Fifty-one Nobel laureates have signed an open letter calling for an end to hostilities in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. It was published in the French newspaper “Le Monde”.
The authors call for an immediate ceasefire, the exchange of all prisoners, the release of the hostages and the return of the bodies of the dead to their loved ones, as well as the opening of peace talks.
The letter is addressed to the belligerents, Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the Dalai Lama, the United Nations, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
It notes that there are now no fewer than 55 armed conflicts in the world, and the consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine “have affected various countries, causing an increase in hunger in Africa, a migration crisis in Europe, bringing with the water , the bread and milk on the tables of the inhabitants of all six continents tons of noxious substances emitted by each bombardment”.
“The number of people killed and injured in central Europe will exceed one million people by the end of this year. This is happening for the first time since World War II,” the address added.
“During this war, the world’s defense budgets have grown so much that they are comparable to the resources sufficient to slow global climate change.” By killing each other, people are simultaneously killing the planet.”
“Weapons spending would also be enough to eradicate world hunger for the next eighty years. Imagine for a moment: no one will suffer from hunger anymore, no one will die of hunger, no child will be malnourished. However, instead of working all our lives, we waste our resources sowing death.”
“Who are the victims of war today? – ask the Nobel laureates. – These are mostly people aged thirty to forty. Each of them therefore lost about forty years of the life they expected to have. So when a hundred thousand people are killed, it represents the loss of four million years of life – with discoveries not made, children not born, orphans suffering.”
The authors of the letter ask the leaders of the world’s religions to address their followers and all the world’s citizens and governments on behalf of the God Whose they serve, just in time for the Olympic Games.
“May the billions of people who will be watching join this prayer.” Give our children the opportunity to outlive us. Let’s not kill each other, let’s save the planet.”
Among the signatories are virologist Francoise Barre-Sinoussi (Nobel Prize for the discovery of HIV), scientist Emmanuel Charpentier (Nobel Prize for the development of a method of genome editing), Alain Heger (Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and development of conductive polymers), as well and dozens of other scientists who made discoveries in the fields of chemistry, medicine and physics. In addition, the text was signed by Russian opposition journalist Dmitry Muratov (Nobel Peace Prize, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta) and Belarusian writer Svetlana Aleksievich (Nobel Prize for Literature, living in exile).
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate approved the proposals for the canonization of sixteen new saints, most of them confessors, martyrs and ascetics of the 20th century.
The 16 new saints include:
•Archimandrite Sofian Boghiu, abbot of St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest, with the title Confessor Saint Sofian of St Anthimos Monastery, commemorated on September 16;
•Father Dumitru Stăniloae, theology professor in Sibiu and Bucharest, with the title the Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae, commemorated on October 4;
•Father Constantin Sârbu, with the title the Holy Priest-Martyr Constantine Sârbu, commemorated on October 23;
•Protosyncellus Arsenie Boca, with the title Confessor Saint Arsenius of Prislop, commemorated on November 28;
•Father Ilie Lăcătușu, with the title the Holy Confessor Priest Elijah Lăcătușu, commemorated on July 22;
•Hieroschemamonk Paisie Olaru, confessor of Sihăstria Monastery, with the title Saint Paisius of Sihăstria, commemorated on December 2;
•Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie, abbot of Sihăstria Monastery, with the title Saint Cleopas of Sihăstria, commemorated on December 2;
•Archimandrite Dometie Manolache, with the title Saint Dometius the Merciful of Râmeț, commemorated on July 6;
•Archimandrite Serafim Popescu, abbot of Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery, with the title Saint Seraphim the Enduring of Sâmbăta de Sus, commemorated on December 20;
•Father Liviu Galaction Munteanu, theology professor in Cluj-Napoca, with the title the Holy Priest-Martyr Liviu Galaction of Cluj, commemorated on March 8;
•Archimandrite Gherasim Iscu, abbot of Tismana Monastery, with the title Venerable Martyr Gerasimus of Tismana, commemorated on December 26;
•Archimandrite Visarion Toia, abbot of Lainici Monastery, with the title Venerable Martyr Bessarion of Lainici, commemorated on November 10;
•Protosyncellus Calistrat Bobu, confessor at Timișeni Monastery and Vasiova Monastery, with the title Saint Callistratus of Timișeni and Vasiova, commemorated on May 10;
•Father Ilarion Felea, theology professor in Arad, with the title the Holy Priest-Martyr Hilarion Felea, commemorated on September 18;
•Protosyncellys Iraclie Flocea, exarch of the monasteries of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, with the title Saint Heraclius of Bessarabia, commemorated on August 3;
•Archpriest Alexandru Baltaga with the title the Holy Priest-Martyr Alexander of Bessarabia, commemorated on August 8.
