The
Holy Female Martyrs Agape, Chionia and Irene
All
three were sisters from the vicinity of Aquileia. When Emperor
Diocletian was staying in Aquileia he ordered that the distinguished
spiritual father Chrysogonus be killed. At that time, an aged
Presbyter Zoilus had a vision in which the location of the unburied
body of Chrysogonus was revealed. Hurrying, the elder found the
martyred body of Chrysogonus, placed it in a sarcophagus and kept it
in his home. Thirty days later, St. Chrysogonus appeared to him and
informed him that, in the course of nine days, those three maidens
would suffer martyrdom and that he, too, would also die at that time.
The same news was received in a vision by Anastasia, ( a woman endowed
with moral and spiritual insight), who had followed the example of her
teacher, Chrysogonus. Indeed, after nine days the Elder Zoilus died
and those three sisters were brought to trial before the emperor. The
emperor urged these three maidens to worship the idols, but they all
refused and confessed their steadfast faith in Christ. Irene said to
the emperor: "How stupid it is to worship things made of stone
and wood, which were ordered for an agreed price and made by the hands
of a mortal man." The enraged emperor cast them into prison. When
the emperor departed for Macedonia, all slaves and prisoners were
taken with him, among whom were these three saintly maidens. The
emperor turned them over to a certain Commander Dulcitius for
torturing. This commander, inflamed by dark passion, wanted to defile
the virgins however, when the commander attempted to enter the prison
while the virgins were praying to God he went insane. He fell among
the black cauldrons and pots before the gates and began to embrace and
kiss them and departed sooty and blackened. The emperor upon hearing
about this incident ordered that another commander, Sisinius, take
over the trial of these sisters. After prolonged torture, the judge
condemned the first two sisters to death by burning and he detained
Irene for a while longer hoping to defile her. But, when he sent Irene
to the brothel with the soldiers, an angel of God saved this chaste
virgin and staved off these soldiers and brought her to a hill. The
next day, the commander with his soldiers went to this hill and were
unable to ascend it. He then ordered that Irene be shot with arrows.
St. Anastasia (the disciple of Chrysogonus) gathered the bodies of
these three sisters into one place and honorably buried them. They all
suffered honorably for Christ the King and Lord about the year 304
A.D.
The
holy Martyr Leonides and with him the female Martyrs: Chariessa, Nice
Galina, Callis, Nunechia, Basillissa and Theodora
They
were thrown into the sea but the sea received them not. They walked
upon the sea as upon dry land and sang to God: "One field of
battle, I ran O Lord, and the army pursued me; O Lord I did not deny
You; O Lord, save my soul!" Seeing them the heathens, at first,
were amazed but after that tied stones around their necks and again
threw them into the depths of the sea and they drowned. They all
suffered honorably for Christ the King and Lord in the year 281 A.D.
Reflection
A story
of the Elder Barlaam. A certain man had three friends. Two of them he
loved sincerely, but with tedium, he avoided the third. It so happened
that the king summoned this man before him to render account and to
repay his debt. He turned for help to his first friend who rejected
him and departed. He then turned to his second friend but even he did
not help him. With shame, he then turned to the third friend and he
joyfully accompanied him before the king. The interpretation is this:
the first friend is wealth; the second friend is a relative; the third
friend is the good works of men in this world. The king is God Who,
through death, sends summons and seeks payment of debt. A dying man
seeks help in his wealth, but it turns away and passes on immediately
into the hands of another owner. He then turns to his relatives, but
his relatives send him off alone and they remain. Then, he reminds
himself of his good works, which he carried out with tedium and these
immediately accompany him on the path in the presence of the King and
Judge. He, who has ears to hear, let him hear. The only companions of
the soul to the other world are the works of man, be they good or be
they bad. All of that which was dear and precious to man, leaves him
and turns from him. Only his works, to the very last one, accompany
him. He, who has a mind to understand, let him understand.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
according to the testimony of St. Paul He appeared alive to five
hundred people at once; "After that, He appeared to more than
five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though
some have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:6);
2. How
He appeared to the Apostle James and, again, according to the
testimony of the Apostle Paul: "After that, He appeared to James,
then to all the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:7);
3. How
at the time of the Apostle Paul, there were still living many outside
the circle of the apostles, who had seen Him.
Homily
About
sobering up from sin
"Become
sober as you ought and stop sinning" (1 Corinthians 15:34).
The
Apostle Paul gives this commandment in relation to the resurrection of
Christ. Since he had enumerated many proofs of the resurrection of the
Lord, he decisively commands the faithful to sober up as is needed and
not to sin anymore.
Why does
the apostle place our sobriety on the dependence of the resurrection
of the Lord? Because the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the
main rebuttal to sinning. And, because nothing else in this world can
turn us away from sinning as the knowledge that the Lord resurrected
from the grave and now, sits alive on the Throne of Glory and is
awaiting us on His judgment. Sinning, after that knowledge, is
completely absurd. Sobering up from sinning, after that knowledge, is
perfectly natural and reasonable.
"Become
sober as your ought!" Not half-heartedly, but completely. Dismiss
from your minds even the remembrance of sin. For sin is like a plant
which can grow even in the most parched places. One drop of moisture
and, seemingly, a withered plant becomes green. One remembrance of a
seemingly long forgotten dead sin makes it come alive and causes it to
become stronger.
