The Catalog of Good Deeds

An Annual Miracle at the Tomb of the Apostle Andrew from the Sixth Century

Saint Gregory of Tours, in his late-6th century book titled Glory of the Martyrs (ch. 30), records the following annual miracle that was done at the tomb of the Apostle Andrew in Patras, Greece:

"On the day of his festival the Apostle Andrew works a great miracle, that is, [by producing both] manna with the appearance of flour and oil with the fragrance of nectar which overflows from his tomb. In this way the fertility of the coming year is revealed. If only a little oil flows, the land will produce few crops; but if the oil was plentiful, it signifies that the fields will produce many crops. For they say that in some years so much oil gushed from his tomb that a torrent flowed into the middle of the church. These events happened in the province of Achaea, in the city of Patras, where the blessed apostle and martyr was crucified for the name of the Redeemer and ended his present life with a glorious death. But when the oil flows, it gives off such a strong fragrance to noses that you might think a collection of many different spices had been sprinkled there. A miracle and a blessing for the people accompany this. For salves and potions are made from this oil; once used, they offer great relief to people who are sick. After the glorious reception of Andrew [in Paradise] many miracles are said to have been revealed either at his tomb or in various places where his relics are located."

Elder Paisios, the Apostle Andrew and the Earthquake that Shook Patras

On 14 July 1993, chaos came over the city of Patras when an afternoon earthquake struck and shook up people's lives.

During the earthquake Elder Paisios had a vision on Mount Athos, as he was laying on a bed of suffering one year prior to his death. He saw the Apostle Andrew, the protector and patron of the city of Patras, praying intensely and with tears to our Lord Jesus Christ, saying: "Save my city, save my city."

Immediately Elder Paisios contacted Metropolitan Nikodemos of Patras, who informed his suffering flock and reminded them of their protector.

It is believed for this reason Patras was saved from any major catastrophe.

The Miracle of Saint Andrew at Spetses in 1898

In the Church of Saint Andrew the First-Called in Spetses there is a silver ship hanging from the ceiling, which testifies to a naval miracle of St. Andrew that happened on November 30th of 1898. The following story is related to us by Peter D. Argyri.

It was the dawn of St. Andrew's on November 30, 1898. Most homes on the island of Spetses were lit by oil lamps. Housewives were getting ready for church to celebrate the feast.

Outside there was a bitter cold, as a storm had swept through the night before. Despite the bitter cold, at eight in the morning the church was crowded with the faithful.

As the priest was in procession with the Holy Gifts during the Great Entrance, all eyes turned towards the door. A bunch of bearded, shabby, soggy, disheveled men came in led by their captain. They approached the icon of St. Andrew and knelt together, first the captain followed by his crew. At one point even the priest stopped chanting to watch.

Their faces seemed wild, cold and pale. The salt of the sea or possibly some great agony carved deep wrinkles in their foreheads. Their hair was glued to their heads mixed with the blood from their wounds. Their clothes were ragged, and from the holes in their pants and shirt one could distinguish wounds that had been covered with dried blood.

The captain, after crossing himself and resting his head on the floor, pinned his eyes upon the icon of the Saint. His eyes were filled with tears and he trembled all over. With a quick movement of his hand to his bosom he pulled out a pouch so full that it was about to break from all the coins, and he placed it before the icon of St. Andrew. The sailors did the same, kneeling and kissing the icon with reverence.

When the priest said: "With the fear of God, faith and love, draw near", the captain with all his sailors approached and with a loud voice said to the priest:

"Commune us all, my Father, though we have never fasted."

Papa George looked into the eyes of the captain and said:

"The sick and the traveler have no sin, my child." So he offered them Holy Communion, saying: "The servant of God..."

"Captain John", he said.

"...John", said the priest, "in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", and he communed him. He did the same to all the sailors, who also kissed with reverence the Holy Chalice and the hand of the priest.