Among the new saints there are three professors of theology who will be honored as martyrs – the famous throughout the Orthodox world Fr. Dumitru Staniloae (1903 – 1993), who will be honored on October 4, Fr. Hilarion Felea (1903 – 1961), professor of theology in the city of Arad, whose memory will be celebrated on September 18, and Fr. Liviu Galaction Munteanu (1898 – 1961), professor of theology in Cluj-Napoca (March 8).
In hagiology section will also be included Archim Cleopas (Ilie) – abbot of the “Sikhastiria” monastery, whose memory will be celebrated on December 2, as well as another brother of this monastery – Hieroshimonk Paisius (Olaru), whose memory will also be celebrated on December 2.
The liturgical texts in their memory are about to be completed, and the canonization itself will take place at the next meeting of the Holy Synod.
Source: Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate
Illustrative Photo: The historical church “Dormition of the Virgin” at the monastery of Brâncoveanu, Sâmbăta de Sus/Sibiu, Romania
“Synaxe”, an ecumenical association over 50 years old, brought together some forty members of various Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant communities in the monastery of Brâncoveanu, near Sibiu in Romania. An intense week of sharing, reflection and prayer on the Beatitude “Blessed are the peacemakers”.
During this meeting, which I was delighted to attend, this beatitude was explored from a variety of angles; it unfolded and expanded. How can I be more of a peacemaker? This question will stay with me for a long time, especially in contexts where it is difficult to live out love for one’s enemies.
So many wars are tearing humanity apart. The war in Ukraine has caused great trauma in society. According to Taras Dmytryk, who, from Ukraine, took part in a video conference, it will take at least three generations to heal. Just as reconciliation took time after the Second World War, it will take a great deal of work to achieve reconciliation after the war in this country. Christians have a sacred duty to commit themselves to this. The “Synaxe” meetings, which he has often attended, inspire and encourage him. They remind him that true peace comes from above; it is a grace given by God. That’s why it’s essential to pray without ceasing, a task to which consecrated people devote themselves.
“The peace blessed by Christ is the result and fruit of the purification of the heart and union with God”, says Athenagoras, orthodox Metropolitan of Benelux and President of Synaxis.
The foundation of peace is laid by Christ, who by his incarnation and redemptive work reconciled humanity with God. Peace has three dimensions: Peace with God, with oneself and with one’s neighbor: “If a person does not taste peace in his soul and with God… he cannot offer it to others. Each of us gives to others what we have, not what we don’t have”, he adds.
Peace is not a concept or a political program, but Christ himself who heals and forgives. It must be sought everywhere, especially with those closest to us. It is part of ordinary Christian life, but often seems absent from the followers of Christ. For Athenagoras, hatred among them is one of the “gravest sins”!
Peace begins with encounter
Peace begins by meeting others and listening to them: “we need hospitality of the face and of the ear”, he says. Cardinal Mercier said: “To unite, we must love one another; to love one another, we must know one another. To get to know each other, we have to go out and meet each other”.
Peace is sustained by prayer, which must be humble: “You will never love someone for whom you do not pray. Prayer opens a channel within us to participate in God’s love for the other person”.
In a beautiful message, Anne Burghardt, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, writes: “By highlighting this theme, you remind us all that consecrated life, life in community, in its many forms, offers a unique sign in the midst of conflicting powers and, if I may say so, a resistance offered by prayer”.
She also recalls the thinking of Pope Francis, for whom “walking together” (synodality) defines who we are as Christians. “During this walk, we dialogue, we pray, we commit ourselves to a common service for all those in need”.
Peace, fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Brother Guillaume, from the Taizé Community, has been living in Bangladesh for 47 years. He lives among simple people and wants to offer us simple words. He began with a song in Bengali, the 6th most widely spoken language in the world. Then a Taizé song inspired by the letter to the Romans: “The Kingdom of God is justice and peace. And joy in the Holy Spirit” (1, 4.7).
