The first impulse was to run. As far and as quickly as possible. Not the thoughts of grandeur and the love for adventure who led him, but the shame and the knowledge of what was to come. What was in the old-man's head to risk such a voyage, anyway? At his age, even? In this madness of a city? Theodossios contemplated his outfit and gear, and dreaded the prospect presenting himself as such. Why, God?! Why me?! he muttered, dragging his feet as if not his own.

I'm Theodossios. I am here, he spoke in slow voice to the tall silhouette of the Eparch, looking like the Angel of Doom to him. Mutters from the audience at his presence made him try become even smaller. Faced so very first time with such people, their eyes fixed on him in amusement, raised his spirit and some inner force gained upon him. At least enough to allow him to continue. Yes, I am here, he cleared his voice and glanced towards the sitting abbot. Forgive me, father. Forgive me I shamed the good name of the abbey, and I have caused you pain and suffering. He placed at much love and remorse to his look as he was able, before turning to the Patriarchs and the whole clergy gathered around them, and kneeling.

Holy fathers of the Holy Church present, and Imperial and Royal Highness, and distinguished ladies and noble gentlemen. As was the tradition in the early days of our Church, I beg of thee to hear my public confession, for I stand before you as in face of the Almighty, without pride, and without excuse, for I am the first among sinners, and only the Holy Grace can absolve me from my sins. I have committed no crime against another man, with my hand or with my thought, nor I have broken the vows of chastity and poverty. Instead, I have committed the sin of leaving the monastery without leave from my spiritual father, I, an ordained deacon, to whom my spiritual father showed great mercy and care. From early childhood being sent to education to the monastery by my noble family, I have failed to show the gratitude to my benefactor and fled to the world, in seek of adventure and great deeds. I have hoped to fight the Muslims attacking our Holy Lands, and bear the standard of freedom to those who have not seen the Light. I was tempted by the one we don't name with the lure of pride, whom I know is the wretched mother of all other mortal sins, and for this, and all others, I repent. I only ask for myself to be allowed to spend the rest of my days paying for my sin in serving the Church, the way the holy fathers may see fit. Father, can you forgive me?!

Theodossios stood and felt somehow relieved. The shame had not gone, but the smile on the people faces, amused and intrigued, felt good. He almost thought of returning a cheeky smile, as a tricky thought of how many others would have had the courage to do what he did crossed his mind. But the suffering face of the abbot and the severity of the clergy brought back the cloud of remorse. Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner! he whispered, in prostrating to the altar.

It was Macarias who responded.

"Who dares to speak so, in this Hour and in this Place?"

"I am near to sixty years of age---fast approaching the biblical measure---and in all those years I've met only three men who when faced with your predicament, would dare to speak up impertinently, rather than stay mute in shame; two are long gone now, one only yet lives."

"Who are you to speak so, in this Hour and in this Place?"

"My Dear Brother Abbot Nectarion, your diocese is, I think, temporarily in my sphere; given the prolonged and lamented vacancy in the Ecumenical seat. Therefore I shall pronounce the Law of this Matter. The Deacon Theodossios has disobeyed his rightfully ordained Bishop, consecrated by God according to the Apostolic Succession, and moreover has put an old man to undertake a journey that has taxed him nigh to the end of his being.

As to the latter, he breaks Christ's Law of Love, as all but Christ has done; repentance is in order, and I would hope the Abbot will forgive him, in fact I sense he may already have done so. I will leave that matter in the Abbot's hands.

But as to the former, it concerns the ordering of the Church. Discipline must be maintained, order preserved, precedents must not be set..."

But as he spoke these words, Macarias's voice failed him, and recalling the many "precedents" set in his own youth, the shame of hypocrisy fell upon him.

He paused, to gather his thoughts.

"My duty in the Church is clear: to order punishment; the Deacon removed from his order; the man flogged as an example to others. I should give the order. Yet I heed a small voice in my soul and hesitate to do so, in this Hour and in this Place!"

"Brother Nectarion, I would hear more from you on this matter. Tell me more of this Deacon, leave nothing out!"

I hear you, Your Beatitude, and I am truly thankful! the abbot answered, after he graciously accepted a cup of clear water from a young apprentice. As it was not my intention to trouble the Synod with my short comings, I truly see for the wisdom your request shows.

The abbot stood tall and tried a severe look upon the procrastinated man lying in front of the eikonostásion, but he found it hard. The joy a father of seeing him alive must have surely softened the resolve of the firm hard of the shepherd.

