Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului intre implinire, dileme morale si deziluzie

un articol de Pr. prof. dr. Mihai Valica

1. Solu­tia hris­tica — ati­tu­dine duhovniceasca impotriva crizei

Comu­ni­catul de presa al Patri­arhiei Romane, refer­i­tor la mul­tumir­ile aduse cred­in­ciosilor pen­tru sustinerea finan­ciara a Bis­eri­cilor in con­struc­tie[1] arata clar ca prin­ci­palii con­tribua­bili sunt cred­in­ciosii, iar Statul sus­tine, pe alocuri, cu sume sim­bo­l­ice com­par­a­tiv cu con­tribu­tia filantrop­ica pro­prie a BOR[2] pen­tru cetatenii aces­tei tari, pre­cum si prin partene­r­iatul social-diaconal incheiat cu Statul, con­form art. 29 din Con­sti­tu­tie si a Legii nr. 489/2006.

Potrivit legilor in vigoare Bis­er­ica Orto­doxa Romana nu se sub­sti­tuie Stat­u­lui, ci, prin mijloace speci­fice con­tribuie la coez­i­unea si pacea sociala, la iden­ti­fi­carea de solu­tii con­crete si real­iste spre a depasi grava criza eco­nom­ica si fina­ciara. In acest con­text Patri­arhia Romana prop­une ca solu­tie anti­criza, urma­toarele mijloace spir­i­tuale, care, din punct de vedere duhovnicesc, pot depasi “orice fel de criza”[3]:

1. predi­carea per­ma­nenta a Evanghe­liei pacii si a iubirii fata de aproapele;

2. indreptarea morala a celor ce ne con­duc[4];

3. o “cred­inta tare si coop­er­are cu scop sfant” prin con­truc­tia de Bis­erici[5];

4. “prin sporirea cred­in­tei, a rugaci­u­nii si coop­er­arii pen­tru a final­iza un lacas de cult care aduna oameni, care sunt invatati sa se respecte si sa se ajute rec­i­proc”, etc[6].

Aceste indem­nuri si sfa­turi par­in­testi de pro­funda spir­i­tu­al­i­tate si duhovni­cie au adus in sufle­tul mul­tor preoti si cred­in­ciosi sper­anta, o moti­vatie de uni­tate si impre­una lucrare eccle­siala deosebita si o sansa reala pen­tru a intari sol­i­dar­i­tatea si coop­er­area din­tre cred­in­ciosi, inclu­siv intarirea vietii spir­i­tuale, care per­mite oame­nilor sa depaseasca criza, fara sa se “autode­moleze”, sau sa ajunga “la dez­nade­jde sau la dezu­manizare”.[7]

Cred ca Bis­eri­cile vor salva sufle­tul roman­u­lui prin harul peste har, care va pris­osi in inima lui prin dum­nezeiestile Liturghii si Sf. Taine savar­site in ele.

Cine priveste doar la “aspec­tul ca se chel­tuie bani” repeta ges­tul lui Iuda, care ingri­jo­rat ca s-a risipit mirul de nard de mare pret pledeaza pen­tru saraci, fara sa-i pese de ei (Ioan 12, 4–6).

Omul are o latura morala care, daca se degradeaza, poate afecta si dis­truge mult mai mult decat partea mate­ri­ala a lumii. De aceea spatiul bis­eri­cilor poate con­sti­tui spatii de reabil­itare morala si duhovniceasca, care vor gen­era ade­varate “lab­o­ra­toare spir­i­tuale” de aju­torare a omu­lui si de refacere a soci­etatii. In acest sens Sf. Ioan Gura de Aur scria: “con­truc­tia de Bis­erici este mai buna decat miloste­nia”[8] intru­cat ele sunt locuri care dau un put­er­nic impuls pen­tru actiu­nile filantrop­ice si de indum­nezeire a omu­lui[9].

Ast­fel se com­bate indi­vid­u­al­is­mul, cul­ti­vand spir­i­tul comu­ni­tar prin con­struc­tia de Bis­erici si aseza­m­inte filantrop­ice de slu­jire dia­conla a proapelui; se evita “con­sacrarea esecu­lui” unui lucru bine inceput, cu sper­anta, dar nefi­nal­izat, in cazul celor in con­struc­tie; se poate pre­veni fatal­is­mul si esecul eco­nomic, finan­ciar si social, cauzat in gen­eral de criza morala si spir­i­tu­ala a soci­etatii la toate nivelurile, si reprez­inta o alter­na­tiva reala si via­bila pen­tru clasa polit­ica, guvern si soci­etatea civila, care din pacate duc lipsa nu numai de solu­tii eco­nom­ice via­bile, ci si de actiune si de viz­iune duhovniceasca si de cred­inta sufi­cienta pen­tru rezolvarea crizei actuale…

