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Published by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America,
January 30, 2005
Encyclical of Archbishop
Demetrios for the Feast of the Three
Hierarchs |
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Protocol 10/05
January 30, 2005
The Feast of the Three Hierarchs
“Concern for spiritual things will unite the
family.”
(Saint John Chrysostom, Homily XXI on Ephesians)
“What children hear is impressed as a seal on the
wax of their minds.”
(Saint John Chrysostom, Homily III on John)
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend
Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the
Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of
the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day,
Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos
Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic
Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox
Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this day we celebrate once again the feast of
the illustrious Three Hierarchs and ecumenical
teachers of the Church, Saint Basil the Great,
Saint Gregory the Theologian, and Saint John
Chrysostom. In our hymns and prayers we honor them
for having illumined all the world with the divine
and true teachings of our faith. Through their
great wisdom and Godly knowledge they have
enlightened our hearts and minds and guided us
toward salvation in Jesus Christ.
These three great luminaries of the faith stand
before us not only as examples of divine wisdom,
but also as examples of great piety and holiness.
Certainly, their brilliance of thought and word
was the result of extensive study in theology,
philosophy, the sciences, and language. For the
Three Hierarchs, however, the pursuit of knowledge
was inseparable from the pursuit of piety and
holiness. The wisdom found in this world through
intellectual endeavors was to be tempered by
worship, prayer, the study of the Holy Scriptures,
and obedience to the will of God. These acts and
attitudes of true Christian piety characterized
the lives of the Three Hierarchs, not only during
their sacred labors as theologians and bishops of
the Church, but from a very young age as they were
nurtured in faith, love, and holiness within the
unique bonds and relationships of family.
As children, each of the Three Hierarchs was
blessed by God to live in homes filled with the
love and presence of Christ, and the cultivation
of genuine piety. Basil the Great was guided by
the saintly lives of his parents and grandparents,
who were well-known for their witness of the faith
under persecution, their virtues, and their care
for the poor. As a result of this heritage of
piety and the cultivation of the soul in the home,
six of Saint Basil’s immediate family members were
declared saints by the Church. Gregory the
Theologian was also the son of saints, who
fostered faith and virtue within him so that he
was known from a young age to have great wisdom
and a strong yearning for contemplation and
prayer. Further, Saint Gregory’s brother and
sister became saints of the Church, showing the
influence and importance of a home and a family
that is nourished and sustained by the presence
and grace of God. John Chrysostom was also
nurtured in a life of holiness by his mother, who
though widowed at a young age, devoted her life to
his education and spiritual growth. Through her
guidance and by her example, Saint John Chrysostom
developed a love for chastity and righteousness,
as well as an unquenchable zeal for divine truth.
The firm foundation of faith that was laid by
their families gave the Three Hierarchs the
wisdom, strength, and courage necessary to offer
their lives to God for the work of His kingdom,
and to pursue the heights of knowledge as they
synthesized the great intellectual achievements of
humankind with divine revelation.
What we see in the lives of the Three Hierarchs is
the power of faith in the home and in the life of
the family. A family that devotes time to worship
and prayer lives each day in the presence of God,
cultivating the strength to address the needs and
challenges of the day, and receiving the
assurances of hope and peace. Families that
nurture their children in love and holiness and
guide them in the life of faith are enabling their
sons and daughters to navigate the experiences of
this world toward the attainment of the ultimate
experience, namely union with God.
In studying the lives of the Three Hierarchs and
their families, we are strongly impressed also by
the importance that Hellenic paideia had for them.
Thus, it is fitting that our commemoration on this
day includes a celebration of Greek Letters. The
significance of this recognition of our spiritual
and intellectual heritage rests not only in the
preservation of a way of life and thought that
offers a true and beautiful synergy of mind and
soul, but also in the emphasis that a wide breadth
of education, a true paideia, is needed to
cultivate young lives and guide them in the path
of a fulfilled life. As families and parents, and
as Greek Orthodox parishes, our focus should be on
fully educating our children and youth by guiding
them both in the Orthodox faith and in a universal
and centuries old tradition of learning like the
Hellenic one, that will help them mature as good
and productive members of society as well as
citizens of the Kingdom of God.
As we celebrate this Feast of the Three Hierarchs,
I kindly ask you to follow the examples of their
lives and strive to make your homes and families
places of true learning and of illumination in the
faith. In your homes and parishes may you labor
for the spiritual well-being of your children by
providing them quality education, instructing them
in their cultural and spiritual heritage, and
"bringing them up in the paideia and instruction
of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
With paternal love in Christ,
†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
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