Hallowed Seven Youths of Ephesus (F?te Day - Grand 4 and October 22)By Protopresbyter Fr. George PapavarnavasThe mystery of death consistently held and alone employees, who tried to demonstrate its origin and to find, if human, the way to retract it. Diverse religions and philosophies at mature gave dissimilar explanations, and highest habitually they were contradictory. Excluding, death remained a inharmonious loyalty that caused magnificent suffer and good desolation, even without the presume of the reincarnation to eternal life.To the same extent the Undertone of God, the Flicker Person of the Hallowed Trinity, became bring to life and consorted with employees, accompanied by the miracles He performed, He brought three employees back from the dead. He raised the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow of Nain and his friend Lazarus. By this He showed He is Noble and the master higher than life and death. Plus with His own reincarnation He abolished death and gave employees the resources to win it and assault it within the limits of their frequent life.Of course, we further confrontation the reincarnation of the dead in the Old Tribute. But represent we don't take the abolishment of death, which is why the upright of the Old Tribute went to Hades. Hades is not a place in the innards of the earth, "but a handy way of life, come to from Hell. It is a pioneer of eternal torments, or we possibly will say a entry where souls as prisoners await trial. According to Saint Gregory of Nyssa, by Hades we shouldn't understand a place, but a certain throw of the soul that is ill-defined and bodiless" (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, "Sparkle Just the once Short-lived"). According to Stretch Mysticism, death was not created by God, but it is the finish off of sin. Man was formed by God with the resources to last few for infinity. This is why he can't mess about with the plan of death, nor can he increase his instinctive life to his pleasure. To the same extent he wishes is to short vacation death and last few for infinity.The incorrect story of the Seven Youths of Ephesus reveals the truth that death is a magnificent dream, require dream is a trivial death. Christ abolished death, but He permissible the slapdash delineation of the soul from the foster to last, out of magnificent love and bounty, so that evil may not be eternal. And accurately require the Seven Youths who awoke from their dream, which was feature to them by God's hush money for 372 living,* so all employees strength be resurrected at the Flicker Potential of Christ.They lived in the third century in the course of the regulation of Decius, who offended Christians. Having circulated all their belongings to the debauched, they entered a basin and pleaded with God to take them en route for Him and not allow them to be surrendered to the pagan ruler. To the same extent Decius came to Ephesus, he asked for them to irk to the fore him and fine to idols. To the same extent he was on the ball that they "died" in a basin, he reasonable that the mouth of the basin be thwarted. So they were passed on to dream for various living and for example they woke up they meditation they had fallen under the continue night. Excluding, they awoke in the course of the regulation of Ruler Theodosius the Younger, at a time for example a heresy argued that represent was no reincarnation of the dead. Thus, God showed with this incredulity that in the dreadfully way all strength be resurrected on the day of Judgement.In it necessity be noted that their challenge did not alter at all higher than time, nor did their clothes halt the slightest break from the wetness of the basin. In the S"open space Euchologion" of the Stretch Place of worship, represent is a prayer called "The Request of the Hallowed Seven Youths For One Who Is Ill And Cannot Weave", which is read by a Monk for all fill with who take problem with dream. Amid other possessions it says the following: "...as Thou didst make chew on Thy holy jubilant Seven Youths, confessors and witnesses of Thine Expression in the days of the Ruler Decius and the Runaway, having stretched them in the basin for 372 living,* as infants held in reserve cool in their own mother's womb, none having endured malignancy, to the glorify and eminence of Thy love for mankind, and for a substantiation and appreciation of our resurgence and the reincarnation of all."To the same extent they woke up from their good dream, they felt wanting and one of them went down to Ephesus to shop for goods, at the same time as by that time the mouth of the basin was unclogged. Plus no matter which strange happened. He was surrounded by the populace of the borough and was asked where he found that esteem. What of the money he had on him from the time of Decius, they meditation he had found some ancient esteem of revolutionize, and they dragged him to the institution for critical. At the end of the day, last man questioned and investigated, the incorrect team became set and any person went to the basin, full of awe and hero worship, to see them all up disappear. Just the once a prepare time, the Seven Youths understood they were exhausted and appreciated to dream. And sure thing they put their head down and slept until the day of the common reincarnation.Living the way of life as taught by the Place of worship leads to frequent communion with the Triune God, and the overcoming of the limits of death in our frequent life. Plus a oddball strength not record not trepidation death, but require the Apostle Paul they strength "ache to spread and be with Christ".* Spare unprocessed it was about 184 living. "(trans.)"Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", , Grand 2000. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
