The
Holy Martyr Nicetas
Nicetas
was a Goth by birth. He was a disciple of Theophilus, Bishop of the
Goths, who participated in the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea 325].
When the Gothic prince Athenarik began to torture Christians, St.
Nicetas stood before the prince and denounced him for his paganism and
inhumanity. Subsequently harshly tortured, Nicetas confessed his faith
in Christ even more strongly, and prayed to God with thanksgiving. His
mind was unceasingly raised up to God, and on his breast under his
robe he bore an icon of the Most-holy Theotokos with the Pre-eternal
Christ Child standing and holding the Cross in His hands. St. Nicetas
carried this icon because the Holy Theotokos had appeared to him and
comforted him. Finally, the torturer threw the soldier of Christ into
the fire, where the holy martyr breathed his last, but his body
remained untouched by the fire. His companion Marianus took his body
from the land of the Goths (Wallachia and Bessarabia) to the town of
Mopsuestia, in Cilicia. There, he built a church dedicated to St.
Nicetas, and placed the miracle-working relics of the martyr in it.
Nicetas suffered and was glorified in the year 372.
The
Venerable Philotheus
Philotheus
was from the village of Myrmix or Mravin in Asia Minor. His mother had
the same name, but reversed-Theophila. Philotheus was a presbyter and
a great miracle-worker during his lifetime. On one occasion, he
changed water into wine and, on another occasion, he miraculously
increased a quantity of bread. He reposed in the Lord in the tenth
century, and his relics gushed myrrh.
The
Holy Martyr Porphyrius
Porphyrius
was born in Mimosa. At first, he made jests about Christians for the
Emperor Julian the Apostate. Thus, on one occasion, while parodying
the Christian Mystery of Baptism, he immersed himself in water,
pronouncing the words: ``In the name of the Father and the Son and the
Holy Spirit!'' When he emerged from the water he cried out: ``Now I am
a Christian!'' Everyone thought that this was just another jest, but
he remained steadfast, ceased to mock Christianity, and finally
suffered for Christ. Porphyrius was beheaded in the year 361, and took
up his habitation in the Kingdom of Christ.
The
Holy Martyrs Theodotus, Asclepidote and Maximus
They
were all noblemen by birth, from Trachis. They suffered for Christ in
the village of Saltis near Philipopolis, between the year 305 and 311,
and entered into the Heavenly Kingdom.
Saint
Bessarion the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Larissa
Bessarion
founded the Monastery of the Savior, in the Diocese of Larissa. He was
glorified by his miracles, both during his life and after his death.
The
Holy New Martyr John of Crete
John
suffered for the Christian Faith at the hands of the Turks in Ephesus,
in the year 1811.
Saint
Joseph, Bishop of Alaverdi
Joseph
was one of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers (May 7) who were sent to the
Caucasus to preach the Gospel. St. Joseph peacefully reposed in the
Lord in the year 570. His miracle-working relics repose in the
cathedral church in Alaverdi.
Reflection
God
is not mocked (Galatians 6:7). God either punishes the mockers in
order to correct them or He converts them into that which they had
mocked. Initially, St. Porphyrius was famous among the pagans as a
mocker of Christianity. On one occasion, he was mocking the Christian
Mystery of Baptism before Emperor Julian the Apostate and his retinue.
But something totally unexpected happened. When Porphyrius immersed
himself in the water and pronounced the words of baptism in the name
of the Holy Trinity, his spirit was suddenly changed, and he became a
true Christian. Instead of mocking the Christian Faith, he began to
denounce the emperor for his impure idolatry, for which he was
tortured and beheaded. A similar thing happened to the comedian
Gennesus, probably in Diocletian's time. This Gennesus parodied the
Christian Divine Liturgy before a crowd of pagans, amusing them with
his mockeries and witticisms. Suddenly, he changed, and cried out
before the people: ``I believe, and I desire to be baptized.'' At
first, the spectators thought his words were a part of his farce, but
he repeated his statement of faith in Christ. When Gennesus remained
steadfast in his new faith, even when interrogated by the court and
the emperor himself, he was tortured and slain. Thus, the mocker of
Christ became a martyr for Christ.
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's punishment on a disobedient prophet (I Kings 13):
1. How this prophet was commanded by God to abstain from eating or
drinking anything in idolatrous Bethel;
2. How the prophet disobeyed God, and ate and drank;
3. How, upon returning, he was torn apart by a lion.
Homily
On the
twofold witness of the Son of God
I am
one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth
witness of Me (John 8:18).
It is
written in the Law that two witnesses are needed in order to prove
something. First of all, the Lord provided the unbelieving Jews with
three great witnesses about Himself: the Father, His own works and
Holy Scripture (John 5:36-39). Yet, even after His many miracles, and
after His teachings were widely expounded, He told them that His own
witness of Himself was true and sufficient (John 8:14). Finally, He
again emphasized two witnesses to them-His and His Father's-in
accordance with the letter of the Law, which required two witnesses.
Thus the Lord seals the lips of the unbelievers in every way, and
leaves them no outlet but the crime of murder, which is the last
resort of those who refuse to be convinced of the truth, with no
regard for reason or proof. In this last case especially, with the
Lord's presentation of His and His Father's witness, He also wanted to
show that He was a separate Person [hypostasis], and yet of one
Essence with the Father. Therefore, He presents two witnesses: His own
separate witness and the witness of God the Father. The following
words confirm this: If ye had known Me, ye should have known My
Father also (John 8:19). Expressed here is the complete essential
unity of the Father and the Son, and there remains not even the
slightest doubt that the Lord was thinking of His essential equality
with His Father. The words here are about the Divine Nature, and not
the human nature. Whoever conceives of the Holy Trinity as three
bodily beings deceives himself. Only the Son of God appeared in the
flesh, for the sake of the salvation of the world. The Father and the
Holy Spirit did not take on flesh. According to His Divine Nature, the
Son, although in the flesh, remained equal to the Father and the Holy
Spirit. He clothed Himself in human nature, and added His Divine
Nature, out of love for mankind, so as to reveal Himself to men and
save them.
O Holy
Trinity, one in Essence and undivided, Who illumined and enlightened
us through the Incarnate Word of God, sustain us to the end by Thy
sanctity, Thy strength and Thine immortality, and save us.
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September
29th (New Style) • September 16th (Old Style)
The
Holy Great-martyr Euphemia
Euphemia
was born in Chalcedon. Her father Philophronus, a senator, and her
mother Theodorisia were devout Christians. Euphemia was a beautiful
virgin in body and in soul. When the Proconsul Priscus held a feast
and offered sacrifices to Ares in Chalcedon, forty-nine Christians
avoided this foul sacrificial offering and hid themselves. However,
they were discovered and brought before Priscus. Among them was St.
