Two days after this miracle, the fire approached the village of Prokopi, Evia, where the Church of Saint John the Russian and his holy relics are located. The women and children of the village began to pack their essential belongings for evacuation and the men began to build firebreaks.
The Metropolitan Chrysostom of Chalkis asked the village’s priest to do a procession with the relics. The priest called other priests in the area to bring relics and icons from their churches for the late-night procession. At 3am, police came to ask the few remaining villagers to leave. At about the same time a small cloud came above the village illuminated by the stars and a strong rain started to fall! What makes this miracle more remarkable is that the past week has been one of the hottest of the decade with no rain expected.
The Metropolitan Chrysostom of Chalkis asked the village’s priest to do a procession with the relics. The priest called other priests in the area to bring relics and icons from their churches for the late-night procession. At 3am, police came to ask the few remaining villagers to leave. At about the same time a small cloud came above the village illuminated by the stars and a strong rain started to fall! What makes this miracle more remarkable is that the past week has been one of the hottest of the decade with no rain expected.
The Most-Holy Theotokos (Dormition Aug 15/Aug 28) was prepared for her death, announced to her by the angel Gabriel as she visited Gethsemane to honour her Son. We also have an end, a dormition.
"Holy abbots, venerable ascetics who lived in caves, and holy characters who lived the married life in the world, honourable men and women, foresaw their death and prepared for the eternal journey. And like him who is going to take a journey does not wait until the last instant himself, but days before prepares for his journey, thus those pious souls prepared ahead for the eternal journey."
- English translation from a 1960 homily of Metropolitan of Florina by Avgousstinos Kantiotos, Holy Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Kyinosargos, Athens
Photo: Holy Dormition (Pskov-Caves) Monastery, near Pskov, Russia
"Holy abbots, venerable ascetics who lived in caves, and holy characters who lived the married life in the world, honourable men and women, foresaw their death and prepared for the eternal journey. And like him who is going to take a journey does not wait until the last instant himself, but days before prepares for his journey, thus those pious souls prepared ahead for the eternal journey."
- English translation from a 1960 homily of Metropolitan of Florina by Avgousstinos Kantiotos, Holy Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Kyinosargos, Athens
Photo: Holy Dormition (Pskov-Caves) Monastery, near Pskov, Russia
Apart from the celebration of his Feast Day (Dec 12), there are four other yearly occasions when the relics of Saint Spyridon are taken around the town; these processions are to celebrate some of the miracles he has performed.
One of his miracles, commemorated on August 11, took place when the Turks invaded Corfu in 1716, at the second great siege. Turkish soldiers were said to have been so terrified by the sight of Saint Spyridon, dressed as a monk, flying at them, threatening them with a flaming sword, that they fled in a panic, and the siege, which had lasted for twenty two days was over. Corfu was again saved.
One of his miracles, commemorated on August 11, took place when the Turks invaded Corfu in 1716, at the second great siege. Turkish soldiers were said to have been so terrified by the sight of Saint Spyridon, dressed as a monk, flying at them, threatening them with a flaming sword, that they fled in a panic, and the siege, which had lasted for twenty two days was over. Corfu was again saved.
A group of faithful catacomb priests of our day, identifying themselves only as the Burning Bush Brotherhood have spoken with humility to the scandalized faithful. Just as the Russian Catacomb leaders wrote anonymous letters out of the need to preserve the faithful remnant of Orthodox clergy and leaders from being scattered by compromised leaders, so does the Brotherhood address the grief of our current situation in the Church.
Orthodox Faith pinned «A group of faithful catacomb priests of our day, identifying themselves only as the Burning Bush Brotherhood have spoken with humility to the scandalized faithful. Just as the Russian Catacomb leaders wrote anonymous letters out of the need to preserve the…»
“Repent as long as there is time.”
Orthodox Ethos recently posted an account of a woman in northern Greece who had a vision of Elder Ephraim of of Philotheou and Arizona. (He reposed Dec 7, 2019.) The Elder warns of evils to come and the need for our repentance. “Repentance! Repentance! Christ is very angry. We people today should not be in the spiritual state in which we find ourselves. Great evils are coming — you cannot imagine how evil.
Orthodox Ethos recently posted an account of a woman in northern Greece who had a vision of Elder Ephraim of of Philotheou and Arizona. (He reposed Dec 7, 2019.) The Elder warns of evils to come and the need for our repentance. “Repentance! Repentance! Christ is very angry. We people today should not be in the spiritual state in which we find ourselves. Great evils are coming — you cannot imagine how evil.
