St.
Artemon, Bishop of Seleucia
Artemon
was born and educated in Seleucia. When the Apostle Paul came to that
city, he met Artemon, strengthened him even more in the Faith of
Christ and appointed him bishop of that city. Artemon governed his
entrusted flock with love and zeal. He was a physician of the souls as
well as the bodies of men. He entered into eternity in ripe old age.
Venerable
James, the Confessor
James
suffered while defending icons under Leo the Armenian. He was a monk
and a member of the brotherhood of the Studite Monastery. When the
Studite Theodore the Great was in exile, James was subjected to severe
tortures in order to persuade him to renounce the veneration of icons.
To the end he remained steadfast and faithful to Orthodoxy. Beaten and
tortured, he was finally sent back to the monastery after the wicked
Emperor Leo came to a wretched end. As a result of severe blows, he
died in the monastery and took up habitation among the heavenly
citizens.
The
Priestly-Martyr Parthenius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Parthenius
was born on the Island of Mytilene. He was the bishop of Chios for a
long time. Afterwards he was elected patriarch of Constantinople.
Because of false rumors that he allegedly worked against the State,
the Turks initially proposed that he become a Muslim. When he
adamantly refused, they hanged him in the year 1657 A.D.
The
Commemoration of the miracle in the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev
Two
companions, John and Sergius, vowed to adopt each other as blood
brothers before an icon of the Holy Mother of God in this monastery.
John was a wealthy man, and he had a five year old son Zacharias. John
became very ill. Before his death, John commended his son to the care
of Sergius and bequeathed a large amount of gold and silver to him for
safe keeping so that Sergius would hand it over to his son Zacharias
when he reached maturity. When Zacharias reached maturity, Sergius
denied that he received anything from the deceased John. Then
Zacharias said, "Let him swear before that very icon of the
All-Holy Mother of God, before whom he entered into a blood-brother
relationship with my deceased father; and if he swears that he did not
receive anything from my father John, then I will not seek anything
from him." Sergius agreed. When Sergius swore this, he wanted to
approach and venerate the icon, but a force held him back and would
not allow it. Sergius then began to cry out in a crazed manner to the
Holy Fathers, Anthony and Theodosius; "Do not allow this
unmerciful angel to destroy me!" That was the demon that attacked
him by God's permission. After that, Sergius showed them all the money
that John entrusted to him. When they opened the chest, they
discovered that the amount had doubled. This amount was doubled by
God's Providence. After receiving the money, Zacharias gave it to the
monastery and was then tonsured a monk. Zacharias lived for a long
time and was made worthy of the great gifts of God and was translated
peacefully into eternity.
The
Venerable Zacharias
Zacharias
was the son of Carion the Egyptian. Zacharias left his wife and
children and became a monk. He took his father with him because his
mother was unable to care for him. Even though Zacharias was younger
than most of the elders in the Scete, he was favored with greater
gifts of Grace than many of the others were. He felt that his whole
being was on fire with the Grace of God. To the question of St.
Macarius: "Who is the ideal monk?" Zacharias replied,
"He who continually compels himself to fulfill the commandments
of God." To the question of Abba Moses: "What does it mean
to be a monk?" Zacharias removed his monastic head gear (Kamilavka)
and trampled it underfoot and said, "If a man is not shattered as
this, he cannot be a monk." He was a great light among the monks
of the wilderness and while still young died to the Lord.
Reflection
Abba
Daniel and Abba Ammoe were traveling. Abba Ammoe said, "Father,
when will we arrive at the cell?" (that is, so that they could to
pray to God). Abba Daniel replied, "And who is taking God away
from us now?" The same God is in the cell and outside the cell..
By this we are taught uninterruptedness of prayer, thoughts about God,
and contemplation of God's works in us and around us. The Church
facilitates prayer and intensifies it. So it is the same with solitude
and confinement; each in its own way facilitates and intensifies it.
He who does not want to pray will not be bound either by a church or a
cell. Neither will he who has felt the pleasure of prayer be able to
separate his nature or journeying from prayer.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus on the cross crucified:
1.
Counting the drops of His All-Holy Blood and counting my sins;
2.
Counting His painful sighs and counting the stupid days of my
laughter.
Homily
About
faithfulness in suffering and the crown of life
"Do
not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Remain faithful
until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation
2:10).
By His
suffering our Lord eased our suffering. He endured the greatest of
pain and emerged as the Victor. That is why He can encourage us in our
lesser sufferings. He suffered and endured in righteousness while we
suffer and endure in expiating our own sins. This is why He can doubly
remind us to endure to the end as He, the Sinless One, endured. Not
one of us has helped nor alleviated His pains and endurance, yet He
stands along side each one of us when we suffer and alleviates our
pains and misfortunes. That is why He has the right to tell each one
who suffers for His Name's sake: "Do not be afraid! Do not be
afraid of anything that you are going to suffer," says Christ,
for I alone have endured all suffering and am familiar with them. I
was not frightened at not a single suffering. I received them upon
Myself and, in the end, overcame them all. I did not overcome them by
dismissing them or fleeing from them but receiving them all upon
Myself voluntarily and enduring them all to the end. And so you also
should accept voluntary suffering, for I see and know how much and for
how long you can endure.
If your
suffering should continue to death itself and if it is the cause of
your death, nevertheless, do not be afraid; "I will give you the
crown of life." I will crown you with immortal life in which I
reign eternally with the Father and the Life-Giving Spirit. God did
not send you to earth to live comfortably, rather to prepare for
eternal life. It would be a great tragedy if your Creator were unable
to give you a better, longer, and brighter life than that which is on
earth which reeks of decay and death and is shorter than the life of a
raven.
O my
brethren, let us listen to the words of the Lord and all of our
sufferings will be alleviated. If the blows of the world seem as hard
as stones, they will become as the foam of the sea when we obey the
Lord.
O
Victorious Lord, teach us more about Your long-suffering; and when we
become exhausted, extend Your hand and sustain us.
