The Cross is the main symbol of Christianity. And what they have in common is that both there and there, the ancient Greek word ὁ σταυρός (stavros) is used in the name – cross.
And monasteries become stavropegic when they are given the status of stavropegic. This word – ἡ σταυροπηγία, from σταυρός – “cross” and the verb πήγνυμι – “to establish, hoist” – literally means hoisting the cross. It indicates that in stavropegic monasteries the cross is erected and erected by the patriarchs themselves.
In general, of course, the cross as the main symbol of Christianity is as paradoxical and unique as itself. Invented by the Romans (the Old Testament does not know the crucifixion), he was an instrument of terrible and shameful execution, which was subjected to the most notorious criminals. A person died from severe suffering, since death came from suffocation, as a result of a long and extremely painful unnatural position of the chest and the whole body. However, in Christianity, the cross, on the contrary, becomes a sign of victory and a messenger of salvation, the main symbol of the Church and the Christian faith. This is the high dialectics of Christianity…
The cross becomes a symbol and a constant reminder of the fact that Christ, by His death on the cross, trampled down and conquered the same death. Through extreme sorrow, he came to a major victory and thereby granted salvation to other people, showing them the same path if they want to imitate Him.
And when a person is baptized, he not only calls on God for help and drives away demons: Hoc signo vinces! – ” You will win with this sign!”. When he is baptized, he voluntarily puts a cross on himself, that is, he imitates Christ, voluntarily accepting sorrows and sufferings as the only way to salvation: “Through many tribulations you must enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
After all, in fact, if you look around, you can not help but see that no one lives carefree, that everyone has their own sorrows and sufferings. You can’t get away from the cross. This is a symbol of human life, which is similar to death, and a sign of that death, which actually gives real life. The only question is whether you will try to escape the inevitable, or will you accept it meekly and consider yourself worthy of the sorrows sent down. And then, in a still unknown way, but, as Christ said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11.30).
But how can this heaviest burden of suffering suddenly become light and good? It can be, if you do not ask what the sorrows are sent for, simply accepting them. After all, almost every person is delusional, and it is very, very difficult for him to see his sins, everyone is inclined to think “but what am I for?”. But any suffering can be endured if you see the meaning in it. You will see this meaning if you take everything upsetting for granted and ask “why do you need this?”.
The Russian Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, in his “Ascetic Experiences”, Volume 1, writes the following: “Patient bearing of one’s cross is true vision and consciousness of one’s sin. There is no self-delusion in this consciousness. But he who recognizes himself as a sinner, and at the same time murmurs and cries out from his cross, proves by the fact that he only flatters himself with a superficial consciousness of sin, deceives himself …
From your cross, glorify the Lord, rejecting from yourself every thought of complaint and grumbling, rejecting it as a crime and blasphemy.
From your cross, thank the Lord for the priceless gift, for your cross, for your precious lot, for the lot of imitating Christ with your sufferings.
From the cross, theologize: because the cross is the true and only school, the repository and throne of true theology. Outside the cross there is no living knowledge of Christ.
Do not look for Christian perfection in human virtues. It is not there: it is hidden in the Cross of Christ.”
Legal code from about 1870 B.C. written in the Sumerian language. It predates the long-known Hamurabi law code, now in the Louvre, by more than a century, and for its interest in the history of civilization, it is one of the most important archaeological finds every uncovered. The tablet is one of many thousands excavated in the Temple Library of Nippur by a University of Pensylvania expedition in the late 19th century
The so-called Code of Lipit–Ishtar (c. 1934–24 bc) is a Sumerian law , which contains the typical prologue, articles, and epilogue and deals with such matters as the rights of persons, marriages, successions, penalties, and property and contracts, according to britannica.com. Lipit-Ishtar (Akkadian: Lipit-Ištar; fl. c. 1870 BC – c. 1860 BC by the short chronology of the ancient near east) was the 5th king of the First Dynasty of Isin [see the Sumerian King List (SKL)].
Prologue
When the great An [1], the father of the gods, (and) Enlil [2], the king of all the earth, the ruler who establishes decisions, …Ninisin [3], the daughter of An, … for her… joy … for her clear forehead; when they gave her the kingdom of Sumer and Akkad (and) the favorable rule in her (city) Isin [4], … established by An. When An(i) Enlil called Lipit-Ishtar, then Lipit-Ishtar, the wise shepherd whose name was pronounced Nunamnir, to reign over the land, to establish justice in the land, to remove grievances, to repel the enemy(s) to avoid rebellion by force of arms, (and) to bring prosperity to Sumerians and Akkadians, then I, Lipit-Ishtar, the humble shepherd of Nippur [5], the virtuous farmer of Ur, who does not leave Eridu [6], worthy to be ruler of Erech [7], king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, who was dear to the heart of Inan8, established justice in Sumer and Akkad in accordance with the words of Enlil. Indeed, in those days I provided … freedom for the sons and daughters of Isin, the sons and daughters of Sumer and Akkad, upon whom … the bonds of slavery … were imposed. Indeed, in accordance with … I have made the father the support of the children, (and) the children the support of the father; I commanded the father to stand by the children (and) the children to stand by the father; in father’s house (and) in brother’s house I … . Indeed, I, Lipit-Ishtar, son of Enlil, brought seventy to the house of the father (and) to the house of the brother; to the house of the unmarried I brought … for ten months … the man’s wife, … the man’s children … .
Laws:
1. … was established …
2. …
3. … property from the father’s home from his …
4. … the son of the government official, the son of the palace official, the son of the guardian …
5. … ship … follows him …
6. If a person inherits a ship(s) and rigs it for sailing from his …
7. … gift … it follows …
8. If he has given his garden to a gardener, so that the gardener shall take care of it … (and) the gardener … the owner of the garden …
9. If a person gave a plot of land to (another) person so that he could plant an orchard, (and the latter) did not plant a garden on the entire plot of land, then he is obliged to the person who planted the garden to give a part of the unused plot of land , which is not assimilated by him, as part of his схаре [9].
