Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa

Archdiocese of Good Hope

All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady,
Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another
and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

2 MAY 2019

St Athanasios of Alexandria
Also the Feast of St Matrona of Moscow – St Boris (St Roman) & St Gleb (St David)[Translation of
Holy Relics] – St Athanasios the Wonderworker of Lubensk & Patriarch of Constantinople – St
Hesperos, St Zoe (his wife) & their children, St Kyriakos & St Theodoulos of Attalia – St Michael
Boris, Equal to the Apostles, Prince & Baptiser of Bulgaria

PENTECOSTARION - APOLYTIKION – HOLY PASCHA - TONE (5) PLAGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Ke Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS
SERVICE BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM
WWW. SCR IBD. C OM /WR ITE RS45 74

PROKEIMENON – PRAYER OF AZARIAH – TONE 4

Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our Fathers...
For Thou art Righteous in all Thou did for us...
THE EPISTLE OF ST PAUL TO THE HEBREWS 13 : 7 – 16
Brethren: remember those who rule over you - those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome
of their Lives, and imitate their Faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be
led away by diverse and strange teachings. It is Good that the heart be Strengthened by Grace – not by
foods, which have not benefitted their adherents.
We have an Altar - from which those who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat. The bodies of those
animals, whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest as a Sacrifice for sin are burnt outside
the Camp. Jesus also suffered in order to Sanctify the People through His own Blood, outside the gates.
Therefore, let us go forth to Him outside the Camp, to bear the abuse He endured.
Here we have no Lasting City, but we seek that which is to come. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a
Sacrifice of Praise to God – that is: the Fruit of lips that Confessed His Name. Share what you have - do not
neglect to do Good. Such Sacrifices are pleasing to God.
✶ “...Those who rule...” refers particularly to OUR ✶ “Strange doctrines...” are the FALSE IDEAS OR FLAWED
ORDAINED BISHOPS AND PRIESTS WHO HAVE THE DIVINE OPINIONS OF MANKIND THAT REFUTE OR DENY DIVINE
AUTHORITY OF CHRIST’S HOLY CHURCH TO PERFORM TRUTH in an arrogant effort to prove themselves
THE SEVEN HOLY MYSTERIES AND TO FULFIL ALL THE superior or more knowledgeable than Almighty
OTHER HOLY SERVICES AND DUTIES required of them God!
for the sake of our Eternal Salvation.
HERETICAL OR BLASPHEMOUS IDEAS, BELIEFS OR

We must not only pray for all our essential TEACHINGS do not arise from Christ’s One,
Spiritual Fathers but WE MUST ALSO FOLLOW Holy, Catholic (Universal) and Apostolic
THEIR TEACHINGS, GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTIONS Church but FROM MANKIND’S LIMITED AND
as our best examples or models of Life in FLAWED INTELLECT.
Christ or Christian Life STRIVING TO IMITATE
THESE, BEING INSTIGATED BY THE EVIL ONE, REBEL
AND FULFIL THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. AGAINST DIVINE TRUTH, AND ARE MOTIVATED BY

THE FAITH OF OUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS IS THE SAME PRIDE AND EGOCENTRIC ARROGANCE AND
FAITH THAT THEY TEACH US, which we must live DISOBEDIENCE TO DIVINE WILL AND TRUTH.
by FULFILLING OUR SACRED TASKS AND
In this case, St Paul was referring to THE
EVERYTHING WE ARE TAUGHT BY CHRIST TO DO. LEGALISTIC TEACHINGS OF THOSE WHO

FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS THAT IS TAUGHT TO US INCORRECTLY INTERPRETED JUDAIC LAWS TO SUIT
THROUGH AUTHENTIC VERBAL AND WRITTEN THEMSELVES AND TO PLEASE OTHERS, RATHER THAN
TEACHINGS WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT NOR FAIL US. TO BE HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT TO GOD.
✶ Since OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY, THE ETERNAL, ✶ Kosher Laws concerning food or FASTS ARE OF NO
ONLY BEGOTTEN WORD AND SON OF GOD THE FATHER SPIRITUAL BENEFIT WHEN DIVINE GRACE IS NOT AT THE
He NEVER CHANGES. HEART OF OUR ACTIONS.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S DIVINE TRUTH – HIS HOLY THIS IS THE TEACHING OF CHRIST OUR LORD AND
GOSPEL – NEVER CHANGES! SUBSEQUENTLY, HIS HOLY APOSTLES AND HIS HOLY

THOSE WHO WERE FAITHFUL TO GOD ACCORDING TO CHURCH WITH REGARD TO FASTING AND SELF-
THE OLD COVENANT AND THE NEW COVENANT DISCIPLINE.
HAVE ATTAINED ETERNAL LIFE IN THE HEAVENLY
According to the Old Covenant, Priests were
KINGDOM – thus WE ARE ABLE TO DO SO AS WELL allowed to eat and feed their families with
BY OUR EVER-INCREASING FAITH IN GOD. some of the animals and other things that

THE HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CHRIST HAS MOST had been offered to God as sacrifices for the
CAREFULLY PRESERVED HER DIVINE TRUTH – THE Forgiveness of sins and in Thanksgiving.
TRUE TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD –
However, LAITY – THE PEOPLE - WERE STRICTLY
ABSOLUTELY PURE AND UNALTERED BY MANKIND’S FORBIDDEN FROM PARTAKING OF ANY OF IT.
FLAWED. EGOCENTRIC OPINIONS OR CONCEPTS.

ST ATHANASIOS OF ALEXANDRIA – 2 MAY 2019 1

✶ ACCORDING TO THE NEW COVENANT, ALL THE FAITHFUL UNDER THE NEW COVENANT WITH GOD – I.E. THOSE
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST MAY PARTAKE OF “...THE FOOD OF WHO ARE THE “NEW ISRAEL.”
THE ALTAR.”
AS MEMBERS OF OUR HIGH PRIEST, JESUS CHRIST, WE

WE MUST PARTAKE OF HOLY COMMUNION AT EVERY MAY ALWAYS ENTER THE HOLY PLACE AND SEEK THE
DIVINE LITURGY, HAVING PREPARED OURSELVES FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS without any
CORRECTLY BEFOREHAND (with self-examination, restrictions through God’s Divine Mysteries of
Repentance-Confession – especially the Holy Mystery Repentance-Confession and Holy Eucharist.
of Repentance-Confession so that our repented sins ✶ “...The camp...” refers to the OLD COVENANT, ISRAEL,
are truly washed away and we are Cleansed and AND ALL ITS INSTITUTIONS AND FORMS OF WORSHIP.
Renewed – and, finally, with Prayers of Repentance ✶ “...The City...” is THE EARTHLY JERUSALEM WITH ITS OLD
and Prayers Before Communion.) COVENANT TEMPLE OF JUDAISM.

In fact, WE MAY EAT ANY FOOD THAT GOD PROVIDES
WE CANNOT FOLLOW BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW
FOR US FOR WHICH WE MUST ALWAYS EXPRESS OUR COVENANTS!!
GRATITUDE WITH PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING.
AS DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, WE MUST FOLLOW ONLY THE
✶ THE OLD COVENANT HIGH PRIEST COULD ONLY ENTER THE NEW COVENANT TEACHINGS OF OUR LORD.
HOLY OF HOLIES with the Blood Offerings for the
However, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, THE
Forgiveness of sins of the people as well as his PSALMS AND THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING OUR
own sins ONCE A YEAR – ON THE DAY OF LORD JESUS CHRIST REMAIN COMPLETELY
ATONEMENT – WHICH HAD TO BE REPEATED EACH YEAR. RELEVANT TO OUR LIFE IN CHRIST – OUR CHRISTIAN
✶ “...burnt outside the camp.”It was strictly forbidden WORSHIP.
to eat the ANIMALS OFFERED AS SACRIFICES FOR THE
ALL THE OTHER JUDAIC INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN
DAY OF ATONEMENT so they WERE BURNT OUTSIDE THE THE BOOKS OF DEUTERONOMY AND NUMBERS,
CITY WALLS regarding health rituals and various other

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS IDENTIFIED WITH THAT SIN circumstances that were vital during the
OFFERING ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. Israelites’ 40 year sojourn in the wilderness

HE IS OUR ONLY HIGH PRIEST AND HIS PRECIOUS AND and before the First Appearance of our
LIFE-GIVING BODY AND BLOOD WERE THE Saviour, HAVE BEEN FULFILLED BY OUR LORD JESUS
ULTIMATE SIN OFFERINGS. CHRIST.

CHRIST WAS THE OFFERER AND THE OFFERING FOR THE
THEY ARE NO LONGER APPLICABLE NOR NECESSARY FOR
SINS OF ALL MANKIND THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, SO OUR ETERNAL SALVATION OR LIFE IN CHRIST.
THAT NO OTHER BLOOD OFFERING WOULD EVER
THE VERY EARLY CHURCH OF CHRIST IN JERUSALEM
AGAIN BE REQUIRED NOR NECESSARY. during 30 – 70 initially retained its Jewish

Our Redeemer “...suffered...” and gave up His customs, even some of the religious
Spirit on the Cross “... outside the city traditions, but they WORSHIPPED AND PRACTISED
gates...” OUR FAITH ONLY ACCORDING TO THE NEW

HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD WAS not carried into the COVENANT, which caused the wrath and
Temple in Jerusalem by anyone other than persecution of Christians by those who
Himself, Who CARRIED IT INTO THE ONLY MOST remained under the Old Covenant.
HOLY OF HOLIES OF HIS ETERNAL HEAVENLY ✶ “...we seek that which is to come...” UNTIL THE
KINGDOM. SECOND APPEARANCE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WE

Blood Sacrifices or Offerings for our sins are no MUST BE PREPARED TO BEAR THE SCORN AND HATRED OF
longer required, but we do offer A BLOODLESS OTHERS, AND REGARD OURSELVES AS BEING “IN EXILE”
SACRIFICE OF BREAD AND WINE THAT BY THE POWER IN THIS SHORT, TEMPORARY EARTHLY LIFE.
AND ENERGY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ACCORDING TO
WE HAVE ALREADY ENTERED OUR LORD’S HEAVENLY
THE WILL OF THE FATHER, AND THROUGH OUR LORD City of Love, Peace and Joy.
JESUS CHRIST, IS TRANSUBSTANTIATED AS THE
We experience the Heavenly City and Its Most
DIVINELY MYSTERIOUS LIFE-GIVING BODY AND Holy Place WHEN WE SACRIFICE OUR ENTIRE
BLOOD OF OUR SAVIOUR FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF BEING, BODY AND SOUL, IN THE DIVINE LITURGY – a
SINS AND THUS FOR OUR ETERNAL SALVATION. Divine Mystery wherein WE PARTICIPATE BY

This is THE HOLY MYSTERY OF EUCHARIST OR MEANS OF OUR WORSHIP, PRAISES AND
COMMUNION, of which we may regularly THANKSGIVING that is CONSISTENT WITH THE TRUE
partake. DOCTRINE – the Divine Truth of Christ.

The Great Entrance with the Holy Gifts shows us
GOOD WORKS AND OUR LIFE IN COMMUNITY – i.e.
that THE DIVINE LITURGY IS INDEED ETERNAL AND Koinonias (to share) – MUST BE UNITED WITH
IS FOR EVERYONE – FOR ALL HUMANITY – WHO IS
CORRECT WORSHIP AND OUR LIFE IN CHRIST.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 3 : 1 - 5
At that time, there was a man of the Pharisees named ‘Nikodemos’ – a Ruler of the Judeans. This man went to
Jesus by night, and said to Him: “Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher Who has come from God. For no
one could do such Signs as Thou dost unless God is with Him.” Jesus answered and said to him: “Truly, truly,
I say to you – unless one is Born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nikodemos said to Him: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s
womb and then be reborn?” Jesus answered: “ Truly, truly, I say to Thee – unless one is born of Water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
Born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to Thee: ‘You must be Born again...’ The wind blows
wherever it wishes, and we hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So
is everyone who is Born of the Spirit.”
Nikodemos answered and said to Him: “How can these things be?”Answering, Jesus said to him: “Art Thou the
Teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Truly, truly, I say to Thee – We speak of what We know,
and Testify what We have beheld, and Thou dost not receive Our Testimony. If I have told Thee earthly
things and Thou dost not believe, how wilt Thou believe when I tell Thee Heavenly Things? And so no
one has Ascended into Heaven except He Who came down from Heaven – the Son of Man Who is in
Heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, likewise must the Son of Mankind be lifted
up, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have Eternal Life...”
✶ ST “...Nikodemos...” WAS A PHARISEE AND RULING MEMBER Joseph of Arimathea, he prepared and
OF THE SANHEDRIN, WHO SECRETLY MET WITH OUR entombed His Body.
DIVINE SAVIOUR TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS
Therefore BOTH ST NIKODEMOS AND ST JOSEPH OF
TEACHINGS. ARIMATHEA ARE COMMEMORATED TOGETHER WITH

Subsequently, HIS ELITE SOCIAL STATUS ENABLED HIM THE EIGHT HOLY MYRRHBEARING WOMEN.
TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO PONTIUS PILATE ABOUT ✶ “...went to Jesus by night...” Although St Nikodemos
RELEASING THE PRECIOUS BODY OF OUR LORD believed that our Lord Jesus Christ was “...from
AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION., Together with St

2 ST ATHANASIOS OF ALEXANDRIA – 2 MAY 2019

 God...” HIS FAITH WAS STILL WEAK, AND AS HE WAS
AFRAID OF HIS PEERS.

ST NIKODEMOS’ FAITH BECAME STEADFAST TO SUCH A
DEGREE THAT HE WAS COMPELLED TO DEFEND
CHRIST BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN, thereby risking
his entire life, especially after making the
bold public Confession of Faith by claiming
our Lord’s Body and entombing Him in the
newly carved tomb donated by St Joseph of
Arimathea. (JOHN 7: 50-51 &JOHN 19: 39 – 42)

ST NIKODEMOS WAS BAPTISED BY ST PETER, EXCLUDED
FROM THE SANHEDRIN COUNCIL, AND FORCED TO
FLEE JERUSALEM.
✶ “... Born again...” – the word “again” can also be
translated as BEING “...from Above...” and
clearly refers to OUR HEAVENLY BIRTH FROM GOD
THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST.

THIS HEAVENLY BIRTH IS OUR HOLY BAPTISM AND OUR
ADOPTION BY GOD AS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER,
MAKING US CO-HEIRS WITH CHRIST TO HIS
HEAVENLY KINGDOM OF LOVE.

This New Birth is THE BEGINNING OF OUR SPIRITUAL
LIFE IN CHRIST – our Ultimate Goal being to
gain Entrance into the Eternal “... Kingdom
of God.”

ST NIKODEMOS INITIALLY MISUNDERSTOOD AND
QUESTIONED the possibility of a “...second...”
physical birth.

Misunderstandings are frequently mentioned
by St John in his Holy Gospel.

However, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST OFTEN USED THESE
OPPORTUNITIES TO ELEVATE AN IDEA FROM A
SUPERFICIAL OR MUNDANE, EARTHLY MEANING TO A
HEAVENLY, ETERNAL MEANING.
✶ “...unless one is born of Water and the Spirit...” Our
Spiritual Rebirth is THE HOLY MYSTERY OF BAPTISM
AND CHRISMATION, when we are granted DIVINE
ADOPTION AND THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

OUR ADOPTION AS CHILDREN OF GOD IS NOT A MATTER
OF ETHNIC DESCENT -“... of blood...” - as it was
according to the Old Covenant, NOR ARE WE
CHILDREN OF GOD SIMPLY BY OUR NATURAL,
BIOLOGICAL BIRTH – “... the will of the flesh...”,
nor by our own decision – “...the will of
man...”

BECOMING A TRUE CHILD OF GOD IS A SPIRITUAL BIRTH
BY DIVINE GRACE, THROUGH OUR PERSONAL FAITH
AND BY THE POWER AND ENERGY OF GOD THE HOLY
SPIRIT Who makes everything possible.

This is accomplished and manifest in the Holy
Mystery of Baptism and Chrismation.
✶ “... The wind blows...” is a play on words for THE
GREEK WORD “PNEVMA” MEANS BOTH “WIND” AND
“SPIRIT.”

THE WORK OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT in our New
Birth IS AS PROFOUNDLY MYSTERIOUS AS THE
SOURCE AND DESTINATION OF THE BLOWING WIND.

Likewise, THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVES WHEREVER HE
WILLS, AND CANNOT BE CONTAINED NOR
RESTRICTED by our limited, ignorant human
ideas or agendas.
✶ “... the Teacher of Israel...” is a reference to THE SELF-
APPOINTED ROLE OF THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES, who
studied Holy Scripture and claimed to have
knowledge of all things – even Divine Matters.

However, THE SIMPLE DESIRE TO KNOW AND TO
FOLLOW GOD’S WILL IS THE KEY TO
UNDERSTANDING IT.

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS COMES FROM UNWILLINGNESS TO
KNOW GOD OR TO RECOGNISE HIS DIVINE
AUTHORITY.

St John Chrysostom paraphrases Christ our
Saviour’s Words as follows: “...RID YOURSELF
OF WICKEDNESS: the anger, the envy, and the
hatred that has arisen in your heart, without
provocation, against Me. Then you will
ST ATHANASIOS OF ALEXANDRIA – 2 MAY 2019
have no difficulty in realising that MY WORDS
ARE ACTUALLY THOSE OF GOD.
“As it is, these PASSIONS DARKEN YOUR
UNDERSTANDING AND DISTORT SOUND
JUDGEMENT. IF YOU REMOVE THESE PASSIONS,
YOU WILL NO LONGER BE AFFLICTED in this
manner.”
✶ “... We speak what We know and testify what We
have seen...” clearly shows us that THE HOLY
TRINITY ALWAYS ACTS IN PERFECT HARMONY AND
UNISON – Christ being the Third Person of the
One Godhead.

Furthermore, GOD IS TRUTH! HE CANNOT TESTIFY
NOR TEACH US ANYTHING BESIDES HIS PERFECT,
ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

Lies, deceit and all the negative opposites to
God’s Goodness, Love and Truth are the
inventions of the evil one, who has lost all
these Holy Attributes.
✶ “....As our Lord pointed out to St Nikodemos, IF HE
COULD NOT UNDERSTAND “... earthly things...” HOW
WOULD HE BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND HEAVENLY
THINGS.

According to St John Chrysostom, THESE “...
EARTHLY THINGS...” REFERRED TO DIVINE GRACE
AND HOLY BAPTISM, which are granted to all
mankind by the Lord our God.

These are “earthly” – not in the sense of being
“unspiritual,” but only in the sense that THEY
OCCUR ON EARTH AND GOD GRANTS THEM TO
MANKIND WHOM HE CREATED.
✶ “... Heavenly Things...” involve THE UNGRASPABLE
DIVINE MYSTERIES OF THE ETERNAL GENERATION OF
GOD THE SON FROM GOD THE FATHER, RELATING TO
HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE BEFORE ALL TIME, AND
ACCORDING TO GOD’S DIVINE PLAN OF SALVATION OF
THE WORLD.

We must FIRST GRASP THE WAYS WHEREBY GOD WORKS
AMONGST MANKIND before we can even begin
to understand Divine Things pertaining to
the Lord our God Himself!
✶ “...likewise must the Son of Mankind be lifted up...”
St Moses had lifted up an image of A SERPENT
CURLED AROUND A STAFF IN ORDER TO CURE THE
ISRAELITES FROM THE FATAL BITS OF VENOMOUS SNAKES
in the Wilderness. (NUMBERS 21: 4 – 9 )

THAT MIRACLE-WORKING IMAGE PREFIGURED OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST BEING LIFTED UP ON THE
CROSS.

WHEN WE BEHOLD OUR CRUCIFIED SAVIOUR WITH
FAITH, THE POWER OF SIN AND DEATH IS
OVERTHROWN IN US.

Just as the image of a serpent was the Weapon
or Antidote that destroyed the fatal venom
of serpents, so, too, but EVEN MORE SO, THE
TERRIBLE INSTRUMENT OF TORTURE AND DEATH,
BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S VOLUNTARY SACRIFICE BY
CRUCIFIXION BECAME THE VICTORIOUS WEAPON
AND ANTIDOTE AGAINST DEATH ITSELF.
✶ “... lifted up...” In order TO SHOW THE REASON AND
PURPOSE FOR THE CRUCIFIXION OF OUR DIVINE
LORD, CHRIST DECLARED GOD’S INFINITELY GREAT
LOVE – not only for Israel, His Chosen People
– but also FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.
✶ “... God did not send His Son... to condemn... but
that the world, through Him, might be
Saved...”

This single verse expresses THE ENTIRE MESSAGE
OF ST JOHN’S HOLY GOSPEL – AND INDEED OF
MANKIND’S SALVATION HISTORY!

Although our Lord Jesus Christ came to Save
and not to condemn us, HE DID CREATE US
WITH FREE WILL, WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS
ENTIRELY UP TO US WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL
ACCEPT OR REJECT HIS GIFTS OF DIVINE LOVE.

However, EVERY CHOICE WE MAKE HAS ITS ULTIMATE
ETERNAL CONSEQUENCE, for BY REJECTING THE
3
 WILL OF OUR LORD GOD AND THEREBY ALIENATING
OURSELVES FROM HIM, WE ACTUALLY ETERNALLY
CONDEMN OURSELVES.

Nevertheless, GOD IN HIS GREAT MERCY FOR US
FLAWED AND IGNORANT CREATURES, HAS GRANTED
US ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES TO RECTIFY OUR
ST ATHANASIOS THE GREAT PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA & ALL AFRICA
St Athanasios was born in Alexandria, Egypt. His
parents were devout Christians who reared him
in Piety, and from his earliest years his Calling
was evident.
One day, young Athanasios was playing on the shore
with his friends, mimicking the Priestly Rites
after his playmates had elected him as their
“Bishop.” He in turn named some of them
“Presbyters” and others “Deacons.” They then
gathered a small group number of pagan
children, whom “Bishop” Athanasios Baptized in
the sea, pronouncing the words of the Holy
Mystery of Baptism and Chrismation as he had
heard them so many times before, after which
he delivered as much of an admonition against
apostasy as a little boy could.
The Patriarch of Alexandria, St Alexander, witnessed
from afar, the entire event and was amazed.
Having requested the children to be brought to him,
he asked them what they were doing, and, at
first they were afraid to answer, but after some
coaxing began to explain.
Singling out the boys who had been Baptized, the
Patriarch inquired what questions had been
put to them, and how they had replied. Having
satisfied himself that everything had been done
in a manner consistent with our Faith, he
consulted his Clergy, and decided that the
Baptisms were indeed valid and binding, so he
promptly performed the Holy Mystery of
Chrismation, Sanctifying and Sealing them with
the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
He then summoned St Athanasios' parents and urged
them to rear him and teach him well, and
when he had reached a more mature age,
they were to dedicate him to the Holy Service of
God and His Holy Church.
After St Athanasios had completed his education, the
Patriarch received him into the Clergy, and,
like a fearless Soldier, he began his Spiritual
Warfare against the heretics, for which he
would suffer intensely.
Arias, an arrogant heretic and servant of the devil,
wreaked havoc in our Church. After being
anathematized by the Holy Fathers of the First
Ecumenical Council of Nicaea,
excommunicated, and banished, it seemed the
treacherous serpent was near his end; but he
was in fact secretly inciting his allies to spread
ruinous, insane, and poisonous doctrines
everywhere, while himself awaiting an
opportunity to strike again.
Through his many friends at court, and especially
Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, Arius petitioned
the Emperor Constantine to permit him to return
to Alexandria - Eusebius having persuaded
TH E ETERNAL, I NSPIRED WISDOM
 We cannot put straight in others what is warped in
ourselves.
 Our Lord Jesus Christ became what we are
(human) so that He might make us what He is.
(gods)
 We will not see anyone who is truly Striving for
Spiritual Advancement who is not given to
Spiritual Reading.
 As Faithful Disciples of Christ, instead of arming
ourselves with swords, we extend our hands in
Prayer.
 Our Lord Jesus Christ did not come to make a
display. He came to Heal and to teach
suffering mankind. For one who wants to make
a display, would just appear and dazzle
beholders.
But He Who came to Heal and Teach the Way did
not merely dwell here, but put Himself at the
disposal of those who needed Him, and is
4 ST ATHANASIOS OF ALEXANDRIA – 2 MAY 2019
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM - to be Reconciled
with God and one another by Repenting our
sins and receiving Divine Forgiveness.

WE ONLY HAVE THIS SHORT, PREPARATORY LIFESPAN IN
WHICH TO DO SO, AND SHOULD NOT WASTE ANY
TIME DELAYING OUR REPENTANCE-CONFESSION.
him that Arius preached nothing contrary to the
Teaching of the Church, and had been
condemned by “...jealous Bishops, not because
he had erred regarding the Faith, but because
of a vain quarrel over ‘words’.”
Emperor Constantine did not perceive the heretics'
wiles, so, accepting their false assurances, he
ordered an end to “... wrangling over words,
lest an unbridgeable rift develop between the
churches...” and due to misdirected
compassion, he permitted Arius to return to
Alexandria, which greatly grieved the Orthodox
Faithful - especially St Athanasios the Steadfast
Champion of the Holy Traditions.
As an Archdeacon, St Athanasios denounced the
blasphemer in eloquent Sermons and Divinely
Inspired writings, and persuaded Patriarch
Alexander to write Emperor Constantine a letter
(which he helped compose) pointing out the
Emperor's credulity in believing the heretic's lies
and censuring him for permitting Arius to defy
the Patristic definition after he had been cast
out of the Church by God and the Holy Fathers
for rejecting the True Faith. Instigated by
Eusebius, the Emperor sent a stern reply,
threatening to depose Patriarch Alexander and
defrock St Athanasios if they did not remain
silent on this matter.
When Patriarch Alexander Reposed, the Orthodox
Faithful unanimously elected St Athanasios as
his successor, considering him “...a Vessel
worthy to hold the Myrrh of Episcopal Grace...”
and for a brief period, fearful of open conflict,
the heretics contented themselves with secretly
spreading their blasphemies.
Eventually, they revealed their wickedness when St
Athanasios ignored an Imperial Order, which
commanded the Patriarch to accept Arius into
Communion, but despite the heretical turmoil,
St Athanasios remained untroubled.
St Athanasios was continuously persecuted by his
enemies and even exiled by various Emperors
but Protected by God, and when his Faithful
Flock entreated him to remain in Alexandria,
he reassured them that “... the present
disturbance will soon come to an end...”
Over time, Faithful Bishops were expelled from their
sees if they would not embrace heresy, until
finally, grieving St Athanasios’ absence and
offended by Imperial tyranny, the people rose
in rebellion.
St Athanasios was a most beloved Bishop for 46 years,
who had to contend with open Spiritual
Warfare for most of those years before Reposing
in Peace in Christ.
OF ST ATHANASIOS OF ALEXANDRIA
manifested according to as much as we can
bear – not vitiating (negating) the Value of the
Divine Appearing by exceeding our capacity to
receive it.
 The Self-revealing of the Word is in every
dimension – above, in Creation; below, in the
Incarnation; in the depth, in Hades, in the
breadth, throughout the world. All things have
bee filled with Knowledge of God.
 Even on the Cross our Lord Jesus Christ did not
hide Himself from our sight. Instead He made
all Creation witness to the Presence of our
Maker.
 We must remember the poor, and not forget
Kindness to strangers.
Above all, we must Love God with all our mind,
with all our heart, with all our strength and with
all our soul, and our neighbours as much as we
love ourselves.
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious
Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one
another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

TONE (6) PLAGAL 2 3 MAY 2019

BRIGHT FRIDAY – THE LIFE-GIVING SPRING

Also the Feast of St Timothy the Reader & his wife, St Maura, of Antinoes, Egypt – St Peter,
Archbishop of Argos – St Ekoumenios Wonder-working Bishop of Trikala -, St Theophanios Peritheoriou - St Xenia Virgin
Martyr – St Theodosios of Kiev Far Caves Monastery, Founder of Coenobitic Monasticism in Russia – St Peter the
Wonderworker & Bishop of Argos, Peloponnesos – St Mamai of Georgia – St Michael & St Arsenios of Georgia

PENTECOSTARION - APOLYTIKION – HOLY PASCHA - TONE (5) PLAGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Ke Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]
ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS SERVICE
BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

PROKEIMENON – PSALM 103/104 – TONE 4

O Lord, Thy Works shall be greatly magnified! Thou made all things in Wisdom!
Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God Thou art Exceedingly Magnified!
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO ST LUKE 3 : 1 – 8
In those days, Peter and John were going up to the Temple at the Hour of Prayer - the Ninth Hour. And a man –
lame from birth – was being carried. He was laid daily at the gate of the Temple, which is called ‘Beautiful,’
to beg for Alms from those who entered the Temple. Seeing Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he
asked them for Alms. Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said: “Look at us.” He fixed his attention
upon them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said: “Silver and gold I do not have. What I
have, I give to you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth get up and walk!” And he took him by the right
hand and raised him up. Immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened, and leaping up, he stood,
and walked. And he entered the Temple with them, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

✶ “...at the Hour of Prayer – the Ninth Hour...” means teaching them to observe all things that I have
that THE APOSTLES OBSERVED REGULAR HOURS OF commanded you.
PRAYER just as the Faithful People of God had  THE HOLY MYSTERY OF HEALING – HOLY UNCTION –
done for centuries. MANIFESTS THE LIVING PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY
 P S A L M 5 4 : 1 8 “...Evening and Morning, and at GOD in His Holy Church AND It CONFIRMS THE
Midday, I shall pray...” DIVINE MESSAGE of the Holy Gospel of our Lord
 D A N I E L 6 : 1 1 ”... (Daniel) knelt down on his knees Jesus Christ.
three times that day and prayed and gave ✶ “...In the Name of Jesus Christ...” – To PRAY IN THE
Thanks to God as he was doing before...” NAME OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, does

The practise of PRAYING AT THE FIRST HOUR – 06:00 not simply mean attaching this phrase to the
– THIRD HOUR – 09:00 – SIXTH HOUR – 12:00 – AND end of our Prayers.
NINTH HOUR – 15;00 – OF EVERY DAY was carried
Instead, WHEN WE PRAY IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD
over into the New Covenant Church and OUR JESUS CHRIST, IT MEANS THAT WE MUST PRAY
LIFE IN CHRIST AS HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES. ACCORDING TO HIS DIVINE WILL.

