Pilgrimage: Agia Sophia

No, not the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, but the smaller one in Thessaloniki. The city is filled with churches, some of which are the oldest such outside of the Holy Lands. I’m going to cover the Hagia Sophia in another post, but it set the bar for basilicas around the world. This church, built on the ruins of a previous basilica, was the cathedral in Thessaloniki for many years.

The church is known for it’s mosaics and it is indeed well worth the view. It is also home to the holy relics of St. Basil the Confessor, and a recent addition: relics of Saints Sophia, Faith, Love, and Hope. Sadly, the photo I took of those relics appears not to have turned out (could have sworn it had). Over the last couple of years, these saints have turned up in my life. Their story is one I will share with you, in a somewhat abbreviated form.

Sophia was a Christian widow who was openly Christian in a time when it was illegal. Her daughters — Faith (12), Hope (10), and Love (9) — were also strongly and openly faithful. A (minor) official,quite possibly spurned by Sophia, denounced them to the Emperor so they would be taken to Rome and forced to recant their faith. This did not work out.

The emperor, Hadrian, first tried to get each daughter to renounce their faith and each, in a private meeting with the emperor, refused to do so. So did Sophia. Hadrian then ordered them to be tortured until they renounced their faith, and in a twist of cruelty ordered that the young girls be tortured and Sophia forced to watch. The idea being that either one of the children would break, causing the others to do so as well; or, that Sophia would break and renounce her faith in order to save her daughters.

The tortures were standard for the time and rather hideous, and I will skip over them here. If you don’t know about wheels, grates, and the like, do yourself a favor and don’t look them up. What matters is that when it became clear that none of them would renounce Christ, the girls were beheaded and are reported to have willingly offered their necks to the sword. As a final act of cruelty, Hadrian purportedly let Sophia have the bodies and take them from the city. She did so, and buried them on a hillside away from Rome. She then sat down by the graves until she too passed three days later. Other Christians buried her beside her daughters, and in the 700s the remains were transferred to a church.

I’ve had the thought that I would like to visit the church where the relics reside, but apparently portions of them were shared with the Agia Sophia. It was a moving moment for me as while I don’t understand their connection with me, I am glad that I did get this opportunity to venerate them.

If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Maybe Later

Sorry, not feeling great today, decided to take the day off for all intents and purposes. Didn’t help that on top of not feeling good I couldn’t remember if I had taken the water pill or not, so may have taken two. Hit the tip jar, may have to pay for a new toilet as I think I may have cut a hole in it. (smile). More soon I hope.

Pilgrimage: In The Footsteps Of Paul

Thessaloniki is an ancient city. Founded in 315 BC, it has been a center of trade, learning, and more over the centuries. Looking at modern, crowded Thessaloniki, it can be hard to grasp how old it is, even with elements of that age staring you in the face at the oddest times. Ancient walls still stand and Roman baths have outlasted many other structures.

One of the subway entrances has this interesting timeline that also shows the depth where you find different ruins. In fact, the subway was years in the making because they were almost continually hitting archaeological sites that had to be surveyed, removed, etc.

It was also the site of early Christian evangelism, with the Apostle Paul spending time there preaching, and he later wrote two epistles to the church there (1 & 2 Thessalonians). The church there was important in spreading early Christianity to the world, and had a role in the ultimate legalization of Christianity. Some would rate Thessaloniki as the second most important city of what became the Byzantine empire, and it also filled a similar role for the early church.

The picture at the very top is of a small room, now chapel, surrounded by a newer (relatively) and larger church. It is widely believed that this room was in fact one of the earliest churches in Thessaloniki if not the first. It is also believed that it was here that Paul preached and/or talked with small groups of faithful and those interested in Christianity. Many of the decorations you see are ancient, but came later. Originally it was probably quite plain. Most early church services were in people’s homes, with altar cloths and other items being removed afterwards to help protect people. A common type of early church was a house-church, where the church was a house converted into a church, again so it didn’t stand out for the Romans and others to notice.

It is a bit awe-inspiring, and humbling, to stand where he stood. Where he preached knowing that doing so marked him for death — and doing it anyway. And, yes, Paul did preach or discuss in the open. More on that in another post, as this was not my only brush with Paul on this trip.

If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Pilgrimage: Bus Travel

I’m going to caveat this by saying that I have no clue about Western Europe, but here in the East (and particularly the Balkans) bus travel is a world away from the American experience. Thank goodness!

In the U.S., bus travel has become a thing for not the lower class, but the underclass. Illegal aliens appear to be making high use of busses, while those who can’t drive or fly because of legal issues (much less cost) join them. Seating and rules are not enforced (at least on the hound) and altercations appear to be the norm based on my experiences last year. Again, the employees of the hound presume everyone on the bus is underclass and it is rare and nice to find one that is polite, helpful, etc.

Here, my experience with long-distance bus travel is pretty much the exact opposite. On both long-hauls there were retired couples just out traveling, a number of apparently middle-class people out and about, and a smattering of younger people. I will note that in both border crossings, it was a younger passenger that apparently had some questions asked of them and were checked out before being allowed to proceed. About a 20 minute delay both ways for them to make inquiries and such.

