Translation from the Book

Ὁ Θεός στήν ἱστορία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, Βοήθημα Κατωτέρου Κατηχητικοῦ Γ΄,

ἐκδ. «Χριστιανική Ἐλπίς» Ὀρθόδοξη Ἀδελφότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη 2016, σσ. 42-46

A saint of the twentieth century
(November 9th)

  Have you ever realized that we might have a saint living among us? You might be wondering how this is possible in our time. Do not think that this is strange. Every age, even ours, has its saints. And these saints move very simply and silently among us, that is why no one realizes their presence immediately.
  Saint Nektarios was a simple child. He was the fifth out of six children from a poor family. When he was thirteen years old, in 1859, he left his birthplace, Silivria in eastern Thrace, and went to Constantinople to find work and get educated.
  He was a young child, but with strong faith. That is why he was not afraid in the face of difficulties. The merchant, near whom he would work, was suddenly forced to immigrate to a faraway place. Therefore, young Anastasis - that was his baptismal name - could not follow him. Thus, he found himself in the big city alone, unknown among strangers. He was not alone, though. He had an inseparable friend and companion, Jesus Christ, whom he believed in and loved. With His power he could face the problems of life with courage.
  He found work in a workshop where he had to stack tobacco balls in large boxes and crates. He had to work from very early in the morning until late at night. Unfortunately, his boss was constantly angry, he was furious at everyone. However, Anastasis did not lose his courage. Every day he did his prayer and started his work with confidence.
  And when night came, he had a special joy. He carried out a secret missionary plan that he had come up with: He took separately more than fifty wrappers, in which the boxes with the tobacco were wrapped, and he wrote passages from the Bible and words of the Fathers on them! He had collected such passages in a thick notebook, which he carried with him. He had learned a lot of them by heart, as well. He felt so happy that he could offer them to people! This poor man could donate the most precious pearls! And how wonderful! Ever since Anastasis started this beautiful habit, his work started flourishing. The orders they would get were increasing!
  But as winter arrived, poverty hit Anastasis hard. Because of time and effort, his clothes and his shoes were worn out. That year, the winter was heavy, with a lot of snow and endless rains. The child was cold and he suffered terribly. One night, he decided to approach his boss and ask for help. But he looked at him with contempt and spoke sternly to him. He showed no desire to support him.
  Anastasis soaked his pillow in tears that night. When he fell asleep for a while, he saw in his dream the omnipotent Christ. He asked him why he was crying, but he could not answer. When he woke up, it was still dawn, so he decided to write a letter. He took a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote: "Christ, you asked me why I was crying. My clothes and my shoes are worn out, my toes have come out and I suffer. I'm cold in the winter now. I went to my boss yesterday and he sent me away ... Christ, what can I do? Forgive me for bothering you. I worship and adore you, your slave Anastasios ". The child with the simple but strong faith put his letter in an envelope and wrote: "For the Lord Jesus Christ". Address: "To heaven".
  It was still dawn when he set off for the post office. He had to post other letters, as well. On the way to the post office, he met his neighbor, Mr. Themistoklis, who had a shop with frames opposite his workplace. He was also going to the post office. Seeing Anastasis running with holes in his shoes in the cold morning, he felt sorry for him and was he showed willingness to post his letters, too.
  Α week later, Anastasis was in for an unexpected surprise. He received a postal parcel. Sender: Jesus Christ! So, did he receive his letter? And now what does he send him? With trembling hands, full of wonder and emotion Anastasis opened the package. His eyes watered. The package contained brand new clothes and shoes! He fell on his knees and thanked his beloved Christ with tears.
  However, his sufferings were not over. His boss, as soon as he saw him well dressed, made some evil thoughts. He thought that Anastasis had stolen his new clothes and shoes, and started beating him mercilessly. "I'm not a thief, I'm not a thief, sir," the child repeated, crying.
  The neighbor heard their voices and immediately ran to reveal the truth. He was the "angel" who had sent the parcel on behalf of Christ. He was surprised when he saw the envelope with Jesus Christ and read its contents. Moved by the child's need and fervent prayer, he wanted to give him a present. Nevertheless, Anastasis was in for a second gift by Mr. Themistoklis: He was hired in his shop, to work in better conditions.
  After a few years, the little boy grew up. He became a teacher and later a monk, called "Nektarios". He studied at the Theological School of Athens and rose to high ecclesiastical positions in Alexandria, Egypt, until he became bishop of the Diocese of Pentapolis. However, his adventures in life were not over. Some people envied Saint Nektarios and slandered him with numerous false accusations. It is worthwhile to become familiar with his life in more detail, so as to admire the bravery of his soul, his trust in God, and his forbearance. Despite being very poor, and not having to eat for a few days, he did not say a bad word about any of his enemies.
  Later, he became director of the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School of Athens. Students there were destined to become theologians or priests. Saint Nektarios preached about faith and love to them. He used to lead by example. One night, he was cleaning the toilets of the school when he was "caught in the act" by the school principal. Why would he do such a thing? Well, the cleaner and his assistant, who constantly quarreled with each other, would often leave the toilets dirty, so Saint Nektarios did the job for them so as not to lose their salaries. His humiliation shocked both of them and they decided to change their behavior.
  Saint Nektarios remained humble until the end of his life, without malice for his enemies. That is why God glorified him. Immediately after his death, on November 9, 1920, the saint began to scent and perform miracles. Today in the island of Aegina a glorious temple has been erected in his name and many pilgrims embrace his holy relics with reverence.
  Saint Nektarios is a saint of the twentieth century. A lot of other saints followed: Saint Paisios, Saint Porphyrios, Saint Iakovos, Saint Sophia of Kleisoura. Our world has been constantly sending saints to heaven for centuries now. That's why we said in the beginning that maybe saints walk among us.
  What if a lot of people are falling more and more into corruption? There are always the few chosen of God. And they are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (Mt 5: 13, 14). We put a little salt in the food, but it makes it taste better. And a small candle is enough with its small flame to light the deep darkness. So, the few people of God make the lives of people "tastier" and beautiful and they enlighten the world with the light of hope. May all of us, with the help of Saint Nektarios and the desire to "become a saint" in our hearts, believe and love Christ with all the power of our hearts! Amen.