WE STILL OBSERVE THESE HOURS in our Eastern
Just as an emissary of a King can only be said
Orthodox Christian Church in our private to be speaking in that Sovereign’s name –
Prayers, in our Monasteries and in some of on his behalf – if he says what the King
our Parishes. would want him to say.

THE SIXTH AND THE NINTH HOURS ARE PART OF OUR
Similarly, WE CAN ONLY PRAY IN THE NAME OF CHRIST
TRADITIONAL HOURS OF LITURGICAL PRAYER. WHEN WE PRAY ACCORDING TO WHAT HE WANTS OR
✶ "... What I have, I give to you...” - THE HOLY APOSTLES ACCORDING TO HIS DIVINE TRUTH AND PURPOSE.
OF CHRIST PARTICIPATED NOT ONLY IN PREACHING AND
Our Prayers are certainly not to for God to do
TEACHING, BUT ALSO IN PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALING. whatever we want, but rather for us to PRAY

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAD BESTOWED HIS DIVINE PROPERLY IN HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE TO HIS
AUTHORITY ON HIS HOLY APOSTLES SO THAT THEY DIVINE WILL AND TRUTH.
WERE ABLE TO FULFIL HIS COMMANDMENTS.  M A T T H E W 6 : 1 0 - “... THY WILL be done, on Earth,
 M A T T H E W 2 8 : 1 6 - 2 0 - “..make Disciples of all as it is in Heaven...”
the Nations, Baptising them in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 2 12 – 22
At that time, Jesus went to Capernaum with His Mother and His Brothers and His Disciples, and they remained there for
a few days. And the Passover of the Judeans was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
And in the Temple He found the sellers of oxen, and sheep, and pigeons, and the money-changers conducting their
business. And, having made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the Temple – with the sheep and oxen. And
He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overthrew the tables. And to those who sold doves He said:
“Take these away from here! Do not make My Father’s House a house of merchandise!”
His Disciples remembered that it was written: “The Zeal for Thy House hath consumed Me!”

BRIGHT FRIDAY – THE LIFE-GIVING SPRING – 3 MAY 2019 5

The Judeans responded and said to Him: “What Sign dost Thou show us, seeing that Thou doest these things?”
Answering, Jesus said to them: “Destroy this Temple, and in Three Days I Will Raise It up.” The Judeans replied:
“Forty six years it took to build this Temple, and Thou wilt raise it up in three days?” However, He spoke of the
Temple of His Body. When, therefore, He was Risen from the dead, His Disciples remembered that He had said this
to them. And they believed the Scriptures, and the Word that Jesus had spoken.
✶"... went up to Jerusalem ...” OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST  M A T T H E W 2 1 : 2 5 : “...The Baptism of John – Where
AND HIS RIGHTEOUS FAMILY WERE DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL
TO GOD IN ALL THINGS.

Every Judean family would make every effort to
travel to Jerusalem to participate in the
celebrations of the Great Holy Feasts.

THE OLD COVENANT PASSOVER WAS A MOST
SIGNIFICANT FEAST, which celebrated the
Chosen People of God being FREED FROM
THEIR SLAVERY TO THE EGYPTIANS AND BEING
GRANTED THE PROMISED LAND.

OUR NEW COVENANT HOLY PASCHA CELEBRATES OUR
SPIRITUAL FREEDOM FROM ENSLAVEMENT TO SIN
AND DEATH, AND CHRIST’S GLORIOUS
RESURRECTION AND OUR FUTURE RESURRECTION
INTO ETERNAL LIFE IN GOD’S HEAVENLY KINGDOM
– OUR PROMISED LAND.
✶ “...In the Temple He found those who were
selling...” LIVE ANIMALS AND BIRDS THAT WERE USED
AS SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS AS WELL AS MONEY
CHANGERS who traded the Roman coins for
Jewish coins because the Roman coins bore the
image of Caesar, which were thus considered a
defilement of the Holy Temple of God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Cleansing of the Holy
Temple also points out THE NECESSITY OF
KEEPING THE HALLOWED GROUND OF OUR HOLY
TEMPLES FREE FROM ALL EARTHLY PURSUITS AND
MATERIAL PROFITEERING.
Candles and various other monetary exchanges (in memory of
the departed, fees for Baptisms and Marriages, donations,
etc) are conducted in the Vestibule/Narthex of the church,
which is considered a suitable place for such transactions.
Penitents would be restricted to the Narthex until they had
Repented their sins, while mothers with their 40 day old
infants would wait there for their “Churching” and restoration
to receiving the Holy Mysteries.
The first part of Holy Baptism – “The Making of a Catechumen” –
is conducted in the Narthex where Prayers are recited over
the Candidate and Vows are sworn, renouncing Satan and
all his evil works, and swearing Sacred Allegiance to Christ
our Divine Saviour and Lord God, after which the Holy
Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation take place on the
Soleas in front of the Iconostasis and the Holy Sanctuary.

AS EACH OF US IS ALSO A SACRED, SANCTIFIED
TEMPLE of God, OUR HEART AND MIND – OUR
BODY AND SOUL – MUST BE REGULARLY CLEANSED
of earthly contamination and sin through
constant Repentance-Confession, and
partaking of Holy Eucharist.

According to the Synoptic Gospels of St
Matthew, St Mark and St Luke, the
significant Cleansing of the Holy Temple of
God in Jerusalem by our Lord Jesus Christ
occurred at the end of His Public Ministry.

However, St John the Beloved Apostle and
Theologian placed it at the beginning of
our Divine Saviour’s earthly Mission.

Certain of our Holy Fathers believed that OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST PERFORMED THIS BOLD
CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE TWICE DURING HIS
THREE YEARS OF PUBLIC MINISTRY.

SINCE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT A LEVITICAL
PRIEST, HIS AUTHORITY TO CLEANSE THE TEMPLE
AS HE DID WAS VEHEMENTLY CHALLENGED.
✶ ”... The Judeans...” WERE THE JEWISH OR HEBREWS.

in the Holy Gospel according to St John it
often REFERS SPECIFICALLY TO THE OLD
COVENANT LEADERS.

IN THIS CASE, HE WAS REFERRING TO THE CHIEF
PRIESTS AND THE ELDERS OF THE TEMPLE.
✶ “...What Sign hast Thou to show us for doing
this...” AT THAT TIME oUR DIVINE SAVIOUR WAS
CAREFUL NOT TO REVEAL HIS TRUE DIVINE IDENTITY
TO THOSE WHO WOULD REJECT AND MOCK HIM.

HE CONFOUNDED THEM WITH A DIFFERENT QUESTION
CONCERNING ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND HIS
RIGHTEOUS FORERUNNER.
6 BRIGHT FRIDAY – THE LIFE-GIVING SPRING – 3 MAY 2019
is it from? From Heaven or from men?”

BOTH THE ELDERS’ QUESTION OF CHRIST’S AUTHORITY
TO CLEANSE THE TEMPLE AND THE QUESTION OUR
LORD PUT TO THEM CONCERNING ST JOHN THE
BAPTIST REQUIRED THE EXACT SAME ANSWER!

Consequently, IF THEY HAD ANSWERED CORRECTLY
that the Baptism of St John was according
to Divine Will then THEY WOULD HAVE TO
CONFESS THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TRULY
HAD DIVINE AUTHORITY AND IS ‘FROM HEAVEN’
and not merely ‘a poor Carpenter from
Nazareth.’

By not answering the Elders directly, OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST ALSO TEACHES US NOT TO ANSWER
THOSE WHO ENQUIRE ABOUT THE HOLY THINGS OF
GOD WITH MALICIOUS, MOCKING INTENTIONS.

THE ULTIMATE “SIGN” WOULD BE HIS DEATH AND
RESURRECTION!

Later, as a result of their challenging Christ by
using their own limited principles, THE
ELDERS CONVICTED THEMSELVES by their
answer to our Lord’s Parable concerning
“the Two Sons and the Vineyard.”
 M A T T H E W 2 1 : 3 1 – Our Lord told them: “Assuredly,
I say to you that Tax Collectors and Harlots
will enter the Kingdom of God before you!”
✶ “...Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will
raise it up...!” - According to our New Covenant
with God, THE TEMPLE OF GOD IS OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST HIMSELF!
 NO MATTER WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO TO OUR DIVINE
SAVIOUR, HIS HOLY CHURCH – HIS HOLY BODY –
WOULD ENDURE FOREVER, for He is Eternal – “...
He is the same yesterday, today and
tomorrow...”

ALMIGHTY GOD CANNOT BE DESTROYED FOR HE ALONE IS
LORD AND MASTER OVER ALL CREATION!

Creatures cannot destroy nor harm our Eternal,
Immortal and Almighty Creator!

AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
SHOWED HIMSELF TO ALL HIS HOLY APOSTLES AND
FAITHFUL DISCIPLEs, as well as to many more
people, thereby PROVING THAT HE IS INDEED
IMMORTAL AND ALMIGHTY – AND ALSO SHOWING
US THAT WE, TOO, WILL BE RESURRECTED INTO
ETERNITY – ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH.

THIS SHORT LIFESPAN IS ONLY THE BRIEF PREPARATORY
PERIOD BEFORE ETERNITY – and every human
being, whether believers or not – will be
Resurrected on the Eighth Day – our Entry
into Eternity.
✶ “...It has taken forty-six years to build this
Temple...” THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM HAD TAKEN
MANY YEARS TO BUILD AND TO REBUILD THROUGHOUT
THE CENTURIES.

IN 70, THE ROMAN EMPIRE FINALLY DESTROYED GREAT
TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM, “... leaving not one
stone standing on top of another!”

ALL THAT REMAINS IS THE “WAILING WALL” – a
foundation wall where the Jewish Faithful
pray – and Temple Mount, upon which the
Moslems have constructed their golden
dome mosque and another smaller mosque,
which they fanatically defend against the
Israelites.

As our Lord Jesus Christ had explained to St
Photini, the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s
Well, THE TRUE HOLY TEMPLE OF GOD IS
CERTAINLY NOT RESTRICTED TO TIME, NOR PLACE,
NOR ETHNICITY.

WE CAN TURN TO GOD WHEREVER WE ARE – any time
and anywhere – for HE IS ALWAYS WITH US, as
He Himself clearly and concisely told us
repeatedly.

Consequently, we should ALWAYS BE AWARE OF HIS
DIVINE PRESENCE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY!
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and
forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most
Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints.
And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
TONE 1 5 MAY 2019

2ND SUNDAY OF PASCHA – THE BELIEF OF ST THOMAS

Also the Feast of ST IRENE THE GREAT HOLY MARTYR – St Euthymios, Bishop of Maditou – St Ephraim, New Holy Martyr
of Nea Makri, Attica – St James, Abbot of Zhelezny Bor Monastery

PENTECOSTARION – PASCHAL APOLYTIKION

Hristos Anesti ek nekron, Thanato Thanaton Christ has Risen from the dead, by Death trampling
patistas, ke tis en tis mnimasi, Zoin harisamenos! upon Death, and has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs!
ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS SERVICE
BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

PENTECOSTARION - PROKEIMENON – ST THOMAS SUNDAY- TONE 3

Great is our Lord, and Great is His Strength.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is Good; sing unto His Name, for it is Good.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO ST LUKE 5 : 12 – 20
In those days, many Signs and Wonders were done among the people by the hands of the Apostles. (And they
were all together in Solomon’s Portico.) None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high
honour. And more than ever Believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. They
carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, so that as Peter came by, at least his
shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing
the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirit, and they were all Healed.
The High Priest rose up, and all who were with him – that is, the party of the Sadducees – and filled with
jealousy, they arrested the Apostles and put them in the common prison.
An Angel of the Lord at night opened the prison doors and led them out, saying: “Go and stand in the Temple,
and speak to the people all the Words of this Life.”
✶ THE POWER OF THE LORD OUR GOD RESTS IN HIS CHURCH. ✶ Miracle Working objects such as these are
✶ “...as Peter came by ...” - While many people had SANCTIFIED BY CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
great Faith, ST PETER WAS GRANTED A PARTICULAR SANCTIFIED AND SPIRITUALLY PURIFIED by their
GRACE TO HEAL IN ORDER TO DRAW PEOPLE TO THE HOLY extremely pious Life in Christ – BY THE DIVINE POWER
UNITY OF THE CHURCH. OF GOD ALONE.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WORKED HIS DIVINE
The fact that our Lord God works Miracles both
MIRACLES THROUGH MERE HUMAN BEINGS AFTER through His Holy Saints and through
PENTECOST when God the Holy Spirit created, physical objects, shows us that HIS
descended to help us fulfil our Sacred Duties CREATION ITSELF IS BEING RENEWED.
to God and to one another according to the ✶ ANGELS ARE THE MESSENGERS OF GOD WHO FULFIL HIS
Will of God the Father. DIVINE WILL IN ALL THINGS. They act as OUR

THESE DIVINE MIRACLES WERE EVEN MORE INTERCESSORS, GUARDIAN ANGELS, SPIRITUAL GUIDES AND
MARVELLOUS than when God works His Divine HOLY PROTECTORS.
Miracles directly Himself, for THEY ARE NOT
St Luke mentioned the fact that an Angel of
POSSIBLE THROUGH ANY HUMAN EFFORT OR POWER, God “... opened the prison doors and led...”
BUT ONLY BY THE DIVINE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF (the Apostles) out of the prison.
ALMIGHTY GOD.
The Angel also instructed the Apostles to “Go

THESE WORKS, which are attested to by St Luke and stand in the Temple and speak to the
INCLUDED THE SPREADING OF OUR LORD’S HOLY people all the Words of this Life,” thereby
GOSPEL – HIS DIVINE TRUTH AND TEACHINGS – ENCOURAGING THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR SACRED
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE KNOWN WORLD, AS WELL MISSION of spreading the Holy Gospel and
AS INNUMERABLE MIRACULOUS HEALINGS AND Divine Truth of Christ our Lord.
EVEN THE RAISING OF THE DEAD.
On another occasion an Angel of God also

Furthermore, this passage reveals how GOD freed St Peter from his chains and led him
WORKS THROUGH HIS PHYSICAL CREATION – FOR out of the prison despite having been
EVEN LIGHT AND SHADOW ARE GRANTED DIVINE securely chained and guarded by soldiers
POWER. deep within a military stronghold. (ACTS 12: 1 –

These Divine Miracles that were performed 11)
through the Holy Apostles of Christ followed
THE INTERACTION OF OUR LORD GOD’S HOLY ANGELS
those that were performed directly by our AND HIS PEOPLE SEEMED ALMOST NATURAL TO THE
Lord Jesus and show that HE LIVES AND WORKS EARLY APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES OF OUR LORD.
THROUGH HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES.
THE ANGEL AT THE EMPTY TOMB of our Resurrected

Of particular significance is the way that Lord Jesus Christ WAS THE FIRST TO ANNOUNCE
PHYSICAL OBJECTS (SUCH AS HANDKERCHIEFS OR “HE IS RISEN!”
ROBES OR BELTS, ETC) MAY BECOME INSTRUMENTS
HE THEN INSTRUCTED THE SHOCKED HOLY
OF DIVINE GRACE WHEN TOUCHED BY THOSE OF MYRRHBEARERS to go to tell the other Holy
GREAT FAITH IN GOD. Apostles and Faithful Disciples the greatest
of all Good Tidings.
2 N D
SUNDAY OF PASCHA – THE BELIEF OF ST THOMAS – 5 MAY 2019 7
 THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 20 : 19 – 31
THE SACRED COMMISSION OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
On the evening of that day – the first day of the week – the doors being shut where the Disciples were for fear of
the Judeans, Jesus came and stood among them, and said to them: “Peace be with you!” And when He had
said this, He showed them His Hands and His Side.
The Disciples were glad when they beheld our Lord.
Jesus said to them again: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, even so, I send you.” And having
said this, He breathed on them, and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Thomas – one of the Twelve, who was called “the Twin” – was not with them when Jesus had Appeared. The
other Disciples told him: “We have seen our Lord!” He said to them: “Unless I see in His Wrists the imprint of the
nails, and place my finger in the marks of the nails, and place my hand in His Side, I will not believe!”
And eight days later, His Disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut,
but Jesus came, and stood amidst them, and said: “Peace be with you!” To Thomas He said: “Put your finger
here, and see My Wrists; and stretch forth your hand, and place it in My Side, and do not be unbelieving,
but believe!” And answering, Thomas said to Him: “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him: “Have you
believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe!”
Many other Signs were done by Jesus in the presence of His Disciples, which are not written in this book. These
are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ – the Son of God – and that believing, you may
have Life in His Name.
✶ THIS ACCOUNT IS ONE OF ELEVEN DIVINE APPEARANCES OF ✶ Eight days later, our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ
OUR RESURRECTED LORD AND SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, again appeared before His Faithful Apostles
TO HIS FAITHFUL HOLY APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES. and Disciples to invite St Thomas to touch Him
✶ ST THOMAS HAD BEEN NICK-NAMED “THE TWIN” BY OUR LORD and to examine His Wounds, yet His Faithful
BECAUSE HE WAS “DOUBLE-MINDED” - HE ALWAYS Apostle, ST THOMAS, HAD NO NEED TO DO SO AND
EXAMINED EVERYTHING CAREFULLY BEFORE ACCEPTING INSTEAD, SPONTANEOUSLY MADE HIS HEARTFELT
IT AS TRUTH OR WORTHY. CONFESSION: “My Lord and my God!”

ST THOMAS HAD GREAT FAITH AND WAS DEVOTED TO The “Eighth Day” is also an oblique reminder of Judgement
OUR LORD, ALWAYS READY TO ACCOMPANY HIM, no Day and Eternity, when the Divine Truth of all Creation is
matter where it led them or how dangerous clearly revealed and judged! mp
it might be for them. ✶ OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST COMMISSIONED HIS HOLY

ST THOMAS HAD NO DOUBTS CONCERNING OUR APOSTLES TO CONTINUE HIS DIVINE MISSION on
SAVIOUR, BUT TYPICALLY, WOULD NOT TAKE THE Earth, by GRANTING THEM THE POWER AND ENERGY
WORD OF OTHERS BEFORE CHECKING THEM OUT FOR
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO
HIMSELF. Hence his declaration “Unless I see
ACHIEVE ALL GOOD THINGS ACCORDING TO THE WILL
...” OF GOD THE FATHER, THROUGH CHRIST.

THIS CHARACTERISTIC ATTRIBUTE OF ST THOMAS IS ✶ OUR LORD JESUS GRANTED THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO
DESCRIBED IN OUR HYMNS AS “BLESSED” for IT WAS
HIS HOLY APOSTLES – AND THROUGH THE UNBROKEN
NOT A DOUBT OF RESISTANCE TO THE TRUTH BUT
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION, TO THE GENERATIONS OF
RATHER HIS DESIRE FOR DIVINE TRUTH – ABSOLUTE
ORDAINED BISHOPS AND PRIESTS throughout the
TRUTH, not anyone’s idea of truth or reality. centuries - so that THEY COULD EITHER FORGIVE OR
✶ ST THOMAS’ INCREDULITY WAS “... A DOUBT THAT GAVE BIRTH RETAIN THE SINS OF THOSE WHO REPENTED THEIR SINS
TO FAITH...” WHEN THE TRUTH WAS CONFIRMED BY
AND WHO CONFESSED AND SOUGHT DIVINE
REVELATION. FORGIVENESS AND ABSOLUTION THROUGH THE HOLY

Hymns of Sunday of St Thomas state that CHRIST MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE-CONFESSION.
SAID TO ST THOMAS: “... Thine incredulity will
✶ It is significant that our Lord “...breathed upon
teach My Passion and Resurrection to all!” them...” in order TO BESTOW THE DIVINE AUTHORITY,

And indeed it is affirmed that THE “DOUBLE- POWER AND ENERGY OF THE HOLY TRINITY.
MINDEDNESS” OF ST THOMAS “... BROUGHT THE

OUR CREATOR BREATHES LIFE INTO EACH CONCEPTION
HEART OF BELIEVERS TO KNOWLEDGE!”
OF MANKIND just as HE HAD ORIGINALLY
✶ The final Conversion to Faith of St Thomas’ need for BREATHED LIFE INTO THE MOUND OF EARTH WITH
Truth led him to the clearest Confession of our WHICH HE FORMED ADAM, OUR ORIGINAL
Saviour’s Divinity, addressing Him so sincerely FOREFATHER.
as “My Lord and my God!”
THROUGH THIS DIRECT DIVINE CONSECRATION AND
Years later, after the Dormition and entombment of our Lady THROUGH THE CONTINUITY OF THE UNBROKEN
Theotokos, once again, it was St Thomas who had arrived APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S
late, and upon whose insistence the sealed, guarded OWN ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD IS COMMUNICATED TO
tomb had been opened to pay his last respects, which THE ORDAINED BISHOPS AND PRESBYTERS OF HIS
revealed the absence of Her Sanctified, All Pure Body. mp HOLY CHURCH.
ANTIPASCHA – 2 N D
SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA – THE BELIEF OF ST THOMAS
✞ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of astonishment, an Angel had appeared and
the Holy Spirit... announced our Lord’s Resurrection to them.
Dearly Beloved Brethren in Christ, Belief in the great And it had been enough for them to see the Empty
Miracle of the Resurrection did not come Tomb and to hear the words of the Angel in order
immediately to the Disciples of our Lord and for them to believe. Their sensitive and loving
Saviour. hearts were not touched by any doubt at all, yet
The first witnesses who testified and announced His when they hastened to tell the Apostles and the
Resurrection to the others were the Eight Myrrh- other Disciples the Glorious News, most of them did
bearing Women, including our Lady, Theotokos. not believe the Holy Myrrhbearers.
It was still dark when they had gone to the Tomb in However, St John the Beloved Apostle and St Peter ran
the garden belonging to St Joseph of Arimathea, to the Tomb to see for themselves what the Holy
who had offered his own newly hewn tomb for the Women had told them.
burial of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ. On the same day, our Lord had walked together with
The huge, heavy stone that had sealed the opening to St Luke and St Cleophas – two of His 70 Apostles - to
the Tomb had been rolled away, revealing its Emmaus, discussing the great Events that had
emptiness, and as they stood before it in utter occurred in Jerusalem – without them recognising
Him!

