When Saint Porphyrios Traveled Invisibly To Serbia and Observed the Emptiness of the Youth

Saint Porpyrios of Kavsokalyva once said the following to Bishop Irinej of Bačka:

"One day I sat on a bridge over there in your parts [in Serbia, where he used to travel in an invisible way by divine grace], I was observing the people who were passing by. And by the grace of God I saw them transparent, both their bodies and their souls.

What can I say to you, Irinej! I saw empty, lonely, wounded, broken souls. I saw boys and girls passing by holding hands, but without their souls having the strength to truly love. They fall in love roughly and superficially. Raised without a family or even in an atheistic family, they have no provisions for true love. Many of your girls are not even in a position to become mothers from the libertine life they lead.

Message for the Beginning of the School Year for Elementary, Middle School and High School Students (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Message for the Beginning of the School Year for Elementary Students

My beloved students,

With the beginning of the school year, I feel the need as the Metropolitan of this Sacred Metropolis to communicate with you to wish you to have health of body and soul to meet the demands of your education.

You have understood by now that you live your lives between the family and the school, the society and the Church. You were born and grew up in a small family and there you got to know the first impressions of your life.

Q & A: My Young Adult Child Left the Church, What Should I Do? (Archpriest Sergiy Baranov)

 

 

 

When Saint George Karslides as a Child Rode on the Horse of Saint George the Great Martyr

Saint George Karslides was born in 1901 with the name Athanasios, in Argyroupolis (Gümüşhane) of Pontus. As a very young child he lost his parents and his faithful grandmother undertook to protect him. She inspired him with his love for the liturgical life of our Church.

But soon after his grandmother left for heaven. Only one older brother was left, who also tortured and oppressed him. So at the age of 7-8 he left secretly, to escape from the contempt and tyranny of his older brother. He felt a deep thirst for God.
 

Why Elder Eumenios Saridakis Pretended To Be Awkward Around Children

 By Fr. Antonios Frangakis

Father Eumenios many times when he was liturgizing, he drove out the children from the Sanctuary and in addition he seemed as if he did not want them to be near the Beautiful Gate. In fact, during a Divine Liturgy, he approached the mother of a child and asked her to take her child out of the church! She was surprised and after she indeed took her child out of the church, she asked him what scandalous thing he was doing, and he simply told her that he just saw Father Eumenios hovering above the ground and flames coming from him! The Holy Elder knew that only the pure children could "see" him with their pure spiritual eyes and could perceive the divine revelations and signs that happened when he was officiating. Being therefore afraid that the child would testify to others concerning what he saw and he be glorified by the people, he avoided the children and in a way pretended to be awkward.

 

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

Education, Freedom and Youth According to the Three Hierarchs

 By Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople

From the Great Fathers we are taught how demanding the work of education, both Classical and Christian, is for the teacher and the student. This is particularly relevant today, when pervasive pedagogical humanism regards educational intervention, guidance and discipline as the abolition of freedom and an obstacle to the happiness of children. The words self-realization, autonomy, self, individual rights, success, satisfaction of needs and the like dominate, while responsibility, offering, duty, the common good and solidarity are absent.

Eight Year Old Myrto And Her Wise Teacher

I remember Myrto, a charming little girl. She developed acute leukemia. With unparalleled silence and patience she braved the most aggressive treatments given to her, with a sweet expression constantly lighting up her pale little face.

The more she patiently endured, the more her parents broke down, and together with their hopes they gradually lost the last traces of their faith. They were not particularly religious to begin with, but some small seed was in them.