Citeste mai departe aici: Atitudini

Hagia Sofia

 
 
The History of the Hagia Sophia
 
The Byzantine Church of Hagia Sophia stands atop the first hill of Constantinople at the tip of the historic peninsula, surrounded by the waters of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn on three sides. It was built by Justinian I between 532 and 537 and is located in close proximity to the Great Palace of the Emperors, the Hippodrome, and the Church of Hagia Irene. The third known church to be built at its site since 360, the Justinian church replaced the smaller basilica built by Theodosius II in 415, which burnt down in the Nika riots against Justinian I and Empress Theodora. Beginning construction immediately after suppressing the revolt, Justinian commissioned physicist Isidoros of Miletus, and mathematician Anthemios of Thrales (today's Aydin) to build a church larger and more permanent than its precedents to unify the church and reassert his authority as the emperor. There is little that remains from the earlier churches beside the baptistery and the skeuophylakion. The skeuophylakion, a round building that houses the patriarchal treasure, is located off the east corner and the baptistery, which was converted into an Ottoman tomb in 1639, stands to the southwest.
 
The grand dome of the Hagia Sophia, an impressive technical feat for its time, is often thought to symbolize the infinity of the cosmos signified by the Holy Soul to which the church was dedicated. It took five years to reconstruct the dome after it collapsed in an earthquake in 557. The new dome, which is taller and braced with forty ribs, was partially rebuilt after damage in the 859 and 989 earthquakes. Plundered during the Latin invasion following the Forth Crusade in 1204, the church was restored under Andronicos II during Palaeologan rule. The great southeast arch was reconstructed after the 1344 earthquake. As the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for over a thousand years, with the brief exception of the Latin occupation, the Hagia Sophia was the center of Eastern Christianity from 360 to the Ottoman conversion. Its importance as the center of religious authority in the Byzantine capital was compounded with its role as the primary setting for state rituals and pageantry. The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, which put an end to the Byzantine Empire, began the era of Islamic worship in the holy structure, which Mehmed II converted into a mosque immediately after his conquest.
 
Known then on as the Ayasofya Mosque, the Hagia Sophia remained the Great Mosque of the Ottoman capital until its secularization under the Turkish Republic In 1934. Little was modified during the initial conversion when a mihrab, a minber and a wooden minaret were added to the structure. Mehmed II built a madrasa near the mosque and organized a waqf for its expenses. Extensive restorations were conducted by Mimar Sinan during the rule of Selim II; the original sultan's lodge was added at this time. Mimar Sinan built the Tomb of Selim II to the southeast of the mosque in 1577 and the tombs of Murad III and Mehmed III were built next to it in the 1600s. Mahmud I, who ordered a restoration of the mosque in 1739, added an ablution fountain, Koranic school, soup kitchen and library, making the mosque the center of a social complex. Perhaps the most well known restoration of the Hagia Sophia was completed between 1847-49 during the rule of Abdülmecid II, who invited Swiss architects Gaspare and Guiseppe Fossati to renovate the building. In addition to consolidating the dome and vaults and straightening columns, the two architects brothers revised the decoration of the exterior and the interior. The discovery of the figural mosaics after the secularization of Hagia Sophia, was guided by the descriptions of the Fossati brothers who uncovered them a century earlier for cleaning and recording. An earlier record of the Hagia Sophia mosaics is found in the travel sketches of Swedish engineer Cornelius Loos from 1710-1711.
 
The period of systematic study, restoration and cleaning of Hagia Sophia, initiated by the Byzantine Institute of the United States and the Dumbarton Oaks Field Committee in the 1940s, still continues to our day. Archaeological research led by K. J. Conant, W. Emerson, R. L. Van Nice, P.A. Underwood, T. Whittemore, E. Hawkins, R. J. Mainstone and C. Mango have illuminated different aspects related to the history, structure and decoration of the Justinian church. A. M. Schneider and F. Dirimtekin after him have excavated remains of the earlier churches outside the Justinian church. A colloquium convened at Princeton University in 1989 has led the way towards a computer-based structural modeling of the church directed by Prof. A. Çakmak. This work has provided the basis for a new restoration project underway since 1995 that focuses on structural monitoring to gauge long-term stability of the structure along with historical restoration. The Hagia Sophia was included in the annual list of 100 most endangered monuments published by the World Monuments Fund in 1996 and in 1998, to secure funds for continued work. Considered a significant influence on the conception of classical Ottoman architecture, the Hagia Sophia is open to visitors as a public museum.
 
