"And we know well that this thing is beyond our power to finish it as we should, but seeing the poverty of our race and where no one cares, we did what we could, because it was within our power and a friend to God. And if there is anything good, it is all by the grace of God; even if it is a mistake, this is all ours."

We can only subscribe to the remarks made by the wise cleric Maximos Kallioupolites (†1633) about his work, and we can by analogy for our own effort! We don't have the naive delusion of perfection. The Grace of God asks us for it as much as we can and prevents us from "wrapping it in a shroud and burying it" by hiding it, the one talent that was entrusted to us and given to us. Criticism comes not only from the result but from the mood that crushes every... result!!

And we, like Maximus, see "the poverty of our generation" and that "each one does not speak Greek in his own language in which the greatness of God was born" and following our Blessed Father Meletius we decided, continuing his work, to strive to ... let the poverty of our generation diminish and let our brothers be enriched in the knowledge of God by realizing the two fundamental and necessary chapters of the relationship with God. Baptism and prayer. That is: the dedication of life to Him, and the reference of the whole life to Him.

Christ points out that the one who believes and is baptized is saved. And Saint Athanasius, opposing those who say "we must believe and not examine" answers: "Therefore I believe and do not examine - what is possible? or interest? Or must? ἤ Godῷ a friend? Or suitable for nature? Or to the mystery? Or worthy of piety? And what profit out? Or what is the mind of the mind of the zero of these calculated?" And again: "I neglect the scriptures, where does knowledge come from?" If I lose knowledge, where does faith come from?"

His disjointed remarks are "stabs" at the prevailing superstitious naivety... So I believe? he wonders! and crushes the "power" of the opposing question by saying that such a thing is not possible, nor is it in the interest of Christians, nor is it proper for people, nor is it acceptable to God, nor is it normal, nor does it belong to the mystery, nor is it an element of piety...!!! And what profit will I get? And what is the use of my thinking if it does not reflect on all this? If I ignore the knowledge of the Scriptures, where will the knowledge of God come from, where will faith come from? If you can't describe and therefore transmit faith... is it probably "unknown" to you and in danger? If you are not a careful connoisseur of what you believe, you will end up believing nothing!! Even if you were baptized… or rather you were baptized!!

The other chapter for Christians and through all the Mysteries expressed fact and mystery, is prayer. The most difficult, psychotechnically, subject!! This, which is almost never used. Prayer is the coexistence and union of God and man, a mirror of spiritual progress, a manifestation of our spiritual level, as taught by the great teacher of prayer, Saint John of Climacus.

The true encounter with Christ releases something within us. A power we didn't know we had. A hope. A resilience. A newness of life to recover when defeated. An ability to grow and change. A force for creative transformation. All this as long as we are together, when the Church (priest and us) prays and performs the Sacraments, and not when we just attend...! In such a case, the words of St. John are again valid that "...the ignorant (here the ignorant) dog, having eaten bread, immediately departs from the basket" that is, "the dog that does not know and does not feel an obligation to give thanks as soon as it receives the bread that they give him he leaves"!! (Logos, On prayer, lv').

The Church, which we need and she does not need us, on the occasion of the events of the Baptism of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from Christ into the world, will remind us of our own baptism and our own prayerful relationship with God, for us and our dead, on the feasts of Epiphany and Pentecost.

We issue these prayerful expressions in an understandable language so that the supplicatory request of the Divine Liturgy may be valid, that the immaculate light of their knowledge of God and our intellect may shine through our eyes in understanding what is done and said...

We also publish the ceremony of the holy icons and the Catechetic Word delivered as St. John Chrysostom, which is read at the vigil of the Resurrection. Finally, a detailed commentary on the Sequences and the Word is attached. Praying, please include us among the "... through whom you bring the request".