Whoever has not yet seen at least the architectural model of
the entire complex that the few members of the small monastic Brotherhood
guided by Abbot Stefanos wish to erect to the glory of God and the edification
of us all, in the HOLY MONASTERY OF PANTANASSA [Queen of all] located at
Mangrove, NSW, could not possibly appreciate how much faith and courage in God,
but also how much selfless desire is evident in this sacred task to protect the
Orthodox in Australia forevermore under her who is ‘Broader than the Heavens’
and the ‘Lady of Angels’.
This is the first ‘LAVRA’ which is being established in
Australia, and it will certainly leave its mark on the faithful for generations
to come; It will therefore be a special blessing for every Greek Australian who
contributes to this sacred task willingly and according to one’s ability. As I
have often pointed out: “whatever we spend on ourselves ends and dies with us.
However, whatever we spend for the common good remains forever and the benefit
for all people is perpetuated.” Sydney, 26th May 2004
With warm appreciation in advance and fervent prayers
Archbishop Stylianos
Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia
Questions on the Faith
Show remorse or repentance?
By Elias Bagas
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
How many times have we heard the quotation, “repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt 3:2)? What is this repentance? King David
answers this question in Psalm 51.
Psalm 50(51) is one of my favourite Psalms. It is “a prayer
of Repentance” and is about God’s mercy. It is also a prophesy about salvation
through baptism, and a teaching about worship in the spirit and truth. The
Psalm depicts David’s true repentance and contrition, and his turning to God to
ask for His mercy and forgiveness.
Similarly, the prodigal son, when he finally understood that
his father always loved him, said to himself ‘I will arise and go to my father
and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you...” ‘
(Luke 15:18; in the parable of the prodigal son). The prodigal son realised
that he sinned against heaven first and against his father second. This parable
tells us that God longs and patiently waits for the return of all sinners who
ask for His forgiveness; and in His mercy He receives them with open arms.
Christ proclaims that “the time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel”. What are we to
repent from? Christ is telling us to stop in our selfish ways and to turnaround
to face God, because the kingdom of God is a reality and exists now. He is
telling us to start a new life’s-journey remembering or understanding that
Christ our God is in our hearts. This is the life that follows the Law out of
love for God and mankind.
The chief priest and elders asked Christ, “By what authority
are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” (Matt 21: 23),
when He cleansed the temple in Jerusalem. Christ refused to answer by Whose
authority He cleansed the temple, but told them the parable of a man and his
two sons. The sons were asked to work in the vineyard. The first son refused,
but repented and went to work. The second son said that he would but did not.
How many times have we witnessed this parable replayed in our lives?
It seems that the tax collectors and harlots repent whereas
the chief priests do not recognise Christ’s divinity. The so-called ‘holy’
people in their very commitment to the temple say ‘I will go to work in the
vineyard’, but remain blind to Who Christ is and hold tightly to the Law;
whereas the sinners repent and are welcomed by God’s merciful embrace.
The law-keepers were the leaders of God’s chosen people, yet
as they faced God Incarnate their concerns were in their own security and
position. They fasted, prayed and were charitable, but did not stop in their
tracks and turn to God. Are we like them?
Jesus tells us about two men who went up into the temple to
pray (c.f. Luke 18:10-14; the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector).
One was a highly respected Pharisee who was a very devout and religious man.
The other was a tax-collector and regarded as the outcast and robber by those
around him.
“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I
thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I
possess”.
The tax-collector, who was the outcast in his society, stood
alone in shame not even raising his eyes to heaven. He prayed with penance
saying, “God, be merciful to me the sinner!” He saw himself as the greatest
sinner in front of God Who sees behind all pretenses; in contrast to the
Pharisee who saw himself as the only holy man in the world.This man only asked
for God’s mercy, and thus sets an example for us to follow.
Feeling remorse is not repentance. Judas Iscariot was
remorseful for betraying Christ, but he didn’t turn to God asking for
forgiveness. He lacked repentance preferring to hang himself (c.f. Matt
27:3-5).
It is with this repentance and faith that the Church is
built on. We must not stand in-front of God asking for what we deserve.
Concerning Forgiveness
Brother Gabriel was many years in the monastery, but he did
not hurry to become a monk. When asked why he did not become a monk, he said,
‘It is a great honor to be a monk, but I am not worthy of that honor.’ But with
his zeal, his work and obedience, there was not a better monk in the monastery.
