Κυριακή 31 Μαρτίου 2013

Igumenia Mikaela Lintulan luostarin johtajaksi

Puroniemen praasniekka

Helluntai Lintulan luostarissa

Lintula Orthodox Convent in Finland

The Suomenlinna Church



The Suomenlinna Church was built as a Russian Orthodox garrison church in 1854. The original building had five steeples with onion domes. The appearance of the church – which dominates the southern horizon from Helsinki – was changed at the beginning of the Finnish era in the 1920s when it was converted into an Evangelical-Lutheran church.Suomenlinna Church
CryptIn the alteration works, the onion dome of the main dome was removed and the tower's outside appearance was changed to a quadrangular shape, keeping the inner structure round. The bases of the small domes were left under the roof. The kokoshniki and other ornamental elements of the Russian Orthodox church were removed from the walls, which were then plastered to form an even surface.
The church steeple doubles as a lighthouse for air and sea traffic. The signal blink of the lighthouse is the Morse code for the letter “H” for Helsinki.

Other services

Weddings at the church, photo: Lina TegmanThe church is a popular venue for weddings. There are over 400 seats in the church. The Suomenlinna Church is part of the Cathedral Parish of the Diocese of Helsinki.
Various events and concerts are organised in the hall every year. At Christmas time, a charming nativity crib is on display.  fortress’s ceramic crib was made by an artist from Suomenlinna.
The crypt of the church can be rented for small events. Food and drinks can be ordered for the events. The crypt seats approximately 60 people. Those arranging events at the crypt should bear in mind that serving alcohol is restricted to one glass per person.

How to get there

The Helsinki City Transport ferry operates to the main pier throughout the year, and from there the church is about 200 metres away. The waterbus stops at the Visitor Centre pier during summer, and the church is about 300 metres from there.

Accessibility

The route from the main pier to the church is accessible with wheelchair. The road at the main entrance, however, is steep (inclination 14%) and there are some steps on the route. Access to the churchyard and the main entrance is more gently sloped from the Parade Field side.
There is a staircase at the entrance. Detachable trough-shaped ramps can be erected by the caretaker upon request. However, the ramps are rather steep and designed mainly for prams and pushchairs. There are some steps on the route from the main entrance to the church hall.  Steps lead to the altar. There are no places specified for wheelchair users in the church hall; the only space is in the aisle or in front of the first row of seats.
The parish hall and a children’s playroom are located on the cellar level. The nearest accessible toilet is located in the Suomenlinna kiosk in the Jetty Barracks.

The Suomenlinna Church
Tel. +358 (0) 9 2340 6126

Valamon opisto - silta arjen ja pyhyyden välillä



valamo_opistoesite_kesa2013_kansiValamon opisto on kaikille avoin koulutuksen, kulttuurin ja kasvun kohtauspaikka. Luostarin suojissa opiskelulle tarjoutuu ainutlaatuinen työrauha, jota täydentää ympäröivän luonnon kauneus ja levollisuus. Täällä voit kiireettömästi keskittyä itsesi kehittämiseen, uuden oppimiseen ja yksinkertaisista asioista nauttimiseen.
Valamon opisto tarjoaa monipuolista kurssitoimintaa ympäri vuoden. Valamoon voit tulla vaikka sapattivapaalle ja paneutua perusteellisesti ortodoksiseen kulttuuriin ja ikonimaalaukseen tai valita muutaman päivän lyhytkurssin, jolla perehdyt erilaisiin kädentaitoihin tai itsesi kehittämiseen.
Kurssivaihtoehtoja on lasimaalauksesta, jalometallitöistä ja kasvivärjäyksestä aforismeihin, ihmissuhdetaitoihin, hiljaisuuden retriitteihin ja moneen muuhun. Kursseja järjestetään myös mittatilaustyönä. Tutustu kurssitarjontaan ja kysy lisää myyntipalvelustamme!