The
heathens and sinners, who did not have the example of the resurrection
of the dead and are sinning, will have some kind of justification at
the Judgment. They will say: "There was nothing so powerful that
could have sobered us up from sinning. We believed that the grave was
the last delta of the river of human life, for we did not have any
proof of life after death." Thus, will the heathens speak? But,
how will you Christians justify yourselves, you who learned of the
resurrection of Christ and have not sobered up; you who have heard so
many testimonies of the resurrection and the judgment and yet you
continue to sin? How are you going to justify yourselves?
My
brethren, sober up for once as you should and do not sin for Christ is
risen from the grave. O resurrected and living Lord, help us to sober
up from sin once and for all.
To
the Top
April
30th (New Style) • April 17th (Old Style)
The
Priestly-Martyr Simeon, Persian Bishop
During
the reign of the wicked Emperor Sapor (Savori), Simeon was tortured
for Christ along with his two presbyters, Audel and Ananias. The
emperor's eunuch, Ustazan, who had earlier denied Christ and
afterward, touched by the rebuke of St. Simeon, again, confessed the
True Faith before the emperor. A thousand other Christians were also
led to the place of execution with Simeon. Simeon intentionally moved
out of the way in order to be the last one to be beheaded so as to
encourage the other Christians to the end, so that, not one of them
would waver because of their fear of death. When the presbyter Ananias
placed his head on the chopping block, his entire body quivered. The
emperor's court clerk Fusik, who secretly was a Christian, began to
encourage Ananias saying: " Do not be afraid old man, close your
eyes and be brave so that you may see the divine light." As soon
as Fusik said this, he was recognized as a Christian and was accused
before the emperor. The emperor exhausted him through great torture,
as well as his daughter, the maiden Askitria. After St. Simeon saw his
flock depart to the other world, he was finally beheaded. The
following year on Great Friday (Good Friday), Azat (Ustazan), the
beloved eunuch of the emperor, was also slain for Christ and with him
a thousand other faithful. Then the emperor mourned for his eunuch and
suspended the further killing of Christians. They all suffered
honorably for Christ the King and Lord in the year 341 or 344 A.D.
St.
Acacius, Bishop of Melitene
Acacius
lived the ascetical life in the place where he was born, i.e., in
Melitene, Armenia. Blessed Otreius, bishop of that city, who
participated at the Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople 381 A.D.),
ordained him a presbyter. Following the death of Otreius, Acacius
became a bishop. He participated at the Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus
431 A.D.), which condemned the evil blasphemy of Nestorius against the
Mother of God. Here, together with St. Cyril of Alexandria, Acacius
zealously fought for the purity of the Orthodox Faith. St. Acacius
possessed much Grace from God and worked many miracles. After long and
zealous service to God, Acacius died peacefully in the year 435 A.D.
St.
Agapitus, Pope of Rome
Agapitus
was sent to the Emperor Justinian in Constantinople by Theodahad, the
King of the Goths, to dissuade him from his campaign against the
Goths. Enroute, he healed a mute and blind person. In Constantinople,
Agapitus assisted in confirming Orthodoxy and died in the year 536
A.D.
The
Venerable Sabatius and Zosimus
Sabatius
and Zosimus were the co-founders of the ascetical (monastic) community
on the Solovetz Island in the White Sea. Many great saints were
glorified in the Solovetz Community. St. Sabatius died in 1435 A.D.,
and Zosimus died in 1478 A.D.
Reflection
After
the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon, 451 A.D.) the heretical
Emperor Anastasius banished the Orthodox Patriarchs, Elias of
Jerusalem and Flavian of Antioch, into exile. One day simultaneously,
both of the saints, discerned the death of the heretical emperor and
sent each other the news about this saying: "Anastasius is dead!
Let us also go to stand judgment with him before God." The
emperor died and two days later both patriarchs died. What zeal for
the True Faith! What a humble hope before God's judgment. For these
saints, it was not a matter of living longer on earth but the matter
of God's truth. Neither did they say: "We judged him,"
rather "may God judge him!" Our stay on earth is not for the
sake of sojourning but for personal choice for good or for evil; for
truth or for falsehood. Blessed are we if we, in everything, trust
God's will and hope in God's judgment. For in all, one must have a
strong faith. These Orthodox archpastors had a strong faith. St.
Acacius also had a strong faith. Once, during a great drought when the
people were despairing, this wonderful Acacius led a procession of the
people throughout the town and outside the town. He ordered that the
Divine Liturgy be celebrated outside the town before the Church of St.
Eustace. After consecrating the Holy Gifts, Acacius did not want to
pour water into the wine but prayed to God that He, the Most-High,
lower water into the chalice from the clouds. God heard the prayer of
His faithful servant and sent abundant rain in the dry fields as well
as into the honorable chalice.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
forty days after the resurrection He still remains on earth showing
Himself to the faithful and strengthening them in the Faith;
2. How
by His forty day manifestation, He demonstrates that He did not
resurrect for His sake but for the sake of mankind.
Homily
About
the wonderful promise of Christ
"I
will give the victor the right to sit with Me on My throne"
(Revelation 3:21).
This,
brethren, is the promise of Christ, the Victor over the devil, sin and
death.
But the
devil, sin and death are stronger than man. Who can overcome them? No
one, except Christ and those who stand firm with Christ and with His
weapons enter into battle.
