ANCIENT PSYCHE: A BILINGUAL BLOG (ENGLISH AND GREEK) ON PSYCHOPEDAGOGY-PSYCHOHISTORY-PSYCHOARCHAEOLOGY-ARCHAEOTHERAPEUTICS-ARCHAEONATUROPATHY-ARCHAEOCOUNSELING WITH A CLASSICAL, ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΕ/ORTHDOX CHRISTIAN, MEDITERRANEAN, HELLENIC, HELLENIC-AMERICAN, AND AMERICAN EMPHASIS Photo: Athens Square, Astoria, NY (USA)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Σταμάτης Σπανουδάκης: "Χριστός Γεννάται"
Ας γιορτάσουμε όλοι οι Έλληνες και ειδικά εμείς οι απόδημοι τα Χριστούγεννα και φέτος παραδοσιακά και ελληνορθόδοξα, να μην παρασυρθούμε από τα ξενόφερτα δυτικότροπα έθιμα και από την εμποροποίηση των εορτών. Ας κρατήσουμε τους στίχους του Σπανουδάκη στην καρδιά μας:
Αίμα από το αίμα σου
γέννημα και θρέμμα σου
αρχαίοι χοροί λόγοι κρυφοί
ψαλμοί βυζαντινοί
Ζωή φωτιά κι ανάσταση
φυλή σε άλλη διάσταση
μητέρα μου αληθινή
Ελλάδα μου είσαι εσύ
(Από το κομμάτι "Δρόμος της Φωτιάς")
"The Adoption of Christmas in the Eastern Churches" by Thomas Talley
The following article is copied and pasted from:
http://www.pemptousia.com/2012/12/the-adoption-of-christmas-in-the-eastern-churches-part-ii/
"Quintessence" Online Journal of Orthodox Theology of the Holy Mount Athos Monastery of Vatopedi
http://www.pemptousia.com/2012/12/the-adoption-of-christmas-in-the-eastern-churches-part-ii/
"Quintessence" Online Journal of Orthodox Theology of the Holy Mount Athos Monastery of Vatopedi
The Adoption of Christmas in the Eastern
Churches (Part II)
16 December 2012
From the time of the restoration of orthodoxy
with the accession of Theodosius, then, the observance of the nativity festival
on December 25 extended smoothly and swiftly from Constantinople, across
Cappadocia to Antioch. The older festival of January 6 continued to be observed
with the theme of the baptism of Jesus. If between Constantinople and Antioch
there continued some confusion as to which of these was the Theophany of Christ,
we can suppose that this was an ambiguity already in the earlier unitive
celebration of the birth and baptism on that day. The reference of the
incarnation to a precise point in the life of Jesus is ambiguous, indeed, in the
prologue of the fourth gospel.
It was otherwise, however, in Jerusalem and
Alexandria. At Jerusalem the old festival of January 6 celebrated the nativity
alone, without reference to the baptism. This was also true for Epiphanius, a
native of Palestine (although he set the Cana miracle on the same day). As did
Chrysostom, Jerome argued in his commentary on Ezekiel that at his nativity,
Christ was not manifested, but hidden, contrary to this Palestinian tradition
(PL 25.18C-19A). Still, that tradition continued firm at Jerusalem throughout
the fourth century and beyond.
There are signs that the December festival was
adopted at Jerusalem at some point in the fifth century, and the episcopate of
Juvenal (424-458) is indicated. We have two sermons for the feast by Hesychius,
preacher in the Holy City from 412 to his death in 451 (PG 93.1449).
Nonetheless, that institution of the feast proved to be only temporary, since
around the middle of the following century Cosmas Indicopleustes (PG 88.197)
comments that the church of Jerusalem is unique in celebrating the birth of the
Savior on the Epiphany, commemorating David and St. James on December 25. That
was also the situation earlier, in the lectionaries from between 417 and 439
preserved in Armenian, where December 25 is the feast of David and James.
However, a principal manuscript of that Jerusalem
ordo (Jerusalem, arm. 121) adds to the title of that feast the rubrical note,
“in other cities the birth of Christ is celebrated.” The editor shows
conclusively that this note belonged to the Jerusalem ordo itself prior to the
introduction of the festival by Juvenal.
Just when the December nativity feast was
introduced in Jerusalem and just when it was given up cannot be more closely
specified. That it was no longer observed in the sixth century is testified to
not only by Cosmas Indicopleustes but also Abraham of Ephesus (530-553) who, in
a sermon on the Annunciation, indicated (as did Cosmas) that the Palestinians
were alone in rejecting the feast of the birth of the Savior on December 25.
The celebration of the feast throughout the
empire was ordered by the emperor Justin II (565-578), according to the
historian Nicephorus Callistus (PG 147.292), and a letter of Justinian a few
years earlier (561) had called upon Jerusalem authorities specifically to keep
the Annunciation (previously not observed at Jerusalem) on March 25 and
Hypapante on February 2, forty days after December 25, rather than February 14.
