Αναζήτηση αυτού του ιστολογίου
Πέμπτη 30 Ιουνίου 2022
ΠΕΡΊ ΨΑΛΜΏΝ
Τετάρτη 29 Ιουνίου 2022
Ο ΓΈΡΩΝ ΚΑΙ Ο ΔΙΆΒΟΛΟΣ.
ΧΡΉΣΙΜΗ ΙΣΤΟΡΊΑ
Ο,ΤΙ ΘΕΛΟΥΜΕ ΓΕΝΝΑΜΕ. ΘΕΛΟΥΜΕ ΑΓΙΟΥΣ, ΓΕΝΝΑΜΕ ΑΓΙΟΥΣ.
ΚΑΛΩΣ ΣΕ ΒΡΗΚΑ ΣΜΥΡΝΗ
ΚΑΛΩΣ ΣΕ ΒΡΗΚΑ ΣΜΥΡΝΗ
…ΣΚΙΖΕΙ γιὰ λίγο ἀκόμη ὁ ἰμάμης τὴ μεσημεριανὴ ἡσυχία μὲ τὶς ὡραῖες μελωδίες σὲ ἦχο χαρούμενο, πλάγιο τοῦ τετάρτου, προτρέποντας τοὺς πιστοὺς Μουσουλμάνους σὲ προσευχή, ναζάμ. Δὲν κρατιέμαι καὶ κατεβαίνω στὴν ἀγορὰ μαζὶ μὲ τὸν Χρῆστο, εἴπαμε, τὸν μέγα παζαροποιό, προκειμένου νὰ κάνω μιὰ ἀγορὰ ἀπὸ ἕνα κατάστημα μουσικῶν ὀργάνων. Τὸ εἶχα σχεδιάσει ἐδῶ καὶ καιρὸ βρίσκοντας τὶς συμφέρουσες τιμὲς καὶ ποιότητες ἤδη ἀπὸ τὸ διαδίκτυο.
Ἦταν 16 Μαΐου τοῦ 2019 καί, ὄντως, τὴν ἴδια ἡμερομηνία ποὺ πρὶν ἑκατὸ χρόνια εἶχε εἰσέλθει στὴ Σμύρνη ὁ ἑλληνικὸς στρατὸς προκειμένου, μὲ ἀπόφαση τοῦ «Ἀνωτάτου Συμμαχικοῦ Συμβουλίου» τῶν νικητῶν συμμάχων τοῦ Πρώτου Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, νὰ ἀναλάβει τὴ διατήρηση τῆς τάξης στὴν εὐρύτερη περιοχὴ τῆς Σμύρνης, στὸ βιλαέτι τοῦ Ἀϊδινίου. Δὲν τὸ εἴχαμε καθόλου προγραμματίσει ἔτσι. Ἔτυχε καὶ... πέτυχε, ἔτσι, τὴν πιὸ ἁρμόδια ἡμέρα νὰ κατεβοῦμε κι ἐμεῖς στὴν πόλη μετὰ ἀπὸ ὁλόκληρα ἑκατὸ χρόνια. Τὸ ἑλληνικὸ αἷμα καὶ ἡ γενιά μας μᾶς καλοῦσαν σὲ τοῦτο τὸ ταξίδι, ποὺ ἦταν καὶ προορισμός, μὰ καὶ ἐπιστροφὴ συνάμα…..
ΚΑΛΩΣ ΣΕ ΒΡΗΚΑ ΣΜΥΡΝΗ 1922-2022 (εκδ.ΘΥΡΑ-π.Διονύσιος Ταμπάκης
Ἔλεγε ἕνας Μοναχός:
Ἔλεγε ἕνας Μοναχός:
Ἡ μεγαλύτερη ἐλεημοσύνη
εἶναι νά ἑνώνεις τόν ἄνθρωπο , ζωντανό ἤ ἀποθαμένο, μέ τόν Χριστό. Ὕστερα ξέρει
πολύ καλά ὁ Χριστός πώς θά ἐλεήσει τήν
κάθε ψυχή.
