The Catalog of Good Deeds

From The Truth of Our Faith: A Discourse from Holy Scripture on the Teachings of True Christianity, by Elder Cleopa of Romania.

Inquirer: What do we mean by the term Holy Scripture?

Elder Cleopa: The term Holy Scripture denotes the sum of holy books that were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit within a time period of close to 1,500 years, namely, from Moses, 1,400 years before Christ, until the writer of the Apocalypse, nearly 100 years after Christ.

Inq.: Why don't the bishops and priests sanction Christians, who are members of the Church, to interpret and preach publicly the word of God from the Scriptures?

Elder Cleopa of Romania

EC: Each Christian has the need to read Holy Scripture, yet each Christian does not also have the authority or ability to teach and interpret the words of Scripture. This privileged authority is reserved for the Church via its holy clergy and theologians, men who are instructed in and knowledgeable of the true faith. When we consider how our Saviour gave the grace of teaching to His Holy Apostles (Mat. 28:20) and not to the masses it is easy for us to see that the prerogative to teach is held only by the bishops, priests and theologians of our Church. It was the Apostles who were sent by Christ to teach and to celebrate the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments). Our Apostle Paul says: How shall they preach, except they be sent? (Rom. 10:15). Accordingly, the bishops are the lawful successors to the Apostles and those sent for the preaching (κήρυγμα) to the people. Paul entrusts the heavy burden of the instruction of the people to Timothy and not to the faithful. He speaks of this elsewhere: Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? (1 Cor. 12:29) Again he says to Timothy that the clergy must be apt to teach others (1 Tim. 3:2). He does not, however, say the same thing for the faithful. He makes a distinction between shepherd and sheep, between teacher and those taught. Still, the teachers cannot teach whatever they would like, but that which the Church teaches universally. They teach in the name of the Church and of Christ. Not everyone has the intellectual ability and the requisite divine grace necessary to expound Holy Scripture correctly. The Apostle Peter also says this in his second epistle, referring to the epistles of the Apostle Paul. He says the following: There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).

Inq.: Some say that it is not right that members of the Church dont have the right to interpret and expound upon Scripture. As this excerpt says, each Christian knows how to render Holy Scripture: But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things, and the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you (1 John 2:20, 27).

EC: Holy Scripture is like a very deep well wherein is comprised the infinite wisdom of God. If someone thirsty dives into this well to drink of all its water, he will be drowned within. If, however, he will fetch the water with a bucket and from there will drink with a cup, then there is no fear of being engulfed. What man is so crazed as to wish to plunge into such an abyss of water without knowing how to swim? Holy Scripture, according to the Fathers, is bone and no one will venture with teeth fit for milk to break the strong bones of Holy Scripture - for those teeth will be crushed.

You've read in Scripture about the eunuch of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians? He was reading the Prophet Isaiah when the Apostle Philip asked him if he understood that which he read, to which he replied: How can I, except some man should guide me? (Acts 8:31).

You realize also that the word unction, or anointing (χρίσμα) that you mentioned above means the effusion of the Holy Spirit in the Mystery of Holy Chrism, directly after Baptism (Acts 8:17).

The phrase you know all things signifies everything that contains Christian truth and salvation, as well as everything that is related to the antichrist and his adherents, to whom the subsequent verse of the epistle of the holy John the Theologian refers. One must not, therefore, teach according to ones own understanding and perception, for one will be deceived.

Inq.: All the same, it is said that each Christian has the right and obligation to read Holy Scripture on his own, as the Saviour admonishes us: You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness of me (Jn. 5:39).

EC: Be careful, because many heretics of earlier eras made bold to immerse themselves in the fathomless sea of Scripture and drowned spiritually, thus perishing together with as many as followed them. They dont have all the same spiritual maturity. They are not all able to understand the mystery of Holy Scripture.

Holy Scripture is understood and explained in three ways: 1) according to its literal meaning, namely the nominal, grammatical, verbal and historical, 2) allegorically or metaphorically, which is superior to the former, and 3) spiritually. According to the Fathers, the simplest of senses to alight upon is the first meaning, according to the letter of Scripture; to penetrate with discretion to the nature of Scripture requires modest learning, while to explain the depth of the meanings of Scripture is of the highest spiritual advancement and in need of the most divine grace. The perfect wisdom of Scripture belongs, according to Saint Paul, to the perfect: Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory (1 Cor. 2: 6-7).