10. If a man entered the garden of (another) man (and was caught there stealing), he shall pay 10 shekels [10] silver.
11. If a man cut down a tree in (another) man’s garden, he shall pay 1/2 mina [11] of silver.
12. If the pushtinak adjacent to a person’s house belongs to (another) person, and the owner of the house has said to the owner of the pushtinak: “Because the land is not mastered, someone can break into my house; strengthen your house.” , (and) their agreement being confirmed, the owner of the wasteland shall be bound to indemnify the owner of the home for any property lost.
13. If a man’s slave or slave has run away and taken refuge in the center of the city, (and) if it is established that he (or she) has taken refuge in (another) man’s house for a month, he is obliged to give slave for slave.
14. If he has no slave, he shall be obliged to pay 15 shekels of silver.
15. If a human slave has served his servitude to his master (and) if this is confirmed by the master twice, that slave may be given freedom.
16. If a miktum is a gift to the king, it is not subject to alienation.
17. If a miktum has come to a man of his own free will, that man shall not dare to detain him; he is free to go wherever he pleases.
18. If a person without permission has forced (another) person to do something about which (the latter) thinks nothing, then that person does not deserve approval; he (the first man) must bear punishment for that deed which he compelled him to do.
19. If an owner of an estate has not paid the tax for the estate (and) another person has paid it, it is forbidden to evict the person from the estate within three years. (Then) the person who paid the estate tax becomes the owner of the estate, (and) the previous owner of the estate cannot dispute his right.
20. If an estate owner …
21. If one of the heirs has seized …
22. If … the father’s house … he has married, then the father’s house received by her as a gift from the father, he will receive, as her heir.
23. If the father be alive, his daughter, no matter what she may be, a ninishigir, or a lukur, or a temple maid, shall live in his house as an heiress.
24. If a daughter in the home of her healthy father …
25. If the second wife to whom he is married has borne him children, then the dowry which she brought from her father’s house belongs to her children; and the children from his first wife and the children from the second wife should equally share their father’s property.
26. If a man has married and his wife has borne him children, and these children are alive, and the slave girl has also borne children to her master, (but) the master has given freedom to the slave girl and her children, then the children of the slave girl have no right to share the estate with the children of their (previous) master.
27. If his first wife is dead, and after her death he takes a slave woman as his wife, then the children of his first wife are his first heirs; the children born of the handmaid of her master shall be as … and his house they, …
28. If a man’s wife has borne him no children, (a) the hetera with the public square has borne him children, he is bound to provide the hetera with grain, oil, and clothing; the children born to him by the heterah become his heirs, but as long as his wife lives, the heterah cannot live in (his) house with his wife.
29. If a man renounces his first wife … (a) she has not left home, then his wife, taken by him as his beloved, is his second wife; he is obliged to take care of his first wife.
30. If the (future) son-in-law entered the house of his father-in-law (and if) he was betrothed, (but) then they drove him out (of the house) and gave his wife to his friend, they are obliged to return to him what was brought by him presents on the occasion of the betrothal, (and) then the woman may marry his friend.
31. If a young man married a heter of the public square, (and) the judge forbade him to visit her, but, afterwards he divorced his wife, then the money …
32. (If) … he gave it to him, then after the father’s death the heirs shall divide the father’s estate, (but) the inheritance of the estate they shall not divide; they will not “boil the father’s word in water”.
33. If while still alive the father has postponed the marriage gift for his son, (and) in the presence of the father while still alive, he (son) has taken a wife, then after the death of his father the heirs …
34. If he lived with the assurance that … he did not divide the estate, he shall pay 10 shekels of silver.
35. If a man has hired a bull (and) has caused damage to its flesh in the region of the nostril, then he is obliged to pay one-third (of its) value.
36. If a man has taken a bull on lease (and it has damaged its eyes), then he is obliged to pay one second (of its value).
37. If a man took a bull on lease (and broke its horn), then he is obliged to pay a quarter (of its) value.
38. If a man has hired a bull (and) damages it in the region of the tail, then he is obliged to pay a quarter (of its) value.
39. If … then he is obliged to pay.
Epilogue
Indeed, in accordance with the truthful word of Utu, I incited Sumer and Akkad to adhere to true justice. Indeed, in accordance with the judgment of Enlil, I put an end to enmity and insurrections; of sufferings, complaints, sobs … taboo; I became the cause of good order and justice; I brought prosperity to the Sumerians and Akkadians…
Indeed, when I established abundance in Sumer and Akkad, I erected this stele. May he who does not do any malicious act to it (the stela), who does not destroy my creation, who does not erase its inscriptions, who does not write his own name on it, be granted long life and breath for many years; let him rise high in Ekur [12]; let Enlil’s high brow bow over him. (A ) he who commits an indecent act upon it (the stele), who destroys my creation, who erases inscriptions from it, who writes his own name on it (or) he who, knowing this curse, intends to replace it , – let this man be …, let him be …let him deprive him … send him … In his … whoever he is; let Ashnan [13] and Sumugan [14] the lords of abundance deprive him … let him remove .. Let Utu [15] the judge of heaven and earth … take away … him … foundations … as … let them consider him; not to establish the foundations of his dominion; this king, whoever he may be, Ninurta [16], the mighty hero, the son of Enlil …
Notes:
1. Ann – in Akkadian. Anu, one of the three supreme Sumero-Akkadian gods, patron of the city of Uruk.
2. Enlil – in Akkadian. Elil, from noise. “lord of the winds”, one of the main Sumero-Akkadian gods, along with An and Enki, patron of Nippur.
3. Ninisin – healing goddess, daughter of An, worshiped in Isin.
4. Insin – an ancient city in Mesopotamia, now the city of Tel-Ishan-Bahriyat in Iraq.
5. Nippur – a city in ancient Mesopotamia on the Euphrates River, now Nifer in Iraq. In the city there was a ziggurat of the god Enlil.
6. Eridu – an ancient Sumerian city, now the city of Abu-Shahrain in Iraq, was founded in the first half of the IV century BC. on the Persian Gulf coast.
