Living an Orthodox Life

Today is Palm Sunday. The Lenten period is nearing its end and we Orthodox Christians stand on the doorstep of Holy Week. Christ enters Jerusaleum and the people are joyous. As St. Paul tells us in the Epistle reading for today: "Brethern, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand."  Unfortunately, not everyone is joyful in our modern world or in the world when Jesus walked the earth. The pharisees were certainly not and neither was Judas. Within a short time they would inflict their sadness and anger  on the rest.

Our Holy Orthodox Church is familiar with anger, controversy, conflict and persecution. It is always with us because the Church is a hospital for sinners and as is often evident, we bring our baggage with us. The outside world is never far away.  There are two things the Church offers: healing and resurrection. Those that have no need of either therefore have no need of the Church.  If we want to live a superficial life, in isolation and alone, without true satisfaction or spiritual healing you have no need of the Church or the things that it teaches. Unfortunately, no one is handed healing and life eternal on a silver platter. We have to struggle for it. Metropolitan Lauras of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad writes the following:

"The situation of an Orthodox person, an Orthodox Christian who lives in the contemporary world, may be described, without any exaggeration, as extremely difficult. The whole of present-day life, in all its tendencies, in one way or another is directed against a person who is trying to live according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. In life around us, in our environment, in our heterodox surroundings, everything is essentially a total denial of Christianity. If, in the beginning of the Christian era, Christ's beloved disciple, St. John the Theologian, could write, "... the whole world lieth in wickedness" (I John 5:19), then how much more justified we are in speaking thus of our times.

Being a true Orthodox Christian, prepared to preserve unto death one's faith in Christ our Saviour, is much more difficult in our day than it was in the first centuries of Christianity. It's true there were persecutions then and Christians were tormented, but the Christians well remembered the Saviour's words, " ... fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul" (Matt. 11:28). Being fortified by God's grace, they joyfully went to their martyrdom and gave up their lives for Christ. This was also the case in Russia during the torture and persecutions. Now nobody threatens us, living here in freedom, with persecution and torture, but in spite of this, a persecution in its most diverse forms is being carried on against Christianity and against the Christian way of life. Today we see that everything connected with faith in God, with the teaching of God's Word, with Christ's teachings and the teachings of the Orthodox Church, in one way or another is being driven out of a person's life. This process that is taking place in the contemporary world is a process of apostasy, and it can be detected in every aspect of life."

Living in such an inhospitable, not to mention fallen, world, how are we to find our way?  I believe we have to do it within the body of the Church. Only within our Holy Orthodox Church will we discover the uncorrupted teachings of Christ as handed down by his Apostles, the Church Fathers, and the example of His Saints. Only within the Church can we find a community of believers that can help each other in our spiritual journey. Keep in mind however, that within the Church, different people are at different stages of that journey. Like the Ladder of Ascent we are all at different levels, some barely holding on and some hovering perilously above the abyss.  Occasionally we meet Holy people within the Church.  Yes, I said "holy." These are people who radiate a tranquil feeling of joy, love, humility and piety. All qualities exemplified by our Lord. You want to be around them and you listen hard to what they have to say.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet a priest-monk who spent ten years in a monastery in Greece. He was brought to the United States to establish a monastery by Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. He was invited to our community by our parish priest to conduct a Lenten retreat. I arrived late that day to find a group of parishioners sitting together listening to him. I tried sneaking in like a truant returning to school but he turned towards me, smiled, welcomed me, and asked my name. I told him my name was Stavros. His eyes lit up and he said quietly, what a blessing to be named after the holy, life-giving Cross. I grabbed a seat and listened to him speak for the next five hours, enthralled by his simple homilies and stories. By the end of the day, my entire family along with many others urged on by those of us at the retreat had gathered at our priest's home. The atmosphere can only be described as joyful. Adults were eating, conversing , children were playing happily, while we waited our turn for confession in a little prayer room upstairs.  One by one folks descended the stairs smiling. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. We were truly blessed that day in our little corner of the world.

