G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a

A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and
Glorious Lady, M aria, T heotokos, yet E ver Virgi n, to gether with all the
Saints. And le t us commi t ourselves and o ne another and our whole
Life to C hrist o ur Go d. Ame n.

1 Ja n u ar y 2 0 11

C i r c u mc is i o n o f C h r is t o u r S av i o ur &
T h e F e a s t o f S t B as il th e G re a t

Also the Feast of St Basil of Ancyra - St Emilia,

Mother of St Basil the Great, St Gregory of Nyssa, St Makrina & St Peter of Sebaste - St Gregory of Nazianzos,
father of St Gregory the Theologian - St Peter the New Martyr of Peloponnesos – St Theodotos, Holy Martyr –
St Theodosios of Triglia – St Telemachos, Holy Martyr – St Fulgentios of Ruspe – St Basil, Holy Martyr of
Ankyra
Apolytikion Of The Circumcision Of Christ

Morfin analliotos anthropinin proselaves, Theos on kat’ Thou
ousian Poleiefsplaghne Kyrie, ke Nomon ekpliron
peritomin, thelise katadehi sarkikin, ina pavsis ta
skiodi, ke perielis to kalimma ton pathon imon.
Doxa ti agathotiti, ti Si! Doxa ti efsplahnia Sou! Doxa
ti anekfrasto, Loge, singatavasi Sou!
Kontakion Of The Circumcision Of Christ – Tone 3
took on human form without change in Thee,
being God in Essence, O Lord Most Compassionate.
And Thou accepted Circumcision in the Flesh, in
total fulfilment of the Law, to put an end to the acts
of darkness, and roll away the veil of our sufferings.
Glory to Thy Goodness, O Lord! Glory to thy
Tenderness! Glory to Thine inexpressible
Condescension, O Word!

O ton olon Kyrios peritomin ipomeni ke vroton ta
ptesmata os agathos peritemni. Didosi tin Sotirian
simeron kosmo: Here de en tis Ipsistis ke O tou
ktistou Ierarhis ke Fosforos, O Thios Mystis Hristou
Vasilios.
Apolytikion Of St Basil The Great
Now the Lord of all that is undergoes Circumcision, in
His Goodness cutting off the sins and failings of
mortals. He this day grants Salvation to the whole
world; and the Hierarch and Bright Daystar of the
Creator now rejoices in the Highest: Basil the Wise
and Divine Initiate of Christ.

Is pasan tin gin exilthen o fthongos sou, os dexamenin Thy voice has gone out all over the earth, which was
ton logon sou; diou theoprepos edogmatisas, tin ready to accept thy word; by which in a Godly
fisin ton onton etranosas, ta ton anthropon ithi manner thou Dogmatised; the nature of all that
katekosmisas. Vasilion ieratevma, Pater Osie; exists thou clarified; the manners of people thou
Presveve Hristo to Theos, Sothine tas psihas imon. purified. As Royal Priesthood that thou art, O Father
Righteous, Intercede with Christ our God, that our
souls may be Saved.
Kontakion Of St Basil The Great – Tone 4

Ofthis vasis asistos ti Ekklisia, nemon pasin asilon, tin For the Church art thou in Truth a Firm Foundation,
kiriotita vrotis, epi sfragizon sis dogmasin, granting an inviolate lordship to all mortal men and
Ouranofantor Vasilie Osie. sealing it with what thou has taught, O Righteous
Basil, Revealer of Heavenly Things.
Isodikon – Great Entrance:

Defte proskinisomen.... SOSON IMAS IIE THEOU, O SARKI Come let us worship... Save us, O Son of God,
PERITIMITHIS, psallontas Si, Allelouia! CIRCUMCISED IN THE FLESH, who sing to Thee:
Allilouia!
M a t i ns G os p e l : J o h n 10 : 1 – 9
Christ Is Our Good Shepherd
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say you, he who does not enter the Sheepfold by the
Door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But He Who enters by the Door is
the Shepherd of the Sheep. To Him the Doorkeeper opens, and the Sheep hear His Voice; and He Calls
His own Sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out His own Sheep, He goes before
them; and the Sheep follow Him, for they know His Voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger,
but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them
again: “Most assuredly, I say to you: I Am the Door of the Sheep. All who ever came before Me are
thieves and robbers, but the Sheep did not heed them. I Am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be
Saved and will go in and out and find Pasture.”
P r o ke i me n on :
My mouth shall speak Wisdom... Hear this, all you Nations!
T h e E p is tle o f S t Pa ul to t he C ol os s ia ns 2 : 8 – 12
St Paul Speaks Out Against False Theology Of Heretics
Brethren, Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit; according to the tradition of men, according to
the elements of the world, but not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the Fullness of the Godhead corporeally;
and you are filled in Him, Who is the Head of all Principality and Power; in Whom also you are Circumcised with
Circumcision Not Made By Hand, in the despoiling of the body of the flesh, but in the Circumcision of Christ, buried
with Him in Baptism, in Whom also you are Risen again by the Faith of the Operation of God, Who has raised Him up
from the dead.

(DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR – 1 JANUARY 2011

1
May the Peace and Joy of our Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ, heal all hearts and souls!
 T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t L u ke 2: 2 0 – 2 1; 4 0 – 5 2
The Circumcision Of Our Lord & His First Teaching In The Temple At The Age Of Twelve Years
At that time, the Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it
was told them. And when eight days were completed for the Circumcision of the Child, His Name was called Jesus,
the Name given by the Angel before He was Conceived in the Womb. And the Child grew and became strong in
Spirit, filled with Wisdom and the Grace of God was upon Him.
His parents went to Jerusalem every year to attend the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they
went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the Feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the
Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. However, Joseph and His Mother did not know it, and supposing Him to
have been in the company, they went a day’s journey. Then they sought Him among their relatives and
acquaintances and when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, to look for Him.
So it was that after three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the Teachers, both listening to them
and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His Mother said to Him: “Son, why have Thou done this to us? Look
Thy father and I have sought Thee anxiously.” So He said to them: “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know
that I must be about My Father’s Business?” But they did not understand what He said to them.
Then He went down with them to Nazareth, and was subject to them, and His Mother kept all these things in her heart,
while Jesus increased in Wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST RECEIVED CIRCUMCISION ACCORDING Christ did not break the 5th Commandment, “Honour
TO THE PRECEPTS OF MOSAIC LAW – WHICH HE FAITHFULLY
FOLLOWED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY BECAUSE
thy father and mother” because what He had done
HE FULFILS THE LAW AS GIVEN BY GOD TO ST MOSES. by remaining at the Temple after His parents had
AFTER THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, HOLY BAPTISM REPLACED left the city, was AN ACT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
PHYSICAL CIRCUMCISION AS THE UNIVERSAL MYSTERY OF HE OBEYED GOD AND DID GOD’S WILL ALTHOUGH ST JOSEPH THE
SALVATION AND INITIATION INTO THE CHURCH. (IT IS REFERRED BETROTHED AND THE EVER BLESSED THEOTOKOS DID NOT
TO AS BEING THE “NEW CIRCUMCISION.”) FULLY UNDERSTAND AT THE TIME AND WERE NATURALLY
In the Orthodox Church it is an ancient Tradition to CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY.
name a child on the Eighth Day of its life. This is While He grew up, CHRIST WAS SUBJECT TO HIS PARENTS –
not the Holy Mystery (Sacrament) of Baptism and HIS LEGAL GUARDIANS, clearly demonstrating HIS
Chrismation that takes place a month or two later. HUMBLE OBEDIENCE TO AND RESPECT FOR HIS EARTHLY
FAMILY.
It is also a different Service to the 40 Day HE GREW UP HEALTHY IN BODY AND SPIRIT, INCREASING DAILY IN
Churching of the Mother that occurs 40 days after “WISDOM, STATURE AND FAVOUR WITH GOD AND MEN” and
the birth of a baby. bringing into plain view the Wisdom and Grace
THE INCARNATION [ASSUMING OR TAKING ON A VISIBLE, PHYSICAL BODY OF
FLESH AND BONE] MEANS THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST inherent in Him.
EXPERIENCED NORMAL HUMAN PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND In His Incarnation, JESUS CHRIST MAKES HUMANITY
INTELLECTUAL GROWTH, BUT UNDER THE SPECIAL COMPLETELY HIS OWN, INCLUDING PROGRESS IN WISDOM
OVERSHADOWING GRACE OF ALMIGHTY GOD that fills Him with AND GRACE.
WISDOM AND STRENGTH – both physical and spiritual. HE EXPERIENCED AND SANCTIFIED EVERY STAGE OF HUMAN LIFE.
PILGRIMAGES TO JERUSALEM ON THE THREE GREAT FEASTS OF Since he is at once both god and man, OUR LORD
PASSOVER, PENTECOST AND TABERNACLES, WERE INCREASED HUMANLY IN THE GRACE AND WISDOM THAT
CUSTOMARY for all Hebrews except those who lived at WERE ALREADY FULLY HIS IN HIS DIVINE NATURE.
THE GROWTH OF CHRIST’S HUMANITY PREFIGURES OUR OWN
great distances from the Temple. Entire Clans and GROWTH INTO UNION WITH HIM.
Communities would travel together for safety and AS CHRIST OUR GOD AND CREATOR took on complete
companionship. humanity, HE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO ACHIEVE
When our Lord Jesus Christ referred to “MY FATHER’S SPIRITUAL PURITY OR THEOSIS AND BECOME “GOD-LIKE”
BUSINESS” He referred to GOD’S WILL IN PREPARATION FOR
HIS DIVINE (AND PUBLIC) MINISTRY.
THIS WAS THE FIRST STATEMENT MADE BY CHRIST CONCERNING
GOD AS HIS HEAVENLY FATHER.

T h e Pre s e nc e o f G od
THERE IS A STRANGE ASPECT TO THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE
WORLD AROUND US. That aspect is His apparent absence.
I read with fascination (because I am no philosopher,
much less a scientist) the discussions surrounding
“intelligent design” and the like.
Everybody agrees that the Universe is just marvellous and
wonderfully put together... But then begins the parting
of ways as one sees God everywhere and another sees
Him nowhere.
Reason surely need not deny God, although reason does
not seem forced to acknowledge Him.
I have spent most of my life around these arguments – in
one place or another.
I can stand in either place and see both (GOD’S) Presence
and absence.
But as the years have gone by, I have come to see
something I never saw before – THE PRESENCE WITHIN
THE ABSENCE.
I don’t mean to sound too mystical here – only that
THE HIDDENNESS OF GOD A REVELATION OF HIS LOVE.
THE CREATOR OF US ALL DRAWS US TOWARDS HIMSELF AND
KNOWLEDGE OF HIM, WITH HINTS AND INTIMATIONS, WITH SEEN
AND YET UNSEEN SIGNS.
The strange deniability that He leaves us is THE SPACE IN
WHICH LOVE IS BORN.
✽ LOVE CANNOT BE FORCED, CANNOT BE DEMANDED.
✽ LOVE MUST COME AS GIFT, BORN OF A WILLINGNESS TO GIVE -
TO GIVE GOD TRUST THAT WHAT I SEE IS INDEED EVIDENCE
OF THE WISDOM IN WHICH HE MADE ALL THINGS IS ALSO A
SPACE – ONE WHICH GOD FILLS WITH HIMSELF AND THE
ECHO - THE “YES!” THAT THE UNIVERSE SHOUTS BACK TO
US.
It is where I grow weary of the arguments – not because
they need not be made – but because IT BECOMES HARD
TO HEAR THE SILENCE IN THE NOISE OF OUR OWN VOICES – A
SILENCE THAT INVITES US TO HEAR THE SOUND OF THE VOICE OF
GOD THAT RUMBLES ALL AROUND US.
There’s more to say – but not now.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS” – FATHER STEPHEN -
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/
I SEE IN

T h e C irc u m c is io n of Ch r is t o ur S av i o ur
On the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ doubt that Christ had truly assumed human flesh, and
was circumcised in accordance with the Old Covenant that His Incarnation was not merely an illusion.
Law - as were all male Hebrew infants - as a Sign of Old Covenant Circumcision prefigured the New Covenant
God's Promise to the Holy Forefather Abraham and his Holy Mystery of Baptism, which is the beginning of our
descendants. Life in Christ.
He was named “ Jesus,” (“Saviour”) signifying His Divine The Canon of the Feast was written by St Stephen of the St
Work of Salvation of the world, just as the Archangel Sava Monastery.
Gabriel had revealed at the Annunciation to the Most
Holy Theotokos.
The Creator of the Law, underwent Circumcision as an
Example of how faithfully the Divine Ordinances
ought to be fulfilled and so that later no one would

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2
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the So n, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
unto the Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mari a, Theotokos, yet Ever
Virgin, to gether with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to
Christ our God. Amen.

Forefeast of Theophany Tone ( (7) Varys/Grave 2 Ja n u ar y 20 11

S u nd a y B e fo re T h e o p ha n y
Also the Feast of St Sylvester of Rome - St Kosmas of Constantinople - St Seraphim the
Wonderworker of Sarov – St Juliana the Righteous of Lazarevo, Muron - St Theogenes
Hieromartyr of Parios, Hellespont – St Theopemptos – St Theodota, Mother of the Holy
Unmercenaries – St Mark the Deaf – St Basil of Ankyra – St Sergios – St Theopistos –
St George the New Martyr of Mytilene– St Nilos the Sanctified – St Sylvester of Kiev
Near Caves – St Theologia the New Martyr
Resurrection Apolytikion - Tone (7) Varys/Grave
Katelisas to Stavro Sou ton thanaton. Ineoxas to listi By Thy Cross Thou destroyed Death; Thou opened
ton Paradison. Ton Miroforon ton thrinon metevales Paradise to the Thief; Thou changed the funeral wail
ke tis sis Apostolis kirittin epetaxas, oti Anestis, of the Myrrh-bearing Women, and Commanded them
Hriste O Theos, parehon to kosmo to Mega Eleos.
to announce to Thine Apostles that Thou had Risen
from the dead, O Christ our God, Who bestows on the
world Great Mercy!
Apolytikion Of The Forefeast Of Theophany – Tone 4

Etimazou Zavoulon, ke evtrepizou Nefthalim. Iordani
potame, stithi ipodexe skirton, tou Vaptisthine
erhomenon ton Deepotin. Agallou O Adam Sin ti
Promitori. Mi hriptete eaftous, os en Paradiso to prin.
Ke gar gimnous idon imas epefanen, ina endisi tin
protin stolin. Hristos efani, tin pasan ktisin, thelon.
Anakenise.
Kontakion Of The Forefeast Of Theophany
Prepare, O Zebulon, and adorn yourself, O Naphtali;
River Jordan, cease flowing and receive with joy the
Master coming to be Baptised. Adam, rejoice with our
First Mother and do not hide yourself as you did of old
in Paradise; for having seen you naked, He has
appeared to clothe you with the first garment. Christ
has appeared to renew all creation.

En Tis rithris simeron tou Iordanou, gegonos O Kyrios, Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:
to Ioanni ekvoa: Mi diliasis Vaptise Me: Sose gar iko, "Do not be afraid to Baptise me. For I have
Adam ton Protoplaston. come to Save Adam, the First-formed man."
R e s urre c t i on G os p e l 1 0 : John 21 : 1 – 14 - O u r L o r d Jesus Serves Breakfast To His Eleven Apostles

P r o ke i me n on
Arise, O Lord, my God, and let Thy Hand be lifted up: forget not Thy poor forever.
I will confess to Thee, O Lord: with my whole heart
T h e Se co nd Ep is tle o f St P a ul to St T i m o t h y 4 : 5 - 8
St Paul’s Example to be imitated
Timothy, my son: always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an Evangelist and fulfil your Ministry. For I am
already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my Departure has come.
I have fought the Good Fight; I have finished the Race; I have kept the Faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the
Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but
also to all who have loved His Appearing.
St Paul wrote this personal letter to his beloved disciple, EACH VIRTUE IS AN UNSPOKEN, SHINING EXAMPLE OF AUTHENTIC
CHRISTIANITY.
St Timothy (circa 65 – 67) from Rome where he was
St Paul exhorted not only St Timothy but everyone who
imprisoned weighed down with chains, suffering
would either read this letter or hear it read out, to
physical pain and facing execution. CONTINUE LIFE ACCORDING TO ALMIGHTY GOD’S
St Paul had elected St Timothy Bishop of Ephesos where COMMANDMENTS AND CHRIST’S MOST PERFECT EXAMPLE.
some Church members had promoted a variety of ✽ OUR PERSONAL GOALS IN THIS EXISTENCE SHOULD BE TO
self-conceived “theological” opinions ranging from FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, FINISH THE RACE AND KEEP THE
FAITH.
the irrelevant to the heretical.
St Paul had therefore found it necessary to
✽ This means that WE MUST STRUGGLE CEASELESSLY
AGAINST ALL TEMPTATION AND EVIL INFLUENCE THAT
excommunicate some of these speculators and THREATENS TO DRAW US FURTHER AWAY FROM ALMIGHTY
heretics so he knew with which internal and external GOD.
pressures the Church had to deal. Each day is a new beginning and another opportunity to
The Hellenistic mystery religions misused the terms grow closer to God and His Eternal Kingdom.
“Salvation” and “Saviour” and the cult of Emperor ✽ AT THE END OF EVERY DAY, WE MUST DO A PERSONAL
“ACCOUNTING” AND ASK OUR BELOVED LORD TO FORGIVE
worship accorded the title “Lord” to the Emperor. OUR FAULTS, SINS AND WEAKNESS, AND BESEECH HIM TO
St Paul strove to guide St Timothy through all the ASSIST US TO DO BETTER TOMORROW.
Pastoral Challenges and questions he had to endure. Although THE “RACE” REFERS to the Life and Work given to
EVERY DEVOUT CHRISTIAN WHO IS TRULY A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST, St Paul it also refers TO OUR OWN LIFE AND WORK
MUST ALWAYS
The comparison of Spiritual Life to an athletic contest is
✽ “WATCH IN ALL THINGS,” [BE CONSTANTLY ALERT TO
TEMPTATIONS AND HERESY, FALSE BELIEFS OR common in the writings of the Ascetic Fathers.
TEACHING], THE “CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” IS A MOST GRACIOUS
BLESSING THAT ALMIGHTY GOD, WHO IS THE ONLY
✽ “ENDURE AFFLICTIONS” [PATIENTLY TOLERATE ALL
RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, MAY AWARD TO DESERVING SOULS WHO
SUFFERING, PERSECUTION, CRITICISM, UNKINDNESS, ETC],
TRULY LOVE HIM AND THEREFORE HAVE STRUGGLED THE
AND THROUGH DAILY STRIVING “DO THE WORK OF AN
EVANGELIST” [OUR PERSONAL BEHAVIOUR, HABITS AND HARDEST TO OBEY AND TO SERVE GOD IN WHATEVER MANNER
REQUIRED OF THEM.
PRACTISES REVEAL OUR TRUE NATURE: SPIRITUAL OR
WORLDLY].

(DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) SUNDAY BEFORE THEOPHANY – THE FOREFEAST OF THEOPHANY – 2 JANUARY 2011 3.
✽ The Lord Our God, Who is infinitely Merciful, clearly
sees our souls as they really are – NOTHING IS
HIDDEN FROM HIM – and HE WILL JUDGE EACH
SOUL ACCORDING TO HIS ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
✽ IT IS VITAL THAT EVERY EFFORT WE MAKE, WHETHER
SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL, IS DUE TO OUR SINCERE
DEVOTION AND LOVE FOR GOD AND ALL HIS CREATION
and not done in order to impress other human
beings or for our personal glorification and
material gain!

T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma r k 1 : 1 - 8
St John The Baptist & Forerunner To Christ Our Lord &Saviour
The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My
Messenger before Thy Face, who will prepare Thy Way before Thee.” “The voice of one crying in the
wilderness: ‘Prepare the Way of the Lord; make His Paths straight!’”
John came Baptising in the wilderness and preaching a Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sins. Then all the
land of Judea and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all Baptised by him in the Jordan River,
confessing their sins.
Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And
he preached, saying: “There comes One after me Who is mightier than I, Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to
stoop down and loosen. I indeed Baptised you with water, but He will Baptise you with the Holy Spirit.
“Beginning” refers to the opening Events of the Ministry of “All the land of Judea... went out to him...” Indicates
our Lord Jesus Christ: in other words: the Preparatory THE SWEEPING IMPACT OF THE MINISTRY OF ST JOHN THE
Activity of St John the Baptist and Forerunner of Christ BAPTIST who was perhaps the leading religious figure
and also the Temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ Who outside official, rabbinic Judaism.
is truly the actual Son of Almighty God the Father. St John the Baptist’s clothing was similar to that of St
The expression “prepare the Way” refers to St John the Elijah, indicating that HE FULFILLED THE PROPHECY OF ST
ELIJAH’S RETURN.
Baptist who is the last Holy Prophet of God of the Old
Testament or Covenant who fulfilled Divine Prophecy
✽ Baptism with the Holy Spirit means that ONLY OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE TRUE SON OF GOD, FULLY
and who prepared the people of God for the Messiah’s POSSESSES AND GRANTS US THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Coming. ✽ Therefore, IN ORDER FOR US TO RECEIVE THE HOLY
✽ HEARTS WERE SOFTENED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE SPIRIT, WE MUST BE BAPTISED IN CHRIST AND DIVINELY
GOD’S DIVINE LIGHT – HIS TRUTH AND WISDOM. ADOPTED AS CHILDREN OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
“Baptism... For the remission of sins...” (literally ‘to IN OUR SPIRITUAL ADOPTION BY GOD, CHRISTIANS BECOME
‘ANOINTED ONES’ and it was concerning these adopted
let go of sins’) was a major part of St John the
Baptist’s Preparation of the people for the Coming of Children of God whom God Commanded and caution
our Lord and Saviour. others: “DO NOT TOUCH MY ANOINTED ONES!” (PSALM
105:15)
✽ Later, IN CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, GOD NOT ONLY FORGIVES
OUR REPENTED SINS, BY LETTING THEM GO – BY SETTING US
COMPLETELY FREE OF THEIR IMPRISONING, ENSLAVING
SHACKLES - HE ALSO BRINGS US INTO A PERSONAL UNION
WITH CHRIST.

T h e F ore fe as t o f T h e o p h a n y
The first day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on 2 January.
Like the Hymns for the Nativity, many of the Church's Hymns of this period are slightly modified versions of the Hymns of
Holy Week.
One of the Hymns that we chant during Matins today informs us that the approaching Feast of Theophany will be "even
more radiant" than the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, because at the Baptism of our Saviour, the Holy Trinity is
revealed to us – the Three separate Persons of the One Divine Godhead: God the Father, God the Son and God the
Holy Spirit.
S u nd a y B e fo re T h e o p ha n y
The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the Twelve teach in the Synagogues or enter the Priesthood – He
Great Feasts, one which is celebrated with no less began His public Mission to the people of Israel.
solemnity than is the Nativity of Christ. However, before Christ began His Divine Mission and in
One might say that the Nativity and the Baptism of Christ fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Covenant
are two related Feasts comprising one single Prophets of God, the Forerunner – St John the Baptist
celebration, the Feast of Theophany, for together they - bore the great responsibility of preparing God’s
present to us the Appearance of all three Persons of Chosen Nation of Israel to receive the long awaited
the Holy Trinity. Messiah.
In the cave at Bethlehem, the Son of God was born St John the Baptist was the one whom St Isaiah had
according to the flesh, and at His Baptism, from the prophesied as “The voice of one crying in the
Heavens the Holy Spirit descended and hovered above wilderness: ‘Prepare the Way of the Lord! make
His Head “like a dove,” while the Voice of God the straight the Paths of our God!” (ISAIAH 40: 3)
Father was heard, saying: “Thou art My beloved Far from the people, in the depths of the severe Judean
Son; in Thee I am well pleased!” (LUKE 3: 22) Desert, the Word of God came to St John the Baptist -
Our Holy Hierarch, St John Chrysostom, explained that the son of St Zacharias and a cousin of the Most-Holy
“...it is not the day of our Saviour’s Birth that we Virgin Mary.
should call His Appearance, but the day on While being six months in the womb of his mother, the
which He was Baptized, for He did not become Righteous St Elizabeth, St John had leapt in Joyful
known to all by His Birth, but by His Baptism, welcome to our Saviour - the One about Whom no one
and that is why it is not the day of His Birth that on earth yet knew - except His Most-Pure Mother, who
is called ‘Theophany,’ but the day on which He had received the Good News from the Archangel
was Baptized.” Gabriel.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who had returned from Egypt after That Word of God had directed St John to go out into the
the death of King Herod, grew up in Nazareth, a small world to preach Repentance and to Baptize Israel - to
town in Galilee. bear witness to the Divine Light of God so that all
With His Most-Holy Mother, He remained in that small town might believe through his Inspired Teaching. (JOHN 1: 7).
until He was thirty, earning a living for Himself and the Heeding God’s Word, St John walked throughout the land
Most-Holy Virgin Mary by doing carpentry just as Her of Jordan, preaching the Baptism of Repentance for
Righteous Guardian, St Joseph the Betrothed, had the remission of sins. (LUKE 3: 3)
taught Him. All the people of Jerusalem and the surrounding region
Upon attaining thirty years of earthly life - i.e. the age went to listen to his Preaching, to be Baptized by him
according to Hebrew Law when men were permitted to in the waters of the River Jordan, and to confess their
sins to God and to their fellow mankind. (MARK 1: 5)

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 Among those who went to St John the Baptist, there
naturally arose the question of whether he was Israel’s
anticipated Redeemer and Comforter.
However, St John the Baptist made it very clear to them:
“There comes One after me Who is mightier than
I - Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop
down and loosen. I indeed Baptize you with
water: but He shall Baptize you with the Holy
Spirit.” (MARK 1: 7-8)
And behold! On one of those ordinary days, as St John
was preaching to all those who were gathered at the
Jordan River, he was Inspired by the Holy Spirit, and
recognized among the people the One before Whom
thirty years earlier he had leapt for Joy inside his
mother’s womb.
Our Lord Jesus had gone from Galilee to Jordan to be
Baptized, along with everyone else, by St John the
Baptist.
Yet St John tried to prevent Him, exclaiming in
amazement: “I need to be Baptized by Thee, but
Thou come to me?” (MATTHEW 3: 14).
Seeing the Son of God Who is sinless, standing before
him, St John asked that he himself - being subjected
to the sin of disobedience, which had been passed
from Adam to all mankind - be Baptized by our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Nevertheless Christ responded to his request by saying:
“Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for
Us to fulfil all Righteousness.” (MATTHEW 3: 15).
Sinless and incorrupt, born of the Most-Pure Virgin Mary,
and in His Divinity the Source of all Purity and
Holiness, our Lord Jesus had no need of that
Baptism.
However, as He had taken on Himself the sins of the entire
world, He had gone to the River Jordan to purge the
waters through His own Baptism.
He went to be Baptized by St John, so as to Sanctify the
water of the Jordan River with Himself - in order to
grant us – all humanity - the Font of Holy Baptism.
He also went to be Baptized so that St John might behold
the Fulfilment of God’s Word that had directed him to
leave the isolation of the desert and to prepare the
people for the Coming of the Messiah: “I did not
know Him, but He Who sent me to Baptise with
water said to me: ‘Upon Whom thou shall see the
Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the
same is He Who Baptises with the Holy Spirit.”
(JOHN 1: 33).
St John the Baptist obeyed God, and the Jordan River
received into its waters (POLLUTED BY SIN) the One by
Whose Divine Command it had begun to flow.
According to the Holy Gospels, after being Baptized our
Lord immediately came out of the water.
St John the Baptist usually held those being Baptised
neck-deep in the water until they had confessed all
their sins and only then would they be allowed to get
out of the water.
Christ, being sinless, could not be held in the water, and
therefore He immediately began to get out of the river
and as He went, Heaven opened, the Holy Spirit
descended and hovered above His head like a dove
S t S ylve s te r o f R o me
St Sylvester, Bishop of Rome (314-335) was born at Rome
of Christian parents, named Rufinos and Justa.
His father died soon after he was born and he was
nurtured by his mother until he was old enough to be
educated by the Priest, Father Quirinos, who instructed
him well and raised him as a True Christian.
St Sylvester fulfilled our Lord's Great Commandment to
unconditionally Love one another and he welcomed
many strangers and passing travellers into his home,
taking the best possible care of each person.
During a persecution against Christians, St Sylvester
immediately accommodated the Holy Confessor, St
Timothy, Bishop of Antioch, who stayed with him for
more than a year, converting many souls to Christ
through his Inspired Preaching.
Bishop Timothy was eventually arrested and after he had
been executed by order of the Prefect, Tarquinios. St
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and the Voice of God the Father proclaimed: “ Thou
art My Beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased!”
(Luke 3: 21-22).
Just as, in the days of Noah, when a Dove brought the
Good News that the flood waters had receded, so here
again, the Holy Spirit, like a hovering Dove signified
the end of the overwhelming flood of enslaving sin.
The Holy Spirit appeared to the people “like a Dove,”
because that little bird symbolises Love, Purity and
Meekness or Humility.
God the Holy Spirit is the Divine Source of Purity - the
bottomless depth of Divine Love for all mankind and
the Divine Teacher of True Humility and Peace.
The Preaching of St John the Baptist and Forerunner to
Christ and his Baptism of our Saviour occurred at the
site of the ancient crossing over the Jordan River,
approximately 5 km from its entrance into the Dead
Sea.
Already in the times of King David, a ferry had been set up
there, and in the 19th Century the place was referred
to as “Pilgrims’ Ford,” on account of the multitude of
Pilgrims coming together there to be washed in the
waters of the Jordan River.
It was by that path that 12 centuries before our Saviour’s
Nativity, ancient Israel, led by St Joshua son of Nun,
entered the Promised Land.
It was there that, one thousand years before the Divine
Incarnation, King David went beyond Jordan, fleeing
from his own son Absalom, who had risen up against
him.
It was at that site that the Holy Prophets of God, St Elijah
and St Elisha crossed the river.
Later, during the Christian era, Venerable St Mary of Egypt
departed by that way for the desert beyond the Jordan
River to weep over her sins.
Today, the nearby Greek Monastery of St John the
Forerunner reminds Pilgrims of the Events of Holy
Theophany that transpired there.
Back in Apostolic times the Holy Church had already been
celebrating the day of Holy Theophany and among its
Ordinances it bequeathed the direction: “May you
hold in great reverence the Day upon which the
Lord showed us Divinity.”
Since antiquity, and in remembrance of the Baptism of
Jesus Christ when He descended into the waters of the
Jordan River, the Orthodox Church has performed the
Great Blessing of the Waters, both on the Eve and on
the actual Feast of Theophany.
The Order of Service for the Blessing of the Waters, and
the Divine Grace imparted to the waters on the Eve of
Theophany, and on the actual Feast of Theophany, are
one and the same.
The solemn Blessing of the Waters stems from the
Tradition of the Church of Jerusalem, where already in
the first centuries of Christianity, solemn Processions
to the River Jordan for Blessings of the Waters to
commemorate our Saviour’s Baptism were made.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP:
http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/homilies/e_0801_theophany.htm
Sylvester secretly took the martyred body of the Saint
and buried it with suitable Christian Prayers.
When his actions were reported to the Prefect, Tarquinios
ordered St Sylvester to be arrested and tried for
treason against the state.
During the unjust trial of St Sylvester, Tarquinios
demanded that he renounce Christ, threatening him
with torture and death but St Sylvester remained
steadfast in his Confession of Faith, which resulted in
his imprisonment.
Then the Prefect Tarquinios suddenly died after the trial
and St Sylvester was set free, whereupon he fearlessly
Evangelized the pagans, converting many to
Christianity.
At thirty years of age St Sylvester was ordained Deacon,
and then Presbyter (Priest) by Bishop Marcellinos (296-
304).
5.
 Following the repose of Bishop Militiades (or Melchiades,
311-314), St Sylvester was elected Bishop of Rome.
He ceaselessly encouraged his Flock to a Righteous Life in
Christ and he insisted that all Priests should strictly
fulfil their Sacred Duties and not be involved with any
secular business at all.
St Sylvester became renowned as an expert on Holy
Scripture and was a staunch Defender of our Faith.
During the reign of the Emperor, St Constantine the Great,
when persecution against all Christianity had ended,
the Hebrews challenged the Christians in a public
debate to determine which Faith was the True Faith.
St Constantine and his mother the Empress, St Helen,
attended the debate, together with a very large crowd.
St Sylvester spoke on behalf of the Christians, while the
Hebrews had 120 of the most learned Rabbis led by
Zambres, a magician and sorcerer.
H ol y W a te r - B le s s e d & Sa nc t i f ie d
On Theophany, the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ’s
Baptism, E V E R Y Y E A R A G R E A T M I R A C L E O C C U R S .
THE HOLY SPIRIT, COMING DOWN UPON THE WATER,
CHANGES ITS NATURAL PROPERTIES SO THAT IT
BECOMES INCORRUPT, not spoiling, remaining
transparent and fresh for many years.
THIS HOLY WATER RECEIVES THE DIVINE GRACE OF
GOD TO HEAL ILLNESSES, TO DRIVE AWAY DEMONS
AND EVERY EVIL POWER, TO PRESERVE PEOPLE
AND THEIR DWELLINGS FROM EVERY DANGER, TO
SANCTIFY VARIOUS OBJECTS - WHETHER FOR
CHURCH OR HOME USE.
Therefore, Orthodox Christians D R I N K T H E H O L Y W A T E R
WITH REVERENCE — FOR IT IS A GREAT “AGIASMA”
(SOMETHING SANCTIFIED - CHANGED FROM THE
EXTRAORDINARY OR SUPERNATURAL BY DIVINE BLESSING),
call it.
We should always have enough Theophany Holy Water at
home to last the whole year, and we must U S E I T
WHENEVER TO BEGIN EACH DAY, DURING ILLNESS
AND VARIOUS AILMENTS, BEFORE DEPARTING ON A
JOURNEY, WHENEVER WE ARE UPSET BY
SOMETHING, BY STUDENTS PRIOR TO THEIR
EXAMINATIONS, ETC.
Those who drink a little Holy Water daily, especially before
eating any kind of food, do well.
HOLY WATER STRENGTHENS THE POWERS OF OUR SOUL
– PARTICULARLY IF DONE TOGETHER WITH
T h e E te r nal W is d o m of o u r G od - In s p ire d H oly C h u rc h F a t he rs
✽ S t C y r i l o f A l e x a n d r i a (375-444)
... we are taught through this example [St Peter's denial
of our Lord Jesus] not to slacken in God's Service
by inconsiderately dwelling on our own infirmities.
We are, rather, to trust in Him Who is able to make all
of us strong, and we are to boast in God's
Miraculous Works and Favour shown to us who were
beyond hope.' (COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12)
✽ S t A u g u s t i n e o f H i p p o (354-430)
'"I have sinned" is just three syllables; and yet in these
three syllables the flames of the heart's sacrifice
[rise] up to Heaven.' (SERMON 393.1)
✽ St Simeon the New Theologian
No matter what happens to you, accept everything as
good, knowing that nothing happens without God.
✽ Abba Dorotheos of Gaza
Believe that everything that happens to us, even the
least thing, happens according to God's Providence,
and then without trouble we will endure everything
that comes to us.
✽ St Philaret of Moscow
In the adventures of life, the Voice of Providence is
heard, calling man to the Lord's Path.
The bitter, sent from the Hand of the Heavenly
Physician, is more favourable for the health of the
soul than the sweet, offered by the world.
And well-being can be more dangerous than calamity,
and calamity more Saving than well-being.
In every matter undertaken by you, do not first ask
whether it will be pleasant, advantageous for you,
and praiseworthy before others, but first and
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Quoting the Sacred Writings of the Old Testament, St
Sylvester convincingly demonstrated that all the
Prophets had foretold the Birth of Jesus Christ from
the All-Pure Virgin, as well as His voluntary Suffering
and Death for the Redemption of fallen mankind, and
His glorious Resurrection.
St Sylvester was declared the victor in the debate.
Then Zambres the sorcerer resorted to his tricks, until the
St Sylvester obstructed him by invoking the Name of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Consequently, not only Zambres but also other Hebrews
accepted our Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and
asked to be Baptized into our True Faith.
St Sylvester guided the Roman Church for more than
twenty years, earning the esteem of his Flock and, at a
ripe old age - in the year 335 - he reposed peacefully
in Christ.
PRAYERS AND REVERENCE FOR GOD AND ALL HIS
HOLY THINGS.
However, we must not partake of Holy Water with the mere
expectation of a mechanical result for E V E R Y T H I N G I S
DONE ONLY BY THE DIVINE WILL OF OUR LOVING
AND MOST BENEVOLENT HEAVENLY FATHER,
THROUGH HIS MERCIFUL SON AND BY THE LIFE-
GIVING AND ALL HOLY SPIRIT.
Priests usually take care to Bless a sufficient quantity of
Holy Water for the needs of their Parish churches, so
that it may be available to those who request it,
throughout the year.
As faithful Orthodox Christians, we should receive
MUNDANE INTO THE sufficient Holy Water at Theophany for our personal
as the Greeks needs throughout the year and even for longer.
ONCE WE HAVE A SMALL QUANTITY OF HOLY WATER,
WE MAY ADD MORE WATER TO IT SINCE WHATEVER
HAS BEEN SANCTIFIED BY GOD, SANCTIFIES
EVERYTHING ELSE IT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH.
So it is that a continued supply of Holy Water that has
been Blessed and Sanctified by the Descent of the Holy
Spirit on the Feast of Holy Theophany each year, is
available at all times.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “HOLY WATER” BY ST JOHN OF SHANGHAI & SAN FRANCISCO
http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/readings/john/2/
foremost test whether it will be pleasing to God,
and will not be contrary to His Commandments.
Without God, not only a city, or a man's house is not
built, but even the nest of a dove.
✽ St Mark the Ascetic
When temptation comes upon you, seek not whence
and wherefore it came, but be concerned about
enduring it thankfully, without sorrow and without
remembering evil.
While remembering God, increase you Supplication, so
that when you forget Him, He will not forget you!
✽ St John Chrysostom
God does not leave us forever either in unhappiness, so
that we would not grow weak, or in happiness, so
that we would not become careless; but by divers
means He arranges our Salvation.
Take care of what is God's, and God will take care of
what is yours.
✽ St Isaac of Syria
Remember God at all times, and He will remember you
when you fall into calamity.
✽ St Simeon the Studite
Acquire God as a Friend, and you will not require
human help.
✽ St. Augustine:
Where can we find Him? …Not on earth, for He is not
here. And not in Heaven, for we are not there. But
in our own hearts we can find Him. He ascended to
Heaven openly so that He could come back to us
inwardly, and never leave us again.
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious
Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And
let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our
God. Amen.
6 J a n ua ry 2 01 1
H ol y T he op ha n y
T h e B ap t i s m o f o u r Sav i o u r &
T h e Re ve l at i o n o f t he H ol y Tr i n i t y