8 2 N D
SUNDAY OF PASCHA – THE BELIEF OF ST THOMAS – 5 MAY 2019
But when evening approached and they were about
to rest and eat, our Lord Jesus revealed the Great
Mystery of His Resurrection to them.
St Luke and St Cleophas hastily returned that same
day to Jerusalem to tell the other Apostles what
had happened, but again, they disbelieve them,
just as they had not believed the Myrrh-Bearing
Women.
Later that evening, our Lord Jesus Christ Appeared
suddenly in the midst of His Apostles, who had
gathered together behind locked doors, out of fear
of their enemies.
His sudden Appearance revealed to them an
extraordinary – Supernatural - quality of our Lord’s
Body, which was Transformed after His
Resurrection - no longer being subject to the
natural laws of our physical world!
Understandably, His Disciples were initially
perplexed, because they thought that they had
seen a “ghost.”
He immediately greeted them and identified Himself,
and to confirm the Truth of His Words, “...He
showed them His Hands and His Side...” which
was important and necessary - not only to
convince them that He had bodily appeared to
them, but to vanquish their disbelief.
The Lord allowed them to touch His Hands, Feet, and
Side – the imprints and wounds from the nails
proved to them that this was indeed the same Body
that had been crucified on the Cross.
The Events to which the “Antipascha” is dedicated took
place on the eighth day after our Divine Saviour’s
Resurrection.
St Thomas was not present at our Lord’s First
Appearance to His Disciples, and when he had
returned to Jerusalem, they joyfully announced His
Resurrection to him – no doubt describing His
Wounds on His Wrists, His Feet and His Side.
Nevertheless, St Thomas whom our Lord had nick-
named “Didymos” (“the Twin”) due to always
checking the facts before believing them,
responded to their wonderful news by typically
saying: “... unless I see in His Hands the imprint of
the nails... and thrust my hand into His Side, I will
not believe!”
St Thomas’ words were not due to a stubborn,
rejection of the Divine Truth or Spiritual Blindness,
but was his natural desire to confirm the facts
through a revealed and obvious Testimony.
Our Lord Jesus Renewed His Appearance to His Holy
Apostles and Faithful Disciples on the eighth day
after His Resurrection, standing before them in
room that had been securely locked - responding
THE STRENGTH & QUALITY OF OUR FAITH
Although we should Rejoice when we hear and sing
the Festal Troparion of the Resurrection – “Hristos
Anesti...” “Christ is Risen...” some of us lack or lose
that spirit of optimistic Joy, Thanksgiving and Hope
when it is sung so often.
This particular Hymn should be endlessly Joyful to us
because IT REMINDS US OF CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER
DEATH, SIN AND THE INVENTOR OF EVERYTHING THAT IS
EVIL, HARMFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE - THE DEVIL – AND IT
SHOULD BE AN INFINITE SOURCE OF OUR SPIRITUAL
CONSOLATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
IF THE GREAT JOY OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION, which
ensures our own ultimate Resurrection, passes, or
IS LACKING IN OUR HEART, IT IS USUALLY BECAUSE OUR OWN
PERSONAL FAITH IN GOD AND HIS DIVINE TRUTH IS WEAK,
LACKING, SUPERFICIAL, INSINCERE AND UNCOMMITTED.
Some may find it difficult to believe because THEIR
SOUL NEITHER LOVES NOR UNDERSTAND CHRIST’S ETERNAL
VICTORY OVER DEATH – our own Spiritual and
physical death, caused by the evil one.
ST THOMAS HAD ASKED FOR ASSURANCE AND CONFIRMATION
OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION - not because he did not
believe, but BECAUSE HE DESIRED AN UNTROUBLED FAITH
2 N D
SUNDAY OF PASCHA – THE BELIEF OF ST THOMAS – 5 MAY 2019
to St Thomas by using his exact words, which must
have amazed the incredulous but most Faithful
Apostle.
Instead of accepting our Lord’s invitation to touch
and to closely examine His Wrists, Feet, and Side, St
Thomas was compelled to proclaim his heart-felt
Confession of Faith, by joyfully exclaiming: “My
Lord and my God!”
(Those who stubbornly reject the Divine Nature and
Identity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is truly the
Saviour of all mankind, ignore or reject these
words of St Thomas in the Holy Gospel of Christ.)
The first week after the Resurrection of Christ on the
First Sunday of Holy Pascha is called “Renewal” or
“Bright” Week.
It is also referred to as “the Week of Antipascha,”
(meaning “...in place of...”), for it is the Renewal of
Holy Pascha because on this Sunday of St Thomas,
our Lord Jesus Christ repeated and Renewed for
all Eleven of His Holy Apostles and His Faithful
Disciples, His First Appearance on the First Day
after His Resurrection – that First Sunday of
Resurrection.
Thus, because the Renewal of our Lord Jesus’
Appearance was especially for the sake of St
Thomas, the eighth day after Holy Pascha Sunday
is forever Commemorated as Sunday of St Thomas
or Sunday of the Belief of St Thomas.
Furthermore, from the First Sunday of Holy Pascha
until Sunday of St Thomas – the entire Week of
Renewal or Bright Week is regarded as one entire
Day of Holy Pascha, and completes the most
solemn part of this Great and Holy Feast of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Consequently, Sunday of St Thomas is also referred to
as being “The Eighth Day After Pascha.”
St Gregory the Theologian explained: “...The law of
honouring the Day of Renewal is ancient and of
good intent - or it would be better to say, to
honour with the Day of Renewal a New Act of
Goodness.
“But was not the First Day of Resurrection, the Sunday
that followed the Holy and Light-bearing Night,
the Day of Renewal? Why is that title given to the
present day? That day was the Day of Salvation,
and this day is the Day of Remembrance of
Salvation” (HOMILY 44, ON THE SUNDAY OF RENEWAL).
Amen.
HIEROMONK JOB (GUMEROV)
TRANSLATION BY ORTHOCHRISTIAN.COM
HTTP://ORTHOCHRISTIAN.COM/46216.HTML
- because HE WANTED TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST’S
RESURRECTION AND HE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND ITS
SIGNIFICANCE.
Before Christ and His Disciples went to Jerusalem, He
told them about what awaited Him, so they had
expected the same persecution and death, and
were overcome by horror and fear.
It was St Thomas who so bravely encouraged and
urged them by saying: “... Let us go that we might
die with Him...” [JOHN 11:16]
ST THOMAS, ALTHOUGH ALSO, NO DOUBT, SCARED, HAD A
PROFOUNDLY LOYAL HEART, while many of the other
Apostles were intensely troubled and terrified by
what awaited them in Jerusalem.
Although they regarded our Lord Jesus Christ as a
great Teacher, Miracle-worker and Healer, THEY
WERE ALL WILLING TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND FOLLOW HIM
WHEREVER HE WENT, BUT WHEN THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT
HE WAS READY TO ACCEPT AND BEAR THE GREAT DEED
[Podvig] of Patience and Suffering to the point of
death even, for the sake of their Spiritual Benefit –
for their Eternal Salvation –THEY WANTED TO RUN AWAY
– to abandon Him and hide away from the
9
 authorities and all His enemies because, in fact,
THEIR FAITH IN HIM HAD WEAKENED AND ABANDONED
THEM!
And, when their conscience rebuked them, THEY EASILY
FOUND EXCUSES – JUST THE SAME AS US!
It is easy for us to say that if we had seen Him we
would never have denied Him, nor abandoned
Him, but this is actually not at all true, for THE
MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO DENIED HIM HAD NOT ONLY SEEN
HIM, SPENT MUCH TIME WITH HIM, WITNESSING HIS DIVINE
MIRACLES FIRST HAND, AND LEARNING HIS DIVINE TRUTH
DIRECTLY FROM HIM, and yet they still denied Him
and abandoned Him because THEY NEITHER LOVED
NOR WERE DEVOTED TO HIS SPIRITUAL VALUES.
Consequently, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S GREAT VICTORY
OVER THE EVIL ONE MEANS NOTHING TO THOSE WHO ONLY
DESIRE EXTERNAL ‘SUCCESS’ – those who do not
understand the meaning and great significance
for all mankind of our Saviour’s Crucifixion and
Resurrection.
A remnant of or luke-warm Faith - a half-hearted
belief or “semi-Faith” - is perhaps a small degree
better than outright rejection or denial of Faith, for
THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND
COMMITMENT TO DIVINE TRUTH AND A LIFE IN CHRIST.
THE LIFE IN CHRIST – PROTOPRESBYTER JOHN ROMANIDES
The Sacred Task that faces Orthodoxy today, and in
particular its youth, who are often lost in the
liberalism of past generations, is THE REDISCOVERY OF
THE PASCHAL VICTORY IN THE DAILY LIFE OF THE CHURCH.
The common Faith and Worship of the Apostles and
our Holy Fathers remains essentially unchanged in
our Liturgical and Canonical Books, but in
practise, in the spirit of Clergy and Faithful, there is
great confusion -no doubt due to A LACK OF
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE VERY NATURE OF THE
WORK OF CHRIST IN HIS HOLY CHURCH.
Thus MANY PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE ORTHODOX and who
sincerely want to be, CONCEIVE OF THE LIFE OF THE
CHURCH ACCORDING TO VAGUE PERSONAL SENTIMENTS
AND NOT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF THE APOSTLES AND
THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH.
What is LACKING IS A LIVING ACCEPTANCE THAT PRESUPPOSES
THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH.
This lack of understanding explains to a large extent
the weaknesses of the Church in the Western world
and, in particular, CHARACTERIZES ITS ATTITUDE
TOWARD VARIOUS SCHISMS AND HERESIES.
Those who cannot understand that “...The (Holy)
Spirit Itself bears witness to our spirit that we are
Children of God...” cannot preach the Truth, but
must ask themselves the question: Are not they
themselves OUTSIDE THE TRUTH AND, THEREFORE, DEAD
MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH? (ROMANS 8:16)
PRESUPPOSITIONS OF SACRAMENTAL LIFE
In contrast to most Western religions that generally
accept death as a normal phenomenon, or even
regard it as a result of a legal decision of God to
‘punish the sinner,’ the Patristic Tradition of the
[Christian] East takes very seriously the fact that
DEATH IS INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO SIN AND THAT IT IS
UNDER THE POWER OF THE DEVIL. (1 CORINTHIANS 15:56 & HEBREWS
2:14)
OUR HOLY FATHERS REJECTED THE IDEA THAT GOD IS THE
AUTHOR OF DEATH, THAT THE WORLD IS “NORMAL” IN ITS
CURRENT CONDITION, AND THAT MANKIND CAN LIVE A
“NORMAL” LIFE SOLELY BASED ON FOLLOWING NATURAL
LAWS that are assumed to govern the Universe.
THE ORTHODOX CONCEPTION OF THE UNIVERSE IS
INCOMPATIBLE WITH A STATIC SYSTEM OF NATURAL MORAL
LAWS.
THE WORLD IS, on the contrary, seen as A FIELD OF ACTION
AND STRUGGLE OF LIVING PERSONS. A LIVING AND
PERSONAL GOD IS THE ORIGINATOR OF CREATION IN ITS
ENTIRETY.
His Omnipresence does not exclude, however, OTHER
WILLS, themselves ESTABLISHED BY HIM even WITH THE
POWER TO DISMISS THE WILL OF THEIR CREATOR.
10 2 N D
SUNDAY OF PASCHA – THE BELIEF OF ST THOMAS – 5 MAY 2019
Sadly, however, MOST PEOPLE ARE IN FACT “HALF-BELIEVERS”
THESE DAYS because VERY FEW ARE DEVOUT, COMMITTED
AND FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WHO ACTUALLY LIVE
AND WORSHIP IN CHRIST.
CHURCH AND CROSS, UNITY IN CHRIST, UNITY IN THE NAME OF
THE FEAT [PODVIG] OF LOVE IS THE OUTLINE OF OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LORD GOD, whereas “half-
believers” neither strive nor make any attempt to
understand either Unity or Christ’s Love according
to the Orthodox Teachings of His Holy Church.
“HALF-FAITH” CONSISTS OF SEVERAL DEGREES OF WEAK FAITH,
but THOSE WHO DENY OR REJECT DIVINE TRUTH SHOULD
FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE DENIED AND TO WHAT
THEY COULD BE RESTORED BY REPENTANCE-CONFESSION.
Unfortunately, however, THOSE WHO ARE “HALF-BELIEVERS”
DO NOT HAVE ANY SUCH CLARITY and THEY BECOME
ACCUSTOMED TO BEING MISGUIDED AND DELUDED by
sophistries and half-truths, that in fact, are simply
LIES AND DECEIT THAT ALIENATE US FROM GOD AND ALL
HIS GOODNESS, being of no Spiritual Benefit at all.
So let us examine ourselves very closely to ascertain
WHAT DEGREE OF FAITH WE ACTUALLY POSSESS, and LET
US CORRECT OURSELVES NOW, WHILE WE STILL HAVE TIME
TO DO SO.
METROPOLITAN ANTHONY (KHRAPOVITSKY)
HTTP://ORTHOCHRISTIAN.COM/53064.HTML
Thus, the devil is not only able to exist, but also to
aspire to THE DESTRUCTION OF WORKS OF GOD, which
he does BY TRYING TO LURE THE CREATION TOWARD THE
NOTHINGNESS FROM WHICH IT WAS FORMED.
DEATH – according to St Athanasios - IS A “...return to
nothingness...” CONSTITUTES THE VERY ESSENCE OF
DEMONIC POWER IN CREATION. (ROMANS 8:19-22).
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST in the very Reality of His
Flesh (human Nature) NOT ONLY SERVES AS PROOF OF
THE “ABNORMAL” CHARACTER OF DEATH, BUT ALSO
DESIGNATES IT AS THE TRUE ENEMY. (LUKE 24:39 - I CORINTHIANS
15:26).
But if death is an abnormal phenomenon, THERE CAN
BE NOTHING RESEMBLING A “MORAL LAW” INHERENT IN THE
UNIVERSE. Holy Scripture, at least, does not know of
one. Otherwise, our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself
in vain “...for our sins so that we might uproot this
present evil age.” (ROMANS 8: 19-22).
THE DESTINY OF MANKIND HAS BEEN PERFECTION SINCE OUR
ORIGIN, and is the same today - TO BECOME PERFECT,
AS GOD IS PERFECT. (EPHESIANS 5:1, 4:13)
The achievement of this PERFECTION WAS RENDERED
IMPOSSIBLE BY THE COMING OF DEATH into the world for
“...the sting of death is sin.” (ROMANS 5:12 - 1 CORINTHIANS
15:56)
Once submitted to the power of death, we can only
concern ourselves with the sufficiency of the flesh.
OUR INSTINCT FOR SELF-PRESERVATION SATURATES OUR
EVERYDAY LIFE and often leads to being UNFAIR TO
OTHERS FOR PERSONAL GAIN. (ROMANS 7:14-25 & 1 THESSALONIANS.
4:4)
WHEN WE ARE SUBJECTED TO THE FEAR OF DEATH WE CANNOT
LIVE THE LIFE OF LOVE OF OUR CREATOR and be an
imitator of God. (HEBREWS 2:15 & EPHESIANS 5:1)
DEATH AND THE INSTINCT FOR SELF-PRESERVATION ARE AT THE
ROOT OF SIN THAT SEPARATES US FROM UNITY IN LOVE,
LIFE, AND DIVINE TRUTH.
According to St Cyril of Alexandria, DEATH IS THE ENEMY
THAT PREVENTS US FROM LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBOUR -
without anxiety or concern for our own security
and our own comfort. For FEAR OF BECOMING
VALUELESS AND MEANINGLESS, WE SEEK TO DEMONSTRATE
TO OURSELVES AND TO OTHERS THAT WE ARE REALLY WORTH
SOMETHING.
WE are then obliged to MAKE OURSELVES APPEAR, at least
from a certain point of view, SUPERIOR TO OTHERS,
and WE LOVE THOSE WHO FLATTER US AND HATE THOSE
WHO INSULT US.
AN INSULT PROFOUNDLY AFFECTS THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID OF
BECOMING INSIGNIFICANT!
Whoever the world sees as A “NATURAL MAN” ALMOST
ALWAYS LIVES A LIFE OF HALF-LIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.
(. . . TO BE C ONTINU ED ...)
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious
Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one
another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
8 MAY 2019

ST JOHN THE DIVINE THEOLOGIAN, EVANGELIST & BELOVED APOSTLE

Also the Feast of St Arsenios the Great of Rome – St Arsenios the Lover of Labour & St
Pimen the Ascetic of Kiev Far Caves Monastery

PENTECOSTARION - APOLYTIKION – HOLY PASCHA - TONE (5) PLAGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
Ke tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS SERVICE
BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

FESTAL PROKEIMENON –PSALM 18/19 - ST JOHN THE DIVINE THEOLOGIAN

His Proclamation went forth into all the Earth ...
The Heavens declare the Glory of God!
THE FIRST UNIVERSAL EPISTLE OF ST JOHN 1:1 – 7
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life. (And the Life was made manifest,
and we saw It, and Testify to It, and proclaim to you the Eternal Life, Who was with the Father, and Who was
made manifest to us.) That which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you, so that you may have
Fellowship with us. And our Fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
And we are writing this so that our Joy may be complete. And this is the Message that we have heard from Him
and proclaim to you, for God is Light and in Him is no Darkness at all. If we say we have Fellowship with Him
and we walk in Darkness, we lie, and do not Live according to the Truth. If we walk in the Light, as He is in
the Light, we have Fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, Cleanses us from all sin.
✶ Contrary to heretics who claim Communion directly ✶ “...Fellowship with us...” refers to COMMUNION –
with God through “spiritual” (non-material) ESPECIALLY EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION – WITHIN THE
means, ST JOHN THE DIVINE THEOLOGIAN AND HOLY, APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF CHRIST.
BELOVED APOSTLE OF CHRIST TAUGHT US COMMUNION
It was inconceivable to St John the Divine that
WITH GOD THROUGH HIS INCARNATE SON – ESPECIALLY THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST COULD NOT BE ONE
WITH REGARD TO THE HOLY EUCHARIST – the Body and AND UNITED OR THAT FELLOWSHIP COULD NOT BE
Blood of Christ – where THE PHYSICALITY OF CHRIST IS FOUNDED UPON HOLY DOCTRINE – THE
REPULSIVE TO THE HERETICS. THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATION OF “... With the
✶ The term “WE” IS A REFERENCE TO THE HOLY APOSTLES OF Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ...”
CHRIST WHOSE TESTIMONY IS TRUE – unlike that of the and ON THE HOLY MYSTERIES– THE LITURGICAL
false apostles. IMPLICATION OF KOINONIA.
✶ “...from the beginning... the Word of Life...” ST JOHN ✶ “...walk in the Light ...” - LIGHT IS DIVINE ENERGY
THE DIVINE THEOLOGIAN MADE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN manifested or REVEALED AS TRUTH – GOD’S TRUTH –
DIVINE REVELATION AND HUMAN SENSORY PERCEPTION TRUE DOCTRINE/TEACHING, VIRTUE AND HOLINESS –
(“... heard... seen... looked upon... touched...”), TRUE BEHAVIOUR – AND COMMUNION WITH GOD IN HIS
AND HAD NO PROBLEM CONNECTING THEM. HOLY CHURCH – TRUE SPIRITUALITY.

NOTE ST JOHN’S CLARITY OF TEACHING WITH
THE STRONGEST OF ALL WEAPONS AGAINST SPIRITUAL
REGARD TO CHRIST’S TWO NATURES: DIVINE “... from DARKNESS IS OUR LOVE FOR GOD – a strong,
the beginning... the Word of Life...” AND vibrant Relationship with God.
HUMAN: “... heard... seen... touched.”
St John addressed THREE FALSE GNOSTIC

This refers to THE GENERATION WITHOUT BEGINNING TEACHINGS ON LIGHT. Their intertwined errors
OF GOD THE SON WHO IS CO-EXISTENT WITH GOD are that :
THE FATHER. 1. Union with God is indifferent to sin!

“...Was...” therefore, indicates ETERNITY WITHOUT 2. Sin does not exist!
BEGINNING, JUST AS GOD THE WORD HIMSELF, THE 3. One in union with God cannot sin!
SON OF GOD, being One with God the Father
THE TRUTH IS
in regard to equality of substance, IS 1. FAITH MUST BE EVIDENCED BY GOOD WORKS – FAITH
ETERNAL AND UNCREATED. MUST PRODUCE PURITY - “...practise the Truth...”

The fact that THE WORD AND SON OF GOD ALWAYS – where TRUTH IS A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH
EXISTED is signified by the words: “In the GOD MANIFESTED IN A HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS LIFE
beginning was the Word...” IN CHRIST. and FAITH MUST SEEK FORGIVENESS

THE DIVINITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS AND CLEANSING OF SIN – “... the Blood of Jesus
REVEALED IN HIS LIFE ON EARTH – especially Christ... Cleanses us from all sin.”
through His Divine Teaching and Miracles. 2. SIN DOES MOST CERTAINLY EXIST, AND THE PRACTISE OF
✶ “...Koinonia...” is FAR MORE THAT SIMPLY “FELLOWSHIP.” REPENTANCE-CONFESSION IS the established

it is our PERSONAL PARTICIPATION WITH OTHER basis for SPIRITUAL GROWTH TOWARDS
BELIEVERS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST. (We Live in RIGHTEOUSNESS
Christ.)

ST JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN, EVANGELIST & BELOVED APOSTLE 8 MAY 2019 11

 3. ALTHOUGH WE CONTINUALLY SIN to a greater or
By our REPENTANCE-CONFESSION and our FULL
lesser degree, WE SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT PARTICIPATION IN HIS HOLY CHURCH – i.e. by LIFE
TO RESIST TEMPTATION AND STRIVE CONSTANTLY TO IN CHRIST - we DEVELOP SPIRITUAL STRENGTH
REPENT THE SINS WE COMMIT. THAT RESISTS TEMPTATIONS.
✶ “...Cleanses us from all sin ...” SALVATION IN CHRIST IS A The entire Purpose of this life is to regain - to the best of our ability
CONTINUOUS PROCESS, in part towards Theosis – i.e - our Likeness to God so that we are fitting Citizens for His
REGAINING OUR LIKENESS TO GOD in Whose Image Eternal Kingdom of Love.
and Likeness we were created.
HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 19:25 – 27 & 21: 24-25
At that time, there stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother, and His Mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and
Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His Mother, and the Disciple whom He Loved, standing there,
He said to His Mother: “Woman: behold Thy son!” He said to the Disciple: “Behold Thy Mother!” And from
that very hour that Disciple took Her to his own home...
... This is the Disciple who Testifies, and wrote these Things, and we know that his Testimony is True. There were
also many other Things that Jesus did, which – if they were written one by one – I suppose that even the
world itself could not contain the Books that would be written!
Amen.
✶ In this passage, which is read on the Feast of St
OUR LADY, THEOTOKOS, IS OBLIQUELY REFERRED TO IN
John the Divine Theologian and Apostle of THE HOLY GOSPELS AS BEING “THE MOTHER OF
Christ, SEVERAL IMPORTANT TRUTHS CONCERNING THE JOSES” OR JAMES, OR JUDE, etc.
EVER BLESSED THEOTOKOS – THE EVER VIRGIN MOTHER
ACCORDING TO JUDAIC LAW AND HER LEGAL
OF GOD, MARY – ARE EVIDENT: BETROTHAL to their elderly Father who was
1. By calling the Ever Blessed Theotokos “...Woman...” HER RIGHTEOUS GUARDIAN, they were
OUR LORD USED A TERM OF DIGNITY AND AFFECTION. addressed as Her “sons and daughters.”
Contrary to certain modern usages, THIS IS A The children of St Joseph the Betrothed and his late wife,
SACRED TITLE IN HOLY SCRIPTURE. It is an address Salome, (a sister of St Anna), were St James the Just
CONVEYING DEEP RESPECT AND DISTINCTION. (Adelphotheos), St Jude, St Joses, St Salome
2. By saying to St John, His Beloved Apostle: “...Behold Zebedee, (mother of St John the Divine Theologian
thy Mother...” OUR LORD SYMBOLICALLY ESTABLISHED and St James (the Lesser), and on of the Holy Myrrh-
THE ALL PURE VIRGIN MARY’S ROLE AS MOTHER OF ALL bearers) and another daughter whose name is
FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST IN EVERY GENERATION. uncertified. mp
3. IF OUR EVER BLESSED LADY HAD HAD OTHER BIOLOGICAL
CHILDREN, CHRIST WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PLACE
✶ A FTER THE CRUCIFIXION of Christ, until Her Dormition,
HER IN THE CARE OF ST JOHN AND HIS FAMILY – their
several years later, THE EVER BLESSED THEOTOKOS
LIVED WITH HER COUSINS, ST SALOME, AND HER
close and most trusted relatives. He would not
FAMILY.
have insulted other siblings.

THE “SONS” AND “DAUGHTERS” who are mentioned ✶ THE APOSTOLIC TEACHING THAT THE EVER BLESSED VIRGIN
in conjunction with the Blessed Virgin ARE IN THEOTOKOS MAINTAINED HER VOW OF CELIBACY
THROUGHOUT HER LIFE IS CONFIRMED BY CHRIST’S
FACT HER COUSINS
ACTION.

THEY ARE THE CHILDREN OF HER LATE AUNT SALOME
(SISTER OF ST ANNA) AND HER LEGAL GUARDIAN, ST ✶ Christ demonstrated by His own Example that WE
MUST “...EVEN TO OUR LAST BREATHE...” SHOW EVERY CARE
JOSEPH THE BETROTHED.
FOR OUR PARENTS.

THE TEMPLE PRIESTS PLACED THE YOUNG, VIRGIN
MARY INTO THE PROTECTIVE GUARDIANSHIP OF ST In those days, and even in certain cultures to this day,
JOSEPH THE BETROTHED. when a woman was no longer protected by a male

HE WAS IN HIS LATE EIGHTIES AND WAS A MOST relative, all her possessions were taken from her and
RIGHTEOUS MAN WHO COULD BE TRUSTED to she would be cast out, homeless, destitute and at the
mercy of everyone else.
protect the chastity of the young maiden
Christ’s Compassion for women was clearly evident when
and her fellow virgin companions.
He Resuscitated the Widow of Nain’s son.

SHE HAD TAKEN A VOW OF CHASTITY FROM EARLY
St John the Divine Theologian and Apostle of Christ had
CHILDHOOD.
also taken a Vow of Celibacy and remained celibate

VOWS WERE SO SACRED AND COULD NOT BE BROKEN,
his entire life, having devoted himself entirely to the

GOD CHOSE HER ELDERLY UNCLE TO PROTECT HER and
Holy Service of God.
take care of her since her own family had
He was the only Holy Apostle of Christ to eventually
long since passed away.
repose peacefully – over 100 years of age, while the
others had all suffered Holy Martyrdom. mp
THE LIFE IN CHRIST – PROTOPRESBYTER JOHN ROMANIDES – PART 2
WE CANNOT LOVE OUR FRIENDS who give us a sense of Instead, they proclaim Victory over death and
security, WHILE OUR INSTINCT FOR SELF-PRESERVATION, corruption.
both moral and physical, CAUSES US TO HATE OUR “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is your
ENEMIES (MATTHEW 5:46-48 & LUKE 6:32-36). victory? …Thanks be to God Who grants us the
DEATH IS THE SOURCE OF INDIVIDUALISM - it has the power Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 CORINTHIANS.
to ENSLAVE OUR FREE WILL COMPLETELY to the “body of 15: 55-57).
death” (ROMANS 7:18). The Victory of Christ over the devil has destroyed the
It is death which, BY REDUCING US TO SELF-CENTEREDNESS power of death that separated us from God and
AND EGOTISM, BLINDS US TO THE TRUTH – WHICH IS neighbour and this Victory over death and
REJECTED BY MANY, BECAUSE IT IS TOO DIFFICULT TO corruption has been accomplished in the Flesh of
ACCEPT. Christ as well as among the Just who have died
WE ALWAYS ACCEPT A ‘TRUTH’ THAT SATISFIES OUR PERSONAL before. (1 PETER 3:19)
DESIRES, FOR WE SEEK SECURITY AND HAPPINESS RATHER “Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down
THAN THE SUFFERANCE OF A LOVE THAT IS A SELF-OFFERING Death by Death, and upon those in the tombs
) bestowing Life!”
WE PREFER A ‘SENTIMENTAL RELIGION’ of security in moral THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED, and THE
precepts and simple rules THAT GENERATES FEELINGS GATES OF HADES CANNOT PREVAIL OVER THE BODY OF
OF COMFORT, WITHOUT ANY EFFORT AT SELF-DENIAL in CHRIST for DEATH CANNOT SEIZE THE KINGDOM OF LIFE.
“...death with Christ to the elements of the world.” EACH DAY THE EVIL ONE AND HIS KINGDOM MOVES CLOSER TO
(COLOSSIANS 2:20) A FINAL DEFEAT WHICH IS ASSURED IN THE BODY OF
The Apostles and Holy Fathers do not transmit a Faith CHRIST.
accomplished in “...feelings of piety or comfort.” ... TO BE C ONTINUE D ...

12 ST JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN, EVANGELIST & BELOVED APOSTLE 8 MAY 2019

 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now
and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most
Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all
the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our
God. Amen.
TONE 2 12 MAY 2019

3RD SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA

SUNDAY OF THE HOLY MYRRHBEARERS
OUR LADY, THEOTOKOS, ST MARY OF MAGDALA, ST MARY CLEOPHAS, ST JOANNA CHUZA, ST SALOME ZEBEDEE, ST
MARY & ST MARTHA OF BETHANY, AS WELL AS ST JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA & ST NIKODEMOS

Also the Feast Day of St Basil the Confessor, Bishop of Pariou – St Anthousa – St Epiphanios, Bishop of Cyprus – St
Germanos, Patriarch of Constantinople – St Hermogenes, Hieromartyr & Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia –
St Dionysios, Archimandrite of St Sergios of Radonezh Monastery – St Sabinos, Archbishop of Cyprus – St
Polybios, Disciple of St Epiphanios, Bishop of Cyprus – St John the New Holy Martyr of Vlachia, Romania – St
Pankratios of Phrygia & Rome
PENTECOSTARION - APOLYTIKION – HOLY PASCHA - TONE (5) PLAGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Ke Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS SERVICE
BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

PROKEIMENON – PSALM 117/118 – TONE 2

The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He became my Salvation.
The Lord Chastened and corrected me, but He did not give me up to Death.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO ST LUKE 6 : 1 – 7
In those days, when the number of Disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by
the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. The Twelve summoned the
multitude of Disciples and said: “It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables.
Therefore, Brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and
Wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. We will give ourselves continually to Prayer and the
Ministry of the Word.” And their words pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of
Faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip Prochoros, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas, a proselyte from
Antioch, whom they set before the Apostles; and when they had prayed they laid hands on them.
And the Word of God spread, and the number of Disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of
the Priests were Obedient to the Faith.
✶ “...The Hebrews...” referred to the LOCAL JEWISH OWN PERSONAL FLAWS, which is the entire
CHRISTIANS IN JERUSALEM WHO SPOKE ARAMAIC. Purpose of this earthly life, before Eternity.
✶ “...the Hellenists...” were GREEK-SPEAKING JEWISH ✶ “...Disciples...” generally refers to ALL FAITHFUL
CHRISTIANS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE HELLENISED BELIEVERS AND FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND
WORLD WHO HAD SETTLED IN JERUSALEM. SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and not only to His
✶ “...their widows were neglected...” this particular Twelve Apostles or those who were close to
complaint, according to St John Chrysostom, Him, who accompanied Him during His Public
showed A LACK OF ORDER AMONG THE QUICKLY Ministry.
GROWING MULTITUDE OF FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS,
A FAITHFUL DISCIPLE OF CHRIST means that we
even though THE ‘NEGLECT’ OF THE HELLENISTIC are really trying to LEARN ALL THE SACRED
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS WAS CERTAINLY NOT TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST
MALICIOUS NOR INTENTIONAL. OUR SAVIOUR SO THAT WE CAN APPLY THEM TO

So it is evident that VARIOUS PROBLEMS that OUR EVERY WORD, THOUGHT AND DEED:
faced the early Church AROSE NOT ONLY
THIS IS LIFE IN CHRIST, WHICH TAKES MUCH EFFORT
FROM OUTSIDERS, BUT ALSO DUE TO DISSENSION AND A FAITHFUL WILLINGNESS TO OBEY GOD AT
OR MISUNDERSTANDING FROM WITHIN. ALL TIMES.

However, THESE VARIOUS INITIAL DIFFICULTIES ✶ “...the Ministry of the Word...” AND TAKING CARE OF
WERE QUICKLY RESOLVED DUE TO THE MUTUAL THE NEEDY in our Christian Communities ARE
RESPECT AND LOVE OF ONE ANOTHER within the IMPORTANT SACRED DUTIES
Holy Church of Christ.
BUT they CANNOT BE PERFORMED BY THE SAME

PROBLEMS HAVE ALWAYS ARISEN DUE TO OUR SINFUL, PEOPLE AND STILL RECEIVE PROPER ATTENTION.
SELFISH NATURE that controls our words,
Therefore, THE HOLY CHURCH DEVELOPED
thoughts and deeds. DIVERSIFIED, NECESSARY MINISTRIES.

