The
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
The Holy
Virgin Mary was born of aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was
of the lineage of David, and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus,
she was of royal birth by her father, and of priestly birth by her
mother. In this, she foreshadowed Him Who would be born of her as King
and High Priest. Her parents were quite old and had no children.
Because of this they were ashamed before men and humble before God. In
their humility they prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in
their old age by giving them a child, as He had once given joy to the
aged Abraham and his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac. The Almighty and
All-seeing God rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their
expectations and all their most beautiful dreams. For He gave them not
just a daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only
with temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just
one daughter, and she would later give them just one grandson-but what
a daughter and what a Grandson! Mary, Full of grace, Blessed among
women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Altar of the Living God, the
Table of the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God's Holiness, the Tree of
the Sweetest Fruit, the Glory of the race of man, the Praise of
womanhood, the Fount of virginity and purity-this was the daughter
given by God to Joachim and Anna. She was born in Nazareth, and at the
age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young
womanhood she returned again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter heard
the Annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of
the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure virgin
body.
The
Feast of the Holy Theotokos of Kalito
In the
Monastery of the Holy Theotokos near the village of Kalito, west of
Struga in Macedonia, the Holy Mother of God manifested her power and
mercy through numerous miracles. Many of the sick were miraculously
healed, and thieves who thought to plunder or desecrate the monastery
were severely punished by an invisible power. There is a
miracle-working icon of the Holy Theotokos in the church there;
nearby, there are two springs of healing water: that of St. Peter and
that of St. Ananias. The Chapel of St. Athanasius is located in a cave
not far from the main church.
The
Feast of the Icon of the Holy Theotokos of Pochaev
In the
province of Volhynia there is a famous Monastery of the Holy
Theotokos, in Pochaev. The Holy Mother of God first appeared in about
1340 to one of two monks who were laboring in asceticism in a cave
there. From that time on, the place has been an inexhaustible font of
numerous miracles.
Reflection
St.
Dionysius the Areopagite writes of the immeasurable joy, the outer and
inner radiance, and the indescribable fragrance that he sensed in the
presence of the Holy Theotokos when he visited her in Jerusalem. In
his zeal, he says that if he had not known the One True God, he would
have recognized her, the Holy Virgin Mary, as God. The Holy Virgin
made such a powerful and unique impression on men during her earthly
life-and she received an incomparably greater power and glory after
her physical death when, by the will of God, she was exalted above the
heavenly hosts. Her power comes from her ceaseless prayer for the
faithful, for all those who turn to her for help. When St. John of
Novgorod and his people prayed to her for help against a hostile army,
he understood that she was simultaneously praying to the Lord with
tears in their behalf, and Novgorod was miraculously saved. As she was
compassionate toward her crucified Son, so the Holy Most-pure One is
also compassionate toward all those in need, and who turn to her for
help. It could be said that the entire earth is covered by the
miracles of her mercy. Even today, there lives in Belgrade a café
owner (C. J.), who was born in the village of Labuni te (Macedonia)
outside Struga. His mother brought him blind to the Monastery of Kali
to, where, after the priest prayed over him before the icon of the
Holy Theotokos, he received his sight. The first monk at Pochaev saw a
fiery pillar extending from earth to heaven, and in that flaming
pillar he saw the Holy Theotokos. She was standing on a rock. On the
spot where she stood, a spring of healing water sprang forth: even
today, it heals many of the sick.
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's wonderful gift to Solomon (I Kings 3):
1. How the Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon, and asked him his
desire;
2. How Solomon asked for an understanding heart, in order to
judge the people and recognize good and evil;
3. How God gave him that which he sought, as well as that which he did
not seek.
Homily
On the
equality of the Son and the Father
The
Son can do nothing of Himself but what He seeth the Father do (John
5:19).
Brethren,
how are we to understand these words? In the same way as some heretics
understood them-that is, that the Son is lesser and weaker than the
Father? In no way. The mouths that interpreted these words of the Lord
this way spoke blasphemy. We must understand these words as our Holy
Fathers understood them-that the Son is equal to the Father in all
things; and that, because of their equality of will, love, and wisdom,
the Son can do nothing contrary to the Father's will, or contrary to
the love of the Father, or contrary to the wisdom of the Father. Thus,
the Father cannot do anything contrary to the Son, and the Holy Spirit
cannot do anything contrary to the Father or the Son. Everything that
the Father wills and loves and thinks, is also willed, loved and
thought by the Son and the Holy Spirit. Harmony unequaled; unity
undivided; being inexpressible! Therefore, it is obvious that the Son
can and will do nothing of Himself-nothing of His own accord,
nothing without harmony and unity with the power of the Father and the
will of the Father. The Lord Himself further witnesses that this
interpretation is true by His words: For as the Father raiseth up
the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will
(John 5:21). Do you see the equality of will and power? That which the
Father wills, the Son wills also; that which the Father can do, the
Son can also do. Therefore, let no one separate Their Divinity, and
thus bring down a curse upon himself. God cannot be divided, and one
who tries to divide Divinity-and to lessen one Person and to exalt the
other Person-cannot be saved.
O
Most-holy Trinity our God, Three in Persons, and One in Essence- Life,
Light and Love-look down upon us, and have mercy on us.
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September
22nd (New Style) • September 9th (Old Style)
Saints
Joachim and Anna
St.
Joachim was of the lineage of Judah and a descendant of King David.
Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, from the lineage of Levi,
as was Aaron the high priest. Matthan had three daughters: Mary,
Sophia and Anna. Mary married, lived in Bethlehem and gave birth to
Salome; Sophia married, also lived in Bethlehem, and gave birth to
Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Forerunner; Anna married Joachim
in Nazareth, and in old age gave birth to Mary, the Most-holy
Theotokos. Joachim and Anna had lived together in marriage for fifty
years, and yet had remained barren. They lived devoutly and quietly,
and of all their income they spent one third on themselves,
distributed one third to the poor and gave the other third to the
Temple, and they were well provided for. Once when in their old age
they came to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice to God, the high priest
Issachar reprimanded Joachim, saying: ``You are not worthy that a gift
be accepted from your hands, for you are childless.'' Others, who had
children, pushed Joachim behind them as one unworthy. This greatly
grieved these two aged souls and they returned home in great sorrow.
Then the two of them fell down before God in prayer, that He work a
miracle with them as He once had with Abraham and Sarah, and give them
a child as a comfort in their old age. Then God sent His angel, who
announced to them the birth of ``a daughter most-blessed, by whom all
nations on earth will be blessed and through whom the salvation of the
world will come.'' Anna straightway conceived, and in nine months gave
birth to the Holy Virgin Mary. St. Joachim lived for eighty years and
Anna lived for seventy-nine, at which time they reposed in the Lord.
The
Commemoration of the Third Ecumenical Council
This
Council met in Ephesus in 431 at the time of Emperor Theodosius the
Younger. There were two hundred Holy Fathers present at this Council.
This Council condemned Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, for his
heretical teachings concerning the Most-holy Virgin Mary and the birth
of the Lord. Nestorius did not want to call the Holy Virgin the
Theotokos (Birth-giver of God), but rather the Christotokos
(Birth-giver of Christ). The Holy Fathers condemned the teachings of
Nestorius and confirmed that the Holy Virgin be called the Theotokos.
Besides this, the Council confirmed the decisions of the First and
Second Ecumenical Councils-especially as regarding the Nicaean-Constantinopolitan
Creed, commanding that no one take from or add to the Creed.
The
Holy Martyr Severian
Severian
was a nobleman from Sebaste. During the martyrdom of the Forty Martyrs
of Sebaste (March 9), he visited them in prison, encouraging and
ministering to them. After their glorious repose he too was arrested,
beaten and tortured for Christ. Finally, he was hanged from a tree
with a heavy stone around his neck and another dangling from his feet.
Giving thanks to God for everything, Severian gave up his spirit. This
was during the reign of Emperor Licinius, in the year 320.
Saint
Theophanes the Confessor and Faster
After
a God-pleasing life and much suffering, Theophanes reposed peacefully
in the year 299.
Saint
Nicetas the God-pleaser
Nicetas
lived in Constantinople in the twelfth century. He so pleased God by
his life that the church doors opened of themselves before him, and
the icon lamps lit by themselves. Such was the power of his prayer. At
the wish of Deacon Sozon, and by the prayer of Nicetas, a priest
appeared from the other world, from whom Sozon had been estranged and
had remained unreconciled. There first appeared a row of priests
vested in white and then another row of priests in red vestments.
Sozon recognized his former opponent among them, and made peace with
him. This occurred at night, in the Blachernae Church.
Reflection
One
should not give alms with pride but rather with humility, considering
the one to whom the alms are given to be better than oneself. Did not
the Lord Himself say: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me (Matthew
25:40)? Theophanes the Confessor possessed a mind illumined by the
light of Christ, even as a child. Once, while walking along the
street, he saw a naked child freezing. He quickly removed his clothes,
clothed the child and thus warmed him and brought him back to life. He
then returned home naked. His startled parents asked him: ``Where are
your clothes?'' To this Theophanes replied: ``I clothed Christ.'' This
is why he was given the grace of Christ, and was later a great
ascetic, a sufferer for the Christian Faith and a miracle-worker.
Often, when we give alms, either in someone else's name or in our own
name, we cannot avoid pride which, as soon as it appears in the heart,
destroys all the good deeds performed. When we give to the beggar as
to a beggar and not as to Christ, we cannot avoid pride or disdain.
What value is there in performing an act of mercy, while taking pride
in ourselves and disdaining the man? Virtue is not a virtue when it is
mixed with sin, just as milk is not milk when it is mixed with
gasoline or vinegar.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wisdom of Solomon (I Kings 3):
1. How two women disputed over a child, and each said that the child
was hers;
2. How Solomon ordered that the child be cut in two; and one half be
given to each woman;
3. How the real mother cried out for the child, and thus made it known
that the child was hers.
Homily
On God's
testimony of Himself
If I
bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true (John 5:31).
This
is how the Lord spoke to a false and lying people. He spoke these
words to the elders of the Jews, not as an instruction, but rather as
a reproach. They did not believe one man when he spoke for himself,
but rather sought two witnesses. Brethren, do not even think that what
the Lord says of Himself is not true-but rather, that the Jews did not
consider it as true. From this, according to the interpretation of our
Holy Fathers, the words My witness is not true must be
understood to mean that this witness was not true in the eyes of the
Jews. That every word that the Lord Jesus spoke about Himself is true
He expressed in another place, saying: Though I bear record of
Myself, yet My record is true (John 8:14). Here the Lord teaches,
there He reproaches; here He confirms how a thing is; there, how the
thing seemed to be to the Jews. The Jews did not believe His witness
about Himself, but sought other witnesses. Therefore, He cited three
great witnesses-the witness of His own works: The same works that I
do, bear witness of Me (John 5:36); the witness of His Heavenly
Father, Who bore witness to Him as His Son at the Jordan and on Mount
Tabor: And the Father himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne
witness of Me (John 5:37); and finally, the witness of the Holy
Scriptures: Search the scriptures … they are they which testify
of Me (John 5:39). With a bit of understanding, what other kind of
witness would a man require? But the understanding of the Jewish
elders was darkened to so great an extent that they were unable to see
or understand anything. When the Lord, the Lover of Mankind, did all
that was necessary to save the Jewish elders, and when they rejected
all the witnesses about Him, thereby rejecting even their own
salvation, He then said to them: Though I bear record of Myself,
yet My record is true (John 8:14).