Μετά το θάνατο εκείνου του ιερέα μέσα μου ακόμα ζει ένα αίσθημα παράξενης χαράς
Μετά το θάνατο
εκείνου του ιερέα μέσα μου ακόμα ζει ένα αίσθημα παράξενης χαράς
Γιατρός της
Άμεσης Βοήθειας: “Δε θα ξεχάσω ποτέ το περιστατικό που είχαμε μια φορά με την
ομάδα μας, όταν είχαμε πάρει μια επείγουσα κλήση και προστρέξαμε σε έναν
ηλικιωμένο ιερέα με έμφραγμα”
– Ήταν
ξαπλωμένος στο κρεβάτι, με ένα σκούρο μπλε ζωστικό και με ένα μικρό σταυρό στο
χέρι. Τα αντικειμενικά δεδομένα έδειχναν καρδιογενές σοκ. Η αρτηριακή πίεσή του
ήταν πολύ χαμηλή.
Ο ασθενής ήταν
χλωμός, με κρύο κολλώδη ιδρώτα και είχε πολύ δυνατούς πόνους. Παρόλα αυτά,
εξωτερικά δεν ήταν απλώς ήρεμος, αλλά απόλυτα ήρεμος και ατάραχος.
Μέσα σε αυτήν
την ηρεμία δεν υπήρχε ένδειξη έντασης ή υποκρισίας. Δε φτάνει αυτό. Με εξέπληξε
η πρώτη κιόλας ερώτησή του. Ρώτησε: «Είχατε πολλές κλήσεις; Εσείς, μάλλον, δεν
έχετε φάει ακόμα για σήμερα;» Και, απευθυνόμενος στη γυναίκα του, της λέει:
«Μαρία, ετοίμασέ τους κάτι για να φάνε».
Όση ώρα κάναμε
καρδιογράφημα, ένεση με παυσίπονα, βάζαμε ορό και καλούσαμε την ειδική εντατική
ομάδα, αυτός ενδιαφερόταν για το πού μένουμε, πόση ώρα κάνουμε για να πάμε στη
δουλειά. Με αδύναμη φωνή ρώτησε πόσα παιδιά έχουμε εγώ και ο άλλος συνάδελφός
μου και πόσων χρονών είναι.
Αυτός ανησυχούσε
για μας, ενδιαφερόταν για μας, χωρίς να δείχνει ούτε ίχνος φόβου, όσο κάναμε
τις ιατρικές μας πράξεις, προσπαθώντας να απαλύνουμε τα βάσανά του.
Έβλεπε τα
ανήσυχα πρόσωπά μας, την γυναίκα του που έκλαιγε. Όταν καλέσαμε την ειδική
ομάδα, άκουσε τη λέξη «έμφραγμα». Καταλάβαινε τι του συνέβαινε. Ήμουν
συγκλονισμένος με την τόση αυτοσυγκράτηση.
Μετά από πέντε
λεπτά έφυγε.
Αυτός ο θάνατος
μου έχει προκαλέσει ένα παράξενο συναίσθημα που δεν με εγκαταλείπει ακόμα και
τώρα. Κάτι τέτοιο δε συμβαίνει συχνά. Ο φόβος παραλύει τη θέληση των ασθενών.
Στις κρίσιμες καταστάσεις σκέφτονται μόνο τον εαυτό τους και την κατάστασή
τους, παρατηρούν κάθε αλλαγή που αισθάνονται στον οργανισμό τους. Μέχρι την
τελευταία τους πνοή κρατιούνται από την παραμικρή ελπίδα να ζήσουν. Ό, τι και
να είναι, αρκεί να ζήσουν.
Σε σπίτια, όπου
δεν υπάρχει χώρος για εικόνες, υπάρχει, όμως, τηλεόραση πλάσμα που καλύπτει
ολόκληρο τον τοίχο, και όπου στο σαλόνι μάς ζητάνε να φοράμε ποδονάρια μιας
χρήσης, παρόλη την κρίσιμη κατάσταση του ασθενή, εκεί συμβαίνει οι ασθενείς να
καταφεύγουν σε «υστερίες της τελευταίας στιγμής»: σε πιάνουν από το χέρι και σε
ρωτάνε ασταμάτητα για την κατάστασή του και τι προβλέπεις, με την αγωνία να
βρουν στο βλέμμα σου, στη φωνή σου, στα λόγια σου, έστω κάποια ελπίδα για
θαύμα.
Τέτοιοι
ασθενείς, πριν πέσουν σε κατάσταση απώλειας συνείδησης και επιθανάτιας αγωνίας,
κυριολεκτικά εξαντλούν τους συγγενείς τους και τους γύρω τους με τους φόβους
τους. Οι γιατροί, μετά από μια τέτοια επίσκεψη, αισθάνονται εξαντλημένοι. Όχι
όμως εξαιτίας του ότι δεν μπόρεσαν να προσφέρουν τη μέγιστη βοήθεια και να
σώσουν τον ασθενή.