Nevertheless, ALL PROBLEMS MUST ALWAYS BE
In the Orthodox Church to this very day, OUR
VERY QUICKLY REPENTED, RESOLVED AND BISHOPS AND PRESBYTERS (PRIESTS) ARE CALLED
FORGIVEN, so that we may MAKE GOOD TO FOCUS ON “...Prayer and the Ministry of
SPIRITUAL PROGRESS BY LIVING IN CHRIST WHILE the Word...” OF GOD.
CONSTANTLY CORRECTING AND REPENTING OUR

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3 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE HOLY MYRRHBEARERS 12 MAY 2019 13

THE OTHER ESSENTIAL MINISTRIES OF CHRIST’S HOLY 3. CHARITY/LOVE
CHURCH ARE ACCOMPLISHED BY DEACONS AND
Furthermore, this wonderful Growth occurs
THE LAITY (the members) of each Parish. WHEN EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES OR
✶ “...of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, RESOLVED AND
Wisdom ...” DEACONS OUGHT TO POSSESS THESE REPENTED.
GOOD QUALITIES, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR
THE FIRST PRESBYTERS (PRIESTS) WERE CHRISTIAN
MANAGING THEIR SACRED TASKS. CONVERTS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN HEBREW
✶ “...the whole multitude...” NOMINATED THE FIRST PRIESTS.
SEVEN DEACONS who were ORDAINED BY THE HOLY
but THEY HAD NOT NECESSARILY BEEN ORDAINED
APOSTLES OF CHRIST INTO THE PRIESTLY MINISTRY WITHIN THE

Thus THE SYNERGY BETWEEN LAITY AND CLERGY WAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH AFTER THEIR CONVERSION to
DEMONSTRATED in the selection of these the New Covenant of God.
Church Servants and leaders. ✶✶ ACCORDING TO THE CANONS OF THE ORTHODOX

Whether these first chosen Deacons held the CHURCH, RECENT CONVERTS to Orthodoxy CANNOT
Liturgical Office of Deacon, or whether BE ORDAINED INTO THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD of Christ
their Diaconate was more Service- UNTIL THEY HAVE AT LEAST A FEW YEARS’ SPIRITUAL
oriented, THEY RECEIVED THEIR SACRED OFFICE EXPERIENCE IN THE HOLY CHURCH.
BY MEANS OF HOLY ORDINATION BY THE DIVINELY
This is in order TO PREVENT PREVIOUS OR OTHER
AUTHORISED APOSTLES OF CHRIST. BELIEFS AND PRACTISES FROM INFILTRATING AND

THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS OF FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF DISTORTING ORTHODOX TEACHINGS AND
CHRIST ONLY OCCURS WHEN THREE GREAT PILLARS WORSHIP, WHICH MUST BE CAREFULLY AND
OF CHURCH LIFE ARE FULLY IN PLACE: CORRECTLY PRESERVED FOR ALL GENERATIONS.
1. WORSHIP
2. EVANGELISM
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MARK 15 : 43 – 16 : 8
At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the
Kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the Body of Jesus. Pilate wondered if He
were already dead – and, summoning the Centurion, he asked him whether He was already dead. And
when he learnt from the Centurion that He was dead, he granted the Body to Joseph.
And he bought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen shroud, and laid Him in a Tomb
that had been hewn out of rock. And he rolled a stone against the door of the Tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary, the Mother of Joses saw where He was laid. And when the Sabbath had past, Mary
Magdalene and Mary, the Mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go to Anoint Him.
And very early on the first day of the week, they went to the Tomb when the sun had risen.
And they were saying one to another: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the Tomb?” And
looking up, they saw that the stone had rolled back – for it was very large. And entering the Tomb, they saw
a young Man sitting on the right side – dressed in a white robe. And they were amazed.
He said to them: “Do not be amazed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth Who was crucified. He has Risen – He is not
here. Behold the place where they laid Him. So, go – tell His Disciples, and Peter, that He is going before you
to Galilee. There you will see Him, as He told you.”
And they went out and fled from the Tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come upon them. And they
said nothing to anyone - for they were afraid.
✶ IF HIS FAITHFUL APOSTLES HAD BURIED OUR LORD JESUS ✶ The Spiritual Significance of A NEW TOMB that “...had
CHRIST, THE SCEPTICS AND ENEMIES of Divine Truth been hewn out of rock...” and “...where no one
COULD CLAIM THAT HIS MOST PRECIOUS BODY HAD had ever lain before...” is that CHRIST SUFFERED A
SIMPLY BEEN HIDDEN away by them and that there DEATH
was no Resurrection. 1. UNLIKE ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING –

However, ST JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, being both A 2. WITHOUT SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL CORRUPTION
COUNCIL MEMBER (OF THE SANHEDRIN) AND AN 3. LEADING TO ETERNAL VICTORY OVER THE TOMB
ACKNOWLEDGED “GOOD AND JUST MAN” TOGETHER ITSELF.
WITH ST NIKODEMOS – ALSO OF GOOD REPUTATION
Furthermore, the description of the New Tomb
AND SOCIAL STATUS - REFUTED ANY POSSIBILITY according to several sources, clearly shows
THAT OUR LORD’S BODY WAS MERELY REMOVED AND that IT WAS A VERY SPECIAL TOMB FIT FOR A MOST
HIDDEN by His Faithful Apostles and Disciples. IMPORTANT PERSON.

As a wealthy and highly prominent, respected
NO ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL THAN
member of Hebrew society, ST JOSEPH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST – our One and Only
ARIMATHEA WAS ABLE TO PERSONALLY APPROACH Eternal High Priest and King – our Only
THE ROMAN GOVERNOR, PONTIUS PILATE, TO Eternal God Incarnate!
REQUEST THE BODY OF CHRIST, Whom Pontius
Other facts to be considered is that :
Pilate, the Roman Governor, had already 1. NOT ONLY WAS A HUGE, HEAVY ROCK PLACED - WITH
acknowledged as having been unjustly MUCH EFFORT - AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOMB
tried, punished and condemned to death AND THEN SEALED,
by crucifixion. 2. TWO ROMAN SOLDIERS STOOD ON GUARD as well,
✶ THE FACT THAT PONTIUS PILATE “...MARVELLED THAT HE because the devious Hebrew leaders had
WAS ALREADY DEAD...” CONFIRMS CHRIST alleged that Christ’s Body would be
PANTOKRATOR CHOSE THE EXACT HOUR OF HIS DEATH, removed by His Disciples so that they could
having Sacrificed Himself freely and willingly then proclaim His Resurrection from the
for the sake of all humanity. dead as He had truthfully and precisely

USUALLY CRUCIFIXION VICTIMS SUFFERED FOR A VERY foretold.
LONG TIME, sometimes for days, before dying ✶ “...Mary, the Mother of Joses...” is AN OBLIQUE REFERENCE

WHEN THE SABBATH DAY WAS APPROACHING, HEBREW TO OUR LADY THEOTOKOS who always maintained a
CRIMINALS’ LEGS WERE SHATTERED SO THAT THEY humble and low-key role in the background of Her
QUICKLY DIED from the most painful green Beloved Son and God’s Mission on Earth
fracture injuries.
ST .JOSES WAS ONE OF ST JOSEPH THE BETROTHED’S SONS

AS PROPHESIED, NOT A BONE OF OUR LORD WAS FROM HIS LATE WIFE, SALOME, a sister of St Anna
BROKEN!
ST JOSES WAS HER COUSIN, WHO BECAME - due to
Mosaic Law, according to Her Betrothal to St

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14 3 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE HOLY MYRRHBEARERS 12 MAY 2019
 Joseph Her Venerable Guardian - ONE OF HER
“STEP-CHILDREN.”

Likewise “Mary, the mother of James.“ could also
be an oblique reference to Theotokos, but in
this case referred to SALOME - A SISTER OF JOSES,
and thus a cousin and stepdaughter of our
Lady, Theotokos.
✶ "... The first day of the week ...” is SUNDAY.

CHRIST DIED JUST BEFORE THE SABBATH SO THE USUAL
BURIAL CUSTOMS OF THE HEBREWS COULD NOT BE
COMPLETED by His Mother and Disciples, and
they had to return on the first day of the
week – Sunday – to do so.
✶ ST JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA AND ST NIKODEMOS HAD
UNNAILED OUR LORD FROM HIS CROSS AND WRAPPED HIS
NAKED BODY IN A FOURTEEN FOOT LONG “...fine linen...”
CLOTH that became His Burial Shroud.

They would have also gathered up everything
was blood-stained, such as the ground that
surrounded the Cross, the nails, the crown
of thorns, as well as the board that stated
His “crime,” etc – all to be buried with Him.

THEY HAD CARRIED HIM TO THE TOMB AND WRAPPED
HIM WITH OTHER LINEN STRIPS SOAKED WITH
THE 100 POUNDS OF BITTER ALOES THAT ST
NIKODEMOS SUPPLIED.

THE MANDYLION OR FACE CLOTH WAS GENTLY AND
RESPECTFULLY PLACED OVER HIS FACE AS SOON AS
THEY TOOK HIM DOWN FROM THE CROSS, WHICH
REMAINED UNDER THE OUTER BURIAL CLOTHS,
which were SOAKED WITH BITTER ALOES AND
DRIED AS HARD AS CONCRETE.

THEREFORE, WHEN ST PETER AND ST JOHN SAW THE
FOLDED MANDYLION, THEY WERE AMAZED –
No doubt, they were even more shocked when they noticed
the Image of Christ upon it – which became known as
the Holy Icon “Not-Made-By-Hands” – the first Holy Icon of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which was copied by others over the
centuries.
St Joseph of Arimathea and St Nikodemos showed their
absolute Faith, Honour and Worship of Jesus Christ our
Lord and Saviour by all their actions: going directly to
Pontius Pilate for permission to Unnail our Lord from the
Cross, purchasing the best quality of fine linen available in
which to wrap His Precious Body, donating a newly hewn
Tomb carved from solid stone and in a beautiful garden –
nothing but the best resting place for Christ our Saviour –
and their own personal attention to all the necessary
Burial Rites, including the supply of 100 pounds of Bitter
Aloes!
St John the Divine Apostle, our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos
and Her close companion, St Mary of Magdala watched
and witnessed our Lord’s Burial.

ACCORDING TO OLD COVENANT LAW, THE BODIES OF
THE DECEASED WERE NOT WASHED BUT ANOINTED
WITH AROMATIC OILS – and in the cases of
violent death, all blood and body parts
were carefully gathered, wrapped and
buried together with the rest of the body.
✶ Although THE APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES HAD GONE INTO
HIDING for fear of the Roman and Hebrew
authorities, THE EIGHT DEVOTED HOLY MYRRH-
BEARING WOMEN, LED BY OUR MOST BLESSED LADY
THEOTOKOS BRAVELY WENT TO FULFIL THEIR SACRED
DUTY out of their profound Love and Respect for
Christ our Lord and Saviour.
✶ AFTER CHRIST HAD RESURRECTED AND DEPARTED, A
POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE ANNOUNCED THE GLORIOUS
EVENT BY BREAKING THE SEALS, ROLLING AWAY THE
ROCK blocking the entrance and REVEALING TO
ALL MANKIND THE EMPTY TOMB, containing only
the discarded Shroud (Soudarion) and
carefully folded Facecloth (Mandylion).

THE ROCK ROLLED AWAY - NOT SO THAT CHRIST COULD
EXIT THE TOMB BUT TO REVEAL TO MANKIND THAT HE
HAD TRULY RISEN!
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3 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE HOLY MYRRHBEARERS

THE TERRIFIED SOLDIERS WHO WERE THE VERY FIRST
EYE-WITNESSES TO THE EMPTY TOMB - RAN AWAY IN
FEAR OF SEVERE PUNISHMENT they faced from
the Roman authorities.

THEY WERE EVENTUALLY INTERROGATED AND THEN PAID
BY THE HEBREW AUTHORITIES TO BLATANTLY LIE to
everyone that the Disciples had removed
the Body of Christ after knocking them
unconscious!
Habitual liars, thieves and deceivers always accuse others of
their own sins – and they REJECT Divine Truth – the
Absolute Truth – because it is something that is totally
alien to them.
✶ THE ANGEL OF GOD – POSSIBLY ARCHANGEL GABRIEL who
is the Angelic Messenger and Bearer of Good
Tidings from God to us human beings –
SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED ST PETER, WHICH REVEALED
OUR LORD’S SPECIAL CARE AND LOVE EVEN FOR ONE OF
HIS APOSTLES WHO HAD DENIED HIM AT A CRUCIAL
TIME.

According to St Theophylact the deeply
repentant and sorrowful St Peter would have
said of himself: ‘I denied the Lord, and
therefore I am no longer His Apostle!’ Yet THE
ANGEL’S WORDS SHOWED THAT OUR LORD GOD HAD
ALREADY FORGIVEN ST PETER AND STILL LOVED HIM
AS BEFORE.

This is another Divine Teaching that clearly
shows us that WHENEVER AND WHATEVER WE
TRULY REPENT WITH ALL SORROW AND HUMILITY,
WE ARE FORGIVEN BY GOD WHO LOVES US - even
the worst of sinners - for HE NEITHER REQUIRES
NOR DESIRES ANYONE TO SUFFER ETERNAL
CONDEMNATION AND PERPETUAL SPIRITUAL
DEATH.

For this reason, WE MUST NEVER DARE TO JUDGE ONE
ANOTHER AND NOT EVEN OURSELVES FOR GOD’S
DIVINE LOVE AND GRACE IS FAR BEYOND ANYTHING
WE CAN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OR APPRECIATE.
✶ “...they said nothing to anyone ... “ DOES NOT MEAN
THAT THEY NEVER TOLD THE OTHERS WHAT THEY HAD
EXPERIENCED so early on that first Resurrection
Day.

OUR LADY THEOTOKOS “...kept many things to
Herself...” THROUGHOUT HER LIFE, ONLY
SPEAKING OF THEM WHEN IT BECAME NECESSARY TO
DO SO and in order to confirm the Absolute
Truth of Christ’s Holy Gospel and His sinless
Life on Earth as God Incarnate and Perfect
Man – AND THEN ONLY TO THOSE WHO WOULD
FULLY APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THEM.

ONLY AFTER OUR RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST HAD
APPEARED TO THE OTHER HOLY APOSTLES AND
FAITHFUL DISCIPLES, DID THEY SPEAK OF THEIR
EXPERIENCES of that very early Sunday
morning – Holy Pascha.
✶ “...they were afraid...” MIGHT HAVE REFERRED TO THE
ENORMOUS SHOCK OF NOT ONLY WITNESSING THE
OPENED TOMB WITH THE ABANDONED BURIAL
CLOTHS AND THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGEL OF
GOD, BUT ALSO A RELUCTANCE TO TELL THE OTHERS
WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE BELIEVED THEM

The Apostles might have thought the Myrrh-
bearing Women were merely “hysterical” or
“delusional” due to their intense grief

AS THE ADORING MOTHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
OUR LADY THEOTOKOS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
INDESCRIBABLY TRAUMATISED BY HAVING
WITNESSED CHRIST’S TERRIBLE SUFFERING,

However, SHE WAS ALSO DEEPLY FAITHFUL AND FILLED
WITH DIVINE GRACE THAT ENABLED HER - MORE
THAN ANYONE ELSE - TO APPRECIATE AND
UNDERSTAND ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO
ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS DIVINE WILL FOR ALL
HUMANITY.

IN HER PROFOUND WISDOM AND LOVE FOR GOD AND
HER FELLOW MANKIND, SHE WOULD KEEP MANY
THINGS – ESPECIALLY THE DIVINELY MYSTERIOUS
THINGS – TO HERSELF, knowing that others
would either not understand or would
misinterpret or blaspheme them.
12 MAY 2019 15
 THE LIFE IN CHRIST – PROTOPRESBYTER JOHN ROMANIDES
SACRAMENTAL PARTICIPATION IN THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS
Participation in THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS IS NOT ONLY A
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, BUT A PRESENT REALITY, that is
granted to those who are Baptised and ‘grafted’
into the Body of Christ. (EPHESIANS 2:13-22; ROMANS 6:3-4 &
JOHN 15:1-8)
There is nevertheless no ‘magical guarantee’ of
Salvation and of continued Participation in the
Life of Christ. (ROMANS 9:19-20).
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST CAME TO DESTROY THE POWER OF
DISUNITY, by Uniting in His own Body those who
believe in Him.
THE EXTERNAL SIGN OF THE CHURCH IS UNITY OF LOVE
while the Centre and THE SOURCE OF THIS UNITY IS
THE EUCHARIST: “...Since there is one bread, we
who are several, are one Body, because we are
all part of one Bread” (JOHN 17:21 & I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20)
THE HOLY MYSTERIES OF BAPTISM AND CHRISMATION
‘GRAFTS’ US TO THE BODY OF CHRIST, WHILE THE HOLY
EUCHARIST KEEPS US ALIVE IN CHRIST AND UNITED WITH
EACH OTHER BY THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
within us. (I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20)
FAITH ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT FOR SALVATION.
The Catechumens who were already “Believers,”
had to stay Vigilant before receiving Baptism by
REJECTING ANYTHING THAT THE WORLD SEES AS “NORMAL
LIFE” IN THE CORRUPT BODY OF SIN AND DEATH, in order
to be Resurrected in the Unity of the Holy Spirit -
TO BE UNITED WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF A LOCAL
COMMUNITY IN CHRIST AND THE COMMUNAL LIFE OF
LOVE.
Orthodoxy knows nothing of a ‘sentimental love’ for
humanity.
WE MUST BE UNITED WITH ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS IN ORDER TO
LIVE IN CHRIST, for the only Path that leads us to
the Love of Christ is by UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING
OTHERS AS MUCH AS OUR LORD GOD LOVES US AND AS WE
LOVE OURSELVES.
Our Divine Saviour cautioned us that WHATEVER WE
MIGHT DO TO OR FOR OTHERS IS EXACTLY AS THOUGH WE
ARE DOING SO TO OR FOR HIM WHOM WE PROFESS TO
LOVE.
Love in the Body of Christ does not consist of vague
abstractions expressing the need to serve
ideologies or human causes.
Love, according to the Image of Christ, means being
crucified to the world - BEING LIBERATED FROM ALL
VAGUE IDEAS in order to truly LIVE IN THE COMPLEXITY
OF COMMUNAL LIFE IN CHRIST - seeking to Love
Christ in the Body of our Brethren.
It is easy to talk about Love and Goodness, but IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT TO ENTER INTO SINCERE AND INTIMATE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE OF DIVERSE ORIGINS.
It is, however, the DEATH AND RESURRECTION IN CHRIST
that HAS ESTABLISHED A COMMUNITY OF SAINTS WHO
think not of themselves, nor of their own opinions,
but CONTINUALLY EXPRESS THEIR LOVE FOR CHRIST AND
OTHERS - seeking to humble themselves like Christ.
What was impossible under the law of death has
become possible through UNITY IN THE SPIRIT OF
LIFE.
ACHIEVING THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS
Throughout Her history the Holy Church of Christ has
had to fight the sin and corruption of Her own
members, and often, of Her Clergy.
E TER NAL I NSP IRED W ISDOM
S T THE OPH AN THE R E CLU SE
All Christians want to go to Paradise, but they do not
want to work for Paradise. It is not enough to
merely want Eternal Salvation. In order for our
wishes to be fulfilled, we have to ceaselessly
Struggle in order to make good Spiritual Progress,
which requires an iron determination. (i.e. sincere
Commitment to fulfilling our Sacred Duties to God
and neighbours.)
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16 3 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE HOLY MYRRHBEARERS
However, in every epoch, OUR CHURCH KNEW HOW TO
IMPLEMENT THE APPROPRIATE MEANS, AS SHE ALWAYS
REMAINED ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE ENEMY.
THE HOLY CHURCH EXISTS IN TRUTH - not because all
Her members and Clergy are without sin - but
BECAUSE THE LIFE OF THE HOLY MYSTERIES IS ALWAYS
PRESENT in Her - AGAINST WHICH THE EVIL ONE IS
DEFENCELESS.
In his Epistle to the Ephesians, St Ignatios of Antioch
reminds us: “...When you often assemble in one
place, the power of Satan is destroyed.”
Whenever we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist
and exchange the Kiss of Peace to commune
together in the Body and Blood of Christ, the devil
is defeated.
However, WHEN A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
COMMUNES UNWORTHILY, HE EATS AND DRINKS HIS OWN
ETERNAL CONDEMNATION. (I COR. 11:29)
WHEN A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT COMMUNE AT ALL with the
Body and Blood of Christ in every Eucharist, HE
BECOMES SPIRITUALLY DEAD. (JOHN 6:53)
THE CHURCH HAS CATEGORICALLY REFUSED TO ENDORSE the
practise whereby A LARGE NUMBER OF CHRISTIANS
ATTEND THE EUCHARIST, WHILE A FEW COMMUNE.
GUIDANCE, PARTICIPATION IN PRAYER AND COMMUNION ARE
INSEPARABLE. (7TH APOSTOLIC CANON; ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, 3RD
HOMILY ON EPHESIANS)
“Let no one be deceived: if somebody is outside
the Sanctuary, he is deprived of the Bread of
God…he who does not gather together with the
Church has shown his pride and has
condemned himself” (ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH TO THE EPHESIANS.
5)
The Biblical and Patristic Tradition is unanimous on
one point: Those who are LIVING MEMBERS OF THE
BODY OF CHRIST are those who ARE DEAD TO THE
POWER OF DEATH AND LIVE IN THE RENEWAL OF THE
SPIRIT OF LIFE.
For this very reason, THOSE WHO DENIED CHRIST DURING
PERSECUTION, even after hours of torture, WERE
CONSIDERED EXCOMMUNICATED for “...Whoever
denies Me before men, I will deny also before
My Father in Heaven” (MATTHEW 10:33)
Having died with Christ in Holy Baptism, we are
expected to BE READY TO DIE ANYTIME IN THE NAME OF
CHRIST.
THE 10TH CANON of the First Ecumenical Council DOES
NOT MERELY PROHIBIT THE ORDINATION OF ANYONE WHO
HAS DENIED CHRIST DURING THE PERSECUTION, BUT
DECLARES THE AUTOMATIC INVALIDATION OF ANY SUCH
ORDINATION, EVEN IF IT TOOK PLACE IN IGNORANCE OF
THE ORDAINER.
Furthermore, THOSE WHO HAVE PERFORMED SUCH AN
ORDINATION ARE THEMSELVES DEPRIVED OF THE
PRIESTHOOD.
THOSE WHO ARE TOO LAZY TO ATTEND CHURCH ARE SERIOUS
BREAKERS OF THE SACRED VOWS OF HOLY BAPTISM – and
THE CLERGY WHO IGNORE SLOTHFUL OR ERRONEOUS
SACRAMENTAL LIFE IS EVEN MORE UNACCEPTABLE!
If Christians were Excommunicated for having
denied Christ after hours of physical torture,
THOSE WHO WEEK AFTER WEEK EXCOMMUNICATE
THEMSELVES ARE ALL THE MORE CONDEMNABLE!
... TO BE CONCLUDED...
https://pemptousia.com/2015/05/the-life-in-christ/
OF OUR H OLY FATHERS
S T AUGUSTINE OF H IP P O
Before we come to Holy Communion, we must pay
attention to the words of our Lord’s Prayer – “...
forgive us... as we forgive...” But do we forgive? For
only by forgiving others will God forgive us. We
can then approach the Chalice with Spiritual
Boldness.... If we do not forgive we are liars! Worst
of all, we are lying to our Lord God Who knows
everything! We can lie to Him but we cannot hide
from Him! He examines us within and outwardly...
He either Condemns or Crowns us.
12 MAY 2019
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever,
and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and
Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit
ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

TONE 3 19 M A Y 2 0 1 9

4TH SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA

SUNDAY OF THE PARALYTIC OF BETHESDA

The Feast of St Patrikios, Hieromartyr Bishop & his Disciples, St Akakios, St Polyenos & St Menander, Priests, of Proussa,
Bithynia – the 13 Holy Monk Martyrs of Panagia Kantaras Monastery, Cyprus – St Cornelios, Abbot of Komel
Monastery, Vologda – St Cornelios, Abbot of Paleostrov & Olonets – St Ignatios John the Right-believing Prince of
Uglich, Vologda – St Sergios of Shukhtom – St John the Bishop of the Goths of Crimea – St Demetrios Donskoy,
Right Believing Grand Prince of Moscow – St Calif of Thebes, Egypt – St Nina the Enlightener of Georgia – St
Theotima

PASCHAL HYMN – TONE (5) PLAGAL 1

✞Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato Thanaton patisas, ✞Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
Ke tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos (3) upon Death, and has bestowed Life to those in the
Tombs.(3)

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS SERVICE
BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

RESURRECTION PROKEIMENON – PSALM 46/47 – TONE 3

Sing Praises to our God! Sing Praises! Sing Praises to our King! Sing Praises!
O Clap your hands, all you Nations. Shout to God with the voice of Rejoicing.
T H E A CTS OF THE AP OSTLE S ACC OR D ING TO S T L U KE 9 : 32 – 42
In those days, it came to pass, as Peter passed through all parts of the country, he also went down to the Saints
who dwelt at Lydda. There he found a certain man named ‘Aeneas,’ who had been bed-ridden for eight
years, suffering from palsy. And Peter said to him: “Aeneas: Jesus Christ makes Thee whole! Arise, and
make Thy bed.” And he immediately arose. And behold! all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and
turned to the Lord.
And at Joppa there was a certain Disciple named ‘Tabitha,’ which is translated as ‘Dorcas.’ She was full of Good
Works and Charitable Deeds, which she had done. And it came to pass in those days that she became ill
and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber. And because Lydda was close
to Joppa, and the Disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, requesting him to
hasten to them
Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they took him into the upper chamber. And all the widows
stood around him, weeping, and showing him the cloaks and garments that Dorcas had made while she
was with them.
After putting them all outside, Peter knelt down, and prayed. And turning to the body, he said: “Tabitha! Arise!”
She opened her eyes, and when she beheld Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand, and helped her up,
and when he had called the Saints and widows, he presented her to them, alive.
And it became known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in our Lord
✶ Lydda is approximately 25 miles northwest of WHICH CONTINUES IN CHRIST’S HOLY CHURCH TO THIS
Jerusalem and Sharon was a region north of VERY DAY.
Lydda along the Mediterranean coastline.
THE DIVINE SIGNS OR MIRACLES OF THE HOLY
✶ The term “...Saints...” referred to ALL CHRISTIAN APOSTLES OF CHRIST CONVERTED MANY WITNESSES
BELIEVERS. AND OTHERS who subsequently became

ALL WHO BELIEVE in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christian.
Christ WITH THEIR WHOLE HEART AND WHO ARE
THESE DIVINE SIGNS OR MIRACLES PROVE THE GREAT
SANCTIFIED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE BY DEFINITION MERCY AND POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD – THUS
“SAINTS.” CONFIRMING CHRIST’S HOLY GOSPEL AND LEADING

The later use of “...Saints...” referring to devout MANY SOULS TO SINCERE REPENTANCE AND
and pious Faithful Disciples who lived a ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST.
particularly exemplary Life in Christ and
St Peter’s raising St Tabitha from the dead
who have been Canonised (Glorified) by parallels Christ’s raising the daughter of the
the Holy Church of Christ does not negate Synagogue Ruler, Jairus, from death, and
this primary meaning. his healing of Aeneas was also similar to our
✶ ST PETER WAS ABLE TO COMPLETELY HEAL the paralysed Lord Jesus Christ’s Healing of the Paralytic of
Aeneas BY INVOKING THE AMAZING DIVINE HEALING Bethesda.
POWER OF OUR LORD THROUGH HIS HOLY NAME,
S T P OR PHY R IOS OF K AVSOKALY V IA
Many of our Saints changed dejection into Joy through their Love for Christ. In other words, they took this
Spiritual Force with which the devil tried to destroy them, and gave it to God, Transforming it into Joy and
Exultation, for Prayer and the Worship of Almighty God gradually Transforms dejection into Joy.

