September
7th (New Style) • August
25th (Old Style)
The
Holy Apostle Bartholomew
Today
commemorates the translation of the relics of St. Bartholomew,
although his main feast is celebrated on June 11. When this great
apostle was crucified in Albanopolis (Derbend) in Armenia, Christians
removed his body and honorably buried it in a lead sarcophagus. When
numerous miracles occurred over the grave of the apostle, especially
healings of the sick, because of which the number of Christians
increased, the pagans then took the sarcophagus containing the relics
of Bartholomew and tossed it into the sea. At the same time they also
threw four more sarcophagi into the sea containing the relics of four
martyrs: Papian, Lucian, Gregory and Acacius. However, by God's
providence, the sarcophagi did not sink but were carried by the
current and floated: Acacius to the town of Askalon, Gregory to
Calabria, Lucian to Messina, Papian to the other side of Sicily and
Bartholomew to the island of Lipara. By some mysterious revelation
Agathon, the Bishop of Lipara, learned of the approaching relics of
the holy Apostle Bartholomew to Lipara. Agathon, with the clergy and
people, came to the shore to receive the sarcophagus with great joy.
On that occasion, many healings of the sick occurred from the relics
of the holy apostle. The relics were placed in the church of St.
Bartholomew and there they reposed until the time of Theophilus the
Iconoclast about the year 839 A.D. and since the Muslims threatened
Lipara, the relics of the apostle were translated to Benevento. Thus,
the Lord glorified His apostle by miracles both during his life and
after his death.
The
Apostle Titus
Titus
was one of the Seventy (Apostles). He was born in Crete and educated
in Greek philosophy and poetry. Following a dream, he began reading
the Prophet Isaiah and doubted all the wisdom of the Hellenes. Hearing
about Christ the Lord, Titus traveled to Jerusalem with other Cretans
and personally heard the words of the Savior and witnessed His mighty
works. His young heart completely adhered to Christ. Later, he was
baptized by the Apostle Paul whom he served as a son to a father in
the work of evangelization. Paul loved Titus so much that, at times,
he referred to him as son: "To Titus, my beloved son" (Titus
1:4) and, at times, brother: "I urged Titus to go to you and I
sent the other brother with him" (2 Corinthians 12:18). Titus
traveled extensively with the great apostle of the people (St. Paul)
and was appointed by him as the bishop of Crete. Titus was present at
the suffering and death of Paul in Rome and honorably buried the body
of his teacher and spiritual father. After that, Titus returned to
Crete where, with great success, he baptized the pagans and prudently
governed the Church of God until old age. Titus entered into rest at
the age of ninety-four.
The
Holy Confessors of Edessa
They
suffered much for the Orthodox Faith in prisons and in exile at the
time of Emperor Valens who adhered to the Arian heresy. However, they
were all freed under Emperor Theodosius.
St.
Mennas, Patriarch of Constantinople
Mennas
wisely governed the Church from 536-552 A.D. Before that, he was in
charge of the Home of St. Sampson a home for the indigent and needy.
Pope Agapitus, who had come Constantinople at that time for the sake
of refuting and deposing the heretical Patriarch Anthimus,
participated at the consecration of Menas as bishop.
Reflection
The
superhuman courage and readiness of our Christian foretellers to
endure all sufferings and voluntary death for Christ, evoked fear on
their tormentors. Emperor Maximian, a fierce and merciless persecutor
of Christians, ordered his pro-consul in Antioch to release St. Andrew
Stratelates from prison to freedom out of fear that the people, who
respected Andrew more than they did the emperor, would rebel. Emperor
Valens ordered his eparch in Edessa to slay all Christians who opposed
Arius. The eparch had more human compassion than the emperor and
secretly warned the Christians at night not to come out of the city
the following day into the field where they usually held services
(since the Arians had seized all the churches in the city) so that
they would not be killed. The next day, contrary to this warning, all
the Christians set out happily to the field, rejoicing that they will
suffer and die for the True Faith. The eparch, going with the soldiers
from the city, saw a Christian woman with a child in her arms as she
hurried past the soldiers toward the field. The eparch said to her:
"Have you not heard that the eparch, with his soldiers, will come
and kill all that he finds there?" The woman answered: "I
heard and, because of that, I am hurrying that I may die for Christ
with the others." The eparch further asked: "And why are you
taking this child with you?" The woman replied: "I also want
my child to become worthy of martyrdom together with me." Hearing
and seeing this, the eparch became frightened and returned and
informed the emperor. The emperor became greatly frightened and
revoked his order concerning the massacre.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the unusual generosity of David (1 Samuel 24 1 Kings 24):
1. How
Saul, pursuing David, entered without knowledge into the cave where
David was hiding with the young men;
2. How
the young men pressured David to kill Saul but David refused;
3. How
David cried out to Saul: "The Lord judge between me and you"
(1 Samuel 24:12 1 Kings 24:12).
Homily
About
the opened prison and the lighted darkness
"That
you may say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness,
Show yourselves" (Isaiah 49:9).
Who is
the greater prisoner than he who is bound by sin? Is there a greater
darkness than the darkness of sin, death and hell? Who can loose from
sin? "God alone". Even the Scribes and Pharisees themselves
acknowledged this. "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
(St. Mark 2:7). Christ released many from sin, and made them free and
whole. Therefore, if "God alone" is able to release
prisoners from sins, then why did not the Jews acknowledge Him as God?
The reason being is that they were bound by sin and were unable
logically to reflect to the end, nor yet did they allow the Lord to
release them from the bonds of sins. Look and see into what kind of
stupidity the wise men of the Jews fall: while on the one hand, they
confirm that "God alone" is able to loose man from sin
while, on the other hand, they accuse Christ that He works with the
help of the devil! The devil is the one who binds, so how can the
devil lose? The devil is the one who destroys man, how then will he
save him? Where there are devils, there also is prison: sin, death and
hell. "Christ alone" had the power, the divine, unequaled
power to lead and to save the souls of men out from prison. "My
son, your sins are forgiven you!" (St. Mark 2:5). "Young man
arise!" (St. Luke 7:14) "Lazarus, come forth!" (St.