 

 
The Architecture of the Hagia Sophia
 
The Hagia Sophia is a domed basilica, oriented on the northwest-southeast axis. Entered from the northwest through an outer and inner narthex, the church consists of a rectangular nave flanked by an aisle and gallery on the sides and an apsidal sanctuary, projecting southeast.
 
Each narthex comprises nine cross-vaulted bays; the narthexes were originally preceded by a large atrium enclosed by a colonnade, portions of which were still standing in the 1870s. The inner narthex is taller than, and about twice as wide as, the outer narthex, and has a second level linked to the nave galleries. It is lit by a row of clerestory windows to the northwest. Passages attached to either end of the inner narthex give access to the gallery. The passage to the southwest also served as the ceremonial entrance for emperors; its entryway is adorned with a pair of elaborate bronze doors with 9th century monograms. Its inner door has a 10th century mosaic in its lunette depicting Emperors Constantine and Justinian offering models of Constantinople and Hagia Sophia to enthroned Virgin and Christ. While the outer narthex is largely devoid of decoration, the walls of the inner narthex are lined with polychrome marble panels and bordered by a deep continuous frieze and its vaults are adorned with mosaics with geometric motifs and crosses on a gold background.
 
Nine doors lead from the inner narthex into the nave. The tall entryway at the center is called the Imperial Door and is crowned by a mosaic depicting an emperor prostrating before Christ Pantocrator, flanked by portraits of the Virgin and Archangel Gabriel. The nave is roughly twice as long as it is wide without the flanking galleries and it measures 73.5 meters long and 69.5 meters wide including the galleries. It has four niches at the corners, which are carved into the aisle and galleries. A grand dome, raised 56 meters from the ground, crowns the nave. Its forty windows, located between supporting ribs at the base, give the impression of floating. At its apex, originally adorned with a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, is a calligraphic medallion quoting the Light Verse (24:35), inscribed by Mustafa Izzet Efendi during the Fossati restoration. The weight of the dome is carried on pendentives and four colossal piers, which are connected by arcades separating the aisle and galleries. The aisle is significantly taller than the galleries, where the intercolumnal width has been kept smaller to maintain the proportion. To the northwest and southeast, single arches braced by large semi-domes receive the lateral loads and distribute it to three smaller semi-domes that crown the nave niches and - to the southeast - the sanctuary apse.
 
The length of clear span afforded by the combination of the central dome and the semi-domes was unprecedented at the time of Hagia Sophia's construction. To the northeast and southwest, in contrast, heavy double arches and pier buttresses were erected to counter the thrust of the dome. The disparity of the type and strength of structural support provided by the these two supporting systems has in time caused the elliptical deformation of the dome base, whose diameter varies from 32.2 meters on the longitudinal axis to 32.7 meters along the transverse axis. Other factors, such as haste of original construction and uneven repair of vaulting through the centuries have multiplied the effects of the deformation, also visible on the piers and the grand arches. Flying buttresses were added to the northwest façade as early as the 9th or 10th century, supplemented by the construction of buttresses to the south and southeast by Andronicus II in early 13th century, amended by the Ottomans. These additions, among others, have transformed the exterior appearance of the church and the quality of light inside the nave and galleries.
 
The nave is paved with marble panels, which were revealed after the prayer rugs were removed in 1934. Its porphyry and verde antico columns, which were gathered from pagan temples of Western Anatolia, are crowned with elaborately carved capitals that bear the monogram of Justinian I. The decorative cornices separating the aisle, gallery and clerestory levels brace the structure and provide lateral support. There are no figural mosaics remaining of the original decoration of the church, which lasted well into the rule of Justinius II (565-578) after the completion of the structure. Of the mosaics set after the Iconoclastic era (726-842), some were lost to earthquakes, water damage and, most recently, tourists. The oldest mosaic in the church is found in the apse semi-dome and depicts the Virgin and the Child. Two angels are depicted on the semi-dome arch; the one on the right, mostly intact, is Archangel Gabriel. Above, to the left and right, mosaics of local saints lined up below clerestory windows and frescoes depicting Seraphim adorn the pendentives. A large amount of mosaics remains covered in the dome, whose roofing was recently renovated to prevent water damage during their conservation. Some of the most famous mosaics, including a Deisis panel and imperial portraits, are found in the southwest gallery, which was used for religious meetings and ceremonies.
 