The
devil is as old as the world and even older than the world. How can
man, whose life-span is measured with a pendulum, defeat him who, for
many thousands of years, learns to wage battle against man? How can a
mortal overpower all the temptation of the devil, whose number equals
the number of sins on earth? By no means, if he does not know that the
Lord Jesus conquered the three main types of diabolical temptations on
the high mountain. By no means, if a man does not remain firm and
steadfast along side Christ Who is older than time and mightier than
all the angels, both evil and good.
Sin is
as old as the devil. How can man, whose life-span is measured by a
pendulum, avoid sin which, as a contagious disease and evil odor, is
passed from generation to generation, from man to man since man exists
on such an earth? By no means, if he does not know that there existed
one Man, the One and Only, Who did not commit sin, neither in birth
nor after birth; the God-Man Jesus Christ Who, through the humbleness
of His humanity and the fire of His Divinity, crushed sin on the
Cross. By no means, if a man does not stand firm with Christ Who is
older than sin and Who is mightier than all of the sowers and carriers
of sin.
Death is
as old as man expelled from Paradise. How can a man, whose life span
is measured by a pendulum, conquer death in this worldly grave? By no
means, if he does not acknowledge the power of the Cross and the
suffering of Christ and the truth of His resurrection from the grave.
By no means, if he does not stand firm with Christ, the Almighty
Victor over death.
O what a
glorious reward for those who achieve victory! They will be seated,
crowned with wreaths of glory, on the throne of the greatest Victor on
earth and in heaven!
To
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May
1st (New Style) • April 18th (Old Style)
Venerable
John, The Disciple of St. Gregory Decapolis
At the
time of the Iconoclastic heresy, Emperor Leo the Armenian subjected
John to torture along with his teacher Gregory and St. Joseph the
Hymnographer. When Gregory departed this life, John became the abbot
of the Decapolis Monastery in Constantinople. Having become abbot, he
intensified his ascetical efforts for the sake of the kingdom of God.
He died peacefully about the year 820 A.D. Following his death, St.
Joseph buried him with honors next to the grave of St. Gregory.
Holy
Martyr John the New of Ioannina
John was
born in Ioannina, once the capitol city of the Emperor Pyrrhus. When
his impoverished parents died, the young John moved to Constantinople
and there continued his occupation, for he was a craftsman. Not long
before that, the Turks surrounded Constantinople and many Christians,
out of fear, denied Christ and embraced the Islamic faith. St. John
had his workshop in the midst of these converts to Islam. The more the
young John burned with love for Christ the Lord, the more openly he
exposed himself as a Christian before these traitors of Christ. He
began to argue with them about faith and, finally, rebuked them for
their betrayal of Christ. They dragged him before the judge and
falsely accused John, alleging that he had earlier embraced Islam, and
that he again reverted to Christianity. After he was tortured and
beaten with rods and iron ramrods, they cast him into prison. The next
day was the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ and, again, they
brought him out for further torture and John emerged singing:
"Christ is risen from the dead!" To his torturers, he
bravely said: " Do what you want in order to send me as soon as
possible from this transient life to eternal life. I am Christ's
slave, I follow Christ, for Christ I die that I may live with
Him!" After that, John was bound in chains and brought to the
place of burning. Upon seeing a large fire prepared for him, John ran
and leaped into the flames. His torturers seeing how he loved death in
the fire removed him from the fire and sentenced him to be beheaded.
After they beheaded him, they threw his head and body into the fire.
Later on, Christians leafed through the ashes and gathered some of the
remains of his honorable and wonder-working relics and interred them
in the Great Church (Agia Sophia - Church of the Holy Wisdom) in
Constantinople. Thus, St. John of Ioannina died a martyr's death and
received the glorious martyr's wreath on April 18, 1526 A. D.
The
Holy Martyrs Victor, Zoticus, Zeno, Acynius and Severian
All five
were martyred during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. They were pagans
until they witnessed the sufferings of St. George the Great Martyr.
While witnessing the sufferings and bravery of this glorious martyr
and the many miracles, which were manifested, they embraced the
Christian Faith for which, in a short while, they too suffered and
were crowned with glory.
Reflection
In one
of the writings of the martyrdom of Christians during the reign of the
Persian Emperor Sapor, it is said: "The swords became dull, the
sword-bearers fell and the sword-makers fatigued, but the Cross is
uplifted even higher and glistened from the blood of Christ's
martyrs." How many and how many times did the persecutors of
Christians complacently think that they were through with Christianity
forever? In essence, their lives have ended while Christianity has
always regenerated itself and blossomed anew. Nevertheless, even in
addition to that experience, some of our contemporaries think, that
the Christian Faith can be uprooted by force. But, they do not say by
what means. They forget that all those means have been tried and all
without success. With reason Tertullian cried out to the pagans:
"In vain do you spill our blood. For the blood of the martyrs is
the seed of Christianity."
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
His resurrection brought unspeakable joy to those who loved Him;
2. How
His resurrection brought unspeakable bitterness to those who hated
Him;
3. How
His last coming (Second Advent) into the world in glory and power will
provoke among various people, various feelings; either joy or
bitterness.
Homily
About
the testimony of reliable witnesses
"But
we have been eyewitnesses of His mighty glory" (2 Peter 1:16).
