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Lord have mercy on our weakness.
artintel wrote:
On a larger scale - who would have believed in the pleasant summer of August 1939, that by the end of the month, World War II would break out - Nazi Germany and Communist Russia invaded Poland.
Yes, this is very sad...
this is another link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27639792/?GT1=43001
I didn\'t bother reading the youtube comments. The video was posted there by people who actively search for such things to besmear and mock, and the comments were made by those who share in that mentality. I think a survey of the larger population would show that there are far more people who have never even heard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, let alone what some overzealous people have done at that site, thinking that they were protecting and honoring their faith.
the Church of Jerusalem has the last hieromartyr in the synaxars,saint Philoumenos who has been slaughtered like a lamb by fanatic zionists.
who guards all these holy places in the Holy Land?just a hundrend of greek monks!
Armenians try to change the status quo in the Holy Sepulchre and the Orthodox brotherhood tries to defend it.
These heroes of orthodox faith deserve our respect ,honour and support( among them the wounded monk Seraphim who could have an academic career but abandonned everyting to be a simple monk in st.Savvas monastery).
St Nicholas the wonderworker was one of the bishops attending the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (325), called to resolve the controversy. At the Council, Nicholas slapped Arius, a bishop from Alexandria, in the face for teaching that Christ was a created being instead of eternally one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This resulted in Nicholas being deposed as bishop. However, several of the church fathers that night shared a dream in which they saw Nicholas reinstated as bishop by Christ and the Theotokos. St Nicholas th ewonderworker was one of the bishops attending the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (325), called to resolve the controversy. At the Council, Nicholas slapped Arius, a bishop from Alexandria, in the face for teaching that Christ was a created being instead of eternally one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This resulted in Nicholas being deposed as bishop. However, several of the church fathers that night shared a dream in which they saw Nicholas reinstated as bishop by Christ and the Theotokos.
I had actually first heard of this incident from a protestant friend of mine. Coincidentally this friend is a fan of the movie \\"300\\" (a fictionalized accounting of a major historical battle).
He expressed to me that he thought it was cool that Greeks are so fierce and passionate like our ancient roots.
Then again another protestant friend, a former pastor said it was crazy and shocking.
To which I can only tell him that for a very long time the Greek people have been sold out by others professing to be fellow Christians. We are a passionate people, and we learned long ago when we are threatened our natural tendency is for our claws to come out. Sometimes our passions get to even the best of us, after all we are only human.
We are taught to be a non violent people by Christ\'s example. Who among us hasn\'t had His words to turn the other cheek effect us at a profound moment in our lives. But that doesn\'t mean we are going to lay down and be walked over. There are issues going on at our church and both sides do not wish to be stepped on. This incites out passions and again none of us are perfect.
Then again I have heard the expression, to whom much is given, much will be expected. We expect much of our priesthood and of our monastics. I have heard the expression said that if you ever wish to see the overall health of the church, look to see how the monastics are doing.
Which begs the question, how are we doing?
artintel wrote:
BlacK: If you remember history there was much hope placed on Chamberlain's initiatives. England wasn't prepared for the war. There were dozens of other political initiatives to defuse the matter. Even though armies were raised, the average individual, under the heal of an economic depression, couldn't believe that such a social and human tragedy would unfold again so soon after World War I.
BlackK wrote:
Your above statement contradicts your earlier post which stated that the outbreak of the Second World War came out of the blue, without forewarning.
artintel wrote:
BlacK: If you remember history there was much hope placed on Chamberlain's initiatives. England wasn't prepared for the war. There were dozens of other political initiatives to defuse the matter. Even though armies were raised, the average individual, under the heal of an economic depression, couldn't believe that such a social and human tragedy would unfold again so soon after World War I.
Well, it\'s a lesson for us on how not to act. It\'s easy to condemn them, sure it\'s a tad embarrassing however does it diminish your faith?
From here in front of my computer it\'s easy for me to say that it should have happened this way or that way or whatever. But what isn\'t easy for me to do is put myself in their shoes with whatever stresses they have to deal with (I can fathom) and pretend to understand why it happened.
My hope is that those involved sit down together and forgive each other and it doesn\'t matter if that makes the news or not.
RublevFoundation wrote:
Always keep in mind: things are always more emotionally charged on feast days. You fly in, and Israeli customs poke and prode and ask why are you coming to Israel. Police and soldiers are prowling around with assault rifles in hand. You have pilgrims that are hot, tired, both physically and emotionally exhausted from jetlag and fasting. You have priests and monastics that have been up for hours, are behind schedule and are being pelted with requests for prayers and blessings. Evangelicals are trying to prosletize and secular tourists are wandering around like they are at Disneyland.
Everybody wants to be right at the Sepulchre, right next to the head of their jurisdiction, and they are all trying their hardest to get to a good spot in the crowd. Nobody is talking the same language, there are people with disesases and disorders all around you, people are spontaneously falling on the ground and praying, Palestinian kids are running in and out of the crowds....and then somebody steps in front of you or shoves your backpack off a shoulder.