The Shepherd, November 2009
Endnotes
1. Since 1976, the Brotherhood of the Holy Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina in Fili, Attica, has held an annual Thanksgiving, that is, a special convocation, on the occasion of the Name Day of its spiritual Father and Abbot.
2. Palladios, Lausaic History, in Charismata kai Charismatouchio [Spiritual Gifts and Persons Endowed with Spiritual Gifts], 8th ed. (Oropos: Holy Monastery of the Paraclete, 1995), Vol. I, p. 241 (cf. Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXIV, col. 1060CD). The aforementioned volume contains a similar and equally moving story about Abba John the Sabbaite and a wild boar: On one occasion, a female boar came to Abba John the Sabbaite, carrying a whelp in her mouth; when she drew near to the Elder, she left the youngling at his feet. On seeing that it was blind, he spat in the dust, made some clay, and anointed the eyes of the little animal. The whelp at once regained its sight. Its mother then went up to it, took it, and departed, rejoicing. On the following day, she came again, dragging an enormous cabbage with great effort. The Saint looked at it, smiled, and said: Whence did you bring this? You must have stolen it from the gardens of the ascetics. But I do not accept stolen goods. Go, therefore, and leave it where you found it. The animal, in embarrassment, took it and left (ibid., pp. 252-253). This story is taken from the critical edition by F. Nau (Oriens Christianus, Vol. II [1902]).
3. Genesis 1:26-27. 4. Homily 15, On Faith, 1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXI, col. 464B.
5. Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book II, ch. 2, On Creation, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIV, cols. 864C-865A. St. Gregory the Theologian makes the following beautiful remarks concerning creation on the basis of Divine goodness: Therefore, since this movement of Self-contemplation alone could not satisfy Goodness, but Good must be poured out and go forth beyond Itself, so as to multiply the objects of Its beneficence—for this is the nature of the supreme Goodness—, He first conceived the Angelic and Heavenly Powers; and this conception was a work fulfilled by His Word and perfected by His Spirit.... [And wishing to produce] a single living being out of both (the invisible and the visible creation, I mean) He fashioned man..., in one person combining spirit and flesh: spirit because of the Grace bestowed upon him, flesh on account of the height to which he had been exalted; the one, that he might continue to live and glorify his Benefactor, the other, that he might suffer, and by suffering be put in remembrance and be corrected if he became proud in his greatness (Homily 45, On Pascha, 5-7, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXVI, cols. 629A-632C; cf. Homily 38, On Theophany, 9, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXVI, col. 320C).
6. Hymn 7, vv. 30-36, in Erga [Works] (Thessaloniki: Orthodoxos Kypsele Publications, 1990), Vol. III, p. 60.
7. Homily 25 on St. Matthew, 3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LVII, col. 331.
8. Idem, Homily 10 on I Thessalonians, 2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 457.
9. Idem, Homily 52 on Genesis, 3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIV, col. 460.
10. Idem, Homily 19 on Ephesians, 2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 129.
11. Idem, Homily 25 on St. Matthew, 3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LVII, col. 331.
12. Idem, Homily 41 on Genesis, 3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIII, col. 378.
13. Homily 30, On Giving Thanks to God, in Hapanta ta eurethenta Asketika [The Complete Extant Ascetical Works], reprinted by C. Spanou (Athens: n.d.), p. 126.
14. St. John Chrysostomos, Homily 26 on Genesis, 5, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIII, col. 238.
15. Idem, Homily 1, On the Statues, 11, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XLIX, col. 41.
16. Idem, Homily 18 on Romans, 5, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LX, col. 579.
17. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostomos, prayer of the Anaphora. 18. Eph. 5:20.
19. St. John Chrysostomos, Homily 19 on Ephesians, 2, P. G., Vol. LXII, cols. 129-130.
St. John’s idea that we should thank God, among many other things, both for the Kingdom and for Hell, for Hell, for punishment, for the Kingdom of Heaven (Homily 10 on Colossians, 2-3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 368) is truly very profound and astonishing.
Interpreting his thoughts, the Saint says: What is required is for a man to give thanks when he is in afflictions and discouragements.... And why do I speak of the afflictions of this world? We ought to give thanks to God, even for Hell itself, for the torments and punishments of the next world. For, it is very beneficial for those of us who are attentive, when the fear of Hell is laid like a bridle on our hearts.... For what else is the peculiar work of God if not this, that He benefits the human race through chastisements and refreshments alike? (Homily 19 on Ephesians, 2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 130).
20. Idem, Homily 3 on I Thessalonians, 5, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 412.
The Saint is here referring primarily to the case in which a sick person does not yield to the pressures of others to have recourse to sorcerers for a cure, but gives thanks to God: then you have dealt him [the Devil] a mortal blow (ibid., 6, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 414).