When the
apostles speak about the glorious resurrection of the Lord, they speak
in plurality. For each one of them gives his testimony and the
testimony of other companions. Thus, the Apostle Peter writes:
"We do not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to
you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been
eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).
Nathaniel
did not want to believe only by hearing. That is why the Apostle
Philip invited Nathaniel to "Come and see!" (St. John 1:46).
Nathaniel came, saw and believed. So it was with the other apostles,
until they approached Christ, until they heard, and until they saw,
they did not want to believe. Cleverly devised myths did not attract
the apostles. Their healthy natural thoughts sought visual facts and
not myths.
O my
brethren, our Faith is well established and proved. The trail of God
is well blazoned in the world. No one has need to doubt. Christ's
resurrection is well witnessed. No one need to despair. Doubt and
despair are two worms that are born of fly larva of sin. He who does
not sin, clearly sees the blazoned trail of God in the world and
clearly recognizes the resurrection of Christ.
O
resurrected Lord, strengthen us by the power of Your Holy Spirit so
that we sin no more and that we do not become blinded to Your trail in
the world and to Your glorious resurrection.
To
the Top
May
2nd (New Style) • April 19th (Old Style)
The
Venerable John of Old Caves
John
lived a life of asceticism in the so-called "old caves," the
"old Lavra" of Chariton the Great in Palestine. Having loved
Christ the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his
mind, John, at an early age, began to travel to the holy places and to
listen to the instructions and counsels of the holy men. Finally, he
settled in the Caves of Chariton, where he gave himself to rigorous
asceticism spending days and years in fasting, prayer, vigils,
continuously meditating on death, and teaching himself humility. As a
good ripened fruit, he was plucked by death and took up habitation in
Paradise. He lived and died in the eighth century.
The
Holy Martyrs Christopher, Theonas and Antonius
Christopher,
Theonas and Antonius were young officers serving under Emperor
Diocletian. When St. George the Great Martyr was being tortured, they
witnessed his sufferings as well as the miracles which occurred at
that time. Seeing all of this, they came before the emperor, laid down
their arms, removed their military belts and bravely confessed the
Name of the Lord Jesus. For that, they were subjected to great torture
and finally were tossed into the fire, where their bodies were
consumed while their souls went to God into eternal joy. They
honorably suffered in Nicomedia in the year 303 A.D.
St.
Tryphon, Patriarch of Constantinople
The
Emperor Romanus, who reigned over Byzantium at the beginning of the
tenth century had a son, Theophylact, who was sixteen years old when
Patriarch Stephen died. The emperor wanted his son to be elevated as
patriarch for he had promised him (his son) this spiritual calling
from his youth. Because his son was a minor, the emperor was ashamed
to do this. The patriarchal throne was assumed by Tryphun a simple but
chaste and pious old man. Tryphun remained on the throne for three
years. When the son of the emperor reached his twentieth year, the
emperor thought, to remove Tryphun at any price and to install his son
as patriarch. The saint of God, Tryphun, did not want to relinquish
his throne voluntarily, for no other reason, because he considered it
to be a great scandal that such a young man be elevated to such a
responsible and burdensome position as that of being patriarch.
Through the intrigue of a nefarious bishop, the signature of the
innocent Tryphun was extracted on a blank sheet of paper. Later on, in
the imperial court, above that signature, the alleged resignation of
the patriarch was written which the emperor decreed. As a result of
this, there arose a great confusion in the Church, for the laity and
the clergy stood by Tryphun, the godly man. The emperor then forcibly
removed the aged patriarch and sent him to a monastery and, his son,
Theophylact, was elevated as patriarch. St. Tryphun lived as an
ascetic in this monastery for two years and five months and presented
himself before the Lord in the year 933 A.D.
The
Venerable Martyr Agathangelus
Agathangelus
was from Thrace. His secular name was Athanasius. Serving the Turks,
he was forcibly converted to Islam in Smyrna. As a penitent, he was
tonsured a monk on the Holy Mountain (Athos) in the Monastery of
Esfigmenu. Tortured by his conscience, he desired to wash away his sin
with his own blood. He departed for Smyrna where he exhibited a cross
and an icon of the resurrection of Christ before the Turks. He was
beheaded on April 19, 1819 in his nineteenth year. Following his
death, he appeared alive to Herman, his spiritual father.
Venerable
Simeon the Discalced (Barefooted One)
Simeon
lived a life of asceticism on the Holy Mountain (Athos) and, for a
short while, was the abbot of the Monastery Philotheu. He strengthened
Christians in the Faith in many areas of the Balkans and was glorified
by his miracle-working. He walked barefooted for which he is called,
the Discalced (The Barefooted One). He died in Constantinople.
Reflection
An elder
spiritual father said: "Getting up in the morning, say to
yourself: body, work in order to feed yourself; soul, be vigilant in
order to save yourself and inherit the Kingdom!" These are not
empty words, but this was the rule of many thousands of monks
throughout the centuries: their daily Rule of Life. By labors, they
fed themselves, through prayer they remained vigilant. Why only for
monks? Cannot this be the Rule of every follower of Christ? Did not
Christ Himself give us an obvious example of that, i.e., an example of
physical effort and constant vigilance in prayer?
