Cu noi este Dumnezeu

                      Gabriel Rădășanu - Cu noi este Dumnezeu (Trinitas)

Hristos A Inviat! Adevarat A Inviat! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

 

In anticipation: Holy Saturday night! Pascha!

 

Holy Friday evening

 

Holy Thursday Evening Service

 Thus said the Lords to the Judeans: " O My people, what have I done to you, or wherein have I wearied you? To your blind I gave light; your lepers I cleansed; your paralytic I raised up. O My people; what have I done for you, and how have you recompensed Me? Instead of manna, gall; instead of water, vinegar; instead of loving Me, you nailed Me to the Cross. No longer will I endure; I will call to Me the Nations, and they will glorify Me, together with the Father and the Spirit; and I will grant to them eternal Life."  (from the Holy Week services)

The company of the Apostles calls out to you: " O Law-givers of Israel, Judeans, and Pharisees; behold the Temple, which you have destroyed; behold the Lamb, which you have crucified. You have delivered Him to the tomb, but by His own power He has risen. Deceive not yourselves, O Judeans, for in the sea He saved, and in the desert He fed. He is the Life, and the Light and Peace of the World".  (from the Holy Week services)

Holy Saturday - First Resurrection Liturgy

"What God is as great as our God?"

Cine este Dumnezeu? Romanian Version

What God is as great as our God? English version

Hail Gladdening Light!

Holy Thursday

Holy Tuesday Evening

On this day, the 3rd Nymhios Service (The Bridegroom Service) culminates with the Hymn of Kassiani:

About the history of this Hymn you may find more information here.

"The tempter shut 11 churches; let us open 11 thousand "

A message from Gerondissa Thekla

Having entered the fourth week of quarantine, and in view of the coming of the Holy days of Pascha, being pressured by the stress and fear that is being imposed on us; with the pressure developing from trying to govern the monastery under such circumstances and with deep sadness filling my heart from the pain and sadness of the people around us, due to their lack of certain basic necessities but mainly due to the deprivation of the consolation and strength offered by the church attendance and the strongest medicine, Holy Communion, brought me to seclusion and prayer. I implored and I continually implore God to send His ineffable mercy to the world, to heal the sick to strengthen them, to comfort the elderly and those that are struck by loneliness and are living difficult situations.

I was somehow feeling guilty because we at the Monastery, at these times are comforted by the sacramental life, where on the contrary our brethren are lacking this, and I was looking for a way to comfort them. Then I heard a voice telling me; “Remember what you used to do?” Then, as if my mind opened, I saw and believe me, I relived (in feeling) those unique moments.

When I first entered the Monastery in 1975 (forty five years ago), it was at a time that the Holy Monastery of Philotheou on Mount Athos did not number many monks and there were very few priests. Therefore there were not enough priests to serve the Metochia. Our Monastery was a Metochi (dependence) of the Monastery of Philotheou, so for many years we did not have a priest to serve our needs. Someone would come, (very rarely), throughout the year, but never on Great Feasts: i.e. the Nativity of Christ, Pascha, Annunciation, Pentecost…, we were always left on these holy days with no priest.

If such a situation would take place at a Parish, the parishioners would complain, would yell, use indecent words, maybe even curse and the only one happy from all of this would be the “tempter” with his angels.

For us it would be the opposite. We would fast as if preparing for Holy Communion, we would gather together in our chapel which was an extension to a hallway, (¼ of the size of our Monastery’s church here). We would read the services and at the end, our Most Holy Gerondissa Makrina would “commune” us by giving us Great Holy Water and Holy Bread. She would always counsel us that, “If we would be as we should be spiritually, then it is possible noetically to receive Holy Communion from Holy Angels, just like we have read many times in the lives of the Saints.”

Believe me, back then we lived many heavenly moments which we never encountered again even after when we had a permanent priest and would serve forty day liturgies. Now I realize that due to the deprivation but also to the great zeal and patience we had, the Lord would bless us with grace that accompanies martyrdom.

