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THE HOLY METROPOLIS OF CEPHALONIA
and
ST. GERASIMOS CONVENT
ANNOUNCE
THE SCHEDULE
FOR THE ST. GERASIMOS DAY FESTIVITIES AT OMALA, CEPHALONIA
The devout population of Cephalonia is informed that the following
schedule will be followed in the new church for the grand celebrations
in honor of St. Gerasimos, Patron of the island of Cephalonia and
of Cephalonians around the world.
AUGUST 15th
6.00 pm Prayer before the Sacred Relic and transfer of the Sacred
Relic to the new church for Small Vespers.
10.00 pm Festive Vespers with the participation of Metropolitans,
followed by Night Vigil till 4 am.
AUGUST 16th
8.00 am Matins followed by Archieratic co-officiating Liturgy.
11.00 am Litany of the Sacred Relic in the presence of the
Clergy, monks and nuns from all Metropolis monasteries and convents,
officials and the devout public.
12.00 noon End of the litany procession at the new church.
8.00 pm Festive Vespers at the Argostoli Cathedral of Evangelistria
- Ascention.
9.00 pm Litany of St. Gerasimos Icon through the streets
of Argostoli, as a special expression of respect o the town's population
towards St. Gerasimos.
August 17th
8.00 am Matins followed by Archieratic Divine Liturgy at the
old church.
8.30 am Prayer at St. Gerasimos Cave at Lassi, site of his
early monastic life on the island.
From August 17th to August 22nd, Archieratic Divine Liturgy will
be held at St. Gerasimos Convent from 8.00-10.00. while every evening
from 6.30 - 8.30 daily Vespers will be held which will include St.
Gerasimos' Troparia, Epitaphios and Sermon.
RESTITUTION OF ST. GERASIMOS FESTIVITIES
August 23rd
7.30 am Όρθρος και εν συνεχεία Αρχιερατική Θεία Λειτουργία εις
τον νέον Ιερόν Ναόν.
11.00 am Litany of the Sacred Relic .
12.00 noon At the completion of the procession, the Sacred
Relic will be replaced in the Grand Larnax at the site of the Saint's
Grave.
Other Metropolitans have been invited to attend
all of the above mentioned Services.
From the Holy Metropolis of Cephalonia and St. Gerasimos Convent.
ST. GERASIMOS LITANY
(by Father Ioannis Mesoloras)
It is true that our villages owe a great deal to the presence of
the Saint and His Convent at Omala Valley. The entire area celebrates
and rejoices when St. Gerasimos is litanized to the plane tree and
the thrushing fields. The Saint is seen as the sun by the folk poet
as He comes out of His Church and lightens the mountain-enclosed
area of the valley.
"As the sun you emerge from Your church Gerasimos, and with
heaven's angels you ascend the heights".
This valley will exclusively receive His Blessing. According to
tradition, many times it was attempted to remove Him from here,
without success. A little further down on the road to Troianata,
the location is called "podoria" and it is the place from
where He could be moved no further. He would become heavy. He feels
content here because it is the place He chose among so many others
he visited. He thus reigns over Omala and several times during the
year He promenades like a rarely-seen nobleman for His subjects
to admire and rejoice. And they come in thousands. Among the procession,
He in the middle, raised high, humble, untouched by time, in His
clerical robes which like His body did not perish in the grave.
Heading the procession are children holding cherubs and the choir
chanting "Oh, Saint of God, intervene on our behalf...."
Clergy and nuns all around Him, and a humbly saintly monk - Gerasimos
Psihalas from Xiromero, holding the rug on which He will be placed
on the Well. Coming up behind are Metropolitans - Cephalonians do
take an interest, they ask: "how many Metropolitans will come?"
- officials and the congregation of God. His procession to the plane
tree is a blessing, the exodus of a king to his kingdom. He will
rest at the Well that He dug, under the shade of the plane tree
- His eternal signs according to the poet " - a five-branch
plane tree and a deep well you left for us Gerasimos as an eternal
sign". The water in the Well will overflow and the leaves of
the plane tree will thrush to greet The Master.
Ah, this Litany! The church bells are ringing in joy, music is playing,
soldiers are marching with arms. Who knows what the Omala Ascetic
is thinking? Can He see it all, can He hear it all?