Euphemia. When the arrogant Priscus asked them why they defied the
imperial decree, they replied: ``Both the emperor's and your command
should be obeyed, if they are not contrary to the God of heaven; but
if they are contrary to God, they should not only be disobeyed, but
should also be opposed.'' For nineteen consecutive days, Priscus
imposed various tortures on them. On the twentieth day he separated
Euphemia from the others and began to flatter her for her beauty,
attempting to win her over to idolatry. As his flattery was in vain,
he ordered that the virgin be tortured again. First, they tortured her
on the wheel, but an angel of God appeared to Euphemia and shattered
the wheel. Then they threw her into a fiery furnace, but she was
preserved by the power of God. Upon seeing this, two soldiers, Victor
and Sosthenes, came to believe in Christ, for which they were thrown
to the wild beasts, and thus gloriously ended their earthly lives.
Euphemia was then thrown into a pit filled with water and every kind
of poisonous vermin; but she made the sign of the Cross over the water
and remained unharmed. She was finally thrown to the wild beasts and,
with a prayer of thanksgiving to God, gave up her spirit. Her parents
buried her body honorably. Euphemia suffered in the year 304 and
entered into eternal joy. She is also commemorated on July 11.
The
Venerable Dorotheus
Dorotheus
was an Egyptian hermit of the fourth century. He labored in asceticism
for sixty full years in one cell in the Thebaid. He distinguished
himself by an unusual love of labor and by miracle-working. During the
day he built cells for the new monks, and at night he wove mats, never
interrupting his prayer and psalmody.
Saint
Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev
Cyprian
was born in Trnovo, but lived as a Serb on Mount Athos. He
especially occupied himself with translating and re-copying books. His
patron was Philotheus, the Patriarch of Constantinople. When the
patriarch came to know Cyprian on Mount Athos, he took him into his
service, and eventually sent him to Kiev as metropolitan. As
Metropolitan of Kiev he endured much grief and misfortune, but endured
it all with kindness and patience, and by his fruitful labor greatly
benefitted the Russian Church. He spent almost thirty years in his
calling as metropolitan. Prior to his death, he wrote a farewell
speech that was read over his grave. He entered into rest on September
16, 1406. His miracle-working relics repose in the Church of the
Dormition in Moscow.
The
Holy Martyr Ludmilla
Ludmilla
was the grandmother of the Czech King Vatslav [Wenceslaus]. She was
married to the Czech Prince Borivoy. By her zeal for the Christian
Faith, she brought many out of paganism into the Church. Her
daughter-in-law hated her, and had men strangle Ludmilla in her old
age. Vatslav buried Ludmilla's body in the Church of St. George in
Prague. Many miracles occurred over her relics. She suffered in
Techino in the year 927. St. Vatslav, himself a great zealot for the
Orthodox Faith, was slain by his brother Boleslav.
Reflection
Often
unexpected misfortune befalls us, and in vain we ask ``why?'' The
Church of Christ alone knows how to explain the cause of every
misfortune. The Church basically classifies misfortunes into two
groups. Some misfortunes befall the sinner because of old, unrepented
sins. Other misfortunes assault the righteous and serve, according to
the words of St. John Chrysostom, ``as a means of receiving a wreath,
as was the case with Lazarus and Job.'' The Empress Eudocia secretly
agreed with the Eutychian heresy, having heeded the counsel of the
perfidious eunuch Chrysaphius. But misfortune unexpectedly befell her.
One day her husband, Emperor Theodosius, brought her an apple of
unusual size. The empress sent the apple to the ailing senator
Paulinus and he, out of love for the emperor, sent this same apple to
Emperor Theodosius. This gave the emperor reason to suspect an illicit
relationship between his wife and the senator. The emperor asked his
wife to show him the apple he had given her. The empress lied and
said: ``I ate it!'' This made the emperor's suspicion even stronger,
and he banished Eudocia to Palestine. In time Eudocia cured herself of
heresy, and through the counsels of the great Palestinian spiritual
fathers returned completely to Orthodoxy. The misfortune that befell
the empress did not arise from an illicit relationship with Paulinus-in
this, she was completely innocent-but because of her heretical
disposition. A second but different case: When he was still a military
commander, the future Emperor Marcian was traveling near Philipopolis
and saw the corpse of a murdered man on the road. Out of pure
compassion, he got off his horse and started to bury the corpse. Just
then someone came by and saw him burying the corpse, and reported him
to the court as a murderer. Marcian would have been punished by death,
had God not shortly revealed the true murderer. This kind of
misfortune falls into that second category-``for the receiving of a
wreath.'' Shortly after this, General Marcian was chosen to be
emperor.
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's wondrous judgment with regard to men (I Kings 14):
1. How Jeroboam's son became ill and died, for the punishment of his
apostate father and for his own salvation;
2. How the rest of Jeroboam's men perished, and were eaten by dogs in
the city and by birds in the field.
Homily
On the
Lord, the holder of power
I
have power to lay it [My life] down and I have power to take it
again (John 10:18).
The
divine power of our Lord Jesus Christ manifested itself in His
complete power over Himself. If divine power could be separated from
divine love, then it could be said of Christ that He would have been
able to incarnate, or not incarnate; or again, that He would have been
able die, or not die. But, He became incarnate according to His divine
love for men and, according to this same inexpressible love, He gave
Himself up to death as a Good Shepherd for His sheep (John
10:11). A man who kills himself does not truly have power over his
life, for he does not kill himself by his own power, but rather by the
power of sin, or by the power of the devil, or by the power of some
other grave circumstance. So also, a man whom others kill has no power
over his life, nor can he speak for his life before his murderers: he
cannot say I have power to lay it down, for he must lay it down
unwillingly. Only our Lord Jesus Christ could say in the presence of
his murderers, the Jews: I have power to lay it down. Having
that power, He could, by a miracle that would have been easy for Him,
have made all the Jews perish before they crucified Him on the Cross.
Yet He foresaw the saving fruits of His death, and that is why He
willingly gave Himself up to be slain.
And I have power to take it again. With these words He foretold
His Resurrection. Therefore, the Lord both died and resurrected by His
divine power.
O
Almighty and man-loving Lord, how beautifully Thou didst plan the
salvation of men by Thy divine power and love. Help us, O help us,
that we might embrace that salvation!
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September
30th (New Style) • September 17th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhd and Lubov (Faith, Hope and Charity) and
their Mother Sophia (Wisdom)
They all
lived and suffered in Rome during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Sophia
was wise, as her name implies. She was left a widow, and had
established herself and her daughters well in the Christian Faith.
When the persecuting hand of Hadrian extended even over the virtuous
home of Sophia, Vera was only twelve years old; Nada, ten years old;
and Lubov, nine years old. Brought before the emperor, these four held
each other's hands ``like a woven wreath,'' humbly but steadfastly
confessed their faith in Christ the Lord and refused to offer
sacrifices to the pagan idol Artemis. Before their suffering, the
mother encouraged her daughters to endure to the end: ``Your heavenly
Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is eternal health, inexpressible beauty and
eternal life. When your bodies are slain by torture, He will clothe
you in incorruption and the wounds on your bodies will shine in the
heavens as stars.'' One by one the torturers inflicted cruel torments,
first on Vera, then on Nada, and then on Lubov. They beat them,
slashed them, cast them into fire and boiling pitch, and finally
beheaded them with the sword one after another. Sophia took the dead
bodies of her daughters outside the town and honorably buried them.
