“Thou hast crowned them with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5).

Mr. Bitchiko Kurashvili, the Director of the Georgian Students’ Traditional Dance Group, together with Mrs. Neli Khazomia, and, likewise, Mr. Zurab Zuzkiridze together with Mrs. Tsisino Iashvili, within whose hearts God spoke in such a way that during their visit to the Monastery with the Dance Group, they asked for the Sacraments of Confession and Marriage.

                     “When Christ said to Satan, “You shall worship only your Lord and Him only shall you serve”, instead of being shocked at that moment and repenting in the presence of this measure of Jesus’ humility, Satan foolishly concluded that Christ was only a man. And from then on he plotted and, as he thought, accomplished His crucifixion and death. But about His crucifixion and death Christ had said: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32). And this power of attraction extends and radiates throughout the world, throughout all creation, to all people, believers and non-believers, sinners and saints, to the greatest criminal in the world, to the anti-christ himself, to the robbers who were nailed on the right and left of His Cross, to the length and breadth of the earth, to the present and the future, and even the past. It is a spur that pricks, attracts, directs and orients, without oppressive authority but rather, with all the ease of love… Thus, when we have interior substance and quality, we can be at ease with every form of power - even if we are in the hands of our executioners, or in the electric chair. And Georgia underwent many such experiences. But now, her leader is a spiritual child of her Patriarch and, as it was from the beginning, a servant of Christ’s Church.”

 

July, 2001

  1  S  + 4th Sunday of Matthew, Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas & Damian. 17  T  + Great Martyr Marina.
  2  M  Deposition of the Robe of the Theotokos in Blachernae. 18  W  + Martyr Aemilianos, Blessed Pambo.
  3  T  Martyrs Hyacinth & Theodota, Anatolios of Constantinople. 19  T  Blessed Macrina & Dion.
  4  W  Melodist Andrew of Crete, Martyr Lucia. 20  F  + Prophet Elijah the Thesbite.
  5  T  + Athanasios of Athos, Blessed Lampadus. 21  S  Blessed John Bishop of Artes, Symeon, fool for Christ.
  6  F  Sisoes the Great, Apostles Philemon and Onesimus. 22  S  + 7th Sunday of Matthew, Myrrhbearer Mary Magdalene, Virgin-martyr.
  7  S  Great martyr Kyriake, Thomas of Mt. Maleon. 23  M  Prophet Ezekiel, Martyr Phokas, Pelagia of Tinos.
  8  S  5th Sunday of Matthew, Great-martyr Procopios, Theophilos of Zichnes. 24  T  Great Martyr Christina, Theophilus of Zakynthos.
  9  M  Hieromartyr Pangratios, Dionysios and Metrophanes of Athos. 25  W  + Dormition of St. Ann, Deaconess Olympiada.
10  T  45 Martyrs of Nicopolis in Armenia. 26  T  + Blessed Martyr Paraskeve, Hieromartyr Hermolaos.
11  W   Great-martyr Euphemia, Olga of Kiev, Nina Equal-to-the-Apostles. 27  F  + Great-martyr and physician Panteleimon.
12  T  Veronika, Martyrs Proklus and Hilarion. 28  S  Deacons and Apostles Prochoros, Nicanor, Timon and Parmen.
13  F  Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel. 29  S  + 8th Sunday of Matthew, Martyrs Kallinikos and Theodota and their children, Emperor Theodosius.
14  S  + Nicodemus of Athos, Apostle Aquila. 30  M  Apostles Silas, Silouanos, and Crescens.
15  S  + Sunday of the Holy Fathers (4th Ecum. Council), Martyrs Kerykos and Juliette, Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles. 31  T  Eudokimos the righteous, Joseph of Arimathea.
16  M  Hieromartyr Athenogenes, Martyr Faustus.
 
 

                    Such a person becomes simple. The monk understands all space. He becomes a catholic man, belonging to God and to all the saints; he becomes a participant with all of them in the divine good things. Our struggle in the Church is, really, a common theophany.



EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS MONASTERY
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email: ypsosis@fhc.org
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