That letter also makes it clear that by then the Epiphany at Jerusalem
celebrated both Christ’s nativity and baptism, an arrangement jealously
defended by Monophysite forces against the separate celebration of the bodily
nativity on December 25. Nonetheless, shortly after the death of the patriarch
Macarius II (567/568), Jerusalem finally adopted the December festival, and the
itinerary of Antoninus of Plaisance in 570 reports the observance of the
Epiphany not at Bethlehem but at the place of Jesus’ baptism on the Jordan.
In Egypt, also, the feast of December 25 was
resisted for some long while. From the end of the fourth century we have the
testimony of John Cassian that the content of the Epiphany in Egypt was both
the nativity and the baptism, celebrated together. His testimony is the first
secure notice we have of a liturgical observance of the nativity of Christ in
Egypt. Cassian, writing at Marseilles between 418 and 427, says in the tenth of
his Conferences (chap. 2) that the themes of birth and baptism are united in the
one festival.
“In the country of Egypt this custom is by
ancient tradition observed that-when Epiphany is past, which the priests of
that province regard as the time, both of Our Lord’s baptism and also of his
birth in the flesh, and so celebrate the commemoration of either mystery not
separately as in the Western provinces but on the single festival of this
day-letters are sent from the Bishop of Alexandria through all the churches of
Egypt, by which the beginning of Lent, and the day of Easter are pointed out not
only in all the cities but also in all the monasteries” (NPNF II.XI, p.
401).
Since the writer’s purpose here is to describe
the issuance of the festal letters by the bishop of Alexandria, it is unlikely
that he is describing a variation in the festal theme in different parts of
Egypt, although it is certain that there were variant customs within that
country. Cassian, nonetheless, evidently indicates a double theme in Alexandria
itself. It is impossible to know how long that double theme had attached to the
festival.
We can only say that the identification of the
date as that of the nativity reaches back as far as Clement, as does its
association with the baptism, but that earlier in the fourth century the feast
was focused on the baptism to such an extent that the Canons of Athanasius make
no reference at all to any festival of the nativity. It may well be that while
the strong Marean tradition at Alexandria made the baptism (with which Mark’s
gospel opens) stand out as the content of the celebration on January 6, the
memory persisted that the gospel was begun on that day because it was the day of
the Lord’s nativity.
It was only in the fifth century, in any case,
that the festival of December 25 was adopted at Alexandria. There, following the
Council of Ephesus, Paul of Emessa preached before St. Cyril on December 25,
432, and again on the following January 1 (PG 77.1432). This marks the first
celebration of the nativity on December 25 at Alexandria of which we have
record. In view of its relation to the Council of Ephesus, it seems likely that
the December festival’s adoption in Alexandria was motivated by Christological
concerns, as was the case earlier at Constantinople and through Asia Minor to
Antioch following the death of the Arian emperor, Valens. The adoption of
Christmas at Alexandria, again, may have contributed to the unsuccessful and
temporary establishment of the feast a bit later in Jerusalem.
Talley, Thomas J. The Origins of the
Liturgical Year, Minnesota: Liturgical Press Collegeville, c 1991.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Anti-Greek attitude exhibited by members of biblical archaeology's academic establishment!
Click on the following link to read the article:
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/06/10/archbishopric-of-cyprus-criticizes-the-biblical-archaeology-society-for-arriving-at-the-occupied-area/
My personal comment on the article above
The team of archaeologists mentioned in the article of the link above run an expedition on Biblical Cyprus and chose to visit the Northern area that is currently occupied by the Turks, thus recognizing and approving Turkish occupation and atrocities! Greek-Cypriot reaction followed as natural. However, those semi-literates and pseudo-scholars ignored it as they also ignore the Bible itself since they disregard its historicity but still call themselves biblical archaeologists! By the same token, they ignore Greek history and Greek archaeology, though they selectively study New Testament Greek as the only element of the Greek background of the Biblical world they study. It's not an accident that many mainstream biblical archaeologists, such as the late William Allbright:
1) believe that modern Greeks have nothing to do with ancient Greeks. That's why it is important to understand ethnoarchaeology, ethnography & social/cultural anthropology and speak both ancient and modern languages. One who comes in touch with Greek people and understands their land, their language and their culture, he or she discovers the biological, historical, linguistic, and cultural continuity of these people despite the change in their religion or some changes in the language;
2) the biblical archaeologists mentioned in the article of the above link believe that Cyprus is not Greek, but Turkish. However, the Turks came down from Mongolia and Central Asia to Asia Minor only much later and Cyprus was always and still is Greek since prehistory based on continuous solid archaeological, historical, biological, linguistic and ethnographic evidence);
3) they ignore Greek Orthodox Christianity that comes directly from the ancient church and is linked to the Greek component of biblical studies closer than any other Christian faction or church;
4) they believe that 90% of biblical archaeology should be purely Jewish archaeology. Those who have read the Bible know that it mentions numerous nations, some of them still existing, such as the Greeks and vast lands all over the Mediterranean. The 8 major biblical lands are Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Asia Minor (today's Turkey), Greece, Cyprus, and Italy. It's common sense that when you excavate you never know what you will find and it doesn't necessarily mean that what you find is related to biblical archaeology or any type of archaeology you specialize in. According to the Law of Superposition, the upper layers reveal more recent finds and the lower reveal older finds, unless there is a geological anomaly or irregular formation in the soil. In the biblical lands, you may find Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Arabic, Byzantine, medieval, and early modern structures and artifacts of many different nations, some of them deposited by the natives and others may be imported. They overlook the historical fact that the fate of many of the artifacts is profoundly affected by the Knights Templar and other orders, historical figures and events of the Middle Ages and in particular, the Crusades. Some of those artifacts may not be ever unearthed from the holy lands for the simple reason that may have been taken already to various places all of Europe! However, this possibility is always viewed by the academia with skepticism and treated as conspiracy theories, though the numerous historical sources. The vast majority of biblical archaeologists all they know is theology, Jewish archaeology, Near Eastern & Mesopotamian Archaeology and Egyptology. Allbright's Zionist statement that the only biblical and ancient nation that still exist in the modern times is the Jews is a blatant lie that shows how profoundly his mind and academic work were effected by ideology and propaganda.
