Are There Virtuous Lay People in Contemporary World?

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A Punk Rock Drummer and His Love

The power of caring for someone.  The difference in infusing a sapped existence with Life.

You are Three

A marvelous little short story on the power of simple and heartfelt prayer.

PART I

PART II

Mission - North Cameroon - Video [eng subs]

THESSALONIKI ORTHODOX BROTHERHOOD FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS
in missionary countries

To view the video, go here.

Saint Gregory Palamas Video [English Subtitles]

Go here.

Image from here.

Something a little different-Ever wonder how they did the music for The Good, the Bad & the Ugly?

I got this from a friend on e-mail.  Since I was a kid, thanks to my dad, I have always loved "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", along with the other two in the same genre, "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More".

The musical scores for these films have cemented their impact on me for life, it would seem.

Enjoy.

The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God

Hat tip to Alan Perry Jr.

O come, Lord Jesus, come!(Rev. 22:20)

When I see things like this I am outraged.  I hate cruelty to both humans and animals.  Watching this I was so disturbed that I cried out that Christ would return and that the creation(us, the animal kingdom, plant life and all the cosmos) would be utterly transfigured.  We ourselves suffer the corruption that must be transfigured upon the Lord's return.  But that must come in the fullness of time.

Watching this, I was reminded of this passage from St. Paul's letter to the Romans, in the eighth chapter:

18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope;

21  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

23  Not only [that], but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

WARNING!  THIS IS VERY DISTURBING!(if you find yourself angry, PLEASE remember to pray not only for the poor animals, but also for the humans under the sway of these violent passions. When one does these things, know this person is suffering horribly).

Music between Goombas Exchange

My friend VSO is currently uploading tribute videos for all his goombas.  He and I have struck up a good online friendship.

He currently has a secret identity but nonetheless, when you need to go somewhere to let someone "Tell you like it is!", visit his site.

But be forewarned: he is a caveman and in his cave there are certain criteria.  They are as follows:

The Code of the Catacombs

1. I'm the Pontifex Maximus of this blog. What I say goes. I'm Orthodox Christian, Conservative, American, hold every principle thereof and I tell it like it is. I am all of this for a reason. If you don't like that, tough shit. Don't screw with me.

2. In case you couldn't tell from Rule 1, this site contains strong, harsh, uncharitable f'n language that is not appropriate for monastics or those seriously devoted to achieving purity. Political Correctness is strictly forbidden.

3. Conduct yourself accordingly. If you do and don't espouse heresy, or attack me, the Holy Orthodox Church, the Constitution of the USA, the Bible, the Magna Carta and all the values and morals therein, we'll get along fine.

4. No victims allowed! Playing the race card, the sodomite card, or any other card is forbidden.

5. If there's still any confusion on your part, refer to the above rules.

6. If you still want to butt heads with me, but still imagine that there's some wiggle room for you, especially in light that you've read Rules 1 - 5, you're either obstinate in sin or irreversibly stupid. Either way, you are anathema. You'll be excavemunicated.

He posted this for me.  Great tune.

The Pogues - "Dirty Old Town"

This one's for you, VSO.

Plug for Pithless Thoughts and a hero for our times, Robert Lee

I check in fairly frequently at Steven Paul's Pithless Thoughts.

As I've mentioned before, I returned to the Orthodox Church not too many years ago.  In large part, Steven's old show, Our Life in Christ, was integral to my education about the Orthodox Faith.  Not merely because of the show's excellent content, but as well, I just could not get over at that time that "converts" had become Orthodox and were teaching the Faith to persons like myself- "born" into the Faith but having left.

The "converts" had found something in Orthodoxy I never had until my return.  It was wonderful for me to see all this.

Anyway, back to the reason for this post.  Some time back, Steve had posted this video,



with the follow up on how they made the commercial,




For whatever reason, I immediately identified with Robert Lee, the "hero" of these commercials and especially in relation to Kyklos Greek Cafe,  the shop I and my brothers own.  We have taken our share of hits doing this business.

Robert's attitude towards his product and the prospective buyer are almost identical to my own.

This is what I do and make and if you don't like it, that's okay.  We're not for everybody.  If you wish to be served, let me and my crew take you through our "system" and we will ensure a very pleasant eating experience in terms of service, quality and quantity.  However, if you show up determined to find fault and be unreasonable and ignorant, please, do go somewhere else and eat.  

There have been several times that after taking peoples' orders, it became clear to us that the situation was going to end badly whereupon we humbly refunded their money and told them to go elsewhere as we were not going to serve them. They could not believe it. 

