Συχνά οι προσκυνητές ζητούσαν από τον Γέροντα να προσευχηθεί για εκείνους και για αγαπημένα τους πρόσωπα και πάντοτε ο Γέροντας υποσχόταν πως θα το πράξει.
Μου γεννήθηκε η απορία: Πως μπορεί ο Γέροντας να θυμάται εκατοντάδες ονόματα; Μια μέρα που μιλούσαμε για την προσευχή, στρέφεται ξαφνικά και μου λέει:
- Θα με ρωτήσεις ίσως, πως θυμάμαι στην προσευχή μου τόσα ονόματα. Εγώ είμαι άνθρωπος αμαρτωλός και αδύνατος. Λέω, Κύριε, ελέησον τον Γιώργο, το Νίκο, τη Μαρία, την Κατερίνα - όσα ονόματα θυμάμαι - και όλους όσους μου παρήγγειλαν να προσεύχομαι γι' αυτούς και ξέχασα τα ονόματά τους. Κι ο Θεός, επειδή δεν είναι πατήρ Πορφύριος να ξεχνά, αλλά θυμάται όλα τα ονόματα, αμέσως έρχεται και ελεεί όλους.
Θαύμασα τη θεία φώτισή του και ρώτησα:
- Και τι λέτε, Γέροντα, για όλους αυτούς τους ανθρώπους στην προσευχή σας;
Κι ο Γέροντας, με τον πιο φυσικό τρόπο, μου απάντησε:
- Ε, να! Λέω πρώτα, Κύριε, Ιησού, Χριστέ, ελέησόν με.
- Ελέησόν με, λέτε; Μα αυτοί σας ζήτησαν να προσευχηθείτε για κείνους, όχι για τον εαυτό σας, αντέτεινα με απορία.
Κι ο Γέροντας, για άλλη μια φορά, με κατέλαβε εξ απροόπτου, λέγοντας:
- Καλά, εσύ δεν ξέρεις ότι, αν ο Θεός δεν ελεήσει εμένα, δεν ελεεί ούτε εσένα; Δεν ξέρεις ότι εσύ και εγώ είμαστε ένα;
Απλά λόγια, αλλά με πολύ, πάρα πολύ μεγάλο βάθος. Τόσο βάθος, ώστε ο Γέροντας σε άλλη συζήτηση να πει, ότι σ' αυτό το αίσθημα της ενότητός μας με τον άλλον κρύβεται το μυστικό της πνευματικής εν Χριστώ ζωής.
Αργότερα, διαβάζοντας φιλοπατερικά βιβλία, έβλεπα εκεί, ότι δεν υπάρχει μεγαλύτερη ελεημοσύνη προς τους άλλους από τον προσωπικό μας αγιασμό.
Θυμήθηκα τα λόγια του π. Πορφυρίου, όταν διάβαζα τη βιογραφία του Αγίου Σεραφείμ του Σάρωφ, που έλεγε:
"Απόκτησε την ειρήνη του Θεού μέσα σου και χιλιάδες άνθρωποι θα σωθούν γύρω σου". Και μήπως αυτό δεν συνέβαινε στον π. Πορφύριο; Όσο για εκείνο το εκπληκτικό "εγώ κι εσύ είμαστε ένα", πιστεύω ότι ισχύει, δυνάμει και ενεργεία, για τον Γέροντα, ο οποίος με τη ζωή του πραγματοποίησε την αρχιερατική προσευχή του Κυρίου "ίνα πάντες εν ώσι".
Άγιος Πορφύριος
Κοίταξε να πετάξεις τον εαυτό σου, γιατί αν δεν πετάξεις τον εαυτό σου, θα σε πετάξει ο εαυτός σου.
Αν πετάξεις τον εαυτό σου, μετά θα πετάς. Τι τον κρατάς τον εαυτό σου για τον εαυτό σου; Το κομμάτι της αγάπης που κρατάς για τον εαυτό σου, το αφαιρείς από την ολοκληρωτική αγάπη που πρέπει να έχεις για τους άλλους.
Αν γνωρίσεις τον εαυτό σου, θα δεις ότι δεν έχεις τίποτα δικό σου και τίποτε δεν μπορείς να κάνεις χωρίς τη βοήθεια του Θεού.
Αν λοιπόν καταλάβεις πως ότι καλό κάνεις είναι από τον Θεό και όσες χαζομάρες κάνεις είναι δικές σου, τότε θα πάψεις να έχεις εμπιστοσύνη στον εαυτό σου και θα απαλλαγείς από την αυτοπεποίθηση. Σε κάθε σου ενέργεια, ακόμη και στην παραμικρή σου κίνηση, κέντρο να είναι ο Θεός. Στρέψε όλο τον εαυτό σου προς τον Θεό.
Γεροντας Παϊσιος
http://agapienxristou.blogspot.ca/2012/10/blog-post_5306.html
There are some who say Baptism should only be given to adults because we must first have repentance and faith. Earlier I was asked to comment on this subject and recently found the teaching of Elder Cleopa on this topic.
