Feb 7 - Holy Trinity Monastery
Feb 7 – Monastery of the Holy Trinity
The custom for Orthodox Christians is to worship very early in the morning on Sunday, because they fast until they share in the Eucharist. Therefore, we began our day today at 6:30 a.m. with a Holy Communion service at the hotel. Bishop Hanson presided at communion, and Pastor Steve Loy (Las Cruces, New Mexico) and I shared thoughts on the gospel text for today (the call of the first disciples.) I spoke about how in the story, this day begins just like any other ordinary day, and that the disciples had no idea that with Jesus, even an ordinary day becomes extraordinary. Steve reminded us that, just as the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, often our ecumenical work, and, indeed our work as the ELCA, might make us feel as if we have fished all night and caught nothing. However, as did Peter, we respond to Jesus, “Yet, Lord, if YOU say go out again, we will…” We concluded with the hope that this “ordinary” day would become, with the presence of Jesus, quite extraordinary. And indeed, it was.
We were met by Deacon Joachim (from Thessolonika, Greece) and Deacon Nephon (from Gary, Indiana – yep, you read that right - a second generation Greek-American!) They loaded us into vans and we were off to catch the ferry. As we pushed away from the dock, I was thinking that this ferry looked just like the ones used to go visit the Statue of Liberty and the Staten Island ferry in New York City. While we settled in for the hour-long trip to the Holy Trinity monastery, the Deacons began to fill us in on information about Istanbul and the life of Christians here in Turkey.
First, you need to recall that the Roman Emperor Constantine (5th century) declared the Roman Empire Christian, and moved the capital city from Rome to Constantinople. This city became Istanbul, and it sits across the Bosporus River. It is the only city in the world that sits on two continents: Europe on the west bank of the Bosporus Straits, and Asia on the east bank.
The ferry picked up passengers at 2 stops along our journey, the first, Chalcedon which was the site of a very important church ecumenical conference early on, and another small dock on the Princess Islands. As we enjoyed a lovely foggy and rainy day on the crossing, Joachim and Nephon provided us with a snack of tea and what they called “toast,” a sort of Panini grilled cheese bun.
Then we arrived at the island that houses the Holy Trinity Monastery and were transported up the very steep hill by horse drawn carts! The service was just concluding when we arrived and we only had to wait a moment before we were taken into the chapel. Oh my goodness! I have seen icons and golden screens and Turkish-style lamps before, but in this small space there wasn’t a surface that wasn’t covered in gold or ancient icons. Although I really like icons, I’m not used to quite such a “busy” space, but there was something just simply amazing about this little spot, and I found myself standing there completely overwhelmed, and weeping.
Perhaps it was because we would soon find out what Bob Simons found out in his interview with His All Holiness Bartholomew (the Ecumenical Patriarch) for a recent 60 Minutes interview: how in 1971, the government withdrew the approval for this place to continue to house and train monks for the priesthood. Every classroom is intact, awaiting pupils; every dorm room has fresh bedding and floors swept clean, awaiting students; every space at the table in the dining hall has a tablecloth, as if it was just a few moments away from dinner time. The abbot and one monk are the only remaining inhabitants, save for the tours or a few who come to pray and stay there for a short time. It is at once amazingly sad, and incredibly hopeful. They said they have been waiting 39 years to reopen the seminary – and are praying they will be approved again by the government before it reaches the 40 year mark.
We met briefly with the Abbot in a formal receiving room, took a tour and then settled in for lunch, hosted by the Abbot, during which time we had open discussion with him. Although he speaks English, in his position as Headmaster/Abbot, he speaks only Greek, and was translated by Deacon Joachim and Deacon Nephon for us. It was an enlightening and delicious meal of traditional Turkish food and coffee.
The day seemed to have slipped by in the blink of an eye, and it was time to return to catch the ferry back. So down the hill via horse cart and on to the ferry for our return trip. A few hours in the center of Istanbul concluded our day, and we returned to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. My eyes can hardly close now without seeing the images of those icons, and those two old and faithful servants of God, “fishing” day after day and returning home with nothing in their nets. Let us pray for Jesus’ presence and the strength for them to continue faithfully doing God’s work in that place.
So for tonight, I pray for you all, continue to keep us in yours. Blessings, Pastor Susan