Inq.: There are those who contend that it is not necessary for someone to have much learning to be able to understand the teachings of Scripture, since to the unlearned He revealed the wisdom of these teachings, just as the Saviour says: I thank Thee, O Father, ... because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (Mat. 11:25).

EC: Yes, God revealed His wisdom to those that were known to be babes in wickedness but not in mind and judgement. In other words, He revealed His wisdom to those who, with respect to good works, were perfect and had attained to the innocence of infants. Thats why Paul counsels the Corinthians as follows: Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be ye men (1 Cor. 14:20).

Inq.: Yet, God rebuked the wisdom and knowledge of men, as this passage indicates: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (Is. 29:14). Saint Paul also says: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Cor. 1:19). Might it not be that God is not able to give the wisdom of understanding the Scriptures to certain people who are worldly-wise, as the Orthodox maintain?

EC: You should know that God does not condemn just any wisdom and knowledge, but that which kills man spiritually. If He were to censure every wisdom, He would have to reject also the wisdom of Solomon, the wisdom of Joshua, son of Sirac, the wisdom of Christ the Saviour, of the Prophets and Apostles, to those whom He gave the commandment to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Mat. 10:16). Yet, it isnt like this in the least. Hence, take care not to resemble those to whom the Saviour said: Your do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God (Mat. 22:29).

Inq.: Is Holy Scripture sufficient in order to guide man to salvation?

EC: No, it is not sufficient to guide man to salvation, inasmuch as, firstly, it wasnt given to man from the beginning and, secondly, when it was given it wasnt the only authentic text, with regard to the salvation of human souls, because before it there was the Holy Tradition. Many years before Moses began writing the first books of the Old Testament, there was sacred piety in the community of the people of Israel. Similarly, the books of the New Testament began to be written ten years after the formal foundation of the Church, which took place on the day of Pentecost. The Church chose and sealed as inspired by God the books of the two Testaments over one hundred years later. These then comprised the declared Canon of the books of Holy Scripture. Thereafter the Church maintained this Canon of Truth, inasmuch as it is the very pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The Holy Spirit operates within all of this for the preservation of the truth about salvation. Where the Church is, says Saint Jerome, there also is the Spirit of God and where the Spirit of God is, there also is the Church and all grace - since the Spirit is truth.

Source: http://antiochian.org/holy-scripture

An interesting story recently appeared about a district official in Kazakhstan being depicted in a fresco at the new cathedral in the city of Rudny. Sergey Kulagin – former akim, or governor, of the Kostanai region – is apparently found among the crowd of Jews welcoming Jesus in the fresco of the Entrance into Jerusalem, freshly painted above the church altar.

The picture above shows the fresco in question, whilst below is a photograph of Mr Kulagin:

Since the story appeared, Sergey Kulagin has denied having anything to do with putting himself in the fresco and has even ordered the image to be repainted. He is quoted as saying:

“When we opened the church… I noticed a certain likeness. Of course, I told them to remove it immediately, to paint it over. Such things are unbecoming and unattractive, further still this is blasphemy.”

Neverthless, Sergey Kulagin is not the first living politician or ruler to appear in church iconography. It is a common feature of medieval churches, particularly those within the old Byzantine Empire, for those who paid for the building to be honoured in the frescoes. Quite often, as in the example of the 13th century Boyana church shown, the patron of the church is shown in profile, holding a model of the building in offering to Christ. Another example of this form is in the Chora church in Constantinople, where the 14th century court advisor Theodore Metochites donated substantial funds for restoration and is therefore honoured in this mosaic.

Donor portrait of Kalojan and his wife Desislava; Boyana church (Bulgaria, 13th century)

This image of benefactor offering a church building to Christ is very common in medieval churches and so is easily recognizable. It is a more striking and visible form of a foundation stone or plaque with the patron’s name engraved upon it.