7. Erech – the biblical name of the Sumerian city of Uruk, its name is also found as noise. Unug, the Greek. Orhoya, now Vark settlement. The city was for some time the capital of ancient Sumer.
8. Inan – from noise, “ruler of the heavens”, Sumerian goddess of fertility, carnal love and strife.
9. The Russian translation is not very clear. Probably, the provision stipulates that the harvest from the entire land should be calculated first, and then divided into the agreed shares, and the unrealized harvest from the unsown plot should also be included in the share of the gardener.
10. sickle – of noise. gin, a Babylonian unit of weight equal to 8.4 g, 1 shekel = 1/60 mina.
11. mina – (Shum. mana) a measure of weight in Sumer and Babylonia, weighing about 505 years, 1 mina = 60 shekels (Shum. gin); 60 minis = 1 talent (shum. gu).
12. Ekur – “home of the mountain”, name of the temple of the Sumerian god Enlil in Nippur
13. Ashnan – Sumerian goddess of grain.
14. Sumugan – Shakan, Sumero-Akkadian deity responsible for plant and animal life in the valleys.
15. Utu – from noise.”the bright”,”shining”,”day”. In Sumerian mythology, the sun god.
16. Ninurta – noise. “ruler of the earth”, in Sumero-Akkadian mythology god of war, hunting and fishing, vegetation and fertility. together with this god of the morning sun, merciful, healing and all-forgiving. He was honored with his father Enlil at Nippur.
A report from the Conference of European Churches (CEC) highlights European Church contribution toward reconciliation and unity ahead of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly. The report is an outcome of CEC’s European Regional Pre-Assembly, which focused on the WCC Assembly theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”.
The report summarises reflections on topics related to the war in Ukraine, churches’ efforts for peace, and their struggles in the context of secular and plural European societies.
The European Regional Pre-Assembly was organised in cooperation with the Polish Ecumenical Council and the WCC Assembly office.
The report features views from churches in Europe who spoke about the war in Ukraine, delving deep on common issues, reflecting on what it means to be a church in Europe today, and what that means for a WCC Assembly hosted in Europe. As the gathering at the European Regional Pre-Assembly discussed issues in different geographical and ecclesial contexts, themes of reconciliation, secularity, and unity threaded together into a rich tapestry of common understanding and vision.
“The theme of the 11th WCC Assembly is Christocentric and missional, but not exclusivist. Christ’s love, radical compassion and solidarity with those who suffer, is at the centre of the reflections and preparations of churches for the Assembly,” reads the report.
The report states how churches in Europe are part of the worldwide movement of transformation, aware of their responsibilities, and strongly committed to the work of global unity and reconciliation.
“The war against Ukraine is a new shock to Europe that churches and Christians are grappling with, the city of Karlsruhe continues its preparations to host the WCC Assembly. The city, set on the banks of the Rhine near the French-German border, is a witness to a long history of reconciliation after World War II, and is an example of cross-border dialogue and reconciliation in Europe.”
“Churches in Europe hope that the upcoming Assembly will be a truly intergenerational, interconnected, and prophetic Assembly, prepared by local communities as they reflect on the biblical stories of Jesus’ compassion. They hope that this Assembly will be an ecumenical boost for Europe that will strengthen the role of ecumenism and religion’s role in our societies,” reads the report.
The European Regional Pre-Assembly brought together over 150 participants from across Europe, including prominent church leaders and academics, representing CEC Member Churches.
The Association of Greek Archaeologists on 22.8.2022 published an open letter to the UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, sounding the alarm about both Hagia Sophia and the Chora Monastery, which was also recently turned into a mosque, reported Orthochristian.com.
The Association believes that the photographic evidence of damage to the building that has emerged since 2020 suggests “bleak prospects for its future.”
Full text of the letter:
Open letter regarding the endangered monuments of Hagia Sophia and the Chora Monastery
Hagia Sophia, in today Istanbul, is a masterpiece of world architecture, the most representative monument of Byzantine civilization. It is a building of high significance -in terms of architectural composition, decoration and construction techniques- which impressed with its beauty and name the Ottomans who occupied Constantinople in 1453.
From 1935 to 2020 Hagia Sophia operated as a monument open to all kinds of visitors, where public access was ensured to every part of the historic building and also to the totality of its treasures. During this period of museum operation, the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia were uncovered and preserved, whereas restoration works were also undertaken, according to a programme that aimed at gradually revealing and promoting the historical identity of the monument. Thus, the visitor, both Turkish and non-Turkish, had the pleasure of enjoying the value of this outstanding monument that has embellished Constantinople since the 6th century AD.
In 2020 the Turkish Council of State decided to annul the 1934 Cabinet decree which had allowed Hagia Sophia’s operation as a museum (“mujesi”). The new decision recognized it exclusively as a waqf of Sultan Mehmed II (1432-1481) and, therefore, paved the way for the return of Hagia Sophia to its Ottoman-era status. At the time, in 2020, there was worldwide concern about the problems that would be created by using such a monument as a place of worship, as management without a scientific approach would gradually cause alterations and damage to the historic building. We, along with other scientific organizations, had expressed warnings about these problems.
And unfortunately these problems have now appeared along the way. Since 2020 and especially in the recent past, photographic evidence [1] has come to light with gloomy prospects for the future of Hagia Sophia. The Ottoman wooden door leaves of the Imperial Gate were damaged, wall coatings were scraped and removed, fountains and doors were used for shoe storage, marble floor slabs were destroyed. The unique Byzantine mosaics remain covered and unseen. Archaeological supervision has stayed outside the monument.
All this and probably more, still unknown, are connected with the uncontrolled flow of visitors (pilgrims) and the use of Hagia Sophia as a mosque without great historical depth, as a place where respect for history and art is absent. The lack of control of visitors and the absence of guards testify to the negligence for the protection of the monument and leave its protection at the mercy of the will of every visitor or pilgrim. Justifiably, therefore, concern has been aroused in Turkey and worldwide for the future life of Hagia Sophia.