O
my brethren, let us not be stony-hearted as were those blind elders,
and let us not reject our only salvation. We do not seek any other
witnesses, but rather believe that which the Lord Jesus alone says of
Himself. He said of Himself, I am … the Truth (John 14:6),
and it is by this Truth that we are nourished and saved.
O
Lord Jesus, the Living Truth, the Eternal Truth-do not withdraw from
us, but enlighten us and save us.
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September
23rd (New Style) • September 10th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora and Nymphodora
They
were sisters by birth and grew up somewhere in Asian Bithynia. Reared
in the spirit of Christianity, they withdrew from the city to the
wilderness, wishing to elevate their minds to God and to free
themselves of everything in this deceitful world, and to live this
life in purity and virginity as true brides of Christ. They dedicated
themselves to great labor, fasting and prayer, until God adorned them
with the gift of miracle-working. When people began to bring the sick
to them for healing, they became well known against their will. A
certain governor, Fronton, heard of them and brought them to trial.
Upon seeing them, the governor was amazed at the beauty of their
faces. For, even though they were great fasters and their bodies were
withered, their faces were radiant, illumined by inward peace and the
grace of God. At first, the governor flattered them and promised to
send them to the emperor, who would give them in marriage to his
noblemen. But when he was convinced that all of his flattery and
promises had no effect on these brides of Christ, he ordered that
Menodora be tortured first, and her sisters thrown into prison. After
cruel tortures, the governor cried out to Menodora, who was wounded
and bloody: ``Offer sacrifice to the gods!'' To this the holy martyr
replied: ``Do you not see that I am offering my entire self as a
sacrifice to my God?'' When St. Menodora was slain by the tortures,
the governor then brought out the remaining two sisters, and stood
them by the dead body of Menodora. Pointing to the body of their
sister, he counseled them to deny Christ. Since they remained
steadfast, he slew them by harsh tortures. Just then, a thunderbolt
struck from heaven, and killed the soulless Fronton and his servants.
Christians honorably buried the bodies of these holy martyrs of God.
They suffered between the years of 305 and 311, during the reign of
Maximian Galerius, and found rest in the Kingdom of Christ.
Saint
Pulcheria the Empress
She was
the daughter of Emperor Arcadius. She vowed to remain a virgin for
life, and, as a sign of this vow, she had an altar of gold and
precious stones built in the cathedral church. She reigned with her
brother, Theodosius the Younger. Pulcheria was a great zealot for the
Orthodox Faith. At her insistence, the Third Ecumenical Council, which
condemned the Nestorian heresy, was convened in Ephesus. She built the
famous Church of the Holy Theotokos of Blachernae in Constantinople.
Following the death of Theodosius, she married Marcian, the
emperor-elect, but lived with him as with a brother. She discovered
the relics of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. She reposed in the Lord on
September 10, 453, at the age of fifty-five.
Saints
Apollos, Lucius and Clement
Apostles
Apollos, Lucius, and Clement were numbered among the Seventy. Apollos
(Acts 18:24-25) was bishop in Smyrna before St. Polycarp. St. Lucius
(Romans 16:21) was bishop in Laodicea. St. Clement was bishop in
Sardis.
The
Three Holy Women
A
noblewoman from Constantinople, with her two servants, despised the
vanity of the world and withdrew to solitude where, after eleven years
of asceticism, they rested in the Lord.
Reflection
Examples
of courage and patience displayed by martyred Christian
women-thousands upon thousands of them-have shone with radiant glory
on all the pages of the history of the Christian Church. However, as
amazing as these examples of voluntary martyrs are, the examples of
ascetics, known and unknown, are not a bit less amazing, for
asceticism is nothing less than prolonged martyrdom. Paul, the Bishop
of Monemvasia, has given to posterity an instructive example of women
ascetics. While he was still a layman and a collector of the royal
tax, it happened that he stayed in a certain monastery. Seeing ravens
landing on the fruit trees, breaking off branches with fruit and
carrying them away, Paul wondered at this, and followed them with the
monks to see where they were taking the fruit. Going thus, they came
upon an impassable forest. The ravens landed at the bottom, deposited
the broken fruit branches, and quickly returned. Paul and the monks
investigated, and discovered a cave in which three women ascetics were
living. The oldest one related their life story to them: She was of
noble birth, from Constantinople. When her husband died, another
nobleman wanted to take her as his wife by force. However, she decided
that after the death of her first husband she would spend the
remainder of her life in chastity. Therefore she distributed her
wealth to the poor and fled to this deserted place with two of her
maidservants. They lived there for eleven years in fasting and prayer,
seeing no one and seen by no one but God. God the Provider arranged
for the birds to bring them fruit for nourishment. Then they asked the
abbot to bring them Holy Communion. Three days after they had received
Holy Communion, all three of these holy women reposed, and the monks
honorably buried them.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the riches and glory of Solomon (I Kings 5:5-10):
1. How Solomon built a majestic Temple to God and then built cities
and ships;
2. How the neighboring rulers were amazed at Solomon; how Hiram served
him and the Queen of Sheba visited him;
3. How Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed as gloriously as a
lily of the field.