5) they even believe Allbright's belief that...40% of today's nations are of Jewish descent and other Zionist ideas that have nothing to do with true Christianity. Paul said that in Christianity there is neither Jew nor Greek and that we all are equal in Christ.
Finally, 6) They also agree with Israel Finkelstein's line that the Book of Genesis and all early Old Testament books are not historical, though it is now obviously crystal clear after all these archaeological digs that the historical and geographical information of those books are quite pragmatic, accurate and match the archaeological record. Some of them hold degrees of theology, ministry or biblical studies and some of them are even ministers or pastors! (By the way, it's not an accident that Finkelstein's book "Unearthing the Bible" is used by many fanatic atheists and neopagans who are obsessed with attacking not only Judaism, but especially Christianity. One can be a Zionist and also be an atheist or a neopagan at the same time. Zionism is purely secular, atheistic and political). The irony or the paradox is they call Zionists those who believe in the historicity of the Bible, though the real Zionists and anti-scientific propagandists are actually themselves! Many of these people hold degrees in theology and some of them they are even pastors or ministers! The same "academics" who disrespected the Greek state of Cyprus and recognized Turkish tyranny and illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus are those who never believed that Steven Collins discovered Sodom at Tall el-Hammam and instead, they believe Allbright's claim that the actual site is...underneath the Dead Sea for the simple reason that Allbright, "the father of biblical archaeology" said so, though nothing was ever found there! As Steven Collins has truthfully said, if you go today to Israel and ask for permit from its government to run an excavation project there and you are sincere enough to clearly state in your proposal that the scope of the project is to find a city or an artifact mentioned in any of the early books of the Bible, especially Genesis, your proposal will be rejected immediately no matter what. However, if you just go a miles further and cross the borders of Jordan and ask for a permit to excavation in Jordan, they will grant it to you with no second thought! A Muslim country supports the book of Genesis and the Bible in general and Israel doesn't! That is because, some of the biblical information is also found in Koran and Muslims respect their sacred book, unlike many Jews and Christians who disrespect their own sacred book the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament or "Tanak" in Hebrew)...
Those biblical archaeologists mentioned in the article, may answer "but the only reason we passed from Turkey to Northern Cyprus occupied by the Turks is because it was closer and spared us money and time". However, they should be aware of the politics and respect the natives of the island. They should follow the brilliant example of Dr. Steven Collins who is one of the very few archaeologists who has done post-doctoral fellowships in international law & politics and theology & international law and is sensitive to those issues. The 6 points mentioned above make up the message that these people passed to the world by this action. And those who know these people and are familiar with their work and their lectures know that all 6 points mentioned above apply to most of them and most of the above 6 points apply to all of them. It's time for biblical archaeologists to learn more about the overall history and geography of the lands they explore, not just Palestine, and not just prehistory and the ancient world, and it's time for them to study more classics (including Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies), not just New Greek Testament! That's the only way to avoid future blunders like the one they just committed in the case of Cyprus (read the linked article for more information).
