“Go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom”
(Proverbs 6:8a-c).

 

OCTOBER, 2002

  1 T Apostle Ananias, Romans the Melodist. 17 T Prophet Hosea, Blessed Martyr Andrew.
  2 W Hieromartyr Kyprianos, Justina. 18 F †Luke the Evangelist, Martyr Marinos.
  3 T †Dionysios the Areopagite, Damaris. 19 S Prophet Joel, Martyr Ouaros, Cleopatra.
  4 F †Hierotheos, Bishop of Athens, Crispus. 20 S †Sixth Sunday of Luke, Martyr Artemios, Gerasimos of Kefallonia, Blessed Matrona.
  5 S Blessed Methodia, Martyr Charitine. 21 M †Christodoulos of Patmos, Socrates, Hilarion the Great.
  6 S †Third Sunday of Luke – Apostle Thomas, Innocent Bishop of Alaska. 22 T Averkios Equal to the Apostles.
  7 M Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, Polychronios. 23 W †James the Brother of the Lord, Ignatios Patriach of Constantinople.
  8 8 Blessed Pelagia, Taisia. 24 T †Martyr Sebastiane, Great Martyr Aretha.
  9 W †Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus, righteous Abraham & Lot. 25 F Martyr Markianos, Tabitha the Merciful.
10 T †Ambrosius of Optina, Eulampios & Eulampia, Blessed Theophilus. 26 S †Demetrios, Great Martyr and Myrrh-gusher.
11 F Apostle Philip of the Seven Deacons. 27 S †Seventh Sunday of Luke, Martyr Nestor, Procla wife of Pilate.
12 S †Martyrs Diodoros, Symeon the New Theologian. 28 M †Protection of the Theotokos.
13 S †Fourth Sunday of Luke, Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council. Carpus, Papylos, Martyr Chryssa, Deacon Benjamin. 29 T Martyr Anastasia the Roman, Blessed Abramios of Edessa.
14 M †Martyr Gervasios. 30 W Martyrs Zenobios & Zenobia, Cleopas & Artemas of the 70.
15 T Hieromartyr Lucianos, Blessed Sabbinos and Barsos. 31 T Stachys & Urbanos of the Seventy.
16 W Longinus the Centurion, Leontios and those with him.
 
 

It is meet for all of us to give thanks to God. However, let me say that what I feel today is just how much I myself must thank God for the fact that he counted me worthy to be mixed up, if I may say so, in this history in which we live, in this drama that we play out in human life, in this period of the divine dispensation, which the Lord is actively bringing about in our monasteries. How is it that God has made me worthy to be here, and to have served and lifted my little finger, so that perhaps something might be brought about?

I remember when I was little, still a pupil, every day they made me ponder the words of one of the ancients, that daily you must examine yourself, asking yourself: “what did you desire, what did you accomplish, what did you practice, and what needful things did you neglect?” And this made me wonder about the standard of judgment with which to be able to discern what I had accomplished - what did I do, finally? And then, reading Saint Gregory, whom they had given me, a small child, I found that passage where he says, “I, for Thee, God, have accomplished nothing worthy” (Carmina de se ipso 1001.6); I have done nothing deserving”. Here again one sees the miracle of divine election. We are able to do nothing worthy for God, and yet, He makes us partakers of these magnificent things.



EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS MONASTERY
322 00 THEBES BOEOTIA, GREECE.
email: ypsosis@fhc.org
Telephone: 30.226.2062265
Fax: 30.226.2062004
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