When the time came for the priest to distribute the antidron and the captain approached, the priest told him:

"Captain, you would give me great joy if you came with your crew to my home so I can offer you some coffee. I celebrate today."

"Thank you, my Father. I will come with joy, since we havn't seen our home for fifteen months now."

Soon everyone filled the house of the priest and the priest's wife took care of them all. Upon discussion the captain began to chronicle how his ship landed on the island.

"We set off from Malta with my friends here 35 days ago. On our way we came upon inclement weather. My ship is forty yards with two masts and they received several shots by the wild waves, but that which happened for three days and three nights I have never encountered in my life. The waves even covered the masts. At one point a huge wave cut the mast like a cucumber and it was swallowed by the sea. The waves were hitting us like balls, from the left and the right, as we tried to hold the ship. Some were wounded, others traumatized, and would moan and beg the Panagia and Saint Nicholas to help us.

Last night as night came, lightning and thunder and furious wind whistled against the ropes as if they were sirens, and we couldn't even see our noses. 'Courage, my lads, courage that we may endure' I yelled. 'It is a shower and it will pass.' We did not know whether we were in the sea or on the ship. The ship was taking in water. To the right a hole had opened. 'Help, Saint Nicholas!' I hopelessly yelled.

In a moment, a huge wave grabbed me and threw me to the corner. It broke my ribs and I was barely able to discern through the bright lightning a certain monk, just like you Papa George with the black cassock, holding the wheel. I do not remember anything else, my Father. But that monk was the same as St. Andrew whom we celebrate today."

Then a middle-aged sailor said:

"After, my Father, we heard in the mayhem the voice of the captain tell us: 'Crash, crash children....' No one responded. We only said to ourselves that the captain had gone crazy. And we shouted to him: 'Have you gone crazy, Captain? Where can we crash in the sea?' He said again: 'Crash in the front!' We obeyed and crashed. Silence spread around us as if everything became calm, and we thought a miracle happened. 'Captain, Captain!' we cried as we searched for him among the wreckage. We finally found him wedged between some planks. He couldn't remember anything."

The priest did the sign of the cross, and said to them:

"Saint Andrew saved you, my children. And you who were night and day at sea amidst many dangers must have Christ within you."

The captain sighed deeply, and as he sipped his coffee and lit his pipe, he said:

"They took me, my Father, and lay me on a blanket. We had no light, pitch darkness, and we waited for God to bring the dawn of day, since we imagined to be at some port. When we began to distinguish the white houses on your island, a good child came by at the beach, and having asked him what place this was, he said it was Spetses and the feast of St. Andrew. It was him that grabbed the wheel and gave orders to my sailors.

We had left Malta and went to Crete and after to Chios. But who would have imagined that weather, the Saint, would bring us to your island. With the coins we left at the icon of the Saint, help the orphans, the widows and the poor. It was fifteen months of fares. Money I can gain again, but my life and that of my sailors never. I will return to your island and hang, by his grace, a silver ship, similar to mine."

The priest blessed them, and all got up to leave, wishing them good travels, and they left towards the ship, to continue along what was set for their fate.

A Great Miracle of the Apostle Andrew in Cyprus in 1912

The Holy Monastery of the Apostle Andrew in Karpasia, Cyprus, which is presently in the occupied area of Cyprus under the Turks, has an unknown history. According to tradition, it was here where the ship of the Apostle Andrew was in a lull for three days. It was also here where the Apostle struck a rock to create a source of water, which runs from the old church where the holy water flows near the sea. This holy water healed the blind son of the captain of the ship, who, according to tradition, later built the first church here dedicated to the first-called disciple of Christ, Andrew.

However, what made this monastery famous to every Cypriot was the following miracle:

During the abbacy of Economou Christophorou Kykkotis a wonderful event happened which moved the residents of Cyprus and increased respect and love for the Apostle Andrew and his monastery.

Around 1896 certain Turks in the city of Allagia, Asia Minor kidnapped the only son of a poor Greek woman named Maria. Despite her efforts to restore her 13 year-old son, this became unfortunately impossible.