The Elder begins his explanation by pointing out the precursors to Baptism found in the Old Testament. He writes,
There in [the Old Testament] we read how God appeared to Abraham when he was ninety-nine years of age and, among things, told him to circumcise all the men and to circumcise all the male children who would be born from that time on on the eighth day after their birth. As for him who would not be circumcised , he would perish (Gen 17: 10-14). We see, then, that God did not say to Abraham that children and youth should be circumscribed when they became adults... Some say the Baptism of babies is meaningless since they don't understand anything when they are Baptized. But what did Issac, Abraham's child, understand on the eighth day? Undoubtedly he understood nothing. His parents, however, understood. This is how it is with Baptism as well, as it is practiced in the Orthodox Church, since it is well-known that circumcision symbolizes Baptism in the Old Testament.
He gives another example of the Exodus from Egypt and the passage through the Red Sea which is also seen by Church Fathers as prefiguring Baptism. This is affirmed by Paul who says, "Moreover brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Cor 10:1-2). Moses had told the pharaoh , "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we will go." (Ex 10:9).
He then points out that on the day of Pentecost the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and preached to the people what the Spirit had tight them, telling them to repent and to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for "the promise is unto you, and to your children" (Acts 2:39).
Elder Cleopa says,
"For what promise? The promise of Baptism. Thus, the promise was for the children as well. When it is said that they were baptized, it does not say three thousand men and women were Baptized, but three sous and fouls, which means that among those baptized were children." He next presents examples of families who were baptized as recorded in the New Testament. Lydia with her whole family (Acts 16:14). The prisons guard who took Paul and Silias to his house who was Baptised with his whole family ( Acts 16:33). Then there was Crispus and his family (Acts 18:8), and Stephanos and his household (1 Cor 1:16).
He writes,
Jesus Christ likewise, made it clear that little children ought to be Baptized, for when they brought Him some children to be blessed by Him, and His disciples obstructed them, the Lord scolded them, saying: "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven; And He laid His hands on them, and departed hence" (Matt 19: 13-15). Hence , if the Lord calls children unto salvation from a young age, why would we obstruct them from receiving Holy Baptism? But how about the question of faith. Is it possible for children to be saved without faith?
The Elder responds,
"It is true that children are not capable of believing at the young age of their Baptism, but neither are they able to doubt or deny Christ. He is not saved who only believes, but he who first of all is baptized... While children do not have faith, they have godparents. These sponsors are adults who accompany the infants to Baptism and make the required confession of faith in their stead. Godparents are the spiritual parents of the children whom they baptize and undertake to guide them into a new life in the Holy Spirit... The priest conducts the Baptism based on the faith of the parents, the sponsors, and the other witnesses present. It is written in Scripture that the faith of a few can save others.
Here are examples given by Elder Cleopa,
"By faith the Roman centurion healed his servant (Matt 8:13). The servant did not believe, but on account of the faith of his master, Christ returned him to full health. Four people brought a paralytic tot he Savior: When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the also, Son, thy sons be forgiven thee (Mark 2:3-5)... On the basis of the faith of Jarius the Lord raised his twelve-year-old daughter (Matt 9:18). On account of faith of others, the Lord healed a dumb, demon-possessed man (Matt 9:32). On account of the faith of the woman of Canaan, the Savior healed her daughter, casting out the demon that possessed her (Matt 15:21). Likewise on the account of faith of a father, the Lord healed his epileptic son (Matt 17:14). These and many other testimonies from Holy Scripture make clear to us that on account of the faith of parents, and others who stand as witnesses at Holy Baptism, the Lord grants sanctification and salvation to the baptized children." We also see this practice from the early days of the Church, The earliest explicit reference to child or infant baptism is in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus, about 215 A.D.: "Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them." (Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 21:15, c. 215 A.D.)
We must also keep in mind that baptism marks the beginning of our Christian life, each of us who are baptized must continue daily to persevere in our faith until the end of our earthly life. As St. Paul says: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect... I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do... I press on toward the goal to win the prize..." (Philippians 3:12-14)
Reference: The Truth of our Faith, Vol. II, 17-34
Perhaps the most popular and basic definition of prayer is that it is a conversation with God. While this is essentially true, Orthodox Christianity looks upon prayer as something deeper than "conversation".
Prayer is understood as an intimate encounter with God. When we pray, we meet with God in our hearts, in the sanctuary of all our thoughts, motivations, dreams, emotions and concerns. This is a place where we can share our inner selves with no other human person as completely as we can share ourselves with the Lord.
To enter into this very personal and intimate place with God, full of faith and love, is to feel His presence in our lives in the most profound and life-giving of ways. In this place in our hearts, we no longer perceive God as being "out there", looking down on us. Rather, we sense His presence inside us, stirring our hearts, guiding our actions, enlightening our minds.
Our Orthodox Christian Faith teaches us that prayer is the most natural thing a person can do, it is what we are created for. In Paradise Adam and God converse frequently. It is only after the Fall that we hide from God and choose not to speak openly with Him.
Human beings were made for prayer, not because God needs us to pray to Him, but because we need to connect with Him who made us, saved us from sin and death, and showers His sanctifying grace upon us. Without prayer there is no life, not in its fullest sense. As human persons we are created for prayer just as we are created to breath or to think. Prayer is part of our unique nature; of all God's creatures, only human beings are able to perceive and interact with both the visible (physical) and invisible (spiritual) realities.