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
He, in His glorified body, was close to His disciples;
Close to
them who sought Him (Mary Magdalene in the Garden);
Close to
those who are in fear (The disciples in a closed room);
Close to
those who are hungry (Those on the shore of the lake);
2. How
He is close, even now, to everyone of us who seek Him,
who is
in fear and who is hungry?
Homily
About
being cautious toward all that is not according to Christ
"Brethren,
see to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive
philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental
powers of the world and not according to Christ" (Colossians
2:8).
Brethren,
do not let philosophy enslave us, which by conjecture, says that there
is no eternal life nor resurrection from the dead. For we do not
arrive at the Truth through the conjecture of man, but by God's
revelation. That which we know about the truth we know from Truth
Itself which was revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and which was
communicated to us through the faithful and wise witnesses of the
Truth: the apostles and the saints. If we, because of our sins, were
to reject these witnesses and accept the conjecture of humans, we will
fall into the dark and bitter slavery of nature, of the body, to sin
and to death.
Brethren,
let us not be deceived by the empty myths of men, from men and
according to men as though another world does not exist or if another
world does exist, we, so to speak, do not know anything about it.
Behold, we know with confidence that another world does exist. We know
this not from conjecturers or deceivers but from the Lord Jesus
Himself Who, on Mount Tabor, appeared to His disciples with Moses and
Elijah who long ago departed this world and Who Himself, appeared to
many of His followers after His death. We also know about this from
the apostles, saints and numerous discerners to whom, because of their
chastity and sanctity, God revealed the ultimate Truth about the other
world. If, because of our sins, we do not believe these holy and the
truthful witnesses, we will then have to believe those unholy and
false men and we will be slaves to darkness, sin and death.
Brethren,
let us not be led astray by worldly teaching, which examines animals,
plants and stones and say it has not found God among these things and,
from that, arrogantly attest that there is no God. Behold, we know
that the Creator cannot be, as a thing among things, rather He is
above all things and different from all things. We know this, as much
by spiritual understanding and conscience, as well as by the obvious
revelation of the Lord Jesus Himself, Who appeared in the body of a
man as the Lord of all created things, as well as through the witness
of the apostles, many other saints and discerning men.
Rather,
let us glorify the Lord Jesus resurrected from the dead.
To
the Top
May
3rd (New Style) • April 20th (Old Style)
The
Venerable Theodore Trihinos
Theodore
was a citizen of Constantinople and the son of wealthy parents. As a
young man he left his parent's home and riches and entered a
hermetical monastery in Thrace. Here, he imposed upon himself a most
rigorous life of mortification. He slept on stones in order to sleep
less. He traveled everywhere bareheaded and clothed himself in one
garment made of "goat's hair," for which he was called
Trihinos (Greek) Kostret (Serbian) for goat's hair. Because of his
great self-mortification for the sake of the salvation of his soul,
God bestowed upon him the great gift of miracle-working both during
his lifetime and after death. He died peacefully about the year 400
A.D. His body was shown to be flowing with oil (Chrism).
The
Venerable Anastasius of Mount Sinai
Anastasius
was the abbot of Mt. Sinai. In the beginning he was a monk for an
extended period of time under the glorious Abbot John of the Ladder.
After John's death, he then became abbot. Besides being a great
ascetic, Anastasius was an eloquent author of the lives of the saints
as well as instructional writings. He led a bitter struggle against
the heretics, the so called Acephalites (Akefalita - Headless Ones),
who denied the decisions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon,
451 A.D.). He died in an old age in the year 685 A.D. and took up
habitation with the Lord Whom he faithfully served.
Blessed
Anastasius Sinaites, Patriarch of Antioch
While a
monk on Mt. Sinai, Anastasius was elected patriarch of Antioch during
the reign of Emperor Justinian. He was elevated to this rank by virtue
of his charity, chaste life, great spiritual learning and a staunch
faith. The Emperor Justinian fell into the heresy of Docetism (this
heresy taught that Christ's sufferings were apparent and not real),
which Eutychius the Patriarch of Constantinople and this Blessed
Anastasius sharply rebelled against. The emperor banished Eutychius
and also wanted to banish Anastasius but he was unable to find any
reproach in his life. However, when Justinian died, repenting
beforehand and re-instating Eutychius to the throne, then his
successor Justin succeeded in banishing Anastasius on the basis of
some spurious calumnies. Anastasius remained in exile for twenty-three
years and was re-instated to the throne of Antioch during the reign of
Maurice. He governed the Church of God for six years and ended his
earthly sojourn in the year 599 A.D.
Blessed
Gregory, Patriarch of Antioch
Gregory
was an Armenian by birth. He was abbot of the Pharanite Monastery
below Mt. Sinai. When Blessed Anastasius was banished from his throne
Gregory, against his will, was installed as patriarch of Antioch.
Blessed Patriarch Sophronius also writes very favorably about him in
his "Spiritual Meadow." Gregory was especially distinguished
by his very great compassion, especially toward sinners. He died in
the Lord in the year 593 A.D.
