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Prologue from
Ochrid
by
Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic
March
14th - March 21st (New Style) • March 1st - March 8th (Old
Style)
New Style
March
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Old Style
March
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
March 14th (New Style) • March 1st (Old Style)
The
Venerable Martyr Eudocia
The
venerable martyr Eudocia lived in the Phoenician city of Heliopolis
during the reign of Trajan. Eudocia was a great debaucher at first.
After that she was a penitent, ascetic, and finally a martyr.
Through her debauchery she amassed a great fortune. The change in
her life came about inadvertently through God's Providence and a
certain elder, the monk Herman. Coming into the city on assignment,
he resided at the home of a Christian whose house was adjacent to
that of Eudocia. In the evening and according to monastic tradition,
he began to recite the Psalter and to read a chapter on the dreadful
judgment. Eudocia heard him and attentively eavesdropped on his
words to the end. Fear and terror overcame her, and she remained
awake until dawn. At daybreak, she sent her servant to beseech the
monk to come to her. Herman came and a lengthy conversation took
place between them about faith and salvation in general. As a result
of the conversation, Eudocia petitioned the local bishop to baptize
her. Following her baptism, Eudocia bequeathed her entire estate to
the Church to be distributed among the poor. She dismissed her
servants and slaves and withdrew to a convent. Thus, Eudocia
resolved to dedicate herself to the monastic life, obedience,
patience, long vigils, prayer and fasting. After thirteen months,
Eudocia was elected abbess. Eudocia lived in the convent for
fifty-six years and was found worthy before God. He endowed her with
much grace so that she raised even the dead. When the persecution of
Christians began under Prince Vincent, St. Eudocia was beheaded.
Eudocia is a glorious example of how a vessel of impurity can be
purified, sanctified and filled with the Grace of the Holy Spirit,
the precious odor of heaven.
The
Venerable Agapius
He was
a novice under the spiritual direction of a priest in the Vatopedi
Monastery on Mt. Athos. Captured by pirates, Agapius was sold as a
slave in Magnesia. After twelve years, he was miraculously freed
through the help of the All-Holy Mother of God and returned to
Vatopedi. He baptized his former master and became his spiritual
father. Agapius continued the remainder of his life in asceticism in
Vatopedi and died peacefully in the Lord.
The
Holy Female Martyr Antonina
Antonina
was born in Nicaea. Because of her faith in Christ, she was arrested
and brutally tortured. Finally, she was sewn in a sack and drowned
in a lake in the year 302 A.D. God saved her soul and continuously
glorified her among the angels in heaven and among the faithful on
earth.
Reflection
Faithfulness
and obedience to the will of God is necessary to adorn the life of
every Christian. As is seen in the life of St. Agapius, God
glorifies the faithful and the obedient. When he was a young man,
this saint was captured by pirates, was taken to Asia and was sold
to a certain Arab. For twelve years Agapius remained quietly and
obediently a slave of this Arab. For twelve years he prayed to the
All-Holy Mother of God to help him gain his freedom from bondage.
One night, the Virgin Mother of God appeared to him and said,
"Arise and go without fear to Mt. Athos to your elder."
Agapius arose and came to his elder on Mt. Athos, the Holy Mountain.
When the elder saw Agapius, he was saddened, thinking that Agapius
had fled from his master. He said to him, "My child Agapius,
you have deceived your master, but you can never deceive God. On the
day of the dreadful judgment, you will have to render an answer for
that money with which your master purchased you to serve him.
Therefore, you must return and faithfully serve your master."
Agapius, faithful and obedient to the will of God, returned
immediately to Asia, reported to his master, and informed him about
everything that had happened. The Arab, learning all of this, was
amazed and was overcome with the charity of Christians. He desired
to see Agapius' s elder. The Arab arrived at the Holy Mountain,
accompanied by his two sons. Here, he and his two sons were
baptized. All three of them were tonsured as monks. They remained
there until their deaths, practicing the strict life of asceticism,
at first, under the guidance of Agapius' s spiritual father, and
afterwards, by Agapius himself. Thus, the one-time cruel masters
became the obedient disciples of their former slave, faithful to the
will of the God of the obedient Agapius.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus at the Mystical Supper:
1. How
He washes the feet of His disciples. By this act He especially
teaches humility and love for one another;
2. How
Peter, one of the most faithful, was ashamed and refused to allow
our Lord to wash his feet;
3. How
Judas, unbeliever and traitor, was unashamed and did not refuse our
Lord to wash his feet;
4. How
even today, the faithful receive countless benefits from God with
embarrassment and shame, and the unfaithful also receive the same
but without embarrassment and without shame, and yet with grumbling
against God.
Homily
About
knowing and doing
"If
you understand this, blessed are you if you do it" (St. John
13:17).
The
most important aspect of this scripture text of our Lord, brethren,
is that the Lord does not mitigate knowing, but stresses doing. He
does not say to the apostles, "Blessed are you when you know
this." Some pagan teachers who viewed salvation only in terms
of knowledge spoke in this manner. However, our Lord says,
"Blessed are you if you do it." The knowledge of salvation
was given to us by the Lord Jesus Himself, and no one is able to
attain that knowledge through his own efforts.
Some
of the ancient Greek philosophers said that mankind cannot come to
the knowledge of the truth, nor can be saved, until God Himself
comes to earth. Our Lord came among men and revealed this knowledge
to them. Whosoever receives this knowledge also accepts the
obligation to fulfill it. O, how much easier will it be at the
judgment for those who never received this knowledge at all, and
consequently, did not fulfill it, than for those who received this
knowledge and neglected to fulfill it.
O, how
much easier it will be at the judgment for unlearned pagans than for
the learned Christians.
Our
Lord alone showed Himself not only as a Knower, but also as a Doer.
His perfect knowledge complimented His perfect doing. Before the
eyes of His disciples, He personally fulfilled all of His own
commandments. He gave them this commandment and completed this act
of humility and love when He washed the feet of His disciples. He
then commanded that they should do this to one another. Our Lord did
not dwell among men to soil men, but to wash them. He never soiled
anyone, but cleansed all who wished to be cleansed. What kind of
shame is it for many of us who labor much to wash ourselves and
labor twice as much to soil others? O, my brethren, we muddy our own
blood brothers. Even Christ weeps when He sees how we, with the mud
of slander, soil those whom He has washed with His own blood. O Lord
forgive us! We sin everyday against our own brothers. Make our
brothers, O Lord, whom we have soiled, brighter than we in Your
kingdom. You are just and You see all.