However, like a foundation stone or plaque, its position in the building is key. In all the examples given above, the images of still-living church patrons all appear in towards the west of the church building, near the entrance. In the case of the mosaic of Emperor Justinian, made during his own lifetime, the image appears in the narthex – i.e. the porch of the church, outside the main building. The patrons are remembered in images, as much so they can be prayed for after death than anything else, but these images are not placed near the altar, on the iconostasis, in the sanctuary, or often even in the nave at all. These places are where images of the Saints, the angels, the Mother of God and Our Lord Jesus Christ are placed.

Mosaic of Justinian I in Basilica of San Vitala, Ravenna

In the case of the “Kulagin fresco”, however, the image appears in the main dome of the church. This is surely what the official was thinking of when he called the fresco of himself as “unbecoming and… blasphemous”. During the Liturgy, the words “Lift up your hearts…” are sung. Worshipers should look up and see paintings of Christ’s life which move them to remember the truths these events reveal. They should not look up and be distracted by thoughts of “Who’s that slightly pudgy guy without a beard? He looks familiar…” This is not how anyone who donates toward the building of churches would want to be remembered.

Source: https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/politicians-patrons-and-benefactors-in-icons/

Sisters of St Elisabeth Convent (Belarus) invite you to their Christmas event and a charity fair of the products made in the Convent!

It has been over two thousand years since the night when the Three Kings brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Baby Jesus. We are also happy to bring our humble gifts of love and merciful actions to the Lord today.

We have been doing an annual charity fair in Brussels for more than twelve years already. We bring to the fair a wide variety of products made in St Elisabeth Convent, including icons, church supplies, healthcare and beauty products, handmade souvenirs, and a whole lot more.

We will be glad to meet you at the fair on December 1-31 (Mon-Sat 9:30-19:00)!

We invite you to a moleben, which will open the fair on December 1 at 18:30.

During the Advent, this is what you can expect to see at the Brussels Christmas Fair of St Elisabeth Convent:

Tuesday, December 5, at 17.00

Friday, December 8, at 17.30

A Guest from Heaven: Batleika puppet show for children.

Children of all ages, as well as their parents, will appreciate this nice and edifying story, which tells about little miracles – kindness, attention, and compassion – that happen in our lives. Everyone can make miracles like these with God’s help…

Wednesday, December 6, at 19.00

Wednesday, December 13, at 19.00

Healing Powers of Nature Presentation

You will see the wide range of healthcare and beauty products offered by St Elisabeth Convent, such as herbal teas and infusions, balms, essential oils, hair growth boosters, face and hand creams, and much more. All our products are made of natural ingredients.

Friday, December 15, at 19.00

Meeting of Friends of St Elisabeth Convent. “The Angel on Earth: Memoirs of Her Contemporaries”

You will watch a film about the various aspects of the charitable outreach of St Elisabeth Convent and its charitable projects. You will learn many new facts about our Heavenly Patroness, the Holy New Martyr Elisabeth, too.

Those who knew the Grand Princess, remember her as a beautiful person, both in her appearance and in the purity of her soul. Their verbal descriptions of her moral standing have survived until the present day…

“…She was the definition of humility. She was exceptionally natural, even though she did not see it. She was deeply thoughtful, calm, and tranquil,” Countess Maria Belevskaya-Zhukovskaya said about St Elisabeth.

“Beauty you can rarely find anywhere; outstanding reasoning skills; subtle humour; Angel-like patience; a noble heart — that was what this remarkable woman was like,” that was how Grand Prince Alexander Mikhailovich characterised her.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Every Tuesday and Thursday during the day

Workshop Session on Making Icons with Powdered Stone

You will learn a spectacular technique of painting icons and pictures. Using powdered semiprecious gemstones, e.g. lazurite, nephrite, malachite, etc., artists can make wonderful icons, landscapes, and still life pictures, which you can enjoy for decades, since the tiny pieces of stone do not fade or lose colour with time.

You will be able to make your own little masterpiece under the guidance of our sister who specialises in this technique.

