The relationship of Saint Nektarios with the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi
08.11.2012
LETTER 2
{Continuation of previous article: http://www.vatopedi.gr/?p=53399}
September 16, 1900
To the Most Holy Superiors of the Holy and Venerable
Monastery of Vatopedi
To Athos
By my presence, I would like to request the Venerable Council of the Holy Monastery to be pleased to inform me of the receipt of our letter transmitted through Archimandrite and Doctor Mr. Chrysanthos Makris and of the decision it has taken regarding my request therein; because, intending to proceed with the publication of the work referred to in our request, I wish to know the dispositions of the Holy Monastery regarding my request.
Hoping that I will receive your prompt response, I express my thanks and I remain a fervent supplicant to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis.
* * *
LETTER 3
November 11, 1900
Most Holy Patriarchs of the Venerable and Great Holy Monastery of Vatopedi and beloved brothers in the Lord and fellow celebrants in the Lord Jesus, rejoice.
I received your dear letter of the 14th of last month and I express my great gratitude for your willing support of the publication of my Christology; the support of my work not only expresses the friendship and esteem of your Monastery towards me, but also the good and loving feelings of those who worthily direct it, which are manifested in many ways and on many occasions in support of our Holy Theology and Greek education; I express my sorrow for the unity that has befallen your Holy Monastery and I sincerely hope that our Lord, through the intercessions of the Mother of God and its protector, may be delivered from this.
I was slow to respond, expecting to write after receiving the money, but since it is delayed, so as not to neglect the duty of responding to your complimentary letter, I proceed to respond.
Accept the assurance of the utmost love and respect for you and the brotherly embrace in Christ. I am a fervent supplicant to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis.
***
LETTER 4
December 5, 1900
Most venerable brothers in Christ of the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, I embrace your brotherly love.
To Vatopedio
By my presence, I inform you that I received your friendly letter and the bill of exchange worth 410 gold francs from the commissioner of Mount Athos in Thessaloniki, Mr. Nikephoros Xenophontinos, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Accept the assurance of the utmost love and respect for you, with which I am a fervent suppliant to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
***
LETTER 5
on April 1, 1901
To the Venerable Commissioners of the Holy and Venerable Church
Monastery of Vatopedi.
Christ is Risen
After the brotherly embrace in Christ and my brotherly greetings on the radiance of the glorious day of the Resurrection, which I hope you will celebrate with joy and gladness of heart for many years to come, I know of your brotherly love that the work was published a week ago and that I am sending you two copies of it and I ask that you please let me know your disposition regarding the method of sending the books, and regarding their number, namely whether you wish me to send you all 100 copies or less.
As I pass by, I embrace you from the bottom of my heart, I wish you the best, and I remain a fervent well-wisher before God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
***
LETTER 6
on May 31, 1901
To the Most Holy and Venerable Commissioners of the Holy and Venerable
Great Monastery of Vatopedi.
We have received your friendly letter dated the 24th and we hasten to announce to you that we are sending in a parcel in a box under the MB stamp with a waybill, your contribution to our book of “Christology” according to your expressed wish. We consider it our duty to express to you also our gratitude for supporting the publication of the book, and to ask you to let us know your opinions on the book. We also ask that you notify us of this upon receipt of the books.
Nevertheless, we beseech you, fraternally, to pray for us in your prayers to God.
I am a fervent supplicant to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
LETTER 7
on August 30, 1901
Most venerable brothers in Christ, Lord Commissioners of the Holy Great and Venerable Monastery of Vatopedi, may you be healthy in the Lord.
To Mount Athos
Having received your friendly letter No. 154 and dated the 15th of the waning month, we express our boundless gratitude for the kindness shown to us by your disposition and the favorable judgment expressed regarding the work carried out by us and warmly supported by you. Impelled by religious zeal warming our hearts to appear, as we are, useful to the fullness of the Christian name of the Church, we collect, as much as we can, like a bee, and publish in forms everything that we think can contribute to the support of the faithful in their religious beliefs and their achievement in virtue. In this work we find much pleasure and it strengthens us in the work, which is also our duty. Moved by the same zeal, I am now proceeding to print another original work studied years ago under the title “The Immortality of the Soul and the Holy Memorials”. The table of contents of the enclosed message is a testament to the importance of the work, and the almost general shaking of the beliefs of those who have been seduced by the new deception and who deny the immortality and existence of the soul and who are neglecting it. We, however, being greatly distressed, sought through this work to support the shaken beliefs of the faithful by teaching them the unknown truths of our holy Church.
