ἀνθρώποισι πᾶσι μέτεστι γινώσκειν ἑωυτοὺς καὶ σωφρονεῖν.
»Philanthropic social welfare and medical assistance institutions [in Byzantium] were in every respect perfect and nearly similar to present day institutions of this kind. In any case, they were the first fully equipped European hospitals« Continue reading “The Birth of the Hospital in the Eastern Roman Empire (‘Byzantium’) – Philanthropic social welfare in the Christian East”
by Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos
Every time we celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God, it’s like Easter all over again; the summer Easter. Our Lady the Mother of God prepares this Easter, this ‘glorious Passover from death unto life’, for us. A second Passover, holy, spotless, life-giving for the human race, because truly, today, ‘the terms of nature are overcome’. Continue reading “The Dormition of the Mother of God; Transition to Life”
Not long before His crucifixion, Christ took three of His disciples, Peter, James and John, led them up onto a high mountain called Tabor and was transfigured before their eyes. Continue reading “The Transfiguration (Metamorphosis) of Christ and the miracle on Mount Tabor”
They Gave Their Hearts
What is holy and beautiful and what gladdens the heart and frees the soul from every evil is the effort to unite yourself to Christ, to love Christ, to crave for Christ and to live in Christ, just as Saint Paul said, It is no longer I who live; Christ lives in me. This should be your aim. Let all other efforts be secret and hidden. What must dominate is love for Christ. Let this be in your head, your thought, your imagination, your heart and your will. Your most intense effort should be how you will encounter Christ, how you will be
united to Him and how you will keep Him in your heart. Continue reading “Saint Porphyrios’ of Kavsokalyvia counsels on Divine Eros – Part 3”
The Easy Path of Love
Our religion is perfectly and profoundly conceived. What is simple is also what is most precious. Accordingly, in your spiritual life engage in your daily contests simply, easily and without force. The soul is sanctified through the study of the words of the Fathers, through the memorization of the psalms and of portions of Scripture, through the singing of hymns and through the repetition of the Jesus Prayer. Continue reading “Saint Porphyrios’ of Kavsokalyvia counsels on Divine Eros – Part 2”
God has His Secrets
We shouldn’t blackmail God with our prayers. We shouldn’t ask God to release us fromsomething, from an illness, for example, or to solve our problems, but we should ask for strength and support from Him to bear what we have to bear. Continue reading “Saint Porphyrios’ of Kavsokalyvia counsels on Divine Eros – Part 1”
