A Festal Sharing: Glory to Thy Holy Transfiguration, O Christ! |
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Selected Icon
(world-orthodox website)
(world-orthodox website)
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Holy Transfiguration
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
NHM Joseph of Desphina
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glorification NM Joseph Desphina
Bp. Ambrose far right 2015
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The Holy New Hieromartyr Joseph of Desphina
ὁ Ἅγιος νέος Ἱερομάρτυς Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἐκ Δεσφίνης
(† July 22, 1944, Old Style)
Following a decision, in September of 2014, by the Synod of Bishops of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece to enter his name into the catalogue of Saints, the official Proclamation of the sanctity of the Holy New Hieromartyr Joseph of Desphina, as well as the first liturgical commemoration in his honor, took place on Monday, August 3, and Tuesday, August 4, 2015 (according to the Civil or New Calendar), at the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Daphne (Athens), Greece. Presiding at the Vespers Service, on Monday, and the Matins and Divine Liturgy, on Tuesday, was His Beatitude, Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens, President of the Holy Synod, with four Hierarchs, with four Presbyters, and with two Deacons concelebrating. A large number of clergy, monastics, and faithful were also present for the historic event.
St. Joseph the New Martyr was born Ioannes (John) Antoniou, in 1900, in the small town of Desphina (Desfina) in Central Greece, where he was reared by pious parents in a traditional Orthodox manner. At a young age, he was tonsured a monk and in 1925 was ordained to the Priesthood. In 1935,having rejected the calendar reform in the State Church of Greece, he joined the Old Calendar struggle. In the same year, he was deposed by the New Calendarist State Church for “Old Calendarism,” and a year later he organized a huge public celebration of the Blessing of the Waters, at the central port of Karystos on the island of Euboea, gathering the Old Calendarist communities in his region that had rejected the calendar innovation. At this celebration, he strongly condemned the calendar innovation and the departure of the State Church of Greece from Holy Tradition.
Eventually, in 1938, in retaliation for his faithful protest, he was arrested and jailed, stripped of his clerical dress, and forcibly shaved by the police authorities at the behest of the State Church. This sort of barbaric and technically illegal action was taken against the Old Calendarist clergy throughout Greece, much to the shame of the ecclesiastical administration of the “official” Church and the secular agencies at its disposal as a branch of the civil structure.
Father Joseph was highly regarded among the Greek clergy and faithful as a man of strict fasting, high moral accomplishment, and self-sacrifice. He was a tireless celebrant of the Divine services and was constantly available to the faithful and to all who needed his spiritual counsel and guidance. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, when a large part of Greece either belonged to Old Calendarist communities or sympathized with their commitment to Church tradition, there was deep public respect for the traditionalist heroes, and thus St. Joseph was held in high esteem for his spiritual virtues and prophetic gifts. Indeed, during the occupation of Greece by Nazi Germany, when he was serving in the mountain villages near Corinth, he shared what food and basics of life he had with his fellow citizens, many of whom were close to starvation in the last two years of the occupation.
In 1944, with the defeat of the Axis Powers and the growth of the communist insurgency, St. Joseph, who had remained silent about the Communists and their ideology, as long as they were helping to defend the Greek nation against the Nazi invaders, began to speak openly against the communist insurgents. Their violent actions against their fellow Greeks, including clergy, teachers, and innocent civilians who opposed their ideology, he openly condemned. He also condemned and abhorred their militant atheism. Indeed, he boldly called the communists to repentance for their crimes and for their faithlessness. As a result, the communists, in their anger, sentenced him to death. They subsequently arrested him, tortured him, and slaughtered him, as they did many Priests during the Greek Civil War. After his murder, they hastily buried his remains in Panariti, a small village in the region of Corinth. It was said that a light was seen from afar for a number of nights over the area where he was martyred.
The precise location of the holy Martyr John’s relics was discovered in a very curious way, after the liberation, when his donkey, in the company of those seeking his burial place, stopped at a certain point and began scratching with his front hooves in the earth. Indeed, when the place where the animal indicated was excavated, the remains of the Martyr were found. They were identified by his monastic belt. The relics also gave off a fragrant scent. Those fragrant relics, along with the saint’s icon, painted at the Holy Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina in Phyle, Greece, were available for veneration by those present at the Proclamation of the Martyr’s sanctity by the Holy Synod of our Church.