T H
4 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE PARALYTIC OF BETHESDA 19 MAY 2019 17
 T H E H OLY G OSPEL ACCO R D ING TO S T J OH N 5 : 1 – 15
At that time our Lord Jesus went up to Jerusalem. There is in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, a pool, which is
called in Hebrew: ‘Bethesda,’ having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people: blind, lame
and paralysed – waiting for the moving of the water. An Angel went down at a certain time into the pool
and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever
disease he had.
A certain man was there who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew
that he already had been in that condition for a long time, He said to him: “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him: “Lord, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and
while I am going, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him: “Rise. Take up your bed and walk.”
And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked.
That day was the Sabbath. The Hebrews, therefore, said to him who was cured: “It is the Sabbath! It is not
lawful for you to carry your bed!” He answered them: “He Who made me well said to me: ‘Take up your bed
and walk.’” They asked him: “Who is the Man Who said to you: ‘Take up your bed and walk?’” But the one
who was Healed did not know Who it was.
Jesus had withdrawn – a multitude being in that place.
Afterwards Jesus found him in the Temple and said to him: “Behold! You have been made well. Sin no more,
lest a worse thing come upon you.” The man departed and told the Judeans that it was Jesus Who had
made him well.
✶ THIS DIVINE HEALING WAS THE THIRD SIGN OR MIRACLE
Likewise, Christ teaches us to PERSEVERE AND TO
THAT ST JOHN THE DIVINE APOSTLE RECORDED IN HIS HAVE PATIENCE.
HOLY GOSPEL, which EXEMPLIFIES THE DIVINE POWER
This Sacred Lesson is also A JUDGEMENT OR
OF CHRIST OUR LORD TO RESTORE US TO WHOLENESS – CONDEMNATION AGAINST THOSE WHO DESPAIR.
to full health, despite the degree of affliction.
We must NEVER LOSE HOPE, PATIENCE AND FAITH IN
✶ The Feast, which is referred to, was THE OLD GOD’S DIVINE PROVIDENCE – especially when
COVENANT PENTECOST – also known as “THE FEAST our circumstances are NOT ACCORDING TO OUR
OF WEEKS,” which CELEBRATES THE GRANTING OF THE OWN WILL AND DESIRES,
DIVINE LAW – the Ten Commandments of God –
WE CONDEMN OURSELVES WHEN WE HAVE ONLY MINOR
TO ST MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI. PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE EASILY RESOLVED if only

the references to the Law of Moses later in this we make every effort to do so, BUT CHOOSE TO
chapter confirm this interpretation of our DO NOTHING EXCEPT TO BLAME GOD AND UNJUSTLY
Holy Church Fathers..) COMPLAIN!!
✶ THE DOUBLE-BASIN POOL OF BETHESDA, which was
GOD DOES EVERYTHING IN HIS OWN TIME AND
believed to have had miraculous curative ACCORDING TO HIS OWN DIVINE WILL
powers, has been re-discovered ABOUT 100 YARDS
ONLY HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US AND HOW TO
NORTH OF THE TEMPLE AREA, NEAR TO THE SHEEP HELP US.
GATE.
WE MUST ACCEPT HIS DIVINE WISDOM AND WILL IN

The water for this high-ground pool came from ALL THINGS, WITHOUT COMPLAINT NOR
underground springs. IMPATIENCE!

It was used to wash the Sacrificial Lambs We usually have to correct OUR OWN PERSONAL SPIRITUAL
before they were slaughtered as Blood CONDITION before we are able to receive or experience
Offerings for the Atonement and Forgiveness God’s Divine Grace and Mercy:
of sins according to the Old Covenant Law. We need to Repent our sins, to humble ourselves, to learn
✶ THE POOL OF BETHESDA FUNCTIONED AS A TYPE OF HOLY Obedience to God, to Forgive others, to do unselfish and
BAPTISM: Loving (Charitable) Acts of Mercy without exception, learn

under the Old Covenant, although a great to be Patient, Kind, Gentle, Generous, develop a positive
multitude waited to enter the water for attitude and to fulfil all our Sacred Duties and
physical healing after an Angel of God had Commitments with willing and eager heart and soul! mp
touched it and stirred it up, ONLY ONE PERSON
WAS HEALED AT A TIME.
✶ “...Do you want to be made well?” - Although it

The water was special because IN AN INDIRECT may seem strange that our Lord asked the
MANNER IT WAS PART OF THE BLOOD SACRIFICES of
Paralysed Man if he wanted to be Healed, IT
WAS A MOST RELEVANT QUESTION FOR SEVERAL
the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, since the
REASONS:
sacrificial animals were cleansed in the
water.
It made public the fact that THE SICK MAN KEPT HIS

However, DIVINE GRACE WAS LIMITED TO THE FIRST FAITH EVEN IN A SITUATION THAT WAS SEEMINGLY
HOPELESS, for how could a quadriplegic
PERSON WHO ENTERED THE WATER – BUT NOT TO
THE REST.
person ever be the first into the water?
✶ GOD’S NEW COVENANT BAPTISM IS GRANTED TO ALL
Our Lord drew attention away from the water
NATIONS AS A DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN CHRIST’S OWN and towards THE NEED WE ALL HAVE FOR THE
HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF EACH OTHER,
SACRIFICIAL DEATH – WITHOUT THE MEDIATION OF HIS
WHICH IS FULFILLED IN CHRIST HIMSELF, Who
ANGELS.
Holy Baptism of the New (Bloodless) Covenant grants became Man in order to Heal and Restore
us all ailing, and fallen mankind.

HEALING, REGENERATION AND RENEWAL OF BOTH OUR
NOT EVERYONE WHO IS ILL ACTUALLY DESIRES HEALING,
BODY AND OUR IMMORTAL SOUL,
for sadly, some prefer to remain infirm in

as well being the Divine Promise of ETERNAL order to have an excuse or licence to
RESURRECTION OF OUR BODY. complain, to avoid any responsibility for

Furthermore, DIVINE GRACE OF THE NEW COVENANT their lives, or to continue drawing the pity of
IS INEXHAUSTIBLE
others!

AND IS OFFERED TO ALL WHO SEEK IT. ✶ “..Take up your bed and walk...” MOSAIC LAW DID
NOT SPECIFICALLY FORBID THE CARRYING OF BURDENS
✶ “...Jesus saw him lying there...” According to St John
ON THE SABBATH.
Chrysostom, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST SINGLED OUT THIS
PARTICULAR MAN.

It was PROHIBITED AND EXPLICITLY FORBIDDEN IN

He had SUFFERED FOR THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS RABBINICAL TEACHINGS.

He had PATIENTLY WAITED TO BE HEALED.  JEREMIAH 17 : 23 The Lord said: “... if you will not

Although he was alone, HE NEVER LOST FAITH. hear Me so as to Sanctify the Sabbath Days, and

T H
18 4 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE PARALYTIC OF BETHESDA 19 MAY 2019
 bear no burdens, nor enter the gates of
Jerusalem on the Sabbath Days, then I will kindle
a fire in her gates. It will consume the streets of
Jerusalem and will not be quenched.”

St Jeremiah the Holy Prophet of God delivered
the Word of the Lord, which COMMANDED THAT
ISRAEL STOP VIOLATING THE SABBATH DAY.

The Reward for Obedience to God is A
GATHERING OF THE NATIONS INTO JERUSALEM TO
OFFER SACRIFICES – which was the greatest
desire of the Israelites while in exile.

Although this was accomplished after their
Exile and return to the Holy Land, IT WAS NOT
COMPLETELY FULFILLED UNTIL THE GENTILES
JOINED THE PROCESSION ON THE DAY OF
PENTECOST.

The Truth that CHRIST IS LORD OVER THE SABBATH IS
MADE CLEAR
1. BY HIS COMMAND TO THE PARALYTIC
2. AND BY THE MAN’S UNHESITATING OBEDIENCE TO
HIM.
✶ “...the Hebrews.... said to him...” refers to THE LEADERS
and not to the people in general, according to
the Holy Gospel of St John

THE MISGUIDED MALICIOUSNESS OF THE SPIRITUALLY
BLIND, HEBREW LEADERS was quite evident

because THEY FOCUSED SOLELY ON THE “VIOLATION”
OF THE SABBATH RATHER THAN ON THE GREAT
MIRACLE OF THE COMPLETE HEALING of the
Long-suffering Paralytic!
✶ Our Lord “...Jesus found him in the Temple...”
DEMONSTRATED THE GENUINE, PROFOUND FAITH OF
THE PARALYTIC

HE HAD IMMEDIATELY HASTENED TO THE TEMPLE TO
OFFER HIS HEARTFELT THANKSGIVING AND
WORSHIP, instead of going home, or
anywhere else to show off his Miraculously
Healed body.

ALL MIRACULOUS HEALINGS HAD TO BE CONFIRMED BY
THE TEMPLE PRIESTS, followed by various
4 T H
S U ND AY OF P ASCH A
✞ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Sacred Lesson concerning the Healing of the
Paralytic raises a number of questions, the first
regarding THE CAUSES OF ILLNESS, which our Lord
Jesus Christ answers when HE SEVERELY CAUTIONED
the Healed Paralytic of Bethesda: “...You have
been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come upon you.”
THE ORIGIN OF ILLNESS IS SIN, which is evident from THOSE
WHO DESTROY THEIR BODY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS
THROUGH NUMEROUS TYPES OF ADDICTIONS – SELFISH,
CARELESS BEHAVIOUR OR ATTITUDES, THAT USUALLY HARM
AND DEVASTATE MANY OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
However, CERTAIN AILMENTS ARE INVOLUNTARILY CAUSED BY
CONTAGIOUS INFECTIONS OR DUE TO NATURAL
CATASTROPHES OR ACCIDENTS THAT ARE BEYOND ANYONE’S
CONTROL.
The fact is that THE VAST MAJORITY OF ILLNESSES AND
INFIRMITIES ARE INVOLUNTARY - not caused by
personal sin, but as a result of GENERAL SIN THAT
SERIOUSLY AFFLICTS THE ENTIRE WORLD - THE
CONSEQUENCE OF THE FALL OF ADAM, which is part of
OUR HUMAN CONDITION.
THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS IS OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST WHO HEALS our many and various illnesses –
physical and spiritual – because HE ALONE
OVERCOMES OUR SINS AND ITS ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCE –
DEATH.
The Divine Miracle of the Healing of the Paralytic of
Bethesda is most apt for OUR CONTEMPORARY WORLD,
which SUFFERS FROM A SPIRITUAL AND MORAL PARALYSIS -
unable to overcome the innumerable problems
that have been CAUSED BY OUR SINFUL CONDITION.
SO MANY PEOPLE – YOUNG AND OLD – ARE FORCED TO SUFFER
AND ENDURE THE INDESCRIBABLE HORRORS OF WAR AND
T H
4 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE PARALYTIC OF BETHESDA
Cleansing and Sacrificial Rites according to
Mosaic Law.
✶ “...Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon
you...” EMPHASISES THE GENERAL CONNECTION
BETWEEN SIN AND SUFFERING,

However, the innocent are the victims whose
suffering is worse that THE GUILTY WHO ALL
TOO OFTEN SEEM TO BE SPARED EARTHLY
CONSEQUENCES.

OUR SINS USUALLY LEAD DIRECTLY TO MOST OF THE
SUFFERING OF THIS WORLD.

WE OFTEN CAUSE OUR OWN SUFFERING AND – EVEN
WORSE - THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS DUE TO OUR
SELFISH, GREEDY, WICKED AND CARELESS ACTIONS.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S DIRE WARNING WAS NOT
ONLY ADDRESSED TO THE HEALED MAN, BUT TO
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!

OUR SINS CAUSE US SPIRITUAL DEATH,

ONLY THE HOLY MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE--
CONFESSION CAN RESTORE US TO SPIRITUAL LIFE IN
CHRIST.

IF WE STUBBORNLY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, CONFESS
AND REPENT OUR SINS THEY WILL DESTROY OUR
SOUL – leading to a far worse consequence
than any terrible, painful or disabling
affliction of the body!

OUR ONLY HOPE IS TO RESIST ALL TEMPTATION AND SIN
BY beseeching the Lord our God for His
DIVINE STRENGTH AND ASSISTANCE.
✶ “...told the Judeans that it was Jesus Who had made
him well...” WAS NOT DONE IN A MALICIOUS MANNER
BUT AS A WITNESS OF CHRIST’S ABSOLUTE GOODNESS.

Although those misguided Jewish Leaders
were only interested in “... the violation of
the Sabbath,” THE FORMER PARALYTIC
EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS OUR LORD JESUS WHO
HAD HEALED HIM, WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING
ABOUT CARRYING HIS BED –

HE DID NOT BLAME OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR
CAUSING HIM TO BREAK THE SABBATH.
– T HE P ARALYTIC OF BET HE SDA
CATASTROPHE – CAUSED BY INCALCULABLE EVIL – BY
EGOCENTRIC PEOPLE who do not care for anyone but
themselves, so THEY INSTIGATE ONGOING WARS AND
BITTER HATRED THAT AFFECTS ALL MANKIND FOR SO MANY
MORE GENERATIONS!
Every country in the world has WICKED LEADERS AND
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE WHO ARE UTTERLY CRIMINAL AND
CORRUPT, who reject honesty, Truth and integrity
because THEIR INSATIABLE GREED AND LUST FOR
CONTROL, DRIVES THEM EVER DEEPER INTO SINS.
THE ENTIRE WORLD SUFFERS THE DREADFUL EFFECTS OF EVER-
INCREASING CRIME AND CRUELTY.
Therefore, WE MUST TEACH OUR CHILDREN THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG! We must teach them to
TREAT EVERYONE WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT, BEHAVING
TOWARDS OTHERS IN A MANNER THEY, THEMSELVES WOULD
PREFER TO BE TREATED. We must TEACH THEM TO BE
HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY, AND THAT EVERY ACTION HAS
A CONSEQUENCE – every word, thought and deed
affects the world around us!
We might often wonder why our Lord God does not
intervene and Heal the illnesses of this fallen
world.
Before our Lord Jesus Christ Healed the Paralytic, HE
ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO BE HEALED, because GOD
DOES NOT HEAL THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE HEALED.
HE GRANTS US THE FREEDOM TO MAKE OUR OWN CHOICES,
because HE NEVER FORCES HIS DIVINE WILL UPON OUR
OWN FREE WILL!
THOSE WHO CAUSE TERRIBLE HOLOCAUSTS DO NOT WANT TO BE
HEALED OF THEIR BLOOD-THIRSTY, GREEDY PASSIONS OF
ETHNIC HATRED AND TERRITORIAL CONQUESTS – for their
insatiable appetites and desires for material riches
and power are never appeased.
But INSTEAD OF JUDGING AND BLAMING OTHERS for all the
world’s sufferings, WE MUST FIRST AND FOREMOST
19 MAY 2019 19
 EXAMINE OURSELVES to see whether or not we,
ourselves, want TO BE HEALED OF OUR OWN SELF-
SERVING WICKEDNESS AND PASSIONS THAT INCLUDE OUR
INDIFFERENCE TO GOD, AND OUR CRUCIFYING LACK OF
FAITH IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HIS HOLY CHURCH.
If WE CANNOT SEE OUR OWN WEAKNESSES AND SINS, and if we
have no strong desire to be Healed through our
Repentance-Confession, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE
SPIRITUALLY PARALYSED AND UNABLE TO MAKE ANY
FURTHER PROGRESS TOWARDS ETERNAL SALVATION,
THE LIFE IN CHRIST – PROTOPRESBYTER JOHN ROMANIDES (CONCLUSION)
The character and methods of the devil have not
changed, and the power of death in the world
remains the same.
THE MEANS OF SALVATION, THE DEATH OF BAPTISM AND THE
LIFE OF THE EUCHARIST, HAVE THUS ALSO REMAINED THE
SAME, for the Canons of our Church have never
changed, and we read the same Scriptures
approved by our Holy Fathers, YET OUR OWN
WEAKNESSES AND SINS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EVIDENT!
AS DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, WE ARE NOT FIGHTING EVIL IN THE
SPIRIT OF CHRIST’S TEACHINGS, and far too many
‘Christians’ use the Church for their own interests,
‘LET YOUR SPEECH ALWAYS BE GRACIOUS
It was cold in Karyes, the capital of the Holy Mountain,
which is situated at a high elevation and rather damp
in winter. But the weather was dry that day, and
there was a slight breeze. It was late afternoon and
the sun had just dropped behind the mountain.
I was walking along a path with Father Païsios, and on
the way we met up with Father Kallinikos from the
Skete of Koutloumousios.
When we arrived at the little wooden bridge that is
surrounded by walnut trees, suddenly Father Païsios
remarked in surprise: “‘I wonder who brought
mandarins?”
Much further on, about sixty meters away, was the gate to
his yard, at which something could vaguely be seen
that might have been orange in colour, but from that
distance it was not possible to see clearly.
We soon arrived at the gate, and, indeed, we saw a large
orange plastic bag, full of mandarins. How on earth
had he seen them? How did he know they were
mandarins and not oranges – especially since the
bag was orange and could have contained anything
- apples, for example.
“I really like mandarins,” Father Paisios said, then,
pretending to be greedy, he said: “I will keep three
for myself… No, I had better make it five…”
Then, with a big smile, he said: “No, now that I have the
chance, I will take seven! Take the rest across to Elder
Joseph, Father Kallinikos.”
Father Kallinikos received his Blessing and left, and
Father Païsios and I went into his little house, and sat
in a cell where he asked me to read some of his
manuscript texts.
About twenty minutes had passed when somebody
knocked at the gate, wanting to see him.
“Should I open the door, Elder?” I asked. “Better not. If
they are only curious, they will leave. If they really
need to see me, they won’t.”
So we continued reading, and in a few minutes the
knocking at the gate was heard again.
“Now what do we do, Elder?” I asked, and he replied:
“Take a peek - without them seeing you - and tell me
how many there are.”
Instead of curtains, there was a piece of sheet over his
window. I carefully peered out, and said: “I cannot
tell how many there are because I cannot see them.”
And Father Paisios responded: “Can you not even add
up? What were you doing all those years in America?
We will wait and they will knock again.”
And, sure enough, after a while, they knocked again.
Father Paisios said: “Now I will see if I can count them. I
may not have finished Primary School, but I will see
what I can do.” Then he got up and opened the door.
He said: “What is the matter, lads? Look at the time. What
have you come for?” They replied: “Father, we want to
see you for a little while. Can we?”
He answered: “Certainly, you can see me, but what will
we find to offer you? How many are you? Let me
T H
20 4 PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE PARALYTIC OF BETHESDA
because WE WILL BE STUCK IN THE DEEP, DARK CHASM OF
SIN!
Unless there is a sincere desire to be Healed, WE WILL
ALL REMAIN PARALYSED BY HATRED, GREED, SELFISHNESS
AND EVIL!
O Lord, Save us from our own iniquities and idleness.
Amen.
FATHER ANDREW PHILIPS – “ORTHODOX ENGLAND”
by interpreting the Doctrine of Christ according to
their own flawed ideas.
We must LIVE ACCORDING TO DIVINE TRUTH, THE APOSTLES
AND OUR HOLY FATHERS - not according to the deceit
of the evil one and the desires of this fallen world.
Before criticizing the “inflexibility” of Patristic Doctrine,
we must RETURN TO THE PRESUPPOSITIONS OF LIFE IN
CHRIST AND BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO PERVERT HIS
DIVINE TEACHINGS, for He died for our Salvation. To
deny this is to deny His Cross and the blood of all
Holy Martyrs!
...’ – ST PAISIOS OF MOUNT ATH OS
count... Seven... Let’s see what there is in the shop at
this time of day.” And he went back inside, and
returned with the seven mandarins.
I was absolutely amazed! How had he known how many
mandarins to keep? Did he know in advance? Had
God shown him, without him realizing?
“Where are you from?” he asked with interest. One of the
men said: “We are from Athens. And Bruce and John
are from America.”
“From America? If we give them just a mandarin each it
will make us a laughing-stock. Let’s see if there’s
anything ‘American’ in the supermarket.”
And once again he went inside, and returned with a
packet of American biscuits and a tin of Planters nuts,
which amazed and impressed us all.
“Father,” asked one of them, “what does the talanto
symbolize, which they strike in Monasteries?”
Father Paisios answered: “I do not know what it
symbolizes, but that is not important. What matters is
not striking the talanto in a Monastery but to multiply
the talent that God has given you.✶
Then he said to them: “Listen. Because of the time, you
have to leave.
“I have got only one thing to say to you. The problem with
Americans is that, in English, ‘I’ is always written
with a capital letter, whereas here in Greece, we
sometimes write ‘εγώ’ (ego) with a small ‘ε’.
They laughed at his joke and the Americans asked: “What
does that mean? What should we do?”
And Father Paisios told them: “Get rid of ‘I’ from your
vocabulary. Egotism is our greatest enemy. All of us,
without exception, have to fight against it.”
There is a particular courtesy about Sanctity - a delicacy,
a graciousness.
St Paisios did not say anything wise nor Theological, nor
did he make any impressive Revelations. Yet he filled
their heart and soul, and although he had known that
they would come, he hid that from them, and gave
each of his visitors a little treat.
Our Holy Father, Paisios was unlike anyone else in his
behaviour. We were always edified by his speech
and relaxed in his presence.
Without trying to persuade anyone about anything, he
convinced everyone about the most important things.
With him, we were Illumined - we found Joy and rest. We
felt like our Lady, Theotokos at the Feet of our
crucified Lord Jesus Christ, and like the Apostles on
Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration, and we never
wanted to leave.
✶ THIS WAS ANOTHER OF SAINT PAÏSIOS’ FAMOUS PUNS. IN GREEK, THE WORD FOR
‘WOODEN SPAR’ – THE TALANTO - WHICH IS STRUCK WITH A MALLET TO ANNOUNCE
THE HOURS OF PRAYERS AND SERVICES (INSTEAD OF RINGING A BELL) AND THE
‘TALENTS’ MENTIONED IN MATTHEW, 25: 14 - 30) IS THE SAME. WJL
METROPOLITAN NIKOLAOS (HATZINIKOLAOU) OF MESOGAIA AND LAVREOTIKI
WWW.PEMPTOUSA.COM
19 MAY 2019
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious
Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one
another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
21 MAY 2019

S T CO NSTANTINE & S T HEL E NA OF BY ZANTIU M

EQ U AL S TO TH E A P OSTL ES

A P ODOSIS OF TH E P AR ALY TIC

P ENTE COSTAR ION - P ASC H AL A P OLYTIKION – TON E (5) P L AGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Ke Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS
SERVICE BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM
WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

FESTAL MATINS - HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 10: 9 – 16

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY
At that time, our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I Am the Door: if anyone enters by Me, he will be Saved, and will go
in and out and find pasture. The Thief does not come, except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have
come that they may have Life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
“I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for His Sheep. But a Hireling – he who is not the
Shepherd, one who does not own the Sheep – sees the Wolf approaching, and leaves the Sheep and flees.
And the Wolf catches the Sheep and scatters them. The Hireling flees because he is a hireling, and does
not care about the Sheep
I am the Good Shepherd. And I know My Sheep and am known by my own. As the Father knows Me, even so
I know the Father, and I lay down My Life for My Sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this Fold. Them also I must bring, and they will hear my Voice and
there will be One Flock and One Shepherd...”
✶ "... I Am the Door...” OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WE ARE His ‘...reason-endowed Sheep...” – HIS
ENTRANCE TO HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. HOLY FLOCK.

ONLY BY LIVING IN CHRIST – living every moment ✶ "... gives His Life for His Sheep...” Our Divine
according to His Divine Truth – CAN WE HOPE TO Shepherd VOLUNTARILY SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR OUR
RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE in His Divine Kingdom of SALVATION – THE GREATEST ACT OF LOVE AND SELF-
Love, RESTING IN PEACE until the Eight Day – the SACRIFICE anyone can offer for the Salvation of
General Resurrection and Final Judgement. others.

Life in Christ means that OUR WORDS, THOUGHTS
HE WAS THE OFFERER AND THE OFFERING OF THE
AND DEEDS OUGHT TO ALWAYS BE WITH LOVE – “... ULTIMATE, MOST PERFECT AND FULFILLING BLOOD
me Agape.” SACRIFICE OF ALL TIME, which makes it no
✶ “...Life... more abundantly...” means that even now longer necessary for blood sacrifices for the
BY LIVING IN CHRIST WE WILL ENJOY A FULFILLED AND forgiveness of sins.
BLESSED LIFE OF DIVINE GRACE AND LOVE.
However, WE STILL NEED TO CONSTANTLY PLUCK
✶”... the Thief...” IS SATAN, the inventor of everything OUT AND REPENT OUR SINS, which are continuous
evil, who always spreads lies and encourages and habitual, because OUR SALVATION IS A
heresies and blasphemy among the People of CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PROCESS until we draw
God – both the Old Israel and the New Israel - our final breath.
LURING AWAY THE DECEIVED, IGNORANT leaders and
CHRIST OUR LORD FULFILLED THE PROPHECY OF HIS
people. PASSION.
✶ “....to steal, and to kill, and to destroy....” ALTHOUGH
HE ALSO FULFILLED ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED BY GOD
SATAN AND HIS DEMONS CANNOT ACTUALLY KILL US, THEY FOR THE REDEMPTION AND RECONCILIATION OF ALL
ROB US OF ANYTHING GOOD AND VIRTUOUS . HUMANITY.

THEY DECEIVE US AND LURE US INTO WICKEDNESS THAT
SO, TOO, MUST WE LAY OUR LIFE DOWN FOR HIM AND
ALIENATES US FROM GOD AND EACH OTHER. FOR OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS – PUTTING GOD

THEY USE OUR PASSIONS AND WEAKNESSES AGAINST US AND OTHER BEFORE OURSELVES, sometimes even
causing us to commit murder, acts of to the point of death.
greedy self-indulgence and self-destruction ✶ “...a Hireling...” is a SELFISH, EGOCENTRIC MERCENARY
or suicide. who only cares about being paid.

MUCH OF THE DESTRUCTION AND HARM DONE TO OUR
He DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE HOLY
PLANET AND OUR fellow mankind is due to our FLOCK.
own evil passions.
He ABANDONS THEM WHEN CHALLENGES OR THREATS
✶ “... I am the Good Shepherd ...” OUR LORD JESUS CONFRONT HIM.
CHRIST WATCHES OVER US – PROTECTING US AND
GUIDING US ALONG HIS PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, for

ST CONSTANTINE & ST HELENA, EQUAL TO THE APOSTLES 21 MAY 2018 21.


He MAKES NO EFFORT TO GUIDE OR PROTECT THEM LORD AND DIVINE SAVIOUR – or those who
THEIR
AGAINST EVIL nor does he bother to correct naturally fulfil a lifespan according to Divine
their sins. Love – the Love of God and all Creation – THOSE
✶ “...the Wolf...” refers to HERETICS, SCHISMATICS AND WHO “...know My Voice...”
THOSE WHO HAVE SELF-SERVING INTENTIONS.
At that time it meant THE GENTILES (Non-Jews)

THEY USE THE HOLY CHURCH FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT WHO WOULD BE BROUGHT INTO THE TRUE FAITH,
as a means of personal benefit and with the Hebrews, WHEN, HEARING THE DIVINE
financial profit. TRUTH, THEY ACCEPTED CHRIST AS LORD AND

THESE PEOPLE DO THE WORK OF THE EVIL ONE. SAVIOUR.
✶ “...catches the Sheep and scatters them...” THEY ✶ “...One Flock and One Shepherd...” is OUR CONSTANT
ENTICE THE IGNORANT AND INNOCENT WITH THEIR HOPE OF ALL MANKIND’S RECONCILIATION WITH GOD
DECEPTIONS AND LIES THAT ARE CONTRARY TO DIVINE AND EACH OTHER.
TRUTH and everything that our Divine Saviour has
CHRIST IS THE ONLY HEAD OR LEADER OF OUR HOLY,
taught us. UNIVERSAL, ORTHODOX CHURCH.