Voit tutustua kurssitarjontaan tällä internetsivulla, selatasähköistä esiteversiota täällä tai lähettää meille sähköpostiaja tilata painetun esitteen kotiisi. Kursseille voit ilmoittautua entiseen tapaan suoraan kyseisen kurssin nettisivulta (katso kurssien aihepiirit tämän sivun oikealla palstalla), sähköpostitse: opisto@valamo.fi tai puhelimitse: 050 324 6801, 050 339 2928 (ma-pe klo 9-15). Pdf-muotoinen esite löytyy sivun alareunasta, kohdasta liitteet.

http://www.valamo.fi/fi/valamon-opisto.html

Ortodoksisen kulttuurin keskus


Valamon munkkiluostarin veljestö elää hengellistä yhteisöelämää, joka pohjautuu ortodoksisen kirkon askeesin perintöön. Vanhan perinteen mukaan luostarin tulee elättää itse itsensä. Nykyisin Valamon pääelinkeino on matkailu: luostarissa käy vuosittain yli 160.000 vierailijaa, ja kaikki matkailusta saadut tuotot käytetään suoraan luostarin ylläpitoon ja kehittämiseen. Päivävierailulle tai yöpymään voi tulla ympäri vuoden.
Luostari on siellä kilvoittelevan veljestön koti. Vierailleen Valamo tarjoaa elämyksiä ympäristössä, jolle ei löydy vertaa muualta. Moni tulee luostariin hiljentymään ja osallistumaan sen päivittäiseen jumalanpalveluselämään. Vähintään yhtä moni saapuu luostariin rentoutumaan luonnossa liikkuen, viettämään aikaa perheen ja ystävien seurassa tai oppimaan uusia taitoja Valamon kansanopiston kursseilla. Luostari on myös suosittu juhla-, kokous- ja seminaaripaikka.
Toivotamme luostariin ja sen jumalanpalveluksiin lämpimästi tervetulleiksi kaikki vieraat vakaumukseen katsomatta.
Lämpimästi tervehtien
Valamon veljestö
Syksyinen_paakirkko_Dsc_6662_pyoristetty

The Orthodox Church of Finland



Although it appears that the earliest Christians in Finland were Byzantines, most of the country received the Christian faith in the Latin tradition through the activity of Swedish missionaries in the 12th century. The easternmost Finnish province of Karelia, however, was evangelized by Byzantine monks from the ancient monastery of Valamo (“Valaam” in Russian) located on an island in Lake Ladoga.
In the 13th century Finland was a battleground between Catholic Sweden and Orthodox Russia. Eventually Sweden gained control of most of Finland, but Karelia came under Russian control.
In 1617 Karelia was also taken over by Sweden, which had in the meantime become Lutheran. The Swedes persecuted the Orthodox for a time, but conditions gradually improved.
Karelia was again occupied by Russia in 1721, and in 1809 the Tsar conquered all of Finland, which then became an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire. Later in the 19th century Orthodox Karelians began to assert their national identity. The liturgy and many Orthodox theological and spiritual works were translated into Finnish, which remains the liturgical language of this church.
In 1917 Finland gained independence from Russia, and in 1918 the Orthodox in Finland declared themselves an autonomous church in relation to Moscow. Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow recognized this status in 1921. On July 6, 1923, the Finnish Orthodox Church was received by the Patriarchate of Constantinople as an autonomous archbishopric.
The 1939-1940 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, and the subsequent annexation of most of Karelia by the USSR, resulted in the loss of 90% of the property belonging to the Finnish Orthodox Church. Most Orthodox Finns were evacuated to other parts of Finland and began new lives scattered across the country.
In 1957 the Moscow Patriarchate recognized the Finnish Orthodox Church’s autonomy under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1980 the General Assembly of the Finnish Orthodox Church voted to seek autocephalous status from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but no action has been taken on this proposal.
There is a long history of Finnish Orthodox monasticism in Karelia, but the monasteries had to be evacuated during the Russo-Finnish War as the Soviets gained control of the area. The famous Valamo Monastery was refounded at Heinävesi in central Finland under the name New Valamo. The community also included monks from other Karelian monasteries. The last of the original monks from Valamo died in 1981. Lintula Convent was also refounded near New Valamo. Today these two monasteries are important centers of Finnish Orthodox spiritual life, and have become national pilgrimage centers.
The disintegration of the Soviet state facilitated the development of better relations between the Finnish and Russian Orthodox churches. In 1994 six pastoral teams, each headed by a priest, were sent by the Finnish church to provide Christmas and Holy Week services in Orthodox parishes in the Russian section of Karelia. In September 1994 Russian Patriarch Aleksy II visited Finland and thanked the local Orthodox church for giving hospitality to the Valamo community during the persecutions. The Finnish church also contributed to the restoration of the original Valamo monastery in Russia.