Νιώθουν άδειοι
και αμήχανοι που ο θάνατος νικά τον άνθρωπο, σε περιπτώσεις σαν κι αυτές.
Να πούμε την
αλήθεια, τέτοιοι «νικημένοι» από το φόβο ασθενείς υπάρχουν και σε σπίτια, όπου
όλοι οι τοίχοι είναι γεμάτοι από εικόνες, που στα τραπέζια υπάρχουν παντού
βιβλία θρησκευτικού περιεχομένου και που οι ασθενείς, αντί για τα φάρμακα που
έγραψε ο γιατρός, πίνουν μόνο τον αγιασμό, πολλά λίτρα του οποίου μπορείς να
δεις παντού στο σπίτι σε διάφορα μπουκάλια.
Όμως, μετά το
θάνατο εκείνου του ιερέα, ακόμα και τώρα, όσο παράξενο και να είναι, μέσα μου
ζει ένα συναίσθημα ήσυχης χαράς. Εκεί ο θάνατος δε νίκησε. Και όταν αναπολώ στη
μνήμη μου 2-3 παρόμοια περιστατικά από την εμπειρία μου, από μόνη της έρχεται
το ερώτημα: «Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον;»
Γεώργιος
Εγκόροβ, γιατρός στην «Άμεση Βοήθεια»
Μετάφραση για
την πύλη gr.pravoslavie.ru:
Αναστασία Νταβίντοβα
Милосердие.Ru
6/29/2022
The power of positive thinking Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
A good thought is equivalent to a
long vigil! It has great power. So try, as much as you can, before temptation
could plant bad thoughts, to plant good thoughts yourself, so that your heart
becomes a flower garden and your prayer is accompanied by the divine fragrance
of your heart.
When one has even the slightest bad
thought about someone, whatever one does, either fasting or vigil, is a lost
cause. How can practice help somebody when one is not struggling to cope with
bad thoughts?
Why don’t you empty all the sediment
settle from the jar first, which is only for soap, and then pour the good oil
in it? Why do you prefer to mix the good oil with the useless one? A pure and
good thought has more power than any practice.
“You should always have good thoughts
for everyone”. “The entire foundation of the spiritual life is for people to
think of others and put themselves last, not to think of themselves.”
***
Elder Paisios was constantly
stressing the importance of pious thinking in spiritual life. He used to say
that a single positive thought equals a vigil in Mount Athos
The spirituality of a person is
defined by the quality of his thoughts.
-Father, what made our saints, not
only endure their martyrdom but also constantly feel joy about it, while we
can’t even stand the bite of a mosquito?
– Everything has to do with having a
correct thinking. If our thoughts are firmly secured in our faith, no one can
ever take them away.
Then, he brought the Old Testament
and told me that section 4 in the Book of Maccabes explains very clearly how
positive thoughts can help us disregard pain and torture. He began reading the
text and explaining it to me. When he finished, he told me:
– This text from the Old Testament
clearly indicates that man is free and with his good thoughts, he can overcome
his passions and desires and whatever else derives from them.
Father Paisios explicitly stressed
that the words “I can’t” have no validity in man’s life. It is the words “I
don’t want” or “I don’t love” which lead man to say “I can’t”. When people are
tortured by a specific passion, they claim that a certain power prevents them
from restraining and being good. They should know that this power, which acts
as an obstacle, is rooted inside them; it can make them love, but it is turned
to the wrong direction. Since they love their passions, it is natural that they
are unable to get rid of them. When you love something, you want it, and you
cannot let it go because you do not want to lose it. First, they must hate
their passion and then find something better to direct and transfer their love
to. Otherwise, they will keep on suffering.
***
Elder Paisios always urged us to
think positively. Our positive thinking, however, should not be our ultimate
aim; eventually our soul must be cleansed from our positive thoughts as well,
and be left bare having as its sole vestment divine grace granted to us through
Holy Baptism. “This is our aim,” he used to say, “to totally submit our mind to
the grace of God. The only thing Christ is asking from us is our humility. The
rest is taken care of by His grace. In the beginning, we should willingly try
to develop positive thoughts, which will gradually lead us to the perfect good,
God, to whom belongs every glory, honor and worship; on the contrary, to us
belongs only the humility of our conceited attitude.”
