What’s new?

Gerontissa Makaria Desipri (1911-1999)   Referred to by her spiritual children as “Mother of the afflicted”, Gerontissa Makaria was the vessel chosen by God to discover the relics of St Ephraim “the Newly-Revealed” of Nea Makri, north-east of Athens, in 1950. On this same site, she founded the current monastery dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God and remained Abbess for almost 50 years. Makaria born in 1911 in Tinos, to God-fearing parents. From a young age, she grew to love God and the Church, leading to her monastic tonsure in 1932. In 1945 she visited the ruins [...]

Prophet Elisha   We first encounter the Prophet Elisha in the third book of Kingdoms. The Prophet Elijah had thoughts that he alone was left among the prophets of Israel, but it was revealed to him that “Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah, you shall anoint as prophet in your place” (3 Kingdoms 19:16). When the Prophet Elijah found Elisha, he was “plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him”. He threw his mantle onto him, thus signifying that Elisha was now the prophet of Israel (3 Kingdoms 19: 19). From that time, Elisha became Elijah’s loyal follower, [...]

Habits That Do Not Go Away   She was a teenager when the Germans had reached her sea-side township of Poulithra in Greece. A fair number of soldiers were stationed in the upper township and they had chosen her family’s home as their base. The officers had set up their command control centre with the radio and other equipment in their sitting room. The family continued to live there as well, as it was a two storey house, and the heavy doors afforded them some sense of security, even though it must have felt like house arrest. Being young, Metaxia [...]

Elder Ephraim of Katounakia by Tessy Vassiliadou-Christodoulou. Published by Katounakia, 2003   Elder Ephraim of Katounakia is a recent Athonite pillar of faith, having fallen asleep in the Lord in 1998. This book, written by his spiritual children from Katounakia, provides us with a glimpse of the elder’s life, teachings and holiness. The book is separated into three sections. In the first, we are relayed details of his life. We begin with his youth, to time in the isolated Katounakia, his extraordinary struggles in prayer and complete obedience, and eventually to his eldership of a brotherhood of his own. The [...]

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve (Matthew 9:36-10:8)   This passage from Matthew is read on the feast day of the Holy Apostles (30 June). We read that Christ sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission and about how they were given power over demons and even the power to raise the dead! But Christ reminds them to accept these gifts in humility because every good thing given to them (and to us) is not their own, but a free gift of God’s grace. This is why the Apostles and all the Saints never sold their gifts. In gratitude [...]