Metropolitan John Zizioulas’ Sermon on His Ordination in Constantinople on Pentecost Sunday, June 22, 1986
Your mercy, Lord, shall pursue me all the days of my life.
These words of the psalmist, Most Reverend Master and venerable choir of holy hierarchs, I feel addressed to my heart, as I tremble with awe at the great moment of my ordination to the archpriesthood. Reflecting back on my childhood and youth, when the vision of serving at the altar encompassed my entire existence and considering the long period of my unapologetic flight and escape from the priesthood, I see my entire life up to this point as a continuous pursuit by the mercy of God. Fleeing and escaping from my childhood visions, I was never allowed a moment’s rest from this pursuit. The calls for my entrance into the priesthood, voiced repeatedly through the mouths of holy archpriests, constituted a steadfast reminder of my true calling. The pursuits of my studies and the topics of my research always revolved, by divine providence, around the divine Eucharist and the bishop, and my theological thought ceased to have as its source anything other than these two centers of the Church’s life. Thus, pursued by the mercy of God, I echo with Gregory the Theologian: “I am defeated, I am defeated, and I confess my defeat.” “There is no escape from what has been ordained,” as the venerable Photius wrote. Now a captive of God’s mercy, I stand trembling before the burning yet unconsumed bush, awaiting, miserable as I am, the calling of my entrance into the holy of holies, that I may as another image of Christ and successor of the Apostles become a bishop of the Church.
Truly great and ineffable is the mercy of God. Moved by a passionate love and pursuing man until He deifies him and makes him forever free, a sharer in His own life and glory, He sent His only begotten Son to become incarnate and, assuming human nature, to offer it up and bring it near to the Father, uniting us with Himself into “the union of eternal covenant.” From this union, He established the Church, the steward and dispenser of the great mystery of the Divine Economy, through the celebration of the Divine Eucharist and all the divine mysteries associated with it. All these He granted to fragile and sinful human being, endowing it with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which heals the sick and fills up what is lacking. Oh, the depth of the riches and kindness of God! Christ is the celebrant of this great mystery of salvation, yet He condescends to be represented and embodied by miserable and sinful humans, from whom “no one is worthy,” especially myself.
Called today by Your venerable voice, Most Reverend Father, to serve this great mystery of God’s Economy from the highest degree of the priesthood, I have no other source from which to draw courage but this pursuit of Your divine mercy throughout all the days of my life. Living today, on this holy and great day of Pentecost, by divine concession, care, and my personal Pentecost, I humbly bend my neck and knee before the holy altar of this most venerable Patriarchal church, from which flows the grace of the Most-Holy and Τελεταρχικοῦ Spirit, so that through the laying on of Your precious hands and those of Your fellow serving holy archpriests, I may become a bishop of the Church of Christ, and particularly of the Holy Great Church of Christ.
At this most solemn and awe-inspiring moment, my thoughts turn gratefully to my beloved parents who have fallen asleep in the Lord, who nurtured me in the instruction and admonition of the Lord, as well as in toil and self-sacrifice, and whose souls rejoice, praying with us at this hour. May their memory be eternal.
With profound gratitude, I also turn my thoughts to His Divine All-Holiness, who join us in prayer at this moment, my most respected Lord and Master, Ecumenical Patriarch Kyrios Demetrios, and Their Eminences Most Reverend Bishops, who constitute the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who have surrounded me with such honor and favor that they judge me with their kindness worthy of this moment. To all who have hastened, from near and far, to participate in this sacred moment of the Church and my humility, I extend grateful thanks: among them to the absent, due to illness, my esteemed Metropolitan, Elder Meliton of Chalcedon; to my sisters in flesh, whose selfless love has sustained me and whom I hope will always support me; to the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, Hieromonk Cyril, who represents my revered spiritual father, Archimandrite Sophronios, whose prayer and encouragement contributed to the arrival of this moment; to those from the University of Thessaloniki who have come here, whose presence conveys the thoughts and love of my colleagues and students. To all who are present or absent and who pray with us today, may the grace of the Holy Spirit descend upon me.