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. All rights reserved.

Translation from the Book

Ὁ Θεός στήν ἱστορία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, Βοήθημα Κατωτέρου Κατηχητικοῦ Γ΄,

ἐκδ. «Χριστιανική Ἐλπίς» Ὀρθόδοξη Ἀδελφότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη 2016, σσ. 12-17

  Do you know any other great apostle of Christ besides the Twelve Apostles? Apostle Paul!
  Do you know who was Paul before he met Christ? He was a fierce persecutor of Christians! He entered Christian houses, grabbed men and women and sent them to prison. Everyone was afraid and terrified because of him. He chased Christians not only in Jerusalem but also in other cities. He aimed to drag them all in chains to Jerusalem, leave none free.
  Why so much hatred? What Christ and His students were to be blamed for? Paul was a pure Jew. He loved God, he studied the Old Testament and he followed precisely its law. When he heard about Jesus, he thought that a new religion had emerged, which misled Jews from the worship of the real God. This infuriated him! He wished to eradicate Jesus's name and exterminate His followers.
  His actions were as a result of his zeal for the real God and his ignorance, so God did not leave him in the dark for long. He opened the eyes of his soul in a wondrous way.
  Paul was on his way to Damascus in Syria in order to arrest Christians. As he was approaching to the city, suddenly a light from the sky shone brightly around him. Dazzled and blinded he fell down. While he was lying on the ground he heard a voice; "Saul Saul why are you chasing me? (Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul his roman one). Who is talking to him? Where is the voice coming from?
- "Who are you Lord?", startled Paul asked.
- "I am Jesus whom you are chasing", the Unknown's voice replied. "Stand up and go to Damascus where you shall find what you have to do."
  The men of his company were also startled! They heard the voice but they could see nobody! When Paul stood up, his eyes were open but he couldn't see. His escort guided him by holding his hand until they reached Damascus. There he stayed for three days and three nights without being able to see. He neither ate nor drank anything.
  A pious Christian, named Ananias lived in Damascus. He received Christ's command to go to meet Paul and cure him. Ananias was hesitant at first.
- My Lord I have heard a lot about this man. Christians of Jerusalem have suffered immensely due to him! He came here with the same purpose, to bring bound to Jerusalem those who believe in You.
- Go Ananias, the Lord replied, for I have chosen him to preach my gospel to heathens as well.
  Indeed, Ananias went to the house where Paul was staying. He put his hands on him and said; "Saul, my brother, Jesus who revealed Himself to you on your way, sent me to you so that your vision is restored and you receive the Holy Spirit". Then something like scales fell off Paul's eyes! He could see! More importantly, he could see more clearly with the eyes of his soul that Christ was the real God. He was then baptized and he became a fiery apostle of Christ.
  He started preaching immediately. He went to the synagogues, places where Jews gathered to study the Old Testament, and he explained that Jesus is the Messiah whom prophets spoke of, using unarguable points. He confirmed Jesus is the Son of God.
  Everybody was surprised. "Isn't this man the fearsome prosecutor of Christians?" they wondered. Fanatic Jews even came up with a devious plan to kill him. They put guards at the gates of Damascus and waited for him to cross in order to kill him!
  Some Christians found out about this plan. For this reason, they lowered Paul down from the walls of Damascus, hidden in a big basket! Paul left Damascus and returned to Jerusalem.
  There fanatic Jews sought again to kill him. Therefore, Christians helped him escape and he found refuge in his hometown Tarsus.
  What did Paul do after this adventure? Was he scared? Did he cower in some corner and was silenced? No! Be proud of how the fiery apostle threw himself in the missionary work!
  From place to place, from town to town he speaks of Christ and His Resurrection. Think of the fact that there weren't advanced means of transportation at his time. He travels on foot for uncountable kilometers! He walks across dirt roads, over mountains and across the coast side. He doesn't spare fatigue or the threats against his life. In Lystra he is stoned and almost killed. The moment some Christians helped him up, he continued his mission with his wounds still open! Nothing could restrain him. He had only one wish, burning in his heart; to preach the Gospel to the whole world! Indeed he managed to preach not only in Palestine and several cities in Asia, but he also crossed seas, he reached Cyprus, Greece and even Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. In other words, he traversed the whole known world of that era.
  Do you know where he preached in Greece? In Philippi, Thessaloniki, Veria, Athens, Corinth. He is the apostle of Greece! He was the first to bring the light of the Gospel and destroy the darkness of idolatry. In this wondrous work he had valuable partners, his student Timothy, the evangelist Luke, Silas and others.
  While he was touring the world, he was writing letters and epistles to Christians who lived in the cities he had passed or to his students, giving advice, resolving problems and answering questions. 14 Epistles are included in the New Testament, written under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Among them there are the Epistle to the Phillipians, two Epistles to the Thessalonians and two to the Corinthians.

