Synaxis Study Group: May The Holy Prophet Micheas be with You All!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

May The Holy Prophet Micheas be with You All!

But I will look to the Lord; I will wait upon God my Saviour: my God will hearken to me. Rejoice not against me, mine enemy; for I have fallen [yet] shall arise; for though I should sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.
-Prophecy of Micah 7:7&8

᾿Εγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἐπιβλέψομαι, ὑπομενῶ ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ σωτῆρί μου, εἰσακούσεταί μου ὁ Θεός μου. μὴ ἐπίχαιρέ μοι, ἡ ἐχθρά μου, ὅτι πέπτωκα· καὶ ἀναστήσομαι, διότι ἐὰν καθίσω ἐν τῷ σκότει, Κύριος φωτιεῖ μοι.

WHILE the Church everywhere was under the sway of these eminent men, the clergy and people were excited to the imitation of their virtue and zeal. Nor was the Church of this era distinguished only by these illustrious examples of piety; for the relics of the proto-prophets, Habakkuk, and a little while after, Micah, were brought to light about this time. As I understand, God made known the place where both these bodies were deposited by a divine vision in a dream to Zebennus, who was then acting as bishop of the church of Eleutheropolis. The relics of Habakkuk were found at Cela, a city formerly called Ceila. The tomb of Micah was discovered at a distance of ten stadia from Cela, at a place called Berathsatia. This tomb was ignorantly styled by the people of the country, “the tomb of the faithful”; or, in their native language, Nephsameemana. These events, which occurred during the reign of Theodosius, were sufficient for the good repute of the Christian religion. –Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History

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Synaxis Manifesto

4 Pillars of Synaxis
1) We gather because the Spirit of God brings the Word of God to us.
2) We gather because we are authentically human when in relationship with each other.
3) We gather to discuss the words of the Holy Fathers and Mothers because our relationship with them transcends time, space, and death itself.
4) We gather to celebrate the greatest gift that God has given us- the Other: God, neighbor, and our ancestors.

4 Canons of Synaxis
1) Synaxis is for everyone.
2) Synaxis has the text as teacher and the group as moderator.
3) Synaxis reads texts that are Orthodox Christian Classics which are any text that is written by an Orthodox Christian and is both loved by the Church and doctrinally formative.
4) Synaxis is organized by its elder members whose sole responsibility is to arrange a convenient time and place and to select and distribute the readings.

4 Foundations of Synaxis
1) Works of the Apostolic Fathers and Apologists (Particularly St. Iraneaos’ Against Heresies for its dogmatic, anthropological, and soterlogical significance).
2) The Works of St. Athanasios (Particularly On the Incarnation and the Life of St. Antony).
3) The Works of the Cappadocians (Particularly the Orations of the Theologian which were considered by the Church as Second Scriptures, the Letters of St. Basil together with his defense of the Holy Spirit, and St. Gregory Nyssa’s Catechism).
4) St. Maximos the Confessor.

Thy Kingdom Come...

The Messiah, this King, this new David, Himself, the expected Royalty, came and founded His kingdom, the Church, inaugurating it on the day of Pentecost through the descent of the Holy Spirit… At that moment the Church was born, the new Israel of God, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”, a people dedicated to God. The event of Pentecost is not limited in time, however, but is an eschatological experience of the believer, daily living the life of Christ in the Church. So when we speak of the Church, we refer to an eschatological event, a permanent Pentecost.
-Archimandrite Aimilianos