John 11:43). By His mighty word He removed the bonds of the sinners
and led the dead into the light of life. By His descent into Hell, he
destroyed the throne of Satan and freed the souls of the righteous
ones. By His resurrection, He fully and completely revealed His
irresistible authority over all the diabolical bonds of the devil,
over all the intrigues of hell and over the "last enemy
death": "The last enemy that will be destroyed is
death" (1 Corinthians 15:26).
O Lord,
Victor over demons, Liberator from sin, Raiser of the dead, You do we
worship and to You do we pray: free us, resurrect us and bless us.
To the Top
September
8th (New Style) • August
26th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr Adrian and Natalia
Adrian
and Natalia were husband and wife, both of noble and wealthy families
from Nicomedia. Adrian was the head of the Praetorium and a pagan and
Natalia was secretly a Christian. Both were young and lived together
in marriage for only thirteen months until martyrdom. When the
nefarious Emperor Maximian visited Nicomedia, he ordered that
Christians be seized and subjected to torture. In a cave near the
city, twenty-three Christians were hidden. Someone reported them to
the authorities and they were cruelly flogged with oxen whips and rods
and then cast into prison. After that they were taken out of prison
and brought before the Praetor to register their names. Adrian
observed these people, tortured but patient, serene and meek and he
made them swear to tell him what they expect from their God for so
many tortures endured? They spoke to him concerning the blessedness of
the righteous in the Kingdom of God. Hearing this and, again observing
these people, Adrian, at once, turned to the scribe and said to him:
"Write down my name with these saints, I also am a
Christian." When the emperor learned of this, he asked Adrian:
"Have you gone out of your mind?" To that Adrian replied:
"I have not gone out of my mind but rather I came to my
senses." Learning of this, Natalia greatly rejoiced and when
Adrian, with the others, sat chained in prison, she came and
administered to all of them. When they flogged and tortured her
husband with various tortures, Natalia encouraged him to endure to the
end. After lengthy tortures and imprisonment, the emperor ordered that
an anvil be brought to prison and their legs and hands be broken with
a hammer. This was carried out and Adrian, with twenty-three honorably
men, gave up the spirit under the greatest of tortures. Natalia took
their relics to Constantinople and honorably buried them there. After
a few days, Adrian appeared to her all in light and beauty and called
her, that, she also come to God and she peacefully gave up her spirit
to God.
The
Venerable Tithoes
Tithoes
was a disciple of St. Pachomius and great among the ascetics of Egypt.
Tithoes was abbot of a monastery in Tabennsi. He lived his entire life
in absolute purity. At one time a brother asked him: "What path
leads to humility?" To this Tithoes replied: "The path to
humility is abstinence, prayer and considering yourself lower than
anything." Tithoes attained a very high degree of perfection and
whenever he lifted up his hands in prayer, his spirit entered into
ecstasy. He died in the Lord in the fourth or fifth century. The
Venerable Ibistion is commemorated together with him.
St.
Zer-Jabob
Jacob
was a great Christian missionary in Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
The
Miaracle of the Most-Holy Birth-Giver of God in Moscow in the years
1395 A.D.
Reflection
Occasionally
one hears an ungodly word even among Christians: here, even God cannot
help! There is no danger in which God cannot help nor are there any
enemies who could conquer by their own power without God's permission.
Do not ask how God will destroy the powerful army of our enemies that
is easier for God then it is for you to inhale or exhale air. Read how
God, by one apparition, terrified the Syrian army, so the army
dispersed and Israel was saved: "For the Lord had made the host
of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even
the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king
of Israel has hired against us the king of the Hittites and the kings
of the Egyptians to come upon us" (2 Kings 7:6).
Read how
Jerusalem was saved from the powerful army of Babylon without any
effort of King Hezekiah except his cry and prayer before God:
"And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went
out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred four-score and
five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they
were all dead corpses" (2 Kings 19:35). But God did not perform
such miracles only in ancient times but He performs them every time
when the faithful pray to Him. Thus, in the year 1395 A.D., the Tartar
King Tamburlaine (Tamerlane) surrounded Moscow with his countless
soldiers. The Russians brought the miracle-working icon of the
Most-holy Theotokos from the town of Vladimir to Moscow and all the
people with tears began to pray to the Most-holy Pure One. Suddenly,
for no visible reason, the army of Tartars began to withdraw hurriedly
and to flee. What happened? Tamburlaine had a vision in a dream:
clouds of saints moving beneath the heavens and in their midst, the
Holy Birth-giver of God as Queen and, further still, countless hosts
of angels. The Theotokos sharply threatened Tamburlaine and ordered
him to leave immediately from the land of the Russians and the saints
waved their staffs at the emperor. Terrified by this dream,
Tamburlaine as soon as it dawned, ordered a retreat and flight.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the generosity of David (1 Samuel 26 - 1 Kings 26):
1. How
David entered the camp of Saul at night and, while Saul was sleeping,
took his spear and cup(cruse of water);
2. How
David's commander (Abishai) wanted to pierce Saul but David forbade
it;
3. How
David left vengeance to God.
Homily
About
the sufferings (passions) of Christ, how Isaiah foresaw them
"I
gave my back to the smiters and My cheeks to them that plucked off the
hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah
50:6).
Brethren,
this is the prophecy and now hear the exact fulfillment of that
prophecy: "And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be
crucified" (St. Matthew 27:26). Is not this what the prophet
foretold: "I gave My back to the smiters"? Listen further:
"One of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of
his hand" (St. John 18:22). And again: "They struck Him on
the face and asked Him, saying, 'Prophesy, who is it that smote You?'
" (St. Luke 22:64). Is not this what the prophet foretold?