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March 15th (New Style) • March 2nd (Old Style)
The
Priestly-Martyr Theodotus, Bishop of Kyrenia on the Island of Cyprus
Because
of his wisdom and kindness, Theodotus was elected to the episcopacy
and governed the Church of God with love and zeal. When the
persecution of Christians began during the reign of the wicked
Emperor Licinius, this godly man was brought to trial and put
through many tortures. When the torturer Sabinus advised him to deny
Christ and to bow down before pagan idols and to worship them,
Theodotus replied, "If you knew the goodness of my God in Whom
I hope, that because of these temporary sufferings, will make me
worthy of eternal life, you also would wish to suffer in the same
manner as I." The torturers began to strike his body with
nails, and he prayed to God with gratitude. Thinking his end was
near, Theodotus counseled and taught the Christians who were
assembled around him. By the Providence of God, the Emperor
Constantine at that time proclaimed freedom to Christians and
ordered that all who were sentenced be released for the sake of
Christ. And so, this saint was freed and returned to his prior
position in Kyrenia. Astortured as he was, Theodotus lived for
several more years. After that, he found repose in the Lord, Whom he
faithfully served and for Whom he suffered. In the year 302 A.D. his
earthly life ended and was translated to the mansions of our Lord.
The
Holy Martyr Troadius
As a
young man he suffered for Christ. Gregory of Neo-Caesarea saw in a
vision how bravely Troadius withstood his tortures for Christ until
the time he was killed. He saw his soul, which was separated from
the body, joyfully hurrying toward heaven. St. Troadius suffered and
was glorified in the third century.
The
Four-Hundred and Forty Martyrs
They
were killed by the Lombards in Italy about the year 579 A.D. St.
Gregory Dialogues writes about them. In one place, forty of them
were beheaded. At another place, four-hundred of them were also
beheaded, all because they refused to eat of the sacrifices of the
idols. Additionally, these four-hundred refused to dance around the
heads of the goats offered to the demons as a sacrifice by the
pagans, as was the custom of the Lombards.
The
Venerable Agathon
Agathon
was a great Egyptian ascetic who practiced extreme asceticism in the
fifth century. He was a contemporary of St. Macarius and a disciple
of St. Lot (Egyptian Ascetic). He labored and tried to fulfill all
the commandments of our Lord. One of the brethren complimented him
on a small knife with which he used to cut brushwood used for making
baskets. Upon hearing this compliment, the saint joyfully handed
over the knife to that brother as a gift. St. Agathon also said,
"It would be very satisfying for me if I could assume unto
myself the body of a leper and give him mine." Is this not
perfect love? (*)
(*) In
the Greek Synaxarion, he is commemorated on January 8.
The
Martyr Euthalia
This
holy Euthalia was a virgin from Sicily. She had a mother of the same
name and a brother named Sermilianus. All were unbaptized pagans.
Her mother Euthalia suffered from an issue of blood. The holy
martyrs, Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus (May 10), appeared to her
in a dream and told her that she would be healed only if she became
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Euthalia professed
her faith in Christ, was baptized, and indeed recovered. Upon seeing
this miracle, even Euthalia's daughter was baptized. After that,
Sermilianus began to mock and ridicule his mother and sister because
of their faith in Christ. He threatened them. The mother became
frightened and fled her home. Then the brother began to persecute
his sister. His sister was not frightened, for Christ was more dear
to her than her brother. She said to Sermilianus, "I am a
Christian and I am not afraid of death." The wicked brother
then sent a servant to defile her. When the servant attacked St.
Euthalia, he lost his eyesight. The evil brother saw this miracle
but still remained hard of heart. Just as Cain pursued Abel,
Sermilianus pursued his sister, caught her and beheaded her. Thus,
the holy virgin Euthalia was wedded with the wreath of eternal
glory. By this example, the words of the Lord Christ were fulfilled:
that He brought a sword among men, which causes variances between
relations in blood, but not between relations in faith. "Do not
think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to
bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against
his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law" (St. Matthew 10:34,35).
Reflection
If
someone loses his faith in God, he is recompensed with stupidity. Of
all stupidities, it is difficult to say whether there is a greater
one than this: that someone who calls himself a Christian and then
proceeds to gather pathetic proofs for God and eternal life from
other beliefs and philosophies. He who does not find gold among the
wealthy; how will he find it among the poor? The revelation of
eternal life, of facts, of proofs, of signs, and of actual visions
of the spiritual world - all of these not only constitute the
foundation of the Christian Faith, but constitute its walls, floors,
ornaments, all the furnishings, the roof and the domes of the
majestic building of the Christian Faith. A single ray from the
spiritual world glistens through every word of the Gospels, not to
mention the miraculous events, both in Evangelical and
Post-Evangelical times as well as throughout the entire history of
the Church for two-thousand years. Christianity has thrown open wide
the gates of that world in so great a measure, that it should not be
necessary to call it a religion, in order not to confuse it with
other faiths and religions. It is a revelation! God's revelation!
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Supper:
1. How
he had told His disciples that one of them would betray Him;
2. How
after all that He did for Judas and after the washing of his feet
and after indicating that He knew his betraying intention, Judas
remained obstinate in his thoughts of selling his Teacher and his
soul for silver;
3. How
our Lord was saddened at the destruction and downfall of Judas as
with the destruction and downfall of His other traitors and traitors
of His Church throughout all ages till the end, all of which He
foresaw with His All-Seeing Spirit.
Homily
About
the Father and the Son
"And
whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me" (St. John 12:45).
He who
sees the light also sees the sun beyond it. For could anyone see the
sun and not the light? If the sun did not emit its light, none of us
would know about the sun. All of our knowledge about the sun, we
received with the help of the rays of light which came from the sun.
No one has ever seen the sun with the help of some other light,
other than that which comes from the sun itself. So it is with our
knowing the Father with the help of the Son. He who does not know
about the Son cannot know about the Father. He who knows the Son,
knows the Father. He who sees the Son, sees also the Father. God
cannot be known without His Light Who came among men. The Light of
the Father is the Son. "I am the Light" (St. John 8:2),
said Christ. The Light shines in the darkness! The physical world
would be completely in darkness if it were not for the light from
the sun. The spiritual and moral world and all the life of mankind
would be in darkness if it were not for the Light which is from the
Father. That Light is Christ the Lord. Truly, brethren, there is no
true light which illuminates the Being of God as does the light of
Christ the Lord. He who sees Him sees God. He who does not see Him
is in darkness. O Lord, Son of God, always help our souls to see
You, and through You, Your Heavenly Father and the Comforter, the
Holy Spirit, Trinity, one in essence and undivided.
