-
When Fr Benedict Resurrected His Dead Benefactor
Archimandrite Benedict Petrakis (+ September 8, 1961) developed a magnificent pastoral activity in the Metropolis of Aitoloakarnania and especially in Agrinio. Many spiritual branches of this region bore fruit through his systematic work and his exceeding love for God and neighbor. When he was young and wanted to study theology, he was helped financially by a pious woman from Patras, Melpomeni Bulbasakos. And when he became a mature preacher in Aitoloakarnania, he received a phone call informing him that his benefactor was near death and he was requested to go and give her final communion. Immediately Benedict got into a taxi and hurried for Melpomeni’s home in Patras. When he…
-
The Tower of Skulls
By Josef Candelario “I saw a large tower rising in the midst of the plain, as white as Parisian marble… [R]aising my eyes to the monument, I discovered that the walls, which I supposed to be built of marble or white stone, were composed of regular rows of human skulls; these skulls bleached by the rain and sun, and cemented by a little sand and lime, formed entirely the triumphal arch which now sheltered me from the heat of the sun. In some places portions of hair were still hanging and waved, like lichen or moss, with every breath of wind. The mountain breeze, which was then blowing fresh, penetrated…
-
Attend to Thyself: Attentiveness and Digital Culture
«Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ»: Attentiveness and Digital Culture Fr. Maximos Constas Senior Research Scholar Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care Athens, 7-9 May, 2015 The Distracted Life Having promised us a technological utopia, our ubiquitous and intrusive cyberculture has instead precipitated a spiritual crisis in which human experience has been systematically fragmented and the coherence of the self increasingly threatened. Living in a culture of organized distractions, our thoughts are isolated and disconnected, preventing us from seeing and experiencing the wholeness of life. Distraction and fragmentation have negative consequences for the organization of knowledge; they prevent us from engaging our spiritual depth,…
-
Orthodox Spirituality and The Technological Revolution
From “The Authentic Seal: Spiritual Instruction and Discourses,” by Archimandrite Aimilianos, Former Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petras, Mount Athos. Introduction A great deal is made nowadays of “the technological revolution,” as seen from both sides, those in favour and those who are very much against. In the realm of Orthodox theology, however, is there really any essential difference between the age-old problem of technology and today’s reality? We could, of course, talk about the last century with the industrial revolution and all its consequences: social, political, moral, religious and so on. When people speak of a new era in the history of mankind, of the third, technological…
-
OUR ORIGIN
Youth of the Apocalypse. Part I. Chapter I. CHILDREN OF WAR IN the beginning when there was peace, mankind was given the fearful and noble gift of free will. This perfect gift of life was quickly subverted and brought about mankind’s death. Within this gift of freedom there were two paths, two choices: good and evil. Mankind chose evil. As an angel falling from heaven, like lightning the whole of mankind fell into the abyss of corruption and death As children of war, this is our origin. We have come from thousands of years of sorrows–in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, in imprisonment, and in death. With every step on…
-
Seven Homilies to the Youth: Part III
By Fr George Calciu Continued from Part II. Below is the third recorded homily given in opposition to the law, in a series of “seven homilies to the youth” delivered as lenten meditations by Fr George Calciu to the youth in Romania. Under communist rule in Romania, Fr George was taken prisoner by the authorities for refusing to become a puppet of the government. He preached the truth openly to a society that was being contorted into a materialistic one, being stripped of all spiritual life. In the face of cruel imprisonment and unimaginable torture for which he suffered for many years, Fr George delivered to the youth a series of…
-
Seven Homilies to the Youth: Part II
By Fr George Calciu. Continued from Part I. Below is the second recorded homily given in opposition to the law, in a series of “seven homilies to the youth” delivered as lenten meditations by Fr George Calciu to the youth in Romania. Under communist rule in Romania, Fr George was taken prisoner by the authorities for refusing to become a puppet of the government. He preached the truth openly to a society that was being contorted into a materialistic one, being stripped of all spiritual life. In the face of cruel imprisonment and unimaginable torture for which he suffered for many years, Fr George delivered to the youth a series of…
-
Seven Homilies to the Youth: Part I
By Fr George Calciu Below is a recorded homily given in opposition to the law, the first in a series of “seven homilies to the youth” delivered as lenten meditations by Fr George Calciu to the youth in Romania. Under communist rule in Romania, Fr George was taken prisoner by the authorities for refusing to become a puppet of the government. He preached the truth openly to a society that was being contorted into a materialistic one, being stripped of all spiritual life. In the face of cruel imprisonment and unimaginable torture for which he suffered for many years, Fr George delivered to the youth a series of homilies of consolation,…
-
The Uncreated Map: Christ as the Light of Yoga
By Subdeacon Joseph Magnus Frangipani I’m reminded of pilgrims at the Himalayan foothills seeking passage around the icy mouth of the Ganges River. Among these hikers were two very different men, one an intelligent geologist and the other a simple backpacker. The geologist put every trust in his mind. As he told others, “I know all there is about the composition of mountains and valleys. I know how they’re formed and why they’re here. Look, I understand everything and really don’t need backcountry camping lessons, nor do I have time to get in shape for this journey.” So, he left unprepared, but very confident for the hard journey ahead. Meanwhile,…
-
Spiritual Surgery and Sobriety
“All the suffering borne by persons is none other than the abundant healing that eternal Mercy offers to save them from eternal death. Every sin, however small, would inevitably bring death if Mercy were not to allow suffering in order to sober mankind up from the inebriation of sin; for the healing that comes through suffering is brought about by the grace-filled power of the Holy and Life-giving Spirit.” +St. Nikolai Velimirović By Aidan Sobriety— What can this virtue offer a world scrambling to salve its wounds with virtual esteem, boundless acquisition, and sociopolitical tribalism? In the hands of a drunkard, tools of modern psychological sophistication have little lasting…
-
Bowie and the Devil in the Pool
In an age numbed by the constant glow of digital devices and the poisonous inoculation of indifference, the spiritual realm has become a haven for those who seek to pull themselves out of the mire of nothingness and depravity. However, still hypnotized by our culture of consumerism and it’s devilish daughter, self-gratification, some who seek escape are still held in bondage, turning to forms of spirituality that worship the self. Thus, the spiritual realm can be equated to just another form of entertainment, or at best a feel-good drug that satisfies our want for sensation in an otherwise bland and numb world. Spirituality has become a cerebral playground that one…
