If you follow my facebook updates, you may have seen my post about the Ecumenical Patriarchate canonizing two new elders into sainthood last week. One is Elder Meletios of Lardos, Rhodes, who will be celebrated on February 12 and also Elder Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia whose feastday is celebrated today!
I cried when I heard this news! Unfortunately, I do not know much about Elder Meletios (though I am now researching his life and writings), Elder Porphyrios has been one of my favorites for a long time. His book, Wounded by Love, had such an impact on my life, especially in the area of child rearing. This really is a historic moment in Church history. In my lifetime, the only canonization I can recall was of St. Savvas of Kalymnos. My mother's side of the family is from Kalymnos, and I remember my great Yiayia, who had confessed to St. Savva while still living on the island of Kalymnos, showing me a photograph of him and telling me that "one day he will be a saint of our Church". In 1992, St. Savva of Kalymnos was canonized. Of course, in hindsight I wish I paid much more attention to what was going on and to the many things my Yiayia tried teaching me in general about the Faith but I was (even more) concerned with worldly matters back then. Many times, I think back and wish I would have been more in tune spiritually, perhaps I could have visited some of those holy elders and received their blessings. In the future, I believe that is how many of us from our generation will feel about the Elder Ephraim in Arizona. DH and I say all the time that we need to try and visit St. Anthony's to receive his blessing and ask for his intercessions as often as possible now that we can because we will surely regret it in the future if we do not!Tonight, we went to Vespers where the fathers read a short service to St. Porphyrios. I hope the boys will have memories of this joyous occasion and perhaps one day they'll teach their children about this incredible saint and will remember celebrating his canonization. <3There are several other very holy elders that I hope will soon join these ranks! Namely Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Elder Paisios the Athonite, Elder Iakovos Tsalickis... All in God's wisdom and will. Over at the Full of Truth and Grace blog, you can find an English translation of the Akathist to St. Porphyrioslocated here and one of the many miracles that occurred through St. Porphyrios' intercessions here.You can find the official announcement, along with a brief account of the lives of both of the newly canonized, here.Below are just a few of my favorite quotes by St. Porphyrios.On raising children:"Parents, speak more to God about your children than to your children about God."“Pray and then speak. That’s what to do with your children. If you are constantly lecturing them, you’ll become tiresome and when they grow up they’ll feel a kind of oppression. Prefer prayer and speak to them through prayer. Speak to God and God will speak to their hearts. That is, you shouldn’t give guidance to your children with a voice that they hear with their ears. You may do this too, but above all you should speak to God about your children. Say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, give Your light to my children. I entrust them to You. You gave them to me, but I am weak and unable to guide them, so, please, illuminate them.’ And God will speak to them and they will say to themselves, ‘Oh dear, I shouldn’t have upset Mummy by doing that!’ And with the grace of God this will come from their heart.” He also said, “It is not sufficient for the parents to be devout. They mustn’t oppress the children to make them good by force. We may repel our children from Christ when we pursue the things of our religion with egotism.”On Creation:“Make the most of beautiful moments. Beautiful moments predispose the soul to prayer; they make it refined, noble and poetic. Wake up in the morning to see the sun rising from out of the sea as a king robed in regal purple. When a lovely landscape, a picturesque chapel, or something beautiful inspires you, don’t leave things at that, but go beyond this to give glory for all beautiful things so that you experience Him who alone is comely in beauty (Psalm 44:2). All things are holy–the sea, swimming and eating. Take delight in them all. All things enrich us, all lead us to the great Love, all lead us to Christ.”On the Spiritual Struggle:"Where there is humility, there is no depression. An egotist is vexed at the slightest thing. A humble person is free and independent from everyone and everything. This comes about only through union with Christ."On Illnesses:"If you want to enjoy good health and live for many years, then listen to what Solomon the Wise has to say: 'Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the counsel of saints is understanding; for to know the law is the mark of a sound mind, for in this way you will live long and years of your life will be added to you.' This is the secret: for us to acquire this wisdom, this knowledge, and then everything functions smoothly, all things are put in order and we will live with joy and health."O most holy St. Porphyrios, pray unto God for us!
