Tag: Christianity

Moscow, February 4, 2025

Photo: patriarchia.ru     

Donations offered in honor of the anniversary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s enthronement as primate of the Russian Orthodox Church were allocated towards the purchase of necessary medical equipment.

February 1 marked the 16th anniversary of his enthronement. Traditionally Moscow parishes would offer flowers in honor of the event, but since 2016, the Patriarch has blessed for flowers to be replaced with targeted fundraising for charitable needs.

This year, the funds were directed toward purchasing a dental computed tomograph for the Central Clinical Hospital of St. Alexei, Metropolitan of Moscow, reports Patrarchia.ru.

The tomograph is designed to conduct a wide range of studies, significantly improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment for patients with dental pathologies and expanding the list of available dental services. The device will help doctors increase diagnostic accuracy for developing effective treatment plans.

Dental care at the clinic is available primarily to clergy and monastics of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Pat. Kirill has also urged parishes to donate to various causes for his Patriarch Kirill urges parishes to donate to Syrian fund for his name’s dayHis Holiness Patriarch Kirill has blessed and urged Moscow parishes not to give him flowers for his upcoming name’s day on May 24, but instead to give the money to the Russian Church’s latest fundraiser for the stricken people of Syria.

“>name’s day on May 24 and his Patriarch Kirill asks priests not to give flowers for jubilee, but to help hospital“Important equipment for the St. Alexei Hospital will be bought with this money,” said the chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Services, Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevsk.”>birthday on November 20. In addition to the Church-run St. Alexei Hospital, medical supplies have also been sent to Syria.

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Pope Francis on Monday hosted an international summit on the rights of the child, lamenting the millions who daily endure war, poverty, abuse, exploitation, depression and a lack of hope for the future.

The Feb. 3 summit, held in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace and titled, “Love them and protect them,” featured keynote speeches by Pope Francis and Vatican Secretary of State Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as well as from the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, British Archbishop Paul Gallagher, among others.

It drew high-level participants from across the world, including former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Laureate Al Gore, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, and a slew of government representatives from Italy, Gambia, Indonesia, Egypt, and South Africa, as well as representatives of institutions such as the World Food Program, FIFA, Interpol and Mary’s Meals.

In an opening address, the pope, lamented that throughout the world, children’s rights “are daily trampled upon and ignored.”

He noted that many children experience poverty, war, a lack of access to healthcare and education, as well as injustice and exploitation, and that even in wealthier countries, “little ones are not infrequently vulnerable and suffer from problems that we cannot underestimate.”

Children across the world have to deal with various difficulties, he said, and those in developed nations often experience anxiety and depression, and many are “drawn to forms of aggression or self-harm.”

“Moreover, a culture of efficiency looks upon childhood itself, like old age, as a ‘periphery’ of existence,” the pope said, and noted that many young people struggle to find hope in themselves and their circumstances, calling this “sad and troubling.”

“What we have tragically seen almost every day in recent times, namely children dying beneath bombs, sacrificed to the idols of power, ideology, and nationalistic interests, is unacceptable,” he said, saying, “nothing is worth the life of a child.”

Pope Francis stressed that “To kill children is to deny the future,” and lamented that where war is absent, other problems such as drug and gang related violence are prevalent, as well as a destructive “pathological individualism.”

He voiced sadness that many children are mistreated and killed by those who ought to be protecting them, while others die as migrants at sea or in the desert in hopes of obtaining a better life and future, or they end up exploited.

“All these situations are different, but they raise the same question: How is it possible that a child’s life should end like this?” he said, calling all of these situations “unacceptable.”

Francis cautioned against “becoming inured to this reality,” saying, “a childhood denied is a silent scream condemning the wrongness of the economic system, the criminal nature of wars, the lack of adequate medical care and schooling.”

He called the situation a “global moral crisis” and urged summit participants to not let these situations “become the new normal.”

The pope condemned what he said was a general lack of mercy and compassion before the plight children face, noting that 40 million children throughout the world have been displaced by conflict, while around 100 million are homeless and others endure slavery in the forms of trafficking, child labor, abuse and compulsory marriages.

There are also millions of migrant children, including many who are alone, he said, noting that a significant number of children “live in limbo” because they were not registered at birth. Some 150 million children are in this situation, he said, meaning they are essentially “invisible” and lack education and healthcare.

“We can think of the young Rohingya children, who often struggle to get registered, or the ‘undocumented’ children at the border of the United States,” he said.

These children, he said, are “those first victims of that exodus of despair and hope made by the thousands of people coming from the South towards the United States of America, and many others.”

This situation is nothing new, he said, pointing to the fact that many elderly people have experienced similar difficulties and tragedies during times of wars and conflicts of the past.

Hearing stories of past violence, injustice and exploitation, he said, “serves to strengthen our ‘no’ to war, to the throwaway culture of waste and profit, in which everything is bought and sold without respect or care for life, especially when that life is small and defenseless.”