In the last few years (2006 and onwards), when the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) took over the management of Turkey’s monuments that were formerly in the hands of the Turkish Archaeological Service, many monuments have suffered irretrievable damage. In the context of renovation initiatives by the abovementioned institution, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments have been reconstructed and damaged. Representative, in this respect, are the works carried out at the Cumanin Camii (Panayia) in Antalya, a monument with Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman phases, as well as at the Süheyl Bey Cami in Istanbul, a mosque built by the workshop of Mimar Sinan (16th century).
It is with concern, therefore, that we hear that work is currently being carried out on another of Istanbul’s outstanding Byzantine monuments, the former katholikon of the Chora Monastery (Kariye Camii), so that it too can be used as a mosque. The covering up of the monument’s prestigious mosaics and frescoes, a glorious example of Palaeologan art, is an act of historical malpractice. We wonder how the Chora Monastery will be able to pass intact to the new operating status, after the 2020 decision of the Turkish Council of State, which also provided for the cancellation of its “museum use” and its conversion back into a mosque.
The Association of Greek Archaeologists has demonstrated its continuous interest in the protection of the material remains of the Byzantine era, fighting for monuments and sites that faced the possibility of destruction, first and foremost in our own country. Byzantium is an ecumenical heritage, a tradition that closely links peoples and nations in Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond. The devaluation of Hagia Sophia and the Chora Monastery restricts the vast social potential that culture provides, puts obstacles to the promotion of 1: historical and artistic education, deprives Turkey of the understanding of its historical identity and of the important position the country ought to have as one of the depositories of Byzantine culture.
We would like to note that, according to tradition, Muhammad II, on the day of the Fall of Constantinople, prevented one of his soldiers from removing a marble slab from the floor of Hagia Sophia. The Sultan acted as the patron of Hagia Sophia. And indeed it was Muhammad II that respected the value of the old Christian church, when he converted it into a mosque and secured a considerable fortune for its operation as part of his own waqf. Hagia Sophia passed into the Ottoman era, experiencing a new golden age, thanks to the renovation initiative of Mohammed II, the Ottoman ruler who also respected its name. It is not in his name that Hagia Sophia can be subjected to this destructive management.
We ask UNESCO to intervene forcefully to reverse the current situation, which only poses risks for Hagia Sophia, the heart of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a property inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Association of Greek Archaeologists
See interalia: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/imperial-gate-in-hagia-sophia-mosque-damaged-173144, , https://www.duvarenglish.com/ancient-water-reservoir-broken-at-iconic-hagia-sophia-in-newvandalism-news-60842, https://twitter.com/ofyavascay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1518744939814 866944%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F
Salvation and, in particular, justification for the Orthodox is a free-moral state, although it can be accomplished only with the help of the grace of God. In order to be regenerated by grace, a person must himself contribute to his regeneration. “Coming to the good Physician,” writes St. Ephraim the Syrian, – the sinner must, for his part, “bring tears – this is the best medicine. For it is pleasing to the heavenly Physician that everyone heals himself and is saved with his own tears,” and not involuntarily undergoes only salvation.
“Thoroughly wash yourself with tears, as a dyer washes a wave, indulge in humility and reduce yourself in everything; for having thus cleansed yourself, you will come to God ready to receive grace. Some of the penitent return again to sin, because they did not know what was hidden in them the serpent, and if they knew, they did not completely remove him from themselves, for they allowed the traces of his image to remain there, and he soon, as if conceived in the womb, again restores the full image of his malice. that he has not changed in his mind, because all the reptiles of sin are still in him.The sign of one who brings firm repentance is a collected and severe way of life, the laying aside of arrogance, conceit, as well as eyes and mind, always directed to the longed Jesus Christ, with desire, by the grace of Christ, to become a new man, as a wave becomes purple or blue or hyacinth-colored cloth.
Thus, the effectiveness of the sacrament depends on the degree of free participation in it by the person himself. In order to emerge from the sacrament as a new person, he himself must strive to be new and, as far as he has the strength, must destroy in himself the slightest remnants of the former sinful dispensation. That is why the Fathers of the Church insist that the free decision and effort of a person is just as necessary, although not sufficient in itself, a condition for justification in baptism, as well as the grace-filled help of God. “If there is no will,” says St. Macarius of Egypt, “God Himself does nothing, although He can by His freedom. Therefore, the accomplishment of the work by the Spirit depends on the will of man.”
The rebirth of a person is accomplished through a moral path, with the free-conscious assistance of the person himself. “A renewal of life is taking place in a person,” says Rev. Theophan, “not mechanically (that is, not in such a way that the grace of God expelled sin from a person’s soul, as something independent of the will of a person, and also settled in his place against his will righteousness), but according to internal arbitrary changes or decisions; this is also done in baptism because the person being baptized has loved to live this way in advance. Therefore, before immersing in the font, having renounced Satan and his works, we are united to Christ the Lord in order to devote our whole life to Him. the location in the font by the grace of God is imprinted and takes on the power to be effective. Coming out of the font with him, the baptized one is, thus, completely new, renewed in his moral and spiritual life – he is resurrected. Just as Christ the Lord is resurrected, and the baptized, into the font, he dies, but, leaving the font, he rises: he dies in sin and rises for the truth, for a new and renewed life. present place of St. Paul the Apostle: Buried to walk in newness of life.
Therefore, giving full power and meaning to the grace-filled influence on the human soul, the Fathers of the Church depicted the sacrament of baptism in the form of a covenant with God, i.e. such an action that directly presupposes freedom not only for the reception of grace, but in the very fruits of grace. “Briefly, under the power of baptism,” remarks St. Gregory the Theologian, “we must understand the covenant with God about entering into another life and maintaining greater purity”; and this presupposes both the desire to be good, and the decision to be good, and actually work on oneself, and the free efforts of a person under the most mysterious influence.
