FROM THE FATHERS

“DEMONS take great delight in fullness, and drunken- ness and bodily comfort. possesses great power and it works glorious things. To fast is to banquet with Angels.” Athanasius the Great, + 373 A.D.

“FIRST THEN we must trample under foot gluttonous desires, and to this end the mind must be reduced not only by fasting, but also by vigils, by reading, and by frequent com- punction of heart for those things in which perhaps it recollects that it has been deceived or overcome, sighing at one time with horror at sin, at another time inflamed with the desire of per- fection and saintliness: until it is fully occupied and possessed by such cares and meditations, and recognizes the participation of food to be not so much a concession to pleasure, as a burden laid upon it; and considers it to be rather a necessity for the body than anything desirable for the soul.” Ven. John Cassian the Roman + 435 A.D.

“WHY DO DEMONS wish to excite in us gluttony, forni- cation, greed, anger, rancour and other passions? So that the mind, under their weight, should be unable to pray as it ought; for when the passions of our irrational part begin to act, they prevent the mind from acting rationally.” Ven. Nilus of Sinai, + 451 A.D.

1 “ WHE N HE AVYw it h o ver-e at ing , t h e b o d y makes t h e inte lle ctsp irit le ssandslu g g ish;likew ise ,w he nw e akene dby e xce s s iveabs t ine nce ,t h eb o d ymakest h ec o nte mp l at ivef acu l t y o ft h es o u ld e je c t e dandd isincl ine dt oc o nce ntrat e .Wes h o u l d t h e re f o rere g u l at eo u rf o o dacc o rdingt ot h ec o ndit iono ft h e bod y ,sot hatitisap p rop riat e lyd iscip line dw he ning oodhe alt h andad e quat e l ynou rish e dw h e nw e ak.Theb o d yo fo nep u r- s u ingt h es p irit u alw aymu s tnotb ee nfe e b l e d ;h emu s th ave e nou g hs t re ng t hf o rh isl abo u rs,s ot h att h es o u lmayb es u it abl y p u rifiedt h rou g hb o d ilye xe rtionasw e l l .” Ven .Di a d o c h u sofP hot i k i ,c . 500A.D.

“ BYS TINTINGt h es t o mach ,t h eh e artish u mbl e d ;b u tb y p l e asingt h es t o mach ,t h emindb e c o me sp rou d .” Ven .Joh noft h eLa dder ,+6 4 9A . D .

“ G REE Dise vilnoto nlyinre g ardt op o s s e s s ionsb u tals oin re g ardt of o o d ,int h es amew ayt h ats e l f - c o ntrolisg o o dnoto nly inre g ardt of o o db u tals oinre g ardt op o s s e s s ions.” Ven .Max i mu st h eC on fe s s or ,+6 6 2A . D .

“ O N ES HOU LDnott h inkabo u tt h ed o ing so fG o dw h e n o ne ’ss t o machisf u l l ;o naf u l ls t o macht h e rec anb enovisiono f t h e D ivinemy s t e rie s .” Ven .Ser a p h i mofS a ro v,+1 8 3 3A . D .

“ G LUTTON Y makes a mang l o o myandf e arfu l , b u t f ast ing makesh imjoy f u landc o u rag e o u s .And,asg l u t t o nyc all sf o rth g re at e randg re at e rg lu t t ony,sof ast ingst imu lat e sg re at e rand g re at e r e ndu rance . Whe n a manre alize s t h e g race t h atc o me s t h rou g hf ast ing ,h ed e s ire st of astmoreandmore .Andt h e g race st h atc o met h rou g hf ast ingarec o u ntl e s s .” S a i n tNi kola jofZ ic a ,+ 1 9 5 6A . D .

2 A Homily on the Veneration Of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross Saint Theodore the Studite IT IS A DAY OF REJOICING AND GLADNESS, for the ensign of joy is present; let there be a chorus of praise and thanksgiving, for the all-holy wood is displayed. O most preci- ous gift! O how beautiful to behold! Its appearance is not an admixture of good and evil, as with the tree of old in Eden, but it is all comely and beautiful, both to see and to partake of. For, it is a Tree that brings life, not death, illumining, not darkening, admitting us to Eden, not banishing us thence. It is that Tree which Christ mounted, as a king mounts a four-horse chariot, and then destroyed the devil, who had dominion over death, thereby freeing the human race from bondage to the tyrant. It is that Tree whereon the Master, like a champion wounded in battle, in the hands, the feet, and the side of His Divine Body, healed our nature, wounded by the wicked serpent, of the weals of sin; and, if I may cite a hymn, it is that Tree from which the blood of the Master flowed, emitting invincible power, whereby the demons are burned and the world is enlightened. Who, henceforth, will not run to gaze upon this much-desired spectacle? Who will not desire to embrace this Divinely-woven wreath? Come, gather together, all tribes and tongues, every nation and every generation, every rank and every status, whether priestly or royal, whether ruling or ruled. Since this Feast has been enacted by God, it seems to me that the Angels are attending the celebration with exceeding joy, the Apostles are joining chorus with one accord, as are the assembly of Prophets, the throng of Martyrs, and the company of all the righteous. For, how could they, who are crowned with celestial glory, not make glad with us at the manifestation of that trophy by which, in imitation of Christ, they prevailed over the adverse powers? It seems to me that insentient things are perhaps re- joicing with us, too: I refer to the earth, which brought forth such a fruit, like a mother from her womb; all the trees of the

