On The Mystery of Pentecost

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

After Christ’s Ascension into heaven, as He had affirmed, on the fiftieth day after His Resurrection and the tenth after His Ascension. He sent the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds from the Father.

Christ Himself had announced to the Disciples beforehand the sending of the Holy Spirit: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper [Paraclete, Comforter], that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Immediately afterwards He said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). Later He said: “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

The Mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

Christ's sacrifice on the Cross at Golgotha, which is closely linked to the Resurrection of Christ, is the central point in the teaching and life of the Church. And we also speak of the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ in regards to the victory of Christ over sin, the devil and death.

There is a distinction between "the bodily Crucifixion and Resurrection of the incarnate Word of God" and "the mystery of the power of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ, witnesses of which were the Prophets and some Apostles before the sacrifice on the Cross at Golgotha." Despite this distinction, there is a close relationship between the mystery of the Cross and the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross at Golgotha.

The Meaning of the Cross and the Resurrection

The following interview was conducted by George Vassiliou with His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos. It was originally published in Επίκαιρα της Αιτωλοακαρνανίας, then republished inParemvasis (April 1998).

What is the meaning of Orthodox Holy Week?

Holy Week in the Orthodox Church is the center of its life, its heart. It is preceded by a period of fifty days of asceticism, fasting and prayer, and after Pascha there follows another period of fifty days. In the first period the primary meaning is our preparation for a worthy veneration of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, and in the second period that which dominates is the struggle to process with spiritual "digestion" this heavenly food. If one examines that every Sunday we celebrate the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, then they can understand that the spirit and atmosphere of Holy Week dominates more than half of the annual cycle and, to express myself better, the message of Holy Week and Pascha permeates throughout the year.

The Apostle Peter and the Transfiguration of Christ

His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The prophetic and apostolic texts are not the fruit of philosophical theories and reflections, but the fruit of revealed theology. That is, both the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament saw the glory of God. Whilst the Prophets saw the Word of God before His Incarnation, the Apostles saw Christ after His Incarnation. Hence, it is this experience they recorded in their writings and led Christians with the content of this theology.

We see this in the apostolic reading which we read today in the church, because of the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ. It is a section from the Second Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter in which he refers to the experience of the Transfiguration that he had. It is known that the Apostle Peter was one of the three disciples who was worthy to be found at Tabor when Christ was transfigured in front of His disciples, where His face shone like the sun and His clothes were white as light.

The Theological Meaning of the Transfiguration of Christ

By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The theology of the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ always moved me, together with the theology of the feast of the Resurrection and Pentecost. Even by reading the hymns of the feast of the Transfiguration, it feels like those who wrote them had the experience of the uncreated light of divinity, which emanates from the Body of Christ.

The Holy Fathers of the Church, especially however Saint Gregory Palamas, that hagiorite saint, not only saw the uncreated light of divinity, but he also developed this great event theologically and then identified the difference between contemplative theology and hesychastic theology. Contemplative theology is associated with metaphysics, while hesychastic theology is associated with the purification of the heart and illumination of the nous. Herein lies the difference between Western and Orthodox theology, and, of course, the difference between the contemplatives - metaphysicians and the Orthodox hesychast Fathers.

The Origin and Revelation of the Church

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

I. Origin and Revelation of the Church

Through the centuries there have appeared many heretical teachings which distorted the revealed truth, and which the holy Fathers confronted "with the sling stone of the Spirit", that is to say, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is so because the holy Fathers were the bearers of the pure Tradition of the Church.

Among these heresies are those of Arianism, the Pneumatomachs who fought against the Spirit, the Nestorians, the Monophysites, the Monothelites, the Iconoclasts, etc. All these heresies refer chiefly to the Person of Christ, but also to that of the Holy Spirit, and of course they disturb the foundations of man's salvation. For if Christ is not consubstantial with the Father, but is God's first creature, and if the Holy Spirit is not true God, man's salvation is put in doubt, the possibility of deification is cut off.

The Joyful Sorrow of Pascha 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos 

One of the strongest and most expressive words encountered in our tradition is the word "joyful-sorrow" (χαρμολύπη). All things in our life are mixed with sorrow and joy. Life is not a theater with scenery changes, but an experience that is both joyful and sorrowful, where sorrow turns to joy and at the point where joy culminates, sorrow emerges, due to the mortality of our passionate nature. 

The First and Second Resurrection

 By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

 

The Resurrection of Christ, which we festively celebrate after several days of fasting, repentance and prayer, is the central mystery of faith and the life in Christ. Without the Resurrection of Christ we would be under the power of death, sin and the devil and there would be no way out of life. That's why the Apostle Paul declares: "If Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile and we remain in our sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). Christ by His Resurrection gave Grace to us to be spiritually resurrected in this life, as well as bodily at the Second Coming of Christ, as we confess in our Symbol of Faith: "I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the future age." 

The Meaning of the Cross and the Resurrection

The following interview was conducted by George Vassiliou with His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos. It was originally published in Επίκαιρα της Αιτωλοακαρνανίας, then republished in  Paremvasis (April 1998).