Francis also reiterated his condemnation of the practice of abortion, saying, “In the name of this throwaway mentality, in which the human being becomes all-powerful, unborn life is sacrificed through the murderous practice of abortion.”

“Abortion suppresses the life of children and cuts off the source of hope for the whole of society,” he said.

He closed urging participants to make the most of the summit and voiced hope that the discussion would “help to build a better world for children, and consequently for everyone!”

“For me, it is a source of hope that we are all here together, to put children, their rights, their dreams, and their demand for a future at the center of our concern,” he said.

Participants spoke in seven different panels throughout the day, dedicated to themes such as the rights of the child, including their right to resources, education, food, healthcare, and family, as well as their right to leisure and to live free from violence.

Pope Francis, who sat in various panels throughout the daylong summit, in closing remarks voiced gratitude to participants for their contributions, saying the halls of the apostolic palace had become an “observatory open to the reality of childhood throughout the world.”

Childhood, he said, is “often wounded, exploited and denied.”

Participants’ presence, experience and compassion, he said, “have given life to an observatory and above all a ‘laboratory’: in various themed groups you have developed proposals for the protection of children’s rights, considering them not as numbers but as faces.”

“All this gives glory to God, and we entrust it to Him, so that His Holy Spirit may make it fertile and fruitful,” he said, and announced his intention to write a document, an apostolic letter or exhortation, dedicated to children.

With this document, he said, he hopes “to give continuity to this commitment (to children) and to promote it throughout the Church.”

Bucharest, February 4, 2025

Photo: Trinitas TV     

The Romanian Orthodox Church is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its status as a Patriarchate throughout 2025, and the main events were held yesterday and today in Bucharest, including the proclamation of 20th-century saints.

The festivities began with the celebration of Vespers at the Patriarchal Cathedral last night and continued this morning with a procession with the relics of the cathedral’s patron saints: the Holy Apostle Andrew, Protector of Romania, Sts. Constantine and Helena, St. Demetrius the New, Protector of Bucharest, and St. Nektarios of Aegina, reports the Basilica News Agency.

“This is the communion of the saints, a true, but mysterious and profound meeting. This is actually the Church—the communion of Christ, the saints and the faithful in prayer!” emphasized His Grace Bishop Paisie of Sinai, who led the procession.

The placing of the relics in a canopy at the cathedral was followed by the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania and a host of Romanian Orthodox hierarchs and clergy. The day’s services were broadcast live by the Church’s Trinitas TV:

​

Following the Liturgy, the canonization of 16 martyrs, confessors, and ascetics of the 20th century was liturgically proclaimed and celebrated. The Synod resolved to canonize them at its session Romanian Synod canonizes 16 martyrs, confessors, and ascetics of the 20th-centuryThe Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church formally approved the canonization of more than a dozen martyrs, confessors, and ascetics of the 20th century at its session on July 11–12.

“>in July, and their formal proclamation was specifically timed to the 100th anniversary celebrations.

According to tradition, the final memorial parastas for the saints was served last night after Vespers. And following today’s Liturgy, the Synodal Tomos for the proclamation of the saints was read by Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, Secretary of the Holy Synod.

Photo: basilica.ro     

“These people pleasing to God lived lives crowned with prayers, fasting, repentance, humility, and love, reaching perfection. Some of them paid with their lives for their confession of faith, being crowned with glorious martyrs’ crowns. Others lived a continuous, bloodless martyrdom, enduring imprisonment, torture, and countless humiliations, and after their release were continued to be persecuted by the godless,” states the Synodal text.

“Neither affliction, nor distress, nor hunger, nor lack of clothing, nor danger separated them from the love of Christ, in all these things proving themselves more than conquerors through Christ Who loved them.”

After reading the Synodal act, icons of the new saints were presented, and the Tronos Psaltic Group sang their troparia.

Pat. Daniel emphasized that the 16 saints are “the most precious fruit that our Church has brought forth in these 100 years, because through them is shown, more intensely, the mysterious work of the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Romanian Orthodox Church.”

“The Romanian Patriarchate’s Centenary is therefore a moment of holy joy and gratitude for all Romanian Orthodoxy. Looking back, we see not only a rich history, but also a profound spiritual heritage, left by our predecessors—patriarchs, hierarchs, priests, monks, and lay faithful, who defended and transmitted the Orthodox faith throughout time,” His Beatitude concluded.

Then, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe celebrated a Te Deum Service for the anniversary of the Romanian Patriarchate.