3 forest, as being honoured by having the same name; the ever- shining sun, the most luminescent moon, the gleaming stars, the great and complex Heaven itself; because, through Christ’s Passion on the Cross, all change is for the better. Let ,therefore,strike his spiritual harp and chant those strains most suitable for the occasion: “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet; for He is holy.” With him let , who is unsurpassed in wisdom, chant: “Bless ye the Wood whereby salvation cometh.” For this reason, the Church is seen today as another Paradise, bringing forth the Tree of Life in her midst, wherein there is no deceitful demon leading Eve astray, but an Angel of the All-Sovereign Lord wel- coming one who approaches. Today, the all-holy Cross is vener- ated and the glad tidings of the Resurrection of Christ are pro- claimed. Today, the life-giving Tree is venerated and the whole world is revived to offer it praise. Today, the three-branched Cross is venerated and the four ends of the earth keep joyous festival. “How beautiful,” Scripture says, “are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” But blessed also, I would say, are the eyes of those who see the trophy of universal peace, and blessed are the lips that kiss this most excellent sign. Abundant is the Grace that is set forth for all, ever-flowing is the fountain that pours forth sanctification, in no way repelling anyone from its plenteous goodness, but rather making yet purer him who is already cleansed, freeing him who is polluted from defilement, hum- bling him whoisoverly proud,arousing him who isslowof heart, tautening him who is slack, mollifying him who is inflexible, if each one approaches after pledging to amend his life, not draw- ing near to the things of God with audacity and arrogance, since the Cross is wont to accept the modest, but utterly to turn away those who behave otherwise. When we behold this life-giving Tree, it heals our sense of sight, which was beguiled in Paradise from looking at the enticing tree. When we touch this life-giving Tree with our lips and mouths, we are delivered from our tasting of the death- dealing tree. Othe munificence that is set before us! Othe thrice- blessed beatitude! Whereas of old we were slain through a tree,

4 we have now found immortality in a Tree; before, we were deceived by a tree, but now we have repulsed the crafty serpent through a Tree. Wondrous is this exchange! Instead of death life, instead of corruption incorruption, instead of reproach glory! Fittingly, therefore, did the Holy Apostle exclaim: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” For, that supremely wise wisdom that floweredfrom the Cross rendered foolish the boasting of worldly wisdom; the knowledge of every good thing that was borne as fruit on the Cross has excised the offshoots of evil. From the beginning of the world, prefigurations of this Tree have alone betokened most wondrous things. See, you who are eager to learn! Did not , together with his sons and their wives, and animals of every kind, escape the destruction of the flood by Divine decree on a mere piece of wood? Did not place the rods which he had peeled in the hollows of the watering-troughs at the time when the sheep became pregnant, and lead them away to the admiration of all? What about ’s staff, to the top of which the Jacob did reverence: is it anything other than a symbol of the life-giving Wood that we now venerate? Again, what about the rod of ? Is it not a figure of the Cross? On the one hand, it transformed water into blood, and on the other hand, it de- voured the serpents falsely so called of Pharaoh’s magicians; at one time, it divided the sea by a blow, at another time joining together the waters so that they returned to their normal state, drowning the foe and preserving the genuine people of God. Such also was the rod of Aaron, a type of the Cross, which budded on the same day and showed who the genuine was. I would have to go on at great length in order to bring to- gether all the prefigurations of the Cross. prefigured the Cross when he bound the feet of , his son, and placed him upon pieces of wood; Jacob prefigured the Cross when, as he blessed the sons of Joseph, he stretched out his hands in the form of a Cross. Come, now, pray understand Moses himself as a figure of the Cross, for he vanquished Amalek by extending his hands. Think of Elisseus casting a stick down into water and

5 drawing up iron from the depths. Many are the miracles of this figure, not only in the Old Testament, but also in the dispen- sation of Grace, in victories over barbarians, in putting demons to flight, in delivering from diseases, and in all the other cases too numerous to recall. Do you see what great power there is in the type of the Cross, my dear friend? If there is such great power in the type, how much must there be in the figure of the Crucified Christ. For, it is evident that the more excellent the prototypes are, the more excellent are the things derived from them. Now someone will say: “I desire to know who was shown to be a type of Christ in the foregoing examples.” Those, I respond, who prefigured the Cross. For, just as Moses’ outstretched hands were a igure of the Cross, so Moses himself prefigured the Crucified Christ, Who vanquished the invisible Amalek. The same assumption is to be made in the other examples, when the one figure is juxta- posed and shines forth with the other. “But in those cases the figure is animate,” he objects; “why are you speaking about an inanimate figure?” I do so because in the case of the figure of the Cross, too, where the object of sight, upon which and around which miracles occur, is inanimate, yet the fashioned after the likeness of Christ, just like the cruciform icon that is mani- fested together with it, is wont to work miracles among both animate and inanimate creatures, since it contains in itself both the appearance and the form of its archetype, and is identical to the latter as much in honour and veneration as it is in name; and this is altogether obvious. And although these comments might appear to be a digression, they nonetheless serve to disprove and refute the Iconoclast heresy which overthrows the mystery of Christ’s œconomy. For, he who removes the image also re- moves the prototype,since,as any sensible person knows,image and prototype are reciprocal, that is, correlative concepts. We must now return to the Cross and revel, as it were, in the discourse of holy salutation. Cross, currency more valuable than any money; Cross, surest refuge of Christians; Cross, lightest burden of Christ’s disciples; Cross, sweetest consolation of afflicted souls; Cross, unhindered guide on the path toward