She remained at their grave for three days and three nights, praying
to God. Then she gave her spirit to God, flying off to Paradise, where
the blessed souls of her glorious daughters awaited her.
The
Holy Martyr Agathocleia
Agathocleia
was a servant of a certain Nicholas and his wife Paulina, who had been
Christians but turned back from the Faith to worship idols. Holy
Agathocleia refused to follow the error of her masters and was
subsequently tortured cruelly by them, and by the pagan judges. Her
mistress killed her by pouring hot coals on her neck, but this
handmaiden of God was glorified in His Heavenly Kingdom.
The
Holy 156 Martyrs of Egypt
They
suffered for Christ the Lord in the year 310-some by sword and others
by fire. Among them were two old bishops, Peleus and Nilus; a priest,
Zeno; and two prominent men, Patermuthius and Elias. Bishop Silvanus
and John, an eminent, blind elder (who knew the Holy Scriptures by
heart and recited them at the gatherings of Christians), were also
with them. All were crowned with martyr's wreaths and took up their
habitation in the Eternal Kingdom of Christ.
The
Holy Martyr Theodota
Theodota
endured eight years of cruel torture for Christ. Her torturer was the
eparch Simplicius, who later went insane. Theodota was beheaded in
about the year 230, during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus.
Reflection
A
faithful and God-fearing ruler is a true blessing for all people. King
Vatslav of the Czechs was such a ruler. His zeal for the sanctity of
the Faith and his steadfastness remind us of the ancient ascetics.
During the day he devoted himself to the affairs of the state, and at
night to prayer. In winter, he often walked barefoot to the church for
Matins with his old servant Podivoi. He often prepared and baked
prosphora himself, especially when he desired to receive Holy
Communion. Because of his care for the Faith, many churches were
built, in which daily services to God were celebrated. He especially
concerned himself with the poor and needy. He was a lover of peace,
yet also a great and fearless hero. When the neighboring Prince
Radislav attacked the Czech lands, Vatslav sent him a letter asking
why he was waging war. The proud Radislav replied that he wanted
Vatslav to cede all the Czech lands, and his throne, to him. Vatslav
promptly amassed a large army and confronted his enemy. Yet, pondering
on the two powerful armies, he mourned that so many men would die, and
sent a message to Radislav: ``The quarrel is between you and me; you
desire to rule the land of the Czechs and I will not yield. Agree to
resolve this matter with a duel between the two of us. Why shed so
much blood in a battle between two armies?'' Prince Radislav agreed to
this duel, and was defeated by Vatslav. On his knees, he begged him
for forgiveness.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the transgressions of Judah, and God's punishment of those
transgressions (I Kings 14):
1. How the people and King Rehoboam did that which is evil in the
sight of the Lord;
2. How they erected idols in the temples, and how there were many
sodomites in the land;
3. How the king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and plundered all the gold
of the Temple.
Homily
On the
unity of Essence of the Father and the Son
I and
My Father are one (John 10:30).
The more
miracles that the Lord Jesus performed, and the closer He came to His
death, the more openly He spoke of Himself. The numerous miracles and
the increasing length of time to contemplate them worked changes in
both the good and the wicked. The good became receptive to the
revelation of God's lofty mysteries. The wicked, clinging to evil,
darkened themselves all the more, and became incapable of receiving
these mysteries. That is why the wicked took up stones … to kill
Him (John 10:31).
I and
My Father are one. The Father and the Son are one in Essence, but
are not one in Person (hypostasis). Otherwise, one could not call them
by two names: Father and Son. Both the Son and the Holy Spirit have
all the attributes of the Father's Essence. However, the attributes of
the Person of the Father belong only to the Father, the attributes of
the Person of the Son belong only to the Son and the attributes of the
Person of the Holy Spirit belong only to the Holy Spirit. But when the
discourse is about the Divine Essence, the Son can say, ``I and My
Father are one,'' and the Father can say, ``I and the Son are one,''
and the Holy Spirit can say, ``I and the Father and the Son are one.''
The Lord
Jesus Christ expressed the unity of His Being with the Father in the
following words: The Father is in Me and I in Him (John 10:38).
Can the divinity of the Son be expressed more clearly? Can the human
tongue convey the unity of the Triune God in stronger terms? The dogma
of the divinity of the Son of God, as well as the dogma of the unity
of the Being of God, was revealed and laid out by the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. Therefore, let no one give credence to the deceits of
certain unbelievers and heretics-who pretend that the Lord Jesus did
not reveal His divinity, and allege that this dogma was introduced to
the Church much later. If Christ had not proclaimed His divinity, why
would the Jews have said to Him: Thou … makest Thyself God
(John 10:33)? And why would they take up stones against Him?
O Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of God, one in Essence with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, have mercy on us and save us by the power and goodness of Thy
divinity, almighty and all-righteous.
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October
1st (New Style) • September 18th (Old Style)
Saint
Eumenius, Bishop of Gortyna on Crete
From his
youth, Eumenius wholeheartedly followed Christ, freeing himself of two
heavy burdens: the burden of wealth and the burden of the flesh. He
freed himself of the first burden by distributing his entire estate to
the poor and needy, and the second burden by strict fasting. In this
way he first healed himself, and then began to heal others.
Passionless and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Eumenius
shone with a light that could not be hidden. As it is written, A
city that is set on an hill cannot be hid (Matthew 5:14), so the
holy Eumenius could not be hidden from the world. Witnessing his
goodness, the people chose him as Bishop of Gortyna, and he governed
the flock of Christ as a good shepherd. He was a father to the poor,
wealth to the needy, consolation to the sorrowful, a healer of the
sick and a most wonderful miracle-worker. By his prayers, he worked
many miracles: he subdued a poisonous serpent, cast out demons and
healed many of the sick-and he did this not only in his own town, but
also in Rome and in the Thebaid. In a time of drought in the Thebaid,
he obtained rain from God by prayer. There, in the Thebaid, his
earthly life ended, and he took up his habitation in the eternal home
of his Lord. He lived and labored in the seventh century.
The
Holy Martyr Ariadna
In the
Phrygian town of Promisea, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, there
lived a pagan nobleman named Tertullus. The maiden Ariadna was his
slave and a Christian. On the day of his son's birth, Tertullus
prepared a great sacrificial offering to the idols, but the pious
Ariadna did not attend, remaining at home to pray to the true God. Her
master was enraged at this and tried to coerce her to deny Christ and
to worship idols. When Ariadna refused, he tormented her with beatings
and other cruel tortures and cast her into prison. When he released
her from prison, he drove her away from the house. Soon afterward he
regretted having released her, and sent servants to seize her and
return her to him. By then, Ariadna was already a great distance from
the town. She was passing by a huge rock when she saw her pursuers,
and she prayed to God and the rock opened and hid her. The servants
became confused by this and began to quarrel and fight among
themselves, and killed each other.
The
Holy Martyr Bidzini, Prince of Georgia
Bidzini,
and his kinsmen Elizbar and Shalva, died for the Christian Faith under
Shah Abbas II, in the year 1661.