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/06/10/archbishopric-of-cyprus-criticizes-the-biblical-archaeology-society-for-arriving-at-the-occupied-area/
My personal comment on the article above
The team of archaeologists mentioned in the article of the link above run an expedition on Biblical Cyprus and chose to visit the Northern area that is currently occupied by the Turks, thus recognizing and approving Turkish occupation and atrocities! Greek-Cypriot reaction followed as natural. However, those semi-literates and pseudo-scholars ignored it as they also ignore the Bible itself since they disregard its historicity but still call themselves biblical archaeologists! By the same token, they ignore Greek history and Greek archaeology, though they selectively study New Testament Greek as the only element of the Greek background of the Biblical world they study. It's not an accident that many mainstream biblical archaeologists, such as the late William Allbright:
1) believe that modern Greeks have nothing to do with ancient Greeks. That's why it is important to understand ethnoarchaeology, ethnography & social/cultural anthropology and speak both ancient and modern languages. One who comes in touch with Greek people and understands their land, their language and their culture, he or she discovers the biological, historical, linguistic, and cultural continuity of these people despite the change in their religion or some changes in the language;
2) the biblical archaeologists mentioned in the article of the above link believe that Cyprus is not Greek, but Turkish. However, the Turks came down from Mongolia and Central Asia to Asia Minor only much later and Cyprus was always and still is Greek since prehistory based on continuous solid archaeological, historical, biological, linguistic and ethnographic evidence);
3) they ignore Greek Orthodox Christianity that comes directly from the ancient church and is linked to the Greek component of biblical studies closer than any other Christian faction or church;
4) they believe that 90% of biblical archaeology should be purely Jewish archaeology. Those who have read the Bible know that it mentions numerous nations, some of them still existing, such as the Greeks and vast lands all over the Mediterranean. The 8 major biblical lands are Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Asia Minor (today's Turkey), Greece, Cyprus, and Italy. It's common sense that when you excavate you never know what you will find and it doesn't necessarily mean that what you find is related to biblical archaeology or any type of archaeology you specialize in. According to the Law of Superposition, the upper layers reveal more recent finds and the lower reveal older finds, unless there is a geological anomaly or irregular formation in the soil. In the biblical lands, you may find Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Arabic, Byzantine, medieval, and early modern structures and artifacts of many different nations, some of them deposited by the natives and others may be imported. They overlook the historical fact that the fate of many of the artifacts is profoundly affected by the Knights Templar and other orders, historical figures and events of the Middle Ages and in particular, the Crusades. Some of those artifacts may not be ever unearthed from the holy lands for the simple reason that may have been taken already to various places all of Europe! However, this possibility is always viewed by the academia with skepticism and treated as conspiracy theories, though the numerous historical sources. The vast majority of biblical archaeologists all they know is theology, Jewish archaeology, Near Eastern & Mesopotamian Archaeology and Egyptology. Allbright's Zionist statement that the only biblical and ancient nation that still exist in the modern times is the Jews is a blatant lie that shows how profoundly his mind and academic work were effected by ideology and propaganda.
5) they even believe Allbright's belief that...40% of today's nations are of Jewish descent and other Zionist ideas that have nothing to do with true Christianity. Paul said that in Christianity there is neither Jew nor Greek and that we all are equal in Christ.
Finally, 6) They also agree with Israel Finkelstein's line that the Book of Genesis and all early Old Testament books are not historical, though it is now obviously crystal clear after all these archaeological digs that the historical and geographical information of those books are quite pragmatic, accurate and match the archaeological record. Some of them hold degrees of theology, ministry or biblical studies and some of them are even ministers or pastors! (By the way, it's not an accident that Finkelstein's book "Unearthing the Bible" is used by many fanatic atheists and neopagans who are obsessed with attacking not only Judaism, but especially Christianity. One can be a Zionist and also be an atheist or a neopagan at the same time. Zionism is purely secular, atheistic and political). The irony or the paradox is they call Zionists those who believe in the historicity of the Bible, though the real Zionists and anti-scientific propagandists are actually themselves! Many of these people hold degrees in theology and some of them they are even pastors or ministers! The same "academics" who disrespected the Greek state of Cyprus and recognized Turkish tyranny and illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus are those who never believed that Steven Collins discovered Sodom at Tall el-Hammam and instead, they believe Allbright's claim that the actual site is...underneath the Dead Sea for the simple reason that Allbright, "the father of biblical archaeology" said so, though nothing was ever found there! As Steven Collins has truthfully said, if you go today to Israel and ask for permit from its government to run an excavation project there and you are sincere enough to clearly state in your proposal that the scope of the project is to find a city or an artifact mentioned in any of the early books of the Bible, especially Genesis, your proposal will be rejected immediately no matter what. However, if you just go a miles further and cross the borders of Jordan and ask for a permit to excavation in Jordan, they will grant it to you with no second thought! A Muslim country supports the book of Genesis and the Bible in general and Israel doesn't! That is because, some of the biblical information is also found in Koran and Muslims respect their sacred book, unlike many Jews and Christians who disrespect their own sacred book the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament or "Tanak" in Hebrew)...
Those biblical archaeologists mentioned in the article, may answer "but the only reason we passed from Turkey to Northern Cyprus occupied by the Turks is because it was closer and spared us money and time". However, they should be aware of the politics and respect the natives of the island. They should follow the brilliant example of Dr. Steven Collins who is one of the very few archaeologists who has done post-doctoral fellowships in international law & politics and theology & international law and is sensitive to those issues. The 6 points mentioned above make up the message that these people passed to the world by this action. And those who know these people and are familiar with their work and their lectures know that all 6 points mentioned above apply to most of them and most of the above 6 points apply to all of them. It's time for biblical archaeologists to learn more about the overall history and geography of the lands they explore, not just Palestine, and not just prehistory and the ancient world, and it's time for them to study more classics (including Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies), not just New Greek Testament! That's the only way to avoid future blunders like the one they just committed in the case of Cyprus (read the linked article for more information).