There are many Ottoman additions visible in the nave, many of which were transformed during the Fossati restoration. Among earlier Ottoman work are two 16th century tile panels to the right of the mihrab, which depict the Holy Ka'aba and the other, shows the tomb of the Prophet. A band of blue tiles with Koranic inscriptions, signed 1607, wrap the sanctuary apsis below the window level. The marble minbar also believed to be of this period. There are four marble platforms abutting the piers; these and the muezzin's platform (müezzin mahfili) were built by Murad III in late 16th century. Murad IV (1612-1640) added the marble preacher's pulpit (kürsü), located next to the eastern niche. Working between 1847-49 under Abdülmecid II, The Fossati brothers rebuilt the mihrab and the sultan's lodge in the contemporary style and renovated the sultan's kiosk (hünkar köskü) to the north of the church, which provides access into the lodge from the exterior. Eight colossal disks, bearing the names of God, the Prophet, the four Caliphs and the two sons of Ali, were commissioned to calligrapher Kazasker Izzet Efendi and replaced older panels hanging on the piers. These works have been kept in place after secularization, while other calligraphic panels were taken to the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. The wrought iron chandeliers and the stained glass windows in the sanctuary are also from the Fossati redecoration.
 
The Hagia Sophia has four minarets at its corners that were added at different times. The brick minaret at the southern corner is attributed to Mehmed II, and a second stone minaret was added to the north by Mimar Sinan during his restoration. The remaining two minarets are identical and date from the Murad III period.
 
Sources:
 
Dirimtekin, Feridun. [1964]. Saint Sophia Museum. Istanbul: Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey.
 
Fossati, Gaspare. 1852. Aya Sofia, Constantinople : as recently restored by order of H. M. the sultan Abdul-Medjid. London: R. & C. Colnagni & Co.
 
Hoffmann, Volker. 1999. Die Hagia Sophia in Istanbul : Bilder aus sechs Jahrhunderten und Gaspare Fossatis Restaurierung der Jahre 1847-1849. Bern : P. Lang.
 
Lethaby, W. R. and Harold Swainson. 1894. The church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople; a study of Byzantine building. London, New York: Macmillan & Co.
 
Mark, Robert and Ahmet S. Çakmak. 1992. Hagia Sophia from the age of Justinian to the present. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.
 
Mainstone, Rowland J. 1997. Hagia Sophia: architecture, structure, and liturgy of Justinian's great church. New York: Thames and Hudson.
 
Van Nice, R.L. 1965. Saint Sophia in Istanbul; an architectural survey. Washington, D. C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies.

Greek Orthodox Christian Byzantine Music in Hagia Sofia - Istanbul, Turkey

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the Only True and Apostolic Church

Part 1 of 3



Part 2 of 3



Part 3 of 3

INTRODUCTION TO THE JESUS PRAYER by H.R.H. Princess Ileana of Romania (Mother Alexandra)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

     I have often read the Jesus Prayer in prayer books and heard it in church, but my attention was drawn to it first some years ago in Romania. There in a small Monastery of Sâmbata, tucked away at the foot of the Carpathians in the heart of the deep forest, its little white church reflected in a crystal-clear mountain pond, I met a monk who practiced the "prayer of the heart". Profound peace and silence reigned at Sâmbata in those days; it was a place of rest and strength—I pray God it still is.
     I have wandered far since I last saw Sâmbata, and all the while the Jesus Prayer lay as a pre­cious gift buried in my heart. It remained inactive until a few years ago, when I read The Way of a Pilgrim. Since then I have been seeking to practice it continually. At times I lapse; nonetheless, the prayer has opened unbelievable vistas within my heart and soul.
     The Jesus Prayer, or the Prayer of the Heart, centers on the Holy Name itself. It may be said in its entirety: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner;" it may be changed to "us sinners" or to other persons named, or it may be shortened. The power lies in the name of Jesus; thus "Jesus," alone, may fulfill the whole need of the one who prays.
     The Prayer goes back to the New Testament and has had a long, traditional use. The method of contemplation based upon the Holy Name is attributed to St. Simeon, called the "New Theologian" (949-1022). When he was 14 years old, St. Simeon had a vision of heavenly light in which he seemed to be separated from his body. Amazed, and overcome with an overpowering joy, he felt a consuming humility, and cried, borrowing the Publican's prayer (Luke 18:13), "Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me." Long after the vision had disappeared, the great joy returned to St. Simeon each time he repeated the prayer; and he taught his disciples to worship likewise. The prayer evolved into its expanded form: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner." In this guise it has come down to us from generation to generation of pious monks and laymen.