6 Heaven; Cross, length and breadth of the noetic sea monster, more comprehensive in its span; strength and might of the Cross, destruction of every adverse power; form and shape of the Cross, more elegant than all others to behold; radiance and effulgence of the Cross, more splendid than the sun; grace and glory of the Cross, gift more beautiful than all other graces; Cross, peace-bestowing conjoiner of Heaven and earth; name of the Cross, supreme sanctification when uttered by the tongue and heard in the ear. By the Cross death is put to death and is restored to life. In the Cross every Apostle glories; by the Cross is every Martyr crowned and every Saint sanctified. By the Cross we put on Christ and put off the old man. By the Cross we sheep are gathered together and placed in the sheep- fold on high. By the Cross we gore our enemies and exalt the horn of salvation; by the Cross we put the passions to flight and choose to live a life that transcends this world. He who carries the Cross on his shoulders becomes an imitator of Christ and is manifestly glorified with Christ. When an Angel sees the Cross, he is adorned; when the devil sees it, he is put to shame; when the thief found the Cross, he entered into Paradise, exchanging brigandage for the Kingdom. When one simply makes the sign of the Cross, he dispels fear and receives peace in return; he who has the Cross as his guardian remains inviolate and is preserved unharmed; whoever loves the Cross hates the world and be- comes a lover of Christ. O Cross, much-vaunted boast of Christians; O Cross of Christ, singular proclamation of the Apostles. O Cross of Christ, royal diadem of the Martyrs; O Cross of Christ, most precious ornament of the Prophets. O Cross of Christ, all-shining adornment of the ends of the earth; O Cross of Christ - for I converse with you as with something animate - may you shelter those who fervently extol you in hymns, save those who embrace you with faith, maintain the obedient in peace and Orthodoxy, convey to all the joyous Resurrection of Christ, guarding both hierarchs and kings, all monastics and lay people, in Christ Jesus our Lord, unto Whom be the glory and the dominion, together with the Father and the , now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. hhhhhhhh

7 An Instruction Archbishop Vitaly of Eastern America and Jersey City, + 1960 A.D.

Orthodox Christians, brothers and sisters! On our sinful earth the holy church is the only place where we can get away from life's storms and inclemency, from the world's moral filth. The church is an image of heaven on earth; within the church the heavenly powers serve invisibly. Remem- ber and know: the holy church is the House of God, in which God Himself is invisibly present. For this reason, our behaviour in church should correspond to its holiness and its greatness. 1. Enter the church with humility and meekness, so as to leave justified, like the humble publican of the Gospel. 2. When you enter the church and see the holy , think about the fact that the Lord Himself and all the are looking at you; be particularly reverent and have the fear of God. 3. Always come to the beginning of the service. If for some important reason you are late, be careful not to disturb the prayer of those already there. If you come to church during the reading of the Gospel, stand at the doors until the end of the reading: when it is finished, quietly go to your place. 4. When you take your place in the church and others are standing nearby, greet them with a silent nod; never, even with close friends shake hands or ask any questions. Be sincerely modest in church. 5. If you come to church with children, see that they behave themselves properly, meekly, that they not be noisy; teach them to understand and know how one should behave in church; accustom them to pray. If the children have to leave the church, tell them to cross themselves and to leave quietly or take them out yourself.

8 6. Pray in church as if you yourself are participating in the Divine services and not simply attending, that those prayers and hymns which are being read and chanted come from your heart; attentively follow the holy service, in order to pray together with everyone and to pray for that for which the whole Church is praying. 7. While still at home, before going to church, prepare your money for candles, prosphora and the collection plates; avoid having to ask for change at the candle counter; this necessitates talking and disturbs the service and those praying. 8. Never, without extreme need, leave the church before the end of the service; this indicates disrespect for the holiness of the church and is a sin before God. If it happens that you do leave early, you should mention this to the priest in confession. 9. Approach Holy Communion humbly and reverently, crossing your hands on your chest; with faith and love receive the Holy Mysteries of God; then, without crossing yourself, kiss the chalice, so as not to knock it accidentally, and quietly return to your place, and do not leave the church without listening to the thanksgiving prayers to the Lord God, after communion. ❇❇❇❇❇❇