Homily
On how
sinful men prefer to receive an evildoer rather than a doer of good
I
am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall
come in his own name, him ye will receive (John
5:43).
Who is
this ``other'' who will come in his own name, and whom sinful men will
prefer to receive rather than Christ the Lord? It is he who does not
carry the cross and does not walk the narrow path; he who is not a
lover of man but rather a hater of man; he who does not struggle
against sin but rather struggles for sin; he who loves impurity and
spreads impurity; he who is a soldier of eternal death and not of
eternal life; he who flatters the godless and loves every passion and
vice: he is Antichrist. He will come in his own name and not in the
name of God, and all those who did not receive Christ will receive
him. He will be more dear to them, for he will embrace all their
crooked and sinful paths. He will be more dear to them than Christ,
for alongside the difficult path of Christ he will build a path smooth
as ice, over which men will easily slide, not thinking about the abyss
to which it leads them. The Lord Jesus Christ came in the name of the
eternal salvation of men, eternal life, eternal truth and eternal
justice. Antichrist will come in his own name, that is, in the name of
eternal destruction, death, falsehood and injustice. When the
Antichrist comes among his own, his own will gladly receive him. In
fact, all those for whom Christ is difficult will gladly receive
Antichrist, for he and his path will appear easy to them. Only when it
is too late will the foolish see that they were deceived, but there
will be no salvation for them. When they begin to slide into eternal
night, into the jaws of the fetid serpent, then it will be too late;
repentance will not be accepted and there will be no salvation. The
foolish banquet of earthly sinners and Antichrist will be over
quickly, in the blink of an eye, and the house of impure joy will turn
into a hopeless prison of remorse and misery. Then it will be too
late.
O
man-loving Lord, the only friend of man, Thee only do we know and
recognize. Thee, only Thee, do we receive as our Savior and salvation.
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September
24th (New Style) • September 11th (Old Style)
The
Venerable Theodora
Theodora
was from Alexandria and the wife of a young man. Persuaded by a
fortune-teller, she committed adultery with another man and
immediately felt the bitter pangs of conscience. She cut her hair,
dressed in men's clothing and entered the Monastery of Octodecatos,
under the male name of Theodore. Her labor, fasting, vigilance,
humbleness and tearful repentance amazed the entire brotherhood. When
a promiscuous young woman slandered her, saying that Theodore had made
her pregnant, Theodora did not want to justify herself, but considered
this slander as a punishment from God for her earlier sin. Banished
from the monastery, she spent seven years living in the forest and
wilderness and, in addition, caring for the child of that promiscuous
girl. She overcame all diabolical temptations: she refused to worship
Satan, refused to accept food from the hands of a soldier, and refused
to heed the pleas of her husband to return to him-for all of this was
only a diabolical illusion, and as soon as Theodora made the sign of
the Cross everything vanished as smoke. After seven years, the abbot
received her back into the monastery, where she lived for two more
years, and reposed in the Lord. Only then did the monks learn that she
was a woman; an angel appeared to the abbot and explained everything
to him. Her husband came to the burial, and then remained in the cell
of his former wife until his repose. St. Theodora possessed much grace
from God: she tamed wild beasts, healed infirmities, and brought forth
water from a dry well. Thus, God glorified a true penitent, who with
heroic patience repented nine years for just one sin. She reposed in
the year 490.
Saint
Paphnutius the Confessor
Paphnutius
was the Bishop of Taiski in the Egyptian Thebaid. He suffered greatly
for the Orthodox Faith. The heretics gouged out one of his eyes and
broke his left leg. He participated in the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea,
325], refuting the heresy of Arius with great vigor. Emperor
Constantine greatly respected him, and often kissed him on his missing
eye, gouged out for the truth of Orthodoxy. He stood decisively
against the western representatives at the Council who proposed that
secular priests be completely forbidden marriage. Paphnutius was
chaste his entire life.
The
Venerable Euphrosynus the Cook
Euphrosynus
was a simple man, but a man of God. He served as the cook in an
Amorean monastery in the ninth century. One night, the spiritual
father of this monastery saw himself in Paradise, and saw Euphrosynus
there as well. Euphrosynus picked and gave him three apples from
Paradise. When the spiritual father awoke, he saw three unusually
beautiful and fragrant apples by his pillow. He quickly found
Euphrosynus and asked him: ``Where were you last night, brother?'' ``I
was where you were, father,'' the blessed God-pleaser replied. The
spiritual father then revealed the entire incident to the monks, and
all recognized the sanctity and godliness of Euphrosynus. But
Euphrosynus, fearing the praise of men, immediately fled the monastery
and hid in the wilderness, where he spent the remainder of his life.
The
Holy Martyr Ia
Ia was
denounced by idolatrous priests and suffered for the Lord in Persia
during the reign of Sapor II, in 363. According to tradition, the sun
became dark at the time of her death, and all the air was filled with
a wondrous fragrance. She is glorified by the Lord forever.
Holy
Martyrs Diodorus, Didymus and Diomedes
They
were flogged for the sake of Christ in Laodicea, and gave their souls
into the hands of their Lord.
Reflection
One must
not hinder anyone on the path of perfect devotion and service to God.
Many saintly women who wanted to flee from marriage and devote
themselves to God were pursued and hindered in this by their husbands.
These women were usually victorious in the end, remaining steadfast in
their intention, and often awakened the consciences of their husbands
by their example, and directed them on the path of salvation. St.
Theodora, dressed in men's clothing, had to carefully hide from her
husband, and she retreated to a men's monastery. However, there were
prudent husbands who approved their wives' intentions, permitting
their withdrawal from the world to devote their lives completely to
God. King Frederick was betrothed to a Czech maiden, Agnes. But she
never agreed to enter into marriage, and broke her betrothal, fleeing
to a monastery. Then the prudent king said: ``Had she left me for a
mortal man, I would have sought revenge; but I must not find myself
insulted that she chose the Heavenly King in place of me.''