These poor folks are trying to exalt Him. Officials in presence,
the bands, the chanters with their melodies, the clergy and the
metropolitans with their gold-weaved robes. Speeches, thank yous,
praises, meals...
Accept all this, Holy Ascetic. This is what the people are able
and know to offer. If need be, don't pay attention. If it's not
to Your liking, look elsewhere. Look at the valleys, the trees,
the mountains.
" -The valleys and mountains shine in Your presence- the trees
bow their branches to worship You, listen to the birds - through
the leaves of the trees the birds sing angels' hymns - sing for
You Gerasimos of Virtue". And if You pass on to the unwordly,
listen " the Angels in Heaven officiate at Your Liturgy".
What a festivity, what a joy is the Saint's Litany! Everything takes
on a new look- Has the Saint come out, what time is the Saint coming
out? Asks the Cephalonian. Asks loudly, theatrically, theologically.
They are not taking Him out - He is coming out, He is alive, He
moves, He acts and above all He comes out to distribute gifts like
a nobleman and administrator of heavenly wealth to His subjects:
"Everywhere You spread comfort, joy, bliss and invisibly You
give charity".
Everyone rejoices, is touched, cries, cross themselves and pray:
but some are moved to convulsions
"- the demons are torn in the presence of Your Sacred Relic-
- They beg You to stop being angry-
- To not throw them to the wild flames-
- Asking complete freedom from You- "
So much freedom as to torture the children of God. " to run
free and at will to torture the sinful, to run and gather them from
everywhere ".
The insane are the Saint's expertise according to the nuns, which
is why there were special quarters for them to do their "forties"
(40 days of Lent) in order to be absolved of the demons that had
conquered them. Observe what happens at the Litany. Black dressed
souls, men, women, children, all running to secure a position to
lay down anywhere along the procession's way so that the Saint may
pass over them. The relations of the insane try to place them -
some cooperate, others resist. Some of them will find a spot somewhere.
The clergymen give instructions - some of them in an inappropriate
way that gives the impression of unloading a boat - policemen put
people in order. Everyone is looking for a position, some must line
up, others must bow. As the Saint is approaching, everyone calms
down. He passes over them. A miracle can now take place. If not
this time, maybe another, faith is not spent. The Litany however
is the peak of hope. At the plane tree, prayers are said, hymns
are chanted, speeches are given, thanks are directed to those who
attended and honored the Saint with their presence, and the procession
starts to retrace its way back. Passing the thrushing fields, "The
Farmer of Omala" - according to the late socialist Antonis
Tritsis - is at His element. Here, at the place where the crops
were processed, the prayer " for the fertility of the earth
and peaceful times " will be heard, and chanting the departure
hymns the " association of ascetics, clergy, choir, and numerous
celebration participants..." will return to the "small"
church ....(there is a big, Byzantine style church as well).
The Saint has been placed in His Dormition place. The crowd awaits
to pay respects. The officials have paid their respects while the
Saint was held up at the western gate where a memorial prayer was
said for His parents Dimitrios and Kallie and all the deceased.
The clergy hurriedly disrobe and wish "may the Saint look over
us". The pilgrims begin to leave and soon Omala Valley will
be deserted and the Saint will be peaceful in His Dormition. The
congregation however will not have gone away empty-handed, they
will have taken something: conscecrated bread, blessed charms from
the nuns, icons, crosses, soil from His grave, leaves from the plane
tree, blessed bread, and those who got the chance, coffee and sweets
at the Abbey. Some will go to the Convent Dining Room for the meal.
The locals will go home where they'll most likely have boiled goat.
In the past, all homes had extra food for the relatives and friends
who came on the pilgrimage. They surely had to have something after
hours without eating, tired from the night vigil.
In our days, they leave, most go home, we invite them but they are
not very receptive, they have cars and leave...
What finally remains in the mind and soul after participating in
the Litany? Every Cephalonian can express it, the locals at Omala
live through it so often..
Despite this, something obscene remains on the tongue of many Cephalonians,
which the poet of the verses that provoked this article, begs to
stop: blasphemy.
" My beloved Christians, stop blasphemizing St. Gerasimos
and among others, respect the child of Trikala".
(published in the local newspaper "Frangata" - 1995)
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