The chapel would be fragrant as if someone had sprinkled it all over with myrrh. Our eyes would stream with endless tears. Our heart would leap from the Grace of God. On the days that we supposedly “communed”, without even realizing it, we would speak softly because we felt as if we had partaken in some sacred ceremony. Saying the prayer, our mouth would taste as if we had taken a very fragrant candy. We would feel the presence of Holy Communion, even though we had not received it, and throughout the day we would be cautious not to spit, nor chew gum and throw it out. So great was the sense of the presence of Holy Communion. No matter what I write, it is not possible to describe the feeling of Christ’s grace that we lived back in those days of deprivation, because there are not words to express this. A few years later, at the Holy Monastery of Philotheou, the number of priests grew and we no longer had a problem needing a priest; everything found its place in our monastery.

After 19 years, when obedience brought myself and sister Ephraimia here to Canada, we again encountered the same problem; the lack of priests. For 7 years, our Monastery did not have a priest. But now it was not so bad because the priests here had the order from the Archbishop to come during the week and serve the Divine Liturgy, so that we would commune. However, again Saturdays and Sundays and feast days we would not have a priest. The priests had to serve at their own parishes and communities. So, we would read the services, on our own, decorate the icons, the Cross for the Elevation of the Holy Cross, and for the Sunday of the veneration of the Cross during Great Lent; we would bring out the Lord’s Cross on Holy Thursday; and we would try to raise the morale of the young novices, who had complete inexperience of these things.

These, along with so many more are now a wealth of experiences that exists inside of us and whenever it is needed we open the “treasure box” of experiences and we choose whatever is needed depending on the circumstance.

Then suddenly, as if my nous opened and I relived all of this spiritual state very intensely, as it being an answer to my prayer; the message being that whoever prepares themselves with humility, without grumbling and protesting, but with much prayer and faith in the Providence of God, and receives Holy water and Holy Bread in replacement of Holy Communion and contemplates that theoretically “God did not permit me to receive Holy Communion, as being “unworthy and unprepared”, then this person will be filled by God’s grace of endurance of martyrdom, of which Saint Luke the doctor would say: “I loved much the grace of martyrdom, which so wonderfully cleanses the soul”.

The tempter wanted to close the churches; let us make our homes into churches. He shut 11 churches; let us open 11 thousand. May each home become a church; let prayer be raised like a torch of fire towards heaven; let the incense fragrance all the neighbourhoods; may the candle and the vigil lamp always be lit. Let us attend the services through electronic correspondence, praying together, and not lying down, or eating, or smoking. If we do this, instead of closing down the churches, they will grow and spread and whole cities will become churches. Then God will give His blessing, and seeing our repentance and our faith He will cast away this evil plague and give us the freedom along with our churches to live many years working for Him.

I wish you a Blessed Holy week, a spiritual ascent, a double well-being of spirit and soul, patience and unwavering trust in God’s Providence, so that the light of the Resurrection will shine forth in our hearts and replenish us with the gifts of the Most Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Blessed and Bright Resurrection!”

With infinite love in Christ

Τhe least in Christ,

Abbess Thekla & the sisters

https://www.monasterevmc.org/blogs/english-blog/life-experiences

Holy Sunday Evening and Holy Monday evening

The Bridegroom Hymn

Three Hierarchs Academy in Arizona Needs Your Help!

The Three Hierarchs Academy is a newly established private, Christian Orthodox school in Florence, Arizona and they need our help.  Please see the link below:
Three Hierarch Academy

A saint has reposed! Elder Ephraim of Arizona has fallen asleep in the Lord

 Elder Ephraim (Moraitis) of Philoteou, Arizona – Photo Journal with his life

May his memory be eternal and may we have his blessing! 

Canon of the Akathist to the Theotokos

Chanted by the Choir of the Convent of the Annunciation, Ormylia (Chalkidiki Greece)

Banana Coffee Ice Cream

Ingredients per serving: 1 frozen banana (ripe) + 1/4 cup coffee, to taste. 

Please both ingredients in the small blender. Here is your instant ice cream! Enjoy. 

Apple, Broccoli and Carrots Scones (ABC vegetarian scone)

Ingredients:

2 cups of carrot/apple pulp from: 5 large carrots and 1 green apple (red apples are sweeter, do not use)- saved after juicing.