Prayer is so important in our lives that St. Gregory of Nazianzus instructs us to, "remember God more often that you breath". At first, this task might seem daunting, perhaps impossible. In truth, we find that often the greatest obstacle to our developing prayer life is our own lack of trust in ourselves, and in what God can do for and with us.
Often we "psych" ourselves out when it comes to prayer. We think that it is only for the spiritual "specialists" to engage in prayer -- clergy, monks, nuns. We feel that if we need to struggle with our prayer life we must not be "doing it right". In truth, it is only when we struggle with prayer that we are approaching it in a healthy way.
But even though prayer is -- or at least should be -- a natural part in our human make-up, prayer is a discipline, it is a spiritual exercise. An analogy commonly used by the Saints is that prayer is like a fire. Initially, it starts out only as a small spark in our soul; eventually though, if we fan the flames with a constant effort to pray, this spark grows into a spiritual flames — these flames are the burning bush in our souls, where we, like Moses, speak with God.
To feed the fire of prayer in our soul, we must work ourselves into a regular pattern — or "rule" — of prayer. Like a fire, if our prayer life is left untended, it will die away and turn cold. The more we pray, the more meaningful and nourishing our prayer life becomes, and the more of a desire we have to enter into prayer.
The ways that we pray
In Orthodox spirituality, we recognize two basic types of prayer: liturgical (that is, worship); and personal prayer. In our Church both of these types of prayer are understood as corporate acts -- they are carried out by believers as a single body, the body of Christ.
Liturgical prayer is obviously corporate. A group of brothers and sisters in the faith gather together in one place to offer hymns and prayers to God. However, even when we pray in private, we do not pray alone. Rather, we join our voices to the countless other Orthodox Christians throughout the world who are also lifting their hearts to God in prayer at that time. Christianity is always lived out as a group, never as an isolated individual.
Liturgy and private prayer are interdependent. It is not enough for us only to pray by ourselves, because every human being has an innate need for community, a need to belong. Our liturgical worship also gives us the order and structure that we need to have stability in our spiritual lives.
At the same time, our liturgical prayer is truly vibrant and life-giving only when those present are "people of prayer" outside the services as well. Our faith is not "Sunday-only" and our prayer life shouldn't be Sunday-only either. Each type of prayer, liturgical and personal, compliments and supplements the other.
In both worship and personal prayer, structure is important. Worship services have a set structure of fixed and variable parts. Although our private prayer can be much more simple and "customized" than worship services, we still structure it as part of our daily lives. In our personal prayer life, we need to develop a habit of praying regularly at certain times during the day. This habit of regular prayer is called a "rule of prayer."
Ancient Christian sources instruct Christians to pray three times a day: in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening. In this way we keep God on our minds and hearts throughout the day -- upon waking up, in the midst of our daily tasks and upon retiring for the night. This regularity is very important because, at its core, a life or prayer is a life lived in the constant remembrance of God.
The Saints teach us that our prayers should include the following four elements, in this order:
1 & 2) glorification and thanksgiving: the primary work of prayer is to glorify God and thank Him for His great blessings, both know and unknown;
3) confession of sins: we ask God for His forgiveness for when we fall short of the life that He calls us to;
4) supplication: we ask God to be merciful and grant our petitions for others and for ourselves
This structure helps us remember that God’s blessing are giving to us not because owe have earned them, but in spite of our imperfections and faults. It also helps us avoid looking upon God as a spiritual "bell boy" who is there merely to answer our requests -- the last thing we do is ask for things, not the first.
Prayers do not have to be long or complicated to be effective. Some of the most powerful prayers in history have been sentences of only a few words. The Thief on the Cross merely had to say, "Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom", to hear Jesus' promise, "today you shall be with me in Paradise."
When trying to develop a habit of daily prayer in your life remember this: it is far better to spend five minutes each day in private devotions, than to "bank" the time and take in 35 minutes of personal prayer once per week.
Should we pray from books, or use our own words?
Many believers have developed a great love for the prayers found in our prayer books. In our prayer books we find collections of prayers, written at different times in history for different situations, times of day and needs.
In the Orthodox Church, one of the most beloved prayer books is the Old testament Book of Psalms. The Psalms offer us a way of framing life's varying experiences -- good and bad -- in prayer using very poetic and profound language. So important is the Book of Psalms that you will find the Psalms used in every worship service and rule of prayer.
Written prayers can be a font of wisdom and comfort. There are those, however, that do not feel that written prayers completely fit their personal "voice". For these people, spontaneous prayer is an important part of their personal devotions. There is nothing wrong with spontaneous prayer. The only caution with spontaneous prayer is that the content of such prayers must not contradict the beliefs and practices of the Orthodox Faith. For example, we would not pray that, after we die, God would reincarnate us as a better person, since we do not believe in reincarnation.
The Orthodox Christian approach to written and spontaneous prayers is one of balance. Our written prayers are truly a treasury of Christian spiritual insight, nurture and guidance. But at the same time even our prayer books instruct us to "take time to pray to God in your own words..." There is a place for both types of prayer, written and spontaneous, and each complements the other.