To the Top
April
7th (New Style) • March 25th (Old Style)
The
Annunciation
When the
All-Holy Virgin completed the fourteenth year after her birth and was
entering her fifteenth year, after having spent eleven years of living
and serving in the Temple of Jerusalem, the priests informed her that,
according to the Law, she could not remain in the Temple but was
required to be betrothed and enter into marriage. What a great
surprise to the priests was the answer of the All-Holy Virgin that she
had dedicated her life to God and that she desired to remain a Virgin
until death, not wanting to enter into marriage with anyone! Then,
according to Divine Providence, Zacharias, the high priest and father
of the Forerunner, under the inspiration of God, and in agreement with
the other priests, gathered twelve unwed men from the Tribe of David
to betroth the Virgin Mary to one of them to preserve her virginity
and to care for her. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth who was
her kinsman. In the house of Joseph, the All-Holy Virgin continued to
live as she did in the Temple of Solomon, occupying her time in the
reading of Sacred Scripture, in prayer, in Godly-thoughts, in fasting
and in handiwork. She rarely went anywhere outside the house nor was
she interested in worldly things and events. She spoke very little to
anyone, if at all, and never without special need. More frequently she
communicated with both of Joseph's daughters. When the fullness of
time had come, as prophesied by Daniel the Prophet, and when God was
pleased to fulfill His promise to the banished Adam and to the
Prophets, the great Archangel Gabriel appeared in the chamber of the
All-Holy Virgin and, as some priestly writers wrote, precisely at that
same moment when she held open the book of the Prophet Isaiah and was
contemplating his great prophecy: "Behold, the virgin shall be
with child, and bear a son!" (Isaiah 7:13). Gabriel appeared in
all of his angelic brightness and saluted her: "Rejoice, highly
favored one! The Lord is with you" (St. Luke 1:28), and the rest
in order as it is written in the Gospel of the saintly Luke. With this
angelic annunciation and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
Virgin, the salvation of mankind and restoration of all creation
began. The history of the New Testament was opened by the words of the
Archangel Gabriel: "Rejoice, highly favored one" This is to
imply that the New Testament was to signify joy to mankind and to all
created things. It is from this that the Annunciation is considered
not only a great feast, but a joyful feast as well.
The
Holy Female Martyrs Pelagia, Theodosia and Dula
These
three holy women suffered for the Lord. After imprisonment and
sufferings both Pelagia and Theodosia were beheaded. St. Dula, who was
a servant girl, suffered alone in the city of Nicomedia. These three
white roses, watered by the blood of the martyrs, were transplanted by
God into His heavenly garden.
Reflection
Abba
Athanasius was asked by some: "How is it that the Son is equal to
the Father?" He answered, "Just as there are two eyes but
one sight." The response is admirable. To this we can add: just
as there are two ears but one hearing. The same is with all three
Divine Hypostases: just as there are three candles but one and the
same light.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the All-Holy Virgin Mary:
1. How
she served God for eleven years in the Temple humbly, obediently and
devotedly;
2. How
she served God in her chamber in Nazareth, humbly, obediently and
devotedly;
3. How
humbly, obediently and devotedly she received the Divine Annunciation
from the Archangel Gabriel.
Homily
About
the omnipotent Word of God
"For
nothing will be impossible for God" (St. Luke 1:37). "Then
God said, Let there be light, and there was light" (Genesis 1:3).
Until
God
spoke, there was no light. Nor was there anyone who could know what
light was, until God spoke, and light came into being. In the same
manner, when God spoke, then water and the dry land came into
existence, the firmament of the heavens, vegetation, animals and
finally man. Until God spoke, none of this existed nor was there
anyone, except God, Who could know that all of this could exist. By
the power of His word, God created all that is created on earth and in
the heavens. Whatever God wanted to exist and spoke that it be, must
be and it cannot but be, for the word of God is irresistible and
creative. The creation of the world is a great miracle of the word of
God.
Having
created all things, God again, by His word, established the order of
creation and the manner of behavior and relationship of creatures one
with another. This order and manner which God established is a great
miracle of God's word. There exists an order and manner among created
things, visible and comprehensible for us people; and there also
exists an order and manner, invisible and incomprehensible. According
to that invisible and incomprehensible order and manner, which is a
mystery in the Holy Trinity, there have occurred and are occurring
those manifestations which people call miracles. One such
manifestation is the conception of the Lord Jesus Christ in the womb
of the All-Holy Virgin Mary without a husband (The Virgin Birth). This
appears like an interruption in the visible and comprehensible order
and manner but it is never an interruption for the invisible and
incomprehensible order and manner. This birth, truly, is a great
miracle; perhaps the greatest miracle that was ever revealed to us
mortals. But the entire created world is a miracle, and all the
visible and comprehensible order and manner is a miracle, and
altogether these miracles came about by the word of God; therefore,
much in the same way the Lord was conceived in the Virgin's womb. Both
one and the other was all brought about by the power and word of God.
That is why the wonderful Gabriel replied to the question of the
All-Pure One which is the question of all generations: "How can
this be?" (St. Luke 1:34), and he answered her: "For nothing
will be impossible for God" (St. Luke 1:37).
O Lord
God, our Creator, Immortal and Existing Miracle-Worker, enlighten our
minds that we no longer doubt, but believe and enlighten our tongue
that it not question You, but praise You.
To the Top
April
8th (New Style) • March 26th (Old Style)
The
Holy Archangel Gabriel
Gabriel
is the announcer of the Incarnation of the Son of God. He is one of
the seven archangels who stand before the Throne of God. He appeared
to Zacharias about the birth of the Forerunner. Gabriel said of
himself, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God" (St. Luke
1:19). His name Gabriel means "Man - God." The Holy Fathers,
in speaking about the Annunciation, interpret that an archangel with
such a name was sent to signify who and what He would be like, who
must be born of the All-Pure One. Therefore, He will be Man-God,
mighty and powerful God. Some of the Fathers understood that this same
Gabriel appeared to Joachim and Anna concerning the birth of the
Virgin Mary and that Gabriel instructed Moses in the wilderness to
write the Book of Genesis. The Holy Fathers think that Gabriel has
pre-eminence in the first and greatest order of heavenly powers, that
is, the Seraphic Order, since the Seraphims stand closest to God. He
is, therefore, one of the seven Seraphims, closest to God. The names
of the seven are MICHAEL, GABRIEL, RAPHAEL, URIEL, SALATHIEL, JEGUDIEL,
BARACHIEL. To this number some even add JEREMIEL. Each one has their
own particular service and all are equal in honor. Why did God not
send Michael? Because Michael's service is to suppress the enemies of
the Faith of God while Gabriel's is the mission of announcing the
salvation of mankind.