According to the letter to the Galatians, peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit (5:22). All these fruits must be enriched. On the other hand, we have to fight against our own nature to find peace. The first Christians did this and became free people filled with the gifts of the Spirit. We don’t often hear this today, but it is essential.
According to Seraphim of Sarov, the aim of the Christian life is to be constantly indwelt by the Holy Spirit (“the acquisition of the Spirit”, as he put it). To achieve this, we must fight against our passions; peace of mind comes through many tribulations.
Personal liberation is not enough. We have to help each other and live in justice. Peace cannot exist without justice and, as we have sung, “the kingdom of God is justice and peace” (1, 4.7).
Above all, peace is built if we become reconciled people, welcoming the gifts of others. “There is unity among us to the extent that we draw closer to Christ”. These words from a monk on Mount Athos had a deep impact on Brother Guillaume.
How can we bear witness to the peace of Christ in Bangladesh, where there are only 0.5% Christians? First of all, we have to see the beauty of the country and the courage of the people who live a very difficult life. Then proclaim the Gospel, as far as possible, by our example, by being close to everyone, especially the poor and the sick.
To bring peace, we need to get close to people and build trust by working together. This is not easy, because people keep to themselves. Instead of seeing what’s wrong with other Christians, we need to appreciate how Christ is present in their Church: what gifts he has given.
Finally, peace is linked to the simplicity of life, content with little. Gandhi understood this very well; for him, greed leads to a lack of peace, while simplicity leads to openness to others. People with smartphones are eager for news, but uninterested in the people next to them on the bus. On the other hand, poor people who don’t have much are more interested in getting to know others. The same is true of churches that were convinced they had all the truth, but were not interested in other churches, nor did they need them.
Not a single TV channel, streaming platform or cinema in Russia will show the competitions from the Summer Olympics in Paris, which begin on July 26, sports.ru writes. This happened for the first time in 40 years, when in 1984 the USSR boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles.
The official explanation is that this time only 16 athletes will participate under a neutral flag, without an anthem and in “unpopular sports”. The unofficial thing is that this is a purely political decision of the Kremlin, and heads of federations call those who agreed to participate traitors, homeless people and foreign agents.
Paris Mayor on Russians at the 2024 Olympics: It would be better if they didn’t come
Anne Hidalgo condemned the International Olympic Committee’s decision regarding representatives of the aggressor country, she said already in March.
According to the official, it would be good if athletes from the terrorist country did not participate in international competitions.
“I prefer that they not come. We cannot act as if the invasion does not exist. We cannot act as if Putin is not a dictator who is threatening all of Europe today.”
At the same time, she added that such sanctions cannot be imposed against Israeli athletes, since Israel’s actions are different from Russia’s aggression.
“There can be no talk of imposing sanctions against Israel in connection with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Because Israel is a democratic country,” the mayor told Reuters.
Ivan Aivazovsky is known as the best marine artist in the world, although he also painted other landscapes, battle scenes and many portraits. He is defined as a representative of romanticism, although there are many realistic elements in his paintings.
There are few artists who received such huge recognition during their lifetime as he did. He was named “Academician” of the Russian Navy, de facto State Councilor of Russia, de facto Privy Councilor of Russia, “Professor of Marine Painting” of the Petersburg Academy and its Honorary Member, Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science and Art, Member of Academy of Florence, Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, Honorary Member of the Moscow Art Society, etc.
Aivazovsky is the author of more than 6000 paintings, which makes him a real world record holder among the masters of the brush. The most interesting thing is that the world would not have seen a huge part of the paintings of this incredibly talented artist if he had actually died in 1843, when the ship he was traveling on in the Bay of Biscay was almost sunk by a terrible sea storm. In the commotion surrounding the shipwreck, newspapers ran headlines about Aivazovsky’s death, but he survived and lived for another 57 years after being declared “dead”. He died on May 2, 1900. The inscription is engraved on his sarcophagus:
“Born mortal, he left an immortal memory of himself.”
Ivan Aivazovsky was born on July 29, 1817 in the Feodosia region /a port on the Crimean Peninsula/, Russian Empire, in the family of Armenians. He has three sisters and one brother – the historian Gabriel Aivazovsky.