Mission

  Paul the apostle dedicated his life to a great cause; preaching the Gospel of Christ everywhere. Wherever he went he was the mouth of Christ.
  Nowadays God is searching for children - not adults only- to give them this sacred mission too; to become His mouth, to carry His words, His truth, His light to all the people who don't know Him.
  There are kids in your school who know very few about Christ and His Gospel. There are people in your neighborhood, maybe even in your family, among your relatives who don't go to church, don't read the Holy Scripture, don't pray. Who will talk to them about Christ? Who will show them the right path?
God is searching. Will he find children who love Him to start a mission?
  ♦ To invite other kids to come to the Sunday school.
  ♦ To bring younger and older people to the church on Sunday.
  ♦ To give advise using Christ's words.
  ♦ To encourage others to read the Holy Scripture.
  ♦ To introduce a Christian magazine, to give a gift a Christian book.
  Το not rest unless they guide a soul towards Christ! Children who love Christ ask at their prayers; "Christ, please help me bring a soul closer to You!"
  Mission is the biggest benefaction. A former heathen who got baptized said; "If I am found worthy to go to heaven, firstly I will run and kneel before Christ for saving me with His sacrifice on the Cross. Immediately after, I will run and kiss the hands of the missionary who talked to me about Christ. He is my greatest benefactor since he is the person who introduced me to Christ my redeemer!"
  Imagine ourselves being able to offer such a great benefaction; to help people learn about Christ! Is there something else that can manage to give us more happiness than that?

Paul the Apostle of Christ
you spread His Word worldwide
His sacred message nowadays
please help me assert likewise!

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. All rights reserved.

Translation from the Book

Ὁ Θεός στήν ἱστορία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, Βοήθημα Κατωτέρου Κατηχητικοῦ Γ΄,

ἐκδ. «Χριστιανική Ἐλπίς» Ὀρθόδοξη Ἀδελφότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη 2016, σσ. 7-11

