Fr. Eusebius Vittis...

Fr. Eusebius died 2 months ago. He has become well known after his death for his pastoral heart for the Lord and for others. Hopefully he will be translated soon into English. For now, here is a preview:

My offering will be: For all of Your sheep that do not know You and therefore do not communicate with You, I will communicate. For all Your sheep, who cry for their transgressions and deviations, small and large, whether in knowledge or in ignorance, I will cry. For all of Your sheep, who sink in the quicksand of sin, losing their purity, I will lament. For all Your sheep, who sleep the blissful sleep of negligence and indifference, I will stay awake. For all Your sheep, who blaspheme You and despise You, because they never truly knew You, I will hymn You and will give You glory. For all Your sheep, held captive to whatever passion, on bended knee I will beg You to free them from their dreaful bonds. For all Your sheep, who fall into the hands of wolves, with agony and desperation, I cry out to You: Lord, Lord, Lord, save them! Resue them! For all Your sheep, who find themselves in hopeless situations, in isolation, in inability to think and unable to find a saving escape from the labyrinth in which they find tehmselves, I will pray to You. ~Fr. Eusebios Vittis (+2009) Translation M.T.

Sermon Given on the Sunday Before Nativity...

Hope you all enjoy these Sermon notes from a priest’s homily this past Sunday (O.S.)

Sermon Notes from the Sunday of the Fathers (January 3, 2010)
Seeing the beautiful children in the church reminds us that we were once children. By analogy, to approach the birth of Christ through the Virgin, reminds us that we too must give birth to Christ and through this be born again ourselves—Christ, not as a babe, but spiritually within ourselves. Christ is born each year and perpetually. He must be born in us and through us.
Nicodemus was perplexed: how can a man be born again after he has left his mother’s womb (John 3:4-5). We might really ponder this question: how can Christ be born in us and through us. Christ is the God-Man, God was incarnate, generating a flesh-body (carne), and became one with our humanity. We have to do the same, but in reverse. We start with the unity, which our Lord accomplished, and we have to be united with Him. It’s not good enough to just sprinkle Christ over our fallen humanity. He must become a part of us, integrated into every aspect our humanity. He must be born in us, or we must be reborn. How we think, evaluate things, what is possible or impossible, must be seen through Christ. The Logos, Christ, is the second Person of the Trinity. He was begotten of the Father before all ages. He was first “born” on the lips of the prophets, according to St. Maximos the Confessor, and through the law, and then he was “really born”—incarnate—as a child. Now he must be born again in us. How? Ask the Apostles who followed Him. How? Ask all the saints who lived and died for Him.
Before Christ all Jewish households dreamt of their sons and daughters participating in the mystery of the coming of the Messiah. After Christ, pious homes yearned for their sons and daughters to become saints. Today, we can yearn for Christ to be born in us and through us. How is this possible? It is a great mystery. The Holy Spirit came upon the mother of God. Could it come upon us? She was highly favored before God, virtuous. Could we strive for this? Is it possible to have a virtuous life?
How Can We Have a Virtuous Life
We have responsibilities. Let us strive for obedience. We know people. Let us love our neighbor. We have the poor with us. Let us give to them. We have visitors. Let us exercise hospitality. Our loved ones have problems. “Bear ye one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). We have temptations. Let us struggle and pray: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” We have been hurt and have reason to judge, but let us judge not that we be not judged (Matt. 7:1). Let obedience to Christ in my life be my daily business. I have control and responsibility for my own soul and with my own soul Christ can be born again, and I can be born again. At Christ’s birth there came to earth peace to men of good will. And in the same way, Christ is born spiritually in us today,
We see in even modern examples, men and women who have striven in this way towards holiness, that they are not strange or different, but, on the contrary, normal and more human than most, because Christ is truly born and integrated into every aspect and fiber of their life. This is another dimension of the revelation about peace on earth to men of Good will that was proclaimed to the shepherds by the angels and heavenly hosts. “Peace on earth, to men of good will” (Luke 2:14).
May the peace of Christ be born in us, and not just sprinkled upon us!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Dear Friends and Family,

Christ is Born! GLORIFY HIM!        

Wishing everyone a very blessed feast and holiday season!

with love in Christ,
Mike

In Boston for the Holidays!

