Savvas Bournelis (MDiv) | Malone University (original) (raw)

Papers by Savvas Bournelis (MDiv)

A paper I wrote in Pastoral Care class at Seminary.

Orthodox parishes typically only read a few small extracts from the 7 th Ecumenical Council's 'Sy... more Orthodox parishes typically only read a few small extracts from the 7 th Ecumenical Council's 'Synodical Decree', also called the Synodikon of Orthodoxy. The full Synodikon was further expanded at the 9 th Ecumenical Council, and in its fullness contains 1) anathemas against various heretics/heresies, as well as joyfully proclaiming "Many Years!" and "Memory Eternal!" to those who defended the Orthodox Faith against heresies. So, as we can see, the Triumph of Orthodoxy touches upon many interrelated topics: the nature of Councils, the authority of Bishops, presuppositions for obedience, and the danger of Heresy. With these in mind, it is appropriate especially for us today to brush up our understanding of these topics because many Orthodox Christians-including clergy!-have lost a true Orthodox phronema (mindset/attitude) due to falling under the influence of secular Relativism and Westernization. It appears that the ultimate intent of promoting erroneous understandings of these topics by false teachers and prophets in the name of Orthodoxy is to incrementally lead the faithful to be more susceptible to embracing the apparently imminent false union with Roman Catholicism, and perhaps other religions too, which like in the 15 th century at the false Union of Florence was not a unity based on the Heterodox repenting of their heresy and

Wrote this in seminary...

Suppose our government would adopt the idea of friendships carrying a marital status. In order to... more Suppose our government would adopt the idea of friendships carrying a marital status. In order to create a friendship with somebody, you had to acquire the government's permission. If the relationship went south, you likewise would need the government's permission. This would be ridiculous, and we all understand why: friendships do not affect the common good in structured ways that would require it to be legally regulated. Why then, does the government regulate marriage? To answer that, we must understand what marriage is. Before marriage was redefined in 2015, marriage has been universally recognized as the union of a man and woman. The logic was simple: marriage is a community, and a community is formed by three characteristics: 1) The actions the community engages in (coitus), 2) the goods/results their actions are ordered toward (procreation) and, 3) their commitment to sustain the goods/results of their actions (permanency and exclusivity). Because of the potential for childbearing, the government regulated marriage in order to promote monogamy, exclusivity, and permanency, knowing that these marital norms, on average, best serve any child. Thus, the government regulates marriage because it first and foremost cares about children. Adult benefits come second. Yet, in recent years our culture has challenged this and redefined marriage simply as any emotional bond between two consenting adults. However, if marriage is just an emotional bond, neither state regulation or marital norms make any sense. There is no reason that requires a mere emotional union to be permanent, or limited to two persons, or even sexual. All that the government is doing at this point is regulating human emotions. The danger to this is that redefining marriage opens up a Pandora's box to unlimited possible types of unions all for the sake of serving the desires of adults at the expense of the needs of children. Surely, we have seen the consequences when we tamper with marriage to serve the desires of adults over the needs of children before. In 1970, No Fault Divorce was legalized. No Fault Divorce meant that one partner could file for divorce without having to prove any fault on the other partner. Prior to this, if couples sought divorce they had to give one of three legitimate reasons for divorce known as the Three Big As': adultery, abuse, or abandonment. When No Fault Divorce was introduced, our strong marital culture collapsed. This in turn created fragmented families and fatherless homes. It is no wonder that in the years following its legalization we saw a rise in cohabitation, teen pregnancy, the dependency on the Welfare State, crime, prison population, child poverty-all leading to the decrease in general social mobility. Before No Fault Divorce, these issues were very low in percentages. But after its legalization, it proved just how important fathers really are, as 40+ years of robust social science has consistently proven that a father's presence, for example, decreases the chance of his son's delinquent behavior and his daughter's likelihood of teen pregnancy.