Another reason I like Robert is that he operates from his many hard experiences.  There is very little fluff to detect in him.  I like that.   That is not to say that I do not see his humor, but the man has experienced some pain.

To be in a small business such as my restaurant and to offer a good, honest and consistent product day after day takes a lot more than people realize.  I don't say this to want any "understanding" from anyone but rather to point out that the endeavor to keep at it requires a very low tolerance for BS of any kind.

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Speaking of Pithless Thoughts,  here is an (really bad) attempt at an "Orthograph"(copyright Pithless Thoughts) of my own.  You can contrast this timid attempt(as evidenced by the not so bold drawing) with some of the excellent and quite clever Orthographs Steve has done on his site.  Steve has often said that he comes up with his stuff without leaving himself exempt from his humorous critiques.

This one seemed easy to do but when I sat down to do it, it was hard and I'm not sure it makes sense. Hopefully Steve will see this and possibly clarify/correct it.

Richard Gage/9-11 Truth Scares News Anchor

I ran across this clip on facebook today.  I have also seen Richard Gage discuss what he feels is the evidence against the official story on what happened on 9-11 on a much longer clip.  As well on the longer clip, there was someone who debated him and offered what I feel was good counter-evidence to refute Richard Gage's evidence.  However, I did and still do feel that what has been handed down as the official story of what happened on that day is seriously flawed.

That the buildings once stood where they were and no longer do is an indisputable fact.  But how they were taken down, by whom, and why are questions that continue to trouble me and many others.  In fact, the number of people who have begun to voice doubt is growing and I would say with good reason.

Let me just say up front that I love my country.  I pray for her and if need be, I would fight in her defense.

However, with that said, as I have progressed in the Life of the Church, the allure of this world and its kingdoms has been lessening to the proportion that I have begun to understand that Christianity is not a religion but a Kingdom.

And with this, I would have to say that the idea that outrageous things can and do happen in the world which go against all conventions of what we have in the West been raised to believe is fair and just is part of my own working knowledge of what constitutes the Fall and that evil demonic and spiritual powers are actively involved in the world.

To have a credible Orthodox Worldview, one must believe and know this otherwise the Gospel is something less than what it is meant to be.  Meaning, the Gospel does not merely offer "spiritual" solace, i.e. is not concerned with the material creation, but confronts evil incarnate, i.e. the fact that evil has real power in the creation and that there is an actual hierarchy of evil.

The Devil is not a myth.  Nor should we believe that there aren't those who wield great power and serve him actively and do his bidding.  Descending from this inner circle the true knowledge of the diabolical machinations become diffused and at some level it just merely means "the world system"i.e. what we all have brought up in and have come to consider as "normal".

Scripture and the Holy Fathers constantly bring our attention to the very real fact of this evil reality which in modern "enlightened" times has ceased to have people really take its existence seriously.

Video of the Holy Fire and a reflection

I believe something has died in Modern Man.  This includes me.  I "believe" in Miracles but I cannot help but want to look for the angle or the mystery revealed behind the scenes that is inevitably in my mind.  And I think my mind steeped in the Mind of our Age is indicative of perhaps *every* mind.  It is very difficult if not impossible to shut down my incredulity at the witnessing of videos such as the one I have posted here.

However,  when my friend George sent me this, I was pleasantly surprised to feel a certain reverence and awe at what transpired on this video.  I do not believe it is because of this particular video specifically(the Lord knows), but perhaps I may find solace in the movement within myself towards a general acceptance towards the great mysteries to be found everywhere.

In fact, in my better contemplative moments, I recognize at some level the Great Mystery that existence itself is including all the seemingly "mundane" and "rote" things that "compose" existence.

The following is the text that accompanies the footage by the one who shot it:

"RECORDED BY ME IN THE CHURCH ABOVE THE HOLY SEPLICHURE (ST. CONSTANTINE). NO ONE INCLUDING MYSELF SAW THIS IN THE CHURCH WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. I ONLY REALIZIED IT ONCE I GOT BACK TO MY ROOM! ONE OF MANY MIRACLES THAT DAY!'

"Bring Them Back " The sculptures taken from the Parthenon and housed in Britain

 Hat tip to Ann for sending me this.
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I don't have vehement feelings on this issue.  But, I would like to see the return of the sculptures to the Parthenon in Athens.

This short video begins with a humorous mock reality where Big Ben is taken from its place by a wealthy Greek man.

Though I in general agree with the message of the video, I would like to make it clear that I do not agree with the message at the end to "utilize global opinion" towards this end as this just smacks too much of "one world government" for my taste.

