October
29th
(New Style) • October 16th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr Longinus
The
divine Matthew the Evangelist, in describing the passion of the Lord
Jesus Christ, says: Now when the centurion, and they that were with
him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were
done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God
(Matthew 27:54). That centurion was this blessed Longinus, who with
two other of his soldiers came to believe in Jesus, the Son of God.
Longinus was chief of the soldiers who were present at the Crucifixion
of the Lord on Golgotha, and was also the chief of the watch that
guarded the tomb. When the Jewish elders learned of the Resurrection
of Christ, they bribed the soldiers to spread the false news that
Christ did not resurrect, but rather that His disciples stole His
body. The Jews also tried to bribe Longinus, but he did not allow
himself to be bribed. Then the Jews resorted to their usual strategy:
they decided to kill Longinus. Learning of this, Longinus removed his
military belt, was baptized with his two companions by an apostle,
secretly left Jerusalem and moved to Cappadocia with his companions.
There, he devoted himself to fasting and prayer and, as a living
witness of Christ's Resurrection, converted many pagans to the true
Faith by his witness. After that, he withdrew to a village on the
estate of his father. Even there, however, the malice of the Jews did
not leave him in peace. Due to the calumnies of the Jews, Pilate
dispatched soldiers to behead Longinus. St. Longinus foresaw in the
spirit the approach of his executioners and went out to meet them. He
brought them to his home, not telling them who he was. He was a good
host to the soldiers, and soon they lay down to sleep. But St.
Longinus stood up to pray, and prayed all night long, preparing
himself for death. In the morning, he called his two companions to
him, clothed himself in white burial clothes, and instructed the other
members of his household to bury him on a particular small hill. He
then went to the soldiers and told them that he was that Longinus whom
they were seeking. The soldiers were perplexed and ashamed, and could
not even contemplate beheading Longinus, but he insisted that they
fulfill the order of their superior. Thus, Longinus and his two
companions were beheaded. The soldiers took Longinus's head to Pilate,
and he turned it over to the Jews. They threw it on a dung heap
outside the city.
The
Venerable Longinus, the Lover of Labor
Longinus
was a monk of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves in the fourteenth
century. He was the gatekeeper of the monastery, and had such a pure
and grace-filled heart that he always knew the thoughts of those who
were entering the monastery and of those who were leaving the
monastery. The miracle-working relics of Longinus repose in the Cave
of St. Theodosius.
Reflection
The
first appearance of the Holy Martyr Longinus was as follows: Much time
had passed since his martyrdom when it happened that a widow in
Cappadocia became blind. The doctors were unable to do anything at all
for her. Suddenly, the thought came to her to go to Jerusalem and
venerate the holy places there, hoping that she might find help. She
had an only son, a boy, who served as her guide, but as soon as they
arrived in Jerusalem, her son died of an illness. Oh, how immeasurable
was her sorrow! Having lost her eyes, she now lost her only son, whose
eyes had guided her. But in her pain and sorrow, St. Longinus appeared
to her and comforted her with the promise that he would restore her
sight and reveal to her the heavenly glory in which her son now dwelt.
Longinus told her everything about himself, and told her to go outside
the city walls to the dung heap, and there to dig up his head, and
that she herself would see what would happen next. The woman arose
and, stumbling, somehow managed to get out of the city. She cried out
for someone to lead her to the dung heap and to leave her there. When
she was led to the dung heap, she bent down and began to dig with her
hands, having a strong faith that she would find that for which the
saint asked. As she was digging, she touched the holy martyr's buried
head, and her eyes were opened, and she saw a man's head beneath her
hands. Filled with gratitude to God and great joy, she took the head
of St. Longinus, washed it, censed it, and placed it in her home as
the most precious treasure on earth.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the courage of St. Stephen the Archdeacon in confessing Christ (Acts
7):
1. How St. Stephen enumerated the miracles and mercies of God toward
the people of Israel throughout the ages;
2. How he denounced the opposition to God and the evil doings of the
Jewish elders;
3. How he called them betrayers and murderers of Christ.
Homily
On the
mountains and depths of God
Thy
righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great
deep (Psalm 36:6).
The mountains of God's righteousness cut through all the distances of
time and space, rising up from earth to heaven; and from the clouds of
time they ascend to the clearness of eternity. Are not the saints the
bearers of God's righteousness? See how they cut through time and
space! Born in time, they now rejoice in eternity. Living in eternity,
they come down to us in time, and help us like strong brothers help
their weaker brothers. They lived on earth in a finite space and now
the whole universe glorifies them. On all five continents of the
world, churches are built in honor of the apostles, martyrs, and the
rest of God's righteous ones. Such are the mountains of God's
righteousness: you cannot limit them, you cannot encompass them, and
you cannot measure them with any measure in this world. What other
mountains can compare with the mountains of God? What other men can
compare with the men of God? What other glory can compare with the
glory of those whom God glorifies? O my brethren, let us rejoice in
the righteousness of God and let us make glad in the lofty mountains
of God's righteousness!
Thy judgments are a great deep. That is, the judgments of Thy
providence are as unfathomable as a great deep. Thou didst cast Job
upon a dung heap in order to glorify him; Thou didst raise Saul on the
throne, that he might plunge himself into destruction; Thou hast mercy
on the sinner, and Thou givest him abundance and health, that he may
repent; Thou chastenest the righteous, in order to strengthen him in
faith and hope!
Thy Holy Church is the greatest mountain of Thy righteousness, the
source of many mountains. Thy Holy Church, O God, searches Thy
judgments and Thy ways, and her wisdom is great and as sweet as a
honeycomb filled with honey.
O Lord, disperse the clouds of malice from our hearts, that we may
know Thy judgments and see Thy ways.
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the Top
October
30th
(New Style) • October 17th (Old Style)
The
Holy Prophet Hosea
Hosea
was the son of Beeri of the tribe of Issachar. Hosea lived and
prophesied more than eight hundred years before the birth of Christ.
His divinely inspired words are found in his book, which contains
fourteen chapters. He strongly rebuked Israel and Judah for their
idolatry and also foretold God's punishment for their sins, the
destruction of Samaria and Israel for their apostasy, and God's mercy
on the tribe of Judah. He foretold the abolition and the end of the
sacrifices of the Old Testament. He foretold the coming of the Lord,
and the richness of gifts that He would bring with Him to earth. He
lived to a very old age and entered peacefully into rest.
The
Holy Martyrs Cosmas and Damian, the Unmercenaries
There
are three pairs of holy physicians by the name of Cosmas and Damian.
The first entered into rest peacefully on November 1, the second pair
was stoned in Rome on July 1, and the third was from Arabia; and it is
these that we speak of under today's date. They were physicians by
profession, and when they received the Christian Faith, they healed
the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They became widely
known for their miraculous healings. The malicious pagans seized them,
and took them before Governor Lysias in the town of Aegea. Since
neither of these brothers would renounce Christ at any cost, they were
cast into the sea, then into fire, but the omnipotent God saved them
from both the water and the fire. An angel of the Lord appeared to
them and saved them. The pagan governor ascribed this to their alleged
sorcery but they answered: ``We know nothing of sorcery nor do we need
sorcery, but we possess the power of Christ-which saves us and all who
invoke His Most-holy Name.'' The pagans struck them with stones but
the stones bounced off them; they shot them with arrows, but the
arrows rebounded as well. Finally, they were beheaded with the sword.
Saints Leontius, Anthimus and Eutropius also suffered with them, and
received heavenly wreaths of glory. They suffered in the time of
Diocletian and Maximian. Many miracles were manifested from their holy
relics, even as miracles abounded from them during their life.
The
Venerable Martyr Andrew
St.
Andrew was a Cretan by birth and a Christian priest. In the time of
the iconoclastic persecution, he showed himself to be a great defender
of the veneration of icons. Andrew went to Constantinople to denounce
the wicked Emperor Copronymus. As the emperor stood in the Church of
the Holy Martyr Mamas, Andrew entered the church, stood before him,
and openly rebuked him before all. ``It would be better for you, O
Emperor, to attend to military matters and to govern the people, than
to persecute Christ and His servants.'' For this, St. Andrew was
beaten severely, tortured and dragged through the streets, where a
heretic struck him with an axe and killed him. Thus, Andrew rendered
his holy soul to God in the year 767. His relics gave healing to the
sick.
Saint
Lazarus the Four-days-dead
Lazarus's
principle feasts are on March 17 and Lazarus Saturday during Great
Lent. Under today's date is commemorated the translation of his relics
from the island of Cyprus to Constantinople. This occurred when
Emperor Leo the Wise built the Church of St. Lazarus in
Constantinople, and translated Lazarus's relics there in the year 890.
When, after almost a thousand years, Lazarus's grave in the town of
Kition on Cyprus was unearthed, a marble tablet was found with the
inscription: ``Lazarus of the Four Days, the friend of Christ.''