Reflection
The Lord
said: Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me
(Matthew 25:40). Similar things happen in almsgiving and in Holy
Communion. In Holy Communion we receive the Living Lord Christ
Himself, in the form of bread and wine; in almsgiving we give to the
Living Lord Christ Himself, in the form of the poor and needy. A
certain man in Constantinople was unusually merciful. Walking along
the streets of the city, he would press his gift into the hands of the
poor and hurry onward, so he would not hear their gratitude or be
recognized. When a friend of his asked how he had become so merciful,
he replied: ``Once in church I heard a priest say that whoever gives
to the poor, gives into the hands of Christ Himself. I didn't believe
it, for I thought, `How can this be, when Christ is in heaven?'
However, I was on my way home one day and I saw a poor man begging,
and the face of Christ shone above his head! Just then a passerby gave
the beggar a piece of bread, and I saw the Lord extend His hand, take
the bread, and bless the donor. From then on, I have always seen
Christ's face shining above the beggars. Therefore, with great fear I
perform as much charity as I can.''
Contemplation
Contemplate
the righteousness of King Asa, and God's reward (I Kings 15):
1. How Asa did that which is good in the sight of God, and cleansed
the land of idols;
2. How God granted him the victory over the Ethiopians, and blessed
him and the people with every good.
Homily
On the
resurrected and Living Lord,
Who is the Resurrection and the Life
I am
the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).
The Lord
Jesus Christ spoke these holy words. Not only did He speak them, but
also proved them by His actions. By raising Jairus's daughter, the son
of the widow of Nain, and His friend Lazarus, He proved that He is the
Resurrection and the life, the Resurrector and Life-giver. Even
so, He proved this best by His own Resurrection from the dead. For, to
be alive and then to help the dead-this is something that has been
heard of. But to be dead and buried, and lie in the grave for three
days and to give yourself life-that was unheard of until Christ's
Resurrection. It is the miracle of miracles, and the proof of a power
above every other power. This miracle was performed by our Lord. Our
Lord manifested this power. Therefore, true are His words, I am the
Resurrection and the life,-true and holy, and comforting to all of
us who are traveling toward the inescapable death of the body, and who
hope to live beyond the grave and see our Living Lord in glory.
However,
our Lord is not only the Resurrector of the body, but also the
Resurrector of the soul. During His life on earth, He resurrected only
a few human bodies, but countless souls-to demonstrate that the
resurrection of the soul is much more important than the resurrection
of the body. Almost all human souls were dead when He came into the
world, and He resurrected countless souls by His power, and imbued
them with His life. Both the Jews and the pagans were dead in soul,
and He enlivened the one and the other. My brethren, let us lay aside
all concern for the resurrection of our bodies, and let us strive,
while we still have time, for the resurrection of our souls. For if
our souls do not resurrect, and are not enlivened by Christ while
still on earth, let us not expect any joy from the resurrection of our
bodies on the Day of Judgment, the Day of Wrath. For then the bodies
of our dead souls would rise, not unto life, but unto eternal torment.
O Lord
Jesus Christ, our only Resurrection and life, help us by Thy power and
Thy mercy, that we may be resurrected and enlivened by Thee, unto
salvation and eternal life.
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October
2nd (New Style) • September 19th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedon
In the
third century, during the reign of Emperor Probus, when Atticus was
governing Antioch, two Christians, Trophimus and Sabbatius, both
eminent and honorable citizens, came to that city. They arrived just
as a pagan festival and sacrificial offerings to the idol of Apollo
were taking place at nearby Daphne. Atticus made every effort to
ensure that all citizens took part in this festivity. When someone
noticed that Trophimus and Sabbatius were not participating in the
festivity, he told Atticus. Atticus brought them to trial, and when
they refused to renounce Christ he subjected them to tortures, one
after the other. After he beat and tortured Trophimus, Atticus sent
him to Phrygia to Dionysius, an even crueler torturer of Christians.
Then Atticus took Sabbatius from prison and began to try him. When the
torturer asked Sabbatius who he was and what his rank was, he replied:
``My rank and dignity and homeland and glory and wealth is Christ, the
Son of God, Who lives forever, and by Whose providence the universe
exists and is governed.'' For that, he was beaten and torn and scraped
with an iron implement until the bones showed through beneath his
flesh. Under these tortures he reposed. In Phrygia, the torturer
Dionysius subjected Trophimus to great torture, then kept him in
prison for even greater tortures. A certain senator Dorymedon, a
secret Christian, came to the prison and ministered to Trophimus. When
the torturer learned of this, he began to torture both of them in the
same way, and finally threw them to the wild beasts, but the wild
beasts did not touch them. Holy Dorymedon even shouted at the
she-bear, pulling her ears so that she would tear him apart, but in
spite of all that, the bear became gentler. In the end, the torturer
ordered that Saints Trophimus and Dorymedon be beheaded with the
sword. The souls of both of these holy martyrs now reign in heaven.
The
Holy Martyr Zosimas the Hermit
Dometian,
a Sicilian prince, went hunting in the mountains with his servants.
There he saw an old man surrounded by wild beasts as tame as lambs.
Asked who and what he was, the elder replied that his name was Zosimas,
that he was a Christian, and that he had lived long among the wild
beasts, who were better than those who lived in the city and
torturered Christians. This offended Dometian, who was himself a cruel
persecutor of Christians. He chained Zosimas and sent him ahead to
Nazareth, as he especially wanted to torture him there, to intimidate
those who believed in Christ. When Dometian had wounded and bloodied
Zosimas with blows, he tied a stone around his neck and suspended him
from a tree. Then the prince mocked him, saying: ``Command that a wild
beast come forth so that we may all believe!'' The holy martyr prayed
to God, and, indeed, an enormous lion appeared, drew near to Zosimas,
and placed his head under the stone to alleviate the martyr's
suffering. In great fear, the prince freed Zosimas, but the latter
soon rendered his spirit into the hands of his Lord.
Saint
Theodore, Prince of Yaroslavl
Theodore
was a righteous and merciful man. He received the great schema before
his repose, and entered into rest in the year 1298.
Reflection
Even the
dead sense and know the good deeds that are performed for them.
Christians need not have any doubt in this. A good deed spreads
through the heavenly world like an electrical current. An imperial
clerk, Magistrian, was sent by the emperor on an important errand.
Along the way, Magistrian saw a poor dead man, completely naked. He
was moved with pity, removed his shirt, dressed the dead man, and
buried him honorably. After a while, Magistrian had an unfortunate
accident: he fell from his horse and broke his leg, and lay sick in
bed for a long time. On one occasion, several doctors gathered around
him to take counsel concerning his illness. The doctors agreed that
his leg would have to be amputated. That night Magistrian could not
sleep, but grieved and wept. At midnight a man suddenly appeared in
his room and asked him: ``Why are you weeping?'' When Magistrian
explained his condition, the unknown man then rubbed the infected leg
with his hand and the leg was healed. ``For God's sake, tell me-who
are you?'' asked Magistrian. The unknown man replied: ``Look at me,
and see, is not this your shirt? I am he whom you saw naked and dead,
and whom you dressed in this shirt. And behold, for your good deed God
has sent me to heal you. Give thanks to God!''