Apolytikion Of Theophany
En Iordani Vaptizomenou Sou Kyrie, i tis Triados When Thou, O Lord, was Baptised in the Jordan, the
efanerothi Proskinisis. Tou gar Gennitoros i Foni Worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the
prosemartiri Si, Agapiton Se Iion Onomazousa. Ke Voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling
to Pnevma en idi peristeras eveveou tou Logou to Thee “the Beloved Son,” and the Spirit like a dove,
asfales. O Epifanis, Hriste O Theos, ke ton kosmon confirmed His Word as sure and steadfast. O Christ
Fotisas, Doxa Si! our God, Who has appeared and Enlightened the
world: Glory to Thee!
Kontakion Of Theophany
Epefanis simeron ti ikoumeni, ke to fos sou Kyrie, Thou hast appeared today to the inhabited earth, and
esimiothi ef imas en epignosi imnountas se. Ilthes Thy Light, O Lord, has been marked upon us, who
efanis to Fos to aprositon. with knowledge sing Thy praise: Thou hast come,
Thou art made manifest, the Light that no man can
approach.
Second Antiphon
Soson imas Ie Theou O EN IORDANI IPO IOANNOU Save us, O Son of God BAPTISED BY JOHN IN THE
VAPTISTHIS, psallontas Si: Allilouia! JORDAN, who sing to Thee: Allilouia!
Instead Of The Trisagion ( Agios O Theos... )
Osi is Hriston Evaptisthite, Hriston enedisasthe. As many of you as have been Baptised into Christ, have
Allilouia! put on Christ: Alleluia!
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Jo h n 1 0 : 9 – 16
The Holy Hierarchs Of Our Church Were Good Shepherds To Our Lord’s Flock
At that time, our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I Am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be Saved, and will go
in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have
come so that they may have Life, and so that they may have it more abundantly.
“I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the Sheep. But a hireling, he who is not
the Shepherd, one who does not own the Sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the Sheep and flees;
and the wolf catches the Sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does
not care about the Sheep.
“I Am the Good Shepherd; and I know My Sheep, and Am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even
so I know the Father; and I lay down My Life for the Sheep. And other Sheep I have, which are not of
this Fold, them also I must bring, and they will hear My Voice; and there will be one Flock and one
Shepherd.
T h e E p i s tle o f S t Pa ul t o S t T i t us 2 :1 1 - 14 & 3 :4 - 7
The Grace Of God Saves Us Through Baptism In Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit
Titus my child: the Grace of God that brings Salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, Righteously, and Godly in the present age, looking for the Blessed Hope and
Glorious Appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, so that He might Redeem us
from every lawless deed and Purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for Good Works.
But when the Kindness and the Love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by Works of Righteousness which we
have done, but according to His Mercy He Saved us, through the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy
Spirit, Whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been Justified by His
Grace we should become Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life.
While Christian Ethical Teaching often appears similar to ✽ T O B E L O N G T O G O D I S T O B E C O M E L I K E G O D – not
other systems - St Paul used both Roman and Jewish in our fallen human nature but according to the
ethical terms - T H E B A S I S O F C H R I S T I A N E T H I C S I S perfect Creation of God – T O R E G A I N O U R L O S T
UNIQUE. LIKENESS TO GOD.
CHRISTIANS ARE GOOD NOT MERELY BECAUSE OF
OBEDIENCE TO LAW OR HARMONY WITH NATURE, ✽ To be Ransomed, or “Owned” by God is not simply a
NOR IN ORDER TO GAIN IMMORTAL BLISS FOR THE legal and static condition, but A L I F E I N
SOUL. Rather, T H E Y ARE RIGHTEOUS IN COMMUNION WITH HIM: OUR BLESSED
ANTICIPATION OF THE AGE TO COME, THE VICTORIOUS STRUGGLE.
ESCHATON, THE AGE OF THE FULLNESS OF THE “WASHING OF REGENERATION,” BAPTISM, AND
CREATION IN THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD. RENEWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, CHRISMATION,
“G R A C E ” IS THE UNCREATED ENERGY OF GOD, THE F O R M A U N I T Y I N O U R S A L V A T I O N , which is clear
GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, through which He grants throughout the New Testament.
His Gifts to mankind in Tender Mercy and Good Will. Our Lord Jesus revealed the fact that WE ARE BORN FROM
DIVINE GRACE IS A FORMATIVE POWER, THE RULE OF ABOVE THROUGH “WATER AND THE SPIRIT.”
THE LIFE OF THE AGE TO COME, REQUIRING OUR St Peter preached S A L V A T I O N I N C H R I S T T H R O U G H
DETERMINED PARTICIPATION. HOLY BAPTISM AND BY RECEIVING “THE GIFT OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

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7
St Paul called us to
THE WASHING OF THE WATER AND
THE RENEWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
✽ BAPTISM AND CHRISMATION ARE THE BEGINNING,
THE RITE OF PASSAGE TOWARD A PROGRESSIVE
While St Paul was painfully aware that we are awaiting the LIFE OF RENEWAL IN CHRIST.
Consummation of the Age to come, he knew:
✽ WE ALREADY PARTICIPATE IN THE LIFE OF THE
KINGDOM.

T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma t t he w 3 : 1 3 - 1 7
Jesus Christ Is Publicly Proclaimed The Son Of God At His Baptism
At that time, Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be Baptised by him. And John tried to prevent Him,
saying: “I need to be Baptised by Thee, and art Thou coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him: “Permit
it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all Righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had
been Baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the Heavens were opened to Him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a Voice came from Heaven,
saying: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased.”
OUR LORD JESUS DID NOT NEED PURIFICATION. The Feast of Epiphany (a Divine Manifestation or
However, by making the Purification of humanity His Revelation), or Theophany (a Manifestation or
own, H E W A S H E D A W A Y T H E S I N O F H U M A N I T Y , Revelation of God), commemorates T H I S M O S T
GRANTED REGENERATION, AND REVEALED THE SIGNIFICANT DAY IN HUMAN HISTORY AND
MYSTERY OF THE HOLY TRINITY. POINTS TO THE AGE TO COME – ETERNITY – THE
Thus, H I S B A P T I S M W A S N E C E S S A R Y F O R T H E AGES OF AGES.
FULFILMENT OF ALL GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS. “Thou art My Son, today I have Begotten Thee,” is
St Gregory of Nyssa taught us: “Our Lord Jesus entered a composite quotation from Psalm 2:7
the filthy [i.e. SINFUL] waters of the world and when I s a i a h 4 2 : 1 “Behold! My Servant Whom I uphold,
He came out, He raised up [I.E. PURIFIED]
PURIFIED] the entire My Elect One, in Whom My Soul delights!”
world with him.” The substitution of “Son” for “Servant” reveals T H E
The “Spirit of God” hovered over the water at the first DEITY OF CHRIST, THE NATURALLY AND
Creation. Now T H E H O L Y S P I R I T H O V E R E D L I K E ETERNALLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.
A DOVE TO ANOINT THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST REVEALS
GOD, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW THE GREAT MYSTERY OF THE HOLY TRINITY:
CREATION. ✽ THE FATHER SPEAKS;
Jesus Christ did not become the Son of God this day; ✽ THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDS;
rather, I N H I S B A P T I S M T H E E T E R N A L S O N O F ✽ THE INCARNATE SON IS BAPTISED AND
ANOINTED.
GOD IS REVEALED TO ALL HUMANITY.
THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS RESTS ON CHRIST.

A T he op h an y W i t h i n
Do you ever wonder: "If our Lord Jesus is Who He says
He is, why don't I see Him more clearly?"
St Thomas had the same doubts when his brother
Disciples told him that our Lord Jesus had
Resurrected.
Christ heard his sceptic words and responded by
answering each of St Thomas’ statements: "Put
your finger here, and see My Hands; and put
out your hand, and place it in My Side; do not
be faithless, but believing ...”
Then, without touching His Wounds, St Thomas joyfully
confessed his Faith in Christ: “My Lord and my
What St Ilias means is that a person drunk on sensory
stimulation will crowd out the Light that burns
naturally in the soul – I F W E P U S H I T A S I D E F A R
ENOUGH THE HOLY LIGHT WILL DIM TO ALMOST
NOTHING.
We Must Find God!
"God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth," as
Christ has taught us. (JOHN 4:24)
✽ OUR WORSHIP BEGINS WITH A SILENCING OF
THE HEART AND MIND SO THAT THE SOUL
CAN RECEIVE HIM.

God!” (JOHN 20 27-28). ST DIDOCHOS OF PHOTIKI said: "... where there is

Yet if St Thomas got such a visible Sign of Christ’s richness of the Spirit, no speech is possible.
Resurrection, why does it seem we are left in the At such a time the soul is drunk with the Love
dark? of God and, with voice silent, delights in His
Glory." (PHILOKALIA I).
We Do Not Know How To Listen! He meant that F O C U S I N G O N S E N S O R Y T H I N G S
ALONE CANNOT LEAD US TO GOD.
Look at communication in today's world for example.
Furthermore, WHEN FOCUSING BECOMES EXTREME
So much of the media is overpowering. It ranges from WE ENTER IDOLATRY.
the lyrics of rap music to the pulsating beat of rock ✽ SELF-MANIFESTATION OF GOD IS NOT
and roll, to commercials played everywhere it APPREHENDED THROUGH SENSORY
seems, even to “Muzak” in the toilets and on the EXPERIENCE BUT IN THE STILLNESS OF THE
SOUL.
television in fast food shops -- all of it is calculated
✽ ENCOUNTERING GOD IS BY NECESSITY QUIET
to appeal to the senses. AND PEACEFUL.
Some Christian churches even lace their Services with ✽ God comes to us when we prepare ourselves to
splashy, pulsating music and Las Vegas style light receive Him
BY BRINGING OUR SENSES UNDER
shows. CONTROL, BY ELIMINATING THE NOISE AND
But what does any of this have to do with God? CLAMOUR OF THE WORLD, AND BY REFUSING
THE INTOXICATION THAT THE WORLD OFFERS
We have all this noise and distraction because the world THROUGH OUR SENSES.
wants to hold us captive, and the destructive, And this manifestation replicates in its own way the
misleading path to our incarceration is through our physical Manifestation of our Lord Jesus as the Son
senses! (I.E. THROUGH THE FLESH – THE DESIRES OF OUR PHYSICAL FLESH of God at Theophany (the Baptism of Christ):
OR BODIES.)
THE HUMAN BODY IS CAPTIVATED BY THE SENSES. " ... And I saw the Spirit of God descending like a
Sounds, smells, tastes, and what our eyes behold dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a Voice from
become an intoxicating, temporary delight. And Heaven, saying: ‘This is My Beloved Son, with
when it wears off, it takes even more sounds, Whom I Am well pleased!’" (MATTHEW 3:16-17)
stronger smells and tastes, and greater visual
Breaking Free Of Sensory Captivation
stimulation to renew the intoxication.
THIS IS THE DEADLY DECEPTION AND DISTRACTION Contemporary empirical findings in scientific
OF THE EVIL ONE. Psychology lend insight into how this Psycho-
The Church Fathers noted the problem years ago. Spiritual Intoxication takes place.
St Ilias the Presbyter wrote: " ... the Light of the Spirit Zuckerman (1993) found a personality dimension he
has grown dim within the soul, whereas the termed “sensation seeking.”
light of the sensible world shines more People scoring high on this dimension have a
brightly within it" (PHILOKALIA III). "generalized preference" for high levels of sensory

8. (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) HOLY THEOPHANY – BAPTISM OF CHRIST & REVELATION OF THE HOLY TRINITY – 6 JANUARY 2011
 stimulation. They constantly look for fresh
exhilarating experiences.
Zuckerman reported a strong genetic predisposition for
this personality trait.
HIGH SENSATION SEEKERS ARE INCLINED
1) to thrill and adventure seeking such as skydiving
2) to unusual activities such as wild parties
3) at the extremes are usually uninhibited thus
prone to heavy drinking, drug use, gambling and
sexual experimentation
4) exhibit a susceptibility to boredom with low
tolerance for routine repetition.
While few people are at the extreme, even those
moderately inclined toward sensation seeking
prefer external sensory stimulation over internal
reflection.
It is easy to see how S U C H I N D I V I D U A L S C A N M I S S
THE UNKNOWN GOD WHO REVEALS HIMSELF IN
SILENCE - THEY SIMPLY DON'T KNOW THIS
DIMENSION OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
✽ Those who are inclined to sensation seeking should
try to D E V E L O P A SPIRITUAL RULE.
✽ Many Church Fathers have pointed out thatIT IS
BETTER TO SAY ONE PRAYER DEEP FROM THE
HEART, THAN MANY PRAYERS IN A ROUTINE
AND SUPERFICIAL WAY.
People disposed to high sensation seeking might
➤ KEEP PRAYERS, MEDITATIONS, AND QUIET
TIMES SHORT
➤ BE OPEN TO GOD REVEALING HIMSELF
➤ LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE.
Theophany & Free Will
GOD REVEALS HIS SON IN THE SILENCE
SOUL.
Why might God do this?
✽ COMMUNION WITH GOD REQUIRES OUR ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION.
✽ OUR WILL MUST BE CONFORMED TO GOD'S WILL.
Many passages of Holy Scripture are not clear cut and
we may struggle to make sense of them.
When we look at our Lord's Life as recorded in Holy
Scripture for example, we always see an ambiguity.
T h e E te r nal W is d o m of o u r G od - In s p ire d H oly F a t he rs
Father George Calciu - On the Power of Prayer
FATHER GEORGE REPOSED IN 2006 AT THE AGE OF 81, HAVING UNJUSTLY SPENT
MORE THAN A QUARTER OF HIS LIFE IN THE DIABOLIC PRISONS OF COMMUNIST
ROMANIA - ONLY BECAUSE HE STEADFASTLY AND FAITHFULLY CONFESSED THE
CHRISTIAN FAITH. FROM THESE EXPERIENCES IN PRISON, HE EMERGED AS A
WITNESS TO GOD’S LOVE, FORGIVENESS, AND ABILITY TO RESURRECT MAN
FROM THE DEATH OF HIS SOUL.
My will for you is to NEVER CEASE PRAYING.
My hope for you is to UNDERSTAND that THERE IS A
PROTECTION EXTENDING OVER HUMAN SOCIETY, OVER OUR
COUNTRY, which is THE POWER OF PRAYER.
✽ Do not execute a Prayer of routine, but PUT YOUR
HEART IN MOTION, FILL YOURSELF WITH THE SHIVER OF
PRAYER.
I am convinced that many of you are praying; I too was
praying, and believed – before they placed me in
prison – that I knew how to pray. There, (in the
gulag), I DISCOVERED THAT I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY!
✽ IF THE SHIVER OF FAITH DOES NOT PENETRATE YOU FROM
YOUR HEAD TO THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET, YOU ARE NOT
IN TRUE PRAYER.
It is not easy.
Father Milovan Katanic – On “What’s Inside Matters”
WHY DO SO FEW PEOPLE GET “DRESSED UP“ FOR CHURCH ANY
LONGER?
It is perhaps difficult to define exactly what “dressed up”
means these days. Certainly it seldom implies a suit
and tie, for the polo shirt or T-shirt has trumped the
more formal shirt and tie.
Suffice it to say that “fashion” has changed and one
does not have to wear a three piece suit to appear
respectful. Moreover, a popular argument maintains
that appearances aren’t everything: “It’s inside that
counts.”
ANY AMOUNT OF TIME, PLANNING AND EXPENSE IS SPENT ON CLOTHING WHEN
THERE IS TO BE A DANCE, WEDDING, ETC – VARIOUS SOCIAL OCCASIONS WHEN Nevertheless THE AVERAGE PERSON KNOWS ENOUGH TO
ALL WANT TO “LOOK THEIR BEST.”
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO GOING TO CHURCH – TO THE HOLY TEMPLE OF GOD – WE
SIMPLY COULD NOT BE BOTHERED AND PULL ON WHATEVER IS “COMFORTABLE.”
WE DOGGEDLY OBEY ALL THE MAN-MADE RULES OF CLUBS AND SOCIAL
COMMITMENTS BUT IGNORE THE RESPECTFUL REQUIREMENTS OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT PLACE ON EARTH!
In a 1998 newspaper article, many examples of how lax
things have become when attending Holy Services
(DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) H O L Y T H E O P H A N Y – B A P T I S M O F C H R I S T & R E V E L A T I O N O F T H E H O L Y T R I N I T Y – 6 JANUARY 2011
Almost everything our Lord did demands an
interpretation that we must provide.
✽ OUR INNER ORIENTATION -- OUR CAPACITY TO
SEE AND UNDERSTAND -- MUST BE
DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO SEE WHO OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST REALLY IS.
The self-righteous, arrogant Pharisees, Sadducees, and
Scribes continually saw the Work of Jesus Christ but
concluded that He was merely a malefactor (TROUBLE-
MAKER).
YET THOSE WITH PURITY OF HEART SAW THE SAME
HOLY WORKS AND CONCLUDED THAT HE WAS
TRULY THE SON OF GOD, THE GOOD GOD WHO
LOVES MANKIND.
Which group are we?
Meditate on the Troparion (Hymn) of the Theophany:
Lord, when Thou were Baptized in the Jordan,
the worship of the Trinity was made manifest.
For the Voice of the Father gave Witness to Thee,
calling Thee ‘Beloved;’
and the Spirit, like a dove,
confirmed the certainty of His Words.
Glory to Thee, Christ our God,
Who Appeared and Enlightened the world!
If we experience the Theophany within ourselves, we
will see the Lord all around us.
St David, the King and Psalmist wrote in Psalm 19:1:
"The Heavens declare the Glory of God,
and the firmament declares His Handiwork!”
OF OUR
✽ IF WE REALLY LISTEN FROM WITHIN, WE WILL
SEE CLEARLY WHAT LIES ON THE OUTSIDE.
✽ THE SENSES ARE FREED AND THE CLAMOUR OF
THE WORLD LOSES ITS POWER OVER OUR
MINDS AND HEARTS SO THAT THE LORD
MIGHT REVEAL HIMSELF TO US MORE AND
MORE.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “A THEOPHANY FROM WITHIN” BY FATHER GEORGE
MORELLI – ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH
AMERICA – WWW. ANTIOCHIAN.ORG
But IF YOU PERSIST, THE LORD WILL HELP YOU AND GRANT YOU
THE GRACE OF PRAYER. However, His Divine Grace is
only granted when you beseech God for It.
✽ THE GRACE OF PRAYER IS GAINED THROUGH GREAT EFFORT
AND PERSISTENCE.
Our Saviour told us “... the Kingdom of Heaven is
taken by force (conquest)!” And THIS IS OUR
“CONQUEST” – TO ASK WITH PERSISTENCE FOR THE GRACE
THAT ONLY THE LORD CAN GRANT.
Now, I would like to address the Theologians
and advise them: LEARN HOW TO PRAY, SO THEN YOU MAY
TEACH OTHERS!
AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY, IT IS IN VAIN TO
SAY TO YOUR SPIRITUAL CHILDREN “PRAY!”
When a Priest (OR A GOD-PARENT - OR PARENT) knows how to
pray, he will TRANSMIT THIS FLOW OF POWER OF PRAYER
to his Spiritual Children.
were discussed: from Altar Boys wearing tennis
shoes and denim jeans to women who exposed
their underwear and parts of their bodies that
should be modestly covered in sacred places of
worship.
A certain member of the Protestant Clergy was quoted
in the article, having seen it all.
He concluded : “… I think we have figured out - it
really is the heart that matters. If they don’t
know it’s disrespectful, then it’s not
disrespectful…”.
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT
RESPECTFUL IN THE HOLY HOUSE OF GOD – A PLACE OF
COMMUNAL PRAYER, THANKSGIVING AND WORSHIP.
Whether we are dressing a little more leisurely
nowadays than our parents might have done is one
thing but A LINE HAS TO BE DRAWN SOMEWHERE.
9.
Just because we’ve decided that “formal wear” is no their unorthodox appearance that THEY FAIL TO
longer necessary for Holy Church Services unless RECOGNISE THAT THEIR OUTER, CASUAL APPEARANCE
SIGNIFIES SOMETHING LACKING INSIDE AS WELL – THE
the Patriarch or Archbishop is in attendance, IT DOES DISREGARD AND/OR DISRESPECT OF THE PROPER AND
NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT “ANYTHING GOES!” FITTING WORSHIP OF GOD IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE.
When we look at old photos of Church gatherings, it is IT IMPLIES A LACK OF LOVE AND HUMILITY BEFORE GOD AND OUR FELLOW
ironic how the faithful Christians were all so STRUGGLERS.
IT SHOWS THAT WE DO NOT CARE ABOUT GOD OR OTHERS, NOR THE ETERNAL
modestly dressed - clearly evident that NOTHING CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS, WHICH MIGHT DUE TO OUR LACK OF TRUE
WOULD DISTRACT THEM FROM THEIR CONCERTED WORSHIP TEACHING AND DIVINE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.
OF GOD!
When we attend Holy Services dressed in a manner that
Yet these days the opposite motivation is indubitably
draws attention to ourselves, WE DISTRACT AND
noticeable - seeing all the bare shoulders, exposed PERHAPS OFFEND OUR FELLOW WORSHIPPERS WHOSE
flesh, provocative and casual attire, which proclaims CONCENTRATION IS REMOVED FROM GOD AND ALL HOLY
a totally different approach to and reason for THINGS.
SO OUR LACK OF MODESTY OR CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS IN THE
Church attendance! HOLY TEMPLE OF GOD, CAUSES US ALL TO FALL INTO SIN
UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE BECOME A LITTLE TOO COMFORTABLE
WITH UNWORTHY THOUGHTS – ATTITUDES - WORDS AND
IN OUR MANNER OF CLOTHING, WHICH INDICATES BEING TOO
DEEDS.
COMFORTABLE OR CASUAL WITH THE STATE OF OUR INNER
SELVES – OUR SPIRITUAL WELFARE. ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THAT COUNTS” BY FATHER MILOVAN
KATANIC – “AGAIN & AGAIN” – www.frmilovan.wordpress.com
Consequently those who are guided by their erroneous
presumption that it’s “what’s in the heart that
counts after all...” are so concerned with defending
Father Anthony M. Coniaris - On Remembering Our Baptism
THROUGH OUR HOLY BAPTISM WE “PUT ON CHRIST.” WE SHALL BE GLORIFIED as Christ was Glorified; WE SHALL
This has tremendous implications. ASCEND TO THE FATHER as He ascended to the Father.
If we have put on Christ, then WE HAVE PUT ON HIS LOVE, WE SHALL SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER with our
HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS PEACE, HIS JOY.
Lord Jesus Christ.
If we have put on Christ, WE HAVE PUT ON HIS HOLY WE SHALL PARTAKE OF HIS DIVINE NATURE AND SHARE IN HIS
SERVANTHOOD: “If I your Lord and Master have LIFE AND GLORY, becoming “gods by Grace” as He is
washed your feet, then you also ought to God by Nature and Essence.
wash one another's feet.” Some early Church Fathers see this as THE RECOVERY OF
If we have put on Christ, then WE SHALL SUFFER as Christ THE “ROBE OF GLORY”, WHICH WAS LOST BY ADAM AT THE
suffered; WE SHALL BE PERSECUTED FOR THE TRUTH as FALL.
Christ was persecuted. ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: FATHER ANTHONY M CONIARIS – “ON REMEMBERING OUR
BAPTISM – THE ROBE OF GLORY REGAINED” - www.goarch.org
If we have put on Christ, WE SHALL BE RESURRECTED as
Jesus was.
St. Gregory the Theologian
God always was, and always is, and always will be. For IN HIMSELF HE SUMS UP AND CONTAINS ALL BEING - HAVING
Or rather, GOD ALWAYS IS. NEITHER BEGINNING IN THE PAST NOR END IN THE FUTURE;
For Was and Will be are fragments of our time, and of like some great Sea of Being, LIMITLESS AND
UNBOUNDED, TRANSCENDING ALL CONCEPTION OF TIME AND
changeable nature, but He is Eternal Being. NATURE, ONLY ADUMBRATED [INTIMATED] BY THE MIND, AND
And this is the Name that He gives to Himself when THAT VERY DIMLY AND SCANTILY.
giving the Oracle to Moses in the Mount.
St. Symeon the New Theologian
Provided they LIVE A WORTHY LIFE, both those who choose Hence THOSE WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR LAZINESS HAVE FAILED
to dwell in the midst of noise and hubbub and those TO ATTAIN SALVATION WILL HAVE NO EXCUSE TO OFFER ON
THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.
who dwell in Monasteries, mountains and caves can FOR HE WHO PROMISED TO GRANT US SALVATION SIMPLY ON
ACHIEVE SALVATION. ACCOUNT OF OUR FAITH IN HIM IS NOT A LIAR!
SOLELY BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH IN HIM, GOD BESTOWS GREAT
BLESSINGS on them.
Bishop Kallistos Of Diokleia
“Let us go forth in Peace" is the last Commandment This, then, is the aim of the Liturgy: that we should
of the Liturgy. RETURN TO THE WORLD WITH THE DOORS OF OUR
What does it mean? It means, surely, that THE PERCEPTIONS CLEANSED. We should return to the world
CONCLUSION OF THE DIVINE LITURGY IS NOT AN END BUT A after the Liturgy, SEEING CHRIST IN EVERY HUMAN
BEGINNING. PERSON, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE WHO SUFFER.
THOSE WORDS, "LET US GO FORTH IN PEACE," ARE NOT MERELY A In the words of Father Alexander Schmemann, THE
COMFORTING EPILOGUE. THEY ARE A CALL TO SERVE AND CHRISTIAN IS THE ONE WHO WHEREVER HE OR SHE LOOKS,
BEAR WITNESS. EVERYWHERE SEES CHRIST AND REJOICES IN HIM.
In effect, those words, "Let us go forth in peace," mean WE ARE TO GO OUT, THEN, FROM THE LITURGY AND SEE CHRIST
the Liturgy is over, THE LITURGY AFTER THE LITURGY IS EVERYWHERE."
ABOUT TO BEGIN.

O u r Lo rd Je s u s C hr i s t E x p l a in s O ur L i fe i n Ch r is t
✞ I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the
Vinedresser.
✞ Every Branch of Mine that bears no Fruit, He
takes away, and every Branch that does bear
Fruit He prunes, that it may bear more Fruit.
✞ You are already made clean by the Word which I
have spoken to you.
✞ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the Branch cannot
bear Fruit by itself, unless it abides in the
Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in
Me.
✞ I Am the Vine, you are the Branches. He who
abides in Me, and I in him, bears much Fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing.
✞ If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as
a Branch and withers; and the Branches are
gathered, thrown into the fire and burnt.
✞ If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you,
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done
for you.
✞ By this My Father is Glorified: that you bear
much Fruit, and so prove to be My Disciples.
✞ As the Father has Loved me, so have I Loved
you; abide in My Love.
✞ If you keep My Commandments, you will abide
in My Love, just as I have kept my Father's
Commandments and abide in His Love.
✞ These things I have spoken to you, that My Joy
may be in you, and that your Joy may be
full.
✞ This is My Commandment, that you Love one
another as I have Loved you.