Reflection
The
second appearance of the Holy Martyr Longinus: When Longinus appeared
to the blind widow whose son had died, he promised to restore her
sight and to reveal her son in great glory. Finding the relics of the
holy martyr and touching them with her hands, the widow immediately
regained her sight, and thus, one promise was fulfilled. The following
night, St. Longinus appeared to the widow in radiant attire, holding
her son by the hand, who was also clothed resplendently. Caressing the
child like a father, Longinus said: ``Woman, behold your son for whom
you weep so much! Look at the honor and glory given him; look and be
comforted. God has numbered him among the heavenly ranks who live in
His Kingdom. I have now brought him from the Savior, and he will never
be parted from me. Take my head and your son's body, and bury them
together in one coffin. Mourn your son no longer, and let not your
heart be troubled, for great glory, joy, and endless rejoicing is
given him from God.'' Seeing and hearing all this, the woman was
filled with great joy, and she returned to her home, saying to
herself: ``I asked for bodily eyes and I found spiritual eyes. I was
saddened at the death of my son, and now I have him in heaven, where
he remains in glory with the prophets and rejoices with them
unceasingly.''
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wondrous vision of St. Stephen the Archdeacon and Protomartyr
(Acts 7):
1. How Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, saw the heavens opened;
2. How he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man
standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:56);
3. How the Jews stoned him.
Homily
On the
festering wounds of sin
My
wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness (Psalm 38:5).
The prophet speaks of the wounds of sins that he himself committed,
and from which he sensed in himself the stench of sin. As much as this
acknowledgment reveals the impurity of previous sins, so is the
subsequent purity of the repentant one also shown. For as long as man
follows the corrupt path of sin, he does not sense its suffocating
stench; but when he withdraws from this path and sets off on the pure
path of righteousness, he senses the inexpressible difference between
purity and impurity, between the path of virtue and the path of vice.
Imagine a man who has spent the night in a stinking tavern and finds
himself in a garden of roses the next morning. In the former there was
stench, poison, debasement of soul and body, anger, discord, and the
tormenting of himself and others. In the latter is God's great sun
overhead, beautiful flowers everywhere, fresh air, wondrous fragrance,
serenity and health. Imagine this, and understand that there is an
even greater difference between the path of sin and the path of God.
My wounds are foul and festering. Thus the great king describes the
fruits of his sinful past. Nothing is as foul as sin, nothing festers
as much and nothing spreads as much as sin. The stench of bodily
wounds suggests, in only a small way, the unbearable stench of a
sinful soul. That is why every holy thing distances itself from such a
soul. The pure heavenly spirits hide from such a one, and the impure
spirits of hades seek its company. Every new sin is a fresh wound on
the soul; every sin is corruption and stench. How does sin arise? From
my foolishness explains the prophet. A mind derailed from its divine
track leads man to sin. Until the mind is cleansed, man cannot be
cleansed. But we have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16), says
the Apostle. In other words, we have a mind put back on track, as was
Adam's mind before the sinful stench. Hence brethren, all Orthodox
teaching on asceticism concentrates on one main point: on the mind of
man; on the cleansing and correcting of the mind.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Purity and eternal Source of purity, help us to
reject our foolishness; help us to reason according to Thy mind.
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October
31st
(New Style) • October 18th (Old Style)
The
Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke
Luke was
born in Antioch. In his youth, he excelled in his studies of Greek
philosophy, medicine and art. During the ministry of the Lord Jesus on
earth, Luke came to Jerusalem, where he saw the Savior face to face,
heard His saving teaching and was witness to His miraculous works.
Coming to belief in the Lord, St. Luke was numbered among the Seventy
Apostles, and was sent out to preach. With Cleopas, he saw the
resurrected Lord on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). After the descent of
the Holy Spirit, Luke returned to Antioch and there became a fellow
worker of the Apostle Paul and traveled to Rome with him, converting
Jews and pagans to the Christian Faith. Luke, the beloved
physician, … greets you, writes the Apostle Paul to the
Colossians. (Colossians 4:14). At the request of Christians, he wrote
his Gospel in about the year 60. Following the martyrdom of the great
Apostle Paul, St. Luke preached the Gospel throughout Italy, Dalmatia,
Macedonia and other regions. He painted icons of the Most-holy
Theotokos-not just one, but three-and icons of the Holy Apostles Peter
and Paul. Hence, St. Luke is considered to be the founder of Christian
iconography. In old age, he visited Libya and Upper Egypt. From Egypt
he returned to Greece, where he continued to preach and convert many
with great zeal despite his old age. In addition to his Gospel, St.
Luke wrote the Acts and dedicated both works to Theophilus, the
governor of Achaia. Luke was eighty-four years old when the wicked
idolaters tortured him for the sake of Christ and hanged him from an
olive tree in the town of Thebes, in Boethia. The miracle-working
relics of this wonderful saint were transported to Constantinople in
the reign of Emperor Constantius, the son of Constantine.
Saint
Peter of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro
Peter
was born on April 1, 1749, in the village of Njegu
. He entered the monastic order at the age of twelve. Following the
death of Metropolitan Sava in 1782, Peter became the Metropolitan and
ruler of Montenegro. This glorious man dedicated his entire holy life
to his people. He worked with all his strength to reconcile the
quarreling clans of Montenegro, and strove mightily to defend the land
and people from greedy aggressors. He succeeded in both tasks. He is
especially glorified for his victory over Napoleon's army in Boka and
Dalmatia. He was very strict with himself, and with everyone else he
was just and condescending. Peter lived in a small cell like a simple
monk even though he was a prince over the people. He reposed on
October 18, 1830. His miracle-working relics repose, incorrupt, in the
Monastery of Cetinje. The Lord glorified him in the heavens and on
earth as His faithful and long-suffering servant.
Saints
Julian and Didymus the Blind
St.
Julian, called the ``Hermit,'' was a Persian and an unlearned peasant,
but because of the purity of his heart he was a vessel of the grace of
the Holy Spirit. He lived a life of asceticism beside the Euphrates
River in Mesopotamia, and possessed the gift of clairvoyance. In the
same moment that Julian the Apostate perished, St. Julian discerned
this in the spirit, and declared it to his disciples. St. Didymus the
Blind was his contemporary. He lived in Alexandria, and also perceived
in the spirit the death of Julian. St. Didymus was at prayer during
the night when a voice came to him from heaven, saying: ``Today the
Emperor Julian is no more, inform Patriarch Athanasius of this.'' St.
Anthony the Great greatly respected this wondrous blind saint who had
the spirit of discernment. He stayed with him and prayed to God with
him whenever he came to Alexandria from the desert. Both St. Julian
and St. Didymus, wonderful servants of God, entered into rest some
time after the year 362.
Reflection
Can a
sinner repent of his sins in ten days? According to the immeasurable
compassion of God he can. During the reign of Emperor Maurice, there
was a well-known bandit in the vicinity of Constantinople. He inspired
fear and trembling both within the capital and without. One day, the
Emperor Maurice himself sent the robber a cross as a sign of faith
that he would do him no harm if he surrendered. The robber took the
cross and surrendered. Arriving in Constantinople, he fell before the
feet of the emperor and begged for forgiveness. The emperor kept his
word, had mercy on him and released him. Immediately after that, the
robber became gravely ill and sensed that death was drawing near. He
bitterly repented of all his sins and tearfully prayed to God that He
forgive him, as the emperor had forgiven him. He shed so many tears at
prayer that his handkerchief was completely soaked. After ten days of
weeping and praying, the repentant man reposed. The same night he
passed away, his physician saw a wondrous vision in a dream: when the
robber had given up his soul, there gathered around him black, manlike
demons with pieces of paper on which were written all his sins. Two
radiant angels also appeared. The angels set a scale between them, and
the joyful demons placed all those papers on it, weighing down their
side of the scale; but the other side was empty. The angels held
counsel: ``What shall we place on it? Let us seek something good in
his life!'' And then that handkerchief soaked with tears of repentance
appeared in the hands of one angel. The angels quickly placed it on
their side of the scale and it outweighed all the demons' papers. Then
the black demons fled, howling sorrowfully, and the angels took the
soul of the repentant thief and carried it to Paradise, glorifying the
man-loving God.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the miracle of the Apostle Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8):
1. How an angel guided Philip from Samaria to the road into Gaza;
2. How Philip saw the eunuch of Queen Candace, explained to him the
prophecy of Isaiah, and baptized him;
3. How an angel made Philip invisible to the eunuch, and transported
him instantly to the town of Azotus.
Homily
On the sins of the
tongue
I
said, I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue (Psalm
39:1).