Written during the era of the Covidism heresy, which still seems to be an issue nowadays.

is the icon of the Protestant Reformation. One novel idea he invented that was never imagined by ... more is the icon of the Protestant Reformation. One novel idea he invented that was never imagined by Christians for 1,500 years before him was Sola Fide or Saved by Faith Alone. He was so adamant in this heresy he went on to state "if the doctrine of justification is lost, the whole of Christian doctrine is lost." 2 Because of Luther's insistence of being saved by faith alone, he inserted the word "alone" after the word "faith" in Romans 3:28. The irony of this is that while Luther believed being faithful to the Scriptures to be very important he in fact was not faithful to it in this matter because the word "alone" is not found in the original Greek. 3 We should also note, "Ironically, the only place "faith alone" (or sometimes "faith only") appears as a phrase in the New Testament is in James 2:24: 'You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.' James also says, in 2:17: "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.")." 4 In short, "The definitive focus in Protestant soteriology is the calling upon the name of the Lord by faith, which leads to the glorious exchange, in which the sins of the sinner are imputed to Jesus Christ the Savior and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to the believing sinner." 5 When man is saved by faith alone, God puts on or clothes us with His righteousness. It should be noted that for Luther, "Imputation is a change in legal status, but not 5

This is my final paper I wrote in Smeinary for a class on the Book of Psalms

In this paper I demonstrate how the Divine Liturgy is an anamnesis or 'making present in the here... more In this paper I demonstrate how the Divine Liturgy is an anamnesis or 'making present in the here and now' the Mystical Last Supper of Jesus Christ.

When a child is initiated into the Orthodox Church they receive three Mysteries back-to-back: Bap... more When a child is initiated into the Orthodox Church they receive three Mysteries back-to-back: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist. The Orthodox have observed this ancient Christian practice while the Christian West eventually separated the unity of these three Mysteries, restricting Chrismation and the Eucharist to the so-called 'age of reason'. This paper will explore and defend the historical and theological basis of the unity of these three Mysteries.

One of the biggest reasons our youth leave the Church is because Christ is not at the center of t... more One of the biggest reasons our youth leave the Church is because Christ is not at the center of their lives.

In my fifth year of Seminary I was tasked in a Liturgical Greek class to translate into English o... more In my fifth year of Seminary I was tasked in a Liturgical Greek class to translate into English only the odd-numbered Odes of the first Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord and God Jesus Christ written by St. John Mavropous the Ascetic Bishop of Euchaita. It is possible this is the first time a partial English translation of this precious Canon has been made available to the English-speaking world. St. John is commemorated on October 3 in the Orthodox Church. This is still undergoing revisions to offer a cleaner and more accurate translation. You can read about St. John's life here: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/10/saint-john-mauropous-metropolitan-of.html

This was a paper I wrote for a class I took in Seminary.

This is an article I wrote for St. Haralambos' August Koinonia edition.

In this paper, I argue that Sola Fide was formulated as the result of low social welfare, Luther’... more In this paper, I argue that Sola Fide was formulated as the result of low social welfare, Luther’s inheritance of Roman Catholic soteriology, application of various other religious/political climates of opinion, and misinterpretation of Holy Scripture.

Herein, I will not say anything of my own opinion. Rather, “... following the royal pathway and t... more Herein, I will not say anything of my own opinion. Rather, “... following the royal pathway and the divinely inspired authority of our Holy Fathers and the traditions of the Catholic Church (for, as we all know, the Holy Spirit indwells her)...” (- 7th Ecumenical Council) I will present the teachings of the Orthodox Christian Church that are the cure to the illness of racism. First, I will explain the theology of the person - how we are made and how this points to our telos in life. Second, I will offer an explanation of the passions, two of which - anger and malice - are deeply rooted in racism which must be healed. Finally, I will offer the cure to the virus of racism - namely, Divine Love - which the dispassionate man acquires through repentance - being filtered of their passions and being filled with the purifying, deifying, illumining energies of God’s grace through the Church’s ascetical, liturgical and sacramental ethos. In sum, the therapeutic method of the Church ultimately leads us to acquiring Divine Love - the cure for the virus of racism.