10. (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) HOLY THEOPHANY – BAPTISM OF CHRIST & REVELATION OF THE HOLY TRINITY – 6 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
Ar c hd i oce s e o f Go o d H op e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
unto the Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theo tokos, yet Ever
Virgin, to gether wi th all the Sai nts. And let us commi t o urselves and o ne another and o ur whole Life to
Christ our God. Amen.

After Feast of Theophany 7 J a n ua r y 20 1 1

S y n a x is o f S t J o h n t he B ap t is t & F ore r u n ne r
Also the Feast of St Pachomios of Keno Lake – St Brannock of Braunton - St Cedd
of Lastingham
Apolytikion Of Theophany

En Iordani Vaptizomenou Sou Kyrie, i tis Triados
efanerothi Proskinisis. Tou gar Gennitoros i Foni
prosemartiri Si, Agapiton Se Iion Onomazousa.
Ke to Pnevma en idi peristeras eveveou tou Logou
to asfales. O Epifanis, Hriste O Theos, ke ton
kosmon Fotisas, Doxa Si!
Apolytikion Of St John The Baptist & Forerunner To Christ Our Lord & Saviour – Tone 2
When Thou, O Lord, was Baptised in the Jordan, the
Worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the
Voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee
“the Beloved Son,” and the Spirit like a dove, confirmed
His Word as sure and steadfast. O Christ our God, Who
has appeared and Enlightened the world: Glory to
Thee!

Mnimi dikeou met engomion; si de arkesi i martiria
tou Kyriou Prodrome; anedihthis gar ontos ke
Profiton sevasmioteros, oti ke rithris Vaptise,
katihiothis ton kirittomenon. Othen tis Alithias
iperathlisas, heron evingeliso ke tis en Adi:
Theon fanerothenta en Sarki, ton eronta tin
amartian tou kosmou, ke parehonta imin to
Mega Eleos.
Kontakion Of Theophany
The memory of the Just is praised; but for thou shall
suffice, the Witness of the Lord, O Forerunner; for
thou hast truly come forth as more honoured than the
Prophets, since thou proved worthy to Baptise, in the
streams, the One they preached about. Thus, having
contended for the Truth supremely, with Joy thou
brought the Good News, even to those in Hades: of
God Who appeared in the Flesh, and took away the
sin of the world, and grant to all His Great Mercy.

Epefanis simeron ti ikoumeni, ke to fos sou Kyrie, Thou hast appeared today to the inhabited earth, and
esimiothi ef imas en epignosi imnountas se. Ilthes Thy Light, O Lord, has been marked upon us, who
efanis to Fos to aprositon. with knowledge sing Thy praise: Thou hast come,
Thou art made manifest, the Light that no man can
approach.
Second Antiphon

Soson imas Ie Theou O EN IORDANI IPO IOANNOU Save us, O Son of God BAPTISED BY JOHN IN THE
VAPTISTHIS, psallontas Si: Allilouia! JORDAN, who sing to Thee: Allilouia!
Instead Of The Trisagion ( Agios O Theos... )

Osi is Hriston Evaptisthite, Hriston enedisasthe. As many of you as have been Baptised into Christ, have
Allilouia! put on Christ: Alleluia!
T h e Ac ts of t he Ap os t le s 1 9 : 1 - 8
The Disciples Of St John The Baptist
Brethren, it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to
Ephesos. And finding some Disciples, he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So
they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what
then were you Baptised?” So they said, “Into John’s Baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed Baptised with a
Baptism of Repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him Who would come after him, that
is, on Christ Jesus.”
When they heard this, they were Baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the
Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.
And he went into the Synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things
of the Kingdom of God.
Ephesos was a large, magnificent city, the capital of the In the Church, T H E L A Y I N G O N O F H A N D S F O R T H E
Roman Province of Asia Minor. Located on the main RECEIVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWS THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM.
route from Rome to the East, it was a major centre THE TWO EVENTS ARE DISTINCT BUT NOT
of trade and commerce, not only in goods but also SEPARATED.
in ideas. The Orthodox Church continues this Apostolic
St Paul remained in Ephesos for at least two years and Sacramental Practice.
three months. FAITHFUL PREACHING OF THE HOLY GOSPEL
DEMANDS PREACHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Because of its strategic location, the city became a ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST WITHOUT THE
centre of outreach for the growing Church. REALITY OF HIS KINGDOM - AS IT IS
Churches were formed in almost every city and town in EXPERIENCED IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE AGE
the province within three years, including the TO COME - FALLS FAR SHORT OF TRUE
CHRISTIANITY.
churches to which the Seven Letters in the Book of
Revelation/the Apocalypse are addressed.
T h e H ol y G o s p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t J o hn 1 : 2 9 – 34
St John The Baptist’s Testimony To Christ Our Lord
At that time, the next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said: “Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the
sin of the world! This is He of Whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man Who is preferred before me, for He was before
me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came Baptising with water.”

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And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He remained upon
Him. I did not know Him, but He Who sent me to Baptise with water said to me: ‘Upon Whom thou see
the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He Who Baptises with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have
seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
St John’s naming our Lord Jesus Christ publicly as “the
Lamb of God” recalled St Isaiah’s “Servant of God”
Who died for the transgressions of His People.
The Prophecy of St Isaiah foretold of Christ:
“Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried
our diseases; yet we accounted Him stricken -
struck down by God - and afflicted.
And He was Wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the
Punishment that made us whole, and by His
Bruises we are Healed.
All we - like sheep - have gone astray; we have all
turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid
upon Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He did
not open His Mouth; like a lamb that is led to the
slaughter, and like a sheep that before its
shearers is silent, so He did not open His Mouth.
By a perversion of justice He was taken away.
Who could have imagined His Future? For He was cut
off from the Land of the Living, stricken for the
transgression of My People.
They made His Grave with the wicked and His Tomb
with the rich, although He had done no
violence, and there was no deceit in His
Mouth.
Yet it was the Will of the Lord to crush Him with
pain.
When you make His Life an Offering for sin, He shall
see His Offspring and shall prolong His Days;
T h e Pre ac h i ng o f St Joh n t he B a p t is t
Since the approximate age of two years old, St John,
son of the elderly couple, the Righteous St
Zacharias and St Elizabeth, had lived in the
wilderness in Fasting and Prayer.
His clothing consisted of a rough garment of camel’s
hair, fastened with a leather belt. He nourished
himself with green shoots of the locust bush,
various other edible herbs and plants, dates and
wild honey, and quenched his thirst with fresh
flowing spring or river water.
When he was thirty years of age, the Lord God directed
him to go to the valley of the Jordan River in order
to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to
prepare them with Repentance and Baptism.
Thus it was that St John became known throughout the
region as “the Baptist,” who loudly and clearly
preached: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand!"
At last the long-awaited Saviour of the world was to
appear before them, summoning all God’s Chosen
People to His Everlasting, Eternal, Kingdom.
400 years had passed since St Malachi, the last Holy
Prophet of God, had tried to prepare the Hebrew
nation for the coming of the Messiah.
Therefore, when they heard of St John the Baptist and
the facts of his amazing life, the people from all
over the region went to hear what he was preaching
and all those who heard and believed his inspired
words repented their sins and were Baptised by St
John in the River Jordan.
He fully immersed each repentant sinner in the water by
placing his hands firmly upon their head and
pushing them down.
St John strictly required of everyone that their
repentance be sincere and confirmed by the eager
fulfilment good works or deeds.
The Baptism of St John meant that as the body was
washed and cleansed by the flowing waters of the
River Jordan, so the soul of a repentant and
believing sinner would be completely cleansed by
Christ of all sins when Baptized into His Holy
Church.
Among those who went to St John the Baptist were
some who considered themselves as being
12. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) AFTER FEAST OF THEOPHANY - SYNAXIS OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST & FORERUNNER – 7 JANUARY 2011
through Him the Will of the Lord shall
prosper, out of His Anguish He shall see Light; He
shall find satisfaction through His Knowledge.
The Righteous One, My Servant, shall make many
Righteous and He shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the Great and
He shall divide the spoil with the strong: because
He poured out Himself in Death, and was
numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore
the sin of many and made Intercessions for
the transgressors.” [ISAIAH 53:4 – 12]
Christ, the True Paschal Lamb, offered Himself for our
Deliverance from Darkness [OF SIN, IGNORANCE,
DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD, ETC] as St Peter the Holy Apostle
reminded us: “(…conduct yourselves throughout
the time of your stay here in Fear;) knowing that
you were not Redeemed with
corruptible/perishable things, like silver or
gold, from your aimless conduct received by
tradition from your Fathers, but with the
Precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb Without
Blemish and Without Spot.” [1 PETER:18-19]
The Holy Spirit “...remained upon Him,” because
Christ our Lord possesses the Holy Spirit in
His Fullness!
Righteous, yet had no desire to repent their sins
and remained vicious and evil.
Some of these unrepentant sinners were held in high
esteem by Hebrew society.
The Pharisees were proud of their descent from
Abraham, praised themselves for fulfilling the Law,
and considered themselves worthy to enter the
Kingdom of Christ the Messiah and the Sadducees
did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or in
the future Life.
St John addressed these arrogant and Spiritually Blind
people when he said: "Brood of Vipers! Who
warned you to flee from the Wrath to come?"
(I.E. WHO TOLD THEM THAT THEY - BY THEIR OWN POWER - COULD ESCAPE THE
JUDGEMENT OF GOD AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF ETERNITY?)
"Therefore bear Fruits worthy of Repentance, and
do not think to say to yourselves: ‘We have
Abraham as our Father.’ For I say to you that God
is able to raise up children to Abraham from these
stones! And even now, the axe is laid to the root of
the trees. Thus every tree that does not bear
Good Fruit is cut down and thrown into the
Fire!”
St John taught those who wanted to improve
themselves: "He that has two tunics, let him
give to those who have none; and he who has
food, let him do likewise.” To the despised Tax
Collectors he said: “Collect no more that what is
appointed for you.” And to the soldiers he said:
“Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely,
and be content with your wages.”
Many wondered if St John was the Messiah but he made
it quite clear: “I indeed Baptise you with water; but
One mightier than me is coming, Whose
sandal strap I am not worthy to loosen. He
will Baptise you with the Holy Spirit and Fire.
His winnowing fan is in His Hand, and He will
thoroughly clean out His Threshing Floor, and
gather the wheat into His Barn; but the chaff
He will burn with Unquenchable Fire!”
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST GRANTS US TRUE FREEDOM FROM OUR
SINS AND THE WONDERFUL GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO
ENABLES US TO ACHIEVE ALL OUR SPIRITUAL GOALS AND TO
DO WHAT FOR US ALONE IS IMPOSSIBLE!
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “THE LAW OF GOD” BY ARCHPRIEST SERAPHIM
SLOBODSKOY
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady,
Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgi n, toge ther with all the Saints. And let us commit
ourselves and one ano ther and o ur w hole Life to C hrist our God. Ame n .

T o n e . (8) Pl ag al 4 9 J a n u ar y 201 1
S u nd a y A f te r T he op h an y
T h e E te r nal K in gd o m o f H e a ve n
The Feast of St Polyeuktos of Meletine, Armenia – St Eustratios
the Wonderworker – St Philip of Moscow & All Russia – St Shemaiah, Holy Prophet of God – St Peter of Sebaste

Resurrection Apolytikion - Tone (8) Plagal 4

Ex ipsous katilthes O Efsplaghnos, tafin katedexo Thou descended from on High, O Tender-hearted One;
triimeron, ina imas elevtherosis ton pathon. I Zoi ke Thou endured the three-days’ burial, so that Thou
i Anastasis imon, Kyrie, ✞ Doxa Si! might free us from our passions, O our Life and
Resurrection: ✞ Glory to Thee!
Apolytikion Of Theophany

En Iordani Vaptizomenou Sou Kyrie, i tis Triados
efanerothi Proskinisis. Tou gar Gennitoros i Foni
prosemartiri Si, Agapiton Se Iion Onomazousa.
Ke to Pnevma en idi peristeras eveveou tou Logou
to asfales. O Epifanis, Hriste O Theos, ke ton
kosmon Fotisas, Doxa Si!
Kontakion Of Theophany
When Thou, O Lord, was Baptised in the Jordan, the
Worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the
Voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee
“the Beloved Son,” and the Spirit like a dove, confirmed
His Word as sure and steadfast. O Christ our God, Who
has appeared and Enlightened the world: Glory to
Thee!

Epefanis simeron ti ikoumeni, ke to fos Sou, Kyrie, From Above, Thou appeared today, to the earth’s people
esimiothi ef imas, en epignosi imnountas se. Ilthes, and Thy Light, O our Lord, has been marked upon us
efanis, to Fos Aprositon who in True Knowledge sing unto Thee: Thou came,
Thou appeared, O Light Unapproachable!
R e s urre c t i on G os p e l 1 1 – J o h n 21 : 1 4 – 25 - T h e R e s t o r a t i o n & Holy Commission of St Peter

P r o k e i me n on
The Lord shall reign forever! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
T h e E p is tle o f S t Pa ul to t he Ep he s i ans 4 : 7 – 1 3
We must use our Spiritual Gifts
Brethren: to each one of us Grace was granted according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: ‘When He
ascended on High, He led captivity captive, and granted Gifts to mankind.’(Now this “...He scended...” – what does it
mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He Who descended is also the One Who
ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the
equipping of the Saints for the Work of Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, until we all come to the Unity of
the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, to a Perfect Man, to the measure of the stature of the Fullness of
Christ...”
WHILE THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST IS ONE IN Death of Christ and His descent into Hades in His
ESSENCE, IT IS DIVERSE IN ITS HOLY GIFTS AND
FUNCTIONS.
human Nature.
ONLY CHRIST - WHO IS BOTH GOD AND MAN - CAN
Unity does not mean uniformity and
EACH MEMBER OF “FILL ALL THINGS.”
THE BODY OF CHRIST – HIS HOLY CHURCH – IS ONLY CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR CAN REIGN OVER THE
UNIQUE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, WITH DIFFERENT UNIFICATION AND FULFILMENT OF ALL CREATION.
GIFTS AND SPECIFIC ROLES GRANTED TO EACH
SOUL BY GOD.
The Divine Gifts that St Paul mentions in this particular
DIVERSITY IN OPERATION IS BASED ON THE ASCENT section of his Epistle to the Ephesians are limited to
OF THE SON OF GOD INTO HEAVEN AND THE those who lead our Holy Church.
DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO ENABLES AND THE HOLY SPIRIT EXTENDS HIS DIVINE GIFTS TO EACH
ACTIVATES US - PROVIDING EVERYTHING PERSON AT THEIR CHRISMATION IMMEDIATELY
NECESSARY FOR OUR ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST, A F T E R T H E I R H O L Y B A P T I S M , but the “Ministry Gifts”
which we alone are unable to do. listed here form one Leadership Group who are
WE ARE ALSO GUIDED, TAUGHT AND ASSISTED BY
SPECIALLY GIFTED PEOPLE WHO WORK BY THE
responsible for equipping the laity – the people – for
GRACE OF GOD FOR THE SAKE OF THE MATURITY our own Holy Work of Ministry.
AND STABILITY OF THE ENTIRE HOLY CHURCH OF THERE IS A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE AND HOLY GIFTS IN
CHRIST’S HOLY CHURCH FOR THE UNITY OF
CHRIST – i.e. for all the faithful Disciples of Christ, as
SERVICE, FOR THE METICULOUS PRESERVATION OF
well as those who are presently outside the nurturing TRUTH, AND FOR THE OPERATION OF DIVINE LOVE
Protection of the Holy Church. – AGAPE – WHICH IS THE PRIMARY QUALITY OF
St Paul’s Rabbinic manner of I N T E R T W I N I N G T H E CHRISTIAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
ASCENSION OF CHRIST WITH THE DESCENT OF THE THE CHURCH in which Christian Life – i.e. our Life in
HOLY SPIRIT, REVEALS THE UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP Christ – develops, I S NOT PRIMARILY AN
BETWEEN THE BODY OF CHRIST – HIS HOLY ORGANISATION, BUT AN ORGANISM WHOSE PARTS
CHURCH – AND THE DIVINE GIFTS OF THE HOLY OR MEMBERS RECEIVE THEIR EDIFYING POWER
SPIRIT THAT MAKE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR US FROM CHRIST TO GROW INTO HIM.
TO ACHIEVE.
St Paul did not look at C H R I S T I A N S as being isolated
The reference to “the lower parts of the earth” concerns individual who progressed towards Perfection –
either the earth itself – i.e. the Incarnation of the Theosis – but rather as U N I Q U E A N D S A N C T I F I E D
Eternal Son of God or physical burial and Hades – the MEMBERS OF CHRIST’S BODY, EACH SOUL
place of the dead (before the coming of Christ) and the

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 STRIVING TO REACH THE PERFECT FAITH AND FULL
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD.
Thus U N I T Y O F FAITH CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD.
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma t t he w 4 : 1 2 – 1 7
Repentance & the Kingdom of Heaven
At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He went
and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled, which
was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by way of the sea, beyond
the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a Great Light, and upon those who
sat in the region and shadow of Death, Light has dawned…”
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
After the illegal imprisonment of St John the Baptist, our
Lord Jesus went to live in Galilee
Consequently the Inspired Prophesy of St Isaiah, the Holy
Prophet of God, was fulfilled.
St Isaiah had lived so many centuries before and his
prophecies were recorded in the Book of Isaiah (circa
745 – 680 BC, which was between 25 years before the
Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom of Judah to
approximately 40 years afterwards.)
ST ISAIAH’S PROPHECY CONCERNING OUR LORD AND
SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST- I.E. HIS VISION OF THE
GLORY OF GOD – IS ONE OF INFINITE
TRANSCENDENCE.
Mankind’s role is one of Faith in response to Divine
Holiness and Vision for the entire world and St Isaiah
revealed the Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ – “the
Holy One of Israel” – in amazing detail – as if he were
relating history instead of predicting the distant future!
He even described Theotokos and how she was to
Conceive and bear God the Son Incarnate with her
Virginity intact.
Furthermore, St Isaiah described the suffering Passion of
Christ together with His Glorious Resurrection from the
dead, proclaiming His Eternal Kingdom as if it had
already happened!
The term: “”Galilee of the Gentiles” indicates that many
non-Hebrews lived in the region.
Having a mixed population, Galilee was not considered to
be a genuinely Jewish land, even though many Gentile
residents had converted to Judaism during the
Maccabean period.
Because many of the Hebrews there had been influenced
by the Greek or Hellenistic culture and customs, they
were generally regarded as being “second class
citizens by the Judean Hebrews.
THE REFERENCE TO “DARKNESS” MEANS A STATE OF
UNGODLINESS – I.E. BEING IN A STATE OF
SPIRITUAL DEATH OR DARKNESS WHERE
DIVINE LIGHT OF GOD HAS BEEN REJECTED.
In this context, IT REPRESENTED THE GENTILES’
UNAWARENESS OF THE ONE TRUE LIVING AND
ALMIGHTY GOD AND THOSE HEBREWS WHO
REMAINED IN THE SHADOWS OF THE OLD
C O V E N A N T with God instead of accepting the Divine
Light and Truth of the New Covenant with God through
the Guidance, Enlightenment and Teaching of Christ
our Lord and Saviour Who is in reality the actual
Incarnate Son of God.
For anyone T O “ S I T I N D A R K N E S S ” M E A N S T O B E
OVERCOME OR ENSLAVED BY A SPIRITUAL
IGNORANCE OR REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
THE “GREAT LIGHT” IS THE HOLY GOSPEL OR GOOD
N E W S O F O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T – the long-
awaited Messiah of God.
THE FIRST DIVINE MESSAGE OF CHRIST TO
WORLD – LIKE THAT OF HIS FORERUNNER
B A P T I S T , S T J O H N , W A S “ R E P E N T ! (MATTHEW 3: 1–3)
REPENTANCE, WHICH ACCOMPANIES FAITH AND
WHICH A TOTAL REFORMATION OF OUR EARTHLY
HABITS AND LIFESTYLE.
✽ TRUE AND SINCERE REPENTANCE IS BROUGHT
ABOUT BY OUR TRUE AND SINCERE FAITH IN
CHRIST AND THE HOLY TRINITY.
Our continuing Repentance is motivated by our Faith.
We are in a perpetual state of Spiritual Life and Spiritual
Death – i.e. Repentance and Forgiveness (Spiritual
Life and a return to Divine Grace) and surrendering to
the temptations through our sinful thoughts, which
become sinful words and deeds – i.e. falling into
Spiritual Death , which is our alienation from the
Divine Grace of God.
✽ So T H I S L I F E O F P R E P A R A T I O N F O R E T E R N I T Y I S A
CONSTANT STRIVING AND STRUGGLE AGAINST
THE WEAKNESS OF OUR FLESH AND THE
TEMPTATION OF THE FALLEN WORLD AND THE
DECEPTIONS OF THE EVIL ONE.
✽ THE “KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” IS PRESENT
WHEREVER CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR IS
so through our constant Spiritual Watchfulness and
Struggle, we are able to return after each fall to His
Divine Presence and Love.
THE WORD “METANOIA” (REPENTANCE) LITERALLY
MEANS TO CHANGE ONE’S MIND, OR MORE
GENERALLY, TO TURN AROUND COMPLETELY.
Thus T R U E R E P E N T A N C E I S A R A D I C A L C H A N G E O F
BODY AND SOUL – A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION
OF ATTITUDE, BELIEF, MOTIVATION, DEEDS - OF
BEING – A GENUINE LIFE IN CHRIST!
This is the only and most essential or necessary first step
on the Path or Way of the Lord, which – after Holy
Baptism and Chrismation - is accompanied by regular
Confession of sins, the partaking of Holy Eucharist
(Communion), regular participation and attendance at
all Holy Services, and the commitment to Fasting every
Wednesday and Friday as well as whenever prescribed
by the Holy Church.
THE ✽ OUR LIFE IN CHRIST IS FULFILLED AND CLEARLY
EVIDENT BY THE RESULTS OF OUR SPIRITUAL
TRANSFORMATION – BY THE SPIRITUAL
HARVEST OF FRUITS OF OUR LABOURS OF LOVE
THROUGHOUT THIS LIFE.
In other words, whatever we do must bear good results for
everyone concerned and especially for the Glory,
Honour and Worship of God.
Every word, thought and deed has an Eternal
Consequence!
Although we might like to think that we can get away with
our “secret sins,” we must never forget that N O T H I N G
IS HIDDEN FROM GOD OR THE CLOUD OF
WITNESSES WHO WATCH OVER US CONSTANTLY!
✽ WE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERYTHING WE
THINK, EVERYTHING WE SAY AND EVERYTHING
WE DO – EXCEPT FOR THOSE SINS THAT WE
THE REPENT AND CONFESS BEFORE GOD AND HIS
AND HOLY PRIESTHOOD!!!

The preparation for our Saviour’s Divine Ministry begins

with S T JOHN THE BAPTIST’S CALL TO

T h e D i v ine My s te r y o f H ol y T he op ha n y
✽ THEOPHANY IS OUR SANCTIFICATION AND CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE TREE, which was thrown into
RENEWAL. the brack waters of Marah to make them sweet.
When our Lord descended into the waters of the Jordan H I S P R E S E N C E S A N C T I F I E S (MAKES HOLY) T H E W A T E R , which
River H E P U R I F I E D T H E W A T E R S . cleanses our Spiritual Leprosy, just as Namaan the
C H R I S T R E N E W E D T H E E N T I R E C O S M O S – the Universe. Syrian was cleansed by dipping himself seven times
CHRIST IS THE HOLY ARK THAT DROWNED SIN IN
into the water.
W A T E R as in the days of Noah.
And now C H R I S T H I M S E L F B R I N G S H I S S A V I N G
CHRIST IS T H E P U R I F Y I N G S A L T of the Holy Prophet of
PRESENCE TO US IN THE BLESSED WATERS FOR
God, St Elisha, which made the bitter waters pleasant THE HEALING OF OUR SOULS AND BODIES, FOR
and drinkable. THE AVERTING OF EVERYTHING EVIL, FOR THE
STRENGTHENING OF VIRTUE, FOR THE HOLINESS
OF OUR HOMES.

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THE PRACTICE OF HOUSE which always
BLESSINGS,
follows the Great Feast of Theophany whereby our
Priests visit the homes of the Faithful - to Bless them
with the Sanctified Water from the Holy Service of the
Great Sanctification - T O G E T H E R WITH THE
CUSTOMARY OUT-OF-DOORS BLESSING OF ALL
BODIES OF WATER, ARE VERY IMPORTANT Signs that
we are “joyously drawing water from the springs
of salvation.”
✽ THE ILLUMINATION OF THEOPHANY CANNOT BE
CONTAINED IN THE CHURCH.
IT IS SPREADS OUT TO OUR HOMES AND INTO ALL OF
C R E A T I O N and this is exactly how it is supposed to be.
Thus also did St Isaiah the Holy Prophet of God foretell: “I
will appoint you as a light to the nations, to
open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the
dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from
T h e O p a ci t y o f S in
“And this is the condemnation: that the Light has come into the world and men preferred darkness to the
Light for their deeds were evil” (JOHN 3:19).
✽ T H E R E I S A N O P A C I T Y [MURKINESS] T O S I N : W E D O
NOT SEE THROUGH IT.
Sin sheds light on nothing beyond itself. It refers only to
itself and because of this I T I S D A R K N E S S .
✽ IT IS THE NATURE OF LIGHT TO GIVE BEYOND
ITSELF AND WHAT IT ILLUMINES BECOMES
LIGHT AS WELL TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
LIGHT ALWAYS REACHES OUT. LIGHT IS NEVER
TURNED INWARDS.
I N T H E P A I N T I N G (OR “WRITING”) OF H O L Y I C O N S – T H E U S E
OF “LIGHT” IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
Generally, I C O N S A R E P A I N T E D B E G I N N I N G W I T H
DARKER COLOURS, EACH SUCCESSIVE COLOUR
BEING LIGHTER.
THE VERY LAST TOUCHES ARE THEMSELVES CALLED
“THE LIGHT.”
Often they are white (sometimes gold) and, to a degree,
mark those places that are closest to the viewer.
It is also of importance that SHADOW IS USUALLY NOT PART OF
AN ICON.
The exception to this is the darkness of figures such as
the demons when they are portrayed at all.
✽ It is also of note that H O L Y F I G U R E S I N I C O N S A R E
NEVER PORTRAYED IN PURE PROFILE OR WITH
T H E I R F A C E S T U R N E D C O M P L E T E L Y A W A Y from
the viewer. We may see them turned slightly,
gazing at our Saviour, but never in pure profile.
I am not an Iconographer, but what little I have learnt
over the years has been instructive and the subject
of frequent reflection.
THE USE OF LIGHT AND THE RULES FOR ITS USE ARE
A REPRESENTATION OF THE HOLY LIFE AND THE
CHARACTER O F R I G H T E O U S N E S S , as well as the
character of sin.
I recall a conversation with a very dedicated
Iconographer once about materials.
The traditional medium for a panel Icon is egg-tempera.
I asked about other materials, such as oil paint. I
received an immediate response (almost of disgust).
“No. It is opaque!”
Light cannot enter and pass back from such a medium –
certainly not in a manner similar to that of egg
tempera.
But my point in writing is not to think of Icon-technique,
but rather the opacity of sin.
✽ REFLECTION ON HOLY ICONS IS DEEPLY
IMPORTANT, FOR WE OURSELVES ARE ICONS
(IMAGES).
Holy Icons are not meant to be opaque.
The Light of the Glory of God is not given to us in order
to “spotlight” us as though we were an antique on
display.
✽ THE LIGHT SHINES AND ILLUMINES US BY
BECOMING BOTH PART OF US AND BEING
REFLECTED FROM WITHIN US.
“Let your light so shine before men that they may
see your Good Works and Glorify your Father
Who is in Heaven.” (MATTHEW 5:16)
✽ THE LIGHT THAT SHINES FROM US IS NOT OUR
OWN LIGHT, BUT THE REFLECTED GLORY OF
GOD.
✽ NEITHER ARE THE WORKS OUR WORKS, BUT THE
WORKS OF GOD GIVEN TO US BY GRACE.
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the prison. I am the Lord, that is My name; I
will not give My glory to another, nor my praise
to graven images. Behold, the former things
have come to pass, now I declare new things”
(ISAIAH 42:6-9).
✽ MAY THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY TRINITY
ILLUMINE OUR HEARTS SO THAT WE MAY KNOW
THE ONLY LIVING AND ALMIGHTY GOD.
✽ And may we HASTEN TO FULFIL THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE WHO KEEP THIS
FEAST BY JOYOUSLY DRAWING WATER FROM
THE SPRINGS OF SALVATION AND MAKING
KNOWN GOD’S DEEDS TO OURSELVES, OUR
FAMILIES, AND EVEN AMONG ALL NATIONS.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: FATHER JOSIAH TRENHAM - ST. ANDREW ORTHODOX CHURCH,
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA
THUS THE LIGHT THAT SHINES FROM US REVEALS
THE GLORY OF GOD, THE AUTHOR OF ALL GOOD
THINGS.
Light and Grace shine on everything and everyone.
✽ WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD (WHICH IS HIS
LIFE) NOTHING WOULD EXIST OR LIVE.
The Creation is not self-existent but is rather contingent
(CONDITIONAL OR PROVISIONAL).
The opacity of sin is not a quality of the Light, which it
receives, but rather the quality of its own existence,
because it is turned away from the Light and has
reference only to itself.
The most common word used by our Holy Church
Fathers for the “root” sin is philautia (“SELF-LOVE”).
TURNED TOWARDS OURSELVES AND OUR OWN
CONTINGENT EXISTENCE, THE LIGHT OF GRACE
SIMPLY DISAPPEARS WITHIN US.
✽ THE LIGHT OF DIVINE GRACE IS GIVEN AND
R E C E I V E D B Y U S (or else we would cease to be)
BUT IT CANNOT DO WHAT IT IS INTENDED TO
DO.
IT CANNOT LIGHTEN AND REFLECT FROM WITHIN US
AND IT SIMPLY DISAPPEARS WITHIN THE SELF-
SUSTAINED SHADOWS OF OUR OWN EGOTISTICAL,
SELF-CENTRED WORLD.
THIS IS THE EXISTENTIAL HADES OF HUMAN LIFE.
Traditionally, H A D E S , O R S H E O L , was understood to be
a place where no sound was heard, although the
silence was not the Stillness of Heaven.
HADES IS THE VOICELESS VOID WHERE NO PRAISE
AND THANKSGIVING ARE HEARD.
It is not a silence that is fullness, but A S I L E N C E T H A T I S
EMPTINESS.
“In the grave who shall give Thee Thanks?” (PSALM
6:5).
When Job spoke of Sheol he said: “I go to the place
from which I shall not return, to the land of
Darkness and the Shadow of Death, a land as
dark as darkness itself, as the Shadow of
Death, without any order, where even the light
is like darkness.”
However we are to understand Hades and Hell in a
metaphysical sense - we can already understand
them on an existential level – particularly in the
imagery given us by Christ as the preference of
darkness to Light (because our deeds are so evil).
NO LIGHT COMES FROM EVIL DEEDS FOR THEY ARE
NOT THE WORKS OF GRACE.
Rather, T H E Y A R E O U R O W N S E L F - G E N E R A T E D
ACTIONS WHOSE PURPOSE IS UTTERLY SELF-
REFERENTIAL.
WHEN SINS ARE EXPOSED TO THE LIGHT, THEY ARE
REVEALED AS LACKING ANY TRUE EXISTENCE.
THEY ARE OPAQUE.
✽ R E P E N T A N C E , in these terms, can be easily
understood - it I S A T U R N I N G F R O M D A R K N E S S
T O L I G H T (Metanoia).
T H E C R Y O F R E P E N T A N C E I S not, “I promise to do
good deeds from now on,” but the cry – “ Lord,
have Mercy!” F O R W E H A V E N O G O O D D E E D S O F
OUR OWN TO PERFORM.
✽ WE HAVE NOTHING SELF-REFERENTIAL THAT HAS
THE CHARACTER OF OFFERING.
Instead we say, “Thine own of thine own we offer
unto Thee, on behalf of all and for all!”
19 JANUARY 2011 15.
✽ “Lord, have mercy!” is A CRY FOR THE LIGHT
AND A TURNING TO THE LIGHT.
✽ “Lord have Mercy!” is A RENUNCIATION OF A
SELF-REFERENTIAL EXISTENCE AND AN
EMBRACING OF TRUE EXISTENCE – ONE LIVED
IN AND THROUGH THE LIGHT.
And T H E L I G H T S H I N E S A N D T H E D A R K N E S S D O E S
NOT OVERCOME IT.
✽ ALTHOUGH OUR EVIL DEEDS DISAPPEAR IN THE
CLEAR LIGHT OF GOD’S GRACE, WE
O U R S E L V E S A R E S A V E D (1 CORINTHIANS 3:15).
TO LIVE AS THE IMAGE OF GOD IS TO LIVE FULLY IN
T H E L I G H T O F G O D – the opacity of our hearts
transformed.
But WE ALL, WITH UNVEILED FACE, BEHOLDING AS
IN A (FOGGED UP) MIRROR, THE GLORY OF THE
T h e E te r nal a nd I ns p i re d W is d o m o f o ur H oly C h u rc h F a t he rs
St Nikolai, Bishop of Ochrid and Zicha – On the Seriousness of Life
✽ THIS SHORT LIFE IS A SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE.
✽ IT IS ALL ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE TO CONQUER
(OUR FALLEN STATE) OR TO BE DEFEATED (BY
PERSONAL SIN) !
✽ IF WE CONQUER, WE WILL ENJOY THE FRUITS OF
VICTORY THROUGHOUT ALL ETERNITY; IF WE
ARE DEFEATED, WE WILL ENDURE THE
HORRORS OF DESTRUCTION THROUGHOUT ALL
ETERNITY.
✽ THIS LIFE IS A DUEL BETWEEN MANKIND AND ALL
THAT IS CONTRARY TO THE DIVINE.
✽ GOD IS AN ALMIGHTY ALLY TO ALL WHO SINCERELY
CALL UPON HIM FOR HELP.
St John of Kronstadt warned us: "This life is not a joke
or a game... However, the capricious (fickle-
minded) people fool around with this precious
Archbishop Andrei Rymanrenko of Blessed Memory – One Thing Needful
Have you noticed, dear Brethren in Christ, how the Holy
Church continually connects our life with Events from
the Life of Christ?
During the days of Christmas, while worshipping at the
Manger of Christ, we received the "Spirit of
Adoption.”
On the day of our Lord’s Circumcision, we gave our heart
to Christ and began our Spiritual New Year.
And here, for these past days, the Holy Church has been
Calling us to the shores of the Jordan River, and on
the day of the Baptism of the Lord, She revealed to us
a Great Mystery — the Manifestation of God – the
Theophany or Epiphany!
Placed before us is the Divine Purpose of our whole life,
and this is COMMUNION WITH GOD.
And we are granted Divine Grace – His Divine Help for this
kind of Holy Life.
This Divine Help- this Divine Grace - comes to us from the
One God worshipped in Trinity, Who is revealed to us
in the Gospel Lesson of Theophany. And as material
proof, as a Symbol of this Grace, we are granted the
Blessed Baptismal Water of Theophany, which is
tangible, and as so often, through something tangible
the Holy Church unites us with the Intangible - with the
Grace of God.
Be attentive to what the Holy Church teaches us through
St Paul’s Epistle: "For the Grace of God that brings
Salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, Righteously, and Godly, in
this present world; looking for that Blessed
St Ambrose of Optina

SINFUL THOUGHTS CONTINUALLY DISTURB US. BUT
IF WE DO NOT COOPERATE WITH THEM, THEN
WE ARE NOT GUILTY OF THEM.