Like ravenous beasts, THEIR ONLY DESIRE IS TO
He has AUTHORISED BISHOPS AND PRIESTS to be
SATISFY THEIR WICKED APPETITE. SPIRITUAL SHEPHERDS OF HIS HOLY FLOCK, who

When their treachery is exposed, THE FLOCK are ORDAINED TO PERFORM THE HOLY MYSTERIES,
FEELS BETRAYED AND BECOMES “SCATTERED” when which sustain and fulfil our Spiritual
they either reject the Holy Church altogether Welfare.
or “shop around” for “something better.”
THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST TRANSCENDS ALL

THE FAITHFUL WILL REMAIN IN THE SANCTITY OF ETHNIC AND OTHER HUMAN DISTINCTIONS, for
CHRIST’S HOLY FOLD – HIS ORTHODOX CHURCH – God created everything - and ALL MANKIND IS
WHILE OTHERS – ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE WEAK EQUAL IN HIS SIGHT.
IN FAITH – WILL EITHER APOSTATISE OR STRAY FAR
Since the beginning of His Holy Church, ONLY
AND WIDE, AWAY FROM HIS DIVINE TRUTH. ONE BISHOP (METROPOLITAN) IS AUTHORISED TO
✶ “...I know My Sheep and am known...” means that SERVE EACH CITY OR DIOCESE. (Canon 8 of the
we have A GOOD, CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR First Ecumenical Council of Nicea)
LORD JESUS CHRIST.
As the Church has grown, Bishops have had to
✶ “...I know the Father...” - BY LIVING IN CHRIST – striving serve larger areas due to the shortage of
constantly to Faithfully and correctly follow our Priests and Bishops.
Divine Saviour’s Teachings and
In the Second Century, St Ignatios had
Commandments - WE WILL RECOGNISE, admonished certain churches for
UNDERSTAND AND KNOW OUR TRIUNE LORD GOD AND conducting separate Liturgies for Jewish
HIS DIVINE TRUTH, which has been Revealed and and Gentile Christians: “... be careful to
taught to us by OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST - THE observe A SINGLE EUCHARIST, for there is
ETERNAL, ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD THE FATHER. ONE FLESH of our Lord Jesus Christ, and

We will, therefore, not be deceived by our ONE CUP (Chalice) of His Blood that makes
enemies who seek our destruction. us ONE, and ONE ALTAR, just as there is
✶ “...other sheep ... not of this Fold...” ARE THOSE WHO ONE BISHOP... This is in line with God’s
WILL EVENTUALLY ACCEPT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AS Will...”
FEST AL PROKEIMENON – PSALM 18/19 – TONE (8) PL AGAL 4
Their Proclamation went forth into all the Earth, and their Words to the ends of the world.
The Heavens declare the Glory of God; the firmament shows the Creation of His Hands.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO ST LUKE 26 : 1 & 12 – 20
In those days, Agrippa the King said to Paul: “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his
hand and answered for himself: “... while thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and
commission from the Chief Priests, at midday along the road, I beheld, O King, a Light from Heaven that was
brighter than the sun shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
“We had all fallen to the ground, when I heard a Voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language:
‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? It is difficult for you to kick against the goads.’ I said: ‘Who art
Thou, Lord?’ He said: ‘”I Am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. But Rise and stand on your feet. I have
Appeared to you for this Purpose – to make you a Minister and a Witness both of the Things that you have
seen and of the Things that I will yet reveal to you.
‘”’I will Deliver you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you - to open their eyes in
order to turn them from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive
Forgiveness of sins and an Inheritance among those who are Sanctified by Faith in Me.’
“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the Heavenly Vision, but declared first to those in Damascus
and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region in Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should Repent,
and turn to God, doing Work befitting Repentance.”
✶ “...Agrippa the King...” was the second last Judean ✶ “...I journeyed to Damascus with authority ...”
ruler – Marcus Julius Agrippa - and father of clarifies the fact that AS A ZEALOUS HEBREW, ST
Herod Agrippa II, (the last ruler of the Herodian PAUL WAS USED BY THE CHIEF PRIESTS TO PERSECUTE
dynasty.) THE CHRISTIANS, EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH, such

He was the grandson of Herod “the Great” and as in the case of St Stephen the Archdeacon
the son of Aristoboulos IV and Berenice, who and Protomartyr, who was stoned to death,
reigned as “King of Judea” from 11 BC – 44 while ST PAUL HAD WATCHED.
AD (although he was merely a Tetrarch ✶ “...a Light from Heaven...” – This was HIS FIRST
Governor.) ENCOUNTER WITH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, which

The territory of Judea included Judea, Galilee, TOTALLY TRANSFORMED ST PAUL INTO HIS GREATEST
Batanaea and Perea, and extended East to APOSTLE who would convert innumerable
Trachonitis. multitudes to our True Faith.
✶ “...speak for yourself..” St Paul was regarded as A
THE EXTREMELY BRIGHT, BLINDING LIGHT IS THE DIVINE
ROMAN CITIZEN so WAS ALLOWED TO STATE HIS OWN ENERGY OF OUR LORD GOD, which was also
CASE TO THE COURT. experienced by His three Holy Apostles on
✶ “...Paul stretched out his hand...” This was THE USUAL Mount Tabor at His Transfiguration.
MANNER OF PUBLIC ADDRESS in those times.

22. S T CON STANTINE & S T HEL E NA , EQ U AL TO THE AP OSTLE S 21 M AY 2019


This is the Divine Light that devout Hesychasts
Consequently, EVERYTHING WE ACHIEVE IN THE HOLY
have experienced as well. SERVICE OF OUR LORD IS ENTIRELY BY THE GRACE

For the rest of his lifespan on Earth, ST PAUL OF GOD – certainly not by our own weak,
REMAINED ABSOLUTELY FAITHFUL TO OUR LORD flawed and limited human abilities!
JESUS CHRIST AND HIS HOLY CHURCH, for which
OUR COMPLETE DEDICATION TO AND LOVE OF GOD
HE WAS CONTINUOUSLY AND SEVERELY PERSECUTED COMPELS US TO GREATER EFFORTS FOR HIS GLORY,
UNTIL HIS BEHEADING IN ROME. HONOUR AND WORSHIP ALONE.
✶ “...I Am Jesus...” OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ALWAYS ✶ “...Forgiveness of sins and an Inheritance...” is THE
CLEARLY IDENTIFIES HIMSELF and those who are so DIVINE PURPOSE OF OUR SHORT, EARTHLY SOJOURN
Blessed as to Experience His Divine Presence, before Eternity.
KNOW WITHOUT ANY DOUBT –WITH ALL OUR BEING -
THIS PREPARATORY PERIOD IS OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY
THAT HE IS INDEED OUR LORD AND DIVINE SAVIOUR. TO REPENT OUR SINS AND TO RENEW OUR NATURAL
✶ “...a Minister and a Witness...” OUR ENCOUNTERS WITH LOVE FOR GOD AND ALL HIS GOODNESS , when
CHRIST OUR LORD ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE we are “...Sanctified by Faith...” AS HE
FOR THE BENEFIT OF MANY OTHERS, not merely for CREATED US TO BE, but which we lost.
our own needs or desires. ✶ “...doing Work befitting Repentance...” DEEP

WE ARE UTTERLY TRANSFORMED AND ENABLED TO GRATITUDE AND LOVE OF GOD SHOULD COMPEL AND
FULFIL THE SACRED CALLING OF GOD BY THE MOTIVATE US TO FULFIL EVERYTHING OUR LORD JESUS
POWER AND ENERGY OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, CHRIST HAS TAUGHT US AND COMMANDED US TO DO.
Who empowers us to do so.
HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 10: 1 – 9
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: “...Truly, Truly, I say unto you: he who does not enter the Sheepfold by the
Door, but climbs up some other ways, is a Thief and a Robber. He who enters by the Door, is the Shepherd
of the Sheep. To him the Doorkeeper opens, and the Sheep hear His Voice, and He Calls His Sheep by
name, and leads them out. And when He brings out His own Sheep, He goes before them. And the Sheep
follow Him, for they know His voice. A Stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they do not
know the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this illustration, they did not understand the things that was spoken to them.
Again, Jesus said to them: “Truly, truly, I say to you: I Am the Door of the Sheep. “All who ever came before
Me are thieves and robbers, but the Sheep did not hear them. I Am the Door: by Me if anyone enters in,
he shall be Saved, and shall go in and out, and find Pasture...”
✶ THIS WAS A CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION OF CHRIST WITH ✶ Those who “... hear His Voice...” are those FAITHFUL
THE PHARISEES, which occurred at the conclusion of SHEPHERDS WHO LEAD GOD’S PEOPLE ACCORDING TO
the Feast of Tabernacles – a period of eight days. DIVINE TRUTH IN CHRIST.

At this Festival, during the last year of our Lord’s
They will receive Eternal Life together with their
earthly Life, HE TAUGHT IN THE TEMPLE, Faithful Flock.
ATTRACTING MUCH PUBLIC ATTENTION whereby ✶ “...He Calls His Sheep by name...” GOD KNOWS EACH
SOME CONSIDERED HIM AS SIMPLY BEING ‘INSANE,’ OF US BY OUR BAPTISMAL NAME, WHEREBY HE ADDRESSES US
WHILE OTHERS BELIEVED OUR LORD TO BE THE WHEN WE ARE SO BLESSED TO ENCOUNTER HIM.
LONG-AWAITED DIVINE MESSIAH.
AS OUR DIVINE CREATOR, HE KNOWS EACH OF US

However, THE SADDUCEES, PHARISEES AND SCRIBES INTIMATELY – far better than we know
CONSIDERED HIM TO BE A GREAT THREAT AND THUS ourselves.
PLOTTED HIS MURDER.
LIKEWISE, OUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS WHO ARE OUR
✶ OUR LORD JESUS COMPARED THEIR LEADERSHIP WITH HIS SPIRITUAL SHEPHERDS, OUGHT TO ALSO KNOW US
OWN DIVINE AUTHORITY. PERSONALLY – by name, and endeavour to

THEY HAD FAILED AS “SHEPHERDS” OF GOD’S HOLY understand our specific circumstances and
FLOCK because THEY WERE CORRUPTED BY THEIR needs – from the greatest to the least.
DECEIT, PRIDE AND LACK OF COMPASSION,
OUR SPIRITUAL SHEPHERDS OUGHT TO POSSESS CHRIST-
whereas OUR LORD JESUS FULFILS ALL THE LIKE COMPASSION AND MERCY for each member
ESSENTIAL HOLY VIRTUES. of the Holy Flock under their care.

They were the “Thieves and Robbers” of God’s
ACCORDINGLY, THE FLOCK OUGHT TO RESPOND TO OUR
Holy Covenant with His People. SPIRITUAL FATHERS WITH TRUST, LOVE AND
✶ “...He who enters by the Door...” are THOSE WHO OBEDIENCE because they are ORDAINED BY GOD
CORRECTLY FULFIL THE WILL OF GOD WITH LOVE, TO LEAD US AND GUIDE US PROPERLY IN CHRIST.
HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE – WHO ACCEPT AND TEACH
As St Ignatios pointed out: “... where the Bishop
DIVINE TRUTH. is present, there the people shall gather...”

According to St John Chrysostom, “...the Door...” for indeed, the response of the Faithful Flock
refers to DIVINE TRUTH – THE WORD OF GOD can be A GOOD INDICATOR OF WHO IS A TRUE AND
(CHRIST OUR LORD) AND THE DIVINELY INSPIRED BELOVED HOLY SHEPHERD WHO CORRECTLY
HOLY SCRIPTURES, because the Holy Scriptures MINISTERS TO THE NEEDS OF GOD’S HOLY FLOCK.
reveal God the Word – our Lord Jesus Christ ✶ “...All who ever came before Me...” does not refer to
– to us. St Moses nor to the True Holy Prophets of God

Therefore, THOSE WHO TRY TO LEAD THE FLOCK IN A but to THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO BE THE GREAT
MANNER THAT IS NEITHER IN CHRIST, NOR MESSIAH – those who appeared before and after
ACCORDING TO HIS TEACHINGS AND THOSE OF THE the First Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
HOLY SCRIPTURES, ARE INDEED THIEVES AND
THESE WICKED, BLASPHEMOUS IMPOSTERS USE GOD’S
ROBBERS. HOLY FLOCKS FOR THEIR OWN FRAUDULENT

Rather than using this Sacred Door so that PURPOSES.
everyone can see His Divine Works openly,
These are the “WOLVES IN SHEEPSKINS” WHO DEVOUR
all FALSE SHEPHERDS USE DEVIOUS MEANS TO AND SCATTER GOD’S HOLY FLOCKS – who are
CONTROL, TO STEAL AND TO MANIPULATE PEOPLE, enslaved, voluntary servants of the evil one.
WHICH ULTIMATELY DESTROYS THEIR SOULS!
They are OUR ENEMIES WHO HUNT NOT ONLY OUTSIDE
BUT WHO MAY ALSO LURK WITHIN OUR HOLY
CHURCH.

S T CO NSTANTINE & S T H E LE NA , EQ UAL TO THE A P OSTLE S 21 M AY 2019 23.

 EVEN ASC ETICS NEED COMMUNITY – FATHER ERNESTO OBREGON
A Holy Elder had Fasted for seventy weeks, eating only
once a week. He asked of God the meaning of a
text of the Holy Scriptures but God did not reveal it
to him.
So he said to himself: “Here I am: I have worked so
hard and profited nothing. I will go to my Brother
and ask him.”
As he shut his door on the way out, an Angel of our
Lord was sent to him, who said: “The seventy
weeks of your Fast have not brought you near to
God: but now you are humbled and going to your
Brother, I have been sent to show you the
meaning of the text.” And he explained to him
what he had asked, and went away.
As Orthodox Christians, WE RIGHTFULLY HONOUR OUR
ASCETICS AND HERMITS. We honour the way THEY
“LEAVE” (RENOUNCE) THE WORLD IN ORDER TO DEVOTE
THEMSELVES TO PRAYER, TO LEARN TO KNOW GOD BETTER,
AND TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE IN POVERTY,
HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE.
YET, SOMETIMES WE speak of them in a manner that
appears to REGARD THEM AS BEING ‘SELF-SUFFICIENT’ in
their separation from the world.
However, when we read the Life and Writings of our
Holy Fathers, THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT THEY TEACH
US.
The account of the Holy Elder depicts an Ascetic in a
way that we usually picture them to be. THE HOLY
FATHER WAS APPARENTLY WAS DOING EVERYTHING
CORRECTLY. He was EATING ONLY ONCE A WEEK; he was
PRAYING; he was FASTING, and he was READING AND
STUDYING HOLY SCRIPTURE.
HE FASTED FOR SEVENTY WEEKS, which reminds one of the
Seventy Weeks of St Daniel, the ancient Holy
Prophet. (CF. DANIEL 9:24 – 27)
From our point of view, he must have achieved great
Holiness during this time – so he ‘deserved’ an
Answer from God. After all, he wanted to know
God’s Scriptures better.
Does not God want us to know the Holy Scriptures?
And did not our Lord Jesus speak of the
importance of Fasting and Prayer as being of
great significance to our Life?
Nevertheless, that is not what our Holy Fathers say to
us.
THE OLD MAN DID NOT RECEIVE A VISIT FROM AN ANGEL OF
GOD UNTIL HE REALISED THAT HE HAD TO GO TO HIS
BROTHER TO ASK FOR HELP.
forces of the soul.
F ABR IC ATIONS IN TH E P L AC E
THE REAL PROBLEM OF OUR TIMES IS NOT ATHEISM, BUT
POLYTHEISM, which appears, in fact, in the form of
idolatry. This creates a danger, because, INSTEAD
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST – our Loving, Sacrificed
God - we set the bellowing monster of OUR
NARCISSISTIC FABRICATIONS CONCERNING POWER AND
DOMINATION.
Beyond the emotional and Festal investment of Holy
Pascha, there is also an astonishing existential
revelation - that GOD DESCENDED INTO THE CONDITION
OF OUR CHAOS AND IRRATIONALITY, LOVING US, AT THE
EXPENSE OF BEING CRUCIFIED BY US.
God cares about us, and this ‘costs’ Him. When
everybody else wants to impose upon us, HE
EXERCISES HIS FREEDOM TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH US
- not as ‘Will to Power’, but as LOVE. HE SACRIFICES
AND HUMBLES HIMSELF COMPLETELY, AND ALL FOR OUR
SAKE.
CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED because that is the only way really
TO LOVE HIS FRACTURED PEOPLE – US.
So HIS RESURRECTION IS THE FINAL, PERSONAL TRIUMPH OF
HIS PAINFUL CO-EXISTENCE WITH ALL MANKIND - Jews,
EL DER
If anyone accuses us of committing a sin of which we are innocent,
we must humble ourselves and remain silent –
and we will thereby inherit a Crown of Incorruption.
It is wiser to silence the mouths of those who speak evil,
through our silence rather than by expressing any anger or self-justification.
We must strive to avoid becoming angry or enraged except with ourselves,
for the grievous vices of anger and stubbornness are uncontrollable
24. S T C ONSTANTINE & S
It was ONLY WHEN HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE NEEDED HIS
BROTHER THAT GOD WAS WILLING TO ANSWER HIM, for
even the Holy Ascetics need the Holy Church of
Christ.
We must learn two important Lessons from this story.
The first is that WE ALL NEED THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST.
NONE OF US CAN BE ‘SELF-SUFFICIENT’ AND BE A CHRISTIAN – A
FAITHFUL DISCIPLE OF CHRIST!
We must NEVER DARE TO THINK THAT WE CAN PRAY TO GOD
AND READ HOLY SCRIPTURE WITH ANY DEGREE OF
UNDERSTANDING OR COMPREHENSION, NOR THAT WE HAVE
NO NEED TO ATTEND THE HOLY SERVICES AT CHURCH,
gathering together in worship and Thanksgiving
with our Brethren in Christ!
WITHOUT OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, GOD WILL
NOT BLESS US FOR IT IS ONLY WHEN WE ARE TRUE AND
FAITHFUL MEMBERS OF THE SACRED BODY OF CHRIST – HIS
HOLY CHURCH - THAT WE RECEIVE DIVINE BLESSINGS AND
GRACE.
The second important Lesson is that NO HOLY SCRIPTURE
CAN TRULY BE CORRECTLY INTERPRETED BY OURSELVES
ALONE.
WE NEED OUR CHRISTIAN BRETHREN IF WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND
HOLY SCRIPTURE AND THE TEACHINGS AND
COMMANDMENTS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST CORRECTLY.
It is ONLY WHEN HOLY SCRIPTURE AND DIVINE TRUTH IS
CORRECTLY INTERPRETED BY THE BODY OF CHRIST THAT
GOD’S GUARDIAN ANGEL WILL BE WITH US TO GUIDE US TO
THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION AND UNDERSTANDING so
that we may APPLY EVERYTHING TO OURSELVES AND OUR
OWN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Finally, the greatest Lesson to be learnt from this
account is that HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE ARE FIRST AND
FOREMOST NECESSARY TO OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS AND
WELFARE.
ONLY WHEN WE HUMBLE OURSELVES AND SUBMIT TO OUR
BRETHREN IN CHRIST – i.e. our Bishops, Priests,
Brothers and Sisters – ARE WE TRULY ABLE TO LEARN
DIVINE TRUTH, for OUR LORD GOD DWELLS ONLY WITHIN
THOSE WHO ARE HUMBLE OF HEART.
As Saint Paul told the Christian Community of Ephesos,
WE NEED TO SUBMIT OURSELVES TO ONE ANOTHER SO THAT
WE MAY KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND FULLY APPRECIATE THE
TRUE WILL OF GOD. (CF. EPHESIANS 5 : 8 - 10).
HTTPS://PEMPTOUSIA.COM
OF G OD – P R OTOPR E SBY TE R N IKOL AOS L OU DOV IKOS
Romans, Greeks, as well, of course, His terrified
and confused Disciples.
DEATH AND EVIL WERE DEFEATED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE
LOVING EMBRACE OF GOLGOTHA for our Lord Jesus
Christ “... stretched out (His) Hands and United
what had formerly been separate.”
WE ARE ALL CRUCIFIED ON GOLGOTHA so we ought to make
our personal Cross A QUEST FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST,
which is the only Cross that is not tragic, because It
is the Resurrection Cross of SACRIFICING OURSELVES
FOR GOD AND OTHERS.
As Epictetus said, IT IS NOT PAIN THAT TERRIFIES US, BUT THE
ABSENCE OF MEANING. Therefore CALAMITIES SHOULD
BECOME A PROFOUND QUEST FOR GOD, since He is the
real Object of our desire, beyond the many and
various demands we make.
OUR LORD GOD ALONE PROVIDES US WITH EVERYTHING WE
LACK – EVERYTHING THAT IS ESSENTIAL AND BENEFICIAL
FOR OUR ETERNAL SALVATION.
(... to be continued...)
HTTPS://PEMPTOUSIA.COM/2018/06/WE-PUT-FABRICATIONS-IN-THE-PLACE-OF-GOD/
ARSENIOS BOC A OF ROMANIA
T HEL E NA , EQ U AL TO THE AP OSTLE S 21 M AY 2019
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever,
and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and
Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit
ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

22 M A Y 2 0 1 9

MID PENTECOST
Also the Feast of St Basilikos, Hieromartyr & Bishop, of Comana - St Dimitrios & St Paul,
New Holy Martyrs of Tripoli, Peloponnesos – The Holy Fathers of the Second
Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381 – St John Vladimir, Great Martyr,
Wonderworker and Prince of Bulgaria – St Paul of Lavra, Mount Athos – St James the
Wonderworker of Borovichi, Novgorod – St Melchizedek, Ancient King of Salem.

P ENTE COSTAR ION - P ASC H AL A P OLYTIKION – TON E (5) P L AGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
Ke tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS
SERVICE BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM
WWW.SCRIBD.COM/WRITERS4574

PENTECOSTARION - PROKEIMENON – PSALM 73 - TONE 1

Remember Thy Congregation Thou acquired from the beginning.
God is our King before all ages – working Salvation in the midst of the Earth.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO ST LUKE 14 : 6 – 18
In those days, when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Judeans, with their rulers, to abuse
and stone the Apostles, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the
surrounding region, and they preached the Gospel there.
And in Lystra a certain man was sitting, who had no strength in his feet – a cripple from his mother’s womb –
who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently, and seeing that he
had Faith to be Healed, said with a loud voice: “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leapt up and
walked.
When the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language: “The
gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called ‘Zeus,’ and Paul, ‘Hermes,’ since he
was the chief speaker.
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, took oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to
sacrifice with the multitudes. Hearing this, the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, tore their clothing and ran in
among the multitude, crying out and saying: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with
the same nature as you, and preach to you so that you should turn from these useless things to the Living
God, Who made the Heavens, the Earth, the sea, and all things that are in them; Who in bygone generations
allowed all Nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless, He did not leave Himself without witness, in that
He did Good: He gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
And with these sayings, they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
✶ “...a violent attempt was made ... to abuse and ✶ “...seeing that he had Faith to be Healed...”
stone the Apostles...”AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION OF DISCERNMENT IS ONE OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE PERSECUTION AGAINST SPIRIT.
THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST INCREASED IMMENSELY.
It is THE ABILITY TO SEE THE HEART AND SOUL OF

but HAVING RECEIVED THE EMPOWERMENT OF GOD OTHERS.
THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEY CONTINUED TO FULFIL THEIR
St Paul could thus perceive that THE CRIPPLED
SACRED MISSION OF SPREADING THE HOLY GOSPEL MAN ACCEPTED THE DIVINE TRUTH, which the
– the Divine Truth of our Lord God – Apostles preached, AND WAS THUS ABLE TO
throughout the known world. RECEIVE HEALING.

THE GENTILES AND THE JUDEANS/HEBREWS
WITHOUT FAITH IN GOD, WE CANNOT RECEIVE HIS
PERSECUTED THEM BECAUSE THEIR PRIESTS HEALING OF BODY AND SOUL because our Lord
INSTIGATED HATRED AGAINST THEM in fear of never forces His Divine Will upon us. WE
losing their power and position as religious MUST SEEK IT AND WELCOME IT WITH GENUINE
leaders. BELIEF.

THE JEWISH PRIESTS encouraged persecution and ✶ “...a cripple from his mother’s womb...” WAS HEALED
stoning because they REFUSED TO ACCEPT OUR FOR THE GLORY, HONOUR AND WORSHIP OF OUR LORD
LORD JESUS CHRIST AS OUR TRUE GOD, similar to the man who had been born
MESSIAH/SAVIOUR. without eyes for whom Christ created healthy

THEY URGED AND ENCOURAGED THE PEOPLE TO eyes from His Saliva mixed with clay.
“...abuse and stone...” THEM FOR BEING ✶ “...he leapt up and walked...” CLEARLY SHOWED HIS
‘BLASPHEMERS AND HERETICS,’ who were to be UTTER FAITH IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHINGS,
avoided at all costs (like the despised of which St Paul and the other Holy Apostles
Samaritans) and even to be killed. had spoken.

MID-PENTECOST WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2019 25


It also expressed his utter Joy for receiving the
AS ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS, WE OUGHT TO TRUST AND
Divine Truth that made his Faith and BELIEVE ONLY IN OUR TRUE AND LIVING GOD FOR
Healing possible. ONLY HE IS IN CONTROL OF ALL CREATION!
✶ “...the people saw what Paul had done...” ✶ “...the Living God, Who made the Heavens, the

In those days, people knew each other very Earth...” – ST PAUL PREACHED OUR LORD JESUS
well, and THAT PARTICULAR CRIPPLE OF LYSTRA CHRIST AND HIS TEACHINGS TO THE HEBREW NATION
HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WALK, SO HIS BY USING THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES TO PROVE
MIRACULOUS HEALING CAUSED A GREAT CHRIST’S FULFILMENT OF ALL OLD TESTAMENT EVENTS
SENSATION. AND PROPHECIES.
✶ “...The gods have come down...” was THE ONLY
TO THE PAGANS/GENTILES HE PRESENTED OUR LORD AS
‘LOGICAL’ EXPLANATION OF THE PAGANS FOR SUCH A OUR DIVINE CREATOR, using a starting point
GREAT DIVINE MIRACLE. that was MOST ACCESSIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE TO

So THEY TRIED TO IDENTIFY THE APOSTLES ACCORDING HIS AUDIENCE.
TO THEIR PAGAN GODS, to whom various
ST PAUL CONSISTENTLY PREACHED our Lord Jesus
offering and blood sacrifices were usually Christ and His Holy Gospel IN A MANNER THAT
made. WAS FAMILIAR, AND WHICH COULD BE UNDERSTOOD
✶ The Apostles “...tore their clothes...” IN ABJECT HORROR by everyone.
of the misplaced honour and worship of the
HE USED ONE OF THE PAGANS’ OWN ALTARS that was
Pagans. dedicated TO “An Unknown God,” TO

GLORY, HONOUR AND WORSHIP ARE ASCRIBED STRICTLY PROCLAIM CHRIST’S DIVINE TRUTH AND REALITY.
AND EXCLUSIVELY TO OUR ALMIGHTY LORD GOD.
He emphasised that OUR LIVING AND TRUE GOD IS

The ripping of clothing was a Jewish expression 1. THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR OF EVERYTHING FROM
of the deepest sorrow and misery. NOTHINGNESS.
✶ “...turn from these useless things to the Living 2. THE GIVER OF LIFE
God...” - ST PAUL AND ST BARNABAS FRANTICALLY 3. WHO DESIRES ALL MANKIND TO SEEK HIM.
TRIED TO CONVINCE THE ELATED PAGANS THAT THEY 4. REPENTANCE OF SINS IS THE ONLY PATH TO GOD,
WERE NEITHER ‘GODS’ NOR WAS IT NECESSARY TO MAKE 5. THE JUDGE OF ALL MANKIND.
SUCH OFFERINGS AND BLOOD SACRIFICES TO THEIR 6. RESURRECTED OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM THE
PAGAN GODS. DEAD.

WE TOO, ARE REMINDED, URGED AND EXHORTED TO ✶ “..they could scarcely restrain the multitudes...”
RENOUNCE OUR SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS in because THE PAGANS PERSISTENTLY BELIEVED ONLY
amulets, horoscopes, fortune tellers, and IN THEIR MAN-MADE ‘GODS.’
any other ungodly beliefs that have
THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND, MISGUIDED HEBREWS who
absolutely no Spiritual Benefit to any of us! rejected Christ and His Teachings USED THE
MULTITUDES TO TURN AGAINST ST PAUL, WHOM
THEY NEARLY STONED TO DEATH.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 7 : 14 – 30
At that time, about the middle of the Feast, Jesus went up into the Temple and taught. And the Judeans
marvelled, saying: “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” Answering them, Jesus said:
“The Doctrine is not Mine, but His Who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His Will, he shall know concerning
the Doctrine - whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own Authority. He who speaks from
himself, seeks his own glory; but He Who seeks the Glory of the One Who sent Him, is True, and no
unrighteousness is in Him. Did Moses not give you the Law? And none of you keeps the Law! Why do you
seek to kill Me?”
The people answered and said: “Thou hast a demon! Who is seeking to kill Thee?” Answering, Jesus said to
them: “I did one Work, and you all marvel. Moses gave you Circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but
from the Fathers), and on the Sabbath you Circumcise a man. If a man receives Circumcision on the
Sabbath, so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, why are you angry with Me because I made a
man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with Righteous
Judgement!”
Some of them who were from Jerusalem said: “Is this not He Whom they seek to kill? And behold! He speaks
boldly, and they say nothing to Him! Do the Rulers know indeed that this is Truly the Christ? Yet we know
where this Man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”
Jesus cried out, as He taught in the Temple, and said: “You both know Me, and you know where I Am from! And
I have not come of Myself, but He Who sent Me is True, Whom you do not know! I know Him, for I Am from
Him, and He sent Me.”
They sought to take Him; and no one laid a hand on Him, for His Hour had not yet come.
✶ “...the Judeans marvelled...” because THEY HAD CONCEPTS AND INTERPRETATIONS INSTEAD OF DIVINE
NEVER HEARD THE DIVINE TRUTH SPOKEN SO CLEARLY TRUTH ARE ARROGANT, PROUD EGOTISTS who are
AND CONCISELY TO THEM. INDEPENDENT OR ALIENATED FROM GOD.
✶ “...The Doctrine is not Mine...” EVERYTHING IS
DIVINE TRUTH ALONE IS OF ANY VALUE,
ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD THE FATHER, which
which is SPOKEN, BELIEVED AND TAUGHT FOR THE
WE RECEIVE THROUGH GOD THE SON, our Lord Jesus GLORY, HONOUR AND WORSHIP OF OUR LORD GOD
Christ. EXCLUSIVELY.