In this paper I demonstrate how the Sacrament of Holy Confession has a biblical basis and is a tr... more In this paper I demonstrate how the Sacrament of Holy Confession has a biblical basis and is a true Christian practice which was taught and handed down to us by the original 12 apostles themselves. The witness of Early Christian literature adds weight to the authenticity of this Sacrament. (See also the Council of Trullo).

The Bolsheviks disbanded monastic communities and confiscated monastery property as a matter of o... more The Bolsheviks disbanded monastic communities and confiscated monastery property as a matter of official policy, but the ultimate fate of each spanned a whole spectrum: martyrdom, exile, labor camps, clandestine struggle for monastics, and the destruction or repurposing of monastic holdings as agricultural communes, museums, or in the best case, parish churches.

A paper I wrote in Pastoral Care class at Seminary.

Wrote this in seminary...

Written during the era of the Covidism heresy, which still seems to be an issue nowadays.

This is my final paper I wrote in Smeinary for a class on the Book of Psalms

This was a paper I wrote for a class I took in Seminary.

This is an article I wrote for St. Haralambos' August Koinonia edition.

The Divine Liturgy is a family banquet. When the Jews ate the Passover Lamb, only Jews were permi... more The Divine Liturgy is a family banquet. When the Jews ate the Passover Lamb, only Jews were permitted to eat of it. The Jews were God's Chosen People whom He established a covenantal relationship with. They were His Church. Jesus Christ as the Pre-incarnate God specifically told Moses and the Jews that non-Jews were not permitted to eat of it, unless they were circumcised first (Exodus 12); circumcision was the way a person became grafted onto the Jewish religion and received their identity as part of God's chosen people, God's spiritual family, also known as the Old Covenant. It was the initiatory rite. Circumcision prophesied or foretold of the New Covenant/Christian initiation process via Baptism in which a person becomes grafted onto the Body of Christ-the Church-and receives their identity as belonging to Christ's Church, Christ's chosen people, sons and daughters of God by grace (Matthew 26, 1 Peter 3, Collosians 2). The Old Convent Passover Lamb likewise prophesied or foretold of the New Covenant Passover Lamb-the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). Christ gave His Body and Blood only to His believing disciples who were members of His Church, just like the Old Testament lamb was only given to the Chosen People of God, the Old Israel, and not to the uninitiated (non-Jews). The Church continues this today by reserving the Eucharist-the New Passover Lamb-to the initiated members of the Body of Christ, which is the Orthodox Church. Now, to answer the question more directly, if Jesus would commune the non-Orthodox (i.e., the non-initiated, heterodox)... Jesus told the disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit Who would teach them all things and bring to their memory all that He Himself (Jesus) taught them. In other words, the teachings of the disciples were the teachings of Jesus (Jn. 14 and 16).