Little Pentelis Hatzigeorgis was taken by his kidnappers to military schools to serve in the Islamic battalions, and after graduation would enter into service of the Sultan and Muhammad.

The mother of the child placed her hope in God and prayed daily for His mercy and the restoration of her child. Many years passed, it was 1912, and Maria saw in her dreams a certain man named Andrew, and he announced to her that she would soon see her son. Maria believed that her visitor was none other than the first-called disciple of Christ Himself. She immediately boarded an Austrian steamer which was going from Smyrna to Larnaka in order to venerate the Apostle Andrew at his monastery in Cyprus.

On this same ship were many Cypriots, men and women, who were working in Mersina and Adana for an official German company that manufactured large rail projects in the East. Also aboard were a small group of dervishes, who were visiting Cyprus to attend a pending issue regarding one of their Tekke's on the island. To certain women on the ship Maria expressed her deep conviction that with the help of Saint Andrew she would get back her son.

One of the dervishes overheard the woman with great interest and observed her. Eventually the young man approached Maria. He asked Maria how she would identify her lost son, so she told him of the peculiar pair of birthmarks that he bore on his shoulder and chest. The young man then threw off his woolen cloak to expose the same marks and fell on his knees before his mother. Despite the many years of separation and Turkish education, Pentelis remembered his childhood.

He then removed the hat from his head, dressed in Greek clothes and confessed his Orthodox Christian faith. The joy of both mother and son, together with the other Christians traveling with them, was great and very moving. Immediately when the ship docked in Larnaka, both mother and son ran to the Church of Saint Lazarus, where they prayed fervently and thanked the Apostle Andrew. Approaching the priest of the church, Fr. John Makoulis, he confessed once again his faith in the Holy Trinity. Fr. John then chrismated him to return him officially once again to the Orthodox Christian faith.

They then visited the Monastery of Saint Andrew where they venerated Saint Andrew and once again thanked him for the deliverance of Pentelis and the answered prayers of Maria. From there they went to Kykkos Monastery where they stayed for a few days.

Within months of this event, the shrine received a stream of pilgrims which increased into a flood as the saint proved his power over a random pilgrimage of supplicants, Greeks as well as Turks, sophisticated Athenians as well as local peasants.

Sources:

1) http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/11/an-annual-miracle-at-tomb-of-apostle.html

2) http://gero-paisios.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post.html

3) http://www.proskynitis.blogspot.gr/2011_11_01_archive.html

4) http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/11/great-miracle-of-apostle-andrew-in.html

Question: With the Orthodox church being the true Apostolic church—meaning that the Apostles were the first Bishops/Priests of the Christian faith—why are there so many difference between the Orthodox churches? One Orthodox church will do things one way and another Orthodox church will perform “what ever” differently.

An Orthodox church I attended for a Sunday Liturgy performed the Litany for the departed of which it stated in the service book that they were using to not do the Litany for the departed during Liturgies on Sundays and holidays. Then there are Orthodox churches that don’t chant that part of the service at all. I was in a Serbian church where the Subdeacon was allowed to assist the celebrant Priest with articles on the Altar and the Subdeacon in the OCA church is not allowed to touch the Holy Table. The Greek Orthodox church does things their way, the Russian Orthodox church will do things their way, etc.

In other words, all the Orthodox churches are different in certain ways. Why is that when they are a ‘One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic church.’

One other question. Do the Orthodox bookstores sell an Orthodox dictionary with the meanings of the words that are used by the Holy Fathers and other writers of Orthodox books. One such word would be “Exegesis.”

Answer: In the Orthodox Church there are those things which belong to “Holy Tradition” and those things which are simply “traditions” (or, perhaps, better called “customs”). In essential matters—doctrine, sacraments, worship, etc.—there are no differences.

In minor things—the style of vestments, the exact order of services, customs associated with various feast days—there is a wide variety of customs which may be found, as developed in various times and various places based on a wide variety of circumstances. Furthermore, these customs are not, nor were they ever intended to be, that which brings about unity within the Church.

