Anthologie de dialogues de Saint Porphyrios

Anthologie de dialogues du Saint Géron Porphyrios avec ses enfants spirituels. II s’agit d'une anthologie de dialogues sous forme d'épigrammes de Géron Porphyrios avec ses enfants spirituels de Chypre et de Grèce, tels qu'eux-mêmes les ont transcrits :

Mural of Saint Porphyrios at
Saint John the Baptist Church

 - Géron, vous me parlez toujours de l'égoïsme.

- Oui, parce qu'il ne doit pas rester trace d’égoïsme parmi nous, aucune trace, tu entends?

* * * * *

- Acquiers l'humilité, sois autant que possible humble.

- C'est difficile dans le monde où nous vivons, Géron, comment l'acquérir?

- En aimant plus le Christ.

* * * * *

- Géron, je voudrais faire en sorte que mes parents croient en Dieu autant que je crois moi, parce qu'ils sont très tièdes dans leur foi. Mais il est trop tard puisqu'ils sont âgés et se trouvent à la fin de leur vie.

- Ce n'est pas trop tard. C'est précisèrent a cet âge qu'est le moment opportun.

* * * * *

On Chastity and the spirit of idleness

Father Elias Morkos - Deir El Harf Monastery

   In the Lenten prayer of “O Lord and Master of my life”, written by Saint Ephrem the Syrian, we ask the Lord: “Give me not the spirit of idleness, meddling… But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit of chastity…”.

   This is a full program for life, the life of every Christian living in the midst of the world like other people but who is, striving to lift up his spirit from the trifles and vanities of this world, to reach, in chastity, His Creator.

The Beatitudes

   1. Blessed are those who loved Christ more than all the worldly things and live far from the world and near God, with heavenly joys upon the earth.

   2. Blessed are those who managed to live in obscurity and acquired great virtues but did not acquire even a small name for themselves.

   3. Blessed are those who managed to act the fool and, in this way, protected their spiritual wealth.

   4. Blessed are those who do not preach the Gospel with words, but live it and preach it with their silence, with the Grace of God, which betrays them.

   5. Blessed are those who rejoice when unjustly ac­cused, rather than when they are justly praised for their virtuous life. Here are the signs of holiness, not in the dry exertion of bodily asceticism and the great number of struggles, which, when not carried out with humility and the aim to put off the old man, create only illusions.

A Narrative Concerning the Honored Hand of the Forerunner.

The iniquitous murderer King Herod once held a banquet at which the daughter of his brother’s wife Herodias danced lasciviously. The wanton girl was rewarded by the tyrant with the head of Saint John, the Lord’s Forerunner. Afterwards, the Baptist’s precious body was buried by his disciples near the tomb of the holy prophet Elisha in the chief city of Samaria, Sebaste.

Later, the holy Evangelist Luke came there while traveling through various parts of the land preaching Christ. He wished to take the incorrupt remains of the holy Forerunner John the Baptist to Antioch, where he was born, reared and educated; but the Sebasteans, who greatly revered the relics, would not permit it. Saint Luke was only able to remove the Forerunner’s right hand, which baptized our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. The holy Evangelist gave the precious treasure to his native city, where it was accepted with the greatest awe by the faithful and did numerous miracles.

New Year’s Day:

The Circumcision of the Lord
And the feast of Saint Basil the Great

   

   

   Since New Year’s Day is the beginning of the days of the year, we ought to gather in our soul those thoughts, feelings, and dispositions that would direct our affairs throughout the year in a Christian way. We will find these the moment we bring to mind the meaning of New Year’s Day in the spiritual life.

   In the spiritual life, New Year’s Day is when one who has been living carelessly becomes zealous about salvation and his pleasing to God. When one makes this resolution, then all is rebuilt afresh both internally and externally, upon new beginnings – the old passes away and all becomes new. If you have this, renew it; if not, acquire it – and for you this will be New Year’s Day.