"I gave My cheeks to them that smite " ? Listen even
further: "…And they mocked Him" (St. Matthew 27-29),
"And they smote Him on the head with a reed and did spit upon
Him" (St. Mark 15:19); is not this what the prophet foretold:
"I hid not My face from shame and spitting." Observe,
brethren, how clear is the prophecy, clear from word to word. Observe
with horror, how the discerning man of God sees more clearly through
the walls of several hundred years than the ordinary eye, which sees
the bottom of clear and shallow water! That God, by His irresistible
power, opens the spirit of mortal man to see, by the spirit, the
events in the distance as clearly as the physical eyes see the events
close by. How then does the All-seeing God Himself, see through the
marrow of our bones, through the fog of our thoughts, and through all
the secrets of our hearts? Because He is present at our thoughts even
before they are born and present at our desires before they are
conceived. He is the one undeceived and undeceivable witness of all
events, external and internal, in the heights and in the depths, in
the width and in the length. And He witnesses to our spirit
truthfully, that which our soul desires to know for the sake of our
good benefit and for the salvation of our soul.
O,
All-seeing and All-wonderful Witness to all the secrets in heaven and
on earth, the Creator and our Good Provider, You alone see the
weakness of all of us. Help us, O help us, to learn that which is
necessary for the sake of our eternal salvation.
To the Top
September
9th (New Style) • August
27th (Old Style)
Venerable
Pimen the Great
Pimen
was an Egyptian by birth and a great ascetic of Egypt. As a boy, he
visited the most renowned spiritual men and, from them, gathered
tangible knowledge as a bee gathers honey from flowers. Pimen once
begged the elder Paul to take him to St. Paisius. Seeing Pimen,
Paisius said to Paul: "This child will save many; the hand of God
is with him." In time, Pimen was tonsured a monk and attracted
two of his brothers to the monastic life as well. Once his mother came
to see her sons but Pimen did not permit her to enter but through the
door asked her: "Do you desire more to see us here or there in
eternity?" The mother withdrew with joy saying: "Since I
will surely see you there, then I do not desire to see you here."
In the monastery of these three brothers, governed by Abba Anubis,
Pimen's eldest brother, this was their Rule (Typikon): at night, they
spent four hours of working with their hands, four hours of sleep and
four hours of reading the Psalter. During the day, from morning until
noon, they spent in alternating work and prayer; from noon until
Vespers they spent reading and, in the afternoon, they prepared supper
for themselves the only meal in twenty-four hours and that usually
consisted of some vegetables. Concerning their life, Pimen himself
speaks: "We ate that which was given to us. No one ever said:
'Give me something else or I do not want that.' In this manner, we
spent our entire life in silence and peace." Pimen lived a life
of mortification as an ascetic in the fifth century and died
peacefully at an old age.
Venerable
Pimen of Palestine
Pimen
lived a life of asceticism in Rouba, in the wilderness of Palestine
during the time of Emperor Maurice (582-602 A.D.). In his youth, he
was a shepherd. Once his dogs attacked a man and tore him to pieces
and he, out of mischievousness, did not defend the man. As a result of
that, it was revealed to him that he, in the end, would die from wild
beasts. And thus it happened. He was devoured by wild beasts and gave
up his soul to his Lord.
St.
Hosius Bishop of Cordova
As the
Bishop of Cordova, Hosius governed the Church in Spain for over sixty
years. He prominently participated at the First Ecumenical Council in
Nicea (325 A.D.) and presided at the local Council in Sardica in 347
A.D. So zealous was he for Orthodoxy that, before his death, he again
issued an anathema against the Arian heresy.
The
Priestly-Martyr Kuksha and Pimen the Faster
Kuksha
and Pimen were both monks in the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev.
Kuksha, with success, preached the Gospel to the Wallachians and
baptized them. One day, pagans attacked him and slew him along with
his disciple. At that moment, Pimen the Faster was standing during the
church service in the Monastery of the Caves and, seeing in the spirit
the death of Kuksha his disciple and companion, cried out:
"Today, our brother Kuksha was slain for the Holy Gospel."
Saying this, he himself gave up the spirit in the year 1113 A.D.
Reflection
One who
crawls up a steep mountain and scrapes with both hands and feet to
take one step forward, not thinking to look back, such were the great
Orthodox ascetics in the difficult climb to the Kingdom of God. Their
labor and their detachment is indeed for amazement. St. Pimen did not
want to see his mother when she came to visit him. A prince wanted to
see Pimen but he refused. Then the prince thought of a cunning way, to
force the elder to meet with him; he arrested the son of Pimen's
sister and said to her that he would release her son only if Pimen
himself comes to speak with him. The sister went into the wilderness
and, knocking at the door, begged her brother to come out and save her
son. But Pimen did not come out. Then sister began to scold and curse
him. Hearing of this, the prince ordered that a letter be written to
Pimen saying that if he, Pimen, would at least put in writing, (since
he did not do so orally) implore the prince to release his nephew, the
prince would do so. Pimen replied: "O mighty prince, command to
probe well the guilt of the young man and if the guilt is such that he
deserves death, let him die, so that by temporal punishment, he will
escape the torments in eternity but if the guilt does not merit the
penalty of death then castigate him according to the law and then
release him." Reading this just and impartial judgment, the
prince was greatly astonished, released the youth and his respect for
Pimen increased two-fold.
Contemplation
To
contemplate Saul's total apostasy from the one God (1 Samuel 28-31 1
Kings 28-31):
1. How
he (Saul) frightened by the Philistines, turned to a pagan sorceress (the
witch of Endor) to prognosticate for him;
2. How
the sorceress, through prognostication, evoked a spirit who called
himself Samuel and who prophesied Saul's death;
3. How
Saul with his sons perished at the hands of the Philistines.
Homily
About
the Day of Christ and how Isaiah prophesied it
"Therefore
My people shall know in that day that I am He that does speak: behold,
it is I" (Isaiah 52:6).