The sin of the tongue is the most common and most frequent sin. If
any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, says the
Apostle James (James 3:2). When a penitent sets out on God's path-when
he begins to live according to God's commandments-he should first
strive to avoid sin with the tongue. That was the rule that the
penitent David laid down for himself. He vowed especially to remain
silent before his adversaries: I will restrain my mouth with a
bridle, while the wicked are before me (Psalm 39:1). Behold a most
wonderful rule for one who is being healed of sin. When he is accused,
he does not reply; when he is slandered, he remains silent. In truth,
what does it help to speak with an enraged, unrighteous man who does
not love God more than himself? If you speak to him of evil, you will
enrage him even more. If you speak to him of good, you will make him a
mocker of holy things. Before Pilate Christ remained silent. Pilate
said: Answerest Thou nothing? (Mark 15:4). What can He reply to
you, when you do not have ears to hear or a mind to understand?
Behold, the silence of the righteous one before the unrighteous one
can still have the best influence on the unrighteous one. Left to
interpret the silence of the righteous one by himself, the unrighteous
one can interpret it for the benefit of his soul; while any other
answer, good or bad, will be interpreted for evil, to the condemnation
of others and to the justification of himself. Blessed is he who
learns to govern his tongue.
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Thou Who hast shown us by example how and
when to speak, Thou hast shown us by example how and when we should be
silent. Help us, by Thy Holy Spirit, that we not sin with the tongue.
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November
1st
(New Style) • October 19th (Old Style)
The
Holy Prophet Joel
Joel is
second in the line of the minor prophets. St. Joel was the son of
Phanuel, from the tribe of Reuben. He lived eight hundred years before
Christ. Joel prophesied the misfortunes of the people of Israel, and
the Babylonian Captivity because of the sins they had committed in the
sight of God. He called the people to fasting and the priests to
tearful penitential prayer, that God would have mercy on them: Sanctify
ye a fast … and cry unto the Lord (Joel 1:14); Let the
priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the
altar (Joel 2:17). Joel also foretold the Descent of the Spirit of
God upon the apostles and the pouring out of the grace of the Spirit
of God upon all Christians: Then afterward I will pour out My
spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28). He prophesied and described the
Dread Judgment of God, and also prophesied the glory of God's Holy
Church.
The
Holy Martyr Varus
Varus
was a Roman officer in Egypt and also secretly a Christian. When seven
Christian teachers were cast into prison, Varus visited them,
supplying them with necessities and ministering to them zealously. He
was amazed at these martyrs and grieved that because of his fear he
could not become a martyr for Christ. The men of God encouraged him,
and Varus decided that he would go with them to be tortured. One of
these men of God died in prison, so that when the wicked eparch had
the martyrs brought before him, there were only six remaining. He
inquired as to the seventh. Varus said to him: ``I am the seventh.''
The enraged governor tortured Varus first. He commanded that he be
flogged with dry rods naked, and after that had him tied to a tree and
sliced apart piece by piece until the saint gave his holy soul to God.
His body was thrown on a dung heap. A Palestinian woman named
Cleopatra, the widow of an officer, was there with her son John. She
secretly took Varus's holy relics from the dung heap and buried them
in her house. Then she begged permission from the eparch to take the
body of her deceased husband from Egypt to Palestine. As she was the
wife of an officer, the eparch immediately gave his permission.
However, the blessed Christian Cleopatra did not take the body of her
husband but the relics of the Holy Martyr Varus instead. Thus, she
brought the martyr's relics to Edras (the village of her birth) near
Mount Tabor, and buried them with honor there. Afterward, she built a
church to St. Varus and he often appeared to her from the other world,
resplendent as an angel of God.
The
Venerable Prochorus of Pchinja
St.
Prochorus was a contemporary and friend of Saints John of Rila and
Gabriel of Lesnov. According to his prayer, God showed him the place
where he would live a life of asceticism. This place was a wooded area
near the River Pchinja. Here Prochorus labored in asceticism to his
old age and repose. Only the One All-seeing God knows the extent of
Prochorus's labors and the temptations he endured in the course of his
asceticism. But one can judge by his myrrh-gushing relics and his
numberless miraculous healings-which have continued up to today-the
greatness of his asceticism and the greatness of God's grace which was
given to him because of his great labors. St. Prochorus entered into
rest and took up his abode in the Kingdom of God in the eleventh
century.
Reflection
An
appearance of the Holy Martyr Varus: When the devout widow Cleopatra
built a church to him, she summoned the bishop and priests to
consecrate it. A large number of Christians gathered for this
celebration, for the entire countryside venerated St. Varus as a great
healer and miracle-worker. Following the divine services, this pious
benefactress went before the relics of St. Varus and prayed: ``I
beseech you-you who endured much suffering for Christ-implore God for
that which is pleasing to Him; and for me and my only son, ask that
which is beneficial.'' Cleopatra's son John was ready for the army.
Just as she left the church, John became ill. He was seized with a
burning fever that grew steadily worse until, around midnight, John
died. The grief-stricken, furious mother came before the tomb of St.
Varus and spoke sharply: ``O saint of God! Is this the way you help
me?'' and she said much more in her bitter lamentation until, utterly
exhausted, she fell into a light sleep. St. Varus appeared to her with
her son John. Both were radiant as the sun in garments whiter than
snow, bound with golden girdles, and had magnificent wreaths on their
heads. God's saint said to her: ``Did you not pray to me to implore
God for whatever was pleasing to Him, and beneficial to you and your
son? I prayed to God and He, in His unspeakable goodness, took your
son into His heavenly army. If you so desire, here he is: take him and
place him in the army of the earthly king.'' Hearing this, the young
John embraced St. Varus and said: ``No, my Lord, do not listen to my
mother and do not send me back into the world-full of unrighteousness
and iniquity-from which you have delivered me.'' Awakening from the
dream, Cleopatra felt great joy in her heart and left the church. She
lived near the church for seven years, and St. Varus often appeared to
her with John.
Contemplation
Contemplate
Saul's wondrous conversion to the Christian Faith (Acts 9):
1. How Saul set out to persecute Christians in Damascus;
2. How a light shone down from heaven and He heard the voice of
Christ.
Homily
On the soul's thirst
for God
My
soul thirsts for God, for the Living God: When shall I come and appear
before God? (Psalm 42:2).
When only a spark of love for God shines in the heart of man, he
should not extinguish it but let it burn, and he will see a miracle.
That spark will flare up into a torch of unseen radiance, and the
light and its warmth will be very great. In the light of his love for
God, a man will feel his life in this world to be as darkness; and
from the warmth of his love for God, he will feel an unquenchable
thirst for God, a thirst to be closer to God, a thirst for seeing God.
David, the lover of God, compares this thirst to the thirst of a deer
who races to springs of water. My soul thirsts for God, for the
Living God. Is not everything around us infirm? Does not
everything around us quickly decay? We grab at shadows, we embrace
corpses. We pay today for tomorrow's stench-we pay with gold and
silver, sometimes with our honor and conscience, and at times even
with our life-for the stench of tomorrow's decay! This is not love but
animal lust. A great soul seeks a subject worthy of love, seeks a
subject not susceptible to destruction, decay, decomposition and the
filth of transient bodies. That is why King David, the lover of God,
emphasizes the Living God. For who, in truth, is mighty and
alive save God? God endowed His angels and saints with strength and
life: yet all of it is His, and from Him. When shall I come and
appear before God? Here is the irresistible yearning of true love
for God. Shame on all who say that they believe in God, and love God,
while the very thought of death-of leaving this world-drives them wild
with fear.
O Lord our God, holy, mighty and living-the Source of holiness, the
Source of strength, the Source of life-illumine us and warm us with
love for Thee.
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November
2nd
(New Style) • October 20th (Old Style)
The
Holy Great-martyr Artemius
This
glorious saint was an Egyptian by birth and the chief commander under
Emperor Constantine the Great. When the victorious Cross, surrounded
by stars, appeared to Emperor Constantine, Artemius also saw that
Cross, believed in the Lord Christ and was baptized. Later, during the
reign of Emperor Constantius, this emperor sent him to Greece to
remove the relics of St. Andrew from Patras and St. Luke from Thebes,
and to take them to Constantinople. Commander Artemius carried this
out with joy. After that, Artemius was appointed as augustalis
and imperial prefect in Egypt. He remained in this position during the
reign of Constantius, and for a period of time under Emperor Julian
the Apostate. When the apostate emperor went to war against the
Persians, he came through Antioch and commanded Artemius to come to
Antioch with his army. Artemius came. Then the emperor subjected two
Christian priests, Eugenius and Macarius, to torture. Seeing this,
Artemius became greatly disturbed and, facing the emperor, said:
``Why, O Emperor, why do you inhumanly torture these innocent and
dedicated men of God, and why do you force them to renounce the
Orthodox Faith?'' Artemius continued, prophesying: ``Your death is
near.'' The enraged emperor sent those two honorable priests into
exile to Arabia, where they died shortly thereafter. He then stripped
Commander Artemius of his military rank and ordered him to be flogged
and torn asunder. Thoroughly wounded and bloodied, Artemius was thrown
into prison, where the Lord Jesus Christ Himself appeared to him, and
healed and comforted him. Then the emperor commanded that he be spread
out on a stone, and that another heavy stone be placed upon him, so
that his body would be smashed flat as a board. Finally, St. Artemius
was beheaded. It was the year 362. Emperor Julian went out against the
Persians and perished dishonorably, as St. Artemius had foretold.
