Feast of the Great Archangels – 8 November

As I inform Susanna Tigka inhabited on the peninsula Pilion-on 8 November Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Great Archangels.
Susanna tells us that according to Christian tradition Michael is in heaven the Prince and chief of all Angels. The first to revolt Lucifer, who hateded God, answered full delight with a shout: „Who is like God” and he appeared to fight the devils precipitating them to hell. In addition to the fact that they celebrate the name of ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ (Aggelos), ΓΑΒΡΙΕΛΑ (Gawriela/Gabriela), ΓΑΒΡΙΗΛ (Gawriil/Gabriel), ΕΥΣΤΡΑΤΙΑ (Efstratia), ΜΕΤΑΞΙΑ (Metaksia), ΜΑΤΙΝΑ (Matina), ΜΙΧΑΕΛΑ (Michaela), ΜΙΧΑΗΛ (Michail/Michał), ΡΑΦΑΗΛ (Rafail/Rafael), ΤΑΞΙΑΡΧΗΣ (Taksiarchis), ΣΤΑΜΑΤΗΣ (Stamatis), ΣΤΑΜΑΤΙΑ (Stamatia), ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΣ (Stratigos) is a great industry holiday: the day of the military aviation of Greece.

The Helleńskie Air Force was established in 1911 years and has a 106 year history. The first attempts to import aviation into Greece belong to the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelosa, whose contribution to this case the Greek government recognised in 2000 year, giving the name of a new international airport in Athens.

[Zdjęcia ze strony: www.veteranos.gr oraz www.thebest.gr]

Helleńskie Air Force today is 29 squadrons, which count 26800 people, of which 14400 are professional soldiers and 1100-women.

Eight major air Force bases are located in such places as: Larissa, Nea Anchialos, Elefsina, Tanagra, Thessaloniki, Souda, Andravida and Araxos. Auxiliary ports are scattered in the Aegean Sea: Karpathos, Santorini, Rhodes, Skyros, Limnos, Kavala, Heraklion and Toto.

On the day of the Holy Archangels to these units the entrance is open to all. You can come to the airport military, watch the exhibition of techniques or take pictures with a helicopter in the background.

Monk Joseph (Iosif-Χρήστος Μπαιρακτάρης) from the Skitu of St. Mina’s Holy Mount Athos does not belong to the brigade Cherubim, Serafimów or other celestial bodies of angels, but is registered, although iconically, in the central aviation headquarters as a terrestrial air force personnel.

To what I will tell, almost 30 ago has occurred spontaneously and remained a good tradition to this day. Father Joseph attended the festivities of Αγ. Γεώργιος (Agios Georgios) on the island of Skyros. After the feast he visited the air base, where a certain officer told him that returning after one of the air combats on the Aegean Sea saw on the cliff next to the Hermitage of St. Monk Mina and two civilians. Next to the monk was a couple: a woman and a man. One of these people was definitely a woman, because she had long hair and a beautiful long dress.
Father Józef laughed: „Dear sir, for women the entrance to Mount Athos is completely denied. When he was next to me a long-haired man, it was a man. ”
„No, probably it was a Theotokos,” said the officer.
As they met in person, the officer thought of sending a greeting every time they passed the „turning point.” He reduced the aircraft’s height and speed and the „waved” wings. Thus he saluted, and his father Joseph answered. Two Greek Orthodox defenders: one in the air and the other in black robes on earth. The other pilots heard about history. Since then, all military planes are beginning to patrol on the Aegean Sea and return to their bases through the sky of Mount Athos. As is known, at present Greece is in a continuous, silent, unrevealed war with Turkey. Casus Belli is such a daily reality… Father Joseph thought that the sacred symbol of the country is the best greeting for those who fight for Greek independence every day. In the peace and tranquility that is constantly in the vicinity of St. Mount Athos-roar of jet engines (planes) can be heard from afar. The monk takes with him a white-blue cross-flag and the other: a yellow eagle with a double-headed imperial flag and overlooks the cliff to give an immediate blessing after the Battle of the Blue Sea.

These momentary aerial pilot meetings with a monk on Earth, have created an inseparable bond of modern technology and a humble servant of monasticism. The identification of two thousand years orthodoxyed with the machines of the 21st century in a constant struggle for independence made a clear thing.

Father Joseph repeatedly visited the air base in Larissie and became the spiritual brother of aviators. You often visit the skit of St. Mina, in which the next icons of saints and church robes are also now models of fighter aircraft and aviator uniform.

And pilots from all the squadrons know that even after the very difficult battle of the Aegean, regardless of the season and the weather, they await their blessing and spiritual support.

Text and graphic design: Susanna Tigka.