And now, Most Reverend Father and Holy Hierarchs, command, for your servant listens. He listens trembling to the command, so that my unworthiness may assume the weightiest of dignities and my wretchedness may be clothed with the greatest of honors; he listens trembling to the command, so that the weak I may be enrolled in the choir of the Hierarchs of the historic Ecumenical Throne and become a participant in their ways and a successor of holy men, illustrious and martyric; he listens trembling to the command, so that I may succeed the hierarchs who have honored the historic throne of the Most Holy Church of Pergamum, from Antipas the hieromartyr to Adamantius; he listens and bows his neck before the inscrutable counsel of God, having worked such things concerning my humility.
May it be unto me according to His word.
Translated from Greek by Maxim Vasiljevic
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Ἀντιφώνησις τοῦ Θεοφιλεστάτου Ἐψηφισμένου Μητροπολίτου Περγάμου κ. Ἰωάννου κατὰ τὴν χειροτονία του ἐν τῷ πανσέπτῳ πατριαρχικῷ ναῷ τοῦ Ἁγίου Γεωργίου (Φανάρι) τὴν 22αν Ἰουνίου τὸ 1986, ἡμέραν τῆς ἑορτῆς τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς
Τὸ ἔλεος σου, Κύριε, καταδιώξει με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου
Oἱ λόγοι οὗτοι τοῦ ψαλμωδοῦ, Σεδασμιώτατε Δέσποτα καὶ σεπτὴ τῶν ἁγίων ἱεραρχων χορεία, αἰσθάνομαι vὰ ἀπευθύνωνται εἰς τὴv καρδίαν μου καθὼς ἔντρομος ἀτεvίζω πρὸς τὴν μεγάλην στηγμὴν τῆς εἰς ἀρχιερέα χειροτονίας μου. Ἀνατρέχων νοερῶς εἰ την παιδικὴν καὶ vεαvικὴv ἡλικίαν μου, ὅτε τὸ ὄραμα τῆς διακονίας τοῦ Θυσιαστηρίου ἐνοημάτιζε ὅλην μου τὴν ὕπαρξιv, καὶ ἀναλογιζόμεvος τὴv μακρὰν περίοδον τῆς ἄνευ ἀπολογίας φυγῆς καὶ δραπετεύσεώς μου ἀπὸ τὴv ἱερωσύvηv, βλέπω ὅλην τὴν μέχρι τοῦδε ζωήν μου ὡς μίαν ἀδιάκοπον καταδίωξιv μου ἀπὸ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Φυγὰς καὶ δραπέτης ἐκ τῶν παιδικῶν ὁραματισμῶv μοv, δὲv ἀφέθηv οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ στιγμὴv ἥσυχος ἀπὸ τὴν καταδίωξιν αὐτήν. Αἱ κλήσεις διὰ τὴv εἴσοδόv μου εἰς τὴν ἱερωσύvηv, ἀπευθυνόμεναι διὰ στόματος ἁγιωιάτωv ἀρχιερέωv κατ᾽ ἐπανάληψιν, ἀπετέλεσαv σταθεραv ὑπόμvησιv τῆς ἀληθιvῆς μου πατρίδος. Τὰ διαφέροντα τῶν σπουδῶν καὶ τὰ θέματα τῶν μελετῶv μου περιεστρέφοντο, κατὰ θείαν πρόνοιαν πάντοτε, περὶ τὴv θείαν Εὐχαριστίαν καὶ τὸν Ἐπίσκοποv, ἡ δὲ ὅλη θεολογική μου σκέψις δὲv ἔπαυσε ποτὲ vὰ ἔχῃ ὡς πηγὴv τὰ δύο ταῦτα κέντρα τῆς ζωῆς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Οὕτω, καταδιωχθεὶς ἀπὸ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφωvῶ μετὰ Γρηγορίου τοῦ Θεολόγου: «ἥττημαι, ἥττημαι καὶ τὴν ἥτταν ὁμολογῶ». «Οὐκ ἔστι φυγεῖν τὸ προχρισθέv», ὡς ἔγραφεν ὁ ἁγιώτατος Φώτιος. Δέσμιος πλέον τοῦ ἑλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἴσταμαι τρέμων ἐνώπιον τῆς φλεγομένης καὶ μὴ κατακαιομένης Βάτου, ἀναμένων ἄθλιος ἐγὼ καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀvθρώπων ἀναξιότερος τὴν κλῆσιν τῆς εἰσόδου μου εἰς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, ἴνα ὡς ἄλλη εἰκὼν Χριστοῦ καὶ διάδοχος τῶν Ἀποστόλων καταστῶ Ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας.