The
Priestly-Martyr Irenaeus of Srem
It is
thought that Irenaeus was a Slav. He was married and had children
prior to becoming a bishop. He suffered for Christ during the reign of
Maximian. At the time of horrible sufferings, his relatives stood
around him crying and begged him to spare himself and them (that is,
to deny Christ). But this wonderful priestly-martyr loved the wounds
of Christ more than all the riches of this world. At the same time
Seren, a certain gardener in Srem, also suffered at the hands of
Prince Probus, as did Afrius suffer in Regia. Because Irenaeus did not
want to deny his faith, Prince Probus ordered that he be hurled from a
bridge into the Sava river, where this shepherd of Christ's flock died
and took up habitation among the citizens of heaven. He honorably
suffered in the year 304 A.D.
The
Venerable Malchus
Malchus
was a farmer from the vicinity of Antioch, and from his youth his
entire soul was directed toward God. The Arabs enslaved him and while
in slavery forced him to take a black woman for a wife. He converted
her to the Faith of Christ and they lived together as brother and
sister. Conspiring with each other, they escaped from bondage. The
Arabs almost overtook them. They found shelter in a cave in which they
saw a lioness with her pups, and they became frightened. But God
protected them. The lioness did not harm them but killed an Arab who
wanted to enter the cave to apprehend the runaways. Arriving at their
destination, his wife entered a convent and Malchus entered a
monastery. He lived many years, mortifying himself, and took up
habitation among the citizens of heaven in the fourth century.
Venerable
Basil, the New
At first
Basil lived in the forest without shelter or hearth. When he was
captured, they questioned him saying," Who are you?" He
replied, "One of the living on earth." They suspected him
and thinking that he was a spy, tortured him. In the end, he lived for
many years in freedom in Constantinople. He discerned all the human
mysteries of man, perceived the future and worked great miracles. His
maid was the elder woman Theodora who, when she died, appeared to
Gregory, Basil's novice, and described to him the twenty levels of
judgment (Mitarstvo) through which every soul must pass. On March 25,
944 A.D., St. Basil peacefully died and took up habitation in the
wonderful heavenly family. After his death he was seen in great glory
by a citizen of Constantinople.
Reflection
When a
miracle occurs, do not be confused by it, rather, rejoice. God has
placed His finger there, either to reward or to punish or to encourage
His faithful or to lead the sinners on the path of salvation. People
frequently compare this world to a fiery chariot. When you see a
locomotive or another steam engine, you know that an engineer is
hidden from view. That does not surprise you, does it? If the engineer
puts his head out of the cab, waves his hand, extends a rod, waves a
handkerchief, or tosses out a letter, or makes some other sign, you
know that this does not interfere with the travel of the locomotive
and does not damage one pin in it. Why, then, do the faithless say
that God with His miracles interferes with the movement of these
earthly chariots? Why? Because the faithless are unreasonable. The
faithful rejoice at God's signs. A child is frightened before a fiery
chariot but rejoices when a man, resembling himself, appears from the
chariot. O, how dear it is to us when, from this mute universe which
hurls around us, someone appears resembling us and that someone is one
who recognizes and loves us! When a miracle occurs, know that He Who
resembles us greets us and says, "Do not be afraid, I am beyond
all of this." St. Basil the New worked many miracles. Through
prayer he healed the sick and discerned the fate of people like an
open book. Through His chosen ones, God, as always, demonstrated His
love and power to men in order to firmly establish the faithful in the
Faith and to shame the unfaithful and to return them to the Faith.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus crucified on the cross:
1. How
He used the last breath of life and saves a thief on the cross;
2. How
He commends His soul into the hands of the Father "Father, into
Your hands I commend My Spirit" (St. Luke 23:46).
Homily
About
the impending advent of the Lord
"Behold,
I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:7).
The
unfaithful and the slayers of the spirit will say, "Nearly two
thousand years ago He promised that He will come and He has not come
yet!" This is how they, who ridiculed Him, will lament in eternal
torment. But we who are prepared for happiness in His Kingdom know
that He will come in power and glory just as He promised. We know that
He has already come countless times and showed Himself to His faithful
ones. Did He not come to John the Divine (the one who saw God) to whom
He spoke these words, "Behold, I am coming soon?" John saw
Him in power and glory and felt His hand on him when he was frightened
and fell before His feet as dead, "And He touched me with His
right hand" (Revelation 1:17). Did He not come to Saul when in
the beginning he breathed hatred against the Christians and when on
the road to Damascus fell on the ground, seeing the Lord and hearing
His voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
(Acts of the Apostles 9:4). And again, did He not enter into the heart
of the Apostle Paul when he recognized that "Yet I live, no
longer I, but Christ lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20). Did He not
come to the countless martyrs, both male and female, who suffered for
His Name, to encourage them, to heal them, and to have mercy on them?
Did He not come to Anthony the Great, Theodore Stratelates, St.
Haralambos, St. Marina, St. Sylvester and many, many more? What are we
saying? Did He not return from the Kingdom of Death on the third day
and appeared before the apostles? Did He not come to the aid of the
Church many, many times and, as out of the dead, resurrected it
whenever her enemies rejoiced, thinking that they had given His Church
over to death forever? Did He not appear in His power in the Church at
the time of Nero as well as at the time of Constantine; at the time of
Julian, as well as at the time of Justinian; at the time of Arab
tyranny, as well as at the time of the Turkish and Mongolian
oppression over Christians?
O, my
faithful brethren, do not submit to deception. He came countless times
and comes even today. He comes to every soul to whom He can,
regardless of impurity. However, we are all waiting for Him to come
for the last time in power and glory. We know that His coming is
certain. O Lord Most Gracious, before You come, make us worthy to
recognize Your face and to be ashamed of our faces, darkened by sin.