***

The 16 newly canonized saints are:

• Elder Sofian (Boghiu)Sofian (Boghiu), Elder

  “>Archimandrite Sofian Boghiu, abbot of St. Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest, with the title Venerable Confessor Sofian of St. Anthimos Monastery, commemorated on September 16;

• Fr. Dumitru StaniloaeStaniloae, Fr. Dumitru

  “>Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae, theology professor in Sibiu and Bucharest, with the title the Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae, commemorated on October 4;

• Romania: Relics of newly canonized St. Constantin Sârbu uncoveredThe relics of the holy Hieromartyr Constantin Sârbu were uncovered yesterday during a special service held at the Church of the Holy Wisdom in Bucharest.

  “>Fr. Constantin Sârbu, with the title Hieromartyr Constantine Sârbu, commemorated on October 23;

• Hieromonk Arsenie (Boca)Arsenie (Boca), Hieromonk

  “>Protosinghel Arsenie Boca, with the title Venerable Confessor Arsenie of Prislop, commemorated on November 28;

• Fr. Ilie Lăcătușu: The Man of GodFr. Ilie was a priest who was sanctified not in the middle of the wilderness, but amidst communist persecution, enduring with humility and without compromise the humiliations of prison life.

  “>Fr. Ilie Lăcătușu, with the title the Confessor Priest Ilie Lăcătușu, commemorated on July 22;

• My Spiritual Father Paisie the HermitFew monks and confessors are able to successfully combine the labors of a hermit with ministry as a spiritual father, solitude with an abundance of spiritual children, love for God with love for neighbor, hidden tears with pain of heart for disciples.

  “>Hieroschemamonk Paisie Olaru, confessor of Sihăstria Monastery, with the title Venerable Paisie of Sihăstria, commemorated on December 2;

• Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie)Cleopa (Ilie), Archimandrite

  “>Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie, abbot of Sihăstria Monastery, with the title Venerable Cleopa of Sihăstria, commemorated on December 2;

• Romanian Synod to consider canonization of disciples of Elder Arsenie (Boca)The hierarchs of Transylvania proposed Elder Arsenie himself for canonization in 2019. At their session this week at Râmeț Monastery in Valea Mănăstirii, the hierarchs examined the proposals for the canonization of Elders Dometie (Manolache) from Râmeț and Serafim (Popescu) from Sâmbăta de Sus.

  “>Archimandrite Dometie Manolache, with the title Venerable Dometie the Merciful of Râmeț, commemorated on July 6;

• Romanian Synod to consider canonization of disciples of Elder Arsenie (Boca)The hierarchs of Transylvania proposed Elder Arsenie himself for canonization in 2019. At their session this week at Râmeț Monastery in Valea Mănăstirii, the hierarchs examined the proposals for the canonization of Elders Dometie (Manolache) from Râmeț and Serafim (Popescu) from Sâmbăta de Sus.

  “>Archimandrite Serafim Popescu, abbot of Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery, with the title Venerable Serafim the Long-Suffering of Sâmbăta de Sus, commemorated on December 20;

• Martyr of Romanian communism recommended to Holy Synod for canonizationYet another name of the 20th-century martyrs and confessors to be considered for canonization by the Romanian Holy Synod in 2025 has been revealed.

  “>Fr. Liviu Galaction Munteanu, theology professor in Cluj-Napoca, with the title the Hieromartyr Liviu Galaction of Cluj, commemorated on March 8;

• Archimandrite Gherasim (Iscu), Hesychast of the Communist DungeonsAnd then I saw a miracle. I saw how a half-dead priest, standing on the threshold of death, beckoned for two prisoners. Leaning on their backs, he slowly walked past my bunk, sat down on the edge of the bunk of the man who had tortured him, and started stroking his head.

  “>Archimandrite Gherasim Iscu, abbot of Tismana Monastery, with the title Venerable Martyr Gherasim of Tismana, commemorated on December 26;

• Romanian Metropolis proposing several monastics for canonizationDuring the meeting, the hierarchs approved the liturgical texts that will form the services for Fr. Gherasim (Iscu), Fr. Visarion (Toia), and Fr. Ioan of Horezu, who are being proposed for canonization.

  “>Archimandrite Visarion Toia, abbot of Lainici Monastery, with the title Venerable Martyr Visarion of Lainici, commemorated on November 10;

• Romanian Synod to consider canonization of two 20th-century priestsThe hierarchs of the Metropolis of Banat gathered on Saturday, September 25, and after examining the relevant information, resolved to send the files for Fr. Calistrat and Fr. Ilarion on for examination by the Holy Synod of the entire Romanian Church.

  “>Protosinghel Calistrat Bobu, confessor at Timișeni Monastery and Vasiova Monastery, with the title Venerable Calistrat of Timișeni and Vasiova, commemorated on May 10;

• Romanian Synod to consider canonization of two 20th-century priestsThe hierarchs of the Metropolis of Banat gathered on Saturday, September 25, and after examining the relevant information, resolved to send the files for Fr. Calistrat and Fr. Ilarion on for examination by the Holy Synod of the entire Romanian Church.