For example, in some places it is the custom to close the royal doors for much of the Liturgy; in other places this is not the case. What is important is that the Eucharist is being celebrated, that the faithful are receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in a reverent manner—and with proper preparation—etc. Whether the doors are opened for the entire Liturgy, as in some practices, or closed for much of it is secondary. After all, Christ says, “Unless you eat of my body and drink of my blood, you have no life in you.” He does not say, “Unless you open the doors, you have no life in you.”

The sin of the pharisees, which Christ continually combatted, was enslavement to externals with no regard to the spirit in which the externals were developed or employed.

Another example: In some places the iconostasis is a rather high, solid wall, consisting of several rows of icons; in other places, the iconostasis is low, perhaps only one or maybe two rows high. The important thing is that the icons are properly displayed and employed and venerated; of secondary—and here quite inconsequential—importance is how many rows any given iconostasis may or may not have.

A third example: Among some Orthodox Christians there is a custom of blessing food in conjunction with the celebration of Holy Pascha; in other places this practice is unknown. This does not indicate a “difference” in anything essential in the faith or in the life of the Church; rather, it is an expression of Paschal joy developed in some places for specific reasons but perhaps not in others. In no way does the blessing of Paschal food, or the lack thereof, make one’s celebration “better” or “worse.”

What is critical—and what is absolutely the same among all Orthodox Christians—is the centrality of the celebration of the Holy Pascha, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Blessing food may be a wonderful aspect of this celebration, but it surely is not essential to obtaining eternal life.

For a complete listing of books and other resources on Orthodox Christianity, you may wish to visit the web site of St Vladimir’s Seminary and follow the links to the seminary bookstore, where you will find a variety of publications. Of special interest perhaps to you is the Historical Dictionary of the Orthodox Churchby Prokurat, Golitzin, and Peterson—an excellent dictionary containing many, many definitions and other entries.

Source: https://oca.org/questions/dailylife/holy-tradition-vs.-customs

People often find their true calling later in life. Sometimes the work they choose to do does not coincide with the kinds of work that are deemed typical of males or females.

Our first guest is Victor Churilo. Victor is 51, and he serves in the Visiting Nurse Service of St Elisabeth Convent. In short, he is a visiting nurse.

He visits those whom we won't see in the streets. These people have a hard time walking, standing, and even sitting. Some of them are confined to bed. LADY.TUT.BY did an interview with Victor and his patient Denis Neverko.

All Wives Want Their Husbands To Earn More

Victor treats his ministry in the Visiting Nurse Service as a vocation. It is very close to what he used to do in the past. He worked as a junior nurse in an infirmary. He had planned to become a doctor but he couldn't. Later, he learned to be a stonemason and worked as a builder for a long time, then started working in an industrial plant, and in the 1990s he even had to set up his own shop. Confronted with difficulties in his personal life, Victor went to the Convent:

— I found the faith in God, Jesus Christ, and I wanted to be closer to him. Difficulties in my life and deep sorrow made me come here, — Victor says. — I did it to recover spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Nowadays Victor is extremely busy 6 days a week. He looks after 5 patients: four males and one female.

— I visit three of my patients regularly, and two others on request. I get to my first patient at 8:30 am. We have a conversation; I ask him about his current health condition and mood. After that, I do sanitization, change the patient's clothes, and feed him, if necessary. I go to my second patient in the afternoon, and to my third patient in the evening. Each visit takes up two to three hours on average. Sunday is my day-off.

According to Victor, the Visiting Nurse Service of St Elisabeth Convent encompasses three fields of ministry:

— Missionary work. We help people to get closer to God and to know themselves better. We can invite a priest from the Visiting Nurse Service to a patient's home, if the patient wants us to, and the priest will perform the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. This is where the healing of the spirit, the soul, and the body of a believer begins. Loving God and neighbor is the basis of our ministry.