A person can save himself on the path of good only by direct efforts of his will, by forcing himself to do good. “The fact that our former sins are buried in baptism – this, according to St. I. Chrysostom, is a gift of Christ; and in order to remain dead to sin after baptism, this should be a matter of our own zeal, although in this feat, as we will see, God helps us most of all. For baptism has the power not only to atone for past sins, but also to protect against future ones. Just as you used faith to atone for past sins, so that you would not be defiled by sins after baptism, show a change in disposition. Although grace-filled help is always ready for the baptized, although he is in sincere union with Christ, however, only with the assistance of his will can a person make use of this grace-filled help. “The Evangelist,” says the same Holy Father, “never gives place to coercion, but shows the freedom of will and the independence of man; he expressed this even now. it is another for a Man to show faith, but then a lot of care is required from a man: for in order to preserve purity, it is not enough for us to be baptized and believe, but if we want to acquire perfect lordship, we must lead a worthy life. The mystical rebirth and our cleansing from all former sins is accomplished in baptism; but to remain clean in the subsequent time and not allow any filthiness in ourselves again – this depends on our will and care.
So it is in baptism, and so it is with every other sacrament: the freedom of man is always preserved. “The honest blood of Christ,” says St. Cyril of Alexandria, “delivers us not only from perdition, but also from all impurity hidden within us, and does not allow us to cool to indifference, but, on the contrary, makes us burning in spirit.” However, this is only with the voluntary effort of the person himself: “it is necessary and beneficial that those who have once been worthy to partake of Christ should strive firmly and unswervingly to cling to a holy life”; so that even at the highest degrees of grace-filled illumination, a person still remains the cause of his actions and can always go in a completely opposite way. “And those who are filled with the Holy Spirit,” according to St. Macarius of Egypt, “have natural thoughts in themselves and have the will to agree to them.”
Therefore, the Fathers of the Church have always taught that the grace of justification is to a certain extent a temporary phenomenon, i.e. temporarily felt and temporarily hidden from consciousness, that it may finally be lost for a person. “Even the perfect ones,” says St. Macarius of Egypt, “while they are in the flesh, they are not freed from worries (that is, about their salvation) because of freedom and are under fear, which is why temptations are allowed upon them.” And only, “when the soul enters that city of saints, then it will only be possible to remain without sorrows and temptations.” Righteousness is a fire kindled within us that threatens to be extinguished by the slightest inattention on our part. “The fire that we received by the grace of the Spirit,” says St. I. Chrysostom, “if we want, we can strengthen it, but if we don’t want, we will immediately extinguish it. And when it goes out, nothing will remain in our souls but darkness. Just as great light appears when a lamp is lit, so when it is extinguished nothing remains but darkness.
However, it is not necessary to imagine the subsequent life of a person in such a way that his whole task will consist only in not losing somehow this righteousness he has received.
Source: with abbreviations that do not distort the meaning, from the work of Archbishop (Finland) Sergius: “The Orthodox Doctrine of Salvation”. Ed. 4. St. Petersburg. 1910 (pp. 140-155, 161-191, 195-206, 216-241). Photo by Ron Lach :
According to Orthodox doctrine, God created not only the visible world, but also the invisible, spiritual world. What do we know about the world of “Powers of heaven”?
From ancient Greek, the word ὁ ἄγγελος (angelos) is translated as “messenger”, “messenger”.
Good angels bring messages from God, carry out His orders and proclaim His will, so meeting with them is also a meeting with God who sent them.
Angels, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture, the lives of saints and the writings of the Fathers of the Church, appear, for example, during the transition from this life to another world. In the Old Testament, angels sometimes even destroy and slay people (2 Kings 19:35; 1 Chron. 21:15-16; 2 Chron. 32:21; Is. 37:36), although, of course, much more often they protect and save a person.
An angel (Greek messenger, messenger) is a spiritual, invisible being, which, like man, was created by God and has a personal being. In the relationship between man and God, angels perform a service role: they proclaim to people the will of God.
According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, all angels (Heavenly Forces) are divided into three faces. In turn, each face is subdivided into three more. This division is based on two principles: the degree of closeness to God and the type of service.
One way or another, but the appearance of an angel is actually a very, very difficult test. It is very important to know that the holy fathers advised to be extremely careful about the appearance of angels or spirits, and rather not to trust them. After all, “Satan is transformed into an angel of light… and his servants are transformed as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). This is what St. Ignatius Brianchaninov said about the sensual manifestation of spirits, to whom, in the opinion of Hieromonk Seraphim Rose (“The Soul After Death”), belongs the clearest Orthodox consideration of the question of a person’s ability to make contact with spiritual beings.
If the primordial man, clothed in an immortal body and alien to ailments and fatness, had the ability for direct sensual communication with spirits and with God himself, then after the fall he lost it. Now, “due to extreme stoutness and rudeness, bodily feelings are not capable of communicating with spirits, they do not see them, they do not hear them, they do not feel … Holy spirits have avoided communication with people, as unworthy of such communication; the fallen spirits, which have dragged us into their fall, have mingled with us, and in order to more conveniently keep us in captivity, they are trying to make themselves and their chains invisible to us… All of us, who are in bondage to sin, need to know that communion with holy angels are unusual for us because of our alienation from them by the fall, which is characteristic of us for the same reason, communion with outcast spirits, to the category of which we belong in soul … Sensually appearing to people who are in sinfulness and fall, they are demons, and no holy angels” .
Six-winged angels, closest to God. They got their name from the fiery love that they have for their Creator.
Cherubim. Reference: Ex 25:18–20; 37:7–9, etc.; Heb 9:5
Translation: Hebrew. kerubim – minds, distributors of knowledge and wisdom;
Four-winged and four-faced angels. Their main service is education.
Thrones. Mention: Eze 1:18; Col 1:16
Figuratively, the Lord God sits on them, as on a throne, and executes His judgment.
As the Church teaches, the degree of holiness and closeness of these ranks to God is so high that no one else can achieve it. As soon as the Mother of God (being a human being) was worthy of this glory, as the Church sings about it: “The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim.”
Second rank
Dominance. Reference: Col 1:16; Eph 1:21
They are invisible mentors of earthly authorities and rulers appointed by God. They also help a person to tame his passions, to control them.