This one's for the birds

I have loved birds since I was a kid.  Mango, my little sun conure, has been with with me since 1997.

Anyway, I was sent these two videos, not about sun conures, but about birds, and just had to post them.


This one is from George:



And this one was sent to me by Steve:

Down with Religion, up with "Scarface" or "No Jesus please, give me Tony"

Thank goodness that Religion is so controversial that it is being slowly taken out of the public sphere.  Of course, because Religion is entirely a matter of personal choice and therefore Religion has no truth quota apart from what each individual believes as a matter of personal opinion, it should be done away with.  You see, we as a society stand to gain artistically, morally, aesthetically and of course personally when Religion recedes from the public domain.  How else can we get to see such critically acclaimed motion pictures like "Scarface" performed by our youngsters?  I would rather have this than the Nativity Story.  Tony Montana is a hero to help us transcend this life's woes par excellence.  Defiant to the end and the motif on many a t-shirt these days, Tony is the Man.

Take a look here:



Ah, good ol' Tony. God bless America.

Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and scores of others are killed as their plane crashes in Russia after hitting trees in foggy weather

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev & Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

cross themselves as they light candles for the Polish victims in the

chapel at the Gorki residence outside Moscow.

Hat tip to Steve.

Read more about this here.  You will find video at this link also.

Sierra Leone - The Wounded Lion (Video)

I got this from here.  To see the video uninterrupted, follow the link I have provided.  Otherwise, just view it here in three parts.
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Τhe video that we are presenting here is a shocking documentary about the horrors of the civil war that has plagued the African country of Sierra Leone for 12 years, making it the poorest country in the entire world.

Within this turmoil, the Orthodox Mission has embarked on its own activities, with  Archmandrite Fr. Themistocles Adamopoulos in charge, opening up a brighter horizon of faith, hope and love.  With his sacrificial love, this Missionary is offering everything possible by way of material needs, and at the same time offers everything he can from a spiritual aspect - in other words: Christ!

 

It is our duty as Christians to support this significant endeavor, in every possible manner - both material and spiritual.

Two Deaths- A Halloween Story

Every so often it happens to me that my past love of Punk Rock is renewed and brought back up to the surface when happening to chance upon a link on YouTube or on facebook or any other site I may happen to be on of some band I used to like and listen to. I don't happen to be looking for it but when I chance upon it, I click and whoosh...I'm 20 years younger again. But not really. I am who I am today because of my past but I am who I am today in spite of my past.

Formed by the past and reacting to the past all in one person.

I click on the link of whichever artist I happen to see and sort of relive my teenage years and early twenties. What usually happens is that I reminisce and begin searching YouTube for footage of bands I have liked or had interest in. I give them a listen and they seem so fresh as they were then except I see more now than I did then. Much the same phenomena when I was young and loved my favorite cartoons.

The cartoons were one thing then but revisiting them as an adult I have often been surprised by their sheer complexity and in the adult matter they actually convey.

As a boy I lost myself in them but when seeing them now, critically, I discover much about cognition, comprehension, meaning and applicability of the data I received in my past viewing cartoons or the music I listened to as I got older. In other words I analyze their meaning to me then by what I know now and who I am now.

I use cartoons and especially music to make the comparison with then and now but I do so not with music and cartoons being exclusive vehicles of the comparison, but as types, and ones of my own particular life and experience and only two of the unlimited types available for the sake of this post to make such a comparison with. In saying this, I leave you the reader to meditate on your own types and what it is that formed you and your own understandings of then and now.

Listening to the music artists I then remember others and I look them up. I have been doing this quite a bit recently.

One artist I never listened to growing up was GG Allin. Not for any particular reason other than he didn't appeal to me at that time. His name and notoriety was familiar, however, and I knew basically what he was about.

In my recent reminisces I decided to see more about what he was about through the Youtube material available.

The following pretty much sums up what the man was all about. It is the first part of four recorded for The Jane Whitney Show in 1993.



Once getting on the link you can access the other three parts if you wish but I won't post them here.

In taking his own message to its logical outcome, he wished to kill himself publicly at one of his performances. He never actually did carry this out as his death came upon him unexpectedly and in a manner not of his choosing.

I became more interested and watched a few more of the videos and ran across this video, taken at his funeral.




How garish and unclean the corpse looks. The following account of his funeral is taken from the above referenced link to GG Allin in the "Death" section of the article.