The
Holy Righteous Artemius
Artemius
was born in 1532, the son of Russian peasants Cosmas and Apollinaria,
from the village of Verkola in the region of Dvina. Even at the age of
five, he differed from other children by his rare piety and meekness.
When he was thirteen, the child walked with his father through a great
forest in severe weather and reposed there. Unable to dig a grave, his
grieving father covered his body with branches and departed.
Twenty-eight years later, a man saw an unearthly light in the forest.
Upon approaching the light, he found the body of Artemius intact and
incorrupt. Many of the sick were healed of illnesses as soon as they
touched the body of St. Artemius. His holy relics repose in a
monastery near Pinega, in the Province of Archangelsk.
The
Venerable Gerasimus the New
Gerasimus
was from Trikala in the Peloponnese of the prominent Notaras family.
He was born in 1509. He lived a life of asceticism on Mount Athos, and
then in Palestine, where he fasted for forty days. After that, he
settled on the island of Cephalonia, where he founded a convent. By
his prayer he brought down rain, healed the sick, and foretold the
future. He rested in the Lord on August 15, 1579. Gerasimus was a
miracle-worker both during his life and after his repose.
The
Venerable New Martyr Ignatius
Ignatius
was from the Bulgarian region of Eski-Zagora. This is that glorious
region of Zagora that has given the Church of God many holy ascetics
and martyrs. He lived a life of asceticism in the Skete of St. John
the Forerunner on Mount Athos. He willingly gave himself to the Turks
to be tortured for Christ, and was hanged in Constantinople on October
8, 1814. His relics are miracle-working, and his head is honorably
preserved in the Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mount Athos.
Reflection
The
compassionate God wonderfully guides those who give themselves over to
His holy will and care. Just as a candle-maker makes whatever kind of
candle he wants from soft wax, so the All-wise God makes immortal
lights in the Heavenly Kingdom of His devoted servants. St. Ignatius
the New Martyr was totally devoted to God, even as a child. He yearned
to become a monk and to be a martyr for the Faith. During the
Karageorge uprising, the Turkish army was conscripting men throughout
Bulgaria to fight against the Serbs, and even came to the house of
Ignatius's father, George, to see if anyone there was fit for military
service. Seeing that George was a well-built and strong man, they
wanted to take him into the army. But George resolutely said: ``I
cannot fight against my fellow Christians.'' The infuriated Turks
killed him on the spot. The young Ignatius hid in a neighboring house,
then fled to Romania, but his desire for monasticism took him to the
Holy Mountain. Even so, he wanted something more than monasticism-he
desired martyrdom. He prayed with tears one night before the icon of
the Most-holy Theotokos, imploring her to grant him the path of
martyrdom. He heard a sound in front of him, and opened his eyes to
see the glowing halo detach itself from the icon and rest upon his
head. Shortly after that, he suffered martyrdom at the hands of the
Turks, and received the wreath of eternal glory.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the Lord's wondrous appearance to the Apostle Ananias and to Saul
(Acts 9):
1. How the Lord appeared to Ananias and directed him to Saul in the
street called Straight;
2. How, at that very moment, in a vision, Saul saw Ananias healing him
of his blindness.
Homily
On old and new tales of
God's wonders
We
have heard with our ears, O God; Our fathers have told us, what work
Thou didst in their days, in the times of old (Psalm 44:1).
Thus King David speaks in the name of his people, and enumerates
several great works that God performed for Israel. We, brethren, have
also heard of all these works, from Holy Scripture, and of many more
works and kinds of works than those of which David had heard, for they
took place after him! Have we not heard of incomparably more
miraculous and greater works of God's providence and God's love for
mankind than all that David heard? The Son of God became incarnate of
the Most-pure Virgin and lived as a man among men, poured out wisdom,
worked miracles, destroyed death, put the devil to shame, and gave
power to His followers. David did not hear of these things, but we
have heard, for they have been revealed to us by our spiritual
Fathers: the apostles and evangelists, martyrs and righteous ones, and
all the ranks of saints from ancient times to the present day. Not
only did they reveal it to us, but the Holy Spirit reveals it to us
every day through the Holy Church, through the grace-filled Mysteries
and through countless miracles. Behold, here is a reason for great
joy, but also for great fear, for much is given to us and much will be
required of us. We have been given more spiritual riches than all
those who lived before Christ-more wisdom and understanding, more of
God's glory and power, and more, many more examples of God's love for
man and man's love for God. Ask yourselves, you richest of the rich,
what have you given and what are you giving to God for all of this?
You should strive to not be put to shame at God's Judgment. As a dream
soon slips away, so will all your days on earth soon slip away, and
the sound of the angel's trumpet will soon summon all nations and
people to the Dread Judgment of God. Strive that you not then be
ashamed, for you will not be able to excuse yourself with ``We did not
know,'' or ``We did not have!'' You know, and you have had more
revealed to you, than even David and Solomon had; and more will be
required of you than of them.
O Son of God, our great and wonderful Lord, God and Savior, remind us
every day and every hour of Thy Precious Blood, shed for us, that we
do not forget, O Lord, and that we not be eternally condemned.
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the Top
November
3rd
(New Style) • October 21st (Old Style)
The
Venerable Hilarion the Great
Like a
rose growing among thorns, this great saint was born of pagan parents
in the village of Tabatha near Gaza in Palestine. His parents sent him
to study in Alexandria, where the gifted youngster quickly assimilated
both secular learning and spiritual wisdom. Coming to know the Lord
Christ, he was baptized, and desired to dedicate himself completely to
the service of the Lord. With this desire in his heart, Hilarion
visited St. Anthony in the desert and became his disciple. Then he
returned to his homeland and lived a life of asceticism near Maiuma,
at Gaza. Demons tried to terrify him in various ways, but by prayer to
God and the sign of the Cross he always overcame them and drove them
away. Many lovers of the spiritual life gathered around him. Hilarion
became for Palestine what St. Anthony was for Egypt. A divine teacher,
a strict ascetic and a wonderful miracle-worker, Hilarion was revered
not only by Christians but also by pagans. However, fearing the praise
of men and tearfully lamenting, ``Woe is me, I have received my reward
on earth!'' he fled from place to place, to hide from men and remain
alone with his soul and with God. Thus, he traveled and lived in
Egypt, Sicily, Dalmatia and finally in Cyprus, where his life of great
labor came to an end in about the year 372, at the age of eighty. The
miracle-working relics of St. Hilarion were translated to Palestine by
his disciple Hesychius, and were placed in the monastery founded by
him.
Saint
Hilarion, Bishop of Meglin
He was
born of eminent and devout parents. His childless mother had long
prayed to God that He grant her a child, and in accordance with her
prayer, the Most-holy Theotokos appeared to her and comforted her with
the words: ``Do not grieve, you will give birth to a son and he will
turn many to the light of truth.'' When Hilarion was three years old,
the hymn, ``Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth!'' was constantly on
his lips. He was well-educated, was tonsured a monk at age eighteen,
and founded a monastery based on the Rule of St. Pachomius. In 1134,
he was consecrated Bishop of Meglin by Eustathius, Archbishop of
Trnovo. St. Hilarion led a great, nearly lifelong struggle against the
Bogomils and the Armenian heretics. However, by his spiritual learning
and unequaled sanctity he put them all to shame, and drew many of them
to Orthodoxy. He reposed peacefully, and took up his abode in the
Kingdom of His Lord in the year 1164.
The
Venerable Philotheus
He was
born in Crysopolis in Macedonia. The Turks took him from his mother, a
widow, and threw him and one of his brothers into prison. The
Most-holy Theotokos miraculously saved them from prison and brought
them to a monastery at Neapolis in Asia Minor. Later, their mother
found both of her sons as monks, and she herself was tonsured a nun.
Philotheus went to Mount Athos, where he lived a life of asceticism in
the Monastery of Dionysiou, and later in the desert. He was a wondrous
ascetic and a great conqueror of demonic powers. He reposed peacefully
at the age of eighty-four. He willed that he not be buried, but that
his body be thrown into the forest for the birds and wild beasts.