GOD has His gifts common to all, and gives them gratis to all. But being just, He does not give them to the unworthy. He gives them only to the worthy, to those who exert themselves to acquire them, and not to the negligent and the indolent. He gives them to the pious, to the reverent, to those who love Him and keep His commandments. He does not give them to the faithless, to those who do not keep His commandments, but gives them to those who fast, who exercise self- restraint, to those who have self-mastery, to those who are vigilant and pray, as the Church hymn says:Through fasting, vigils and prayer, he received heavenly gifts. He does not give them to gluttons, to the worshippers of the flesh, to the licentious, to the prodigal, and to those who stay up late gambling, attending theatres, movies, indecent dances and festivities. Especially, God gives His gifts to those who have the three great gifts: humility, faith, and love.” Elder Philotheus Zervakos, + 1980 A.D.

9 How to live in accord withtheGospel A translation of a Booklet published by the Synodal Press in in 1905, somewhat adapted to meet the needs of our times. Following Christ IN the final analysis the Christian must always have before his spiritual gaze the image of Jesus Christ and must emulate Him in every circumstance in his life. The Christian is one who, as far as is possible for a man, emulates Christ in word, deed and thought. Saint compares the Christian with a portrait painter. “Each oneof us,”he says,“is the portrait painter ofhisownlife. Oursoulis,asitwere,ourcanvas,thevirtuesour colours, Jesus Christ is our subject, Whom we have to copy.” What a beautiful comparison! Just as the portraitist has the subject which he wants to depict on the canvas in his mind, in his imagination and before his eyes, so also the Christian in all his dealings turns his gaze upon Jesus Christ. And just as the brush, guided by the hand of the artist, lays the colours on the canvas, exactly as they are seen on the original, so our will, aided by grace, through fulfilling the virtues, seen in Jesus Christ, is empowered to imprint His image in our souls. And on account of this, we as Christians are made to be as ones who are related to Jesus Christ. Thus, we say in the words of the Hieromartyr : “If we are in Christ, if we are clothed in Him, if for us He is the way of salvation, then in treading in the saving steps of Christ, we should follow His example, as the Apostle John also informs us: He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (1Jn2:6),and as Christ Himself taught: I have

10 given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you (John 13:15).” To put it briefly, on the basis of the Gospels, we must needs imitate Jesus Christ. We must imitate Him in love: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another(John 13:34). In meekness: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls(Matt. 11:29).In humility: Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many(Matt. 20:27-28). In obedience to God: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's com- mandments, and abide in his love(John 15:10).In self-denial: He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me(Matt. 10:38),whosoever he be of you that for- sakethnotall that hehath,hecannot bemydisciple(Luke14:33). In love for enemies: I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust(Matt. 5:44-45). In triumphing over the world and its seductions: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcometheworld (John16:33). If theworld hateyou,yeknow thatithatedmebeforeithatedyou. Ifyewereoftheworld,the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:18-19). To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne(Rev. 3:21). … to be continued with “Love for one’s neighbour” ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

11 Weaving Thoughts ABBA Zosima used to say that if someone brings to his mind a person who has grieved or harmed him, or insulted or humiliated him, accused him without reason or done any other bad thing to him, and he starts weaving thoughts against him, he makes his own soul like the demons. For this is enough for him to perish. But what do I mean by “weaving thoughts?” Ifhe does not see that person as a benefactor and doctor, he is unimaginably unjust to himself. Why do you say that you will suffer? He cleanses you! You are obliged to see him as a doctor sent to you by Christ. Itisyour duty to suffer for His name’s sake. You are then obliged to see that person as a benefactor. Again, if you have not been freed from malice or do not long to be free from it, our Lord and God is not to blame for that. Moreover, the fact that you suffer is a symptom of an ill soul. If you were not sick you would not suffer. You owe it to your brother to be grateful to him, because on his account you have come to know your illness. You must accept all that he does to you as healing medicine sent by Jesus. But, instead of thanking him, you become bitter, ridi- culing, accusing and weaving thoughts against him. It is like saying indirectly to Jesus, or rather clearly and bluntly: “I do not want to be healed by You! I do not want Your medicines! I want to rot in my wounds! I want to become a slave of the demons.” So what can the Lord do? Being Himself good, He has given us as antidotes to our maladies holy commandments, which have the power to wipe them out and which have the same effect as cauterisations and cathartics. So whoever wants and longs to be healed must endure without complaining all that the doctor orders, even if he is in pain, so as to be freed from the illness. For that matter not even a sick person, when he has to be operated on, or cauterised or made to drink a purgative, accepts

12 these gladly. The opposite happens. Just the thought of them causes disgust in him. Yet he convinces himself that without them it is impossible to be free from the illness. So he sur- renders himself to the doctor, knowing that with a little distaste he is freed from great indisposition and lengthy illness. He who harms you is the cautery of Jesus and frees you from greed if you bravely endure. But if you do not tolerate him, you will also harm yourself. So do not blame your brother. However, the tempter prevents us from accepting Christ’s medicine. We put self-reproach aside and we start weaving thoughts against our benefactors. Are we mad? An instruction sent us by the sisters of the of the Holy Angels, Afidnai, Attica, Greece. ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