Alas, what awaits you! Repent as long as there is time. Get on your knees and weep; shed tears of repentance so that perhaps Christ will soften. This also has to do with what is happening in America. Many people will depart through all that is coming, many people will depart [ie, they will die]. You are not merciful toward one another; you do not have mercy. You are harsh. One person will devour the other. Tell these things to your spiritual father and to others. ”
What are we to make of the anger of the Lord? St. John Cassian, in the Institutes of the Cenobia (Book VIII) writes that "when we read of the anger or fury of the Lord, we should take it not *anthropopathos*; i.e., according to an unworthy meaning of human passion, but in a sense worthy of God, who is free from all passion; so that by this we should understand that He is the judge and avenger of all the unjust things which are done in this world; and by reason of these terms and their meaning we should dread Him as the terrible rewarder of our deeds, and fear to do anything against His will."
https://panagiaquicktohear.com/2020/11/23/the-appearance-of-elder-ephraim-and-the-anger-of-god/
What are we to make of the anger of the Lord? St. John Cassian, in the Institutes of the Cenobia (Book VIII) writes that "when we read of the anger or fury of the Lord, we should take it not *anthropopathos*; i.e., according to an unworthy meaning of human passion, but in a sense worthy of God, who is free from all passion; so that by this we should understand that He is the judge and avenger of all the unjust things which are done in this world; and by reason of these terms and their meaning we should dread Him as the terrible rewarder of our deeds, and fear to do anything against His will."
https://panagiaquicktohear.com/2020/11/23/the-appearance-of-elder-ephraim-and-the-anger-of-god/
Panagiaquicktohear
The Appearance of Elder Ephraim and the Anger of God
The appearance of Elder Ephraim and the Anger of God Orthodox Ethos has recently posted an account of a woman in northern Greece who had a vision of Elder Ephraim. This has drawn much attenti…
On the Julian calendar, August 19 is the Feast of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The holy summit of Mt Athos, "often covered with the purest snow, now reflecting the rays of the sun, now shrouded in clouds, was destined to become a 'Mountain of Light,'** as the ancient word aithon means 'fiery, radiant, aglow.' This peak holds a special place in the heart of Athonites. They see in it the axis of the earth, connecting Heaven and earth; a pillar from which prayers arise to God; a kind of footstool of the throne of God; the chosen dwelling of the Queen of All, the 'Mother of Light.' . . .
It was here in the tenth century, on the day of the Transfiguration, that the abbot of Iveron Monastery, St. Euthymius the Athonite, beheld the Divine Light shining like a burning fire as he was serving the Liturgy: 'Suddenly the brightest light shone everywhere, and the earth shook. All prostrated themselves, and only Blessed Euthymius stood, like a pillar of fire, remaining motionless before the holy altar.'”
https://orthochristian.com/141209.html
The holy summit of Mt Athos, "often covered with the purest snow, now reflecting the rays of the sun, now shrouded in clouds, was destined to become a 'Mountain of Light,'** as the ancient word aithon means 'fiery, radiant, aglow.' This peak holds a special place in the heart of Athonites. They see in it the axis of the earth, connecting Heaven and earth; a pillar from which prayers arise to God; a kind of footstool of the throne of God; the chosen dwelling of the Queen of All, the 'Mother of Light.' . . .
It was here in the tenth century, on the day of the Transfiguration, that the abbot of Iveron Monastery, St. Euthymius the Athonite, beheld the Divine Light shining like a burning fire as he was serving the Liturgy: 'Suddenly the brightest light shone everywhere, and the earth shook. All prostrated themselves, and only Blessed Euthymius stood, like a pillar of fire, remaining motionless before the holy altar.'”
https://orthochristian.com/141209.html
Orthodox Christianity
Athos and Tabor
This “holy summit,” often covered with the purest snow, now reflecting the rays of the sun, now shrouded in clouds, was destined to become a “Mountain of Light,” as the ancient word aithon means “fiery, radiant, aglow.”
An average of 8 Christians worldwide are killed for their faith every single day.
Romanian churches illuminated in red draw attention to global persecution of Christians.
Romanian churches illuminated in red draw attention to global persecution of Christians.
When you close the doors to your dwelling and are alone you should know that there is present with you the angel whom God has appointed for each man. This angel, who is sleepless and cannot be deceived, is always present with you; he sees all things and is not hindered by darkness. You should know, too, that with him is God who is in every place for there is no place and nothing material to which God is not, since He is greater than all things and holds all men in His hand.
+St. Anthony the Great
+St. Anthony the Great