To the Top
April
9th (New Style) • March 27th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr, Matrona
As an
orphan girl Matrona was a servant in the home of a Jew in
Thessalonica. The wife of the Jew continuously mocked Matrona because
of her faith in Christ and tried to persuade her to deny Christ and to
attend the synagogue. But the meek Matrona went about her work
conscientiously and did not say anything to her mistress. But in
secret she prayed to Christ the God. On one occasion the Jewess
discovered that Matrona was attending church unbeknown to her and, in
anger, questioned her as to why she did not attend the synagogue
rather than the church? To that, Matrona replied, "Because in the
Christian churches, God lives and He withdraws from the Jewish
synagogues." Furious, because of this type of bold reply, the
Jewess beat Matrona, locked her up in a dark room, and, in addition to
that, bound her hands. The next day as she was kneeling in prayer and
glorifying God, her ropes had fallen off by the power of God.
Afterwards, on two occasions, she was locked up again and, in the end,
died of starvation. This evil Jewish woman then took the body of this
holy maiden and hurled it to the ground from the heights of her home.
Christians took the body of this martyr and buried it with honors.
Alexander the bishop, learning of the many miraculous works of this
holy martyr, erected a church over her grave. The evil Jewess received
her just punishment when she slipped, fell to the pavement, and was
smashed to death from the same spot at the top of the house from which
she hurled down Matrona's body.
Venerable
John "The Discerner"
John was
a woodsman until his twenty-fifth year and then, driven by an
insatiable desire for constant prayer, withdrew into the wilderness
where he lived until his death, during his ninetieth year. He was a
corporeal being but lived as an incorporeal being. He discerned the
heart of every person who came to him and was able to discern their
name, their desires, and their thoughts. He prophesied to Emperor
Theodosius the outcome of his battles. He prophesied for generals,
monastics, and for all who found it necessary to know what was hidden
for them in the darkness of future days. A prince once begged John to
receive his wife who especially wanted to meet him. The saint did not
allow empty inquisitiveness but appeared to the wife of the prince in
a dream showing her what he was like. When the woman described her
vision in the dream to her husband, he confirmed that, indeed, this
was the likeness of the saint. To every visitor, he taught humility as
the basis of the virtues, always citing examples from life of how
pride has toppled many exalted characters into dust and led them into
serious sins. He endured many assaults of evil spirits. On one
occasion, Satan appeared to him with a myriad of demons under the
guise of shining angels. They pressured him to worship Satan, lying to
him, saying that it (Satan) is Christ. But John answered wisely,
"I bow down and worship my King, Jesus Christ, everyday. If that
were He, He would not demand me to do so now, especially since I
already worship Him." Following these words, all the evil powers
vanished as smoke. He died peacefully kneeling in prayer in his
ninetieth year.
The
Venerable Paphnutius
Paphnutius
was a disciple of St. Anthony the Great. By his sanctity of life,
Paphnutius converted many sinners to the path of repentance, as did
St. Thais, who is commemorated on October 8. Paphnutius resembled an
incorporeal angel more than a corporeal man. He died toward the end of
the fourth century.
Reflection
"There
is no cleanness in him who thinks evil," says St. Simeon the New
Theologian; and he further adds, "How can there be a pure heart
in him, who soils it with impure thoughts as a mirror is darkened by
dust?" Do you see then, the inexcessible height of which the
religion of Christ stands above all other faiths and worldly
sophistries? He who only thinks about evil, even though he does not
commit any evil, is at fault before God and before his own soul. For
he offends God and loses his soul. To be a Christian, in the proper
sense, means to invest enormous effort on cleansing evil thoughts from
one's heart and mind. What kind of effort is that? There exists a
complete study about this, which in our days became completely locked
away even for us Christians, and the one enormous actual experience of
holy men and women who justified that study. To cleanse oneself from
these wicked and impure thoughts, the root of all evil, was the goal
of all the great ascetics, hermits and silentaries.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus in death:
1. How
He Who resurrected from the dead, hangs on the cross, a lifeless body;
2. How
He died for our sake so that we would have more abundant life and more
abundant truth about immortal life.
Homily
About
Christians as kings and priests
"You
made them a kingdom and priests for God" (Revelation 5:10).
The Lord
Jesus wants to make all men similar to Himself. As the Son of God, He
wants all men to become the adopted sons of God. As a King, He wants
them to be co-kings with Him. As a Priest, to be co-priests with Him.
As Almighty, to share in His strength. As Eternal, to share in His
immortality. As Holy, to share in His holiness. As the Resurrected
One, to all be the children of the resurrection. This, the Lord
desired and that is why He descended to earth: to separate us from the
animals and to elevate us above the life of the animals and to give us
dignity over His visible creation, a dignity which Adam had in
Paradise before the Fall. Because of this, His love for mankind and
His salvatory plan for all people, the Lord was crucified on the cross
by the Jewish elders. And even from us Christians today, He reaped the
thorns of ingratitude and misunderstanding countless times. We show
ourselves to be ungrateful and unreasonable whenever we undermine and
trample His commandments. By his sins every sinner plaits a new wreath
of thorns and places it on His Sacred Head. When did He ever offend
us, that we did this to Him? When did He ever think evil about anyone
of us, that we return Him evil? He lowered Himself into our fetid pit
where we have become accustomed to live with snakes and scorpions and
pulled us higher to the heights, to light and purity in the kingdom.
He wants to make us kings and priests, and we drive away His saving
hand and return to the pit with snakes and scorpions.
O
brethren, enough and more than enough of this humiliation of Him and
destruction of ourselves. Let us firmly grab the hand of our Savior
and follow Him. He desires good for us. He does good for us. For our
good, He suffered. He is our One and Only Friend Who does not change.
To the Top
April
10th (New Style) • March 28th (Old Style)
The
Venerable Martyr Eustratius of the Caves in Kiev
Eustratius
was very wealthy and, being touched with love for Christ, distributed
his entire estate for the sake of Christ and entered the monastery of
Pecer and was tonsured a monk. When the Polovtsians waged war against
Kiev in 1097 A.D., they plundered the monastery and slew many
Christians, including monks. Eustratius, alone, with some of the
faithful, were sold into slavery to a Jew in the city of Khorsum (Chresom).
