On Monday evening this week, Monk Moses of the Holy Mountain (Mt. Athos) came to our parish in Panorama and gave a talk to a packed church on the Revelation of God in our daily lives.
Afterwards, a small group of us went with him for dinner at a place near our house and we enjoyed a very interesting conversation about many things, including his personal experiences with Elder Porphyrios and Elder Paisios. (See photo above.)
We've also been fortunate this week to have Fr. George Dokos with us. Fr. George, a Greek-American, lived in our apartment for two years immediately before we came, and helped us by arranging things for us when we came.
The English-speaking Orthodox world is indebted to Fr. George for his translations of St. Nikodemos, who is at the center of his doctoral dissertation. Fr. George came back to Greece this week to defend that dissertation on Thursday evening. In the photo above, you can see Fr. George on the right and the professors in the middle, including his advisor, Anestis Keselopoulos.
Interesting, another American, Fr. Alexis (Trader) of Karakallou Monastery of the Holy Mountain also defended his dissertation on Thursday. His elder, the abbot of Karakallou, Fr. Philotheos, even came to the defense, and I was able to meet him and take his blessing. Fr. Alexis' dissertation was a comparison of the modern psychology and the neptic fathers. Both Fr. Alexis and Fr. George passed with a grade of "excellent," which is the highest honor.
Afterwards, Fr. George and his father treated us and the professors to dinner. We passed through the Tsiknopempti revelers on the way.
2 comments:
It becomes clear that the Holy Mountain continues it 30-year pattern of recognizing and supporting the important work that academic study contributes to prayer in theology. In addition to Simonas Petras and Karakallou Monastery, which Athonite monasteries do you know that have current post-graduate students in their brotherhoods?
Off hand, I know two monks from Hilandar, one of whom is at Oxford.
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