Mother Alexandra (1909-1991) of Holy Transfiguration Monastery,

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania

     The invocation of the Holy Name is not peculiar to the Orthodox Church but is used by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Protestants, though to a lesser degree. On Mount Sinai and Athos the monks worked out a whole system of contemplation based upon this simple prayer, practiced in complete silence. These monks came to be known as "Quietists" (in Greek: "Hesychasts").
     St. Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), the last of the great Church Fathers, became the exponent of the Hesychasts. He won, after a long drawn out battle, an irrefutable place for the Jesus Prayer and the Quietists within the Church. In the 18th century when tsardom hampered monasticism in Russia, and the Turks crushed Orthodoxy in Greece, the Neamtzu monastery in Moldavia (Romania) became one of the great centers for the Jesus Prayer.
     The Prayer is held to be so outstandingly spiritual because it is focused wholly on Jesus: all thoughts, striving, hope, faith and love are outpoured in devotion to God the Son. It fulfills two basic injunctions of the New Testament. In one, Jesus said: "I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16: 23, 24). In the other precept we find St. Paul's injunction to pray without ceasing, (1. Thess. 5:17). Further, it follows Jesus' instructions upon how to pray (which He gave at the same time He taught His followers the Lord's Prayer): "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:6).

H.R.H. Princess Ileana of Romania

     And Jesus taught that all impetus, good and bad, originates in men's hearts. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45).
     Upon these and many other precepts of the New Testament as well as the Old, the Holy Fathers, even before St. Simeon, based their fervent and simple prayer. They developed a method of contemplation in which unceasing prayer became as natural as breathing, following the rhythmic cadence of the heart beat.
     All roads that lead to God are beset with pitfalls because the enemy (Satan) ever lies in wait to trip us up. He naturally attacks most assiduously when we are bent on finding our way to salvation, for that is what he most strives to hinder. In mystical prayer the temptations we encounter exceed all others in danger; because our thoughts are on a higher level, the allurements are proportionally subtler. Someone said that "mysticism started in mist and ended in schism"; this cynical remark, spoken by an unbeliever, has a certain truth in it. Mysticism is of real spiritual value only when it is practiced with absolute sobriety.
     At one time a controversy arose concerning certain Quietists who fell into excessive acts of piety and fasting because they lost the sense of moderation upon which our Church lays so great a value. We need not dwell upon misuses of the Jesus Prayer, except to realize that all exaggerations are harmful and that we should at all times use self-restraint. "Practice of the Jesus Prayer is the traditional fulfillment of the injunction of the Apostle Paul to 'pray always:' it has nothing to do with the mysticism which is the heritage of pagan ancestry."
     The Orthodox Church is full of deep mystic life which she guards and encompasses with the strength of her traditional rules; thus her mystics seldom go astray. "The 'ascetical life' is a life in which 'acquired' virtues, i.e. virtues resulting from a personal effort, only accompanied by that general grace which God grants to every good will, prevail. The 'mystical life' is a life in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are predominant over human efforts, and in which 'infused' virtues are predominant over the 'acquired' ones; the soul has become more passive than active. Let us use a classical com­parison. Between the ascetic life, that is, the life in which human action predominates, and the mystical life, that is, the life in which God's action predominates, there is the same difference as between rowing a boat and sailing it; the oar is the ascetic effort, the sail is the mystical passivity which is unfurled to catch the divine wind." The Jesus Prayer is the core of mystical prayer, and it can be used by anyone, at any time. There is nothing mysterious about this (let us not confuse "mysterious" with "mystic"). We start by following the precepts and examples frequently given by our Lord. First, go aside into a quiet place: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile" (Mark 6:31); "Study to be quiet" (I. Thess. 4: 11); then pray in secret—alone and in silence.