“ONCE, there was a certain elder who wasvenerable and clairvoyant. One day he sat down to eat with a large group of brothers. While they were eating, the elder paid close attention to them, and with his spiritual eyes he saw some of them eating honey, others bread, and others dung. This puzzled him, and he besought God, saying: ‘O Lord, explain this mystery to me: how is it that the same foods have been placed on the table for all, and yet they appear so different when the brothers are actually eating them?’ In response to his question, he heard a voice from Heaven, which said to him: ‘The brothers who appear to be eating honey are those who sit at table with fear, trembling and spiritual joy - who pray unceasingly and whose prayer ascends to God as incense. The brothers who appear to be eating bread are those who, in the act of eating, thank God for what He has given them. Finally, the brothers who appear to be eating dung are those who murmur while they are eating and say: “This is good,” or “this is rotten.” We should not, therefore have such thoughts, but should rather glorify God and send up hymns of praise to Him, so that the Apostle’s saying might be fulfilled: “Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”’” From the Gerontikon

13 THE COMING MONTH LIKE AUGUST, September rejoices in having two Great Feasts, the Birth of the All-holy (8th / 21st) and theUniversal Exaltation of the Honoured and Life-giving Cross(14 th / 27th). And, for our own community, of course, we also have the celebration of theEnshrinement in 1984 of the Sacred of Saint Edward the Martyr here at Brookwood (3rd /16th). All these feasts are celebrated with a Vigil service on the previous evening and with festal Divine Liturgies on the day itself. Among the saints celebrated this month, we have:- Our Venerable Mother Cassiane the Hymnographer (7th / 20th) who was born in at the beginning of the ninth century. Her father held a high position at the imperial court and she was thus able to receive an excellent education. Though exquisitely beautiful, she resolved to dedicate her entire life to Christ and the Church, and thus desired to become a . On the death of Emperor II, his son Theophilus suc- ceeded him. It was necessary to find a suitable consort for him and, as was the custom current then, the loveliest and most talented maidens were gathered so that he could choose one. Theophilus adopted an ancient custom, by which a golden apple was given to his choice, the future Empress. He was first drawn to Cassiane and to test her said: "From woman came corrup- tion" (referring to Eve and the fall). Cassiane was no shrinking violet and immediately retorted: "And from woman also came that which is the most excellent" (referring to the Theotokos who gave birth to God in the flesh). Astounded by her wisdom and boldness, Theophilus sensibly withdrew, and approached the more demure Theodora and offered her the apple. The saint had no desire to be Empress, therefore she rejoiced that divine Providence had thus freed her to pursue the monastic life. And both women used their natural traits unto salvation. Cassiane founded a convent on Xerolophos, which was one of the seven hills of Constantinople. Tonsured a nun, she led an ascetical and philosophical life, pleasing to God. The new Emperor

14 revealed himself to be a zealous iconoclast, but though he chose Theodora to be his wife, he was unaware of her fervent Ortho- doxy, as she contrived to hide her love for the true Faith for many years, and even raised her five daughters and one son as Orthodox Christians. Unlike Theodora, Cassiane was very vocal in her confession of the Faith and publicly defied imperial policy. She was persecuted and was even scourged with the lash. Undaunted, she resisted the folly of the iconoclasts. With letters, gifts and visitations she supported the monastics who were im- prisoned for their devotion to the icons. Cassiane also pursued her diverse literary and musical interests. Even when she had been a young girl, our Venerable Father Theodore the Studite had been impressed with her learning and literary style. Therefore, Cassiane used these gifts to the benefit of the Church and established herself as a hymnographer. There are about two dozen hymns ascribed to her in the service books that cover the Orthodox liturgical cycle, as well as other canons such as that for memorial services and Holy and Great Saturday. Her most famous hymn bears her name and is chanted on Holy and Great Wednesday, and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hymns of the Church. She was also an astute observer of human frailties, and expressed her opinion of people sharply in iambic verses. Towards the end of her life, she left the Imperial City, and went to Sicily, and from there to Crete, then on to the island Kasos, where she lived in in a cave. There, after a life dedicated to Christ and the holy Church, having been crowned asaconfessor, ascetic and hymnographer, our venerable mother Cassiane reposed in the Lord and was buried by the faithful in the Church of the All-Holy Theotokos, in the village of Empourgio, in a coffin preserved till this day. Her courageous defence of holy icons has earned her a place in icons depicting the Sunday of Orthodoxy. TheNew Hieromartyr and Archpriest Porphyrius of Belgorod (15th/28th) was a teacher at the Belgorod theological school in the mid-eighteen-nineties. As a teacher, he was atten- tive to people, but strict and demanding, while always just. He was later ordained to the priesthood and appointed to the