A certain Ascetic woman was besieged for a long time
with unclean thoughts. When the Lord came and cast
them away from her, she called to Him: “Where were
you before now, O my sweet Lord Jesus?”
The Lord answered: “I was in your heart.”
She asked Him: “How could that be? For my heart was
full of unclean thoughts!”
And our Lord told her: “Know that I was in your heart,
for you were not disposed to the unclean
thoughts, but strove rather to be free of them;
and when you were not able to be free, you
16. (DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) AFTER FEAST OF THEOPHAY - SUNDAY AFTER THEOPHANY
LORD, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME
IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY, JUST AS BY THE
S P I R I T O F T H E L O R D . (2 CORINTHIANS 3:18)
And “…if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light,
we have Communion with one another, and the
Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from
all sin.”
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS!” BY FATHER STEPHEN
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2010/01/
time that is granted to us by God for our
preparation for Eternity with their ignorant,
contemptuous and empty words.
They gather together as guests or mere brief
visitors.
They sit and chatter aimlessly and impassively or
they amuse and entertain themselves in various
unprofitable ways with more mindless
preoccupations with absurd, unimportant things.
For the ungodly all aspects of this life consist of
senseless activities or distractions.
Yet woe to those who only amuse or occupy
themselves with no thought of Eternity!"
Hope, and the Glorious Appearing of the Great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (TITUS 2:11-13).
With the Feast of Theophany we are granted not only
Knowledge, but also Renewal.
During the Holy Services of Theophany, perhaps we did
not hear or understand everything but at the same
time - just as it happens in God’s World - when we go
outside we experience a breath of God’s Mysterious
Power.
Perhaps this is incomprehensible or intangible to some of
us.
However, for all of those who were expecting this Power of
Divine Grace, it does visit us and prepare us for our
Life in Christ, which is according to our own free will –
according to our own eager and willing choices that we
make for ourselves.
Therefore, during these days after Theophany and the
Baptism of Christ, we must constantly contemplate
and keep in our hearts and souls the words of our
Lord and Saviour: "Repent: for the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand!" (MATTHEW 4:17).
And soon we begin the great Lenten Triodion (A LITURGICAL
BOOK CONTAINING THE CYCLE OF HOLY SERVICES FOR GREAT LENT AND THE FOUR
WEEKS THAT PRECEDE IT, DEALING ESPECIALLY WITH THE PASSION OF JESUS
CHRIST), which will reveal to us the Laws of Life and the
Laws of our heart which we need so much.
During this time of preparation, we join our Holy Fathers
and Forefathers who already enjoy Eternal Life and for
that reason, we must strive to fill our hearts with
everything that our Holy Church grants to us.
struggled and grieved. By this you prepared a
place for Me in your heart.’”

One man sinned but Repented, and this continued all
his life. Finally he Repented and died.
An evil spirit came for his soul and said: ‘He’s mine!’ but
our Lord said: ‘No! He has repented.’ ‘But he
repented and then sinned again,’ argued the devil.
Our Lord answered: ‘If you, being evil, take him back
after he Repented to Me, then how can I not
accept him if after sinning he has turned to Me
in Repentance? You forget that you are evil, and
I Am Good.’”
19 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the
Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Mo st Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, ye t Ever Virgin,
together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and o ne ano the r and o ur whole Life to Christ our God.
Amen.

1 0 Ja n u ar y 2 01 1
S t Gre g or y o f N y s s a
Also the Feast of St Dometianos of Melitene – St Markianos the Presbyter - St Paul, Abbot of
Obnora Monastery,Vologda – St Makarios Abbot of Pisma – St Theosebia, Deaconness (Sister
of St Basil the Great, St Gregory of Nyssa & St Peter of Sebaste – St Antipas of Valaam Monastery – St
Theophan the Recluse of Tambov
Apolytikion Of Theophany

En Iordani Vaptizomenou Sou Kyrie, i tis Triados
efanerothi Proskinisis. Tou gar Gennitoros i Foni
prosemartiri Si, Agapiton Se Iion Onomazousa. Ke
to Pnevma en idi peristeras eveveou tou Logou to
asfales. O Epifanis, Hriste O Theos, ke ton kosmon
Fotisas, Doxa Si!
Apolytikion Of St Gregory Of Nyssa – Tone 4
When Thou, O Lord, was Baptised in the Jordan, the
Worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the
Voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling
Thee “the Beloved Son,” and the Spirit like a dove,
confirmed His Word as sure and steadfast. O Christ
our God, Who has appeared and Enlightened the
world: Glory to Thee!

O Theos ton Pateron imon, O pion ai meth’ imon kata O God of our Fathers, ever dealing with us according to
tin Sin epiikian, mi apostrisis to Eleos Sou af’ imon, Thy Gentleness: take not Thy Mercy from us, but by
alla tes afton ikesies en Irini kivernison tin Zoin their Entreaties guide our Life in Peace.
imon.
Kontakion Of Theophany

Epefanis simeron ti ikoumeni, ke to Fos Sou Kyrie,
esimiothi ef imas en epignosi imnountas Se. Ilthes
efanis to Fos to aprositon.
Kontakion Of The Feast Of St Gregory Of Nyssa
Thou appeared today to the inhabited earth, and Thy
Light, O Lord, has been marked upon us, who with
knowledge sing Thy praise: Thou came;, Thou art
made manifest, the Light that no man can approach.

Tis Ekklisias O entheos Ierarhis, ke tis sofias Rejoicing with the Angels and taking delight in the Divine
sevasmios imnografos, Nissis O Grigoros nou Light, Gregory of Nyssa, the vigilant mind, the God-
Grigorios, sin Angelis Horefon, ke entrifon to tho Inspired Hierarch of the Church, and Wisdom's revered
Foti, presvevi apafstos iper panton imon. Hymnographer, intercede unceasingly for us all.
P r o ke i me n on :
O Lord, Save Thy People and Bless Thine Inheritance.
I Will appeal to Thee, O Lord our God.
T h e E p is tle o f S t Pa ul to t he Ep he s i ans 4: 7 - 1 3
We Must All Use Our Spiritual Gifts
Brethren, To each one of us Grace was granted according to the measure of Christ’s Gift. Therefore He says: “When He
ascended on High, He led captivity captive, and granted Gifts to men.”
(Now this: “He ascended,” – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He Who
descended is also the One Who ascended far above all the Heavens, that He might fill all things.)
And He Himself granted some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the
equipping of the Saints for the Work of Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, until we all come to the Unity of
the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, to a Perfect Man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ...
While the Church is One in Essence, it is diverse in Gifts ✽ The Ascent of the Son of God and the Descent of the
and Function. Holy Spirit,
Unity does not mean uniformity for each member is ✽ Guided by specially gifted people and
unique before God, with Gifts and Roles granted by ✽ For the sake of the maturity and stability of the Body of
God. Christ – His Holy Church.
Diversity in operation is based on
T h e H ol y G os p e l o f C hr is t Acc o rd in g t o S t L uk e 3 : 19 – 2 2
Our Call To Repentance & The Divine Revelation of Theophany
At that time, Herod the Tetrarch, being rebuked by St John the Baptist concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother,
Philip, and for all the evil deeds that Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he imprisoned John.
When all the people were Baptised, it came to pass that Jesus also was Baptised; and while He prayed, the Heaven was
opened. And the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him, and a Voice came from Heaven, which said: “Thou art
My Beloved Son; in Thee I Am well pleased!”
KING HEROD WAS A TETRARCH, MEANING THAT HE Herod had divorced his own wife and co-habited
WAS ONE OF FOUR RULERS OF THE REGION THAT
WAS UNDER ROMAN OCCUPATION.
unlawfully and immorally with Herodias, the wife of
He was a wicked, paranoid ruler who called himself “King,” his living brother, Philip.
even though, in reality he was not of any royal lineage. However, W H E N H E H A D S T J O H N T H E B A P T I S T
ILLEGALLY AND UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED, IT WAS
His cruelty and persecution of the innocent was infamous THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF HIS LIFE.
and St John the Baptist loudly and vehemently Herod actually feared the wrath of the people and secretly
condemned both him for his unbridled wickedness respected St John the Baptist so he did not dare to
and Herodias for her similar evil lifestyle. harm him – and apparently listened to what the Holy
Prophet loudly and clearly preached, even from his
dark and dank dungeon below the palace.

(ANY DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST GREGORY OF NYSSA 10 JANUARY 2011 17.

But all too soon, T H E D E V I O U S P L O T T I N G A N D
PLANNING OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST’S ARCH-
ENEMY, HERODIAS, WOULD FINALLY BE GRATIFIED
DURING A DRUNKEN BANQUET WHEN SHE WOULD
TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AN D
HAVE HIM MURDERED.
✽ OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST MOST CERTAINLY DID
NOT REQUIRE BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS
OF SINS BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONLY “HUMAN
BEING” (I.E.IN HIS HUMAN NATURE) WHO WAS
COMPLETELY SINLESS.
Having fully taken on our human nature, Christ resisted all
temptation and H E N E V E R F E L L I N T O A N Y S I N
WHATSOEVER.
HE THEREBY SHOWED US BY HIS PERFECT EXAMPLE
THAT DESPITE ALL THE TEMPTATION THAT TRIES
TO OVERWHELM AND DEFEAT US, IT IS POSSIBL E
TO REJECT IT AND BECOME VICTORIOUS OVER THE
EVIL ONE AND HIS SLY DECEPTIONS.
✽ By being Baptised, our Lord Jesus accomplished
several things:
1. HE AFFIRMED ST JOHN THE BAPTIST’S HOLY
MINISTRY OF REPENTANCE IN PREPARATION OF
GOD’S KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
2. HE WAS REVEALED AND CONFIRMED WITHOUT A
DOUBT BY GOD THE FATHER AND THE HOLY
SPIRIT AS THE LONG-AWAITED MESSIAH – THE
ETERNAL CHRIST GOD - THE INCARNATE
ETERNAL WORD AND BELOVED ONLY BEGOTTEN
SON OF GOD THE FATHER.
3. HE IDENTIFIED WITH HIS PEOPLE BY DESCENDING
INTO THE BAPTISMAL WATERS WITH THEM.
4. HE PREFIGURED HIS OWN DEATH ON THE CROSS,
THEREBY GIVING HOLY BAPTISM ITS ULTIMATE
M E A N I N G . (THE DEATH OF SIN AND THE REGENERATION OF ETERNAL
LIFE IN CHRIST)
5. HE FULFILLED THE MANY TYPES MENTIONED IN
THE OLD TESTAMENT such as when Moses led
S t Gre g or y o f N y s s a ( c i r c a 3 3 5 – 3 8 5 )
St Gregory of Nyssa was Bishop of Nyssa and a
prominent Theologian of the fourth century.
He was the younger brother of St Basil the Great and
friend of St Gregory the Theologian.
St Gregory of Nyssa's influence on Church Doctrine has
remained important, although some have accused
this Theology of containing an Origenist influence.
St Gregory was raised in a very pious (and large)
Christian family of ten children; his grandmother, St
Macrina the Elder, his mother St Emilia, his father St
Basil the Elder, his sisters, St Macrina the Younger
and St Theosebia, and his brothers, St Basil the
Great and St Peter of Sebaste.
He received a good education and taught rhetoric at one
point.
In 372, his brother St Basil the Great ordained him
Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia (in present-day
Turkey).
St Gregory and St Basil both spent much effort
defending the Faith against the attacks of the Arians
and St Gregory was twice deposed as leader of his
See because of false accusations made by the
heretics. However, his position as Bishop was finally
restored in 378.
The next year, 379, his brother St Basil the Great died.
As the two were extremely close, St Gregory of Nyssa was
deeply grieved at his loss. To honour his brother, St
Gregory wrote his Funeral Oration and then
completed St Basil's Hexaemeron, a series of nine
Sermons, delivered during Great Lent, which
described and elaborated upon the Genesis account
of the world's Creation in six days. (HEXAEMERON MEANS "SIX
DAYS").
The following year, St Gregory's sister St Macrina also
died, and St Gregory wrote a Hagiography detailing
her Holy Life in Christ.
About this time St Gregory attended the Council of
Antioch, a local Synod, in which he zealously
defended Orthodoxy.
The Council was called to rebut a heresy that denied the
perpetual Virginity of the Theotokos, while also
forbidding worship of her as being Divine or any part
of the Divine Godhead.
St Gregory simultaneously continued his fight against
the heresies of Arianism.
Then he attended the Second Ecumenical Council in
Constantinople, which added the final section
18. (ANY DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST GREGORY OF NYSSA
God’s people out of bondage through the Red Sea
and when the Ark of the Covenant was carried into
the Jordan River so that the Hebrew Nation could
finally enter the Promised Land
6. HE OPENED HEAVEN – THE ETERNAL HEAVENLY
KINGDOM OF GOD – TO OUR FALLEN WORLD
THAT HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM OUR LOVING
GOD THROUGH OUR SINS – OUR FALL FROM
DIVINE GRACE – THE ANCESTRAL SIN OF ADAM
AND EVE.
✽ T H E O P H A N Y M E A N S “ G O D R E V E A L E D , ” and T H E S O N
OF GOD WAS REVEALED BY THE DESCENT OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BY THE VOICE OF GOD
T H E F A T H E R , which was the greatest and most
clear public Manifestation of Almighty God as Holy
Trinity in human history/
✽ The Divine Declaration of God the Father A L S O
APPLIES TO EVERYONE WHO IS BAPTISED INTO
CHRIST JESUS AND WHO FAITHFULLY LIVES IN
CHRIST since our Holy Adoption as Heirs of God is
bestowed upon us during our Holy Baptism by
God.
✽ THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HOVERED ABOVE THE HEAD
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT AN
INCARNATION BUT RATHER A VISIBLE SIGN FOR
THE PEOPLE TO WITNESS.
THIS DIVINE APPEARANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
FURTHER FULFILS THE TYPE PREFIGURED AFTER
THE GREAT FLOOD: “Just as a dove announced to
Noah that God’s Wrath had ceased, so too the
Holy Spirit announces here that Christ has
reconciled us to God by sweeping sin away in
the Flood Waters of Baptism!” (ST THEOPHAN THE RECLUSE)
concerning the Holy Spirit to the Nicene-
Constantinopolitan Creed.
For the rest of his life, St Gregory of Nyssa continued to
attend Church Councils, discuss Doctrinal matters,
and combat various heresies.
He reached old age before finally reposing in the Lord
near the end of the fourth century.
St Gregory Of Nyssa & Triadology
St Gregory is remembered above all for two major
contributions to Theology.
The first was his Doctrine or Teaching of the Holy Trinity,
a development of the Theology of St Basil and their
mutual friend St Gregory Nazianzos.
Following St Basil's lead, St Gregory argued that the
Three Persons of the Holy Trinity can be understood
along the model of three members of a single class:
thus, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three in the
same way that St Peter, St Paul, and St Timothy were
three men. However, there are not three Gods
because as St Gregory explained, normally, we can
distinguish between different members of the same
class by the fact that they have different shapes,
sizes, and colours. – different attributes.
Even if they are identical, they still occupy different
points in space.
But none of this is true of Incorporeal (Bodiless,
Invisible) Beings like God.
Even lesser Spiritual Beings can still be distinguished by
their varying degrees of Goodness, but this does not
apply to God either.
In fact, the only way to tell the three Persons apart is by
their mutual Relationship — thus, the only difference
between the Father and the Son is that the former is
the Father of the latter, and the latter is the Son of
the former.
As St Gregory explained, it is impossible to think of one
Member of the Holy Trinity without thinking of the
other Divine Members too: The Holy Trinity is like a
chain of three Links, pulling each other along.
St Gregory & The Infinity Of God
He was the first Christian Theologian to argue for the
Infinity of God for he taught that if Almighty God
were limited He would be restricted by something
greater than Himself and as there is nothing greater
than God, He is without boundaries – He is Infinite
and cannot be comprehended, contained or
restricted by any means!
10 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious
Lady, Maria, T heotokos, ye t Ever Virgi n, toge the r with all the Sai nts. And
let us commit ourselves and one ano ther and our whole Life to Christ our
God. Ame n.

1 6 Ja n u ar y 20 11
30 th Sunday After Pentecost - Tone. 1

1 2 t h S u nd a y o f S t L u ke
T h e U ng ra te f u l Le p e rs

Also the Feast of the Veneration of St Peter’s Chains (the

( Liberation of St Peter by the
Angel of God) - St Makarios, Deacon of Kalogeras – St Pevsippos, St Elasippos, St
Mesippos & St Neonilla, Holy Martyrs – St Nicholas, New Martyr of Mytilini

Resurrection Apolytikion – Tone 1

Tou lithou sfragisthentos ipo ton Ioudeon ke stratioton While
filassonton to ahranton Sou Soma, Anestis trimeros,
Sotir, Doroumenos to kosmo tin Zoin. Dia touto e
Dinamis ton Ouranon evoon si Zoodota. Doxa ti
Anastasi Sou, Hriste! Doxa ti Vasilia Sou! Doxa ti
Ikonomia Sou, mone Filanthrope!
Apolytikion of St Peter’s Chains
the stone was sealed by the Jews, and soldiers
stood on guard over Thy Body undefiled, Thou rose
on the Third Day, O Saviour, Who grants Life to the
world. For which cause the Heavenly Powers cried
aloud to Thee: O Giver of Life: Glory to Thy
Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Thy Kingdom! Glory
to Thy Providence, O Thou Who alone Loves
mankind!

Tin Romin mi lipon, pros imas epedimisas, di’ on Without leaving Rome, you came to us by the
eforesas timion Aliseon, ton Apostolon Protothrone. precious chains that you wore, O Foremost of the
As en Pisti proskinountes deometa, tes pros Theon Apostles. And venerating them with Faith we pray:
presvies sou, dorise imin to Mega Eleos by your intercessions with God, grant us Great
Mercy.
Kontakion – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb, and
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
polemis to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
igapisas, O Monos Filanthropos commonwealth in time of war, and secure in strength,
the Rulers Thou hast truly Love, as the Only One Who
Loves mankind.
R e s urre c t i on G os p e l 1 - Ma t t h e w 2 8 : 16 – 20 - T h e Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ

P r o ke i me n on
“Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will establish them in Salvation...”
The words of the Lord are pure words.
T h e A c ts o f t h e Ap os tle s A cc ord i n g t o S t L u ke 12 : 1 – 1 1
The Liberation of St Peter by the Angel of God
About that time Herod the King stretched out his hand to harass some from the Church. Then he killed James, the
brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Hebrews, he proceeded further to seize
Peter also.
Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested Peter, Herod imprisoned him and delivered
him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to present him before the people after Passover.
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant Prayer was offered to God for him by the Church. And when Herod was
about to take him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards
before the door were guarding the prison.
Then, behold, an Angel of the Lord stood by him and a Light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and
raised him up, saying: “Arise, quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the Angel said to him: “Gird yourself
and tie on your sandals.” And so he did. And he said to him: “Put on your garment and follow me.”
So Peter went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the Angel was real, but thought he was
seeing a Vision.
When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they arrived at the iron gate that led to the city, which opened
to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the Angel departed from
him.
And when Peter had come to himself, he said: “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His Angel, and has
delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Hebrew people.”
“Herod the King” was Herod Agrippa, the grandson of The dates of his reign determine the period during
Herod the Great, who had tried to kill our Lord which St James was martyred and St Peter
Jesus in His infancy. imprisoned.
Like his grandfather, Herod Agrippa ruled in Palestine St James, the brother of St John, and a cousin of the
under the occupation of the Roman Empire during Ever Blessed Theotokos, was the first of the Twelve
the years 41 – 44. Apostles of Christ to be martyred and this particular
event reveals that by the year 44, T H E R E W A S A
GROWING POPULAR DISPLEASURE AGAINST THE

(ANY DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) 30TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 12TH OF ST LUKE – UNGRATEFUL LEPERS – 16 JANUARY 2011 19.
 CHRISTIANS, especially of the Hebrews who were
encouraged to regard them as blasphemers and
heretics.
The “Days of Unleavened Bread” mark the Passover
Period, and thus the Commemoration of the Great
Passion and Glorious Resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
✽ THE TREMENDOUS POWER OF INTERCESSORY
PRAYER BY THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST ON
BEHALF OF ITS LEADERS IS EVIDENT FROM
ST PETER’S MIRACULOUS RELEASE FROM A
GUARDED PRISON BY THE ANGEL OF GOD.
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t L u ke 1 7 : 12 - 1 9
Our Lord Jesus Christ Heals Ten Lepers – Only One is Grateful!
At that time, as Jesus entered a certain village, ten lepers who stood afar off met Him. And they lifted up their voices and
cried out: “Jesus! Master! Have Mercy on us!”
And when He saw them, He said to them: “Go and show yourselves to the Priests!” And so it was that as they went,
they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice, he glorified God, and fell down on his
face at His Feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
So Jesus answered and said: “Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Were there no any found who
returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?!”
And He said to him: “Arise! Go your way... Your Faith has made you well.”
Leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases of the
time, and it is still feared today.
It brought great physical suffering as well as a total
banishment and isolation from society.
✽ LEPROSY IS ALSO SYMBOLIC OF OUR
DESTRUCTIVE SIN.
The lepers “stood afar off” because they were not
permitted to approach anyone or to enter the
villages.
Sometimes they wore or rang little bells so that people
knew they were approaching and could avoid them.
Leprosy was regarded as a “punishment from God” and
everyone feared the lepers for various reasons.
The people were terrified of being infected themselves
so they not only shunned these poor sufferers but
often chased them away with sticks and stones.
Whenever anyone received a miraculous cure, he or she
had to immediately consult the Priests at the
Temple who would then examine and confirm or
deny the Miracle.
IF ONE WAS INDEED HEALED, VARIOUS FORMS OF
PURIFICATION RITUALS HAD TO BE CAREFULLY
FOLLOWED BEFORE NORMAL LIFE AND WORSHIP
AT THE TEMPLE WAS ALLOWED TO PROCEED.
✽ CHRIST INSTRUCTED THE LEPERS TO GO TO THE
PRIESTS FOR CONFIRMATION OF THEIR
HEALING ACCORDING TO MOSAIC LAW.
✽ Furthermore, St Cyril of Alexandria believed that
CHRIST ALSO ISSUED THE INSTRUCTION FOR
THE LEPERS TO PRESENT THEMSELVES TO
THE PRIESTS SO AS TO CONVINCE THEM BY A
TANGIBLE MIRACLE THAT CHRIST IS
DEFINITELY SUPERIOR TO ST MOSES THE
ANCIENT PATRIARCH.
The Hebrew Priests maintained the belief that St Moses
was greater than the Messiah – the Christ (Anointed
One) of God – yet our Lord Jesus Christ healed
lepers immediately by His own Divine Authority!
Yet when St Miriam, the beloved sister of St Moses, was
infected with leprosy, he had to seek the Divine
Mercy of God and she was then only healed after
seven days. (READ NUMBERS 12: 10 – 15)
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading
IMPORTANCE OF BEING TRULY GRATEFUL
THE HELP THAT WE RECEIVE FROM GOD
FROM OTHERS.
As we see in today’s Sacred Lesson, O N L Y
ONE OUT OF
THE TEN LEPERS WHO RECEIVED HEALING FROM
CHRIST WENT BACK TO THANK HIM.
That ratio is something we should grieve over.
Our Lord Jesus Christ used this shocking example of
the ten lepers, to show us that we are all too often
just like the nine ungrateful Lepers!
Why would God’s People - we who are the adopted Heir
to His Eternal Heavenly Kingdom - not give thanks
to God for all His gracious Deeds and Healings?
✽ Our Holy Church Fathers with one voice point out
to us: W E A R E N O T Q U I C K T O T H A N K G O D
BECAUSE WE ARE TOO PROUD OF "OUR OWN"
PERCEIVED ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
20. (ANY DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED)
✽ ST PETER’S INITIAL CONFUSION AND
SUBSEQUENT UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING
HIS SUDDEN RELEASE FROM PRISON
DEMONSTRATE THAT GOD’S DIVINE WORKS
ARE NOT ALWAYS CLEAR TO US WHILE THEY
ARE UNFOLDING, BUT IN HINDSIGHT HIS
DIVINE PURPOSE OFTEN BECOMES QUITE
CLEAR TO US.
This passage from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
by St Luke is usually read on the Feasts
commemorating our Holy Martyrs.
Nine of the lepers rushed off to have their healing
confirmed and authenticated by the Priests.
They were totally self-absorbed.
Only “a Samaritan” who was despised by the Hebrews
as being a heretic, set the example of gratitude for
his healing.
O N L Y T H E D E S P I S E D S A M A R I T A N – the “foreigner” -
IMMEDIATELY FIRST GAVE THANKS TO ALMIGHTY
GOD, expressing his gratitude for the Great
Blessing he had received so unexpectedly, W H I C H
REVEALED HIS GENUINE HUMILITY,
THANKSGIVING TO AND LOVE FOR GOD.
✽ Sadly, M O S T O F U S A R E L I K E T H E N I N E
U N G R A T E F U L L E P E R S who all too easily take
for granted or forget almighty God’s Great
Blessings because we are too involved with our
own enjoyment and celebration.
We totally ignore the fact that E V E R Y B L E S S I N G W E
HAVE, WHETHER GREAT OR SMALL, IS ONLY
BESTOWED UPON US THROUGH THE MERCY, LOVE
AND DIVINE GRACE OF GOD.
Let us learn to take stock of His Blessings – as
abundant as they are – and LET US SHOW OUR HUMBLE
APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE TO HIM AT ALL TIMES!
✽ AFTER PARTAKING OF HOLY COMMUNION AND
RECEIVING DIVINE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
A N D E V E R L A S T I N G L I F E , we must stand before
the Holy Altar, make the Sign of the Cross
expressing our Worship of God with all our
mind, our heart, our strength and our soul, and
BOW DOWN BEFORE GOD IN AN ACT OF
SINCERE HUMILITY AND THANKSGIVING
✽ OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST - THE SON AND WORD
OF GOD INCARNATE – CAME TO HEAL ALL FALLEN
HUMANITY, YET ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION RECEIVE
HIM WITH SINCERE FAITH AND THANKSGIVING – AND WHO
CONTINUOUSLY GIVE GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL OUR
BLESSINGS!
SO IT IS THAT AS OUR LORD SADLY COMMENTED: “ M A N Y A R E
C A L L E D B U T F E W A R E C H O S E N ! ” (MATTHEW 20 : 16)
✽ THE VITAL LESSON FOR ALL ORTHODOX
CHRISTIANS IS THAT WORSHIP OF GOD IS
OUR MOST ESSENTIAL PRIORITY!
T he U ngr a te f ul Le p e rs
teaches us THE ✽ St. Maximos the Confessor warned us: “AS
FOR LONG AS YOU HAVE BAD HABITS, SUCH AS A
AND LACK OF TRUE GRATITUDE IN YOUR HEARTS
FOR EVERYTHING CHRIST HAS
ACCOMPLISHED FOR US, DO NOT REJECT
HARDSHIP, SO THAT THROUGH IT, YOU MAY
BE HUMBLED AND EJECT YOUR PRIDE”.
So often personal success stories are discussed in
conversation but rarely is the most significant
aspect of such accounts mentioned – our sincere
and humble gratitude to God for His abundant
Blessings that make everything possible!!
If we were really honest we would acknowledge that we
are ridiculously puffed up with self-pride due to our
deceptive belief in “our own achievements!”
In our complete lack of Humility and disregard of God,
we do not have even a momentary appreciation of
God’s infinite Providence!
30TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 12TH OF ST LUKE – UNGRATEFUL LEPERS – 16 JANUARY 2011
We are so intensely consumed by our own perceived
abilities that we do not have the slightest thought of
Thanksgiving to our Creator and Saviour.
Today’s example of one man’s sincere and immediate
gratitude to God is a good reminder for us to be
thankful at all times, and to always remember that
our loving and patient God watches over us
constantly.
He does not want us to perish in a state of sin – in a
state of Spiritual Death - so He patiently waits for
us to Repent and thereby return to Him.
Throughout Holy Scripture, our Lord Jesus Christ
cautions us and advises us how to live in a Godly
Life that leads us to Communion and Unity with
Him.
We have heard how the Ten Lepers dared to get as
close as possible to Christ before calling out to Him
in their desperate isolation and suffering due to an
illness beyond their control.
God’s Mercy is instant so they were all healed as they
rushed off to receive the certification of the Temple
Priests, thereafter fulfilling the required rituals of
the Old Covenant Laws and resuming their lives in
society once again.
Even though the nine did not return to glorify God or to
give thanks to Christ, they still received God’s
Healing, which is a most important point for us to
consider and to remember.
✽ ALTHOUGH WE SELDOM – IF EVER -
OUR DEEP GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION
F O R T H E I N N U M E R A B L E G I F T S O F G R A C E we
continuously receive from our Most Benevolent
God, H E A L W A Y S B L E S S E S U S A N D N E V E R
WITHHOLDS HIS PROVIDENCE FROM US.
✽ EXPRESSING OUR GRATITUDE TO GOD AND TO
ONE ANOTHER IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT
TEACHES US HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE, AND
WE LEARN TO CHERISH THE NUMEROUS WAYS
WHEREBY WE ARE DIVINELY LED AND
GUIDED IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
The most significant Lesson for us to learn today is
that T H E O N E G R A T E F U L L E P E R W H O R E T U R N E D
WITH SUCH SPONTANEOUS GRATITUDE TO GOD,
RECEIVED EVEN MORE THAN A PHYSICAL
H E A L I N G from such a dreaded disease.
✽ THANKFULNESS AND TRUE GRATITUDE TO GOD
ARE CLEAR EVIDENCE OR PROOF OF DEEP,
SINCERE FAITH.
THE NINE UNGRATEFUL LEPERS - according to our
Holy Church Fathers - D I D N O T P O S S E S S F A I T H I N
GOD; YET DESPITE THEIR SELF-ABSORBED
STATE, THEY WERE ALL COMPLETELY HEALED OF
LEPROSY BY CHRIST’S GREAT MERCY.
✽ However, although all ten lepers were physically
healed,ONLY THE ONE GRATEFUL LEPER
ALSO RECEIVED SPIRITUAL HEALING -
ETERNAL LIFE – ETERNAL SALVATION!
Similar to those ten lepers, we also receive so many
Mercies from God whenever we call out to Him in
our times of need.
But most times, once we have received our Great
Blessings, we respond just like those Nine
Ungrateful Lepers!
Very seldom do we immediately turn to God and Glorify
Him and offer Him, with all our being, our most
humble and heartfelt Thanksgiving!
G r o w in g i n t he K no w le d ge o f C hr is t – Pa r t 1
To Know Christ -
THE FIRST ASPECT OF AN AUTHENTIC KNOWLEDGE
OF CHRIST IS TO KNOW HIM AS OUR
1 a phony or an unworthy person as a significant
“ S I G N I F I C A N T O T H E R .”
A significant other is someone of decisive importance
in one’s life. He or she is a model, a guide, an
inspiration - someone we follow, someone we
count on, someone we admire and tend to
emulate.
One may even dedicate or sacrifice his or her life to a
significant other whose lifestyle, principles, and
values are highly influential.
No one is without a significant other in his or her life.
1 making us become more and more like Him.
THE TERM “SIGNIFICANT OTHER” IS USED BY CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY AND
SOCIOLOGY AS A VALUE AND PRIORITY REFERENCE.
(ANY DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) 30TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 12TH OF ST LUKE – UNGRATEFUL LEPERS – 16 JANUARY 2011
True gratitude for Divine Providence opens the Door to
our Eternal Salvation for sincere, joyous
appreciation for all God’s wonderful Blessings sets
our feet firmly upon the Path of Righteousness.
Therefore, W E S H O U L D W I T H O U T F A I L A C K N O W L E D G E
ALL THE GIFTS OF GOD AND GIVE HIM GLORY,
HONOUR AND WORSHIP, AS IS WORTHY AND
CORRECT.
We must BE AWARE AT ALL TIMES OF GOD’S
PROVIDENCE in all things, and thank Him for each
and every Divine Gift, which leads us slowly but
surely towards Eternal Life in His Heavenly
Kingdom.
✽ EVERY SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT WILL BE
FITTINGLY ACKNOWLEDGED AS GOD’S
BLESSINGS THROUGH WHICH WE HUMBLE
OURSELVES AND FIND TRUE WISDOM AND
SALVATION.
➤ We must not overlook or neglect
THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS!
➤ We must not carry on as usual, but we must
PAUSE REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY
TO RE-EXAMINE OUR ATTITUDES
TOWARDS GOD AND THOSE AROUND US.
➤ We must B E A W A R E O F E V E R Y A S P E C T O F
OUR LIVES WITHIN THE PRESENT
MOMENT!
✽ Our Holy Church Fathers have taught us that O U R
LIFE IN CHRIST IS TRULY A STATE OF GRACE
THAT COMES THROUGH PRAYER AND THE
GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The Syriac Fathers have this to say about gratitude:
EXPRESS “When evening comes, collect your thoughts and
ponder over the entire course of the day:
observe God's Providential Care for you;
consider the Grace He has wrought in you
throughout the whole span of the day;
consider the rising of the moon, the joy of
daylight, all the hours and moments, the
divisions of time, the sight of different
colours, the beautiful adornment of Creation,
the course of the sun, the growth of your own
stature, how your own person has been
protected; consider the blowing of the winds,
the ripe and varied fruits; how the elements
minister to your comfort, how you have been
preserved from accidents, and all the other
activities of Grace.
When you have pondered on all this, the wonder
of God's Love toward you will well up within
you, and gratitude for His Acts of Grace will
bubble up inside you.”
LET US BE THE ELECT OF GOD - HOLY AND BELOVED
- by following the Good Example of our Lord Jesus
and His Apostles.
AND WHENEVER WE ARE TEMPTED BY A SENSE OF
PERSONAL SATISFACTION LET US NOT FORGET
TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD FOR EVERYTHING WE
HAVE RECEIVED FROM HIM - ACCORDING TO HIS
INFINITE AND LOVING DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
LET US BECOME TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
CHRIST AND WORTHY CARRIERS OF HIS NAME.
Amen.
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: HOLY APOSTLES ORTHODOX CHURCH – www.holy12.org
The Significant Other
In fact, many tragedies result from a bad selection of
other.
To know Christ as our Significant Other means that we
consciously and deliberately select Him as our
Significant Other, over and above anyone else.
It means we have our Lord Jesus Christ as the most
superb and irreplaceable Model and Prototype of
what is really, fully, and originally human.
He thus becomes the concrete Image of our highest
aspirations, the Perfect Expression of what we
dream and we want to be.
His Person and Grace becomes a Divine, Perfect Guide
that drives (OR COMPELS US) to continuously transform -
21.
The great Apostle St Paul, writing to the Galatians,
eloquently revealed an advanced stage of knowing
Christ as the Significant Other: “I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who
live, but Christ Who Lives in me.” (GALATIANS 2:20)
When Christ becomes our Significant Other, He
automatically becomes a firm, unchanging, and
Eternal point of reference, the ultimate Criterion
for our values, priorities, and ideas.
In a world of constant change, of ideological
confusion, and of ephemeral options, Jesus
Christ, our Significant Other, remains absolutely
actual and relevant: “...the same yesterday and
today and forever.” (HEBREWS 13:8)
He has been the unique Significant Other for the
people of the Roman Empire, for Medieval and
Renaissance generations, for heroes of the
industrial revolution, and for the anxious
witnesses of the epoch of microchip supremacy,
star wars, terrorism, and nuclear nightmares.
To know Christ means to have Him as the
Determining Criterion and Judging Reference in
all matters of value and priority in life and death.
T h e I ns p ir e d W i s d o m o f o ur H ol y C h urc h F at h e r s ( & M o t he rs )
St. Isaac the Syrian
The man who follows Christ in solitary mourning is
greater than he who praises Christ amid the
congregation of men.
Abba Tithoes
The way of Humility is this: Self-control, Prayer, and
regarding yourself as being inferior to all creatures.
St. Tikhon of Voronezh
My poor soul! Sigh, pray and strive to take upon you
the Blessed Yoke of Christ, and you will live on
earth in a Heavenly Manner.
O Lord, grant that I may carry the Light and Goodly
Yoke, and I shall be always at rest, peaceful, glad
and joyous; and I shall taste on earth of Crumbs
that fall from the Celestial Feast, like a dog that
feeds upon the crumbs which fall from the Master's
Table.
St. Clement of Alexandria
I think that one must approach the Logos Saviour, not
induced by the fear of punishment and not in the
expectation of some kind of a reward, but primarily
for the sake of the Good in itself.
Such will stand on the right in the Sanctuary.
St. Maximus the Confessor
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “... Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, pray for
those who persecute you."
Why did He Command these things?
So that He might free you from hatred, sadness, anger
and grudges, and might grant you the greatest
possession of all: Perfect Love, which is impossible
to possess except by the one who Loves all equally
in imitation of God.
St. John of Kronstadt
Remember that the Lord is in every Christian.
When your neighbour comes to you, always have great
respect for him, because the Lord is in him, and
often expresses His Will through him.
“It is God Who Works in you both to will and to
do of His Good Pleasure.” (PHILIPPIANS 2:13)
Therefore, do not begrudge anything to your brother,
but do unto him as unto the Lord; especially as you
do not know in whom the Lord will come and visit
you.
Be impartial to all, be kind to all, sincere and
hospitable.
Remember that sometimes God speaks even through
unbelievers, or disposes their hearts towards us, as
it happened in Egypt when the Lord gave Joseph
22. (ANY DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED)
The Church’s long experience attests to the fact that
our Lord Jesus, as the Significant Other, never
disappoints the Believer.
When arrested for being a Christian, Saint Polycarp, a
venerable aged Bishop of second-century Smyrna,
was asked to renounce Christ, to which he
responded: “For eighty and six years I have been
His servant, and He has done me no wrong - He
has not disappointed me - so how can I renounce
Him?” “MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP,” 9:3 - ORIGINAL GREEK TEXT WITH
ENGLISH TRANSLATION IN K. LAKE, THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS, (CAMBRIDGE,
REPR. 1976), 2, PP. 312-45
Disappointments and incurable traumas occur every
day with all kinds of significant others, but not
with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The significant question is: how many young people
have made the right choice?
How many Christians have the Saving Knowledge of
Christ as the Significant Other?
...to be continued...
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST” BY BISHOP
DEMETRIOS TRAKATELLIS
favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
(GENESIS 39:21)
Mother Maria of Paris
However hard I try, I find it impossible to construct
anything greater than these three words, 'Love one
another' — only to the end, and without
exceptions: then all is Justified and Life is
Illumined, whereas otherwise it is an abomination
and a burden.
St. Thalassios the Libyan
He who does not envy the Spiritually Mature and is
merciful to the wicked has attained an equal Love
for all.
St. Isaac of Syria
Directions On Spiritual Training
Always let mercy outweigh all else in you.
Let our compassion be a mirror whereby we may see in
ourselves that Likeness and that True Image, which
belong to the Divine Nature and Divine Essence.
A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure.
Philip Neri
Cast yourself into the Arms of God and be very sure
that if He wants anything of you, He will lift you for
the work and give you Strength.
Bishop Kallistos [Ware]
"The Mystery Of The Human Person"
As Christians we are here to affirm the supreme value
of direct sharing, of immediate encounter —not
machine to machine, but person to person, face to
face.
St John Chrysostom
To Love Christ means not to be a hireling, not to look
upon a noble Life as an enterprise or trade, but to
be a True Benefactor and to do everything only for
the sake of Love for God.
St. Symeon the New Theologian
Provided they live a worthy life, both those who choose
to dwell in the midst of noise and hubbub and those
who dwell in Monasteries, mountains and caves can
achieve Salvation.
Solely because of their Faith in Him, God bestows Great
Blessings on them.
Hence those who because of their laziness have failed
to attain Salvation will have no excuse to offer on
the Day of Judgement.
For He Who promised to grant us Salvation simply on
account of our Faith in Him is not a liar.
30TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 12TH OF ST LUKE – UNGRATEFUL LEPERS – 16 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
Arc hd i o ce s e o f G o od H op e
All Glory, Honour and Worshi p to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spi rit, now and forever, and unto
the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theo tokos, yet Eve r Virgin,
together wi th all the Sai nts. And let us commit o urselves and one ano ther and our w hole Life to Chris t our God.
Amen.