— Social work. We do everything a person requires for a normal and comfortable life: feeding, bathing, buying food supplies and medicines. We talk with our patients and read books to them.

— Medical assistance. Every brother and sister has basic medical training. We have meetings and classes on exercise therapy in the Convent on a weekly basis. We do the exercises that we have learned together with our patients to the best of their abilities and health condition.

Victor emphasizes that money is not the primary goal for a person who has decided to help other people.

— There are many people in our Visiting Nurse Service who do their duties voluntarily and for free. The remuneration that we receive is enough to subsist and to continue to help others. I know that all wives want their husbands to earn more. However, you receive much more spiritually when you do good to other people. Giving is more rewarding than receiving.

We hope that the Lord will bring to us another person who is ready to help.

It is hard to find a male nurse.

When asked why there are more female nurses than male nurses, Victor replies that a woman is more capable of tolerating the difficulties of this job thanks to her innate patience, mercy, and love.

— However, men are also very welcome here! It is physically hard for a woman to care for a male patient. Just imagine her trying to take a man from his wheelchair and put him into a bathtub. It requires physical strength of a man. Again, there are men who don't want women to look after them. This is the kind of problem that I have to face now. I am torn between two male patients who prefer to have a man as their nurse. That is why we hope that the Lord will bring to us another person who is ready to help.

Victor is not in the very least embarrassed that he apparently does a "female job." It may even be emotionally taxing to tend to a person who needs help. That is why a nurse must know how to manage his or her feelings:

— That's hard work. At the same time, you obtain spiritual joy as a result of what you do. Knowledge of the Gospel and the lives of the saints helps to find proper words in difficult situations. When you know that your assistance is essential for that person, your patience and humility, your love coupled with prayer, help you to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and emotions.

I used to be weaker than now. By serving God with love, we become stronger spiritually. Our lives become genuinely meaningful from the spiritual standpoint. It is what I do that makes me stronger.

"Victor Is Closer To Me Than My Own Family"

Denis Neverko has been paralyzed for four years, two of which Victor comes to him. He jumped from a dam into water in an unknown place and fractured his spine.

— It was extremely hot, and I wanted to bathe. I jumped into the water headfirst and hit a cement block. It turned out to be a shallow place.

Denis feels comfortable with the big and strong Victor. The man admits that Victor has become his good friend whom he can trust even in the most difficult situations.

— Victor is kind and responsible. I can always rely on him. Apart from that, I feel more comfortable when a man, not a woman, looks after me. I am very happy that our paths have crossed.

Denis learned about the Visiting Nurse Service of St Elisabeth Convent from his friend. He contacted Sister Anna, the Service's head. He told her that he was fully paralyzed, and explained what kind of a nurse he needed. They agreed to send Brother Victor to him. Denis was hoping that the nurse would be a sociable and understanding person, which is vital for people like him who lead a secluded life.

Victor is closer to me than my own family. I started to believe in God thanks to him. I used to be far from the faith but now I can feel that I change and so does my worldview. I start to discover alternative sides of life. I start to interpret not only the things that happen to me but also other things in a different way.

Denis has had more live conversations since the time Victor started visiting him but he complains that he still needs more live conversations anyway.

— I talk with people like me via Skype, VKontakte and Facebook messages, and even in the Odnoklassniki social network but it's not enough. I’m happy even if my friends visit me once a month, although they used to come more often. Now they have families and jobs — a lot to do. I get that, and I'm okay with that. Right now, I'm looking for a job. I would like to become a call center operator. I have worked in this position already. I will be able to talk with people on the phone. Plus, I'll be able to earn some money and kill some time.

"Summer Was The Last Time I Was Outdoors"

For Denis, every day is just like the other. He spends his time in front of a computer, which he controls via a webcam. He can seldom get outdoors — summer was the last time Denis was outdoors.

— Right now, given the weather, it's impossible to get out. We get outdoors only if we are invited to various events. For instance, Victor and I visited a lecture by Alexander Makarchuk who is completely paralyzed, too. He showed us how people with disabilities can use a computer thanks to wireless management.