Brethren,
our God is the God of Truth. Even on the sun there are spots of
darkness but on our God, there is not a spot of untruth. Every word
spoken by God through the prophets came true. When the Word (Logos) of
God became incarnate in Jesus Christ our Lord, then all the prophecies
which referred to Him and which, for the Jews until then were dark
enigmas, were revealed as clear as the sun. In the Holy Gospel it is
said: "And the Word was made flesh" (St. John 1:14), the
Pre-eternal word of God, the eternal Wisdom of God and the Son of God,
the Word of God made flesh, every word of prophesy is revealed in
bodily form. Until the Lord Christ came in the flesh to visit mankind,
the scribes and readers of Holy Scripture could think of many words of
the prophets, long and long unfulfilled, that those are only the words
of the prophets as men and not words from God. But God did not permit
anyone to think lowly of His prophets, that is why He said that men
shall know "…in that day that I am He that does speak".
Therefore, God wanted to give importance to every word of the prophets
and wanted to teach men patience, to patiently await "that
day", that wondrous day when the manifestation of the Lord on
earth in the flesh will clearly cry out in every ear: "Behold, it
is I!" He who recognized the Lord Jesus as God in the flesh, that
one recognized in Him, simultaneously, that one Who spoke through the
prophets.
"Behold,
it is I!" thus speaks Christ today. "I am He" Who
speaks through all the created universe. "I am He" Who spoke
through the prophets. "I am He" Who, through the lips of the
body spoke the words of eternal salvation. "I am He" Who
spoke through the apostles, saints and teachers. "I am He"
Who speaks and Who will continue to speak through My Holy Church until
the end of time. "I am He" Who speaks and "I am
He" about Whom it is spoken.
To the Top
September
10th (New Style) • August
28th (Old Style)
Venerable
Moses the Black (the robber)
Moses
was an Ethiopian by birth and by profession, at first, a robber and
leader of a band of robbers and, after that, a penitent and great
ascetic. As the slave of a master, Moses escaped and joined the
robbers. Because of his great physical strength and arrogance, the
robbers chose him as their leader. Suddenly, Moses was overcome with
pangs of conscience and repentance for the misdeeds, which he had
committed. He left the group, entered a monastery and gave himself
completely in obedience to his spiritual father and to the monastic
rule. He benefited much from the teachings of Saints Macarius,
Arsenius and Isidore. Later, he withdrew to solitude in a cell where
he dedicated himself completely to physical labor, prayer, vigils and
godly-thoughts. Tormented by the demon of fornication, Moses confessed
to Isidore, his spiritual father, and from him, received counsel to
fast even more and never to eat to full satisfaction. When even this
did not help he, at the counsel of the elder, began to keep vigil at
night and to pray standing; after that, he began the practice of
bringing water to the elderly monks from a distant well all night
long. After six years of terrible struggles, St. Isidore finally
miraculously healed him of fornicating thoughts, fantasies and dreams
brought about on him by demons. Moses was ordained a priest in old
age. He founded his own monastery and had seventy-five disciples and
lived in this life for seventy-five years. He foresaw his death and,
one day, he told his disciples to flee for the barbarians were going
to attack the monastery. When the disciples also urged him to flee
with them, Moses said that he must die by violence for, at one time,
he himself committed violence and, according to the words: "For
all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (St.
Matthew 26:52). He remained there with six brethren and the barbarians
came and slew them. One of the brethren, hidden in the vicinity,
beheld and saw seven shining wreaths as they descended upon the seven
martyrs.
The
Venerable Sava of Pskov and Krypetsk
Sava was
a Serb by descent. He lived a life of asceticism, at first, in the
monastery of the Holy Birth-giver of God in Pskov and then was abbot
of that monastery. But they praised him and he fled from the glory of
men and withdrew to the shores of Lake Krypetsk where he founded a new
community dedicated to St. John the Theologian. Nevertheless, even
here, he was unable to conceal his fame and prominence. He was visited
by Prince Yaroslav of Pskov and his wife. Sava would not allow his
wife to enter the monastery but rather blessed her and prayed to God
for her outside the monastery and healed her of a certain disease.
This saint of God found rest in the year 1495 A.D. and his relics were
and remained miracle-working. Among his visitors to Krypetsk, the
Abbot Dositheus is mentioned.
The
Assembly of all the Chosen Men of God of the Monastery of the Caves in
Kiev
Reflection
A true
Christian avoids the praise of men; not only avoids, but has a true
fear of it. St. Sava of Pskov left the office of abbot, the monastery
and the good brotherhood of the monastery and fled to a desolate place
to escape the praise of men, for praise of men robs our heart. A
devout prince, upon hearing of the mortification of St. Moses Murin (the
Black), went with his retinue into the desert to see him. Informing
Moses that the prince was coming to his monastery, Moses quickly ran
out and began to flee and to hide somewhere, but he unexpectedly
encountered the high-ranking visitors. "Where is the cell of Abba
Moses?" the servants of the prince asked not suspecting that this
was Moses himself. Moses opened his mouth and said: "What do you
want him for? He is an ignorant old man, very untruthful and
completely impure in life." Hearing this, the visitors were
astonished and continued on. When they arrived at the cell of Moses,
they inquired about the elder and the monks said that he was not
there. Then they began to relate what a monk on the road had said
about Moses. The monks were saddened and asked them: "How did he
look, this old man, who spoke to you mocking words about this holy
man?" and when they said that he was very dark in the face, tall
and in a miserable garment; the monks cried out loudly: "but that
was indeed the Abba Moses!" By this incident, the prince
benefited greatly spiritually and rejoicefully returned to his home.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the nobility of David (2 Samuel 1 - 2 Kings 1):
1. How a
messenger arrived and informed David about the death of Saul and
Jonathan thinking to receive a reward for that;
2. How
David bitterly mourned and lamented for Saul who wished him (David)
nothing but death.
Homily
About
the forms of the Messiah
"And
we saw that He had no form nor comeliness" (Isaiah 53:2).
This,
the prophet speaks about Christ the Lord as a man: "He had no
form nor comeliness!" How is it that He Who gave form to every
created thing and who created the beautiful angels of heaven and all
the beauty of the universe, that He did not have form and comeliness (beauty)?