With one exception (who got a word from the driver) everyone was polite and well behaved. There was none of the drama you get on the hound. The exception was an older lady who was VERY in charge of her apparent husband and special-needs son who joined the bus at one of the last stops before the border, apparently no reservation, and tried to be a diva. A quick word from the driver had her in a seat and quiet almost instantly. Like I said, night and day difference.

Another huge difference was that the busses were comfortable and clean. The seats can recline, are well maintained, etc. You also can, for a small fee, ensure that the seat next to you is free — which came in handy given that my shoulders overlap standard seats a fair bit. The bus company I used (Flix Bus) has a number of low-cost optional extras that I made use of. Instead of about $15 each way, I paid app. $25 each way (four+ hour trip each way) and had a very comfortable and enjoyable experience.

Oh, and no government-mandated lectures or warnings, or general announcements at all. The only time one would have been needed was on the way back when the police closed the “interstate” and put traffic onto side roads — which came to a standstill. We sat there an hour, and the best guess of the two drivers (as I overheard them talking at one point) was that there had been an accident on a stretch that was just two lanes. With the exception of one person (possibly an American from voice, young) who complained once about the delay as she was on the way to the Sofia airport, nobody got excited or upset. The young American got told there was nothing that could be done, no alternate routes, and an implied sit down and shut up. She did.

While you can buy tickets at the local station (usually part of the central train station), I highly recommend buying online and in advance. Better prices, better English, more options, etc.

I do think that there is an international regulation requiring a certain number of bus drivers be characters. The first driver I had was such, and clearly was having fun with the tourists. He pretty much ordered me to de-ruck (think he actually may have used those words in Bulgarian) and relax when I first came up. He also double-checked my ticket (on the phone) and made sure I got on the right (his) bus and settled in. Even used some hand signals, and I have to admit I’m wondering if he wasn’t an NCO at some point. None of my gear was military and my hair is now very unreg, but…

One thing I will mention is that quite often the drivers either don’t speak English or may not admit they do. Learning some basics of the local language helps. That said, even if they don’t most of them will guide you and make sure you get on the right bus at the right time, etc. The person in the bus office most likely can speak some English (along with a bit of other languages) and can be help even if you bought online. For example, the nice young lady in the Thessaloniki bus office (a tour company that was also agent for several bus lines) told me where to go grab a last Greek coffee (and breakfast) and to come back and wait in the office as it was a little wet and nippy.

I’m headed up to the train station in a bit to see about getting to Troyan and a surprise trip if I can pull it off. Romania is not going to happen this trip, sadly; but, it should still be there when I get the chance to head back this way. If train service is on par with bus service so far, I will be a happy camper. If no trains available, I will not hesitate to take the bus again.

Again, can’t speak to Western Europe, but here I will not hesitate to take the bus. It was a far better experience than in the U.S., was efficient, and at a very good price. If you are coming to Bulgaria or the Balkans, do keep it in mind.

If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Pilgrimage: Back In Sofia

I’ve got a lot to share with you. First, however, I need to rest up a bit and do laundry and I really wish that was the order of things. Sadly, laundry comes first even though I am of somewhat mixed emotions about washing the dirt/dust from various holy caves and such out of one particular pair of pants. I’ve also got to download the boatload of photos and such from the phone. Tomorrow, I will be spending the day with my friends at the German Monastery of St. John of Rila. Start looking for new content on Monday and don’t be surprised if things jump around a bit despite my desire to take things in order. More soon my friends!

Pilgrimage: Veria (Veroia)

Yesterday, we left Thessaloniki and headed towards Veria (Veroia in Greek). On the way, we stopped and spent the morning at a monastery where I was given the chance to venerate three different relics and a miraculous icon. Then, we sat under what I think may be a local oak tree and had a good conversation with one of the nuns there.

Then, we went and checked into our hotel, is within the ancient Jewish quarter (up until WWII) . Next door to the hotel is a museum that was the synagogue. Current building is less than a thousand years old, but it was built on the site of the original, which is one of the spots where the Apostle Paul preached when he was here.

Then we went to visit another monastery that is in the process of being rebuilt. Long story for later, but had an amazing visit which ended not only that I was welcome anytime, but that the abbot suggested I should look at coming back for an extended stay. Lots to process but thinking that is a very good idea. Also, was allowed to venerate a relic of the Apostle Paul while there.

More soon once I have WiFi again.

Pilgrimage: Thessaloniki Day 2

There will be a much longer post at some point, but getting this up while I have WiFi. Leave this morning for a visit a friend recommended, the same friend who arranged the guide/mentor I’m now enjoying. He took me to some amazing places yesterday, several monasteries and churches I would not have found without him. We did not walk the entire perimeter of the ancient walls, but we hit major points on each.

The very first place we went was on one of the highest points in the city. The church in the monastery there has what is now a chapel, but is believed to be one of the earliest churches in Thessaloniki. One where the Apostle Paul preached. And that was just the start of the day. More to come.