Ὤντως μέγα καὶ ἀπερίγραπτον τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὑπὸ μανικοῦ ἔρωτος κινούμενος καὶ καταδιώκων τὸν ἄνθρωπον μέχρις ὅτου τὸν θεώσῃ καὶ τὸν καταστήσῃ ἐλενθέρως πάντοτε, μέτοχον τῆς ἰδίας Τοῦ ζωῆς καὶ δόξης, ἀπέστειλε τὸν μονογενῆ Αὐτοῦ Υἱόν, ἵνα ἐναvθρωπήσῃ καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ἀναφέρῃ καὶ προσαγάγῃ αὐτὴν τῷ Πατρὶ ἑνούμεvος μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰς «ἕνωσιν διαθήκης αἰωνίου». Ἐκ τῆς ἑνώσεως δὲ ταύτης ἵδρυσε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν Toυ, οἰκονόμον καὶ συνεχιστὴν τοῦ μεγάλου μυστηρίου τῆς Θείας Οἰκονομίας, διὰ τῆς τελέσεως τῆς Θείας Εὐχαριστίας καὶ πάντων τῶv μετ᾽ αὐτῆς συνδεδεμένων θείων μυστηρίων. Πάντα δὲ ταύτα παρεχώρησεν εἰς τὸv εὔθραυστον καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸν ἄvθρωπον, παρέχων εἰς αὐτὸν τὴν χάριν τοῦ Παναγίου Πνεύματος, ἥτις θεραπεύει τὰ ἀσθεvῇ καὶ ἀναπληροῖ τὰ ἐλλείποντα. Ὦ, βάθος πλούτου καὶ φιλαvθρωπίας τοῦ Θεοῦ! Ὁ Χριστὸς εἶναι ὁ τελετουργὸς τοῦ μεγάλου τούτου μυστηρίου τῆς σωτηρίας, καταδέχεται ὅμως νὰ εἰκοvίζεται καὶ ἐκπροσωπῆται ὑπὸ ἀvθρώπωv ἀθλίωv καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶv, ἐκ τῶv ὁποίωv ὄντως «οὐδεὶς ἄξιος», μάλιστα δὲ ἐγώ.
Καλούμενος σήμερον διὰ τῆς σεπτῆς φωνής Σου, Σεβασμιώτατε Πάτερ, vὰ διακονήσω τὸ μέγα τοῦτο τῆς Οἰκονομίας τοῦ θεοῦ μυστήριον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑψίστου τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης βαθμοῦ, δὲν ἔχω ἄλλην πηγὴν ἐκ τῆς ὁποίας νὰ ἀvτλήσω θάρρος, εἰμὴ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ καταδιῶξάν με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου Θεῖον ἔλεος. Ζῶν σήμερον, τὴν ἁγίαv καὶ μεγάλην ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς, κατὰ θείαv παραχώρησιv καὶ ἔvνοιαv καὶ τὴν ἰδικήν μου προσωπικὴν Πεντηκοστήν, κλίvω εὐλαβῶς τὸν αὐχέvα καὶ τὸ γόνυ ἐνώπιον τῆς Ἁγίας Τραπέζης τοῦ παvσέπτου τούτου Πατριαρχικοῦ Ναοῦ, ἐξ ἧς πηγάζει ἡ χάρις τοῦ Παναγίου καὶ Τελεταρχικοῦ Πνεύματος, ἵνα καταστῶ διὰ τῶν τιμίων χειρῶν Σου καὶ τῶν συλλειτουργούντων Σοι ἁγίων ἀρχιερέων Ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ μάλιστα τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας.
Κατὰ τὴv ἱερωτάτην καὶ φρικτὴν αὐτὴν στιγμὴν ἡ σκέψις μου στρέφεται εὐγνωμόνως πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Κυρίῳ κεκοιμημένους προσφιλεστάτους γονεῖς μου, oἱ ὁποίοι μέ ἀvέθρεψαν ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν κόπῳ καὶ αὐτοθυσίᾳ, καὶ τῶν ὁποίων αἱ ψυχαὶ ἀγάλλονται συμπροσευχομεναι μεθ' ἡμῶv κατὰ τὴν ὥραν ταύτηv. Εἴη ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶv αἰωνία.
