The Song of Hagia Sophia

The  Song of Hagia Sophia 

(The lament of the Hellenic people, which is full of hope, after the Fall of Constantinople 1453)

God sounds out, the earth sounds out, the heavens sound out.

And the Hagia Sophia also sounds out, the great monastery,

With four hundred sounding-boards and sixty-two bells,

For each bell a priest, for each priest a deacon.

St Efimia and St Paisios the Athonite

St Efimia and St Paisios the Athonite
A TRUE STORY

The Elder (Paisios) was in the front yard of his retreat when he was visited by one of his spiritual children. He was repeating, from the heart, “Glory to You, o God”, over and over again.
“Can someone be rendered useless – in a good sense?” the Elder suddenly asked him.

“Who would that be, Elder?”
“Well, I was sitting in my Cell quietly, then she came here and drove me crazy… They are having such a good time, ‘up there’..”
“What’s troubling you, Elder?”
“I will tell you, but don’t you tell anyone.”
He went on to narrate the following:

THE TRADITION AND THE STORY OF THE "VASILOPITA"

The tradition of baking and cutting a special "pita" (which can mean a loaf of bread, a cake, or even a pie!) each year on January 1" is observed in honor of our Holy Father Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia - hence its name Vasilopita.  This tradition is observed in both parish churches and in the homes of the faithful. What is the meaning of this tradition and how did it begin? For centuries upon centuries parents, grandparents and Godparents have related the following story to Orthodox children about St Basil and the Vasilopita.