with the families of his disciples. He bade them prepare for him a cross-shaped grave, in which he lay, telling his disciples that they should cover him over with the soil. The disciples tearfully kissed their beloved teacher, but not wanting to be disobedient, they fulfilled his bidding. They covered the face of the saint with a cloth and filled in the grave. Learning of this, other disciples of St John came to the place of his burial. When they opened the grave, they found it empty.

Mary Beth Abraham Andrew Barbes Gust & Jackie Barbes Joel & Chamaidi Belanger Samuel Benjamin Costa & Maria Boosalis Lexie & Aaron Biedermann Mike & Kris Brekke Maria Campbell Gus & Kathy Chafos Peter & Angie Chafos Rebeca Chery John and Nina Cokinos Fr. Anthony Coniaris Ionel and Lucia Dumitrascu Joe & Cindy Forrer Judy Gale Dimitar & Ralitza Gavrilova Helen Grechis Kyle Hafar

Trevor & Laura Hamlen Viorel & Simona Hodis Bradley & Erline Holman Gordy & Connie Jelatis-Hoke Donald and Elaine Jenkins Dan & Loredana Jerghiuta Carolyn Jukich Tom and Sandy Kapellas Phyllis Kapenis Dino & Tricia Kasdagly Martha Karakelides Yanni Kaloumenos Michael & Mondo Katselis Tim & Calli Kelly William Kerakos Steve Kereakos George Kereakos Michelle Kinsley Peter Kolas

Nick & Ann Kolas Ari & Penny Kolas Tony & Nereida Lecakis Beth Lechner Kula Magaritsidis Johnny & Denise Mangouras Dr. Nick and Connie Maragos John Maragos Tia Maragos George & Linda Margellos Jason & Daniela Meier George & Cathy Murak Diana Orbelo Soula Pampori Maria Pasalis Andi Pathoulas Andru Peters Maria and Jacob Peterson Dr. Doug and Anne Pflaum

Marilyn Phelps Dr. Nick & Effie Psimos Nicholas Psimos Angie Rustad Tina Sageotis John & Jennifer Sakellarou Helen Santrizos John Schur Elilta Sebhatu Mogib & Seham Salama Mary Shabestari Ian De Silva Mark Smith Fr. Robert and Nikki Stephanopoulos George & Maria Thomas Carl & Olga Voss Martha Voytovich Troy & Stephanie Miller Ray Ostfeld & Dr. Halina Woroncrow

The burial and translation of St. John the Theologian

Total Income Total Expenses Net Income

Jan - July 2011 Actual

$115,217.90 $138,695.32 -$23,477.42

Jan - July 2010 Actual

$105,342.14 $138,766.29 -$33,424.15

2011 vs 2010 Difference

$9,875.76 -$70.97 $9,946.73

Jan - July 2011 Budget

$112,960.00 $143,240.00 -$30,280.00

Actual vs. Budget Difference

2,257.90 -$4,544.68 $6,802.58

Who can tell thy mighty works, O virgin Saint? For thou pourest forth miracles, and art a source of healings

Sept 26th, 2011

Intercede for our souls, as the Theologian and the friend of Christ

The Burial and Translation of St John the Theologian - Sept 26th

What Is the Human Nous?

