My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
ON CHRIST-LIKE LOVE
Saint Gerontios, the first inhabitant of Saint Anne's Skete, was taught by the Lady Theotokos the measure of Her Son's exceeding love. He therefore reached, through divine love, the state of not having any self-will, of not being attached to anything, of being carefree, having one and only care: God and his soul and how to be a perfect example to his disciples.
In the holy Monastery of Philotheou lived the holy Hieromartyr Kosmas the Aitolian, Equal to the holy Apostles, who, being prompted by deep love, divine revelation and having the blessing of the elders and the Patriarchate, assumed the cross of apostolic mission. Having performed countless miracles and resurrecting our fallen nation he finally received the crown of martyrdom.
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"We suffer because we have no love. Whoever does not have love does not have peace, even if he was placed in Paradise," said an elder.
An elder (geronda) said:
"Sometimes we say that we have love. What kind is it though? I am referring to spiritual love. I am not talking about worldly love. How can one reach the state of considering all mankind as his brothers and sisters? One may hear that someone is a heathen, is a Jehovah's Witness...Yes, but he is nonetheless a brother in the flesh. Not of course in spirit, as we Orthodox are to one another. But he is still a brother in the flesh. We ought to shed tears for him as well. In another instance, if an Orthodox Christian were to convert and become a Jehovah's Witness or a Catholic, wouldn't I weep? Now, so many millions exist. How much have I wept? So then, I am very far from having true love."
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"There was once an ascetic who was known to just about all the caves on the Athonite peninsula. He had a bright and joyful face. He would place a cup to gather water and it would take twenty-four hours for it to be filled. Such was his patience and perseverance. He would ask in his prayers to die on the day of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, for the fathers say that there are no tolls to which the soul needs to give an account to. He was possessionless to the utmost. He owned nothing. But that which was characteristic to this blessed figure was his Christ-like love. If he heard of someone being sick somewhere, he would hurry off. To nurse, to serve, to look after. He had taken care of fifteen elderly and sick hermits! Man of God. You became truly an imitator of the Lord Whose example of serving others you followed zealously."
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"One hundred and fifty years had passed from the days of Saint Gerontios who was the founder of Saint Anne's Skete. It was then that a giant of asceticism, the elder (geronda) Damaskinos, lived in a dry kalyve (hut) on the northern side of the Skete. He was one of the strongest pillars of the Skete of the 16th century. Dried bread and water--that was his food. He would pray with a rare kind of loving warmth and compassion for the whole world. Burned by love, he would melt like a candle.
He would say in his prayers:
"Lord, make all idolaters, all the unbelievers, the atheists and heretics to repent, to learn the truth, to believe in Thee. To become 'one flock with one shepherd' (St. John 10:16). To glorify Thee, the Only True God in Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Glory to Thee my God. May no one be lost, my God."
Many a time he would go into ecstasy and have visions of great mysteries and would thus be filled with divine joy and a glorifying disposition." (Source: An Athonite Gerontikon)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George