Young Ivan Aivazovsky received his first parochial education in the local Armenian church. Plays the violin, takes lessons from a local architect. He enrolled to study Landscape at the St. Petersburg Art Academy and while still a student received a silver medal for his paintings. He was assigned as an assistant to the French landscape painter Philippe Tanner, but a conflict arose between the two, after which Aivazovsky enrolled in the Battle Painting class and participated in the exercises of the Baltic Sea Fleet in the Gulf of Finland. From this period is his painting “Spokoystvie”, which won a gold medal and earned him a diploma from the academy, 2 years ahead of schedule. He left for the Crimea, where he met three admirals. With their patronage he was sent to study in Europe. Constantly travels: to Venice, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Naples, tours Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Great Britain, etc. He was strongly influenced by Italian painting and held several exhibitions in Italy.
He was invited to exhibit his paintings at the Louvre. Aivazovsky is the only representative of Russia at an international exhibition organized in the famous museum. He continues to travel – to Portugal, Spain, Malta. It was during one of these trips that he was shipwrecked and pronounced “dead”. After his “resurrection”, he was briefly in Paris and Amsterdam, and then returned to Russia.
The most fruitful period of his life begins. He became the official artist of the Russian Navy and initially painted commissioned views of Russian port cities. He also undertook a journey through the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea. After his return, he decided to settle in his hometown and build his own studio. He continues to paint marine paintings and is already very famous. He was raised by the Russian imperial court to the rank of aristocrat. In the meantime, he married an English governess, from whom he had four daughters, but in 1877 he divorced his wife and his second marriage was with an Armenian woman.
Creative success accompanied Aivazovsky throughout his life, but his real rise began sometime after the Crimean War, when he began to paint pictures of battle scenes. His works were exhibited during the Ottoman siege of Sevastopol. In the 1960s, he painted paintings inspired by Greek nationalism and the unification of Italy. For the first time, he went to the Caucasus, where he painted mountain landscapes. The time of his great international recognition is coming.
The Academy of Fine Arts in Florence asked the artist to create a self-portrait to be exhibited in the iconic Uffizi Gallery. The Turkish Sultan Abdul Aziz awarded him the “Osmaniye” order, which Aivazovsky later – in 1894 returned to him, together with other Turkish medals, through the Turkish consul in Feodosia, because of the Armenian massacres. Broken to the bottom of his soul by the genocide of his people, he also sends a message to the Sultan to “throw his orders and medals into the sea”. Aivazovsky painted several paintings about these tragic events. One of them is the “Massacre of Armenians near Trabazon”.
In 1880, Aivazovsky opened a gallery in his home. At the time, it was the third in Russia, after the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery. The artist continues to travel around the world, on invitations to exhibitions in Italy, France, Great Britain. He celebrated his 50-year creative activity with an exhibition in London.
Two years before he died, a famous meeting took place between Aivazovsky and another great Russian genius – Chekhov. How the great master of the pen described the great master of the brush, in one letter: “In him are combined a general, a priest, an artist, an Armenian, a local old peasant and Othello”. Indeed, an extremely accurate description for such a multifaceted personality as Aivazovsky. In the last years of his life, the artist opened an art school in Feodosia, provided water for the city from his own estate, built a historical museum, made the construction of a commercial port and a connection with the railway network of the country.
Of the nearly 6,000 paintings painted by Aivazovsky, most of them are related to the sea. It is curious that he painted his seascapes from memory and far from the shore. His ability to convey the movement of sea waves without observing them closely is astounding. Moreover, Aivazovsky, in his more mature period, painted his seascapes on large-scale canvases, on which the effect is even more spectacular. With his second wife, Aivazovsky took a trip to America – to New York and Washington. He painted Niagara Falls.
He is admired by the best artists in the world. Ivan Aivazovsky died on May 2, 1900. His dying wish was to be buried in the yard of an Armenian church. His sarcophagus, made of white marble, was designed by the great Italian sculptor Bioggioli.
We cannot separate respect for the earth from the quality of human life. A “zoom in” on the relational aspect of nature in various religious traditions was the theme of a round table during the interreligious conference organized by the Focolare Movement (June 2024)
Stefania Papa, from the University of Campania and active in “Eco-one” (Focolare ecological initiative), highlights the importance of this relational aspect of nature. Putting yourself in this logic offers an invaluable resource for change.