BY THE POWER AND ENERGY OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT St John Chrysostom paraphrased our Saviour’s Words,
WE ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND FULFIL OUR urging those who reject Christ to “...RID YOURSELF OF
HEAVENLY FATHERS’ WILL, which was WICKEDNESS - the anger, the envy, AND THE HATRED
consistently demonstrated by Christ for our that has arisen in your heart - WITHOUT
Enlightenment and for us to imitate. PROVOCATION, AGAINST (CHRIST OUR LORD). THEN YOU
✶ “...If anyone wills to do His Will, he shall know...” WILL HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN REALISING THAT (HIS) WORDS
The simple desire TO KNOW AND TO FOLLOW GOD’S ARE ACTUALLY THOSE OF GOD.
WILL IS THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING IT. “As it is, these PASSIONS DARKEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS COMES FROM UNWILLINGNESS TO DISTORT SOUND JUDGEMENT. IF YOU REMOVE THESE
KNOW GOD OR TO RECOGNISE HIS DIVINE PASSIONS, YOU WILL NO LONGER BE AFFLICTED in this
AUTHORITY. manner.”
✶ “...He who speaks from himself, seeks his own ✶ “...He Who seeks the Glory of the One Who sent
glory...” – THOSE WHO VOICE THEIR OWN, FLAWED Him...” – is CHRIST WHO NEVER SOUGHT ANY

26 MID-PENTECOST WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2019

 GLORIFICATION FOR HIMSELF but ONLY FOR OUR
HEAVENLY FATHER.

Likewise, WE MUST HUMBLY AND OBEDIENTLY STRIVE
TO FULFIL GOD’S WILL IN ALL THINGS.

THOSE WHO FULFIL DIVINE WILL WITH GENUINE
HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES,
ARE HIS RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE.
✶ “...none of you keeps the Law!” ONLY GOD KNOWS THE
SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF EVERY PERSON so ONLY HE
CAN RIGHTLY JUDGE AND ACCUSE US of our sins.

WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO JUDGE OTHERS because of
our own sinful state.

WE MUST EXAMINE OURSELVES CLOSELY, pluck out
our sins AND REPENT them.

BY JUDGING OTHERS, WE CONDEMN OURSELVES! Yet we
are always very quick to see THE FAULTS OF
OUR NEIGHBOURS, which, in fact, ARE USUALLY A
REFLECTION OF OUR OWN SINFUL CONDITION!
✶ Our Saviour “...made a man completely well on the
Sabbath...” which DID NOT BREAK THE MOSAIC LAW
– THE DIVINE LAW, for it was AN ACT OF GREAT
MERCY BY OUR LOVING AND COMPASSIONATE GOD.

By providing Old Covenant examples of
blameless violation of the Sabbath – such as
Circumcision - our Lord Jesus Christ proved
that THE LAW IS NOT ABSOLUTE OVER OUR HUMAN
NEEDS NOR OUR FAITHFUL SERVICE TO GOD.
✶ “...Do not judge according to appearance...” is a
SEVERE WARNING TO US ALL,

WE NEVER KNOW THE COMPLETE HISTORY,
CIRCUMSTANCES OR SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF
OTHERS, which again, ONLY GOD KNOWS – His is
“a Righteous Judgement.”

WHEN WE LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS MUCH AS
GOD LOVES US, AT BEST, OR AS MUCH AS WE LOVE
FABRIC ATIONS INSTEAD OF GOD – PROTOPRESBYT
THE REAL PROBLEM OF OUR TIMES IS NOT ATHEISM, BUT
POLYTHEISM, which appears, in fact, in the form of
idolatry. This creates a danger, because, INSTEAD
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST – our Loving, Sacrificed
God - we set the bellowing monster of OUR
NARCISSISTIC FABRICATIONS CONCERNING POWER AND
DOMINATION.
Beyond the emotional and Festal investment of Holy
Pascha, there is also an astonishing existential
revelation - that GOD DESCENDED INTO THE CONDITION
OF OUR CHAOS AND IRRATIONALITY, LOVING US, AT THE
EXPENSE OF BEING CRUCIFIED BY US.
God cares about us, and this ‘costs’ Him. When
everybody else wants to impose upon us, HE
EXERCISES HIS FREEDOM TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH US
- not as ‘Will to Power’, but as LOVE. HE SACRIFICES
AND HUMBLES HIMSELF COMPLETELY, AND ALL FOR OUR
SAKE.
CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED because that is the only way really
TO LOVE HIS FRACTURED PEOPLE – US.
So HIS RESURRECTION IS THE FINAL, PERSONAL TRIUMPH OF
HIS PAINFUL CO-EXISTENCE WITH ALL MANKIND - Jews,
Romans, Greeks, as well, of course, His terrified
and confused Disciples.
DEATH AND EVIL WERE DEFEATED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE
LOVING EMBRACE OF GOLGOTHA for our Lord Jesus
Christ “... stretched out (His) Hands and United
what had formerly been separate.”
WE ARE ALL CRUCIFIED ON GOLGOTHA so we ought to make
our personal Cross A QUEST FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST,
which is the only Cross that is not tragic, because It
is the Resurrection Cross of SACRIFICING OURSELVES
FOR GOD AND OTHERS.
As Epictetus said, IT IS NOT PAIN THAT TERRIFIES US, BUT THE
ABSENCE OF MEANING. Therefore CALAMITIES SHOULD
BECOME A PROFOUND QUEST FOR GOD, since He is the
real Object of our desire, beyond the many and
various demands we make.
OUR LORD GOD ALONE PROVIDES US WITH EVERYTHING WE
LACK – EVERYTHING THAT IS ESSENTIAL AND BENEFICIAL
FOR OUR ETERNAL SALVATION.
MID-PENTECOST WEDNESDAY
OURSELVES, AT LEAST, WE WILL NEVER JUDGE
ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT OURSELVES!
✶ “...we know where this Man is from...” ALTHOUGH THE
HEBREWS PROFESSED TO KNOW Who and where our
Lord Jesus Christ was from, THEY WERE MISTAKEN,
BOTH IN THE EARTHLY AND DIVINE SENSE.

Humanly speaking, THEY THOUGHT OUR LORD WAS
FROM NAZARETH, GALILEE.

They were unaware that HE HAD BEEN BORN AND
LIVED THE FIRST ONE AND A HALF YEARS OF HIS
INFANTHOOD IN BETHLEHEM, before the Holy
Family’s flight to Egypt as a result of Herod’s
horrific slaughter of thousands of Holy
Innocents.

They could not comprehend that CHRIST HAS
TRULY COME FROM GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER -
that HE IS ETERNALLY BEGOTTEN OF GOD THE
FATHER, BEFORE ALL AGES.

Consequently, HIS DIVINE ORIGIN AND IDENTITY
REMAINED UNKNOWN TO THEM..
✶ “..His Hour had not yet come...” . is a reference to
THE EXACT MOMENT OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S
PASSION - His Betrayal, Suffering and Death.

He is LORD OVER ALL TIME, which is A DIVINE
AUTHORITY POSSESSED BY ALMIGHTY GOD ALONE.

OUR LORD JESUS VOLUNTARILY – ACCORDING TO HIS
DIVINE WILL – ACCEPTED THE WILL OF OUR
HEAVENLY FATHER BY UNDERGOING HIS PASSION
AND DEATH.

IT WAS ALL EXCLUSIVELY ACCORDING TO HIS OWN
TIMING AND PLAN – certainly not according to
the plots and schemes of wicked men.

ONLY GOD KNOWS THE RIGHT TIME AND
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WILL SPIRITUALLY BENEFIT
MANKIND – benefit our Eternal Salvation.
ER NIK OLAOS LOUDOVIK OS
The constant fanfare surrounding EVIL PRODUCES
INSECURITY, VIOLENCE, HOSTILITY AND the counter
temptation towards SELF-AGGRANDISEMENT.
WE CAN PROMOTE GOOD – even if just a little – for there
are certain Holy Clergymen and Monks who have
managed to Transform disciples of Freud ad
Heidegger, who had had nothing to do with our
Lord Jesus Christ or His Holy Church, into
Theologians and Clergymen.
WE MUST NOT ONLY LOSE OUR PASSIONS, BUT WE MUST
TRANSFORM THEM.
Fortunately, CHRISTIANITY IS NEITHER PLATONISM NOR
STOICISM. Everything in OUR BODY AND SOUL IS CREATED
FROM NOTHINGNESS BY OUR LORD GOD AND IS THEREFORE
ABSOLUTELY SACRED.
We should fall in love, play, produce, eat, rejoice and
be sad IN A MANNER THAT BRINGS US EVER CLOSER TO THE
DIVINE SOURCE OF OUR BEING, which is the Incarnation
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
GOD DOES NOT CALL US, NOR DESIRES US, TO ESCAPE FROM THE
WORLD BUT TO TRANSFORM IT INTO A PLACE WHERE HE IS
MANIFEST – where He is clearly revealed and
evident to everyone.
HOLY PASCHA IS INDEED THE “FEAST OF FEASTS” AND THE
“FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS.”
CHRISTIANITY IS A FIERCE ENEMY OF ANY FORM OF IDEALISM -
since idealism is nothing other than Sacred
Materialism.
THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE
VALIDATION OF MATTER AND HISTORY, when these are
offered to God and to others.
MATTER (according to our Holy Fathers) AND EVEN OUR
SOUL, which is the most delicate form of matter,
HISTORY AND, in the end, EXISTENTIAL COMMUNION WITH
GOD (as the Body of Christ, to put it more
Theologically) ALL GO TOGETHER TO MAKE UP THE
EXISTENTIAL AND ONTOLOGICAL FACT OF HIS HOLY
CHURCH.
Concerning secular excesses and comforts of ‘Pastors’
that occur ‘in the Name of God,’ we must
22 MAY 2019 27
 remember that JUDAS ISCARIOT WAS ONE OF CHRIST’S
DISCIPLES.
Personally, I am much more troubled when in place
of the aforementioned view of the Church, A
COMPLETELY MEANINGLESS VIEW OF IT IS ADOPTED, WHICH
REGARDS THE CHURCH AS A ‘SECULAR FOUNDATION’ THAT
either, supposedly, LEADS the Nation, OR IS
NEUROTICALLY CONCERNED WITH ‘POLICING’ THE MORALS
OF OTHERS. THIS IS A TYPE OF CHURCH WITHOUT ANY
AFFIRMATION OF LIFE.
TH E ETERNAL, I NSPIRED WISDOM
ST MAXIMOS THE CONFESSOR
The intellect is the organ of wisdom, whereas the
organ of reason is that of knowledge. The natural,
internal certainty of the intellect and of reason is
the organ of Faith, which is a product of Wisdom
and Knowledge.
Natural Charity/Love is the organ of the Gift of
Healing, because every Divine Gift has the
relevant and appropriate receptor of the organ as
a force, or attraction, or inclination. For example –
those who Cleanse their intellect of every fantasy,
receive Wisdom.
Those who have set reason in control of their innate
passions – longing and desire – receive
Knowledge. Those who have unshakable certainty,
with their intellect and reason, with regard to
Divine Matters, receive Faith that is capable of
anything. And those who have performed natural
Charity, having completely uprooted their
selfishness, receive the Gifts of Healing.
ST JOSEPH THE HESYCHAST
Every power of our enemy and the devil is destroyed
by Patience. Therefore we ought to cut off our own
will and not seek any other Path to Salvation. We
should know that those who do not subject
themselves to one Spiritual Father, Elder or
Confessor, subject themselves to many, and in the
end are subject to no-one.
Every time we cut off our own will, we are counted as
a Martyr before our Lord God.
ST MAXIMOS THE CONFESSOR
Those who are proud of the Gifts they have received
and boast as if they had not received them from
God, rightly call down upon themselves the Wrath
of God, Who allows the devil to wage mental and
Spiritual Warfare against them – to disturb them in
the manner of practising the Virtues, and to
muddy their transparent Knowledge in
Contemplation.
In this manner, they will learn about their sickness
and recognise the only force within us that fights
against the passions, and when they have
Repented and been Humbled and have cast off
their boastful conceit, God will have Mercy on
them and they will avoid the Wrath that descends
upon the unrepentant, which takes away the
Divine Grace that Guards our soul, leaving the
thankless mind in a desert place.
ELDER EPHRAIM OF ARIZONA
The Holy Church of Christ is Catholic/Universal in the
sense that She contains the full complement of
Divine Truth and Grace for the Enlightenment and
Redemption of the world. It is also Universal in the
sense that Her potential Strength is not to conquer
but to Hallow the world. (Make our world Holy.)
The Head of our Holy Church is Christ and we are Her
Members who are all linked by a common Faith in
an “Association of Love.”
The history of our Holy Orthodox Church is one of
Struggle for the Sanctification of Her Faithful.
ST MAXIMOS THE CONFESSOR
Those who believe that they have achieved the limit
of Holy Virtue will no longer seek the Ultimate
Cause Who provides all Good Things, because
they have restricted the force of their desire to
themselves alone and they lose the necessary
requirement for their Salvation – our Lord God.
But those who are aware of their natural (Spiritual)
Poverty do not stop running in haste to Him Who
can make up for everything we lack.
28 MID-PENTECOST WEDNESDAY
We can EXPERIENCE THE RESURRECTION AT EVERY MOMENT -
AS A STATE OF ETERNITY – for IT IS THE BEGINNING OF OUR
TRUE FREEDOM THAT BECOMES LOVE THROUGH THE HOLY,
LIFE-GIVING CROSS, WHICH IS ETERNITY.
This is the end of the reign of the Marquis de Sade -
when others cease to be ‘objects of myself’, (to
recall Kohout) and WE ENTER EXISTENTIAL
AUTHENTICITY THROUGH THE REVELATION OF OTHERS
THROUGH OURSELVES AND OURSELVES THROUGH OTHERS.
HTTPS://PEMPTOUSIA.COM/2018/06/WE-PUT-FABRICATIONS-IN-THE-PLACE-OF-GOD/
OF OUR HOLY FATHERS
Those who have understood that Holy Virtue is
boundless, never cease to run towards it – first, so
as not to miss the beginning and the end of Holy
Virtue – our Lord God – by restricting the
movement of their desire to themselves.
Secondly, they run towards Holy Virtue in case –
without realising it – they believe that they have
reached Perfection and thus fall away from the
True Being, Whom everyone who Strives hastens to
reach.
ST PAISIOS OF MOUNT ATHOS
If we will not accept words of advice – not even from
those who Love us – we become liked warped
pieces of wood, and are rendered Spiritually
Useless.
Just like wooden planks that cannot be planed to
make furniture, so they end up as scaffolding or
steps to be trodden upon and muddied, until
eventually they are thrown into a fire and burnt, so
too will we be destroyed in the end!
ST JOSEPH THE HESYCHAST
God always helps us. He always arrives but we need
to be Patient. When we cry out to Him, He always
hears us immediately, and will respond but not in
the way we think.
ST PORPHYRIOS OF KAVSOKALYVIA
Many of our Saints changed dejection into Joy
through their Love for Christ our Lord and Saviour.
In other words, they took this Spiritual Force, which the
evil one wishes to destroy, and gave it to God,
Transforming it into Joy and Exultation.
Prayer and Worship of God gradually Transforms
dejection and turns it into Joy.
ST ARSENIOS BOCA OF ROMANIA
Meekness and Patience have far greater power than
anger and stubbornness.
We cannot extinguish a fire with fire but with water.
In the same manner, anger cannot be conquered
y anger but by Meekness and a great deal of
Patience.
It is better to put a stop to irritation with a smile rather
than to attack like a wild beast.
ST ISAAK THE SYRIAN
We cannot know our weaknesses unless we fall into
the temptations of the flesh – the demands of our
body.
Only then do we pray sincerely, for being distraught,
we have been humbled.
ELDER EPHRAIM OF ARIZONA
The harder our Struggle, the greater our Victory. In
the Heavenly Market-place there are no cheap
wares.
ST JOHN OF KRONSTADT
Doubt – especially Spiritual Doubt – is a blasphemy
against our Lord God. It is insolence – lies of the
spirit of evil that nestles in a heart instead of the
Indwelling of the Spirit of Truth. We ought to fear
doubt as much as highly venomous serpents. We
should either make every effort to avoid any
degree of doubt or ignore or reject any doubtful
thoughts that may arise and tempt us.
E LDE R E PH R AIM OF AR IZONA
All those who have been Sanctified, and then those
who have been Saved, are those who have passed
through the Furnace of Sorrows – some through
illness, some through the Struggles against
passions, and so on – the whole “Catalogue of
Godly Sorrows.” These have the right to Eternal
Repose
22 MAY 2019
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy,
Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together
with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life
to Christ our God. Amen.
25 MAY 2019

THIRD FINDING OF ST JOHN BAPTIST’S HEAD

Also the Feast of St Therapon, Bishop of Cyprus – St Urbanos,
Hieromartyr, of Rome – Holy Icon of our Lady, Theotokos “Helper of
sinners” of Koretsk

P ENTE COSTAR ION - P ASC H AL A P OLYTIKION – TON E (5) P L AGAL 1

Hristos Anesti, ek nekron, Thanato thanaton patisas, Ke Christ is Risen from the dead; By Death trampling
tis en tis mnimasin, Zoin harisamenos [3] upon death, And has bestowed Life to those in the
tombs. [3]

ALL THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS, WHICH ARE USED TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS
SERVICE BOOKS, ARE FREELY AVAILABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE FROM
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FESTAL PROKEIMENON – PSALM 63/64 – TONE (7) VARYS/GRAVE

The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall Hope in Him.
Hear my voice, O God, in my Supplication.
THE SECOND EPISTLE OF ST PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 4: 6 – 15
Brethren: It is the God Who Commanded light to shine out of darkness, Who has shone in our heart to grant the
Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Sight of Jesus Christ. We have this Treasure in earthen
vessels so that the excellence of the Power may be of God and not of us.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed – always carrying about in the body the dying of our Lord Jesus so
that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who Live are always Delivered to Death for
Jesus’ sake, so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So then Death is working in us, but Life in you. We have the same Spirit of Faith, according to what is written: “I
believed and therefore I spoke...” and we also believe.
Therefore speak - knowing that He Who raised up our Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will
present us with you. All things are for your sakes, that Grace, having spread through the many, may cause
Thanksgiving to abound to the Glory of God.
✶ “...It is the God Who... shone in our heart...” IT IS ✶ “... the Excellence of the Power..” is certainly only
ONLY DUE TO THE LOVE OF GOD THAT WE HAVE BEEN “...of God and not of us.”
GRANTED ALL HIS GOODNESS AND BLESSINGS, such as
HAVING BEEN CREATED AS INTELLECTUAL BEINGS,
His essential Divine Truth – His Teachings and MANKIND - LIKE THE ANGELS - HAS LIMITED
Commandments. KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS REVEALED HIS DIVINE ✶ “... the Power is of God...” BECOMES EVIDENT to others
TRUTH TO US whereby HE GRANTS US WHEN THE DIVINE LIGHT OF GOD SHINES IN AND
KNOWLEDGE THAT SURPASSES ANYTHING WE CAN THROUGH US.
ATTAIN OR CONCEIVE OF WITH OUR LIMITED HUMAN ✶ “...We are hard-pressed...” - DESPITE ALL ADVERSITY, ST
ABILITIES. PAUL AND THE OTHER HOLY APOSTLES’ UNWAVERING

THIS IS THE ONLY, LIVING, LOVING AND ALMIGHTY DEDICATION TO CHRIST AND HIS HOLY MISSION ON
GOD WHO IS THE CREATOR OF EVERYTHING VISIBLE EARTH IS A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF HOW FOCUSSED
AND INVISIBLE, WHICH HE CREATED FROM THEY WERE.
NOTHING BY HIS OWN DIVINE POWER AND
THE LIFE AND STRUGGLES OF ALL THE SAINTS SHOULD
ENERGY FOR HIS SACRED PURPOSE AND PLAN. ENCOURAGE US TO DO LIKEWISE.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF GOD IS ONLY ✶ “...so that the Life of Jesus also may be
POSSIBLE FOR US manifested...”
1. BY THE WILL OF GOD THE FATHER,
THE GOAL IN PREACHING, TEACHING AND GUIDING
2. THROUGH GOD THE SON, OTHERS IS never to glorify nor to enrich
3. BY THE POWER AND ENERGY OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. ourselves, but exclusively TO GLORIFY, TO

All Knowledge or extraordinary ability we may HONOUR AND TO WORSHIP GOD.
acquire, is only due to the Will of our
At our Holy Baptism, having “...put on Christ...”
Heavenly Father, through the Teachings WE MUST CONTINUE EVERY MOMENT TO LIVE IN
and Commandments of our Lord Jesus CHRIST.
Christ, and by the Power and Energy of the
In other words: AS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
Life-giving Holy Spirit BY WHOSE DIVINE GIFTS WE MUST ALWAYS BE THE BEST EXAMPLE TO OTHERS
EVERYTHING BECOMES POSSIBLE FOR US. BY MEANS OF HOW WE THINK, HOW WE SPEAK AND
✶ “...Treasure...” is THE DIVINE LIGHT OF GOD’S GLORY IN HOW WE ACT.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Thus, EVERY WORD, THE SAME AS THOSE OF OUR LORD
✶ “... Earthen Vessels...” refers to OUR HUMAN NATURE AND AND SAVIOUR, WHOSE DIVINE NAME WE CARRY AND
CONDITION.

THE THIRD FINDING OF THE VENERABLE HEAD OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST & FORERUNNER-25 MAY 2019 29
 OF WHICH WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE WORTHY
So we must not waste this opportunity to
THOUGHT AND DEED SHOULD BE. STRENGTHEN AND PERFECT OUR IMMORTAL SOUL
✶ “...Thanksgiving to abound to the Glory of God..” -
St John Chrysostom explained that ALL OUR
St Paul described the VICTORIOUS, BUT CERTAINLY INNUMERABLE, VARIOUS TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
NOT TROUBLE-FREE AND EASY CHRISTIANITY. “... show both the Power of God and, more,

This lifespan is a preparatory period before disclose His Divine Grace...”
Eternity, so EVERYTHING WE EXPERIENCE IS FOR
We must thus continuously express our
OUR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND ETERNAL Thanksgiving and appreciation of God’s
SALVATION. Great Mercy, Love and Compassion.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW 11:2 – 15
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST EXPLAINS ST JOHN THE BAPTIST’S MISSION TO US
At that time, when John had heard in prison about the Works of Christ, he sent two of his Disciples who asked
Him: “Art Thou the Coming One, or do we look for Another?” And Jesus answered them: “Go and tell John the
things that you hear and see: the blind see, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And Blessed is he who is
not offended because of Me.”
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the
wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft
garments? Behold! Those who wear soft clothing are in Kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A
Prophet? Indeed, I say to you: and more than a Prophet! For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold! I
send My Messenger before Thy Face, who will prepare Thy Way before Thee.’ Truly, I say to you: among
those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist!
“He who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him. From the days of John the Baptist until now
the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all Prophets and the Law
prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
✶ "...Art Thou the Coming One...” was a significant
✶ “...he is Elijah who is to come...” - St John is
question FOR THE SAKE OF ST JOHN’S DISCIPLES for HE honoured because C HRIST ASSIGNS HIM THIS
WANTED THEM TO FOLLOW OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF S ALVATION , BY STATING
instead of himself. “There has not risen one Greater than John.”

St John, being the Baptist and Forerunner to
H E FULFILLED THE M ISSION OF S T E LIJAH THE PROPHET
Christ our Lord, ALREADY KNEW THAT INDEED OUR AND HIS DESTINY IS SIMILAR TO S T E LIJAH ’ S
DIVINE SAVIOUR WAS THE GREAT MESSIAH. 1. He is RIGHTEOUS

HE IDENTIFIED OUR LORD as “...the Lamb of God...,” 2. He PREPARED THE WAY of the First
and proclaimed this Divine Truth to His Coming/Appearance of our Lord and
Chosen People. Saviour

THE LAMB OF GOD WAS THE MOST PERFECT, PUREST 3. He BAPTISED CHRIST.
AND FINAL BLOOD SACRIFICE FOR THE FORGIVENESS 4. He was MARTYRED FOR SPEAKING THE DIVINE TRUTH.
OF MANKIND’S ANCESTRAL sin. 5. He CONTINUES TO CALL MANKIND TO REPENTANCE.
✶ “...the blind see...” is THE FULFILMENT BY CHRIST OF THE 6. He CONTINUED PREACHING TO THOSE IN HADES
PROPHECIES OF ST ISAIAH. ✶ “...the Kingdom of Heaven Suffers violence...” may

St Isaiah had foretold THAT AT THE C OMING OF mean that THE H EAVENLY K INGDOM IS UNDER
THE M ESSIAH THE BLIND WOULD SEE , THE LAME ATTACK BY OPPONENTS OF S T J OHN THE B APTIST
WOULD WALK , ETC . AND OUR L ORD J ESUS C HRIST, OR OTHER VIOLENT

O UR L ORD J ESUS ACCOMPLISHED WHAT ONLY THE MEN .
D IVINE MESSIAH COULD DO!
M ESSIANIC PRETENDERS TRIED TO BRING IN THE
✶ “...Blessed is he who is not offended...” St John the K INGDOM BY USING MILITARY FORCE AGAINST
Baptist and all who accept our Lord Jesus as our THE R OMANS.
Divine Saviour are indeed infinitely Blessed.
A N ANCIENT P ATRISTIC INTERPRETATION IS THAT
✶ “...more than a Prophet!” In terms of the Old THE K INGDOM I TSELF BREAKS INTO THIS WORLD
Covenant Law, ST JOHN THE BAPTIST IS THE GREATEST “... VIOLENTLY.”
HOLY PROPHET OF BOTH THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS.
A LSO, THROUGH POWERFUL M IRACLES, ALERT AND

However, THE NEW COVENANT INAUGURATED BY DARING PEOPLE TRY TO TAKE HOLD OF IT
CHRIST IS OF SUCH INCOMPARABLE VALUE THAT AGGRESSIVELY
EVERYONE WHO SHARES IN IT IS GREATER than St ✶ “...let him hear!” - those who hear, Love and obey
John, THE W ORD OF G OD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO E NTER

because BY DIVINE GRACE THROUGH FAITH under THE REALITY OF THE K INGDOM .
the New Covenant WE BECOME CHILDREN OF
AS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WE MUST APPLY
GOD AND PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. EVERYTHING HE TAUGHT US TO OURSELVES.