May the Holy Hieromartyr Joseph pray for us.
The Last Straw
August 12, 2015
My Vow:
To Daniel:
This time is the last time. Never again will I start speaking to you
again without an apology from you. This time for jumping down my
throat and blaming me for something that is your fault. I won't hold
it against you on Judgement day, but until then, it is my vow.
Apology or Silence. My vow to you. Starting now.
Joanna
My Vow:
To Daniel:
This time is the last time. Never again will I start speaking to you
again without an apology from you. This time for jumping down my
throat and blaming me for something that is your fault. I won't hold
it against you on Judgement day, but until then, it is my vow.
Apology or Silence. My vow to you. Starting now.
Joanna
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Abbess Alexandra: Two Church Issues
For Reflexion and Thought: Sharing: Russian original text and machine-English, Abbess Alexandra: About Two Church Issues, from the Conference Report- |
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original Russian
machine English
VI Annual Conference has finished its work
ROCA: In Odessa, there was held the VI Annual Conference: "The Paths of ROCOR in the modern world" (PHOTOS)
Author: Metropolitan Agafangel incl. August 10, 2015. Published in the ROCA (Views: 12)
Tags: ROCA , conference
From
8 to 10 August, in Odessa, Ukraine, was hosted a regular, VI
International Conference "The Ways of ROCA in the Modern World",
dedicated to the day of the blessed death of the founder of the ROCOR,
Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) (10 August n.st.).
The conference was attended by representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.
On the
first day of work in the conference, by the Metropolitan, the First
Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Agafangel read his report " On saoorganizatsii Christians
[on the Self-organization of Christians."] Also, the report, entitled,
"The location is in the heart of the Christian,, his spiritual
development," was read by Valentin Veselovsky (Belarus). After the
presentations, there whas an exchange of views on the subjects raised by
the reports.
On the second day of the conference, in the classroom of the Diocesan House, the report " Thinking out loud. On the church actually
" was read by Archbishop George of Kishinev and Moldova.. After it,
there was a discussion, lead by Mother Fevronia. and Abbess Alexandra,
of the Monastery of St John " On two problems of the church . "
August
10, the day of the memorial anniversary of the death of Metropolitan
Anthony, Metropolitan Agafangel served a memorial service for the
founder of ROCA.
After the service, in the Hall of the Synodal sessions, Mother
Fevronia read two reports. Mother Abbess Alexandra was absent, due to
illness. " On Christian love" & "Memories of Irina S. Bagration-Mukhrani ".
At the VI Annual Conference "The Paths of ROCOR in the world today" has finished its work.
PHOTOS
newly glorified New Martyr Joseph
PHOTOS:(human-English version):"Holy New Martyr, St. Joseph Desfinskogo, Pray To God For us!" |
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In the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Daphne (Athens, Greece GOC-Kallinikos Synod) for two days, from 3 to 4 August (n. c.) 2015
was held the celebrations of the church in the face of the
glorification of the New Martyr, St. Joseph Desfinskogo. St. Joseph was
the true Orthodox priest, who was killed by the Greek Communists in
1944. Monday, August 10, 2015
Petition to Free Patriarch Irenaeos
Shared by a fellow Orthodox Christian:
This
link gives his story, [ in brief], and some history of his life and
imprisonment, and the opportunity to sign this attached petition.
For myself, I neither recommend nor do I not recommend anyone signing this petition. Judge for yourselves. It may
help the Patriarch, but this is surely in God's hands. Arrayed against
him [as against all of us Orthodox Christians], is big money and many
powerful corrupt governments and evil willed worldly people. I know
nothing about this: "Society of Christ the Good Shepherd" that is
sponsoring this petition drive, but that does not mean that it is not a
valid serious organization.
Rd. Daniel in Oregon
"O Lord, save the God fearing, and hear us!"
Free Patriarch Irenaeos I
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