She wonders how come two trees can live next to each other. And why do smaller trees, with less light, continue to live? The answer is that there is close cooperation between them. But, through their activities, humans have modified more than half of the functioning of the ecosystem. It has created impacts with global consequences.
Harmony, essence of nature
For her, the true essence of nature is not exploitation but harmony. “We are nature, but we have placed ourselves outside of it, without sensitivity. However, the value of a human being does not come from what he knows or what he has, but from his ability to go beyond himself,” she says.
Europe is a melting pot of immense variety. Diverse religions offer wisdom resources to promote sustainability. Many initiatives have emerged in recent years in the Focolare Movement. S. Papa gives some examples: in Sicily, a pact of collective responsibility was drawn up; more than 600 trees were planted. In Switzerland, a significant reduction in electricity consumption was made in a meeting center thanks to solar panels. In Hungary, a bicycle collection was carried out for people in need. “These are small actions, but they have a significant impact and color the sky with rainbows,” she concludes.
The sacred forest
Charles Fobellah, director of three schools in Cameroon, is a traditional leader of the Bangwa people, where Focolare spirituality flourishes. He explains that, in his culture, the sacred forest is at the center of spiritual life. It is reserved for worship and must not be inhabited or cultivated. A place of palaver, meetings and burials of princes, it is also a place of communion with God, where we ask him for protection and blessing. For its people, peace is a community affair. A person is at peace when he or she is in right relationship with God, nature and others.
The “Dice of Love”
Stella John, a member of the Focolare Movement in Pakistan,shares an experience of putting the Golden Rule into practice with children from very modest backgrounds, using the “love dice”. Each week a different motto is lived from this dice. Parents are surprised to see their children doing good deeds at home and with their friends. Praying for peace has also become a daily gesture to open oneself to the suffering of humanity. Just as respect for creation is infused in a concrete way, for example by avoiding the use of plastic. Just as the practice of forgiveness restores harmony to our relationships, we must seek harmony with creation.
Together for a greener Africa
The “Together for a Greener Africa” project brings together Lilly Seidler on stageand Samer Fasheko, from Germany, with Valentine Agbo-Panzo , from Benin . In the spirit of universal fraternity, this association wants to bring positive changes to nature. It is an interfaith project bringing together people from various countries. Some examples are given: installation of solar panels in hospitals and schools, construction of wells, installation of refrigeration systems, among others.
Nature and monastic life
Chintana Greger, a Buddhist nun from Thailand, began a path to inner peace while she was a student. She fought for peace and fraternity with anger and frustration. Discouraged, she decided to give up this fight. But, a monk guided her, and after the death of her father, she withdrew into solitude and practiced Vipasana meditation. She then decided to become a nun. Monastic life allowed her to lead a life closer to nature, in a monastery of 500 people.
“Without meditation, our lives are disordered. Eating little, talking little, sleeping little, using only what is essential for life, practicing meditation diligently and mindfulness bring flavor to life,” she says. She notes that living to the rhythm of nature promotes meditation. “Nature is our life. When peace comes, wisdom follows. Renouncing self-centeredness is the greatest happiness.”
A path of harmony
An interfaith group from Argentina, led by Silvina Chemen, a rabbi in Buenos Aires, presents its activities. “We can no longer live without each other,” she said happily. “Days of peace” were organized, as well as pilgrimages to Israel, Shabbats experienced together, as well as shared readings of the Gospel, the Pentateuch and the Koran. Its members invite each other to Christian Easter and Jewish Passover, as well as to the fast-breaking meal during Ramadan.
A woman experiencing this for the first time said “here there is God”. The group also engages in charitable activities distributing food, blankets and clothing. After the tragedy of October 7, Jews, Christians and Muslims lived Shabbat together so as not to allow this situation to divide them. “The path of faith is a path of harmony until we truly feel brothers and sisters ,” concludes S. Chemen.
By Martin Hoegger, pastor of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud, www.hoegger.org
“Synaxe” brought together around forty members of various Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant religious communities for its 39th meeting from July 3 to 9, 2024. An intense week of sharing, reflection and prayer experienced in the Brâncoveanu monastery, near Sibiu, at the foot of the Carpathians.