Your Beatitudes, and Holy Fathers of the Church, I have not dared of hoping in speaking to you all, but I am old enough already to know unknown are the ways of the Lord, and when He decides to reveal to us, the sinners, Heaven doors open to the eyes willing to see. Your Beatitude asks me to pass good judgment unto the young lying in front of us, and, from what we all heard - and I bear witness as his confessor since he was but a child he kept nothing hidden - to choose between enthusiasm, as foolish as it may be, and the letter of the Law. I honor your high opinion of me, Your Beatitude, and Holy Fathers, but I must disappoint you all. And for this I ask for your forgiveness.

Nectarion closed his eyes for a second, as if asking for strength somewhere high above, for what he had in mind could be as easy as mean the ending of the entire bishopric.

Instead, Your Beatitudes, and Holy Fathers, and all who listen and sit in this blessed assembly, I dare to ask you all, and also in answering to the question of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Antioch: where is the Church of the Apostles, as Christ Himself has set It? Where is now the Church of the Ecumenical Synods? Where is now the eagerness and the fierce Love for Truth of Saint Apostle Paul, in taking the Logos to the darkest places of the earth? Do we lay in content and congratulate ourselves for keeping the Canons, untouched and unchallenged, as the whole world around us collapses? Do not think that there, at the edge of the Empire, we have forgotten the Law, or that news do not reach us. It has been years now since the City himself, the pride of the entire world, and the Seat of most power, is vacant. The city of Constantine, of Chrysostom, of Photion, lies unguarded. I've walked the streets, I've seen and heard the gnostics preaching abominable things without fear. I've heard news from the Holy Lands about Christians slaughtered and the Holy Places desecrated by barbarians. Of the West, what can I say? The Holy See of Peter forgotten and left barren, bishops ruling their small communities without guidance or hope. We fight daily the barbarians coming to take not but we don't have - great wealth or lavishing stocks - but our souls and children. We fight, and we are like sheep among wolves, as Christ has taught us, and we keep alive the Light of Faith, but we can't be just islands in a sea of hopelessness. Look at this young man, defeated by his sin in front of us all. Is he a victim of his time, or of his own misplaced judgment? He dreams of great deeds and changing the world into a better place. How can I find him blame where ourselves failed at? He spent his most beautiful years in reading about Origenes, and Tertulianus, and all the Heroes of the Faith, and he has found himself unable to follow on their path. I know, the ways of Pater Anthony, the Saint of the desert, are closed to him. It is not the age, but his calling to be a fighter for Christ, not an askitis, but I dare asking you all. What does our Church need more at this Hour, at this Place?

Nectarion paused, as if to slow his heartbeats, for the demon of eloquence prevailed over wisdom. He smiled, with a guilty face. I confess myself, dear brothers, I have allowed myself say more than I have intended. But I know this beloved fool since childhood, and no matter how much he read from the Holy Fathers of the Church, he still did not change. He would rather go and face a hundred barbarians but with a word and a Bible, than reading the Catisma I have ordered him. But he'll beat me at any hour of day and night in an exigisi on St. Maximus the Confessor about the Aristotelian's way of argumentation on the matter of un-created energeia.

I thank again His Beatitude Macarias for the trust he has placed upon me in having a saying on the matter at hand. But I am only an old abbot from a border monastery, and find myself not able, as the weaknesses of a soft heart and the bitterness of what we daily suffer prevail in front of the letter of the Law. I only place my deepest hope that His Beatitude will find mercy in his heart, not only for the young man who answered the Grace and admitted his sin, but also for the abbot who forgot his place and spoke only out of his heart. the abbot ended, with a last loving and encouraging smile for the young Theodossios.

Macarias listened attentively to the Abbot, but the mention of St. Maximus brought to mind a pressing issue that had troubled him for more than twenty years.

Seemingly oblivious to the crowd, or indeed any other present, Macarias fired a question at the young Deacon: "Explain the respective teachings of St. Maximus the Confessor and St. Photios the Great on the subject of the Western teaching called Filioque!"

Theodossios gathered all the strenght he was capable:

The rationality of the world is given by the reasons (logoi) seeded by the Logos. For St. Maximus, as we know, the logos of what exists represents the principle and its essential reason, in fact, what fundamentally defines it and describes it, and it represents its finality – in short – its reason in the two folded meanings. The principle to exist and the its finality are therefore into God, and thus the meaning of Logos bears also a spiritual meaning. The fact that everything that exists bears a corresponding Logos leads to the diveristy of the created world and the singularity of any created being to be founded into God. This valorisation of particularity, which actually conserves the independence and the individual existence of the created being, in clear opposition to the Platonic conception according to which „particularity” represents a fall from „universality”. Ideas, that is. And, of course, as Holy Fathers here present need not to be told about, anything which exists holds in the same time a logos which places it to a gender (genos), species (eidos), which defines its essence (ousia) or nature (physis). That being of course logos tes physeos (the fundamental logos of nature). And, of course, there are all the other logoi, defining the what is related to constitution (krasis), power, energeia, passion, and its individuality related to quantity, quality, relation, time and place, position, movement, and also other logoi defining its multiple qualities – in opposition of course to the single qualities I have just mentioned. Acording to these logoi, all that exists – and again, we are talking here about the created world – bears order and perpetuality, and do not stray from its natural trait, and do not change into something else, and do not mix. Some logoi fulfill a particularity function – for things to not be confounded, while others fulfill an unifying function, in order for the world to reach a supreme unity, in the world continuously to exist what St Maximus calls „an indivisible difference” and „an unmistakable particularity”. Yes, but the supreme unity of all the logoi is possible through the existence of the Logos Itself, the Word of God, Which is the beginning and the end of all Logoi, as being contained and subsiding in It, before everything that was created came to existence. Therefore, everything that exists was having its being – through its logos – virtually into God, before it was created.

Sofar I think I have proven enough the distance St. Maximus places from the Platonician point of view about creatures. The virtual existence of the beings before their existence through logoi places the Saint directly to the heritage of Aristotle’s Metaphysics, where talking about potentiality (dynamis) and actuality (entelecheia). And of course Aristotle’s theory about the universal, according to which there are no universals that are unattached to existing things. If a universal exists, then there must have been, must be currently, or must be in the future, something on which the universal can be predicated. And that’s precisely what St. Maximus uses in explaining the reasons of beings as existing into God, before time or any other creation.

But the beauty, as the humble me sees it, lies in what actually St. Maximus implies through this, although it does not expresses it as such. We know, again, what St. Maximus said: ALL thinking denotes multitude or dyad at any rate, because it is a relation in the middle of certain extremes, conjoining the one who thinks with what is being thought. And none of them by nature saves simplicity entirely, since the one who thinks is some subject, having necessarily as a constituent the power of thinking. And what is being thought is at any rate a subject or into a subject, having as a constituent the potentiality of being thought or having underlying the essence of that, of which itself is the power. There isn’t any being at all, that is in itself a simple essence or mind, so that to be also indivisibly one. But God, whether we may call him essence, He doesn’t have by his nature as a constituent the power of being thought, because He is not composite. Also, the Saint said: God can participate in what He reveals, but HE remains uncognoscible in His Essence which does not reveal. Well. How come these two different approaches stand in the same time?

Theodossios took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts and realising this can very easy be called heresy, in these confuse times of dogmatic discourse.

The Fathers of the Church have long tried to convincingly express the difference between WORK (energeia) and ESSENCE (ousia). St. Basilios the Great talks about us being able to know God through His energeia, not by His ousia and St. Dionysos of Areopag refers so beautifully about the ‚rays of deity’ flowing to us, which are not the Deity Itself, but the single way we can perceive It, like the rays of the sun testify about the sun. Its fundamental for our Church to preach the apophatic knowledge of God, rather by expressing the incognoscible, than the cognoscible of God. But St. Maximus refers directly to the work of God – creation - in direct relation with His ousia, for what else is the Logos? The single difference, Holy Fathers, lies not between energeia and ousia, because God is simple, as the Holy Church teaches us, but the difference between what is created and what is not-created. For if everything that exists in this world has its primary and fundamental reason – as I have shown before – in something outside its being, God bears all the reasons of what ever existed or will ever exist, including Himself.[/color] Theodossios gasped and signed himself with the sign of the cross, for that was beyond boldness. And if God is simple, meaning ousia and energeia are One, and the created world has also energeia and ousia, but in conjunction – ousia in God, through logoi, and energeia in existence, different energeia are the next logical step. Created and not. And I truly believe that was St. Maximus was implying with the logoi as emanating from the Logos, in clearly stating this fundamental and ontological difference. Which places us already into a totally separate context, when approaching the matter of filioque.

Theodossios paused, trying to perceive some reaction on the faces as carved on stone staring at him. But he was beyond any point of prudence, or care, even.