Later, a fisherman saw a great light in the forest on a cold night and
went to warm himself, thinking it was a fire. However, the light was
not from a fire, but was emanating from the wonderworking relics of
St. Philotheus.
Reflection
The
All-seeing eye of God watches over all men and, in a wondrous manner,
guides the faithful to salvation. That which seems to the faithful a
great loss can show itself over time to be a great gain. The case of
St. Philotheus and his brother, who were lost to their mother, is
similar to the case of St. Xenophont (January 26), and the case of St.
Eustathius and his wife and sons (September 20). When St. Philotheus
and his brother were sitting in a Turkish prison in Macedonia, the
Most-holy Theotokos appeared to them in the form of their mother and
said, ``Arise, my dear children, and follow me!'' and suddenly the
young men found themselves in a monastery in the town of Neapolis in
Asia Minor. When the young men related to the abbot what had happened
to them, he understood that this was from God, and he received the
young men and tonsured them. A long time passed after this. Their
mother grieved for them but overcame her loss. Finally, she decided to
enter a convent and dedicate herself to God. God's providence brought
her near the monastery where her sons were. Once, during the patronal
celebration of this monastery she came with the other nuns for the
celebration. She saw her sons in church but did not recognize them.
Just then, one of the brothers called the other by his secular name.
The mother's heart was touched by that name, which was dear to her,
and she looked carefully into their faces. Then she recognized them
and they recognized her. Their joy was exceedingly great, and they
gave heartfelt thanks to God. Believing Christians should not despair
over even the greatest loss.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wondrous healing of the blind Saul by Ananias (Acts 9):
1. How Ananias placed his hands on Saul, mentioning the name of the
Lord Jesus;
2. How the blindness departed from Saul like scales falling from his
eyes, and he saw and was baptized, and became Paul.
Homily
On the God-inspired
heart and tongue
My
heart will pour forth good words; my tongue is the pen of a ready
writer (Psalm 45:1).
Behold the inspiration of the Spirit of God! The prophet wants to
speak of Christ the Lord and his heart swells with power and wisdom.
That is why the prophet does not say: ``My heart will speak or will
pronounce good words, but rather will pour forth as though a
part of his own heart rushes out like a torrent of water from an
overflowing well. A torrent of water is narrow underground, but when
it reaches the opening of the spring, it bursts out in a large stream.
Such is the heart of the prophet when he wants to speak of Christ.
Such is the power of grace confined in the heart of man. If it does
not manifest itself in powerful words or if it does not manifest
itself in miraculous works, it will shine within man and work wonders.
But when it comes out in words, the tongue of the prophet will become
as a reed, as a pen of a ready writer. For such a man does not
struggle to formulate his thoughts, nor does he struggle to clothe his
thoughts in the garment of words, but grace itself pours out thoughts
and words, already prepared, through his tongue. Where does such a
power in man come from? From God the Holy Spirit. Why does such a
power exist? The prophet wants to speak to the King about Himself: I
speak of things which I have made touching the King (Psalm 45:1).
Actions and words here are identical, as it often happens in Holy
Scripture. Where the Spirit speaks, He also acts; and where He acts,
He also speaks. One speaks most powerfully through action. The prophet
takes from Christ the King, and gives to Christ the King. He speaks
enthusiastically of love for the Savior of the world; he speaks from a
heart burning with the zeal of divine love. From the distance of time,
he sees the Incarnate Son of God, and his heart dances with joy like a
weary night-traveler when he sees the beautiful dawn in the east!
O Lord God, the Holy Spirit, do not deny us Thy holy and powerful
grace, that we may be cleansed from sins and made worthy of the
Kingdom of Christ.
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November
4th
(New Style) • October 22nd (Old Style)
Saint
Abercius, Equal to the Apostles
During
the reigns of Emperor Antoninus and his son, Marcus Aurelius, St.
Abercius was the bishop of the city of Hierapolis in Phrygia. The
great majority in this city were pagans, and St. Abercius governed his
sparse flock, sorrowing in his heart because of the great number of
pagans and idolaters, and diligently praying to God that He would
bring them to the light of truth. During a boisterous idolatrous
festival, Abercius became inflamed with God's zeal and entered the
idolatrous temple, smashing all the idols. When the enraged pagans
sought to kill him, three young madmen, foaming at the mouth and
howling, fell down before this man of God, and he drove the demons
from them. The young men became sane and calm. This turned the pagans'
anger into amazement at the wonderworker of Christ, and five hundred
of them immediately desired baptism. Little by little, all of
Hierapolis came to believe in Christ and were baptized. The proconsul
of the province, Publius, had a mother who was blind. Abercius
restored her sight by prayer, and Publius, his mother and many others
believed in Christ. In old age, Abercius was summoned to Rome, where
he healed the emperor's daughter of insanity. The Lord Jesus Christ
appeared several times to His faithful follower. People from near and
far came to him for miraculous help when they suffered from incurable
illnesses. The demons not only feared him, but also served him at his
command. At the guidance of the Lord Himself, Abercius preached the
Gospel throughout Syria and Mesopotamia. In great old age, St.
Abercius presented himself to his beloved Lord in Hierapolis, at the
end of the second century.
The
Venerable Lot
Lot was
a great Egyptian ascetic and a contemporary of St. Arsenius the Great
and St. Agathon. He lived a life of asceticism in his monastery near a
lake at the town of Arsinoe, and directed many brethren on the path to
salvation. His close friend and advisor was Abba Joseph. Lot once said
to Joseph: ``Abba, I fast as much as I can, hold fast to prayer, keep
silence and contemplate, and also, through abstinence, guard myself
from impure thoughts. Therefore, what else can I do?'' The elder stood
up, raised his hands to heaven, and his ten fingers shone like ten
flaming candles. He then replied: ``If you desire, you can be all
aflame!'' Having pleased God and set many on the path to salvation,
St. Lot entered peacefully into rest in the fifth century.
Commemoration
of the Miraculous Deliverance of Moscow from the Lithuanians with the
help of the Most-holy Theotokos
During
the reign of Prince Basil Ivanovich, the Lithuanians occupied Moscow
and the Russians were in great despair. Then St. Sergius of Radonezh
appeared in a vision to the captured Bishop Arsenius, and promised him
that Moscow would be cleansed of the Lithuanians the very next day, by
the power and prayer of the Holy Most-pure One. Indeed, the
Lithuanians fled the city, and the Russian army re-entered Moscow. The
entire populace glorified God and the Most-holy Theotokos with tears
of joy.
Reflection
As much
as the strictness of holy men toward themselves is a cause for
amazement, so also is their compassion toward others. They have
disinterest for themselves, and concern for others. St. Hilarion the
Great, unable to pay his fare to Sicily, offered the owner of the ship
his Gospel (which he, in his youth, had copied with his own hands).
When he had cured a certain prince of an unclean spirit, the prince
wanted to present him with ten liters of gold. The saint would not
accept the gold, but showed him barley bread and said: ``Those who
feed on this kind of bread look upon gold as mud!'' When men begged
him to pray to God for rain, or to save them from floods or poisonous
snakes, St. Hilarion helped them by his prayer. This is how St.
Abercius acted as well. Seeing many people in pain and sickness, he
knelt in a certain place and prayed to God that He would open up a
spring of warm, healing water there, that the infirm might be healed
and glorify God. God then opened a spring of warm water on that spot.
When Abercius healed the emperor's daughter of insanity, the emperor
offered him gold, silver and other gifts, but St. Abercius said:
``Riches are not needed for one who considers bread and water a royal
meal.'' Not seeking anything for himself, Abercius nevertheless begged
the emperor to do two favors for his flock in Hierapolis: to build a
bath over those healing waters, and to give sufficient wheat each year
to the poor of Hierapolis. The emperor agreed and did according to the
saint's request.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the miraculous healing of Aeneas of Lydda (Acts 9):
1. How Aeneas had lain paralyzed for eight years;
2. How the Apostle Peter healed him in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ;
3. How Aeneas arose healthy.
Homily
On the beauty of Christ
above all other beauty
Thou
art fairer than the sons of men (Psalm 45:2).