He left the next day after the Divine Liturgy. Those who met were left with an indelible impression.  To a man and woman, every one of those who met him wanted to spend more time with him. The ascetic life is an integral part of Orthodoxy. Monastics are the Evzones of our Church and they have much to offer those of us struggling in the world.  I'd like to share two counsels he gave me. I asked him about a problem that has troubled me for sometime now and that is what approach we should take to disagreements we have within our families, in our parishes and even in our respective countries. He paused for awhile, as he often did and said, "sometimes we just have to say 'you're right' and leave it at that. Most arguments aren't worth the effort or the animosities they create."  I also queried him regarding what I should study to gain a better appreciation of my Orthodox faith. His simple answer surprised me. "Don't worry about the Theology,"  he said.  "Concentrate on the most important things for us as Orthodox Christians:  cultivating an inner quiet (hesychia), prayer,  especially repeating the Jesus Prayer, Fasting, Confession, recognizing, admitting and asking God's forgiveness for our sins, being vigilant to one's inner thoughts and opposing the bad ones, almsgiving or good works and avoiding occupying our lives around the acquirement of worldly goods."

For more information go to the Living an Orthodox Life pages at the Orthodox Christian Information Center, here.

For more information about Orthodox Monasticism go here and here.

MAY WE ALL HAVE A BLESSED HOLY WEEK FILLED WITH PRAYER AND REFLECTION.

Comments

[Ted Laskaris]

Stavros,
Although I cannot claim your level of involvement with our Greek Orthodox faith -- I am, in many ways, a non-practicing Christian -- I cannot but put the emphasis on "hesychia," this inner quiet that rests at the core of our faith. I have known only one person in my life who had achieved that: my maternal grandfather, who could easily qualify for something close to sainthood. He was not only a deeply pious person, he would also spend much time reading the texts and perfecting his knowledge of Byzantine music. He was, like you, a Constantinopolitan. He often despaired at my rather heathen ways, but I have to admit my time with him in church still qualifies as the most peaceful time I ever clocked in my life. I wish he were around. His example and his practice of "hesychia" would have been of critical help in these trying, dark times.

[Ted Laskaris]

... and, yes, let me take this opportunity to wish you, too, a Holy Week filled with good thoughts and the conscious effort to cleanse our minds and souls in anticipation of Anastasis.

[Stavros]

Ted,

There are many Orthodox Christians out there who were baptized but have, for one reason or another, lost touch with the faith of our fathers and grandfathers. There was a time in my own life when I had done the same. It's been a hard and bumpy road back and I have a long ways to go. Orthodoxy is like a treasure chest full of beautiful things, one more dazzling than the other. The hard part is taking those first tenuous steps, whether we happen to be new to the Orthodox faith or just rediscovering what was handed to us by an accident of birth. My advice to you is to travel to Mt. Athos and spend so time at the monasteries there. You have some amazing gifts and one of them is an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Perhaps like the rest of us, you have been seeking for the answers in the wrong places.

May those before us light the way. Kali Anastasi, my friend.

[Born-again Greek]

Jesus said, "I am the truth, the way and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but my me."
John 14:6
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John3:3
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hat raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Go towww.greeksforchrist.org

It will be a blessing a guide for you.

[Stavros]

Born Again Greek,

Thanks for the link. Only God can be the final judge of whether we are "saved" or not. Running around professing we are saved doesn't make it so. We Orthodox Christians do not proselytize our fellow Christians, no matter how misguided. You have obviously lost touch with your religious roots. I would recommend that you read the following to understand the difference between Orthodoxy and the "Western" confessions.

http://www.stxenia.org/wayapart/index.html

Kali Anastasi

[AntigoneSis]

Ted-
It's interesting your comment about emphasis on hesychia in the Orthodox Faith. I've been a student of yoga (although not really any in-depth study) for a few years now. I was surprised to learn in an Orthodox study class about the hesychists and the continual reciting of the Jesus Prayer, fasting, etc and the similarities to the Buddhist tenants. My detour from Orthodoxy took me further East, but in the end enriched my knowledge and appreciation for the faith immensely.
Stavros -
I'm glad to read about your experiences with monastics. I've always been hesitant about them--I can understand the purpose as you have explained it, but it seems like it's also a position within the church that's a great target for abuse and excess. It's fascinating, but frankly a little scary because of that...