This Jew ridiculed the Faith of Christ and attempted to coerce the
Christians into embracing the Jewish religion. Seeing that they had no
other alternative, they all agreed to starve themselves to death and
not to deny the True Faith. Eustratius encouraged the Christians to
follow that decision. They all died of hunger; some after three days,
some after four and some after seven. Being accustomed to fasting,
Eustratius, alone, remained alive and endured fourteen days without
food. The Jew, angered because he lost money with which he purchased
the slaves, took out his revenge on Eustratius by nailing him to a
cross. Eustratius praised God from the cross and prophesied a severe
and imminent death for the Jew. Wild with rage, the Jew pierced him
with a spear. The saint of God gave up his soul to his Savior. His
body was thrown into the sea, but it floated to the surface. Great
miracles occurred over this martyr's body. Shortly after the death of
Eustratius, the Byzantine emperor decreed that the Jews of the city of
Khorsum be punished for their wickedness toward Christians. This
tormentor of Christians was hung on a tree and received the reward of
Judas.
Venerable
Hilarions, the New Confessor
Hilarion
was the abbot of a monastery of Pelekit, near Hellespont. He glowed as
the sun with the spirit of God, healed people and expelled evil
spirits. This man of God suffered at the time when Leo the Armenian
began the Iconoclastic persecution. With forty of his monks, Hilarion
was sent into exile near Ephesus and died there in prison and took up
habitation in the Kingdom of Christ in 754 A.D.
The
Venerable Hesychius of Jerusalem
A
presbyter and profound theologian, Hesychius was a disciple of St.
Gregory the Theologian and a contemporary of St. Euthymius the Great.
One should read his glorious work "Concerning Sobriety in
Prayer." He died peacefully in the year 434 A.D.
The
Holy Martyr Boyan, Bulgarian Prince
Boyan
was the son of Krutogan and the nephew of Grubash. Boyan confessed his
faith in Christ; however, his brother Milomir was a pagan. By decree
of his brother, Boyan was beheaded for the True Faith in the year 827
A.D.
The
Miraculous Occurence of Taxiotis
Taxiotis
was a soldier from Carthage. He spent his entire life in grievous sins
but finally repented, left the military service and lived a
God-pleasing life. While he was with his wife on his estate near the
city, he committed adultery with the wife of his farm worker.
Afterwards, he was bitten by a snake and died immediately. Taxiotis
was dead for six hours after which he arose. Then, on the fourth day,
he spoke and related how and what kind of level of judgment he had
passed through until he came to the level of judgment (Mitarstvo) for
adultery. There, he fell into the dark abode of demons from which he
was led out by an angel who attested on his behalf and was sent back
in the flesh to repent for his latest sin. He repented for forty days,
going from church to church, beating his head against the doors and
thresholds, always crying and telling of the terrible sufferings which
sinners undergo in the other world. He implored men not to sin but to
repent for those sins already committed. On the fortieth day, with
rejoicing, Taxiotis took up habitation into the Kingdom of the
Merciful God.
Reflection
St.
Simeon the New Theologian, in speaking about a handsome twenty year
old youth, George by name, who, despite his beauty and youth and
living among the conceited of the world, recognized the path of
salvation and was enlightened by spiritual wisdom, concludes with
these words: "Do you understand how youth does not hinder nor
does old age help a man, if he does not have reason and the fear of
God." What prevented the young Apostle John from believing in
Christ the Lord? What were the benefits of age to the Jewish elders
when they were blinded in mind and in their blindness sentenced the
Son of God to death? Nothing, nothing prevents youth in the young,
even in our time, from giving their faith and love to Christ, who
created them out of love. Nothing benefits the age of the aged in our
time if their souls are poisoned with maliciousness toward Christ.
Young and old bodies are nothing more than a new and an old garment of
the soul. One or the other of these garments can conceal a healthy or
a sick soul. Our goal is a healthy and clean soul.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus in death:
1. How
all of nature trembled when He gave up the Spirit, as though to
protest against this criminal act of the race of men;
2. How
the earth quaked, the sun darkened, the rocks were split, the veil of
the temple was rent and the graves were opened.
Homily
About
the horror of nature at the death of Christ
"The
earth quaked, rocks were split" (St. Matthew 27:51).
O, what
a terrible reproach against mankind! Even dead nature recognized Him
Whom men were unable to recognize. All mute things trembled and began
to protest, each in its own way and in its own language. The mute
earth quakes--that is its language. The stones split apart--that is
their language. The sun withholds its light--that is its language. All
of creation in its own way protested. For all of creation is
submissive to Him, as it was to Adam at one time in Paradise, because
all of creation recognizes Him as it did Adam in Paradise. How is it
that irrational creation knew Him and was obedient to Him, we do not
know. It is some kind of inner instinct of irrational creation, which
came to them from the word of God, by which they were created. That
instinct of irrational creation is more valuable than the mind of man
when darkened by sin. Of all the things which are in existence,
nothing is more blind than the mind of man when darkened by sin. Not
only does he not see what was created to be seen, rather, he sees that
which is contrary to being, contrary to God, and contrary to the
truth. These are the degrees of the blindness; beneath blindness;
these are numbers below zero. This is man of lower creation. For when
the priests of God in Jerusalem did not recognize their God, the
storms and winds recognized Him; vegetation and animals recognized
Him; the seas, the rivers, the earth, the stones, the stars, the sun
and even the demons recognized Him. O what kind of shame it is for
mankind!
The
earth quaked, the rocks split, the sun darkened, as much in anger as
in sorrow. All creation grieved over the pain of the Son of God, in
Whose pain the priests in Jerusalem rejoiced. Protests and sorrow and
fear! The whole of creation was frightened at the death of Him Who
cried to them arise from nothing and rejoice in your being. As though
it wanted to say: with whom do we remain and who will now uphold us
when the Almighty gives up the Spirit?
