Greco-Roman world, Confucius and others from the Asian world, and also Egyptians, Europeans, Americans – from all corners of the world and of every colour – great thinkers who sought the Truth, granted by the Spirit to allude of the One to come. On Christmas night the tune of expectation changed – the theme “He will come” became a resounding “Alleluia”. The Gospel writers took up the tune and started a new movement with a change in tense – “He came”. The heavens sang as one in the quiet night: Glory to God in the highest! And the earth adored.

Volume 21, Issue 6 DECEMBER, 2006

«Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου καί φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου»

Ψαλμ 118, 105

ΛΥΧΝΟΣ A GREEK ORTHODOX PERIODICAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Inside this issue:

H is coming was the most anticipated in history. He was the star of every human hope. And as heaven and earth were holding their breath, He came – humbly, and inconspicuously. It was night and the world was asleep. No one came to greet Him. Only a few shepherds, “keeping watch” at night over their sheep, being notified by the angels, sought to find Him in the manger. Even the “wise men from the East” being led by the star to Jerusalem, arrived much later to offer their gifts to Him. There was no royal guard guarding his palace and no gun to salute His birth. Despite this humble entry, however, a chorus of the greatest people of history sang the hymn of expectation to Him. Amazingly, this chorus was not on the same stage either in space or in time. Each member, from his own place and his own time sang his tune under the syn-chrony of the invisible Conductor. The prelude of this rendition happened in Paradise, and the harmony was extraordinary, coming from God Him-self: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen 3:15). The patriarch Abraham picked up the tune, hearing the Divine promise, “in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 22:18). A few centuries later David’s royal harp provided melody as he sang, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You” (Ps 2:7). And some two hundred years later, Isaiah made that famous revela-tion: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Is 7:14). The choir surrounding the manger was endless, featuring the great Moses, the Judaic prophets Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, and other Old Testament authors Ezra and Nehemiah. Next to them, in a splendid proces-sion going back to Adam, a guard of honour of people prefiguring Christ. Among them were Abel, the first in-nocent victim, the righteous Noah, Melchizedek “without father, without mother, without genealogy” (Heb 7:3), Isaac, Joseph, Solomon and Jonah, and the women repre-senting the Old and New Testaments – Hagar and Sarah respectively. Moreover, symbols of the Saviour revealed their meaning – the paschal lamb, Aaron’s rod, Gideon’s fleece, the burning bush and so on. On the other side of the choir were Aeschylus, Socrates, Plato, Plutarch, Virgil, Cicero and Horace from the

The Original Sin ……….. 2 Saint of the Month — St Basil the Great…... 2 Για Μικρούς και για Μεγάλους.......... 3 Sunday Schools in Action….. 4, 5 Our Sacred Language….. 6 Book Review —The Blessed Surgeon….. 6 The Orphan — A Christmas Story ….. 7 News and Views…... 8

Page 2 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

S aint Basil the Great was born in 329 in Cappadocia (present day Turkey), to a family renowned for their learning and holiness. His parents and four brothers and sisters are all Saints of the Church. Saint Basil studied in Constantinople then Athens, where he formed a friendship with a fellow Cappadocian, St Gregory the Theologian. He later chose the ascetical life. In 370, he was elected Bishop and entrusted with the Church of Christ, which he tended for eight years. He lived in voluntary poverty and strict asceticism, having no other care than to defend holy Orthodoxy as a worthy successor of the Apostles. Emperor Valens, an Arian, tried with threats of exile and of torments to change the Saint to his own confession, but to no avail. The Emperor himself was almost won over by Basil's dignity and wisdom. When Valens' son fell gravely sick, he asked Saint Basil to pray for him. The Saint promised that his son would be restated if Valens agreed to have him baptised by Orthodox. Valens agreed, Basil prayed and the son lived. But afterwards the Em-peror had him baptised by Arians, and the child died. Valens, was convinced by his advisers to send the Saint into exile because he would not accept Arians into com-munion, but his pen broke when he was signing the edict of banishment. He tried a second time and a third, but the same thing happened. The Emperor, filled with dread, tore up the document and Basil was not banished. The truly great Basil, at the helm of the church and spent with extreme ascetical practices, departed to the Lord on the 1st of January, in 379 at the age of 49. His writings are replete with wisdom and set forth the doctrines concerning the mysteries of the creation and the Holy Trinity. Because of his eloquence and zeal for Orthodoxy, he is honoured as "the Great."

6. THE ORIGINAL SIN ST BASIL THE GREAT Commemorated 1st January

I n our previous article we mentioned that God did everything to help Adam and Eve attain the “good change”, that is to enter the path of spiritual effort so as to acquire some of the virtues and characteristics of God. But they failed, and this event is known as the “Fall”. And who was responsible for the Fall? The Devil!