Brethren, this need not confuse you. He was able to appear in the
manner in which He willed. But he did not want to appear in angelic
beauty as He did not want to appear in royal power and in the luxury
of the wealthy. He who enters a house of sorrow does not dress in the
most beautiful clothes, neither does a doctor dress in his best
clothes when he visits the gravely ill. But the Lord entered a house
of sorrow and into a hospital. The body is the garment of the soul. He
dressed in a simple garment to impress us, not by His dress but rather
by the power of the spirit. We do not know exactly what His appearance
was. According to tradition, His face was swarthy and His hair was of
a chestnut color. When King Abgar sent Ananias his artist to paint the
face of the Lord, he was not able to draw even a line on the cloth
for, it is said that, Christ's face shown with an unusual light.
After
all, even if Christ had clothed Himself in the most beautiful body,
such a body as only He is able to fashion, what would that physical
beauty of His be in comparison to the immortal beauty of His Divinity?
The greatest earthly beauty is merely only a shadow of the heavenly
beauty. The Prophet Daniel was a young and handsome man but when an
angel of God stood before him, he himself said:
"…there
remained no strength in me: for my comeliness turned in me into
corruption" (Daniel 10:8). What is the face of man from earth in
comparison to the likeness of an immortal angel of God? As darkness in
comparison to the light! Of course, even the prophet looking at Christ
the Immortal King in the flesh of man and comparing His earthly
likeness with His Immortal likeness, had to cry out: "He had no
form nor comeliness."
O Gentle
and All-gentle Lord, Who for our sake was clothed in our miserable
physical garment to serve us and not to frighten us, to You be glory
and thanks, to You be glory and thanks.
To the Top
September
11th (New Style) • August
29th (Old Style)
The
Beheading of St. John the Baptist (St. Matthew 14:1-12)
Herod
Antipas, son of the elder Herod, who was the slayer of the children of
Bethlehem at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus, was ruler of
Galilee at the time when John the Baptist was preaching. This Herod
was married to the daughter of Aretas, an Arabian prince. But Herod,
an evil sprout of an evil root, put away his lawful wife and
unlawfully took unto himself Herodias as his concubine, the wife of
his brother Philip, who was still living. John the Baptist stood up
against this lawlessness and strongly denounced Herod who then cast
John into prison. At the time of a banquet in his court in Sebastia in
Galilee Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip, danced before the
guests. The drunken Herod was so taken by this dance that he promised
Salome that he would give her whatever she asked of him, even though
it be half of his kingdom. Being persuaded by her mother, Salome asked
for the head of John the Baptist. Herod gave the order and John was
beheaded in prison and his head brought to him on a platter. John's
disciples took the body of their teacher by night and honorably buried
it and Herodias pierced the tongue of John with a needle in many
places and buried the head in an unclean place. What later happened to
John the Baptist's head can be read on February 24. However, God's
punishment quickly befell this group of evil doers. Prince Aretas, in
order to cleanse his daughter's honor, attacked Herod with his army
and defeated him. The defeated Herod was sentenced by the Roman
Caesar, Caligula, to exile at first to Gaul and later to Spain. As
exiles, Herod and Herodias lived in poverty and humiliation until the
earth opened up and swallowed them. Salome died an evil death on the
Sikaris (Sula) river. The death of St. John occurred before the Pascha
(Passover) but its celebration on August 29 was established because,
on that day, a church which had been built over his grave in Sebastia
by Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena was consecrated. In this
church the relics of John's disciples, Eliseus and Audius, were also
placed.
Venerable
Theodora of Thessalonica
As the
wife of a wealthy and devout man, they lived on the island of Aegina.
But when the Arabs menaced Aegina, they settled in Thessalonica. There
they gave up their one and only daughter to a convent who, in
monasticism, received the name of Theopista. Soon after, Theodora's
husband died and she also became a nun. She was a great ascetic. She
often heard angelic singing and often spoke to the sisters: "Do
you not hear how beautifully the angels sing in the heavenly
sanctuary?" She died at the age of seventy-five in the year 879
A.D. From her relics flowed healing myrrh by which many were healed.
The
Holy Female Martyr Vasilissa
Vasilissa
suffered for Christ in Srem (Serbia).
The
Holy Martyr Anastasius
Anastasius
was a young man from Radoviste, the Diocese of Strumica. He learned a
trade in Thessalonica. The Turks tried to force him to become a
Muslim, which he adamantly rejected and for this he was tortured and
finally hanged on August 29, 1794 A.D.
Reflection
If you
observe how men die, you would see that the death of a man usually
resembles his sin. As it is written: "For all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword" (St. Matthew 26:52). Every sin
is a knife and men usually are slain by that sin which they most
readily committed. An example of this is given to us by Salome, the
foul daughter of Herodias who asked for and received from Herod the
head of John the Baptist on a platter. Living in Spain in the town of
Lerida (Loredo) with the exiled Herod and Herodias, Salome set out one
day across the frozen river Sikaris. The ice broke and she fell into
the water up to her neck. Icebergs squeezed around her neck and she
wiggled, dancing with her feet in the water as she once danced at the
court of Herod. However, she was unable either to raise herself up or
to drown until a sharp piece of ice severed her head. The water
carried her body away and her head was brought to Herodias on a
platter as was the head of John the Baptist at one time. Behold how
terrible a death resembles the sin committed.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the righteousness of David (2 Samuel 3 2 Kings 3):
1. How
Abner the commander, an opponent of David, gave himself over to David
trusting him;
2. How
Joab, David's commander, slew Abner;
3. How
David cursed the house of Joab and wept much for Abner.
Homily
About
the healing of mankind by the wounds of Christ
"And
by His stripes (wounds) we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).
We are
healed by the wounds of Christ. Thus, the prophet of God prophesies
and we now know that his prophecy is true. By the suffering of Christ,
we have been saved from eternal suffering; by His All-pure blood, we
are cleansed of the leprosy of sin and are enlivened. Our blood and
body became impure from sinful passions; but our spirit, the nest and
source of bodily impurity, first became impure. Can the unclean be
cleansed by the unclean? Can a dirty linen be washed with dirty water?