In the Gospels, Jesus gives the following warning about prayer: "when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (Matthew 6:7)" Based on this verse, some Christian groups teach that God is not pleased by written prayers; instead, they say, all prayer should be spontaneous. This teaching, however, does not make sense when we see that two verses later, Jesus gives His disciples a specific prayer to use: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father Who art in heaven... (Matthew 6:9-113)."
The issue that Jesus addresses is not written prayer versus spontaneous prayer, but rather the how we approach prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus also teaches us, "when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you open." The Saints teach us that there is a double meaning to the words, "go into your room."
First, "go into your room" means keep a low profile when you pray. Do not use prayer to show off to others: "Look at me, everyone! I'm praying! I am *SO* holy!"
Second, "go into your room" means shut out distractions when you pray. We have to pay attention when we pray. We cannot simply rattle off the words of our prayers with our minds wandering to other things -- our schedules, a song on the radio, a conversation happening beside us, the big play of last night's game. We must focus on what we are saying.
Whether we are praying using words from a prayer book or in our own words, the key is that we put in the effort to do it right. No one likes the feeling of being in a conversation, knowing that the other person is not paying attention. If we would try not to act like this with another human being, then we should also put the effort in with God. Quite simply, He deserves nothing less.
The Jesus Prayer
One of the most important prayers in the Orthodox Tradition is the "Jesus Prayer." It is not long or complicated, simply, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Some make it even shorter: "Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy one me."
The Jesus Prayer became famous in monasteries through the movement known as "hesychasm", or the way of "stillness." The idea of hesychasm is that it is only when we have stilled our hearts and bodies that we can be fully open to the life-giving presence of God. The body must be stilled from its obsessions, compulsions and addictions and the heart must be stilled of it's wandering here and there looking for something to keep it occupied, entertained and satisfied.
The Jesus Prayer is used as the refrain of a prayerful meditation. Through continued use, practitioners find themselves saying it automatically, much in the same way that we sometimes find a tune running through our minds without our conscious effort. At its highest level, practice of the Jesus Prayer leads to an intimate encounter with God through a vision of what is know as the "Uncreated Light."
The Gospels tell us that, shortly before His Crucifixion, Jesus took the apostles Peter, James and John to the top of Mount Tabor. There, they saw Jesus garments go pure white, and He began to shine with a resplendent light that was almost too much for the to bear. (See Mttw. 17:1-9; Mk.9:2-13; Lk. 9:28-36) This light was a manifestation of Jesus' Divinity. This is the light that vary advanced practitioners of the Jesus Prayer will encounter when saying the prayer.
This sounds very impressive and perhaps even desirable. However, it is not what we experience -- or what we do not experience -- that matters when say the Jesus Prayer or any other prayer. What really matters is that we pray with an awareness of what our words really mean, and that we try to stay as attentive as possible to the words we are saying while we pray.
The most important part in the Jesus Prayer is the name of our Savior. The Saints teach that the very mention of name of Jesus sends the demons running. Jesus Christ is God speaking for Himself. God is not far off and remote from us. God loves us so much that He came to be one of us, through His only-begotten Son, and He allows us to relate to His Son on a first-name basis, calling Him "Jesus".
Repetition of the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is a very powerful tool in our spiritual life. It allows us to approach God in a very direct manner. We do not simply say, "Somebody, who ever is out there, hear my prayer." We specifically say, "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God", hear my prayer. By the way, the name "Jesus" means, "the Lord is salvation."
As we call on the name of Jesus, we call upon Him as "Lord" -- "Lord, Jesus Christ..." "Lord" is a title of honor. In times past, someone who was a lord had authority over people under him. To call Jesus our Lord is to put ourselves under His authority. Jesus is the Lord of our lives... we will follow His teachings, do what He wants us to do, base our lives on the way of living that He has showed us. In short, if Jesus is the Lord, Jesus is in charge.
Also important in the Jesus Prayer is the call for God's mercy. Admitting that we are broken, sinful, we pray words found so often in the Gospels, "have mercy on me". No one is "worthy" of God's grace; there are no "necessary requirements" that makes us "entitled" to God's blessings. The blessings we receive from God are solely based on His great and abundant mercy. Divine mercy is the starting point our whole life. If God were not merciful, we wouldn't even exist.
The Jesus Prayer became so important, so loved, that it eventually made it's way into every worship service in a couple of different forms. The best know of these forms is the response, "Lord, have mercy" in our litanies. "Lord, have mercy," is a compact form of the Jesus Prayer.
Whether we are singing it in worship or saying it quietly in personal prayer, the Jesus Prayer is a jewel of our spiritual tradition. I said in an earlier posting that prayers don't necessarily have to be long to be effective. Say the words of the Jesus Prayer, with awareness, attention and a sincere heart -- say them often -- and we will find God acting in our lives like we never have before.
Prayer as Silence
God is always trying to get our attention. He wants us to turn to Him, to listen to Him, to open ourselves to a relationship with Him. God does not force Himself on us, but He is always making ovations towards us, waiting for us to respond with loving attentiveness towards Him. If we pay attention, if we listen, we will hear God speaking to us in our lives. Prayer is as much about listening to God as it is speaking to Him. In fact, the listening is even more important than the talking.