Compiled by Savvas Bournelis St. Nikodemos Hagiorite: "I find some four characteristic features o... more Compiled by Savvas Bournelis St. Nikodemos Hagiorite: "I find some four characteristic features of OEcumenical Council… The chief distinguishing feature of all OEcumenical Councils is the fact that they are convoked at the behest, not of the Pope or of such and such a patriarch, but by imperial orders. "Second, that there be discussion concerning the Faith, and thereafter the exposition of a decision and a dogmatic decree [horos], which followed every single one of the OEcumenical Councils… "Third, that all dogmas and canons laid out thereby be Orthodox, pious, and concordant with the divine Scriptures or the previous OEcumenical Councils… "Fourth and last, that all Orthodox patriarchs and prelates of the Catholic Church agree and accept everything that has been decreed and ordained by the OEcumenical Councils, either by their personal presence or by their own legate or, in the absence of such a representative, by their letters." 1 St. Mark of Ephesus: "In all things, therefore, following the seven holy ecumenical councils and the divine wisdom of the fathers who shone in them, "I believe in one God…" Accepting and defending with all my soul this sacred instruction and symbol of faith, which was promulgated by the first and second of the councils and was reaffirmed and reinforced by the rest of them, I acknowledge and salute, in addition to the aforementioned seven councils, also the council that was convoked after them by the pious Basil, emperor of the Romans, and by the most holy patriarch Photius, called the Eighth Council, which, is in the presence of the accredited lieutenants of John the most blessed pope of elder Rome, namely, Paul and Eugenius the bishops and Peter the presbyter and cardinal, confirmed and proclaimed the seventh ecumenical council and decreed that it should be put alongside those that had preceded it. It restored the most holy Photius to the throne that belonged to him, and, just as the preceding ecumenical councils had done, it condemned and anathematized those who presumed to innovate any addition to, subtraction from, or tampering with the previously formulated creed, 'If anyone,' it says, 'goes beyond this sacred creed, has dared to compose or propose another one, or to take away from it, and to call this a definition of the faith, let him be condemned and excluded from all Christian confession.' In a letter to the most holy Photius, Pope John spoke more amply and clearly about this addition to the symbol. This council also promulgated canons, which are found in all the books of canons. Judging, in accordance with the decrees of this council and of those that preceded it, that the sacred symbol of the faith must be preserved as it was promulgated, accepting those who they accept and rejecting those whom they reject, I shall never receive into Council, congregated at Constantinople for the pacification of the Eastern and Western Churches… Some of the Bishops of that City, styled Popes, for example Leo III and John VIII, did indeed, as has been said, denounce the innovation, and published the denunciation to the world, the former by those silver plates, the latter by his letter to the holy Photius at the Eighth Ecumenical Council, and another to Sphendopulcrus, by the hands of Methodius, Bishop of Moravia." 7 Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos: "OEcumenical Councils have three things in common. First, they concern themselves with determining dogmatic matters. Second, they were convoked by Emperors. The third is that all the local churches participate… Consequently, the OEcumenical Councils constitute the highest authority in the Church, and although they are convoked by the emperor, nevertheless they are charismatic events, since in reality the gravity of the OEcumenical Councils is defined by the great dogmatic issues with which they deal and by the participation of great Fathers or by the teaching of the Fathers on which they base themselves. Besides, the Fathers of the Church who reached theosis were enlightened by the Holy Spirit because they were in a spiritual state such as to be receptive of divine enlightenment… In conclusion, the council of 879-880 has all the prerequisites for being called the Eighth OEcumenical. As such it has been accepted by the conscience of the Orthodox Church, because (among other things) it had as its president a great Father of the Church, Saint Photius the Great, it was convoked by an emperor, all local churches were present, even the Church of Rome, and it also dealt with serious theological and ecclesiological issues, and it was this council that recognised the council of 787 as the Seventh OEcumenical." 8 Fr. John Romanides: "The Nine Roman OEcumenical Councils were convened by the Roman Emperor, beginning with Constantine the Great, in coordination with the Roman Patriarchates of Elder Rome, New Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and finally Jerusalem by 451. These Councils are (1) Nicea 325, (2) Constantinople 381, (3) Ephesus 431, (4) Chalcedon 451, (5) Constantinople 553, (6) Constantinople 680, (7) Nicea 786/7, (8) Constantinople 879 and (9) Constantinople 1341. We have here Eight OEcumenical Councils which were promulgated as Roman Law by the signature of the Emperor after their minutes had been signed by the Five Roman Patriarchates and their Metropolitans and bishops. Then we have the Ninth OEcumenical Council of 1341, whose minutes were signed by only Four Roman Patriarchates and countersigned by the Roman Emperor. Gone was now the Patriarchate of Elder Rome which had been forcefully captured by the Franks, Lombards, Germans and with the help of the Normans… The

By Patrick Barnes, available for download at: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/church.aspx

This course focuses on how to live as an Orthodox Christian every day with the aim of becoming a ... more This course focuses on how to live as an Orthodox Christian every day with the aim of becoming a glorified Saint. Particularly, participants will take a deep-dive into the ascetic, neptic, and mystical Tradition of the Orthodox Church as taught and lived by Jesus Christ and His ancient and modern-day Saints.