Forces. Reference: Rom 8:38; Eph 1:21
They are endowed with a special power to perform miracles, they send down this grace to the righteous and the saints of God.
Authorities. Reference: Col 1:16; Eph 1:21
They have the power to tame the power of fallen angels, and also command the elements.
Third rank
Leaderships (Beginnings). Reference: Col 1:16; Eph 1:21
They are endowed with the right to command the laws of the universe, nature, and also protect peoples and countries.
Archangels. Mentioned: Rev 12:7 etc.
Heads of angels. Teachers and heralds of the will of God for man, transmitters of Revelation.
A special place in the angelic hierarchy is occupied by the archangels, the archangels of the heavenly armies. These include the archangels Michael and Gabriel and five more archangels – Jeremiel, Raphael, Uriel, Salafiel, Egudiel, Barahiel. Archangel Michael is considered the supreme archangel, the patron of the entire heavenly host.
Angels. Mentioned: Rev 1:7 etc.
The closest to man, they are conductors of the will of God, as well as guardians, protectors. In this case, the word angel denotes precisely the rank of the Heavenly Forces.
In a broader sense, this word refers to a representative of any rank in general, without specifics.
Guardian angel
An angel who is invisibly attached to a specific person during baptism in order to pray for him before God and protect him from evil.
Source of Original Publication in Russian: Journal “Foma” No.: No. 1 (141) January 2015.
In the Alpine country it is just over 3%, and in the Eurozone – 9%
High inflation is the most serious problem in a number of countries on the Old Continent, and in the Eurozone alone it is almost 9 percent. However, there is one country in Europe with relatively low inflation. This is Switzerland.
With inflation in the country just above 3 percent, prices in Switzerland remain relatively stable. According to experts, one of the reasons is the stability of the Swiss franc, which ensures stable purchasing power.
Another very important factor is electricity prices. While in Germany it marked a growth of 22%, in Switzerland the increase was only a little over 3%. According to experts, this is due to the relatively closed electricity market in the country. With the help of various technologies, they manage to satisfy the needs of the population and businesses for most of the year. This is also the reason why the shocks in the world markets are not so strongly felt.
Pricing in the country is also important for low inflation. When determining the final price, the main weight in many cases is the labor involved, and not the price of the raw materials and products.
An example can be given with bread, because with it labor is the main weight in pricing in Switzerland.
According to the data, an average kilogram of bread in Switzerland costs 5.5 euros in euros, and 2.4 euros in Germany. How does the mechanism work if the price of flour has increased by 10 cents.
An equal increase in flour of 10 cents will lead to a 2% increase in the price of bread in Switzerland and 4% in Germany. If Bulgaria is included in the table, the percentage will be even higher here because of the lower cost of labor.
Another distinctive feature of the Swiss is the special attention to their native production. It provides for the import of products from abroad only if they do not represent direct competition for local producers. Switzerland also has mechanisms in place so that even if imported goods come from countries with higher inflation, it will not be felt in the country.
1. The ingredients sorbitol and isatin regulate the functions of the digestive system and are used as an effective remedy against constipation.
2. The high vitamin C content in prunes helps the body fight infection, inflammation and free radicals.
3. Prunes are good for the eyes and vision as they help to maintain the good condition of the eye membranes.
4. Studies have linked consumption of prunes to protection against certain types of cancer – such as breast cancer and lung cancer.
5. They help maintain heart health. The high content of antioxidants helps to eliminate free radicals and lowers cholesterol.
6. Plums are a natural laxative.
7. They support the correct absorption of iron by the body.
8. They help to remove toxins from the body and thus help to reduce weight in a natural way.
9. Prunes protect against macular degeneration.
10. They have a low glycemic index, making them a great food for diabetics as they help regulate blood sugar levels.
11. They strengthen the immune system and protect against colds and infections.
12. Vitamin E and beta carotene in plums protect the skin from aging – they help reduce wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.
13. Eating plums helps protect against sun damage.
14. Magnesium in plums is useful for muscle and nerve development
15. Plums contain a large amount of folic acid and calcium, which helps its absorption. Folic acid is especially useful for pregnant women and helps the fetus to develop properly.
16. Prunes have a diuretic and purifying effect, which is why they are often included in detoxification regimens.
Losing weight
Prunes are useful for losing weight, although the calorie content is quite high, it has a pronounced laxative and diuretic effect. Therefore, the use of the product helps to remove toxins, excess fluids and toxic substances from the body. This is the benefit of prunes in the diet, it does not burn fat per se, but prevents their accumulation.
In order for the benefit of dried plums to manifest itself in full force and there was no harm, it is necessary to follow some rules. It is desirable to eat dried fruits in the morning, the daily norm should not exceed 100 g. It is also not recommended to combine dried fruits with other laxative products – this can lead to diarrhea, which will harm the body.
Are prunes allowed for nursing mothers
As for the benefits and harms of prunes for the health of nursing mothers, then during breastfeeding the product should be abandoned completely. The substances present in healthy dried fruits will enter the baby’s body through breast milk and cause indigestion, which will definitely harm.
Is it possible to eat prunes with diabetes
The glycemic index of dried fruits is only 29 units. This is a very low indicator, therefore prunes do not cause changes in blood sugar levels. At the same time, the benefits of prunes are in the increased fiber content of the product, the fruits help to cleanse the body, improve digestion and prevent constipation. Thus, with diabetes, dried fruits do not harm, but only benefit. But, of course, the amount of the product should be controlled – 3-4 pieces of fruit per day will be enough for diabetics in their pure form or as part of other meals.
How to choose the right prunes when buying
If there is no free time to prepare prunes, you can buy it, but when choosing, you must adhere to several rules.
• Good dried fruits should have a rich and uniform black color, without reddish and rusty spots.
• The skin of prunes should be smooth, firm and shiny.
• If you gently squeeze the prunes in your fingers, no pits should remain from pressing, the pulp inside the dried fruit should still retain its elasticity.