Τρίτη 12 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

New Valamo




New Valamo monastery today.
Inside the main church at New Valamo.
New Valamo or New Valaam (FinnishValamon luostari, or more informally, esp. in the postal address: Uusi-Valamo) is an Orthodox monastery in HeinävesiFinland. The monastery was established in its present location in 1940.
  • The relocation of the monastery
In 1939, during the Winter War, some 190 monks from theValamo Monastery in Karelia were evacuated from their old abode on a group of islands in Lake Ladoga in the Viipuri Province to present Eastern Finland. The old Valamo Monastery was occupied by the armed forces of the Soviet Union quite soon after the outbreak of the Winter War.
After a temporary dwelling place the monks decided to settle down in Heinävesi in Eastern Finland. The choice fell on a mansion in Papinniemi, Heinävesi, after the monks had found there, quite surprisingly, an icon of St. Sergius and St. Herman of Valaam, the founders of the monastery in the 12th century. The monks considered this to be a sign from God.[1][2] Having received evacuees from the Konevsky (Konevitsa) and Pechenga (Petsamo) monasteries, it is now the only monastery for men of the Finnish Orthodox Church.[3]
Recent developments
Archimandrite Sergei is discharged and reinstated as head of the monastery
Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland discharged Igumen Sergei from the position of the leader of the monastery in November 2011. The background of this action was the long-standing disagreements of Fr. Sergei and the financial director of the monastery, Mr. Veikko Halonen. These two men had been said to have been in a “collision course.” At the time of these events, the monastery was 800,000 Euros in debt, and the economy had shown losses for the past several years.[4]
Archbishop Leo had told the igumen that the monastery should continue in dual leadership, but Fr. Sergei did not agree to this and fired Mr. Halonen. After this the archbishop made his own decision and fired Fr. Sergei and reinstated Mr. Halonen. Bishop Arseni of Joensuu was appointed as temporary head of the monastery.[4][5]
According to Arseni, this arrangement was to be a temporary one, and in time there would have been a vote of the leader within the brotherhood. However, it would have taken months or even years before this would have happen.[4]
There are various opinions about these developments, and especially in the internet. Soon after Igumen Sergei was discharged, four members of the brethren announced in the monastery website that they back the decisions of Archbishop Leo. A dissenting voice was made public by a certain member of the board of Friends of Valamo, who founded an internet address in support of the reinstating of Fr. Sergei. With the instructions of the board of the monastery, Bishop Arseni let this person know that she is not welcome to the monastery for the next three years.[4][6] It is said that even within the monastery there are dissenting views about these events.[5]
In late November 2012 Archbishop Leo reinstated Archimandrite Sergei as the head of the monastery. This happened because the Finnish Assistant Chancellor of Justice had cautioned the Archbishop, saying that the latter had committed a misconduct in his office when he discharged Archimandrite Sergei from his position. According to the law on the Orthodox Church in Finland and according to the administrative orders of the church it is not possible to discharge the head of a monastery. According to the Archbishop, the church will now take action in order to resolve the inconsistencies between the law on the Orthodox Church and the administrative principles of the monasteries.[7][8] The synod of the church is contemplating a change in the law, which would allow for a head of a monastery to be discharged. The synod is now waiting for comments on all parties that would be affected by the new law.[9]
2012 Fire
Deanery after the fire
In March 2012, there was a fire in the old main building of Papinniemi estate, which also served as the first main building of the monastery. The building had been built in 1840. The attic of the building was destroyed in the fire. It had been used as a storage space, and there were no valuables in it. All the valuable artefacts from the lower floors had been successfully removed during the fire, with the exception of the furniture.[10] The furnaces of the building has been in poor condition, and their use had been prohibited. However, one of the furnaces had been used for heating, and in a police investigation it was found that the fire had started from the cracks of the chimney. The charges will be prosecuted during the autumn of 2012 in the local district court.[11]
Other Orthodox monastic communities in Finland
The Finnish Orthodox Church has also a monastery for women, Lintula Holy Trinity Convent, which is situated 18 kilometres (11 mi) from New Valamo, in Palokki, Heinävesi.[12]