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March 16th (New Style) • March 3rd (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyrs, Eutropius, Cleonicus and Basilliscus
They
were companions of St. Theodore Tiro. When the righteous Theodore
gloriously died, they remained behind in prison, and for a long time
they were not sentenced due to a change in the emperor's deputy in
the city of Amasea. When the new governor arrived, more inhuman than
his predecessor, he ordered that these three be brought before him.
All three were youths. Eutropius and Cleonicus were blood
brothers, and Basilliscus was a kinsman of St. Theodore. All three
were like blood brothers in brotherly love. As such, they said
before the governor, "As the Holy Trinity is undivided, so also
are we by our faith undivided and in love inseparable." In vain
was all the flattery on the part of the governor and in vain were
his attempts to bribe Eutropius. First of all, the deputy invited
Eutropius to dine with him. Eutropius refused, quoting from the
Psalms, "Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the
wicked" (Psalm 1:1). After that, the deputy offered him a large
amount of money, one hundred-fifty litres of silver, which Eutropius
also refused and reminded the governor that because of silver, Judas
lost his soul. After all attempts at interrogation and torture, the
first two were sentenced to be crucified, and Basilliscus was
sentenced to be beheaded. And so it was, two brothers crucified on
two crosses for which they gave thanks to Christ that He made them
worthy of the same death by which He Himself died. The third,
Basilliscus, was beheaded. They all entered the Kingdom of Joy where
St. Theodore, their commander, awaited them and who before them was
glorified by Christ the Lord and Victor. They suffered honorably in
the year 308 A.D.
St.
Piama the Egyptian
For
the sake of Christ, Piama did not wish to marry; she dedicated
herself to a life of asceticism in the home of her mother. She ate
very little food, and that, every other day. She spent most of her
time in prayer and contemplation. Piama possessed the "Gift of
Discernment." She died peacefully, wedding her soul to the Lord
about the year 377 A.D.
The
Unknown Maiden
Coming
from a wealthy home in Alexandria, she had a good father who
suffered much and came to an evil end, and an evil mother who lived
well, died peacefully and was buried with honors. Perplexed as to
whether she should live according to the example of her father or
her mother, this maiden had a vision which revealed to her the
conditions of her mother and her father in the other world. She saw
her father in the Kingdom of God and her mother in darkness and in
torment. This vision helped the maiden to decide that she would
dedicate her whole life to God and, like her father, would adhere to
the commandments of God, without considering all the adversities and
the misfortunes which she would have to endure. She was faithful to
the will of God to the end and, with the help of God, was made
worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven where she was reunited with her
God-loving father.
Reflection
Humanly
speaking, Christ, by His obedience, elevated Himself to primacy in
the Church, in the world and in the history of mankind. No one can
be a good leader who has not completed the school of obedience. Adam
forfeited the authority and dominion over the living creatures and
the elements of nature at the very moment when he showed himself
disobedient to God. The Abba Moses said, "Obedience begats
obedience; if someone listens to God, God also listens to him."
It is obvious then, that God listens to man more than man listens to
God, especially when one takes into consideration how often and in
how many ways man sins daily against the commandments of God. It is
a fact that the Eternal God listens to us, corruptible as we are,
more than we listen to Him. This should fill all of us with shame
who still have a conscience. When St. Eutropius was being tortured,
along with his two companions, he prayed to God, "Come to us in
assistance as You came to Your servant Theodore Tiro."
Suddenly, the ground shook and the obedient Lord appeared with His
angels along with St. Theodore. The Lord said to the sufferers,
"During the time of your torture, I stood before your faces and
observed your patience. I will write your names in the Book of
Life."
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus at the Mystical Supper:
1. How
He chose bread and wine, two ordinary elements of nourishment, and
through them instituted His visible and invisible bond with the
Church until the end;
2. How
the Mystical Supper was preserved until today and how it will be
preserved until the end of time as the Mystery of Communion;
3. How
everyday, and almost every hour, somewhere in the world, a priest,
consecrates the bread and wine and receives it as the Body and Blood
of Christ. What a wonderful vision that is! (The Consecration of the
bread and wine and receiving it as the Holy Body and Precious Blood
of Christ)
Homily
About
love for your neighbor
"Yet
that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit"
(Philippians 1:24).
Inflamed
with the love of God, the Apostle Paul acknowledged, in his Epistle
to the Philippians, that for him death is a gain because his life is
Christ's. Paul's love for Christ draws him toward death so that he
may stand by Christ as soon as possible, and his love for the
faithful again compels him to remain in the flesh. However, there
are not two loves which attract the apostle and pulls him in two
directions, but one and the same love which opens before him two
treasures of wealth. One treasure is the blessed world in heaven,
and the other treasure is the souls of the faithful on earth. That
heavenly treasure is increased by this wealth from earth; this
treasure overflows into the other. To go to heaven, the apostle is
drawn by love and reward; to remain on earth, he is drawn by love
and duty. When mortal man, my brethren, discovers that it is more
important to remain in the flesh out of love for his brethren, what
kind of miracle is it then that the eternal God knew, before the
apostle, that it was more important to be in the flesh for the
salvation of mankind than out of the flesh in the spiritual kingdom?
Does not this confession of Paul before the Philippians explain to
us with complete clarity the reasons for the Incarnation of the Son
of God? There, in the heavens, is the true Kingdom of Christ and the
true life of Christ without the mingling of sin and death. But the
love of the Son of God toward men deemed it necessary to remain in
the flesh on earth among men. Truly, we need to be thankful to the
Apostle Paul that he, in explaining himself to us, explained the
mystery of Christ's coming and His dwelling in the flesh.
O
Lord, wonderful are You in Your saints.
