As we embark on the second week of the 2024 Residency Program, the journey continues with a renewed sense of purpose and spiritual focus. This week is packed with opportunities for deep learning, reflection, and growth across various theological disciplines.
In the Orientation Session, Fr. Michel delivered an inspiring speech, highlighting the recent visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Theoclytos of the Holy Monastery of Meteora to the Middle East. He brought with him sacred relics, including the incorrupt hand of Saint John Chrysostom and the skull of Saint Panteleimon, symbols of peace, hope, and divine wisdom. Fr. Michel emphasized the importance of perseverance in both spiritual and academic pursuits, encouraging students to strive for the Patristic mind—a journey that involves healing the ethos and attaining true freedom through love for wisdom and knowledge. He reminded us that AHOS is committed to equipping students with a holistic education, grounded in spiritual depth and academic excellence.
Fr. Michel also drew a powerful connection between these sacred relics and the mission of AHOS, urging students to let these holy examples guide their own paths. Just as the saints dedicated their lives to faith, study, and the pursuit of divine wisdom, so too must the students of AHOS.
* The full text of Fr. Michel’s speech is provided below
Following the orientation, students engaged in a series of sessions designed to deepen their understanding and practice of faith. Liturgical Theology II sessions offered insights into the rich traditions of Orthodox worship, setting a strong foundation for the week ahead. Throughout the day, specialized sessions such as Tithing & Offering, Byzantine Chant, and Scripture II: New Testament allowed students to delve into specific aspects of their theological education, enhancing their spiritual and academic knowledge.
The day culminated in the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, a sacred moment that gathered everyone in worship and reflection, reinforcing the themes of perseverance and spiritual growth that Fr. Michel had emphasized.
Fr. Michel’s Orientation Speech
Your Grace Bishop Thomas Ahos spiritual Advisor
Rt. Rev. Fadi Rabbat Academic Dean
AHOS professors and Staff
His Eminence Metropolitan Theoclytos of the Holy Monastery of Meteora in Greece visited Balamand Monastery in Lebanon on August 22nd and then he went to Syria and visited his Beatitude Patriarch John the tenth and the monastery of Saydenia in the Patriarchate ofAntioch. He brought with him priceless relics of the Church of Antioch. Among these sacred relics were the imperishable hand of Saint John Chrysostom and the skull of Saint Panteleimon the Unmercenary healer. The Venerated holy relics, known for their remarkable preservation, were transported to bless the faithful in the Middle East, carrying a message of peace, hope, and love.
Prior to reaching the airport of Beirut Lebanon, Metropolitan Theoclytos lifted the hand of Saint John Chrysostom to bless the Middle East invoking peace, love and spiritual rejuvenation across the region. Saint John Chrysostom, the most revered saint from Antioch reposed on September 14, 407 AD. This incorrupt hand is profound evidence of receiving the uncreated energy of God. Also, the skull of Saint John Chrysostom, which is revered in Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, continues to serve as a sign of profound theological insight and holiness. The sacred skull, including the incorruptible ear, which is believed to have been used by the Apostle Paul to provide him withguidance in reading and interpreting Scripture, serves as evidence of his attentiveness and awareness of the Holy Spirit. Un direction of the Apostle Paul, Saint John Chrysostom not only der they attained holiness but also developed into a distinguished theologian,possessing the ability to engage in deep spiritual contemplation and discourse.
While residing in an asketerion, an isolated place for study above Antioch, Saint John Chrysostom dedicated himself to studying the epistles of Paul. He committed to memory a significant portion, if not the entirety, of the New Testament. This period of serious study and prayer was crucial to his development as a preacher and theologian, underscoring the emphasis the Fathers place on the diligent study of Biblical and Patristic works. There he established the famous School of Antioch.
Dear students
Perseverance is the force that supports every nous and every mind, bringing it back to life after being tainted by idleness and indolence and empowering it to strive for acquiring divine wisdom. Just as a good horse quickens its pace when mounted, so too does the mind, when motivated by reading and studying the Biblical and Patristic writing and singing and chanting the church hymns and the psalms, go ahead with force.
This will never happen without healing the ethos. The notion of ‘Orthodox Ethotherapy’ goes thoroughly into diagnosing and treating the ailments of the ethos (the character), identifying the origins of afflictions and prescribing the required road to healing. Cent ral to this practice directs Christians toward a profound knowledge of God. These stages of perfection are not static but dynamic, unfoldin throughout several levels of maturity. The Fathers of the Church explain this journey in terms of three stages:
- The stage of the slave,
- 2-The stage of the hireling,
- 3-The stage of the free.
In the first two stages, the ethos is characterized as heteronomous, governed by external motivations: dread of failure in the first stage and hope for success in the second. It is only at the third step, the stage of freedom, that . ethos is driven by true freedom. In this final step, Ethotherapy reveals the ethos of genuine freedom, when people are no longer motivated by fear or self-interest, but by a pure love for wisdom and knowledge.
Orthodox Ethotherapy will be achieved with unshakeable faith and tireless effort to acquire the patristic mind. This Patristic therapeutic technique is respected and incorporated by AHOS’ method of education. AHOS, in its constant dedication, seeks to equip students of the academic program with a holistic education, emphasized by spiritual depth and uprightness.
His Eminence. Metropolitan Saba wants you to become a beacon of light embarking on the journey of higher education, nurturing both your academic ability and fostering spiritual growth and a profound awareness of faith. The ultimate objective is to cultivate a core of devoted scholars competent to accomplish transformative change within community fabric.