The Anger and Forgiveness of God-Part I




Varghese Mathai
OCP Articles
11/2/13
Is God always an angry God?  Does He wish that mankind to be subjected to His wrath or He is Merciful, Graceful and Forgive His children?
 Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgression. It is by grace you have been saved. Eph.2.3-5. In order to understand the meaning of Mercy we ha2ve to relate it with Grace. Mercy is not getting what we deserve for our evil deeds (withheld punishment). Grace is getting the blessings or forgiveness what we do not deserve due to our evil deeds. Mercy can also mean pity or compassion. Turn to God and pray to him now that he is near. Let the wicked leave the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God he is merciful and quick to forgive.Iss.55.6-7. Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned Ps.32.1. Then I confessed my sins to you, I do not conceal my wrongdoings. I decided to confess them to you and you forgave all my sins. Though he is quick tempered, He is graceful, merciful and compassionate. He knows very well that we are mortal and knows our weakness very well. He do not wish destruction of His creation the human who have been made like God.
Characteristics of Godly wrath-
1.Godly wrath is vastly different from the wrath of man.(James1.20)
2.The wrath of God is always in accordance with the standards set down in scripture for man’s conduct and the warning God has given for disobedience Duet 29.26-28, 30.15-20, 2Sam12.9-10, 2Kings 22.10-13, 24.2, 2Chron19.8-10,34.18-28, 36.15-16, Jerm22.11-12, 44.2-6
3.The wrath of God is in accordance with the deeds of men. God’s wrath is always in direct proportion to man’s sins Pslm28.4, Is59.18, Jerm17.10, 21.14, 25.14, Ezk20.44, 25.14, 36.19
4.God’s wrath is slow and controlled, not sudden and explosive Ex.34.6, Num14.18
5.Gods’ wrath comes after warning of Judgement like Noah days Gen6-9, Sodom and Gomorrah Gen19.
6.God’s wrath is always provoked by man’s sin. Deut. 4.25, 9.18, Jerm25.6-7, 32.32.
7.God’s wrath is not exercised in sin but in righteousness Rom2.5, James 1.19-20.
What are the curses pronounced in Old Testament for disobedience? (Duet 27.1-26)
i)God’s curse on any one who makes an idol of stone, wood, or metal and secretly worship it, the Lord hates idolatry.
ii)God’s curse on anyone who dishonour his father or mother.
iii)God’s curse on anyone who moves a neighbour’s boundary mark.
iv)God’s curse on anyone who leads a blind man on wrong direction.
v)God’s curse on anyone who deprive foreigners, orphans and widows of their rights.
vi)God’s curse on anyone who disgrace his father by having intercourse with any wives of his father.
vii)God’s curse on anyone who has sexual relations with an animal.
viii)God’s curse on anyone who had intercourse with his sister or half sister
ix)God’s curse on anyone who had intercourse with his mother-in-law.
x)God’s curse on anyone who secretly commits murder
xi)God’s curse on anyone who accept money to murder an innocent person
xii)God’s curse on anyone who does not obey all of God’s law and commandments.
Followings are few important events from the O.T in Bible, which caused Gods anger on His people and how he had forgiven them.
1. Disobedience of Adam, God got angry, but He had given them an opportunity to repent.
When we go through the Old Testament, the first incident of God’s anger is towards Adam and Eve. In the beginning God has given only one commandment to Adam and that was only to obey Him. He said to him ‘You may eat any kind of fruit in the garden except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree, if you do so you will die the same day” Gen 2. 16-18. God has given all the freedom to first man with three conditions-
i)You can eat all the fruits of the garden.
ii)You must not eat the fruit of knowledge
iii)If you eat it you will die on the same day.
He was supposed to be obedient to God nothing else. But Satan trapped him and he had sinned. God Almighty God called him, where are you. He answered, I heard you in the Garden, I was afraid and hid from you because I was naked. Almighty given both of them an opportunity to repent and ask forgiveness to his creator the Almighty God. Adam blamed God and his companion Eve, Eve told the serpent cheated me. Gen.3.8-13. How, nice it would have been if, both of them have repented before God and God would have granted them forgiveness? But what was the reward. The sin of the father of mankind is given to his ancestors as Original sin.
Non Obedience of what the Lord had commanded us to do is also subjected to anger of God. This disobedience can be seen in King Saul also. Lord commanded to King Saul, through His Servant Samuel that “Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Don’t leave anything; kill all the men, women, children and babies; the cattle sheep and donkeys” 1.Sam 15.3. But they did not obey it and preserved the good one which in their eyes are good and brought Agag alive. Samuel said “Which does the Lord prefer: Obedience or Offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey Him than to sacrifice the best sheep to Him. Rebellion against Him is as bad as witchcraft and arrogance is as bad as idolatry? ” Because, you rejected Lord’s commandment, He has rejected you as King” 1Sam 15.22-23.