How to store prunes
You can store dried fruit both at room temperature and in the refrigerator. But in both cases, it is important to keep the product in dry, sealed containers to avoid the harmful growth of molds. On average, at room temperature, the fruits retain their beneficial properties for six months, and in the refrigerator – up to one year.
Helps to lose weight (as part of a weight loss diet). And perhaps for this reason he is a faithful ally of our heart. In addition to being considered by many to be a treat for the palate, chili can be considered a serious option for protecting cardiovascular health. Various studies prove it. Therefore, even in a Mediterranean diet, chili pepper seems to play an important preventive role.
The properties of hot peppers
Frequent consumption of hot peppers reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular causes. A fact that the researchers observed regardless of the overall quality of the diet followed by each of the people observed. The outcome was also measured among those who generally followed a non-Mediterranean diet. A sign that, in all likelihood, “regular consumption of chili peppers can be considered beneficial to our health.” According to several published studies, chili peppers have antibacterial and vasodilating effects. But not only. It would also help keep cholesterol and blood pressure under control. And based on the conclusions of a study published in 2017 in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, it would be an element that you should never deprive yourself of during a weight loss diet (thanks to its potential positive effect on metabolism ). It contains elements that together could explain the reduction in cardiovascular risk. The benefits of chili derive from a combination of antioxidant substances present in it: vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols. But the main credit goes to capsaicin, the main molecule found in hot peppers and responsible for their spiciness.
Spicy is great, with tons of health benefits, but it’s not for everyone.
Although it has many beneficial properties, chili should be avoided in some cases. Those who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoidal syndrome, peptic ulcers, and acute inflammatory bowel disease know this well. One of the first restrictions placed on their diet is precisely the exclusion of spicy foods and spices in general. In addition, hot pepper should not be used when preparing dishes for allergy sufferers and children: their digestive system is too delicate and can be irritated. Caution is advised when consuming hot dishes in pregnant women.
Spicy foods are one of those things that we either love or hate. There is often no middle ground between them. Like many things you eat, hot sauce can have a big impact on your body and health. See how it affects your general condition:
You may feel pain in your tongue
If you’ve ever eaten a very spicy chili pepper, you know that you can feel a burning pain. This is due to capsaicin binding to receptors on your tongue that sense temperature and indicate pain. Don’t worry, this is only temporary.
Your temperature rises
Whenever you eat something spicy, like hot sauce, your body undergoes thermogenesis, the process by which your internal temperature rises. This makes you sweat, your face may turn red, because the smallest blood vessels in the body dilate.
Your mood is lifted
Shortly after your tongue starts to feel the burn, your nervous system, responding to the cry for help it’s getting from the rest of your body, releases endorphins that boost your mood. This helps the body more easily overcome the pain of burning in its mouth.
Your heart will start beating faster
Spicy increases the amount of blood flowing to the stomach, which causes the heart rate to increase and increases blood circulation throughout the body. This is in response to the heat you just absorbed.
You may get heartburn
If you are prone to heartburn, one of the things you should avoid eating is spicy foods. The initial sensation is not actually nausea, but the capsaicin that binds to receptors in the esophagus, causing heartburn. Just in case, keep antacids handy.
Seasonal allergies will dissipate
In an interview with HuffPost, Dr. Clifford W. Bassett says that the capsaicin in cayenne and chili peppers will help get rid of runny noses caused by allergies. So eat some chili the next time they call and see how it affects you.
Note: The article is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation or substitute for consultation with a specialist.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to assemble the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built? Watch documentary footage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s transformation into the over-300-foot-tall launch vehicle that will return humanity to the Moon.
Starting with manufacturing and ending with stacking operations inside NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building, this is only the beginning of SLS’s path to the launch pad.
Video Transcript:
NASA is preparing for a journey back to the Moon, and after that, we’re setting our sights on Mars.
To get there, we need tons of rocket power, coming from our Space Launch System.
When it comes to how much power this thing can push out, this thing is massive. It’s going to be mesmerizing to stand next to this massive vehicle.
The immensity of it, knowing that this thing is going to be propelling a rocket into space and around the moon.
Hang on, it’s probably best to start back at the beginning.
It all started in Promontory, Utah, where Northrop Grumman manufactured each of the segments that make up the rocket’s boosters.
After a 10-day, cross-country journey, the booster segments were delivered to Kennedy Space Center’s Rotation, Processing, and Surge Facility, or RPSF. If this all sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same facility that was used to process shuttle booster segments, which all came from Utah.
Then, they’re ready to go into the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, where the rest of the motor segments are assembled and stacked on top of the mobile launcher.
The one thing about this vehicle, of course, it’s produced all across the country. The components all come here. They may be built around the country, but they all come together right here in the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Our SLS rocket will generate 8.8 million pounds of thrust to break through Earth’s gravitational pull. That’s more power than the Space Shuttle and the Saturn V rocket used.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems are responsible for assembling the boosters that will house the majority of that power. The twin solid rocket boosters, made up of 10 total motor segments, will stand nearly 17 stories tall when fully stacked.
First, teams inspect and prep the hardware. Next, they’re ready to start stacking the segments – a process that takes time, patience, and a steady hand.
Once we have everything done in High Bay 4, we pick up the segment with a 325 foot crane, pick it up over the 16th-floor crossover to where you see it now, and we begin stacking the segments. Each segment we lift over the 16th-floor crossover and stack it. Once we stack it, we put it on top of the segment below, and we put about 177 pins all the way around the whole thing to attach each segment.
And, the pressure to perform the operation flawlessly can test the team’s nerves.
There’s a tremendous responsibility involved with processing flight hardware like this. It’s nerve-racking at times, but it’s exciting. There’s zero appetite for risk in a program like this.
We have a bunch of shuttle guys that are here to show us along the way. If we get stuck, they’re there to guide us. At the beginning of stacking, it was very of nerve-racking. With each segment that we stacked, a little bit of the nerve comes off. By the third or fourth one, it’s easy-peasy. We’re pushing through, all the jitters are gone, and we’re just excited to get finished with it.