1 7 J a n uar y 20 11
S t An t h o n y t he Gre a t of Ale x a nd r i a
Also the Feast of St Anthony the New of Berroia - St George the New Martyr of Ioannina
– St Anthony of Dumsk, Novgorod – St Anthony of Chernoezero - St Anthony of Krasny
Kholm – St Theodosios the Great – St Achilles the Confessor

Apolytkion Of St Anthony The Great

Ton zilotin Ilian tis tropis mimoumenos, to Vaptisti Imitating the manner of Elijah the Zealot, and following
evthies tes trivois epomenos, Pater Antonie, tis the straight paths of John the Baptist, O Father
erimou gegonas ikistis, ke tin ikoumenin estirixas Anthony, thou colonised the desert, and thou
evhes sou. Dio presveve Hristo to Theo, sothine tas supported the Empire by thy Prayers. Therefore
psihas imon. intercede with Christ our God to Save our souls!
Kontakion Of St Anthony The Great
Tous viotikous thorivous aposamenos, isihastikos ton Thou retreated from the tumult of daily life and led thy
vion exetelesas, ton Vaptistin mimoumenos, kata life in stillness, imitating John the Baptist in every
panta tropon Osiotate, sin afto oun se gereromen, way. We honour thee and him together, O Most
Pateron Pater Antonie! Holy Father of Fathers: St Anthony!
Kontakion Of The Presentation Of Christ - - Tone 1
O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to toko Sou, ke hiras tou Thy Birth Sanctified a Virgin’s Womb and properly
Symeon evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin Blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come
esosas imas Hriste O Theos. All’ irinefson en polemis and Saved us O Christ, our God, give peace to Thy
to politevma, ke krateoson Vasilis ous igapisas, O Commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen
monos filanthropos those in authority, whom Thou Love, as the Only
Lover of mankind.
M a t i ns G os p e l – Ma t t he w 1 1 : 2 7 – 30
Resting in Christ
At that time our Lord Jesus said: “All Things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son
except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son Wills
to reveal Him.
“Come to Me, all you who labour and who are heavily laden, and I will grant you rest.
“Take My Yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For My Yoke is easy and My Burden is light.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us in no uncertain manner PERSON, MAKING THE HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE
THINGS POSSIBLE FOR US BY THE GRACE OF
that A S T H E I N C A R N A T E S O N A N D W O R D O F G O D GOD.
THE FATHER, HE HAS DIVINE AUTHORITY AND
THAT ONLY THROUGH HIM – IF HE SO WILLS IT – Furthermore, THE ULTIMATE REWARD OF SUCH
MAY WE OBTAIN KNOWLEDGE AND STRUGGLES IS INFINITELY GREATER THAN THOSE
UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AND ALL HIS HOLY O F A N Y M E R E H U M A N E N D E A V O U R S (REFER 3 KINGS 12 : 1 –
11 - JEREMIAH 34 : 1 – 11 - WISDOM OF SIRACH 40:1)
MYSTERIES that are beyond our normal human The term “gentle” is literally “meek.”
understanding or perception. MEEKNESS IS AN ATTITUDE OF BEING CONTENT WITH
Christ also reassures us that W E C A N R E S T I N H I M B Y BOTH HONOUR AND DISHONOUR.
LEANING OR DEPENDING ON HIM TO GRANT US It is A N I M I T A T I O N O F O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T Who
WHATEVER IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE AND TO
FULFIL THIS DIFFICULT JOURNEY OF LIFE
instructed us to “Learn from Me, for I Am gentle
TOWARDS ETERNITY. (meek) and lowly in heart.”
WHEN OUR LIVES BECOME TOO DIFFICULT, THROUGH THOSE WHO ARE TRULY MEEK ARE GOD-CONTROLLED
OUR PRAYERS AND PETITIONS, OUR MERCIFUL AND HAVE MASTERY OVER THEIR PASSIONS,
SAVIOUR LIFTS US UP AND CARRIES US THROUGH ESPECIALLY THAT OF ANGER.
THE WORST OF IT SO THAT WE ARE NEITHER MEEKNESS IS NOT PASSIVE WEAKNESS BUT
H A R M E D N O R T R A U M A T I S E D by the stumbling SPIRITUAL STRENGTH THAT IS DIRECTED AND
CONTROLLED.
blocks along the rocky pathway.
THE YOKE OF CHRIST IS OUR WILLING SUBMISSION
The earth that the meek will inherit is not the power or
T O T H E K I N G D O M O F G O D and although a “yoke”
possession of this fallen, temporary world, but that
may be regarded by some as being a sign of of the the new, everlasting Kingdom of God.
hardship, burdens and responsibilities, I N C H R I S T
JESUS SUCH A YOKE IS EASY FOR THE DIVINE
POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD WORKS IN EACH

T h e E p is tle o f Pa ul t o th e H e bre ws 1 3 : 17 – 21
A summary of Holy Life in Christ
Brethren: obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give
account.
Let them do so with Joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a good conscience – in all things desiring to live honourably.
But I especially urge you to do this, so that I may be restored to you sooner.
Now may the God of Peace Who raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead – that Great Shepherd of the Sheep – through
the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you complete in every Good Work to do His Will, working in you what is
well pleasing in His Sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be Glory forever and ever.
Amen.

(DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST ANTHONY THE GREAT OF ALEXANDRIA 17 JANUARY 2011 23.
ALL OUR ORDAINED PRIESTS AND SPIRITUAL LEADERS Because of the important role and function of our Spiritual
– THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST – MUST BE
RESPECTED AND OBEYED FOR THEY ARE OUR
Fathers, they are subjected to worse temptations than
SPIRITUAL FATHERS OF CHRIST’S HOLY CHURCH. any other sinners, so our concerted Prayers must be
They will have to give an account of their Holy Ministry at offered to God for them as well as ourselves and our
the Final Judgement – which will be far more strict loved ones.
than those of us whom they lead, guide and teach. Furthermore, B Y R E S P E C T I N G T H E H O L Y P R I E S T H O O D -
S T P A U L , being one of these Holy Spiritual Fathers of SUPPORTING THEM AND APPLYING THEIR
ORTHODOX TEACHINGS TO OUR DAILY LIFE, THEY
Christ’s Church, A S K E D T H E E A R L Y C H R I S T I A N S T O WILL BE ENCOURAGED AND REJOICE IN THEIR
PRAY FOR HIM SO THAT HE COULD LEAD AN SACRED LABOURS – AND THEY WILL BE INSPIRED
EXEMPLARY LIFE, WORTHILY AND CORRECTLY TO GREATER EFFORTS AND LESS TEMPTATIONS.
FULFILLING ALL HIS SACRED TASKS IN HIS HOLY
MISSION.
With regard to St Paul’s concluding Blessings: T H E
SUFFICIENCY OF THE DIVINE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS
THOSE WHO “RULE OVER” US are especially our Bishops REALISED IN HIS RESURRECTION AS OUR LORD
and Priests who perform all the essential Holy OFFERS HIS PRECIOUS, LIFE-GIVING BLOOD IN THE
Mysteries and they MOST CERTAINLY NEED OUR PRAYERS SO ETERNAL S A N C T U A R Y , thereby inaugurating a New,
THAT THEY MAY LIVE EACH DAY WORTHILY IN ORDER FOR US TO Everlasting Covenant, which makes us complete as we
IMITATE AND FOLLOW THEM AS GOOD MODELS OF CHRISTIAN
LIFE AS WELL.
cooperate with God in all things – a Holy Synergy that
THE FAITH OF OUR HOLY FATHERS IS THE SAME FAITH THAT THEY promotes our Spiritual Progress towards Holy
SHOULD BOTH BE TEACHING AND LIVING. Sainthood.
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t L u ke 6 : 1 7 – 23
Christ’s Sermon on the Plain – the Beatitudes and the Woes
At that time, our Lord Jesus went down the mountain with His Apostles and stood on a level place with a crowd of His
Disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who
went to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.
And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for Power went out from Him and healed them all.
Then He lifted up His Eyes towards His Disciples and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall
rejoice. Blessed are you when others hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out
your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for Joy! For indeed your Reward is great in Heaven, for in like manner, their
fathers did to the Prophets.”
After having prayed all night on a high mountain, our Lord TRUE JOY OF GOD’S LOVE AND PEACE WILL FILL
US BEYOND BELIEF!
Jesus summoned His Disciples to Him and then
Christ also reassures us that no matter how badly our
named His Chosen Twelve Apostles, after which He
worst enemies may treat us because of our Faith in
addressed those who had gathered to His Divine
God, W E H A V E W O N D E R F U L D I V I N E T H I N G S T O
Wisdom. LOOK FORWARD TO IN ETERNITY.
This Sermon on the Plain or “level place” is slightly similar THE MORE WE ENDURE FOR OUR LOVE OF GOD, THE
to His great Sermon on the Mount, which is more GREATER WILL BE OUR SPIRITUAL REWARDS IN
GOD’S HEAVENLY KINGDOM.
detailed.
HIS REFERENCE TO THOSE WHO HUNGERED (AND Furthermore, T H E C L O S E R W E G R O W T O C H R I S T O U R
THIRSTED FOR DIVINE RIGHTEOUSNESS) WERE SAVIOUR – INDEED TO THE HOLY TRINITY – THE
THOSE WHO KNEW THAT THE PRESENCE OF GOD LESS OUR WORLDLY WOES AFFECT US AND THE
AND HIS DIVINE KINGDOM WERE THE MOST GREATER OUR ETERNAL JOY AND PEACE IN THE
PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD WILL BE!
IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR LIVES and such souls
have a deep compulsion and craving for whatever is We can take much courage and joy from knowing that
THE
MORE WE STRIVE TO FOLLOW OUR LORD JESUS
right in the Sight of God, compared to a starving CHRIST, THE GREATER THE TEMPTATIONS AND
person’s need for food. EVIL SCHEMES AGAINST US ARE INCREASED BY
THE KINGDOM OF GOD CALLS US TO BE FREE FROM THE EVIL ONE AND HIS DEMONS – BOTH SPIRITUAL
ALL ANXIETY CONCERNING EARTHLY MATTERS and AND HUMAN!

our Lord Jesus directs us to

REMAIN FOCUSED ON
So THANK GOD FOR ALL THINGS – EVEN OUR
DIFFICULTIES, WHICH DRAW US ALL THE MORE
HEAVEN WHILE BEING SECURE IN THE FAITH THAT
CLOSER AND CLOSER TO OUR LOVING AND
GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES US WITH ALL NECESSARY
EARTHLY BLESSINGS. M E R C I F U L L O R D – and which make us all the more
Nothing in this world compares with the priceless Eternal stronger and determined to progress towards our
Treasures of Salvation and Spiritual Life – W E S H A L L ultimate Destination!
BE RICHER BEYOND ALL EARTHLY MEASURE!
OUR SPIRITUAL HUNGER AND THIRST WILL BE MORE
THAN SATISFIED WITH HEAVENLY BLISS AND THE

S t An t h o n y t he Gre a t of Ale x a nd r i a
St Anthony was born in Egypt circa 250, in the village of
Koman near Herculea.
Following the repose of their noble parents, he divided his
inheritance with his younger sister, and arranged for
their relatives to ensure her safety and welfare.
St Anthony then distributed his remaining possessions
amongst the poor and at the age of 20, he dedicated
himself to the Ascetical Life for which he had yearned
since childhood.
Initially St Anthony lived close to his village but, in order to
flee the disturbance of others, he withdrew into the
wilderness along the shore of the Red Sea, where he
spent the next twenty years as a recluse, being entirely
alone with the exception of God through his constant
Prayers, reflections and contemplation. He patiently
endured unspeakable temptations from the evil one.
Many Disciples gathered around him whom he guided
along the Path of Salvation by his example and
Inspired Wisdom.
During 85 years of Ascetical Life, he went twice to
Alexandria - to suffer Martyrdom during the
persecution of the Church and at the invitation of St
Athanasios to refute the accusation of the Arians who
presumed that he, too, was an adherent of their
heresy.
St Anthony reposed at the age of 105, leaving behind a
Blessed Legacy of faithful disciples and imitators.
Although St Anthony had not been properly educated, he
became a great Spiritual Counselor and Teacher by
Divine Grace to some of the most learned men of that
era, such as St Athanasios the Great.
When certain Greek Philosophers tried to tempt him with
their literary wisdom, St Anthony shamed them by
asking them: “Which is older, the understanding
or the book? Which of these two was the cause
of the other?”
The Philosophers departed, realising they only had a
literary knowledge without understanding while St
Anthony had profound understanding.
St Anthony attained Spiritual Perfection to the greatest
degree humanly possible - for 85 years having
perfected himself to such a degree that he was able to
guide so many others towards Theosis until finally,
after so many years of Great Labour, he reposed in
Christ in 335.

24. (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST ANTHONY THE GREAT OF ALEXANDRIA 17 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the So n, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady,
Maria, Theotokos, ye t Ever Virgi n, to gether with all the Saints. And let us
commit ourselves and one ano ther and o ur w hole Life to Christ our Go d.
Amen .

1 8 J a n uar y 20 11
S t A t ha na s i os & S t C yri l o f Ale xa nd r ia
Also the Feast of St Zenia - St Athanasios of Syandemsk,
Vologda – St Athanasios of Novolotsk – St Marcian of Cyrrhus,
Syria – St Cyril, Schemamonk & father of St Sergios of
Radonezh – St Maria, Schemanun & mother of St Sergios of
Radonezh – St Joachim I of Trnovo & Bulgaria – St Maximos
of Serbia – St Maximos the New – St Ephraim the Lesser – St Alexei, Hieromonk of
Teklati
Apolytikion Of St Athanasios & St Cyril Of Alexandria: Tone 3

Ergis lampsantes, Orthdoxias, pasan svesantes,
kakodoxian, nikite tropeofori gegonate; ti efsevia
ta panta ploutisantes, tin Ekklisian megalos
kosmisantes, axios evrate, Hriston ton Theon
imon, doroumenon pasi to Mega Eleos.
Kontakion Of St Athanasios & St Cyril Of Alexandria
You shone in words of Orthodoxy; you extinguished all
false believing, and conquering Victors you became, by
enriching all things with you piety and adorning the
Church so greatly, deservedly you found Christ our
God Who grants to all the Great Mercy.

Ierarhe Megisti tis evsevias, ke gennei promahi, tis O Great Hierachs of piety and brave champions of the
Ekklisias tou Hristou, pan tas frourite tous church of Christ: you watch over all who sing: Save us
melpontas: Soson Iktirmon, tous Pisti timonats se. O Compassionate One who in Faith honour Thou,.”
Kontakion of Christ’s Presentation – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb, and
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
polemis to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
igapisas, O Monos Filanthropos commonwealth in time of war, and secure in strength,
the Rulers Thou hast truly Love, as the Only One Who
Loves mankind.
Matins Gospel According to St John 10 : 9 – 16
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd & The Door
At that time our Lord Jesus said: “...I Am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be Saved, and will go in and
out and find pasture.
The thief does not come, except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come so that they may have
Life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the Sheep. But a hireling – he who is not
the Shepherd, who does not the Sheep – sees the wolf coming and leaves the Sheep, and flees; and the
wolf catches the Sheep and scatters them.
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the Sheep. I Am the Good Shepherd; and
I know My Sheep, and Am known by My own.
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My Life for the Sheep.
And other Sheep I have, which are not of this Fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My Voice;
and there will be One Flock and One Shepherd...”
S t P a ul’ s Ep is tle t o t he H e br e w s 1 3 : 7 – 16
Loyalty to Orthodox Doctrine & Worship
B rethren: remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose Faith you must follow,
considering the outcome of their conduct.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Do not be carried away with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by Grace – not
with foods that have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
We have an Altar from which those who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals,
whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest for sin, are burnt outside the camp.
Therefore Jesus also – so that He might Sanctify the people with His own Blood – suffered outside the gate.
So let us go forth to Him – outside the camp – bearing His Reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek
the one to come.
Thus by Him, let us continually offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God – that is: the Fruit of our lips – giving Thanks to His
Name.
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma t t he w 5 : 1 4 – 1 9
Faithful Disciples of Christ are the Light of the World
At that time, our Lord Jesus said to His Disciples: “You are the Light of the world. A city that is set upon a hill
cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives
light to all who are in the house.
Let your Light so shine before mankind, that they may see your Good Works and Glorify your Father in
Heaven.

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Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil, for
assuredly, I say to you: until Heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass
from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these Commandments, and teaches others to do so, shall be
called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, shall be called great in the
Kingdom of Heaven.
S t A t ha na s i os o f Ale x an d r i a
St Athanasios was one of our great Holy Church Fathers However, he refused, accounting himself unworthy, but at
and a pillar of Orthodoxy. the insistence of all the Orthodox populace that it was
He was born into a family of pious Christians, circa 297, in in agreement with their wishes, he was consecrated
Alexandria and received a fine secular education, Bishop and installed as the Patriarch of the
acquiring even more knowledge by his diligent study Alexandrian Church, which he faithfully guided for 47
of Holy Scripture. years, continuously enduring persecution and grief
From childhood, the future Hierarch became known to St from his antagonists.
Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria when, from his He was expelled from Alexandria on several occasions and
window, he observed a group of children, including hid from the Arians in desolate places, since they
young Athanasios, playing on the seashore. repeatedly tried to kill him, spending more than 20
The children had decided to “Baptise” their pagan years in exile, returning to his flock, and then being
playmates and St Athanasios, whom the children had banished once again.
designated as "Bishop," performed the Baptism, There was a time when he was the only True and Faithful
repeating the words precisely as he had heard them Orthodox Bishop in the area - a dark time when all the
recited in church during this Holy Mystery of Baptism. other Bishops had fallen into heresy.
St Alexander then requested all the children and their At the false councils of Arian Bishops he was deposed as
parents to be brought to him. Bishop but despite being persecuted for so many
He conversed with them for a long while, and determined years, St Athanasios continued to defend the Purity
that the Baptism performed by the children had been and Divine Truth of the Orthodox Faith, writing
done exactly according to the Church Order. countless letters and tracts against the Arian heresy.
Consequently, he then acknowledged the Baptism as When Julian the Apostate (361-363) began a persecution
being real and he Sealed it with the Mystery of Holy against Christians, his wrath first fell upon St
Chrismation. From that moment on, the Patriarch Athanasios, whom he acknowledged as a great Pillar of
looked after the Spiritual Upbringing of St Athanasios Orthodoxy but whom he intended to kill so as to strike
and in time Ordained him into the Holy Priesthood, at a grievous blow to True Christianity.
first as a Reader, and then as a Deacon. But he himself died instead after being mortally wounded
In 325 St Athanasios accompanied St Alexander to the by an arrow during a battle, and crying out in despair:
First Ecumenical Council at Nicea where he steadfastly "Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!”
refuted of the heresy of Arius. His speech was After Julian's death, St Athanasios guided the Alexandrian
approved by the Orthodox Fathers of the Council, but Church for another 7 years before reposing in Christ
the Arian heretics, openly and secretly hated St in 373, at the age of 76.
Athanasios and persecuted him for the rest of his life. Numerous works of St Athanasios have been preserved.
After the repose of Patriarch Alexander, St Athanasios was
unanimously chosen as his successor in the See of
Alexandria.
S t C yr i l o f A le xa nd r ia
Just like St Athanasios, St Cyril of Alexandria was a wise St Cyril was elected Patriarch of Alexandria in 412, but was
Teacher of Divine Truth and a Defender of Christ’s Holy deposed through the intrigues of the Nestorian heretics.
Church. He later resumed his See and presided at the Third Ecumenical
Consequently, they share a joint Feast in recognition of their Council in 441, which censured the Nestorian blasphemy
Dogmatic Writings, which explain and affirm the Divine against the Most Holy Theotokos.
Truth of the Orthodox Faith, correctly interpreting Holy His wise words clearly and concisely demonstrated and
Scripture, and censuring the delusions of the destructive exposed the error of their false doctrine.
and deceptive heretics. Finally, on 9 June 444, St Cyril reposed in the Lord, having
St Cyril was a nephew of Patriarch Theophilos of Alexandria, laboured so faithfully in God’s Heavenly Vineyard.
who educated him since his early childhood.
St Cyril the Patriarch of Alexandria – On the Resurrection of Christ our God
He Who descended into the regions beneath the earth came up Well then, He truly Rose, and after He had Risen was seen again
again; and our Lord Jesus, Who was buried, truly Rose by His Disciples; and Twelve Apostles were witnesses of His
again the third day. Resurrection, who bore witness not in pleasing words, but
And if the Jews ever worry you, meet them at once by asking contended even under torture and death for the Truth of
thus: Did Jonah come forth from the whale on the third the Resurrection.
day, and has not Christ then Risen from the earth on the What then? Shall every word be established by the mouth of
third day? two of three witnesses, according to the Scripture? And
Is a dead man Raised to Life on touching the bones of Elisha, although Twelve bear witness to the Resurrection of Christ,
and is it not much easier for the Creator of mankind to be are you still incredulous in regard to His Resurrection?
Raised by the Power of the Father?
S t A t ha na s i os – F e s t al L e t te rs
Not only in outward form did those wicked men dissemble, Therefore, St Paul justly praised the Corinthians because their
putting on, as our Lord said, “sheep’s clothing,” and opinions were in accordance with his Holy Traditions.
appearing like whitened sepulchres; but they took those And our Lord most Righteously reproved the Jews, saying:
Divine Words in their mouths, while they inwardly cherished “Wherefore do you also transgress the
evil intentions. Commandments of God on account of your
And the first to put on this appearance was the Serpent, the traditions?” For they changed the Commandments they
inventor of wickedness from the beginning – the devil, who had received from God according to their own
in disguise, conversed with Eve, and immediately deceived understanding, preferring to observe the traditions of men.
her. And about these, a little after, St Paul again gave directions to
But after him and with him are all inventors of unlawful the Galatians who were in danger thereof, writing to them:
heresies, who indeed refer to the Holy Scriptures but do not “... if any man preach to you anything else than that
hold such opinions as the Saints have handed down, and which you have received, let him be accursed.”
receiving them as the traditions of men, err because they [FESTAL LETTER 2.6]
do not rightly know them nor their power.

26. (DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST ATHANASIOS & ST CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA 18 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spiri t, now and forever, and unto the
Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, M aria, Theo tokos, yet Ever Virgi n,
together wi th all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and o ne another and o ur w hole Life to Christ our Go d.
Amen.