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March 17th (New Style) • March 4th (Old Style)
The
Venerable Gerasimus
This
remarkable and famous saint first learned about the ascetical life
in the Egyptian Thebaid. He then went to the Jordan and there
founded a community in which there were seventy monks. This
community still exists today. He instituted a special Constitution (Rule)
for his monastery by which the monks spent five days in their cells
weaving baskets, reeds and rush mats. They were never allowed to
light a fire in their cells. For five days they ate only a little
dry bread and dates. The monks were required to keep their cells
open so that when they went out, anyone could enter and remove
whatever he needed from their cells. On Saturdays and Sundays they
gathered in the monastic church. They had a common meal with a few
vegetables and a little wine to the glory of God. Each monk would
then bring in and place before the feet of the abbot that which he
had made during the past five days. Each monk had only one robe. St.
Gerasimus was an example to all. During the Great Lenten Fast he did
not eat anything except what he received in Holy Communion. On one
occasion, he saw a lion roaring from pain because there was a thorn
in his paw. Gerasimus drew near to the lion, crossed himself, and
removed the thorn in the animal's paw. The lion became so tame that
he returned with Gerasimus to the monastery and remained there until
the elder's death. When Gerasimus died, the lion succumbed from
sorrow for him. Gerasimus attended the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon,
451 A.D.) during the reign of Marcian and Plucheria. Even though in
the beginning, Gerasimus leaned toward the Monophysite heresy of
Eutyches and Dioscorus, he was a great defender and champion of
Orthodoxy at the Council. St. Euthymius dissuaded him from this
heresy. Of all of the disciples of Gerasimus, the most famous was
St. Cyriacus the Recluse. St. Gerasimus died in the year 475 A.D.,
and was translated into the eternal joy of his Lord.
The
Holy Martyrs Paul and Juliana
Paul
and Juliana were brother and sister from Ptolemais in Phoenicia.
They were brutally tortured for the sake of Christ by the Emperor
Aurelius and were finally beheaded. Before their martyrdom many of
their miracles were manifested, and were witnessed by many pagans.
Through these miracles, many of the pagans were converted to the
Faith. Several of these were beheaded and received their wreaths in
the year 273 A.D.
St.
James the Faster
He
lived in the sixth century. He was so perfected in pleasing God that
James cured the most gravely ill through his prayers. But the enemy
of mankind lured him into great temptations. At one time, an immoral
woman was sent to him by some scoffers. She misrepresented herself
to James, pretending to be crying yet all the while luring him into
sin. Seeing that he was going to yield to sin, James placed his left
hand into the fire and held it there for some time until it was
scorched. Seeing this, the woman was filled with fear and terror,
repented and amended her life. On another occasion, James did not
flee from his temptation, but rather he succumbs to a maiden, who
was brought as a lunatic by her parents to be cured of her insanity.
He, indeed, healed her and after that, sinned with her. Then in
order to conceal his sin he killed her and threw her into a river.
As is common, the steps from adultery to murder are not too distant.
James lived for ten years after that as a penitent in an open grave.
At that time there was a great drought which caused both people and
live-stock to suffer. As a result of his prayers, rain fell; James
knew that God had forgiven him. Here is an example, similar to that
of David, of how twisted is the demon of evil; how by God's
permission, the greatest spiritual giants can be overthrown, and
through sincere and contrite penance, God, according to His mercy,
forgives even the greatest sins and does not punish those when they
punish themselves.
Reflection
If the
philosophies of men were able to satisfy man, why did the
philosophers Justin and Origen become Christians? Why did Basil,
Chrysostom and Gregory, who in Athens studying all the philosophy of
the Greeks, receive baptism? And why did Blessed Augustine, who knew
the wisdom of both the Greeks and the Romans, throw away all and
seek salvation and illumination in the Faith of Christ? And St.
Clement of Rome, who was very wealthy and very learned? And St.
Catherine, who was from the royal house and knew all the worldly
wisdom of the Egyptians? And the young Crown Prince Joasaph in
India, to whom was known all the Indian philosophies? And many, many
more who primarily sought explanations to the puzzles of the world
and illumination for their souls in philosophy and, after that,
entered the Church and worshipped the Lord Christ?
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Mystery of Communion as the presence of our Lord
Jesus in the Church on earth:
1. As
the fulfillment of His promise, "And behold, I am with you
always until the end of the age" (St. Matthew 28:20).
2. As
His constant support of the faithful, to whom He said, "Without
me, you can do nothing" (St. John 15:5).
Homily
About
Pilate's wavering
"Consequently,
Pilate tried to release Him, then, he handed Him over to be
crucified" St. John19:12,16).
From
where does this contradiction in Pilate stem? From where is this
dual will in one and the same man? While he stood under the radiant
face of Christ, Pilate from all his heart wanted to release the Just
Man. But, when the darkness of the Jews overcame him, he agreed to
the works of darkness. This is the seed (Jesus Christ), fallen among
the thorns. While the face of Christ shown on the seed, the seed
took root, but as soon as the seed was left without this light, the
darkness of the thorns smothered it. When the Lord Jesus
authoritatively spoke to Pilate of the Heavenly Kingdom, saying to
him, "You would have no power over Me, if it had not been given
to you from above" (St. John 19:11), Pilate then felt overcome
by the fear of God. But when the masses of the Jews cried out to
Pilate, "If you release Him, you are not a friend of
Caesar" (St. John 19:12), then Pilate was overcome with fear
from the worldly king. His fear for the body overcame his fear for
his soul, as it happens occasionally, even today. Pilate was a
disciple of worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom does not offer strength
but instills fear. Worldly wisdom does not sustain the soul but the
body. Worldly wisdom does not instill fear for the soul but fear for
the body and all that is physical. Here, in Pilate, we see an
obvious and a pathetic example of what kind of men worldly wisdom
produces and educates, sidestepping God and going against Christ.
Pilate's weak character and wavering soul is a picture, not only of
pagans, but also of weak Christians. Certain Christians daily,
imperceptibly and, more often, unconsciously, would for a while like
to eliminate Christ from the darkened and evil instinct of the Jews
within themselves. Then, at other times, they would like to abandon
Him to that instinct for crucifixion. This always happens when a
Christian transgresses some of the commandments of Christ for the
sake of fulfilling some of his own physical desires. For a moment,
that commandment enlightens the heart of a wavering Christian and
again, for a moment, the physical darkness overcomes him so much
that he completely succumbs to it. O Lord, long-suffering, do not
turn away the radiance of Your face from us even for one twinkling
of the eye, so that the darkness does not overcome us.
O Lord
help us that we will remain children of the light until the end.