There was a time in Russia when the most valued dowry for newly-weds was not considered to be expensive utensils, dresses or ornaments, but spiritual books. People knew: wherever faith is, there is God’s blessing on the family and everything else will come in due course. The Gospel, the Philokalia and the teachings of the holy fathers were handed down from generation to generation. But it was the Menology which had a special place among the best known sources of wisdom and goodness.

Nowadays some people do not even know what it is: It is a whole set of saints’ lives (biographies) which embraces the full yearly cycle of feast days. The Menology (Lives of the Saints) were read in the family circle and were the favourite reading matter among literate families. Not everybody knows who made the Lives of the Saints into the foundation of home libraries – not everybody knows about the wonderful pastor and distinguished spiritual writer St Dimitry of Rostov, commemorated by the Church on 10 November.

‘I have no possessions, except for holy books’

…The sun was going down in the west. That autumn day in 1709 had been a difficult one for Metropolitan Dimitry. For three days already Vladyka had been feeling weak but he had been unable to resist celebrating at the altar on the day of his heavenly patron, the Holy Great Martyr Dimitry of Salonica.

And although each step was difficult for him, he had celebrated the Liturgy particularly solemnly and joyfully, as if sensing that he was offering the bloodless sacrifice to God for the last time. A great many guests had come to congratulate him and, as usual, he was ‘not as one who ruled, but as one who served’. That day one of the nuns who had come fell ill and, forgetting his own infirmity, the Metropolitan had hurried to her to support and encourage her – only with difficulty had he returned to his cell.

It was already late when the Metropolitan had unexpectedly summoned the choir members to his side and listened for a long time to his favourite spiritual hymns and songs, leaning his aching back against the stove in order to try and relieve his fits of coughing. He thanked everyone particularly warmly and sympathetically. Keeping one of the singers back for a short while, he bowed deeply to him, thanking him from his heart for his labours (that one had helped him copy out his spiritual works).

And in the morning the news went round all Rostov – Metropolitan Dimitry had passed on. The bells had only just started ringing for Matins when he was found on his knees, as if praying in front of the icons; his soul had left for the Lord.

A great multitude of people saw Vladyka off on his last journey. The widow of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, the Tsarina Paraskeva, came with her daughters from Moscow; laypeople and clergy flocked to bow down for the last time in front of him who had spread his knowledge throughout Russia. The poor and the beggars who for years had been clothed and fed by the Metropolitan, who had accepted them like brothers, streamed in continuously. The seminarians huddled together, as though they had been orphaned.

For many years the Bishop of Rostov had maintained a seminary in the town, using the income provided for his episcopal apartments, spending that which he could have used for himself on supporting the students, especially those from poor families. Everyone’s first thought and first feeling was, ‘We have lost him’, and only when the singing and words of the panikhida had fallen silent, did they understand and realize that ‘we have acquired him’: He had been called from his earthly labours to new labours – as an intercessor for Russia.

He had never been seen idle. He ran Church affairs and was always writing – spiritual works, instructions for laypeople and clergy – he cared for the needy and converted schismatics and heretics who had gone astray back to the truth, pained for them as for those who were perishing.

In all this there was simply no room for anything ‘private’ or ‘personal’. He had not saved any earthly wealth during his long years of Episcopal service – he had given absolutely everything away, spending it on people. His monastic poverty had reached such a point that in one letter he asked someone forgiveness because he had no way of seeing him: ‘I have neither horse, nor rider, nor sheep’.

In his spiritual testament, written not long before his repose, Metropolitan Dimitry spoke of his material situation even more openly, so that in case of his sudden death no-one would trouble themselves seeking out any earthly ‘possessions’.

‘Since I was tonsured at the age of eighteen in the monastery in Kiev, I vowed to God to live in voluntary poverty…I have not had any possessions or been attached to anything, except for holy books, I have not amassed silver or gold, I have not permitted myself any unnecessary clothing, or anything else except for essentials…Let no-one show an excess of zeal after my death and search for anything I have kept in my cell…I believe that it would be more acceptable to God that a tiny coin should remain after me than a rich inheritance which would have to be distributed’.

In such conditions of voluntary poverty, Metropolitan Dimitry left as his legacy for whole generations to come a great spiritual treasury – 12 volumes of the Lives of the Saints.