  Have you ever met someone who can speak several foreign languages? It needs a lot of effort and an aptitude in order to be able to communicate in many languages.
  Yet, some low-educated people managed to talk all the known languages in a single day - no, it's better to say in a moment! Listen to the incident, as it is described in one of the books of the New Testament which is called "Acts of the Apostles".
  Jerusalem was crowded. It had been about fifty days since Passover, the greatest Jewish feast day. Do you remember what Jews celebrated on Passover? The miraculous passing through the Red Sea, their liberation from slavery in Egypt. Since it was their most important religious celebration, they made sure to be in Jerusalem during that time, even those who lived far away. In addition, most of them decided to stay in Jerusalem until Pentecost, another important feast day. It was a harvesting celebration, meaning that they rejoiced in collecting the first crops. They offered sacrifices in the Temple to thank God for the first crops from the land. It was called Pentecost because this celebration took place fifty days after Passover.
  It was time for the Pentecost celebration, when suddenly there was a commotion in the city of Jerusalem. A loud rumble from the sky, like an extremely strong wind, startled everyone! They rushed to see what was happening. The rumble led them to assemble outside a house. Who lived in that house? Christ's students were gathered there. The loud rumble being heard, twelve fiery tongues, like flames, appeared and spread equally, each above an apostle. At that moment Christ's students were overrun by the Holy Spirit and they started talking in foreign languages!
  The crowd outside heard them talk and they felt curious and impressed! How could those low-educated people speak so many languages? "They come from Galilee, don't they? How is it possible to hear them talk in our own dialect?" people discussed. "Parthians, Medes, habitants of Mesopotamia, of Judah, of Cappadocia, of Pontus, of Asia, of Egypt, of Libya, people who came from Rome, Crete and Arabia, we all hear these men talk in our language!" It's truly bizarre and wondrous! What all these mean?
  Others, however, mocked the apostles. "They are drunk" they dared say. Is that what drunk people look like? The apostles talked with boldness about Christ and preached His Resurrection before the crowds. Their speech was so persuasive that about 3000 people believed in Christ and got baptized that day! Those people constituted the first Church.
  In other words, that day is the birth day of our Church! It was the fiftieth (Pentecost) day after Christ's Resurrection. So, every year, fifty days after Easter we celebrate Pentecost and commemorate the birth day of our Church.
  Since the great day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is always among us, both in the Church and with each Christian.
  What is the Holy Spirit? It's neither a spirit, nor a wind, nor a fire. It appeared that way on the day of Pentecost in order to make his presence known. The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
  Since the day of our baptism, we host the Holy Spirit inside us. He grants us with his gifts: love, happiness, peace, kindness and many more (see Gal 5:22-23).
  His other name shows how much he loves us; he is called Paraclete. What does this word mean? Paraclete is the one who consoles, gives strength and guides to the right pathway.
  The Holy Spirit or Paraclete conducts the seven sacred Mysteries/sacraments of the Orthodox Church; Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Holy Communion, Unction, Marriage and Ordination.
  Each Mystery or religious Service begins with a prayer to the Holy Spirit. You have definitely heard of it. We recite it here in our church school, too. Let's say it all together.
  What do we ask from the Holy Spirit?
  a) Come and dwell in us; to come and make our heart his home. Of course, he came the day we were baptized. But the Holy Spirit gets sad with our sins, so he is forced to move away. We pray so that the Holy Spirit forgives us and returns in our heart. How wonderful it is to be with Paraclete!
  b) And cleanse us from every stain; to clean us from every sin. When we first received the Holy Spirit on the day we got baptized, our soul became crystal white. However, our sins stain our soul. That's why we plead Paraclete to clean us from our sins.
  c) And save our souls, O Good One. Satan wants to pull our souls away from God. He sets traps for us all the time. We plead the Holy Spirit to keep us safe from every danger that threatens our soul.
Let us pray, either all together here in the church school or when we are alone, let us plead whole-heartedly Paraclete, the Holy Spirit to stay forever inside us and to fill us with Its precious gifts.

You, the Holy Spirit
you are the Heavenly King
Become our strength
Come and inhabit our being

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. All rights reserved.

Translation from the Book

Ὁ Θεός στήν Καινή Διαθήκη, Βοήθημα Κατωτέρου Κατηχητικοῦ Β΄,

ἐκδ. «Χριστιανική Ἐλπίς» Ὀρθόδοξη Ἀδελφότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη 2015, σσ. 51-55

The Resurrection of the Daughter of Jairus

(Mt 9:18-26; Mk 5:21-43; Lk 8:40-56)

  Today, we are going to visit one of the houses in Capernaum. This house hides a lot of pain. It's been a long time since laughter and joy were heard here. The only child in the family, a twelve-year-old girl, is seriously ill; she’s dying. The smile faded from her parents' lips and sadness tightens their hearts.