Holy Scripture does not ascribe any particular value to physical
beauty, and in general to anything transient. That is why everyone who
reads Holy Scripture should take care to be sufficiently attentive and
wise to transfer the praise of physical beauty to the soul and to
spiritual values. Without a doubt, spiritual beauty gives a wondrous
attractiveness to the most unattractive body, just as an ugly soul
makes even the most attractive body repulsive. The Prophet David, pouring
forth good words (Psalm 45:1), says to his King, the Lord Jesus
Christ: Thou art fairer than the sons of men. The Lord Himself
created His bodily cloak as He wanted. Had He wanted to appear in the
world as the physically fairest of men, He could have done so. But
there is nothing in the Gospel to indicate that He drew followers to
Himself or influenced men by His appearance. He Himself said: the
flesh profiteth nothing (John 6:63). Therefore, it is clear that
David was not speaking of the physical beauty of Christ, but of His
spiritual, divine beauty. This is clearly seen in the following words
of the Psalmist: Grace is poured forth upon thy lips (Psalm
45:2). So it is that the unsurpassed beauty of the Son of God is not
in the form and shape of His lips, but rather in the stream of grace
that flows from His mouth. Again, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of Christ:
He had no form or comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is
no beauty that we should desire Him (Isaiah 53:2-3). Do Isaiah and
David agree? Perfectly well. David speaks of Christ's inward beauty,
and Isaiah speaks of Christ's external abasement. Isaiah said that He
would not be seen as a king or a rich man, but as a servant and
sufferer.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art fairer to us than all men and angels:
glory to Thine immortal and unending beauty. O gracious Lord, correct
the ugliness of our souls, which are disfigured by sin, we pray Thee.
To
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November
5th
(New Style) • October 23rd (Old Style)
The
Holy Apostle James, Brother of the Lord
James is
called the Lord's brother because he was the son of the righteous
Joseph, the betrothed of the Most-holy Theotokos. When the righteous
Joseph was near death, he divided his estate among his sons, and
wanted to leave a portion to the Lord Jesus, the son of the Most-holy
Virgin, but all the other brothers opposed this, not regarding Jesus
as their brother. James greatly loved Jesus and declared that he would
include Jesus in his share. That is why he is called the Lord's
brother. From the beginning, James was devoted to the Lord Jesus.
According to tradition, he traveled to Egypt with the Most-holy Virgin
and Joseph, when Herod sought to slay the newborn King. Later, as soon
as he heard Christ's teaching, James lived by it. It is said of him
that he never ate fat or oil, but lived on just bread and water, and
was a virgin to the end of his life on earth. He often kept vigil at
night and prayed to God. The Lord numbered him among His Seventy
Apostles. Following His glorious Resurrection, the Lord appeared to
him especially, as the Apostle Paul testifies (I Corinthians 15:7). He
was Bishop of Jerusalem for thirty years and zealously governed the
Church of God. At the instruction of the Lord, James compiled the
first Liturgy, which seemed very long for later Christians, and St.
Basil and St. John Chrysostom shortened it. He converted many Jews and
Greeks to the Christian Faith, and even the unbelieving Jews were
amazed at his righteousness, referring to him as ``James the Just.''
When Ananias became High Priest, he and other Jewish elders determined
to kill James for being a preacher of Christ. Once, during the feast
of Passover, when many people had gathered in Jerusalem, the elders
forced James to climb onto the roof of the Temple, and tried to make
him speak against Christ. He climbed up and spoke to the people of
Christ as the Son of God and the true Messiah, of His Resurrection and
His eternal glory in the heavens. The infuriated priests and elders
pushed him off the roof; he fell and was severely injured, but was
still alive. Then, one man ran up and struck him on the head with a
fuller's club with such force that his brains spilled out. Thus, this
most glorious apostle of Christ died a martyr's death, and went to
live eternally in the Kingdom of his Lord. James was sixty-six years
old when he suffered for Christ.
Saint
Ignatius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Ignatius
was the son of Emperor Michael Rangabe. He became patriarch after St.
Methodius in 846. Then Ignatius was deposed in 858 and exiled. Photius,
the chief secretary to the emperor, was made patriarch in his place.
However, when Emperor Basil the Macedonian ascended the throne, he
re-instated Ignatius to the patriarchal throne. St. Ignatius governed
the Church with great zeal and wisdom. He built the Monastery of the
Holy Archangels in which he reposed in the Lord in the eighty-ninth
year of his life.
The
Holy Martyr James of Borovichi
All that
is known of this saint is what he revealed in a vision to people from
the town of Borovichi after his repose. One day in 1540, his body
floated down the river Meta, and washed ashore near Borovichi. Many
miracles took place from his relics.
Reflection
From God
comes grace, but from us comes labor. Therefore, let no one even think
that the holy apostles relied solely on the God-given grace, or that
it was easy for them, or that they performed their great work in the
world without effort. Does not the Apostle Paul say: But I keep
under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means,
when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (I
Corinthians 9:27)? And still, in another place, does he not say that
he spent his life in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in
perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in
the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils
among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings
often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness
(II Corinthians 11:26-27)? St. James fed only on bread and that not to
satisfaction. He slept very little, and spent his nights in prayer. He
knelt so much in prayer that the skin on his knees became as hard as
the skin on the knees of a camel. This brother of the Lord prayed with
tears and sighs not only for the Church, which he governed, but also
for the whole world. Even when he was pushed from the temple roof by
the malicious Jews, and thus was completely broken, the holy apostle
never forgot his debt to God and to men. Gathering his last strength,
he raised himself to his knees, stretched forth his hands toward
heaven and fervently prayed to God saying: ``Lord, forgive them this
sin, for they know not what they are doing.'' While he was praying
thus, wicked men struck him with stones from all sides. Seeing this,
one of the sons of Rechab cried out: ``Stop! What are you doing? The
righteous one is praying to God for you, and you are killing him!''
However, that shout of a compassionate soul could not deter the
murderers, accustomed to evildoing, from killing the saint of God. So
it was that the apostles did not rely on grace alone, but also put
forth nearly superhuman effort to show themselves worthy of God's
grace.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the miraculous resurrection of Tabitha (Acts 9):
1. How Tabitha lay dead on her bed;
2. How the Apostle Peter prayed to God for her and said: Tabitha,
arise;
3. How Tabitha regained life, and arose.
Homily
On the beauty of the
king's daughter
The
king's daughter is all glorious within (Psalm 45:13).
The Church of God is the daughter of the King. However poor and
unattractive to the physical eye it may seem on the outside, no matter
how persecuted and humiliated, it is filled with royal radiance and
beauty from within. The King, He Who is fairer than the sons of men
(Psalm 45:2), imparts beauty to His royal daughter. The Church of God
is like a vesture for Christ; Christ lives in her. No outer beauty can
be compared with inner beauty, that is, the beauty of Christ.
The Most-holy Theotokos is the daughter of the King: Her vesture is
woven with gold (Psalm 45:13). This vesture is the virtue of her
soul. That we understand ``vesture'' as virtue is clear in the parable
of the marriage of the king's son. The man who was not clothed in a wedding
garment was driven from the king's table and punished (cf. Matthew
22:11-13). True faith in God was the golden vesture of the Most-holy
Virgin. Virginity, meekness, compassion, sanctity, piety, devotion to
God's will, and all other virtues, were like embroideries on this
golden garment. However, her beauty was the work of the Lord Christ,
hidden within her and born of her.
The soul of every faithful Christian is like the daughter of the King.
All the beauty of that soul is in Christ and of Christ, Who is within
the soul. A soul without Christ the Sun of Righteousness is in
darkness, without form and comeliness, as the universe would be
without form and comeliness without the material sun.
O great and gracious Lord, our true God and our man-loving Provider,
help us to clothe ourselves in the garment of the virtues, that we may
not be found naked at Thy Dread Judgment.
To
the Top
November
6th
(New Style) • October 24th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr Arethas
This
holy martyr suffered for the Christian Faith with over four thousand
Christians-priests, monks and nuns, men, women and children. Arethas
was the eparch in the town of Nagran, in the southern Arabian land of
Omir. He was ninety-five years old when he suffered. Dunaan, a cruel
Jewish persecutor of Christians, then governed Omir. Determined to
eradicate all Christians from his land, he surrounded the Christian
town of Nagran, and sent a message to the people saying he would put
them all to death unless they renounced Christ. The citizens closed
the gates, and Dunaan attacked the city wall for a long time without
success. Then the iniquitous governor swore to the citizens that he
would do nothing to them, if only they would open the gate for him to
enter and receive the tribute that they owed him-and that he would
take it and immediately withdraw. The Christians believed him and
opened the gate. Then the oath-breaking Jew summoned the aged Arethas,
the clergy and other distinguished citizens and beheaded them all with
the sword. He then perpetrated a horrible slaughter in the town.
Learning of this, the Byzantine Emperor Justin was greatly grieved,
and wrote a letter to the Ethiopian Emperor, Elesbaan, requesting him
to set out with an army against Dunaan to avenge the innocent blood of
the Christians. Elesbaan obeyed Justin, attacked the governor of Omir
with his army, defeated him, slew his entire army, and beheaded him.
By a revelation from God, a certain devout man named Abramius was
installed as governor of Omir, and again by God's revelation, St.
Gregory of Omir (December 19) was installed as archbishop. Christians
rebuilt the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nagran that Dunaan had
burned, and also built a church to the Holy Martyr Arethas and the
other martyrs of Nagran. St. Arethas and the others suffered and
received martyr's wreaths from the Lord in the year 523.