Contemplation
Contemplate
the sin of King Asa, and God's punishment on him (II Chronicles 16):
1. How Asa, frightened of a neighboring king, took God's gold out of
the Temple in order to buy an alliance with the King of Syria;
2. How the Syrian king took the gold, but betrayed him;
3. How God allowed a grave illness to befall Asa.
Homily
On the
sorrow of Christ
Now
is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this
hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour (John 12:27).
Nothing
more real came into this earthly world than the Lord Jesus
Christ-nothing more real as God, and nothing more real as man. In
truth, besides Jesus Christ, this whole world is like a mirage.
Neither earth, nor water, nor air, nor light even comes close to His
reality. Behold, all of this will pass, but He will remain. Indeed, He
is the cornerstone of the eternal, intransitory world; and only He,
and those who cling to Him, will have a part in that eternal,
intransitory reality. The stormy but helpless waves of time have
furiously assaulted, and continue assaulting, the reality of Christ's
divinity and even His humanity. As much effort was needed for
Christians to open the eyes of the pagans and to prove the divinity of
Christ, as was needed to open the eyes of the heretics to prove His
humanity. The omniscient Holy Spirit foresaw this, and, through the
Evangelists, prepared the weapons for Christian warriors. Now is My
soul troubled. Would the Lord feel sorrow if He were not a true
man, subject to all the weaknesses of the physical nature except sin?
And He would feel not only sorrow, but also fear: Father, save Me
from this hour! This is said by weak human nature which fears
death (for this is about death). However, His human nature was not
sinful, but sinless, for our Lord immediately adds: But for this
cause came I unto this hour. Do you see how important the death of
Christ is? By it we are redeemed, and by it we are saved. Therefore,
let no one stop at the teachings of Christ; rather, let him take
himself to Golgotha, and observe with horror the bloody sacrifice on
the Cross that was offered for our sins-for our salvation from the
foul jaws of the serpent of the netherworld.
O Lord
Jesus Christ, Who suffered for our sake and for the sake of our
salvation-have mercy on us, again and again.
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October
3rd (New Style) • September 20th (Old Style)
The
Holy Great-martyr Eustathius (Placidas)
Eustathius
was a great Roman general during the reigns of Emperors Titus and
Trajan. Though he was a pagan, Placidas (for that was his pagan name)
was a just and merciful man, similar to Cornelius the Centurion, who
was baptized by the Apostle Peter (Acts 10). Out hunting one day, he
pursued a stag. By God's providence, a cross appeared between the
antlers of the stag and the voice of the Lord came to Placidas,
directing him to go to a Christian priest and become baptized.
Placidas was baptized, along with his wife and two sons. At baptism,
he received the name Eustathius; his wife, Theopiste (``faithful to
God''); and his sons, Agapitus and Theopistus. After his baptism, he
returned to the place where he had experienced the revelation of the
stag and, kneeling, gave thanks to God that He had brought him to the
truth. Just then, the voice of the Lord again manifested itself to
him, foretold that he would suffer for His name, and strengthened him.
Then Eustathius secretly left Rome with his family, intending to hide
among the simple people and serve God in humble and unknown
surroundings. Arriving in Egypt, he was immediately beset by trials.
An evil barbarian abducted his wife, and both of his sons were seized
by wild beasts and carried away. However, the barbarian soon lost his
life, and the children were saved from the wild beasts by shepherds.
Eustathius settled in the Egyptian village of Vadisis and lived there
for fifteen years as a hired laborer. Then barbarians attacked the
Roman Empire, and Emperor Trajan grieved that he did not have the
brave General Placidas, who had carried the victory whenever he
fought. The emperor sent two of his officers to seek the great
commander throughout the empire. By God's providence, these officers
(who were once companions of Eustathius), came to the village of
Vadisis, found Eustathius and brought him back to the emperor.
Eustathius amassed an army and defeated the barbarians. On the way
back to Rome, Eustathius found his wife and both sons. Meanwhile,
Emperor Trajan had died and Emperor Hadrian was on the throne. When
Hadrian summoned General Eustathius to offer sacrifices to the gods,
Eustathius declined, declaring himself a Christian. The emperor
subjected him and his wife and sons to torture. They were thrown to
the wild beasts, but this did them no harm. Then they were cast into a
red-hot metal ox. On the third day their dead bodies were removed, but
they were unharmed by the fire. Thus, this glorious commander rendered
unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things
that are God's (Luke 20:25), and took up his habitation in the
Eternal Kingdom of Christ our God.
Saint
Michael the Prince and Saint Theodore the Boyar
Prince
Michael of Chernigov visited the Tartar horde with Theodore, his
Boyar, at the invitation of Khan Batu. Since they refused to follow
the Tartar custom of passing through fire and worshiping idols before
gaining audience with the king, they were beheaded. This occurred in
the year 1244. Their relics, witnesses of their martyric death for
Christ the Lord, repose in the Church of the Archangel in Moscow.
The
Venerable Martyr Hilarion
Hilarion
was an Athonite monk. He willingly suffered for the Christian Faith at
the hands of the Turks in Constantinople on September 20, 1804. His
miracle-working relics repose in the Church of the Transfiguration on
the island of Proti.
Reflection
Suicide
is a mortal sin and an act of defiance against the Holy Spirit, Who
gives life. Suicide is a much greater sin than murder, since for the
sin of murder a man can still repent; but for the sin of suicide there
is no repentance. Here are two examples of overwhelming misfortune, in
the face of which a fainthearted man would commit suicide, yet in
which holy men of God showed themselves to be heroes.
St. Eustathius found himself in the following predicament: he left one
of his sons on the bank of a river, while he carried the other son to
the opposite bank and returned for the first son. Halfway back across
the river, he saw that a lion had seized his son and carried him away.
He looked at the other bank and saw a wolf seize the second son and
carry him away. A fainthearted man in such a situation would have
drowned himself in the water, and made an end to his life. Even though
drowning in sorrow, Eustathius did not commit suicide, but with hope
in God lived as a hireling for fifteen years. This patient man lived
to see his two sons again. Thus, God rewarded his faith and patience.
As a young man, St. Hilarion was forced to become a Moslem, but his
conscience began to torment him cruelly, and he had no peace at all.
He returned to the Christian Faith, was tonsured a monk, and gave his
body over to intense fasting and every difficult ascetic labor. Even
so, his peace of soul did not return to him. A fainthearted man of
little faith would have committed suicide. But Hilarion chose an
incomparably better path. He went to Constantinople with his spiritual
father Bessarion, and not only openly confessed the Christian Faith at
the sultan's court, but even counseled him to go to Russia and be
baptized. After being subjected to mockery and torture, this
courageous young man was beheaded, and God glorified him both in
heaven and on earth. Even today, his holy relics are miracle-working.
But where is the glory of those who commit suicide? Where are their
relics?
