Feast of the Three Holy Fathers: Extrater

Dear Kids,

The Holy Synod of our Church today communicates with you to express its most cordial wishes on the occasion of the feast of the Three Hierarchs, who are patrons of education and letters.

Ι­ε­ράρ­χης, ό­πως γνω­ρί­ζε­τε, ση­μαί­νει Ε­πί­σκο­πος. Ε­πο­μέ­νως, The Three Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostomos, were bishops of the church, That is, fathers of the faithful and teachers of the Church, Bodies of the gift of Christ's priesthood and followers of his work.

Priesthood has been given to the church to perform the sacred mysteries, the baptism, the anointing, The Divine Thanksgiving etc., to sanctify the faithful and unite with Christ and with each other. That is why the three hierarchs with all the power of their souls cultivated the spirit of unity in both the Church area, as well as in the social environment in general where they lived. We consider that we don't even have to say that unity is a situation, έ­νας τρό­πος ζω­ής, that takes a lot of labor and effort to achieve and maintain at a satisfactory level.

And this is the case because, δυ­στυ­χώς, There is not always in our relationships with other people the power of true love, of peace, of the conscience. Αν­τι­θέ­τως, ό­χι σπά­νι­α, dominates self -interest, that is, beyond the proper commitment of man to his individual interest, the philanthropy, the alteration of love and thus breaks the unity and the division occurs, the division, the fission. That is why the Church does not cease to project in every way the bright forms of the three hierarchs; since, These fathers lived as strongly as possible the truth and life of the gospel of Christ. Τοι­ου­το­τρό­πως, standards also highlighted on our own course in this world; life patterns, α­γω­νι­στι­κό­τη­τας, θάρ­ρους, commitment to the authorities, the values, the ideals with which they had shaped their personality and had signaled their lives.

Ε­πί πα­ρα­δείγ­μα­τι, Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian struggled to preserve the unity of the Church, because in the 4th century, ο­πό­τε έ­ζη­σαν, was highly in danger of integrity, The authenticity of faith by a terrible sect called "Arianism" and denying the deity of Christ. Ό­μως, The Apostles, Fathers, Witnesses gave their own lives, in order to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the true God, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and so every one who rightly believes in him becomes the son of God, According to God's donation.

Έ­πει­τα, The Three Hierarchs struggled with all their might to help people understand that without true love the unity between people are easily destroyed. That is why they themselves became eternal images of love and even suffered a lot of sorrows and hardships because of their focus on works of true love. Λό­γου χά­ριν, It is reported that one of the reasons why Saint John Chrysostom was exiled in the depths of Asia by the then political power, who were financially damaged. Βλέ­πε­τε, in every season, the section, the love, Friendship is threatened by financial interests, by selfishness, by wars and conflicts.

Ό­μως, people forget that by breaking out unity, by removing peace and love, They are irreparably harmful to themselves. For no one can exist alone. We exist in relation and reference to God and fellow man. And that's why our lives have a unique value, meaning and content. The gift of life was given to us to learn that without the struggle for coexistence, self -abolished existence; without unity, the withering and dismissal of the man occurs.

Dear Kids,

In a time like ours, in which we sadly see the tragic consequences of moving away from man from faith, the Church and God; in a time in which people set the gospel of peace, unity, of love on the sidelines of their lives, because they ignore its beneficial effect and power in shaping human consciousness, Let us remain united with Christ and between us, Like the Three Hierarchs. Let us keep the flame of faith alive and let it convey to others with our works and speech; with our life and morality; with our love and unity. This was not done by all three hierarchs; There were once children too. Faced the difficulties of every period of human life. They were incredibly distressed by what we call 'established'. Ό­μως στά­θη­καν όρ­θι­οι, ε­νω­μέ­νοι, strong; as their lives were resting on the stone, On the rock of faith, called Jesus Christ.

We wish you Christ to be founded and your own life. To have love, desire for unity and conscience; to once dominate our world the coveted peace, the proof of, the reconciliation.

We wish you too, to progress in your studies and, generally, in your life and become lighthous lighthouses, άν­θρω­ποι α­λη­θι­νοί, As the ancient poet Menander used to say; "As a man of man, He was a man ᾖ!» (Πό­σο χα­ρι­τω­μέ­νος, How handsome is man, ό­ταν εί­ναι άν­θρω­πος!­). And let's not forget that really empty is that man, that is only full of himself by himself.

By the Holy Synod

of the Church of Greece