The
Holy Apostle Zacchaeus
At
first, Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a sinner. When our Lord saw
him in Jericho in a tree and entered his home, Zacchaeus was brought
to repentance. "He (Jesus) came to Jericho and intended to pass
through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax
collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in
stature. So he ran ahead and climbed the sycamore tree in order to see
Jesus, Who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place,
Jesus looked up and said to him: `Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for
today I must stay at your house.' And he came down quickly and
received Him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble,
saying, `He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.' But Zacchaeus
stood there and said to the Lord, `Behold, half of my possessions,
Lord, I shall give to the poor and if I have extorted anything from
anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him,
` today salvation has come to this house because this man is a
descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save
what was lost" (St. Luke 19: 1-10). Later on, Zacchaeus followed
the Apostle Peter who appointed him bishop of Caesarea in Palestine
where he faithfully served the Gospel and died peacefully.(*)
The
Venerable Athanasius of Meteora
Athanasius
was born in 1310 A.D. He lived the ascetical life on Athos, the Holy
Mountain. He founded the famous Meteora Monastery in Thessaly. He
possessed the great "gift of discernment" and
miracle-working.
(*)
Philaret mentions Gabriel the Child in his Lives of the Saints, which
a certain Jew, Schutko, lured to an isolated place and there crucified
him. Gabriel was born in the village Zvjerka near the town of Zabludov.
He was only six years old. His parents, Peter and Anastasia Gavdjev,
were absent from home that day. After thirty years, Gabriel's body was
discovered incorrupt. He suffered in the year 1684 A.D.
Reflection
St.
Anastasius of Sinai teaches: "To every Christian is given an
angel (Guardian Angel) from God to guard him all his life unless
someone through evil deeds drives him away. But as the snake drives
away bees and evil smell drives away pigeons, thus our sins drive away
the guardian angel of our life: drunkenness, adultery, anger and so
forth. The angel of every faithful man leads him to every good deed,
while the demons exert to scandalize the faithful ones and to deprive
them of the Kingdom of Heaven." The angels are close to men and
that they take care of men, the whole of Holy Scripture attests to
this, but especially the New Testament. Besides this, there exists in
the Orthodox Church numerous traditions of saintly men and women, who
witness to that which St. Athanasius confirms, i.e. that is that each
one of us in this world is accompanied by a gentle and mighty (herald)
messenger of God, a soldier of the King of Heaven, the angel of light.
Who, except an insane person drives a good friend away from himself?
In truth, only the insane and the extremely ignorant, drive away their
best friend, their guardian angel by their sins.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
He, as the Almighty Victor over death, does not seek revenge on His
enemies who tortured and crucified Him, but leaving them to
themselves, He sustains His frightened friends;
2. How
He even today as in all times, innocent and meek, does not hurry to
seek revenge on the unfaithful but hurries to the aid of the faithful.
Homily
About
the one and only foundation of salvation
"For
no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely
Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).
The Jews
say, " the foundation is Moses." The Muslims say, " the
foundation is Mohammed." The short-sighted naturalists say,
" the foundation is nature." We ask: Did Moses resurrect
from the dead? Did Mohammed ascend into heaven? Does nature bestow the
Holy Spirit the Comforter? Moses did not resurrect. Mohammed did not
ascend into heaven. Nature, not only does not bestow the Holy Spirit
the Comforter to men, but breathes hatred against man and growls at
him and bares its talons.
One
cannot be the foundation of the world who is conceived in sin; who
himself sinned; who wandered and sought counsel in women; who, by
someone else's power, performed certain works; who crumbled in the
grave and whose name leads to confusion in regard to the way, the
truth and the life. Mohammed and Moses were conceived in sin and they
committed sins; they sought counsel from women; with the power of
others they performed deeds; in the grave they lay decomposed; their
names lead men to confusion about the way, the truth and the life.
That is
why, brethren, we have no where to turn in history and to seek another
such foundation except the Lord Jesus Christ Who was conceived without
sin; Who did not commit any sin; Who did not wander and Who did not
seek counsel from anyone; Who by His own power performed mighty deeds;
Who did not decay in the grave; and Whose Name does not lead men into
confusion regarding the way, the truth and the life.
The
apostle does not say that Christ laid down some foundation but that He
Himself is that established foundation. He is All-justice, that is why
He is the foundation of every justice. He is All-truth, that is why He
is the foundation of every truth. He is All-wisdom, that is why He is
the foundation of every wisdom. He is All-power, that is why He is the
foundation of every power. He is All-good, that is why He is the
foundation of every good. He is All-life, that is why He is the
foundation of life in both worlds, in this and in the next. O
resurrected Lord, You are the foundation of our salvation and eternal
life.
To
the Top
May
4th (New Style) • April 21st (Old Style)
The
Priestly-Martyr Januarius and others with him
This
saint was the bishop of Benevento in Italy. At the time of persecution
under Maximian, Januarius was brought before the court and tortured in
various ways, which he blamelessly and patiently endured. When they
cast him into the fire, the fire was cooled by an invisible dew and
the martyr stood unharmed amidst the flames and sang praises to God.
Then they scrapped his body with iron brushes until the bones shown
white, which the martyr innocently and patiently endured. His Deacon
Festus and Lector Desiderius witnessed the suffering of the martyr and
wept for their spiritual father. Then they bound both of them and
together with Bishop Januarius brought them to the city of Puteoli (near
Naples) and cast them into prison. In this same prison for the sake of
Christ, were Sussos, Deacon of Miseno and Proculus, Deacon of Puzzuoli
and two Christian laymen Euticius and Acutius. The next day all seven
of them were thrown before the wild beasts. The wild beasts did not
touch them. They were all beheaded and the Christians of the city of
Naples secretly carried away to their city the body of St. Januarius
and buried it honorably in church. To the present day numerous
miracles have occurred at the grave of this saint. Among the many
miracles one is particularly remembered i.e., a poor widow whose only
son had died removed the icon of St. Januarius from the church and
placed it on the body of her dead son, sobbing and praying to the
saint. Her son became alive. St. Januarius honorably suffered in the
year 305 A.D.