Contemplation
Contemplate
the righteousness of King Jehoshaphat, and God's reward (II Chronicles
17):
1. How Jehoshaphat was zealous for God's truth, and how he destroyed
the idols in his land;
2. How God granted him riches, glory, peace and victory over his
enemies.
Homily
On the only
Way, Truth and Life
I
am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by Me (John 14:6).
Brethren,
these words were not merely spoken, but were soaked with blood,
confirmed by the Resurrection, instilled by the Holy Spirit in the
hearts of the faithful, and proven again and again by the Church
through ages and ages. Of all the treasures on earth, men love life
the most-and they love life more than they do truth, even though there
is no life without truth. Thus, the highest good is life, but truth is
the foundation of life. He who loves life, must also love truth. But
where is the way to truth? Our Lord says: I am the Way. He did
not say: ``I am a way,'' so that none would think there is another way
to truth besides the Lord Jesus. And He is not only the Way, but also the
Truth and the Life, so that none would think that there is some
other truth and some other life besides the Lord Jesus. For this He
was born as a man, to show men the way; for this He was crucified, to
mark the way by His blood. No man cometh unto the Father, but by
Me. This addresses those who deceive themselves by thinking that
they can know God and acquire the Kingdom of God without the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord entirely cut off this false hope and desperate
self-deception by these words. The apostle who heard and wrote these
words in the Gospel, expressed them in his Epistle in this way: Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father (I John 2:23).
O
Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, Source of all blessings-truly Thou art for
us the only Way, the only Light, the only Truth, the only Life and
Life-giver. We acknowledge Thee before men and angels as our only God
and Savior. Have mercy on us and save us.
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October
4th (New Style) • September 21st (Old Style)
The
Holy Apostle Quadratus
Quadratus,
one of the Seventy, was a disciple of the Great Apostles. He preached
the Gospel in Athens and was at first bishop of Athens after St.
Publius, and afterward bishop of Magnesia. Quadratus was highly
educated in secular wisdom, and rich in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
His biographer says of him: He was as the morning star among the
clouds (Sirach 50:6). The clouds were the darkness of Hellenic
paganism, without the light of piety. The Holy Apostle Quadratus,
through the word of God, shone upon the Hellenes as a great light,
illuminating the darkness, destroying the foul sacrifices, crushing
the idols, and destroying the demonic temples by his prayer. However,
darkness always hates the light, and the pagans hated holy Quadratus.
First they stoned him, as once the Jews did St. Stephen. Then they
threw him into prison and gave him no bread until he gave up his holy
soul, and went to dwell in the Kingdom of Christ, his God.
St.
Quadratus wrote an Apologia for Christianity and gave it to Emperor
Hadrian. This Apologia had such an effect on the pagan emperor that he
ordered that Christians not be persecuted without specific cause. St.
Quadratus suffered in about the year 130. He is buried in the city of
Magnesia, where he suffered.
The
Hieromartyrs Hypatius, Bishop of Ephesus, and Andrew the Presbyter
Both
Hypatius and Andrew were born in Lycia, and were friends from
childhood. When they matured, both of them dedicated themselves
wholeheartedly to the service of God. Hypatius as a strict monk and
ascetic, and Andrew as a priest among the people and a preacher of
God's word. Because of their great virtues, Hypatius was consecrated
bishop of Ephesus, and Andrew was ordained a presbyter. Both suffered
martyrdom under the reign of the iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian.
After horrible tortures for holy Orthodoxy they were beheaded in 730,
and passed from this transitory life to life eternal.
Saint
Dimitri, Bishop of Rostov
St.
Dimitri's life is celebrated on October 28, but today we commemorate
the finding of his miracle-working relics in 1752.
The
Synaxis of the Saints of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves
The
blessed work of asceticism begun by the industrious and great
God-pleaser Anthony grew throughout the centuries like a fruitful
olive tree. The numerous saints who shone as stars in Anthony's Caves
are each celebrated on their own day. Today, however, the whole
assembly of them is commemorated together and called upon by the
faithful for aid.
Reflection
If only
we begin with the firm intention to live according to God's law, we
need not be afraid of any assaults by unreasonable men. For he who
truly begins to live according to God's law finds that all things done
to him by men happen for his benefit, and to the glory of God. One
especially need not fear being compelled to move from a place that he
loves to a place that he doesn't care for. Instead of empty fear and
fruitless lamentation, it is better to seek out God's intention for
us. What harm did the evil actions of Joseph's brothers do to him? Did
not his involuntary departure to Egypt glorify him, save his brothers
from famine, and create the necessary conditions for all the wondrous
things God worked through Moses in Egypt and in the wilderness? The
pagans and heretics often drove Orthodox Christians into barbarian
regions. What did they accomplish by that? Did they destroy Orthodoxy?
No-rather, they strengthened it even more in the souls of the
persecuted, and spread it among the barbarian peoples. The evil
heretic Lucius exiled the glorious Macarius, with several Tabennisiot
ascetics, from Egypt to a barbarian island, where the entire
population worshiped idols. But by the teachings and example of these
holy men, the entire populace of the island was soon baptized. That
island was later renamed the ``Island of Repentance.''
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's miraculous saving of Jerusalem because of the righteousness of
Jehoshaphat (II Chronicles 20):
1. How a multitude of Moabites and Ammonites set off against
Jerusalem;
2. How King Jehoshaphat prayed to God, and it was revealed to him
through the prophet that the battle is not yours, but God's (II
Chronicles 20:15);
3. How the Moabites and the Ammonites fought among themselves, and
perished to the last man.
Homily
On the
divinity of the Son and His unity of Essence with the Father
He
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father (John 14:9).
Philip
saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us
(John 14:8). To these words, the Lord Jesus replied: Have I been so
long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father (John 14:9). Thus replied
the Lord to His disciple. Philip wanted to see God with his bodily
eyes. Yet, for three years he looked upon Christ, and did not
recognize Him as God. Why? Because, before the descent of the Holy
Spirit, Philip looked with the body at the body. In other words, he
perceived with bodily eyes, and saw the Lord Jesus Christ as a man. He
still had not seen the divinity in the Son of God Incarnate, and yet
he sought to see God the Father! He that hath seen Me hath seen the
Father. By this the Lord did not want to say that He was God the
Father, but that He and the Father are of one Essence. Insofar as God
could reveal Himself to men, He revealed Himself through the Son, who
appeared to men as a man. God the Father did not become incarnate; God
the Holy Spirit did not become incarnate; but God the Son did become
incarnate. How then, could He show His Father to the bodily eyes of a
mortal man? This is precisely why the Son became incarnate, to reveal
Himself to men-Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit:
consubstantial unity, in three Persons. He that hath seen Me hath
seen the Father. Here, the Lord speaks of His divine nature. In
that, he is completely equal and of one Essence with the Father. So it
is that, had Philip perceived the divine nature of Christ, he would
not have made the request: Show us the Father. Naturally, he
could not have seen the divine nature, as it is spiritual and
invisible; but he could see-and see clearly-the great works of Christ
as a manifestation of His divine nature. Brethren, even today, some
men say: ``Show us God and we will believe!'' We should say to them:
``Behold, we show you the Lord Jesus-believe!'' ``I have been with you
for nineteen centuries, O men, and have you not recognized Me?''