¼ -1/2 cup minced broccoli (may substitute with spinach, green onions, garlic chives, regular onions)

Grated ½- 1 pack of smoked/non-smoked Gouda/mozzarella or cheddar cheese (220g per pack)

3-4 eggs (3 if large, 4 if small)

½ cup ground flax seeds/flax seed flour

1 tbsp of corn flour (best is Masa Farina)- this is optional

+/- 2tbsp olive oil

Spices to taste: oregano, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika etc

A few notes: the recipe is very flexible and it can be modified as above per taste; the quantities are not set in stone. Save the pulp from any juicing you may do (containing carrots, apple, celery, beets etc). The pulp can be frozen for later use. The above pulp I also use it to make brownies for my family (and in this way I cut down on the actual flour I have to use)!

Preparation:

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. The mixture should be firm enough in order to mold in small 1.5in balls. If the mixture is too thick add oil, if not, then omit it. On a greased baking tray arrange the scones and place in a preheated oven for 30 min at 350F.  Yields: about 15-17 scones.

EVERY ONE OF US IS A POTENTIAL SAINT

Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki

Every one of us is a potential saint, even if we do not believe right now! Metropolitan Nicholas (Khadzhinkolai) of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, a hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, considers disbelief the most valuable experience in the spiritual life.

"I didn't need someone's stories and arguments about Christ; I was looking to experience His presence"

Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki—Despota Nicholas, why does disbelief have meaning and value for you? It is, quite frankly, paradoxical to hear from a metropolitan…

—Because the Lord reveals Himself only to those who sincerely doubt His existence. I doubted. When I was seventeen, I straight out said, "I am an atheist."

—Did it last long?

—About until I was twenty-two. I still believe it's better to humbly doubt from the sidelines than to boast of being within the Church's enclosure [when you don't actually believe]. My best teachers in the faith were not "savvy" theologians and hereditary clergymen, but those who underwent the novitiate of unbelief. 

—It's all the stranger to hear from a Greek—it's more like something from recent Russian history…

—Greece truly perceives itself as being within the two-thousand-year continuous tradition, and with you [Russians—Trans.] everything is indeed being born again! This explains the inexpressible color and freshness of Church life. It is a revolution of the Spirit! It's unique in the history of mankind and indicative for Orthodoxy throughout the world, because our faith is not of this world. That's why I didn't want to believe in my youth simply "because you have to." I didn't need anyone's stories and arguments about Christ, I was looking to experience His presence. But He didn't come. And I confessed: "I don't know anything about Him." The true God is the One without Whom it's impossible to live. The Church lives by Him, because He isn't a certain sum of opinions about Him by certain people; He is Life itself. 

Since you're already physicists… First lessons on Athos

—Even St. Paisios the Athonite was infected with disbelief in his adolescence. Did you meet Elder Paisios while you were still an unbeliever?

—Yes, and I didn't understand him. I can even say I was scared. He was obviously able to unfurl my life—I felt it but didn't succumb. I tried to get out from under his influence. I thought, let him train on others. 

I remember when I first went to see him in his kalyva with my brother, he asked: "What do you guys do?" "We're physicists," we answered. "Listen! Since you're already physicists, you have to achieve the main thing—the disintegration of the atom of your own self. Then subtle energy will be released, by which you will be able to escape the Earth's gravity and embrace the contemplative Sun, which is Christ." 

I really liked how, using the language of science familiar to us, he opened spiritual horizons to us. Over time, these horizons became significantly more interesting even than cosmic heights for me. 

In our first visit to the elder, I heard how some high schooler asked his blessing to become a novice and the elder joked: "Have you finished college?!" and when he, downcast, said he was still only in high school, the elder said: "I only take those with a university diploma!" I remember that… 

Do you know what else he interested us in in our first visit? He said: "I don't know what sciences you're studying there, in your universities, but if you come here, to the Holy Mount Athos, then understand that here we study only one natural science—holiness. If someone loves God above all, then he feels that his skin is softening, and he melts all over like wax, receiving the fire of God's blessing. Thus is the human soul freed…" 

This was incomprehensible for me at the time… But the elder continued. 