  “>Fr. Ilarion Felea, theology professor in Arad, with the title the Hieromartyr Ilarion Felea, commemorated on September 18;

• Romanian Church canonizes father of Romanian chanting, proposes gulag confessor for canonizationThe Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church added a new saint to its liturgical calendar yesterday, and blessed the process for the canonization of another venerated elder.

  “>Protosinghel Iraclie Flocea, exarch of the monasteries of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, with the title Venerable Iraclie of Bessarabia, commemorated on August 3;

• Bessarabian hieromartyr killed by Soviets to be canonized in 2025Yet another name of the 20th-century martyrs and confessors to be canonized by the Romanian Holy Synod in 2025 has been revealed.

  “>Archpriest Alexandru Baltăga, with the title the Hieromartyr Alexandru of Bessarabia, commemorated on August 8

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Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, February 4, 2025

    

The Diocese of Goma of the Patriarchate of Alexandria is in an extremely adverse situation following the advance of M23 rebels into the city of Goma, home to more than 2 million people, on January 27.

The rebels have control over the entire city and its surroundings and are heading towards the city of Bukavu. The city of Goma has been looted, while rebel forces have cut off water and electricity. Shops have been pillaged, there is a massive shortage of food, and the little food that remains is already selling at five times the normal price, reports Romfea.

According to reports, prisons have been opened and the inmates have escaped, found weapons, and are committing many atrocious acts of theft and murder. It’s estimated that over 1,000 people have lost their lives.

The parishes of the city are at the center of the fighting and the episcopal residence is riddled with bullets.

Bishop Timothy of Goma, Archimandrite Nikephoros Kombotis, and other clergy have refused to abandon their flock. They remain there, trapped in a hotel that is relatively safe for now, praying for the cessation of war.

On Sunday, they celebrated Divine Liturgy in a small hotel salon, with few faithful present, as it’s dangerous to move about.

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San Francisco, February 4, 2025

Photo: wp.com     

Special prayers were offered this weekend before the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God for all victims of the fires in California.

The holy icon, venerated as the patroness of the Russian diaspora, was present for the Divine Liturgy at the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Cathedral in San Francisco on Sunday, reports the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

The service was celebrated by Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and the cathedral clergy.

During the service, special prayers were offered “for the cessation of natural disasters in California and for all those affected by the elements.”

Following the Liturgy, a moleben was served before the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon.

Orthodox jurisdictions helping victims of Los Angeles firesSeveral hierarchs have issued statements of compassion and calls to prayer and for the faithful to make tangible offerings of assistance.

“>Last month, OrthoChristian reported on how various jurisdictions are helping the victims of the Los Angeles fires.

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The Desert is the Place of the ChurchThe Church is in constant persecution.

“>Part 24

The seal and globalization

We’re reading the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation: Removing the VeilThis revelation was given by God to the Apostle John because we needed to know it.

“>Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian. Let’s summarize the previous one. In chapter twelve, the Apostle and Evangelist John speaks about the persecution of the Church that has taken place and which awaits us in the age of the antichrist. Then he describes the war in Heaven of the On Names and Angels. The Day of Archangel Michael“There is no one like God”—in this is expressed all of the great Archangel’s knowledge of his God. He doesn’t describe Him, nor does he explain—he stands and witnesses.”>Archangel Michael and the angels against the dragon and his angels and satan’s fall to earth. And then it speaks about the woes that came to earth with the fall of satan, about the persecutions that the dragon organizes against the Church.

​Archangel Michael Defeats the Dragon, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld     

In Revelation, the Church is depicted as a woman who bore a male Child. She was given the wings of a great eagle to fly into the desert and remain there for three and a half years. The dragon continues the war against the woman (the Church) and those who followed Christ.

In chapter thirteen, verse one says the following: And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy (Rev. 13:1). These mysterious visions continue: a beast with seven heads and ten horns. On the ten horns a diadem, and on the heads—blasphemous names. It’s a disgusting sight: a mysterious, demonic, satanic beast, hostile to God and which has no connection with the Holy Spirit of God. It comes from the sea. Some Holy Fathers say the sea symbolizes worldly vanity, worldly reality. This beast won’t be exactly as described, but something will happen that’s described this way in Revelation. We’ll see later on where this is spoken about in more detail.

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority (Rev. 13:2). Here the Apostle John describes exactly what he saw. Satan gave this beast his throne. He receives the throne, power, and authority from satan. Of course, the throne, power, and authority of satan are insignificant. Satan has no power, he has no throne to sit on, he has no authority over anything. However, satan can receive power when we give him the right.