After his own fall, the devil was looking for ways to hurt God. But God being inaccessible and not subject to any form of injury, the arrows of the devil fell on the image of God, that is man. His plan was to so influence the will of Adam and Eve, so as to move in a direction opposite to that expected of them by God. The devil knew if man moved in such a direction, he would lose the spiri-tual characteristics given him by God, and that this would result in his spiritual destruction.

The method used by the devil was that of decep-tion. He appeared as a friend of Adam and Eve, whilst scheming their destruction. He appeared to them as the serpent, which according to Gen. (3’ 1), was the most wise and sensible animal in Para-dise, and therefore particularly loved and trusted by the original man.

And what was the cause that made the original man fall into the devil’s trap? Greed! They hur-ried to acquire things and powers for which they were not yet ready. They liked the idea of being “equal to God”, the exact reason for the fall of the devil himself!

Little did they realise that “being equal to God” was to be the ultimate stage of spiritual develop-ment, which they would reach after much effort, and only with the grace of God himself!

Page 3 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

ΠΤΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΑΝΙΚΗΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΗΣ (Συνεχίζεται...)

Α ν θυμάστε παιδιά (τα παιδιά πάλι καθισμένα ακούν τον παππού) τελειώσαμε την άλλη φορά με τους ένδοξους Καππαδόκες Ακρίτες και Αυτοκράτορες. Μέχρι το 1067 οι Βυζαντινοί ζούσαν σχετικά ήσυχα. Τώρα ο κίνδυνος δεν ήταν οι Άραβες πια. Ήταν οι τούρκικοι και μογγολικοί λαοί από την ευρασιατική στέπα. Πρώτοι οι Σελτζούκοι Τούρκοι το 1067 καταρήμαξαν την Καισάρεια και βεβήλωσαν το ιερό του αγίου Βασιλείου. Την ίδια χρονιά Αυτοκράτορας του Βυζαντίου γίνεται ένας από τους τελευταίους Καππαδόκες, ο Ρωμανός Δ΄ Διογένης. Όμως η καταστροφική για την φυλή μας αρχομανία αναποδογυρίζει τα πάντα. Η μεγάλη προδοσία στην πιο κρίσιμη στιγμή της μάχης του Μαρτζικέρτ το 1071 βρίσκει τα μέχρι τότε νικηφόρα βυζαντινά στρατεύματα κατανικημένα. Απ’ αυτή την μέρα αρχίζει η αντίστροφη μέτρηση για την χριστιανική Ανατολή. Το 1243 διαλύεται το σελτζούκικο κράτος. Τώρα οι επαρχίες της Καππαδοκίας περνούν στα χέρια της δυναστείας των «Καραμάν ογλού». Γιαυτό και οι Καππαδόκες ονομάζονται και Καραμανλήδες, όπως και ο Πρωθυπουργός της Ελλάδος Κώστας Καραμανλής. Το 1290 ο Οθωμάν, αρχηγός λαού μογγολικής καταγωγής, ξεχωρίζει από τις άλλες μογγολικές φυλές και ιδρύει το οθωμανικό κράτος. Από τότε και με την άλωση της Κωνσταντινούπολης το 1453 κάθεται για καλά και για πολλούς αιώνες ο ζυγός της βαριάς σκλαβιάς στο σβέρκο των Ρωμιών. Με το «9 γκιαούρ ένας παράς» εφαρμόζεται συστηματικά ο εξευτελισμός, το παιδομάζωμα, ο εξισλαμισμός και τόσα άλλα. Έτσι οι λίγοι μογγόλοι Οθωμανοί νομάδες με αυτή την μεγάλη εθνική μεταλλαγή των πληθυσμών της Μικράς Ασίας γίνονται λευκή φυλή σαν εμάς. Τι σημαίνει αυτό. Σημαίνει ότι ήταν ο εξισλαμισμένος Ελληνισμός που πολιόρκησε και ρήμαξε την Νέα Ρώμη στις 29 Μαΐου 1453. Που χωρίς να το ξέρει ταλαιπώρησε και ταλαιπωρεί τους ομοφύλους του, Έλληνες Χριστιανούς δηλαδή, μέχρι σήμερα!...... Όμως οι Καππαδόκες, όπως και όλοι οι άλλοι Έλληνες/Ρωμιοί δεν έμειναν με σταυρωμένα χέρια. Άλλοι σαν