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March 18th (New Style) • March 5th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr Conon of Isauria
He was
brought up in the Faith of Christ and baptized in the name of the
All-Holy and Life-giving Trinity by the Archangel Michael, the
Commander of the Angelic Hosts of God. Until his death, the
archangel of God invisibly watched over him. Conon was illumined and
empowered by the Grace of the Holy Spirit so that his heart was not
driven by anything worldly but only by the spiritual and heavenly.
When his parents forced him into marriage, the first evening he took
a candle and placed it under a utensil and asked his bride,
"Which is better, light or darkness?" She replied,
"Light." He then began to talk to her about the Faith of
Christ and the spiritual life as being far more superior and more
appealing than the physical. In this he succeeded. Afterwards Conon
converted his wife and her parents to the Faith of Christ. Conon and
his wife lived as brother and sister. Shortly thereafter, his wife
and parents died, and he withdrew completely from this worldly life
and devoted himself completely to prayer, fasting and pious
thoughts. He performed great miracles through which he converted
many to Christianity. Among other examples, Conon compelled evil
spirits to serve him. During the time of a persecution, he was
captured, tortured and pierced throughout with knives. The sick
anointed themselves with his blood and they were healed. After that,
he lived for two additional years in his town of Isauria and
presented himself before the Lord. This glorious saint lived and was
martyred in the second century.
The
Holy Martyr Conon the Gardener
Conon
was born in Nazareth. He was kind and innocent and in all things
found favor with God. During the reign of Decius, Conon was
persecuted, suffered and martyred for Christ. Throughout, he
remained strong in the Faith. He sharply rebuked and criticized the
pagan judges because of their stupidity. With nails driven into his
feet and tied to the prince's chariot, this virtuous and innocent
saint was dragged until he was completely exhausted and fell. It was
then that he prayed for the last time and gave up his soul to God in
the year 251 A.D.
Venerable
Hesychius the Faster
Hesychius
was born near Brusa in the eighth century. He then retreated to
Mount Maion which had an evil reputation because of demonic
apparitions. There, Hesychius built a hut for himself and a chapel
dedicated to the honor of St. Andrew the Apostle. He surrounded it
with a garden which he cultivated in order to live by his own labor.
By his prayers he performed many miracles. Hesychius prophesied that
after his death a convent would be built on that place. A month
before, he foresaw the day and hour of his death. At midnight on the
foreseen day, some men saw his hut glowing with an extraordinary
light. When they arrived, they found him dead. Hesychius died
peacefully and was received into the kingdom of His Lord in the year
790 A.D. He was buried in the church of St. Andrew. Later,
Theophylactus, the Bishop of Amasea, translated his body to Amasea.
Venerable
Mark the Ascetic
Mark
was an ascetic and miracle-worker. In his fortieth year he was
tonsured a monk by his teacher St. John Chrysostom. Mark then spent
sixty more years in the wilderness of Nitria in fasting, prayer and
writing many spiritual works concerning the salvation of souls. He
knew the entire Holy Scriptures by heart. He was very merciful and
kind. He wept much for the misfortunes which had befallen all of
God's creation. On one occasion, while crying, he prayed to God for
a blind puppy of a hyena and the puppy received its sight. In
thanksgiving the mother of the hyena brought him a sheepskin. The
saint forbade the hyena in the future to kill any more sheep of poor
people. He received Communion at the hands of the angels. His
homilies concerning the spiritual law, on repentance, and on
sobriety, etc., are ranked among the first-class literature of the
Church. These works were praised by the great Patriarch Photius
himself.
Reflection
Why do
some people, well educated and baptized as Christians, fall away
from Christianity and give themselves over to philosophy and to
learned theories, pretending these to be something more truthful
than Christianity? They do so for two principal reasons: either out
of a totally superficial understanding of Christianity or because of
sin. A superficial understanding of Christ rejects Him and flees
from Christ as does a criminal from a judge. Superficial and sinful
Christians were as often enraged and infuriated with Christianity as
were the pagans. To the superficial and culpable, it was more
comfortable for them to bathe in the shallow swamp of human thoughts
than in the perilous depth of Christ. For those who sincerely follow
Christ, He constantly calls them to a greater and greater depth; as
He once said to the Apostle Peter, "Put out into deep
water" (St. Luke 5:4). St. Mark the Ascetic writes that the law
of God is understood in accordance with the fulfillment of the
commandments of God: "Ignorance compels a person to speak in
opposition to that which is beneficial and insolence multiplies
vice."
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Mystery of Communion as a Mystery of the Perfection
of Love:
1.
Because on the part of Christ, it means giving completely of Himself
to His faithful;
2.
Because of this, Christ is received with faith and trust on the part
of the faithful;
3.
Because of this, it leads to the joyful, fruitful and saving union
of God with man.
Homily
About
traveling with Christ into the deep
"Put
out into deep water" (St. Luke 5:4).
This
is how our Lord commanded Peter and the rest of the apostles
"after He had finished speaking" (St. Luke 5:4). This
means that He first gave instructions and immediately following
that, He called them to action. This is also important for us. For
as soon as we learn something from the Gospels, we immediately need
to go out and implement it. The works of the disciple are dear to
the Lord, not only the disciple. "Put out into deep
water." Along the shore, from the shallow waters, our Lord
spoke to the people who were less enlightened in the mysteries of
God's Kingdom. He invited the apostles out into the deep. There is
less danger in the shallow waters, but the catch is also smaller. In
the shallow waters there are snakes, frogs and other lesser
repulsive water creatures. That is all the danger. In shallow waters
there are only small fish; that is the entire catch. But in the
greater depths, the danger is also greater. There you have large sea
creatures and great storms. That is dangerous. But there are also
much larger and better fish in enormous quantity; that is the catch.
O, enlightened one, come therefore into the deep! "Put out into
the deep" mysterious sea of life, but do not set out without
Christ in your boat. By no means. You might spend the entire night
of your life not catching anything, as Peter said, "We have
toiled all night and have taken nothing" (St. Luke 4:5). Not
only that, but you could face far worse if Christ is not in your
boat. Perhaps the winds could carry you away and cast you into an
abyss. Perhaps the monstrous and enormous beasts of the sea will
consume you. The winds, O enlightened one, those are your own
passions which accompany you unavoidably if you set out into the
deep without Christ. The enormous and monstrous beasts of the sea
are demons who, with the blinking of an eye, can destroy you as with
the blinking of an eye "the herd of about two thousand swine
rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned"
(St. Mark 5:13).