42 years after his funeral, on 21 September 1732, they found his holy relics incorrupt and they started to work miracles of healing. The Holy Synod canonized St Dimitry as a newly-revealed wonderworker of Russia.

The following year the Empress Elizabeth arranged for a silver shrine to contain his relics. In 1763 the Empress Catherine walked from Moscow to Rostov to venerate his relics and transferred them into a shrine which had been prepared, carrying it herself together with bishops, as they solemnly processed around the church.

A Disciple’s Gift

Metropolitan Dimitry had been preparing for his main work since his youth. Not everyone is granted the gift that was the mainstay of his character – a constant demand to study.

He was born near Kiev to the very ordinary but pious family of a Cossack lieutenant. Having learned to read and write, as a youth he had already reached the firm decision to enter the seminary attached to the Church of the Theophany in Kiev.

His abilities and desire to study were such that although his means were modest, he was top of the class. It was then that a spark of ardent love for God flared up in his heart and his soul came to desire only one thing – to give himself over to the wholehearted service of God.

At the age of 21 he was tonsured a full monk and at 25 he had already been ordained a hieromonk, that is, a priest-monk. At that time, as before, he did not stop reading, entering into the details of every question to do with Church history, especially controversial questions, so that as a pastor he would be able to give only correct answers to the uneducated. Times were not easy then: in the southern Russian lands the true confession of Orthodoxy had to be defended against the advance of Western preachers.

The young priest was appreciated for his zeal and pastoral responsibility. Not ten years had passed since his studies and Kiev, Chernigov, Slutsk and Vilno were already competing with one another to get the young pastor to come to them, as he used his constant teaching for the good of the Church. Early on he was made an abbot and took on responsibilities for a monastery. Some were astounded, but the bishop who had appointed him foresaw a still higher calling for him and hoped for a mitr-e for one who was named Di-mitr -y, that is, he saw in him a future bishop.

His acceptance of the position as an abbot was not an honour for him. It was a call to still more zealous service. Soon Abbot Dimitry moved to the Kiev Caves Laura in order to pursue his learned studies. 1684 marked for him the start of a twenty-year period of labour connected with the compilation of the many volumes of the Lives of the Saints. This turned into the main work in his life, which he continued in his monk’s cell, as a rector and later, when Patriarch Adrian in Moscow transferred him to Rostov, as an archpastor. Many years of labour were required so that even today people in Russia can simply stretch out an arm and take down the volume they need and read a chapter about one or another saint, starting from the first centuries of Christian history.

To bring the saints close to us

In order to understand what the main service of St Dimitry of Rostov is, we have to present something of the history of Russian spiritual literature. Up until him the Lives of the Saints of Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow were generally used in church. They were less complete and, above all, they were written in Church Slavonic and used an old-fashioned vocabulary.

This is why Metropolitan Peter of Kiev, who blessed Abbot Dimitry’s labour to compile new Lives of the Saints, wanted them to be written in such a way that they could be read not only by clergy but also by laypeople.

In order to add to what was already known about the saints, St Dimitry used a great many new sources: Russian prologues and sayings of the fathers, also Greek books which he obtained from Mt Athos (especially the works of St Symeon Metaphrastes who had done a great deal of work on saints’ lives in the tenth century).

St Dimitry tried to write in the same way as a good iconographer paints icons: so that the face or spiritual image of the saint would be visible. The facts he collected were of interest; thanks to his books and their accessible language what had once been little known rose up from his pages as living, apostles full of the spirit, great hierarchs of the Church, martyrs who glorified God through the strength of their faith, venerable confessors who imitated Christ in their lives, the humble righteous and fearless prophets.

‘A spiritual rainbow’ has risen over the earth which was full of evil. Is it possible to be despondent, when we have such friends and intercessors, do we need to sorrow for what we have lost when there, with God, there are many who are dear to us and are waiting for us, they know us and take part in our lives through their prayers, sometimes even when we do not ask them to help us?!