2.Cain get angry and zealous over his brother, God had given him warning for repentance but his wicked mind made him to do tricks with his brother and ultimately killed him.
Both Cain and Abel offered to God. But God was pleased with Abel only. Cain became furious and he scowled in anger. God has warned him “sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it Gen 4.7. Despite this warning what he did? Instead of repenting of his evil thoughts, as the devil dominates his mind, he played a tricky game with his brother, his own blood, the son of his own mother and father. Then Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out in the fields. When they were out of the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed.Gen.4.8.
Even after that brutal murder, the graceful God has given him an opportunity to repent for his evil deed and to disclose the cruelty committed before the merciful God for forgiveness. The Lord asked him, where is your brother> Hen answered I don’t know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother? God in his anger replied. Why you had done this terrible thing. Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground like a voice calling for revenge. We have to remember and testify ourselves that am I eligible to stand in the Church and before God in the Holy Eucharist, if I do not reconcile with my fellow being. If I had pained him, definitely He keeps on asking to my conscious, How can you love me son, if you did not love your brother and in harmony with you fellow being, how I can accept your offerings? The answer may be I DONT KNOW YOU!
3.The heavenly beings get involved in adultery then God got angry and reduced their life span to 120 years, but because of only one person ‘Noah’ his descendents were saved.
The wickedness of mankind tremendously increased than before and adultery became a cause for the destruction of the world. When mankind has spread all over the world, and girls were being born, some of the heavenly beings saw that these girls are beautiful so they took the ones they liked. When the Lord saw how wicked everyone on earth was and how evil are their thoughts were all the time, he was sorry that he had ever made them and put them on the earth. He was so filled with regret that he said, I will wipe out these people I have created. But the Lord was pleased with Noah. I have found that you are the only one in all around the world who does what is right. Gen Ch. 6 and 7. Here we can see the merciful God not to destroy the mankind who are made in his own image not be subjected to destruction of wiped off from the earth because of a righteous man Noah.
According to theologians ark of Noah is the symbol of Christ who was expected, stating that, the vessel had its door on the east side- the direction from which Christ would appear at the second coming and that the bones of Adam were brought abroad, together with gold, frankincense and myrrh (the symbol of nativity of Christ). He also stated that the ark floated to and fro in the four directions on the waters, making the sign of the Cross. What a wonderful plan the Almighty God had for the salvations of the mankind who are righteous have the eternal life. Then how can we say that He is the one who is destructive God? Noah gets the word: build an ark in seven days. His sons cut the necessary trees in three days, and much furious sawing and hammering follows. But there’s no rest, as they need to round up all the animals. Noah boards the animals, then his sons, their wives, and his wife (who packed a ferocious picnic). He made all this in hurry without asking Almighty how is it possible? An important think to note is that, all his neighbours and friends have noted it. But they do not believe on what he might have told them so that their mind were so wicked and could not repent and would have been saved from the wrath of God. We have note here that Almighty God gave opportunity to others of that day that is why he ordered Noah to build the Ark by himself. As He is the shelter to all his creations God himself would have made other arrangement to save the life of Noah and his family. His intention was to use as an instruments, so that others may turn from their wickedness and turn to God so that they may not perish.
4.He also destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah- Abraham interceded repeatedly, but could be found single righteous from both cities to be saved.