Chapter 1 from Patristic Theology by Father John Romanides
The chief concern of the Orthodox Church is the healing of the human soul. The Church has always considered the soul as the part of the human being that needs healing because She has seen from Hebrew tradition, from Christ Himself, and from the Apostles that in the region of the physical heart there functions something that the Fathers called the nous. In other words, the Fathers took the traditional term nous, which means both intellect (dianoia) and speech or reason (logos), and gave it a different meaning. They used nous to refer to this noetic energy that functions in the heart of every spiritually healthy person. We do not know when this change in meaning took place, because we know that some Fathers used the same word nous to refer to reason as well as to this noetic energy that descends and functions in the region of the heart. So from this perspective, noetic activity is an activity essential to the soul. It functions in the brain as the reason; it simultaneously functions in the heart as the nous. In other words, the same organ, the nous, prays ceaselessly in the heart and simultaneously thinks about mathematical problems, for example, or anything else in the brain. We should point out that there is a difference in terminology between St. Paul and the Fathers. What St. Paul calls the nous is the same as what the Fathers call dianoia. When the Apostle Paul says, "I will pray with the spirit,"1] he means what the Fathers mean when they say, "I will pray with the nous." And when he says, "I will pray with the nous," he means "I will pray with the intellect (dianoia)." When the Fathers use the word nous, the Apostle Paul uses the word "spirit." When he says "I will pray with the nous, I will pray with the spirit" or when he says "I will chant with the nous, I will chant with the spirit," and when he says "the Spirit of God bears witness to our spirit,"[2] he uses the word "spirit" to mean what the Fathers refer to as the nous. And by the word nous, he means the intellect or reason. In his phrase, "the Spirit of God bears witness to our spirit," St. Paul speaks about two spirits: the Spirit of God and the human spirit. By some strange turn of events, what St. Paul meant by the human spirit later reappeared during the time of St. Makarios the Egyptian with the name nous, and only the words logos and dianoia continued to refer to mans rational ability. This is how the nous came to be identified with spirit, that is, with the heart, since according to St. Paul, the heart is the place of mans spirit.[3] Thus, for the Apostle Paul reasonable or logical worship takes place by means of the nous (i.e., the reason or the intellect) while noetic prayer occurs through the spirit and is spiritual prayer or prayer of the heart.[4] So when the Apostle Paul says, "I prefer to say five words with my nous in order to instruct others rather than a thousand with my tongue,"[5] he means that he prefers to say five words, in other words to speak a bit, for the instruction of others rather than pray noetically. Some monks interpret what St. Paul says here as a reference to the Prayer of Jesus, which consists of five words,[6] but at this point the Apostle is speaking here about the words he used in instructing others.[7] For how can catechism take place with noetic prayer, since noetic prayer is a persons inward prayer, and others around him do not hear anything? Catechism, however, takes place with teaching and worship that are cogent and reasonable. We teach and speak by using the reason, which is the usual way that people communicate with each other.[8] Those who have noetic prayer in their hearts do, however, communicate with one another. In other words, they have the ability to sit together, and communicate with each other noetically, without speaking. That is, they are able to communicate spiritually. Of course, this also occurs even when such people are far apart. They also have the gifts of clairvoyance and foreknowledge. Through clairvoyance, they can sense both other peoples sins and thoughts (logismoi), while foreknowledge enables them to see and talk about subjects, deeds, and events in the future. Such charismatic people really do exist. If you go to them for confession, they know everything that you have done in your life before you open your mouth to tell them.
1 Corinthians 14:5. Romans 8:16. This means that the Spirit of God speaks to our spirit. In other words, God speaks within our heart by the grace of the Holy Spirit. St. Gregory Palamas in his second discourse from "In Behalf of the Sacred Hesychasts" notes that "the heart rules over the whole human organism". For the nous and all the thoughts (logismoi) of the soul are located there." From the context of grace-filled prayer, it is clear that the term "heart" does not refer to the physical heart, but to the deep heart, while the term nous does not refer to the intellect (dianoia), but to the energy/activity of the heart, the noetic activity which wells forth from the essence of the nous (i.e., the heart). For this reason, St. Gregory adds that it is necessary for the hesychasts "to bring their nous back and enclose it within their body and particularly within that innermost body, within the body that we call the heart." The term "spirit" is also identical with the terms nous and "heart." Philokalia, vol. IV (London: Faber and Faber, 1995), p, 334. Cf. Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, who notes: "Man has two centers of knowing: the nous which is the appropriate organ for receiving the revelation of God that is later put into words through the reason and the reason which knows the sensible world around us." The Person in Orthodox Tradition, trans. Effie Mavromichali (Levadia: Monastery of the Birth of the Theotokos, 1994), p. 24. 1 Corinthians 14:19. In Greek, the Prayer of Jesus consists of exactly five words in its simplest form, which in English is translated as "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me" "TRANS. "Thus as Saint John of Damascus puts it, we are led as though up a ladder to the thinking of good thoughts". Saint Paul also indicates this when he says: "I had rather speak five words with my nous"."" St. Peter of Damascus, "The Third Stage of Contemplation," in Philokalia, 3, 42 [my translation: cf. also English Philokalia, vol. XXX, p. 120] and St. Nikitas Stithatos, as cited below. With respect to this, Venerable Nikitas Stithatos writes, ""If when you pray and psalmodize you speak in a tongue to God in private you edify yourself, as Saint Paul says. " If it is not in order to edify his flock that the shepherd seeks to be richly endowed with the grace of teaching and the knowledge of the Spirit, he lacks fervor in his quest for Gods gifts. By merely praying and psalmodizing inwardly with your tongue, that is, by praying in the soul " you edify yourself, but your nous is unproductive [cf. I Corinthians 14:14], for you do not prophesy with the language of sacred teaching or edify Gods Church. If Paul, who of all men was the most closely united with God through prayer, would have rather spoken from his fertile nous five words in the church for the instruction of others than ten thousand words of psalmody in private with a tongue [cf., I Corinthians 14:19], surely those who have responsibility for others have strayed from the path of love if they limit the shepherds ministry solely to psalmody and reading." St. Nikitas Stithatos, "On Spiritual Knowledge," in The Philokalia, vol. 4, pp. 169-170. From Patristic Theology - The University Lectures of Father John Romanides (Thessaloniki, Greece: Uncut Mountain Press, 2008), pp. 19-23.