Alexander Makarchuk was completely paralyzed after a poisoning, which led to the damage of central nervous system. He was considering a suicide but instead became a sysadmin and worked for Russian companies, and then went on to be an IT recruiter. Alexander controls his computer with voice and teaches other disabled people. —editor's note.

I am interested in a whole lot of various things, and I would like to be everywhere — in the cinema, in the circus, in theaters. I want to go anywhere instead of sitting home. However, it is easier said than done. First of all, I need an escort, and Victor isn't always available. Secondly, theater tickets are expensive. I cannot afford them on my pension. My budget is planned in advance and it mostly consists of hygiene accessories and medicines, which I have to buy monthly. My parents are retired, too. Thirdly, I need transportation. This is why whenever I go outdoors, it's like a holiday.

According to Denis, if a disabled person can move his arms, he is more likely to lead a normal life. He can operate a wheelchair. People like Denis cannot do it without help.

— I cannot dress, I cannot get into the wheelchair, someone has to do it for me. I cannot ride the wheelchair, either. There are many people like me. Other people don't even know us. People are locked in their rooms. With time, they create a world of their own, the boundaries of which are hard to break. People on the outside appear to be aggressive and hostile. We desperately need support and assistance not only from our families but also from other people… We have to live with our problems day by day. That is why it is important that we have people who don't allow us to close up in our own shells and empower us to keep living. I would like everyone to know that we exist. You just cannot see us.

An article by Tatiana Lemeshevskaya

Photos by Vladimir Bugay, TUT.BY

Translated from: https://lady.tut.by/news/life/565870.html

Over the past 2000 years, the Orthodox Church has granted the title of “Theologian” to only three Saints: St. John the Apostle, St. Gregory of Nazianzen, and

St. Symeon the New Theologian was born in Galatia in the year 949. He was educated in Constantinople, and became abbot of the monastery of St. Mamas. He reposed on March 12, 1022.

St. Symeon produced many writings which have been well received within the Orthodox Church. In his second Ethical Discourse, he discusses a number of topics, including St. Paul’s doctrine of predestination: On the Saying “Those Whom He Foreknew, The Same He Also Predestined”

“Predestination” is an excuse for sloth: God calls everyone to repentance

I have heard many people say: “Because the Apostle says; ‘Those whom God foreknew, the same He also predestined; and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, the same also glorified‘ [Romans 8:29-30] what good is it to me if I throw myself into many labors, if I give proof of repentance and conversion, when I am neither foreknown nor predestined by God to be saved and conformed to the glory of God His Son?”

We are naturally obliged to state our opinion clearly to such people, and to reply: O, you! Why do you reason to your own perdition rather than your salvation? And why do you pick out for yourselves the obscure passages of inspired Scripture and then tear them out of context and twist them in order to accomplish your own destruction? Do you not hear the Savior crying out every day: “As I live … I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” [Ezekiel 33:11]? Do you not hear Him Who says: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” [Matthew 3:2]; and again: “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” [Luke 15:7, adapted]? Did He ever say to som: “Do not repent for I will not accept you,” while to others who were predestined: “But you, repent! because I knew you beforehand”? Of course not! Instead, throughout the world and in every church He shouts: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” [Matthew 11:28]. Come, He says, all you who are burdened with many sins, to the One Who takes away the sin of the world; come all who thirst to the fountain which flows and never dies.

In the 10th century A.D., St. Symeon wrote about Predestination from an Orthodox perspective

Does He distinguish and separate anyone out, calling one to Himself as foreknown while sending the other away as not predestined? Never! Therefore, “you should not make excuses for your sins” [Psalm 140:4, LXX], nor should you want to make the Apostle’s words an occasion for your own destruction, but should run, all of you, to the Master Who calls you. For even if someone is a publican, or a fornicator, an adulterer, a murderer, or whatever else, the Master does not turn him away, but takes away the burden of his sins immediately and makes him free. And how does He take away the other’s burden? Just as He once took away that of the paralytic when He said to the latter: “My son, your sins are forgiven” [Matthew 9:2], and the man was immediately relieved of his burden and, in addition, received the cure of his body.