Saint
Elesbaan, King of Ethiopia
Inflamed
with zeal for the Christian Faith, this pious king raised an army
against the governor Dunaan, the wicked persecutor of Christians in
the land of Omir. However, at the battle's outset, Elesbaan had little
success and much of his army perished in the arid desert. He then wept
bitterly before God, and vowed to become a monk if God would help him
conquer the mortal enemy of Christianity. Defeating Dunaan, Elesbaan
returned to Ethiopia, immediately left the imperial court and entered
a monastery, where he lived a strict life of asceticism as a true monk
for fifteen full years. God endowed him with the grace of
miracle-working before and after his death. He entered into rest in
the year 555.
The
Icon of the Holy Theotokos, ``Joy of All Who Sorrow''
This
name is given to one of the wonderworking icons of the Most-holy
Theotokos. On this day the icon is celebrated for the miraculous
healing in Moscow, of Euphemia, the sister of Patriarch Joachim, in
the year 1688. Euphemia had a serious wound in the side and as the
doctors failed in their treatments, she prayed with tears to the
Most-holy Theotokos. Then, she heard a voice: ``Euphemia, go to the
Church of the Transfiguration of my Son; there you will find the icon,
`Joy of All Who Sorrow.' Have the priest pray for you before this icon
and you will be healed.'' Euphemia did so, and was immediately made
well.
The
Venerable Arethas of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves
He
reposed in the year 1190. (See ``Reflection'' below.)
Reflection
When a
consecrated person commits a transgression, a greater punishment
awaits him than awaits a layman, less enlightened in the mystery of
the will of God than he, who commits the same sin. St. Arethas was a
monk in the Monastery of the Kiev Caves, and was very avaricious. He
would give nothing to anyone of the piles of possessions in his cell,
not even a kopeck. But once, he became very seriously ill and saw, as
if in a vision, devils snatching his soul from the angels, screaming,
``He is ours, he is ours!'' and citing as their proof Arethas's greed
and miserliness. Upon his recovery Arethas amended his life, and from
then on counted all earthly goods as nothing. Our benevolent God
forgave him, and later endowed him with abundant grace.
Again, in the monastery where the blessed Emperor Elesbaan reposed, a
monk developed the habit of visiting a tavern often, getting drunk
there, and even committing immoral acts with women. One day, returning
from the tavern, a terrifyingly huge snake began chasing him and
gained on him rapidly. In great torment and anguish, the monk cried
out: ``Depart from me, as you would from the holy and righteous
Elesbaan!'' Suddenly, the snake stopped. And the monk heard as it were
a human voice from the serpent: ``An angel of God commanded me to
consume you because of your impurity and foulness, for you vowed to
serve God in purity, but now you soil your body and anger the Holy
Spirit.'' The monk vowed never to sin again, returned to the
monastery, and sinned no more up to his death. Thus, God rebuked, and
showed mercy, by the prayers of the Holy Emperor Elesbaan.
Contemplation
Contemplate
Cornelius the Centurion's wondrous visitation by the angel of God
(Acts 10):
1. How, though it was daytime, Cornelius saw in a vision an angel of
God who called him by name;
2. How Cornelius was afraid and replied, What is it, Lord?
3. How the angel instructed him to send to Joppa for the Apostle
Peter, who would speak to him the words of salvation.
Homily
On the clear coming of
God
Our
God shall come and shall not keep silent (Psalm 50:3).
The vocation of a commander is different than the vocation of a
judge. The commander does not show himself to his enemy immediately,
but allows his enemy to think whatever he wants about him; for the
main purpose of the commander is to conquer. The judge, however,
immediately shows himself to those whom he has to judge.
Then, too, the vocation of a teacher is different than the vocation of
a judge. For the teacher, the main purpose is to teach his pupils.
That is why he often lowers himself to the level of his students and
speaks to them as their friend. A judge, however, from beginning to
end, is bound to show himself as nothing other than a judge.
The vocation of a physician is different than the vocation of a judge,
and the difference in these two vocations can be compared as in the
first two instances cited above.
Brethren, God appeared to the world in the body of a man. He appeared
as a Commander, as a Teacher and as a Physician, but He has not yet
appeared as a Judge. In the first instance, He chose to remain silent,
and not to openly express His greatest dignity, but rather left His
enemies, His pupils and His patients to make their judgments about Him
from what they knew. Those who had sound judgment would know Him as
God in the flesh by the evidence of His words and by His deeds, by His
love for mankind and by the heavenly signs at His birth, Crucifixion,
Resurrection and Ascension. However, those whose minds were darkened
by evil passion would not recognize Him or acknowledge Him as God. But
when He comes as Judge, then no one will ask ``Art Thou He?'' or ``Who
art Thou?'' because everyone will know, without any doubt, Who He is.
The angels will blow their trumpets before Him; His Cross will shine
in the heavens before Him: A fire goes before Him and burns up His
enemies round about (Psalm 97:3). Then both the believers and the
unbelievers, the righteous and the unrighteous, will recognize the
Judge. Then, only they who recognized Him beforehand as God, in the
cave and on the Cross, will rejoice. Truly, they will rejoice: for
they shall recognize in the Judge Him for Whom they waged war, Him
from Whom they learned, and Him by Whom they were healed.
O Most-glorious Savior, have mercy on us and set us aright before Thy
Second Coming.
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November
7th
(New Style) • October 25th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius
These
saints of God were clergymen under Paul, the Patriarch of
Constantinople, during the reign of Emperor Constantius. With the
death of the great Emperor Constantine, the Arian heresy, which until
then had been suppressed, revived and gained momentum. Even Emperor
Constantius himself leaned toward this heresy. There were two
influential noblemen at the emperor's court, Eusebius and Philip, both
of whom were ardent Arians. Under their influence, Patriarch Paul was
ousted from the patriarchal throne and banished to Armenia, where the
Arians strangled him. Then the dishonorable Macedonius seized the
patriarchal throne. At that time Orthodoxy had two bitter struggles:
against the pagans and against the heretics. Marcian and Martyrius
interceded with all their strength and determination on the side of
Orthodoxy. Marcian was a reader and Martyrius was a subdeacon at the
cathedral church of Hagia Sophia; under Patriarch Paul they had been
patriarchal notaries (secretaries). The Arians at first tried to bribe
them, but when these holy men rejected this with scorn, the heretics
condemned them to death. When they were brought to the executioner,
they raised their hands and prayed to God, giving Him thanks for a
martyr's end to their lives: ``Lord, we rejoice that we depart from
this life by such a death. Make us worthy to be partakers of eternal
life. Thou art our life!'' They placed their necks beneath the sword
and were beheaded in the year 355. Later, St. John Chrysostom built a
church in their name over their miracle-working relics.
The
Holy Martyr Anastasius
He was a
cloth-maker and a zealous Christian. During Diocletian's persecution
of Christians, this man of God appeared before the judge in the
Dalmatian town of Solin, and confessed his faith in Christ. He was
inhumanly tortured and slain, and his body was thrown into the sea but
was later found and honorably buried.
Saint
Tabitha
St.
Tabitha (which means ``gazelle'') was a disciple of the apostles and
lived in Joppa. She was full of good works and almsdeeds (Acts
9:36), but suddenly became weak and died. The Apostle Peter was then
in the town of Lydda, and the grieving disciples sent for him,
imploring him to comfort her kinsmen. Upon his arrival, the great
Apostle of Christ told everyone to leave the room where the corpse
lay, then knelt in prayer. Then, turning to the body, he said:
Tabitha, arise (Acts 9:40) and Tabitha opened her eyes and stood
up. Many believed in the Lord Jesus Christ because of this wonderful
miracle.
Reflection
Among
other mysterious perceptions from the world of spirits, the saints
also had perceptions of sweet fragrances from good spirits and foul
stenches from impure spirits. During every appearance of luminous,
pure spirits, a life-giving and sweet fragrance wafted about; and
during every appearance of dark and impure spirits, a suffocating,
unbearable stench filled the air. The saints were able to discern
which passion possessed a man by the kind of stench he emanated. Thus
it was that St. Euthymius the Great recognized the stench of the
passion of adultery in the monk Emilian of the Lavra of St.
Theoctistus. Going to Matins one morning, Euthymius passed by
Emilian's cell and smelled the stench of the demon of adultery.
Emilian had not committed any physical sin, but had adulterous
thoughts that were being forced into his heart by the demon, and the
saint already sensed it by its smell. The power of this perception
once revealed itself even more wondrously in St. Hilarion the Great. A
certain avaricious miser had sent some of his vegetables to Hilarion.
When they were brought to Hilarion for a meal, the saint said: ``Take
these away from here. I cannot stand the stench that comes from these
vegetables! Do you not smell how they reek of avarice?'' When the
brethren were amazed by these words, Hilarion told them to take the
vegetables to the oxen, and they would see that not even the oxen
would eat them. Indeed, the oxen merely sniffed at them, and turned
their heads away in disgust.