Three angels visited Abraham God’s hand-picked founder of his chosen nation, Israel. They came disguised as men, travelers along the road. Two of them went down to Sodom and Gomorrah, to observe firsthand the wickedness in those cities.
The other visitor, who was the Lord stayed behind. He revealed to Abraham that he was going to destroy the cities because of the evil ways of their people. Abraham, a special friend of the Lord, began to intercede with God to spare the cities if there were righteous people in them. First Abraham asked if the Lord would spare the cities if fifty righteous people lived there. The Lord said yes. Boldly, Abraham kept bargaining down, until God agreed not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even ten righteous people lived there. Then the Lord departed. When, the two angels arrived at Sodom that evening, Abraham’s nephew Lot met them at the city gate. Lot and his family lived in Sodom. He took the two men to his home and fed them. Then all the men of the city surrounded Lot’s house and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (Genesis 19:5). By ancient custom, the visitors were under Lot’s protection. Lot was so infected by the wickedness of Sodom that he offered the homosexuals his two virgin daughters instead. Furious, the mob rushed up to break down the door. The angels struck the rioters blind! Leading Lot, his wife, and two daughters by the hand, the angels hurried them out of the city. The girls’ fiancés would not listen and stayed behind. Lot and his family fled to a tiny village called Zoar. The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the buildings, the people, and all the vegetation in the plain. Lot’s wife disobeyed the angels, looked back, and turned into a pillar of salt.
5.Worshiping the Gold Calf by the Israelites – the wrath of God is forgiven when Moses intercede to God.
As the wrong deeds of Human started growing reached in high degree, the need for Law and order arises. As the Israelites sins and wrong things increased, Almighty God had decided to give them a Law and order policy. In the beginning, there was only one commandments “Obey God”, now He had decided to impose the Ten Commandments on them. Idol worship prevailed among them when the children of God get mingled with men of the earth and their girls. Aaron took the earrings, melted them, poured the gold into a mould, and made a gold bull-calf. The people said ‘Israel this is our god, who led us out Egypt. Then Aaron made an altar in front of the God-calf. Early the next morning they brought some animals to burn as sacrifice and others to eat as fellowship-offerings. The people sat down for the feast, which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.
The Lord said to Moses, Go back down at once, because your people whom you led out of Egypt have sinned and rejected me. They have already left the way that I commanded them to follow and they have worshiped the Gold-calf. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation. Ex.32.1-10. Violation of the Lord’s first commandment of the Ten Commandments by His own people made him angry over them.
In this incident, we can see three types of people.
I)The unfaithful, non-grateful and wicked God’s own children, who totally ignored Almighty God, who had delivered them miraculously by His might ad Power from their slavery in Egypt.
II)A shepherd, who was supposed to lead his sheep in the right path ignored his responsibility. Aaron, though he knows that whatever he is doing to please the people were wrongs and non-pardonable before Almighty God. But, he acts according to the wish of the multitude! Is it not the same situation among most of the Shepherds of the generation of the day? What would be the answer to the Lord?
iii)A faithful shepherd who stands in between the Almighty God and his folk. As Almighty God calms down he intercedes, “Lord why should you be so angry with your people, whom you have brought from Egypt with great might and power”. “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. “Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give their descendents as there are stars in the sky”. So, the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened Ex. 32.11-14.
But, He had punished certain people. The Lord answered “it is those who have sinned against me whose name I will remove from my book”. So the Lord sent a disease on those rebellious people, because they had caused Aaron to make the Gold Calf. This is the warning for the present generation of the church who cause the Shepherds to decide wrongs because of their rebellion and prominence in the church.
How horrible and terrific is my mind the child of God it was and it is; and this would be the same question Lord have to me also. Sex and adultery even to sisters and own children? What would be His wrath for all my evil deeds? “Repent” “Repent” “Repent”. Turn to God who redeemed us from the bondage of sin, the bondage of Satan. Almighty God warns us. Are we hearing His warning to us?
Contd. Part II