  On the shore of Capernaum, many people were eagerly waiting for Jesus, once again. The suffering father was among the crowd. He had heard of Jesus. He had been informed that Jesus had cured many patients with serious illnesses. A hope was awakened in him. Could He cure his own child? If only he could reach Jesus…
  And there he was! The father whose heart was full of pain, ran towards him. He forgot his high social status. He was actually the leader of a synagogue, responsible for maintaining order in one of the local synagogues, where Jews gathered to study the word of God, the Old Testament. In other words, he was a respected person in Capernaum. Jairus, that was his name.
  The pain he was feeling, however, made him fall on his knees. He begged Jesus to come to his house. “My daughter”, he said, “is dying. I beg You, come and put Your hand on her so that she may be healed and live”.
  Jesus, sympathized with the desperate father, reassured him and followed him. On the way to Jairus’s house the crowds almost crushed Him.
  Thus, an unwell woman found an opportunity to approach and touch the edge of Christ’s clothes. She thought that she could go unnoticed. She had been losing blood for twelve years. She felt terribly exhausted. She had also spent all her money to pay for doctors to help her but they couldn’t do anything for her. In addition, she has been isolated from everyone for so long because of her illness. But this time she dared to approach Jesus.
  As she approached Him, she said to herself: "If only I touched his clothes, I would be healed". Her faith in Christ was strong. And our Lord, who knows everything, rewarded her strong faith. Indeed, as soon as the sick woman touched Jesus' clothes, the bleeding stopped! What so many doctors could not do for years now, our Christ gave her in an instant.
  Who touched me? Jesus asked because he wanted to show everyone the faith of the bleeding woman. “Teacher, the people are crowding and pressing against you and you ask who has touched you?"! Peter responded spontaneously. But Jesus insisted. The bleeding woman fell to her knees before Jesus and confessed to everyone what had happened. “Have courage my daughter!” Christ said. “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace!”
  While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from Jairus’s house. He brought the bad news: “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the Teacher anymore. There is no reason for him to come to your house”.
  The father’s heart broke. Hope faded. He believed that Christ could heal his dying child. But now? She is dead now. But what did the Lord say to him? "Do not be afraid Jairus, just believe in me and she will be healed". "Keep relying on me and your child will be saved". What did Christ mean by these words?
  They arrived at Jairus's house. Everyone was crying, they were mourning for the death of the young girl. But Jesus said to them: “Stop wailing! She is not dead, but asleep!" How strange were the words of this Teacher! Everyone was convinced of the child's death. Some sneered and mocked Him.
  Jesus Christ entered the house, the room where the dead girl was. He asked everyone to go out. He only kept with Him the girl's parents and three of His disciples: Peter, James and John. Everyone looked at him with wonder. What was he going to do?

  Our Lord took the hand of the dead girl. Then, as if trying to wake her up from her usual sleep, he said sweetly: "Wake up, my girl!". And then - how miraculous! - immediately the child got up and started walking! The Lord raised her up!
  Who can describe the surprise, the great happiness and the gratitude that the parents felt! Jesus urged them to give the child something to eat. They no longer doubted that their child was completely well.

  Christ overcame death.

  Our visit to this house in Capernaum, is an awe-inspiring event. If we go to the house of a dead person and tell his relatives: "Your man is not dead but he is sleeping", they will think that we are making fun of them. Christ however, to those who were crying without hope, said: "Do not cry, she is not dead but asleep!"
Christ calls death “sleep”. And the Church calls the dead “people who have been asleep”. Thus, a great truth is revealed to us: As the man who is tired falls asleep and he will wake up, so the dead are not lost, but asleep and they will wake up. Life does not stop at the grave. At the same time that people close their eyes to this life, they open the eyes of their soul to the other life and face our Savior Christ. That is why the early Christians were not afraid when their persecutors threatened them with death. Even small children waited fearlessly for death, because it would bring them closer to Christ!
  Our life has lots of joys. But it would be a lie to tell you that it has only joys. If we look around, we will see many people suffering, others suffering from a serious illness, others in pain because they have lost their loved one.
  Have you ever thought that we, ourselves, could be in their place? And if such a thing happens - it may has already happened to some of us - what will we do? Will we despair? No. We are certainly in pain, we are sorry for the separation from our loved ones, because we want to have them with us, to see them. But when we know that our dead are not lost, but live in the presence of God, we are in peace. We do not despair. Instead, we strive to be children of God, in order to be granted with the paradise where we will meet Him and those we love.
  Today we witness our Lord resurrecting the twelve-year-old girl. He, who created the universe with one word of His, He also commanded the dead girl to be resurrected and she so did. But, is it possible for dead bodies to have ears and hear His word? Of course not. And yet, they hear our Christ’s voice and obey it, because He is the creator of life and the one who has defeated death!
  And as he resurrected the daughter of Jairus, so he will resurrect us and everyone else, in His Second Coming. We confess this faith every time we say the Creed of our faith. Do you remember how it ends? "I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the future age to come." That means: "I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the future eternal life!"

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. All rights reserved.