St Dimitry was able to convey to his readers the sense that the saints are close, which he more than once experienced himself. On a number of occasions during his work those of whom he was writing appeared to him in his sleep, as if to assure him that the Church in Heaven was praying that his work would be successfully completed for the benefit of the Church on earth.

Many well-known spiritual instructors say: when you read the life of this or that saint, know that he stands alongside you. The Lives of Saints by St Dimitry of Rostov were read in every corner of Russia. We know that they were the constant reading of the family of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov.

What do we choose?

Unfortunately, nowadays one of the prophecies of the holy fathers is coming true. This is that the time will come when ‘the crumbs that the forebears gathered up will be left lying on the shelves by their descendants. There are not many families today who have even one or two volumes of the Lives of St Dimitry of Rostov in their home library. That which our ancestors prized is disappearing from our cultural heritage and the historical memory of the people, together with traditional concepts of humanity, goodness and truth.

Twenty years have passed since churches were opened again in Russia and we have had the opportunity to choose what we nourish our souls and minds with. The choice is between what is indirectly and apparently easily transmitted on screens and what demands a certain violence against ourselves: what we have to search out to acquire, what cannot be found amid the piles of everyday books, but which Orthodox Christians at one time could not even conceive of living without. The first choice is easier, the only question is – does it often leave any deeply-rooted green shoots? The second choice is incomparably harder, but it constitutes the first step towards spiritual freedom, which goes hand in hand with responsibility.

Some people are troubled by the seriousness of spiritual literature. Of course, here the subject may not be so captivating, there is not the usual humour; this is a different sort of reading matter. But perhaps those who today face this choice will find the simple accompanying words of St Dimitry of Rostov helpful: ‘The righteous has no sorrow which cannot be changed into joy, just as the sinner has no joy which cannot be changed into sorrow’. In reality, what is solid and precious is only that which has been obtained through effort and confirmed by experience.

Source: http://www.pravmir.com/st-dimitry-of-rostov-he-who-brought-the-saints-close-to-us/

The impact of the Greek word agape -- which is usually translated as love in English -- remains one of the most inspiring aspects of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Agape is the term first used by the early Christians to refer to the meal or “love feast” that Jesus would have for fellowship with His disciples. At His final love feast, the Last Supper, Jesus took the bread and told His disciples that this was His Body; then Jesus took the cup of wine and told His disciples that this was His Blood. Jesus also told His disciples to eat the bread and drink the wine for forgiveness of their sins. Thus, the Holy Eucharist originated during the Last Supper.

By the middle of the third century, the agape feast became separate from the Holy Eucharist, as most Christian Churches began having the Holy Eucharist in the morning and the agape meal in the evening. Of course, we continue to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in Orthodox Churches on Sundays and other holy days, but observing the agape love feast came to an end late in the fourth century.

Agape is also the term that we still use to depict the Orthodox Church services held on Easter -- the holiest day of the year for Christians. At the Agape Service, excerpts from the Gospel are read in several foreign languages by various churchgoers to portray the dissemination of Christ’s Resurrection to all people throughout the world. Parishioners hold lighted candles which represent Jesus, the Light of the World, bringing light to mankind. Also, the words “Christos Anesti” or Christ is Risen are proudly proclaimed by all worshipers.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus said that this is the first commandment and that the second commandment is like the first, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Agape signifies a spiritual love that is unconditional, selfless, genuine, and cheerful. In short, it comes from the heart of a person who does not expect anything in return for it. Because of these benevolent qualities, some Christian scholars have gone so far as to translate agape as “charity” as well as love.

Unfortunately, we live in a secular society today in which too many people love money, expensive possessions, and power more than God. Except for a few days around Easter, we fail to seriously recognize the infinite love that Christ provided for us when He allowed Himself to be crucified, so that He could save mankind.

Moreover many people believe that if they frequently go to church they are Christians, but this is a misconception. An American scientist made this point very clear several years ago when he said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.” Attending church at least two or three times each month is better than rarely attending, but being a Christian also requires more critical elements -- especially spiritual love toward God and unconditional love of our fellow man.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his disciples one command; namely, to love one another as He loved them. Jesus knew that His disciples would carry out this command and that it would be passed on to future generations forever.