THE ETERNAL, INSPIRED WISDOM OF OUR HOLY FATHERS

ST PAISIOS OF MOUNT ATHOS
Fervent Love for our Lord and Divine Saviour, Jesus
Christ, nourishes us far more than any material
food, and It provides us with many Spiritual
Calories to sustain our body and soul.
Fervent Love for Christ our God often Heals incurable
diseases – wthout medicines – and brings us
Repose of the soul.
ST AMPHILOCHIOS MAKRIS OF PATMOS
Our heart is young and wants to Love, so we should
only have our Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, for our
Divine Bridegroom wishes us to Love only Him.
ST JOHN OF DAMASCUS
Those who seek the acquisition of Holy Virtue and put
it into practise, carefully examining each Spiritual
Gem are Truly Blessed for if we wish to be
30. T H E T H I R D F I N D I N G OF THE VENERABLE HEAD
goverened by the Lord our God, we must not be
tempted into committing sin, for when we willingly
sin, we cannot be goverened by our Heavenly
Father.
ST JOSEPH THE HOLY HESYCHAST
Divine Grace is Sweet, Peaceful, Humble, Obedient,
Quiet, Cathartic, Illuminating and Joyful – and
there is no room for any doubt that It is indeed
Divine Grace!
ST JOHN OF KRONSTADT
We must never allow the seeds of doubt or disbelief to
enter our soul. It is very bad for us, if at the time of
our Prayers, our heart hovers between Faith and
disbelief – when our Faith is not firmly established.
We cannot expect the Lord our God to grant us
whatever we ask Him for when our Faith is weak.
OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST & FORERUNNER-25 MAY 2019
 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria & All Africa
Archdiocese of Good Hope
All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and
forever, and unto the Ages of ages. Amen. Remembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most
Blessed and Glorious Lady, Maria, Theotokos, yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And
let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.
TONE 4 26 MA Y 2 0 1 9

5TH PASCHAL SUNDAY – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

The Feast of St Photini (the Samaritan Woman), her sons St Victor Photinos & St Joses,
her sisters St Anatola, St Phota, St Photis, St Paraskeva, St Kyriake, as well as Emperor
Nero’s daughter, St Domnina, and St Sebastian – St Carpos & St Alphaeus of the
Seventy Apostles, St Averkios & St Helen, children of St Alphaeus – St George the Great New Martyr of Sofia, Bulgaria –
St Makarios, Abbot of Kalyazin Monastery – St John Psichaita the Confessor of Constantinople – St Augustine of
Canterbury, the Evangeliser of England
KINDLY REFER TO THE HYMNS OF TODAY, WHICH ARE PUBLISHED SEPARATELY & DOWNLOADABLE
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PROKEIMENON – PSALM 103/104 – TONE 4

O Lord, Thy Works shall be Magnified greatly! Thou made all things in Wisdom!
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, Thou art exceedingly Magnified!
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO ST LUKE 11 : 19 – 30
In those days, those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen, travelled as far as
Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Word to no one but the Judeans. Some of them were from
Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they went to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And
the Hand of our Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
News of these things was heard by the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.
When he went and saw the Grace of God, he was glad. And he encouraged them all that with purpose of
heart they should continue with the Lord, for he was a good man, full of the Holy spirit and Faith. And a
great many people were added to the Lord.
Barnabas departed for Tarsos to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he took him to Antioch. So it was that
for a whole year they assembled with the Church and taught a great many people. The Disciples were first
called ‘Christians’ in Antioch.
In those days Prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabos, stood up and showed by
the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout the world - which also had happened in the
days of Claudius Caesar. The Disciples - each according to his ability - determined to send relief to the
Brethren dwelling in Judea. This they did, and sent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
✶ “...those who were scattered ...” – Initially Christ and 1. EUCHARISTIC (Thanksgiving) ASSEMBLY –
His Holy Gospel was preached only to the Judeans. Communal Worship

THE EVANGELISATION OF THE GENTILES CAUSED A 2. CORRECT TEACHING of the Holy Gospel of Christ.
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CONFLICT IN THE EARLY ✶ “...The Disciples were first called ‘Christians’ in
CHURCH. Antioch ...” is more than just historical Truth.

Even though Christ had Commanded His Holy
It demonstrates that CHRIST’S COMMANDMENT TO
Apostles to preach His Holy Gospel PREACH HIS HOLY GOSPEL AMONG THE GENTILES
universally – “...to all Nations...” – it took a AS WELL, - “... TO ALL NATIONS ...” - WAS FIRST
while for this to be put properly into FULLY REALISED IN ANTIOCH.
practice.
St John Chrysostom commented: “It was (in

MUCH DEBATE AROSE OVER WHAT REQUIREMENTS FROM Antioch) for the first time that people were
THE OLD COVENANT LAW – IF ANY – THE GENTILE accounted worthy of that Name.”
CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW. ✶ “...Prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch...”
✶ “...Hellenists...” referred to the HELLENES – THE GENTILE
CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS WITHIN THE HOLY CHURCH WHO
OR PAGAN GREEK PEOPLE – not the GREEK SPEAKING HAD THE DIVINE GIFT OF PROPHECY.
JUDEANS
There has always been A WONDERFUL HIERARCHY

THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST IN ANTIOCH WAS OF HONOUR IN THE HOLY CHURCH OF THE NEW
INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING VAST NUMBERS OF COVENANT, which continues to this very day –
GENTILES TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. and will continue unabated, until Eternity.
✶ “...sent out to Antioch...” - The fact that St Barnabas
1 C O R I N T H I A N S 1 2 : 2 9 “...Are all Apostles? Are all
was sent to Antioch implies TWO SIGNIFICANT Prophets? Are all Teachers? Are all Workers of
TRUTHS Miracles?”
1. HOLY APOSTLES OF CHRIST WERE SENT FORTH TO
THE APOSTOLIC WORK OF THE BISHOPS SETS THE PACE
PREACH THE HOLY GOSPEL OF CHRIST BUT they for all the rest of Christ’s Holy Flock.
NEVER WORKED INDEPENDENTLY OR IN ISOLATION
WHEN THE OVERSIGHT IS IN CORRECT WORKING ORDER,
FROM THE BODY OF THE HOLY CHURCH. THE REST OF CHURCH IS FREE TO FUNCTION AT
2. THE HOLY CHURCH OF ANTIOCH NEEDED THE SEAL OF OPTIMAL LEVEL FOR THE GLORY, HONOUR AND
HOLY APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO BECOME WORSHIP OF GOD.
INTEGRATED INTO THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH OF
Yet, even with all the Divine Gifts in place and
CHRIST. operative, THERE IS SOMETHING FAR MORE
✶ ST “...Barnabas departed for Tarsos to seek...” ST EXCELLENT – THE LOVE OF GOD, which IS THE
PAUL, WHICH REVEALED HIS GENUINE HUMILITY. TRUE SIGN OF THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

He thereby acknowledged his own personal  1 C O R I N T H I A N S 1 4 : 3 “He who prophesies speaks
limitations, and HIS TRUE COMMUNION WITH AND edification and exhortation and comfort to
DEPENDENCE ON THE OTHER HOLY APOSTLES OF mankind.”
CHRIST.  1 C O R I N T H I A N S 1 4 : 2 9 “Let two or three Prophets
✶ “...they assembled with the Church...” - Two key speak, and let the others judge.”
elements of Liturgical Worship included
GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION - and the
Truly Spiritual can control themselves, since
5 T H
SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN 26 MAY 2019 31
 GENUINE SPIRITUALITY IS MANIFESTED IN
Being Disciples of Christ, we must always
PREPAREDNESS, PROPRIETY AND ORDER, COURTESY VOLUNTARILY HELP OUR HOLY CHURCH IN ANY
AND SELF-CONTROL/DISCIPLINE. MANNER THAT IS POSSIBLE FOR US.

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS PRESENT, THERE IS DIVINE
We must not wait to be asked but PROVIDE
PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING. ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP THE CHURCH operate
 E P H E S I A N S 4 : 1 1 “(Christ) Himself granted some properly.
to be Apostles, some Prophets, some
Whatever needs arise of the Clergy or our
Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, Brethren we ought to immediately try to
for the equipping of the Saints for the Work of RESOLVE ACCORDING TO OUR PERSONAL
Ministry, for the Edifying of the Body of Christ CIRCUMSTANCES.
until we all come to the Unity of the Faith and
THESE NECESSITIES MAY NOT ALWAYS REQUIRE OUR
of the Knowledge of Christ...” MONETARY DONATIONS but also by providing

THE HOLY SPIRIT BESTOWS HIS DIVINE GIFTS SO AS TO paper, printing, and cleaning equipment,
FORM ONE COHESIVE, HARMONIOUS GROUP who or time spent sewing, repairing,
are responsible for equipping – teaching, maintaining, cooking, feeding and assisting
guiding and preparing others - for the our Parish Priest and others in various ways.
Sacred Task of Christ’s Holy Ministry.
BY SERVING THE NEEDS OF OUR HOLY CHURCH, WE ARE

EVERY FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN HAS THE SACRED TASK OF SERVING OUR LORD GOD.
GUIDING, HELPING AND ENCOURAGING ONE ✶ “...the Elders...” (“the bearded ones”) were THE
ANOTHER as we all journey through this PRESBYTERS (PRIESTS) who were ORDAINED BY THE
preparatory period of earthly life towards HOLY APOSTLES AND PUT IN CHARGE OF THE LOCAL
Eternity because - whether we are believers PARISH CHURCHES, which were FOUNDED BY THE
or not – ALL HUMANITY WILL ENTER ETERNITY. HOLY APOSTLES.
✶ “...a great famine throughout the world...” did
Since those days, THE ORDERS OF THE HOLY
indeed happen throughout the known world IN MINISTRY OR HOLY PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST
44 – 51 – HAVING BEGUN IN JUDEA AND SPREADING AS CONSIST OF THE BISHOPS (the Apostles and their
FAR AS GREECE AND ITALY. direct successors), THE PRESBYTERS/PRIESTS, AND
✶ “...each according to his ability...” is AN IMPORTANT THE DEACONS.
PRINCIPLE AND PRACTISE OF OUR HOLY ORTHODOX
CHURCH.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN 4 : 5 – 42
At that time, our Lord Jesus went to a city of Samaria, called ‘Sychar,’ near the field that Jacob gave to his son,
Joseph. Jacob’s Well was there. Wearied as He was from His Journey, Jesus sat down beside the well. It was
about the Sixth Hour.
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her: “Give Me a drink.” For His Disciples had
gone into the city to buy food. The Samaritan Woman said to Him: “How is it that Thou – a Judean – ask a
drink of me – a woman of Samaria?” For Judeans had no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her:
“If Thou knew the Gift of God, and Who it is Who is saying to Thee: ‘Give Me a drink,’ Thou would have
asked Him and He would have given Thee Living Water.”
The Woman said to Him: “Sir, Thou hast nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep. Where dost
Thou get that Living Water? Art Thou greater than our Father, Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank from
it himself – and his sons, and his livestock?” Jesus said to her: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst
again, but whoever drinks of the Water that I shall give, will become a Spring of Water welling up to
Eternal Life.” The Woman said to Him: “Sir, give me this Water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
Jesus said to her: “Go fetch Thy husband, and come here.” The Woman answered him: “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her: “Well said: ‘I have no husband.’ Thou hast had five husbands, and now he whom Thou
hast is not Thy husband. This Thou spoke truly.” The Woman said to Him: “Sir, I perceive that Thou art a
Prophet. Our Fathers worshipped on this mountain. And you say that Jerusalem is the place where men
ought to worship.” Jesus said to her: “Woman, believe Me: for the Hour is coming when neither on this
mountain, nor in Jerusalem, wilt you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know - we worship
what we know, for Salvation is from the Judeans. But the Hour is coming – and now is – when the True
Worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and thus, for such the Father seeks to worship Him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.”
The Woman said to Him: “I know that the Messiah is coming – He Who is called ‘Christ.’ When He comes, He will
show us all things.” Jesus said to her: “I, Who speak to Thee, Am He.”
And when His Disciples returned, they marvelled, for He was speaking to a woman. Yet none said: “What
seekest Thou?” or “Why art Thou talking to her?”The Woman left her water jar, and departed to the city, and
said to the people: “Come see a Man Who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out
of the city, and went to Him.
Meanwhile, the Disciples besought Him, saying: “Rabbi, eat.” He said to them: “I have Food to eat of which you
do not know.” The Disciples said to one another: “Has anyone brought Him food?” Jesus said to them: “My
Food is to do the Will of Him Who sent Me, and to accomplish His Work. Do you not say: ‘There are yet four
months, then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you: lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already
white for Harvest! ‘He Who Reaps receives Wages, and gathers Fruit for Eternal Life, so that the Sower and
the Reaper may Rejoice together!’ For here the saying holds True, for One Sows, Another Reaps. I sent
you to Reap that for which you did not Labour – others Laboured – and you have entered into their
Labour.”
Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the Woman’s Testimony: “He told me all that I ever
did.” When the Samaritans went to Him, they asked Him to stay with them – and He stayed there two days.
And many more believed because of His Word. They said to the Woman: “It is no longer because of your
words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed Christ, the Saviour of
the world!”
✶ “...Jacob’s Well...” is not mentioned in the Old AND LIFE-SAVING VALUE - especially in the
Testament although THE ANCIENT PATRIARCH, ST wilderness and desert regions and on
JACOB AND HIS FAMILY HAD RESIDED IN THAT AREA. islands.
 G E N E S I S 3 3 : 1 9 Jacob had “... bought the parcel
Therefore, WELLS AND ALL SOURCES OF WATER
of land... from Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a SYMBOLISE LIFE ITSELF.
hundred male lambs...”  P S A L M 3 5 : 9 – 1 0 – “...They shall be intoxicated with

Having bought a small piece of land, St Jacob the fatness of Thy House, and Thou wilt give
set up an Altar and called on our Lord God. them drink from the Abundant Water of Thy

Our Holy Church does the same thing Delight, for with Thee is the Fountain of Life.”
whenever required or possible.  P S A L M 4 5 : 4 – “...Their waters roared and were

WELLS AND ALL SOURCES OF WATER HAVE ALWAYS HAD troubled...”
GREAT SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE OF THEIR RARITY

32 5 T H
SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN 26 MAY 2019
 I S A I A H 5 5 : 1 – “... You who are thirsty, go to the
water... and drink without money and price...”

CHRIST OUR GOD never asks us for money but He
DOES ASK US TO HAVE FAITH, which is far more
valuable than anything else.

JACOB’S WELL HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AS A HOLY
SHRINE BY THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
CHURCH to this very day and pilgrims still
drink from it.

St Philoumenos the New Martyr of Jacob’s Well
gave his life for its protection and preservation
in 1979.
✶ “...Wearied as He was from His Journey...” DUE TO
HIS HUMAN NATURE, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
SUFFERED FROM HUNGER, THIRST, TIREDNESS, HEAT
AND COLD, ETC.

HE EXPERIENCED ALL THE SAME PHYSICAL CONDITIONS
of our own human condition.
✶ “...about the Sixth Hour...” is MIDDAY – 12:00 - THE
HOTTEST PERIOD OF THE DAY, when most
inhabitants of hot areas rest from the heat,
resuming their labours and duties when it is
cooler.
✶ “...His Disciples had gone ...to buy food...” implies
that THEY WERE OBEDIENT TO CHRIST BY NOT
DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THE SAMARITANS like the
other Judeans who despised and avoided them
at all costs because they were regarded as
apostatisers of the Hebrew Faith and heretics.

CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES PROVIDED THEIR OWN
NECESSITIES OR BOUGHT THEM RATHER THAN BEING
A NEEDLESS BURDEN ON OTHERS.
✶“...a woman of Samaria...” is forever Commemorated
as ONE OF OUR GREAT SAINTS AND HOLY MARTYRS – ST
PHOTINI/SVETLANA.

She is THE EARLIEST GENTILE EVANGELIST, having
testified the First Appearance of the Great
Divine Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ - TO
THE INNUMERABLE CITIZENS OF SYCHAR – most of
whom became His Faithful Disciples.

TOGETHER WITH HER TWO SONS AND FIVE DAUGHTERS
(some say ‘sisters,’) SHE BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF
SOULS TO CHRIST.

After the Resurrection of Christ SHE WAS BAPTISED
WITH THE NAME OF “PHOTINI” (“THE ENLIGHTENED
ONE.”)

SHE AND HER FAMILY WENT TO CARTHAGE TO SPREAD
THE HOLY GOSPEL.

SHE WAS EVENTUALLY MARTYRED WITH HER ENTIRE
FAMILY by order of Emperor Nero.

SHE WAS SPIRITUALLY PERFECTED BY BEING THROWN
INTO A VERY DEEP WELL WHILE THE OTHERS
SUFFERED VARIOUS BRUTAL FORMS OF MARTYRDOM.

We COMMEMORATE HER MEMORY ON 20 MARCH AND
ON THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA.
✶ “...Judeans had no dealings with Samaritans...” (as
previously explained.)_

The Samaritans were A MIXED BREED OF JUDEANS
AND PAGANS, and thus were TRADITIONAL
ENEMIES OF ISRAEL.

ALTHOUGH THEY ALSO WORSHIPPED THE GOD OF ISRAEL
AND AWAITED THE ADVENT OR COMING OF THE
MESSIAH – THE CHRIST – THEY ACCEPTED ONLY THE
FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
SCRIPTURES – THE PENTATEUCH.

THEY HAD BUILT THEIR OWN TEMPLE ON MOUNT
GERIZIM, which THE ISRAELITES HAD DESTROYED
IN 128 BC.

THIS ALSO EXPLAINS THE COLLECTIVE TERM “YOU”
MEANING EACH OTHER’S NATION OR PEOPLE.
✶ “...If Thou knew the Gift of God...” applies to MOST OF
US who FAIL TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE
AND ESSENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ALL GOD’S GIFTS,
WHICH HE FREELY GRANTS US – even as
unrepentant sinners!
✶ “...Living Water...” in the ordinary, mundane sense,
refers to FRESH, FLOWING WATER from a stream or
5 T H
SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
spring, rather than from a stagnant pond or
cistern.

The Spiritual Meaning refers to THE DIVINE GRACE
OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO LEADS US TO
ETERNAL LIFE.

DIVINE GRACE NOT ONLY REMAINS IN THE FAITHFUL
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST BUT - being so abundant -
OVERFLOWS AND AFFECTS OTHERS in the best
possible manner.

DIVINE GRACE PRODUCES AN ABUNDANT AND GOOD
HARVEST FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

DIVINE GRACE IS FOR THE SPIRITUAL BENEFIT OF MANY,
never for one individual alone.

Just as St Jacob gave this Well to sustain
earthly life, CHRIST GRANTS US THE WELL OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT TO SUSTAIN US AND GRANT US ETERNAL
LIFE.
✶ “...Thou hast nothing with which to draw water...”
shows that ST PHOTINI INITIALLY MISUNDERSTOOD
OUR LORD JESUS.

She at first reacted in a practical, mundane
manner, but SHE QUICKLY GRASPED OUR LORD’S
TEACHINGS, WHICH REVEALED THE DEPTH OF HER
INTELLIGENCE AND HER OWN SPIRITUAL HUNGER
AND THIRST FOR DIVINE TRUTH.

OUR SOUL RESPONDS EAGERLY AND JOYFULLY TO
DIVINE TRUTH, for WE WERE CREATED TO PERCEIVE
AND COMPREHEND IT.
✶ “...Art Thou greater than our Father, Jacob...”
REVEALED HER KNOWLEDGE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE and
the ancient Holy Prophets of God.

ST PHOTINI BELIEVED IN OUR LORD GOD.

SHE QUICKLY REALISED THAT OUR LORD IS SOMEONE
OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE.

SHE SENSED HIM TO BE A HOLY PROPHET OF GOD WHO
KNOWS DIVINE TRUTH.

ST JACOB WAS A “TYPE OF CHRIST” because HE HAD
RECEIVED THE VISION OF THE DIVINE LADDER,
WHICH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED.
 GENESIS 28:12 – “... he dreamed... a Ladder was set up
on the Earth, and ... reached to Heaven... and
Angels of God were ascending and descending
...”

THE VISION OF THE LADDER THAT CONNECTS EARTH
WITH HEAVEN REFERS TO OUR EVER BLESSED
THEOTOKOS AND HER DIVINE SON, OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST.

Her Holy Icon that is usually situated in the Apse
of the Church is called “the Platytera,”
meaning “wide,””broad” or “spacious” for IT
DEPICTS OUR DIVINE SAVIOUR IN HER WOMB.

THEOTOKOS IS THE LADDER THAT CONNECTS HEAVEN
AND EARTH THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR
OUR ETERNAL SALVATION.
✶ “...the Water that I shall give...” is indeed from “...a
Spring of Water welling up to Eternal Life.”

THOSE OF US WHO “...HUNGER AND THIRST...” FOR
DIVINE TRUTH AND EVERLASTING LIFE ARE
SUSTAINED, REGENERATED, REFRESHED AND
RENEWED BY GOD AND EVERYTHING HE PROVIDES
FOR OUR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL WELFARE.
✶ “...fetch Thy husband...” showed that our Lord
respected everyone equally.

HE DID NOT WISH TO SCANDALISE EITHER THIS WOMAN
NOR ANYONE ELSE

It was forbidden (and still is in certain cultures)
for men and women to converse except
through a woman’s close male relative.

OUR LORD JESUS ALSO KNEW THAT ST PHOTINI WAS
LIVING IN SIN, and was aware of her five
previous ‘husbands,’
✶ “...Well said...” and “... Thou spoke truly...” was THE
REACTION OF OUR LORD TO ST PHOTINI’S ADMISSION OF
HER SINFUL, IMMORAL LIFE,

SHE DID NOT MAKE ANY EXCUSES FOR HERSELF OR HER
CIRCUMSTANCES BUT CONFESSED TRUTHFULLY,
26 MAY 2019 33
 which revealed her HONEST AND SINCERE
QUALITIES.

NEITHER WAS SHE OFFENDED NOR INCENSED.

CHRIST’S INSIGHT INTO EVERY HUMAN BEING’S HEART,
which is REPEATEDLY MENTIONED throughout
the Holy Gospels, EMPHASISES HIS DIVINE
NATURE.
✶ “...I perceive that Thou art a Prophet...” ST PHOTINI
REALISED THAT OUR LORD WAS A HOLY PROPHET OF
GOD BECAUSE OF HIS INSIGHT TO HER PERSONAL
LIFESTYLE, although the Samaritans did not
accept nor recognise any Prophets after St
Moses.

THE ONLY HOLY PROPHET THEY EXPECTED WAS THE
GREAT MESSIAH OF WHOM ST MOSES HAD
FORETOLD.
 D E U T E R O N O M Y 1 8 : 1 5 - 1 8 – “...The Lord your God will
raise up for you a Prophet like me from your
Brethren... I will put My Word in His Mouth, and
He shall speak to them all I command Him...”

This indicates that HE IS THE WORD MADE FLESH, for
NO OTHER HOLY PROPHET OF GOD, including St
Moses, WOULD EVER SPEAK IN SUCH A MANNER!

The Holy Prophets of God were mere human
beings whereas THE HOLY PROPHET WHO WAS
TO COME WOULD BE GOD INCARNATE – GOD IN THE
FLESH – A PHYSICAL, VISIBLE GOD Who would
live in our midst to teach us His Divine Truth
and Love.
 I S A I A H 5 4 : 1 3 - God also told St Isaiah: “...I will cause
all your children to be taught by God, and
your children to be in Great Peace....”

ST ISAIAH THE HOLY PROPHET OF GOD ALSO
PROPHESIED CONCERNING THIS DIVINE PROPHET.

THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD WOULD BE TAUGHT
DIRECTLY BY GOD HIMSELF – by God Incarnate
– i.e. our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS TAUGHT AND REVEALED
TO US EVERYTHING THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER
HAS WILLED HIM TO DO.

OUR LORD GOD HAS THUS PROVIDED US WITH ALL THE
NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE AND MEANS FOR OUR
ETERNAL SALVATION.

THERE IS STILL MUCH UNKNOWN TO US.
✶ “...Our Fathers worshipped on this mountain...”
ONLY OUR LORD COULD SETTLE THE HISTORICAL
ARGUMENT ABOUT WHERE TRUE WORSHIP WAS TO BE
OFFERED.

However, our Lord Jesus refused to answer such
an earthly question and ELEVATED THE
DISCUSSION TO THE ONE WHOM WE WORSHIP:
ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF.
✶ “...we worship what we know ... Salvation is of the
Hebrews.”

GOD IS SPIRIT and CANNOT BE CONFINED to any
particular location:

GOD IS OMNIPRESENT – HE IS EVERYWHERE!

THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BELIEVE IN
JESUS CHRIST – the Son and Word of God the
Father – WORSHIP GOD WITH PURITY OF HEART.

OUR LORD AFFIRMED THAT TRUE REVELATION COMES
FROM JUDAISM:

St Athanasios the Great taught us: “The
commonwealth of Israel was the School of
the Knowledge of God for all Nations.”

More importantly, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
TESTIFIED THAT THE MESSIAH Who was
prophesied among the Israelites, HAS RISEN
FROM THE HEBREWS.

WHILE THE GIFT OF THE SALVATION IN CHRIST IS TO
ALL NATIONS, IT HAS COME FROM WITHIN JUDAISM.
✶ “...the Hour is coming...” refers to THE DEATH AND
RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND TO THE OUTPOURING OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT AT HOLY PENTECOST, which
inaugurated the Worship of OUR NEW COVENANT
34 5 T H
SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
WITH ALMIGHTY GOD.
✶ “I, Who speak to you, Am He,” is literally translated:
“I AM (“Ego Imi”) Who speaks to you.”

“I Am” IS THE DIVINE NAME OF GOD and its use
indicates A THEOPHANY OR DIVINE REVELATION
OF GOD HIMSELF.

THE USE OF THIS MOST HOLY NAME BY A MERE MAN
WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AS THE WORST
BLASPHEMY EVER – punishable by stoning to
death! (John 8:58; Mark 14:62)

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY DIVINE – THE SON OF
GOD and thus ONE OF THE THREE PERSONS OF THE
ALMIGHTY GODHEAD – the Holy Trinity – HIS
OWN USE OF THIS DIVINE NAME REVEALS HIS TRUE
UNITY WITH GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE HOLY
SPIRIT.

He most certainly reveals that HE IS INDEED
GOD INCARNATE!
✶ “...His Disciples ... marvelled...” NOT ONLY BECAUSE OUR
LORD JESUS SPOKE WITH A SAMARITAN, BUT THAT HE
SPOKE WITH AN UNACCOMPANIED WOMAN, which was
potentially scandalous for them both! (See
previous notes.)

CHRIST IS ABOVE ALL SOCIAL NORMS AND CUSTOMS,

HE TREATS ALL WOMEN WITH THE HIGHEST OF RESPECT,
thereby SHOWING THEIR VALUE AND IMPORTANCE
IN EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY LIFE. (J O H N & ; 5 3 -
8:11; LUKE 20-30; 20: 11-18 & LUKE 8:1 – 3)

“...I have Food to eat of which you do not
know...” CHRIST IS OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD due
to our limited human experience and
knowledge.

THROUGH THESE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, OUR LORD
FULFILS HIS ROLE AS MESSIAH BY DOING THE WILL
OF HIS HEAVENLY FATHER.

THIS IS HIS SPIRITUAL FOOD.

OUR LORD JESUS, BY HIS OWN PERFECT EXAMPLE, HAS
TAUGHT US TO PERFORM/OBEY THE DIVINE WILL OF
GOD throughout our life WITHOUT BEING
DISTRACTED BY EARTHLY CARES such as hunger,
shelter and comfort. ( J O H N 6 : 2 7 ; M A T T H E W 4 : 4
& 6:25-33)
✶ “...Behold, ... the fields are already white for
Harvest!” According to St John Chrysostom,
CHRIST WANTED HIS APOSTLES TO SEE THE
APPROACHING MULTITUDE OF WHITE-CLAD SAMARITANS
WHO WERE READY AND EAGER TO BELIEVE.
THE MULTITUDE OF SAMARITANS WERE HIS RIPE SPIRITUAL
CROP.

ALL HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES ARE COMMANDED TO
“BEHOLD!”

We must PAY ATTENTION TO ALL WHO SURROUND US
SO THAT WE MAY SHARE HIS HOLY GOSPEL WITH
ANYONE WANTING TO RECEIVE IT – regardless of
ethnicity or social status.
✶ “...One Sows, Another Reaps...” St John Chrysostom
believed that this referred to THE HOLY PROPHETS
OF THE OLD COVENANT AND THE HOLY APOSTLES OF
THE NEW COVENANT RESPECTIVELY.

THE HOLY PROPHETS SOWED THE SEEDS OF FAITH IN
PREPARATION FOR THE ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH,
yet they neither witnessed it nor reaped the
Spiritual Fruit of their Holy Labours.

THE APOSTLES WITNESSED AND EXPERIENCED THE
PRESENCE OF GOD INCARNATE, but had not
prepared either the Judeans nor the
Gentiles.

AFTER THE RESURRECTION AND ESPECIALLY AFTER
PENTECOST, THEY DREW MILLIONS OF SOULS TO
FAITH IN CHRIST

THESE SAMARITANS WERE AMONGST THE FIRST TO
RECOGNISE AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR LORD
JESUS AS THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.

This clearly demonstrates that HIS HOLY GOSPEL
IS FOR ALL PEOPLE OF EVERY NATION THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE WORLD.
26 MAY 2019