“We must always be careful and constantly
question the nature of our thoughts. When someone is preoccupied and trusts his
own way of thinking, he becomes vulnerable to the devil, who is capable of
transforming us into sly persons, even when we are honest by nature. The older
fathers never trusted their own thoughts. Even for minor problems to which they
had to give answers, they prayed to God, or fasted, as a way to “force” divine
grace to reveal the answer according to God’s will; and after they got the
“information”, they gave the answer.
“God opposes the proud, but gives
Grace to the humble.” (1Pet 5:5).
“We must have positive thoughts,
otherwise none of the spiritual fathers- not even the saints- can help us.
“We should never, even under the
worst circumstances, allow a negative thought to penetrate our soul. The
person, who, under all circumstances, is inclined to have positive thoughts,
will always be a winner; his life will be a constant festivity, since it is
constantly based on positive thinking”
***
Father Paisios always insisted by
saying:
“When one of our brothers has a
negative thought, we must try to kindly and humbly correct it. It is our duty
to do so. Today many people, unfortunately including some of our spiritual
fathers, instead of trying to correct falsified thoughts, they either consent
to them, or even distort the positive ones. I will give you an example so you
can understand the way they function:
Suppose a young man says to his
spiritual father:
– A friend of mine did this and that
to me.
And thus, he starts telling him his
negative thoughts about his friend. His spiritual father, instead of trying to
change his thoughts and make him love his friend again, views his problem from
a social point of view, and wishing to be nice, says to him:
– Since you know what kind of person
your friend is, do not pay attention to him. Just ignore him.
The young man may superficially feel
better after listening to the words of his spiritual father, but his negative
predisposition towards his friend is still inside him. Now, when his friend
goes to the same spiritual father to tell him the same things, the spiritual
father faces the problem in the same way. He once again regards the problem
from a social point of view and calms him down. He lets him, however, keep
inside him the negative thoughts he has for his friend.
This way, the Elder said, I can even
please the devil if I wish to. You will now see what happens next, since divine
justice exists in our lives. At some point, the two friends, who still have
negative thoughts inside them, meet and begin accusing each other: “You are
this and that…I talked to my spiritual father and he also thinks the same way
of you.” Eventually, they discover that what their common spiritual father
tried to do was just to be nice to them. As a result, they end up losing their
trust and respect for him. The correct way of dealing with similar cases is the
following which I also apply:
A married man came to me to discuss
the problems he was facing with his wife and how her behavior has affected his
thoughts. I immediately started finding excuses for his wife’s behavior. In the
end, I told him that he should glorify God for the wife He gave him and he is
the one responsible for destroying their loving relationship. I made him
question his behavior and love his wife again, by convincing him that he is in
the wrong, and that he should get rid of all his negative thoughts. I did
exactly the same thing with his wife, when she came to see me. I also scolded
her, so both of them got rid of their negative thoughts, and ended up loving
each other again. Moreover, they also understood why I scolded them, as they
realised that my only aim was to bring them back together.” (Priestmonk
Christodoulos “Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain” (1998) Holy Mountain)
***
Pray that God will raise spiritual
people, Maccabees, because there is a great need. The time has come to fight
good and evil, because illegality has become law and sin has become
fashionable. But when you see disasters in Greece, the state to make crazy laws
and there is general instability, do not be afraid, God will help… The whole
world is boiling like a cauldron. The Church, the state, all nations are up and
down! And no one knows
what development we will have. God help! […] As much as you can, humbly wish
for the people who gave many rights to the wicked and suffering.
Do not forget
there we are going through difficult times and much prayer is needed. You must
remember the great need that people have for prayer today and the great
expectation God has of us to pray. Praying for the general outrageous condition
of the whole world that Christ may have pity on his creations for they are
heading for destruction. Pray for his divine intervention in our outrageous
time for the people are heading into general confusion, into madness, and an
impasse.
God has called
for us to pray for the people, who have so many problems. The poor people don’t
even have time to cross themselves. If we who are monks and nuns don’t pray
then who will? The soldier in wartime is on alert always ready with his boots
on. The monk must also be on alert. How I would have loved to be a Maccabee, to
withdraw to the mountains and pray constantly for the world.
Pray with pain
in your heart for the world. Do you know what great power such prayer has?
Also it is better for the monk to
help others with his prayer that his words. If he does not have the power to
keep someone from doing evil then he should help him from afar through prayer,
otherwise he may himself be harmed. A prayer from the heart has more power than
a thousand words especially for someone who won’t listen.
In these difficult years let us not
neglect the work of prayer. Prayer is security; it is communication with God.
Spiritual Awakening, St. Paisios of
the Holy Mountain






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