15 village of Koshar, where he carried out his duties zealously. In the church of the village there was a wonderworking cross, and near the church a spring of healing water. These holy things drew many pilgrims to the church, and in accepting these pil- grims in a fatherly manner Father Porphyrius acquired the reputation of being a good pastor,a bold intercessor and pleader for the suffering before God. People began to stream to Koshar not only to venerate the holy things, but also to meet Father Porphyrius, whose fame began to spread abroad. Before the First World War, he was appointed superior of the Dormition Nikolayevsky cathedral in Belgorod, where he again won the love of the believers by his zeal, heartfelt service and preaching of the Word of God. Being in poor health and having an ailment in his legs, he moved with difficulty. Nevertheless, he found in himself the strength to undertake many labours, and gave himself completely to the service of the Church. The Bolsheviks counted him among the most dangerous pastors and prepared to rid themselves of him. Fr Porphyrius was arrested and was slain in Belgorod, but his body was not found in any of the graves in which the Bolsheviks buried the victims of their terror. This was not by chance. Evidently they took measures to hide his remains, so that his venerators would not be able to find them. It is assumed that the New Hieromartyr’s sacred relics were thrown into some out-of-the-way place to be devoured by wild beasts. Our Holy Father Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury (19th September/2nd October) was born about the year 602 in Tarsus in Cilicia in Asia Minor. In his childhood Theodore experienced devastating wars between the Eastern Roman and the Persian Empires, conflicts that resulted in the capture of the major Christian cities of Antioch, Damascus, and Jerusalem during the years of 613 and 614. Tarsus was captured by Persian forces when Theodore was 11 or 12. There is evidence that Theodore experienced something of Persian culture. It is likely that he studied at Antioch, the historic home of a distinc- tive school of exegesis, of which he was a proponent. Theodore also was familiar with Syrian culture, language, and literature,

16 and mayalso have travelled to Edessa. The later Arab conquests, including Tarsus in 637, apparently caused Theodore to move west to Constantinople. There he studied the subjects of astro- nomy, ecclesiastical computus, astrology, medicine, Roman civil law, Greek rhetoric and philosophy. At some time before A.D. 660 Theodore arrived in Rome and joined a monastic community. While in Rome, he added to his already extensive Greek intellectual inheritance, knowledge of both sacred and secular Latin literature. InA.D.667,when Theodore was already 66, the see of Canterbury was widowed. The chosen candidate as the new Archbishop, Wighard, was sent to Vitalian by Kings Ecgberht of Kent and Oswy of Northumbria to be con- secrated. But Wighard died unexpectedly in Rome. Following his death, the Pope chose the Theodore on the recom- mendation of Adrian, an African scholar resident in Rome, who had been the Pope’s first choice for the post, but who wisely declined and recommended Theodoreinstead. Theodore was con- secrated Archbishop of Canterbury in Rome on 26th March, A.D. 668, and left for England accompanied by Adrian, arriving in Canterbury only on 27th May the following year. Although now almost seventy years old, Theodore energetically journeyed throughout England surveying the church situation and con- secrating to sees that had been vacant for some time. In A.D. 672, the Saint summoned the Synod of Hertford, which instituted regulations concerning the proper celebration of Easter, episcopal authority, itinerant , the regular con- vening of subsequent synods, marriage and prohibitions of consanguinity, and other issues. Not only was this the first church council in England, it was the first assembly of any kind attended by representatives from all over the country. He proposed dividing the large diocese of Northumbria into smaller ones, a policy which brought him into conflict with Saint Wilfrid whom Theodore himself had appointed to the See of York. As a result Wilfrid in 678 left the see and appealed to Rome, and in his absence Saint Theodore divided his diocese into four. Eventually the two saints were reconciled. In A.D. 679, the Archbishop convened another Synod at Hatfield to maintain the purity of Orthodox doctrine and to condemn the

17 heresy of Monothelitism. Unfortunately, also in A.D. 679, there was a threat of civil war. Aelfwine, the brother of King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, was killed in battle against the Mercians. Theodore intervened in the dispute, prevented the escalation of the war, and established peace between the two kingdoms. Saints Theodore and Hadrian established a school in Canter- bury that trained students from both the Celtic and Roman traditions, doing much to unite the two groups, and established a "golden age" of Anglo-Saxon scholarship. Adrian headed the school, but Saint Theodore took an active part, teaching sacred music, introducing various texts, knowledge of the Eastern Saints, and may even have been responsible for the introduction of the Litany of the Saints, a major liturgical innovation, into the West. Some of his thought is accessible in the Biblical Com- mentaries, notes compiled by his students at the Canterbury school. Of immense interest is the text, recently attributed to him, called Laterculus Malalianus. Overlooked for many years, this book was rediscovered in the 1990s, and has since been shown to contain numerous interesting elements reflecting Theodore's trans-Mediterranean formation. Saint Theodore reposed in the Lord in A.D.690 at the age of 88, having held the archbishopric for twenty-two years. His sacred relics, which remained incorrupt for some time, were laid to rest in Canter- bury at 's church in what has subsequently been referred to as Saint Augustine’s Abbey. Under his leadership, the Church in England was united in a way that anticipated the eventual union of the various local kingdoms by generations. The diocesan structures which he established also continued to serve as the basis for church administration for centuries. He is revered and loved for his moral and canonical decisions, and for his spreading of learning and enlightenment among our fore- bears here.