     The phrases "to pray in secret, alone and in silence" need, I feel, a little expanding. "Secret" should be understood as it is used in the Bible: for instance, Jesus tells us to do our charity secretly-not letting the left hand know what the right one does. We should not parade our devotions, nor boast about them. "Alone" means to separate ourselves from our immediate surroundings and disturbing influences. As a matter of fact, never are we in so much company as when we pray". . . seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. . ." (Hebrews 12:1). The witnesses are all those who pray: Angels, Archangels, saints and sinners, the living and the dead. It is in prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer, that we become keenly aware of belonging to the living body of Christ. In "silence" implies that we do not speak our prayer audibly. We do not even meditate on the words; we use them only to reach beyond them to the essence itself.
     In our busy lives this is not easy, yet it can be done-we can each of us find a few minutes in which to use a prayer consisting of only a few words, or even only one. This prayer should be repeated quietly, unhurriedly, thoughtfully. Each thought should be concentrated on Jesus, forgetting all else, both joys and sorrows. Any stray thought, however good or pious, can become an obstacle.
     When you embrace a dear one you do not stop to meditate how and why you love—you just love wholeheartedly. It is the same when spiritually we grasp Jesus the Christ to our heart. If we pay heed to the depth and quality of our love, it means that we are preoccupied with our own reactions, rather than giving ourselves unreservedly to Jesus —holding nothing back. Think the prayer as you breathe in and out; calm both mind and body, using as rhythm the heartbeat. Do not search for words, but go on repeating the Prayer, or Jesus' name alone, in love and adoration. That is ALL! Strange—in this little there is more than all!
     It is good to have regular hours for prayer and to retire whenever possible to the same room or place, possibly before an icon. The icon is loaded with the objective presence of the One depicted, and thus greatly assists our invocation. Orthodox monks and nuns find that to use a rosary helps to keep the attention fixed. Or you may find it best quietly to close your eyes—focusing them inward.
     The Jesus Prayer can be used for worship and petition; as intercession, invocation, adoration, and as thanksgiving. It is a means by which we lay all that is in our hearts, both for God and man, at the feet of Jesus. It is a means of communion with God and with all those who pray. The fact that we can train our hearts to go on praying even when we sleep, keeps us uninterruptedly within the community of prayer. This is no fanciful statement; many have experienced this life-giving fact. We cannot, of course, attain this continuity of prayer all at once, but it is achievable; for all that is worthwhile we must ". . . run with patience the race that is set before us . . ." (Hebrews 12:1).
     I had a most striking proof of uninterrupted communion with all those who pray when I lately underwent surgery. I lay long under anesthesia. "Jesus" had been my last conscious thought, and the first word on my lips as I awoke. It was marvelous beyond words to find that although I knew nothing of what was happening to my body I never lost cognizance of being prayed-for and of praying myself. After such an experience one no longer wonders that there are great souls who devote their lives exclusively to prayer.
     Prayer has always been of very real importance to me, and the habit formed in early childhood of morning and evening prayer has never left me; but in the practice of the Jesus Prayer I am but a be­ginner. I would, nonetheless, like to awaken interest in this prayer because, even if I have only touched the hem of a heavenly garment, I have touched it—and the joy is so great I would share it with others. It is not every man's way of prayer; you may not find in it the same joy that I find, for your way may be quite a different one—yet equally bountiful.
     In fear and joy, in loneliness and companionship, it is ever with me. Not only in the silence of daily devotions, but at all times and in all places. It transforms, for me, frowns into smiles; it beautifies, as if a film had been washed off an old picture so that the colors appear clear and bright, like nature on a warm spring day after a shower. Even despair has become attenuated and repentance has achieved its purpose.
     When I arise in the morning, it starts me joyfully upon a new day. When I travel by air, land, or sea, it sings within my breast. When I stand upon a platform and face my listeners, it beats encouragement. When I gather my children around me, it murmurs a blessing. And at the end of a weary day, when I lay me down to rest, I give my heart over to Jesus: "(Lord) into thy hands I commend my spirit". I sleep—but my heart as it beats prays on: "JESUS".