So then, let everyone who wants approach Him, and let the one say: “Son of David, have mercy on me“; and, if he hears, “What do you want Me to do for you?” let him say quickly, “Lord, let me receive my sight,” and right away he will hear, “So I desire. Receive your sight” [Luke 18:38-42]. Let another say, “Lord, my daughter“–i.e. my soul–“is severely possessed by a demon” [Matthew 15:22], and he will hear: “I will come to heal her” [Matthew 8:7]. If someone is hesitant and does not wish to approach the Master, even if He comes to him and says, “Follow Me” [Matthew 9:9], then let him follow Him as the publican once did, abandoning his counting tables and his avarice, and, I am sure, He shall make of him, too, an evangelist rather than a tax collector. If someone else is a paralytic, lying for years in sloth, carelessness, and love of pleasure, and if he should see another, be it the Master Himself or one of His disciples, come to him and ask, “Do you want to be healed?” [John 5:2-7], let him receive the word joyfully and reply immediately: “Yes, Lord, but I have no man to put me into the pool of repentance.” And then if he should hear, “Rise, take up your bed, and follow me,” let him get up right away and run after the footsteps of the One Who has called him from on high.

Now, if someone does not wish, whether like the sinful woman to embrace the feet of Christ [Luke 7:38], or like the prodigal son to run back to Him with burning repentance [Luke 15:11ff], or like the woman with a hemorrhage and bowed with infirmity [Luke 8:43 and 13:11] even to approach Him, why does he then make excuses for his sins by saying, “Those whom He foreknew, them also“–and them alone!–“He called“?

One may perhaps reasonably reply to the person so disposed that “God, Who is before eternity and Who knows all things before creating them, also knew you beforehand, knew that you would not obey Him when He called, that you would not believe in His promises and in His words, yet still, even while knowing this, He “bowed the heavens and came down” [Psalm 18:19] and became man, and for your sake has come to the place where you lie prone. Indeed, visiting you many times every day, sometimes in His own Person and sometimes as well through His servants, He exhorts you to get up from the calamity in which you lie and to follow Him Who ascends to the Kingdom of Heaven and enter it together with Him. But you, you still refuse to do it.

Then tell me, who is responsible for your perdition and disobedience? You, who refuse to obey and who will not follow your Master, or God Himself Who made you, Who knew beforehand that you would not obey Him, but would instead abide in your hardened and impenitent heart? I think that you will certainly say, “He is not responsible, but I am myself,” because God’s forbearance is not the cause of our hardness, Rather, it is our own lack of compliance.

Example of the emperor and the arena: God’s foreknowledge

For God knows all things beforehand, both past and present at once, and everything which is going to happen in the future up to the end of the world. He sees them as already present, because in and through Him all things hold together [Colossians 1:17]. Indeed, just as today the emperor takes in with a glance those who race and who wrestle in the area, but does not thereby make himself responsible for the victory of the winners or the failure of the losers–the zeal, or in other cases the slackness, of the contestants being cause of their victory or defeat–understand with me that it is just so with God Himself. When He endowed us with free will, giving commandments to teach us instead how we must oppose our adversaries, He left it to the free choice of each either to oppose and vanquish the enemy, or to relax and be miserably defeated by him. Nor does He leave us entirely to ourselves–for He knows the weakness of human nature–but rather is present Himself with us and, indeed, allies Himself with those who choose to struggle, and mysteriously imbues us with strength, and Himself, not we, accomplishes the victory over the adversary. This the earthly emperor is unable to do, since he is himself also a man, and is rather in need himself of assistance, just as we require it, too.