It cannot.
Only
that which is clean can wash that which is unclean. Even the pagans
feel that mankind is impure. But, they (the pagans) want to cleanse
the impure by the impure first, by invoking impure spirits and
worshipping them. And second, by offering impure sacrifices, be they
human or animal sacrifices. One drop of the blood of the All-pure
Christ can cleanse mankind more than all of the idolatrous sacrifices
from the beginning of the world. Why? Because the blood of Christ is
pure and all else is impure. Physicians take one drop of a strong
remedy and diluting it, vaccinate many people with it in order to
protect them from disease. We even dilute the blood of Christ in the
Chalice (Cup)with water and then we take it and drink it, for it is
said that when they pierced the body of the Lord with a spear
"there came out blood and water" (St. John 19:34). Such is
the power from one drop of His blood that, the world could be burned
by it. That is the sinless blood, the only sinless blood; the blood
most-pure, the only pure blood in the world.
O, if
men would only know what is the power of absolute purity! All the
impure ones from sin would rush to cleanse themselves by the All-pure
Christ and all the helpless ones would rush to partake of the Blood
and Body of Christ (Holy Communion); and all the unbelieving would
believe in Christ. For there is three and all three are pure and all
three purify: pure spirit, pure blood and pure body, and only the pure
can purify the impure; and that which is healthy can heal the
unhealthy; and that which is powerful can raise the helpless.
O Lord,
our omnipotent Lord, cleanse us sinners by Your bloody wound, by Your
innocent and all-pure wound.
To the Top
September
12th (New Style) • August
30th (Old Style)
The
Assembly of the Holy Serbian Enlighteners and Teachers
On this
day are commemorated, not all the Serbian saints in general, but
rather only a few archbishops and patriarchs: Saint Sava, the first
Archbishop of the Serbs called "Equal to the Apostles";
Arsenius, the successor to St. Sava, a great hierarch and miracle
worker; Saint Sava II, son of the First-crowned, King Stephen who
lived in Jerusalem for a long time and is called: "similar to
Moses in meekness" (refer to the Srbljak, the Service Book of the
Serbian Saints); Nicodemus, who lived a life of asceticism on the Holy
Mountain (Athos) and was abbot of Hilendar and following that was
Archbishop "of all the Serbian and Coastal lands";
Joannicius, at first an archbishop and then patriarch from 1346 A.D.
and died in 1349 A.D.; Ephrem, an ascetic who was elected patriarch
against his will at the time of Prince Lazar in 1376 A.D. and crowned
Lazar. After that he resigned the patriarchal throne and retreated
into solitude; Spiridon, the successor to Ephrem and who died in the
year 1388 A.D.; Macarius, who renovated many ancient monasteries (Zaduzbine),
printed many ecclesiastical books in Skadar, Venice, Belgrade and
other places. He built the famous refectory in the monastery at Pec
and labored much to advance the Church with the assistance of his
brother Mehmed Sokolovich, the Grand Vezir. Macarius died in the year
1574 A.D; Gabriel, by birth a nobleman of the Rajich family. He
participated in the Moscow (church) council under Patriarch Nikon for
which he was tortured by the Turks for treason and hanged in the year
1656 A.D. Along with these are also mentioned; Eustace, Jacob, Daniel,
Gregory, John, Sava III, Gregory, John, Maksim and Nikon. Many of them
lived a life of asceticism on the Holy Mountain (Athos) and all were
"meek and faithful servants in the vineyard of the Lord."
Sts.
Alexander, John and Paul, Patriarchs of Constantinople
Alexander
participated in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325 A.D.) in
place of the aged Patriarch Metrophanes. Afterward, he succeeded
Metrophanes. When certain philosophers wanted to debate with him
concerning faith, he said to one of them: "In the name of my Lord
Jesus Christ, I command you to be silent!" and the philosopher
became mute that very moment. By his prayer, he even shortened the
life of Arius. Alexander died at age ninety-eight in the year 340 A.D.
St. John the Faster governed the Church during the reign of the wicked
Emperor Anastasius the Acephalite heretic. He died in the year 595
A.D. St. Paul IV governed the Church for five years and eight months
and then resigned the throne and secretly received the Angelic Habit
in order to repent for his sins because he had earlier agreed with the
iconoclasts. He was the predecessor of the great Tarasius and died at
the time of Irene and Constantine in the year 784 A.D.
The
Venerable Christopher
Christopher
was an ascetic of the sixth century in the community of St.
Theodosius. In a vision he saw the votive lamps of the diligent monks
burning and the votive lamps of the slothful monks not burning.
St.
Eulalius, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia
Eulalius
was one of the predecessors of St. Basil. He defrocked his son of his
priestly rank for wearing clothing unbecoming his spiritual vows.
Translation
of the Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky
Added
by the editors with written permission from www.oca.org.
The Holy
Prince Alexander Nevsky (in monastic schema Alexis) died on the return
journey from the Horde at Gorodtsa on the Volga, on November 14, 1263,
and on November 23, 1263 he was buried in the Cathedral Church of the
Nativity Monastery in the city of Vladimir (Where there is a memorial
to the holy prince. Another memorial is in the city of
Pereslavl-Zalessk). Veneration of the Prince began right at his
burial, where a remarkable miracle took place. The saint extended his
hand for the prayer of absolution (a written document placed in the
coffin). Great Prince John (1353-1359), in his spiritual testament
written in the year 1356, left to his son Demetrius (1363-1389), the
future victor of the Battle of Kulikovo, "an icon of St
Alexander." The incorrupt relics of the holy Prince were
uncovered, because of a vision, before the Battle of Kulikovo in the
year 1380, and then they were sent forth for a local celebration.
Russian commanders asked for the intercession of the holy Prince,
glorified by his defense of the Fatherland, in the following times: On
August 30, 1721 Peter I, after a lengthy and exhausting war with the
Swedes, concluded the Nishtad Peace. On this day it was decided to
transfer the relics of the holy Prince Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir
to the new northern capital, Peterburg, on the banks of the Neva.
