Saint Iakovos Tsalikes and the Unbelieving Physicist

 

By Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

There was a woman from Canada, and another nun with her, from Cyprus, actually, and they went to see Fr. Iakovos.

The young woman who was from Canada was a physicist, but she didn’t believe and was probably an atheist. When they got there, Fr. Iakovos told them he was leaving to go to a village. He added: "But I hope that Saint David, who’s here in our monastery, will show you that there really are saints and the grace of the Holy Spirit. God exists and He overcomes the laws of nature."

Epidemiology Professor: No Scientific Study That Proves COVID-19 is Transmitted Through Holy Communion

 

 

Speaking on ERT TV last week, Athena Linou, Professor of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and President of the Institute of Prevention, was asked whether it was possible that COVID-19 was transmitted through Holy Communion.

The professor stressed that there was no epidemiological study that proves such a thing.

Specifically referring to the issue of Holy Communion in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Athena Linou noted: “I have to admit that there is no epidemiological study that proves that the disease is transmitted through ingestion of saliva, including the virus itself. There is no study.”

The Man Who Was A Fool (Martin Luther King Jr.)

 

 

By Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. (Luke 12:20)

 

I would like to share with you a dramatic little story that is significantly relevant in its implications and profoundly meaningful in its conclusions. It is the story of a man who by all modern standards would be considered eminently successful. Yet Jesus called him a fool.  The central character in the drama is a "certain rich man," whose farm yielded such heavy crops that he decided to build new and larger barns, saying, "There will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry."  But God said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee."  And it was so. At the height of his prosperity, he died.  Think of this man. If he lived in our community today, he would be considered "a big shot." He would abound with social prestige and community respectability. He would be one of the privileged few in the economic power structure.  And yet a Galilean peasant had the audacity to call him a fool.  Jesus did not call this man a fool merely because he possessed wealth. Jesus never made a sweeping indictment against wealth. Rather, he condemned the misuse of wealth. Money, like any other force such as electricity, is amoral and can be used for either good or evil. It is true that Jesus commanded the rich young ruler to “sell all,” but in this instance, as Dr. George A. Buttrick has said, Jesus was prescribing individual surgery, not making a universal diagnosis. Nothing in wealth is inherently vicious, and nothing in poverty is inherently virtuous.  Jesus did not condemn this man because he had made money in a dishonest fashion. Apparently he acquired his wealth by hard work and the practical know-how and far-sighted vision of a good businessman.  Why, then, was he a fool?

Survey Says Most Greeks Believe the Coronavirus Can Be Transmitted Through Holy Communion, a Professor of Microbiology Says Overcrowding is the Greatest Risk

 

A survey conducted in Greece by the polling company Metron Analysis on behalf of the Greek TV channel MEGA from September 23-29 has yielded interesting results.

 

In particular, according to the survey, 70%, or 7 out of 10 Greeks are of the opinion that the coronavirus can be transmitted through Holy Communion, while only 22% believe that it cannot.

 

Also, 81% of Greek citizens say that the mask protects against the spread of coronavirus, but 17% do not believe they do. 

 

Meanwhile, 59%, or 6 out of 10 say that if there is a vaccine they would take it, but 35%, or 1 out of 3 say that they would not.

 

An Electrifying Miracle

 

Elder Nikolai (Guryanov)

A Russian professor of mathematics came to visit Elder Nikolai (Guryanov) with his English friend, also a professor of mathematics, who was an unbeliever. The Russian friend prayed very much that he would believe. The Englishman said: "If this old man shows me a miracle, then I will believe."

They arrived and met with the elder who led them into his cell and immediately said: "My son, what a miracle for you, to be here." He went to the switch and started clicking: "Here is light, but there is no light. Here is light, but there is no light. Ha-ha-ha!" They laughed, and Father Nikolai sent them home: "Go, my sons, with God, go in peace." The Englishman also laughed saying, "What miracles can there be?" After all, he was a man of science. 

They arrived back to the mainland from the island, and there was a crowd of people gathered, the police, and workers who were dragging some wires. "What happened?" they asked. "For three days now there has been no electricity on the islands." Amazed the scientists immediately turned the boat back to see Elder Nikolai.