Ecumenismul in arta bisericeasca

Parte centrale

La Madre di Dio in trono con Gesù e due angeli ai lati

Biserica ortodoxa la Cluj pictata de pictorul Papei

BISERICA ORTODOXĂ ”SCHIMBAREA LA FAŢĂ” - CLUJ, ROMÂNIA

Bd. Eroilor 24-26

Chiesa ortodossa della Trasfigurazione

"Pictura în spirit ecumenic este o premieră la Cluj şi vine să atenueze conflictul dintre greco-catolici şi ortodocşi, cel puţin la nivel simbolic."

Radu Preda

Biserica ortodoxă de pe Bulevardul Eroilor va fi pictată de pictorul papilor Ioan Paul al II-lea şi Benedict al XVI-lea şi de un artist plastic timişorean.

Marko Ivan Rupnik, pictorul personal al Papei Ioan Paul al II-lea şi al Papei Benedict al XVI-lea, este implicat într-un proiect artistic religios de tip ecumenic, demarat de Mitropolia Clujului, Albei, Crişanei şi Maramureşului. împreună cu artistul plastic timişorean Silviu Oravitzan, el va picta interiorul Bisericii Ortodoxe “Schimbarea la Faţă” de pe B-dul Eroilor.

Cel care a iniţiat acest proiect a fost teologul Radu Preda, de la Centrul de Cercetări Interreligioase. “E voba de un ecumenism al frumuseţii. Partea cu lemn aurit o să o facă Oravitzan, iar mozaicul catolicul iezuit, Marko Ivan Rubnik. Cei doi reuşesc să-şi îmbine stilurile pentru a crea un tot unitar”, a spus Preda. Acesta a povestit reporterului ZIUA de CLUJ şi cum s-a ajuns la această colaborare.

“Artiştii s-au întâlnit la New York, unde Oravitzan a avut o expoziţie la Muzeul de Artă Catolică, iar Rupnik le-a remarcat. De aici a venit ideea de a lucra în comun”, a spus Preda. Pictura în spirit ecumenic este o premieră la Cluj şi vine să atenueze conflictul dintre greco-catolici şi ortodocşi, cel puţin la nivel simbolic.

Cei doi artişti plastici au vizitat ieri dimineaţă biserica împreună cu Mitropolitul Bartolomeu, teologul Radu Preda, mijlocitorul acţiunii, consilierul cultural al Mitropoliei, Ştefan Iloaie şi preotul paroh Titus Moldovan. Consilierii Mitropolitului i-au arătat acestuia planşe cu viitoarele picturi şi mozaicuri ce vor împodobi biserica, iar acestea au fost analizate împreună cu pictorul Papei, timp de o oră.

“Dorim să arătăm prin această operă comună că creştinii din întreaga Europă pot să lucreze împreună. Să arătăm lumii ca îl iubim pe Dumnezeu”, a spus Rupnik. Finalizarea lucrărilor se estimează a avea loc în decembrie 2009.

Singurul pictor agreat atât de Papa Ioan Paul al II-lea, cât şi de Benedict al XVI-lea, slovenul Marko Ivan Rupnik este o personalitate complexă, în care gânditorul creştin se întâlneşte cu artistul plastic de mare talent. Profesor la Universitatea Gregoriană din Roma, Rubnik este autorul unor volume valoroase de reflecţie teologică şi artistică, cum ar fi “Arta, memorie a comuniunii”, “Cuvânt şi imagine”, “în focul rugului aprins”.

Ca artist, în afara picturii expuse în diverse oraşe europene, este autorul mozaicului monumental al Capelei Redemptoris Mater din Palatul Apostolic de la Vatican. Rupnik a venit la Cluj din partea Centrului “Aletti” de la Roma, centru de creaţie artistică religioasă condus de renumitul cardinal Thomas Spidlik. Rupnik şi Spidlik au publicat împreună în 2002 la editura Dacia un volum important de teologie intitulat “Credinţă şi Icoană”.

Marco Ivan Rupnik, pictorul Papilor Ioan Paul al ll-lea şi Benedict al Vl-lea, a venit la Cluj-Napoca să realizeze pictura interioară din Biserica „Schimbarea la Faţă”.

Proiectul este unic prin faptul că o biserică ortodoxă este pictată de un pictor catolic şi de un artist plastic român, Silviu Oravi Oravitzan.

„Vom folosi o tehnică veche, care constă în mozaic din ceramică poleit cu aur. Eu mă inspir din iconografia primului mileniu şi sper din tot sufletul ca acest proiect să reuşească, deoarece adevăratul spirit creştin este acela care ne ţine împreună”, a declarat, ieri, Marco Ivan Rupnik.

Cel care a avut ideea de a-l aduce pe Rupnik la Cluj este cunoscutul teolog Radu Preda. „Am fost în apartamentele private ale Papei de la Vatican şi în capela privată şi am văzut picturile lui Ivan Rupnik. Atunci mi-a venit ideea să îi pun la aceeaşi masă pe Silviu Oravitzan şi pe Ivan Rupnik”, a spus Radu Preda.

ICONOGRAFIA

 

Parte superiore: etimasia

 

L’angelo accanto al trono

 

Il volto della Madre di Dio

 

Cristo benedicente

Particolare dell’etimasia

 

Particolare

Etimasia

In tutte le chiese bizantine, dietro l’iconostasi c’è l’altare sul quale è sempre posta la Sacra Scrittura aperta e tutto è pronto per la santa liturgia. L’immagine più vicina all’altare è il Cristo sacerdote tra i gerarchi. Questo crea un bellissimo scenario della santa liturgia, l’unico sacerdozio è quello di Cristo che attraverso l’episcopato ininterrottamente si compie attraverso il sacerdote che entra dietro l’iconostasi per celebrare.