Agape continues to be the “summum bonum” or greatest good for Orthodox Christians today. To really achieve our goal of being Christians, we must humbly ask God for repentance for our sins; we must show compassion for our neighbors; and most importantly, we must genuinely love God, keeping in mind that everything we have comes from Him.

Source: http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles8/Patsourakos-Agape-in-the-Orthodox-Church.php

Nektarios of Aegina, is one of the most widely known of Greek Orthodox Saints. He was born on October 1st, 1846 in Silyvria, in Asia Minor (now occupied by Turkey). At Holy Baptism he was given the name Anastasios. His parents were simple pious Christians. They brought him up in a manner pleasing to God, and did what their very limited means allowed for his formal education. Having completed elementary school in his hometown, he left for the great city of Constantinople at the age of 14. There, he found employment as a shop assistant and was able to earn a meager living. As well as regularly attending the Divine Liturgy, he also read the Holy Scriptures and Writings of the Orthodox Elders of the Church on a daily basis. In 1866, at the age of 20, Anastasios went to the island of Chios, where he was appointed a teacher. After 7 years, he entered into the local monastery, under the care of the venerable elder Pachomios. After 3 years as a novice Athanasios was tonsured a Monk and given the name Lazarus.

A year later, he was ordained a Deacon and received the name Nektarios. Elder Pachomios, and a wealthy local benefactor convinced the young monk to complete his high school studies in Athens. From there Deacon Nektarios went to Alexandria, where he was cared for by the Patriarch of Alexandria, Sophronios. The Patriarch insisted that Nektarios complete his Theological studies, and so in 1885 he graduated from the School of Theology in Athens. The Patriarch of Alexandria ordained Deacon Nektarios to the Priesthood in 1886. His great service to the Church, prolific writings and teachings, energy and zeal led Fr Nektarios to be ordained as the Metropolitan of Pentapolis in Egypt.

As a Metropolitan he was greatly admired and loved by his flock for his virtue and purity of life. But this great admiration by the people aroused the envy of certain high officials, who plotted and succeeded in having the Blessed Metropolitan removed from office in 1890 - without a trial or any explanation whatsoever. He returned to Greece to become a monk and Preacher, to the great edification of the people. There the Blessed Metropolitan continued to write his now famous books.

In 1904, our Saint founded a monastery for women in Aegina, the Holy Trinity Convent. Under his guidance the Convent flourished. In 1908, the Blessed Nektarios, at the age of 62, retired from the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School and withdrew to Holy Trinity Convent in Aegina. There, for the rest of his life as a true monk and ascetic. He served as a confessor and spiritual guide to the nuns and even priests from as far as Athens and Piraeus. His Holy and pious life shone forth like a guiding light to all near him. Many would come to him for healing. Saint Nektarios was a great wonder-worker even while alive.

On September 20, 1920 one of the nuns took him to the local hospital, in spite of his protest. He was convulsing in pain from a long-standing ailment. He was admitted, and placed into a ward reserved for the poor and unwanted. There he stayed for two months among the sick and dying. At 10:30 in the evening of November 8th, although in the midst of terrible pains, in peace and at prayer he gave up his spirit unto God at the age of 74.

As soon as the Saint gave up his Spirit, a nurse came to prepare him for transfer to Aegina for burial. As the nurse removed the Saints sweater, she inadvertently placed it on the next bed, on which a paralytic lay. And O, strange wonder!, the paralytic immediately began to regain his strength and arose from his bed healthy, and glorifying God.

Some time after his repose, strangely a beautiful fragrance was emitted by his Holy body, filling the room. Many came to venerate his Holy relics prior to his burial. With amazement, people noted a fragrant fluid that drenched his hair and beard. Even after 5 months, when the nuns of the convent opened the Saints grave to build a marble tomb, they found the Saint intact in every respect and emitted a wonderful and heavenly fragrance. Similarly three years later, the Holy Relics were still whole and radiating the same heavenly fragrance.

The Orthodox Church proclaimed him as a Saint on April 20, 1961. His Blessed memory is celebrated by the Church on November 9th.

Source: http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/Holy_Fathers/St._Nektarios_of_Aegina/

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