God, on the other hand, Who is mighty and invincible, becomes, as we just said, an ally of those who willingly choose to do battle with the enemy, and He establishes them as victors over the cunning of the devil. He does not, however, compel any who do not so choose to this war, in order that He not destroy the power of choice which is proper to our reasoning nature, made according to His own image, and bring us down to the level of unreasoning brutes. Thus God, as we have explained, sees us all at once as if in an arena, just like the earthly emperor looks down on the athletes in competition. But, while the latter does not know who will lose and who will win until he sees the outcome of their contest and, though he may prepare the victors’ crowns beforehand, he still does not know to whom he is going to present them; the King of Heaven, on the other hand, knows from before the ages exactly who the victors and vanquished are going to be. This is why He said to those who asked Him if they could sit at His right hand and His left in His glory: “It is not mine to give to you” [Matthew 20:23], but that it will be given instead to those for whom it was prepared.

God does not compel

This therefore what Paul himself also knew when he said rightly:

Those whom God foreknew, the same He also predestined; and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, the same He also glorified. [Romans 8:29-30]

It is not God’s foreknowledge of those who, by their free choice and zeal, will prevail which is the cause of their victory, just as, again, it is not His knowing beforehand who will fall and be vanquished which is responsible for their defeat. Instead, it is the zeal, deliberate choice, and courage of each of us which effects the victory. Our faithlessness and sloth, our irresolution and indolence, on the other hand, comprise our defeat and perdition. So, while reclining on our bed of worldly affection and love of pleasure, let us not say: “Those whom God fore-knew, them also He predestined,” without perceiving just what it is we are saying. Yes, indeed, He truly knew you beforehand as inattentive and disobedient and lazy, but this is certainly not because He ordered or foreordained it that you should have no power to repent yourself nor, if you will it, to get up and obey. You, though, when you say this, are clearly calling God a liar. While He says, “I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” [Matthew 9:13], you, lazy and unwilling to turn around and repent of your evil, contradict Him, as it were, and call Him a liar Who never lies, when you make such excuses as these. “Those who are going to repent”, you say, “were predestined, but I am not one of them. So, let them repent therefore whom God clearly foreknew, and whom He also predestined.” O what a lack of feeling! O shamelessness of soul and worse than the demons themselves! When did anyone ever hear of one of them saying such a thing? Where was it ever heard that a demon blamed God for its own damnation? Let us then not blame the demons, for here there is a human soul which thinks up blasphemies even worse than theirs.

So tell me, where did you learn that you did not belong to those who are foreknown and predestined to become conformed to the image of God’s glory? Tell me, who told you this? Was it, maybe, God Who announced this to you, Himself, or by one of His prophets, or through an angel? “No,” you say, “but I do suppose that I am not predestined to salvation, and that all my effort would be in vain.” And why do you not believe instead with all your soul that God has sent His only-begotten Son on the earth for your sake alone, and for your salvation, that He knew you beforehand and predestined you to become His brother and co-heir? Why are you not eager to love Him with all your heart and to honor His saving commandments? Why do you not rather believe that, having been slaughtered for your sake, He will never abandon you, nor allow you to perish? Do you not hear Him saying: “Can a woman forget her suckling child . . . yet I will not forget you” [Isaiah 49:15]? So, if by anticipation you judge yourself unworthy, and willfully separate yourself from the flock of Christ’s sheep, you should understand that it is none other than you who are the cause of your own damnation.

Therefore, casting out of our souls all faithlessness, sloth, and hesitation, let us draw near with all our heart, with unhesitating faith and burning desire, like slaves who have been newly purchased with precious blood. Indeed, with reverence for the price paid on our behalf, and with love for our Master Who paid it, and as having accepted His love for us, let us recognize that, if He had not wished to save by means of Himself us who have been purchased, He would not have come down to earth, nor would He have been slain for our sake. But, as it is written, He has done this because He wills that all should be saved. Listen to Him say it Himself: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” [John 12:17].

By Fr Joseph Gleason

Source: https://theorthodoxlife.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/orthodox-predestination-st-symeon/#comment-4135

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