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Χριστουγεννιάτικοι Ύμνοι από τον γνωστό ιεροψάλτη Ματθαίο Τσαμκιράνη, μοναδικό για την ακρίβεια στον τρόπο που ψάλλει όχι απλώς τους φθόγγους (νότες ευρωπαϊστί), αλλά μέχρι και συγκεκριμένα μόρια - Christmas Hymns by the famous Byzantine chanter Mathew Tsamkiranis, the famous Byzantine chanter who precisely chants not just the notes, but even specific microtones!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Ο ταλαντούχος ψάλτης και τραγουδιστής Σωτήρης Δογάνης: βυζαντινοί ύμνοι και έντεχνα τραγούδια από μεγάλους ποιητές, όπως ο Ελύτης - The very talented chanter and singer Sotiris Doganis: byzantine hymns and modern Greek songs based on great modern Greek poets, such as Nobel-Prize Winner Odysseus Elytis
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Χριστουγεννιάτικη Σχολική Ιχνογραφία - Christmas Coloring Papers & Ideas for Teachers
American websites for Christmas coloring papers - Αμερικάνικοι ιστότοποι για χριστουγεννιάτικο χρωματισμό:
www.google.com/searchnum=10&hl=en&newwindow=1&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=597&q=Christmas+Coloring+Pages&oq=Christmas+Coloring+Pages&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.931.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.crnk_timediscountc..0.0...1ac.CcRtetXB--Y
Greek website for Christmas coloring - Ελληνικός ιστότοπος για χριστουγεννιάτικο χρωματισμό:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.sch.gr%2F2dimialys%2F2010%2F12%2F24%2F%25CE%25B6%25CF%2589%25CE%25B3%25CF%2581%25CE%25B1%25CF%2586%25CE%25AF%25CE%25B6%25CE%25BF%25CF%2585%25CE%25BC%25CE%25B5-%25CE%25B3%25CE%25B9%25CE%25B1-%25CF%2584%25CE%25B1-%25CF%2587%25CF%2581%25CE%25B9%25CF%2583%25CF%2584%25CE%25BF%25CF%258D%25CE%25B3%25CE%25B5%25CE%25BD%25CE%25BD%25CE%25B1%2F&ei=mbnPUMm5EfSy0AHurYHQAg&usg=AFQjCNF1Dr4CgxbwKAhBkbUAQ68UOV4uCw&sig2=lGvvazZSzRnuh6LhpfNhzA&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.dmQ
Greek website for Christmas coloring - Ελληνικός ιστότοπος για χριστουγεννιάτικο χρωματισμό:
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Χριστούγεννα στην ελληνική παροικία της Νέας Υόρκης...μια ανάσα πριν το 2013!
του Αλέξανδρου Κολόμβου, εκπαιδευτικού-ιστορικούΌπως κάθε χρόνο, έτσι και φέτος εορτάζουμε την Γέννηση του Θεανθρώπου, του Κυρίου ημών Ιησού Χριστού. Τα Χριστούγεννα γινόμαστε όλοι παιδιά και ξαναζούμε το όνειρο των αθώων μας χρόνων. Όμως, γρήγορα απ' το όνειρο μάς ξυπνά η σκληρή πραγματικότητα της ενήλικης ζωής που κάθε χρόνο είναι σκληρότερη. Τα παιδιά πλέον δεν βιώνουν τα Χριστούγεννα όπως έκαναν τα παιδιά των παλαιότερων γενεών.