Contemplation
Contemplate
Solomon's terrible turning away from God, and God's punishment (I
Kings 11):
1. How, in his old age, Solomon was captivated by many women, turned
away from God, and began to serve idols;
2. How God became enraged and gave the kingdom over to Solomon's
servant;
3. How Solomon turned away from God, even though God had appeared to
him twice, and even though he had endowed him with wisdom and great
glory;
4. How even the greatest man can fall, if he does not watch over
himself with the fear of God.
Homily
On
Christ as the Bread of life
I
am the Bread of life (John 6:35).
Who can
give life, my brethren, other than the One who created it? Who, in
truth, can the Bread of life be, other than our Creator? He created,
He sustains, He nourishes and He gives life. If wheat nourishes the
body, Christ nourishes the soul. If our body is sustained by earthly
bread, our soul is nourished and lives by Christ. If our souls are
nourished by some other food, and not by Christ, our souls decay and
die, and do not live. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but
for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life (John 6:27). So
says the Lord in a previous statement. First, He examines the hunger
of men and then offers bread to satisfy it. Indeed, He offers the
hunger, and then bread, for men are confused with regard to hunger.
They are hungry for something but do not know what. Even when
satisfied with earthly food and even when overfilled, they feel a
certain insatiable hunger. Although they see that the whole earth, and
all the bread on earth, cannot satisfy this mysterious hunger, they
rush after earthly food; they vie for the earth and only for the
earth. The true hunger of men is the hunger for heaven, for eternal
life, for God. The Lord Jesus first emphasizes that hunger, and then
prepares the meal for its satisfaction. He Himself is that meal: I
am the Bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger (John
6:35). They shall be satisfied, they shall rejoice, they shall be
enlivened, they shall know God, and they shall know themselves. O my
brethren, He will raise them from the dead! For constant feeding on
the food which perishes, without immortal, spiritual food,
gradually dulls the soul and finally renders it completely dead. Dead
of what? Of hunger. The body is of the earth and is satisfied with
earthly food, but the soul is of the breath of the Source of life
Himself, and seeks food and drink from its one and only Source.
O Lord
Jesus, Bread of eternal life, of true and imperishable life, sweetest
Bread-nourish us with Thyself.
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September
25th (New Style) • September 12th (Old Style)
The
Hieromartyr Autonomus
During
Diocletian's persecution, Autonomus left Italy for Asian Bithynia, for
a place called Soreoi. There, he converted many to Christianity, and
built a church for them dedicated to the holy Archangel Michael.
Autonomus lived in the home of a devout Christian, Cornelius, whom he
first ordained as a presbyter, and then consecrated to the episcopacy.
Not far from Soreoi there was a place called Limnae, inhabited
entirely by pagans. St. Autonomus went to this place and soon
enlightened many with the Gospel of Christ. This embittered the
pagans, and one day they rushed into the Church of the Holy Archangel
Michael in Soreoi during the divine service and slew Autonomus in the
sanctuary, and killed many other Christians in the church. During the
reign of the Emperor Constantine, Severian, a royal nobleman, built a
church over the tomb of St. Autonomus. Two hundred years after his
death, St. Autonomus appeared to a soldier named John. John exhumed
the relics of the saint and found them to be completely incorrupt, and
many who were sick received healing from Autonomus's relics. Thus, God
glorifies the one who glorified Him while living in the flesh.
The
Hieromartyr Coronatus, Bishop of Iconium
Coronatus
was born in Nicomedia, in the village of Salate. He was already quite
old when the persecution under Decius and Valerian began. Perinius, a
torturer of Christians, came to Nicomedia and began a search for
Christians. Many Christians left the city and hid, but their aged
bishop did not want to leave. Instead, he presented himself to
Perinius and declared himself to be a Christian. The torturer bound
him completely, and ordered that he be dragged through the town until
much blood flowed. Then, under the sword, Coronatus gave his holy soul
to God.
The
Holy Martyr Julian with Forty Companions
They all
suffered in about the year 300. First they were tortured, and then
beheaded. Before his death, Julian prayed to God in this manner: ``To
those who take of my dust, grant to them, O Lord, forgiveness of sins
and the subduing of their passions; let no ravaging birds, or
grasshoppers, or caterpillars, or any other death-carrying destruction
attack their fields. And receive my spirit in peace.''
The
Venerable Daniel of Thasos
Daniel
was an ascetic, the founder of a great monastery and a contemporary of
St. Ioannicius the Great. Daniel was present when Ioannicius visited
the island of Thasos. The people there implored the celebrated
Ioannicius to free them from snakes. The saint prayed to God and the
snakes, in large number, rushed into the sea and drowned.
The
Holy Martyrs Macedonius, Tatianus and Theodulus
They all
suffered for Christ the Lord at Myropolis in Phrygia, during the reign
of Julian the Apostate. They were harshly tortured for destroying the
statue of an idol, and were burned on an iron grid until they gave up
their souls to God. While burning over the fire, these brave men cried
out mockingly to their torturer, saying: ``Wouldn't you like to try
our meat to see if it is well cooked?'' And also, like the glorious
Archdeacon Lawrence, they said: ``Turn us over onto the other side,
for this side is done!'' Witnessing the holy martyrs on the fire, the
torturer was more perplexed and frightened than they were.
