« Our first day… or at least part of it!
Posted on July 28, 2010 in 2005 Pilgrimage to the Skete of St. Anna, Mount Athos - 0 COMMENTS
ENTERING THE KYRIAKON
by Rev Fr Chris Flesoras
We prepared to enter the Kyriakon, the Church dedicated to Saint Anna. Surprisingly, the entrance was found in the informal salon where we had sipped our first Greek coffee and signed the guest book of the Skete. Now, in the company of Fr. Theophilos and fellow pilgrims, we enter the narthex through a beautifully crafted inlaid wood door.
The Church of Saint was built in the 18th century, although the Skete is much older. It is cross-shaped in design, fully schemed in iconography. Every aspect of the Church, from the stone flooring to the incense, communicates a beautiful simplicity but also the profound reality that “…God dwells here among men.”
Each of the pilgrims lighted our candles, offered a prayer and venerated the icons to which we were directed. Fr. Theophilos led us to icon stands that hold the icons of Saint Anna that which presents the sixteen sainted brothers of the Skete of Saint Anna. We were then led to the miraculous icon of Saint Anna, upon which are found crosses, rings, jewels, etc. gifted to her as thanks offerings as well as numerous pictures of babies who have been conceived by infertile couples, through her maternal intercessions.
As we stood in amazement, Fr. Theophilos took the opportunity to inform us that Saint Anna is the only other woman besides the Theotokos for whom a church has been dedicated on Mount Athos. One pilgrim with much excitement and attempting to process this newfound knowledge offered his thoughts as to why the Holy Anna holds such a status upon the Mount stated, “She is our grandmother!” Father Theophilos in a kind yet clarifying manner explained that the Holy Anna is the Lord’s grandmother and was Jewish, not Greek. To a degree she is our grandmother and the Virgin Mary is considered to be our Mother in Christ.
The true significance and beauty of her person, as explained by Father, is identified in Christ. When we are baptized in His name and partake of His Body and precious Blood in the Eucharist, it is on account of God manifesting Himself in the flesh of His Virgin Mother who is the daughter of the Holy Joachim and Anna. In other words, the tangibility of the Lord is actually a product of His ancestors. And, since Holy Tradition teaches that the Theotokos, after her repose was taken into the Kingdom of Heaven, the closest physical links we have to Him are the Holy Relics of Joachim and Anna.
After our discussion, Fr. Theophilos proceeded into the Sanctuary to retrieve the Holy Relic of Saint Anna. As he processed into the midst of the nave, holding a most beautifully crafted sterling silver Reliquary, he chanted our common Apolytikion of the Dormition of Saint Anna. The hymn concluded as he placed the Reliquary upon a table donning an ornate tablecloth with a tapered bee’s wax candle burning to the rear.
Opening the Reliquary exposed a much smaller sliver casing that housed the left foot of our matron. Through a silver grating, covering a portion of the foot, we could see the Holy Relic of Anna, remarkably still covered in a mummified skin from which came forth the sweet smell of myrrh. Each of us, beginning with the clergy, prostrated ourselves and kissed the Reliquary.
The dads and I were quite moved and a bit dumbfounded by the exposure to the Holy Relic of Saint within the first few hours of stay at the Skete. To think a week before we were still booking flights, receiving our permits to the Holy Mountain and reading every article we could find on the Internet about the Skete and the Holy Mountain. Now, immediately before us was the Holy Relic of Saint Anna, the grandmother of our Lord. Truly, as Jim noted, even if we were to demystify the experience, the relic that sat before us was a product of an age long since passed; some 2000 years have passed since she walked upon the earth!
Prior to our departing the Church, as I admired the iconography of the Church (I also photographed any and all icons that were exposed), Fr. Theophilos approached me and directed my attention to five monastics that were written upon the wall of the northern apse of the nave. It turns out that the iconographer who was ornating the Kyriakon decided to quit the project early as the monks were going to be unable to pay him for his work. Hastily leaving the monastery, he was approached by five monks on the road back to the capital of the Mountain who questioned him as to his departure and then chastised him for completing his work. Listening to their counsel, the iconographer returned to the Skete to complete his work. It was only as he wrote the next set of icons within the Church that he realized that those five monks were in fact five sainted monks! For this reason, special care was taken in the writing of these icons, considered by many of the brothers, the best work of the iconographer.
We departed the Church and worked our way back to the kitchen outside the formal salon to enjoy yet another cup of Greek coffee (if I’m not mistaken, this was our third cup of coffee in a handful of hours). Here we sat, inquiring about the Skete, the Holy Relic, the Holy Mountain… One of the most interesting topics of conversation was the financial support for the monastic communities.
Fr. Theophilos explained that the funding for the Skete, at least for their most basic needs, comes from the Monastery of Great Lavra. This monastic community discerns the monies needed for the respective sketes in their care. In some cases, building projects might be supported, but monies for the furnishings must be attained elsewhere. In light of our own building project, I appreciated his thoughts, “We seek the intercessions of and depend on Saint Anna to provide us benefactors to fund our projects and ministries.”
During the summer the Skete will average over 100 visitors a day. The Skete, like other monastic communities of the Mount will gladly house and feed pilgrims for four days, the amount of time allotted by a pilgrim’s passport to Mount Athos. Unfortunately, many of these guests who receive the hospitality of the brothers, offer nothing in return. They simply assume that the twenty Euros (roughly $26) covers their stay at any of the monasteries. Needless to say, regardless of monastic community, the brothers of Athos are most grateful for those who offer their support, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Now, well into my third writing on the Skete of Saint Anna, we are but four hours into our stay! Yes, I do have a tendency to write a bit flowery to Krissy’s dismay, but as the four hours attest, we did have many noteworthy conversations and experience many blessings in a very short amount of time.
Now, at 6PM, the day has come to a close with the setting of the sun. The dads have worked their way to their room for sleep with the ambitious intent of arising at 3AM to celebrate services for the Feast of the Three Hierarchs in the Kyriakon. With the blessings of Fr. Cheroubim, my evening will continue with a few conversations and a trip to the Chapel of the Three Hierarchs at 11:30PM with Fr. Theophilos who will take the Holy Relic of Saint Anna to the Feast for the celebration of the Blessing of the Waters, and for veneration.
The time is 11:30PM. I have advanced into the courtyard to meet Fr. Theophilos by the gate. He stands with a lantern in one hand, a walking stick in the other, and carries the Holy Relic is a leather satchel, which hangs around his neck. We begin our walk to the Chapel of the Three Hierarchs, which will take about ½ hour, ample time for more questions…