At his funeral, Allin's bloated, discolored corpse was dressed in his black leather jacket and trademark jock strap. He had a bottle of Jim Bean beside him in his casket, per his wishes (openly stated in his self-penned acoustic country ballad, "When I Die"). As part of his brother's request, the mortician was instructed not to wash the corpse (which smelled strongly of feces), or apply any makeup. The funeral became a wild party. Friends posed with the corpse, placing drugs and whiskey into its mouth. As the funeral ended, his brother put a pair of headphones on Allin. The headphones were plugged into a portable cassette player, in which was loaded a copy of The Suicide Sessions. The video of his funeral is widely available for purchase, and is an extra feature on the Hated DVD and some bootleg VHS tapes.

After seeing the video of his funeral I was thinking about him. I also experienced the desire to pray for him and I felt a loss that there are so many like him who are slaves to the nihilism that pervades and permeates us as a mode of being in our current world or perhaps more accurately we may state the present nihilism to be quite "natural" and well suited to the Fallen World and an outworking of the continuing spirit of the age opposed to God Incarnate in Christ.

I also thought about him and his life and why he chose to live that way. I thought of him with sadness and even prayed for him, understanding that Christ mourned over his death and his rejection of Him. This man, GG Allin, filled with such pain and misery expired in his rage. I thought of myself who lived as he did, just not having taking it to the level he did. I thought of all of us who perhaps will never do what GG Allin did but who nonetheless are partakers of Death and the living out of the death of this present age.

GG Allin was not a poser. He tried to "break through" in his own sick way out of the trap of existence deprived of its filling with God. He was not able to penetrate and burst this plane and I believe his rage was both a result of and a fuel he drew on to attempting to burst through. Perhaps along the lines of what Jim Morrison of The Doors meant when he sang "Break on Through".

There is no breaking through this existence which is defined by Death without being found in Him Who is both Creator and the one Who overcame this present age and Who calls all to be found in Him that we too may escape the corruption of the present age of Death we sojourn in.

My thoughts turned to the Blessed Elder Joseph of Vatopedi who recently reposed in the Lord. I thought of the circumstances of his death and on the article I posted relating to the events following his repose. You may also view footage of his funeral as well by following the link here. The picture you see is the one that was taken of him some time after his death when the smile came upon his face that amazed all who saw it. This story has been widely circulated and is a great encouragement.

I could not help but be struck by the very different lives of these two men and the very different ways they were treated after their deaths.

One, Elder Joseph, participating with his will in the Uncreated Energies of the Triune God and experiencing heaven while alive, dies with his entire person in the hope of the Resurrection.

The other, GG Allin, dies with hatred against God and as in life, so his spirit leaves his body and lies putrid; his body reflecting the death so well which he so tried to emulate and "live".

For me, GG Allin was the me of then taken to its logical conclusion in the type he represented and Elder Joseph is the me of then who is now attempting to live his type now to the glory of God that I too may experience the Resurrection unto Life.

Bishop Veron Ashe -The Prize Of The High Calling 2

Ok. I like this.

Hat tip to Angela.

Books I've Read(or am reading)-Twenty-Four: "Saint Nektarios, The Saint of our Century" by Sotos Chondropoulos

(click on images to enlarge)


















In a recent post I briefly mentioned the effect this book had in my life. And for Dixie I will make here some comments on the overall reaction of our patrons to the cards we give out with the "Wisdom of the Saints." The cards have been received very well with very few people being put off by them. In fact quite often we, my brothers and I, are approached and told how much these cards are liked. We even receive comments to the effect, "I really like your philosophy cards." Again, our hope is that the cards will make people thirsty in some manner for the Holy Orthodox Faith. They are also meant to unsettle a bit, not giving people the fortune cookie ego inflating treatment but a treatment, perhaps somewhat subdued, of the need for repentance and to not be content with one's life lived outside of God.

This post will be to have a brief description of the book itself and to also allow me a venue to put down some random thoughts that have made their way to my consciousness.

I have come to believe with more conviction that in one sense, especially for new Orthodox Christians, reading the lives of the Saints in one respect is more important than reading the Scriptures. And only thus. The lives of the Saints reveal Scripture to us. The Saints in their lives embody the Scriptures and the Tradition in which the Tradition they are written, which Tradition is not a dead and lifeless thing but the fragrance and Life of the Holy Spirit.

A Saint is only a Saint in the Church because his or her life is "dogmatically correct". We can argue about teaching if we wish, but when discussing the life of a Saint it is rather difficult to argue about a life. To argue about why someone is called "Saint" is to argue with the Church which may perhaps be useful if this arguing brings to the surface the matters that one finds difficult to understand and accept in the Life of the Church.