However,
if you are going out with Christ into the deep, do not be afraid of
anything; but go rejoicefuly and courageously glued to Christ. You
will lay hold of the best catch; and you will fill both boats with
it, the physical and the spiritual. You will snare the best catch, O
dedicated one, and, without any dangers, you will arrive to the
shore, to the shore of the Kingdom of Christ. Nowhere without
Christ! Neither in shallow places nor into the deep. In the shallow
places you will become vexed by hunger and by many minor disgusts,
but into the deep a greater evil will befall you.
O, my
Almighty Savior, You are our Helmsman, our Defense, our Harbor.
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March 19th (New Style) • March 6th (Old Style)
The
Holy Forty-Two Martyrs from Ammoria
They
were all commanders of the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus. When the
Emperor Theophilus lost the battle against the Saracens at the city
of Ammoria, the Saracens captured the city, enslaved many Christians
and among them these commanders. The remaining Christians were
either killed or sold into slavery. The commanders were thrown into
prison where they remained for seven years. Many times the Muslim
leaders came to them. They counseled and advised the commanders to
embrace the Islamic Faith, but the commanders did not want to hear
about it. When the Saracens spoke to the commanders, saying,
"Mohammed is the true prophet and not Christ," the
commanders asked them, "If there were two men debating about a
field and the one said, `This field is mine,' and the other, `It is
not, it is mine,' and near by, one of them had many witnesses saying
it is his field and the other had no witnesses, but only himself,
what would you say, `Whose field is it?'" The Saracens
answered, "Indeed, to him who had many witnesses!"
"You have judged correctly," the commanders answered. That
is the way with Christ and Mohammed. Christ has many witnesses: the
Prophets of old, from Moses to John the Forerunner, whom you also
recognize and who witness to and about Him (Christ), but Mohammed
witnesses only to himself that he is a prophet and does not have
even one witness. The Saracens were ashamed and again they tried to
defend their faith in this manner: "Our faith is better than
the Christian Faith as proved by this: God gave us the victory over
you and gave us the best land in the world and a kingdom much
greater than Christianity." To that the commanders replied,
"If it were so, then the idolatry of the Egyptians,
Babylonians, Hellenes, Romans, and the fire-worship of the Persians
would be the true faith for, at one time, all of these people
conquered the others and ruled over them. It is evident that your
victory, power and wealth do not prove the truth of your faith. We
know that God, at times, gives victory to Christians and, at other
times, allows torture and suffering so as to correct them and to
bring them to repentance and purification of their sins." After
seven years, they were beheaded in the year 845 A.D. Their bodies
were then thrown into the Euphrates river, but they floated to the
other side of the shore where they were gathered and honorably
buried by Christians.
The
Blessed Job
Job
was born in Moscow in the year 1635 A.D. Church singing and
liturgical services drew him to the Church. He became the spiritual
father to Emperor Peter the Great but, because of intrigue, he
withdrew into the Slovecki Monastery, where he underwent a difficult
life of asceticism. In the year 1720 A.D., in his eighty fifth year,
he died in the Lord. Before his death he cried out, "Blessed is
the God of our Fathers and as He is thus, I am not afraid but, with
joy, I leave this world."
The
Holy Martyrs Conon the Father and Conon the Son
When
the father was already an old man, the son was a youngster of
seventeen years. During the reign of Domentian, they were sawed in
half for their faith in Christ and were glorified and honored in the
Church on earth and in heaven. They honorably suffered in the year
275 A.D.
Reflection
For as
long as you are on earth, consider yourself a guest in the Household
of Christ. If you are at the table, it is He who treats you. If you
breathe air, it is His air you breathe. If you bathe, it is in His
water you are bathing. If you are traveling, it is over His land
that you are traveling. If you are amassing goods, it is His goods
you are amassing. If you are squandering, it is His goods that you
are squandering. If you are powerful, it is by His permission that
you are strong. If you are in the company of men, you and the others
are His guests. If you are out in nature, you are in His garden. If
you are alone, He is present. If you set out or turn anywhere, He
sees you. If you do anything, He remembers. He is the most
considerate Householder by Whom you were ever hosted. Be careful
then toward Him. In a good household, the guest is required to
behave. These are all simple words but they convey to you a great
truth. All the saints knew this truth and they governed their lives
by it. That is why the Eternal Householder rewarded them with
eternal life in heaven and glory on earth.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Mystery of Communion as a life-giving cure for the
soul and body:
1. As
a cure that heals and cleanses the soul from sinful maladies and
restores it to life;
2. As
a cure that heals and cleanses the body from avarice and vice and
restores it to life;
3. As
a cure that enlivens man and makes him a healthy member of the
immortal Body of Christ, who, if he is not, would remain decayed to
the end and eventually, he would be cut off and cast aside.
Homily
About
the heir and the slave
"I
mean that as long as the heir is not of age,he is no different from
the slave" (Galatians 4:1).
As
long as the heir apparent is in the cradle, what would make him
better than the son of a slave? Neither is his body better, nor are
his thoughts more elevated, nor are his wishes or desires more pure.
Such is the son of the king; so is the son of the slave; so is the
son of the beggar. For a few years the son of the king does not
differ from the son of the slave. However, when the son of the king
reaches maturity and with full consciousness of his dignity, he
receives authority over the kingdom, and when the son of a slave
reaches full maturity and with full consciousness, he succumbs to
the yoke of slavery. Then the enormous difference is seen. Then it
is clearly manifest that the heir and the slave are not equal. The
slave has to serve and the king has to rule. The apostle means to
say that it is the same with Christians and with those who are not
Christians. The non-Christian is a slave to nature and the Christian
rules over nature. The non-Christian era of the history of mankind
shows us how man was the slave to the elements of nature, the slave
of the flesh, the slave of idols and creatures. The Christian era of
the history of mankind shows us how man was master and owner, a
nobleman of a royal race and heir to all. Even those who knew about
the One True God, as the Israelites knew, were not like children
toward God nor heirs toward their father but were slaves and
servants toward their Lord and Judge. "But when the fullness of
time had come" (Galatians 4:4), the Only-Begotten Son of God
came to earth. He made it possible "so that we might receive
adoption" (Galatians 4:5), and to address the Spirit of God and
cry out, "Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:5). Brethren why did
Christ come to earth? He did so to make us better than slaves and to
give us the right of sonship and the duty of the master. The right
of sonship, that in the name Christ, we can call God, Father, and
the duty of the master to rule over ourselves, over our flesh, over
our thoughts, over our desires, and over all nature around us.