κρυπτοχριστιανοί, άλλοι στα φανερά παρ’ όλες τις τρομερές/απάνθρωπες θηριωδίες (από εξισλαμισμένους συμπατριώτες τους, ... «ω της κατάρας το απύθμενο βάθος») επέζησαν. Προτίμησαν να διαλέξουν στην αρχή ένα από τα δύο, να μιλάνε τούρκικα μάλλον και να μην αλλαξοπιστήσουν παρά να γίνουν μουσουλμάνοι. Έτσι μετέφρασαν την Βίβλο στα τουρκικά με ελληνική αλφάβητο!... Διέπρεψαν και μεγαλούργησαν σε όλους τους τομείς. Οι Καππαδόκες συγκεκριμένα ήταν καλοί έμποροι. Έφευγαν από τα χωριά τους από 15 ετών και ξενιτεύονταν διότι τα χωριά τους ήταν φτωχικά μια και απομακρύνθηκαν σε ψηλές άγονες περιοχές για να υποφέρουν λιγότερο από την αφόρητη καταπίεση. Εκεί οι γυναίκες αναλάμβαναν τα αγροτικά και άλλα του σπιτιού. Οι άνδρες με την σειρά τους με αυστηρές οικονομίες δημιουργούσαν συντεχνίες με τους παλιούς να υποστηρίζουν τους νεοφερμένους. Έτσι άρχιζαν κοινότητες στα Άδανα, στην Σμύρνη και πιο πολύ στην Πόλη. Όταν πιάνονταν καλά δεν ξεχνούσαν και την ιδιαίτερη πατρίδα τους. Έκτιζαν σχολεία, ιερατικές σχολές, ορφανοτροφεία, εκκλησίες και έστελναν δασκάλους. Γίνονταν τα λεγόμενα δασκαλοπάζαρα. Οι πιο πλούσιοι διάλεγαν τους καλύτερους δασκάλους για τα μέρη τους. Και μετά την ανταλλαγή και το οριστικό πια ξερίζωμα οι Καππαδόκες που σκορπίστηκαν σε όλα τα μέρη της Ελλάδας πρόκοψαν και πάλι. Οι γονείς του Αριστοτέλη Ωνάση ήταν από την Μουταλάσκη το σημερινό Ταλάς. Από εκεί κατάγεται και ο παππούς μου. Άλλα διάσημα ονόματα είναι ο Μποδοσάκης, ο μεγάλος σκηνοθέτης Ηλίας Καζάν, ο νομπελίστας ποιητής Σεφέρης , πολιτικοί και άλλοι. Όμως οι αναμνήσεις και η νοσταλγία για την «Πατρίδα» ήταν για τους Μικρασιάτες καημός ζωής, όπως πολύ όμορφα γράφτηκε απότην ποιητική πέννα του Κωστή Παλαμά

«Το σπίτι που γεννήθηκα κι ας το πατούν οι ξένοι, Στοιχειό είναι και με προσκαλεί, Ψυχή και με προσμένει».

Το σπίτι του δικού μου παππού παιδιά, που το βρήκα όλως τυχαία το 2002 που επισκέφθηκα την Καππαδοκία είναι ένα τριώροφο μέγαρο. Κονάκι το λένε οι Τούρκοι. Είναι να μην το νοσταλγεί κανείς!....

ΝΑ ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕΙ ΑΠ’ ΟΛΗ ΤΗΝ ΟΙΚΟΓΕΝΕΙΑ

Το ερημωμένο σπίτη του παππού στο Μουταλάσκη (νυν Ταλάς) της Καππαδοκίας.

1849 map of Asia Minor with

Cappadocia region shaded

green.

Page 4 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

Participants at Sunday School Ca

mp – Challenge Ranch – Somme

rsby, October 2006

His EmineStylianos at School Picn

Children

of Liverp

ool Su

School ab

out to b

egin a

race at t

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October

2006

Children of St Cather

ine’s

Sunday School, Masco

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Sunday School Children of St Nicholas, Marrickville, at their annual concert, November 2006

Children of St Paraskeve and St Barbara Sunday School,

Blacktown, November 2006

Page 5 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

Flying Fox, Sunday School Camp Craft Ac

tivities,

Sunday

School C

amp ence Archbishop

the Annual Sunday nic, October 2006

Children of St John, Parramatta, Sunday School

Senior boys of Kogarah Sunday School with Kogarah

Omatha at their indoor soccer match.

unday

balloon

picnic,

06

Kogarah Sunday School children

performing a play about

St Joseph the all-good at their

end of year concert

Sunday School Children of St Spyridon Kingsford, at

their annual concert, November 2006

Page 6 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

T wentieth century Russia may have given us more saints than any other country in any other period in history. Of the millions killed by Stalin for their faith, St Luke Archbishop of Sim-feropol was an out-standing example.