O
brethren, let us be ashamed of this protest, these sorrows and this
fear of the mutes of creation! With repentance let us cry out to the
Lord, the Victor: forgive, O Compassionate Lord, for indeed, whenever
we sin and offend You, we do not know what we are doing.
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April
11th (New Style) • March 29th (Old Style)
St.
Mark, Confessor and Bishop of Arethusa in Syria
We are
told about Mark's suffering by St. Gregory the Theologian and by
Blessed Theodorit. According to this report, Mark, during the reign of
Emperor Constantine, destroyed a pagan temple and converted many to
the Faith of Christ. When Julian ascended the throne and, shortly
thereafter, apostatized from the Faith of Christ, a citizen of
Arethusa then also denied Christ and reverted to paganism. Then they
rose up against Mark because he destroyed their temple, seeking that
he either rebuild the temple or pay a large sum of money. Since the
aged Mark refused to do either of the two, he was flogged, mocked and
dragged through the streets. After that they severed his ears with a
thin but strong thread. They then stripped him, rubbed him with honey,
and left him tied to a tree in the heat of summer so that he would be
bitten by wasps, mosquitoes, and hornets. The martyr of Christ endured
all without moaning. Mark was very old, but in his countenance he
shone like an angel. The pagans reduced the price for their temple
even more and finally sought from Mark an insignificant sum, which he
could have easily given, but he refused to give even one coin for this
purpose. His patience made an enormous impression on the citizens, and
they began to admire him for it and to feel sorry for him. They then
lowered the cost of the temple to practically nothing, in order to
allow him to live. Finally, they permitted him to go free, and one by
one they all received instruction from him and returned to the Faith
of Christ. At the same time, in the city of Heliopolis at the foot of
Mt. Lebanon Cyril a deacon, suffered for a similar act. During the
time when Christianity enjoyed freedom, Cyril destroyed some idols and
under Julian the Apostate, was brutally tortured. So embittered were
the pagans against him that when they killed him, they tore and ripped
open his entrails with their teeth. The same day on which St. Cyril
suffered, many others also suffered. The spiteful pagans carved up
their bodies into pieces, mixed them with barley and feed it to the
swine. Punishment reached them swiftly: all of their teeth fell out
and an unbearable stench emitted from their mouths.
Venerable
John the Hermit
John was
the son of Juliana, a Christian woman in Armenia. As a young boy, he
left his mother and withdrew into the wilderness, completely enflamed
with love toward Christ the Lord. In the wilderness, he first
surrendered himself to the guidance of a spiritual director,
Pharmutius, who had been found so worthy before God that an angel of
God brought him bread daily. Afterwards, the young John distanced
himself and withdrew into solitude. He lowered himself into a dry well
where he spent ten years in fasting, prayer and vigils. St. Pharmutius
brought bread from the angel and gave it to him. So that John would
not become proud, the angel of God did not want to give bread to the
young John personally, but rather through his spiritual father
Pharmutius. After ten years of difficult mortification in the well,
St. John presented himself to the Lord. His relics revealed itself to
be wonder-working. He lived and was glorified by God and men in the
fourth century.
Reflection
Spiritists
of our day accept every manifestation from the spiritual world as
though sent by God, and immediately they boast that God has been
"revealed" to them. I knew an eighty year old monk whom
everyone respected as a great spiritual director. To my question:
"Have you ever in your life seen anything from the spiritual
world?", the monk answered me, "No, never, praise be to
God's Mercy." Seeing that I was astonished at this, he said,
"I have constantly prayed to God that nothing appear to me, so
that, by chance, I would not succumb to pride and receive a fallen
devil as an angel. Thus far, God has heard my prayers." This
recorded example shows how humble and cautious the elders were. The
devil, clothed in the light of an angel, appeared to a certain monk
and said to him: "I am the Archangel Gabriel and I am sent to
you." To that, the brother responded, "Think! Were you not
sent to someone else, for I am not worthy to see an angel?" The
devil instantly became invisible and vanished.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus in death:
1. How
darkness encompasses everyone;
2. How
fear enters into everyone present beneath the cross;
3. How
the frightened captain of the guard cried out: "Truly, this was
the Son of God!" (St. Matthew 27:54).
4. How
the prophecy of our Lord's death was fulfilled.
Homily
About
the miraculous opening of the graves
"Tombs
were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were
raised" (St. Matthew 27:52).
O, what
a great sign! The dead bodies of holy men and women recognized Him,
Who, on the cross, died in pain; but the dead souls of the elders of
the Jews did not recognize Him. The whole of creation trembled, but
only the criminal souls of Anna, Caiphas and Herod did not tremble.
Dead saints showed themselves more sensitive than living sinners. How
could the dead saints remain indifferent toward their Creator on the
cross when not even the dead stones could not remain indifferent? How
is it that during this event from which the earth quaked and the sun
darkened, the bodies of those righteous could sleep in the graves,
those who fulfilled His Dispensation of Old, those who hoped in Him
for life, those who prophesied about Him and, with hope in Him, closed
their eyes?
O, what
a great sign! O, what a great comfort it is for us who hope in the
resurrection! For according to our weakness and little faith, we could
say, "Truly, Christ is Risen." But will we also be
resurrected? Christ resurrected by His Own power but, how shall we
resurrect? Who knows if God will resurrect us by His own Power. Here
is consolation, here is proof: "Tombs were opened, and the bodies
of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised." This means
that death was unable to annihilate even ordinary man. This means that
those who are much lower than Christ are not dead as stones, rather
are alive as angels. This means that one day even our bodies will
arise from the tombs, that we will live also. All that our Lord said
is substantiated and overflowing with countless testimonies. Knowing
the weakness of our faith, He proved the prophecy of His resurrection
not also by His particular resurrection, but also by His raising many
bodies from the tombs at the time of His own death.
O
brethren, not one of us will have the least excuse for not believing
in life after death.
O Lord,
All-Merciful, strengthen the faithful in the Faith and return the
unfaithful to the Faith.
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April
12th (New Style) • March 30th (Old Style)
The
Venerable John Climacus
John
Climacus is the author of "The Ladder of Divine Ascent."