"There's one man," he said (I think about himself), "who is sometimes transported to other places on the planet." Can you imagine what it was like for physicists to hear this?! "During his prayer here, on Athos, the Lord enraptured him and carried him to the region of the Caspian Sea… and gave him a commission. When he fulfilled it, God carried him back. How could that happen? And what proof is there that it really happened? When he returned to his cell he suddenly saw in his hand a flower that only grows in the Caspian region…" 

I didn't believe him then. I perceived everything too rationally then. I still don't know how much I have managed to split the atom of my self; but at least now I don't have a problem perceiving such stories. 

"You no longer ask: Does God exist? You see Him!"

—Then you were even able to live next to Elder Paisios?

—Yes, my college degree helped [laughs]. I really went and showed him my diploma and reminded him of his words… But he generally wasn't taking anyone to himself. 

I'll tell you, these are completely different things: To hear something about a saint, to read about his works, to meet a saint, and to live together with a saint. When you find yourself near such a person, like Elder Paisios, you are assured: The Lord lives. He's real and you communicate with Him. You no longer ask: Does God exist? You see Him! 

—That is, knowledge in the Church is always experience? And this in particular is the difference between faith and scientific knowledge?

—The power of faith expands your consciousness beyond its inherent rationality. God is bigger than our conceptions of Him. Those who seek Him with their reason will not find Him, because such a God does not exist. There is no God Who can be deduced from the equation of life and proved logically. The true God is born in the heart in the experience of faith, and thus death is overcome. 

I really envy in a good way those youths who entered the monastery before being poisoned by skepticism, pragmatism, and rationalism. Their nouses have not fallen to the ground. Otherwise, such reason would impede the search for God. It's impossible to comprehend God with such a mind. 

God can reveal Himself. And He does it only if you humble yourself, recognizing your mind as nothing. And then, having already experienced God, you can turn to your mind to tell others something about the Creator. But not anything more than what God Himself revealed to you about Himself. 

In academic life we try to understand something and make a discovery at all costs. But our spiritual life reveals to us that some things are impossible to understand in principle. 

Humility is the whole essence!

—Is that how a man humbles himself?

—Humility is the alpha and the omega of the spiritual path. For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5). The great St. Gregory Palamas constantly prayed: "Lord, illuminate my darkness." Humility—in it is the whole essence! 

This fully applies not only to the spiritual life, but also to academics. The skills of honest scientific research help us to see God as if through a person and the visible cosmos—and to humble ourselves. When an academic reaches the unsolved mysteries of existence in his scientific search, he stops, feeling his powerlessness to learn anything more. Then he begins to humbly do his work. This is "humility"—the whole point of true science. 

—Then why, having made your greatest discovery, didn't you continue humbly doing your work, but instead became a monk?

—When you have the opportunity to fly to Heaven, you can't bear to wander along the earth. 

—Despota Nicholas, what should those who haven't yet had the experience of such spiritual levitation do?

—Pray. If we don't notice miracles, we don't see them only because we don't know how to pray. If we want to see great miracles, we should become people who know how to pray. 

In prayer, our heart unites with Christ

—How can we learn to pray?

—This world tries in every way to divert us from prayer, cramming our minds with various supposedly necessary knowledge and information. Ignorance, in fact, can be as valuable as the experience of unbelief. Empty your heart of all worry. Learn to minimize attention to that which scatters. Abba Isaac the Syrian said that in prayer all external feelings are killed, while the internal ones awaken. Sometimes it's like the resurrection of Lazarus the Four-Days-Dead: Come forth!—in prayer the soul hears the voice of the Savior and goes beyond the mortal frame of this world. 

"It's probably difficult," you'll say. "Difficult, but necessary. And it's not impossible," I respond. We have to start with the small things: Maybe you won't read all the morning prayers at first, but we have to pray at least a little. 

—On the contrary, neophytes often want to undertake greatpodvigs immediately.

—It's a problem if there is such a desire. Even drivers know that we can't start from fifth gear—only from first. 

—Do you have a recommendation for how it's better to begin learning prayer—with diligence in home or church prayer?