This is the fifth meeting in which I participate. Finding friends in Christ, brothers and sisters in him, children of the same Father is a joy! Here are some highlights.
Bishop Athenagoras, Orthodox Metropolitan of the Benelux and President of Synaxe, explains this year’s theme: “Blessed are the peacemakers”. How to become a peacemaker? “The peace blessed by Christ,” he says, “is the result and fruit of the purification of the heart and union with God.” It begins by meeting others and listening to them: “we need hospitality of the face and the ear.”
Peace, fruit of the Holy Spirit.
For Brother Guillaume, from the Taizé community, peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We must fight against our own nature to find peace. This is the essential thing and the first Christians did it. They thus became free people filled with the gifts of the Spirit.
We must build peace above all by becoming reconciled people, by welcoming the gifts of others. It is linked to the simplicity of life which leads to openness to others.
Pastor Jean-Philippe Calame, chaplain of the Grandchamp community in Switzerland, believes that peace is essentially a gift that comes from God. It is in history, but not of history. Jesus alone is the accomplished peace of God. Politics is not enough to create it. He alone can give it.
Claretian and specialist in consecrated life (Rome), Maurizio Bevilacqua gives a reflection on forgiveness and peace in the light of the famous “sun brother canticle” of Francis of Assisi: “Praised be you, my Lord, for those who forgive for your love and endure sickness and tribulation”. Francis is convinced that any reconciliation requires above all the capacity to forgive.
Bela Visky, Protestant pastor and professor of theology in Cluj, cites a commentary by Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Beatitude of the peacemakers. He affirms that the Christian must provide peace actively, not just live it passively. The Christian welcomes others by wishing them peace and prefers to suffer than to make a person suffer. The various religious communities should connect with each other in this way.
How can we be more of a peacemaker? This question will accompany us for a long time, especially in contexts in which it is difficult to live the love of enemies. A participant from Ukraine testified to this difficulty.
Peace of the heart in the Christian tradition
Dom Johan Geysens, from the Benedictine monastery of Chevetogne in Belgium, spoke about peace of the heart in the Christian tradition, with some important spiritual figures. He begins with the “life of Saint Benedict”, of whom Gregory the Great said that he “dwelt with himself”. That is why he feared no one. In the “Imitation of Jesus Christ”, T. A Kempis emphasizes inner peace in response to external solicitations: the necessary condition for finding peace is inner conversion: “Leave yourself and you will enjoy great inner peace”!
Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Serafim recalled that the hesychast tradition emphasizes interiorization. Every prayer must be a prayer of the heart, not just the one we call the “Jesus Prayer”. Meditation must descend into our heart, through asceticism and prayer. Without them, we cannot acquire peace of heart.
Professor Pierre-Yves Brandt, from the Faculty of Theology in Lausanne, sees in Abraham the example of the meek who lives the beatitude of meekness. He calms a conflict between his shepherds and those of Lot. The meek is also a peacemaker. Between Christian confessions, we also need these peacemakers, namely men and women who do not occupy all the space, but leave others the possibility of responding to the call they have received.
Sister Magdalen, from the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist (Essex, England), introduced us to the spirituality of Saint Silouan, a monk from Mount Athos who died in 1938, who lived the beatitude of peace by teaching and living the love of enemies. He sees a link between peace, love of enemies and humility. “The soul of the humble man is like the sea; if you throw a stone into the sea, it troubles the surface of the waters for a moment, then sinks into the depths”.
Peace, the fruit of prayer
Many have (re)discovered the beauty of the Orthodox services and liturgy in the old church in the centre of the monastery with its frescoes which evoke those who loved the Lord before us. We are surrounded by “this cloud of witnesses” that encourages us (Heb 12:1). The other places also spoke to us, such as the Orthodox Cathedral of Sibiu and the Catholic Church on its Great Square, where we experienced the Eucharist.
The Protestant liturgy lived in the open air in the clearing of the monastery touched us by the spiritual quality that was expressed there. It is fortunate that an Orthodox brother underlined the beauty of this liturgy.