The
Holy Martyr Theodore and others with him
Theodore
suffered for the Faith of Christ in Perga of Pamphylia during the
reign of Antonius. Theodore was young and of handsome countenance.
When the governor of that province chose him, along with other young
men, who were to be sent to the imperial court for service, Theodore
objected and declared that he is a Christian. Because of that, he
underwent many kinds of tortures and was then tossed into the fire.
But, water bubbled out of the ground and quenched the fire. The
governor attributed this to some magic of Theodore. But, the martyr
said: "This is not the work of my power but Christ my God. If you
want to know the power of your gods, light another fire and toss in
one of your soldiers and then I hope you will see their power and the
Almighty power of my God." Indeed, the governor wanted to cast
one of his soldiers into the fire but they, out of fear, implored him
to throw in their place Dioscorus, the pagan priest. The pagan priest
Dioscorus then begged the governor to throw in the idol of Zeus and
the other idols and, if they are gods, they will easily save
themselves. Dioscorus said this because he had turned to Christ in his
heart since he saw the miracle that took place with St. Theodore.
Learning of this, the governor sentenced Dioscorus to death by
burning; also delivered over to death by the governor were Theodore
and the two soldiers, Socrates and Dionysius and Theodore's mother,
Philippa. Theodore was crucified on a cross on which he expired on the
third day. Socrates and Dionysius were pierced with a spear and
Philippa was beheaded. All were crowned with the wreaths of glory in
the Kingdom of Christ.
Reflection
"Guard
your heart!" These words were spoken in the past by experienced
ascetics. Father John of Kronstadt says the same thing in our days:
"The heart is refined, spiritual and heavenly by nature; guard
it. Do not overburden it, do not make it earthly; be temperate to the
utmost in food and drink and, in general, in bodily pleasures. The
heart is the temple of God. `If anyone destroys God's temple, God will
destroy that person' (1 Corinthians 3:17)." Spiritual experience
in ancient times and spiritual experience in our time is identical,
under the condition that the confession of faith is identical.
Heavenly knowledge, to which the ascetics of old arrived, does not
differ from the heavenly knowledge to which the ascetics of today
arrive. For as Christ is the same today and tomorrow so it is the same
with human nature. What is important: the human heart is the same; his
thirst, and his hunger, is the same; and nothing is able to satisfy
him but the glory, power and riches of God.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
when He appears to the apostles, He appears to all of us;
2. How
His resurrection is the proof of eternal life and announcement of
eternal life to all of mankind.
Homily
About
Christ in the hearts of the faithful
"And
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians
3:17).
That
person does not have Christ who only has Him on his tongue. Neither
does that person have Christ who has Him only on paper. Neither does
that person have Christ who has Him only on the wall. Neither does
that person have Christ that has Him in the museum of the past. That
person, in truth, has Christ who has Him in his heart. For Christ is
Love and the throne of love is the heart.
If
Christ is in your heart then, for you, He is God. If He is only on
your tongue, or on paper or on a wall, or in the museum of the past
and even though you call Him God, for you, He is but a toy. Beware
then, O man, for no one can play around with God without punishment.
The
heart apparently is a narrow organ, but God can dwell in it. When God
dwells in it, then it is filled and overly filled and nothing else can
position itself in it. If, however, the whole world were to settle in
it, it remains empty without God.
Brethren,
let Christ, the resurrected and living Lord, pour faith into your
hearts and your hearts will be filled and overly filled. He cannot
enter and dwell into your hearts except through your faith. If you do
not possess faith, Christ will remain only on your tongue or on your
paper or on your wall or in the museum of the past. What kind of
benefit do you have from that? What kind of benefit do you have to
hold life on your tongue and death in your heart? For, if you hold the
world in your heart and Christ on your tongue, you hold death in your
heart and life on your tongue. Water on the tongue of the thirsty does
not help. Lower the living Christ into your heart and you will be
permeated with the truth and you will sense unspeakable sweetness.
O
resurrected Lord, cleanse our hearts from the deadly guests who dwell
in it and You Yourself take up dwelling in it, that we may live and
glorify You.
To
the Top
May
5th (New Style) • April 22nd (Old Style)
The
Venerable Theodore of Sykeon
Theodore
was born in the village of Sykeon in Galatia for which he was
surnamed, the Sykeote. As a child of ten years, he surrendered himself
to strict fasting and in all-night vigils after the model of Stephen,
an elder who lived in his house. His mother Maria was a wealthy widow
and intended to dedicate her son to the military profession. St.
George appeared to her in a dream and informed her that Theodore was
destined for the service of the King of Heaven and not a king of the
earth. St. George appeared to Theodore many times either to instruct
him or to save him from certain dangers in which the evil demons
placed him. He had several visions of the All-Holy Mother of God.