—They are different things: When we pray in church, we ascend to an orbital station and move along a trajectory already verified by the Holy Fathers, and when we pray in private, we create our own means of transportation and set off on a journey! Both are important. Ten minutes—is that a lot? Five minutes? Only, from your whole heart! You just have to calm down, detach yourself from the vanity of the past or the coming day, and pray from your whole heart! 

—And if prayer is done mechanically, is there no point in such a morning or evening rule?

—No, you still have to "read" them. Even mechanically. Generally, of course, we need to pray correctly. That would be better! But you shouldn't only eat in restaurants, but also cook yourself sometimes. Do you understand? It's also humbling. And then, we need to constantly remember that there is a large difference between what is called "reading prayers" and "praying." Prayer is when your heart begins to move in a certain direction, set by the Gospel commandments, and unites with Christ. We must learn to trust God. 

We were standing before the burial shroud not long ago… The Lord wasn't crucified for us so that we would rot alive in many cares. Pascha is not exhausted by the days of Bright Week. 

Principles of life for those striving for holiness

—Despota Nicholas, share with us, please, some secrets of mastering the science of holiness.

—I'll name four Greek words that are the basic principles of life for the Athonite monk-hesychast, and for any person striving for holiness. 

Aνάτασις—ascent! Let us lift up our hearts! Our soul has the possibility of reaching the most unimaginable heights. A man who has experientially felt that this is so is already more like an angel than a man. His condition is more consistent with being in the Kingdom of Heaven, it's already incomparable with the state in which the rest of the people on Earth live. He doesn't need to protect God and the Church in discussions anymore; people around him don't have any questions anymore. This is because his soul has risen so high. This is part of the capabilities of our souls! 

Έκστασις—ecstasy. In all of our actions there must be a surmounting impulse. We're doing everything for God's sake! After all, is there anything more important than God?! We trust our logic, science, and the news we hear every now and then, so why can't we trust God?! It is always beyond the limits of fallen human nature. It doesn't mean the essence of man is overcome, but we are called to go beyond the bounds of our habits, passions, and sins. 

For this to happen requires  έντασις—tension, which comes from the experience of the ascetic struggle. We must labor ascetically with perseverance. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (Mt. 11:12). 

And this tension is resolved in  έκτασις—the stretching of human nature beyond its capabilities. 

We ourselves don't know what's hidden within us

There are unlimited possibilities hidden within every one of us—they're just sleeping. Watch and pray (Mt. 26:41), we are commanded in the Gospel. The university of the Church allows us to discover these possibilities. When we free them, our soul can be in constant compresence with God. This is what Elder Paisios spoke about it in our first meeting, but I couldn't understand it then… 

But in fact, all the saints, any man of God, until he begins to lead an ascetic lifestyle, doesn't know that he can pray so long and fast, so much and so simply, and so on. If God hadn't revealed to him that this is all already within his capacity, he himself wouldn't know. 

—Indeed, capacity, they say, is from experience…

—That's why we need to start living with God, so all the depth of the possibilities of our nature would be revealed before our eyes are closed. Every one of us is a potential saint. It's a pity to die without having tried anything like that, don't you agree? 

The whole life of the Church is filled with examples of the courage of people who decided to live with God. Imagine, the world couldn't know Sts. Sergius of Radonezh or Seraphim of Sarov, and they themselves wouldn't know what forces are hidden in their souls if not for the experience of the Church! 

However, the meaning of life is not in achieving extreme goals, but in humility—and through humility the Lord gives the opportunity for our soul to open up in the measure and direction that is pleasing to Him. 

Olga Orlova
spoke with Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki
Translated by Jesse Dominick 

Pravoslavie.ru

Trisagion Films

It is a true blessing to have the chance to see the great videos that Trisagion Films produced. I welcome the efforts of this non - profit organization to bring the Orthodoxy Faith to all!
https://www.trisagionfilms.com/videos/#/saints/

 

Check out The Life of Saint Paisios ( also read the book about his life ):

 

 

Did you purchase your Pascha Candle (lambades) yet?

Check them out at Panagia Vlahernon Monastery or online at this website:
http://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/paschacandlespart1.htm