2 0 J a n uar y 20 11
S t E up he m i os th e Gre at
Also the Feast of St Eusebios – St Zacharias, New Martyr of Patras – St Euthymios,
Schemamonk of Kiev Caves – St Laurence the Recluse – St Euthymios of syanzhemsk,
Vologda – St Inna, St Pinna & St Rimma of Scythia, Disciples of St Andrew, First Called
Apostle of Christ – St Bassos, St Eusebios, St Eutychios & St Basilides of Nicomedia – St
Euthymios of Trnovo & Bulgaria – St Euthymios the Confessor
Apolytikion Of St Euthymios The Great – Tone 4

Efrenou erimos i ou tiktousa, efthimison i ouk odinousa; Rejoice, O Desert that gives no birth! Cheer up O one
oti eplithine si tekna, anir epithimion ton tou who never tasted birth’s travail! For a man has
Pnevmatos, efsevia fitefsas egratia ekthrepsas, is filled you with children who are the desires of the
areton teliotita. Tes aftou ikesies Hriste O Theos, Spirit, that he planted in Piety, and nurtured with
soson tas psihas imon. Temperance, for the Perfection of the Virtues.
Through his intercessions, O Christ our God, Save
the souls of all of us.
Kontakion – Tone (8) Plagal 4

En ti septi gennisi sou, haran i ktisis evrato. Ke en ti
thia mnimi sou Osie, tin Euthymian elave ton pollon
sou thavmaton, ex on parashou plousios tes psihes
imon, ke apokatharon amartimaton kilidas, opos
psallomen. Allilouia!
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February
Creation found delight and joy in thine august nativity
and the good cheer of thy numberless miracles on
thy divine memorial. Now bestow thereof richly on
our souls and wash clean the stains of our every sin,
Euthymius Most Righteous, that we may chant:
Alleluia!

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
Monos Filanthropos commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.
M a t i ns G os p e l – Ma t t he w 1 1 : 2 7 – 30
Resting in Christ
At that time our Lord Jesus said: “All Things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son
except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son Wills
to reveal Him.
“Come to Me, all you who labour and who are heavily laden, and I will grant you rest.
“Take My Yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For My Yoke is easy and My Burden is light.”
S t P a ul’ s Se c o nd Ep is t le to t he C o r in t h i an s 4 : 6 – 1 5
Remaining Faithful to the Gospel of Christ
Brethren: It is the God Who commanded Light to shine out of darkness, Who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of
Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ.
However, we have this Treasure in earthen vessels so that the excellence of the Power may be of God and not of us. We
are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed – always carrying about in the body the dying of our Lord Jesus, so that the Life of
Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our
mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but Life in you.
And since we have the same spirit of Faith, according to what is written: “I believed and therefore I spoke...” we also
believe and therefore speak, knowing that He Who Raised up the Lord Jesus will also Raise us up with Jesus, and will
present us with you.
For all things are for your sakes, so that Grace, having spread through the many, may cause Thanksgiving to abound to
the Glory of God.
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t L u ke 6 : 1 7 – 23
Christ’s Sermon on the Plain – the Beatitudes and the Woes
At that time, our Lord Jesus went down the mountain with His Apostles and stood on a level place with a crowd of His
Disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who
went to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.
And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for Power went out from Him and healed them all.
Then He lifted up His Eyes towards His Disciples and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall
rejoice. Blessed are you when others hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out
your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for Joy! For indeed your Reward is great in Heaven, for in like manner, their
fathers did to the Prophets.”

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 S t E u p he m i os th e Gre at
After many years of childless marriage St Euphemios
was born to a Righteous Christian, Paul and
Dionysia who, despite their sorrow, had kept their
faith in God and their Prayers constant.
Having heard a voice from Heaven announcing: “Be of
good cheer! God will grant you a son, who will
bring Joy to the churches!”
In due time Dionysia brought forth a son, whom the
thankful parents named Euphemios, which means
“good cheer.”
St Euphemios was educated by his uncle, Eudoxios, who
was a Priest, and as he matured, he became a
Reader, a Monk, and finally a Priest.
Because of his Monastic zeal and great Piety which soon
became evident to his Bishop, he was appointed as
Overseer of all the Monasteries in that region, but
the great responsibility weighed heavily upon St
Euphemios, whose deepest desire was to live a life
of solitude and uninterrupted Prayer.
Eventually he left Armenia and went, first to Jerusalem,
and from there into the wilderness beyond Jericho to
live amongst the Desert fathers.
Seeking even greater solitude, St Euphemios and his
close friend and Brother Monk, St Theoktistos,
moved even further into the desert, and finally found
a hidden cave high on the side of a river’s gorge
where they thought they could finally pray
undisturbed. But God had other plans for St
Euphemios and it was not long before they were
noticed by passing shepherds, who reported the
news of their discovery in the village.
Soon, many people went to the gorge to visit the Saints,
seeking Spiritual Guidance, after which many other
Monks from the region’s Monasteries also sought
their Spiritual Wisdom and Guidance and in a short
time an entire Monastic Community was established.
Realising that he simply could not escape the Will of
God, St Euphemios finally accepted the responsibility
of Spiritual Father to all those who wentto him in
their quest for Eternal Salvation.
He had profound Spiritual Wisdom and Loved everyone
with a sincere and pure heart and his Inspired
Teaching was simple and direct:
"Whoever desires to lead the Monastic Life should
not follow his own will. He should be Obedient
and Humble, and be mindful of the Hour of
Death. He should fear the Judgment and
Eternal Fire, and seek the Heavenly Kingdom."
All of us would do well to heed his advice.
Once, a Monk named Auxentios refused to carry out his
assigned Obedience. Despite the fact that St
Euphemios had summoned him and urged him to
comply, he remained rebellious.
The Saint then shouted loudly: "You will be rewarded for
your insubordination!" And immediately a demon
seized Auxentios and threw him to the ground.
The terrified Brethren asked St Euphemios to help him,
and the kind-hearted Holy Father immediately
healed the unfortunate one, who came to himself,
begged forgiveness and promised to Repent.
St Euphemios said: "Obedience is a great Virtue. The
Lord Loves Obedience more than sacrifice, but
disobedience leads always to death."
St Euphemios was also granted the Power to Heal all
infirmities and all illnesses among the vast numbers
of people who visited him and many Miracles
occurred through him as well.
Once, when 400 Pilgrims had descended upon his
Monastery and St Euphemios was quietly informed
that there was no food for them, the Holy Father
insisted that the Monks should feed their visitors
anyway, and that God would surely provide for
everyone.
The worried Monks returned to the storeroom expecting
to see it nearly empty as before but to their utter
astonishment, the wine and oil jars were filled to the
28. (DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST E UPHE MIO S
brim, and the storage boxes were overflowing with
delicious bread.
For the next three months while the Pilgrims remained
at the Monastery, they ate their fill every day, yet the
food in the storeroom continued to multiply at such
a pace that it eventually blocked the doorways.
God had indeed provided – and in great abundance!
St Euphemios also taught and Baptised many Arabs,
converting them to True Faith in Jesus Christ.
He built Lavras - Monastic churches - and aided
countless souls in their journeys towards Eternal
Life.
When he served the Divine Liturgy, witnesses reported
that a Mysterious Fire often descended from Heaven
and surrounded him as he prayed and he, too,
admitted that he often saw the Angels serving with
him at such times.
He had received the Divine Gift of Clairvoyance and
could determine a person’s Spiritual Condition—and
whether or not they took Communion worthily—by
merely looking at their faces.
In 451, following the Fourth Ecumenical Council which
took place in Chalcedon, there remained many
dissenters who would not accept the Council’s
decision. So St Euphemios reviewed the decision
and accepted it as completely Orthodox.
When word of this got out, a great many of these people
who had at first rejected the Council of Chalcedon,
completely changed their opinions and joyfully
accepted it, trusting implicitly on the honesty of St
Euphemios whom they Loved and respected so
deeply.
Thus he saved countless souls from serious error and
division.
St Euphemios truly deserves the title bestowed upon
him by the Church of “St Euphemios the Great”.
At the age of 97, having been informed by God that he
would soon lay aside his earthly life, St Euphemios
gathered his Spiritual Children and told them:
"Look to yourselves, and preserve your souls and
bodies in Purity. Do not fail to attend the
Church Services, and keep the Traditions and
Rules of our Community. If one of the Brethren
struggles with unclean thoughts, correct,
console, and instruct him, so that he does not
fall into the devil's snares. Never refuse
hospitality to visitors. Offer a bed to every
stranger. Give whatever you can to help the
poor in their misfortune."
After he had reminded them of more of his Divinely
Inspired Teachings, he finally dismissed everyone
and remained at the Holy Altar for three more days,
until he finally reposed in the Lord on 20 January
473.
What a Blessing it is to remember that while the earthly
portion of the lives of such Saints may indeed have
ended long ago, they continue to live in Christ.
We must never forget: there is no such thing as a “dead
Saint” – for St Paul assured us that nothing shall
separate us from the Love of God in Christ – not
even death!
Thus all the Saints who have reposed are very much
alive in Christ—alive to a degree infinitely greater
than our own – since they dwell in Union with Him.
Thus while we commemorate St Euphemios the Great
and remember his life from so long ago, in truth, he
is with us here today.
As we celebrate the Divine Liturgy this morning we are
in the Blessed company of them all and what a Great
Blessing this is!
What a great and fearful blessing this is!
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “ST EUPHEMIOS THE GREAT” BY FATHER MICHAEL REAGAN
– ST BARNABAS ORTHODOX CHURCH - THE ABANDONED MIND BLOGSPOT -
WWW.THEABANDONEDMIND. BLOGSPOT.COM
 'If You Eat Bread That Comes Not From Your Own Labours, That
Means That You Eat The Labour Of Another'.
 `A Tree That Is Frequently Transplanted Does Not Bear
Fruit.'
THE GRE AT 2 0 J ANU AR Y 20 11
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worshi p to the Fathe r, and to the So n, and to the H oly Spirit, now and forever, and unto
the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Mos t Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, ye t Ever Virgin,
together wi th all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and o ne another and o ur w hole Life to C hrist our God.
Amen.

2 2 J a n uar y 20 11
St Timothy
Also the Feast of St Anastasios the Persian – St Anastasios Deacon of Kiev Near Caves – St
Makarios, Wonderworker of Zhabyn – St Manual, St George, St Peter & St Leontios
Hieromartyrs of Bulgaria – St Sionios, St Gabriel, St John, St Leontios, St Parados, martyred
Presbyters of Bulgaria, together with 377 other Faithful Christians of Bulgaria – St
Brihtwald of Wilton – St Euthymios

Apolytikion Of St Timothy Of The 70 Apostles - Tone 4

Hristotita ekdidahthis, ke nifon en pasin, Agathin
sinidisin iroprepos endisamenos, intlisas ek tou
Skevous tis eklogis ta aporrita. Ke tin pistin tirisas,
ton ison dromon tetelekas, Apostole Timothee.
Presveve Hristo to Theos sothine tas psihas imon.
Kontakion Of St Timothy Of The 70 Apostles – Tone 1
Since thou has been instructed in uprightness
thoroughly and is vigilant in all things clothed with
a good conscience as befits one who is Holy, thou
drew from the Chosen Vessel Ineffable Mysteries;
and having kept the Faith, thou finished a similar
course, O Hieromartyr and Apostle Timothy.
Intercede with Christ God so that our souls will be
Saved.

Ton Thion Mathitin, ke sinekdimon Pavlou, Timotheon
Pisti, animnisomen pantes, sin touto gererontes,
ton sofon Anastasion, ton eklampsanta, ek tis
Persidos os astron, ke elavonta, ta psihika imon
pathi, ke nosou tou somatos.
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February
With Hymns let us, the Faithful, sing Timothy's praises
as Paul's Divine Disciple and Faithful Companion;
with him let us also laud Anastasios the Godly-wise,
who shone forth with splendour like a star out of
Persia and drove away from us our bodily sickness
and Spiritual Maladies.

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
Monos Filanthropos commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.
S t P a ul’ s Se c o nd Ep is t le to S t T i m o t h y 1 : 3 – 8
Gratitude & St Timothy’s Gift by the Power of God
To Timothy, a Beloved Son: I thank God, Whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my Forefathers did, as without ceasing
I remember you in my Prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, so that I may be
filled with Joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine Faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your Grandmother,
Lois, and your mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded is in your also.
Therefore I remind you to stir up the Gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but Power and of Love and of a sound mind.
Therefore, do not be ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His Prisoner, but share with me in the Sufferings
of the Gospel, according to the Power of God Who has Saved us and Called us with a Holy Calling, not according to
our Works, but according to His own Purpose and Grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began...
The Gift of God is the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit, or Our Lord told us that it would never be easy to follow in
Charisma, which was given to St Timothy at his Holy His Divine Footsteps and those who suffer persecution
Ordination. for His sake walk along the same Holy Path as that of
This Divine Grace fills up whatever is lacking in human God’s Faithful Holy Prophets, Saints and Martyrs.
beings and gives authenticity to the Holy Priesthood. The literal translation from the Greek expression “be
However, it is not an automatic Divine Gift so we must stir exceedingly glad” means to “leap exceedingly with
it up and rekindle it continuously – never allowing it to Joy.”
cool down or worse, die out. A c t s 5 : 4 0 – 4 1 : “When they had called for the Apostles
While any Christian may be persecuted, we reject feelings and beaten them, they commanded that they should
of fear or timidity. not speak in the Name of Jesus, and they let them go.
J o h n 1 5 : 2 0 Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Remember the So the Apostles departed from the presence of the
word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy
than his Master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will to suffer shame for His Name.”
also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they Suffering is not necessarily a sign of God’s displeasure or
will keep yours also.” abandonment, as believed by many Hebrews. (REFER LUKE
13: 1-4 & JOHN 9: 1 – 3)
The fallen world hated our Lord Jesus Christ and so it will
also hate all those who strive to imitate Him. Instead Faithful Disciples of Christ accept persecution
M a t t h e w 5 : 1 1 - 1 2 – Our Lord said: “Blessed are you joyfully, knowing that the Rewards of Eternal Life far
when they revile ad persecute you, and say all outweigh any persecution or earthly suffering.
kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. We do not “quench the Spirit” but act with Power and
Courage. (REFER 1 THESSALONIANS 5:19, MATTHEW 10:33 & LUKE 9:26)
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is
your Reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted
the Prophets who were before you. “

(DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST TIMOTHY 22 JANUARY 2011 29.

 T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma t t he w 1 0: 3 2 – 33 ; 37 – 3 8 & 1 9: 2 7 - 30
Our Lord Jesus Christ prepares His Holy Apostles for their Sacred Mission
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: “... whoever confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father
Who is in Heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, Him will I also deny before My Father Who is in
Heaven...”
“...He who loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy
of Me...”
Then Peter said to Him: “Behold! We have left everything and followed Thee. Therefore, what shall we have?”
And Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to you: in the Regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the Throne of
His Glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on Twelve Thrones, judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has left homes, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit Eternal Life.
“But many who are first will be last and the last first!”
St Timothy
St Timothy was born in Lystra in Lyconia of a pagan With sincere and heartfelt oratory, they summoned
Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. thousands to the Fold of Christ and established
His grandmother was a Christian and it was perhaps Christian Communities where for centuries people
through her influence and teaching that he came to had worshipped man-made idols or beasts out of
follow Christ. their superstitious fears and pagan beliefs.
When St Paul visited Lystra, the young St Timothy was When St Paul was summoned to Athens, he
already a full member of the Christian Church and commissioned St Timothy to carry the Holy Gospel of
after the two discussed the many difficulties Christ to Corinth, Thessaloniki, and Philippi and in
Christianity was facing, the younger man expressed a these regions St Timothy displayed his God-given
desire to serve as a Missionary, despite its hazards. talents to the fullest degree by establishing a
It was after the departure of St Barnabas and St Mark nucleus of Christian churches, which became the
that St Paul summoned St Timothy to accompany firm foundation upon which our Faith has grown to
him on his Missionary Journey. its present day proportions.
St Timothy and St Paul travelled to Europe, St Timothy made his way to Ephesus were he was
accompanied by St Silas, on a Missionary Journey of established as Bishop of the city until a frenzied
staggering proportion. mob of resentful pagans whom he had denounced
In most areas theirs was at best a thankless task, but for their ungodly ways, stoned him to death.
with the zeal born of a profound Love for our St Timothy suffered Holy Martyrdom for Christ on 22
Saviour, they succeeded in securing a foothold in the January 72.
Spiritually Darkened corners of the known world. St Timothy has the solemn honour of being the recipient
They brought the Light of Christ to these ungodly people of two well-read Epistles from the great Apostle to
with their inspired abilities even when confronted by the Gentiles, St Paul.
tremendous opposition that might have
discouraged less hardy souls.
S t N ic h ol as o f Z i c ha – Pr a ye r s b y t he La ke
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I Bless them and do not curse them.
Enemies have driven me into Thine Embrace more than friends have.
Friends have bound me to earth.
Enemies have loosened me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.
Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world.
Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I - persecuted by enemies - found the safest
Sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Thy Tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I Bless them and do not curse them.
They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.
They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.
They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.
They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.
They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.
Bless my enemies, O Lord, Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.
Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.
Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.
Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.
Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.
Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.
Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of Thy Garment.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitter against me:
So that my fleeing to Thee may have no return;
So that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;
So that absolute Serenity may begin to reign in my soul;
So that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins, arrogance and anger;
So that I might amass all my Treasure in Heaven;
Ah, so that I may for once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.
Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows - that we have no enemies in the world except ourself.
We hate our enemies only when we fail to realize that they are not enemies - but cruel friends.
It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.
Therefore Bless, O Lord, both my friends and enemies.
A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand.
But a son Blesses them, for he understands.
For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life.
Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.

30 (DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST TIMOTHY 22 JANUARY 2011

 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and
forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos,
yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and
our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
31st Sunday After Pentecost Tone 2 2 3 J an u ar y 20 11

1 4 t h S u nd a y o f S t L u ke – T he B li nd M a n o f Je r i c ho

Also the Feast of St Clement of Ancyra – St Agathangelos – St Dionysios of Olympos – St

Gennadios of Kostroma – St Theoktistos of Novgorod, translation of Relics – St
Mausimas the Syrian – St Salamanes the Silent of Euphrates – St Paulinos the Merciful of
Nola – Synaxis of the Saints of Kostroma – St John the Archimandrite
Resurrection Apolytikion – Tone 2

Ote katilthes pros ton thanaton, i Zoi i Athanatos, tote
ton adin enekrosas ti astrapi tis Theotitos. Ote de ke
tous tethneotas ek ton katahthonion anestisas,
pase e Dinamis ton Epouranion ekravgazon.
Zoodota Hriste, O Theos imon, Doxa Si!
When Thou condescended to Death, O Life Immortal,
Thou slayed Hades with the lightning flash of Thy
Divinity. When also Thou raised up the dead from the
subterranean abodes, all the Powers of Heaven cried
aloud: O Life-giver, Christ our God, Glory to Thee!

Kontakion Of The Circumcision Of Christ – Tone 3

O ton olon Kyrios peritomin ipomeni ke vroton ta Now the Lord of all that is undergoes Circumcision, in
ptesmata os agathos peritemni. Didosi tin Sotirian His Goodness cutting off the sins and failings of
simeron kosmo: Here de en tis Ipsistis ke O tou mortals. He this day grants Salvation to the whole
ktistou Ierarhis ke Fosforos, O Thios Mystis Hristou world; and the Hierarch and Bright Daystar of the
Vasilios. Creator now rejoices in the Highest: Basil the Wise
and Divine Initiate of Christ.
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
Monos Filanthropos commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.
M a t i ns Re s ur re c t i o n Go s p e l 2 : M ar k 1 6:1 - 8 - Our Lord Jesus Christ is Risen and the Tomb is Empty
P r o ke i me n on
Awaken, O Lord my God, in the Ordinance Thou Commanded...
O Lord my God in Thee I hope!
S t P a ul’ s F i rs t Ep is tl e to S t T i m o t h y 1 : 15 – 1 7
Follow St Paul’s Example – Salvation by the Grace of God
Timothy my Son: ... this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinner, of whom I am the worst.
However, for this reason I obtained Mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might display His Perfect Patience, as an example
to those who are going to believe in Him for Eternal Life.
To the King Eternal, Immortal and Invisible – to God Who alone is wise – be Honour and Glory forever and ever.
Amen.
ST PAUL, AS A FORMER HEBREW ZEALOT AND That is why we have this allotted lifespan – E A C H S O U L
PERSECUTOR OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, GAVE HAVING EXACTLY THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME
GLORY TO GOD FOR HIS CALLING AS AN THAT GOD ALONE KNOWS IS REQUIRED FOR OUR
APOSTLE OF CHRIST - BECOMING KNOWN AS UNIQUE AND PERSONAL SPIRITUAL
THE GREATEST “APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES.” DEVELOPMENT AND MATURITY.
Throughout the Old and New Covenants – and Therefore, not a moment should be wasted and every
throughout our Holy Church history, the greatest effort should be made to improve ourselves and
sinners have so often become the most notable of grow closer to God – which does not mean that we
Saints – e.g. St Moses, St Rahab, St David, St have to be miserable or feel dejected in any way.
Photini (of Jacob’s Well), St Matthew, St Paul and St Instead, G R O W I N G C L O S E R T O G O D F I L L S O U R
Mary of Egypt. HEARTS AND SOULS TO OVERFLOWING WITH
THE INFINITE AND INDISCRIMINATE LOVE OF D I V I N E A G A P E , J O Y A N D S E R E N I T Y that
comes
ALMIGHTY GOD PROVIDES FOR OUR SINCERE
REPENTANCE-CONFESSION AND THE
from a solid and firmly founded Faith that makes
FORGIVENESS OF SINS THAT REINSTATES US perfect sense - which guides us clearly and without
AND RETURNS US TO HIS EMBRACING, fail through every circumstance of earthly existence.
PROTECTING AND RENEWING DIVINE GRACE, THE INSTANT WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE
MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR EVEN THE WORST MEANING OF THIS AMAZING LIFESPAN, WE
SINNER TO BECOME A SAINT AND A SHINING BECOME SO ELATED, RELIEVED, GRATEFUL AND
EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO IMITATE. COMPELLED TO GLORIFY, HONOUR AND THANK
As long as we live in this preparatory life before THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR BEING - AND
Eternity, W E H A V E E V E R Y O P P O R T U N I T Y T O NEVER AGAIN TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED OR
CHANGE OUR WICKED HABITS AND REPENT OUR AS A CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT OR SELF-PITY!
EVIL WORDS, THOUGHTS AND DEEDS.

(DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) 31ST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 14TH OF ST LUKE – THE BLINDMAN OF JERICHO 23 JANUARY 2011 31.
 T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t L u ke 1 8 : 35 – 4 3
Our Lord Jesus Christ Heals a Blind Man in Jericho
At that time, as our Lord Jesus was leaving Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the roadside begging, and upon hearing a
multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.
So when they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he cried out: “Jesus, Son of David! Have mercy on me!”
And those who went before Jesus warned him that he should be quiet, but he cried out all the more: “Son of David!
Have mercy on me!”
And Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him, and when he came near, He asked him: “What do you
want Me to do for you?” And he replied: “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him: “Receive
your sight. Your Faith has made you well.”
And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people – when they saw it – praised
God.
St Matthew mentioned “two blind men” in his Holy Our Holy Church Fathers made a Spiritual Interpretation
Gospel account of this Miracle of Christ. of this Divine Miracle.
However, such sM A L L D E T A I L S A R E U N I M P O R T A N T THE BLIND MAN OF JERICHO SYMBOLISED THOSE
COMPARED TO THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS. FUTURE GENERATIONS WHO WOULD BECOME
CHRISTIANS OR DISCIPLES OF CHRIST ONLY BY
Our Lord Jesus Christ was greeted as “Son of David,” HEARING AND WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF SEEING
which is A S P E C I A L T I T L E T H A T I S S T R I C T L Y CHRIST IN PERSON.
ASSOCIATED WITH THE LONG-AWAITED MESSIAH J o h n 2 0 : 2 9 Our Lord Jesus Christ said to St Thomas
OF GOD.
THE TITLE “LORD,” WAS RESERVED FOR GOD ALONE after His Glorious Resurrection: “Thomas, because
and the Blind Man of Jericho instinctively knew that you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed
CHRIST IS INDEED OUR LORD FOR WHOM are those who have not seen and yet have
EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE – ESPECIALLY believed!”
MIRACULOUS HEALING OF BOTH BODY AND
SOUL.
The doubt or incredulity of St Thomas is described in
Although our Lord knows the deepest desires and our Hymns as “Blessed” for I T W A S N E I T H E R
DOUBT OF OR RESISTANCE TO TRUTH BUT
secrets of every soul – even before we have INSTEAD SHOWED ONE WHO DESPERATELY
acknowledged or expressed them – H E W A N T S U S DESIRED TRUTH.
TO FREELY AND CONFIDENTLY REQUEST HIS It was “... a doubt that gave birth to Faith...” once
GREAT MERCY, WHICH IS FULFILLED ACCORDING
TO HIS DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE.
the Truth was revealed and confirmed.
WITHOUT FAIL GOD HEARS EVERY PRAYER AND In our Hymns, we chant the words of Christ to St
PETITION – EVEN THOSE THAT REMAIN Thomas: “... your doubt will teach My Passion
UNEXPRESSED - but we do not always understand and Resurrection to all...”
or realise when He has answered us and S U C H I N C R E D U L I T Y O R D O U B T “... brought the
SOMETIMES OUR PRAYERS TAKE LONGER TO BE hearts of believers to Knowledge...” B E C A U S E
FULFILLED BECAUSE WE LACK SOMETHING ST THOMAS’ CONVERSION INTO FAITH LED HIM
NECESSARY FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH OR TO THE CLEAREST CONFESSION OF CHRIST’S
WELFARE. DIVINITY WHEN HE SO JOYFULLY ADDRESSED
All too often WHAT WE THINK WE NEED MAY MERELY DISGUISE OUR SAVIOUR AS “... My Lord And My
OR PREVENT SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS FAR MORE ESSENTIAL
God!”
FOR OUR BENEFIT OR THAT OF MANY OTHERS – and until THOSE WHO TRIED TO SILENCE THE BLIND MAN OF
we grasp the Truth, we may have to endure our JERICHO SIGNIFY THE PERSECUTORS AND
current circumstances with patience and TYRANTS WHO – IN EVERY GENERATION – TRY TO
SILENCE THE DIVINE TRUTH AND WORSHIP OF
contemplation. THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST.
ONLY WITH GOD’S WISDOM AND HELP CAN WE
Nevertheless, under persecution, the Holy Church – i.e.
R E A L I S E W H A T W E T R U L Y N E E D F R O M H I M – and
all Faithful Christians – confess our Lord Jesus
that is why Christ often asked what seemed to be an
Christ all the more!
absurd question of those who were obviously
seriously afflicted.
W h a t D o Y o u De s ire ?
If someone asked you "What do you desire?", you Are you friendly to His adopted sons and daughters –
might think of a favourite food, a nice place to visit, our Brethren in Christ – and all others - whom He
maybe even simple peace and quiet. Loves as much as He Loves you?
Have you ever thought about your desire for God? All too often we cheat God.
You may say, "Of course I have a desire for God. That's We have many reasons for ignoring God but it comes
why I go to Church." down to thinking that we don't need Him.
But think this through. Then the terrible cycle of sin starts: having grown
Do you miss God when you're away from Him for a further away from God, we feel His Presence less
while? and less in our lives.
Do you yearn for Him like you yearn for warmer weather We believe that the soul's persistent longing for God
in the winter? can be satisfied apart from Him.
The Orthodox Christian Tradition teaches a But the sense of deep emptiness does not go away
foundational Truth: Every desire we have, whether it because nothing else can substitute for the Love of
be for food, sex, or companionship, for example, is God.
a reflection of our desire for God. Trapped within this cycle, fulfilling our natural desires
God created us in His Image and Likeness (GENESIS 1:26). for things like food and companionship becomes
Every creature longs to know its Creator. the way that we try to satisfy our yearning for God.
If we want to know who we are and how we work, where Sometimes these physical desires can be supplanted by
should we go? To our Creator. more abstract longings like the desire for wealth,
"Yes, in the way of Thy Judgements, O Lord, we power, or control over others that can gain a strong
have waited for Thee. The desire of our soul is strangle-hold in our lives.
for Thy Name; And for the remembrance of Since nothing can fulfil our desire for God except God
Thee." (ISAIAH 26:8). alone, we keep eating, controlling, spending -
How is your Relationship with God? whatever the vice may be - until these desires
Do you know our Lord Jesus Christ? begin to control and enslave us.
How much time do you spend with Him, talking with Discipline breaks down and we spin out of control.
Him in Prayer? Addictions are the extreme examples of this cycle.
Do you visit His Holy House – His Holy Church? "In our hearts is the Heavenly Fire of Grace. If we
Do you read His Letters to you – His Holy Scripture? pray and meditate on the Love of Christ, we
add Wood to the Fire and our hearts burn with
longing for God. If, on the contrary, we are