Nineteen centuries filled with His glory, miracles, power, grace,
mercy, saints and martyrs! And there are still imbeciles who ask:
``Where is God?''
O Lord
Christ our God, open the spiritual eyes of those who still do not see,
that they may see the majesty of Thy glory.
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October
5th (New Style) • September 22nd (Old Style)
The
Hieromartyr Phocas, Bishop of Sinope
Phocas
exercised himself in all the Christian virtues from his youth. As
bishop in his birthplace, the town of Sinope on the shores of the
Black Sea, he strengthened the faith of the true believers by his
example and divine words and converted many idol-worshipers to the
true Faith. The hard-hearted pagans were filled with rage against holy
Phocas. Through a vision granted him by the Lord, he foresaw his
martyrdom: Phocas saw a white dove fly down from heaven carrying a
beautiful wreath of flowers in its beak, and lowered the wreath onto
his head. And Phocas heard a voice, saying: ``Your cup is full and you
should drink it!'' From this vision the God-pleaser realized that he
was soon to suffer for Christ. He was not afraid, but with gratitude
toward God prepared himself for suffering. Soon after, a certain
prince, Africanus, took Phocas for interrogation, and subjected him to
harsh tortures. The torturers beat and wounded his whole body, and
after a time of imprisonment threw him into boiling water, where this
brave soldier of Christ ended his earthly life and settled in the joy
of his Lord. Phocas suffered during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
The
Holy Prophet Jonah
Jonah
lived more than eight hundred years before Christ. It is said that he
was that son of the widow of Zarephath in Sidon whom the Prophet Elias
had raised from the dead. By his three-day sojourn in the belly of the
whale, he prefigured the three days that Christ lay in the tomb; and,
by his deliverance from the belly of the whale, he prefigured the
Lord's Resurrection from the dead. Everything else concerning this
wonderful prophet can be read in the Book of Jonah.
The
Holy Martyr Phocas the Gardener
Phocas
was a compatriot of the Hieromartyr Phocas. He had a garden in Sinope,
near the Black Sea, that he himself cultivated. He treated all
passers-by with the fruits of his garden, not missing an opportunity
to feed their souls with the word of God. But a certain prince who
persecuted Christians heard of him, and sent soldiers to kill him.
Phocas treated the soldiers so cordially that they hesitated to kill
him. However, by his own insistent request, they carried out the
command and beheaded him. In that place, over his miracle-working
relics, a church was soon built in his name. St. Phocas is especially
venerated by sailors, and is invoked for help by all who travel by
sea. Phocas suffered in the year 320.
The
Venerable Cosmas of Zographou
Cosmas
was of a noble family from Bulgaria. When his parents wanted him to
marry, Cosmas fled to Mount Athos. He was a hermit and miracle-worker.
He labored ascetically in a cave near the Monastery of Zographou. The
Holy Theotokos appeared to him on more than one occasion. He is known
as the greatest ascetic and miracle-worker of Zographou. The
formidable cell in which Cosmas labored in silence and struggled with
demons exists even today to the northwest of the Monastery of
Zographou. With spiritual sight and clairvoyance, he described events
in distant times and places. He died in old age, on September 22,
1323, and after a life of much labor took up his habitation in the joy
of his Lord.
Saint
Peter the Merciful
Peter
was a God-pleaser of the sixth century. (See ``Reflection'' below.)
Saint
Jonah the Presbyter
Jonah
was the father of St. Theophanes, the writer of canons, and St.
Theodore the Branded. Jonah was a miracle-worker and died in the
Monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified in the ninth century.
Reflection
When a
man clearly senses God's mercy toward him, he is startled, as from a
dull and senseless dream, and becomes ashamed of his long blindness to
God's unceasing compassion. In the time of Emperor Justinian, the
chief imperial tax collector in Africa was a certain Peter, a very
wealthy but very hard and merciless man. The beggars grumbled among
themselves, that not one of them had ever received alms from Peter.
Then, one of them bet that he would succeed in getting alms from
Peter. He persistently begged alms of the miser until Peter, in a
rage, hit him with a loaf of bread, since he had nothing else close at
hand. Joyfully the beggar took the bread and fled. Immediately after
this Peter became seriously ill and had this vision: He was being
interrogated by demons in the other world. There was a scale, and on
one side of it, the demons heaped Peter's sins, making that side
extremely heavy. On the other side-which was empty-angels stood,
sorrowing that they had not even one good deed in Peter's life to help
balance the scale. One of them said: ``We have nothing to place on the
scale except one loaf of bread, with which he struck a beggar the day
before yesterday.'' The angels placed this one loaf of bread on the
empty side of the scale, and that loaf of bread outweighed the other
side of the scale, laden with all of Peter's sins. When the vision was
over Peter said to himself: ``Indeed, this was not an apparition but
the living truth, for I saw all my sins from my youth. And when I can
be helped so much by one loaf of bread that I threw at a beggar, how
much help would I receive from many deeds of almsgiving, performed
from the heart and with humility?'' And from that time, Peter became
the most compassionate man in his town. He distributed all of his
possessions to the poor, and when he had finished distributing his
possessions, he sold himself into slavery for thirty gold pieces and
distributed even his own price as a slave to the poor as alms in the
name of Christ. He was, thereafter, called Peter the Merciful.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wrath of God against King Jehoshaphat (II Chronicles 18-20):
1. How Jehoshaphat allied himself with the apostate King Ahab, and
almost perished;
2. How he allied himself with King Ahaziah, and again suffered a great
loss;
3. How God does not wish the faithful to unite with unbelievers.
Homily
On God
the Holy Spirit, the Comforter
And
I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that
He may abide with you forever (John 14:16).
Brethren,
where there is love, there are no commands; requests take the place of
commands. Among those who love one another, a request has greater
power than does a command among those who do not love. The Holy
Trinity represents the supreme kingdom and majesty of love. Isaiah
refers to the Holy Trinity as Mighty Counsel (Isaiah 9:6) and
the Incarnate Son of God as Angel of Great Counsel-that is,
messenger. How does this counsel relate to the unity of God? You
yourself are one being, but you still take counsel with yourself. Your
mind asks your will, ``Can you?'' and asks your heart, ``Do you want
to?'' And the will and the heart ask your mind: ``Do you know how?''
And, yet, even with this internal counseling with yourself, you are
still one-one man, one person. Naturally, this is but a pale
illustration and shadow of the Holy Trinity and Their perfect counsel,
for there is complete equality and harmony of Persons in the Holy
Trinity. That which the Father wills, the Son and the Holy Spirit
immediately will. And He shall give you another Comforter.
See
how confident the Son of God is-that whatever He would request and
counsel would immediately be confirmed in the great Divine Counsel?
The Father will agree to send, and the Spirit will agree to be sent.