Theodore's life of mortification, by his ascetical severity, surpassed
the living ascetics of his time. He mortified his body through hunger,
thirst, iron chains and by standing at prayer all night. He did all of
this in order to bind his soul with love for God and to make his soul
the complete master over his body. In response to Theodore's love, the
merciful Lord responded with love. God bestowed upon him great power
over evil spirits and over all diseases and afflictions of mankind. He
was famous throughout as a wonder-working healer. Because of his
purity and devotion, he was consecrated bishop of Anastasiopolis
against his will. He remained for eleven years at his episcopal duty
and then implored God to free him from this service in order to,
again, dedicate himself to his beloved asceticism. After that, he
returned to his monastery where, in his old age, he rendered his soul
to his Lord, for Whom he willingly suffered much. He died at the
beginning of the reign of Emperor Heraclius about the year 613 A.D.
The
Holy Martyr Leonides
Leonides
was the father of Origen. He suffered for Christ in Alexandria in the
year 202 A.D. He was condemned to death by an edict of the emperor
but, before that, all of his property was confiscated. Origen wrote to
his father in prison: "Father, do not concern yourself over us
and do not avoid martyrdom because of us," i.e., because of his
children.
The
Venerable Monk Vitalis
During
the time of the Alexandrian Patriarch John the Merciful, a young monk
appeared who, as soon as he arrived, complied a list of all the
prostitutes in Alexandria. The mortification (asceticism) of this
young monk was exceptional and unique. During the day he would offer
himself for hire to do the most difficult jobs and at night, he would
enter the houses of ill repute, gave the earned amount of money to
some prostitute and close himself in the room with her the entire
night. As soon as they were locked up, Vitalis would beg the woman to
lie down and sleep and he would spend the entire night in a corner of
the room in prayer to God for that sinner. Thus, he would save the
woman from sinning at least one night. The second night, he would go
to a second, the third night to a third and so on until he had visited
them all, and then, he again returned to the one with whom he started.
By his counseling, many of the sinners abandoned their sullied trade.
Some of them married, others entered convents and still others turned
to a respectable work and income. Vitalis forbid all of these women to
reveal the reason why he was visiting them. Because of this, Vitalis
became a scandal for all of Alexandria. The men began to scold him,
spit upon him and to openly beat him on the streets. He bore all
patiently, making known his good works to God and concealing them from
men. When he died, everything about him became known. Many miracles of
healing occurred over his grave. People from different places began to
bring their sick to his grave. Spat upon by men, he was and remained
glorified by the Omniscient God.
Reflection
At the
time of the First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325 A.D.), the
quarreling clerics wrote accusations one against the other and
presented them to the emperor. Emperor Constantine received all of
these accusations and not opening them, burned them over a flaming
candle. To the amazement of those around him, the emperor said:
"If I would see with my own eyes a bishop, a priest or a monk in
a sinful act, I would cover him with my cloak, so that no one would
ever see his sin." Thus, this great Christian emperor embarrassed
the scandalmongers and sealed their mouths. Our Faith prohibits us to
be spies of the sins of others and stresses that we be merciless
judges of our own sins. The sick person in the hospital is concerned
with his own particular malady so that he has neither the will nor the
time to question others who are ill or to mock their illness. Are we
not all in this world as patients in a hospital? Does not our own
common sense underline that we look at our own illness and not at
another's illness? Let no one think that they will be cured of their
illness in the other world. This world is merely a hospital and a
place for healing and, in that world, there is no hospital; there is
only a mansion or only a prison.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How
by His resurrection, He justified the faith and hope of mankind in
immortality;
2. How
by His resurrection, He destroyed the fear of death in the faithful.
Homily
About
the power of God in the weakness of men
"For
when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).
There
are no contradictions in Holy Scripture and even in these words there
are no contradictions even though they sound like it. The physical is
governed by sound and the spiritual by thought. For physical man,
there are contradictions everywhere for he is afraid of obstacles and
flees from a shadow if this shadow seems to be an obstacle for him.
The spiritual man is like a knight who likes to overcome obstacles.
For the spiritual man, hidden in these words of Scripture, is the
entire teaching about salvation.
"For
when I am weak, then I am strong." That is, when I am cognizant
of my nothingness and the omnipotence of God, then I am strong. When I
know that I, of myself alone, cannot do any good neither for myself
nor for others and when I totally entrust myself in the power and
mercy of God, then I am strong. When I sense that I am as a drowning
person in this world and that I am not in the position to grab on to
the extended hand of God, to hold on to it by my own strength, rather
cry out to God that He with His hand grab hold of my hand and pull me
out of the depths of sinful abyss, then I am strong. When I see that I
am weak and that I am a hollow reed amidst the tempest of winds and
floods; a reed which God is able to fill with His Almighty Grace and
when I pray with faith for God's Grace, then I am strong.
O, my
weak brethren, let us entrust ourselves to the power of God that we,
in our nothingness, may be strong. Relying on man you are weak but
relying on God you are strong. Adhere to God and all the power of God
will be with you. Confess your weaknesses before God and God will send
you His All-powerful Grace. This is confirmed for you by the apostle
through his example and through his experience: "For when I am
weak, then I am strong." In truth there is no contradiction in
the Holy Scripture. Physical man speaks about contradiction in terms
of the sound of the word, but spiritual man enters into the meaning
and shatters the illusion of contradiction through experience.
O
resurrected Lord, have mercy on our weakness and fill us with Your
Omnipotent Grace.