21. Idem, Homily 8 on Colossians, 5, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 357.
22. Idem, Epistle 12, To Olympias the Deaconess, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LII, col. 610.
23. For this amazing story, see John Moschos, The Spiritual Meadow, ch. 107, trans. John Wortley (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1992), pp. 86-88 (cf. Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXXXVII.3, cols. 2965C-2969B).
24. Archimandrite Ioannikios, Philaret of Kostamonitou, in Sygchrones Hagioreitikes Morphes—9 [Contemporary Athonite Personalities: Vol. IX] (Oropos: Holy Monastery of the Paraclete, 1983), pp. 80-81.
25. Col. 3:15.
26. St. John Chrysostomos, Homily 25 on St. Matthew, 3, P. Græca, Vol. LVII, col. 331.
27. Idem, Homily 25 on St. Matthew, 3-4, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LVII, col. 331.
28. Ibid. We continually encounter in St. John’s sacred writings this profound and moving exhortation: Let us be thankful also for the blessings of others. For example:
Nothing profits us so much as constantly to remember the benefactions of God, both public and private (Homily 1 on St. Titus, 1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 665).
Let us give thanks to Him for all things, public and private, for His goodness (Exposition of Psalm 135, 3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LV, col. 404).
Let this, he says, be your work, to give thanks in your prayers both for the seen and the unseen.... Thus is it customary for the Saints to pray, and to give thanks for the common benefits of all (Homily 10 on Colossians, 2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 368).
We must give thanks to God also for the goods that befall others.... Do you see how he unites and binds us together, not only through prayer, but also through thanksgiving? For he who is urged to thank God for his neighbor’s good is also bound to love him and be kindly disposed towards him (Homily 6 on I St. Timothy, 1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 531).
29. The confession of a monk known to us. 30. Romans 13:10.
31. Cf. Rom. 13:9. What is said through the many commandments is included, like a recapitulation - that is, a concise summary, in loving ones neighbor (Evthymios Zigabenos, Vol. I, p. 154).
32. Colossians 3:14. He did not say that it is the summit, but what is greater, the bond; this is more necessary than the other. For summit indeed is an intensity of perfection, but bond is the holding fast together of those things which produce perfection; it is, as it were, the root (St. John Chrysostomos, Homily 8 on Colossians, 2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 354).
33. St. John Chrysostomos, Catechesis 5, Hellenes Pateres tes Ekklesias, Vol. XXX, p. 442.
34. Idem, Homily 15 on Genesis, 5, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIII, col. 124.
35. St. John Chrysostomos, for example, offers the following list of God’s benefactions to man:
Who could reckon what God has already done for us, what He has promised, and what He does each day? He brought us from non-being into being, bestowed upon us both body and soul, made us rational creatures, gave us the air to breathe, brought forth the entire creation for the sake of mankind, and willed that man should enjoy a state of Paradise from the very beginning and have a life free from any pain or toil, and that he be not one whit inferior to the Angels and the Bodiless Powers, and, though in the body, not subject to bodily needs (Homily 27 on Genesis, 1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIII, col. 239).
36. Psalm 115:3, Septuaginta. 36a. St. John 1:14.
36b. These Patristic phrases are the source for the fourth Sticheron at the Praises on Sunday in the Seventh Tone.
The Prophet David examines his own poverty, for he has nothing worthy to give in return for these most sublime and innumerable gifts; St. Basil provides the answer: the way out of this impasse is the fellowship and affection which ought to characterize human beings; when we give to the least of our Lord’s brethren, we are, in essence, giving to the Lord Himself, Who then recompenses us, rewarding us munificently, not as a benefactor, but as a beneficiary!
37. Homily On the Martyr Julitta (and the Remainder of the Previous Homily on Thanksgiving), 6-7, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXI, cols. 253B-256A.
A fraternal observation. The booklet Eugnomosyne: he chara tes zoes [Gratitude: The Joy of Life] published by Christianike Stege in Kalamata (1st ed. 1998), although impressive at first sight, ultimately provokes caution and skepticism in the attentive reader. In essence, it is influenced—albeit unwittingly and with the best of intentions—, by the non-Orthodox ideas and practices of the school of Positive Thinking promoted in America, which has become familiar to us in Greece, and especially through the works of Norman Vincent Peale (see Protopresbyter Antonios Alevizopoulos, Autognosia-Autopragmatose-Soteria [Self-Knowledge, Self-Realization, and Salvation] [Athens: 1991]).
From “Orthodox Tradition,” Vol. XX, No. 2 (2003), pp. 13-25.