BARTHOLOMEW AND NATHANIEL, THE ONE AND SAME PERSON?



Varghese Mathai
OCP Articles
30/1/2013
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and is usually identified with Nathaniel, who is mentioned in the St. John 1. He was introduced to Christ by Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per (John 1:43-51), where the name Nathaniel first appears. The theologian considers the presence of Nathaniel of Cana, in Jesus’ miracle at the Marriage at Cana recorded in St. John chapter 2. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in John 21:2. The name Nathaniel is the one used for him in John’s Gospel. The relationship between Philip an Nathaniel is noted as per John 1:43-51. Bartholomew Greek name, transliterated “Bartholomaios” comes from the Aramic bar-Tolmay, meaning son of Tolmay or son of the furrows (perhaps a ploughman).
According to the Coptic Orthodox Church, his martyrdom is commemorated on the 1st day of the Coptic Calendar (1st day of the month of “Thout), which currently falls on September 11 corresponding to August 29 in the Gregorian calendar. His feast is June 11 in Eastern Christianity, and August 24 in both forms of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.
New Testament references
In the East, where Bartholomew’s evangelical labours were expended, he was identified as Nathanael. According to Abdisho bar Berika (often known as Ebedjesu in the West), the 14th century Nestorian metropolitan of Soba and Elias, the bishop of Damascus, Nathanael is mentioned only in the Gospel according to John. In the Synoptic gospels, Philip and Bartholomew are always mentioned together, while Nathanael is never mentioned; in John’s gospel. On the other hand, Philip and Nathanael are similarly mentioned together.
Guiseppe Simore Assemani specifically remarks, “the Chaldeans confound Bartholomew with Nathaniel”. However, some Biblical scholars reject this identification.
As Bartholomew
Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve Apostles of Christ in the three Synoptic gospels, Mathew 10.1-4, Mark 3.13-19, and Luke 6.12-16. Bartholomew also appears as one of the witnesses of the Ascension of Jesus Acts 1:4, 12, 13; however each time he is named in the company of Philip. He is not mentioned in St. John.
As Nathanael
In the Gospel of John,1:45-51 Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip. He is described as initially being skeptical about the Messiah coming from Nazareth, saying: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”, but nonetheless, follows Philip’s invitation. Jesus immediately characterizes him as “Here is a man in whom there is no deception.” Some scholars hold that Jesus’ quote “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”, is based on a Jewish figure of speech referring to studying the Torah. Nathanael recognizes Jesus as “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel”. He reappears at the end of John’s gospel 21.2 as one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection.
Tradition
Eusebius of Caesarea’s Ecclesiastical History, states that after the Ascension, Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India, where he left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. Other traditions record him as serving as a missionary in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, and Lycaonia. Along with his fellow apostle Jude, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church.He is said to have been martyred in Albonopolis in Armenia. According to one account, he was beheaded, but a more popular tradition holds that he was flayed alive and crucified, head downward. He is said to have converted Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity. Asyages, Polymius’s brother, consequently ordered Bartholomew’s execution.The 13th century Saint Bartholomew Monastery was a prominent Armenian monastery constructed at the site of the martyrdom of Apostle Bartholomew in the Vaspurakan Province of Greater Armenia (now in southeastern Turkey)
Mission in India
Two ancient testimonies exist about the mission of Saint Bartholomew in India. These are of Eusebius of Caesarea (early 4th century) and of Saint Jerome (late 4th century). Both these refer to this tradition while speaking of the reported visit of Pantaneus to India in the 2nd century.
The studies of Fr A.C Perumalil SJ and Moraes hold that the Bombay region on the Konkan coast, a region which may have been known as the ancient city Kalyan, was the field of Saint Bartholomew’s missionary activities.
Bartholomew’s relics
The 6th-century writer in Constantinople, Theodorus Lector, averred that in about 507 Emporor Anastasius gave the body of Bartholomew to the city of Dura-Europos, which he had recently re-founded. The existence of relics at Lipari, a small island off the coast of Sicily, in the part of Italy controlled from Constantinople, was explained by Gregory of Tours by his body having miraculously washed up there: a large piece of his skin and many bones that were kept in the Cathedral of St Bartholomew the Apostle, Lipari, were translated to Beneventum in 803, and to Rome in 983 by Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, conserved at the basilica of San Baartolomeo Bartolomeo allIsola. In time, the church there inherited an old pagan medical centre. This association with medicine in course of time caused Bartholomew’s name to become associated with medicine and hospitals. It is also believed that Some of Bartholomew’s skull was transferred to the Frankfurt Cathedral, while an arm is venerated in Canterbury Cathedral.
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Young Converts to Orthodoxy from Scandinavia at the Patriarchal Residence