All classes begin at 6 pm and meet at St. Haralambos' GOYA room. Class Days are subject to change... more All classes begin at 6 pm and meet at St. Haralambos' GOYA room. Class Days are subject to change if deemed necessary by the Instructor.

St. Basil the Great: "Anyone who is capable of speaking the truth but remains silent, will be hea... more St. Basil the Great: "Anyone who is capable of speaking the truth but remains silent, will be heavily judged by God, especially in this case, where the faith and the very foundation of the entire church of the Orthodox is in danger. To remain silent under these circumstances is to betray these, and the appropriate witness belongs to those that reproach (stand up for the faith)." 1 St. Paisios of Mount Athos: "You see people abusing and reviling holy and sacred things and others not saying anything. Being meek on such an occasion is demonic." 2 St. Nikodemos of Mount Athos: "If the discussion and the question proposed is about the Faith and the Traditions of our Church, then even the most meek and quiet and peace-loving person must fight and defend these matters." 3 St. Meletios the Confessor: "He who keeps silent about the truth keeps Christ in the tomb... to keep silent about the right Faith is truly a great danger, which leads to eternal punishment and the pit of perdition. It is not right, it is not lawful, it is not fitting for those of right belief to be silent at all when those eager to promote deception and error violate the laws of God. Where God is at stake, says one of the great Fathers [St. Gregory the Theologian], and the forces of harm and destruction are aimed directly against Him, what faithful Christian can keep silent? Who can be at peace at all? For silence betokens acquiescence. It is better to stand up to those who do not think aright than to follow them in their errors, separating ourselves from God and uniting ourselves to them." 4 St. Justin the Philosopher: "... everyone who can speak the truth, and yet speaks it not, shall be judged by God, as God testified by Ezekiel, when He said, 'I have made you a watchman to the house of Judah. If the sinner sin, and you warn him not, he himself shall die in his sin; but his blood will I require at your hand. But if you warn him, you shall be innocent.'" 5 St. John Chrysostom: "If it is not safe for one to stay aloof when a man is being wronged, of what punishment will he not be worthy who keeps silent and looks the other way when the Divine Laws are being affronted?" 6 St. Gabriel Urgebadze the holy Fool for Christ: "When they are blaspheming your faith and you stay silent, you become worse than that blasphemer." 7 St. Gregory the Theologian: "For we are not as the many, able to corrupt 2 Corinthians 2:16-17 the word of truth, and mix the wine, Isaiah 1:22 which makes glad the heart of man, with water, mix, that is, our doctrine with what is common and cheap, and debased, and stale, and tasteless, in order to turn the adulteration to our profit, and accommodate ourselves to those who meet us, and curry favor with everyone, becoming ventriloquists and chatterers, who serve their own pleasures by words uttered from the earth, and sinking into the earth, and, to gain the special good will of the multitude, injuring in the highest degree, nay, ruining ourselves, and shedding the innocent blood of simpler souls, which will be required at our hands." 8 St. John Maximovitch: "A search for compromise will be the characteristic state of the people's faith. Directness of confession will vanish. People will subtly justify their fall… People will grow used to apostatizing from the truth and will be accustomed to the sweetness of compromise." 9 St. Benjamin of Petrograd: "The reasoning of some, perhaps outstanding pastors is strange: 'We have to preserve our living forces,' that is, give into everyone for their sake! Then what is Christ for? It is not the not the Platonovs and the Chuprins and the Benjamins and those like them who save the Church, but Christ. That point on which they are trying to stand is destruction for the Church-it is wrong to sacrifice the Church for oneself. Now is the time of trial. People are sacrificing everything for the sake of political convictions... Cannot we Christians display a similar courage even unto death if we have some faith in Christ and the life of the age to come?" 10 13 See St. Hermogenes of Tobolsk the Hieromartyr as cited in "Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Bishop Of Tobolsk And Those With Him," orthodox.net, Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Bishop Of Tobolsk And Those With Him (orthodox.net). 12 See St. Mark of Ephesus "Letter to George Scholarios part 2," as cited in "Saint Mark of Ephesus and the False Union," scottrobertharrington.wordpress.com, Saint Mark of Ephesus and the false union of Florence.