Reflection
What
kind of bond should there be between man and God? An unbreakable and
continual bond. ``Adhere to God as a son adheres to his father,''
counseled St. Anthony. And St. Alonius said: ``If a man is not set in
his heart that there is no one else in the world but himself and God,
he cannot find peace in his soul.'' The one God is enough, and more
than enough, for all that the heart of man can desire. Without a
single protest, Blessed Theodora received a stranger's child, given to
her by slanderers, as if it were her own. Theodora raised this child
with love, and reared it in the fear of God. Before her death, this is
how she counseled the child: ``What is more necessary for man than God
and His divine love? He is our refuge, He is our treasure, He is our
food and drink, He is our raiment and shelter, He is our health and
strength, He is our happiness and joy, He is our hope and our trust.
Strive then, my son, to gain Him. If you succeed in gaining the One
God, it will be sufficient for you; you will rejoice more in Him than
if you had gained the entire world.'' In saying this, St. Theodora did
not speak from a book or from someone else's words, but on the basis
of her own personal experience. She lived for seven years, driven out
and scorned by all men, and during that time she learned by experience
that God was everything to her, and that the One God was sufficient
for all that the heart of man desires.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the division of Solomon's kingdom (I Kings 11):
1. How, because of Solomon's sins, the kingdom of Israel was divided;
2. How Jeroboam, the king's servant, became king over ten tribes; and
Rehoboam, the king's son, became king over two tribes;
3. How, even today, it happens that the sins of the father bring down
misfortune on the son; and the sins of the elders of the nation, on
the people.
Homily
On how
the soul must feed on Christ in order to live
He
that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me (John 6:57).
Thus
speaks Christ the Lord, the Life and Source of life. A tree feeds on
the earth, air and light. If a tree does not feed on the earth, the
air and the light, will it be able to grow and live? What does an
infant at its mother's breast feed on, except its mother? If it does
not feed on its mother, will it grow and live? So it is that our soul
will not grow or live, if it does not feed on Christ, the Living and
Immortal One. The words here are not about life in general, by which
nature lives, nor about the stunted life by which pagans live, but
rather about the special, divine and eternal life-a life full and
joyful. Only Christ gives this life to men, and it comes only to those
who feed on Christ. Each man is as great as the food he feeds on, and
each man is as alive as the food he feeds on. The words here are not
about bodily food, for only man's body-not man's soul-is fed by bodily
food. Men differ both in physical growth and physical life, but these
differences are totally insignificant. However, the difference in
spiritual growth and life among men is enormous. While some men, by
the growth of their souls, barely raise themselves above the earth,
others raise themselves to the heavens. The difference between Herod
and John the Baptist is no less than the difference between a king and
an angel. While the former drags his body and soul through the earth
and wickedly defends his throne on earth, the latter stands his body
on a rock in the wilderness, and is raised in soul to the heavens
among the angels.
O
my brethren, let us lift up our souls to the heavens, where Christ the
Lord sits on the throne of eternal glory, and let us feed and nourish
our soul and heart with Him, the pure and almighty Life. Only then
will we be made worthy to be His fellow heirs in the Kingdom of
Heaven.
O
Lord Jesus, our true God, our sweet food and our man-loving Nourisher;
cast us not away from Thy divine bosom, for we are weak and helpless.
Nourish us with Thyself, O our merciful Nourisher.
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September
26th (New Style) • September 13th (Old Style)
The
Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ
When the
holy Empress Helena found the Cross of our Lord in Jerusalem, she
stayed awhile in the Holy City, and built churches in Gethsemane and
Bethlehem, and on the Mount of Olives, as well as other places
prominent in the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. On Golgotha,
where she found the Honorable Cross, she began the building of an
enormous church. The church was designed to encompass the Place of the
Skull, where the Lord was crucified, as well as the place where He was
buried. The saintly empress wanted to include the place of His
suffering and the place of His glory under the same roof. However,
Helena reposed in the Lord before this majestic church was completed.
By the time it was completed, Constantine was celebrating the
thirtieth year of his reign. Thus, the consecration of the church and
the emperor's jubilee were celebrated on the same day, September 13,
335. A local council of bishops was being held in Tyre at that time.
These bishops, and many others, came to Jerusalem for the solemn
consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord. It was
then established that this day-a day of victory and triumph for the
Church of Christ-be solemnly commemorated every year.
The
Holy Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion
Cornelius
was a Roman and an officer in Caesarea of Palestine. As the result of
a heavenly revelation, the Apostle Peter baptized him (Acts 10:1). He
was the first among the pagans to enter God's Church. Until then, some
thought that the Church was only for the Jews and those who received
the circumcision of the Jews. Having been baptized, Cornelius left
everything and followed the apostle. Later, Peter consecrated him a
bishop and sent him to the pagan town of Skep, where St. Cornelius
endured much humiliation and torture for the sake of Christ. Even so,
he destroyed the temple of Apollo there by the power of God, and
baptized Prince Demetrius with 277 other pagans. Being forewarned by
God of the day of his death, Cornelius summoned all the Christians
together, counseled them, prayed to God for them, and peacefully
presented himself to the Lord in honorable old age. In time, his grave
site was neglected and forgotten, but the saint appeared to Silvanus
the Bishop of Troas and revealed it to him, commanding that a church
be built there. The bishop carried this out with the help of Eugenius,
a wealthy citizen. Many miracles have been worked by the relics of St.
Cornelius.
The
Holy Martyrs Macrobius and Gordian
They
were from Paphlagonia. They began as imperial attendants, but when
they declared themselves Christians, the emperor banished them to
Scythia. There, they were thrown into a fire at a place called New
Danube, in the year 320.