One way that we listen to God in our prayers is through the reading of the Holy Scriptures and other of our Church's spiritual writings. In our private devotions, we can select a passage, read it, and then take some time to think about what we have read. As we think about the passage, we try to be aware of specific sentences, phrases or words that grab our attention. Some people will write down their observations in a journal for future discussion with their spiritual father.
The second means of listening to God in prayer is through silence. Silence is something that many of us are not comfortable with. We fill our days with the noise of iPods, TV, radios. For some people, the time that they dread most are the moments at night before they go to sleep, when all they are left with is silence and their thoughts. And yet, God often talks to us, not in thunder claps and lightening flashes, but in the still small voice whispering in our heart. (for more on this, see 1 Kings 19:11-13)
The Saints instruct us that as we say our prayers, we should take time to stop and sit quietly, just being present with God. The monastic fathers and mothers of our Church say that prayer is like a flying bird. When a bird is in the air, it beats its wings until it has reached a certain height; at that point, it stops beating its wings and glides along. The words of our prayers are our spiritual wings. There will come a point while praying where words are no longer necessary, we can stop talking and glide in silence, allowing God's presence keep us aloft.
Prayer is a conversation. It is a two-way dynamic. As we all know, its hard to say we have had a "conversation" with someone, if one party has monopolized the time, without giving the other party the chance to offer any input. In order for prayer to be truly beneficial to us, in addition to talking to God we also need to listen to what He has to say to us.
A Call to Prayer
Sometimes we think that if our spiritual life isn't "feeling right," that our prayers are some way not working. Regardless of how we feel, any time is an appropriate time for us to pray. We start from where we are, emotionally and spiritually. We approach God as we are, trusting that He is ready, willing and able to overlook our faults, doubts and wounds and to lift us above them.
At the same time, we must take care never to assume that we are doing "good enough" in our lives, and that we may excuse ourselves from prayer. Christ did not call us to being "good enough"; He called us to be perfect. The struggle for that perfection is a life-long endeavor. Furthermore, it is an endeavor that we cannot achieve ourselves, it can be accomplished only with, and through God — the God that we encounter intimately through prayer.
In the Divine Liturgy, we hear the invitations "Let us lift up our hearts", and "Let us give thanks to the Lord". These two calls sum up the center of human existence. When we lift up our hearts to God, glorifying Hi for all that He does for us -- both known and unknown. And in doing so, the image of God -- who is the maker, savior and sanctifier of our lives -- shines within us, and through us into the world.
"Prayer is the test of everything; prayer is also the source of everything; prayer is the driving force of everything; prayer is also the director of everything. If prayer is right, everything is right. For prayer will not allow anything to go wrong." — St. Theophan the Recluse
http://agapienxristou.blogspot.ca/2012/10/prayer-is-test-of-everything.html
Πολλά χρόνια στην Εκκλησία. Από τότε που θυμάται τον εαυτό του. Από μικρό στα χέρια και την αγκαλιά και μετά με το σχολείο στις Κυριακές και τις γιορτές. Παπαδάκι στο Ιερό τα τελευταία χρόνια του Δημοτικού και τα πρώτα του Γυμνασίου.
Κάποιοι πρόλαβαν και την… μακαρία εκείνη εποχή που ο εκκλησιασμός ήταν υποχρεωτική εκδήλωση σχολικής δραστηριότητας! Τότε που «παίρναν» απουσίες όσοι κοιμόντουσαν ή το σκάγαν καθ’ οδόν! Τότε που ήταν η Εκκλησία στοιχείο κοινωνικής ευπρέπειας και τάξεως! Μερικοί ακόμα τα θυμούνται με νοσταλγία! Υπήρχε… τάξη, σεβασμός, γινόταν το… σωστό, τώρα όλα… διαλύθηκαν, λένε!.
Όλα αυτά που όντως γίνονταν και λειτουργούσαν, όχι μόνο τώρα, αλλά και τότε, ήταν απαράδεκτα! Ήταν η τάξη του… Γυμνασιάρχη, όχι του Θεού! Υπήρχε σύγχυση λόγων και κινήτρων. Η διδασκαλία της πίστεως γινόταν αναγκαστική πορεία. Η ελευθερία του Χριστού (Όστις θέλει…) καταργούνταν χάριν της χρησιμοθηρικής «ωφελείας». Η Εκκλησία ήταν ένας διδακτισμός: Τι πρέπει να ξέρεις! Όχι τι πρέπει να ζήσεις..!
Η συνήθεια για κάμποσα χρόνια και για… κάμποσους, λειτούργησε. Δούλεψε ως ασυνείδητη εξάρτηση και κράτησε τα πράγματα. Βέβαια σε μια ασάφεια και απροσδιοριστία. Αυτοί που εκκλησιάζονταν συζητούσαν για το… καθήκον του εκκλησιασμού. Βρίσκονταν κάθε Κυριακή στο Ναό, αλλά δεν μπορούσαν να πουν για ποιό λόγο βρίσκονταν εκεί. Δεν είχαν δυνατότητα να «παρουσιάσουν» την… «εν ημίν ελπίδα». Ούτε γιατί ο Χριστός είναι Θεός της ζωής τους μπορούσαν να «δικαιολογήσουν». Σ’ όλα αυτά επιπρόσθετα η δυσκολία της γλώσσας έκανε την υπόθεση… «θέατρο»! Συνήθειες (ίσως) ιερές αποκτούσαν οι άνθρωποι. Συνείδηση όμως πώς να «βλέπουν» και πώς να ακούνε τον λόγο του Χριστού, σπανίως και λίγοι! Έτσι και όλα όσα έχουν σχέση με την Εκκλησία και τον Χριστό έμπαιναν τελικά στο χώρο της ασάφειας και της θρησκοληψίας! Φόβοι, αγωνίες, θεολογική ασυναρτησία ήταν (μήπως και είναι;) τα κίνητρα της σχέσεως.