O
Only-Begotten Son of God, by Your mercy and sacrifice, we have
received the adoption of sons.
O help
us that with Your help we may persevere to the end in purity and in
truth.
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March 20th (New Style) • March 7th (Old Style)
The
Holy Seven Priestly-Martyrs in Cherson: Basil, Ephrem, Eugenius,
Elpidus, Agathadorus, Aetherius, and Capito
All of
them were bishops in Cherson at different times. All suffered and
were martyred at the hands of unbelievers, whether they were Jews,
Greeks or Scythians, except Aetherius, who died peacefully. All of
them were sent by the Patriarch of Jerusalem as missionaries to
bring the light of the Gospel to these wild and uncivilized areas.
They were tortured and suffered for their Lord. In Cherson, Basil
raised the son of a prince from the dead which embittered the Jews
and they, in turn, brought an accusation against him. He was tied
and bound by the feet and dragged through the streets until his soul
departed him. Ephrem was beheaded. Eugenius, Elpidus and Agathadorus
were beaten with rods and stoned until they gave up their souls to
God. Aetherius lived during the reign of Emperor Constantine the
Great. He governed the Church in freedom and peace, erected a large
church in Cherson, and died peacefully. When the last of them,
Capito, was appointed bishop for the wild and savage Scythians, they
sought a sign from him that they may believe. They suggested that he
enter into a fiery furnace and, if he was not consumed, they would
all believe in Christ. With fervent prayers and hope in God, Capito
placed his episcopal pallium over his shoulders, signed himself with
the sign of the cross, and entered into the flaming hot furnace,
keeping his heart close to God. He remained in the flames for about
an hour without any injury or damage, either to his body or to his
vesture. He came out in good health. Then, at once, all of them
cried out: "One is God, the God of the Christians, great and
mighty, Who protects His servant in the flaming furnace." The
entire city and all the vicinity were then baptized. This miracle
was spoken of at length at the First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325
A.D.). The participants in the Council all glorified God and praised
the steadfast and solid faith of St. Capito. It happened that while
Capito was traveling along the Dnieper river, he was captured by the
pagan Scythians and was drowned. All these seven priestly-martyrs
suffered during the early years of the fourth century.
The
Venerable Emilianus
Emilianus
was born in Rome and committed many grave sins in his youth. When
Emilianus came to his senses, he refrained from sinning and began to
tremble just thinking about the judgment of God. Emilianus
immediately entered a monastery and by fasting, vigils and
obedience, he tamed and shriveled his body. He was an ideal example
to his brethren in all virtuous acts of asceticism. Frequently at
night, he would step out of the monastery and enter into a nearby
cave to pray. Not knowing where Emilianus was going, the abbot of
the monastery secretly followed him one night. The abbot saw
Emilianus standing at prayer in reverence and in tears. All at once,
a heavenly light, brighter than the sun, encompassed the entire
mountain but especially the cave and Emilianus. A voice was heard
from heaven saying, "Emilianus, your sins are forgiven
you." Filled with fright, the abbot hurried back to the
monastery. The next day, he revealed to the brethren what he had
seen and heard the previous night. Great respect was shown to
Emilianus by the brethren. He lived long and died to the Lord.(*)
(*) On
this date St. Lawrence is commemorated in the great Greek Synaxarion.
He was a benefactor of the Monastery Phaneromene on the island of
Salamis. He lived in Megara as a married man with two sons. He was
righteous and pious. The Holy Birth-Giver of God appeared to him in
a dream and commanded him to go to Salamis and there to restore her
church. He went there and, indeed, he discovered the destroyed ruins
and built a new church. Here, he was tonsured a monk and died on
March 7, 1770 A.D. Afterwards, many miracles occurred in this
monastery over the relics of St. Lawrence.
Reflection
A
thick rope is made from thin, fibrous strands of hemp. One thin
fiber cannot hold you tied nor can it strangle you. For you will
easily, as in jest, break it and free yourself from it. If you are
tied by a thick rope, you can be held bound and even be strangled by
it. Neither can you break it easily nor free yourself from it. As a
thick rope consists of thin and weak fibers, so the passions of man
consist of minor sins. Man can break off and turn away from the
beginnings of minor sins. But, when sin after sin is repeated, the
weave becomes all the more stronger and stronger until in the end a
passion is created, which then turns man into some kind of monster
as only it knows how. You cannot easily cut it off, nor distance
yourself from it, nor can you divorce yourself from it. O, if only
men would beware and take care of the beginnings of sins! Then, they
would not have to endure much in freeing themselves from passions.
"To cut off rooted passions is as difficult as cutting off the
fingers," said a monk from the Holy Mountain. To free himself
from sinful passions, St. Emilianus was helped by thinking thoughts
of death and, understandably, the Grace of God, without which it is
extremely difficult to rid oneself of the fetters of passion. To
think often of impending death, to repent and to implore Grace from
Almighty God, these three save a man from the bondage of sin. St.
Sisoes was asked, "At which time can passions be
uprooted?" The saint replied, "As soon as one passion
takes root in you, uproot it immediately."
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus at prayer in Gethsemane:
1. How
He falls on His face and prays three times, "My Father if it is
possible, let this cup pass from me" (St. Matthew 26:39), and
again, "Your will be done" (St. Matthew 26:42).
2. How
He sweated at prayer, "And His sweat was as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground" (St. Luke 22:44).
3. How
all of this was because of you and me; because of my sins and your
sins; and for the sake of my salvation and your salvation.
Homily
About
the hand of the betrayer
"And
yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray Me is with Me on
the table (St. Luke 22:21).
It is
most difficult for a general to wage war when he has an enemy within
the camp; not only external enemies, but internal enemies among his
own. Judas was considered among his own. However, he was the enemy
from within. Rows of enemies crowded and closed ranks around Christ
and, from within, Judas was preparing betrayal. His hand was on the
table which Christ blessed, and his thoughts were aligned with the
enemies where darkest evil, hatred and malice seethed against the
gentle Lord.
Is it
not also the same today, that the hand of the many traitors of
Christ are at the table with Him? Which table is not Christ's? On
what table are not His gifts? He is the Householder and He nourishes
and feeds His guests. The guests have nothing of their own, nothing!
