Ἀδελφοί μου,
Ὡς λέγει ὁ Μέγας Ἀθανάσιος:
«ὁ ἱερεύς γίνεται συμμεταδότης τῆς ἀποστολικῆς χάριτος, δια μέσου τῆς ἀδιάσπαστης διαδοχῆς, ἵνα τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ μείνει ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ».
(Κατὰ Ἀρειανῶν 3, 24).
Ο ἱερεύς ζεῖ τὸν πόνο τοῦ κόσμου· κάθε δάκρυ του γίνεται προσευχή, κάθε δυσκολία του μετατρέπεται σε μέσο σωτηρίας· ο Σταυρός τοῦ Χριστοῦ γίνεται δικός του Σταυρός, ἀνεβαίνει ἀθόρυβα, μὲ χαρὰ και ταπείνωση.
Ὁ Κύκλος τῆς Χάριτος καὶ Ἀγάπης
Ὡς γράφει ὁ Ἀπόστολος Παῦλος:
«ὅτι οὓς προέγνω, καὶ προώρισε συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· οὓς δὲ προώρισε, τούτους καὶ ἐκάλεσε· καὶ οὓς ἐκάλεσε, τούτους καὶ ἐδικαίωσεν· οὓς δὲ ἐδικαίωσε, τούτους καὶ ἐδόξασε».
(Ῥωμ. 8, 29-30).
Κάθε χειροτονία, κάθε διακονία, κάθε προσευχή τοῦ ἱερέα είναι συμμετοχή σ’ αὐτήν τὴν ἀποστολική πορεία· ὅλα ἐν Χριστῷ· ὅλα ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τῶν ψυχῶν.
Οὐδὲν χωρίζει ἀπὸ τὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Καὶ πάλι, Παῦλος μᾶς θυμίζει:
«Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς καθ᾿ ἡμῶν; Ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ᾿ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσεται;…
Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Θλῖψις, ἢ στενοχωρία, ἢ διωγμός, ἢ λιμός, ἢ γυμνότης, ἢ κίνδυνος, ἢ μάχαιρα;
Ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς» (Ῥωμ. 8, 31-37).
Ο ἱερεύς, ζώντας την αδιάσπαστη χάρη, δεν φοβάται θλίψη, πειρασμό ή θάνατο· ἀντιθέτως, με πόνο καὶ ταπείνωση, μεταφέρει χαρά καὶ ἐλπίδα, καθώς ἡ δύναμη τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι ἀκαταμάχητη.
Συμπέρασμα: Χάρις, Θυσία, Ἐλπίδα.
Ὁ ἱερεύς είναι ζωντανή μαρτυρία τῆς Εκκλησίας:
πόνος μὲ χαρά,
θυσία μὲ ταπείνωση,
προσευχή γιὰ τὴν σωτηρία τῶν ψυχῶν, καὶ ἀδιάσπαστη συμμετοχή στὴν θυσία τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Δόξα τῇ ἁγίᾳ, καὶ ὁμοουσίῳ, καὶ ζωοποιῷ, καὶ ἀδιαιρέτῳ Τριάδι πάντοτε, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι, ζωὴν χαρισάμενος!
διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην, τὴν χάριν, καὶ τὴν θυσίαν, ποὺ κρατᾷ ζωντανὴ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας πάντων.
Ἀμήν
The Orthodox Priest and the Unconquerable Love of God.
Brethren,
The Orthodox priest is not merely a man; he is a small vessel of the unbroken grace of the Apostles, a minister of the Body and Blood of Christ, foreordained and called by the love of God.
As Saint Athanasius says:
“The priest becomes a sharer in the apostolic grace, through the unbroken succession, so that the Spirit of God may dwell in the Church” (Against the Arians 3, 24).
The priest lives the pain of the world; each tear is a prayer, each hardship becomes a means of salvation; the Cross of Christ becomes his own Cross, which he ascends silently, with joy and humility.
The Cycle of Grace and Love.
As the Apostle Paul writes:
“Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).
Every ordination, every ministry, every prayer of the priest is participation in this apostolic journey; all in Christ; all for the salvation of souls.
Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of God.
Paul reminds us:
“If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also freely give us all things?
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:31-37).
The priest, living in unbroken grace, fears no tribulation, temptation, or death; instead, with pain and humility, he conveys joy and hope, for the power of Christ’s love is unconquerable.
Conclusion: Grace, Sacrifice, and Hope.
The priest is a living witness of the Church:
pain with joy,
sacrifice with humility,
prayer for the salvation of souls,
and unbroken participation
in Christ’s sacrifice.
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
for the love, the grace, and the sacrifice
which keep the Church alive, for the salvation of all.
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