32. (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) 31ST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 14TH OF ST LUKE – THE BLINDMAN OF JERICHO 23 JANUARY 2011
 negligent and give our attention to worldly
affairs, vice enters the heart, takes it over and
torments us," wrote St Makarios (HOMILY 40).
Holy Scripture states: "But each one is tempted
when he is drawn away by his own desires
and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived,
it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-
grown, brings forth death" (JAMES 1:14-15).
Some people recognize our need for God in their life
but take the wrong path.
A recent Encyclical of the Orthodox Christian Bishops in
America warned:
“... people have gone searching to fulfil their need
for meaning.
Yet this search often involves popular and
personal spiritualities that lack a coherent
Theology.
"New Age" religions that mix and match
according to personal taste give the illusion of
Spiritual Fulfilment, but lack the qualities of
True Worship.
The substitution of purely humanistic social and
political movements for a True Relationship
with God is another example.
Remaking oneself without grounding in True
Existence is a recipe for confusion and even
disaster.
The Newness that we desire can only be found in
God.”
Some recognize their dependence on God but are naive
to the dangers of a solitary Christianity.
The Encyclical continues:
“There is an ancient Christian saying: ‘A single
Christian is no Christian. . “
Still others pervert Christianity, even Orthodoxy,
into their own interpretation through
ritualism or a smorgasbord pick and choose
approach.
Sometimes we forget that religion is not about
"religion" but about our Relationship to God,
to one another, and to Creation.
How does the Holy Church of Christ help us quench
our Spiritual Thirst?
One way is through T H E T H R E E P I L L A R S O F
LENT: PRAYER, FASTING AND ALMSGIVING.
The Encyclical stated:
"One of the distinctive characteristics of Orthodox
Christian thinking is that it sees the Gospel
Message not as Law, but as Relationship.
Everything we learn in the Church should gear us
towards building and deepening our
Relationship with our Creator and direct us
toward Loving our neighbour.
K e e p i ng I t S i m p le
Wisdom and Insight are in short supply these days.
We do not live in a land that has Monasteries
everywhere within walking distance (or even a short
drive).
We do not have centuries of unbroken, living
Knowledge of the Way of Christ in many places.
What we do have is a commercialized Christianity that
panders to our culture and its passions at least as
much as it considers the Gospel.
We do not thus produce a profound Christianity, but a
passionate Christianity in which the impulse to
consume remains unchecked and unnamed.
But to travel towards the Kingdom of God and to make
True Progress in the Spiritual Life is not necessarily
dependent upon a Holy Culture or hordes of Holy
People.
Indeed, it depends upon the Grace of God and the very
little that we know (if we put into practice that same
“very little”).
In Christ - in the true light of the Gospel - what do we
know?
➤ We know that God truly Loves the world and
gave us His Only Begotten Son that we
might have Life, True Life, Communion with
the True and Living God;
(DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) 31ST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 14TH OF ST LUKE – THE BLINDMAN OF JERICHO
We can learn how to pray through the Worship of
the Church and studying the Lives of the
Saints.
We cannot draw close to God without spending
time alone with Him in Prayer.
He wants our undivided attention, if only for a
short while each day.
Prayer Enlivens us, grants us fulfilment, gives us
Joy, instructs us, and fills us with God's
Peace.
Fasting is also important.
The Great Fast of Lent is a purifying experience.
The purification is not just physical but also
spiritual because it reorients our desire
towards God.
We are called to Fast not just from food, but from
sinful thoughts, words and actions.
We need Repentance and Confession to
accomplish this Spiritual Cleansing.
To skip Confession during Lent makes a clear
statement once again: "God I don't need Thee
and I don't need the people Thou place in my
life to help me."
Finally, Almsgiving – our Sacrificial Offerings to the poor
and needy - reinforce the Teaching that our
Relationship with God is dependent on the quality
of our relationship with others.
"True Joy, True Happiness, True Community, True
Fulfilment comes only through the giving of
ourselves out of Love for our Brethren.." the
Encyclical pointed out.
This is what our Lord meant when He cautioned us:
"Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life will preserve it" (LUKE 17:33).
We find True Joy in our Love for others - the same
Love our Lord showed us on the Cross.
Coming to God is not an insurmountable task only
capable by a select few.
God is available to everyone.
Some say that when we take one step towards God, He
comes running the rest of the way to reach us.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"
wrote St James (JAMES 4:8).
The Psalmist wrote: "The Lord is near to all who call
upon Him, to all who call upon Him in Truth.
He will fulfil the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and Save them. The
LORD preserves all who Love Him, but all the
wicked He will destroy" (PSALM 145:18-19).
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?” BY FATHER RICHARD
DEMETRIUS ANDREWS - ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH - ST. PAUL,
MINNESOTA, USA
HTTP://WWW.ORTHODOXYTODAY.ORG/ARTICLES6/ANDREWSDESIRE.PHP
➤ We know that this life is marked by Love and
Forgiveness; even including - and especially
including - the forgiveness of our enemies;
➤ We know that giving is more Blessed than
receiving – thus we already have the means
of being Blessed;
➤ We know that the Way of the Cross is the Way of
Life and that following Christ on that Way
means freely laying down our lives for
others.
➤ We know that we have been Commanded to
give Thanks for all things, thus affirming
God’s Goodness as the True Ground of our
existence;
➤ We know we are not alone – that many have
walked this Way before us and that our
success in following Christ is of concern to
them;
I certainly could add to this list with some further
thought, although I find it is easy to state some
things that not many of us know.
What I believe is that - even in the absence of great and
Holy Men - we can take the little that we know and
live by it.
23 JANUARY 2011 33.
 ➤ It is better to live seeking Communion with the
True and Living God than to believe that
God is somewhere at a distance;
➤ It is better to Forgive and to Love even if it
means we make ourselves victim to the hate
and cruelty of others;
➤ It is indeed better to give than to receive, even if
I can give but little. No one can keep me
from giving.
➤ It is better to die for others than to die alone.
➤ It is better to give Thanks for all things than to
be eaten alive with regret and bitterness;
T h e E te r nal & Ins p ire d W i s d o m o f o u r H ol y C h u r c h F a t he rs
Father George Calciu - On the Holy Priesthood
What does the Holy Priesthood mean?
It means to be an enduring Witness to human suffering
and to take it upon your own shoulders.
To be the one who warms the leper at his own breast,
the one who gives life to the miserable through the
breath from his own mouth.
To be a strong comfort to every unfortunate soul, even
when you yourself are overwhelmed with weakness.
To be a Ray of Shining Light to unhappy hearts when
your own eyes long ago ceased to see any Light.
To carry mountains of others’ sufferings on your
shoulders, while your own being screams out with
the weight of its own suffering.
Father Epiphanios Theodoropoulos – On Faith, Sin, Disbelief & Belief
An intensely materialistic father of one of the Elder’s
Spiritual Children visited him one day to complain
that the Holy Father was exerting an “unacceptable”
influence upon his son.
Then, smirking and mockingly the worldly man
remarked: “...And don’t tell me, Father Epiphanios,
that you - such a smart man – actually believe all
these things about Christ, Paradise, Hell, etc!”
The usually serene Elder stood up, set his politeness
and meekness aside and, with a loud voice, told the
sceptical parent: “Listen, Mister! If Ι did not believe
‘all these things,’ Ι would prefer to be selling
lemons at Omonia, rather than to waste my time
and energy trying to fool you or anyone else!
“Ι would prefer to be a completely illiterate
labourer, rather than a lettered liar!”
Elder Paisios of Sihastria Monastery – On Not Condemning our Neighbour
May you not judge anyone, my dear. It’s a great sin for
you to judge!
When you see someone who has sinned, be merciful to
him and pray: “0 Lord, the poor thing, look
what the devil did to him;’ … and don’t judge
anyone.
And see everyone the same - never think nor say that
anyone is better and another is not as good.
Do not condemn anyone.
See everyone as being better than yourself and don’t
concern yourself with what others do; and always
pay attention to what you do.
There was a Brother named Coprios who - seeing that
he was unable to fight with heretics - began to pray:
Elder Ephraim – On Trials & Temptations
God allows temptations so that they might rouse
us to remember Him.
When we call upon Him, He acts as though He does not
hear us so that we multiply our Supplications and
cry out His Holy Name, in fear of the various
passions.
Then, through pain of the Entreaties, our heart is
Sanctified, and through experience we learn the
weakness of our lame nature.
And thus we realize in practice that without God’s Help
we are not able to do anything.
34. (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) 31ST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – 14TH OF ST LUKE – THE BLINDMAN OF JERICHO
➤ It is better to have the Saints as friends than to
be famous or popular with those of this
fallen world.
I know that these things are small (although they are
truly large).
But such small things - lived and acted upon with
Prayer - will make the Way for Paradise in our heart
and write our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
He who is Faithful in a very little is Faithful also
in much… (LUKE 16:10)
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS” – “KEEPING IT SIMPLE” –
FATHER STEPHEN - http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2010/01/
Your flesh will rebel and say, ‘This heroism is absurd,
impossible! Where is such a man, where is the
Priest you describe so that I may put my own
suffering on his shoulders?’
Yes, nevertheless, he does exist!
From time to time there awakens within us the Priest of
Christ who, like the Good Samaritan, will kneel
down by the side of the man fallen among thieves
and, putting him upon his own donkey, will bring
him to the Church of Christ for Healing.
And he will forget himself and comfort you, O man of
suffering!
The shocked and ashamed visitor quickly departed with
his head bowed . . . .
Sin is that which prevents us from believing - not
logic.
For this reason, if you tell an unbeliever to live for six
months according to the ethics of the Gospel, and
he does it, he will become a believer without even
realizing it
“God does not exist” is usually said by people who are
lewd and unethical.
There has not been found nor will there be found an
ethical and virtuous person who will rather easily
say: “God does not exist! “
“Lord, take so and so from the earth, because,
look, he does so much evil; he is a stumbling
block to so many people.”
And thus he would pray continually until one night he
dreamt that our Lord Jesus descended from the
Cross and turned His cheek toward Coprios and
said to him: “Strike me, Coprios, strike me …. If I
Am ready to crucify Myself a second time for
this soul, why are you praying for Me to kill
him?”
So, do you see how things are, my dear?
This deep experience is acquired with the blood of the
heart and remains indelible; it becomes a
foundation for the remainder of one’s life.
The Grace of God leaves and comes again, but
experience never leaves, because it has been
branded within the heart.
And no matter how much Satan praises the heart, it
points to what is indelibly written within its depths,
that without God it is impossible to do
anything.
23 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the Ages of
ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Mos t Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, ye t Ever Virgi n, toge the r
with all the Sai nts. And let us commit ourselves and one ano the r and o ur w hole Life to Christ our God. Amen .

2 5 J a n uar y 20 11

S t Gre g or y t he T he ol ogi a n
Also the Feast of St Moses of Novgoros – St Felicitas & her Seven Sons: St Januarios, St Felix, St
Philip, St Silvanos, St Alexander, St Vitalos & St Marcial, Holy Martyrs of Rome - St Publios,
Ascetic of Syria - St Mares the Singer of Syria – St Axentios, New Martyr of Constantinople – St
Anatole I of Optina – St Dositheos of Tbilisi – St Gabriel of Imereti – Translation to Moscow of the Holy Icon of the
Theotokos “Assuage My Sorrow” – the Holy Icon of the Theotokos, “The Unexpected Joy.”
Apolytikion Of St Gregory The Theologian - Tone 1

O Pimenikos ailos tis Theologias Sou, tas ton ritoron
enikise salpingas: os gar ta vathi tou Pnevmatos
ekzitisanti, ke ta kalli tou fthegmatos prosetethi Si.
Alla presveve Hristo to Theo, Pater Grigorie, sothine
tas psihas imon.
Kontakion Of St Gregory The Theologian – Tone 3
The pastoral flute of Thy Theology conquered the
trumpets of orators. For it called upon the depths of
the Spirit and Thou were enriched with the beauty
of words. Intercede to Christ our God, O Father
Gregory, that our souls may be Saved.

Theologo glotti Sou, tas simplokoas ton ritoron,
dialisas endoxe, orthodoxias hitona, anothen
exifanthenta tin Ekklisian, estolisas: on ke forousa,
sin imin krazi, tis sis teknis: Heris Pater, Theologias
O nous O akrotatos.
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February
O Glorious One, Thou dispelled the complexities of
orators with the words of Thy Theology. Thou has
adorned the Church with the Vesture of Orthodoxy
woven from on High. Clothed in this, the Church
now cries out with us to Thy children: "Hail Father,
the Consummate Theological Mind."

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
Monos Filanthropos commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.
The Epistle of St Paul to the Hebrews 7 : 26 – 8 : 2
The Rules Of Priestly Orders
Brethren, such a High Priest was fitting for us, Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and Who is
Higher than the Heavens; Who does not need daily – like those High Priests – to offer up sacrifices, first for His own
sins and then for the people’s sins, for this He did once for all when He offered Himself up.
For the Law appoints as High Priests men who have weaknesses but the Word of the Oath, which came after the Law,
appoints the Son Who has been Perfected forever.
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest Who is seated at the Right Hand of the
Throne of the Majesty in the Heaven, a Minister of the Sanctuary and of the True Tabernacle which the Lord erected,
and not man.
St Paul tried to explain to the Hebrews that not O N L Y All those who serve Him – the Holy Priesthood – the
IS THE FOUNDER OF THE NEW COVENANT Bishops and the Priests are equal among equals – i.e.
PRIESTHOOD SUPERIOR TO THAT OF THE OLD NONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NEXT IN THE
COVENANT, BUT IN ADDITION, THE RULES OF SIGHT OF GOD.
THE NEW COVENANT’S PRIEST ORDER ARE ALSO
SUPERIOR.
However, various Ranks of Priesthood are necessary in
Holy Priesthood is so intertwined with the Divine order to efficiently perform the Sacred Duties and take
Covenant that should the Holy Priesthood Ordained on the heavy responsibilities of caring for the Holy
by God be changed, so too would His Holy Flock of Christ’s Church.
Covenant with us be changed. As the Holy Priesthood is Instituted and Sanctified by God,
The term “Majesty” is a Biblical title for God the Father. we must always have respect for it and be Obedient to
A HIGH PRIEST WHO WAS SEATED AT THE RIGHT our Holy Church Fathers who guide us faithfully
HAND OF MAJESTY WOULD HAVE TO BE BOTH towards Eternity.
HUMAN AND DIVINE. THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD IS ETERNALLY HOLY AND WILL
Furthermore, to be seated at the right hand of God NEVER BE DESTROYED.
means that the greatest honour is bestowed on We must not confuse this Holy Priesthood with our human
such a Person for two reasons: frailties and no matter what type of character any man
❃ NO ONE BUT AN EQUAL COULD BE SEATED IN is, the Holy Priesthood is above and beyond him.
T H E P R E S E N C E O F A M I G H T Y R U L E R – and Finally, BECAUSE CHRIST FULFILLED ALL
REQUIREMENTS OF THE OLD COVENANT, IT IS NO
even more so in the Divine Presence of God the
LONGER NECESSARY FOR US TO DO SO AND AS
Father. And our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ CHRISTIANS WE MUST BE COMMITTED SOLELY TO
Who is the Only Begotten Son of God and equal THE NEW COVENANT WITH GOD, WHICH IS A
in all Divine Attributes with God the Father, BLOODLESS COVENANT.
most definitely has the right to be seated next No blood sacrifices are necessary because Christ willingly
to Him. offered Himself as the ultimate, Perfect Sacrifice as the
❃ THE GREATEST POSITION OF HONOUR IS AT THE Priceless Ransom for our Immortal Souls and Eternal
RIGHT HAND SIDE OF SOMEONE IMPORTANT Life.
AND THERE IS NO ONE MORE IMPORTANT IN
EXISTENCE THAN OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
Since His Harrowing of Hades when He smashed open the
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY HEAD OR imprisoning gates and set the Righteous souls free to
LEADER OF OUR HOLY CHURCH AND ONLY HE IS repose in Paradise until His Reappearance on
SINLESS AND PERFECT – I.E. ONLY CHRIST IS Judgement Day, O N L Y T H E U N R E P E N T A N T S I N N E R S
INFALLIBLE.

DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN 25 JANUARY 2010 35.

 WILL SUFFER THE ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE REMISSION OF OUR SINS AND ETERNAL LIFE.
THEIR SINS.
Every Sunday, which is Holy Pascha – the Resurrection
of Christ – and A T E V E R Y D I V I N E L I T U R G Y , W E
OFFER THE BLOODLESS SACRIFICE TO GOD FOR
The Holy Gospel According to St John 10: 9 - 16
Our Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ, Is The Good Shepherd
Our Lord Jesus said: “I Am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be Saved, and will go in and out and
find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
“I have come so that they may have Life and that they may have it more abundantly. I Am the Good
Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the Sheep. But a hireling – he who is not the Shepherd,
one who does not own the sheep – sees the wolf coming and leaves the Sheep and flees; and the wolf
catches the Sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about
the Sheep.
“I Am the Good Shepherd; and I know My Sheep, and Am known by My Sheep. As the Father knows Me,
even so I know the Father; and I lay down My Life for the Sheep. And other Sheep I have which are not of
this Fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My Voice; and there will be One Flock and One
Shepherd.”
This passage of the Holy Gospel is read on days The worst thief is Satan who spreads his deadly lies and
commemorating our Holy Hierarchs and it is a heresies, luring away both leaders and people.
continuation of the conversation our Lord Jesus Christ THE TERM “LIFE” MEANS LIVING IN DIVINE GRACE ON
EARTH, WHILE THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE
had with the Pharisees at the conclusion of the Feast INDICATES THE ETERNAL KINGDOM TO COME.
of Tabernacles. Christ revealed Himself as the Good Shepherd Who enters
Our Lord Jesus contrasted His Spiritual and Eternal by the Door – He is our Compassionate Protector and
Leadership with their own. Divine Guide Who fulfils all Holy Scripture concerning
They had failed as God’s appointed Shepherds for His Himself – the Messiah and our Saviour.
Holy Flock, the Hebrew nation because their HE IS KNOWN BY OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND IN TURN,
leadership had been polluted by personal deceit and HE KNOWS EVERY HUMAN BEING PERSONALLY –
THERE IS NOTHING HIDDEN FROM HIM – AND HE IS
pride. ALSO INTIMATELY KNOWN BY HIS FAITHFUL FLOCK
Furthermore, it lacked the essential Compassion, – THOSE WHO ENJOY A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH
guidance and encouragement for fallen sinners. GOD.
CHRIST, ON THE CONTRARY, FULFILLED ALL VIRTUE: Furthermore, our Good Shepherd offered Himself as the
HE HAD INFINITE COMPASSION AND WISELY
definitive Sacrifice for the sake of our Salvation, which
GUIDED AND ENCOURAGED EVERYONE,
UNCONDITIONALLY. was a direct prophecy of His approaching Passion.
CHRIST’S REFERENCE TO HIS “OTHER SHEEP” WAS A
According to St John Chrysostom, T H E D O O R T O W H I C H REFERENCE TO THE GENTILES – THE PAGANS AND
CHRIST REFERRED IS GOD’S DIVINE WORD –
THE NON-HEBREW NATIONS WHO WOULD BE
MEANING BOTH THE HOLY SCRIPTURE AND OUR
BROUGHT INTO ONE HOLY FLOCK UNDER OUR ONE
LORD JESUS HIMSELF, SINCE HOLY SCRIPTURE
AND ONLY GOOD SHEPHERD – OUR LORD AND
CLEARLY REVEALS GOD THE WORD TO US.
SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST.
Those who try to lead God’s Flock in a manner that is Therefore, His Holy Church transcends ethnic and racial
neither I N C H R I S T nor A C C O R D I N G T O T H E line.
T E A C H I N G of Holy Scripture – i.e. the Divine and True
It has been Orthodox Teaching since the beginning of the
Teachings of God that were Inspired by God the Holy Holy Church of Christ that there be one Bishop serving
Spirit – are condemned by God as thieves and a city, a principle affirmed in every generation.
robbers. Writing in the early second century to a Church that
Rather than using the Holy Door so that all can see God’s celebrated separate Divine Liturgies for Jewish and
Works openly, T H E S E F A L S E S H E P H E R D S U S E Gentile Christians, St Ignatios warned us: “Be careful
DEVIOUS MEANS TO CONTROL, ROB AND
MANIPULATE PEOPLE FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH, to observe a single Eucharist, for there is One
WICKED PURPOSES – ULTIMATELY DESTROYING Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and One Cup of
THEIR SOULS AND CONDEMNING THEM TO ETERNAL His Blood that makes us One, and One Altar, just
DEATH AND ETERNAL BANISHMENT.
ALL FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT PRIESTS WHO LEAD AND as there One Bishop... This is in line with God’s
GUIDE GOD’S HOLY FLOCK ACCORDING TO Will.”
CHRIST’S TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS, WILL
ENJOY ETERNAL LIFE.

St Gregory the Theologian

St Gregory was born in Nazianzus of a Greek father and
a Christian mother.
Before his Baptism, he studied in Athens along with St
Basil the Great and Julian the Apostate.
St Gregory often prophesied that Julian would become
an apostate and a persecutor of the Church which
actually happened.
St Gregory was especially influenced greatly by his good
mother, St Nonna.
When he completed his studies, St Gregory was
Baptized.
St. Basil consecrated him as Bishop of Sasima, and
Emperor Theodosios the Great summoned him to fill
the vacant Archiepiscopal Throne of Constantinople.
St Gregory wrote numerous works of which his most
famous are those concerning Theology for which he
is called The Theologian.
Especially known because of its depth is his work:
“Homilies on The Holy Trinity.”
St Gregory wrote against the heretic Macedonios (who
blasphemously taught that the Holy Spirit is a
creation of God) and, St Gregory also wrote against
Appolinarios who erroneously taught that Christ did
not have a human soul but that His Divinity was in
lieu of His Soul.
Additionally St Gregory wrote against Emperor Julian the
Apostate, his one-time colleague in school.
In 381, when a debate began regarding his election as
Archbishop, he withdrew on his own and issued a
statement: "Those, who deprive us of our
Archiepiscopal Throne cannot deprive us of God."
After that, he left Constantinople and went to Nazianzus
and there lived a life of Solitude and Prayer, writing
excellent books.
Although he was in poor health throughout his entire
life, St Gregory lived to be eighty years old.
His relics were later transferred to Rome and a reliquary
containing his head reposes in the Cathedral Church
of the Assumption in Moscow.
He remains a great and wonderful Light of the Orthodox
Church as much by his Meekness and Purity of
character as well as for the unsurpassable depth of
his mind.
He reposed in our Lord in the year 390.
May his memory be Eternal!

36 (DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN 25 JANUARY 2010

 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worshi p to the Fathe r, and to the So n, and to the H oly Spirit, now and forever, and unto
the Ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Mos t Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, ye t Ever Virgin,
together wi th all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and o ne another and o ur w hole Life to C hrist our God.
Amen.

2 7 Ja n u ar y 20 11
S t J oh n C hr ys os t o m
(Translation of Relics)

Also the Feast of St Peter the Righteous of Egypt - St Demetrios the New Martyr of
Constantinople

Apolytikion Of St John Chrysostom – Tone (8) Plagal 4

I tou stomatos Sou kathaper Pirsos, eklampsasa Haris. The Grace of Thy Words Illuminated the Universe like a
Tin ikoumenin efotisen, afilargirias to kosmo shining Beacon. It amassed Treasures of
thisavrous enapetheto. To ipsos imin tis munificence in the world. It demonstrated the
tapinofrosinis ipedixen. Alla sis logis pedevon, Pater greatness of Humility, teaching us by Thine own
Ioanni Hristostome, Presveve to Logo Hristo to Theo, words; therefore, O Father John Chrysostom,
Sothine tas psihas imon. Intercede to Christ the Logos for the Salvation of our
souls.
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O
Monos Filanthropos
Kontakion Of St John Chrysostom – Tone 1
Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.

Evfranthi Mystikos, i septi Ekklisia, ti anakomidi, tou The Holy and August Church is Mystically gladdened
septou sou lipsanou. Ke touto katakripsasa, os today on the Translation of thy Holy Relics. And
hrision politimon, tis imnousi se, adialiptos parehi, although she had kept them hidden like precious
tes presvies sou, ton iamaton tin harin, Ioanni gold, by thine Intercessions she unceasingly grants
Hrisostome. to those who praise thee, the Divine Grace of
Healing, O Father John Chrysostom.
M a t i ns G os p e l Acc o rd in g t o S t J o hn 1 0 : 1 – 9
Christ Is Our Good Shepherd
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say you, he who does not enter the Sheepfold by the
Door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But He Who enters by the Door is
the Shepherd of the Sheep. To Him the Doorkeeper opens, and the Sheep hear His Voice; and He Calls
His own Sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out His own Sheep, He goes before
them; and the Sheep follow Him, for they know His Voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger,
but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them
again: “Most assuredly, I say to you: I Am the Door of the Sheep. All who ever came before Me are
thieves and robbers, but the Sheep did not heed them. I Am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be
Saved and will go in and out and find Pasture.”
P r o ke i me n on
My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart, understanding.
Hear this, all you nations! Listen, all you inhabitants of the world!
S t P a ul’ s Ep is tle t o t he H e br e w s 7 : 2 6 – 8 : 2
Our Lord Jesus Christ is our Most Perfect and Eternal High Priest
Brethren; Such a High Priest is fitting for us, Who is Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, separate from sinners, and Who is higher
than the Heavens, Who does not need daily – as those High Priests – to offer up sacrifices – first for His own sins and
then for those of the people – for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
For the Law appoints as High Priests men who have weakness, but the Word of the Oath, which came after the Law,
appoints the Son Who has been Perfected Forever.
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: we have such a High Priest, Who is seated at the right Hand of the
Majesty in Heaven – a Minister of the Sanctuary, and of the True Tabernacle, which the Lord erected, and not man.
NOT ONLY IS THE DIVINE FOUNDER OF THE NEW JOT AND IOTA - AS GIVEN TO US BY THE WORD
COVENANT PRIESTHOOD SUPERIOR TO THAT OF AND SON OF GOD HIMSELF - IS CAREFULLY
THE OLD COVENANT, BUT THE RULES OF THE NEW PRESERVED AND UNALTERED IN ANY SHAPE OR
COVENANT’S PRIESTLY ORDER ARE ALSO FORM!
SUPERIOR. God’s Divine Truth is Absolute Perfection so if such
A Priesthood is so intertwined with its Covenant that if Perfection is even slightly changed by us mere
any attributes of the Priesthood is changed, so would mortals, it is no longer His Perfect Truth but rather
the Covenant be altered. mankind’s warped and erroneous – and often
AND AS ONLY GOD CAN CHANGE HIS ETERNAL AND
PERFECT HOLY COVENANT WITH MANKIND, WE
heretical – concept of It.
CERTAINLY HAVE NO RIGHT OR ABILITY TO The title “Majesty” is a Biblical Name for God the Father.
CHANGE ANYTHING AT ALL. A High Priest Who sits at the right Hand of Majesty would
INSTEAD IT IS OUR SACRED DUTY TO ENSURE THAT
ALL ASPECTS OF THE NEW COVENANT – EVERY
have to be both Human and Divine – which is exactly
what our Lord Jesus Christ is.

DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED) ST GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN 25 JANUARY 2010 37.

Being seated next to Divine Majesty means that He is less than Christ would not be seated in the very
equally Divine, Eternal and Majestic since anyone Presence of Almighty God!
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t J o hn 10 : 9 – 16
Our Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ, Is The Good Shepherd
Our Lord Jesus said: “I Am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be Saved, and will go in and out and
find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
“I have come so that they may have Life and that they may have it more abundantly. I Am the Good
Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the Sheep. But a hireling – he who is not the
Shepherd, one who does not own the sheep – sees the wolf coming and leaves the Sheep and flees;
and the wolf catches the Sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and
does not care about the Sheep.
“I Am the Good Shepherd; and I know My Sheep, and Am known by My Sheep. As the Father knows Me,
even so I know the Father; and I lay down My Life for the Sheep. And other Sheep I have which are
not of this Fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My Voice; and there will be One Flock and
One Shepherd.”
S t J oh n C hr ys os t o m – T r a ns la t i o n o f Re l i cs
St John Chrysostom was a great Ecumenical Teacher However, those he sent to fetch the Holy Relics were
and Hierarch unable to lift the casket, let alone carry it out from
He had finally reposed in Christ in the city of Comana in where it lay .
407 on his way to a place of exile. Only when it was realised that Emperor Theodosios had
He had been condemned by the intrigues of the had sent his special contingent by Imperial Edict
heretical Empress Eudoxia because of his bold and instead of with a humble Prayer, he immediately
fervent denunciation of the vices that had become wrote a letter of apology to St John Chrysostom,
rife in Constantinople and which caused the meekly begging him to forgive his audacity, and to
corruption of so many Christian souls. return to Constantinople where they awaited his
The transfer of his venerable relics was made in 438, return with loving hearts.
thirty years after his falling asleep during the reign of After the Emperor’s message was read at the grave of St
Empress Eudoxia's son, Emperor Theodosius II John, they were easily able to remove the
(408-450). undamaged coffin and carry it safely all the way back
St John Chrysostom had been Blessed with the warm to Constantinople.
Love and deepest respect of the people, and grief The casket was reverently laid to rest in the Church of
over his untimely death overwhelmed the hearts of Agia Irene (Holy Peace) and when
Faithful Christians. Patriarch Proclos opened it, the body of St John
St John Chrysostom’s former disciple, St Proclos, had Chrysostom was found to be incorrupt.
been elected Patriarch of Constantinople (434-447), Emperor Theodosios approached the casket with tears,
and during Holy Services in the Church of Agia begging forgiveness for his mother, the late
Sophia (Holy Wisdom), he had preached a Sermon Empress Eudoxia, who had banished St John into
praising St John: exile.
"O John, Thy Life was filled with sorrow, but Thy death Throughout the day and night the Faithful people of
was glorious. Thy grave is Blessed and Thy Reward Constantinople watched over the reposing Holy
is great, by the Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Father until finally it was carried to the Church of the
Christ, O Graced One, having conquered the Holy Apostles and preserved in Peace and Sanctity.
bounds of time and place! Love has conquered The Faithful spontaneously cried out in unison: “O Holy
space, unforgetting memory has annihilated the Father! Take up Thy Throne!”
limits, and place does not hinder the Miracles of the Suddenly the Patriarch of Constantinople, St Proklos,
Saint." and all the Clergy who were standing around the
Those who were present and who had listened intently open casket witnessed an amazing Miracle: St John
to every word St Proclos spoke, were so deeply Chrysostom opened his mouth and said clearly:
touched that they did not allow him to complete his "Peace be to all!"
Sermon. From that time forth, innumerable multitudes have paid
With one accord they besought the Patriarch to intercede their respects to our beloved Holy Father, and those
with Emperor Theodosios so that the Holy Relics of who suffered both physical and Spiritual Ailments
their beloved Holy Father, St John Chrysostom might were healed and comforted.
be brought back to Constantinople where they The Commemoration of the Translation of St John
belonged. Chrysostom was established in the ninth century.
Consequently, Emperor Theodosios - being convinced May he continue to Intercede for us and may his memory
by St Proclos’ appeal - gave his consent by issuing be Eternal.
an Imperial Edict, transferring the Holy Relics of St ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: “THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS” BY THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF
AMERICA- h t t p : / / w w w . o c a . o r g / f s l i v e s . a s p
John Chrysostom from Comana back to
Constantinople.
T e ac h i ngs o f S t J o hn Ch r ys os t o m

In the matter of Piety, poverty serves us better than
For Christians above all we are forbidden to
wealth, and work better than idleness, especially correct the stumblings of sinners by force...it is
since wealth becomes an obstacle even for necessary to make one another better - not by
those who do not devote themselves to it. force but by persuasion.
Yet, when we must put aside our wrath, quench our We neither have Authority granted us by Law to restrain
envy, soften our anger, offer our Prayers, and show sinners, nor, if it were, should we know how to use
a disposition that is reasonable, mild, kindly, and it, since God bestows the Crown to those who are
loving, how could poverty stand in our way? kept from evil, not by force, but by choice.
For we accomplish these things not by spending money
When an archer desires to shoot his arrows
but by making the correct choice.
successfully, he first takes great pains over his
Almsgiving above all else requires money, but even this
posture and aligns himself accurately with his
shines with a brighter lustre when the alms are
mark.
given from our poverty.
It should be the same for you who are about to shoot
The Widow who paid in the two mites was poorer than
the head of the wicked devil.
any human, but she outdid them all.
Let us be concerned first for the good order of
sensations and then for the good posture of Inner
Thoughts.

38. (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED) ST JOHN CHR YSO STOM – TR AN SL ATIO N O F RELI CS – 2 7 J AN UA RY 20 11
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the So n, and to the Hol y Spirit, now and forever, and unto the
Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, T heotokos, yet Ever Virgin,
together wi th all the Sai nts. And le t us commit o urselves and one another and o ur w hole Life to Christ o ur God.
Amen.

2 9 J a n uar y 20 11
S t I g na t i os t he H o l y Go d - B e a re r i ng H ie r o mar t y r o f A n t i oc h
( T ra ns l a t io n o f Re l ics )
Also the Feast of St Laurence the Recluse of Kiev Caves, Far Caves & Bishop of
Turov, Near Caves – St Gerasimos of Perm – St Pitirim of Perm – St Jonah of Perm
– St Romanos, St James, St Philotheos, St Hyperichios, St Habib, St Julian & St Parigornios of
Samosata - St Silvanos, St t Luke the Deacon & St Mokios the Reader of Emesa, Hieromartyrs – St Ashot
Curapalati King & Holy Martyr of Artanuji – St Ignatios the Wonderworker of Smolensk – St Aphraates of
Persia – St Sarbelos & St Bebaia of Edessa – St Demetrios the New Martyr – St Akepsimas, Holy Martyr

Apolytikion Of St Ignatios The God-Bearer – Tone 4

Ke tropon metohos, ke thronon diadohos, ton As a Sharer of the Ways and a Successor to the Throne
Apostolon genomenos, tin praxin evres theopnevste, of the Apostles, O Inspired of God, thou found
is theorias epivasin. Dia touto ton Logon tis Alithias discipline to be a means of Ascent to Divine Vision.
orthotomon, ke ti Pisti enithlisas mehris ematos, Wherefore, having rightly divided the Word of Truth,
Ieromartis ignatie. Presveve Hristo to theo, sosthine thou also contested for the Faith even unto blood, O
tas psihas imon. Hieromartyr Ignatios. Intercede with Christ our God
that our souls be Saved.
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O
Monos Filanthropos
Kontakion Of St Ignatios The God-Bearer – Tone 4
Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.