You should know that the devil has no authority over man—he has no authority at all over us. But when we ourselves start listening to his commands (the passions and sins), then through our passions and sins satan starts to rule over us. Every day, what the Apostle Peter says happens to us and those around us: For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage (2 Pet. 2:19). Where someone is defeated, that’s where he’s enslaved. You have a passion that has established itself in you and you’ve become a slave to this passion. Your freedom is lost and this passion begins to rule over you. It takes a lot of hard work to overcome this passion; it demands a bloody struggle. Often, a man has to fight a terrible battle to be delivered from captivity to the devil.

The devil is a terrible dictator. He doesn’t have even the slightest pity for man; he seeks to destroy us completely. He doesn’t sorrow over us, he doesn’t love us. He wants our complete destruction, and unfortunately, finds a reason and enjoys authority when we give him that right. Therefore, we can’t justify ourselves by saying: “But he has power over me—he found my weakness.” The devil has no power over us. God didn’t create us to submit to the devil. Our passions and sins subordinate us to him, take power over us, and force us to do whatever they want. The Holy Fathers say that the power of the devil has no essence.¹ The devil isn’t a second power in the world; only God has power. The devil is completely devoid of strength and power. Of course, he exists as a reality, but he doesn’t rule. When man gives him the right, then he receives power. Just as light and darkness don’t exist, so there is no dual leadership in the world. When there’s no light, there’s darkness. But darkness isn’t another essence, but only the absence of light. Similarly, the absence of Divine grace makes room for the devil to exist and exercise power.

The power of the beast

We’re talking about specific things right now—about the beast with seven heads and ten horns that came out of the sea. The dragon, whom we read about earlier, gives this beast his power, authority, and throne. Now let’s see what kind of beast this is. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast (Rev. 13:3). It looked like one of his heads was mortally wounded, but it wasn’t so. It was a hoax, not reality. The interpretations of the Holy Fathers say that it was a deception, to confuse people. This one of the seven heads wasn’t mortally wounded; the seemingly fatal wound was healed. The whole world was surprised by the beast. Everyone had seen that the beast’s head was mortally wounded, which wasn’t true; the wound was healed, and the world was amazed and followed the beast. The whole world, the whole universe considered this a miracle. The beast showed people a miracle: His wounded head was healed.

The Dragon Gives Power to the Beast, Apocalypse Tapestry, 14th c.     

But in the eyes of St. John the Theologian, it wasn’t so: The head was “as it were” mortally wounded. It was obvious that this was a hoax, designed to captivate the world. This beast will be able to lead the world with its lies and false healings and miracles. This is one of the features of the antichrist—a lie that will make the world marvel and wonder. The beast will deceive the world with false miracles; the entire world will be delighted and will follow him. People will follow him.

And they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Rev. 13:4). People worshiped the beast, the dragon’s chosen one, satan’s chosen one. They started saying: “Who is like this beast? Who can fight him?” Of course, they don’t call it a beast. If they did, it would eat them. It will be a nice animal, like a lamb. But this lamb will eat the soul of men. Who can defeat this animal? He will be very strong, he will seem very good, he will have the power of miracles and will draw the world after himself. The world will say: “Who is like this animal? Is there really anyone so good? Who can be compared with him?” He will seem strong and wonderful.

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (Rev. 13:5). How else can he speak if not pridefully and blasphemously, if this is the chosen one of satan? The mouth of the one who speaks lofty and blasphemous words is borrowed from the devil. This beast is given authority to wage war for forty-two months, that is, three and a half years. We will see this number constantly.

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven (Rev. 13:6). The evil beast opened his mouth to blaspheme God and the Church. Blasphemy isn’t just an insult, but also a distortion and slander. The beast slanders and insults God and the Church of God. He’s given authority to wage war.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations (Rev. 13:7). These are all symbols and riddles. This is how St. John the Theologian saw it; this is how the Holy Spirit revealed it to him.

The beast is given authority to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. Will this beast, in the end, conquer the Church, the saints, God’s chosen ones? Not completely, but to a significant degree. It will seem like the Church and the saints have been defeated. God will allow this according to our sins, because we’ll be cold, as the Gospel says elsewhere: When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? (Lk. 18:8). Because of our unbelief, because of the coldness of our hearts, the beast will receive authority in the last days and will begin to wage war against the people of the Church and will defeat them. He’ll also be given power over the whole world—over all peoples, tongues, and tribes. Globalization, as they call it. He’ll rule everywhere, gaining universal recognition and respect.

​Worship of the Beast, French Apocalypse, late 13th c.     

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb Who has been slain (Rev. 13:8). All but a few will worship him. Those whose names were written in the Book of Life won’t worship him. Who are they? The chosen ones of God, the holy people who remain faithful to God, who don’t follow the beast, despite the miracles, despite his rule over the world, despite the fact that he will shine and dazzle with his great power. Everyone will say: “Who can compare with this all-powerful being?” But there will be people—simple, humble, purehearted, who won’t worship him.