What St. Photion stated, and beyond doubt, lies for me in perfect agreement with what I have trid to explain. For Filioque denies first the simplicity of God in Its ousia and second, it imposes hierarchy inside the Trinity. Of course, the moment when St. Photion took action against this heresy, he was not aware of the works of Augustine, who allegedly provided the ideas for the argumentation of the Spaniards in favor of this doctrine, otherwise he would have understood the unfortunate twisting the words of Augustine have been subject to. Nevertheless, his reasoning remains strong and utterly implacable. For if the Son also emanates the Holy Ghost, then we are dealing with both Son’s and Father’s energeia, not ousia, and thus makes the Holy Ghost having its primary and fundamental reason to exist somewhere else, and thus being created energeia, instead of non-created one. And God, as Trinity, is no longer simple, but composed, and without unity in Trinity we have not only One True God, but several. And that’s as St. Photion called it, it’s simply paganism. Indeed, having two causes instead of one for existence, sends to politheism. For what the defenders of Filioque fail to understand is that the Father does not create another ousia, but shares His own, by giving birth to the Son and proceeding the Holy Ghost, but ousia remains One and undiminished by birth or proceeding. And well, by quoting St. Gregory of Nazians, the Saint affirms that having two causes, or principles instead of one in the Holy Trinity, this results in decomposing the Trinity, Who, as the Sinods have once and for all have laid down for us, is One Ousia in Three Ipostasis (Persons).

Theodossios looked frightened at the moment, but thought to make the best out of it.

Forgive me, Your Beatitude, for my long speech in in front of the greatest minds of the Church, but it was not the pride, but the desire to learn what you holy fathers perceive of all these, for Father Nectarion always recited me what Christ said: Ask, and you shall be answered, instead of „Have faith, and search not”.

Macarias listened carefully to the exposition, then responded.

"Considering the Church Fathers, I have often thought how interesting it will be when those who have not met in this World do finally meet in the next. And perhaps when St. Maximus, St. Photios and St. Augustine the Blessed meet for the first time, it will be as you say. Nevertheless, I find the teaching interesting, convincing in several respects, and certainly it evidences my own preference to sail close to the wind: we should not be Pharisees and build a hedge around the Law!"

"Well do we know of the Spanish error in doctrine; aye even our Brothers in the Papal throne recognise it as error in the context of the Creed. St. Photios is especially rigorous and clear in making the doctrinal point. But consider now another perspective: What is to be done? How did the error arise? Was it simply the Devil's work, or a more human muddle? Why does it persist? How can we bring our Western brothers to the truth?"

Macarias paused, and then, with a wry grin, added a second question...

"Oh, and since you seem to know so much for one so young, what can you tell me of St. Macrina the Younger?"

Far away of this meeting the Muslim leader of Sicily was thinking...
Haw can eat, and dress himself with fancy clothes a man of the Christian world who call himself a follower of God when it is so much poverty in the world ...

. .

when he could only dress a white dress,just to cover himself...
.

.

( of all pictures on the world you found it picture with God damn microphone!)

Thedossios bowed his head. The mockery of the Patriarch pierced him like a sting, but he understood quite well it was meant to humble rather than to hurt. The mind of the Patriarch was rolling at fast pace from corner to corner, making one hard to follow. Macrina, Macrina, the young man thought. What's the connection with the bloody filioque? !And the Younger, this means there has to be an older...

I wouldn't dare venture into explaining the reasons, Your Beatitude, behind this doctrinal attempt of a change. Nor do I even hope to propose - with so great many minds coming together - a course of action. Your Beatitude has asked, and I have obeyed.

But Theodossios' face lit to a wide smile, forgetting everything that has happened in these past hours, for a blessed, playful thought has crossed his mind. But I know what I'd do, provided the desire for reconciliation truly exists in our souls. Trying to mimic the Patriarch's grin, he fired back: When the water meets a too strong rock in its path, it takes around it, and encircles it.

As for the St. Macaria, Your Beatitude, I know the Church does not encourage any longer the monastical system the Saint has established in her days, with the help of her Saint brothers.

"You are wise for one so young, to choose not to answer such a question; I cannot without hypocrisy insist upon an answer, and so I shall not. And you are right too to hope for an answer."

"As for Macrina, she chose to serve the Lord with a life of poverty, and such severe poverty that when she died she had only the clothes on her body, and nothing could be found for a funereal vestment. And so the Cappadokian Father Gregory of Nyssa, who was her brother and attended her deathbed, gave order that his sister, who was very great Saint, should be shrouded in linens from his Episcopal wardrobe."

"That whole family was filled with the love of the Lord: St. Macrina the Matriarch, St. Basil the Elder, St. Emily, St. Macrina the Younger, St. Basil the Great, St. Naucratius, St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Peter of Sebaste are those who are remembered and venerated to this day. Now it may be that today the Church does not approve of the way of life they came to, which was chiefly the work of Macrina the Younger and her brother Peter, but in the face of faith such as theirs we should be open to the possibility that it is they who are right and we who are wrong!"

"I do not ask you to answer that last; at least not now, and I am done with my questions, but perhaps others are not?"

Macarias looked around, at the people and at the assembled clergy, seeming almost to notice them for the first time since Nectarion's intrusion.