Today I received a Google alert with this message in Greek: “Angels are seen on a picture made in wintertime on Athos”!
I do not want to spoil the excitement, because I also would love to see a real angel, but I have a different imagination of how an angel should look like (and not like a white ghost in the fog!). And in modern times, with digital photography, things not always what they seem to be………
This is the same picture after a 5 minute – unprofessional – photoshop session, done by me: suddenly three angels appear!
So beware what to believe……………..
Wim, 22/10
“Classical” Orthodox theology has a rather negative (almost paranoid) stand towards appearances of saints and angels. Because Lucifer himself used to be the brightest angel, it is considered that demons can mislead people by appearing in “bright” forms. Several great ascetics and other Orthodox saints have been tempted by such false apparitions.
There are even stories of saints who rejected genuine appearances of Christ, but who were afterwards praised by the Lord because of their cautiousness.
Nevertheless, their caution isn’t always shared by all Orthodox Christians…
If anyone would zoom in on your photo shopped angel, they could tell the massive difference between the two, just because you can produce a fake does not disallow the possibility these are true angels.
no one said something regarding what one sees on this photograph if they are angels or what God knows the truth. The only thing we are saying since we know people from the photo is that it is authentic, entirely, What one sees and what not is up to them The photo the original photo is entirely authentic. Now what you did afterwards with photo shop is your doing. The photo was taken by an Agioritis geronta whom the friends asked to snap the shot so all the friends will be in the photo and upon its development, that is exactly how our God and Savior Jesus Christ permitted to be developed and be seen.
I read the above comments and realize that before someone makes comments, needs to read the bible carefully and St. John’s Climacus of Sinai. Needs to proceed with fasting and the holy communion.Must clear all thoughts inside his/her mind.Depends how high , morally speaking, someone stands, in order to fully understand what is going on.Personally speaking,I am a Greek Orthodox psychologist and researcher .I have taken several photos for more than 30 years of the “cloudy beings” in different places in Greece.It took me about 15 years to realize that the monks of Mountain Athos are absolutely right.They pass through the stage of discrimination and recognize what is good .The white cloud you see in the photo is a
dress.Inside the dress is hidden the immortal body of light green color.Whether a particular being is good or bad is a very serious matter.The Orthodox Church has the right answer for me.I am very fortunate I was born in a Greek Orthodox Family.Although I am a scientist with a Ph.D only God leads my way.With what I discovered in St.John’s Climacus I ended up tearing apart my international diplomas in Psychology and my work in Religion and philosophy.I pray to God from the bottom of my heart to clear away the ignorance and people be able to understand what is happening inside their body.As Socrates said, we must first search our inner house!