As
the COVID epidemic begins to wane, China’s role in how it developed is coming
to the fore. The response of a growing
number in the States is to rattle the saber at China. Dr Matthew Johnson is in fine form in this
podcast as he demolishes the faulty reasoning of Sen Lindsey Graham and his
supposedly ‘conservative’ followers that China is currently a Communist country
and, because of that, there should be a new Cold War between the [u]ited States
and China (brutal and repressive her government is towards the folks of China
in some distressing ways, but Communist it is not):
An
essay by a different author but on a similar theme is here:
What
remains of utmost importance, however, in this coronavirus situation is the
spiritual meaning of it all. And here a
revered Christian elder living on Mt Athos has some important words for us,
words with which we will leave the reader to ponder as we close this post:
. . . To the many
unbearable problems which men have, the threat of the virus has now been added
too, which has ended up a nightmare. People suffer more from their fear, panic,
and involuntary reclusion than they do from the virus.
The [Greek] state has taken protective measures, but the Church
has her own means of confronting the virus. Now, humbled as never before,
weakened and bound by the state, she is unable to grant them to her faithful.
In older times and in similar cases of deadly epidemics, she would
perform sanctifications of the waters (αγιασμός) and go out
in procession with the sacred icons and holy relics. Why should these not be
done today as well? “Is the Lord’s hand unable” to help us in these days too
(cf. Is. 59:1)?
During the third decade of the twentieth century, my village was
struck by a plague which killed fifty little children in a few days. They could
not dig the graves fast enough.
Then they brought the skull of Saint Charalampes from Saint
Steven’s in Meteora and the plague immediately ceased.
Ever since the Lord performed the Mystical Supper and handed down
the most holy mystery of the Divine Eucharist, the world-saving Divine Liturgy
has not ceased to be celebrated to this day.
Neither Diocletian, nor the Turks, nor the communists in Russia,
nor the Germans during the years of the occupation managed to stop the Divine
Liturgy and the faithful from approaching Holy Communion.
And now, with the fear of the virus, the churches have closed down
and the faithful are deprived of the saving grace of the mysteries, of which
they have so great a need. On the contrary, while everyone here [in Greece]
remains fearfully silent, in the Orthodox Churches of Serbia, Bulgaria, and
Georgia divine worship continues unhindered, the churches are open, Divine
Liturgy is celebrated, and the faithful are not afraid of being affected by the
virus.
The protective measures employed by the present government are
unconstitutional, unbearable, extreme, and unfair to the Greek Orthodox, while
they have also created an atmosphere of terrorism, which the media aggravate.
Yes,the virus exists and we must protect our health and the health
of those around us. Fear, however, must vanish, because when man is in a state
of fear he cannot think and act rationally and discreetly.
In a similar case, when the eruption had occurred at Chernobil,
people had then panicked and were examining the vegetables and fruits in order
to eat those that had the least exposure to radiation.
When Saint Païsios was asked, he said that we should do the sign
of the cross and eat fearlessly, which he himself first did, setting an
example.
Were he alive today, it would be inconceivable for us to see him
wearing a mask and gloves, carrying a little bottle of alcohol in his pocket
and avoiding people or speaking to them from a distance.
He would surely be pacifying the people, he would be helping them
put away fear, and most of all he would be saddened by the closing of the
churches. Such a fear is unbefitting for Christians inspired by the example of
the God-Man and by the Martyrs of our faith.
Many are anxiously expecting the defeat of the coronavirus by the
invention of the vaccine, which will be obligatory for all. As for us, we
refuse to be vaccinated.
Whoever is afraid, let him receive as many vaccines as he likes,
but he should know that they may produce unforeseen and grave side-effects, as
was the case a few years with the vaccines against the bird flu done to
children, many of whom became paralysed.
Likewise, many of those who received the vaccine against hepatitis
B contracted multiple sclerosis, and the same happens with other vaccines as
well. Unless God guard us, what can vaccines and medicine do?
The godless Kazantzakis was vaccinated so as to be protected from
cholera during a trip of his, and he still fell ill.
We have superior vaccines and the “medicine of immortality”, the
holy Mysteries. We have time-tested doctors, specialists on viruses, Saint
Charalampes, Saint Bessarion of Dousikou Monastery, who are for the plague, and
so many other saints. Now, however, with the strict limitations the people
remains helpless and uncomforted.
And while everyone is struggling to confront the virus, some
people have other things in mind and as their goal. Top doctors and scientists
are pointing out that what is happening is a discipline test: the goal is to
manipulate the people in the direction they want.
This seemed strange and incredible until recently, but it is not
imaginary, since men are now publicly saying that “The coronavirus pandemic has
brought to the fore the need for a world-wide democratic government” (George
Papandreou) and proposing that “each man have on him a microchip with
biometrical data in relation to this virus or to other epidemic measurements”
(Evangelos Venizelos).
These people are openly speaking of mark [of the Antichrist] and
world-wide dictatorship, but do we get it? And what are we doing? Saint Païsios
has spoken and written so much about this topic.
Can we possibly trust these men who have enslaved us to the
foreign lenders and who are now leading us into slavery to the Antichrist?
Foretelling the future hardships, Saint Païsios would emphasise:
“Only with a good spiritual life shall we make it through”. God has permitted
this great trial because our sins.
We have need for sincere repentance, inexhaustible patience, and
unceasing prayer, which strengthens our faith. We wish our brethren a good
Resurrection under whatever circumstances.
May the Risen One, the Lord of life and Vanquisher of death,
comfort and enlighten all of us by the light of His Resurrection, and may He
give power and endurance to His people. By His grace may we arrive at the day
of our deliverance from sin and from all evils. Amen.
With pain of heart
And sincere brotherly love,
Priestmonk Euthymius
Cell of the resurrection, Kapsala
Mount Athos
--
Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England,
South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð,
unworthy though we are!
Anathema to the Union!
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