The moments of celebration were rich in diversity. They brought us together in the unity of faith in Christ confessed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, whose 1700th anniversary of its promulgation we will commemorate in 2025. Similarly, the times of Lectio divina on the first letter of John gave flavor to our meetings by making the link between our faith and our paths of life. I was one of the animators.
The reference to the Word of God is central, because through it Christ speaks to us. The purpose of the lectio is to encounter him and to say “you” to him in prayer. And it is he who unites us. In these moments, we were also able to “speak in I” and encourage each other with spontaneous prayers.
Certainly, we felt the pain of an imperfect Eucharistic communion, but we remembered that the walls do not reach to heaven. Despite this, we were able to share so many beautiful things and were encouraged to take steps forward.
We were also happy with the participation of several young people, but we are aware of the need to expand the meeting even more to a new generation.
After these blessed days, we left with hearts filled with peace, joy and gratitude for belonging to the same Body of Christ. We hope that this beautiful story of Synaxis continues, as God wants.
Read the full report of this meeting here: https://www.hoegger.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Article-Brancoveanu-long.pdf
Article on the 50th anniversary meeting of Synaxe in 2022: https://www.cath.ch/newsf/depuis-50-ans-la-vie-consacree-au-service-de-lunite-des-chretiens/
By St. Antony the Great (c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356)
LETTER TEN
1. My blessed children, I am writing this letter to you so that you may know that those who love God seek Him with all their hearts and He responds to them and grants them what they ask for.
As for those who do not approach God with all their heart, but do all their works out of a desire for boasting in order to gain human glory, He does not hear their prayers. Rather, He is angry with them because their deeds are done in hypocrisy. That is why the words of the psalmist are fulfilled in relation to them, who says: “God will scatter the bones of those who rebel against You…” (Ps. 52:6).
2. Verily the Most High God is angry with their works, is not pleased with their prayers, and opposes them very strongly, because they do their works without faithfulness and perform them hypocritically before men. Therefore the power of God does not work in them, because they are weak in heart in all the works they undertake. Therefore such men have not known the goodness of God with its inherent bliss and joy, and their souls grow weary of their works as under a heavy burden.
Some of your brothers are like that. Because they had not acquired that power which brings sweetness to the soul, fills it with joy and gladness day after day, and kindles in it the desire for God, they were seduced by the spirit of corruption, and hypocritically performed their works before men.
3. And you, my beloved and so dear to my heart, when you present to God the fruits of your labor, try to distance yourself from the spirit of vain glory and conquer it at all times, so that the Lord will accept these fruits of yours and receive from Him the power that He gives to His elect.
My heart is at peace with you, my beloved, because I know that you do not approve of the spirit of vainglory, and are constantly opposed to it. Because of this, your fetus is holy and alive. So keep resisting this evil spirit. When a man has actually begun righteous deeds and has harnessed himself to a strenuous struggle, then this same spirit rushes in and tries to join him to restrain him in what he has begun, so that he may not do something fair. He is an evil spirit and therefore opposes all who want to be faithful.
Many are those for whom we rejoice that they are faithful and are ready to give out of mercy to the poor. This very spirit is fighting against them. With others he joins their works, destroys their fruits, and hinders their course, because both the virtues and the good works which men undertake are mingled with human glory. It seems that such people bear fruit before men, but in fact it is not so. They are like a fig tree, which from a distance appears to be laden with good fruit, but when one approaches it, one finds only bitter fruit without any sweetness. Such is the state of all those who receive glory from men. People think they have too much fruit pleasing to God, when in reality they have none at all. Moreover, God has left them to wither because He has found no fruit in them. That is why He has deprived them of the supreme sweetness of His divinity.
4. As for you, my dear and industrious children, make an effort to resist the spirit of vainglory. Resist him and defeat him. And the power of God will come to your aid; she will stay with you and give you strength and warmth forever. And as for me, I will pray that this warmth will remain in you for eternity, because it is real and there is nothing more beautiful than it.
Therefore, if any of you finds that this warmth is not in him, let him earnestly ask for it, and it will come to him. It is similar to a fire, on which people blow to kindle, wishing to cook a meal with a vegetable. When this fire is lit, the water acquires the burning property of the fire, it begins to boil, its heat rises and cooks the vegetables. In the same way, my brethren, if you find your soul chilled by carelessness and indolence, endeavor to raise it up by mourning its condition, and the warmth will not fail to come and unite with it, giving it its burning property. And the soul that begins to boil will abound in good deeds.