Μέσα σ’ αυτήν τη σύγχυση και το κατ’ ουσίαν Μυστήριο της Θείας Ευχαριστίας έχασε, περνώντας τα χρόνια, τον δυναμισμό της κοινής προσφοράς και έγινε… θέαμα και ακρόαμα ακατανόητο.
Θέαμα αφού οι χριστιανοί απλώς παρακολουθούν (σαν από… κερκίδες) χωρίς συμμετοχή ουδέ στο ΑΜΗΝ, που λέει ο Απόστολος (Α’ Κόρ. 14, 16)! Άγνωστοι, εν πολλοίς, μεταξύ τους… Χάθηκε η κοινότητα και η Εκκλησία έγινε… «τεκές»… προσευχομένων (υποτίθεται). Ο παπάς έπρεπε να τα τελεί όλα τυπικώς και οπωσδήποτε να κοινωνάει αφού δεν ξέραμε… τί να κάνουμε τα ΔΩΡΑ της Ευχαριστίας που τελέσθηκε!
Κατέληξε η Θεία Ευχαριστία ακρόαμα μουσικής πανδαισίας που «κάλυψε» το κενό της ακατανόητης γλώσσας με ηχητική ανακούφιση. Έγιναν τα ψαλλόμενα ένα λειτουργικό soundtrack! Μουσική χωρίς λόγια.
Όλα αυτά έσπρωξαν τον χριστιανό στον χώρο της ατομικής ευλάβειας. Έκαναν την υπόθεση προσωπική φιλοτιμία και ανάγκη. Η κοινότητα χάθηκε, και κάτω από το βάρος της ασυντόνιστης… ευσέβειας, δημιουργήθηκαν οι… θεούσες και οι άσχετοι! Η Μετάληψη έγινε αξιομισθία προσωπικής διαθέσεως. Χάθηκε αφού έγινε εκδήλωμα για δύο-τρείς φορές το χρόνο.
Πρέπει όμως όλοι να κοινωνάμε (οι χωρίς εμπόδιο πολύ μεγάλης αμαρτίας που μάς αποκόπτει από το σώμα της Εκκλησίας) όπως σαφέστατα φαίνεται στις ίδιες τις ευχές της Λειτουργίας: «…αξίωσέ μας με το δικό σου παντοδύναμο χέρι να μεταλάβουμε το άχραντο σώμα σου και το τίμιο αίμα σου, και μέσω ημών και όλος ο λαός». Γι’ αυτό, όπως είπαμε πηγαίνουμε στο Ναό, για να ενωθούμε με τον Χριστό και τούς αδελφούς μας. Αυτά είναι και το σωστό φρόνημα και η υγιής σχέση με την Ευχαριστία.
Το "σήμερα" δυστυχώς είναι οδυνηρό. Κοινωνεί ο παπάς και τα παιδάκια! Οι υπόλοιποι… Χριστιανοί κοιτάζουν από μακριά!
Άραγε τί θα πείτε στα παιδιά σας που τυχόν θα σάς ρωτήσουν:
- Εσύ μπαμπά-μαμά γιατί δεν κοινωνείς;
Ότι εσείς μεγαλώσατε; Ότι η μετάληψη αφορά μόνο τους μικρούς; Πιστεύετε στ’ αλήθεια ότι πείθετε με τέτοια… επιχειρήματα τα παιδιά; Εσείς πείθεστε;
Ας ξαναρχίσουμε μία σοβαρή σχέση με την Εκκλησία. Ας φύγουμε από τα… καθήκοντα και ας πάμε στη Ζωή που είναι ο Χριστός. Ας βάλουμε στόχο μια συνειδητή σχέση μαζί Του που αρχίζει με ειλικρινή αντιμετώπιση της πορείας και των πτώσεων κατ’ αυτήν (εξομολόγηση) και συνεχίζεται με την όσο γίνεται συχνότερη (γιατί όχι κάθε Κυριακή;) συμμετοχή μας στη Θεία Ευχαριστία. Όχι για να κάνουμε… ενέσεις αγιωσύνης με τη μετάληψη, αλλά να σχετισθούμε μ’ Αυτόν που θα μας οδηγήσει στον δρόμο του αγιασμού και της «ταύτισης» της καρδιάς μας με το δικό Του θέλημα και την δική Του καρδιά.
Σ’ όλη την Γραφή ο Χριστός αυτό και μόνο φωνάζει: Δος μου την καρδιά σου. Σε μάς μένει η απάντηση: Γεννηθήτω το θέλημά Σου. ΑΜΗΝ.