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's miraculous revelation to the Apostle Peter (Acts 11):
1. How Peter saw the heavens open and a sheet full of all kinds of
animals, beasts, creeping things and birds, being lowered to him;
2. How he heard a voice: Arise, Peter; slay and eat! (Acts
11:7);
3. How this admonished him to attend even to the pagans and preach the
Gospel to them.
Homily
On fleeing the world
and dwelling in the wilderness
Lo,
then would I flee afar off, and remain in the wilderness (Psalm
55:7).
Brethren,
from whom did the prophet flee into the wilderness? From evil
adversaries, from passions, and from vanity. Why did he flee into the
wilderness? Because that is the way of victory over wicked
adversaries, passions, and the vanity of the world. Very few choose
the wilderness: that is why he fled into the wilderness. Men fight
over cities and lands, over authority and wealth, but not over the
wilderness. In the cities, the inner adversaries of man-the passions
and diverse vanities-constantly are aroused with new fire, while in
the wilderness they fade and vanish. Before he spoke of fleeing, the
prophet said, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me
(Psalm 55:4); this is the reason to flee into the wilderness. One
should prepare his soul for the other world, for the encounter with
God. Not even a king can save himself from death or avoid judgment.
Living in constant luxury and merriment, man is indeed as if lulled to
sleep by the strong drink of this world. But then, in the midst of
luxury and merriment, the thought of death tugs at him and awakens
him. Oh, I must die! I must leave this world! I must come before God
and before the angels! Where is my soul? Where are my deeds? With what
shall I leave this world, and with what shall I enter into the next
world? Thousands upon thousands of those who have been awakened from
sinful sleep by such questions have fled to the wilderness and, day
and night, they amend their souls and purify their hearts by
repentance, prayer, fasting, vigils, labor and other proven means by
which man kills the fear of death, and becomes adopted by God.
O Lord Jesus Christ, our Most-wise and Most-gracious Teacher, Who
Thyself at times withdrew from men into solitude, help us to be
collected in soul and prepare ourselves for Thy Most-glorious Kingdom.
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November
8th
(New Style) • October 26th (Old Style)
The
Holy Great-martyr Demetrius
This
glorious and wonderworking saint was born in Thessalonica of noble and
devout parents. Implored of God by childless parents, Demetrius was
their only son, and so was raised and educated with great care.
Demetrius's father was a commander in Thessalonica. When his father
died, Emperor Maximian appointed Demetrius as commander in his place.
As he appointed him, Maximian, an opponent of Christ, particularly
recommended that he persecute and exterminate the Christians in
Thessalonica. Demetrius not only disobeyed the emperor but openly
confessed and preached the Lord Jesus Christ in the city of
Thessalonica. When the emperor heard of this he became furious with
Demetrius. Then, when he was returning from battle against the
Sarmatians, Maximian stopped at Thessalonica to investigate the
matter. The emperor summoned Demetrius and questioned him about his
faith. Demetrius openly acknowledged his Christian Faith to the
emperor and also denounced the emperor's idolatry. Maximian cast
Demetrius into prison. Knowing what was awaiting him, Demetrius gave
all his goods to his faithful servant Lupus to distribute to the poor,
and joyfully awaited his imminent suffering for Christ the Lord. An
angel of God appeared to him in prison, saying: ``Peace be to you, O
sufferer of Christ; be brave and be strong!'' After several days, the
emperor sent soldiers to the prison to kill Demetrius. The soldiers
found the saint of God at prayer and ran him through with lances.
Christians secretly took his body and honorably buried it. Healing
myrrh flowed from the body of the martyr of Christ, curing many of the
sick. Soon, a small church was built over his relics.
An Illyrian nobleman, Leontius, was afflicted with an incurable
illness. He hastened, with prayer, to the relics of St. Demetrius and
was completely healed. In thanksgiving, Leontius erected a much larger
church on the site of the old church. The saint appeared to him on two
occasions. When Emperor Justinian wanted to translate the relics of
the saint from Thessalonica to Constantinople, flaming sparks sprang
from the tomb and a voice was heard: ``Stop, and do not touch!'' And
thus, the relics of St. Demetrius have remained for all time in
Thessalonica. As the protector of Thessalonica, St. Demetrius has
appeared many times, and on many occasions has saved Thessalonica from
great calamity. His miracles are without number. The Russians
considered St. Demetrius to be the protector of Siberia, which was
conquered and annexed to Russia on October 26, 1581.
The
Venerable Martyr Ioasaph
Ioasaph
was a disciple of St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople, and labored
in asceticism on the Holy Mountain. He had so great a love for Christ
that all of his ascetic works seemed inadequate, and from love he
desired to suffer for his Lord. For that reason he went to
Constantinople, where he openly confessed to the Turks his faith in
the Holy Trinity and the Son of God. The enraged Turks beheaded him on
October 26, 1536.
The
Commemoration of the Great Earthquake of Constantinople
In the
year 740, during the reign of Emperor Leo the Isaurian, there was a
terrifying and prolonged earthquake in Constantinople. The people
considered this a punishment from God for their sins, and prayed with
great repentance to the Most-holy Theotokos and St. Demetrius, until
God showed mercy and the earthquake ceased.
Reflection
A
miracle of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica: Demetrius was a commander of
Thessalonica during his life and remained so after his repose. People
have felt his presence in Thessalonica, especially in times of great
calamities. He protects the city, wards off misfortunes, repels
invaders, and helps all who invoke his name. Here is a wonderful
example of his unusual aid to people in need. Once, the barbarians
attacked Thessalonica and were unable to overtake it. Infuriated at
this, they pillaged the countryside and bound and carried off two
beautiful maidens whom they gave as a gift to their prince. These
maidens knew how to embroider well. When the prince saw their
handiwork, he said to them: ``I hear that there is a great god in your
land, Demetrius, and that he works great miracles. Embroider his face
on this linen.'' The maidens told him that St. Demetrius was not a god
but rather God's servant and the helper of Christians. At first, they
refused to embroider the face of the saint, but when the prince
threatened them with death, they carried out the command and completed
the task by St. Demetrius's Day. On the eve of the feast, they looked
at their embroidery and wept sorrowfully, as they had to spend the
feast day in slavery and had to give that embroidered image of their
beloved saint to an impious barbarian. Both maidens prayed to St.
Demetrius to forgive them. Then St. Demetrius appeared to them and
took them both away, as an angel had once taken the Prophet Habakkuk.
He brought them to Thessalonica and set them in his church. A solemn
all-night vigil was being celebrated, and many people were there. When
they learned of the miraculous rescue of these Christian maidens, all
glorified God and St. Demetrius, His great servant and commander.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison (Acts 12):
1. How Peter was sleeping in the prison bound with two chains;
2. How the faithful prayed to God for Peter;
3. How a radiant angel appeared in the prison, freed the shackled
Peter, and led him out.
Homily
On the heart ready for
God
My
heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready (Psalm 57:7).
Brethren, blessed is he who is able to speak like this to his
Lord! Blessed is he whose heart is completely ready to follow the will
of God. The readiness of the heart of man lies in this: to joyfully
follow the will of God and not be confused by one's own thoughts and
desires. At first, the repentant King David had followed his own
sinful thoughts and desires, and was like a boat on a stormy sea.
However, when he realized that the storm was going to drown him, he
turned to God with great repentance and tears, and turned the boat of
his life entirely over to God. My heart is ready, O God, my heart
is ready! he cried out with great peace of soul, for he knew that
he had given his boat into the hands of the Most-skilled Helmsman. The
storm still raged and the winds and waves still assaulted him, but he
was not afraid, convinced that nothing could smash his boat, and that
his boat would sail safely to a calm harbor. A ``ready heart'' means a
heart cleansed of pride and humbled before the majestic power and
wisdom of God. A ``ready heart'' means a heart emptied of all worldly
desires and illusions, and filled with nothing but aspirations toward
God and love for God. A ``ready heart'' means a heart that is healed
of all restlessness, cares and fears, and is quieted and encouraged by
the presence of God's grace. I will sing and give praise in my
glory (Psalm 57:7), continues the Psalmist. This shows that his
heart is truly ready-he is not proud of his royal glory but ascribes
it to God. He humbled himself before God as nothing, and now his sole
pleasure is to magnify and glorify God. His personal glory only gives
him a reason for glorifying His All-glorious God.
O my brethren, let us endeavor that our hearts be ready soon before
God: ready to hear the word of God, ready to follow the will of God,
ready to glorify the Living God.
O Lord God, our immortal Creator, help us to ready our hearts, that
they may be vessels of Thy life-giving grace.
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