Feast Day: April 16th
The Life of Saint Amphilochios: Having preserved himself from worldly temptations, he decided to enter a Monastery at the age of seventeen…
+
Prayers
Apolytikion: The pillar of piety and example for Priests, the friend of the Beloved, and new righteous one of Christ, o faithful, let us honour the Divine Amphilochios with Sacred hymns, crying out: O offspring of Patmos, intercede on behalf of us to Him Whom you stand before. Glory to Him Who granted you strength, Glory to Him Who sanctified you, Glory to Him Who grants to us through you, all greater things.
Kontakion: You abandoned worldly things, O Father, in order to struggle and gain Christ, and you rose above the things of the Earth, and headed as a victor towards the Heavens, having trampled upon the devices and wiles of satan. Therefore, do not cease to entreat on behalf of us who honour you, O wise Amphilochios, to the Compassionate One.
Oikos: The Prophet David prophesied in the book of the Psalms: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Venerable one.” Therefore, we find this fulfilled in you, O Divine Father Amphilochios. For you pleased your Master with Divine words and good deeds, giving Glory to Him instead. Therefore, we who have gathered today, honour you harmoniously, as the founder of Churches, Monasteries and Hermitages, as a precious vessel of Sacredness and a Soul-nourishing benefactor of Christians by your teachings and instructions. But, as the boast of the famed island of Patmos, as the follower of the Venerable Christodoulos, and the close friend of the missionary Evangelist and Virgin Disciple and man equal-to-the-angel [John the Theologian], you ceaselessly entreat on behalf of us to the Compassionate One.
Megalynarion: Rejoice, the Sacred offspring of the island of Patmos, O Father and Priest Amphilochios, who spoke of God, you showed forth the desert places to be full of the fruit through your Divine virtues and your struggles.
+
“Give your whole self completely over to the Protecting Veil of the Panagia.”
“Strive for the union of your Soul with God.”
“The Spiritual life has great joys. You fly away and leave this world and don’t take anything else into consideration. You become a child and God lives in your heart.”
“The Saints submitted to whatever God sent them, with childlike simplicity, “That’s the way You want it. Let Your Will be done.””
“Sweeten your thoughts with words of consolation and hope. Warm your words with the warmth of your love towards your Bridegroom and remember His Passion, which He underwent for you, so that you would remain firm, devoted and humble.”
“When a person is simplified, he is Deified. He becomes innocent, humble, gentle, free.”
“Never ever give importance to anything earthly and fleeting. Take care of your Spiritual union with God instead.”
“Our religion slays the passions, not the body.”
“Loneliness is a conversation with God and with those spirits that approach us with love and tenderness. I will never exchange the dry and dark rocks of Patmos for the flower-lined gardens of Athens. People in the city are without a Holy covering. They look at the pretty flowers and beautiful country houses, without their hearts giving thanks to God Who has filled us with so many beautiful things. On the other hand, when in a deserted place even the ugliest spot and worst-sounding bird makes you sense God’s nearness to you. He who is near God is most fortunate, though he might live on a rock.”
+
“The Grace of the All-Holy Spirit makes a person send out rays.”
“For God’s Grace to come during the Liturgy, you must be concentrated and untroubled.”
“Take Communion regularly, Pray warmly, be patient and you will see a strong Hand holding you.”
“When a person takes Communion, he receives strength, is enlightened, sees new horizons and feels joy. Each is different, in accordance with the disposition and ardor of his Soul. One feels joy and peace, the other – the world, the third – the spirit of fidelity and the fourth – indescribable compassion for everything.”
“Please put this commandment into practice: Cultivate love towards the Person of Christ to such an extent that, when you pronounce His Name, tears fall from your eyes. Your heart must really be aflame. Then He will become your Teacher. He will be your Guide, your Brother, your Father, and your Geron (Elder).”
“God guards us from temptation. He does not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength; He allows everything, for our own good.”
“Whoever has Christian love never changes.”
Question: How do you manage to have such patience and perseverance in everything? Answer: The Grace of God helps. I always believe in the power of God, my child, Who alters and adjusts everything for the benefit of our Soul.