Σε λίγες μέρες θα είναι μπει το 2013. Κάποιοι που φοβούνται την συντέλεια του Κόσμου νομίζουν ότι δεν θα μπει ποτέ, αλλά αυτό κανείς μας δεν το ξέρει, παρά μόνο ο Θεός. Στόχος κάθε γονιού και κάθε εκπαιδευτικού θα έπρεπε να είναι τα σημερινά παιδιά να βιώνουν τα Χριστούγεννα μέσα από ένα άλλο πρίσμα, μέσα από αυτό όχι της καταναλωτικής διάστασης που τα Χριστούγεννα και η Πρωτοχρονιά έχουν πάρει, αλλά μέσα από το πρίσμα της διαχρονικής ελληνορθόδοξης μας παράδοσης. Σκοπός δικός μας των διδασκάλων, αλλά και εσάς των γονέων, πρέπει να είναι πάντα η μεταλαμπάδευση των ιδεωδών και της θρησκευτικής και πολιτισμικής παρακαταθήκης της φυλής μας, μέρος της οποίας είναι και ο παραδοσιακός και πατροπαράδοτος εορτασμός των Χριστουγέννων και της Πρωτοχρονιάς κατά τα ειωθότα. Πόσο μάλλον για εμάς τους απόδημους και δη εμάς που ζούμε στην Αμερική, την πιο καταναλωτική και υλιστική χώρα του κόσμου. Ειδικά εδώ στη Νέα Υόρκη, τα Χριστούγεννα οι δρόμοι είναι οι εντυπωσιακότεροι του κόσμου. Πλήθη τουριστών έρχονται από όλα τα μέρη του κόσμου για να κάνουν τα καθιερωμενα ψώνια τους στην μητρόπολη του διεθνούς εμπορίου, στην πιο λαμπερή και αχανή πόλη του κόσμου. Όμως πίσω από το εκτυφλωτικό φως των προβολέων και τη λάμψη από τα πολύχρωμα λαμπιόνια που φωτίζουν τις φινετσάτες νύχτες στις τεράστιες λεωφόρους, πέρα από τους κολοσσιαίους ουρανοξύστες που η κορυφή τους τις ομιχλώδεις μέρες χάνεται απ' τον ορίζοντα, συνυπάρχει ένας παράλληλος κόσμος, λιγότερο φωτεινός και λιγότερο αισιόδοξος. Κάποιοι συνάνθρωποι μας, άστεγοι και αναξιοπαθούντες, άρρωστοι και άποροι, κάπου στο άλλο άκρο της πόλης μέσα σε παραπήγματα και παράγκες, σε τεράστιες βρώμικες εργατικές κατοικίες ή και κάποιοι μέσα σε χαρτόκουτες κάτω ακριβώς από τους ουρανοξύστες ή μέσα στις υπόγειες στοές του μετρό, κρύβουν την φτώχεια και την απελπισία τους και την σέρνουν μαζί τους από χρόνο σε χρόνο, από Χριστούγεννα σε Χριστούγεννα, σε κάθε βήμα στο διάβα τους χαζεύοντας τους περαστικούς που ανέμελοι προσπερνούν βυθισμένοι στο άγχος της ρουτίνας και των επιπλέον υποχρεώσεων και ευθυνών που δημιουργούν οι γιορτινές αυτές μέρες. Δεν είναι παράδοξο; Οι μέρες αυτές θα έπρεπε να είναι μέρες ξεγνιασιάς και ξεκούρασης. Ομως για πολλούς οικογενειάρχες συμβαίνει ακριβώς το αντίθετο.
Είναι λοιπόν χρέος όλων μας, σε αυτούς τους δύσκολους καιρούς της
οικονομικής κρίσεως, της αφιλίας, της υλικής, αλλά και πνευματικής πενίας, δηλ.
φτώχειας και της πτώσεως των αξιών, πρώτοι εμείς, να διδάξουμε στα παιδιά ότι
Χριστούγεννα δεν είναι μια εκκοσμικευμένη γιορτή που απλώς συκεντρωνόμαστε όλοι
γύρω από το γιορτινό τραπέζι για να ανταλλάξουμε δώρα και να συμφάγομε με τα
αγαπημένα μας πρόσωπα. Χριστούγεννα δεν
είναι άλλη μια ευκαιρία για να εκμεταλλευτούν κάποιοι για κατανάλωση και αύξηση
των κερδών από τις αγορές και τα ψώνια.
Τα Χριστούγεννα δεν πάμε απλώς στην εκκλησία για να κοινωνήσουν μηχανικά
τα παιδιά μας χωρίς καν να έχουν νηστέψει ή για να επιδείξουν κάποιοι τον
πλούτο τους μέσα από κοινωνικές εκδηλώσεις και συνεστιάσεις. Τα Χριστούγεννα είναι ευκαιρία για περισυλλογή
και κατάνυξη. Είναι το μέγα θαύμα και
μυστήριο της ενανθρωπήσεως του Θεανθρώπου. Το νόημα των Χριστουγέννων είναι το νόημα της
ταπείνωσης, της θυσίας, της φιλανθρωπίας, και της αγάπης.