Removed from Vladimir on August 11, 1723, the holy relics were greeted
at Shlisselburg on September 20 of that year and remained there until
1724. On August 30, they were placed in the Trinity Cathedral of the
Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where they now rest in St Petersburg. By an
edict on September 2, 1724 a feastday was established on August 30 (in
1727 the feast was discontinued because of secular matters, which
involved clique struggles at the imperial court. In 1730 the Feast was
again re-established). Archimandrite Gabriel Buzhinsky (later Bishop
of Ryazan, + April 27, 1731) compiled a special service in remembrance
of the Nishtad Peace, combining with it a service to St Alexander
Nevsky. The name of the Defender of the borders of Russia and the
Patron of Soldiers is famous far beyond the borders of Russia. The
numerous temples dedicated to St Alexander Nevsky bear witness to
this. The most famous of them: the Patriarchal Cathedral at Sofia, the
Cathedral church in Talinin, and a church in Tbilisi. These churches
are a pledge of friendship of the Russian National-Liberator with
brother nations.
Reflection
With
clamor and disgrace the noisy heretics died. And their deaths alone
show God's wrath upon them because of the lies that they spread and
the disturbances that they caused the Church of God. Arius, after he
was condemned in Nicaea, came to Emperor Constantine one day and
begged him to be received into the Church again. The emperor asked
Arius if he believes in the Nicaean Symbol of Faith (the Creed) and
he, the cunning one, kept a paper in his bosom with his heretically
evil confession of faith and striking himself with his hand across his
bosom said to the emperor: " Thus, I believe." The emperor
thought that Arius had repented and sent him to Patriarch Alexander to
receive him into the Church. Under no circumstances was Alexander
willing to receive Arius knowing that he lies. However, the emperor
designated one day, a Sunday, that Arius had to be received in the
Great Church (Hagia Sophia). On the eve of that day, the holy
patriarch prayed to God to receive his soul before the God-mocking
heretic is received into the Church. When the Sunday of the appointed
day dawned, the patriarch was at service in the church and Arius, with
the emperor's men and his "like-minded ones" set out for the
church. When they arrived at the Square of Constantine, suddenly a
pain, both in body and soul overcame Arius and he looked at a place
for bodily need. There on the square was such a public place and he
went there. His escort waited a long time and became impatient from
waiting. When some of them went to see what was the matter with Arius,
they found him dead in that foul place with his entire intestine
spilled on the outside in uncleanness and in blood.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the victories of David over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5 2
Kings 5):
1. How
the Philistines attacked the lands of David and David prayed to God
and set out and defeated the Philistines;
2. How
the Philistines again attacked and David again prayed to God and
defeated the Philistines.
Homily
About
the mysterious ancestry (generation) of Christ
"…And
who shall declare His generation?" (Isaiah 53:8).
As a
hidden source of a great river, thus for the Jews the ancestry of the
Lord Jesus was hidden. They read and knew that the Messiah will be
born in Bethlehem, and He was born in Bethlehem but they did not
recognize Him. They knew that the Messiah will come from the lineage
of David and He was born of the lineage of David through His Most-holy
Mother, but they did not recognize or acknowledge Him. They read that
He will be born of a Virgin, that He will flee to Egypt and that He
will be called out of Egypt and that His forerunner will appear before
Him, "Crying in the wilderness" (St. Mark 1:3), and that He
will shine as a great light in the darkness and in the shadow of the
deadly land of Zebulon and Naphthali and all the rest that the
prophets foretold and wrote as a sign of His coming. Still, they did
not recognize or acknowledge Him, but rather they crucified the King
of Glory as a criminal.
If He
were an ordinary man, would the prophet inquire about His ancestry and
origin? Whose ancestry and origin in the history of the people of
Israel is not known? His ancestry is hidden as the ancestry of
Melchisedek. It was hidden for the Jews and is always hidden for
unbelievers but for us believers it is not hidden anymore. We know
that He is "Light of Light, True God of True God, Begotten not
made" (The Nicaean Creed). That is He in eternity. We know that
"He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary" (The
Nicaean Creed) and that He appeared in the world as man, as God-man.
That is He, in time; wondrous, mysterious, glorious and majestic is
His ancestry. When we say everything what was revealed to us about
Him, nevertheless, we can still ask ourselves: "Who shall declare
His generation (ancestry)?" Not because His ancestry is unknown
but rather because His ancestry is unreachable, incomprehensible,
beyond sensual and above nature.
O Lord
Jesus Christ our God, enlighten us by Your divine mind and raise us up
to You by Your man-loving power.
To the Top
September
13th (New Style) • August
31st (Old Style)
The
Placing of the Cincture of the Mother of God
After
her Dormition (Falling-asleep), the Holy Theotokos gave her girdle (sash)
to the Apostle Thomas. That girdle was later brought to Constantinople
and kept in a sealed reliquary in the church of the Mother of God at
Blachernae, the royal foundation (Zaduzbina) of Empress Pulcheria.
This reliquary was never opened until the time of Emperor Leo the Wise
(886-912 A.D.). Leo's wife, the Empress Zoe, became mentally ill and,
according to a mysterious vision, she desired that the girdle of the
Holy Theotokos be placed on her. The emperor implored the patriarch
and the reliquary was opened and the girdle was removed and placed on
the ailing empress. The empress was immediately healed. This feast was
instituted in commemoration of this miracle. One part of the girdle is
to be found in Zugdid, Georgia. That is to say: the daughter of
Emperor Romanus was healed with the aid of this girdle and later when
her father married her to the Georgian Emperor Abuchaz, she took a
part of that girdle with her. By order of the Russian Emperor
Alexander I, a special church was built in Mingrelia in Zugdid where
that part of the miracle-working garment of the Holy Theotokos is
kept.
St.
Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Gennadius
succeeded St. Anatolius as patriarch. He was a contemporary of St.