The
Holy Martyr Ketevan
Ketevan
was Queen of Kakheti [in Georgia]. She suffered as a Christian under
Shah Abbas I, in the year 1624. By order of the Shah, a red-hot kettle
was placed over her head. Her son Teimuraz, the King of Georgia,
placed her relics beneath the altar of the church at Alaverdi in
Georgia.
The
Venerable Hierotheus
Hierotheus
was born in the Peloponnese in the village of Kalamata. He labored in
asceticism in the Monastery of Iveron on the Holy Mountain. He was
distinguished by great secular learning and by strict monastic
asceticism. He strove to fulfill this rule of St. Arsenius: ``In the
course of twenty-four hours, one hour of sleep is sufficient for a
monk.'' Hierotheus entered into rest on the island of Varos in the
year 1745. His relics are miracle-working. Of these relics, his head
is preserved in the Monastery of Iveron. Upon touching his holy relics
in Constantinople, a blind woman received her sight.
Reflection
What
happens to the persecutors of Christ's Church? Ask Saul, the
persecutor of the Church, what happened to him. It is hard for thee
to kick against the pricks (Acts 9:5), the Lord said to Saul; and
Saul was baptized and became Paul. What happened to Herod, the first
persecutor of Christians? What happened to Julian the Apostate? They
died evil deaths and their efforts against Christ dispersed into
nothing, like smoke. And so it was throughout all of history: some
persecutors converted to Christianity and others died evil deaths; but
always, the efforts of one or the other against Christianity are
dispersed into nothing, like smoke. When he attacked Jerusalem,
Emperor Hadrian sought revenge against the Jews and against the
Christians, for he did not distinguish Christians from Jews. He
dispersed the Jews throughout the world, and built an idolatrous
temple on the spot where the Temple of Solomon had stood. He also
renamed Jerusalem ``Aelia,'' after his own name [Aelius], and forbade
that this city be called Jerusalem by anyone. He built a temple on
Golgotha to the foul Venus, a temple to Zeus over the tomb of the
Lord, and a temple to Adonis in Bethlehem. How sorrowful the
Christians of that time must have felt, seeing their holy shrines
mocked in such a manner. But what happened in the end? Emperor Hadrian
died an evil death and, in the time of Empress Helena and Emperor
Constantine, the pagan temples were torn down, and in their places
beautiful Christian churches were built-and these are still standing,
even today. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Oh,
how desperate and hopeless is every struggle against Christ!
Contemplation
Contemplate
the vanity of men's efforts in opposition to the will of God (I Kings
12):
1. How ten tribes broke away and took Solomon's servant as king;
2. How Rehoboam prepared an army to make war against Jeroboam;
3. How God held him back from war, saying through the prophet: For
this thing is of Me (I Kings 12:24).
Homily
On how
the world hates the witness of its sin
The
world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth (John
7:7).
Why does
the world hate Christ the Lord? The Lord Himself immediately explained
this: Because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil
(John 7:7). Men do not hate anyone as much as a witness to their sin.
Because of this, the greatest misdeeds of the world are committed at
night, in darkness. But does God not see at night, in darkness? In
truth, God sees, but the evildoers do not see God. And even if some of
them believe somewhat in God, they think, because of their own
insufficient enlightenment, that darkness is a curtain between men and
God. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself clearly revealed that God is
all-seeing, and that no darkness prevents His eyes from seeing. He
Himself saw men at a distance, such as Nathaniel under the fig tree.
He saw a donkey with its colt in another village. His sight was not
impeded by spatial distance. He foresaw the denial of Peter, the
betrayal of Judas, His own death and Resurrection, the destruction of
Jerusalem, the eternity of His Church, the suffering of His followers,
and the events at the end of time. His sight was not impeded by the
distance of time. But what more is there to enumerate? And what is
more hidden than the hearts of men? Is not the heart hidden by the
thick curtain of the body? Are not the thoughts in the heart more
hidden than the heart itself? Nevertheless, He penetrated the darkness
of men's hearts and read their thoughts there: Wherefore think ye
evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4). Brethren, it is no wonder that
all those who thought or committed evil were afraid of such a witness.
Is it a wonder, then, that the evildoers hated Him?
The world cannot hate you. Whom? All of you who participate in
the evil of the world and who, because of your participation, dare not
witness against the world. How can those who fear men witness against
men? How can those who seek the glory of men bring the condemnation of
men against themselves?
O my
brethren, it is better for us if the world hates us, and Christ loves
us-than if the whole world loves us and glorifies us, and Christ turns
His face from us, saying: I know you not. If the world hates
us, let us be comforted by the words of the Savior: If the world
hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you (John
15:18).
O
Blessed Lord, the Source of all blessings, strengthen our hearts, that
we may not be frightened when the world hates us. Only bless and love
us, O Good Savior.