On 2 February 2013, a group of 40 Romanian young people from Scandinavia, as well as Swedish, Danes and Norwegians converted to Orthodoxy attended the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral. The young people participated these days in a winter camp organised by the Youth Centre of Saint Prince Steven the Great of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe at the Social – pastoral centre of the Holy Cross of Caraiman – Busteni Monastery, county of Prahova. They had the opportunity to socialise and attend the liturgical life at Caraiman Monastery, in Busteni locality.
The climax of the pilgrimage to Romania was their participation, today, at the Divine Liturgy. To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel congratulated the young ones and His Grace Macarie for their missionary zeal.
“We wish them all good health, joy, much help of God and congratulate His Grace Bishop Macarie for the special missionary work he does there. He set up many new parishes, consecrated new churches, has now churches in construction, published a magazine, and founded several associations, so that the youth, enthusiasm and missionary zeal of the young Bishop can be seen in the many activities he implements”, His Beatitude said.
After the Divine Liturgy the Patriarch of Romania met them at the Patriarchal Residence where he offered them presents and blessed them. His Beatitude has also received presents from His Grace Bishop Macarie.

Πέμπτη 7 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

List of Archbishops of Finland

The following is a list of Archbishops of Finland: Anthony (Vadkovsky) (1892 - 1898), Russian, later Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga (1898 - 1912) Nicholas (Nalimov) (1899 - 1905), Russian, later Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal ( 19xx-1914) Sergius (Stragorodsky) (1905 - 1917), Russian, later Deputy Patriarchal locum tenens (1923 - 1943) then Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (1943 - 1945) Serafim (Lukjanov) (1921 - 1923), Russian, later Metropolitan and Eparch of the Church of Russia (1879-1959) Herman (Aav) (1925 - 1960), Estonian Paavali [Paul] (Olmari) (1960 - 1987), Finnish Johannes John] (Rinne) (1987 - 2001), Finnish, later titular Metropolitan of Nicea Leo (Makkonen) (2001 - ), Finnish

Tervetuloa Valamon luostariin



Valamon munkkiluostari on ortodoksisen uskonelämän ja kulttuurin elävä keskus. Luonnonkauniilla Heinävedellä sijaitseva luostari ottaa vieraita vastaan ympäri vuoden. Nykypäivän ihmiselle luostarin levollinen ilmapiiri ja ympäröivä luonto tarjoavat ainutlaatuisen mahdollisuuden rauhoittumiseen kaukana kaikesta kiireestä.
Luostarin vieraana voit rentoutua keräämällä voimia hiljaisuudesta, luostarin kirjallisuuden parista tai kävelyretkiltä luonnon rauhassa. Voit osallistua jumalanpalveluksiin ja tutustua luostarikirkkojen ikoneihin, museokokoelmien ortodoksisiin aarteisiin sekä luostarin omiin ja vieraileviin näyttelyihin. Jo päivävierailu luostarissa on elämys, mutta yhä useampi haluaa syventää kokemustaan yöpymällä luostarin rauhassa.
Luostari tarjoaa myös mielekästä tekemistä. Valamon opiston kursseilla voit perehtyä vaikkapa ikonimaalaukseen, erilaisiin kädentaitoihin tai itsesi kehittämiseen. Uusien taitojen lomassa saat itsellesi aikaa, rauhaa ja lepoa, jota maailman häly ei häiritse. Olet lämpimästi tervetullut!