The Son of God does not say: ``I will pray to the Father to give you,
and I believe that He will give you.'' Rather, He says: ``I will pray
and He will give you.'' He knows in advance that the Father will give
what He asks. He knows this-if it can be thus said-from His own
eternal experience. For through all eternity harmony reigns, has
reigned and will reign between the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. He shall give you another Comforter. By these words,
the complete equality of the Son and the Holy Spirit is revealed. In
other words, ``The Father will send you another Comforter-equal
in power with Me, of one Essence with Me and equal in honor with Me.
He will be able to fully act for Me in His way in accordance with His
Divine Person, which is uniquely different from My Person as the
Son.''
O
my brethren, do you see how the undivided Holy Trinity participates in
our salvation? Do you see Whose we are? Do you see what dignity is
given to us mortal and sinful ones? O Most-holy and Most-glorious
Trinity our God, have mercy on us and save us.
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October
6th (New Style) • September 23rd (Old Style)
The
Conception of Saint John the Baptist
On this
day the mercy, miracles and wisdom of God are celebrated: His mercy
toward the devout and righteous parents of St. John, the aged
Zacharias and Elizabeth, who all their lives had wished for and begged
a child from God; His miracle, that of John's conception in the aged
womb of Elizabeth; His wisdom, in the dispensation of man's salvation.
God had an especially great intention for John: namely, that he be the
Prophet and Forerunner of Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world.
Through His angels, God announced the births of Isaac to the childless
Sarah, Samson to the childless wife of Manoah, and John the Forerunner
to the childless Zacharias and Elizabeth. All of these were those for
whom He had special intentions, and he foretold their birth through
his angels. How could children be born of aged parents? If someone
desires to understand this, he should not ask men about it, for men do
not know; nor should he study natural law, for this is beyond natural
law. Rather, he should turn his gaze upon the power of the Almighty
God, Who created the whole world from nothing, and Who needed no
parents-old or young-for the creation of the first man, Adam. Instead
of being curious, let us give thanks to God, Who often reveals His
power, mercy and wisdom to us in ways that are beyond natural law-in
which we would be imprisoned without these special miracles of God,
and would fall into despair and forgetfulness of God.
The
Holy Martyr Iraida
In some
places Iraida is called Rhais or Raida. She was a maiden from the town
of Batan in Egypt, and was therefore probably an Egyptian. Once,
Iraida went out to draw water from a well near the sea, and saw a ship
laden with bound Christians: priests, deacons, monks, women and
maidens. Inquiring, she learned that all of these people were being
transported by the pagan persecutors to torture and death for the name
of Jesus Christ. Young Iraida's heart suddenly flared up with the
desire to suffer for the Lord. Leaving her pots by the well, she
boarded the ship and confessed that she too was a Christian. They
immediately bound her with the others and took them all to the
Egyptian city of Antinopolis. After various tortures, Iraida was the
first to be beheaded, followed by the others. She suffered honorably
and was glorified at the beginning of the fourth century.
The
Holy New Martyr Nicholas Pantopolis
As a
young man, Nicholas suffered for the Christian Faith at the hands of
the Turks in Constantinople in 1672. His father had come to
Constantinople from Thessaly and, as his father owned a variety shop,
he was called Pantopolis. After much pressure to become a Moslem, and
after much torturing because he refused, Nicholas was beheaded and
took up his abode in the Kingdom of God. His relics repose in the
Monastery of Xeropotamou, on the Holy Mountain.
The
Holy New Martyr John
John was
born in a place called Konitsa in Albania. He was a Moslem of Moslem
parents. After witnessing the miraculous power of the Christian Faith
in various places and situations, he accepted baptism. For this, he
was denounced and brought before the Turkish court. Tortured by the
Turks for the Christian Faith in Aitolia, he was beheaded in the year
1814. Before his death, John cried out: ``Remember me, O Lord, in Thy
Kingdom!''
Reflection
He who
gives to the poor, gives to Christ. This is the meaning of the Gospel
teaching, and it has been confirmed in the experience of the saints.
Upon his repentance, Peter the Merciful gave alms to the poor wherever
the opportunity presented itself. On one occasion Peter encountered a
shipwrecked man who had barely managed to save his naked body from the
wreck. The man begged him for some clothing. Peter removed his costly
cloak and clothed the naked man with it. Shortly afterward, Peter saw
his cloak in the shop of a merchant, who had it displayed for sale.
Peter was very saddened that the shipwrecked man had sold his cloak
instead of using it for himself. Peter thought: ``I am not worthy; the
Lord does not accept my alms.'' But later, the Lord appeared to him in
a dream. He appeared as a handsome man, brighter than the sun, with a
cross on His head, wearing Peter's cloak. ``Peter, why art thou sad?''
asked the Lord. ``My Lord, why would I not be sad, when I see that
which I gave to the poor being sold at the market?'' Then the Lord
asked him: ``Dost thou recognize this garment on Me?'' Peter replied:
``I recognize it, Lord; that is my garment with which I clothed the
naked man.'' Then the Lord spoke to him again: ``Therefore do not be
sad; thou gavest it to the poor man, and I received it, and I praise
thy deed.''
Contemplation
Contemplate
the sins of King Jehoram and God's punishment of him (II Chronicles
21):
1. How Jehoram slew all his brothers, and restored idolatry in the
groves and the hills;
2. How his enemies plundered and enslaved the land;
3. How he was smitten with a grave illness of the bowels and died, and
no one mourned for him.
Homily
On God
the Holy Spirit, Who proceedeth from the Father
But
when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall
testify of Me (John 15:26).
Brethren,
the depths of the Essence of God are unfathomable. But God has neither
hidden all from us, nor did He reveal all to us. He has revealed to us
as much as our weakness can bear, and as much as is necessary for our
salvation. Concerning the Holy Spirit, it has been revealed to us that
He proceedeth from the Father and is sent by the Son. Let no
one seek further, lest they fall into error. Since He proceedeth
from the Father, He is of one Essence with the Father; since He is
sent by the Son to continue the Son's work, He is equal to the Son.
The Lord said earlier: The Father … beareth witness of Me
(John 8:18); and now He says of the Spirit of Truth that He shall
testify of Me. Both these witnesses are the same; that is why the
Lord cites one at one time and the other at another time. He Who has
borne witness and He Who will bear witness are equal in Essence-for
the Lord would not have the witness for the future be less than the
witness for the past. Thus, we are speaking in human terms with regard
to time; but in reality, the Three bear witness eternally in heaven,
according to the words of the Evangelist: For there are Three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and
these Three are One (I John 5:7).
There
are men who assert that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and
the Son. Who revealed this to them, and when? We know that the Holy
Spirit proceeds from the Father, for that was revealed to us by the
Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we reject such an
addition to our Orthodox Faith, as it does not agree with the words of
the Lord Himself. Yet, if we are to truly understand the words of the
Most-pure Lord, our hearts must be made very pure. Therefore, we must
make more of an effort to cleanse our hearts from passions, rather
than obeying vain curiosity by prying into the endless depths of God's
being with unclean hearts-for those who do that fall into heresy and
lose their souls.
O Lord
God, great and mighty, we thank Thee that Thou hast come to us through
our Savior Jesus Christ; and thereby, we know that we are not the
children of darkness, but rather the sons of light.
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