The name written in the Book of Life

Speaking of the Book of Life, I’ll tell you a story from the Holy Mountain that happened in the 1920s and 1930s at New Skete, where there were caves. We didn’t live in the caves, but in huts, but there were caves on the territory of our kallyvia where there lived an elder—Geronda Averkios—a simple, semi-literate man, who spent his whole life in a cave, where puddles of water gathered in the winter. This poor elder, an ascetic and cave-dweller, had the obedience of collecting snails, earning his bread this way. Snails were in fashion then. When it rained, the elder collected snails and then gave them to the fathers. In return, they gave him oil and a little bread to sustain himself. They had this barter system then.

​New Skete, Mt. Athos     

Fr. Averkios lived in poverty and simplicity. Being semi-literate, he could read by syllables. In the skete’s main church, where the fathers gather for the All-Night Vigil for Sundays, he would sit at the very end, on the litia,² as we call this part of the church on Mt. Athos. He would go to the very last stasidia and pray in the darkness, bent over in the corner. Once, at an All-Night Vigil, when all the fathers were gathered in the main church, they saw him leave his place. It was very strange, because it wasn’t time yet to venerate the icons, and he never left before that. However, he walked through the whole church and entered the altar through the Royal Doors, although he wasn’t a priest, and only priests are allowed to walk through the Royal Doors. He stood before the holy altar, bowed and kissed something, saying: “Monk Averkios, Your Grace. I see, I see—Monk Averkios.” Then he kissed something and returned to his spot. The fathers started asking him:

“What, have you gone crazy? You were just sitting in your spot, then you get up and go into the altar?”

They thought something had happened to him.

“I didn’t go by myself. There was a bishop in the altar and he summoned me, so I approached him. He asked me my name. I told him my name is Monk Averkios, and he wrote my name in some book and asked me to read it. I said I saw written there the name ‘Monk Averkios.’ And the bishop said he’d written my name in the Book of Life.”

The simple elder didn’t understand what was said to him. He kissed his hand and went back. A few days later, he reposed and went to Heaven.

The names of such people are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life—innocent, purehearted, unblemished people who are recorded there because of their repentance and love for Christ. They will be faithful followers of the Lamb Christ and not worship the beast. But that will mean torments. It’s not easy at all; it’s a very difficult thing to resist, to sacrifice everything for everything.

To be continued…

Catholics in Kansas last week drove a truckload of supplies more than 1,600 miles to Los Angeles to bring some relief to the faithful there who have been devastated by recent wildfires.

Deacon Greg Trum and his wife, Barb, told CNA they were moved to help residents of Los Angeles while putting Christmas decorations away in the storage space of their Leawood, Kansas, home.

“Barb said, ‘Hey, if something’s been in the storage area for a year and we haven’t needed it, it needs to go,’” Trum said, adding that his wife further expressed that she wished they could get some of their belongings to victims of the Los Angeles fires.

Trum’s response? “We could probably load up a truck and do something.”

The Trums asked their pastor, Father Brian Schieber at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, if they could organize the parish to donate supplies. They contacted Paul Escala, the superintendent of Catholic schools in Los Angeles, to determine what parishioners in that city might need. The effort ultimately focused on students and others at St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Altadena.

They put the word out to the St. Michael community. “The response was overwhelming,” the deacon said. “Immediately people started bringing things in.”

The effort began at the St. Michael the Archangel parish school. Trum said the principal told the several hundred children of the school: “If you woke up and had nothing, what would you need? Bring that to these kids.”

“We got a ton of school supplies, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and bedding,” Trum said. “It was originally somewhat focused on the school. But once we knew we were going to overwhelm the school [in Los Angeles] with the supplies, we opened it to family needs.”

Organizers quickly saw that the volume of goods being donated by the parish would require a truck to transport it. Trum was able to secure transportation at a bargain rate.

“I was in the commercial tire business,” he said. “One of my customers was Penske Truck.”

“I didn’t want to get gouged,” Trum said with a laugh. “I called them up and told them about it and said, will you give us a deal?”

According to the deacon, the company responded: “We’ll give you a really good deal — we’ll give you a truck!” All it cost the church was gas, Trum said.

A fellow parishioner, Mike Pollock, oversaw the logistics of boxing up and organizing the supplies. The deacon ultimately rode out with another friend and fellow Catholic, Mike Klover.

On the way out, they stopped at a Catholic parish in Topeka that had heard about the effort and wanted to add supplies to the truck. The city was directly on the route to Los Angeles, so the drivers stopped and loaded up more donations.

After that, “the only room we had on our truck was our two suitcases,” the deacon said. “Mother Mary was definitely in charge, making sure things went well.”

Both the St. Elizabeth church and school survived, but many members of the parish and school lost their homes in the surrounding area.

The duo traveled a total of 1,653 miles to get to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pasadena, where the supplies would be dropped off for the nearby St. Elizabeth Parish.