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September
27th (New Style) • September 14th (Old Style)
The
Exaltation of the Honorable Cross
Two
events in connection with the Honorable Cross of Christ are
commemorated on this day: first, the finding of the Honorable Cross on
Golgotha and second, the return of the Honorable Cross from Persia to
Jerusalem. Visiting the Holy Land, the holy Empress Helena decided to
find the Honorable Cross of Christ. An old Jewish man named Judah was
the only one who knew where the Cross was located, and, constrained by
the empress, he revealed that the Cross was buried under the temple of
Venus that Emperor Hadrian had built on Golgotha. The empress ordered
that this idolatrous temple be razed and, having dug deep below it,
found three crosses. While the empress pondered on how to recognize
which of these was the Cross of Christ, a funeral procession passed
by. Patriarch Macarius told them to place the crosses, one by one, on
the dead man. When they placed the first and second cross on the dead
man, the dead man lay unchanged. When they placed the third cross on
him, the dead man came back to life. By this they knew that this was
the Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ. They then placed the
Cross on a sick woman, and she became well. The patriarch elevated the
Cross for all the people to see, and the people sang with tears:
``Lord, have mercy!'' Empress Helena had a silver case made and set
the Honorable Cross in it. Later, the Persian Emperor Chozroes
conquered Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took the Lord's Cross
to Persia. The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years. In the
year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius defeated Chozroes and, with much
ceremony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem. As he entered the city
Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly was
unable to take another step. Patriarch Zacharias saw an angel
preventing the emperor from bearing the Cross on the same path that
the Lord had walked barefoot and humiliated. The patriarch
communicated this vision to the emperor. The emperor removed his
raiment and, in ragged attire and barefoot, took up the Cross, carried
it to Golgotha, and placed it in the Church of the Resurrection, to
the joy and consolation of the whole Christian world.
Saint
Placilla, The Empress
Placilla
was the wife of Emperor Theodosius the Great. In mind and deed, she
was a true Christian. She was especially distinguished for helping the
needy and the sick. When some people told her that this was not
consistent with imperial dignity, she replied: ``It becomes the
imperial calling to assist with money; however, in my personal efforts
concerning the poor, I give to Him who deigned to give me this
calling.'' She rested peacefully in about the year 400.
The
Venerable Martyr Macarius of Thessalonica
Macarius
was a disciple of Patriarch Niphon when the latter was laboring in
stillness at Vatopedi [on Mount Athos]. Macarius longed to be martyred
for Christ the Lord, and begged St. Niphon for his blessing. The
clairvoyant patriarch, seeing that this was the will of God, blessed
his path to martyrdom. Macarius went to Thessalonica and, in a crowd
of Turks, began to speak about Christ as the One True God. The Turks
beat him and threw him into prison. When they brought him to trial,
Macarius cried out to them: ``Oh if you only knew the truth, and were
baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!''
The Turks beheaded him in 1527. At that very moment, St. Niphon saw
this in the spirit and told a monk of Macarius's death by martyrdom,
saying: ``Know this, my child, that today your brother Macarius died a
martyr's death and is borne to heaven, celebrating and rejoicing in
the Lord. May we, by his prayers, be made worthy of blessedness.''
The
Venerable Maria of Tarsus
She
lived a life of total debauchery. Two monks traveling through Tarsus
stayed at the inn where Maria plied her trade. When she approached the
monks, they rebuked her and pushed her aside as unclean. She suddenly
repented, and vowed never to sin again. The monks took her to a
convent, where Maria lived a life of asceticism until old age. She was
made worthy of working miracles even during her lifetime.
Reflection
Just as
a candle is lighted from another candle, so also a good work is born
from a good work. A patrician wanted to donate a gold cross to a
church. He summoned a young but experienced goldsmith, gave him a
great deal of gold that he weighed out, and told him to fashion
whatever sort of cross he desired. The poor goldsmith, seeing what a
large donation this patrician was making for the sake of his soul,
became inflamed with love for God in his own heart, and decided that
he would add his own ten pieces of gold to the amount of the
patrician's gold. When the cross was completed, the patrician weighed
it, and discovered that it was heavier than the gold that he had given
to the young man. He immediately began to scold the young man as a
thief, suspecting that he had taken some of the gold and replaced it
with some other heavy metal. When the young man saw the patrician so
angry, he confessed his deed. He said: ``I added from my gold, as the
widow gave two mites, in order to receive Christ's reward with you.''
Hearing this, the patrician's heart was touched, and he said to the
honorable young man: ``From this day, I take you as my son, and the
heir of all my goods.''
Contemplation
Contemplate
the transgression of Jeroboam and the punishment of God (I Kings 12,
13):
1. How Jeroboam cast two golden calves and ordered the people to
worship them as gods;
2. How the prophet declared God's displeasure to Jeroboam, and
miraculously broke the altar before the idols;
3. How Jeroboam raised his hand against the prophet, but his hand
withered, and only after the prayers of the prophet was it made whole
again.
Homily
On the
truthfulness of Christ's witness
Though
I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true
(John 8:14).
The
light witnesses truthfully when it witnesses to the existence of the
sun, and it does not lie. In the same way, the Lord Jesus witnesses
truthfully to all that He testifies. He descended among men as a
heavenly witness, to affirm the existence of the Triune God, the
existence of the angelic world and of men's souls, the love of God for
men, God's providence toward men, the power of justice over injustice,
the might of truth over falsehood, the blessed immortality of the
righteous and the eternal torment of the sinners, the resurrection
from the dead, the Judgment of God and many other things that
men-under the veil of sin-only felt as a faint premonition, but did
not know of or strongly believe in. Most of all, He witnessed that He
is the Son of the Living God, equal to His Father in Essence, power
and love, and equal to the Holy Spirit of God. For the Witness had to
witness first to Himself, so that by His witnessing to other
mysteries, He could be believed. From the point of view of a pure and
immutable truth, every witness of Christ is true; but from the point
of view of the darkened Jews, it was not true. For God, and the angels
of God, and the righteous ones, and for eternity, and for all time-His
witnessing is true, and that is why He also said: My record is
true. But for the darkened minds of the hardened sinners, this
witness is not true. That is why He said to the Jews earlier: If I
bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true (John 5:31). In
other words; ``It is not true for you Jews, but in essence it is true
in and of itself.''
O
Most-blessed Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God and our only Savior,
deliver us from the weakness of a sinful mind, and the wickedness of a
sinful heart. Illumine us with the light of Thy words, eternally true.
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