Με αγάπη και ευχές
ο Εφημέριος σας
π. Θεοδόσιος
(ΙΕΡΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΑΓ. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΠΡΕΒΕΖΗΣ)
Οι πάντες σχεδόν την μεταστροφή τους οφείλουν σε κάποια δοκιμασία. Η θλίψις είναι κακό πράγμα. Αλλά πίσω απ’ αυτό, πίσω από τον πόνο, πίσω από την θλίψη, πίσω από την δοκιμασία, κρύβεται η ευλογία του Θεού, κρύβεται η αναγέννησης, η ανάπλασις του ανθρώπου, της οικογενείας.
Οι πάντες σχεδόν την μεταστροφή τους την οφείλουν σε κάποια δοκιμασία. Νομίζουν ότι πηγαίνουν όλα ωραία∙ τους παίρνει ο Θεός το παιδί∙ κλάμματα κακό, κ.λ.π. Έρχεται και επισκιάζει έπειτα η χάρις του θεού και ειρηνεύουν οι άνθρωποι∙ και πλησιάζουν την εκκλησία, πλησιάζουν την εξομολόγηση, πλησιάζουν τον ιερέα. Χάριν του παιδιού πάνε στην εκκλησία ο πόνος τους κάνει ν’ αναζητήσουν, να προσευχηθούν υπέρ αναπαύσεως, να κάνουν τις λειτουργίες.
Ο πόνος απαλύνει την καρδιά και την κάνει δεκτική των λόγων του θεού, ενώ πρώτα ήταν σκληρή, δε δεχόταν. π.χ, ένας άνθρωπος στο σφρίγος της νεότητος∙ εγώ είμαι σκέφτεται και κανένας άλλος δεν είναι. Να πτυχία, να και οι δόξες, να κι η υγεία, να κι οι ομορφιές, να κι όλα. Όταν όμως τον ξαπλώσει στο κρεβάτι μία ασθένεια τότε αρχίζει να σκέφτεται διαφορετικά. Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τα πάντα ματαιότης. Μπορεί να πεθάνω. Τι το όφελος όλα αυτά, κι αρχίζει να σκέφτεται διαφορετικά. Έρχεται φερ’ ειπείν ένας άνθρωπος, τον πλησιάζει, διάβασε και αυτό το βιβλίο να δεις τι λέει. Ακούει και ένα λόγο του Θεού και τότε τον ακούει τον λόγου του Θεού. Κι άμα του δώσεις και βιβλίο, ο πόνος ήδη του έχει κάνει την καρδιά του, έτσι κατάλληλη κι ανοίγει και το βιβλίο και το Ευαγγέλιο και το διαβάζει και από εκεί αρχίζει η ανάπλασις του ανθρώπου. Και όταν γίνει καλά, αμέσως πλέον σηκώνεται και ζει προσεκτικά τη ζωή του και δεν ζει όπως πρώτα με την υπηρηφάνεια και τη φαντασία που είχε.
Η ασθένεια και η θλίψη είναι το κατ’ εξοχήν φάρμακο της πρόνοιας του Θεού για να τον φέρει τον άνθρωπο κοντά Του και να αυξήσει την αρετή του. Η ασθένεια και η θλίψη είναι το κατ’ εξοχήν φάρμακο της πρόνοιας του Θεού να φέρει τον άνθρωπο κοντά Του και να αυξήσει την αρετή του. Ο Ιώβ ήταν ο καλύτερος άνθρωπος πάνω στη γη, αλλά ο Θεός ήθελε να τον κάνει ακόμα καλύτερο.
Και από τότε που δοκιμάστηκε, από τότε και δοξάστηκε. Ήταν καλός άνθρωπος και ευσεβής κ.λ.π. αλλά χωρίς δοκιμασία δεν ήταν ονομαστός ο Ιώβ. Αφ’ ης στιγμής όμως δοκιμάστηκε και πολέμησε και αγωνίστηκε και στεφανώθηκε και πλούτισε, από κει και ύστερα άρχισε η δόξα του, και απλώθηκε μέχρι σήμερα.
Το παράδειγμα του, είναι φωτεινότατο και ενισχύει κάθε άνθρωπο που δοκιμάζεται. Αν αυτός δοκιμάστηκε που ήταν ένας άγιος, πολύ περισσότερο εμείς που είμαστε αμαρτωλοί. Και το αποτέλεσμα ήταν να τον κάμει άγιον και να του δώσει πάλι χρόνια ζωής και να τον ευλογήσει διπλά και τριπλά απ’ ότι έχασε, και έτσι να γίνει ένα φωτεινό παράδειγμα ανά τους αιώνες για κάθε πονεμένο άνθρωπο∙ να προσαρμόζεται και ν’ ακουμπάει σ’ αυτό το παράδειγμα και να ξεκουράζεται και αυτός και να λέει: Ως έδοξε τω Κυρίω, ούτω και εγένετο. Είη το όνομα του Κυρίου ευλογημένο. Σκύβει το κεφάλι και λέει: ο Θεός έδωσε, ο Θεός πήρε. Και το παιδί ακόμα να μου πάρει, ο θεός δεν μου το δώσε; Το πήρε. Που είναι το παιδί μου; Στον ουρανό; Εκεί τι γίνεται; Αναπαύεται εκεί…
Σε κάθε δοκιμασία πίσω κρύβεται το θέλημα του Θεού και η ωφέλεια την οποία φυσικά ίσως εκείνο τον καιρό να μην μπορεί να την δει, αλλά με τον χρόνο θα την γνωρίζει την ωφέλεια. Έχουμε τέτοια παραδείγματα πάρα πολλά.