The reading of Saints' lives helps one build an Orthodox World View and see life through their eyes and how they dealt with the challenges put before them. The Orthodox World View is the Life of the Triune God as lived by the Saints within the Church. Their lives show us the Scriptures. Their lives show us the Savior. Their lives manifest the Blessed Holy Trinity.

Reading these stories gives one the framework in which to place the reading of Holy Scripture within the Church as lived in the life of the Saint in such a manner that the Scriptures breathe naturally in this atmosphere and are not stifled nor forced. Without the Orthodox World View, i.e., the Life of the Church, to place the Scriptures in, they remain flat, lacking a dimension that "fills them out".

After watching the new DVD on St. John Maximovich , a growing desire has been tugging at me to have "Saints' Nights" perhaps at my home. This would be an evening devoted to the reading of a Saint's life and perhaps their teaching. I have ideas about certain rules of ambiance being in force to add to the night.

I will here post the Preface to this wonderful book and add to this simply my heart's desire that anyone reading this post on my blog here would search out this book and become acquainted with Saint Nektarios and go from acquaintance to the asking of his holy prayers and intercessions.

PREFACE

"Saint Nektarios, whose biography you are about to read, was born in Silyvria of Thrace on the 1st of October, 1846 of humble yet pious and God-fearing parents and gave up his blessed spirit to the Lord in the evening of the 8th of November, 1920.

Even before our Holy Church proceeded to the official proclamation of his Sainthood, through the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Athenagoras, in April 1961, the multitude of the faithful people had already acknowledged Nektarios, the Metropolitan of Pentapolis, to be a Saint.

The fragrance that the sweat of his face gave out, the first miracle that took place in Aretaieion Hospital as soon as he breathed his last, were the first signs of his obvious holiness.

A few years later, St. Nektarios became widely known not only throughout Greece but to the whole Orthodox world as well, as far as the depths of the African continent. Moreover, it is a known fact that hundreds of churches and chapels have been erected in his honor and continue to do so wherever faithful Orthodox Greeks are found.

God who judges all and decides which of those who lived or taught in the Orthodox manner will remain intercessors for the Church even after their reception into Heaven, found Nektarios of Pentapolis worthy of ministering for the faithful Christians as a Saint.
The faithful can and must address their supplications to him since he was found worthy of standing in front of the Lord's throne and interceded with Him on our behalf.

As a contemporary Saint of our times, he very soon becomes the best known Saint of all time acguiring the title «the Saint of our century.»

Along with the historical data on his life there exists an immense amount of material concerning his spiritual life as seen through the numerous writings he left us and the testimony of his contemporaries.

Many pamphlets and books have been written to emphasize St. Nektarios holiness and strengthen the spirit of the Christians.

The unique beauty of the book in hand, dear reader, according to general acknowledegement, lies in its narrative style while remaining adherent to the historical facts.

The esteemed author, Sotos Chondropoulos, started his work in awe and prayer, He gathered the available written material and every verified oral information he found concerning the Saint's life and moulded it in his own personal style.

His purpose was to show how and why the Saint «pleased the Lord,» how he dealt with the problems of his times, the hardships, the degradations, the slander, the physical torture; mainly, how he faced up to the ceaseless attacks of the evil one and how this humble hierarch of Aegina reached holiness and was graced by the Lord.

The author's frequent visits to the island of Aegina and his stay at the Monastery that was established by the Saint himself - since the author offered the Monastery his services as a book¬keeper gratis till the end of his days - gave him the opportunity to live in the places that the Saint had lived: rest under the tree the Saint used to rest, touch his personal belongings, stay in his room. How couldn't he be inspired by such a blessing?

It was within this blessing that he strongly wished to put on paper this extraordinary figure of Orthodoxy; the figure of the tortured Saint of Aegina, of St. Nektarios who left on the twentieth century an unfading trail of humility, perseverance, wise silence and hope.

On a daily basis, after finishing with the book-keeping at the Monastery, the author studied, learned, sipped the nectar that was discretely hidden in the flower of the Saint's life on earth.

Some time later, he was ready to present through his graceful narrative aspects of the Saints life that were unknown till then; the originality of his work lies in the liveliness of his style that enables the reader to visualize the narrated events and fills his heart with serene joy.

This biography has been widely circulating all over Greece since 1970, Now, with God's help, «New Earth», publications, who have the sole responsibility of this work by right of inheritance, have the opportunity to publish it in the English language.

We strongly believe that the public in all Orthodox states will embrace this English version in the same spirit of love and Christian zeal."

Christos S, Chondropoulos

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