We are confident that the Holy and Venerable Monastery of Vatopedi, a willing collaborator in all good and brave deeds, will also support the publication of the announced work and contribute to the good and desired end by subscribing to as many copies as it pleases.
As we pass by, we express our gratitude to you and offer our best wishes to God with love and reverence.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
***
LETTER 8
on October 16, 1901
Venerable brothers in Christ, Most Holy Patriarchs of the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, rejoice in the Lord.
We received your friendly letter of 12th of May and, as a matter of duty, we express to you our brotherly love our gratitude for your willing contribution to support my published work "The Immortality of the Soul and the Holy Memorials" and for the kindness shown to us in word and deed.
I kindly ask you to transfer to me the price of the 30 copies, so that I can be more easily paid for, because I never have enough money to comfortably print one of my works, because I never receive what I spend.
Accept the assurance of brotherly love and respect for you, with which I am a benefactor to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
***
LETTER 9
on October 20, 1901
To the Most Reverend Commissioners of the Holy and
His Eminence the Great Monastery of Vatopedi.
It is Mount Athos.
In response to your letter received today by 12:00, I acknowledge to you that I have also received the enclosed exchange of (60) francs in value for the 30 copies of my printed work “The Immortality of the Soul and the Holy Memorials”, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your noble dispositions and your willing sponsorship in support of a God-fearing work; unfortunately, however, apart from your Holy Monastery, not a single other Monastery has shown the slightest disposition, and I am not only unworthy of a small support for my work, but also of a reply. As for the Patriarchs and High Priests of the registered minorities in Christology in Turkey, they have not yet received anything, although the 2nd year has already ended and through our letters we have asked for the consideration, not once. Such is the indifference; but we will neither be discouraged nor will we turn away, full of hope in God, we will work for the benefit of the Church and its fullness.
I thank you again for your love and kindness and I wish you the best.
The fiery one who prays to God
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
***
LETTER 10
on March 14, 1905
To the Most Holy and Venerable Commissioners of the Holy and Venerable
Great Monastery of Vatopedi.
I announce the receipt of your friendly letter and the collection of the price for the 28 volumes of "Know Thyself" fr. hr. 84, and I express my thanks.
Accept the assurance of the utmost respect for you, with which I am a fervent suppliant to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
***
LETTER 11
From Aegina, June 30, 1906
To the Most Holy Commissioners of the Holy and Venerable Great
Monastery of Vatopedi.
I have in my hands the 14th of the waning month that arrived yesterday and I hasten to announce the receipt of it and the dispatch of the requested 20 books of the Pandektos by postal parcels.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the expression of your appreciation to us and the willing support of my published works. I spent 1350 drachmas for the printing of this work. Your request is the first, perhaps the only one; but we will not tire of writing and publishing as long as the Lord strengthens us as we work spiritually and physically, as the pains of the body support those of the spirit. My greatest reward is the pleasure of working for our brothers and for the glory of God.
Please accept the assurance of my utmost respect for you, with which I am a benefactor to God.
† Nektarios of Pentapolis
P.S. Send the amount of the 20 bodies through the Bank of Thessaloniki to Konstantinos Sakkopoulos in Athens at the School.
The same
For the copying of the letters and the preface
ANDRI HADZIKOSTA-TOFALIDOU
Theologos
Source: Andris Hadjikosta-Tofalidou, Unknown letters of Saint Nektarios to the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, Orthodox Testimony Magazine, Published by the Pancyprian Association of Orthodox Tradition "The Friends of Mount Athos", Nicosia (number 41, Autumn 1993), ISSN 1011 – 1719.