Marcian (January 10) and St. Daniel the Stylite (December 11). During
his time, the glorious Studite monastery was founded and named after
the Roman Senator Studius, who came to Constantinople and with the
blessing of Gennadius built the church of St. John the Forerunner and
along side, it the monastery. Gennadius was very gentle and
restrained. He would not ordain anyone who did not know the entire
Psalter by heart. He presided at a local council in Constantinople at
which simony in the Church was anathematized. He worked miracles and,
in a vision, learned of his death. Gennadius governed the Church for
thirteen years and peacefully presented himself to the Lord in the
year 471 A.D.
The
Priestly-Martyr Cyprian
Cyprian
was born of unbelieving parents and himself was educated in
polytheism.
He
became famous in Carthage as a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. He
was married but when he became a Christian, he ceased to live with his
wife and dedicated himself to laborious study of Holy Scripture day
and night and perfected his character. Because of his unusual virtues,
he was chosen as a presbyter and soon after that as a bishop. As much
as he was merciful toward Christians, so was he firm toward
Christians. He wrote many works of instruction guided by the Holy
Spirit. Especially, vehemently wrote against idolatry, Judaism and the
Novatian heresy. Beautiful and sweet is his work concerning virginity,
as well as of martyrdom and about charity, about patience, the Lord's
Prayer and so forth. He suffered and died at the time of Valerian and
Galian in the year 258 A.D. Before his death, he prayed to God,
blessed the people and left twenty-five gold coins to be given to the
executioner who would behead him. The unattainable greatness and
generosity of a true Christian!
St.
John, Metropolitan of Kiev
John was
a Bulgarian by birth. He came to Kiev in the year 1080 A.D. and
immediately attained such esteem that he was soon elevated to the
throne of the Metropolitan See. John governed the Church for eight
years. He wrote an epistle to Pope Clement in which he reprimanded him
because of the innovations, which the Roman Church introduced. He died
peacefully in the year 1089 A.D.
Reflection
Christians
do not believe in kismet, fate or destiny. Even if God determines the
chief lines of our life, He, according to our prayers and merits, can
change them. Thus, He prolonged King Hezekiah's life for fifteen
years: "Go and say to Hezekiah, thus said the Lord, the God of
David Your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears:
behold I will add unto your days fifteen years" (Isaiah 38:5),
and to the Venerable Dius (July 19) he likewise prolonged his life for
fifteen years. God extended the life of St. Basil the Great, according
to the prayer of the saint for one day until he baptized the Jew,
Joseph, his physician. But, as God can, by prayer, prolong life, so He
can shorten it because of sin. Emperor Anastasius adhered to the
Severian heresy, so called the Acephalites (the headless ones), who
spread the foolishness that the Church does not need bishops and
priests but rather that everyone unto himself is a bishop and a priest
and that everyone has the right, in his own way, to interpret Holy
Scripture and to teach others as he understands and believes. In vain
did St. John the Patriarch counsel the emperor to return to the truth
of Orthodoxy, and not only did the emperor not accept the counsel but
rather ill-treated the patriarch in various ways and contemplated to
have him banished. One night, the emperor saw in a dream an awesome
man on an exalted throne, who held a book in his hand. This man opened
the book, found the name of Emperor Anastasius and said: "I have
wanted to permit you to live for a while longer but, because of your
heresy, behold, I am erasing fourteen years from your life." And
he erased something from the book. Terrified, the emperor jumped up
from his dream and related his dream to his followers. After a few
days, thunder struck the emperor's place and killed Emperor Anastasius.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the rejoicing of David in the Lord (2 Samuel 6 2 Kings 6):
1. How
David transferred the Ark of the Covenant from Baal of Judah to
Jerusalem and how, out of joy, he danced before the Ark;
2. How
Michal, his wife, sneered at David because of his dancing before the
Ark, not being ashamed the women;
3. How
God punished Michal for that inappropriate sneer so that Michal had no
offspring until her death.
Homily
About
the power and the mission of Christ, as Isaiah prophesied
"The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek; He has sent Me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of
the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of
the Lord and the day of vengeance to our God" (Isaiah 61:
1-2).
This
great and programmed prophecy, the Lord Jesus read at the beginning of
His saving work before the Jews in Nazareth and having read this, He
sat down and said: "Today is this scripture fulfilled" (St.
Luke 4: 16-21). One of the darkest prophecies for the Jewish scribes
and priests, He read, closed the book and said: "Today is this
scripture fulfilled." None of the Jews dared to touch this
prophecy for no one knew to whom this prophecy pertains. Seven
centuries have passed since this prophecy was spoken and written and
no one knew to whom it pertains. And when that one (Christ) came, upon
whom this prophecy pertains, He read it and applied it to Himself.
Thus our great Lord justified His prophet and presented Himself to the
world.
"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me." Why does He speak so when He is
equal to the Spirit as He is to the Father? As St. Chyrsostom
interprets, it is for the sake of witnessing to the people. He does
not say the grace of the Spirit (is upon Me), for the grace of the
Spirit is upon the faithful people but the Spirit Himself is upon Him
as was manifested on the Jordan river. The Spirit is the witness of
the Son and the Son was never without the Spirit for one moment. The
Lord Jesus often mentions the Father and the Holy Spirit first out of
infinite love, toward the Father and the Spirit and love always
ascribes its own to others and second for the sake of instruction to
proud men that they do not emphasize themselves but rather to give
honor to others, equal to themselves.
Everything
else that is said in this wonderful prophecy, the Lord fulfilled by
His miraculous works, word for word. He came primarily to proclaim the
mercy of God to men but at the same time, to proclaim the Dread
Judgment to those who would despise and reject that mercy.
This is
the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, the prophet of God, the true
prophet.
Brethren,
let us venerate Isaiah whose God-inspired mouth foretold the Savior
and our salvation and let us worship without ceasing our wonderful
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We
worship You our Lord and Savior and we give You thanks for Your
All-wise plan for our salvation.
To the Top
