SIDEBAR

My apocalypse

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Jan 16 2020
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Generally speaking, by “apocalypse” (ἀποκάλυψις) the people understand “revelation” or, more literally, “uncovering”. The term is tied, mainly, with Saint John Theologian’s work – Book of Revelation – from the New Testament which describes using pseudonymity and symbolic imagery for the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom.

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The woodcutter – A photo journal from the woods

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Jan 15 2020
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In a metropolis in Northern Greece, there’d been no rain for some time. It was a terrible drought and, due to the situation, the local metropolitan and clergy began to pray for rain.

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The kondakion of Nativity is of divine inspiration – photo report from Nativity

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Jan 07 2020
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During the reign of Emperor Anastasios I (491-518), a young deacon moved to Constantinople. He led an ascetic life of prayer and fasting, but in his humility he thought of himself as being rather worldly.

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Elder Ephraim (Moraitis) of Philoteou, Arizona – Photo Journal with his life

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Dec 08 2019
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Elder Archimandrite Ephraim (Ioannis Moraitis – June 24, 1927) was an archimandrite and former abbot of Philotheou Monastery on Mount Athos, spiritual guide of four monasteries on Mount Athos and of eight women’s convents in Greece, as well as the founder of 19 monasteries in the United States and Canada. He resided in Arizona at St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery until his repose (December 7, 2019).

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Saint Nicholas’ user guide on how to protect our houses – Photo Journal from his chapel

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Dec 04 2019
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Someone asked me if he could use a gun to protect his house. Well… I don’t know about guns. But I know about locks to protect the houses: A very old hermit monk here had a kelli dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Even though he was alone in the wilderness, he not only didn’t have a lock at his cell, but he left the door largely open even if he went some distance away (Karyes, a monastery etc.). In the many years he behaved like this, no unfortunate accident occurred. This went on for years till once a group of pilgrims […]

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Saint Porphyrios: he just needed a taxi

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Dec 03 2019
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The delicacy and the knowledge of the saints is above anything we can concieve. In fact, without God’s grace, we are just barbarians—without God’s grace, we humans are wolves among other humans.

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How to use loneliness – a photo journal from a Divine Liturgy

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Nov 13 2019
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Loneliness – voluntarily or not – is your time for prayer and knowing God better. This knowledge comes mainly via prayer because prayer is the union of the mind with God.

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Why the Skull of Saint John Chrysostom has one ear incorrupt after more than 1600 years? – A Photo Journal

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Nov 12 2019
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Saint John Chrysostom was renowned for his explanations of the Holy Scriptures. He also interpreted the Epistles of Saint Paul, whom he admired greatly. In order to assure himself that the interpretation of the Epistles were correct, he asked God to offer him a sign.

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We have always the leaders which we deserve

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Nov 07 2019
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Saint Paul says that „Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” because our first aim is to perfection ourselves and not to fight with others, so for this we need to have a stable and peaceful environment.

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The unknown saints are more in number than the known saints in Mount Athos – photo journal with such ones

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Oct 30 2019
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At the beginning of the 20th century, in the Skete of Saint Anne (Major) a monk wanted to extend a wall in the garden of his cell and for this purpose he started late in the evening to dig into the forest. Suddenly he found the holy relics of a big saint: they were incorrupt, with a marvelous yellow color and having a very intense fragrance.

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How can we distinguish between a medical illness and a demonic activity? – photo journal from the Exaltation of the Holy True Cross

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Oct 02 2019
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First of all we should mention that our illnesses are a result of Adam’s fall. In paradise there were no illnesses. So, demonic energy is more or less involved in various degrees and because of various causes and for various purposes: to pay off for a particular sin, to stop someone from a wrong path or for one to receive a higher degree of spiritual knowledge etc.

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The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart and our free will

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Sep 18 2019
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It’s not that God overrode Pharaoh’s free will; that is, it isn’t that Pharaoh was inclined to let the Israelites go but then God stopped him from doing so. It’s that Pharaoh was not inclined to let the Israelites go, but the miracles worked by God through Moses made him timid; God gave Pharaoh the strength of will to follow through on what he really wanted to do: keep the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. In that sense, God didn’t suspend or override Pharaoh’s free will; actually, God enhanced it, so Pharaoh could make the choice that was in his heart.

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How was Elijah lifted up to heaven with the chariot of fire – Photo Journal from the litany of the saint Elijah

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Aug 21 2019
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Many are interested in solving “hot” topics in their minds. We are interested in how Elijah was lifted up to heaven with the chariot of fire, how is the vision of paradise, the angels, the creation of the world, and other things like this.

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How Mother of God looked like? – Photo Journal from Her Tomb (Jerusalem)

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Aug 14 2019
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Even if the rules of iconography insist that the holy image depicted (the saints) should be with black hair and black eyes, however, from tradition and from visions, we are informed from the saints which saw the Mother of God that her hair texture resembles that of ripe wheat with blue eyes.

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Transfiguration of Jesus: The feast of real knowledge

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Aug 05 2019
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We struggle to learn various things and slowly try to understand their meanings in order to gain knowledge.

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About authentic and fake miracles – Photo Journal with the Holy Belt of the Virgin Mary

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Jun 20 2019
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The Holy Belt of the Virgin Mary, throughout history has performed numerous and countless miracles which have been recorded and published to date by our Monastery. There are several remarkable things about miracles which we should mention here: First of all and most importantly is that authentic miracles have as a purpose for our eternal salvation through repentance. If a miracle doesn’t help in our salvation, then the authenticity of such a miracle is very questionable, at best. Secondly, the issue of our faith: If there is a lack of faith, miracles more than likely do not occur because God […]

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Elder Paisios of Mount Athos: The children, their joys and their difficulties

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Oct 04 2015
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Q.: Elder, why does God give people a guardian angel, when He can protect us Himself? A.: That’s God looking after us especially carefully. The guardian angel is God’s providence. And we’re indebted to Him for that. The angels particularly protect little children. And you wouldn’t believe how! There were two children once, playing in the street. One of them aimed at the other to hit him on the head with a stone. The other one didn’t notice. At the last moment, apparently, his angel drew his attention to something else, he leapt up and got out of the way. […]

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Paramythia – A Miracle-Working Icon of the Mother of God and its Feast

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Feb 11 2015
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The Mother of God can save us through her intercession. At Vatopaidi Monastery there is a miracle-working icon of the Virgin Mary called Paramythia, the “Comforter.”  This icon…

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