C’è un’ininterrotta linea da Cristo fino ad oggi che fa visibilmente percepire la dimensione transtemporale della liturgia. Ma normalmente in alto, sopra l’altare, all’interno dell’arco absidale, si trova rappresentata l’etimasía, un motivo iconografico cristiano di origine orientale, composto essenzialmente da un trono sormontato da una croce (dal greco he hetoimasía tu thrónu, “la preparazione del trono”). Si tratta del trono fatto in modo da diventare l’altare sul quale è posta la Parola di Dio. Dietro ad esso si alza la croce con i segni della passione: la corona, la lancia, il bastone con l’issopo... Accanto ci sono due angeli o due cherubini, che appartengono a quella classe di esseri celesti che si copre il volto con le ali. Il significato teologico è chiaro: lo stesso libro che è sull’altare è anche in cielo, l’autorità della sua veridicità è testimoniata dall’incarnazione e dalla passione.

Questo verbo incarnato in Gesù Cristo, morto e risorto, vive l’eterna liturgia in cielo presso il Padre. E lo stesso Cristo vive e si manifesta nel suo corpo che è la Chiesa e celebra la santa liturgia sulla terra. Si esplicitano così i due registri della liturgia del corpo di Cristo. La Chiesa attende la seconda venuta del nostro Signore quando questi verrà e si siederà sul trono, a giudicare la storia secondo la parola “come in cielo così in terra”. Il libro dell’etimasía e dell’altare è lo stesso: e il giudizio sarà sul criterio della Parola resa carne, consumata nell’amore che è la Pasqua. I segni della passione fanno da schienale al trono della Parola. La linea orizzontale, che è quella che ha portato alla passione di Cristo, si incontra così con la linea verticale che unisce il cielo alla terra. Il sacerdozio che attraversa la storia compie il suo ministero sull’asse verticale.
 

ICONOSTASUL

  

Iconostasul este realizat de artistul Silviu Oravitzan

ARHITECTURA

Surse:

Parohia Ortodoxă ”Schimbarea La Față”

CENTRO ALETTI

Theologhia

Manastirea Chiajna (Chiajna Monastery - Bucharest, Romania)

Aproape ca uitasem de Manastirea Chiajna si de soarta ei trista. Azi insa mi-am amintit de ctitoria lui Mavrogheni citind un articol in Romania Libera, editia online, articol pe care il preiau partial. Ironia face ca in acelasi ziar am citit articolul Politicienii miluiesc Biserica pentru succesul în alegeri. Oare cand ne vom milui si de Manastirea Chiajna?

La prima vedere, România nu e prea bogată în monumente istorice, dar ar putea fi, dacă ar avea guvernanţi demni de măreţia trecutului.

Mânăstirea Chiajna, monument istoric şi de artă de la sfârşitul veacului al XVIII-lea, deşi ruinată, impresionează şi astăzi prin mărime, ca şi prin ceea ce a mai rămas din frumuseţea ei de altădată. Monumentul a fost înconjurat de nenumărate legende.

Ctitorul acestei măreţe mânăstiri a fost Nicolae Mavrogheni, iubitor de artă şi de fast, care a domnit între anii 1786 şi 1790. Biserica a fost construită în stil neoclasic, cu un plan arhitectural deosebit de interesant şi frumos. Au lucrat la ea aceiaşi meşteri care au ridicat şi conacul Văcă­reştilor, din apropierea Târgo­viştei, azi şi el ruinat. Se pare că, deşi a fost terminată, nu a fost târnosită, întrucât ctitorul ei, bănuit de trădare, a fost mazilit şi ucis de turci, sosiţi la Bucureşti în vederea războiului cu austriecii şi cu ruşii, la care era nevoită să ia parte şi oastea Ţării Româ­neşti. A rămas legenda că în această biserică nu s-ar fi slujit niciodată, fiind bombardată de turci chiar înainte de târnosire, sub pretextul că impunătoarea mânăstire ar fi mai degrabă o cetate. După alte surse, sfântul lăcaş ar fi fost părăsit în vremea ciumei de pe timpul unui Ipsilanti. Alte izvoare spun că mânăstirea ar fi funcţionat la 1792, dar ar fi fost părăsită în vremea ciumei de pe timpul domnitorului Mihai Suţu. Printre legendele care înconjoară Mânăstirea Chiajna se află şi una care spune că însuşi mitropolitul Ţării Româneşti, Cozma, ar fi murit de ciumă chiar în această biserică. Apoi, clopotul ei cel mare ar fi fost aruncat în apele revărsate ale Dâmboviţei şi, după spusele localnicilor, se aude bătând în nopţile cu Lună Plină. Numele mânăstirii a fost pus în legătură cu celebra doamnă Chiajna, deşi nu are nici o legătură cu apriga eroină, doar că se află pe o fostă moşie a acesteia.

Adrian Bucurescu, RL 

Cititi articolul aici.