As a world-famous pio-neering surgeon, tortured confessor, archbishop, and miracle-worker, Saint Luke is one of the most intriguing saints of the

many that suffered under the Soviet communist regime.

Outspoken regarding his faith (he would wear a cassock and cross while lecturing at universities and would de-mand an icon with oil lamp lit while he was performing surgery), he was exiled and tortured multiple times. Yet the authorities could not deny his exceptional medical skills: he was appointed as a chief surgeon overseeing the treatment of injured soldiers during World War II and re-ceived the Stalin award for his pioneering surgical work. At the same time the authorities attempted to suppress and punish his faith and his miraculous powers.

He became a priest, then a bishop, while he was the lead-ing surgeon in Russia. Upon his death, the authorities forbade any funeral procession, yet tens of thousands of people attended his funeral in the city of Simferopol, and it took over five hours for the coffin to make its way through the enormous crowds wanting to venerate him on his way to the cemetery!

This book documents his personal struggles, self-sacrifice and love for patients, his miracles, and his bold spiritual guidance during the Church's most difficult period in Russia.

O ne of the joys of Christmas Day is all the peo-ple in the church singing this famous hymn together.

Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν Ὑπερούσιον τίκτει, καὶ ἡ γῆ τὸ Σπήλαιον, τῷ ἀπροσίτω προσάγει. Ἄγγελοι, μετὰ Ποιμένων δοξολογοῦσι. Μάγοι δέ, μετὰ ἀστέρος ὁδοιποροῦσι· δι’ ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγεννήθη, Παιδίον νέον, ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων Θεός.

Today the Virgin gives birth to him who is above all being, And the earth offers the Cave to him whom no one can approach; Angels with Shepherds give glory, And Magi journey with a star; For us there has been born A little Child: God before the ages.

The beauty of the melody and the depth of the po-etry make this one of the most beloved hymns of our church.

Read it carefully. See how opposite meanings are put together? The Virgin, giving birth, bringing into be-ing, Him who is above all being. The earth, the cave, housing the unapproachable God. The great angels of heaven, spirits who are the messengers of God, sing with humble shepherds. The Magi, the profes-sors of the ancient world, are led by a star. Then the contradictions reach a climax: for us there is born a little child. But this little child is the eternal God who existed before he had created time.

The hymn describes the greatest miracle of all. The scandal of the ages. The almighty God emptying him-self of all his glory and coming to earth as a little helpless baby.

The hymn itself is also miraculous. The author of the hymn was St Romanos the Melodist, who lived in the 6th century. He was a deacon in Beirut, Lebanon. He travelled to Constantinople, where he served a dea-con in the great church of Hagia Sophia. At the ves-pers on Christmas Eve, he was asked to chant, but he was a miserable failure. He had no voice and no tal-ent. That evening he went to the monastery of the Theotokos of Kyrou. There he had a vision in which the Theotokos handed him a scroll of paper and commanded him to swallow it. He woke up glorify-ing God. At the service that morning, he stood and sung, with a beautiful voice, the great hymn that you have just read above.

After that he wrote over a thousand such hymns, called kontakia, all them of great beauty and depth of meaning.

The Blessed Surgeon The Life of Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol Archdeacon Vasiliy Marushchak, translated from the Russian by A. A. Vassilyeva

A wide range of Orthodox Christian books in Greek and English is available from The Orthodox Bookstore, 31A Enmore Rd, Enmore, as well as the Central Bookstore of

the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, 242 Cleveland St, Redfern, Sydney.

