When in the ancient city of Capernaum, situated on the Sea of Galilee, pilgrims visit a Roman church built in close proximity to a synagogue that dates back to the time of Christ.  This particular Roman Church is built upon an earlier Byzantine Church, which is built upon an earlier structure that had been expanded from its original floor plan, a home.  This home was in fact the home of the Apostle Peter, the home in which the Lord healed Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick with fever. 

Homily on the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist from Fr. Christopher Flesoras on Vimeo.

A homily offered on the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos from Fr. Christopher Flesoras on Vimeo.

A Homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration from Fr. Christopher Flesoras on Vimeo.

4th Annual Sip & Savor from Fr. Christopher Flesoras on Vimeo.

The long-haul portion of our trip abroad is over: we’ve made it to Munich, and after eleven hours crammed into the steerage section of a Lufthansa Airbus 340, the ability to walk about and breathe fresh air is sweet indeed.  The first time I flew Lufthansa, four years ago, it seemed like the air carrier of my dreams: it was at the end of a month of air travel within Africa, from South African Airways at best—the equal of any Western airline—to RwandAir and Zambian National at worst, with Kenya Airways and Ethiopian somewhere in between.  Boarding the Addis Ababa-Cairo-Frankfurt flight, on a Lufthansa 747, was like reentering civilization.  No one was fighting for seats, there were no mosquitos in the cabin, and there was no visible material decay on the aircraft.  I fell in love with Lufthansa right then—not for taking me away from Africa, which I love (and would twice return to), but for reminding me that air travel need not be an exercise in dubious mechanics and exceptional danger.

It’s about 10 AM and it has been quite a full day thus far.  Currently, I’m sitting on a small patio outside of our room.  A small boat is just now approaching the Skete with additional monastics and pilgrims.  I’ve finished my stint in the garden this morning which has afforded me a moment to write.  Josh and Harrison continue to sweep and prep the patio as Fr. Theophilos is expecting many visitors to the house this evening and tomorrow.  From what I gather, we will advance to the main dining hall around 7PM for dinner.  Then…the vigil begins at 8PM…lasting until about 11AM tomorrow morning.  I have nothing with which to compare it; all I know is that it will be a very long and most overwhelming evening.  After services all 500 or so of us will advance to the dining hall for a common meal (divided into three shifts) and then it will be our opportunity to return to the house, rest and welcome additional pilgrims to the Theophileon Brotherhood. 

It’s about 9:30 PM here at the Skete.  The day has recently come to a close with the Service of Great Compline.  Josh just finished uploading a writing on our travel website and is now talking to his father, Fr. Nectarios who is currently in Ghana on a mission trip with OCMC (technology is truly amazing).  Harrison washed dishes, started a fire in the furnace so that we have warm water for a shower, and fed the cats, now sits writing a list of those to be commemorated in Liturgy tomorrow morning at 5:30AM, celebrating the Feast of St. Christina the Great Martyr.  I sit in our guest room, having showered for the evening, getting ready to do a bit of reading, and take a few moments to write of our day.

I can’t say we awoke this morning as we decided after a wonderful dinner and evening with George Oikonomidis, whose family owns and works at one of the most acclaimed wood carving shops of Greece, that it was far too impractical to sleep as it was already close to midnight by the time that we returned to the hotel and after spending some time uploading files on our computers, we would have to be up in but in less than four hours to depart for Ouranopolis.  We were ready and waiting outside of our hotel by 5:30AM for Vangeli who had been asked to drive us to the port from which we would depart.  Unfortunately, Vangeli overslept as he didn’t receive an anticipated wake-up call, arriving to take us at close to 7AM.  We did however have time to walk to a bakery and to enjoy bougatsa (a Thessalonian delight).

The Formal Dining Hall used by the fathers of the Skete on the Great Feast of Church and of their community is located off the main church.  The iconography, as our pictures will attest, which ornates all the walls of the hall, took one year at the hands of ten monks who worked each and every day.  There is a beautiful icon of Agia Anna with the Theotokos enthroned upon her lap, which would serve as a beautiful backdrop in our sanctuary, probably where the Holy Relic of our matron would be placed.  The Resurrection icon was also striking, as was a most unique icon of the Archangel Michael defending the monks and the Holy Mount from the encroaching technology, depicted as a mechanical scorpion.