Tryphon wrote:Decide what Kingdom you are going to serve . The heavenly Kingdom or this Earthly Kingdom. These words were spoken to the Holy Great Martyr King Lazar of Serbia by an Angel on the eve of the great battle of Kosovo polje. We know what choice the holy Martyr made and True Serbians continue to make to this day. Your leaders (Akakios-Efrosyne) have chosen this earthly kingdom. They could have made a great difference to the pious belivers who left certain liberal parishes and Hierarchs in Serbia and wanted to be under a right beliving Bishop with a parish/monastery that they could attend regularly within their area. The brave and Christ loving people left their kindred,friends,and parishes within the Serbian Patriarchate. They were Baptized canonically,crismated,and received within the bosom of the serbian-GOC. Many were married , everyone received a new name. All this would be more than welcome news, but it is not reconized by the Serbian goverment and it could and should be if all parishes were registered under the GOC. All GOC Church mysteries would be reconized and accepted by the Serbian goverment, which would have brought the Serbian-GOC into an altogether different and positive light among Serb belivers and Clergy even. If this proper step was taken we would not be talking of a schism in Serbia and many hostilities within the Serbian-GOC would have been avoided. Unfortunatly Akakios-Efrosyne have EVERYTHING in their names, with blood relatives as beneficiaries instead of the Church. Self-willed aspirations were chosen instead of the future spreading of Serbian-GOC. Would Akakios-Efrosyne have left if the Church properties were not in their names? Did they receive these properties from their grandparents and parents or were they bought from the donations and good-will of mostly GOC Church members? These actions actually hampered the Serbian-GOC from establishing itself seriously and from getting a Bishop more than anything else.
ArchBishop Paul sent this warm letter as a wake-up call, Schizophrenic ideas of the author or authors make No difference honestly. Efrosyne was accompanied by novice Sarah in the North American doicese; The novices Father is a GOC Priest who along with the entire GOC Clergy showed genuine hospitality to Efrosyne. All are extra concerned since they have personal connections and interests in the future welfare of the Sisters. Needless to say the letter should have been heeded and to the Serbians and visitors in Serbia who have followed Akakios,they should take the time and reassess their footing,since it is far from solid ground . May the Master grant You wisdom.
We decided which kingdom we are going to serve when we followed the steps of our
ancestors St. Sava and St. King LAzar and left the ecumenical official Church.
And I was NOT baptized NOR married in serbian-GOC, I do not even know what it is.
I WAS baptized AND married in Serbian TOC temporary under the ommophorion of admired
Orthodox brothers in Christ, his Beatitude Archbishop Chrisostomos and exarch for Europe
His Grace Metropolitan Kalinikos.
As I did write to His Grace, Bishop Fotius, as Secretary of Synod, he never answered me
that we were baptized in GOC or serbian-GOC. His words were:"You were baptized in the Church of Christ."
And I proudly keep the name of St.martyr Christine. She was Orthodox Christian too.
And I find it astonishing that instead of :"noone is a prophet in his homeland" our "leaders"
Bishop Akakije and mother Efrosyne are followed by numerous relatives and friends.
To me it means that they are trusted and loved and admired by them. Their Christian love and
understanding and wise advice which we all experienced have shown to us that they only care for
the Kingdom of Heaven.
The fact that the Monastery at Vrdnik was made by Bishop`s biological father tells that they are
giving to the Church and not taking for themselves.
And, being a member of a team considering the registration of our Church in administrative way,
I know so well how difficult it is to deal with laws which favor official church and disable others
to register threatening to close the association and take away it`s property at any sign of displeasure
by official church or State. For now, the only way to keep the property safe is to keep it on private
names. We are working very hard on finding good solution to this problem according to the laws.
And is the mercy which asks for gratitude a mercy?
And a giving that asks for repayment by subordination a good deed?
Tell me now, which Kingdom did we choose?
To preserve what we received in the name of Lord-both people and goods, to praise the Lord for help received
and to pray heartily everyday for those who have helped us, is that of this world? From the money sisters
received, they only made a small workshop for painting for themselves-not a single better condition for them.
They spent so much of that money to make better conditions for the pilgrims who frequently visit monastery,
for needed who often come for spiritual and material help.
Tell me, what Kingdom did they choose?
Sinful Christina of Vrdink