+
“I was born to love people. It doesn’t concern me if he is a Turk, black, or white. I see in the face of each person the Image of God. And for this Image of God I am willing to sacrifice everything.”
“My child, in the face of every stranger, I see Christ Himself.”
“We must have Love, even if they do us the greatest harm, we must love them. We will be able to enter Paradise only with love.”
“Let us look upon everyone as our superiors, however weak they may appear. Let us not be harsh, but always bear in mind that the other person also has the same destination as us.”
“When the flame of love exists, it consumes whatever evil approaches.”
“The person who loves Spiritually feels Prayerful, so that he can be found within God and his brother.”
“The more a person loves God, the more he loves other people. He loves them with Holiness, respect and refinement, as Images of God.”
+
“Cultivate the Jesus Prayer and a time will come when your heart will leap with joy, just as it does when you are about to see a person who you love very much.”
“Prayer is Grace. God gives it when zeal and humility exist.”
“Prayer is a gift from God. Always ask with hope.”
“Leave all your concerns to the hands of God. Ask for whatever you want, like a child asking from its father.”
“God is visiting you when tears come during Prayer.”
“Once you have cultivated the Jesus Prayer, you will become children of the Palace. You will know the King’s language and the ways of true Royalty.”
“Do not neglect evening Prayer. Pray with eagerness like those who are going to a feast. They are awake and feel joy alone. Thus, since you are going to speak with your Bridegroom, do not listen when the tempter tells you various things in order to hinder you, because you know there is Someone Who cares for you.”
“Prayer has filled Heaven with so many Holy people. There is no other way of purification and Sanctification apart from noetic Prayer. The Psalms are good and generally all Ecclesiastical Hymnography. We use them, though, to attract and touch the world. We Monastics, however, must speak to the King Mystically.”
“When you cultivate Prayer, the tempter’s blusterings will not trouble you. Prayer diminishes his strength; he cannot do anything to us.”
“Prayer is Grace. God gives it when zeal and humility exist.”
Question: “Elder, how must we picture Christ?” Answer: “We must always bring Christ to mind with love. We could be holding the photograph of someone in our hands, but since we do not know them, we do not love him, we are not moved. Whereas, when we pick up a photograph of our mother, our Soul immediately leaps and cries out with love.”
+
“Remaining faithful to Monasticism is considered to be a Martyrdom.”
“We must be ready for our defence and our Martyrdom.”
“Repentance must occur, not from fear of punishment but because we have sinned before God.”
“Self-denial must be cultivated with discernment; otherwise we may reach the point of suicide.”
“Our deeds, dear sister, will not save us; God’s infinite Mercy will.”
“Because of widespread corruption, people cannot understand that spiritual love exists.”
“Worldly people tire you, because whatever is stored up inside them comes at you like waves of electricity. We must be people of Grace so much so that whoever comes to us may find rest.”
“Where there is fear of God, wisdom is given.”
“When you see a person who is Spiritually tired do not burden him any further, because his knees won’t be able to bear it.”
“When spirituality increases, even sleep will have been fought off.”
“Do not allow your Soul’s enemy to wage war against you. He appears in sheep’s clothing, supposedly wanting your Soul’s benefit.”
“Sorrow is pleasing to God, in as much as it doesn’t take away our courage to fight.”
“It is necessary and beneficial for a general self-examination to take place from time to time, remembering all former sins.”
“Christ is near us even if we don’t see Him. Sometimes, from his great love, He gives us a slap too. You should be glad. Jesus holds an artists’ chisel in His hands. He wants to make a statue of you, for the Heavenly Palace.”
“Hold the banner of Christ up high, so that you’ve always got your Elder’s telephone number, no matter where you are.”
“He is saddened when his brother is not advancing well and Prays for his progress.”
“When you hear your name being criticized act as if you didn’t hear. This is Paradise, this is perfection.”
“Spiritual bonds become unbreakable when they come across a child-like spirit, innocence and Sanctity.”
+
“Every day I Pray that I may see you amongst the ranks of women Saints.”
