Απόσπασμα από τό βιβλίο του Μητροπολίτου Φλωρίνης π. Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτου «ΜΥΡΙΠΝΟΑ ΑΝΘΗ», μεταφρασμένο στα Αγγλικά. 6 ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΥ, ΑΓΙΟΥ ΦΩΤΙΟΥ (Ο ΘHΣΑYΡΟΣ ΜΑΣ)

FEBRUARY 6

SAINT PHOTIOS THE GREAT, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE

(OUR TREASURE)

My beloved, we are Orthodox Christians.  That is, we belong to the Church which keeps the true faith, that is Orthodoxy.  There is no falsehood in Orthodoxy – it is the whole truth.  It is like gold which is passed through many furnaces and is one hundred percent pure.  This is accepted (declared) by the foreigners, who do not belong to our Church.  The Orthodox Church possesses a brightness that draws towards it the man of good intention who wants to know the truth.  Therefore we must thank God for our being born Orthodox and ask him that we remain faithful and dedicated children of Orthodoxy.
In order, however, for us to arrive at Orthodoxy many contests were needed and much blood was shed by her chosen children.  With their wise teaching and efforts, great teachers and fathers strengthened the Orthodox faith.  There are two among the great fathers and teachers of the Church who distinguished themselves in their fight for strengthening Orthodoxy.  One is Saint Athanasios whose Feast is the 18th of January and the other is Saint Photios, whose feast we celebrate on the 6th of Februrary.

We will dedicate this homily to Saint Photios.  St. Photios was born in the ninth century in Constantinople from rich and glorious parents.  Some of his relatives had high positions in the state and Church.  One uncle on his father’s side became Patriarch and a saint; he was Saint Tarasios.  Photio’s father was a high officer in the Palace.

From his youth, Photios had an inclination toward education.  He studied day and night and became more educated than anybody else in his time.  The Emperor valued his talents and took him into his service, where he soon received a high position.  The palace gave him very difficult assignments.  Everyone admired Photios’ great wisdom and his abilities.  Photios, however, was not destined for politics.  God had predestined him one day to become one of the greatest fathers and teachers of the Church.  Photios, a humble soul, never had imagined that he would be elevated to church offices.  He did not pursue great glories.  He wanted to remain a layman and in this way offer great service to the Church.  Even a layman, without wearing the cassock, can also serve God and become a saint and martyr.  How many laymen were of greater benefit to the Church than priests and bishops who due to their indifference and unbelief buried in the earth and rendered useless the most precious gifts of the priesthood!

Saint Photios was a layman, whom the people loved and respected; a layman faithful and dedicated to the Church; a layman who was a fervent preacher of the Gospel.  However, he did not remain a layman forever.  Against his will, with the affection of the people and the respect of the officials, he was seized and made Patriarch.  In a few days he became monk, sub-deacon, deacon, priest, and on Christmas Day in 857 he was ordained a bishop and undertook the duties of Patriarch.
Photios a Patriarch.  Then the hatred of those who could not see his glory was ignited.  They fought against him and accused him everywhere.  They were saying among many other things, that it was unheard of for a layman to become patriarch in just a few days.  A great Synod was convened, in which representatives of the Pope also participated, examined the accusations of his enemies and affirmed him.  Photios remained on the throne.  He was teaching and catechizing the people and was taking care that Orthodoxy be spread to other peoples who were living in idolatry and error.  Such people were the Slavs, Serbs, Bulgarians, Croats, and Russians.  The preaching had good results in Bulgaria.  Two great missionaries preached there: Cyril and Methodios, whom Saint Photios had sent.  The king of the Bulgarians, Bogoris, was baptized first and receive the new name, Michael.  By now one thousand years have passed since this miracle took place when an entire nation left idolatry and became Orthodox.

Satan, however, envied this glory of the Church.  Another king was enthroned and removed Photios by fore, sending him into exile.  An unlawful Synod condemned him.  He suffered much in exile but he returned to the throne.  The people, seeing Photios on the throe again, rejoiced.  Photios began to preach Orthodxy with new vigor and enthusiasm.  Saint Photios took measures when the Pope sent men to Bulgaria to preach and turn the people away from Orthodoxy and to obey the Pope.  He asked the papists to leave Bulgaria and leave the people in peace.  They did not leave, however, and continued to plant weeds in the souls of the people with their heretic teachings.  Then Photios convened a great Synod, which condemned the heretical teachings and excommunicated the Pope.
This was the beginning of the schism of the Churches.  The Pope separated from Orthodoxy and continues to this day to be separated.  Even though almost 1,150 years have passed, the Pope still does not recognize his mistakes and remains unrepentant; trying with various treacherous ways to mislead the Orthodox to his side.
Unfortunately, there are Orthodox, clergymen and laymen, bishops and even Patriarch who do not want to understand that Orthodoxy is in danger from such satanic efforts of the Pope.
Let us come back, however, to Photios.  Even after his victory over the Pope, his enemies did not keep quiet, they dethroned him for a second time and sent him into exile.  He remained four years in exile.  All the while he was studying and praying.  Finally on the 6th of February in 891 he passed away.

***

What did I say?  Passed away? No, Photios did not die; he is living with all the martyrs and confessors and is waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord in order to receive the crown.  Also, Saint Photios lives on in the Orthodox Church because whatever Saint Photios preached we also preach and teach to this day.  As Saint Photios condemned the Pope, not only for his previous but also for his new heretical teachings, so too do we remain faithful to Orthodoxy.  Orthodoxy is our priceless treasure.
Orthodoxy, beloved, is our treasure!  As the Gospel teaches us, however, this treasure we must not hide, as the wicked servant hid his talent in the earth.  No!  Let us labor.  Let us use the talent.  Let us circulate this genuine coin called Orthodoxy to the whole world.  It is wealth and treasure.  It is a sin to hide it and bury it.  Imitators of Saint Photios let us preach Orthodoxy to East and West, and let us be ready for its protection and spreading and endure every labor, sorrow, and sacrifice.  In this way everyone of us will be worthy to hear from the Lord’s mouth: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

This chapter was taken from the book “FRAGRANT FLOWERS” by Bishop Augoustinos N. Kantiotes.

Translated by Fr. Asterios Gerostergios

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