John came to Mt. Sinai as a sixteen year old youth and remained there,
first as a novice under obedience, and afterwards as a recluse, and
finally as abbot of Sinai until his eightieth year. He died around the
year 563 A.D. His biographer, the monk Daniel, says about him:
"His body ascended the heights of Sinai, while his soul ascended
the heights of heaven." He remained under obedience with his
spiritual father, Martyrius, for nineteen years. Anastasius of Sinai,
seeing the young John, prophesied that he would become the abbot of
Sinai. After the death of his spiritual father, John withdrew into a
cave, where he lived a difficult life of asceticism for twenty years.
His disciple, Moses, fell asleep one day under the shade of a large
stone. John, in prayer in his cell, saw that his disciple was in
danger and prayed to God for him. Later on, when Moses returned, he
fell on his knees and gave thanks to his spiritual father for saving
him from certain death. He related how, in a dream, he heard John
calling him and he jumped up and, at that moment, the stone tumbled.
Had he not jumped, the stone would have crushed him. At the insistence
of the brotherhood, John agreed to become abbot and directed the
salvation of the souls of men with zeal and love. From someone John
heard a reproach that he talked too much. Not being angered by this,
John however remained silent for an entire year and did not utter a
word until the brothers implored him to speak and to continue to teach
them his God-given wisdom. On one occasion, when six-hundred pilgrims
came to the Monastery of Sinai, everyone saw an agile youth in Jewish
attire serving at a table and giving orders to other servants and
assigning them. All at once, this young man disappeared. When everyone
noticed this and began to question it, John said to them, "Do not
seek him, for that was Moses the Prophet serving in my place."
During the time of his silence in the cave, John wrote many worthwhile
books, of which the most glorious is "The Ladder." This book
is still read by many, even today. In this book, John describes the
method of elevating the soul to God, as ascending a ladder. Before his
death, John designated George, his brother in the flesh, as abbot.
George grieved much because of his separation from John. Then John
said to him, that, if he (John) were found worthy to be near God in
the other world, he would pray to Him, that, he, (George), would be
taken to heaven that same year. And, so it was. After ten months
George succeeded and settled among the citizens of heaven as did his
great brother, John.
Memorial
to a monk who joyfully died and who never judged anyone in his life
This
monk was lazy, careless, and lacking in his prayer life; but
throughout all of his life, he did not judge anyone. While dying, he
was happy. When the brethren asked him how is it that with so many
sins, you die happy? He replied, "I now see angels who are
showing me a letter with my numerous sins. I said to them, Our Lord
said: `stop judging and you will not be judged' (St. Luke 6:37). I
have never judged anyone, and I hope in the mercy of God that He will
not judge me." And the angels tore up the paper. Upon hearing
this, the monks were astonished and learned from it.
Reflection
If
humility before men is necessary for the sake of being exalted before
God and temporal effort for the sake of eternal life, what do you care
if someone wags their head and laughs at your humility? John the
Silentary (the Hesychast) was a bishop in Ascalon for ten years.
Seeing that the honors of men hindered him, he disguised himself as a
simple monk and entered the Monastery of St. Sabas the Sanctified,
where he was assigned to gather wood and to boil lentils for the
laborers. When he was recognized, he closed himself in a cell, where
he lived for forty-seven years, feeding on vegetables only. This is
how the Fathers avoided worldly honors, for which many in our day, in
neck-breaking struggle, squander their souls away to dust and ashes.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus in death:
1. How
His body is taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea;
2. How
Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped the Body of the Lord in a pure linen
cloth, anointed Him with ointments and placed Him in a new tomb;
3. How
faithful and unafraid were these two distinguished men among the many
enemies of Christ in the midst of general fear and denials.
Homily
About
recognizing the Son of Man among the common darkness
"Truly,
this was the Son of God" (St. Matthew 27:54).
These
words were spoken by the captain who carried out his duties
conscientiously as a soldier. Under orders of his superiors, he had to
guard the body of Christ on Golgotha. Externally, like a machine, but
internally, a soul wide awake.
He, a
Roman soldier, a pagan, and an idolater, saw all that had occurred at
the time of the death of Christ the Lord, and cried out: "Truly,
this was the Son of God." Not knowing about the One God and not
knowing the Law and the Prophets, he immediately comprehended that
which the priests of the One God and authorities of the Law and the
Prophets were unable to comprehend! On this occasion, the word of God
came true. "I came into this world for judgment, so that those
who do not see, might see, and those who do see, might become
blind" (St. John 9:39). Truly, he who was blind in the spirit saw
and those who thought they could see were completely blinded. Was it
not possible that the elders of the Jews did not see the darkened sun,
did not feel the earthquake, did not notice how the rocks were split,
did not see that the veil in the Temple was rent, did not recognize
many of the saints who came out from opened graves and appeared in
Jerusalem? They saw all of this and all of them accurately witnessed
all of this. Nevertheless, their spirits remained blind and their
hearts, stony. All of these manifestations, the awesome and the
unusual, they probably interpreted as the unbelieving would do today -
accidents and illusions. The pagans of all times interpret everything
as accidents or self-deceptions whenever the finger of God appears to
reprimand men, to direct or to inform them. The Roman captain Longinus,
which was the soldier's name, saw all that occurred without prejudice
and beneath the cross confessed his faith in the Son of God. His
exclamation was not wrested accidentally from his frightened heart.
But that was his confession of faith, for which he later on laid down
his life to embrace a better life in the Kingdom of Christ.
O
brethren, how great is this Roman captain, who upon seeing the
lifeless Lord between thieves crucified on the dunghill of Golgotha,
recognized Him as God and confessed Him as God. O brethren, how petty
are those Christians who recognize the Lord as resurrected, as
Glorified, as the Victor and the Victor-bearer through thousands of
His saints but, nevertheless, retain in their hearts doubt like a
poisonous serpent who poisons them every day and buries their lives in
eternal darkness.
O
crucified and resurrected Lord, have mercy on us and save us!