«Χριστός γεννάται, δοξάσατε! Χριστός εξ ουρανών, απαντήσατε! Χριστός επί
γης, υψώθητε!» μας θυμίζουν τα λόγια της εκκλησίας. Η θεία νύχτα των Χριστουγέννων δεν πρέπει
να μας γίνεται ρουτίνα, αλλά πρέπει να την
βλέπουμε κάθε χρόνο ως «πάντων των καινών καινότατον μυστήριον» όπως λέγει ο Ιωάννης
ο Δαμασκηνός, δηλ. το πιο καινούριο, το πιο πρόσφατο από τα πιο πρόσφατα των
μυστηρίων που πάντα μας αφήνει άφωνους και απορρημένους. Τα Χριστούγεννα, λέγουν οι Πατέρες της
Εκκλησίας, είναι «η Μητρόπολις Πασών των Εορτών». Αναφωνεί η πιστή ψυχή με τον άγιο Γρηγόριο
τον Θεολόγο: « Ω της καινής μίξεως! Ω
της παραδόξου κράσεως! Ο Ων γίνεται και ο άκτιστος κτίζεται και ο αχώρητος
χωρείται». Δηλαδή, τι καινοτόμος μίξη
και τι παράδοξος συνδοιασμός το να γεννιέται ο αιώνιος και αθάνατος Θεός μέσα
από την θεανθρώπινη φύση του Υιού του και ταυτόχρονα να διαχωρίζεται η ομoούσιος
και αδιαίρετος Αγία Τριάδα και εκ πνεύματος Αγίου και Μαρίας της Παρθένου να
έχουμε τον Υιό του Θεού απεσταλμένο από τον Τριαδικό Πατέρα στη γη για να σώσει τον
άνθρωπο από τις αμαρτίες του. Σε καμια
θρησκεία, αγαπητοί μου, δεν έχει συντελεστεί τέτοιο μέγα θαύμα και τέτοια
έμπρακτη απόδειξις της Αγάπης και της Φιλανθρωπίας Του Θεού, σε σημείο ο ίδιος
ο Θεός να ενανθρωπιστεί δια της θεανθρωπίνου υποστάσως της Τριαδικής Του Φύσεως,
να ενσαρκωθεί και να φτάσει τόσο κοντά στον άνθρωπο, να ενσκύψει στα μύρια
προβλήματα του και να τον αφελκύσει από τον βόρβορο της άγνοιας και του
σκοταδισμού, της αμαρτίας, της σκληρότητος και της ασπλαχνίας και να του δείξει
πως στο πρόσωπο κάθε ανθρώπου αντικατοπτρίζεται
ένας ταπεινός και μαρτυρικός Χριστός, αποδεικνύοντας έτσι ότι είμαστε κατ’εικόνα
και καθ’ομοίωσιν του Θεού. Γιαυτό και ο
Χριστός επέλεξε να γεννηθεί σε φάτνη από το να γεννηθεί στα εφήμερα πλούτη ή να
παρουσιαστεί στο γένος των ανθρώπων ως Βασιλεύς των Ουρανών και Παντοκράτωρ
όπως τον περιμένουμε στην Δευτέρα Παρουσία να έρθει καθήμενος εν θρόνω και εν
μέσω σάλπιγγων και αγγέλλων ψαλλόντων εν τω ουρανώ. Διότι εθυσιάστη δι’ημάς για να μας διδάξει
την ταπείνωση, την ανιδιοτελή αγάπη και το περίφημο «Αγαπάτε Αλλήλους ίνα εν
ομονοία ομολογήσομεν», δηλ. να αγαπάμε τους συνανθρώπους μας, ώστε να έχουμε
ήσυχη την συνείδηση μας όταν κάποτε φύγουμε από τον μάταιο τούτο κόσμο
έχοντας να δώσουμε «καλήν απολογίαν επί
του φοβερού βήματος του Χριστού». Αλλά ταυτοχρόνως ο Χριστός με τη γέννηση Του δοκίμασε την πίστη
μας. Δοκίμασε την καρδιά μας: «τίνα με λέγουσι άνθρωποι είναι», τι λένε
δηλ. οι άνθρωποι για εμένα, εδιερωτάτο μετά των μαθητών Του. Ἠθελε δηλ. οι άνθρωποι να πιστέψουν από μόνοι
τους την θαυμαστή θεανθρώπινη φύση Του και το δισυπόστατο της. Αυτή είναι και η απόδειξις της ελευθερίας που
μας έδωσε ο Κύριος. Να διαλέξουμε ποιον
δρόμο θα ακολουθήσουμε στην ζωή μας, τον δρόμο της Αρετής ή τον δρόμο της
Κακίας, για να θυμιθούμε και τον γνωστό μύθο του Ηρακλή, συνταιριάζοντας έτσι
αρμονικά την πανάρχαια ελληνική μας παράδοση με αυτή της Ελληνορθοδοξίας
και του Βυζαντίου. Με την έλευση του Χριστιανισμού σηματοδοτήται
η μετάβαση από τον πανάρχαιο, διαχρονικό και ένδοξο, αλλά σκληρό, ελιτιστικό, ατομοκεντρικό,
ορθολογιστικό και φυσιοκρατικό αρχαίο ελληνικό πολιτισμό στον χριστιανικό
πολιτισμό της φιλευσπλαχνίας και της αγάπης, της ομαδικότητας και της
συλλογικότητας.
