Encyclical April 6/19 2013

Details

By Eparchial Synod

Created on Saturday, 20 April 2013 03:29

ENCYCLICAL

To the entire Church in North & South America.

April 6/19, 2013

Eutychios of Constantinople

May the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 1

Beloved in Christ,

With these words St. Paul intercedes for the faithful flock of Christ, and we also join our prayer to his, especially now in light of the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon.

We pray for those who lost their lives in the bombing; for 8 year old Martin Richard, 29 year old Krystle Campbell, and Lu Lingzi; a Chinese graduate student in her early twenties; that God send His comfort unto their families, and aid them in their time of need. We pray also for the more than 170 victims injured in the bombing; that He heal their wounds as He is the physician of our souls and of our bodies.

In recent years our nation has seen such acts of terror with seemingly greater frequency. These sudden and violent acts naturally leave an impression on our very mindsets; they inspire fear and insecurity within us. In spite of the measures which have been taken to insure our security, in general man still does not feel safe. This is because we must not put our trust in men, but in God. Holy Scripture tells us that “the fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” 2 Our Saviour has even foretold to us: “ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” 3

Having put our trust in God, we must also bear in mind that discretion is one of the greatest virtues. We must be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves. 4 We must certainly be alert and take measures to protect ourselves and our families, yet we must not trust absolutely in our own ability to protect ourselves. We do not trust in chariots, and in horses, but we call upon the name of the Lord our God. 5

You therefore, our Children, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 6

Your fervent suppliants before the Lord.

THE HOLY EPARCHIAL SYNOD

PRESIDENT

+ PAVLOS of America

MEMBERS

+ MOSES of Toronto

+ PHOTIOS of Marathon

+ SERGIOS of Portland

+ DEMETRIUS of Boston

+ CHRISTODOULOS of Theoupolis

1. cf. Phil. 4:7

2. Prov. 29:25

3. Matt. 24:6

4. Matt 10:16

5. cf. Psalm 19:7

6. 2 Tim. 2:1

_____________________________________________________

ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ

Παντί τῷ πληρώματι τῆς ἐν Βορείῳ καὶ Νοτίῳ Ἀμερικῇ Ἐκκλησίας.

6ῃ/19ῃ Ἀπριλίου 2013

Εὐτυχίου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως

Εἴθε ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν φρουρῇ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 1

Ἀγαπητοὶ ἐν Χριστῷ,

Μὲ τὰ λόγια ταύτα ὁ Ἀπόστολος τῶν Ἐθνῶν ἱκετεύῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πιστοῦ ποιμνίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ἡμεῖς ἂς ἑνώσουμε τὴν δέησίν μας μετ’ αὐτοῦ εἰδικῶς τώρα ἔπειτα ἀπό τὰς ἐκρήξεις βομβῶν εἰς τὸν Μαραθώνιον τῆς Βοστώνης.

Προσευχόμεθα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποὺ ἔχασαν τὶς ζωές τους, ὅπως τοῦ ὀκταετοῦς Martin Richard, τῆς Krystle Campbell, καὶ τῆς Lu Lingzi. Εὐχόμεθα ὁ Κύριος νὰ στείλῃ τὴν ἄνωθεν παρηγορίαν εἰς τὶς οἰκογένειές τους, καὶ νὰ τὶς βοηθήσῃ στὴν ὥρα τῆς ἀνάγκης τους. Προσευχόμεθα καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄνω ἀπὸ 170 πληγωμένων, νὰ τους θεραπεύῃ ὁ Θεὸς ὡς ἰατρὸς τῶν ψυχῶν καὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἡμῶν.

Τὰ τελευταία χρόνια ἡ χώρα μας ἔχει δεῖ ὅμοιες τρομοκρατικὲς πράξεις μὲ φαινομενικῶς μεγαλύτερην συχνότητα. Αὐτὲς οἱ ἀπότομες καὶ βίαιες πράξεις ἀφήνουν φυσικῶς μεγάλη ἐντύπωσι στὴν νοοτροπία μας. Δημιουργοῦν φόβο καὶ ἀνασφάλεια μέσα μας. Παρὰ τὰ μέτρα ποὺ ἔχουν ληφθεῖ γιὰ τὴν ἀσφάλειά μας, γενικῶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐξακολουθεῖ νὰ μὴν αἰσθάνεται ἀσφαλής. Αὺτὸ γίνεται διότι δὲν πρέπει νὰ ἔχουμε πλήρη ἐμπιστοσύνη στὸν ἐαυτόν μας, ἀλλὰ μόνο στὸ Θεό. Ἡ Ἁγία Γραφή μᾶς λέει «φοβηθέντες καὶ αἰσχυνθέντες ἀνθρώπους ὑπεσκελίσθησαν· ὁ δὲ πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ Κυρίῳ εὐφρανθήσεται.» 2 Καὶ ὁ Χριστός μας μᾶς προειδοποίησε· «μελλήσετε δὲ ἀκούειν πολέμους καὶ ἀκοὰς πολέμων· ὁρᾶτε μὴ θροεῖσθε· δεῖ γὰρ πάντα γενέσθαι, ἀλλ᾿ οὔπω ἐστὶ τὸ τέλος.» 3

Ἔχοντας θέσει τὴν ἐμπιστοσύνην μας εἰς τὸν Θεόν, πρέπει ἐπίσης νὰ ἔχουμε κατὰ νοῦ ὅτι ἡ διάκρισις εἶναι μία ἀπὸ τὶς μεγαλύτερες ἀρετές. Πρέπει νὰ εἴμαστε φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί. 4 Θὰ πρέπει ὁπωσδήποτε να εἴμαστε σὲ ἐγρήγορσιν καὶ νὰ λάβουμε μέτρα γιὰ νὰ προστατεύσουμε τὸν ἐαυτόν μας καὶ τὶς οἰκογένειές μας, ἀλλά δὲν πρέπει νὰ ἐμπιστευόμαστε ἀπολύτως στὶς ἰκανότητές μας να προστατεύσουμε τὸν ἐαυτόν μας. Ὅπως μᾶς λέει ὁ προφητάναξ Δαυΐδ· «Οὗτοι ἐν ἅρμασι καὶ οὗτοι ἐν ἵπποις, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μεγαλυνθησόμεθα.» 5

Σεῖς οὖν, τέκνα ἡμῶν, ἐνδυναμοῦσθε ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 6

Διάπυροι εὐχέτες πάντων ὑμῶν πρός Κύριον.

Η ΙΕΡΑ ΕΠΑΡΧΙΑΚΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ

ὁ Πρόεδρος

† ὁ Ἀµερικῆς ΠΑΥΛΟΣ

τὰ Μέλη

† ὁ Τορόντο ΜΩΫΣΗΣ

† ὁ Μαραθῶνος ΦΩΤΙΟΣ

† ὁ Πόρτλαντ ΣΕΡΓΙΟΣ

† ὁ Βοστώνης ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ

† ὁ Θεουπόλεως ΧΡΙΣΤΟ∆ΟΥΛΟΣ

1. Φιλ. δ’ 7

2. Παρ. κθ’ 25

3. Ματθ. κδ’ 6

4. Ματθ. ι’ 16

5. Ψαλ. ιθ’ 7

6. Β’ Τιμ. β’ 1