The authority and reliability of the Holy Church Fathers & Saints: "The Holy Fathers attained the... more The authority and reliability of the Holy Church Fathers & Saints: "The Holy Fathers attained the goal: salvation… Heaven received the Holy Fathers into its blessed bosom. By this it gave witness that it was well-pleased by their thoughts, feelings and deeds… The writings of the Holy Fathers were all set down by the inspiration or under the influence of the Holy Spirit… He who is guided by them, without any doubt, is guided by the Holy Spirit…. The Holy Fathers teach how to approach the Gospel, how to read it, how to understand it properly, what contributes to and what hinders comprehending it. Therefore, at the beginning concern yourself more with reading the Holy Fathers. When they have taught you how to read the Gospel, then, in preference, read the Gospel. Do not imagine that reading of the Gospel alone is sufficient for you, without reading the Fathers. This is a proud and dangerous thought. It is better to let the Holy Fathers lead you to the Gospel as their beloved child, receiving your preliminary upbringing and education through their writings… Reading of the Fathers' writings is the parent and king of all virtues. From reading of the Fathers' writings we learn true understanding of Holy Scripture, the true faith, living according to the Gospel commandments, the deep reverence, which we must have for the Gospel commandments-in short, salvation and Christian perfection… Reading of the Holy Fathers must be careful, attentive, and constant… With improper reading of the Holy Scriptures and Holy Fathers, you can easily wander from the way of salvation into impassable thickets and deep pits, which, indeed, has happened to many."-St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, "On Reading the Holy Fathers"

The fast has been beneficially instituted for the healing of soul and body."-St. Leo 7. FASTING S... more The fast has been beneficially instituted for the healing of soul and body."-St. Leo 7. FASTING STRENGTHENS US TO FAST FROM SIN: "Let us fast an acceptable and very pleasing fast to the Lord. True fasting is the estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue, abstinence from anger, separation from desires, slander, falsehood and perjury. Privation of these is true fasting."-St. Basil the Great 8. FASTING IS SPIRITUAL EXERCISE: "No Christian became holy without ascetic exercises [i.e., fasting, prostrations, vigils etc.]. No one can ascend to spirituality without exercising himself. These things must be done… Let our food be more simple, and let's not occupy ourselves so much with it."-St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia 9. FASTING PROTECTS US FROM SIN & GIVES PEACE TO THE SOUL: "Fasting and self-control are a double wall of defense and whoever lives within them enjoys great peace."-St. Gregory Palamas

A presentation I gave last year at my home parish

A look at how various modern-day temptations are paving the path and conditioning humanity to acc... more A look at how various modern-day temptations are paving the path and conditioning humanity to accept the reign of The Antichrist

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Fr. Nick for giving ... more In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Fr. Nick for giving me the blessing to speak tonight. As we continue to celebrate the glorious Feast of the Priest-Martyr Haralambos, we are reminded that, although we may not all be called to a literal martyrdom by physically dying for the Faith, we are nonetheless called to be Martyrs in the spiritual sense of the term. According to the Holy Fathers, we are attacked on a daily basis by the Demons who try to force us into sacrificing our soul to the idols of our sinful passions. This constitutes persecution.

The Jesus Prayer is medicine for the soul!

Watch the Presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK--po3iW1Q

From a book I am writing.

From: 'Orthodox Psychotherapy'

From the Triodion volume published by Holy Apostles Convent

From a recently published book by Uncut Mountain Press "ANTICHRIST: THE FULFILLMENT OF GLOBALIZAT... more From a recently published book by Uncut Mountain Press "ANTICHRIST: THE FULFILLMENT OF GLOBALIZATION"