Anastase Yannoulatos

This article by Deacon Anastasios Yannoulatos, delivered as a homily during a Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in Athens, examines the relationship between Orthodox spirituality and missionary vocation. Taking as its starting point the liturgical prayer for catechumens, the author notes the absence of catechumens in the contemporary Orthodox Church and sees in this the symptom of a withdrawal into self that runs contrary to the very essence of Christianity. The central idea is that all authentically Orthodox spirituality implies an ecumenical and universal dimension: to live "in Christ" means to share his gaze upon all of humanity. The theological contribution of this text lies in the critical tension it establishes between the richness of the Orthodox spiritual tradition and its communal enclosure, positing missionary consciousness as a criterion of ecclesial authenticity and interior life.