“We had a 3:30 appointment, and we were there at 3:15,” Trum said. Many members of the community turned out to help unload the truck, including Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes.

Trum and Klover stayed overnight two nights with the religious sisters at the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra before heading back to Kansas.

For Barb Trum, the experience was the fruit of a dedication to Christ and the Virgin Mary. “We have a very deep devotion to the Blessed Mother,” she told CNA. “You have to stay very close to the sacraments every day, whether it’s daily Mass, the Eucharist, reconciliation, or adoration.”

She urged the faithful to “have an open heart to do God’s work and build up the kingdom of God.” She pointed to the Gospel directive in which the faithful are told “if you have two things you’re supposed to give one to someone who needs it.”

“When Jesus calls, we respond,” she said. “That’s what we did.”

The presentation of Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem shows that God’s closeness to humanity is not confined to a place of worship but is manifested in his living among people, Pope Francis said.

“God is present in the midst of his people, not because he dwells within four walls, but because he lives as a man among humanity,” the pope said before praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square Feb. 2. ” This is the novelty of Jesus.”

The day’s Gospel reading from St. Luke recounted how Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple 40 days after his birth, following Jewish tradition. The “heartfelt voices” of Simeon and Anna, who had long awaited the messiah, “resound among the ancient stones of the temple, announcing the fulfillment of Israel’s expectations,” the pope said.

Simeon described Jesus in “three beautiful ways,” the pope said. “Jesus is salvation, Jesus is light; Jesus is a sign of contradiction.”

“Like the sun that rises over the world, this child will redeem it from the darkness of evil, pain and death,” Pope Francis said. “How much we need light, this light, even today!”

Simeon then prophesied that Jesus will be “a sign that will be contradicted” so that “the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

“Jesus reveals the criterion for judging all of history and each of our lives,” Pope Francis explained. “And what is this criterion? It is love: those who love, live; those who hate, die.”

The pope urged Christians to reflect on whether they, too, are longing for God: “Do I wish to see the face of the Lord? Do I await the manifestation of his plan of salvation?”

After praying the Angelus, the pope called for people to say “no” to war.

“It destroys everything, it destroys life and induces us to disregard it,” he said; “let us not forget that war is always a defeat.”

Pope Francis renewed his Jubilee year appeal for Christian government leaders “to do their utmost in the negotiations to bring all the ongoing conflicts to an end.”

“Let us pray for peace in tormented Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and North Kivu,” he said, referring to the region in Congo where intense fighting flared up in late January, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people.

Pope Francis said Monday that Blessed Carlo Acutis shows young people that “the fullness of life” in today’s world is found in following Jesus.

Speaking to Catholic pilgrims from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland on Feb. 3, the pope shared a special message for young people, pointing to the soon-to-be canonized Acutis as an example of joyful discipleship.

“As part of this year’s events, on 27 April we will celebrate the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis,” Francis said. “This young saint of and for our times shows you, and all of us, how possible it is in today’s world for young people to follow Jesus, share his teachings with others, and so find the fullness of life in joy, freedom, and holiness.”

The pope then urged young Catholics to embrace their role in the Church, quoting his apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit: “May the Holy Spirit urge you on … The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them!”

The papal audience with the pilgrimage group organized by the Nordic bishops’ conference is one of many such audiences for the 88-year-old pope this year as pilgrims travel to Rome from across the globe for the 2025 Jubilee Year.

Reflecting on the theme of the jubilee — “Pilgrims of Hope” — Pope Francis encouraged the Scandinavian Catholics to be strengthened in their faith.

“It is my prayer, then, that your hope will be strengthened during these days,” he said. “You are surely already aware of signs of hope in your home countries, for the Church in your lands, while small, is growing in numbers.”

Despite a high level of secularization, the Catholic Church in the Nordic countries continues to expand, experiencing an annual 2% growth due to immigration, conversions, and flourishing communities, according to the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner.

The pope attributed this increase to God’s providence.

“It always grows,” he said. “We can thank Almighty God that the seeds of faith planted and watered there by generations of persevering pastors and people are bearing fruit. Nor should this surprise us, because God is always faithful to his promises!”

The pope also reminded the pilgrims that their journey did not end in Rome but was part of a lifelong commitment to discipleship and evangelization.

“As you visit the various holy sites in the Eternal City, especially the tombs of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, I also pray that your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your awareness of belonging to him and to one another in the communion of the Church, will be nourished and deepened,” he said.

He urged the pilgrims to bring the spirit of their journey back home, emphasizing that faith is meant to be shared with others.

“A pilgrimage does not end but shifts its focus to the daily ‘pilgrimage of discipleship’ and the call to persevere in the task of evangelization,” he said. “In this regard, I would encourage your vibrant Catholic communities to cooperate with your fellow Christians, for in these challenging times, scarred by war in Europe and around the world, how much our human family needs a unified witness to the reconciliation, healing, and peace that can come only from God.”