[Stavros]

AntingoneSis,

Monastics are struggling just like the rest of us. About twenty monastic communities in the US were established through the efforts of Elder Ephraim of Mt Athos.
http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/Map.htm

Like Church communities some monastery's are more successful than others. Don't confuse monasticism with Eldership. I have written about this subject in Orthodox previoulsy.
http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/Map.htm

Very few monastics are Elders. Believe me when I say you will know the real thing when you meet them and hear what they have to say.
Monastery's don't have locked gates or barbed wire around them. They are wide open and hospitality is an integral part of monastic life. I would recommend visiting one with a group or family that has been there before or possibly with your parish priest. You will find a joyful family atmosphere. My wife, mother and the kids visited the Panagia Paragoritissa Woman's Monastery in Quebec with a group from our community. It was an uplifting experience and even the kids loved it. My own experiences has been similar and I am planning a trip to the St Anthony's Monastery in Arizona (see link) soon.

I would recommend reading "Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit: The Lives and Counsels of Contemporary Elders of Greece."

Another good starting place to learn more about the subject is Kyriacos Markides book Mountain of Silence and the sequel, Gifts of the Desert.

Take care and may you and your family have a blessed Holy Week. Kali Anastasi

[demonax]

Antigone
That’s a great ikon of St Mary of Egypt you’ve put up on your blog – wild mauve hair and half-naked! I prefer the saints – mostly female, it has to be said – who, in the first part of their lives, gave themselves up to ‘every kind of licentiousness’ and existed in ‘the depths of perdition’, rather than the ‘virgin martyr’ types – such as St Barbara and St Eudokia – who are a little pompous and irritating for my liking.
http://www.greekorthodox.net.au/pages/main.htm

Stavros
I notice in your ‘Newspapers I Read’ section, you mention the Cyprus Mail.
I too read the Cyprus Mail, even though it makes me sick. Just to be clear: the Cyprus Mail is a virulently anti-Hellenic and anti-Papadopoulos rag that is put together by Anglicised Cypriots, half-Cypriots, Turks, English expats and other assorted foreigners, and reflects the views of British Foreign Office, which probably funds it.
In no way should the Cyprus Mail be read as reflecting the views of the overwhelming majority of Cypriots, at whom the Anglophone paper is clearly not aimed in any case.

You also have on your list Ελληνικές Γραμμές, which is the complete antithesis of the Cyprus Mail. I read some of the Ελληνικές Γραμμές site, which is in Greek and (good) English.
The newspaper seems to be the mouthpiece for the Hellenic Front, which is linked to LA.OS. Even though I think the leader of LA.OS, Giorgios Karatzaferis, is a clown, I found myself agreeing with a considerable amount of what I read, and particularly liked the piece on ‘300’ by Christos Charitos, which begins:
‘When I read the review of “300” in [the leftist newspaper] Vima, which characterised the film as “militaristic” and “crypto-fascist”, I was sure the film was moving in the right direction.’
http://www.e-grammes.gr/article.php?id=2522

Unfortunately, I noticed that the Hellenic Front claims some sort of affinity with the British National Party, which is a party of low-life, sociopathic thugs, and even with the One Nation party in Australia, my impression of which is that it too appeals to the most moronic and abject elements in Australian society. Patriotic – and nationalist – Greeks shouldn’t have to align themselves with such contemptible elements.

[Stavros]

Demo,

Thanks for the heads up on the Cyprus Mail. Can you suggest any other Cypriot periodicals that can give us a clearer understanding of what is happening in Cyprus?

As for Ελληνικές Γραμμές, like you I find some of their articles agreeable and frankly refreshing, although I do not identify with their entire ideology anymore than I agree with everything I read in the New York Times. If Greek history teaches us anything it is that we need to avoid extremes of the Left and Right.

I haven't seen "300" yet, although I plan to watch it eventually. I will reserve judgment until then, nevertheless it seems to have struck a chord with many.

[demonax]

It’s a shame that Greeks in Greece and Cyprus have not yet understood the opportunities presented to them by the internet to make propaganda and influence international public opinion, as well as informing Greeks in the diaspora whose first language is English, and made the effort to establish a plethora of English-language publications.