“You are royalty, destined for the Heavenly Bridal Chamber.”
“I beseech the Lord to Sanctify you, so that I may see you in Paradise. This is the dowry which I seek from the Lord for you.”
“True wealth, for me, is to see you in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“I don’t want to be in Paradise without you, my children.”
“When someone opens your heart, I’d like him to find nothing there but Christ.”
“I want you to be calm so that we can meet. When you’re tired the wireless doesn’t work.”
+
“Love giving hospitality, my child, for it opens the gates of Paradise. In this you also offer hospitality to Angels. “Entertain strangers so that you won’t be a stranger to God.””
“Hospitality… the greatest of virtues. It draws the Grace of the Holy Spirit towards us. In every stranger’s face, my child, I see Christ Himself.”
“We are on the high seas of life, sometimes there are storms and at other times calm. God’s grace does not leave us. Otherwise, we would have sunk, if he had not held us up.”
“The Christian is a true human being He is courteous and polite. He doesn’t want to sadden anybody.”
“A person can be raised up above the earth by two wings, one is simplicity and the other is purity of heart. You must be simple in your actions and pure in your thoughts and feelings. With a pure heart you’ll seek God and with simplicity you’ll find Him and be glad.”
“Everything seems dark and difficult to a person without Christ.”
“Do not be afraid because of your Orthodoxy; because as an Orthodox Christian in the West, you will often be isolated and always in a small minority. Do not make compromises but do not attack other Christians. Be neither defensive nor aggressive; simply be yourself.”
“When our heart has no love for Christ, we are like ships that have no fuel, no gas in their engines. We must always remember Christ with love. Then our Soul will leap for joy.”
“Christ is the same, yesterday and today, but we have closed our eyes and look into the darkness.”
“Christ often comes and knocks at your door and you invite Him to sit in the living-room of your Soul. Then, absorbed in your own business you forget the Great Visitor. He waits for you to appear and when you are too long in returning, he gets up and leaves. At other times, you are so busy that you answer Him from the window. You don’t even have time to open the door.”
“God’s protection diminishes temptation.”
“Love your Bridegroom Christ with all your heart and then everyone will love you and take care of you.”
“A pure heart passes through Heavens gate with ease.”
“Fight the Hater of Good, who envies you, bravely suffer whatever befalls you with fortitude, patience and faith.”
“Trust in the Lord always and He will nourish you in time of hunger.”
“With a good word for your neighbour, supporting him, you buy Paradise.”
“The person who gets agitated doesn’t think straight, logically.”
“When I see a person who is irritated, I don’t listen to what he is saying, but pray for God to pacify him. That’s why I don’t get distressed. When they calm down, when the time is right, I talk to them because they are then in a position to comprehend their foolishness.”
“It is because we carry on like this that some fall in the mud and others are killed”
“Innocence is greater than genius.”
“The person who shouts has no strength.”
+
“Do you know that God gave us one more Commandment, which is not recorded in Scripture? It is the Commandment “love the trees.” When you plant a tree, you plant hope, you plant peace, you plant love, and you will receive God’s Blessing.”
“Love the One, so that even wild beasts will love you.”
+
+
“The Saints always had the next life in mind. The recollection of death is a gift.”
“We must have our gaze fixed on Heaven. Then nothing will shake us.”
“The end of my life draws near I ask you to live a Holy life, to walk along Holy paths, so that you may help both our Church and Greece.”
“The Grace of God and Spiritual union with Him transform a person. Fears and suspicions go away, he doesn’t fear death, and views this life, however good it may be, as slavery.”
The Grave of the Saint Amphilochios of Patmos reads: “We are translated from death to life when we love the brethren” (I John 3:14), “Amphilochios the Hieromonk Makris, Brother of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, Founder of the Holy Monastery of the “Annunciation, Mother of the Beloved”, who reposed on April 16th of the year of Salvation 1970.” “Love towards God and your neighbour is the foundation of the Law and the Prophets, fulfilling the cornerstone.”, from the service to Saint Savvas the Sanctified.”
+
Icons