The Logos and the Tao

Certainly, if the early Christians had known of Lao Tzu, they would have honored him, as they honored the Greeks, (as well as the Hebrews it goes without saying) and recognized Christ as the Eternal Tao, as they recognized Him as the Divine Logos. As the Monument Sutras record Emperor Taizong, "These teachings will save all creatures and benefit all mankind, and it is only proper that they be practiced throughout the world." The Christian scriptures, when translated into Chinese, use the word "Tao" to express the concept of "Word," or "Logos" in the Greek. Is this the answer? Is the Logos of St. John the Apostle and the Christians, the same as the "Tao" of the Lao Tzu and the Taoists? Did the Chinese Taoists see the Christian's "Jesus", as "the fulfillment" of their religion? Hieromonk Damascene believes so and illustrates in his book Christ the Eternal Tao, just exactly how this relationship came to be. His premise is, that among the ancient philosophers, mystics and sages, none come closer to understanding the nature of things, than Lao Tzu: Of all Ancient philosophers, Lao Tzu came the closest to assimilating the essence of reality and describing the Tao or Logos. His Tao Te Ching represents the epitome of what a human being can know through intuition, through the apprehension of the universal Principle and Pattern manifested in the created order. Lao Tzu is the legendary founder of the philosophical system and religion known as Taoism. The book attributed to him is known to us as the Tao Te Ching; that is the "Sacred book of the Tao and the Te." Tao of course, the subject of this study, refers to "Way," and "Te" which is traditionally translated as "virtue," or "grace." While most scholars agree that Lao Tzu was undoubtedly a historical figure, it is hard to distinguish fact from legend when it comes to understanding just who he was. It is said that he was a government official, and that he eventually got fed up with public life, and meant to escape to the West. He came to a pass, and the keeper vowed to not let him pass, unless he left him some of his wisdom. Lao Tzu complies, writes a book, departs and is never heard from again. The book of course is the "Tao Te Ching." According to Fr. Damascene, this book contains knowledge that Lao Tzu was able to arrive at through contemplation of himself and nature. He arrives at an awareness of the absolute, or ordering principle of the universe. Lao Tzu at once calls this ordering principle "Tao", or "The Way," at the same time saying this thing (for lack of a better word), is "nameless" * This mysterious Tao, the "mother of the 10,000 things," Lao Tzu intuited much about. The Tao is everywhere, or omnipotent (Tao Te Ching Chapters 34 & 71); ineffable (Chapters 1, 32) unchanging and eternal (16, 25); the source of all (21, 51). He was able to intuit these things, 500 years before Christ, whom Christians refer to as "the Logos." What then is meant by the word "Logos?" Heracletus of Ephesus was the first to utilize this term (which up to this point was a commonly used "word"). He was a Greek philosopher who lived in the late 6th century BC, a contemporary of Lao Tzu, although a continent away. The word Logos meant (and means) "word," but had a connotation of "order," or "pattern." He began to use the word to refer to "the underlying principle" or source of all things; "the primal order." Aristotle in "On the world" says: "Things which are put together are both whole and not whole, brought together and taken apart, in harmony and out of harmony; one things arise from all things, and all things, arise from one thing." Pseudo-Plutarch puts it this way :" As a single unified thing, there exists in us both life and death, waking and sleeping, youth and old age, because the former things have changed, are now the later, and when those latter things change, they become the former." These ideas are so congruous and complementary to Lao Tzu. What is it that they were onto, these Greeks and Chinese? What possibly could have caused Lao Tzu, and those Greek philosophers, living so far apart, to write about a concept, such as the "underlying principle" of the universe, in such parallel ways? According to Fr. Damascene, it is due to the common heritage of all people. He points to the monotheism of all ancient people to show that mankind was simpler and more innocent, closer to God and to nature. Therefore their knowledge of God was more pure than the polytheism that later arose in many cultures. He describes, how according to the ancient Christian faith, God had created man in a state of "pristine simplicity," and "pure awareness;" using language that is undoubtedly Christian, but is also consistent with the teachings of Lao Tzu. He describes how man lived "simply" and in union with the Tao. But man began to harbor illusion of "self-sufficiency." This led to departure from the Tao, or what Christians refer to as, "the fall." Instead of naturally living according to "the Way," man now has to face at every turn, the decision, "should I follow the way?" Fr. Damascene states, "Of all the primordial people, save the Hebrews, the Chinese-together with their racial cousins the native North Americans -- retained the purest understanding of the One God, the Supreme Being." Earlier generations of Chinese had called it Shang Ti or "Our Lord," T'ien "Heaven" But as time went on, the Chinese, as did all people, began to feel a distance from God. Thus arose the worship of personal, although limited pantheon of gods. This was part and parcel with a gradual shift from simplicity to complexity through out the world; monotheism to polytheism. Certainly, if the early Christians had known of Lao Tzu, they would have honored him, as they honored the Greeks, (as well as the Hebrews it goes without saying) and recognized Christ as the Eternal Tao, as they recognized Him as the Divine Logos. As the Monument Sutras record Emperor Taizong, "These teachings will save all creatures and benefit all mankind, and it is only proper that they be practiced throughout the world."