Page 7 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

L ife was hard, but they did have a mother. The young widow wore herself out trying to keep food on the table for her three children. There came a day, however, when the widow had worn herself down completely and could not even rise from her bed. Soon her body was laid to rest in the grave. The orphans were entrusted to the care of one of their relative, uncle Filipich. He and his wife were not unkind, but the family was quite poor; they could barely feed their own children. One day weeping and wailing could be heard from uncle Filipich’s cottage. And with good reason. Their horse had died. And what is a peasant without a horse? “God will not abandon us, Filipich”, said his wife. “But what can I do without a horse?” “You can go work in town as a la-bourer.” “That brings in next to nothing!” “Uncle,” piped up Vanya, the oldest of the three orphans, “I know now how to weave baskets. We can sell them.” “That’s good thinking, lad”, responded his uncle. Filipich began working in town as a hired man. His nephew kept his word and sold the baskets he wove in town. Still, the money that they made together was only enough for food. Winter was approaching, and one child needed a coat, another needed a hat, a third something else. Filipich was pondering all this as he was walking home. “Ai, poverty is bitter!” Meanwhile, at home there awaited him news of a fresh calamity. Whether from poor feed, or because she was old, their last cow died. Filipich threw up his hands in despair. “What’s to be done?! We’ll have to send the children out into the world,” he thought. And indeed, no matter how much Filipich exerted himself, no matter how industri-ously his nephew worked weaving baskets, there was nothing to be done but to send the older lads into the streets to beg. Here it was, the eve of Christ’s nativity. Vanya went to town to ask for alms. Around the time of major feasts, people were especially generous. He stayed late, wanting to bring back as much as he could for the family. Before he realised, the pale winter light had faded. The weather turned and it began to snow. As he hurried to go home, the storm picked up… Vanya trudged along through the growing darkness. His hands grew numb. He was tired, and a strong gust of wind toppled him into the snow. He tried to get up, but could not. “I’ll fall asleep.. I’ll freeze..” Providentially, a carriage was dashing along the same road. The driver’s sharp eyes caught sight of him. “Sir!” he shouted to his passenger. “We passed some dark shape”. They approached. “A pauper lad. The poor thing. He was probably going home for the Nativity.” The baron shud-dered. He thought of his own children, at home, warm. “Quick, bring him here! Can we save him?” He wrapped the boy in his fur coat. “Let’s get a move on. I see lights

ahead; there must be a village.” As the horses raced through the snow, the baron rubbed the boy’s hands and breathed warm air into his face. They stopped at the first cottage. Vanya opened his eyes. Some old women fluttered around. “It’s orphan-Vanya! The poor boy! God save him!” The baron learned where Filipich lived and took Vanya there himself. While they were driving, Vanya kept looking to the right of the baron, where she saw a beautiful woman holding in her arms an equally beautiful baby. “How is it,” Vanya thought, “that he is so little and he doesn’t look cold. I’m much bigger, and I nearly froze”. The baron carried Vanya onto the warm stove and was appalled by the family’s poverty. “Tomorrow is Christ-mas.” spoke the baron. “For Christ’s sake, accept this as a gift”, and he handed them a hundred-rouble note. Filipich was about to fall at the baron’s feet, but the Baron rushed to the door, and his horses sped along the snow. “Today,” reflected the baron, “is the happiest day of my life: God granted me to save a human life.” On the Feast of the Nativity, Vanya described to every-one how beautiful the baron’s wife was, and her adorable child. “But the baron was alone,” he was told. “No, no,” insisted Vanya. “I saw the baroness and the child.” Then he thought for a moment. “The baroness and the child looked a lot like the Mother of God and Christ that we have in the church.” Then everyone understood just what Woman and what Child Vanya had seen.

A CHRISTMAS STORY

Page 8 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ

also been completed. The remaining of the monks’ quar-ters will be built once further funding is available. Orthodox Christian Women’s Annual Retreat

T his year’s annual retreat of the Orthodox Christian Women's Group was held at Mangrove Mountain Retreat from the 27th-29th October. All groups from Sydney participated together, the students, the young mothers as well as the older women’s group. This was the second year that they were able to coordinate such a re-treat after many years since, the retreat had included the young with the older women. They also had the blessing of having the nuns from Holy Cross Monastery join them at the morning liturgy on the 28th October, which was officiated by Fr Stephanos. All those who participated felt that they were blessed to belong to a group which is bound in a fellowship founded upon the love and respect of a truly Orthodox community.

Pantanassa Monastery Construction Update

A s many of you are aware, the Holy Monastery of Pantanassa is in the process of constructing stage one of its Monastic complex. It is a large project which will take many years to complete but has been planned and designed in such a way so that it may serve the needs of the Church for many generations. We are pleased to say that construction of stage one is progressing well. The highlight is the Katholicon (the main church). Entering the Katholicon one can see a tra-ditional monastic church in the shape of a cross, with a vaulted roof in the middle and with cross vaults on either side. Currently the first of the three domes is being con-structed and the external brick work of the Katholicon has commenced. It is expected that by Christmas the con-crete form work for all domes will be complete. The brick work for the monks’ quarters storage level has

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« ΛΥΧΝΟΣ » is a bimonthly publication of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society,

31a Enmore Rd, Newtown, NSW, 2042, under the auspices of the

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. For subscriptions and inquiries,

phone: (02) 9567 3542. e-mail: editor@lychnos.org

Participants of this year’s women’s retreat with Fr Stephanos and the nuns from Holy Cross Monastery, Gosford.

The Katholicon of Pantanassa Monastery under construction. Left. The Narthex. Right. Viewed through Sanctuary window.