The Turks, by contrast, are trying hard to get their message across in English, with the Turkish Daily News, Zaman, New Anatolian, the Cyprus Observer and so on. All we have is eKathimerini – which is limp – and the Cyprus Mail – which is a British propaganda sheet.

As for Cyprus publications, I suppose the Cyprus Weekly, owned by Armenians I think, is quite robust, but it is still a paper with British expats in mind.
http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default.aspx

In Greek, there is the government-supporting Phileleftheros –
http://www.phileleftheros.com/main/main.asp?gid=0&tp=69

and then there’s Politis
http://www.politis-news.com/index.shtml

which is anti-Papadopoulos and pro-Annan, but is good on the missing persons issue and has good contacts in the occupied areas.

That’s about it really.

[Stavros]

Thanks for the links, I will check them out for awhile and see if I can detect any trends. I have to agree about this inability to communicate about the issues with the diaspora and the rest of the world. The internet has tremendous possibilities. I read The National Herald, a very old Greek-American newspaper printed in New York. Its coverage and analysis of what is happening in Greece is not as thorough as I would like. The English editions of Kathimerini and Athens News are both sketchy. Although I can read Greek fairly well, I find sometimes I will miss a key idea because my vocabulary is not as extensive as I would like. Unfortunately, I can't express myself in Greek as well as I can in English. I'm working on all of this but the point I'm trying to make is that there are many diasporan Greeks who want to know more but lack the language skills and the sources. Maybe things will change as more and more Greeks, in and outside of Greece, access the net.

[Hermes]

Who is this St Paul mentioned above? His name was Saul and he was a Jewish fanatic and then all of a sudden he was suffering fro dehydration on the way to Damascus and he became Paul and a follower of Christ. Then all of a sudden the Greeks, who have an enormous literature from which to draw inspiration from start using this man as guidance.

"St. John the Theologian, could write, "... the whole world lieth in wickedness" (I John 5:19), then how much more justified we are in speaking thus of our times."

Really? Despite some wickedness I also see extraordinary beauty in Nature and its greatest manifestation Man. Where did this fanaticism come from because no Greek ever spoke like this before Christianity. Not even the Orphics or Pythadoreans were so extreme in their denial of life.

"In life around us, in our environment, in our heterodox surroundings, everything is essentially a total denial of Christianity."

Laughable. Christianity is a denial of life in favour of a place that no one is sure is really there. Essentially, it is a nihilistic faith slightly worse than Buddhism in its denial of the past (the Hellenic past) and present.

"Living in such an inhospitable, not to mention fallen, world, how are we to find our way?"

Inhospitable? Fallen world? Where did all this guilt come from? This world is imperfect but it is definitely not that bad.

"Concentrate on the most important things for us as Orthodox Christians: cultivating an inner quiet (hesychia), prayer, especially repeating the Jesus Prayer, Fasting, Confession, recognizing, admitting and asking God's forgiveness for our sins"

Yes, that's right. Concentrate on being a drone. Inactive biological organ. Yes, this is exactly the sort of attitude the 100,000 monks practised as the Turks encroached on the City without offering to help the Greeks who were prepared to fight.

Let's think about what sort of man all this ascetism, guilt, sin-ridden creates? It creates the type of man most bloggers hate. Lazy, corrupt, inactive, docile and stupid.

Haire Haire Eleftheria!

[AntigoneSis]

Demonax,
Re St. Mary of Egypt - I like the part of the story where she kept getting physically pushed out of church when, as a prostitute, she chose to go one day. See the detail of the story on the comments of my blog.
Stavros,
Thanks for the explanation of the distinction between eldership and monasticism. The Markides book has been on my 'wish list' for several years, but I have not yet read it.
To you, your family and all your readers, Kali Anastasi!

[Stavros]

AntigoneSis,

I think you may enjoy reading this:

http://www.monachos.net/library/Mary_of_Egypt,_Complete_Life_by_Patriarch_Sophronius_of_Jerusalem

When you read Markides, Read "Mountain of Silence," first. If you like it, then read "Gifts of the Desert."

Kali Anastasi to you and yours also.