All good and all abundance which is given to them is given to them
by the hand of Christ. Therefore, is it not so that Christ is
present at every table as a Householder and as a Servant? Therefore,
are not those also the hands of all who even today betray Christ on
the table together with Him? They eat His bread and they speak
against Him. They warm themselves by His sun and they slander His
name. They breathe His air and they rise up against His Church. They
live off His mercy and they banish Him from their homes, from their
schools, from their courts, from their books and from their hearts.
They trample His commandments willfully, maliciously and ridicule
His law. Are they not then the betrayers of Christ and the followers
of Judas? Do not be afraid of them! God did not command that we be
afraid of them but wait to see their end. Our Lord was not afraid of
Judas nor is He afraid of all the traitorous hordes until the end of
time. He knows their end and He already has His victory in His
hands. Therefore, do not you be afraid either. Adhere faithfully to
Christ the Lord, both when it appears to you that His causes succeed
and go forward in the world and then, again, when it appears to you
that His causes collapse and perish. Do not be afraid! If you become
frightened, perhaps your hand will be found clenched under the hand
of Judas at the table of Christ.
O
Lord, All-Victorious, sustain us with Your power and mercy.
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March 21st (New Style) • March 8th (Old Style)
St.
Theophylactus, Bishop of Nicomedia
When
the emperor's advisor Tarasius, as a layman, was elected Patriarch
ofConstantinople, then with him and from him, many of his friends,
admirers, and others of the laity received the monastic tonsure.
Among them was Theophylactus. Tarasius appointed him Bishop of
Nicomedia. As a bishop, Theophylactus was a good shepherd to his
entrusted flock and proved to be exceptionally filled with
compassion toward the less fortunate and indigent. After the death
of St. Tarasius, the Patriarchal Throne was occupied by Nicephorus
and shortly after that, the Imperial Throne was occupied by Leo the
Armenian, who was an Iconoclast and, as such, raised up a absolute
storm in the Church of Christ. Even though Iconoclasm had been
anathematized by the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 783 A.D.),
nevertheless, Emperor Leo re-instated it and by this wanted to
supplant Orthodoxy. Saint Theophylactus opposed the emperor to his
face and, when the emperor would not yield, Theophylactus said to
him, "O emperor, violent injury will unexpectedly befall you,
and you will not find anyone who will save you from it."
Because of these words and by the order of the emperor,
Theophylactus was ousted from his position and banished into exile,
where he spent thirty years undergoing many hardships and insults
and, where, in the end, he rendered his soul to the Lord about the
year 845 A.D.
The
Holy Priest-Martyr Theodoretus
The
Emperor Constantine built a cathedral church of special beauty in
Antioch. The people called this church "the golden church"
because of the gold-plated exterior and interior and because of the
many appointments of gold and silver housed in it. The emperor
donated a great deal of land to this church for the upkeep of the
clergy whose number was significant. The custodian of these
appointments and all other precious items in the church was the
presbyter Theodoretus,(*) and rare devotion. When Julian the
Apostate began his reign, he denied Christ and, even though he was
baptized, stirred up a persecution against Christians. Julian, his
uncle of the same name, came to Antioch and began to plunder the
"golden church." He summoned Theodoretus, the custodian of
the treasury, to court and counseled him to deny Christ. Not only
did Theodoretus refuse to deny Christ, but he also insulted the
Emperor Julian because of his apostasy from the True Faith and his
return to idolatry, as a dog returning to his own vomit. When the
wicked judge, out of rage, urinated in the "golden
church," St. Theodoretus prophesied a horrible death for him,
which shortly happened. Theodoretus was beheaded by an axe for his
faith in Christ. From the time that Judge Julian had urinated in the
church, he felt pains in the lower part of his body. The entire
lower half of his body was eaten away by worms, so that he vomited
up his apostate soul in the most horrible pains. Also, according to
the prophecy of Theodoretus, Felix, Julian's assistant, died of a
hemorrhage from the mouth immediately after the beheading of this
righteous man. St. Theodoretus was beheaded in the year 362 A.D. and
was translated to the All-glorious kingdom of Christ the King.)
(*) In
the Greek Synaxarion, St. Theodoretus is commemorated on March 3.
Reflection
Be
more trusting in the Lord than in your own mother. Confess all to
Him. He will not betray you. Embrace all of His commandments as
beneficial. They will not deceive you. In as much as you trust in
God, so also be vigilant toward your enemies, toward your body, the
world and demons. All of this was expressed much better by the
glorious saint of God, Ephrem the Syrian, saying, "In embracing
the commandments of God, have simplicity, and in warding off hostile
intrigues, have the cunning (the dove and the serpent)."
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane:
1. How
He repeatedly commands the disciples to watch and pray to God;
2. How
He rises three times from His sweat-inducing prayer, goes over to
the disciples and finds that they are asleep;
3. How
they were all overcome by temptation because they forsook their
teacher and fled for they were not prepared to overcome the fear of
men;
4. How
we, too, become lazy and are not vigilant and do not pray to God,
for when temptation comes, we forsake the Lord Christ.
Homily
About
the vision of the eyes and the vision of the soul
"Coming
in human likeness; and found human in appearance" (Philippians
2:7).
This,
the Apostle Paul says, that same apostle who said about the Lord
Jesus: "He is in the image of the invisible God, the first-born
of all creation" (Colossians 1:15), and "In Him dwells the
whole fullness of the Deity bodily" (Colossians 2:9). This is
the Lord according to His essence and according to His internal
nature but "found human in appearance." Men, whose hearts
are hardened as stone and whose minds are darkened, recognize
objects around themselves only through their eyes. Such men, in
those days, looked with their eyes and saw Jesus as a man. It was
not given to them to know anymore about Him except what their
physical eyes saw. Physical man saw in Jesus and beheld only the
body but did not see in that body neither God nor a perfect and
sinless man.
Even
today, whosoever judges only by that which he sees denies to Jesus
all that he cannot see in other men. No one can speak the truth
about the Lord who judges Him only with their eyes. That which the
eyes can see of Him is but a small veil behind which is hidden the
eternal mysteries of heaven and the greatest mysteries of time and
of earth. In order to see that which is hidden in Him, behind the
physical veil, one must have spiritual vision, which is the Spirit
of God in one's heart, the Spirit Who draws back the veil and
reveals the mysteries.
O,
Lord, Mystery Most Sweet, make us worthy of the visit of Your Holy
Spirit.
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