Καλούμαστε κάθε Χριστούγεννα να αναρρωτηθούμε αν θα ανοίξουμε τελικά τις
πόρτες μας και τις καρδιές μας στον νεογέννητο Χριστό. Αν θα ανταποδώσουμε την Διακονία Του Κυρίου
μας διακονώντας Τον στα πρόσωπα των
συνανθρώπων μας. Πρέπει όμως αυτό να
γίνεται κάθε μέρα και όχι μόνο τα Χριστούγεννα και τις γιορτές. Για να μην ακούσουμε κάποτε τα φοβερἀ λόγια
της ευαγγελικής περικοπής που λέγει ο Κύριος σε όσους δεν κάνουν αγαθά έργα
φιλανθρωπίας: «επείνασα και δε μου δώκατε να φάγω εδίψασα και δε μου δώκατε να
πιω· ξένος ήμουν και δε με πήρατε στο σπίτι σας· γυμνός και δε με ντύσατε·
άρρωστος και δεν μου συντρέξατε στην αρρώστια μου». Κάθε φορά που βοηθούμε έναν άνθρωπο είναι σαν
να ανταποδίδουμε στον Χριστό μας το μέγα Του έλεος. Όμως η φιλανθρωπία δεν θα πρέπει να γίνεται
για επίδειξη πλούτου και ισχύος, δεν θα πρέπει να έχει ιδιοτελή, εγωκεντρικά
και εγώδουλα κίνητρα, δεν θα πρέπει να είναι πράξη οίκτου, αλλά πράξη
συμπόνοιας. Η ελεημοσύνη όταν γίνεται
μηχανικά ή σκόπιμα απὀ ανιδιοτελή ή εγωϊστικά κίνητρα δεν έχει νόημα και
επιπλέον είναι και αμαρτία.
Οφείλουμε στους χαλεπούς αυτούς
καιρούς που διάγουμε, τους γεμάτους υλισμό και αθεΐα, όπου η πνευματικότητα, το
ήθος και το θρησκευτικό αίσθημα πολλοί τα κοροϊδεύουν και τα περιφρονούν ενώ ο
φιλάνθρωπος θεωρείται από πολλούς αγαθιάρης και αφελής, ωφείλουμε λέγω να
διδάξουμε στα παιδιά μας τα θεία αυτά νοήματα της Γεννήσεως του Σωτήρος του
Κόσμου, διότι τα παιδιά μας είναι το μέλλον της Ομογένειας και του γένους των
Ελλήνων, γένος ευλογημένο από τον Κύριο που είπε στους Έλληνες «ελήλυθεν η ώρα ίνα
δοξαστεί ο υιός του ανθρώπου». Πρέπει να ανοίξουμε λοιπόν τις καρδιές μας και να
μάθουμε στα παιδιά μας ότι στην δική μας παράδοση η Πρωτοχρονιά δεν ταυτίζεται
με τον ευτραφή και γραφικό, κατά τα άλλα συμπαθή, Santa Claus
που δημιούργησε ο άκρατος καταναλωτισμός και τα ξενόφερτα και δυτικότροπα έθιμα, καθώς ο Santa Claus προήλθε από τον Άγιο Νικόλαο και όχι
από τον Άγιο Βασίλειο που εορτάζουμε εμείς κάθε χρόνο στις εκκλησίες μας. Να διδαχτούν τα παιδιά μας ότι ο Άγιος Βασίλειος
της δικής μας παράδοσης είναι όχι μόνο πατέρας
της Εκκλησίας, αλλά και πανεπιστήμων και λογιότατος της θεολογίας, της
φιλοσοφίας, της αστρονομίας, της νομικής και των μαθηματικών και ένας από τους
υπέλαμπρους φωστήρες της Τρισηλίου Θεότητος, ο ευεργέτης όχι μόνο των παιδιών,
αλλά και κάθε πονεμένου, πτωχού και αναξιοπαθούντα, ο Μέγας Βασίλειος, που
ίδρυσε νοσοκομεία, πτωχοκομεία, ορφανοτροφεία και δώρησε όλη την περιουσία των
γονέων του για να διακονήσει και να υπηρετήσει τον Θεό υπηρετώντας τον άνθρωπο. Να διδαχτούν τα παιδιά μας ότι στην δική μας
παράδοση τα παλιά χρόνια δεν στόλιζαν δέντρο, αλλά καραβάκι ως είθιστε από τα
βυζαντινά χρόνια και συνεχίζεται ακόμα
αυτό το έθιμο σε ορισμένα μέρη της ελληνικής επαρχίας.
Ας προσκαλέσουμε το πραγματικό πνεύμα των
Χριστουγέννων, αυτό της ταπείνωσης, της θυσίας, της φιλανθρωπίας και της
αγάπης, να φωλιάσει στις ψυχές τις δικές μας και των παιδιών μας. Είθε το νέο έτος που θα έρθει σε λίγες μέρες
να μας φέρει υγεία, ειρήνη, αγάπη και ομόνοια στην ανθρωπότητα και στην
μαστιζόμενη από την διχόνοια και τον εγωϊσμό ομογένεια μας και το άστρο της
Βηθλεέμ να φωτίσει όλους μας, αλλά πρωτίστως τους ηγέτες του κόσμου για να
ζούνε όλοι οι άνθρωποι με αξιοπρέπεια και δικαιοσύνη.
Καλά και ευλογημένα Χριστούγεννα σε όλους!!!
Για όσους ενδιαφέρονται για μια ξενάγηση στην Νέα Υόρκη τα Χριστοπυγενα και την Πρωτοχρονιά από αδειούχο ξεναγό-ιστορικό και αδειούχο καθηγητή μέσης εκπαίδευσης στο αντικείμενο της ιστορίας, κάντε κλικ στον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο:
http://hellenicpsyche.blogspot.com/2012/11/christmas-in-new-york-holiday-tours.html
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