TheVenerable New Martyr of Crete (20th September / 3rd October) is celebrated on the same day as the Evstathius Placidos. He was born to pious Orthodox Christians, Francisco and Katherine, in the city of Heraklion in Crete, and had four siblings: two brothers named

18 Polyzoes and George, and two sisters whose names are not known to us. Hilarion's birth name was John. As a young man John went to live with his uncle in Constantinople, with the understanding that his uncle would see to his professional education. But though John lived with his uncle for ten years, his uncle completely neglected his education. Instead John took a as a clerk with a merchant. One day the merchant left for his homeland on the island of Chios, and left John with another Christian employee in charge of the business. However, unfortunately for John, the merchant never took an inventory. Upon his return the merchant thought that he had been cheated, claiming that the money collected while he was away did not equal the price of the goods sold. The employees were thirty grosia short, but because the other employee had been with the merchant for many years, it was John who was accused of taking the money. Moreover, John was threatened that if he did not return the money there would be dire consequences. Though John was innocent of the accusations, in fear he ran off to his uncle to seek his assistance. However his uncle refused to see him. Disappointed and desperate, he went to the palace of the Sultan to seek assistance from the mother of the Sultan. There he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, Mertzan Aga, who was in charge of that part of the palace. John knew him and was comfortable telling him his story and asked from him advice as to what he should do. The Ethiopian counselled John to become a Muslim and thereby become immune to any punishment. John foolishly accepted this proposal and was immediately circumcised, given new Muslim clothing, received gifts, and was assigned a hodja to instruct him in the tenets of the Islamic religion. But after three days, John realized the enormity of his sin by abandoning his faith in Christ, and sought an opportunity to escape his situation. Twelve days later he managed to escape the palace and boarded a ship for the Crimea, where he remained for ten months. While in Crimea John became very remorseful about his apostasy, and understood that the only way to repay his sin was to confess his faith where he denied it and die a martyric death. He therefore returned to Constan- tinople, and consulted with a known spiritual father, Father

19 Symeon, and an ascetic named Jeremias. They advised John to go instead to the Holy Mountain Athos and enter Iveron Monastery. John wisely followed their advice. While at Iveron Monastery, the fathers there sent him to the Skete of Saint Anne to place him under the of Elder Bessarion, who one year prior to this had accompanied Saint Luke the Neomartyr to Mytilene where he was crowned with martyrdom. After undergoing strict asceticism and fasting, John was tonsured a monk and given the name Hilarion. Shortly afterwards Father Hilarion told his Elder that he was ready to return to Constantinople and confess Christ. Elder Bessarion gave his blessing, communed him, and accompanied him to Constantinople. When Hilarion arrived in Constantinople, he presented himself at the palace where he had embraced Islam. There he told the Ethiopian aga responsible for his apostasy that he had returned to the light of truth and now anathe- matized Islam. Saying this, Hilarion took off his Muslim turban and threw it to the floor and put on his monastic cap which he had under his coat. This angered the aga and he had Hilarion beaten and tortured mercilessly, to the point where his bones became visible. Seeing that John remained steadfast in his faith in Christ, the Saint was sentenced to beheading, and thus received two crowns, one for asceticism and the other for martyrdom, on 20th September, 1804. After the beheading of the holy Martyr, the Elder Bessarion with other Christians gave him a Christian burial and took some of his blood as a . One day Bessarion was invited into a Christian home and the children were brought before him to receive his blessing. One of them, a girl of around eight years old, was possessed by a demon and showed signs of her possession.She became darkened, made various physical movements, and fell down as if she was dead. The Elder took out some of the blood of Saint Hilarion to anoint the girl, but before he even touched her the demon departed and the girl got up and returned to normal. A portion of the Saint's relics can be found today at Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus. ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

20 POINTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE “I HAVE a question for you, and I was wandering if you could help me, please. I have heard people say that the Church was born on Pentecost (for obvious reasons). Others say, that in some form it always existed, as the Communion between the Holy Trinity was a form of Church. I know this issue is not dogmatic, but theological, but which is your opinion on this?” - A. S., Fareham. I AM NOT SURE why you asked me this question, because there are people wiser and spiritually more mature than me. However I will try to say something useful. First of all, there seem to be other choices. I have heard that the birth of the Church was at the creation of the Angels, because these were the first creatures. Or at the creation of man, or again at the calling of Abraham, as he is the father of the Chosen People. It would seem that all of these versions have some validity. However, the day of Pentecost is quite obviously the start of the Church of the New Testament, for it was then that the hierarchy was estab- lished, from then that the faithful continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts2:42), that bishops and were ordained. Soon after we had the first Council - the Church directs her way of life and her disciplines. One other thought I have is whether our forefathers would have concerned themselves with this question. I suspect (only that) that the best of them would been more concerned with searching out her teachings, following her way of life, and looking to the future, and in that last not simply the future of the life of the Church on earth, which is naturally of concern, but their future in the life of the age to come. ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇ “FOR ONE to eat foods indiscriminately, as the Fathers say, is to invite many evils.” Abba Dorotheus of Gaza, + 620 A.D.