Hi All,

Well, to everyone’s surprise (except for my own and a few other select helpers :)), I found my way to Boston for the Holidays. It was a surprise for the folks and friends and it worked out GREAT. I’ll use a play-by-play that I wrote to some friends as to how I pulled it off:

I got home last friday and on Saturday morning went over to our friend's house for b-fast where my parents were also invited to "help my dad with his computer and have some breakfast." I hid in their walk-in closet with my laptop and connected to skype with their laptop which was in their living room. They started talking to me on skype as if I was in Greece before my parents arrived and so when they walked in the door, there I was "in Greece" on the computer. We chatted (my parents and I) on skype for about 1/2 hour and then I said that I had to go, and at the same time my friend said that they had a gift for my parents and should he bring it now or later. Everyone said "now" and he went in and said here comes the gift! (from the other room)...and out I walked! My parents just looked at me blankly for about 5 seconds while their minds shattered and were pieced back together again. It's true, I was expecting at least a gasp or something, but there was just a complete lack of recognition for about 3 seconds and then "what are you doing here?" :). 

So that’s it. It’s been a blessing all around being home, visiting with family and friends, smelling the old smells, exposing myself to some nice culture shock (constantly turning around every time I hear people speaking English behind me...oooh, Americans!...oooh in America :)). Either way, it’s wonderful being home.

I just wanted to wish everyone a blessed Nativity (Christmas) and Holiday season. Hopefully I’ll be able to see some of you during the time that I’m here. Please feel free to me or call me if you’re in the area.

with love,
Mike

Update

Hi all!

Hope everyone is well! I miss everyone back home. The semester is nearing it’s end. It’s hard to believe that a year (and then some) has gone by. We have had some protests of late in remembrance of the 15 year old boy who was killed last December after a police fired a warning shot in the air in Athena and the bullet ricocheted. It is pretty peaceful though all in all. It’s amazing that a whole year has passed by though.

Classes have been very inspiring. The study of theology proves to be a continual learning process, especially regarding our approach, as humans, to it. It is a terrifying endeavor, because of the temptation to be luke-warm. How can one dare to study life (theology) and yawn. And yet I do. Within an academic setting it is easy to treat the various topics as historical or philosophical facts and ideas, and limit the depth and value of the truths being expressed. Of course, the highest human expression of theological truths still pales in comparison with the truths themselves or even the divine revelation of these truths; but I suppose in moments of awareness, we can appreciate the ineffability of these truths by the very fact that we constantly fall short in trying describe and express...and yet they are still “out there” (or “in here” in the case of the exploration of the heart).

Either way, it has become clear that this study cannot and, eventually, will not, be limited to an academic environment. Everything is theology. Life itself, through the beautiful unspoken grandeur of God’s creation, expresses the most profound realities in ways that leave man speechless and in awe. Within a city, where man is surrounded by constant reminders of his imperfect creative abilities (cement, exhaust, stress, horns, etc.), he often forgets how refreshing it is to breath in crisp mountain air through the nostrils, and to ‘breath in’ the spectacular view with his eyes. To be filled with the ‘breath’ of true beauty, holistically, and not with words and ideas, only intellectually. Maybe academia is somewhat like the city. CERTAINLY not without value, and still expressive of man’s God-given creative ability, and ability to understand, comprehend and think; but if one only see life from this perspective (only in the city/academia), one becomes a prisoner within his own imperfection and is not given the chance to stand, like a child, in breathless awe of the ineffable.

Well, there’s an attempt to describe a few of the thoughts that have been mulling around. Forgive their imperfection. Pray for us over here, that we may be diligent and aware of the awesome task set before us, and humbly proceed, unworthy as we are.

with much love in Christ,
Mike

Astonished
by what was found inside;
It was not found
but found you.
Jumping out of no where
From the depths of a mindless mind,
in the deep heart of quiet strength,
It showed its power:
working through a cracked vessel--
A light through the torn rags.

But you know that it’s not you,
Both comforting and terrifying.

When there is something foreign inside
That you somehow always new.
It was there
waiting
For the moment
for you
to realize
That it was not you.
HE was not you, but knew you.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Trees of green and red,
spot a barren wasteland;
Land where quietness prevails--
Land that waits,
expecting fire over the horizon;
waits with baited breath.
A cold wind blows through the withered leaves
one more wind
one more moment,
an eternity spent in active waiting.
When the fire came
It came from no where
It consumed the hillside and the trees
But in the blaze, the passersby
Saw the trees had not been burnt,
But now as candles in the wind
burning through the coldness
waiting, but now growing, ever growing.

School etc...

Sitting on my bed typing this entry in a new apartment! I recently moved from my old place in the very heart of the city to a nice new apartment just about 5 mins away. It’s quiet, reasonably priced and I have a roommate from Syria named Rami!

Classes are well underway. It’s been a wonderful start to the year, taking in all of the theology courses and other opportunities that the school has to offer. It’s an intense transition, learning how to dive into the study of Theology.

Oh boy, have to go, but I want to at least post this. Hope all is well with you!

Please feel free to send me an email if you think of it!

Love,
Mike