Όπως και με τους Αγίους Ανδρόνικο και Αθανασία. Αυτοί ήταν αντρόγυνο∙ και ήταν χρυσοχόος ο Ανδρόνικος με πολύ πλούτο κ.λ.π. Το ένα μέρος του κέρδους έτρεφε την οικογένειά του. Το ένας μέρος του κέρδους το έδινε στους φτωχούς και το ένα μέρος του άλλου κέρδους το ένα τρίτο το έδινε άτοκα στους ανθρώπους που δεν είχανε χρήματα. Είχαν δύο χαριτωμένα κοριτσάκια. Και μια μέρα από μία αρρώστια πέθαναν και τα δύο.
Πηγαίνουν και τα θάβουν και οι δύο. Η Αθανασία η καημένη πάνω στον τάφο έκλαιγε έκλαιγε, έκλαιγε. Ε ο Ανδρόνικος έκλαιγε και αυτός. Είδε και απόειδε, τράβηξε για το σπίτι. Έμεινε η καημένη η Αθανασία και έκλαιγε πάνω στον τάφο: «Τα παιδιά μου» και «τα παιδιά μου», και κόντευε να βασιλέψει ο ήλιος και να κλείσει το νεκροταφείο.
Για μια στιγμή επάνω στη θλίψη της και στη στεναχώρια της, βλέπει και έρχεται ένα μοναχός και της λέει:
«Κυρά μου γιατί κλαις;»
«Πως να μην κλαίω πάτερ;» (Αυτή νόμιζε πως ήταν ο παπάς του νεκροταφείου). «Έθαψα τα παιδιά μου, τους δυο αγγέλους μου, τους έβαλα μέσα στον τάφο και έμεινα εγώ και ο άντρας μου εντελώς μόνοι. Δεν έχουμε δροσιά καθόλου».
Της λέει: «Τα παιδιά σου είναι στον παράδεισο με τους αγγέλους. Είναι στην ευτυχία και στη χαρά του Θεού και συ κλαις παιδί μου; Κρίμα είσαι και χριστιανή».
«Ώστε ζουν τα παιδιά μου; Είναι άγγελοι;»
«Βεβαίως είναι άγγελοι τα παιδιά σου».
Ήτανε ο Άγιος της εκκλησίας εκεί. Τελικά έγιναν μοναχοί ο Ανδρόνικος και η Αθανασία και αγίασαν….
Γέροντος Εφραίμ (Προηγουμένου Ι. Μονής Φιλοθέου)
http://agapienxristou.blogspot.ca/2012/10/blog-post_7620.html
«Κάθε προσευχή είναι ένα δώρο από το Θεό. Εμείς όμως είμαστε αδύναμοι. Προσευχήσου παιδάκι μου όπως μπορείς.Τ ο πηγάδι είναι βαθύ το σχοινί όμως και ο κουβάς είναι πιο κοντά.
Διάβασε το πρωί τον Ακάθιστο της Παναγίας, ενώ το βράδυ την Παράκλησή της. Οπωσδήποτε το Πιστεύω μία φορά την ημέρα και τον 50ο Ψαλμό τουλάχιστον τρεις φορές την ημέρα.
Από εκεί και πέρα ο κανόνας σου λέει: ”Το Πάτερ Ημών, χωρίς αριθμό. Το Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ ελέησον με, χωρίς αριθμό. Μετάνοιες, χωρίς αριθμό.
Ο καθένας όσο μπορεί. Και η μέλισσα δεν μπορεί να συλλέξει το νέκταρ απ’ όλα τα λουλούδια. Είναι όμως πολύ καλό να έχεις έναν κανόνα προσευχής…Να κάνεις κάθε μέρα μετάνοιες στην Παναγία λέγοντας όπως οι γριούλες: ”Παναγία μου μη με αφήσεις. Μη με αφήνεις Παναγίτσα μου.”
ΓΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ ΠΑΙΣΙΟΣ ΟΛΑΡΟΥ
http://agapienxristou.blogspot.ca/2012/10/blog-post_142.html
The good chanter and the priest play a great role in good church services.
When chanting, you must understand and feel what you say. Don't get proud that you supposedly chanted beautifully.You must live what you say.
Once I was chanting a hymn of Apostle Peter that was about his denial. Then I said '' ...and he cried bitterly, '' I saw tears coming out from his icon. The saint must have been pleased.The priest's cassock is superior to trousers, it's got double grace.....
Papa Dimitri Gagastathis
Life, Miracles and Spiritual Counsels of a Simple Priest of Our Days. pg 98..
For what reason do we fight against them?
It is because we have a mighty ally, the Grace of the Holy Spirit ! Thus, we have been taught the techniques so that we will be able to do battle, not against men, but against the demons.
St. John Chrysostom, the Devil and Magic pg. 94