When King David found his soul stiff and cold, he said thus: “Unto Thee I lift up my soul” (Ps. 142:8); “I remember the days of old and meditate on all Your works…” (Ps. 142:5); and more: “I stretch out my hands to You; my soul to Thee is like a thirsty land” (Ps. 142:6). Moreover, understand, my beloved, what David did when his heart was hardened: he exerted himself until the heat rekindled his heart, so that he could say: “My heart is ready, O God…” (Ps. 107 :2). And he regained the ease of his round-the-clock ministry.
And you act in this way, that you may be united by the arrangement of your heart in the brightness and warmth of the Godhead, so that God may reveal to you the great and inexpressible mysteries.
And I ask you to keep your body, soul and spirit intact until He takes you to the abode of His goodness – to the place where our holy fathers reached.
Be in the joy of our Lord, Whom befits glory now and forever, Amen!
Photo: Orthodox icon of the Ascension of the Lord.
A spiritual leader in Nepal known as “Buddha Boy” was sentenced on the 1st of July to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor, the Associated Press reported, citing a court statement.
The Sarlahi District Court ordered convicted Ram Bahdur Bamjan, considered by some to be the reincarnation of the founder of Buddhism, also pay $3,700 to the victim.
The man has 70 days to appeal the court’s decision, court spokesman Sadan Adhikari said for AP.
In January, police arrested Bamjan in a suburb of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, on charges of sexual assault and suspected complicity in the disappearance of at least four of his followers. During the arrest, Nepalese rupee notes worth $227,000 and other foreign currencies worth a total of $23,000 were seized from him, police said.
A number of Nepalese believe that Bamjan is a reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, born in southwestern Nepal about 2,600 years ago and revered as the Buddha. Scholars involved in the study of Buddhism, however, are skeptical of the claims.
An Italian teenager who loved video games will become the Roman Catholic Church’s first millennial saint. The move was approved by the pope and cardinals, and Pope Francis said he would be canonized in Jubilee 2025 (special years of remission of sins among Catholics).
Carlo Acutis, who died at the age of 15 from leukemia, had created a website cataloging miracles in different parts of the world. This earned him the nickname “God’s Influencer”. Born in London in 1991, moved with his parents to Milan, he grew up in a non-religious family, but his nanny from Poland nurtured his faith.
After his death, the body was moved to Assisi. Acutis was beatified after the church confirmed that he had performed a miracle on 10 October 2020. His remains are on display alongside relics associated with him.
Two miracles
However, one miracle is not enough for canonization – two are needed. The claims for each are thoroughly and individually investigated.
The first led to beatification – the declaration of a blessed, or a person who, having performed a proven miracle, has not yet been canonized, but is about to. In the case of Acutis, he is said to have cured a six-year-old boy from Brazil who was born with a pancreatic defect and was unable to eat normally without surgical intervention, which was not performed.
In May of this year, Pope Francis also recognized the second miracle: Acutis healed a girl from Costa Rica who suffered a severe head injury when she fell from a bicycle in Florence. Her mother claims that she prayed at the tomb of Acutis in Assisi.
The remaining step was for the Vatican to confirm that it was proceeding with the canonization. After the ceremony, which is expected to be in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the church will be able to give his name to parishes and schools and will honor him on a feast day.
An image the church needs
The teenager, who died in 2006, is often pictured in jeans and sneakers, and his story is seen as useful for the Catholic Church’s attempts to reach younger generations in the digital age. His canonization was approved along with that of 14 others.
Acutis’ mother says he used to limit himself in playing the PlayStation game because he was afraid of becoming addicted. From the age of nine he helped the homeless in Milan, gave his pocket money to those sleeping on the street, insisted on having only one pair of shoes to help the poor. The Vatican’s official news site quoted a cardinal as saying that he requested first communion earlier than the usual age and that he always helped those in need, in addition to maintaining the sites of his school and parish.
However, he also had worldly pleasures: he played the saxophone, he liked football, he loved animals, he made humorous films about his dogs.
Photo: Ordinary Public Consistory for some causes of Canonization, 01.07. 2024. Source: Vatican News.