With other things, Gabriel also had this custom. Every
Saturday, before the bell for vespers, he passed by all the cells of the monks
and novices saying, ‘Bless me and forgive me the sinner.’ And the father, knowing
his custom, would say, ‘May God bless you and forgive you.’ And then the novice
Gabriel would go on to the next cell until he had finished all of them.
Once I asked him why he did this, and he explained to me: “I
read in an old book that every Saturday, after vespers, all the choirs of
angels gather before the throne of God to hear the report of the guardian
angels of humanity and each comes before the throne of the Heavenly Father and
reports the activity of the person. And the angels of people who commit sins
are sad, but the angels of the people who do good deads are joyful and
brilliant.
The Heavenly Father is happy with the good deads and ‘there
is joy in heaven over the sinner who repents.’ Beyond the divine throne there
stand two ranks of angels: one radiant and glorious and the other awesome and
austere. Then God sends the radiant angels to reward the good people and the
awesome to punish the sinners.
Therefore I forgive others and ask their forgivesness so
that my guardian angel might go up cheerfully with his report to the Heavenly
Father and that I might escape the trial of the fearsome angels.
From: http://sgpm.goarch.org/Monastery/ St Gregory Palamas
Monastery – An Athonite Gerontiokon
Feasts Commemorated
On the Feast of the Holy Cross
What is the spiritual significance of the Feast of the
Elevation of the Holy Cross and it being a symbol of true love?
By Kosmas Damianides, BTh.
The feast day of the “Elevation of the Precious Cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ” is observed on the 14th of September. After the Holy Cross
was taken by the Persians during the conquest of Jerusalem, the Emperor
Heraclius ensured it’s speedy return to Byzantium in the 7th century. It was
finally triumphantly elevated in the “Church of the Resurrection” in Byzantium.
Subsequently the Cross was divided up and distributed to the
ancient Sees of the Christian Church, in order to protect the Cross from ever
being captured again.
Interestingly one notices that unlike many other great feast
days of the Church, the feast of the Elevation of the Cross is a strict fast
day.It is significant that the Church
chose to make this day a day of abstinence, a day of repentance and prayer. It
is precisely because the Cross is a symbol of self-denial that we are required
to put all earthly things and our human will aside especially for this day. In
this way we give proper honour and respect to the Precious Cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Similarly in the Old Testament times (Leviticus 16:29, 31 ;
23:27, 32 ; Numbers 29:7) it was required that the faithful deny themselves of
doing work or of eating certain foods on certain days such as the Sabbath, the
day of Atonement and other feast days in the Hebrew calendar. This was done to
honour, worship and praise the Lord.
Before Jesus was betrayed and crucified on the Cross he gave
these instructions to Peter and his other disciples; “If anyone would come
after me, they must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for
Me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25).
Self-denial is the greatest show of devotion and the
greatest show of love one can have for God. When we deny ourselves, in other
words, sacrifice what we want for what God wants then we are no longer doing
our own will but God’s will. St John Chrysostom explains in one of his
homilies, that the Greek word aparnisastho means a total denial and
“renunciation of oneself”. Furthermore he explains that Jesus does not only ask
that we deny ourselves once or twice, but to deny ourselves continually and in
a manner of speaking “to die on the cross daily”.
Jesus asks us to sacrifice ourselves in order that God can
work in us, so that we are no longer deceived and misled as Adam and Eve were
when they disobeyed God, or as the Prophet Jonah was when he ran away from his
calling, or as St Peter the Apostle was when learning about his master’s plans.
St Peter was rebuked by Christ because he had actually become a hindrance to
our Lord.
He was obstructing Jesus from doing the will of God. St
Peter had in fact turned himself into an instrument of Satan by thinking in a
humanistic way and not in a spiritual, holy way. He did not want Jesus to die
since he did not understand the spiritual significance of Jesus’ crucifixion
(Matthew 16:23).
Finally, after gazing at our Lord’s Precious Cross may we
remember our Lord’s undying love for us, may we also remember his great
suffering, horrendous death and burial. May we then fix our minds on our own
cross remembering His words that “…whoever loses their life for Me will find
it” (Mat 16:25).
Let us therefore with renewed vigour empowered by the power
of the Cross, the true love and grace of God and the hope in the promise of the
glorious Resurrection of the dead be motivated towards our own personal
Golgotha. Let us lift up our own cross and follow Christ’s footsteps with
selfless and genuine love so that our efforts may not be shown to be in vain.
This committee operates under the authority of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