With all 10 booster segments now fully stacked on the mobile launcher, there’s just one final piece of the puzzle to round out the power needed to get SLS off the ground and send it to space: core stage.
After a 900-mile voyage aboard NASA’s Pegasus barge, the SLS core stage – the
largest rocket stage NASA has ever built – has made it to Kennedy Space Center.
Today is a huge day. This is the last piece of big hardware that we need for Artemis 1 hard processing. And we’ve just been waiting a long time for this part of the vehicle to arrive so that we can get going on the next steps of our stacking operations.
Standing an impressive 212 feet tall, and weighing a whopping 188,000 pounds, the core stage came all the way from Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The core stage went through round after round of rigorous testing, including what’s called its Green Run series, truly putting its performance to the test.
The series involved eight rounds that looked at systems individually before culminating in pure power. With over 700,000 gallons of propellant flowing through the core stage, and its RS-25 engines firing for eight minutes straight, the successful final test resulted in some big emotions from the team.
We cried, we laughed, and we cheered because it was so emotional to see
the years of culmination coming through.
And, that victory did not come without overcoming a few challenges, proving why at NASA we test as frequently and as hard as we do.
We actually did a one-minute test on the first hot-fire test and then we learned a lot from that. We understood the vehicle more, we made a few changes, and then we got back into our second hot-fire test.
There was a lot of joy and workmanship and ownership of being able to work that process and be able to get it done. When we went for the second hot fire, and we went for the 500 seconds, that was just pure exhilaration.
Following its arrival at Kennedy, teams moved the core stage into the VAB, where it was lifted by crane and placed in between the twin solid rocket boosters.
Serving as the backbone of the rocket, the core stage will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send the Orion spacecraft on its trip around the Moon.
Essentially, we have these two massive cranes that are located inside of the VAB, where we go ahead and we pick two points at the end of the core stage – one on the back portion of it and on the front portion of it – we lift it up to the point where we’re able to transition it from a horizontal position over into a vertical position, and then essentially bring it way up to the top of the Vehicle Assembly Building and cross it over into High Bay 3, in which we ensure that we don’t damage any part of the vehicle as it’s incoming into its position.
NASA’s largest rocket stage, now fully integrated with the twin boosters, is ready to get Orion off the Earth. But, it will take one more critical component to give the capsule that extra push it needs to journey tens of thousands of miles beyond the Moon.
With just a single RL10 engine, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, or ICPS, will provide over 20,000 pounds of thrust to send Orion on the ride of a lifetime.
To connect the ICPS with the rocket stack, teams next added the launch vehicle stage adapter to the core stage, followed by the ICPS.
The ICPS is the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and essentially, it’s somewhat of the upper stage of the entire SLS vehicle. And what that will do is propel the Orion capsule along with the service module over to its destination, which at this point in time will be the Moon.
But, before the spacecraft can be attached to the rocket, teams will conduct a series of tests to ensure all of SLS’s components communicate properly with one another, plus the ground systems equipment, the Launch Control System, and its software.
Adding to the challenge, those methods for testing have changed significantly since the days of the Apollo Program.
Initially built in the 1960s to house the assembly of the Saturn V, the largest rocket made by humans at the time for Apollo missions to the Moon, the VAB has undergone some major modifications to support several different kinds of rockets and spacecraft, whether they’re going into low-Earth orbit or venturing to deep space.
This high bay was Shuttle heritage. Before that it was Apollo heritage. There’s upgrades that are still occurring today to include upgrades that will support Artemis II and Artemis III.
When SLS blasts off from Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B, Orion isn’t the only thing it will be sending to space. Hitching a ride with Orion are tiny, shoe-box sized satellites – called CubeSats – that were loaded into the Orion stage adapter in Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.
The extra room in the stage adapter provides a rare opportunity to send those CubeSats to deep space to conduct science and research of their own.
And, these CubeSats are on tap to study a range of topics – from the Moon, to asteroids, to the effect of space radiation on living organisms.
At this point, the stack is nearly complete – all that’s missing is the spacecraft itself, which has been in the Launch Abort System Facility getting outfitted with one of the spacecraft’s most crucial pieces.
The launch abort system is kind of that pointy solid rocket motor that’s at the top of Orion, and it’s there to protect the crew in the event of an emergency so it’s a very important system. Fully integrated with its launch abort system, the Orion spacecraft slowly makes its way to the VAB in the overnight hours.
Upon its arrival, teams carefully lift and lower it onto the Orion stage adapter. With this operation, stacking the most powerful rocket the world has ever seen is complete – and, what a sight to behold.
We’re trying to decide what does exploration look like in the future when we retire Shuttle? You know, what does our nation want to do? Where do we want to go? How do we want to explore?
To see it go from those days of words and ideas in people’s heads to the three programs we have today and the Artemis mission and all the hardware that’s been produced in factories ranging from, big aerospace companies to little mom and pop shops all over the country and the world, it’s unbelievable. I’m just really proud.
Before SLS and Orion can launch our nation into a new era of space exploration, a series of tests need to take place inside the VAB, validating the rocket and spacecraft as an integrated system and paving the way for one, final milestone: wet dress rehearsal.
The 322-foot-tall, fully integrated rocket will roll out to Launch Pad 39B for a full test, allowing the launch team to run through a full launch countdown but stopping just short of firing the engines.
I think we’re going to be so proud when it rolls out of the VAB. I will personally be probably crying a little bit because it’s such a big event. We worked so hard to get us to the day of rolling out. I’m probably going to be bawling when we launch it, see it through my tears, because it’s just a culmination of so much work from everybody.
We owe the advancement of science and research and technology to what we’re doing here. And, this is a big opportunity for us as a nation to reclaim our spot at the forefront of human space flight and exploration.
Artemis is going to be a major part of history. It most definitely is going to rock the space industry when it flies.
This program is going to go to the Moon. It’s going to go to Mars. We need that. This country needs that. This world needs that.
I’m so excited. It’s going to be a lot of work, a lot of work ahead of us, but Artemis I is going to surprise everybody.
