Believers systematically place images of eyes or other delegation parts on icons of the Theotokos or the Saints, lacking in this way to fixed to them their recognition, or in other cases to "wangle" or "make" them to high opinion their series.
"Votive Hand-outs" (" or "tamata"; "tama") are an ancient found of believers in the region of the world and in the region of time even until today. Christians perform this action in the self-same way a human being would hand over a gift to someone who did for them some effective work. It is an ancient found. It was a found for the ancient Greeks to hand over tributes to their gods, which either had low quotient, such as an animal, or heavy matter, such as gold or ivory. From colonize times they would lay their offer, which possibly will be an icon of the losses delegation part, and lay them in the past the sacred statue, which is whatever thing we what's more find today.
In the Fight of Marathon, Athenians finished a "stamp" or "vowed" (" or "taxei") to the goddess Artemis that they would penalty as oodles goats as enemies they slaughtered. Because they killed so oodles of the opponent they were not entitled to take in their faithfulness, so they misused their vow to 500 nature every rendezvous. The matter of sacrificing a venerate to a god is found what's more in Roman times. Votive donations, every one brute and spiritual, are mentioned what's more in the Old Tribute. When Jacob fled Mesopotamia, he vowed to God to set up a sacred place of prayer. Hannah what's more promised to assign her child, if she possibly will hold one, to the service of God.
All that is as a matter of course vowed (" or "tazoun") by the finish and beefy to whatever thing sacred in a church is called a "dedication" (" or "anathemata"). The word comes from the verb ", which way to hand over or assign an offer ("). Universally votive donations are offers or counteroffers. That is, a aficionado supplicates a Saint to take in a wish, encouraging in return to hand over them an picture. Vows can be whatever thing simple, such as role the child the name of a Saint, or to fast for a certainly clock of time, or to wear all black for the first fifteen days of Honored in prize of the Dormition of the Theotokos, etc.
Sadly, vows in their earnest care are seen by the uncatechized finish as an arrangement or trade concerning them and a holy human being.
Christianity, as a "religion par impeccability" of the spirit and of self-government does not support on dedications, fussily brute ones. That which is usual are spiritual dedications or votive donations. Having the status of do I mean by this? We neediness stick as believers that we cannot unearth redemption or salvation by placing a dedication or votive offer to a Saint like we do not delay according to the principles of Christianity. In this guard the votive offer would be positively unnecessary. They control what's more contributed to the building up of some cunning reprobate or control served to help the Minster monetarily inwards struggles, such as in 1821 or in 1940 like votive donations by the finish were hand-me-down to the service of the Greek nation.
The best dedication for our Traditional values is our own dedication to Christ, that is, to delay to the best of our license and resolution, as Christ has called us, and not be seditious, anxious or incarcerated by our weaknesses. This is the highest "offer" that we possibly will hand over to our God, our Panagia, and our Saints, if we appeal to comprise our spiritual redemption and salvation.
Source: ", 6 2006. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
By Public Germanos Paraskevopoulos of Ileias
It is very equal in the lives of Christians to make vows, that is, to make an offer to God or the Theotokos or to some Saint, as an view of mark of respect or favor. A vow is a heartfelt and upright dutiful event that can be found in the company of the ancient Greeks and Hebrews. In the Bible we find notice of oodles donations (Gen. 28:20-22; Deut. 23:22-24; Bench 11:30-40; Ecclesiastes 5:4; Acts 18:18 and 21:18-24), and this practice was maintained in Christianity.
Yet in this motif what's more dowry are oodles misconceptions by Christians and fallacies stay, which remove us from the true meaning of the votive offer, and preferably of soul upright they bring harm to whoever uses them. I command notice a few of these.
1. Quite a lot of have faith in that God or the Saints command do whatever thing for us definitely if we vow whatever thing to them. So in harsh casing you command assume someone say to someone who is harass or in danger: "Matter a vow, make a vow, to the Panagia or Saint..." This is erroneous. The Saints don't penury our brute commodities, nor do they seek our vows for them to assume our prayers. "Ask and it command be feature to you; seek and you command find; clutch and the door command be opened to you. For anyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door command be opened" (Matt. 7:7-8). It is loads to control stifling reliance, a clean person, and a Christian life to series whatever thing for our spiritual matter.
2. Others have faith in that their votive donations command make the Saints their helpers, even in committing evil. It was on paper in the journalists that the perfect lift Vernardos, in the past embarking on robbing a barrier, traveled to Aegina and finished a vow to St. Nektarios to test out his success! Out of the ordinary robber in 1977 hid his stolen money in a chapel beefy to St. John and vowed to the Saint that he would help mature his chapel if he vetoed the robbers hinder. Out of the ordinary supplicated St. Nicholas to help him win a card game on New Animation and in return would hand over him "bodily gold". Out of the ordinary Christian individual vowed to St. Nicholas with a tall candle, if he helped in return to curb the impervious return of a certainly sailor and core his leaving, who had shown up her infant and she didn't appeal them to mix. These votive donations are exclusion to our Christian reliance.
3. An assortment of votive donations are what's more finished in the afterward way: "My Saint Paraskevi, make me well and I command hand over you a golden oil storm lantern." Or "My God, help me in my exams and I command bring you a...." Such votive donations are ways to make a preparation with God, as if He can be bargained with. We commonly say to Him "Submit me and I command avoid You in return". In this way we humble God and our the upper classes. At the self-same time it reveals our lack of reliance.
4. An assortment of votive donations what's more bring to association difficulties and psychological trauma, as they are finished defective negotiations and a lack of spirituality. In this way a Christian command vow to help ten villages towards a sacred utility if she begins a need. When her vow is in subtract, nonetheless, the control overwhelm her, as fundraisers are incorrect defective a toss. Out of the ordinary vows a enormous at the same height of money, which she after that struggles to secure. A verdant man vows to drop a line to a monastery, but in the past end he chute in love with a individual and desires to mix her. Out of the ordinary vows to the purchaser of Zakynthos that her child would be inherent highly and in return she would name him Dionysios. When the time comes nonetheless, dowry are arguments in the place of origin as the father-in-law insists the child be named at the back of him, which is John.
For these reasons our votive donations and dedications and vows want radically caution. Our donations neediness be principal spiritual. Hand-outs that command help us in the sanitization of our souls and in the sanctification of our lives. Because "God is spirit, and colonize who go for Him neediness do so in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). St. John Chrysostom says characteristically: "For the Minster is not a gold foundry nor a workshop for silver, but an convention of angels. Wherefore it is souls which we want, when in fact God accepts these golden vessels for the souls' sake.... God has no penury at all of golden vessels, but of golden souls" (Homily 50 on Matthew).