To the Top
April
13th (New Style) • March 31st (Old Style)
The
Priestly-Martyr Hypatius, the Bishop of Gangra
Hypatius
was born in Cilicia and was the bishop of Gangra. He was present at
the First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325. A.D.) and was renowned
throughout because of his pious and saintly life and his
miracle-working. The Emperor Constantius ordered that a likeness of
Hypatius be made during the saint's lifetime. The emperor kept this
likeness in his palace as a weapon against all adverse powers. Once
upon returning from Constantinople, Hypatius was attacked in a narrow
gorge by Novatian heretics and, along with others, was hurled to the
ground in mud. At that moment a woman from that group struck him in
the head with a stone and, thus, the saint died. Immediately that
woman went insane and took that same stone and struck herself with it.
When they took her to the grave of St. Hypatius, he interceded before
God on her behalf. She was healed by the great compassionate soul of
Hypatius and lived the remainder of her life in repentance and prayer.
St. Hypatius died and took up habitation in the eternal Kingdom of
Christ the God, in the year 326 A.D.
St.
Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow
Jonah
was born in the province of Kostrom. In his twelfth year he was
tonsured a monk and as such lived for a long time in the Simonov
Monastery in Moscow. At the time of Metropolitan Photius, Jonah became
Bishop of Ryazn. When Photius died, Jonah was elected as metropolitan
and sent to the patriarch in Constantinople for approval and
consecration. At the same time, Isidorus, a Bulgarian by descent,
outwitted Jonah and arrived before him in Constantinople and was
consecrated as the Metropolitan of the Russians. Jonah returned to his
cathedral in Ryazn. Isidorus, the malicious one, ended his incumbency
of the Metropolitan See nefariously. Isidorus attended the Council of
Florence (1439 A.D.) and then, after three years, returned to Moscow.
Everyone attacked him as an apostate from Orthodoxy and banished him.
It is unknown where he ended his life. Jonah, the good and wise
shepherd, ascended the throne of the Metropolitan See. He was a great
worker of miracles, "a discerner," and a spiritual director.
When the Agarians surrounded Moscow, Jonah repelled them through his
prayers. In his later years he wished that he could be afflicted by an
illness so that he could suffer pain and that, through pain,
completely purify himself before his departure to the other world.
According to his wishes, God permitted a sore on his foot ,which was
preceded by a vision to a certain priest, James. The saint died from
these wounds and took up habitation among the heavenly citizens on
March 31, 1461 A.D. Many miracles have occurred over his relics. A
certain mute, John by name, was brought before the relics of the
saint. John kissed the hand of Jonah and, as he related later, the
hand grabbed him by the tongue and he felt a sharp pain. When the hand
released his tongue, John returned to those people who brought him and
began to talk as though he was never a mute.
The
Priestly-Martyr Audas3.
THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR AUDAS
Audas
was a bishop of the city of Susa. He was beheaded for Christ in the
year 418 A.D. in Persia by Emperor Yezdegird. His deacon, St.
Benjamin, was released by the tormentors with the understanding that
he would never preach the Gospel again. In the beginning he agreed,
but Benjamin could not sustain this in his heart and continued to
spread the truth of Christ among the people. For this Benjamin was
captured and killed three years after St. Audas in the year 421 A.D.
The
Venerable Apollonius
Apollonius
was a renowned Egyptian ascetic. In his fifteenth year he renounced
the world and withdrew to a mountain where he lived for forty years
feeding on vegetation. After that, he established a monastery in which
five-hundred monks lived. He died peacefully in the year 395 A.D.
Reflection
St. John
of the Ladder says: "He who in his heart is proud of his tears
and secretly condemns those who do not weep is like a man who asks the
king for a weapon against his enemy and then commits suicide with
it" (Step 7). If your heart is softened, be it from repentance
before God or be it from knowing the boundless love of God toward you,
do not become proud toward those whose hearts are still hard and
calloused. Remember how long it has been since you had a hard and
calloused heart. There were seven brothers who were ailing in a
hospital. One of them was restored to health and rose to his feet. He
hurried to serve his other brothers with fraternal love and concern so
that they too would recover. You be like that brother also. Consider
that all men are your brothers, sick brothers. If you feel that God
has given you health before them, know that it was given to you
through mercy, so that even you as a healthy person may serve others
who are sick. Of what do we have to be proud? As though good health
comes from ourselves alone and not from God. As though a mud hole can
cleanse itself and not from a source deeper and cleaner.
Contemplation
To
contemplate the Lord Jesus in death:
1. How
His body lies peacefully in a grave;
2. How
He descended in the Spirit to the souls in Hades in order to redeem
the souls of the forefathers.
Homily
About
joy after sorrow
"So
you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts
will rejoice" (St. John 16:22).
The
father steps up to the gallows and his sons are crying around him.
Instead of the sons comforting him, he comforts his sons. Something
similar to this happened to the Lord and His disciples. Walking toward
His bitter death, the Lord is more saddened because of the grief of
His disciples, rather than by that which He has to endure. He caresses
them with consolation and encourages them with the prophecy of the new
and impending vision: "But I will see you again." This is a
prophecy about the resurrection. Many times our Lord prophesied His
death, but when He prophesied His death, He also prophesied His
resurrection. Nothing unforeseen ever did happen to Him. He did not
prophesy about Himself only, but also about them (the disciples). They
will be in great sorrow as a woman when she gives birth and endures
pain. As a woman forgets her pain and rejoices when she gives birth
"for a child has been born into the world" (St. John 16:22),
so will it be with them. In their consciousness Christ the Lord was
not completely in the form of the God-Man. As long as they had known
Him as a sufferer and mortal man, they only knew Him partially; until
then, the pain of birth lasts in their souls. But when they see Him
again, resurrected and alive, miraculous and almighty, Lord over all
things in heaven and on earth, the pain and sorrow will cease and joy
will appear in their hearts. For Christ will be completely formed in
their consciousness as the God-Man and then they will know Him in His
fullness and in His totality. Only then will He be totally born for
them.
So with
us brethren, as long as we know Him only from His birth to His death
on Golgotha, we know the Lord Jesus partially. We will know Him
completely only when we know Him as the Resurrected One, the Victor
over death.
O Lord
All-victorious, have mercy on us and by Your resurrection cause us to
rejoice as You comforted and made joyful Your disciples.
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