21 NEWS from the Richmond Diocese of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece

REPOSE OF MOTHER VIKENTIA ON SUNDAY, 3rd / 16th August, Mother Vikentia, the superior of theConvent of the Annunciation, Brondes- bury Park, Willesden,reposed in the Lord after a long period of illness and debility. It was the day after the year’s mind of Abbess Seraphima,the previous superior. Fr Nicolae Capitanu tended to Mother Vikentia’s spiritual needs during her last days on earth. On her ninth day, Monday, 11th / 24th August, after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Convent, the monastic funeral service was chanted. His Grace, of Methoni, was the protocelebrant and he was assisted by Fr Nicolae and Sabbas. The services were chanted mostly in English, Romanian and Greek, with some Slavonic and a little Arabic. Mother Vikentia was then laid to rest with her Amma, Abbess Elisabeth, in Gunnersbury Cemetery. May she be granted abundant mercies and blessings for her long service in the monastic life, for her ministry as the Convent’s superior for nearly two decades, and for the love and care that she showed to others. We ask all the faithful to remember her in their prayers and to give alms in her memory. May her rest be with the Saints and herMemory Eternal!

ADULT AT SAINT EDWARD’S ON the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of our Saviour, Wednesday, 6th / 19th August, the catechumen Gregory Fer- guson was baptised at Saint Edward’s Church before the celebration of the festal Divine Liturgy. Gregory, who is named afterSaint Gregory the Great, the Pope of Rome, was made a catechumen on the feast of the Saviour’s Nativity, 2018,

22 and we had hoped to baptise him earlier this year, but the pandemic and personal situations meant this was postponed. The mysterion was celebrated byFr Borislav Popov, who, at the end, gave an extensive exhortation to the newly-illumined, and Anthony Bell has taken on the responsibility of being Gregory’s godfather. Gregory’s parents, Nicol and Deirdre, attended the mysterion and the Divine Liturgy. May Gregory contest well through the remainder of his life and win the prize of his high calling.

KEOTCoLtd AGM THEAnnual General Meeting of the charity which administers our property at Brookwood, theKing Edward Orthodox Trust Co Ltd,registered charity number 284929, was held later this year because of the government regulations about the Covid pandemic. Usually it is held at the beginning of July, but this year we met on Sunday,9th August and, rather than being in the exhibition room as previously, we held it in the church where members could better socially isolate. The chair- man’s report and the treasurer’s report were approved, and we thank Elena Matthews for the excellent work she did in preparing the accounts. The directors were re-elected, andFr Thomas was invited to become a member of the company. It was also decided that we would raise the cost of grave reser- vations to £4,000 for a single-depth grave and £5,000 for a double-depth grave.

LIGGY CAMP BETWEEN 7th and 15th August, it proved possible for the Liggy Camp to be held at Earsham, Suffolk, although of course under conditions somewhat restricted by the government guide- lines, thus this year there were no participants from abroad. The temporary chapel there is dedicated toSaint Olaf, the King of Norway,and on his feast day, Tuesday 29th July/11thAugust, which was also the nameday ofArchbishop Kallinikos, the president of our Synod of Bishops,Fr Borislav Popov

23 celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the participants. Brookwood parishioners, Anthony and Procla Bell attended to lead the chanting during daily services. BURIAL AT SAINT EDWARD’S WEDNESDAY, 5th August: Liudmila Samoilova of Erith, Kent, was laid to rest in Saint Edward Cemetery. The funeral was led byArchpriest Maxim Nikolsky and Archpriest Joseph Skinner of theRussian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and of All Saints, Knightsbridge, London. May the handmaid of God Liudmila find rest with the saints. Memory Eternal! PRACTICAL TIP THIS IS NATURALLY primarily for parents and godparents, but others may help: take special care to teach your young children to pray. Often quite committed parents do try to instruct their children in the Faith and to give them some understanding of what their Christian commitment will require of them in the way that they live. Many bring them to church, teach them about the feasts and fasts, and about the icons and ceremonies. But this can remain superficial, and therefore easily thrown off at a later stage in life, if they are not also taught to pray. Such teaching,of course,begins with daily prayers at home, but it also has to be carried over into church. Some parents bring their children to the services, but they have done very little to prepare them for the services, to explain what is expected of them during the services or what to expect. And sometimes during the services they simply let them sit or run around as if they were in a play school or were pet puppies running round their feet. The children have to learn to be attentive, and as their age and maturity allows, to follow the course of the services and pray along with the services. There is very little point in a child simply being there, perhaps bored to death. So, while they are in church, they need to be directed, helped, supported and, yes, corrected by the parents. This is a prime parental ministry of love. How many Orthodox parents have found that in their teens their children simply drift away? It is not solely the children’s fault, nor is it simply the seductions of the wider world that they then explore, it is very often to a great extent the fruit of neglectful parenting.

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