“There can be no greater ‘work’ than transmitting the saving message of the Gospel to others, and we are called to do this especially for those on the margins,” Pope Francis said.

Photo: foma.ru     

Our Lord Jesus Christ was traveling and ended up going through the ancient city of Jericho. Those who have read the Old Testament will remember that Joshua and the Israelites conquered the city of Jericho by following the guidance of God. Through their faithfulness, a great miracle took place as the walls of that city came down. Yet today we are witnesses to an even greater miracle as the walls of one man’s hardened heart came crashing down.

We do put walls around our heart. This happens both intentionally as well as unintentionally. We put up walls intentionally through choosing a life of rebellion, a life of sin, a life apart from God. We might not think of it this way but in fact sin is a wall that separates us from God. When we choose to live in sin, we are in fact building a fortress around our hearts and setting a guard to keep something or someone out. That someone is none other than the Lord Himself. But when we build this wall due to our life of sin, we keep out God and we keep out our loved ones, friends, everyone. We keep everyone at a distance.

The fathers of the Church often speak of sin as not simply a choice, it is also an illness, a condition into which humanity has fallen. So when we see that someone has fallen into sin, it is not good to judge or condemn the person. We can judge the actions or behaviors as wrong, but we must see the person as truly sick with the sickness that afflicts everyone, everywhere, at all times. It only afflicts them to differing degrees and with differing severity. This is why the Lord teaches us not to judge others, because we are immediately judged by that same judgement.

Zacchaeus the tax collector was also a man who had fallen into sin. We do not know exactly what his sins were but we can gather from the reading that since he was a tax collector, he had been greedy and perhaps he took more taxes than he should have since he held a position of great power within the Roman Empire. It was normal at that time for the tax collectors to collect extra from their subjects than was necessary. They did so because they had the power to do it and because it helped them become wealthy men. If they were going to be hated for being tax collectors, they might as well get wealthy doing so.

Zacchaeus’ heart was hardened, but the entrance of the Lord Jesus began to change everything in his life. The presence of Christ and the commotion of the crowd caused Zacchaeus to become curious. The founder of the company Apple, Steve Jobs once said “Much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.” For human beings curiosity can be directed to either what is good, true and beautiful, otherwise it may be directed to what is ugly, evil, false and destructive.

On this particular day in the great city of Jericho, Zacchaeus curiosity led him to explore the person of Jesus Christ for himself. And he did so with such a great and childlike effort that he was rewarded with something quite priceless. His house become the temple of God. His heart become a place of rest for the Lord Jesus Christ. His curiosity had opened up the slightest crack in his hardened defenses but this was enough for the grace of God to enter and begin the work of changing him completely. He had noticed the crowd, but he needed to see the Lord for himself. And he saw Him, and more importantly, was seen by Him.

Likewise, the Lord honors our intentions and desires. He blesses our good intentions and desires and multiplies them for us. He waits to see a little effort, and He overwhelms us with spiritual riches that we can’t comprehend. We make a bit of effort to pray, and the Lord begins to help us pray. We make a bit of effort to study and learn about Jesus Christ and He himself grants us true wisdom. We make an effort to obey the commandments and the teaching of the Lord, and we find grace assisting us to do so more perfectly and completely.

At the request of Jesus, Zacchaeus immediately welcomed the Lord into his home. He said to the Lord, “Lord this is no longer my home but your home and your kingdom.” Christ had conquered his heart completely. He led the man to heartfelt repentance. He led the man to a real change. These are the signs and indicators that a man has had a true experience of Jesus Christ. He is changed over time. He may not be perfect. He may still stumble and struggle, but he will slowly be growing into the man that God had always intended. This is a promise that is also given to each of us. So when the Lord calls on us to open our hearts to Him, let us do what Zacchaeus did and make haste to receive Him joyfully. For there is no greater joy than to have Christ dwelling in your heart and in your life.

On the opposite side of this we see that sometimes God calls us but we barely respond. We might be lazy or negligent. We might think that other things require our attention and our focus. We might think that we don’t need an active life with God. And because God is love, He will often give us the space to do what we desire, because this life is given to us as a gift of God’s love. Yet this makes the actions of Zacchaeus all the more impressive. He used his freedom to climb the tree and seek our Christ.

He used his freedom to welcome Christ into his home and to feed Him at his table. He used his freedom to repent, not a little bit, but fully and completely. He was prepared to give up everything in his life once Christ was with him. Because Christ became his only treasure and everything else became like rubbish to him. This is exactly the sentiment shared by St. Paul when he writes to the Phillipians saying,

“7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Php 3:7-14

May we also be like St. Paul and Zacchaeus and leave everything else behind and press on with courage and hope in the promises and the riches of fellowship with Jesus Christ our God. AMEN.