Ex Eoas simeron exanatilas, ke tin ktisin apasan, Dawning from the East this day, Divine Ignatios, that
katalamprinas didahes, to Martirio kekosmite, O God-bearer praised of all, has made the whole
Theoforos ke Thios Ignatios. Creation bright with his Wise Teachings of Piety and
is adorned with the beauty of Martyrdom.
T h e E p is tle o f S t Pa ul to t he H e bre ws 10 : 32 – 38
We must Continue to Persevere – No Matter What Happens!
Brethren: Recall the former days in which – after you were Illuminated – you endured a Great Struggle with sufferings;
partly while you were made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became
companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the
plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in Heaven.
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has Great Reward.
For you have need of Endurance, so that after you have done the Will of God, you may receive the Promise: “For yet a
little while, and He Who is Coming will come and will not tarry. Now the Just shall live by Faith; but is
anyone draws back, My Soul has no pleasure in him.”
T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma r k 9 : 3 3 – 41
The Way of Discipleship
At that time Jesus went to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked his Disciples: “What was it that you
disputed among yourselves along the road?” but they remained silent, for along the way they had disputed
among themselves as to who would be the greatest.
So He sat down, called the Twelve together and said to them: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all
and servant of all.” And He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.
And when He had taken him into His Arms, He said to them: “Whoever receives one of these little children in My
Name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him Who sent Me.”
Then John answered: “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Thy Name, and we
forbade him because he does not follow us.” And Jesus said: “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a
Miracle in My Name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side.
For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I
say to you: he will by no means lose his Reward.”
The discussion between the Disciples of Christ The very young boy became known and loved as St
concerning which of them would be the greatest, Ignatios the God-bearer of Antioch.
indicated a selfish interest in worldly power and From early childhood he had possessed such pure and
social status, which has no meaningful Eternal virtuous qualities of Humility and Obedience,
Significance at all. dependence, lowliness, simplicity and a willingness
That is why our Lord Jesus used the little boy to to Love unconditionally and to be Loved.
illustrate the meaning of True Discipleship in Christ St Ignatios is also the young boy who offered his
– simple – uncomplicated – and pure of spirit – meagre food parcel that his loving mother had
virtuous qualities that are required for our Entrance packed for him before he accompanied our Lord
into the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven. and His Disciples: two little sardines and five small
bread rolls - the basis of the abundance, which

(DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED) ST IGNATIOS, THEOPHOROS (GOD-BEARER) & HIEROMARTYR OF ANTIOCH 29 JANUARY 2011 39.
 God provided for the 5000 families – approximately
15 000 – 20 000 men, women and children - with
12 basketsful of leftovers that provided enough
food for everyone to share for their homeward
journey!
May we all learn to have such complete confidence in
God, trusting Him in all things with an
uncomplicated and child-like Love!
God’s “little children” is reference to both children and
adults who possess that innocent simplicity and
purity of heart – these are the “poor in spirit.”
St Theophylact believed that St John’s mentioning
“someone ... casting out demons in Thy Name,”
was motivate d by having his conscience pricked
when our Lord said: “If anyone desires to be
first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
St Ambrose felt that St John mentioned it because he
understood that our full Obedience to God should
accompany the Divine Blessing of the Gift of
Healing.
S t I g na t i os t he T he op ho r os (G od - B e are r) o f An t i o c h
St Ignatios, one of our Apostolic Fathers, was the third
Bishop of Antioch, after St Peter the Apostle of
Christ and St Euodios, whom St Ignatios succeeded
circa 68.
He was known as “the Theophoros” ("God-bearer"),
because he constantly bore the Name of the Living
God in his heart and on his lips.
As a small child, St Ignatios had often been held in the
Arms of our Lord Jesus Christ and when He was
teaching His Disciples Humility, “...He took a
child and placed him among them, saying:
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as
this little child, the same is greatest in the
Kingdom of Heaven (MATTHEW 18:4).
St Ignatios, together with St Polycarp (who became
Bishop of Smyrna), was a disciple of two of Christ’s
Apostles - St John the Theologian and St Peter.
As Bishop of Antioch, St Ignatios governed the Church
of God as a Good Shepherd and was the first to
introduce antiphonal chanting in the Church,
whereby two choirs alternate the chanting.
This manner of chanting was revealed to St Ignatios by
the Angels in Heaven.
When Emperor Trajan was passing through Antioch on
his way to do battle with the Persians, he heard of
St Ignatios, summoned him and tried to persuade
him to offer sacrifices to the pagan idols.
The infamous persecutor of Christians tried to assure St
Ignatios that once he had “pleased the gods” he
would honour him by bestowing the important rank
of Senator upon him.
Of course, when all the flattery, bribery and then deadly
threats of the Emperor proved to be in vain, St
Ignatios was arrested, shackled in irons and sent to
Rome under the watchful guard of ten of the most
sadistic and merciless pagan soldiers.
He had been sentenced to death by being thrown to
ravenous wild beasts for the entertainment of the
blood-thirsty audience at the circus of Rome.
Nevertheless, St Ignatios unwaveringly rejoiced at his
approaching Martyrdom, even while enduring many
public degradations that were meant to discourage
the spread of Christianity.
Instead St Ignatios was met everywhere by the love,
support and encouragement of not only the
Christians but also the amazed pagans, many of
whom chose to devote themselves to serving Christ
and who gladly accepting Holy Baptism – and all too
often, bravely facing persecution and Holy
Martyrdom.
40 (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED) ST IGNATIOS, THEOPHOROS (GOD-BEARER) & HIEROMARTYR OF ANTIOCH
In either interpretation, Christ’s Teaching reveals that
those who act in Good Faith are not excluded from
His Heavenly Kingdom, even if they are not
currently numbered among His Faithful Disciples.
“See how Divine Grace is at work – even in those
who are not His Disciples.” (ST THEOPHYLACT)(REFER TO
NUMBERS 11 : 24 – 30)
It is the Work of Christ to gather the Children of God,
while those who scatter them are in direct
opposition to God.
Those who work in opposition to Christ are different to
those who work in Good Faith towards His Divine
Purpose but are not yet united to His Holy Church.
“Only Good Deeds that are done for the sake of
Christ ( FOR THE GLORY, HONOUR AND WORSHIP OF GOD) bring
forth Fruit (HAVE BENEFICIAL RESULTS THAT BRING US CLOSER TO
ETERNAL LIFE.)
However, deeds that are done for any other purpose “...
even if they are good, are deeds that scatter
abroad!” (ST SERAPHIM OF SAROV)
He wrote innumerable letters to the Ephesians,
Magnesians, Trallians, Philadelphians, Smyrneans
and Romans, as well at to his beloved friend, St
Polycarp.
These Epistles were greatly influential in the
development of Christian Theology, since the
number of extant writings from this period of
Church history are very few and rare.
St Ignatios was the first known Christian writer to put
great stress on loyalty to a single Bishop in each
city, assisted by both Presbyters (Priests) and
Deacons.
Earlier writings only mentioned either Bishops or
Presbyters, and give the impression that there were
usually more than one Bishop per Congregation.
St Ignatios also emphasised the value of the Holy
Eucharist, calling it "a Medicine to Immortality."
The very strong desire for bloody Martyrdom in the
Arena, which St Ignatios expressed rather
graphically in places, may seem quite odd to the
modern reader, but an examination of his Theology
of Soteriology (THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION THROUGH OUR SAVIOUR
JESUS CHRIST) shows that he regarded Salvation as
being from the power and fear of death.
So, for him, to try to escape his Martyrdom would have
been to fear death and place himself back under its
power.
After a long and difficult journey from Asia through
Thrace, Macedonia and Epiros, St Ignatios arrived in
Rome and was immediately taken to the arena and
thrown to the lions.
The wretched beasts, having been starved and
tormented into a terrified frenzy quickly tore the
Faithful and Blessed Saint to pieces and devoured
him, leaving only several of the larger bones and
his heart.
This glorious, humble and devoted Lover of Christ was
Perfected in Holy Martyrdom on29 January 106 in
Rome at the time of the Christ-hating Emperor
Trajan and since that day St Ignatios has appeared
on numerous occasions, working Miracles, helping
and interceding for all who call upon him for help.
May his memory be Eternal!
"As a pilot calls on winds and a storm-tossed
mariner looks homeward, so the times call on
you to win your way to God.
As God's Athlete, be sober; the stake is
Immortality and Eternal Life.”
29 JANUARY 2011
 G re e k O r t ho d o x Pa t r iar c ha te o f Ale x an d r ia & Al l A fr ic a
A rc h d io ce s e o f Go od H o p e
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Fathe r, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spiri t, now and fo rever,
and unto the Ages of ages. Ame n.
Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mari a, Theotokos, ye t
Ever Virgi n, toge the r with all the Sai nts. And let us commit ourselves and one ano the r and our whole
Life to C hrist o ur Go d. Ame n.

32nd Sunday After Pentecost Tone 3 30 J a n ua r y 2 0 11

S y n a x is o f t he T h re e H o l y H ie r ar c hs :
S t B as il t h e Gre a t, St G re go r y t he T he ol og i an & S t J o h n
C h r ys os t o m
Also the Feast of St Hippolytos, Hieromartyr of Rome, together with St Censorinos,
St Sabinos & St Chryse, Virgin Martyr of Rome – St Felix, St Maximus, St
Herculianos, St Venerios, St Stirakios, St Menas, St Commodos, St Hermes, St
Mauros, St Eusebios, St Rustikos, St Monagrios, St Amandinos, St Nymphodora,
St Kyros, St Theodore the Tribune, St Maximos the Presbyter, St Archelaus the
Deacon & St Kyriakos Hieromartyr, all beheaded Holy Martyrs of Ostia – St
Zeno the Faster of Kiev Caves – St Zeno the Hermit of Antioch & Disciple of St
Basil the Great – St Theophilos the New of Cyprus – St Peter, King of Bulgaria – the Discovery of the Holy Icon
of the Ever Blessed Theotokos of Tinos – St Demetrios the New Martyr of Sliven – St Theodore the New Martyr
of Mytilene
Resurrection Apolytikion -Tone 3

Evfrenestho ta Ourania, agaliastho ta epigia, oti epiise Let the Heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad, for the
Kratos en Vrahioni Aftou O Kyrios. Epatise to Lord has shown Strength with His Arm; He has
Thanato ton thanaton.Prototokos ton nekron trampled down Death by Death; He has become the
egeneto. Ek kilias Adou errisato imas ke pareshe to First-born of the dead; from the womb of Hades He
kosmo to Mega Eleos. has delivered us, and to the world He has granted
Great Mercy.
Apolytikion Of The Three Holy Hierarchs – Tone 1

Tous Tris Megistous Fostiras, tis Trisiliou Theotitos,
tous tin ikoumenin aktisi, dogmaton thion
pirsevsantas. Thous melirritous potamous tis
sofias, tous tin ktisin pasan theognosias namasi
katardevsants. Basilion ton megan, ke ton
Thologon Grigorion, sin to klino Ioanni, to tin
Glottan Hrisorrimoni. Pantes i ton Logon afton
eraste, sinelthontes imnis timisomen. Afti gar ti
Triadi, iper imon ai presvevousin.
Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ – Tone 1 – From 14 January – 9 February
The Three Most Great Luminaries of the Three-Sun
Divinity have Illumined all the world with the Rays
of Doctrines Divine and True. They are the sweetly
flowing Rivers of Wisdom, who with Godly
Knowledge have watered all Creation in clear and
mighty Streams; the Great and Sacred Basil, and the
Theologian, Wise Gregory, together with the
renowned John, the famed Chrysostom of Golden
Speech. Let us all who Love their Divinely Wise
Words come together, honouring them with Hymns;
for ceaselessly they offer Entreaty for us to the
Trinity.

O Mitran Parthenikin Agiasas to Toko Sou, ke hiras tou O
Symeon Evlogisas os eprepe, profthasas ke nin
esosas imas, Hriste O Theos. Allirinefson en polemis
to politevma, ke krateoson vasilis ous igapisas, O
Monos Filanthropos
Kontakion Of The Three Holy Hierarchs -
Thou Who Sanctified by Thy Birth a Virgin Womb,
and Blessed the hands of Symeon as seemed most
appropriate, Thou came, indeed, O Christ our God,
and Saved us all. But bring Peace to the
commonwealth in time of war, and secure in
strength, the Rulers Thou has truly Loved, as the
Only One Who Loves mankind.
Tone 2

Tous Irous ke Theofthongous Kirikas, tin Korifin ton Thou hast taken to Thyself, O Lord, the Sacred and
Didaskalon Kyrie, proselavou is apolavsin ton God-proclaiming Heralds, the Crown of Thy
Agathon Sou ke anapavsin. Tous ponous gar Teachers, for the enjoyment of Thy Blessing and for
ekinon ke ton kamaton, edexo iper pasan repose; for Thou hast accepted their suffering and
olokarposin, O monos Doxazon tous Agious Sou. Labours above all sacrifice, O Thou Who alone
Glorifies Thy Saints.
Resurrection Gospel 3 : Mark 16 : 9 – 20 Our Risen Lord Appears To His Apostles & Disciples Before
His Ascension
Prokeimenon
Say among the Gentiles, “The Lord is King, for He established the world, which shall not be shaken.”
O sing a new song to the Lord.
S t P a ul’ s Ep is tle t o t he H e br e w s 13 – 7 – 1 6
Loyalty to Orthodox Doctrine & Worship
B rethren: remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose Faith you must follow,
considering the outcome of their conduct.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Do not be carried away with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by Grace – not
with foods that have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
We have an Altar from which those who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals,
whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest for sin, are burnt outside the camp.

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Therefore Jesus also – so that He might Sanctify the people with His own Blood – suffered outside the gate.
So let us go forth to Him – outside the camp – bearing His Reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek
the one to come.
Thus by Him, let us continually offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God – that is: the Fruit of our lips – giving Thanks to His
Name.
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
✽ WE HAVE A SACRED DUTY TO PRAY FOR THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (HOLY
HOLY PRIESTHOOD AND TO FOLLOW, EUCHARIST).
RESPECT AND OBEY OUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS On the only day of the year when the Holy of Holies
WHO ARE OUR MODELS, OUR GUIDES AND could be entered – the Day of Atonement – only the
OUR TEACHERS.
High Priest could enter, and then carrying the blood
This is the reason for striving to DEVELOP THE
INSEPARABLE VIRTUES OF HUMILITY AND of sin offerings for his own sins and those of the
OBEDIENCE FROM WHICH WILL COME THE people, which had to be repeated each year.
OTHER TRUE VIRTUES THAT INCREASE OUR The bodies of the sacrificed animals were not eaten but
SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
had to be burnt outside the camp or city walls.
✽ FAITH IN CHRIST NEVER FAILS US OR Christ our Saviour identified with this supreme offering
DISAPPOINTS US FOR OUR LORD JESUS IS of the Old Covenant when He Himself suffered and
ETERNAL GOD WHO NEVER CHANGES. died on the Cross outside the city gates. And
God is Perfection, which needs no change at all! although His Most Precious Blood was not carried
And if His Perfect Truth – His Holy Gospel, His by a Priest into the Holy of Holies of the Temple in
Teachings and Revelations - is altered to the Jerusalem, H E C A R R I E D H I S O W N B L O O D
slightest degree, it is no longer Absolute Perfection OFFERING INTO THE ETERNAL, HEAVENLY MOST
but warped and distorted by our own weakness! HOLY OF HOLIES IN THE EVERLASTING PRESENT
“TODAY.”
If the Faithful of the Old Covenant and the Faithful of
This Great Entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ shows us
the early Church of Christ attained Eternal Life
that T H E D I V I N E L I T U R G Y I S E T E R N A L A N D F O R
through Faith, so can we, for O U R H O L Y O R T H O D O X ALL THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE NEW COVENANT
CHURCH HAS ALWAYS STRIVED TO CAREFULLY
PRESERVE HER TRUE TEACHING AND WORSHIP of God and WE, AS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF
PURE AND UNALTERED SINCE THE TIME OF OUR CHRIST, BEING MEMBERS OF OUR HIGH PRIEST
LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HIS HOLY APOSTLES. JESUS CHRIST, MAY ALWAYS ENTER THE HOLY
SANCTUARY AND STAND BEFORE THE HOLY
“Strange doctrines” are flawed, heretical human ALTAR OF GOD.
concepts that are NOT DIVINELY INSPIRED BY THE The reference to “the camp” is the Old Covenant Israel
HOLY SPIRIT NOR TAUGHT BY CHRIST – not coming and all its institutions and worship, while “the city”
from the One, Holy Catholic (Universal) and is the earthly Jerusalem as the Temple City of the
Apostolic Church of Christ – the Orthodox Church of Hebrews.
Christ. ✽ IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE FOR FOLLOW
In this case, St Paul was warning the Hebrew Christians BOTH THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS OF GOD
against the legalistic Jewish teachings and kosher AND ALTHOUGH THE EARLY CHURCH IN
JERUSALEM RETAINED ITS HEBREW CUSTOMS
laws that dealt with food and which has N O AND EVEN THE RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS, IT
SPIRITUAL BENEFIT IF DIVINE GRACE DOES NOT WAS EXCLUSIVELY UNDER THE NEW
COMPEL ONE’S ACTIONS.
C O V E N A N T , which frustrated and angered those
Our Holy Church has always taught THE IMPORTANCE OF
still under the Old Covenant.
KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW rather than
✽ AS CHRISTIANS AND DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, WE
every word and rule of the Law. MUST BE PREPARED TO BEAR THE SCORN
For example, OUR COMMITMENT TO FASTING AND WRATH OF OTHERS, REGARDING
CONCERNS NOT MERELY THE PERMISSIBLE OR OURSELVES AS BEING IN EXILE DURING THIS
FORBIDDEN FOODS we may or may not eat O R THE EARTHLY LIFE, for the Heavenly City we seek is
DENIAL OF OTHER PLEASURES OF THE FLESH the one to which we have already come.
but A L S O T H E S P I R I T U A L F A S T – i.e. resisting, ✽ WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S HEAVENLY CITY AND THE
avoiding or denying ourselves the Vices that we HEAVENLY MOST HOLY PLACE WHENEVER WE
habitually commit: E X A M I N I N G O U R S E L V E S A N D SACRIFICE OUR WHOLE BEING – BODY AND
UPROOTING AND REPENTING EVERY WICKED, S O U L – I N T H E D I V I N E L I T U R G Y – a Holy
UNWORTHY THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED OF OUR Mystery during which our part is that of praise
OWN!
and thanksgiving, which is consistent with True
According to the Old Covenant, only the Priests were Doctrine – True Teaching of Christ.
permitted to eat certain parts of the sacrificed ✽ GOOD WORKS AND LIFE IN COMMUNITY MUST
animals that were blood offerings for various sins, ALWAYS BE UNITED WITH TRUE WORSHIP
but the laity was forbidden to eat any of it. AND THANKSGIVING.
Now, according to the New Covenant – a bloodless
Covenant – A L L F A I T H F U L C H R I S T I A N S M A Y
PARTAKE OF SANCTIFIED FOOD OF THE HOLY
ALTAR – THE BLESSED AND SANCTIFIED ALTAR
BREAD (ANTIDORON) AND THE CONSECRATED

T h e H ol y G os p e l Acc o rd i ng t o S t Ma t t he w 5 : 1 4 – 1 9
Faithful Disciples of Christ are the Light of the World
At that time, our Lord Jesus said to His Disciples: “You are the Light of the world. A city that is set upon a hill
cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives
light to all who are in the house.
Let your Light so shine before mankind, that they may see your Good Works and Glorify your Father in
Heaven.
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil, for
assuredly, I say to you: until Heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass
from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these Commandments, and teaches others to do so, shall be
called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, shall be called great in the
Kingdom of Heaven.
❃ EVERYONE WHO IS B A P T I S E D I N C H R I S T AND FAITHFUL DISCIPLES IN HUMAN SOCIETY AND TO
REMIND THE HEBREWS OF THEIR ETERNAL
WHO THEREFORE HAS P U T O N C H R I S T , IS A
D I S C I P L E O F C H R I S T AND MUST L I V E COVENANT WITH GOD.
I N C H R I S T – FAITHFULLY FOLLOWING STEP BY > SALT WAS A SYMBOL OF AN INDISSOLUBLE
STEP AS HE LEADS US THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT COVENANT WITH GOD, so it was added to the
PREPARATORY PERIOD BEFORE ETERNITY. Grain Offering.
❃ Our Lord Jesus Christ used the terms “salt” and > OIL SYMBOLISED THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND INCENSE
“light” to illustrate THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF HIS WAS A SYMBOL OF PRAYER.

42 (DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED) 32nd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST - SYNAXIS OF THE THREE HOLY HIERARCHS – 30 JANUARY 2011
❃ GOD IS THE TRUE AND UNCREATED LIGHT.
In the Old Testament “Light” symbolises
> GOD: ISAIAH 60 : 1 – 3 – “Shine, shine, O
Jerusalem! For your Light is come,
and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon
you. Behold! Darkness and gloom
shall cover the earth upon the nations,
but the Lord will shine on you; and His
Glory shall be seen upon you. Kings
shall come to your Light, and the
Gentiles to your Brightness.”
> THE DIVINE LAW OF GOD: PSALM 118:105 – “Thy
Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light
to my Paths.”
> and ISRAEL in contrast to all other nations.
In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the
SON OF GOD is called “Light.”
 JOHN 1: 4 – 9 “In (THE WORD WHO IS GOD) was Life and
the Life was the Light of mankind. And the
Light shines in the (SPIRITUAL) Darkness, and
the Darkness did not comprehend It. There
was a man sent from God whose name was
John. This man came as a Witness, to bear
witness of the Light, so that all through
him might believe. He was not that Light,
but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the True Light Who grants Light
to every one coming into the world.”
 JOHN 8: 12 – “... Jesus spoke to them again,
saying: ‘I Am the Light of the world. He
who follows me shall not walk in (SPIRITUAL)
Darkness, but have the Light of Life.’”
 1 JOHN 1:5 – “This is the Message that we have
heard from Christ and declare to you: God
is Light and in Him is no darkness at all!”
Light is necessary both for clear vision and for the
existence of life itself.
Faith relies on this Divine Light of God and faithful
Christian Believers become “sons of Light” at our
Holy Baptism and Chrismation, when we are
adopted as Sanctified Heirs to the Eternal Kingdom
of God.
 JOHN 12:36 – “While you have the Light, believe
in the Light, so that you may become sons
of Light.” These Things Jesus spoke, and
departed, and was hidden from them.”
> “The Light” referred to Christ Himself.
> These words of Christ meant that HE WOULD
ALL TOO SOON COMPLETE HIS PUBLIC
MINISTRY BEFORE REVERTING TO HIS DIVINE
STATE AS THE SON OF GOD – i.e. RETURN TO
HIS SPIRITUAL AND THEREFORE INVISIBLE
DIVINE NATURE – after His Ascension into
Heaven in His human, glorified and
Resurrected Nature.
> He also clearly told us that OUR EARTHLY LIVES
ARE VERY LIMITED AND WE HAVE ONLY A
VERY SHORT TIME TO REPENT AND TO
BELIEVE IN CHRIST BEFORE WE EXPERIENCE
OUR PHYSICAL DEATH, when our mortal,
physical body is separated from our
immortal, invisible soul and returned to the
earth from whence it came, to be
resurrected later together with our immortal
souls that, hopefully, will have reposed in
the Peace of Paradise until the Second
Coming of our Incarnate God – our Lord
Jesus Christ – for His Final Judgement.
> Finally, CHRIST ENCOURAGES US with the
Knowledge that HIS SECOND COMING (OR
REAPPEARANCE IN HIS GLORIFIED, PHYSICAL FORM OR HUMAN,
VISIBLE, NATURE) IS MERELY A SHORT WHILE OR
TIME-SPAN COMPARED TO ETERNITY ( WHICH HAS
NO BEGINNING AND NO END AT ALL! ETERNITY IS ALSO AN
UNCHANGABLE STATE OF EXISTENCE SO WHATEVER STATE WE
ENTER ETERNITY, THAT IS HOW WE WILL REMAIN FOREVER AND
EVER!!
 1 THESSALONIANS 5:5 “You are all sons of Light
and sons of the Day. We are not of the
night, nor of darkness.”
> AS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WE MUST BE
CEASELESSLY AWARE OF THE PRIMACY OF
GOD’S KINGDOM AND MAINTAIN FULL CONTROL
OVER ALL OUR SPIRITUAL FACULTIES.
Therefore BEING SANCTIFIED, ADOPTED CHILDREN OF
GOD, WE MUST SHINE in the perverse, fallen world
that surrounds us.
 PHILIPPIANS 2:15 – “... become blameless and
harmless Children of God, without fault in
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the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you shine as
Lights in the (SPIRITUALLY DARKENED) world.
> Because of Christ’s Supreme Sacrifice, we must
EAGERLY TAKE HOLD OF, MAINTAIN AND
PRESERVE EVERYTHING THAT GOD OFFERS
US, BY ACCEPTING HIS DIVINE GRACE AND
WORKING CEASELESSLY TOWARDS OUR
PERSONAL MATURITY IN CHRIST.
❃ WE WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION.
❃ GOD NEVER FORCES ANYONE to accept His
Divine Will and His free offer of Salvation
and Eternal Life in His Kingdom of Heaven.
❃ HE CREATED US WITH HIS DIVINE GIFT OF FREE
WILL SO THAT WE COULD CHOOSE what type
of Eternity we wanted for ourselves.
❃ BECAUSE OF GOD’S INFINITE LOVE FOR US and
knowing how the evil ones perpetually seek
our Spiritual Death - our alienation from
God – OUR LORD HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING
WE NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE: His
Commandments, His Teachings, His Holy
Church that guides, guards and encourages
us without fail.
❃ IT IS COMPLETELY UP TO US WHETHER WE USE
THESE DIVINE TOOLS OF HIS TRUTH AND LIFE OR
NOT.
> GOD’S HOLY ANGELS AND SAINTS are also
assigned to us to HELP US, GUIDE US,
PROTECT US AND LEAD US TOWARDS OUR
ULTIMATE DESTINATION.
> And then, for our immediate help GOD GRANTS
US EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES
who are our contemporary fellow travellers.
These special people – OUR HOLY CHURCH FATHERS
(our Spiritual Fathers who may be our Father
Confessors, Parish Priests, Bishops, Monks or
Hermits) AND OTHER FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS WHO
ARE MORE SPIRITUALLY EXPERIENCED than us - DO
NOT COME INTO OUR LIVES BY MERE CHANCE OR BY
SO-CALLED “COINCIDENCE,” BUT BECAUSE GOD
KNOWS THAT THEY WILL BE OF GREAT SPIRITUAL
ASSISTANCE AND GUIDANCE TO US.
Subsequently, WE MUST BE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO PAY
ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY TELL US AND TO APPLY
SUCH SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT, WISDOM AND
ADVICE TO OUR WORDS, THOUGHTS AND DEEDS!
❃ WHEN WE ACCEPT GOD’S DIVINE TRUTH AND COMMIT
TO LIFE IN CHRIST, GOD WILL UNFAILINGLY
MAKE EVEN THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE
HAPPEN!
> GOD WORKS WITHIN US – ENABLING US TO
FREELY AND JOYFULLY FULFIL HIS DIVINE
WILL.
At midnight, on Holy Pascha (Easter) Sunday morning,
the Paschal Divine Services (i.e. Paschal Matins,
followed by the Divine Liturgy of St John
Chrysostom) begins when the Priest (or Bishop, if it
is a Hierarchal Service) will emerge from the Holy
Sanctuary into the darkened Nave of the church with
a simple, lit candle, loudly and joyfully pronouncing
the glorious words of the Resurrection of Christ:
“Come! Receive the Light that is never
overtaken by night!”
❃ ALL CHRISTIAN VIRTUES HAVE BOTH A PERSONAL
AND A PUBLIC FUNCTION, for OUR VIRTUE AS
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST CAN BRING OTHERS who
hunger and thirst for Divine Truth TO GLORIFY
GOD THE FATHER.
❃ OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW of the
Old Covenant between God and the Hebrew
Nation IN HIMSELF, IN HIS WORDS AND IN HIS
ACTIONS
> by PERFORMING GOD’S WILL IN ALL ITS
FULLNESS
> by NEVER TRANSGRESSING ANY OF THE
PRECEPTS (TEACHINGS AND RULES) OF THE LAW
> by DECLARING THE PERFECT FULFILMENT OF
THE LAW, which He was about to deliver to
them
> by GRANTING RIGHTEOUSNESS – the ultimate
Goal of the Divine Law – to us
 ROMANS 3:31 – “Do we then make void the Law
through Faith? Certainly not! On the
contrary: we establish the Law.”
The Law of God teaches us that:
> ATTAINING RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH GOOD
WORKS ALONE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE.
2011 43
 > RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ATTAINED ONLY BY FAITH However, THEIR REJECTION OF CHRIST WAS DUE TO
AND GOOD WORKS, WHICH ARE BOTH FREE MORE THAN IGNORANCE, for it was not because they
DIVINE GIFTS FROM GOD simply did not know Christ, but THEY WERE
> GOD IS IMPARTIAL FOR BOTH HEBREWS AND DETERMINED TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN CONCEPT
GENTILES ARE JUSTIFIED ON THE SAME OF RIGHTEOUSNESS INSTEAD OF SUBMITTING TO
BASIS OF ONGOING FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST THE TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.
OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR. In other words, just like so many of us today, THEY
There is no difference between the terms “by Faith” TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN EFFORTS
AND REJECTED THE TRUE WAY OF FAITH IN CHRIST –
and “through Faith.” EVEN WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM BY GOD
BY TEACHING JUSTIFICATION BY OUR FAITH IN CHRIST,
INCARNATE HIMSELF!
WE ESTABLISH OR UPHOLD THE DIVINE LAW OF GOD
BECAUSE CHRIST HIMSELF FULFILS THE LAW OF ❃ CHRIST HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE WAY OF SALVATION –
GOD. ACCORDING TO BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW
ROMANS 8:3-4 “... what the Law could not do in COVENANTS WITH GOD.
because it was weak through the flesh, God THE LAW OF GOD – MOSAIC LAW OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS OF GOD – WAS GRANTED TO THE
did by sending His own Son in the likeness of HEBREW NATION IN ORDER TO PREPARE THEM FOR
sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned CHRIST, while HIS COMING INTO THE WORLD – God
sin in the flesh, so that the Righteous Himself entering our world to teach us directly and
requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us to offer Himself as the Ultimate Most Unique and
who do not walk according to the flesh but fulfilling for all time Sacrifice - WAS THE END OF THE
according to the (Holy) Spirit.” LAW AND THE FULFILMENT OF GOD’S DIVINE
> THE LAW OF MOSES FAILED DUE TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS.
WEAKNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.
The term “sinful flesh” does not imply that our human
❃ CHRIST ALSO FULFILLED ALL THE PROPHECIES OF
THE HOLY PROPHETS OF GOD
nature is inherently sinful, but that OUR FLESH HAS > by BEING EVERYTHING THEY HAD FORETOLD
BECOME CORRUPTED AND GIVEN OVER TO ALL CONCERNING HIM
MANNER OF SIN.
> CHRIST FULFILLED BOTH THE LAW OF MOSES > by FULFILLING EVERYTHING THEY HAD
PROPHESIED CONCERNING HIM.
AND THE LAW OF OUR HUMAN NATURE BY
BECOMING FLESH (I.E. BY BECOMING A HUMAN BEING – ❃ THE WHOLE LAW OF GOD IS AFFIRMED BY CHRIST AS
TAKING ON OUR HUMAN PHYSICAL BODY WITH ALL ITS WEAKNESSES THE FOUNDATION OF HIS NEW TEACHING.
BUT WITHOUT OUR INCLINATION TO COMMIT SIN.)
His statement “... all is fulfilled...” was a reference to
> CHRIST NEVER COMMITTED ANY SIN AT ALL His approaching Passion and Resurrection.
because although He came in the likeness
> CHRIST STERNLY WARNED US THAT
of our human sinfulness HE NEVER RIGHTEOUSNESS ACCORDING TO THE LAW IS
SUCCUMBED TO IT. (GOD CAN DO NO EVIL, HARM OR A UNIFIED WHOLE so the observance of all
ANYTHING WICKED OR DESTRUCTIVE OR NEGATIVE FOR HE IS 100%
GOODNESS AND LOVE!
LOVE IT IS HIS DIVINE NATURE TO DO ONLY GOOD the seemingly least important
THINGS.)
Commandments of God is in keeping with
Because the Son of God became Man, HE CONDEMNED
THE OBSERVANCE OF THE WHOLE LAW, while
SIN ITSELF AND DESTROYED ITS ENSLAVING POWER
THE VIOLATION OF THE SEEMINGLY LEAST
OVER ALL MANKIND.
IMPORTANT COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS A
❃ In our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, OUR HUMAN SERIOUS VIOLATION OF THE ENTIRE LAW OF
NATURE HAS FINAL VICTORY OVER ALL SIN – ALL GOD.
WICKEDNESS, DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IS > In other words, THERE IS NO CHANGE AT ALL TO
CONQUERED AND DEFEATED BY GOD!
THE DIVINE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, which
GOD HAS NOT ONLY ELEVATED OUR HUMAN NATURE by
compel, guide and encourage us towards
uniting it with His Divine Nature, BUT HAS ENABLED His Eternal Kingdom.
US TO REALLY MAKE SPIRITUAL PROGRESS as long
as we wish to do so. It is now entirely up to us to > THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD GIVEN TO MOSES
AND TO HIS HOLY PROPHETS STILL APPLY TO
decide which path to follow. US UNTIL THE FINAL JUDGEMENT DAY.
 ROMANS 10:3-4“...they, being ignorant of God’s WHEN CHRIST TOLD US IN ONE SENTENCE: “LOVE THE
Righteousness, have not submitted LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND, WITH ALL
themselves to the Righteousness of God, YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH AND WITH
for Christ is the end of the Law for ALL YOUR SOUL – AND (LOVE) YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS
Righteousness to everyone who believes.” (MUCH AS YOU LOVE) YOURSELF!” IT ENCAPSULATED ALL
THE DIVINE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD – IT DID NOT
> THE ZEAL OF THE HEBREWS WAS NOT BASED IN NULLIFY OR REJECT ANY OF THEM!!
DIVINE TRUTH
> IF THEY HAD MERELY BEEN IGNORANT IN THEIR
REJECTION OF CHRIST, THEIR OFFENCE
WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN PARDONABLE.
S y n a x is o f t he T h re e H o l y H ie r ar c hs
A dispute arose in 11th century Constantinople among After a prolonged and bloody Controversy and desiring
various prominent citizens and clergy, about which to restore peace to the City and the Holy Church,
of our three Holy Church Fathers - St Basil the the Three Holy Hierarchs appeared together in a
Great, St Gregory the Theologian, or St John Vision to a humble monk, St John Mauropos, in
Chrysostom - was the greatest. 1084 (later he became the Bishop of Euchaita).
In typical Byzantine fashion, the people of Constantine They clearly and concisely informed him that they were
joined the dispute, which became more serious all equal before God: "There are no divisions
when it divided Christian churches into three hostile among us, and no opposition to one another."
factions who referred to themselves as “ Basilians... As they stand together in harmony and in equal Glory
Gregorians... or Joannites.” before the Heavenly Throne they instructed him to
The “Basilians” argued that St Basil the Great was compose a common Service and since then, a
superior to St John Chrysostom and St Gregory the common Feast Day on 30 January, which
Theologian because of his explanations of Christian commemorated all three “The Synaxis of the Three
Faith and Monastic example. Holy Hierarchs” was instituted.
Supporters of St John Chrysostom - the so-called The Three Holy Hierarchs are commemorated on
“Joannites” countered that the "Golden Mouthed" separate Feast Days in January:
(Χρυσόστοµος - Hrisostomos) Archbishop Of  St Basil - 1 January
Constantinople was unmatched in both eloquence  St Gregory - 25January
and in compelling sinners to Repentance.  St John Chrysostom - 27 January.
A third group – “the Gregorians” - insisted that St Basil's
close friend, St Gregory the Theologian, was
preferred to the others due to the magnificence,
purity and profundity of his Homilies (Sermons)
and his unwavering defence of the Faith against the
Arian heresy.

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