Ὅλως εὐγνωμόνως στρέφω τὴν σκέψιν μον πρὸς τὴν Αὐτοῦ Θειοτάτηv Παvαγιότητα, τὸν συμπροσευχόμενοv μεθ᾽ ἡμῶv τὴν στιγμὴv ταύτηv πολυσέβαστον μοι Αὐθέvτην καὶ Δεσπότηv, τὸν Οἰκονμενικὸν Πατριάρχην Κύριον Κύριον Δημήτριον, ὡς καὶ πρὸς τοῖς Σεβασμιωτάτους Ἁγίους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τοὺς συγκροτοῦvτας τὴν Ἁγίαν καὶ Ἱερὰv Σύνοδον τοῦ Οἰκουμεvικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, οἵτινες μὲ τοιαύτην μὲ περιέβαλοv τιμὴv καὶ εὔνοιαv, ὥστε νὰ μὲ κρίνουν ἐν τῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ των, ἄξιον τῆς στιγμῆς ταύτης. Πρὸς ὅλους δὲ ὅσοι ἔσπευσαν, ἀπὸ ἐγγὺς καὶ ἀπὸ μακράν, νὰ συμμετάσχουv εἰς τὴν ἱερὰν αὐτὴν στιγμὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησlας και τῆς ταπεινότητός μου, ἀπευθύνω εὐγνώμονας εὐχαριστίας: τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπόντα, λόγῳ ἀσθεvείας, πολυσέβαστόν μου Μητροπολίτην Γέροντα Χαλκηδόνος κ.κ. Μελίτωνα, πρὸς τὰς κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελφάς μου, τῶv ὁποίων ἡ ἀνιδιοτελὴς ἀγάπη μὲ ἐστήριξε καὶ ἐλπίζω ὅτι πάντοτε θὰ μὲ στηρίζῃ, πρὸς τὸν Ἡγούμενον τῆς Ἱεράς Σταυροπηγιακῆς Μονῆς τοῦ Τιμίου Προδρόμου ἐν Essex Ἱερομόναχον Κύριλλον, παρόντα καὶ ἐκπροσωποῦντα τὸν σεβαστὸν πνευματικὸν πατέρα μου Ἀρχιμανδρίτην Σωφρόνιον, οὕτινος ἡ εὐχὴ και ἡ παρότρυνσις συνετέλεσαν εἰς τὸ νὰ ἔλθῃ ἡ στιγμὴ αὐτή· πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης ἐλθόντας, οἱ ὁποῖοι μεταφέρουν ἐδῶ, διὰ τῆς παρουσίας τῶν, καὶ τὴν σκέψιν καὶ ἀγάπην τῶν συναδέλφων καὶ τῶν φοιτητῶν μου· πρὸς ὅλους ὅσοι παρόντες ἢ ἀπόντες προσεύχονται σήμερον μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἔλθῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Παναγίου Πνεύματος.
Καὶ τανῦν, Σεβασμιώτατε Πάτερ και Ἅγιοι Ἀρχιερεῖς, κελεύσατε, ὁ δοῦλος ὑμών ἀκούει. Ἀκούει τρέμων τὴν ἐντολήν, ἵνα ἡ ἀναξιότης μου ἀναλάβῃ τὸ βαρύτερον τῶν ἀξιωμάτων καὶ ἡ ἀθλιότης μου περιβληθῇ τὴν μεγίστην τῶν τιμών· ἀκούει τρέμων τὴν ἐντολήν, ὅπως ὁ ἀδύνατος ἐγὼ καταταγῶ εἰς τὴν χορείαν τῶν Ἀρχιερέων τοῦ ἱστορικοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Θρόνου καὶ γίνω τρόπων μέτοχος καὶ θρόvων διάδοχος ἀνδρῶν ἁγίων, ἐπιφαvῶν καὶ μαρτυρικῶν· ἀκούει τρέμων τὴν ἐντολήν, ὅπως διαδεχθῶ ἀρχιερεῖς τιμήσαντας τὸν ἱστορικὸν θρόνον τῆς Ἁγιωτάτης Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Περγάμου, ἀπὸ Ἀντίπα τοῦ ἱερομάρτυρος μέχρι καὶ Ἀδαμάντιου· ἀκουει καὶ κύπτει τὸν αὐχένα πρὸ τῆς ἀνεξιχνιάστοῦ βουλῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τής τοιαῦτα περὶ τὴν ταπεινότητά μου ἐργασαμένης.
Γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ρῆμά Του.
